Trump doesn’t care about the ‘little people’; Trump cares only about the people at the top, and he cares most especially about himself, his family, and his cronies. In addition, he sucks up to dictators, especially to Vladimir Putin — he loves him, and is determined to destroy any semblance of democracy in the USA. Most of it has already been destroyed anyway. Furthermore, Trump has turned his back on America’s traditional allies for a purpose: it is part of his covert plan to destroy totally the world order status quo ante. Donald Trump, apart from being geopolitically ignorant, is the most dangerous US president in my not-too-short lifetime. The sooner Americans wake up to what Trump is up to and rid themselves of him, the better for them and the better for the rest of the civilized world. — © Mark Alexander
October 08, 2026
It's 'Appalling' How US Treats Allies, Yellen Says
Trump doesn’t care about the ‘little people’; Trump cares only about the people at the top, and he cares most especially about himself, his family, and his cronies. In addition, he sucks up to dictators, especially to Vladimir Putin — he loves him, and is determined to destroy any semblance of democracy in the USA. Most of it has already been destroyed anyway. Furthermore, Trump has turned his back on America’s traditional allies for a purpose: it is part of his covert plan to destroy totally the world order status quo ante. Donald Trump, apart from being geopolitically ignorant, is the most dangerous US president in my not-too-short lifetime. The sooner Americans wake up to what Trump is up to and rid themselves of him, the better for them and the better for the rest of the civilized world. — © Mark Alexander
October 07, 2026
‘Another Coup d’état’: Fears Grow as Flávio Bolsonaro Vows to ‘Re-democratise’ Brazil
THE GUARDIAN: After a surprise first-round victory, critics suggest son of disgraced ex-president could seek to continue his father’s authoritarian project
Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Flávio Bolsonaro 45, goes into the 25 October runoff as favourite after a first-round win against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday. Photograph: André Borges/EPA
Flávio Bolsonaro, the far-right frontrunner to become Brazil’s next president, has vowed to “re-democratise” the South American country, increasing fears about a move into authoritarian rule if he wins power.
Brazil was re-democratised in the 1980s after a brutal 21-year dictatorship that Flávio’s father, the disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, has long praised.
Last year, Jair Bolsonaro, a former soldier who served under that military regime, was jailed for 27 years for trying to engineer a coup after he lost the 2022 election to the current leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Flávio, 45, beat Lula, 80, in Sunday’s presidential election first round and goes into the runoff on 25 October as favourite. On Tuesday, the rightwinger vowed to capitalise on the hugely increased far-right presence in congress after the election to change the constitution and “re-democratise this country”.
“The only thing standing in the way of Brazil becoming a barbarity is called Flávio Bolsonaro as president,” he claimed at a campaign event in Goiânia, a city near the capital, Brasília.
The incendiary comments caused outrage among historians and opponents of Bolsonaro’s radical populist movement, who have accused him of co-opting the language of democracy to disguise an illiberal shift. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Flávio Bolsonaro, the far-right frontrunner to become Brazil’s next president, has vowed to “re-democratise” the South American country, increasing fears about a move into authoritarian rule if he wins power.
Brazil was re-democratised in the 1980s after a brutal 21-year dictatorship that Flávio’s father, the disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, has long praised.
Last year, Jair Bolsonaro, a former soldier who served under that military regime, was jailed for 27 years for trying to engineer a coup after he lost the 2022 election to the current leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Flávio, 45, beat Lula, 80, in Sunday’s presidential election first round and goes into the runoff on 25 October as favourite. On Tuesday, the rightwinger vowed to capitalise on the hugely increased far-right presence in congress after the election to change the constitution and “re-democratise this country”.
“The only thing standing in the way of Brazil becoming a barbarity is called Flávio Bolsonaro as president,” he claimed at a campaign event in Goiânia, a city near the capital, Brasília.
