What is the Future of the Falkland Islands
(Telegraph) Falklanders should go back to England, Argentina’s vice-president said after Buenos Aires renewed its claim to the British overseas territory. Argentina’s claim to what it calls the Malvinas was boosted when Donald Trump threatened to review the official US position on the islands after the UK refused to join his war on Iran.
Javier Milei, Argentina’s president and a close ally of Mr. Trump, said last week that “the Malvinas were, are, and will always be Argentine”.Victoria Villarruel (pictured), President Milei’s deputy, wrote on social media on Monday: “Today, more than ever, the Malvinas are Argentine. “The discussion over the sovereignty of our islands is between states; the United Kingdom must discuss bilaterally with Argentina the claim that we maintain for legal, historical, and geographical reasons.
Without a means to defend British territory, maybe the UK should cede territory such as the Falklands back to Argentina. I know that Argentina lost the last war, but it’s unlikely they’d lose the next one. It’s a way of putting a Band-Aid on old wounds. When the only military option you have left is making friends, you should take that option.
The British need to read Kipling more seriously. (The City of Brass)
The tares they had laughingly sown were ripe for the reaping.
The trust they had leagued to disown was removed from their keeping.
The eaters of other men’s bread, the exempted from hardship,
The excusers of impotence fled, abdicating their wardship,
For the hate they had taught through the State brought the State no defender,
And it passed from the roll of the Nations in headlong surrender!
UAE is Leaving OPEC
(NBC News) The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday that it would leave OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which coordinates oil output among leading energy-producing nations. The UAE’s departure from OPEC will likely lead it to boost energy output. Although the Strait of Hormuz is closed, it’s not clear how quickly any increased production could reach global markets.
“Following its exit, the UAE will continue to act responsibly, bringing additional production to market in a gradual and measured manner, aligned with demand and market conditions,” its state-run news agency said. In recent years, the UAE’s oil output was the third largest in OPEC, behind only Saudi Arabia and Iraq. While Abu Dhabi had joined OPEC in 1967, the full United Arab Emirates has been a member since its creation as a sovereign nation in 1971.
The OPEC cartel exists to control the world’s oil supply and thus the price. The US and Russia are not members of OPEC, but Russia is a member of OPEC+, an alliance formed in 2016 between OPEC members and several non-OPEC oil-exporting nations to coordinate production levels and influence oil prices. Venezuela is a member of OPEC, but for how long?
Meme of the Day
Bullet Points
** Question of the Day: Why is the USMC referred to as a cult and the USAF is referred to as a corporation?
** Jules is partied out – this is her report.
** Right – If PAULM was a fighter pilot. (P-47D Razorback)
** Claudio considered joining, but they don’t offer days off. That may change his career goals. These sorts of recruiting videos have impacted his thinking about making a difference.
** Just Looking for a Better Life? – Federal agents just stopped another wave of illegal maritime invasions off Southern California. Between April 17 and 21, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations teamed up with the Coast Guard to intercept three overloaded smuggling vessels packed with migrants, many of them carrying serious criminal records. Officials apprehended a total of 60 individuals. Their rap sheets include drug trafficking, aggravated assault with a weapon, domestic violence, DUI, burglary, and more. These are not first-time crossers looking for a better life. They’re repeat offenders exploiting weak borders to slip into American communities. One bust on April 17 near San Clemente Island netted 13 people on a 24-foot boat. The next day, agents with the Coast Guard Cutter Florence Finch grabbed 29 Mexican nationals near San Nicolas Island. On April 21, the Coast Guard Cutter Terrel Horne took down another vessel with 18 more.
** A few dramatic moments. US$20 and a shot of tequila gets you going. Do you have what it takes to be a (local) hero?
** (RID – h/t Claudio) In the early morning hours of April 25, 2026, Tuareg forces of the Azawad Liberation Front (AFL), in coordination with al-Qaeda -affiliated jihadists (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa’l Muslimin, JNIM ), launched a series of joint attacks against the Malian government, supported by the Russian Africa Corps, conquering numerous checkpoints, bases and population centers and seizing large quantities of military equipment in several areas of the country. If you follow “small wars around the globe,” this one has been particularly interesting since the arrival of the Russian Africa Corps. There aren’t many places that Russia is able to flex its muscles, and with the transformation of the Wagner Group – well, bring popcorn and a Diet Dr. Pepper.
** The British Army rented a ferry to transport 1,400 British Army soldiers from the 7th Light Mechanized Brigade from North Shields, UK, to the Netherlands so they could participate in Exercise Rhino Storm. The British (stiff upper lip, old chap) didn’t have the sea transport capability or the airlift capacity. After arriving in the Netherlands, they boarded a train for a 16-hour ride to the exercise. The Ministry of Defense, trying to pour perfume on a pig, explained that it was a “strategic choice” and not a lack of transport. Because in wartime, trains are safe…and civilian ferries are better than military transports. Was the ferry escorted by warships the way it would have been if there were wartime conditions? No, there were no French warships available to do the job.
