Sorry to burden you with film references, but this iconic scene from Thelma and Louise seems to capture the current zeitgeist infecting Europe and the United States:
I will leave it to you to decide if Europe is Thelma or Louise. In either case, this is a suicide pact that the United States and Europe are jointly executing without taking time to think about the ultimate consequences of their current actions.
Both the United States and Europe have expressed openly their goal of getting rid of Vladimir Putin. Putin, in their juvenile world, is the source of all suffering and all evil. Quite a powerful guy according to Western mythology. Yet–irony alert–it is the leaders in the West that are being toppled. Joe Biden’s party is facing a massive rebuke in the upcoming November election. Italy gave the Prime Minister reins to an outspoken Conservative–a clear rejection of the traditional political hacks that had been in charge in Italy. And the United Kingdom is in the grips of a record setting meltdown of its political order. For the first time since Parliament came into being (we’re talking three hundred years), the Prime Minister was forced to resign after 40 days in office. While the Tories are trying to paint lipstick on this pig of a situation and call it Marilyn Monroe, it is a total clown show. The UK will continue to give lip service to backing Ukraine, but the economic reality will dictate either cutting back support in order to maintain the readiness of the British military or gutting the British military in favor of arming Ukraine. The UK cannot do both.
Notwithstanding the economic turmoil roiling Europe, the political leaders continue to pay lip service to backing Ukraine while their ability to actually send financial and military support fades. Germany is a prime example., for example, is arguing over whether to send tanks. Neocon Anne Appelbaum (wife of former Polish Defense Minister Sidorski) provided a firsthand report of Germany’s schizophrenia on this issue:
Last February, three days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stood up in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, and made a remarkable speech. Scholz, a Social Democrat without much of a track record on military issues, told his country—conditioned since the 1990s to believe that it no longer needed a real army—that he would add 100 billion euros to the defense budget this year. Germany, he said, needed “airplanes that fly, ships that can set out to sea and soldiers who are optimally equipped for their missions.”.
And this is where we are now: Ever since the speech, Germans have been arguing over what helping Ukraine really means, which weapons can be sent and which cannot, which might provoke some kind of extreme reaction from Russia and which might help win the war. Even as more and more German weapons have flowed to Ukraine, the argument about them remains far more contentious in Germany than anywhere else. . . .
Germany has tanks that it could offer to Ukraine, but it doesn’t. The German government has prevented other European countries that own German-made tanks from sending theirs as well. Yet Germany has sent many other heavy weapons, including some that look like tanks (the anti-aircraft Flakpanzer Gepard has gun barrels and the heavy metal treads that most people associate with tanks, and is already in Ukraine).
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/germany-is-arguing-with-itself-over-ukraine/ar-AA13bWTG
What Anne fails to understand is that mixing NATO tanks with Soviet era tanks is a non-starter. Replacement parts are not interchangeable. Mechanics trained to repair a NATO tank are not automatically qualified to fix a Soviet tank. Guess what? Vehicles breakdown and need to be fixed. Tanks are likely to be damaged in battle and will require repairs. Oh, did I mention the need to train the soldiers how to operate those tanks? Knowing how to drive, aim and fire shells from the tank of a NATO ally is not a transferable skill to a Soviet tank.
In fact, a German manufactured tank is different from a French manufactured tank. The same logistics and maintenance issues arise that make is difficult, if not impossible, to move from a NATO-style tank to a Soviet tank and vice versa.
The same issues arise with other weapon systems. Just because Germany has sent four of its proprietary air defense weapons to Ukraine does not mean that equipment (i.e., IRIS-T) can be easily integrated into Ukraine’s air defense weapons, i.e. the S-300 and the BUK, which are Soviet era weapons. They have different software and electronics. Oh yeah, the same maintenance and repair challenges we discussed with using tanks from different countries and manufacturers.
Like Thelma and Lousie, the United States and Europe are gunning their engines and tossing equipment willy nilly into Ukraine. I guess they hope something sticks. Remains to be seen if the NATO countries experience the same hard landing that met Thelma and Louise at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Speaking of UK, suicides and desperation – why did Ben Wallace fly in emergency mode to Washington? Officially, to discuss things that cannot be discussed on the phone (why? is it bugged by the Russians?). Alex Mercouris of Duran fame thinks he is avoiding becoming a prime minister (I am not buying it).
My uneducated guess is that he is letting Washington know that UK is done (officially a s*it show) and is at a fork in the road – either escalate or admit defeat. Wonder what guidance he received. I guess we will find out in the next few days.
As for America, people keep talking about how this is a proxy war of choice America can stop at any time. I, for one, disagree. America is being challenged left and right and even allies like Turkiye and Saudis are smelling the weakness. The whole world outside USA/EU/UK media blackout can see that Russia is playing the game of cat and mouse with the west and is doing so from a position of an already obvious winner. The confidence is exuding from Putin and his surroundings. He knows that he has already won. Biden, Macron, , they are all on camera 24/7 issuing threats but nobody is taking them seriously anymore.
Remember that lecture Blinken received from the South African foreign minister lady on his arrogant “tour de Africa”? India’s FM lectured Blinken as well, so did the Chinese one. Mexico’s president has spoken out against the proxy war and the dual standards we here peddle to the world.
In light of all this – it is obvious – the world is divesting from us as fast as we divested from international and domestic law when we seized Russia’s foreign reserves (that too was seen by everyone). Many people in the world (outside of our “moral” western bubble) wonder why Abramovich is an “oligarch” but Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos aren’t.
So, this is indeed now an existential fight for Washington. The emperor lost its clothes and is naked “fo reals”. IMHO, “it ain’t gonna end well” for the world, unfortunately. You have essentially an arrogant bully armed to the teeth, that can do a lot of damage. I think Putin intentionally left Kharkiv as an off-ramp, hoping the West would let Ukrainians call it a victory and start negotiations. The west did not care and I think there are no more off-ramps.
The foreign minister lady, Naledi Pandor, is a Zulu Lady (a warrior race in South Africa, married to an Indian from Gujurati Decent – same like Mahatma Ghandi and the richest state in India) – their children make apps and own companies and are afro Asians – called coloured in South Africa – not equivalent to African Americans, but means mixed race – Like Trevor Noah fame. She is edcuated from many institutions world wide and she is very very smart – I personally met her a few times here in South Africa at a few functions and she blows your mind away and she is very witty. And these are like in less than 2 minute conversations in audiences for over a thousand people. The one thing that my ANC run government got right, with all of the hundreds of failures is, actually their foreign policy, but don’t say this to all my fellow South Africans, which are just as stupid and ignorant as the rest of the world as we all watch CNN, FOX, ABC, BBC, CNBC, even our RT and SPUTNIK feeds are cutoff as they came via a European Server – how SAD – even our medical and science students studying in Russia cannot get their stipends as we cannot transfer money to them due to Russia not having access to SWIFT – you think that we as a member of BRICS would have had better measures in place. In our payment methods, other than SWIFT, we also have the Chinese systems here and their union pay as well….i think this will take a while to resolve.
KP Factor
Thanks for this information from South Africa – more reports such as your’s from more places in the world, Turkey, Iran, KSA, China etc are required
All Western information on RoW is very severely limited
A fellow South African living in the Western Cape. I agree with your sentiments concerning the ignorance of our fellow citizens. A sad state of affairs to be censored by big tech when one lives on the other side of the world. Almost all my friends have bought into the mainstream narrative. Grateful to Larry Johnson and others like the ‘Saker’, Duran, etc. for an alternative view (and an education). Mrs N Pandor indeed did us proud in standing up to Secretary Blinken.
>>> God Favours Russia <<<
"For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power" – President Biden to the assembled in Warsaw, Poland early 2022, appealing to a vaporously higher authority about President Putin's future. As President Putin remains as president, we may assume, in accordance with Joe Biden's Cosmology, God determined this outcome. Biden was rebuffed. Of course Biden knows that line was for its politically opportunistic appeal. May well have appealed to many in Europe.
Just didn't appeal to God.
https://les7eb.substack.com/p/ukraine-long-proxy-war-vi-god-favours
We all know that Biden and his puppet masters stole the election. Lets hope help is on the way.
All American elections have been ‘stolen’, particularly in the 21st century. Bush stole from Gore, then Bush stole from Kerry, and so forth. Hillary stole from Bernie, Biden stole from Bernie. That is the American system of media and money, along with physical manipulation of one kind or another, that we Americans have developed. What is the big deal?
‘what guidance he received. I guess we will find out in the next few days.’
What guidance, and FROM WHOM?
Will the last person to leave, please turn out the lights – Thank You.
tend to agree that something like this is being worked out by some factions of the administration and Pentagon. perhaps a negotiated ceasefire, since too many interests on both sides are pressuring a continuation/escalation of the war for anyone to hope a final conclusion is anywhere in sight..i.e. something that looks like an accomplishment for Biden before the mid terms.
“why Abramovich is an “oligarch” but Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos aren’t.”
Perhaps you should ask Mr. Vladimir Potanin who put forward an answer in 1993 ?
Mr. Zhirinovsky is dead so you can’t ask him, although he was very intelligent when he was alive and modified Mr. Potanin’s answer of 1993, supposedly because his mother was Russian and his father was an accountant, whilst Mr. Kissinger decided to keep his own counsel throughout the 1970’s, as did Mr. Kaganovich until the 1970’s due to hope and contextual tempos of belonging.
