[CJ Hopkins] Once upon a time, on a planet called Earth, there was born a global-capitalist empire. It was the first global empire in the history of empires. It dominated the entire planet.
No one knew what to call the empire, because there had never been anything like it in history. It had no external adversaries, so it had nothing left to do but "clear and hold," i.e., neutralize internal resistance and consolidate its domination of the planet.
So that is what it set about doing.
It did this first in the territories of its final ideological adversary, an empire called the Soviet Union, the ideology of which was known as "Communism."
This was known as the "Post-Cold-War Era."
It did this next in the Greater Middle East, where people were still trying to live their lives according to a religion known as "Islam."
This was known as the "Global War on Terror."
The Global War on Terror was originally intended to go on forever, and it would have, and it will, but it had to be temporarily suspended, and rebranded, because something unexpected happened.
One day, in the Summer of 2016 — theretofore officially "The Summer of Fear" — the global-capitalist empire noticed that a new form of resistance to its domination of the entire planet had risen up, not in the former Soviet Union, or the Greater Middle East, but throughout the West, right in the very heart of the empire.
And so the War on Terror was suspended, and the War on Populism began.
The War on Populism raged for four years, and culminated in the rollout of the New Normal, officially known as "the Covid pandemic."
For over two years, i.e., from March 2020 to approximately December 2022, the global-capitalist empire morphed into a new form of totalitarianism, a global-capitalist form of totalitarianism, which was not like any other previous form of totalitarianism.
This period was the shock-and-awe phase of the rollout of the New Normal Reich.
The transition to the New Normal Reich was broadcast throughout the global empire. The message was unmistakeably clear. From now on, there would be a "New Normal." It would be like a permanent state of war, a permanent state of civil war. And so, from now on everyone would need to pledge their allegiance to the New Normal Reich, and follow orders, or be labelled an "extremist," a "science denier," a "conspiracy theorist," or some other type of seditious deviant.
The vast majority of the citizens of the West understood the message, followed orders, and pledged allegiance to the New Normal Reich. But a sizeable minority did not. The global-capitalist empire needed to neutralize this sizeable minority.
The majority of this sizeable minority was comprised of conservative, libertarian, and other basically right-leaning people. It contained a few old-school left-leaning people, but they were a minority within a minority, and so they weren’t really a factor when it came to neutralizing the larger minority, which the empire promptly set about doing.
THE FREE-SPEECH TWITTER PSYOP
In October 2022, Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire military contractor, electric car salesman, and transhumanism enthusiast, and a coterie of serious global-capitalist entities and individuals purchased the social media platform known as Twitter, Inc. for 44 billion US dollars.
Musk walked into Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters grinning like a chimpanzee and carrying a bathroom sink, and the Free-Speech Twitter PSYOP began.
During the War on Populism and the shock-and-awe phase of the rollout of the New Normal Reich, Twitter, Inc., and every other social-media platform and mass-media outlet in the Western world, had been functioning as the empire’s Ministry of Truth, disseminating official New Normal propaganda, censoring dissent, and unpersoning anyone challenging the empire’s official narratives. And thus, it provided the perfect stage for the PSYOP the empire was about to conduct.
Musk reinstated a number of prominent, primarily conservative Twitter accounts that had been deplatformed for "posting misinformation" about Hunter Biden’s laptop and the "Covid vaccines," and for posting "incitement" and "glorification of violence," and bigotry and other such offensive content, among them, the account of Donald Trump, and tens of thousands of Trump supporters.
As Elon had promised, "the bird was freed"! Elon acolytes and grateful garden-variety Trumpians and other right-leaning persons poured onto Twitter to thank their savior for reversing the company’s target demographic, thus saving America from "Cultural Marxism," and "Communism," and the "Woke Mind Virus."
