The mainstream media covered Venezuela non-stop yesterday. They many times mentioned Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President, because Trump stated she is now in charge. They never mentioned that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the torture to death of her father, socialist activist Jorge Rodríguez, by the CIA-backed security services of the US-aligned Pérez regime in Venezuela.
That would of course spoil the evil communists versus nice democrats narrative that is being forced down everybody’s throats.
Nor did they mention that the elected governments of Hugo Chávez reduced extreme poverty by over 70%, reduced poverty by 50%, halved unemployment, quadrupled the number receiving a state pension and achieved 100% literacy. Chávez took Venezuela from the most unequal society for wealth distribution in Latin America to the most equal.
Nor have they mentioned that María Corina Machado is from one of Venezuela’s wealthiest families, which dominated the electricity and steel industries before nationalisation, and that her backers are the very families that were behind those CIA-controlled murderous regimes.
Economic sanctions imposed by the West – and another thing they have not mentioned is that the UK has confiscated over £2 billion of the Venezuelan government’s assets – have made it difficult for the Maduro government to do much more than shore up the gains of the Chávez years.
But that Venezuela is a major production or trafficking point for narcotics entering the USA is simply a nonsense. Nicolás Maduro has his faults, but he is not a drug trafficking kingpin. The claim is utter garbage.
The willingness of the West to accept the opposition’s dodgy vote tallies from the 2024 Presidential elections does not legitimise invasion and kidnap.
Yesterday almost every Western government came up with a statement that managed to endorse Trump’s bombing and kidnap – plainly grossly illegal in international law – and simultaneously claim to support international law. The hypocrisy is truly off the scale. It is also precisely the Western powers that support the genocide in Gaza that support the attack on Venezuela.
The genocide in Gaza demonstrated the end of hopes – which were extremely important to my own worldview – for the rule of international law to outweigh the brutal use of force in international relations. The kidnap of Maduro, the rush of Western powers to accept it, and the inability of the rest of the world to do anything about it, have underlined that international law is simply dead.
In the long list of appalling awards of the Nobel peace prize, none can be worse than the latest to the Venezuelan traitor María Corina Machado, intended actively to promote and bring forward the imperialist attack on Venezuela by the United States.
It takes a great deal of effort to come up with a worse decision than to award Kissinger immediately after the massive bombing of Laos and Cambodia. It was a dreadful award, but it was intended to recognise the putative Paris peace deal and prod the United States towards honouring the peace process. Initially it was a joint award with Vietnamese negotiator Lê Đức Thọ (who sensibly declined).
The Kissinger award was a terrible mistake, but the Committee were seeking to end a war, starting from a willingness to cooperate with unprincipled realpolitik. In the award to Machado, they are deliberately seeking to endorse and promote the start of a war. That is a very different thing.
Similarly the award to Obama was a crazed moment of hope after the despair of the invasion of Iraq. It was a combined mistaken belief that Obama would be better, with a mistaken idea it would encourage him to be so.
I accept that the line I am drawing is a thin one; rewarding the perpetrators of Western aggression is only a short step away from actually encouraging Western aggression. But nevertheless a line has been crossed.
The gross hypocrisy of the morally bankrupt Committee chairman, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, in claiming that the prize is for non-violent action on Venezuela, at the very moment that Trump gathered the largest invasion force since Iraq off Venezuela makes me feel thoughts towards Frydnes that ought not qualify me for any peace prize at all. I feel similarly towards Guterres and all those others abandoning their supposed international role to lick Trump’s boot today.
So what now for Venezuela? Well, on the most optimistic reading Trump’s action was performative. He had to do something to avoid the Grand Old Duke of York jibes after that immense concentration of forces off Venezuela, and he has produced a spectacular that actually changes little.
On this reading, the Americans may be making the same mistake they made in Iran, in believing that decapitation strategy and bombing will spark internal revolution. In Iran, they actually strengthened support for the Government.
As of yesterday afternoon, the Bolivarian government in Caracas genuinely did not yet know what had happened, how far there was collusion in the armed forces in Maduro’s kidnap, and whether they still had the control of the army.
Trump’s plain signal that the US views Rodríguez as in charge, and Trump’s contemptuous dismissal of Machado – the only bright point in an appalling day – might give pause to any in Venezuela expecting active US support for a coup.
To those who claim Maduro was a tyrant, I refer you to the comic opera Guaidó coup of 30 April 2019. Guaidó had been declared President of Venezuela by the western powers despite never even having been a candidate. He attempted a coup and wandered around Caracas with heavily armed henchmen, declaring himself President but just being laughed at by the army, police and population.
In any country in the world Guaidó would have been jailed for life for attempting an armed coup, and I expect in the majority he would have been executed. Maduro just patted him on the head and put him back on a plane.
So much for the evil dictatorship.
By pure chance, on Friday I had texted Delcy Rodríguez about arrangements for travel and accreditation so I could go and report from Venezuela and bring you more of the truth from that country that the media is hiding from you. I made plain I was not asking for financial support. Things are obviously fluid at the moment, but it is still my intention to get there.
———————————
My reporting and advocacy work has no source of finance at all other than your contributions to keep us going. We get nothing from any state nor any billionaire.
Anybody is welcome to republish and reuse, including in translation.
Because some people wish an alternative to PayPal, I have set up new methods of payment including a Patreon account and a Substack account if you wish to subscribe that way. The content will be the same as you get on this blog. Substack has the advantage of overcoming social media suppression by emailing you direct every time I post. You can if you wish subscribe free to Substack and use the email notifications as a trigger to come for this blog and read the articles for free. I am determined to maintain free access for those who cannot afford a subscription.
Click HERE TO DONATE if you do not see the Donate button above
Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.
Choose subscription amount from dropdown box:
PayPal address for one-off donations: [email protected]
Alternatively by bank transfer or standing order:
Account name
MURRAY CJ
Account number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2
Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5
IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962
BIC NWBKGB2L
Bank address NatWest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JB
Bitcoin: bc1q3sdm60rshynxtvfnkhhqjn83vk3e3nyw78cjx9
Ethereum/ERC-20: 0x764a6054783e86C321Cb8208442477d24834861a
This Venezuelan debacle is going to have profound effects on the so called, International law going forward. The ball is now in the Russian Chinese and Iranian court, this is a blatant abuse of Venezuelan sovereignty, can they do anything about it, can anyone. Time will tell.
“Under pressure from Trump Delcy Rodríguez is negotiating with the Trump regime,
“In an interview on Fox News, the US vice-president, JD Vance, said Venezuela would be able to sell its oil only if it served the interests of Washington. “We control the energy resources, and we tell the regime, you’re allowed to sell the oil so long as you serve America’s national interest, you’re not allowed to sell it if you can’t serve America’s national interest,” Vance said. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/venezuela-oil-deal-rodriguez-trump-vance-claims-us-control
“I have just been informed that Venezuela is going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal,” the president said in a social media post.
“The ball is now in the Russian Chinese and Iranian court…”
I would say that the ball is now in the court of all civilised, law-abiding nations. I hope there are more than three.
The issue is who has got the physical force, but this is bound up with the question of who has got the force to influence international financial markets. All war is “hybrid”.
The crash of 1987 was triggered by Iran. But then there was a “recovery”. (Except in Japan.) This time there won’t be one.
The relationship between short-term trigger power and broader questions of power is very hush-hush, but as the information epoch (and funny money) progresses the former seems increasingly important. Or “surprise” if one wants it in military terms.
I’m watching out for statements that when zillions were borrowed in 2020 on a “don’t worry – everything will be okay if it takes a century to pay back” basis, the reassurance may have been a tad misguided.
Harry Law,
:” “We control the energy resources, and we tell the regime, you’re allowed to sell the oil so long as you serve America’s national interest, you’re not allowed to sell it if you can’t serve America’s national interest,” Vance said.”
Imperialism at work?
The two biggest buyers of Venezuelan oil, IIANM, were China and the USA.
Has Trump worked out where he’s going to dock that tanker yet?
Strong statements from Macron and Steinmeier re US foreign policy: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/french-german-presidents-macron-steinmeier-condemn-us-foreign-policy-trump
“The presidents of France and Germany have sharply condemned US foreign policy under Donald Trump, saying respectively that Washington was “breaking free from international rules” and the world risked turning into a “robber’s den”.”
No direct reference to Venezuela or Greenland but ….
I find it hard to believe that France and Germany would take a “business as usual” stance if the Mango Mussolini attacked Greenland.
Last sentence: if that is the case, what do you think they would do in order to concretize their “not business as usual” stance?
Apart from words, that is?
You will have noted that it is reported that the UK, France and Germany (and probably others) are only willing to provide security guarantees to Ukraine if the US also takes part……
Luis Cunha da Silva
January 8, 2026 at 17:10
Well there is a sequence of options, starting with “words”, moving to trade sanctions and then requiring the removal of US military from Europe.
After that, Hoo Nose (sic)…
Do you seriously believe that the EU would decide sanctions or that US troops would be invited to leave Europe?
I don’t think you do.
It would be interesting to hear from Belgium, which hosts SHAPE, the NATO HQ.
@Luis – you are the first person to mention the EU in this sub-thread.
