Interesting start to a new month that ends the summer of campaigning. There is all that stuff flying around in the Wide World and the chaos of the American general election cycle. There was a technical challenge in just attempting to compile it all down on The Farm. We transferred the old “last backup” from the old hard drive to the new one, and of course there were mis-cues. To the Writer’s Section, a group of not very savvy computer users, everything looked the same. But the transfer failed to accommodate all the ones-and-zeros, so some things work and some don’t. We think you already knew that.

There is some breaking news that could affect us all directly. All the hysteria about Ukraine continues, but Mr. Biden reportedly “barked” at Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy on the phone this week, perhaps because what Washington sees from the Potomac is something different than the vision across the Dnepr. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, a lachrymose fellow, indicates there “might be grounds for peace.” We’ll see. May be preps for a winter in the trenches, or an effort to insert an “effect” on the last 4-day window before the US election.

There are big deals in the background a little atypical from the old bi-polar world. They are real and could generate excitement. The new multi-polar geopolitics are quite different than they used to be with a “veto” or encouragement delivered from the two former superpowers who each had inventories of nuclear wepons sufficient to end what we jovially call “Civilization.” This morning, the latest Kim to rule North Korea indicated he might use nukes himself if not placated.

That is a new step for him. Estimates in the morning paper claim he may have 27 atomic weapons. to provide emphasis for his anger, the DPRK launched at least 14 rockets in the vicinity of the ROK. That raises the total (fired lately) to 40, and indicates a desire for attention as a major US-ROK exercise involving troops and aircraft continues through tomorrow. One significant detail was the firing of an artillery round through part of the demilitarized zone, reported to be the first since the Armistice was signed in 1953.

There is another weird one that leaps into the Top Three Troubles, ahead of the China-Taiwan reunification move now not expected until the Spring invasion season starts. Iran. The Saudis informed us they had discovered Iranian plans to strike targets in the Kingdom. Both the Saudis and US are reported to be ramping up response options. Timeframe was “within 48 hours” and that word is a day-and-a-half old, so something could be happening by end of the afternoon.

Not unusual timing for that. The Powers That Be tend to release bad news late Friday, when the Beltway is already jammed with people attempting to get home and not think for a while. We’ll see, right? They say the time has passed for “surprises,” but we are still expecting something…interesting.

More as it happens.

Copyright 2022 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com