#shell power unleashed challenge

[alexturntable]

shellmotorsport 💥 Think our Power Unit duo @/ahmadezzrinloy and @/erinctj have what it takes to beat the fastest pit stop, or will they cause any inchident? 🏎️ Watch (in full screen!) as they become the pit crew for @/scuderiaferrari’s drivers @/carlossainz55 and @/charles_leclerc in our Power Unleashed Challenge… 📹

[baron-von-beefdip]

Here is part 2 of my commentary on every monster in Monster Hunter Wilds

SPOILERS FOR MONSTERS UNDER CUT

HIRABAMI

DESIGN: WEIRD

Don't like this one at all. It seems weird that they just float, and there's something off-putting about them to me.

COMBAT: NOPE

The near constant flying is annoying to deal with, and they don't have any interesting mechanics beyond that.

AJARAKAN

DESIGN: COOL

Very cool looking, and I like how the flame ridges actually function to ignite them. Very intimidating presence. It's nice to see an ape like monster that isn't just big monkey with colored fur.

COMBAT: INTENSE

This guy has all sorts of stuff to throw at you. That Sonic the Hedgehog spin is fantastic and the shoulder toss has flung me more than a few times. Also cool that it swings around in certain areas.

NU UDRA

DESIGN: OK

Not to downplay the eyeball tenticles, but its mostly just a big squid that's on fire sometimes.

COMBAT: MEH

It's not terrible, but I expected more out of an apex. The rain of fireballs is kinda neat.

RATHALOS

DESIGN: A CLASSIC

It's him! The Guy! Can't beat a classic and he is looking good in this game.

COMBAT: JUST AS ANNOYING AS EVER

Well they don't call him King of the Sky for nothing. I had forgotten how much he stays up there. There's a few tweaks, but he's the same as ever.

JIN DAHAAD

DESIGN: ABSOLUTE PEAK!

Its the best monster in the game, no contest. Absolutely massive, big bone armor plating, and agile to boot. This thing has it all. They knocked it out of the park here.

COMBAT: ALSO PEAK!

They finally got fighting a massive monster right! It feels like a boss raid fighting this guy; damage mechanics, stage changes, and a hyper instant death move you have to avoid. Every inch of this thing has a new way to kill you. This is my most fought monster because I just have so much fun fighting it.

GUARDIAN EBONY ODOGARON

DESIGN: GOOD

Big angry dog with double claws and a massive jaw. Still looks great, although I kinda don't like the guardian coloring.

COMBAT: AGRESSIVE

As per usual this guy doesn't let up. Jumping around and biting all over the place, and now with an added big explosion move.

XU WU

DESIGN: PRETTY NEAT

Despite not being impressed with Nu Udra, I find this one to be much more visually interesting. The massive head, the crazy underneath mouth, and the bladed tenticles all give it a lot more personality.

COMBAT: FUN

It feels like fighting a warrior instead of a monster. Flipping around, throwing knives, and slashing it's tenticles like a sword give this fight a lot of flare. Also the big mouth attack is very intimidating. Its a shame its usually a very short fight.

ARKVELD

DESIGN: SUPERB

This one earns it's place on the box. Cool horns, the big chain appendages, and that lovely fur really come together nicely.

COMBAT: RADICAL

This feels like a perfect flagship fight. All sorts of different attacks, particularly the signature chain bashes, really keep the pressure up. And the enraged explosions are really bombastic. I never get tired of this fight and it always feels very thematic.

ZOH SHIA

DESIGN: PERFECT

This one checks all the boxes. Big and intimidating, while also being strangely beautiful. Then a massive transformation into a complete demon. Very final boss energy.

COMBAT: POWERFUL

This fight does not disappoint. It starts out strong, but then unleashing those massive blasts and growing stronger as it breaks out of its shell gets crazy. Very cool, great ending to the main story. Really hope to see it in High rank at some point.

YIAN KUT-KU

DESIGN: FUN

This is a great example of a goofy monster design that is actually good. It's like one of those weird parrots you'd find in a jungle and I find it quite endearing.

COMBAT: THE MOST ANNOYING

Hooo boy, I do not like to fight this thing. Pretty much everything it does is designed to throw you off in some way. Fireballs lobbed right behind you, sliding around and spazzing out, FLYING A MILLION MILES AWAY WHEN IT RETREATS. It all makes for a weirdly challenging fight. I have a certain amount of respect for it, but man do I not want to see another one for awhile.

And that's the last one for this post, continued in part 3

[starwars-and-discourse]

The Lesson: A Star Wars Story

“Do you take me for a fool?”

The rasp of Vader’s breathing was the only response for several moments,

“Master, I—“

Forked arcs of purple lightning shot out at Vader from his Master’s fingertips in a quick, but agonizing burst. Vader groaned loudly and collapsed to his knees, his breathing ragged and labored, the mechanical workings of his suit temporarily overloaded by the assault.

“No,” Palpatine said, venom dripping from the word. “You shall not speak.”

Vader did not respond, his world still shaking from the blast which he knew was but a fraction of the power his Master held.

“You seek the son of Skywalker to destroy me.” It was not a question. The tiniest trace of amusement could be detected beneath the otherwise pure disgust in Palpatine’s voice. “It seems that you still do not know your place—ever the slow learner.”

Vader had shakily risen back into a standing position, his suit’s power finally leveling out. Palpatine regarded him as one might regard a particularly bothersome insect.

“Oh yes, yes. Your anger is palpable, Lord Vader. Your hatred even more so,” The Emperor crooned. “Do you think to take my place now? Without the aid of the precious young Skywalker?” The mockery was evident.

Vader seethed, his breath rate increasing.

“Or do you know that you are nothing compared to the power in me? You exist within my shadow,” Palpatine spat. “Quite literally a shell of your former self.”

Vader’s gloved fists clenched,

“Enough.”

Palpatine cocked his head slightly, as if he was unsure of what he had heard,

“Enough?” He repeated.

The snap-hiss of Vader’s lightsaber activating came in response.

Palpatine regarded this dispassionately,

“I see.” He rose from the throne which he had been sitting on and stared down at the armor-clad Sith Lord standing at the base of the stairs which led up to the throne. The fury in his yellow eyes rivaled the flames of the molten rivers on Mustafar. “You will learn your place today, Lord Vader.”

The Emperor raised a single, gnarled hand with a speed that belied his decrepit appearance and released a burst of lightning which promptly relieved Vader of his lightsaber. The hilt flew from the Sith Lord’s mechanical hand and skittered across the floor several meters away.

“Bow to your Emperor!” Palpatine roared, raising his remaining hand and joining the two together to unleash another torrent of lightning. This one caught Vader square in the chest, causing him to once again fall to his knees.

Vader groaned as he found himself on the floor yet again. He knew that more pain was inevitable, his Master was far from finished with his merciless assault.

“There is no mercy!” The Emperor’s voice rang, as if in response to Vader’s musings. Another jolt of electricity flowed from his fingertips and into Vader’s body.

Vader fell forward, barely catching himself with his hands. On his hands and knees now, he looked up into the pitiless eyes of a predator descending upon its prey.

The Emperor stared down at the pathetic being below him, hatred filling his body,

“You have more than earned my ire. Where to begin?” He took a step down the stairs, another arc of lightning followed.

Vader collapsed in a heap under the latest torrent, his armor starting to smoke.

“Ah, of course. Mustafar.” More lightning. Vader’s body spasmed. “You could not defeat Kenobi and yet you have sought to challenge me!”

More convulsions came with yet another burst of dark power. Vader could feel the inner workings of his suit beginning to fail.

Palpatine took another step down the stairs and closer to the prone Sith Lord,

“You think that young Skywalker could make a difference—that together you could rule, as father and son.” The Emperor cackled with caustic glee. “His pitiful light will never shine through my darkness! I am shadow!”

Another burst of lightning. Followed by another. And another. Vader’s breathing was barely a rasp, his lungs on fire as they starved for air that could not come. His suit had finally failed. His Master finally reached the step directly in front of him—he could just make out the bottom of the dark cloak which he had become so accustomed to.

Palpatine looked down on Vader’s smoking form, savoring the pain and anger which rolled from him in delicious waves. He was aware that Vader’s suit had shut down, could feel the life slowly fading from his body. This he savored as well, but only for a moment, before he gestured to two red-robed guards who had been watching the display with detached professionalism.

He leaned down to his apprentice, knowing that his auditory processors were about to expire,

“Let this be a lesson to you, Lord Vader: a Master to embody power, an Apprentice to crave it. Do not forget which role is yours.” He rose, turning to the guards. “Take him from my sight.”

The last thing Vader heard before his auditory processors finally shut down was the sound of Palpatine reascending the stairs to his throne.

[mariacallous]

A key energy security objective for Ukraine is to create stability for investors to finance the deployment of new, decentralized generation in the country. How to ensure that investments can hurdle over obstacles in a profoundly challenging environment is the crucial challenge that Ukraine must solve in 2025. 

The Ukrainian power system is in the midst of one of the greatest trials in human history. It has already survived thirty-one Russian onslaughts since February 2022. Of this unprecedented number, thirteen missile and drone attacks took place in 2024. According to officials, more than 2,000 missiles and countless drones have targeted Ukrainian power plants and high-voltage substations since the beginning of full-scale war.  

Russia’s strategic goal is clear: to devastate the Ukrainian power grid to benefit Russian troops on the battlefield. The tactics of this Russian energy terrorism are also obvious: to destroy the grid’s ability to deliver power to consumers and to remove balancing capacity from the system. While nuclear generation still covers most baseload consumption, Ukraine has already lost more than 10 gigawatts (GW) of balancing power plants—mostly thermal and hydropower—which play a crucial role in meeting peak demand. 

