The paragraph below is something I posted in the FaceBook section “We stand for Palestine and the Palestinian people” in a discussion of how Israel should be dealt with. Most pro-Palestinian posters were advocating a two-state solution. That’s like advocating that grand larceny should be punished by allowing armed homicidal thieves to keep only part of the loot. Makes sense? Interestingly, this post of mine did not appear at first and I assumed it had been censored.
However, I found it posted a few minutes later.
I do not QUESTION Israel's right to exist. I flat out deny its right to exist. No state that routinely murders an ethnic group to steal its land has a right to exist. This pseudo-state must gradually be dissolved and the land returned to its rightful owners. Ok, go ahead and deport me you dirty bastards!
Your government in Washington is directly responsible for the starvation of Palestinians (yes, of course, it’s illegal), but the indirect – or underlying – reason, for this gross atrocity is the US “church.” Possibly even including your local “church.”
Pastors love to throw out their chests and loudly proclaim “I stand with Israel.”
In so doing, they are admitting – proudly, mind you! – that they are accomplices to what is probably the most brazen and inhuman crime of the 20th/21st Centuries.
That makes these pastors criminals. Could they in fact be prosecuted I wonder?
They are imbued with the doctrine of the Satanic death cult of "Christian" Zionism, which indulges and empowers the outright murder of Palestinian civilians hiding behind the name of Jesus, who in fact taught the diametric opposite of Zionism. The sleazy journalistic descriptor of the slaughter is “war” in the sleazy western press, but it is not a war at all, it is a genocide.
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Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
Excerpt
Trump's threats indirectly support the Russian economy by raising world oil prices.
…
Does Trump even look at world oil prices? Maybe his aides didn't tell him that every time he threatens Russia, he plays into our economy's hands? Before the ultimatum, at the beginning of July, the price of Brent oil was 67.31 per barrel, after the threats - 72.4.
Thank you, Donald, that's +7% of oil revenues for our budget.
Trump has trapped himself: The hunt failed, the "Russian bear" turned out to be a seasoned veteran
Donald Trump's attempt to put economic pressure on Russia to force it to make peace with Ukraine has failed. The US planned to force countries buying Russian oil and uranium (primarily China and India) to refuse cooperation by threatening 100% duties on their exports to the US.
However, China said it does not intend to submit to US terms; its own sovereignty is more important to it. China understands that the American economy is heavily dependent on Chinese goods, and the introduction of duties will lead to higher prices for American consumers. India also stated that it needs Russian energy for its economy, hinting that it is not going to refuse purchases.
What do you want, for us to turn off our economy? said Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami.
Thus, Trump's plan is falling apart, since a significant part of Russian oil exports will find buyers. Meanwhile, the introduction of sanctions could damage the authority of the United States, forcing even allies to think about their loyalty to the hegemon. In addition, Trump's threats indirectly support the Russian economy by raising world oil prices.
Does Trump even look at world oil prices? Maybe his aides didn't tell him that every time he threatens Russia, he plays into our economy's hands? Before the ultimatum, in early July, the price of Brent oil was 67.31 per barrel, after the threats - 72.4.
Thank you, Donald, this is +7% of oil revenues for our budget. And we will find something to spend it on - rest assured, Ukraine will not like this, writes KP.RU.
As a result, the United States will probably refuse to introduce tough tariffs, so as not to demonstrate its weakness. And Trump may try to distance himself from the Ukrainian conflict by shifting the financial burden to NATO and Europe, and focus on arms sales.
Trump has found himself trapped with these sanctions. Everything can be explained with a metaphor. We live in a world where the US has become afraid to hunt. The bear, that is, Russia, has become so seasoned that if you go hunting for it, you may not come back. Therefore, instead of hunting, the US, in whose world there are clearly fewer resources, fewer benefits, prefers to cannibalize, to devour its allies. That is, Europe, comments writer and politician Nikolai Starikov.