One bright note in regard to the Royal Navy – they have more admirals than ships. So if they had ships that could leave the harbor, and if they could cobble together crews (which they can’t at the moment), there would be a mixed bag of admirals to stand on the bridge and shout orders.
“If I Ever Leave This World Alive” — Flogging Molly
“If I ever leave this world alive,
I’ll take on all the sadness that I left behind.
If I ever leave this world alive,
The madness that you feel will soon subside.
~
So in a word, don’t shed a tear
I’ll be here when it all gets weird
If I ever leave this world alive.”
Those Intrepid Japanese
(h/t Ken & Claudio) Japan has enough plutonium to make 5,500 nuclear warheads, China’s PLA Daily says. China’s military mouthpiece claims Tokyo has an ‘astonishing’ stockpile of nuclear materials and the tech to produce weapons. The report warned that once Japan had fully broken free from the constraints of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, (1) it would not possess, (2) produce, or (3) allow the introduction of nuclear weapons, it “could become a de facto nuclear-armed state in an extremely short period of time”.
China is starting to panic, and it’s showing. State media PLA is suddenly obsessed with one topic: Japan’s nuclear capability. Why? Because Japan already has everything it needs to go nuclear, except the political decision. Japan holds 44 tons of separated plutonium.
That’s enough to build thousands of nuclear warheads in a short period of time. No testing. No long development cycle. Just a switch.
And Beijing knows it. That’s why the propaganda machine is suddenly warning about Japan falling into a “historical cycle of militarism” because China is afraid of being beaten by Japan once again. There’s history here. Since the First Sino-Japanese War, China has never been comfortable with a strong Japan, especially a militarily capable one.
Now look at what’s happening:
– Japanese warships are lingering in contested waters in the Taiwan Strait, running full radar sweeps
– Japan is exporting military vessels for the first time in decades
– Southeast Asian countries are lining up, even for used Japanese ships
– Defense restrictions are being quietly rewritten
This is not the Japan of the past 30 years. This is a country that’s realizing something simple: If you rely on others for security, you don’t control your future. And here’s the real fear in Beijing: China’s entire strategic and psychological advantage over Japan hinges on Japan being a non-nuclear nation. If Japan ever walks away from its non-nuclear principles, China’s entire nuclear advantage becomes irrelevant overnight. Because when Japan moves, it doesn’t move slowly. It moves with precision, speed, and industrial dominance.
No one knows how much weapons-grade nuclear material the CCP has. It broke its commitment to the IAEA decades ago. Japan provides annual confirmation and total transparency. CCP China does nothing. 40 of the 44 tons of Japanese material are held in France and the UK, which were part of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plan for Japan’s MOX nuclear power plants. Those MOX plants should have been 3 times as many, but new ones were delayed following the Fukushima tsunami. It is a fact that nothing technical or financial stops Japan from matching the CCP arsenal except the will of the Japanese people.
The South Koreans have a similar trajectory to producing nuclear weapons. They are building a nuclear submarine now. The pathway to a weapon could be measured in months instead of years. And what about Taiwan? You know they’re thinking along the same lines.
If Xi continues to threaten Japan with its nuclear weapons, he might produce the exact result he wants most to avoid. Xi is probably the most counterproductive leader the CCP has ever had.
Uranium
Fresh uranium publication from the U.S. Geological Survey, “ Uranium—Deposits, Production and Resources, Market Dynamics, and Supply Chain Risks.” The Mogollon Rim, where I live, is the southern terminus of the Colorado Plateau – Uranium country.
Identify the Aircraft
1
Hint: The Chinese version still has 120 aircraft in active service.
2
248 built – the canopy shape inspired by the French Fouga Magister, the wings and fuel tanks inspired by the F-84
3
4
1290 built
End
Identify the Aircraft
1 – Soviet Tupolev Tu-16
2 – Yugoslav Soko G-2 Galeb
3 – Avro Canada CF-100
4 – Sukhoi Su-15TM Flagon
Outstanding
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Tupolev Tu-16 Badger
2. Soko G-2 Galeb
3. Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck
4. Sukhoi Su-15 Flagon
Well done!!
For reasons too esoteric to get into here, the handful of hams on the Falkland islands, as well as the few other islands around there, are regularly heard here in Florida. They start to feel like neighbors. Not close friends but people you know and wouldn’t hesitate to just chat with. There’s a couple of guys that if they showed up and asked to borrow my car, I’d hand them the keys – metaphorically at the moment.