Mr. Strauss who is also dead, but more particularly his disciples will likely suffer similar slings and arrows of outrageous fortune at the hands of their associates/”friends” when it is all there is will contains blowback extending to possible closing of the right of return which some are pondering, even given they were complicit in the creation of some books.
After all linear belief requires that, when a component changes other components remain the same, in hoped denial of lateral change being a constant.
Larry,
I am of the opinion that the nickname I am replying to is a bot generating text by using publicly available open-source text generation tools. I have been reading its answers for a bit now and they are semi-coherent, peppered with references probably pulled in by a computer guided/generated discourse.
“I am of the opinion…..is a bot..they are semi-coherent… references probably pulled in by a computer guided/generated discourse.”
Well at least you condition your comment as your opinion rather than a certainty, although some might interpret it as a belief since some rigorously test hypotheses before offering a conditioned interpretation – sometimes known as using scientific method.
Interpretations that something is semi-coherent is sometimes used as a euphemism for “I don’t know what it is, but I find it unsettling.” as the construct of infinity is a euphemism for “I don’t know”, which if you have been socialised in the coercive social relations self-misrepresented as “The United States of America” where insecurity is encouraged from birth by various means, and criticism is deemed to be an attack and hence catalysing insecurities of “I don’t know”, your belief/opinion is neither unique nor unexpected.
So please continue with your beliefs since by doing so you become complicit in your own and the coercive social relation within which you were/are socialised transcendence, which may reduce your stress levels in respect of atomic warfare.
“IsItJustForTheMomentWeLive” is not a nickname but a question explored/tested within the content for anyone with access to the postbox, which since attribution is never sought is simultaneously a contents/subject index in transcendence of “individualism” and reliance on “trusted experts”, which are indexed by constant names such as Stephen F. Cohen, thereby limiting encouragement of vigorously testing hypotheses through substitution by “spoon feeding” in furtherance of “The great man of history myths”with inherent subject/object relations, a practice that continues to facilitate the self-misrepresentation “The United States of America” since “We the people hold these truths to be self-evident” continues to have half-lives and utilities.
Polytechnic Universities were/are popular in “The Soviet Union” and the Russian Federation, perhaps you would care to speculate why ?
I find quite a bit of interest within your stream of consciousness outpourings, but I genuinely suggest that you:
invest in the employment of a large bag of full stops to enhance its readability.
consider the line at which its accessible insightfulness crosses an unsharable boundary into conceptual onanism.
“I am of the opinion that the nickname I am replying to is a bot generating text by using publicly available open-source text generation tools. I have been reading its answers for a bit now and they are semi-coherent, peppered with references probably pulled in by a computer guided/generated discourse.”
And of course your ideological immersions presented as – if only the Papa Czar knew, and bringing that to the attention of the Papa Czar, perhaps in hope of retribution like Mr. Smith in 1984 attempting to avoid further torture by telling Big Brother to – Do it to her -.
The internal security services in both the Third Reich and The Soviet Union were relatively small and dependent on the Volksgemeinschaft and the narod being informers to facilitate their works.
My friend’s fathers who was a famous physicist was approached by the NKVD to inform on his associates in 1937, to which my friend’s father responded – well I’ll need a full uniform and a blue cap – and hence a exception was made and my friend’s father was neither shot nor sent to the Gulag.
Using the GDR and the STASI as a further example.
The STASI was the glutton who wanted to gobble all of the sausages.
The glutton was fed gargantuan amounts of sausages and consequently died from heart attack and stroke, no additional lubrication being required.
So once more let me thank you for your complicity in your own transcendence and that of the coercive social relations within which you are enmazed, with limited additional lubrication being required.
@ IsItJustForTheMomentWeLive… you are a genuine literary genius and you shouldn’t waste your encompassing knowledge of the English language on us mere mortals. Please go away sac à vent.
” the world is divesting from us as fast as we divested from international and domestic law when we seized Russia’s foreign reserves (that too was seen by everyone).”
Your interpretation is misguided.
The Russian Federation made a temporary investment since they realise from experience that some think that stolen apples taste sweeter.
Perhaps you should consider how some in Asia fish?
RT is now reporting Shoigu had a phone call with Austin after the top secret Wallace visit to DC. Coincidence?
” He knows that he has already won.”
Apparently you believe that strategy is linear and hence “winning” is not an iteration of “losing”, which is an iteration of winning, which is an iteration of losing, requiring euphemisms like “competition” in obfuscation whilst facilitating “continual war?”
Whilst forgetting the strategist’s caution of “Do you think your opponent is as stupid as you are?” thereby in conjunction with your ignorance believe that you understand the purposes and strategies derived therefrom by the Russian Federation ?
More Western style garbled-edo-gook- word salad-to appear as a“deep” thinker… whatever it was you were shilling about, probably could have been expressed in one coherent sentence if you had tried.
“More Western style garbled-edo-gook- word salad-to appear as a“deep” thinker”
You were neither the coathanger nor the audience and so your reaction was not unexpected.
” probably could have been expressed in one coherent sentence if you had tried.”
You are mistaken but unlikely to agree, since you appear to believe that blogs are agora rather than portals and post boxes.
You have chosen your “name” wisely – You are in a true bind, and 1 (one) of many.
Enjoy your journey.
IsItJustForTheMomentWeLive ,
Okay, I’m convinced you are a real person. Maybe someone undergoing a schizophrenic breakdown. A bot could write more clearly.
Well put, concise!
You were correct, my chickens clucking, cat meowing and dog barking spoke more intelligently than Sir (or Madame) garbled-edo-gook.
Wallace is sucking up to the puppeteers, hoping to fill the power vacuum in England. European politicians serve at the pleasure and direction of the Empire of Lies.
Great article Oddo 👍
This was a proxy war of choice for the US, but the leadership fucked around and made it existential. That was an unforced error of monumental proportions. Played correctly, the US might have leveraged the proxy war into making Russia look bad to the world. Played as it was, the now existential proxy war has painted the US into a deep corner. Unfortunately, the historical moment created by western “leaders” is far too big for them.
You assume they are anything more than puppets for the banks. They have one job, create all the debt the banks need to function. After that, they can blow things up all they please.
The secret sauce of capitalism is public debt backing private wealth.
We are linear, goal oriented creatures in a cyclical, circular, feedback generated reality, so while markets need money to circulate, people see it as signal to extract and store.
Blood is a medium, fat is a store. They are not synonymous. To store the asset side of the ledger requires a debt on the other side. When the medium enabling markets is privately held, we are all tenant farmers to the banks.
That’s why our political class has slowly sunk into irrelevance. They have all the strategic aptitude of bacteria racing across a petri dish.
Capitalism is an efficient way of marshalling and using resources for productive purposes. It works in Thailand, Zululand, Silicon Valley, Siberia, and Kyrgyzstan, among other places. It has nothing to do with public debt unless there is some corrupt form of cronyism in operation which is a drag on capitalism not a variant of it.
Money is not a “signal to extract and store.” It’s evidence that one is doing well and that expansion and other investment is possibly in order. It is also something that can be saved for various purposes but saving is not the only use for profits. Managers decide on best usage.
I appreciate everything you say. The Americans have so far been made to believe the world is with them. The house of cards is falling. The world order is changing.
It’s a common knowledge that NATO weapons are operated by its trained mercenaries, while pretending that the Ukraine conscripts are sharp at quickly learning how to operate these weapons.
Even if the individual systems are operable, integrating such disparate equipment into a coherent force is almost impossible under the best of conditions.
Air defense in particular is meant to operate as an integrated whole with a networked threat detection and tracking system designating targets to the appropriate platforms based on the threat environment.
Combined arms ops are based on synchronized unit movement with planned artillery and rocket fire at predesignated targets along with the capacity to adjust to unfolding conditions in the field.
Onesies twosies is military welfare, no matter who sits at the controls.
Shrikant Modak,
As noted, maintenance and parts issues remain. Its not as if a tank repair shop are in every village, and each needs the right tools and knowledge/training and “parts.”
“Amateurs talk about strategy; professionals talk about logistics.” Gen. Omar Bradley
Mercs do not bring a logistical train into life – they are replacement for a gap in a functioning logistical network – and Ukraine does not have much of a logistical network anymore – its running on the last of the seed corn.
Shrikant Modak,
Mercs or sheep dipped NATO soldiers does not help with the logistical collapse of Ukrainian forces which are using the last of their seed corn. This is why NATO wunderwaffen continue to fail to achieve anything meaningful.
How confusing, to be hoping that these men will die along with the destruction of the weapons they are firing – knowing that they are American soldiers. All while praying at night for the safety and revival of America.
How confusing that you mention American soldiers in a section when no one else has and talking of weapons operators dying when no one else has. And you mention defending America when everyone else is talking about defending Ukraine.
Greetings from occupied pseudo-state Greece Mr.Johnson.
Thank you !
A breath of fresh air every morning, with the first sips of coffee before going to work at the shopfloor is reading your column along with smoothiex and of course the saker.
Informative, compact, to the point, no B.S analysis and information, often combined with razor-like sharp humour (from the Greek word hymos = juice, fluid).