The incendiary comments caused outrage among historians and opponents of Bolsonaro’s radical populist movement, who have accused him of co-opting the language of democracy to disguise an illiberal shift. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Brazil: Between Violence and Lust for Life | ARTE.tv Documentary
Steve Rosenberg: Russian Papers Silent on the 20th Anniversary of Journalist's Murder
October 06, 2026
It Never Made Any Sense’ | Justin Wolfers Tears into Trump’s ‘Foolish’ Trade Wars
Trump’s Recent Statements on the Economy Are Even More Bonkers Than Usual
THE GUARDIAN: Our ‘genius’ president is revealing his ignorance of economics, fueling concerns about the threat he poses to the world
Donald Trump recently made a bold claim about his abilities, writing on Truth Social: “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”
But in the days before and after that post, Trump made one mind-boggling statement after another, including one that raised the possibility of cutting off all trade with dozens of the US’s trading partners. The president’s statements had many experts questioning not just his intelligence, but also whether he – and the outlandish policies he was proposing – were a clear and present danger to both the US economy and the world economy. Public respect for Trump’s economic sense has fallen so low that just 7% of Americans think he should take the lead in regulating AI, according to a recent WSJ poll.
Responding to Trump’s reckless statements, one prominent advocacy group, Republicans Against Trump, derided him as “Dumbest. President. Ever.”
Economists and corporate executives were especially alarmed by two Trump statements. First, he wrote on Truth Social: “I’ll stop trading with countries with which we have a deficit” if the Federal Reserve doesn’t cut interest rates.
The second disconcerting statement was: “If we stopped Trading with every country that we have a Deficit with, which is most of them, we would make, at least, 1.5 Trillion Dollars a year.”
Not only is Trump’s arithmetic childishly silly here, but any college student who took Econ 101 knows that if a trade-dependent nation like the US suddenly ended all trade with dozens of countries, that would lead to economic disaster. What’s more, it was worrisome that Trump views himself as almighty emperor with the power to singlehandedly halt hundreds of billions of dollars in trade. » | Steven Greenhouse | Monday, October 5, 2026
Donald Trump recently made a bold claim about his abilities, writing on Truth Social: “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”
But in the days before and after that post, Trump made one mind-boggling statement after another, including one that raised the possibility of cutting off all trade with dozens of the US’s trading partners. The president’s statements had many experts questioning not just his intelligence, but also whether he – and the outlandish policies he was proposing – were a clear and present danger to both the US economy and the world economy. Public respect for Trump’s economic sense has fallen so low that just 7% of Americans think he should take the lead in regulating AI, according to a recent WSJ poll.
Responding to Trump’s reckless statements, one prominent advocacy group, Republicans Against Trump, derided him as “Dumbest. President. Ever.”
Economists and corporate executives were especially alarmed by two Trump statements. First, he wrote on Truth Social: “I’ll stop trading with countries with which we have a deficit” if the Federal Reserve doesn’t cut interest rates.
The second disconcerting statement was: “If we stopped Trading with every country that we have a Deficit with, which is most of them, we would make, at least, 1.5 Trillion Dollars a year.”
Not only is Trump’s arithmetic childishly silly here, but any college student who took Econ 101 knows that if a trade-dependent nation like the US suddenly ended all trade with dozens of countries, that would lead to economic disaster. What’s more, it was worrisome that Trump views himself as almighty emperor with the power to singlehandedly halt hundreds of billions of dollars in trade. » | Steven Greenhouse | Monday, October 5, 2026
October 05, 2026
Dr Bandy Lee Deconstructs Trump's Insane TIME Magazine Interview
ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »
Steve Rosenberg: What Are Russian Newspapers Saying about Reports of a Potentially "Dangerous Infection" in Irkutsk?
October 04, 2026
Can Yemen Turn the Tide against the Houthis? | DW News
“The Bottom Is Falling Out in the US” w/ Ryan Grim
Brazil Heads to General Election with Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro as Front-runners | BBC News
Oct 4, 2026 | Brazilians have begun voting in a general election, where the most prominent candidates are current president, left-wing leader Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, and right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro.
