Yes, I am jealous of the folks in the Global South
I am an American and in my home country I am blocked from owning either of the 2 cars shown below. Each one sells new for $10,000 here in Panama, my adoptive country.
https://www.ccarprice.com/za/geely-car-prices-in-South%20Africa-139#google_vignette
Chinese Electric car
Geely, Geome Xingyuan Price in South Africa is ZAR 180,000 (US$10,000)
Geely Emgrand, gasoline engine
Geely Emgrand 2025. Price in South Africa is ZAR 180,000 (US$10,000).
There are dozens more models of Chinese autos and some are quite a lot more expensive than this. But no matter what the price bracket, no Chinese car of any quality is anywhere near as pricey as its US analog. This does not bode well for the US auto industry. But per the traditional rules of the free market, everyone benefits when trade is free.
Strangely, we aren’t supposed to believe that when it comes to China.
More and more pf these beautiful Chinese cars are showing up in Panama and it’s my guess that there will eventually be precious few Western-made cars down here in the years to come.
But back stateside, US politicians have all conspired against the Americans to prohibit them from buying Chinese cars by slapping a 100% tariff on them.
Supposedly, this is to “protect” us from the Chinese. US officials have declared that the Chinese subsidize their cars and that is supposedly unfair.
But that’s strange because the US exports pork to China and this pork is subsidized. It’s a double standard. The subsidy is merely an excuse to impose the tariff.
US politicians believe that if they can hurt the Chinese, they can improve their own economy. This is unconfirmed and counter-intuitive. No one has ever tried to explain why this would be so, but US pols don’t need to explain anything. The US public assumes that politicians are smart, especially Trump. It’s voodoo, not science.
In order to administer a national economy, what is needed is in-depth knowledge of macroeconomics. Trump knows something about business and has managed to get very rich. His forte is persuading people to do his will and buy his snake oil.
But unfortunately, he hasn’t a clue about macroeconomics. I wonder if he’s ever heard of it.
By denying Americans a cheap quality product, he is just contributing to inflation, making you poorer, while convincing the unwary that he is bringing them prosperity.
Of course, using its political might and the power of the press, the US Establishment can convince the average Joe that US politicians are protecting us. Even if they are making us poorer.
That’s the beauty of American capitalism. It is a great system.
If you’re a billionaire.
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Here’s your air strike update for November 30, 2024
Search phrases for those who want to do their own research:
EN phrase for translation: Nov 30, 2024, russian missiles, drones, bombs hit Ukraine
Translated into RU: 30 ноября, 2024, российские ракеты, беспилотники, бомбы поражают Украину
Google translate:
https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&op=translate
To optimize results, searches must be done in Yandex search –
https://ya.ru/
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
Ilya Golovnev
"The hunt for Zelensky has begun": The date of the strike on Kyiv by "Oreshnik" has been announced. The enemy picked up an unknown signal - the SMO summary through the eyes of war correspondents
According to many experts, the recent missile strike on Ukraine is a prologue to the next phase of the conflict. And against this background, it became known that the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense of Russia are selecting targets for the "Oreshnik" to hit on the territory of Ukraine. The lists include decision-making centers in Kyiv. This is a public message to the West and Bankova. [Bankova is the street on which Zelensky’s office is located and has become synonymous with the Kiev regime] All this is in our summary of unofficial news from the SMO [special military operation]. And, by the way, during the night attack by "Gerans", the enemy picked up an unknown signal on many frequencies. It interfered with the work of mobile air defense groups.
Yesterday Russia launched a massive missile strike. And now new details have emerged. Although it was not a record, it was very effective.
The strike was mainly on power facilities. Considering that all our recent missile attacks were aimed specifically at the power sector that remained under the control of the "expired" part of Ukraine, the question of its if not zeroing out, then serious bloodletting is serious. And yesterday's strike was a big nail in its coffin. But not the last. And yes, this was not our response to the shelling of Kursk by long-range NATO missiles, noted military blogger Yuriy Podolyaka.
According to some information, the day before in the Odessa oblast, it was possible to hit launchers under different flags that were carrying out strikes on Crimea. UAVs were also launched from them at the south of Russia.
At the same time, there are reports that Ukrainian troops were able to shoot down only a third of the "Gerans" and other UAVs and no more than 15% of the missiles. The strikes on the Kharkov and Sumy oblasts with ballistic missiles of various types were completely missed, and heavy air bombs of three types finished off the military infrastructure of the Kharkov oblast.