Have been sending your links to tens of fellow Greeks in a (rather vane) attempt to open their eyes to an angle, a narrative totally different from the regime of the pseudo-state media.
I am too worried because my town (Alexandroupolis) along with Chania in Kriti (Creta island) will be the first recipients of messrs Kinzhal and Zirkon if and when the bat-shit crazed neocons play their ultimate card in this already lost for them poker game.
I am a chess player only, never touched cards except New Year’s eve family gatherings; the shitheads believer that the other side (V.P) plays poker also when in fact plays chess.
Anyway, not to abuse more of the column and fellow readers (a greeting to all) sending you a link from one of the very very few independent GR sites.
The short Khazarian clown in the left of the pic. is well known;
less known is the tall Khazarian clown, a lawyer from Kerkyra (Corfu), who was servant for donkeys years to messrs Ro(tten)schield and later became minister of foreign affairs (buhahahaha, the pseudo-state / pseudo-kratos has a M.o.F.A).
So, the legend in the article says that the tall Khazarian has visited the short Khazarian (allegedly in 404 capital, possibly in Warsaw) and promised to give the pseudo-state’s S-300 batteries to 404 !
buhahahahahaha
Cheers to all…
https://www.makeleio.gr/%ce%b5%ce%be%cf%89%cf%86%cf%85%ce%bb%ce%bb%ce%bf/%ce%9d%ce%95%ce%91-%ce%a0%ce%a1%ce%9f%ce%94%ce%9f%ce%a3%ce%99%ce%91-%ce%9f-%ce%a0%ce%91%ce%a4%ce%a1%ce%99%ce%a9%ce%a4%ce%97%ce%a3-%ce%94%ce%95%ce%9d%ce%94%ce%99%ce%91%ce%a3-%ce%a0%ce%97%ce%93/
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
“I am a chess player only, never touched cards except New Year’s eve family gatherings; the shitheads believer that the other side (V.P) plays poker also when in fact plays chess.”
Perhaps a projection in emulation of the “shitheads”?
Other side restricted to (V.V.P), practices restricted to linear games ?
” in fact plays chess.”
That is what Mr. Kasparov – who deemed chess to be a pinnacle of intellectual endeavour deserving of his attention – and others believed/believe, facilitating their Thelma and Louiseness by doubling down, but not pondering what’s it all about Alfie ? through lack of facility.
Correction: Ain’t goin’ back! It will be an Evel
Knievil stunt right off the Grand Canyon! Ain’t goin’ back! Shout out to Mike from the Road Hogs for his stellar performance, though, i still prefer the Road Hogs: great fucking drummer and bass player!
Chopin is about the only thing Polack that makes me proud of pop’s ethnicity; being Slavic, on the other hand, associates me with a great, great people; and any Stepan Bandera would, should know better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP69jld8XAE&t=2s
Putin’s speech, and he and the audience driving right off that mofo cliff! Me too!
“any Stepan Bandera would, should know better”
Well he didn’t when his associates trussed him up because he was a “threat to the environment” and set him up with a date with his opponents, even before “The Godfather” was released.
Yes he did. Stepan Bandera knew the circumstances and chose accordingly and cowardly…KLOOTZAK UKRANIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KLOOTZAK NAZI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUPERIOR ONLY IN FEAR AND COWARDLINESS!!!!!!!!!
Fascinating topic – The Washington War Party believes it can prevail in a decade long global war of attrition.
What’s can be done ?
Watch a few episodes of the old TV series The Waltons and prepare for a long economic Depression.
Wish over reality seems to be the theme in our western society.
I am an electric engineer. I have some understanding of electric power systems. The German green party wants all electricity be produced from solar or wind. The simple question, what about winter night and no wind is answered like: there is always some wind, there are plenty of buffers, and we will have an intelligent design. As an engineer, I simply can say, there is not enough buffer even for a few hours, and switching off consumers will not work, as we have to do this for hundred thousands of them. We will have black outs.
Same thinking for weapons to Ukraine: As an engineer, you know how complex a tank is. It starts with fuelling. You can not go to the next fuel stop from Exxon or Shell….
But anyway: Politicians learnt that they are elected when they promise, not when they deliver.
People like drugs. Think about how many people die from it, but still they continue to use cocaine etc.
Anne wants to sell them, because they make us happy.
@ Roland
Re: “Wish over reality seems to be the theme in our western society.
I am an electric engineer. I have some understanding of electric power systems. The German green party wants all electricity be produced from solar or wind. ”
I am a scientist, not an engineer, but have some comprehension of the issues – technical as well as political – which are involved. The “green energy” movement is a sham, and has been from the start. The technology simply isn’t there to replace fossil fuels-based forms of energy with solar, wind and the other technologies being suggested.
The “green energy” scheme is a bait-and-switch ploy is to get the common people onboard to the extent possible (by the use of ceaseless propaganda demonizing fossil fuels, for example, as well as nuclear power), thereby bidding down the prices of oil, coal, natural gas and other forms of fossil fuels. Once these resources are bid-down as low as feasible, the globalist billionaires will then move in and clean at pennies on the dollar. Whether they plan to monopolize these resources for themselves, or start selling them again at inflated prices, remains to be seen…. but they’re up to no good of some kind.
“The simple question, what about winter night and no wind is answered like: there is always some wind, there are plenty of buffers, and we will have an intelligent design. As an engineer, I simply can say, there is not enough buffer even for a few hours, and switching off consumers will not work, as we have to do this for hundred thousands of them. We will have black outs.”
The globalists must have lousy advisors for tech matters, because any decent engineer, scientist or skilled technician can tell you that there is no way on God’s green earth that electric power is going to run the semis hauling freight all over the world. A subcompact Fiat or Volkswagen for around-town use is one thing, but moving a 30-40 ton rig up-and-down the road for the endless miles they travel, is quite another. Existing battery tech simply isn’t up to the job, and anyone telling you otherwise is either a fool, a liar, or both.
The other part of the plan to “wean” the West off of fossil fuels – by the way, I suspect that the elites themselves will continue to use fossil fuels as they always have – is a classic carrot-and-stick to “drive” the masses into acceptance of their new world order, the dystopian society they term the “fourth industrial revolution” or “Build Back Better.” What poppycock!
They mean to roll humanity back to the 1880s, is what it looks like to me. Unless, of course, you play their game – and get the shots in perpetuity, digital and biometric IDs, central bank digital currency, the whole nine yards.
There is a ton of evidence that the green movement is a scam, but the simplest proof lies in the behavior of the ruling elites themselves. The most-recent climate change meet-up held in Great Britain – you never saw such a profusion of gigantic yachts, giant gas-guzzling SUVs and limousines, and the sky over the U.K. was filled with private jets.
They plan on eating filet mignon in the penthouse while the ‘proles eat bugs and live in rented spaces the size of a broom closet. Got news for them: It isn’t going to happen. Humankind is on to them, and the cat is now, as they say, out of the bag!
How deep is the Grand Canyon? (I’m European)
Approximately 1 mile (1.6 km)
Like the deep state ? 😉
Deeper. It will be there long after deep states go to hell. Unlike deep states, it is beautiful and something to admire.
Iirc, a bit over a mile at its deepest.
God’s country. I was lucky enough to go white water rafting & camping through it back in Aug 2000.
6,000 feet / 1829 meters
One mile, at it’s deepest.
If I remember correctly, up to 1,200 m.
With kind regards from an area once called “GDR”.
And to be honest, since 2014 I’m really starting to miss this commonwealth.
The story of the “two German dictatorships” is in itself perfidious demagogy.
But if I take the “topic”, which is only inadequately described with foreign policy/ethics, a look at the last 30 years of “our liberal democracy” is enough for me – there the stomach acid stands already “upper edge lower lip” …
Hi! What do I read about the present state of what is formerly known as “GDR”? Is there anything worth reading, an objecting to your taste, about it? Or may be you can briefly summarize the present mood? Be “present” I mean not necessarily last a few months, but may be last a few years. Thanks!
I can’t tell you, because I don’t know.
There is a multitude of individual experiences that would go too far to describe here.
“Contradictory” is probably the word of choice.
Of course, no one wants the GDR back in its pre-89 domestic political state.
Nor would anyone want to give up the “land of milk and honey” that was suddenly open to us, and certainly not the opportunity to finally take a look at “the West”.
By and large, the older generation knows “what went on before and after ’89,” and the prevailing educational canon cannot completely “overwrite” their experiences.
But with the topic of “freedom” (and the myth of “unfreedom”), one ultimately liquidates all thinking.
And – this is important – “opportunism” is an elementary human right, you just have to understand that – and wealth legitimizes itself, nobody cares where it comes from, if you can only have more or less share in it …
The above written is my personal opinion.
This communist SED dictatorship has indoctrinated values to me, of course in a totalitarian way – which differ considerably from those, which the so-called “Western community of values” revealed in the last 30 years …
Liz Tosser is gone.
Bring on the next bum of the month.
It’s all Putins fault !
Moar sanctions please.
Moar pop corn for the Kremlin. LOL
German sausage next , sliced and diced, then EU Nazi chicks in primary colours, ready to roll.
America : go home and save your Constitution and the nation it’s self before it’s too late.
The EU becomes a Pieter Bruegel landscape by Christmas. Dollar bet still on.
