MicroB

Right. Valerii Solovei at work again https://legionmagazine.com/long-standing-rumours-of-putins-impending-death-have-been-greatly-exaggerated/

Nah, you probably don't want that channel to be in your cache. Your government might send you to the Gulag, or the frontline, for watching such a thing of a Russian asking Russian people candid questions.. BTW, when are you booked to go down to the recruitment office?

This sounds somewhat dystopian. So where do the doctors, scientists, artists etc come from? This is basically the vision Aldous Huxley in "Brave New World". But of course, he might have just ripped up something more recent like The Hunger Games/Divergent/Elysium. No surprise this is something Musk thinks about a lot. His maternal grandfather was a leading proponant in Canada of "Technocracy"; the idea that you put experts in charge, and therefore, you don't need elections. Grandad Haldeman, after a short time in jail because he might have been a bit pro-Nazi during WW2, didn't do well in Canadian elections, and instead, took his entire family to South Africa in 1948, roundly praising the new race separation laws being introduced there. America had this reputation for social mobility. This goes against that.

Its fairly extraordinary for Leaders of the Opposition to lose their seats. First Canada, now Australia. To be fair, it sounds like Dutton was a reluctant representative for his seat anyhow.

"Tom100" is a bit harsh on Robert Salesses; he was only in the job 5 days.

Fake Russian. Real Russians:

I'm not sure the Vice President, looking at the quizzical expression that crossed his face, really agreed with the Attorney General's representation of LD50 for fentanyl. The actual value in humans is unknown, so the estimates are derived variously for values determined in rats (3.1mg/kg) and primates (0.03mg/kg), an extraordinary wide range. Even so, her claim is risible. She refers to 3.4 tonnes being seize, without reference the purity (is this crude or refined). The National Center for Drug Abuse sets the lethal dose as 2mg, so some quick maths indicates that 3.4 tonnes represents 1.7 billion lives. This repeats similar claims from January https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/ This is how the DOJ came up with the 258 million number: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/05/trump-news-doj-fentanyl-pam-bondi-lives-saved.html Its interesting in the same cabinet presentation, while Bondi claimed that every 2 milligrams of crude fentanyl seized is a life saved, in the same breathm when referring to 641,000 rounds of ammunition being seized, that 651,000 Americans saved. But this is an Attorney General indulging in political rhetoric; the objective is to create fear among the American people in a selective manner. During the President's first administration, they tried to get fentanyl classified as a "weapon of mass destruction". It creates hysteria, and ultimately undermines the good work that is being done. We know how political spin completely undermined public support for the invasion of Iraq, by linking WMDs to 45 minutes; a genuine and well grounded intelligence assessment of Iraq's capabilities was spun into some frightening sounding numbers in order to shore up public support for the policy. But it backfired. I know those in the Servives who were exasperated by this. The claim that 258 million lives were saved further collapses if you ask how much fentanyl got through. In 2024, 10 tonnes of fentanyl were seized. Its not clear if this means 10 tonnes of material containing fentanyl, or 10 tonnes of fentanyl, maybe at 99%w/v. The DEA says what is seized is typically 10% w/v. So it will need further refinement once inside the US, before becoming a product. There will be a wastage rate, and I wouldn't like to guess what that would be in the typical kitchen-based drugs lab (which I have toured in the UK; disgusting looking places, and the police have to treat some of them as potential chemical weapons labs). Heisenberg was a TV fiction; there isn't a high schoo; chemistry teacher out there achieving high yields in a trailer. https://www.cfr.org/article/how-does-fentanyl-reach-united-states https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20 Fentanyl Flow in the United States_0.pdf It seems difficult to actually determine how much fentanyl gets into the US each year, only what the seizures are. Its reasonable to assume that most evades border interdiction. Which renders the 258 million claim even more meaningless, because if the amount seized in a few months is, generously, 50% of whats coming in, then by the end of the fiscal year. America is a lifeless wasteland. Everyone dead. Various estimates are given about the number of fentanyl deaths that occur. For simplicity, call it 100,000 per year (the number is acutally a bit lower). If 3400 tonnes of fentanyl will kill 256 million people, than those 100,000 were killed by 13 grams of the stuff. The reality is the AG is talking apples and oranges, and either doesn't understand the press releases from the DOJ or is being disengenousl during the DPRK-style cabinet meeting. In reality, what is seized is laced with fentanyl. and that might be a deliberate move by the smugglers to evade detection. Fentanyl is a precursor; inside the US< in the drug labs, it is further refined into a product sold on the street. The yields are likely very low, because, for the most part, these are professional labs with professional equipment. Border siezures can be interpreted as being either mre successful interdiction, or much more is coming in/ Most people using fentanyl-containing drugs do not die. The ones that die have overdosed. Fentanyl deaths is the only reliable measure of the success of border activities. To accurately measure those deaths takes a lot of collaboration between law enforcement, healthcare, and community groups, given that a significant portion of deaths may evade detection by the regular health authorities. But HHS cuts will likely impact that. So, there is a lack of joined up thinking. Or, more probably, just like stoking fear in people about 45 minute WMDs or 258 million deaths, its just theatre.