After the integration of Ukraine’s power system into the European continental grid in March 2022, the national grid operator, Ukrenergo, discovered how to defend and recover transmission capabilities of Ukraine’s high-voltage infrastructure. With the help of US and European Union (EU) financing, we built unique passive engineering protection for critical elements of the grid. Ukrenergo has accumulated one of the largest stocks of high-voltage equipment in the world. There are 1,500 trained and highly qualified specialists on Ukrenergo’s restoration teams, working 24/7 to keep the lights on for the Ukrainian people. Of course, without adequate air-defense systems, this will not suffice. The high-voltage grid remains a primary target for the adversary’s aerial attacks, but the Ukrainian transmission operator is gaining experience in quick recoveries after massive shelling and is strengthening its ability to balance the grid in wartime. 

[h3lenn1s]

FFxivWrite Challenge 2023

September 1-30

Prompt #4 - off the hook

Helennis not your typical princess, for she had trained as a paladin from a very young age, guided by a sense of duty and an unwavering commitment to protect her kingdom from the icy threats that lurked beyond its borders.

All the people known Ishgard was a realm of perpetual winter, where frosty winds howled through the snow-covered peaks and icy plains.At this time, they was in constant siege from the monstrous forces led by the dreaded Ice Commander Beast, an ancient and powerful creature said to be born from the heart of the coldest glacier. The Ice Commander Beast was relentless in its pursuit of conquest, with its army of frost giants and ferocious ice creatures.

Helennis, determined to defend her homeland, had trained relentlessly in the art of combat, mastering the ways of the paladin. She wielded a blade forged from a rare enchanted ice crystal, a weapon of immense power that could harness the cold to protect and defend. Polaris. Her shield, the Vessel, carries an enormous amount of aether and light.

One fateful day, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the chill in the air grew even colder, the Ice Commander Beast launched a massive assault on Coerthas Western Highlands. Helennis, having anticipated this attack, rallied her fellow paladins, knights, and the Ishgardian inhabitants to prepare for the impending battle. The skies darkened as the beast's army approached, and the very air seemed to freeze with fear.

The battle that ensued was fierce and brutal. Helennis led her forces with unwavering determination, her blade shimmering with icy magic, and her heart burning with the desire to protect her people. However, the Ice Commander Beast was a formidable adversary, commanding the freezing elements to its will. It unleashed blizzards that threatened to engulf Coerthas Western Highlands, turning even the bravest warriors into ice statues.

In the midst of the chaos, the Ice Commander Beast focused its frigid fury on Helennis. The creature's icy breath encased her in a frozen cocoon, rendering her immobile. It seemed that all hope was lost, as the beast drew closer to deal the final, icy blow.

But Helennis had not come this far to be defeated so easily. With every ounce of her inner strength, she summoned the latent power within her enchanted ice crystal blade. The blade began to glow with an intense blue light, and a surge of warmth and determination coursed through her veins.

In a dazzling display of magic and valor, Helennis broke free from her icy prison, shattering it with her empowered blade. She unleashed a mighty strike, channeling the frozen energies she had absorbed into the Ice Commander Beast. The creature roared in agony as it was encased in a thick layer of ice, its power waning.

With one final blow, Helennis shattered the frozen shell, defeating the Ice Commander Beast once and for all. The beast's army, seeing their leader defeated, fled in disarray, leaving Coerthas Western Highlands free from their icy grasp.

Helennis had not only saved her kingdom but also proven herself to be a true paladin princess, a beacon of courage and resilience in the face of insurmountable odds. Her name would be remembered throughout the ages as the savior of Coerthas Western Highlands, the valiant princess who turned the tide of battle and brought warmth and hope back to her frozen land.

[icenews]

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Glorious Moments Despite No Trophy

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Just the name evokes a symphony of emotions for millions of cricket fans. A team synonymous with explosive batting, superstar players, and an unwavering fan base that paints stadiums red, RCB holds a unique place in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Yet, despite boasting some of the biggest names in the sport and delivering moments of sheer brilliance, the elusive IPL trophy has remained just out of reach. This blog celebrates the glorious moments, the unforgettable performances, and the unwavering spirit of RCB, a franchise that has captured hearts despite the absence of silverware.

A Galaxy of Stars: RCB's Enduring Appeal

From the very inception of the IPL, RCB has consistently attracted some of the most exciting talents in world cricket. The presence of legends like Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and the ever-present Virat Kohli has created a galaxy of stars that has captivated audiences. The sheer star power associated with RCB has undoubtedly contributed to their massive fan following, a loyal army that stands by their team through thick and thin. The anticipation surrounding every RCB season is palpable, fueled by the promise of witnessing these cricketing giants in action.

The Gayle Storm and AB's Magic: Batting Brilliance Unleashed

RCB's batting prowess over the years has been nothing short of legendary. The Chris Gayle era saw unprecedented levels of explosive hitting, with the "Universe Boss" smashing records and leaving bowlers shell-shocked. His towering sixes and aggressive approach became a hallmark of RCB's batting lineup. Following in his footsteps, AB de Villiers redefined batting with his "Mr. 360°" magic, conjuring shots that defied logic and thrilled fans with their audacity and effectiveness. The duo of Gayle and De Villiers, often alongside Virat Kohli, created batting storms that are still talked about in IPL circles. Their ability to single-handedly change the course of a match provided countless glorious moments for RCB supporters.

Also Read:- Top Captaincy Picks For RR vs LSG Prediction

Virat Kohli's Unwavering Dedication: A Symbol of Passion

Virat Kohli's journey with RCB is a story of unwavering dedication and passionate leadership. From a young talent to the franchise's captain and an IPL legend, Kohli's commitment to RCB has been absolute. His record-breaking run-scoring feats, his aggressive on-field demeanor, and his emotional connection with the fans have made him the heart and soul of the team. Kohli's numerous match-winning innings and his relentless pursuit of excellence embody the spirit of RCB. His loyalty, despite the lack of a trophy, speaks volumes about his bond with the franchise and its supporters.

Unforgettable Victories and Thrilling Encounters

While the trophy cabinet remains empty, RCB's journey in the IPL has been filled with unforgettable victories and thrilling encounters that have etched themselves into the memories of fans. Think of the high-scoring chases pulled off against seemingly insurmountable odds, the nail-biting finishes secured in the final over, and the dominant performances that showcased the team's potential. These moments, though not culminating in a championship, have provided immense joy and excitement to the RCB faithful. The electrifying atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium during these victories is an experience cherished by all who have witnessed it.

The Spirit of Never Giving Up: RCB's Resilient Fanbase

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of RCB is it's incredibly passionate and resilient fanbase. Despite the repeated heartbreaks and near misses, the RCB army has stood steadfastly behind their team, painting stadiums red and creating an atmosphere unlike any other in the IPL. Their unwavering support is a testament to the emotional connection they feel with the franchise and its players. The "Ee Sala Cup Namde" (This year, the cup is ours) chant, filled with hope and unwavering belief, encapsulates the spirit of this extraordinary fanbase. Their loyalty, even in the face of disappointment, is a glorious aspect of the RCB story.

Moments of Brilliance: Beyond the Scoreboard

The glorious moments for RCB extend beyond just wins and losses. They include instances of individual brilliance, like AB de Villiers' gravity-defying catches, Chris Gayle's record-breaking centuries, and Virat Kohli's masterful innings. They encompass the camaraderie between players, the passionate celebrations, and the sheer entertainment value that RCB has consistently provided. These moments, though not always translating into victories, have enriched the IPL and created lasting memories for fans.

Looking Ahead: Hope Springs Eternal

As the IPL continues, the hope for that elusive trophy remains alive for RCB and their devoted fanbase. With each new season comes renewed optimism and the belief that this could be their year. The legacy of glorious moments, the unwavering support, and the potential within the team continue to fuel this hope. RCB's journey is a reminder that while winning the championship is the ultimate goal, the passion, the entertainment, and the connection with the fans are equally significant aspects of a team's legacy.

Conclusion: Celebrating the Red and Gold Spirit

The Royal Challengers Bangalore's journey in the IPL is a unique narrative of exhilarating highs, heartbreaking lows, and an unwavering spirit that resonates deeply with its fans. While the trophy has remained elusive, the franchise has given countless glorious moments to the IPL, showcasing exceptional talent, delivering thrilling encounters, and building an unparalleled fanbase. The legacy of RCB is not defined solely by trophies, but by the passion, the entertainment, and the unforgettable moments that have made them one of the most beloved and talked-about teams in the Indian Premier League. The quest for the trophy continues, but the glorious moments along the way are a testament to the enduring appeal of the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Also Read:- Top Captaincy Picks For GT vs DC Prediction

[123-er--ed]