It seems that of the nations involved in this conflict only Russia has a grand strategy that includes serving its own national interest. One could theorize that the Western countries have grand strategies that focus on serving globalist (international oligarchic crony cartel corporatism) interests, but while that explains much, it is incomplete.
Few of the people currently operating inside the system had a hand in building it: they inherited it. How many of the people involved understand the full complexity of the US led multinational system of coercion and persuasion much less are in possession of the authority to remediate its shortcomings, much less have the intelligence and diplomatic acumen to do so? Now that the system is being put to a test (a VERY VERY mild test) that cannot be solved by simply throwing stacks of fiat currency at the problem, the weak links are breaking.
There is going to be variation in willingness of personnel in local institutions of authority to knowingly and willingly damage their own national peoples to serve globalist interests. Globalists have done a great job of ensuring that senior management personnel are substantially onboard, but they simply can’t extend that down the chain of command. Instead, they have to use propaganda (lies and half truths) to instill culture in authority institutions that facilitates obedience. One example is the nonsense that we are about ‘defense’ or ‘spreading democracy’. When the marks wise up, as they have in huge numbers in the US military based on recruiting shortfalls and anecdotal accounts of separation paperwork applications, the globalists have a problem.
Another aspect is the duality of power and authority. The personnel of NATO, DoD, State Dep’t, EU, various national militaries and political police all staff institutions of authority (decision implementers). The highest tier of the financial system, especially the instantiation of fiat currency used to fund the carrots and sticks that determine institutional behavior both governmental and political, comprises the institutions of power (decision makers). They are not ‘in the chain of command’ of institutions of authority, but rather act outside giving or withholding money to persuade or coerce others. One example is the PAC which approves general grade officers. This is a Congressional prerogative, but I recall reading that Congress has over the last several decades approved the promotion of precisely zero officers who didn’t come recommended by the PAC. No one gets on the committee unless uniparty leadership is sure they will play ball for the money, and almost everyone in Congress is in it for the money.
This kind of power relationship might have been necessary for the long term project of taking over control of the system and exercising power over it while essentially remaining informal and unaccountable, but it makes for incredibly poor crisis decision making. Throw in the additional complexities of the EU project having its own separate systems of authority with delusions of independence or close parity with the Globalist American Empire and the inevitable reality that there will never be uniformity among those in the institutions of power. I expect that all globalists think that globalists should rule the world, but I also expect that every globalist thinks that he or she should be first among equals. It is amazing that the collective globalist West has had a response as unified as it has been, irrespective of questions of competence.
“How many of the people involved understand the full complexity of the US led multinational system of coercion and persuasion …”
Since omniscience is not an option given that lateral change is a constant as Heraclitus observed in restricted example, the answer to your construct is none as a function of your framing.
A more salient edited framing would be “How many of the people involved believe they understand the full complexity of the US led multinational system of coercion and persuasion…”, the answer is many as a function of their ignorance.
The most salient edited framing in present context is ” How many of the people involved understand that they have limited understanding of the full complexity of the US led multinational system of coercion and persuasion, but in context have a useful modicum of understanding of some of the components of the lateral networks of systems of coercion and persuasion that US and others believe they lead rather being components of/therin sufficient to facilitate their purpose…”, the answer is a growning sum of some as a function of their co-operations and reducing hubris.
These Romans – trying to emulate the “Americans” – or is it the other way round?
Perhaps they should have listened to the Greeks or better the barbars?
Perhaps they chose the wrong Allen/Allan ?
“These Romans – trying to emulate the “Americans” – or is it the other way round?”
Whilst MI6 is accusing 617 squadron of defecting to the “Russians”, the disciples of Strauss wondering whether Mr. Putin has become “Moses” and they have become Egyptians to test the water, all aiding “How to drown a drowning man with the minimum of blowback” by drowing in their own shit.
Re: “Sorry to burden you with film references, but this iconic scene from Thelma and Louise seems to capture the current zeitgeist infecting Europe and the United States: I will leave it to you to decide if Europe is Thelma or Louise. In either case, this is a suicide pact that the United States and Europe are jointly executing without taking time to think about the ultimate consequences of their current actions.”
One disagreement with an otherwise insightful analysis: While it is true that the U.S. & Europe are headed down the path to suicide, they have been put upon that path by the ruling elites, who want the premeditated murder of western civilization and much of humanity besides, to look like suicide.
Our destruction is not preordained, nor is that of the other side. People can choose to lay down their arms and deescalate the situation, just as happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
It is very odd indeed and highly significant that in any other conflict, you would hear the usual suspects in the U.S. & western foreign policy establishments calling for peace talks – but today there is nothing but silence from the ruling establishment. This suggests that these self-same “elites” want this war and that they do not want peace.
The missing pieces of the puzzle to be found in the competing world and economic visions being offered by the U.S. and NATO block, versus those of the emerging BRICS bloc. The ruling class elites, the central bankers and all of those who have profited so immensely from the status quo ante bellum, will literally stop at nothing to destroy or neutralize competitors. The western elites could, of course, share the economic pie, but they won’t condescend to such paltry measures. They want it all.
The Russians, Chinese, Indians, et al. are especially a threat to their dominance because the emerging system they are creating is based upon currencies backed by tangible hard assets, and not upon fiat “Monopoly Money” created out of thin air and backed by…. what? Petroleum for now, but for how long?
This is a paradigm change, the “Fourth Turning” of which Strauss and Howe have labored so hard to describe to us. The 75-year old Bretton Woods agreement, the era of the US Dollar and the Petrodollar are now on the way out. That much seems evident, regardless of which bloc “wins” the economic fight.
The common peoples of the world do not want a global conflagration which could descend into the hell-on-earth of a nuclear holocaust. The sole drivers of this insane conflict are the financial and political elites, who act more-insane by the minute. They are the ones who refuse to see reason, who act as if these giant risks are sane. Maybe it is time for new, more-moderate and sensible leaders – the kind who can sit around a negotiating table and work for a durable and prosperous peace instead of perpetual war which benefits only the few elites at the expense of all.
NATO will never again, I emphasize, never again, be able to compete against an adversary of equal standing in principle.
This is the consequence of the economic paradigm that has prevailed for 30 years, and not without reason. (It is, however, considerably older).
You have to combine “globalization” and “outsourcing” in a sensible way, add “a little bit” of “Financialization”, and garnish the whole thing with “the nation state has outlived its usefulness” – then serve everything on the plate “privatization” … At least for Europe, I think, this is the “standard menu”.
By the way, “outsourcing” is a very tricky story – if you overdo it, you have for example “supply chain problems” … And one should always keep Goethe’s “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in mind … only that in real life there is no master …
Oh I forgot an important ingredient:
“competition”, a euphemism for “permanent economic warfare”, has to be added, otherwise the meal will taste bland …
“Oh I forgot an important ingredient”
Not just important, but fundamental in facilitation of coercive social relations.
“competition”, a euphemism for “permanent economic warfare”, has to be added, otherwise the meal will taste bland …”
Hence the obfuscation by euphemism to facilitate the brothel where all the whores try to fuck each other, despite the increasing numbers of former whores are leaving the profession/belief system due in part to being over-fucked, to coperatively create different forms of co-operation/interactions of a different definition of mutual benefit.
The US hasn’t thought about off-ramps. The neocons wanted this war. They provoked it but got more than they bargained for. They thought Russia would only go in to the Donbas and that severe sanctions would topple Putin. Ooops.
Now Europe’s economy is crumbling and there is political instability, which will only get worse over the winter. The US is having problems too with inflation and gas prices, and the Democrats are likely to lose in the midterms.
Russia appears to be turning the tide on the battlefield too. The Ukrainian counter-offensive has stalled. Ukraine is without power. Fresh Russian troops are arriving. The West is running out of weapons and ammunition to send. Do the Russians wrap this up in the next 6 months?
I think it depends on whether or not NATO escalates and gets directly involved – Can the Empire afford to lose? A false flag would do the trick. But God help us all if that happens.
Good article. Thanks.
Small point. Parliament, by the way, is a thousand years old and dates back to Anglo Saxons times. Three hundred years is quite short in England! I think you mean strictly that the office of Prime Minister is three centuries old, dating back to Walpole in the eighteenth century.
Yep, totally unprecedented. Kerensky comes to my mind. None of them want to recognise that the war they want to fight is the root cause. I see zero public enthusiasm to fight a war either.
“Juvenile” is a very good description of our “leadership” class right now. They seem to want to fight, sanction and regime change pretty much everyone. For Russophobes such as Anne Applebaum we need a different adjective though. If these people really want to “stand with Ukraine” then there is a trench line, and I suggest they join up and do their bit. But stop spreading their incendiary, vile, paid for propaganda to the rest of us.
“The Washington War Party believes it can prevail in a decade long global war of attrition.”
How do we get these people out of our government?
….How do we get these people out of our government ?…..
Impossible without a horrific Civil War or similar cataclysm. Their reaction to the Trump presidency signals they won’t reform.
That’s why I advocate voting with our feet, our forefathers did. We can too. Better a couple of years too early than one day too late.
i concurr with that.we in the US connot vote our way out of this abomination.
You can’t get them out of government. As long as people like George Soros live and breathe the Republic is dead.
