I HAVE INSIDE INFO THAT CHINA HAS NEVER HAD CONTROL OF THE PANAMA CANAL

FOLKS, YEARS AGO, A RUMOR WAS STARTED IN THE US AND IT FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE INTERNET, NAMELY THE LIE THAT CHINA WAS OPERATING THE PANAMA CANAL. I WAS ALREADY LIVING HERE AT THE TIME AND, AROUND THAT TIME, MY FAMILY AND I TOOK A DAY TRIP TO THE SOUTHERN LOCKS, WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE LIVE A 45 minute DRIVE TO THERE.

I ASKED THE Canal RECEPTIONIST IF HE HAD EVER HEARD OF THE STORY THAT THE CHINESE WERE OPERATING THE CANAL.

HE LOOKED LIKE I MUST BE A JOKER. HE SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS.

BUT I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TO ASK BECAUSE I HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF THIS FROM ANYONE DOWN HERE AND I SMELLED A HOAX THE MOMENT I HEARD OF THIS STORY. I ALSO KNEW SOME PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT THE CANAL, INCLUDING A SECURITY GUARD, AND ASKED THEM. THEY WERE PRETTY SURE THIS WAS NOT TRUE AND HAD NEVER SEEN ANY CHINESE WORKING AROUND THE CANAL. MY FAMILY AND I ARE IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH THAT SECURITY GUARD AND IF THERE WERE ANY CHANGE, WE WOULD FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH. THE HIGH OFFICIALS WHO RUN THE CANAL ARE OFTEN MENTIONED IN THE PRESS AND WE WHO LIVE HERE KNOW WHO THEY ARE. NONE OF THEM ARE CHINESE. EVEN THEIR SALARIES ARE MADE PUBLIC.

WHAT BOTHERS US IS THAT PRESIDENT MULINO CAVED SO QUICKLY TO THE TRUMP BLACKMAIL AND HAS ALLOWED US BASES TO BE SET UP HERE. THE TROOPS ARE ALREADY COMING IN.

The takeover is so grossly unfair because the canal was expanded to the tune of billions of dollars, at the Panama people’s own expense. This is grand larceny by a shyster.

https://yandex.ru/video/preview/6848989236513184440

'Trump Invaded…’: Xi Erupts After Hegseth’s Canal ‘Takeover’ Move, Calls U.S. Real Threat

From the video it looks like Hegseth delivered the speech in the canal zone itself, so every attendee who knows English knows he is LYING. IT IS SOOO SHAMEFUL.

This US regime looks very much like a mafia. ALL US regimes look a little like mafias but this one is in your face and daring people to call it out.

Trump is screaming to be arrested and stopped (there are accusations of insider trading, for ex, based on the tariffs). Anyone who understands the slimy tricks he is pulling knows he MUST be stopped. He can invade any small, weak country he chooses to just by making up a similar lie.

The good news is that he is so careless and reckless that he can expect to enable himself to be caught, sooner or later - probably later, unfortunately.

**

China, Europe give Trump the news he DREADED MOST

**

4-14, 2025

https://caliber.az/en/post/french-leader-pm-face-growing-discontent

Among the 1,000 French adults surveyed, 70 per cent said they disapprove of President Macron’s performance—an increase of one percentage point compared to last month. Meanwhile, support for the president dropped slightly to just 26 per cent, with the remaining respondents expressing no clear opinion. Prime Minister Bayrou fared similarly poorly. His disapproval rating surged by three percentage points to 67 per cent, while only 24 per cent of respondents voiced support for his leadership—a one-point decline from the previous month.

**

What happens when we replace logic with science

https://lmcontent.com/science-vs-logic-what-happens-when-we-replace-logic-with-science/

**

Erik Warsaw on US-backed war criminal Netanyahu

@erikwarsaw.2024News Update: Benjamin Netanyahu #erikwarsaw Erik Warsaw

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

**

How Trump’s trade policies could spell disaster for this region — RT Africa

https://www.rt.com/africa/615438-trump-trade-war-affect-africa/

**

China Just Cut Off SWIFT: Yuan $1.2 Trillion Digital Yuan Goes Global—Is U.S. Powerless to Stop It?