That’s a good question, but prior to it there is the question of what would the Danish authorities do. I think they would invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Then one of the things that would probably happen is that Trump, Rubio, and Hegseth would tell the most outlandish lies, saying that the USA had been under attack and in fact it was the USA invoking Article 5 and none of its supposed allies were coming to its assistance. (Compare a gun nut’s statement that the reason he’s got a house full of a guns is that he’s protecting his family against “thugs on the street”.) From the Trumpo-loon point of view, the “fake” Danish government’s invocation of A5 would be a “hoax”. Could France and Germany then cooperate to the extent of having a joint policy covering both words and military movements? I doubt it. Nappy Boy going postal is unlikely to be a trigger for the creation of a serious “European army”.
Then again, why is the Danish government not just telling Trump and Rubio they can do one? There is talk about talks between the USA and Denmark, coming out of the USA. Denmark could say clearly there will be no talks because from their POV there is nothing to talk about.
Where has this tanker come from and who owns it?
Why did it get a limited time Russian flag on Christmas Eve?
Perhaps the Western intelligence agencies have controled this ship all along and the whole thing is a piece of theatre.
Well a Russian poster here said earlier that a Russian harbour master did the reflagging.
But not why.
The Russian poster’s name is Tatyana. She visited this site one day and was captivated by the blogger’s integrity. This resonated deeply with her, because she herself rejects lies.
So, to avoid the false impression of being ‘a Russian poster,’ (which sounds almost like an anonymous KGB agent) I inform you that Tatyana is exactly who she claims to be. This has been confirmed by the site’s moderators
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/06/what-just-happened-in-russia/comment-page-3/#comment-1040629
Also, if you want to see her face and hear her voice, you can watch the video, shared in September here on this site
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/forums/topic/the-republic-of-crimea-summer-2025/page/3/#post-105146
I think you may most be interested to watch from 10:40
https://youtu.be/QBut-ijyLeQ
Who actually owns these ships can be quite opaque, not unusual for them to be owned by one company, operated by another and registered in a third country. It seems that the Marinera is owned by the Russian company Burevestmarin based in occupied Crimea.
I suppose the Russians thought that if it had a Russian flag Trump might think twice about boarding it.
They got that one wrong.
Pears Morgaine
I have read that the Russian Flagged Tanker was empty.
Trump giving a new twist to Piracy on the ocean waves.
Boarding and taking the non existent treasure to make America Great Again.
Not so much Blackbeard as Orangebeard.
Or for British readers the US’s version of Captain Pugwash.
Trump is becoming beyond parody now surely?
Буревестмарин is in Russian. Please google for it.
I’ve checked with the registry, it is not in Crimea, but in Ryazan, with an address in Ryazan and supervised by Ryazan branch of the State Tax Inspectorate The company started in July 2025 with its registered capital only 1 million roubles , which is quite small money to start real logistics. Though quite legal and quite enough to start an agency selling its service.
Sole founder an operator is one Ilya Bugay who comes from Crimea although currently said to be living in Moscow.
As you say Burevestmarin was only founded in July of last year (2025) with a pathetic amount of capital, 1m Rubles is £9,333 which is nowhere near enough for a shipping company. Obviously something dodgy going on there.
17 out of 28 crew members hold Ukrainian passports. The captain holds a Georgian passport, as do 5 other men on the ship. I agree, something dodgy going on there.
“I suppose the Russians thought that if it had a Russian flag Trump might think twice about boarding it.”
Alternatively, the US thought that if it had a Russian flag, the Russians might attack them when they boarded it. After all, it looks pretty suspicious, the US coastguard trailing it for thousands of miles and then boarding it anyway in the North Atlantic. Why didn’t they board it earlier if they were going to? Was it so that their British allies, gagging for war with Russia, could be on hand to defend them from Russian “aggression”? Was this a failed attempt to repeat the Gulf of Tonkin incident and invoke Article 5?
US Coastguard, what an oxymoron !
“Two unsanctioned Chinese VLCCs are steaming toward Jose Terminal right now. The Thousand Sunny and Xing Ye arrive within days. Chinese-flagged. Chinese-owned. Not on any sanctions list. If Washington boards them: worst US-China maritime incident since 2001. If Washington lets them pass: the blockade was always theater. Russia tested American resolve and blinked. China’s test arrives in 96 hours. “?
https://x.com/shanaka86/status/2009856638895960226
Just came across this on Al Jazeera (which is no doubt being covered by most of the MSM), posted earlier today:
US to withdraw from dozens of UN, international organisations
The sweeping changes will see the US quit major forums for cooperation on climate change, peace and democracy.
United States President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to withdraw the US from 66 United Nations and international organisations, including major forums for cooperation on climate change, peace and democracy.
In a presidential memorandum shared by the White House on Wednesday evening, Trump said that the decision came after a review of which “organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States”.
The changes would see the US cease participation and also cut all funding to the affected entities, Trump added.
The list shared by the White House included 35 non-UN organisations, including notably the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance and the International Union for Conservation of Nature…..
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/8/trump-to-withdraw-us-from-dozens-of-un-international-organisations
Trump and his fascist buddies are in effect declaring war on the whole world, bar Israel, that is.
Allan Howard,
Trump has gone to war with the world – withdrawal from world organisations – attacks on various countries – actual attack on Venezuela – threats against Denmark/Greenland….how much more proof do you need?
P.S. Application of tariffs across the globe…need more factual references?
Oh, thanks so much Courtney…. I wasn’t aware of Trump’s attacks on various countries, or an actual attack on Venezuela, and threats against Denmark/Greenland, or the application of tarffs around the world.
Why so beligerent and antagonistic for goodness sake?!
“Why so belligerent and antagonistic for goodness sake?!”
I don’t think anyone really knows why Mr Trump is so belligerent and antagonistic. Personality disorder, narcissistic omnipotence, or just manipulation by the “invisible government”… And of course he is no longer in the prime of life, showing signs and symptoms of mental and physical weakness. (As was Mr Biden – can anyone think why the USA prefers to have a doddering, barely coherent old man as its figurehead?)
Allan Howard,
Speaking truthfully; apologise for any perceived aggression.
You are of course correct, Allan, and Maduro gave a recent speech addressed to the whole world in effect saying something similar. I recall attending a book signing by General Petraeus, and asking him, do you think Trump will pull the US out of NATO. He was visibly shocked and replied, he can’t, no single nation in NATO can make a unilateral decision, and anyway Trump might not get in. It is an interesting book, about Iraq mostly, as much for what it leaves out as for the spin on what it includes. From the horse’s mouth, one might say.
NATO members are in disarray. We are in effect Occupied by the airbases in our countries, which have filled so instantaneously with task forces to conduct specific actions to further the Donroe Doctrine. The blinkers are off. We can see what is happening and our democratic Will is suborned to Greater Israel and dollar hegemony. We are fully integrated, infiltrated, and disinformed, with privatised prisons holding our political prisoners of conscience, hidden away from the public media.
I recall wondering why we didn’t facilitate a coalition of the willing to offer sanctuary to the Palestinians in Gaza, because Israel quite clearly intended to kill them all, but the small boat flotillas from Turkey, offering sanctuary in maybe 50 countries, were forbidden to set out, and our media did not cover this generous act of conscience. Britain has a duty of care because the Protectorate of Palestine was intended to be so much better for the multi faith communities in The Holy Land that the Ottoman Empire which was overthrown.
But there we are. Peace and Reconciliation really did work. We have had multilateral agreements to uphold agreed principles and processes of international law. We have been very fortunate indeed.
At least this Trumpian action may, hopefully fatally, destroy the climate change nonsense. Every cloud …
Nah, people believe in that stuff. It will take years before they admit that they were fooled, if they ever do.
I am waiting in fascinated anticipation to see what their excuses will be. Or will it be simply, “I have always believed in global cooling”?
Ah, the conspiracy nuts scuttle out, only to scuttle away again when someone turns the light on.
There’s a forum for this, if any of you shy denialists have the courage of your convictions.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/forums/topic/climate-change-denialists-who-get-all-shy/
Come on everyone, let’s go to glenn’s oratory, where we can be told just how wrong and bad we are.,
Climate has changed before?
“ . . . it is these ocean state changes that are
1:02:28 correlated with the great disasters of the past impact can cause extinction but
1:02:35 it did so in our past only wants[once] that we can tell whereas this has happened over
1:02:40 and over and over again we have fifteen evidences times of mass extinction in the past 500 million years
1:02:48 so the implications for the implications the implications of the carbon dioxide is really dangerous if you heat your
1:02:55 planet sufficiently to cause your Arctic to melt if you cause the temperature
1:03:01 gradient between your tropics and your Arctic to be reduced you risk going back
1:03:07 to a state that produces these hydrogen sulfide pulses . . . “?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ako03Bjxv70
Britain won’t be with France or Germany or Denmark. It will be with the USA.
For more than 60+ years, whenever there has been a choice between allying with the rest of western Europe and kowtowing to the USA, the British regime has always chosen to kowtow to the USA.
Former MI6 officer Richard Tomlinson in his autobiography describes how trainee MI6 intelligence officers are taught that Britain will always choose the USA first, over Europe.
Or you could say the choice was made long ago. Never since the Zionist-French-British war against Egypt in 1956 has Britain dared to stand against the USA.
