Madrid Is Beautiful ...

 ... in summer. They say it is Madrid. This might as well be Paris or Rome. 

And you all know by now what is happening in Ceuta. Here it is. 

In Spain they voted for that. This is civilization in a process of decomposition and it cannot be changed. In France it cannot be changed because a huge portion of French population is like that, but much of it was born in France and you can do nothing about it--they will vote for globalists. Euro militaries are emasculated and impotent and they cannot save their countries. Euromales have been also emasculated and care only about sports. 

Now, from the other fronts so to speak. 

The real number of Ukrainian servicemen out of action significantly exceeds the official statements of Kyiv, TASS reports. The Russian security forces noted that the statistics take into account both the killed and the seriously injured. ... "Zelensky again estimated the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at 50 thousand people. He made the corresponding statement in an interview with Fox News. Recall that the real figure, according to various estimates, has long exceeded 1 million people and today is up to 3 million people, including seriously wounded, "said the agency's interlocutor.

So, you see--this is how Pentagon generals "fight"--they don't know any other way.  As Gevorg Mirzoyan concludes (correctly) what is happening right now with Trump and Iran, where the US is stuck like that proverbial porn actress in a couch or a dryer, if you know what I mean, and why US cannot leave, is this:

Yes, it will be a humiliating defeat – but hardly less humiliating than after Afghanistan and even more so Vietnam. Yes, the value of the United States as an ally for the Middle Eastern monarchies will fall, but even after that, they will not look for any alternatives. Yes, Iran will remain nuclear – but it will be nuclear anyway. Yes, the departure will be a blow to Trump's rating - but if the US president, for example, is able to seize Cuba before the midterm elections, then he will win back all the rating losses. After all, for the American population, the capture of the Island of Freedom is much more important than some Middle Eastern stories. However, Trump dismisses this pragmatism. Not because he is stupid or stubborn, but because there is much more at stake in the Iranian campaign now than his personal status or even the Iranian atom. The stake in this campaign is the entire Western-centric world order. In the lid of the coffin, in which Iran is now hammering the third nail - after two Russian ones.

The fate of human civilization is at stake. The fate of combined West is sealed. 

About Credentialed Morons.

And BSers. Here is one. 

Fast talking bimbo, who is very credentialed from the system which cannot find its own ass with both hands in the brightly lit room.

Dr. Heinrichs served as a commissioner on the bipartisan Strategic Posture Commission, which was created in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. She also serves on the US Strategic Command Advisory Group and the National Independent Panel on Military Service and Readiness. She is an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics, where she teaches nuclear deterrence theory, and is also a contributing editor of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy. Dr. Heinrichs earned her doctorate in defense and strategic studies from Missouri State University, where she graduated with distinction. She received her MA in national security and strategic studies from the US Naval War College and graduated with highest distinction from its College of Naval Command and Staff, receiving the Director’s Award for academic excellence. She earned her BA in history and political science from Ashland University in Ohio, was an Ashbrook Scholar, and currently serves as a member of the University's Board of Trustees.

In other words, she is a product and an exhibit A of US military degree mills where "strategery" is taught by such specimen as Sarah Paine and the whole thing is built around confabulated military history and operational data which even Hans Christian Andersen wouldn't use in his fairy tales. Defense and Strategic Studies, whatever passes under this title in the US, for decades have produced people, including top military brass, who wouldn't be able to fight their way out of wet paper bag. So, what's left? Correct--BS. And that's what Heinrichs delivers with flair and panache. Ask this "doctor" about operations and how they are planned in modern technological paradigm. Per nuclear deterrence she "teaches"--LOL)) She will not be able to make a connection between serial production of S-500 and 550 and US nuclear credibility, but what do I know. Rephrasing Stalin--I do not have other strategists for you(c). A freak show, really. 

It Was A Very Active Night ...

... in 404, if you know what I mean. Lvov, Kiev, Chernovtsy--you name it. Geraniums, Iskanders, X-101s, Zircons. The works. 

For some reason they closed the access to bomb-shelter (metro station likely) and the crowd was not happy. 

Meanwhile, France just lost the whole town Le Porge (that what is reported)--gone. Burned to ashes. 

My heart breaks for people there. 

GRAB Money and Run.

 Or how desperation looks like. 

