Month: December 2024

IMPERIALISM AS A SPECIAL STAGE OF CAPITALISM

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

VII. IMPERIALISM AS A SPECIAL STAGE OF CAPITALISM

If it were necessary to give the briefest possible definition of imperialism we should have to say that imperialism is the monopoly stage of capitalism. Such a definition would include what is most important, for, on the one hand, finance capital is the bank capital of a few very big monopolist banks, merged with the capital of the monopolist associations of industrialists; and, on the other hand, the division of the world is the transition from a colonial policy which has extended without hindrance to territories unseized by any capitalist power, to a colonial policy of monopolist possession of the territory of the world, which has been completely divided up.

Related:

Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism

Stupid post: This is annoying, YouTube [Updated]

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

For months now, I have had this message at the top of my main YouTube playlist. I noticed that it started right after some videos that were in it were made private by the uploader. It’s annoying because I haven’t been able to rearrange my playlist on my iPad Mini, since. I can only do so, on my iPhone, despite updating my iOS and my YouTube app. I’ve even reformatted my iPad Mini, and it hasn’t changed. Every time that I try rearranging the playlist, the video goes back to the bottom of the playlist. I need to start a new playlist, but I have over 300 to move, as you can see. I barely have time to blog, let alone move 300 videos over to a new playlist. 

200 videos to go!

Philippine Army acquiring US missile system

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
Mao Ning

Philippine Army acquiring US missile system

“It is planned to be acquired because we see its feasibility and its functionality in our concept of archipelagic defense implementation,” Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido told a news conference.

“I’m happy to report to our fellow countrymen that your army is developing this capability for the interest of protecting our sovereignty,” he said, adding the total number to be acquired would depend on “economics.”

As a rule, it takes at least two or more years for the Philippine military to acquire a new weapons system from the planning stage, Galido said, adding it was not yet budgeted for 2025.

Brawner already announced that they wanted one, three months ago. Shortly afterward, the U.S. said that they were keeping the Typhon in the Philippines, at the Laoag International Airport. Will this be a second unit? The only new information that I’ve learned, is that it’ll take at least two years for them to officially acquire the Typhon. Why announce it, again? Except to provoke China?

Related:

What’s Really Going On In the South China Sea Between the Philippines and China

DOGE’s Ties to the Military-Industrial Complex

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

DOGE’s Ties to the Military-Industrial Complex

Defense contractors: General Atomics, General Dynamics, Honeywell

n.b.: Phil Cox, was formerly with Americans For Prosperity and the Republican Governors Association. Both are affiliated with the Atlas Network through the Koch brothers.

Related:

Palantir and Anduril join forces with tech groups to bid for Pentagon contracts

Consortium likely to include Elon Musk’s SpaceX in move to grab a bigger slice of $850bn US defence budget

FDA redefines ‘healthy’

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The US Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 19 issued its final rule to update its nutrient content claim “healthy” that manufacturers may use voluntarily on food packages. The rule marked the first major change to the claim since the FDA introduced it in 1994. Changes included limits on added sugars, which were not mentioned in the 1994 rule, and limits on saturated fat based on food groups.

FDA redefines ‘healthy’

Related:

The difference between added sugars, natural sugars and artificial sweeteners

Added sugars include the sweeteners that you’re adding to drinks, like tea and coffee, as well as those that manufacturers add to food. When you think of added sugars, you’re probably thinking about foods like cookies, ice cream and soda, but sugars are added to about 75% of packaged foods [ultra-processed foods], whether those foods are sweet or not. Foods like bread, whole grain cereals, plant-based milk (such as oat milk), granola bars, yogurts, soups, salad dressings and other condiments often contain sneaky amounts of added sugars. At first glance, these amounts may not seem like much, but over the course of a day, they can easily put you over the recommended limit for added sugars.

Health Risks of Eating Ultra-Processed Foods

Rant About How Tech Companies Use Your Data to Hack Your Mind

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Dr. Steven Hassan, the cult expert, interviewed Dr. Dustin Rozario Steinhagen on “How Tech Companies Use Your Data to Hack Your Mind.” It was interesting for a while. His guest started talking about Cambridge Analytica, romances scams, and privacy rights. They lost me at China and surveillance capitalism, though. It’s as if they’ve never heard of the Snowden disclosures or the National Security Agency. COINTELPRO? FBI infiltration of mosques? FYI, the social credit system doesn’t exist! How’s your credit score, BTW? Have you bought your luxury condo and sports car, yet?

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Troops are skipping mental health treatment over privacy fears + veteran suicides

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Troops are skipping mental health treatment over privacy fears, report finds

Related:

Veteran suicides stayed at same level in 2022, despite efforts to reduce deaths

At the same time, a number of contributing negative factors also rose in 2022. Stressors from the previous two years, including financial troubles and anxiety tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic fallout of it, continued. Over the course of the year, veteran homelessness increased by 7.4% according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s January 2023 point-in-time count (data for 2024 has not been released yet). The VA found that among those who recently sought care through the Veterans Health Administration, the suicide rate for homeless veterans was 110.2% higher than housed vets.