John Culver
@johnculver689.bsky.social
Fmr National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, retired CIA analyst. Views solely my own. Likes/reposts are not an endorsement.
We appear to have a new type of Chinese nuclear powered submarine on out hands. The most remarkable aspect about it is its construction at Jiangnan in Shanghai, in a dedicated new facility. A few additional remarks in a quick thread. www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...
New Mystery Submarine Signals China’s Rapid Undersea Expansion
China is launching submarines at a pace unmatched by any other nation. Its latest design, a distinctive and innovative vessel that dispenses with the traditional sail, marks another step in the evolut...
navalnews.com
The big media won't cover any of this.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 5mo agoTrump: "You daughter, she has to be of age. Like above 6 years old."
China probably hopes that the US again becomes bogged down in a long conflict with Iran, but its strategic plans are usually not based on hope. 1/7
Great work by NPR, true investigative journalism. They did the work. It's not NPR's fault that this expose is also crazymaking by reminding us that Biden+Merrick Garland wasted four years, and that countless others covered this up for decades.
NPR@npr.org · 5mo agoAn NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump. n.pr/4qTItsU
This is even stupider than it seems... bsky.app/profile/ayoo...
John Culver@johnculver689.bsky.social · 5mo agoThis is four levels of dementia, pick your flavor. Starting with him thinking the governor of Louisiana has dick all to do with the deployment of a US navy vessel just because that is where a drydock is located.
This is four levels of dementia, pick your flavor. Starting with him thinking the governor of Louisiana has dick all to do with the deployment of a US navy vessel just because that is where a drydock is located.
David S. Bernstein @dbernstein.bsky.social · 5mo agoI foolishly assumed that this Trump post tonight made no sense to me because there is some medical situation in Greenland of which I am uninformed. But so far all the news reports I’ve seen are saying that it is unclear what he is talking about.
Former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of Nato in Europe, General Sir Richard Shirreff (& author of the novel ‚War with Russia’) in an op-ed in the 🇬🇧Mail yesterday: “My message to European leaders is this: America is no longer our ally but a predator and a bully. Stick together and prepare for war.“
GENERAL SIR RICHARD SHIRREFF: US is no longer our ally but a predator
It may have sounded like a joke when in 2019 Trump raised the prospect of acquiring Greenland from the Kingdom of Denmark. But seven years on and the rubber has hit the road.
dailymail.co.uk
I'm free from the need to have opinions on latest developments, so I'd just note that the US op to seize Maduro and declare our sole interest is oil reinforces exactly how Beijing views to US. A reckless declining power breaking laws and norms to maintain primacy.
A day after part of a missile fired by the United States hit their village, landing just meters from its only medical facility, the villagers of Jabo in northwest Nigeria are in a state of shock and confusion.
Fear and confusion in Nigerian village hit in US strike, as locals say no history of ISIS in area | CNN
A day after part of a missile fired by the United States hit their village, landing just meters from its only medical facility, the villagers of Jabo in northwest Nigeria are in a state of shock and c...
cnn.com
Sen. Warner drove this in a couple of days later. Good thing Trump is pre-surrendering to China on tech, Taiwan, human rights. Because in a war, we could be truly screwed. bsky.app/profile/ship...
John Culver@johnculver689.bsky.social · 8mo agoDavid Sanger's NYT analysis of Trump's NSS, there's this nugget... "...and there is barely a mention of the remarkably sophisticated, extensive cyber attacks that have burrowed deeply into American telecommunications and utility systems and stayed there, despite years of efforts to oust them."
David Sanger's NYT analysis of Trump's NSS, there's this nugget... "...and there is barely a mention of the remarkably sophisticated, extensive cyber attacks that have burrowed deeply into American telecommunications and utility systems and stayed there, despite years of efforts to oust them."
Beyond the sheer idiocy, I sincerely hope these frauds get the deflationary spiral they want.
Kai Ryssdal@kairyssdal.bsky.social · 9mo agoHoooooo boy
Dear Subway, Which of your sandwiches has the highest ballistic coefficient? No reason...
Senators displeased with spoiled Colby cheese... Just deservedly brutal. www.defenseone.com/policy/2025/...
Pentagon’s policy shop is a ‘Pigpen-like mess': Sen. Cotton
Senate Armed Services Committee members from both parties question DOD missteps, actions that contravened president’s foreign-policy positions.
defenseone.com
Of course the WaPo editors think this is dandy. What utter shit the paper has become.
mady castigan✨ 🏳️⚧️@mady.cat · 10mo agoThe University of Virginia has capitulated to Trump on transgender and race (affirmative action) issues. The details are currently sparse, but reporting suggests they've agreed to define trans people out of existence and ban trans students from facilities. www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Trump confirms decades of insider reports that he shits his pants, explodes his diaper, and literally smells like shit. And considers himself King Shit.
Steve Herman@newsguy.bsky.social · 10mo agoThe president, on his Truth Social account, posts an AI video portraying him as 'King Trump' piloting a fighter jet which drops shit on 'No Kings' demonstrators. truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...
Leaks about a covert ops finding on Venezuela put this into context. Ellis is the guy back in 2020 they tried to shove into NSA as general counsel before Jan6. Nakasone blocked him. If you name Ellis your top lawyer, you are intending to break a lot of laws, and not just wrt Venezuela.
Allison Gill@muellershewrote.com · 10mo agoAnd not a single mention in the Times about Michael Ellis installing himself as CIA general counsel. Fascinating.
What if Trump calls on the PRC to renounce use of force in exchange for a halt to US arms sales and Trump announces US support for reunification? Still nominating him?
Finbarr Bermingham@fbermingham.bsky.social · 10mo agoTaiwan President Lai Ching-te: "We hope Taiwan will continue to enjoy the support of President Trump. If he is able to convince Xi Jinping to permanently renounce the use of force against Taiwan, President Trump will surely win the Nobel Peace Prize"
Fascinating look at China's resilience to extreme weather events -- investments in physical adaptation capacity unparalleled and innovative, yet information control that limits local officials' ability to build trust/tell truth limits effectiveness. (1/2)
How China was ready for Super Typhoon Ragasa – and what still needs to be done
Chinese cities have been hit by a series of deadly storms over the decades, but this time no one died on the mainland.
scmp.com
@mikeblack114.bsky.social www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Exclusive | U.S. Military Is Struggling to Deploy AI Weapons
A U.S. plan to field thousands of cutting-edge drones for a potential conflict with China has fallen short of its goal, and the Pentagon is moving the effort to a new warfare group.
wsj.com
Yeah, we know. Someone should tell Chuck, Hakeem, and Nancy. They seem to think the polls indicate Dems will do great in the midterms. They don't know they're going to Gitmo for being ANTIFA.
Think about this: Will Trump/MAGA peacefully relinquish power?
Ezra Klein@ezrakleinbot.bsky.social · 11mo ago"I had friends say to me, look, we can oppose political violence without whitewashing this guy. I spent some time thinking about that over the weekend...and my reaction honestly is that it is too little to just say we oppose political violence."
last night as i was trying to wind down for bed i had a unified theory of what the fuck just happened, and i wrote it down, and filed it under "well, i can't talk about this on main without sounding insane until and unless the perp gets caught and is provably a groyper" anyways, great news! (1/X)
After 14 years, I think the time has come to acknowledge that the "Rebalance to Asia" has failed. I've spent the last decade writing and thinking about how to make the rebalance successful, so this is a painful realization. A thread on my new piece for RSIS...
BTW, I first posted this on the other site five years ago.
John Culver@johnculver689.bsky.social · 11mo agoWhat Trump wants from the military besides personal loyalty to him is for them to be killers. He has no idea, and would dismiss if explained, the role of laws governing armed conflict or domestic use of armed forces. He likely thinks Russian war crimes in Ukraine are great.
What Trump wants from the military besides personal loyalty to him is for them to be killers. He has no idea, and would dismiss if explained, the role of laws governing armed conflict or domestic use of armed forces. He likely thinks Russian war crimes in Ukraine are great.
Great history by Dave Finkelstein on the significant US WW2 role in defending China. open.substack.com/pub/sinocism...
The Wrong President Will Attend China’s Military Parade
On September 3, the People’s Republic of China will stage what no doubt will be a spectacular military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War—known in the PRC as...
open.substack.com