Blaming everything on Soros is intellectually lazy. It is a form of classic scapegoating. The reason that we cannot gat the warmongers in Washington out of office is that our political system is totally dominated by two parties that in combination comprise a single War Party. There are a few dissenting members, but not nearly enough to matter.
I’ll keep blaming George Soros until the PTB do something about George Soros. “Intellectually lazy?” Don’t be a jerk.
I don’t blame everything on George Soros. Did you even bother to read my comment I said “people like George Soros.” Get lost troll.
Re: “Blaming everything on Soros is intellectually lazy. It is a form of classic scapegoating. The reason that we cannot gat the warmongers in Washington out of office is that our political system is totally dominated by two parties that in combination comprise a single War Party.”
In the case of billionaire troublemaker Soros, it is “scapegoating” which is entirely deserved.
The various denizens of the so-called two-party system (which is itself a Potemkin Village to hide how things really work in the swamp) are hired help… prestigious and well-paid help, but hired help none-the-same. Hired by whom you ask? Soros, Buffett, Gates, and the various other billionaire oligarchs.
You needn’t take my word for it. Some years ago, during Obama’s second term, a blue-ribbon panel of esteemed political scientists and historians convened to answer the question “Who runs America?” Their answer, after due deliberation, was that the U.S. was no longer a representative democracy or a republic, but an oligarchy, meaning rule by the few. The “few” of whom they spoke were the billionaire oligarchs and their associates.
I seldom agree with Dennis Kucinich about much of anything, but he was right on the money when he said some years ago that if you want your Congressman or Senator to pay attention to your problem, unless you are prepared to write a check for at least $10,000 you won’t get the time of day from that representative. Strictly pay-to-play is how the system works… it locks out all but the moneyed corporate interests who can afford expensive lobbyists, and individuals with very high net worth. Common people are left out in the cold, and not by accident.
Calling somebody “intellectually weak” regarding people like George Soros, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg, and the like is like criticism of rogue billionaires being called “attacks” and a “conspiracy theories.”
The propaganda has gotten piled so high and deep that we’ve reached the point where any time we hear about something being a “conspiracy theory” we can pretty much assume it is a “conspiracy fact.”
These rogue billionaires should be allowed to vote and that’s it. Plenty of other billionaires live quiet lives building mega ships that uncover long lost mysteries deep beneath the oceans, accomplish feats that no private government can. Like building their own rocket ships, to cart Bill Shatner up further on high; things that don’t include like pursuing interests which include extreme political agendas.
“Soros gave at least $500,000 to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, becoming one of the campaign’s largest donors.” Umm, do elections have consequences or don’t they?
How many billionaires’ political action groups are banned, in six countries? Maybe because the agenda of Soros-backed (because God help you if you even try to pin anything directly on George Soros himself), political action groups make regime change and CIA activities seem tame by comparison?
Of all these rogue billionaires, George Soros is perhaps among the worst offenders. Soros donated $32-billion dollars to his political action groups, “The Open Society Foundations.”
“Soros’s influence on left-wing DA candidates is often wildly underestimated. Since 2016, when Soros first began to back the campaigns of district attorneys (presumably as part of the “Resistance” to the Trump administration), CRC researchers have tracked more than $29 million in funding from Soros through a personal network of political action committees (PACs) formed specifically to back left-wing DA candidates. In total, Soros cash has generously supported over 20 individual candidates, many of whom won their elections and remain in office today.”
Some say this is just Republican propaganda, however, this is happening in a country where many Americans believe there is only one political party in existence today, and blame people like George Soros for it.
It’s all this mealey-mouth stuff about Soros that gets George Soros in trouble.
Soros’ PR group explains how being a “non-practicing Jew” allowed Soros to survive the Nazi occupation of Hungary, and kept him out any German Concentration Camps, during World War II, by leaving Hungary in 1947. Umm. By leaving Hungary after the war this kept George out of German Concentratin Camps? Did the Nazis make any distinctions between practicing and non-practicing Jews during World War II? Did any German Concentration Camps exist after the war? Some would credit such a nuanced explanation. Good on you, George. Some just call it for what it is — fuzzy, mealy-mouthed nonsense. Maybe this is why some people doubt the Holocaust ever took place? Nice job there, George.
Why the need for the focus of so many of George Soros’ billions needed to just explain and deflect attention away from George Soro?
RE: the blame-e says
22 October 2022 at 08:18
“Soros’ PR group explains how being a “non-practicing Jew” allowed Soros to survive the Nazi occupation of Hungary, and kept him out any German Concentration Camps, during World War II, by leaving Hungary in 1947. ”
No Papa Soros was a useful “faciltator/sourcer” for Arrow Cross, the SD/SS, and allegedly for Mr. Kastner and associates of primarily in Jewish Hungarian moveable assets, which due to levels of complicity the others including “The State of Israel” which allegedly became a beneficiary often obfuscated.
By 1947 due to to changing circumstances it was deemed less upsetting if Papa Soros, his assets and brood no longer lived in Hungary – at least that was the “communist” version which in part facilitated the “Hungarian Revolution” of 1956 – the KGB head of station in 1956 being Mr. Yuri Andropov, which in conjunction with Prague 1968 when he was head of the KGB alienated him enough to retructure the KGB in preparation from 1971 onwards, and pretended that Mr. Gorbachov was his protege without significant blat or relevant experience sufficient – the line of “perestroika” being from Mr. Krushchev via Mr. Andropov to Mr. Gorbachov (without particular explanation of the contents) – to pose a threat to other factions in the Politburo, which so enraged the other factions in the Politburo after Mr. Andropov had died and his “assurances” proved to be untrue, in 1991 they kidnapped Mr. Gorbachov thereby facilitating The Russian Federation as Mr. Andropov likely expected – when the “freedom fighter” Mr. Yeltsin climbed onto a tank, some raised a glass and a smile in honour of Mr. Andropov known to some as Mr. Devious, since naughtiness is the norm when edifices are self-destructing, and how to minimise blowback a prime consideration.
Mr. Andropov had a sense of the ridiculous which not all perceived, although in the annals of Wikipedia he remains portrayed as a dogmatic, grumpy, miserable, unhealthy bastard of little intellect who was a great failure.
Here is something which greatly resonates with my sentiment; it is rather about other manifestation of the DS, but the solution seems identical:
https://kunstler.com/clusterfuck-nation/were-coming-for-you/
Cheers, JaKo
I hate that stupid bitch jew neocon Anne Applebaum. You made me almost vomit up my morning coffee.
there is definitely talk about cutting UK military spending.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/18/cut-defence-spending-will-quit-armed-forces-minister-warns-hunt/
Consider that Newt Gingrich and others have claimed that Russia may use nukes if it is desperate and there are many Main Stream Propaganda articles that claimed Russia is losing big. This seems a set up for a false flag tactical nuke attack on Ukraine’s own troops. Some in DC are saying that the US can survive and win a limited nuclear war with Russia, as Mr Johnson has debunked. Russia has lost over 100 suitcase bombs, according to some, and has decommissioned 10’s of thousands of nuclear artillery shells, all perfect for a false flag since the plutonium residue would lead straight to Russia. The window for the “Russia is losing” propaganda is closing since Russia will decisively defeat the Ukrainian army soon after the ground freezes, which won’t be long.
Too Herman
The Grand canyon is very deep. I think the two ladies are still flying. 🙂
The insanity continues as US Attorney General Merrick Garland wants to work with Ukraine’s top prosecutor to prosecute Putin for war crimes.
The Anglo-Zio anti-Russian narrative is falling apart everywhere in Europe and certain players and former big time players are not shutting their mouths anymore as ex Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has recently shown causing a MAJOR political upheaval in Italy with his leaked anti-Zelensky outburst and pro-Putin stance. The yet to be formed “conservative” pro-Atlantist NATO and EU coalition government of Giorgia Meloni who only rose to political stardom due to her friends at the Aspen Institute risks dying before it is even born. Berlusconi, a member of Meloni’s coalition, although nearly 87 years old, possesses more political acumen than figures half his age. He is very well aware that continuing this pro-Ukraine anti-Russian stance will only serve to destroy whatever is left of the Italian manufacturing and commercial sector, the second largest after Germany in all of the EU.
Mark my words, Italy will be the first major power in Europe to leave the US-GB anti-Russia axis which will inevitably create the foundations for the timed and much needed demolition of Bruxelles.
Meloni, despite her (faux?) populist noises, really showed her hand when she insisted that the baseline for membership in a political coalition was unconditional support for both Ukraine and Israel. Oh, really? Your Atlanticist/Zionist slip is showing, would-be Prime Minister, Meloni.
Maybe Anne Appelbaum could line up some cushy job in a NeoCon think tank for you, and thereby spare the Italian people from your tightly- constrained form of populism. Like Voltaire was reputed to say, you will find out who rules you by observing whom you may not criticize.
Hollywood movies. That big thermometer of the culture of a time.
Think of it, the US are not short of similar stories to Thelma and Louise, real and imagined.
Take Bonnie and Clyde or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, for instance. It’s a theme in American culture, the aimless, anti society, individualistic, hedonistic, self destructing nihilistic trip. An entertaining elaborate murder/suicide. The same psychological basis underpins mass shootings. Always at the end, the “heroes” come out with guns blazing to be shot down by the forces of order. The ultimate ethos of American capitalist, consumerist culture is chaotic mayhem.