The US spy base at Menwith Hill, Yorkshire, was completed in the years following.
MI6’s house journal the Daily Telegraph is already propagandising for a Trump takeover of Greenland. How else to read this piece published under the name of Eir Nolsøe, economics correspondent, that deviously relates a US takeover of Greenland to independence?
https://archive.is/bgioB
It’s worth repeating: Greenlanders should learn from Ho Chi Minh, who wisely said that Vietnamese people should sniff a little French sh*t now rather than eat Chinese sh*t for a lifetime. I write as a supporter of Greenland independence, not an opponent. Now is not yet the time. Wait until Nappy Boy is out of office before booting the Danish colonialists out.
We love you, Greenland. Please don’t become Red White and Blue land.
Of course, since WW2 Britain has always been in financial debt to the USA, this has resulted in the destruction and sell off of UK industry and the embedding of American technology in defence and health sectors. The USA literally owns the UK. Yet our politicians keep telling us we are a world leading power, punching above our weight and a shining example of democracy delivered by the mother of parliaments. In fact it’s all BS. We are a spent power, powerless, technically bankrupt and unable to face up to the reality of our failures in the modern world. Since WW2 our trajectory has been downwards.
Er, since WW1 actually.
Britain may be with the USA – but the USA won’t be with Britain. It never has been, since 1776 and before. On the contrary, anyone familiar with US politics and culture understands that Britain is the USA’s most permanent and long-standing bogeyman, hate figure, enemy, and victim. On a par with Puerto Rico in being ruled from Washington without any political representation or influence.
After Russia just failed to protect their oil tanker off the coast of Scotland, Russia sent a stern message of complaint to Washington, and warned them that in future they will protect Russian commercial ships by providing an armed escort. “Moscow Strikes US Assets In Ukraine; Warns Will Protect Its Ships; Calls Starmer Macron Axis Of War”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH6Llc4xGBk
Presumably the Chinese will do the same. Of course Russia will be one of the countries sanctioned from buying Venezuelan oil, which could result in a Cuban style standoff [circa 1962]. Russia/China must do this, or fold like a cheap deckchair. Interesting times.
Another article in today’s Telegraph:
https://archive.is/TQbiF
“A sanctioned Russian tanker is sailing through the English Channel a day after a similar vessel was seized by the US in European waters”
“The oil tanker, called Tavian, was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 for allegedly being involved in the distribution of illicit Russian oil.”
I’m not sure what they’re getting at by saying that a point 200 nm south of Iceland is in “European waters”. But note that this vessel is supposedly carrying not Venezuelan oil but Russian oil. Sounds very much as if they want Britain to be at war with Russia.
Key legal point: the USA does not own or make law for the high seas.
Perhaps the SBS only got involved with the Marinera heist so they could help plan it…and keep it away from Rockall? 🙂
Russia is a major exporter of oil and imports very little. China is a different story – the world’s largest importer.
Sanctions, my boy, Sanctions.
Indeed: Russia is a major exporter of oil. Hence if China is no longer able to get Venezuelan oil, it merely needs to get a little more from Russia and Iran.
And Canada.
In my link above Mercouris also explains Russian’s position in Ukraine and calls the positions of Starmer, Macron and Merz and the 20 point plan non starters. He also explains the the US envoys would not back up the EU/UK position. What is it these Bozos do not understand about the Russian position which has not changed since the meeting in Turkey in June 2024. This is an excellent video by Mercouris.
It’s all cock waving. The three stooges know that their orange daddy will never back up their posturing so they can pretend to be real men whilst the rest of the planet laughs at the coalition of the witless.
You’re fortunate you have an hour and a half of your life to waste listening to his waffle and can stay awake. Bloke sends me to sleep.
Most of what he says is mere speculation on his part and what makes his opinion so important?
” Bloke sends me to sleep.”
Seems to have that effect on lots of people. Try listening at double speed, you might find it easier to stay awake. However, if you actually want to go to sleep, Mr Mercouris in real time is just the man.
I would tend to agree with Pears regarding Mercouris. He has a peculiar way of sniffing when he talks; I once read that such sniffing is characteristic of people who ……………., I do hope that’s not the case!
I think it is exactly because they know very well that Russia will not accede to a ceasefire that they make such grandstanding proposals. It’s good publicity (they think), and as there will never be a ceasefire they don’t have to worry about actually making good their promises.
Harry Law
January 8, 2026 at 22:06
But the tanker boarded by the USA wasn’t Russian?
Why the change of flag?
Was there a change of owner?
“Was there a change of owner?”
No, it’s always been owned, ultimately, by the CIA.
Bayard
January 9, 2026 at 08:08
Why on Earth would Russia grant Russian flag state protection to a (??) CIA owned vessel?
I very much doubt that the harbourmaster at wherever it was contacted the Kremlin for approval. Even if he did, the Russians could have granted it simply to get the outcome that has transpired, which enables them to occupy the moral high ground.
JK redux
This is a muddled case.
I read contradicting info.
The Russian FM contradicted apparently the Russian Ministry for Transport (I think it was.)
Both differing on some details which apparently still left open the real question who actually “owns” the tanker.
Some say in reality it was Chinese.
The issue being that reflagging during voyage is forbidden. Which the tanker did?
None of this justifies the actions taken by the U.S.
But then: When most likely Royal Navy sank the Russian “Ursa Major” on December 23, 2024 nobody gave a damn.
“The issue being that reflagging during voyage is forbidden. ”
Sez who?
Come on, Bayard! You’re talking to JK!
Let me drive you through the timeline:
On January 8, at 18:52 they say:
” a Russian poster here said earlier that a Russian harbour master did the reflagging.
But not why.”
I.e. they refer to my comment on January 8, 15:12. Which mentions the harbour master
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2026/01/venezuela-and-truth/comment-page-3/#comment-1092260
If you follow the link and see the comment, you’ll discover that it also invites to read the news earlier of the morning of that day.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2026/01/venezuela-and-truth/comment-page-3/#comment-1092235
That means that they’ve read my post, know pretty well that the ship has changed it’s owner on December 23 and asked the harbour master to confirm their home harbour on December 24.
I admit they could be just a very stupid person, unable to track dates in a calendar and understand what it might mean. Still I tend to think that their question is inspired by something else, than by genuine desire to know your opinion.
Sorry, I forgot where I saw it written…
I just went on truthsocial (for the first time) to find the B/S Trump posted regarding Renee Nicole Good and, as such, came across this Fox News clip that Trump posted on there. Yep, the lying fascist hate-mongering shitheads are really going for it with their totally false version of what happened and, as they always do, turning reality on its head:
When a vehicle is coming at you and is being used as a weapon, deadly force is justified, Nicole Parker says
‘Hannity’ panelists Chad Wolf, Nicole Parker and Paul Mauro evaluate the ICE-related shooting in Minnesota.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6387389369112 (5mins 46secs)
And across the bottom of the screen in capital letters it says: DHS: ATTACK ON ICE AGENT WAS DOMESTIC TERRORISM
That stuff isn’t confined to Trump and his supporters. Remember the entire British political-media class howling its outrage on behalf of the IDF and then Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters. There is no level of thug they will not defend and pretend are victims.
Came across the following vid on youtube a bit earlier which, apart from showing Trump being put on the spot by NYT reporters, has a slow-mo clip of what happened:
Trump REALIZES HE F**KED UP on BRUTAL ICE SHOOTING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGgbTrU1V2g (Pondering Politics 10mins 46secs)
Further, when Palestinians are actually raped by the IDF the NYT obfuscates it as generic “abuse” not rape.
If you don’t mind me saying so zoot, you are spouting complete bollox. And just WHY are you on my back so often just recently, seemingly trying to find any fraudulent, bogus criticism of me you can contrive? It comes across to me as harrassment.
I wasn’t expressing an opinion about the NYT zoot, I was describing what happened. And you know it! (I am of course assuming that you bovvered to watch the video).
Anyway, I just checked this out, which I had lined up to watch along with a bunch of other videos about the shooting AND the fraudulent version of the episode disseminated by Trump and his fascist buddies, and their abhorrent and malevolent smearing of a woman whose life was ended by one of Trump’s thugs:
‘There is only one version of events’: James O’Brien on the ICE shooting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2qJoEGMEE8 (LBC 11mins)
As James O’Brien says:
‘There is only one version of events’:
James O’Brien on the ICE shooting and the fraudulent version being disseminated by Trump and his lying smearing fascist buddies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2qJoEGMEE8 (LBC 11 mins)
And James doesn’t pull any punches!
“‘There is only one version of events’:”
Nope, there are always two versions of events: what actually happened and the official narrative. Most of what we think of as “history” is the official narrative.
Just came across this on the Guardian’s website:
Democrats threaten to withhold funding after ICE killing in Minneapolis
Lawmakers issue warning about homeland security budget after shooting death by federal agent of Renee Nicole Good
Yes, I know, most of them weren’t bothered at all about supplying Israel/Netanyahu with tens of thousands of bombs to slaughter and maim hundreds of thousands of women and children and babies and non-combatent men etc and commit genocide and turn Gaza to rubble, but it mentions the following in the article:
:Last year, Republicans passed Trump’s signature domestic policy bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated a staggering $170bn over four years for border and interior enforcement – more than the yearly budget for all local and state law enforcement agencies across the US combined. The largest share of the funding was directed toward ICE to arrest, detain and deport immigrants, as well as money to recruit as many as 10,000 new officers.