The PSYOP continued with a textbook limited hangout known as the "Twitter Files." Musk let a few carefully selected journalists run a few searches at Twitter HQ, which exposed how the former staff of Twitter had been collaborating with elements of the Biden administration (i.e., not the global-capitalist empire) to censor and deplatform people — mostly those in the new "red" target demographic — and was part of some strictly-USA-operated "Censorship Industrial Complex," which was absolutely not a global operation, and had nothing to do with any global-capitalist empire, or a "New Normal Reich," because all the censorship and "shadowbanning" — which was all in the past now that Elon was in charge — was the work of a cabal of deep-state libtard bureaucrats, who were all a bunch of "Commies."
These revelations in the "Twitter Files" prompted Republicans in the US Congress to hold a series of subcommittee hearings into the possibly unconstitutional behavior of the Biden administration and its libtard proxies (i.e., not the global-capitalist empire), which had forced Twitter, Inc., and the other totally helpless Internet corporations to "shadowban" and censor Americans (i.e., not everyone else all throughout the empire that these corporations were also censoring in a clearly coordinated fashion).
And then, right on cue, once the story had been framed within a US-centric "red/blue" narrative, Musk shut the "Twitter Files" limited hangout down, i.e., before it could do any damage to the global-capitalist empire itself.
For the next two years, Elon and his cronies inundated their new target-demographic with "Free-Speech-Twitter" propaganda, sentimental Elon Musk-hagiography, and a never-ending series of PR-stunts. Twitter was officially rebranded as "X." Musk went to war with Brazil’s Darth Vader, and Thierry Breton, and assorted other "Commies." Twitter users were besieged with memes of Elon dressed up as Captain Free-Speech America. Et cetera.
And so the Musk Cult was born.
Meanwhile, X is continuing to censor and "visibility-filter" content at the behest of governments throughout the empire, as well as in furtherance of its own objectives.
If you think that fact has had a negative impact on the Free-Speech Twitter PSYOP, on the contrary, the Musk Cult has only grown broader and stronger. Like any other cult, it is impervious to facts. All that matters is loyalty to the cult, and the leader of the cult, and the cult’s official narrative. You can direct Musk cultists to the Twitter Safety pages where "visibility filtering" is explained, and cite countless examples of Musk’s hypocrisy, and it will have absolutely no effect whatsoever. Like every other successful cult leader, Elon is beyond reproach, incapable of sin, a god made flesh.
But deifying Elon was not the primary objective of the Free-Speech Twitter PSYOP.
The primary objective of the Free-Speech Twitter PSYOP was to harness, corral, and establish control over the majority of the sizeable minority of people who refused to follow orders and pledge allegiance to the New Normal Reich when it was rolled out during the "Covid pandemic." These people needed to be herded into a manipulable mass and redirected away from the global-capitalist empire and into a harmless cul-de-sac where they could scream and shout at the empire’s designated scapegoats to their heart’s content. The Musk Cult was just a means of herding and leading them into this cul-de-sac.
"Free-Speech Twitter" is this cul-de-sac, and is a microcosm of a larger cul-de-sac.
Which brings us to the second PSYOP.
THE AMERICA MADE GREAT AGAIN PSYOP
One of the most effective ways to neutralize an opponent is to let them win. This is especially true when you’re dealing with an opponent you can never entirely defeat.
What you do is, you lure your opponent into a battle you can afford to lose, because you need to actually lose the battle, and let your opponent actually win, i.e., not just trick them into thinking they have won, because... well, your opponent isn’t stupid.
This battle that you lure your opponent into and let them win will be a battle over a territory within a territory, but which your opponent believes is "the territory." You can afford to lose control of this territory within a territory because you control the territory it exists within, and because your opponent doesn’t know that.
The trick is getting your opponent to believe that, by winning this battle, they have won "the war," and that they now control "the territory," and have destroyed you, or have otherwise removed you from power, when, actually, all that your opponent has destroyed or removed from power is a corporeal decoy, a material incarnation of an invisible, immaterial adversary, an adversary they do not know exists, or which they refuse to acknowledge the existence of... assuming, of course, that is what you are.
At which point, you have neutralized your opponent.