It’s part of the post WWI national myth. Gangster movies of the interwar period started the trend.
T&L, another movie that when it came out I couldn’t really wrap my Spanish mind around. I couldn’t understand what the point of this aimless escape was, and was confused by the obvious glamourisation and ease of the suicide. So, it all amounted to this, a burning of all the bridges? Is this all female friendship has to offer? Nihilistic feminism to go with the nihilistic chauvinism.
Impressively insightful summary. Thanks.
The ruin of German industry makes no sense, even if bought for firesale prices the cost of living in the US precludes that type of manufacture being viable there, where would it move to? So then Germany nor it’s EU dependents would be able to afford to re-arm with US weapons, then the whole burden of development stays home. Without German manufacturing the Euro has zero value, what else is there to buy? then how can Europe buy anything?
The obvious answer for Germans and Russia is for German engineers to move en-masse to the new cities Shoigu has planned creating a massive steel and manufacturing base, underpinned by Russian energy, material and labour prices. That would give Russia the strength to compete with China. Europe could become a wasteland/wildlife park and the US could recover it’s soul given a generation or too of mild hardship.
Our Liz had the right message; but the wrong method. Suppose that she was directed to appoint both Hunt and Shapps by the globalists of the WEF. Maybe His Majesty had some pointed advice?
Might Ben Wallace had had something urgent to say about US intentions for Haiti?
There is still virtually no reporting in UK of the mayhem inflicting the rest of Europe.
Keep up the good work, Larry.
“. . . the economic reality will dictate either cutting back support in order to maintain the readiness of the British military or gutting the British military in favor of arming Ukraine. The UK cannot do both.”
Actually, “yes” they can. The UK will try. And they will succeed, failure being the new measure of success. And abject failure being the next step up the ladder of the new narrative.
“Yes,” the British Empire (that refuses to die), and this includes the United States, the EU, Europe, Brussels, Germany, Poland, NATO, Denmark, Sweden, and others can.
They can do both things, have their guns and butter, too. They can do all things. As long as they can print money then money is no option. And IF the day ever comes when they can no longer print money then they will continue printing money out thin air with cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). Fiat currency on steroids.
The insanity is only beginning. The Thelma and Louise thing was a bit off. In the end the movie fades to black before the car hits the bottom of the canyon floor. The world really is being run by hysterical schoolgirls.
Wait until Zelensky and Co., starts putting anybody who refuses to “give” them what they want on a hit list. Ultimately the whole western world ends up on a Ukrainian kill list. Just ask Elon Musk. One cockroach talking with another.
The irony here will be that cockroaches really do survive nuclear annihilation, because science says so, and we all know how the Progressive, Woke, Socialist Democrats love science. That means that the ultimate survivors of this mess, who should be the first to go, the ultimate deadbeats, losers, and parasites of the world, Zelensky and Co., will emerge from beneath the rubble of the West flying their freak Nazi flag.
The world is, patently, not run by hysterical school-girls. More by morons like you
I respectfully disagree that they can continue to print money forever. The petrodollar is dying, if not already dead. Saudi Arabia’s snuff to Biden’s lame request to pump more oil spells its doom. When major global players like that turn down USD, printing of them means nothing. Whatever they print is only as good as the corrupt, lieing, evil murderous government behind it. The USA is being seen by the global south, the 87% of the world’s population, as the Emperor with no clothes (just lies). The old days of do what we say or else are gone.
USD remains 85% global reserve.
There is zero hit in dollars status so far.
BRICS are no where near providing an alternative.
Europe may be decimated but the US has actually been economically lifted and strengthened by this war.
This is likely going to play out over decades not years economically.
I’m no economist, but the strengthening of the dollar is likely only a short term good with significant ramifications. Most of the world’s sovereign debt is denominated in dollars and tied to the fed rate. A ridiculously strong dollar and high interest rates are a recipe for sovereign debt defaults, which traditionally ricochet through the world’s financial system. This one is particularly over leveraged and interdependent. Decades it may be, but sometimes it only takes a straw to break the camel’s back.
You are a few decades behind, at the end of last year it was at 59%, countries have been slowly reducing their dollar exposure in the last decades.
I wonder how much more it is accelerating after the events of this year.
“Germans have been arguing over what helping Ukraine really means,”
What’s it all about Alfie? – was never restricted to Germany but asked by all opponents facilitating their concubined Thelma and Louiseness and mutual cannibalism in the brothel where the whores all try to fuck one another.
Not Privet Andrei whose connotations may be riddled for those not present in Russia during 1993.
“whores all try to fuck one another.”
Yes
Not only the legs are divided and ruled.
“Joe Biden’s party is facing a massive rebuke in the upcoming November election.”
No. No. I’m sorry, but “NO!”
What the country is, and the American People, are facing is yet another episode of massive election fraud, with the Democratic Party being the biggest beneficiaries of a George Soros “Spare No Expense” bailout in history.
Just you watch.
When are people going to wake up?
That’s what I’m telling people. Voting doesn’t matter in the FUSA anymore. The winners of the November election having already been determined on state, local & national levels. The polls, debates & campaign speeches don’t mean squat shit. Just prepare for the inevitable, however you want to define it. I hope you & your loved one survive the coming shit show by the way.
“Thelma and Louise” advocates a world without consequences. The movie fades to black before we see consequences, of a car bottoming out on the floor of a canyon. Even after that poor unfortunate classic T-Bird is a crumbled mass of metal, long after, forever even, these two hysterical schoolgirls will be going on making stupid suicidal mistakes.
Larry- ‘maintain the readiness of the British military or gutting the British military in favor of arming Ukraine’.
Gutting the military – already done. Down to 80,000 troops that fit easily into a British football stadium. You had a short 30 sec film, a couple of days ago – train passing carrying tanks.
One wag said posted more tanks on one train than the Brit Army. But he was right.
Meanwhile Brit Govmt chucking money about with both hands. In the vernacular ‘this aint gonna turn out well’.
One only hopes that Russia does not turn its (gun)sights on emasculated Yourope. But the Ruskies probably think that if they wait a bit, Yourope will disappear without trace, of their own accord. Anything other you want Oh Great Master Bidon?
As an Eastern European, I hope that Russians continue westwards beyond Odessa.
“. . . Chancellor Olaf Scholz stood up in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, and made a remarkable speech. Scholz, a Social Democrat without much of a track record on military issues, told his country—conditioned since the 1990s to believe that it no longer needed a real army.”
Actually, Germany has been conditioned to believe it needs a real army since the Versailles Treaty of 1920. Germany may have lost World War II. They may have been wards of the western state since 1945. But George Patton summed things up very well when he predicted that the winners of wars always become (as in take on the characteristics of) the losers.
After almost 80-years (and I am being generous), of dealing with fascists, communists, and pure evil, has not the United States become the very thing it once fought against?
The answer to your question would be YES. But, then I would add that fascism is a reactionary political ideology that occurred between the 2 world wars in reaction to the aggression of communism. Mussolini was a clown with dreams of conquest: unable to win a war. Franco was a patriot that saved Spain from the commies. Hitler wanted to restore Germany after its humiliating dissection by the Versailles treaty. Hitler is the most lied about man in human history. I’m not saying he was a choir boy, but, he was not the pure evil caricature that has been pounded into our heads by the media. If you read David Irving’s “Hitlers War” you’ll get a better sense of the man.
https://www.unz.com/runz/the-remarkable-historiography-of-david-irving/
Why are you promoting linking to a white supremacist website?
Another time, thank you Larry for bringing us everyday a different perspective compared to what we hear in our mass medias.
As far as France is concerned (and this echoes your friend’s post yesterday), the majority of people I know, including relatives, mechanically comment on the news by saying that we need to fight Putin, the demonic fascist willing to destroy democracy blablabla…
Unfortunately, with such a poor mindset, there is nothing surprising that France continues to arm Ukraine, even as it’s stock market keeps on collapsing, it’s currency no longer worth anything, and strikes are shaking the country ( ok, kind of a second nature to us)
Therefore, to the question whether our governments will go as far as Thelma and Louise, mine (French gov) is painfully beginning to understand that germany does not wish it well and that the Franco-German “couple” is a wet Europeanist fantasy, lasting for 20 years. Maybe something can emerge from it.
This is all true. However, the Russians, despite having substantial yet undeployed infantry and armour just will not fight. They have a million excuses for the First Guards Tanks Army to sit on their asses. The Russians look like they have lost their nerve, have no mo-jo. Get the hell on with the job!
Russia is going soft in order to show the Word that it is different from USA. They want countries to switch sides. Could you imagine, a year ago, that Saudi Arabia would ditch USA and apply to join BRICS?
Larry, nice briefing, – I note, everything you note also applies to the (actually more important, but thoroughly integrated) economic war. Stealing Russian central bank reserves was a suicide pill that has led to rapid de-dollarization of global trade, and the main finance of empire. It was the equivalent of a nuclear weapon financially, and it squibbed.
Thelma and Louise is also a good metaphor as it involves disaster by falling – Portugal, is still falling (relative to its competitors) hundreds of years after the Thucydides trap was sprung.
Is it Thelma or Louise who put that nuke in the boot ?
