JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
Suppose oil had never happened.
And the West had never sought to manipulate the resource.
Would Islam still have continued to be in conflict with the West in the modern era?
90
A caliphate is fundamentally at odds with the values and classical liberalism of the west.
170
A caliphate is at odds with ALL kafirs, not just western ones. Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus, Shinto, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, etc. plus atheists are all infidels. And it doesn’t stop there. Even worse than kafirs are Muslims who follow a different Islamic tradition than the Caliphate. ISIS killed hundreds of fellow Muslims for every western infidel they killed, simply because they were the wrong kind of Muslim. Shia rather than Sunni, Sufi rather than Salafi, etc. A believer in Allah who is from the wrong sect is considered an apostate, which is MUCH worse than a non-believing kafir.
220
The fundamental problem with religious conflict of any sort, is that no adherents of any religion can conclusively prove the existence of their particular deity, or that their God/s are superior in any way. So all religion is speculative at best, cultish at worst.
This allows for religious wars to continue forever, as nothing can ever be finally settled, proven or agreed on.
20
That is true only for the theistic religions.
But even the non-theistic ones , such as Buddhism, still have adherents who indulge in the natural human penchant for superstition/imagination.
This is not a problem , according to evolutionary biologists, who maintain that the ability of Homo sapiens to imagine things that do not exist is both an evolutionary advantage and our Achilles heel at the same time. We are not a super species . . . . . we are self- limiting.
Watch this space.
00
Yeah, I have a Malaysian mate who is ethnic Chinese, and Buddhist. He has no time for Islam and once said to me – ‘Chinese will never die for religion’ and then added thoughtfully – ‘only money.’ Some regard the love of money as almost a religious experience, some say the love of money is the root of all evil. Complicated.
30
“This allows for religious wars to continue forever, ”
Gods come and go, as shown by the older civilisations who had non-Christian gods. Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Discworld..
Lets see how we come out the other side of our new masters of AI.
20
Yet Western leadership like say, Keir Starmer, can’t seem to comprehend that all do not accept his obviously morally superior multi-culture secular ideals.
And that it might about something other than equity.
Not something so thoroughly antiquated and gauche as ‘religion’, which is nothing but a veneer of cultural expression that should be embraced with tolerance by all.
And that there exist bad people that might still be looking to unalive you even after you’ve met all their needs.
90
Islam has been in conflict with the whole non-Muslim world since the Koran was written.
190
So have the followers of almost every other religious group. That’s the trouble when both sides in a dispute believe that God is guiding them and is on their side. Faith can do strange things to people.
Although it must be said that the Christian groups seem to have calmed down over the last 500 or so years.
Me? Well I know the truth of the whole thing. I give hints from time to time but nobody ever believes me or says I am the last prophet. Perhaps somebody will discover my writings one day. Perhaps it will help if I write it in some form of hieroglyphics and bury it in the desert somewhere. I’d best get cracking.
50
The difference between Christianity’s expansionism and Islam’s is that Christianity was founded by a pacifist who wanted to spread his religion by winning hearts and minds in this world to save souls for his kingdom in the afterlife, while Islam was founded by a warlord who wanted to conquer this world and sentence anyone who didn’t convert to his beliefs to death, life as a slave, or if they were extremely lucky life as a second class citizen (dhimmitude).
60
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
And if somebody fails to heed that advice it is on for young and old.
10
Christianity is NOT some limp-wristed “sect’
Per Jesus’ words to the Disciples at the Last Supper:
Luke 22:36
King James version of Jesus’ words to the disciples at the Last Supper”
“Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”
Not exactly a “suicide pact”.
20
The difference between Islam and Christianity is that the latter evolved and rid itself of violent zealots who had hijacked the church, acting AGAINST Christianity’s basic teachings. Islam, OTOH, has more recently reverted to something resembling its medieval form, perhaps even worse. In fact, some of ‘modern’ Islam’s rules are more restrictive and less tolerant than they were hundreds of years ago, such as the requirement that women must wear the burqa, and extreme violence toward other religions – even atheists.
One only has to look at those nations governed by Sharia law (e.g. Iran, Afghanistan), which are all authoritarian, misogynistic, homophobic (to the point of executing gays) and monotheistic.
Finally, only Islam holds ‘holy war’ as a responsibility for all adherents today.
30
British Army Officer WW1 known as Lawrence of Arabia who was embedded with Arab guerrilla groups for years and leant to speak their language and appear to be one of them while carrying out sabotage missions against the enemy reported to the British Government later that from his inside observations even when the Arabs come together to fight a common enemy they soon revert back to tribal feuds and personal grudges, and therefore he doubted that peace was possible permanently.