For example, say you’re a global empire, a supranational global-capitalist empire, and say your opponent is a populist insurgency, a potentially revolutionary mass, that you need to distract from contemplating your supranational, invisible, immaterial nature, and from the fact that the governments of nation-states are essentially administrative components of this invisible immaterial empire that you are, and thus it doesn’t really matter to you which political party administers these nation-states or who the leaders of these parties are, because they can’t really do much damage to you, because all they control are the material territories within the immaterial territory you control, which predetermines the context and the scope of their actions, and the parameters of their imaginations, and... OK, you probably see where this is going.
Or, I don’t know, maybe you don’t. So let me try to simplify it.
There is no "America" to make great again. "America" is a simulation. It is a map of a territory that does not exist. It is a dream within a dream in a film that no one can see because everyone is watching. It is a brand name for an imaginary product.
OK, that didn’t make it any simpler, did it? Let me try this one more time.
We are living in a global-capitalist empire. One big global-capitalist empire. We have been for the last thirty-something years. All of us. Americans. Canadians. The British. The French. Australians. Germans. Russians. Israelis. Palestinians. Iranians. All of us.
The global-capitalist empire is not a cabal of powerful individuals. It is a system. And that system is evolving. Metamorphosing. Transmogrifying. Evolving into a new form of totalitarianism. A global-capitalist form of totalitarianism.
It is the system, and not its servants, that is driving... driving this systemic evolution. It makes no difference whether Elon Musk, or Donald Trump, or Macron, or Starmer, or Netanyahu, or Gates, or Bezos, or Soros, or any other political "leader" or powerful figure knows what they are doing. They serve the system, as the system requires, each according to their specific role and scope of action within the system.
Elon Musk did not "save free speech" or "rescue Twitter" from a "Woke Mind Virus." He purchased a corporation and rebranded its product for new market demographic. In so doing, he corralled and neutralized most of the conservative populist resistance to the evolution of the global-capitalist system... which is what the system needed to happen. It makes no difference whether Elon Musk understood his role. He played it perfectly. He is continuing to play it perfectly.
The Musk Cult is growing. Its apostles are preaching the Gospel of Elon throughout the empire, paving the road to The Privatization of Everything! Verily, it is the dawn of a golden age of "Freedom" ruled by global corporations and beneficent oligarchs!
However, before that golden age can begin, America must be made great again! And so the Free-Speech Twitter PSYOP has to be repeated on the macro-level. The same conservative populist resistance to the evolution of the global-capitalist system that Musk corralled and neutralized needs to be corralled and neutralized everywhere... not just in America, everywhere, all throughout the West and the rest of the empire.
Once it is corralled, and neutralized, and whipped up into a frenzy over "Wokeness," "Cultural Marxism," and "Communism," it can be unleashed on the remnants of the dying age of nation-states, national sovereignty, constitutions, and so on, which will prompt the Global Powers That Be to take extreme measures to "defend democracy," which will prompt the Other Global Powers That Be to take more extreme measures to "Rescue the Republic," which will prompt the Global Powers That Be to take even more extreme extreme measures to "defend democracy from fascism" and... OK, this time, I do think you see where this is going.
Or, I don’t know, maybe you don’t. But I don’t think I can make it any simpler. And I don’t see any way to stop it or fix it. It isn’t an error to be corrected. It is the organic evolution of a system... a supranational system evolving into a new totalitarian form.
So, there you have it, a tale of two PSYOPS. I’m sorry that it isn’t as comforting as a story about how Donald Trump and Elon Musk and their global-capitalist investors, and their subsidiaries, agents, and assigns, are going to "make America great again."
If it’s any consolation, one thing is certain... whatever happens, it won’t be boring.
#3
Hole in the theory: Musk has had a Cult Hero Status since the founding of Pay Pal, confirmed and made larger with his TESLA, proven with SpaceX and then made much larger with the hopes he has made for Mar colonization and Space Mining with StarShip.
