The Weekly Flail -- September 21, 2024
OVERVIEW
There was a lot to review this week, but the nature of complex systems is becoming more complex. We have been at the ragged edge with a clear understanding that things are getting more chaotic, yet the corporate media continues to ignore reality. When will this fabricated reality collapse? And then what happens?
We attempt to track the complexity here. Finding the most significant elements is an exercise in understanding hyper-reality. Nothing is simple.
The American imperial collapse is gaining attention from a growing population segment. This widens the gap between the conversation in the corporate media and the population, which can no longer accept the pretense of normalcy.
No one knows how to close this gap. The segments of the population desperate to maintain the pretense of failing systems feel threatened by the segments of the population desperate to change and move on. Either way, the past disappears.
All of this forces me to change how The Flail is organized. The headings will be broader, and the content more diverse. Chaos is like that.
WAR
Israel’s war on Gaza live: Attacks ramp up between Hezbollah and Israel
Israeli forces and Hezbollah carry out some of the heaviest attacks since the start of the Gaza conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border as fears of a wider war continue to rise.
At least 22 Palestinians have been killed – including 13 children and six women – and 30 wounded in yet another Israeli air strike on a school sheltering war-displaced people in northern Gaza City.
Understanding Hezbollah and the Israel-American Problem
https://x.com/i/status/1833211112298582426
From روني الدنماركي
Exploding Pagers in Lebanon, Another Israeli Terrorism Blunder?
Jamal Kanj September 18, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet has approved a plan to wage a war on Lebanon under the pretext of returning Israeli settlers to their colonies in the north part of historical Palestine.
Historically, the Israeli government does not usually discuss its military plans in the public arena. The security cabinet meeting, initially scheduled for Sunday, was delayed to Monday until after the arrival of American envoy, Amos Hochstein. Following their meeting, Israeli Prime Minister told Hochstein thanks for U.S. support, but Israel “will do what is necessary” for the return of the Israeli settlers to the “Jewish only” colonies located along the borders with Lebanon
According to Israeli sources, the Biden administration wanted to avoid a broader regional conflict that might involve the Resistance in Lebanon, Yemen and Iran, at least until after the U.S. elections in November. However, all indications suggest that Netanyahu is resisting the American demands, and even disregarding the opinion of his own war minister who does not believe it’s the right time to expand the war. Netanyahu’s preparations for the war could also include dismissing Yaov Gallant and replacing him with Gideon Sa’ar from the New Hope Jewish racist party. This prompted Biden to send Hochstein to warn the Israeli prime minister of dangerous consequence if he moves ahead and dismisses Gallant. . . .
Ukraine war turns into Russian roulette
The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with the US President Joe Biden in the White House on Friday with the question of the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine to hit deep inside Russia on their agenda of conversation. But there were no announcements, nor was there any joint press conference.
Starmer later told the media that the talks were “productive” but concentrated on “strategy” rather than a “particular step or tactic”. He did not signal any decision on allowing Kiev to fire long-range missiles into Russia.
Starmer said no final decision had been taken on the Storm Shadow missiles and hinted that further developments may follow at the gathering of the UN General Assembly later this month. “We’ll obviously pick up again in UNGA in just a few days time with a wider group of individuals,” he said.
One reason for such extreme secrecy is that the US and UK are intensely conscious of the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s explicit warning on Thursday that any use of western long-range missiles to strike Russia “will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are parties to the war in Ukraine. This will mean their direct involvement in the conflict, and it will clearly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict dramatically.”
Putin added in measured words: “This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries –- are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us.” . . . .
Russia offsets Ukraine’s Kursk offensive
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, Vladivostok, September 5, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin has outwitted the West by his response to Ukraine’s Kursk offensive one month ago, which was widely celebrated as a tipping point in the conflict. The conflict is indeed at a tipping point today, but for an entirely different reason insofar as Russian forces seized the folly of Ukraine’s deployment of its crack brigades and prized Western armour to Kursk Region to reach an unassailable position in the most recent weeks in the battlefields, which opens the door for multiple options going forward.
On the contrary, the West finds itself in a ‘Zugzwang’, a situation found in chess whereby it is under compulsion to move when it would rather prefer to pass.
Putin’s address to the plenary of the 9th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday was eagerly awaited for what he had to say on the conflict in Ukraine. Several things stood out.
Putin no longer characterised the Ukrainian interlocutors as the ‘Kiev regime.’ Instead, he used the expression ‘Kiev government’. And he summed up: “Are we ready to negotiate with them? We have never given up on this.” Was he being a taunting poser, as the Kremlin leader who has tangoed with four American presidents already, expects a fifth with an “infectious” laugh, which makes him “happy.”
