The reptiles finally noticed ...
It was down the page and a rehash by Anons, but they finally noticed...
‘I was called a traitor by a man I fought for’: Greene slams Trump ahead of Epstein vote
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former Trump loyalist, lashes out at the US President as Congress prepares to vote on the release of government records relating to one of the world’s most notorious scandals.
by AFP and staff writers
What a win for Marge ...and how weird they need to take a vote when King Donald could just declassify the records by thinking about them ...
And yet there were many other things that have gone unnoticed ...
Meanwhile King Donald carried on in his usual sociopathic way ...
Trump says Saudi crown prince knew nothing of journalist murder, rejecting CIA assessment
‘Things happen’: Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi murder
Donald Trump said the murdered journalist and US citizen Jamal Khashoggi was ‘extremely controversial,’ as he announced $1 trillion worth of deals with Mohammed bin Salman.
By Alexander Ward and Michael Gordon
Reality is never an issue for those living in an alternative universe, but at least the reptiles have taken to featuring bizarro world ...
Strangely there was no top-of-the-page mention of the ABC/BBC jihad - surely the feud with Media Watch was worth another dog botherer rant? - but that other jihad kept on bubbling along...
Libs won’t rest until ‘Mean Girls’ say sorry
The opposition has vowed to pursue Labor’s top brass over false cover-up claims in the Brittany Higgins case, despite the Prime Minister dismissing two damning court rulings.
By Elizabeth Pike and Sarah Ison
That offered the peculiar sight of mean girls scribbling about mean girls.
Do they really think that puerile tag will work King Donald style?
And where's Dame Slap? This was her pet jihad ...
Meanwhile, the reptiles can't help themselves...
Sussan Ley will not set a migration target, as she moves to shore up leadership before Christmas
Coalition to avoid hard migration target as Ley shores up leadership
Amid backbench agitation for the Coalition to take the fight up to Labor on immigration, The Australian understands there are no plans to lock in a preferred net overseas migration target 29 months out from the 2028 election.
By Geoff Chambers
So she's in the race with the lettuce until at least Xmas ...
It's so hard to keep up ...
Cape York’s radical plan to save all Australians from welfare trap and make education a legal right
Radical plan to save all Australians from welfare trap, regardless of race
Noel Pearson’s Cape York Partnership has embarked on a major reboot of Indigenous politics and unveiled a post-welfare vision for the ‘bottom million’ Australians, no matter their race.
By Paige Taylor
Prolific Paige performed double duties by doubling down ...
As national Indigenous programs face setbacks, Cape York’s unique welfare model has quietly achieved extraordinary results that could reshape Australian social policy.
By Paige Taylor
Speaking of ancient voices from distant pasts...
Libs pass political baton to a young, bright generation
Jess Wilson has arrived at the right time, a breath of fresh air within a political environment that is increasingly stale.
ByJeff Kennett
Contributor
Did the reptiles have to drag out a stale old fossil to perform the baton change?
None of that meant anything to the pond, because the bromancer had returned to his rightful place, at the top of the extreme far right ma ...
The bromancer was in his element, with a from-the-river-to-the-sea and a real estate masterstroke - even better than a ballroom and gold gilt - was now in the offing...
The header: UN Security Council endorses Trump’s controversial Gaza plan despite Hamas rejection, The UN Security Council has delivered Trump an extraordinary diplomatic victory on Gaza peace, yet the crucial requirement for Hamas to disarm appears increasingly unlikely.
The caption: US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, left, speaks with his Israeli counterpart Danny Danon before the start of a UN Security Council meeting to vote on a US resolution on the Gaza peace plan at the UN Headquarters in New York City, November 17, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
The bromancer was on his usual hysterical high, invigorated by his break ...
Who ever thought we’d be typing those words?
Trump deserves great credit for this step. It materially advances the chances for peace in Gaza and throughout the Middle East.
And even if it fails, the situation Trump has brought about in Gaza is far better than the relentless destruction of war that prevailed before he intervened.
Nonetheless, for all that, it’s still difficult to see how the Trump plan can actually be implemented in reality.
The UN Security Council endorsed all the key elements of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. There is to be an International Stabilisation Force to provide order in Gaza; there is to be a Peace Board presumably chaired by Trump himself; vetted Palestinians are to be trained for a new Gaza police force; there’s to be an international reconstruction effort; and the UN resolution even contained a positive reference to an eventual pathway to Palestinian statehood. Oh, and Hamas is to disarm.
Well, all of that still looks pretty hard, if not impossible.