[ShabelleMedia] Federalism, once presented as a mechanism to bring order and inclusivity to Somalia, is increasingly being viewed as a tool for destabilization. The very system designed to stabilize a fractured nation is now seen by many as a mechanism for fostering division, disintegration, and chaos. Behind the scenes, shadowy figures and their handlers appear to be exploiting federalism to destabilize Somalia, with a clear focus on its general elections as a trigger point. Destabilized Somalia - Is there any other kind?
Those who initially devised federalism as Somalia’s political framework are now among its strongest sponsors, raising questions about their true intentions. The aim seems evident to exploit federalism’s flaws and vulnerabilities to perpetuate fragmentation and weaken Somalia’s illusory sovereignty. This tactic not only undermines national unity but also jeopardizes decades of effort to rebuild and reconcile.
The greatest risk lies in the manipulation of Somalia’s electoral process. By targeting the general elections, these external and internal actors seek to exploit Somalia’s fragile political environment, pitting regions and clans against one another. The resulting instability serves their agenda of a weakened, disunited Somalia unable to assert its illusory sovereignty or chart its own future.
However,
denial ain't just a river in Egypt... Somalia’s salvation lies within the collective power of its people. If Somalis unite and focus on their areas of expertise, they can redirect the course of federalism toward a framework that supports national unity and development. This requires a national awakening an acknowledgment that division benefits only those seeking to destabilize the country, while unity strengthens Somalia’s prospects for peace and progress.
The derailment of federalism does not have to be Somalia’s fate. With unity, vigilance, and strategic planning, the Somali people can reclaim federalism as a tool for strengthening national identity and fostering sustainable development. Together, they can thwart the agendas of those seeking to disintegrate Somalia and put the nation back on the path to stability and prosperity.
To counter these destabilizing forces, Somalis must prioritize:
1. A National Dialogue: Open and inclusive discussions on the shortcomings of federalism, identifying areas of reform to better align with the country’s interests.
2. Electoral Integrity: Safeguarding the electoral process against external manipulation and ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections.
3. Grassroots Mobilization: Encouraging citizens to actively participate in local and national governance, ensuring their voices shape Somalia’s future.
4. National Expertise: Leveraging Somalia’s vast human capital by empowering individuals to contribute to nation-building within their areas of expertise.
The theory is sound. It’ll work beautifully in a country that isn’t Somalia.
[Washington Examiner] More than 1,100 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border but just 24 miles north of Mexico’s border with Guatemala, a gleaming new mall is set to be completed next month that will become just one node in a vast network of over a hundred facilities across Central and South America, all designed to make it easier for migrants to enter the United States.
This mass migration infrastructure is being built and paid for by the United Nations, foreign governments, international nongovernmental organizations, and American taxpayers.
In Tapachula, a city in the Mexican state of Chiapas just north of Guatemala, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is building a 75,000-square-foot migrant aid center on land donated by the Mexican government. Once completed, the facility will house employees from UNHCR, the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration, the U.N. International Children’s Emergency Fund, and dozens of other NGOs, all dedicated to helping migrants transit to the U.S.
The facility was commissioned to "respond comprehensively to the needs of people who arrive in Mexico ... migrant refugees who travel together from all continents, and arrive in Tapachula in need of a response or attention," Giovanni Lepri, Mexico’s representative to UNHCR told reporters when the project was first announced.
A SERVICE TO MIGRANTS
In addition to providing migrants with food, transportation vouchers, and cash cards, the migrant aid center and many others like it will also provide logistical tips on how to safely reach the U.S. and even legal advice on how best to enter.
When asked how she could justify her organization essentially helping migrants break the laws of another country, an employee of the Cadena NGO told Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies, "As an organization, we’re not here to judge. We’re just here to provide a service."
Cadena, other NGOs, and the U.N. are providing migrants with services often paid for by U.S. taxpayers. According to Bensman, UNHCR received $1.9 billion from the Biden administration in 2024 and $2.1 billion in 2023 after receiving just $377 million from the Trump administration in 2019.
