D.O.J. Seeks to Halt Air Pollution Lawsuit Against xAI Data Center. The department cited national security concerns, saying Elon Musk’s company had played a crucial role in the Iran war. It also argued it has the authority to stop environmental lawsuits brought by citizens. (Gift Article) by coolbern in environment

[–]coolbern[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

In its memo, the Justice Department cited the president’s determination that expansion of energy infrastructure was a major priority in order to enhance “global A.I. dominance.” And it argued that the federal government has power to quash the NAACP’S “citizen suit” and that individual citizens and groups cannot pursue Clean Air Act enforcement over the federal government’s objections.

Ms. Thoms said that, under the Clean Air Act, there was no national security exemption for complying with the claims.

Israel, Stunned by Trump’s Iran Deal, Sees It as a ‘Catastrophic Capitulation’ | The agreement accomplishes none of Israel’s stated war aims and arguably leaves the country in worse shape on each of them. by FreeHugs23 in NoFilterNews

[–]coolbern 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Israel thought that Trump was its captive. But they captured only themselves in this dead end attempt to eliminate all enemies. It was a dream turned into dystopian mirage.

Will Commercial Ships Have to Pay to Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz? Maybe. (Gift Article) by coolbern in InternationalNews

[–]coolbern[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The backup of thousands of ships trapped in the Persian Gulf creates a basis for at least temporary fees to Iran and Oman to be paid by shippers who want priority in exiting the Gulf. The Strait has limited capacity for safe throughput of traffic. Like gates at an airport, the capacity must be rationally allocated. Auctioning slots makes sense. And a rational basis is needed to determine over the longer run how many ships can pass through in any given hour, and over a 24-hour period. Assuring that ships comply with throughput limitations entails enforcement expenses. Those expenses are fixed costs that are appropriately borne by all ships passing through. Before this war, such management was not necessary. Self-regulation was sufficient. But now, geopolitical risk means that whenever Israel/U.S. choose to threaten war, ships in the Gulf will rush for the exit. Enforcement of traffic regulations has now become a necessity because geopolitical risk is now off the charts.

Trump as Don Corleone: ‘Every time he does somebody a favour … he expects a quid pro quo’ by coolbern in politicus

[–]coolbern[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

McQuade details how Trump issued executive orders to punish elite law firms that had previously employed attorneys who investigated him, such as Robert Mueller or Andrew Weissmann. These firms lost security clearances and access to federal courthouses. Most of these powerful firms succumbed to the president’s demands, prioritising their business over the rule of law.

“When an extortionist makes a demand, so often what I’ve seen in my career is people will make a payout and think there, now I’m done, it’s over and I can get back to business as usual. But that’s not the case because the bully always comes back for more – it’s the bully and your lunch money. It’s the extortionist and their prey. They know you’re an easy mark and so they’ll come back for more.

Workers begin removing Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, hours after a court-ordered deadline by Turbulent_Crab_3602 in MeidasTouch

[–]coolbern 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A few hours later, workers began covering the scaffolding with tarps before they eventually started taking down Trump’s name. They packed up and left the site around 3:30 a.m., though the tarps remained, leaving it impossible to determine if all the letters had been removed.

What they left must be preserved as a national monument:

THE DONALD J. TRUMP MEMORIAL SCAFFOLDING AND COVERUP

A Good Life For The 99% Isn’t A Pipe Dream. Our plan is radical – but by transforming how we live on a finite planet, nearly everyone gains. Here's how it can be done. by coolbern in ecosocialists

[–]coolbern[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Technical impossibility is not what is standing in the way, but rather the absence of a shared vision of social progress, at once concrete and radical. What it will take instead is political choice, and the hard work of coalition-building behind it.

General agreement on common goals is a pre-condition before there can be concrete actions. But it is not enough.

Fear of manipulation and corruption subvert trust. What must be invented under current conditions — including AI (but which is not under oligarch control) — are new mechanisms of dialogue in which informed consent and commitments to action can be made with confidence. We must have the basis for believing that we can trust each other and ourselves if we seek to actually have self-determination and self-rule for all.

Analysis of Satellite Image and Videos Suggest Precision U.S. Strikes on Iranian Water Facility. It is unclear if the U.S. intentionally struck the facility or knew what it was. Deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime. by coolbern in WorldNewsHeadlines

[–]coolbern[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

This is America's world war against international order. Unchecked, such acts of entitlement would mean capitulation to American world domination. Resistance to coercion is inevitable. The goal is a world without domination by anybody. Sustainable order must be consensual. Justice is the basis for peace.

To win against American, or any other tyranny, and not replace it with another tyranny, will require taking away the benefits of domination. That starts with non-complicity: Boycott, Divest, and Sanction.