The election has raised questions about US influence, trade tariffs, organised crime and Brazil’s sovereignty.
Here’s what you need to know about Brazil’s general election, and the two candidates leading the polls.
The election has raised questions about US influence, trade tariffs, organised crime and Brazil’s sovereignty.
Here’s what you need to know about Brazil’s general election, and the two candidates leading the polls.
U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Vladimir V. Putin brought up a sale of Russian energy assets with President Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, pushing a deal that raises new questions about conflicts of interest.
The Trump administration’s talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to the two main U.S. negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The deal, which is contingent on approval from the U.S. government and the Kremlin, is for a sprawling set of oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world owned by Lukoil, one of Russia’s biggest energy companies.
The leading group seeking the deal includes an American investor, Todd Boehly, who has donated $2 million to President Trump’s political causes; two Middle Eastern groups that have done business with Mr. Kushner or Mr. Witkoff’s family; and an arm of the U.S. government itself.
The monthslong negotiations, which were described by eight people familiar with them, shed new light on Mr. Trump’s latest approach to settling a four-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. » | Anton Troianovski and Eric Lipton | Reporting from Washington | Saturday, October 3, 2026
LESEN SIE AUCH:
Ölfelder, Tankstellen, Raffinerien: Putin soll Trump-Unterhändlern Lukoil-Deal angeboten haben: An dem möglichen Käuferkonsortium sind laut einem Bericht ein milliardenschwerer Trump-Spender, Investoren aus Katar und Abu Dhabi sowie eine US-Entwicklungsbank beteiligt. »
The Trump administration’s talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to the two main U.S. negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The deal, which is contingent on approval from the U.S. government and the Kremlin, is for a sprawling set of oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world owned by Lukoil, one of Russia’s biggest energy companies.
The leading group seeking the deal includes an American investor, Todd Boehly, who has donated $2 million to President Trump’s political causes; two Middle Eastern groups that have done business with Mr. Kushner or Mr. Witkoff’s family; and an arm of the U.S. government itself.
The monthslong negotiations, which were described by eight people familiar with them, shed new light on Mr. Trump’s latest approach to settling a four-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. » | Anton Troianovski and Eric Lipton | Reporting from Washington | Saturday, October 3, 2026
LESEN SIE AUCH:
Ölfelder, Tankstellen, Raffinerien: Putin soll Trump-Unterhändlern Lukoil-Deal angeboten haben: An dem möglichen Käuferkonsortium sind laut einem Bericht ein milliardenschwerer Trump-Spender, Investoren aus Katar und Abu Dhabi sowie eine US-Entwicklungsbank beteiligt. »
Donald Trump propose de verser 90 dollars aux 20 millions de personnes âgées, inscrites au programme d’assurance maladie Medicare
LE FIGARO : À l’approche des élections de mi-mandat de novembre, le parti républicain détient une courte majorité au Sénat comme à la Chambre des représentants, mais sa cote de popularité est faible.
Donald Trump a annoncé ce vendredi soir sur son réseau Truth Social que le gouvernement américain verserait 90 dollars à plus de 20 millions d’Américains inscrits à Medicare, le programme d’assurance maladie destiné aux personnes âgées. Il propose de les aider à compenser le coût de leurs cotisations mensuelles d’assurance.
