this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2025
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Image is from the Britannica article on CECOT, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center in English.


This megathread's topic is inspired by our lovely news regular, @Frogmanfromlake@hexbear.net, who talks often about the conditions inside El Salvador and gives nuanced and informative takes.

As the Trump administration continues to make foreign policy blunders that would make even the staunchest anti-imperialist accelerationist blush - and we are barely three months in! - it's interesting to compare and contrast his policies of incompetent imperialist and domestic management to the dictators in other countries.

Bukele is somewhat unique among fascists, in that he seems to not hide - and seems to even admit to - his evil, self-describing as the world's "coolest dictator". El Salvador has no particular shortage of prominent fascists in their history, but one major example is Maximiliano Martínez, who led the country over much of the 1930s and the early 1940s. He was responsible the deaths of many thousands of communists and indigneous people, and yet joined World War 2 on the side of the Allies and against the Nazis.

The comparisons between Martínez and Bukele - and, indeed, between Bukele and Trump - in terms of their impact on minority groups are slowly growing as world attention is being drawn to the country. The recent meeting between Bukele and Trump has shifted a spotlight onto El Salvador's crime policy; the internal conditions of El Salvador's prisons are genuinely monstrous. One gets a similar feeling as when reading descriptions of the conditions of Holocaust victims in German concentration camps. Trump has made statements to the effect that he want a similar crime crackdown inside the United States, and I certainly believe that he wants this (ICE is already just kidnapping people off the streets into vans), but his administration has been so chaotic and mismanaged that it's difficult to determine whether this will be an interest he rapidly drops in favor of some other hair-brained scheme.


Last week's thread is here. The Imperialism Reading Group is here.

Please check out the RedAtlas!

The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

If you have evidence of Israeli crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:

UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.

English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.

English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Sources:

Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.

Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.

Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:

Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.

https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.

Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:

Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.


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[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 57 points 1 day ago

Trump is sending his Sanctions Coordinator, David Gramble, to Brazil on Monday to negotiate "punishment" for one of Brazil's 11 Supreme Court Justices, Alexandre de Moraes. People like Trump & Greenwald accuse Moraes of censorship but sanctioning a judge IS a form of censorship.

Moreas oversaw the criminal investigation of Trump's buddy Jair Bolsonaro. When sanctions are levied against a foreign judge as a direct response to their rulings, they function as a tool of censorship by seeking to control or punish judicial speech (i.e., legal decisions). Moraes is also the Supreme Court Justice behind the temporary ban of Trump overlord Elon Musk's X platform, when it failed to abide by local laws.

According to Brazilian journalist Paulo Capelli, the Trump administration is thinking of barring Moraes from visiting the US (as if he cares), and freezing any US assets (of which he doesn't have any).

Silicon Valley technofash and their puppet-journalists have wasted so much effort pushing the false, Moraes as dictator narrative, they don't seem to realize that if he were deposed tomorrow, it wouldn’t affect Bolsonaro’s trial. Only 2 Justices are expected to vote 'not guilty'.

[–] thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net 94 points 1 day ago (8 children)

Trump: "We were losing hundreds of billions of dollars with China. Now we're essentially not doing business with China. Therefore, we're saving hundreds of billions of dollars. It's very simple."

wow

[–] WeedReference420@hexbear.net 41 points 23 hours ago

So true bestie

[–] EstraDoll@hexbear.net 67 points 1 day ago

centrist saving hundreds per month on my grocery bill by opting to starve to death instead

[–] Zascoco@hexbear.net 51 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If I didn't know better I would think that trump is a plant that is working toward destroying the American empire. At this point how do they explain the sanctions on russia Iran ect when not being able to trade just allow you to save money.

[–] randomquery@hexbear.net 53 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Trump is preparing for war with China. The tariffs help with decoupling the economies and figure out potential allies (whose economies also need to be decoupled if they are to help in the war effort), trying to "reindustrialize" the country, instill militarism in society and in education, greatly increase the military budget, focusing on "rare earth minerals" and raw resources needed to fight a war. Seems like the empire is preparing for the salto mortale within the next decade.

