Image is of Trump’s initial set of reciprocal tariffs. Source is CNN and Reuters.
It’s difficult to keep up with the news around the tariffs; they get instated, then dropped, then reinstated… for example, on Friday, Trump said that certain electronics like smartphones would be exempt, causing markets to rally a great deal, but now the Commerce Secretary has said that they might not be exempt? The state of play right now, if you haven’t been keeping up this week, is that the US recently announced a 90-day global pause on implementing the tariffs he had planned (that is, 25% on certain Canadian and Mexican goods, and at least 10% on every other nation) but nonetheless increased tariffs on China to 145%.
Meanwhile, China has been - quite remarkably - standing their ground, increasing tariffs on the US to 125%, and putting restrictions on rare earths. Xi Jinping has been in Vietnam and has made statements against a tariff war there, saying that it would have no winners. Meanwhile, a Chinese spokesperson has essentially said that China can endure the tariff war due to the increasing demand from its domestic market in combination with its growing economic ties with other countries.
Last week’s thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.
Please check out the RedAtlas!
The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
The late pope really held on for Easter, huh.
Unironically considering how “Liberal” by catholic church standards Francis was I’m waiting to see if they just elect a crazy conservative type to appeal to the tradcaths.
I’m certain the United States will be totally normal in their reaction to the upcoming election.
No, Francis played the game well. He purged the college of Cardinals so most of the Cardinals are his own appointees. They’ll elect another Francis.
Did he actually fire existing cardinals or did he just appoint new ones as the old ones died off?
He both replaced ones that died off with his supporters and straight up fired plenty that refused papal authority. Any cardinal over 80 can’t vote anyway in the Papal Conclave. Francis also created a ton of new Cardinals for places that didn’t previously have that level of representation in the church, mostly from the global south. Something like 80% of the Cardinals eligible to vote in this Conclave were appointed by Francis.
Really cool documentary about how the Zapatistas in Chiapas have been doing lately https://hexbear.net/post/4627900
Watch it or i will call you a lib
Navajo president endorses Trump’s coal order, but community activists cite climate, health risks the mineral extrantion could cause Hexbear Post
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Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren was in Washington earlier in April to watch President Donald Trump sign an order aimed at revitalizing the coal industry.
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Coal mines and coal-fired power plants were once steady income sources for the Navajo Nation, but the money dried up with the closure of a key plant and the mines that supplied it.
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Some Navajo organizers say Nygren’s support for coal ignores the effects of fossil fuels on the climate and on human health. One expert said Nygren exaggerated the importance of coal.
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In some good news, it appears that the Easter temporary ceasefire in the Russia - Ukraine war is largely holding on both sides, at least for now, 10 hours into the 30 hour ceasefire, according to accounts of activities from Russian and Ukrainian sources. So despite reports that Ukraine did not accept Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, the activity on the battlefield says otherwise. There has been a large reduction in frontline activity, a bit of fighting still went on, but on the whole the temporary ceasefire is holding. AMK Mapping, someone who has been following the conflict for years and produces reliable reporting and maps, and also translates Ukrainian and Russian sources into English, has noted a drastic decrease in reported frontline activity compared to the usual.
AMK Mapping twitter report on frontline activity over the past 10 hours
I wonder if this ceasefire was indeed coordinated between Russia and the US (per the leaked peace plan) to determine if the ultra-nationalist elements in Ukraine are even capable of being restrained.
Little Marco was talking about potentially “moving on” from the Ukraine peace process “within days” just yesterday.
Saw an article about Zelensky crying about Russia “violating” the ceasefire he didn’t agree to so it went exactly like every other time. `
#popecrash
So we can agree that
went to the Vatican to kill the Pope, right?
He didn’t say thank you
A sitting US Congressman personally firing on the Russian military.
There has to be some law against this (not that it will be applied). MAGAs have been crying “Logan Act” because of van Hollen’s visit with Abrego Garcia, meanwhile a Republican elected official is personally committing acts of war against a sovereign nation.
Hey trump, if you’re really a Russian bot, can you have this guy executed for treason? Please and thank you.
I was going to share this with my libs, but if you watch the video he just signs an artillery shell and then fucks around shooting a machine gun. I don’t know if it’s accurate to say that he personally fired on the Russian military.
Posting this during the ‘Easter Ceasefire’ lol, good one
If a Russian official did the same to Americans there would be nukes flying.