And this:
The Democratic representative Robin Kelly of Illinois said that she was filing three articles of impeachment against Noem following the deadly ICE shooting.
“Secretary Kristi Noem is an incompetent leader, a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of justice, violation of public trust, and self-dealing,” Kelly said in a statement Wednesday.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/democrats-homeland-security-renee-nicole-good
Also spotted this on there as well, which has been mentioned in passing in a number of articles I’ve read in the past couple of days:
Two people shot by US federal agents in Portland
Mayor urges ICE to pause operations as representative says victims alive but extent of injuries unknown
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement that US border patrol agents had stopped a vehicle to search for a man they suspected of being an undocumented immigrant connected to a Venezuelan gang. According to the agents, they opened fire when the driver of the vehicle tried to run them over, the statement said. “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene,” McLaughlin said.
Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, said at a news conference. “We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past.”…
Maxine Dexter, the Democratic representative for the district where the shooting took place, who is also a doctor, said both of the injured people “are alive, but we do not know the extent of their injuries.”
She also called on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave the city.
“ICE has done nothing but inject terror, chaos, and cruelty into our communities,” Dexter said. “Trump’s immigration machine is using violence to control our communities – straight out of the authoritarian playbook. ICE must immediately end all active operations in Portland.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/portland-federal-agents-shooting
That’s the same Tricia McLaughlin who lied through her nazty rotten teeth about Renee Nicole Good.
PS What James O’Brien obviously meant Bayard is that there is only one version of events which is true and factual.
ICE. Trained by the Israelis and using Israeli technology to track, apprehend and kill dissidents. The hegemons own Gestapo, Israeli Controlled Enforcers !
“PS What James O’Brien obviously meant Bayard is that there is only one version of events which is true and factual.”
Then he should have said so.
One could argue of course that there IS only one version of events, because the other version is false.
Why on earth are you making such a big deal about it. I’m sure just about everyone who viewed the video – 279k at the time of typing – knew exactly what he meant.
Saturday’s operation in Caracas has been described by some as a violation of international law, but in his conversation with the Times, Trump said, “I don’t need international law.”
When asked if there were any limits on his powers on the world stage, Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/09/morality-military-might-and-a-sense-of-mischief-key-takeaways-from-trumps-new-york-times-interview
We know what your morality is, [by the way who is ‘Bubba’] Trump was Epstein’s long time friend and accomplice. As for his mind, we all know he is a legend in his own mind.
But just as important are the three piglets, Starmer, Merz and Macron aka Larry, curly and Moe trying to gin up a war [peacekeeping force for Ukraine] to this end they are trying to inveigle Trump into some vague security architecture involving a sort of article 5 guarantee, or in Starmers view ‘boots on the ground and planes in the air’, Trump is aware such a guarantee would ultimately assure a nuclear war, Trump is a fool who only likes winners, even he can see where this will end up.
Trump has thrown the gauntlet down with his Venezuelan blockaid of sanctioned oil and tankers, a clear breach of International law, if not an act of war directed at initially Venezuelan sovereignty but also at Russia and China, who Trump is aiming to intimidate. Russia/China must take some form of action or look weak and easily intimidated. It should be possible for either Russia or China to send an oil tanker, one properly registered and flagged to Venezuela with an armed escort [as Russia has already threatened to do] to break this unlawful embargo.
Failure to take any action will mean they have accepted US diktats apply to Russia and China, this is a precedent they must not allow to take hold.
the latest update on the Marinera tanker:
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s website reports that Trump has decided to release two Russian crew members. The Ministry is working to bring our citizens home.
https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/2071715/
Does anyone understand anything about this situation? What about the Georgians and Ukrainians?
Unless there is an international lawyer for maritime law among us you are closest to genuine info.
My only advantage is that I know both Russian and English and can read the news from all sides.
Have you seen Roland Emmerich’s “2012” film? I feel a bit like Woody Harrelson’s character, who climbed into the Yellowstone Caldera and reported from there on the eve of the disaster.
To paraphrase: “We’re on the brink of World War III. Always remember folks, you heard it first from Tatyana.”
Nothing funny really.
Another tancker detained, this time it’s Olina.
W T F is going on?
Maybe it´s the names of the ships Donald doesn´t like.
Marinera. Now Olina. Tomorrow it´s Anna-Lena.
Who knows, next week it´s oil tanker Hillary…
The matter is complicated by the consideration that two things are needed:
1. A thorough knowledge of international law.
2. A common sense feel for which parts of international law (if any) cut any ice, and with whom.
Mr Trump has publicly announced that he doesn’t care about international law, and what is anyone going to do about it?
I don’t think any Ukrainian who has sailed under the Russian flag would be desperate to be returned to Ukraine.
If I remember rightly back in The Good Old Days The Panamanian Flag was used a lot as a Flag of Convenience.
Perhaps this is why The Great Orange Hope wants Panama as well.
That way all the Good Ships allowed to sail will only be American/Panama ones with The Stars and Stripes on it’s convenient flag.
No moaning from the Western media at that time.
I suppose we need to remember that West = Good and The Rest = Bad.
Nothing changes – does it?
Dummy Oreshnik tales have entered the mainstream now.
Where will all this nonsense end?
Mark Cutts,
” Where will all this nonsense end?”
With more war?
Time to invest in those MIC and fossil fuel shares. Buy, buy, buy, …
It seems to me that the war will end if NATO abandons its plans to turn Ukraine into a foothold, a territory from which it could launch an immediate attack on Russia at any moment.
With such a decision, Ukraine could receive a new order from ‘a Boris Johnson’ allowing the next peace talks to be concluded productively, rather than disrupted and the war continued.
Another question is whether Russia needs another Minsk Agreement. After all, trust has been undermined at its core.
An old acquaintance called me the other day, devastated; he’s going through a divorce and doesn’t know how to move on with his life. Since it was Christmas, he went to church and talked to me about religion.
I’m not religious, but I’m rational. I advised him to climb out of the pit of self-destruction, and to do that, he should seek inner support rather than rely on external support. Precisely because a person can control what’s inside them, while external support is only a possibility, with varying degrees of probability, and is by no means guaranteed. Can control=can rely on. Pure logic. I’m glad he listened. Actually, I think he called me because I’m rational.
The story above I shared to show that the war will end when people start looking for rational solutions.
Please note, not the ones that someone likes or dislikes, not the ones that make someone feel victorious and the enemy defeated. We should accept rational decisions, not emotional ones.
Tatyana
Prior to the the Russian full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when did Ukraine ever attack Russia?
Any attack since the above date was justified as in self defense…
JK, prior to the Us and UK full-scale invasion of Iraq in March 2003, when did Iraq ever attack the US or the UK? If you recall, the invasion was justified on the grounds that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and might attack the UK, or at least it’s base in Cyprus. Yes, yes, I know it’s a “preemptive strike” when we do it, not a “full-scale invasion”, but, you must admit, the effect was pretty much the same.
I don’t think that there are many people who don’t acknowledge that the invasion of Iraq was illegal, justified for spurious reasons and a grave error.
I refer one and all to the statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Trumps’s adventurism in Venezuela:-
The justifications put forward for these actions have no factual basis. Ideological hostility has prevailed over pragmatic businesslike approaches and over efforts to build relationships based on trust and predictability…. Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own future without destructive external interference, particularly of a military nature.
So? The Russians are objecting to the US regime change operation in Venezuela, just as they no doubt objected to the similar US operation in Ukraine.
What ‘similar US operation in Ukraine’?
It seems to me that the war will end if NATO abandons its plans to turn Ukraine into a foothold, a territory from which it could launch an immediate attack on Russia at any moment.
So why was Russia seemingly not that concerned about Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland? All NATO countries that have borders with Russia and from which ‘attacks on Russia could be launched without warning’. The distance from Latvia and Estonia to Moscow is not significantly greater than from Ukraine so can we expect them to be invaded too? Now thanks to its aggression Russia has a another NATO member, Finland, on its border so that worked well.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander as they say so now the (over-hyped) Oreshnik missiles have been stationed in Belarus that country has become a territory from which immediate attacks could be launched against Europe. Warsaw, Prague and Berlin are considerably closer than Moscow is to Ukraine, Obviously Europe/NATO would be justified in invading Belarus to neutralise this threat. Belarus is ruled by a corrupt dictator with no mandate as well.
https://www.private-eye.co.uk/pictures/covers/full/1666_big.jpg
“So why was Russia seemingly not that concerned about Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland?”
Probably because it’s only in the alternative universe that you appear to inhabit that they weren’t. There is also something called “cumulative effect” aka “the straw that breaks the camel’s back”, a concept to which you seem a stranger, unless you are just trying to wind Tatyana up, but you wouldn’t be doing that. would you?
“Obviously Europe/NATO would be justified in invading Belarus to neutralise this threat. Belarus is ruled by a corrupt dictator with no mandate as well.”
Excellent reasoning. One can only conclude that the only reason they don’t do this is that they have a nasty suspicion that they’d lose.
