Good Advice Is Beyond Price - This is the original title of an animated distribution film of Czech origin, produced by Comercia film Praha, which passed the censorship on 17 February 1939 and premiered in February 1939 and was open to young people, only to be withdrawn from distribution on 1 June 1940 and the National Film Archive remained the copyright holder.
Today we know that it is an advertising film for aspirin tablets, which informs about a forty-year worldwide tradition of taking tablets for colds, rheumatism, aches, flu and fever. Each tablet bears the mark of authenticity - the Bayer Cross. In the treatment, it is not the price that counts, but the quality, so it is necessary to pay attention to the authenticity of aspirin tablets that can be bought in pharmacies.
I cannot give advice to European, national and local politicians in going into oblivion, nor to politicians in coming to seats of power after the upcoming elections, where and how they would not take place. For in some situations it is very difficult to find wise counsel, so impasse are the situations, events and individual stories, so great is the deficit of common sense, morality and ethics. In other words: Good advice over gold is a Czech proverb that means that good advice that is well thought out and useful is worth more than any amount of money, including gold. It is an expression of respect for wisdom and experience, which can be invaluable in a variety of situations that are not valued or fashionable today.
Switzerland
Trump's tariff hammer had already divided Swiss MPs before President Keller-Sutter and Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin flew to Washington in the hope of improving the outcome of President Trump's decision on tariffs (39 percent). Naively, they thought the president was not keeping his word and changing decisions like socks, ties and suits.
The fact is that the federal councillors have failed to achieve any breakthrough and the US tariffs of 39 per cent on Swiss imports have been in place since 6am on Thursday 7 August. In other words: Außer Spesen nichts gewesen. The idiom expresses that all efforts and costs have been in vain. It is a negative inference that says that the time, energy or money invested did not have a positive effect.
Why a two-day trip by federal councillors to the US shortly before the deadline was a failure, not to mention meetings with Swiss business representatives (6.7) from Roche, Partners Groups and Mercuria and with Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, who Keller-Sutter said was very friendly and open exchange of views? She did not want to answer any other questions about the meeting. I want to believe that the European Commission and the uncritical defenders of the European Union will learn from the Swiss story, even though the chances are almost nil. Why?
President Trump, who criticized Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter on U.S. television for she didn't want to listenand yet he referred to it as DearHe also stressed that he did not know her before the interview. However, he said that her attitude towards possible tariffs worried him because she had proposed a tariff rate of only one per cent. Trump rejected this. In the case of the EU, President Trump knows well not only the personality but also the background of EC chief von der Leyen and her unelected negotiators and the EU's intractable and growing dependence on the United States.
And to make matters worse for the Swiss, it cannot be ruled out that the United States will put kilogram gold bars in the high-cli category. Switzerland is the world's largest center for processing this metal and trading on the largest futures market, the Comex. Trade is conducted in kilogram bars and gold is on the list of commodities that Switzerland exports to the United States. Switzerland has not understood that the world is a jungle, the strongest man wins and good advice is above gold.
London
Villas in exclusive Kensington, where I rented a flat, have seen property prices fall by at least 20 per cent since 2014. The fall in property prices has caused the end of tax breaks for wealthy Londoners. Demand for property in prime central London is also dampened by the fear of wealthy foreigners who cannot be sure of the legal vetting of their wealth. Chelsea and Kensington are home mainly to the well-to-do. As a reminder, the aforementioned neighbourhoods south of Hyde Park have been among the most expensive residential areas in the British capital for years.
For the record, it's a new beginning for London's sleepy nightlife. Where? The financial district. London has two problems, among many others: empty office buildings and a decaying bar and club scene. In Canary Wharf in particular, huge spaces are empty because staff have been working from home in the wake of Covid-19. Especially from Friday to Monday, many properties remain unused. Moreover, hardly anyone lives there. Half a million people work in the banking district, but at night and on weekends, only 8 500. That's why it's quiet and empty. The City of London's unused office space is therefore becoming the new party scene. The target group is not young people, but the more sociable over-50s. Also here: Nothing for Czech and British seniors and pensioners. The wild party life in London is and soon will be over in Prague.
The career of Minister Ali, born in Bangladesh and representing Bethnal Green and Stepney, is over and she handed in her resignation to Prime Minister Starmer on Thursday night: It is with a heavy heart that I submit to you my resignation as Minister...I have always complied with the legal requirements. I believe I have taken my duties and responsibilities seriously, and the facts prove it.. Yes, it proves the hypocrisy: she evicted tenants from her house to raise the rent by £700!