So that pause on tariffs happened because a couple of sleuths knew that Trump would be alone and since there would be no counterarguments to them, Trump would just default to whatever they were saying. They even waited to see him type it out, to make sure he didn’t just forget about it.
Lol this is great. What’s the source?
wall street journal exclusive: https://archive.ph/x6EOw
There’s one reading of this that Trump is extremely feeble-minded with no personal convictions and another that he legitimately does follow the idea of “I listen to anyone and everyone and then make my decision.” Probably a little bit of both.
That was basically how Bush did it. The Decider. Trump seems more malleable than him in that Bush at least took options from a curated group of people, whereas we could probably as a group bum rush the White House and the one of us that managed to get in a room with him would decide the fate of the United States.
He typed out his own posts? What happened to his scribe?
He is a true poster. He loves the craft and feel the need to post deep in his soul.
Trump is the Joe Rogan president. If you sit with him alone you can convince him of anything to the point where HE becomes convinced it was his idea all along.
While the world is distracted by media noise… China is quietly rallying Asia to shift global power. In just a few days:
- 45 economic agreements signed with Vietnam
- A 5-year strategic pact sealed with Malaysia
- Key diplomatic meetings in Thailand
- Military and strategic cooperation boosted with Indonesia
- Telegram
During 2002 - 2016, Lula had been trying to consolidate a strong South American block, even financing the construction of ports and such in other South American countries. I wonder if this was a strategy laid out by BRICS as a whole, with each member leading their region.
Seems like only China came out with the results, for obvious reasons
I know Lula da Silva (or at least his party) has always been close to the Soviets during the late 1980s, and then they developed better ties with China and the CPC during the 1990s. I think this was mostly Lula trying to turn Brazil into the leading nation of Latin America and develop the Unasur (South American version of the EU) and the CELAC (Latin American version of the OAS). But since the Unasur thing didn’t work out due to U.S. interference, I believe Lula decided to focus on BRICS and has been using the ports and infrastructure he built in the past to help facilitate the expansion and trade with the BRICS bloc.
Military and strategic cooperation boosted with Indonesia
Hard to believe this just came out of nothing within a couple of weeks, I guess China really was preparing for this for a while?
Do nothing, win
Do something, win even harder
Ford stops car shipments to China from Michigan and Kentucky.
In April, ~80 cargo ships are “blank sailing” so far, while around 50 were at the height of Covid. So more cargo ships have either cancelled their scheduled travel entirely, or are at least skipping ports than at any point during Covid.
Trump did something to fuck with the student loan system, I completely forget what it was. Anyway, student loan defaults spiked 289%.
Send in the clown: Bill Maher turns pro-Trump
Maher, the comic who once fancied himself a fearless political truth-teller, is now wobbling under the weight of his own ego. His recent televised monologue — an extended love letter to his dinner with Trump — was less a political reflection than a highlight reel of self-flattery and unearned gravitas.
Maher bragged that he had dinner with Trump — “a dinner that was set up by my friend Kid Rock.” Yes, when your access to the leader of the free world is coordinated by a rap-rock-country novelty act — a man who has assaulted a strip-club DJ, waved Confederate flags and hurled homophobic slurs at his own fans — you might want to reevaluate your choices. But Maher treated it like an RSVP to the Met Gala.
“I’m not the leader of anything,” Maher proclaimed, “except maybe a contingent of centrist-minded people who think there’s got to be a better way of running this country than hating each other every minute.”
Amazing timing, just as Trump is becoming less popular than ever, including his entire first term.
“I’m not the leader of anything,” Maher proclaimed, “except maybe
Should we get an orange edit of
for this?
centrist-minded people
The plentiful 99.5% Hitler audience.
The most annoying man in the world finds new and innovative way to become even more insufferable.
Trump or Maher?
I was thinking Maher but both fit now that you mention it.
Bill Maher’s life mission is to become the world’s most hated person so I’m glad to see him continuing successfully on that path
I don’t understand how his show still has an audience that shows up for tapings.
It’s south-park politics. “IM rcist against everybody” and "stop caring so much about things.
He’s there for people who still consume old media as a way for them to pretend at being counterculture
there’s got to be a better way of running this country than hating each other every minute
Oh good, so is he gonna be pushing for ending the hate of trans people, immigrants, Palestinians, women, poor people, etc. then?