120
I wonder what they thought about Australia over 100 years ago.
00
…nobody thought about Australia over 100years ago! It was XXXX, the unknown land.
Well, maybe, “I wonder how Uncle Bob is doing after stealing that horse and getting sentenced to transport?”
00
Whatever happened to the hype and panic over the UK flu season? It was early, super-flu, hospitals overwhelmed, ripping through the population, going to be the worst in decades….
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/0d39/live/d0a5dd60-d501-11f0-9fb5-5f3a3703a365.png.webp
So how did that work out?
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6995d33aa58a315dbe72bf60/2026.7_figure4.svg
Flu, COVID, RSV all low now.
In need of a perma-plague crisis the UK media has landed on meningitis in the student population for the new panic.
170
Planning the next pandemic as we speak.
Clearly intending once more to do the very thing that one never does during a real pandemic – that is start real vaccination, which risk creating conditions for more virulence to emerge and spread.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/who-convenes-global-session-dictate-how-coming-influenza-pandemic-will-be-run
10
You have hereby been warned-start social distancing now , and dust off those filthy old masks:-
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360952611/severe-flu-variant-winter-coming-and-it-could-be-unusually-bad-sickness?cx_testId=87&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s
00
a woman in a FULL_FACE mask on a crowded train this morning.
Probably a grade 6 Pubic Serpent.
10
There were some questions about the Crosley engine about which I posted yesterday.
The original engine had a sheet metal “block”, not cast iron or aluminium. It was water cooled.
It worked highly successfully with the US military who had a qualification requirement that the engine has to survive 1200 hrs @ 5000 rpm.
When this engine was later put in a civilian car, it failed prematurely by galvanic corrosion due to presence of dissimilar metals because civilians did not use the recommended coolant which was deionised water. Also unlike military service at constant RPM for generators etc., the original sheet metal engine did not tolerate the constantly changing RPM of a car.
The engine was lightweight and powerful for its displacement but the premature failure of the engine due to corrosion in civilian applications, due to improper coolant, ultimately led to failure of the company. The company did make a cast iron block engine to replace it, and offered a free exchange of the sheet metal unit but the damage waa done. Nevertheless, the cast iron engine was produced into the 1970s and used in many applications.
Aa I said yesterday, if the galvanic corrosion issue of the sheet metal version was addressed and improved main bearings were used to tolerate variable RPM better, I wonder if this engine would be useful today? It’s mainly advantage is lightweight, high power to displacement ratio, and low cost
Video: https://youtu.be/RhtlqXLwY1Q
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The Coventry Climax engine made a similar but much more successful transfer from utility to car, including success in motorsport. Originally designed for a government demand for a lightweight and powerful fire water pump engine in 1950ish, the featherweight series of engines followed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Climax
40
My very first car, a 1965 Singer Chamois (Hillman Imp with a wood dash) used that engine. It loved to rev but was strangled by inadequate inlet/outlet design such that those extra revs just made noise, not power.
I rolled it through a hedge and into a crumpled ball.
30
David I was given a Crosely cab and chassis minus utility bodywork that had been fitted during the 1960s and I did not have time to restore it being at the start of adult working life and CMF service (Citizens Military Force now Army Reserve), and sold it but cannot recall how much was paid.
It was dark blue cab with black mudguards.
Not long ago I found one restored in a motor museum.
21
It was a very interesting video, much to think about. But in the end, I don’t believe that the engine was suitable for civilian or vehicle use, for the reasons given in the video, and its demise was a given. Wonder if Crosley would have done better with his other inventions.
20
On my long drive from Sydney to Melbounistan yesterday, on Their ABC radio I heard Chalmers and others talk about the supposed inequity of the discount of capital gains tax on sales of investment assets, particularly in regard to real estate.
It seems highly likely that they will remove it to supposedly address the housing crisis.
They never address the actual problems causing the housing crisis which is a) importing Labour voters much faster than new housing can be built, b) unreasonable land use restrictions, c) excessive invisible taxes and charges on new housing (Topher Field has an episode on this), d) very high stamp duty tax which makes it difficult and expensive to buy and upgrade or downgrade to a new home, e) high building material and labour costs for building, f) satisfying government regulations of new building such as high energy efficiency which was unnecessary when we had cheap energy, g) rapidly reducing standard of living making housing even more unaffordable, h) lots of red and green tape for new housing approvals and long delays etc..
When investors have previously invested in housing it was a way of subsidising rent because rental for a tenant cost less than the equivalent interest if they purchased the home themselves. This was because the investor got tax deductions for their expenses, as with expenses in any other type of business expense.