But first, it’s important to register the diplomatic win. Trump mobilised both Arab and Israeli support for his peace plan.
And it was partly because of Arab and general Islamic support for the plan that both China and Russia, while abstaining on the vote, declined to veto it.
In a sense, this all involved much more traditional US diplomacy than is generally acknowledged. When Trump’s plans work, they typically add bluster to traditional diplomacy, rather than, as is often mistakenly thought, substituting bluster for diplomacy.
Thus Saudi Arabia gets a nuclear co-operation deal with the US. Turkey gets a better defence relationship with Washington. The Arab Gulf states get deeper US involvement in their security. These are traditional vectors of influence, and the Trump administration has used them to mobilise support for its plan.
And, crucially for the whole Arab and Islamic world, the resolution mentions a possible pathway to eventual Palestinian statehood, though Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly opposes this aspect of the plan, and in reality any potential Palestinian state is surely decades away at best.
Amazingly the reptiles provided only one visual distraction ... US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz addresses the UN Security Council as they meet to vote on a draft resolution to authorise an International Stabilisation Force in Gaza, on November 17, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Gray / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
As usual, the pond likes to run such matters past Haaretz, and came up with this ...
Beyond a passing reference to Palestinian statehood, the resolution's immediate impact lies in its creation of the International Stabilization Force. But questions linger over whose soldiers will make up the force and if disarming Hamas is even possible
As for the passing reference to Palestinian statehood in the UN resolution, it's important to understand how these words made their way into the text, and what their addition tells us about the Trump administration's next steps in the Middle East. This doesn't mean in any way that Trump is now committed to the two-state solution or that his administration will put an end to the despicable violence carried out by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. For Trump, these words are no more than a line he was forced to add to the U.S. resolution in order to ensure the support of his Arab allies. Nothing more, nothing less.
That doesn't sound good, what with King Donald just as likely to have a bromancer-style mood shift and change is plans in a trice. Is the casino really off the table? Given the rabid way of unchecked settlers, might there still be a full annexation?
It seems the main point for the moment was to do an arms deal, as explained by Haaretz (sorry, paywall)...
Forget murdered journalists, think of the planes ...
"We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path [to a] two-state solution," the crown prince said.
The Saudis have expressed interest in normalization with Israel as part of a defense pact with the United States, which would expand military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries and deem any attack on Saudi Arabia a threat to U.S. security.
The F-35 deal pushes MBS toward Israel. He can't be seen as selling out the Palestinians Yoel Guzansky
Planes, no Palestinian state: How Netanyahu will trade Israel's security for Saudi ties Amir Tibon
MBS' meeting with Trump will open a Pandora's box for Israel and the Middle East Ben Samuels
"I don't want to use the word commitment, but we've had a very good talk," Trump told the press. "We talked one-state, two-state. We talked about a lot of things. But I think you have a very good feeling toward the Abraham Accords."
Asked how a U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia would affect the joint U.S.–Israel policy of preserving Israel's regional military dominance – also known as the Qualitative Military Edge – President Trump said Saudi Arabia is "a great ally, and Israel is a great ally."
"When you look at the F-35, and you're asking me, 'is it the same' – I think it's gonna be pretty similar, yeah," Trump said, adding that Israel is aware of the F-35 deal and is "going to be very happy."
Defense officials are concerned that the Israel Air Force will lose its air superiority in the Middle East if the United States sells the stealth jets to Saudi Arabia.
Senior Israeli defense officials told Haaretz that a deal for the aircraft could give regional armies insights into the unique capabilities developed by the Israel Defense Forces based on the planes.
Israel "would like you to get planes of a reduced caliber," Trump told bin Salman, answering a journalist's question, but said that "as far as I'm concerned, they're both at a level where they should get top-of-the-line."
Great, everybody armed to the teeth, what could go wrong, and then came a prime example of the King's ability to whip up a word salad ...
...Trump was then asked about the International Stabilization Force, saying, "I think we're gonna get along great with the Palestinians, we just had a war, very successful, we did that on behalf of everybody, the outcome was extraordinary. Israel bought the best equipment. They bought it from us."
After that elaborate detour, it was time to return to the bromancer, and while it took a while coming, apparently everything in this triumph is actually as clear as mud ...
But whether any part of the plan can be realistically implemented remains very unclear.
Hamas immediately rejected the plan and the Security Council vote, saying that any International Stabilisation Force would usurp the rights of Palestinians to self-determination.
Hamas also claimed that “resisting occupation by all means is a legitimate right”.
