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I thought of my recent interviewee, Hawaii-based activist Michelle Melendez, who reported on current conditions in Lahaina. She said that now, many months later, there are still barricades around the burned homes in Lahaina and that the homeowners themselves are prevented from going to their own homesites.
No one is allowed in. And the permitting process has been changed in Lahaina so that rebuilding is onerous and too costly for most.
She also said that many people still are unaccounted for.
The rezoning process is reputed to be underway in Los Angeles.
Will LA be free again? Martial law, once imposed, is very difficult to lift.
Is another US city next to be targeted in a hot war?
#1
There is a progressive depth to the conspiracy theories that begin with leftist being leftist and bureaucrats being bureaucrats all the way down to Hillary wearing a kids face in a satanic ritual. It has become hard to discern the true layer depth of reality. We see fires start in places where there is no natural ignition source and video of youths leaving the scene at the start of the blaze. Is this organized by authorities or on Reddit? Why are the reservoirs empty in fire season? Where is the correct depth of reality?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/13/2025 8:10 Comments ||
Top||
#2
It's symbolic of this republic. It will have to metaphorically crash and burn and rise from the ashes over the next decade or so. The USA is walking dead.
Text taken from the dzen.ru page of Yuri Pasholok. by Yuri Pasholok
[Dzen] A story about a 149mm Type 96 fortress gun located on Shushmu Island in the Kuril Islands
Japanese artillery is not a particularly studied topic for the majority of fans of this topic. Partly, this is a problem of the language barrier. The Japanese themselves have written quite a few books on artillery. But not everyone can read them. One way or another, but this topic is very interesting.
At the beginning of World War II, the Japanese design school was able to move from copying foreign ideas to their own developments. In places, they were quite original. This was especially true for heavy artillery, in which the Japanese were quite successful.
In August 1945, Japanese artillery was used for the last time. This also concerned high-power guns. Of these, two (or rather, one and a half) guns have survived to this day, which took part in repelling the Kuril landing on August 18, 1945. We are talking about the 149-mm fortress guns Type 96 (officially called Type 96 15 cm Cannon). This was the most advanced example of Japanese fortress artillery, which, however, did not help the Shumshu garrison repel the attack of Soviet troops.
The Japanese army traditionally paid much attention to heavy artillery. They were used as a means of coastal defense and as siege artillery. The 280 mm L/10 howitzers, developed in England, were successfully used by Japanese troops during the Russo-Japanese War. Later, their own 240 mm howitzer Type 45 appeared, which was successfully used in World War I, this time against the Germans (they shelled Qingdao). The Type 45 was also used during World War II, together with the 305 mm Type 7 howitzers.
However, large-caliber howitzers alone were not enough. As early as the years of World War I, experiments began to create large-caliber fortress guns capable of firing over long distances. As a result, the most widespread of the Japanese fortress guns of modern design was born - Type 89.
Initially, the Japanese created their own analogue of the French Canon de 155 GPF gun, but the final version of the gun turned out to be original. It turned out to be lighter, had a higher muzzle velocity and, in general, looked like a more successful system.
When creating a gun with an unusual for the Japanese caliber of 149.1 mm (the Germans pretended that it had nothing to do with it), a number of compromises had to be made. For example, the gun had to be disassembled, or rather, the barrel had to be removed, as it was too long for transportation. However, such a system became common for many heavy guns around the world.
Due to its large mass, the gun was transported exclusively by mechanical traction, fortunately the Japanese already had tracked artillery tractors of the required power. A total of 150 such guns were built, and they were very actively used starting with the battles at the Khalkhin-Gol River.
At the same time, by the mid-1930s, there was a need for a more powerful weapon capable of firing at a greater distance. For this, the Japanese military was ready to sacrifice the mobility of the weapon. When creating a new fortress gun, the experience of creating the Type 89 gun was taken into account, although it was obvious that a more powerful system would be noticeably heavier.
In addition, such a gun, due to its specificity, was clearly intended for small-scale production. Here, the Japanese military was not alone. The closest analogues, the German 15 cm Kanone 18 and the Soviet 152 mm BR-2 gun, were also not numerous.