NATO F-16s were unable to help repel the attack. Taking off from an airfield in Romania, they entered the airspace of Western Ukraine, but when missiles appeared on the radars, they would no longer be able to maneuver and refuel, since Mirgorod and Starokonstantinov [sites of airfields] were under repair as a result of our regular strikes. They returned home in disgrace. German experts will not tell about this. As a result, Ukrainian air defense shot down only an insignificant part of the "Gerans". This is already complete darkness. The strikes by ballistics on the Kharkov and Sumy oblasts were completely missed, the author of the TG-channel Win/Win writes.
TU-95MS terrorize the enemy//Screenshot of the page from the official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Defense [This is one of the planes that can be used to air-launch hypersonic missiles such as the Kinzhal. When the Ukrainian intel forces spot one of these off the Black Sea coast, they often assume a dangerous missile is coming and go ahead and issue the air raid warning throughout the country]
And also - on some enemy sources and closed monitoring chats there was information that today's night raid of "Gerans" on Kyiv and the north of the country was accompanied by the appearance of an unknown signal on many frequencies.
This signal interfered with the coordination of the actions of mobile air defense groups with small arms, clogging some communication channels, and disappeared as soon as the "Gerans" hit the target or flew from one area to another. Whether this means that a generator of unknown signals or noises appeared on board our kamikaze drones, it is impossible to say yet. However, the coincidence is interesting, added Voyennaya khronika [Military Chronicle].
The hunt for Zelensky has begun
The popular Ukrainian Telegram channel "Legitimny" believes that yesterday's missile strike on Ukraine is a prologue to the next phase. The strike was timed to coincide with Putin's trip to Kazakhstan, where he was able to publicly announce it and convey messages to the West and Kyiv.
First. The General Staff and the Russian Defense Ministry are currently selecting targets for the Oreshnik missile to hit on Ukrainian territory. The lists include "decision-making centers" in Kyiv. This message is primarily addressed to the Ukrainian elite, because it will fly at the buildings of the Defense Ministry, the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Verkhovna Rada, and others.
Second. The Oreshnik missile has been launched into serial production. The force from its mass combat use [simultaneous use of multiple Oreshniks] is comparable to a nuclear bomb. This is a signal that if the conflict continues, Ukraine will often "catch" the Oreshnik missile next year.
Third. Each subsequent response to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' strike with Western missiles deep into Russia will be more powerful than the previous one.
We advise you to take care of your own safety. You shouldn't count on the government, "Legitimny" added.
Vladimir Putin explained to his CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] colleagues what "Oreshnik" is// Still from a video recording of the Russian president's speech//kremlin.ru
In addition, Putin said that Zelensky is not a president, but a usurper. This means that his liquidation will not be the liquidation of the legitimate president of Ukraine, nor of his entire government. It is also illegitimate. According to the Ukrainian Constitution, the president's term cannot be extended, and Western countries simply pretended that Zelensky is the legitimate president after his term of office ended. But they are lying.
"Oreshnik" will now strike where Zelensky is. And he will suddenly stop going to the front so often. The hunt for Zelensky has begun. Like in a movie. The whole world will watch with interest. Some will root for Zelensky, some for Putin and "Oreshnik",
- political scientist Sergei Markov explained.
And, by the way, the enemy is spreading information that the attack on Kyiv by "Oreshnik" will allegedly take place on the night of November 29-30. So we'll see.
From the large objects
There are many interesting large facilities in Kyiv:
Radioizmeritel plant;
Remdizel repair plant;
Shipbuilding and ship repair plant;
Burevestnik plant;
Kiev armored plant;
Kiev automation plant;
Stroydormash plant;
Artem plant.
All these facilities are located on a large area. They have several dozen workshops and underground premises.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are tired
Meanwhile, the German publication Bild writes that the situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbass is becoming increasingly gloomy. They say that the soldiers feel abandoned by both the West and their own government.
Ukrainian servicemen complain that they have significantly fewer soldiers and ammunition than the Russian Armed Forces. Moreover, Russian assaults have never been as intense as they are now. According to the enemy, we are increasing the pace, and we have powerful weapons for this.
The conflict has reached a dead end. Over the last three or four months, we have been forced to retreat. The Russians have people, they outnumber us. We have to end all this. We have to negotiate, but we do not want to give up our territory,
- said a fighter of the 68th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, fighting in the Pokrovsk direction.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
November 30, 2024, 21:02
Russian forces hit a train with Western missiles and destroyed a Ukrainian military base
Some details of a long-range precision strike in the area of the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk are emerging. According to sources, we are talking about the night of November 29, when a train was attacked, which, according to preliminary data, contained American ATACMS operational-tactical missiles and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
The cargo was delivered from the Romanian port of Constanta. Telegram channels write: the glow from the explosions was seen in Odessa, and the secondary detonation lasted up to half an hour.