A deliberate misrepresentation of the media. The clips most commonly circulated show her speaking for between 3:50 and 3:59 minutes. I expect you to issue a retraction covering your error.

I wouldn't bother with this individual. He or she is constantly posting in support of Putin's genocidal war that includes rape as a weapon. Odious individual.

The fireworks would have been sourced pre-tariffs, or at least orders placed. I assume the supply contracts from the US government would have included force majeure covering tariffs. Smaller 4th July events in 2025 are likely to be impacted by increased costs, or even shortages. Larger, public, events less so. Typically, orders for fireworks for retailers major events, are placed 12 months before. At the moment the US 250th Birthday in 2026 may well be impacted, and some events may have to switch to alternative displays. https://www.americanpyro.com/assets/2025/2025Advisories/APA - NFA April 2025 Letter Post Tariff 4.3.25.pdf https://news.wgcu.org/culture-and-connections/2025-04-14/fireworks-for-2025-likely-wont-fizzle-from-145-percent-tariff-on-china-but-wait-until-next-year

I believe the shipment was symbolic, in the week that Europe delivered 6 million shells, and the UK developed a new artillery shell propellant, whch replaces nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine; significant because both these materials are in short supply globally, and Europe was largely dependant US supplies. The deal assures Ukraine's financial future, and, in principle, allows it to finance its own defence, rather than being dependent on the fickle largesse of Western powers. Economically, Russia is kaput. Its kleptocratic government has financed the war through debt that it can't pay back. If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. The recent US announcement on talks is also an attempt to exert pressure on Russia. Ukraine is free to buy arms on a lend lease basis now. And the difference is rather than before getting whatever they can, now they can buy what they need. In the Vietnam War, there were apothrical tails of disillusioned troops "fragging" their officers. In Russia, the officers frag their own men. https://militarnyi.com/en/news/russian-officer-kills-three-own-soldiers-with-grenade-in-donbas/ The Russian Army has changed from a military with a substantive professional core, to a largely reluctant citizen army interspersed with convicts

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/05/01/tables-have-suddenly-turned-putin-russia-dire-trouble/

The parade will actually be the 250th Anniversary of the US Army. His birthday is coincidental https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy9vzrxxjdwo Scrapping Memorial day, replacing with 2 days dedicated only to WW1 and WW2. Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War 1/2, Afghanistan veterans didn't win enough I suppose. His statement pointedly insults the dead of the British Commonwealth, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Norway, and many other nations, and trivialises their sacrifice. An ignorant man, grandson of a coward.

https://www.cheshire.police.uk/news/cheshire/news/articles/2025/4/prolific-sex-offender-jailed-after-almost-three-decades-on-the-run/

Not the same political system. Judging from your avatar you are a Seppo.

I remember it was much the same talk about the SDP. At least that was a Gang of Four. Reform is still a One Man Band.

Theatre for the masses. There are countries with the death penalty for murder. Murders still occur. Some have the death penalty for adultery. Adultery occurs. As does thieving despite amputaton. It costs El Salvador $2000 per annum to house a convict. The are charging $20,000 per prisoner for the first 300 transferred from the US. That's an ongoing cost. There are 400,000 more to go. There are claims this is cheaper than costs in the US. But this is not true, because there are additional costs when you ship violent prisoners to another country. First there is the issue of the transport. So far, they have used US Air Force transport to take prisoners to El Salvador. In the future, its likely the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS), aka "Con Air". They have a fleet of 4 aircraft (2x737-400 and 1 each of 737-700 and -800. These 4 aircraft transport 300,000 prisoners a year within the US. Typically, the flights are 200 prisoners, with 12 marshals (https://www.justice.gov/d9/pages/attachments/2020/02/10/usms_fy_2021_pb_narrative_-_jpats_-_200207_final.pdf) 2021 budget was $70m, probably $100m plus now To expand this to include long haul flights for 400,000, the fleet will likely need to triple in size. And that will also see a big uplift in budget. There are actually prison airports in the US. Going to need a few more of those, to use as reception centers. The analogy is Prison Transports by the UK. When a convict was sentenced to transportation, he wasn't sent down, put on a boat, and away he goes to Australia. What actually happened if he would wait on a prison hulk for upto 7 years, essentially so a convict ship could be fully filled before setting sail All these costs add to the costs per prisoner sent into effective exile (if its expanded to include US citizens). Receiving countries will be compensated on an annual basis, likely consisting of a standing charge, then some calculation based on headcount. How would the US know they are not paying for prisners who have died or have been released, but still claimed for? So they need to set up a system for inspection. But there is a huge potential, over a 20-30 year period, the US will get scammed.

Many years ago I attended the University of Tennessee, and as an overseas student, I attended a briefing from the campus police. The officer wanted to assure the students of the professionalism of the department, which had more stringent enntry requirements than Knoxville police, which was pretty much a high school leaving certificate.

The President's wife was an illegal immigrant, and a communist. When is she being deported? Her Slovenian-speaking son can choose for himself to stay with his mother. Elon Musk also broke immigration rules by using a student visa as a way to illicitly immigrate into the US. Vance's Indian wife certainly need checking to make sure she fully complied, and that she, a Hindu, didn't just marry a strict Christian out of convenience. Question marks over Trump's own mother; a penniless, illiterate Scot, who suddenly found the money to engage in multiple trans Atlantic cruises during a Great Depression, and who made sure she was at all the New York high society parties.

You can Google to find examples of MS-13 tattoos that they use in prosecutions Interesting. Los Angeles gang member plays cricket. But are these tattoos meant to be a proud announcement of your affiliation, or some sort of Mason-like secret sign. ie. if you are caught by a MS-13 gang member, accused of being a member of a rival gang, then, as they start to cut your head off try to explain the cleverness of your knuckle tattoos, and no, its not a cabbage on your fingers, but marijuana, and no, we don't count the ear holes or the nasal septum on a skull as holes, and no, that Cross is supposed to represent 1, not "i" or "t"/

So not serving the Motherland, and letting your fellow citizens do all the dying. How does one renew a Russian passport when one is evading mobilisation?

What do you care, as a Russian? Sort out your own illegal immigration, what with those North Koreans taking the jobs of Russians. I bet none of them have visas. And please define a "legal gang member"; is this a uniquely Russian concept, that in your case you call the President?

The C919 won't be cleared for the EU until at least 2028. To be fair, O'Leary is a troll extraordinaire, a master at the art. Vance should take notes. He's pushing for the rejected Chinese Boeings with a big discount.

Maybe this is what he calls the Colours. Or the Black and White Minstrels.

Since you have the stats at your finger tips: 1. Number of skilled Russians wishing to emigrate to the US 2. Number of skilled Indians wishing to emigrate to the US 3. Number of skilled Chinese wishing to emigrate to the US Who knows why those South Africans want to leave. Jobs and prospects is probably the main reason, in common with the majority of emigrants anywhere in the world. About 5 million Americans choose to not live in America. Why is that? If we are taking a survey of people who "want" to emigrate (as opposed to actually do it), also discuss a similar shonkey survey; https://iasservices.org.uk/the-donald-dash-1-in-4-americans-weigh-emigration-after-trumps-2024-comeback/ 67,000 sounds like a big number, consider the Freedom Front Plus Party, the Afrikaner successor to Volksfront, picked up 220,000 votes at the last election. There are 4.5 million white South Africans. Your anonymous survey indicates 1.5% of White South Africans are thinking about emigration. which in reality means less than 0.5% will follow though. Unless you truely believe 25% of Americans are about to emigrate, Remarkably, the same is quoted for Brits; 23% say wouldn't mind emigrating (https://ifamagazine.com/23-of-brits-plan-to-move-abroad-heres-where-their-money-goes-furthest/). 70% of young Irish want to go (https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/research-70-of-young-irish-people-contemplate-emigrating/) In a Gallup survey, 16% of the globe believe the grass is greener on the other side. In some cases, it is. https://news.gallup.com/poll/652748/desire-migrate-remains-record-high.aspx Of course, the percentages are fairly meaningless, except to indicate that there is a natural human desire to be dissatisfied with their lot. Most on this forum, if not all, fall into that Lot. As do you. If you are a South African, American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealander, in all likelyhood, by current definitions, your ancestors might have been illegal immigrants someplace.