Egyptian Port Damietta ...

 ... and the American LNG vessel (used as storage) is hit. 

Meanwhile battle for Slavyansk accelerated. Here is Nikolaevka. 

You see what is going on?

That is why Russia "is losing war" today especially badly. They know they lie, that is why it makes even worse for them--terrorists, war-mongers and losers, capable only of PR. After Slavyansk--it is a straight road to Pavlograd and Dnepropetrovsk. 

Nima and Me.

 Live in 10 minutes. 

It Is a Funny Sketch ...

 ... but creators of it are very light on history. 

20 millions, really? How about USSR alone lost 27. But here is another issue. 

This is Private Semen Konstantinovich Hitler (Hitler in Russian is Gitler).

From a Jewish family. Fought heroically (was a machine gunner), was awarded Medal for Valor. KIA in 1942 during defense of Sevastopol. Obviously, with the name like this he was known and still is known, as many heroes of that war. It is not the name, it is who bears it that matters. 

Spain Has Nine Of Them ...

 ... but she cannot use them--they are Russian. 

Spain has lost between 25 and 30% of its forest firefighting capacity by skimping on resources to rent helicopters with a greater possibility of launching water that are equivalent to the best in their class, the Kamov, Russian-made and out of the game because they are subject to European sanctions for the war in Ukraine. Only last week a first ship of this type arrived in Spain, a helicopter manufactured in the US Black Hawk, which like the Chinook models can drop 4,300 liters and which are notably more expensive than the ships contracted for three campaigns, except one, between 1,000 and 2,000 liters, which are currently working on extinguishing the serious fires of recent weeks.

I am on record, Europe should forget about Russia and anything related to her. I reiterate my position--albeit it doesn't apply to Spain--a repatriation of all Red Army servicemen cemeteries and monuments from Europe back home. 

They Surely Don't Know ...

 ... what basic security and safety are. 

Russia canceled its landmark Navy Day parade for the second year in a row, instead holding a muted event where only large posters of warships on display. Two rows of roughly 30 sailors greeted the country's leader, Vladimir Putin, as he arrived on Sunday at the Russian Navy's headquarters in St. Petersburg, where the Kremlin said he met with commanders and presented several awards to navy personnel.

But for primitives in BI who like to react only at tinsel glittering, the outward appearances, substance is of no importance--after all, with people being able to comment simultaneously on lingerie of some Hollywood starlet and military issues nothing is beyond (intellectual) reach. However, Russian Navy gets its due on Navy Day: 

MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. Russia’s Sevmash Shipyard has floated out the latest Project Yasen-M multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarine Ulyanovsk, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. "Today, on July 28, the Sevmash Enterprise of the United Shipbuilding Corporation held a ceremony of rolling out the Project Yasen-M multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarine cruiser Ulyanovsk from its slipway. The ceremony was held under the direction of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Alexander Moiseyev," the ministry said in a statement. The latest Project Yasen-M multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarine Ulyanovsk will operate in Russia’s Northern Fleet, the Navy chief said.

Project 885(M) Yasen-class subs is a mature class of submarines. 

Vladimir Putin ordered continuation of building this class of subs which is only natural, because there is nothing out there which can compare to the firepower of these subs. So, the series will likely extent beyond 12 subs--both active and building--before the arrival of a new 5th generation subs in 2030s with a propulsion of a completely different nature and weapon systems which will separate Russia's capabilities even further from legacy and obsolete NATO systems. 

But butthurt and coping are hard nowadays. Harry Kazianis, an infoshyster who owns all kinds of military porn sites, and who wouldn't understand the first thing about war, concludes. 

Russia’s Su-75 Checkmate has finally moved beyond years of models, patents and promotional claims, but it still has not flown. United Aircraft Corporation said in June 2026 that work had reached the construction of an experimental prototype. As of July 28, UAC had announced no rollout date, maiden flight, publicly confirmed production contract or delivery schedule. That is far behind the plan presented at the MAKS air show on July 20, 2021. Russia displayed a full-size, nonflying demonstrator and said the single-engine fighter would take off in 2023, enter serial production in 2026 and support a business plan for 300 aircraft over 15 years.