~~
Within the last few days, the idea that if the UK has ONE navy vessel and has to hire a ferry to get a group of soldiers across the channel to the Netherlands got me thinking that Argentina was going to go for it again and they’ll be Argentinian possession again. Milei talks about the islands being Argentine, everyone I’ve talked with has an English-sounding name, not Hispanic-sounding.
~~
Do you think the UAE leaving OPEC might have something to do with them being the country that Iran shot the most missiles at?
“might have something to do”
It’s quite a coincidence.
But:
https://www.cfr.org/articles/why-the-uae-walked-out-on-opec-and-what-it-means-for-the-cartel
“The Emirates had been weighing a break from the cartel for several years now. A war, a conflict in Yemen, and a collapsed partnership with Riyadh gave them their reason to act.”
Also, Saudi Arabia publicly criticized the UAE and called for a full withdrawal, which it then announced.
I don’t see a link between the UAE’s energy policy and the UK’s weakness, which has become increasingly apparent despite a lot of big talk on their part. Even if the Reform Party takes Parliament, the UK is broke; they couldn’t afford to buy destroyers from Japan or South Korea. I don’t want to see them fail, but they need to put their house in order. They raise taxes on the rich, and the rich, predictably, leave, as do businesses that provide jobs. The only way forward for the UK is a painful path they’re unwilling to take.
.
UAE, as stated above, has wanted to get out from under the thumb of the Magic Kingdom for some time. They’re making their move. We are entering a multi-polar world, and they want to be a pole, not a Saudi footnote. Everybody will be building atomic bombs now. They’ll want their own. In a sense, it raises the stakes. Everyone with eyes saw Ukraine give up their nukes to Russia, and then Russia invaded. The world doesn’t need more nuclear weapons (see Iran), but it will be happening at an accelerated pace going forward as a guarantee of sovereignty. I see the departure from OPEC more as a sign that the UAE is likely to get its own nukes.
.
And when the British won’t be able to sail their aging SSBNs anymore, how will they employ their nuclear weapons, which are tied to seapower? Stay tuned, invest in popcorn.
OPEC- When certain groups start realizing they are being hamstrung by their own Club members decide being independent of The Club is a good idea, then actually do it…well, now…seems PDJT – playing 5D chess – has reformed global economics and markets, whether directly or indirectly. That scene in Draft Day when Sonny says to the guys who hemmed and hawed on making a trade deal, “Sorry, it’s a different world we live in now”. It’s a different world, and rapidly adjusting. Iran has, what, 50 more days of power left? The people will rise up when the lights go out. All I can say for the best President ever (considering the complicated world we live as compared to ‘back then’): More Of That Please!
***
Jules…”I’ve had four days of back to back celebrations…”, and yet, WE, loyal VM lurkers, weren’t invited to add a little Colony seasoning to The Motherland festivities? Pfft. All some got was a ‘White Tie’ dinner with the King and Queen, and we weren’t invited.
(Sounds like a great time Jules…life is lived…gotta go for it when opportunities present.)
***
Nice picture find! Who knew! Thing is, I’m only ‘Ruthless’ when she goes to town.
You’re right, Paul. Grab the bull with both horns. I’m recovering gently, ready for the weekend.
From what I’ve seen of the King on telly, he was rather on form, I thought. Elegant, a bit witty but with humility. Much better than our tit of a PM.
Right after we announced your on your own regarding the Malvides, er Falklands…
I think that the King did well, Jules. He is trying to patch up something that’s broken. I don’t think his visit will work for that, but he was on form, and everyone loves a parade. KC3 doesn’t want to see the country fall into a caliphate on his watch, but the managed decline, outside of his control, continues at a steady pace. Can the UK shuck off the DEI madness and climate crazy? Can they ship savage people back to the savage lands they came from? Will the white women in Britain start having white children? Can they do away with the dole in large part? Can they dismantle the disastrous National Healthcare System?
.
I watched a program in which British pensioners were angry that apartment owners were raising rents and evicting them. The show was designed to tug the heartstrings, but the world is made up of pay-to-play. You can’t eat other people’s bread forever. Rent control just means there will be fewer apartments (for government funded immigrants). The NYC model is instructive as that city descends into dystopia.
> pensioners were angry that apartment owners were raising rents and evicting them. The show was designed to tug the heartstrings, but the world is made up of pay-to-play.
—
Fair enough, up to a point. But when BlackRock (or similar foreign-controlled [I don’t care if that smug bastard’s passport says “US”], contemptuous-of-the-ordinary-person, you-are-all-dumb-animals-to-be-manipulated-and-deceived entity) ends up controlling a plurality, if not outright majority, of rental housing in any particular market, we have big problems. And the correct answer will be “let a thousand Luigis bloom”. The Luigi solution is the NICE solution. And if anyone is thinking of rebutting with “the free market” and “capitalism” — no. No it ain’t. This is crony “capitalism” facilitated by regulatory capture, insider trading, and outright buying of politicians. All that’s already in place. The phase being implemented now is making it a Hate Crime to Notice that this is happening and who is doing it. (The wholly America-First!!! Ellisons pere et fils buying TikTok and Paramount/Skydance is the latest move in fortifying our freedumb of speech.)
