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Russia Intercepts Over 600 Drones Even After Trump Called Ukraine’s Attacks On Refineries A ‘Disgrace’

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Russia Intercepts Over 600 Drones Even After Trump Called Ukraine’s Attacks On Refineries A ‘Disgrace’
Russia Intercepts Over 600 Drones Even After Trump Called Ukraine’s Attacks On Refineries A ‘Disgrace’

On Friday Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that 644 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over 26 Russian regions as well as Crimea.

Some Russian sources said among the targets was a data center owned by tech giant Yandex in Vladimir – after Ukraine made it known it is going after the country’s data centers, and as the war against the refineries has not let up.

These attacks persist despite President Trump having slammed Ukraine’s policy on attacking Russian energy at a moment of global diesel shortages as a “disgrace”.

File image via Russian MoD

“If you tell me that Zelenskyy is again shooting at refineries, all he’s doing is making the world oil price higher,” Trump has said in a Newsmax interview Friday. “I think that’s a disgrace. There’s plenty of other targets; they don’t have to hit.”

“Zelenskyy is not a good guy for us to deal with” on the war, the presdient said, adding that “I think they actually both would like to see it end, but I think I find Zelenskyy to be more difficult to deal with than Putin.”

Drones have also persisted on the capital, with nearly 100 Ukrainian UAVs having been shot down between Thursday night and Friday, local authorities reported.

But Ukraine is also getting pummeled, with whole regions without electricity in a northwest region of the country. A recent Russian assault on the eastern city of Kharkiv killed three people and injured five.

Russia’s own systematic destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure also continues.

TASS writes, citing Ukraine’s Zelensky, “The Ukrainian energy sector was confronted by one of the most massive strikes on its facilities on October 16 when over 15 major electric power generation and transmission sites were attacked, Zelensky said on his Telegram channel.”

“Over 15 major power generation and transmission facilities were attacked in various regions of Ukraine… The most difficult situation has emerged in Lutsk, Rovno, Zhitomir, Vinnitsa, Shepetovka, Slavuta and Neteshin. The strikes were also delivered on energy sites in the Kharkov, Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk and other regions,” Zelensky was quoted as saying.

For the time being at least, it doesn’t look like the Ukrainian government will heed Trump’s calls to halt the nightly attacks on Russian energy. Zelensky is also busy seeking to ensure European leaders are on his side in standing up to Trump, as the relationship with Washington continues to sour.

* * *

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 13:45

Groups Sue DHS, Alleging Effort To Compile Voter Data Is Illegal

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Groups Sue DHS, Alleging Effort To Compile Voter Data Is Illegal
Groups Sue DHS, Alleging Effort To Compile Voter Data Is Illegal

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

Federal officials obtaining and compiling data on voters as part of an effort to combat voter fraud is illegal, three organizations said in an Oct. 15 lawsuit.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) compilation of the data from nearly every state violates the Privacy Act, which only lets agencies maintain information that is relevant and necessary for authorized purposes, the League of Women Voters, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and the League of United Latin American Citizens said in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in the District of Columbia.

“Congress created DHS to prevent terrorism, secure the border, and address other specified threats – not to conduct a voter-fraud dragnet centered on the private voting information of millions of Americans and records reflecting the exercise of constitutional rights essential to democracy,” the plaintiffs said.

DHS did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Federal law requires states to keep lists of registered voters. The lists always have the names of all registered voters, and usually include other details such as their addresses, sex, date of birth, and partial or complete Social Security number.

Certain individuals can request the data from states, but there are restrictions on requesters and other restrictions on disclosure.

For instance, most states do not allow people who obtain the data to disclose Social Security numbers.

The Privacy Act states in part that for information concerning activity protected by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, agencies can “maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.”

The Department of Justice has been sharing voter lists it obtained with DHS, according to letters released by the government. DHS has obtained some version of voter registration lists from at least 47 states, according to the lawsuit.

The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel said in a May legal opinion that the department “has authority to seek statewide voter lists and share them with the Department of Homeland Security as part of its effort to identify individuals who are ineligible to vote.”

The office also said that DHS is “authorized by law to investigate … voter fraud.”

