“NATO has kept the peace for nearly eight decades and created the conditions for prosperity and democracy to flourish.”
              U.S. State Department

This is a remarkable claim, repeated with near religious reverence by Western leaders. NATO has kept the peace for nearly eighty years. One almost admires the audacity. Because outside a narrow band of white European countries, the postwar world has been anything but peaceful. For much of humanity, the NATO era has been an age of fire.

NATO - Eighty Years of Peace If You Ignore the Rest of the World

Nancy O'Brien Simpson

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is facing severe backlash from key international partners after a combative speech at Davos, where he went on a tirade accusing Europe of “indecisiveness” toward Russia and insufficient support for his country.

The backlash comes as Zelensky’s popularity in the West is already on a downward spiral over his constant criticism of Kiev’s European backers while demanding billions in support – while Ukraine continues to struggle with high-level corruption scandals and a dire military situation.

The reactions to his speech at the World Economic Forum from European capitals were swift. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called it “unfair to Europe,” telling Corriere della Sera that the continent has “guaranteed Ukraine’s independence” through immense political, financial, and military support.

In the German writer Ernst Junger’s macabre vignette ‘Violet Endives’, a man walks into a gourmet shop where the salesman speaks in matter-of-fact fashion about the delicacies on display – human flesh – and embarks upon a long explanation about the art of preparation. The story is a commentary on a society that accepts the appalling with barely the blink of an eye. 

The monetary system is broken and gold knows why

Central banks have been buying bullion at a record clip because holding dollars has become a losing proposition

By Henry Johnston

The latest split in Australia’s conservative Coalition is yet another signal the old, established rules no longer apply.

No longer in Australia, just as they no longer apply in an ever more fractious and chaotic world.

The Old Order is breaking down and the New Order, under the quasi-leadership of the United States mogul king, appears to be causing chaos to divide and conquer.

The death of the Coalition and a requiem for the Old Order

By David Donovan

A new and more stable structure will evolve over time after this current chapter of rending, destruction and bloodshed comes to a close. Will any good come of it? It remains to be seen.

In a world constantly shaken by news of wars, crises, and disasters, an almost deafening silence surrounds one of the most pressing issues. There have been no press conferences or urgent statements regarding the expiring New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). Russia has officially stated that there are “no specific contacts” with the US concerning the extension of the treaty. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reported this in a dry and casual manner, but the situation threatens the whole international nuclear security framework.

Is it time to START worrying? Nuclear restraint is about to fade without a fight

As the collapse of New START ends half a century of nuclear arms control, Russia and the US approach a world without limits on their strategic arsenals

By Evgeny Balakin

Friday is “ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth & Freedom,” a general strike supported by Minnesota’s unions, progressive faith leaders, Democratic lawmakers and community activists.

The “ICE Out” day proponents are encouraging all Minnesotans to stay home from work, school and refrain from shopping — suspensions of normal orders of business to protest the presence of federal immigration agents in Minnesota.

Friday’s ‘ICE Out of Minnesota’ Day is a General Strike. Here’s What That Means. 

by Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer

A sweeping new bill to combat antisemitism, hate and extremism was rushed through federal parliament this week with minimal scrutiny and major rule-of-law flaws. Its vague definitions, retrospective reach and expanded executive powers risk undermining rights, due process and democratic accountability.

Greg Barns

The ever relevant English politician, lawyer and political philosopher Edmund Burke told his constituents in Bristol, nearly 250 years ago – “Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.” How right he was then and how right he is now.

Miller is a grotesque figure granted power, a carnival barker of repression whose racism operates as projection: a deep, unresolved self-loathing displaced outward and weaponized.

White House adviser Stephen Miller seems torn from the darkest archive of the 1930s. His ideological fever, spittle-laced tirades, compulsive lying, and theatrical rage are not excesses but instruments: performative rituals through which cruelty is normalized and racism is taught.

Goebbels’s Ghost and Miller’s Dream of a “Unified Reich”

As the hypersonic penetrators broke through the cloud layers, each was enveloped in a luminous plasma sheath, producing brief but violent flashes that momentarily illuminated the surrounding atmosphere. These flashes were not explosions in the conventional sense, but visual signatures of extreme velocity, friction, and compression as the warheads tore through dense air at hypersonic speed.

PATRICK LAWRENCE: All Unquiet on the Ukrainian Front

The Europeans have run out of postures and gestures in the way of performative statecraft, and the Russians see no point in indulging them any further.

An American think-tank has some bad news for Europe. Just as the continent tries to wriggle free from an abusive relationship with Washington, it turns out they’ve never been more dependent on their tormentor.

“EU risks new energy dependence as U.S. could supply 80% of its LNG imports by 2030,” blared the latest report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, pegging current dependence at 57%.

The EU is addicted to American economic punishment

The bloc’s dependence on US natural gas is reportedly on its way to 80%

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND [2018] - The heaviest snowfall to hit Davos in decades saw heaps of snow piling up high all around this scenic Swiss Alpine resort.

It made for breathtaking sights for the thousands of business and political leaders attending the World Economic Forum meeting over the past week. The experienced skiers among them would have relished the prospects of hitting the slopes packed with fresh powder.

In Davos, the global elite ponders on income inequality, lack of trust in leaders 

Yet, an excess of snowfall also raises the risk of a sudden avalanche, when snow can come crashing down without warning.

This chilling metaphor was heard several times in discussions here, signalling an underlying anxiety among participants about what lies ahead.

“How Western Media Sells War” is a deep-dive conversation on how conflict is packaged, branded, and sold to the public through news and entertainment. We look at:

How language, imagery, and repetition turn military campaigns into “humanitarian interventions” or “defensive actions”.

The role of think tanks, PR firms, and political elites in feeding ready‑made narratives into Western newsrooms.

Why dissenting voices are marginalised, smeared, or algorithmically buried when war agendas are on the table.

The truth about US foreign policy and why Europe appears doomed to repeat its disastrous lessons of the past.

All this and much more…

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Australia remains wealthy but structurally fragile – highly dependent on raw exports and poorly positioned for a more complex, decarbonising global economy. Economic complexity is a warning signal we can no longer ignore.

Imagine Australia finishing last on the Olympic medals table. Not mid-pack. Not a disappointing ninth. Last.

Stewart Sweeney

There would be outrage. Inquiries. Sackings. Funding overhauls. We would demand to know how a rich, capable country with world-class facilities and talent could fail so completely.

The Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update is issued annually by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It provides a synthesis of the global annual to decadal predictions produced by the WMO designated Global Producing Centres and other contributing centres. The latest predictions show that:

• Global mean temperatures are likely to continue at or near record levels in the five-year period 2025-2029. The annually averaged global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2025 and 2029 is predicted to be between 1.2°C and 1.9°C higher than the average over the years 1850-1900.