Capital gains tax didn’t always apply on sale (assuming there was a capital gain, not always the case) but after it was introduced in 1985 by the Hawke/Keating regime, there was a 50% discount on sales and still is. If this is removed for housing investment it will just mean fewer investors will invest in residential real estate, which is now already a very poor investment proposition in places like Sicktoria where it is almost impossible to evict non-paying tenants etc..
If Chalmers removes the CGT discount at the next budget, it will mean even less investment in residential real estate. The Greens and other communists are pushing very hard to remove the discount and want instead the Government to provide taxpayer-funded housing. Good luck with that with a country that already lives on massive borrowed money, now over $2.25 trillion total Government debt (federal, state, local).
280
At least the fuel supplies are holding up, even if the pump price rises every day!
Hours of listening to disingenuous politicians on the ABC sounds like self imposed torture!
150
Before I left I called proposed refill petrol stations to make sure they’d have fuel. The one I went to had no diesel or 98 but had 91. The one in Sydney I went to had no 91, 98 or diesel but had 94.
I wonder if politicians and the Sheeple will now wake up understand that the woke fantasy of being able to run a modern society on wind, solar and Unicorn flatulence is over?
I don’t even think most people know where their food comes from or how it gets there. They’ll soon find out if we have food shortages!
300
Notice any fill and runs at any of your stops? Seems bowser thefts have jumped and the suggested answer is make motorists pay before they pump by installing prepaid systems on the pumps. Why not the easier (and more effective) way of making drivers give the attendant their drivers license THEN when they come back the photo will be enough to couple up to the driver. Oh hang on wait that requirement might mean that unlicensed or disqualified drivers (who should be made to surrender their license on suspension) may not be able to fill up unless they get a licensed passenger friend to go in but how many would be willing to take a “bullet” for a drive off? Could make the roads safer with fewer unlicensed on them.
70
My son had an interesting experience when he purchased fuel through a fuel card, where he paid at the pump. It wasn’t immediately registered by the petrol station’s system, so he was automatically tagged as a runaway and denied fuel at the same site. Then went on a register of bad payers. Took a lot of explaining to remove the ban.
40
Maybe add to the list allowing overseas non-citizens to purchase property in Australia?
10
Latest report that immigration has reached an all time record high.
The previous record intake was during Rudd Labor’s “Big Australia” policy and Gillard 2017-2013
30
They only have to link capital gains to however long you have owned the property.
If you have owned it for 5 years, spread that capital gain over your last 5years of income.
We are about to sell a house we have rented out for just over 20years, the capital gain will be insane, just the Govt-caused inflation will have taken it from $250K to maybe $550k, and they will rob me of the tax on half of that extra $300K, or maybe even tax on 75% of that “gain”. So I will get taxed on an income of $150K or maybe even $220K, while most of that is depreciation of the currency anyway.
Spread that $300k ‘profit’ over 20years and its far more realistic. NZ manages without any capital gains tax at all, but Aussie has so much more Govt to pay for..
No-one will build a cheap house, the profit is far too small for the same amount of work involved. As you say, Govt regulations have made it impossible to build a cheap house as they used to be, just like cars.
20
Australia is “blessed” with some remarkably stupid, incompetent and frequently wicked politicians, especially Government Ministers. These are people responsible for billions of dollars of budget, and they do whatever the activist public serpents who tell them what to think, want them to do. The politicians themselves just don’t have a clue.
280
Like how mistakes in climate change ‘science’ mysteriously ALWAYS support the global warming nonsense, our “stupid” politicians somehow, in their incompetence, consistently make mistakes which further the left’s agenda.
Weird.
110
Australia’s politicians must be said to be the very best that money can buy.
30
Remember that it began with demands to reduce pollution and 1970-1980 unleaded petrol and lower sulphur content diesel with high costs to upgrade oil refineries and internal combustion engines and engine management systems, and 1970s Time Magazine featured global ice age return coming.
1975 UN Lima Protocol transferring wealth from manufacturing industry to developing countries and trade advantages for them to export to developed countries, 1990 UN Agenda-21 Sustainability many agendas.
Centre/centre right governments and here Labor before them accepted the UN IPCC climate change later global warming politics as serious threats.
At the Kyoto Japan COP 1997 UK USA Australia and other mostly developed countries signed emissions reduction target agreements, the Howard Government here based on requests for technology recommendations and based on no damage to the economy. State governments beginning NSW early 1990s commenced privatisation of electricity generators and transmission.
2007-2013 Labor reinforced the by then global warming climate crisis claim with legislation for renewable energy target of RET 32%, planned emissions trading scheme that became carbon tax and hidden in service to property charge renewable energy levy and, considering fuel crisis here now, the transition from fossil fuels impositions on fuel quality and emissions standards.