In addition to its new facility in Tapachula, UNHCR and IOM plan to spend an additional $1.6 billion in 17 Latin American countries through a network of over 200 NGOs for its 2024 Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan, which aims to assist over 2.2 million migrants in search of "a country and community that accepts them, offers stability, effective protection, and opportunity for a life lived with dignity."
The report singles out the opening of "Safe Mobility Offices by the United States Government in some countries of the region" as a development that will have "a positive and stabilizing impact" on migrants "by providing them with options for a regular pathway to the United States."
#4
Once America’s borders are closed tight against illegals in late January, will all this organization go on vacation for the next four years — or longer, depending on the results of the 2028 election — or will they openly weaponize the hopeful masses they worked so diligently to create?
#5
...a gleaming new mall is set to be completed next month that will become just one node in a vast network of over a hundred facilities across Central and South America
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Mikhail Zakharov
[REGNUM] On the evening of November 17, the American newspaper The New York Times, citing sources, reported that outgoing US President Joe Biden had given the Kiev regime permission to use ATACMS tactical missiles to strike Russian territory. However, the White House officially declined to comment on this.
As The New York Times reported, Biden's decision is related to "the presence of North Korean forces in the Kursk region," which "has caused the need to strengthen the defense of the Ukrainian military." At the same time, Reuters, also citing unnamed sources, reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could launch the first strike with long-range missiles "in the coming days."
Almost immediately, the French newspaper Le Figaro rushed to write that France and Britain, following the US, lifted restrictions on Ukraine's strikes on Russia with SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles. But already on Monday morning, November 18, the newspaper removed from its text the information that Paris and London had lifted their veto.
Experts and world media are confident that Biden's decision will lead to an escalation of the Ukrainian conflict, but will not radically improve Kiev's position. Thus, the CNN television company noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are unlikely to achieve significant success due to their lack of weapons. In turn, US Senator Mike Lee said that the situation creates the preconditions for the start of World War III.
WHAT WEAPONS WERE “UNBLOCKED” FOR UKRAINE
ATACMS are ground-launched tactical ballistic missiles designed and manufactured by the American corporation Lockheed Martin. They can be launched from multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), including the M142 HIMARS and the heavier M270 MLRS.
The Pentagon is in no hurry to disclose which modifications of ATACMS were transferred to Ukraine, but in the new versions the missiles can attack targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers. Thus, western Russian regions and regional centers, including Kursk and Voronezh, may be in their strike zone.
As for the Anglo-French SCALP/Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles, they have a longer range and can cover a distance of more than 500 kilometers. However, military expert Vasily Dandykin notes, NATO weapons are unlikely to affect the course of a special military operation for two reasons. Firstly, the Ukrainian Armed Forces simply have very few such missiles, and secondly, Russian air defense is able to professionally shoot them down.
In a conversation with the Regnum news agency, Dandykin recalled that our air defense forces are already familiar with Western missiles; the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired them at Crimea and Sevastopol, but most were shot down.
“We know how to fight NATO missiles,” says the expert.
HAPPY CHOIR AND TAME "OPPOSITION"
Despite the fact that there is no official confirmation of permission to fire long-range missiles deep into Russia, American satellites are already wildly rejoicing. Volodymyr Zelensky called this a key point of the so-called plan for Ukraine's victory. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock considered Biden's possible decision "extremely important at this moment." And Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda even declared that a decisive moment had arrived in Ukraine's fight against the "aggressor."
It is noteworthy that on the same day, November 17, when information about Biden's decision appeared, an "anti-war march" was held in Berlin, organized by the "opposition" that had left Russia and various foreign agents. Among the slogans at the march was a request to transfer Western missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Obviously, this is not a simple coincidence, but a planned move by the Biden administration, which is using the "opposition".
At the same time, even in Washington, the news about permission for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike at Russian territories caused a mixed reaction.
