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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-26 20:54:33
Capitalism is the most effective system for scaling innovation. The pursuit of profit is an incredibly powerful human incentive. Most major improvements to human society and quality of life have resulted from this base incentive. Market competition often results in the best outcomes for all.
That said, some projects can never be monetized. They are open in nature and a business model would centralize control. Open protocols like bitcoin and nostr are not owned by anyone and if they were it would destroy the key value propositions they provide. No single entity can or should control their use. Anyone can build on them without permission.
As a result, open protocols must depend on donation based grant funding from the people and organizations that rely on them. This model works but it is slow and uncertain, a grind where sustainability is never fully reached but rather constantly sought. As someone who has been incredibly active in the open source grant funding space, I do not think people truly appreciate how difficult it is to raise charitable money and deploy it efficiently.
Projects that can be monetized should be. Profitability is a super power. When a business can generate revenue, it taps into a self sustaining cycle. Profit fuels growth and development while providing projects independence and agency. This flywheel effect is why companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple have scaled to global dominance. The profit incentive aligns human effort with efficiency. Businesses must innovate, cut waste, and deliver value to survive.
Contrast this with non monetized projects. Without profit, they lean on external support, which can dry up or shift with donor priorities. A profit driven model, on the other hand, is inherently leaner and more adaptable. It is not charity but survival. When survival is tied to delivering what people want, scale follows naturally.
The real magic happens when profitable, sustainable businesses are built on top of open protocols and software. Consider the many startups building on open source software stacks, such as Start9, Mempool, and Primal, offering premium services on top of the open source software they build out and maintain. Think of companies like Block or Strike, which leverage bitcoin’s open protocol to offer their services on top. These businesses amplify the open software and protocols they build on, driving adoption and improvement at a pace donations alone could never match.
When you combine open software and protocols with profit driven business the result are lean, sustainable companies that grow faster and serve more people than either could alone. Bitcoin’s network, for instance, benefits from businesses that profit off its existence, while nostr will expand as developers monetize apps built on the protocol.
Capitalism scales best because competition results in efficiency. Donation funded protocols and software lay the groundwork, while market driven businesses build on top. The profit incentive acts as a filter, ensuring resources flow to what works, while open systems keep the playing field accessible, empowering users and builders. Together, they create a flywheel of innovation, growth, and global benefit.
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@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-03-18 14:43:08
**Warning: This piece contains a conversation about difficult topics. Please proceed with caution.**
TL;DR please educate your children about online safety.
Julian Assange wrote in his 2012 book *Cypherpunks*, “This book is not a manifesto. There isn’t time for that. This book is a warning.” I read it a few times over the past summer. Those opening lines definitely stood out to me. I wish we had listened back then. He saw something about the internet that few had the ability to see. There are some individuals who are so close to a topic that when they speak, it’s difficult for others who aren’t steeped in it to visualize what they’re talking about. I didn’t read the book until more recently. If I had read it when it came out, it probably would have sounded like an unknown foreign language to me. Today it makes more sense.
This isn’t a manifesto. This isn’t a book. There is no time for that. It’s a warning and a possible solution from a desperate and determined survivor advocate who has been pulling and unraveling a thread for a few years. At times, I feel too close to this topic to make any sense trying to convey my pathway to my conclusions or thoughts to the general public. My hope is that if nothing else, I can convey my sense of urgency while writing this. This piece is a watchman’s warning.
When a child steps online, they are walking into a new world. A new reality. When you hand a child the internet, you are handing them possibilities—good, bad, and ugly. This is a conversation about lowering the potential of negative outcomes of stepping into that new world and how I came to these conclusions. I constantly compare the internet to the road. You wouldn’t let a young child run out into the road with no guidance or safety precautions. When you hand a child the internet without any type of guidance or safety measures, you are allowing them to play in rush hour, oncoming traffic. “Look left, look right for cars before crossing.” We almost all have been taught that as children. What are we taught as humans about safety before stepping into a completely different reality like the internet? Very little.
I could never really figure out why many folks in tech, privacy rights activists, and hackers seemed so cold to me while talking about online child sexual exploitation. I always figured that as a survivor advocate for those affected by these crimes, that specific, skilled group of individuals would be very welcoming and easy to talk to about such serious topics. I actually had one hacker laugh in my face when I brought it up while I was looking for answers. I thought maybe this individual thought I was accusing them of something I wasn’t, so I felt bad for asking. I was constantly extremely disappointed and would ask myself, “Why don’t they care? What could I say to make them care more? What could I say to make them understand the crisis and the level of suffering that happens as a result of the problem?”
I have been serving minor survivors of online child sexual exploitation for years. My first case serving a survivor of this specific crime was in 2018—a 13-year-old girl sexually exploited by a serial predator on Snapchat. That was my first glimpse into this side of the internet. I won a national award for serving the minor survivors of Twitter in 2023, but I had been working on that specific project for a few years. I was nominated by a lawyer representing two survivors in a legal battle against the platform. I’ve never really spoken about this before, but at the time it was a choice for me between fighting Snapchat or Twitter. I chose Twitter—or rather, Twitter chose me. I heard about the story of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, and I was so unbelievably broken over it that I went to war for multiple years. I was and still am royally pissed about that case. As far as I was concerned, the John Doe #1 case proved that whatever was going on with corporate tech social media was so out of control that I didn’t have time to wait, so I got to work. It was reading the messages that John Doe #1 sent to Twitter begging them to remove his sexual exploitation that broke me. He was a child begging adults to do something. A passion for justice and protecting kids makes you do wild things. I was desperate to find answers about what happened and searched for solutions. In the end, the platform Twitter was purchased. During the acquisition, I just asked Mr. Musk nicely to prioritize the issue of detection and removal of child sexual exploitation without violating digital privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption. Elon thanked me multiple times during the acquisition, made some changes, and I was thanked by others on the survivors’ side as well.
I still feel that even with the progress made, I really just scratched the surface with Twitter, now X. I left that passion project when I did for a few reasons. I wanted to give new leadership time to tackle the issue. Elon Musk made big promises that I knew would take a while to fulfill, but mostly I had been watching global legislation transpire around the issue, and frankly, the governments are willing to go much further with X and the rest of corporate tech than I ever would. My work begging Twitter to make changes with easier reporting of content, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation material—without violating privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption—and advocating for the minor survivors of the platform went as far as my principles would have allowed. I’m grateful for that experience. I was still left with a nagging question: “How did things get so bad with Twitter where the John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 case was able to happen in the first place?” I decided to keep looking for answers. I decided to keep pulling the thread.
I never worked for Twitter. This is often confusing for folks. I will say that despite being disappointed in the platform’s leadership at times, I loved Twitter. I saw and still see its value. I definitely love the survivors of the platform, but I also loved the platform. I was a champion of the platform’s ability to give folks from virtually around the globe an opportunity to speak and be heard.
I want to be clear that John Doe #1 really is my why. He is the inspiration. I am writing this because of him. He represents so many globally, and I’m still inspired by his bravery. One child’s voice begging adults to do something—I’m an adult, I heard him. I’d go to war a thousand more lifetimes for that young man, and I don’t even know his name. Fighting has been personally dark at times; I’m not even going to try to sugarcoat it, but it has been worth it.
The data surrounding the very real crime of online child sexual exploitation is available to the public online at any time for anyone to see. I’d encourage you to go look at the data for yourself. I believe in encouraging folks to check multiple sources so that you understand the full picture. If you are uncomfortable just searching around the internet for information about this topic, use the terms “CSAM,” “CSEM,” “SG-CSEM,” or “AI Generated CSAM.” The numbers don’t lie—it’s a nightmare that’s out of control. It’s a big business. The demand is high, and unfortunately, business is booming. Organizations collect the data, tech companies often post their data, governments report frequently, and the corporate press has covered a decent portion of the conversation, so I’m sure you can find a source that you trust.
Technology is changing rapidly, which is great for innovation as a whole but horrible for the crime of online child sexual exploitation. Those wishing to exploit the vulnerable seem to be adapting to each technological change with ease. The governments are so far behind with tackling these issues that as I’m typing this, it’s borderline irrelevant to even include them while speaking about the crime or potential solutions. Technology is changing too rapidly, and their old, broken systems can’t even dare to keep up. Think of it like the governments’ “War on Drugs.” Drugs won. In this case as well, the governments are not winning. The governments are talking about maybe having a meeting on potentially maybe having legislation around the crimes. The time to have that meeting would have been many years ago. I’m not advocating for governments to legislate our way out of this. I’m on the side of educating and innovating our way out of this.
I have been clear while advocating for the minor survivors of corporate tech platforms that I would not advocate for any solution to the crime that would violate digital privacy rights or erode end-to-end encryption. That has been a personal moral position that I was unwilling to budge on. This is an extremely unpopular and borderline nonexistent position in the anti-human trafficking movement and online child protection space. I’m often fearful that I’m wrong about this. I have always thought that a better pathway forward would have been to incentivize innovation for detection and removal of content. I had no previous exposure to privacy rights activists or Cypherpunks—actually, I came to that conclusion by listening to the voices of MENA region political dissidents and human rights activists. After developing relationships with human rights activists from around the globe, I realized how important privacy rights and encryption are for those who need it most globally. I was simply unwilling to give more power, control, and opportunities for mass surveillance to big abusers like governments wishing to enslave entire nations and untrustworthy corporate tech companies to potentially end some portion of abuses online. On top of all of it, it has been clear to me for years that all potential solutions outside of violating digital privacy rights to detect and remove child sexual exploitation online have not yet been explored aggressively. I’ve been disappointed that there hasn’t been more of a conversation around preventing the crime from happening in the first place.
What has been tried is mass surveillance. In China, they are currently under mass surveillance both online and offline, and their behaviors are attached to a social credit score. Unfortunately, even on state-run and controlled social media platforms, they still have child sexual exploitation and abuse imagery pop up along with other crimes and human rights violations. They also have a thriving black market online due to the oppression from the state. In other words, even an entire loss of freedom and privacy cannot end the sexual exploitation of children online. It’s been tried. There is no reason to repeat this method.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out why I always felt a slight coldness from those in tech and privacy-minded individuals about the topic of child sexual exploitation online. I didn’t have any clue about the “Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse.” This is a term coined by Timothy C. May in 1988. I would have been a child myself when he first said it. I actually laughed at myself when I heard the phrase for the first time. I finally got it. The Cypherpunks weren’t wrong about that topic. They were so spot on that it is borderline uncomfortable. I was mad at first that they knew that early during the birth of the internet that this issue would arise and didn’t address it. Then I got over it because I realized that it wasn’t their job. Their job was—is—to write code. Their job wasn’t to be involved and loving parents or survivor advocates. Their job wasn’t to educate children on internet safety or raise awareness; their job was to write code.
They knew that child sexual abuse material would be shared on the internet. They said what would happen—not in a gleeful way, but a prediction. Then it happened.
I equate it now to a concrete company laying down a road. As you’re pouring the concrete, you can say to yourself, “A terrorist might travel down this road to go kill many, and on the flip side, a beautiful child can be born in an ambulance on this road.” Who or what travels down the road is not their responsibility—they are just supposed to lay the concrete. I’d never go to a concrete pourer and ask them to solve terrorism that travels down roads. Under the current system, law enforcement should stop terrorists before they even make it to the road. The solution to this specific problem is not to treat everyone on the road like a terrorist or to not build the road.
So I understand the perceived coldness from those in tech. Not only was it not their job, but bringing up the topic was seen as the equivalent of asking a free person if they wanted to discuss one of the four topics—child abusers, terrorists, drug dealers, intellectual property pirates, etc.—that would usher in digital authoritarianism for all who are online globally.
Privacy rights advocates and groups have put up a good fight. They stood by their principles. Unfortunately, when it comes to corporate tech, I believe that the issue of privacy is almost a complete lost cause at this point. It’s still worth pushing back, but ultimately, it is a losing battle—a ticking time bomb.
I do think that corporate tech providers could have slowed down the inevitable loss of privacy at the hands of the state by prioritizing the detection and removal of CSAM when they all started online. I believe it would have bought some time, fewer would have been traumatized by that specific crime, and I do believe that it could have slowed down the demand for content. If I think too much about that, I’ll go insane, so I try to push the “if maybes” aside, but never knowing if it could have been handled differently will forever haunt me. At night when it’s quiet, I wonder what I would have done differently if given the opportunity. I’ll probably never know how much corporate tech knew and ignored in the hopes that it would go away while the problem continued to get worse. They had different priorities. The most voiceless and vulnerable exploited on corporate tech never had much of a voice, so corporate tech providers didn’t receive very much pushback.
Now I’m about to say something really wild, and you can call me whatever you want to call me, but I’m going to say what I believe to be true. I believe that the governments are either so incompetent that they allowed the proliferation of CSAM online, or they knowingly allowed the problem to fester long enough to have an excuse to violate privacy rights and erode end-to-end encryption. The US government could have seized the corporate tech providers over CSAM, but I believe that they were so useful as a propaganda arm for the regimes that they allowed them to continue virtually unscathed.
That season is done now, and the governments are making the issue a priority. It will come at a high cost. Privacy on corporate tech providers is virtually done as I’m typing this. It feels like a death rattle. I’m not particularly sure that we had much digital privacy to begin with, but the illusion of a veil of privacy feels gone.
To make matters slightly more complex, it would be hard to convince me that once AI really gets going, digital privacy will exist at all.
I believe that there should be a conversation shift to preserving freedoms and human rights in a post-privacy society.
I don’t want to get locked up because AI predicted a nasty post online from me about the government. I’m not a doomer about AI—I’m just going to roll with it personally. I’m looking forward to the positive changes that will be brought forth by AI. I see it as inevitable. A bit of privacy was helpful while it lasted. Please keep fighting to preserve what is left of privacy either way because I could be wrong about all of this.
On the topic of AI, the addition of AI to the horrific crime of child sexual abuse material and child sexual exploitation in multiple ways so far has been devastating. It’s currently out of control. The genie is out of the bottle. I am hopeful that innovation will get us humans out of this, but I’m not sure how or how long it will take. We must be extremely cautious around AI legislation. It should not be illegal to innovate even if some bad comes with the good. I don’t trust that the governments are equipped to decide the best pathway forward for AI. Source: the entire history of the government.
I have been personally negatively impacted by AI-generated content. Every few days, I get another alert that I’m featured again in what’s called “deep fake pornography” without my consent. I’m not happy about it, but what pains me the most is the thought that for a period of time down the road, many globally will experience what myself and others are experiencing now by being digitally sexually abused in this way. If you have ever had your picture taken and posted online, you are also at risk of being exploited in this way. Your child’s image can be used as well, unfortunately, and this is just the beginning of this particular nightmare. It will move to more realistic interpretations of sexual behaviors as technology improves. I have no brave words of wisdom about how to deal with that emotionally. I do have hope that innovation will save the day around this specific issue. I’m nervous that everyone online will have to ID verify due to this issue. I see that as one possible outcome that could help to prevent one problem but inadvertently cause more problems, especially for those living under authoritarian regimes or anyone who needs to remain anonymous online. A zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) would probably be the best solution to these issues. There are some survivors of violence and/or sexual trauma who need to remain anonymous online for various reasons. There are survivor stories available online of those who have been abused in this way. I’d encourage you seek out and listen to their stories.
There have been periods of time recently where I hesitate to say anything at all because more than likely AI will cover most of my concerns about education, awareness, prevention, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation online, etc.
Unfortunately, some of the most pressing issues we’ve seen online over the last few years come in the form of “sextortion.” Self-generated child sexual exploitation (SG-CSEM) numbers are continuing to be terrifying. I’d strongly encourage that you look into sextortion data. AI + sextortion is also a huge concern. The perpetrators are using the non-sexually explicit images of children and putting their likeness on AI-generated child sexual exploitation content and extorting money, more imagery, or both from minors online. It’s like a million nightmares wrapped into one. The wild part is that these issues will only get more pervasive because technology is harnessed to perpetuate horror at a scale unimaginable to a human mind.
Even if you banned phones and the internet or tried to prevent children from accessing the internet, it wouldn’t solve it. Child sexual exploitation will still be with us until as a society we start to prevent the crime before it happens. That is the only human way out right now.
There is no reset button on the internet, but if I could go back, I’d tell survivor advocates to heed the warnings of the early internet builders and to start education and awareness campaigns designed to prevent as much online child sexual exploitation as possible. The internet and technology moved quickly, and I don’t believe that society ever really caught up. We live in a world where a child can be groomed by a predator in their own home while sitting on a couch next to their parents watching TV. We weren’t ready as a species to tackle the fast-paced algorithms and dangers online. It happened too quickly for parents to catch up. How can you parent for the ever-changing digital world unless you are constantly aware of the dangers?
I don’t think that the internet is inherently bad. I believe that it can be a powerful tool for freedom and resistance. I’ve spoken a lot about the bad online, but there is beauty as well. We often discuss how victims and survivors are abused online; we rarely discuss the fact that countless survivors around the globe have been able to share their experiences, strength, hope, as well as provide resources to the vulnerable. I do question if giving any government or tech company access to censorship, surveillance, etc., online in the name of serving survivors might not actually impact a portion of survivors negatively. There are a fair amount of survivors with powerful abusers protected by governments and the corporate press. If a survivor cannot speak to the press about their abuse, the only place they can go is online, directly or indirectly through an independent journalist who also risks being censored. This scenario isn’t hard to imagine—it already happened in China. During #MeToo, a survivor in China wanted to post their story. The government censored the post, so the survivor put their story on the blockchain. I’m excited that the survivor was creative and brave, but it’s terrifying to think that we live in a world where that situation is a necessity.
I believe that the future for many survivors sharing their stories globally will be on completely censorship-resistant and decentralized protocols. This thought in particular gives me hope. When we listen to the experiences of a diverse group of survivors, we can start to understand potential solutions to preventing the crimes from happening in the first place.
My heart is broken over the gut-wrenching stories of survivors sexually exploited online. Every time I hear the story of a survivor, I do think to myself quietly, “What could have prevented this from happening in the first place?” My heart is with survivors.
My head, on the other hand, is full of the understanding that the internet should remain free. The free flow of information should not be stopped. My mind is with the innocent citizens around the globe that deserve freedom both online and offline.
The problem is that governments don’t only want to censor illegal content that violates human rights—they create legislation that is so broad that it can impact speech and privacy of all. “Don’t you care about the kids?” Yes, I do. I do so much that I’m invested in finding solutions. I also care about all citizens around the globe that deserve an opportunity to live free from a mass surveillance society. If terrorism happens online, I should not be punished by losing my freedom. If drugs are sold online, I should not be punished. I’m not an abuser, I’m not a terrorist, and I don’t engage in illegal behaviors. I refuse to lose freedom because of others’ bad behaviors online.
I want to be clear that on a long enough timeline, the governments will decide that they can be better parents/caregivers than you can if something isn’t done to stop minors from being sexually exploited online. The price will be a complete loss of anonymity, privacy, free speech, and freedom of religion online. I find it rather insulting that governments think they’re better equipped to raise children than parents and caretakers.
So we can’t go backwards—all that we can do is go forward. Those who want to have freedom will find technology to facilitate their liberation. This will lead many over time to decentralized and open protocols. So as far as I’m concerned, this does solve a few of my worries—those who need, want, and deserve to speak freely online will have the opportunity in most countries—but what about online child sexual exploitation?
When I popped up around the decentralized space, I was met with the fear of censorship. I’m not here to censor you. I don’t write code. I couldn’t censor anyone or any piece of content even if I wanted to across the internet, no matter how depraved. I don’t have the skills to do that.
I’m here to start a conversation. Freedom comes at a cost. You must always fight for and protect your freedom. I can’t speak about protecting yourself from all of the Four Horsemen because I simply don’t know the topics well enough, but I can speak about this one topic.
If there was a shortcut to ending online child sexual exploitation, I would have found it by now. There isn’t one right now. I believe that education is the only pathway forward to preventing the crime of online child sexual exploitation for future generations.
I propose a yearly education course for every child of all school ages, taught as a standard part of the curriculum. Ideally, parents/caregivers would be involved in the education/learning process.
**Course:**
- The creation of the internet and computers
- The fight for cryptography
- The tech supply chain from the ground up (example: human rights violations in the supply chain)
- Corporate tech
- Freedom tech
- Data privacy
- Digital privacy rights
- AI (history-current)
- Online safety (predators, scams, catfishing, extortion)
- Bitcoin
- Laws
- How to deal with online hate and harassment
- Information on who to contact if you are being abused online or offline
- Algorithms
- How to seek out the truth about news, etc., online
The parents/caregivers, homeschoolers, unschoolers, and those working to create decentralized parallel societies have been an inspiration while writing this, but my hope is that all children would learn this course, even in government ran schools. Ideally, parents would teach this to their own children.
The decentralized space doesn’t want child sexual exploitation to thrive. Here’s the deal: there has to be a strong prevention effort in order to protect the next generation. The internet isn’t going anywhere, predators aren’t going anywhere, and I’m not down to let anyone have the opportunity to prove that there is a need for more government. I don’t believe that the government should act as parents. The governments have had a chance to attempt to stop online child sexual exploitation, and they didn’t do it. Can we try a different pathway forward?
I’d like to put myself out of a job. I don’t want to ever hear another story like John Doe #1 ever again. This will require work. I’ve often called online child sexual exploitation the lynchpin for the internet. It’s time to arm generations of children with knowledge and tools. I can’t do this alone.
Individuals have fought so that I could have freedom online. I want to fight to protect it. I don’t want child predators to give the government any opportunity to take away freedom. Decentralized spaces are as close to a reset as we’ll get with the opportunity to do it right from the start. Start the youth off correctly by preventing potential hazards to the best of your ability.
The good news is anyone can work on this! I’d encourage you to take it and run with it. I added the additional education about the history of the internet to make the course more educational and fun. Instead of cleaning up generations of destroyed lives due to online sexual exploitation, perhaps this could inspire generations of those who will build our futures. Perhaps if the youth is armed with knowledge, they can create more tools to prevent the crime.
This one solution that I’m suggesting can be done on an individual level or on a larger scale. It should be adjusted depending on age, learning style, etc. It should be fun and playful.
This solution does not address abuse in the home or some of the root causes of offline child sexual exploitation. My hope is that it could lead to some survivors experiencing abuse in the home an opportunity to disclose with a trusted adult. The purpose for this solution is to prevent the crime of online child sexual exploitation before it occurs and to arm the youth with the tools to contact safe adults if and when it happens.
In closing, I went to hell a few times so that you didn’t have to. I spoke to the mothers of survivors of minors sexually exploited online—their tears could fill rivers. I’ve spoken with political dissidents who yearned to be free from authoritarian surveillance states. The only balance that I’ve found is freedom online for citizens around the globe and prevention from the dangers of that for the youth. Don’t slow down innovation and freedom. Educate, prepare, adapt, and look for solutions.
I’m not perfect and I’m sure that there are errors in this piece. I hope that you find them and it starts a conversation.
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@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-03-15 23:00:40
I want to see Nostr succeed. If you can think of a way I can help make that happen, I’m open to it. I’d like your suggestions.
My schedule’s shifting soon, and I could volunteer a few hours a week to a Nostr project. I won’t have more total time, but how I use it will change.
Why help? I care about freedom. Nostr’s one of the most powerful freedom tools I’ve seen in my lifetime. If I believe that, I should act on it.
I don’t care about money or sats. I’m not rich, I don’t have extra cash. That doesn’t drive me—freedom does. I’m volunteering, not asking for pay.
I’m not here for clout. I’ve had enough spotlight in my life; it doesn’t move me. If I wanted clout, I’d be on Twitter dropping basic takes. Clout’s easy. Freedom’s hard. I’d rather help anonymously. No speaking at events—small meetups are cool for the vibe, but big conferences? Not my thing. I’ll never hit a huge Bitcoin conference. It’s just not my scene.
That said, I could be convinced to step up if it’d really boost Nostr—as long as it’s legal and gets results.
In this space, I’d watch for social engineering. I watch out for it. I’m not here to make friends, just to help. No shade—you all seem great—but I’ve got a full life and awesome friends irl. I don’t need your crew or to be online cool. Connect anonymously if you want; I’d encourage it.
I’m sick of watching other social media alternatives grow while Nostr kinda stalls. I could trash-talk, but I’d rather do something useful.
Skills? I’m good at spotting social media problems and finding possible solutions. I won’t overhype myself—that’s weird—but if you’re responding, you probably see something in me. Perhaps you see something that I don’t see in myself.
If you need help now or later with Nostr projects, reach out. Nostr only—nothing else. Anonymous contact’s fine. Even just a suggestion on how I can pitch in, no project attached, works too. 💜
Creeps or harassment will get blocked or I’ll nuke my simplex code if it becomes a problem.
https://simplex.chat/contact#/?v=2-4&smp=smp%3A%2F%2FSkIkI6EPd2D63F4xFKfHk7I1UGZVNn6k1QWZ5rcyr6w%3D%40smp9.simplex.im%2FbI99B3KuYduH8jDr9ZwyhcSxm2UuR7j0%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-2%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAS9C-zPzqW41PKySfPCEizcXb1QCus6AyDkTTjfyMIRM%253D%26srv%3Djssqzccmrcws6bhmn77vgmhfjmhwlyr3u7puw4erkyoosywgl67slqqd.onion
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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-13 19:39:28
In much of the world, it is incredibly difficult to access U.S. dollars. Local currencies are often poorly managed and riddled with corruption. Billions of people demand a more reliable alternative. While the dollar has its own issues of corruption and mismanagement, it is widely regarded as superior to the fiat currencies it competes with globally. As a result, Tether has found massive success providing low cost, low friction access to dollars. Tether claims 400 million total users, is on track to add 200 million more this year, processes 8.1 million transactions daily, and facilitates $29 billion in daily transfers. Furthermore, their estimates suggest nearly 40% of users rely on it as a savings tool rather than just a transactional currency.
Tether’s rise has made the company a financial juggernaut. Last year alone, Tether raked in over $13 billion in profit, with a lean team of less than 100 employees. Their business model is elegantly simple: hold U.S. Treasuries and collect the interest. With over $113 billion in Treasuries, Tether has turned a straightforward concept into a profit machine.
Tether’s success has resulted in many competitors eager to claim a piece of the pie. This has triggered a massive venture capital grift cycle in USD tokens, with countless projects vying to dethrone Tether. Due to Tether’s entrenched network effect, these challengers face an uphill battle with little realistic chance of success. Most educated participants in the space likely recognize this reality but seem content to perpetuate the grift, hoping to cash out by dumping their equity positions on unsuspecting buyers before they realize the reality of the situation.
Historically, Tether’s greatest vulnerability has been U.S. government intervention. For over a decade, the company operated offshore with few allies in the U.S. establishment, making it a major target for regulatory action. That dynamic has shifted recently and Tether has seized the opportunity. By actively courting U.S. government support, Tether has fortified their position. This strategic move will likely cement their status as the dominant USD token for years to come.
While undeniably a great tool for the millions of users that rely on it, Tether is not without flaws. As a centralized, trusted third party, it holds the power to freeze or seize funds at its discretion. Corporate mismanagement or deliberate malpractice could also lead to massive losses at scale. In their goal of mitigating regulatory risk, Tether has deepened ties with law enforcement, mirroring some of the concerns of potential central bank digital currencies. In practice, Tether operates as a corporate CBDC alternative, collaborating with authorities to surveil and seize funds. The company proudly touts partnerships with leading surveillance firms and its own data reveals cooperation in over 1,000 law enforcement cases, with more than $2.5 billion in funds frozen.
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The global demand for Tether is undeniable and the company’s profitability reflects its unrivaled success. Tether is owned and operated by bitcoiners and will likely continue to push forward strategic goals that help the movement as a whole. Recent efforts to mitigate the threat of U.S. government enforcement will likely solidify their network effect and stifle meaningful adoption of rival USD tokens or CBDCs. Yet, for all their achievements, Tether is simply a worse form of money than bitcoin. Tether requires trust in a centralized entity, while bitcoin can be saved or spent without permission. Furthermore, Tether is tied to the value of the US Dollar which is designed to lose purchasing power over time, while bitcoin, as a truly scarce asset, is designed to increase in purchasing power with adoption. As people awaken to the risks of Tether’s control, and the benefits bitcoin provides, bitcoin adoption will likely surpass it.
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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-10 23:31:30
Bitcoin has always been rooted in freedom and resistance to authority. I get that many of you are conflicted about the US Government stacking but by design we cannot stop anyone from using bitcoin. Many have asked me for my thoughts on the matter, so let’s rip it.
**Concern**
One of the most glaring issues with the strategic bitcoin reserve is its foundation, built on stolen bitcoin. For those of us who value private property this is an obvious betrayal of our core principles. Rather than proof of work, the bitcoin that seeds this reserve has been taken by force. The US Government should return the bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex and the Silk Road.
Usually stolen bitcoin for the reserve creates a perverse incentive. If governments see a bitcoin as a valuable asset, they will ramp up efforts to confiscate more bitcoin. The precedent is a major concern, and I stand strongly against it, but it should be also noted that governments were already seizing coin before the reserve so this is not really a change in policy.
Ideally all seized bitcoin should be burned, by law. This would align incentives properly and make it less likely for the government to actively increase coin seizures. Due to the truly scarce properties of bitcoin, all burned bitcoin helps existing holders through increased purchasing power regardless. This change would be unlikely but those of us in policy circles should push for it regardless. It would be best case scenario for American bitcoiners and would create a strong foundation for the next century of American leadership.
**Optimism**
The entire point of bitcoin is that we can spend or save it without permission. That said, it is a massive benefit to not have one of the strongest governments in human history actively trying to ruin our lives.
Since the beginning, bitcoiners have faced horrible regulatory trends. KYC, surveillance, and legal cases have made using bitcoin and building bitcoin businesses incredibly difficult. It is incredibly important to note that over the past year that trend has reversed for the first time in a decade. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a key driver of this shift. By holding bitcoin, the strongest government in the world has signaled that it is not just a fringe technology but rather truly valuable, legitimate, and worth stacking.
This alignment of incentives changes everything. The US Government stacking proves bitcoin’s worth. The resulting purchasing power appreciation helps all of us who are holding coin and as bitcoin succeeds our government receives direct benefit. A beautiful positive feedback loop.
**Realism**
We are trending in the right direction. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a sign that the state sees bitcoin as an asset worth embracing rather than destroying. That said, there is a lot of work left to be done. We cannot be lulled into complacency, the time to push forward is now, and we cannot take our foot off the gas. We have a seat at the table for the first time ever. Let's make it worth it.
We must protect the right to free usage of bitcoin and other digital technologies. Freedom in the digital age must be taken and defended, through both technical and political avenues. Multiple privacy focused developers are facing long jail sentences for building tools that protect our freedom. These cases are not just legal battles. They are attacks on the soul of bitcoin. We need to rally behind them, fight for their freedom, and ensure the ethos of bitcoin survives this new era of government interest. The strategic reserve is a step in the right direction, but it is up to us to hold the line and shape the future.
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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-07 00:26:37
There is something quietly rebellious about stacking sats. In a world obsessed with instant gratification, choosing to patiently accumulate Bitcoin, one sat at a time, feels like a middle finger to the hype machine. But to do it right, you have got to stay humble. Stack too hard with your head in the clouds, and you will trip over your own ego before the next halving even hits.
**Small Wins**
Stacking sats is not glamorous. Discipline. Stacking every day, week, or month, no matter the price, and letting time do the heavy lifting. Humility lives in that consistency. You are not trying to outsmart the market or prove you are the next "crypto" prophet. Just a regular person, betting on a system you believe in, one humble stack at a time. Folks get rekt chasing the highs. They ape into some shitcoin pump, shout about it online, then go silent when they inevitably get rekt. The ones who last? They stack. Just keep showing up. Consistency. Humility in action. Know the game is long, and you are not bigger than it.
**Ego is Volatile**
Bitcoin’s swings can mess with your head. One day you are up 20%, feeling like a genius and the next down 30%, questioning everything. Ego will have you panic selling at the bottom or over leveraging the top. Staying humble means patience, a true bitcoin zen. Do not try to "beat” Bitcoin. Ride it. Stack what you can afford, live your life, and let compounding work its magic.
**Simplicity**
There is a beauty in how stacking sats forces you to rethink value. A sat is worth less than a penny today, but every time you grab a few thousand, you plant a seed. It is not about flaunting wealth but rather building it, quietly, without fanfare. That mindset spills over. Cut out the noise: the overpriced coffee, fancy watches, the status games that drain your wallet. Humility is good for your soul and your stack. I have a buddy who has been stacking since 2015. Never talks about it unless you ask. Lives in a decent place, drives an old truck, and just keeps stacking. He is not chasing clout, he is chasing freedom. That is the vibe: less ego, more sats, all grounded in life.
**The Big Picture**
Stack those sats. Do it quietly, do it consistently, and do not let the green days puff you up or the red days break you down. Humility is the secret sauce, it keeps you grounded while the world spins wild. In a decade, when you look back and smile, it will not be because you shouted the loudest. It will be because you stayed the course, one sat at a time. \
\
Stay Humble and Stack Sats. 🫡
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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-04 17:00:18
This piece is the first in a series that will focus on things I think are a priority if your focus is similar to mine: building a strong family and safeguarding their future.
---
Choosing the ideal place to raise a family is one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. For simplicity sake I will break down my thought process into key factors: strong property rights, the ability to grow your own food, access to fresh water, the freedom to own and train with guns, and a dependable community.
**A Jurisdiction with Strong Property Rights**
Strong property rights are essential and allow you to build on a solid foundation that is less likely to break underneath you. Regions with a history of limited government and clear legal protections for landowners are ideal. Personally I think the US is the single best option globally, but within the US there is a wide difference between which state you choose. Choose carefully and thoughtfully, think long term. Obviously if you are not American this is not a realistic option for you, there are other solid options available especially if your family has mobility. I understand many do not have this capability to easily move, consider that your first priority, making movement and jurisdiction choice possible in the first place.
**Abundant Access to Fresh Water**
Water is life. I cannot overstate the importance of living somewhere with reliable, clean, and abundant freshwater. Some regions face water scarcity or heavy regulations on usage, so prioritizing a place where water is plentiful and your rights to it are protected is critical. Ideally you should have well access so you are not tied to municipal water supplies. In times of crisis or chaos well water cannot be easily shutoff or disrupted. If you live in an area that is drought prone, you are one drought away from societal chaos. Not enough people appreciate this simple fact.
**Grow Your Own Food**
A location with fertile soil, a favorable climate, and enough space for a small homestead or at the very least a garden is key. In stable times, a small homestead provides good food and important education for your family. In times of chaos your family being able to grow and raise healthy food provides a level of self sufficiency that many others will lack. Look for areas with minimal restrictions, good weather, and a culture that supports local farming.
**Guns**
The ability to defend your family is fundamental. A location where you can legally and easily own guns is a must. Look for places with a strong gun culture and a political history of protecting those rights. Owning one or two guns is not enough and without proper training they will be a liability rather than a benefit. Get comfortable and proficient. Never stop improving your skills. If the time comes that you must use a gun to defend your family, the skills must be instinct. Practice. Practice. Practice.
**A Strong Community You Can Depend On**
No one thrives alone. A ride or die community that rallies together in tough times is invaluable. Seek out a place where people know their neighbors, share similar values, and are quick to lend a hand. Lead by example and become a good neighbor, people will naturally respond in kind. Small towns are ideal, if possible, but living outside of a major city can be a solid balance in terms of work opportunities and family security.
---
Let me know if you found this helpful. My plan is to break down how I think about these five key subjects in future posts.
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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-02-25 03:55:08
Here’s a revised timeline of macro-level events from *The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047* by Lionel Shriver, reimagined in a world where Bitcoin is adopted as a widely accepted form of money, altering the original narrative’s assumptions about currency collapse and economic control. In Shriver’s original story, the failure of Bitcoin is assumed amid the dominance of the bancor and the dollar’s collapse. Here, Bitcoin’s success reshapes the economic and societal trajectory, decentralizing power and challenging state-driven outcomes.
### Part One: 2029–2032
- **2029 (Early Year)**\
The United States faces economic strain as the dollar weakens against global shifts. However, Bitcoin, having gained traction emerges as a viable alternative. Unlike the original timeline, the bancor—a supranational currency backed by a coalition of nations—struggles to gain footing as Bitcoin’s decentralized adoption grows among individuals and businesses worldwide, undermining both the dollar and the bancor.
- **2029 (Mid-Year: The Great Renunciation)**\
Treasury bonds lose value, and the government bans Bitcoin, labeling it a threat to sovereignty (mirroring the original bancor ban). However, a Bitcoin ban proves unenforceable—its decentralized nature thwarts confiscation efforts, unlike gold in the original story. Hyperinflation hits the dollar as the U.S. prints money, but Bitcoin’s fixed supply shields adopters from currency devaluation, creating a dual-economy split: dollar users suffer, while Bitcoin users thrive.
- **2029 (Late Year)**\
Dollar-based inflation soars, emptying stores of goods priced in fiat currency. Meanwhile, Bitcoin transactions flourish in underground and online markets, stabilizing trade for those plugged into the bitcoin ecosystem. Traditional supply chains falter, but peer-to-peer Bitcoin networks enable local and international exchange, reducing scarcity for early adopters. The government’s gold confiscation fails to bolster the dollar, as Bitcoin’s rise renders gold less relevant.
- **2030–2031**\
Crime spikes in dollar-dependent urban areas, but Bitcoin-friendly regions see less chaos, as digital wallets and smart contracts facilitate secure trade. The U.S. government doubles down on surveillance to crack down on bitcoin use. A cultural divide deepens: centralized authority weakens in Bitcoin-adopting communities, while dollar zones descend into lawlessness.
- **2032**\
By this point, Bitcoin is de facto legal tender in parts of the U.S. and globally, especially in tech-savvy or libertarian-leaning regions. The federal government’s grip slips as tax collection in dollars plummets—Bitcoin’s traceability is low, and citizens evade fiat-based levies. Rural and urban Bitcoin hubs emerge, while the dollar economy remains fractured.
### Time Jump: 2032–2047
- Over 15 years, Bitcoin solidifies as a global reserve currency, eroding centralized control. The U.S. government adapts, grudgingly integrating bitcoin into policy, though regional autonomy grows as Bitcoin empowers local economies.
### Part Two: 2047
- **2047 (Early Year)**\
The U.S. is a hybrid state: Bitcoin is legal tender alongside a diminished dollar. Taxes are lower, collected in BTC, reducing federal overreach. Bitcoin’s adoption has decentralized power nationwide. The bancor has faded, unable to compete with Bitcoin’s grassroots momentum.
- **2047 (Mid-Year)**\
Travel and trade flow freely in Bitcoin zones, with no restrictive checkpoints. The dollar economy lingers in poorer areas, marked by decay, but Bitcoin’s dominance lifts overall prosperity, as its deflationary nature incentivizes saving and investment over consumption. Global supply chains rebound, powered by bitcoin enabled efficiency.
- **2047 (Late Year)**\
The U.S. is a patchwork of semi-autonomous zones, united by Bitcoin’s universal acceptance rather than federal control. Resource scarcity persists due to past disruptions, but economic stability is higher than in Shriver’s original dystopia—Bitcoin’s success prevents the authoritarian slide, fostering a freer, if imperfect, society.
### Key Differences
- **Currency Dynamics**: Bitcoin’s triumph prevents the bancor’s dominance and mitigates hyperinflation’s worst effects, offering a lifeline outside state control.
- **Government Power**: Centralized authority weakens as Bitcoin evades bans and taxation, shifting power to individuals and communities.
- **Societal Outcome**: Instead of a surveillance state, 2047 sees a decentralized, bitcoin driven world—less oppressive, though still stratified between Bitcoin haves and have-nots.
This reimagining assumes Bitcoin overcomes Shriver’s implied skepticism to become a robust, adopted currency by 2029, fundamentally altering the novel’s bleak trajectory.
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@ 6e0ea5d6:0327f353
2025-02-21 18:15:52
"Malcolm Forbes recounts that a lady, wearing a faded cotton dress, and her husband, dressed in an old handmade suit, stepped off a train in Boston, USA, and timidly made their way to the office of the president of Harvard University. They had come from Palo Alto, California, and had not scheduled an appointment. The secretary, at a glance, thought that those two, looking like country bumpkins, had no business at Harvard.
— We want to speak with the president — the man said in a low voice.
— He will be busy all day — the secretary replied curtly.
— We will wait.
The secretary ignored them for hours, hoping the couple would finally give up and leave. But they stayed there, and the secretary, somewhat frustrated, decided to bother the president, although she hated doing that.
— If you speak with them for just a few minutes, maybe they will decide to go away — she said.
The president sighed in irritation but agreed. Someone of his importance did not have time to meet people like that, but he hated faded dresses and tattered suits in his office. With a stern face, he went to the couple.
— We had a son who studied at Harvard for a year — the woman said. — He loved Harvard and was very happy here, but a year ago he died in an accident, and we would like to erect a monument in his honor somewhere on campus.
— My lady — said the president rudely —, we cannot erect a statue for every person who studied at Harvard and died; if we did, this place would look like a cemetery.
— Oh, no — the lady quickly replied. — We do not want to erect a statue. We would like to donate a building to Harvard.
The president looked at the woman's faded dress and her husband's old suit and exclaimed:
— A building! Do you have even the faintest idea of how much a building costs? We have more than seven and a half million dollars' worth of buildings here at Harvard.
The lady was silent for a moment, then said to her husband:
— If that’s all it costs to found a university, why don’t we have our own?
The husband agreed.
The couple, Leland Stanford, stood up and left, leaving the president confused. Traveling back to Palo Alto, California, they established there Stanford University, the second-largest in the world, in honor of their son, a former Harvard student."
Text extracted from: "Mileumlivros - Stories that Teach Values."
Thank you for reading, my friend!
If this message helped you in any way,
consider leaving your glass “🥃” as a token of appreciation.
A toast to our family!
-

@ 9e69e420:d12360c2
2025-02-17 17:12:01
President Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, likening it to a wartime effort. Despite pouring resources into the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arrest numbers are declining and falling short of goals. ICE fell from about 800 daily arrests in late January to fewer than 600 in early February.
Critics argue the administration is merely showcasing efforts with ineffectiveness, while Trump seeks billions more in funding to support his deportation agenda. Increased involvement from various federal agencies is intended to assist ICE, but many lack specific immigration training.
Challenges persist, as fewer immigrants are available for quick deportation due to a decline in illegal crossings. Local sheriffs are also pressured by rising demands to accommodate immigrants, which may strain resources further.
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@ 0fa80bd3:ea7325de
2025-02-14 23:24:37
#intro
The Russian state made me a Bitcoiner. In 1991, it devalued my grandmother's hard-earned savings. She worked tirelessly in the kitchen of a dining car on the Moscow–Warsaw route. Everything she had saved for my sister and me to attend university vanished overnight. This story is similar to what many experienced, including Wences Casares. The pain and injustice of that time became my first lessons about the fragility of systems and the value of genuine, incorruptible assets, forever changing my perception of money and my trust in government promises.
In 2014, I was living in Moscow, running a trading business, and frequently traveling to China. One day, I learned about the Cypriot banking crisis and the possibility of moving money through some strange thing called Bitcoin. At the time, I didn’t give it much thought. Returning to the idea six months later, as a business-oriented geek, I eagerly began studying the topic and soon dove into it seriously.
I spent half a year reading articles on a local online journal, BitNovosti, actively participating in discussions, and eventually joined the editorial team as a translator. That’s how I learned about whitepapers, decentralization, mining, cryptographic keys, and colored coins. About Satoshi Nakamoto, Silk Road, Mt. Gox, and BitcoinTalk. Over time, I befriended the journal’s owner and, leveraging my management experience, later became an editor. I was drawn to the crypto-anarchist stance and commitment to decentralization principles. We wrote about the economic, historical, and social preconditions for Bitcoin’s emergence, and it was during this time that I fully embraced the idea.
It got to the point where I sold my apartment and, during the market's downturn, bought 50 bitcoins, just after the peak price of $1,200 per coin. That marked the beginning of my first crypto winter. As an editor, I organized workflows, managed translators, developed a YouTube channel, and attended conferences in Russia and Ukraine. That’s how I learned about Wences Casares and even wrote a piece about him. I also met Mikhail Chobanyan (Ukrainian exchange Kuna), Alexander Ivanov (Waves project), Konstantin Lomashuk (Lido project), and, of course, Vitalik Buterin. It was a time of complete immersion, 24/7, and boundless hope.
After moving to the United States, I expected the industry to grow rapidly, attended events, but the introduction of BitLicense froze the industry for eight years. By 2017, it became clear that the industry was shifting toward gambling and creating tokens for the sake of tokens. I dismissed this idea as unsustainable. Then came a new crypto spring with the hype around beautiful NFTs – CryptoPunks and apes.
I made another attempt – we worked on a series called Digital Nomad Country Club, aimed at creating a global project. The proceeds from selling images were intended to fund the development of business tools for people worldwide. However, internal disagreements within the team prevented us from completing the project.
With Trump’s arrival in 2025, hope was reignited. I decided that it was time to create a project that society desperately needed. As someone passionate about history, I understood that destroying what exists was not the solution, but leaving everything as it was also felt unacceptable. You can’t destroy the system, as the fiery crypto-anarchist voices claimed.
With an analytical mindset (IQ 130) and a deep understanding of the freest societies, I realized what was missing—not only in Russia or the United States but globally—a Bitcoin-native system for tracking debts and financial interactions. This could return control of money to ordinary people and create horizontal connections parallel to state systems. My goal was to create, if not a Bitcoin killer app, then at least to lay its foundation.
At the inauguration event in New York, I rediscovered the Nostr project. I realized it was not only technologically simple and already quite popular but also perfectly aligned with my vision. For the past month and a half, using insights and experience gained since 2014, I’ve been working full-time on this project.
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@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365
2025-02-13 06:16:49
My favorite line in any Marvel movie ever is in “Captain America.” After Captain America launches seemingly a hopeless assault on Red Skull’s base and is captured, we get [this line](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kqsomjpz7ok):
“Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say, you do it better than anyone.”
Yesterday, I came across a comment on the song [Devil Went Down to Georgia](https://youtu.be/ut8UqFlWdDc) that had a very similar feel to it:

America has seemingly always been arrogant, in a uniquely American way. Manifest Destiny, for instance. The rest of the world is aware of this arrogance, and mocks Americans for it. A central point in modern US politics is the deriding of racist, nationalist, supremacist Americans.
That’s not what I see. I see American Arrogance as not only a beautiful statement about what it means to be American. I see it as an ode to the greatness of humanity in its purest form.
For most countries, saying “our nation is the greatest” *is*, in fact, twinged with some level of racism. I still don’t have a problem with it. Every group of people *should* be allowed to feel pride in their accomplishments. The destruction of the human spirit since the end of World War 2, where greatness has become a sin and weakness a virtue, has crushed the ability of people worldwide to strive for excellence.
But I digress. The fears of racism and nationalism at least have a grain of truth when applied to other nations on the planet. But not to America.
That’s because the definition of America, and the prototype of an American, has nothing to do with race. The definition of Americanism is *freedom*. The founding of America is based purely on liberty. On the God-given rights of every person to live life the way they see fit.
American Arrogance is not a statement of racial superiority. It’s barely a statement of national superiority (though it absolutely is). To me, when an American comments on the greatness of America, it’s a statement about freedom. Freedom will always unlock the greatness inherent in any group of people. Americans are *definitionally* better than everyone else, because Americans are freer than everyone else. (Or, at least, that’s how it should be.)
In *Devil Went Down to Georgia*, Johnny is approached by the devil himself. He is challenged to a ridiculously lopsided bet: a golden fiddle versus his immortal soul. He acknowledges the sin in accepting such a proposal. And yet he says, “God, I know you told me not to do this. But I can’t stand the affront to my honor. I am the greatest. The devil has nothing on me. So God, I’m gonna sin, but I’m also gonna win.”
*Libertas magnitudo est*
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@ 2e8970de:63345c7a
2025-03-31 19:08:11

https://x.com/beatmastermatt/status/1906329250115858750
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/930491
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@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365
2025-02-05 17:47:16
I got into a [friendly discussion](https://x.com/snoyberg/status/1887007888117252142) on X regarding health insurance. The specific question was how to deal with health insurance companies (presumably unfairly) denying claims? My answer, as usual: get government out of it!
The US healthcare system is essentially the worst of both worlds:
* Unlike full single payer, individuals incur high costs
* Unlike a true free market, regulation causes increases in costs and decreases competition among insurers
I'm firmly on the side of moving towards the free market. (And I say that as someone living under a single payer system now.) Here's what I would do:
* Get rid of tax incentives that make health insurance tied to your employer, giving individuals back proper freedom of choice.
* Reduce regulations significantly.
* In the short term, some people will still get rejected claims and other obnoxious behavior from insurance companies. We address that in two ways:
1. Due to reduced regulations, new insurance companies will be able to enter the market offering more reliable coverage and better rates, and people will flock to them because they have the freedom to make their own choices.
2. Sue the asses off of companies that reject claims unfairly. And ideally, as one of the few legitimate roles of government in all this, institute new laws that limit the ability of fine print to allow insurers to escape their responsibilities. (I'm hesitant that the latter will happen due to the incestuous relationship between Congress/regulators and insurers, but I can hope.)
Will this magically fix everything overnight like politicians normally promise? No. But it will allow the market to return to a healthy state. And I don't think it will take long (order of magnitude: 5-10 years) for it to come together, but that's just speculation.
And since there's a high correlation between those who believe government can fix problems by taking more control and demanding that only credentialed experts weigh in on a topic (both points I strongly disagree with BTW): I'm a trained actuary and worked in the insurance industry, and have directly seen how government regulation reduces competition, raises prices, and harms consumers.
And my final point: I don't think any prior art would be a good comparison for deregulation in the US, it's such a different market than any other country in the world for so many reasons that lessons wouldn't really translate. Nonetheless, I asked Grok for some empirical data on this, and at best the results of deregulation could be called "mixed," but likely more accurately "uncertain, confused, and subject to whatever interpretation anyone wants to apply."
https://x.com/i/grok/share/Zc8yOdrN8lS275hXJ92uwq98M
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@ c631e267:c2b78d3e
2025-03-31 07:23:05
*Der Irrsinn ist bei Einzelnen etwas Seltenes –* *\
aber bei Gruppen, Parteien, Völkern, Zeiten die Regel.* *\
Friedrich Nietzsche*  
**Erinnern Sie sich an die Horrorkomödie «Scary Movie»?** Nicht, dass ich diese Art Filme besonders erinnerungswürdig fände, aber einige Szenen daraus sind doch gewissermaßen Klassiker. Dazu zählt eine, die das Verhalten vieler Protagonisten in Horrorfilmen parodiert, wenn sie in Panik flüchten. Welchen Weg nimmt wohl die Frau in der Situation auf diesem Bild?

**Diese Szene kommt mir automatisch in den Sinn,** wenn ich aktuelle Entwicklungen in Europa betrachte. Weitreichende Entscheidungen gehen wider jede Logik in die völlig falsche Richtung. Nur ist das hier alles andere als eine Komödie, sondern bitterernst. Dieser Horror ist leider sehr real.
**Die Europäische Union hat sich selbst über Jahre** konsequent in eine Sackgasse manövriert. Sie hat es versäumt, sich und ihre Politik selbstbewusst und im Einklang mit ihren Wurzeln auf dem eigenen Kontinent zu positionieren. Stattdessen ist sie in blinder Treue den vermeintlichen «transatlantischen Freunden» auf ihrem Konfrontationskurs gen Osten gefolgt.
**In den USA haben sich die Vorzeichen allerdings mittlerweile geändert,** und die einst hoch gelobten «Freunde und Partner» erscheinen den europäischen «Führern» nicht mehr vertrauenswürdig. Das ist spätestens seit der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz, der Rede von Vizepräsident J. D. Vance und den empörten Reaktionen offensichtlich. Große Teile Europas wirken seitdem wie ein aufgescheuchter Haufen kopfloser Hühner. Orientierung und Kontrolle sind völlig abhanden gekommen.
**Statt jedoch umzukehren oder wenigstens zu bremsen** und vielleicht einen Abzweig zu suchen, geben die Crash-Piloten jetzt auf dem Weg durch die Sackgasse erst richtig Gas. Ja sie lösen sogar noch die Sicherheitsgurte und deaktivieren die Airbags. Den vor Angst dauergelähmten Passagieren fällt auch nichts Besseres ein und so schließen sie einfach die Augen. Derweil übertrumpfen sich die [Kommentatoren](https://transition-news.org/wird-ihr-stahlhelm-schon-gegossen) des Events gegenseitig in sensationslüsterner «Berichterstattung».
**Wie schon die deutsche Außenministerin mit höchsten UN-Ambitionen,** Annalena Baerbock, proklamiert auch die Europäische Kommission einen «Frieden durch Stärke». Zu dem jetzt vorgelegten, [selbstzerstörerischen](https://transition-news.org/okonomen-eu-rustet-auf-und-schiesst-sich-selbst-ins-knie) Fahrplan zur Ankurbelung der Rüstungsindustrie, genannt «Weißbuch zur europäischen Verteidigung – Bereitschaft 2030», [erklärte](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/ip_25_793) die Kommissionspräsidentin, die «Ära der Friedensdividende» sei längst vorbei. Soll das heißen, Frieden bringt nichts ein? Eine umfassende Zusammenarbeit an dauerhaften europäischen Friedenslösungen steht demnach jedenfalls nicht zur Debatte.
**Zusätzlich brisant ist, dass aktuell «die ganze EU** **[von Deutschen regiert](https://transition-news.org/die-ganze-eu-wird-von-deutschen-regiert)** **wird»,** wie der EU-Parlamentarier und ehemalige UN-Diplomat Michael von der Schulenburg beobachtet hat. Tatsächlich sitzen neben von der Leyen und Strack-Zimmermann noch einige weitere Deutsche in – vor allem auch in Krisenzeiten – wichtigen Spitzenposten der Union. Vor dem Hintergrund der Kriegstreiberei in Deutschland muss eine solche Dominanz mindestens nachdenklich stimmen.
**Ihre ursprünglichen Grundwerte wie Demokratie, Freiheit, Frieden und Völkerverständigung** hat die EU kontinuierlich in leere Worthülsen verwandelt. Diese werden dafür immer lächerlicher hochgehalten und beschworen.
**Es wird dringend Zeit, dass wir, der Souverän,** diesem erbärmlichen und gefährlichen Trauerspiel ein Ende setzen und die Fäden selbst in die Hand nehmen. In diesem Sinne fordert uns auch das «European Peace Project» auf, am 9. Mai im Rahmen eines Kunstprojekts [den Frieden auszurufen](https://transition-news.org/ein-zeichen-fur-die-friedliche-zukunft-europas-setzen). Seien wir dabei!
*\[Titelbild:* *[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/vertical-abstract-concept-car-8992833/)]*
***
Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem [Pareto-Client](https://pareto.space/read) geschrieben und ist zuerst auf ***[Transition News](https://transition-news.org/mit-vollgas-in-die-sackgasse)*** erschienen.
-

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-25 17:43:44
One of the most common criticisms leveled against nostr is the perceived lack of assurance when it comes to data storage. Critics argue that without a centralized authority guaranteeing that all data is preserved, important information will be lost. They also claim that running a relay will become prohibitively expensive. While there is truth to these concerns, they miss the mark. The genius of nostr lies in its flexibility, resilience, and the way it harnesses human incentives to ensure data availability in practice.
A nostr relay is simply a server that holds cryptographically verifiable signed data and makes it available to others. Relays are simple, flexible, open, and require no permission to run. Critics are right that operating a relay attempting to store all nostr data will be costly. What they miss is that most will not run all encompassing archive relays. Nostr does not rely on massive archive relays. Instead, anyone can run a relay and choose to store whatever subset of data they want. This keeps costs low and operations flexible, making relay operation accessible to all sorts of individuals and entities with varying use cases.
Critics are correct that there is no ironclad guarantee that every piece of data will always be available. Unlike bitcoin where data permanence is baked into the system at a steep cost, nostr does not promise that every random note or meme will be preserved forever. That said, in practice, any data perceived as valuable by someone will likely be stored and distributed by multiple entities. If something matters to someone, they will keep a signed copy.
Nostr is the Streisand Effect in protocol form. The Streisand effect is when an attempt to suppress information backfires, causing it to spread even further. With nostr, anyone can broadcast signed data, anyone can store it, and anyone can distribute it. Try to censor something important? Good luck. The moment it catches attention, it will be stored on relays across the globe, copied, and shared by those who find it worth keeping. Data deemed important will be replicated across servers by individuals acting in their own interest.
Nostr’s distributed nature ensures that the system does not rely on a single point of failure or a corporate overlord. Instead, it leans on the collective will of its users. The result is a network where costs stay manageable, participation is open to all, and valuable verifiable data is stored and distributed forever.
-

@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c
2025-02-04 17:24:50
### Definição de ULID:
Timestamp 48 bits, Aleatoriedade 80 bits
Sendo Timestamp 48 bits inteiro, tempo UNIX em milissegundos, Não ficará sem espaço até o ano 10889 d.C.
e Aleatoriedade 80 bits, Fonte criptograficamente segura de aleatoriedade, se possível.
#### Gerar ULID
```sql
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;
CREATE FUNCTION generate_ulid()
RETURNS TEXT
AS $$
DECLARE
-- Crockford's Base32
encoding BYTEA = '0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ';
timestamp BYTEA = E'\\000\\000\\000\\000\\000\\000';
output TEXT = '';
unix_time BIGINT;
ulid BYTEA;
BEGIN
-- 6 timestamp bytes
unix_time = (EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM CLOCK_TIMESTAMP()) * 1000)::BIGINT;
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 0, (unix_time >> 40)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 1, (unix_time >> 32)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 2, (unix_time >> 24)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 3, (unix_time >> 16)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 4, (unix_time >> 8)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 5, unix_time::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
-- 10 entropy bytes
ulid = timestamp || gen_random_bytes(10);
-- Encode the timestamp
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 0) & 224) >> 5));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 0) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 1) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 1) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 2) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 2) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 2) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 3) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 3) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 4) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 4) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 4) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 5) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 5) & 31)));
-- Encode the entropy
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 6) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 6) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 7) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 7) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 7) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 8) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 8) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 9) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 9) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 9) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 10) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 10) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 11) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 11) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 12) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 12) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 12) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 13) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 13) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 14) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 14) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 14) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 15) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 15) & 31)));
RETURN output;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
VOLATILE;
```
#### ULID TO UUID
```sql
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION parse_ulid(ulid text) RETURNS bytea AS $$
DECLARE
-- 16byte
bytes bytea = E'\\x00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000';
v char[];
-- Allow for O(1) lookup of index values
dec integer[] = ARRAY[
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 0, 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 1, 18, 19, 1, 20, 21, 0, 22,
23, 24, 25, 26, 255, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 1, 18, 19, 1, 20, 21,
0, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 255, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31
];
BEGIN
IF NOT ulid ~* '^[0-7][0-9ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ]{25}$' THEN
RAISE EXCEPTION 'Invalid ULID: %', ulid;
END IF;
v = regexp_split_to_array(ulid, '');
-- 6 bytes timestamp (48 bits)
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 0, (dec[ASCII(v[1])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[2])]);
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 1, (dec[ASCII(v[3])] << 3) | (dec[ASCII(v[4])] >> 2));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 2, (dec[ASCII(v[4])] << 6) | (dec[ASCII(v[5])] << 1) | (dec[ASCII(v[6])] >> 4));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 3, (dec[ASCII(v[6])] << 4) | (dec[ASCII(v[7])] >> 1));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 4, (dec[ASCII(v[7])] << 7) | (dec[ASCII(v[8])] << 2) | (dec[ASCII(v[9])] >> 3));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 5, (dec[ASCII(v[9])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[10])]);
-- 10 bytes of entropy (80 bits);
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 6, (dec[ASCII(v[11])] << 3) | (dec[ASCII(v[12])] >> 2));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 7, (dec[ASCII(v[12])] << 6) | (dec[ASCII(v[13])] << 1) | (dec[ASCII(v[14])] >> 4));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 8, (dec[ASCII(v[14])] << 4) | (dec[ASCII(v[15])] >> 1));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 9, (dec[ASCII(v[15])] << 7) | (dec[ASCII(v[16])] << 2) | (dec[ASCII(v[17])] >> 3));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 10, (dec[ASCII(v[17])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[18])]);
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 11, (dec[ASCII(v[19])] << 3) | (dec[ASCII(v[20])] >> 2));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 12, (dec[ASCII(v[20])] << 6) | (dec[ASCII(v[21])] << 1) | (dec[ASCII(v[22])] >> 4));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 13, (dec[ASCII(v[22])] << 4) | (dec[ASCII(v[23])] >> 1));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 14, (dec[ASCII(v[23])] << 7) | (dec[ASCII(v[24])] << 2) | (dec[ASCII(v[25])] >> 3));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 15, (dec[ASCII(v[25])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[26])]);
RETURN bytes;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
IMMUTABLE;
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION ulid_to_uuid(ulid text) RETURNS uuid AS $$
BEGIN
RETURN encode(parse_ulid(ulid), 'hex')::uuid;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
IMMUTABLE;
```
#### UUID to ULID
```sql
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION uuid_to_ulid(id uuid) RETURNS text AS $$
DECLARE
encoding bytea = '0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ';
output text = '';
uuid_bytes bytea = uuid_send(id);
BEGIN
-- Encode the timestamp
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 0) & 224) >> 5));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 0) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 1) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 1) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 2) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 2) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 2) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 3) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 3) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 4) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 4) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 4) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 5) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 5) & 31)));
-- Encode the entropy
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 6) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 6) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 7) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 7) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 7) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 8) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 8) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 9) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 9) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 9) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 10) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 10) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 11) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 11) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 12) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 12) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 12) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 13) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 13) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 14) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 14) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 14) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 15) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 15) & 31)));
RETURN output;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
IMMUTABLE;
```
#### Gera 11 Digitos aleatórios: YBKXG0CKTH4
```sql
-- Cria a extensão pgcrypto para gerar uuid
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;
-- Cria a função para gerar ULID
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION gen_lrandom()
RETURNS TEXT AS $$
DECLARE
ts_millis BIGINT;
ts_chars TEXT;
random_bytes BYTEA;
random_chars TEXT;
base32_chars TEXT := '0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ';
i INT;
BEGIN
-- Pega o timestamp em milissegundos
ts_millis := FLOOR(EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM clock_timestamp()) * 1000)::BIGINT;
-- Converte o timestamp para base32
ts_chars := '';
FOR i IN REVERSE 0..11 LOOP
ts_chars := ts_chars || substr(base32_chars, ((ts_millis >> (5 * i)) & 31) + 1, 1);
END LOOP;
-- Gera 10 bytes aleatórios e converte para base32
random_bytes := gen_random_bytes(10);
random_chars := '';
FOR i IN 0..9 LOOP
random_chars := random_chars || substr(base32_chars, ((get_byte(random_bytes, i) >> 3) & 31) + 1, 1);
IF i < 9 THEN
random_chars := random_chars || substr(base32_chars, (((get_byte(random_bytes, i) & 7) << 2) | (get_byte(random_bytes, i + 1) >> 6)) & 31 + 1, 1);
ELSE
random_chars := random_chars || substr(base32_chars, ((get_byte(random_bytes, i) & 7) << 2) + 1, 1);
END IF;
END LOOP;
-- Concatena o timestamp e os caracteres aleatórios
RETURN ts_chars || random_chars;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
```
#### Exemplo de USO
```sql
-- Criação da extensão caso não exista
CREATE EXTENSION
IF
NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;
-- Criação da tabela pessoas
CREATE TABLE pessoas ( ID UUID DEFAULT gen_random_uuid ( ) PRIMARY KEY, nome TEXT NOT NULL );
-- Busca Pessoa na tabela
SELECT
*
FROM
"pessoas"
WHERE
uuid_to_ulid ( ID ) = '252FAC9F3V8EF80SSDK8PXW02F';
```
### Fontes
- https://github.com/scoville/pgsql-ulid
- https://github.com/geckoboard/pgulid
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-29 18:02:16
> This UX research has been redacted by @iqra from the Bitcoin.Design [community](https://discord.gg/K7aQ5PErht), and shared for review and feedback! Don't be shy, share your thoughts.

- - -
## 1️⃣ Introduction
#### Project Overview
📌 **Product:** BlueWallet (Bitcoin Wallet)
📌 **Goal:** Improve onboarding flow and enhance accessibility for a better user experience.
📌 **Role:** UX Designer
📌 **Tools Used:** Figma, Notion
#### Why This Case Study?
🔹 BlueWallet is a self-custodial Bitcoin wallet, but **users struggle with onboarding due to unclear instructions**.
🔹 **Accessibility issues** (low contrast, small fonts) create **barriers for visually impaired users**.
🔹 Competitors like **Trust Wallet and MetaMask offer better-guided onboarding**.
This case study presents **UX/UI improvements** to make BlueWallet **more intuitive and inclusive**.
- - -
## 2️⃣ Problem Statement: Why BlueWalletʼs Onboarding Needs Improvement
#### 🔹 **Current Challenges:**
1️⃣ **Onboarding Complexity** - BlueWallet lacks **step-by-step guidance**, leaving users confused about wallet creation and security.
 
2️⃣ **No Educational Introduction** - Users land directly on the wallet screen with **no explanation of private keys, recovery phrases, or transactions**.
3️⃣ **Transaction Flow Issues** - Similar-looking **"Send" and "Receive" buttons** cause confusion.
4️⃣ **Poor Accessibility** - Small fonts and low contrast make navigation difficult.
#### 🔍 **Impact on Users:**
**Higher drop-off rates** due to frustration during onboarding.
**Security risks** as users skip key wallet setup steps.
**Limited accessibility** for users with visual impairments.
#### 📌 **Competitive Gap:**
Unlike competitors (Trust Wallet, MetaMask), BlueWallet does not offer:
✅ A guided onboarding process
✅ Security education during setup
✅ Intuitive transaction flow
    
Somehow, this wallet has much better UI than the BlueWallet Bitcoin wallet.
- - -
## 3️⃣ User Research & Competitive Analysis
#### User Testing Findings
🔹 Conducted usability testing with **5 users** onboarding for the first time.
🔹 **Key Findings:**
✅ 3 out of 5 users **felt lost** due to missing explanations.
✅ 60% **had trouble distinguishing transaction buttons**.
✅ 80% **found the text difficult to read** due to low contrast.
#### Competitive Analysis
We compared BlueWallet with top crypto wallets:
| Wallet | Onboarding UX | Security Guidance | Accessibility Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlueWallet | ❌ No guided onboarding | ❌ Minimal explanation | ❌ Low contrast, small fonts |
| Trust Wallet | ✅ Step-by-step setup | ✅ Security best practices | ✅ High contrast UI |
| MetaMask | ✅ Interactive tutorial | ✅ Private key education | ✅ Clear transaction buttons |
📌 **Key Insight:** BlueWallet lacks **guided setup and accessibility enhancements**, making it harder for beginners.
## 📌 User Persona
To better understand the users facing onboarding challenges, I developed a **persona** based on research and usability testing.
#### 🔹 Persona 1: Alex Carter (Bitcoin Beginner & Investor)
👤 **Profile:**
- **Age:** 28
- **Occupation:** Freelance Digital Marketer
- **Tech Knowledge:** Moderate - Familiar with online transactions, new to Bitcoin)
- **Pain Points:**
- Finds **Bitcoin wallets confusing**.
- - Doesnʼt understand **seed phrases & security features**.
- - **Worried about losing funds** due to a lack of clarity in transactions.
📌 **Needs:**
✅ A **simple, guided** wallet setup.
✅ **Clear explanations** of security terms (without jargon).
✅ Easy-to-locate **Send/Receive buttons**.
📌 **Persona Usage in Case Study:**
- Helps define **who we are designing for**.
- Guides **design decisions** by focusing on user needs.
#### 🔹 Persona 2: Sarah Mitchell (Accessibility Advocate & Tech Enthusiast)
👤 **Profile:**
- **Age:** 35
- **Occupation:** UX Researcher & Accessibility Consultant
- **Tech Knowledge:** High (Uses Bitcoin but struggles with accessibility barriers)
📌 **Pain Points:**
❌ Struggles with small font sizes & low contrast.
❌ Finds the UI difficult to navigate with a screen reader.
❌ Confused by identical-looking transaction buttons.
📌 **Needs:**
✅ A **high-contrast UI** that meets **WCAG accessibility standards**.
✅ **Larger fonts & scalable UI elements** for better readability.
✅ **Keyboard & screen reader-friendly navigation** for seamless interaction.
📌 **Why This Persona Matters:**
- Represents users with visual impairments who rely on accessible design.
- Ensures the design accommodates inclusive UX principles.
- - -
## 4️⃣ UX/UI Solutions & Design Improvements
#### 📌 Before (Current Issues)
❌ Users land **directly on the wallet screen** with no instructions.
❌ **"Send" & "Receive" buttons look identical** , causing transaction confusion.
❌ **Small fonts & low contrast** reduce readability.
#### ✅ After (Proposed Fixes)
✅ **Step-by-step onboarding** explaining wallet creation, security, and transactions.
✅ **Visually distinct transaction buttons** (color and icon changes).
✅ **WCAG-compliant text contrast & larger fonts** for better readability.
#### 1️⃣ Redesigned Onboarding Flow
✅ Added a **progress indicator** so users see where they are in setup.
✅ Used **plain, non-technical language** to explain wallet creation & security.
✅ Introduced a **"Learn More" button** to educate users on security.
#### 2️⃣ Accessibility Enhancements
✅ Increased **contrast ratio** for better text readability.
✅ Used **larger fonts & scalable UI elements**.
✅ Ensured **screen reader compatibility** (VoiceOver & TalkBack support).
#### 3️⃣ Transaction Flow Optimization
✅ Redesigned **"Send" & "Receive" buttons** for clear distinction.
✅ Added **clearer icons & tooltips** for transaction steps.
## 5️⃣ Wireframes & Design Improvements:
#### 🔹 Welcome Screen (First Screen When User Opens Wallet)
**📌 Goal: Give a brief introduction & set user expectations**
✅ App logo + **short tagline** (e.g., "Secure, Simple, Self-Custody Bitcoin Wallet")
✅ **1-2 line explanation** of what BlueWallet is (e.g., "Your gateway to managing Bitcoin securely.")
✅ **"Get Started" button** → Le ads to **next step: Wallet Setup**
✅ **"Already have a wallet?"** → Import option
🔹 **Example UI Elements:**
- BlueWallet Logo
- **Title:** "Welcome to BlueWallet"
- **Subtitle:** "Easily store, send, and receive Bitcoin."
- CTA: "Get Started" (Primary) | "Import Wallet" (Secondary)

#### 🔹 Screen 2: Choose Wallet Type (New or Import)
**📌 Goal: Let users decide how to proceed**
✅ **Two clear options:**
- **Create a New Wallet** (For first-time users)
- **Import Existing Wallet** (For users with a backup phrase)
✅ Brief explanation of each option
🔹 **Example UI Elements:
- **Title:** "How do you want to start?"
- **Buttons:** "Create New Wallet" | "Import Wallet"

#### 🔹 Screen 3: Security & Seed Phrase Setup (Critical Step)
**📌 Goal: Educate users about wallet security & backups**
✅ Explain **why seed phrases are important**
✅ **Clear step-by-step instructions** on writing down & storing the phrase
✅ **Warning:** "If you lose your recovery phrase, you lose access to your wallet."
✅ **CTA:** "Generate Seed Phrase" → Next step
🔹 **Example UI Elements:
- Title:** "Secure Your Wallet"
- **Subtitle:** "Your seed phrase is the key to your Bitcoin. Keep it safe!"
- **Button:** "Generate Seed Phrase"

## 🔹 Screen 4: Seed Phrase Display & Confirmation
**📌 Goal: Ensure users write down the phrase correctly**
✅ Display **12- or 24-word** seed phrase
✅ **“I have written it downˮ checkbox** before proceeding
✅ Next screen: **Verify seed phrase** (drag & drop, re-enter some words)
🔹 **Example UI Elements:**
- **Title:** "Write Down Your Seed Phrase"
- List of 12/24 Words (Hidden by Default)
- **Checkbox:** "I have safely stored my phrase"
- **Button:** "Continue"

### 🔹 Screen 5: Wallet Ready! (Final Step)
**📌 Goal: Confirm setup & guide users on next actions**
✅ **Success message** ("Your wallet is ready!")
✅ **Encourage first action:**
- “Receive Bitcoinˮ → Show wallet address
- “Send Bitcoinˮ → Walkthrough on making transactions
✅ Short explainer: Where to find the Send/Receive buttons
🔹 **Example UI Elements:**
- **Title:** "You're All Set!"
- **Subtitle:** "Start using BlueWallet now."
- **Buttons:** "Receive Bitcoin" | "View Wallet"

- - -
## 5️⃣ Prototype & User Testing Results
🔹 **Created an interactive prototype in Figma** to test the new experience.
🔹 **User Testing Results:**
✅ **40% faster onboarding completion time.**
✅ **90% of users found transaction buttons clearer.**
🔹 **User Feedback:**
✅ “Now I understand the security steps clearly.ˮ
✅ “The buttons are easier to find and use.ˮ
- - -
## 6️⃣ Why This Matters: Key Takeaways
📌 **Impact of These UX/UI Changes:**
✅ **Reduced user frustration** by providing a step-by-step onboarding guide.
✅ **Improved accessibility** , making the wallet usable for all.
✅ **More intuitive transactions** , reducing errors.
- - -
## 7️⃣ Direct link to figma file and Prototype
Figma file: [https://www.figma.com/design/EPb4gVgAMEgF5GBDdtt81Z/Blue-Wallet-UI-
Improvements?node-id=0-1&t=Y2ni1SfvuQQnoB7s-1](https://www.figma.com/design/EPb4gVgAMEgF5GBDdtt81Z/Blue-Wallet-UI-
Improvements?node-id=0-1&t=Y2ni1SfvuQQnoB7s-1)
Prototype: [https://www.figma.com/proto/EPb4gVgAMEgF5GBDdtt81Z/Blue-Wallet-UI-
Improvements?node-id=1-2&p=f&t=FndTJQNCE7nEIa84-1&scaling=scale-
down&content-scaling=fixed&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-
id=1%3A2&show-proto-sidebar=1](https://www.figma.com/proto/EPb4gVgAMEgF5GBDdtt81Z/Blue-Wallet-UI-
Improvements?node-id=1-2&p=f&t=FndTJQNCE7nEIa84-1&scaling=scale-
down&content-scaling=fixed&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-
id=1%3A2&show-proto-sidebar=1)
Original PDF available from [here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/903126164795699212/1355561527394173243/faf3ee46-b501-459c-ba0e-bf7e38843bc8_UX_Case_Study__1.pdf?ex=67e9608d&is=67e80f0d&hm=d0c386ce2cfd6e0ebe6bde0a904e884229f52bf547adf1f7bc884e17bb4aa59e&)
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928822
-

@ b17fccdf:b7211155
2025-03-25 11:23:36
Si vives en España, quizás hayas notado que no puedes acceder a ciertas páginas webs durante los fines de semana o en algunos días entre semana, entre ellas, la [guía de MiniBolt](https://minbolt.info/).
Esto tiene una **razón**, por supuesto una **solución**, además de una **conclusión**. Sin entrar en demasiados detalles:
## La razón
El **bloqueo a Cloudflare**, implementado desde hace casi dos meses por operadores de Internet (ISPs) en España (como Movistar, O2, DIGI, Pepephone, entre otros), se basa en una [orden judicial](https://www.poderjudicial.es/search/AN/openDocument/3c85bed480cbb1daa0a8778d75e36f0d/20221004) emitida tras una demanda de LALIGA (Fútbol). Esta medida busca combatir la piratería en España, un problema que afecta directamente a dicha organización.
Aunque la intención original era restringir el acceso a dominios específicos que difundieran dicho contenido, Cloudflare emplea el protocolo [ECH](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/edge-certificates/ech) (Encrypted Client Hello), que oculta el nombre del dominio, el cual antes se transmitía en texto plano durante el proceso de establecimiento de una conexión TLS. Esta medida dificulta que las operadoras analicen el tráfico para aplicar **bloqueos basados en dominios**, lo que les obliga a recurrir a **bloqueos más amplios por IP o rangos de IP** para cumplir con la orden judicial.
Esta práctica tiene **consecuencias graves**, que han sido completamente ignoradas por quienes la ejecutan. Es bien sabido que una infraestructura de IP puede alojar numerosos dominios, tanto legítimos como no legítimos. La falta de un "ajuste fino" en los bloqueos provoca un **perjuicio para terceros**, **restringiendo el acceso a muchos dominios legítimos** que no tiene relación alguna con actividades ilícitas, pero que comparten las mismas IPs de Cloudflare con dominios cuestionables. Este es el caso de la [web de MiniBolt](https://minibolt.minibolt.info) y su dominio `minibolt.info`, los cuales **utilizan Cloudflare como proxy** para aprovechar las medidas de **seguridad, privacidad, optimización y servicios** adicionales que la plataforma ofrece de forma gratuita.
Si bien este bloqueo parece ser temporal (al menos durante la temporada 24/25 de fútbol, hasta finales de mayo), es posible que se reactive con el inicio de la nueva temporada.

## La solución
Obviamente, **MiniBolt no dejará de usar Cloudflare** como proxy por esta razón. Por lo que a continuación se exponen algunas medidas que como usuario puedes tomar para **evitar esta restricción** y poder acceder:
**~>** Utiliza **una VPN**:
Existen varias soluciones de proveedores de VPN, ordenadas según su reputación en privacidad:
- [IVPN](https://www.ivpn.net/es/)
- [Mullvad VPN](https://mullvad.net/es/vpn)
- [Proton VPN](https://protonvpn.com/es-es) (**gratis**)
- [Obscura VPN](https://obscura.net/) (**solo para macOS**)
- [Cloudfare WARP](https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-devices/warp/download-warp/) (**gratis**) + permite utilizar el modo proxy local para enrutar solo la navegación, debes utilizar la opción "WARP a través de proxy local" siguiendo estos pasos:
1. Inicia Cloudflare WARP y dentro de la pequeña interfaz haz click en la rueda dentada abajo a la derecha > "Preferencias" > "Avanzado" > "Configurar el modo proxy"
2. Marca la casilla "Habilite el modo proxy en este dispositivo"
3. Elige un "Puerto de escucha de proxy" entre 0-65535. ej: 1080, haz click en "Aceptar" y cierra la ventana de preferencias
4. Accede de nuevo a Cloudflare WARP y pulsa sobre el switch para habilitar el servicio.
3. Ahora debes apuntar el proxy del navegador a Cloudflare WARP, la configuración del navegador es similar a [esta](https://minibolt.minibolt.info/system/system/privacy#example-from-firefox) para el caso de navegadores basados en Firefox. Una vez hecho, deberías poder acceder a la [guía de MiniBolt](https://minibolt.minibolt.info/) sin problemas. Si tienes dudas, déjalas en comentarios e intentaré resolverlas. Más info [AQUÍ](https://bandaancha.eu/articulos/como-saltarse-bloqueo-webs-warp-vpn-9958).

**~>** [**Proxifica tu navegador para usar la red de Tor**](https://minibolt.minibolt.info/system/system/privacy#ssh-remote-access-through-tor), o utiliza el [**navegador oficial de Tor**](https://www.torproject.org/es/download/) (recomendado).

## La conclusión
Estos hechos ponen en tela de juicio los principios fundamentales de la neutralidad de la red, pilares esenciales de la [Declaración de Independencia del Ciberespacio](https://es.wikisource.org/wiki/Declaraci%C3%B3n_de_independencia_del_ciberespacio) que defiende un internet libre, sin restricciones ni censura. Dichos principios se han visto quebrantados sin precedentes en este país, confirmando que ese futuro distópico que muchos negaban, ya es una realidad.
Es momento de actuar y estar preparados: debemos **impulsar el desarrollo y la difusión** de las **herramientas anticensura** que tenemos a nuestro alcance, protegiendo así la **libertad digital** y asegurando un acceso equitativo a la información para todos
Este compromiso es uno de los **pilares fundamentales de MiniBolt,** lo que convierte este desafío en una oportunidad para poner a prueba las **soluciones anticensura** [ya disponibles](https://minibolt.minibolt.info/bonus-guides/system/tor-services), así como **las que están en camino**.
¡Censúrame si puedes, legislador! ¡La lucha por la privacidad y la libertad en Internet ya está en marcha!