Yes, Trump wants to meet with Putin soon
During the visit of US Special Envoy Witkoff to the Kremlin, the US and Russia apparently organised a meeting at the highest level. According to the latest reports, the meeting will take place in an unexpected and symbolically safe location in Alaska. The US and Russia are only 3.8 kilometres apart there, the distance between the Diomede Islands, separated by an international data border. On it, they separate yesterday from tomorrow. Symbolically, this marks a peaceful transition from yesterday to tomorrow, in which Moscow can hope that the ultimatum on Ukraine is off the table for now. And what time will bring, only God knows and a few insiders suspect or assume.
But Russophobes and traitorous traitors should count on the fact that the time is coming for the repentance of those who are capable of it, and those who are not, that they will join the ranks of voluntary or involuntary suicides. I do not know how many such in each of these categories live in the Czech basin and elsewhere in the EU, but I do know that the death notices will not be true and will be few.
As if that weren't enough, President Trump briefed Chancellor Merz and other allies about his special envoy's meeting with the Kremlin chief. The phone call reportedly gave allies the impression of a euphoric Trump. In the Czech Republic, I assume it was otherwise. Why? I will give some reasons:
The strategy of Rutte and Merz-unconditionally courting Trump's favor (because the chemistry is (supposedly) right) has led to both would-be masters becoming spectators without will on the geopolitical stage. Czech puppeteers, clowns and servants would love to poke the fluffy TACO to see how much hot air is in it and whether Putin will be the third laughing stock of the rest of the EU.
In any case, the powerless EU and NATO are being given a chance to reduce military spending and prepare for trade with Russia, with new rules and not the old way, as the late Antonin Zapotocky said: you can't live the old way. This is also true of warfare. What do I mean by that?
Lenin's Order to a senior CIA official
President Putin asked President Trump's special envoy Witkoff to present an award (the Order of Lenin) to a senior CIA official, Deputy Director for Digital Innovation Juliane Gallin. Her 21-year-old son was killed in 2024 in Ukraine while fighting, and world wonder, alongside Russian forces. Putin's gesture, known for original mind games and attempts to expose the weaknesses of his adversary, will raise questions including this one: how is it possible that the son of a CIA official fought for Russia?
To make matters worse, I would like to mention the July tragedy of the British and NATO in Ukraine in the rear of the Ukrainian army: the arrest of three senior officers with diplomatic passports, one of them an MI6 officer, secret communications and other information in a special action of a few minutes without firing a shot, sounding an alarm or leaving a trace. The gentlemen will not be extradited or exchanged, but tried in Russia after their extradition. There they will have time to learn about Russia's military history, as British diplomacy is trying to explain to the public when they are detained. NATO, on the subject of detention, is silent. https://youtu.be/m5h-yMeq5tA?si=o4qb9SdTsZSGpeKP
I assume President Putin has passed on some details of the arrests and other actions Invisible units, that the public doesn't know about, but pundits can identify them, via Witkoff to a colleague of Trump's, to convince him that even with AI he's going to have a hard time fighting Russia.
And if it is true that the Czech Parliament recently extended the stay of British advisers in the Czech Republic at the government's suggestion, no one should be surprised by the intensification of anti-Russian activities in the election campaigns, the extension of the bitcoin timeline, or the postponement of the Dozimetr corruption case from September to a long Czech delay. The case file is with the high court, which has yet to rule on a single complaint.
As for the end of the special military operation or the ceasefire in Ukraine, I assume that there will be no agreement any time soon. But if it does happen, it will be respected by Russia, not by the EU and NATO. And President Trump will find himself in a dilemma: admit defeat to the West, stop supplying arms and funding to Ukraine and leave everything to Europe, or declare war on Russia. That is more than enough for even such a hardened businessman and narcissist, and it would mean the end for the West.
Trump wants to move semiconductor production to the US and impose 100% tariffs on imports
President Trump has long talked about high tariffs on chip imports, and now he's quoted the amount: 100 % tariffs on chip imports into the US. And he immediately showed a way around them. Companies would have to choose to invest in the United States to be exempt, he said during a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, calling the exemption good news for companies like Apple.
