“Bumper election year to increase geopolitical insecurity… The 2024 major-election year is making the world more volatile and riskier for businesses due to potential systemic macroeconomic and geopolitical changes, according to Marsh’s latest Political Risk Report…
“It said issues with macroeconomic competition and geopolitical tensions are expected to bring long-term uncertainty to businesses…
“It also underscored the risks associated with the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) by various actors, including non-state entities, adversarial states, politicians, and individuals, to propagate false information, thereby aggravating policy uncertainty and political violence risks.”
“Trade disruption and distortion intensifying as geopolitical risks rise…
“State-led economic policies and geopolitical insecurity are giving rise to more frequent disruptions to global trade, making operational planning “unusually volatile”…”
“How doomsday preppers made gold and silver precious end-of-the-world assets…
“People’s interest in gold — and silver, too — reflect deep anxieties about our society and its future. “People are looking for permanence in a crumbling world,” said Timothy Morton, a philosopher and ecologist.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/14/why-doomsday-assets-like-gold-and-silver-are-doing-so-well.html
“Activists Sound Alarm On Rise Of Global Authoritarianism…
“In a Tuesday press conference with the World Liberty Congress, the dissident [Masih Alinejad] now living in exile, said the group, made up of dissidents from 56 autocratic regimes, are calling “to sound the alarm on what we see as a rising tide of authoritarianism across the globe.”
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403136029
“New extremism definition unveiled because ‘democracy at risk from far-right and Islamist extremists’ [UK]…
“Michael Gove updates the description to include conduct that falls short of criminality, but the government still deems “unacceptable”… The government has unveiled its new definition of extremism despite warnings it could have a “chilling effect” on free speech.”
“New report reveals millions on low incomes face poverty ‘tipping point’ as they struggle to pay for essentials [UK]…
“New research commissioned by national debt help charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is sounding the alarm about the growing number of low-income households being pulled into debt, simply to pay for essential living costs.”
“Grant Shapps has called for defence spending to rise to 3% of GDP – as he confirmed a £2bn Chinook helicopters deal with Boeing.
“It marks a step up from the government’s previous target of 2.5% of GDP, which Mr Shapps had said would be possible “when conditions allow”.”
https://news.sky.com/story/grant-shapps-calls-for-uk-defence-spending-to-rise-to-3-of-gdp-13094267
“Russia jammed the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal of the Defence Secretary’s official jet on a round trip to Poland.
“Grant Shapps was travelling on the RAF’s Envoy, a Dassault 900LX, to visit troops in Mazury, a military base near the Belarus border, when the aircraft’s pilots lost access to the GPS. The aircraft was passing by Kaliningrad…”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/14/grant-shapps-gps-jammed-aircraft-trip-poland-troops/
“Hawkish Macron refuses to back down on possibility of Western troops in Ukraine.
“French President Emmanuel Macron doubled down on refusing to rule out sending troops to Ukraine during a 30-minute, prime-time television interview on Thursday in which he once again presented the war in Ukraine as an existential threat.”
“Denmark to Add $6 Billion to Defense, Start Drafting Women.
“Denmark’s government presented a plan to increase defense spending by more than 40 billion kroner ($6 billion) through 2028 and said it will start drafting women into its military to help counter an increased threat from Russia.”
“Rheinmetall sees record sales in ‘new decade’ of defence spending.
“German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall expects record sales and increased profitability this year, as the war in Ukraine drives up defence spending in the NATO bloc in a trend set to buoy the company for years to come, it said on Thursday.”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rheinmetall-hails-decade-defence-spending-082226807.html
“Europe’s refineries in demand as Ukraine war boosts oil margins…
“Europe’s refineries have been in long-term decline, as major oil companies shut plants to try to meet net zero emissions targets and face the threat of electric vehicles. But, with war in Ukraine and tensions in the Red Sea, energy analysts now believe they may have a profitable future after all…”
https://www.ft.com/content/68510c6f-cb6a-4c59-874c-f9770c162bcb
“The outrageous anti-American rhetoric of the Hungarian government creates a risk that Budapest’s relations with Washington will change, states the US Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman.
“According to him, the close relationship between Hungary and Russia is causing concern in Western countries. He notes that Hungary is an ally that behaves differently from others.”