On a serious note, though, Putin took note that the “official authorities” in Kiev have regretted that if only they had followed up on the “signed official document” negotiated with Russian representatives at the Istanbul talks in March 2022 “rather than obeyed their masters from other countries, the war would have come to an end long ago.” . . . .
CLIMATE/OVERSHOOT
Record rains in Japan's quake-stricken Noto region kill at least one
TOKYO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Record rains in central Japan's Noto region, still recovering from a major New Year's Day earthquake, killed at least one person on Saturday, prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands and caused blackouts for more than 6,000 households.
Seven people, including four working on quake reconstruction, were missing, and calls for rescue were swamping the fire department, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Hourly rainfall hit record 121 mm (4.8 inches) on Saturday morning in Wajima, while neighbouring Suzu received 84.5 mm in an hour, also an all-time high.
TV footage showed brown floodwater turning streets into rivers in Wajima, with cars half submerged.
Western democracies aren’t immune from climate violence
Sep 20, 2024
We think Western democracies are immune from climate violence. They’re not.
A lot of the risk in richer countries depends on climate crises elsewhere. But from within the West as well, we can see the makings of significant climate-related chaos. Europe and the United States already experience more crime during periods of the kind of extreme weather that climate change makes much more likely. Plenty of our own economic sectors could take major, possibly existential hits—to uncertain societal effect. And though the green transition may be an economic boon overall, it will not be possible without generating losers at home. The fact that those losses are unevenly distributed is already providing rich pickings for demagogic politicians.
In this chaotic, potentially more violent world one might imagine that we will have greater need of militaries. Early evidence certainly seems to bear that out, with troops from scores of nations now called upon to help during natural disasters, and security officials girding themselves for extra climate-related challenges. “I think it’s pretty clear that even modest sea level rise will trouble North America and Europe no end,” said James Woolsey, who directed the CIA during the Clinton administration. “People who don’t get this should read more.” . . .
The flight to Mars is canceled - human kidneys can't handle it.
Why kidneys are damaged in space.
According to scientists, astronauts will experience kidney problems for two reasons. The main cause is galactic cosmic rays (GCR), or simply cosmic radiation. Additionally, microgravity has a negative impact. Scientists report this in the journal Nature Communications.
You might think of astronauts who spend extended periods on the ISS without kidney issues. In reality, the ISS is not fully exposed to GCR, as it is located in low Earth orbit under the protection of the Earth's magnetic field. However, even on the ISS, an astronaut receives the same dose of radiation in a year as a nuclear power plant worker does in five years.
Currently, the only people who have been fully exposed to GCR are the astronauts who participated in NASA's Apollo missions, meaning the 24 individuals who went to the Moon. However, these journeys never lasted longer than 12 days. A mission to Mars would require spending several years in space. As a result, astronauts would receive an enormous dose of radiation. . .
There Are Now More Electric Vehicles Than Gas-Powered Cars in Norway
September 19, 2024
Norway’s sizable oil and gas deposits have made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world. That’s why it might come as a surprise that it’s the first country to have more electric vehicles than gasoline-powered ones.
Transportation is the single biggest contributor to climate change in the US—accounting for 28 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. So, the rise of electric vehicles has been one of the biggest success stories in the effort to clean up the economy.
Slowing sales growth for battery-powered cars has some worried there might be a ceiling to the number of people willing to adopt the technology. But Norway shows that with the right incentives, the goal of a completely electrified road network is a tangible possibility.
Earlier this week, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) announced that of the 2.8 million private cars that are registered in the country, 754,303 are all-electric compared to 753,905 that run on gasoline.
AI
What does each generation look like in our current AI-generated images? A very interesting question. NONE OF THESE IMAGES ARE REAL PEOPLE:
Sad Boomers, Sober Zoomers, Sidelined Gen Xers (again), and No Avotoast for Millenials
Matt Hashim
We analyzed 1200 AI-generated images of Boomers, Gen X, Y, and Z across four different models, and the one thing they all have in common is a love for beer.
What Defines a Generation?
"They eat avocado toast for breakfast, long to be digital nomads, and can't afford to buy a house because they're addicted to artisanal coffee.” We've all heard stereotypes like these reiterated in pop culture, and there’s a trove of internet memes to prove them, but is there some truth to these characterizations? Ask someone how they’d typecast generations, and you’re likely to hear something like Lazy Zoomers, entitled Millennials, jaded Gen Xers, and conservative, out-of-touch Boomers.
So what if we asked generative AI models instead of people to depict these generations? Would we see a reflection of our stereotypes? Or can they give us a deeper understanding of each generation's unique views and values? We designed the experiment outlined in the article below to help us find out.
Generating Images of Generations (Pun Intended)
We used four different generative AI models to create a series of images that explore each generation across five areas of their lives: identity, relationships, work/education, lifestyle, and consumer habits to understand how much these images would confirm or contradict our typical generational stereotypes. . . .
[Sample images:]