It is with much shock and sadness that word was received of the passing of John Will, who died peacefully on Wednesday, July 15 after many months of declining health. As many of you know, John willingly and with good humour and stylish grace accepted and played the performative digital role of Court Painter for the past 14 years.
His loss is felt not only by me personally AHM, his long time friend and artistic partner on the CP project, but also by the many family members, friends, and art world colleagues who had the good fortune to know such a generous creative spirit, influential artist and teacher.
Future Court Painter postings will be put on hold out of respect for John. However, knowing him as I do, I am confident that even in his absence, he would encourage future posts to continue in the digital studio he so artistically and fashionably occupied.
A classically styled Latin version of Prime Minister Carney’s remarks made on the way into the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey; were rendered in the periodic prose style characteristic of Golden or Silver Age Latin and produced by Dee P S Eek Quaesitor (DeepSeek), the resident Latin scholar of the Court Painter Studio.
The reason for undertaking this Latin translation was not disclosed at the time of this posting, though one may surmise that the prime minister’s message, in whatever language it appears, could be seen, alas, as yet another tilt of support toward U.S. belligerence.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney has backed the latest U.S. strikes on Iran, calling it an appropriate response to ceasefire violations.The remarks were made on the way into the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where U.S. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire over.Trump again bashed the Western military alliance for not joining the U.S. and Israel in the war.For the most part Western leaders, including Carney, lined up behind the U.S. action.
“Iran had been acting irresponsibly, attacking Saudi and Qatari targets particularly,” Carney said on his way into the summit. “There has been a response, as appropriate. Obviously, we look to de- escalation of hostilities.
Carney chooses German submarines for Canadian navy fleet
Contract expected to be worth $100B over its lifetime
German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is Canada’s preferred choice to build the navy’s new fleet of submarines — a multibillion-dollar defence program that is expected to be the largest in the country’s history.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement dockside in Halifax on Monday put an end to long-running speculation about the future of the highly contested program which will determine the navy’s future for decades.
Source CBC News July 6/26
Upon hearing the news of Canada’s immense financial and strategic bet on investing in a new fleet of 12 submarines : Court Painter engaged Euria and DeepSeek in flushing out the downside of this decision in the face of rapidly changing war technologies.
Court Painter has taken the liberty of introducing some of his favourite submarine designs which he hopes will be given consideration should this contract proceed in spite of the criticism particularly from the unmanned aqua-drone lobby!
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EURIA Infomaniak was asked to outline the downside of investing in a submarine fleet in the face of changing war technologies.
Investing heavily in a traditional submarine fleet faces significant downsides given the rapid evolution of modern warfare technologies, primarily due to the diminishing element of stealth.
The most critical vulnerability is the dramatic improvement in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, including advanced passive and active sonar networks, satellite-based ocean monitoring, and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) that can patrol vast areas continuously. These technologies are eroding the historical advantage of submarines as “silent hunters,” making it increasingly difficult for them to operate undetected without massive, continuous investment in next-generation acoustic quieting and countermeasures.
Furthermore, the opportunity cost is substantial; the billions required to build and maintain a modern fleet of diesel-electric or nuclear submarines could be redirected toward more versatile or cost-effective systems like drone swarms, cyber warfare capabilities, or long-range precision strike platforms that may offer a better return on investment in a conflict characterized by distributed, networked warfare.
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Finally, the high cost of ownership and the long lead times for construction mean that a fleet commissioned today might be technologically obsolete by the time it becomes operational, unable to counter the new threats that have emerged during its development cycle.
While submarines remain a potent deterrent, the trend suggests that a balanced approach integrating them with other technologies is more prudent than a heavy, singular reliance on them.
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DeepSeek answered the same question as follows:
Investing in a submarine fleet involves significant strategic trade-offs, particularly when viewed against the backdrop of rapidly evolving military technologies. The primary disadvantages typically fall into cost, vulnerability, and strategic relevancy.
Enormous Financial and Industrial Burden The lifecycle cost is often the most prohibitive factor. Nuclear submarines (SSNs/SSBNs) require massive upfront expenditure for reactor development and specialized materials, alongside extensive industrial infrastructure that few nations possess. Conventional (diesel-electric) submarines are cheaper to buy, but they still require complex maintenance cycles. More critically, the “opportunity cost” is substantial; funds allocated to a small number of submarines typically mean fewer resources for other high-tech assets like unmanned systems, cyber warfare, or space-based surveillance, which might offer more immediate tactical flexibility.
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Vulnerability to New Detection Methods The traditional advantage of submarines—stealth—is under increasing pressure. Advances in Quantum Sensing and Non-Acoustic Detection (such as detecting magnetic anomalies or the subtle wake a submarine leaves) threaten to make the oceans more transparent. Furthermore, the proliferation of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and persistent seabed sensor networks means that vast areas can be monitored without risking manned assets. In a high-intensity conflict, once a submarine is detected, its slow submerged speed relative to aircraft or torpedoes makes it highly vulnerable, as it often lacks the speed to outrun modern lightweight torpedoes.
