We are, as we’ve been for more than a century, on the cusp of another one of these “sudden changes”. Or should I say improvements… We’ve seen the rise of aviation, of computing and of the pseudo-democratisation of power, since the demises of kings as drivers of people.

The 20th century era of oil/gas/coal is slowly being replaced by other resources — not without a fight. Computing chips are being improved, and we’re entering the AI century. Money, though, is still the true ruler of human enterprises — including religious beliefs. The philosophy of being human as a question has been replaced by having things to define whom we are.

Some massive challenges are facing humanity, not the least being the pace of incoming changes.

New evidence has emerged in the case of David Morales, the owner of the Spanish security company UC Global, who spied on Julian Assange during his time at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, reports media.

The evidence, discovered on Morales' MacBook, reveals that he kept files related to his work for the CIA on his laptop, marked with the initials of the US intelligence agency. These files, which were previously unknown to investigators, strengthen the allegations that Morales spied on Assange's meetings with his lawyers and shared the information with the CIA.

MAYOR VARTIAINEN:  Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, it is my great pleasure to warmly welcome you all to the beautiful capital of Finland, Helsinki, and the Helsinki City Hall.  Helsinki has a great honor to host this special event today.  We are humbled and in great appreciation to have the U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken here in Helsinki.

Helsinki is a city where the harmonious blend of history, innovation, freedom, and diplomacy converges.  Our capital is and has been an arena for numerous high-level meetings and political events, and we are proud to provide the platform for this historical moment, now for the first time as the proud capital of a new NATO Ally.

Nikki Haley has repeatedly used stern rhetoric with respect to Russia, once claiming that Moscow will never be Washington’s friend.

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley’s campaign has insisted she made a slip of the tongue when urging the US in an interview to “align” with Russia.

“This is completely ridiculous, she obviously misspoke. No one has been tougher on Russia than Nikki Haley,” spokesman Ken Farnaso told a US news network on Saturday.

When asked to comment on the matter, Haley herself called Russia an “enemy”, adding, “I fought them at the UN, and I will continue to fight them; they want to destroy us and our allies and they are not to be trusted.”

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Cambridge University is teaching students that the Anglo-Saxons never existed as a distinct ethnic group, in an effort to “dismantle the… myths” of English nationalism, the Telegraph reported on Saturday. Liberal academics have long decried the term for its association with “whiteness.”

What makes us who we are? I mean how, why and what we think of, during the day? 

Work? TikTok? Politics? Woke? Sex? Local bands? Pubs? Rent? Housing? Price of food? Amusements? Entertainment? History? guns? Classical music? Friends? Accomplishments? Future? Past? Sickness? Clothes? Hope? Family? Religion? Shopping? Language? What drives the bird from A to B? Drinks? Peanuts? Car maintenance? Fashion? Bills to pay? Cooking? Not sleeping enough? Getting old? The news? Sport? Money? Money? Money…. 

We’re all different, yet our modern philosophical package is set by many habits that are mostly ruled by our relationship with money. With money, we can buy a loaf of bread or a company worth $40 billion.

Ukraine is ready to launch its long-awaited offensive, President Vladimir Zelensky told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in an interview published on Saturday. He did not reveal the exact date, but said Kiev can no longer “wait for months.” 

The operation is likely to inflict heavy losses on Ukrainian troops, and might not go exactly as planned, Zelensky admitted, adding that Russia's air superiority would inevitably mean Kiev's forces will be exposed to enemy fire.

“I don’t know how long it will take,” Zelensky said, commenting on the operation’s potential timeframe. He added that “it can go a variety of ways, completely different.”

"My bad mood is vanishing thanks to hard work. I've embarked on a modern subject—a barricade. And if I haven't fought for my country at least I'll paint for her.”

These words written by Delacroix to his brother, expressed a certain frustration. His painting La Liberté guidant le peuple — possibly one of the most well-known in the world after da Vinci’s Mona Lisa — exposes a limited time of hope, growing from turmoil.

"We, the people", are victims of the system we create. There is little we can do to prevent being deceived — by ourselves and by others.

Soon, order is restored and the ruthless people get to the top again and win.

In September, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation—established by a bipartisan act of Congress in 1993—opened the Victims of Communism Museum in Washington, D.C., which aims to spotlight the plight of the alleged 100 million victims of Communist ideology.

Jeremy Kuzmarov

Phil Butler:  Many people in my country are beginning to understand the lies and control mechanisms put in place by our elites. Liars are easily found over time.  A Cold War mentality of our elite dinosaurs grafted onto the new breed of soulless elites is now crystal clear. The proxy war in Ukraine, the aggression toward China, and the hubris of Western leadership are finally tipping the scales.

Take this lead to an article from AP and Euronews the other day as a prime example. The author, Mark Armstrong, tried to convert fact into fiction by complaining the Russians are “claiming” the G7 and NATO are trying to divide Russia. Say what?

As European empires crumbled in the 20th century, the power structures that had dominated the world for centuries were up for renegotiation. Yet instead of a rebirth for democracy, what emerged was a silent coup - namely, the unstoppable rise of global corporate power. 
Exposing the origins of this epic power grab as well as its present-day consequences, Silent Coup is the result of two investigative journalist's reports from 30 countries around the world. It provides an explosive guide to the rise of a corporate empire that now dictates how resources are allocated, how territories are governed, and how justice is defined.

The lower house of Switzerland’s parliament has voted against a proposed amendment to the national War Materiel Act that would allow Swiss weapons to be re-exported to Ukraine from third countries. The US and several European nations have repeatedly criticized Bern for its refusal to play a more active role in supporting Kiev.

In the vote on Thursday, 98 members of the National Council opposed the so-called ‘Lex Ukraine’, with 75 in favor. The initiative proposed by the lower chamber’s security policy committee in January is now off the table as the corresponding commission of the upper house has already shot it down.

The rejected legislation called for a temporary waiver until the end of 2025 that would have allowed the handover of Swiss-made weapons specifically to Ukraine.

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW...................

By David Barsamian and Norman Solomon / TomDispatch

[The following is excerpted and adapted from David Barsamian’s recent interview with Norman Solomon at AlternativeRadio.org.]