Image of destruction in Mandalay, Myanmar, from Al Jazeera.
As if the ongoing civil war wasn’t enough, Myanmar has now been struck by a very powerful earthquake, resulting in 2000 deaths and thousands more injured as of the time of writing. Estimates are that the death toll could reach 10,000. Infrastructure like roads and bridges are damaged, and the hospitals are overwhelmed. The earthquake struck during Eid prayers, resulting in even higher casualties as several mosques collapsed. 20 million people already required humanitarian assistance in Myanmar, and now the situation there will be even worse. International rescue teams have rushed into the country, and aid is being raised, though with USAID experiencing the… changes that it is, the United States will be of even more limited help than usual. So far, China has sent $14 million, while USAID has supplied $2 million. In Thailand, the death toll seems considerably lower, though there has still been significant damage; a skyscraper under construction collapsed in Bangkok.
Myanmar is located very close to the boundary between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. In particular, the country is divided in two by the north-south oriented Sagaing fault. This fault is typically strike-slip; that is, each side of the fault moves horizontally past each other. The earthquake’s depth was 10 kilometers, which is pretty shallow, and its proximity to the surface amplified the felt force of the earthquake. Additionally, the soft soil in this region tends to further amplify seismic waves through a process called liquefaction. Combine all this with the lackluster building codes due to many years of impoverishment and civil wars, and this explains why the death toll, and the expense to the country in general to repair damage, will probably be extremely high.
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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.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. 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.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
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.
EU are threatening X/Twitter with a billion euro fine
Conveniently occuring immediately after the tariffs come out suggests to me they’re willing to negotiate the fine away if the tariffs do.
Just block the site at ISP level, people still will be able to access via vpn / tor / dns over https (maybe), but traffic will crater
See that makes too much sense so it won’t happen
Death to America
I cannot stress this enough,
Wanna say it in Farsi, to make it enough?
MARG BAR AMRIIKA!
reverse extraterritoriality (intraterritoriality?), truly bold innovations coming from the state department now
Maybe Her Honor the judge would be better served by enlisting President G. U. Tine
Tesla down almost 10% today
TSLA at $245 is still overvalued by around $230.
in the irrelevant shenanigans news: bitcoin been rock steady (within 5 percent), i truly don’t understand cryptobros.
to more news like about tariffs: https://www.techpowerup.com/335012/us-exempts-semiconductors-from-taiwan-tariffs-but-chip-making-equipment-remains-on-the-list
What do you think would cause them to sell?
The true believers see it as a “store of value” so now they get to prove themselves right so-to-speak. I think they want it to be like gold and counter the market, but I don’t see institutions springing for that. It just has no reason to move up or down just yet, the way I see it. Definitely not an expert.
Don’t forget there’s now much more money in Crypto ETFs than a year ago (or two). Most of these ETFs will have a large Bitcoin share.
As long as the people behind those funds don’t pull their money, why should it go down?
Personally, I would always keep some XMR around - it basically only goes up AND you can buy drugs with it. What a world, huh!
It’s a non-governmental fiat currency that’s completely untethered from material reality. Tariffs would initially have negligible impact on it until material demands on buttcoin owners pressure them to liquidate their assets to maintain personal solvency
Trump administration to markets: Don’t expect a rescue
https://www.axios.com/2025/04/06/trump-tariffs-stock-market
So what time tomorrow morning do they hit the first circuit breaker? I’m guessing less than 30min from open.
CW: Gaza aid workers being ambushed and executed by IDF
Israel previously claimed that the ambulances “approached suspiciously” with their headlights and emergency lights off. Video proves otherwise.
What Trump did with the tariffs is very similar to what Modi did in 2016, quote from an article on it below. I thought shutting down USAID was thoughtless but this is much more significant.
How can anybody be so indifferent to people’s suffering as the Modi government was in decreeing demonetisation? The answer lies in its desire for “shock and awe”, and the belief that the more people suffer, the more they would feel convinced that the government could not be inflicting so much suffering on them unless it was indeed serving some higher purpose. The combination of ignorance, arrogance and the desire for “shock and awe” on the part of a government can be quite lethal, as the Indian people have learned to their great cost.
https://www.newsclick.in/demonetisation-been-utter-failure-all-fronts
SP500 -5.2%
Will we hit a circuit breaker today?
7%
I believe
China strikes back with rare earth curbs, new tariffs
Full text
By Cheng Yu and Ma Si | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-04-04 18:10
China launched a series of rapid and strong countermeasures on Friday, including export controls on rare earth elements and new tariffs, firing back at the latest round of bullying tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
In a joint statement, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs announced immediate export restrictions on seven key medium-to-heavy rare earth elements — namely samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium.