This does not sound like a group that is going to disarm. If Hamas doesn’t voluntarily disarm, it’s hard to see how any of the peace plan proceeds. The idea that an International Stabilisation Force would or could disarm Hamas is entirely fanciful.
The Israeli Defence Force, pound for pound the best in the Middle East if not the world, with two bitter years of deadly conflict, was unable to completely disarm Hamas.
A raggle-taggle composite force of outsiders unfamiliar with Hamas and with no stomach for conflict wouldn’t have a chance of achieving this. Nor would any sane government authorise its forces to try.
Trump has said if Hamas doesn’t disarm “we’ll disarm them” but no one has the faintest idea what that could mean. It’s either empty bluster or it means asking the Israelis to begin the conflict all over again, which is most unlikely to be Washington, or Jerusalem’s, preferred course of action.
It’s barely possible that if Hamas’s backers, especially Qatar, insist on Hamas disarming some kind of gesture along those lines could take place.
In the background, Iran is rebuilding its networks and influence as much as it can and the West Bank, while not remotely wishing to undergo the Gaza experience, has been restive.
This is still a very delicate situation. Meanwhile the task of rebuilding Gaza is absolutely monumental. But just as Arab and other nations probably won’t commit to a Stabilisation Force until Hamas is well into disarming and co-operating with the new deal, similarly it’s very unlikely that any nation will stump up the billions upon billions of dollars necessary for the rebuilding process unless there is a clear peace.
There is a huge job in providing temporary shelter and continuing food and medical aid for Gaza, another huge job in clearing away the debris of collapsed and damaged buildings, another huge job in clearing unexploded ordnance and other weapons, another huge job in rebuilding residential accommodation. And that’s just the beginning.
Once again, Hamas is inflicting great and unnecessary tragedy on the Palestinians of Gaza, purely to serve its murderous terrorist intent.
For whether you like Trump or not, there’s no doubt that his plan is the most constructive offering for Gaza in many years.
Trump is pledging his own prestige and deep American involvement in the reconstruction of Gaza, the provision of a decent life there and the creation of some kind of political horizon.
And in this effort he has the agreement of Israel and the active support of the Arab and Islamic worlds. This is the kind of opportunity which doesn’t come along very often.
The potential benefit is immense. The factor that is stopping it is Hamas’s insistence on its desire to murder Israelis and maintain control over the Palestinian population through terror and violence.
If this peace plan achieves nothing else, it certainly demonstrates what a profound enemy of the Palestinian people Hamas is, and how utterly indifferent Hamas is to Palestinian suffering.
If Hamas persists in its rejectionism, the US and Israel together may have to devise some kind of Plan B, though nothing very good looks to be on offer.
Still, with all these difficulties ahead, the UN Security Council resolution was a necessary and by no means guaranteed step in any process of recovery.
But the future remains as clear as mud.
Amazing really, if you can follow the bromancer's convoluted contortions, apparently the most constructive offering in many years is actually as clear as mud ...
...but surely an even better distraction than other recent attempts...
And so to the bonus, and it's a return to the old days in force, with the Bjørn-again one back to solve everything ...
The header: West's climate spending fails to curb emissions, Why are emissions still increasing when the EU and the US spent more than $US700bn in 2024 on green investments such as solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, hydrogen, electric cars and power grids?
The caption for that snap featuring the Sauron-loving solar-addicted Satanist: Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen speaks during a plenary session at the COP30 UN Climate Summit. Picture: AP Photo/Fernando Llano
One of the things the pond has always liked to do with Bjørn-again offerings is check where else they've appeared.
Even searching with engines such as that Duck amuck, the pond couldn't find another place where this outing landed.
It is, as they say, truly, completely, utterly unique to the reptiles ...
On the upside, this means the hive mind is the only place to discover the latest in Bjørn-again thinking.
On the downside, it seems that his base is shrinking even further, and only the reptiles are willing to disappear up his technology-loving fundament ...
Not to worry, it was just a 3 minute read, because that's how long it takes the Bjørn-again one to sort everything out ...
For decades now, Western governments, especially in Europe, prioritised carbon cuts over higher economic growth, spending trillions of dollars to convince consumers to adopt electric cars and accept more expensive, less reliable wind and solar power. All these expensive efforts are barely making a dent.
The global decarbonisation rate (measured as carbon dioxide emissions over GDP) has remained roughly constant since the 1960s, with no change after the 2015 Paris Agreement. Global emissions have skyrocketed, reaching a new record high in 2024. Despite this, climate campaigners unrealistically demand that the world quadruples its decarbonisation rate.