“U.S., Japan conduct joint military exercises amid high tensions with China.
“Japan and the U.S. are expanding the scale of their joint military drills. NBC News’ Janis Mackey Frayer reports from Okinawa, where the most recent exercises were held.”
“China Responds to India Tensions With New Military Drills Near Border…
“China has carried out a live-fire test at the contested border with India in a show of force as tensions between the two Asian giants fester… The live fire exercise by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) showcased an advanced surface-to-air missile system. Video footage of the test was viewed over 514,000 times on Weibo.”
https://www.newsweek.com/china-india-xinjiang-live-fire-border-tension-military-1879108
“Thousands of farmers protested on Thursday in India’s capital, demanding a new law for minimum crop prices.
“Due to barricaded highways, they traveled to New Delhi by crowded buses and trains instead of tractors. Authorities imposed conditions like banning farm vehicles and weapons to ensure peaceful protests.”
“US Senate leader Chuck Schumer calls for Israelis to replace Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the US Senate, has called for new elections in Israel to replace Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the Israeli prime minister had “weakened Israel’s political and moral fabric” and had been “too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza . . . pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows”.”
https://www.ft.com/content/016176c3-161c-476d-9493-54e0ae1a325e
“Report claims Yemen’s Houthis have hypersonic missile, potentially raising stakes in Red Sea crisis…
“Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal, Russia’s state media reported Thursday, potentially raising the stakes in their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways against the backdrop of Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza.”
“How African countries became casualties of Sudan war and Red Sea maritime mayhem.
“Already plagued by complex internal problems, the economies of East Africa have perhaps been the most affected among regional states by the unfolding crisis in Sudan and the attacks on trade passing through the Red Sea.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2476361/amp
“As the Africa debt crisis roils, over half of the countries have found themselves spending more money in servicing their loan obligations than even the amount they have budgeted for health services to their citizens…
“This unfolding scenario is further burdening millions of their citizens who have little choice but to shoulder heavy tax burdens to settle mountains of debt.”
https://theexchange.africa/countries/africa-debt-crisis/
“Zoonotic disease vulnerability escalates amid Sudan’s armed conflict…
“With 140 million livestock, Sudan has been facing a dual challenge of endemic and transboundary animal diseases as well as zoonotic diseases, such as yellow fever and Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever [with the war] increasing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission to humans.”
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02458-3/fulltext
“War comes to Sudan’s capital — at vast human cost…
“Millions of people have been forced to flee Khartoum and its twin cities of Omdurman and Bahri, once home to a combined 10mn people. Even the government, led by President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has decamped to Port Sudan, 670 kilometres north-east on the Red Sea coast.”
https://www.ft.com/content/c3bfe4cd-80fc-4fcc-987b-f8b108cf3d5a
“DRC: 7 million displaced and “unprecedented” crisis, according to the UN.
“Escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has led to the displacement of at least 250,000 people over the past month, a senior United Nations official said on Wednesday, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis.”
“Forgotten droughts: These five regions of the world could soon face conflict over water…
“According to the Water Peace and Security partnership (WPS) – a group of organisations dedicated to tracking resource scarcity – several countries are at high risk of conflict over resources in the next 12 months. The world isn’t listening, warns WPS coordinator Susanne Schmeier.”
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/forgotten-droughts-five-regions-world-150649277.html
“Pandemic left much of the world on lower human development trajectory…
“Dozens of poor nations have yet to regain their pre-pandemic levels of overall well-being, amid signs that the pandemic may have permanently depressed the world’s development trajectory, according to a U.N. report… The gap between the richest and the poorest in our world has widened…”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/13/united-nations-poor-countries-pandemic/
“The world is at risk of energy shortages unless more money is invested in drilling for oil and gas, Shell has warned.