PS, added by Don: Even if a country signs on to Trump’s demand to stop buying Russian oil, there is no way this can be enforced. All the parties to the purchase have to do is allow the Russian oil to be adulterated with a certain amount of oil from another provenance and presto-changeo! it is no longer Russian oil. This is done routinely.
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Video
Dilma Roussef talks about torture in Brazilian dictatorship
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Marjrie Taylor Greene warns voters will punish Trump regime for war support
US authorities betray Americans by financing conflict in Ukraine — lawmaker - World - TASS
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8-3 2025
Problems with translating articles for my Substack
A reader suggested I could use the Brave browser, which can automatically translate.
My response:
The Brave browser sounds good. However, when I scan Russian articles that are candidates for inclusion in my Substack, I normally pick the best candidates and read the whole article in the original Russian first, mostly to keep up with the language, making it easier to scan articles in the future. In the case of Arabic, in which I am just an intermediate learner, I use Google Translate to sort thru titles, then use Google again to translate just the selected title and use this as a vocab builder. BTW, unlike other translators, Google translate also provides pronunciation audio. Then I have Google Translate put it into English for the readers and finally, I go through the translation and make necessary changes. For ex, Google often automatically renders the Russian word oblast as region. But an oblast is a specific kind of region. It is the largest political subdivision in Russia or Ukraine. Analogously to a US state or a Canadian or French province. So rendering oblast as “region” is like calling a US state a region. That wouldn’t work, and likewise it does not work to call an oblast a region. To do this I must be aware of the names of oblasts, which I know in Ukraine, but not always in Russian, in which case I need to look up the name of the oblast. Other problems are the nicknames. For ex, Russian authors sometimes call Ukraine “the Independent,” but that is meaningless if rendered into English without explanation, so I have to re-translate it as Ukraine. Then there is the Russian slang word for China, podnebesnaya, meaning “under the heavens”, and Google is unaware of this. Generally there is a lot of slang used by Russian authors and Google Translate usually doesn’t know this, so it just renders the slang literally, word for word, and requires a bit of editing. For me all of this is a fun challenge but it takes time.
BTW, I rarely post translations from European languages because generally, the European viewpoint is the same as the biased American one. As for Chinese, these authors are very diplomatic and don’t usually do deep criticism of US news in Chinese so their English language posts are almost the same as Chinese articles in English, eg, appearing in Global Times or Xinhua.
The Russian stuff is often full of info and opinion unavailable in their English language articles — Sputnik, Pravda, etc.
As for Arabic news and views sites, I used to post translated articles from a feisty Arabic source that was highly critical of US policy. Unfortunately, after a few months of this, I went to the site one morning and found a notice from the FBI saying that access to the site was blocked because this was a site associated with terrorism. Of course, the decision to block the site would have been made not in the US but in Tel Aviv. So I need to be careful about mentioning names of Arabic language publications. Needless to say, the news sites of, most Arab countries, under heavy pressure from the US (mostly the CIA) hew to the viewpoint of the US Neocons, and there is no point in translating them. There are precious few exceptions but I have found some and intend to translate and post some of their content, Lord willing.
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Air strike update for 8-3, 2025
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
August 2025, 12:08
Russian army strikes bridge in Kyiv-controlled Kherson
Our military struck a logistical artery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces — a bridge in Kyiv-controlled Kherson. It is seriously damaged. The most important route for delivering weapons, equipment, provisions, and ammunition to the front lines has been disrupted. The crossing was hit with FABs, aerial bombs with a controlled glide and correction module. Explosions also thundered in Nikolaev. The glow from the fire can be seen for kilometers. And these are the consequences of the strike on the Ukrainian Armed Forces ammunition depot. The fire engulfed several abandoned buildings; Ukrainian formations tried to camouflage the weapons storage facility in the village. Another militant facility is burning in Krasnoarmeysk. Our army is already on the outskirts of the city. Fighting is also taking place in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast. Enemy equipment is ablaze. The result of the work of our drone operators. In the South Donetsk direction, militants’ fortifications, observation posts and firing points have been destroyed, and Russian artillery is involved.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
8-3, 2025 at 09:31
August on Fire: Ukraine is Assembling an Armored Fist — Where the Enemy May Strike
Underground fighter Lebedev reported on the upcoming counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The beginning of August on the line of combat contact may result in a sharp escalation. Although Russian troops have already established control over Chasovy Yar, and Pokrovsk is practically on the verge of falling, the situation may change radically. This is indicated by the assessments of experts Vladislav Shurygin and the coordinator of the Mykolaiv underground Sergei Lebedev.