You had a great canyon ? What about a greater one ?
In Spain, my acquaintances think that the war in Ukraine is not for them and that they trust the European Union will solve everything with “dialogue” and more sanctions that will ruin Russia. For my part, I have 40 kilos of food accumulated (and growing) and other survival items.
I appreciate if someone can provide me with a website where I can buy weapons (in Spain or in Europe in general) for my legitimate defense.
I appreciate any advice.
May the Lord bless you.
Join your local hunting club. That’s the best way.
That’s a good idea, thank you Amigo very much.
I was thinking of buying a glock that is very modifiable by the “secondary roads”… I don’t know how much the shotguns will cost in the USA, in Spain the medium quality ones: 1500 euros and my pocket is not very big. Thanks a lot Amigo otra vez
What a wake-up call! I thought NATO had a “NATO” army. Instead they have a bunch of small, underequipped and out-of-date armies with no compatibility. NATO is starting to realize that it is totally incapable of taking on a modern, well-equipped army. I’m not forgetting the American nuclear warheads, which I believe even the US knows can’t be used as anything but a threat at this point — the peacock spreading his tailfeathers. It’s like a school bully realizing that he can’t actually win a fight now that the little kids have grown up and gotten some muscle power. The US used to be better at thinking ahead, which makes me think that NATO was always just meant as a way to keep Europe down — to stop any one country from developing an army that was actually effective. Now it’s over-and-out for Europe, which I don’t think bothers the US one bit (and perhaps was part of the plan). I think they overplayed their hand, though. They assumed that the “slanty-eyed” and “mongol” kids would continue to be easy targets because they didn’t have the brains or the will to empower themselves. The paper tiger and the gas station disguised as a country… what arrogant stupidity! This is where REAL systematic racism gets you.
The US is also Thelma and Louise. I shake my head at the utter stupidity of the Biden administration. They are alienating past friends over the myoptic need to sanction Russia. They have force Russia and China into close partnership and it appears that Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia are following suit. Then they attacked the Nord Stream pipelines bring vital energy to their supposed friend.
This is the grand finale of the “Neocon wars” that will end up with a destroyed Europe, a seriously weakened US, many dead Ukrainians and a new world order. As a patriotic American, I am rooting for a Russia victory since I am so disgusted with my country’s criminal government. As Alexander Dugin wrote, the US has become infected with an alien spore that is decidedly anti American in spirit. Unfortunately their grip on the media and power structures are so strong that it seems that the only way they can be dislodged is by a serious body blow. I hope and pray the American people wake the F### up!
https://katehon.com/en/article/united-states-court-against-ideology-progress
“Italy gave the Prime Minister reins to an outspoken Conservative…”
Eh, not so fast:
“ROME (AP) — Italy’s presumed next premier, Giorgia Meloni, issued a stark warning to Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday that he risked losing influence in any new government over his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as she asserted a strong pro-NATO, pro-European position about Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
Meloni may not be quite what she appears (or appeared) to be. Wolf in sheep’s clothing?…
Missing in all this…
WHY????
The Answer…..
A hail mary pass to secure resources….
My economic research service predicts interest rate increases at every FED meeting through the beginning of 2024….
All to reduce aggregate demand to a level at or below available supply..
Which is basically defying gravity as explained here….
https://bylinetimes.com/2022/10/19/britains-stark-cho..
Five years ago, I warned in a study that Europe faces an increasing risk of state failure due to the escalation of interlinked environmental, energy and economic crises – and I found an intriguing pattern: states begin to fail within 15 years of losing their main sources of energy and economic revenue.
Britain’s North Sea Oil production peaked in 1999. Fifteen years later, as its domestic oil production haemorrhaged, fringe right-wing nationalist forces had moved increasingly into the mainstream. They blamed Europe, immigrants, asylum seekers, Muslims and ethnic minorities for Britain’s intractable social and economic crises.
During that period, the quality of the UK’s energy dropped by a third, if not more. In 2000, a year after the UK’s North Sea Oil production peaked, Britain’s ‘energy return on investment’ (EROI) – a ratio capturing the amount of energy used to extract a single unit of energy – was around 9.6. By 2012, this had plummeted to 6.2. This is well below the minimum EROI benchmark of 11 considered necessary to sustain continued economic growth.
What is happening to Britain now is symptomatic of a wider global phenomenon. Its dependence on oil, gas and coal is self-cannibalising. The scientific consensus shows that it is driving us towards climate catastrophe and, at worst, civilisational collapse.
Ditto for the EU….
INDY
Really interesting utoob from a US ex tanker, called the “Chieftain”. He’s an advisor to tank video games now, and here he is demonstrating the operations of a 30 year old T72. It has a really complex stabilized optical sight that allows the commander to lock onto the first target, and then search for a new one while the gunner fires on number one. And so forth. Really complicated. It’s easy to see that this takes one heck of a lot of training, and is not going to easily transfer to some other tank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbZokjXgVVA
You have to burn it all down in order to build it back better…for your internationalist comrades.
Be of good cheer the external fellow travelers are not the Grand Old Politburo and useful idiots will have a short shelf life.
Bravo! What an appropriate analogy Thelma and Louise is. Just like Thelma and Louise robbed banks, the Western politicians are robbing their taxpayers, blind. The wage of sin is death. Well, that’s how things should work.
re: “their goal of getting rid of Vladimir Putin”
Our so-called leaders are truly clueless about Russia; indeed, it seems their ignorance knows no bounds.
This is what imperils us all.
Crackpot neocon ideology has served up one military disaster after another. Millions have been killed, maimed and displaced as a result of their wars, yet mental midgets like Victoria Nuland are still shaping our policies.
The question is: Why?
As Harold Pinter noted in his brilliant Nobel acceptance speech:
“I have said earlier that the United States is now totally frank about putting its cards on the table. That is the case. Its official declared policy is now defined as ‘full spectrum dominance’. That is not my term, it is theirs. ‘Full spectrum dominance’ means control of land, sea, air and space and all attendant resources.”
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2005/pinter/lecture/
This is what is at the heart of the “Rules-based order” mouthed by Blinken and others. This is why we’ve poured trillions of dollars into a global military-surveillance machine.
It is clearly insane.
To again quote Harold Pinter:
“The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them. You have to hand it to America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. It’s a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis.”
To quote Rod Serling [from ‘The Obsolete Man’]:
“This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one. It has patterned itself after every dictator who has ever planted the ripping imprint of a boot on the pages of history since the beginning of time. It has refinements, technological advances, and a more sophisticated approach to the destruction of human freedom. But like every one of the super states that preceded it it has one iron rule – logic is an enemy and truth is a menace.”
Welcome to The Twilight Zone.
It’s not ignorance, Juan, they are fully aware of the Russian potential, it’s Putin that’s the arch villain, he totally opposes their progressive wokenesss, he’s the other side of the spectrum of how societies should be run on each and every issue that matters from defending borders to preserving our Judaeo-Christian past.
What’s more, the Western Governing elites know that Putin’s take on things resonates with the Western unwashed, that’s why he has to be got rid off, dismissed, regime changed.
There is no “judaeo-Christian” past. Jews rejected Christ, crucified him. They have successfully taken over the governments waging war against Russia. The Western “unwashed”, as you term we peasants in thrall to our zionist-occupied regimes, are patiently waiting for this house of cards to collapse so we may begin anew.
Well said, except for one thing.
“Our so-called leaders are truly clueless about Russia; indeed, it seems their ignorance knows no bounds.”
Actually, things are worse. Much worse. IMO. The ignorance of our leaders is willful ignorance.
They want to be stupid.
What will turn the West was the East was when the Red Menace ruled up to 1990 are two things: the severing of supplies of cheap and abundant Russia fossil fuels, and the severing of supplies of the stuff made with cheap and abundant Chinese labour.
It wouldn’t;t be a Western collapse, it will be a gradual degradation of living standards, a permanent stagnation that will last, a set of new new laws will ensure compliance similar to that in the USSR and the Kremlin controlled satellites, for the vast majority of the plebeians it will a mere existence on social credit, they will meekly accept it just as Orwell predicted.
And, also like the west, its a film about lesbians and their bad relationships with the real world
It may not fit this piece of Mr. Johnson neatly, but it’s a part of the same story, the unquestionable support for the evil regime in Kiev, the demonisation of all things Russian.
Here’s an interview with one of the exchanged prisoners, a Russian captured by the Ukrainians, released back to Russia, one has no way of checking whether he’s telling the truth, but he has a visible proof of torture (5:10min), the people inflicting the branding are those the Western Governments send money and killing gear to, unbelievable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEt4ZM7ddiQ
Looks like Kherson is going to be liberated by the Ukrainian Army soon. When Gen. Sergey Surovikin, the new commander of Russian forces in Ukraine said that “difficult decisions” may be necessary in Kherson, he was clearly laying the groundwork work for another Russian retreat. I’m not sure how they will spin this as a minor defeat, especially since the area is defended by some of Russia’s best units, not the Donetsk and Luhansk militias.
Looks like Ukrainian Army will liberate themselfs from their lives and limbs soon. The commander Zelensky has layed all the groundwork for the sarcrifises he is willing to take. I am sure he will spin it as a major victory because it gets all of them closer to Bandera.