**

Jews Have Religious Right to Genocide, Says Israeli Supreme Court

**

Our thanks to Code Pink for this

I S-O-O-O appreciate Code Pink for standing up and organizing against the most dangerous political action groups in America, ie, the Israel lobby (including AIPAC, the ADL and many more), which has held the US government captive for decades, forcing decision makers to send OUR tax money to the murderous felonious government in Tel Aviv. Sheldon Adelson's widow Miriam, a stalwart of the Israel lobby, handed Donald Trump a check for $100 MILLION to get this misfit elected.

Dear Don,

I want to make sure you saw our invite to: CODEPINK Congress 4/15: AIPAC, Hands Off!

As Israel seizes Rafah, turns Gaza to rubble and blocks food, water and medicine to two million people, the world pushes back on US-funded genocide. Canada’s Prime Minister backs an arms embargo on Israel and countries in the Global South organize The Hague group to block weapons shipments to Israel. Here in the US, organizations and individuals are taking their outrage to the United Nations, to the electoral arena and to the press and academia.

Join CODEPINK Congress as we look at two major lobby groups, AIPAC and the weapons industry, and uplift acts of resistance to genocide.

And hear a Special News Update from Seth Donnelly of Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG). On April 7, Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) that charges U.S. officials with directly participating in genocide in Gaza. TAG is filing this historic report while the HRC is carrying out its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the US government, something that it does for every UN member state only once every four and a half years.

Chat with peacemakers and experts

Tuesday, Apr 15 at 5pm PT / 8 pm ET:

RSVP now!

Featured Guest:

Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman is back. Less than a year after losing a hard-fought congressional Democratic primary battle, the unapologetically progressive politician is launching a new super PAC called Built to Win to serve as a counterweight to well-funded groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the United Democracy Project. Built to Win specifically targets non-White voters who have become disillusioned with the Democratic Party – a group that has been especially difficult for more traditional PACs to reach. Bowman is a former educator who served, from 2021-2025, as House representative for New York City’s 16th CD. After being recruited by Justice Democrats, Bowman ran for Congress on an anti-poverty, anti-racist platform to defeat 16-term incumbent Eliot Engel in the 2020 primary.

Annelle Sheline, PhD, is a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a think tank dedicated to advocating for a less militaristic US foreign policy, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She served for a year at the US Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's Office of Near East Affairs before resigning in March 2024 over the Biden administration's unconditional support for Israel's military operations in Gaza. Sheline is also a non-resident senior fellow at the Arab Center of Washington DC, as well as a non-resident fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Her current work focuses on US foreign policy towards the Middle East, focused in particular on the impacts of US militarism and the Global War on Terror. She is the author of a new report Under Primacy, Weapons Sales Will Always Supersede Human Rights.

RSVP now!

Take Action!

Tell the IAEP to condemn the massacre of first responders in Gaza!

15 Palestinian first responders were found in a mass grave in Gaza on March 23 — executed by the US-BACKED Israeli occupation forces while trying to save lives. Some were found with their hands zip-tied, shot at close range. One was a UN worker.

The International Association of EMTs and Paramedics (IAEP), which claims to protect emergency responders, has said nothing. This silence is not neutral — it enables the continued targeting of medics in Gaza. It’s time to speak up.

Sign the petition to demand the IAEP speak out and stand with Palestinian first responders. Their colleagues are being killed for doing the same work EMTs perform every day.

Sign Now!

Google Group & Local Leaders

Join our CODEPINK Congress Google Group, a space for sharing events and actions. Request to be added here!

Become a CODEPINK Congress liaison in your district to mobilize support for demilitarization and progressive foreign policy! Sign up here as a volunteer organizer.

And finally, view the entire CODEPINK Congress archives here.

