Notes from the edge of civilization: November 10, 2024 (International edition)

Yes, we've got international news; also, some monkeying around.

There is always risk in pulling a quote from the Internet from someone famous; often the quotes are paraphrased, falsely attributed, or just plain made up. But this past week really deserves the following quote, purportedly from the father of the Russian revolution, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

He said: “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

Where do we even start looking back at the last seven days?

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The collapse of the Democrat Party was on full display this past Tuesday here in America. And its fallout — from a billion dollar election war chest to $20 million in debt — is a scathing indictment of the stench of dysfunction in this country. But really, that’s the just start of some of the wild news that emerged from countries around the globe this week.

• Germany — The three-party coalition government effectively collapsed, according to The Guardian, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz unexpectedly fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who is also leader of the coalition member Free Democratic Party. The country’s instability comes at a most inopportune time; Germany’s economy is about to implode from looney-tunes ‘green’ policies that have crippled the energy and manufacturing sectors. Watch this story as it unfolds, it is absolutely one of the saddest tales of complex incompetence that has the potential to set off an economic crisis of epic proportions.

• Israel — Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu dismissed his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, Israelis were protesting in the streets of Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem, as reported by Sky News. Netanyahu attributed the firing to a "crisis of trust,” while Gallant appeared to press for a hostage deal in Gaza, drafting Orthodox Jews into the military, and an inquiry into the failures around the October 7, 2023 terror attack. Of course, given the ongoing hostilities with its neighbors, uncertainty and instability is breeding ground for error or worse, erratic decisions. Hear that ‘tick tick tick’ sound? You know what that is. Be prepared mentally, spiritually and any other way you can think of.

• Spain — Two words you don’t often see in the same sentence: Spain and flooding. But over the past couple of weeks, Spain has suffered terrible flash flooding. About two weeks ago, in Valencia, almost 1.5 feet of rain fell in just eight hours. This past week, rain came down so quickly in the coastal town of Cadaques, that a torrent of water washed 30 or more vehicles down the street piling them up against a bridge like so many dinky toys. Unlike Valencia though, there was no loss of life in Cadaques (thankfully). Protests have been reported — lots of angry people are watching government inaction as confirmation of its contempt for its citizens.

• Taiwan — Now this is what you call ‘just-in-time’ delivery! From The Defense Post:

  Taiwan has received its first batch of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States, Taipei’s defense ministry said Wednesday, as the island races to boost its defenses against a potential Chinese attack.

  Washington has long been Taipei’s most important ally and biggest arms supplier — angering Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its own territory.

  In the past five decades, the United States has sold Taiwan billions of dollars worth of military equipment and ammunition, including F-16 fighter jets and warships.

  Of note, the HIMARS system can fire a variety of munitions, including the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which Taiwan has also purchased. Given a range of about 186 miles, which means it can reach mainland China, the ATACMS system is just another finger poke in the Chinese eye.

Gird your loins, loyal readers — 2025 is shaping up to be a helluva ride.

A riparian car pile-up is not an everyday sight.

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Hooboy — last week might well be characterized as significant for simian news. You could even say downright George Michael-ian! Not one, but two stories crossed our radar.

First, this news, courtesy of News Channel 9, Chattanooga:

A monkey attempted to attack a woman in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee while she was feeding her cats. She shot it with a shotgun, and the animal was taken to the Chattanooga Zoo, where it later died.

We can’t help but wonder what might have happened in a ‘blue’ state. Nevertheless, seems strange to have a random monkey wandering the byways of Tennessee terrorizing citizens.

But the lone Vervet monkey terrorist doesn’t hold a candle to the army of 43 Rhesus Macaque monkeys that bolted for the doors left open, erroneously, at the Alpha Genesis research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina. Apparently this is the second inmate primate escape that’s happened in as many years.

Police also said Thursday that the monkeys were very young females weighing just 6 to 7 lbs. The company told the police that the animals were too young to carry disease, although it's unclear whether this means they are incapable of contracting disease or simply hadn't been introduced into any clinical trials.

We’ll just have to trust the company, even though they can’t seem to restrain their monkeys. Furthermore, instructions to the public were “to lock windows and doors and not to interact with the monkeys.”

Monkey pox, folks. Monkey pox.

I guess when life gives you monkeys, you make an organ grinder business, right? Or, better still, someone get these monkeys a typewriter!

Did someone say ‘Infinite Monkey Theorem?’

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One final — serious note — America and the vast majority of Western nations have dedicated November 11 to recognize and honor veterans; men and women who fought adversaries that threatened our values and way of life. Collapse Life spoke with Jordan Karr — a former US Air Force Intelligence officer — about her battle fighting the enemy within. Her story is important, inspiring, enlightening, and a fitting way to understand the dark forces currently at work within the US military establishment. Be sure to watch this interview on the occasion of Veteran’s Day 2024 and join the entire team at Collapse Life as we salute those defending our liberty.

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