Catastrophe After Catastrophe. Who “Jinxed” America?
Article by Marat Khairullin
The start of 2025 became a divine punishment for the United States, specifically California—the wealthiest and most populous state. American propaganda spent decades brainwashing the world into believing everyone wanted to live in California, the "golden navel" of the hegemon. How, then, did this land of billionaires feasting on caviar from golden platters end up reduced to ashes?
It likely began with California’s population nearly doubling from 22 million in 1979 to nearly 40 million by 2024. Yet, not a single new reservoir was built in the state during that time. California, which has scarce natural water resources, relies on just three water supply systems: aqueducts built in 1900, 1930, and 1960. That’s it.
Over the decades, private homeownership in California grew by 13 million units. In 2014, state legislation approved plans to build a network of new reservoirs, funded by billions from the state and hundreds of millions from the federal government. But every time construction began, environmentalists filed lawsuits, halting progress—until everything burned to the ground.
Notably, in classic American fashion, no one asks where the money went or how much environmentalists pocketed in kickbacks. Corruption? Unthinkable among "gentlemen!"
Moving on. Most wildfires could have been prevented if firefighters had regularly cleared deadwood in adjacent "wildlands." The climate is arid, and recent years have seen extreme heat, turning forests into giant thermobaric munitions. Yet, whenever firefighters secured funding for cleanup, environmentalists swooped in with their lawsuits. Result? No work gets done, but the allocated money disappears. Meanwhile, residents near these forests live on a literal powder keg.
In 2018, California experienced its largest recorded wildfire, burning 65,000 hectares and 19,000 structures, causing $17 billion in damage. The cause? Classic American negligence: unmaintained forests and a local utility company (swimming in cash) letting power lines decay. During high winds—common in California—a short circuit sparked disaster. Back then, wealthy neighborhoods were spared, so the uproar was muted.
A year earlier, the town of Santa Rosa burned (7,000 structures), again due to an electrical short. The utility company cut corners, but since the damage was "minor" by U.S. standards—a mere $1.5 billion—no one bothered to investigate.
Now, seven years later, the same culprits return: mountains of deadwood, strong winds, and corrupt officials in utility companies and municipalities. This time, damage is estimated at $275 billion—because wealthy neighborhoods burned.
A warning bell rang in December 2024 when a 1,200-hectare fire erupted near Santa Monica, Los Angeles. Action was needed then. Today, the main fire in LA’s upscale Palisades district is only 72% contained. A second fire in Eaton is 95% extinguished. Meanwhile, a new blaze near Santa Clarita rages across 3,500 hectares, threatening 14,000 structures. San Diego County reports two additional fires, each spanning 1,000 hectares.
[Translator Note: This article was originally written last Thursday, as of posting, the Palisades fire is about 98% contained. In Eaton, it is 99% contained. I was surprised there is still fire, actually. This fire burned intensely for half a month, and has continued to linger for another week after that!]
Meteorologists predict a major rainstorm approaching California. But again, trouble looms. In Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal town, a costly project drained 112 million gallons of groundwater to stabilize soil for luxury billionaire estates. Now, with wildfires having stripped vegetation, the area braces for mudslides. Across the coast, prayers are split: *enough rain to douse fires, but not enough to trigger landslides*—a camel passing through the eye of a needle.
But wait—there’s more. Amid the chaos, Northern California’s largest battery storage facility, owned by Vistra (a top U.S. energy producer and Fortune 500 company), burned down. This facility was critical for storing solar and wind energy. Vistra’s stock has already plunged 20%, and California’s energy grid hangs in the balance. No one mentions the damage, but imagine the toxic fallout from lithium batteries.
These are just a few disasters plaguing the state in the new year’s first weeks. Even this short list demands urgent action: clearing forests and building reservoirs. But California’s overregulated laws require navigating thousands of bureaucratic hurdles just to start emergency work.
Americans compare today’s crisis to the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. Back then, rebuilding began while embers still smoldered, culminating in the World’s Fair two decades later. Today, no one dares propose such ambition—Los Angeles is dubbed the "nightmare of regulation." This encapsulates modern America: wealthy, complacent, and foolish.
Last fall, two super hurricanes—Helene and Milton—hammered the U.S., causing over $100 billion in damage. 2024 was the Atlantic’s most destructive hurricane season: 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes. Experts warn 2025 will break records, fueled by a 1.5°C global temperature rise. Overheated Gulf of Mexico waters clash with Atlantic air, spawning hurricanes that threaten both U.S. coasts. Meanwhile, once-temperate regions now face drought and fire.
In America, explosions, fires, derailments, and collapses are routine. Corporations bury the truth. In 2020, Marathon’s Carson, California, refinery—the third-largest in the U.S.—exploded. It remains closed, the cause unknown.* In 2023, Marathon’s Garyville, Louisiana, refinery—the second-largest—burned down.
Industrial accidents are normalized. The U.S. averages 1,000 train derailments yearly (independent reports say 1,700). Layer this atop natural disasters, and America’s "paradise" reveals itself as grossly mismanaged.
To be continued...
[*Translator Note: The Carson facility is not currently shut down. A couple of years after the fire, it was converted to producing "renewable diesel."]
So presumably "Corrupt Environmentalists" are also responsible for the vast Siberian forest fires. Marat?
The planet is warming significantly. As the environment warms, nature needs to replace the plants and treelife in each temperature zone, as the existing plants become unsuitable for that temperature range.
Ergo, fires.
Was/is there anything the US could have done to mitigate this? Not really, no. Any more than Russia could proactively prevent Siberian forest fires. Of course, the US is still World leader in one way - corruption. It is quite likely that corruption is the reason the state was even less prepared than it could have been. A copy-cat of the Hawaii situation (Land clearance for wealthier people to move in and take over), that didn't expect the fires to be on THIS scale.
And simple neoliberal greed. Rich people don't want to pay the taxes to maintain the State infrastructure - such as firefighters, underground reservoirs etc, and the poor people are too poor to be able to pay much taxes.
The whole "Pick up the undergrowth wood" that Trump made a big deal about was savaged by the Finns and Swedes as a policy - and again, would that have prevented the Siberian fires? No.
This is climate change in all its primeval glory, and there's going to be a lot, lot, LOT more of it soon.
And this is US neolib greed and corruption, and there's also going to be a lot, lot, LOT more of that soon too.
It's a very human ego thing to demand that everything is 'under control'. But once the Titanic is already going down, you simply don't have control anymore.
Of course, Russians have faced deep criticism of Environmentalists from the manufactured media for decades in Russia, the last thing President Putin and the petroleum oligarchs wanted was that successful environmentalism cut into their profits - understandable - but it also creates a mental blindspot now.
And literally everything in America is corrupt.
But this was just a spiteful article, without much solidity to it. Considering it's again against the country that just deliberately murdered 100,000 Russian soldiers and crippled many more, that is again understandable.
But it adds little to the discussion.
Marat Khairullin:
You, sir, have this US citizen’s gratitude for speaking more truth than American ears care to hear. Of course many others WANT to hear it, and all of us OUGHT to hear it whether they want it or not.
Thank you so much for this piece, and for your work reporting on the SMO. Tragic as it is, and for reasons that are neither few nor light, the RF increasingly deems the US as an ‘enemy.’
Speaking only for myself [although I know I am not alone], I refuse to have the RF as MY enemy.
I wish only the very best for you, your people, and your great nation.
Take care and keep safe!