“The energy giant said global investment in low carbon energy was only half what is needed, meaning the world will face the risk of blackouts and power shortages in future unless alternative energy sources are secured. The warning came as Shell watered down a key climate pledge…”
“Wood energy giant Enviva files for bankruptcy…
“One of the world’s biggest producers of wood pellets sold to power utilities has filed for US bankruptcy, a downfall for a business seen by investors as a promising source of green energy.”
https://www.ft.com/content/8af60bfa-f661-43e8-9096-e84b3884040d
“Corporate defaults at highest rate since global financial crisis, says S&P…
“More companies have defaulted on their debt in 2024 than in any start to the year since the global financial crisis as inflationary pressures and high interest rates continue to weigh on the world’s riskiest borrowers, according to S&P Global Ratings.”
https://www.ft.com/content/f811649b-f66d-43aa-8a66-2412a4f0be50
You can read the previous “Economic” thread here. I’ll be back over the weekend with a “Climate” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you!
Thank you.
Regan, you are welcome.
thank goodness Capitalism won. could you imagine how horrible life would be for the majority of people on Earth if Socialism or literally anything else was the dominant economic system. I shudder to think.
It has worked very well for ME…born around 1960 and from one source in my time will have consumed 70 percent of the accessible resources…the future generations will get along just fine recycling and using clean energy and doing Permaculture.
Thank you for all the links…we are on a roll…
As long as the US Evil Em-pyre and it’s North Atlantic Terrorist Organization allies (all-lies) retains its iron-claw grip on the global- lies Economy, Kamikaze Kapitalism will continue to eviscerate the peripheral economies to serve the mandates of Capital. Even unto the cataclysmic conflagration that will engulf everything.
‘ But let freedom ring its death knell for others so we can continue our pursuit of loneliness…oops, I mean happiness.”
https://robertlowrey.blogspot.com/2009/08/market-forces-are-armed-forces.html
“…thank goodness Capitalism won.”
The weird thing is that, irrespective of what has been happening politically in any given nation, the global economic superorganism has, over many decades, self-organised to maintain a remarkably steady growth-rate of around 2.5%, which is optimal for its health.
On that macro level, you could say that politics simply exists to satisfy the totality’s urge to steadily consume more and more energy and resources… or perhaps is just a surface expression of that urge, in which case there wasn’t as much of an option to do things differently as you would want to think.
World fuels production is still around the same level as when it peaked in November 2018 but its composition has altered so that the total energy content is lower [Art Berman], and obviously lower still on a per capita basis. In other words, the global economic superorganism can no longer obtain sufficient nutrients for healthy growth and we are running out of ways to compensate with financial amphetamines.
The result is the burgeoning discord you see in my thread above. I’m afraid politics will turn increasingly pathological and society will either collapse entirely or first hit a thermodynamic criticality, as described by Professor Francois Roddier in his correspondence with Gail Tverberg, and then collapse:
“Beyond the critical point, wealth condenses into two phases that can be compared to a gas phase and a liquid phase. A small number of rich people form the equivalent of a gas phase, whereas a large number of poor people form what corresponds to a liquid phase. Like gas molecules, rich people monopolize most of the energy and have the freedom to move. Embedded in their liquid phase, poor people have lost access to both energy and freedom. Between the two, the so-called middle class collapses”
I’m interested to see how the world handles all its massive massive debt private and public. It seems to be a problem for every country and many many citizens.
As our basic needs become more and more expensive forcing unnecessary industries to fold, leading to fewer jobs. What’s the outcome?
I guess just a continual widening of the wealth gap. Welp when those without continue to grow, what happens next?
How long can the supply chains for the rich keep running when people are desperate and angry?
Climate change is just gasoline on the fire.
What a time to be alive to watch it all unfold through the internet.
“I’m interested to see how the world handles all its massive massive debt private and public. It seems to be a problem for every country and many many citizens.”
Natasha, me too! The Lynne Truss budget fiasco in 2022 demonstrated that international markets do not have infinite patience for countries that are not behaving prudently. The UK is sitting on an unusually large amount of inflation-linked debt and is in truth a post-growth economy. Not a good place to be.
“The international reaction was swift and damning. The pound fell to its lowest-ever level against the dollar, while gilt prices collapsed… After decades with a reputation for sound economic management – though severely tested by Brexit – former close allies compared Britain to an “emerging market turning itself into a submerging market” amid the financial market implosion.”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/20/the-mini-budget-that-broke-britain-and-liz-truss
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/rising-mortgage-defaults-bring-more-pain-chinese-households-2024-03-13/
Here’s a recent article on China’s dire situation.