---
Fuentes:
* https://bandaancha.eu/articulos/movistar-o2-deja-clientes-sin-acceso-11239
* https://bandaancha.eu/articulos/esta-nueva-sentencia-autoriza-bloqueos-11257
* https://bandaancha.eu/articulos/como-saltarse-bloqueo-webs-warp-vpn-9958
* https://bandaancha.eu/articulos/como-activar-ech-chrome-acceder-webs-10689
* https://comunidad.movistar.es/t5/Soporte-Fibra-y-ADSL/Problema-con-web-que-usan-Cloudflare/td-p/5218007
-

@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c
2025-02-04 17:15:57
### Definição de ULID:
Timestamp 48 bits, Aleatoriedade 80 bits
Sendo Timestamp 48 bits inteiro, tempo UNIX em milissegundos, Não ficará sem espaço até o ano 10889 d.C.
e Aleatoriedade 80 bits, Fonte criptograficamente segura de aleatoriedade, se possível.
#### Gerar ULID
```sql
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;
CREATE FUNCTION generate_ulid()
RETURNS TEXT
AS $$
DECLARE
-- Crockford's Base32
encoding BYTEA = '0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ';
timestamp BYTEA = E'\\000\\000\\000\\000\\000\\000';
output TEXT = '';
unix_time BIGINT;
ulid BYTEA;
BEGIN
-- 6 timestamp bytes
unix_time = (EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM CLOCK_TIMESTAMP()) * 1000)::BIGINT;
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 0, (unix_time >> 40)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 1, (unix_time >> 32)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 2, (unix_time >> 24)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 3, (unix_time >> 16)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 4, (unix_time >> 8)::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
timestamp = SET_BYTE(timestamp, 5, unix_time::BIT(8)::INTEGER);
-- 10 entropy bytes
ulid = timestamp || gen_random_bytes(10);
-- Encode the timestamp
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 0) & 224) >> 5));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 0) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 1) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 1) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 2) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 2) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 2) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 3) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 3) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 4) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 4) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 4) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 5) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 5) & 31)));
-- Encode the entropy
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 6) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 6) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 7) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 7) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 7) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 8) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 8) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 9) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 9) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 9) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 10) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 10) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 11) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 11) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 12) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 12) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 12) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 13) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 13) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 14) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 14) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 14) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(ulid, 15) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(ulid, 15) & 31)));
RETURN output;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
VOLATILE;
```
#### ULID TO UUID
```sql
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION parse_ulid(ulid text) RETURNS bytea AS $$
DECLARE
-- 16byte
bytes bytea = E'\\x00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000';
v char[];
-- Allow for O(1) lookup of index values
dec integer[] = ARRAY[
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 0, 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 255, 255, 255,
255, 255, 255, 255, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 1, 18, 19, 1, 20, 21, 0, 22,
23, 24, 25, 26, 255, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,
255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 1, 18, 19, 1, 20, 21,
0, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 255, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31
];
BEGIN
IF NOT ulid ~* '^[0-7][0-9ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ]{25}$' THEN
RAISE EXCEPTION 'Invalid ULID: %', ulid;
END IF;
v = regexp_split_to_array(ulid, '');
-- 6 bytes timestamp (48 bits)
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 0, (dec[ASCII(v[1])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[2])]);
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 1, (dec[ASCII(v[3])] << 3) | (dec[ASCII(v[4])] >> 2));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 2, (dec[ASCII(v[4])] << 6) | (dec[ASCII(v[5])] << 1) | (dec[ASCII(v[6])] >> 4));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 3, (dec[ASCII(v[6])] << 4) | (dec[ASCII(v[7])] >> 1));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 4, (dec[ASCII(v[7])] << 7) | (dec[ASCII(v[8])] << 2) | (dec[ASCII(v[9])] >> 3));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 5, (dec[ASCII(v[9])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[10])]);
-- 10 bytes of entropy (80 bits);
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 6, (dec[ASCII(v[11])] << 3) | (dec[ASCII(v[12])] >> 2));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 7, (dec[ASCII(v[12])] << 6) | (dec[ASCII(v[13])] << 1) | (dec[ASCII(v[14])] >> 4));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 8, (dec[ASCII(v[14])] << 4) | (dec[ASCII(v[15])] >> 1));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 9, (dec[ASCII(v[15])] << 7) | (dec[ASCII(v[16])] << 2) | (dec[ASCII(v[17])] >> 3));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 10, (dec[ASCII(v[17])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[18])]);
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 11, (dec[ASCII(v[19])] << 3) | (dec[ASCII(v[20])] >> 2));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 12, (dec[ASCII(v[20])] << 6) | (dec[ASCII(v[21])] << 1) | (dec[ASCII(v[22])] >> 4));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 13, (dec[ASCII(v[22])] << 4) | (dec[ASCII(v[23])] >> 1));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 14, (dec[ASCII(v[23])] << 7) | (dec[ASCII(v[24])] << 2) | (dec[ASCII(v[25])] >> 3));
bytes = SET_BYTE(bytes, 15, (dec[ASCII(v[25])] << 5) | dec[ASCII(v[26])]);
RETURN bytes;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
IMMUTABLE;
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION ulid_to_uuid(ulid text) RETURNS uuid AS $$
BEGIN
RETURN encode(parse_ulid(ulid), 'hex')::uuid;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
IMMUTABLE;
```
#### UUID to ULID
```sql
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION uuid_to_ulid(id uuid) RETURNS text AS $$
DECLARE
encoding bytea = '0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ';
output text = '';
uuid_bytes bytea = uuid_send(id);
BEGIN
-- Encode the timestamp
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 0) & 224) >> 5));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 0) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 1) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 1) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 2) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 2) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 2) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 3) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 3) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 4) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 4) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 4) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 5) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 5) & 31)));
-- Encode the entropy
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 6) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 6) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 7) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 7) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 7) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 8) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 8) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 9) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 9) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 9) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 10) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 10) & 31)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 11) & 248) >> 3));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 11) & 7) << 2) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 12) & 192) >> 6)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 12) & 62) >> 1));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 12) & 1) << 4) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 13) & 240) >> 4)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 13) & 15) << 1) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 14) & 128) >> 7)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 14) & 124) >> 2));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 14) & 3) << 3) | ((GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 15) & 224) >> 5)));
output = output || CHR(GET_BYTE(encoding, (GET_BYTE(uuid_bytes, 15) & 31)));
RETURN output;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql
IMMUTABLE;
```
#### Gera 11 Digitos aleatórios: YBKXG0CKTH4
```sql
-- Cria a extensão pgcrypto para gerar uuid
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;
-- Cria a função para gerar ULID
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION gen_lrandom()
RETURNS TEXT AS $$
DECLARE
ts_millis BIGINT;
ts_chars TEXT;
random_bytes BYTEA;
random_chars TEXT;
base32_chars TEXT := '0123456789ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTVWXYZ';
i INT;
BEGIN
-- Pega o timestamp em milissegundos
ts_millis := FLOOR(EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM clock_timestamp()) * 1000)::BIGINT;
-- Converte o timestamp para base32
ts_chars := '';
FOR i IN REVERSE 0..11 LOOP
ts_chars := ts_chars || substr(base32_chars, ((ts_millis >> (5 * i)) & 31) + 1, 1);
END LOOP;
-- Gera 10 bytes aleatórios e converte para base32
random_bytes := gen_random_bytes(10);
random_chars := '';
FOR i IN 0..9 LOOP
random_chars := random_chars || substr(base32_chars, ((get_byte(random_bytes, i) >> 3) & 31) + 1, 1);
IF i < 9 THEN
random_chars := random_chars || substr(base32_chars, (((get_byte(random_bytes, i) & 7) << 2) | (get_byte(random_bytes, i + 1) >> 6)) & 31 + 1, 1);
ELSE
random_chars := random_chars || substr(base32_chars, ((get_byte(random_bytes, i) & 7) << 2) + 1, 1);
END IF;
END LOOP;
-- Concatena o timestamp e os caracteres aleatórios
RETURN ts_chars || random_chars;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
```
#### Exemplo de USO
```sql
-- Criação da extensão caso não exista
CREATE EXTENSION
IF
NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;
-- Criação da tabela pessoas
CREATE TABLE pessoas ( ID UUID DEFAULT gen_random_uuid ( ) PRIMARY KEY, nome TEXT NOT NULL );
-- Busca Pessoa na tabela
SELECT
*
FROM
"pessoas"
WHERE
uuid_to_ulid ( ID ) = '252FAC9F3V8EF80SSDK8PXW02F';
```
### Fontes
- https://github.com/scoville/pgsql-ulid
- https://github.com/geckoboard/pgulid
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-29 17:15:17

- Once activated, "Accept From Any Mint” is the default setting. This is the easiest way to get started, let's the user start acceptance Cashu ecash just out of the box.
- If someone does want to be selective, they can choose “Accept From Trusted Mints,” and that brings up a field where they can add specific mint URLs they trust.
- “Find a Mint” section on the right with a button links directly to bitcoinmints.com, already filtered for Cashu mints, so users can easily browse options.
- Mint info modal shows mint technical details stuff from the NUT06 spec. Since this is geared towards the more technical users I left the field names and NUT number as-is instead of trying to make it more semantic.
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928800
-

@ 0fa80bd3:ea7325de
2025-01-29 15:43:42
Lyn Alden - биткойн евангелист или евангелистка, я пока не понял
```
npub1a2cww4kn9wqte4ry70vyfwqyqvpswksna27rtxd8vty6c74era8sdcw83a
```
Thomas Pacchia - PubKey owner - X - @tpacchia
```
npub1xy6exlg37pw84cpyj05c2pdgv86hr25cxn0g7aa8g8a6v97mhduqeuhgpl
```
calvadev - Shopstr
```
npub16dhgpql60vmd4mnydjut87vla23a38j689jssaqlqqlzrtqtd0kqex0nkq
```
Calle - Cashu founder
```
npub12rv5lskctqxxs2c8rf2zlzc7xx3qpvzs3w4etgemauy9thegr43sf485vg
```
Джек Дорси
```
npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m
```
21 ideas
```
npub1lm3f47nzyf0rjp6fsl4qlnkmzed4uj4h2gnf2vhe3l3mrj85vqks6z3c7l
```
Много адресов. Хз кто надо сортировать
```
https://github.com/aitechguy/nostr-address-book
```
ФиатДжеф - создатель Ностр - https://github.com/fiatjaf
```
npub180cvv07tjdrrgpa0j7j7tmnyl2yr6yr7l8j4s3evf6u64th6gkwsyjh6w6
```
EVAN KALOUDIS Zues wallet
```
npub19kv88vjm7tw6v9qksn2y6h4hdt6e79nh3zjcud36k9n3lmlwsleqwte2qd
```
Программер Коди https://github.com/CodyTseng/nostr-relay
```
npub1syjmjy0dp62dhccq3g97fr87tngvpvzey08llyt6ul58m2zqpzps9wf6wl
```
Anna Chekhovich - Managing Bitcoin at The Anti-Corruption Foundation
https://x.com/AnyaChekhovich
```
npub1y2st7rp54277hyd2usw6shy3kxprnmpvhkezmldp7vhl7hp920aq9cfyr7
```
-

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0
2025-03-23 21:39:37
O conceito de **Megablock** propõe uma nova maneira de medir o tempo dentro do ecossistema Bitcoin. Assim como usamos **décadas, séculos e milênios** para medir períodos históricos na sociedade humana, o Bitcoin pode ser dividido em **Megablocks**, cada um representando **1 milhão de blocos minerados.**
---
## **1. Introdução**
O Bitcoin opera em um sistema baseado na mineração de blocos, onde um novo bloco é adicionado à blockchain (ou timechain) aproximadamente **a cada 10 minutos**. A contagem de tempo tradicional, baseada em calendários solares e lunares, não se aplica diretamente ao Bitcoin, que funciona de maneira independente das convenções temporais humanas.
A proposta do **Megablock** surge como uma alternativa para medir o progresso da rede Bitcoin, dividindo sua existência em unidades de **1 milhão de blocos**, permitindo uma estruturação do tempo no contexto da blockchain. Entretanto, diferentemente de medidas fixas de tempo, como anos e séculos, o tempo de um Megablock futuro **não pode ser previsto com exatidão**, pois variações no hashrate e ajustes de dificuldade fazem com que o tempo real de mineração flutue ao longo dos anos.
---
## **2. Definição do Megablock**
### **2.1 O que é um Megablock?**
Um **Megablock** é uma unidade de tempo no Bitcoin definida por um ciclo de **1.000.000 de blocos minerados**. Com a taxa de geração de blocos mantida em **10 minutos por bloco**, podemos estimar:
1 Megablock ≈ 1.000.000×10 minutos = 10.000.000 minutos = 166.666,7 horas = 6.944,4 dias ≈ 19 anos
Entretanto, dados históricos mostram que a **média real de tempo por bloco tem sido levemente inferior a 10 minutos.** Ao analisar os últimos **800.000 blocos**, percebemos que cada **100.000 blocos** foram minerados, em média, **1 a 2 meses mais rápido** do que o previsto. Com variações indo de 2 dias a 3 meses de diferença. Esse ajuste pode continuar mudando conforme o hashrate cresce ou desacelera
**Isso significa que o Megablock não deve ser usado como uma métrica exata para previsões futuras** baseadas no calendário humano, (apenas aproximações e estimativas) pois sua duração pode variar ao longo do tempo. No entanto, essa variação **não compromete sua função como uma unidade de tempo já decorrido**. O conceito de Megablock continua sendo uma referência sólida para estruturar períodos históricos dentro da blockchain do Bitcoin. Independentemente da velocidade futura da mineração, 1 milhão de blocos sempre será igual a 1 milhão de blocos.
### **2.2 Estrutura dos Megablocks ao longo da história do Bitcoin**
| **Megablock** | **Início (Bloco)** | **Fim (Bloco)** | **Ano Estimado (margem de erro: ±2 anos)** |
| ---------------- | ------------------ | --------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **1º Megablock** | 0 | 1.000.000 | 2009 ~ 2027 |
| **2º Megablock** | 1.000.001 | 2.000.000 | 2027 ~ 2045 |
| **3º Megablock** | 2.000.001 | 3.000.000 | 2045 ~ 2064 |
| **4º Megablock** | 3.000.001 | 4.000.000 | 2064 ~ 2082 |
| **5º Megablock** | 4.000.001 | 5.000.000 | 2082 ~ 2099 |
| **6º Megablock** | 5.000.001 | 6.000.000 | 2099 ~ 2117 |
| **7º Megablock** | 6.000.001 | 7.000.000 | 2117 ~ 2136 |
- **Nota sobre o primeiro Megablock:** Do **Bloco Gênese (0) ao Bloco 1.000.000**, serão minerados **1.000.001 blocos**, pois o Bloco 0 também é contado. O milionésimo bloco será, na realidade, o de número 999.999. Nos Megablocks subsequentes, a contagem será exatamente de **1.000.000 de blocos** cada.
O fornecimento de Bitcoin passará por **6 Megablocks completos** antes de atingir seu total de **21 milhões de BTC**, previsto para acontecer no **Bloco 6.930.000** (7º Megablock), quando a última fração de BTC será minerada.
Se essa tendência da média de tempo por bloco ser ligeiramente inferior a 10 minutos continuar, o último bloco com recompensa pode ser minerado entre **2135 e 2138**, antes da previsão original de 2140.
De qualquer forma, o Megablock não se limita ao fornecimento de novas moedas. O último bloco com emissão de BTC será o 6.930.000, mas a blockchain continuará existindo indefinidamente.
Após a última emissão, os mineradores não receberão mais novas moedas como recompensa de bloco, mas **continuarão garantindo a segurança da rede apenas com as taxas de transação**. Dessa forma, **novos Megablocks continuarão a ser formados**, mantendo o padrão de 1.000.000 de blocos por unidade de tempo.
Assim como o **1º Megablock marca a era inicial do Bitcoin com sua fase de emissão mais intensa**, os Megablocks após o fim da emissão representarão uma **nova era da rede**, onde a segurança será mantida puramente por **incentivos de taxas de transação**. Isso reforça que o tempo no Bitcoin continua sendo medido em blocos, e não em moedas emitidas.
---
## **3. Benefícios do Conceito de Megablock**
### **3.1 Estruturação do Tempo Já Decorrido**
Os Megablocks permitem que os Bitcoiners analisem a evolução da rede com **uma métrica clara e baseada no próprio protocolo**, estruturando os períodos históricos do Bitcoin.
### **3.2 Comparação com Unidades Temporais Humanas**
Assim como temos **décadas, séculos e milênios**, podemos organizar a história do Bitcoin com **Megablocks**, criando marcos temporais claros dentro da blockchain:
- **1 Megablock ≈ 17 a 19 anos** (equivalente a uma “geração” no tempo humano)
- **210.000 blocos = ~4 anos** (ciclo de halving do Bitcoin)
### **3.3 Aplicação na História do Bitcoin**
Podemos usar Megablocks para marcar **eventos históricos importantes** da rede:
- O **1º Megablock** (2009 ~ 2026/2028) engloba a criação do Bitcoin, os primeiros halvings e a adoção institucional.
- O **2º Megablock** (2027 ~ 2044/2046) verá um Bitcoin muito mais escasso, possivelmente consolidado como reserva de valor global.
- O **3º Megablock** (2045 ~ 2062/2064) pode ser uma era de hiperbitcoinização, onde a economia gira inteiramente em torno do BTC.
---
## **4. Conclusão**
O **Megablock** é uma proposta baseada na **matemática da rede** para medir o **tempo já decorrido** no Bitcoin, dividindo sua história em unidades de **1 milhão de blocos minerados**. Essa unidade de tempo permite que Bitcoiners acompanhem o desenvolvimento e registrem a história da rede de maneira organizada e independente dos ciclos arbitrários do calendário humano.
Estamos atualmente **formando o Primeiro Megablock**, assim como estamos **vivendo e construindo a década de 2020 e o século XXI**. Esse conceito pode se tornar uma métrica fundamental para o estudo da história do Bitcoin, reforçando a ideia de que **no Bitcoin, o tempo é medido em blocos, não em relógios.**
**Você já imaginou como será o Bitcoin no 3º ou 4º Megablock?**
-

@ 0fa80bd3:ea7325de
2025-01-29 14:44:48
![[yedinaya-rossiya-bear.png]]
1️⃣ Be where the bear roams. Stay in its territory, where it hunts for food. No point setting a trap in your backyard if the bear’s chilling in the forest.
2️⃣ Set a well-hidden trap. Bury it, disguise it, and place the bait right in the center. Bears are omnivores—just like secret police KGB agents. And what’s the tastiest bait for them? Money.
3️⃣ Wait for the bear to take the bait. When it reaches in, the trap will snap shut around its paw. It’ll be alive, but stuck. No escape.
Now, what you do with a trapped bear is another question... 😏
-

@ 9e69e420:d12360c2
2025-01-25 22:16:54
President Trump plans to withdraw 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe and expects European allies to contribute financially to the remaining military presence. Reported by ANSA, Trump aims to deliver this message to European leaders since taking office. A European diplomat noted, “the costs cannot be borne solely by American taxpayers.”
The Pentagon hasn't commented yet. Trump has previously sought lower troop levels in Europe and had ordered cuts during his first term. The U.S. currently maintains around 65,000 troops in Europe, with total forces reaching 100,000 since the Ukraine invasion. Trump's new approach may shift military focus to the Pacific amid growing concerns about China.
[Sauce](https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2025-01-24/trump-europe-troop-cuts-16590074.html)
-

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0
2025-01-21 20:58:37
A seguir, veja como instalar e configurar o **Privoxy** no **Pop!_OS**.
---
### **1. Instalar o Tor e o Privoxy**
Abra o terminal e execute:
```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install tor privoxy
```
**Explicação:**
- **Tor:** Roteia o tráfego pela rede Tor.
- **Privoxy:** Proxy avançado que intermedia a conexão entre aplicativos e o Tor.
---
### **2. Configurar o Privoxy**
Abra o arquivo de configuração do Privoxy:
```bash
sudo nano /etc/privoxy/config
```
Navegue até a última linha (atalho: **`Ctrl`** + **`/`** depois **`Ctrl`** + **`V`** para navegar diretamente até a última linha) e insira:
```bash
forward-socks5 / 127.0.0.1:9050 .
```
Isso faz com que o **Privoxy** envie todo o tráfego para o **Tor** através da porta **9050**.
Salve (**`CTRL`** + **`O`** e **`Enter`**) e feche (**`CTRL`** + **`X`**) o arquivo.
---
### **3. Iniciar o Tor e o Privoxy**
Agora, inicie e habilite os serviços:
```bash
sudo systemctl start tor
sudo systemctl start privoxy
sudo systemctl enable tor
sudo systemctl enable privoxy
```
**Explicação:**
- **start:** Inicia os serviços.
- **enable:** Faz com que iniciem automaticamente ao ligar o PC.
---
### **4. Configurar o Navegador Firefox**
Para usar a rede **Tor** com o Firefox:
1. Abra o Firefox.
2. Acesse **Configurações** → **Configurar conexão**.
3. Selecione **Configuração manual de proxy**.
4. Configure assim:
- **Proxy HTTP:** `127.0.0.1`
- **Porta:** `8118` (porta padrão do **Privoxy**)
- **Domínio SOCKS (v5):** `127.0.0.1`
- **Porta:** `9050`
5. Marque a opção **"Usar este proxy também em HTTPS"**.
6. Clique em **OK**.
---
### **5. Verificar a Conexão com o Tor**
Abra o navegador e acesse:
```text
https://check.torproject.org/
```
Se aparecer a mensagem **"Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor."**, a configuração está correta.
---
### **Dicas Extras**
- **Privoxy** pode ser ajustado para bloquear anúncios e rastreadores.
- Outros aplicativos também podem ser configurados para usar o **Privoxy**.
-

@ 9e69e420:d12360c2
2025-01-21 19:31:48
Oregano oil is a potent natural compound that offers numerous scientifically-supported health benefits.
## Active Compounds
The oil's therapeutic properties stem from its key bioactive components:
- Carvacrol and thymol (primary active compounds)
- Polyphenols and other antioxidant
## Antimicrobial Properties
**Bacterial Protection**
The oil demonstrates powerful antibacterial effects, even against antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA and other harmful bacteria. Studies show it effectively inactivates various pathogenic bacteria without developing resistance.
**Antifungal Effects**
It effectively combats fungal infections, particularly Candida-related conditions like oral thrush, athlete's foot, and nail infections.
## Digestive Health Benefits
Oregano oil supports digestive wellness by:
- Promoting gastric juice secretion and enzyme production
- Helping treat Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Managing digestive discomfort, bloating, and IBS symptoms
## Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects
The oil provides significant protective benefits through:
- Powerful antioxidant activity that fights free radicals
- Reduction of inflammatory markers in the body
- Protection against oxidative stress-related conditions
## Respiratory Support
It aids respiratory health by:
- Loosening mucus and phlegm
- Suppressing coughs and throat irritation
- Supporting overall respiratory tract function
## Additional Benefits
**Skin Health**
- Improves conditions like psoriasis, acne, and eczema
- Supports wound healing through antibacterial action
- Provides anti-aging benefits through antioxidant properties
**Cardiovascular Health**
Studies show oregano oil may help:
- Reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
- Support overall heart health
**Pain Management**
The oil demonstrates effectiveness in:
- Reducing inflammation-related pain
- Managing muscle discomfort
- Providing topical pain relief
## Safety Note
While oregano oil is generally safe, it's highly concentrated and should be properly diluted before use Consult a healthcare provider before starting supplementation, especially if taking other medications.
-

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24
2025-01-19 21:48:49
The recent shutdown of TikTok in the United States due to a potential government ban serves as a stark reminder how fragile centralized platforms truly are under the surface. While these platforms offer convenience, a more polished user experience, and connectivity, they are ultimately beholden to governments, corporations, and other authorities. This makes them vulnerable to censorship, regulation, and outright bans. In contrast, Nostr represents a shift in how we approach online communication and content sharing. Built on the principles of decentralization and user choice, Nostr cannot be banned, because it is not a platform—it is a protocol.
**PROTOCOLS, NOT PLATFORMS.**
At the heart of Nostr's philosophy is **user choice**, a feature that fundamentally sets it apart from legacy platforms. In centralized systems, the user experience is dictated by a single person or governing entity. If the platform decides to filter, censor, or ban specific users or content, individuals are left with little action to rectify the situation. They must either accept the changes or abandon the platform entirely, often at the cost of losing their social connections, their data, and their identity.
What's happening with TikTok could never happen on Nostr. With Nostr, the dynamics are completely different. Because it is a protocol, not a platform, no single entity controls the ecosystem. Instead, the protocol enables a network of applications and relays that users can freely choose from. If a particular application or relay implements policies that a user disagrees with, such as censorship, filtering, or even government enforced banning, they are not trapped or abandoned. They have the freedom to move to another application or relay with minimal effort.
**THIS IS POWERFUL.**
Take, for example, the case of a relay that decides to censor specific content. On a legacy platform, this would result in frustration and a loss of access for users. On Nostr, however, users can simply connect to a different relay that does not impose such restrictions. Similarly, if an application introduces features or policies that users dislike, they can migrate to a different application that better suits their preferences, all while retaining their identity and social connections.
The same principles apply to government bans and censorship. A government can ban a specific application or even multiple applications, just as it can block one relay or several relays. China has implemented both tactics, yet Chinese users continue to exist and actively participate on Nostr, demonstrating Nostr's ability to resistant censorship.
How? Simply, it turns into a game of whack-a-mole. When one relay is censored, another quickly takes its place. When one application is banned, another emerges. Users can also bypass these obstacles by running their own relays and applications directly from their homes or personal devices, eliminating reliance on larger entities or organizations and ensuring continuous access.
**AGAIN, THIS IS POWERUFL.**
Nostr's open and decentralized design makes it resistant to the kinds of government intervention that led to TikTok's outages this weekend and potential future ban in the next 90 days. There is no central server to target, no company to regulate, and no single point of failure. (Insert your CEO jokes here). As long as there are individuals running relays and applications, users continue creating notes and sending zaps.
Platforms like TikTok can be silenced with the stroke of a pen, leaving millions of users disconnected and abandoned. Social communication should not be silenced so incredibly easily. No one should have that much power over social interactions.
Will we on-board a massive wave of TikTokers in the coming hours or days? I don't know.
TikTokers may not be ready for Nostr yet, and honestly, Nostr may not be ready for them either. The ecosystem still lacks the completely polished applications, tools, and services they’re accustomed to. This is where we say "we're still early". They may not be early adopters like the current Nostr user base. Until we bridge that gap, they’ll likely move to the next centralized platform, only to face another government ban or round of censorship in the future. But eventually, there will come a tipping point, a moment when they’ve had enough. When that time comes, I hope we’re prepared. If we’re not, we risk missing a tremendous opportunity to onboard people who genuinely need Nostr’s freedom.
Until then, to all of the Nostr developers out there, keep up the great work and keep building. Your hard work and determination is needed.
###
-

