Zhuangzi (莊子) 369 -- 286 BC

"Everyone in the world knows how to seek for knowledge 

that they do not know, 

but do not know how to find what they already know."

Zhuang Zhou commonly known as Zhuangzi Chinese: 莊子; literally "Master Zhuang"; was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, a period of great development in Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought. He is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of two foundational texts of Taoism, alongside the Tao Te Ching.

Zhuangzi Dreaming of a Butterfly, by 18th-century Japanese painter Ike no Taiga

The Saab Gripen upsets F-35 supporters in NATO

 On April 6, 2025, Micael Johansson, the CEO of Swedish aerospace giant Saab, confirmed that the company is engaged in talks with Portugal to potentially supply JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets.

Photo by Sgt Müller Marin

This event comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe and a broader debate about the continent’s reliance on American-made military hardware. As Portugal weighs its options, the Gripen emerges as a cost-effective and versatile alternative to pricier platforms like the Lockheed Martin F-35, raising questions about NATO’s future procurement trends and the strategic implications for transatlantic defense cooperation.

SAAB is, reportedly, in talks with Canada and Portugal over potential Gripen procurement, after both countries expressed unease in recent weeks with their programs to acquire US-produced F-35s.

Compared to its competitors, the Gripen E/F offers distinct advantages for a nation like Portugal. The Lockheed Martin F-35A, while unmatched in stealth and sensor fusion, comes with a per-unit cost exceeding $80 million and annual maintenance expenses that can strain smaller defense budgets.

Incidentally a 2023 U.S. Government Accountability Office report noted that only 55 percent of U.S. F-35s were mission-capable at any given time, highlighting the platform’s logistical complexity. 

The Gripen, by contrast, strikes a balance between advanced technology and affordability, with a flyaway cost of around $40 million per unit and a design that reduces maintenance downtime. Its ability to conduct air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance missions makes it a changing-role platform well-suited to Portugal’s multifaceted defense requirements.

Could this deal mark the beginning of a broader European pivot away from U.S. systems, or will it remain an outlier in a market still dominated by powerful American companies? Only time will tell, but the conversation itself underscores a critical juncture in the evolution of global air power.

I would put my money on the Saab Gripen. 

Selfish Or Blind

Without any doubt, this extensive article requires that you secure a comfortable chair, be prepared to read until the final sentence and, regardless of which side of the aisle you inhabit, inherit enormous enrichment.  

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jordan-peterson-are-older-liberal-voting-canadians-selfish-or-blind

Or click here:  selfish or blind

                                                        Acknowledgments to National Post and Dr. J. Peterson

2025 and The Future

 Just visualize the following scenario;

1- We know Trump and Putin met together during Trump 1 presidency;

2- They held secret talks for an afternoon which have never been disclosed;

3- Putin wants Ukraine and more countries in Europe, while Trump wants Canada, Greenland, Panama, and probably parts of Mexico or even Cuba;

4- Xi Jinping wants Taiwan no later than 2050 and probably other countries in Asia even Australia;

5- Early in the Trump 2 presidency he gives Ukraine to Putin who will keep NATO out of North America while Trump takes Canada;

6-  Putin and Trump green-light China to take Taiwan on condition it stays out of Europe and North America.

7- Under the new world order, everyone is happy and there is peace until one of them wants the whole thing for himself.

I know many other people think something like this will happen, too.

John Outram - Valued Contributor 

A Monopoly

Permit me to present today's example of monopoly capitalism. 

Nestlé S.A.

Nestlé — Nespresso — Nescafe — KitKat — Smarties — Nesquik — Stouffer’s — Vittel — Maggi — L’Oreal — Etc.

Twenty-nine (29) of the top Nestlé brands each have annual sales of over 1 billion CHF (about US$1.1 billion,  A number of corporate acquisitions including Crosse & Blackwell in 1960, Findus in 1963, Libby's in 1971, Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, Klim in 1998, and Gerber in 2007.

(The study of Canada's depleting fresh water reservoirs is astonishing)