A new post-NATO Europe? EU has 'lost confidence' and 'no longer trusts'  Current Problems Facing Ukraine Ukraine is in the thick of a brutal war with Russia, which kicked off in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022. This conflict has unleashed a cascade of problems that are hitting the country from every angle. Here’s a rundown of what Ukraine is dealing with right now: Manpower and Armament Shortages Ukraine’s military is stretched to the breaking point. They’ve been fighting heroically, but they’re running out of soldiers and weapons. The war has turned into a grinding battle of attrition—both sides trying to wear each other down—and Ukraine’s troops are exhausted. They’re short on artillery shells, air defense systems, and advanced gear like fighter jets. Without more people and equipment, holding the front lines or pushing Russia back is a real struggle. Economic Devastation The war is bleeding Ukraine’s economy dry. Fighting costs a fortune, and Russia’s attacks have wrecked factories, farms, and cities. Experts estimate rebuilding could cost over $1 trillion—money Ukraine doesn’t have. They’re relying on foreign aid just to keep the lights on, and the longer this drags on, the worse it gets. Energy and Infrastructure Crisis Russia’s been hammering Ukraine’s power plants and grids, trying to plunge the country into darkness. With winter looming, this could turn into a disaster—imagine millions of people without heat or electricity in freezing temperatures. Roads, bridges, and hospitals have also been smashed, making everyday life and military logistics a nightmare. Reliance on International Support Ukraine depends heavily on the West—especially the U.S. and Europe—for weapons, money, and humanitarian aid. But there’s a catch: this help isn’t guaranteed forever. Elections or political shifts in places like the U.S. could cut the lifeline, and some allies are starting to show signs of “war fatigue.” It’s a shaky foundation to build a war effort on. Russia’s Allies: China, Iran, and North Korea Russia’s not alone in this fight. China’s pumping in economic and tech support, while Iran and North Korea are sending weapons like drones and missiles. This backup keeps Russia’s war machine chugging along, even under heavy sanctions, making Ukraine’s job way tougher. Territorial Occupation Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea and chunks of the Donbas region. These aren’t just strategic losses—they’re home to millions of Ukrainians now living under Russian rule, facing oppression and worse. Taking that land back is a massive challenge. Humanitarian Nightmare Millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes—some to other parts of the country, others abroad. Missile strikes and drone attacks have turned civilian life into a constant gamble. Homes, schools, and hospitals are rubble, and basic needs like food and water are hard to come by in some areas. Psychological Toll This war’s been going on for years, and it’s breaking people down. Soldiers are traumatized from endless fighting, and civilians are living with the stress of air raid sirens and losing loved ones. That mental strain could haunt Ukraine long after the guns fall silent. How Ukraine Can Defeat Russia and Its Allies Militarily Beating Russia—and its buddies China, Iran, and North Korea—is no small feat. You’re talking about taking down a military powerhouse backed by some seriously stubborn allies. But it’s not impossible. Here’s how Ukraine could pull it off militarily, step by step: Boost Military Power with Western Help Ukraine needs more guns, tanks, and troops—fast. They should ramp up their own weapons production, but that alone won’t cut it. The West needs to step up big time with heavy hitters: long-range missiles, air defense systems like Patriots, and F-16 jets. Training and intelligence from allies can also sharpen Ukraine’s edge. They’ve already shown they’re creative with drones—keep that going and scale it up. Hit Russia Where It Hurts: Economic Warfare Sanctions have dented Russia’s economy, but not enough. Ukraine and its allies need to tighten the screws—target oil and gas exports, tech imports, and financial loopholes. Russia’s dodging sanctions through backdoor deals with countries like India or Turkey; shut those down. Oh, and there’s $300 billion in frozen Russian assets sitting in Western banks—use that cash to fund Ukraine’s war and rebuilding. Build a Global Coalition Diplomacy’s a weapon too. Ukraine should keep rallying the world—NATO, the EU, even the UN—to pile pressure on Russia. They need more than just weapons; economic and humanitarian aid will keep the country standing. Reach out beyond the West—think Asia or Africa—to widen the net of support and isolate Russia further. Neutralize Russia’s Allies China, Iran, and North Korea are thorns in Ukraine’s side. Call them out—loudly—for propping up Russia’s war. Push the U.S. and Europe to slap tougher sanctions on Iran and North Korea’s weapons programs. With China, it’s trickier—they’re an economic giant—but exposing their role might make them think twice about how deep they want to wade in. Plan for the Long Haul This isn’t a quick fight. Ukraine needs a game plan to outlast Russia: keep the military strong, but also prep for what comes after. Secure promises now for billions in reconstruction aid so they can rebuild fast when the time comes. And push hard for NATO membership—it’s the ultimate shield against Russia trying this again. Win the Info War Ukraine’s been great at telling its story—keep it up. Show the world Russia’s war crimes, like bombed hospitals or kidnapped kids, to lock in global support. Counter Putin’s propaganda machine so his lies don’t take root. It’s not just about bullets; it’s about hearts and minds. Stay United and Tough Ukraine’s people are its backbone. They’ve held together through hell—keep that fire burning. A united front, from soldiers to civilians, can outlast Russia’s grind. The Best Solutions of All Time You wanted the best solutions ever, so let’s pull from history’s playbook—strategies that have worked in the toughest fights and could help Ukraine crush Russia for good. These are big-picture ideas with a proven track record: Unity and Grit Look at Britain in World War II—they stared down Nazi bombs and kept fighting because everyone pulled together. Ukraine’s already got that spirit; it’s why they’ve lasted this long. Keep the nation united—soldiers, civilians, leaders—and they’ll outlast Putin’s war machine. Outsmart and Innovate Wars turn on breakthroughs. Tanks smashed trench warfare in World War I; radar saved Britain in World War II. Ukraine’s drone game is strong—push it further. Maybe AI-guided weapons or new cyber tricks could tip the scales. Stay one step ahead of Russia’s playbook. Gang Up with Allies The Allies beat Hitler by teaming up—U.S., UK, Soviet Union, you name it. Ukraine’s got the West in its corner; make that team bigger and tighter. More countries, more resources, more pressure on Russia. A global posse can choke Putin out. Starve the Enemy’s Wallet Economic pressure brought the Soviet Union to its knees in the Cold War—sanctions, trade blocks, the works. Hit Russia’s cash flow harder: oil, gas, tech. If they can’t pay for the war, they can’t fight it. Same goes for their allies—squeeze Iran and North Korea dry. Control the Story The Cold War wasn’t just nukes—it was radio broadcasts and pamphlets tearing down Soviet lies. Ukraine’s winning the PR battle; double down. Flood the world with proof of Russia’s atrocities—let Putin’s own people see the monster he is. A war of words can weaken him at home. Fight Dirty When You Have To The Afghan mujahideen bled the Soviets dry in the ‘80s with hit-and-run tactics. Ukraine’s not facing jungles, but they can still play smart—sabotage Russian supply lines, strike deep with drones, disrupt their command. Make every inch of ground a nightmare for Russia. Lock in Security for Good After World War II, NATO stopped Europe from tearing itself apart again. Ukraine needs that kind of ironclad protection—NATO membership or rock-solid deals with the U.S. and Europe. If Russia knows another attack means facing the world, they’ll think twice. Wrapping It Up Ukraine’s in a brutal spot—short on troops, cash, and power, with Russia and its cronies China, Iran, and North Korea throwing everything they’ve got. But there’s a path forward. Militarily, they need more gear, smarter sanctions, and a global posse to back them up. Long-term, it’s about outlasting Russia and locking in security so Putin—or whoever comes next—can’t try this again. History shows unity, innovation, and teamwork win wars, and Ukraine’s got the guts to make it happen. With the world behind them, they can send Russia packing—for good. What do you think? Anything else you’d add to the mix?

[storiesblogcoop]

The Cybersecurity Saboteur: Blood from a Stone

Dr. Elara Voss leaned back in her chair, a smirk playing on her lips as she surveyed the chaos she had unleashed on the unsuspecting digital world. The hum of her servers was a soothing symphony, each beep and whir a reminder of her power over the intricate networks that wove society together. Yet beneath this facade of confidence, a lingering frustration gnawed at her: the challenge of finding a worthy adversary.

One day, while sifting through a trove of dark web forums, Elara stumbled upon a name that intrigued her—Cyrus Lin, a celebrated cybersecurity expert known for his impenetrable defenses and ethical hacking prowess. The thrill of a worthy opponent sent a surge of adrenaline through her veins. She decided it was time to test the limits of her abilities against him, to see if she could extract the proverbial blood from a stone.

Cyrus was preparing for a major presentation at a tech convention, showcasing his latest security innovations. His laptop, a sleek device that had seen its share of attempts to breach its defenses, was an ideal target. Elara crafted a plan, one that would not only disrupt his work but also challenge him in a way he had never experienced.

On the day of the convention, she disguised her presence as a simple tech enthusiast and infiltrated the venue. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, and Elara felt the thrill of the hunt. She spotted Cyrus at a booth, deep in conversation with a small crowd.

With deft fingers, she slipped into the convention's Wi-Fi network, her eyes scanning the digital landscape for vulnerabilities. It was like hunting for fish in a barrel; she could sense the weaknesses in the system, much like a predator sensing prey. She quickly deployed a sophisticated malware that would latch onto Cyrus's device, a silent parasite preparing to feast on his data.

However, as she initiated the breach, she encountered an unexpected barrier. Cyrus's cybersecurity measures were not just strong; they were adaptive. The malware she had crafted was met with a countermeasure that mirrored her approach, thwarting her efforts at every turn. The thrill of the challenge only deepened her resolve.

“Now this is interesting,” Elara murmured to herself, her fingers dancing across the keyboard as she engaged in a digital duel. It was a battle of wits, and she was determined to turn the tide in her favor. She began crafting more complex layers of code, deploying decoys and misdirections, trying to distract him long enough to slip through his defenses.

Cyrus, unaware of her presence, was piecing together the anomalies in his system. “It’s like trying to get blood from a stone,” he chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the audacity of the intruder. Little did he know, Elara thrived on that very challenge.

As the minutes ticked down, she felt a surge of frustration. The harder she pushed, the more resilient Cyrus's system became. Each attempt to penetrate his defenses was met with a counterstrike that left her disoriented. It was a dance of shadows, and she was losing her grip.

Finally, in a fit of determination, Elara decided to pivot her strategy. Instead of brute force, she shifted to manipulation. She crafted a message that appeared to be an urgent security alert, designed to lure Cyrus into a false sense of security. If she could trick him into lowering his guard, perhaps she could finally get what she needed.

Cyrus, ever vigilant, hesitated but ultimately decided to investigate the alert. As he delved deeper into the message, Elara seized her moment and launched a final assault on his defenses. But just as she thought she had gained the upper hand, Cyrus activated a last line of defense—a self-destruct protocol that wiped all data from his laptop.

With a flicker, Cyrus’s screen went dark, and Elara felt the weight of defeat settle over her. She had failed to extract anything from him—no data, no secrets, just an empty shell where her target had been.

As she exited the convention, a mix of respect and frustration coursed through her veins. “A worthy adversary indeed,” she muttered, already plotting her next move. In the world of cybersecurity, blood from a stone was elusive, but Elara Voss was not one to back down from a challenge. The game was far from over.