The “Achilles’ Heel” of Communication Submarines operate in an environment that inherently blocks electromagnetic signals. To receive orders, they must either surface, raise a communications buoy, or tow a long antenna array, all of which increase the risk of detection. In a future war characterized by rapid, AI-driven decision-making and swarming tactics, the inherent latency in communicating with a submerged submarine creates a significant tactical lag. This makes it difficult to integrate submarines into a “joint all-domain” kill web compared to surface ships or drones.
Technological Obsolescence and Crew Constraints Given that submarine programs often span 10 to 20 years from design to delivery, there is a genuine risk that the hull will be obsolete before it is even commissioned, particularly regarding onboard computing architecture and sonar processing. Additionally, the training pipeline for submarine officers and nuclear engineers is long and expensive. This creates a “human bottleneck,” where the force is limited less by hulls and more by the availability of highly skilled personnel. In contrast, autonomous systems offer the advantage of being expendable and operating without the physical limitations of a human crew.
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Lack of Flexibility in “Grey Zone” Conflicts Submarines are powerful for strategic deterrence (nuclear) and anti-ship warfare, but they are generally less useful for the low-intensity conflicts common today, such as counter-piracy, humanitarian aid, or presence operations where visible force is required. Their singular focus on stealth and lethality makes them a less versatile investment compared to multi-mission surface combatants or long-range strike aircraft.
Ultimately, while submarines remain a critical component of a credible nuclear deterrent, their role in conventional warfare is threatened by the rising capabilities of unmanned underwater systems and advanced sensor networks. The strategic risk is that they may become “high-value, low-utility” assets in a future conflict, acting more as static strategic symbols than dynamic warfighting tools.
Albanians have been protesting daily against a planned luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. In this interview, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke with DW reporter Kate Laycock about the protests, AI and democracy.
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Court Painter undertook to interpret portrait footage from the DM interview to highlight the character of leadership reflected in Albania’s Prime Minster Edi Rama’s responses…for what it’s worth.
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As a special treat a series of CP portraits add to the distasteful brew.
Two amigos Canadian Prime Minister Carney & Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum good-naturedly exchange cosplay gifts.
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United States President Trump posing as a famous Emperoramius in the buff while gesturing an exaggerated amount of trust anyone should have in his word…period!
U.S. not renewing trade agreement with Canada and Mexico in ‘current form’
CUSMA (Canada United States Mexico Agreement) was negotiated during the first Trump administration to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. The sometimes tumultuous negotiations served as an early test of Ottawa’s approach to the Trump administration but ultimately all three countries hailed the agreement as a success.
But Trump has continued to cast doubt on CUSMA’s future since his return to the White House and his embrace of a sweeping tariff campaign. He has called the agreement “irrelevant” and has said it may have served its purpose.
CUSMA remains in place unless one of the partner countries gives six months’ notice that it is pulling out. It’s unclear whether the Trump administration can take that action without the approval of Congress.
Trade negotiations between Mexico and the United States have launched but Ottawa and Washington have not started official talks yet
Source Canadian Press 2026-07-01
I Ching: Hexagram 41 (Decrease / Sun), Six in the Third Place, which explicitly states: “When three journey together, their number decreases by one. When one journeys alone, one finds a companion.”
Court Painter pointing out a reference about journeying in threes.
This is a rather long and involved post; however, the point is that Canada’s Department of National Defence and Prime Minister Carney better begin instigating a major drone manufacturing initiative. This is necessary to bolster the security of the world’s longest unprotected border, especially in light of Uncle Sam’s recent Middle East misadventures and the likelihood that the United States will dust off once again the Monroe Doctrine as a guide for hegemonic adventures in the Western Hemisphere.
UPDATE: Excerpted/edited comments by Professor Robert Pape, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, from transcript of his conversation on The Bottom Line (Al Jazeera English), June 28, 2026.
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Chapter 4: A constrained global power
Al Jazeera: Really, what you’re saying is that Iran was never going to be a cakewalk. You were one of the earliest people to come and really game this out, saying, “This is not going to end well, and here are the reasons why. You’re going to propel Iran to a level of power and significance that it didn’t enjoy before.” But if you look at the Western Hemisphere, if you look at the Monroe Doctrine, if you look at Venezuela and the grab and snatch of Maduro from Venezuela, and now the rightward shift of even a lot of elections in the Western Hemisphere, you know, Donald Trump points to that as something that’s a clear win. That was a cakewalk. So, what do you think the peculiar characteristics are of when it’s a cakewalk and when it’s not?