Kazianis should learn a simple thing--Russia doesn't build F-35s in a mangled embarrassing process which produced a plane which cannot accomplish any of its 6 critical tasks. Russia builds weapon systems which are designed to kill efficiently and because of that a few years of delay in order to produce state-of-the-art lethal system are not a factor--final result is. This is not to mention the fact that during this delay Russia defeated combined West and paraded its weapons and planners as an obsolete system designed to fight third rate opponents. But coping requires grasping at any insignificant and out of context fact trying to divert attention to the US being paraded as a paper tiger. But then again, real strategic (and operational) thinking and analysis as a part of the larger grand-strategic framework are non-existent in the US killed by militant humanities brainwashed credentialed amateurs from degree mills, who are incapable (and are too cowardly) to look in the face of an unfolding catastrophe they helped to bring about. 

Now We Know ...

 ... if not for him, new generation wouldn't know real love and care. God, what a great man! Omnipotent and omnipresent. Can we issue a statue (with Trump's face, of course) the parent of the century and give it to him?

Sadly, Only In Russian.

My very good friends Colonel Trukhan, Lt. Colonels Shalandin and Popov about escalation. And explanation of what I explain ad nauseam to those "experts" who view war only as explosions and destruction. Russia could and can wipe out the whole of 404 in one go and with it the rest of EU in military-industrial terms, but decisions made on how to prosecute SMO are shaped by enormous number of strategic considerations many of which are not military in nature. 

Per China, I repeat again--Russia knows China's real capabilities and how China views Russia. Enough to say that Chinese military people are training in Russia, not the other way around and don't let me get started on naval affairs. But I can tell, for people who are in the line of work like me (that is trying to deliver actual professional military and geopolitical analysis) the only hope is to enter public discourse through a very limited number of people who actually want to know and are ready to listen and learn and, most importantly, internalize. It is a fairly narrow segment. 

In related news, Russian Army units are already fighting inside Druzhkovka. 

ROFL ...

 LOL)) That's what music education gives you!

I Want To Rephrase ...

 ... Russia's PM Mikhail Mishustin's quip that he saw many excellent economists who have been engineers before, but he never saw even a mediocre engineer who was an economist before. So, the point--cadre officer with military academy and engineering degree can and many did (some of them I studied with) become commanders in special forces. But any NCO from super-duper special forces, if he doesn't have a serious military education cannot become an officer in charge of, say, such thing as Air Defense battalion and higher. It is impossible in real serious military which operates world-class cutting edge systems.

 Europe burns, badly. 

Yes, And I Want ...

 ... the prototype of newest nuclear reactor in my backyard--to save money on energy. Exclusive! Breaking News! Sensation! Yes, this is Reuters.

KYIV, July 27 (Reuters) - Ukraine wants a prototype for a European anti-ballistic system codenamed Freyja to be ready within the first half of next year, a senior official said, as Kyiv pushes its allies to help deliver a weapon capable of downing Russian missiles. Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, who oversees the Freyja project, said that an international steering committee tasked with estimating the research and development costs was due to convene for the first time soon.

Sure, sure. I have the news though--Russian "ballistic" missiles used in SMO are ballistic primarily in title. Both Iskander and Iskander M fly quasi-ballistically maneuvering like crazy. Some very few intercepts of early versions of Iskanders have been achieved at near terminal and even that is primarily from 404 "reports". That means it could all be BS. 

But the issue is simpler--Europe lacks required expertise and capacity for design and production of weapon systems which are adequate (forget about being highly effective) for the modern battlefield. Period. The statement like these, moreover, create a Homeric laughter in Russian military. 

Ukraine is chronically dependent on U.S.-made Patriot air defence systems, which is the only weapon in its arsenal capable of reliably downing Russia's ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound. 

Yes, and I am Marlon Brando. Europe tied itself to criminal Nazi regime in Kiev and she is going to die with it. 

I Remind You ...

 ... this is not a joke, I checked, this is from POTUS' account. 

If you go to his account, it is filled with such neural network slop. How about this:

This is national humiliation which continues non-stop (just the magnitude changes) since Clinton. 

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

― H.L. Mencken, On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe. 

Mike Waltz ...

 ... doesn't produce an impression of a very bright man. This is not to say that his distinction of graduating from Virginia Military Institute with honors counts for nothing, but he is a product of a subpar US military education and, naturally, he migrated into the classic pro-Israel camp and then continued to demonstrate a lack of basic mathematical skills. 