Dr. Elara Voss was known for her unyielding demeanor and her ability to dismantle digital fortresses. Most people feared her, and for good reason. But today, as she sat in her steel-walled lair, she was faced with an unexpected visitor—an eager young journalist named Jamie, who had somehow managed to secure an interview with the infamous saboteur.

"Thanks for meeting with me, Dr. Voss," Jamie said, enthusiasm sparkling in their eyes. "I have some questions about your work. Is that okay?"

Elara raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Sure. Just make it quick. I have... things to do."

Jamie took a deep breath, clearly excited. "First question: Do you think what you do is ethical?"

Elara leaned back, crossing her arms. "Ethics are subjective. I see myself as a necessary evil. Sometimes, you have to break things to fix them."

"Isn't that a bit reckless?" Jamie pressed, an edge of disbelief creeping into their voice. "What about the people who suffer from your attacks?"

Elara's expression hardened. "Suffering is part of the game. If you can’t handle the heat, don’t play in the kitchen. But it’s not personal; it’s just business."

Jamie hesitated, then leaned in. "So, you don’t care about the consequences? What if someone gets hurt?"

Elara's eyes narrowed. "Hurt? Digital data is not the same as a human life. I’m not a monster; I don’t target people intentionally. I target systems."

"But isn’t that a slippery slope?" Jamie asked, their voice rising slightly. "What if someone uses your methods for actual harm?"

A sardonic smile crept onto Elara's face. "That’s the nature of knowledge. It can be weaponized or used for good. I can’t control how others interpret what I do."

"Okay, but don’t you think it’s a bit arrogant to assume you’re above everyone else? That you’re the one who gets to decide what’s right or wrong?"

Elara leaned forward, her interest piqued. "Arrogance? Or confidence? There’s a fine line, my dear journalist. I’ve seen systems fail because people were too naive to protect themselves. I’m doing them a favor."

Jamie recoiled slightly, pushing back. "But maybe some systems shouldn’t be broken. What about privacy? Isn’t it a violation to invade people's digital spaces?"

"Privacy is an illusion," Elara replied, her voice icy. "In the age of information, everyone’s data is already out there, tangled in a web of negligence. I merely expose that fact."

"What about your personal life?" Jamie continued, undeterred. "Do you have any regrets? Any moments where you wished you had chosen a different path?"

Elara paused, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her face before she masked it with a steely facade. "Regrets? My choices have led me to be who I am. I embrace that. What’s the point of dwelling on what could have been?"

Jamie pressed on, sensing a shift. "So you see yourself as a hero then? Someone fighting the good fight?"

Elara chuckled, the sound low and almost menacing. "I don’t need a label. Heroes and villains are for stories. I’m a force, a disruptor. Labels are for those who can’t handle complexity."

Jamie, sensing they were treading dangerous waters, decided to change tactics. "What about your future? Do you ever think about what you’ll do when you’re older? Is this a sustainable path?"

Elara leaned back, her expression unreadable. "The future? I’m more concerned with the present. I make my choices based on the now. Sustainability is a luxury I can’t afford."

"Isn’t that a little... nihilistic?" Jamie ventured, testing the waters.

Elara's eyes flashed, a spark of irritation igniting. "Nihilism is just a way of recognizing the void. I don’t need to romanticize life; I need to navigate it. It’s survival of the fittest, Jamie. Adapt or perish."

The tension in the room thickened, and Jamie hesitated, unsure if they should continue. "Last question, I promise. Do you ever think about what happens when your work catches up to you? What if someone decides to come after you?"

Elara’s smile returned, but it was cold and calculating. "Let them come. If you play the game, you must be prepared to face the consequences. I’m not afraid of the darkness; I am the darkness."

As Jamie wrapped up the interview, they couldn’t shake the feeling that they had poked a bear, and now that bear was fully awake. Elara Voss was a force to be reckoned with, and they were just a journalist trying

to unravel the enigma of a woman who had made chaos her craft. As Jamie gathered their notes, they felt a mix of adrenaline and apprehension. They had entered a realm where questions could spiral into dangerous territory, and Elara was clearly not one to be trifled with.

"Thank you for your time, Dr. Voss," Jamie said, forcing a smile as they prepared to leave. "I appreciate your insights, even if they are a bit... unsettling."

Elara's expression softened slightly, a flicker of amusement crossing her features. "Unsettling is what I aim for. The world needs more discomfort; it prompts change. Comfort breeds complacency."

Jamie nodded, sensing the conversation had taken a turn toward the philosophical. "So, do you believe that your work ultimately leads to improvement in cybersecurity?"

"Improvement? Perhaps. But it’s not my goal. My aim is to expose weaknesses, to force people to confront their vulnerabilities. Sometimes, the only way to learn is through pain."

As Jamie stood at the door, they felt a sudden urge to ask one last question, the kind that had been nagging at the back of their mind throughout the interview. "If you could change one thing about your past, would you? Or do you think the path you’ve chosen has been worth it?"

Elara paused, the question hanging in the air like a fine mist. For a fleeting moment, her gaze shifted, almost lost in thought. "Change one thing? That’s a dangerous proposition. Every choice, every misstep has forged my identity. I wouldn’t be the Cybersecurity Saboteur without those moments."

"But would you want to be remembered for that?" Jamie pressed, sensing an opening. "Is that all you aspire to?"

Elara’s smile returned, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "Legacy is a construct, Jamie. I don’t aspire for remembrance; I operate in the shadows. If I’m remembered, it won’t be for my aspiration but for my impact. And that impact is what will echo long after I’m gone."

As Jamie stepped out of the lair, the heavy door closing behind them, they couldn’t help but feel a mix of relief and intrigue. Elara was a paradox, a woman who thrived in chaos yet spoke with a clarity that was both unnerving and enlightening.

The encounter left Jamie with more questions than answers. They had come seeking a story but had unearthed a deeper philosophical conundrum—what it meant to live in a world driven by data, power, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.

In the days that followed, Jamie wrote the article, carefully balancing Elara’s chilling insights with their own reflections on ethics and morality in the digital age. They highlighted not just the menace of the Cybersecurity Saboteur but also the complexity of her motivations, the blurred lines that defined good and evil in a realm where information was both weapon and shield.

As the piece went live, it sparked conversations across forums and social media. Readers debated Elara’s actions, some calling her a villain while others viewed her as a necessary disruptor of complacency. The article became a focal point, drawing attention not only to Elara but also to the broader implications of cybersecurity in an increasingly digital world.

Meanwhile, Dr. Elara Voss sat in her lair, a faint smirk on her face as she read the article. "Ah, the power of perception," she mused. "They think they understand me, but they’ve only scratched the surface."

Feeling invigorated by the public discourse, she began plotting her next move. Perhaps it was time to take her game to a new level, to invite more chaos into the world and see how the systems that governed society would react. After all, she thrived on disruption, and the digital landscape was ripe for her brand of havoc.

As the sun set on another day, Elara’s mind raced with possibilities. The game was always evolving, and she was determined to stay ahead, to wield her power as both a saboteur and a shadowy force of change. And with every new challenge, she knew she would continue to push the boundaries of what it meant to operate in a world of ones and zeros, where sometimes, the most profound truths lay hidden in the dark.

[mydyspraxiablog]

Story

Once upon a time, in the magical land beneath the sea, there was a school for mermaids called Seawaves School. It was a breathtakingly beautiful school where mermaids from all corners of the ocean gathered to learn the ancient ways of the sea. The school was ruled by the elegant and wise mermaid, Miss Waves, whose powers were unmatched by any other mermaid in the kingdom.

One day, a curious and adventurous muggle named Shell stumbled upon the school. Mesmerized by the sight of the graceful mermaids swimming with their tails glistening in the sunlight, Shell longed to be a part of Seawaves School.

Approaching Miss Waves with a hopeful look in her eyes, Shell expressed her desire to attend the school. However, Miss Waves shook her head gently and explained that the school was only for mermaids, not muggles. Disheartened, Shell was about to turn away when two mischievous mermaids, Sea and Janet, appeared before her with a tempting offer.

We can help you become a mermaid, Sea whispered with a wicked grin.

Intrigued, Shell asked how they could possibly make her dream come true. Sea and Janet revealed that they could turn her into a half-mermaid, half-witch for 24 hours, giving her the opportunity to enroll in Seawaves School. But there was a catch - Shell had to retrieve a good fairies spell from a distant island in exchange for an enchanted fairies book that would grant her mermaid powers.

Determined to become a mermaid, Shell embarked on the perilous journey to the island, unaware of the dark intentions that Sea and Janet harbored. Little did she know, the two mischievous mermaids had trapped her in a magical pod and cast a forbidden mermaidwitch spell, transforming her into a hybrid being with dangerous powers.

When Miss Waves discovered Shell's plight, she knew that time was of the essence. Calling upon the head prefect, Seashell, they worked together to unravel the dark spell that Sea and Janet had cast upon the unsuspecting muggle. They soon realized that only the ancient powers of the past mermaids could save Shell from succumbing to the dark magic.

With the clock ticking, they sought help from magic schools on land and beneath the sea. As they raced against time to save Shell and the future of Seawaves School, a plan began to take shape. Cystral, a wise mermaid with a deep knowledge of magical spells, revealed the location of the sacred good fairies book that could hold the key to breaking the curse.

Gathering all their strength and mystical powers, Miss Waves, Cystral, Seashell, and Shell joined forces to protect Shell from the dark forces that sought to consume her. Together, they unleashed a powerful spell to dismantle the witchcraft that threatened to claim Shell's soul.

In a moment of triumph and bravery, Shell chose to relinquish her mermaid and witch powers, returning to her muggle form with the hope of a new beginning. As the dark magic dissipated, Sea and Janet were stripped of their powers and imprisoned in a magical pod as punishment for their treachery.

Despite the turmoil and challenges they faced, Shell emerged as a symbol of courage and resilience, bringing light and hope to Seawaves School once more. With the guidance of Miss Waves and the support of her newfound friends, Shell embarked on a new journey - embracing her true self and the magical wonders that lay ahead. And so, the tale of Shell's adventure in the enchanted land beneath the sea became a legend, inspiring generations to come with its message of bravery and unity in the face of darkness.