[–] vovchik_ilich@hexbear.net 31 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

What a time to be alive. I even generally coincide in the analysis of the timeline with you: in 10 years the west will have turned fascist, and in 20 years either China will have won or we'll all be dead in nuclear war.

[–] Sinisterium@hexbear.net 16 points 19 hours ago

10? Its already happening now. The Ukrainian war made fascism into a normality.

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[–] WIIHAPPYFEW@hexbear.net 40 points 1 day ago (1 children)

saving 2k bucks a month by living under a sidewalk panel i dug a hole under and eating the compacted dirt chunks for sustenance

[–] MarxGuns@hexbear.net 11 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Reminds me of a video I watched on Sokushinbutsu preparation.

[–] Sinisterium@hexbear.net 8 points 19 hours ago

I personally prefer the ancient arabian method of Mellification to create a healing ointment.

[–] Parzivus@hexbear.net 33 points 1 day ago

well when you put it like that

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[–] WIIHAPPYFEW@hexbear.net 50 points 1 day ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

Looks like the Romanian election's second round's gonna be Simion (fash de facto replacement for the fash guy who got his victory last time around annulled) vs ~~Antonescu (hazy centrist neocon), opinion polls heavily favor Antonescu for the 1v1~~ Dan (hazy centrist running hard on an anticorruption platform, basically prewar zelenskyyy), Dan’s ahead in the 1v1 polls but it’s too close to be completely sure

I would lament how Romania has a depressing party system but as a resident of Amerikkka theirs is still three tiers above ours lmao agony-yehaw

[–] grandepequeno@hexbear.net 19 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What's Simion's views on nato and the military base stuff?

[–] Sinisterium@hexbear.net 12 points 19 hours ago

They are going to keep building the soon to be largest us base in europe

[–] RomCom1989@hexbear.net 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] grandepequeno@hexbear.net 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

So he's just a far-right atlanticist who can be assimilated by the EU? IIRC the guy who got banned wasn't, I assume people were mostly voting for him and this new guy for their social conservatism and not the geopolitics stuff then?

[–] RomCom1989@hexbear.net 19 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

Yes and no

I think he's more like if Vukcic was in the EU

And he's basically Georgescu's extension anyway

The reason he got so much is the ever present anti system vote,with the results showing again that the people are sick of the party duopoly that has ruled since the 90s with their candidate not getting into the second round once again

[–] grandepequeno@hexbear.net 15 points 23 hours ago

I see, thanks for answering

[–] RomCom1989@hexbear.net 17 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Nah,Nicusor is gonna be opposing him

See how the results evolved last time with Lasconi and Ciolacu, exactly the same situation

First the establishment guy leads,then the diaspora comes in and cinches in the lib opposition guy

What's different this time is that more people were emboldened into voting for Simion because of the annulled elections last year

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[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 67 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Big news from Iran, with the suspension of negotiations between the USA and Iran. Iran has unveiled a new Anti Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM) called the Qassem Basir. This is the ASBM version of the land attack Haj Qassem ballistic missile, with a range of 1400km for the land attack version, Iran claims a range of either 1200km or 1300km for the anti ship version (conflicting information currently). Yes, these missiles are named after Qassem Soleimani. This is big news as the current longest range dedicated ASBM in the Iranian arsenal (and potentially Yemeni arsenal) is the Zulfiqar Basir, with a range of 700km, so we're looking at nearly double the range.

Qassem Basir ASBM variant:

View of the target in the bottom half of the image from the missile's electro-optical seeker:

Haj Qassem land attack original variant:

Now, the Zulfiqar, Dezful, and Qassem missiles are all part of the same family of ballistic missiles (which I will call the Zulfiqar family), in that they all use a Maneuverable Re-entry Vehicle (MaRV) of similar design, with Dezful and Qassem being ways to extend the range of the Zulfiqar MaRV, from 700km, to 1000km with Dezful, to 1400km with Qassem. With an ASBM version of Zulfiqar already in existence, it makes sense to use the Qassem as a longer range ASBM platform.