Onward toward peace and justice,

Medea, Marcy, Grace and the entire CODEPINK team

**

OMG! Mahmoud Khalil was anti-genocide, and you know what that means, right?

He opposes the Sacred Nation that the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court declared an outlaw nation because of its ongoing genocide and other atrocities against Palestine).

Don't you feel safer now that Trump and his freakin' stooges assistants like Marco Rubio are looking out for you?

Isaiah 5:20-21 New International Version (NIV)

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/secretary-rubio-why-making-america-safer-means-revoking-visas-when-threats-arise

**

FOX NEWS SAYS TURMOIL IS ALL THE FAULT OF DISLOYAL LEGISLATORS WHO REFUSE TO OBEY DONALD TRUMP AND VOTE AGAINST HIS BUDGET. https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/morning-glory-house-gop-self-destruct-week-ahead. BUUUUUT, YESTERDAY I POSTED A LINK TO AN NBC INTERVIEW WITH RENOWNED INVESTOR RAY DALIO, WHO HAD SUCCESSFULLY PREDICTED THE 2008 ECONOMIC CRISIS. RAY IS A REAL ECONOMIST WHO ACTUALLY HAS STUDIED ECONOMIC HISTORY, UNLIKE THE CLOWNS IN WASHINGTON. BTW, MANY ECONOMISTS HAVE SAID THE TURMOIL IN THE MARKETS WAS CAUSED BY TRUMP'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF UNPRECEDENTED HUGE TARIFFS ON JUST ABOUT ALL U.S. TRADING PARTNERS. BUT NOW THE MAGA TEAM IS WARNING THAT IF LEGISLATORS DEFY THE UNWEILDLY TRUMP BUDGET, THAT WILL BE THE REAL CAUSE OF THE TURMOIL.

THE TROUBLE FOR THESE MAGA FANS IS THAT THE TURMOIL IS ALREADY HERE AND REAL ECONOMISTS REALIZE THAT IT ALL BEGAN WHEN TRUMP THREATENED TARIFFS ON JUST ABOUT EVERYONE.

SO HOW CAN THEY BLAME ANY TURMOIL ON FAILURE TO OBEY TRUMP? WOULDN'T THAT BE LIKE BLAMING JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S VICTIMS FOR ALL OF HIS CRIMES?

ACCORDING TO FOX NEWS DISINFORMATION:

If President Trump and the House Leadership lose three of their GOP House members, the budget vote will fail. And in the wake of that failure will follow turmoil in the markets that could make last week’s look mild as uncertainty about the tax code on January 1, 2026 will add to the mix of fear and fog that is driving the market and business decisions for the past week.

Me

Economists tell us that uncertainty is one of themain enemies of the economy, and Trump's mere announcement of new tariffs - not the tariffs themselves - has discouraged investors from investing. And this uncertainty has been around for about a week or more. So you can't blame failure to pass a bulky budget bill on the already existent uncertainty.

**

Science vs Logic: What Happens When We Replace Logic with Science?

Posted by: Lisa

April 14, 2025

Interdisciplinary Philosophy

critical thinking, deductive reasoning, interdisciplinary thinking, limits of science, logic vs science, logic-based thinking, philosophy of science, science vs logic

Humans have always upheld belief systems. And in the absence of a deity, many turn to other frameworks to explain reality and truth.

But what happens when the dominant system fails to address some of our deepest questions about meaning, morality, values, emotion, and intuition?

This is the reality we face: Science has become our new religion.

It is revered, rarely questioned, and defended with a fervor once reserved for faith. To challenge it is to risk being labeled an agitator—or worse, an apostate.

To be clear, science has proven invaluable in achieving what we have so far. Its method has revolutionized medicine, technology, and our understanding of the physical world.

But what happens when there is no observable data? What about the problems that are too abstract, too internal, or without physical form?

Should we dismiss them as “less real” because science can’t yet validate them using current tools or frameworks? Even when they affect our inner worlds and physical reality at a fundamental level?