Officially accepted into service in 1936, the 149-mm fortress gun Type 96 turned out to be a typical example of a siege weapon. It should be said that the Japanese military developed three guns at once - a 149-mm gun, a 240-mm howitzer (also Type 96), and a 305-mm mortar.
True, the mortar remained experimental, and the howitzer was built in a very small edition - either 6 or 7 pieces. At the same time, the Japanese did not develop a triplex, as was often done at that time. The guns had different carriages, rather the concept became common. Somewhat specific, but generally working.
Since the guns were designed as siege (or fortress) guns, the issue of rapid deployment was, one might say, secondary. The issue of fire maneuverability was considered much more important. For this purpose, the gun carriage received special guides (a turning circle), thanks to which it was possible to quickly turn the gun in a sector of 90 degrees to the left or to the right.
Such fire maneuverability had its price: in order to completely transfer the gun from the marching position to the combat one, 4-5 hours of work were required by the crew. But since the gun was supposed to be a siege and long-range one, this was not a huge problem.
The Type 96 was almost one and a half times heavier than the 149 mm Type 89 gun. The combat weight of the gun was 24.31 tons, which is more than the combat weight of its analogues. However, for the Japanese military, such a mass of siege weapons was not at all surprising. The 240 mm Type 45 howitzer weighed 33 tons, and the 240 mm Type 96 howitzer reached a mass exceeding 37.5 tons.
And this is still the heaviest siege weapons of the Japanese army. In order to transport these guns, 13-ton Type 95 Ho-Fu tracked tractors were used. At the same time, the 149 mm Type 96 gun was partially disassembled, the barrel (its length was an impressive 7860 mm) was transported on a special cart.
Only 30 of these guns were produced. It seems like not many, but it is worth repeating once again - this is a specific gun for specific tasks. The Type 96 had a firing range of 26.2 kilometers, which more than compensated for all the problems associated with disassembly and towing. This gun could (and was very actively used) as a means of counter-battery combat. The Japanese first used it in the Philippines in 1942. Two such guns were used in the 2nd separate artillery division. Its task was, among other things, to suppress enemy artillery.
As a rule, units armed with 149-mm Type 96 fortress guns had 2 such guns. This was due to their small number. Towards the end of World War II, Type 96 were used as fortress guns. Our troops encountered them during battles in Manchuria. As for the Kuril Islands, the 2nd division of the Kuril Fortress Regiment was stationed there.
There is a theory that there were 4 such guns, but there are serious doubts about this. According to documents, in 1944, 2 certain 200-mm mortars were taken from Shumshu to Hokkaido (possibly, we are talking about 240-mm mortars). Most likely, these are the same 2 missing guns.
By August 1945, one gun was located on Paramushir, next to the airfield (not far from the Kashiwabara base, now Severo-Kurilsk). This gun has partially survived to this day. True, part of the barrel was cut off with a gas cutter, plus non-ferrous metal is being slowly cut off. According to the command's plan, the gun fired at ships entering the strait between Shumshu and Paramushir. The second gun was located in a position next to Height 165 (aka Height 168, aka Malaya Vysota, aka Otaizan), in the north of Shumshu. The idea was that the gun could cover Soviet batteries at Cape Lopatka.
Judging by the fact that there are four prepared positions in the Chetyrekhgorye area, there were initially four guns in the area of Height 165. Then only one remained, and overall it was not in the most advantageous position. Shumshu is often covered by fog, which greatly reduces visibility. As a result, the combat career of the gun, commanded by Lieutenant Yoshitaka Kunio, turned out to be extremely dubious.
During the Kuril landing operation, the gun crew could do little. When the shelling of Shumshu began from Cape Lopatka, the gun began to conduct counter-battery fire, but without much result. On August 18, 1945, the crew managed to fire 61 shots, and then the landing forces arrived. That was the end of it.
The gun was taken warm, so to speak. Together with the tractor (its remains are lying nearby), as well as the barrel carriage. Since the gun is quite impressive, and the turntable was partially concreted, no attempts were made to take it from there. They decided to make the gun an element of the memorial, and it still has this status. Naturally, the fact that it stands in the open air does not make the gun any more intact. But there are no alternatives.