Abbott Government tried to overturn Labor’s RET legislation but the Senate rejected that repeal bill, but did agree to abolish carbon tax.
30
Time Magazine 1980s featured climate change
10
Finally, almost on the equinox, a cyclone has formed off north Queensland. Presently Cat 3 or Cat 4 – experts are divided – TC Narelle is drifting westwards in an almost straight line (as opposed to a bent strait line) although NEWS™️ is prophesying a Cat 5 or Cat 6 or possibly even a Cat 11.
Meanwhile Peter Thiel the happy circumcised squillionaire NZ-citizen techie is lecturing Italians on the Antichrist in Rome this week… strange days indeed and it’s only Thursday.
110
The good news is that they don’t actually measure cyclonic wind speeds directly any more.
The wind speeds are now calculated based on barometric pressure.
Which they don’t directly measure either because there aren’t many barometers in the ocean.
But we can be confident that it is all properly calibrated, and totally safe and effective.
100
NATO failed Trump’s test, they were not there when needed. They would not even defend their own interests.
Barbara Boyd at Prometheus Action says Trump is prepared to leave NATO.
https://www.prometheanaction.com/the-midweek-update-nato-dumped-trumps-precision-strike-ends-britains-forever-war-empire-march-18-2026/
151
Indeed. Australia failed the test as well.
Who will be first who comes running to the United States when they need help or complain they have no oil?
And the US will have every right to refuse.
I find it simply staggering that so many in the woke West are completely lacking in moral clarity such that they support the murderous and human rights violating Iranian regime, major worldwide sponsors of terrorism, including in Australia and proven intentions (from statements over the last 47 years and a major nuclear and ICBM program) to destroy the United States, Israel and the West more generally.
The Iranian regime is based on fundamentalist Twelver Shi’ism and the belief that Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi, last seen in the year 941 and not considered dead by his followers, will reappear as a result of an apocalyptic war, hence the Iranian desire for war for the last 47 years. Apparently the Iran-Iraq war which killed one million didn’t do the job. In addition, the Iranian people hate the regime. And yet many Westerners support their oppressors.
The Iranians and other fundamentalists of that ilk must be happy that they have so many supporters among those who they consider their enemies in the West. Let me know how Western Europe is going with that demographic change, coming to a country (including Australia) near you (except the US under TRUMP).
201
Of course since May 2022 Albanese Labor ignored the deal Morrison and Government (Angus Taylor Energy Minister) did with President Trump for unlimited oil supply as needed from US for Australia, and first order $94 million and storage in the US until storage was built in Australia, first requiring the red, green, black tape permits and tenders being called.
20
I dont beleive there is anything in the NATO agreement that requires members to participate when a member attacks a non NATO State. Seems a bit naive to expect others to buy in just because the US has lashed out.
67
The others were invited to protect their merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure their oil and gas supplies. I expect Australia is indirectly dependent on Gulf oil.
Europeans are now thinking that it is easier to talk to Russia about oil than protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
There are occasional ships getting through the Strait so there must be unmined areas. I have seen one Chinese bound tanker in the last two days..
USA oil and LNG exports are at record level. As are Arabian ports outside the Persian Gulf. So the Gulf is not quite as critical as has been previously considered.
190
Given Iran’s stated intention to destroy the United States and being a sponsor of terror against the US (and West), it was indeed an act of self defence. It wasn’t “lashing out”.
E.g.
1979 Hostages taken from US Embassy, Tehran.
1983 Beirut Embassy bombing.
1983 Berrut Barracks bombing.
1984 Embassy Annex bombing (Lebanon).
1984 Hezbollah terrorists hijacked Kuwait Airways Flight 221.
1985 TWA, Flight 847 hijacking.
1989 Hezbollah terrorists killed U.S. Marine Col. William Higgins.
1996 Khobar Towers bombing
2011 Waahington DC restaurant plot.
2021, 2025 plots against journalist Masih Alinejad.
2024 Attack against Tower 22 in Jordan.
2024, 2025 plots against John Bolton, Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo.
And many others.
What do you think would have happened after they completed their nuclear weapons?
260
It’s just that TRUMP was the first one with the cajones to do something about it.
251
The same ones they’ve had for 30 years according to Iraq?
WMD part 2. Just get the US to destroy your enemy for you.
What is the only country to use nukes?
What if NK had them or does? NK after Cuba?
Iran itself isn’t the problem. The radical islam element is, an element spread worldwide.
People didn’t take kindly to my post mentioning Operation Ajax, the Iranian coup d’état from ’53. Boo hoo…
The reality is always deeper than the news or public perception.
What would they do? Nothing, that’s what.
Attack a superpower with 5k nukes?
