They probably refused orders that were especially heinous.

Switzerland stopped payments for the Patriot air defence system in the autumn. This is because the delivery is delayed by years. Now research by SRF shows: The payment freeze is ineffective. The US is diverting Swiss fighter jet money on a large scale and using it for Patriot. It was intended as a means of exerting pressure: In September, Switzerland stopped payments for the Patriot air defence system. It didn’t help. Since then, the US has simply tapped into the money that Switzerland transfers for the F-35 fighter jet. Armaments chief Urs Loher confirms the research. He also told SRF the exact sum that the US has already diverted from the fighter jet to the Patriot. But under pressure from the US authorities, he is no longer allowed to name the amount. “It’s a low three-digit million amount,” Loher says simply. This means well over 100 million francs. The “small print” makes it possible So the US is circumventing the payment freeze by diverting fighter jet money to Patriot. How is this possible? In the USA, arms deals with foreign countries always go through the state – specifically via the Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS). The USA runs a fund for all Swiss arms purchases within the framework of FMS. Be it for the F-35 or for Patriot: All Swiss payments end up in this fund. If one project lacks money, the US is allowed to access funds for other projects. That’s exactly what the U.S. authorities are doing now: fighter jet money is flowing to Patriot. DDPS must inject additional money “From my point of view, this is very unsatisfactory,” says Armaments Chief Urs Loher. The diversion of funds from the F-35 to Patriot puts pressure on the Department of Defense (DDPS). Because this creates gaps in the F-35. At the end of the year, the DDPS had to transfer several tens of millions of francs for the F-35 to the USA ahead of schedule in order to plug these gaps. The early payments exacerbate existing financial problems: The DDPS currently lacks the money to tackle arms procurements that have already been decided. This year, the US is likely to continue diverting money to Patriot. The payment freeze is ineffective. Armaments chief Loher defends him anyway: It was a political signal. And thanks to the stop, the US would have informed Switzerland more transparently about the years of delays. “Trust in the US suffers” “It’s annoying when we stop payments and then the money is simply reversed,” says SVP Council of States member and security politician Werner Salzmann. The DDPS was apparently not aware that this bypass was possible, criticises his liberal council colleague Josef Dittli. SP National Councillor Priska Seiler-Graf, on the other hand, feels confirmed in her previous demand for a termination of the Patriot procurement. The SP wants to avoid arms purchases in the USA as far as possible. SVP politician Salzmann also says his trust in the US has suffered: “There are more and more problems with the interpretation of FMS contracts. We have to think carefully about whether we want to conclude such contracts at all.” Balance of power speaks against Switzerland Meanwhile, the DDPS is continuing talks with the USA. Armaments chief Loher wants the US to postpone the Patriot payments until later. After all, the delivery is also delayed. The outcome is uncertain, says Loher – but he also says: “The balance of power is pretty clear.”

Tyvm! 🫡

I’m curious to see if they’ll try to buy us off with “stimulus checks…

🤣🤣Forbes says US is insolvent.

Top-notch agitprop 👍

That part.

My immediate thought, as well.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military acknowledged that one of their fighter jets was targeted by a surface-to-air missile fired from Iranian defense systems. In a statement, the Israeli military said the aircraft had departed from bases located in occupied territories with a mission to conduct airstrikes in Iran, specifically targeting areas around Tehran. It further claimed the pilots managed to survive the incident. The United Staes and Israel started a fresh round of aerial aggression on Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country. Iran has responded by launching barrages of missile and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases in regional countries.

“AI will replace some repetitive and routine tasks,” He said in an interview with China News Service. “But more importantly, it will create new jobs with higher value.” According to He, emerging industries are already generating new positions. The development of embodied intelligence requires robot trainers who teach machines how to perform tasks. The building of intelligent-agent ecosystems calls for multi-agent collaboration architects. Meanwhile, the expansion of computing infrastructure is creating demand for green computing schedulers who help allocate computing resources efficiently. “These jobs involve advanced technology and offer competitive salaries,” He said. “They are becoming attractive career options for young people.” AI Reshaping Work and Skills AI is also changing how people work. He noted that future workplaces will not simply replace humans with machines. Instead, people will work alongside intelligent systems. Humans will focus on decision-making, innovation and solving complex problems, while machines handle repetitive tasks and precision operations. He Xiaopeng, chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors and a deputy to the NPC, said the next five years could offer strong opportunities for new graduates. “In the past, companies often preferred experienced employees,” He told China News Service. “But AI is reshaping many industries. Graduates may adapt faster because they are more open to new technologies and new ways of working.”

Meanwhile, in fascist USA, the kleprocratpedos are hell-bent for leather on locking everyone in and hunger games, in as many nation - states as possible.

Damn good post, and I will forgive the ask/threat.

It’s not the most salient point of the article, but this quote lands solid:

As this Iranian lady says, “We stand here to the very last drop of our blood. We won’t submit to neither submission nor negotiations. We’re only here to avenge our leader, only this! They have to pay! And they have to pay with their blood. We’re the children of Seyyed Ali. We’ve eaten the bread and salt of this land.” Iran actually has more educated women than America, and they don’t seem to want to be liberated by known sex traffickers.

Edit: although your reply is marked seven hours ago, I only received it in the last two. Perhaps admin can take a look and see if this is a Lemmy issue, since other replies seemed to appear for me in a timely manner.

If seems his red book traces his descent into madness and his ability to reason his way out of it, but that’s an extremely superficial understanding on my part.

Andrew Carnegie’s great manual of professional sociopathy (How to Win Friends). This one is great but it incessantly tries to convince the reader that we can achieve social change by collectively being more true to ourselves without proper organization.

"Professional sociopathy” is exactly correct, and I refuse to read it beyond the first chapter I already read, decades ago. It teaches how to be fake af, and that’s the problem. It teaches how to be true to our basest instincts (ID) and not to the better parts of ourselves, which leads to misery for self and others. That’s why rich sociopaths are never beyond superficially happy, without ever having found the satisfaction of striving to be our best selves, the true selves that long to be free, and it’s exactly why the world is a mess.

Frankly you have to invert much of the advice and use it to mask even harder, but I don’t hold it against the author, since that is what all NGO activism for minority groups is oriented towards.

For all the righteous hate Jung gets, he is bang on in his theory of archetypes (at least for those of us who spent primary socialization and beyond), and shadow. And shadow work is the only thing that has managed to lead me near approximation of my better self, the self that longs for liberation from the prison of my most base instinctive drives. US culture teaches us immediate gratification is desirable, but it’s superficial, and fleeting. Delayed gratification requires hard work and patience, and not least of all maintenance. But the rewards last, as long as we do the work.

Your results may vary, since I’m not familiar with your upbringing or culture. I wish I had something more substantial to offer you.

Same way. Theory doesn’t always immediately translate to praxis, though. For those who started innerstanding late (myself), it will be a lifetime exercise in honing the ability.

With grace.

Ikr? 😅

TF?

No problem.

No need to read too much into anything and it was tongue-in-cheek.

No apology needed! I am just happy to see you again, and hope you are doing well.

Giddy you’re posting again!