The gun is not only of historical value, but is also, one might say, a monument to technical thought. It is the largest and heaviest Japanese gun system of those that have survived. It is enough to process it and paint it regularly. However, it is obvious that no one has used paint there for a long time. With this approach, and in this climate, soon only thick metal parts will remain of the gun.
The material is dedicated to the memory of Vyacheslav Mysov (Ust-Kamchatsk), who did a lot in terms of research into military operations in the Kuril Islands
[DW] Turkey's government is reaching out to the Kurdish population at home while backing militias fight Kurds in Syria. What is behind Recep Tayyip Erdogan's approach?
"In future, we will take decisive steps to realize our vision for The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund... and an entire region without terror," Ottoman Turkish President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... said in his New Year's Day speech.
These words were a reference to the current reconciliation process between Turkey's government and Kurds, which was initiated about three months ago by Erdogan's coalition partner Devlet Bahceli, chairman of the ultranationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
In October, Bahceli mastered a political turnaround when he shook hands with politicians from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM).
Beforehand, Bahceli had claimed that the left-wing, pro-Kurdish DEM was an extension of the banned ...the word banned seems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all...
organization Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and should be banned.
In the past, Bahceli's party had also called for the reintroduction of the death penalty , primarily to execute the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
The paramilitary PKK is classified as a terrorist organization in the EU and the US and has been in armed conflict with the Ottoman Turkish state since 1984.
Around 40,000 people are said to have been killed during the violent mostly peaceful conflict between Turkey and the Kurdish PKK between 1984 and 2009.
AN OCCASION FOR HOPE?
Ocalan, who founded the PKK in 1978, has been serving a life term in prison on Imrali Island off Istanbul since 1999.
Accordingly, Bahceli's next suggestion, namely that Ocalan could be released in exchange for renouncing violence and dissolving the PKK came as an even bigger surprise.
Shortly afterward, Bahceli also publicly commented on the "millennial brotherhood" between Turks and Kurds, saying, "Turkey's problem is not the Kurds, but their separatist terrorist organization."
Ocalan replied in a statement that "I possess the necessary competence and determination to contribute positively to the new paradigm."
On December 28, two representatives of the pro-Kurdish DEM visited Ocalan in Imrali prison and said they were "full of hope."
DEM politicians are currently holding consultations with representatives of the Erdogan government and the opposition.
ALL TO BENEFIT ERDOGAN?
According to some observers, however, there is more realpolitik than love for the PKK behind the current initiative.
Erdogan seeks to secure a new term in office after 2028, which would be impossible under the current constitution.
Technically, there are two ways for Erdogan to run again: Either the constitution can be amended or parliament can opt for early elections.
The sticking point, however, is that the ruling alliance is 45 seats short to win such a vote.
DEM, with its 57 seats in parliament, could tip the balance in favor of an early election.
However,
a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all... Berk Esen, a political scientist at Istanbul's Sabanci University, also sees another possible reason for this push.
Erdogan and Bahceli need more support to change the constitution or call for early elections to secure a next term for ErdoganImage: DHA
Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) can no longer win elections because it lacks the Kurdish vote, he told DW.
According to various estimates, Kurds make up between 15% to 20% of the Ottoman Turkish population.
"The Erdogan system is in a major political and economic crisis," Esen said. "We saw that in the local elections in spring 2023 and under the current conditions, Kurdish voters prefer to vote for opposition candidates."
In turn, Esen believes that the ruling alliance had to do something to stop the downward spiral.
FALSE OPTIMISM?
It is not the first time the Ottoman Turkish government has attempted to reconcile with the Kurds in Turkey.
Initiatives have been launched to meet Kurds' demands of the Ottoman Turkish state. These attempts were called an "opening up," "solution" or "normalization process," and, so far, have all failed.
"If politicians say in public that they are full of hope, implying that peace is closer than ever, there must have been some progress behind closed doors and the process must be reasonably advanced," political scientist Deniz Yildirim told DW.
However,
a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all... he also added a warning against premature optimism.