The same New York Times article voiced concerns that Ukraine's use of American ATACMS missiles could provoke Moscow to respond with force against Washington and its allies.
BIDEN'S LEGACY FOR TRUMP
With his decision, Biden is trying to hit not only Russia, but also President-elect Donald Trump — this is a popular opinion in the United States. The outgoing head of state is complicating the situation for the new administration, said billionaire David Sachs.
" President Trump has a clear mandate to end the war in Ukraine. What is Biden doing in his last two months in office? Massively escalating it," Sachs wrote on social media.
In a commentary for IA Regnum, international political scientist and professor at St. Petersburg State University Stanislav Tkachenko also notes that the Democrats, who are losing power, are making Trump’s life miserable.
“If Kamala Harris had won the election, there would have been no decision,” says Tkachenko, clarifying that Biden decided to take this step “out of diplomatic and foreign policy irresponsibility.”
Unsurprisingly, there was a flurry of criticism from Republicans. Billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk warned that Russia would “respond in kind,” agreeing with the assertion that “American liberals love war.” And Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. went so far as to call those who allowed Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory imbeciles. In his opinion, such a move by the current presidential administration was dictated by the desire of the US military-industrial complex to make money, spitting on people’s lives.
RUSSIA'S REACTION
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, recalled that President Vladimir Putin had previously spoken out about strikes on Russian territory by American long-range weapons. On September 12, the head of state noted that this would mean direct participation of the United States and other NATO countries in the war in Ukraine.
“And something very important, perhaps key: flight assignments for these missile systems, in essence, can only be entered by military personnel from NATO countries… We are talking about making a decision whether NATO countries are directly participating in a military conflict or not,” Putin said.
A month and a half later, on October 27, the president added: The Defense Ministry is studying various possible responses if Ukraine starts using Western long-range weapons to strike deep into the country. Putin also expressed hope that his warnings to the West about such actions had been heard.
In turn, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, Viktor Bondarev, stated on November 18 that the routes of military supplies for the Ukrainian army are known to the Russian Armed Forces, and the missiles will be a legitimate target for Russia.
“In any case, Russia has enough advanced means to repel attacks from any type of weapons, including long-range ones,” Bondarev added.
Overall, the situation remains in limbo. There is no official confirmation of Biden's decision, Western officials are holding a pause. Apparently, to see Moscow's reaction and decide whether to allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike deep into our country or not.
However, a calm reaction should not relax them - Russia has something to respond with. And not necessarily with regard to Ukraine, notes Stanislav Tkachenko: the issue may also include NATO military bases in third countries.
#1
So if I understand correctly, it's OK for Russia to invade another country and pulverize it with missiles and drones for years, but it ain't fair if the Ukes return the favor. And by the way, it's all the US's fault. Please correct me if I got something wrong.
#4
All Russia is going to do is bloviate. They don't dare use nukes cause 1. Bad things will happen. 2. They might not actually go off. And that looks WAY WORSE. So they will scream and rant and wave their little fists around but at the end of the day, they will do butkis.
"Ukraine: A non-nation bombarded!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, were you awarded--"
"He's flesh of my flesh!
Neo-Nazi secesh!"
"Papa?"
"Office, please, he's retarded!"
"And she's cuckoo for Poopoo Puffs!"
"Okay, ma'am, I'm gonna have to ask you to release the brat and remove the Red Army from the ground."
"Shit. Can't we work this out diplomatically? How about some nookie?"
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[CJ Hopkins] Once upon a time, on a planet called Earth, there was born a global-capitalist empire. It was the first global empire in the history of empires. It dominated the entire planet.
[ShabelleMedia] Federalism, once presented as a mechanism to bring order and inclusivity to Somalia, is increasingly being viewed as a tool for destabilization. The very system designed to stabilize a fractured nation is now seen by many as a mechanism for fostering division, disintegration, and chaos. Behind the scenes, shadowy figures and their handlers appear to be exploiting federalism to destabilize Somalia, with a clear focus on its general elections as a trigger point.
