Image is from this article, of protestors in Mexico tearing down a steel fence.
While military, economic, and covert pressure on Venezuela and nearby countries in South America proper continues to mount, a similar process is occurring against Mexico, currently under the leadership of the very popular Sheinbaum, who has generally followed the footsteps of AMLO in terms of policies.
While figures in the Trump administration have made statements to the effect of wishing to bomb Mexican territory, internal pressure within Mexico is rather hard to generate when the government is doing generally positive things for people. As such, protests - comically denoted “Gen Z protests” despite young people being a vanishingly small proportion - have arisen in Mexico, very obviously astroturfed by pro-US and anti-Sheinbaum interests. The first protest, on November 15th, gathered less than 20,000 people, while the second, on November 20th, gathered perhaps 200. Article headlines suggesting that Mexico was “on the verge of collapse” have proven rather sensational and wishcast-y.
While it’s easy to poke fun at these farces (I certainly am), it’s important to keep in mind that soft coups have long been part of the American strategy in Latin America, and with unlimited money and many resources to throw at a project, even incompetent forces can eventually create enough chaos that it can make the ruling president or party feel forced to resign. Such eventualities are certainly not inevitable, and even weak states can provide enough resistance to force the US to try a hard coup instead, with outright bombing campaigns and covert military operations. Cuba has provided perhaps the best example in the western hemisphere of how such plots can be subverted with enough national support (e.g. the hundreds of times the CIA tried to kill/maim Castro, plus the Bay of Pigs debacle), but you do have to be willing to take extraordinary measures to do this - the sorts of measures figures like Chile’s Allende did not take in the 1970s, and the measures Venezuela’s Maduro appears to be taking right now. We shall see what path Sheinbaum takes.
Last week’s thread is here. The Imperialism Reading Group is here.
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The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.
The Zionist Entity's Genocide of Palestine
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. 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.
Mirrors of Telegram channels that have been erased by Zionist censorship.
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 Witkoff files just dropped, and oh boy are they something.
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump - Bloomberg News
Update: an archive of the full transcript of the phone call between Steve Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov
Transcript of Witkoff - Ushakov call, click to expand
[phone rings].
Steve Witkoff: Hi Yuri.
Yuri Ushakov: Yeah Steve hi, how are you?
SW: Good Yuri. How you doing?
YU: I am ok. Congratulations my friend.
SW: Thank you.
YU: You made a great job. Just a great job. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.
SW: Thank you Yuri and thanks for your support. I know your country supported it and I thank you.
YU: Yes, yes, yes. Yes. You know that’s why we suspend the organization of first Russian-Arabic summit.
SW: Yes.
YU: Yeah, because we think that you are making the real job there in the region.
SW: Well listen. I am going to tell you something. I think, I think if we can get the Russia-Ukraine thing solved, everybody’ll be jumping for joy.
YU: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you need to solve only one problem. [laughs].
SW: What?
YU: Russian-Ukrainian war.
SW: I know! How do we get that solved?
YU: My friend, I just want your advice. Do you think that it will be useful if our bosses will talk on the phone?
SW: Yes, I do.
YU: You do. And when you think it could be possible?
SW: I think as soon as you suggest, my guy is ready to do it.
YU: Ok, ok.
SW: Yuri, Yuri, here’s what I would do. My recommendation.
YU: Yes, please.
SW: I would make the call and just reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement, that you supported it, you supported it, that you respect that he is a man of peace and you’re just, you’re really glad to have seen it happen. So I would say that. I think from that it’s going to be a really good call. Because — let me tell you what I told the President. I told the president that you - that the Russian Federation has always wanted a peace deal. That’s my belief. I told the president I believe that. And I believe the question is — the issue is is that we have two nations that are having a hard time coming to a compromise and when we do, we’re going to have a peace deal. I’m even thinking that maybe we set out like a 20-point peace proposal, just like we did in Gaza. We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you. My point is this…
YU: Ok, ok my friend. I think that very point our leaders could discuss. Hey Steve, I agree with you that he will congratulate, he will say that Mr. Trump is a real peace man and so and so. That he will say.
SW: But here’s what I think would be amazing.
YU: Ok, ok.
SW: What if, what if… hear me out…
YU: I will discuss that with my boss and then I come back to you. Ok?
SW: Yeah because listen to what I’m saying. I just want you to say, maybe just to say this to President Putin, because you know I have the deepest respect for President Putin.
YU: Yes, Yes.
SW: Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we’re open to those sorts of things — to explore what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done. Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get to a deal here. And I think Yuri, the president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal.
YU: I see…
SW: …so if we can create that opportunity that after this I talked to Yuri and we had a conversation I think that could lead to big stuff.
YU: Ok, that sounds good. Sounds good.
SW: And here’s one more thing: Zelenskiy is coming to the White House on Friday.
YU: I know that. [chuckles].
SW: I will go to that meeting because they want me there, but I think if possible we have the call with your boss before that Friday meeting.
YU: Before, before — yeah?
SW: Correct.
YU: Ok, ok. I got your advice. So I discuss that with my boss and then I come back to you, ok?
SW: Ok Yuri, I’ll speak to you soon.
YU: Great, great. Thank you so much. Thanks you.
SW: Bye, bye.
YU: Bye.
[Call Ends]
Screenshot of the Dmitriev - Ushakov call transcript:
Bloomberg apparently has audio recordings of phone calls between Witkoff and Ushakov (assistant to Putin on foreign policy) and a phone call between Dmitriev and Ushakov in Russian. They released the full transcript on the terminal,
but I don’t have access to that. Screenshots are all over social media. Witkoff apparently personally advised Russian officials on how to massage Trump’s ego, what to say, and to call Trump before the Trump - Zelenskyy meeting to interdict. Ushakov and Dmitriev then discuss how to proceed, with Ushakov suggesting a more maximalist approach. Some of the screenshots from the transcript of both phone calls are just incredible to read. I’ll try find the best ones and add them here.What prompted Bloomberg to drop the Witkoff files? One factor that definitely played a part (in my opinion) is Dmitriev’s mafioso style threat to Axios journalist Barak Ravid on twitter a few days ago. Dmitriev, in his denial of leaking the 28 point “peace plan” to Axios, tagged Ravid and stated that “all conversations with journalists are recorded”, apparently for “transparency”. The journalists are now reminding them that they too have recordings of all their behind the scenes dealings… Dmitriev has predictably called the Bloomberg story fake.
I bet liberals are eating this up as more “proof” that Trump is working with Putin to take over the world
Probably. But this looks very bad for Witkoff. The full transcript is worse than you can imagine. The optics are terrible. This is a US official after all, talking with Russia like this. Unimaginable even 2 years ago.
This has been one of the basics in diplomacy forever though. Duplicitous advisors are so incredibly common as to be hack.
There’s a difference between the usual levels of flattery and deceit, and coaching your adversary on exactly what to say to your leader, when to call him for maximum effect to disrupt talks with your allies, to brainstorm plans like this. Also the fact that this got leaked in the first place is worrying for both the US and Russia. What other tapes exist?
Classic “working with ‘Israelis’” moment.
I mean, this famously happened with Taileyrand and Napoleon within their second negotiation with Russia before Napoleon invaded Spain, and I’m sure I could find some more contemporaneous examples if I actually dug even a little. That said, I think this level of coaching is actually pretty common in foreign affairs if you are looking for a specific result.
I agree with you that the leak of this is not very common, and speaks to a larger plot within the U.S. intelligence apparatus to derail these talks. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are extremely ideologically committed to continuing this conflict.
It’s pretty normal, and the US doesn’t have allies
Nothing really exceptional in these leaked transcripts in terms of tone. This is just how diplomats typically talk, it’s a sort of “casual formality,” equally candid and duplicitous, when they aren’t performing for their domestic audiences. It’s only the Reddit and Twitter NATO shitlibs who would be surprised by the tenor of these kind of conversations because they think diplomats talk to each other like they do screaming against designated tankies in r/worldnews threads.
If people here want to see some really interesting historical diplomatic transcripts, I’d recommend reading through the declassified portions of the top secret Kissinger transcripts with adversary diplomatic interlocutors like Zhou Enlai and Brezhnev along with Gerald Ford’s meetings with Mao himself. Him talking to Zhou Enlai about the CIA’s “innocence” in culpability for the Chilean 9/11 reactionary coup and Allende’s murder gives quite the Christian Bale talking to Willem Dafoe’s detective character from American Psycho vibes with the asymmetry of information at play in retrospect.
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nsa/publications/DOC_readers/kissinger/docs/index.html
I mean, this would still line up with Russia sending their terms to the US, the US tweaking them into the 28-point plan, and an insider leaking the plan. There are plenty of rabid anti-Russia people in Washington who would be inclined to throw a wrench in this.
won’t someone think of the unit 8200 zionist shithead. weird how you didn’t mention that
A lot of western “journalists” are hitlerites involved with intelligence agencies. I don’t think MarmiteLover was making a value judgment when they said that.
I don’t have sympathy for Ravid. He’s clearly some dodgy guy trying to do access journalism In the Trump admin. The fact that what he writes is of importance because of the above, is very disturbing. He was definitely writing some really weird stories during the US military buildup against Iran. However, on the flipside for Dmitriev, sending a thinly veiled public threat to an Israeli intelligence operative you were allegedly leaking information to, is probably the dumbest thing a person can do, short of working with these Israeli spies in the first place. Talk about over playing one’s hand.
Seriously baffling stuff.
Look at this
Also Ushakov just thew him under the bus and said that the call was leaked from WhatsApp.
lmao what THE FUCK is going on???
LOL I don’t get the Witkoff play here. In any case, why would the Russians need advice on how to handle Trump if Trump is already a Russian agent to begin with?
Witkoff seems to be very stupid. I think people in the administration are tiring of him over promising, under delivering, and pulling stunts like this. He talks about land swaps in Ukraine as if it’s a casual real estate transaction. He sounds very gullible. I was able to process an archive to the full transcript of the Witkoff files now. Someone shared a link. I’ll add it now.
Isn’t Witkoff just some random golf buddy/real estate guy that Trump just picked off his golf course? He comes off like he’s just trying to make himself look like he’s doing something good and important rather than actually deal with the situation
I remain skeptical of the whole thing. They never released an actual recording, and the source is anonymous, so this may very well all just be a desperate psyop by the media to sabotage the peace talks. The Russians say it’s fake. Regardless, it doesn’t make any difference either way, because the US administration doesn’t appear strong enough to resist the EU-Ukrainian meddling in the negotiations, whereas the Russians are not even going to entertain the nonsense that the Europeans and the Kiev regime are trying to push, nor are they under any pressure to negotiate, particularly now that things are snowballing in their favor on the battlefield.