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the U.S. has “everything that it needs” for military operations against Iran, dismissing reporting regarding depleted U.S. weapons stockpiles. “I want to be crystal clear: The U.S. military, and I’ve verified this every which way, has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” he said on Sunday. “And I have to tell you, the people that are leaking this nonsense deserve to be in jail.” His comments came in response to questioning about an NBC News report that U.S. military commanders are allowing some Iranian attacks through U.S. defenses as part of an effort to preserve the Pentagon’s weapons supply, according to two senior U.S. officials.

Well, the situation is much more dire than just "preservation of supplies", it is the fact that those "supplies" are simply not good and are incapable to carry out the mission, that is to say to shoot down most of missiles and drones which are launched at the US bases. While Waltz was getting his major in International Relations from VMI, others were getting their engineering degrees in Air Defense and Stand-Off High Precision Weapons. And that's a huge difference. 

Moreover, Larry wrote an excellent expose on yet another TACO and how fuel issue can factor into this whole FUBAR for the US in Persian Gulf. 

Miller concludes that the crisis is not due to a collapse in refinery output or a fabricated inventory, but rather a combination of structurally low inventories, high ongoing exports, and fragmented public reporting that obscures the military’s draw on national fuel supplies. The evidence supports the view that Rotterdam acts as a shadow endpoint for US fuel, facilitating onward distribution to US/NATO bases, Israel, and other theaters, but the lack of transparent, reconciled accounting prevents the public from knowing the true allocation. The report calls for a unified, detailed ledger to clarify how much fuel is being diverted from domestic resilience to military and foreign operations. I am assuming that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Burgham know this and briefed Trump on it. Stripping the US civilian sector of diesel and jet fuel surpluses at a time when the global supply is still severely constrained by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthi blockade of Saudi oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz increases the risk of damaging the US domestic economy. Did this fact also convince President Trump that a massive attack on Iran at this time would be ill-advised? Worth considering. 

Obviously, it is never a single factor, it is always a combination with its own logic of interaction between those factors. But in the end, the US has no good options ... well, except the only thing US military knows how to do--bomb its way out of defeat and declare victory. 

In related news. Many people still cannot grasp the criticality of this video by Russian MoD. 

It is not just the strike on some vessels steaming to Odessa (as you see below). 

Nope, the strike is on port tugs which paralyzes already choked off supply line to Odessa. Most large vessels cannot be moored without tugs. When you don't have tugs--it is over. 

But here what is the key in the decision on the fate of the 404. It is Navy Day in Russia and Vladimir Putin confirmed explicitly what we all suspected all along.

The president paid special attention to the issue of the western territories transferred to Kyiv after the war. "Stalin gave these lands to Ukraine, but he gave it as within the framework of a single state. Apparently, it did not occur to him that such a situation as today could develop. By the way, I am sure that sooner or later Ukraine will lose these western lands. And what belonged to Poland, belonged to Hungary, belonged to Romania, sooner or later, not tomorrow, maybe not the day after tomorrow, a year, two, ten, fifteen, but everything will historically fall into place. There was only one guarantor of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This is Russia," Putin said.

So, there you go. The green light is on now, officially. 404 will cease to exist. 

Yes, Share the "Evidence"))

Allow me to remind you--404 does not have any of the advanced ISR and is entirely dependent on the US for this and Command, Control and Communications. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday he will share evidence with the United States showing Russia is assisting Iran in targeting U.S. bases in the Middle East via satellite surveillance. "Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and U.S. military facilities located there," Zelenskyy said on X. "These images subsequently appear in Iran. At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia's satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes — both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted." Zelenskyy's accusations of Russia helping Iran target U.S. troops are not the first. Multiple sources, including a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge, told CBS News six days into the war that Russia was providing intelligence to Iran regarding U.S. positions in the Middle East. 

Yes, Zelensky will be sharing American intel with ... Americans. That, my friends, is called chutzpah. A special kind of chutzpah, I may add. But, as you all know, America's "friends" since Korean War are not exactly an admirable bunch. 404 (highly likely from Kazakhstan, maybe Azerbaijan) hit Iranian vessel in Caspian Sea--killed a crew member. Iran promised a delivery of a good payload to some targets in 404. Meanwhile The Economist sounds alarm. 