The end

[alexturntable]

Shell Power Unleashed Challenge

[annachum]

Fire and Blood : A study of cycle of toxicity

I feel like I really need to make this essay because after reading Fire and Blood, I get SO EMOTIONAL OVER IT

The entire Targaryen/Hightower drama literally caused the genocidal war that is Dance of the Dragons.

Alicent is raised to be a Queen, and so is Rhaenyra

Their mothers drilled them to become Queens and nothing less and that is all they have ever known growing up

Alicent is raised to marry into ' power ', only to realize later on that is not cracked up to be for her. And then Alicent once believed that all her ' duty ' and ' sacrifice ' will earn her ' ultimate reward in life ' ( becoming a Great Queen deferred by many ). However, it earned her ex in laws' general contempt to her, her ex husband neglecting the children she bore with him, and the last straw is when Viserys I did not even defend Aemond for losing an eye over Rhaenyra's kids jumping on him. That makes Alicent trying to kill Rhaenyra in front of everyone else far more understandable - all those years of rage finally snapped inside of her. And her ' snap ' just goes on for years, unleashing her residual resentment over EVERYTHING regarding her former marriage with Viserys I in the most tyrannical ways possible.

Meanwhile Rhaenyra was raised to be Queen - the premeditated ' destiny ' was her safety net. And then when Alicent ' dared ' to try challenge her with that, Rhaenyra got her own kids to ostracize Alicent's children as much as possible

And then Aemma Arryn, who married Viserys I at a rather young age, was a ' dutiful queen ' throughout yet suffered the woes of her numerous miscarriages. Alicent was essentially a mirror of Aemma in some ways except Alicent turned her residual resentment for her ex in laws into pure, unbridled tyranny

On top of that, Rhaenyra's blatant favoritism from Viserys I transferred her trying to get her own kids to bully Alicent's own kids.

The response?

Alicent had Aemond kill Lucerys over the Eye incident, and the Dance of Dragons truly begin.

It does not stop there. Alicent continued the cycle of toxicity by marrying Helaena, her ' sweet girl ', to Aegon Hightower, who is as much of a misogynistic cunt as his own father ( whom he ofc grew to despise ). Aemond has Viserys I's two facedness and Alicent's unbridled inner rage and ambition. Only the seemingly pure Helaena is fully like Alicent except less evil. Helaena of course despises her own father and Team Black after all they have done

And Daemon groomed his own niece Rhaenyra since she was rather young. He was also needlessly cruel to his first wife WHOM HE KILLED because she managed to get away from him.

On top of that, the entire genocidal war resulted in thousands of people' deaths, the Storming of the Dragon Pit, the beginning of the fall of House Targaryen, and it took Westeros centuries to truly recover from it

The survivors of Dance of Dragins never truly recovered from it

It was a lose lose result all around

And Jaehaera, sweet Jaehaera, who inherited Alicent's religious fanaticsm and Helaena's dreaminess, was filled with dread when she was married off to Aegon III, who becomes a broken shell of a lad at JUST 16 after ALL THAT. Aegon III did try to be kind to Jaehaera despite it all, but the grief and rage Jaehaera experienced in Dance of the Dragons is far too great, and thus she killed herself similarly as Helaena did - taking a fatal leap from her tower while TRULY SMILING for the first time in a while

That is not to say that Aegon III and Daenaera aren't fitting to each other - they are, in a long run. But they are forever haunted by the ghosts of the Dance of the Dragons and view their Team Black predecessors with rage and disgust.

All the bloodshed, power struggle and Massacre, only to ultimate in a lose lose result on ALL fronts, is it worth it?

But upon Helaena, who cursed Rhaenyra's entire bloodline before her death, Alicent must be proud that Rhaenyra's bloodline shall be forever cursed after all that Alicent has been through....even though the Targaryen line shall later die with Daenerys, some centuries later

Rhaenyra and Alicent are both just as much victims of the patriarchy hoisted on them as much as perpetrators of toxicity. They both continued cycles of toxicity with their own children because that was all they ever known. They are both archetypes of ' evil Queens ' that were once Princesses who were never saved. They were shadows of their mothers and representations of the vices of their fathers. They have been both players and pawns in the Dance of the Dragons.

And the Westerosi natives will never view Targaryen name similarly again after the massive destruction caused by the Dance of the Dragons

Fire and Blood is an extraordinarily gut wrenching and still well written documents of the cycles of toxicity and how it takes great courage for at least one person to end it for the sake of themselves ( it's a similar case with Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, for starters )

Alicent is like Lady Macbeth in grasping for power through tyrannical means, and Lady Capulet in vicariously living through her children ( especially her daughter ) and raising her daughter in a severely cloistered environment to the point it stunted the daughter's development

Helaena is like Ophelia in that she was the one voice of clarity of sorts and wilted away due to overwhelming depression, and Cassandra whose visions are hardly ever believed and that also destroyed her

Fire and Blood is a masterpiece of a tragedy, indeed

[usagirotten]

First Trailer for ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed’ Unveiled!

Get ready for shell-shocking action! The first trailer for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed” has dropped, giving fans a sneak peek into the thrilling world of mutant mayhem. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo are back, battling new foes in this story-driven 3D brawler/platformer game. From mysterious crime bosses to mutant allies, this game promises epic battles and heart-pounding adventures. Mark your calendars for October 18, 2024, when TMNT: Mutants Unleashed hits PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC platforms. Cowabunga! 🐢🎮  In “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed,” the Turtles face a new threat in the form of a secret organization known as “The Consortium.” Led by the enigmatic Dr. X, The Consortium aims to exploit mutant DNA for their nefarious purposes. As the Turtles investigate, they uncover a web of intrigue, betrayal, and ancient secrets. Key plot points include: - Mutant Origins: The game delves into the origins of mutants, exploring how they came to be and the role of mutagenic substances. Players learn about the first mutants and their impact on the world. - Team Dynamics: The Turtles face internal conflicts as they grapple with their identities and responsibilities. Leonardo’s leadership, Raphael’s rebellious streak, Donatello’s genius, and Michelangelo’s humor all come into play. - New Allies and Enemies: Players encounter new allies and adversaries alongside familiar faces like April O’Neil and Casey Jones. Some mutants join forces with the Turtles, while others harbor dark secrets. - World-Hopping Adventure: The game takes players across dimensions, from the sewers of New York City to mystical realms and futuristic dystopias. Each location presents unique challenges and enemies. - Ancient Artifacts: The Turtles seek powerful artifacts tied to their lineage, including the “Amulet of the Ancients.” These artifacts hold the key to stopping The Consortium’s plans. - Epic Boss Battles: Prepare for intense showdowns with mutated foes, rogue robots, and even ancient gods. Each boss battle tests the Turtles’ skills and teamwork. - Choices and Consequences: Player decisions impact the storyline, affecting character relationships, alliances, and the game’s outcome. Remember, the fate of mutantkind rests in the Turtles’ hands. Will they uncover The Consortium’s secrets and prevent a mutant catastrophe? Find out when “TMNT: Mutants Unleashed” hits consoles and PC this October!  

Read the full article

[manoharnaresh-it]

Unleashing Your Potential: The Best Linux Online Training for a Bright Future

In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, mastering Linux is not just an advantage; it's a necessity for anyone aiming to excel in IT. The demand for professionals skilled in Linux administration, scripting, and management is skyrocketing, making Linux Online Training a gateway to lucrative career opportunities. Let's delve into why Linux Online Training is your key to unlocking a world of possibilities and why choosing the best Linux Online Training program is crucial for your success.

Linux Online Training: Powering Your Career Growth

Linux is the backbone of modern computing infrastructures, from servers and cloud platforms to embedded systems and mobile devices. Its open-source nature, robust security features, and scalability make it indispensable in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and technology. By enrolling in Linux Online Training, you equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to navigate this dynamic ecosystem with confidence.

Positive Sentiment: Empowering Your Journey

The journey to mastering Linux begins with the right training. A positive sentiment towards learning and growth fuels your motivation and determination. The best Linux Online Training programs understand this mindset and provide a supportive environment where you can thrive. They offer expert instructors, comprehensive curricula, hands-on projects, and industry-relevant certifications, setting you up for success in the competitive IT landscape.

Why Choose Linux Online Training?

Comprehensive Curriculum: The best Linux Online Training covers a wide range of topics, including Linux fundamentals, shell scripting, networking, security, and system administration. You'll gain a deep understanding of Linux distributions like Ubuntu, CentOS, and Red Hat, preparing you for real-world challenges.

Hands-On Practice: Theory alone isn't enough to master Linux. The top Linux Online Training programs emphasize hands-on practice through virtual labs, simulations, and projects. You'll troubleshoot issues, configure systems, and implement solutions, honing your practical skills.

Expert Instructors: Learning from experienced industry professionals is invaluable. The best Linux Online Training courses feature instructors with real-world expertise who can provide insights, guidance, and mentorship throughout your learning journey.

Certification and Recognition: Earning a certification in Linux showcases your expertise to employers and peers. The best Linux Online Training programs offer certification exams and preparation materials, boosting your credibility and career prospects.

Best Linux Online Training: What Sets It Apart

When seeking the best Linux Online Training, look for key features that distinguish it from the rest:

Tailored Learning Paths: Every learner is unique. The best Linux Online Training offers customized learning paths based on your current knowledge, goals, and learning style. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced professional, you'll find a program that suits your needs.

Interactive Learning Experience: Engaging learning experiences keep you motivated and focused. Look for Linux Online Training programs with interactive sessions, live projects, discussion forums, and Q&A sessions to enhance your learning journey.

24/7 Support: Learning doesn't stop when the class ends. The best Linux Online Training provides 24/7 support through forums, chat, and email, ensuring you have access to assistance whenever you need it.