We often forget that science is our creation; our key to deciphering the physical universe. And like any tool, it can be misused, and it has its limits. Especially when we ask it to explain a universe that includes both the measurable and the immeasurable.

So let’s pause. Let’s dive into an analysis of science vs. logic.

First, we’ll return to the source, the thing that made science possible in the first place: logic.

The Origins of Understanding

Before science, there was philosophy: the love child of logic and consciousness.

Statues of classical philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, and Rene Descartes, emphasizing the origin of science through logic and philosophical reasoning.

Philosophy allowed great thinkers like Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, and Descartes to develop frameworks of understanding without relying on tools.

Mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, psychology, economics and other disciplines were all born from conscious abstraction, not quantification.

The lack of measurement forced them to think beyond what was immediately observable.

The scientific method wasn’t invented overnight. It emerged slowly, from the philosophical inquiries of Aristotle to the structured processes championed by Bacon and Descartes.

In the end, science was built by logicians and philosophers—not technicians.

Its foundations are logical, not mechanical. And the moment we forget that, we risk turning science from a method of discovery into a blindfold.

How close are we to reaching the point where science, like many other modern tools, shifts from helpful to handicap?

Science vs. Logic: Knowing vs. Understanding

While logic employs both deductive and inductive reasoning, science is mainly inductive; or moreover, it’s what we’re left with when deduction is put on trial.

It gives us a clear picture of what is. And this alone has taken us unimaginably far. But science doesn’t always explain what makes sense, or what should be.

Logic, by contrast, is the full system. Science is just one of its tools.

And when it comes to understanding our consciousness, morality, intuition, or any of the forces that allow us to reason in the first place, it falls short.

The result? We use our consciousness to understand everything except itself. And when it too resists measurement, we dismiss it as too abstract to study.

Worse, we treat many other forces born from consciousness as “human constructs,” as though science weren’t cut from the same cloth.

Morality. Values. Emotions. Intuition. Justice. Identity.

These are not side quests; they’re the core structure of our inner and outer worlds. They allow us to move forward in a favorable and intentional way. Yet we’ve failed them by upholding science as the sole gatekeeper of reality.

So what does that failure look like in practice?

Let’s take a look at how this has shaped our society.

Our Crisis of Meaning, Identity, and Belief

The consequences of replacing logic with science, or worse—ideology, are already palpable.

Today, virtually any idea or policy can be justified with carefully selected stats and data, sewn together into a persuasive, scientific-sounding argument.

But the urgent question isn’t can it be justified—it’s: Should it be? Does it make sense? Will it hold up in practice?

Those are questions no amount of measurable data can answer.

We must learn how to organize the data using a logical framework, identifying the clear values we want to uphold and identifying potential contradictions.

But most modern politicians won’t take the time to do this. Why? Because politics today is no longer about upholding personal values, but about remaining loyal to party beliefs.

The Slippery Science of Identity Politics

Contradictions abound, but go unnoticed. Moral standards fluctuate depending on who is speaking, or what identity group they belong to.

We no longer ask, “Does this make sense?” We ask, “Who said it?” and “What study backs it up?”

When logic is no longer our common ground, identity becomes our only compass. But identity, separated from values and logic, is fragile.

Silhouette of a person surrounded by thought bubbles labeled “Labels,” “Tribal cues,” and “Slogans,” illustrating how identity is shaped in the absence of logic-based thinking.

We start to define ourselves by surface-level attributes, affiliations, or victimhood status, rather than inner convictions, philosophical alignment, or moral frameworks.

And make no mistake: This is happening across the board.

We become afraid to change our minds, because changing our opinion starts to feel like erasing our identity.

What’s more, in a society where logic has been downgraded, opinion becomes confused with selfhood, and debate feels like a personal attack, not a collaborative search for truth.

We’ve created a world where our ideas don’t need to make sense. They just need to look legitimate, backed by statistics, charts, and “studies” that can be curated to support almost anything.

Reclaiming Our Compass: Logic in Practice

The science vs. logic divide transcends politics.