China is gaining troubling military know-how from Russia. It is learning how to improve its drones, nuclear subs and air defence. 

No shit, geniuses, you don't even know half of it, but judging by the "expertise" of Western journos and political "science" so called "strategists" they will not be able to grasp even basic realities of the modern warfare paradigm. It is a huge celebration in Russia today--Navy Day. Vladimir Putin already congratulated those serving and connected to the Navy. 

Sustainment Fantasies.

Sustainment of combat operations in real war is not just the set of formal requirements. Learning them and applying them to war are two very different things. FM 4-0 generally gets requirements correctly--it is a common military knowledge--but US military can sustain combat operations for a few weeks, after that ... PR and "mission accomplished". 

Evidently This Green Beret ...

 ... has a rather limited understanding of the nature of REAL war. Not surprising this trash is written by some Ukrainian guy in Harry Kazianis' pseudo military publication. 

Throughout the Russia–Ukraine war, special operations forces (SOF, or SSO in Ukrainian) have conducted many raids and missions to probe enemy defensive positions. Examples include Ukraine’s use of SOF probing operations in Bryansk and Kursk in 2023 and 2024 before launching its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024. At the same time, the drone war in Ukraine was rapidly accelerating. By 2025, Kyiv had established a drone wall, with virtually every part of the front monitored by uncrewed aircraft. Conducting maneuver warfare became increasingly difficult, and snipers and special forces operators also faced greater risks. ... ‘Xen’, a former US special forces operator who has worked with a Ukrainian special forces regiment, told me that in 2020, he had worked with a US SOF unit training Ukrainian special forces and that the instruction had been largely one-directional. Drone warfare had not changed battlefield doctrine, and the Ukrainian trainees were learning extensively from the Americans.

Well, I have news for the author of this drivel and VSU "learning from Americans" ... how to lose wars. VSU 100% is dependent on the US' world class ISR and C2, without it and with a steady flow, now chocked off, of supplies it would have collapsed much earlier. Moreover, Russians, while giving due to Ukie stubbornness and courage, have a rather mixed (euphemism for "is that it" surprise) reaction to the US "training", not to mention the fact that American view of "maneuvering" is born out of fighting either backward forces or civilians. In real war, US Army would be pinned down in assembly areas and destroyed. 

In general, this type of writing is designed for people with Tom Clancy's "level" of military expertise and lack of any clue about the role of special forces in a large scale combined arms operations. All this talk about drone warfare is a flavor of the season, but reality of countermeasures, as it is natural for people with the mentality of, at best, NCO, centers on the tactical picture. And even here, they still cannot grasp the fact that just today Russia shot down 1,060 NATO drones and will continue to do so as long as it takes. These numbers and resources which sustain SMO are beyond the grasp of the US military planners because the US military is incapable to fight protracted wars. It cannot sustain them and is now in the full retreat into the regional force with nuclear weapons. That's gotta hurt and it shows. 

While the World ...

 ... goes to hell or out of it (pay attention to this qualifier), because it is Friday, let me remind you why I abhor these urban so called "intellectuals", intellectuals they are not and never have been. They also always lacked the sense of beauty and artistic vision. Behold Lester Bangs and the Rolling Stone magazine--a collection of talentless scumbags. They didn't like ELP.  

I caught myself yesterday being emotionally involved in this magnificent prom when British musical genius exploded through Prog Rock. 

They couldn't fit all of them (I missed Jethro Tull) but was immensely gratified listening to Soft Machine. I wondered how was it for Karl Palmer playing to the music of his now deceased two geniuses and friends Keith Emerson and Greg Lake. 

Rettendon Mysterious Explosion ...

 ... there was fire. BBC reports it as major incident. Here how it looked like:

Whatever was produced there certainly was very flammable and  ... explosive. 

Firefighters promised updates later, will have to wait. 

I Am Shocked, Shocked ...

 ... I am telling you. 