Anyone have any thoughts on why Gen. Dvornikov was replaced by Gen. Surovikin?
Because he used wrong pronoun when adressing an attack helicopter.
I listened to some UK Lord explain to Bloomberg this morning that the UK must continue to stand by Ukraine, as “Ukraine is in a sense fighting for our values.”
That pretty much sums things up. The UK and EU are pretty much devoid of what used to be called Western values.
The Brits seem to think their Trident nuclear subs actually make them a player rather than merely a target rich environment.
If you think UK has changed, you should google about Crimean War.
Hi Larry: After examining this slow drive of the Thelma-Louise 2.0… all that seems to make sense is one huge bank and one huge military. No more BOE, or BOJ, or EURO, just a uniform Western Federal Reserve Bank and one uniform Western Military with the US at the helm… all that keeps coming into play is NOT a “cold war” or a “block”… but 2 two entirely separate spheres. The US has every intention of sucking up like a vacuum all peripheral nations by the “strength” of the $$, watching the cascade of national defaults, swooping in. They’re just buying another decade or 2 of assets and “good living”. It’s absolutely clear they cannot beat Russia/China/India alliance. They simply want to bankrupt all other Western US controlled nations, and reset what they can salvage, and leave the rest of the world in a global economic meltdown sacked with worthless US IOUs. It’s not possible to be this “Thelma & Louise” stupid, so the conclusion is, Russia has been correct all along, and many many nations can kiss their nation state goodbye, they need more time to complete the circle… BOJ and BOE, Switzerland are all there, a few more pushes with the EURO…
Just an observation…seeing some articles/posts indicating that a US Republican led Congress MAY not be so eager to fund UKR ad nauseum…assuming that Republicans regain control of the house after the 2022 mid-term elections next month.
“US election outcome threatens Ukraine aid – Politico”
https://www.rt.com/news/565076-politico-ukraine-aid-midterms/
As CINC…Brandon could continue to deplete US military stockpiles without Congressional funding approval e.g. weapons/ammo transfers from existing US stocks–not a smart move but Brandon is an emotional guy (albeit senile) and reason would have little to do with his decision making process(es).
It’s unlikely that the EU would make up for any funding deficiencies…rather, US cessation or reduction of funding would in my opinion cause a domino effect and we could see the whole house of cards collapse.
Having said all of this I don’t really trust a Republican Congress to be much more than a Democrat Congress…we shall see sooner rather than later if Republicans reach down and grab a set for once.
The US, UK and EU are dumping their equipment into Ukraine so they will have an excuse to order a whole fresh batch of weapons for themselves. Because we tax-paying citizens are too stupid to see the scam. The military is a racket, said some wise sage once upon a time.
Thelma-nuclear war seems to be in play. Jeez Louise.
Gulp, looks like Thelma-nuclear war is on the table, Jeez Louise.
Mr. J.,
Great articles, great forum.
Thanks!
How confusing, to be hoping that these men will die along with the destruction of the weapons they are firing – knowing that they are American soldiers. All while praying at night for the safety and revival of America.
It’s not a juvenile worldview, it’s a hegemonic one.
China and Russia are opposed (to varying degrees) to the EU style corporate bureaucracy one world government vision of the west
Where “western” (read: jewish) and their tolerated white billionaire magnates run the world through the board room of their various banks, arms manufacturers, media groups, and control of the food and medicine supply through the heavy handed expenditure of human and economic capital.
China wants that but with them in charge, and Russia mostly seems to want to be left the hell alone to run their own little sphere of power as they see fit.
Larry: yet another great article from you, but it appears to me that all Western leaders are actually Russian agents, installed long ago as Manchurian candidates.
In any case, Liz Truss definitely appears to be one such agent, as Andrei Martyanov writes in his latest article:
https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2022/10/it-is-friday.html
I know my analysis is crazy, but it’s the only explanation that fits the Thelma-Louise behavior. Why else would Western leaders send military equipment willy nilly into Ukraine, knowing that it would fail?
To paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, “when all explanations fail, the only one that remains, however nutty, must be the truth”.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor
Italy may be playing good cop/bad cop like another duo — and I don’t mean Bonny and Clyde [nor TnL]: new premier Meloni and former premier, and multi-billionaire, Berlusconi.
Berlusconi this week let the cat out of the bag, stating the obvious about facts on Ukraine crisis and its actual origins. Of course, this [Berlusconi’s remarks] . . . were all “supposed” to be hush hush. And his statements — immediately plastered all over the world. Does anyone think this outcome was an “accident”?
Meloni made a great show of denouncing him. [What the hell else could she do. . . .] Adding incoherent references to Russia. . . so incoherent she did not sound a bit serious, at least to my ears.
So question is: is this a strategy, or an “accident” how this played out?
Berlusconi, part of European elite, shattered EU ‘consensus’ on this crisis of the West’s making. And all Meloni said in terms of anything concrete was he may not get to play in her new sandbox [i.e., be in her cabinet]. Being a multi-billionaire, are we that gullible to think what she said, and this. . . is anything other than a game — and a real shot across the bow to the EU fools that Meloni mopped the floor with in the recent election?
Put another way/outcome: If Meloni allows Italians to starve and go into the poor house and freeze, guess who can step right in?
Plan B.
Berlusconi.
We’ll soon see what kind of Lettuce Meloni is made of. And if she eats it with Russian dressing.
-30-
I’ve been waiting for someone to rescue us by putting the USFedGov out of our misery, who’d ever thought it would be the US FedGov?
The people, well do just fine if the region inside the beltway just sort of went away. The actual means wouldn’t matter that much as long as it went the frack away.
So Ben Wallace goes to Washington, then Austin calls Shoigu. Hmm what’s cooking.
“(wife of former Polish Defense Minister Sidorski) ”
No, a ground breaking member of the Sikorsky family due to his choice of marriage partner instead of courtesan as would likely had been the case in former times, although like in former times the marriage partner de facto was/is not annointed with the family name, represented as she is keeping her own name.
The movie theme reminds me of another film I just saw, Nicholas and Alexandra, the film of Robert Massie’s brilliant biography of the Romanovs. You see all the similarities: an empire leaderless and walking into disaster, getting involved in pointless wars, and a sense of helplessness. The difference is that Czar Nicholas and Alexandra were decent, Christian people dealing with a son who had hemophilia, and this played no small part in their lack of concern for Russia, although it was apparent neither had any competency at running an empire.
Biden, on the other hand, and his entire family are a collection of sleazy, money grubbing twits. I find nothing redeeming in any of them. Prince Alexski and Hunter Biden? No comparison. Perhaps the T&L image works as our leadership really wants to run the car off the cliff.
But I also recall a BBC series called I, Claudius, dealing with Rome. In it, Tiberius, a corrupt, degenerate and embittered emperor, sees what a monster Caligula will be, but smiles and names him his successor. He looks at Caligula. “Rome deserves you,” he smiles.
One wonders if Biden was seen as a last joke offered to us by the deep state…assuming they are capable of irony.
Soviet tanks have autoloaders. Western tanks dont. God these people are morons
I personally think it’s a great analogy. If you watch the video from the movie, you can see Thelma and Louise having a final conversation. Here’s what I think that conversation is like between the U.S. and Europe right now:
Europe: You want us to go over the cliff for Ukraine?
Biden: Well, just keep revving the engines until our mid-terms are over.
Europe: But Russia is raining missiles and drones on targets farther West over Ukraine’s energy system every day. Zelensky is chasing after us, screaming.
Biden: To paraphrase Vic Nuland, screw Zelensky.
Europe: Well, what happens after the mid-terms?
Biden: That’s classified. But I can tell you this: it will be big. So hang tight and keep revving those engines.
They kiss.
Fade out.
When I saw the end of Thelma and Louise I thought “What a waste of a fine old car.”
I think the same about Europe and the US.
Perfect. You are spot on.
Mike played the man handler and got his due for being a coward, much less than a man. Hey RoHa, you can have that piece of scrap, I’ll take the fine LADIES who know how to treat a coward, nothing of a man….
Cheers for the discussion. Thanx for letting us spew LARRY
I find the comparison with T&L a bit too generous , in my view the relationship between US and EU today are more like the relation of the gimp and his master(s) in Pulp Fiction movie.
The gimp once an independent man was broken down into sexual slave state and even when left alone with the new victim (bruce willis’s character) he didnt seek to escape..
The current EU leadership is like this in my opinion , they NOW know that the whole EU support in ukraine will destroy europe but they even double down and now seeking disengagement with china too.. It is as if there is no sovereignity in EU leadership and they just extension of US foreign policy ..
there is no hope for EU or US leadership , the only solution is a revolution by masses. The current massive protests in EU nations are significant movement but unless they move into violence phase there wont be any change.
as for US citizens and real patriots , i doubt many will openly defy the regime after they saw the prosecution of Jan 6 demonstrators..
Consider that the world is changing rapidly every day and we are already light years away from Jan. 6, a small, tiny exchange of a battle within the context of a greater, far large war. Many have learned from Jan 6 how NOT TO ACT, analyzing, regrouping and reconsidering how to act, and whom to back better. GORILLA VS GUERRILLA
@ IsItJustForTheMomentWeLive… you are a genuine literary genius and you shouldn’t waste your superior command of the English language on us mere mortals. Please go away sac à vent.