And here is the destroyed Ukrainian military base. The militants themselves filmed the footage. A strike - and everything is burning, then - a powerful detonation.
In the Kharkov direction, in the area of the previously liberated Kopanki, Ukrainian paratroopers surrendered. The pillbox they were holed up in was surrounded by the 1st Tank Army. The right decision was to save their lives.
[If you click on the link to this article in the original Russian and then click on the arrow for the embedded video, you will see dramatic footage of the action described and will see the Ukrainian troops surrendering. Click here]
More videos from the Sever [North] group. The Ukrainian Armed Forces armored vehicle was easily detected thanks to the thermal imager on the drone. And a precise strike.
More footage from Kurakhovo. The 5th Brigade destroyed a militant jeep and an M-113 armored personnel carrier. In Toretsk, where there was also street fighting, the drone operator discovered an enemy armored vehicle hidden in an industrial zone. A perfect approach to the target and a hit.
Footage from the Kursk border area. Precise drone strikes on an enemy T-64 tank and an American Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. And also the destruction of saboteurs who were trying to cross the state border. Those who survived fled.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
Strikes in Ukraine today: military airfields and energy facilities hit
Strikes in Ukraine today: Russian army hit energy facilities and military airfields
12:29 30.11.2024 (updated: 12:31 30.11.2024)
SIMFEROPOL, November 30 – RIA Novosti Crimea. The Russian Armed Forces destroyed the infrastructure of military airfields and energy facilities in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday.
The strikes were carried out by operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery.
"The infrastructure of military airfields and energy facilities that ensure the operation of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine was damaged," the report says.
In addition, strikes were carried out on concentrations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 132 districts.
**
Our thanks to JS for this:
RE: Candidate JEW Tells Muslim Congresswomen: ‘Consider Leaving Before I Get There’
Randy Fine has secured for himself a long history of hate speech oratory during his years serving in the Florida state legislature and is clearly proud of it. I've been following him for years. Here's an older article on this truly anti-semitic neoNazi:
Rep. Randy Fine's online rhetoric has escalated to hate speech | Opinion
I must condemn Florida state Rep. Randy Fine for publicly attacking a member of the Space Coast Progressive Alliance Board on Facebook with an anti-Jewish slur, which is clearly hate speech. Fine, who's Jewish, called the board member, who's also Jewish, by a term used to describe Jewish Nazi collaborators.
Philip Stasik, Florida Today, 15 April 2019
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/04/15/fines-online-rhetoric-has-escalated-hate-speech/3474436002/
RE: Dr. Tanya Haj Hassan
Your link is broken. You can find the full video of her speech here:
First-Ever DNC Panel on Palestinian Rights: We Need to “Restore the Soul of the Democratic Party”
This year, the Democratic National Convention held its first-ever panel on Palestinian human rights. The panel came after persistent grassroots organizing against U.S. support for Israel’s assault on Gaza. We play excerpts, including from the Arab American Institute’s James Zogby, a former executive member of the Democratic National Committee; Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care surgeon who recently worked in Gaza; and Layla Elabed, co-chair of the Uncommitted National Movement.
Democracy Now, Aug 20, 2024, VIDEO: 20 minutes
Dr. Haj Hassan speech excerpted here [VIDEO: 8 min]
https://odysee.com/@cielvoile:4/gaza-t%C3%A9moignage-du-dr-tanya-haj-hassan:b
**
https://www.rt.com/news/608401-orban-ukraine-mercenaries/
29 Nov, 2024 15:37
Dead Western soldiers in Ukraine a sign of ‘dangerous escalation’ – Orban
The involvement of foreign troops in hostilities indicates that the conflict is expanding, the Hungarian prime minister has warned
More here
**
Our thanks to AN for this. I had asked what was wrong with the Notre Dame renovatons. Here is AN’s response/
Hello Don,
It was almost completely gutted except for the walls and towers. The spire collapsed and fell down into the blaze, but most of the important ornaments and statues inside were rescued. I wrote an article for the British Church Newspaper at the time and will see if I can find it in my archives.
I had not seen it since my teens. The newly restored interior of the Catherdal is very modern and 'minimalistic' compared with the old one.
Here is some information:
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Bad news for the dollar
Both Japan and China selling off US treasuries
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Alexander Mercouris: Nuclear test, Zelensky demands NATO entry, Biden furious Putin, shock collapse Aleppo
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In order to administer a national economy, what is needed is in-depth knowledge of TECHNOLOGY which the foundation of everything. A form of 'Technology based planning' is what the Chinese use to continually outmanoeuvre 'finance centric' competitors like the US strategically and tactically. Look up....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Socrates