Probably because it’s only in the alternative universe that you appear to inhabit that they weren’t.
Not enough to invade or try and bomb the civilian population into submission though. I can’t see how the ‘cumulative effect’ has any relevance and since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine Finland has joined NATO and made the situation fro Russia seemingly worse.
One can only conclude that the only reason they don’t do this is that they have a nasty suspicion that they’d lose.
Well Russia’s experience in Ukraine might act as a warning or maybe they’ve grown up and still have some respect for international law.
“Not enough to invade or try and bomb the civilian population into submission though”
Unlike the US, that’s not most countries’ first option when they want to “show concern”.
“Well Russia’s experience in Ukraine might act as a warning or maybe they’ve grown up and still have some respect for international law.”
Thanks, I needed a laugh. When have any of those countries shown any respect for “international law” when to do so would have been to their disadvantage?
When have any of those countries shown any respect for “international law”
By not invading Belarus for one.
You’re presupposing that 1. invading Belarus would actually be to their advantage and 2. the real reason for not invading isn’t that wiser heads have presuaded the leaders that doing so would result in an ignominious defeat rather than a glorious victory, both of which presumptions are pretty sketchy.
Personally, I’ve always thought the “Special Military Operation” was more about Crimea than anything else. Just like lots of other countries, Russia likes to present its actions as driven by higher principles than they really are. Crimea with its naval base is important strategically and also totemically but it was reduced to a single vulnerable bridge connecting it to the rest of Russia. (Yes, I do know that Crimea had been transferred to the Ukraine SSR and left the USSR along with the rest of Ukraine before the Russian Federation contrived to grab it back but it has historically been Russian.) When Russia was weighing up military action, the military in particular would have been pushing for it to secure Crimea alongside others advocating for various motives, even including the ones they cite publicly. Estonia, Latvia and various others don’t have an equivalent to Crimea though Kaliningrad could stand in if the West starts threatening it.
Incidentally I was reading the other day that Russia is using horses, donkeys and even camels as pack animals in Ukraine. Is this because of a shortage of vehicles, a shortage of fuel or a combination of both?
Are you sure you weren’t reading a novel, the Daily Telegraph or some other work of fiction?
Widely reported in Russian media.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/donkeys-russia-army-ukraine-ammo-b2695926.html
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/viral-footage-shows-russian-soldiers-mounting-starlink-on-horses/ar-AA1TPMic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zidCu_PJwgk
I should really pay attention, I had no idea that the Independent and MSN had been taken over by Russians. This looks to be on a par with all that crowing about “Ukraine reduced to using steam locomotives”, evidencing it with photographs of a Santa Special.
They quote Russian media as sources for the story.
Dear Pears,
Just yesterday you wrote that Russian protesters in Odessa could have burned themselves alive.
Today you’re coming out with the most stupid ‘info’ about horses and donkeys.
I’m curious, are you really expecting a rational discussion from me? Or, are you just too carried away by celebrating Orthodox Christmas?
More than possible that those inside the building started the fire. It was seen to start on the third floor which makes that more likely.
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/two-years-later-kremlin-s-lethal-lies-about-odesa-fire-still-motivate-donbas-recruits/
Thanks, Pears, your sources are always good for a laugh.
“Driven by our mission of “shaping the global future together,” the Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan organization that galvanizes US leadership and engagement in the world, in partnership with allies and partners, to shape solutions to global challenges.”
So not biased or anything? Mandy Rice-Davies rules!
Surely “this” is because you didn’t have anything better to read at the time?
I would appreciate some facts on the Maduro government record on human rights, extra judicial arrests, etc. from a real independent observer (ie yourself) either now or once you get there. It’s hard to seperate the truth from the fierce propaganda.
That’s the problem. Partisan supporters of Maduro and opponents of Trump are likely to dismiss anything critical as propaganda.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/01/venezuela-un-fact-finding-mission-expresses-grave-concern-following-us
https://theconversation.com/the-murder-rate-in-venezuela-has-fallen-but-both-trump-and-maduro-are-wrong-about-why-249230
As the above year old article says the murder rate has fallen considerably but is still much higher than the UK (1.2/100,00). Hope Craig takes care and hires a reliable local guide.
“That’s the problem. Partisan supporters of Maduro and opponents of Trump are likely to dismiss anything critical as propaganda.”
That doesn’t exactly rule out a very large proportion of the world’s population, unless you are one of those who believe that everyone who is not a supporter of Trump must be a supporter of Maduro and vice versa*.
*NB this is not how things are in the real world.
Trump is clearly motivated solely by US interests. The US’s primary interest is in retaining their financial dominance, as that funds everything else. Trying to read narco-trafficking, democracy, or some humanitarian justification into this is thus pointless. It is likely more to do with the dollar and what underpins its status – the petrodollar.
Nicolás Maduro had already moved away from relying solely on U.S. dollars for oil transactions, switching to alternative payment methods including cryptocurrencies and non-dollar currencies.
This is also likely why the US Treasury, bizarrely, retains control of Iraq’s oil revenues to this day, despite the war to remove Saddam Hussein officially ending in 2011. That along with the fact they don’t want them forming a powerful Shiite bloc with Iran. On Iran, you can bet Reza Pahlavi’s Faustian pact involves an absolute commitment to the petrodollar.
As for Greenland. AI can say it better :
Owning Greenland would significantly enhance U.S. Arctic resource control, granting access to vast untapped rare earth minerals (lithium, cobalt, graphite) crucial for green tech, reducing dependency on China, and securing strategic military advantages in the Arctic region’s emerging trade routes and resource claims, though Denmark and Greenlanders would likely resist such a sale or takeover.
Why Greenland is Desirable for Resource Exploitation
-Critical Minerals: Greenland holds massive deposits of rare earth elements (REEs) and other valuable minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, essential for electric vehicles, batteries, and defense technology, areas where China currently dominates supply.
– Energy Resources: The Arctic, including areas near Greenland, is estimated to contain significant undiscovered oil and natural gas reserves, providing strategic energy benefits.
– Strategic Location: Its Arctic position offers a military and geopolitical foothold, controlling new shipping lanes opening due to climate change and providing missile warning capabilities via the Pituffik Space Base.
How Ownership Would Impact Rights
– Expanded Claims: U.S. control over Greenland would expand its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under UNCLOS, granting sovereign rights over seabed resources.
– Reduced Dependency: Acquiring Greenland’s minerals would directly counter China’s near-monopoly on these vital resources, bolstering U.S. supply chains.
– Economic & Military Power: It would solidify American dominance in Arctic resource competition against Russia and China and enhance its strategic military posture in the region.
“– Expanded Claims: U.S. control over Greenland would expand its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under UNCLOS,”
The US isn’t a signatory to UNCLOS.
A lot of planes have been observed flying over the north of England in formations today. USAF F15e strike eagles allegedly heading to Middle East, maybe Iran, from Seymour Johnson AFB via RAF lakenheath. And a US warship is on its way to dock at Faslane in Scotland today. Faslane is an American military base. All the submarines there have to go to the USA to get calibrated and their codes set.
Nit picking.
You neglect to mention that Faslane is the home of the UKs ‘independent’ nuclear deterrent, Trident.
And those Monster Subs sure destroy the beautiful Clyde veiws.. In my River
“When a dozen KC-135s cross the Atlantic simultaneously, you are not watching a drill. You are watching the logistics for long-range precision strikes being pre-positioned. B-2s can launch from Missouri, refuel over Europe, strike Iran, and recover at Diego Garcia in under 30 hours. They do not need to be stationed nearby. “?
https://x.com/shanaka86/status/2010195348082532786
That is interesting James. I must admit, as a bit of an aircraft geek, I am on Flightradar and ADSB Exchange a few times a day. Although I was aware of the C17 buildup, I hadn’t noticed B52’s or AC130 gunships, although for good reason, they may have their transponders switched off. I have relatives in Iran and we haven’t been able to contact them since last week, because the internet is down and even mobile networks and landlines seem to be blocked.
The Financial Times is in effect telling its readers that Greenland is already in the bag for Trump:
https://archive.is/8ETbh
As for the tanker seizure event in the GIUK Gap, the story about the agreement to free two Russian captives is curious because presumably they haven’t actually been freed yet (remember the ship is on the high seas) and because the Russian foreign ministry has expressed “gratitude” (huh?)
Certainly conflicting stories about the “Marinera” incident which makes one wonder if there is n’t some fakery or make believe in it somewhere. Colonel Cassad on https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com:
“After the Russian Foreign Ministry’s demands to return the tanker and the Russian sailors from the seized tanker “Mariner,” the United States agreed to release two Russian citizens who were on board the “Mariner” tanker.
However, they have not yet agreed to release the citizens of other countries, nor the tanker itself. Among those captured by the Americans are 16 Ukrainian citizens. At night, Trump said that the oil from the tanker had already been pumped out, although it was previously reported that the tanker was empty, so it is unclear what exactly the United States is downloading from the tanker.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has not withdrawn its demands for the return of the Russian tanker, as it has been registered in Russia since the end of December”. That means just a few days ago, curious.
Where and how will the Russian citizens be transferred? If it was full of oil, pumping it out would require another tanker. What’s its name? Must have got there fast. Also is Ukraine not standing up for its citizens? Lots we’re not being told.