The retaliatory strike would leave the country a smouldering radioactive hole for decades.
Radical yes, totally stupid no.
65
Mad Supreme Leadership had made that quite clear what they would use nuclear weapons to achieve launching attacks on their enemies.
81
We should always sit back and not get too taken in by what is far too often propaganda, as in Iran and proxies passing blame against the forces trying to subdue them.
Like WMD Iraq and ever since referenced as a failure of US and allies intelligence, ignoring that Iraq did use WMD gases against Kurds and Iran.
And as the Operation Desert Storm chased Iraqi Military out of Kuwait after they invaded that country leader Saddam Hussein repeatedly tried to get UN to stop the Operation and implied that WMD defences would be used by Iraq if they entered.
UN Weapons Inspectors did not find WMD ready for deployment.
They did find;
* Import documents for the chemicals
* Laboratories and equipment
* Brand new artillery shells designed to carry WMD gases
* Chief Chemists the locals called Doctor Death and Chemical Ali
60
..and our mad mullah said electricity would be cheaper with ruinables… Do you REALLY believe politicians Dennis?
10
Now list out all the mischief the US got up to over the same period and sprinkle MI6 on for good measure. Sorry , dont share your goodies/ baddies black/white view of the world.
32
I tend to agree that NATO is coming to an end.
There are not many politicians in Australia who have earnt an income from the world outside government payroll. They have a strong tendency to work out how they can garner other’s wealth rather than create wealth.
Trumps push to make USA independent of the globalists is viewed as isolationist rather than self-sufficiency.
Australia only works as a tiny cog in the global economy; totally reliant on the rest of the world for most things. The notion of being self-sufficient has been lost by generations of takers at the helm rather than makers.
In his first term, Trump addressed the UN generally assembly and pointedly highlighted the German dependence on Russian gas was stupid. The smug response from the Germans was memorable and underscores the fact that they are idiots. Last year, Trumo warned the UN general assembly that following the UN Climate Change™ scam would impoverish their economies. This month underscores the truth in those words. USA is making a killing in global trade with income for oil and LNG exports going to the moon. Meanwhile the idiots in Australia are scrambling to find diesel to fuel fishing, farming and transport.
The real reason Sleezy declined Trump’s offer to get involved in defending merchant ship’s through the Strait of Hormuz was based on the fact that there was not enough diesel to run the ships.
I get the feeling that Trump is leaving Europe and Russia to sort out their differences. He has made a solid effort but does not need anything from that hemisphere. He has long condemned the Iranian clerics and wants them out then I expect he will leave that part of the world to the countries that need their oil. He now has a reason to avoid putting troops into any European conflict. They are not even willing to defend their source of oil.
Of course UK will not need oil because they are going all electric and will run everything on wind!! UK will go back to wind powered navy.
The longer it takes for USA to out the clerics from Iran the more USA makes on energy exports. Why rush when you can make more money by going slow.
200
Not sure if you did it on purpose, RW but I loved it !
Still the correct spelling is Trumeau.
50
Re UK electric?????
12 December 2024 wind fell to 6% of supply. Dunkelflaute in Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands also. Wind droughts lasting about 2 weeks occur roughly every 5 years. From 72 years data
8TH January 2025 Tuesday. by 5.30 pm on a cold (dark) afternoon the UK (the sort of weather that happens ever winter) was down to a single Medium size power station in reserves.
Demand spiked to 47GW, the wind stopped (although the UK has roughly 30GW of installed wind capacity but only producing 2.5GW) and several inter-connector cables to France and Belgium were off line. National Energy Systems Operator was very worried by one single turbine failing and rolling blackouts would have to be imposed. Starmer, and probably many politicians, would have been gone in that situation.
North Sea gas declined about 97% since 2000. Norway supplies about 75% via pipelines and much of the rest arrives (as liquified gas) by tankers from the USA. Germany can store about 89 days of usual gas supply, France has 103 days supply. The Netherlands more. The UK very little (12 days) and in January 2025 it was done to 1.5 days reserve.
It wasn’t all Starmer fault, but the ingrained stupidity of the British bureaucrary and politicians. (who are followed by our lot).
70
FWIW
“A Windy Day!”
“It does not take a genius to work out that when Ed Miliband succeeds in tripling wind power capacity, there will be far too much wind power for the grid to handle.”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/14/a-windy-day/
20
This sorry saga highlights the astounding lengths the globalist left will go to undermine Trump. They would rather see the whole Middle East burn and their own citizens starve than to help Trump defeat the Islamists.
I have absolutely zero doubt that, if Hilary Clinton was president and did exactly what Trump is doing, Nato and Europe would be right behind her.