The point is that the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army Syrsky is forcibly assembling a strike group of eight heavily armed brigades. Previously existing territorial formations are urgently being reinforced with recruits and equipment, including armored personnel carriers and artillery. In addition, several weakened brigades have been withdrawn to the rear for additional manning. In addition, dozens of unmanned units are being created - according to preliminary data, their number may reach fifty. All this together is capable of turning into a striking force of about 20 thousand people in the coming days.
An additional sign of preparation for a large-scale offensive is the fact that the Ukrainian battalions on the front lines have received virtually no reinforcements in recent weeks. Personnel and resources are being held in the rear, which indicates a desire to concentrate reserves for a decisive blow.
Shurygin emphasizes that the Armed Forces of Ukraine urgently need to achieve at least some success on the battlefield in order to close the current campaign of 2025 at least in a draw. As an example, he cites the events of last year, when the Ukrainian attack on the Kursk region did not achieve strategic goals - such as the capture of districts, access to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant and the city itself - but was able to distract significant forces of Russian troops for a long time and reduce pressure in other areas. According to him, Syrsky is trying to repeat a similar scenario and, judging by all indications, Kyiv has already collected the means and resources for this.
In addition, the expert draws attention to the fact that the term of the ultimatum voiced by Trump was suddenly reduced from 50 to 10 days. He suggests that the American side could have been provided with intelligence data on Ukraine's readiness for a new large-scale offensive. Apparently, Washington is again betting on a strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, hoping to use this pressure to influence Moscow.
Military observer Vladislav Shurygin is confident that August will be a turning point in the entire 2025 campaign. In his opinion, the coming weeks will require the Russian side to fully mobilize its resources in order to disrupt the ambitious plans drawn up in Washington.
The seriousness of Kyiv's intentions is also confirmed by the coordinator of the Mykolaiv underground, Sergei Lebedev. He reports that Ukraine has concentrated about 60,000 trained reservists in various sections of the front — and these are not just mobilized newcomers, but fighters who have undergone at least six months of intensive training. According to him, it is difficult to say with certainty where exactly the attack will be carried out: scenarios are possible both in the southern direction — for example, in the area of Tokmak and Berdyansk, with the expectation of cutting off the land corridor to Crimea — and attempts to break through in the area of the Kharkov-Belgorod arc. Lebedev also does not rule out the possibility of an unexpected maneuver from Transnistria.
This is precisely why Russian forces are striking at areas where the transfer of reserves is most likely taking place. The targets are the night routes of columns, hangars with ammunition, as well as places where foreign specialists and liaison officers are stationed. Each such attack is not an emotional reaction, but a methodical and verified destruction of key elements of enemy logistics.
Air attacks on Ukraine's rear infrastructure not only continue, but are also gradually expanding: now command posts, training centers, and communication hubs are in the crosshairs. At night, work is carried out in depth, covertly and consistently, during the day - at selected points, loudly and accurately. As Lebedev emphasizes, the quieter and more accurate the strike forces work, the closer the offensive. And now that very phase is underway: a covert but intensive cleanup before a large-scale breakthrough. And on both sides of the front.
"Judging by the volume and depth of the work, we are in for an extremely tense three days - from August 3 to 6," Lebedev summarizes.