@ f9cf4e94:96abc355
2025-01-18 06:09:50
Para esse exemplo iremos usar:
| Nome | Imagem | Descrição |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Raspberry PI B+ |  | **Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) 64-bit a 1.4GHz e 1 GB de SDRAM LPDDR2,** |
| Pen drive |  | **16Gb** |
Recomendo que use o **Ubuntu Server** para essa instalação. Você pode baixar o Ubuntu para Raspberry Pi [aqui]( https://ubuntu.com/download/raspberry-pi). O passo a passo para a instalação do Ubuntu no Raspberry Pi está disponível [aqui]( https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/how-to-install-ubuntu-on-your-raspberry-pi). **Não instale um desktop** (como xubuntu, lubuntu, xfce, etc.).
---
## Passo 1: Atualizar o Sistema 🖥️
Primeiro, atualize seu sistema e instale o Tor:
```bash
apt update
apt install tor
```
---
## Passo 2: Criar o Arquivo de Serviço `nrs.service` 🔧
Crie o arquivo de serviço que vai gerenciar o servidor Nostr. Você pode fazer isso com o seguinte conteúdo:
```unit
[Unit]
Description=Nostr Relay Server Service
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/opt/nrs
ExecStart=/opt/nrs/nrs-arm64
Restart=on-failure
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
---
## Passo 3: Baixar o Binário do Nostr 🚀
Baixe o binário mais recente do Nostr [aqui no GitHub]( https://github.com/gabrielmoura/SimpleNosrtRelay/releases).
---
## Passo 4: Criar as Pastas Necessárias 📂
Agora, crie as pastas para o aplicativo e o pendrive:
```bash
mkdir -p /opt/nrs /mnt/edriver
```
---
## Passo 5: Listar os Dispositivos Conectados 🔌
Para saber qual dispositivo você vai usar, liste todos os dispositivos conectados:
```bash
lsblk
```
---
## Passo 6: Formatando o Pendrive 💾
Escolha o pendrive correto (por exemplo, `/dev/sda`) e formate-o:
```bash
mkfs.vfat /dev/sda
```
---
## Passo 7: Montar o Pendrive 💻
Monte o pendrive na pasta `/mnt/edriver`:
```bash
mount /dev/sda /mnt/edriver
```
---
## Passo 8: Verificar UUID dos Dispositivos 📋
Para garantir que o sistema monte o pendrive automaticamente, liste os UUID dos dispositivos conectados:
```bash
blkid
```
---
## Passo 9: Alterar o `fstab` para Montar o Pendrive Automáticamente 📝
Abra o arquivo `/etc/fstab` e adicione uma linha para o pendrive, com o UUID que você obteve no passo anterior. A linha deve ficar assim:
```fstab
UUID=9c9008f8-f852 /mnt/edriver vfat defaults 0 0
```
---
## Passo 10: Copiar o Binário para a Pasta Correta 📥
Agora, copie o binário baixado para a pasta `/opt/nrs`:
```bash
cp nrs-arm64 /opt/nrs
```
---
## Passo 11: Criar o Arquivo de Configuração 🛠️
Crie o arquivo de configuração com o seguinte conteúdo e salve-o em `/opt/nrs/config.yaml`:
```yaml
app_env: production
info:
name: Nostr Relay Server
description: Nostr Relay Server
pub_key: ""
contact: ""
url: http://localhost:3334
icon: https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u= https://public.bnbstatic.com/image/cms/crawler/COINCU_NEWS/image-495-1024x569.png
base_path: /mnt/edriver
negentropy: true
```
---
## Passo 12: Copiar o Serviço para o Diretório de Systemd ⚙️
Agora, copie o arquivo `nrs.service` para o diretório `/etc/systemd/system/`:
```bash
cp nrs.service /etc/systemd/system/
```
Recarregue os serviços e inicie o serviço `nrs`:
```bash
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now nrs.service
```
---
## Passo 13: Configurar o Tor 🌐
Abra o arquivo de configuração do Tor `/var/lib/tor/torrc` e adicione a seguinte linha:
```torrc
HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/nostr_server/
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:3334
```
---
## Passo 14: Habilitar e Iniciar o Tor 🧅
Agora, ative e inicie o serviço Tor:
```bash
systemctl enable --now tor.service
```
O Tor irá gerar um endereço `.onion` para o seu servidor Nostr. Você pode encontrá-lo no arquivo `/var/lib/tor/nostr_server/hostname`.
---
## Observações ⚠️
- Com essa configuração, **os dados serão salvos no pendrive**, enquanto o binário ficará no cartão SD do Raspberry Pi.
- O endereço `.onion` do seu servidor Nostr será algo como: `ws://y3t5t5wgwjif<exemplo>h42zy7ih6iwbyd.onion`.
---
Agora, seu servidor Nostr deve estar configurado e funcionando com Tor! 🥳
Se este artigo e as informações aqui contidas forem úteis para você, convidamos a considerar uma doação ao autor como forma de reconhecimento e incentivo à produção de novos conteúdos.
-

@ 5ffb8e1b:255b6735
2025-03-29 13:57:02
As a fellow Nostrich you might have noticed some of my #arlist posts. It is my effort to curate artists that are active on Nostr and make it easier for other users to find content that they are interested in.
By now I have posted six or seven posts mentioning close to fifty artists, the problem so far is that it's only a list of handles and it is up to reader to click on each in order to find out what are the artist behind the names all about. Now I am going to start creating blog posts with a few artists mentioned in each, with short descriptions of their work and an image or to.
I would love to have some more automated mode of curation but I still couldn't figure out what is a good way for it. I've looked at Listr, Primal custom feeds and Yakihonne curations but none seem to enable me to make a list of npubs that is then turned into a feed that I could publicly share for others to views.
Any advice on how to achieve this is VERY welcome !
And now lets get to the first batch of artists I want to share with you.
### Eugene Gorbachenko ###
nostr:npub1082uhnrnxu7v0gesfl78uzj3r89a8ds2gj3dvuvjnw5qlz4a7udqwrqdnd
Artist from Ukrain creating amazing realistic watercolor paintings.
He is very active on Nostr but is very unnoticed for some stange reason. Make sure to repost the painting that you liked the most to help other Nostr users to discover his great art.
![!(image)[https://m.primal.net/PxJc.png]]()
### Siritravelsketch ###
nostr:npub14lqzjhfvdc9psgxzznq8xys8pfq8p4fqsvtr6llyzraq90u9m8fqevhssu
a a lovely lady from Thailand making architecture from all around the world spring alive in her ink skethes. Dynamic lines gives it a dreamy magical feel, sometimes supported by soft watercolor strokes takes you to a ferytale layer of reality.
![!(image)[https://m.primal.net/PxJj.png]]()
### BureuGewas ###
nostr:npub1k78qzy2s9ap4klshnu9tcmmcnr3msvvaeza94epsgptr7jce6p9sa2ggp4
a a master of the clasic oil painting. From traditional still life to modern day subjects his paintings makes you feel the textures and light of the scene more intense then reality itself.
![!(image)[https://m.primal.net/PxKS.png]]()
You can see that I'm no art critic, but I am trying my best. If anyone else is interested to join me in this curration adventure feel free to reach out !
With love, Agi Choote
-

@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2025-01-16 15:44:06
## Black Locust can grow up to 170 ft tall
## Grows 3-4 ft. per year
## Native to North America
## Cold hardy in zones 3 to 8

## Firewood
- BLT wood, on a pound for pound basis is roughly half that of Anthracite Coal
- Since its growth is fast, firewood can be plentiful
## Timber

- Rot resistant due to a naturally produced robinin in the wood
- 100 year life span in full soil contact! (better than cedar performance)
- Fence posts
- Outdoor furniture
- Outdoor decking
- Sustainable due to its fast growth and spread
- Can be coppiced (cut to the ground)
- Can be pollarded (cut above ground)
- Its dense wood makes durable tool handles, boxes (tool), and furniture
- The wood is tougher than hickory, which is tougher than hard maple, which is tougher than oak.
- A very low rate of expansion and contraction
- Hardwood flooring
- The highest tensile beam strength of any American tree
- The wood is beautiful
## Legume
- Nitrogen fixer
- Fixes the same amount of nitrogen per acre as is needed for 200-bushel/acre corn
- Black walnuts inter-planted with locust as “nurse” trees were shown to rapidly increase their growth [[Clark, Paul M., and Robert D. Williams. (1978) Black walnut growth increased when interplanted with nitrogen-fixing shrubs and trees. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, vol. 88, pp. 88-91.]]
## Bees

- The edible flower clusters are also a top food source for honey bees
## Shade Provider

- Its light, airy overstory provides dappled shade
- Planted on the west side of a garden it provides relief during the hottest part of the day
- (nitrogen provider)
- Planted on the west side of a house, its quick growth soon shades that side from the sun
## Wind-break

- Fast growth plus it's feathery foliage reduces wind for animals, crops, and shelters
## Fodder
- Over 20% crude protein
- 4.1 kcal/g of energy
- Baertsche, S.R, M.T. Yokoyama, and J.W. Hanover (1986) Short rotation, hardwood tree biomass as potential ruminant feed-chemical composition, nylon bag ruminal degradation and ensilement of selected species. J. Animal Sci. 63 2028-2043
-

@ 592295cf:413a0db9
2025-03-29 10:59:52
The journey starts from the links in this article
[nostr-quick-start-guide](https://spatianostra.com/nostr-quick-start-guide/)
Starting from these links building a simple path should not cover everything, because impossible.
Today I saw that Verbiricha in his workshop on his channel used nstart, but then I distracted
And I didn't see how he did it.
-----
Go to [nstart.me](https://nstart.me/) and read:
Each user is identified by a cryptographic keypair
Public key, Private key (is a lot of stuff)
You can insert a nickname and go, the nickname is not unique
there is a email backup things interesting, but a little boring, i try to generate an email
doesn't even require a strong password ok.
I received the email, great, it shows me the nsec encrypted in clear,
Send a copy of the file with a password, which contains the password encrypted key
I know and I know it's a tongue dump.
## Multi signer bunker
That's stuff, let's see what he says.
They live the private key and send it to servers and you can recompose it to login at a site
of the protocol nostr. If one of these servers goes offline you have the private key
that you downloaded first and then reactivate a bunker.
All very complicated.
But if one of the servers goes offline, how can I remake the split? Maybe he's still testing.
Nobody tells you where these bunkers are.
Okay I have a string that is my bunker (buker://), I downloaded it, easy no, now will tell me which client accepts the bunker.. .
## Follow someone before you start?
Is a cluster of 5 people Snowden, Micheal Dilger, jb55, Fiatjaf, Dianele.
I choice Snowden profile, or you can select multiple profiles, extra wild.
## Now select 5 clients
### *Coracle, Chachi, Olas, Nostur, Jumble*
### The first is *Coracle*
Login, ok I try to post a note and signing your note the spin does not end.
Maybe the bunker is diffective.
### Let's try *Chachi*
Simpler than Coracle, it has a type login that says bunker.
see if I can post
It worked, cool, I managed to post in a group.
## Olas is an app but also a website, but on the website requires an extension, which I do not have with this account.
> If I download an app how do I pass the bunker on the phone, is it still a password, a qrcode, a qrcode + password, something
> like that, but many start from the phone so maybe it's easy for them.
> I try to download it and see if it allows me to connect with a bunker.
> Okay I used private-qrcode and it worked, I couldn't do it directly from Olas because it didn't have permissions and the qrcode was < encrypted, so I went to the same site and had the bunker copied and glued on Olas
**Ok then I saw that there was the qrcode image of the bunker for apps** lol moment
Ok, I liked it, I can say it's a victory.
Looks like none of Snowden's followers are *Olas*'s lover, maybe the smart pack has to predict a photographer or something like that.
Okay I managed to post on *Olas*, so it works, Expiration time is broken.
### As for *Nostur*, I don't have an ios device so I'm going to another one.
### Login with *Jumble*, it works is a web app
I took almost an hour to do the whole route.
But this was just one link there are two more
# Extensions nostr NIP-07
### The true path is [nip-07-browser-extensions | nostr.net](https://nostr.net/#nip-07-browser-extensions)
There are 19 links, maybe there are too many?
I mention the most famous, or active at the moment
1. **Aka-profiles**: [Aka-profiles](https://github.com/neilck/aka-extension)
Alby I don't know if it's a route to recommend
2. **Blockcore** [Blockcore wallet](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/blockcore-wallet/peigonhbenoefaeplkpalmafieegnapj)
3. **Nos2x** [Nos2x](https://github.com/fiatjaf/nos2x?tab=readme-ov-file)
4. **Nos2xfox** (fork for firefox) [Nos2xfox](https://diegogurpegui.com/nos2x-fox/)
Nostore is (archived, read-only)
5. **Nostrame** [Nostrame](https://github.com/Anderson-Juhasc/nostrame)
6. **Nowser** per IOS [Nowser](https://github.com/haorendashu/nowser)
7. **One key** (was tricky) [One key](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/onekey/jnmbobjmhlngoefaiojfljckilhhlhcj)
Another half hour to search all sites
# Nostrapps
Here you can make paths
### Then nstart selects Coracle, Chachi, Olas,Nostur and Jumble
Good apps might be Amethyst, 0xchat, Yakihonne, Primal, Damus
for IOS maybe: Primal, Olas, Damus, Nostur, Nos-Social, Nostrmo
On the site there are some categories, I select some with the respective apps
Let's see the categories
Go to [Nostrapps](https://nostrapps.com/) and read:
## Microbbloging: Primal
## Streaming: **Zap stream**
## Blogging: **Yakihonne**
## Group chat: **Chachi**
## Community: **Flotilla**
## Tools: **Form** *
## Discovery: **Zapstore** (even if it is not in this catrgory)
## Direct Message: **0xchat**
-

@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-03-18 20:47:50
**Warning: This piece contains a conversation about difficult topics. Please proceed with caution.**
TL;DR please educate your children about online safety.
Julian Assange wrote in his 2012 book *Cypherpunks*, “This book is not a manifesto. There isn’t time for that. This book is a warning.” I read it a few times over the past summer. Those opening lines definitely stood out to me. I wish we had listened back then. He saw something about the internet that few had the ability to see. There are some individuals who are so close to a topic that when they speak, it’s difficult for others who aren’t steeped in it to visualize what they’re talking about. I didn’t read the book until more recently. If I had read it when it came out, it probably would have sounded like an unknown foreign language to me. Today it makes more sense.
This isn’t a manifesto. This isn’t a book. There is no time for that. It’s a warning and a possible solution from a desperate and determined survivor advocate who has been pulling and unraveling a thread for a few years. At times, I feel too close to this topic to make any sense trying to convey my pathway to my conclusions or thoughts to the general public. My hope is that if nothing else, I can convey my sense of urgency while writing this. This piece is a watchman’s warning.
When a child steps online, they are walking into a new world. A new reality. When you hand a child the internet, you are handing them possibilities—good, bad, and ugly. This is a conversation about lowering the potential of negative outcomes of stepping into that new world and how I came to these conclusions. I constantly compare the internet to the road. You wouldn’t let a young child run out into the road with no guidance or safety precautions. When you hand a child the internet without any type of guidance or safety measures, you are allowing them to play in rush hour, oncoming traffic. “Look left, look right for cars before crossing.” We almost all have been taught that as children. What are we taught as humans about safety before stepping into a completely different reality like the internet? Very little.
I could never really figure out why many folks in tech, privacy rights activists, and hackers seemed so cold to me while talking about online child sexual exploitation. I always figured that as a survivor advocate for those affected by these crimes, that specific, skilled group of individuals would be very welcoming and easy to talk to about such serious topics. I actually had one hacker laugh in my face when I brought it up while I was looking for answers. I thought maybe this individual thought I was accusing them of something I wasn’t, so I felt bad for asking. I was constantly extremely disappointed and would ask myself, “Why don’t they care? What could I say to make them care more? What could I say to make them understand the crisis and the level of suffering that happens as a result of the problem?”
I have been serving minor survivors of online child sexual exploitation for years. My first case serving a survivor of this specific crime was in 2018—a 13-year-old girl sexually exploited by a serial predator on Snapchat. That was my first glimpse into this side of the internet. I won a national award for serving the minor survivors of Twitter in 2023, but I had been working on that specific project for a few years. I was nominated by a lawyer representing two survivors in a legal battle against the platform. I’ve never really spoken about this before, but at the time it was a choice for me between fighting Snapchat or Twitter. I chose Twitter—or rather, Twitter chose me. I heard about the story of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, and I was so unbelievably broken over it that I went to war for multiple years. I was and still am royally pissed about that case. As far as I was concerned, the John Doe #1 case proved that whatever was going on with corporate tech social media was so out of control that I didn’t have time to wait, so I got to work. It was reading the messages that John Doe #1 sent to Twitter begging them to remove his sexual exploitation that broke me. He was a child begging adults to do something. A passion for justice and protecting kids makes you do wild things. I was desperate to find answers about what happened and searched for solutions. In the end, the platform Twitter was purchased. During the acquisition, I just asked Mr. Musk nicely to prioritize the issue of detection and removal of child sexual exploitation without violating digital privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption. Elon thanked me multiple times during the acquisition, made some changes, and I was thanked by others on the survivors’ side as well.
I still feel that even with the progress made, I really just scratched the surface with Twitter, now X. I left that passion project when I did for a few reasons. I wanted to give new leadership time to tackle the issue. Elon Musk made big promises that I knew would take a while to fulfill, but mostly I had been watching global legislation transpire around the issue, and frankly, the governments are willing to go much further with X and the rest of corporate tech than I ever would. My work begging Twitter to make changes with easier reporting of content, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation material—without violating privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption—and advocating for the minor survivors of the platform went as far as my principles would have allowed. I’m grateful for that experience. I was still left with a nagging question: “How did things get so bad with Twitter where the John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 case was able to happen in the first place?” I decided to keep looking for answers. I decided to keep pulling the thread.
I never worked for Twitter. This is often confusing for folks. I will say that despite being disappointed in the platform’s leadership at times, I loved Twitter. I saw and still see its value. I definitely love the survivors of the platform, but I also loved the platform. I was a champion of the platform’s ability to give folks from virtually around the globe an opportunity to speak and be heard.
I want to be clear that John Doe #1 really is my why. He is the inspiration. I am writing this because of him. He represents so many globally, and I’m still inspired by his bravery. One child’s voice begging adults to do something—I’m an adult, I heard him. I’d go to war a thousand more lifetimes for that young man, and I don’t even know his name. Fighting has been personally dark at times; I’m not even going to try to sugarcoat it, but it has been worth it.
The data surrounding the very real crime of online child sexual exploitation is available to the public online at any time for anyone to see. I’d encourage you to go look at the data for yourself. I believe in encouraging folks to check multiple sources so that you understand the full picture. If you are uncomfortable just searching around the internet for information about this topic, use the terms “CSAM,” “CSEM,” “SG-CSEM,” or “AI Generated CSAM.” The numbers don’t lie—it’s a nightmare that’s out of control. It’s a big business. The demand is high, and unfortunately, business is booming. Organizations collect the data, tech companies often post their data, governments report frequently, and the corporate press has covered a decent portion of the conversation, so I’m sure you can find a source that you trust.
Technology is changing rapidly, which is great for innovation as a whole but horrible for the crime of online child sexual exploitation. Those wishing to exploit the vulnerable seem to be adapting to each technological change with ease. The governments are so far behind with tackling these issues that as I’m typing this, it’s borderline irrelevant to even include them while speaking about the crime or potential solutions. Technology is changing too rapidly, and their old, broken systems can’t even dare to keep up. Think of it like the governments’ “War on Drugs.” Drugs won. In this case as well, the governments are not winning. The governments are talking about maybe having a meeting on potentially maybe having legislation around the crimes. The time to have that meeting would have been many years ago. I’m not advocating for governments to legislate our way out of this. I’m on the side of educating and innovating our way out of this.
I have been clear while advocating for the minor survivors of corporate tech platforms that I would not advocate for any solution to the crime that would violate digital privacy rights or erode end-to-end encryption. That has been a personal moral position that I was unwilling to budge on. This is an extremely unpopular and borderline nonexistent position in the anti-human trafficking movement and online child protection space. I’m often fearful that I’m wrong about this. I have always thought that a better pathway forward would have been to incentivize innovation for detection and removal of content. I had no previous exposure to privacy rights activists or Cypherpunks—actually, I came to that conclusion by listening to the voices of MENA region political dissidents and human rights activists. After developing relationships with human rights activists from around the globe, I realized how important privacy rights and encryption are for those who need it most globally. I was simply unwilling to give more power, control, and opportunities for mass surveillance to big abusers like governments wishing to enslave entire nations and untrustworthy corporate tech companies to potentially end some portion of abuses online. On top of all of it, it has been clear to me for years that all potential solutions outside of violating digital privacy rights to detect and remove child sexual exploitation online have not yet been explored aggressively. I’ve been disappointed that there hasn’t been more of a conversation around preventing the crime from happening in the first place.
What has been tried is mass surveillance. In China, they are currently under mass surveillance both online and offline, and their behaviors are attached to a social credit score. Unfortunately, even on state-run and controlled social media platforms, they still have child sexual exploitation and abuse imagery pop up along with other crimes and human rights violations. They also have a thriving black market online due to the oppression from the state. In other words, even an entire loss of freedom and privacy cannot end the sexual exploitation of children online. It’s been tried. There is no reason to repeat this method.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out why I always felt a slight coldness from those in tech and privacy-minded individuals about the topic of child sexual exploitation online. I didn’t have any clue about the “Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse.” This is a term coined by Timothy C. May in 1988. I would have been a child myself when he first said it. I actually laughed at myself when I heard the phrase for the first time. I finally got it. The Cypherpunks weren’t wrong about that topic. They were so spot on that it is borderline uncomfortable. I was mad at first that they knew that early during the birth of the internet that this issue would arise and didn’t address it. Then I got over it because I realized that it wasn’t their job. Their job was—is—to write code. Their job wasn’t to be involved and loving parents or survivor advocates. Their job wasn’t to educate children on internet safety or raise awareness; their job was to write code.
They knew that child sexual abuse material would be shared on the internet. They said what would happen—not in a gleeful way, but a prediction. Then it happened.
I equate it now to a concrete company laying down a road. As you’re pouring the concrete, you can say to yourself, “A terrorist might travel down this road to go kill many, and on the flip side, a beautiful child can be born in an ambulance on this road.” Who or what travels down the road is not their responsibility—they are just supposed to lay the concrete. I’d never go to a concrete pourer and ask them to solve terrorism that travels down roads. Under the current system, law enforcement should stop terrorists before they even make it to the road. The solution to this specific problem is not to treat everyone on the road like a terrorist or to not build the road.
So I understand the perceived coldness from those in tech. Not only was it not their job, but bringing up the topic was seen as the equivalent of asking a free person if they wanted to discuss one of the four topics—child abusers, terrorists, drug dealers, intellectual property pirates, etc.—that would usher in digital authoritarianism for all who are online globally.
Privacy rights advocates and groups have put up a good fight. They stood by their principles. Unfortunately, when it comes to corporate tech, I believe that the issue of privacy is almost a complete lost cause at this point. It’s still worth pushing back, but ultimately, it is a losing battle—a ticking time bomb.
I do think that corporate tech providers could have slowed down the inevitable loss of privacy at the hands of the state by prioritizing the detection and removal of CSAM when they all started online. I believe it would have bought some time, fewer would have been traumatized by that specific crime, and I do believe that it could have slowed down the demand for content. If I think too much about that, I’ll go insane, so I try to push the “if maybes” aside, but never knowing if it could have been handled differently will forever haunt me. At night when it’s quiet, I wonder what I would have done differently if given the opportunity. I’ll probably never know how much corporate tech knew and ignored in the hopes that it would go away while the problem continued to get worse. They had different priorities. The most voiceless and vulnerable exploited on corporate tech never had much of a voice, so corporate tech providers didn’t receive very much pushback.
Now I’m about to say something really wild, and you can call me whatever you want to call me, but I’m going to say what I believe to be true. I believe that the governments are either so incompetent that they allowed the proliferation of CSAM online, or they knowingly allowed the problem to fester long enough to have an excuse to violate privacy rights and erode end-to-end encryption. The US government could have seized the corporate tech providers over CSAM, but I believe that they were so useful as a propaganda arm for the regimes that they allowed them to continue virtually unscathed.
That season is done now, and the governments are making the issue a priority. It will come at a high cost. Privacy on corporate tech providers is virtually done as I’m typing this. It feels like a death rattle. I’m not particularly sure that we had much digital privacy to begin with, but the illusion of a veil of privacy feels gone.
To make matters slightly more complex, it would be hard to convince me that once AI really gets going, digital privacy will exist at all.
I believe that there should be a conversation shift to preserving freedoms and human rights in a post-privacy society.
I don’t want to get locked up because AI predicted a nasty post online from me about the government. I’m not a doomer about AI—I’m just going to roll with it personally. I’m looking forward to the positive changes that will be brought forth by AI. I see it as inevitable. A bit of privacy was helpful while it lasted. Please keep fighting to preserve what is left of privacy either way because I could be wrong about all of this.
On the topic of AI, the addition of AI to the horrific crime of child sexual abuse material and child sexual exploitation in multiple ways so far has been devastating. It’s currently out of control. The genie is out of the bottle. I am hopeful that innovation will get us humans out of this, but I’m not sure how or how long it will take. We must be extremely cautious around AI legislation. It should not be illegal to innovate even if some bad comes with the good. I don’t trust that the governments are equipped to decide the best pathway forward for AI. Source: the entire history of the government.
I have been personally negatively impacted by AI-generated content. Every few days, I get another alert that I’m featured again in what’s called “deep fake pornography” without my consent. I’m not happy about it, but what pains me the most is the thought that for a period of time down the road, many globally will experience what myself and others are experiencing now by being digitally sexually abused in this way. If you have ever had your picture taken and posted online, you are also at risk of being exploited in this way. Your child’s image can be used as well, unfortunately, and this is just the beginning of this particular nightmare. It will move to more realistic interpretations of sexual behaviors as technology improves. I have no brave words of wisdom about how to deal with that emotionally. I do have hope that innovation will save the day around this specific issue. I’m nervous that everyone online will have to ID verify due to this issue. I see that as one possible outcome that could help to prevent one problem but inadvertently cause more problems, especially for those living under authoritarian regimes or anyone who needs to remain anonymous online. A zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) would probably be the best solution to these issues. There are some survivors of violence and/or sexual trauma who need to remain anonymous online for various reasons. There are survivor stories available online of those who have been abused in this way. I’d encourage you seek out and listen to their stories.
There have been periods of time recently where I hesitate to say anything at all because more than likely AI will cover most of my concerns about education, awareness, prevention, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation online, etc.
Unfortunately, some of the most pressing issues we’ve seen online over the last few years come in the form of “sextortion.” Self-generated child sexual exploitation (SG-CSEM) numbers are continuing to be terrifying. I’d strongly encourage that you look into sextortion data. AI + sextortion is also a huge concern. The perpetrators are using the non-sexually explicit images of children and putting their likeness on AI-generated child sexual exploitation content and extorting money, more imagery, or both from minors online. It’s like a million nightmares wrapped into one. The wild part is that these issues will only get more pervasive because technology is harnessed to perpetuate horror at a scale unimaginable to a human mind.
Even if you banned phones and the internet or tried to prevent children from accessing the internet, it wouldn’t solve it. Child sexual exploitation will still be with us until as a society we start to prevent the crime before it happens. That is the only human way out right now.
There is no reset button on the internet, but if I could go back, I’d tell survivor advocates to heed the warnings of the early internet builders and to start education and awareness campaigns designed to prevent as much online child sexual exploitation as possible. The internet and technology moved quickly, and I don’t believe that society ever really caught up. We live in a world where a child can be groomed by a predator in their own home while sitting on a couch next to their parents watching TV. We weren’t ready as a species to tackle the fast-paced algorithms and dangers online. It happened too quickly for parents to catch up. How can you parent for the ever-changing digital world unless you are constantly aware of the dangers?
I don’t think that the internet is inherently bad. I believe that it can be a powerful tool for freedom and resistance. I’ve spoken a lot about the bad online, but there is beauty as well. We often discuss how victims and survivors are abused online; we rarely discuss the fact that countless survivors around the globe have been able to share their experiences, strength, hope, as well as provide resources to the vulnerable. I do question if giving any government or tech company access to censorship, surveillance, etc., online in the name of serving survivors might not actually impact a portion of survivors negatively. There are a fair amount of survivors with powerful abusers protected by governments and the corporate press. If a survivor cannot speak to the press about their abuse, the only place they can go is online, directly or indirectly through an independent journalist who also risks being censored. This scenario isn’t hard to imagine—it already happened in China. During #MeToo, a survivor in China wanted to post their story. The government censored the post, so the survivor put their story on the blockchain. I’m excited that the survivor was creative and brave, but it’s terrifying to think that we live in a world where that situation is a necessity.
I believe that the future for many survivors sharing their stories globally will be on completely censorship-resistant and decentralized protocols. This thought in particular gives me hope. When we listen to the experiences of a diverse group of survivors, we can start to understand potential solutions to preventing the crimes from happening in the first place.
My heart is broken over the gut-wrenching stories of survivors sexually exploited online. Every time I hear the story of a survivor, I do think to myself quietly, “What could have prevented this from happening in the first place?” My heart is with survivors.
My head, on the other hand, is full of the understanding that the internet should remain free. The free flow of information should not be stopped. My mind is with the innocent citizens around the globe that deserve freedom both online and offline.
The problem is that governments don’t only want to censor illegal content that violates human rights—they create legislation that is so broad that it can impact speech and privacy of all. “Don’t you care about the kids?” Yes, I do. I do so much that I’m invested in finding solutions. I also care about all citizens around the globe that deserve an opportunity to live free from a mass surveillance society. If terrorism happens online, I should not be punished by losing my freedom. If drugs are sold online, I should not be punished. I’m not an abuser, I’m not a terrorist, and I don’t engage in illegal behaviors. I refuse to lose freedom because of others’ bad behaviors online.
I want to be clear that on a long enough timeline, the governments will decide that they can be better parents/caregivers than you can if something isn’t done to stop minors from being sexually exploited online. The price will be a complete loss of anonymity, privacy, free speech, and freedom of religion online. I find it rather insulting that governments think they’re better equipped to raise children than parents and caretakers.
So we can’t go backwards—all that we can do is go forward. Those who want to have freedom will find technology to facilitate their liberation. This will lead many over time to decentralized and open protocols. So as far as I’m concerned, this does solve a few of my worries—those who need, want, and deserve to speak freely online will have the opportunity in most countries—but what about online child sexual exploitation?
When I popped up around the decentralized space, I was met with the fear of censorship. I’m not here to censor you. I don’t write code. I couldn’t censor anyone or any piece of content even if I wanted to across the internet, no matter how depraved. I don’t have the skills to do that.
I’m here to start a conversation. Freedom comes at a cost. You must always fight for and protect your freedom. I can’t speak about protecting yourself from all of the Four Horsemen because I simply don’t know the topics well enough, but I can speak about this one topic.
If there was a shortcut to ending online child sexual exploitation, I would have found it by now. There isn’t one right now. I believe that education is the only pathway forward to preventing the crime of online child sexual exploitation for future generations.
I propose a yearly education course for every child of all school ages, taught as a standard part of the curriculum. Ideally, parents/caregivers would be involved in the education/learning process.
**Course:**
- The creation of the internet and computers
- The fight for cryptography
- The tech supply chain from the ground up (example: human rights violations in the supply chain)
- Corporate tech
- Freedom tech
- Data privacy
- Digital privacy rights
- AI (history-current)
- Online safety (predators, scams, catfishing, extortion)
- Bitcoin
- Laws
- How to deal with online hate and harassment
- Information on who to contact if you are being abused online or offline
- Algorithms
- How to seek out the truth about news, etc., online
The parents/caregivers, homeschoolers, unschoolers, and those working to create decentralized parallel societies have been an inspiration while writing this, but my hope is that all children would learn this course, even in government ran schools. Ideally, parents would teach this to their own children.
The decentralized space doesn’t want child sexual exploitation to thrive. Here’s the deal: there has to be a strong prevention effort in order to protect the next generation. The internet isn’t going anywhere, predators aren’t going anywhere, and I’m not down to let anyone have the opportunity to prove that there is a need for more government. I don’t believe that the government should act as parents. The governments have had a chance to attempt to stop online child sexual exploitation, and they didn’t do it. Can we try a different pathway forward?
I’d like to put myself out of a job. I don’t want to ever hear another story like John Doe #1 ever again. This will require work. I’ve often called online child sexual exploitation the lynchpin for the internet. It’s time to arm generations of children with knowledge and tools. I can’t do this alone.
Individuals have fought so that I could have freedom online. I want to fight to protect it. I don’t want child predators to give the government any opportunity to take away freedom. Decentralized spaces are as close to a reset as we’ll get with the opportunity to do it right from the start. Start the youth off correctly by preventing potential hazards to the best of your ability.
The good news is anyone can work on this! I’d encourage you to take it and run with it. I added the additional education about the history of the internet to make the course more educational and fun. Instead of cleaning up generations of destroyed lives due to online sexual exploitation, perhaps this could inspire generations of those who will build our futures. Perhaps if the youth is armed with knowledge, they can create more tools to prevent the crime.
This one solution that I’m suggesting can be done on an individual level or on a larger scale. It should be adjusted depending on age, learning style, etc. It should be fun and playful.
This solution does not address abuse in the home or some of the root causes of offline child sexual exploitation. My hope is that it could lead to some survivors experiencing abuse in the home an opportunity to disclose with a trusted adult. The purpose for this solution is to prevent the crime of online child sexual exploitation before it occurs and to arm the youth with the tools to contact safe adults if and when it happens.
In closing, I went to hell a few times so that you didn’t have to. I spoke to the mothers of survivors of minors sexually exploited online—their tears could fill rivers. I’ve spoken with political dissidents who yearned to be free from authoritarian surveillance states. The only balance that I’ve found is freedom online for citizens around the globe and prevention from the dangers of that for the youth. Don’t slow down innovation and freedom. Educate, prepare, adapt, and look for solutions.
I’m not perfect and I’m sure that there are errors in this piece. I hope that you find them and it starts a conversation.
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-29 09:31:13
> "THE NATURE OF BITCOIN IS SUCH THAT ONCE VERSION 0.1 WAS RELEASED, THE CORE DESIGN WAS SET IN STONE FOR THE REST OF ITS LIFETIME."
<sub>- SATOSHI NAKAMOTO</sub>



"Reborn" is inspired by my Bitcoin journey and the many other people whose lives have been changed by Bitcoin. I’ve carved the hand in the “Gyan Mudra” or the “Mudra of Wisdom or Knowledge,” with an Opendime grasped between thumb and index finger alluding to the pursuit of Bitcoin knowledge. The hand emerges from rough, choppy water, and I've set the hand against an archway, through which, the copper leaf hints at the bright orange future made possible by Bitcoin.
Materials: Carrara Marble, Copper leaf, Opendime
Dimensions: 6" x 9" x 13"
Price: $30,000 or BTC equivalent
Enquire: https://www.vonbitcoin.com/available-works
X: https://x.com/BVBTC/status/1894463357316419960/photo/1
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928510
-

@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2025-01-14 01:31:12
Bitcoin is more than money, more than an asset, and more than a store of value. Bitcoin is a Prime Mover, an enabler and it ignites imaginations. It certainly fueled an idea in my mind. The idea integrates sensors, computational prowess, actuated machinery, power conversion, and electronic communications to form an autonomous, machined creature roaming forests and harvesting the most widespread and least energy-dense fuel source available. I call it the Forest Walker and it eats wood, and mines Bitcoin.
I know what you're thinking. Why not just put Bitcoin mining rigs where they belong: in a hosted facility sporting electricity from energy-dense fuels like natural gas, climate-controlled with excellent data piping in and out? Why go to all the trouble building a robot that digests wood creating flammable gasses fueling an engine to run a generator powering Bitcoin miners? It's all about synergy.
Bitcoin mining enables the realization of multiple, seemingly unrelated, yet useful activities. Activities considered un-profitable if not for Bitcoin as the Prime Mover. This is much more than simply mining the greatest asset ever conceived by humankind. It’s about the power of synergy, which Bitcoin plays only one of many roles. The synergy created by this system can stabilize forests' fire ecology while generating multiple income streams. That’s the realistic goal here and requires a brief history of American Forest management before continuing.
# Smokey The Bear
In 1944, the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention Campaign began in the United States. “Only YOU can prevent forest fires” remains the refrain of the Ad Council’s longest running campaign. The Ad Council is a U.S. non-profit set up by the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers in 1942. It would seem that the U.S. Department of the Interior was concerned about pesky forest fires and wanted them to stop. So, alongside a national policy of extreme fire suppression they enlisted the entire U.S. population to get onboard via the Ad Council and it worked. Forest fires were almost obliterated and everyone was happy, right? Wrong.
Smokey is a fantastically successful bear so forest fires became so few for so long that the fuel load - dead wood - in forests has become very heavy. So heavy that when a fire happens (and they always happen) it destroys everything in its path because the more fuel there is the hotter that fire becomes. Trees, bushes, shrubs, and all other plant life cannot escape destruction (not to mention homes and businesses). The soil microbiology doesn’t escape either as it is burned away even in deeper soils. To add insult to injury, hydrophobic waxy residues condense on the soil surface, forcing water to travel over the ground rather than through it eroding forest soils. Good job, Smokey. Well done, Sir!
Most terrestrial ecologies are “fire ecologies”. Fire is a part of these systems’ fuel load and pest management. Before we pretended to “manage” millions of acres of forest, fires raged over the world, rarely damaging forests. The fuel load was always too light to generate fires hot enough to moonscape mountainsides. Fires simply burned off the minor amounts of fuel accumulated since the fire before. The lighter heat, smoke, and other combustion gasses suppressed pests, keeping them in check and the smoke condensed into a plant growth accelerant called wood vinegar, not a waxy cap on the soil. These fires also cleared out weak undergrowth, cycled minerals, and thinned the forest canopy, allowing sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. Without a fire’s heat, many pine tree species can’t sow their seed. The heat is required to open the cones (the seed bearing structure) of Spruce, Cypress, Sequoia, Jack Pine, Lodgepole Pine and many more. Without fire forests can’t have babies. The idea was to protect the forests, and it isn't working.
So, in a world of fire, what does an ally look like and what does it do?
# Meet The Forest Walker

For the Forest Walker to work as a mobile, autonomous unit, a solid platform that can carry several hundred pounds is required. It so happens this chassis already exists but shelved.
Introducing the Legged Squad Support System (LS3). A joint project between Boston Dynamics, DARPA, and the United States Marine Corps, the quadrupedal robot is the size of a cow, can carry 400 pounds (180 kg) of equipment, negotiate challenging terrain, and operate for 24 hours before needing to refuel. Yes, it had an engine. Abandoned in 2015, the thing was too noisy for military deployment and maintenance "under fire" is never a high-quality idea. However, we can rebuild it to act as a platform for the Forest Walker; albeit with serious alterations. It would need to be bigger, probably. Carry more weight? Definitely. Maybe replace structural metal with carbon fiber and redesign much as 3D printable parts for more effective maintenance.
The original system has a top operational speed of 8 miles per hour. For our purposes, it only needs to move about as fast as a grazing ruminant. Without the hammering vibrations of galloping into battle, shocks of exploding mortars, and drunken soldiers playing "Wrangler of Steel Machines", time between failures should be much longer and the overall energy consumption much lower. The LS3 is a solid platform to build upon. Now it just needs to be pulled out of the mothballs, and completely refitted with outboard equipment.
# The Small Branch Chipper

When I say “Forest fuel load” I mean the dead, carbon containing litter on the forest floor. Duff (leaves), fine-woody debris (small branches), and coarse woody debris (logs) are the fuel that feeds forest fires. Walk through any forest in the United States today and you will see quite a lot of these materials. Too much, as I have described. Some of these fuel loads can be 8 tons per acre in pine and hardwood forests and up to 16 tons per acre at active logging sites. That’s some big wood and the more that collects, the more combustible danger to the forest it represents. It also provides a technically unlimited fuel supply for the Forest Walker system.
The problem is that this detritus has to be chewed into pieces that are easily ingestible by the system for the gasification process (we’ll get to that step in a minute). What we need is a wood chipper attached to the chassis (the LS3); its “mouth”.
A small wood chipper handling material up to 2.5 - 3.0 inches (6.3 - 7.6 cm) in diameter would eliminate a substantial amount of fuel. There is no reason for Forest Walker to remove fallen trees. It wouldn’t have to in order to make a real difference. It need only identify appropriately sized branches and grab them. Once loaded into the chipper’s intake hopper for further processing, the beast can immediately look for more “food”. This is essentially kindling that would help ignite larger logs. If it’s all consumed by Forest Walker, then it’s not present to promote an aggravated conflagration.
I have glossed over an obvious question: How does Forest Walker see and identify branches and such? LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) attached to Forest Walker images the local area and feed those data to onboard computers for processing. Maybe AI plays a role. Maybe simple machine learning can do the trick. One thing is for certain: being able to identify a stick and cause robotic appendages to pick it up is not impossible.
Great! We now have a quadrupedal robot autonomously identifying and “eating” dead branches and other light, combustible materials. Whilst strolling through the forest, depleting future fires of combustibles, Forest Walker has already performed a major function of this system: making the forest safer. It's time to convert this low-density fuel into a high-density fuel Forest Walker can leverage. Enter the gasification process.
# The Gassifier

The gasifier is the heart of the entire system; it’s where low-density fuel becomes the high-density fuel that powers the entire system. Biochar and wood vinegar are process wastes and I’ll discuss why both are powerful soil amendments in a moment, but first, what’s gasification?
Reacting shredded carbonaceous material at high temperatures in a low or no oxygen environment converts the biomass into biochar, wood vinegar, heat, and Synthesis Gas (Syngas). Syngas consists primarily of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane. All of which are extremely useful fuels in a gaseous state. Part of this gas is used to heat the input biomass and keep the reaction temperature constant while the internal combustion engine that drives the generator to produce electrical power consumes the rest.
Critically, this gasification process is “continuous feed”. Forest Walker must intake biomass from the chipper, process it to fuel, and dump the waste (CO2, heat, biochar, and wood vinegar) continuously. It cannot stop. Everything about this system depends upon this continual grazing, digestion, and excretion of wastes just as a ruminal does. And, like a ruminant, all waste products enhance the local environment.
When I first heard of gasification, I didn’t believe that it was real. Running an electric generator from burning wood seemed more akin to “conspiracy fantasy” than science. Not only is gasification real, it’s ancient technology. A man named Dean Clayton first started experiments on gasification in 1699 and in 1901 gasification was used to power a vehicle. By the end of World War II, there were 500,000 Syngas powered vehicles in Germany alone because of fossil fuel rationing during the war. The global gasification market was $480 billion in 2022 and projected to be as much as $700 billion by 2030 (Vantage Market Research). Gasification technology is the best choice to power the Forest Walker because it’s self-contained and we want its waste products.
# Biochar: The Waste

Biochar (AKA agricultural charcoal) is fairly simple: it’s almost pure, solid carbon that resembles charcoal. Its porous nature packs large surface areas into small, 3 dimensional nuggets. Devoid of most other chemistry, like hydrocarbons (methane) and ash (minerals), biochar is extremely lightweight. Do not confuse it with the charcoal you buy for your grill. Biochar doesn’t make good grilling charcoal because it would burn too rapidly as it does not contain the multitude of flammable components that charcoal does. Biochar has several other good use cases. Water filtration, water retention, nutrient retention, providing habitat for microscopic soil organisms, and carbon sequestration are the main ones that we are concerned with here.
Carbon has an amazing ability to adsorb (substances stick to and accumulate on the surface of an object) manifold chemistries. Water, nutrients, and pollutants tightly bind to carbon in this format. So, biochar makes a respectable filter and acts as a “battery” of water and nutrients in soils. Biochar adsorbs and holds on to seven times its weight in water. Soil containing biochar is more drought resilient than soil without it. Adsorbed nutrients, tightly sequestered alongside water, get released only as plants need them. Plants must excrete protons (H+) from their roots to disgorge water or positively charged nutrients from the biochar's surface; it's an active process.
Biochar’s surface area (where adsorption happens) can be 500 square meters per gram or more. That is 10% larger than an official NBA basketball court for every gram of biochar. Biochar’s abundant surface area builds protective habitats for soil microbes like fungi and bacteria and many are critical for the health and productivity of the soil itself.
The “carbon sequestration” component of biochar comes into play where “carbon credits” are concerned. There is a financial market for carbon. Not leveraging that market for revenue is foolish. I am climate agnostic. All I care about is that once solid carbon is inside the soil, it will stay there for thousands of years, imparting drought resiliency, fertility collection, nutrient buffering, and release for that time span. I simply want as much solid carbon in the soil because of the undeniably positive effects it has, regardless of any climactic considerations.
# Wood Vinegar: More Waste

Another by-product of the gasification process is wood vinegar (Pyroligneous acid). If you have ever seen Liquid Smoke in the grocery store, then you have seen wood vinegar. Principally composed of acetic acid, acetone, and methanol wood vinegar also contains ~200 other organic compounds. It would seem intuitive that condensed, liquefied wood smoke would at least be bad for the health of all living things if not downright carcinogenic. The counter intuition wins the day, however. Wood vinegar has been used by humans for a very long time to promote digestion, bowel, and liver health; combat diarrhea and vomiting; calm peptic ulcers and regulate cholesterol levels; and a host of other benefits.
For centuries humans have annually burned off hundreds of thousands of square miles of pasture, grassland, forest, and every other conceivable terrestrial ecosystem. Why is this done? After every burn, one thing becomes obvious: the almost supernatural growth these ecosystems exhibit after the burn. How? Wood vinegar is a component of this growth. Even in open burns, smoke condenses and infiltrates the soil. That is when wood vinegar shows its quality.
This stuff beefs up not only general plant growth but seed germination as well and possesses many other qualities that are beneficial to plants. It’s a pesticide, fungicide, promotes beneficial soil microorganisms, enhances nutrient uptake, and imparts disease resistance. I am barely touching a long list of attributes here, but you want wood vinegar in your soil (alongside biochar because it adsorbs wood vinegar as well).
# The Internal Combustion Engine

Conversion of grazed forage to chemical, then mechanical, and then electrical energy completes the cycle. The ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) converts the gaseous fuel output from the gasifier to mechanical energy, heat, water vapor, and CO2. It’s the mechanical energy of a rotating drive shaft that we want. That rotation drives the electric generator, which is the heartbeat we need to bring this monster to life. Luckily for us, combined internal combustion engine and generator packages are ubiquitous, delivering a defined energy output given a constant fuel input. It’s the simplest part of the system.
The obvious question here is whether the amount of syngas provided by the gasification process will provide enough energy to generate enough electrons to run the entire system or not. While I have no doubt the energy produced will run Forest Walker's main systems the question is really about the electrons left over. Will it be enough to run the Bitcoin mining aspect of the system? Everything is a budget.
# CO2 Production For Growth

Plants are lollipops. No matter if it’s a tree or a bush or a shrubbery, the entire thing is mostly sugar in various formats but mostly long chain carbohydrates like lignin and cellulose. Plants need three things to make sugar: CO2, H2O and light. In a forest, where tree densities can be quite high, CO2 availability becomes a limiting growth factor. It’d be in the forest interests to have more available CO2 providing for various sugar formation providing the organism with food and structure.
An odd thing about tree leaves, the openings that allow gasses like the ever searched for CO2 are on the bottom of the leaf (these are called stomata). Not many stomata are topside. This suggests that trees and bushes have evolved to find gasses like CO2 from below, not above and this further suggests CO2 might be in higher concentrations nearer the soil.
The soil life (bacterial, fungi etc.) is constantly producing enormous amounts of CO2 and it would stay in the soil forever (eventually killing the very soil life that produces it) if not for tidal forces. Water is everywhere and whether in pools, lakes, oceans or distributed in “moist” soils water moves towards to the moon. The water in the soil and also in the water tables below the soil rise toward the surface every day. When the water rises, it expels the accumulated gasses in the soil into the atmosphere and it’s mostly CO2. It’s a good bet on how leaves developed high populations of stomata on the underside of leaves. As the water relaxes (the tide goes out) it sucks oxygenated air back into the soil to continue the functions of soil life respiration. The soil “breathes” albeit slowly.
The gasses produced by the Forest Walker’s internal combustion engine consist primarily of CO2 and H2O. Combusting sugars produce the same gasses that are needed to construct the sugars because the universe is funny like that. The Forest Walker is constantly laying down these critical construction elements right where the trees need them: close to the ground to be gobbled up by the trees.
# The Branch Drones

During the last ice age, giant mammals populated North America - forests and otherwise. Mastodons, woolly mammoths, rhinos, short-faced bears, steppe bison, caribou, musk ox, giant beavers, camels, gigantic ground-dwelling sloths, glyptodons, and dire wolves were everywhere. Many were ten to fifteen feet tall. As they crashed through forests, they would effectively cleave off dead side-branches of trees, halting the spread of a ground-based fire migrating into the tree crown ("laddering") which is a death knell for a forest.
These animals are all extinct now and forests no longer have any manner of pruning services. But, if we build drones fitted with cutting implements like saws and loppers, optical cameras and AI trained to discern dead branches from living ones, these drones could effectively take over pruning services by identifying, cutting, and dropping to the forest floor, dead branches. The dropped branches simply get collected by the Forest Walker as part of its continual mission.
The drones dock on the back of the Forest Walker to recharge their batteries when low. The whole scene would look like a grazing cow with some flies bothering it. This activity breaks the link between a relatively cool ground based fire and the tree crowns and is a vital element in forest fire control.
# The Bitcoin Miner

Mining is one of four monetary incentive models, making this system a possibility for development. The other three are US Dept. of the Interior, township, county, and electrical utility company easement contracts for fuel load management, global carbon credits trading, and data set sales. All the above depends on obvious questions getting answered. I will list some obvious ones, but this is not an engineering document and is not the place for spreadsheets. How much Bitcoin one Forest Walker can mine depends on everything else. What amount of biomass can we process? Will that biomass flow enough Syngas to keep the lights on? Can the chassis support enough mining ASICs and supporting infrastructure? What does that weigh and will it affect field performance? How much power can the AC generator produce?
Other questions that are more philosophical persist. Even if a single Forest Walker can only mine scant amounts of BTC per day, that pales to how much fuel material it can process into biochar. We are talking about millions upon millions of forested acres in need of fuel load management. What can a single Forest Walker do? I am not thinking in singular terms. The Forest Walker must operate as a fleet. What could 50 do? 500?
What is it worth providing a service to the world by managing forest fuel loads? Providing proof of work to the global monetary system? Seeding soil with drought and nutrient resilience by the excretion, over time, of carbon by the ton? What did the last forest fire cost?
# The Mesh Network

What could be better than one bitcoin mining, carbon sequestering, forest fire squelching, soil amending behemoth? Thousands of them, but then they would need to be able to talk to each other to coordinate position, data handling, etc. Fitted with a mesh networking device, like goTenna or Meshtastic LoRa equipment enables each Forest Walker to communicate with each other.
Now we have an interconnected fleet of Forest Walkers relaying data to each other and more importantly, aggregating all of that to the last link in the chain for uplink. Well, at least Bitcoin mining data. Since block data is lightweight, transmission of these data via mesh networking in fairly close quartered environs is more than doable. So, how does data transmit to the Bitcoin Network? How do the Forest Walkers get the previous block data necessary to execute on mining?
# Back To The Chain

Getting Bitcoin block data to and from the network is the last puzzle piece. The standing presumption here is that wherever a Forest Walker fleet is operating, it is NOT within cell tower range. We further presume that the nearest Walmart Wi-Fi is hours away. Enter the Blockstream Satellite or something like it.
A separate, ground-based drone will have two jobs: To stay as close to the nearest Forest Walker as it can and to provide an antennae for either terrestrial or orbital data uplink. Bitcoin-centric data is transmitted to the "uplink drone" via the mesh networked transmitters and then sent on to the uplink and the whole flow goes in the opposite direction as well; many to one and one to many.
We cannot transmit data to the Blockstream satellite, and it will be up to Blockstream and companies like it to provide uplink capabilities in the future and I don't doubt they will. Starlink you say? What’s stopping that company from filtering out block data? Nothing because it’s Starlink’s system and they could decide to censor these data. It seems we may have a problem sending and receiving Bitcoin data in back country environs.
But, then again, the utility of this system in staunching the fuel load that creates forest fires is extremely useful around forested communities and many have fiber, Wi-Fi and cell towers. These communities could be a welcoming ground zero for first deployments of the Forest Walker system by the home and business owners seeking fire repression. In the best way, Bitcoin subsidizes the safety of the communities.
# Sensor Packages
### LiDaR

The benefit of having a Forest Walker fleet strolling through the forest is the never ending opportunity for data gathering. A plethora of deployable sensors gathering hyper-accurate data on everything from temperature to topography is yet another revenue generator. Data is valuable and the Forest Walker could generate data sales to various government entities and private concerns.
LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) can map topography, perform biomass assessment, comparative soil erosion analysis, etc. It so happens that the Forest Walker’s ability to “see,” to navigate about its surroundings, is LiDaR driven and since it’s already being used, we can get double duty by harvesting that data for later use. By using a laser to send out light pulses and measuring the time it takes for the reflection of those pulses to return, very detailed data sets incrementally build up. Eventually, as enough data about a certain area becomes available, the data becomes useful and valuable.
Forestry concerns, both private and public, often use LiDaR to build 3D models of tree stands to assess the amount of harvest-able lumber in entire sections of forest. Consulting companies offering these services charge anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars per square kilometer for such services. A Forest Walker generating such assessments on the fly while performing its other functions is a multi-disciplinary approach to revenue generation.
### pH, Soil Moisture, and Cation Exchange Sensing

The Forest Walker is quadrupedal, so there are four contact points to the soil. Why not get a pH data point for every step it takes? We can also gather soil moisture data and cation exchange capacities at unheard of densities because of sampling occurring on the fly during commission of the system’s other duties. No one is going to build a machine to do pH testing of vast tracts of forest soils, but that doesn’t make the data collected from such an endeavor valueless. Since the Forest Walker serves many functions at once, a multitude of data products can add to the return on investment component.
### Weather Data

Temperature, humidity, pressure, and even data like evapotranspiration gathered at high densities on broad acre scales have untold value and because the sensors are lightweight and don’t require large power budgets, they come along for the ride at little cost. But, just like the old mantra, “gas, grass, or ass, nobody rides for free”, these sensors provide potential revenue benefits just by them being present.
I’ve touched on just a few data genres here. In fact, the question for universities, governmental bodies, and other institutions becomes, “How much will you pay us to attach your sensor payload to the Forest Walker?”
# Noise Suppression

Only you can prevent Metallica filling the surrounds with 120 dB of sound. Easy enough, just turn the car stereo off. But what of a fleet of 50 Forest Walkers operating in the backcountry or near a township? 500? 5000? Each one has a wood chipper, an internal combustion engine, hydraulic pumps, actuators, and more cooling fans than you can shake a stick at. It’s a walking, screaming fire-breathing dragon operating continuously, day and night, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year. The sound will negatively affect all living things and that impacts behaviors. Serious engineering consideration and prowess must deliver a silencing blow to the major issue of noise.
It would be foolish to think that a fleet of Forest Walkers could be silent, but if not a major design consideration, then the entire idea is dead on arrival. Townships would not allow them to operate even if they solved the problem of widespread fuel load and neither would governmental entities, and rightly so. Nothing, not man nor beast, would want to be subjected to an eternal, infernal scream even if it were to end within days as the fleet moved further away after consuming what it could. Noise and heat are the only real pollutants of this system; taking noise seriously from the beginning is paramount.
# Fire Safety

A “fire-breathing dragon” is not the worst description of the Forest Walker. It eats wood, combusts it at very high temperatures and excretes carbon; and it does so in an extremely flammable environment. Bad mix for one Forest Walker, worse for many. One must take extreme pains to ensure that during normal operation, a Forest Walker could fall over, walk through tinder dry brush, or get pounded into the ground by a meteorite from Krypton and it wouldn’t destroy epic swaths of trees and baby deer. I envision an ultimate test of a prototype to include dowsing it in grain alcohol while it’s wrapped up in toilet paper like a pledge at a fraternity party. If it runs for 72 hours and doesn’t set everything on fire, then maybe outside entities won’t be fearful of something that walks around forests with a constant fire in its belly.
# The Wrap

How we think about what can be done with and adjacent to Bitcoin is at least as important as Bitcoin’s economic standing itself. For those who will tell me that this entire idea is without merit, I say, “OK, fine. You can come up with something, too.” What can we plug Bitcoin into that, like a battery, makes something that does not work, work? That’s the lesson I get from this entire exercise. No one was ever going to hire teams of humans to go out and "clean the forest". There's no money in that. The data collection and sales from such an endeavor might provide revenues over the break-even point but investment demands Alpha in this day and age. But, plug Bitcoin into an almost viable system and, voilà! We tip the scales to achieve lift-off.
Let’s face it, we haven’t scratched the surface of Bitcoin’s forcing function on our minds. Not because it’s Bitcoin, but because of what that invention means. The question that pushes me to approach things this way is, “what can we create that one system’s waste is another system’s feedstock?” The Forest Walker system’s only real waste is the conversion of low entropy energy (wood and syngas) into high entropy energy (heat and noise). All other output is beneficial to humanity.
Bitcoin, I believe, is the first product of a new mode of human imagination. An imagination newly forged over the past few millennia of being lied to, stolen from, distracted and otherwise mis-allocated to a black hole of the nonsensical. We are waking up.
What I have presented is not science fiction. Everything I have described here is well within the realm of possibility. The question is one of viability, at least in terms of the detritus of the old world we find ourselves departing from. This system would take a non-trivial amount of time and resources to develop. I think the system would garner extensive long-term contracts from those who have the most to lose from wildfires, the most to gain from hyperaccurate data sets, and, of course, securing the most precious asset in the world. Many may not see it that way, for they seek Alpha and are therefore blind to other possibilities. Others will see only the possibilities; of thinking in a new way, of looking at things differently, and dreaming of what comes next.
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@ 3f770d65:7a745b24
2025-01-12 21:03:36
I’ve been using Notedeck for several months, starting with its extremely early and experimental alpha versions, all the way to its current, more stable alpha releases. The journey has been fascinating, as I’ve had the privilege of watching it evolve from a concept into a functional and promising tool.
In its earliest stages, Notedeck was raw—offering glimpses of its potential but still far from practical for daily use. Even then, the vision behind it was clear: a platform designed to redefine how we interact with Nostr by offering flexibility and power for all users.
I'm very bullish on Notedeck. Why? Because Will Casarin is making it! Duh! 😂
Seriously though, if we’re reimagining the web and rebuilding portions of the Internet, it’s important to recognize [the potential of Notedeck](https://damus.io/notedeck/). If Nostr is reimagining the web, then Notedeck is reimagining the Nostr client.
Notedeck isn’t just another Nostr app—it’s more a Nostr browser that functions more like an operating system with micro-apps. How cool is that?
Much like how Google's Chrome evolved from being a web browser with a task manager into ChromeOS, a full blown operating system, Notedeck aims to transform how we interact with the Nostr. It goes beyond individual apps, offering a foundation for a fully integrated ecosystem built around Nostr.
As a Nostr evangelist, I love to scream **INTEROPERABILITY** and tout every application's integrations. Well, Notedeck has the potential to be one of the best platforms to showcase these integrations in entirely new and exciting ways.
Do you want an Olas feed of images? Add the media column.
Do you want a feed of live video events? Add the zap.stream column.
Do you want Nostr Nests or audio chats? Add that column to your Notedeck.
Git? Email? Books? Chat and DMs? It's all possible.
Not everyone wants a super app though, and that’s okay. As with most things in the Nostr ecosystem, flexibility is key. Notedeck gives users the freedom to choose how they engage with it—whether it’s simply following hashtags or managing straightforward feeds. You'll be able to tailor Notedeck to fit your needs, using it as extensively or minimally as you prefer.
Notedeck is designed with a local-first approach, utilizing Nostr content stored directly on your device via the local nostrdb. This will enable a plethora of advanced tools such as search and filtering, the creation of custom feeds, and the ability to develop personalized algorithms across multiple Notedeck micro-applications—all with unparalleled flexibility.
Notedeck also supports multicast. Let's geek out for a second. Multicast is a method of communication where data is sent from one source to multiple destinations simultaneously, but only to devices that wish to receive the data. Unlike broadcast, which sends data to all devices on a network, multicast targets specific receivers, reducing network traffic. This is commonly used for efficient data distribution in scenarios like streaming, conferencing, or large-scale data synchronization between devices.
> In a local first world where each device holds local copies of your nostr nodes, and each device transparently syncs with each other on the local network, each node becomes a backup. Your data becomes antifragile automatically. When a node goes down it can resync and recover from other nodes. Even if not all nodes have a complete collection, negentropy can pull down only what is needed from each device. All this can be done without internet.
>
> \-Will Casarin
In the context of Notedeck, multicast would allow multiple devices to sync their Nostr nodes with each other over a local network without needing an internet connection. Wild.
Notedeck aims to offer full customization too, including the ability to design and share custom skins, much like Winamp. Users will also be able to create personalized columns and, in the future, share their setups with others. This opens the door for power users to craft tailored Nostr experiences, leveraging their expertise in the protocol and applications. By sharing these configurations as "Starter Decks," they can simplify onboarding and showcase the best of Nostr’s ecosystem.
Nostr’s “Other Stuff” can often be difficult to discover, use, or understand. Many users doesn't understand or know how to use web browser extensions to login to applications. Let's not even get started with nsecbunkers. Notedeck will address this challenge by providing a native experience that brings these lesser-known applications, tools, and content into a user-friendly and accessible interface, making exploration seamless. However, that doesn't mean Notedeck should disregard power users that want to use nsecbunkers though - hint hint.
For anyone interested in watching Nostr be [developed live](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck), right before your very eyes, Notedeck’s progress serves as a reminder of what’s possible when innovation meets dedication. The current alpha is already demonstrating its ability to handle complex use cases, and I’m excited to see how it continues to grow as it moves toward a full release later this year.
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@ 2183e947:f497b975
2025-03-29 02:41:34
Today I was invited to participate in the private beta of a new social media protocol called Pubky, designed by a bitcoin company called Synonym with the goal of being better than existing social media platforms. As a heavy nostr user, I thought I'd write up a comparison.
I can't tell you how to create your own accounts because it was made very clear that only *some* of the software is currently open source, and how this will all work is still a bit up in the air. The code that *is* open source can be found here: https://github.com/pubky -- and the most important repo there seems to be this one: https://github.com/pubky/pubky-core
You can also learn more about Pubky here: https://pubky.org/
That said, I used my invite code to create a pubky account and it seemed very similar to onboarding to nostr. I generated a private key, backed up 12 words, and the onboarding website gave me a public key.
Then I logged into a web-based client and it looked a lot like twitter. I saw a feed for posts by other users and saw options to reply to posts and give reactions, which, I saw, included hearts, thumbs up, and other emojis.
Then I investigated a bit deeper to see how much it was like nostr. I opened up my developer console and navigated to my networking tab, where, if this was nostr, I would expect to see queries to relays for posts. Here, though, I saw one query that seemed to be repeated on a loop, which went to a single server and provided it with my pubkey. That single query (well, a series of identical queries to the same server) seemed to return all posts that showed up on my feed. So I infer that the server "knows" what posts to show me (perhaps it has some sort of algorithm, though the marketing material says it does not use algorithms) and the query was on a loop so that if any new posts came in that the server thinks I might want to see, it can add them to my feed.
Then I checked what happens when I create a post. I did so and looked at what happened in my networking tab. If this was nostr, I would expect to see multiple copies of a signed messaged get sent to a bunch of relays. Here, though, I saw one message get sent to the same server that was populating my feed, and that message was not signed, it was a plaintext copy of my message.
I happened to be in a group chat with John Carvalho at the time, who is associated with pubky. I asked him what was going on, and he said that pubky is based around three types of servers: homeservers, DHT servers, and indexer servers. The homeserver is where you create posts and where you query for posts to show on your feed. DHT servers are used for censorship resistance: each user creates an entry on a DHT server saying what homeserver they use, and these entries are signed by their key.
As for indexers, I think those are supposed to speed up the use of the DHT servers. From what I could tell, indexers query DHT servers to find out what homeservers people use. When you query a homeserver for posts, it is supposed to reach out to indexer servers to find out the homeservers of people whose posts the homeserver decided to show you, and then query those homeservers for those posts. I believe they decided not to look up what homeservers people use directly on DHT servers directly because DHT servers are kind of slow, due to having to store and search through all sorts of non-social-media content, whereas indexers only store a simple db that maps each user's pubkey to their homeserver, so they are faster.
Based on all of this info, it seems like, to populate your feed, this is the series of steps:
- you tell your homeserver your pubkey
- it uses some sort of algorithm to decide whose posts to show you
- then looks up the homeservers used by those people on an indexer server
- then it fetches posts from their homeservers
- then your client displays them to you
To create a post, this is the series of steps:
- you tell your homeserver what you want to say to the world
- it stores that message in plaintext and merely asserts that it came from you (it's not signed)
- other people can find out what you said by querying for your posts on your homeserver
Since posts on homeservers are not signed, I asked John what prevents a homeserver from just making up stuff and claiming I said it. He said nothing stops them from doing that, and if you are using a homeserver that starts acting up in that manner, what you should do is start using a new homeserver and update your DHT record to point at your new homeserver instead of the old one. Then, indexers should update their db to show where your new homeserver is, and the homeservers of people who "follow" you should stop pulling content from your old homeserver and start pulling it from your new one. If their homeserver is misbehaving too, I'm not sure what would happen. Maybe it could refuse to show them the content you've posted on your new homeserver, keeping making up fake content on your behalf that you've never posted, and maybe the people you follow would never learn you're being impersonated or have moved to a new homeserver.
John also clarified that there is not currently any tooling for migrating user content from one homeserver to another. If pubky gets popular and a big homeserver starts misbehaving, users will probably need such a tool. But these are early days, so there aren't that many homeservers, and the ones that exist seem to be pretty trusted.
Anyway, those are my initial thoughts on Pubky. Learn more here: https://pubky.org/
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-28 10:32:15
Bitcoin.design community is organizing another Designathon, from May 4-18. Let's get creative with bitcoin together. More to come very soon.

The first edition was a bursting success! the website still there https://events.bitcoin.design, and here their previous [announcement](https://bitcoindesign.substack.com/p/the-bitcoin-designathon-2022).
Look forward for this to happen!
Spread the voice:
N: [https://njump.me/nevent1qqsv9w8p93tadlnyx0rkhexj5l48l...](https://njump.me/nevent1qqsv9w8p93tadlnyx0rkhexj5l48lmw9jc7nhhauyq5w3cm4nfsm3mstqtk6m)
X: https://x.com/bitcoin_design/status/1905547407405768927
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/927650
-

@ 23b0e2f8:d8af76fc
2025-01-08 18:17:52
## **Necessário**
- Um Android que você não use mais (a câmera deve estar funcionando).
- Um cartão microSD (opcional, usado apenas uma vez).
- Um dispositivo para acompanhar seus fundos (provavelmente você já tem um).
## **Algumas coisas que você precisa saber**
- O dispositivo servirá como um assinador. Qualquer movimentação só será efetuada após ser assinada por ele.
- O cartão microSD será usado para transferir o APK do Electrum e garantir que o aparelho não terá contato com outras fontes de dados externas após sua formatação. Contudo, é possível usar um cabo USB para o mesmo propósito.
- A ideia é deixar sua chave privada em um dispositivo offline, que ficará desligado em 99% do tempo. Você poderá acompanhar seus fundos em outro dispositivo conectado à internet, como seu celular ou computador pessoal.
---
## **O tutorial será dividido em dois módulos:**
- Módulo 1 - Criando uma carteira fria/assinador.
- Módulo 2 - Configurando um dispositivo para visualizar seus fundos e assinando transações com o assinador.
---
## **No final, teremos:**
- Uma carteira fria que também servirá como assinador.
- Um dispositivo para acompanhar os fundos da carteira.

---
## **Módulo 1 - Criando uma carteira fria/assinador**
1. Baixe o APK do Electrum na aba de **downloads** em <https://electrum.org/>. Fique à vontade para [verificar as assinaturas](https://electrum.readthedocs.io/en/latest/gpg-check.html) do software, garantindo sua autenticidade.
2. Formate o cartão microSD e coloque o APK do Electrum nele. Caso não tenha um cartão microSD, pule este passo.

3. Retire os chips e acessórios do aparelho que será usado como assinador, formate-o e aguarde a inicialização.

4. Durante a inicialização, pule a etapa de conexão ao Wi-Fi e rejeite todas as solicitações de conexão. Após isso, você pode desinstalar aplicativos desnecessários, pois precisará apenas do Electrum. Certifique-se de que Wi-Fi, Bluetooth e dados móveis estejam desligados. Você também pode ativar o **modo avião**.\
*(Curiosidade: algumas pessoas optam por abrir o aparelho e danificar a antena do Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, impossibilitando essas funcionalidades.)*

5. Insira o cartão microSD com o APK do Electrum no dispositivo e instale-o. Será necessário permitir instalações de fontes não oficiais.

6. No Electrum, crie uma carteira padrão e gere suas palavras-chave (seed). Anote-as em um local seguro. Caso algo aconteça com seu assinador, essas palavras permitirão o acesso aos seus fundos novamente. *(Aqui entra seu método pessoal de backup.)*

---
## **Módulo 2 - Configurando um dispositivo para visualizar seus fundos e assinando transações com o assinador.**
1. Criar uma carteira **somente leitura** em outro dispositivo, como seu celular ou computador pessoal, é uma etapa bastante simples. Para este tutorial, usaremos outro smartphone Android com Electrum. Instale o Electrum a partir da aba de downloads em <https://electrum.org/> ou da própria Play Store. *(ATENÇÃO: O Electrum não existe oficialmente para iPhone. Desconfie se encontrar algum.)*
2. Após instalar o Electrum, crie uma carteira padrão, mas desta vez escolha a opção **Usar uma chave mestra**.

3. Agora, no assinador que criamos no primeiro módulo, exporte sua chave pública: vá em **Carteira > Detalhes da carteira > Compartilhar chave mestra pública**.

4. Escaneie o QR gerado da chave pública com o dispositivo de consulta. Assim, ele poderá acompanhar seus fundos, mas sem permissão para movimentá-los.
5. Para receber fundos, envie Bitcoin para um dos endereços gerados pela sua carteira: **Carteira > Addresses/Coins**.
6. Para movimentar fundos, crie uma transação no dispositivo de consulta. Como ele não possui a chave privada, será necessário assiná-la com o dispositivo assinador.

7. No assinador, escaneie a transação não assinada, confirme os detalhes, assine e compartilhe. Será gerado outro QR, desta vez com a transação já assinada.

8. No dispositivo de consulta, escaneie o QR da transação assinada e transmita-a para a rede.
---
## **Conclusão**
**Pontos positivos do setup:**
- **Simplicidade:** Basta um dispositivo Android antigo.
- **Flexibilidade:** Funciona como uma ótima carteira fria, ideal para holders.
**Pontos negativos do setup:**
- **Padronização:** Não utiliza seeds no padrão BIP-39, você sempre precisará usar o electrum.
- **Interface:** A aparência do Electrum pode parecer antiquada para alguns usuários.
Nesse ponto, temos uma carteira fria que também serve para assinar transações. O fluxo de assinar uma transação se torna: ***Gerar uma transação não assinada > Escanear o QR da transação não assinada > Conferir e assinar essa transação com o assinador > Gerar QR da transação assinada > Escanear a transação assinada com qualquer outro dispositivo que possa transmiti-la para a rede.***
Como alguns devem saber, uma transação assinada de Bitcoin é praticamente impossível de ser fraudada. Em um cenário catastrófico, você pode mesmo que sem internet, repassar essa transação assinada para alguém que tenha acesso à rede por qualquer meio de comunicação. Mesmo que não queiramos que isso aconteça um dia, esse setup acaba por tornar essa prática possível.
---
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-27 10:42:05
What we have been missing in [SN Press kit](https://stacker.news/items/872925/r/Design_r)? Most important, who the press kit is for? It's for us? It's for them? Them, who?
The first few editions of the press kit, I agree are mostly made by us, for us. A way to try to homogenize how we _speek_ out SN into the wild web. A way to have SN voice sync, loud and clear, to send out our message. In this case, I squeezed my mouse, creating a template for us [^1], stackers, to share when talking sales with possible businesses and merchants willing to invest some sats and engage with SN community. Here's the message and the sales pitch, v0.1:
## Reach Bitcoin’s Most Engaged Community – Zero Noise, Pure Signal.













- - -
Contributions to improve would be much appreciated. You can also help by simply commenting on each slide or leaving your feedback below, especially if you are a sale person or someone that has seen similar documents before.
This is the first interaction. Already noticed some issues, for example with the emojis and the fonts, especially when exporting, probably related to a penpot issue. The slides maybe render differently depending on the browser you're using.
- [▶️ Play](https://design.penpot.app/#/view?file-id=cec80257-5021-8137-8005-ef90a160b2c9&page-id=cec80257-5021-8137-8005-ef90a160b2ca§ion=interactions&index=0&interactions-mode=hide&zoom=fit) the file in your browser
- ⬇️ Save the [PDF file](https://mega.nz/file/TsBgkRoI#20HEb_zscozgJYlRGha0XiZvcXCJfLQONx2fc65WHKY)
@k00b it will be nice to have some real data, how we can get some basic audience insights? Even some inputs from Plausible, if still active, will be much useful.
[^1]: Territory founders. FYI: @Aardvark, @AGORA, @anna, @antic, @AtlantisPleb, @av, @Bell_curve, @benwehrman, @bitcoinplebdev, @Bitter, @BlokchainB, @ch0k1, @davidw, @ek, @elvismercury, @frostdragon, @grayruby, @HODLR, @inverselarp, @Jon_Hodl, @MaxAWebster, @mega_dreamer, @mrtali, @niftynei, @nout, @OneOneSeven, @PlebLab, @Public_N_M_E, @RDClark, @realBitcoinDog, @roytheholographicuniverse, @siggy47, @softsimon, @south_korea_ln, @theschoolofbitcoin, @TNStacker. @UCantDoThatDotNet, @Undisciplined
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/926557
-

@ 1bda7e1f:bb97c4d9
2025-01-02 05:19:08
### Tldr
- Nostr is an open and interoperable protocol
- You can integrate it with workflow automation tools to augment your experience
- n8n is a great low/no-code workflow automation tool which you can host yourself
- Nostrobots allows you to integrate Nostr into n8n
- In this blog I create some workflow automations for Nostr
- A simple form to delegate posting notes
- Push notifications for mentions on multiple accounts
- Push notifications for your favourite accounts when they post a note
- All workflows are provided as open source with MIT license for you to use
### Inter-op All The Things
Nostr is a new open social protocol for the internet. This open nature exciting because of the opportunities for interoperability with other technologies. In [Using NFC Cards with Nostr]() I explored the `nostr:` URI to launch Nostr clients from a card tap.
The interoperability of Nostr doesn't stop there. The internet has many super-powers, and Nostr is open to all of them. Simply, there's no one to stop it. There is no one in charge, there are no permissioned APIs, and there are no risks of being de-platformed. If you can imagine technologies that would work well with Nostr, then any and all of them can ride on or alongside Nostr rails.
My mental model for why this is special is Google Wave ~2010. Google Wave was to be the next big platform. Lars was running it and had a big track record from Maps. I was excited for it. Then, Google pulled the plug. And, immediately all the time and capital invested in understanding and building on the platform was wasted.
This cannot happen to Nostr, as there is no one to pull the plug, and maybe even no plug to pull.
So long as users demand Nostr, Nostr will exist, and that is a pretty strong guarantee. It makes it worthwhile to invest in bringing Nostr into our other applications.
All we need are simple ways to plug things together.
### Nostr and Workflow Automation
Workflow automation is about helping people to streamline their work. As a user, the most common way I achieve this is by connecting disparate systems together. By setting up one system to trigger another or to move data between systems, I can solve for many different problems and become way more effective.
#### n8n for workflow automation
Many workflow automation tools exist. My favourite is [n8n](https://n8n.io/). n8n is a low/no-code workflow automation platform which allows you to build all kinds of workflows. You can use it for free, you can self-host it, it has a user-friendly UI and useful API. Vs Zapier it can be far more elaborate. Vs Make.com I find it to be more intuitive in how it abstracts away the right parts of the code, but still allows you to code when you need to.
Most importantly you can plug anything into n8n: You have built-in nodes for specific applications. HTTP nodes for any other API-based service. And community nodes built by individual community members for any other purpose you can imagine.
#### Eating my own dogfood
It's very clear to me that there is a big design space here just demanding to be explored. If you could integrate Nostr with anything, what would you do?
In my view the best way for anyone to start anything is by solving their own problem first (aka "scratching your own itch" and "eating your own dogfood"). As I get deeper into Nostr I find myself controlling multiple Npubs – to date I have a personal Npub, a brand Npub for a community I am helping, an AI assistant Npub, and various testing Npubs. I need ways to delegate access to those Npubs without handing over the keys, ways to know if they're mentioned, and ways to know if they're posting.
I can build workflows with n8n to solve these issues for myself to start with, and keep expanding from there as new needs come up.
### Running n8n with Nostrobots
I am mostly non-technical with a very helpful AI. To set up n8n to work with Nostr and operate these workflows should be possible for anyone with basic technology skills.
- I have a cheap VPS which currently runs my [HAVEN Nostr Relay](https://rodbishop.npub.pro/post/8ca68889/) and [Albyhub Lightning Node](https://rodbishop.npub.pro/post/setting-up-payments-on-nostr-7o6ls7/) in Docker containers,
- My objective was to set up n8n to run alongside these in a separate Docker container on the same server, install the required nodes, and then build and host my workflows.
#### Installing n8n
Self-hosting n8n could not be easier. I followed n8n's [Docker-Compose installation docs](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/installation/server-setups/docker-compose/)–
- Install Docker and Docker-Compose if you haven't already,
- Create your ``docker-compose.yml`` and `.env` files from the docs,
- Create your data folder `sudo docker volume create n8n_data`,
- Start your container with `sudo docker compose up -d`,
- Your n8n instance should be online at port `5678`.
n8n is free to self-host but does require a license. Enter your credentials into n8n to get your free license key. You should now have access to the Workflow dashboard and can create and host any kind of workflows from there.
#### Installing Nostrobots
To integrate n8n nicely with Nostr, I used the [Nostrobots](https://github.com/ocknamo/n8n-nodes-nostrobots?tab=readme-ov-file) community node by [Ocknamo](nostr:npub1y6aja0kkc4fdvuxgqjcdv4fx0v7xv2epuqnddey2eyaxquznp9vq0tp75l).
In n8n parlance a "node" enables certain functionality as a step in a workflow e.g. a "set" node sets a variable, a "send email" node sends an email. n8n comes with all kinds of "official" nodes installed by default, and Nostr is not amongst them. However, n8n also comes with a framework for community members to create their own "community" nodes, which is where Nostrobots comes in.
You can only use a community node in a self-hosted n8n instance (which is what you have if you are running in Docker on your own server, but this limitation does prevent you from using n8n's own hosted alternative).
To install a community node, [see n8n community node docs](https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/community-nodes/installation/gui-install/). From your workflow dashboard–
- Click the "..." in the bottom left corner beside your username, and click "settings",
- Cilck "community nodes" left sidebar,
- Click "Install",
- Enter the "npm Package Name" which is `n8n-nodes-nostrobots`,
- Accept the risks and click "Install",
- Nostrobots is now added to your n8n instance.
#### Using Nostrobots
Nostrobots gives you nodes to help you build Nostr-integrated workflows–
- **Nostr Write** – for posting Notes to the Nostr network,
- **Nostr Read** – for reading Notes from the Nostr network, and
- **Nostr Utils** – for performing certain conversions you may need (e.g. from bech32 to hex).
Nostrobots has [good documentation](https://github.com/ocknamo/n8n-nodes-nostrobots?tab=readme-ov-file) on each node which focuses on simple use cases.
Each node has a "convenience mode" by default. For example, the "Read" Node by default will fetch Kind 1 notes by a simple filter, in Nostrobots parlance a "Strategy". For example, with Strategy set to "Mention" the node will accept a pubkey and fetch all Kind 1 notes that Mention the pubkey within a time period. This is very good for quick use.
What wasn't clear to me initially (until Ocknamo helped me out) is that advanced use cases are also possible.
Each node also has an advanced mode. For example, the "Read" Node can have "Strategy" set to "RawFilter(advanced)". Now the node will accept json (anything you like that complies with [NIP-01](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/01.md)). You can use this to query Notes (Kind 1) as above, and also Profiles (Kind 0), Follow Lists (Kind 3), Reactions (Kind 7), Zaps (Kind 9734/9735), and anything else you can think of.
#### Creating and adding workflows
With n8n and Nostrobots installed, you can now create or add any kind of Nostr Workflow Automation.
- Click "Add workflow" to go to the workflow builder screen,
- If you would like to build your own workflow, you can start with adding any node. Click "+" and see what is available. Type "Nostr" to explore the Nostrobots nodes you have added,
- If you would like to add workflows that someone else has built, click "..." in the top right. Then click "import from URL" and paste in the URL of any workflow you would like to use (including the ones I share later in this article).
### Nostr Workflow Automations
It's time to build some things!
#### A simple form to post a note to Nostr
I started very simply. I needed to delegate the ability to post to Npubs that I own in order that a (future) team can test things for me. I don't want to worry about managing or training those people on how to use keys, and I want to revoke access easily.
I needed a basic form with credentials that posted a Note.
For this I can use a very simple workflow–
- **A n8n Form node** – Creates a form for users to enter the note they wish to post. Allows for the form to be protected by a username and password. This node is the workflow "trigger" so that the workflow runs each time the form is submitted.
- **A Set node** – Allows me to set some variables, in this case I set the relays that I intend to use. I typically add a Set node immediately following the trigger node, and put all the variables I need in this. It helps to make the workflows easier to update and maintain.
- **A Nostr Write node** (from Nostrobots) – Writes a Kind-1 note to the Nostr network. It accepts Nostr credentials, the output of the Form node, and the relays from the Set node, and posts the Note to those relays.
Once the workflow is built, you can test it with the testing form URL, and set it to "Active" to use the production form URL. That's it. You can now give posting access to anyone for any Npub. To revoke access, simply change the credentials or set to workflow to "Inactive".
It may also be the world's simplest Nostr client.
You can find the [Nostr Form to Post a Note workflow here](https://github.com/r0d8lsh0p/nostr-n8n/blob/main/Nostr_Form_to_Post_a_Note.json).
#### Push notifications on mentions and new notes
One of the things Nostr is not very good at is push notifications. Furthermore I have some unique itches to scratch. I want–
- **To make sure I never miss a note addressed to any of my Npubs** – For this I want a push notification any time any Nostr user mentions any of my Npubs,
- **To make sure I always see all notes from key accounts** – For this I need a push notification any time any of my Npubs post any Notes to the network,
- **To get these notifications on all of my devices** – Not just my phone where my Nostr regular client lives, but also on each of my laptops to suit wherever I am working that day.
I needed to build a Nostr push notifications solution.
To build this workflow I had to string a few ideas together–
- **Triggering the node on a schedule** – Nostrobots does not include a trigger node. As every workflow starts with a trigger we needed a different method. I elected to run the workflow on a schedule of every 10-minutes. Frequent enough to see Notes while they are hot, but infrequent enough to not burden public relays or get rate-limited,
- **Storing a list of Npubs in a Nostr list** – I needed a way to store the list of Npubs that trigger my notifications. I initially used an array defined in the workflow, this worked fine. Then I decided to try Nostr lists ([NIP-51, kind 30000](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/51.md)). By defining my list of Npubs as a list published to Nostr I can control my list from within a Nostr client (e.g. [Listr.lol](https://listr.lol/npub1r0d8u8mnj6769500nypnm28a9hpk9qg8jr0ehe30tygr3wuhcnvs4rfsft) or [Nostrudel.ninja](https://nostrudel.ninja/#/lists)). Not only does this "just work", but because it's based on Nostr lists automagically Amethyst client allows me to browse that list as a Feed, and everyone I add gets notified in their Mentions,
- **Using specific relays** – I needed to query the right relays, including my own HAVEN relay inbox for notes addressed to me, and wss://purplepag.es for Nostr profile metadata,
- **Querying Nostr events** (with Nostrobots) – I needed to make use of many different Nostr queries and use quite a wide range of what Nostrobots can do–
- I read the EventID of my Kind 30000 list, to return the desired pubkeys,
- For notifications on mentions, I read all Kind 1 notes that mention that pubkey,
- For notifications on new notes, I read all Kind 1 notes published by that pubkey,
- Where there are notes, I read the Kind 0 profile metadata event of that pubkey to get the displayName of the relevant Npub,
- I transform the EventID into a Nevent to help clients find it.
- **Using the Nostr URI** – As I did with my NFC card article, I created a link with the `nostr:` URI prefix so that my phone's native client opens the link by default,
- **Push notifications solution** – I needed a push notifications solution. I found many with n8n integrations and chose to go with [Pushover](https://pushover.net/) which supports all my devices, has a free trial, and is unfairly cheap with a $5-per-device perpetual license.
Once the workflow was built, lists published, and Pushover installed on my phone, I was fully set up with push notifications on Nostr. I have used these workflows for several weeks now and made various tweaks as I went. They are feeling robust and I'd welcome you to give them a go.
You can find the [Nostr Push Notification If Mentioned here](https://github.com/r0d8lsh0p/nostr-n8n/blob/main/Nostr_Push_Notify_If_Mentioned.json) and [If Posts a Note here](https://github.com/r0d8lsh0p/nostr-n8n/blob/main/Nostr_Push_Notify_If_Post_a_Note.json).
In speaking with other Nostr users while I was building this, there are all kind of other needs for push notifications too – like on replies to a certain bookmarked note, or when a followed Npub starts streaming on zap.stream. These are all possible.
#### Use my workflows
I have open sourced all my workflows at my [Github](https://github.com/r0d8lsh0p/nostr-n8n) with MIT license and tried to write complete docs, so that you can import them into your n8n and configure them for your own use.
To import any of my workflows–
- Click on the workflow of your choice, e.g. "[Nostr_Push_Notify_If_Mentioned.json](https://github.com/r0d8lsh0p/nostr-n8n/blob/main/Nostr_Push_Notify_If_Mentioned.json "Nostr_Push_Notify_If_Mentioned.json")",
- Click on the "raw" button to view the raw JSON, ex any Github page layout,
- Copy that URL,
- Enter that URL in the "import from URL" dialog [mentioned above](#creating-and-adding-workflows).
To configure them–
- Prerequisites, credentials, and variables are all stated,
- In general any variables required are entered into a Set Node that follows the trigger node,
- Pushover has some extra setup but is very straightforward and documented in the workflow.
### What next?
Over my first four blogs I explored creating a good Nostr setup with [Vanity Npub](https://rodbishop.npub.pro/post/mining-your-vanity-pubkey-4iupbf/), [Lightning Payments](https://rodbishop.npub.pro/post/setting-up-payments-on-nostr-7o6ls7/), [Nostr Addresses at Your Domain](https://rodbishop.npub.pro/post/ee8a46bc/), and [Personal Nostr Relay](https://rodbishop.npub.pro/post/8ca68889/).
Then in my latest two blogs I explored different types of interoperability [with NFC cards](https://rodbishop.npub.pro/post/edde8387/) and now n8n Workflow Automation.
Thinking ahead n8n can power any kind of interoperability between Nostr and any other legacy technology solution. On my mind as I write this:
- Further enhancements to posting and delegating solutions and forms (enhanced UI or different note kinds),
- Automated or scheduled posting (such as auto-liking everything [Lyn Alden](nostr:npub1a2cww4kn9wqte4ry70vyfwqyqvpswksna27rtxd8vty6c74era8sdcw83a) posts),
- Further enhancements to push notifications, on new and different types of events (such as notifying me when I get a new follower, on replies to certain posts, or when a user starts streaming),
- All kinds of bridges, such as bridging notes to and from Telegram, Slack, or Campfire. Or bridging RSS or other event feeds to Nostr,
- All kinds of other automation (such as [BlackCoffee](nostr:npub1dqepr0g4t3ahvnjtnxazvws4rkqjpxl854n29wcew8wph0fmw90qlsmmgt) [controlling a coffee machine](https://primal.net/e/note16fzhh5yfc3u4kufx0mck63tsfperdrlpp96am2lmq066cnuqutds8retc3)),
- All kinds of AI Assistants and Agents,
In fact I have already released an open source workflow for an [AI Assistant](https://primal.net/p/npub1ahjpx53ewavp23g5zj9jgyfrpr8djmgjzg5mpe4xd0z69dqvq0kq2lf353), and will share more about that in my next blog.
Please be sure to let me know if you think there's another Nostr topic you'd like to see me tackle.
GM Nostr.
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@ 3f770d65:7a745b24
2024-12-31 17:03:46
Here are my predictions for Nostr in 2025:
**Decentralization:** The outbox and inbox communication models, sometimes referred to as the Gossip model, will become the standard across the ecosystem. By the end of 2025, all major clients will support these models, providing seamless communication and enhanced decentralization. Clients that do not adopt outbox/inbox by then will be regarded as outdated or legacy systems.
**Privacy Standards:** Major clients such as Damus and Primal will move away from NIP-04 DMs, adopting more secure protocol possibilities like NIP-17 or NIP-104. These upgrades will ensure enhanced encryption and metadata protection. Additionally, NIP-104 MLS tools will drive the development of new clients and features, providing users with unprecedented control over the privacy of their communications.
**Interoperability:** Nostr's ecosystem will become even more interconnected. Platforms like the Olas image-sharing service will expand into prominent clients such as Primal, Damus, Coracle, and Snort, alongside existing integrations with Amethyst, Nostur, and Nostrudel. Similarly, audio and video tools like Nostr Nests and Zap.stream will gain seamless integration into major clients, enabling easy participation in live events across the ecosystem.
**Adoption and Migration:** Inspired by early pioneers like Fountain and Orange Pill App, more platforms will adopt Nostr for authentication, login, and social systems. In 2025, a significant migration from a high-profile application platform with hundreds of thousands of users will transpire, doubling Nostr’s daily activity and establishing it as a cornerstone of decentralized technologies.
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@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-27 08:27:44
> The tech industry and its press have treated the rise of billion-scale social networks and ubiquitous smartphone apps as an unadulterated win for regular people, a triumph of usability and empowerment. They seldom talk about what we’ve lost along the way in this transition, and I find that younger folks may not even know how the web used to be.
`— Anil Dash, The Web We Lost, 13 Dec 2012`
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KKMnoTTHJk&t=156s
So here’s a few glimpses of a web that’s mostly faded away: https://www.anildash.com/2012/12/13/the_web_we_lost/
The first step to disabusing them of this notion is for the people creating the next generation of social applications to learn a little bit of history, to know your shit, whether that’s about [Twitter’s business model](http://web.archive.org/web/20180120013123/http://anildash.com/2010/04/ten-years-of-twitter-ads.html) or [Google’s social features](http://web.archive.org/web/20170518203228/http://anildash.com/2012/04/why-you-cant-trust-tech-press-to-teach-you-about-the-tech-industry.html) or anything else. We have to know what’s been tried and failed, what good ideas were simply ahead of their time, and what opportunities have been lost in the current generation of dominant social networks.
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/926499
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@ bcbb3e40:a494e501
2025-03-31 16:00:24
|[](https://amzn.to/4jaGBZ4)|
|:-:|
|[WAJDA, Andrzej; _Cenizas y diamantes_, 1958](https://amzn.to/4jaGBZ4)|
Presentamos una nueva reseña cinematográfica, y en esta ocasión hemos elegido «Cenizas y diamantes», una película polaca del célebre y prolífico director **Andrzej Wajda** (1926-2016), estrenada en el año 1958. Se trata de uno de los grandes clásicos del cine polaco. El filme refleja una etapa dramática desde la perspectiva histórica para la nación polaca, como es el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, a raíz de la capitulación alemana del 8 de mayo de 1945. El contexto en el que se desarrolla se ambienta en la celebración del final de la guerra con el aplastante triunfo de la URSS, con las tropas soviéticas ocupando toda la Europa oriental, y en particular Polonia, que vive un momento de oscuridad e incertidumbre. El protagonista, **Maciek Chełmicki** (interpretado magistralmente por **Zbigniew Cybulski** (1927-1967), apodado el «James Dean polaco»), es un joven nacionalista polaco, de orientación anticomunista, que se ve implicado en un complot urdido para asesinar a un líder comunista local. Maciek opera desde la clandestinidad, bajo el grupo **Armia Krajowa (AK)**, el Ejército Nacional polaco, una organización de resistencia, primero contra los alemanes y, posteriormente, contra los soviéticos. Durante el metraje, se plantea una dicotomía permanente entre la libertad entendida como la defensa de la soberanía de Polonia, desde posturas nacionalistas, y quienes consideran la ocupación soviética como algo positivo. Estas circunstancias atrapan al protagonista, que se ve envuelto en una espiral de violencia y traición.
Maciek Chełmicki, nuestro protagonista, cuenta con todas [las características del héroe trágico](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/caballero-muerte-diablo-jean-cau/), pues tiene en sus manos una serie de acciones que comprometen el futuro de un pueblo, que consiste en cumplir la misión que le ha sido encomendada, pero en su camino se cruza una joven, Krystyna, una joven camarera de un hotel de la que se enamora en ese mismo día. Este último hecho sirve de punto de partida para todas las dudas, dilemas y dicotomías a las que hacemos referencia. Hay un dilema moral evidente en un mundo en ruinas, [devastado por la guerra, la muerte y el nihilismo](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/en-el-mar-de-la-nada-curzio-nitoglia/). En este sentido Wajda nos muestra un lenguaje cinematográfico muy evidente, a través de una técnica expresionista muy depurada, con el uso del blanco y negro, los contrastes generados por las sombras y la atmósfera opresiva que transmite angustia, desesperación y vulnerabilidad de los protagonistas. Además también destilan una fuerte carga emocional, donde no están exentos elementos poéticos y un poderoso lirismo.
||
|:-:|
|Maciek Chełmicki, el protagonista.|
Hay elementos simbólicos que no podemos obviar, y que contribuyen a consolidar el análisis que venimos haciendo, como, por ejemplo, la estética del protagonista, con unas gafas oscuras, que actúan como una suerte de barrera frente al mundo que le rodea, como parte del anonimato tras el cual el joven Maciek vive de forma introspectiva su propio drama particular y el de toda una nación.
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/mar-nada-curzio-nitoglia/)|
|:-:|
|[NITOGLIA, Curzio; _En el mar de la nada: Metafísica y nihilismo a prueba en la posmodernidad_; Hipérbola Janus, 2023](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/mar-nada-curzio-nitoglia/)|
Hay una escena especialmente poderosa, y casi mítica, en la que los dos jóvenes protagonistas, Maciek y Krystina, se encuentran entre las ruinas de una Iglesia, en la que se destaca en primer plano, ocupando buena parte de la pantalla, la imagen de un Cristo invertido sobre un crucifijo, donde también se encuentran dos cuerpos colgados hacia abajo en una estampa que refleja la devastación moral y espiritual de toda una época. De hecho, [la imagen del crucifijo invertido refleja el máximo punto de subversión y profanación de lo sagrado](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/la-cruz-frente-la-modernidad/), y que en el caso concreto de la película viene a representar la destrucción del orden moral y de valores cristianos que la propia guerra ha provocado. Polonia es una nación profundamente católica, convertida al Cristianismo en el 966 a raíz de la conversión del príncipe **Miecislao I**, contribuyendo de manera decisiva a la formación de la identidad nacional polaca. El catolicismo siempre ha sido un medio de cohesión y defensa frente a las influencias extranjeras y la ocupación de terceros países, una constante en la historia del país, como el que ilustra la propia película con la URSS. En este sentido, la imagen de una Iglesia en ruinas, el lugar donde se encuentra representado el principio de lo sagrado e inviolable, [supone una forma de perversión de todo principio de redención y salvación frente a la tragedia](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/mas-nos-vale-rezar/), y al mismo tiempo viene a significar que la Tradición ha sido abandonada y pervertida. En la misma línea, el protagonista, Maciek, se encuentra atrapado en una espiral de violencia a través de sus actos terroristas perpetrados contra la autoridad soviética que ocupa su país. Los dos cuerpos anónimos que cuelgan boca abajo, de forma grotesca, también participan de este caos y desequilibrio de un orden dislocado, son parte de la deshumanización y el nihilismo que todo lo impregna.
||
|:-:|
|Maciek y Krystina en una iglesia en ruinas|
Como ya hemos mencionado, la película se encuentra plagada de paradojas y dicotomías, en las que nuestro protagonista, [el joven rebelde e inconformista](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/juventud-contestacion/), debe elegir permanentemente, en unas decisiones que resultan trascendentales para su futuro y el de la propia nación. La figura femenina que irrumpe en su vida, y que representa un principio disruptivo que provoca una fractura interior y una crisis, le suscita una toma de conciencia de su propia situación y le fuerza a tomar un camino entre la «felicidad», del «amor», la «esperanza» y la «vida», que le permita superar la deriva nihilista y autodestructiva de la lucha clandestina, la cual le aboca a un destino trágico (que no vamos a desentrañar para no hacer spoiler). En relación al propio título de la película, «Cenizas y diamantes», basada en el poema del poeta y dramaturgo polaco **Cyprian Norwid** (1821-1883) y en la novela del autor, también polaco, **Jerzy Andrzejewski** (1909-1983), nos destaca la dualidad de los dos elementos que lo componen, y que definen el contraste entre el mundo sombrío y oscuro (Cenizas) y la esperanza y la luz que representa susodicha figura femenina (diamantes). La segunda alternativa parece un imposible, una quimera irrealizable que se pliega ante un Destino implacable, irreversible y cruel.
En consecuencia, y a la luz de los elementos expuestos, podemos decir que se nos presentan dilemas propios de la filosofía existencialista, que conoce su punto álgido en esos años, con autores como **Jean Paul Sartre** (1905-1980), **Albert Camus** (1913-1960), **Karl Jaspers** (1883-1969) o [**Martin Heidegger**](https://amzn.to/4cmjvwE) (1889-1976) entre otros. Respecto a éste último, a Heidegger, podemos encontrar algunas claves interesantes a través de su filosofía en relación al protagonista, a Maciek, especialmente a través de la idea del *Dasein*, a la idea de haber sido arrojado al mundo (*Geworfenheit*), y la manera tan extrema y visceral en la que vive susodicha condición. Todos aquellos elementos que dan sentido a la vida colectiva [se encuentran decaídos o destruidos en su esencia más íntima, la Patria, la religión o la propia idea de Comunidad orgánica](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/textos-tradicion-tiempos-oscurecimiento-hj/). De modo que el protagonista se ha visto «arrojado» frente a una situación o destino indeseado, en unas coyunturas totalmente desfavorables en las que no queda otra elección. Sus decisiones están permanentemente condicionadas por la circunstancia descrita y, por tanto, vive en un mundo donde no controla nada, en lugar de ser sujeto es un mero objeto transportado por esas circunstancias ajenas a su voluntad. Sin embargo, y en coherencia con el *Dasein* heideggeriano, vemos como Maciek, a raíz de conocer a Krystyna, comienza a experimentar una catarsis interior, que muestra por momentos el deseo de superar ese «ser arrojado al mundo contra tu voluntad», trascendiendo esa condición absurda e irracional de unas decisiones enajenadas de su voluntad para dotar de una significación y un sentido la propia existencia.
||
|:-:|
|Andrzej Wajda, el director de la película.|
Otro elemento característico de la filosofía heideggeriana lo podemos encontrar en la «angustia» (*angst*) a través de la ausencia de un sentido y fundamento último que justifique la existencia del protagonista. Es una angustia en a que el *Dasein* se enfrenta a la «nada», a ese vacío existencial que hace inútil toda la lucha que Maciek lleva a cabo en la clandestinidad, con asesinatos y actos de terrorismo que pretenden salvaguardar algo que ya no existe, y que simboliza muy bien la Iglesia en ruinas con sus símbolos religiosos invertidos de la que hablábamos con anterioridad. Recuerda un poco a esa dicotomía que se plantea entre ser conservador o reaccionario frente a una realidad como la del propio presente, en la que los valores tradicionales han sido totalmente destruidos, y más que conservar se impone la reacción para volver a construir de la nada.
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/textos-tradicion-tiempos-oscurecimiento-hiperbola-janus/)|
|:-:|
|[Hipérbola Janus; _Textos para la Tradición en tiempos del oscurecimiento: Artículos publicados entre 2014 y 2019 en hiperbolajanus.com_; Hipérbola Janus, 2019](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/textos-tradicion-tiempos-oscurecimiento-hiperbola-janus/)|
Todas las dudas que asaltan al protagonista se ven incrementadas en el momento decisivo, cuando se dispone a dar muerte al líder comunista. Se produce una tensión interna en Maciek, que se encuentra ligado a la joven que ha conocido ese día, y en ella es donde encuentra ese leve destello de humanidad. Esa circunstancia le hace replantearse por un instante el cumplimiento de su misión, pero es un dilema que no tiene salida, y por ello le asalta nuevamente la angustia frente a esa «nada», ese mundo vacío e incomprensible que trasciende el marco de sus propias elecciones.
Uno de los conceptos centrales de Heidegger en [*Ser y tiempo*](https://amzn.to/4l7uMoi) es el *Sein-zum-Tode* (*ser-para-la-muerte*), la idea de que la muerte es la posibilidad más propia y definitiva del *Dasein*, y que enfrentarla auténticamente permite vivir de manera más plena. Y es que el protagonista se encuentra permanentemente sobre esa frontera entre la vida y la muerte, que afronta con todas sus consecuencias, conscientemente, y la acepta. Esta actitud podría leerse como una forma de *Dasein* inauténtico, una huida del *ser-para-la-muerte* mediante la distracción (*das Man*, el «se» impersonal). Sin embargo, su decisión de cumplir la misión sugiere un enfrentamiento final con esa posibilidad. Otro aspecto que podemos conectar con el pensamiento heideggeriano es la autenticidad o inautenticidad de la vida del protagonista. En relación a la inautenticidad vemos como al principio sigue las órdenes de sus superiores en la organización sin cuestionarlas, lo cual implica un comportamiento inequívocamente alienante. Respecto a aquello que resulta auténtico de su existencia son sus relaciones con Krystyna, que supone imponer su propia voluntad y decisión, mostrando un *Dasein* que asume su libertad.
||
|:-:|
|Escena de la película.|
Otros aspectos más generales de la filosofía existencialista redundan sobre estos mismos aspectos, con la elección entre la libertad absoluta y la condena inevitable. La idea del hombre condenado a actuar, a una elección continua, aún cuando el hombre no es dueño de su destino, o las consecuencias de tales acciones son absurdas, irracionales e incomprensibles. El propio absurdo de la existencia frente al vacío y la ausencia de principios sólidos en los que cimentar la vida, no solo en sus aspectos cotidianos más básicos, sino en aquellos más profundos de la existencia. La soledad y la propia fatalidad frente a un Destino que, como ya hemos apuntado anteriormente, parece imponerse de manera irrevocable, y podríamos decir que brutalmente, al individuo aislado, incapaz de asirse en una guía, en unos valores que le permitan remontar la situación.
En términos generales «Cenizas y diamantes», además de ser una película de gran calidad en sus aspectos técnicos, en su fotografía, en la configuración de sus escenas y en el propio desarrollo argumental, bajo un guión espléndidamente ejecutado a lo largo de sus 98 minutos de duración, también nos invita a una reflexión profunda sobre la condición humana y la propia Modernidad. Y es algo que vemos en nuestros días, con las consecuencias de un pensamiento débil, con la promoción del individualismo, el hedonismo y lo efímero. La ausencia de estructuras sólidas, [la subversión de toda forma de autoridad y jerarquía tradicionales](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/metapolitica-tradicion-modernidad-antologia-julius-evola/). Paradójicamente, el mundo actual tiende a formas de poder y autoridad mucho más invasivas y coercitivas, tanto a nivel individual como colectivo, pero en la misma línea abstracta e impersonal que nos describe la película, abocándonos a la alienación y la inautenticidad de nuestras propias vidas. Y como Maciek, también nosotros, vivimos en un mundo dominado por la incertidumbre y la desesperanza, en el que el globalismo y sus perversas ideologías deshumanizantes actúan por doquier.
||
|:-:|
|Carátula original de la película en polaco.|
---
**Artículo original**: Hipérbola Janus, [_Reseña de «Cenizas y Diamantes» (Andrzej Wajda, 1958)_](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/posts/resena-cenizas-diamantes/) [**(TOR)**](http://hiperbolam7t46pbl2fiqzaarcmw6injdru4nh2pwuhrkoub3263mpad.onion/posts/resena-cenizas-diamantes/), 31/Mar/2025
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@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d
2024-12-31 16:47:12
Último dia do ano, momento para tirar o pó da bola de cristal, para fazer reflexões, previsões e desejos para o próximo ano e seguintes.
Ano após ano, o Bitcoin evoluiu, foi ultrapassando etapas, tornou-se cada vez mais _mainstream_. Está cada vez mais difícil fazer previsões sobre o Bitcoin, já faltam poucas barreiras a serem ultrapassadas e as que faltam são altamente complexas ou tem um impacto profundo no sistema financeiro ou na sociedade. Estas alterações profundas tem que ser realizadas lentamente, porque uma alteração rápida poderia resultar em consequências terríveis, poderia provocar um retrocesso.
# Código do Bitcoin
No final de 2025, possivelmente vamos ter um _fork_, as discussões sobre os _covenants_ já estão avançadas, vão acelerar ainda mais. Já existe um consenso relativamente alto, a favor dos _covenants_, só falta decidir que modelo será escolhido. Penso que até ao final do ano será tudo decidido.
Depois dos _covenants,_ o próximo foco será para a criptografia post-quantum, que será o maior desafio que o Bitcoin enfrenta. Criar uma criptografia segura e que não coloque a descentralização em causa.
Espero muito de Ark, possivelmente a inovação do ano, gostaria de ver o Nostr a furar a bolha bitcoinheira e que o Cashu tivesse mais reconhecimento pelos _bitcoiners_.
Espero que surjam avanços significativos no BitVM2 e BitVMX.
Não sei o que esperar das layer 2 de Bitcoin, foram a maior desilusão de 2024. Surgiram com muita força, mas pouca coisa saiu do papel, foi uma mão cheia de nada. Uma parte dos projetos caiu na tentação da _shitcoinagem_, na criação de tokens, que tem um único objetivo, enriquecer os devs e os VCs.
Se querem ser levados a sério, têm que ser sérios.
> “À mulher de César não basta ser honesta, deve parecer honesta”
Se querem ter o apoio dos _bitcoiners_, sigam o _ethos_ do Bitcoin.
Neste ponto a atitude do pessoal da Ark é exemplar, em vez de andar a chorar no Twitter para mudar o código do Bitcoin, eles colocaram as mãos na massa e criaram o protocolo. É claro que agora está meio “coxo”, funciona com uma _multisig_ ou com os _covenants_ na Liquid. Mas eles estão a criar um produto, vão demonstrar ao mercado que o produto é bom e útil. Com a adoção, a comunidade vai perceber que o Ark necessita dos _covenants_ para melhorar a interoperabilidade e a soberania.
É este o pensamento certo, que deveria ser seguido pelos restantes e futuros projetos. É seguir aquele pensamento do J.F. Kennedy:
> “Não perguntem o que é que o vosso país pode fazer por vocês, perguntem o que é que vocês podem fazer pelo vosso país”
Ou seja, não fiquem à espera que o bitcoin mude, criem primeiro as inovações/tecnologia, ganhem adoção e depois demonstrem que a alteração do código camada base pode melhorar ainda mais o vosso projeto. A necessidade é que vai levar a atualização do código.
# Reservas Estratégicas de Bitcoin
## Bancos centrais
Com a eleição de Trump, emergiu a ideia de uma Reserva Estratégia de Bitcoin, tornou este conceito _mainstream_. Foi um _pivot_, a partir desse momento, foram enumerados os políticos de todo o mundo a falar sobre o assunto.
A Senadora Cynthia Lummis foi mais além e propôs um programa para adicionar 200 mil bitcoins à reserva ao ano, até 1 milhão de Bitcoin. Só que isto está a criar uma enorme expectativa na comunidade, só que pode resultar numa enorme desilusão. Porque no primeiro ano, o Trump em vez de comprar os 200 mil, pode apenas adicionar na reserva, os 198 mil que o Estado já tem em sua posse. Se isto acontecer, possivelmente vai resultar numa forte queda a curto prazo. Na minha opinião os bancos centrais deveriam seguir o exemplo de El Salvador, fazer um DCA diário.
Mais que comprar bitcoin, para mim, o mais importante é a criação da Reserva, é colocar o Bitcoin ao mesmo nível do ouro, o impacto para o resto do mundo será tremendo, a teoria dos jogos na sua plenitude. Muitos outros bancos centrais vão ter que comprar, para não ficarem atrás, além disso, vai transmitir uma mensagem à generalidade da população, que o Bitcoin é “afinal é algo seguro, com valor”.
Mas não foi Trump que iniciou esta teoria dos jogos, mas sim foi a primeira vítima dela. É o próprio Trump que o admite, que os EUA necessitam da reserva para não ficar atrás da China. Além disso, desde que os EUA utilizaram o dólar como uma arma, com sanção contra a Rússia, surgiram boatos de que a Rússia estaria a utilizar o Bitcoin para transações internacionais. Que foram confirmados recentemente, pelo próprio governo russo. Também há poucos dias, ainda antes deste reconhecimento público, Putin elogiou o Bitcoin, ao reconhecer que “Ninguém pode proibir o bitcoin”, defendendo como uma alternativa ao dólar. A narrativa está a mudar.
Já existem alguns países com Bitcoin, mas apenas dois o fizeram conscientemente (El Salvador e Butão), os restantes têm devido a apreensões. Hoje são poucos, mas 2025 será o início de uma corrida pelos bancos centrais. Esta corrida era algo previsível, o que eu não esperava é que acontecesse tão rápido.

## Empresas
A criação de reservas estratégicas não vai ficar apenas pelos bancos centrais, também vai acelerar fortemente nas empresas em 2025.

Mas as empresas não vão seguir a estratégia do Saylor, vão comprar bitcoin sem alavancagem, utilizando apenas os tesouros das empresas, como uma proteção contra a inflação. Eu não sou grande admirador do Saylor, prefiro muito mais, uma estratégia conservadora, sem qualquer alavancagem. Penso que as empresas vão seguir a sugestão da BlackRock, que aconselha um alocações de 1% a 3%.
Penso que 2025, ainda não será o ano da entrada das 6 magníficas (excepto Tesla), será sobretudo empresas de pequena e média dimensão. As magníficas ainda tem uma cota muito elevada de _shareholders_ com alguma idade, bastante conservadores, que têm dificuldade em compreender o Bitcoin, foi o que aconteceu recentemente com a Microsoft.
Também ainda não será em 2025, talvez 2026, a inclusão nativamente de wallet Bitcoin nos sistema da Apple Pay e da Google Pay. Seria um passo gigante para a adoção a nível mundial.
# ETFs
Os ETFs para mim são uma incógnita, tenho demasiadas dúvidas, como será 2025. Este ano os _inflows_ foram superiores a 500 mil bitcoins, o IBIT foi o lançamento de ETF mais bem sucedido da história. O sucesso dos ETFs, deve-se a 2 situações que nunca mais se vão repetir. O mercado esteve 10 anos à espera pela aprovação dos ETFs, a procura estava reprimida, isso foi bem notório nos primeiros meses, os _inflows_ foram brutais.
Também se beneficiou por ser um mercado novo, não existia _orderbook_ de vendas, não existia um mercado interno, praticamente era só _inflows_. Agora o mercado já estabilizou, a maioria das transações já são entre clientes dos próprios ETFs. Agora só uma pequena percentagem do volume das transações diárias vai resultar em _inflows_ ou _outflows_.
Estes dois fenómenos nunca mais se vão repetir, eu não acredito que o número de _inflows_ em BTC supere os número de 2024, em dólares vai superar, mas em btc não acredito que vá superar.
Mas em 2025 vão surgir uma infindável quantidade de novos produtos, derivativos, novos ETFs de cestos com outras criptos ou cestos com ativos tradicionais. O bitcoin será adicionado em produtos financeiros já existentes no mercado, as pessoas vão passar a deter bitcoin, sem o saberem.
Com o fim da operação ChokePoint 2.0, vai surgir uma nova onda de adoção e de produtos financeiros. Possivelmente vamos ver bancos tradicionais a disponibilizar produtos ou serviços de custódia aos seus clientes.
Eu adoraria ver o crescimento da adoção do bitcoin como moeda, só que a regulamentação não vai ajudar nesse processo.
# Preço
Eu acredito que o topo deste ciclo será alcançado no primeiro semestre, posteriormente haverá uma correção. Mas desta vez, eu acredito que a correção será muito menor que as anteriores, inferior a 50%, esta é a minha expectativa. Espero estar certo.
# Stablecoins de dólar
Agora saindo um pouco do universo do Bitcoin, acho importante destacar as _stablecoins_.
No último ciclo, eu tenho dividido o tempo, entre continuar a estudar o Bitcoin e estudar o sistema financeiro, as suas dinâmicas e o comportamento humano. Isto tem sido o meu foco de reflexão, imaginar a transformação que o mundo vai sofrer devido ao padrão Bitcoin. É uma ilusão acreditar que a transição de um padrão FIAT para um padrão Bitcoin vai ser rápida, vai existir um processo transitório que pode demorar décadas.
Com a re-entrada de Trump na Casa Branca, prometendo uma política altamente protecionista, vai provocar uma forte valorização do dólar, consequentemente as restantes moedas do mundo vão derreter. Provocando uma inflação generalizada, gerando uma corrida às _stablecoins_ de dólar nos países com moedas mais fracas. Trump vai ter uma política altamente expansionista, vai exportar dólares para todo o mundo, para financiar a sua própria dívida. A desigualdade entre os pobres e ricos irá crescer fortemente, aumentando a possibilidade de conflitos e revoltas.
> “Casa onde não há pão, todos ralham e ninguém tem razão”
Será mais lenha, para alimentar a fogueira, vai gravar os conflitos geopolíticos já existentes, ficando as sociedade ainda mais polarizadas.
Eu acredito que 2025, vai haver um forte crescimento na adoção das _stablecoins_ de dólares, esse forte crescimento vai agravar o problema sistémico que são as _stablecoins_. Vai ser o início do fim das _stablecoins_, pelo menos, como nós conhecemos hoje em dia.
## Problema sistémico
O sistema FIAT não nasceu de um dia para outro, foi algo que foi construído organicamente, ou seja, foi evoluindo ao longo dos anos, sempre que havia um problema/crise, eram criadas novas regras ou novas instituições para minimizar os problemas. Nestes quase 100 anos, desde os acordos de Bretton Woods, a evolução foram tantas, tornaram o sistema financeiro altamente complexo, burocrático e nada eficiente.
Na prática é um castelo de cartas construído sobre outro castelo de cartas e que por sua vez, foi construído sobre outro castelo de cartas.
As _stablecoins_ são um problema sistémico, devido às suas reservas em dólares e o sistema financeiro não está preparado para manter isso seguro. Com o crescimento das reservas ao longo dos anos, foi se agravando o problema.
No início a Tether colocava as reservas em bancos comerciais, mas com o crescimento dos dólares sob gestão, criou um problema nos bancos comerciais, devido à reserva fracionária. Essas enormes reservas da Tether estavam a colocar em risco a própria estabilidade dos bancos.
A Tether acabou por mudar de estratégia, optou por outros ativos, preferencialmente por títulos do tesouro/obrigações dos EUA. Só que a Tether continua a crescer e não dá sinais de abrandamento, pelo contrário.
Até o próprio mundo cripto, menosprezava a gravidade do problema da Tether/_stablecoins_ para o resto do sistema financeiro, porque o _marketcap_ do cripto ainda é muito pequeno. É verdade que ainda é pequeno, mas a Tether não o é, está no top 20 dos maiores detentores de títulos do tesouros dos EUA e está ao nível dos maiores bancos centrais do mundo. Devido ao seu tamanho, está a preocupar os responsáveis/autoridades/reguladores dos EUA, pode colocar em causa a estabilidade do sistema financeiro global, que está assente nessas obrigações.
Os títulos do tesouro dos EUA são o colateral mais utilizado no mundo, tanto por bancos centrais, como por empresas, é a charneira da estabilidade do sistema financeiro. Os títulos do tesouro são um assunto muito sensível. Na recente crise no Japão, do _carry trade_, o Banco Central do Japão tentou minimizar a desvalorização do iene através da venda de títulos dos EUA. Esta operação, obrigou a uma viagem de emergência, da Secretaria do Tesouro dos EUA, Janet Yellen ao Japão, onde disponibilizou liquidez para parar a venda de títulos por parte do Banco Central do Japão. Essa forte venda estava desestabilizando o mercado.
Os principais detentores de títulos do tesouros são institucionais, bancos centrais, bancos comerciais, fundo de investimento e gestoras, tudo administrado por gestores altamente qualificados, racionais e que conhecem a complexidade do mercado de obrigações.
O mundo cripto é seu oposto, é _naife_ com muita irracionalidade e uma forte pitada de loucura, na sua maioria nem faz a mínima ideia como funciona o sistema financeiro. Essa irracionalidade pode levar a uma “corrida bancária”, como aconteceu com o UST da Luna, que em poucas horas colapsou o projeto. Em termos de escala, a Luna ainda era muito pequena, por isso, o problema ficou circunscrito ao mundo cripto e a empresas ligadas diretamente ao cripto.
Só que a Tether é muito diferente, caso exista algum FUD, que obrigue a Tether a desfazer-se de vários biliões ou dezenas de biliões de dólares em títulos num curto espaço de tempo, poderia provocar consequências terríveis em todo o sistema financeiro. A Tether é grande demais, é já um problema sistémico, que vai agravar-se com o crescimento em 2025.
Não tenham dúvidas, se existir algum problema, o Tesouro dos EUA vai impedir a venda dos títulos que a Tether tem em sua posse, para salvar o sistema financeiro. O problema é, o que vai fazer a Tether, se ficar sem acesso às venda das reservas, como fará o _redeem_ dos dólares?
Como o crescimento do Tether é inevitável, o Tesouro e o FED estão com um grande problema em mãos, o que fazer com o Tether?
Mas o problema é que o atual sistema financeiro é como um curto cobertor: Quanto tapas a cabeça, destapas os pés; Ou quando tapas os pés, destapas a cabeça. Ou seja, para resolver o problema da guarda reservas da Tether, vai criar novos problemas, em outros locais do sistema financeiro e assim sucessivamente.
### Conta mestre
Uma possível solução seria dar uma conta mestre à Tether, dando o acesso direto a uma conta no FED, semelhante à que todos os bancos comerciais têm. Com isto, a Tether deixaria de necessitar os títulos do tesouro, depositando o dinheiro diretamente no banco central. Só que isto iria criar dois novos problemas, com o Custodia Bank e com o restante sistema bancário.
O Custodia Bank luta há vários anos contra o FED, nos tribunais pelo direito a ter licença bancária para um banco com _full-reserves_. O FED recusou sempre esse direito, com a justificativa que esse banco, colocaria em risco toda a estabilidade do sistema bancário existente, ou seja, todos os outros bancos poderiam colapsar. Perante a existência em simultâneo de bancos com reserva fracionária e com _full-reserves_, as pessoas e empresas iriam optar pelo mais seguro. Isso iria provocar uma corrida bancária, levando ao colapso de todos os bancos com reserva fracionária, porque no Custodia Bank, os fundos dos clientes estão 100% garantidos, para qualquer valor. Deixaria de ser necessário limites de fundos de Garantia de Depósitos.
Eu concordo com o FED nesse ponto, que os bancos com _full-reserves_ são uma ameaça a existência dos restantes bancos. O que eu discordo do FED, é a origem do problema, o problema não está nos bancos _full-reserves_, mas sim nos que têm reserva fracionária.
O FED ao conceder uma conta mestre ao Tether, abre um precedente, o Custodia Bank irá o aproveitar, reclamando pela igualdade de direitos nos tribunais e desta vez, possivelmente ganhará a sua licença.
Ainda há um segundo problema, com os restantes bancos comerciais. A Tether passaria a ter direitos similares aos bancos comerciais, mas os deveres seriam muito diferentes. Isto levaria os bancos comerciais aos tribunais para exigir igualdade de tratamento, é uma concorrência desleal. Isto é o bom dos tribunais dos EUA, são independentes e funcionam, mesmo contra o estado. Os bancos comerciais têm custos exorbitantes devido às políticas de _compliance_, como o KYC e AML. Como o governo não vai querer aliviar as regras, logo seria a Tether, a ser obrigada a fazer o _compliance_ dos seus clientes.
A obrigação do KYC para ter _stablecoins_ iriam provocar um terramoto no mundo cripto.
Assim, é pouco provável que seja a solução para a Tether.
### FED
Só resta uma hipótese, ser o próprio FED a controlar e a gerir diretamente as _stablecoins_ de dólar, nacionalizado ou absorvendo as existentes. Seria uma espécie de CBDC. Isto iria provocar um novo problema, um problema diplomático, porque as _stablecoins_ estão a colocar em causa a soberania monetária dos outros países. Atualmente as _stablecoins_ estão um pouco protegidas porque vivem num limbo jurídico, mas a partir do momento que estas são controladas pelo governo americano, tudo muda. Os países vão exigir às autoridades americanas medidas que limitem o uso nos seus respectivos países.
Não existe uma solução boa, o sistema FIAT é um castelo de cartas, qualquer carta que se mova, vai provocar um desmoronamento noutro local. As autoridades não poderão adiar mais o problema, terão que o resolver de vez, senão, qualquer dia será tarde demais. Se houver algum problema, vão colocar a responsabilidade no cripto e no Bitcoin. Mas a verdade, a culpa é inteiramente dos políticos, da sua incompetência em resolver os problemas a tempo.
Será algo para acompanhar futuramente, mas só para 2026, talvez…
É curioso, há uns anos pensava-se que o Bitcoin seria a maior ameaça ao sistema ao FIAT, mas afinal, a maior ameaça aos sistema FIAT é o próprio FIAT(_stablecoins_). A ironia do destino.
Isto é como uma corrida, o Bitcoin é aquele atleta que corre ao seu ritmo, umas vezes mais rápido, outras vezes mais lento, mas nunca pára. O FIAT é o atleta que dá tudo desde da partida, corre sempre em velocidade máxima. Só que a vida e o sistema financeiro não é uma prova de 100 metros, mas sim uma maratona.
# Europa
2025 será um ano desafiante para todos europeus, sobretudo devido à entrada em vigor da regulamentação (MiCA). Vão começar a sentir na pele a regulamentação, vão agravar-se os problemas com os _compliance_, problemas para comprovar a origem de fundos e outras burocracias. Vai ser lindo.
O _Travel Route_ passa a ser obrigatório, os europeus serão obrigados a fazer o KYC nas transações. A _Travel Route_ é uma suposta lei para criar mais transparência, mas prática, é uma lei de controle, de monitorização e para limitar as liberdades individuais dos cidadãos.
O MiCA também está a colocar problemas nas _stablecoins_ de Euro, a Tether para já preferiu ficar de fora da europa. O mais ridículo é que as novas regras obrigam os emissores a colocar 30% das reservas em bancos comerciais. Os burocratas europeus não compreendem que isto coloca em risco a estabilidade e a solvência dos próprios bancos, ficam propensos a corridas bancárias.
O MiCA vai obrigar a todas as exchanges a estar registadas em solo europeu, ficando vulnerável ao temperamento dos burocratas. Ainda não vai ser em 2025, mas a UE vai impor políticas de controle de capitais, é inevitável, as exchanges serão obrigadas a usar em exclusividade _stablecoins_ de euro, as restantes _stablecoins_ serão deslistadas.
Todas estas novas regras do MiCA, são extremamente restritas, não é para garantir mais segurança aos cidadãos europeus, mas sim para garantir mais controle sobre a população. A UE está cada vez mais perto da autocracia, do que da democracia. A minha única esperança no horizonte, é que o sucesso das políticas cripto nos EUA, vai obrigar a UE a recuar e a aligeirar as regras, a teoria dos jogos é implacável. Mas esse recuo, nunca acontecerá em 2025, vai ser um longo período conturbado.
# Recessão
Os mercados estão todos em máximos históricos, isto não é sustentável por muito tempo, suspeito que no final de 2025 vai acontecer alguma correção nos mercados. A queda só não será maior, porque os bancos centrais vão imprimir dinheiro, muito dinheiro, como se não houvesse amanhã. Vão voltar a resolver os problemas com a injeção de liquidez na economia, é empurrar os problemas com a barriga, em de os resolver. Outra vez o efeito Cantillon.
Será um ano muito desafiante a nível político, onde o papel dos políticos será fundamental. A crise política na França e na Alemanha, coloca a UE órfã, sem um comandante ao leme do navio. 2025 estará condicionado pelas eleições na Alemanha, sobretudo no resultado do AfD, que podem colocar em causa a propriedade UE e o euro.
Possivelmente, só o fim da guerra poderia minimizar a crise, algo que é muito pouco provável acontecer.
Em Portugal, a economia parece que está mais ou menos equilibrada, mas começam a aparecer alguns sinais preocupantes. Os jogos de sorte e azar estão em máximos históricos, batendo o recorde de 2014, época da grande crise, não é um bom sinal, possivelmente já existe algum desespero no ar.
A Alemanha é o motor da Europa, quanto espirra, Portugal constipa-se. Além do problema da Alemanha, a Espanha também está à beira de uma crise, são os países que mais influenciam a economia portuguesa.
Se existir uma recessão mundial, terá um forte impacto no turismo, que é hoje em dia o principal motor de Portugal.
# Brasil
Brasil é algo para acompanhar em 2025, sobretudo a nível macro e a nível político. Existe uma possibilidade de uma profunda crise no Brasil, sobretudo na sua moeda. O banco central já anda a queimar as reservas para minimizar a desvalorização do Real.

Sem mudanças profundas nas políticas fiscais, as reservas vão se esgotar. As políticas de controle de capitais são um cenário plausível, será interesse de acompanhar, como o governo irá proceder perante a existência do Bitcoin e _stablecoins_. No Brasil existe um forte adoção, será um bom _case study_, certamente irá repetir-se em outros países num futuro próximo.
Os próximos tempos não serão fáceis para os brasileiros, especialmente para os que não têm Bitcoin.
# Blockchain
Em 2025, possivelmente vamos ver os primeiros passos da BlackRock para criar a primeira bolsa de valores, exclusivamente em _blockchain_. Eu acredito que a BlackRock vai criar uma própria _blockchain_, toda controlada por si, onde estarão os RWAs, para fazer concorrência às tradicionais bolsas de valores. Será algo interessante de acompanhar.
-----------
Estas são as minhas previsões, eu escrevi isto muito em cima do joelho, certamente esqueci-me de algumas coisas, se for importante acrescentarei nos comentários. A maioria das previsões só acontecerá após 2025, mas fica aqui a minha opinião.
Isto é apenas a minha opinião, **Don’t Trust, Verify**!
-

@ f18571e7:9da08ff4
2025-03-14 16:43:03
Gostaria de dar-te as boas vindas à essa rede social descentralizada e sem censura. Creio eu que já tenha ouvido falar sobre o que ela é e como funciona parcialmente, caso não, existem dois sites (ao meu conhecimento) com boas informações, se chamam [nostr.com](nostr.com) e [nostr.how](nostr.how), mas darei mais à frente uma explicação básica.
E já te dou um aviso: ***você precisa saber ler!***
Aqui irei tentar ajuntar o máximo de informações que conseguir para que não falte nada para você, e o que faltar, quero que você saiba como pesquisar. Cada parte de como funciona, como acessar, como criar, etc.
Usarei como padrão neste artigo o #Amethyst, pois é o melhor e mais completo client para android, mas muitas das configurações nele podem ser visualizadas em outros clients. E para começar, vamos ver o que são clients.
## **Clients**
Chamamos de clients (ou clientes em português) aqueles sites ou apps que dão acesso ao protocolo Nostr. Assim como para acessar à internet existem vários browsers (ou navegadores), para acessar o Nostr também existem vários clients, cada um voltado a um foco específico.
### Amethyst
O melhor e mais completo client para #android, nele você pode ter acesso de tudo um pouco. Lives, comunidades, chats, "vídeos curtos", hashtags, notas populares, e muito mais.
Na versão da Play Store, existe uma funcionalidade de tradução usando o Google tradutor. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vitorpamplona.amethyst
Em outras lojas de apps e no repositório Github, o apk não possui essa função. https://github.com/vitorpamplona/amethyst
Aqui tem um tutorial do Amethyst: nostr:nevent1qqsgqll63rw7nfn8ltszwx9k6cvycm7uw56e6rjty6lpwy4n9g7pe5qpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzvuhsygz8g3szf3lmg9j80mg5dlmkt24uvmsjwmht93svvpv5ws96gk0ltvpsgqqqqqqs7yma4t
### Outros Clients
Aqui algumas pessoas expondo suas opiniões sobre certos clients: nostr:nevent1qqsdnrqszc2juykv6l2gnfmvhn2durt703ecvvakvmyfpgxju3q2grspzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuvrcvd5xzapwvdhk6tczyr604d4k2mwrx5gaywlcjqjdevtkvtdjq4hmtzswjxjhf6zv2p23qqcyqqqqqqghvkced nostr:nevent1qqsvqahwnljqcz3s3t5zjwyad5f67f7xc49lexu7vq5s2fxxskegv4spzemhxue69uhkummnw3ezuerpw3sju6rpw4ej7q3qvg9lk42rxugcdd4n667uy8gmvgfjp530n2307q9s93xuce3r7vzsxpqqqqqqzeykzw2 Eu mesmo gosto do Amethyst para android e [iris.to](iris.to) para web no PC.
Recomendo à você dar uma olhada nesse site: [nostrapps.com](nostrapps.com)Ele possui todos os clients atuais do Nostr, com uma descrição e links direcionais para você.
## **Nostr**
Agora que você já sabe mais sobre os #clients, você pode acessar o Nostr segundo seu interesse de interface. Vamos ver o que uma IA nos diz sobre o Nostr:
"O #Nostr é um protocolo descentralizado e open source que permite a criação de redes sociais e outros aplicativos sem a necessidade de um servidor central. O nome é um acrônimo para *Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays* (Notas e Outras Coisas Transmitidas por Relays). Ele foi projetado para ser resistente à censura, oferecendo uma alternativa às plataformas tradicionais, onde os usuários têm controle total sobre seus dados.
**Para que serve?**\
O Nostr serve como base para aplicações descentralizadas, como redes sociais, sistemas de pagamento instantâneo em Bitcoin (usando a rede Lightning) e interações diretas entre criadores e consumidores de conteúdo. Ele promove a liberdade de expressão e a privacidade, sem exigir informações pessoais como nome, e-mail ou número de telefone para criar uma conta.
**Como funciona?**\
O protocolo utiliza dois componentes principais: **clientes** e **relays**. Os clientes são aplicações que os usuários usam para interagir com a rede, enquanto os relays são servidores que armazenam e transmitem mensagens. Cada usuário tem uma chave criptográfica única, que garante a autenticidade e a integridade das mensagens. Os relays são independentes, o que significa que, se um relay for bloqueado ou cair, os usuários podem continuar se conectando através de outros.
Em resumo, o Nostr é uma revolução na forma como nos conectamos online, oferecendo liberdade, privacidade e controle aos usuários."
\-Perplexity AI
Se você chegou aqui, é porque ouviu em algum lugar ou de alguém, algo parecido com isso. O Nostr é algo moldável, você consegue fazer dele o que quiser, e por aqui você vai encontrar muitas dessas pessoas que o moldam (idealizadores, programadores e desenvolvedores).
## **Cuide de sua NSEC**
Sua Nsec é a chave privada para acesso ao seu perfil, quem a possuir poderá realizar qualquer alteração que queira, comentar, publicar posts e assim por diante. Você deve guardar essa Nsec como se fosse a seed phrase ou chave privada de sua carteira cripto.
Existem alguns modos de guardar e criptografar sua Nsec:
### Sem Criptografia
***Primeiro de tudo, fique ciente de onde está a sua nsec no client em que acessa o Nostr!***
No Amethyst
- Abra o menu de opções
- Selecione "Copia de segurança"
- Clique em "copiar minha chave secreta" Sua nsec será copiada para a àrea de transferência de seu teclado.
Depois de copiar sua nsec, as melhores recomendações que tenho para passar são:
### 1. Amber
Guarde sua nsec no #Amber, um app assinador de eventos que guarda sua nsec sob criptografia. Após isso, use o mesmo para acessar qualquer client ou site e gerenciar as permissões de cada um. nostr:nevent1qqsvppyfxm87uegv9fpw56akm8e8jlaksxhc6vvlu5s3cmkmz9e0x8cpypmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuampd3kx2ar0veekzar0wd5xjtnrdakj7q3q5wnjy9pfx5xm9w2mjqezyhdgthw3ty4ydmnnamtmhvfmzl9x8cssxpqqqqqqztzjvrd
### 2. Nos2x-fox
Coloque sua nsec no #Nos2x-fox, um gerenciador de permissões para navegadores a partir do #Firefox. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/nos2x-fox/ E para navegadores da base #chromium existe o #Nos2x do mesmo desenvolvedor. https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/nos2x/kpgefcfmnafjgpblomihpgmejjdanjjp
### 3. Gerenciador de Senhas
Essa é a recomendação mais arriscada, você ainda terá de usar o copiar e colar de sua nsec para acessar o Nostr, a não ser que seu gerenciador reconheça o campo de preenchimento da nsec. Mesmo assim, existem dois gerenciadores que indico; o #Bitwarden e #KeePassDX:
#### Bitwarden (online)
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.x8bit.bitwarden Github: https://github.com/bitwarden/mobile
#### KeePassDX (offline)
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kunzisoft.keepass.free Github: https://github.com/Kunzisoft/KeePassDX
### Com Criptografia
Se tiver interesse em criptografar sua chave, o formato nativo aceito pelos clients é o ncryptsec. O #ncryptsec é uma criptografia por senha (a grosso modo), onde para ser capaz de usá-la nos clients, somente em conjunto com a senha usada na criptografia, fora isso, você não tem acesso. Você consegue encriptar sua nsec e hex para ncryptsec por meios como os abaixo:
### 1. Amethyst (nsec)
Existe uma função nativa no Amethyst abaixo da opção "copiar chave secreta" onde é só adicionar a sua senha e será criada uma ncryptsec para copiar. Guarde essa nsec encriptada + senha de descriptação em um lugar seguro.
### 2. Amber (nsec)
No Amber, existe uma função capaz de encriptar sua nsec.
Ao entrar no Amber
- Selecione a engrenagem na parte inferior da tela
- Selecione "backup keys"
- E rolando para baixo existe um campo para digitar sua senha para encriptação da nsec, digite sua senha e copie a ncryptsec. Guarde-as em um lugar seguro.
### 3. Nostr-Tools (hex)
Foi-me dito que essa ferramenta também encripta o formato nsec, mas eu não consegui fazê-lo, então deixarei para o formato hex. Compile essa ferramenta em seu pc e siga as instruções. Sua chave Hex será encriptada. https://github.com/nbd-wtf/nostr-tools/blob/master/nip49.ts Guarde-as em um lugar seguro.
## **Relays e Servidores**
### Relays
Os #Relays (ou relés) são essenciais para receber e enviar informações no Nostr, veja abaixo algumas definições e como utilizar: nostr:nevent1qqsw85k097m8rh5cgqm8glndhnv8lqsm3ajywgkp04mju9je3xje3hcpzemhxue69uhkummnw3ezuerpw3sju6rpw4ej7q3qne99yarta29qxnsp0ssp6cpnnqmtwl8cvklenfcsg2fantuvf0zqxpqqqqqqzxvc0le No exemplo é usado o Orbot no Amethyst, você pode escolher usar essa opção, mas houve uma atualização do Amethyst desde a criação deste post, onde foi adicionada a função de "Tor interno".
No Amethyst
- Deslize a tela da esquerda pra direita
- Selecione "Opções de Privacidade"
- Na opção "Motor Tor Ativo" selecione "Interno"
- Para melhor privacidade, na opção "Predefinições Tor/Privacidade" selecione "Privacidade Completa" Todo conteúdo e informação que receber do Nostr passará através da rede Tor, além de que é possível visualizar conteúdos publicados no Nostr exclusivos da rede #Tor com essa configuração. Lembrando que este método é mais veloz que usar o Orbot.
Aqui estão alguns relays Tor: nostr:nevent1qqsqe96a8630tdmcsh759ct8grfsdh0ckma8juamc97c53xvura3etqpxpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtmhwden5te0vdhkyunpve6k6cfwvdhk6tmjv4kxz7gzyr604d4k2mwrx5gaywlcjqjdevtkvtdjq4hmtzswjxjhf6zv2p23qqcyqqqqqqgmxr5jk
### Servidores de Mídia
Os servidores de mídia são os responsáveis por armazenar seus vídeos e fotos postados no Nostr. No Amethyst já existem alguns por padrão: https://image.nostr.build/8e75323bb428c1e5ef06e37453f56bc3deecd38492a593174c7d141cac1c2677.jpg Mas se você quiser, pode adicionar mais: nostr:nevent1qqster6rm55vy3geqauzzwrm50xwvs2gwa4l27ta2tc65xhpum2pfzcpzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczyr604d4k2mwrx5gaywlcjqjdevtkvtdjq4hmtzswjxjhf6zv2p23qqcyqqqqqqgv2za2r Fique atento aos limites e regras de cada servidor de mídia. nostr:nevent1qqsq3qchucw49wfu2c4wpsung93ffzg4ktt4uuygnjcs5pldf5alr9c3hsgjr
E aqui vai uma #curiosidade: Caso queira postar uma foto ou vídeo que já postou antes, copie o ID da nota em que ela está e cole no novo post, ou então o URL da mídia. Você pode perceber que após upar uma mídia no Nostr, isso se torna uma URL, sempre que usar essa mesma URL, essa mídia irá aparecer.
## **Lightning e Zaps**
Se você chegou aqui por meio de bitcoinheiros, já deve saber que por aqui, usamos a #Lightning para enviar zaps. Mas o que são zaps?
Zaps são nada mais do que satoshis enviados no Nostr. Um exemplo, eu criei esse artigo, pessoas que querem me apoiar ou agradecer por tal, me enviam alguma quantia em sats, dizemos que essa pessoa me mandou um #zap.