Rising mortgage defaults bring more pain to Chinese households.
The number of Chinese (Chased by debt collectors over a mortgage delinquency) is small, but rising fast, as growth in the world’s second-largest economy remains patchy and fragile due to a property sector crisis, mounting local government debt and fears of deflation.
The number of foreclosed homes in China rose 43% year-on-year in 2023 to 389,000, said China Index Academy, a major independent real estate research firm.
Data from China Index Academy showed a total of 99,000 foreclosed units were sold at auctions in 2023 for a combined 150 billion yuan.
Duan Chenglong, a manager at Beijing Xiangpaipai Information Service, a firm that specializes in foreclosures, says those auctions were the result of debt disputes two- to three-years old, meaning the trend is likely to pick up pace.
“The post-pandemic economic environment hasn’t been good, with many defaulting on their mortgages, including due to job issues,” said Duan. “There is still a gap between the volume of properties being auctioned and the amount of distressed assets.”
In some cities in China, some auctions of foreclosed homes have repeatedly failed.
Xin, a 30-year-old single mother from Zhumadian, in the central Henan province, lost her flat after she mortgaged it to start a child entertainment business, which failed within weeks due to COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.
The property, valued in 2019 at 310,000 yuan, was auctioned twice in the past year for the 170,000 yuan Xin owes to the bank, but failed to attract any bids.
“Who would buy it? There are more than 10 flats up for auction in the same building,”
I find it funny as hell that a new extremism definition is being released because of new groups posing a threat to democracy. I guess no one other than myself has noticed that democfacy in the west has been dead for decades already.
https://fortune.com/2024/02/20/israel-economy-gdp-growth-real-estate-consumer-spending-gaza-hamas-war/
Those living in the north are still living in hotels and also the ones around the south of the gaza envelope are still in hotels. We need more fighters and not sure who they get to fight hezbolla either. Israel needs more equipment that has been destroyed by the Palestine resistance in gaza. This is looking alot like Ukraine war. More losses at every turn. Send them more us green backs. Protests are growing here in the us south by southwest music show has had more acts pull out of it over military support. Israel and us are getting more isolated as the pressure ramps up everyday. Haiti is also in full blown revolution mode as the empire collapses.
Netanyahu is failing to win the war for hearts and minds, to put it mildly, and Israel is looking increasingly isolated:
“Israel’s military and Defense Ministry are set to open solicitations for Israeli-made military helmets and uniforms in a move towards manufacturing independence, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
“The decision comes as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seeks to limit its dependence on the United States for vital military equipment.”
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/03/14/amid-tensions-israel-set-to-manufacture-helmets-domestically-in-move-away-from-us-dependence/
Many Earth inhabitant’s are perhaps feeling the impulse of Arm-a-geting-outa-here, but how can anyone out run collapse that’s forcing business to the wall and hearding the sheeple off to war?
War and contest for place and resources seems to be the gamble we’re letting the so called leaders pitch us into like so many expendables assets or are we now suddenly considered liabilities by these manipulators?
War is said o be so profitable at the end of the peace cycle.
How to fight smart for peace or fight peaceably for your survival?
Or has that world zeitgeist died with all the greed, fear of loss and artificially induced hate?
Humans think they have no choice, but to violence when they believe they have no choice.
Suddenly that’s meant to make it all feel justified
Lawyers and politicians will end us all, if resigned to being passive, and hoping that equates to being unaffected, which is delusion.
“And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles, it’s a very, very
Mad world, mad world, mad world…”
– from the song “Mad World”
Great song – both the Tears for Fears original and the exquisitely maudlin cover by Gary Jules. There is a certain liberation, comfort even, in just throwing up your hands and acknowledging that the species is basically insane.
It explains a lot and is less upsetting than picking over the details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSbOs3aUqI
Viktor Orbán & much of the Hungarian population must be canceled because they do not want a society with open LGBTQ people giving lessons to their kindergarten kids.