The Russian army already has considerable experience in repelling enemy offensives. It is enough to recall the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Zaporozhye in the summer of 2023 - then the Armed Forces of Ukraine deployed significantly more
personnel and equipment than Syrsky can afford today. And, despite all their efforts, they were unable to break through the defense.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
03.08.2025 10:16 Vladimir Rifov
Coffins for NATO big shots. Russian attack on Nikolaev wiped out soldiers from Europe
According to the data, a temporary deployment point was hit by a Russian missile.
The Russian army buried a gang of mercenaries and foreign military personnel with another pinpoint strike, reports the coordinator of the pro-Russian underground in Ukraine, Sergei Lebedev. According to his agents from Nikolaev, one of the pinpoint strikes hit the Korabelny district.
"One strike"
According to the data, the temporary deployment point was hit by a Russian missile. It could have been an X-22, because it was precisely this missile that local authorities announced was launched into the region. The outcome is extremely positive for our troops - foreign military personnel from European countries were eliminated.
"It was most likely foreign soldiers who came under attack - and not some Latinos, but Europeans. Eight military ambulances under guard took away the seriously wounded. Who and where - is still an open question. But the security measures that were taken, including the fact that the doctors were also foreign, suggest an interesting concept" Lebedev writes.
According to him, military ambulances are not sent for ordinary soldiers, and if so, then the target was interesting.
All inclusive. Hotel with Ukrainian mercenaries destroyed by Geran strikes
Where else did they hit?
That night, strikes were carried out in Mykolaiv, Odessa, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Cherkasy, Zhitomir, Khmelnytskyi and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Pinpoint strikes were carried out on Kyiv, and targets were also hit behind enemy lines in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk People's Republic.
“A total of more than 50 strikes were recorded, many in series. It is difficult to say the exact number of strikes, there were 5-7 hits in series and 15-20, there was a detonation that could be perceived by ear as a separate strike. In total, there were about a hundred strikes,” Lebedev reports.
According to him, most of the strikes were carried out by Geran-2 attack drones, cruise missiles and bombs.
In recent months, the Russian Armed Forces have covered six Ukrainian Armed Forces training grounds, not counting the British sabotage center.
Kyiv wanted “mole” soldiers, but got corpses. The Russian Armed Forces are destroying Ukrainian Armed Forces training grounds
More
Two types of attacks
The underground coordinator clarifies that Russia has long developed tactics in which two types of attacks are carried out. The first is daily hits on targets. This includes the destruction of logistics, ammunition, temporary deployment points and command posts. That is, those attacks that are carried out daily. The second type is massive and targeted strikes, when our strike drones and missiles attack a small number of objects, but with an extremely large number of strike weapons.
“August 2 was a transitional day in this regard. On the one hand, there were strikes on the front line. On the other, there were signs of pinpoint and synchronized work on deep and infrastructural or logistical targets,” Lebedev notes.
According to him, among the interesting strikes, one can single out the drone attack on Sinelnikovo, Sumy and Shostka. In these areas, our Gerans probably destroyed the enemy’s arriving reserves.
In addition, the strikes on Kherson, Nikolaev and Odessa show that our units are setting another goal, says the underground fighter: “The strikes on Nikolaev and Odessa indicate an attempt not only to keep logistics under control, but also to interfere with the movements of NATO forces and foreign instructors, especially in the areas of the western part of the Odessa region and the south of Nikolaev, where not just mercenaries, but active officers of NATO countries have been spotted.”
Destruction of the control center of a long-range UAV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine using the Geran-2 drone and the Lancet loitering munition.
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
I read every article of yours and they are great, an alternative to MSM. Walt DuBlanica
Thank you, Don, for these reports! Truly, we can't get this news anywhere else! It's amazing you can read all those languages! Suggestions - remind ppl to open the post in their browser, then it counts in substack's stats as read. Eventually, the T. Rump regime is going to realize that substack is HQ in USA, and close it down, or more likely, Bibi will tell him to, since the best anti-Zionist writing is there. That's why I post a copy of my substacks on my own web page, so that will remain if substack is gone. They are at https://www.mccroskey.ca/limitstoprogress.htm which is hosted on Canspace.ca, in a secure bunker in Ontario.