Agora posso falar mais sobre a lightning no Nostr.
Para enviar zaps para usuários no Nostr, você precisa de uma carteira lightning. E a carteira que recomendo criarem para isso é através da #Coinos. Na Coinos, você não precisa criar carteiras com seed phrases nem canais lightning, ela é uma carteira custodial, ou seja, a seed phrase está de posse da Coinos. Basta você acessar [coinos.io](coinos.io) e criar uma conta com username e senha, você pode configurar um e-mail de resgate, código 2FA, e senha para movimentação de fundos. Se quiser, aqui está o app da Coinos, ainda em fase de testes, mas a maior parte do usual funciona perfeitamente. nostr:nevent1qqspndmkhq2dpfjs5tv7mezz57fqrkmlklp4wrn3vlma93cr57q5xlqpypmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuampd3kx2ar0veekzar0wd5xjtnrdakj7q3q7xzhreevjvzyvuy48mjn7qlx55q2dktk3xm0lnlpehxvl8dq3l6qxpqqqqqqzp4vkne (o app está disponível na #zapstore, baixe a loja para ter acesso) O legal da coinos é que você pode criar um endereço lightning com o nome que você escolher, o meu por exemplo é componente08@coinos.io, basta criar sua conta e poderá enviar e receber zaps no mesmo instante.
Mas para receber de fato um zap usando o Nostr, você precisa configurar seu endereço lightning no seu perfil. Crie sua conta e copie seu endereço lightning.
No Amethyst
- Clique na sua imagem de perfil
- Selecione "Perfil"
- Aperte o botão com um lápis
- Em "Endereço LN" e "LN URL" cole seu endereço lightning Pronto! Agora as pessoas podem te enviar zaps através de suas publicações.
Antes de enviar zaps, configure seus valores no client.
No Amethyst
- Aperte e segure no raio de qualquer publicação
- No campo "novo valor em sats" digite um valor desejado
- Aperte o "x" nos valores que deseja excluir
- Clique em "Salvar"
Agora, você pode clicar no raio e escolher um valor, ao escolher você será direcionado para a sua carteira, confirme a transação e seu zap foi realizado!
Existe outro meio de enviar zaps que é através do #NWC (Nostr Wallet Connect). Siga os mesmos passos do Yakihonne no Amethyst na aba do raio que acessamos anteriormente. nostr:nevent1qqsxrkufrhpxpfe9yty90s8dnal89qz39zrv78ugmg5z2qvyteckfkqpzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczyr604d4k2mwrx5gaywlcjqjdevtkvtdjq4hmtzswjxjhf6zv2p23qqcyqqqqqqgrw73ux O NWC dá ao client ou app, a permissão de gerenciar sua carteira. Isso te permite enviar zaps sem sair do client ou precisar entrar no app da carteira.
Existem muitas outras carteiras lightning por aí, então além da coinos, deixarei o link de outras duas que utilizo.
### WOS (Wallet of Satoshi)
Somente Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livingroomofsatoshi.wallet
### Minibits
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.minibits_wallet Github: https://github.com/minibits-cash/minibits_wallet
## **Comunidades**
Em uma #comunidade é possível encontrar respostas para suas perguntas, artigos e postagens de seu interesse, links úteis e tutoriais para burlar sistemas, documentos e estudos sem censura, etc. Aqui está um exemplo: nostr:nevent1qqs8qztlq26hhstz9yz2tn02gglzdvl5xhkpzhnpuh8v65mjldtdjlqpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuvrcvd5xzapwvdhk6tczypr5gcpycla5zerha52xlam9427xdcf8dm4jccxxqk28gzayt8l4kqcyqqqqqqgldlvdq Esse usuário recorrentemente atualiza a lista de comunidades brasileiras no Nostr, recomendo seguir o perfil para se manter atualizado caso tenha interesse: nostr:nevent1qqsxkusgt02pmz6mda4emjlnjjyd4y9pa73ux02dcry8vk3wp85aq9cpzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczypr5gcpycla5zerha52xlam9427xdcf8dm4jccxxqk28gzayt8l4kqcyqqqqqqgqq5zn5 Aqui vão algumas #curiosidades para usuários mais avançados: nostr:nevent1qqs246x86gw4zfp70wg65rjklf909n6nppwm0xx6mssl6jgznw4nkjcpzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczyzgmafwdjds4qnzqn2h5t9gknz8k3ghu6jp8vt7edxnum3ca73z3cqcyqqqqqqgtkt83q Existem alguns clients que podem criar e gerenciar comunidades, caso você não encontrou nada de seu interesse e quer criar uma, os mais populares são:
[Satellite.earth](satellite.earth) e [noStrudel.ninja](nostrudel.ninja)
## **Chats**
Os #chats são espaços voltados a interação por meio de mensagens, aqui estão alguns: nostr:nevent1qqs98kldepjmlxngupsyth40n0h5lw7z5ut5w4scvh27alc0w86tevcpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qgsfujjjw3474zsrfcqhcgqavqeesd4h0nuxt0ue5ugy9y7e47xyh3qrqsqqqqqpgdaghw Para contatar uma pessoa no privado:
No Amethyst
- Clique no perfil da pessoa
- Clique no ícone de mensagem
- Envie uma mensagem
Caso queira criar um chat, siga os passos:
No Amethyst
- Clique no ícone de mensagens
- Clique no ícone de "+"
- Serão exibidas duas opções; "privado" e "público", escolha privado para um grupo de poucas pessoas e público para qualquer que quiser entrar.
- Adicione as especificações necessárias e seu chat será criado.
## **Seguidores**
Existe uma #ferramenta capaz de identificar quais usuários que você segue estão inativos, ou publicam pouco e a longos hiatos: nostr:nevent1qqsqqqyhmkqz6x5yrsctcufxhsseh3vtku26thawl68z7klwvcyqyzcpzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczyzgmafwdjds4qnzqn2h5t9gknz8k3ghu6jp8vt7edxnum3ca73z3cqcyqqqqqqgmfzr67
## **Mais do Nostr**
Existem muitas outras coisas para se explorar no Nostr, e é possível que daqui a uns meses, essas configurações e dicas estejam obsoletas. Explorem e aprendam mais sobre esse protocolo.
Abaixo estão mais algumas coisas que gostaria de compartilhar:
Muitos clients não possuem um sistema de #notificações, isso por conta da natureza #descentralizada dos apps, e para não ceder ao Google para isso, optaram por não ter notificações. O Amethyst por exemplo, só possui notificações ativas para quando você receber zaps. Mas esse problema foi resolvido com o #Pokey: nostr:nevent1qqsyw0m8wkwvzsanwufh6kmu3fkkjsu3x6jxxwxst5fxu3yld7q84cspzemhxue69uhkummnw3ezuerpw3sju6rpw4ej7q3q5wnjy9pfx5xm9w2mjqezyhdgthw3ty4ydmnnamtmhvfmzl9x8cssxpqqqqqqz4d5hj5
Aqui está um post sobre uma #loja de #apps voltada a apps do Nostr: nostr:nevent1qqsrk55p927srd30ukas79qzhlwhm5ls9l07g548y288s5u29najzrqpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzvuhsyg85l2mtv4kuxdg36gal3ypymjchvckmypt0kk9qayd9wn5yc5z4zqpsgqqqqqqskv0pek
Alguns RSS para quem gosta de notícias: nostr:nevent1qqsxctkju0pesrupvwfvzfr8wy3hgqag6r8v4228awgyf2x9htjqa7qpzemhxue69uhkummnw3ezuerpw3sju6rpw4ej7q3qvg9lk42rxugcdd4n667uy8gmvgfjp530n2307q9s93xuce3r7vzsxpqqqqqqzn4acev
Algumas pessoas famosas que estão por aqui: nostr:nevent1qqsvqnlx7sqeczv5r7pmmd6zzca3l0ru4856n3j7lhjfv3atq40lfdcpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qgs2tmjyw452ydezymtywqf625j3atra6datgzqy55fp5c7w9jn4gqgrqsqqqqqprwcjan
Alguns Nostr clients e outras coisas: nostr:nevent1qqsgx5snqdl2ujxhug5qkmmgkqn5ej6vhwpu4usfz03gt4n24qcfcwspr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qgs2tmjyw452ydezymtywqf625j3atra6datgzqy55fp5c7w9jn4gqgrqsqqqqqp3pf6y2
Outros posts interessantes: nostr:nevent1qqsp6vf8pp6l97ctzq2wp30nfc9eupnu2ytsauyxalp8fe8dda6dvdgpzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczyzgmafwdjds4qnzqn2h5t9gknz8k3ghu6jp8vt7edxnum3ca73z3cqcyqqqqqqgtkju3h nostr:nevent1qqs0faflxswn5rg8fe9q3202en927my6kupcf08lt26ry3cg3xuuy3gpzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczyzgmafwdjds4qnzqn2h5t9gknz8k3ghu6jp8vt7edxnum3ca73z3cqcyqqqqqqgsyrpkh nostr:nevent1qqspx9t3qfnsuzafxxuc5hyha9n5ul5v97uz57hfac9xdtvk5eygqggpzemhxue69uhkummnw3ezuerpw3sju6rpw4ej7q3qa5pl548ps6qdkpzpmlgkhnmh2hpntpk2gk3nee08e5spp5wzr3qqxpqqqqqqzctx6uf
## **Funcionalidades do Amethyst**
• Reações (noStrudel também aceita)
nostr:nevent1qqst57p0pzw3vsx3n8g7eaa0dlx3kp5ys9rw3t367q5ewhdyw0kd2rspzamhxue69uhkjmnzdauzuct60fsk6mewdejhgtczyz36wgs59y6smv4etwgrygja4pwa69vj53hww0hd0wa38vtu5clzzqcyqqqqqqgpje0yu
• Markdown
nostr:nevent1qqs0vquevt0pe9h5a2dh8csufdksazp6czz3vjk3wfspp68uqdez00cpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qgs2tmjyw452ydezymtywqf625j3atra6datgzqy55fp5c7w9jn4gqgrqsqqqqqpekll6f
---
Espero ter dado alguma direção pela qual seguir por aqui, se tiver dúvidas, pode comentar aqui abaixo e responderemos com o melhor que pudermos. Olhem alguns dos comentários abaixo, terão posts que os veteranos consideram importantes.
---
Aos veteranos, comentem abaixo caso tenha faltado algo, e complementem aos novatos, grato!
---
Mais uma vez, seja bem-vindo ao Nostr!
#nóspossuímosaweb #awebénostr
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-27 08:11:33
Explore and reimagine programming interfaces beyond text (visual, tactile, spatial).
> _"The most dangerous thought you can have as a creative person is to think you know what you're doing."_
`— Richard Hamming` [^1]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pTEmbeENF4
For his recent DBX Conference talk, Victor took attendees back to the year 1973, donning the uniform of an IBM systems engineer of the times, delivering his presentation on an overhead projector. The '60s and early '70s were a fertile time for CS ideas, reminds Victor, but even more importantly, it was a time of unfettered thinking, unconstrained by programming dogma, authority, and tradition.

_'The most dangerous thought that you can have as a creative person is to think that you know what you're doing,'_ explains Victor. 'Because once you think you know what you're doing you stop looking around for other ways of doing things and you stop being able to see other ways of doing things. You become blind.' He concludes, 'I think you have to say: _"We don't know what programming is. We don't know what computing is. We don't even know what a computer is."_ And once you truly understand that, and once you truly believe that, then you're free, and you can think anything.'
More details at https://worrydream.com/dbx/
[^1]: Richard Hamming -- [The Art of Doing Science and Engineering, p5](http://worrydream.com/refs/Hamming_1997_-_The_Art_of_Doing_Science_and_Engineering.pdf) (pdf ebook)
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/926493
-

@ bcbb3e40:a494e501
2025-03-31 15:44:56
El 7 de febrero de 2025, Donald Trump firmó una orden ejecutiva que establecía una «Oficina de la Fe» en la Casa Blanca, dirigida por su asesora espiritual Paula White-Cain, la pastora de esa «teología de la prosperidad» (*prosperity theology*) que predica el «Evangelio de la salud y la riqueza» (*health and wealth gospel[^1]*). Investida de su nueva función, la reverenda pastora dijo: «Tengo la autoridad para declarar a la Casa Blanca un lugar santo. Es mi presencia la que la santifica»[^2]. Los siete rabinos del «Sanedrín Naciente» —la corte suprema que guiará a Israel cuando se reconstruya el Templo de Jerusalén— enviaron conmovedoras felicitaciones al presidente Trump por el establecimiento de esta Oficina. «Expresamos nuestra sincera gratitud —se lee en el mensaje oficial enviado a Trump desde el Monte Sión— por llevar la fe a la vanguardia de la cultura estadounidense y mundial mediante el establecimiento de la Oficina de la Fe en la Casa Blanca. Su reconocimiento de la importancia de la religión en la vida pública es un paso hacia [la restauración de los valores morales y del liderazgo espiritual en el mundo](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/posts/patriots-mutti/)[^3]. La carta del «Sanedrín Naciente», que augura el éxito a la «misión divina» del presidente estadounidense, reproduce las dos caras de una «moneda del Templo», acuñada en 2017 para celebrar el traslado de la embajada estadounidense a Jerusalén y, simultáneamente, el centenario de la Declaración Balfour. En el anverso se ven los perfiles de Donald Trump y Ciro el Grande, a quien la tradición judía atribuye la reconstrucción del templo destruido por los babilonios, con la inscripción (en hebreo e inglés) «*Cyrus —Balfour— Trump Declaration 1917-2017*»; en el reverso está la imagen del Templo de Jerusalén[^4]. Otra moneda, que lleva los perfiles de Trump y Ciro en el anverso y los de Trump y Netanyahu en el reverso, fue acuñada en 2018 para celebrar el septuagésimo aniversario de la independencia del «Estado de Israel»; se observa dos inscripciones en hebreo e inglés: «Y Él me encargó construirle una casa en Jerusalén» y «Guerra de los Hijos de la Luz contra los Hijos de las Tinieblas».
El tema de la «guerra de los Hijos de la Luz contra los Hijos de las Tinieblas» ha tenido una difusión particular en el imaginario y la propaganda trumpista. El 7 de junio de 2020, monseñor Carlo Maria Viganò, ex nuncio de la Santa Sede en los Estados Unidos, escribió una carta al presidente Donald Trump que comenzaba así: «Estamos asistiendo en los últimos meses a la formación de dos bandos, que los definiría bíblicos: los hijos de la luz y los hijos de las tinieblas»[^5]. El 1 de enero de 2021, el agitprop estadounidense Steve Bannon declaró en una entrevista con Monseñor Viganò: «Esta es una batalla de época entre los hijos de la Luz y los hijos de las Tinieblas»[^6].
Son numerosos los judíos sionistas que están en el círculo del presidente Trump: además de su hija Ivanka (convertida en 2009) y su yerno Jared Kushner (entonces Consejero Anciano del Presidente), el 19 de noviembre de 2024 el «The Jerusalem Post»[^7] publicó una lista de los más influyentes: Stephen Miller, subdirector del *staff* de la Casa Blanca y consejero de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos; David Melech Friedman, a quien en 2016 Trump nombró embajador en Israel; el multimillonario «filántropo» Steven Charles Witkoff, enviado especial de Estados Unidos a Oriente Medio; Miriam Adelson, directora del periódico «Israel Hayom», clasificada por *Bloomberg Billionaires* como la quinta mujer más rica del mundo (con un patrimonio neto de 32,400 millones de dólares), financiadora de iniciativas políticas conservadoras en Estados Unidos e Israel; el banquero Boris Epshteyn, consejero estratégico de la campaña presidencial de Trump en 2020; Howard Williams Lutnick, presidente de la *Cantor Fitzgerald* del *Grupo BGC*, financista de las campañas presidenciales de Donald Trump en 2020 y 2024, ahora secretario de Comercio; la modelo Elizabeth Pipko, portavoz nacional del Partido Republicano y creadora de un «museo interactivo virtual» sobre la «Shoah» como parte del proyecto de *Lest People Forget*, cuyo objetivo es combatir el «antisemitismo» y la «negacionismo»; Lee Michael Zeldin, miembro republicano de la Cámara de Representantes por el estado de Nueva York del 2015 al 2023 y actualmente administrador de la EPA (*Environmental Protection Agency*); la columnista Laura Elizabeth Loomer, «orgullosamente islamófoba», activa patrocinadora de Trump en la campaña para las elecciones presidenciales de 2024; Sidney Ferris Rosenberg, influyente presentador de radio y periodista deportivo; William Owen Scharf, Asistente del Presidente y secretario del personal de la Casa Blanca; Marc Jeffrey Rowan, «filántropo» con un patrimonio neto valorado por *Forbes* en ocho mil ochocientos millones de dólares.
Además de estos, cabe mencionar al popular presentador de radio Mark Levin quien, en diciembre de 2019, durante la celebración de la fiesta de Janucá en la Casa Blanca, saludó a Donald Trump como «el primer presidente judío de los Estados Unidos»[^8]. Según un funcionario de alto nivel de la Casa Blanca, Donald Trump se convirtió al judaísmo dos años antes en la sinagoga de la secta Jabad Lubavitch en la ciudad de Nueva York. David Elias Goldberg, miembro del *Jewish Center of Antisemitic Study*, también entrevistó al funcionario, para quien «Trump fue “instado” por su hija Ivanka y su yerno Jared Kushner para abrazar la fe. Inicialmente, Trump se habría mostrado reacio, considerando que esto podría enfriar el apoyo del electorado evangélico». Luego, informa «Israel Today News», «cambió de opinión y se convirtió oficialmente a principios de 2017. La ceremonia se llevó a cabo en privado y se guardó celosamente durante casi dos años»[^9]. Pero ya en septiembre de 2015, el rabino millonario Kirt Schneider, invitado a la Trump Tower de Nueva York, había impuesto sus manos sobre la cabeza de Donald Trump y lo había bendecido en hebreo e inglés, declarando: «Las únicas dos naciones que tienen una relación privilegiada con Dios son Israel y los Estados Unidos de América»[^10].
El 7 de octubre de 2024, en el aniversario de la operación de Hamas «Diluvio de Al-Aqsa», Trump fue acompañado por un «superviviente de la Shoah» a la tumba de Menachem Mendel Schneerson, séptimo y último Rabino de los *Hasidim* de la secta Jabad Lubavitch, que en 1991 declaró a sus seguidores: «He hecho todo lo posible para provocar el arribo del Mesías, ahora les paso a ustedes esta misión; hagan todo lo que puedan para que Él venga»[^11]. En relación al evento mesiánico, el eminente rabino Yekutiel Fish atribuyó una misión decisiva a Trump: «Todo el mundo está centrado en Gaza, pero esa es solo una parte de la agenda del fin de los tiempos, que tiene a los judíos viviendo en las fronteras profetizadas de Israel; la Torá incluye explícitamente a Gaza. [Lo que Trump está haciendo es limpiar Gaza de todos los odiadores de Israel](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/posts/entrevista-mutti-marzo-24/). No podrán estar en Israel después de la venida del Mesías. (...) Esto incluirá a Gaza, la mitad del Líbano y gran parte de Jordania. Y vemos que casi lo hemos logrado. Siria cayó. Líbano está medio destruido. Gaza está destrozada. El escenario está casi listo para el Mesías. Pero, ¿cómo pueden los palestinos estar aquí cuando vayamos a recibir al Mesías? El Mesías necesita que alguien se ocupe de esto, y en este caso, es Donald Trump. Trump está simplemente llevando a cabo las tareas finales necesarias antes de que el Mesías sea revelado»[^12].
Esta inspiración escatológica está presente en las palabras de Pete Brian Hegseth, el pintoresco exponente del «Reconstruccionismo Cristiano»[^13] a quien Trump nombró secretario de Defensa. En un discurso pronunciado en 2019 en el Hotel Rey David de Jerusalén, con motivo de la conferencia anual del canal *Arutz Sheva* (*Israel National News*), Hegseth enalteció el «vínculo eterno» entre Israel y Estados Unidos, y enumeró los «milagros» que atestiguan el «apoyo divino» a la causa sionista, el último de los cuales será la reconstrucción del Templo judío en la zona donde actualmente se encuentra la mezquita de al-Aqsa: «La dignidad de capital adquirida por Jerusalén —dijo— fue un milagro, y no hay razón por la cual no sea posible el milagro de la restauración del Templo en el Monte del Templo».[^14]
Es conocido que el fundamentalismo evangélico pro-sionista[^15] comparte con el judaísmo la creencia en que la construcción del tercer Templo de Jerusalén marcará el comienzo de la era mesiánica; cuando la administración Trump trasladó la embajada de Estados Unidos a Jerusalén en 2017, Laurie Cardoza-Moore, exponente del evangelismo sionista, saludó así la «obediencia de Trump a la Palabra de Dios» en «Haaretz»: «Al establecer la Embajada en Jerusalén, el presidente Donald Trump está implementando una de las iniciativas históricas de dimensión bíblica en su presidencia. Al igual que muchos judíos en Israel y en todo el mundo, los cristianos reconocen el vínculo de los judíos con la Biblia a través del nombre de Jerusalén como la capital del antiguo Israel, así como el sitio del Primer y Segundo Templos. Según los profetas Ezequiel, Isaías y el apóstol Juan del Nuevo Testamento, todos los israelíes esperan la reconstrucción del Tercer Templo»[^16]. El 22 de mayo del mismo año, Donald Trump, acompañado de su esposa Melania, de su hija Ivanka y su yerno Jared Kushner, fue el primer presidente de los Estados Unidos en ejercicio en acudir al Muro de las Lamentaciones, anexionado ilegalmente a la entidad sionista.
En 2019, la administración Trump confirmó la posición de Estados Unidos al enviar en visita oficial para Jerusalén a Mike Pompeo, un secretario de Estado que —ironía de la Historia— lleva el mismo nombre del general romano que asaltó la ciudad en el año 63 a.C. «Por primera vez en la historia, un secretario de Estado norteamericano visitó la Ciudad Vieja de Jerusalén en compañía de un alto político israelí. Fue una visita histórica que reforzó las expectativas israelíes y constituyó un reconocimiento tácito de la soberanía israelí sobre el sitio del Monte del Templo y la Explanada de las Mezquitas. (…) Mike Pompeo, acompañado por el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu y el embajador de Estados Unidos en Israel, David Friedman, también visitó el túnel del Muro de las Lamentaciones y la sinagoga ubicada bajo tierra, en el presunto lugar del santuario del Templo[^17], donde se le mostró una maqueta del futuro Templo[^18]. En el transcurso de una entrevista concedida durante la fiesta del Purim (que celebra el exterminio de la clase política persa, ocurrido hace 2500 años), el secretario de Estado insinuó que «el presidente Donald Trump puede haber sido enviado por Dios para salvar al pueblo judío y que confiaba en que aquí el Señor estaba obrando»[^19].
Como observa Daniele Perra, en este mismo número de «Eurasia», el «mito movilizador» del Tercer Templo, atribuible a los «mitos teológicos» señalados por Roger Garaudy como mitos fundadores de la entidad sionista, «atribuye al judaísmo una especie de función sociológica de transmisión y proyección del conflicto palestino-israelí hacia el resto del mundo y confiere una inspiración apocalíptica al momento geopolítico actual».
|**Info**||
|:-|:-|
|**Autor**| Claudio Mutti |
|**Fuente**| [_I "Figli della Luce" alla Casa Bianca_](https://www.eurasia-rivista.com/i-figli-della-luce-alla-casa-bianca/) |
|**Fecha**| 8/Mar/2025 |
|**Traducción**| Francisco de la Torre |
[^1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology.
[^2]: The White House, *President Trump announces appointments to the White House Faith Office* [https://www.whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/),, 7 de febrero de 2025; *Trump establece la Oficina de la Fe con una foto de «La Última Cena» | Fue dirigida por la controvertida predicadora Paula White*, [https://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it](https://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it/), 10 de febrero de 2025\.
[^3]: «We extend our heartfelt gratitude for bringing faith to the forefront of American and global culture through the establishment of the Faith Office in the White House. Your recognition of the importance of religion in public life is a step toward restoring moral values and spiritual leadership in the world» (*Letter from the Nascent Sanhedrin to President Donald J. Trump*, Jerusalem, Wednesday, February 12, 2025).
[^4]: *Israeli group mints Trump coin to honor Jerusalem recognition*, «The Times of Israel», [https://www.timesofisrael.com](https://www.timesofisrael.com/), 28-2-2018.
[^5]: Mons. Viganò — Siamo nella battaglia tra figli della luce e figli delle tenebre, https://www.italiador.com, 7-6-2020
[^6]: *TRANSCRIPT: Steve Bannon’s ‘War Room’ interview with Abp. Viganò*, lifesitenews.com, 4-1-2021. Sulle origini e sulla fortuna di questo tema cfr. C. Mutti, *Le sètte dell’Occidente*, «Eurasia», 2/2021, pp. 12-15. (https://www.eurasia-rivista.com/las-sectas-de-occidente/)
[^7]: Luke Tress, *The who’s who of Jews in Trump’s inner circle?*, «The Jerusalem Post», https://www.jpost.com, 19-11-2024.
[^8]: *Radio Talk Show Host Mark Levin Calls President Trump «the First Jewish President of the United States»*, [https://www.c-span.org](https://www.c-span.org/), 11-12-2019.
[^9]: «However, he had a change of heart and officially converted in early 2017\. The ceremony was held in private, and closely guarded for nearly two years» (*Donald Trump converted to Judaism two years ago, according to White House official*, https://israeltodaynews.blogspot.com/2019/02).
[^10]: «El rabino Kirt Schneider (...) es un millonario judío, una figura televisiva de los “judíos mesiánicos”. Sus emisiones televisivas semanales son emitidas por más de treinta canales cristianos en unos doscientos países; entre ellos, los canales “Yes” y “Hot” en Israel. Solo en Estados Unidos, sus emisiones atraen a 1.600.000 telespectadores cada semana. Kirt Schneider dirige un imperio de telecomunicaciones que tiene un millón y medio de seguidores en Facebook, X (antes Twitter) y YouTube» (Pierre-Antoine Plaquevent — Youssef Hindi, *El milenarismo teopolítico de Israel*, Edizioni all'insegna del Veltro, Parma 2025, p. 31).
[^11]: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Mendel_Schneerson
[^12]: «Everyone is focused on Gaza, but that is only one part of the end-of-days agenda, which has the Jews living in Israel’s prophesied borders. The Torah explicitly includes Gaza. What Trump is doing is cleaning out Gaza of all the haters of Israel. They cannot be in Israel after the Messiah comes. (…) This will include Gaza, half of Lebanon, and much of Jordan. And we see that we are almost there. Syria fell. Lebanon is half gone. Gaza is ripped up. The stage is nearly set for Messiah. But how can the Palestinians be here when we go to greet the Messiah? The Messiah needs someone to take care of this, and in this case, it is Donald Trump. Trump is merely carrying out the final tasks needed before Messiah is revealed» (Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, *Trump’s Gaza Plan is «The Final task before Messiah»*, [https://israel365news.com](https://israel365news.com/), 5-2-2025).
[^13]: «A day after Hegseth was announced for the Cabinet position, Brooks Potteiger, a pastor within the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), posted on X that Hegseth is a member of the church in good standing. The CREC, a denomination of Christian Reconstructionism, is considered by some academics to be an extremist, Christian supremacist movement» (Shannon Bond e altri, *What’s behind defense secretary pick Hegseth’s war on ‘woke’*, [https://www.npr.org](https://www.npr.org/), 14-11-2024.
[^14]: «The decoration of Jerusalem as a capital was a miracle, and there is no reason why the miracle of the re-establishment of Temple on the Temple Mount is not possible» (*Pete Hegseth at Arutz Sheva Conference*, youtube.com). Cfr. Daniele Perra, *Paleotrumpismo, neotrumpismo e post-trumpismo*, in: AA. VV., *Trumpismo*, Cinabro Edizioni, Roma 2025, pp. 22-23.
[^15]: Pierre-Antoine Plaquevent — Youssef Hindi, *El milenarismo teopolítico de Israel*, cit., págs. 82 a 96.
[^16]: «We American Christians Welcome Trump’s Obedience to God’s Word on Jerusalem», «Haaretz», 6-12-2017.
[^17]: Pierre-Antoine Plaquevent — Youssef Hindi, *El milenarismo teopolítico de Israel*, cit., pág. 97.
[^18]: *Pompeo en visite historique au mur Occidental aux côtés de Netanyahu et Friedman*, «The Times of Israel», [https://fr.timesofisrael.com](https://fr.timesofisrael.com/), 21-3-2019.
[^19]: *Pompeo says Trump may have been sent by God to save Jews from Iran*, «The Times of Israel», 22-3-2019.
---
**Artículo original**: Claudio Mutti, [_Los «hijos de la luz» en la Casa Blanca_](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/posts/hijos-luz-casa-blanca/) [**(TOR)**](http://hiperbolam7t46pbl2fiqzaarcmw6injdru4nh2pwuhrkoub3263mpad.onion/posts/hijos-luz-casa-blanca/), 25/Mar/2025
-

@ 6b3780ef:221416c8
2025-03-26 18:42:00
This workshop will guide you through exploring the concepts behind MCP servers and how to deploy them as DVMs in Nostr using DVMCP. By the end, you'll understand how these systems work together and be able to create your own deployments.
## Understanding MCP Systems
MCP (Model Context Protocol) systems consist of two main components that work together:
1. **MCP Server**: The heart of the system that exposes tools, which you can access via the `.listTools()` method.
2. **MCP Client**: The interface that connects to the MCP server and lets you use the tools it offers.
These servers and clients can communicate using different transport methods:
- **Standard I/O (stdio)**: A simple local connection method when your server and client are on the same machine.
- **Server-Sent Events (SSE)**: Uses HTTP to create a communication channel.
For this workshop, we'll use stdio to deploy our server. DVMCP will act as a bridge, connecting to your MCP server as an MCP client, and exposing its tools as a DVM that anyone can call from Nostr.
## Creating (or Finding) an MCP Server
Building an MCP server is simpler than you might think:
1. Create software in any programming language you're comfortable with.
2. Add an MCP library to expose your server's MCP interface.
3. Create an API that wraps around your software's functionality.
Once your server is ready, an MCP client can connect, for example, with `bun index.js`, and then call `.listTools()` to discover what your server can do. This pattern, known as reflection, makes Nostr DVMs and MCP a perfect match since both use JSON, and DVMs can announce and call tools, effectively becoming an MCP proxy.
Alternatively, you can use one of the many existing MCP servers available in various repositories.
For more information about mcp and how to build mcp servers you can visit https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
## Setting Up the Workshop
Let's get hands-on:
First, to follow this workshop you will need Bun. Install it from https://bun.sh/. For Linux and macOS, you can use the installation script:
```
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
```
1. **Choose your MCP server**: You can either create one or use an existing one.
2. **Inspect your server** using the MCP inspector tool:
```bash
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector build/index.js arg1 arg2
```
This will:
- Launch a client UI (default: http://localhost:5173)
- Start an MCP proxy server (default: port 3000)
- Pass any additional arguments directly to your server
3. **Use the inspector**: Open the client UI in your browser to connect with your server, list available tools, and test its functionality.
## Deploying with DVMCP
Now for the exciting part – making your MCP server available to everyone on Nostr:
1. Navigate to your MCP server directory.
2. Run without installing (quickest way):
```
npx @dvmcp/bridge
```
3. Or install globally for regular use:
```
npm install -g @dvmcp/bridge
# or
bun install -g @dvmcp/bridge
```
Then run using:
```bash
dvmcp-bridge
```
This will guide you through creating the necessary configuration.
Watch the console logs to confirm successful setup – you'll see your public key and process information, or any issues that need addressing.
For the configuration, you can set the relay as `wss://relay.dvmcp.fun` , or use any other of your preference
## Testing and Integration
1. **Visit [dvmcp.fun](https://dvmcp.fun)** to see your DVM announcement.
2. Call your tools and watch the responses come back.
For production use, consider running dvmcp-bridge as a system service or creating a container for greater reliability and uptime.
## Integrating with LLM Clients
You can also integrate your DVMCP deployment with LLM clients using the discovery package:
1. Install and use the `@dvmcp/discovery` package:
```bash
npx @dvmcp/discovery
```
2. This package acts as an MCP server for your LLM system by:
- Connecting to configured Nostr relays
- Discovering tools from DVMCP servers
- Making them available to your LLM applications
3. Connect to specific servers or providers using these flags:
```bash
# Connect to all DVMCP servers from a provider
npx @dvmcp/discovery --provider npub1...
# Connect to a specific DVMCP server
npx @dvmcp/discovery --server naddr1...
```
Using these flags, you wouldn't need a configuration file. You can find these commands and Claude desktop configuration already prepared for copy and paste at [dvmcp.fun](https://dvmcp.fun).
This feature lets you connect to any DVMCP server using Nostr and integrate it into your client, either as a DVM or in LLM-powered applications.
## Final thoughts
If you've followed this workshop, you now have an MCP server deployed as a Nostr DVM. This means that local resources from the system where the MCP server is running can be accessed through Nostr in a decentralized manner. This capability is powerful and opens up numerous possibilities and opportunities for fun.
You can use this setup for various use cases, including in a controlled/local environment. For instance, you can deploy a relay in your local network that's only accessible within it, exposing all your local MCP servers to anyone connected to the network. This setup can act as a hub for communication between different systems, which could be particularly interesting for applications in home automation or other fields. The potential applications are limitless.
However, it's important to keep in mind that there are security concerns when exposing local resources publicly. You should be mindful of these risks and prioritize security when creating and deploying your MCP servers on Nostr.
Finally, these are new ideas, and the software is still under development. If you have any feedback, please refer to the GitHub repository to report issues or collaborate. DVMCP also has a Signal group you can join. Additionally, you can engage with the community on Nostr using the #dvmcp hashtag.
## Useful Resources
- **Official Documentation**:
- Model Context Protocol: [modelcontextprotocol.org](https://modelcontextprotocol.org)
- DVMCP.fun: [dvmcp.fun](https://dvmcp.fun)
- **Source Code and Development**:
- DVMCP: [github.com/gzuuus/dvmcp](https://github.com/gzuuus/dvmcp)
- DVMCP.fun: [github.com/gzuuus/dvmcpfun](https://github.com/gzuuus/dvmcpfun)
- **MCP Servers and Clients**:
- Smithery AI: [smithery.ai](https://smithery.ai)
- MCP.so: [mcp.so](https://mcp.so)
- Glama AI MCP Servers: [glama.ai/mcp/servers](https://glama.ai/mcp/servers)
- [Signal group](https://signal.group/#CjQKIOgvfFJf8ZFZ1SsMx7teFqNF73sZ9Elaj_v5i6RSjDHmEhA5v69L4_l2dhQfwAm2SFGD)
Happy building!
-

@ f9cf4e94:96abc355
2024-12-30 19:02:32
Na era das grandes navegações, piratas ingleses eram autorizados pelo governo para roubar navios.
A única coisa que diferenciava um pirata comum de um corsário é que o último possuía a “Carta do Corso”, que funcionava como um “Alvará para o roubo”, onde o governo Inglês legitimava o roubo de navios por parte dos corsários. É claro, que em troca ele exigia uma parte da espoliação.
Bastante similar com a maneira que a Receita Federal atua, não? Na verdade, o caso é ainda pior, pois o governo fica com toda a riqueza espoliada, e apenas repassa um mísero salário para os corsários modernos, os agentes da receita federal.
Porém eles “justificam” esse roubo ao chamá-lo de imposto, e isso parece acalmar os ânimos de grande parte da população, mas não de nós.
Não é por acaso que 'imposto' é o particípio passado do verbo 'impor'. Ou seja, é aquilo que resulta do cumprimento obrigatório -- e não voluntário -- de todos os cidadãos. Se não for 'imposto' ninguém paga. Nem mesmo seus defensores. Isso mostra o quanto as pessoas realmente apreciam os serviços do estado.
Apenas volte um pouco na história: os primeiros pagadores de impostos eram fazendeiros cujos territórios foram invadidos por nômades que pastoreavam seu gado. Esses invasores nômades forçavam os fazendeiros a lhes pagar uma fatia de sua renda em troca de "proteção". O fazendeiro que não concordasse era assassinado.
Os nômades perceberam que era muito mais interessante e confortável apenas cobrar uma taxa de proteção em vez de matar o fazendeiro e assumir suas posses. Cobrando uma taxa, eles obtinham o que necessitavam. Já se matassem os fazendeiros, eles teriam de gerenciar por conta própria toda a produção da fazenda.
Daí eles entenderam que, ao não assassinarem todos os fazendeiros que encontrassem pelo caminho, poderiam fazer desta prática um modo de vida.
Assim nasceu o governo.
Não assassinar pessoas foi o primeiro serviço que o governo forneceu. Como temos sorte em ter à nossa disposição esta instituição!
Assim, não deixa de ser curioso que algumas pessoas digam que os impostos são pagos basicamente para impedir que aconteça exatamente aquilo que originou a existência do governo. O governo nasceu da extorsão. Os fazendeiros tinham de pagar um "arrego" para seu governo. Caso contrário, eram assassinados.
Quem era a real ameaça? O governo. A máfia faz a mesma coisa.
Mas existe uma forma de se proteger desses corsários modernos. Atualmente, existe uma propriedade privada que NINGUÉM pode tirar de você, ela é sua até mesmo depois da morte. É claro que estamos falando do Bitcoin. Fazendo as configurações certas, é impossível saber que você tem bitcoin. Nem mesmo o governo americano consegue saber.
#brasil #bitcoinbrasil #nostrbrasil #grownostr #bitcoin
-

@ 9dd283b1:cf9b6beb
2025-03-12 09:46:45
My Raspberry Pi 4 (running Umbrel) has been disconnecting approximately once a month, and my 1TB SSD now has only 80GB of space remaining. I'm considering an upgrade—possibly moving to a Pi 5 with a 2TB drive—but I'm open to any suggestions for a better setup within a similar budget. Any recommendations?
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/911133
-

@ 16d11430:61640947
2024-12-23 16:47:01
At the intersection of philosophy, theology, physics, biology, and finance lies a terrifying truth: the fiat monetary system, in its current form, is not just an economic framework but a silent, relentless force actively working against humanity's survival. It isn't simply a failed financial model—it is a systemic engine of destruction, both externally and within the very core of our biological existence.
The Philosophical Void of Fiat
Philosophy has long questioned the nature of value and the meaning of human existence. From Socrates to Kant, thinkers have pondered the pursuit of truth, beauty, and virtue. But in the modern age, the fiat system has hijacked this discourse. The notion of "value" in a fiat world is no longer rooted in human potential or natural resources—it is abstracted, manipulated, and controlled by central authorities with the sole purpose of perpetuating their own power. The currency is not a reflection of society’s labor or resources; it is a representation of faith in an authority that, more often than not, breaks that faith with reckless monetary policies and hidden inflation.
The fiat system has created a kind of ontological nihilism, where the idea of true value, rooted in work, creativity, and family, is replaced with speculative gambling and short-term gains. This betrayal of human purpose at the systemic level feeds into a philosophical despair: the relentless devaluation of effort, the erosion of trust, and the abandonment of shared human values. In this nihilistic economy, purpose and meaning become increasingly difficult to find, leaving millions to question the very foundation of their existence.
Theological Implications: Fiat and the Collapse of the Sacred
Religious traditions have long linked moral integrity with the stewardship of resources and the preservation of life. Fiat currency, however, corrupts these foundational beliefs. In the theological narrative of creation, humans are given dominion over the Earth, tasked with nurturing and protecting it for future generations. But the fiat system promotes the exact opposite: it commodifies everything—land, labor, and life—treating them as mere transactions on a ledger.
This disrespect for creation is an affront to the divine. In many theologies, creation is meant to be sustained, a delicate balance that mirrors the harmony of the divine order. Fiat systems—by continuously printing money and driving inflation—treat nature and humanity as expendable resources to be exploited for short-term gains, leading to environmental degradation and societal collapse. The creation narrative, in which humans are called to be stewards, is inverted. The fiat system, through its unholy alliance with unrestrained growth and unsustainable debt, is destroying the very creation it should protect.
Furthermore, the fiat system drives idolatry of power and wealth. The central banks and corporations that control the money supply have become modern-day gods, their decrees shaping the lives of billions, while the masses are enslaved by debt and inflation. This form of worship isn't overt, but it is profound. It leads to a world where people place their faith not in God or their families, but in the abstract promises of institutions that serve their own interests.
Physics and the Infinite Growth Paradox
Physics teaches us that the universe is finite—resources, energy, and space are all limited. Yet, the fiat system operates under the delusion of infinite growth. Central banks print money without concern for natural limits, encouraging an economy that assumes unending expansion. This is not only an economic fallacy; it is a physical impossibility.
In thermodynamics, the Second Law states that entropy (disorder) increases over time in any closed system. The fiat system operates as if the Earth were an infinite resource pool, perpetually able to expand without consequence. The real world, however, does not bend to these abstract concepts of infinite growth. Resources are finite, ecosystems are fragile, and human capacity is limited. Fiat currency, by promoting unsustainable consumption and growth, accelerates the depletion of resources and the degradation of natural systems that support life itself.
Even the financial “growth” driven by fiat policies leads to unsustainable bubbles—inflated stock markets, real estate, and speculative assets that burst and leave ruin in their wake. These crashes aren’t just economic—they have profound biological consequences. The cycles of boom and bust undermine communities, erode social stability, and increase anxiety and depression, all of which affect human health at a biological level.
Biology: The Fiat System and the Destruction of Human Health
Biologically, the fiat system is a cancerous growth on human society. The constant chase for growth and the devaluation of work leads to chronic stress, which is one of the leading causes of disease in modern society. The strain of living in a system that values speculation over well-being results in a biological feedback loop: rising anxiety, poor mental health, physical diseases like cardiovascular disorders, and a shortening of lifespans.
Moreover, the focus on profit and short-term returns creates a biological disconnect between humans and the planet. The fiat system fuels industries that destroy ecosystems, increase pollution, and deplete resources at unsustainable rates. These actions are not just environmentally harmful; they directly harm human biology. The degradation of the environment—whether through toxic chemicals, pollution, or resource extraction—has profound biological effects on human health, causing respiratory diseases, cancers, and neurological disorders.
The biological cost of the fiat system is not a distant theory; it is being paid every day by millions in the form of increased health risks, diseases linked to stress, and the growing burden of mental health disorders. The constant uncertainty of an inflation-driven economy exacerbates these conditions, creating a society of individuals whose bodies and minds are under constant strain. We are witnessing a systemic biological unraveling, one in which the very act of living is increasingly fraught with pain, instability, and the looming threat of collapse.
Finance as the Final Illusion
At the core of the fiat system is a fundamental illusion—that financial growth can occur without any real connection to tangible value. The abstraction of currency, the manipulation of interest rates, and the constant creation of new money hide the underlying truth: the system is built on nothing but faith. When that faith falters, the entire system collapses.
This illusion has become so deeply embedded that it now defines the human experience. Work no longer connects to production or creation—it is reduced to a transaction on a spreadsheet, a means to acquire more fiat currency in a world where value is ephemeral and increasingly disconnected from human reality.
As we pursue ever-expanding wealth, the fundamental truths of biology—interdependence, sustainability, and balance—are ignored. The fiat system’s abstract financial models serve to disconnect us from the basic realities of life: that we are part of an interconnected world where every action has a reaction, where resources are finite, and where human health, both mental and physical, depends on the stability of our environment and our social systems.
The Ultimate Extermination
In the end, the fiat system is not just an economic issue; it is a biological, philosophical, theological, and existential threat to the very survival of humanity. It is a force that devalues human effort, encourages environmental destruction, fosters inequality, and creates pain at the core of the human biological condition. It is an economic framework that leads not to prosperity, but to extermination—not just of species, but of the very essence of human well-being.
To continue on this path is to accept the slow death of our species, one based not on natural forces, but on our own choice to worship the abstract over the real, the speculative over the tangible. The fiat system isn't just a threat; it is the ultimate self-inflicted wound, a cultural and financial cancer that, if left unchecked, will destroy humanity’s chance for survival and peace.
-

@ a367f9eb:0633efea
2024-12-22 21:35:22
I’ll admit that I was wrong about Bitcoin. Perhaps in 2013. Definitely 2017. Probably in 2018-2019. And maybe even today.
Being wrong about Bitcoin is part of finally understanding it. It will test you, make you question everything, and in the words of BTC educator and privacy advocate [Matt Odell](https://twitter.com/ODELL), “Bitcoin will humble you”.
I’ve had my own stumbles on the way.
In a very public fashion in 2017, after years of using Bitcoin, trying to start a company with it, using it as my primary exchange vehicle between currencies, and generally being annoying about it at parties, I let out the bear.
In an article published in my own literary magazine *Devolution Review* in September 2017, I had a breaking point. The article was titled “[Going Bearish on Bitcoin: Cryptocurrencies are the tulip mania of the 21st century](https://www.devolutionreview.com/bearish-on-bitcoin/)”.
It was later republished in *Huffington Post* and across dozens of financial and crypto blogs at the time with another, more appropriate title: “[Bitcoin Has Become About The Payday, Not Its Potential](https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/bitcoin-has-become-about-the-payday-not-its-potential_ca_5cd5025de4b07bc72973ec2d)”.
As I laid out, my newfound bearishness had little to do with the technology itself or the promise of Bitcoin, and more to do with the cynical industry forming around it:
> In the beginning, Bitcoin was something of a revolution to me. The digital currency represented everything from my rebellious youth.
>
> It was a decentralized, denationalized, and digital currency operating outside the traditional banking and governmental system. It used tools of cryptography and connected buyers and sellers across national borders at minimal transaction costs.
>
> …
>
> The 21st-century version (of Tulip mania) has welcomed a plethora of slick consultants, hazy schemes dressed up as investor possibilities, and too much wishy-washy language for anything to really make sense to anyone who wants to use a digital currency to make purchases.
While I called out Bitcoin by name at the time, on reflection, I was really talking about the ICO craze, the wishy-washy consultants, and the altcoin ponzis.
What I was articulating — without knowing it — was the frame of NgU, or “numbers go up”. Rather than advocating for Bitcoin because of its uncensorability, proof-of-work, or immutability, the common mentality among newbies and the dollar-obsessed was that Bitcoin mattered because its price was a rocket ship.
And because Bitcoin was gaining in price, affinity tokens and projects that were imperfect forks of Bitcoin took off as well.
The price alone — rather than its qualities — were the reasons why you’d hear Uber drivers, finance bros, or your gym buddy mention Bitcoin. As someone who came to Bitcoin for philosophical reasons, that just sat wrong with me.
Maybe I had too many projects thrown in my face, or maybe I was too frustrated with the UX of Bitcoin apps and sites at the time. No matter what, I’ve since learned something.
**I was at least somewhat wrong.**
My own journey began in early 2011. One of my favorite radio programs, Free Talk Live, began interviewing guests and having discussions on the potential of Bitcoin. They tied it directly to a libertarian vision of the world: free markets, free people, and free banking. That was me, and I was in. Bitcoin was at about $5 back then (NgU).
I followed every article I could, talked about it with guests [on my college radio show](https://libertyinexile.wordpress.com/2011/05/09/osamobama_on_the_tubes/), and became a devoted redditor on r/Bitcoin. At that time, at least to my knowledge, there was no possible way to buy Bitcoin where I was living. Very weak.
**I was probably wrong. And very wrong for not trying to acquire by mining or otherwise.**
The next year, after moving to Florida, Bitcoin was a heavy topic with a friend of mine who shared the same vision (and still does, according to the Celsius bankruptcy documents). We talked about it with passionate leftists at **Occupy Tampa** in 2012, all the while trying to explain the ills of Keynesian central banking, and figuring out how to use Coinbase.
I began writing more about Bitcoin in 2013, writing a guide on “[How to Avoid Bank Fees Using Bitcoin](http://thestatelessman.com/2013/06/03/using-bitcoin/),” discussing its [potential legalization in Germany](https://yael.ca/2013/10/01/lagefi-alternative-monetaire-et-legislation-de/), and interviewing Jeremy Hansen, [one of the first political candidates in the U.S. to accept Bitcoin donations](https://yael.ca/2013/12/09/bitcoin-politician-wants-to-upgrade-democracy-in/).
Even up until that point, I thought Bitcoin was an interesting protocol for sending and receiving money quickly, and converting it into fiat. The global connectedness of it, plus this cypherpunk mentality divorced from government control was both useful and attractive. I thought it was the perfect go-between.
**But I was wrong.**
When I gave my [first public speech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtVypq2f0G4) on Bitcoin in Vienna, Austria in December 2013, I had grown obsessed with Bitcoin’s adoption on dark net markets like Silk Road.
My theory, at the time, was the number and price were irrelevant. The tech was interesting, and a novel attempt. It was unlike anything before. But what was happening on the dark net markets, which I viewed as the true free market powered by Bitcoin, was even more interesting. I thought these markets would grow exponentially and anonymous commerce via BTC would become the norm.
While the price was irrelevant, it was all about buying and selling goods without permission or license.
**Now I understand I was wrong.**
Just because Bitcoin was this revolutionary technology that embraced pseudonymity did not mean that all commerce would decentralize as well. It did not mean that anonymous markets were intended to be the most powerful layer in the Bitcoin stack.
What I did not even anticipate is something articulated very well by noted Bitcoin OG [Pierre Rochard](https://twitter.com/BitcoinPierre): [Bitcoin as a *savings technology*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BavRqEoaxjI)*.*
The ability to maintain long-term savings, practice self-discipline while stacking stats, and embrace a low-time preference was just not something on the mind of the Bitcoiners I knew at the time.
Perhaps I was reading into the hype while outwardly opposing it. Or perhaps I wasn’t humble enough to understand the true value proposition that many of us have learned years later.
In the years that followed, I bought and sold more times than I can count, and I did everything to integrate it into passion projects. I tried to set up a company using Bitcoin while at my university in Prague.
My business model depended on university students being technologically advanced enough to have a mobile wallet, own their keys, and be able to make transactions on a consistent basis. Even though I was surrounded by philosophically aligned people, those who would advance that to actually put Bitcoin into practice were sparse.
This is what led me to proclaim that “[Technological Literacy is Doomed](https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/technological-literacy-is-doomed_b_12669440)” in 2016.
**And I was wrong again.**
Indeed, since that time, the UX of Bitcoin-only applications, wallets, and supporting tech has vastly improved and onboarded millions more people than anyone thought possible. The entrepreneurship, coding excellence, and vision offered by Bitcoiners of all stripes have renewed a sense in me that this project is something built for us all — friends and enemies alike.
While many of us were likely distracted by flashy and pumpy altcoins over the years (me too, champs), most of us have returned to the Bitcoin stable.
Fast forward to today, there are entire ecosystems of creators, activists, and developers who are wholly reliant on the magic of Bitcoin’s protocol for their life and livelihood. The options are endless. The FUD is still present, but real proof of work stands powerfully against those forces.
In addition, there are now [dozens of ways to use Bitcoin privately](https://fixthemoney.substack.com/p/not-your-keys-not-your-coins-claiming) — still without custodians or intermediaries — that make it one of the most important assets for global humanity, especially in dictatorships.
This is all toward a positive arc of innovation, freedom, and pure independence. Did I see that coming? Absolutely not.
Of course, there are probably other shots you’ve missed on Bitcoin. Price predictions (ouch), the short-term inflation hedge, or the amount of institutional investment. While all of these may be erroneous predictions in the short term, we have to realize that Bitcoin is a long arc. It will outlive all of us on the planet, and it will continue in its present form for the next generation.
**Being wrong about the evolution of Bitcoin is no fault, and is indeed part of the learning curve to finally understanding it all.**
When your family or friends ask you about Bitcoin after your endless sessions explaining market dynamics, nodes, how mining works, and the genius of cryptographic signatures, try to accept that there is still so much we have to learn about this decentralized digital cash.
There are still some things you’ve gotten wrong about Bitcoin, and plenty more you’ll underestimate or get wrong in the future. That’s what makes it a beautiful journey. It’s a long road, but one that remains worth it.
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-26 08:45:13
> I was curious to see how Stacker.News domain and website contents scored from a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) perspective. Here what Semrush nows about SN. But first have alook at the Page Performance Score on Google (Detailled report available [here](https://pagespeed.web.dev/analysis/https-stacker-news/pjnc9jgscy?form_factor=mobile)). **Performance** and **Accessibility** looks have really low score!
| Desktop | Mobile |
|---|---|
|  |  |
|  |  |
Now let's see what Semrush knows.
# Analytics
General view on your metrics and performance trend compared to last 30 days.


See estimations of stacker.news's desktop and mobile traffic based on Semrush’s proprietary AI and machine learning algorithms, petabytes of clickstream data, and Big Data technologies.

Distribution of SN's organic traffic and keywords by country. The Organic Traffic graph shows changes in the amount of estimated organic and paid traffic driven to the SN analyzed domain over time.

| Organic Search | Backlinks Analytics |
|---|---|
| |  |
| Position Changes Trend | Top Page Changes |
|---|---|
| |  |
|This trend allows you to monitor organic traffic changes, as well as improved and declined positions.| Top pages with the biggest traffic changes over the last 28 days. |

# Competitors

The Competitive Positioning Map shows the strengths and weaknesses of SN competitive domains' presence in organic search results. Data visualizations are based on the domain's organic traffic and the number of keywords that they are ranking for in Google's top 20 organic search results. The larger the circle, the more visibility a domain has. Below, a list of domains an analyzed domain is competing against in Google's top 20 organic search results.

# Referring Domains


# Daily Stats
| Organic Traffic | Organic Keywords | Backlinks |
|---|---|---|
| 976 | 15.9K | 126K |
| `-41.87%` | `-16.4%` | `-1.62%` |
### 📝 Traffic Drop
Traffic downturn detected! It appears SN domain experienced a traffic drop of 633 in the last 28 days. Take a closer look at these pages with significant traffic decline and explore areas for potential improvement. Here are the pages taking the biggest hits:
- https://stacker.news/items/723989 ⬇️ -15
- https://stacker.news/items/919813 ⬇️ -12
- https://stacker.news/items/783355 ⬇️ -5
### 📉 Decreased Authority Score
Uh-oh! Your Authority score has dropped from 26 to 25. Don't worry, we're here to assist you. Check out the new/lost backlinks in the Backlink Analytics tool to uncover insights on how to boost your authority.
### 🌟 New Keywords
Opportunity Alert! Targeting these keywords could help you increase organic traffic quickly and efficiently. We've found some low-hanging fruits for you! Take a look at these keywords:
- nitter.moomoo.me — Volume 70
- 0xchat — Volume 30
- amethyst nostr — Volume 30
### 🛠️ Broken Pages
This could hurt the user experience and lead to a loss in organic traffic. Time to take action: amend those pages or set up redirects. Here below, few pages on SN domain that are either broken or not _crawlable_:
- https://stacker.news/404 — 38 backlinks
- https://stacker.news/api/capture/items/91154 — 24 backlinks
- https://stacker.news/api/capture/items/91289 — 24 backlinks
Dees this post give you some insights? Hope so, comment below if you have any SEO suggestion? Mine is to improve or keep an eye on Accessibility!
One of the major issues I found is that SN does not have a `robots.txt`, a key simple text file that allow crawlers to read or not-read the website for indexing purposes. @k00b and @ek is that voluntary?
Here are other basic info to improve the SEO score and for those of us that want to learn more:
- Intro to Accessibility: https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/
- Design for Accessibility: https://www.w3.org/WAI/tips/designing/
- Web Accessibility Best Practices: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/web-accessibility-best-practices/
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/925433
-

@ 30876140:cffb1126
2025-03-26 04:58:21
The portal is closing.
The symphony comes to an end.
Ballet, a dance of partners,
A wish of hearts,
Now closing its curtains.
I foolishly sit
Eagerly waiting
For the circus to begin again,
As crowds file past me,
Chuckles and popcorn falling,
Crushed under foot,
I sit waiting
For the show to carry on.
But the night is now over,
The laughs have been had,
The music been heard,
The dancers are gone now
Into the nightbreeze chill.
Yet still, I sit waiting,
The empty chairs yawning,
A cough, I start, could it be?
Yet the lights now go out,
And now without my sight
I am truly alone in the theater.
Yet still, I am waiting
For the show to carry on,
But I know that it won’t,
Yet still, I am waiting.
Never shall I leave
For the show was too perfect
And nothing perfect should ever be finished.
-

@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-03-12 00:40:25
Before I saw those X right-wing political “influencers” parading their Epstein binders in that PR stunt, I’d already posted this on Nostr, an open protocol.
“Today, the world’s attention will likely fixate on Epstein, governmental failures in addressing horrific abuse cases, and the influential figures who perpetrate such acts—yet few will center the victims and survivors in the conversation. The survivors of Epstein went to law enforcement and very little happened. The survivors tried to speak to the corporate press and the corporate press knowingly covered for him. In situations like these social media can serve as one of the only ways for a survivor’s voice to be heard.
It’s becoming increasingly evident that the line between centralized corporate social media and the state is razor-thin, if it exists at all. Time and again, the state shields powerful abusers when it’s politically expedient to do so. In this climate, a survivor attempting to expose someone like Epstein on a corporate tech platform faces an uphill battle—there’s no assurance their voice would even break through. Their story wouldn’t truly belong to them; it’d be at the mercy of the platform, subject to deletion at a whim. Nostr, though, offers a lifeline—a censorship-resistant space where survivors can share their truths, no matter how untouchable the abuser might seem. A survivor could remain anonymous here if they took enough steps.
Nostr holds real promise for amplifying survivor voices. And if you’re here daily, tossing out memes, take heart: you’re helping build a foundation for those who desperately need to be heard.“
That post is untouchable—no CEO, company, employee, or government can delete it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take it down myself. The post will outlive me on the protocol.
The cozy alliance between the state and corporate social media hit me hard during that right-wing X “influencer” PR stunt. Elon owns X. Elon’s a special government employee. X pays those influencers to post. We don’t know who else pays them to post. Those influencers are spurred on by both the government and X to manage the Epstein case narrative. It wasn’t survivors standing there, grinning for photos—it was paid influencers, gatekeepers orchestrating yet another chance to re-exploit the already exploited.
The bond between the state and corporate social media is tight. If the other Epsteins out there are ever to be unmasked, I wouldn’t bet on a survivor’s story staying safe with a corporate tech platform, the government, any social media influencer, or mainstream journalist. Right now, only a protocol can hand survivors the power to truly own their narrative.
I don’t have anything against Elon—I’ve actually been a big supporter. I’m just stating it as I see it. X isn’t censorship resistant and they have an algorithm that they choose not the user. Corporate tech platforms like X can be a better fit for some survivors. X has safety tools and content moderation, making it a solid option for certain individuals. Grok can be a big help for survivors looking for resources or support! As a survivor, you know what works best for you, and safety should always come first—keep that front and center.
That said, a protocol is a game-changer for cases where the powerful are likely to censor. During China's # MeToo movement, survivors faced heavy censorship on social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat, where posts about sexual harassment were quickly removed, and hashtags like # MeToo or "woyeshi" were blocked by government and platform filters. To bypass this, activists turned to blockchain technology encoding their stories—like Yue Xin’s open letter about a Peking University case—into transaction metadata. This made the information tamper-proof and publicly accessible, resisting censorship since blockchain data can’t be easily altered or deleted.
I posted this on X 2/28/25. I wanted to try my first long post on a nostr client. The Epstein cover up is ongoing so it’s still relevant, unfortunately.
If you are a survivor or loved one who is reading this and needs support please reach out to:
National Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7
https://rainn.org/
Hours: Available 24 hours
-

@ e31e84c4:77bbabc0
2024-12-02 10:44:07
*Bitcoin and Fixed Income was Written By Wyatt O’Rourke. If you enjoyed this article then support his writing, directly, by donating to his lightning wallet: ultrahusky3@primal.net*
Fiduciary duty is the obligation to act in the client’s best interests at all times, prioritizing their needs above the advisor’s own, ensuring honesty, transparency, and avoiding conflicts of interest in all recommendations and actions.
This is something all advisors in the BFAN take very seriously; after all, we are legally required to do so. For the average advisor this is a fairly easy box to check. All you essentially have to do is have someone take a 5-minute risk assessment, fill out an investment policy statement, and then throw them in the proverbial 60/40 portfolio. You have thousands of investment options to choose from and you can reasonably explain how your client is theoretically insulated from any move in the \~markets\~. From the traditional financial advisor perspective, you could justify nearly anything by putting a client into this type of portfolio. All your bases were pretty much covered from return profile, regulatory, compliance, investment options, etc. It was just too easy. It became the household standard and now a meme.
As almost every real bitcoiner knows, the 60/40 portfolio is moving into psyop territory, and many financial advisors get clowned on for defending this relic on bitcoin twitter. I’m going to specifically poke fun at the ‘40’ part of this portfolio.
The ‘40’ represents fixed income, defined as…
> An investment type that provides regular, set interest payments, such as bonds or treasury securities, and returns the principal at maturity. It’s generally considered a lower-risk asset class, used to generate stable income and preserve capital.
Historically, this part of the portfolio was meant to weather the volatility in the equity markets and represent the “safe” investments. Typically, some sort of bond.
First and foremost, the fixed income section is most commonly constructed with U.S. Debt. There are a couple main reasons for this. Most financial professionals believe the same fairy tale that U.S. Debt is “risk free” (lol). U.S. debt is also one of the largest and most liquid assets in the market which comes with a lot of benefits.
There are many brilliant bitcoiners in finance and economics that have sounded the alarm on the U.S. debt ticking time bomb. I highly recommend readers explore the work of Greg Foss, Lawrence Lepard, Lyn Alden, and Saifedean Ammous. My very high-level recap of their analysis:
- A bond is a contract in which Party A (the borrower) agrees to repay Party B (the lender) their principal plus interest over time.
- The U.S. government issues bonds (Treasury securities) to finance its operations after tax revenues have been exhausted.
- These are traditionally viewed as “risk-free” due to the government’s historical reliability in repaying its debts and the strength of the U.S. economy
- U.S. bonds are seen as safe because the government has control over the dollar (world reserve asset) and, until recently (20 some odd years), enjoyed broad confidence that it would always honor its debts.
- This perception has contributed to high global demand for U.S. debt but, that is quickly deteriorating.
- The current debt situation raises concerns about sustainability.
- The U.S. has substantial obligations, and without sufficient productivity growth, increasing debt may lead to a cycle where borrowing to cover interest leads to more debt.
- This could result in more reliance on money creation (printing), which can drive inflation and further debt burdens.
In the words of Lyn Alden “Nothing stops this train”
Those obligations are what makes up the 40% of most the fixed income in your portfolio. So essentially you are giving money to one of the worst capital allocators in the world (U.S. Gov’t) and getting paid back with printed money.
As someone who takes their fiduciary responsibility seriously and understands the debt situation we just reviewed, I think it’s borderline negligent to put someone into a classic 60% (equities) / 40% (fixed income) portfolio without serious scrutiny of the client’s financial situation and options available to them. I certainly have my qualms with equities at times, but overall, they are more palatable than the fixed income portion of the portfolio. I don’t like it either, but the money is broken and the unit of account for nearly every equity or fixed income instrument (USD) is fraudulent. It’s a paper mache fade that is quite literally propped up by the money printer.
To briefly be as most charitable as I can – It wasn’t always this way. The U.S. Dollar used to be sound money, we used to have government surplus instead of mathematically certain deficits, The U.S. Federal Government didn’t used to have a money printing addiction, and pre-bitcoin the 60/40 portfolio used to be a quality portfolio management strategy. Those times are gone.
### Now the fun part. How does bitcoin fix this?
Bitcoin fixes this indirectly. Understanding investment criteria changes via risk tolerance, age, goals, etc. A client may still have a need for “fixed income” in the most literal definition – Low risk yield. Now you may be thinking that yield is a bad word in bitcoin land, you’re not wrong, so stay with me. Perpetual motion machine crypto yield is fake and largely where many crypto scams originate. However, that doesn’t mean yield in the classic finance sense does not exist in bitcoin, it very literally does. Fortunately for us bitcoiners there are many other smart, driven, and enterprising bitcoiners that understand this problem and are doing something to address it. These individuals are pioneering new possibilities in bitcoin and finance, specifically when it comes to fixed income.
Here are some new developments –
Private Credit Funds – The Build Asset Management Secured Income Fund I is a private credit fund created by Build Asset Management. This fund primarily invests in bitcoin-backed, collateralized business loans originated by Unchained, with a secured structure involving a multi-signature, over-collateralized setup for risk management. Unchained originates loans and sells them to Build, which pools them into the fund, enabling investors to share in the interest income.
Dynamics
- Loan Terms: Unchained issues loans at interest rates around 14%, secured with a 2/3 multi-signature vault backed by a 40% loan-to-value (LTV) ratio.
- Fund Mechanics: Build buys these loans from Unchained, thus providing liquidity to Unchained for further loan originations, while Build manages interest payments to investors in the fund.
Pros
- The fund offers a unique way to earn income via bitcoin-collateralized debt, with protection against rehypothecation and strong security measures, making it attractive for investors seeking exposure to fixed income with bitcoin.
Cons
- The fund is only available to accredited investors, which is a regulatory standard for private credit funds like this.
Corporate Bonds – MicroStrategy Inc. (MSTR), a business intelligence company, has leveraged its corporate structure to issue bonds specifically to acquire bitcoin as a reserve asset. This approach allows investors to indirectly gain exposure to bitcoin’s potential upside while receiving interest payments on their bond investments. Some other publicly traded companies have also adopted this strategy, but for the sake of this article we will focus on MSTR as they are the biggest and most vocal issuer.
Dynamics
- Issuance: MicroStrategy has issued senior secured notes in multiple offerings, with terms allowing the company to use the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.
- Interest Rates: The bonds typically carry high-yield interest rates, averaging around 6-8% APR, depending on the specific issuance and market conditions at the time of issuance.
- Maturity: The bonds have varying maturities, with most structured for multi-year terms, offering investors medium-term exposure to bitcoin’s value trajectory through MicroStrategy’s holdings.
Pros
- Indirect Bitcoin exposure with income provides a unique opportunity for investors seeking income from bitcoin-backed debt.
- Bonds issued by MicroStrategy offer relatively high interest rates, appealing for fixed-income investors attracted to the higher risk/reward scenarios.
Cons
- There are credit risks tied to MicroStrategy’s financial health and bitcoin’s performance. A significant drop in bitcoin prices could strain the company’s ability to service debt, increasing credit risk.
- Availability: These bonds are primarily accessible to institutional investors and accredited investors, limiting availability for retail investors.
Interest Payable in Bitcoin – River has introduced an innovative product, bitcoin Interest on Cash, allowing clients to earn interest on their U.S. dollar deposits, with the interest paid in bitcoin.
Dynamics
- Interest Payment: Clients earn an annual interest rate of 3.8% on their cash deposits. The accrued interest is converted to Bitcoin daily and paid out monthly, enabling clients to accumulate Bitcoin over time.
- Security and Accessibility: Cash deposits are insured up to $250,000 through River’s banking partner, Lead Bank, a member of the FDIC. All Bitcoin holdings are maintained in full reserve custody, ensuring that client assets are not lent or leveraged.
Pros
- There are no hidden fees or minimum balance requirements, and clients can withdraw their cash at any time.
- The 3.8% interest rate provides a predictable income stream, akin to traditional fixed-income investments.
Cons
- While the interest rate is fixed, the value of the Bitcoin received as interest can fluctuate, introducing potential variability in the investment’s overall return.
- Interest rate payments are on the lower side
Admittedly, this is a very small list, however, these types of investments are growing more numerous and meaningful. The reality is the existing options aren’t numerous enough to service every client that has a need for fixed income exposure. I challenge advisors to explore innovative options for fixed income exposure outside of sovereign debt, as that is most certainly a road to nowhere. It is my wholehearted belief and call to action that we need more options to help clients across the risk and capital allocation spectrum access a sound money standard.
Additional Resources
- [River: The future of saving is here: Earn 3.8% on cash. Paid in Bitcoin.](http://bitcoin%20and%20fixed%20ihttps//blog.river.com/bitcoin-interest-on-cash/ncome)
- [Onramp: Bitcoin, The Emergent Asset Class](https://onrampbitcoin.docsend.com/view/j4wje7kgvw357tt9)
- [MicroStrategy: MicroStrategy Announces Pricing of Offering of Convertible Senior Notes](https://www.microstrategy.com/press/microstrategy-announces-pricing-of-offering-of-convertible-senior-notes_09-18-2024)
---
*Bitcoin and Fixed Income was Written By Wyatt O’Rourke. If you enjoyed this article then support his writing, directly, by donating to his lightning wallet: ultrahusky3@primal.net*
-

@ 5e5fc143:393d5a2c
2024-11-19 10:20:25
Now test old reliable front end
Stay tuned more later
Keeping this as template long note for debugging in future as come across few NIP-33 post edit issues
-

@ af9c48b7:a3f7aaf4
2024-11-18 20:26:07
## Chef's notes
This simple, easy, no bake desert will surely be the it at you next family gathering. You can keep it a secret or share it with the crowd that this is a healthy alternative to normal pie. I think everyone will be amazed at how good it really is.
## Details
- ⏲️ Prep time: 30
- 🍳 Cook time: 0
- 🍽️ Servings: 8
## Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of Heavy Cream- 0g sugar, 5.5g carbohydrates
- 3/4 cup of Half and Half- 6g sugar, 3g carbohydrates
- 4oz Sugar Free Cool Whip (1/2 small container) - 0g sugar, 37.5g carbohydrates
- 1.5oz box (small box) of Sugar Free Instant Chocolate Pudding- 0g sugar, 32g carbohydrates
- 1 Pecan Pie Crust- 24g sugar, 72g carbohydrates
## Directions
1. The total pie has 30g of sugar and 149.50g of carboydrates. So if you cut the pie into 8 equal slices, that would come to 3.75g of sugar and 18.69g carbohydrates per slice. If you decided to not eat the crust, your sugar intake would be .75 gram per slice and the carborytrates would be 9.69g per slice. Based on your objective, you could use only heavy whipping cream and no half and half to further reduce your sugar intake.
2. Mix all wet ingredients and the instant pudding until thoroughly mixed and a consistent color has been achieved. The heavy whipping cream causes the mixture to thicken the more you mix it. So, I’d recommend using an electric mixer. Once you are satisfied with the color, start mixing in the whipping cream until it has a consistent “chocolate” color thorough. Once your satisfied with the color, spoon the mixture into the pie crust, smooth the top to your liking, and then refrigerate for one hour before serving.
-

@ 0c469779:4b21d8b0
2025-03-11 10:52:49
### Sobre el amor
Mi percepción del amor cambió con el tiempo.
Leer literatura rusa, principalmente a Dostoevsky, te cambia la perspectiva sobre el amor y la vida en general.
Por mucho tiempo mi visión sobre la vida es que la misma se basa en el sufrimiento: también la Biblia dice esto. El amor es igual, en el amor se sufre y se banca a la otra persona.
El problema es que hay una distinción de sufrimientos que por mucho tiempo no tuve en cuenta. Está el sufrimiento del sacrificio y el sufrimiento masoquista. Para mí eran indistintos.
Para mí el ideal era Aliosha y Natasha de *Humillados y Ofendidos*: estar con alguien que me amase tanto como Natasha a Aliosha, un amor inclusive autodestructivo para Natasha, pero real. Tiene algo de épico, inalcanzable. Un sufrimiento extremo, redentor, es una vara altísima que en la vida cotidiana no se manifiesta.
O el amor de Sonia a Raskolnikov, quien se fue hasta Siberia mientras estuvo en prisión para que no se quede solo en *Crimen y Castigo*.
Este es el tipo de amor que yo esperaba. Y como no me pasó nada tan extremo y las situaciones que llegan a ocurrir en mi vida están lejos de ser tan extremas, me parecía hasta poco lo que estaba pidiendo y que nadie pueda quedarse conmigo me parecía insuficiente.
Ahora pienso que el amor no tiene por qué ser así. Es un pensamiento nuevo que todavía estoy construyendo, y me di cuenta cuando fui a la iglesia, a pesar de que no soy cristiano. La filosofía cristiana me gusta. Va conmigo. Tiene un enfoque de humildad, superación y comunidad que me recuerda al estoicismo.
El amor se trata de resaltar lo mejor que hay en el otro. Se trata de ser un plus, de ayudar.
Por eso si uno no está en su mejor etapa, si no se está cómodo con uno mismo, no se puede amar de verdad. El amor empieza en uno mismo.
Los libros son un espejo, no necesariamente vas a aprender de ellos, sino que te muestran quién sos. Resaltás lo que te importa. Por eso a pesar de saber los tipos de amores que hay en los trabajos de Dostoevsky, cometí los mismos errores varias veces.
Ser mejor depende de uno mismo y cada día se pone el granito de arena.
-

@ ecda4328:1278f072
2025-03-25 10:00:52
**Kubernetes and Linux Swap: A Practical Perspective**
After reviewing kernel documentation on swap management (e.g., [Linux Swap Management](https://www.kernel.org/doc/gorman/html/understand/understand014.html)), [KEP-2400 (Kubernetes Node Memory Swap Support)](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/blob/master/keps/sig-node/2400-node-swap/README.md), and community discussions like [this post on ServerFault](https://serverfault.com/questions/881517/why-disable-swap-on-kubernetes), it's clear that the topic of swap usage in modern systems—especially Kubernetes environments—is nuanced and often contentious. Here's a practical synthesis of the discussion.
---
### The Rationale for Disabling Swap
We disable SWAP on our Linux servers to ensure stable and predictable performance by relying on available RAM, avoiding the performance degradation and unnecessary I/O caused by SWAP usage. If an application runs out of memory, it’s usually due to insufficient RAM allocation or a memory leak, and enabling SWAP only worsens performance for other applications. It's more efficient to let a leaking app restart than to rely on SWAP to prevent OOM crashes.
With modern platforms like Kubernetes, memory requests and limits are enforced, ensuring apps use only the RAM allocated to them, while avoiding overcommitment to prevent resource exhaustion.
Additionally, disabling swap may protect data from **data remanence attacks**, where sensitive information could potentially be recovered from the swap space even after a process terminates.
---
### Theoretical Capability vs. Practical Deployment
Linux provides a powerful and flexible memory subsystem. With proper tuning (e.g., swappiness, memory pinning, cgroups), it's technically possible to make swap usage efficient and targeted. Seasoned sysadmins often argue that disabling swap entirely is a lazy shortcut—an avoidance of learning how to use the tools properly.
But Kubernetes is not a traditional system. It's an orchestrated environment that favors predictability, fail-fast behavior, and clear isolation between workloads. Within this model:
- Memory **requests and limits** are declared explicitly.
- The scheduler makes decisions based on RAM availability, not total virtual memory (RAM + swap).
- Swap introduces **non-deterministic performance** characteristics that conflict with Kubernetes' goals.
So while the kernel supports intelligent swap usage, Kubernetes **intentionally sidesteps** that complexity.
---
### Why Disable Swap in Kubernetes?
1. **Deterministic Failure > Degraded Performance**\
If a pod exceeds its memory allocation, it should fail fast — not get throttled into slow oblivion due to swap. This behavior surfaces bugs (like memory leaks or poor sizing) early.
2. **Transparency & Observability**\
With swap disabled, memory issues are clearer to diagnose. Swap obfuscates root causes and can make a healthy-looking node behave erratically.
3. **Performance Consistency**\
Swap causes I/O overhead. One noisy pod using swap can impact unrelated workloads on the same node — even if they’re within their resource limits.
4. **Kubernetes Doesn’t Manage Swap Well**\
Kubelet has historically lacked intelligence around swap. As of today, Kubernetes still doesn't support swap-aware scheduling or per-container swap control.
5. **Statelessness is the Norm**\
Most containerized workloads are designed to be ephemeral. Restarting a pod is usually preferable to letting it hang in a degraded state.
---
### "But Swap Can Be Useful..."
Yes — for certain workloads (e.g., in-memory databases, caching layers, legacy systems), there may be valid reasons to keep swap enabled. In such cases, you'd need:
- Fine-tuned `vm.swappiness`
- Memory pinning and cgroup-based control
- Swap-aware monitoring and alerting
- Custom kubelet/systemd integration
That's possible, but **not standard practice** — and for good reason.
---
### Future Considerations
Recent Kubernetes releases have introduced [experimental swap support](https://kubernetes.io/blog/2023/08/24/swap-linux-beta/) via [KEP-2400](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/blob/master/keps/sig-node/2400-node-swap/README.md). While this provides more flexibility for advanced use cases — particularly Burstable QoS pods on cgroupsv2 — swap remains disabled by default and is not generally recommended for production workloads unless carefully planned. The rationale outlined in this article remains applicable to most Kubernetes operators, especially in multi-tenant and performance-sensitive environments.
Even the Kubernetes maintainers acknowledge the inherent trade-offs of enabling swap. As noted in [KEP-2400's Risks and Mitigations section](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/blob/master/keps/sig-node/2400-node-swap/README.md), swap introduces unpredictability, can severely degrade performance compared to RAM, and complicates Kubernetes' resource accounting — increasing the risk of noisy neighbors and unexpected scheduling behavior.
Some argue that with emerging technologies like **non-volatile memory** (e.g., Intel Optane/XPoint), swap may become viable again. These systems promise near-RAM speed with large capacity, offering hybrid memory models. But these are not widely deployed or supported in mainstream Kubernetes environments yet.
---
### Conclusion
Disabling swap in Kubernetes is not a lazy hack — it’s a **strategic tradeoff**. It improves transparency, predictability, and system integrity in multi-tenant, containerized environments. While the kernel allows for more advanced configurations, Kubernetes intentionally simplifies memory handling for the sake of reliability.
If we want to revisit swap usage, it should come with serious planning: proper instrumentation, swap-aware observability, and potentially upstream K8s improvements. Until then, **disabling swap remains the sane default**.
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-24 17:08:06
Nice podcast with @sbddesign and @ConorOkus about bitcoin payments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE
In this episode, Conor, Open Source product manager at Spiral & Stephen, Product Designer at Voltage & Co founder of ATL Bitlab join Stephan to discuss the current state of Bitcoin user experience, particularly focusing on payments and the challenges faced by users. They explore the comparison between Bitcoin and physical cash, the Western perspective on Bitcoin payments, and the importance of user experience in facilitating Bitcoin transactions.
They also touch upon various payment protocols like #BOLT11, #LNURL, and #BOLT12, highlighting the need for interoperability and better privacy features in the Bitcoin ecosystem. The discussion also covers resources available for developers and designers to enhance wallet usability and integration.
@StephanLivera Official Podcast Episode: https://stephanlivera.com/646
### Takeaways
🔸Bitcoin has excelled as a savings technology.
🔸The payments use case for Bitcoin still needs improvement.
🔸User experience is crucial for Bitcoin adoption.
🔸Comparing Bitcoin to cash highlights privacy concerns.
🔸Western users may not see a payments problem.
🔸Regulatory issues impact Bitcoin payments in the West.
🔸User experience challenges hinder Bitcoin transactions.
🔸Different payment protocols create compatibility issues.
🔸Community collaboration is essential for Bitcoin's future.
🔸Improving interoperability can enhance Bitcoin payments. Wallet compatibility issues can create negative user impressions.
🔸Designers can significantly improve wallet user experience.
🔸Testing compatibility between wallets is essential for user satisfaction.
🔸Tether's integration may boost Bitcoin adoption.
🔸Developers should prioritize payment capabilities before receiving capabilities.
🔸Collaboration between designers and developers can lead to better products.
🔸User experience improvements can be low-hanging fruit for wallet projects.
🔸A global hackathon aims to promote miner decentralization.
🔸Resources like BOLT12 and the Bitcoin Design Guide are valuable for developers.
🔸Engaging with the community can lead to innovative solutions.
### Timestamps
([00:00](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE)) - Intro
([01:10](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=70s)) - What is the current state of Bitcoin usage - Payments or Savings?
([04:32](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=272s)) - Comparing Bitcoin with physical cash
([07:08](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=428s)) - What is the western perspective on Bitcoin payments?
([11:30](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=690s)) - Would people use Bitcoin more with improved UX?
([17:05](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=1025s)) - Exploring payment protocols: Bolt11, LNURL, Bolt12 & BIP353
([30:14](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=1814s)) - Navigating Bitcoin wallet compatibility challenges
([34:45](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=2085s)) - What is the role of designers in wallet development?
([43:13](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=2593s)) - Rumble’s integration of Tether & Bitcoin; The impact of Tether on Bitcoin adoption
([51:22](/watch?v=GTSqoFKs1cE&t=3082s)) - Resources for wallet developers and designers
### Links:
• [https://x.com/conorokus](https://x.com/conorokus)
• [https://x.com/StephenDeLorme](https://x.com/StephenDeLorme)
• [https://bolt12.org/](https://bolt12.org/)
• [https://twelve.cash/](https://twelve.cash)
• [https://bitcoin.design/guide/](https://bitcoin.design/guide/)
• Setting Up Bitcoin Tips for Streamers](/watch?v=IWTpSN8IaLE)
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/923714
-

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5
2025-03-24 10:50:59
**Autor:** *Ludwig F. Badenhagen.* *Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem* *[Pareto-Client](https://pareto.space/read)* *geschrieben.*
***
Einer der wesentlichen Gründe dafür, dass während der „Corona-Pandemie“ so viele Menschen den Anweisungen der Spitzenpolitiker folgten, war sicher der, dass diese Menschen den Politikern vertrauten. Diese Menschen konnten sich nicht vorstellen, dass Spitzenpolitiker den Auftrag haben könnten, die Bürger analog klaren Vorgaben zu belügen, zu betrügen und sie vorsätzlich (tödlich) zu verletzen. Im Gegenteil, diese gutgläubigen Menschen waren mit der Zuversicht aufgewachsen, dass Spitzenpolitiker den Menschen dienen und deren Wohl im Fokus haben (müssen). Dies beteuerten Spitzenpolitiker schließlich stets in Talkshows und weiteren Medienformaten. Zwar wurden manche Politiker auch bei Fehlverhalten erwischt, aber hierbei ging es zumeist „nur“ um Geld und nicht um Leben. Und wenn es doch einmal um Leben ging, dann passieren die Verfehlungen „aus Versehen“, aber nicht mit Vorsatz. So oder so ähnlich dachte die Mehrheit der Bürger.
Aber vor 5 Jahren änderte sich für aufmerksame Menschen alles, denn analog dem Lockstep-Szenario der Rockefeller-Foundation wurde der zuvor ausgiebig vorbereitete Plan zur Inszenierung der „Corona-Pandemie“ Realität. Seitdem wurde so manchem Bürger, der sich jenseits von Mainstream-Medien informierte, das Ausmaß der unter dem Vorwand einer erfundenen Pandemie vollbrachten Taten klar. Und unverändert kommen täglich immer neue Erkenntnisse ans Licht. Auf den Punkt gebracht war die Inszenierung der „Corona-Pandemie“ ein Verbrechen an der Menschheit, konstatieren unabhängige Sachverständige.
Dieser Beitrag befasst sich allerdings nicht damit, die vielen Bestandteile dieses Verbrechens (nochmals) aufzuzählen oder weitere zu benennen. Stattdessen soll beleuchtet werden, warum die Spitzenpolitiker sich so verhalten haben und ob es überhaupt nach alledem möglich ist, der Politik jemals wieder zu vertrauen? Ferner ist es ein Anliegen dieses Artikels, die weiteren Zusammenhänge zu erörtern. Und zu guter Letzt soll dargelegt werden, warum sich der große Teil der Menschen unverändert alles gefallen lässt.
**Demokratie**
Von jeher organisierten sich Menschen mit dem Ziel, Ordnungsrahmen zu erschaffen, welche wechselseitiges Interagieren regeln. Dies führte aber stets dazu, dass einige wenige alle anderen unterordneten. Der Grundgedanke, der vor rund 2500 Jahren formulierten Demokratie, verfolgte dann aber das Ziel, dass die Masse darüber entscheiden können soll, wie sie leben und verwaltet werden möchte. Dieser Grundgedanke wurde von den Mächtigen sowohl gehasst als auch gefürchtet, denn die Gefahr lag nahe, dass die besitzlosen Vielen beispielsweise mit einer schlichten Abstimmung verfügen könnten, den Besitz der Wenigen zu enteignen. Selbst Sokrates war gegen solch eine Gesellschaftsordnung, da die besten Ideen nicht durch die Vielen, sondern durch einige wenige Kluge und Aufrichtige in die Welt kommen. Man müsse die Vielen lediglich manipulieren und würde auf diese Weise quasi jeden Unfug umsetzen können. Die Demokratie war ein Rohrkrepierer.
**Die Mogelpackung „Repräsentative Demokratie“**
Erst im Zuge der Gründung der USA gelang der Trick, dem Volk die „Repräsentative Demokratie“ unterzujubeln, die sich zwar nach Demokratie anhört, aber mit der Ursprungsdefinition nichts zu tun hat. Man konnte zwischen zwei Parteien wählen, die sich mit ihren jeweiligen Versprechen um die Gunst des Volkes bewarben. Tatsächlich paktierten die Vertreter der gewählten Parteien (Politiker) aber mit den wirklich Mächtigen, die letztendlich dafür sorgten, dass diese Politiker in die jeweiligen exponierten Positionen gelangten, welche ihnen ermöglichten (und somit auch den wirklich Mächtigen), Macht auszuüben. Übrigens, ob die eine oder andere Partei „den Volkswillen“ für sich gewinnen konnte, war für die wirklich Mächtigen weniger von Bedeutung, denn der Wille der wirklich Mächtigen wurde so oder so, wenn auch in voneinander differierenden Details, umgesetzt.
Die Menschen waren begeistert von dieser Idee, denn sie glaubten, dass sie selbst „der Souverän“ seien. Schluss mit Monarchie sowie sonstiger Fremdherrschaft und Unterdrückung.
Die Mächtigen waren ebenfalls begeistert, denn durch die Repräsentative Demokratie waren sie selbst nicht mehr in der Schusslinie, weil das Volk sich mit seinem Unmut fortan auf die Politiker konzentrierte. Da diese Politiker aber vielleicht nicht von einem selbst, sondern von vielen anderen Wahlberechtigten gewählt wurden, lenkte sich der Groll der Menschen nicht nur ab von den wirklich Mächtigen, sondern auch ab von den Politikern, direkt auf „die vielen Idioten“ aus ihrer eigenen Mitte, die sich „ver-wählt“ hatten. Diese Lenkung des Volkes funktionierte so hervorragend, dass andere Länder die Grundprinzipien dieses Steuerungsinstrumentes übernahmen. Dies ist alles bei Rainer Mausfeld nachzulesen.
Ursprünglich waren die Mächtigen nur regional mächtig, sodass das Führen der eigenen Menschen(vieh)herde eher eine lokale Angelegenheit war. Somit mussten auch nur lokale Probleme gelöst werden und die Mittel zur Problemlösung blieben im eigenen Problembereich.
***
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***
**Beherrschungsinstrumente der globalen Massenhaltung**
Im Zuge der territorialen Erweiterungen der „Besitzungen“ einiger wirklich Mächtiger wurden die Verwaltungs- und Beherrschungsinstrumente überregionaler. Und heute, zu Zeiten der globalen Vernetzung, paktieren die wirklich Mächtigen miteinander und beanspruchen die Weltherrschaft. Längst wird offen über die finale Realisierung einen Weltregierung, welche die Nationalstaaten „nicht mehr benötigt“, gesprochen. Dass sich Deutschland, ebenso wie andere europäische Staaten, der EU untergeordnet hat, dürfte auch Leuten nicht entgangen sein, die sich nur über die Tagesschau informieren. Längst steht das EU-Recht über dem deutschen Recht. Und nur kurze Zeit ist es her, als die EU und alle ihre Mitgliedsstaaten die WHO autonom darüber entscheiden lassen wollten, was eine Pandemie ist und wie diese für alle verbindlich „bekämpft“ werden soll. Eine spannende Frage ist nun, wer denn über der EU und der WHO sowie anderen Institutionen steht?
Diese Beschreibung macht klar, dass ein „souveränes Land“ wie das unverändert von der amerikanischen Armee besetzte Deutschland in der Entscheidungshierarchie an die Weisungen übergeordneter Entscheidungsorgane gebunden ist. An der Spitze stehen - wie kann es anders sein - die wirklich Mächtigen.
Aber was nützt es dann, Spitzenpolitiker zu wählen, wenn diese analog Horst Seehofer nichts zu melden haben? Ist das Wählen von Politikern nicht völlig sinnlos, wenn deren Wahlversprechen ohnehin nicht erfüllt werden? Ist es nicht so, dass die Menschen, welche ihre Stimme nicht behalten, sondern abgeben, das bestehende System nur nähren, indem sie Wahlergebnisse akzeptieren, ohne zu wissen, ob diese manipuliert wurden, aber mit der Gewissheit, dass das im Zuge des Wahlkampfes Versprochene auf keinen Fall geliefert wird? Aktive Wähler glauben trotz allem an die Redlichkeit und Wirksamkeit von Wahlen, und sie akzeptieren Wahlergebnisse, weil sie denken, dass sie von „so vielen Idioten, die falsch wählen“, umgeben sind, womit wir wieder bei der Spaltung sind. Sie glauben, der Stand des aktuellen Elends sei „selbst gewählt“.
**Die Wahl der Aufseher**
Stellen Sie sich bitte vor, Sie wären im Gefängnis, weil Sie einen kritischen Artikel mit „gefällt mir“ gekennzeichnet haben oder weil Sie eine „Kontaktschuld“ trifft, da in Ihrer Nachbarschaft ein „verschwörerisches Symbol“ von einem „aufmerksamen“ Nachbarn bei einer „Meldestelle“ angezeigt wurde oder Sie gar eine Tat, „unterhalb der Strafbarkeitsgrenze“ begangen hätten, dann würden Sie möglicherweise mit Maßnahmen bestraft, die „keine Folter wären“. Beispielsweise würde man Sie während Ihrer „Umerziehungshaft“ mit Waterboarding, Halten von Stresspositionen, Dunkelhaft etc. dabei „unterstützen“, „Ihre Verfehlungen zu überdenken“. Stellen Sie sich weiterhin vor, dass Sie, so wie alle anderen Inhaftierten, an der alle vier Jahre stattfindenden Wahl der Aufseher teilnehmen könnten, und Sie hätten auch einen Favoriten, der zwar Waterboarding betreibt, aber gegen alle anderen Maßnahmen steht. Sie hätten sicher allen Grund zur Freude, wenn Sie Ihren Kandidaten durchbringen könnten, oder? Aber was wäre, wenn der Aufseher Ihrer Wahl dann dennoch alle 3 „Nicht-Folter-Maßnahmen“ anwenden würde, wie sämtliche anderen Aufseher zuvor? Spätestens dann müssten Sie sich eingestehen, dass es der Beruf des Aufsehers ist, Aufseher zu sein und dass er letztendlich tut, was ihm „von oben“ aufgetragen wird. Andernfalls verliert er seinen Job. Oder er verunfallt oder gerät in einen Skandal etc. So oder so, er verliert seinen Job - und den erledigt dann ein anderer Aufseher.
Die Wahl des Aufsehers ändert wenig, solange Sie sich im System des Gefängnisses befinden und der Aufseher integraler Bestandteil dieses Systems ist. Zur Realisierung einer tatsächlichen Änderung müssten Sie dort herauskommen.
Dieses Beispiel soll darstellen, dass alles in Hierarchien eingebunden ist. Die in einem System eingebundenen Menschen erfüllen ihre zugewiesenen Aufgaben, oder sie werden bestraft.
**Das aktuelle System schadet dem Volk**
Auch in der staatlichen Organisation von Menschen existieren hierarchische Gliederungen. Eine kommunale Selbstverwaltung gehört zum Kreis, dieser zum Land, dieses zum Staat, dieser zur EU, und diese - zu wem auch immer. Und vereinnahmte Gelder fließen nach oben. Obwohl es natürlich wäre, dass die Mittel dorthin fließen, wo sie der Allgemeinheit und nicht einigen wenigen dienen, also nach unten.
Warum muss es also eine Weltregierung geben? Warum sollen nur einige Wenige über alle anderen bestimmen und an diesen verdienen (Nahrung, Medikamente, Krieg, Steuern etc.)? Warum sollen Menschen, so wie Vieh, das jemandem „gehört“, mit einem Code versehen und bereits als Baby zwangsgeimpft werden? Warum müssen alle Transaktionen und sämtliches Verhalten strickt gesteuert, kontrolliert und bewertet werden?
Viele Menschen werden nach alledem zu dem Schluss kommen, dass solch ein System nur einigen wenigen wirklich Mächtigen und deren Helfershelfern nützt. Aber es gibt auch eine Gruppe Menschen, für die im Land alles beanstandungsfrei funktioniert. Die Spaltung der Menschen ist perfekt gelungen und sofern die eine Gruppe darauf wartet, dass die andere „endlich aufwacht“, da die Fakten doch auf dem Tisch liegen, so wird sie weiter warten dürfen.
Julian Assange erwähnte einst, dass es für ihn eine unglaubliche Enttäuschung war, dass ihm niemand half. Assange hatte Ungeheuerlichkeiten aufgedeckt. Es gab keinen Aufstand. Assange wurde inhaftiert und gefoltert. Es gab keinen Aufstand. Assange sagte, er hätte nicht damit gerechnet, dass die Leute „so unglaublich feige“ seien.
Aber womit rechnete er den stattdessen? Dass die Massen „sich erheben“. Das gibt es nur im Film, denn die Masse besteht aus vielen maximal Indoktrinierten, die sich wie Schafe verhalten, was als Züchtungserfolg der Leute an den Schalthebeln der Macht und deren Herren, den wirklich Mächtigen, anzuerkennen ist. Denn wer mächtig ist und bleiben möchte, will sicher keine problematischen Untertanen, sondern eine gefügige, ängstliche Herde, die er nach Belieben ausbeuten und steuern kann. Wenn er hierüber verfügt, will er keinen Widerstand.
Ob Corona, Krieg, Demokratie- und Klimarettung oder Meinungsäußerungsverbote und Bürgerrechte, die unterhalb der Strafbarkeitsgrenze liegen, all diese und viele weitere Stichworte mehr sind es, die viele traurig und so manche wütend machen.
Auch das Mittel des Demonstrierens hat sich als völlig wirkungslos erwiesen. Die vielen gruseligen Videoaufnahmen über die massivsten Misshandlungen von Demonstranten gegen die Corona-Maßnahmen führen zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Exekutive ihr Gewaltmonopol nutzt(e), um die Bevölkerung gezielt zu verletzen und einzuschüchtern. Bekanntlich kann jede friedliche Demonstration zum Eskalieren gebracht werden, indem man Menschen in die Enge treibt (fehlender Sicherheitsabstand) und einige V-Leute in Zivil mit einschlägigen Flaggen und sonstigen „Symbolen“ einschleust, die für Krawall sorgen, damit die gepanzerten Kollegen dann losknüppeln und die scharfen Hunde zubeißen können. So lauten zumindest die Berichte vieler Zeitzeugen und so ist es auch auf vielen Videos zu sehen. Allerdings nicht im Mainstream.
Dieses Vorgehen ist deshalb besonders perfide, weil man den Deutschen ihre Wehrhaftigkeit aberzogen hat. Nicht wehrfähige Bürger und eine brutale Staatsmacht mit Gewaltmonopol führen zu einem Gemetzel bei den Bürgern.
Ähnliches lässt sich auch in zivilen Lebenssituationen beobachten, wenn die hiesige zivilisierte Bevölkerung auf „eingereiste“ Massenvergewaltiger und Messerstecher trifft, die über ein anderes Gewalt- und Rechtsverständnis verfügen als die Einheimischen.
**System-Technik**
Die These ist, dass es eine Gruppe von global agierenden Personen gibt, welche das Geschehen auf der Erde zunehmend wirksam zu ihrem individuellen Vorteil gestaltet. Wie sich diese Gruppe definiert, kann bei John Coleman (Das Komitee der 300) und David Icke nachgelesen werden. Hierbei handelt es ich um Autoren, die jahrzehntelang analog streng wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen zu ihren Themen geforscht haben und in ihren jeweiligen Werken sämtliche Quellen benennen. Diese Autoren wurden vom Mainstream mit dem Prädikatsmerkmal „Verschwörungstheoretiker“ ausgezeichnet, wodurch die Ergebnisse Ihrer Arbeiten umso glaubwürdiger sind.
Diese mächtige Gruppe hat mit ihren Schergen nahezu den gesamten Planeten infiltriert, indem sie Personen in führenden Positionen in vielen Belangen größtmögliche Freiheiten sowie Schutz gewährt, aber diesen im Gegenzug eine völlige Unterwerfung bei Kernthemen abfordert. Die Motivatoren für diese Unterwerfung sind, abgesehen von materiellen Zuwendungen, auch „Ruhm und Ehre sowie Macht“. Manchmal wird auch Beweismaterial für begangene Verfehlungen (Lolita-Express, Pizzagate etc.) genutzt, um Forderungen Nachdruck zu verleihen. Und auch körperliche Bestrafungen der betroffenen Person oder deren Angehörigen zählen zum Repertoire der Motivatoren. Letztendlich ähnlich den Verhaltensweisen in einem Mafia-Film.
Mit dieser Methodik hat sich diese mächtige Gruppe im Laufe von Jahrhunderten! eine Organisation erschaffen, welche aus Kirchen, Parteien, Firmen, NGO, Vereinen, Verbänden und weiteren Organisationsformen besteht. Bestimmte Ämter und Positionen in Organisationen können nur von Personen eingenommen und gehalten werden, die „auf Linie sind“.
Die Mitglieder der Gruppe tauchen in keiner Rubrik wie „Die reichsten Menschen der Welt“ auf, sondern bleiben fern der Öffentlichkeit. Wer jemanden aus ihren Reihen erkennt und beschuldigt, ist ein „Antisemit“ oder sonstiger Übeltäter und wird verfolgt und bekämpft. Über mächtige Vermögensverwaltungskonzerne beteiligen sich die Mitglieder dieser Gruppe anonym an Unternehmen in Schlüsselpositionen in einer Dimension, die ihnen wesentlichen Einfluss auf die Auswahl der Topmanager einräumt, sodass die jeweilige Unternehmenspolitik nach Vorgaben der Gruppe gestaltet wird.
Die Gruppe steuert das Geldsystem, von dem sich der Planet abhängig zu sein wähnt. Hierzu eine Erläuterung: Ein Staat wie Deutschland ist bekanntlich maximal verschuldet. Man stelle sich vor, ein unliebsamer Politiker würde entgegen sämtlicher „Brandmauern“ und sonstiger Propaganda und Wahlmanipulationen gewählt, das Land zu führen, dann könnte dieser keine Kredit über 500 Mrd. Euro bei der nächsten Sparkasse beantragen, sondern wäre auf die Mächtigen dieser Welt angewiesen. Jeder weiß, dass Deutschland als Staat kein funktionierendes Geschäftsmodell hat und somit nicht in der Lage ist, solch ein Darlehen zurückzuzahlen. Welche Motivation sollte also jemand haben, einem Land wie Deutschland so viel Geld ohne Aussicht auf Rückführung zu geben? Es leuchtet ein, dass dieser Politiker andere Gefälligkeiten anbieten müsste, um das Darlehen zu bekommen. Im Falle einer Weigerung zur Kooperation könnte der Staatsapparat mit seinen Staatsdienern, Bürgergeld- und Rentenempfänger etc. nicht mehr bezahlt werden und dieser Politiker wäre schnell wieder weg. Er würde medial hingerichtet. Es ist somit davon auszugehen, dass ein Spitzenpolitiker dieser Tage nicht über viele Optionen verfügt, denn er übernimmt eine Situation, die von seinen Vorgängern erschaffen wurde. Trotz alledem darauf zu hoffen, dass es einen anderen Politiker geben könnte, mit dem dann alles wieder gut wird, mutet ziemlich infantil an.
Dass ein Großteil der Medien von Zuwendungen abhängig ist, dürfte ebenfalls leicht nachzuvollziehen sein, denn der gewöhnliche Bürger zahlt nichts für den Content der MSM. Abhängig davon, von wem (Regierung, Philanthrop, Konzern etc.) ein Medium am Leben gehalten wird, gestalten sich auch dessen Inhalte. Und wenn angewiesen wird, dass ein Politiker medial hingerichtet werden soll, dann bedient die Maschinerie das Thema. Man beobachte einfach einmal, dass Politiker der Kartell-Parteien völlig anders behandelt werden als solche jenseits der „Brandmauer“. Und der Leser, der solche Auftragsarbeiten kostenlos liest, ist der Konsument, für dessen Indoktrination die Finanziers der Verlage gerne zahlen. Mittlerweile kann durch die Herrschaft über die Medien und die systematische Vergiftung der Körper und Geister der Population die öffentliche Meinung gesteuert werden. Die überwiegende Zahl der Deutschen scheint nicht mehr klar denken zu können.
Wer sich das aktuelle Geschehen in der deutschen Politik mit klarem Verstand ansieht, kommt nicht umhin, eine Fernsteuerung der handelnden Politiker in Betracht zu ziehen. Aber was soll daran verwundern? Sind es deshalb „böse Menschen“? Sind die in „Forschungslaboren“ arbeitenden Quäler von „Versuchstieren“ böse Menschen? Sind der Schlächter, der Folterer und der Henker böse Menschen? Oder der knüppelnde Polizist? Es handelt sich zunächst einmal um Personen, die einen Vorteil dadurch haben, Ihrer Tätigkeit nachzugehen. Sie sind integrale Bestandteile eines Belohnungssystems, welches von oben nach unten Anweisungen gibt. Und wenn diese Anweisungen nicht befolgt werden, führt dies für den Befehlsverweigerer zu Konsequenzen.
**Der klare Verstand**
Es ist nun eine spannende Frage, warum so viele Menschen sich solch eine Behandlung gefallen lassen? Nun, das ist relativ einfach, denn das angepasste Verhalten der Vielen ist nichts anderes als ein Züchtungserfolg der Wenigen.
Die Psyche der Menschen ist ebenso akribisch erforscht worden wie deren Körperfunktionen. Würden die Menschen von den wirklich Mächtigen geliebt, dann würde genau gewusst, wie sie zu behandeln und mit ihren jeweiligen Bedürfnissen zu versorgen sind. Stattdessen werden die Menschen aber als eine Einnahmequelle betrachtet. Dies manifestiert sich exemplarisch in folgenden Bereichen:
1. Das Gesundheitssystem verdient nichts am gesunden Menschen, sondern nur am (dauerhaft) kranken, der um Schmerzlinderung bettelt. Bereits als Baby werden Menschen geimpft, was die jeweilige Gesundheit (mit Verweis auf die Werke von Anita Petek-Dimmer u. a.) nachhaltig negativ beeinflusst. Wer hat denn heute keine Krankheiten? Die „Experten“ des Gesundheitssystems verteufeln Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Lithium, die Sonne, Natur etc. und empfehlen stattdessen Präparate, die man patentieren konnte und mit denen die Hersteller viel Geld verdienen. Die Präparate heilen selten, sondern lindern bestenfalls zuvor künstlich erzeugte Leiden, und müssen oftmals dauerhaft eingenommen werden. Was ist aus den nicht Geimpften geworden, die alle sterben sollten? Sind diese nicht die einzigen Gesunden dieser Tage? Ist nicht jeder Geimpfte entweder permanent krank oder bereits tot? Abgesehen von denen, welche das Glück hatten, „Sonderchargen“ mit Kochsalz zu erhalten. \
\
Wem gehören die wesentlichen Player im Gesundheitswesen zu einem erheblichen Teil? Die Vermögensverwalter der wirklich Mächtigen.
2. Ähnlich gestaltet es sich bei der Ernährungsindustrie. Die von dort aus verabreichten Produkte sind die Ursachen für den Gesundheitszustand der deutschen Population. Das ist aber auch irgendwie logisch, denn wer sich nicht falsch ernährt und gesund bleibt, wird kein Kunde des Gesundheitswesens. \
\
Die Besitzverhältnisse in der Ernährungsindustrie ähneln denen im Gesundheitswesen, sodass am gleichen Kunden gearbeitet und verdient wird.
3. Die Aufzählung konnte nun über die meisten Branchen, in denen mit dem Elend der Menschen viel verdient werden kann, fortgesetzt werden. Waffen (BlackRock erhöhte beispielsweise seine Anteile an der Rheinmetall AG im Juni 2024 auf 5,25 Prozent. Der US-Vermögensverwalter ist damit der zweitgrößte Anteilseigner nach der französischen Großbank Société Générale.), Energie, Umwelt, Technologie, IT, Software, KI, Handel etc.
Wie genau Chemtrails und Technologien wie 5G auf den Menschen und die Tiere wirken, ist ebenfalls umstritten. Aber ist es nicht seltsam, wie krank, empathielos, antriebslos und aggressiv viele Menschen heute sind? Was genau verabreicht man der Berliner Polizei, damit diese ihre Prügelorgien auf den Rücken und in den Gesichtern der Menschen wahrnehmen, die friedlich ihre Demonstrationsrechte wahrnehmen? Und was erhalten die ganzen zugereisten „Fachkräfte“, die mit Ihren Autos in Menschenmengen rasen oder auch Kinder und Erwachsene niedermessern?
Das Titelbild dieses Beitrags zeigt einige Gebilde, welche regelmäßig bei Obduktionen von Geimpften in deren Blutgefäßen gefunden werden. Wie genau wirken diese kleinen Monster? Können wir Menschen ihr Unverständnis und ihr Nicht-Aufwachen vorwerfen, wenn wir erkennen, dass diese Menschen maximal vergiftet wurden? Oder sollten einfach Lösungen für die Probleme dieser Zeit auch ohne den Einbezug derer gefunden werden, die offenbar nicht mehr Herr ihrer Sinne sind?
**Die Ziele der wirklich Mächtigen**
Wer sich entsprechende Videosequenzen der Bilderberger, des WEF und anderen „Überorganisationen“ ansieht, der erkennt schnell das Muster:
* Reduzierung der Weltpopulation um ca. 80 Prozent
* Zusammenbruch der Wirtschaft, damit diese von den Konzernen übernommen werden kann.
* Zusammenbruch der öffentlichen Ordnung, um eine totale Entwaffnung und eine totale Überwachung durchsetzen zu können.
* Zusammenbruch der Regierungen, damit die Weltregierung übernehmen kann.
Es ist zu überdenken, ob die Weltregierung tatsächlich das für die Vielen beste Organisationssystem ist, oder ob die dezentrale Eigenorganisation der jeweils lokalen Bevölkerung nicht doch die bessere Option darstellt. Baustellen würden nicht nur begonnen, sondern auch schnell abgearbeitet. Jede Region könnte bestimmen, ob sie sich mit Chemtrails und anderen Substanzen besprühen lassen möchte. Und die Probleme in Barcelona könnte die Menschen dort viel besser lösen als irgendwelche wirklich Mächtigen in ihren Elfenbeintürmen. Die lokale Wirtschaft könnte wieder zurückkommen und mit dieser die Eigenständigkeit. Denn die den wirklich Mächtigen über ihre Vermögensverwalter gehörenden Großkonzerne haben offensichtlich nicht das Wohl der Bevölkerung im Fokus, sondern eher deren Ausbeutung.
Das Aussteigen aus dem System ist die wahre Herkulesaufgabe und es bedarf sicher Mut und Klugheit, sich dieser zu stellen. Die Politiker, die unverändert die Narrative der wirklich Mächtigen bedienen, sind hierfür denkbar ungeeignet, denn sie verfolgen kein Lebensmodell, welches sich von Liebe und Mitgefühl geleitet in den Dienst der Gesamtheit von Menschen, Tieren und Natur stellt.
Schauen Sie einmal genau hin, denken Sie nach und fühlen Sie mit.
**Was tun?**
Jedes System funktioniert nur so lange, wie es unterstützt wird. Somit stellt sich die Frage, wie viele Menschen das System ignorieren müssen, damit es kollabiert, und auf welche Weise dieses Ignorieren durchzuführen ist? Merkbar ist, dass die große Masse der Verwaltungsangestellten krank und oder unmotiviert und somit nicht wirksam ist. Würden die entsprechenden Stellen massiv belastet und parallel hierzu keine Einnahmen mehr realisieren, wäre ein Kollaps nah. Die Prügelpolizisten aus Berlin können nicht überall sein und normale Polizisten arbeiten nicht gegen unbescholtene Bürger, sondern sorgen sich selbst um ihre Zukunft. Gewalt ist sicher keine Lösung, und sicher auch nicht erforderlich.
Wie eine gerechte Verwaltungsform aufgebaut werden muss? Einfach so, wie sie in den hiesigen Gesetzen beschrieben steht. Aber eine solche Organisationsform muss frei sein von Blockparteien und korrupten Politikern und weisungsgebundenen Richtern etc. Stattdessen werden Menschen benötigt, welche die Menschen lieben und ihnen nicht schaden wollen. Außerdem sollten diese Führungspersonen auch wirklich etwas können, und nicht nur „Politiker“ ohne weitere Berufserfahrungen sein.
***
Ludwig F. Badenhagen (Pseudonym, Name ist der Redaktion bekannt).
*Der Autor hat deutsche Wurzeln und betrachtet das Geschehen in Deutschland und Europa aus seiner Wahlheimat Südafrika. Seine Informationen bezieht er aus verlässlichen Quellen und insbesondere von Menschen, die als „Verschwörungstheoretiker“, „Nazi“, „Antisemit“ sowie mit weiteren Kampfbegriffen der dortigen Systemakteure wie Politiker und „Journalisten“ diffamiert werden. Solche Diffamierungen sind für ihn ein Prädikatsmerkmal. Er ist international agierender Manager mit einem globalen Netzwerk und verfügt hierdurch über tiefe Einblicke in Konzerne und Politik.*
***
**Not yet on** **[Nostr](https://nostr.com/)** **and want the full experience?** Easy onboarding via **[Start.](https://start.njump.me/)**
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@ 41e6f20b:06049e45
2024-11-17 17:33:55
Let me tell you a beautiful story. Last night, during the speakers' dinner at Monerotopia, the waitress was collecting tiny tips in Mexican pesos. I asked her, "Do you really want to earn tips seriously?" I then showed her how to set up a Cake Wallet, and she started collecting tips in Monero, reaching 0.9 XMR. Of course, she wanted to cash out to fiat immediately, but it solved a real problem for her: making more money. That amount was something she would never have earned in a single workday. We kept talking, and I promised to give her Zoom workshops. What can I say? I love people, and that's why I'm a natural orange-piller.
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@ f3873798:24b3f2f3
2025-03-10 00:32:44
Recentemente, assisti a um vídeo que me fez refletir profundamente sobre o impacto da linguagem na hora de vender. No vídeo, uma jovem relatava sua experiência ao presenciar um vendedor de amendoim em uma agência dos Correios. O local estava cheio, as pessoas aguardavam impacientes na fila e, em meio a esse cenário, um homem humilde tentava vender seu produto. Mas sua abordagem não era estratégica; ao invés de destacar os benefícios do amendoim, ele suplicava para que alguém o ajudasse comprando. O resultado? Ninguém se interessou.

A jovem observou que o problema não era o produto, mas a forma como ele estava sendo oferecido. Afinal, muitas das pessoas ali estavam há horas esperando e perto do horário do almoço – o amendoim poderia ser um ótimo tira-gosto. No entanto, como a comunicação do vendedor vinha carregada de desespero, ele afastava os clientes ao invés de atraí-los. Esse vídeo me tocou profundamente.
No dia seguinte, ao sair para comemorar meu aniversário, vi um menino vendendo balas na rua, sob o sol forte. Assim como no caso do amendoim, percebi que as pessoas ao redor não se interessavam por seu produto. Ao se aproximar do carro, resolvi comprar dois pacotes. Mais do que ajudar, queria que aquele pequeno gesto servisse como incentivo para que ele continuasse acreditando no seu negócio.
Essa experiência me fez refletir ainda mais sobre o poder da comunicação em vendas. Muitas vezes, não é o produto que está errado, mas sim a forma como o vendedor o apresenta. Quando transmitimos confiança e mostramos o valor do que vendemos, despertamos o interesse genuíno dos clientes.
## Como a Linguagem Impacta as Vendas?

##### 1. O Poder da Abordagem Positiva
Em vez de pedir por ajuda, é importante destacar os benefícios do produto. No caso do amendoim, o vendedor poderia ter dito algo como:
"Que tal um petisco delicioso enquanto espera? Um amendoim fresquinho para matar a fome até o almoço!"
##### 2. A Emoção na Medida Certa
Expressar emoção é essencial, mas sem parecer desesperado. Os clientes devem sentir que estão adquirindo algo de valor, não apenas ajudando o vendedor.
##### 3. Conheça Seu Público
Entender o contexto é fundamental. Se as pessoas estavam com fome e impacientes, uma abordagem mais objetiva e focada no benefício do produto poderia gerar mais vendas.
##### 4. Autoconfiança e Postura
Falar com firmeza e segurança transmite credibilidade. O vendedor precisa acreditar no próprio produto antes de convencer o cliente a comprá-lo.
### Conclusão
Vender é mais do que apenas oferecer um produto – é uma arte que envolve comunicação, percepção e estratégia. Pequenos ajustes na abordagem podem transformar completamente os resultados. Se o vendedor de amendoim tivesse apresentado seu produto de outra maneira, talvez tivesse vendido tudo rapidamente. Da mesma forma, se cada um de nós aprender a se comunicar melhor em nossas próprias áreas, poderemos alcançar muito mais sucesso.
E você? Já passou por uma experiência parecida?
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@ 732c6a62:42003da2
2025-03-09 22:36:26
Não são recentes as táticas da esquerda de tentar reprimir intelectualmente seus opositores na base do deboche, da ironia, do desprezo e do boicote à credibilidade. Até Marx usava ironia para chamar os críticos de "burgueses iludidos". A diferença é que, no século XXI, trocaram o manifesto comunista por threads no Twitter e a dialética por memes de mau gosto.
### **A Falácia da Superioridade Moral**
O debate sobre o "pobre de direita" no Brasil é contaminado por uma premissa tácita da esquerda: **a ideia de que classes baixas só podem ter consciência política se aderirem a pautas progressistas**. Quem ousa divergir é tratado como "traidor de classe", "manipulado", "ignorante", ou até vítimas de deboches como alguma pessoa com um qi em temperatura ambiente repetir diversas vezes "não é possível que ainda exista pobre de direita", "nunca vou entender pobre de direita", ou "pobre de direita é muito burro, rico eu até entendo", como se o autor dessas frases fosse o paladino dos mais oprimidos e pobres. Esse discurso, porém, não resiste a uma análise empírica, histórica ou sociológica.
---
### **Contexto Histórico: A Esquerda e o Mito do "Voto Consciente"**
A noção de que o pobre deve votar na esquerda por "interesse de classe" é herança do **marxismo ortodoxo**, que via a política como mero reflexo da posição econômica. No entanto, a realidade é mais complexa:
- **Dados do Latinobarómetro (2022):** 41% dos brasileiros de baixa renda (até 2 salários mínimos) apoiam redução de impostos e maior liberdade econômica — pautas tradicionalmente associadas à direita.
- **Pesquisa IPEC (2023):** 58% dos pobres brasileiros priorizam "segurança pública" como principal demanda, acima de "distribuição de renda".
Esses números não são acidentais. Refletem uma **mudança estrutural**: o pobre moderno não é mais o "operário industrial" do século XX, mas um empreendedor informal, motorista de app, ou microempresário — figuras que valorizam autonomia e rejeitam paternalismo estatal. Eles dizem não entender o pobre de direita e que nunca vai entendê-los, mas o fato é que não entendem porque **nunca conversaram com um sem fazer cara de psicólogo de posto de saúde**. Sua "preocupação" é só uma máscara para esconder o desprezo por quem ousa pensar diferente do seu manual de "oprimido ideal".
## **Se ainda não entenderam:**
**Direita ≠ rico:** Tem gente que trabalha 12h/dia e vota em liberal porque quer **ser dono do próprio negócio**, não pra pagar mais taxação pra você postar meme no Twitter.
**Acham que são o Sherlock Holmes da pobreza:** o palpite de que "o pobre é manipulado" é tão raso quanto sua compreensão de economia básica.
---
### **A Psicologia por Trás do Voto Conservador nas Periferias**
A esquerda atribui o voto pobre em direita a "falta de educação" ou "manipulação midiática". Essa tese é não apenas elitista, mas **cientificamente falsa**:
**Análise Psicológica Básica (para você que se acha o Paulo Freire):**
- **Síndrome do Branco Salvador:** Acha que o pobre é uma criatura tão frágil que precisa de você pra pensar. Spoiler: ele não precisa.
- **Viés da Superioridade Moral:** "Se você é pobre e não concorda comigo, você é burro". Parabéns, recriou a escravidão intelectual.
- **Efeito Dunning-Kruger:** Não sabe o que é CLT, mas dá palpite sobre reforma trabalhista.
- **Estudo da Universidade de São Paulo (USP, 2021):** Entre moradores de favelas, 63% associam políticas de segurança dura (como "bandido bom é bandido morto") à proteção de seus negócios e famílias. Para eles, a esquerda é "branda demais" com o crime.
- **Pesquisa FGV (2020):** 71% dos trabalhadores informais rejeitam aumentos de impostos, mesmo que para financiar programas sociais. Motivo: já sofrem com a burocracia estatal para legalizar seus negócios.
Esses dados revelam uma **racionalidade prática**: o pobre avalia políticas pelo impacto imediato em sua vida, não por abstrações ideológicas. Enquanto a esquerda fala em "reforma estrutural" e tenta importar discursos estrangeiros para debate, por exemplo, o tema irrelevante do pronome neutro, ele quer resolver problemas como:
- **Violência** (que afeta seu comércio);
- **Impostos** (que consomem até 40% do lucro de um camelô);
- **Burocracia** (que impede a legalização de sua barraca de pastel).
---
### **Religião, Valores e a Hipocrisia do "Ateísmo de Redes Sociais"**
A esquerda subestima o papel da religião na formação política das classes baixas. No Brasil, **76% dos evangélicos são pobres** (Datafolha, 2023), e suas igrejas promovem valores como:
- **Família tradicional** (contra pautas progressistas como ideologia de gênero em escolas);
- **Auto-responsabilidade** (ênfase em "trabalho duro" em vez de assistencialismo).
**Exemplo Concreto:**
Nas favelas de São Paulo, pastores evangélicos são frequentemente eleitos a cargos locais com plataformas anticrime e pró-mercado. Para seus eleitores, a esquerda urbana (que defende descriminalização de drogas e críticas à polícia) representa uma **ameaça ao seu estilo de vida**.
---
### **A Esquerda e seu Desprezo pela Autonomia do Pobre**
O cerne do debate é a **incapacidade da esquerda de aceitar que o pobre possa ser autônomo**. Algumas evidências:
#### **O Caso dos Empreendedores Informais**
- **Segundo o IBGE (2023), 40% dos trabalhadores brasileiros estão na informalidade.** Muitos veem o Estado como obstáculo, não aliado. Políticas de direita (como simplificação tributária) são mais atraentes para eles que o Bolsa Família.
#### **A Ascensão do Conservadorismo Periférico**
- Pessoas assim tem um pensamento simples. Sua mensagem: *"Queremos empreender, não depender de político."*
#### **A Rejeição ao "Vitimismo"**
- **Pesquisa Atlas Intel (2022):** 68% dos pobres brasileiros rejeitam o termo "vítima da sociedade". Preferem ser vistos como "lutadores".
---
### **A projeção freudiana "o pobre é burro porque eu sou inteligente"**
O deboche esquerdista esconde um complexo de inferioridade disfarçado de superioridade moral. É a **Síndrome do Salvador** em sua forma mais patética:
- **Passo 1:** Assume-se que o pobre é um ser desprovido de agência.
- **Passo 2:** Qualquer desvio da narrativa é atribuído a "manipulação da elite".
- **Passo 3:** Quem critica o processo é chamado de "fascista".
**Exemplo Prático:**
Quando uma empregada doméstica diz que prefere o livre mercado a programas sociais, a esquerda não pergunta *"por quê?"* — ela grita *"lavagem cerebral!"*. A ironia? Essa mesma esquerda defende a **autonomia feminina**, exceto quando a mulher é pobre e pensa diferente.
### **Dados Globais: O Fenômeno Não é Brasileiro**
A ideia de que "pobre de direita" é uma anomalia é desmentida por evidências internacionais:
- **Estados Unidos:** 38% dos eleitores com renda abaixo de US$ 30k/ano votaram em Trump em 2020 (Pew Research).
Motivos principais: conservadorismo social e rejeição a impostos. A esquerda: "vítimas da falsa consciência".
Mais um detalhe: na última eleição de 2024, grande parte da classe "artística" milionária dos Estados Unidos, figuras conhecidas, promoveram em peso a Kamala Harris, do Partido Democrata. Percebe como a esquerda atual é a personificaçãoda burguesia e de só pensar na própria barriga?
- **Argentina:** Javier Milei, libertário radical, quando candidato, tinha forte apoio nas *villas miseria* (favelas). Seu lema — *"O estado é um parasita"* — ressoa entre quem sofria com inflação de 211% ao ano.
- **Índia:** O partido BJP (direita nacionalista) domina entre os pobres rurais, que associam a esquerda a elites urbanas desconectadas de suas necessidades.
### **A história que a esquerda tenta apagar: pobres de direita existem desde sempre**
A esquerda age como se o "pobre de direita" fosse uma invenção recente do MBL, mas a realidade é que **classes baixas conservadoras são regra, não exceção**, na história mundial:
- **Revolução Francesa (1789):** Camponeses apoiaram a monarquia contra os jacobinos urbanos que queriam "libertá-los".
- **Brasil Imperial:** Escravos libertos que viraram pequenos proprietários rurais rejeitavam o abolicionismo radical — queriam integração, não utopia.
**Tradução:**
Quando o pobre não segue o script, a esquerda inventa teorias conspiratórias.
---
### **A Hipocrisia da Esquerda Urbana e Universitária**
Enquanto acusa o pobre de direita de "alienado", a esquerda brasileira é dominada por uma **elite desconectada da realidade periférica**:
- **Perfil Socioeconômico:** 82% dos filiados ao PSOL têm ensino superior completo (TSE, 2023). Apenas 6% moram em bairros periféricos.
- **Prioridades Descoladas:** Enquanto o pobre debate segurança e custo de vida, a esquerda pauta discussões como "linguagem não-binária em editais públicos" — tema irrelevante para quem luta contra o desemprego. Os grandes teóricos comunistas se reviram no túmulo quando veem o que a esquerda se tornou: não debatem os reais problemas do Brasil, e sim sobre suas próprias emoções.
*"A esquerda brasileira trocou o operário pelo influencer progressista. O pobre virou um personagem de campanha, não um interlocutor real."*
### **A diversidade de pensamento que a esquerda não suporta**
A esquerda prega diversidade — desde que você seja diverso dentro de um **checklist pré-aprovado**. Pobre LGBTQ+? Herói. Pobre evangélico? Fascista. Pobre que abre MEI? "Peão do capitalismo". A realidade é que favelas e periferias são **microcosmos de pluralidade ideológica**, algo que assusta quem quer reduzir seres humanos a estereótipos.
---
### **Respostas aos Argumentos Esquerdistas (e Por que Falham)**
#### **"O pobre de direita é manipulado pela mídia!"**
- **Contradição:** Se a mídia tradicional é dominada por elites (como alegam), por que grandes veículos são abertamente progressistas? A Record (evangélica) é exceção, não regra.
**Contradição Central:**
Como explicar que, segundo o **Banco Mundial (2023)**, países com maior liberdade econômica (ex.: Chile, Polônia) reduziram a pobreza extrema em 60% nas últimas décadas, enquanto modelos estatizantes (ex.: Venezuela, Argentina com o governo peronista) afundaram na miséria? Simples: a esquerda prefere culpar o "neoliberalismo" a admitir que **o pobre com o mínimo de consciência quer emprego, não esmola**.
**Dado que Machuca:**
- 71% das mulheres da periferia rejeitam o feminismo radical, associando-o a "prioridades distantes da realidade" (**Instituto Locomotiva, 2023**).
#### **"Ele vota contra os próprios interesses!"**
- **Falácia:** Pressupõe que a esquerda define o que é o "interesse do pobre". Para um pai de família na Cidade de Deus, ter a boca de fogo fechada pode ser mais urgente que um aumento de 10% no Bolsa Família.
O pobre de direita não é uma anomalia. É o **produto natural de um mundo complexo** onde seres humanos têm aspirações, medos e valores diversos. Enquanto a esquerda insiste em tratá-lo como um projeto fracassado, ele está ocupado:
- **Trabalhando** para não depender do governo.
- **Escolhendo** religiões que dão sentido à sua vida.
- **Rejeitando** pautas identitárias que não resolvem o custo do gás de cozinha.
#### **"É falta de educação política!"**
- **Ironia:** Nos países nórdicos (modelo da esquerda), as classes baixas são as mais conservadoras. Educação não correlaciona com progressismo.
---
### **Por que o Debuste Precisa Acabar**
A insistência em descredibilizar o pobre de direita revela um **projeto de poder fracassado**. A esquerda, ao substituir diálogo por deboche, perdeu a capacidade de representar quem mais precisaria dela. Enquanto isso, a direita — nem sempre por virtude, mas por pragmatismo — capturou o descontentamento de milhões com o status quo.
O pobre de direita existe porque ele **não precisa da permissão do rico de esquerda para pensar**. A incapacidade de entender isso só prova que **a esquerda é a nova aristocracia**.
**Último Dado:** Nas eleições de 2022, Tarcísio de Freitas (direita) venceu em 72% das favelas de São Paulo. O motivo? Seu discurso anti-burocracia e pró-microempreendedor.
A mensagem é clara: o pobre não é um projeto ideológico. É um agente político autônomo — e quem não entender isso continuará perdendo eleições.
A esquerda elitista não odeia o pobre de direita por ele ser "irracional". Odeia porque ele **desafia o monopólio moral** que ela construiu sobre a miséria alheia. Enquanto isso, o pobre segue sua vida, ignorando os berros de quem acha que sabem mais da sua vida que ele mesmo.
**Pergunta Retórica (Para Incomodar):**
Se a esquerda é tão sábia, por que não usa essa sabedoria para entender que **pobre também cansa de ser tratado como cachorro que late no ritmo errado**?
---
# **Fontes Citadas:**
1. Latinobarómetro (2022)
2. IPEC (2023)
3. USP (2021): *"Segurança Pública e Percepções nas Favelas Cariocas"*
4. FGV (2020): *"Informalidade e Tributação no Brasil"*
5. Datafolha (2023): *"Perfil Religioso do Eleitorado Brasileiro"*
6. Atlas Intel (2022): *"Autopercepção das Classes Baixas"*
7. Pew Research (2020): *"Voting Patterns by Income in the U.S."*
8. TSE (2023): *"Perfil Socioeconômico dos Filiados Partidários"*
**Leitura Recomendada para Esquerdistas:**
- *"Fome de Poder: Por que o Pobre Brasileiro Abandonou a Esquerda"* (Fernando Schüller, 2023)
- *"A Revolução dos Conservadores: Religião e Política nas Periferias"* (Juliano Spyer, 2021)
- *"Direita e Esquerda: Razões e Paixões"* (Demétrio Magnoli, 2019)
-

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1
2024-11-08 08:08:30
## You have no idea
I regularly read comments from people, on here, wondering how it's possible to marry -- or even simply be friends! -- with someone who doesn't agree with you on politics. I see this sentiment expressed quite often, usually in the context of Bitcoin, or whatever _pig is currently being chased through the village_, as they say around here.

It seems rather sensible, but I don't think it's as hard, as people make it out to be. Further, I think it's a dangerous precondition to set, for your interpersonal relationships, because the political field is constantly in flux. If you determine who you will love, by their opinions, do you stop loving them if their opinions change, or if the opinions they have become irrelevant and a new set of opinions are needed -- and their new ones don't match your new ones? We could see this happen to relationships en masse, during the Covid Era, and I think it happens every day, in a slow grind toward the disintegration of interpersonal discourse.
I suspect many people do stop loving, at that point, as they never really loved the other person for their own sake, they loved the other person because they thought the other person was exactly like they are. But no two people are alike, and the longer you are in a relationship with someone else, the more the initial giddiness wears off and the trials and tribulations add up, the more you notice how very different you actually are. This is the point, where best friends and romantic couples say, _We just grew apart._
But you were always apart. You were always two different people. You just didn't notice, until now.

I've also always been surprised at how many same-party relationships disintegrate because of some disagreement over some particular detail of some particular topic, that they generally agree on. To me, it seems like an irrelevant side-topic, but _they can't stand to be with this person_... and they stomp off. So, I tend to think that it's less that opinions need to align to each other, but rather than opinions need to align in accordance with the level of interpersonal tolerance they can bring into the relationship.
## I was raised by relaxed revolutionaries
Maybe I see things this way because my parents come from two diverging political, cultural, national, and ethnic backgrounds, and are prone to disagreeing about a lot of "important" (to people outside their marriage) things, but still have one of the healthiest, most-fruitful, and most long-running marriages of anyone I know, from that generation. My parents, you see, aren't united by their opinions. They're united by their relationship, which is something _outside_ of opinions. Beyond opinions. Relationships are what turn two different people into one, cohesive unit, so that they slowly grow together. Eventually, even their faces merge, and their biological clocks tick to the same rhythm. They eventually become one entity that contains differing opinions about the same topics.
It's like magic, but it's the result of a mindset, not a worldview.
Or, as I like to quip:
> The best way to stay married, is to not get divorced.

My parents simply determined early on, that they would stay together, and whenever they would find that they disagreed on something that _didn't directly pertain to their day-to-day existence with each other_ they would just agree-to-disagree about that, or roll their eyes, and move on. You do you. Live and let live.
My parents have some of the most strongly held personal opinions of any people I've ever met, but they're also incredibly tolerant and can get along with nearly anyone, so their friends are a confusing hodgepodge of _people we liked and found interesting enough to keep around_. Which makes their house parties really fun, and highly unusual, in this day and age of mutual-damnation across the aisle.

The things that did affect them, directly, like which school the children should attend or which country they should live in, etc. were things they'd sit down and discuss, and somehow one opinion would emerge, and they'd again... move on.
And that's how my husband and I also live our lives, and it's been working surprisingly well. No topics are off-limits to discussion (so long as you don't drone on for too long), nobody has to give up deeply held beliefs, or stop agitating for the political decisions they prefer.
You see, we didn't like that the other always had the same opinion. We liked that the other always held their opinions strongly. That they were passionate about their opinions. That they were willing to voice their opinions; sacrifice to promote their opinions. And that they didn't let anyone browbeat or cow them, for their opinions, not even their best friends or their spouse. But that they were open to listening to the other side, and trying to wrap their mind around the possibility that they _might just be wrong about something_.

We married each other because we knew: this person really cares, this person has thought this through, and they're in it, to win it. What "it" is, is mostly irrelevant, so long as it doesn't entail torturing small animals in the basement, or raising the children on a diet of Mountain Dew and porn, or something.
Live and let live. At least, it's never boring. At least, there's always something to ~~argue~~ talk about. At least, we never think... we've just grown apart.
-

@ bcbb3e40:a494e501
2025-03-31 15:34:12
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/thiriart-joven-europa-missiaggia/)|
|:-:|
|[MISSIAGGIA, Pietro; _Jean Thiriart, el caballero euroasiático y la Joven Europa_; Hipérbola Janus, 2025](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/thiriart-joven-europa-missiaggia/)|
Desde nuestros inicios los autores y temáticas relacionadas con la geopolítica nos han procurado atención e interés por parte del gran público y de los *mass media*, y no hay más que recordar el efecto que han venido teniendo nuestras obras de [**Aleksandr Duguin**](https://hiperbolajanus.com/firmas/aleksandr-g.-duguin/), en especial [*La geopolítica de Rusia*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/libros/geopolitica-rusia-aleksandr-duguin/) y [*Proyecto Eurasia: teoría y praxis*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/libros/proyecto-eurasia-aleksandr-duguin/), sobre todo a raíz de [nuestra presentación en Casa de Rusia](https://youtu.be/rsp-FMmSPJE) en un ya lejano 2016, con la inestimable colaboración de [**Jordi de la Fuente**](https://hiperbolajanus.com/firmas/jordi-de-la-fuente-miro/) como prologuista, trabajo que siempre reivindicamos desde nuestros medios por el prestigio, la calidad y brillantez de exposición del mismo.
Más allá de las obras del prestigioso y afamado filósofo y politólogo ruso, también hemos realizado otras incursiones en esta vertiente, que podríamos llamar «geopolítica alternativa», introduciendo las obras de otros notables autores como [**Claudio Mutti**](https://amzn.to/3RfXOUZ), [**Carlo Terracciano**](https://amzn.to/4iq9mkA) o [**Boris Nad**](https://amzn.to/3Fv98tT). Con estos autores hemos tratado de profundizar en esa vía que se opone frontalmente, y radicalmente si se quiere, a los planteamientos derivados de la geopolítica atlantista y liberal que tiene su principal polo en Estados Unidos, haciendo especial hincapié en el subyugamiento que vienen ejerciendo desde 1945 en adelante respecto a una Europa convertida en un protectorado en una mera colonia.
Es por este motivo por el que la publicación de _Jean Thiriart, el caballero euroasiático y la Joven Europa_ nos parece una obra totalmente pertinente en estos momentos, forma parte del desarrollo lógico de la línea editorial en la que estamos encauzados desde nuestros inicios, y viene a representar una de las múltiples vías en las que confluye la idea, [profundamente schmittiana](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/tierra-mar-katechon/), de la política de los grandes espacios. En este caso la idea de una Europa unida, bajo un vasto proyecto que traspasa los estrechos límites del continente concebido como un apéndice más del [«Occidente», de ese subproducto ideológico decadente y funcional a los intereses del otro lado del Atlántico](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/presentacion-despues-virus-boris-nad/). Para comprender la idea de una Europa unida, que comprenda a Rusia, y su enorme extensión territorial a lo largo de 17 millones de kilómetros cuadrados, y la importancia estratégica de su ubicación, es necesario recurrir al legado de **Jean Thiriart**, conocer su obra, pero también al hombre, pues una no se comprende sin el otro, en este caso hablamos de elementos correlativos.
||
|:-:|
|Jean Thiriart (1922-1992)|
¿Pero quién fue Jean Thiriart? Esta obra nos permite adentrarnos en aspectos biográficos, algunos de ellos poco conocidos para el gran público de habla hispana, y saber de su trayectoria, de la maduración de sus ideas, de su proyecto político y de las etapas que componen el desarrollo del mismo y que aparecen claramente diferenciadas: hablamos del proyecto político de unidad europea, que alcanza su concreción teórica en *¡Arriba Europa!: Una Europa unida: un imperio de 400 millones de hombres* (1965, Editorial Mateu, Barcelona), en pleno apogeo de la organización *Jeune Europe*, que se convirtió en el órgano político a partir del cual creyó poder implementar su proyecto unitario a escala europeo, manteniendo una posición de independencia respecto a los dos pretendidos bloques antagónicos de Guerra Fría: Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética. En esa época, estamos hablando del ecuador de los años 60, [todo el mundo de la Contracultura](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/mito-contracultura/), falsamente contestatario, estaba articulando su propio discurso, que tendría su expresión más nítida a través del ya conocido Mayo del 68 francés o la Primavera de Praga, durante el mismo año. Y si el movimiento de Nueva Derecha liderado por **Alain de Benoist** surgiría en lo sucesivo, ya en la década de los años 70, como una «reacción» frente a la «rebelión contracultural», no podemos obviar la importancia de un movimiento político como *Jeune Europe*, una organización política transnacional, a escala de la Europa occidental, con sus diferentes delegaciones en países como Francia, Italia, Alemania, la propia España además de, como es obvio, Bélgica, país de origen de nuestro autor.
Jean Thiriart ha sido etiquetado con reiteración como un político y teórico de «extrema derecha», se han hecho numerosos discursos interesados para vincularlo, por cuestiones de orden biográfico muy circunscritas a determinado periodo, con el fascismo y el nacionalsocialismo de entreguerras. Sin embargo, y como el lector podrá descubrir a lo largo de la presente obra, el pensamiento de nuestro autor está muy lejos de ser reducible a meras etiquetas, y en ningún caso mostró las filiaciones que se le atribuyen desde posicionamientos ideológicos, sino que, muy al contrario, vemos a un hombre de pensamiento racional y pragmático, poderosamente influenciado por la geopolítica y abierto a alianzas estratégicas más variadas, más allá de todo fundamentalismo ideológico. Es por este motivo que veremos a un Thiriart buscando sinergias y entendimiento entre círculos de izquierdas, antiimperialistas en una lucha concebida como «cuatricontinental». No en vano, muchos de los cuadros políticos que se formaron en *Giovane Europa*, la rama italiana, terminaron por militar incluso en organizaciones de extrema izquierda de inspiración maoísta. En el caso de España hubo un notable apoyo a la organización por parte de los falangistas más disidentes. De manera que Jean Thiriart representa una figura política compleja, con influencias variadas, que van desde los hermanos **Strasser**, pasando por **Ernst Niekish** o **Vilfredo Pareto**, e incluso, por **Sieyès** o **Robespierre**.
Es a partir de *Jeune Europe* cuando el nacionalismo europeo, la idea de una Europa unida desde Brest a Bucarest toma cuerpo. En la obra mencionada con anterioridad (*¡Arriba Europa!: Una Europa unida: un imperio de 400 millones de hombres*) Jean Thiriart ya nos presenta a través de unos trazos muy definidos el proyecto del comunitarismo nacional-europeo, la piedra angular de su proyecto político. La idea de un socialismo aristocrático y europeo, trascendiendo las fronteras del Estado-nación liberal decimonónico, y los particularismos nacionales, concebidos como formas obsoletas y «estrechas de miras», obstáculos a superar en la convergencia del Imperio europeo. Porque vemos a un Thiriart que potencia la estructura del Estado, del aparato de poder, tratando de potenciar, y restaurar naturalmente, el papel y la preponderancia de Europa como espacio de civilización en el mundo. Es un nacionalismo europeo que viene determinado por razones puramente geopolíticas, algo que también fue objeto de críticas, concretamente por parte del geopolítico austriaco **Heinrich von Lohausen**, y que también recogemos en el presente volúmen de la obra.
||
|:-:|
|Ejemplar de una de las publicaciones más importantes de Joven Europa (Jeune Europe) cuya portada refleja el antiamericanismo y antiimperialismo característicos del nacionalismo europeo de la organización.|
En este sentido, Thiriart no andaba nada desencaminado, en la medida que pensaba que solo los Estados de dimensiones continentales podrían ser capaces de defender su independencia y soberanía, y ejercer un poder en el mundo, frente a los antiguos nacionalismos europeos, totalmente anacrónicos y un factor de ruptura y desintegración del potencial europeo. En este contexto, se hace necesario eliminar el orden establecido en Yalta en 1945, que convierte a Europa en un vasallo de las grandes potencias vencedoras de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. De modo que luchar contra la ocupación estadounidense por un lado, y soviética por otro lado, fuese el principal *leitmotiv* del Partido Revolucionario Europeo, un partido histórico señala Thiriart, encargado de llevar a término la acción unificadora continental. Y es con este propósito con el que se tratan de concertar una serie de alianzas internacionales que llevó a Thiriart y su organización a tratar con personal diplomático y gubernamental de los países árabes no alineados, del régimen de **Fidel Castro** o incluso con emisarios del gobierno chino, como ocurrió en el famoso encuentro propiciado por **Ceaucescu** en Bucarest con **Zhou En-Lai**.
Quizás, uno de los puntos donde más desacuerdos encontramos con las teorías thiriartianas se encuentra en ciertos fundamentos que la articulan, en un modelo racionalista, materialista y pragmático, de hecho no debemos olvidar que **Maquiavelo** era uno de sus referentes, y con éste la posterior hornada de autores neomaquiavélicos como Vilfredo Pareto. El excesivo pragmatismo de sus planteamientos, un estatalismo exacerbado y sin concesiones a las particularidades de los pueblos, una suerte de centralismo jacobino, y la ausencia de un elemento trascendente capaz de dar una justificación metafísica a todo el proyecto nacional europeo constituyen, en nuestra opinión, una parte discutible y reformulable.
En otro terreno, como pueda ser el puramente económico, encontramos un proyecto anticapitalista en muchos de sus aspectos, frente al democratismo parlamentario liberal, y apoyándose en las teorías económicas de **Johann G. Fichte** o **Friedrich List**, rechazando cualquier organización económica transnacional que pueda mediatizar o convertir a Europa en objeto de sus actividades usurocráticas y depredatorias, colocando la soberanía e independencia económica europea en una de las máximas prioridades en este terreno.
Debemos destacar, porque es un elemento de debate especialmente interesante, el apartado del libro que se corresponde al escrito de **Luc Michel**, publicado en Italia bajo el título *Da Jeune Europe alle Brigate Rosse*, en el libro *Parte II Historia de Jeune Europe (1962-1969)*, en el que se detallan las colaboraciones que comenzaron a sucederse entre la militancia de la delegación italiana, *Giovane Europa*, y círculos de extrema izquierda maoísta, y cómo muchos de los antiguos militantes nacional-europeos terminaron militando en organizaciones de esta facción ideológica, y nos referimos a casos tan representativos en la época como **Claudio Orsoni** o **Pino Bolzano** entre otros muchos.
La actividad proselitista de *Jeune Europe* en el último lustro de la década de los años 60, con la fundación del Partido Comunitario Europeo, nos legó una gran cantidad de publicaciones, entre las cuales destacaron *La Nation Européenne*, *La Nazione Europea* o *Europa Combattente*, cuyas portadas han servido para ilustrar las páginas interiores de nuestra obra, y que procuraron una actividad proselitista y de difusión de ideas que llegaron a imprimir semanal y mensualmente varios miles de ejemplares en Francia o en Italia.
Tras agotar todas las vías posibles de alianzas y convergencias, con encuentros poco afortunados, vemos a un Thiriart que prefiere adoptar otras vías para seguir construyendo el proyecto nacional-europeo más allá de la fórmula activista y del partido político. Este es el motivo por el cual, en los siguientes años, ya en la última etapa de su vida, veremos esa transición del político activista al teórico y al ideólogo como parte de una nueva estrategia dentro del proyecto político al que consagró buena parte de su vida, y es un hecho que comienza a apreciarse desde mediados de los años 70. Durante esta época la «Europa de Brest a Bucarest» se transforma y amplía en una «Europa desde Dublín a Vladivostok». Thiriart aborda ya abiertamente la integración del espacio soviético en una Europa unida que abarca un inmenso espacio territorial, capaz de unir el Océano Atlántico y el Océano Pacífico de un extremo a otro, el «Imperio Eurosoviético». No obstante, Thiriart siempre piensa en términos geopolíticos, y considera que este proceso de integración debe llevarse a cabo desde una revisión de la ideología soviética, desde una marcada desmarxistización de su socialismo, purgado de todo dogmatismo y elementos condicionantes derivados de la teoría del Estado formulada por el marxismo-leninismo para tomar en su lugar aquella de **Thomas Hobbes**.
A partir de este momento solamente hay un enemigo, el que representa el poder estadounidense y el dominio que éste ejerce sobre la Europa occidental. A partir de ese momento la URSS, bajo las premisas apuntadas por Thiriart, y desde una ideología soviética «desmarxistizada», es la que debe asumir el proyecto de integración europea. Todo este enfoque terminará conociendo su colofón final al final de la vida de Jean Thiriart, cuando éste se encuentre ya en sus último año de vida, en 1992, con una Unión Soviética ya periclitada y disuelta, con un país sumido en una crisis económica, política y social bajo el gobierno decadente de **Yeltsin**, con un poder notablemente menguado y a merced de las potencias extranjeras y las apetencias de las organizaciones financieras transnacionales. En este contexto tendrá lugar el conocido viaje de Jean Thiriart a Moscú, donde se encontrará, además de con la disidencia de Yeltsin, encabezada por el Partido Comunista dirigido por **Gennadij Ziuganov** y numerosas personalidades públicas del ámbito ruso, entre las que destacará por encima de todos el filósofo y politólogo **Aleksandr Duguin**, quien en la presente obra también reivindica la figura del belga como un contribuidor directo del [pensamiento euroasiático](https://amzn.to/3FsF3Lr). Además de medios de prensa, políticos e intelectuales rusos, nuestro autor también compartirá espacio con una pequeña delegación de la revista italiana «Orion», especializada en temática geopolítica, y representada por el padre de la geopolítica italiana, Carlo Terracciano. El encuentro no tendrá mayores consecuencias, y vendrá a significar el último acto de servicio de Jean Thiriart en su denodado esfuerzo por lograr la integración de Europa y Rusia en un poderoso bloque geopolítico capaz de hacer frente a la hegemonía estadounidense en el mundo.
Terminaremos este breve y sintético escrito de presentación con un fragmento de la obra que Jean Thiriart publicó en 1965 bajo el título *¡Arriba Europa!: Una Europa unida: un imperio de 400 millones de hombres*, que nos parece de lo más adecuado para poner el punto final al presente texto:
> Europa, este **MILAGRO** en la historia del hombre, este milagro que siguió al milagro griego, ha dado vida, con la prodigiosa fecundidad de su civilización irrepetible, a una cultura adoptada por el mundo entero. En la competencia surgida entre las grandes civilizaciones —occidental, india, china y japonesa— la nuestra ha aplastado a las demás.
>
> La **civilización** es creadora de cultura. La cultura, en cambio, jamás ha creado civilización.
>
> **SOLO** Europa posee la civilización; de ahí deriva su supremacía sobre los Estados Unidos y la Rusia comunista, que poseen únicamente la cultura nacida de nuestra civilización, como ha demostrado magistralmente Oswald Spengler.
>
> Esta cultura, separada de su civilización, está condenada a la esterilidad, la cual se manifestará primero mediante una esclerosis y, posteriormente, mediante un retorno a la barbarie.
>
> Políticamente dominada por Moscú o por Washington, la civilización europea se ve asfixiada y corre el riesgo de estancarse en su estado de simple cultura. Basta notar que todos los descubrimientos en el campo nuclear y astronáutico son obra de europeos. Todos buscan a los científicos europeos.
>
> Solo una Europa políticamente unida puede proveer los medios de poder que garantizarán las condiciones históricas indispensables para la supervivencia de esta civilización.
>
> Ninguna otra potencia, por otra parte, podría sustituir a Europa en su misión hacia la humanidad.
---
**Artículo original**: Hipérbola Janus, [_Presentación de «Jean Thiriart, el caballero euroasiático y la Joven Europa», de Pietro Missiaggia_](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/posts/presentacion-thiriart-missiaggia/) [**(TOR)**](http://hiperbolam7t46pbl2fiqzaarcmw6injdru4nh2pwuhrkoub3263mpad.onion/posts/presentacion-thiriart-missiaggia/), 18/Mar/2025
-

@ 3ffac3a6:2d656657
2025-03-08 23:07:57
Recently, I found an old **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** at home that I used for Bitcoin mining back in 2013. Out of curiosity and nostalgia, I decided to try getting it to work again. I spent an entire afternoon configuring the device and, after much trial and error, discovered that I needed an older version of **CGMiner** to make it work.
The **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** was one of the first ASIC devices designed for Bitcoin mining. Although obsolete for competitive mining, it can still be used for learning, nostalgia, or experimentation. In this post, I’ll show you how to run a **Block Erupter USB** on Linux today.
## 1. Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have:
- A **Sapphire Block Erupter USB**
- A powered USB hub (optional but recommended)
- A computer running **Linux** (Ubuntu, Debian, or another compatible distribution)
- A mining pool account (e.g., Slush Pool, KanoPool, etc.)
## 2. Installing Dependencies
Before running the miner, install some dependencies:
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git build-essential autoconf automake libtool pkg-config libusb-1.0-0-dev
```
## 3. Determining the Compatible Version of CGMiner
To find the correct **CGMiner** version that still supports Block Erupter USB, I performed a **binary search** across different versions, testing each one until I found the last one that properly recognized the device. The result was that **version 3.4.3** is the most recent one that still supports Block Erupters. However, different versions of these devices may require different CGMiner versions.
## 4. Downloading and Compiling CGMiner
**CGMiner** is one of the software options compatible with Block Erupters. You can download the correct version from two trusted sources:
- From the official repository: [CGMiner v3.4.3 on GitHub](https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer/archive/refs/tags/v3.4.3.tar.gz)
- Alternatively, from this mirror: [CGMiner v3.4.3 on Haven](https://haven.girino.org/3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b.tgz)
To ensure file integrity, verify the **SHA-256 hash**:
```
3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b
```
Now, download and extract it:
```bash
wget https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer/archive/refs/tags/v3.4.3.tar.gz
# Or, alternatively:
wget https://haven.girino.org/3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b.tgz
sha256sum v3.4.3.tar.gz # Confirm that the hash matches
# Extract the file
tar -xvf v3.4.3.tar.gz
cd cgminer-3.4.3
# Compile CGMiner
./autogen.sh --enable-icarus
make -j$(nproc)
# Install on the system (optional)
sudo make install
```
## 5. Connecting the Block Erupter USB
Plug the device into a USB port and check if it is recognized:
```bash
dmesg | grep USB
lsusb
```
You should see something like:
```
Bus 003 Device 004: ID 10c4:ea60 Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc. CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller
```
If needed, adjust the USB device permissions:
```bash
sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB0
```
## 6. Configuring and Running CGMiner
Now, run **CGMiner**, pointing it to your mining pool:
```bash
./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://your.pool.com:3333 -u yourUsername -p yourPassword
```
If the miner detects the Block Erupter correctly, you should see something like:
```
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Started cgminer 3.4.3
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] No devices detected!
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Waiting for USB hotplug devices or press q to quit
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Probing for an alive pool
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Pool 0 difficulty changed to 65536
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Network diff set to 111T
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Stratum from pool 0 detected new block
[2025-03-08 22:27:02] Hotplug: Icarus added AMU 0
```
## Conclusion
Although no longer viable for real mining, the **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** is still great for learning about ASICs, testing mining pools, and understanding Bitcoin mining. If you enjoy working with old hardware and have one lying around, it’s worth experimenting with!
If you have any questions or want to share your experience, leave a comment below!
-