Recall that Cook had shortly before announced a $100 billion increase in US investment. Apple had already announced $500 billion of investment in the US in February. The tariffs on semiconductors, with no exemptions for large suppliers, are likely to raise electronics prices across the board in the US, as the high-tech chip systems for iPhones and smartphones come almost exclusively from Taiwan.
In general, there have been attempts in the US and Europe for years to bring more chip production back to the West. The previous President Biden - and subsequently the European Commission - relied on billions of dollars in subsidies to do this. Trump calls this a waste of money and sees tariffs as a better way. The construction of the chip factory that the would-be Czech Taiwanese have been talking about and dreaming about consumes billions of dollars, takes years and needs rare minerals, which are not in the EU in the necessary quantities. Good advice over gold, if only because the same opportunities are never repeated.
Size becomes the enemy
For American investment legend Warren Buffett, the size of the company has become by the enemy. The wave of success seems to be coming to an end. Since May 3, 2025, when the 94-year-old legend announced he was retiring as head of Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company's stock has lost approximately 14 % in value. As a reminder, the stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 index, has gained nearly 10 %, including dividends, over the same period. What does this mean for our people and uninformed investor-speculators? It is a warning signal for the stock markets. Otherwise Waren Buffett, who loves stocks and money, would not have parted with stocks that are doing worse than they have done in 35 years.
Brazil turns to WTO over US tariffs
Brazil has appealed to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over US tariffs. With these measures, the United States is blatantly violating central commitments it has made at the WTO, the State Department said. Specifically, import duties of 50 percent on a wide range of export products have been in effect since Wednesday. Meat and coffee, among others, are affected. Excluded are orange juice, civilian aircraft, petroleum and fertilizer. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, the punitive tariffs will affect about a third of Brazil's exports to the US.
To make the WTO negotiations easier to understand, the so-called WTO consultation request is the first step in the dispute settlement process. Bilateral talks aim to find a solution without formal legal action. However, it is unlikely that President Trump will show a willingness to negotiate. Why?
The US government knows full well that the WTO is paralysed precisely because of the reform of the dispute settlement system. The recent justification of high tariffs by the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and the simultaneous accusation of Brazil of endangering US national security, foreign policy and the economy represent, in the assessment of the author of the article, the deliberate creation of political pressure in favour of the right-wing ex-president, who has been under house arrest since the beginning of the week for violating conditions linked to his trial and his role in the coup attempt.
Applicability of EU and US tariffs
The new US tariffs ordered by President Trump on many EU imports came into force at midnight (6am our time). Trump had confirmed this minutes earlier on his Truth Social platform. The European Commission had previously anticipated that the new tariff rate of 15 percent on most EU imports into the US would not take effect until tomorrow. In addition to the EU, nearly 70 countries will also be affected by the tariff change, each with a different rate. Trump justifies his tariff policy by trade deficits that pose a risk to US national security, which is the reason for the announcement national emergencywhich justifies the duties and the duties ordered by last week's decree will enter into force immediately. Billions of dollars will flow to the US, mostly from countries that the US has exploited and ridiculed for years, he wrote in capital letters.
The European Commission, as it were, interpreted the deadline differently and in its own way until the end and wrongly assumed that it would come into force only on Friday 8 August. Why the two sides did not find a common line in communicating the date of entry into force remains unclear. However, it is entirely understandable, given the arrogance, the unwillingness to listen to others and the inability to acknowledge the reality of President Trump. I have written on this subject several times before, so I will not repeat myself.
US court system hit by cyber attack
Late Wednesday evening local time, the US news website Politico reported, citing two people familiar with the incident, that the electronic case filing system had been compromised by a large-scale cyberattack. According to Politico, sensitive court data may have been exposed. Why am I mentioning the attack?
This system is used by lawyers to upload and manage case documents. The system also includes an area where the public can access certain data for a fee. The U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI and the Office of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure have not yet responded to requests for comment. Good advice over gold. Or: who knows, let them guess.
U.S. wants to ease human rights criticism in El Salvador, Israel and Russia
According to media reports, the US government wants to soften its criticism of the human rights situation in El Salvador, Israel and Russia. This was reported by the Washington Post, citing the US State Department's draft annual human rights reports. A State Department official explained that the 2024 reports have been restructured to avoid repetition and increase readability. The reports should not be a directory of every single human rights violation, but should provide an illustrative and broad picture of the situation in each country. An official statement from the Ministry on the report is not yet available. Czech human rights representatives have the opportunity to learn something from the Americans. Why?