The Americans boarded the tanker by helicopter so they could take the crew off the same way and put their own people aboard to run the ship.
The NY Times compiled the following video, which leaves absolutely no doubt whatsoever about what happened:
https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000010631041/minneapolis-ice-shooting-video.html
And what DIDN’T happen!
Just came across this:
Jesse Ventura Emerges To Rip Trump & ICE Apart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db4pYET29o8 (The Rational National 11mins 16secs)
The most disturbing aspect to me is the assumption that the woman was a ‘domestic terrorist’ hellbent on murdering a law enforcement officer, and that they have the right to shoot dead anyone who is merely a protestor, as she was. Here is a 3D analysis of the incident proving the murderer was in no danger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA41jQj51yY&t=8s
I am reminded of our host who when attending a demonstration some time ago at an Israeli arms company [I think] mistakenly tried to enter a car thinking it was his uber taxi, only to discover it was full of policemen. Would they have felt they were under attack and shot the assumed assailant dead. I know our host thinks he is only an old geezer with a laptop but he has a fearsome reputation and lives in a less salubrious part of Edinburgh, but that would have been plain murder.
It wasn’t an assumption Harry, it was a smear, concocted to demonise her.
Pears Morgaine upthread speculates that the Russians are now using mules and donkeys because they may be running out of fuel, this is hilarious, he sounds as delusional as Kaja Kallas who said yesterday in the wake of the oreshnik attack on Ukraine, that EU countries must dig deeper into their air defence stocks, Daniel Davis @Deep Dive, ridiculed her and said she does not know what she is talking about. For her information, the Oreshnik missile cannot be stopped by any known AA defences since it travels at up to 10 times the speed of sound. i.e. sound approx 650 mph = 6500 mph it cannot be intercepted as watching it hit a target [as many images on you tube will testify]. Even the US do not posses this weapon yet. Pears, it is slightly faster than a mule.
I asked the question are they running out of fuel or vehicles; but actually:-
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/25/world/russia-export-fuel-ban-ukranian-drones-intl
How ever impressive the inflated claims for the Oreshnik might be it’s not going to win the war for Vlad. Bombing civilians into submission has never won a war and won’t now. You can forget about massive salvos of Oreshniks pummelling every NATO target in Europe too. Aside from the fact the Kremlin only has enough missiles to equip one brigade if those countries who can call upon nuclear weapons of their own find they’ve got several ballistic missiles incoming what are they going to do? Assume they’re carrying nuclear warheads and fire back or wait until the first one hits? Putin understands the risk here I’m sure so it ain’t going to happen.
Pear’s you sound as delusional as Lindsey Graham with his 500% tariffs on China and India for buying Russian oil, Did you not get the memo, the Ukraine war has been lost, you and the thee piglets don’t realize it yet but unless EU/UK negotiate with Putin, he will realize all Russian objectives on the battle field. One bright point, the Italian PM Meloni has concluded ‘we must talk to Russia’, she is right, failing to do a deal now will ensure a huge strategic defeat culminating in a rump Ukraine, feeding on the teat of a bankrupt EU/UK forever, and the possible dissolution of NATO. Their choice.
Harry Law
January 10, 2026 at 18:12
When did Ukraine lose the war?
Russia is making glacial progress at terrible cost.
No Russkiy ProConsul in Kyiv yet.
Slava Ukraini.
Maybe consider not using that ugly “Slava” slogan. It is neither witty, nor funny, nor is it an expression those Ukrainians will want to hear you say, who you – as I assume – feel in solidarity with – unless of course you are a die hard fascist, which I seriously doubt. It´s not unlike the “Heil” slogan in Germany. That too in 99 out of 100 cases is not appropriate.
Jon Stewart described Lindsay Graham as a leprechaun 🙂 You may like his view on the whole Venezuela case
https://youtu.be/HDSzUfMZRHE?si=CeMipc9BFkJfHcSd
People find humor in truly serious things. As to the latest Oreshnik strike, I’ve seen today a joke: Lvov received Premium Oreshnik and now looks down on Kiev, who received only penniless drones.
Our news say Oreshnik hit the Bilche-Volytsko-Uherske underground gas storage facility. It was built in Soviet times and is able to store 17 billion cubic meters of gas. This is approximately how much Poland consumes per year.
I think that the destruction of such infrastructure should provoke a reaction similar to the undermining of the Nord Streams.
Like the first Oreshnik fired into Ukraine it carried dummy warheads and like the first is reported to have caused only minor damage. The accuracy of these missiles is not great and had the Bilche-Volytsko-Uherske been destroyed or even seriously damaged there’d have been a massive spike in the price of gas. There wasn’t.
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/uk-natural-gas
The video of the strike didn’t show the massive explosion or fire to be expected from the destruction of such a facility either.
It reminds me of the day before my first divorce from my second husband. He took the scissors and destroyed the luxurious silver fox fur coat he had given me during the romantic period of our relationship.
—
Well, we can’t get by without linguistics, I suppose.
The common name for oreshnik (hazel nut) is “leshina” and it’s in this form that it exists in Belarusian and Ukrainian.
For the modern Russian ear, the word consists of the parts “lesh” / bream in regular speech, or ‘ a slap in the face’ in near-normal jargon.
The last part – ina is the standard flexion, with the connotation of profession, collectivity or quality. Often perceived as a magnifer of what is in the root, like дитя-детина / a child- a big, physically developed young man
As to explosion, or fire – there’s no need to detonate gas underground. It’s enough to eliminate the above-ground infrastructure.
If I were cynical, I’d call this humane.
unless EU/UK negotiate with Putin, he will realize all Russian objectives on the battle field.
It’s not the EU/UK who don’t want to negotiate but Putin himself. If he can realise all Russian objectives on the battlefield why doesn’t he just get on with it. Don’t try and kid me he’s fighting ‘WW1 with drones’ by choice to minimize casualties. That’s utter bollocks.
“Don’t try and kid me he’s fighting ‘WW1 with drones’ by choice to minimize casualties. That’s utter bollocks.”
O, wise one with the all-seeing eye, tell this grasshopper how you know these facts, which are withheld to us lesser mortals.
OK you’ve got two choices, a rapid war of movement that might be over in a few weeks or trench warfare that could drag on for years. War is expensive, one infantry division (c.12,000 men) needs 200-300 tonnes of supplies every day which all has to paid for and moved from warehouses to the front line. You decide.
PM
They claim* they can manufacture 300 per annum with economies of scale, and serial production lines. Each packs six multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles(MIRV) warheads packing around 900 kiloton combined yield, if nonconventional. Given the fact Hiroshima was a 15 kiloton weapon i.e. equivalent to 15 thousand tonnes of TNT, that’s quite scary, for perspective. Obviously, the nuclear tipped version wouldn’t hit the ground – they detonate at approx ~500 meters. And since they are MIRV’s they can probably hit targets tens or even hundreds of miles apart simultaneously. If they can produce, say 170 , that’d be over a thousand nuclear warheads!
On a purely objective basis, they seem to be an impressive weapon; they climb into space at a very steep angle, then come dome like so-called Rods of the Gods, a near-orbital kinetic strike capability like something out of a Sci-Fi movie or Star Trek. Who wants to die in a nuclear war with Russia over the West’s selectively enforced morality? We need to work for peace.
‘Claim’ being the operative word. Those of us who lived through the first cold war learnt to take exaggerated claims of Russian/Soviet capabilities with a large dose of salt. You might cower in the face of such threats, some of us still have some backbone. However impressive the Oreshnik, starting a nuclear war would lead to the destruction of both sides. Putin understands that.
PM
And which side has the most to lose? Russia is large and Russians can flee to numerous other countries, if this scenario seems imminent. Europeans and especially those on the British Isles can’t leave.
Besides, Ukraine’s thuggish, embezzlement plagued corrupt govt certainly ain’t worth dying for. It’s not even certain those in the Donbas wanted to remain Ukrainian either, dodgy Russian-supported referendums notwithstanding.
“However impressive the Oreshnik, starting a nuclear war would lead to the destruction of both sides. Putin understands that.”
Do try to keep up. The Cold War was over decades ago. The whole point of “Oreshnik” is it’s not nuclear.
The Oreshnik is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and its mediocre accuracy means it’s only going to be really effective as a nuclear missile.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2024/12/02/oreshnik-threat-rods-from-god-are-not-as-dangerous-as-putin-thinks/
Pears Morgaine
Silly assumption.
Rapid iteration is a thing you know; look how SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster has had a total of five failures across 11 test flights as of October 2025.
SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster is still under development and not yet operational.
Come on, the good thing about oreshnik is that it’s just a mass falling from the sky. No explosions, no radiation. Just a mechanical impact. Like a meteorite. A stone from the sky
to punish sinnersTatyana
I wondered why they had inert warheads and not high explosives at a minimum. But apparently at that speed >Mach 10, the impact energy is what does the damage.
It is a measured response to all the direct hits on Russian oil and gas infrastructure, intended to ‘inconvenience’ Ukraine at the peak of winter demand for heating. Putin has consistently advanced territorial measures with minimal civilian casualties. Soldiers on both sides have suffered terrible losses though.