DHS has since been reviewing the data, along with information it purchased from commercial sources, to try to identify people who are not eligible to vote. In litigation filed separately on Thursday, the government said an analysis of the list and federal data showed that more than 20,000 people registered to vote in California are likely noncitizens.

The lawsuit shows that DHS possesses voter files for California and is improperly using them for election administration purposes, the League of Women Voters and the other plaintiffs said in the District of Columbia filing.

They’re asking the court to declare the voter data collection policy violates federal law, enjoin government officials from carrying out the policy, and to order officials to delete information it has collected.

“The federal government has no business secretly collecting the sensitive personal information of millions of American voters and feeding it into immigration enforcement systems under the guise of election security,” Celina Stewart, the CEO of the League of Women Voters, said in a statement.

“Let’s be clear: Voting is a fundamental right, not a privilege granted by this administration, and our personal information is not theirs to exploit. The League will not stand by while this administration weaponizes voter data, undermines public trust, and threatens our fundamental freedoms.”

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 13:20

Russia Celebrates ‘Historic Moment’ After Trump Formally Waives Graham Act Sanctions

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Russia Celebrates ‘Historic Moment’ After Trump Formally Waives Graham Act Sanctions
Russia Celebrates ‘Historic Moment’ After Trump Formally Waives Graham Act Sanctions

The Kremlin is praising the Trump White House after the US President on Friday signed an executive order to waive a new package of sanctions and tariffs on Russia.

What’s essentially a major and unexpected ‘stay of execution’ comes after in September Trump had signed the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” into law.

It was expected to take effect soon, as part of a big Washington ramping up of pressure to further strangle the Russian economy and thus starve Putin’s war machine.

Trump has informed Congress that he must waive the new sanctions package because it is in the US national interest, at a moment he’s desperately trying to get diesel prices under control amid both the Iran war and Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries.

“I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States,” the president said in his order.

via RIA Novosti

The significant reversal comes weeks before US midterm elections, and appears a serious extension and overture related to the earlier diesel deal struck between Putin and Trump.

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has hailed the move to put sanctions on hold as a “significant and truly historic moment.”

He further said that enacting the package likely would have “brought economic cooperation between Russia and the US to a complete standstill.”

Had Trump finally pulled the trigger on the measure, it would have slapped tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on imports from Russia’s top five oil and gas buyers, as well as any nation that knowingly purchased Russian fuel or actively helped Moscow evade sanctions

Needless to say, the Zelensky government sees this as yet more huge ‘betrayal’ by Trump and Washington, despite the billions in US and European taxpayer dollars already sunk into Kiev’s coffers.

In a Saturday morning social media post, Zelensky accused Trump of essentially once again siding with Moscow, while also lamenting the loss of his friend Lindsey, and now also the loss of the sweeping sanctions package named after the late South Caroline Senator…

And to be expected the hawks in Congress are raging:

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who worked closely with Graham on this issue, released a statement slamming the president’s decision.

“These waivers have nothing to do with our national security, and everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin,” Blumenthal said.

Of the diesel deal of over a week ago, Trump had described, “It was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter.”

Some key elements of what was supposed to be enacted, but have now been paused indefinitely:

The order, posted by the White House, lays out the penalties the law calls for and then waives them, including:

  • 500% tariffs on Russian goods
  • 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas
  • 100% tariffs on the top facilitators of Russian sanctions evasion

He had said further when announcing the initial diesel deal to the world on Truth Social, “Additionally, based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel.” But obviously this agreement would have been hindered if the Graham sanctions had taken effect, thus the logic of waiving them.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 12:55

Gen Z Life Satisfaction Plummets, 1 In 4 Receiving Treatment For Depression; New Poll Finds

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Gen Z Life Satisfaction Plummets, 1 In 4 Receiving Treatment For Depression; New Poll Finds
Gen Z Life Satisfaction Plummets, 1 In 4 Receiving Treatment For Depression; New Poll Finds

Authored by Bryan Hyde via American Greatness,

A recent Gallup Life Evaluation Index poll shows that Generation Z’s mental health and life satisfaction have plummeted, completely inverting historical happiness trends.

The New York Post reports that less than half now describe their lives as “thriving,” compared to their Millennial predecessors a generation ago.

According to Gallup, more than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 29 also reported that they are being treated for depression, up by 11 points since 2019.