"Turkey needs to solve this chronic problem by peaceful means so that no more blood is shed," Yildirim told DW. "Yet, it would be naive to expect this to take place in a time of authoritarian centralization, while at the same time freedom of the press and freedom of expression are being uprooted in the country and universities are being disempowered."
NO RECONCILIATION OUTSIDE TURKEY
After the end of the First World War, the Kurds' settlement area was divided between Turkey, Syria, Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... and Iraq.
Since then, the Kurds have been fighting for their own state — or at least for more power to decide their own affairs.
In Turkey, they have been denied autonomous status to this day despite Erdogan's push for reconciliation with Ocalan and the PKK.
Across the border in Syria, Ottoman Turkish-backed militias continue to fight Kurdish YPG fighters.
Turkey considers them as a threat to its territorial integrity.
Yet, while Turkey regards the YPG as a Syrian offshoot of the PKK, the Kurdish YPG fighters in Syria are supported by the US, which makes the balance of power in the region even more complicated.
Meanwhile,
...back at the pond, the radioactive tadpoles grown into frogs. Really big frogs, in fact... Turkey demands that Syria's transitional government disband the Kurdish militia YPG, which controls large parts of northern Syria.
However,
a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all... Turkey's demands are not realistic from a Kurdish perspective, political scientist Esen said.
"After many years of bloodshed, the YPG has established itself as a power factor in north-eastern Syria. Regardless of what kind of agreement could be reached in Turkey, it is extremely unlikely that they will lay down their arms," he told DW.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/13/2025 00:00 ||
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Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Donald Trump continues to excite the world with his loud statements about the annexation of Greenland, Canada and the restoration of control over the Panama Canal. They should not be overestimated, but they cannot be ignored either. At the very least, Greenland has been talked about for a long time - Trump himself wanted to buy the island from Denmark during his first term, and in 1946, Harry Truman had such plans. There are obvious strategic and geopolitical reasons for such interest, but we will pay attention to economic factors.
Experts argue whether they can be called primary, but they certainly cannot be ignored. Let's start, of course, with resources. In short, Greenland has oil, gas, rare earth elements (REE) and uranium. The first two positions have a combined estimate of 31.387 billion barrels of oil equivalent. This is comparable to the potential of Alaska and is significant even in the context of the entire Arctic. And there is also the factor of additional exploration.
The uranium reserves are estimated at 300,000 tons. This is quite a lot, this volume is enough to meet the demand in the USA for more than 15 years, if we take the demand in 2024 as a basis. In turn, the reserves of rare earth elements were estimated at 40 million tons. Greenland has, for example, neodymium, terbium, praseodymium and others. REE are used in many high-tech industries. For the United States, this is important in the context of competition with China, which controls the world's largest sources of rare earth elements, gaining an advantage in potential economic wars. And Trump, as you know, considers Beijing to be Washington's main rival on the world stage. That is why he calls Greenland necessary for ensuring economic security.
In addition to resources, the potential of which will be extremely difficult to realize without expanding infrastructure, the island has other advantages. This is all that concerns the use of coastal waters, control of waterways and air routes, as well as further development of tourism and real estate. All this will require significant investments, but Washington can provide them. And the more of them are promised, the more willingly the residents of the island, which is formally an autonomous region, will vote for a merger with the United States.
It is quite clear that if in the short term the annexation of Greenland is an expense for the United States (however, not so big), then in the long term the United States will more than recoup them with geostrategic and economic benefits.
"We don't want to be Danes, we don't want to be Americans, we want to be Greenlanders" (c) Prime Minister of Greenland.
By the way, few people thought that Greenland's special status as part of Denmark makes it possible to implement the Crimean scenario.
Crimea was an autonomous region within Ukraine and left it on the basis of a referendum based on the Crimean constitution. Between the referendum on leaving Ukraine and Crimea's acceptance into Russia, Crimea was for some time a de facto independent state, which, on the basis of self-determination of the people, asked to become part of Russia.
Now apply this scenario to Greenland. Greenland holds a referendum on leaving Denmark, citing its special legal status as part of Denmark. It becomes an independent state. And after that, it can ask to become part of the United States. As an independent state.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