Russia has no warships deployed in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in a decade, the latest example of how much Moscow is exerting itself after almost four and a half years of full-scale war in Ukraine. The last two Russian military ships in the Mediterranean Sea left the area on June 26, 2026, a NATO official told Newsweek, speaking on a condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject matter. The ships’ exit marks the first time since 2016 that Russia’s military hasn’t had a naval presence in the Mediterranean, and it points to the strain Moscow is under with its bruising war effort in eastern Europe, as the conflict churns on with no end in sight.

Of course this "anonymous NATO official" is some BSer who wouldn't know shit from shinola or maybe some staff BSer from Newsweek pulling a nothing (shit) burger out of his (her) ass. The explanation is simple and rather trivial--Russian Navy is actively involved in escort operations for Russia's tankers and it is in and out of Med. But desperate losers in NATO grasp even at non-events trying to cover up NATO being exposed as a paper tiger and combined West as an obsolete military force. 

Which really corresponds well to this: 

European countries intend to dispose of the seized Russian oil without transferring the proceeds to its owners, the corresponding decision was published in the official journal of the European Union, RIA Novosti reports. Prior to the adoption of a new package of sanctions, the embargo prohibited the purchase, import and transportation of Russian energy resources, but there was no mechanism for selling goods without transferring profits to the owner. The new amendments introduce this possibility for the first time. The mechanism will allow European countries to withdraw confiscated products from the ban, sell them to third parties and keep the proceeds for themselves.

Here it is--thievery, they always were like this. I mean Europe. Robbery for weak, thievery from strong. That is why Russian Navy is constantly on the move, because Euro cowards dare only to stop civilian vessels. Which also brings one of the most critical naval tasks--escort and convoy operations--to the fore. 

Garland And Yours Truly ...

 ... live at 18-00 (6-00) PDT))

No Black Sea ...

 ... for 404 and NATO anymore. 

A Very Symptomatic Exchange.

Both have no comprehension of what "troops' protection" in modern war is, because both do not understand what modern air defense is. 

Waltz, a devout neocon is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and had a military career which was largely in special forces--hardly an environment where serious operational and strategic thinking is developed. Liu, however, has a STEM education--but obviously it is all about party politics and of very little if any substance, because the US military has NO force protection capability against serious enemy. It simply has no TOE and expertise. 

Hence, the accusation of Russia for providing Iran with intel and targeting, which, among other things, allowed Iran to hit some very sensitive CIA facility. Don't ask me--I merely state all the time that two can play the game. And Lavrov's statement yesterday about the US targeting Russia and Russia's civilians is not accidental before meeting (very briefly--35 minutes) Marko Rubio. Keep in mind, American situation with Iran is, for the lack of better word, dire. And even speculators do not buy this Trump's BS about oil anymore. I speak about it and more in my today's video. 

Open Thread.

Very busy today. 

It Is No Surprise ...

 ... and I am on record, terrorism is the weapon of the weak. 

MANILA /Philippines/, July 22. /TASS/. The United States is not just helping, but directly involved in directing Ukrainian weapons at targets, including civilians, on Russian territory. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following his participation in ASEAN events in the Philippines.

I understand how difficult it is for decent people inside the US military to accept the fact that they are not the best, they are involved directly in terrorism and war crimes and that most of what they know about themselves is primarily from internal propaganda. So, what's left? Well, let's kill some civilians. The desire to "kill some Russians" is deeply ingrained in the US military-political top because of complex of inferiority, being not in the same league and recognition of what I speak about non stop for more than a decade--the US lost the arms race, it is all about spite and racism. But then again, US military for all intents and purposes is an Israeli military and has no a single serviceman, top-bottom, who would be able to coherently state when did the US military actually defend the US and her actual national interests. 

These are all hallmarks of a decomposing empire. Here are some results of the activity of the "finest fighting force in history".

The "most moral" military force of IDF looks at their apprentices from Pentagon with approval. 

Gloves Off ...

 ... and why. 

This Is Not ...

 ... how I imagined the fight between PLAN and Philippines' Navy, but this is tense but still funny. 

But reality, of course, is much more serious and the US will continue its, however useless, buildup in the area and use its vassals, I mean "allies", to provoke China. I am not going into the legal aspect of all those waters and all those Spratlys and all that, but here is a delusion on part of "intellectual" (I elaborate on this in my video today) Kazianis who lives in 1965 or maybe, indeed, in his 1945 outlet and never heard of antishipping missiles. 