131
It also revealed the weak minded easily led supposed to be professionals in media
50
How does one “defeat” Islam, the 2nd most popular religion on Earth, behind christianity?
Logic perhaps? If only.
Trump says “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East. So they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked”
Not over in a few weeks. Duh. It’s just ignited a regional war far worse. Now they’re targetting energy production.
Take out desalination plants and it’s over quickly as there’ll be no-one left in a week, given the major dependence on said plants for water…
10
I agree that Iran is going to develop into a real sh1thouse. I did from the beginning. Nevertheless, I believe the mullahs were a huge threat to world peace and prosperity, directly and indirectly though their useful idiots Hezbollah and Hamas.
SOMETHING had to be done other than ineffective and endless ‘negotiations’ that simply bought time for the crazies to develop a nuclear weapon or dirty bombs.
.
[Got another word instead of shithouse? If you think a word needs a 1 instead of an i to make it palatable or to bypass moderating, then choose a different word. – Raquel]
30
All these comments talking about the mad mullahs and how insane they are to hate our wonderful friend America, yet no-one has any reason why they do, apart from being insane of course.
Does everyone think the Middle East has been treated fairly by the colonials over the last 130years? Nowhere raped and pillaged to make America in particular rich while the countries that own the oil are struggling? No coups overthrown popular Govts, no stand-over tactics by the West to make sure our vassals don’t get too close to Russia or China? Not even ridiculous ‘modern’ countries with boundaries drawn in London or Paris or Rome with no thought to local tribes or nations. Not to mention the thorn in their sides from creating Israel by taking land from Muslims and giving it to Jews, who have made themselves VERY popular with their behaviour for the last 70years.
There must be some reason the world is like it is…
23
You’re mostly describing actions not undertaken by the US. But those other countries that are responsible are not as hated as the US is.
My guess is that the US is seen by leaders in Arab nations who want to control their people as the antithesis of what they want. They hate what the US represents and misinform their own people.
Yes, the US being a friend to Israel does not help. But the US has assisted many muslim groups / nations and many Arab states did not / do not especially like or care about the Palestinians.
I’m not sure people here are really saying the Iran leaders are insane because they hate America. Seems to me they’re referring to general behaviour, their hatred of Israel, and how they treat their own people.
So you think the US deserves criticism. Fair enough. And you appear to think the Iranian leaders have some justification in their attitude toward the US and aren’t “insane”.
But which government would you prefer to live under? I’m guessing it’s not even a close decision and suddenly the Iran leaders aren’t so sane.
30
FWIW
“Elbow” will be further down Trump’s appointment list than Rudd was”
Read it all for what you didn’t hear from “Their ABC” or most other places.
There were 3 Oz trainees on that US sub that sank the Iranian boat around Sri Lanka. Much more here
“Albanese Defines What It Means to Be a Waussie”
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/03/17/albanese-defines-what-it-means-to-be-a-waussie-n3812966
30
Poor Albo , he just dont get no respect.
20
It’s routine for “guest” sailors to stand down before action stations.
21
Not guests, embedded crew from RAN training to operate nuclear submarines and propulsion, and equipped with the technology and more than US supplied for RAN Collins Class conventional submarines to enable RAN to operate with US Navy whenever needed, and for war games exercises.
ADF personnel are often sent to joint allied nations military for experience and training purposes, and in some cases for their expertise, eg: SASR
30
FWIW – today’s Coffee and Covid newsletter
A detailed look at that Al Jazeera article on things in Iran
https://open.substack.com/pub/coffeeandcovid/p/catfights-wednesday-march-18-2026?
And other things
00
The almost unknown 1984 Australian law that means you could get zero fuel
https://youtu.be/CK43LnrlJ58?si=6SG0yavqJDOSgnWG
Forward thinking by the government way back in 1984?
Or just a decade late reaction to the 1973 oil crisis?
Tough choice! 😆
But it’ll all be over very soon!
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/gulf-energy-reroute-iraq-restarts-ceyhan-pipeline-exports-iran-pushes-new-hormuz-transit
Soon = how many months/years?
00
.. and Iraq has now attacked and decimated the South Pars LNG facility, a critical part of the energy backbone for the entire gulf region, that use LNG extensively for power.
Iran of course vows severe retaliatory action.
So…the energy infrastructure attacks are now on.
Farmerbraun – yes, we’re there now. 😁
Time to upgrade your freezer.
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Australia exports more energy including gas than is imported into Australia. Our oil is used to produce 20% of the transport fuel. Starting with Bass Strait (between VIC and TAS) many decades ago oil and gas project supplying most of the small population Australia needs.