Job Placement Assistance: Transitioning into a Linux-related role or advancing your career requires more than just knowledge. The best Linux Online Training programs offer job placement assistance, resume reviews, interview preparation, and networking opportunities to help you land your dream job.

Embracing the Future with Linux Online Training

As technology continues to evolve, Linux remains at the forefront of innovation. By investing in the best Linux Online Training, you position yourself as a valuable asset in the IT industry. Whether you aspire to be a system administrator, DevOps engineer, cloud architect, or cybersecurity expert, Linux Online Training equips you with the skills and confidence to thrive in diverse roles.

Conclusion

Linux Online Training isn't just about learning a technology; it's about shaping your future. With the right training, dedication, and a positive mindset, you can become a Linux expert poised for success in today's digital age. Choose the best Linux Online Training program, embark on your learning journey, and unleash your full potential in the world of IT.

Ready to start your Linux Online Training journey? Enroll now and take the first step towards a rewarding career in Linux administration and beyond!

[mariacallous]

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the nation’s antitrust and consumer protection laws. We focus primarily on domestic markets and the U.S. economy. Through this work, we get a ground-level view of how markets are structured in America—and of how the extent of competition or consolidation drives outcomes that affect us all.

Like many across government, the FTC is watching closely as the release of sophisticated AI tools creates both opportunities and risks. Our work is already tackling the day-to-day harms these tools can turbocharge, from voice-cloning scams to commercial surveillance.

But beyond these immediate challenges, we face a more fundamental question of power and governance. Will this be a moment of opening up markets to free and fair competition, unleashing the full potential of emerging technologies? Or will a handful of dominant firms concentrate control over key tools, locking us into a future of their choosing?

The stakes of how we answer this question are enormously high. Technological breakthroughs can disrupt markets, spur economic growth, and change the nature of war and geopolitics. Whether we opt for a national policy of consolidation or of competition will have huge consequences for decades to come.

As in prior moments of contestation, we are starting to hear the argument that America must protect its domestic monopolies to ensure we stay ahead on the global stage. Rather than double down on promoting free and fair competition, this “national champions” argument holds that coddling our dominant firms is the path to maintaining global dominance.

We should be extraordinarily skeptical of this argument and instead recognize that monopoly power in America today is a major threat to America’s national interests and global leadership. History and experience show that lumbering monopolies mired in red tape and bureaucratic inertia cannot deliver the breakthrough technological advancements that hungry start-ups tend to create. It is precisely these breakthroughs that have allowed America to harness cutting-edge technologies and have made our economy the envy of the world. To stay ahead globally, we don’t need to protect our monopolies from innovation—we need to protect innovation from our monopolies. And one of the clearest illustrations of how consolidation threatens our national interests is the risk monopolization poses to our common defense.

In 2021, an errant spark in an explosives factory in Louisiana destroyed the only plant in the United States that makes black powder, a highly combustible product that is used to make mortar shells, artillery rounds, and Tomahawk missiles. There is no substitute for black powder, and it has hundreds of military applications. So when that factory blew up, and we didn’t have any backup plants, it destroyed the only black powder production in all of North America. There’s a simple lesson here: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

This is but one of many examples of how consolidation threatens our national interests. We know that monopolies and consolidated markets can result in higher prices and lower output. But monopolies also foster systemic vulnerabilities, since concentrating production also concentrates risk. Someone could probably argue it was more efficient to put all black powder production in one plant in Louisiana. And maybe it was—until it wasn’t.

Defense officials now identify the problem of monopoly in our country as a strategic weakness. The Pentagon has been warning about vulnerabilities in our national security supply chain for years. One top official recently noted that our increased reliance on a small number of contractors for critical capabilities impacts our ability to ramp up production.

One early victory in my tenure as FTC chair was blocking the proposed merger between Lockheed and Aerojet. Aerojet is the last independent U.S. supplier of key missile inputs, and our investigation showed that the deal would have allowed Lockheed to cut off rivals’ access to this key input and jack up the price that our government, and ultimately the public, has to pay. It was the first time in decades that our government sued to halt consolidation in the defense industrial base.

It’s not just our defense industrial base where we have a problem. The pandemic exposed fragilities across our supply chains, with shortages in everything from semiconductors to personal protective equipment. And it’s not just a once-in-a-century pandemic. Even more routine disruptions like plant contaminations or hurricanes have revealed how, in a concentrated system, a single shock can have cascading effects, yielding shortages in products ranging from baby formula to IV bags.

Consolidation causes problems beyond supply chains. For years, successive administrations have sought to strengthen our cybersecurity defenses against a catastrophic attack. A few weeks ago, one of the main medical benefit claims networks in America, Change Healthcare, was taken down for weeks due to a cyberattack, depriving hospitals and medical providers of the ability to bill for their services—and wreaking havoc across our health care system. That network is owned by UnitedHealth Group, which was allowed to buy Change despite a Department of Justice lawsuit seeking to block the deal. Quite simply, we have a resiliency problem in America. Consolidation and monopolization have left us more vulnerable and less resilient in the face of shocks.

But what about AI and the innovation economy? Black powder and baby formula shortages are one thing, but the corporations that run big data centers and large language models are highly technical operations, with tens of billions of dollars of capital to deploy, trillions in market capitalization, and some of the most highly skilled professionals.

Again, we should be guided by history. In the 1970s, Walter Wriston, the CEO of Citibank and a key leader on Wall Street, asked why antitrust enforcers were filing suits against high-tech American darlings like IBM and AT&T: “What is the public good of knocking IBM off?” he said. “The conclusion to all this nonsense is that people cry, ‘Let’s break up the Yankees—because they are so successful.’” By contrast, Europe and Japan were protecting their national champions to win in the international arena.

We chose to promote competition, and that choice to bring antitrust lawsuits against IBM and AT&T ended up fostering waves of innovation—including the personal computer, the telecommunications revolution, and the logic chip. The national champions protected by Japan and Europe, meanwhile, fell behind and are long forgotten. In the United States, we bet on competition, and that made all the difference.

Imagine a different world, where today’s giants never had a chance to get their start and innovate, because policymakers decided that it was more important to protect IBM and AT&T from competition and allowed them to maintain their monopolies. Even when monopolies do innovate, they will often prioritize protecting their existing market position. Famously, an engineer at Kodak invented the first portable digital camera in the ’70s—but Kodak didn’t rush it to market in part because it didn’t want to cannibalize its existing sales. More generally, significant research shows that while monopolies may help deliver marginal innovations, breakthrough and paradigm-shifting innovations have historically come from disruptive outsiders. It is our commitment to free and fair competition that has allowed America to harness the talents of its citizens, reap breakthrough innovations, and lead as an economic powerhouse. But what about those times when we have accepted the national champions argument? One prominent example serves as a cautionary tale.

In the 1990s, a White House advisor noted that there was one very high-tech firm that was “de facto national champion,” so important that “you can be an out-and-out advocate for it” in government. And we did support it, provide it with government contracts, and allow it to consolidate the industry. That national champion was Boeing, whose trajectory illustrates why this strategy can be catastrophic.

In 1997, Boeing became the only commercial aerospace maker in the United States. It came to enjoy this status after buying up McDonnell Douglas, the only other domestic producer of commercial airplanes—a merger reviewed by the FTC. Boeing is the clearest example of a purposeful decision to bet on national champions on behalf of American interests. Policymakers wanted a national champion, and they got it.

Three things happened after Boeing eliminated its domestic competition. First, according to commenters such as United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, the merger allowed Boeing to slow innovation and to reduce product quality. Boeing’s R&D budget is consistently lower than that of its only rival, Airbus. Worse quality is one of the harms that most economists expect from monopolization, because firms that face little competition have limited incentive to improve their products.

Second, reporting suggests that Boeing executives began to view their knowledgeable workforce as a cost, not an asset, with tragic outcomes. As one consultant put it in 2000, “Boeing has always been less a business than an association of engineers devoted to building amazing flying machines.” This corporation’s engineers designed the B-52 in a single weekend. But the new post-merger Boeing decimated its workforce, offshored production, and demanded wage concessions.

Third is the risk that Boeing effectively became too big to fail and a point of leverage for countries seeking to influence U.S. policymaking.

Relying on a national champion creates supply chain weaknesses and taxpayer liabilities, but it also creates geopolitical vulnerabilities that can be exploited both by global partners and rivals. As it was buying McDonnell Douglas, Boeing held a board meeting in Beijing and lobbied Congress to end the annual review of China’s trading rights so that it could sell more planes. The Chinese government would order Boeing planes contingent upon certain U.S. policies, like whether the U.S. held off on sending warships into the Strait of Taiwan, or whether the U.S. lifted bans on the export of certain technologies.

National champions are still corporations first. They have earnings calls, shareholders, and quarterly profit targets. When policymakers in Washington decide to back a single monopoly, their objectives are but one concern among many for that corporation’s senior executives. As then-Exxon CEO Lee Raymond said, “I’m not a U.S. company and I don’t make decisions based on what’s good for the U.S.”

These days, the national champions argument often gets made in the context of our dominant tech firms. We often hear that pursuing antitrust cases against or regulating these firms will weaken American innovation and cede the global stage to China. These conversations often assume a Cold War-like arms race, with each country’s firms in a zero-sum quest for dominance.

The reality today is that some of these same tech firms are fairly integrated in China and are seeking greater access to the Chinese market. While there is nothing intrinsically improper about these ties, we should be clear-eyed about how they shape business incentives. Various incidents in recent years have highlighted how when U.S. corporations are economically dependent on China, it can spur them to act in ways that are contrary to our national interests.

Even if America’s dominant firms are not prioritizing America’s national interests, what should we make of the idea that they can keep America in the lead, if only they are left alone? This, too, is an argument we should treat with great skepticism.

We need to choose competition over national champions, and there are steps we are taking to put that into practice.

