Nord Stream Pipeline: Gas Blast or Gaslighting?

 OK, with great trepidation, I weigh in on the Nord Stream (NS) disruption. 

As you all know, a variety of official and non-official Scandinavian, German, and other sources reported about two days ago that the NS pipelines (both, one?) had developed huge methane gas leaks, in at least three different spots. The Danish navy provided some dramatic video of the ocean bubbling and roiling as the gas erupted into the atmosphere from the sea. 

Lots of commentary about what a huge ecological-economic disaster these leaks would prove. I will leave that discussion to the "experts." Just as they have so accurately told us everything we need to know about COVID, global climate change, and the number of genders, they will, certainly, inform us as to what we need to know in that regard.

I am more concerned about the speculation about who caused the leak. I have heard reports from Sweden and Netherlands about explosions detected by seismological equipment just before the leaks were noted. Is that true? I don't know, and the journalists" writing this stuff don't know either.  

What could be the explanation for these blasts/leaks? Lots of speculation, repeat speculation, that it was Putin's boys who did this to freeze out Germany and NATO as winter approaches. Moscow's old friend "General Winter" has been called back into service, apparently. 

Eh . . . I am not convinced. 

Now, of course, we "know" that Russia threw the 2016 election to Trump . . . and . . . oh, wait, that wasn't true, was it? But, Putin thought about it, without a doubt. 

Anyhow, it is not clear to my little retired brain why Russia would blow up a critical piece of infrastructure in which Russia has a majority stake, and which provides Moscow much needed foreign currency. To starve out NATO? Yeah, but wouldn't it be easier to shut off the pipelines? One apparently wasn't operating, and the other wasn't at full capacity anyways . . . blow up the infrastructure? Russia? Got my doubts.

Did the USA do it? Did the US blast the NS? God, I hope not; despite all the idiot talk by "President" Biden and clowns such as Toria Newland about how we would shut down NS. I would hope (a forlorn hope?) that enough reasonable people remain even in this illegitimate regime to reject such an order, or at the minimum leak it--like methane gas. Blowing up the NS is pretty much akin to war. 

Would we have done such a thing without clearing it with the UK, Germany, and NATO? Without girding ourselves for the Russian response? I have doubts, but am willing to admit I might be wrong. 

There is lots of speculation about how only a nation with deep-sea diving capabilities could have done it, in other words, the US navy. Nah. In today's computer-mad, internet world, is it too crazy to think about some sort of savvy internet hackers as culprits? Could hackers either working for extremist environmentalists, rabid anti-Moscow hackers, or, how about, Ukraine have carried out some sort of virus-laden sabotage? The US and Israel, for example, have conducted such hacking operations against Iran's computer-controlled nuclear program centrifuge machines. Computer geeks out there, tell me.

These leaks could also, of course, result from the well-known Russian managerial incompetence that gave us Chernobyl and the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier. A real possibility: one which should be at the top of any list of potential culprits.

I just hope our fingerprints aren't on this. 

 

Italia in the News

I am no expert on Italian politics, and don't play one on the internet. I, however, suspect that many, if not most, of the journalists commenting in the US media on yesterday's elections in Italy aren't experts either. That, of course, doesn't stop them from referring to Giorgia Meloni's electoral coalition, headed by her party Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia), as "far right," having "roots leading back to Mussolini," "proto-fascist," and so on. All nonsense. 

It seems Meloni will become Italy's next PM. This has lead to a freak-out in the establishment on both sides of the Atlantic. That, my friends, can only prove a good thing. 

I went to the Brothers website in Italian and read their program--my ability to read Italian is not bad. Pretty tepid manifesto for fascists. 

The party seems concerned about Italy's economy, especially as how recent events have affected small businesses; it wants to promote "Made in Italy"; expresses anger about rising violent crime; is aghast at energy prices; seeks to preserve the traditional family; and wants to end the wide-open immigration policies forced on Italy by the EU and the Italian elite. The Brothers want, in other words, much like the conservative coalition in Sweden, for politicians to make their country "first." What a shocker! Italian politicians should think of Italy's interests first. Oh, the horror! 