China Is Building Toward Nine Aircraft Carriers. America Has Eleven — and Can’t Replace Them Fast Enough.  

Why China builds them is clear--it is symbolic because China has a monstrous shipbuilding industry which dwarfs that of the US and China leverages it, but also because she still copies very many views on war, in this case naval one, from the US. What many people still cannot grasp--China doesn't have strike weapon systems which guarantee sufficient number of leakers to stop US CBGs. Anybody who continues with a delusion of Chinese "hypersonic" weapons--I have news, China doesn't have them. Calling ballistic missiles which enter atmosphere at hypersonic speed a "hypersonic weapon" is the same as calling Packard autos the same generation as 2026 Honda Accord. 

This is the reality which very many people who do admire (I do it too) Chinese achievements (not least through first Soviet aid and then the US transplanting here manufacturing to China) cannot accept--in terms of naval warfare China is not in the same league because for all of its huge issues, including WW II based fighting doctrine of the US surface navy, China is nowhere near in terms of submarine component of the US or Russian Navies. Plus, the issue which many want to ignore but which Iran learned the hard way--Chinese AD turned out to be not what was promised. Russia warned Iran, but China outbid Russia. Well ... That's the reality and it is much more nuanced than merely proclaiming existing capability which is a much more inferior copy of original. Just to demonstrate:

I forestall many China fanboys who will rush to defend China while having no clue about realities of technological dimension of modern warfare. I repeat again, Russia "helped" (euphemism for built) Chinese missile attack early warning system. Get a hint and a clue. 

Correct!

And he is saying nothing new. Schumpeter anyone? He also forgets to include "economics" into this, because these are precisely "intellectual" ideas by modern economists who drove the combined West into the ground.  

And then comes this fact--so called "intellectual elites" everywhere possess absolutely zero grasp of how societies operate, be that on lower level of interactions or in such highly complex fields as engineering, warfare, medicine et al. 

Numerical view of the world? 

I wouldn't put lawyers in this list, despite the fact that it is definitely necessary occupation and it is a hard one. Recall what type of "degrees" dominate American politics. Correct--lawyers. Senate alone has 50% of senators who are lawyers. However, Law Degree is not enough for navigating complexities of the modern world at legislative and executive levels. You all know how the US Congress "operates". 

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.

This is for people who still cannot get the obvious answer to question of Why Now. Why now Russia dropped the gloves. Let me explain again, which is difficult for Western audiences to accept because it all lies beyond their political and life experiences. So, why now this:

Or, in other words why not only Kiev is being denied the remnants of its industry and in parts begins to look like this:

But the whole of 404 is being turned into the barren land and is being isolated from the Black Sea. You don't need to physically take Odessa to do so, you just need to stop shipping to and from Odessa and Nikolaev--Sea Denial smoothly translating to Sea Control. 

Starobelsk? Sure, NATO terrorism is good enough casus belli for wiping out the remnants of the cancer combined West created. But for those people who do follow actual state of Russian society--granted, impossible to do if you consume Western media propaganda--it is incomprehensible to accept that Russian society is extremely sophisticated in terms of war and understanding the nature of the conflict, because it is in a cultural genetic code. Combined West doesn't have this cultural DNA, especially the US. Obviously, all kinds of fake Western "academicians" may bloviate about "support" or lack thereof of American people for some military adventure, but there is NO cultural and spiritual connection between average Joe and TPTB because it cannot exist--there are no conditions for it. 

In Russia, especially today, this connection is profound and Russian political power is well attuned to the mood of the average Ivan, and Ivan now wants blood and 404 gone. In fact, average Russian Ivan today wouldn't mind Berlin, Brussels and Paris with London be gone too--a dramatic shift from the earlier phases of SMO with "they are still our people" moods being prevalent. Those are over. And Kremlin reacts, because REAL wars, unlike post WW II adventurism of the US in Vietnam and elsewhere, are not fought by public opinion polls and media propaganda--they are fought by a synapse between society and TPTB. 404 must and it will die (that is cease to exist in its present form) and if it takes the suffering of whatever remains of this political nation--Russia gladly provides it already. Russia could have done this earlier, but the most important element was still missing--a sense of justice shared by the whole of Russian society. Now it is in place and operational tempo increased dramatically and it will increase even more in coming weeks. All conditions are finally in place. Wait, where did we encounter it before? Ah, yes ...

