Also

Just twisting the knife.

Super long article about how US intelligence is completely embedded within private security that corps like ebay, Microsoft, and sport franchises use to protect CEOs from getting Luigied:
https://www.valueaddedresource.net/cia-to-silicon-valley-ebay-cyberstalking-scandal/

Juicier bits:

Recently released documents expose new details about the eBay cyberstalking scandal, Senior Security Director Jim Baugh’s alleged CIA past and how the revolving door between Big Tech and the US national security apparatus threatens free speech and press freedom.

At her criminal sentencing, Security contractor Veronica Zea called the culture at eBay under Baugh cult-like, toxic and abusive, weaving a stomach-churning story about how a carefully selected group of mostly young female analysts (nicknamed “Jim’s Angels”) were systematically broken down through coercive control techniques, sexual harassment and assault, sleep deprivation, and routine exposure to graphically violent content.

While Zea’s letter to the court contains the most shocking revelations about the toxic culture at eBay, Baugh’s sentencing letter gained even wider attention due to explosive claims that he had previously served in the National Clandestine Services - the undercover arm of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Baugh’s letter to the judge was surprisingly candid about his government intelligence background - including claims that he worked for the CIA after a stint at Microsoft and that he assisted the CIA and FBI with intelligence gathering activities on a voluntary, unpaid basis after returning to the private sector as an independent security consultant on high-profile protection details including guarding then-Vice President Joe Biden at the 2016 Oscars.

The letter also revealed Baugh’s supposed CIA and FBI code names as well as claims that during his private sector career, he assisted with recruitment of foreign agents and electronic surveillance of foreign leaders; reported observations from international travel and business meetings; and recruited colleagues (including a CEO) to assist the government by allowing the use of their private sector resources.

Other documents from the criminal sentencing which have not been sealed show that Baugh contends he was hired by eBay specifically for his prior government experience which demonstrated an “ability to solve difficult problems through unconventional means” and that this practice is not uncommon in corporate America, citing a New York Times article about a former CIA officer who was employed by Uber as one example.

During the time between Microsoft and bgC3 in which Baugh claims to have been working for CIA Clandestine Services, his resume shows he was a Strategic Planner at defense contractor Northrop Grumman, lending plausibility to the idea that he may have at least been contracted to the CIA during this time, if not directly employed by the agency.

Word is that Pope Francis has ruthlessly purged reactionary cardinals, paving the way for less shitty cardinals to elect another less shitty pope. Is this liberation theologist cope or should we trust the plan?

The only place in the world where the Catholic Church can even said to be anti-colonial is the 6 counties occupied by the UK.

It’s just dumb USians realizing that luxury goods are made in a factory like everything else except they’re paying a premium for the fucking logo.

US lapdog submits to its master:
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/Economy/south-korea--will-not-fight-back--against-trump-tariffs--act

Following Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office this month by the country’s constitutional court, Han Duck-soo, a technocrat serving as acting president, highlighted that “the role of the US was huge in making Korea what it is now.”

As far as I’m concerned, he’s not safe until he’s in Russia. He’s not out of the woods. Not even close.

TIL Western Christianity Easter and Eastern Orthodox Easter fall on the same day this year.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/karabakh-movement-threatens-armenian-statehood--pashinyan-sa

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday firmly rejected the notion of reviving the Karabakh movement, describing it as a serious risk to the country’s independence and sovereignty.

They oppose fascism until they realize they can get a sweet gig as a concentration camp guard. That’s when they will eagerly hop on board as a fascist collaborator. People on Hexbear like to imagine libs impotently protesting as they get lined up to be shot and thrown into a shallow ditch, but what’s far more likely to happen is libs lining up to become the concentration camp guards doing the shooting.

A lot of libs only embrace liberalism because that’s the status quo and if the status quo changes to fascism, they will happily embrace fascism. Liberalism also cultivates individualism within people, which leads to selfish and cowardly people. You appeal to their selfishness by offering rewards if they support the fascist order and you appeal to their cowardice by threatening them with state repression if they oppose the fascist order.

full-special-scale military invasion operation

https://xcancel.com/MayadeenEnglish/status/1911873227510690111

France’s foreign minister announced that #Algeria has ordered 12 French officials to leave the country within 48 hours on Monday, a decision reportedly connected to the recent detention of three Algerian nationals in France.

“I am asking Algerian authorities to abandon these expulsion measures… if the decision to send back our officials is maintained, we will have no other choice but to respond immediately,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

The 12 include some members of the French Interior Ministry, a diplomatic source told Agence France Press (AFP).

Not sure what to think of this article. The article is originally published in Pakistan, but the author is apparently from Bangladesh:
https://www.pressenza.com/2025/04/india-defending-chinese-threat-from-bangladeshs-soil/

Conspiracy theories across the border may sound interesting, but equally disgusting. It is frustrating when scores of Indian so-called defense experts and former military hawks speak and write with confidence that China will establish an airbase (not a military base) in northern Bangladesh to battle the Indians to cut off the so-called ‘Chicken Neck’ or Siliguri Corridor, which physically connects India with North East states.

The consequential theory simmering in the heads of Indian defense analysts claims that the Chinese will severe North East (which is also known as Seven Sisters) from the Chicken Neck. Incidentally, millions of Chinese soldiers (People’s Liberation Army) will invade from the northeastern Chinese borders.

Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh in a ‘friendly message’ in December 2024, commented that Bangladesh’s armed forces are no match for India and that Bangladesh’s political leaders should “think carefully” about the ongoing turmoil.

https://xcancel.com/comradesipho/status/1910956026674778410

While many Chinese businesses are reeling from the trade war, Qi, the Maga merchandise maker, brushed off any suggestion his might suffer.

Trump supporters, he said, were willing to pay any price for items bearing the image of their beloved president - and US suppliers were making such a huge profit on them that they could afford to partially absorb the tariff impact.

Trump wetness index: Drier than desiccant silica

This was obvious when Covid hit. People had temper tantrums over wearing cloth on their faces. Can you imagine USians eating war rations in some hypothetical hot war?

I feel like the US has an advantage if only because they’re making deals with two different parties, Russia and Iran, while Russia and Iran are two different countries with different diplomatic officials. The US knows what offers and counteroffers they will give to Russia and Iran and know the offers and counteroffers Russia and Iran give to them by virtue of being one party (presumably US diplomatic officials tasked with Russia aren’t completely cloistered off from US diplomatic officials tasked with Iran). Meanwhile, there’s no guarantee Russia/Iran will tell Iran/Russia everything that transpired in their dealings with the US, which means operating with incomplete information.

Good post. Here’s what I would also add.

This is represented by the KMT-led pan-blue coalition, and the DPP-led Pan-green coalition. While the Pro-independence DPP is currently in power (largely due to public perceptions of KMT corruption and being more socially conservative)

IMHO, they only lost the election because the blue-white coalition fell through at the last minute. Lai only won like 40% of votes. Most Taiwanese commentators I’ve seen have speculated that Ko winning only 26% of the votes undercounts the amount of support the TPP actually has because a lot of his supporters were too young to vote. This is also the motivation behind their lawfare against the TPP and their attempts at busting Ko on corruption charges. The lawfare has a cost because the people most supportive of the TPP and Ko are also the same people being conscripted. This means that the ROC military is comprised of KMT generals and career soldiers alongside conscripts that are slightly biased towards the TPP.