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I agree, I also don’t think they will be able to solidify a sphere of influence. Seems to me more of a fool’s errant, but it could lead to hot (and maybe nuclear) wars.

It means it’s not strong enough anymore and they need the hammer. This seems to be the direction Trump presidency. The american empire has been slowly losing its ability to exert control over other countries indirectly and now needs to do it directly. Most of the color revolutions of the last few years have failed, most of the attempts to covertly overthrow governments or push for the benefit of american capital have been unsuccessful. Even successful ones seem unable to push countries under the total influence of the USA (for example Peru is still going through with huge infrastructure projects funded by China). It seems Trump’s presidency will be about trying to solidify a definite sphere of influence in more direct terms and resurrect the american industrial base.

I was talking to my friend about music, mentioned an artist (that she didn’t know about) and showed her a song on my computer. 5 minutes later her video app on her phone was suggesting songs from that artist. It’s completely ubiquitous, I operate under the assumption that I am always listened to.

I think it would become more difficult for Hezbollah but at least to my ignorant mind the idea that they will be completely cut off from any access to weapons sounds too pessimistic. Some people here are already spelling the end of Hezbollah is a bit too premature.

I want to read The Origins of Capitalism by Ellen Meiksins Wood one day, heard it’s good.

I read it very recently and I would say it’s really excellent and a must-read. It’s also easy to read I think.

Here Jeremy Scahill says he is no longer a member of Hamas: https://twitter.com/jeremyscahill/status/1864000895752589504

Thank you! If you also have some article/source I would appreciate (but I can search also things myself, based on your information).

Do you have any sources on Sudan? I am interested to read more, especially related to US/western involvement but can’t find much information.

An update on the dutch education protests (mentioned here by @Beetle@hexbear.net ): In the end student unions and the youth wings of the socialist party and the communist party said they would go anyway to the protest. The police (that yesterday said they couldn’t guarantee the safety) said today that they will facilitate the protest so there was no ban. The labor unions still asked people not to go. In the end around 3-4k people gathered (mostly students and some university employees), which I think was very good given the circumstances. Some universities decided to host local protest on campuses (but as far as I can tell those were small). The university staff and unions are calling for another protest on the 25th of November.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2544475-toch-studentenprotest-in-utrecht-ondanks-oproep-van-de-gemeente-om-weg-te-blijven

Yes the budget cuts are massive, for context (for people not in the Netherlands) the cuts amounts to about the total budget of 1-1.5 big dutch universities (the country has in total 20 universities). The police of course waited for the last moment to not let any organizing party any leeway to plan something else. The unions are completely pathetic, immediately rolled over.