Russia’s Putin declares unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, 19 April 2025 - Reuters
Before anyone gets too excited, this unilateral Russian ceasefire is just for this Easter Saturday evening and Sunday, starting at 15:00 UTC today 19 April (almost two hours ago), and ending on Sunday at midnight Moscow time, presumably 21:00 UTC 20 April. So just for Easter, a 30 hour unilateral ceasefire. It’s unknown how Ukraine will respond to this action, if they will continue attacking or also cease fire. There was also a large prisoner of war exchange today, at at 1:1 ratio of 246 prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.
The idea of an Easter ceasefire was first discussed in the leaked 100 day peace plan for Ukraine discussed and linked here, so it’s very interesting that at least Russia is publicly committing to this idea of an Easter ceasefire.
TIL Western Christianity Easter and Eastern Orthodox Easter fall on the same day this year.
the holiest of days (blaze it)
Looking forward to Ukraine breaking this immediately and that being blamed on Russia for some reason
It’s a unilateral ceasefire, which means that Russia announced it without any agreement with Ukraine, so Ukraine is not required by any agreement to cease fire.
Ah, interesting. I presume Russia will be expecting and have prepared for fuckery then
Officially the Russian troops have just been told to halt attacks but otherwise nothing is different. Not so much of a ceasefire beyond a pause in the marching
I remember Russia shelling some place at Dec 25th 00:01 am, was really sad
Orthodox Christmas is January 7th. Why would Western Christmas have any relevance?
AP: Thousands gather in London to support trans rights following UK ruling over definition of woman
Including this wonderful bit of cognitive dissonance:
Trans groups are worried that Wednesday’s landmark decision would undermine their rights, even though the U.K.'s highest court said transgender people remain protected from discrimination. The head of Equality and Human Rights Commission said the ruling will mean transgender women will be excluded from women’s toilets, hospital wards and sports teams.
Of course, the BBC has the real news: Westminster statues vandalised at trans protest
cw slur
Basically some removed rights activists wrote “removed rights <3” in chalk (not even spray paint) on a suffragette statue, also the statue of a “South African Statesman” got improved with a pro-trans message but you can see why some outlets like the Telegraph are leading with the first one
Are there any places that provide English-language news on Burkina Faso? I keep seeing stuff on tiktok and ngl some of it is unsourced and possibly bogus
China warns it will take “resolute and reciprocal” countermeasures against countries negotiating with the US if they strike deals at China’s expense in the ongoing trade war.
Responding to reports that Donald Trump is pressuring nations to limit trade with China in exchange for tariff exemptions, China’s commerce ministry stated, “China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests.”
The ministry added that “appeasement will not bring peace,” warning that seeking temporary selfish interests at the expense of others will ultimately fail and harm everyone involved.
— From The Cradle (21/4/25)
This is also a message to Vietnam. It’s rumoured (not confirmed, but rumoured) that Vietnam has agreed to buy F-16V block 70/72 4.5 generation fighter aircraft from the United States. A total of 24 aircraft are rumoured to be part of the deal, and the Trump administration has said one way to “relieve” tarrifs is to enter military or security agreements with the United States.
Vietnam Has Reached An Agreement To Buy U.S. F-16 Fighter Jets
Why does Vietnam want US jets? It’s rumoured that their Russian Su-27 and Su-30 export variant aircraft are out of warranty, and Sukhoi will not service the aircraft without being paid a lump sum in advance with the warranty being over, the Russia - Ukraine war is likely effecting their operations, both in production capacity and their ability to receive payments due to sanctions. So multiple Vietnamese Su-30s are already grounded until they can get serviced.
F-16Vs will also offer a significant sensor upgrade over the Soviet era radars and sensors, including an AESA radar on the F-16V. The price point is also competitive compared to other 4.5 generation offers from the NATO bloc, with an F-16V being cheaper than a Gripen E, Eurofighter or Rafale on unit cost. The only offer that can compete on unit cost would be a Gripen C equipped with the Gripen Es sensor suite (including the AESA radar) as a custom offer. On the Chinese side, the latest J-10C with an AESA radar would be a competitive offer and potentially cheaper than an F-16V. But it’s unknown if Vietnam want Chinese aircraft.
China v Vietnam but China is actually in the right ??😮😲
If Viet Nam is not careful, it’ll end up like Yugoslavia
Going to note that there are people who think that the PRC appeasing the US and siding with them against the USSR was somehow good.