@ 4ba8e86d:89d32de4
2024-11-07 13:56:21
Tutorial feito por Grom mestre⚡poste original abaixo:
http://xh6liiypqffzwnu5734ucwps37tn2g6npthvugz3gdoqpikujju525yd.onion/240277/tutorial-criando-e-acessando-sua-conta-de-email-pela-i2p?show=240277#q240277
Bom dia/tarde/noite a todos os camaradas.
Seguindo a nossa série de tutoriais referentes a tecnologias essenciais para a segurança e o anonimato dos usuários, sendo as primeiras a openPGP e a I2P, lhes apresento mais uma opção para expandir os seus conhecimentos da DW.
Muitos devem conhecer os serviços de mail na onion como DNMX e mail2tor, mas e que tal um serviço de email pela I2P. Nesse tutorial eu vou mostrar a vocês como criar a sua primeira conta no hq.postman.i2p e a acessar essa conta.
É importante que vocês tenham lido a minha primeira série de tutoriais a respeito de como instalar, configurar e navegar pela I2P nostr:nevent1qqsyjcz2w0e6d6dcdeprhuuarw4aqkw730y542dzlwxwssneq3mwpaspz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhsygzt4r5x6tvh39kujvmu8egqdyvf84e3w4e0mq0ckswamfwcn5eduspsgqqqqqqsyp5vcq Esse tutorial é um pré-requisito para o seguinte e portanto recomendo que leia-os antes de prosseguir com o seguinte tutorial. O tutorial de Kleopatra nostr:nevent1qqs8h7vsn5j6qh35949sa60dms4fneussmv9jd76n24lsmtz24k0xlqzyp9636rd9ktcjmwfxd7ru5qxjxyn6uch2uhas8utg8wa5hvf6vk7gqcyqqqqqqgecq8f7 é complementar dado que é extremamente recomendado assinar e criptografar as mensagens que seguem por emails pela DW.
Sem mais delongas, vamos ao tutorial de fato.
## 1. Criando uma conta de email no hq.postman
Relembrando: Esse tutorial considera que você já tenha acesso à I2P.
Entre no seu navegador e acesse o endereço hq.postman.i2p. O roteador provavelmente já contém esse endereço no seu addressbook e não haverá a necessidade de inserir o endereço b32 completo.
Após entrar no site vá para a página '1 - Creating a mailbox'
https://image.nostr.build/d850379fe315d2abab71430949b06d3fa49366d91df4c9b00a4a8367d53fcca3.jpg
Nessa página, insira as credenciais de sua preferências nos campos do formulário abaixo. Lembre-se que o seu endereço de email aceita apenas letras e números. Clique em 'Proceed' depois que preencher todos os campos.
https://image.nostr.build/670dfda7264db393e48391f217e60a2eb87d85c2729360c8ef6fe0cf52508ab4.jpg
Uma página vai aparecer pedindo para confirmar as credenciais da sua nova conta. Se tudo estiver certo apenas clique em 'Confirm and Create Mailbox'. Se tudo ocorrer como conforme haverá uma confirmação de que a sua nova conta foi criada com sucesso. Após isso aguarde por volta de 5 minutos antes de tentar acessá-la, para que haja tempo suficiente para o servidor atualizar o banco de dados.
https://image.nostr.build/ec58fb826bffa60791fedfd9c89a25d592ac3d11645b270c936c60a7c59c067f.jpg
https://image.nostr.build/a2b7710d1e3cbb36431acb9055fd62937986b4da4b1a1bbb06d3f3cb1f544fd3.jpg
Pronto! Sua nova conta de email na I2P foi criada. Agora vamos para a próxima etapa: como acessar a sua conta via um cliente de email.
## 2. Configurando os túneis cliente de SMTP e POP3
O hq.postman não possui um cliente web que nos permite acessar a nossa conta pelo navegador. Para isso precisamos usar um cliente como Thunderbird e configurar os túneis cliente no I2Pd que serão necessários para o Thunderbird se comunicar com o servidor pela I2P.
Caso não tenha instalado o Thunderbird ainda, faça-o agora antes de prosseguir.
Vamos configurar os túneis cliente do servidor de email no nosso roteador. Para isso abra um terminal ou o seu gestor de arquivos e vá para a pasta de configuração de túneis do I2P. Em Linux esse diretório se localiza em /etc/i2pd/tunnels.d. Em Windows, essa pasta se localiza em C:\users\user\APPDATA\i2pd.
Na pasta tunnels.d crie dois arquivos: smtp.postman.conf e pop-postman.conf. Lembre-se que em Linux você precisa de permissões de root para escrever na pasta de configuração. Use o comando sudoedit <nome_do_arquivo> para isso.
Edite-os conforme as imagens a seguir:
Arquivo pop-postman.conf
https://image.nostr.build/7e03505c8bc3b632ca5db1f8eaefc6cecb4743cd2096d211dd90bbdc16fe2593.jpg
Arquivo smtp-postman.conf
https://image.nostr.build/2d06c021841dedd6000c9fc2a641ed519b3be3c6125000b188842cd0a5af3d16.jpg
Salve os arquivos e reinicie o serviço do I2Pd. Em Linux isso é feito pelo comando:
```
sudo systemctl restart i2pd
```
Entre no Webconsole do I2Pd pelo navegador (localhost:7070) e na seção I2P Tunnels, verifique se os túneis pop-postman e smtp-postman foram criados, caso contrário verifique se há algum erro nos arquivos e reinicie o serviço.
Com os túneis cliente criados, vamos agora configurar o Thunderbird
## 3. Configurando o Thunderbird para acessar a nossa conta
Abra o Thunderbird e clique em criar uma nova conta de email. Se você não tiver nenhum conta previamente presente nele você vai ser diretamente recebido pela janela de criação de conta a seguir.
https://image.nostr.build/e9509d7bd30623716ef9adcad76c1d465f5bc3d5840e0c35fe4faa85740f41b4.jpg
https://image.nostr.build/688b59b8352a17389902ec1e99d7484e310d7d287491b34f562b8cdd9dbe8a99.jpg
Coloque as suas credenciais, mas não clique ainda em Continuar. Clique antes em Configure Manually, já que precisamos configurar manualmente os servidores de SMTP e POP3 para, respectivamente, enviar e receber mensagens.
Preencha os campos como na imagem a seguir. Detalhe: Não coloque o seu endereço completo com o @mail.i2p, apenas o nome da sua conta.
https://image.nostr.build/4610b0315c0a3b741965d3d7c1e4aff6425a167297e323ba8490f4325f40cdcc.jpg
Clique em Re-test para verificar a integridade da conexão. Se tudo estiver certo uma mensagem irá aparecer avisando que as configurações do servidores estão corretas. Clique em Done assim que estiver pronto para prosseguir.
https://image.nostr.build/8a47bb292f94b0d9d474d4d4a134f8d73afb84ecf1d4c0a7eb6366d46bf3973a.jpg
A seguinte mensagem vai aparecer alertando que não estamos usando criptografia no envio das credenciais. Não há problema nenhum aqui, pois a I2P está garantindo toda a proteção e anonimato dos nossos dados, o que dispensa a necessidade de uso de TLS ou qualquer tecnologia similar nas camadas acima. Marque a opção 'I Understand the risks' e clique em 'Continue'
https://image.nostr.build/9c1bf585248773297d2cb1d9705c1be3bd815e2be85d4342227f1db2f13a9cc6.jpg
E por fim, se tudo ocorreu como devido sua conta será criada com sucesso e você agora será capaz de enviar e receber emails pela I2P usando essa conta.
https://image.nostr.build/8ba7f2c160453c9bfa172fa9a30b642a7ee9ae3eeb9b78b4dc24ce25aa2c7ecc.jpg
## 4. Observações e considerações finais
Como informado pelo próprio site do hq.postman, o domínio @mail.i2p serve apenas para emails enviados dentro da I2P. Emails enviados pela surface devem usar o domínio @i2pmai.org. É imprescindível que você saiba usar o PGP para assinar e criptografar as suas mensagens, dado que provavelmente as mensagens não são armazenadas de forma criptografada enquanto elas estão armazenadas no servidor. Como o protocolo POP3 delete as mensagens no imediato momento em que você as recebe, não há necessidade de fazer qualquer limpeza na sua conta de forma manual.
Por fim, espero que esse tutorial tenha sido útil para vocês. Que seu conhecimento tenha expandido ainda mais com as informações trazidas aqui. Até a próxima.
-