Australia has many known oil and gas reserves untapped by order State and Federal governments, from early 1900s Roma and Winton districts Western QLD oil wells were drilled by Commonwealth Oil Refineries (COR) and capped because Middle East oil was cheaper at that time. Recently I heard an interview comment that the oil and gas in that area is substantial.
And don’t forget that Iran situation is impacting about 20% of supply to the world.
Also, Pacific Ocean between America and Australia – US oil, Canada and Venezuela
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“we’re there now”
I would like to think that is true, but I’m very sceptical.
But yeah , it’s a start.
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To each his own…
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What I’m suggesting is that this can get a hell of a lot worse yet on the fuel front.
But I’m not convinced that are not other surprises in store for we peasants.
So I’m sceptical that I’ve done enough to harden the business against a couple of black swans that are not yet apparent.
The present situation is survivable.
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The possible positive out of the present shambles is that Godzone could resume mining its coal, drilling for more gas and oil , and start mining its Chatham Rise phosphate .
If we need China to help us with that then all the better for both of countries.
The only obstacle is the fact that we currently are living well beyond our means, and are therefore very vulnerable.
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Perhaps you are of the view that the Great Reset , which has been talked about for several years , is the end of- game of the current ructions.
That seems entirely plausible if Trump does does not walk away from Israel’s leading the escalation.
https://sonar21.com/joe-kent-speaks-while-the-gulf-arabs-face-economic-catastrophe/#comment-380452
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Did Trump give Israel the green light to attack South Pars?
Fog of War.
https://x.com/BarakRavid/status/2034452773366890614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2034452773366890614%7Ctwgr%5E40fc675d5824bbf55e59f6938d6391abe1f48d12%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fnews%2F635011-iran-us-israel-war-updates%2F
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Hawke Labor Government 1983-1996
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Thursday funny: analog time is hard!
https://twitter.com/i/status/2034243532760735887
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I’m not sure if that’s a joke or real. It’s totally believable that a young, woke, effeminate beta male cannot read an analogue clock. In any case, the AI still got the time wrong, should be 8:43.
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0643?! Or 1843.
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My bad, just looked at the minute hand.
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The video is strongly suggestive of Leunig’s “Simian Sunrise”:-
https://artimagesgallery.com.au/products/tv-sunrise
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Covid flashback – how dumb do they feel now?
https://imgbox.com/QFdNKJic
I bet they’re still wearing masks while driving alone.
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I might be wrong about a Modoki El Nino, that marine heatwave has stopped the cold water travelling north on the Peru Current.
https://classic.nullschool.net/#current/ocean/surface/currents/overlay=sea_surface_temp_anomaly/orthographic=-93.20,-28.77,1060/loc=-81.723,-46.567
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Its a possible super El Nino.
https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/is-a-super-el-nino-on-the-way/1891265
02
Federal cyber experts called Microsoft’s cloud a “pile of sh#t,” approved it anyway
For years, reviewers said, Microsoft had tried and failed to fully explain how it protects sensitive information in the cloud as it hops from server to server across the digital terrain. Given that and other unknowns, government experts couldn’t vouch for the technology’s security.
The federal government could be further exposed if it couldn’t verify the cybersecurity of Microsoft’s Government Community Cloud High, a suite of cloud-based services intended to safeguard some of the nation’s most sensitive information.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/03/federal-cyber-experts-called-microsofts-cloud-a-pile-of-shit-approved-it-anyway/
Yup.
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A real estate agency which manages a property for us recently sent a condition report on the tenanted property requiring password access via a software company. Our experience has been that such reports simply came from the agency via normal email or by post. I can see no reason for an employment of a third party in the communications, and am concerned about this third party access. We have insisted that the normal post or email be used.
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Unfortunately such outsourcing by R/E agents is a common practice, as property managers are a lazy lot.
I avoid signing up with anyone as much as possible, for every one is a security breach in the making.
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Yes, the geological records trap the believers.
In discussions/arguments, I’ve often presented this trap for them. When the geological evidence presents something these people do not wish to believe, one then presents the dilemma to them: either the laws of physics have changed in the interim (this causes episodes of metaphorical stroke); or some factor(s) have changed – if so, which ones matter ?
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Is Iran Looking to End the War?
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/iran-calls-for-new-hormuz-transit-regime-after-war-6000448?utm_source=goodeveningnoe&src_src=goodeveningnoe&utm_campaign=gv-2026-03-18&src_cmp=gv-2026-03-18&utm_medium=email&est=3cOQCUBAOmetTYgJNoIVcu4nX2iY6GupTD36p9SpUF%2FYSgqpEwveo292FLlaGKedvg%3D%3D
Iran closed the Strait. Now it seems they are looking for a way out.
