Simplicius the Thinker

By all appearances, the winds of revolution are stirring through Ukraine. Large crowds have gathered in protest of President Zelensky for his decision to remove the popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Since his appointment early this year, Fedorov was said to have been instrumental in fighting corruption and transforming the AFU into even more of a technologically dominant force.

An interesting series of reports have shone light on China’s ‘quiet’ but revolutionary preparations for conflict with the US. China has mastered the art of the silent observer. Legions of commentators spent years criticizing China for not being more active and involved in the global geopolitical theaters, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, particularly when tilting those conflicts in its own favor would have greatly benefited China.

Like the spiral of his legacy swirling down the porcelain drain, Trump has lit off a new cycle of bombing on Iran, after his patience had run dry for waiting out Iran’s “surrender” to a war the Persian nation had long won. The US is now trapped in this doom-loop of impotence, striking the same insignificant coastal launch sites over and over to no effect merely as a kind of writhing agony of imperial frustration.

The Economist published two important pieces centered on Russian “oligarch” Andrey Melnichenko, who is labeled one of Russia’s most ‘enigmatic’ wealth titans despite at times occupying first place amongst Russia’s richest men as, what Economist calls, the world’s “fertilizer king” and Russia’s “biggest industrialist”.

Much is being made about Rubio’s new statements during the NATO summit regarding Ukrainian long-range strikes. Both he and Trump appeared to support the idea of Ukraine striking deep Russian targets, remarking that this campaign is creating the “space” for Russia to be brought to negotiations.

Russia has again struck Kiev with a large ballistic missile-focused attack.

Amidst the funeral for Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei, the Saga of Hormuz has continued taking some interesting turns. Iran has refused to make any concessions to the US because it knows the treacherous Trump administration has no principles whatsoever when it comes to honoring deals.

Last night Russia again struck Kiev with one of the most massive attacks of the war, after having saved up missiles and drones for the past couple weeks. Many industrial enterprises were said to be hit amidst apocalyptic scenes. Judging by pro-Ukrainian pundits’ favorite heuristic, we are to assume that the size of the plume columns over the city means definitively that Ukraine is now losing and Russia is back in the driver’s seat.

Two days ago, Trump posted this painting on his official “Truth Social” account: This single post struck me with a realization: That what President Trump truly exemplifies, at the heart of it all, is the kitschification of America.

One of the most interesting updates surrounding the current Ukraine war escalations has been the ‘mysteriously’ abrupt visit of Belarusian president Lukashenko to Valdai yesterday for a meeting with Putin that has now spanned two days. The length and secrecy shrouding the meeting has caused various speculations, particularly given Belarus’s central focus recently amidst Zelensky’s major ongoing psyops meant to broaden the conflict and push Russia into a ceasefire Ukraine is in dire need of.