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-23 12:24:46
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obXEnyQ_Veg



source: https://media.jaguar.com/news/2024/11/fearless-exuberant-compelling-jaguar-reimagined-0
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/922356
-

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e
2025-03-21 19:41:50
*Wir werden nicht zulassen, dass technisch manches möglich ist,* *\
aber der Staat es nicht nutzt.* *\
Angela Merkel*  
**Die Modalverben zu erklären, ist im Deutschunterricht manchmal nicht ganz einfach.** Nicht alle Fremdsprachen unterscheiden zum Beispiel bei der Frage nach einer Möglichkeit gleichermaßen zwischen «können» im Sinne von «die Gelegenheit, Kenntnis oder Fähigkeit haben» und «dürfen» als «die Erlaubnis oder Berechtigung haben». Das spanische Wort «poder» etwa steht für beides.
**Ebenso ist vielen Schülern auf den ersten Blick nicht recht klar,** dass das logische Gegenteil von «müssen» nicht unbedingt «nicht müssen» ist, sondern vielmehr «nicht dürfen». An den Verkehrsschildern lässt sich so etwas meistens recht gut erklären: Manchmal muss man abbiegen, aber manchmal darf man eben nicht.

**Dieses Beispiel soll ein wenig die Verwirrungstaktik veranschaulichen,** die in der Politik gerne verwendet wird, um unpopuläre oder restriktive Maßnahmen Stück für Stück einzuführen. Zuerst ist etwas einfach innovativ und bringt viele Vorteile. Vor allem ist es freiwillig, jeder kann selber entscheiden, niemand muss mitmachen. Später kann man zunehmend weniger Alternativen wählen, weil sie verschwinden, und irgendwann verwandelt sich alles andere in «nicht dürfen» – die Maßnahme ist obligatorisch.
**Um die Durchsetzung derartiger Initiativen strategisch zu unterstützen** und nett zu verpacken, gibt es Lobbyisten, gerne auch NGOs genannt. Dass das «NG» am Anfang dieser Abkürzung übersetzt «Nicht-Regierungs-» bedeutet, ist ein Anachronismus. Das war [vielleicht früher](https://transition-news.org/der-sumpf-aus-ngos-parteien-und-steuergeld) einmal so, heute ist eher das Gegenteil gemeint.
**In unserer modernen Zeit wird enorm viel Lobbyarbeit für die Digitalisierung** praktisch sämtlicher Lebensbereiche aufgewendet. Was das auf dem Sektor der Mobilität bedeuten kann, haben wir diese Woche anhand aktueller Entwicklungen in Spanien [beleuchtet](https://transition-news.org/nur-abschied-vom-alleinfahren-monstrose-spanische-uberwachungsprojekte-gemass). Begründet teilweise mit Vorgaben der Europäischen Union arbeitet man dort fleißig an einer «neuen Mobilität», basierend auf «intelligenter» technologischer Infrastruktur. Derartige Anwandlungen wurden auch schon als [«Technofeudalismus»](https://transition-news.org/yanis-varoufakis-der-europaische-traum-ist-tot-es-lebe-der-neue-traum) angeprangert.
**Nationale** **[Zugangspunkte](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/smart-mobility/road/its-directive-and-action-plan/national-access-points_en)** **für Mobilitätsdaten im Sinne der EU** gibt es nicht nur in allen Mitgliedsländern, sondern auch in der [Schweiz](https://opentransportdata.swiss/de/) und in Großbritannien. Das Vereinigte Königreich beteiligt sich darüber hinaus an anderen EU-Projekten für digitale Überwachungs- und Kontrollmaßnahmen, wie dem biometrischen [Identifizierungssystem](https://transition-news.org/biometrische-gesichtserkennung-in-britischen-hafen) für «nachhaltigen Verkehr und Tourismus».
**Natürlich marschiert auch Deutschland stracks und euphorisch** in Richtung digitaler Zukunft. Ohne [vernetzte Mobilität](https://mobilithek.info/about) und einen «verlässlichen Zugang zu Daten, einschließlich Echtzeitdaten» komme man in der Verkehrsplanung und -steuerung nicht aus, erklärt die Regierung. Der Interessenverband der IT-Dienstleister Bitkom will «die digitale Transformation der deutschen Wirtschaft und Verwaltung vorantreiben». Dazu bewirbt er unter anderem die Konzepte Smart City, Smart Region und Smart Country und behauptet, deutsche Großstädte «setzen bei Mobilität [voll auf Digitalisierung](https://www.smartcountry.berlin/de/newsblog/smart-city-index-grossstaedte-setzen-bei-mobilitaet-voll-auf-digitalisierung.html)».
**Es steht zu befürchten, dass das umfassende Sammeln, Verarbeiten und Vernetzen von Daten,** das angeblich die Menschen unterstützen soll (und theoretisch ja auch könnte), eher dazu benutzt wird, sie zu kontrollieren und zu manipulieren. Je elektrischer und digitaler unsere Umgebung wird, desto größer sind diese Möglichkeiten. Im Ergebnis könnten solche Prozesse den Bürger nicht nur einschränken oder überflüssig machen, sondern in mancherlei Hinsicht regelrecht abschalten. Eine gesunde Skepsis ist also geboten.
*\[Titelbild:* *[Pixabay](https://pareto.space/readhttps://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/schaufensterpuppe-platine-gesicht-5254046/)]*
***
Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem [Pareto-Client](https://pareto.space/read) geschrieben. Er ist zuerst auf ***[Transition News](https://transition-news.org/das-gegenteil-von-mussen-ist-nicht-durfen)*** erschienen.
-

