Amateur Opinion Haver

Avi Lewis on his Jewish anti-Zionist roots: "I come from a long tradition, a multi-generation tradition of Jewish anti-Zionism ... as long as there's been formal pro-Israel Zionist organizations, there's been a tradition that has disagreed with that within the Jewish community."

@AlexofZion @AlexCrawfordSky Guess again

@neilcaff @AlexCrawfordSky If you're a terrorist you're a combattant. And therefore a legitimate target. That's how international law works.

Not sure what point you’re making. Both reporters worked for pro-Hezbollah outlets. Journalists are not legitimate targets, regardless of the outlet they work for. They were doing their jobs as journalists and shd have been protected under int law. Baseless claims are not justification for targeted killings

I'm only half joking when I say we should all just pretend Trump/Netanyahu have achieved all their war aims if it gets this disaster shut down

UK to receive last tanker of jet fuel from Middle East this week ft.trib.al/ifEY7KT

Israel officials share a drink in celebration of the passing of the execution law.

South Korea's President today: "The world is in turmoil over the energy crisis...the situation is so serious that it has even kept me up at night. The immediate problem is grave enough, but the outlook ahead seems even more unstable — the situation is worse than expected"

The bill has been approved. Israeli prisons will turn into guillotines for Palestinians. Hundreds will be executed in the next few weeks. 9300 hostages now in Israeli custody. Dark day for humanity. Unforgettable memory in the Palestinian cause history.

@transistanian @AlexofZion @AlexCrawfordSky They were doing something far more deadly to the IDF: Proving that their ground invasion is going very badly indeed, contrary to the fantasies put forward in IDF press releases. That's the reason they were targeted and murdered.

@neilcaff @AlexofZion @AlexCrawfordSky They are basically drone operators, pointing the Akbar bio drones

Trita Parsi told Drop Site that one of the risks Iran faces is overplaying its hand—pushing too far in negotiations or on the battlefield and hardening Trump’s position, which could prolong the war in a “lose-lose” situation, instead of securing a deal.

@nigella_i5e An amazing piece of engineering.

Watch this and weep. In Scotland alone they have felled 15 million trees 🌳 to put up these monstrosities. This is what it takes to install just ONE

The most trusted newspaper in Japan is the Shimbun Akahata which is the Japanese Communist Party’s newspaper. They did the investigative journalism on the LDP’s slush fund scandal in 2024 and ended up destroying Shinzo Abe’s faction and causing complete chaos for the LDP.

It seems that the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin is set to break the US siege on Cuba imminently and deliver some 730,000 barrels of crude oil to the island. Its arrival would be historic, marking mark a severe blow to a key instrument of US power.

@AlexofZion @AlexCrawfordSky You dont seem to understand international law or the rules of war.

@neilcaff @AlexCrawfordSky If you're a member of a terrorist organization you are a legitimate target. No matter if you're a doctor, a Journalist or whatever. A terrorist is a legitimate target by international law.

@chenweihua @tparsi @Kathleen_Tyson_ Honestly, this seems quite low. I would be expecting high 60's

@tparsi @Kathleen_Tyson_ People in the Global South has more conscience and common sense than those in the West, G7 or NATO.

Fascinating poll on Global South perspectives on the Iran war: Who do they blame? 38% Israel 29% US 18% Iran Sympathy? 43% Iran 35% Neither side 13% Israel Affect on view of US? 43% Less favourably 29% Unchanged 18% More favourably knowledge.geopoll.com/hubfs/GeoPoll%…

@AlexofZion @AlexCrawfordSky No, it doesn't. Only enemy combatants are legal targets. It doesnt even matter if they were Hezbollah members. If they weren't involved in active combat then they are not legal targets

@AlexCrawfordSky Correction. They worked for Hisbollah owned outlets, aka propaganda machines. That makes them legitimate targets.