I can only think that the Russians haven’t yet managed to build a warhead that can withstand the conditions it would have to endure.
Professor Richard Wolff argues that the invasion of Venezuela is nothing new, the US realizes its writ no longer runs in Asia nor in Europe [the natives [piglets] are rebelling, and so he turns on a new and improved Monroe doctrine, he lambasts Stephen Miller Trumps advisor for not thinking through the negative effects this colonial adventure will cost the US, the world has spent the last century casting off imperialism and certainly does not look kindly on the US reverting to type with this lunacy. He quotes his experience [he wrote a book about it] to the British colonial experience in Kenya, and how the occupation was paid for, he thinks this Venezuela exploit will end in tears.
I agree, but since the US blockaid will stop any export of Venezuelan oil thus causing economic stagnation, leading to starvation, it is difficult to see how the Venezuelans can fight back, this US tactic has been used successfully against many countries in the past. The US is reluctant to put boots on the ground, so it wants to force Venezuela to capitulate, or starve tactic using a blockaid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_1QKR776Dw
So. The Kushners’ pet has captured the head of the Venezuelan government, threatened to seize Greenland, wants to annex Canada, has renamed the Department of Defense (sic) into the Department of War, and has made threats towards Mexico, Colombia, and Cuba. Also his thugs murder someone on the street on video in the USA itself, and he says the victim was part of a shadowy network of devilishly leftwing agitators, as evidenced by the presence of someone nearby shouting “Shame” when his thugs killed her. (That doesn’t amount to a defence, but never mind. Some may need reminding that the real world isn’t the pro wrestling world.) One day, and that day could be soon, Xi Jinping or someone else is going to wipe Trump’s nappy in his face and that will be the end of him. Someone will give him a straightforward ultimatum and he won’t be able to cope with failing to do what he’s told.
Venezuela is Iraq redux, here’s why…
“Washington has maintained control over Iraq’s oil revenues since its illegal 2003 invasion – a financial and economic subjugation that undermines Iraqi sovereignty and denies it access to its own national treasure.
Whenever Washington feels that Iraq is not compliant with US regional goals, these fund transfers can be delayed or reduced. In January 2020, for instance, after the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel US troops following the assassination of Iranian Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Deputy Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Trump administration threatened to freeze Iraq’s access to its oil revenues”. https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27007
I have some doubts over the accuracy of that article in the Cradle. It has at least one absurdity:
“This monthly transfer of US dollars – which are literally flown into Baghdad in pallets of hard cash – determines Iraq and its 40-million-population’s ability to pay for basic needs like salaries, food, and medicine.”
That happened during the occupation in 2004-5, so that Iraqi cash could be spent by the US in dubious ways. I rather doubt it continues today.
A Legacy of ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’
Since the signing of Executive Order 13303 (EO13303) by President George W Bush on 22 May 2003, all revenues from Iraq’s oil sales have been funneled directly into an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
EO13303, titled “Protection of the Development Fund for Iraq and Other Property in Which Iraq Has an Interest,” has been renewed annually by every US president, including Joe Biden in 2024. This executive order essentially places control over Iraq’s oil revenues under the discretion of the US President, leaving Baghdad with limited control over its resources and earnings. http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/2024/09/30/why-does-the-us-still-control-iraqi-oil-revenues/
Laguerre
Harry is correct.
Iraq have to request release of heir own revenues to this day. The US can agree, delay or deny. The Iraqi govt hate the arrangement, because they aren’t sovereign. The UN think it wholly wrong too. When the Iraq parliament demanded the US close its bases in Iraq, after Trump’s first term drone strike that killed IRGC chief, Qasem Soleimani, resulting in mass protests. The US withheld their revenues.
I don’t understand why Venezuela is cooperating with the wannabe tyrant in the White House either. What legal right does he have to their oil? If he bombs them. in response, the US people will think he has lost his f’kin mind, as he said it was about Maduro and alleged narco-trafficking. The US won’t want to put ‘boots on the ground’ either, nor will all the neocons like the vile Lindsey Graham, who are currently cheering Trump on. Not in an election year, with the midterms in November.
We could have a scenario soon, whereby the US is attacking and killing Danish troops protecting Greenland. If he was serious with his, “we can do this the hard way or the easy way” threat yesterday.
One thing is for sure, he’s losing all moral authority to defend Taiwan in the event of China moving to blockade or invade. Xi Jinping, demanded the PLA be ready by 2027, I reckon if Trump takes Greenland using military force, Xi be expediting his plans.
In Venezuela and Iran I think it’s a form of what can only be described as Petrodollar imperialism. In both cases the US deploys its tried and tested strategy of wearing the cloak of the humanitarian. It’s easier to sell to the US domestic audience, if you pose as the ‘good guys’ whose only motivation is wanting to bring freedom. Does anyone think the likes of Rubio, Trump ; Vance and Hegseth are concerned humanitarians; worried about ‘bringing freedom’ to the oppressed masses? The planet has over 8 billion humans, how many get the US ‘freedom’ treatment?
As many here will know the main pillar of US financial power is the dollar and its status. The petrodollar props up the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency – oil is priced in dollars. countries need dollar reserves ,and for trade. US debt sales involve the Treasury Department issuing securities (Treasury bills, notes, bonds, TIPS) to fund government spending, with massive daily trading volumes (around $900B+) and significant outstanding amounts (over $30 trillion) The US can effectively print money. They are defending this,
“One thing is for sure, he’s losing all moral authority to defend Taiwan in the event of China moving to blockade or invade. ”
The US has had zero moral authority since 1776.
I wasn’t denying the US control of Iraqi oil revenues. I didn’t know about it, but if it’s the case, it is so. What I was denying is the story that those revenues are flown into Baghdad as pallets of dollar bills.
Apart from the fact that it’s physically impossible, with the quantities of money implied, it’s an old story dating back to 2004-5 (I forget the exact date now), when the US decided to release the Iraqi reserves held in the US, and they were sent back to Iraq in this form ($18 billion), as pallets of cash, to enable “reconstruction” of the country after the invasion. Sending it all took some time, as you can imagine. Nearly all of it disappeared, mainly into the pockets of the US administrators, in order to finance nice spreads in Virginia, and there was little accounting (why bother, it was only Iraqi money).
You couldn’t continue the system with the sums involved. So there’s one thing wrong with the Cradle story. How are we sure that it’s all right? There are other inconsistencies. The oil-fields are not being exploited by US oriented companies, but rather from neutral countries. How do we know there aren’t some side deals going on, to get round this agreement. I should think there are.
Another thing, Kurdistan had an agreement for rights to 17% of Iraqi national oil revenues. When they made a nuisance of themselves, Baghdad simply stopped the payments, and Kurdistan starved for a very long time. So why couldn’t the US have simply dictated to Baghdad, if the situation is as simple as the Cradle puts it? I think the situation is more complicated, and the Cradle hasn’t got the whole story.
I expect someone posted this on here at the time, in 2021 (but if they did, I didn’t see it), but here it is anyway, mentioned and linked to in an article I just happened to come across in the early hours of this morning:
Trump’s false or misleading claims total 30,573 over 4 years
When The Washington Post Fact Checker team first started cataloguing President Donald Trump’s false or misleading claims, we recorded 492 suspect claims in the first 100 days of his presidency. On Nov. 2 alone, the day before the 2020 vote, Trump made 503 false or misleading claims as he barnstormed across the country in a desperate effort to win reelection….
What is especially striking is how the tsunami of untruths kept rising the longer he served as president and became increasingly unmoored from the truth.
Trump averaged about six claims a day in his first year as president, 16 claims day in his second year, 22 claims day in this third year — and 39 claims a day in his final year. Put another way, it took him 27 months to reach 10,000 claims and an additional 14 months to reach 20,000. He then exceeded the 30,000 mark less than five months later.
https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/116231/documents/HHRG-118-JU13-20230718-SD002.pdf
That’s a very interesting metric.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_or_misleading_statements_by_Donald_Trump
“The peaks corresponded in late 2018 to the midterm elections, in late 2019 to his impeachment inquiry, and in late 2020 to the presidential election.”
How is he doing now? I think it takes him enormous effort to cope under pressure, but one day the effort required will be unachievable even for him.
Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6 who after he retired reckoned Russian intelligence was interfering with his seminars at Cambridge University, whose most famous achievement was his involvement in the murder of Princess Diana, and who later plotted to remove Theresa May’s government because he was so opposed to the idea that Britain might rejoin the EU, has disgraced himself further.
Guess what he’s done now.
He’s said the USA should get a 100-year lease on Greenland so as to deter China and help Europe.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15451469/Former-MI6-chief-Trump-control-Greenland-European-security.html
There seems to be an awful lot of money available for any public figure to get his name in the media saying that the deranged fascist warmonger who was elected to lead the USA should get what he wants.
Liz Truss, Richard Dearlove, Tommy Robinson.
Should Trump get Mexico and Canada too, so as to deter Iran, Richard, you ridiculous clown? And Panama and Venezuela and Colombia, and maybe he can rule an empire that stretches from the frozen wastes of Greenland down to the Chilean-claimed section of Antarctica? Or wait, is this actually a really clever intelligence game you’re running against the White House, sacrificing your reputation to help the Foreign Office and your old service? Personally I doubt it.