@ 3ffac3a6:2d656657
2025-03-08 23:02:13
# Como Rodar um Sapphire Block Erupter USB para Mineração no Linux em 2025
Recentemente, encontrei um **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** velho aqui em casa que eu usava para minerar Bitcoin em 2013. Por curiosidade e nostalgia, resolvi tentar colocá-lo para funcionar novamente. Passei uma tarde inteira tentando configurar o dispositivo e, depois de muita tentativa e erro, descobri que precisava de uma versão mais antiga do **CGMiner** para fazê-lo funcionar.
Os **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** foram um dos primeiros dispositivos ASIC voltados para mineração de Bitcoin. Embora estejam obsoletos para mineração competitiva, eles ainda podem ser usados para aprendizado, nostalgia ou experimentação. Neste post, vou te mostrar como rodar um **Block Erupter USB** no Linux atualmente.
## 1. Pré-requisitos
Antes de começar, certifique-se de que você tem:
- Um **Sapphire Block Erupter USB**
- Um hub USB alimentado (opcional, mas recomendado)
- Um computador rodando **Linux** (Ubuntu, Debian, Arch ou outra distribuição compatível)
- Um pool de mineração configurado (ex: Slush Pool, KanoPool, etc.)
## 2. Instalando as Dependências
Antes de rodar o minerador, instale algumas dependências:
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git build-essential autoconf automake libtool pkg-config libusb-1.0-0-dev
```
## 3. Determinando a Versão Compatível do CGMiner
Para encontrar a versão correta do **CGMiner** que ainda suporta os Block Erupter USB, realizei uma **busca binária** entre diferentes versões, testando cada uma até encontrar a última que reconhecia corretamente o dispositivo. O resultado foi que a versão **3.4.3** é a mais recente que ainda suporta os Block Erupters. No entanto, outras versões desses dispositivos podem requerer versões diferentes do CGMiner.
## 4. Baixando e Compilando o CGMiner
O **CGMiner** é um dos softwares compatíveis com os Block Erupters. Você pode baixar a versão correta de duas fontes confiáveis:
- Do repositório oficial: [CGMiner v3.4.3 no GitHub](https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer/archive/refs/tags/v3.4.3.tar.gz)
- Alternativamente, deste espelho: [CGMiner v3.4.3 no Haven](https://haven.girino.org/3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b.tgz)
Para garantir a integridade do arquivo, você pode verificar o **hash SHA-256**:
```
3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b
```
Agora, faça o download e extraia:
```bash
wget https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer/archive/refs/tags/v3.4.3.tar.gz
# Ou, alternativamente:
wget https://haven.girino.org/3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b.tgz
sha256sum v3.4.3.tar.gz # Confirme que o hash bate
# Extraia o arquivo
tar -xvf v3.4.3.tar.gz
cd cgminer-3.4.3
# Compile o CGMiner
./autogen.sh --enable-icarus
make -j$(nproc)
# Instale no sistema (opcional)
sudo make install
```
## 4. Conectando o Block Erupter USB
Plugue o dispositivo na porta USB e verifique se ele foi reconhecido:
```bash
dmesg | grep USB
lsusb
```
Você deve ver algo como:
```
Bus 003 Device 004: ID 10c4:ea60 Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc. CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller
```
Se necessário, ajuste as permissões para o dispositivo USB:
```bash
sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB0
```
## 5. Configurando e Rodando o CGMiner
Agora, execute o **CGMiner** apontando para seu pool de mineração:
```bash
./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://seu.pool.com:3333 -u seuUsuario -p suaSenha
```
Se o minerador detectar corretamente o Block Erupter, você verá algo como:
```
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Started cgminer 3.4.3
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] No devices detected!
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Waiting for USB hotplug devices or press q to quit
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Probing for an alive pool
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Pool 0 difficulty changed to 65536
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Network diff set to 111T
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Stratum from pool 0 detected new block
[2025-03-08 22:27:02] Hotplug: Icarus added AMU 0
```
## Conclusão
Apesar de não serem mais viáveis para mineração real, os **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** ainda são ótimos para aprender sobre ASICs, testar pools e entender mais sobre a mineração de Bitcoin. Se você gosta de hardware antigo e tem um desses guardado, vale a pena experimentar!
Se tiver dúvidas ou quiser compartilhar sua experiência, comente abaixo!
-

@ 5e5fc143:393d5a2c
2024-01-04 12:44:26
We are now given a choice of digital freedom #nostr .
Creativity for every nostrich is now unleashed from the cage of bigtech censorship , rules and algo. But freedom comes with responsibility so pick right one(s). I will try share here some learning experience both technical and also from fundamental point of view. Just wanted kick start this article n fill as we go like living reference document.
Nostr itself is an application layer protocol that can used beyond just social media mirco or long blogging. Each nostr client heavily dependent on back-end servers call nostr "Relay servers" or in short "rs" or "relays" Relays can hosted anywhere in clearnet internet, onion net , vpn , i2p , nym
Relays are controlled by their respective admins based NIP specs that they select to implement according to own decisions. Relays can have certain ToS (Terms of Service) Rules to adhered too.
New users can choose and pick client or app (ios / android/ windows) with preset of relays in the simplest form , but other advanced users need to do a regular manual relay management.
Relay management is an active regular task based on where when n how you are using.
Relay list are saved within you npub profile backup file which can edited and broadcast anytime.
Relay management is an active regular task based on where when and how you are using.
Relay list always need to be updated time to time as and when needed.
2 Users MUST a common RELAY between them even if one only need to follow another.
Occasionally you may notice certain npub accounts you are following already but cannot see frequent notes publish by them – one of cause maybe you not sharing a common relay
Most nostr client applications has SETTINGS where user choose add/remove relays
Also user choose which function to enable - READ or WRITE
Relay list for your account is always saved within you npub profile backup file which can edited and broadcast anytime. Hence any app or browser when u login with you npub the same relay list will be enforced. There could valid reasons why u need have list for if you trying to save bandwidth and traveling.
Functions in app.getcurrent.io and primal.net app for mobile apple or android are ideal for user traveling abroad and wanted to save bandwidth since relay management is done the providers in backend and saves hassle for basic usage.
Remember if someone is selecting relay on your behalf then you may not be necessarily able to pull and get some specific and special content that you may need. Such providers like coracle and nostrid also give option to override the default relays they selected.
Relay types: They can be categorized by various features or policy or technologies.
FREE PUBLIC Relays vs PAID PUBLIC Relays
PAID relays provide unrestricted access / write / filtering options than FREE relays but both are public clearnet relays. Just subscribing to PAID relays will not solve all problems unless you choose the relays properly and enable settings correctly.
Private Replay or Tor Relays – normally not easily visible until unless someone tell you.
You can also host own private relay not opened to internet of archive and back of your own notes.
The technical landscape in nostr can be fast changing as more NIPs get proposed or updated.
Relays admin can choose implement certain NIPs or not based on policy or technical limitations.
Example NIP33 defines “long notes” aka blogs as you now reading this in habla site which #1 UI and site for "Editable" long notes – some relays donot implement or allow this.
NIP07 is used for client authentication like nos2x and is implemented by all relays in fact.
To be continued again ... reference pics will added later also
Hope this help you understand "why when what" to tune and maintain active set of proper relays.
Relay Proxy, Relay aggregator or Relay multiplexer – Paid, Public, Free, Private, Event, Relays
That’s all for now n more later ... Thank you 🙏 ! ⚡️ https://getalby.com/p/captjack ⚡️ PV 💜 🤙
References:
https://habla.news/relays
https://relay.exchange/
https://relays.vercel.app/
https://nostr.info/relays/
https://nostrudel.ninja/#/relays
Related Articles:
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https://habla.news/u/current@getcurrent.io/1694434022411
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@ 2fdeba99:fd961eff
2025-03-21 17:16:33
# == January 17 2025
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crazy arms | pigeon pit
Humanhood | The Weather Station
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Wish Defense | FACS
Sayan - Savoie | Maria Teriaeva
Nowhere Near Today | Midding
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Phonetics On and On | Horsegirl
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Finding Our Balance | Tsoh Tso
Machine Starts To Sing | Porridge Radio
Armageddon In A Summer Dress | Sunny Wa
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you, infinite | you, infinite
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Watermelon/Peacock | Exploding Flowers
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-

@ 4925ea33:025410d8
2025-03-08 00:38:48
## 1. O que é um Aromaterapeuta?

O aromaterapeuta é um profissional especializado na prática da Aromaterapia, responsável pelo uso adequado de óleos essenciais, ervas aromáticas, águas florais e destilados herbais para fins terapêuticos.
A atuação desse profissional envolve diferentes métodos de aplicação, como inalação, uso tópico, sempre considerando a segurança e a necessidade individual do cliente. A Aromaterapia pode auxiliar na redução do estresse, alívio de dores crônicas, relaxamento muscular e melhora da respiração, entre outros benefícios.
Além disso, os aromaterapeutas podem trabalhar em conjunto com outros profissionais da saúde para oferecer um tratamento complementar em diversas condições. Como já mencionado no artigo sobre "[Como evitar processos alérgicos na prática da Aromaterapia]( https://njump.me/naddr1qqgrgdpjxajrserzxcenzvpexa3rqq3qfyj75vmfa22uwp7d4te67q0s80n4d94t0c207fyz9nxwwqj5zrvqxpqqqp65wnaqwqd)", é essencial ter acompanhamento profissional, pois os óleos essenciais são altamente concentrados e podem causar reações adversas se utilizados de forma inadequada.
---
## 2. Como um Aromaterapeuta Pode Ajudar?

Você pode procurar um aromaterapeuta para diferentes necessidades, como:
#### ✔ Questões Emocionais e Psicológicas
Auxílio em momentos de luto, divórcio, demissão ou outras situações desafiadoras.
Apoio na redução do estresse, ansiedade e insônia.
Vale lembrar que, em casos de transtornos psiquiátricos, a Aromaterapia deve ser usada como terapia complementar, associada ao tratamento médico.
#### ✔ Questões Físicas
Dores musculares e articulares.
Problemas respiratórios como rinite, sinusite e tosse.
Distúrbios digestivos leves.
Dores de cabeça e enxaquecas.
Nesses casos, a Aromaterapia pode ser um suporte, mas não substitui a medicina tradicional para identificar a origem dos sintomas.
#### ✔ Saúde da Pele e Cabelos
Tratamento para acne, dermatites e psoríase.
Cuidados com o envelhecimento precoce da pele.
Redução da queda de cabelo e controle da oleosidade do couro cabeludo.
#### ✔ Bem-estar e Qualidade de Vida
Melhora da concentração e foco, aumentando a produtividade.
Estímulo da disposição e energia.
Auxílio no equilíbrio hormonal (TPM, menopausa, desequilíbrios hormonais).
Com base nessas necessidades, o aromaterapeuta irá indicar o melhor tratamento, calculando doses, sinergias (combinação de óleos essenciais), diluições e técnicas de aplicação, como inalação, uso tópico ou difusão.
---
## 3. Como Funciona uma Consulta com um Aromaterapeuta?

Uma consulta com um aromaterapeuta é um atendimento personalizado, onde são avaliadas as necessidades do cliente para a criação de um protocolo adequado. O processo geralmente segue estas etapas:
#### ✔ Anamnese (Entrevista Inicial)
Perguntas sobre saúde física, emocional e estilo de vida.
Levantamento de sintomas, histórico médico e possíveis alergias.
Definição dos objetivos da terapia (alívio do estresse, melhora do sono, dores musculares etc.).
#### ✔ Escolha dos Óleos Essenciais
Seleção dos óleos mais indicados para o caso.
Consideração das propriedades terapêuticas, contraindicações e combinações seguras.
#### ✔ Definição do Método de Uso
O profissional indicará a melhor forma de aplicação, que pode ser:
Inalação: difusores, colares aromáticos, vaporização.
Uso tópico: massagens, óleos corporais, compressas.
Banhos aromáticos e escalda-pés.
Todas as diluições serão ajustadas de acordo com a segurança e a necessidade individual do cliente.
#### ✔ Plano de Acompanhamento
Instruções detalhadas sobre o uso correto dos óleos essenciais.
Orientação sobre frequência e duração do tratamento.
Possibilidade de retorno para ajustes no protocolo.
A consulta pode ser realizada presencialmente ou online, dependendo do profissional.
---
**Quer saber como a Aromaterapia pode te ajudar? Agende uma consulta comigo e descubra os benefícios dos óleos essenciais para o seu bem-estar!**
-

@ e6ce6154:275e3444
2023-07-27 14:12:49
Este artigo foi censurado pelo estado e fomos obrigados a deletá-lo após ameaça de homens armados virem nos visitar e agredir nossa vida e propriedade.
Isto é mais uma prova que os autoproclamados antirracistas são piores que os racistas.
https://rothbardbrasil.com/pelo-direito-de-ser-racista-fascista-machista-e-homofobico
Segue artigo na íntegra. 👇
Sem dúvida, a escalada autoritária do totalitarismo cultural progressista nos últimos anos tem sido sumariamente deletéria e prejudicial para a liberdade de expressão. Como seria de se esperar, a cada dia que passa o autoritarismo progressista continua a se expandir de maneira irrefreável, prejudicando a liberdade dos indivíduos de formas cada vez mais deploráveis e contundentes.
Com a ascensão da tirania politicamente correta e sua invasão a todos os terrenos culturais, o autoritarismo progressista foi se alastrando e consolidando sua hegemonia em determinados segmentos. Com a eventual eclosão e a expansão da opressiva e despótica cultura do cancelamento — uma progênie inevitável do totalitarismo progressista —, todas as pessoas que manifestam opiniões, crenças ou posicionamentos que não estão alinhados com as pautas universitárias da moda tornam-se um alvo.
Há algumas semanas, vimos a enorme repercussão causada pelo caso envolvendo o jogador profissional de vôlei Maurício Sousa, que foi cancelado pelo simples fato de ter emitido sua opinião pessoal sobre um personagem de história em quadrinhos, Jon Kent, o novo Superman, que é bissexual. Maurício Sousa reprovou a conduta sexual do personagem, o que é um direito pessoal inalienável que ele tem. Ele não é obrigado a gostar ou aprovar a bissexualidade. Como qualquer pessoa, ele tem o direito pleno de criticar tudo aquilo que ele não gosta. No entanto, pelo simples fato de emitir a sua opinião pessoal, Maurício Sousa foi acusado de homofobia e teve seu contrato rescindido, sendo desligado do Minas Tênis Clube.
Lamentavelmente, Maurício Sousa não foi o primeiro e nem será o último indivíduo a sofrer com a opressiva e autoritária cultura do cancelamento. Como uma tirania cultural que está em plena ascensão e usufrui de um amplo apoio do establishment, essa nova forma de totalitarismo cultural colorido e festivo está se impondo de formas e maneiras bastante contundentes em praticamente todas as esferas da sociedade contemporânea. Sua intenção é relegar ao ostracismo todos aqueles que não se curvam ao totalitarismo progressista, criminalizando opiniões e crenças que divergem do culto à libertinagem hedonista pós-moderna. Oculto por trás de todo esse ativismo autoritário, o que temos de fato é uma profunda hostilidade por padrões morais tradicionalistas, cristãos e conservadores.
No entanto, é fundamental entendermos uma questão imperativa, que explica em partes o conflito aqui criado — todos os progressistas contemporâneos são crias oriundas do direito positivo. Por essa razão, eles jamais entenderão de forma pragmática e objetiva conceitos como criminalidade, direitos de propriedade, agressão e liberdade de expressão pela perspectiva do jusnaturalismo, que é manifestamente o direito em seu estado mais puro, correto, ético e equilibrado.
Pela ótica jusnaturalista, uma opinião é uma opinião. Ponto final. E absolutamente ninguém deve ser preso, cancelado, sabotado ou boicotado por expressar uma opinião particular sobre qualquer assunto. Palavras não agridem ninguém, portanto jamais poderiam ser consideradas um crime em si. Apenas deveriam ser tipificados como crimes agressões de caráter objetivo, como roubo, sequestro, fraude, extorsão, estupro e infrações similares, que representam uma ameaça direta à integridade física da vítima, ou que busquem subtrair alguma posse empregando a violência.
Infelizmente, a geração floquinho de neve — terrivelmente histérica, egocêntrica e sensível — fica profundamente ofendida e consternada sempre que alguém defende posicionamentos contrários à religião progressista. Por essa razão, os guerreiros da justiça social sinceramente acreditam que o papai-estado deve censurar todas as opiniões que eles não gostam de ouvir, assim como deve também criar leis para encarcerar todos aqueles que falam ou escrevem coisas que desagradam a militância.
Como a geração floquinho de neve foi criada para acreditar que todas as suas vontades pessoais e disposições ideológicas devem ser sumariamente atendidas pelo papai-estado, eles embarcaram em uma cruzada moral que pretende erradicar todas as coisas que são ofensivas à ideologia progressista; só assim eles poderão deflagrar na Terra o seu tão sonhado paraíso hedonista e igualitário, de inimaginável esplendor e felicidade.
Em virtude do seu comportamento intrinsecamente despótico, autoritário e egocêntrico, acaba sendo inevitável que militantes progressistas problematizem tudo aquilo que os desagrada.
Como são criaturas inúteis destituídas de ocupação real e verdadeiro sentido na vida, sendo oprimidas unicamente na sua própria imaginação, militantes progressistas precisam constantemente inventar novos vilões para serem combatidos.
Partindo dessa perspectiva, é natural para a militância que absolutamente tudo que exista no mundo e que não se enquadra com as regras autoritárias e restritivas da religião progressista seja encarado como um problema. Para a geração floquinho de neve, o capitalismo é um problema. O fascismo é um problema. A iniciativa privada é um problema. O homem branco, tradicionalista, conservador e heterossexual é um problema. A desigualdade é um problema. A liberdade é um problema. Monteiro Lobato é um problema (sim, até mesmo o renomado ícone da literatura brasileira, autor — entre outros títulos — de Urupês, foi vítima da cultura do cancelamento, acusado de ser racista e eugenista).
Para a esquerda, praticamente tudo é um problema. Na mentalidade da militância progressista, tudo é motivo para reclamação. Foi em função desse comportamento histérico, histriônico e infantil que o famoso pensador conservador-libertário americano P. J. O’Rourke afirmou que “o esquerdismo é uma filosofia de pirralhos chorões”. O que é uma verdade absoluta e irrefutável em todos os sentidos.
De fato, todas as filosofias de esquerda de forma geral são idealizações utópicas e infantis de um mundo perfeito. Enquanto o mundo não se transformar naquela colorida e vibrante utopia que é apresentada pela cartilha socialista padrão, militantes continuarão a reclamar contra tudo o que existe no mundo de forma agressiva, visceral e beligerante. Evidentemente, eles não vão fazer absolutamente nada de positivo ou construtivo para que o mundo se transforme no gracioso paraíso que eles tanto desejam ver consolidado, mas eles continuarão a berrar e vociferar muito em sua busca incessante pela utopia, marcando presença em passeatas inúteis ou combatendo o fascismo imaginário nas redes sociais.
Sem dúvida, estamos muito perto de ver leis absurdas e estúpidas sendo implementadas, para agradar a militância da terra colorida do assistencialismo eterno onde nada é escasso e tudo cai do céu. Em breve, você não poderá usar calças pretas, pois elas serão consideradas peças de vestuário excessivamente heterossexuais. Apenas calças amarelas ou coloridas serão permitidas. Você também terá que tingir de cor-de-rosa uma mecha do seu cabelo; pois preservar o seu cabelo na sua cor natural é heteronormativo demais da sua parte, sendo portanto um componente demasiadamente opressor da sociedade.
Você também não poderá ver filmes de guerra ou de ação, apenas comédias românticas, pois certos gêneros de filmes exaltam a violência do patriarcado e isso impede o mundo de se tornar uma graciosa festa colorida de fraternidades universitárias ungidas por pôneis resplandecentes, hedonismo infinito, vadiagem universitária e autogratificação psicodélica, que certamente são elementos indispensáveis para se produzir o paraíso na Terra.
Sabemos perfeitamente, no entanto, que dentre as atitudes “opressivas” que a militância progressista mais se empenha em combater, estão o racismo, o fascismo, o machismo e a homofobia. No entanto, é fundamental entender que ser racista, fascista, machista ou homofóbico não são crimes em si. Na prática, todos esses elementos são apenas traços de personalidade; e eles não podem ser pura e simplesmente criminalizados porque ideólogos e militantes progressistas iluminados não gostam deles.
Tanto pela ética quanto pela ótica jusnaturalista, é facilmente compreensível entender que esses traços de personalidade não podem ser criminalizados ou proibidos simplesmente porque integrantes de uma ideologia não tem nenhuma apreciação ou simpatia por eles. Da mesma forma, nenhum desses traços de personalidade representa em si um perigo para a sociedade, pelo simples fato de existir. Por incrível que pareça, até mesmo o machismo, o racismo, o fascismo e a homofobia merecem a devida apologia.
Mas vamos analisar cada um desses tópicos separadamente para entender isso melhor.
Racismo
Quando falamos no Japão, normalmente não fazemos nenhuma associação da sociedade japonesa com o racismo. No entanto, é incontestável o fato de que a sociedade japonesa pode ser considerada uma das sociedades mais racistas do mundo. E a verdade é que não há absolutamente nada de errado com isso.
Aproximadamente 97% da população do Japão é nativa; apenas 3% do componente populacional é constituído por estrangeiros (a população do Japão é estimada em aproximadamente 126 milhões de habitantes). Isso faz a sociedade japonesa ser uma das mais homogêneas do mundo. As autoridades japonesas reconhecidamente dificultam processos de seleção e aplicação a estrangeiros que desejam se tornar residentes. E a maioria dos japoneses aprova essa decisão.
Diversos estabelecimentos comerciais como hotéis, bares e restaurantes por todo o país tem placas na entrada que dizem “somente para japoneses” e a maioria destes estabelecimentos se recusa ostensivamente a atender ou aceitar clientes estrangeiros, não importa quão ricos ou abastados sejam.
Na Terra do Sol Nascente, a hostilidade e a desconfiança natural para com estrangeiros é tão grande que até mesmo indivíduos que nascem em algum outro país, mas são filhos de pais japoneses, não são considerados cidadãos plenamente japoneses.
Se estes indivíduos decidem sair do seu país de origem para se estabelecer no Japão — mesmo tendo descendência nipônica legítima e inquestionável —, eles enfrentarão uma discriminação social considerável, especialmente se não dominarem o idioma japonês de forma impecável. Esse fato mostra que a discriminação é uma parte tão indissociável quanto elementar da sociedade japonesa, e ela está tão profundamente arraigada à cultura nipônica que é praticamente impossível alterá-la ou atenuá-la por qualquer motivo.
A verdade é que — quando falamos de um país como o Japão — nem todos os discursos politicamente corretos do mundo, nem a histeria progressista ocidental mais inflamada poderão algum dia modificar, extirpar ou sequer atenuar o componente racista da cultura nipônica. E isso é consequência de uma questão tão simples quanto primordial: discriminar faz parte da natureza humana, sendo tanto um direito individual quanto um elemento cultural inerente à muitas nações do mundo. Os japoneses não tem problema algum em admitir ou institucionalizar o seu preconceito, justamente pelo fato de que a ideologia politicamente correta não tem no oriente a força e a presença que tem no ocidente.
E é fundamental enfatizar que, sendo de natureza pacífica — ou seja, não violando nem agredindo terceiros —, a discriminação é um recurso natural dos seres humanos, que está diretamente associada a questões como familiaridade e segurança.
Absolutamente ninguém deve ser forçado a apreciar ou integrar-se a raças, etnias, pessoas ou tribos que não lhe transmitem sentimentos de segurança ou familiaridade. Integração forçada é o verdadeiro crime, e isso diversos países europeus — principalmente os escandinavos (países que lideram o ranking de submissão à ideologia politicamente correta) — aprenderam da pior forma possível.
A integração forçada com imigrantes islâmicos resultou em ondas de assassinato, estupro e violência inimagináveis para diversos países europeus, até então civilizados, que a imprensa ocidental politicamente correta e a militância progressista estão permanentemente tentando esconder, porque não desejam que o ocidente descubra como a agenda “humanitária” de integração forçada dos povos muçulmanos em países do Velho Mundo resultou em algumas das piores chacinas e tragédias na história recente da Europa.
Ou seja, ao discriminarem estrangeiros, os japoneses estão apenas se protegendo e lutando para preservar sua nação como um ambiente cultural, étnico e social que lhe é seguro e familiar, assim se opondo a mudanças bruscas, indesejadas e antinaturais, que poderiam comprometer a estabilidade social do país.
A discriminação — sendo de natureza pacífica —, é benévola, salutar e indubitavelmente ajuda a manter a estabilidade social da comunidade. Toda e qualquer forma de integração forçada deve ser repudiada com veemência, pois, mais cedo ou mais tarde, ela irá subverter a ordem social vigente, e sempre será acompanhada de deploráveis e dramáticos resultados.
Para citar novamente os países escandinavos, a Suécia é um excelente exemplo do que não fazer. Tendo seguido o caminho contrário ao da discriminação racional praticada pela sociedade japonesa, atualmente a sociedade sueca — além de afundar de forma consistente na lama da libertinagem, da decadência e da deterioração progressista — sofre em demasia com os imigrantes muçulmanos, que foram deixados praticamente livres para matar, saquear, esquartejar e estuprar quem eles quiserem. Hoje, eles são praticamente intocáveis, visto que denunciá-los, desmoralizá-los ou acusá-los de qualquer crime é uma atitude politicamente incorreta e altamente reprovada pelo establishment progressista. A elite socialista sueca jamais se atreve a acusá-los de qualquer crime, pois temem ser classificados como xenófobos e intolerantes. Ou seja, a desgraça da Europa, sobretudo dos países escandinavos, foi não ter oferecido nenhuma resistência à ideologia progressista politicamente correta. Hoje, eles são totalmente submissos a ela.
O exemplo do Japão mostra, portanto — para além de qualquer dúvida —, a importância ética e prática da discriminação, que é perfeitamente aceitável e natural, sendo uma tendência inerente aos seres humanos, e portanto intrínseca a determinados comportamentos, sociedades e culturas.
Indo ainda mais longe nessa questão, devemos entender que na verdade todos nós discriminamos, e não existe absolutamente nada de errado nisso. Discriminar pessoas faz parte da natureza humana e quem se recusa a admitir esse fato é um hipócrita. Mulheres discriminam homens na hora de selecionar um parceiro; elas avaliam diversos quesitos, como altura, aparência, status social, condição financeira e carisma. E dentre suas opções, elas sempre escolherão o homem mais atraente, másculo e viril, em detrimento de todos os baixinhos, calvos, carentes, frágeis e inibidos que possam estar disponíveis. Da mesma forma, homens sempre terão preferência por mulheres jovens, atraentes e delicadas, em detrimento de todas as feministas de meia-idade, acima do peso, de cabelo pintado, que são mães solteiras e militantes socialistas. A própria militância progressista discrimina pessoas de forma virulenta e intransigente, como fica evidente no tratamento que dispensam a mulheres bolsonaristas e a negros de direita.
A verdade é que — não importa o nível de histeria da militância progressista — a discriminação é inerente à condição humana e um direito natural inalienável de todos. É parte indissociável da natureza humana e qualquer pessoa pode e deve exercer esse direito sempre que desejar. Não existe absolutamente nada de errado em discriminar pessoas. O problema real é a ideologia progressista e o autoritarismo politicamente correto, movimentos tirânicos que não respeitam o direito das pessoas de discriminar.
Fascismo
Quando falamos de fascismo, precisamos entender que, para a esquerda política, o fascismo é compreendido como um conceito completamente divorciado do seu significado original. Para um militante de esquerda, fascista é todo aquele que defende posicionamentos contrários ao progressismo, não se referindo necessariamente a um fascista clássico.
Mas, seja como for, é necessário entender que — como qualquer ideologia política — até mesmo o fascismo clássico tem o direito de existir e ocupar o seu devido lugar; portanto, fascistas não devem ser arbitrariamente censurados, apesar de defenderem conceitos que representam uma completa antítese de tudo aquilo que é valioso para os entusiastas da liberdade.
Em um país como o Brasil, onde socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, defender suas ideologias e até mesmo formar partidos políticos, não faz absolutamente o menor sentido que fascistas — e até mesmo nazistas assumidos — sofram qualquer tipo de discriminação. Embora socialistas e comunistas se sintam moralmente superiores aos fascistas (ou a qualquer outra filosofia política ou escola de pensamento), sabemos perfeitamente que o seu senso de superioridade é fruto de uma pueril romantização universitária da sua própria ideologia. A história mostra efetivamente que o socialismo clássico e o comunismo causaram muito mais destruição do que o fascismo.
Portanto, se socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, não existe a menor razão para que fascistas não usufruam dessa mesma liberdade.
É claro, nesse ponto, seremos invariavelmente confrontados por um oportuno dilema — o famoso paradoxo da intolerância, de Karl Popper. Até que ponto uma sociedade livre e tolerante deve tolerar a intolerância (inerente a ideologias totalitárias)?
As leis de propriedade privada resolveriam isso em uma sociedade livre. O mais importante a levarmos em consideração no atual contexto, no entanto — ao defender ou criticar uma determinada ideologia, filosofia ou escola de pensamento —, é entender que, seja ela qual for, ela tem o direito de existir. E todas as pessoas que a defendem tem o direito de defendê-la, da mesma maneira que todos os seus detratores tem o direito de criticá-la.
Essa é uma forte razão para jamais apoiarmos a censura. Muito pelo contrário, devemos repudiar com veemência e intransigência toda e qualquer forma de censura, especialmente a estatal.
Existem duas fortes razões para isso:
A primeira delas é a volatilidade da censura (especialmente a estatal). A censura oficial do governo, depois que é implementada, torna-se absolutamente incontrolável. Hoje, ela pode estar apontada para um grupo de pessoas cujas ideias divergem das suas. Mas amanhã, ela pode estar apontada justamente para as ideias que você defende. É fundamental, portanto, compreendermos que a censura estatal é incontrolável. Sob qualquer ponto de vista, é muito mais vantajoso que exista uma vasta pluralidade de ideias conflitantes na sociedade competindo entre si, do que o estado decidir que ideias podem ser difundidas ou não.
Além do mais, libertários e anarcocapitalistas não podem nunca esperar qualquer tipo de simpatia por parte das autoridades governamentais. Para o estado, seria infinitamente mais prático e vantajoso criminalizar o libertarianismo e o anarcocapitalismo — sob a alegação de que são filosofias perigosas difundidas por extremistas radicais que ameaçam o estado democrático de direito — do que o fascismo ou qualquer outra ideologia centralizada em governos burocráticos e onipotentes. Portanto, defender a censura, especialmente a estatal, representa sempre um perigo para o próprio indivíduo, que mais cedo ou mais tarde poderá ver a censura oficial do sistema se voltar contra ele.
Outra razão pela qual libertários jamais devem defender a censura, é porque — ao contrário dos estatistas — não é coerente que defensores da liberdade se comportem como se o estado fosse o seu papai e o governo fosse a sua mamãe. Não devemos terceirizar nossas próprias responsabilidades, tampouco devemos nos comportar como adultos infantilizados. Assumimos a responsabilidade de combater todas as ideologias e filosofias que agridem a liberdade e os seres humanos. Não procuramos políticos ou burocratas para executar essa tarefa por nós.
Portanto, se você ver um fascista sendo censurado nas redes sociais ou em qualquer outro lugar, assuma suas dores. Sinta-se compelido a defendê-lo, mostre aos seus detratores que ele tem todo direito de se expressar, como qualquer pessoa. Você não tem obrigação de concordar com ele ou apreciar as ideias que ele defende. Mas silenciar arbitrariamente qualquer pessoa não é uma pauta que honra a liberdade.
Se você não gosta de estado, planejamento central, burocracia, impostos, tarifas, políticas coletivistas, nacionalistas e desenvolvimentistas, mostre com argumentos coesos e convincentes porque a liberdade e o livre mercado são superiores a todos esses conceitos. Mas repudie a censura com intransigência e mordacidade.
Em primeiro lugar, porque você aprecia e defende a liberdade de expressão para todas as pessoas. E em segundo lugar, por entender perfeitamente que — se a censura eventualmente se tornar uma política de estado vigente entre a sociedade — é mais provável que ela atinja primeiro os defensores da liberdade do que os defensores do estado.
Machismo
Muitos elementos do comportamento masculino que hoje são atacados com virulência e considerados machistas pelo movimento progressista são na verdade manifestações naturais intrínsecas ao homem, que nossos avôs cultivaram ao longo de suas vidas sem serem recriminados por isso. Com a ascensão do feminismo, do progressismo e a eventual problematização do sexo masculino, o antagonismo militante dos principais líderes da revolução sexual da contracultura passou a naturalmente condenar todos os atributos genuinamente masculinos, por considerá-los símbolos de opressão e dominação social.
Apesar do Brasil ser uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista, onde o estado protege mais as mulheres do que as crianças — afinal, a cada semana novas leis são implementadas concedendo inúmeros privilégios e benefícios às mulheres, aos quais elas jamais teriam direito em uma sociedade genuinamente machista e patriarcal —, a esquerda política persiste em tentar difundir a fantasia da opressão masculina e o mito de que vivemos em uma sociedade machista e patriarcal.
Como sempre, a realidade mostra um cenário muito diferente daquilo que é pregado pela militância da terra da fantasia. O Brasil atual não tem absolutamente nada de machista ou patriarcal. No Brasil, mulheres podem votar, podem ocupar posições de poder e autoridade tanto na esfera pública quanto em companhias privadas, podem se candidatar a cargos políticos, podem ser vereadoras, deputadas, governadoras, podem ser proprietárias do próprio negócio, podem se divorciar, podem dirigir, podem comprar armas, podem andar de biquíni nas praias, podem usar saias extremamente curtas, podem ver programas de televisão sobre sexo voltados única e exclusivamente para o público feminino, podem se casar com outras mulheres, podem ser promíscuas, podem consumir bebidas alcoólicas ao ponto da embriaguez, e podem fazer praticamente tudo aquilo que elas desejarem. No Brasil do século XXI, as mulheres são genuinamente livres para fazer as próprias escolhas em praticamente todos os aspectos de suas vidas. O que mostra efetivamente que a tal opressão do patriarcado não existe.
O liberalismo social extremo do qual as mulheres usufruem no Brasil atual — e que poderíamos estender a toda a sociedade contemporânea ocidental — é suficiente para desmantelar completamente a fábula feminista da sociedade patriarcal machista e opressora, que existe única e exclusivamente no mundinho de fantasias ideológicas da esquerda progressista.
Tão importante quanto, é fundamental compreender que nenhum homem é obrigado a levar o feminismo a sério ou considerá-lo um movimento social e político legítimo. Para um homem, ser considerado machista ou até mesmo assumir-se como um não deveria ser um problema. O progressismo e o feminismo — com o seu nefasto hábito de demonizar os homens, bem como todos os elementos inerentes ao comportamento e a cultura masculina — é que são o verdadeiro problema, conforme tentam modificar o homem para transformá-lo em algo que ele não é nem deveria ser: uma criatura dócil, passiva e submissa, que é comandada por ideologias hostis e antinaturais, que não respeitam a hierarquia de uma ordem social milenar e condições inerentes à própria natureza humana. Com o seu hábito de tentar modificar tudo através de leis e decretos, o feminismo e o progressismo mostram efetivamente que o seu real objetivo é criminalizar a masculinidade.
A verdade é que — usufruindo de um nível elevado de liberdades — não existe praticamente nada que a mulher brasileira do século XXI não possa fazer. Adicionalmente, o governo dá as mulheres uma quantidade tão avassaladora de vantagens, privilégios e benefícios, que está ficando cada vez mais difícil para elas encontrarem razões válidas para reclamarem da vida. Se o projeto de lei que pretende fornecer um auxílio mensal de mil e duzentos reais para mães solteiras for aprovado pelo senado, muitas mulheres que tem filhos não precisarão nem mesmo trabalhar para ter sustento. E tantas outras procurarão engravidar, para ter direito a receber uma mesada mensal do governo até o seu filho completar a maioridade.
O que a militância colorida da terra da fantasia convenientemente ignora — pois a realidade nunca corresponde ao seu conto de fadas ideológico — é que o mundo de uma forma geral continua sendo muito mais implacável com os homens do que é com as mulheres. No Brasil, a esmagadora maioria dos suicídios é praticada por homens, a maioria das vítimas de homicídio são homens e de cada quatro moradores de rua, três são homens. Mas é evidente que uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista não se importa com os homens, pois ela não é influenciada por fatos concretos ou pela realidade. Seu objetivo é simplesmente atender as disposições de uma agenda ideológica, não importa quão divorciadas da realidade elas são.
O nível exacerbado de liberdades sociais e privilégios governamentais dos quais as mulheres brasileiras usufruem é suficiente para destruir a fantasiosa fábula da sociedade machista, opressora e patriarcal. Se as mulheres brasileiras não estão felizes, a culpa definitivamente não é dos homens. Se a vasta profusão de liberdades, privilégios e benefícios da sociedade ocidental não as deixa plenamente saciadas e satisfeitas, elas podem sempre mudar de ares e tentar uma vida mais abnegada e espartana em países como Irã, Paquistão ou Afeganistão. Quem sabe assim elas não se sentirão melhores e mais realizadas?
Homofobia
Quando falamos em homofobia, entramos em uma categoria muito parecida com a do racismo: o direito de discriminação é totalmente válido. Absolutamente ninguém deve ser obrigado a aceitar homossexuais ou considerar o homossexualismo como algo normal. Sendo cristão, não existe nem sequer a mais vaga possibilidade de que algum dia eu venha a aceitar o homossexualismo como algo natural. O homossexualismo se qualifica como um grave desvio de conduta e um pecado contra o Criador.
A Bíblia proíbe terminantemente conduta sexual imoral, o que — além do homossexualismo — inclui adultério, fornicação, incesto e bestialidade, entre outras formas igualmente pérfidas de degradação.
Segue abaixo três passagens bíblicas que proíbem terminantemente a conduta homossexual:
“Não te deitarás com um homem como se deita com uma mulher. Isso é abominável!” (Levítico 18:22 — King James Atualizada)
“Se um homem se deitar com outro homem, como se deita com mulher, ambos terão praticado abominação; certamente serão mortos; o seu sangue estará sobre eles.” (Levítico 20:13 — João Ferreira de Almeida Atualizada)
“O quê! Não sabeis que os injustos não herdarão o reino de Deus? Não sejais desencaminhados. Nem fornicadores, nem idólatras, nem adúlteros, nem homens mantidos para propósitos desnaturais, nem homens que se deitam com homens, nem ladrões, nem gananciosos, nem beberrões, nem injuriadores, nem extorsores herdarão o reino de Deus.” (1 Coríntios 6:9,10 —Tradução do Novo Mundo das Escrituras Sagradas com Referências)
Se você não é religioso, pode simplesmente levar em consideração o argumento do respeito pela ordem natural. A ordem natural é incondicional e incisiva com relação a uma questão: o complemento de tudo o que existe é o seu oposto, não o seu igual. O complemento do dia é a noite, o complemento da luz é a escuridão, o complemento da água, que é líquida, é a terra, que é sólida. E como sabemos o complemento do macho — de sua respectiva espécie — é a fêmea.
Portanto, o complemento do homem, o macho da espécie humana, é naturalmente a mulher, a fêmea da espécie humana. Um homem e uma mulher podem naturalmente se reproduzir, porque são um complemento biológico natural. Por outro lado, um homem e outro homem são incapazes de se reproduzir, assim como uma mulher e outra mulher.
Infelizmente, o mundo atual está longe de aceitar como plenamente estabelecida a ordem natural pelo simples fato dela existir, visto que tentam subvertê-la a qualquer custo, não importa o malabarismo intelectual que tenham que fazer para justificar os seus pontos de vista distorcidos e antinaturais. A libertinagem irrefreável e a imoralidade bestial do mundo contemporâneo pós-moderno não reconhecem nenhum tipo de limite. Quem tenta restabelecer princípios morais salutares é imediatamente considerado um vilão retrógrado e repressivo, sendo ativamente demonizado pela militância do hedonismo, da luxúria e da licenciosidade desenfreada e sem limites.
Definitivamente, fazer a apologia da moralidade, do autocontrole e do autodomínio não faz nenhum sucesso na Sodoma e Gomorra global dos dias atuais. O que faz sucesso é lacração, devassidão, promiscuidade e prazeres carnais vazios. O famoso escritor e filósofo francês Albert Camus expressou uma verdade contundente quando disse: “Uma só frase lhe bastará para definir o homem moderno — fornicava e lia jornais”.
Qualquer indivíduo tem o direito inalienável de discriminar ativamente homossexuais, pelo direito que ele julgar mais pertinente no seu caso. A objeção de consciência para qualquer situação é um direito natural dos indivíduos. Há alguns anos, um caso que aconteceu nos Estados Unidos ganhou enorme repercussão internacional, quando o confeiteiro Jack Phillips se recusou a fazer um bolo de casamento para o “casal” homossexual Dave Mullins e Charlie Craig.
Uma representação dos direitos civis do estado do Colorado abriu um inquérito contra o confeiteiro, alegando que ele deveria ser obrigado a atender todos os clientes, independente da orientação sexual, raça ou crença. Preste atenção nas palavras usadas — ele deveria ser obrigado a atender.
Como se recusou bravamente a ceder, o caso foi parar invariavelmente na Suprema Corte, que decidiu por sete a dois em favor de Jack Phillips, sob a alegação de que obrigar o confeiteiro a atender o “casal” homossexual era uma violação nefasta dos seus princípios religiosos. Felizmente, esse foi um caso em que a liberdade prevaleceu sobre a tirania progressista.
Evidentemente, homossexuais não devem ser agredidos, ofendidos, internados em clínicas contra a sua vontade, nem devem ser constrangidos em suas liberdades pelo fato de serem homossexuais. O que eles precisam entender é que a liberdade é uma via de mão dupla. Eles podem ter liberdade para adotar a conduta que desejarem e fazer o que quiserem (contanto que não agridam ninguém), mas da mesma forma, é fundamental respeitar e preservar a liberdade de terceiros que desejam rejeitá-los pacificamente, pelo motivo que for.
Afinal, ninguém tem a menor obrigação de aceitá-los, atendê-los ou sequer pensar que uma união estável entre duas pessoas do mesmo sexo — incapaz de gerar descendentes, e, portanto, antinatural — deva ser considerado um matrimônio de verdade. Absolutamente nenhuma pessoa, ideia, movimento, crença ou ideologia usufrui de plena unanimidade no mundo. Por que o homossexualismo deveria ter tal privilégio?
Homossexuais não são portadores de uma verdade definitiva, absoluta e indiscutível, que está acima da humanidade. São seres humanos comuns que — na melhor das hipóteses —, levam um estilo de vida que pode ser considerado “alternativo”, e absolutamente ninguém tem a obrigação de considerar esse estilo de vida normal ou aceitável. A única obrigação das pessoas é não interferir, e isso não implica uma obrigação em aceitar.
Discriminar homossexuais (assim como pessoas de qualquer outro grupo, raça, religião, nacionalidade ou etnia) é um direito natural por parte de todos aqueles que desejam exercer esse direito. E isso nem o direito positivo nem a militância progressista poderão algum dia alterar ou subverter. O direito natural e a inclinação inerente dos seres humanos em atender às suas próprias disposições é simplesmente imutável e faz parte do seu conjunto de necessidades.
Conclusão
A militância progressista é absurdamente autoritária, e todas as suas estratégias e disposições ideológicas mostram que ela está em uma guerra permanente contra a ordem natural, contra a liberdade e principalmente contra o homem branco, cristão, conservador e tradicionalista — possivelmente, aquilo que ela mais odeia e despreza.
Nós não podemos, no entanto, ceder ou dar espaço para a agenda progressista, tampouco pensar em considerar como sendo normais todas as pautas abusivas e tirânicas que a militância pretende estabelecer como sendo perfeitamente razoáveis e aceitáveis, quer a sociedade aceite isso ou não. Afinal, conforme formos cedendo, o progressismo tirânico e totalitário tende a ganhar cada vez mais espaço.
Quanto mais espaço o progressismo conquistar, mais corroída será a liberdade e mais impulso ganhará o totalitarismo. Com isso, a cultura do cancelamento vai acabar com carreiras, profissões e com o sustento de muitas pessoas, pelo simples fato de que elas discordam das pautas universitárias da moda.
A história mostra perfeitamente que quanto mais liberdade uma sociedade tem, mais progresso ela atinge. Por outro lado, quanto mais autoritária ela for, mais retrocessos ela sofrerá. O autoritarismo se combate com liberdade, desafiando as pautas de todos aqueles que persistem em implementar a tirania na sociedade. O politicamente correto é o nazismo dos costumes, que pretende subverter a moral através de uma cultura de vigilância policial despótica e autoritária, para que toda a sociedade seja subjugada pela agenda totalitária progressista.
Pois quanto a nós, precisamos continuar travando o bom combate em nome da liberdade. E isso inclui reconhecer que ideologias, hábitos e costumes de que não gostamos tem o direito de existir e até mesmo de serem defendidos.
-

@ aa8de34f:a6ffe696
2025-03-21 12:08:31
19\. März 2025
### 🔐 1. SHA-256 is Quantum-Resistant
Bitcoin’s **proof-of-work** mechanism relies on SHA-256, a hashing algorithm. Even with a powerful quantum computer, **SHA-256 remains secure** because:
- Quantum computers excel at **factoring large numbers** (Shor’s Algorithm).
- However, **SHA-256 is a one-way function**, meaning there's no known quantum algorithm that can efficiently reverse it.
- **Grover’s Algorithm** (which theoretically speeds up brute force attacks) would still require **2¹²⁸ operations** to break SHA-256 – far beyond practical reach.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
### 🔑 2. Public Key Vulnerability – But Only If You Reuse Addresses
Bitcoin uses **Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA)** to generate keys.
- A quantum computer could use **Shor’s Algorithm** to break **SECP256K1**, the curve Bitcoin uses.
- If you never reuse addresses, it is an additional security element
- 🔑 1. Bitcoin Addresses Are NOT Public Keys
Many people assume a **Bitcoin address** is the public key—**this is wrong**.
- When you **receive Bitcoin**, it is sent to a **hashed public key** (the Bitcoin address).
- The **actual public key is never exposed** because it is the Bitcoin Adress who addresses the Public Key which never reveals the creation of a public key by a spend
- Bitcoin uses **Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash (P2PKH)** or newer methods like **Pay-to-Witness-Public-Key-Hash (P2WPKH)**, which add extra layers of security.
### 🕵️♂️ 2.1 The Public Key Never Appears
- When you **send Bitcoin**, your wallet creates a **digital signature**.
- This signature uses the **private key** to **prove** ownership.
- The **Bitcoin address is revealed and creates the Public Key**
- The public key **remains hidden inside the Bitcoin script and Merkle tree**.
This means: ✔ **The public key is never exposed.** ✔ **Quantum attackers have nothing to target, attacking a Bitcoin Address is a zero value game.**
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
### 🔄 3. Bitcoin Can Upgrade
Even if quantum computers **eventually** become a real threat:
- Bitcoin developers can **upgrade to quantum-safe cryptography** (e.g., lattice-based cryptography or post-quantum signatures like Dilithium).
- Bitcoin’s decentralized nature ensures a network-wide **soft fork or hard fork** could transition to quantum-resistant keys.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
### ⏳ 4. The 10-Minute Block Rule as a Security Feature
- Bitcoin’s network operates on a **10-minute block interval**, meaning:Even if an attacker had immense computational power (like a quantum computer), they could only attempt an attack **every 10 minutes**.Unlike traditional encryption, where a hacker could continuously brute-force keys, Bitcoin’s system **resets the challenge with every new block**.This **limits the window of opportunity** for quantum attacks.
---
### 🎯 5. Quantum Attack Needs to Solve a Block in Real-Time
- A quantum attacker **must solve the cryptographic puzzle (Proof of Work) in under 10 minutes**.
- The problem? **Any slight error changes the hash completely**, meaning:**If the quantum computer makes a mistake (even 0.0001% probability), the entire attack fails**.**Quantum decoherence** (loss of qubit stability) makes error correction a massive challenge.The computational cost of **recovering from an incorrect hash** is still incredibly high.
---
### ⚡ 6. Network Resilience – Even if a Block Is Hacked
- Even if a quantum computer **somehow** solved a block instantly:The network would **quickly recognize and reject invalid transactions**.Other miners would **continue mining** under normal cryptographic rules.**51% Attack?** The attacker would need to consistently beat the **entire Bitcoin network**, which is **not sustainable**.
---
### 🔄 7. The Logarithmic Difficulty Adjustment Neutralizes Threats
- Bitcoin adjusts mining difficulty every **2016 blocks (\~2 weeks)**.
- If quantum miners appeared and suddenly started solving blocks too quickly, **the difficulty would adjust upward**, making attacks significantly harder.
- This **self-correcting mechanism** ensures that even quantum computers wouldn't easily overpower the network.
---
### 🔥 Final Verdict: Quantum Computers Are Too Slow for Bitcoin
✔ **The 10-minute rule limits attack frequency** – quantum computers can’t keep up.
✔ **Any slight miscalculation ruins the attack**, resetting all progress.
✔ **Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustment would react, neutralizing quantum advantages**.
**Even if quantum computers reach their theoretical potential, Bitcoin’s game theory and design make it incredibly resistant.** 🚀
-

@ eac63075:b4988b48
2025-03-07 14:35:26
Listen the Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7lJWc1zaqA9CNhB8coJXaL?si=4147bca317624d34
https://www.fountain.fm/episode/YEGnlBLZhvuj96GSpuk9
# **Abstract**
This paper examines a hypothetical scenario in which the United States, under Trump’s leadership, withdraws from NATO and reduces its support for Europe, thereby enabling a Russian conquest of Ukraine and the subsequent expansion of Moscow’s influence over Eurasia, while the US consolidates its dominance over South America. Drawing on classical geopolitical theories—specifically those of Halford Mackinder, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Rudolf Kjellén, and Friedrich Ratzel—the study analyzes how these frameworks can elucidate the evolving power dynamics and territorial ambitions in a reconfigured global order. The discussion highlights Mackinder’s notion of the Eurasian Heartland and its strategic importance, Mahan’s emphasis on maritime power and control of strategic routes, Kjellén’s view of the state as an expanding organism, and Ratzel’s concept of Lebensraum as a justification for territorial expansion. The paper also explores contemporary developments, such as the US–Ukraine economic agreement and Trump’s overt territorial ambitions involving Greenland and Canada, in light of these theories. By juxtaposing traditional geopolitical concepts with current international relations, the study aims to shed light on the potential implications of such shifts for regional stability, global security, and the balance of power, particularly in relation to emerging neocolonial practices in Latin America.
# **Introduction**
In recent years, the geopolitical dynamics involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have sparked analyses from different theoretical perspectives. This paper examines recent events – presupposing a scenario in which Donald Trump withdraws the US from NATO and reduces its support for Europe, allowing a Russian conquest of Ukraine and the expansion of Moscow’s influence over Eurasia, while the US consolidates its dominance over South America – in light of classical geopolitical theories. The ideas of Halford Mackinder, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Rudolf Kjellén, and Friedrich Ratzel are used as reference points. The proposal is to impartially evaluate how each theory can elucidate the developments of this hypothetical scenario, relating Russian territorial expansion in Eurasia to the strategic retreat of the US to the Western Hemisphere.
Initially, we will outline Mackinder’s conception of the Heartland (the central Eurasian territory) and the crucial role of Eastern Europe and Ukraine in the quest for global dominance. Next, we will discuss Mahan’s ideas regarding maritime power and the control of strategic routes, considering the impacts on the naval power balance among the US, Russia, and other maritime powers such as the United Kingdom and Japan. Subsequently, we will examine Kjellén’s organic theory of the state, interpreting the Russian expansionist strategy as a reflection of a state organism in search of vital space. In the same vein, Ratzel’s concept of “Lebensraum” will be explored, along with how Russia could justify territorial expansion based on resources and territory. Finally, the paper connects these theories to the current political context, analyzing the direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow (overlooking Ukraine and Europe), the US policy toward authoritarian regimes in Latin America, and the notion of a hemispheric division of power – the “Island of the Americas” under North American hegemony versus an Eurasia dominated by Russia. Lastly, it considers the possibility that such a geopolitical arrangement may foster the strengthening of authoritarian governments globally, rather than containing them, thus altering the paradigms of the liberal world order.
# **The Heartland of Mackinder: Ukraine, Eurasia, and Global Dominance**
Halford J. Mackinder, a British geographer and pioneer of geopolitics, proposed the celebrated Heartland Theory in the early twentieth century. Mackinder divided the world into geostrategic zones and identified the Heartland—the central continental mass of Eurasia—as the “geographical pivot of history” \[5\]. His most famous maxim encapsulates this vision: “who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; who rules the World Island commands the world” \[5\]. Eastern Europe and, in particular, the region of present-day Ukraine, play a key role in this formula. This is because, for Mackinder, Eastern Europe functions as a gateway to the Heartland, providing access to resources and a strategic position for the projection of continental power \[5\].
Applying this theory to our scenario, the conquest of Ukraine and Eastern European countries by Russia would have profound geopolitical implications. From a Mackinderian point of view, such a conquest would enormously strengthen Russia’s position in the Heartland by adding manpower (population) and Ukraine’s industrial and agricultural resources to its power base \[5\]. In fact, Mackinder argued that controlling the Heartland conferred formidable geostrategic advantages—a vast terrestrial “natural fortress” protected from naval invasions and rich in resources such as wheat, minerals, and fuels \[5\]. Thus, if Moscow were to incorporate Ukraine (renowned for its fertile soil and grain production, as well as its mineral reserves) and extend its influence over Eastern Europe, Russia would consolidate the Heartland under its direct control. In this context, the absence of the USA (withdrawn from NATO and less engaged in Europe) would remove an important obstacle to Russian predominance in the region.
With central and eastern Eurasia under Russian influence, it would be possible to move toward the realization of the geopolitical nightmare described by Mackinder for Western maritime powers: a hegemonic continental power capable of projecting power to both Europe and Asia. Mackinder himself warned that if a Heartland power gained additional access to an oceanic coastline—in other words, if it combined land power with a significant maritime front—it would constitute a “danger” to global freedom \[5\]. In the scenario considered, besides advancing into Eastern Europe, Russia would already possess strategic maritime outlets (for example, in the Black Sea, via Crimea, and in the Baltic, via Kaliningrad or the Baltic States if influenced). Thus, the control of Ukraine would reinforce Russia’s position in the Black Sea and facilitate projection into the Eastern Mediterranean, expanding its oceanic front. From a Mackinderian perspective, this could potentially transform Russia into the dominant power of the “World Island” (the combined mass of Europe, Asia, and Africa), thereby unbalancing the global geopolitical order \[5\].
It is worth noting that, historically, Mackinder’s doctrine influenced containment strategies: both in the interwar period and during the Cold War, efforts were made to prevent a single power from controlling the Heartland and Eastern Europe. NATO, for example, can be seen as an instrument to prevent Soviet/Russian advances in Europe, in line with Mackinder’s imperative to “contain the Heartland.” Thus, if the USA were to abandon that role—by leaving NATO and tacitly accepting the Russian sphere of influence in Eurasia—we would be witnessing an inversion of the principles that have guided Western policy for decades. In short, under Mackinder’s theory, the Russian conquest of Ukraine and beyond would represent the key for Russia to command the Heartland and, potentially, challenge global hegemony, especially in a scenario where the USA self-restricts to the Western Hemisphere.
# **The Maritime Power of Mahan and the Naval Balance between West and East**
While Mackinder emphasized continental land power, Alfred Thayer Mahan, a nineteenth-century American naval strategist, highlighted the crucial role of maritime power in global dominance. In his work *The Influence of Sea Power upon History* (1890), Mahan studied the example of the British Empire and concluded that control of the seas paved the way for British supremacy as a world power \[10\]. He argued that a strong navy and the control of strategic maritime routes were decisive factors for projecting military, political, and economic power. His doctrine can be summarized in the following points: (1) the United States should aspire to be a world power; (2) control of the seas is necessary to achieve that status; (3) such control is obtained through a powerful fleet of warships \[17\]. In other words, for Mahan, whoever dominates the maritime routes and possesses naval superiority will be in a position to influence global destinies, ensuring trade, supplies, and the rapid movement of military forces.
In the proposed scenario, in which the USA withdraws militarily from Europe and possibly from the Eurasian stage, Mahan’s ideas raise questions about the distribution of maritime power and its effects. Traditionally, the US Navy operates globally, ensuring freedom of navigation and deterring challenges in major seas (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, etc.). A withdrawal of the USA from NATO could also signal a reduction in its naval presence in the Northeast Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and other areas close to Eurasia. In such a case, who would fill this naval vacuum? Russia, although primarily a land power, has been attempting to modernize its navy and has specific interests—for example, consolidating its dominance in the Black Sea and maintaining a presence in the Mediterranean (with a naval base in Tartus, Syria). The United Kingdom, a historic European maritime power, would remain aligned with the USA but, without American military support in Europe, might potentially be overwhelmed trying to contain an increasingly assertive Russian navy in European waters on its own. Japan, another significant maritime actor allied with the USA, is concerned with the naval balance in the Pacific; without full American engagement, Tokyo might be compelled to expand its own naval power to contain both Russia in the Far East (which maintains a fleet in the Pacific) and, especially, the growing Chinese navy.
According to Mahan’s thinking, strategic maritime routes and choke points (crucial straits and channels) become contested prizes in this power game. With the USA focusing on the Americas, one could imagine Washington reinforcing control over the Panama Canal and Caribbean routes—reviving an “American Gulf” policy in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. In fact, indications of this orientation emerge in statements attributed to Trump, who once suggested reclaiming direct control over Panama, transforming Canada into a North American state, and even “annexing” Greenland due to its Arctic geopolitical importance \[18\]. These aspirations reflect a quest to secure advantageous maritime positions near the American continent.
Conversely, in the absence of American presence in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, Russia would have free rein for regional maritime projection. This could include anything from the unrestricted use of the Black Sea (after dominating Ukraine, thereby ensuring full access to Crimea and Ukrainian ports) to greater influence in the Eastern Mediterranean via Syria and partnerships with countries such as Iran or Egypt. The Baltic Sea would also become an area of expanded Russian interest, pressuring coastal countries and perhaps reducing NATO’s traditional local naval supremacy. However, it is worth noting that even with these regional expansions, Russia lacks a blue-water navy comparable to that of the USA; thus, its initial global maritime impact would be limited without alliances.
An important aspect of Mahan’s theories is that naval power serves as a counterbalance to the land power of the Heartland. Therefore, even if Russia were to dominate the Eurasian continental mass, the continued presence of American naval might on the oceans could prevent complete global domination by Moscow. However, if the USA voluntarily restricts its naval reach to the Americas, it would forgo influencing the power balance in the seas adjacent to Eurasia. Consequently, the balance of maritime power would tend to shift in favor of regional Eurasian actors. The United Kingdom and Japan, traditional allies of the USA, could intensify their naval capabilities to defend regional interests—the United Kingdom safeguarding the North Atlantic and the North Sea, and Japan patrolling the Northwest Pacific—but both would face budgetary and structural limitations in fully compensating for the absence of the American superpower. Consequently, Mahan’s vision suggests that the withdrawal of the USA from the extra-regional scene would weaken the liberal maritime regime, possibly opening space for revisionist powers to contest routes that were previously secured (for example, Russia and China encountering less opposition on the routes of the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific, respectively). In summary, naval hegemony would fragment, and control of strategic seas would become contested, reconfiguring the relative influence of the USA, Russia, and maritime allies such as the United Kingdom and Japan.
# **Kjellén and the State as a Living Organism: Russian Expansion as an Organic Necessity**
Another useful theoretical lens to interpret Russian geopolitical posture is that of Rudolf Kjellén, a Swedish political scientist of the early twentieth century who conceived the State as a living organism. Kjellén, who even coined the term “geopolitics,” was influenced by Friedrich Ratzel’s ideas and by social Darwinism, arguing that States are born, grow, and decline analogously to living beings \[13\]. In his work *Staten som livsform* (The State as a Form of Life, 1916), he maintained that States possess an organic dimension in addition to the legal one and that “just as any form of life, States must expand or die” \[14\]. This expansion would not be motivated merely by aggressive conquest but seen as a necessary growth for the self-preservation of the state organism \[14\]. In complement, Kjellén echoed Ratzel’s “law of expanding spaces” by asserting that large States expand at the expense of smaller ones, with it being only a matter of time before the great realms fill the available spaces \[14\]. That is, from the organic perspective, vigorous States tend to incorporate smaller neighboring territories, consolidating territorially much like an organism absorbing nutrients.
Applying this theory to the strategy of contemporary Russia, we can interpret Moscow’s actions—including the invasion of Ukraine and the ambition to restore its sphere of influence in Eurasia—as the expression of an organic drive for expansion. For a strategist influenced by this school, Russia (viewed as a state organism with a long imperial history) needs to expand its territory and influence to ensure its survival and security. The loss of control over spaces that once were part of the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union (such as Ukraine itself, the Caucasus, or Central Asia) may be perceived by Russian elites as an atrophy of the state organism, rendering it vulnerable. Thus, the reincorporation of these territories—whether directly (annexation) or indirectly (political vassalage)—would equate to restoring lost members or strengthening vital organs of the state body. In fact, official Russian arguments often portray Ukraine as an intrinsic part of “Russian historicity,” denying it a fully separate identity—a narrative that aligns with the idea that Russian expansion in that region is natural and necessary for the Russian State (seen as encompassing also Russian speakers beyond its current borders).
Kjellén would thus provide a theoretical justification for Russian territorial expansion as an organic phenomenon. As a great power, Russia would inevitably seek to expand at the expense of smaller neighbors (Ukraine, Georgia, the Baltic States, etc.), as dictated by the tendency of “great spaces to organize” to the detriment of the small \[14\]. This view can be identified in contemporary Russian doctrines that value spheres of influence and the notion that neighboring countries must gravitate around Moscow in order for the natural order to be maintained. The very idea of “Eurasia” united under Russian leadership (advocated by modern Russian thinkers) echoes this organic conception of vital space and expansion as a sign of the State’s vitality.
However, Kjellén’s theory also warns of the phenomenon of “imperial overstretch,” should a State exceed its internal cohesion limits by expanding excessively \[14\]. He recognized that extending borders too far could increase friction and vulnerabilities, making it difficult to maintain cohesion—a very large organism may lack functional integration. In the Russian context, this suggests that although expansion is seen as necessary, there are risks if Russia tries to encompass more than it can govern effectively. Conquering Ukraine and subjugating Eastern Europe, for example, could economically and militarily overburden the Russian State, especially if it faced resistance or had to manage hostile populations. However, in the hypothetical scenario we adopt (isolated USA and a weakened Europe), Russia might calculate that the organic benefits of expansion (territory, resources, strategic depth) would outweigh the costs, since external interference would be limited. Thus, through Kjellén’s lens, expansionist Russia behaves as an organism following its instinct for survival and growth, absorbing weaker neighbors; yet such a process is not devoid of challenges, requiring that the “organism Russia” manages to assimilate these new spaces without collapsing under its own weight.
# **Ratzel and Lebensraum: Resources, Territory, and the Justification for Expansion**
Parallel to Kjellén’s organic view, Friedrich Ratzel’s theory offers another conceptual basis for understanding Russian expansion: the concept of Lebensraum (vital space). Ratzel, a German geographer of the late nineteenth century, proposed that the survival and development of a people or nation depended critically on the available physical space and resources. Influenced by Darwinist ideas, he applied the notion of “survival of the fittest” to nations, arguing that human societies need to conquer territory and resources to prosper, and that the stronger and fittest civilizations will naturally prevail over the weaker ones \[12\]. In 1901, Ratzel coined the term Lebensraum to describe this need for “vital space” as a geographical factor in national power \[15\].
Subsequently, this idea would be adopted—and extremely distorted—by Nazi ideology to justify Germany’s aggressions in Europe. However, the core of Ratzel’s concept is that territorial expansion is essential for the survival and growth of a State, especially to secure food, raw materials, and space for its population \[12\].
When examining Russia’s stance under this perspective, we can see several narratives that evoke the logic of Lebensraum. Russia is the largest country in the world by area; however, much of its territory is characterized by adverse climates (tundra, taiga) and is relatively sparsely populated in Siberia. On the other hand, adjacent regions such as Ukraine possess highly arable lands (chernozem—black soil), significant Slavic population density, and additional natural resources (coal in the Donbass, for example). An implicit justification for Russian expansion could be the search for supplementary resources and fertile lands to secure its self-sufficiency and power—exactly as Ratzel described that vigorous nations do. Historical records show that Ratzel emphasized agrarian primacy: he believed that new territories should be colonized by farmers, providing the food base for the nation \[12\]. Ukraine, historically called the “breadbasket of Europe,” fits perfectly into this vision of conquest for sustenance and agricultural wealth.
Furthermore, Ratzel viewed geography as a determinant of the destiny of nations—peoples adapted to certain habitats seek to expand them if they aspire to grow. In contemporary Russian discourse, there is often mention of the need to ensure security and territorial depth in the face of NATO, or to unite brotherly peoples (Russians and Russian speakers) within a single political space. Such arguments can be read as a modern translation of Lebensraum: the idea that the Russian nation, in order to be secure and flourish, must control a larger space, encompassing buffer zones and critical resources. This Russian “vital space” would naturally include Ukraine and other former Soviet republics, given the historical and infrastructural interdependence. Ratzel emphasized that peoples migrated and expanded when their original homeland no longer met their needs or aspirations \[12\]. Although contemporary Russia does not suffer from demographic pressure (on the contrary, it faces population decline), under the logic of a great power there is indeed a sentiment of geopolitical insufficiency for having lost influence over areas considered strategic. Thus, reconquering these areas would mean recovering the “habitat” necessary for the Russian nation to prosper and feel secure.
It is important to mention that, in Ratzel’s and Kjellén’s formulations, the pursuit of Lebensraum or organic expansion is not morally qualified—it is treated as a natural process in the politics of power. Thus, on the discursive level, Russia can avoid overly aggressive rhetoric and resort to “natural” justifications: for example, claiming that it needs to occupy Ukraine for defensive purposes (security space) or to reunify peoples (a common cultural and historical space). Beneath these justifications, however, resonates the geopolitical imperative to acquire more territory and resources as a guarantee of national survival, something consonant with Ratzel’s theory. In fact, Russian Realpolitik frequently prioritizes the control of energy resources (gas, oil) and transportation routes. Expanding its influence over central Eurasia would also mean controlling oil pipelines, gas lines, and logistical corridors—essential elements of modern Lebensraum understood as access to vital resources and infrastructure.
In summary, by conquering Ukraine and extending its reach into Eurasia, Russia could effectively invoke the concept of Lebensraum: presenting its expansion not as mere imperialism, but as a necessity to secure indispensable lands and resources for its people and to correct the “injustice” of a vital space diminished by post-Cold War territorial losses. The theories of Ratzel and Kjellén together paint a picture in which Russian expansion emerges almost as a natural law—the great State reclaiming space to ensure its survival and development at the expense of smaller neighbors.
# **Trump, NATO, and the Threat of American Withdrawal**
One of the most alarming changes with Trump's return to power is the tense relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Trump has long criticized allies for not meeting military spending targets, even threatening during his first term to withdraw the US from the alliance if members did not increase their contributions \[2\]. This threat, initially viewed with skepticism, became concrete after his re-election, leading European allies to seriously consider the possibility of having to defend themselves without American support \[1\]. In fact, Trump suggested in post-election interviews that the US would only remain in NATO if the allies “paid their bills” – otherwise, he “would seriously consider” leaving \[2\]. Such statements reinforced the warning that the US might not honor NATO's mutual defense commitment, precisely at a time of continuous Russian threat due to the war in Ukraine \[1\].
From a theoretical point of view, this posture of American retrenchment evokes the classic tension between maritime power and land power. Alfred Thayer Mahan emphasized that the global power of the US derived largely from its naval superiority and from alliances that ensured control over strategic maritime routes \[9\]. NATO, since 1949, has served not only to deter Soviet terrestrial advances in Eurasia, but also to secure the US naval presence in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean – a fundamental element according to Mahan. In turn, Halford Mackinder warned that the balance of global power depended on the control of the Eurasian “Heartland” (the central region of Eurasia). The withdrawal or disengagement of the US (a maritime power) from this region could open the way for a continental power (such as Russia) to expand its influence in Eastern Europe, unbalancing the power balance \[3\]. In other words, by threatening to leave NATO, Trump jeopardizes the principle of containment that prevented Russian dominance over Eastern Europe – something that Mackinder would see as a dangerous shift in global power in favor of the Heartland power.
Adopting an impartial tone, it is observed that European countries have reacted to this new reality with precautionary measures. Strategic reports already calculate the cost of an autonomous European defense: hundreds of thousands of additional soldiers and investments of hundreds of billions of euros would be required if the US ceased to guarantee the security of the continent \[1\]. European dependence on American military power is significant and, without it, there would be a need for a major reinforcement of European Armed Forces \[1\]. This mobilization practically reflects the anticipation of a power vacuum left by the US – a scenario in which Mackinder’s theory (on the primacy of the Heartland and the vulnerability of the “external crescent” where Western Europe is located) regains its relevance.
# **The US–Ukraine Economic Agreement: Strategic Minerals in Exchange for Support?**
Another novelty of Trump's second term is the unprecedented and transactional manner in which Washington has been dealing with the war in Ukraine. Instead of emphasizing security guarantees and alliances, the Trump administration proposed a trade agreement with Ukraine focused on the exploitation of strategic minerals, linking American support to a direct economic benefit. According to sources close to the negotiations, the US and Ukraine are about to sign a pact to share the revenues from the exploitation of critical mineral resources on Ukrainian territory \[19\]. Materials such as titanium, lithium, rare earths, and uranium – vital for high-tech and defense industries – would be at the core of this agreement \[6\]. According to the known draft, Ukraine would allocate 50% of the profits from new mineral ventures to a fund controlled by the US, which would reinvest part of the resources in the country’s own reconstruction \[6\] \[19\].
It is noteworthy that the pact does not include explicit security guarantees for Kyiv, despite Ukraine remaining under direct military threat from Russia \[19\]. Essentially, the Trump administration offers financial support and economic investment in exchange for a share in Ukrainian natural resources, but without formally committing to Ukraine's defense in the event of a renewed Russian offensive \[19\]. American authorities argue that this economic partnership would already be sufficient to “secure Ukrainian interests,” as it would provide the US with its own incentives to desire Ukraine’s stability \[19\]. “What could be better for Ukraine than being in an economic partnership with the United States?” stated Mike Waltz, a US national security advisor, defending the proposal \[19\].
Analysts, however, assess the agreement in divided terms. For some, it represents a form of economic exploitation at a time of Ukraine's fragility – comparing the demand to share mineral wealth amid war to a scheme of “mafia protection” \[19\]. Steven Cook, from the Council on Foreign Relations, classified the offer as “extortion,” and political scientist Virginia P. Fortna observed that charging resources from an invaded country resembles predatory practices \[19\]. Joseph Nye adds that it is a short-term gain strategy that could be “disastrous in the long run” for American credibility, reflecting the transactional approach that Trump even adopted with close allies in other contexts \[19\]. On the other hand, some see a future advantage for Kyiv: journalist Pierre Briançon suggests that at least this agreement aligns American commercial interests with Ukraine’s future, which could, in theory, keep the US involved in Ukrainian prosperity in the long term \[19\]. It is even recalled that President Zelensky himself proposed last year the idea of sharing natural resources with the US to bring the interests of the two countries closer together \[19\].
From the perspective of geopolitical theories, this agreement illustrates a shift towards economic pragmatism in international relations, approaching concepts proposed by Kjellén. Rudolf Kjellén, who coined the term “geopolitics,” saw the State as a territorial organism that seeks to ensure its survival through self-sufficiency and the control of strategic resources \[4\]. Trump's demand for a share in Ukrainian resources in order to continue supporting the country reflects a logic of autarky and direct national interest – that is, foreign policy serving primarily to reinforce the economic and material position of the US. This view contrasts with the traditional cooperative approach, but aligns with Kjellén’s idea that powerful States tend to transform international relations into opportunities for their own gain, ensuring access to vital raw materials. Similarly, Friedrich Ratzel argued that States have a “propensity to expand their borders according to their capacities,” seeking vital space (Lebensraum) and resources to sustain their development \[11\]. The US–Ukraine pact, by conditioning military/economic aid on obtaining tangible advantages (half of the mineral profits), is reminiscent of Ratzel’s perspective: the US, as a rising economic power, expands its economic influence over Ukrainian territory like an organism extending itself to obtain the necessary resources for its well-being. It is, therefore, a form of economic expansionism at the expense of purely ideological commitments or collective security.
# **Peace Negotiations Excluding Ukraine and the Legitimacy of the Agreement**
Another controversial point is the manner in which peace negotiations between Russia and the West have been conducted under Trump's administration. Since taking office, the American president has engaged directly with Moscow in pursuit of a ceasefire, deliberately keeping the Ukrainian government out of the initial discussions \[6\]. Trump expressed his desire to “leave Zelensky out of the conversation” and also excluded the European Union from any influence in the process \[6\]. This negotiation strategy—conducted without the presence of the primary interested party, Ukraine—raises serious questions about the legitimacy and sustainability of any resulting agreement.
Historically, peace agreements reached without the direct participation of one of the conflicting parties tend to face problems in implementation and acceptance.
The exclusion of Ukraine in the decision-making phase brings to light the issue of guarantees. As noted, the emerging agreement lacks formal US security guarantees for Ukraine. This implies that, after the agreement is signed, nothing will prevent Russia from launching a new offensive if it deems it convenient, knowing that the US has not committed to defending it militarily. Experts have already warned that a ceasefire without robust protection may only be a pause for Russian rearmament, rendering the conflict “frozen” temporarily and potentially resumed in the near future. The European strategic community has expressed similar concern: without American deterrence, the risk of further Russian aggressions in the region increases considerably \[1\]. Denmark, for example, has released intelligence reports warning of possible imminent Russian attacks, prompting neighboring countries to accelerate plans for independent defense \[1\].
The legitimacy of this asymmetric peace agreement (negotiated without Ukraine fully at the table and under economic coercion) is also questionable from a legal and moral point of view. It violates the principle of self-determination by imposing terms decided by great powers on a sovereign country—a practice reminiscent of dark chapters in diplomacy, such as the Munich Agreement of 1938, when powers determined the fate of Czechoslovakia without its consent. In the current case, Ukraine would end up signing the agreement, but from a position of weakness, raising doubts about how durable such a commitment would be.
From Mackinder’s perspective, Ukraine’s removal from the battlefield without guarantees essentially means admitting a greater influence of Russia (the Heartland power) over Eastern Europe. This would alter the balance in Eurasia in a potentially lasting way. Furthermore, the fact that great powers negotiate over the heads of a smaller country evokes the imperial logic of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when empires decided among themselves the divisions of foreign territories—a behavior that Mackinder saw as likely in a world of a “closed system.” With the entire world already occupied by States, Mackinder predicted that powers would begin to compete for influence within this consolidated board, often subjugating smaller states to gain advantage \[3\]. The US–Russia negotiation regarding Ukraine, without proper Ukrainian representation, exemplifies this type of neo-imperial dynamic in the twenty-first century.
Also noteworthy is the consonance with the ideas of Ratzel and Kjellén: both viewed smaller states as easily relegated to the status of satellites or even “parasitic organisms” in the orbit of larger states. Kjellén spoke of the intrinsic vulnerability of states with little territorial depth or economic dependence, making them susceptible to external pressures \[4\]\[20\]. Ukraine, weakened by war and dependent on external aid, becomes a concrete example of this theorized vulnerability: it has had to cede strategic resources and accept terms dictated against its will in an attempt to secure its immediate survival. The resulting agreement, therefore, reflects a power imbalance characteristic of the hierarchical international relations described by classical geopolitical theorists.
# **Implicit Territorial Concessions and Trump’s Public Discourse**
A central and controversial point in Trump’s statements regarding the war in Ukraine is the insinuation of territorial concessions to Russia as part of the conflict’s resolution. Publicly, Trump avoided explicitly condemning Russian aggression and even stated that he considered it “unlikely” that Ukraine would be able to retake all the areas occupied by the Russians \[16\]. In debates and interviews, he suggested that “if I were president, the war would end in 24 hours,” implying that he would force an understanding between Kyiv and Moscow that would likely involve ceding some territory in exchange for peace. This position marks a break with the previous US policy of not recognizing any territorial acquisitions made by force and fuels speculations that a future peace agreement sponsored by Trump would legitimize at least part of Russia’s gains since 2014 (Crimea, Donbass, and areas seized during the 2022 invasion).
The actions of his administration corroborate this interpretation. As discussed, the economic agreement focuses on the exploitation of Ukrainian natural resources, many of which are located precisely in regions currently under Russian military control, such as parts of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Donetsk, Lugansk, and the Azov Sea area \[6\]. A Ukrainian geologist, Hanna Liventseva, highlighted that “most of these elements (strategic minerals) are found in the south of the Ukrainian Shield, mainly in the Azov region, and most of these territories are currently invaded by Russia” \[6\]. This means that, to make joint exploitation viable, Russia’s de facto control over these areas would have to be recognized—or at least tolerated—in the short term. In other words, the pact indirectly and tacitly accepts Russian territorial gains, as it involves sharing the profits from resources that are not currently accessible to the Kyiv government.
Furthermore, figures close to Trump have made explicit statements regarding the possibility of territorial cession. Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor, publicly stated that Zelensky might need to “cede land to Russia” to end the war \[8\]. This remark—made public in March 2025—confirms that the Trump White House considers it natural for Ukraine to relinquish parts of its territory in favor of an agreement. Such a stance marks a break from the previous Western consensus, which condemned any territorial gains by force. Under Trump, a pragmatic view (in the eyes of his supporters) or a cynical one (according to his critics) seems to prevail: sacrificing principles of territorial integrity to quickly end hostilities and secure immediate economic benefits.
In theoretical terms, this inclination to validate territorial gains by force recalls the concept of Realpolitik and the geopolitical Darwinism that influenced thinkers such as Ratzel. In Ratzel’s organic conception, expanding states naturally absorb neighboring territories when they are strong enough to do so, while declining states lose territory—a process almost biological in the selection of the fittest \[11\]. The Trump administration’s acceptance that Ukraine should “give something” to Moscow to seal peace reflects a normalization of this geopolitical selection process: it recognizes the aggressor (Russia) as having the “right” to retain conquered lands, because that is how power realities on the ground dictate. Mackinder, although firmly opposed to allowing Russia to dominate the Heartland, would see this outcome as the logical consequence of the lack of engagement from maritime powers (the USA and the United Kingdom, for example) in sustaining the Ukrainian counterattack. Without the active involvement of maritime power to balance the dispute, land power prevails in Eastern Europe.
From the perspective of international legitimacy, the cession of Ukrainian territories—whether de jure or de facto—creates a dangerous precedent in the post-Cold War era. Rewarding violent aggression with territorial gains may encourage similar strategies in other parts of the world, undermining the architecture of collective security. This is possibly a return to a world of spheres of influence, where great powers define borders and zones of control according to their convenience—something that the rules-based order after 1945 sought to avoid. Here, academic impartiality requires noting that coercion for territorial concessions rarely produces lasting peace, as the aggrieved party—in this case, Ukraine—may accept temporarily but will continue to assert its rights in the long term, as has occurred with other territorial injustices in history.
# **Territorial Ambitions of Trump: Greenland and Canada**
Beyond the Eurasian theater of war, Trump revived geopolitical ambitions involving territories traditionally allied with the US: Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark) and Canada. As early as 2019, during his first term, Trump shocked the world by proposing to buy Greenland—rich in minerals and strategically positioned in the Arctic. Upon his return to power, he went further: expressing a “renewed interest” in acquiring Greenland and publicly suggesting the incorporation of Canada as the 51st American state \[2\].
In January 2025, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, he even displayed maps in which the US and Canada appeared merged into a single country, while Greenland was marked as a future American possession \[2\]. Posts by the president on social media included satirical images with a map of North America where Canada was labeled “51st” and Greenland designated as “Our Land” \[2\].
Such moves were met with concern and disbelief by allies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on an open microphone warning that Trump’s fixation on annexation “is real” and not just a joke \[7\]. Trudeau emphasized that Washington appeared to covet Canada’s vast mineral resources, which would explain the insistence on the idea of absorption \[7\]. In public, Trump argued that Canadians “would be more prosperous as American citizens,” promising tax cuts and better services should they become part of the US \[7\]. On the Danish side, the reaction to the revived plan regarding Greenland was firmly negative—as it was in 2019—reaffirming that the territory is not for sale. Trump, however, insinuated that the issue might be one of national security, indicating that American possession of Greenland would prevent adverse influences (a reference to China and Russia in the Arctic) \[2\]. More worryingly, he refused to rule out the use of military means to obtain the island, although he assured that he had no intention of invading Canada by force (in the Canadian case, he spoke of “economic force” to forge a union) \[2\].
This series of initiatives reflects an unprecedented expansionist impetus by the US in recent times, at least in discourse. Analyzing this through the lens of classical geopolitics offers interesting insights. Friedrich Ratzel and his notion of Lebensraum suggest that powerful states, upon reaching a certain predominance, seek to expand their territory by influencing or incorporating adjacent areas. Trump, by targeting the immediate neighbor (Canada) and a nearby strategic territory (Greenland), appears to resurrect this logic of territorial expansion for the sake of gaining space and resources. Ratzel saw such expansion almost as a natural process for vigorous states, comparable to the growth of an organism \[11\]. From this perspective, the US would be exercising its “right” of expansion in North America and the polar region, integrating areas of vital interest.
Additionally, Alfred Mahan’s view on maritime power helps to understand the strategic value of Greenland. Mahan postulated that control of key maritime chokepoints and naval bases ensures global advantage \[9\]. Greenland, situated between the North Atlantic and the Arctic, has become increasingly relevant as climate change opens new polar maritime routes and reveals vast mineral deposits (including rare earth elements and oil). For the US, having a presence or sovereignty over Greenland would mean dominating the gateway to the Arctic and denying this space to rivals. This aligns with Mahan’s strategy of securing commercial and military routes (in this case, potential Arctic routes) and resources to consolidate naval supremacy. On the other hand, the incorporation of Canada—with its enormous territory, Arctic coastline, and abundant natural resources—would provide the US with formidable geoeconomic and geopolitical reinforcement, practically eliminating vulnerabilities along its northern border. This is an ambitious project that also echoes ideas of Kjellén, for whom an ideal State should seek territorial completeness and economic self-sufficiency within its region. Incorporating Canada would be the pinnacle of American regional autarky, turning North America into a unified bloc under Washington (a scenario reminiscent of the “pan-regions” conceived by twentieth-century geopoliticians influenced by Kjellén).
It is important to note, however, that these ambitions face enormous legal and political obstacles. The sovereignty of Canada and Greenland (Denmark) is guaranteed by international law, and both peoples categorically reject the idea of annexation. Any hostile action by the US against these countries would shake alliances and the world order itself. Even so, the very fact that an American president suggests such possibilities already produces geopolitical effects: traditional partners begin to distrust Washington’s intentions, seek alternative alliances, and strengthen nationalist discourses of resistance. In summary, Trump’s expansionist intentions in Greenland and Canada rekindle old territorial issues and paradoxically place the US in the position of a revisionist power—a role once associated with empires in search of colonies.
# **Implications for Brazil and South America: A New Neocolonization?**
In light of this geopolitical reconfiguration driven by Trump's USA—with a reordering of alliances and a possible partition of spheres of influence among great powers—the question arises: what is the impact on Brazil and the other countries of South America? Traditionally, Latin America has been under the aegis of the Monroe Doctrine (1823), which established non-interference by Europe in the region and, implicitly, the primacy of the USA in the Western Hemisphere. In the post–Cold War period, this influence translated more into political and economic leadership, without formal annexations or direct territorial domination. However, the current context points to a kind of “neocolonization” of the Global South, in which larger powers seek to control resources and peripheral governments in an indirect yet effective manner.
Mackinder’s theories can be used to illuminate this dynamic. As mentioned, Mackinder envisioned the twentieth-century world as a closed system, in which there were no longer any unknown lands to be colonized—hence, the powers would fight among themselves for control over already occupied regions \[3\]. He predicted that Africa and Latin America (then largely European colonies or semi-colonies) would continue as boards upon which the great powers would project their disputes, a form of neocolonialism. In the current scenario, we see the USA proposing exchanges of protection for resources (as in Ukraine) and even leaders of developing countries seeking similar agreements. A notable example: the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, praised the USA–Ukraine initiative and suggested an analogous agreement involving Congolese mineral wealth in exchange for US support against internal rebels (M23) \[19\]. In other words, African countries and possibly South American ones may enter into this logic of offering privileged access to resources (cobalt, lithium, food, biodiversity) in order to obtain security guarantees or investments. This represents a regression to the times when external powers dictated the directions of the South in exchange for promises of protection, characterizing a strategic neocolonialism.
For Brazil, in particular, this rearrangement generates both opportunities and risks. As a regional power with considerable diplomatic autonomy, Brazil has historically sought to balance relationships with the USA, Europe, China, and other actors, avoiding automatic alignments. However, in a world where Trump’s USA is actively redefining spheres of influence—possibly making deals with Russia that divide priorities (for example, Washington focusing on the Western Hemisphere and Moscow on the Eastern)—South America could once again be seen as an exclusive American sphere of influence. From this perspective, Washington could pressure South American countries to align with its directives, limiting partnerships with rivals (such as China) and seeking privileged access to strategic resources (such as the Amazon, fresh water, minerals, and agricultural commodities). Some indications are already emerging: Trump’s transactional approach mentioned by Nye included pressures on Canada and Mexico regarding border and trade issues, under the threat of commercial sanctions. It would not be unthinkable to adopt a hard line, for example, with regard to Brazilian environmental policies (linked to the Amazon) or Brazil’s relations with China, using tariffs or incentives as leverage—a sort of geopolitics of economic coercion.
On the other hand, Brazil and its neighbors could also attempt to take advantage of the Sino–North American competition. If the USA is distracted consolidating its hemispheric “hard power” hegemony (even with annexation fantasies in the north), powers such as China may advance their economic presence in South America through investments and trade (Belt and Road, infrastructure financing)—which is already happening. This would constitute an indirect neocolonial dispute in the South: Chinese loans and investments versus American demands and agreements, partly reminiscent of the nineteenth-century imperial competition (when the United Kingdom, USA, and others competed for Latin American markets and resources).
From a conceptual standpoint, Mackinder might classify South America as part of the “Outer Crescent” (external insular crescent)—peripheral to the great Eurasian “World-Island,” yet still crucial as a source of resources and a strategic position in the South Atlantic and Pacific. If the USA consolidates an informal empire in the Americas, it would be reinforcing its “insular bastion” far from the Eurasian Heartland, a strategy that Mackinder once suggested for maritime powers: to control islands and peripheral continents to compensate for the disadvantage of not controlling the Heartland. However, an excessive US dominance in the South could lead to local resistance and alternative alignments, unbalancing the region.
Kjellén would add that for Brazil to maintain its decisive sovereignty, it will need to strengthen its autarky and internal cohesion—in other words, reduce vulnerabilities (economic, military, social) that external powers might exploit \[4\]. Meanwhile, Mahan might point out the importance for Brazil of controlling its maritime routes and coastlines (South Atlantic) to avoid being at the mercy of a naval power like the USA. And Ratzel would remind us that states that do not expand their influence tend to be absorbed by foreign influences—which, in the context of Brazil, does not mean conquering neighboring territories, but rather actively leading South American integration to create a block more resilient to external intrusion.
In summary, South America finds itself in a more competitive and segmented world, where major players are resurrecting practices from past eras. The notion of “neocolonization” here does not imply direct occupation, but rather mechanisms of dependency: whether through unequal economic agreements or through diplomatic or military pressure for alignment. Brazil, as the largest economy and territory on the subcontinent, will have to navigate with heightened caution. A new global power balance, marked by the division of spheres of influence among the USA, China, and Russia, may reduce the sovereign maneuvering space of South American countries unless they act jointly. Thus, theoretical reflection suggests the need for South–South strategies, reinforcement of regional organizations, and diversification of partnerships to avoid falling into modern “neocolonial traps.”
# **Conclusion**
The emerging post–re-election geopolitical conjuncture of Donald Trump signals a return to classical geopolitical principles, after several decades of predominance of institutional liberal views. We witness the revaluation of concepts such as spheres of influence, exchanges of protection for resources, naval power versus land power, and disputes over territory and raw materials—all central themes in the writings of Mackinder, Mahan, Kjellén, and Ratzel at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. An impartial analysis of these events, in light of these theories, shows internal coherence in Trump’s actions: although controversial, they follow a logic of maximizing national interest and the relative power of the USA on the world stage, even at the expense of established principles and alliances.
Halford Mackinder reminds us that, in a closed world with no new lands to conquer, the great powers will seek to redistribute the world among themselves \[3\]. This seems to manifest in the direct understandings between the USA and Russia over the fate of Ukraine, and in American ambitions in the Arctic and the Western Hemisphere. Alfred Mahan emphasizes that the control of the seas and strategic positions ensures supremacy—we see reflections of this in Trump’s obsession with Greenland (Arctic) and the possible neglect of the importance of maintaining NATO (and therefore the North Atlantic) as a cohesive bloc, something that Mahan’s theory would criticize due to the risk of a naval vacuum. Rudolf Kjellén and Friedrich Ratzel provide the framework to understand the more aggressive facet of expansionist nationalism: the idea of the State as an organism that needs to grow, secure resources, and seek self-sufficiency explains everything from the extortionate agreement imposed on Ukraine to the annexation rhetoric regarding Canada.
The potential consequences are profound. In the short term, we may witness a precarious ceasefire in the Ukraine war, with consolidated Russian territorial gains and Ukraine economically tied to the USA, but without formal military protection—a fragile “armed peace.” Western Europe, alarmed, may accelerate its independent militarization, perhaps marking the beginning of European defense autonomy, as is already openly debated \[1\]. At the far end of the globe, American activism in the Arctic and the Americas may reshape alliances: countries like Canada, once aligned with Washington, might seek to guarantee their sovereignty by distancing themselves from it; powers like China could take advantage of the openings to increase their presence in Latin America and Africa through economic diplomacy; and emerging countries of the Global South may have to choose between submitting to new “guardianships” or strengthening South–South cooperation.
Ultimately, the current situation reinforces the relevance of studying geopolitics through historical lenses. The actions of the Trump administration indicate that, despite all technological and normative advances, the competition for geographic power has not disappeared—it has merely assumed new formats. Academic impartiality obliges us not to prematurely judge whether these strategies will be successful or beneficial, but history and theory warn that neo-imperial movements tend to generate counter-reactions. As Mackinder insinuated, “every shock or change anywhere reverberates around the world,” and a sudden move by a superpower tends to provoke unforeseen adjustments and chain conflicts. It remains to be seen how the other actors—including Brazil and its neighbors—will adapt to this new chapter in the great struggle for global power, in which centuries-old theories once again have a surprising explanatory power over present events.
# **Bibliography**
**\[1\] A Referência.** (2025). *Europa calcula o custo de se defender sem os EUA: 300 mil soldados e 250 bilhões de euros a mais*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://areferencia.com/europa/europa-calcula-o-custo-de-se-defender-sem-os-eua-300-mil-soldados-e-250-bilhoes-de-euros-a-mais/#:\~:text=Europa%20calcula%20o%20custo%20de,bilh%C3%B5es%20de%20euros%20a%20mais](https://areferencia.com/europa/europa-calcula-o-custo-de-se-defender-sem-os-eua-300-mil-soldados-e-250-bilhoes-de-euros-a-mais/#:~:text=Europa%20calcula%20o%20custo%20de,bilh%C3%B5es%20de%20euros%20a%20mais)
**\[2\] Brexit Institute.** (2025). *What happens if Trump invades Greenland?* Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://dcubrexitinstitute.eu/2025/01/what-happens-if-trump-invades-greenland/#:\~:text=Ever%20since%20Donald%20Trump%20announced,agreed%20in%20Wales%20in%202014](https://dcubrexitinstitute.eu/2025/01/what-happens-if-trump-invades-greenland/#:~:text=Ever%20since%20Donald%20Trump%20announced,agreed%20in%20Wales%20in%202014)
**\[3\] Cfettweis C:CST22(2)8576.DVI.** (2025). *Mackinder and Angell*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://cfettweis.com/wp-content/uploads/Mackinder-and-Angell.pdf#:\~:text=meant%20the%20beginning%20of%20an,Mackinder](https://cfettweis.com/wp-content/uploads/Mackinder-and-Angell.pdf#:~:text=meant%20the%20beginning%20of%20an,Mackinder)
**\[4\] Diva-Portal.** (2025). *The geopolitics of territorial relativity. Poland seen by Rudolf Kjellén*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1696547/FULLTEXT02#:\~:text=,The%20state%20territory](https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1696547/FULLTEXT02#:~:text=,The%20state%20territory)
**\[5\] Geopolitical Monitor.** (2025). *The Russo-Ukrainian War and Mackinder’s Heartland Thesis*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-ukraine-war-and-mackinders-heartland-thesis/#:\~:text=In%201904%2C%20Sir%20Halford%20J,in%20adding%20a%20substantial%20oceanic](https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-ukraine-war-and-mackinders-heartland-thesis/#:~:text=In%201904%2C%20Sir%20Halford%20J,in%20adding%20a%20substantial%20oceanic)
**\[6\] Instituto Humanitas Unisinos.** (2025). *Trump obriga Zelensky a hipotecar a exploração de minerais críticos em troca do seu apoio*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.ihu.unisinos.br/648986-trump-obriga-zelensky-a-hipotecar-a-exploracao-de-minerais-criticos-em-troca-do-seu-apoio#:\~:text=Essa%20troca%20inclui%20os%20cobi%C3%A7ados,s%C3%A3o%20praticamente%20inexploradas%20no%20pa%C3%ADs](https://www.ihu.unisinos.br/648986-trump-obriga-zelensky-a-hipotecar-a-exploracao-de-minerais-criticos-em-troca-do-seu-apoio#:~:text=Essa%20troca%20inclui%20os%20cobi%C3%A7ados,s%C3%A3o%20praticamente%20inexploradas%20no%20pa%C3%ADs)
**\[7\] Politico.** (2025). *Trump’s annexation fixation is no joke, Trudeau warns*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/07/canada-trudeau-trump-51-state-00203156#:\~:text=TORONTO%20%E2%80%94%20Prime%20Minister%20Justin,Canada%20becoming%20the%2051st%20state%2C%E2%80%9D%20Trudeau%20said](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/07/canada-trudeau-trump-51-state-00203156#:~:text=TORONTO%20%E2%80%94%20Prime%20Minister%20Justin,Canada%20becoming%20the%2051st%20state%2C%E2%80%9D%20Trudeau%20said)
**\[8\] The Daily Beast.** (2025). *Top Trump Adviser Moves Goalpost for Ukraine to End War*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-trump-adviser-moves-goalpost-for-ukraine-to-end-war/#:\~:text=LAND%20GRAB](https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-trump-adviser-moves-goalpost-for-ukraine-to-end-war/#:~:text=LAND%20GRAB)
**\[9\] The Geostrata.** (2025). *Alfred Thayer Mahan and Supremacy of Naval Power*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.thegeostrata.com/post/alfred-thayer-mahan-and-supremacy-of-naval-power#:\~:text=Alfred%20Thayer%20Mahan%20and%20Supremacy,control%20over%20maritime%20trade%20routes](https://www.thegeostrata.com/post/alfred-thayer-mahan-and-supremacy-of-naval-power#:~:text=Alfred%20Thayer%20Mahan%20and%20Supremacy,control%20over%20maritime%20trade%20routes)
**\[10\] U.S. Department of State.** (2025). [Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power upon History: Securing International Markets in the 1890s](https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan). Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan#:\~:text=Mahan%20argued%20that%20British%20control,American%20politicians%20believed%20that%20these](https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan#:~:text=Mahan%20argued%20that%20British%20control,American%20politicians%20believed%20that%20these)
**\[11\] Britannica.** (2025a). *Friedrich Ratzel | Biogeography, Anthropogeography, Political Geography*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Ratzel#:\~:text=webster,Swedish%20political%20scientist%20%2076](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Ratzel#:~:text=webster,Swedish%20political%20scientist%20%2076)
**\[12\] Britannica.** (2025b). *Lebensraum*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lebensraum#:\~:text=defined,The](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lebensraum#:~:text=defined,The)
**\[13\] Britannica.** (2025c). *Rudolf Kjellén*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ ](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-Kjell%C3%A9n#:~:text=Realism%20www,that%20flourish%20and%20then%20decay)<https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-Kjellen>
**\[14\] Wikipedia (ZH).** (2025). *Rudolf Kjellén*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/w:Rudolf_Kjell%C3%A9n#:\~:text=Besides%20legalistic%2C%20states%20have%20organic,preservation.%20%5B%203](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/w:Rudolf_Kjell%C3%A9n#:~:text=Besides%20legalistic%2C%20states%20have%20organic,preservation.%20%5B%203)
**\[15\] Wikipedia.** (2025). *Lebensraum*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum#:\~:text=The%20German%20geographer%20and%20ethnographer,into%20the%20Greater%20Germanic%20Reich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum#:~:text=The%20German%20geographer%20and%20ethnographer,into%20the%20Greater%20Germanic%20Reich)
**\[16\] YouTube.** (2025). *Trump says Ukraine 'unlikely to get all land back' or join NATO* \[Vídeo\]. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmHzAVLhsXU#:\~:text=Trump%20says%20Ukraine%20%27unlikely%20to,for%20it%20to%20join%20NATO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmHzAVLhsXU#:~:text=Trump%20says%20Ukraine%20%27unlikely%20to,for%20it%20to%20join%20NATO)
**\[17\] U.S. Naval Institute.** (2025) Operation World Peace. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de [https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1955/june/operation-world-peace#:\\\~:text=“The Mahan doctrine%2C” according to,the word “airships” is more](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1955/june/operation-world-peace#:%5C~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20Mahan%20doctrine%2C%E2%80%9D%20according%20to,the%20word%20%E2%80%9Cairships%E2%80%9D%20is%20more)
**\[18\] Emissary.** (2024) Trump’s Greenland and Panama Canal Threats Are a Throwback to an Old, Misguided Foreign Policy. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de <https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2025/01/trump-greenland-panama-canal-monroe-doctrine-policy?lang=en>
**\[19\] A Referência**. Acordo EUA-Ucrânia está praticamente fechado, mas analistas se dividem sobre quem sairá ganhando. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de [https://areferencia.com/europa/acordo-eua-ucrania-esta-praticamente-fechado-mas-analistas-se-dividem-sobre-quem-saira-ganhando/#:\\\~:text=EUA e 17,o acordo a seu favor](https://areferencia.com/europa/acordo-eua-ucrania-esta-praticamente-fechado-mas-analistas-se-dividem-sobre-quem-saira-ganhando/#:%5C~:text=EUA%20%20e%20%2017,o%20acordo%20a%20seu%20favor)
**\[20\] Wikipedia.** (2025) Geopolitik. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geopolitik#:\\\~:text=Rudolph Kjellén was Ratzel's Swedish,Kjellén's State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geopolitik#:%5C~:text=Rudolph%20Kjell%C3%A9n%20was%20Ratzel%27s%20Swedish,Kjell%C3%A9n%27s%20State)
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@ a95c6243:d345522c
2025-03-20 09:59:20
**Bald werde es verboten, alleine im Auto zu fahren,** konnte man dieser Tage in verschiedenen spanischen Medien lesen. Die nationale Verkehrsbehörde (Dirección General de Tráfico, kurz DGT) werde Alleinfahrern das Leben schwer machen, wurde gemeldet. Konkret erörtere die Generaldirektion geeignete Sanktionen für Personen, die ohne Beifahrer im Privatauto unterwegs seien.
**Das Alleinfahren sei zunehmend verpönt und ein Mentalitätswandel notwendig,** hieß es. Dieser «Luxus» stehe im Widerspruch zu den Maßnahmen gegen Umweltverschmutzung, die in allen europäischen Ländern gefördert würden. In Frankreich sei es «bereits verboten, in der Hauptstadt allein zu fahren», [behauptete](https://noticiastrabajo.huffingtonpost.es/sociedad/adios-a-conducir-solo-la-dgt-se-lo-pone-crudo-a-los-conductores-que-viajen-sin-acompanante-en-el-coche/) *Noticiastrabajo Huffpost* in einer Zwischenüberschrift. Nur um dann im Text zu konkretisieren, dass die sogenannte «Umweltspur» auf der Pariser Ringautobahn gemeint war, die für Busse, Taxis und Fahrgemeinschaften reserviert ist. [Ab Mai](https://www.lefigaro.fr/conso/peripherique-parisien-entree-en-vigueur-de-la-voie-reservee-au-covoiturage-ce-lundi-20250303) werden Verstöße dagegen mit einem Bußgeld geahndet.
**Die DGT jedenfalls wolle bei der Umsetzung derartiger Maßnahmen** nicht hinterherhinken. Diese Medienberichte, inklusive des angeblich bevorstehenden Verbots, beriefen sich auf Aussagen des Generaldirektors der Behörde, Pere Navarro, beim Mobilitätskongress Global Mobility Call im November letzten Jahres, wo es um «nachhaltige Mobilität» ging. Aus diesem Kontext stammt auch Navarros Warnung: «Die Zukunft des Verkehrs ist geteilt oder es gibt keine».
**Die «Faktenchecker» kamen der Generaldirektion prompt zu Hilfe.** Die DGT habe derlei Behauptungen [zurückgewiesen](https://www.newtral.es/dgt-una-persona-coche/20250312/) und klargestellt, dass es keine Pläne gebe, Fahrten mit nur einer Person im Auto zu verbieten oder zu bestrafen. Bei solchen Meldungen handele es sich um Fake News. Teilweise wurde der Vorsitzende der spanischen «Rechtsaußen»-Partei Vox, Santiago Abascal, der Urheberschaft bezichtigt, weil er einen entsprechenden [Artikel](https://gaceta.es/espana/la-dgt-estudia-formas-de-sancionar-a-quien-circule-solo-en-su-vehiculo-el-futuro-sera-compartido-o-no-sera-20250311-1612/) von *La Gaceta* kommentiert hatte.
**Der Beschwichtigungsversuch der Art «niemand hat die Absicht»** ist dabei erfahrungsgemäß eher ein Alarmzeichen als eine Beruhigung. Walter Ulbrichts Leugnung einer geplanten Berliner [Mauer](https://www.berlin-mauer.de/videos/walter-ulbricht-zum-mauerbau-530/) vom Juni 1961 ist vielen genauso in Erinnerung wie die Fake News-Warnungen des deutschen Bundesgesundheitsministeriums bezüglich [Lockdowns](https://x.com/BMG_Bund/status/1238780849652465664) im März 2020 oder diverse Äußerungen zu einer [Impfpflicht](https://www.achgut.com/artikel/die_schoensten_politiker_zitate_zur_impfpflicht) ab 2020.
**Aber Aufregung hin, Dementis her:** Die [Pressemitteilung](https://archive.is/xXQWD) der DGT zu dem Mobilitätskongress enthält in Wahrheit viel interessantere Informationen als «nur» einen Appell an den «guten» Bürger wegen der Bemühungen um die Lebensqualität in Großstädten oder einen möglichen obligatorischen Abschied vom Alleinfahren. Allerdings werden diese Details von Medien und sogenannten Faktencheckern geflissentlich übersehen, obwohl sie keineswegs versteckt sind. Die Auskünfte sind sehr aufschlussreich, wenn man genauer hinschaut.
### Digitalisierung ist der Schlüssel für Kontrolle
**Auf dem Kongress stellte die Verkehrsbehörde ihre Initiativen zur Förderung der «neuen Mobilität» vor,** deren Priorität Sicherheit und Effizienz sei. Die vier konkreten Ansätze haben alle mit Digitalisierung, Daten, Überwachung und Kontrolle im großen Stil zu tun und werden unter dem Euphemismus der «öffentlich-privaten Partnerschaft» angepriesen. Auch lassen sie die transhumanistische Idee vom unzulänglichen Menschen erkennen, dessen Fehler durch «intelligente» technologische Infrastruktur kompensiert werden müssten.
**Die Chefin des Bereichs «Verkehrsüberwachung» erklärte die Funktion** des spanischen National Access Point ([NAP](https://nap.dgt.es/)), wobei sie betonte, wie wichtig Verkehrs- und Infrastrukturinformationen in Echtzeit seien. Der NAP ist «eine essenzielle Web-Applikation, die unter EU-Mandat erstellt wurde», kann man auf der Website der DGT nachlesen.
**Das Mandat meint Regelungen zu einem einheitlichen europäischen Verkehrsraum,** mit denen die Union mindestens seit 2010 den Aufbau einer digitalen Architektur mit offenen Schnittstellen betreibt. Damit begründet man auch «umfassende Datenbereitstellungspflichten im Bereich multimodaler Reiseinformationen». Jeder Mitgliedstaat musste einen NAP, also einen nationalen [Zugangspunkt](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/smart-mobility/road/its-directive-and-action-plan/national-access-points_en) einrichten, der Zugang zu statischen und dynamischen Reise- und Verkehrsdaten verschiedener Verkehrsträger ermöglicht.
**Diese Entwicklung ist heute schon weit fortgeschritten,** auch und besonders in Spanien. Auf besagtem Kongress erläuterte die Leiterin des Bereichs «Telematik» die Plattform [«DGT 3.0»](https://www.dgt.es/muevete-con-seguridad/tecnologia-e-innovacion-en-carretera/dgt-3.0/). Diese werde als Integrator aller Informationen genutzt, die von den verschiedenen öffentlichen und privaten Systemen, die Teil der Mobilität sind, bereitgestellt werden.
**Es handele sich um eine Vermittlungsplattform zwischen Akteuren wie Fahrzeugherstellern,** Anbietern von Navigationsdiensten oder Kommunen und dem Endnutzer, der die Verkehrswege benutzt. Alle seien auf Basis des Internets der Dinge (IOT) anonym verbunden, «um der vernetzten Gemeinschaft wertvolle Informationen zu liefern oder diese zu nutzen».
**So sei DGT 3.0 «ein Zugangspunkt für einzigartige, kostenlose und genaue Echtzeitinformationen** über das Geschehen auf den Straßen und in den Städten». Damit lasse sich der Verkehr nachhaltiger und vernetzter gestalten. Beispielsweise würden die Karten des Produktpartners Google dank der DGT-Daten 50 Millionen Mal pro Tag aktualisiert.
**Des Weiteren informiert die Verkehrsbehörde über ihr SCADA-Projekt.** Die Abkürzung steht für Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, zu deutsch etwa: Kontrollierte Steuerung und Datenerfassung. Mit SCADA kombiniert man Software und Hardware, um automatisierte Systeme zur Überwachung und Steuerung technischer Prozesse zu schaffen. Das SCADA-Projekt der DGT wird von Indra entwickelt, einem spanischen Beratungskonzern aus den Bereichen Sicherheit & Militär, Energie, Transport, Telekommunikation und Gesundheitsinformation.
**Das SCADA-System der Behörde umfasse auch eine Videostreaming- und Videoaufzeichnungsplattform,** die das Hochladen in die Cloud in Echtzeit ermöglicht, wie Indra [erklärt](https://www.indracompany.com/es/noticia/indra-presenta-global-mobility-call-pionera-plataforma-nube-desplegada-centros-gestion). Dabei gehe es um Bilder, die von Überwachungskameras an Straßen aufgenommen wurden, sowie um Videos aus DGT-Hubschraubern und Drohnen. Ziel sei es, «die sichere Weitergabe von Videos an Dritte sowie die kontinuierliche Aufzeichnung und Speicherung von Bildern zur möglichen Analyse und späteren Nutzung zu ermöglichen».
**Letzteres klingt sehr nach biometrischer Erkennung** und Auswertung durch künstliche Intelligenz. Für eine bessere Datenübertragung wird derzeit die [Glasfaserverkabelung](https://www.moncloa.com/2025/03/18/linea-azul-conduccion-dgt-3191554/) entlang der Landstraßen und Autobahnen ausgebaut. Mit der Cloud sind die Amazon Web Services (AWS) gemeint, die spanischen [Daten gehen](https://norberthaering.de/news/digitalgipfel-wehnes-interview/) somit direkt zu einem US-amerikanischen «Big Data»-Unternehmen.
**Das Thema «autonomes Fahren», also Fahren ohne Zutun des Menschen,** bildet den Abschluss der Betrachtungen der DGT. Zusammen mit dem Interessenverband der Automobilindustrie ANFAC (Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Automóviles y Camiones) sprach man auf dem Kongress über Strategien und Perspektiven in diesem Bereich. Die Lobbyisten hoffen noch in diesem Jahr 2025 auf einen [normativen Rahmen](https://www.coches.net/noticias/informe-coche-autonomo-conectado-espana-2024) zur erweiterten Unterstützung autonomer Technologien.
**Wenn man derartige Informationen im Zusammenhang betrachtet,** bekommt man eine Idee davon, warum zunehmend alles elektrisch und digital werden soll. Umwelt- und Mobilitätsprobleme in Städten, wie Luftverschmutzung, Lärmbelästigung, Platzmangel oder Staus, sind eine Sache. Mit dem Argument «emissionslos» wird jedoch eine Referenz zum CO2 und dem «menschengemachten Klimawandel» hergestellt, die Emotionen triggert. Und damit wird so ziemlich alles verkauft.
**Letztlich aber gilt: Je elektrischer und digitaler unsere Umgebung wird** und je freigiebiger wir mit unseren Daten jeder Art sind, desto besser werden wir kontrollier-, steuer- und sogar abschaltbar. Irgendwann entscheiden KI-basierte Algorithmen, ob, wann, wie, wohin und mit wem wir uns bewegen dürfen. Über einen 15-Minuten-Radius geht dann möglicherweise nichts hinaus. Die Projekte auf diesem Weg sind ernst zu nehmen, real und schon weit fortgeschritten.
*\[Titelbild:* *[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/de/photos/reisen-wagen-ferien-fahrzeug-1426822/)]*
***
Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf ***[Transition News](https://transition-news.org/nur-abschied-vom-alleinfahren-monstrose-spanische-uberwachungsprojekte-gemass)*** erschienen.
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@ 97c70a44:ad98e322
2025-03-06 18:38:10
When developing on nostr, normally it's enough to read the NIP related to a given feature you want to build to know what has to be done. But there are some aspects of nostr development that aren't so straightforward because they depend less on specific data formats than on how different concepts are combined.
An example of this is how for a while it was considered best practice to re-publish notes when replying to them. This practice emerged before the outbox model gained traction, and was a hacky way of attempting to ensure relays had the full context required for a given note. Over time though, pubkey hints emerged as a better way to ensure other clients could find required context.
Another one of these things is "relay-based groups", or as I prefer to call it "relays-as-groups" (RAG). Such a thing doesn't really exist - there's no spec for it (although some _aspects_ of the concept are included in NIP 29), but at the same time there are two concrete implementations (Flotilla and Chachi) which leverage several different NIPs in order to create a cohesive system for groups on nostr.
This composability is one of the neat qualities of nostr. Not only would it be unhelpful to specify how different parts of the protocol should work together, it would be impossible because of the number of possible combinations possible just from applying a little bit of common sense to the NIPs repo. No one said it was ok to put `t` tags on a `kind 0`. But no one's stopping you! And the semantics are basically self-evident if you understand its component parts.
So, instead of writing a NIP that sets relay-based groups in stone, I'm writing this guide in order to document how I've combined different parts of the nostr protocol to create a compelling architecture for groups.
## Relays
Relays already have a canonical identity, which is the relay's url. Events posted to a relay can be thought of as "posted to that group". This means that every relay is already a group. All nostr notes have already been posted to one or more groups.
One common objection to this structure is that identifying a group with a relay means that groups are dependent on the relay to continue hosting the group. In normal broadcast nostr (which forms organic permissionless groups based on user-centric social clustering), this is a very bad thing, because hosts are orthogonal to group identity. Communities are completely different. Communities actually need someone to enforce community boundaries, implement moderation, etc. Reliance on a host is a feature, not a bug (in contrast to NIP 29 groups, which tend to co-locate many groups on a single host, relays-as-groups tends to encourage one group, one host).
This doesn't mean that federation, mirrors, and migration can't be accomplished. In a sense, leaving this on the social layer is a good thing, because it adds friction to the dissolution/forking of a group. But the door is wide open to protocol additions to support those use cases for relay-based groups. One possible approach would be to follow [this draft PR](https://github.com/coracle-social/nips/blob/60179dfba2a51479c569c9192290bb4cefc660a8/xx.md#federation) which specified a "federation" event relays could publish on their own behalf.
## Relay keys
[This draft PR to NIP 11](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1764) specifies a `self` field which represents the relay's identity. Using this, relays can publish events on their own behalf. Currently, the `pubkey` field sort of does the same thing, but is overloaded as a contact field for the owner of the relay.
## AUTH
Relays can control access using [NIP 42 AUTH](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/42.md). There are any number of modes a relay can operate in:
1. No auth, fully public - anyone can read/write to the group.
2. Relays may enforce broad or granular access controls with AUTH.
Relays may deny EVENTs or REQs depending on user identity. Messages returned in AUTH, CLOSED, or OK messages should be human readable. It's crucial that clients show these error messages to users. Here's how Flotilla handles failed AUTH and denied event publishing:

[LIMITS](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1434) could also be used in theory to help clients adapt their interface depending on user abilities and relay policy.
3. AUTH with implicit access controls.
In this mode, relays may exclude matching events from REQs if the user does not have permission to view them. This can be useful for multi-use relays that host hidden rooms. This mode should be used with caution, because it can result in confusion for the end user.
See [Triflector](https://github.com/coracle-social/triflector) for a relay implementation that supports some of these auth policies.
## Invite codes
If a user doesn't have access to a relay, they can request access using [this draft NIP](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1079). This is true whether access has been explicitly or implicitly denied (although users will have to know that they should use an invite code to request access).
The above referenced NIP also contains a mechanism for users to request an invite code that they can share with other users.
The policy for these invite codes is entirely up to the relay. They may be single-use, multi-use, or require additional verification. Additional requirements can be communicated to the user in the OK message, for example directions to visit an external URL to register.
See [Triflector](https://github.com/coracle-social/triflector) for a relay implementation that supports invite codes.
## Content
Any kind of event can be published to a relay being treated as a group, unless rejected by the relay implementation. In particular, [NIP 7D](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/7D.md) was added to support basic threads, and [NIP C7](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/C7.md) for chat messages.
Since which relay an event came from determines which group it was posted to, clients need to have a mechanism for keeping track of which relay they received an event from, and should not broadcast events to other relays (unless intending to cross-post the content).
## Rooms
Rooms follow [NIP 29](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/29.md). I wish NIP 29 wasn't called "relay based groups", which is very confusing when talking about "relays as groups". It's much better to think of them as sub-groups, or as Flotilla calls them, "rooms".
Rooms have two modes - managed and unmanaged. Managed rooms follow all the rules laid out in NIP 29 about metadata published by the relay and user membership. In either case, rooms are represented by a random room id, and are posted to by including the id in an event's `h` tag. This allows rooms to switch between managed and unmanaged modes without losing any content.
Managed room names come from `kind 39000` room meta events, but unmanaged rooms don't have these. Instead, room names should come from members' NIP 51 `kind 10009` membership lists. Tags on these lists should look like this: `["group", "groupid", "wss://group.example.com", "Cat lovers"]`. If no name can be found for the room (i.e., there aren't any members), the room should be ignored by clients.
Rooms present a difficulty for publishing to the relay as a whole, since content with an `h` tag can't be excluded from requests. Currently, relay-wide posts are h-tagged with `_` which works for "group" clients, but not more generally. I'm not sure how to solve this other than to ask relays to support negative filters.
## Cross-posting
The simplest way to cross-post content from one group (or room) to another, is to quote the original note in whatever event kind is appropriate. For example, a blog post might be quoted in a `kind 9` to be cross-posted to chat, or in a `kind 11` to be cross-posted to a thread. `kind 16` reposts can be used the same way if the reader's client renders reposts.
Posting the original event to multiple relays-as-groups is trivial, since all you have to do is send the event to the relay. Posting to multiple rooms simultaneously by appending multiple `h` tags is however not recommended, since group relays/clients are incentivised to protect themselves from spam by rejecting events with multiple `h` tags (similar to how events with multiple `t` tags are sometimes rejected).
## Privacy
Currently, it's recommended to include a [NIP 70](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/70.md) `-` tag on content posted to relays-as-groups to discourage replication of relay-specific content across the network.
Another slightly stronger approach would be for group relays to strip signatures in order to make events invalid (or at least deniable). For this approach to work, users would have to be able to signal that they trust relays to be honest. We could also [use ZkSNARKS](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1682) to validate signatures in bulk.
In any case, group posts should not be considered "private" in the same way E2EE groups might be. Relays-as-groups should be considered a good fit for low-stakes groups with many members (since trust deteriorates quickly as more people get involved).
## Membership
There is currently no canonical member list published by relays (except for NIP 29 managed rooms). Instead, users keep track of their own relay and room memberships using `kind 10009` lists. Relay-level memberships are represented by an `r` tag containing the relay url, and room-level memberships are represented using a `group` tag.
Users can choose to advertise their membership in a RAG by using unencrypted tags, or they may keep their membership private by using encrypted tags. Advertised memberships are useful for helping people find groups based on their social graph:

User memberships should not be trusted, since they can be published unilaterally by anyone, regardless of actual access. Possible improvements in this area would be the ability to provide proof of access:
- Relays could publish member lists (although this would sacrifice member privacy)
- Relays could support a new command that allows querying a particular member's access status
- Relays could provide a proof to the member that they could then choose to publish or not
## Moderation
There are two parts to moderation: reporting and taking action based on these reports.
Reporting is already covered by [NIP 56](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/56.md). Clients should be careful about encouraging users to post reports for illegal content under their own identity, since that can itself be illegal. Relays also should not serve reports to users, since that can be used to _find_ rather than address objectionable content.
Reports are only one mechanism for flagging objectionable content. Relay operators and administrators can use whatever heuristics they like to identify and address objectionable content. This might be via automated policies that auto-ban based on reports from high-reputation people, a client that implements [NIP 86](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/86.md) relay management API, or by some other admin interface.
There's currently no way for moderators of a given relay to be advertised, or for a moderator's client to know that the user is a moderator (so that they can enable UI elements for in-app moderation). This could be addressed via [NIP 11](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/11.md), [LIMITS](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1434), or some other mechanism in the future.
## General best practices
In general, it's very important when developing a client to assume that the relay has _no_ special support for _any_ of the above features, instead treating all of this stuff as [progressive enhancement](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Progressive_Enhancement).
For example, if a user enters an invite code, go ahead and send it to the relay using a `kind 28934` event. If it's rejected, you know that it didn't work. But if it's accepted, you don't know that it worked - you only know that the relay allowed the user to publish that event. This is helpful, becaues it may imply that the user does indeed have access to the relay. But additional probing may be needed, and reliance on error messages down the road when something else fails unexpectedly is indispensable.
This paradigm may drive some engineers nuts, because it's basically equivalent to coding your clients to reverse-engineer relay support for every feature you want to use. But this is true of nostr as a whole - anyone can put whatever weird stuff in an event and sign it. Clients have to be extremely compliant with Postell's law - doing their absolute best to accept whatever weird data or behavior shows up and handle failure in any situation. Sure, it's annoying, but it's the cost of permissionless development. What it gets us is a completely open-ended protocol, in which anything can be built, and in which every solution is tested by the market.
-

@ 266815e0:6cd408a5
2025-03-19 11:10:21
How to create a nostr app quickly using [applesauce](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/)
In this guide we are going to build a nostr app that lets users follow and unfollow [fiatjaf](nostr:npub180cvv07tjdrrgpa0j7j7tmnyl2yr6yr7l8j4s3evf6u64th6gkwsyjh6w6)
## 1. Setup new project
Start by setting up a new vite app using `pnpm create vite`, then set the name and select `Solid` and `Typescript`
```sh
➜ pnpm create vite
│
◇ Project name:
│ followjaf
│
◇ Select a framework:
│ Solid
│
◇ Select a variant:
│ TypeScript
│
◇ Scaffolding project in ./followjaf...
│
└ Done. Now run:
cd followjaf
pnpm install
pnpm run dev
```
## 2. Adding nostr dependencies
There are a few useful nostr dependencies we are going to need. `nostr-tools` for the types and small methods, and [`rx-nostr`](https://penpenpng.github.io/rx-nostr/) for making relay connections
```sh
pnpm install nostr-tools rx-nostr
```
## 3. Setup rx-nostr
Next we need to setup rxNostr so we can make connections to relays. create a new `src/nostr.ts` file with
```ts
import { createRxNostr, noopVerifier } from "rx-nostr";
export const rxNostr = createRxNostr({
// skip verification here because we are going to verify events at the event store
skipVerify: true,
verifier: noopVerifier,
});
```
## 4. Setup the event store
Now that we have a way to connect to relays, we need a place to store events. We will use the [`EventStore`](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/typedoc/classes/applesauce_core.EventStore.html) class from `applesauce-core` for this. create a new `src/stores.ts` file with
> The event store does not store any events in the browsers local storage or anywhere else. It's in-memory only and provides a model for the UI
```ts
import { EventStore } from "applesauce-core";
import { verifyEvent } from "nostr-tools";
export const eventStore = new EventStore();
// verify the events when they are added to the store
eventStore.verifyEvent = verifyEvent;
```
## 5. Create the query store
The event store is where we store all the events, but we need a way for the UI to query them. We can use the [`QueryStore`](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/typedoc/classes/applesauce_core.QueryStore.html) class from `applesauce-core` for this.
Create a query store in `src/stores.ts`
```ts
import { QueryStore } from "applesauce-core";
// ...
// the query store needs the event store to subscribe to it
export const queryStore = new QueryStore(eventStore);
```
## 6. Setup the profile loader
Next we need a way to fetch user profiles. We are going to use the [`ReplaceableLoader`](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/overview/loaders.html#replaceable-loader) class from [`applesauce-loaders`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/applesauce-loaders) for this.
> `applesauce-loaders` is a package that contains a few loader classes that can be used to fetch different types of data from relays.
First install the package
```sh
pnpm install applesauce-loaders
```
Then create a `src/loaders.ts` file with
```ts
import { ReplaceableLoader } from "applesauce-loaders";
import { rxNostr } from "./nostr";
import { eventStore } from "./stores";
export const replaceableLoader = new ReplaceableLoader(rxNostr);
// Start the loader and send any events to the event store
replaceableLoader.subscribe((packet) => {
eventStore.add(packet.event, packet.from);
});
```
## 7. Fetch fiatjaf's profile
Now that we have a way to store events, and a loader to help with fetching them, we should update the `src/App.tsx` component to fetch the profile.
We can do this by calling the `next` method on the loader and passing a `pubkey`, `kind` and `relays` to it
```tsx
function App() {
// ...
onMount(() => {
// fetch fiatjaf's profile on load
replaceableLoader.next({
pubkey: "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d",
kind: 0,
relays: ["wss://pyramid.fiatjaf.com/"],
});
});
// ...
}
```
## 8. Display the profile
Now that we have a way to fetch the profile, we need to display it in the UI.
We can do this by using the [`ProfileQuery`](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/typedoc/functions/applesauce_core.Queries.ProfileQuery.html) which gives us a stream of updates to a pubkey's profile.
Create the profile using `queryStore.createQuery` and pass in the `ProfileQuery` and the pubkey.
```tsx
const fiatjaf = queryStore.createQuery(
ProfileQuery,
"3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d"
);
```
But this just gives us an [observable](https://rxjs.dev/guide/observable), we need to subscribe to it to get the profile.
Luckily SolidJS profiles a simple [`from`](https://docs.solidjs.com/reference/reactive-utilities/from) method to subscribe to any observable.
> To make things reactive SolidJS uses accessors, so to get the profile we need to call `fiatjaf()`
```tsx
function App() {
// ...
// Subscribe to fiatjaf's profile from the query store
const fiatjaf = from(
queryStore.createQuery(ProfileQuery, "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d")
);
return (
<>
{/* replace the vite and solid logos with the profile picture */}
<div>
<img src={fiatjaf()?.picture} class="logo" />
</div>
<h1>{fiatjaf()?.name}</h1>
{/* ... */}
</>
);
}
```
## 9. Letting the user signin
Now we should let the user signin to the app. We can do this by creating a [`AccountManager`](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/accounts/manager.html) class from `applesauce-accounts`
First we need to install the packages
```sh
pnpm install applesauce-accounts applesauce-signers
```
Then create a new `src/accounts.ts` file with
```ts
import { AccountManager } from "applesauce-accounts";
import { registerCommonAccountTypes } from "applesauce-accounts/accounts";
// create an account manager instance
export const accounts = new AccountManager();
// Adds the common account types to the manager
registerCommonAccountTypes(accounts);
```
Next lets presume the user has a NIP-07 browser extension installed and add a signin button.
```tsx
function App() {
const signin = async () => {
// do nothing if the user is already signed in
if (accounts.active) return;
// create a new nip-07 signer and try to get the pubkey
const signer = new ExtensionSigner();
const pubkey = await signer.getPublicKey();
// create a new extension account, add it, and make it the active account
const account = new ExtensionAccount(pubkey, signer);
accounts.addAccount(account);
accounts.setActive(account);
};
return (
<>
{/* ... */}
<div class="card">
<p>Are you following the fiatjaf? the creator of "The nostr"</p>
<button onClick={signin}>Check</button>
</div>
</>
);
}
```
Now when the user clicks the button the app will ask for the users pubkey, then do nothing... but it's a start.
> We are not persisting the accounts, so when the page reloads the user will NOT be signed in. you can learn about persisting the accounts in the [docs](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/accounts/manager.html#persisting-accounts)
## 10. Showing the signed-in state
We should show some indication to the user that they are signed in. We can do this by modifying the signin button if the user is signed in and giving them a way to sign-out
```tsx
function App() {
// subscribe to the currently active account (make sure to use the account$ observable)
const account = from(accounts.active$);
// ...
const signout = () => {
// do nothing if the user is not signed in
if (!accounts.active) return;
// signout the user
const account = accounts.active;
accounts.removeAccount(account);
accounts.clearActive();
};
return (
<>
{/* ... */}
<div class="card">
<p>Are you following the fiatjaf? ( creator of "The nostr" )</p>
{account() === undefined ? <button onClick={signin}>Check</button> : <button onClick={signout}>Signout</button>}
</div>
</>
);
}
```
## 11. Fetching the user's profile
Now that we have a way to sign in and out of the app, we should fetch the user's profile when they sign in.
```tsx
function App() {
// ...
// fetch the user's profile when they sign in
createEffect(async () => {
const active = account();
if (active) {
// get the user's relays or fallback to some default relays
const usersRelays = await active.getRelays?.();
const relays = usersRelays ? Object.keys(usersRelays) : ["wss://relay.damus.io", "wss://nos.lol"];
// tell the loader to fetch the users profile event
replaceableLoader.next({
pubkey: active.pubkey,
kind: 0,
relays,
});
// tell the loader to fetch the users contacts
replaceableLoader.next({
pubkey: active.pubkey,
kind: 3,
relays,
});
// tell the loader to fetch the users mailboxes
replaceableLoader.next({
pubkey: active.pubkey,
kind: 10002,
relays,
});
}
});
// ...
}
```
Next we need to subscribe to the users profile, to do this we can use some rxjs operators to chain the observables together.
```tsx
import { Match, Switch } from "solid-js";
import { of, switchMap } from "rxjs";
function App() {
// ...
// subscribe to the active account, then subscribe to the users profile or undefined
const profile = from(
accounts.active$.pipe(
switchMap((account) => (account ? queryStore.createQuery(ProfileQuery, account!.pubkey) : of(undefined)))
)
);
// ...
return (
<>
{/* ... */}
<div class="card">
<Switch>
<Match when={account() && !profile()}>
<p>Loading profile...</p>
</Match>
<Match when={profile()}>
<p style="font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: bold;">Welcome {profile()?.name}</p>
</Match>
</Switch>
{/* ... */}
</div>
</>
);
}
```
## 12. Showing if the user is following fiatjaf
Now that the app is fetching the users profile and contacts we should show if the user is following fiatjaf.
```tsx
function App() {
// ...
// subscribe to the active account, then subscribe to the users contacts or undefined
const contacts = from(
accounts.active$.pipe(
switchMap((account) => (account ? queryStore.createQuery(UserContactsQuery, account!.pubkey) : of(undefined)))
)
);
const isFollowing = createMemo(() => {
return contacts()?.some((c) => c.pubkey === "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d");
});
// ...
return (
<>
{/* ... */}
<div class="card">
{/* ... */}
<Switch
fallback={
<p style="font-size: 1.2rem;">
Sign in to check if you are a follower of the fiatjaf ( creator of "The nostr" )
</p>
}
>
<Match when={contacts() && isFollowing() === undefined}>
<p>checking...</p>
</Match>
<Match when={contacts() && isFollowing() === true}>
<p style="color: green; font-weight: bold; font-size: 2rem;">
Congratulations! You are a follower of the fiatjaf
</p>
</Match>
<Match when={contacts() && isFollowing() === false}>
<p style="color: red; font-weight: bold; font-size: 2rem;">
Why don't you follow the fiatjaf? do you even like nostr?
</p>
</Match>
</Switch>
{/* ... */}
</div>
</>
);
}
```
## 13. Adding the follow button
Now that we have a way to check if the user is following fiatjaf, we should add a button to follow him. We can do this with [Actions](https://hzrd149.github.io/applesauce/overview/actions.html) which are pre-built methods to modify nostr events for a user.
First we need to install the `applesauce-actions` and `applesauce-factory` package
```sh
pnpm install applesauce-actions applesauce-factory
```
Then create a `src/actions.ts` file with
```ts
import { EventFactory } from "applesauce-factory";
import { ActionHub } from "applesauce-actions";
import { eventStore } from "./stores";
import { accounts } from "./accounts";
// The event factory is used to build and modify nostr events
export const factory = new EventFactory({
// accounts.signer is a NIP-07 signer that signs with the currently active account
signer: accounts.signer,
});
// The action hub is used to run Actions against the event store
export const actions = new ActionHub(eventStore, factory);
```
Then create a `toggleFollow` method that will add or remove fiatjaf from the users contacts.
> We are using the `exec` method to run the action, and the [`forEach`](https://rxjs.dev/api/index/class/Observable#foreach) method from RxJS allows us to await for all the events to be published
```tsx
function App() {
// ...
const toggleFollow = async () => {
// send any created events to rxNostr and the event store
const publish = (event: NostrEvent) => {
eventStore.add(event);
rxNostr.send(event);
};
if (isFollowing()) {
await actions
.exec(UnfollowUser, "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d")
.forEach(publish);
} else {
await actions
.exec(
FollowUser,
"3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d",
"wss://pyramid.fiatjaf.com/"
)
.forEach(publish);
}
};
// ...
return (
<>
{/* ... */}
<div class="card">
{/* ... */}
{contacts() && <button onClick={toggleFollow}>{isFollowing() ? "Unfollow" : "Follow"}</button>}
</div>
</>
);
}
```
## 14. Adding outbox support
The app looks like it works now but if the user reloads the page they will still see an the old version of their contacts list. we need to make sure rxNostr is publishing the events to the users outbox relays.
To do this we can subscribe to the signed in users mailboxes using the query store in `src/nostr.ts`
```ts
import { MailboxesQuery } from "applesauce-core/queries";
import { accounts } from "./accounts";
import { of, switchMap } from "rxjs";
import { queryStore } from "./stores";
// ...
// subscribe to the active account, then subscribe to the users mailboxes and update rxNostr
accounts.active$
.pipe(switchMap((account) => (account ? queryStore.createQuery(MailboxesQuery, account.pubkey) : of(undefined))))
.subscribe((mailboxes) => {
if (mailboxes) rxNostr.setDefaultRelays(mailboxes.outboxes);
else rxNostr.setDefaultRelays([]);
});
```
And that's it! we have a working nostr app that lets users follow and unfollow fiatjaf.
-

@ a39d19ec:3d88f61e
2025-03-18 17:16:50
Nun da das deutsche Bundesregime den Ruin Deutschlands beschlossen hat, der sehr wahrscheinlich mit dem Werkzeug des Geld druckens "finanziert" wird, kamen mir so viele Gedanken zur Geldmengenausweitung, dass ich diese für einmal niedergeschrieben habe.
Die Ausweitung der Geldmenge führt aus klassischer wirtschaftlicher Sicht immer zu Preissteigerungen, weil mehr Geld im Umlauf auf eine begrenzte Menge an Gütern trifft. Dies lässt sich in mehreren Schritten analysieren:
### 1. Quantitätstheorie des Geldes
Die klassische Gleichung der Quantitätstheorie des Geldes lautet:
M • V = P • Y
wobei:
- M die Geldmenge ist,
- V die Umlaufgeschwindigkeit des Geldes,
- P das Preisniveau,
- Y die reale Wirtschaftsleistung (BIP).
Wenn M steigt und V sowie Y konstant bleiben, muss P steigen – also Inflation entstehen.
### 2. Gütermenge bleibt begrenzt
Die Menge an real produzierten Gütern und Dienstleistungen wächst meist nur langsam im Vergleich zur Ausweitung der Geldmenge. Wenn die Geldmenge schneller steigt als die Produktionsgütermenge, führt dies dazu, dass mehr Geld für die gleiche Menge an Waren zur Verfügung steht – die Preise steigen.
### 3. Erwartungseffekte und Spekulation
Wenn Unternehmen und Haushalte erwarten, dass mehr Geld im Umlauf ist, da eine zentrale Planung es so wollte, können sie steigende Preise antizipieren. Unternehmen erhöhen ihre Preise vorab, und Arbeitnehmer fordern höhere Löhne. Dies kann eine sich selbst verstärkende Spirale auslösen.
### 4. Internationale Perspektive
Eine erhöhte Geldmenge kann die Währung abwerten, wenn andere Länder ihre Geldpolitik stabil halten. Eine schwächere Währung macht Importe teurer, was wiederum Preissteigerungen antreibt.
### 5. Kritik an der reinen Geldmengen-Theorie
Der Vollständigkeit halber muss erwähnt werden, dass die meisten modernen Ökonomen im Staatsauftrag argumentieren, dass Inflation nicht nur von der Geldmenge abhängt, sondern auch von der Nachfrage nach Geld (z. B. in einer Wirtschaftskrise). Dennoch zeigt die historische Erfahrung, dass eine unkontrollierte Geldmengenausweitung langfristig immer zu Preissteigerungen führt, wie etwa in der Hyperinflation der Weimarer Republik oder in Simbabwe.
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@ b8af284d:f82c91dd
2025-03-16 16:42:49

Liebe Abonnenten,
diejenigen, die diese Publikation schon länger abonniert haben, wissen, dass hier immer wieder über den Ursprung des Corona-Virus in einem Labor in Wuhan berichtet wurde. Seit diese Woche ist es „offiziell“ - [der Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) hält den Labor-Ursprung für die wahrscheinlichste Variante](https://www.zeit.de/2025/11/coronavirus-ursprung-wuhan-labor-china-bnd). Jetzt kann man sich fragen, warum der BND plötzlich umschwenkt: Will man proaktiv erscheinen, weil man die Wahrheit nicht mehr länger verbergen kann? Oder will man die enttäuschten Bürger zurückgewinnen, die aufgrund der Lügen während der Corona-Zeit zunehmend mit Parteien links und rechts außen sympathisiert haben, weil diese die einzigen waren, die den Irrsinn nicht mitgetragen haben?
Auffallend bei den „Recherchen“, die in Wahrheit keine sind, sondern Verlautbarungen des deutschen Geheimdienstes, ist auch das völlige Schweigen über die US-amerikanischen Verwicklungen in das Projekt. [In Wuhan wurde mit amerikanischem Geld geforscht](https://oversight.house.gov/release/breaking-hhs-formally-debars-ecohealth-alliance-dr-peter-daszak-after-covid-select-reveals-pandemic-era-wrongdoing/). Warum der BND diese Tatsache verschweigt, ist Teil der Spekulation. Vermutlich will man Peking alles in die Schuhe schieben, um von den eigenen Versäumnissen abzulenken.
In meinem aktuellen Buch “[Der chinesische (Alp-)Traum](https://www.amazon.de/chinesische-Alb-Traum-geopolitische-Herausforderung/dp/3442317509/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91\&crid=XQVCLFVRCJJ\&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kCJqsUXZO8NZjieNQjGy3Vez7tqktnhQynFOnuZE9249tfkKZvqdJtpIfcDiLMOyxmF7JFpMfvAC881caUEufT--GHlSCcAt_shhnVSbNLp-cle-VXel7soyPwi8xGPm88hSBKPY93BtjFYdOueFUU7qrOir_paRMiQOmCs7YOAUe7ZCKAb6YXxu_hz8N1eZhXbFcvc6p01Uu0vgIibiOHzbXxtH6ECNUaWCaHCYus4.Jzuq9IYvQtPedtE4YORWFtEmxTtrHh5xe8b-B25o5uA\&dib_tag=se\&keywords=Philipp+Mattheis\&qid=1730736669\&sprefix=philipp+mattheis%2Caps%2C111\&sr=8-1)” ist den Ereignissen in Wuhan ein ganzes Kapitel gewidmet. Es hat nichts an Aktualität eingebüßt. Alle Fakten lagen seit Jahren auf dem Tisch für jeden, den es interessiert hat. [Hier gibt es das gesamte Kapitel nachzulesen.](https://blingbling.substack.com/p/was-geschah-in-wuhan)

Auf jeden Fall zeigt dies, wie der Begriff „Verschwörungstheoretiker“ in den vergangenen Jahren zum Kampfbegriff und Waffe gemacht wurde, um Kritiker zu diffamieren, und die öffentliche Meinung ohne harte Zensur zu lenken. Ähnliches kann man aktuell beim Projekt „Digitaler Euro“ beobachten. Vermutlich kann sich kein Bürger der Europäischen Union daran erinnern, bei seiner Wahlentscheidung jemals gefragt worden zu sein, ob er die Einführung eines „digitalen Euros“ gut findet. Wurde er nämlich nicht. Er kommt aber trotzdem. EZB-Präsidentin Christine Lagarde hat das diese Woche nochmals bekräftigt: [Schon im Oktober will man die Testphase beenden](https://x.com/efenigson/status/1898382481184993711) und an der Einführung arbeiten.
Nun gehört BlingBling nicht zu denjenigen, die im digitalen Euro „Orwell’sches Teufelswerk“ sehen. Strategische Dummheit trifft es besser. Worum geht es?
Sogenannte Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) waren vor einigen Jahren so etwas wie der letzte Schrei in der Zentralbank-Welt. Nachdem Facebook/Meta 2017/18 eine eigene Währung namens Libra auf den Markt bringen wollte, und eine obskure Internet-Währung namens Bitcoin immer mehr Anhänger fand, sahen sich viele Zentralbanken der Welt unter Zugzwang. Was man wollte: eine digitale, direkt von der Zentralbank ausgegebene Währung ohne Bugs, aber mit Features. Mit einer Digital-Währung ließe sich der internationale Zahlungsverkehr direkt und ohne Umweg über den US-Dollar abwickeln. Die Zentralbank bekäme wieder mehr direkten Einfluss auf die Geldschöpfung. Und, wie man aus China lernen konnte, ließen sich digitale Bankkonten auch ganz zum „Nudging von Bürgern“ nutzen. So spekulierten die ersten Verschwörungstheoretiker bald, [ein digitaler Euro ließe sich ja mit einem persönlichen CO2-Konto verknüpfen](https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000124296026/was-eine-digitale-co2-waehrung-fuer-das-klima-bedeuten-wuerde). Wäre letzteres einmal aufgebraucht, könnte der Konto-Inhaber einfach keinen Flug mehr buchen. Auch ließe sich eine expansive Geldpolitik, wie sie bis 2022 praktiziert wurde, ganz einfach mit Negativ-Zinsen umsetzen. Geld würde sich nominal reduzieren, was den Bürger zum Konsum animieren würde. Flüchtigen Kriminellen ließe sich per Knopfdruck das Konto sperren. Der Staat würde also über eine ganze neue Palette an Einflussmöglichkeiten verfügen.
Die Aluhüte United warnten vor einem Orwellschen Überwachungsstaat. Vertreter von Regierungen und Firmen, die diesen digitalen Euro bauen sollten, beschwichtigten. Mit Ralf Wintergerst, CEO von Giesecke+Devrient, nach wie vor heißester Anwärter, um das Projekt in der EU umzusetzen, sprach ich in den vergangenen Jahren mehrmals zu dem Thema. [Zuletzt im Dezember 24](https://blingbling.substack.com/p/euro-thrash).
Wintergerst versichert stets zwei Dinge: Eine Abschaffung von Bargeld sei nicht geplant. Und nur, wenn die Fluchttore Bargeld, Gold und Bitcoin geschlossen werden, greift die dystopische Version. Und zweitens, so Wintergerst, habe niemand ein chinesisches System im Sinne. Der „digitale Euro“ sei für die Bürger gedacht und das Projekt unterliege demokratischer Kontrolle. Ob er Wintergerst und dem guten im Menschen Glauben schenkt, möge jeder Leser selbst entscheiden. Das Interessantere ist ohnehin, dass der digitale Euro ein strategisch dummes Projekt ist.
Dazu muss man wissen, dass eine solche Zentralbankwährung Banken im weitesten Sinne überflüssig macht. Kontos bei Privatbanken werden obsolet, genauso wie Spar-, Fest- und Tagesgeld-Strukturen. Deshalb soll der digitale Euro zunächst auf 3000 Euro pro Bürger beschränkt werden. Das ist also nicht als Maximal-Vermögen gedacht, das dann jedem sozialistischen Einheits-EU-Menschen noch zusteht, sondern dient dazu, das Bankensystem nicht kollabieren zu lassen. Aber wozu überhaupt „ein bisschen digitaler Euro“?
In den USA setzt man mittlerweile 100 Prozent auf die private Alternative: Stablecoins wie Tether (USDT) und Circle (USDC) sind nichts anderes als digitale Währungen. Nur sind sie nicht von einer Zentralbank ausgeben, sondern von privaten Anbietern. Tether hat technisch die Möglichkeit, einen Inhaber vom Zahlungsverkehr auszusperren. Nur dürfte es davon kaum Gebrauch machen, will das Unternehmen nicht rasant Kunden an die Konkurrenz verlieren. Da USDT und USDC mit US-Dollar gedeckt sind (oder zumindest sein sollten, *looking at you, Tether!*), stärken sie außerdem die Rolle des US-Dollars als Leitwährung. Und da die USA sich aktuell sehr über Käufer von Staatsanleihen freuen, um die Zinsen zu drücken, und [Tether einer der größten Halter von US-Staatsanleihen is](https://crypto.news/tether-treasury-holdings-boost-us-debt-resilience-2025/)t, wird es den digitalen Dollar bis auf Weiteres nicht geben.
Den digitalen Yuan gibt es, aber von einer großen Akzeptanz oder Durchdringung der chinesischen Wirtschaft lässt sich nicht sprechen. Kontrolle kann der chinesische Staat ohnehin über seine omnipräsenten Apps WeChat und Alipay ausüben. Was den internationalen Zahlungsverkehr betrifft, [scheint man aktuell eher auf Gold zu setzen](https://blingbling.substack.com/p/goldfinger).
Übrig also bleibt die EU mit einem Projekt, das bereits Milliarden an Entwicklungskosten verschlungen hat. Am Ende bleibt dann ein Mini-Digitaler-Euro in Höhe von 3000 Euro, den niemand wollte, und niemand braucht.
Helfen könnte er allerdings beim Projekt “Mobilisierung der Sparguthaben”. Der Ausdruck geht auf Friedrich Merz zurück. Ursula von der Leyen paraphrasierte ihn jüngst:

[Irgendwie müssen die Billionen von Sparguthaben in Militär-Investitionen umgewandelt werden](https://blingbling.substack.com/p/panzer-statt-autos). Das wird am besten funktionieren mit Anleihen, die schlechter verzinst sind als sonst auf dem Markt üblich. Wie bringt man Leute dazu, dann ihr Geld dort zu investieren? Entweder man zwingt sie, oder man bewirbt die Anleihen mit viel Patriotismus und Propaganda. Die Verschwörungstheoretiker unter uns bekommen also bald Futter, wenn die „Spar- und Investitionsunion” vorgestellt wird.
Like, wenn Dein Aluhut glüht…
*Hinter der Paywall: Wie das Trump-Derangement-Syndrom den Blick auf den Markt trübt. **[Wie es mit Bitcoin, Gold und Aktien weitergeht.](https://blingbling.substack.com/p/gluhende-aluhute)***
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@ a95c6243:d345522c
2025-03-15 10:56:08
*Was nützt die schönste Schuldenbremse, wenn der Russe vor der Tür steht?* *\
Wir können uns verteidigen lernen oder alle Russisch lernen.* *\
Jens Spahn*  
**In der Politik ist buchstäblich keine Idee zu riskant, kein Mittel zu schäbig und keine Lüge zu dreist,** als dass sie nicht benutzt würden. Aber der Clou ist, dass diese Masche immer noch funktioniert, wenn nicht sogar immer besser. Ist das alles wirklich so schwer zu durchschauen? Mir fehlen langsam die Worte.
**Aktuell werden sowohl in der Europäischen Union als auch in Deutschland** riesige Milliardenpakete für die [Aufrüstung](https://transition-news.org/eu-halt-weiter-kurs-auf-krieg-hunderte-milliarden-fur-aufrustung-beschlossen) – also für die Rüstungsindustrie – geschnürt. Die EU will 800 Milliarden Euro locker machen, in Deutschland sollen es 500 Milliarden «Sondervermögen» sein. Verteidigung nennen das unsere «Führer», innerhalb der Union und auch an «unserer Ostflanke», der Ukraine.
**Das nötige Feindbild konnte inzwischen signifikant erweitert werden.** Schuld an allem und zudem gefährlich ist nicht mehr nur Putin, sondern jetzt auch Trump. Europa müsse sich sowohl gegen Russland als auch gegen die USA schützen und rüsten, wird uns eingetrichtert.
**Und während durch Diplomatie genau dieser beiden Staaten** gerade endlich mal Bewegung in die Bemühungen um einen Frieden oder wenigstens einen Waffenstillstand in der Ukraine kommt, rasselt man im moralisch überlegenen Zeigefinger-Europa so richtig mit dem Säbel.
**Begleitet und gestützt wird der ganze Prozess** – wie sollte es anders sein – von den «Qualitätsmedien». Dass Russland einen Angriff auf «Europa» plant, weiß nicht nur der deutsche Verteidigungsminister (und mit Abstand beliebteste Politiker) Pistorius, sondern dank ihnen auch jedes Kind. Uns bleiben nur noch wenige Jahre. Zum Glück bereitet sich die Bundeswehr schon sehr konkret [auf einen Krieg](https://archive.is/VE8ZM) vor.
**Die** ***FAZ*** **und Corona-Gesundheitsminister Spahn markieren einen traurigen Höhepunkt.** Hier haben sich «politische und publizistische Verantwortungslosigkeit propagandistisch gegenseitig befruchtet», wie es bei den *NachDenkSeiten* [heißt](https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=130064). Die Aussage Spahns in dem Interview, «der Russe steht vor der Tür», ist das eine. Die Zeitung verschärfte die Sache jedoch, indem sie das Zitat explizit in den [Titel](https://archive.is/QJdID) übernahm, der in einer [ersten Version](https://archive.is/fNuGA) scheinbar zu harmlos war.
**Eine große Mehrheit der deutschen Bevölkerung findet Aufrüstung und mehr Schulden toll,** wie *[ARD](https://archive.is/M3DSk)* und *[ZDF](https://archive.is/ggvJB)* sehr passend ermittelt haben wollen. Ähnliches gelte für eine noch stärkere militärische Unterstützung der Ukraine. Etwas skeptischer seien die Befragten bezüglich der Entsendung von Bundeswehrsoldaten dorthin, aber immerhin etwa fifty-fifty.
**Eigentlich ist jedoch die Meinung der Menschen in «unseren Demokratien» irrelevant.** Sowohl in der Europäischen Union als auch in Deutschland sind die «Eliten» offenbar der Ansicht, der Souverän habe in Fragen von Krieg und Frieden sowie von aberwitzigen astronomischen Schulden kein Wörtchen mitzureden. Frau von der Leyen möchte über 150 Milliarden aus dem Gesamtpaket unter Verwendung von Artikel 122 des EU-Vertrags ohne das Europäische Parlament entscheiden – wenn auch nicht völlig [kritiklos](https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/geopolitik/aufruestung-widerstand-gegen-eu-plaene-waechst-kommission-uebertreibt-russische-gefahr-li.2306863).
**In Deutschland wollen CDU/CSU und SPD zur Aufweichung der «Schuldenbremse»** mehrere Änderungen des Grundgesetzes durch das abgewählte Parlament peitschen. Dieser Versuch, mit dem alten [Bundestag](https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2025/kw11-de-sondersitzung-1056228) eine Zweidrittelmehrheit zu erzielen, die im neuen nicht mehr gegeben wäre, ist mindestens verfassungsrechtlich umstritten.
**Das Manöver scheint aber zu funktionieren.** Heute haben die Grünen [zugestimmt](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-faces-debt-deal-cliffhanger-merz-strives-greens-backing-2025-03-14/), nachdem Kanzlerkandidat Merz läppische 100 Milliarden für «irgendwas mit Klima» zugesichert hatte. Die Abstimmung im Plenum soll am kommenden Dienstag erfolgen – nur eine Woche, bevor sich der neu gewählte Bundestag konstituieren wird.
**Interessant sind die Argumente, die BlackRocker Merz für seine Attacke** auf Grundgesetz und Demokratie ins Feld führt. Abgesehen von der angeblichen Eile, «unsere Verteidigungsfähigkeit deutlich zu erhöhen» (ausgelöst unter anderem durch «die Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz und die Ereignisse im Weißen Haus»), ließ uns der CDU-Chef wissen, dass Deutschland einfach auf die internationale Bühne zurück müsse. Merz [schwadronierte](https://x.com/CDU/status/1900168761686044894) gefährlich mehrdeutig:
> «Die ganze Welt schaut in diesen Tagen und Wochen auf Deutschland. Wir haben in der Europäischen Union und auf der Welt eine Aufgabe, die weit über die Grenzen unseres eigenen Landes hinausgeht.»
 
  
*\[Titelbild:* *[Tag des Sieges](https://pixabay.com/de/photos/parade-tag-des-sieges-samara-182508/)]*
***
Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf ***[Transition News](https://transition-news.org/propaganda-wahnsinn-und-demokratur)*** erschienen.
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@ eac63075:b4988b48
2025-03-03 17:18:12
# **Abstract**
This paper examines a hypothetical scenario in which the United States, under Trump’s leadership, withdraws from NATO and reduces its support for Europe, thereby enabling a Russian conquest of Ukraine and the subsequent expansion of Moscow’s influence over Eurasia, while the US consolidates its dominance over South America. Drawing on classical geopolitical theories—specifically those of Halford Mackinder, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Rudolf Kjellén, and Friedrich Ratzel—the study analyzes how these frameworks can elucidate the evolving power dynamics and territorial ambitions in a reconfigured global order. The discussion highlights Mackinder’s notion of the Eurasian Heartland and its strategic importance, Mahan’s emphasis on maritime power and control of strategic routes, Kjellén’s view of the state as an expanding organism, and Ratzel’s concept of Lebensraum as a justification for territorial expansion. The paper also explores contemporary developments, such as the US–Ukraine economic agreement and Trump’s overt territorial ambitions involving Greenland and Canada, in light of these theories. By juxtaposing traditional geopolitical concepts with current international relations, the study aims to shed light on the potential implications of such shifts for regional stability, global security, and the balance of power, particularly in relation to emerging neocolonial practices in Latin America.
# **Introduction**
In recent years, the geopolitical dynamics involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have sparked analyses from different theoretical perspectives. This paper examines recent events – presupposing a scenario in which Donald Trump withdraws the US from NATO and reduces its support for Europe, allowing a Russian conquest of Ukraine and the expansion of Moscow’s influence over Eurasia, while the US consolidates its dominance over South America – in light of classical geopolitical theories. The ideas of Halford Mackinder, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Rudolf Kjellén, and Friedrich Ratzel are used as reference points. The proposal is to impartially evaluate how each theory can elucidate the developments of this hypothetical scenario, relating Russian territorial expansion in Eurasia to the strategic retreat of the US to the Western Hemisphere.
Initially, we will outline Mackinder’s conception of the Heartland (the central Eurasian territory) and the crucial role of Eastern Europe and Ukraine in the quest for global dominance. Next, we will discuss Mahan’s ideas regarding maritime power and the control of strategic routes, considering the impacts on the naval power balance among the US, Russia, and other maritime powers such as the United Kingdom and Japan. Subsequently, we will examine Kjellén’s organic theory of the state, interpreting the Russian expansionist strategy as a reflection of a state organism in search of vital space. In the same vein, Ratzel’s concept of “Lebensraum” will be explored, along with how Russia could justify territorial expansion based on resources and territory. Finally, the paper connects these theories to the current political context, analyzing the direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow (overlooking Ukraine and Europe), the US policy toward authoritarian regimes in Latin America, and the notion of a hemispheric division of power – the “Island of the Americas” under North American hegemony versus an Eurasia dominated by Russia. Lastly, it considers the possibility that such a geopolitical arrangement may foster the strengthening of authoritarian governments globally, rather than containing them, thus altering the paradigms of the liberal world order.
# **The Heartland of Mackinder: Ukraine, Eurasia, and Global Dominance**
Halford J. Mackinder, a British geographer and pioneer of geopolitics, proposed the celebrated Heartland Theory in the early twentieth century. Mackinder divided the world into geostrategic zones and identified the Heartland—the central continental mass of Eurasia—as the “geographical pivot of history” \[5\]. His most famous maxim encapsulates this vision: “who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; who rules the World Island commands the world” \[5\]. Eastern Europe and, in particular, the region of present-day Ukraine, play a key role in this formula. This is because, for Mackinder, Eastern Europe functions as a gateway to the Heartland, providing access to resources and a strategic position for the projection of continental power \[5\].
Applying this theory to our scenario, the conquest of Ukraine and Eastern European countries by Russia would have profound geopolitical implications. From a Mackinderian point of view, such a conquest would enormously strengthen Russia’s position in the Heartland by adding manpower (population) and Ukraine’s industrial and agricultural resources to its power base \[5\]. In fact, Mackinder argued that controlling the Heartland conferred formidable geostrategic advantages—a vast terrestrial “natural fortress” protected from naval invasions and rich in resources such as wheat, minerals, and fuels \[5\]. Thus, if Moscow were to incorporate Ukraine (renowned for its fertile soil and grain production, as well as its mineral reserves) and extend its influence over Eastern Europe, Russia would consolidate the Heartland under its direct control. In this context, the absence of the USA (withdrawn from NATO and less engaged in Europe) would remove an important obstacle to Russian predominance in the region.
With central and eastern Eurasia under Russian influence, it would be possible to move toward the realization of the geopolitical nightmare described by Mackinder for Western maritime powers: a hegemonic continental power capable of projecting power to both Europe and Asia. Mackinder himself warned that if a Heartland power gained additional access to an oceanic coastline—in other words, if it combined land power with a significant maritime front—it would constitute a “danger” to global freedom \[5\]. In the scenario considered, besides advancing into Eastern Europe, Russia would already possess strategic maritime outlets (for example, in the Black Sea, via Crimea, and in the Baltic, via Kaliningrad or the Baltic States if influenced). Thus, the control of Ukraine would reinforce Russia’s position in the Black Sea and facilitate projection into the Eastern Mediterranean, expanding its oceanic front. From a Mackinderian perspective, this could potentially transform Russia into the dominant power of the “World Island” (the combined mass of Europe, Asia, and Africa), thereby unbalancing the global geopolitical order \[5\].
It is worth noting that, historically, Mackinder’s doctrine influenced containment strategies: both in the interwar period and during the Cold War, efforts were made to prevent a single power from controlling the Heartland and Eastern Europe. NATO, for example, can be seen as an instrument to prevent Soviet/Russian advances in Europe, in line with Mackinder’s imperative to “contain the Heartland.” Thus, if the USA were to abandon that role—by leaving NATO and tacitly accepting the Russian sphere of influence in Eurasia—we would be witnessing an inversion of the principles that have guided Western policy for decades. In short, under Mackinder’s theory, the Russian conquest of Ukraine and beyond would represent the key for Russia to command the Heartland and, potentially, challenge global hegemony, especially in a scenario where the USA self-restricts to the Western Hemisphere.
# **The Maritime Power of Mahan and the Naval Balance between West and East**
While Mackinder emphasized continental land power, Alfred Thayer Mahan, a nineteenth-century American naval strategist, highlighted the crucial role of maritime power in global dominance. In his work *The Influence of Sea Power upon History* (1890), Mahan studied the example of the British Empire and concluded that control of the seas paved the way for British supremacy as a world power \[10\]. He argued that a strong navy and the control of strategic maritime routes were decisive factors for projecting military, political, and economic power. His doctrine can be summarized in the following points: (1) the United States should aspire to be a world power; (2) control of the seas is necessary to achieve that status; (3) such control is obtained through a powerful fleet of warships \[17\]. In other words, for Mahan, whoever dominates the maritime routes and possesses naval superiority will be in a position to influence global destinies, ensuring trade, supplies, and the rapid movement of military forces.
In the proposed scenario, in which the USA withdraws militarily from Europe and possibly from the Eurasian stage, Mahan’s ideas raise questions about the distribution of maritime power and its effects. Traditionally, the US Navy operates globally, ensuring freedom of navigation and deterring challenges in major seas (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, etc.). A withdrawal of the USA from NATO could also signal a reduction in its naval presence in the Northeast Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and other areas close to Eurasia. In such a case, who would fill this naval vacuum? Russia, although primarily a land power, has been attempting to modernize its navy and has specific interests—for example, consolidating its dominance in the Black Sea and maintaining a presence in the Mediterranean (with a naval base in Tartus, Syria). The United Kingdom, a historic European maritime power, would remain aligned with the USA but, without American military support in Europe, might potentially be overwhelmed trying to contain an increasingly assertive Russian navy in European waters on its own. Japan, another significant maritime actor allied with the USA, is concerned with the naval balance in the Pacific; without full American engagement, Tokyo might be compelled to expand its own naval power to contain both Russia in the Far East (which maintains a fleet in the Pacific) and, especially, the growing Chinese navy.
According to Mahan’s thinking, strategic maritime routes and choke points (crucial straits and channels) become contested prizes in this power game. With the USA focusing on the Americas, one could imagine Washington reinforcing control over the Panama Canal and Caribbean routes—reviving an “American Gulf” policy in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. In fact, indications of this orientation emerge in statements attributed to Trump, who once suggested reclaiming direct control over Panama, transforming Canada into a North American state, and even “annexing” Greenland due to its Arctic geopolitical importance \[18\]. These aspirations reflect a quest to secure advantageous maritime positions near the American continent.
Conversely, in the absence of American presence in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, Russia would have free rein for regional maritime projection. This could include anything from the unrestricted use of the Black Sea (after dominating Ukraine, thereby ensuring full access to Crimea and Ukrainian ports) to greater influence in the Eastern Mediterranean via Syria and partnerships with countries such as Iran or Egypt. The Baltic Sea would also become an area of expanded Russian interest, pressuring coastal countries and perhaps reducing NATO’s traditional local naval supremacy. However, it is worth noting that even with these regional expansions, Russia lacks a blue-water navy comparable to that of the USA; thus, its initial global maritime impact would be limited without alliances.
An important aspect of Mahan’s theories is that naval power serves as a counterbalance to the land power of the Heartland. Therefore, even if Russia were to dominate the Eurasian continental mass, the continued presence of American naval might on the oceans could prevent complete global domination by Moscow. However, if the USA voluntarily restricts its naval reach to the Americas, it would forgo influencing the power balance in the seas adjacent to Eurasia. Consequently, the balance of maritime power would tend to shift in favor of regional Eurasian actors. The United Kingdom and Japan, traditional allies of the USA, could intensify their naval capabilities to defend regional interests—the United Kingdom safeguarding the North Atlantic and the North Sea, and Japan patrolling the Northwest Pacific—but both would face budgetary and structural limitations in fully compensating for the absence of the American superpower. Consequently, Mahan’s vision suggests that the withdrawal of the USA from the extra-regional scene would weaken the liberal maritime regime, possibly opening space for revisionist powers to contest routes that were previously secured (for example, Russia and China encountering less opposition on the routes of the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific, respectively). In summary, naval hegemony would fragment, and control of strategic seas would become contested, reconfiguring the relative influence of the USA, Russia, and maritime allies such as the United Kingdom and Japan.
# **Kjellén and the State as a Living Organism: Russian Expansion as an Organic Necessity**
Another useful theoretical lens to interpret Russian geopolitical posture is that of Rudolf Kjellén, a Swedish political scientist of the early twentieth century who conceived the State as a living organism. Kjellén, who even coined the term “geopolitics,” was influenced by Friedrich Ratzel’s ideas and by social Darwinism, arguing that States are born, grow, and decline analogously to living beings \[13\]. In his work *Staten som livsform* (The State as a Form of Life, 1916), he maintained that States possess an organic dimension in addition to the legal one and that “just as any form of life, States must expand or die” \[14\]. This expansion would not be motivated merely by aggressive conquest but seen as a necessary growth for the self-preservation of the state organism \[14\]. In complement, Kjellén echoed Ratzel’s “law of expanding spaces” by asserting that large States expand at the expense of smaller ones, with it being only a matter of time before the great realms fill the available spaces \[14\]. That is, from the organic perspective, vigorous States tend to incorporate smaller neighboring territories, consolidating territorially much like an organism absorbing nutrients.
Applying this theory to the strategy of contemporary Russia, we can interpret Moscow’s actions—including the invasion of Ukraine and the ambition to restore its sphere of influence in Eurasia—as the expression of an organic drive for expansion. For a strategist influenced by this school, Russia (viewed as a state organism with a long imperial history) needs to expand its territory and influence to ensure its survival and security. The loss of control over spaces that once were part of the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union (such as Ukraine itself, the Caucasus, or Central Asia) may be perceived by Russian elites as an atrophy of the state organism, rendering it vulnerable. Thus, the reincorporation of these territories—whether directly (annexation) or indirectly (political vassalage)—would equate to restoring lost members or strengthening vital organs of the state body. In fact, official Russian arguments often portray Ukraine as an intrinsic part of “Russian historicity,” denying it a fully separate identity—a narrative that aligns with the idea that Russian expansion in that region is natural and necessary for the Russian State (seen as encompassing also Russian speakers beyond its current borders).
Kjellén would thus provide a theoretical justification for Russian territorial expansion as an organic phenomenon. As a great power, Russia would inevitably seek to expand at the expense of smaller neighbors (Ukraine, Georgia, the Baltic States, etc.), as dictated by the tendency of “great spaces to organize” to the detriment of the small \[14\]. This view can be identified in contemporary Russian doctrines that value spheres of influence and the notion that neighboring countries must gravitate around Moscow in order for the natural order to be maintained. The very idea of “Eurasia” united under Russian leadership (advocated by modern Russian thinkers) echoes this organic conception of vital space and expansion as a sign of the State’s vitality.
However, Kjellén’s theory also warns of the phenomenon of “imperial overstretch,” should a State exceed its internal cohesion limits by expanding excessively \[14\]. He recognized that extending borders too far could increase friction and vulnerabilities, making it difficult to maintain cohesion—a very large organism may lack functional integration. In the Russian context, this suggests that although expansion is seen as necessary, there are risks if Russia tries to encompass more than it can govern effectively. Conquering Ukraine and subjugating Eastern Europe, for example, could economically and militarily overburden the Russian State, especially if it faced resistance or had to manage hostile populations. However, in the hypothetical scenario we adopt (isolated USA and a weakened Europe), Russia might calculate that the organic benefits of expansion (territory, resources, strategic depth) would outweigh the costs, since external interference would be limited. Thus, through Kjellén’s lens, expansionist Russia behaves as an organism following its instinct for survival and growth, absorbing weaker neighbors; yet such a process is not devoid of challenges, requiring that the “organism Russia” manages to assimilate these new spaces without collapsing under its own weight.
# **Ratzel and Lebensraum: Resources, Territory, and the Justification for Expansion**
Parallel to Kjellén’s organic view, Friedrich Ratzel’s theory offers another conceptual basis for understanding Russian expansion: the concept of Lebensraum (vital space). Ratzel, a German geographer of the late nineteenth century, proposed that the survival and development of a people or nation depended critically on the available physical space and resources. Influenced by Darwinist ideas, he applied the notion of “survival of the fittest” to nations, arguing that human societies need to conquer territory and resources to prosper, and that the stronger and fittest civilizations will naturally prevail over the weaker ones \[12\]. In 1901, Ratzel coined the term Lebensraum to describe this need for “vital space” as a geographical factor in national power \[15\].
Subsequently, this idea would be adopted—and extremely distorted—by Nazi ideology to justify Germany’s aggressions in Europe. However, the core of Ratzel’s concept is that territorial expansion is essential for the survival and growth of a State, especially to secure food, raw materials, and space for its population \[12\].