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A nice bit of beef or solar panels?
https://imgbox.com/8gNS0fhh
Eat bugs. It’s good for the planet and ok for you.
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Tucker Carlson interview with Joe Kent on Iran
https://youtu.be/1cbw1utqzHg?si=EqHVGMWYx86hBqjM
For those interested.
Attention span: 2 hours. 😁
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Didn’t see this mentioned yesterday.
Australian company Bosscap, who converted Ford F-150 Lightning EVs to right-hand drive, has caled in the receivers.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/australian-electric-vehicle-manufacturer-bosscap-calls-in-receivers-amid-supply-chain-woes/news-story/cda046e99d061479d77df07ad3b54ae9
(Paywalled)
Bosscap stated that “a sudden change in global production strategy from Ford materially impacted the availibility of the underlying platform the business relied on”. 100 jobs are now at risk after lenders called in receivers, and warranty work has also been suspended.
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Story tip? Unbelievable fuel zsar pick.
Albanese appoints climate bureaucrat as fuel crisis coordinator, despite calls for military-style leadership https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/anthony-albanese-appoints-climate-bureaucrat-as-fuel-crisis-coordinator-ignoring-calls-for-militarystyle-leadership/news-story/02bdca3f659e34bef85fb69c7ccba73d
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“Anthony Albanese has appointed a career climate bureaucrat to oversee the nation’s petrol and diesel supplies,”
What are the overseers going to do? Tell private companies how they can and can’t operate? Multinationals with more power than Australia in the world?
Most likely set up a panel that will form committees, who will make sub-committees to investigate what can be done to ensure nothing upsets Labor’s chance of re-election! They will all get rich, burn more fuel than anyone having meetings all over the country, and generate thousands of pages of meaningless waffle. Its a good thing too, if we had an efficient Govt we would be in real trouble!
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What is the structure of the new Fuel Task Force? Is there more than one incumbent? If so, how many, and at what remuneration?
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Does it matter?
No one in Australia listened to Trump last year when he told the UN general assembly that nations following the UN inspired Climate Change™ hoax would impoverish their economies. Australia is impoverished. The lack of diesel just increases the awareness.
Australia has wasted vast sums of money on tripling its electricity generating with no increase in output. No wonder the country is in the toilet.
Imagine if a fraction of that money has been spent on oil exp[loration and development.
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‘NSW to ban new coal mines on greenfield sites.
‘In a major policy shift, NSW will ban new coal mining projects on greenfields, but allowing existing mines to expand in changes affecting billions in investments.’ (Oz)
21
A country committing suicide.
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FWIW – more on Canada’s wonderful health system
“Health Canada caught funding “booty bumping” kits with your tax dollars.
Nearly $3 million tax dollars went to a Toronto organization in the name of “harm reduction”.
One of the funded services was kits to help people insert hard drugs through their rear end.”
https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2026/03/18/tommy-douglas-not-dead-enough-20/
And
Yesterday I saw a post listing waiting times for health services in Canada. It also moted that there was only one such service in Canada with no waiting time. It was paywalled and didn’t list the service but I’d say that you can take a pretty good guess at which one
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FWIW
“A Windy Day!”
“It does not take a genius to work out that when Ed Miliband succeeds in tripling wind power capacity, there will be far too much wind power for the grid to handle.”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/14/a-windy-day/
And yet
“Aussie Security Experts Demand an Accelerated Renewable Transition”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/15/aussie-security-experts-demand-an-accelerated-renewable-transition/
Don’t feel safer that they are largely retired till you know what replaced them
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So, Israel blows up Iran’s South pars gas field, and in return Iran blows up Qatar’s Ras Laffin gas hub. That’s the world’s largest LNG gas plant, took 14years to build, and might be out of action for that long again. Trump reckons Israel did it on their own and he knew nothing about it.
Looks like its FAFO for Israel and America, and they will drag the rest of the world down with them. Meanwhile, price of gas rockets and America exports even more!
Trump will regret ever starting this war, it has done him no favours.
“One thing’s for sure, the US has never before looked so vindictive, weak, and embarrassing all at the same time on the world stage. Trump has truly opened up Pandora’s box, and his attempts to bluff-and-bravado his way out of the ensuing consequences are unlikely to work.”
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/things-go-haywire-as-israeli-escalation
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Batten the hatches!!!! Sorry should have linked (http://reg.bom.gov.au/qld/observations/qldall.shtml)
Worst wind gust at Lockhardt River 14 knots.
Holy Mackeral it knocked the weather station off Bouganville Reef but the glass fell like you would not believe to 1005 mmHg.
Willis Island did hit 33 knots at 2:21am this morning.
I do not think Hector Holthouse will rise from his grave to add this event to his book ‘Cyclone’.
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