“Yes, yes,” answered Prince Andrew absently. “One thing I would do if I had the power,” he began again, “I would not take prisoners. Why take prisoners? It’s chivalry! The French have destroyed my home and are on their way to destroy Moscow, they have outraged and are outraging me every moment. They are my enemies. In my opinion they are all criminals. And so thinks Timokhin and the whole army. They should be executed! Since they are my foes they cannot be my friends, whatever may have been said at Tilsit.”

But then again, what do those Russians know about the war. They are not "the finest fighting force in history"(c). /s

I Actually Agree ...

 ... Dostoevsky is not for everyone and he is definitely not my favorite Russian writer. So one British dude contemplates ...

On the back of my copy of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1869 novel The Idiot, there’s a quote from the English philosopher A.C. Grayling that tells you what to think of it. “One of the most excoriating, compelling and remarkable books ever written,” it reads, “and without question one of the greatest.” That “without question” bothered me. Why assume that every classic deserves its reputation? We should make up our own minds after having read one, as we do with any other book.  

That wasn’t the only reason why I treated Grayling’s claims with skepticism as I edged my way into this gargantuan novel (I can’t remember exactly when that was, but I know I was a much younger man at the time). Having kicked and dragged myself through the same author’s late “masterpiece” The Brothers Karamazov (1880) last year, I knew what I was in for. And now, having almost finished The Idiot, I can say with confidence that Dostoevsky is a dreadful writer. Dreadful.   

Obviously he didn't read Solzhenitsyn in original, Russian language, version--this is the rape of taste and mind 101, while there is a lot to be said about Nabokov. I would suggest Mark Nayler read Sholokhov's Quiet Flows the Don (that will blow his mind). But, I want to remind you about Sir Michael Caine (as the last vestige of an English culture, euphemism for England, we all used to love and admire--not anymore). 

And his story telling which is exemplary. 

Sea Control 2.0.

 Or release rapists and pedophiles. 

If You Think That This Photo ...

... is unremarkable and is nothing more than some groceries--you are wrong.  

These are Russian foods from Russian Far East's farmers in grocery stores in Pyongyang. Recall, when Russia broke through blockade, signed REAL allied treaty with DPRK and that stunned the world? Including China, whose relations with North Korea have always been strained. Now, the economic dimension of it becomes increasingly visible. It will only grow and good for Korean people who in 1990s and 2000s went through horrendous famines. Consumer variety, especially in food, matters a great deal, to put it lightly. 

MOSCOW, July 19 — RIA Novosti. President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hi in the Kremlin. He noted that relations between Moscow and Pyongyang are developing in all directions, and once again expressed gratitude to the DPRK for support for the special military operation. "The valor, bravery, courage and heroism of your soldiers have been awarded state awards of the Russian Federation. We will never forget their feat, we will honor Korean heroes on an equal basis with our compatriots," the head of state said. Choe Son-hi, for her part, stressed that the DPRK will continue to support Russia's efforts to defend sovereignty, security interests, territorial integrity and eliminate the root causes of the crisis in Ukraine.

Yes, the relations will continue to grow. So will North Koreans' standard of living. They proved themselves real friends of Russia and there are huge benefits which come with that. 

Open Thread.

 Busy today. Go at it. 

Ah, OK.

Sure, there will be takers. This is how low he stooped.

US President Donald Trump’s social network Truth Social will start selling investors early access to posts from prominent accounts, most likely including his own, the holding company has announced. Critics argue that the move could create an unprecedented new way for the president to profit from his office, given his family controls Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the platform’s publicly traded corporate parent. The move was announced on Thursday, when TMTG unveiled Truth API, a business-to-business data feed providing “real-time access to posts from the highest-ranking Truth Social accounts.”

He really is not governing (he and his ilk do not know how) he is fleecing. The only thing they know is how make money by selling BS.

He is NOT the most powerful man in the world(c), neither is the US a premier military power--it is an obsolete force. Doctrine-mongering is no substitute for modern TOE and effective fighting doctrine. Yep, here is Jordan and American air defense in (lack of) action. 

But no worries, Hollywood will produce Top Gun-III and even IV.