From NIck Danger: Third Eye (Firesign Theater):
Out of the fog, into the smog… NICK (cough, cough) ANNOUNCER Relentlessly… ruthlessly… NICK I wonder where Ruth is? ANNOUNCER …doggedly… (bark bark)
A Firesign Theater reference — my day has been made…
Heh. @ Juan below — dinosaurs indeed.
—
Knock on the door.
—
“Who is it?”
—
“It’s Dave”.
—
“Uuhhhh—Dave’s not here”.
RHT477-
“No! It’s me! Dave!”
“Bailiff. Whack his pp”…
Thanks for the big smile
Juan
regnaD kciN!
As kinda usual for me-
recently some mentioned polymarket.
Some knew little about it.
No idea who these guys are, but I thought other dinosaurs here may find some of it to be
intriguing:
https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?__goaway_challenge=js-refresh&__goaway_id=943e83248165783c418ceec564bb65f9&__goaway_referer=https%3A%2F%2Finv.nadeko.net%2F&v=A654vzQTGbQ
Juan
I’m one of the guys who mentioned it. I don’t gamble (I gambled once 50+ years ago, I lost: she’s still with me!).
I use it to invest: it’s one of the best/easiest ways to determine what the sheep believe, how they’re going to vote, how they’re going to invest.
for realworld information, I read this blog,
Exactly. Stick with VM for reality.
VM (nd dinosaurs) nd The Holy Bible.
Pretty good company huh?
Juan
** Just Looking for a Better Life?
Sad, those boats aren’t treated like narco boats.
It would discourage them. So would laying antipersonnel mines along the US Southern Border.
Having some experience with antipersonnel mines, I would vote no. Once you lay mines, you should maintain them. For best deterrence on the border, they need to go on the Mexico side. Of course this is just inappropriate joking.
When the Coast Guard intercepts smugglers, what do they do with the boat?
Smugglers are brought to the U.S. to face federal prosecution under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (46 U.S.C. §70501-70507). The boats are offloaded of contraband and evidence and are scuttled at sea.
Thank you.
“Question of the Day”
because the Marines are a band of brothers who’ve seen (faced down) the elephant
and the AF are a bunch climbing an extremely steep pyramid for a gold star (their only concern)
Falklands, Schmalvinas. Both the UK and Argentina (plus the US) are functionally owned by the exact same people, so what difference does it make? This spat over less than 5k sq miles of turf is theater-kid drama. (I exaggerate for effect, but the same soulless vampires prey on all of us equally. This UK vs Argie kabuki is to keep us talking animals from Noticing the actual vampire squids.)
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“Migrant” boats. Why not .50 cal at one mile offshore? That, by the way, is what the Euros desperately need to do once the new waves of “famine migrants” start coming over the Med later this year.
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Japan. We (for values of “we”) joke about how White Europeans can go from zero to jackboots faster than any other group, but don’t count the Japanese out. The Japanese are just as ethnocentric as the Han (the two peoples are tied for second place), but more group-disciplined. And I’d argue more atrocity prone. The difference is that the Japanese are a little more polite about concealing their ethnosupremacist tendencies in civilized company. (Both the Chinese and Japanese are disgusted by miscegenation, yes even with white people [1], so at least they aren’t hypocrites. The contrast with “I insist on miscegenation for you, but ethnosupremacist purity for me” is left as an exercise for the reader.)
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[1] I really hate the term “hapa” for Eurasians. Hapa is a stupid term from Hawaii (where they’re also extremely ethnosupremacist, only with far fewer accomplishments to brag about vs the Chinks and the Nips). Put THAT in your haole pipe and smoke it. Then go home.
Are you suggesting that the Falkland Islands ownership is an exercise in measuring dicks?
(Caveat) Though I have no personal experience with the practice being way too pure for that, Japanese and Chinese women have an aversion to miscegenation based on cultural norms. However, in their early 20s, many seek out a “barbarian experience”.
Purity: 99 and 44/100% pure is a good goal to strive for.
“Uranium country”
Cisco lives again!
Indeed!
The UAE bailing on OPEC has been a long time coming. They have chafed under the ‘leadership’ of the Saudis, as they don’t actually like them very much. This would free up the UAE to make their own deals, in whatever direction at whatever price they want. AND they will up production!!! The Falklands/Malvinas is going back to Argentina by ‘default’ if nothing else, there won’t be a lot that Britain can do about it…
Read Kipling, exactly, LL.
Maybe the US should just annex it, and Argentina too. Not as if we couldn’t.