These elements are crucial for manufacturing high-performance magnets used in defense, aerospace, and green energy technologies. Citing their dual-use nature in military and civilian industries, Chinese authorities said the move aligns with global norms and is necessary to protect national security.
In a parallel move, Beijing imposed an additional 34 percent tariff on all US-origin imports from April 10, as approved by the State Council, China’s Cabinet.
China has also added 16 entities from the US, including High Point Aerotechnologies and Universal Logistics Holdings Inc, to its export control list.
Under the new rule, Chinese companies are prohibited from exporting dual-use items to these 16 US entities. Any ongoing related export activities should be immediately halted, said the Ministry of Commerce.
This one is funny:
Citing their dual-use nature in military and civilian industries, Chinese authorities said the move aligns with global norms and is necessary to protect national security.
China is doing rules-based international order on Burgerland.
Citing their dual-use nature in military and civilian industries, Chinese authorities said the move aligns with global norms and is necessary to protect national security.
Golani reconnaissance battalion commander, David Cohen, to his soldiers:
Everyone you face is an enemy - recognize a figure, open fire, annihilate, and move on. Don’t get confused in this regard
https://xcancel.com/Wollybon/status/1908049529674277085?t=mTp_GOKuX27IOlh14lL4qw&s=19
While little LIBERALS like you nerds were making memes, PATRIOTS like me knew our president wouldnt forget about us
Holy shit he actually pressed the RV button
Apparently Vangaurd is emailing all their customers trying to convince them not to sellThey probably figure it will get much worse. I think what we’ve been seeing are cuircut breakers kicking in trying to tamper the blow.
I can time the market, I can time the market, I’m built different
img alt text: $100 will buy this car, must have cash, lost all money on the stock market
kinda sus
NSA Director has been booted, think we can all take the day off?
You go right ahead. To me, this means there’s a new opening to grind for.
News from gaza are fucking horrifying
the world (minus the Axis of resistance) has already proved they will do nothing. The only thing left for Gaza is to endure. a dark day for humanity
The pal action still does its work (relatively safe one as well, if go by prison time received), the people serving pentagon pizzas haven’t yet radicalized enough, the people brewing coffee for new york crimes columnists - the same, there is plenty of work to be done without flashy actions. (People driving around blinken house could make a radical realization).
Yeah it seems like UK law is much less severe for their crimes. Similar actions in the US would probably get the death penalty to “set an example”
they (in usa) got 2 months though (but much harsher initial threats).
Wow I thought it was just UK didn’t realize they did anything in US. What was the US action?
i think they did new hampshire plant found initial reporting: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/02/palestine-action-activists-hit-with-felony-charges-over-new-hampshire-elbit-protest/
there was a letter address to write and stuff, think they got in november 2 months so should be out by now
(their twitter handle got banned and they started going by unity of fields in usa, but heavily suppressed)
*their small sentence is likely connected that they didn’t do anything truly hurting bottom-line, but christ that’s something more goal-oriented
Ahh I see, yeah they didn’t even enter the building and damage anything. This happened under Biden regime as well. I have a feeling it would be harsher now, especially if they actually got inside to do anything
Fuck this evil fucking world. Fuck thsi world fuck this world fuck this world fuck this world.
FUCK THIS WORLD
HUMANITY IS NOT WORTH SALVAGING IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN
FUCK
WHEN’S THE METEOR GONNA STRIKE EARTH AND KILL EVERYONE. OR THE SUN FINALLY ENGULFS THE EARTH
HOLYT FUCK JUST START EVERYTHING OVER, CLEAN SLATE AND ALL.
I HAT ETHIS WORLD SO FUCKING MUCH
for what it is worth, I think most people know this is evil, but are so suppressed and alienated that they don’t know how to affect it.
But colonial regimes have historically intenified their violence proceeding their defeat. maybe something will break soon with all this international panic, probably not in the west but maybe in the muslim world or somewhere else. This is too vast and public a crime to past without consequence
This shit has been making me even more unhinged and filled with rage. I’m going full misanthrope because the entire fucking world who would have the power to stop this refuses to do anything. No more fucking excuses, if you have the power to pressure Israel to stop, you’re either pro-genocide (sitting by and doing nothing) or you’re against it (doing ANYTHING other than just tut-tuting Israhell)
I can’t think of anything but massive retaliatory violence against every genocidal freak who cheers this on.
Trump administration orders half of national forests open for logging
Lettin it rip baby