In 2021, the FTC sued to block Nvidia’s $40 billion acquisition of Arm, what would have been the largest semiconductor chip merger in history. Our investigation found that the merger would’ve allowed a major chip provider to control key computing technologies that rival firms depend on to develop their own competing chips. Our lawsuit alleged the deal would have risked stifling the innovation pipeline for next-generation technologies, affecting everything from data centers to self-driving cars. Two years on, Nvidia has continued to provide innovative products at a lower cost than we estimated they would have charged businesses after completing the acquisition of Arm. Arm itself is thriving, with its stock price doubling since it went public last year.

This is but the latest example of antitrust laws in action. The FTC was created in part to protect the innovative boons of open markets by ensuring that market outcomes—who wins and who loses—are determined by fair competition rather than by private gatekeepers. Protecting open and competitive markets means that the best ideas win. It means that businesses get ahead by competing on the merits of their skill, not by exploiting special privileges or bowing down to incumbent monopolists.

One final argument against protecting monopolies over competition is that it can leave our democracy more brittle.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the chance to hear from thousands of people across America—from nurses, farmers, and grocery store workers to tech founders, hotel franchisees, and writers in Hollywood. A recurring theme across their stories is a sense of fear, anxiety, and powerlessness. People from strikingly different walks of life have shared accounts of how markets monopolized by dominant middlemen enable coercive tactics—of how they feel their ability to make a decent living or thrive in their craft is, too often, not a function of their talents or diligence but instead is dictated by the arbitrary whims of distant giants.

A basic tenet of the American experiment is that real liberty means freedom from economic coercion and from the arbitrary, unaccountable power that comes with economic domination. Our antitrust laws were passed as a way to safeguard against undue concentration of power in our economic sphere, just as the Constitution creates checks and balances to safeguard against concentrated power in our political sphere.

Recommitting to robust antitrust enforcement and competition policy is good for America because it will make us safer, our technologies more innovative, and our economy more prosperous—but also because it is essential for safeguarding real opportunity for Americans and for ensuring that people in their day-to-day dealings experience liberty rather than coercion. When people believe that government has stopped fighting on their behalf, it can become a strategic weakness that outsiders are only too happy to exploit.

Thankfully, over the last few years we have seen significant progress across government in ensuring that we are centering everyday Americans in our policy decisions. From trade to industrial policy to competition, this administration has learned from past experiences and adopted new paradigms. A common throughline across these approaches is a commitment to revisiting old assumptions and updating our thinking in light of real-life experience and evidence.

Fighting back against the challenges we face is about more than enforcing the antitrust laws. But by promoting fair competition, by showing the American people that we will fight for their right to enjoy free, meaningful lives outside the grip of monopolists, we can help rebuild not just people’s confidence in the economy, but also a belief in American government, and its leadership both at home and abroad.

[edcater]

Data Science Made Easy: Python Essentials for Beginners

In today's data-driven world, the ability to extract valuable insights from vast amounts of information is crucial for businesses and individuals alike. Data science has emerged as a powerful discipline that combines statistical analysis, machine learning, and domain expertise to uncover patterns, make predictions, and drive decision-making. And at the heart of data science lies Python, a versatile programming language renowned for its simplicity and effectiveness in handling data. In this article, we will explore the fundamentals of Python for data science, catering to beginners with easy-to-understand explanations and practical examples.

1. Why Python for Data Science?

Python has become the lingua franca of data science for several compelling reasons. Firstly, its syntax is clear and concise, making it easy for beginners to learn and understand. Secondly, Python boasts a vast ecosystem of libraries specifically designed for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization, such as NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib. Thirdly, Python's versatility extends beyond data science, allowing users to seamlessly integrate their data analysis workflows with web development, automation, and more.

2. Getting Started with Python

Before diving into data science applications, it's essential to familiarize yourself with Python basics. Fortunately, Python's gentle learning curve makes it accessible even to those with little to no programming experience. Start by installing Python on your computer and exploring its interactive shell, where you can execute commands and see immediate results. Learn about variables, data types, and control structures like loops and conditional statements, as they form the building blocks of Python programming.

3. Handling Data with NumPy

NumPy, short for Numerical Python, is a fundamental library for scientific computing in Python. It provides powerful tools for working with multidimensional arrays and performing mathematical operations efficiently. Whether you're crunching numbers, manipulating matrices, or generating random data, NumPy's array-oriented computing capabilities streamline the process and enhance performance. Familiarize yourself with NumPy arrays, indexing, slicing, and broadcasting to unleash the full potential of data manipulation in Python.

4. Data Wrangling with Pandas

Pandas is a game-changer for data manipulation and analysis in Python. Built on top of NumPy, Pandas introduces the DataFrame data structure, which resembles a spreadsheet and enables intuitive handling of structured data. With Pandas, you can load data from various sources, clean and preprocess it, perform aggregations and transformations, and handle missing values effortlessly. Mastering Pandas' functionality, including filtering, grouping, and merging operations, empowers you to tackle real-world data challenges with ease.

5. Visualizing Insights with Matplotlib

Data visualization is a powerful tool for communicating findings and uncovering patterns in data. Matplotlib, a widely-used plotting library in Python, offers a plethora of customizable options for creating static, interactive, and publication-quality visualizations. Whether you're plotting histograms, scatter plots, or time series, Matplotlib's intuitive interface and extensive documentation make it easy to generate informative graphics. Experiment with different plot types, styles, and annotations to craft compelling visual narratives from your data.

6. Exploring Data Science Libraries

Beyond NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib, Python boasts a rich ecosystem of specialized libraries tailored to various aspects of data science. For statistical analysis, SciPy provides advanced functions and algorithms for optimization, integration, and interpolation. Scikit-learn offers a comprehensive toolkit for machine learning tasks, including classification, regression, clustering, and dimensionality reduction. TensorFlow and PyTorch are go-to choices for deep learning enthusiasts, offering flexible frameworks for building and training neural networks.

7. Leveraging Jupyter Notebooks

Jupyter Notebooks revolutionize the way data scientists work by combining code, visualizations, and explanatory text in a single interactive document. With Jupyter, you can iteratively explore data, experiment with algorithms, and annotate your findings in a collaborative and reproducible manner. Its support for various programming languages, including Python, R, and Julia, makes it a versatile tool for interdisciplinary research and education. Get comfortable with Jupyter's interface, keyboard shortcuts, and Markdown syntax to streamline your data science workflows.

8. Embracing Best Practices

As you delve deeper into the realm of data science with Python, it's essential to adopt best practices to ensure efficiency, reliability, and maintainability of your code. Write clear and concise code with meaningful variable names and comments to enhance readability and comprehension. Document your workflows and analyses using Markdown, reStructuredText, or Jupyter's Markdown cells to provide context and explanations for future reference. Embrace version control systems like Git to track changes, collaborate with colleagues, and revert to previous states when necessary.

9. Continuing Your Learning Journey

Python for data science is a vast and ever-evolving field, and there's always something new to learn and explore. Stay curious and proactive by seeking out online tutorials, courses, and books that cater to your specific interests and learning style. Engage with the vibrant Python community through forums, meetups, and social media platforms to exchange ideas, ask questions, and share insights with fellow enthusiasts. And most importantly, embrace a growth mindset and approach each challenge as an opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills in Python and data science.

In conclusion, Python serves as an indispensable tool for aspiring data scientists, offering a user-friendly yet powerful platform for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization. By mastering Python essentials and leveraging its rich ecosystem of libraries and tools, beginners can embark on a rewarding journey into the fascinating world of data science. With practice, persistence, and a passion for discovery, anyone can unlock the transformative potential of Python in their data-driven endeavors.

[xtruss]

America Has a Resilience Problem

The Chair of the Federal Trade Commission Makes the Case for Competition in an Increasingly Consolidated World.

— March 20, 2024 | By Lina M. Khan | Foreign Policy

Aïda Amer Illustration For Foreign Policy

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the nation’s antitrust and consumer protection laws. We focus primarily on domestic markets and the U.S. economy. Through this work, we get a ground-level view of how markets are structured in America—and of how the extent of competition or consolidation drives outcomes that affect us all.

Like many across government, the FTC is watching closely as the release of sophisticated AI tools creates both opportunities and risks. Our work is already tackling the day-to-day harms these tools can turbocharge, from voice-cloning scams to commercial surveillance.

But beyond these immediate challenges, we face a more fundamental question of power and governance. Will this be a moment of opening up markets to free and fair competition, unleashing the full potential of emerging technologies? Or will a handful of dominant firms concentrate control over key tools, locking us into a future of their choosing?

The stakes of how we answer this question are enormously high. Technological breakthroughs can disrupt markets, spur economic growth, and change the nature of war and geopolitics. Whether we opt for a national policy of consolidation or of competition will have huge consequences for decades to come.

As in prior moments of contestation, we are starting to hear the argument that America must protect its domestic monopolies to ensure we stay ahead on the global stage. Rather than double down on promoting free and fair competition, this “national champions” argument holds that coddling our dominant firms is the path to maintaining global dominance.

We should be extraordinarily skeptical of this argument and instead recognize that monopoly power in America today is a major threat to America’s national interests and global leadership. History and experience show that lumbering monopolies mired in red tape and bureaucratic inertia cannot deliver the breakthrough technological advancements that hungry start-ups tend to create. It is precisely these breakthroughs that have allowed America to harness cutting-edge technologies and have made our economy the envy of the world. To stay ahead globally, we don’t need to protect our monopolies from innovation—we need to protect innovation from our monopolies. And one of the clearest illustrations of how consolidation threatens our national interests is the risk monopolization poses to our common defense.