How this missile works and acquires it's target is similar to how other Iranian shorter range ASBMs work, and an extension of the Pershing-II concept (first ever MaRV equipped land attack ballistic missile). The missile is targeted at an appropriate re-entry point, near the actual or predicted location of a ship. During re-entry, the MaRV performs a "pull up" maneuver, then a "glide phase". During this glide, the electro optical seeker, likely an infrared camera, acquires it's target using image matching techniques (Iran calls this AI now, yes the AI mind virus is everywhere), and them plans a trajectory towards it, before performing a final dive to the target, ideally with an impact velocity above Mach 2.

The big breakthrough here is getting the seeker to survive the higher speed and higher altitude re-entry associated with longer range. The Zulfiqar Basir had a burnout and initial terminal velocity of over Mach 7, and the Raad-500/Tankeel of Mach 8. So that was the previous limit. The land attack Haj Qassem had a peak velocity of Mach 12. With the range being reduced slightly for the anti ship version, likely to reduce velocity to ensure survival of the electro optical seeker, peak velocity is likely not as high. But I'd guess a safe estimate is that the seeker can now survive Mach 10+ speeds, a noticeable improvement.

Iran has unveiled this very covertly, under the guise of a "new missile to target Israel and evade THAAD", but the Basir designation (means to see or perceive in this context, used for Iranian ballistic missiles with electro-optical seekers,), and presence of an electro-optical (likely infrared) seeker on the MaRV, tells a different story. This is an ASBM that works in the same ways as other Iranian ASBMs. Yes it can be used to strike land targets in Israel with higher accuracy in GNSS jammed environments (like shorter range Iranian missiles have done in the past versus US military bases, but now at long range versus Israel, solving the accuracy problem for long range Iranian ballistic missile attacks), but that's a dual use capability that could make a hypothetical "Operation True Promise III" counterforce attack more viable in future. The real question for now is, if Ansarallah/the Houthis in Yemen will get their hands on it.

This is a card that Iran has had up it's sleeve and is now being played, the question is, how will they play it. Exclusively for themselves, or will Yemen get it to strike US Navy warships. Without further modifications to increase range involving lighter payloads and suboptimal minimum energy trajectories, it's not viable to hit targets in Israel from Yemen (2000km range is needed for that), and I can't see the electro optical sensor surviving re-entry under those conditions.

4 minute long video is included in the article:

Iran unveils its latest ballistic missile 'Qassem Basir', May 4 2025

[–] mkultrawide@hexbear.net 26 points 1 day ago (2 children)

This probably gets used as a negotiation chip. Give us a better deal or some.of these might fall off the truck in Yemen.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 24 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

There's a joke in here about missiles rolling of the truck to Yemen, and more F-18 rolling off of US aircraft carriers as a result, but I'm not a good enough comedian to do it.

[–] mkultrawide@hexbear.net 11 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

~~Girl~~ Truman, you looks good, won't you back that ~~azz~~ ship up (another several hundred kilometers from Yemen)?

You'se a fine ~~motherfucker~~ aircraft carrier, won't you back that ~~azz~~ ship up (another several hundred kilometers from Yemen)?

https://youtu.be/KoHLOcsCJzQ

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[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 25 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Publicly unveiling it on Iranian satellite TV definitely reads like a bargaining chip of sorts (the missile was tested on April 17th apparently). The clearest information we have on the US offer to Iran at the moment is from a Witkoff Fox News interview: restriction of Iranian uranium enrichment levels to 3.67% (current level is 60%), and some form of restriction on the Iranian ballistic missile program with regards to longer range missiles. This is a big middle finger to that second part, unveiling an ASBM in the medium range ballistic missile (MRBM) range category, 1000-3000km range. Also a missile with the potential accuracy for counterforce targeting at land targets at those ranges, which is the current biggest issue with Iranian MRBMs (Kheibar Shekan and Fattah-1 series). The Qassem is likely easier to intercept than those, but it's still a MaRV equipped ballistic missile, and if fired in sufficient numbers should be able to penetrate the Israeli air defence system.

There are countermeasures that can be used against electro-optical seekers on cruise and ballistic missiles to protect high value targets (see smoke generators at Kerch bridge, the bridge that connects Russia to Crimea), but it's impractical to deploy then everywhere.