Historically, happiness data followed a predictable “U-shape” curve, where well-being peaked in youth, dipped during midlife, and rose again in retirement.

Today, global and domestic polling reveals that the curve has effectively flattened or reversed into a downward ski slope, with young adults reporting the highest rates of despair, anxiety, and misery.

Dr. Katrina Furey, MD, a Connecticut-based psychiatrist told the NY Post, “Gen Z has had constant access to their smart phones and social media, plus a global pandemic plus financial stressors like housing that no other generation has had.“

Furey added, “The social isolation of COVID-19 during their formative developmental years for sure has left a lasting impact. Depression and loneliness can really tie into your social connections. And I do hear a lot of distress from that generation about their future.”

The Gallup survey showed only 44 percent of young adults described themselves as “thriving,” compared to 64 percent of the same age group back in 2010.

While Gen Z were the least positive generation, Millennials also showed a noticeable decline, with just 45 percent of those aged between 30-44 “thriving.”

Meanwhile, Gen X positivity hasn’t dropped as much as younger groups, but the 46% of those aged 45 to 64 now thriving matches their generation’s low from 2008 during the height of the Great Recession, according to Gallup.

Researchers say the only generation that has higher life evaluations now than in 2008 is Baby Boomers, with the percentage of those aged 65 and older who are “thriving” rising steadily from 38% in 2008 to 53% in 2026, matching their record high of 2021.

Sociologists, economists, and psychologists attribute the multi-faceted crisis to a “perfect storm” of technological, financial, and societal shifts.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 12:30

LNG Tanker Off Yemen Attacked By Small Boat Fire

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LNG Tanker Off Yemen Attacked By Small Boat Fire
LNG Tanker Off Yemen Attacked By Small Boat Fire

It begins in waters off Yemen now? This has been a big fear for global energy prices amid the seven-month long Iran war and Hormuz Strait crisis.

The Houthis have while fighting a war with Riyadh and its coalition in Yemen so far declared that international shipping remains safe, but that only Saudi and Israeli-linked vessels will be targeted.

But on Friday a liquefied natural gas tanker 140 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni city of Al Mukalla has come under attack.

The emerging circumstances are somewhat unusual, given it wasn’t attacked by drone or missile, but by a small boat, reportedly with seven people on board.

One regional source says, “According to UKMTO, the captain of the LNG tanker reported the approach of a small boat. People aboard the boat fired two shots at the tanker.”

While not exactly looking like a major or destructive attack, it could have been a ‘warning’ situation, or possibly even a small-scale piracy attempt.

But it still brings up the question, is the Gulf of Aden is getting hot again?

Stretching into this past summer, multiple Saudi vessels have been targeted in the Red Sea region, forcing a number of tankers to U-turn, Houthis having at times signaled potentially imposing their own ‘toll system’ for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The scheme would potentially be a mirror image of that Tehran is seeking to enforce in the Strait of Hormuz, where it continues to insist that it will settle for nothing less than its own vision of management, including fee collection for “navigation” “environmental” and safety assurance.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 12:05

Evacuation Orders Issued As Wildfire Burns Homes In Southern California

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Evacuation Orders Issued As Wildfire Burns Homes In Southern California
Evacuation Orders Issued As Wildfire Burns Homes In Southern California

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times,

Evacuation orders have been issued after a wind-fueled wildfire ignited Friday in a Southern California coastal community, burning through homes and 465 acres, fire authorities said.

The fire started in vegetation in San Clemente, and strong winds quickly pushed it into neighboring San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.

Fire authorities received a report at 11:33 a.m. Friday. The blaze grew to cover an area equal to about 350 football fields by 5 p.m., according to fire authorities.

“We rapidly launched an assault of air and ground resources to head towards this fire,” Orange County Fire Authority Division Fire Chief Mark Backoff said in an update on social media. “We can confirm six homes have either been damaged or destroyed by this fire. Our hearts go out to the folks that are impacted by that.”

Videos taken by local news outlets at the scene showed flames reaching a neighborhood off Via La Mirada in San Juan Capistrano at the north end of the blaze. Homes were quickly engulfed as firefighters attacked the flames to stop them from jumping to the next house.

One firefighter was overcome with heat exhaustion fighting the fire, Backoff said.