But its impact on global relations—the way we justify violence, division, and cycles of retribution—may be the most urgent crisis of all.

So, let’s zoom out.

Let’s look at how a flood of data, stats, and surface-level “truth” without a logical framework has affected not just what we believe, but how we live.

And most importantly, what can we do about it?

Science & Research: The Road to Discovery

Interestingly, even science has suffered from our reliance on it alone.

Today, research often chases what is measurable, fundable, politically “safe,” or convenient to certain interest groups.

Gone are the days of curiosity-driven exploration and intuitive leaps.

They’ve slowly slipped through greedy fingers, caught in the hands of institutions, lobbying, and billion-dollar funding pipelines.

We have more resources than ever. But instead of fueling restless minds in pursuit of progress, those resources serve rigid economic systems and predetermined agendas.

The result? A system that favors data accumulation and safe conclusions over paradigm shifts and true innovation.

Here’s what a logic-based framework proposes.

Reintroduce first-principle questioning into research design.

Prioritize coherence and long-term purpose, not just peer approval.

Invite interdisciplinary thinkers and philosophers into hypothesis formation.

This shift wouldn’t hinder science—it would restore its integrity.

It could open the door to breakthroughs in areas science currently struggles to grasp:

consciousness, AI ethics, multi-dimensional physics, long-term ecological systems, and more.

Medicine: Treating the Person, Not Just the Disease

Our current medical system may be one of the most fractured examples of the science vs. logic crisis.

Even healthcare providers admit: they’re treating symptoms, not causes. The emotional and intuitive dimensions of healing have often been dismissed, if not outright discouraged.

Vintage photo of a doctor treating a young girl, representing the crisis of science vs logic in modern medicine and the call for more holistic, person-centered care.

Even our best doctors end up treating a disease, not a person.

The result? Patients return again and again with the same unresolved issues. Their pain, stress, and discomfort are managed but rarely understood.

This system creates a cascade of secondary complications.

No lasting answers. Just a lifetime of management.

How can we integrate logic into this scientific framework?

Reintegrate emotional intelligence and patient-specific care into the system.

Give space for holistic or integrative models that align with both scientific validity and human experience.

Rethink what “health” really means beyond metrics—incorporating emotional and sensorial factors.

The result is a humane, personalized system that focuses on true healing and mental health as part of each patient’s well-being.

Education: Teaching Thought, Not Just Bundled Information

Anyone who’s attended school knows that today’s education system is focused mainly on memorization, repetition, and test scores.

Students are rewarded for having the “right” answers, not for how they reached them.

Contradiction is discouraged. And certain questions are even labeled as threatening or disrespectful.

Over time, this produces a system where abstract thinking and interdisciplinary reasoning aren’t just ignored—they’re frowned upon.

So how do we bring logic back into education?

Reintroduce logic, deduction, and critical thinking across every subject.

Reward students not just for what they believe, but for how they form their values.

Teach students how to trace ideas back to their source, detect contradictions, and build coherent perspectives.

Students raising their hands in a classroom, symbolizing a call to bring logic, critical thinking, and curiosity back into modern education.

Let’s equip the next generation with the tools to build their own beliefs, not just memorize conclusions. Let’s help them master life without relying on slogans, trends, or tribal cues.

Personal Development: An Identity Built on Logic, Not Reaction

A major problem we touched on earlier was our society’s inability to understand themselves beyond group narratives, affiliations, or emotional responses.

Our opinions have fused with our identity, so disagreement feels like erasure.

This brings us back full-circle to the issue of personal development.

How do we learn who we really are in a modern, pre-packaged world?

And how can we give space to debate and challenging societal norms in a safe and productive way?

What does a logic-based shift look like? We must encourage individuals to:

Build core values that align with their identity, through reflection and reasoning.

Test their own beliefs and ideas/policies they support for internal consistency.

View emotion as a signal that something has resonated with them, not as a definition.

Evolve without viewing internal shifts as self-betrayal.

