BRICS has expanded to 20 countries – 10 members and 10 partners – after adding Vietnam. BRICS+ now makes up 44% of world GDP (PPP) and 56% of the global population. The US failed to divide China and Vietnam in its Second Cold War.

geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/0…

#economy #economics #geopolitics #brics

in reply to David

@freeagent
I never said it wasn't political, every trade agreement is political. What I said is #BRICS is not a military or political alliance it is an alternative system of multi polar trading free of interference from the current US hegemony system where international trade requires trading in US dollars.

For example, New Zealand, which is not even a #BRICS member country, has a FTA with its biggest trading partner China that means NZ and China can freely trade with each other in their own currencies.

in reply to Yogthos

@freeagent

I have no idea what argument David is trying to make. His initial comment was that BRICS doesn’t appear to be a unified bloc pointing to the relationship between India and China. Which is why I pointed out the fact BRICS is not a political or military alliance but a cooperative economic system of trade.

USA’s 3 largest trading partners are Mexico, Canada, and China. It would be ridiculous to assume this makes these countries a unified political bloc.

Ironically, since Trump introduced his tariffs India, Japan, South Korea and the ASEAN member nations have all agreed to increase their economic and political cooperation with China.

Nvidia Is Full of Shit

Link: blog.sebin-nyshkim.net/posts/n…
Discussion: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4…

This is the heartwarming moment we need right now:

11-year-old Danish kid Jens Fogh made Easter decorations and sold them, thereby raising USD 5300 which he used to buy 270 school backpacks for Ukrainian children. So while in Denmark, Zelenskyy presented him with a medal for his friendship.

A hero meets a hero — I love it! ♥️

Israeli Regime Conducts Bold Ground Incursion Near Damascus tn.ai/3348038

Best privacy preserving measures


Considering the current intrusive cyber climate, what are the best ways to preserve privacy?

For example, I have been exclusively using a VPN connection network-wide at home setup on OpenWrt, which in turn has a PiHole as its DNS, with the PiHole using Unbound and NextDNS (redundant I know, but I use it to encrypt my requests more than anything else).

I also have Wireguard setup so I can VPN all my devices to my network while I am on the road (also have a NextDNS profile installed. Yes I know, it’s redundant).

I also basically have all my “smart” devices (TV, lightbulbs, air purifier, etc…) at home cutoff from the internet using OpenWrt’s firewall to prevent them from calling home.

I rotate web browsers frequently to try and attempt avoiding getting fingerprinted, not sure how useful that is.

I switched email providers to mailbox.org because f*** Google and Microsoft.

I also am hosting my own cloud drive on Nextcloud to avoid using services like GDrive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc…

I own Apple devices which aren’t the best for privacy but migrating from a whole ecosystem that I have been embedded in for MANY years is easier said than done. Hopefully in the future that’s my next move.

I feel like there is a lot more I can do but I am not sure what else. I would appreciate any and all suggestions ya’ll might have.

Colombian Lawmakers Demand US Congressional Ethics Probe Over Alleged Interference in Colombia telesurenglish.net/colombian-l…

Supreme Court declines to revive Montana law that would require parental consent for minors to obtain abortions


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This entry was edited (3 weeks ago)
in reply to DominusOfMegadeus

Lol to this, because it's partially true, but also a bit defeatist.

You need to stay on top of berry bushes quarterly in warmer zones, but this person is in Minnesota. I don't think they'll thrive their like they would in warmer zones without harsh winters.

If farms can keep them in check, regular gardeners can as well, it just takes a fair amount of effort.

CIA Finds Ex-Director Brennan at the Center of 2016 Russiagate Fraud eir.news/2025/07/news/cia-find…

The unexplained death of a top Russian oilexecutive on July 4 is fueling renewed scrutiny over the rising number of high-profile Russian officials and businessmen who have died under mysterious circumstances -- specifically, have fallen out of windows.
Andrei Badalov, vice president of Transneft, Russia's largest state-controlled pipeline transport company, died after falling from the window of his apartment in Moscow.
Russian state news agency TASS, citing law enforcement sources, claimed the preliminary cause of death was suicide.
While Russian authorities often label these falls as suicides or accidents, others suggest something more deliberate may be at play
kyivindependent.com/out-the-wi…

How brutal is Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’? The answer is in the charts:

📉 Millions lose Medicaid
💸 Student debt payments spike
🌍 Climate investment gutted
📈 $3T deficit explosion
All to shower billionaires in tax cuts. One big, draconian mess 👇 #press

nytimes.com/interactive/2025/0…

Which MLB player have I RE-NAMED "KETTLE OF VAGINAL SECRETIONS?"

FIND OUT at @Darren's fantastic RANDUMB THOUGHTS episode:
randumbthoughts.com/2025/07/02…