The reptiles seized the chance to slip in a croweater reference: South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has spoken about Adelaide potentially hosting COP31. “In South Australia, we put our best foot forward to be able to host the COP,” Mr Malinauskas told Sky News Australia.
The pond was disappointed that the Bjørn-again one seems not to have kept up with the latest environmental news from down under, though the infallible Pope was on hand to celebrate ...
Instead the Bjørn-again one loved himself some defeatism yet again ...
Because rich world emissions matter very little for climate change in the 21st century. While the West dominated emissions in previous centuries, the vast amount of future emissions will come from China, India, Africa, Brazil, Indonesia and many other countries clambering out of poverty.
One recent scenario shows, with current policies, just 13 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions across the rest of this century will come from the mostly rich Western countries of the OECD.
At this point the reptiles interrupted with a snap of a royal, for no better reason than the reptiles love a royal ... Queen Mary in Belém during the COP30 summit. Picture Instagram
The Bjørn-again one didn't actually mention the sunnies Queen in his text, but what a visual relief from his usual stodge ...
If rich countries try to fix this problem with carbon border taxes, the costs will escalate further for both rich and poor countries while robbing the poor of the opportunity for export-driven growth.
If we super-optimistically assume the West ends up actually eliminating all its own emissions without further leakage by 2050, global carbon dioxide emissions across the century will be reduced by just 8 per cent. The resulting reduction in global temperature rise is minuscule when run through the UN’s own climate model. By 2050, the West will have reduced the global temperature rise by just 0.02C. Even by the end of the century, temperature rise will be reduced by less than 0.1C.
Despite the West’s irrelevance, climate summits and pious activists endlessly fixate on what the rich world should do. Protesters glue themselves to highways in Europe and the US while mostly ignoring China and completely disregarding India, Africa and the rest of the world.
No wonder, because their message of self-sacrifice will not go far in countries that desperately want energy-driven development.
Poorer nations don’t look to the West and want to emulate Germany’s huge climate-driven debt, Spain’s green blackouts or Britain’s record-setting electricity prices.
There is a cheaper and much more efficient approach: innovation. Throughout history, humanity has not tackled major challenges through restrictions but by innovating.
When air pollution enveloped Los Angeles in the 1950s, we didn’t ban cars but developed the catalytic converter that made them cleaner. When much of the world was starving in the 60s, we didn’t force everyone to eat less but innovated higher-yielding crops.
The reptiles also introduced the Pope, a reminder that the rag still aspires to be the Catholic News Daily, when not appearing as the Daily Zionist News ... Pope Leo criticised world governments in a video released on Monday (November 17) for failing so far to slow global warming and called for a stronger response to the threat, as countries at the U.N. climate summit in Brazil's Amazon city of Belem entered the second week of negotiations with a goal to resolve their thorniest issues ahead of schedule.
Readers familiar with Bjørn-again one's offerings will know where this is heading ...
Having berated expenditure, what we need is the power of smart R&D.
The Bjørn-again one has been singing this song about as long as prattling Polonius has been telling us there's not a single conservative in the ABC ...
The West should increase this to about $US100bn ($154bn) a year. This would enable a focus on breakthroughs in many potential technologies. We could invest to innovate fourth-generation nuclear with small, modular, type-approved reactors, or boost green hydrogen production along with water purification, or research next-generation battery technology, carbon dioxide-free oil harvested from algae, as well as carbon dioxide extraction, fusion, second-generation biofuels and thousands of other possibilities.
None of these technologies is currently efficient but innovation needs only to make one or a few better than fossil fuels and all nations will switch. Moreover, innovation will cost a tiny fraction of current and future net-zero spending, so green R&D allows us to do much more while spending much less.
Unfortunately, the leaders who jetted into Brazil’s rainforest for the climate summit remain fixated on mandates and subsidies, missing the power of smart R&D. It’s time for the West to recognise its limited leverage and pivot from wasteful spending to game-changing tech investments that actually deliver results.
Bjorn Lomborg is president of the Copenhagen Consensus, visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and author of False Alarm and Best Things First.
Meanwhile...
Batteries have been China's most lucrative clean energy technology export since mid-2022, and so far this year have generated roughly $60 billion in export receipts for the country, data from energy think tank Ember shows.
That compares to battery earnings of just under $48 billion over the same period in 2024, and exceeds China's year-to-date export earnings from electric vehicles, grid components, renewable energy infrastructure and cooling equipment.
China is the global leader in battery technology manufacturing and exports, and is benefiting from a worldwide boom in demand for batteries used in EVs and power networks.
So it goes, and so it ends this day with the immortal Rowe ...
Always the details ...
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.