Individuals who are sure of their own identity and ground it in logic instead of loyalty to a group are more resilient, flexible, and adaptable.

Let’s avoid pre-packaged, downloaded identities and give ourselves a chance to be discovered.

The Takeaway

I hope this deeper reflection on the science vs. logic crisis helps individuals across all institutions identify core inconsistencies, challenge definitions, and propose new processes that complement science with logic.

Science was never meant to be the final word. It’s a tool for discovery, not a philosophy for living. And logic is what gives that tool direction.

Where science shows us what is, logic helps us ask why it matters, what it leads to, and whether it makes sense in the broader picture of human experience.

Together, logic and science form a complete method of understanding. Separated, they risk becoming either blind precision or unfocused idealism.

If we want to build systems that are not only effective but coherent, humane, and enduring, we must stop choosing between heart and mind, data and meaning, objectivity and depth.

So, who wins in a battle of ‘science vs. logic’? The truth is, we definitely need both. But one must lead the way.

And that role belongs to logic.

**

Air strike update for 4-14, 2025

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

https://www.1tv.ru/news/2025-04-14/506990-v_sumah_rossiyskie_voennye_nanesli_udar_po_baze_vsu

April 14, 2025, 15:05

Russian military strikes Ukrainian Armed Forces base in Sumy

Today, details of the strikes that our military carried out on the Ukrainian Armed Forces base in Sumy became known.

"Yesterday, the Russian Armed Forces in the city of Sumy, in the conditions of active counteraction by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with foreign-made electronic warfare and air defense systems, struck with two Iskander-M operational-tactical missiles at the location of a meeting of the command staff of the Seversk operational-tactical group.

As a result of the target hit, more than sixty Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen were killed. The Kiev regime continues to use the Ukrainian population as a human shield, placing military facilities and holding events with the participation of servicemen in the center of a densely populated city," the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Other details are also known. The "Congress Center" in Sumy was a gathering of thugs who committed crimes in the Kursk region. Names and ranks have been established. Among the liquidated terrorists were the commander of the artillery brigade and other leaders of the same "Seversk" group.

The fact that militants gathered in the "Congress Center" for the award ceremony was confirmed in the Verkhovna Rada. And the mayor of the city of Konotop, without mincing words, lashed out with accusations against the head of the Sumy regional military administration and the head of the regional department of the SBU. The mayor threatened to tell "the whole truth if they do not resign."

More from the summary of our defense department. Strikes were carried out on a military airfield and warehouses with Ukrainian Armed Forces drones. In the morning, footage from Kharkov appeared on Telegram channels: an enterprise associated with the army is on fire. The area of ​​the fire is more than a thousand square meters. Several powerful explosions in the Odessa region. The targets were an air defense system and a military plant.

**

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

https://avia.pro/news/bespilotnik-udaril-po-mobilnoy-gruppe-pvo-ukrainy-v-odesse

2025-04-14

Drone strikes Ukrainian air defense mobile group in Odessa

On the night of April 14, 2025, Odessa experienced another drone attack, which, according to local sources, caused serious damage to the city's military infrastructure. Eyewitnesses report that one of the drones, presumably the Geran model, suddenly changed trajectory and hit the position of the mobile air defense group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After the hit, according to local channels, shooting from this position ceased, and the searchlight used to detect [incoming] targets stopped functioning. In addition, damage to a number of military facilities in the region is reported.

The incident with the mobile air defense highlights the vulnerability of such systems to modern drones capable of adjusting targets in real time. Local residents, accustomed to the sounds of air raid sirens, noted an unusual silence after the strike, which may indicate a temporary loss of defense capability in the area. While Odessa authorities have not yet provided detailed comments, the situation has already sparked a wave of discussions on social networks, where city residents are sharing footage of the nighttime explosions and their aftermath.

These events fit into the broader context of the conflict, where both sides are actively using drone technology to achieve tactical advantages. For Odessa, a key port city, such attacks pose not only a military but also an economic threat, increasing tensions among the population.