Le président américain a indiqué que ces versements proviendraient du Fond d’amélioration de Medicare, auquel, selon lui, le Congrès avait alloué 2 milliards de dollars. Cette annonce s’inscrit dans une série de promesses financières faites par le dirigeant républicain aux électeurs à l’approche des élections de mi-mandat de novembre, lors desquelles le contrôle du Congrès sera en jeu. » | Par Le Figaro avec Reuters | dimanche 4 octobre 2026
C'est lamentable ! Des milliards pour les ultra-riches, et 90 dollars pour les personnes âgées ! C'est sûrement une blague. Et une blague de très mauvais goût, qui plus est ! Vu la hausse des prix en Amérique, les personnes âgées ont besoin de bien plus que 90 dollars pour compenser leurs pertes. — © Mark Alexander
Announcement
MARK ALEXANDER: For your information, my blogs were hacked tonight. All manner of strange things have been going on on the blog: some posts have been doubled; several posts were deleted. As a result, I have had to repost many items which I had posted earlier today. I have also had to make a number of other changes, too.
I wish these awful, pesky people would run away and play with their toys instead!
Sorry about this. Let us hope that everything will settle down now.
Best wishes to all.
Mark
I wish these awful, pesky people would run away and play with their toys instead!
Sorry about this. Let us hope that everything will settle down now.
Best wishes to all.
Mark
October 03, 2026
The $20 Trillion Lie? The Real Reason US Job Growth Just Collapsed
ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »
Trump is so FULL of BULLSHIT! — © Mark Alexander
The Economic Rights Americans Never Got But Desperately Need (w/ Susan Neiman)
Even though I, until now, have never voted for a socialist government believe this, or not, but at the time, I was one of Thatcher’s greatest fans!—but in my opinion, America needs a good dose of socialism to begin to try and correct the damage that Trump has done. It needs socialism badly! The best man for the White House, in my opinion, would be Bernie Sanders who, by European standards, is moderate indeed. Just a little left of centre. —© Mark Alexander
Rob Groves: Andy Burnham Just Changed the Brexit Conversation
Oct 3, 2026 | Andy Burnham has done what no prime minister has done in ten years: he's admitted Brexit has done more harm than good, and put full EU membership back on the table. Nigel Farage claims it's the biggest boost of his career. So why do more than half of Reform UK's own voters think Britain has drifted too far from Europe?
In this video, I look at how Burnham has wrong-footed Farage, and then take a hard, honest look at what it would really take to get Britain back into the EU. That covers how warm the welcome from Brussels, Paris and Madrid really is, the barriers in the way, the price of readmission, and a realistic best-case timeline.
Well said. What I want is a full return. Farage must be quaking in his little boots and puffing away like crazy! 😊 — © Mark Alexander
In this video, I look at how Burnham has wrong-footed Farage, and then take a hard, honest look at what it would really take to get Britain back into the EU. That covers how warm the welcome from Brussels, Paris and Madrid really is, the barriers in the way, the price of readmission, and a realistic best-case timeline.
Well said. What I want is a full return. Farage must be quaking in his little boots and puffing away like crazy! 😊 — © Mark Alexander
October 02, 2026
Michael Lambert: Andy Burnham's Great Ideas but How Will He Pay for Them?
Oct 2, 2026 | Andy Burnham's speech to the Labour Conference promised a 10-year plan to fix Britain - but how will it be paid for?
In an excellent speech Andy Burnham set out tougher controls on water companies and renationalisation, if needed, more council houses, an end to rough sleeping, proper reform and investment in social care to save the NHS, further devolution, electoral reform - and a hint at a return to the EU.
Britain is broke. We have the highest energy prices in Europe, the highest rail fares, the lowest state pension, plus massive waste on Hinkley Point and HS2.
You only get money by growing businesses, building new ones and increasing economic activity - and there was nothing in the speech about how to do that.
In an excellent speech Andy Burnham set out tougher controls on water companies and renationalisation, if needed, more council houses, an end to rough sleeping, proper reform and investment in social care to save the NHS, further devolution, electoral reform - and a hint at a return to the EU.
Britain is broke. We have the highest energy prices in Europe, the highest rail fares, the lowest state pension, plus massive waste on Hinkley Point and HS2.
You only get money by growing businesses, building new ones and increasing economic activity - and there was nothing in the speech about how to do that.
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