U.S. airmen load pallets with baby formula from Switzerland bound for the United States during a baby formula shortage in the U.S., at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on May 21, 2022. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

In 2021, an errant spark in an explosives factory in Louisiana destroyed the only plant in the United States that makes black powder, a highly combustible product that is used to make mortar shells, artillery rounds, and Tomahawk missiles. There is no substitute for black powder, and it has hundreds of military applications. So when that factory blew up, and we didn’t have any backup plants, it destroyed the only black powder production in all of North America. There’s a simple lesson here: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

This is but one of many examples of how consolidation threatens our national interests. We know that monopolies and consolidated markets can result in higher prices and lower output. But monopolies also foster systemic vulnerabilities, since concentrating production also concentrates risk. Someone could probably argue it was more efficient to put all black powder production in one plant in Louisiana. And maybe it was—until it wasn’t.

Defense officials now identify the problem of monopoly in our country as a strategic weakness. The Pentagon has been warning about vulnerabilities in our national security supply chain for years. One top official recently noted that our increased reliance on a small number of contractors for critical capabilities impacts our ability to ramp up production.

One early victory in my tenure as FTC chair was blocking the proposed merger between Lockheed and Aerojet. Aerojet is the last independent U.S. supplier of key missile inputs, and our investigation showed that the deal would have allowed Lockheed to cut off rivals’ access to this key input and jack up the price that our government, and ultimately the public, has to pay. It was the first time in decades that our government sued to halt consolidation in the defense industrial base.

It’s not just our defense industrial base where we have a problem. The pandemic exposed fragilities across our supply chains, with shortages in everything from semiconductors to personal protective equipment. And it’s not just a once-in-a-century pandemic. Even more routine disruptions like plant contaminations or hurricanes have revealed how, in a concentrated system, a single shock can have cascading effects, yielding shortages in products ranging from baby formula to IV bags.

Consolidation causes problems beyond supply chains. For years, successive administrations have sought to strengthen our cybersecurity defenses against a catastrophic attack. A few weeks ago, one of the main medical benefit claims networks in America, Change Healthcare, was taken down for weeks due to a cyberattack, depriving hospitals and medical providers of the ability to bill for their services—and wreaking havoc across our health care system. That network is owned by UnitedHealth Group, which was allowed to buy Change despite a Department of Justice lawsuit seeking to block the deal. Quite simply, we have a resiliency problem in America. Consolidation and monopolization have left us more vulnerable and less resilient in the face of shocks.

But what about AI and the innovation economy? Black powder and baby formula shortages are one thing, but the corporations that run big data centers and large language models are highly technical operations, with tens of billions of dollars of capital to deploy, trillions in market capitalization, and some of the most highly skilled professionals.

Again, we should be guided by history. In the 1970s, Walter Wriston, the CEO of Citibank and a key leader on Wall Street, asked why antitrust enforcers were filing suits against high-tech American darlings like IBM and AT&T: “What is the public good of knocking IBM off?” he said. “The conclusion to all this nonsense is that people cry, ‘Let’s break up the Yankees—because they are so successful.’” By contrast, Europe and Japan were protecting their national champions to win in the international arena.

We chose to promote competition, and that choice to bring antitrust lawsuits against IBM and AT&T ended up fostering waves of innovation—including the personal computer, the telecommunications revolution, and the logic chip. The national champions protected by Japan and Europe, meanwhile, fell behind and are long forgotten. In the United States, we bet on competition, and that made all the difference.

Imagine a different world, where today’s giants never had a chance to get their start and innovate, because policymakers decided that it was more important to protect IBM and AT&T from competition and allowed them to maintain their monopolies. Even when monopolies do innovate, they will often prioritize protecting their existing market position. Famously, an engineer at Kodak invented the first portable digital camera in the ’70s—but Kodak didn’t rush it to market in part because it didn’t want to cannibalize its existing sales. More generally, significant research shows that while monopolies may help deliver marginal innovations, breakthrough and paradigm-shifting innovations have historically come from disruptive outsiders. It is our commitment to free and fair competition that has allowed America to harness the talents of its citizens, reap breakthrough innovations, and lead as an economic powerhouse. But what about those times when we have accepted the national champions argument? One prominent example serves as a cautionary tale.

Boeing 727 and 737 airplanes are seen on the production line at a factory in Renton, Washington, in 1977. AFP Via Getty Images

In the 1990s, a White House advisor noted that there was one very high-tech firm that was “de facto national champion,” so important that “you can be an out-and-out advocate for it” in government. And we did support it, provide it with government contracts, and allow it to consolidate the industry. That national champion was Boeing, whose trajectory illustrates why this strategy can be catastrophic.

In 1997, Boeing became the only commercial aerospace maker in the United States. It came to enjoy this status after buying up McDonnell Douglas, the only other domestic producer of commercial airplanes—a merger reviewed by the FTC. Boeing is the clearest example of a purposeful decision to bet on national champions on behalf of American interests. Policymakers wanted a national champion, and they got it.

Three things happened after Boeing eliminated its domestic competition. First, according to commenters such as United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, the merger allowed Boeing to slow innovation and to reduce product quality. Boeing’s R&D budget is consistently lower than that of its only rival, Airbus. Worse quality is one of the harms that most economists expect from monopolization, because firms that face little competition have limited incentive to improve their products.

Second, reporting suggests that Boeing executives began to view their knowledgeable workforce as a cost, not an asset, with tragic outcomes. As one consultant put it in 2000, “Boeing has always been less a business than an association of engineers devoted to building amazing flying machines.” This corporation’s engineers designed the B-52 in a single weekend. But the new post-merger Boeing decimated its workforce, offshored production, and demanded wage concessions.

Third is the risk that Boeing effectively became too big to fail and a point of leverage for countries seeking to influence U.S. policymaking.

Relying on a national champion creates supply chain weaknesses and taxpayer liabilities, but it also creates geopolitical vulnerabilities that can be exploited both by global partners and rivals. As it was buying McDonnell Douglas, Boeing held a board meeting in Beijing and lobbied Congress to end the annual review of China’s trading rights so that it could sell more planes. The Chinese government would order Boeing planes contingent upon certain U.S. policies, like whether the U.S. held off on sending warships into the Strait of Taiwan, or whether the U.S. lifted bans on the export of certain technologies.

National champions are still corporations first. They have earnings calls, shareholders, and quarterly profit targets. When policymakers in Washington decide to back a single monopoly, their objectives are but one concern among many for that corporation’s senior executives. As then-Exxon CEO Lee Raymond said, “I’m not a U.S. company and I don’t make decisions based on what’s good for the U.S.”

These days, the national champions argument often gets made in the context of our dominant tech firms. We often hear that pursuing antitrust cases against or regulating these firms will weaken American innovation and cede the global stage to China. These conversations often assume a Cold War-like arms race, with each country’s firms in a zero-sum quest for dominance.

The reality today is that some of these same tech firms are fairly integrated in China and are seeking greater access to the Chinese market. While there is nothing intrinsically improper about these ties, we should be clear-eyed about how they shape business incentives. Various incidents in recent years have highlighted how when U.S. corporations are economically dependent on China, it can spur them to act in ways that are contrary to our national interests.

Even if America’s dominant firms are not prioritizing America’s national interests, what should we make of the idea that they can keep America in the lead, if only they are left alone? This, too, is an argument we should treat with great skepticism.

Nvidia President Jen-Hsun Huang delivers a keynote address at CES 2017 in Las Vegas on January 4, 2017. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

In 2021, the FTC sued to block Nvidia’s $40 billion acquisition of Arm, what would have been the largest semiconductor chip merger in history. Our investigation found that the merger would’ve allowed a major chip provider to control key computing technologies that rival firms depend on to develop their own competing chips. Our lawsuit alleged the deal would have risked stifling the innovation pipeline for next-generation technologies, affecting everything from data centers to self-driving cars. Two years on, Nvidia has continued to provide innovative products at a lower cost than we estimated they would have charged businesses after completing the acquisition of Arm. Arm itself is thriving, with its stock price doubling since it went public last year.

This is but the latest example of antitrust laws in action. The FTC was created in part to protect the innovative boons of open markets by ensuring that market outcomes—who wins and who loses—are determined by fair competition rather than by private gatekeepers. Protecting open and competitive markets means that the best ideas win. It means that businesses get ahead by competing on the merits of their skill, not by exploiting special privileges or bowing down to incumbent monopolists.

One final argument against protecting monopolies over competition is that it can leave our democracy more brittle.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the chance to hear from thousands of people across America—from nurses, farmers, and grocery store workers to tech founders, hotel franchisees, and writers in Hollywood. A recurring theme across their stories is a sense of fear, anxiety, and powerlessness. People from strikingly different walks of life have shared accounts of how markets monopolized by dominant middlemen enable coercive tactics—of how they feel their ability to make a decent living or thrive in their craft is, too often, not a function of their talents or diligence but instead is dictated by the arbitrary whims of distant giants.

A basic tenet of the American experiment is that real liberty means freedom from economic coercion and from the arbitrary, unaccountable power that comes with economic domination. Our antitrust laws were passed as a way to safeguard against undue concentration of power in our economic sphere, just as the Constitution creates checks and balances to safeguard against concentrated power in our political sphere.

Recommitting to robust antitrust enforcement and competition policy is good for America because it will make us safer, our technologies more innovative, and our economy more prosperous—but also because it is essential for safeguarding real opportunity for Americans and for ensuring that people in their day-to-day dealings experience liberty rather than coercion. When people believe that government has stopped fighting on their behalf, it can become a strategic weakness that outsiders are only too happy to exploit.

Thankfully, over the last few years we have seen significant progress across government in ensuring that we are centering everyday Americans in our policy decisions. From trade to industrial policy to competition, this administration has learned from past experiences and adopted new paradigms. A common throughline across these approaches is a commitment to revisiting old assumptions and updating our thinking in light of real-life experience and evidence.

Fighting back against the challenges we face is about more than enforcing the antitrust laws. But by promoting fair competition, by showing the American people that we will fight for their right to enjoy free, meaningful lives outside the grip of monopolists, we can help rebuild not just people’s confidence in the economy, but also a belief in American government, and its leadership both at home and abroad.

This article is adapted from a speech Lina Khan gave to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on March 13.

— Lina M. Khan is the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission.