Krugman eternal

 
Krugman is one of the very few economists who understood something obvious. Liquidity. I respect him. 

Quote: "Weaponized interdependence was already a well-understood phenomenon in the Sci-Fi literature. The picture at the top of this post is a still from the 2024 film Dune 2, based on the classic Frank Herbert science-fiction novel. The novel is set on the desert planet Arrakis, which is the center of conflict because it’s the sole source for “spice,” a drug crucial to the Galactic economy. In effect, Arrakis is the Strait of Hormuz with giant sandworms, and one way to think about Dune is that it’s a novel about weaponized interdependence — and how such interdependence can escalate into open warfare.

Now I am not suggesting that real-world policy should be dictated by fears inspired by works of fiction. After all, fear is the mind-killer. But the reality of weaponized interdependence is now all around us." Nothing changed; it was always so. 

Bin Salman Orphaned

"Bin Salman essentially brought this situation on himself. Today he is, more or less, an orphan in the world and in an extremely difficult position. The Saudis' capabilities today are practically nonexistent," the former senior Mossad official added. "You have to remember what the Saudi army is: it's a massive army — 260,000 soldiers, 7% of Saudi GDP, which amounts to trillions, goes to the military, they have 300 F-15 aircraft — and we see the results."

So why is this regional power being humiliated by its neighbors today? "The Saudis funded the formal Yemeni army with hundreds of millions, and they were simply lied to about the troop numbers," Eilam explained. "They paid enormous sums per head, and in practice those soldiers didn't exist. Right now, the Houthis are dictating almost everything to Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia has almost no options on the table against the Houthis. I estimate that bin Salman will fairly soon submit an instrument of surrender."

Eilam noted that it was Saudi Arabia itself that started this campaign. "On July 13 they struck Sanaa airport and prevented the landing of an Iranian plane carrying members of the Revolutionary Guards. Bin Salman, as usual, zigzagged, hesitated, went right and left, and the whole thing fizzled out."

And now Saudi Arabia is alone: the United States has announced that it has no intention of striking in Yemen, and the trilateral military alliance recently signed between the kingdom, Pakistan and Turkey is not proving itself either. Is this Israel's place to step into the vacuum? "Israel should definitely take advantage of this situation, but we need to take advantage of it with the bill presented immediately," he ruled. "Our condition has to be very clear: 'You join the Abraham Accords for full normalization, and you don't even mention the Palestinian issue.' Without that, not a single hair will move toward Bab el-Mandeb — and Israel has a great deal to offer."

Let's step ahead: If Saudia reverts to chaos, what will 260,000 unemployed soldiers do? Some units will try to seize power. Without oil exports, the vast peninsula is one of the poorest places on Earth.

Its Hour Has Arrived: Saudia Begging for Help

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The UK received requests from Saudi Arabia for a range of diplomatic and military support. The Saudi requests include operational support for its military to repel the Iranian-backed group's push along Yemen's Red Sea coast ‎‎toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait‎‎, as well as assistance in defending against attacks on its oil infrastructure, according to Bloomberg.‎

The Saudi King will meet Egyptian President Al-Sisi tomorrow. The Yemenis have taken possession of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, cutting off Saudia. 

We may be their last resource, but they have rejected the Abraham Accords. Saudia is not very far, just in front of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea.

Sidney

 Sidney Sweeney is an American model. Beautiful. Perfect.

Poverty in Cuba

The rich tropical island of Cuba has decayed to the point that it is barely sustaining itself. I blame the French Revolution, which invented and worshipped the fake Goddess of Reason, a disaster for humanity.  

Aquaphobia

Journalists periodically sound the alarm about water contamination.  The largest system listed as a "serious violator" requiring priority compliance in New York State is Scotia Village Water Works in Schenectady, which serves 12,800 people. Within a one-mile radius live about 1,933 children, including 452 children ages 5 and younger. Samples taken between January and June last year detected lead at a concentration of 0.0052 mg/L. Although this figure remains below the federal action level (0.015 mg/L), experts warn that even small amounts can be harmful for infants and young children.

This Expert's Analysis: The Federal EPA-allowed level is extremely low, and no harm at all has ever been proven. The maximum lead concentration found is a third of the regulated level; yet the media periodically brings up this issue, causing fear in the public. Fear sells; it has since been proven. 

Fear of water is called hydrophobia, which is a symptom of rabies, while aquaphobia is a psychological anxiety disorder involving an irrational fear of water. It can be treated with two forms of psychotherapy: exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Exposure therapy is the preferred treatment. During this type of therapy, the patient will be exposed to the source of the phobia — in this case, water.  With cognitive behavioral therapy, the patient learns to challenge his thoughts and beliefs about water. By learning, the patient will develop strategies to cope with those thought patterns and beliefs.

Sterilizing God's Army

 
A few minutes ago, a magnitude 4.1 tremor was felt in Lebanon following the explosion of the Hezbollah underground base deep in the Ali Tahr Ridge.