Did I forget to mention that TASS are running a piece based on the Daily Mail story?
https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/26119625
Although in fairness it must be admitted that once upon a time Richard Dearlove spoke with good sense when he said people shouldn’t use Facebook.
If dearlove said people shouldn’t use facebook you can be sure he was thinking of suppression of people’s freedoms and not about their health. We have the same now with starmer and X. These nazis/zionists just want full control of all media channels.
Freedom of speech is binary: all or nothing. The state is aiming for nothing.
Brian Red
January 11, 2026 at 00:05
Amusing that even the Daily Mail comments are (rightly) overwhelmingly negative about Dearlove’s “100 year lease” idea.
I expect someone asked him to float it.
PS What was Dearlove’s involvement in the murder of Princess Diana?
I’m fairly sure that Dearlove, although a cnut, was not involved in the death of Diana Spencer aka Princess Diana.
For what it’s worth, my money is on the Illuminati.
Please inform Brian.
This Pastor thinks Venezuelan oil should not belong to the forces of darkness and that the US invasion of Venezuela is Gods will. The present cabinet of Trump Hegseth et al have a Christian [some say warped] mindset, just like this Pastor. I am not religious, but someone said When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag. and carrying a cross”. Here we are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qCkecYYZCo
Somewhere there is a YouTube video of Charlie Kirk, standing in front of 2 UK flags, like presidents and prime ministers do, explaining how the Christian fundamentalist takeover of Britain will be achieved. The flags still at half mast across the country were all put up overnight before the Tommy Robinson show in London, with its video link to Musk calling for bloodshed and revolution. This unpleasant undercurrent is very well funded. That dead influencer had not long before changed his mind about supporting Israel. His death was the catalyst for the great success of the national march of mourning, to which ‘we’ were not invited
Kirk and Robinson are both funded by israel. Kirk found out what happens when you stray from Tel-Avivs agenda. Robinson, and Trump, have the tiger by the tail. (BTW. Adelson has offered Trump $250Mn to stand for a third term)
Laura Kuenssberg’s BBC Sunday morning show is like some sick joke being played on us. A panel that included Louis Mosley of Palantir – he’s an executive of this predatory big data firm, owned & run by far-right fanatics & central to the genocidal machinery of the Israeli state – and here he is; given privileged airtime on the BBC’s main politics show? WTH is going on?
What’s going on ! Fairly obvious, it’s the continuation of the Zogification of the UK, making it more like america,
Palantir has access to the NHS data, it has control over MoD data, it works with the Police. In Israel, Palantir uses its tools to collect data on Palastinians, target them and kill them. The UK is using the same technology to identify and suppress critics of the zionist infested HoC. Palantir is the primary tool of our oppressors. (Mosely, Ha, Ha, it’s in the genes !)
Alyson: This sounds very interesting, do you have a link to it?
Alyson
Tony Yak – Lemon had better watch his step if he goes for a better offer I think.
What brings a sardonic smile to my face is how these people are paid by more powerful people to do
their bidding ( Trump included) and the wailing when they and their supporters realise that they really
are expendable.
History tells us in the end they were expendable in all cases.
Harry Law: Good video. The ex-fundamentalist Frank Schaeffer has made many good Youtube videos about the abuse of religion for political purposes in America. One example is an interview with an ex-fundamentalist novelist T.J. Poortinga.
Millions of citizens contemplating visiting the United States, may think twice [especially contributors to this blog] here’s why…
Criticism of Israel will not be tolerated, so says Marco Rubio, US Sec of State and Nat Sec advisor. This means if you are against Genocide and complain about it, you will not get a visa to visit the US.
Marco Rubio has made an official statement announcing that individuals who criticize Israel will face visa denials to enter the United States.
According to the US Secretary of State, this measure aims to protect the strong alliance between the US and Israel and prevent the spread of negative attitudes towards this state within American territory.
Rubio emphasizes that criticism of Israel, especially those perceived as insults or attacks on its sovereignty and security, will be considered sufficient grounds to deny entry to applicants. https://telegrafi.com/en/Anyone-who-criticizes-Israel-will-automatically-have-their-US-visa-revoked./
If you’re applying for a visa to enter the United States — whether for tourism, business, study, or immigration — you’ll now be required to disclose your social media accounts.
All visa applicants are now requested to make their social media platforms public and accessible to immigration officers.
Applicants must list all usernames (or nicknames) used on major social media platforms over the past five years.
This includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and others.
Private messages are not required, but public content will be reviewed.
3. Extremist or Dangerous Content on Social Media
Supporting terrorism, hate groups, or extremist ideologies
Examples include Nazi content, pro-Hamas/Al-Qaeda posts, or phrases like “From the River to the Sea”
Terms like “death” or “kill” may also trigger concern
5. Negative Public Behavior
Posts criticizing U.S. policies or government (can raise concerns about intent)
Reckless or unlawful behavior shown publicly
Extremist slogans/hashtags
#DeathToAmerica, #FreePalestine (in radical contexts), #ShariaLawNow
https://shepelskylaw.com/us-visa-social-media-screening-2025/
Craig Murray on merely applying for a visa would be frog marched in chains [aka Maduro] to the nearest pokey.
“UK wants peaceful transition of power in Iran, says minister” The Guardian
In other words the US wants regime change and the British government and media have to follow suit. If it was Ukraine or Israel, it would be a completely different story, of course, with no one allowed to even suggest such a thing.
‘A Maduro loyalist described what happened when twenty American operators landed against hundreds of defenders: “They launched something that emitted a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move.” Twenty men. Zero American casualties. Hundreds of defenders killed. The White House made sure the world saw this.’?
https://x.com/shanaka86/status/2010150721820508164
james charles
Interesting.
for years the U.S. have been making claims about how suspected directed energy weapons were being used against them, with inconclusive proof. So-called ‘Havana Syndrome’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_syndrome :
“U.S. and Canadian government officials and their families reported symptoms associated with a perceived localized loud sound. The symptoms lasted for months, and included disabling cognitive problems, balance, dizziness, insomnia, and headaches.”
You can wager the U.S. has been doing lots of research to understand or replicate what it could be. Whether “Havana syndrome ‘ was simply a cover story for that DoD/CIA research – research that some US law makers may have ethical issues with fearing tit-for-tats, idk? But regardless, that report from Venezuela seems to suggest that research has borne fruit.
This technology should clearly be regulated like chemical and bio-weapons. As, think how less potent versions could potentially be used against citizenry : protestors and for crowd control, or even by domestic spy agencies – who fight to avoid accountability and meaningful scrutiny.
I’m sure Russia too has some nasty stuff, short of nuclear, which they could deploy in Ukraine, e.g , non-nuclear EMP on Kyiv and other cities. This lowers the bar to use.
Directed energy weapons as used by the USA were developed by the Israelis for use against Palestinians and primarily consist of directed microwave energy that fries the targets. Sound based systems are fairly primitive and are just high volume speakers. IMO the Havana syndrome was just PR directed towards impressionable idiots mainly because the laws of physics don’t support what was reported.
I may be wrong, if anyone can provide technical/scientific evidence I’d be truly interested.
Nobel Institute rejects María Corina Machado’s offer to share peace prize with Trump
Could there be any clearer indication that the Nobel Committee majorly fucked up by awarding their prize to this woman?
To me, the decision to award this woman with the peace prize looks like a typical psy op, pitting, and inflaming, especially the western mind/populace to begin to hate this new boogeyman that they had never heard of (Maduro) and that the world must get rid of him.
Almost comical watching which people recieved the award, either it is western leaders or pro-western activists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_Peace_Prize_laureates
According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the prize must only be given to a person that has engaged in working towards peace between nations and that of reducing standing armies:
…and one part to the person who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses.
https://www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/full-text-of-alfred-nobels-will-2/
So yeah the prize has become a joke.
Goose.
Greenland first and I am expecting the Spikey Man to turn his attentions to Norway next for not giving him the prize.
I wonder what he was like at Prize Givings at school?
He could certainly ruin any child’s Birthday party back in the day – that’s a fact.
A bit of background on Greenland, from Björk
“I wish all greenlanders blessing in their fight for independence
icelanders are extremely relieved that they managed to break from the danish in 1944 ,
we didn´t loose our language ( my children would be speaking danish now )
and i burst with sympathy for greenlanders , repeatedly ,
especially like when the case came up about the forced contraception ,
where 4500 girls as young as 12 got IUD without their knowledge between 1966 and 1970
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/02/greenlandic-women-sue-danish-state-over-historical-contraceptive-violation
and still today the danish are treating greenlanders like they are second class humans
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/23/protests-as-newborn-removed-from-greenlandic-mother-after-parenting-competence-tests
removing children from their parents in 2025 !
colonialism has repeatedly given me horror chills up my back ,
and the chance that my fellow greenlanders might go from one cruel coloniser to another
is too brutal to even imagine .
“úr öskunni í eldinn” , like we say in icelandic
dear greenlanders
declare independence !!!!
sympathetic wishes from your neighbours
warmthness
björk“
Yes, the worlds peoples need to see, understand and accept this systemic corruption
Thank you for this well-articulated story.