When examining Russia’s stance under this perspective, we can see several narratives that evoke the logic of Lebensraum. Russia is the largest country in the world by area; however, much of its territory is characterized by adverse climates (tundra, taiga) and is relatively sparsely populated in Siberia. On the other hand, adjacent regions such as Ukraine possess highly arable lands (chernozem—black soil), significant Slavic population density, and additional natural resources (coal in the Donbass, for example). An implicit justification for Russian expansion could be the search for supplementary resources and fertile lands to secure its self-sufficiency and power—exactly as Ratzel described that vigorous nations do. Historical records show that Ratzel emphasized agrarian primacy: he believed that new territories should be colonized by farmers, providing the food base for the nation \[12\]. Ukraine, historically called the “breadbasket of Europe,” fits perfectly into this vision of conquest for sustenance and agricultural wealth.
Furthermore, Ratzel viewed geography as a determinant of the destiny of nations—peoples adapted to certain habitats seek to expand them if they aspire to grow. In contemporary Russian discourse, there is often mention of the need to ensure security and territorial depth in the face of NATO, or to unite brotherly peoples (Russians and Russian speakers) within a single political space. Such arguments can be read as a modern translation of Lebensraum: the idea that the Russian nation, in order to be secure and flourish, must control a larger space, encompassing buffer zones and critical resources. This Russian “vital space” would naturally include Ukraine and other former Soviet republics, given the historical and infrastructural interdependence. Ratzel emphasized that peoples migrated and expanded when their original homeland no longer met their needs or aspirations \[12\]. Although contemporary Russia does not suffer from demographic pressure (on the contrary, it faces population decline), under the logic of a great power there is indeed a sentiment of geopolitical insufficiency for having lost influence over areas considered strategic. Thus, reconquering these areas would mean recovering the “habitat” necessary for the Russian nation to prosper and feel secure.
It is important to mention that, in Ratzel’s and Kjellén’s formulations, the pursuit of Lebensraum or organic expansion is not morally qualified—it is treated as a natural process in the politics of power. Thus, on the discursive level, Russia can avoid overly aggressive rhetoric and resort to “natural” justifications: for example, claiming that it needs to occupy Ukraine for defensive purposes (security space) or to reunify peoples (a common cultural and historical space). Beneath these justifications, however, resonates the geopolitical imperative to acquire more territory and resources as a guarantee of national survival, something consonant with Ratzel’s theory. In fact, Russian Realpolitik frequently prioritizes the control of energy resources (gas, oil) and transportation routes. Expanding its influence over central Eurasia would also mean controlling oil pipelines, gas lines, and logistical corridors—essential elements of modern Lebensraum understood as access to vital resources and infrastructure.
In summary, by conquering Ukraine and extending its reach into Eurasia, Russia could effectively invoke the concept of Lebensraum: presenting its expansion not as mere imperialism, but as a necessity to secure indispensable lands and resources for its people and to correct the “injustice” of a vital space diminished by post-Cold War territorial losses. The theories of Ratzel and Kjellén together paint a picture in which Russian expansion emerges almost as a natural law—the great State reclaiming space to ensure its survival and development at the expense of smaller neighbors.
# **Trump, NATO, and the Threat of American Withdrawal**
One of the most alarming changes with Trump's return to power is the tense relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Trump has long criticized allies for not meeting military spending targets, even threatening during his first term to withdraw the US from the alliance if members did not increase their contributions \[2\]. This threat, initially viewed with skepticism, became concrete after his re-election, leading European allies to seriously consider the possibility of having to defend themselves without American support \[1\]. In fact, Trump suggested in post-election interviews that the US would only remain in NATO if the allies “paid their bills” – otherwise, he “would seriously consider” leaving \[2\]. Such statements reinforced the warning that the US might not honor NATO's mutual defense commitment, precisely at a time of continuous Russian threat due to the war in Ukraine \[1\].
From a theoretical point of view, this posture of American retrenchment evokes the classic tension between maritime power and land power. Alfred Thayer Mahan emphasized that the global power of the US derived largely from its naval superiority and from alliances that ensured control over strategic maritime routes \[9\]. NATO, since 1949, has served not only to deter Soviet terrestrial advances in Eurasia, but also to secure the US naval presence in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean – a fundamental element according to Mahan. In turn, Halford Mackinder warned that the balance of global power depended on the control of the Eurasian “Heartland” (the central region of Eurasia). The withdrawal or disengagement of the US (a maritime power) from this region could open the way for a continental power (such as Russia) to expand its influence in Eastern Europe, unbalancing the power balance \[3\]. In other words, by threatening to leave NATO, Trump jeopardizes the principle of containment that prevented Russian dominance over Eastern Europe – something that Mackinder would see as a dangerous shift in global power in favor of the Heartland power.
Adopting an impartial tone, it is observed that European countries have reacted to this new reality with precautionary measures. Strategic reports already calculate the cost of an autonomous European defense: hundreds of thousands of additional soldiers and investments of hundreds of billions of euros would be required if the US ceased to guarantee the security of the continent \[1\]. European dependence on American military power is significant and, without it, there would be a need for a major reinforcement of European Armed Forces \[1\]. This mobilization practically reflects the anticipation of a power vacuum left by the US – a scenario in which Mackinder’s theory (on the primacy of the Heartland and the vulnerability of the “external crescent” where Western Europe is located) regains its relevance.
# **The US–Ukraine Economic Agreement: Strategic Minerals in Exchange for Support?**
Another novelty of Trump's second term is the unprecedented and transactional manner in which Washington has been dealing with the war in Ukraine. Instead of emphasizing security guarantees and alliances, the Trump administration proposed a trade agreement with Ukraine focused on the exploitation of strategic minerals, linking American support to a direct economic benefit. According to sources close to the negotiations, the US and Ukraine are about to sign a pact to share the revenues from the exploitation of critical mineral resources on Ukrainian territory \[19\]. Materials such as titanium, lithium, rare earths, and uranium – vital for high-tech and defense industries – would be at the core of this agreement \[6\]. According to the known draft, Ukraine would allocate 50% of the profits from new mineral ventures to a fund controlled by the US, which would reinvest part of the resources in the country’s own reconstruction \[6\] \[19\].
It is noteworthy that the pact does not include explicit security guarantees for Kyiv, despite Ukraine remaining under direct military threat from Russia \[19\]. Essentially, the Trump administration offers financial support and economic investment in exchange for a share in Ukrainian natural resources, but without formally committing to Ukraine's defense in the event of a renewed Russian offensive \[19\]. American authorities argue that this economic partnership would already be sufficient to “secure Ukrainian interests,” as it would provide the US with its own incentives to desire Ukraine’s stability \[19\]. “What could be better for Ukraine than being in an economic partnership with the United States?” stated Mike Waltz, a US national security advisor, defending the proposal \[19\].
Analysts, however, assess the agreement in divided terms. For some, it represents a form of economic exploitation at a time of Ukraine's fragility – comparing the demand to share mineral wealth amid war to a scheme of “mafia protection” \[19\]. Steven Cook, from the Council on Foreign Relations, classified the offer as “extortion,” and political scientist Virginia P. Fortna observed that charging resources from an invaded country resembles predatory practices \[19\]. Joseph Nye adds that it is a short-term gain strategy that could be “disastrous in the long run” for American credibility, reflecting the transactional approach that Trump even adopted with close allies in other contexts \[19\]. On the other hand, some see a future advantage for Kyiv: journalist Pierre Briançon suggests that at least this agreement aligns American commercial interests with Ukraine’s future, which could, in theory, keep the US involved in Ukrainian prosperity in the long term \[19\]. It is even recalled that President Zelensky himself proposed last year the idea of sharing natural resources with the US to bring the interests of the two countries closer together \[19\].
From the perspective of geopolitical theories, this agreement illustrates a shift towards economic pragmatism in international relations, approaching concepts proposed by Kjellén. Rudolf Kjellén, who coined the term “geopolitics,” saw the State as a territorial organism that seeks to ensure its survival through self-sufficiency and the control of strategic resources \[4\]. Trump's demand for a share in Ukrainian resources in order to continue supporting the country reflects a logic of autarky and direct national interest – that is, foreign policy serving primarily to reinforce the economic and material position of the US. This view contrasts with the traditional cooperative approach, but aligns with Kjellén’s idea that powerful States tend to transform international relations into opportunities for their own gain, ensuring access to vital raw materials. Similarly, Friedrich Ratzel argued that States have a “propensity to expand their borders according to their capacities,” seeking vital space (Lebensraum) and resources to sustain their development \[11\]. The US–Ukraine pact, by conditioning military/economic aid on obtaining tangible advantages (half of the mineral profits), is reminiscent of Ratzel’s perspective: the US, as a rising economic power, expands its economic influence over Ukrainian territory like an organism extending itself to obtain the necessary resources for its well-being. It is, therefore, a form of economic expansionism at the expense of purely ideological commitments or collective security.
# **Peace Negotiations Excluding Ukraine and the Legitimacy of the Agreement**
Another controversial point is the manner in which peace negotiations between Russia and the West have been conducted under Trump's administration. Since taking office, the American president has engaged directly with Moscow in pursuit of a ceasefire, deliberately keeping the Ukrainian government out of the initial discussions \[6\]. Trump expressed his desire to “leave Zelensky out of the conversation” and also excluded the European Union from any influence in the process \[6\]. This negotiation strategy—conducted without the presence of the primary interested party, Ukraine—raises serious questions about the legitimacy and sustainability of any resulting agreement.
Historically, peace agreements reached without the direct participation of one of the conflicting parties tend to face problems in implementation and acceptance.
The exclusion of Ukraine in the decision-making phase brings to light the issue of guarantees. As noted, the emerging agreement lacks formal US security guarantees for Ukraine. This implies that, after the agreement is signed, nothing will prevent Russia from launching a new offensive if it deems it convenient, knowing that the US has not committed to defending it militarily. Experts have already warned that a ceasefire without robust protection may only be a pause for Russian rearmament, rendering the conflict “frozen” temporarily and potentially resumed in the near future. The European strategic community has expressed similar concern: without American deterrence, the risk of further Russian aggressions in the region increases considerably \[1\]. Denmark, for example, has released intelligence reports warning of possible imminent Russian attacks, prompting neighboring countries to accelerate plans for independent defense \[1\].
The legitimacy of this asymmetric peace agreement (negotiated without Ukraine fully at the table and under economic coercion) is also questionable from a legal and moral point of view. It violates the principle of self-determination by imposing terms decided by great powers on a sovereign country—a practice reminiscent of dark chapters in diplomacy, such as the Munich Agreement of 1938, when powers determined the fate of Czechoslovakia without its consent. In the current case, Ukraine would end up signing the agreement, but from a position of weakness, raising doubts about how durable such a commitment would be.
From Mackinder’s perspective, Ukraine’s removal from the battlefield without guarantees essentially means admitting a greater influence of Russia (the Heartland power) over Eastern Europe. This would alter the balance in Eurasia in a potentially lasting way. Furthermore, the fact that great powers negotiate over the heads of a smaller country evokes the imperial logic of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when empires decided among themselves the divisions of foreign territories—a behavior that Mackinder saw as likely in a world of a “closed system.” With the entire world already occupied by States, Mackinder predicted that powers would begin to compete for influence within this consolidated board, often subjugating smaller states to gain advantage \[3\]. The US–Russia negotiation regarding Ukraine, without proper Ukrainian representation, exemplifies this type of neo-imperial dynamic in the twenty-first century.
Also noteworthy is the consonance with the ideas of Ratzel and Kjellén: both viewed smaller states as easily relegated to the status of satellites or even “parasitic organisms” in the orbit of larger states. Kjellén spoke of the intrinsic vulnerability of states with little territorial depth or economic dependence, making them susceptible to external pressures \[4\]\[20\]. Ukraine, weakened by war and dependent on external aid, becomes a concrete example of this theorized vulnerability: it has had to cede strategic resources and accept terms dictated against its will in an attempt to secure its immediate survival. The resulting agreement, therefore, reflects a power imbalance characteristic of the hierarchical international relations described by classical geopolitical theorists.
# **Implicit Territorial Concessions and Trump’s Public Discourse**
A central and controversial point in Trump’s statements regarding the war in Ukraine is the insinuation of territorial concessions to Russia as part of the conflict’s resolution. Publicly, Trump avoided explicitly condemning Russian aggression and even stated that he considered it “unlikely” that Ukraine would be able to retake all the areas occupied by the Russians \[16\]. In debates and interviews, he suggested that “if I were president, the war would end in 24 hours,” implying that he would force an understanding between Kyiv and Moscow that would likely involve ceding some territory in exchange for peace. This position marks a break with the previous US policy of not recognizing any territorial acquisitions made by force and fuels speculations that a future peace agreement sponsored by Trump would legitimize at least part of Russia’s gains since 2014 (Crimea, Donbass, and areas seized during the 2022 invasion).
The actions of his administration corroborate this interpretation. As discussed, the economic agreement focuses on the exploitation of Ukrainian natural resources, many of which are located precisely in regions currently under Russian military control, such as parts of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Donetsk, Lugansk, and the Azov Sea area \[6\]. A Ukrainian geologist, Hanna Liventseva, highlighted that “most of these elements (strategic minerals) are found in the south of the Ukrainian Shield, mainly in the Azov region, and most of these territories are currently invaded by Russia” \[6\]. This means that, to make joint exploitation viable, Russia’s de facto control over these areas would have to be recognized—or at least tolerated—in the short term. In other words, the pact indirectly and tacitly accepts Russian territorial gains, as it involves sharing the profits from resources that are not currently accessible to the Kyiv government.
Furthermore, figures close to Trump have made explicit statements regarding the possibility of territorial cession. Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor, publicly stated that Zelensky might need to “cede land to Russia” to end the war \[8\]. This remark—made public in March 2025—confirms that the Trump White House considers it natural for Ukraine to relinquish parts of its territory in favor of an agreement. Such a stance marks a break from the previous Western consensus, which condemned any territorial gains by force. Under Trump, a pragmatic view (in the eyes of his supporters) or a cynical one (according to his critics) seems to prevail: sacrificing principles of territorial integrity to quickly end hostilities and secure immediate economic benefits.
In theoretical terms, this inclination to validate territorial gains by force recalls the concept of Realpolitik and the geopolitical Darwinism that influenced thinkers such as Ratzel. In Ratzel’s organic conception, expanding states naturally absorb neighboring territories when they are strong enough to do so, while declining states lose territory—a process almost biological in the selection of the fittest \[11\]. The Trump administration’s acceptance that Ukraine should “give something” to Moscow to seal peace reflects a normalization of this geopolitical selection process: it recognizes the aggressor (Russia) as having the “right” to retain conquered lands, because that is how power realities on the ground dictate. Mackinder, although firmly opposed to allowing Russia to dominate the Heartland, would see this outcome as the logical consequence of the lack of engagement from maritime powers (the USA and the United Kingdom, for example) in sustaining the Ukrainian counterattack. Without the active involvement of maritime power to balance the dispute, land power prevails in Eastern Europe.
From the perspective of international legitimacy, the cession of Ukrainian territories—whether de jure or de facto—creates a dangerous precedent in the post-Cold War era. Rewarding violent aggression with territorial gains may encourage similar strategies in other parts of the world, undermining the architecture of collective security. This is possibly a return to a world of spheres of influence, where great powers define borders and zones of control according to their convenience—something that the rules-based order after 1945 sought to avoid. Here, academic impartiality requires noting that coercion for territorial concessions rarely produces lasting peace, as the aggrieved party—in this case, Ukraine—may accept temporarily but will continue to assert its rights in the long term, as has occurred with other territorial injustices in history.
# **Territorial Ambitions of Trump: Greenland and Canada**
Beyond the Eurasian theater of war, Trump revived geopolitical ambitions involving territories traditionally allied with the US: Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark) and Canada. As early as 2019, during his first term, Trump shocked the world by proposing to buy Greenland—rich in minerals and strategically positioned in the Arctic. Upon his return to power, he went further: expressing a “renewed interest” in acquiring Greenland and publicly suggesting the incorporation of Canada as the 51st American state \[2\].
In January 2025, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, he even displayed maps in which the US and Canada appeared merged into a single country, while Greenland was marked as a future American possession \[2\]. Posts by the president on social media included satirical images with a map of North America where Canada was labeled “51st” and Greenland designated as “Our Land” \[2\].
Such moves were met with concern and disbelief by allies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on an open microphone warning that Trump’s fixation on annexation “is real” and not just a joke \[7\]. Trudeau emphasized that Washington appeared to covet Canada’s vast mineral resources, which would explain the insistence on the idea of absorption \[7\]. In public, Trump argued that Canadians “would be more prosperous as American citizens,” promising tax cuts and better services should they become part of the US \[7\]. On the Danish side, the reaction to the revived plan regarding Greenland was firmly negative—as it was in 2019—reaffirming that the territory is not for sale. Trump, however, insinuated that the issue might be one of national security, indicating that American possession of Greenland would prevent adverse influences (a reference to China and Russia in the Arctic) \[2\]. More worryingly, he refused to rule out the use of military means to obtain the island, although he assured that he had no intention of invading Canada by force (in the Canadian case, he spoke of “economic force” to forge a union) \[2\].
This series of initiatives reflects an unprecedented expansionist impetus by the US in recent times, at least in discourse. Analyzing this through the lens of classical geopolitics offers interesting insights. Friedrich Ratzel and his notion of Lebensraum suggest that powerful states, upon reaching a certain predominance, seek to expand their territory by influencing or incorporating adjacent areas. Trump, by targeting the immediate neighbor (Canada) and a nearby strategic territory (Greenland), appears to resurrect this logic of territorial expansion for the sake of gaining space and resources. Ratzel saw such expansion almost as a natural process for vigorous states, comparable to the growth of an organism \[11\]. From this perspective, the US would be exercising its “right” of expansion in North America and the polar region, integrating areas of vital interest.
Additionally, Alfred Mahan’s view on maritime power helps to understand the strategic value of Greenland. Mahan postulated that control of key maritime chokepoints and naval bases ensures global advantage \[9\]. Greenland, situated between the North Atlantic and the Arctic, has become increasingly relevant as climate change opens new polar maritime routes and reveals vast mineral deposits (including rare earth elements and oil). For the US, having a presence or sovereignty over Greenland would mean dominating the gateway to the Arctic and denying this space to rivals. This aligns with Mahan’s strategy of securing commercial and military routes (in this case, potential Arctic routes) and resources to consolidate naval supremacy. On the other hand, the incorporation of Canada—with its enormous territory, Arctic coastline, and abundant natural resources—would provide the US with formidable geoeconomic and geopolitical reinforcement, practically eliminating vulnerabilities along its northern border. This is an ambitious project that also echoes ideas of Kjellén, for whom an ideal State should seek territorial completeness and economic self-sufficiency within its region. Incorporating Canada would be the pinnacle of American regional autarky, turning North America into a unified bloc under Washington (a scenario reminiscent of the “pan-regions” conceived by twentieth-century geopoliticians influenced by Kjellén).
It is important to note, however, that these ambitions face enormous legal and political obstacles. The sovereignty of Canada and Greenland (Denmark) is guaranteed by international law, and both peoples categorically reject the idea of annexation. Any hostile action by the US against these countries would shake alliances and the world order itself. Even so, the very fact that an American president suggests such possibilities already produces geopolitical effects: traditional partners begin to distrust Washington’s intentions, seek alternative alliances, and strengthen nationalist discourses of resistance. In summary, Trump’s expansionist intentions in Greenland and Canada rekindle old territorial issues and paradoxically place the US in the position of a revisionist power—a role once associated with empires in search of colonies.
# **Implications for Brazil and South America: A New Neocolonization?**
In light of this geopolitical reconfiguration driven by Trump's USA—with a reordering of alliances and a possible partition of spheres of influence among great powers—the question arises: what is the impact on Brazil and the other countries of South America? Traditionally, Latin America has been under the aegis of the Monroe Doctrine (1823), which established non-interference by Europe in the region and, implicitly, the primacy of the USA in the Western Hemisphere. In the post–Cold War period, this influence translated more into political and economic leadership, without formal annexations or direct territorial domination. However, the current context points to a kind of “neocolonization” of the Global South, in which larger powers seek to control resources and peripheral governments in an indirect yet effective manner.
Mackinder’s theories can be used to illuminate this dynamic. As mentioned, Mackinder envisioned the twentieth-century world as a closed system, in which there were no longer any unknown lands to be colonized—hence, the powers would fight among themselves for control over already occupied regions \[3\]. He predicted that Africa and Latin America (then largely European colonies or semi-colonies) would continue as boards upon which the great powers would project their disputes, a form of neocolonialism. In the current scenario, we see the USA proposing exchanges of protection for resources (as in Ukraine) and even leaders of developing countries seeking similar agreements. A notable example: the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, praised the USA–Ukraine initiative and suggested an analogous agreement involving Congolese mineral wealth in exchange for US support against internal rebels (M23) \[19\]. In other words, African countries and possibly South American ones may enter into this logic of offering privileged access to resources (cobalt, lithium, food, biodiversity) in order to obtain security guarantees or investments. This represents a regression to the times when external powers dictated the directions of the South in exchange for promises of protection, characterizing a strategic neocolonialism.
For Brazil, in particular, this rearrangement generates both opportunities and risks. As a regional power with considerable diplomatic autonomy, Brazil has historically sought to balance relationships with the USA, Europe, China, and other actors, avoiding automatic alignments. However, in a world where Trump’s USA is actively redefining spheres of influence—possibly making deals with Russia that divide priorities (for example, Washington focusing on the Western Hemisphere and Moscow on the Eastern)—South America could once again be seen as an exclusive American sphere of influence. From this perspective, Washington could pressure South American countries to align with its directives, limiting partnerships with rivals (such as China) and seeking privileged access to strategic resources (such as the Amazon, fresh water, minerals, and agricultural commodities). Some indications are already emerging: Trump’s transactional approach mentioned by Nye included pressures on Canada and Mexico regarding border and trade issues, under the threat of commercial sanctions. It would not be unthinkable to adopt a hard line, for example, with regard to Brazilian environmental policies (linked to the Amazon) or Brazil’s relations with China, using tariffs or incentives as leverage—a sort of geopolitics of economic coercion.
On the other hand, Brazil and its neighbors could also attempt to take advantage of the Sino–North American competition. If the USA is distracted consolidating its hemispheric “hard power” hegemony (even with annexation fantasies in the north), powers such as China may advance their economic presence in South America through investments and trade (Belt and Road, infrastructure financing)—which is already happening. This would constitute an indirect neocolonial dispute in the South: Chinese loans and investments versus American demands and agreements, partly reminiscent of the nineteenth-century imperial competition (when the United Kingdom, USA, and others competed for Latin American markets and resources).
From a conceptual standpoint, Mackinder might classify South America as part of the “Outer Crescent” (external insular crescent)—peripheral to the great Eurasian “World-Island,” yet still crucial as a source of resources and a strategic position in the South Atlantic and Pacific. If the USA consolidates an informal empire in the Americas, it would be reinforcing its “insular bastion” far from the Eurasian Heartland, a strategy that Mackinder once suggested for maritime powers: to control islands and peripheral continents to compensate for the disadvantage of not controlling the Heartland. However, an excessive US dominance in the South could lead to local resistance and alternative alignments, unbalancing the region.
Kjellén would add that for Brazil to maintain its decisive sovereignty, it will need to strengthen its autarky and internal cohesion—in other words, reduce vulnerabilities (economic, military, social) that external powers might exploit \[4\]. Meanwhile, Mahan might point out the importance for Brazil of controlling its maritime routes and coastlines (South Atlantic) to avoid being at the mercy of a naval power like the USA. And Ratzel would remind us that states that do not expand their influence tend to be absorbed by foreign influences—which, in the context of Brazil, does not mean conquering neighboring territories, but rather actively leading South American integration to create a block more resilient to external intrusion.
In summary, South America finds itself in a more competitive and segmented world, where major players are resurrecting practices from past eras. The notion of “neocolonization” here does not imply direct occupation, but rather mechanisms of dependency: whether through unequal economic agreements or through diplomatic or military pressure for alignment. Brazil, as the largest economy and territory on the subcontinent, will have to navigate with heightened caution. A new global power balance, marked by the division of spheres of influence among the USA, China, and Russia, may reduce the sovereign maneuvering space of South American countries unless they act jointly. Thus, theoretical reflection suggests the need for South–South strategies, reinforcement of regional organizations, and diversification of partnerships to avoid falling into modern “neocolonial traps.”
# **Conclusion**
The emerging post–re-election geopolitical conjuncture of Donald Trump signals a return to classical geopolitical principles, after several decades of predominance of institutional liberal views. We witness the revaluation of concepts such as spheres of influence, exchanges of protection for resources, naval power versus land power, and disputes over territory and raw materials—all central themes in the writings of Mackinder, Mahan, Kjellén, and Ratzel at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. An impartial analysis of these events, in light of these theories, shows internal coherence in Trump’s actions: although controversial, they follow a logic of maximizing national interest and the relative power of the USA on the world stage, even at the expense of established principles and alliances.
Halford Mackinder reminds us that, in a closed world with no new lands to conquer, the great powers will seek to redistribute the world among themselves \[3\]. This seems to manifest in the direct understandings between the USA and Russia over the fate of Ukraine, and in American ambitions in the Arctic and the Western Hemisphere. Alfred Mahan emphasizes that the control of the seas and strategic positions ensures supremacy—we see reflections of this in Trump’s obsession with Greenland (Arctic) and the possible neglect of the importance of maintaining NATO (and therefore the North Atlantic) as a cohesive bloc, something that Mahan’s theory would criticize due to the risk of a naval vacuum. Rudolf Kjellén and Friedrich Ratzel provide the framework to understand the more aggressive facet of expansionist nationalism: the idea of the State as an organism that needs to grow, secure resources, and seek self-sufficiency explains everything from the extortionate agreement imposed on Ukraine to the annexation rhetoric regarding Canada.
The potential consequences are profound. In the short term, we may witness a precarious ceasefire in the Ukraine war, with consolidated Russian territorial gains and Ukraine economically tied to the USA, but without formal military protection—a fragile “armed peace.” Western Europe, alarmed, may accelerate its independent militarization, perhaps marking the beginning of European defense autonomy, as is already openly debated \[1\]. At the far end of the globe, American activism in the Arctic and the Americas may reshape alliances: countries like Canada, once aligned with Washington, might seek to guarantee their sovereignty by distancing themselves from it; powers like China could take advantage of the openings to increase their presence in Latin America and Africa through economic diplomacy; and emerging countries of the Global South may have to choose between submitting to new “guardianships” or strengthening South–South cooperation.
Ultimately, the current situation reinforces the relevance of studying geopolitics through historical lenses. The actions of the Trump administration indicate that, despite all technological and normative advances, the competition for geographic power has not disappeared—it has merely assumed new formats. Academic impartiality obliges us not to prematurely judge whether these strategies will be successful or beneficial, but history and theory warn that neo-imperial movements tend to generate counter-reactions. As Mackinder insinuated, “every shock or change anywhere reverberates around the world,” and a sudden move by a superpower tends to provoke unforeseen adjustments and chain conflicts. It remains to be seen how the other actors—including Brazil and its neighbors—will adapt to this new chapter in the great struggle for global power, in which centuries-old theories once again have a surprising explanatory power over present events.
# **Bibliography**
**\[1\] A Referência.** (2025). *Europa calcula o custo de se defender sem os EUA: 300 mil soldados e 250 bilhões de euros a mais*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://areferencia.com/europa/europa-calcula-o-custo-de-se-defender-sem-os-eua-300-mil-soldados-e-250-bilhoes-de-euros-a-mais/#:\~:text=Europa%20calcula%20o%20custo%20de,bilh%C3%B5es%20de%20euros%20a%20mais](https://areferencia.com/europa/europa-calcula-o-custo-de-se-defender-sem-os-eua-300-mil-soldados-e-250-bilhoes-de-euros-a-mais/#:~:text=Europa%20calcula%20o%20custo%20de,bilh%C3%B5es%20de%20euros%20a%20mais)
**\[2\] Brexit Institute.** (2025). *What happens if Trump invades Greenland?* Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://dcubrexitinstitute.eu/2025/01/what-happens-if-trump-invades-greenland/#:\~:text=Ever%20since%20Donald%20Trump%20announced,agreed%20in%20Wales%20in%202014](https://dcubrexitinstitute.eu/2025/01/what-happens-if-trump-invades-greenland/#:~:text=Ever%20since%20Donald%20Trump%20announced,agreed%20in%20Wales%20in%202014)
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**\[4\] Diva-Portal.** (2025). *The geopolitics of territorial relativity. Poland seen by Rudolf Kjellén*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1696547/FULLTEXT02#:\~:text=,The%20state%20territory](https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1696547/FULLTEXT02#:~:text=,The%20state%20territory)
**\[5\] Geopolitical Monitor.** (2025). *The Russo-Ukrainian War and Mackinder’s Heartland Thesis*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-ukraine-war-and-mackinders-heartland-thesis/#:\~:text=In%201904%2C%20Sir%20Halford%20J,in%20adding%20a%20substantial%20oceanic](https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-ukraine-war-and-mackinders-heartland-thesis/#:~:text=In%201904%2C%20Sir%20Halford%20J,in%20adding%20a%20substantial%20oceanic)
**\[6\] Instituto Humanitas Unisinos.** (2025). *Trump obriga Zelensky a hipotecar a exploração de minerais críticos em troca do seu apoio*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.ihu.unisinos.br/648986-trump-obriga-zelensky-a-hipotecar-a-exploracao-de-minerais-criticos-em-troca-do-seu-apoio#:\~:text=Essa%20troca%20inclui%20os%20cobi%C3%A7ados,s%C3%A3o%20praticamente%20inexploradas%20no%20pa%C3%ADs](https://www.ihu.unisinos.br/648986-trump-obriga-zelensky-a-hipotecar-a-exploracao-de-minerais-criticos-em-troca-do-seu-apoio#:~:text=Essa%20troca%20inclui%20os%20cobi%C3%A7ados,s%C3%A3o%20praticamente%20inexploradas%20no%20pa%C3%ADs)
**\[7\] Politico.** (2025). *Trump’s annexation fixation is no joke, Trudeau warns*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/07/canada-trudeau-trump-51-state-00203156#:\~:text=TORONTO%20%E2%80%94%20Prime%20Minister%20Justin,Canada%20becoming%20the%2051st%20state%2C%E2%80%9D%20Trudeau%20said](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/07/canada-trudeau-trump-51-state-00203156#:~:text=TORONTO%20%E2%80%94%20Prime%20Minister%20Justin,Canada%20becoming%20the%2051st%20state%2C%E2%80%9D%20Trudeau%20said)
**\[8\] The Daily Beast.** (2025). *Top Trump Adviser Moves Goalpost for Ukraine to End War*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-trump-adviser-moves-goalpost-for-ukraine-to-end-war/#:\~:text=LAND%20GRAB](https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-trump-adviser-moves-goalpost-for-ukraine-to-end-war/#:~:text=LAND%20GRAB)
**\[9\] The Geostrata.** (2025). *Alfred Thayer Mahan and Supremacy of Naval Power*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.thegeostrata.com/post/alfred-thayer-mahan-and-supremacy-of-naval-power#:\~:text=Alfred%20Thayer%20Mahan%20and%20Supremacy,control%20over%20maritime%20trade%20routes](https://www.thegeostrata.com/post/alfred-thayer-mahan-and-supremacy-of-naval-power#:~:text=Alfred%20Thayer%20Mahan%20and%20Supremacy,control%20over%20maritime%20trade%20routes)
**\[10\] U.S. Department of State.** (2025). [Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power upon History: Securing International Markets in the 1890s](https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan). Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan#:\~:text=Mahan%20argued%20that%20British%20control,American%20politicians%20believed%20that%20these](https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan#:~:text=Mahan%20argued%20that%20British%20control,American%20politicians%20believed%20that%20these)
**\[11\] Britannica.** (2025a). *Friedrich Ratzel | Biogeography, Anthropogeography, Political Geography*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Ratzel#:\~:text=webster,Swedish%20political%20scientist%20%2076](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Ratzel#:~:text=webster,Swedish%20political%20scientist%20%2076)
**\[12\] Britannica.** (2025b). *Lebensraum*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lebensraum#:\~:text=defined,The](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lebensraum#:~:text=defined,The)
**\[13\] Britannica.** (2025c). *Rudolf Kjellén*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ ](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-Kjell%C3%A9n#:~:text=Realism%20www,that%20flourish%20and%20then%20decay)<https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-Kjellen>
**\[14\] Wikipedia (ZH).** (2025). *Rudolf Kjellén*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/w:Rudolf_Kjell%C3%A9n#:\~:text=Besides%20legalistic%2C%20states%20have%20organic,preservation.%20%5B%203](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/w:Rudolf_Kjell%C3%A9n#:~:text=Besides%20legalistic%2C%20states%20have%20organic,preservation.%20%5B%203)
**\[15\] Wikipedia.** (2025). *Lebensraum*. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum#:\~:text=The%20German%20geographer%20and%20ethnographer,into%20the%20Greater%20Germanic%20Reich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum#:~:text=The%20German%20geographer%20and%20ethnographer,into%20the%20Greater%20Germanic%20Reich)
**\[16\] YouTube.** (2025). *Trump says Ukraine 'unlikely to get all land back' or join NATO* \[Vídeo\]. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmHzAVLhsXU#:\~:text=Trump%20says%20Ukraine%20%27unlikely%20to,for%20it%20to%20join%20NATO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmHzAVLhsXU#:~:text=Trump%20says%20Ukraine%20%27unlikely%20to,for%20it%20to%20join%20NATO)
**\[17\] U.S. Naval Institute.** (2025) Operation World Peace. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de [https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1955/june/operation-world-peace#:\\\~:text=“The Mahan doctrine%2C” according to,the word “airships” is more](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1955/june/operation-world-peace#:%5C~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20Mahan%20doctrine%2C%E2%80%9D%20according%20to,the%20word%20%E2%80%9Cairships%E2%80%9D%20is%20more)
**\[18\] Emissary.** (2024) Trump’s Greenland and Panama Canal Threats Are a Throwback to an Old, Misguided Foreign Policy. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de <https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2025/01/trump-greenland-panama-canal-monroe-doctrine-policy?lang=en>
**\[19\] A Referência**. Acordo EUA-Ucrânia está praticamente fechado, mas analistas se dividem sobre quem sairá ganhando. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de [https://areferencia.com/europa/acordo-eua-ucrania-esta-praticamente-fechado-mas-analistas-se-dividem-sobre-quem-saira-ganhando/#:\\\~:text=EUA e 17,o acordo a seu favor](https://areferencia.com/europa/acordo-eua-ucrania-esta-praticamente-fechado-mas-analistas-se-dividem-sobre-quem-saira-ganhando/#:%5C~:text=EUA%20%20e%20%2017,o%20acordo%20a%20seu%20favor)
**\[20\] Wikipedia.** (2025) Geopolitik. Recuperado em 3 de março de 2025, de [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geopolitik#:\\\~:text=Rudolph Kjellén was Ratzel's Swedish,Kjellén's State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geopolitik#:%5C~:text=Rudolph%20Kjell%C3%A9n%20was%20Ratzel%27s%20Swedish,Kjell%C3%A9n%27s%20State)
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@ bcbb3e40:a494e501
2025-03-31 15:23:12
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/esoterismo-berard-fata/)|
|:-:|
|[BÉRARD, Bruno y LA FATA, Aldo; _¿Qué es el esoterismo?: Entre verdades y falsificacioines_; Hipérbola Janus, 2025](https://hiperbolajanus.com/libros/esoterismo-berard-fata/)|
Nos complace presentar al lector en lengua española una novedad de primer orden, y sobre un tema que viene siendo objeto de interés por parte de nuestra línea editorial, como es el esoterismo, que hemos abordado recientemente a través de un nuevo recopilatorio de la obra evoliana en [*Ensayos filosóficos, esotéricos y religiosos 1925-1931*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/presentacion-ensayos-filosoficos-evola/), donde hemos tratado de rescatar los textos de las primeras etapas en la formulación del pensamiento del Maestro Romano. No obstante, no es la primera aventura que hemos emprendido en este terreno, siempre complejo y acompañado de la etiqueta, popular y quizás vulgarizada, de lo «misterioso» y lo «oculto», aunque no somos nada sospechosos en ese sentido por banalizar o tratar de ofrecer un enfoque puramente literario del asunto, y ni mucho menos de simpatizar con aquellas vías que entroncan con el *New age*, donde las mixtificaciones y la voluntad de convertir el fenómeno esotérico en un producto de consumo más, como demanda el mercado, para satisfacer demandas materiales o simples modas de una masa sobresocializada son norma habitual.
Podríamos citar multitud de obras que están presentes en nuestro catálogo, como son [*El pensamiento esotérico de Leonardo*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/presentacion-pensamiento-esoterico-leonardo-paul-vulliaud/), de **Paul Vulliaud**, [*El mundo mágico de los héroes*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/mundo-magico-heroes-cesare-riviera/), de **Cesare della Riviera**, una joya del esoterismo italiano del siglo XVII, en [*El maestro de la tradición perenne*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/rene-guenon-maestro-tradicion-perenne/), de **René Guénon**, o en el ensayo de **Gianluca Marletta** [*OVNIS y alienígenas. Origen, historia y prodigio de una pseudorreligión*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/ovnis-alienigenas-gianluca-marletta/), un ensayo de notable originalidad donde se abordan aspectos esotéricos, aunque sea de un modo más tangencial. También en la literatura, con la obra del gran mitólogo y literato **Boris Nad**, [*Una historia de Agartha*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/historia-agartha-boris-nad/) y [*La muerte púrpura*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/gustav-meyrink/) de **Gustav Meyrink** encontramos nuevas referencias al ámbito esotérico. De modo que podemos concluir en que el esoterismo forma parte esencial de nuestras publicaciones e intereses como editores, y contribuimos activamente a su difusión.
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/ensayos-filosoficos-esotericos-religiosos-evola/)|
|:-:|
|[EVOLA, Julius; _Ensayos filosóficos, esotéricos y religiosos: 1925-1931_, Hiperbola Janus, 2024](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/ensayos-filosoficos-esotericos-religiosos-evola/)|
# Una obra original
Por eso la presente obra, la que nos disponemos a presentar, cuyo título es *¿Qué es el esoterismo?: Entre verdades y falsificaciones*, de **Bruno Bérard** y **Aldo La Fata**, viene a ser una obra muy necesaria y clarificadora en la comprensión del esoterismo en todas sus dimensiones, en la complejidad de sus particulares, y en sus múltiples manifestaciones. Quizás en el mundo de habla hispana el esoterismo es un fenómeno que no ha obtenido su merecida atención, y nuestros autores en este ámbito, como es el caso de un **Ramón Llull** entre otros, no sean objeto de la atención que merece, y las actividades esotéricas, a nivel de asociaciones, comunidades u otras formas de organización, tampoco sean especialmente conocidas, ni cuenten con una actividad reconocida. Es posible, como señala La Fata, que haya ciertas reticencias dentro del mundo católico, acostumbrado a la ortodoxia y la guía espiritual de la Iglesia, y que cualquier tipo de «desviación» hacia formas más individuales y «libres» de vivir ciertas formas iniciáticas, mucho más sutiles, provoquen el rechazo y la incomprensión general. No obstante, como también se encargan de aclarar nuestros autores, el esoterismo comprende una dimensión diferenciada, implica un esfuerzo que no todos están dispuestos a acometer, y finalmente, no es tampoco un camino de felicidad y de frutos seguros, implica una transformación interior y la asunción de unas prácticas y procedimientos que no son aptos para cualquiera. Digamos que el esoterismo es un camino, una vía, que a diferencia de las «religiones populares», exotéricas, supone un arduo camino que viene marcado por un principio vertical y aristocrático de la existencia, o al menos así queremos verlo nosotros. El incremento de la capacidad de discernimiento, aunar lo visible con lo invisible, y ser capaz de superar límites vedados al común, no por simple vanidad ni por «crecimiento personal», tal y como se concibe en las aburguesadas y decadentes sociedades actuales, sino como parte de un proceso de aprendizaje, de autoconocimiento y de liberación. No nos cabe duda alguna de la necesidad de restaurar los antiguos vínculos con lo Alto, las vías que quedaron cerradas y que nos han limitado progresivamente al exclusivo y estrecho ámbito de la materialidad.
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/mundo-magico-heroes-cesare-riviera/)|
|:-:|
|[RIVIERA, Cesare della; _El mundo mágico de los héroes_; Hipérbola Janus, 2022](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/mundo-magico-heroes-cesare-riviera/)|
La obra emplea el recurso de la entrevista/diálogo, que aporta frescura y fluidez al texto «simplificando», o más bien haciendo más accesibles y comprensibles elementos relacionados con el esoterismo, que de otro modo resultarían excesivamente complejos para una parte del público lector poco familiarizado con la materia. Este dinamismo se ve complementado por la riqueza de matices e ideas que se van introduciendo de manera progresiva, evitando que el lector pueda verse abrumado por la avalancha de ideas y contenidos. Las preguntas de Bruno Bérard, siempre inteligentes, incisivas y pertinentes, además de ordenadas y bien estructuradas, favorecen la continuidad y el dinamismo en la exposición de los temas, ejerciendo de guía en la conversación. De ahí que el libro sea apto para diferentes niveles, tanto para aquellos que desconocen el esoterismo, como para quienes se encuentran familiarizados con el tema. Aldo La Fata, de acuerdo con su dilatada y extensa trayectoria en la materia, nos hace reflexiones teóricas de enorme valor, que entrelaza con su propia experiencia y trayectoria en el estudio del esoterismo. Sin lugar a dudas este aspecto nos permite ver una vertiente más humana e íntima, en la que se incluyen anécdotas personales y biográficas que siempre permiten una mayor conexión con el lector a través de la mezcla de hechos vitales y erudición teórica.
La entrevista que nos ofrecen Bruno Bérard y Aldo La Fata nos permite explorar la relación dialéctica que se genera entre el esoterismo y otros ámbitos como la religión, la ciencia o la filosofía. Todas las cuestiones se abordan desde enfoques muy concretos, abordando problemáticas particulares, que dan lugar a reflexiones más amplias evitando las simplificaciones e invitando a reflexiones mucho más profundas. De ahí la función de introducción y guía a la que nos venimos refiriendo.
Estos aspectos que acabamos de enumerar con anterioridad revelan un notable esfuerzo pedagógico por parte de los autores para acercarnos al estudio del esoterismo, nos aporta las herramientas necesarias, parafraseando el título de la obra, para discernir entre un verdadero esoterismo y sus falsificaciones.
Más allá de estos aspectos formales, que consideramos que es importante destacar, porque en ellos reside el éxito de la obra, en un planteamiento que resulta original, a la par que ameno y de gran interés, debemos considerar otros aspectos que hacen más referencia al contenido. *«¿Qué es el esoterismo? Entre verdades y falsificaciones»* pretende, como decíamos, clarificar qué es el esoterismo, cuales son sus particulares, sus características y atributos, su naturaleza más íntima, como fenómeno espiritual y filosófico en sus aspectos más profundos, que podemos remontar a épocas muy remotas y lejanas en el tiempo. Pero el esoterismo aparece en ocasiones fuertemente imbricado en otras estructuras de pensamiento, de tipo tradicional, como son las grandes religiones (Cristianismo, Islam, Judaísmo etc) y otros conceptos como la mística y la metafísica, cuyas relaciones hay que desentrañar.
# La importancia de René Guénon
Aldo La Fata nos libera desde el principio de posibles equívocos al enfatizar que el verdadero esoterismo no es una simple acumulación de conocimientos secretos o rituales exóticos, sino una vía de trascendencia espiritual basada en el rigor y la autenticidad. A este respecto [René Guénon aparece como uno de los grandes esoteristas de nuestro tiempo](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/rene-guenon-y-la-civilizacion-occidental/), en la medida que fue el gran intérprete y codificador de estos conocimientos, una figura que marcó un antes y un después en la comprensión de este ámbito, especialmente por su rigor conceptual y su capacidad para distinguir entre lo auténtico y lo falso en las tradiciones espirituales. A tal respecto podemos poner como ejemplo sus contundentes análisis de las corrientes ocultistas, especialmente del espiritismo o del teosofismo, en diferentes obras. Podemos decir a este respecto que Guénon hizo una distinción entre esoterismo y ocultismo, disociando el significado del primero de prácticas superficiales y desviadas, mientras que definió el esoterismo como una vía de conocimiento sagrado y trascendente. En este sentido fue una labor fundamental para evitar confusiones con mixtificaciones modernas y pseudoesoterismos como [aquellos relacionados con el *New Age*](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/nom-magos-negros/).
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/maestro-tradicion-rene-guenon/)|
|:-:|
|[GUÉNON, René; _El Maestro de la Tradición Perenne: Antología de artículos guenonianos_; Hipérbola Janus, 2021](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/maestro-tradicion-rene-guenon/)|
Paralelamente, y con ello queremos dignificar la figura de René Guénon, el tradicionalista francés también nos abrió las fuentes de un vasto conocimiento espiritual, expresión de una «Tradición primordial», a cuyos orígenes prístinos siempre deberíamos aspirar, y [cuya impronta impregna por completo religiones, culturas y formas de civilización no modernas](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/el-reino-de-la-cantidad-y-los-signos-de/), claro está. Y otro elemento fundamental, y que en la presente obra se considera de vital importancia, es que René Guénon considera el esoterismo no como una vía interna propia de la religión, sino como una vía complementaria que permite acceder a la esencia divina más allá de las formas externas. Para Aldo La Fata no se trata de una mera referencia intelectual, sino una figura que marcó su propio rumbo dentro del estudio del esoterismo. A través de obras como *Los símbolos de la ciencia sagrada*, La Fata descubrió la profundidad y la coherencia del pensamiento guenoniano, así como la idea de que el esoterismo actúa como el «pegamento» que conecta todas las tradiciones espirituales. Esta visión le permitió entender el esoterismo como algo inseparable de la religión, aunque con una profundidad y una exigencia mayores.
# ¿Qué es el esoterismo?
El término esoterismo tiene sus raíces etimológicas en el griego *esôterikos*, que implica un «ir hacia dentro» y que se contrapone a una variante exterior que definimos como «exoterismo», que se encuentra más vinculado al ámbito de la religión. Se trata de un conocimiento que no atiende a un principio puramente intelectual y discursivo sino que apunta a una vivencia directa y sapiencial de lo trascendente. Lejos de la acumulación de saberes ocultos y rituales, lo que prima en la experiencia de lo esotérico es la conexión directa con lo trascendente y lo divino a través de la práctica espiritual.
De hecho hay tres aspectos que nuestros autores destacan a lo largo de la obra respecto al esoterismo, y que nos parecen fundamentales:
- **Interioridad**: Supone un movimiento continuo hacia el interior, de exploración e introspección, en el que se tratan de derribar límites y obstáculos. Atendiendo a un dinamismo que huye de lo fijo y de lo estático.
- **Profundización**: La búsqueda de significados más profundos tras la realidad cotidiana, buscando ir más allá de la pura exterioridad de las cosas
- **Relación con el exoterismo**: Podemos considerarlo opuesto en sentido relativo al esoterismo, como una dimensión más externa y visible de las religiones, aunque este último (el esoterismo), no puede sobrevivir sin el apoyo de una tradición religiosa.
En relación al último punto debemos destacar, como advierten Bérard y La Fata, que pese a todo no podemos entender el esoterismo como una parte de las religiones, sino que tiene su propia función y objetivos, que no es otro que el que ya hemos mencionado con anterioridad: establecer una conexión directa con la verdad que irradia del principio universal y divino.
|[](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/pensamiento_esoterico_leonardo_vinci_paul_vulliaud/)|
|:-:|
|[VULLIAUD, Paul; _El pensamiento esotérico de Leonardo da Vinci_; Hipérbola Janus, 2024](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/libros/pensamiento_esoterico_leonardo_vinci_paul_vulliaud/)|
Otro aspecto interesante de la obra es el que nos habla de [las relaciones entre esoterismo y metafísica](https://hiperbolajanus.com/libros/metapolitica-tradicion-modernidad-julius-evola/), en el que el primero pretende ser también una vía de acceso al dominio del segundo. El esoterismo, como ya hemos visto, tiene como principal propósito trascender las categorías del mundo material para proyectarse en lo universal, y en este sentido comparte también objetivos con la metafísica, que pretende superar las limitaciones de la experiencia humana ordinaria y de acceder a las verdades primordiales que estructuran la realidad. Ambos apuntan a la raíz de todo lo existente, al absoluto. Las divergencias las hallamos en la forma o en el método para alcanzar estas verdades trascendentes, que en el caso del esoterismo nos remiten a símbolos, rituales y experiencias vivenciales que permiten al practicante interiorizar verdades universales.
De este modo, esoterismo y metafísica se nos presentan como realidades no opuestas, sino complementarias. La metafísica nos ofrece un marco conceptual y doctrinal para entender lo absoluto, mientras que el esoterismo se centra en su realización interna. En términos guenonianos, el esoterismo representa los aspectos operativos de la metafísica.
De modo que podemos decir que la metafísica aborda el tema trascendente desde una perspectiva conceptual, sin esa parte vivida de la experiencia en el conocimiento de lo universal. El esoterismo, por su parte, aporta esa contraparte que nos remite a la experiencia humana que permite al individuo acceder o ponerse en conexión con lo divino a través de su propio ser, de manera directa y vívida. Es un camino que el sujeto individual emprende para lograr una transformación interior.
Paralelamente, no podemos obviar dentro de todos estos procesos la participación de un elemento fundamental, como es la intuición suprarracional, que podríamos considerar como la herramienta que conecta al esoterista directamente con la fuente del conocimiento trascendente y universal, en lugar de hacerlo directamente a través de teorías o conceptos que siempre resultan más abstractos y difíciles de comprender en su vertiente más «discursiva». Al mismo tiempo, las relaciones que se establecen entre esoterismo y metafísica nos permiten poner en contacto las tradiciones religiosas con el conocimiento universal. Según La Fata, inspirándose en el legado de la obra de Frithjoff Schuon, cada tradición espiritual tiene una dimensión metafísica que puede ser comprendida y realizada a través del esoterismo, como un medio para acceder a la esencia inmutable de todas las formas religiosas.
Otro aspecto que esoterismo y metafísica comparten es la meta de superar la dualidad entre sujeto y objeto: Mientras que la metafísica conceptualiza esta unión como una verdad última, el esoterismo busca experimentarla directamente a través de la contemplación, el símbolo y la práctica espiritual.
# Los autores
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|Aldo La Fata|
Aldo La Fata (1964) es un estudioso del esoterismo, el simbolismo y la mística religiosa, con una trayectoria de varias décadas dedicada al análisis y divulgación de estas disciplinas. Ha sido jefe de redacción de la revista *Metapolitica*, fundada por **Silvano Panunzio**, y actualmente dirige *Il Corriere Metapolitico*. Su trabajo destaca por una aproximación rigurosa y una mirada crítica a las corrientes contemporáneas del esoterismo, rescatando su sentido más profundo y tradicional. Entre sus obras más relevantes se encuentran *Silvano Panunzio: vita e pensiero* (2021) y *Nella luce dei libri* (2022), donde explora la intersección entre espiritualidad, simbolismo y pensamiento tradicional.
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|Bruno Bérard|
Bruno Bérard (1958), es doctor en Religiones y Sistemas de Pensamiento por la École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), es un destacado especialista en metafísica. Autor de múltiples ensayos, ha desarrollado una profunda reflexión sobre la naturaleza del conocimiento espiritual y su relación con las tradiciones religiosas. Algunas de sus obras más importantes, traducidas a diversas lenguas, incluyen A *Metaphysics of the Christian Mystery* (2018) y *Métaphysique du paradoxe* (2019). Actualmente, dirige la colección *Métaphysique au quotidien* en la editorial L’Harmattan de París, consolidándose como una referencia en el estudio de la metafísica contemporánea.
En *¿Qué es el esoterismo?: Entre verdades y falsificaciones*, asistimos a una presentación del tema tratado desde un conocimiento profundo y dilatado del tema, en la que ambos autores combinan la experiencia y el conocimiento que atesoran sobre el esoterismo y otros temas anejos, ofreciéndonos sus interpretaciones y enfoques particulares, y al mismo tiempo mostrando una gran capacidad de síntesis en la exposición de los temas tratados, que se inscriben en una multitud de tradiciones religiosas y espirituales de enorme complejidad. En este último punto reside también gran parte del valor de la obra, que constituye una novedad editorial especialmente relevante en su ámbito en lengua hispana.
---
**Artículo original**: Hipérbola Janus, [_Presentación de «¿Qué es el esoterismo?: Entre verdades y falsificaciones»_](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/posts/presentacion-esoterismo-berard-lafata/) [**(TOR)**](http://hiperbolam7t46pbl2fiqzaarcmw6injdru4nh2pwuhrkoub3263mpad.onion/posts/presentacion-esoterismo-berard-lafata/), 6/Feb/2025
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@ bc52210b:20bfc6de
2025-03-14 20:39:20
When writing safety critical code, every arithmetic operation carries the potential for catastrophic failure—whether that’s a plane crash in aerospace engineering or a massive financial loss in a smart contract.
The stakes are incredibly high, and errors are not just bugs; they’re disasters waiting to happen. Smart contract developers need to shift their mindset: less like web developers, who might prioritize speed and iteration, and more like aerospace engineers, where precision, caution, and meticulous attention to detail are non-negotiable.
In practice, this means treating every line of code as a critical component, adopting rigorous testing, and anticipating worst-case scenarios—just as an aerospace engineer would ensure a system can withstand extreme conditions.
Safety critical code demands aerospace-level precision, and smart contract developers must rise to that standard to protect against the severe consequences of failure.
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@ a95c6243:d345522c
2025-03-11 10:22:36
**«Wir brauchen eine digitale Brandmauer gegen den Faschismus»,** [schreibt](https://www.ccc.de/de/updates/2025/ccc-fordert-digitale-brandmauer) der Chaos Computer Club (CCC) auf seiner Website. Unter diesem Motto präsentierte er letzte Woche einen Forderungskatalog, mit dem sich 24 Organisationen an die kommende Bundesregierung wenden. Der Koalitionsvertrag müsse sich daran messen lassen, verlangen sie.
**In den drei Kategorien «Bekenntnis gegen Überwachung»,** «Schutz und Sicherheit für alle» sowie «Demokratie im digitalen Raum» stellen die [Unterzeichner](https://d-64.org/digitale-brandmauer/), zu denen auch Amnesty International und Das NETTZ gehören, unter anderem die folgenden «Mindestanforderungen»:
* Verbot biometrischer Massenüberwachung des öffentlichen Raums sowie der ungezielten biometrischen Auswertung des Internets.
* Anlasslose und massenhafte Vorratsdatenspeicherung wird abgelehnt.
* Automatisierte Datenanalysen der Informationsbestände der Strafverfolgungsbehörden sowie jede Form von Predictive Policing oder automatisiertes Profiling von Menschen werden abgelehnt.
* Einführung eines Rechts auf Verschlüsselung. Die Bundesregierung soll sich dafür einsetzen, die Chatkontrolle auf europäischer Ebene zu verhindern.
* Anonyme und pseudonyme Nutzung des Internets soll geschützt und ermöglicht werden.
* Bekämpfung «privaten Machtmissbrauchs von Big-Tech-Unternehmen» durch durchsetzungsstarke, unabhängige und grundsätzlich föderale Aufsichtsstrukturen.
* Einführung eines digitalen Gewaltschutzgesetzes, unter Berücksichtigung «gruppenbezogener digitaler Gewalt» und die Förderung von Beratungsangeboten.
* Ein umfassendes Förderprogramm für digitale öffentliche Räume, die dezentral organisiert und quelloffen programmiert sind, soll aufgelegt werden.
**Es sei ein Irrglaube, dass zunehmende Überwachung einen Zugewinn an Sicherheit darstelle,** ist eines der Argumente der Initiatoren. Sicherheit erfordere auch, dass Menschen anonym und vertraulich kommunizieren können und ihre Privatsphäre geschützt wird.
**Gesunde digitale Räume lebten auch von einem demokratischen Diskurs,** lesen wir in dem Papier. Es sei Aufgabe des Staates, Grundrechte zu schützen. Dazu gehöre auch, Menschenrechte und demokratische Werte, insbesondere Freiheit, Gleichheit und Solidarität zu fördern sowie den Missbrauch von Maßnahmen, Befugnissen und Infrastrukturen durch «die Feinde der Demokratie» zu verhindern.
**Man ist geneigt zu fragen, wo denn die Autoren «den Faschismus» sehen,** den es zu bekämpfen gelte. Die meisten der vorgetragenen Forderungen und Argumente finden sicher breite Unterstützung, denn sie beschreiben offenkundig gängige, kritikwürdige Praxis. Die Aushebelung der Privatsphäre, der Redefreiheit und anderer Grundrechte im Namen der Sicherheit wird bereits jetzt massiv durch die aktuellen «demokratischen Institutionen» und ihre «durchsetzungsstarken Aufsichtsstrukturen» betrieben.
**Ist «der Faschismus» also die EU und ihre Mitgliedsstaaten?** Nein, die «faschistische Gefahr», gegen die man eine digitale Brandmauer will, kommt nach Ansicht des CCC und seiner Partner aus den Vereinigten Staaten. Private Überwachung und Machtkonzentration sind dabei weltweit schon lange Realität, jetzt endlich müssen sie jedoch bekämpft werden. In dem Papier heißt es:
> «Die willkürliche und antidemokratische Machtausübung der Tech-Oligarchen um Präsident Trump erfordert einen Paradigmenwechsel in der deutschen Digitalpolitik. (...) Die aktuellen Geschehnisse in den USA zeigen auf, wie Datensammlungen und -analyse genutzt werden können, um einen Staat handstreichartig zu übernehmen, seine Strukturen nachhaltig zu beschädigen, Widerstand zu unterbinden und marginalisierte Gruppen zu verfolgen.»
**Wer auf der anderen Seite dieser Brandmauer stehen soll, ist also klar.** Es sind die gleichen «Feinde unserer Demokratie», die seit Jahren in diese Ecke gedrängt werden. Es sind die gleichen Andersdenkenden, Regierungskritiker und Friedensforderer, die unter dem großzügigen Dach des Bundesprogramms «Demokratie leben» einem «kontinuierlichen Echt- und Langzeitmonitoring» wegen der Etikettierung [«digitaler Hass»](https://bag-gegen-hass.net/) unterzogen werden.
**Dass die 24 Organisationen praktisch auch die Bekämpfung von Google,** Microsoft, Apple, Amazon und anderen fordern, entbehrt nicht der Komik. Diese fallen aber sicher unter das Stichwort «Machtmissbrauch von Big-Tech-Unternehmen». Gleichzeitig verlangen die Lobbyisten implizit zum Beispiel die Förderung des [Nostr](https://reason.com/video/2024/09/17/is-nostr-an-antidote-to-social-media-censorship/)-Netzwerks, denn hier finden wir dezentral organisierte und quelloffen programmierte digitale Räume par excellence, obendrein zensurresistent. Das wiederum dürfte in der Politik weniger gut ankommen.
*\[Titelbild:* *[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/uns-ihnen-stammes-wettbewerb-1767691/)]*
***
Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf ***[Transition News](https://transition-news.org/digitale-brandmauer-gegen-den-faschismus-von-der-kunftigen-bundesregierung)*** erschienen.
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@ bcbb3e40:a494e501
2025-03-31 15:02:58
Traducción por Francisco de la Torre.
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|Los representantes de la derecha sionista europea que forman parte de «Patriots» reunidos en Bruselas el pasado mes de diciembre de 2024.|
Entre los efectos que probablemente producirá en Europa la nueva administración estadounidense, es previsible [el fortalecimiento del ala derecha del colaboracionismo atlantista](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/mos-maiorum-8/) que, después de haberse posicionado decididamente a favor de Donald Trump durante su presidencia 2017-2021, en el transcurso de la administración Biden abogó fervientemente por su regreso a la Casa Blanca y acogió su victoria electoral con gran júbilo. A finales de octubre de 2024, en el grandioso [mitin preelectoral a favor de Trump](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/adios-woke-que-viene-ahora/) celebrado en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York, asistió una representante del grupo parlamentario europeo *Patriots for Europe*, que viajó a Estados Unidos para esa ocasión especial. En un vídeo publicado en la página X (antes twitter) de los *Patriots*, varios eurodiputados del mencionado grupo expresaron su identidad con los puntos de vista de Trump y auspiciando su reelección: el austriaco Harald Vilimsky (*Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs*), el checo Ondrej Knotek (*Año 2011*) el español Jorge Buxade (*Vox*), el holandés Tom Vandendriesche (*Vlaams Belang*), la polaca Anna Bryłka (*Ruch Narodowy*) y, por Hungría, Tamás Deutsch (*Fidesz*).
Este último es, sin duda, la personalidad más eminente del grupo de los *Patriots* que viajaron a Nueva York: originario de una familia judía de Budapest, en 1988 Tamás Deutsch junto con Viktor Orbán están entre los fundadores de *Fidesz* —*Fiatal Demokraták Szövetsége* (Alianza de los jóvenes demócratas), en la que ocupó el cargo de vicepresidente. El *Fidesz* ha tejido durante mucho tiempo una red de lazos con el Partido Republicano de los Estados Unidos y con el think tank conservador *Heritage Foundation*, mientras que el gobierno de Viktor Orbán organizó las tres últimas ediciones anuales de la CPAC en Hungría (*Conservative Political Action Conference*), un encuentro de políticos de derechas de varios países[^1].
*Patriots for Europe* o *Patriots.eu*, denominación que recuerda al de los misiles aire-tierra estadounidenses (el *MIM-104 Patriots*), es, por tanto, el nombre oficial del grupo político de la derecha liberal-conservadora, populista y euroescéptica, nacido en julio de 2024 (primero como alianza y luego como grupo parlamentario europeo) por iniciativa del primer ministro húngaro Viktor Orbán, el exprimer ministro checo Andrej Babiŝ y del exministro del interior austriaco Herbert Kickl. Como representantes de sus respectivos partidos (*Fidesz*, *Año 2011*, *Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs*), Orbán, Babiŝ y Kickl firmaron un texto ideológico titulado: *A Patriotic Manifesto for a European Future*[^2], según la cual la única política europea legítima es aquella que, enraizada en la pluralidad de las diferentes naciones, proteja su herencia grecorromana-judeocristiana preservando su identidad, tradiciones y costumbres.
Al núcleo inicial de los *Patriots* se unió el partido portugués *¡Arriva!* (*¡Chega!*), el Partido húngaro Popular Demócrata Cristiano (*Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt*), el partido español *Vox*, el Partido por la Libertad (*Partij voor de Vrijheid*) holandés, el Partido Popular Danés (*Dansk Folkeparti*), el interés Flamenco (*Vlaams Belang*), la Reunión Nacional (*Rassemblement National*) francés y, por Italia, la Liga para Primer Ministro Salvini.
Constituido formalmente, el grupo parlamentario recibió una posterior adhesión del diputado griego de *Voz de la Razón* (*Foní Logikis*), del diputado de *Primero Letonia* (*Letvija pirmajâ prohibir*), de los dos diputados del Movimiento Nacional polaco (*Ruch Narodowy*) y de los dos diputados checos del Juramento (*Přísaha*) y de los Automovilistas por sí mismos (*Motoristé sollozoê*). Presidente del grupo parlamentario *Patriots.eu*, que cuenta con un total de ochenta y seis diputados[^3], es Jordan Bardella, presidente de la *Rassemblement National*; pero la personalidad más notable y prestigiosa de los *Patriots* es, sin duda, el primer ministro húngaro Viktor Orbán.
En cuanto a la línea de política exterior seguida por Viktor Orbán, cabe recordar que fue durante su primer mandato, en 1989, cuando Hungría se unió a la OTAN junto con la República Checa y Polonia. La pertenencia a la organización militar de la Alianza Atlántica implicó la participación húngara en la guerra de Kosovo en Yugoslavia, así como la contribución de Hungría en las misiones de la ISAF y en la guerra en Irak en apoyo de la intervención estadounidense. Por otro lado, no deja de ser significativo que en junio de 2011, durante la visita de Condoleezza Rice a Budapest, se inaugurara una estatua del presidente estadounidense Ronald Reagan en la céntrica Plaza de la Libertad (*Szabadság tér*). «Hoy —dijo Orbán en esa ocasión— erigimos aquí una estatua al hombre, al líder, que cambió y renovó este mundo [creando un nuevo mundo para nosotros en Europa Central](https://hiperbolajanus.com/posts/presentacion-despues-virus-boris-nad/), un hombre que creía en la libertad, en la fuerza moral de los hombres libres, y creía que los muros que obstruyen el camino a la libertad pueden ser derribados».
En los años de la primera administración Trump, Orbán estableció una relación privilegiada con la Casa Blanca: en 2019 fue recibido calurosamente por el presidente estadounidense, quien [declaró su apoyo al «soberanismo» europeo,](https://hiperbolajanus.com/libros/mos-maiorum-7/) del que Orbán era ya el exponente más puntero. El primer ministro húngaro, que más tarde expresó varias veces la esperanza de volver a ver a Trump como líder de los Estados Unidos, se reunió con él de nuevo en Mar-a-Lago de Palm Beach en marzo de 2024 y al final de la visita escribió en una publicación: «¡Hacer que América vuelva a ser grande, señor presidente!»[^4].
El entendimiento entre Trump y Orbán fue favorecido por Benjamin Netanyahu, quien ha tenido una estrecha relación con el actual primer ministro húngaro desde 2005, cuando Orbán estaba en la oposición y Netanyahu era ministro de Finanzas. Esta relación, que Orbán ha utilizado para neutralizar las iniciativas hostiles de las ONG’s de Soros (quien financió a *Fidesz* desde 1992 a 1999), ha acentuado progresivamente la posición proisraelí de Budapest, hasta el punto que Hungría junto a Austria, Croacia y República Checa, se han alineado con Estados Unidos e Israel votando en contra de la resolución propuesta por la ONU para el alto el fuego en la Franja de Gaza. Cuando László Toroczkai, jefe del partido *Mi Hazánk* (Nuestra Patria), preguntó a Orbán en el Parlamento por qué Hungría había votado en contra, el primer ministro le respondió: «La política exterior es complicada, enfréntate solo si entiendes de lo que estamos hablando»[^5].
El presidente de *Patriots*, Jordan Bardella, no es menos pro-sionista. «Reconocer un Estado palestino significaría reconocer el terrorismo», dijo Bardella, quien antes de las elecciones francesas había asegurado que, si llegaba a ser primer ministro, sería «un escudo para los compatriotas judíos contra un islamismo que no solo quiere separar la República, sino conquistarla»[^6]. Por su parte, Marine Le Pen, madrina política de Bardella, declaró: «Es absolutamente legítimo que Israel quiera erradicar al grupo terrorista armado Hamas y que se dote de medios para hacerlo»[^7].
En cuanto a la Liga de Salvini como primer ministro, sus posiciones pro-trumpistas y pro-sionistas siempre se han caracterizado por un extremismo descarado. «Nunca he ocultado —dijo Salvini antes de las elecciones estadounidenses— mi esperanza en una victoria republicana, por mil razones (...) hablamos [con Trump] a más tardar hace unas semanas. Nunca he ocultado mi simpatía humana y mi sintonía cultural»[^8]. Y sobre el genocidio en curso en Palestina, Salvini dijo: «Nuestros pensamientos están con el pueblo israelí (...) Recordar siempre el derecho de Israel a existir, a defenderse y a convivir finalmente en paz con sus pueblos vecinos, contra el horror del terrorismo islámico»[^9]. El 6 de octubre de 2024, al final de su discurso desde el escenario de Pontida, Salvini posó para una foto con los *Patriots* presentes en la manifestación de la Liga Norte: además de Viktor Orbán, estuvieron el holandés Geert Wilders, el portugués André Ventura, la austriaca Marlene Svazek, el español Antonio Fúster y el general Roberto Vannacci. Enviaron mensajes en vídeo de apoyo y solidaridad tanto Jordán Bardella en nombre de *Rassemblement national* como el ex-presidente brasileño Jair Bolsonaro.
También Geert Wilders (*Partij voor de Vrijheid*), que en 2009 recibió el Premio Oriana Fallaci por producir un cortometraje de propaganda antiislámica, es conocido también por su extremismo prosionista. «Jerusalén, Judea y Samaria —en su opinión— son todas de Israel (...) La patria de los palestinos es el Reino de Jordania (...) Obama y Kerry deben dejar de criticar a Israel por los asentamientos. Judea y Samaria pertenecen a los israelíes»[^10]. En el programa de Wilders, «distinguiéndose durante dos décadas por su lucha contra la islamización —escribe complacido un sitio web sionista— está también el reconocimiento de Jerusalén como capital de Israel, con el traslado de la embajada holandesa»[^11].
André Ventura, presidente de *¡Chega!*, reiteró en Polonia la posición prosionista de su partido, declarando convencido: «Estamos con Israel y permaneceremos junto a Israel en esta batalla por los derechos humanos y la democracia»[^12]. A quienes lo comparan con Donald Trump y Jair Bolsonaro, André Ventura responde: «Estoy acostumbrado a estas comparaciones. Estas son las ideas en las que creo»[^13]. En cuanto a la guerra en Ucrania, el líder de la lista *¡Chega!* en las elecciones europeas, Antonio Tânger Corrêa, dijo que «la derrota de Ucrania sería la derrota de todo Occidente y de Portugal, en caso de extrema necesidad»[^14], enviarían a sus tropas.
Marlene Svazek representó a la *Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs* en Pontida, cuyos «excelentes contactos»[^15] con la derecha israelí están garantizados por David Lasar, miembro del Consejo Nacional (*Nationalrat*) del partido austriaco. Lasar no es el único judío en el FPÖ: también es judío el ex-secretario general del partido y ex-parlamentario europeo Peter Sichrovsky, quien ha negado ser un agente del Mossad, pero ha admitido haber tenido «muchas reuniones con funcionarios israelís»[^16].
José Antonio Fúster es el nuevo presidente de *Vox* Madrid. El jefe del partido que lo representa, Santiago Abascal, encabezó una delegación a Israel en 2023 que se reunió con dos ministros de Tel Aviv. «Durante la visita, Abascal ha transmitido el apoyo y la solidaridad de España al Primer Ministro israelí Benjamin Netanyahu, y ha defendido la urgente necesidad de acabar con Hamas que, según Abascal, es un grupo terrorista que «encarna el mal absoluto»[^17]. Tras la reunión de la delegación de *Vox* con Netanyahu, el candidato electoral Jorge Buxadé Villalba afirmó que las acciones genocidas cometidas por el régimen sionista en la Franja de Gaza son «operaciones antiterroristas» que deben continuar «hasta que no quede ni un solo terrorista»[^18].
En cuanto a Roberto Vannacci, elegido diputado del Parlamento Europeo en las listas de la Liga por Salvini, su currículum vitae *patriot* puede jactarse de una participación activa en las operaciones de EE.UU. en Oriente Medio. El general comandó durante dos turnos (2005-2006) el *Special Forces Task Group* en Irak y fue el primer comandante de la *Task Force 45* en Afganistán en 2013, poco antes de la transición de la *International Security Assistance Force* a la *Resolute Support Mission*, Vannacci asumió el cargo de jefe del Estado Mayor de las fuerzas especiales de la OTAN, «una organización que ha garantizado la paz durante más de cincuenta años, una alianza política y militar que ha funcionado bien»[^19]. Habiendo prestado sus servicios a los Estados Unidos «para la estabilización de Irak»[^20] como *Deputy Commanding General* y *Director of Training*, el 21 de agosto de 2018, Vannacci fue galardonado con la *Legion of Merit*, la condecoración militar estadounidense creada por el presidente Franklin D. Roosevelt. Su consigna antes y después de la elección de Trump ha sido: «*Go, Donald, go!»*.
[^1]: Cfr. C. Mutti, *Alla destra degli USA*, «Eurasia» 1/2023.
[^2]: Después de la confluencia de los grupos de *Identity and Democracy* en el grupo de *Patriots*, se aprobó una nueva versión del manifiesto político. Véase [https://patriots.eu/manifesto](https://patriots.eu/manifesto)
[^3]: Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (Austria), 6; Vlaams Belang (Bélgica), 3; Dansk Folkeparti (Dinamarca), 1; Rassemblement National (Francia), 30; Foni Logikis (Grecia), 1; Fidesz - Magyar Polgári Szövetség (Hungría), 10; Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt (Hungría), 1; Liga para Salvini Premier (Italia), 8; Letvija primajâ vietâ (Letonia), 1; Partij voor de Vrijheid (Países Bajos), 6; Ruch Narodowy (Polonia), 2; ¡Chega! (Portugal), 2; ANO (República Checa), 7; Automovilistaé sobê (República Checa), 1; Přísaha (República Checa), 1; Vox (España), 6.
[^4]: Angela Napoletano, *La «visita». Orbán incorona Trump: «Lui è il presidente della pace»*, avvenire.it, 9 marzo 2024.
[^5]: András Dezsô, *The roots of Orbán’s strong bond with Israel and its PM*, [https://balkaninsight.com](https://balkaninsight.com), 14 de noviembre de 2023.
[^6]: Bardella, «*riconoscere Palestina è riconoscere terrorismo*». «*Sarò uno scudo per i nostri connazionali ebrei*», ANSA, 26/6/2024.
[^7]: Mauro Zanon, *Sorpresa, lo «scudo» degli ebrei in Francia è il partito della Le Pen*, [tempi.it](https://tempi.it/), 27 de octubre de 2023.
[^8]: Stefano Baldolini, *Salvina punta su Trump: «Spero che vinca. Andrò negli Usa prima del voto». Tensioni con Meloni? «Governo durerà 5 anni»*, [repubblica.it](https://repubblica.it), 13 de julio de 2024.
[^9]: Nova.News, 7 de octubre de 2024.
[^10]: *Elezioni in Olanda, che è il sovranista Wilders: anti-Islam, contro l’Ue e sostenitore del Grande Israele*, [www.open.online](http://www.open.online), 23 de noviembre de 2023.
[^11]: [www.informazionecorretta.com](http://www.informazionecorretta.com/), 26 de octubre de 2024.
[^12]: [www.agenzianova.com](http://www.agenzianova.com), 6 de octubre de 2024.
[^13]: *Especial: André Ventura. «Sou contra o aborto mas nunca condenaria uma mulher que aborta»*, «Jornal SOL», 12 de julio de 2022.
[^14]: *Ventura admite tropas portuguesas na Ucrânia e tem uma posição clara sobre Putin*, «CNN Portugal», 11 de marzo de 2024.
[^15]: Sophie Makris, *Austria’s Jews wary of far-right charm offensive*, [www.timeofisrael.com](http://www.timeofisrael.com), 3 de marzo de 2019.
[^16]: Yossi Melman, *Sichrovsky Denies He Was a Mossad Agent*, [www.haaretz.com](http://www.haaretz.com), 3 de junio de 2005.
[^17]: Fernando Heller, *Spagna: il leader di Vox pretende le scuse di Sánchez per aver messo in dubbio l’offensiva israeliana contro Hamas*, [https://euractiv.it](https://euractiv.it), 6 de diciembre de 2023.
[^18]: *El ultraderechista Vox defiende los ataques de Israel en Gaza tras la polémica reunión con Netanyahu*, euronews, 29 de mayo de 2024.
[^19]: Bruno Vespa, *Vannacci: «Dopo l’Ue tornerei nell’esercito»*, «La Verità», 30 de octubre de 2024, p. 7.
[^20]: *Missione Iraq: Riconoscimento al Generale Roberto Vannacci,* en [www.difesa.it](http://www.difesa.it) , cit. en [www.wikipedia.org](http://www.wikipedia.org)
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**Artículo original**: Hipérbola Janus, [_Patriots_](https://www.hiperbolajanus.com/posts/patriots-mutti/) [**(TOR)**](http://hiperbolam7t46pbl2fiqzaarcmw6injdru4nh2pwuhrkoub3263mpad.onion/posts/patriots-mutti/), 9/Ene/2025
-

@ eac63075:b4988b48
2025-03-03 17:10:03
# **Abstract**
This paper examines a hypothetical scenario in which the United States, under Trump’s leadership, withdraws from NATO and reduces its support for Europe, thereby enabling a Russian conquest of Ukraine and the subsequent expansion of Moscow’s influence over Eurasia, while the US consolidates its dominance over South America. Drawing on classical geopolitical theories—specifically those of Halford Mackinder, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Rudolf Kjellén, and Friedrich Ratzel—the study analyzes how these frameworks can elucidate the evolving power dynamics and territorial ambitions in a reconfigured global order. The discussion highlights Mackinder’s notion of the Eurasian Heartland and its strategic importance, Mahan’s emphasis on maritime power and control of strategic routes, Kjellén’s view of the state as an expanding organism, and Ratzel’s concept of Lebensraum as a justification for territorial expansion. The paper also explores contemporary developments, such as the US–Ukraine economic agreement and Trump’s overt territorial ambitions involving Greenland and Canada, in light of these theories. By juxtaposing traditional geopolitical concepts with current international relations, the study aims to shed light on the potential implications of such shifts for regional stability, global security, and the balance of power, particularly in relation to emerging neocolonial practices in Latin America.
# **Introduction**
In recent years, the geopolitical dynamics involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have sparked analyses from different theoretical perspectives. This paper examines recent events – presupposing a scenario in which Donald Trump withdraws the US from NATO and reduces its support for Europe, allowing a Russian conquest of Ukraine and the expansion of Moscow’s influence over Eurasia, while the US consolidates its dominance over South America – in light of classical geopolitical theories. The ideas of Halford Mackinder, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Rudolf Kjellén, and Friedrich Ratzel are used as reference points. The proposal is to impartially evaluate how each theory can elucidate the developments of this hypothetical scenario, relating Russian territorial expansion in Eurasia to the strategic retreat of the US to the Western Hemisphere.
Initially, we will outline Mackinder’s conception of the Heartland (the central Eurasian territory) and the crucial role of Eastern Europe and Ukraine in the quest for global dominance. Next, we will discuss Mahan’s ideas regarding maritime power and the control of strategic routes, considering the impacts on the naval power balance among the US, Russia, and other maritime powers such as the United Kingdom and Japan. Subsequently, we will examine Kjellén’s organic theory of the state, interpreting the Russian expansionist strategy as a reflection of a state organism in search of vital space. In the same vein, Ratzel’s concept of “Lebensraum” will be explored, along with how Russia could justify territorial expansion based on resources and territory. Finally, the paper connects these theories to the current political context, analyzing the direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow (overlooking Ukraine and Europe), the US policy toward authoritarian regimes in Latin America, and the notion of a hemispheric division of power – the “Island of the Americas” under North American hegemony versus an Eurasia dominated by Russia. Lastly, it considers the possibility that such a geopolitical arrangement may foster the strengthening of authoritarian governments globally, rather than containing them, thus altering the paradigms of the liberal world order.
# **The Heartland of Mackinder: Ukraine, Eurasia, and Global Dominance**
Halford J. Mackinder, a British geographer and pioneer of geopolitics, proposed the celebrated Heartland Theory in the early twentieth century. Mackinder divided the world into geostrategic zones and identified the Heartland—the central continental mass of Eurasia—as the “geographical pivot of history” \[5\]. His most famous maxim encapsulates this vision: “who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; who rules the World Island commands the world” \[5\]. Eastern Europe and, in particular, the region of present-day Ukraine, play a key role in this formula. This is because, for Mackinder, Eastern Europe functions as a gateway to the Heartland, providing access to resources and a strategic position for the projection of continental power \[5\].
Applying this theory to our scenario, the conquest of Ukraine and Eastern European countries by Russia would have profound geopolitical implications. From a Mackinderian point of view, such a conquest would enormously strengthen Russia’s position in the Heartland by adding manpower (population) and Ukraine’s industrial and agricultural resources to its power base \[5\]. In fact, Mackinder argued that controlling the Heartland conferred formidable geostrategic advantages—a vast terrestrial “natural fortress” protected from naval invasions and rich in resources such as wheat, minerals, and fuels \[5\]. Thus, if Moscow were to incorporate Ukraine (renowned for its fertile soil and grain production, as well as its mineral reserves) and extend its influence over Eastern Europe, Russia would consolidate the Heartland under its direct control. In this context, the absence of the USA (withdrawn from NATO and less engaged in Europe) would remove an important obstacle to Russian predominance in the region.
With central and eastern Eurasia under Russian influence, it would be possible to move toward the realization of the geopolitical nightmare described by Mackinder for Western maritime powers: a hegemonic continental power capable of projecting power to both Europe and Asia. Mackinder himself warned that if a Heartland power gained additional access to an oceanic coastline—in other words, if it combined land power with a significant maritime front—it would constitute a “danger” to global freedom \[5\]. In the scenario considered, besides advancing into Eastern Europe, Russia would already possess strategic maritime outlets (for example, in the Black Sea, via Crimea, and in the Baltic, via Kaliningrad or the Baltic States if influenced). Thus, the control of Ukraine would reinforce Russia’s position in the Black Sea and facilitate projection into the Eastern Mediterranean, expanding its oceanic front. From a Mackinderian perspective, this could potentially transform Russia into the dominant power of the “World Island” (the combined mass of Europe, Asia, and Africa), thereby unbalancing the global geopolitical order \[5\].
It is worth noting that, historically, Mackinder’s doctrine influenced containment strategies: both in the interwar period and during the Cold War, efforts were made to prevent a single power from controlling the Heartland and Eastern Europe. NATO, for example, can be seen as an instrument to prevent Soviet/Russian advances in Europe, in line with Mackinder’s imperative to “contain the Heartland.” Thus, if the USA were to abandon that role—by leaving NATO and tacitly accepting the Russian sphere of influence in Eurasia—we would be witnessing an inversion of the principles that have guided Western policy for decades. In short, under Mackinder’s theory, the Russian conquest of Ukraine and beyond would represent the key for Russia to command the Heartland and, potentially, challenge global hegemony, especially in a scenario where the USA self-restricts to the Western Hemisphere.
# **The Maritime Power of Mahan and the Naval Balance between West and East**
While Mackinder emphasized continental land power, Alfred Thayer Mahan, a nineteenth-century American naval strategist, highlighted the crucial role of maritime power in global dominance. In his work *The Influence of Sea Power upon History* (1890), Mahan studied the example of the British Empire and concluded that control of the seas paved the way for British supremacy as a world power \[10\]. He argued that a strong navy and the control of strategic maritime routes were decisive factors for projecting military, political, and economic power. His doctrine can be summarized in the following points: (1) the United States should aspire to be a world power; (2) control of the seas is necessary to achieve that status; (3) such control is obtained through a powerful fleet of warships \[17\]. In other words, for Mahan, whoever dominates the maritime routes and possesses naval superiority will be in a position to influence global destinies, ensuring trade, supplies, and the rapid movement of military forces.
In the proposed scenario, in which the USA withdraws militarily from Europe and possibly from the Eurasian stage, Mahan’s ideas raise questions about the distribution of maritime power and its effects. Traditionally, the US Navy operates globally, ensuring freedom of navigation and deterring challenges in major seas (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, etc.). A withdrawal of the USA from NATO could also signal a reduction in its naval presence in the Northeast Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and other areas close to Eurasia. In such a case, who would fill this naval vacuum? Russia, although primarily a land power, has been attempting to modernize its navy and has specific interests—for example, consolidating its dominance in the Black Sea and maintaining a presence in the Mediterranean (with a naval base in Tartus, Syria). The United Kingdom, a historic European maritime power, would remain aligned with the USA but, without American military support in Europe, might potentially be overwhelmed trying to contain an increasingly assertive Russian navy in European waters on its own. Japan, another significant maritime actor allied with the USA, is concerned with the naval balance in the Pacific; without full American engagement, Tokyo might be compelled to expand its own naval power to contain both Russia in the Far East (which maintains a fleet in the Pacific) and, especially, the growing Chinese navy.
According to Mahan’s thinking, strategic maritime routes and choke points (crucial straits and channels) become contested prizes in this power game. With the USA focusing on the Americas, one could imagine Washington reinforcing control over the Panama Canal and Caribbean routes—reviving an “American Gulf” policy in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. In fact, indications of this orientation emerge in statements attributed to Trump, who once suggested reclaiming direct control over Panama, transforming Canada into a North American state, and even “annexing” Greenland due to its Arctic geopolitical importance \[18\]. These aspirations reflect a quest to secure advantageous maritime positions near the American continent.
Conversely, in the absence of American presence in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, Russia would have free rein for regional maritime projection. This could include anything from the unrestricted use of the Black Sea (after dominating Ukraine, thereby ensuring full access to Crimea and Ukrainian ports) to greater influence in the Eastern Mediterranean via Syria and partnerships with countries such as Iran or Egypt. The Baltic Sea would also become an area of expanded Russian interest, pressuring coastal countries and perhaps reducing NATO’s traditional local naval supremacy. However, it is worth noting that even with these regional expansions, Russia lacks a blue-water navy comparable to that of the USA; thus, its initial global maritime impact would be limited without alliances.
An important aspect of Mahan’s theories is that naval power serves as a counterbalance to the land power of the Heartland. Therefore, even if Russia were to dominate the Eurasian continental mass, the continued presence of American naval might on the oceans could prevent complete global domination by Moscow. However, if the USA voluntarily restricts its naval reach to the Americas, it would forgo influencing the power balance in the seas adjacent to Eurasia. Consequently, the balance of maritime power would tend to shift in favor of regional Eurasian actors. The United Kingdom and Japan, traditional allies of the USA, could intensify their naval capabilities to defend regional interests—the United Kingdom safeguarding the North Atlantic and the North Sea, and Japan patrolling the Northwest Pacific—but both would face budgetary and structural limitations in fully compensating for the absence of the American superpower. Consequently, Mahan’s vision suggests that the withdrawal of the USA from the extra-regional scene would weaken the liberal maritime regime, possibly opening space for revisionist powers to contest routes that were previously secured (for example, Russia and China encountering less opposition on the routes of the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific, respectively). In summary, naval hegemony would fragment, and control of strategic seas would become contested, reconfiguring the relative influence of the USA, Russia, and maritime allies such as the United Kingdom and Japan.
# **Kjellén and the State as a Living Organism: Russian Expansion as an Organic Necessity**
Another useful theoretical lens to interpret Russian geopolitical posture is that of Rudolf Kjellén, a Swedish political scientist of the early twentieth century who conceived the State as a living organism. Kjellén, who even coined the term “geopolitics,” was influenced by Friedrich Ratzel’s ideas and by social Darwinism, arguing that States are born, grow, and decline analogously to living beings \[13\]. In his work *Staten som livsform* (The State as a Form of Life, 1916), he maintained that States possess an organic dimension in addition to the legal one and that “just as any form of life, States must expand or die” \[14\]. This expansion would not be motivated merely by aggressive conquest but seen as a necessary growth for the self-preservation of the state organism \[14\]. In complement, Kjellén echoed Ratzel’s “law of expanding spaces” by asserting that large States expand at the expense of smaller ones, with it being only a matter of time before the great realms fill the available spaces \[14\]. That is, from the organic perspective, vigorous States tend to incorporate smaller neighboring territories, consolidating territorially much like an organism absorbing nutrients.
Applying this theory to the strategy of contemporary Russia, we can interpret Moscow’s actions—including the invasion of Ukraine and the ambition to restore its sphere of influence in Eurasia—as the expression of an organic drive for expansion. For a strategist influenced by this school, Russia (viewed as a state organism with a long imperial history) needs to expand its territory and influence to ensure its survival and security. The loss of control over spaces that once were part of the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union (such as Ukraine itself, the Caucasus, or Central Asia) may be perceived by Russian elites as an atrophy of the state organism, rendering it vulnerable. Thus, the reincorporation of these territories—whether directly (annexation) or indirectly (political vassalage)—would equate to restoring lost members or strengthening vital organs of the state body. In fact, official Russian arguments often portray Ukraine as an intrinsic part of “Russian historicity,” denying it a fully separate identity—a narrative that aligns with the idea that Russian expansion in that region is natural and necessary for the Russian State (seen as encompassing also Russian speakers beyond its current borders).
Kjellén would thus provide a theoretical justification for Russian territorial expansion as an organic phenomenon. As a great power, Russia would inevitably seek to expand at the expense of smaller neighbors (Ukraine, Georgia, the Baltic States, etc.), as dictated by the tendency of “great spaces to organize” to the detriment of the small \[14\]. This view can be identified in contemporary Russian doctrines that value spheres of influence and the notion that neighboring countries must gravitate around Moscow in order for the natural order to be maintained. The very idea of “Eurasia” united under Russian leadership (advocated by modern Russian thinkers) echoes this organic conception of vital space and expansion as a sign of the State’s vitality.
However, Kjellén’s theory also warns of the phenomenon of “imperial overstretch,” should a State exceed its internal cohesion limits by expanding excessively \[14\]. He recognized that extending borders too far could increase friction and vulnerabilities, making it difficult to maintain cohesion—a very large organism may lack functional integration. In the Russian context, this suggests that although expansion is seen as necessary, there are risks if Russia tries to encompass more than it can govern effectively. Conquering Ukraine and subjugating Eastern Europe, for example, could economically and militarily overburden the Russian State, especially if it faced resistance or had to manage hostile populations. However, in the hypothetical scenario we adopt (isolated USA and a weakened Europe), Russia might calculate that the organic benefits of expansion (territory, resources, strategic depth) would outweigh the costs, since external interference would be limited. Thus, through Kjellén’s lens, expansionist Russia behaves as an organism following its instinct for survival and growth, absorbing weaker neighbors; yet such a process is not devoid of challenges, requiring that the “organism Russia” manages to assimilate these new spaces without collapsing under its own weight.
# **Ratzel and Lebensraum: Resources, Territory, and the Justification for Expansion**
Parallel to Kjellén’s organic view, Friedrich Ratzel’s theory offers another conceptual basis for understanding Russian expansion: the concept of Lebensraum (vital space). Ratzel, a German geographer of the late nineteenth century, proposed that the survival and development of a people or nation depended critically on the available physical space and resources. Influenced by Darwinist ideas, he applied the notion of “survival of the fittest” to nations, arguing that human societies need to conquer territory and resources to prosper, and that the stronger and fittest civilizations will naturally prevail over the weaker ones \[12\]. In 1901, Ratzel coined the term Lebensraum to describe this need for “vital space” as a geographical factor in national power \[15\].
Subsequently, this idea would be adopted—and extremely distorted—by Nazi ideology to justify Germany’s aggressions in Europe. However, the core of Ratzel’s concept is that territorial expansion is essential for the survival and growth of a State, especially to secure food, raw materials, and space for its population \[12\].
When examining Russia’s stance under this perspective, we can see several narratives that evoke the logic of Lebensraum. Russia is the largest country in the world by area; however, much of its territory is characterized by adverse climates (tundra, taiga) and is relatively sparsely populated in Siberia. On the other hand, adjacent regions such as Ukraine possess highly arable lands (chernozem—black soil), significant Slavic population density, and additional natural resources (coal in the Donbass, for example). An implicit justification for Russian expansion could be the search for supplementary resources and fertile lands to secure its self-sufficiency and power—exactly as Ratzel described that vigorous nations do. Historical records show that Ratzel emphasized agrarian primacy: he believed that new territories should be colonized by farmers, providing the food base for the nation \[12\]. Ukraine, historically called the “breadbasket of Europe,” fits perfectly into this vision of conquest for sustenance and agricultural wealth.
Furthermore, Ratzel viewed geography as a determinant of the destiny of nations—peoples adapted to certain habitats seek to expand them if they aspire to grow. In contemporary Russian discourse, there is often mention of the need to ensure security and territorial depth in the face of NATO, or to unite brotherly peoples (Russians and Russian speakers) within a single political space. Such arguments can be read as a modern translation of Lebensraum: the idea that the Russian nation, in order to be secure and flourish, must control a larger space, encompassing buffer zones and critical resources. This Russian “vital space” would naturally include Ukraine and other former Soviet republics, given the historical and infrastructural interdependence. Ratzel emphasized that peoples migrated and expanded when their original homeland no longer met their needs or aspirations \[12\]. Although contemporary Russia does not suffer from demographic pressure (on the contrary, it faces population decline), under the logic of a great power there is indeed a sentiment of geopolitical insufficiency for having lost influence over areas considered strategic. Thus, reconquering these areas would mean recovering the “habitat” necessary for the Russian nation to prosper and feel secure.
It is important to mention that, in Ratzel’s and Kjellén’s formulations, the pursuit of Lebensraum or organic expansion is not morally qualified—it is treated as a natural process in the politics of power. Thus, on the discursive level, Russia can avoid overly aggressive rhetoric and resort to “natural” justifications: for example, claiming that it needs to occupy Ukraine for defensive purposes (security space) or to reunify peoples (a common cultural and historical space). Beneath these justifications, however, resonates the geopolitical imperative to acquire more territory and resources as a guarantee of national survival, something consonant with Ratzel’s theory. In fact, Russian Realpolitik frequently prioritizes the control of energy resources (gas, oil) and transportation routes. Expanding its influence over central Eurasia would also mean controlling oil pipelines, gas lines, and logistical corridors—essential elements of modern Lebensraum understood as access to vital resources and infrastructure.
In summary, by conquering Ukraine and extending its reach into Eurasia, Russia could effectively invoke the concept of Lebensraum: presenting its expansion not as mere imperialism, but as a necessity to secure indispensable lands and resources for its people and to correct the “injustice” of a vital space diminished by post-Cold War territorial losses. The theories of Ratzel and Kjellén together paint a picture in which Russian expansion emerges almost as a natural law—the great State reclaiming space to ensure its survival and development at the expense of smaller neighbors.
# **Trump, NATO, and the Threat of American Withdrawal**
One of the most alarming changes with Trump's return to power is the tense relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Trump has long criticized allies for not meeting military spending targets, even threatening during his first term to withdraw the US from the alliance if members did not increase their contributions \[2\]. This threat, initially viewed with skepticism, became concrete after his re-election, leading European allies to seriously consider the possibility of having to defend themselves without American support \[1\]. In fact, Trump suggested in post-election interviews that the US would only remain in NATO if the allies “paid their bills” – otherwise, he “would seriously consider” leaving \[2\]. Such statements reinforced the warning that the US might not honor NATO's mutual defense commitment, precisely at a time of continuous Russian threat due to the war in Ukraine \[1\].
From a theoretical point of view, this posture of American retrenchment evokes the classic tension between maritime power and land power. Alfred Thayer Mahan emphasized that the global power of the US derived largely from its naval superiority and from alliances that ensured control over strategic maritime routes \[9\]. NATO, since 1949, has served not only to deter Soviet terrestrial advances in Eurasia, but also to secure the US naval presence in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean – a fundamental element according to Mahan. In turn, Halford Mackinder warned that the balance of global power depended on the control of the Eurasian “Heartland” (the central region of Eurasia). The withdrawal or disengagement of the US (a maritime power) from this region could open the way for a continental power (such as Russia) to expand its influence in Eastern Europe, unbalancing the power balance \[3\]. In other words, by threatening to leave NATO, Trump jeopardizes the principle of containment that prevented Russian dominance over Eastern Europe – something that Mackinder would see as a dangerous shift in global power in favor of the Heartland power.
Adopting an impartial tone, it is observed that European countries have reacted to this new reality with precautionary measures. Strategic reports already calculate the cost of an autonomous European defense: hundreds of thousands of additional soldiers and investments of hundreds of billions of euros would be required if the US ceased to guarantee the security of the continent \[1\]. European dependence on American military power is significant and, without it, there would be a need for a major reinforcement of European Armed Forces \[1\]. This mobilization practically reflects the anticipation of a power vacuum left by the US – a scenario in which Mackinder’s theory (on the primacy of the Heartland and the vulnerability of the “external crescent” where Western Europe is located) regains its relevance.
# **The US–Ukraine Economic Agreement: Strategic Minerals in Exchange for Support?**
Another novelty of Trump's second term is the unprecedented and transactional manner in which Washington has been dealing with the war in Ukraine. Instead of emphasizing security guarantees and alliances, the Trump administration proposed a trade agreement with Ukraine focused on the exploitation of strategic minerals, linking American support to a direct economic benefit. According to sources close to the negotiations, the US and Ukraine are about to sign a pact to share the revenues from the exploitation of critical mineral resources on Ukrainian territory \[19\]. Materials such as titanium, lithium, rare earths, and uranium – vital for high-tech and defense industries – would be at the core of this agreement \[6\]. According to the known draft, Ukraine would allocate 50% of the profits from new mineral ventures to a fund controlled by the US, which would reinvest part of the resources in the country’s own reconstruction \[6\] \[19\].
It is noteworthy that the pact does not include explicit security guarantees for Kyiv, despite Ukraine remaining under direct military threat from Russia \[19\]. Essentially, the Trump administration offers financial support and economic investment in exchange for a share in Ukrainian natural resources, but without formally committing to Ukraine's defense in the event of a renewed Russian offensive \[19\]. American authorities argue that this economic partnership would already be sufficient to “secure Ukrainian interests,” as it would provide the US with its own incentives to desire Ukraine’s stability \[19\]. “What could be better for Ukraine than being in an economic partnership with the United States?” stated Mike Waltz, a US national security advisor, defending the proposal \[19\].
Analysts, however, assess the agreement in divided terms. For some, it represents a form of economic exploitation at a time of Ukraine's fragility – comparing the demand to share mineral wealth amid war to a scheme of “mafia protection” \[19\]. Steven Cook, from the Council on Foreign Relations, classified the offer as “extortion,” and political scientist Virginia P. Fortna observed that charging resources from an invaded country resembles predatory practices \[19\]. Joseph Nye adds that it is a short-term gain strategy that could be “disastrous in the long run” for American credibility, reflecting the transactional approach that Trump even adopted with close allies in other contexts \[19\]. On the other hand, some see a future advantage for Kyiv: journalist Pierre Briançon suggests that at least this agreement aligns American commercial interests with Ukraine’s future, which could, in theory, keep the US involved in Ukrainian prosperity in the long term \[19\]. It is even recalled that President Zelensky himself proposed last year the idea of sharing natural resources with the US to bring the interests of the two countries closer together \[19\].
From the perspective of geopolitical theories, this agreement illustrates a shift towards economic pragmatism in international relations, approaching concepts proposed by Kjellén. Rudolf Kjellén, who coined the term “geopolitics,” saw the State as a territorial organism that seeks to ensure its survival through self-sufficiency and the control of strategic resources \[4\]. Trump's demand for a share in Ukrainian resources in order to continue supporting the country reflects a logic of autarky and direct national interest – that is, foreign policy serving primarily to reinforce the economic and material position of the US. This view contrasts with the traditional cooperative approach, but aligns with Kjellén’s idea that powerful States tend to transform international relations into opportunities for their own gain, ensuring access to vital raw materials. Similarly, Friedrich Ratzel argued that States have a “propensity to expand their borders according to their capacities,” seeking vital space (Lebensraum) and resources to sustain their development \[11\]. The US–Ukraine pact, by conditioning military/economic aid on obtaining tangible advantages (half of the mineral profits), is reminiscent of Ratzel’s perspective: the US, as a rising economic power, expands its economic influence over Ukrainian territory like an organism extending itself to obtain the necessary resources for its well-being. It is, therefore, a form of economic expansionism at the expense of purely ideological commitments or collective security.
# **Peace Negotiations Excluding Ukraine and the Legitimacy of the Agreement**
Another controversial point is the manner in which peace negotiations between Russia and the West have been conducted under Trump's administration. Since taking office, the American president has engaged directly with Moscow in pursuit of a ceasefire, deliberately keeping the Ukrainian government out of the initial discussions \[6\]. Trump expressed his desire to “leave Zelensky out of the conversation” and also excluded the European Union from any influence in the process \[6\]. This negotiation strategy—conducted without the presence of the primary interested party, Ukraine—raises serious questions about the legitimacy and sustainability of any resulting agreement.
Historically, peace agreements reached without the direct participation of one of the conflicting parties tend to face problems in implementation and acceptance.
The exclusion of Ukraine in the decision-making phase brings to light the issue of guarantees. As noted, the emerging agreement lacks formal US security guarantees for Ukraine. This implies that, after the agreement is signed, nothing will prevent Russia from launching a new offensive if it deems it convenient, knowing that the US has not committed to defending it militarily. Experts have already warned that a ceasefire without robust protection may only be a pause for Russian rearmament, rendering the conflict “frozen” temporarily and potentially resumed in the near future. The European strategic community has expressed similar concern: without American deterrence, the risk of further Russian aggressions in the region increases considerably \[1\]. Denmark, for example, has released intelligence reports warning of possible imminent Russian attacks, prompting neighboring countries to accelerate plans for independent defense \[1\].
The legitimacy of this asymmetric peace agreement (negotiated without Ukraine fully at the table and under economic coercion) is also questionable from a legal and moral point of view. It violates the principle of self-determination by imposing terms decided by great powers on a sovereign country—a practice reminiscent of dark chapters in diplomacy, such as the Munich Agreement of 1938, when powers determined the fate of Czechoslovakia without its consent. In the current case, Ukraine would end up signing the agreement, but from a position of weakness, raising doubts about how durable such a commitment would be.
From Mackinder’s perspective, Ukraine’s removal from the battlefield without guarantees essentially means admitting a greater influence of Russia (the Heartland power) over Eastern Europe. This would alter the balance in Eurasia in a potentially lasting way. Furthermore, the fact that great powers negotiate over the heads of a smaller country evokes the imperial logic of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when empires decided among themselves the divisions of foreign territories—a behavior that Mackinder saw as likely in a world of a “closed system.” With the entire world already occupied by States, Mackinder predicted that powers would begin to compete for influence within this consolidated board, often subjugating smaller states to gain advantage \[3\]. The US–Russia negotiation regarding Ukraine, without proper Ukrainian representation, exemplifies this type of neo-imperial dynamic in the twenty-first century.
Also noteworthy is the consonance with the ideas of Ratzel and Kjellén: both viewed smaller states as easily relegated to the status of satellites or even “parasitic organisms” in the orbit of larger states. Kjellén spoke of the intrinsic vulnerability of states with little territorial depth or economic dependence, making them susceptible to external pressures \[4\]\[20\]. Ukraine, weakened by war and dependent on external aid, becomes a concrete example of this theorized vulnerability: it has had to cede strategic resources and accept terms dictated against its will in an attempt to secure its immediate survival. The resulting agreement, therefore, reflects a power imbalance characteristic of the hierarchical international relations described by classical geopolitical theorists.
# **Implicit Territorial Concessions and Trump’s Public Discourse**
A central and controversial point in Trump’s statements regarding the war in Ukraine is the insinuation of territorial concessions to Russia as part of the conflict’s resolution. Publicly, Trump avoided explicitly condemning Russian aggression and even stated that he considered it “unlikely” that Ukraine would be able to retake all the areas occupied by the Russians \[16\]. In debates and interviews, he suggested that “if I were president, the war would end in 24 hours,” implying that he would force an understanding between Kyiv and Moscow that would likely involve ceding some territory in exchange for peace. This position marks a break with the previous US policy of not recognizing any territorial acquisitions made by force and fuels speculations that a future peace agreement sponsored by Trump would legitimize at least part of Russia’s gains since 2014 (Crimea, Donbass, and areas seized during the 2022 invasion).
The actions of his administration corroborate this interpretation. As discussed, the economic agreement focuses on the exploitation of Ukrainian natural resources, many of which are located precisely in regions currently under Russian military control, such as parts of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Donetsk, Lugansk, and the Azov Sea area \[6\]. A Ukrainian geologist, Hanna Liventseva, highlighted that “most of these elements (strategic minerals) are found in the south of the Ukrainian Shield, mainly in the Azov region, and most of these territories are currently invaded by Russia” \[6\]. This means that, to make joint exploitation viable, Russia’s de facto control over these areas would have to be recognized—or at least tolerated—in the short term. In other words, the pact indirectly and tacitly accepts Russian territorial gains, as it involves sharing the profits from resources that are not currently accessible to the Kyiv government.
Furthermore, figures close to Trump have made explicit statements regarding the possibility of territorial cession. Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor, publicly stated that Zelensky might need to “cede land to Russia” to end the war \[8\]. This remark—made public in March 2025—confirms that the Trump White House considers it natural for Ukraine to relinquish parts of its territory in favor of an agreement. Such a stance marks a break from the previous Western consensus, which condemned any territorial gains by force. Under Trump, a pragmatic view (in the eyes of his supporters) or a cynical one (according to his critics) seems to prevail: sacrificing principles of territorial integrity to quickly end hostilities and secure immediate economic benefits.
In theoretical terms, this inclination to validate territorial gains by force recalls the concept of Realpolitik and the geopolitical Darwinism that influenced thinkers such as Ratzel. In Ratzel’s organic conception, expanding states naturally absorb neighboring territories when they are strong enough to do so, while declining states lose territory—a process almost biological in the selection of the fittest \[11\]. The Trump administration’s acceptance that Ukraine should “give something” to Moscow to seal peace reflects a normalization of this geopolitical selection process: it recognizes the aggressor (Russia) as having the “right” to retain conquered lands, because that is how power realities on the ground dictate. Mackinder, although firmly opposed to allowing Russia to dominate the Heartland, would see this outcome as the logical consequence of the lack of engagement from maritime powers (the USA and the United Kingdom, for example) in sustaining the Ukrainian counterattack. Without the active involvement of maritime power to balance the dispute, land power prevails in Eastern Europe.
From the perspective of international legitimacy, the cession of Ukrainian territories—whether de jure or de facto—creates a dangerous precedent in the post-Cold War era. Rewarding violent aggression with territorial gains may encourage similar strategies in other parts of the world, undermining the architecture of collective security. This is possibly a return to a world of spheres of influence, where great powers define borders and zones of control according to their convenience—something that the rules-based order after 1945 sought to avoid. Here, academic impartiality requires noting that coercion for territorial concessions rarely produces lasting peace, as the aggrieved party—in this case, Ukraine—may accept temporarily but will continue to assert its rights in the long term, as has occurred with other territorial injustices in history.
# **Territorial Ambitions of Trump: Greenland and Canada**
Beyond the Eurasian theater of war, Trump revived geopolitical ambitions involving territories traditionally allied with the US: Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark) and Canada. As early as 2019, during his first term, Trump shocked the world by proposing to buy Greenland—rich in minerals and strategically positioned in the Arctic. Upon his return to power, he went further: expressing a “renewed interest” in acquiring Greenland and publicly suggesting the incorporation of Canada as the 51st American state \[2\].
In January 2025, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, he even displayed maps in which the US and Canada appeared merged into a single country, while Greenland was marked as a future American possession \[2\]. Posts by the president on social media included satirical images with a map of North America where Canada was labeled “51st” and Greenland designated as “Our Land” \[2\].
Such moves were met with concern and disbelief by allies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on an open microphone warning that Trump’s fixation on annexation “is real” and not just a joke \[7\]. Trudeau emphasized that Washington appeared to covet Canada’s vast mineral resources, which would explain the insistence on the idea of absorption \[7\]. In public, Trump argued that Canadians “would be more prosperous as American citizens,” promising tax cuts and better services should they become part of the US \[7\]. On the Danish side, the reaction to the revived plan regarding Greenland was firmly negative—as it was in 2019—reaffirming that the territory is not for sale. Trump, however, insinuated that the issue might be one of national security, indicating that American possession of Greenland would prevent adverse influences (a reference to China and Russia in the Arctic) \[2\]. More worryingly, he refused to rule out the use of military means to obtain the island, although he assured that he had no intention of invading Canada by force (in the Canadian case, he spoke of “economic force” to forge a union) \[2\].
This series of initiatives reflects an unprecedented expansionist impetus by the US in recent times, at least in discourse. Analyzing this through the lens of classical geopolitics offers interesting insights. Friedrich Ratzel and his notion of Lebensraum suggest that powerful states, upon reaching a certain predominance, seek to expand their territory by influencing or incorporating adjacent areas. Trump, by targeting the immediate neighbor (Canada) and a nearby strategic territory (Greenland), appears to resurrect this logic of territorial expansion for the sake of gaining space and resources. Ratzel saw such expansion almost as a natural process for vigorous states, comparable to the growth of an organism \[11\]. From this perspective, the US would be exercising its “right” of expansion in North America and the polar region, integrating areas of vital interest.
Additionally, Alfred Mahan’s view on maritime power helps to understand the strategic value of Greenland. Mahan postulated that control of key maritime chokepoints and naval bases ensures global advantage \[9\]. Greenland, situated between the North Atlantic and the Arctic, has become increasingly relevant as climate change opens new polar maritime routes and reveals vast mineral deposits (including rare earth elements and oil). For the US, having a presence or sovereignty over Greenland would mean dominating the gateway to the Arctic and denying this space to rivals. This aligns with Mahan’s strategy of securing commercial and military routes (in this case, potential Arctic routes) and resources to consolidate naval supremacy. On the other hand, the incorporation of Canada—with its enormous territory, Arctic coastline, and abundant natural resources—would provide the US with formidable geoeconomic and geopolitical reinforcement, practically eliminating vulnerabilities along its northern border. This is an ambitious project that also echoes ideas of Kjellén, for whom an ideal State should seek territorial completeness and economic self-sufficiency within its region. Incorporating Canada would be the pinnacle of American regional autarky, turning North America into a unified bloc under Washington (a scenario reminiscent of the “pan-regions” conceived by twentieth-century geopoliticians influenced by Kjellén).
It is important to note, however, that these ambitions face enormous legal and political obstacles. The sovereignty of Canada and Greenland (Denmark) is guaranteed by international law, and both peoples categorically reject the idea of annexation. Any hostile action by the US against these countries would shake alliances and the world order itself. Even so, the very fact that an American president suggests such possibilities already produces geopolitical effects: traditional partners begin to distrust Washington’s intentions, seek alternative alliances, and strengthen nationalist discourses of resistance. In summary, Trump’s expansionist intentions in Greenland and Canada rekindle old territorial issues and paradoxically place the US in the position of a revisionist power—a role once associated with empires in search of colonies.
# **Implications for Brazil and South America: A New Neocolonization?**
In light of this geopolitical reconfiguration driven by Trump's USA—with a reordering of alliances and a possible partition of spheres of influence among great powers—the question arises: what is the impact on Brazil and the other countries of South America? Traditionally, Latin America has been under the aegis of the Monroe Doctrine (1823), which established non-interference by Europe in the region and, implicitly, the primacy of the USA in the Western Hemisphere. In the post–Cold War period, this influence translated more into political and economic leadership, without formal annexations or direct territorial domination. However, the current context points to a kind of “neocolonization” of the Global South, in which larger powers seek to control resources and peripheral governments in an indirect yet effective manner.
Mackinder’s theories can be used to illuminate this dynamic. As mentioned, Mackinder envisioned the twentieth-century world as a closed system, in which there were no longer any unknown lands to be colonized—hence, the powers would fight among themselves for control over already occupied regions \[3\]. He predicted that Africa and Latin America (then largely European colonies or semi-colonies) would continue as boards upon which the great powers would project their disputes, a form of neocolonialism. In the current scenario, we see the USA proposing exchanges of protection for resources (as in Ukraine) and even leaders of developing countries seeking similar agreements. A notable example: the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, praised the USA–Ukraine initiative and suggested an analogous agreement involving Congolese mineral wealth in exchange for US support against internal rebels (M23) \[19\]. In other words, African countries and possibly South American ones may enter into this logic of offering privileged access to resources (cobalt, lithium, food, biodiversity) in order to obtain security guarantees or investments. This represents a regression to the times when external powers dictated the directions of the South in exchange for promises of protection, characterizing a strategic neocolonialism.
For Brazil, in particular, this rearrangement generates both opportunities and risks. As a regional power with considerable diplomatic autonomy, Brazil has historically sought to balance relationships with the USA, Europe, China, and other actors, avoiding automatic alignments. However, in a world where Trump’s USA is actively redefining spheres of influence—possibly making deals with Russia that divide priorities (for example, Washington focusing on the Western Hemisphere and Moscow on the Eastern)—South America could once again be seen as an exclusive American sphere of influence. From this perspective, Washington could pressure South American countries to align with its directives, limiting partnerships with rivals (such as China) and seeking privileged access to strategic resources (such as the Amazon, fresh water, minerals, and agricultural commodities). Some indications are already emerging: Trump’s transactional approach mentioned by Nye included pressures on Canada and Mexico regarding border and trade issues, under the threat of commercial sanctions. It would not be unthinkable to adopt a hard line, for example, with regard to Brazilian environmental policies (linked to the Amazon) or Brazil’s relations with China, using tariffs or incentives as leverage—a sort of geopolitics of economic coercion.
On the other hand, Brazil and its neighbors could also attempt to take advantage of the Sino–North American competition. If the USA is distracted consolidating its hemispheric “hard power” hegemony (even with annexation fantasies in the north), powers such as China may advance their economic presence in South America through investments and trade (Belt and Road, infrastructure financing)—which is already happening. This would constitute an indirect neocolonial dispute in the South: Chinese loans and investments versus American demands and agreements, partly reminiscent of the nineteenth-century imperial competition (when the United Kingdom, USA, and others competed for Latin American markets and resources).
From a conceptual standpoint, Mackinder might classify South America as part of the “Outer Crescent” (external insular crescent)—peripheral to the great Eurasian “World-Island,” yet still crucial as a source of resources and a strategic position in the South Atlantic and Pacific. If the USA consolidates an informal empire in the Americas, it would be reinforcing its “insular bastion” far from the Eurasian Heartland, a strategy that Mackinder once suggested for maritime powers: to control islands and peripheral continents to compensate for the disadvantage of not controlling the Heartland. However, an excessive US dominance in the South could lead to local resistance and alternative alignments, unbalancing the region.
Kjellén would add that for Brazil to maintain its decisive sovereignty, it will need to strengthen its autarky and internal cohesion—in other words, reduce vulnerabilities (economic, military, social) that external powers might exploit \[4\]. Meanwhile, Mahan might point out the importance for Brazil of controlling its maritime routes and coastlines (South Atlantic) to avoid being at the mercy of a naval power like the USA. And Ratzel would remind us that states that do not expand their influence tend to be absorbed by foreign influences—which, in the context of Brazil, does not mean conquering neighboring territories, but rather actively leading South American integration to create a block more resilient to external intrusion.
In summary, South America finds itself in a more competitive and segmented world, where major players are resurrecting practices from past eras. The notion of “neocolonization” here does not imply direct occupation, but rather mechanisms of dependency: whether through unequal economic agreements or through diplomatic or military pressure for alignment. Brazil, as the largest economy and territory on the subcontinent, will have to navigate with heightened caution. A new global power balance, marked by the division of spheres of influence among the USA, China, and Russia, may reduce the sovereign maneuvering space of South American countries unless they act jointly. Thus, theoretical reflection suggests the need for South–South strategies, reinforcement of regional organizations, and diversification of partnerships to avoid falling into modern “neocolonial traps.”
# **Conclusion**
The emerging post–re-election geopolitical conjuncture of Donald Trump signals a return to classical geopolitical principles, after several decades of predominance of institutional liberal views. We witness the revaluation of concepts such as spheres of influence, exchanges of protection for resources, naval power versus land power, and disputes over territory and raw materials—all central themes in the writings of Mackinder, Mahan, Kjellén, and Ratzel at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. An impartial analysis of these events, in light of these theories, shows internal coherence in Trump’s actions: although controversial, they follow a logic of maximizing national interest and the relative power of the USA on the world stage, even at the expense of established principles and alliances.
Halford Mackinder reminds us that, in a closed world with no new lands to conquer, the great powers will seek to redistribute the world among themselves \[3\]. This seems to manifest in the direct understandings between the USA and Russia over the fate of Ukraine, and in American ambitions in the Arctic and the Western Hemisphere. Alfred Mahan emphasizes that the control of the seas and strategic positions ensures supremacy—we see reflections of this in Trump’s obsession with Greenland (Arctic) and the possible neglect of the importance of maintaining NATO (and therefore the North Atlantic) as a cohesive bloc, something that Mahan’s theory would criticize due to the risk of a naval vacuum. Rudolf Kjellén and Friedrich Ratzel provide the framework to understand the more aggressive facet of expansionist nationalism: the idea of the State as an organism that needs to grow, secure resources, and seek self-sufficiency explains everything from the extortionate agreement imposed on Ukraine to the annexation rhetoric regarding Canada.
The potential consequences are profound. In the short term, we may witness a precarious ceasefire in the Ukraine war, with consolidated Russian territorial gains and Ukraine economically tied to the USA, but without formal military protection—a fragile “armed peace.” Western Europe, alarmed, may accelerate its independent militarization, perhaps marking the beginning of European defense autonomy, as is already openly debated \[1\]. At the far end of the globe, American activism in the Arctic and the Americas may reshape alliances: countries like Canada, once aligned with Washington, might seek to guarantee their sovereignty by distancing themselves from it; powers like China could take advantage of the openings to increase their presence in Latin America and Africa through economic diplomacy; and emerging countries of the Global South may have to choose between submitting to new “guardianships” or strengthening South–South cooperation.
Ultimately, the current situation reinforces the relevance of studying geopolitics through historical lenses. The actions of the Trump administration indicate that, despite all technological and normative advances, the competition for geographic power has not disappeared—it has merely assumed new formats. Academic impartiality obliges us not to prematurely judge whether these strategies will be successful or beneficial, but history and theory warn that neo-imperial movements tend to generate counter-reactions. As Mackinder insinuated, “every shock or change anywhere reverberates around the world,” and a sudden move by a superpower tends to provoke unforeseen adjustments and chain conflicts. It remains to be seen how the other actors—including Brazil and its neighbors—will adapt to this new chapter in the great struggle for global power, in which centuries-old theories once again have a surprising explanatory power over present events.
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@ a95c6243:d345522c
2025-03-04 09:40:50
**Die «Eliten» führen bereits groß angelegte Pilotprojekte für eine Zukunft durch,** die sie wollen und wir nicht. Das [schreibt](https://off-guardian.org/2025/02/26/coming-soon-the-european-digital-identity-wallet/) der *OffGuardian* in einem Update zum Thema «EU-Brieftasche für die digitale Identität». Das Portal weist darauf hin, dass die Akteure dabei nicht gerade zimperlich vorgehen und auch keinen Hehl aus ihren Absichten machen. *Transition News* hat mehrfach darüber berichtet, zuletzt [hier](https://transition-news.org/eudi-wallet-der-weg-fur-ein-vollstandig-digitalisiertes-europa-ist-frei) und [hier](https://transition-news.org/iata-biometrische-daten-und-digitale-id-machen-das-vollstandig-digitale).
**Mit der EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI-Brieftasche) sei eine einzige von der Regierung herausgegebene App geplant,** die Ihre medizinischen Daten, Beschäftigungsdaten, Reisedaten, Bildungsdaten, Impfdaten, Steuerdaten, Finanzdaten sowie (potenziell) Kopien Ihrer Unterschrift, Fingerabdrücke, Gesichtsscans, Stimmproben und DNA enthält. So fasst der *OffGuardian* die eindrucksvolle Liste möglicher Einsatzbereiche zusammen.
**Auch Dokumente wie der Personalausweis oder der** **[Führerschein](https://transition-news.org/eu-weite-einfuhrung-von-digitalen-fuhrerscheinen-fur-digitale-geldborsen)** können dort in elektronischer Form gespeichert werden. Bis 2026 sind alle EU-Mitgliedstaaten dazu verpflichtet, Ihren Bürgern funktionierende und frei verfügbare digitale «Brieftaschen» bereitzustellen.
**Die Menschen würden diese App nutzen,** so das Portal, um Zahlungen vorzunehmen, Kredite zu beantragen, ihre Steuern zu zahlen, ihre Rezepte abzuholen, internationale Grenzen zu überschreiten, Unternehmen zu gründen, Arzttermine zu buchen, sich um Stellen zu bewerben und sogar digitale Verträge online zu unterzeichnen.
**All diese Daten würden auf ihrem Mobiltelefon gespeichert und mit den Regierungen** von neunzehn Ländern (plus der Ukraine) sowie über 140 anderen öffentlichen und privaten Partnern ausgetauscht. Von der Deutschen Bank über das ukrainische Ministerium für digitalen Fortschritt bis hin zu Samsung Europe. Unternehmen und Behörden würden auf diese Daten im Backend zugreifen, um «automatisierte Hintergrundprüfungen» durchzuführen.
**Der Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbände** (VZBV) habe Bedenken geäußert, dass eine solche App «Risiken für den Schutz der Privatsphäre und der Daten» berge, berichtet das Portal. Die einzige Antwort darauf laute: «Richtig, genau dafür ist sie ja da!»
**Das alles sei keine Hypothese, betont der** ***OffGuardian***. Es sei vielmehr [«Potential»](https://www.digital-identity-wallet.eu/about-us/140-public-and-private-partners/). Damit ist ein EU-Projekt gemeint, in dessen Rahmen Dutzende öffentliche und private Einrichtungen zusammenarbeiten, «um eine einheitliche Vision der digitalen Identität für die Bürger der europäischen Länder zu definieren». Dies ist nur eines der groß angelegten [Pilotprojekte](https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/sites/display/EUDIGITALIDENTITYWALLET/What+are+the+Large+Scale+Pilot+Projects), mit denen Prototypen und Anwendungsfälle für die EUDI-Wallet getestet werden. Es gibt noch mindestens drei weitere.
**Den Ball der digitalen ID-Systeme habe die Covid-«Pandemie»** über die «Impfpässe» ins Rollen gebracht. Seitdem habe das Thema an Schwung verloren. Je näher wir aber der vollständigen Einführung der EUid kämen, desto mehr Propaganda der Art «Warum wir eine digitale Brieftasche brauchen» könnten wir in den Mainstream-Medien erwarten, prognostiziert der *OffGuardian*. Vielleicht müssten wir schon nach dem nächsten großen «Grund», dem nächsten «katastrophalen katalytischen Ereignis» Ausschau halten. Vermutlich gebe es bereits Pläne, warum die Menschen plötzlich eine digitale ID-Brieftasche brauchen würden.
**Die Entwicklung geht jedenfalls stetig weiter in genau diese Richtung.** Beispielsweise hat Jordanien angekündigt, die digitale biometrische ID bei den nächsten [Wahlen](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202502/jordan-plans-digital-id-for-voter-verification-in-next-election) zur Verifizierung der Wähler einzuführen. Man wolle «den Papierkrieg beenden und sicherstellen, dass die gesamte Kette bis zu den nächsten Parlamentswahlen digitalisiert wird», heißt es. Absehbar ist, dass dabei einige Wahlberechtigte «auf der Strecke bleiben» werden, wie im Fall von [Albanien](https://transition-news.org/albanien-schliesst-120-000-burger-ohne-biometrische-ausweise-von-wahlen-aus) geschehen.
**Derweil würden die Briten gerne ihre Privatsphäre gegen Effizienz eintauschen,** [behauptet](https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/tony-blair-id-cards/) Tony Blair. Der Ex-Premier drängte kürzlich erneut auf digitale Identitäten und Gesichtserkennung. Blair ist Gründer einer [Denkfabrik](https://transition-news.org/blair-institute-durch-vermarktung-von-patientendaten-zu-ki-gestutztem) für globalen Wandel, Anhänger globalistischer Technokratie und [«moderner Infrastruktur»](https://transition-news.org/tony-blair-digitale-id-fur-moderne-infrastruktur-unerlasslich-erfordert-aber).
**Abschließend warnt der** ***OffGuardian*** **vor der Illusion, Trump und Musk würden** den US-Bürgern «diesen Schlamassel ersparen». Das Department of Government Efficiency werde sich auf die digitale Identität stürzen. Was könne schließlich «effizienter» sein als eine einzige App, die für alles verwendet wird? Der Unterschied bestehe nur darin, dass die US-Version vielleicht eher privat als öffentlich sei – sofern es da überhaupt noch einen wirklichen Unterschied gebe.
*\[Titelbild: Screenshot* *[OffGuardian](https://off-guardian.org/2025/02/26/coming-soon-the-european-digital-identity-wallet/)]*
***
Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf ***[Transition News](https://transition-news.org/demnachst-verfugbar-die-europaische-brieftasche-fur-digitale-identitaten)*** erschienen.
-

@ fe02e8ec:f07fbe0b
2025-03-31 14:43:22
\
Und genau dafür wirst auch du gedrillt werden: Menschen zu jagen und töten. Unbekannte, die auch nicht wissen, was sie hier tun. Oder Unschuldige, die nicht rechtzeitig fliehen konnten. Einfach töten. Alle. Ohne zu fragen. Denn das ist deine Aufgabe, Soldat: **Töte Menschen!**
Egal, was du vorher warst, Heizungsmonteur, KFZ-Mechaniker, Veganer, Marketing-Manager, Friseur, Verkäufer, Kindergärtner: Es ist egal. Jetzt musst du töten. Denn du hast mitgemacht. Entweder, weil du es nicht ernst genommen hast, weil du dich nie für Politik interessiert hast. Oder weil du gedacht hast, das alles betrifft dich nicht. Weil du gedacht hast, Wahlen könnten etwas verändern. Oder weil du immer das Maul gehalten hast, damit dich keiner als «Rechter» bezeichnet. Egal. Jetzt musst du töten. Das ist das Spiel.
Ja, es ist ein Spiel. Grausam, abartig, menschenverachtend. Dennoch hat es Regeln: Diejenigen, die das Spiel beginnen, müssen niemals selbst auf das Schlachtfeld. Das ist die erste Regel. Ihre Söhne auch nicht, nicht die Söhne der anderen Politiker, nicht die der EU-Abgeordneten, nicht die der Parteibonzen. Auch nicht die der Banker, der Vorstandsvorsitzenden, der Chefredakteure. Denn alle wissen, wie man das Spiel spielt. Nur du nicht.
Du bist einfach eine Figur auf dem Spielfeld, die es verpasst hat, **NEIN zu sagen, als noch Gelegenheit war.** Jetzt bist du verwandelt worden in eine menschliche Drohne. Wenn sie sagen: töte!, dann tötest du. Denken kannst du, wenn alles vorbei ist. Falls du je wieder nach Hause kommst. Vielleicht sogar mit beiden Beinen und beiden Armen. Vielleicht auch nicht. Egal. Wer hätte Mitleid mit einer Spielfigur?
Nein, du musst töten. Das ist deine Aufgabe. Sie sagen es nun schon seit Monaten, warum glaubst du es nicht? Sie meinen es ernst. Wenn du den Brief in Händen hältst ist es zu spät. Es gilt dann das Notstandsrecht und keiner kann mehr verweigern. Da hättest du dich vorher drum kümmern müssen. Oder auf eine Demo gehen. Oder laut und mit klarer Stimme in jedem Gespräch den Wahnsinn anprangern. Hast du aber nicht.
**Jetzt musst du töten oder du wirst getötet.** Das ist das Spiel. Du hättest selbst denken können. Hast du aber nicht. Hast deine Zeit mit sinnlosen Videos vertan, Netflix geguckt und hast Influencerinnen geliked. Die müssen nicht an die Front. Aber du. Morgen, wenn du aufstehst, die Uniform anziehst und rausgehst, dann wirst du Befehle ausführen oder erschossen werden. Also wirst du Menschen töten. Dein Leben wird nie wieder so sein, wie zuvor. **Dein Schmerz, deine Schuld, dein Leid**: sie gehen ein in die unendliche Reihe der Soldaten, die seit Jahrhunderten dasselbe Schicksal erlitten. Deren Schreie noch immer durch den ewigen Raum hallen. Deren Opfer von den Herren des Spiels mit einem Lächeln entgegengenommen wurde. Deren Gliedmaßen auf den Schlachtfeldern liegen geblieben waren. Zum Dank erhielten sie eine Medaille. Ein Stück Blech für den rechten Arm, einen Grabstein für den Vater, den Bruder, den Sohn. Für das Vaterland. Für Europa. Für die Demokratie. Der Hohn tropft aus jedem Politikerwort, doch **die Menschen glauben noch immer die uralte Geschichte von Freund und Feind, von Gut und Böse**.
")
\
**Wer nicht aufwachen will muss töten.** Du. Nicht am Bildschirm. In der echten Welt. Wo man nicht auf Replay drücken kann. Wo man den Gegner nicht nach links oder rechts swipen kann, denn er ist echt, real, lebendig. Noch. Entweder er oder du. Jetzt ist es zu spät für Entscheidungen. Kannst du es spüren? Die Work-Life Balance wird zur Kill-or-be-Killed balance. Es gibt kein Entrinnen. Denn du hast mitgemacht. Schweigen ist Zustimmung. Sich-nicht-drumkümmern ist Zustimmung. Kriegsparteien zu wählen ist noch mehr Zustimmung.
**Heute.**
**Heute lässt sich noch etwas ändern.**
Es hat nichts zu tun mit rechts oder links. Nur mit Menschlichkeit versus Hass, Macht und dem ganz großen Geld. Das sind die Gründe, für die du töten oder sterben musst.
**Wie entscheidest du dich?**
-

@ f3873798:24b3f2f3
2025-03-02 13:12:10

Olá meus caros leitores, estou fazendo um guia voltados aos Brasileiros aqui do Nostr. Vejo que há muito conteúdo em inglês que infelizmente não é traduzido para o português. Por este motivo tomei a iniciativa de começa com este artigo.
Espero que gostem deste artigo, que tenham uma ótima leitura.
# Bem-vindos ao Mundo Nostr !!
Acredito que todos que estão aqui sabem um pouco sobre o Nostr e que é uma rede social descentralizada, local onde você pode postar sem medo de represarias governamentais [ditatoriais].
Mas, vocês conheçem como o Nostr funciona e todas as ferramentas que vocês têm disponível neste ecossistema?
Poisé, acho que não.
O Nostr é um protocolo de comunição descentralizada muito versátil, isso quer dizer que não está limitado a um tipo de "rede social", nele é possível fazer Blogs, streaming, podcast e até mesmo e-mails com autonomia total do usuário.
Meus caros, isso é liberdade total, sem ficar na mão de bigtech como Microsoft, Apple, Google.
Para ficar mais claro darei um exemplo para vocês:
Imagine você criando uma conta no Youtube, você deve aceitar as Diretrizes impostas pela google no uso do **SEU CANAL**, por mais que você tenha autonomia na produção do **SEU CONTEÚDO**, determinadas palavras e termos não podem ser usadas, ou seja, **O GOOGLE DETERMINA O QUE VOCÊ PODE OU NÃO FAZER NO SEU CANAL**.
Veja que é uma liberdade parcial no processo de criação de conteúdo.
Já no Nostr, o seu canal é completamente seu. Não há nenhuma entidade, empresa responsável pelo seu conteúdo a não ser você.

## O Mundo Nostr e sua funcionalidades
No nostr você terá acesso a uma diversidade de aplicativos para cada objetivo de uso.
Mas, antes de abordar sobre os diversos layouts e funcionalidades do Nostr é necessário aprender o básico deste universo.
> ***Em primeiro lugar:*** É necessário que vocês saibam que a partir do momento que vocês criaram um conta aqui, independente do "cliente" ou "distro como o pessoal que gosta de fazer analogia com o Linux", vocês recebem duas importantes chaves ! A **chave privada** e a **chave pública**.

A **Chave privada**, também chamada de chave secreta é o acesso ilimitado a sua conta, ou seja, é a partir dela que poderá produzir conteúdos em geral neste mundo. Ela te dará acesso a todos os rercusos do Nostr, portanto é importante que esteja muito segura.
A **Chave pública**, você ver como os outros usuários ver o seu perfil e o seu conteúdo. Ela é uma importante chave para que as pessoas possam ter acesso aos conteúdo que vocês públicam, ou seja, é atráves dela que você poderá compartilhar o seu perfil para que seu público tenha acesso ao seu mundo.
Dito isso vamos conhecer os apps e os chamados clientes Nostr.
### O que são clientes Nostr?
Clientes são as várias maneiras de interagir com o protocolo Nostr [fonte: Nostr.com]
É semelhante ao Sistema Operacional Linux que tem várias distro com diferentes layout para o mesmo Sistema.
Vejamos as principais para que vocês tenham uma noção da amplitude do protocolo.
- **Damus:** é um app para celulares IOS terem acesso ao NOSTR, tem formato de rede social, como Primal e o Amethyst.
- **Primal** é um app versátil serve tanto para celulares IOS, Android e PCs, também tem formato de rede social, porém você pode abrir uma carteira lightning bitcoin exclusiva deste app, facilitando muito os micropagamentos em satoshis pela rede.
- **Amethyst**, assim como o Damus é para o IOS o Amethsy é para o Android, sou suspeita para falar sobre este clientes, pois é o meu favorito. Além de várias possibilidades de edição de texto, ele tem diversas funcionalidade incluídas, como *****Guia Mercado***** onde você pode comercializar produtos pela rede, tem como intergrar com outros apps de streaming, formar grupos temáticos etc.
- **OXchat** não é exatamente uma rede social tem um layout que lembra um pouco o Whatsapp ou Telegram, serve como uma rede de interação instantânea, tem diversos recursos que achei mais interessante é a lousa, onde é possível interagir no grupo com desenhos etc.
- **Yakihonne** que é justamente o cliente que estou usando para construir este artigo. Como usuário posso dizer que ele tem um foco para criação de Blogs no protocolo Nostr, lembrando que cada cliente tem um layout diferente, ou seja, uso de templates para definir a estrutura do seu blog é meio limitado [ressalva assim como vocês sou iniciante do Nostr, pode ser que tenha como determinar um layout próprio, mas eu mesma não sei como]
Há muitos outros clientes disponíveis para acessar e experimentar e conhecer todos eu recomendo o site: [Nostrapps]( https://nostrapps.com/##all)
Agora que você leu este pequeno guia, se divirta aqui no nostr e não se esqueça de apoia a gente.
Até Mais !!
-

@ b2d670de:907f9d4a
2025-02-28 16:39:38
# onion-service-nostr-relays
A list of nostr relays exposed as onion services.
## The list
| Relay name | Description | Onion url | Operator | Payment URL | Payment options |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| nostr.oxtr.dev | Same relay as clearnet relay nostr.oxtr.dev | ws://oxtrdevav64z64yb7x6rjg4ntzqjhedm5b5zjqulugknhzr46ny2qbad.onion | [operator](nostr:nprofile1qqst94nsmefmya53crp5qq39kewrtgndqcynhnzp7j8lcu0qjple6jspz3mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wcq3gamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7jxrgyy) | N/A | N/A |
| relay.snort.social | Same relay as clearnet relay relay.snort.social | wss://skzzn6cimfdv5e2phjc4yr5v7ikbxtn5f7dkwn5c7v47tduzlbosqmqd.onion | [operator](nostr:nprofile1qqsx8lnrrrw9skpulctgzruxm5y7rzlaw64tcf9qpqww9pt0xvzsfmgpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejszxrhwden5te0wfjkccte9eekummjwsh8xmmrd9skct9tyup) | N/A | N/A |
| nostr.thesamecat.io | Same relay as clearnet relay nostr.thesamecat.io | ws://2jsnlhfnelig5acq6iacydmzdbdmg7xwunm4xl6qwbvzacw4lwrjmlyd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1wtuh24gpuxjyvnmjwlvxzg8k0elhasagfmmgz0x8vp4ltcy8ples54e7js) | N/A | N/A |
| nostr.land | The nostr.land paid relay (same as clearnet) | ws://nostrland2gdw7g3y77ctftovvil76vquipymo7tsctlxpiwknevzfid.onion | [operator](nostr:npub12262qa4uhw7u8gdwlgmntqtv7aye8vdcmvszkqwgs0zchel6mz7s6cgrkj) | [Payment URL](http://nostrland2gdw7g3y77ctftovvil76vquipymo7tsctlxpiwknevzfid.onion) | BTC LN |
| bitcoiner.social | No auth required, currently | ws://bitcoinr6de5lkvx4tpwdmzrdfdpla5sya2afwpcabjup2xpi5dulbad.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1an3nz7lczcunpdw6ltjst94hgzcxpppnk7zk3zr2nfcj4yd96kdse6twjd) | N/A | N/A |
| relay.westernbtc.com | The westernbtc.com paid relay | ws://westbtcebhgi4ilxxziefho6bqu5lqwa5ncfjefnfebbhx2cwqx5knyd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1pc57ls4rad5kvsp733suhzl2d4u9y7h4upt952a2pucnalc59teq33dmza) | [Payment URL](hjar34h5zwgtvxr345q7rncso3dhdaryuxgri3lu7lbhmnzvin72z5ad.onion) | BTC LN |
| freelay.sovbit.host | Free relay for sovbit.host | ws://sovbitm2enxfr5ot6qscwy5ermdffbqscy66wirkbsigvcshumyzbbqd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1gnwpctdec0aa00hfy4lvadftu08ccs9677mr73h9ddv2zvw8fu9smmerrq) | N/A | N/A |
| nostr.sovbit.host | Paid relay for sovbit.host | ws://sovbitgz5uqyh7jwcsudq4sspxlj4kbnurvd3xarkkx2use3k6rlibqd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1gnwpctdec0aa00hfy4lvadftu08ccs9677mr73h9ddv2zvw8fu9smmerrq) | N/A | N/A |
| nostr.wine | 🍷 [nostr.wine](https://nostr.wine) relay | ws://nostrwinemdptvqukjttinajfeedhf46hfd5bz2aj2q5uwp7zros3nad.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1fyvwkve2gxm3h2d8fvwuvsnkell4jtj4zpae8w4w8zhn2g89t96s0tsfuk) | [Payment URL](http://nostrwinemdptvqukjttinajfeedhf46hfd5bz2aj2q5uwp7zros3nad.onion) | BTC LN, BTC, Credit Card/CashApp (Stripe) |
| inbox.nostr.wine | 🍷 [inbox.nostr.wine](https://inbox.nostr.wine) relay | ws://wineinboxkayswlofkugkjwhoyi744qvlzdxlmdvwe7cei2xxy4gc6ad.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1fyvwkve2gxm3h2d8fvwuvsnkell4jtj4zpae8w4w8zhn2g89t96s0tsfuk) | [Payment URL](http://wineinboxkayswlofkugkjwhoyi744qvlzdxlmdvwe7cei2xxy4gc6ad.onion) | BTC LN, BTC |
| filter.nostr.wine | 🍷 [filter.nostr.wine](https://filter.nostr.wine) proxy relay | ws://winefiltermhqixxzmnzxhrmaufpnfq3rmjcl6ei45iy4aidrngpsyid.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1fyvwkve2gxm3h2d8fvwuvsnkell4jtj4zpae8w4w8zhn2g89t96s0tsfuk) | [Payment URL](http://nostrwinemdptvqukjttinajfeedhf46hfd5bz2aj2q5uwp7zros3nad.onion/add-time) | BTC LN, BTC |
| N/A | N/A | ws://pzfw4uteha62iwkzm3lycabk4pbtcr67cg5ymp5i3xwrpt3t24m6tzad.onion:81 | [operator](nostr:nprofile1q9z8wue69uhky6t5vdhkjmnjxejx2dtvddm8sdr5wpmkgmt6wfjxversd3sn2umevyexzenhwp3kzcn2w4cry7rsdy6kgatvvfskgtn0de5k7m30q9z8wue69uhk77r5wfjx2anpwcmrg73kx3ukydmcxeex5ee5de685ut2dpjkgmf4vg6h56n3w4k82emtde585u35xeh8jvn3vfskgtn0de5k7m30qqs93v545xjl0w8865rhw7kte0mkjxst88rk3k3xj53q4zdxm2zu5ectdn2z6) | N/A | N/A |
| nostr.fractalized.net | Free relay for fractalized.net | ws://xvgox2zzo7cfxcjrd2llrkthvjs5t7efoalu34s6lmkqhvzvrms6ipyd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1ky4kxtyg0uxgw8g5p5mmedh8c8s6sqny6zmaaqj44gv4rk0plaus3m4fd2) | N/A | N/A |
| nfrelay.app | [nfrelay.app](https://nfrelay.app) aggregator relay (nostr-filter-relay) | ws://nfrelay6saohkmipikquvrn6d64dzxivhmcdcj4d5i7wxis47xwsriyd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub19dn7fq9hlxwjsdtgf28hyakcdmd73cccaf2u7a7vl42echey7ezs2hwja7) | N/A | N/A
| relay.nostr.net | Public relay from nostr.net (Same as clearnet) | ws://nostrnetl6yd5whkldj3vqsxyyaq3tkuspy23a3qgx7cdepb4564qgqd.onion | [operator](https://nostr.at/aljaz@nostr.si) | N/A | N/A |
| nerostrator | Free to read, pay XMR to relay | ws://nerostrrgb5fhj6dnzhjbgmnkpy2berdlczh6tuh2jsqrjok3j4zoxid.onion | [operator](nostr:npub19j7zhftjfjnep4xa7zxhevschkqdvem9zr26dq4myhu6d62p3gqs3htnca) |[Payment URL](http://nerostrrgb5fhj6dnzhjbgmnkpy2berdlczh6tuh2jsqrjok3j4zoxid.onion) | XMR |
| nostr.girino.org | Public relay from nostr.girino.org | ws://gnostr2jnapk72mnagq3cuykfon73temzp77hcbncn4silgt77boruid.onion | [operator](nostr:npub18lav8fkgt8424rxamvk8qq4xuy9n8mltjtgztv2w44hc5tt9vets0hcfsz) | N/A | N/A |
| wot.girino.org | WoT relay from wot.girino.org | ws://girwot2koy3kvj6fk7oseoqazp5vwbeawocb3m27jcqtah65f2fkl3yd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub18lav8fkgt8424rxamvk8qq4xuy9n8mltjtgztv2w44hc5tt9vets0hcfsz) | N/A | N/A |
| haven.girino.org/{outbox, inbox, chat, private} | Haven smart relay from haven.girino.org | ws://ghaven2hi3qn2riitw7ymaztdpztrvmm337e2pgkacfh3rnscaoxjoad.onion/{outbox, inbox, chat, private} | [operator](nostr:npub18lav8fkgt8424rxamvk8qq4xuy9n8mltjtgztv2w44hc5tt9vets0hcfsz) | N/A | N/A |
| relay.nostpy.lol | Free Web of Trust relay (Same as clearnet) | ws://pemgkkqjqjde7y2emc2hpxocexugbixp42o4zymznil6zfegx5nfp4id.onion | [operator](nostr:nprofile1qy08wumn8ghj7mn0wd68yttsw43zuam9d3kx7unyv4ezumn9wshszxrhwden5te0dehhxarj9enx6apwwa5h5tnzd9az7qpqg5pm4gf8hh7skp2rsnw9h2pvkr32sdnuhkcx9yte7qxmrg6v4txqr5amve) |N/A | N/A |
| Poster.place Nostr Relay | N/A | ws://dmw5wbawyovz7fcahvguwkw4sknsqsalffwctioeoqkvvy7ygjbcuoad.onion | [operator](nostr:nprofile1qqsr836yylem9deatcu08ekfj8qj9f2aypq8ydt0w8dyng8zp8akjsqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds6xxx6y) | N/A | N/A |
| Azzamo Relay | [Azzamo](https://azzamo.net/relays/) Premium Nostr relay. (paid) | ws://q6a7m5qkyonzb5fk5yv4jyu3ar44hqedn7wjopg737lit2ckkhx2nyid.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1jjn20zj6awa6gz73423zxjqszvkzmqqyhwghwctvgy7ncrwlxg8qdavknm) | [Payment URL](https://azzamo.net/pay) | BTC LN |
| Azzamo Inbox Relay | [Azzamo](https://azzamo.net/inbox-relay/) Group and Private message relay. (Freemium) | ws://gp5kiwqfw7t2fwb3rfts2aekoph4x7pj5pv65re2y6hzaujsxewanbqd.onion | [operator](nostr:npub1jjn20zj6awa6gz73423zxjqszvkzmqqyhwghwctvgy7ncrwlxg8qdavknm) | [Payment URL](https://azzamo.net/pay) | BTC LN |
| Noderunners Relay | The official [Noderunners](https://noderunners.network) Nostr Relay. | ws://35vr3xigzjv2xyzfyif6o2gksmkioppy4rmwag7d4bqmwuccs2u4jaid.onion | [operator](nostr:nprofile1qqsqarzpaw2xv4cc36n092krdsj78yll7n2pfx5rv7fzp4n9jhlsl2spz3mhxue69uhhwmm59esh57npd4hjumn9wsq3gamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tqd6ns) | [Payment URL](https://noderunners.azzamo.net) | BTC LN |
## Contributing
Contributions are encouraged to keep this document alive. Just open a PR and I'll have it tested and merged. The onion URL is the only mandatory column, the rest is just nice-to-have metadata about the relay. Put `N/A` in empty columns.
If you want to contribute anonymously, please contact me on [SimpleX](https://simplex.chat/contact#/?v=2&smp=smp%3A%2F%2F0YuTwO05YJWS8rkjn9eLJDjQhFKvIYd8d4xG8X1blIU%3D%40smp8.simplex.im%2FZ_4q0Nv91wCk8Uekyiaas7NSr-nEDir7%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-2%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAvdSLn5QEwrfKQswQGTzlwtXeLMXbzxErv-zOJU6D0y8%253D%26srv%3Dbeccx4yfxxbvyhqypaavemqurytl6hozr47wfc7uuecacjqdvwpw2xid.onion) or send a DM on nostr using a disposable npub.
### Operator column
It is generally preferred to use something that includes a NIP-19 string, either just the string or a url that contains the NIP-19 string in it (e.g. an njump url).
-

@ a95c6243:d345522c
2025-03-01 10:39:35
*Ständige Lügen und Unterstellungen, permanent falsche Fürsorge* *\
können Bausteine von emotionaler Manipulation sein. Mit dem Zweck,* *\
Macht und Kontrolle über eine andere Person auszuüben.* *\
Apotheken Umschau*  
**Irgendetwas muss passiert sein: «Gaslighting» ist gerade Thema** in vielen Medien. Heute bin ich nach längerer Zeit mal wieder über dieses Stichwort gestolpert. Das war in einem [Artikel](https://norberthaering.de/propaganda-zensur/dwd-referenzperiode/) von Norbert Häring über Manipulationen des Deutschen Wetterdienstes (DWD). In diesem Fall ging es um eine Pressemitteilung vom Donnerstag zum «viel zu warmen» Winter 2024/25.
**Häring wirft der Behörde vor, dreist zu lügen und Dinge auszulassen,** um die Klimaangst wach zu halten. Was der Leser beim DWD nicht erfahre, sei, dass dieser Winter kälter als die drei vorangegangenen und kälter als der Durchschnitt der letzten zehn Jahre gewesen sei. Stattdessen werde der falsche Eindruck vermittelt, es würde ungebremst immer wärmer.
**Wem also der zu Ende gehende Winter eher kalt vorgekommen sein sollte,** mit dessen Empfinden stimme wohl etwas nicht. Das jedenfalls wolle der DWD uns einreden, so der Wirtschaftsjournalist. Und damit sind wir beim Thema Gaslighting.
**Als** **[Gaslighting](https://bayern-gegen-gewalt.de/gewalt-infos-und-einblicke/formen-von-gewalt/psychische-gewalt/gaslighting/)** **wird eine Form psychischer Manipulation bezeichnet,** mit der die Opfer desorientiert und zutiefst verunsichert werden, indem ihre eigene Wahrnehmung als falsch bezeichnet wird. Der Prozess führt zu Angst und Realitätsverzerrung sowie zur Zerstörung des Selbstbewusstseins. Die Bezeichnung kommt von dem britischen Theaterstück «Gas Light» aus dem Jahr 1938, in dem ein Mann mit grausamen Psychotricks seine Frau in den Wahnsinn treibt.
**Damit Gaslighting funktioniert, muss das Opfer dem Täter vertrauen.** Oft wird solcher Psychoterror daher im privaten oder familiären Umfeld beschrieben, ebenso wie am Arbeitsplatz. Jedoch eignen sich die Prinzipien auch perfekt zur Manipulation der Massen. Vermeintliche Autoritäten wie Ärzte und Wissenschaftler, oder «der fürsorgliche Staat» und Institutionen wie die UNO oder die WHO wollen uns doch nichts Böses. Auch Staatsmedien, Faktenchecker und diverse NGOs wurden zu «vertrauenswürdigen Quellen» erklärt. Das hat seine Wirkung.
**Warum das Thema Gaslighting derzeit scheinbar so populär ist,** vermag ich nicht zu sagen. Es sind aber gerade in den letzten Tagen und Wochen auffällig viele Artikel dazu erschienen, und zwar nicht nur von Psychologen. Die *Frankfurter Rundschau* hat gleich mehrere publiziert, und [Anwälte](https://www.anwalt.de/rechtstipps/gaslighting-beispiele-anzeichen-strafbarkeit-212449.html) interessieren sich dafür offenbar genauso wie Apotheker.
**Die** ***Apotheken Umschau*** **machte sogar auf** **[«Medical Gaslighting»](https://archive.is/Wx5YM)** **aufmerksam.** Davon spreche man, wenn Mediziner Symptome nicht ernst nähmen oder wenn ein gesundheitliches Problem vom behandelnden Arzt «schnöde heruntergespielt» oder abgetan würde. Kommt Ihnen das auch irgendwie bekannt vor? Der Begriff sei allerdings irreführend, da er eine manipulierende Absicht unterstellt, die «nicht gewährleistet» sei.
**Apropos Gaslighting: Die noch amtierende deutsche Bundesregierung** [meldete](https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/service/newsletter-und-abos/bundesregierung-aktuell/ausgabe-08-2025-februar-28-2336254?view=renderNewsletterHtml) heute, es gelte, «weiter \[sic!] gemeinsam daran zu arbeiten, einen gerechten und dauerhaften Frieden für die Ukraine zu erreichen». Die Ukraine, wo sich am Montag «der völkerrechtswidrige Angriffskrieg zum dritten Mal jährte», [verteidige](https://transition-news.org/wikileaks-der-westen-wusste-dass-ein-nato-beitritt-der-ukraine-riskant-war) ihr Land und «unsere gemeinsamen Werte».
**Merken Sie etwas? Das Demokratieverständnis mag ja tatsächlich** inzwischen in beiden Ländern ähnlich traurig sein. Bezüglich Friedensbemühungen ist meine Wahrnehmung jedoch eine andere. Das muss an meinem Gedächtnis liegen.
***
Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf ***[Transition News](https://transition-news.org/bitte-nicht-von-gaslichtern-irritieren-lassen)*** erschienen.
-

@ 0d1702d6:8f1ac66f
2025-03-31 10:45:57
*Als Verrücktheit bezeichnen* \
*wir die chronische Entwicklung* \
*eines dauernden Wahnsystems* \
*bei vollkommener Erhaltung* \
*der Besonnenheit.*
**Psychiater Emil Kraepelin 1893**
Es ist **Teil des westlichen Wahnsystems** anzunehmen, Russland habe aus imperialen Absichten heraus 2022 mit nur 130.000 Soldaten die Grenze zur Ukraine überschritten, um so die gesamte Ukraine und später wohlmöglich Westeuropa militärisch einzunehmen, wie z.B. der deutsche Kriegsminister Pistorius seit 2023 suggerierte.
Nachdem die USA bereits 2014 die berechtigten Anti-Korruptions-Proteste der Ukrainer auf dem Maidan durch massive Unterstützung für einen illegalen Putsch gegen die russlandfreundliche Regierung im Sinne des von den USA gewünschten Regimewechsels manipuliert hatten, rüsteten sie in den folgenden Jahren die Ukraine massiv auf, trainierten ihre Soldaten, bauten mehr als einen Stützpunkt und machten die zwischen Ost & West hin- und hergerissene Ukraine so zielgerichtet unterhalb offizieller NATO-Mitgliedschaft schon zu einem kampfstarken eng befreundeten Partner, dessen Krieg gegen seine eigene russisch-stämmige Bevölkerung im rohstoffreichen Donbass die NATO unter Führung der USA somit auch direkt und indirekt unterstützte.
Nachdem der Westen den Russen bei der Wiedervereinigung Deutschlands versprochen hatte, die NATO keinen Zentimeter nach Osten vorzuschieben und stattdessen ein gemeinsames europäisches Sicherheits-System unter Einbeziehung Russlands gemeinsam zu entwickeln, brachen wir diese Zusicherung mit den NATO-Osterweiterungen ab 1999 mehrfach bis heute.
Russland zeigte sich bei seiner zunehmenden Umzingelung durch NATO-Staaten wesentlich nachsichtiger als es umgekehrt die USA schon bei russischen wenigen Raketen auf Kuba 1962 jemals waren und heute sein würden!
Zugleich hatte Russland seit Beginn der NATO-Osterweiterung immer unmissverständlich klar gemacht, dass es eine Stationierung von NATO-Truppen & Raketen in der Ukraine niemals tolerieren würde. Der damalige US-Senator und 2022 US-Präsident Biden sagte schon Ende der 90'er Jahre öffentlich, man werde auf diesen Wunsch der – nach Meinung von US-Geostrategen viel zu schwächen – Russen keine Rücksicht nehmen und erwarte, dass ihnen irgendwann die Nerven ob dieser provokativen Umzingelung durchgingen…
Folgerichtig simulierten die USA und die Europäer - wie Angela Merkel bereits öffentlich eingestanden - nur Verhandlungen über die Abkommen Minsk I und II, damit genügend Zeit blieb die Ukraine aufzurüsten und diese dann einen starken militärischen Schlag gegen die russisch stämmige Bevölkerung im Donbass und die russischen Soldaten auf der Krim ausführen konnte, ein Szenario, welches Anfang 2022 durch einen Truppenaufmarsch auch auf ukrainischer Seite weit fortgeschritten vorbereitet war, bevor im Februar 2022 die russische Armee die Grenze zur Ukraine überschritt.\
\
Trotz alledem kamen schon im April 2022 Unterhändler der Ukraine und Russlands in Ankara zur Übereinkunft eines Waffenstillstandes und Friedensplans (!), der dann allerdings von dem damaligen britischen Premierminister Boris Johnson – in Kooperation mit Joe Biden – durch einen Besuch in Kiew mit dem Versprechen von grenzenlosen Waffenlieferungen \
& logistischer Unterstützung durch die USA und Westeuropa „abgetrieben“ wurde.\
\
Zunächst wurden diese Tatsachen wie üblich öffentlich in deutschen und europäischen Medien als „Verschwörungstheorie“ diffamiert, bis sie in den folgenden Monaten jedoch langsam selbst in die Mainstream-Medien Deutschlands, Europas wie den USA einsickerten.\
\
**Zwischenfazit:**\
Nachdem die USA ihre so und so viel gewählte globale „Regime Change“ Operation auf dem Maidan schon 10 Jahre lang vorbereitet hatten, gelang ihnen im Jahr 2014 tatsächlich zunächst einen pro-westlichen illegalen Putschpräsidenten, danach auch weitere pro-westliche Präsidenten zu installieren und einem Teil der Weltöffentlichkeit, vor allem aber ihren „Freunden“ im Westen einzureden, die „bösen Russen“ hätten diesen Krieg quasi aus dem Nichts heraus (ohne lange Vorgeschichte!) und trotz Verhandlungen (welche realen statt nur simulierten Verhandlungen?) vom Zaun gebrochen...\
\
Damit war ihr seit über 30 Jahren offen formuliertes geostrategisches Kalkül, \
die Schwäche der Russen nach Auflösung des Warschauer Paktes auszunutzen, sie mit der NATO zu umzingeln und bei Widerstand dann eben in einem kräftezehrenden Krieg stark zu schwächen und damit ein für alle Male als ökonomische Konkurrenten in Europa auszuschalten scheinbar aufgegangen...\
\
Das paranoide alte und zugleich kindliche „Freund/Feind Schema“ hatte seinen Dienst verrichtet und das „imperiale Böse“ konnte bequem auf „Putin und die Russen“ projiziert werden. 
\
**Schizophren** ist dies auch deswegen, weil mit zweierlei Maß gemessen wurde und wird, denn niemals würden die USA auch nur eine russische Rakete auf Kuba tolerieren und gehen selber - ganz anders als Russland - global weit über die eigene Grenzsicherung hinaus, indem sie sich anmaßen, den gesamten Globus mit fast 800 Militärbasen zu überziehen und je nach Bedarf Kriege zu führen, wenn es ihnen zur Sicherung ihrer Rohstoffe - für auch unseren westlichen Lebensstil - und/oder geostrategischen Macht opportun und machbar erscheint.\
\
Deutschland spielt seit 2022 die naive und mehr als traurige Vorreiterrolle eines unterwürfigen Vasallen der so tut, als würde unsere Freiheit durch gegenseitigen Mord und Totschlag von Hunderttausenden junger Ukrainer und Russen in der Ukraine verteidigt, eine äußerst perverse und dümmliche Vorstellung ohne historische geschweige denn geo-strategische Kenntnisse und Erfahrungswerte.\
\
Demgegenüber ist klar: Es gibt nur EINE Sicherheit in Europa für alle vom Atlantik bis hinter den Ural, oder es gibt KEINE Sicherheit für Niemanden, \
wenn wir nicht die berechtigten Sicherheitsinteressen der Russen ernst nehmen, die wir, d.h. die unsere Väter und Großväter bereits im 20.Jahrhundert rücksichtslos überfallen, mit Krieg überzogen und ermordet haben.\
\
John F. Kennedy und Nikita S. Chruschtschow waren 1962 im historischen Gegenstück zum „Ukrainekrieg“, der „Kubakrise“, weise genug einen Weltkrieg durch gegenseitige Zugeständnisse zu verhindern.
**Wo sind die Politiker von Format, die in ihre Fußstapfen treten?**\
\
Es wäre eine bitterböse Farce, wenn ausgerechnet ein autoritärer Oligarchen-Präsident wie Donald Trump die Weisheit hätte, diesen Schritt zu tun...\
\
Zugleich wäre die öffentliche Bankrott-Erklärung aller europäischen Politiker, \
die sich als viel demokratischer, sachlicher und menschlicher ansehen \
und ihre eigene dramatische Fehlleistung wohl niemals eingestehen...\
\
Allein die politische wie mediale Empörungswelle in Deutschland, als Trump und Putin ganz offenlegten, wer denn in diesem Krieg das Sagen hat, \
lässt Schlimmstes befürchten. Obwohl aus gut unterrichteten Diplomatenkreisen längst durchgesickert ist, dass im Prinzip die gesamte Analyse hier unter Diplomaten anerkannt und ziemlich nah an den Tatsachen ist, gehört nicht viel Lebenserfahrung dazu zu wissen, dass die meisten der ach so mächtigen westeuropäischen Politiker dies nie zugeben werden...
-

@ 460c25e6:ef85065c
2025-02-25 15:20:39
If you don't know where your posts are, you might as well just stay in the centralized Twitter. You either take control of your relay lists, or they will control you. Amethyst offers several lists of relays for our users. We are going to go one by one to help clarify what they are and which options are best for each one.
## Public Home/Outbox Relays
Home relays store all YOUR content: all your posts, likes, replies, lists, etc. It's your home. Amethyst will send your posts here first. Your followers will use these relays to get new posts from you. So, if you don't have anything there, **they will not receive your updates**.
Home relays must allow queries from anyone, ideally without the need to authenticate. They can limit writes to paid users without affecting anyone's experience.
This list should have a maximum of 3 relays. More than that will only make your followers waste their mobile data getting your posts. Keep it simple. Out of the 3 relays, I recommend:
- 1 large public, international relay: nos.lol, nostr.mom, relay.damus.io, etc.
- 1 personal relay to store a copy of all your content in a place no one can delete. Go to [relay.tools](https://relay.tools/) and never be censored again.
- 1 really fast relay located in your country: paid options like http://nostr.wine are great
Do not include relays that block users from seeing posts in this list. If you do, no one will see your posts.
## Public Inbox Relays
This relay type receives all replies, comments, likes, and zaps to your posts. If you are not getting notifications or you don't see replies from your friends, it is likely because you don't have the right setup here. If you are getting too much spam in your replies, it's probably because your inbox relays are not protecting you enough. Paid relays can filter inbox spam out.
Inbox relays must allow anyone to write into them. It's the opposite of the outbox relay. They can limit who can download the posts to their paid subscribers without affecting anyone's experience.
This list should have a maximum of 3 relays as well. Again, keep it small. More than that will just make you spend more of your data plan downloading the same notifications from all these different servers. Out of the 3 relays, I recommend:
- 1 large public, international relay: nos.lol, nostr.mom, relay.damus.io, etc.
- 1 personal relay to store a copy of your notifications, invites, cashu tokens and zaps.
- 1 really fast relay located in your country: go to [nostr.watch](https://nostr.watch/relays/find) and find relays in your country
Terrible options include:
- nostr.wine should not be here.
- filter.nostr.wine should not be here.
- inbox.nostr.wine should not be here.
## DM Inbox Relays
These are the relays used to receive DMs and private content. Others will use these relays to send DMs to you. **If you don't have it setup, you will miss DMs**. DM Inbox relays should accept any message from anyone, but only allow you to download them.
Generally speaking, you only need 3 for reliability. One of them should be a personal relay to make sure you have a copy of all your messages. The others can be open if you want push notifications or closed if you want full privacy.
Good options are:
- inbox.nostr.wine and auth.nostr1.com: anyone can send messages and only you can download. Not even our push notification server has access to them to notify you.
- a personal relay to make sure no one can censor you. Advanced settings on personal relays can also store your DMs privately. Talk to your relay operator for more details.
- a public relay if you want DM notifications from our servers.
Make sure to add at least one public relay if you want to see DM notifications.
## Private Home Relays
Private Relays are for things no one should see, like your drafts, lists, app settings, bookmarks etc. Ideally, these relays are either local or require authentication before posting AND downloading each user\'s content. There are no dedicated relays for this category yet, so I would use a local relay like Citrine on Android and a personal relay on relay.tools.
Keep in mind that if you choose a local relay only, a client on the desktop might not be able to see the drafts from clients on mobile and vice versa.
## Search relays:
This is the list of relays to use on Amethyst's search and user tagging with @. **Tagging and searching will not work if there is nothing here.**. This option requires NIP-50 compliance from each relay. Hit the Default button to use all available options on existence today:
- nostr.wine
- relay.nostr.band
- relay.noswhere.com
## Local Relays:
This is your local storage. Everything will load faster if it comes from this relay. You should install Citrine on Android and write ws://localhost:4869 in this option.
## General Relays:
This section contains the default relays used to download content from your follows. Notice how you can activate and deactivate the Home, Messages (old-style DMs), Chat (public chats), and Global options in each.
Keep 5-6 large relays on this list and activate them for as many categories (Home, Messages (old-style DMs), Chat, and Global) as possible.
Amethyst will provide additional recommendations to this list from your follows with information on which of your follows might need the additional relay in your list. Add them if you feel like you are missing their posts or if it is just taking too long to load them.
## My setup
Here's what I use:
1. Go to [relay.tools](https://relay.tools/) and create a relay for yourself.
2. Go to [nostr.wine](https://nostr.wine/) and pay for their subscription.
3. Go to [inbox.nostr.wine](https://inbox.nostr.wine/) and pay for their subscription.
4. Go to [nostr.watch](https://nostr.watch/relays/find) and find a good relay in your country.
5. Download Citrine to your phone.
Then, on your relay lists, put:
Public Home/Outbox Relays:
- nostr.wine
- nos.lol or an in-country relay.
- <your.relay>.nostr1.com
Public Inbox Relays
- nos.lol or an in-country relay
- <your.relay>.nostr1.com
DM Inbox Relays
- inbox.nostr.wine
- <your.relay>.nostr1.com
Private Home Relays
- ws://localhost:4869 (Citrine)
- <your.relay>.nostr1.com (if you want)
Search Relays
- nostr.wine
- relay.nostr.band
- relay.noswhere.com
Local Relays
- ws://localhost:4869 (Citrine)
General Relays
- nos.lol
- relay.damus.io
- relay.primal.net
- nostr.mom
And a few of the recommended relays from Amethyst.
## Final Considerations
Remember, relays can see what your Nostr client is requesting and downloading at all times. They can track what you see and see what you like. They can sell that information to the highest bidder, they can delete your content or content that a sponsor asked them to delete (like a negative review for instance) and they can censor you in any way they see fit. Before using any random free relay out there, make sure you trust its operator and you know its terms of service and privacy policies.
-

@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2025-02-27 21:32:12
GA, plebs. The latest episode of Bitcoin And is out, and, as always, the chicanery is running rampant. Let’s break down the biggest topics I covered, and if you want the full, unfiltered rant, make sure to listen to the episode linked below.
## House Democrats’ MEME Act: A Bad Joke?
House Democrats are proposing a bill to ban presidential meme coins, clearly aimed at Trump’s and Melania’s ill-advised token launches. While grifters launching meme coins is bad, this bill is just as ridiculous. If this legislation moves forward, expect a retaliatory strike exposing how politicians like Pelosi and Warren mysteriously amassed their fortunes. Will it pass? Doubtful. But it’s another sign of the government’s obsession with regulating everything except itself.
## Senate Banking’s First Digital Asset Hearing: The Real Target Is You
Cynthia Lummis chaired the first digital asset hearing, and—surprise!—it was all about control. The discussion centered on stablecoins, AML, and KYC regulations, with witnesses suggesting Orwellian measures like freezing stablecoin transactions unless pre-approved by authorities. What was barely mentioned? Bitcoin. They want full oversight of stablecoins, which is really about controlling financial freedom. Expect more nonsense targeting self-custody wallets under the guise of stopping “bad actors.”
## Bank of America and PayPal Want In on Stablecoins
Bank of America’s CEO openly stated they’ll launch a stablecoin as soon as regulation allows. Meanwhile, PayPal’s CEO paid for a hat using Bitcoin—not their own stablecoin, Pi USD. Why wouldn’t he use his own product? Maybe he knows stablecoins aren’t what they’re hyped up to be. Either way, the legacy financial system is gearing up to flood the market with stablecoins, not because they love crypto, but because it’s a tool to extend U.S. dollar dominance.
## MetaPlanet Buys the Dip
Japan’s MetaPlanet issued $13.4M in bonds to buy more Bitcoin, proving once again that institutions see the writing on the wall. Unlike U.S. regulators who obsess over stablecoins, some companies are actually stacking sats.
## UK Expands Crypto Seizure Powers
Across the pond, the UK government is pushing legislation to make it easier to seize and destroy crypto linked to criminal activity. While they frame it as going after the bad guys, it’s another move toward centralized control and financial surveillance.
## Bitcoin Tools & Tech: Arc, SatoChip, and Nunchuk
Some bullish Bitcoin developments: ARC v0.5 is making Bitcoin’s second layer more efficient, SatoChip now supports Taproot and Nostr, and Nunchuk launched a group wallet with chat, making multisig collaboration easier.
## The Bottom Line
The state is coming for financial privacy and control, and stablecoins are their weapon of choice. Bitcoiners need to stay focused, keep their coins in self-custody, and build out parallel systems. Expect more regulatory attacks, but don’t let them distract you—just keep stacking and transacting in ways they can’t control.
**🎧 Listen to the full episode here: [https://fountain.fm/episode/PYITCo18AJnsEkKLz2Ks](Fountain.fm)**
**💰 Support the show by boosting sats on Podcasting 2.0!** and I will see you on the other side.
-

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35
2025-03-31 09:28:36
Rovinj is one of Croatia’s most beautiful coastal towns, known for its colorful Venetian-style buildings, cobblestone streets, and breathtaking sea views. Located on the Istrian Peninsula, Rovinj offers a mix of history, culture, and stunning beaches, making it a perfect getaway for travelers seeking both relaxation and adventure.

## **🌊 Top Things to See & Do in Rovinj**
### **1️⃣ Explore Rovinj Old Town 🏡**
- Wander through **narrow, winding streets** filled with **art galleries, boutique shops, and charming cafés**.
- Discover **Balbi’s Arch**, the old entrance to the city, and the **Clock Tower**.
- Enjoy **stunning sunset views** from the harbor.
### **2️⃣ Visit St. Euphemia’s Church ⛪**
- The **most famous landmark in Rovinj**, located at the highest point of the Old Town.
- Climb the **bell tower** for a **panoramic view** of the Adriatic and nearby islands.
- Learn about **Saint Euphemia**, the town’s patron saint, and her fascinating legend.

### **3️⃣ Relax at Rovinj’s Best Beaches 🏖️**
- **Lone Bay Beach** – A popular spot near Zlatni Rt forest, great for swimming.
- **Mulini Beach** – A stylish beach with a cocktail bar and clear waters.
- **Cuvi Beach** – A quieter, family-friendly pebble beach.
### **4️⃣ Walk or Cycle Through Golden Cape Forest Park (Zlatni Rt) 🌿🚲**
- A **protected nature park** with pine forests, walking trails, and hidden coves.
- Great for **hiking, cycling, and rock climbing**.
- Perfect for a **picnic with sea views**.
### **5️⃣ Take a Boat Trip to Rovinj Archipelago 🛥️**
- Explore **Red Island (Crveni Otok)** – A peaceful getaway with sandy beaches.
- Visit **St. Andrew’s Island**, home to a former Benedictine monastery.
- Sunset **dolphin-watching tours** are a must! 🐬

### **6️⃣ Try Authentic Istrian Cuisine 🍽️**
- **Fuži with truffles** – A local pasta dish with **Istria’s famous truffles**.
- **Istrian seafood platter** – Fresh fish, mussels, and Adriatic shrimp.
- **Olive oil & wine tasting** – Try local **Malvazija (white) and Teran (red) wines**.
### **7️⃣ Visit the Batana House Museum ⛵**
- A **unique museum dedicated to Rovinj’s traditional wooden fishing boats (batanas)**.
- Learn about **local fishing traditions and maritime culture**.
- End the visit with a traditional **batana boat ride at sunset**.

## **🚗 How to Get to Rovinj**
✈️ **By Air:** The nearest airport is **Pula Airport (PUY), 40 km away**.
🚘 **By Car:**
- **From Pula:** ~40 min (40 km)
- **From Zagreb:** ~3 hours (250 km)
- **From Ljubljana (Slovenia):** ~2.5 hours (170 km)
🚌 **By Bus:** Direct buses from **Pula, Rijeka, and Zagreb**.
🚢 **By Ferry:** Seasonal ferries connect Rovinj with **Venice, Italy** (~2.5 hours).

## **💡 Tips for Visiting Rovinj**
✅ **Best time to visit?** **May–September** for warm weather & festivals ☀️
✅ **Wear comfy shoes** – The Old Town streets are made of polished stone & can be slippery 👟
✅ **Book restaurants in advance** – Rovinj is a foodie hotspot, especially in summer 🍷
✅ **Take a sunset walk along the harbor** – One of the most romantic views in Croatia 🌅
✅ **Bring cash** – Some smaller shops and taverns still prefer cash 💶