I don’t share many of Orban’s beliefs, but I don’t have a problem not letting LGBTQ into schools with free reign to teach little kids whatever they want (just because they were long persecuted minorities does not mean they are right and all their intentions are pure). It is great fun watching the empire babies get all hysterical and lose their shite when confronted with [NO!] the reality that they are not going to be calling all the shots anymore. I bet empire’s woke brigade is planning a Hungarian colour revolution right after they finish using up Ukraine (there’s still a hundred thousand mean who can physically manage to hold a rifle to sacrifice on empires ego alter. Everywhere they go, in front or behind the curtain, they leave a trail of death and destruction. They will continue to sacrifice the UK & EU people & treasure without any concern.
The empire is finished, only they can’t admit it and it will not surprise me if they break all the toys and drag the world down with them.
The majority of nations and people in this world are not pro western, many despise empire and it’s allies & vassals (UK-EU) and they are rising in wealth and power, thus the increased sanctions and war spending. It won’t work except for the MIC.
The empire has so many sanctions against the barbarians of the world, who refuse to comply with the empire’s rules based orders, that they had to create a sanctions data base to keep track.
https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/
“Viktor Orbán & much of the Hungarian population must be canceled because they do not want a society with open LGBTQ people giving lessons to their kindergarten kids.”
FamousDrScanlon, I am a little uncomfortable with this topic of conversation. I am not well versed in these ideological disputes. I just know that they make people hugely reactive and upset, so give them a wide berth!
I need to collapse into bed shortly. I would be very grateful if I didn’t awake tomorrow to a comments section full of people yelling, “Patriarch! Fascist! Hate crime! etc.”
“I would be very grateful if I didn’t awake tomorrow to a comments section full of people yelling, “Patriarch! Fascist! Hate crime! etc.”
LOL I have an even different take 🙂 Some cultures are socially conservative, where the majority are deeply offended by public displays of sexuality (whether straight, gay or whatever). Culturally and socially, they prefer the dont ask, dont tell policies. Some cultures also have stricter public dress codes where both sexes are expected to dress “modestly” in public spaces. Hence, they dislike ‘Pride’ marches and drives to include such topics in public education curricula. They do see it as a symptom of “Western decadence”, which they just dont want in their countries. Its not a human rights issue.
Why should such cultures be forced, coerced or sanctioned, let alone have their govts overthrown because they just dont want such things in their society?
Besides glosses over the divisions in western cultures, there are political splits .. many see LGB as OK but willing to drop activism because the original LGB activism was based in removing criminality off law books and discrimination in law.. Job was done in most Western countries decades ago, but the NGOs needed to create a new “civil rights” campaign to justify their existence, and just added more letters, especially the T.
Bit like NATO not having much reason to exist once the Cold War ended, so had to create or re-create an “enemy”.
I think you might be amazed at how many gay folks have no time for the TQ+ and cringe at what it has become eg there are protests to “Drop the T”
Just a stupid childish excuse anyway, Orban/Hungary has been vocal about wasting EU money on Ukraine, and other NATO/EU internal political/economic issues etc.
Here is another take, I personally found interesting as commentary on Western “values” .. the “inability to distinguish facts from wishes”, which as some commenters point out, puts a lot of Western countries’ propaganda into perspective, like Ukraine is winning the war, and the US economy is going gang-busters etc.
Dont let reality, or facts get in the way 🙂
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/03/transgender-the-inability-to-distinguish-facts-from-wishes.html#more
On a personal level, tolerance and compassion flow naturally from a peaceful state of consciousness, so that needs to be primary.
It doesn’t matter how tolerant and compassionate an ideology sounds; if the people trying to impose it are angry, vengeful, self-righteous, out for self-advancement or whatever it may be, they are just adding to the world’s misery.
In the comments from your MoA link.
“To then find myself on the same side of an issue as some staunch conservatives, and getting attacked for it, is mildly disturbing.”
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/03/transgender-the-inability-to-distinguish-facts-from-wishes.html?cid=6a00d8341c640e53ef02c8d3a9b8cd200c#comment-6a00d8341c640e53ef02c8d3a9b8cd200c
No matter where I’ve commented on a regular basis, sooner or later someone either accuses me of being a Libtard climate alarmist or a Trump/Putin/Boogy man dejour loving, racist conservative bla bla bla the usual.
20 years ago the right wingers were the worst hands down. Today, the left faithful are just as bad and in some cases worse.
If you are not 100% on board with the progressive dogma then in their eyes you are 100% against it/them.