Human rights cannot be judged in the old European sense. With regard to digital (human) rights and the difference between human rights in the West and in the East, including China, future elites will have to learn fast to be met by someone from the East. I recommend reading the author's abridged paper published in the Czech Republic at the Madrid conference (25.6).
Iran restructures its security apparatus
After the war against Israel, Iran is restructuring its security apparatus and relying on the old friend Ali Larijani. He was the head of Iran's Security Council two decades ago and recently defended negotiations with the US.
Ali Larijani is considered one of Iran's most influential politicians. He is now back at the head of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranian state media reported on Tuesday that the 68-year-old has been appointed by President Masoud Pezeshkian as the body's new secretary general. The council is responsible for foreign, security and defence policy and also monitors Iran's nuclear programme. It is chaired by President Pezeshkian himself; Larijani serves as an envoy of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He must agree with the committee's decisions for them to be enforceable. This relates to the latest news.
Yesterday (8 July) Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan confirmed that under the seven-point declaration signed with Azerbaijan in Washington the same day, Yerevan can transfer part of its territory to Baku. This continues on the path of betraying the Armenian nation, saving its own skin with the help of the US in the likely event of unrest associated with the referendum on the exchange and transfer of Armenian territory in Armenia, and weakening Armenia's position in its relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey.
How will Russia behave in implementing the declaration on Trump Bridgethe so-called the zangezur corridor of about 43 kilometres, which I wrote about a few weeks ago, is determined by Armenia's economic dependence on Russia, the existence of the 102nd Russian military base with its history and roots in the Tsarist Empire, which was restored in 1995 in Gyumri. And last but not least, the actions and behaviour of the US private troops that are supposed to administer the corridor and the reaction of Iran.
He has already let himself be heard in the words of Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to the Supreme Leader of Iran in TK Iranist: Iran, with or without Russia, will prevent the creation of this corridor. Leasing a corridor to another country is naive talk. Trump presents himself as a simpleton. His statements about leasing a corridor on the other side of the world are like trying to lease the Panama Canal! It's impossible and it's not going to happen. Trump apparently imagined he was a real estate agent and now he wants to lease entire territories! Here again, for would-be peacemaker Trump: good advice is better than gold.
Israel's leadership voted to expand the war in Gaza
The Israeli security cabinet has approved a plan to seize Gaza City. This was confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's office on Friday morning. It was not yet clear whether the capture of Gaza City is part of a broader plan to seize the entire Gaza Strip that Israel is pursuing, according to Netanyahu. The N12 television station, citing a senior official, said the operation, which has now been decided, is focused exclusively on Gaza City in the northern coastal region. The army leadership and the opposition have warned against a complete seizure of the area.
The Security Cabinet also adopted on Friday evening five principles to end the war in the Gaza Strip. These included, among other things, the military control of the coastal area by Israel and the complete disarmament of Hamas, as well as the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip. Subsequently, an alternative civilian government is to be established there.
I remind you that the Israeli army already controls about 75 per cent of the devastated coastal area. From a military point of view, it is not difficult for the armed forces to conquer the rest of the Gaza Strip. However, the real challenge will begin after the full occupation, which entails responsibility for the lives of all the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, the provision of food, medical services, education and sanitation, and thus ensuring security in the midst of a predominantly hostile population. Furthermore, it is not clear whether a military occupation would completely crush Hamas or even strengthen it, which can never be ruled out.
Parliamentary elections in Moldova
In parallel with the redeployment of Ukrainian troops in the immediate vicinity of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, NATO forces have been concentrated in the area of the Mihai Cagălniceanu base under construction in Romania, close to Ukrainian and Moldovan territory.
It seems to me that these manoeuvres occur on the eve parliamentary elections in Moldovato be held on 28 September. If the Patriotic Bloc (Socialists and Communists) wins, the plans of Maia Sandu and her PAS party for an Anschluss with Romania may be called into question. Therefore, everything is being done in the name of keeping power in the hands of the pro-Western elite and banning the Victory Bloc, an alliance of parties promoting the pro-Russian course of Chisinau. This is indicated, among other things, by the composition of the foreign monitoring commission. Those who have no advice cannot be helped. Or: Good advice is better than gold. Consent is not needed.
Jan Campbell
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