The department had prepared for the wind event, placing equipment in the area before the fire started, Backoff said.

Winds Whip Up Flames

Santa Ana Winds, a regional weather phenomenon that produces strong winds and dry, warm conditions, helped the blaze expand rapidly and pushed flames into residential neighborhoods.

Wind gusts reached 69 miles per hour in Orange County’s Santiago Canyon and were measured at 45 miles per hour at the John Wayne Airport, according to the National Weather Service.

The Santa Ana Winds also fueled last year’s deadly and destructive Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County.

Orange County and San Diego County coastal areas were under a heat advisory Friday as temperatures were expected to reach the mid-90s in some cities.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday and Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom directed Cal Fire and OES to pre-position resources and activated the State Operations Center ahead of the expected Santa Ana winds and heightened fire danger. Newsom also declared a state of emergency in four counties, including Los Angeles and Orange, on Thursday to support recovery from Tropical Storm Rachel.

“California is confronting these threats head-on,” Newsom said.

Newsom directed the state’s emergency services and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) to move firefighters, engines, aircraft, and special equipment into the region.

Cal Fire is investigating the cause of the fire.

Evacuation orders were issued for several neighborhoods in San Juan Capistrano. The city opened shelters at its community center.

Fire authorities said more than 500 firefighters were assigned to the fire, and more resources were en route.

Thousands of people statewide had their power shut off before the winds picked up. About 134,000 customers were without electricity after Southern California Edison implemented a public safety power shutoff ahead of Friday’s wind event.

Another wildfire started Thursday in the coastal city of Malibu. The city was still recovering from damage sustained in the Palisades Fire last year.

Malibu firefighters contained nearly 40 percent of the wildfire by Friday afternoon, and it had grown to 147 acres, fire authorities reported.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 11:40

Global Gas Crunch Makes Europe’s Remaining Coal Plants Profitable

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Global Gas Crunch Makes Europe’s Remaining Coal Plants Profitable
Global Gas Crunch Makes Europe’s Remaining Coal Plants Profitable

By Michael Kern of OilPrice.com

The global LNG supply crunch has made Europe’s last-standing coal-fired power plants profitable this year as gas supply costs soar while the need for conventional generation to stabilize grids remains.

In Germany and Poland, which host most of the remaining operational or back-up-ready coal power capacity in Europe, coal-fired generation is profitable again as winter approaches, LNG supply is barely moving out of the Strait of Hormuz, and gas prices are at their highest level since the 2022-2023 crisis.

European countries, including Germany, have closed coal capacities in recent years due to climate targets. But the remaining coal-fired power plants have now become indispensable in stabilizing the grids as gas-fired generation slumps amid demand destruction and gas conservation.

One measure of profitability for generating electricity from lignite in Germany has jumped to as much as $72 (64 euros) per megawatt-hour (MWh) this month, compared to zero at this time last year, per estimates by Energy Aspects cited by Bloomberg.

“The spreads are expected to stay high through March,” Energy Aspects analyst Sabrina Kernbichler said.

Coal demand in Europe remains in a structural decline, but the drop is set to slow this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its Coal Mid-Year Update 2026 last month.

Total annual coal demand in Europe is now expected to reach 276 million tons in 2026, down from 292 million tons last year, but higher than previously expected, according to the agency.

“Higher gas prices have reduced the expected decline in countries, such as Germany and Poland, where gas generation and spare coal capacity remains available,” the IEA noted.

Weather-related events, such as cold spells going into the winter, could also temporarily increase coal use in Europe more than what was expected before the war in Iran, which sent shockwaves through the oil and gas markets globally, the Paris-based agency said.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 10:30

After Brutal Hannity Interview, Katie Zacharia Sets Record For Fastest-Fired Trump Official

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After Brutal Hannity Interview, Katie Zacharia Sets Record For Fastest-Fired Trump Official
After Brutal Hannity Interview, Katie Zacharia Sets Record For Fastest-Fired Trump Official

Katie Zacharia, the Truth Social communications adviser and Fox/Newsmax fixture whom President Trump appointed on October 9 as his sixth White House press secretary, was fired Friday, barely a week after taking the job, the New York Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. Neither the White House nor Zacharia has commented.

Trump did not use the word fired. Speaking to reporters, he said he had urged her to “reconsider” and later added that he would “do whatever she wants.” He recounted telling her, “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” and added: “Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this.” Fox News reported she is “transitioning out.”

The firing makes her the fastest-fired Trump official, on top of the shortest-tenured press official. 

The firing also comes the day after a brutal Hannity interview. 

The week in review

  • Oct. 9: Trump announces her on Truth Social, praising her as a “loyal and brilliant supporter” with an “unblemished record of support” and calling her “an attorney.” She had been senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group and had a brief earlier stint at DHS.
  • Oct. 13: First (and only) briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. It ran roughly 14-15 minutes. She took questions from three outlets, read from notes, and used the podium to announce that Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle was being asked to resign amid reports that she pressed a donor to pay off a $100,000 credit card bill, allegations her lawyers deny. Reviews were mixed at best; the format was widely noted as unusually constrained.
  • Oct. 14-15: Credential questions explode. Reports establish that Zacharia holds a J.D. from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law (2011) but failed the California bar exam and has no U.S. law license. She has long described herself as a “lawyer,” appeared as such on television, and shared posts identifying her as an “attorney.” Trump had called her one. When asked on the South Lawn where she had passed the bar, she replied (twice), “When I moved to China.” She later said she misheard the question amid Marine One noise and maintained that a law degree plus advice from others made “lawyer” acceptable. A watchdog group filed a complaint with the California State Bar. Legal experts generally rejected the lawyer/attorney distinction she drew.
  • Oct. 16: Out.

Zacharia also told interviewers that the White House never asked whether she had passed the bar. She noted she was being hired as press secretary, not White House counsel.

* * *

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 10:25

Two More Tankers Hit Off Saudi Coast As Brent Tops $110

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Two More Tankers Hit Off Saudi Coast As Brent Tops $110
Two More Tankers Hit Off Saudi Coast As Brent Tops $110

Brent crude topped $110 a barrel to end the week for the first time since May as drone and missile attacks on energy infrastructure, from the Gulf to the war in Ukraine, cast a very dark cloud over oil and products market ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter.

The global benchmark rose 3.7% Friday, marking the second consecutive week of gains as traders ramped up bullish bets on crude ahead of the weekend.

Bloomberg reports that two tankers were struck near Jubail, a port city in Saudi Arabia.

  • The first tanker, 78 nautical miles northeast of Jubail, was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat, causing damage but no casualties.
  • The second tanker, 68 nautical miles northeast of Jubail, was struck by an unidentified projectile. Its crew was reported safe and evacuated.

The broadening conflict in the Middle East, with Iran-backed Houthis pelting Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones, Tehran causing ongoing trouble in the Strait of Hormuz, and Ukraine continuing to attack Russian energy infrastructure, has renewed fear in the oil market. 

The good news this week is that more than 100 million barrels passed through the waterway, bringing volumes close to pre-war levels, but a nasty global refining crisis may accelerate into the new year. 

Read UBS:

“After a brief reprieve, the oil market is having to price risk back in, particularly heading into the weekend,” said Rebecca Babin, senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth Group.

Diesel futures settled at $4.90 a gallon in New York, while gasoline also rose. Both fuels are trading at their highest levels for this time of year. Restrictions on Russian diesel are pushing refineries elsewhere to process more crude.

The International Energy Agency warned in recent days that the diesel squeeze will persist through at least the first half of next year, similar to Goldman’s recent take (read here).

Vitol CEO Russell Hardy warned, “There aren’t any more inventories to drain in the West,” as the tail risk of $200 crude lingers if another hard shutdown of the Hormuz chokepoint materializes.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 09:55

Under Pressure From Trump, EU Introduces Corporate Levy Instead Of Digital Tax

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Under Pressure From Trump, EU Introduces Corporate Levy Instead Of Digital Tax

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

In the end, are we working only for the state? What was once dismissed as a light-hearted exaggeration is becoming reality step by step. In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the end of World War II, Germany has developed a fever for taxation. Berlin is raising levies unreasonably, from the sugar tax to tobacco and alcohol taxes, from higher top income-tax rates and the super-rich tax to the highly probable increase in inheritance tax – increasingly, the substance of the middle class is also coming into the sights of Berlin’s central planners.

Berlin has launched a species-threatening hunt for the taxpayer.

It is truly an absurd idea, if not knowingly destructive policy, to keep expanding the state apparatus at the expense of the private sector in order to overcome a crisis that this very state apparatus has brought about with its ideology, its degrowth policies and its boundless belief in what can be engineered.

But as if this tax policy were not already fatal enough, Brussels too is demanding an increasing share of the shrinking economic pie. The Commission is feeling the growing pressure to finance itself. From 2028 onward, the refinancing of the €800 billion NextGenerationEU Eurobond will come due. Ursula von der Leyen also wants to lock in her two-trillion-euro budget as quickly and quietly as possible. Every new source of tax revenue therefore comes in handy.

The state paradox is this: The more capital or credit politicians have at their disposal, the faster new demands, new follow-up costs and economic ruins emerge – the state is the great maw into which citizens can pour tax money at will – in the end, it always cries out for more and more.

So far, the EU Commission has primarily collected funds from EU customs revenues. There are also extraction vehicles such as the CO₂ emissions trading system and its own plastic tax.

To expand its tax base, Brussels originally planned to introduce a digital levy. Large digital companies, platforms such as Google, Amazon and X, were to be bled for their contribution to the common good, as the argument always goes. The Brussels Commission officially abandoned this plan this week – the pressure from Washington, namely from the US president himself, apparently proved too great to maintain these plans.

Instead, a special levy on large corporations operating economically in the EU is now planned. It would be an annual flat-rate charge for companies with net revenues of more than €100 million. Depending on the revenue class, the contribution would range from €100,000 to €750,000 per year. That sounds like a trifle, payable out of the petty cash of many large corporations. But every little bit adds up. And so Brussels repeatedly succeeds in creating the impression that the gigantic fiscal raid burdens only a few wealthy people, spares the middle class and ultimately remains within limits.

Beyond the fiscal dimension, the planned digital tax naturally also had a trade-policy function. It was conceived as a weapon, directed against the Chinese and American digital corporations that have left the Europeans hopelessly behind technologically. The logic was: If you cannot compete, at least collect plenty of taxes from them.

We know this all too well from Brussels.

With the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, the Brussels Commission developed mechanisms to derive regular heavy fines from the supposed grey zone in which the digital corporations operate – through alleged violations of copyright rules or through a lack of consumer and data protection – an eternal source of irritation and continuing provocations that by no means contribute to pacifying the American-European relationship.

With the planned digital levy, this extraction policy was supposed to be cast into a foundation. A secure financial stream for Brussels was planned, but the White House ultimately eliminated it with a firm hand.

That it is now European companies, of all companies, those economically engaged in the EU, that will step into the breach to fill this already budgeted revenue is typical of this EU: Bureaucracy requires higher tax burdens. A power structure has become entrenched that now increasingly develops its own sources of taxation like an autonomous state.

What we are actually witnessing is a bidding war over the fight for the slowly shrinking tax pie at every level of government.

It must be said plainly: The Brussels power apparatus, having solidified into an extraction mechanism, appears impossible to reform. New political forces will be needed to rebuild this structure so that it serves the interests of European citizens. A common protection of the EU’s external borders and the revival of the single market would be major projects of absolute priority. The taxpayer-funded system of patronage must come to an end.

Economic constructs such as the Green Deal and the absurd subsidy sectors created from it, from the hydrogen economy to the storage of CO₂ in the seabed, consume ever larger sums in subsidies and government support year after year. Uncontrollably high government debt, deepening crowding-out of the private sector in the capital and labour markets, as well as the increasing drain of resources to finance this bankrupt economy, are the harvest reaped by a society that places its fate in the hands of these ideologues.

The debt and tax spirals inevitably turn in sync. They are spinning faster and make it clear that higher government spending and higher tax payments will solve none of the numerous problems created by the modern party state.

European bureaucratism has married German statism. Faith in free enterprise, in the free market economy as an institutional model for prosperity, democracy and individual sovereignty, has been lost in the ever deeper corridors of the administrative machinery.

The wait for EU citizens to recognise the historically well-documented superiority of civil society over every form of statist interpretation has begun – a tough, frustrating undertaking that nevertheless brings us closer, with time, to the inevitable debt crisis. And crisis, as we know, means a turning point.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/17/2026 – 09:20

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