Make a joke or even express doubt because of lack of creditable evidence at any of their ideas and you are the new blasphemer – like the European wars of religion, only the bloody stuff hasn’t happened yet. If you are a prominent person in society they sic the social media mob on you, in a career and reputation canceling witch hunt that negatively effects their whole family and sometimes destroys that too. They also do sneaky things like email the blogs owner and try a smear a commenter covertly in the hopes of getting them banned from further commenting. It’s the progressives who are now the champions of censorship. As for being accused by each tribe of being part of the enemy tribe, I’m pushing 60 and I have never voted, except for in my trade union elections for Business Manager, Treasurer, Apprentice Coordinator, etc.
Moreover, in my country I have never heard a single person identify themselves as a political doctrine – I’m a Republican or Conservative or I’m, a Democrat or Liberal. To do that is to put on intellectual shackles and become a useful idiot for people who do not give a shit about you and yours. When you sign up in America you are given a box of beliefs which you must not oppose and which you must promote if you wish to improve your standing (and self esteem) climb the ladder. What happen if a conservative politician or prominent party member tells the media they are pro abortion, but otherwise believes in the righty dogma in the box? What happen if a liberal politician or prominent party member tells the media abortion is morally wrong, but otherwise believes in the lefty dogma in the box?? Canceled is what happens. For the most part when these believers further their education a big part of it is so they can better argue their tribal dogma. When they argue online and they look stuff up it’s to support what they already believe, not to check if the other guy has a valid point. Doubt & politics/religion don’t mix.
https://youtu.be/qxsQ7jJJcEA
~~
BIGOT
-n.
One who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.
– Ambrose Bierce The Devil’s Dictionary
Yesterday’s headline in the ‘Economist.
America’s extraordinary economy keeps defying the pessimists
Just look around, it’s so obvious America is Booming!
Nearly 50% of US parents financially supporting adult children, study finds
Soaring costs of food and housing forcing many to still rely on parents to cover expenses, as they risk retirement security
“The study – conducted by Savings.com – found that young, working-class Americans were not substantially benefiting from the recovery of the country’s economy, as “evidenced by high employment, falling inflation, and economic growth”. That has forced many of them to continue to rely on their parents to help cover costs of living.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/12/parents-adult-children-financial-support
Yabut, if not for the soaring economy their parents would not be able to afford to bail them out – BOOMING!
Dollar General staff all quit at same time, citing ‘lack of appreciation’
“Tribolet says the staff were underpaid and overworked.”
https://www.ky3.com/2024/03/12/dollar-general-staff-all-quits-same-time-citing-lack-appreciation/
Thanks to a BOOMING! economy there are thousands of shitty jobs for those ex Dollar General employees to choose.
Serious Documentary
~~~~
USA on the Brink of Chaos: How Americans Are Living the End of the American Dream
Apr 13, 2023
“Facing a pandemic, an unprecedented economic and social crisis, the United States seems to be on the brink. We followed middle-class Americans who now find themselves on the poverty line.
Marc and Selene, had to close their restaurant and are struggling to pay the rent when their young son breaks his arm. Now they have to find an additional $11,000 in order to have it treated.
A few months ago, Steven was making $ 70,000 a year as a business executive. Today he lives with his wife in their car. But he refuses to give up his belief in capitalism and the American dream and is sure better days are coming. Meanwhile, Kirin faces deportation after losing her job as a cashier.”
Directors: Kristell Bernaud and Matthieu Fauroux
https://youtu.be/G7z1kjkdRxU
Thank-you Harry/Pano
It seems the World is entering the dangerous phase of the Bigot Zone
From the NY Times, Sunday Mar. 17th, 2024 Opinion article:
“L.G.B.T. people were among the first victims under Germany’s Nazi regime; they were not publicly recognized as Nazi victims by a German leader until 1985, and West Germany convicted around 50,000 men before its law criminalizing homosexuality was abolished…
Russia and others are not only imprisoning, torturing, and killing queer individuals or encouraging their citizens to do so, but also attacking queer culture and political institutions, silencing speech and going after L.G.B.T.Q. allies.”
Just so the incel bigots shitting all over themselves in the comments sections here don’t get their last anti-humanist words in without rejoinder.