The oil crisis is spreading throughout the world. Many countries are going to extreme lengths to ration their supply as a result. Here are all the cases I could find: 1) The Philippines declared a national energy emergency. Government offices have shifted to a four-day work week, and agencies must cut fuel and electricity use by 10–20%. 2) Sri Lanka instituted a weekly public holiday for public officials and schools. It has also revived a QR code-based fuel rationing system that limits private cars to 25 liters of petrol per week. 3) Pakistan closed schools for two weeks and cut free fuel allocations for government vehicles by 50%. It also hiked high-octane fuel prices by 60%. 4) Bangladesh, shut down universities and colleges and implemented five-hour rolling blackouts for households to prioritize the garment export sector. 5) South Korea launched a nationwide energy-saving campaign and released a record 22.46 million barrels of strategic oil reserves. It also temporarily lifted limits on burning coal. 6) Thailand ordered civil servants to work from home, set office air conditioning to 26–27°C, and halted petroleum exports to preserve domestic stock. 7) Japan and announced its largest-ever release of strategic oil reserves, approximately 45 days' worth, to stabilize local markets. 8) Egypt ordered early closures for malls, restaurants, and government offices while switching off illuminated billboards. 9) Myanmar introduced an "odd-even" rationing system where private vehicles can only purchase fuel on alternating days based on their license plate numbers. 10) Nepal is a state-run oil corporation has begun rationing cooking gas by filling cylinders to only half their normal capacity (7.1 kg) and is urging a nationwide switch to induction cookers. 11) India has invoked emergency powers to divert liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) away from industrial users to prioritize household cooking needs. 12) Slovenia became the first EU member to implement fuel rationing, limiting private drivers to 50 liters of petrol per week and businesses to 200 liters. 13) Bhutan has officially banned the sale of fuel in jerry cans to prevent hoarding and has established strict rationing priorities for emergency services. 14) Vietnam is accelerating a transition to ethanol-blended gasoline ahead of schedule to reduce its reliance on pure fossil fuel imports. 15) South Sudan has begun rationing electricity in its capital, Juba, due to the high cost of oil used for power generation. 16) Laos has made working from home mandatory for all non-essential civil servants and introduced rotational shifts to reduce commuting demand. It gets worse. Gulf producers are nearly at their maximum storage capacity; once they run out of space to put unsold oil, they will be forced to "shut in" (permanently close) wells, which can cause long-term geological damage to the oil fields. This is the worst oil crisis in history. And it is going to get so much worse. unlike previous shocks, this crisis has wiped out the world's spare capacity because major producers like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are physically cut off from their customers by the Strait of Hormuz closure. All for what?

The following thread is really important to understand the field situation in Southern Lebanon and avoid falling for the enemy's propaganda:

#Iran War Update No. 30 (focus on Iranian strategic narrative): 🔹Iranian strategic assessments increasingly point to a prolonged conflict, with expectations that the war could last at least eight more weeks and may escalate further, including the potential deployment of U.S. ground forces. 🔹In response, Iranian planning is no longer centered on absorbing strikes but on shaping the battlefield in advance. A concept described as “preemptive destruction” is emerging, involving continuous targeting of U.S. bases, logistics hubs, and staging areas in countries such as Kuwait and Bahrain to disrupt any potential ground or heliborne operation before it can be executed. 🔹This builds on the earlier shift toward “active preemption” and reflects a more offensive posture aimed at suppressing U.S. force buildup at its source rather than responding after an operation. 🔹The United States, however, continues to move in the opposite direction. Reports indicate preparations for limited ground operations involving special forces and airborne units, alongside the deployment of additional naval assets and Marines to the region. 🔹Iranian officials appear to be taking these signals seriously. Military statements emphasize readiness for scenarios involving island seizures, heliborne raids, or limited incursions, while also framing such operations as opportunities to inflict significant casualties on U.S. forces. 🔹At the same time, Israeli and U.S. strikes continue to expand across Iran’s industrial base. A petrochemical facility in Tabriz and infrastructure linked to Isfahan Industrial University have been targeted, reinforcing a pattern of gradual degradation of Iran’s economic and scientific capacity. 🔹Iran’s response continues to mirror this pattern. Iranian strikes have increasingly focused on infrastructure-related targets in Israel, including petrochemical and industrial facilities, indicating a sustained shift toward reciprocal infrastructure warfare. 🔹This dynamic is reinforced by Iranian assessments that Israel is pursuing an incremental strategy aimed at destroying Iran’s infrastructure over time without triggering a large-scale response. In turn, some Iranian analysts are calling for more disproportionate and combined vertical and horizontal escalation to deter further attacks. 🔹The Strait of Hormuz remains a central lever. Iran continues to allow selective passage for certain countries, while maintaining broader restrictions, reinforcing its role as a regulator of maritime traffic while still avoiding a full blockade. 🔹At the same time, diplomatic efforts are attempting to translate this leverage into a negotiated framework. Proposals discussed in Islamabad include the creation of a multinational consortium to manage oil flows through the Strait, potentially offering a face-saving off-ramp for both Iran and the United States. 🔹Iran’s decision to allow a Saudi oil shipment to transit toward Pakistan on the same day appears to align with this diplomatic track, suggesting cautious signaling toward a potential diplomatic solution. 🔹Beyond the Persian Gulf, the war’s geographic scope continues to widen. The Houthis’ entry into the conflict has raised concerns about the security of the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandab, with explicit threats to potentially disrupt shipping in the Red Sea region under certain conditions. 🔹European maritime authorities have already warned vessels to avoid Yemeni waters, indicating that even limited Houthi involvement is beginning to affect shipping behavior. 🔹Regionally, fault lines are becoming more visible. While some Gulf states are moving toward a more confrontational stance alongside the United States, others – particularly Oman and Qatar – continue to pursue de-escalation and maintain either neutral (in the case of Muscat) or cautious positions. 🔹Inside Iran, there is a noticeable shift in tone. While earlier phases of the war were marked by concern over regime survival, current discourse increasingly emphasizes achieving strategic outcomes and reshaping the long-term balance. 🔹This is reflected in official messaging. Statements by senior figures stress not only resilience but also perceived successes, including continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, sustained missile operations, and the involvement of regional allies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. 🔹At the same time, internal security measures are intensifying. Authorities have expanded arrests, business closures, and digital surveillance, while the Chief Justice warns of severe punishment for those deemed “betraying the homeland,” reflecting continued concern about domestic stability. 🔹Meanwhile, in a key political signal, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf framed Iran’s war strategy around a three-dimensional framework: “missiles, the streets, and the strait [of Hormuz].” This reflects an integrated approach combining military pressure, control over global energy flows, and sustained domestic mobilization. 🔹The emphasis on “the streets” is particularly notable. The regime continues to call supporters into public spaces every night, both to project internal cohesion externally and to deny the opposition any opportunity to mobilize under wartime conditions. 🔹Economically, the war’s impact continues to deepen. Oil prices have risen to $115 per barrel, suggesting that markets are reacting primarily to battlefield developments rather than diplomatic signaling. 🔹On the battlefield, Iran continues to apply sustained pressure through low-intensity but continuous missile fire, aimed less at immediate destruction and more at maintaining constant disruption and psychological pressure inside Israel. 🔹Confirmation of the destruction of a U.S. E-3 AWACS aircraft in Saudi Arabia has been widely amplified in Iranian media, serving as a major morale boost and reinforcing the narrative that high-value U.S. assets are increasingly vulnerable. 🔹Overall, Day 30 reflects a further shift toward anticipatory escalation. Iran is increasingly attempting to disrupt future operations before they occur, while the United States and Israel continue to expand pressure on Iran’s infrastructure, bringing both sides closer to a phase where escalation is driven less by reaction and more by preemption.

We had rent controls in Britain until 1915 to 1988 and during this time housebuilding regularly hit over 300k per year. Since they were removed, the house price to income ratio has gone from 4:1 to around 8:1, and housebuilding numbers have collapsed.

Hero of the proletariat