[–] sictransitgloria@hexbear.net 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I just don't understand why Iran would ever seriously consider these offers 😭 unless they're playing pretend, to buy time

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 17 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Because if Iran takes further steps to develop a nuclear weapon, it in effect acts as an open invitation for the USA to bomb Iran. Iran does not want that. So by leaving nuclear weapons as an issue open to negotiation, Iran hopes to extract some concessions (sanctions relief, aspects like the ballistic missile programme not being a part of the deal) using the bargaining chips of increased uranium enrichment and more missiles to extract these concessions.

[–] merthyr1831@lemmy.ml 12 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

it's almost analogous to Israel's Nuclear Ambiguity doctrine. Don't outright smash the big red button, but seductively trace your finger around it to keep the big players in check without having to subscribe to the responsibilities or political risks of becoming an official nuclear power.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 12 points 20 hours ago

Difference is Israel has nuclear warheads and ICBMs, and Iran does not. But good point on the ambiguity doctrine, that's very true.

[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 51 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Venezuelan GDP Grows by 9.32% in the First Quarter of 2025 - Telesur English

Article

The economic landscape of Venezuela is witnessing a significant transformation, as indicated by the impressive growth of 9.32% in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the first quarter of 2025. This remarkable figure surpasses the growth rate of 9.13% observed in the same period of 2024, signaling a continuous recovery that has been underway for sixteen consecutive quarters. The recent report from the Central Bank of Venezuela underscores this positive trend, highlighting an annual growth of 8.54% for the year 2024.

The Heroic Resistance Against Economic Blockade

At the heart of this economic resurgence lies the valiant spirit of the Venezuelan people who have shown resilience in the face of an economic blockade imposed on the nation. Over the years, the government has adopted a series of policies aimed at revitalizing the economy, fostering participation across various sectors.

This collective effort has been pivotal in navigating through the adversities presented by international sanctions and economic challenges. The statistics paint a picture of hope and determination. The oil sector experienced a staggering growth of 18.23%, while the mining industry also thrived with a growth of 13.46% in the same quarter.

Such figures not only illustrate the effectiveness of current economic policies but also demonstrate the ability of the Venezuelan economy to rebound despite facing external aggression.

A Strategic Response to International Challenges

The ongoing conflict between the United States and Venezuela has created a complex scenario for international trade, with threats of a potential global recession looming large. However, the Venezuelan economy showcases its capacity to adapt and overcome these hurdles. The sustainable growth of key sectors, particularly oil and mining, signals a strategic response to the challenging international environment.

Moreover, this economic performance indicates that Venezuela is not merely surviving; it is evolving. The successful navigation through these tempestuous waters speaks volumes about the inherent strength of the Venezuelan economy. It is a testament to how, even amid external pressures, a nation can chart its path toward recovery and prosperity.

GDP growth: More than just a number

As we look to the future, it becomes evident that Venezuela is prepared to meet the challenges posed by global economic instability. The lessons learned over the past four years have equipped the nation with the tools necessary to confront unilateral aggressions and external pressures.

With a solid foundation built on resilience, unity, and strategic policy implementation, Venezuela stands ready to capitalize on its growth momentum. In conclusion, the 9.32% growth in GDP during the first quarter of 2025 is not just a number; it embodies the triumph of a nation against adversity.

It reflects the indomitable spirit of the Venezuelan people and their unwavering commitment to rebuilding their economy. As Venezuela continues to advance amidst the storms, the world watches closely, recognizing that this journey of recovery is a powerful narrative of hope and determination.

[–] GoodGuyWithACat@hexbear.net 29 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We're at the point where sanctioning oil producing nations ends up strengthening them after some time. Tools of empire coming back to haunt them.

[–] merthyr1831@lemmy.ml 9 points 20 hours ago

Economic sanctions only work if they are followed up with military action shortly after (or in response to military actions). Otherwise they just help your enemy bumrush a better deal or indigenous economic potential.

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[–] LoveYourself@hexbear.net 77 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Yemen strikes the zionist cancer's Ben Gurion airport. 6+ settlers wounded.

Reported footage of the strike

[–] merthyr1831@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 day ago

LETS FUCKING GOOOOO

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