“Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will”
So I’ve been seeing reports from Western media that “thousands” of Iranians have been killed in the recent protests. What I don’t understand is how any Western outlet could possibly know this when there is still a total internet blackout in Iran which prevents almost no info coming out. Can anyone here verify the accuracy of these claims? Is it just CIA/ Mossad assets spreading misinformation to manufacture consent for a potential US/ Israel attack?
If he defected to the DPRK he would have been executed by now.
On a more positive note, the article shares this incredibly based quote from a former Bethesda PR-head:
During an interview with Vice News which centered on this outrage, Bethesda’s then-director of PR, Pete Hines, told the outlet, “Unless you’re a Nazi, there should be nobody who’s opposed to the idea of being against Nazis.” When told that the game’s aggressive marketing tone might be poking the hornet’s nest, Hines even doubled down, saying, “Maybe a little bit, but the hornet’s nest is full of Nazis so…fuck those guys. I’ll poke a Nazi hornet’s nest.”
I hope the company still has people like this working in it.
Yeah it was a spelling mistake, I meant HTS. I’m aware they’re looking the other way when it comes to Israel/ US aggression in the region, but even a comprador has certain limits they are willing to tolerate (see the recent increased hostilities between Saudi Arabia and UAE over Yemen for example). I could see HTS turning against Israel if they were to hit Damascus directly or attack HTS-controlled military outposts to try and sow more chaos in Syria (a weakened Syria benefits Israel regardless of who is in charge) as Israel has avoided HTS targets entirely, so far.
Then again, HTS has said nothing of Israel still occupying the South-West of the country, so that’s why I put a maybe on HTS fighting Israel.
Israel being emboldened by America’s recent aggression in the Western hemisphere, decides to attempt simultaneous attacks and/ or decapitation strikes on Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria all at once. This ends up dragging Israel into a multi-front war with Iran, Hezbollah, Ansarallah, and maybeee HTS all at once.
Saudi Arabia, angered at Israel’s interference in Yemen, especially after the UAE recently used Somaliland (which Israel diplomatically recognized last month) to smuggle a UAE-backed STC leader into the UAE to avoid peace talks with the Saudis, decides to let the Iranian missiles and drones fly over Saudi airspace unimpeded.
Israel gets utterly overwhelmed and asks the US to intervene. America tries doing some precision airstrikes ala Iran 2025, but Iran cannot afford another “peace agreement” that results in a return to status quo when there’s currently mass protests/ colour revolution happening within their borders too. America continues airstrikes and decides to hit a nuclear facility partially run by Russians. Putin calls Trump and warns him to back off or he will retaliate ten fold in Ukraine. Trump agrees because Putin is a “nice, but tough guy” and he likes tough guys. Also, he is already too busy starting conflicts in the Western hemisphere.
Now there is no off ramp and the entire ME region has become an Arab-Iran vs. Israel conflict. Israel eventually faces internal revolt which forces the government leadership to flee the country, resulting in total chain of command collapse which the Palestinian resistance takes full advantage of to liberate the remaining occupied territories.
Chinese travellers cancel hundreds of thousands of trips to Japan amid rising tensions
Chinese travellers are estimated to have cancelled hundreds of thousands of tickets to fly to Japan amid reports of suspended visa processing and cultural exchanges as a diplomatic dispute over Japan’s stance on Taiwan continues.
Under pressure from business groups, Japan has sent a senior diplomat to Beijing in an attempt to calm tensions after Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said her country could get involved militarily if China attempted to invade Taiwan. Her comments prompted fury from China’s government, which issued warnings against Chinese travellers and students going to Japan.
At least seven Chinese airlines, including the three state carriers, said they would offer free cancellations to travellers with flights booked to the country. One air travel analyst, Hanming Li, said departure data suggested about 500,000 flight tickets to Japan had been cancelled between 15 and 17 November.
China is the second largest source of tourists to Japan, and its students form the bulk of Japan’s international student cohort. Shares in Japanese retail and travel companies slumped on Monday in response to the measures. Li told the Guardian it was the largest mass cancellation of flights he had seen since early in the Covid pandemic but would probably have little impact on China’s domestic industry.
Go woke fash, go broke, Japan.
Ah, so basically the Iranian version of the also US-funded HRIC (Human Rights in China) pulling death toll figures out of thin air and claiming the government did a ‘massacre’ just like the HRIC does anytime they bring up Tiananmen Square.
At least Al Jazeera uses a more realistic figure of “hundreds” and doesn’t immediately blame the government for the bloodshed.