Professor Pape: What you’re going to see, is that the Iran war is going to have a powerful effect in constraining America as a great power in many regions of the world. I call it a constrained great power. America will remain the number one most strong military in the world, China number two, and then Russia number three. But it is more constrained. In the case of the Middle East, we’re seeing the balance of power shifting right before our eyes. In the case of Asia, many people are thinking that what will happen is that we’ll pull back from the Middle East and we’re going to go to Asia. This is not right. That’s not a correct understanding of our future. The future is going to be that we are going to be more restrained because if we can’t keep our bases and carriers safe vis-à-vis Iran, imagine how we’ll hold up against China. This is not going to work out. In fact, I won’t be surprised if we start to think twice about building more carriers for Asia. This is going to be a situation where we’re going to be heavily constrained. And of course, you’re also seeing with Russia, Ukraine is now on its own mostly without any real new help, and with the drones, it’s going to do quite well. The opposite of what most people thought, again not understanding the precision air revolution that has been underway for years.
What that is going to mean, is that that thing called the Monroe Doctrine, as the US is constrained in the Middle East, as the US is constrained in Europe, and as it is constrained in Asia, it is probably going to focus more in the US region of the world. The US will become a more constrained power. And the countries in its western hemisphere ( Canada, Mexico etc.) are substantially weaker than China, Ukraine, and of course, Iran.
Court Painter, mischievously, challenged the studio resident scribe Corrosive Horatio Attila Thundershower (ChatGPT) to render in blank verse, selected Great Dominion headlines of the past week.
To provide a respite from all the reading, Court Painter has opened his vast storehouse of under appreciated gems from years gone by… offering a little eye puzzlement for your enjoyment.
The Week’s Tidings in Blank Verse
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Where mountain vows confront the nation’s heart, The maple sceptre pleads for common cause.
A gilded tyrant toys with Fortune’s wheel, And cracks the pillars holding markets fast.
The northern anthem, forged to summon strength, Finds discord woven through its brazen chords.
The mason’s towers, trembling in the mist, Await the monarch’s balm for wounded stone.
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Though wisdom crowns the scholar’s lofty brow, The Commons kneel to subtler sovereigns.
A splendid chart adorns the economic sea, Yet rudderless it drifts through listless tides.
Should fortress walls embrace the continent, Their granite arms may prove a prison’s clasp.
The oil-fed tempests scour the nation’s purse, Our own neglect has stoked the furnace flame.
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The builder’s rescue, cast in gilded terms, Seems but a salve on fractures self-inflicted.
The summer sun shall assay rival steel, Where patience tempers every claimant’s blade.
From Britain’s fallen minister there comes A raven bearing prophecy in ash.
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The scaffold built to cradle vacant homes Leans perilously beneath its borrowed beams.
Soft honey poured upon imperial ears May sweeten wolves, yet sharpen hidden fangs.
Who fails to harvest promise sows regret; The autumn counts what summer failed to reap.
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The western cedars murmur to the wind, “Our grief bears equal weight beneath these skies.”
The Stampede’s laughter mingles now with dust, As politics bestrides the bucking grounds.
Within the tents, where banners snap like sails, Ambition locks its antlers in the smoke.
The cannabis vine, patiently entwined, Still strains beneath the gardener’s iron hand.
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By measured words the northern helmsman steers The tempest circling Trump’s uncertain wake.
One steadfast soul receives the laurel’s light, A catalyst whose spark outlives the flame.
Necessity may wear a courtly smile, Yet flattery soon tarnishes its gold.
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Some trust that history mends its fractured clock; Hope, unaided, keeps no faithful watch.
How dear the price to bind a restless realm, When prairie winds unlace Confederation?
Across the seas old allies clasp new hands, While treaties bloom like banners in the dawn.
Toward Arctic stars the compass turns again, Where frost and strategy embrace as one.
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An embassy long absent leaves the realm To read dark mirrors through a clouded glass.
The ballots wait like arrows in the quiver, Their hour concealed beneath the statesman’s cloak.
New global order: AI CEOs as heads of nation-states
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
Edited from Axios article:
It was a historic scene that captures a once-unimaginable geopolitical ordering.
The world’s most powerful heads of state gathered in the French Alps this week for the annual G7 summit, with the CEOs of America’s dominant AI companies seated and treated like heads of nation-states themselves.
This is the future many leaders and AI CEOs envision — heads of state and the masters of tech in constant discussion, and sometimes conflict, over who controls AI, its rules, and its application to governing and world security.
AI CEOs sat around the table with leaders of the world’s democracies, treated as peers. The companies, creating the world’s future economy and security infrastructure, are now the equivalent of nation states.
Court Painter was only able to capture in masterful portraits, a few of the Masters of Tech AI CEO’s physiognomies as his supply of pigment, politeness and patience ran out.
You dear viewer have to figure out who is who! (The Court Painter is on the right)
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Source : AI Mode Google Search
The AI CEOs and top tech executives who attended the 2026 G7 Summit working lunch in Évian-les-Bains, France on June 17, 2026, include: [1, 2, 3]