While they don't make it explicit, I suspect the Brothers would not be adverse to Italy's exit from the EU.

As stated at the opening, I don't claim expertise on Italian politics. The last time I spent much time on Italy's politics was as a grad student in Brandeis in the 1970s. I wrote a paper, now thankfully lost to posterity, looking at how southern Italian villages, often very close to each other physically, and with nearly identical demographic and social strata would vote radically different from each other. One, for example, would always vote Christian Democrat, and the other always Communist. I had great insights now lost to the world of scholarship. The tears flow.

Italian politics, of course, are now much different and more complex than fifty years ago. There appears a growing sense of nationalism among ordinary folks--Italy's "Deplorables"--and rejection of the elite politics which we see dominating the Western world. Italians simply want Italy back; they want to preserve their ancient culture; they resent  the elite Woke politics which force Italy--along with Europe and the USA--into lowered standards of living, i.e., poverty, in the name of "equity" and saving the planet.  

As my son noted to me today, if the elite media keep calling that "fascism," they not only white-wash real fascism, but make it more acceptable to get called "fascist."

I don't know if Meloni's coalition will hold, and if she can fight the huge forces marshalling against her. I hope she proves a better fighter than Boris Johnson who greatly disappointed; he folded like a cheap cardboard box. 

All the best to PM Meloni.

Moron Morass

Commuting back-and-forth between Wilmington and Raleigh tending to a variety of maintenance issues; in Raleigh, a broken fridge; in Wilmington, the pool filter has sprung a leak, wife's Jeep won't start, and a dead and very tall pine tree threatens the house. Right now sitting in Raleigh, waiting to go back to Wilmington. Trying to keep busy doing stupid daily things, and not think too much about David. Not working.

Fortunately, our political class provides an endless stream of stupid daily things for me to keep riled about. There is absolutely no excuse for the current inflationary and product shortage surge we are now experiencing. The illegitimate occupiers of the White House DELIBERATELY have created an energy shortage/crisis. This has lead us to lose our energy independence, make us vulnerable again to world oil markets and the despots who control those, raised the costs of doing business and living in the US, and put us in this deplorable economic situation. That combined with an idiotic, destructive policy towards Russia and Iran, and a needless kowtowing to the PRC and the brainless global GREEN ELITE leaves us weaker and more vulnerable than we have been since 1812. The totally irresponsible spending by the Feds compounds all these problems. I haven't even mentioned the WOKE ideology which demands unlimited immigration, defunding the local police, the use of Federal law enforcement to intimidate political opponents, an all-out war on children--to include sexually abusing, killing, and mutilating them--destroying the education system, mass censorship by government and BIG TECH, and absurd distortions of science, e.g., multiple genders, mandatory vaccines that work only when there is no virus present. And you can list more and more.

We have midterm elections coming up. Will they be free and fair? No, not really. We already see the FBI and Big Tech colluding to silence opponents. 

Vote, anyhow. Donate. Volunteer. Make it as hard as possible for the bastards to cheat and win. Would a GOP victory reverse the current stream of affairs? My faith in much of the GOP is, shall we say, limited. Too many "go along, to get along" types. But that's what we have . . . other than . . ..

Heading Back

Tomorrow morning we take the train from San Sebastian to Madrid; we fly home to North Carolina Monday morning. We are eager to see our dogs as we have missed them a great deal.

This proved a busy trip to Spain, with the highpoint being the purchase of an old apartment in San Sebastian. Lots of negotiating; lots of paperwork; lots of bureaucracy; some minor glitches, but in the end all ended well. My sister-in-law will be supervising renovation on the place, mainly ripping out old wall-to-wall carpeting and trying to save the original wood floor. The building was built in 1941, with bomb-proof concrete, so the thought of moving walls is out. Floors and paint will have to be the core of the renovation. The apartment has a story which I want to believe is true, so I will. The owner told us that her father, some sort of local Franco regime official, hosted Randolph Churchill, son of Winston, at a lunch in 1946, at the dinner table being left behind. I did some rudimentary research and found that, indeed, Randolph Churchill came through San Sebastian in 1946, and that local officials hosted him and the British military attache for lunch. I have decided to believe the story told me by the ex-owner of my apartment, to wit, that that lunch took place in the flat and at the table now in my possession. I refuse to consider any research that shows otherwise. Period. End of story. A velvet rope is being put up around the table and guided tours will soon be offered.

Spain, a great place to visit and live in, is facing the same ravages that the rest of the West faces, and the same threat to its history, culture, and long traditions from the same sort of leftist loons now infecting all of our Civilization. We had a lunch with a close friend of my wife's in Madrid; she is a British-trained chemist working for a large US multinational drug company. She knows the US very well and was saddened to see what is happening there as wokeness goes ever stronger. She sadly noted that the same process is underway in Spain. She said that her son, about ten years old, came home from an expensive Catholic school and lectured her on her "homophobia." She told her son and the school that she does not consider homosexuality a fit topic for discussion with a ten-year-old, and, in addition, that nothing would convince her that that lifestyle is "normal." Exasperated, she told us, "I had this discussion with nuns!" At work she said her American company is constantly lecturing the employees on "diversity" and "inclusivity." It all sounded so very familiar and sad.

Should have mentioned, the San Sebastian Film Festival has begun. It's showing a bunch of films I will never watch. They are competing for the Most Woke title, I guess.

I should also have mentioned that Spaniards are being bombarded daily with Green nonsense and are facing monstrous energy bills. It has begun to destroy the local farmers who now face restrictions on grazing, use of chemical fertilizers, and diesel. It's insanity.

Well, I will be heading back soon. My son is already telling me I must watch Tucker Carlson who, per my son, has been nailing it every night. OK. I will give his show a try.

QEII: Well Done and Rest in Peace

I am an American Republican/republican. As a rule, I don't care for monarchs and princes and dukes and counts, etc. That rule, however, did not hold for Queen Elizabeth II.

She ran the long race assigned her with grace, dignity, devotion to duty, wit, and deep love of her country, its culture, and traditions, and without a trace of scandal. A remarkable performance from a remarkable person.

Her passing, in my humble and probably worthless opinion, likely means the end of the British monarchy as we have known it. Her one great failing consisted of raising a brood of rather stupid children. The aged Prince of Wales, who I assume will now wear the crown, is a clown, who dabbles in woke causes, has a loose attitude towards the money he gets, and has a personal life far from dignified. I see none of his mother's spirit of self-sacrifice, dignity, and concern for tradition. His children, in turn, well, I don't know. The man once known as Prince Harry appears to have lost himself to the siren song of Hollywood and Malibu. William, we'll see. Maybe.

I am sorry to see Queen Elizabeth II pass on. In our modern world, she was one of a kind.

Back in Spain

Diplowife and I have headed off to Spain, again. 

She has gotten me involved in a real estate purchase, and we have to be physically present to close the deal. The exchange rate is good, the weather is fine, and we are now in Madrid for a few days before heading off to San Sebastian and our new purchase.

Will post something more interesting in the next few days.

Biden Goes Full Mugabe

Apologies for the light posting of late. My heart has just not been in it as I get overwhelmed with sadness for what's happening to our country. Too much, too much.

I watched Biden's "soul of America" speech which he gave last night in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.

I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing. I kept thinking the speech had been written for Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe or Guyana's Forbes Burnham. 

The weird red lights, attempting to create some sort of Hollywood/Regal visual majesty, and the use of US Marines as props . . . all too, too strange, and so, so Third World. The speech itself was an abomination: full of hate and rage for the millions of us who do not support senile Biden, and laying down the framework for the repression that is to come. 

It is now official, if you had any doubts, the government and its allies are coming for you if you disagree with Biden's policies. 

Guess, for example, what the 87,000 new IRS agents will be doing? Yep. Going after the regime's opponents. The IRS, of course, will not be alone, the whole alphabet soup of Federal agencies is coming for you; the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago is just the beginning. 

Biden formally declared war on the Constitution and our Republic. 

Biden is a fascist. No "semi" about it, and he has tools at his beck-and-call of which Mugabe and Burnham could only dream.

These are dark days.