speaking of nathan j robinson….
Why Cryptocurrency Is A Giant Fraud

Posted by: james | Apr 22 2021 16:11 utc | 4

China’s digital yuan displaces the dollar: $16 trillion of US dollar deposits may disappear

This would be of minor consequence to America’s world position, except for the fact that the United States now must borrow 15% to 20% of its GDP each year to finance its internal budget deficit, and also must attract about $1 trillion of capital inflows to finance its growing current account deficit with the rest of the world.

Memorize this quoted above paragraph, learn to recite it by heart. This is the essence of the American Empire post-1st Cold War foreign policy. Everything the Americans have been doing at least since the Gulf War – good and bad, smart and dumb – revolves around this simple statistics: it must find USD 1 trn (current USD value); 15%-20% of its GDP, from the rest of the world every year to keep itself afloat, i.e. it must keep the rest of the world in a condition where it is forced to give the American Empire this quantity of wealth every year, minimum. All the rest is a mere derivation of this objective fact.
Also I recommend reading the article in full. It explains why a digital Renminbi is synergistic with socialism.
–//–
Exclusive: China-N.Korea border remains closed despite signs of possible trade resumption
Let’s hope it reopens as soon as possible.
It’s a myth North Korea under Jong-un Kim doesn’t have a national project (as some guy from the Asia Times has said some days ago). Jong-un Kim has a clear path in his mind: copy and paste the Chinese model. This strategy has the elegant advantage of being ready-made: Jong-un Kim doesn’t have to be a great statesman, he just has to follow the recipe with the due tweaks and adaptations.
You guys have no idea how the existence of China helps the socialist cause: you don’t have to try to explain to illiterate peasants a very complex theory in the space of some months as Lenin had to do, you just need to point to the already existing thing and say you want the build the same. That’s why Marx said that one step forward in the real world is worth more than one dozen programs.
–//–
Why US can’t emulate China’s lessons on infrastructure building
Probably because of space restrictions, Ding Gang toned down and simplified a lot his argument. But he barely scratched the surface: the reasons why the USA cannot emulate China on infrastructure are much more numerous and deep than the mere existence of SOEs.
Biden’s infrastructure plan will fail. That’s a scientific certainty.
–//–
This is a good gem found by Carl Zha:
China’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060 poses an existential threat to polluters that could have ramifications for the financial sector, a former central bank adviser says
–//–
Actually, two gems:
CIA considered bombing Miami and killing refugees to blame Castro (from 2017)

Posted by: vk | Apr 22 2021 16:14 utc | 6

A moment of self-adulation:
COVID-19: India sets record for new coronavirus cases in a single day
I called it (in the first months of 2019). Many of you doubted me, but I called and I was right.
And, by the way, there are much more daily cases than those 320,000+ registered yesterday in India. The reason for this is India’s testing capacity is low compared to the USA’s (the former daily record holder, at 300,000+). I wouldn’t be surprised if India is actually topping the 1 million daily cases mark.

Posted by: vk | Apr 22 2021 16:20 utc | 8

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-about-declare-us-recognition-armenian-genocide-enraging-turkey
Sputnik is also reporting that the US is making it official against Turkey: F-35 canceled for them because of the S-400.
What the heck are they thinking by offending Turkey? Just when they get Erdogan to defend Ukraine and play ball, they screw him over. No “one” is in charge of foreign policy.

Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 22 2021 16:26 utc | 10

What the heck are they thinking by offending Turkey? Just when they get Erdogan to defend Ukraine and play ball, they screw him over. No “one” is in charge of foreign policy.
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 22 2021 16:26 utc | 10
Well the man said nothing would fundamentally change. Still it is striking that “Biden” turns out to be even more erratic than Trump. I have the feeling the “Interagency” is very busy gumming things up too.
You can also ask what the heck was Erdogan doing in Ukraine? What did he think would happen when he helped the Ukrainian war effort? There are a lot of loonies running around. Erdogan needs cash, I think he will do just about anything for some ready cash.

Posted by: Bemildred | Apr 22 2021 16:38 utc | 12

The CBC has a morning radio show called “The Current” which broadcasts nation wide. Normally I try to avoid it because too often it is mostly propaganda and wokeness. This morning the had a segment on events in Russia and Ukraine, so I decided to torture myself by listening. The approximately half hour segment starts around the 22 minute mark, and three people are interviewed…their views range from somewhat biased to very biased. Enjoy!
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15838700-canadas-road-ahead-challenges-facing-b.c.s-wineries-orchards

Posted by: Victor | Apr 22 2021 17:06 utc | 14

Pretty cool, Russia pulling out of Crimea.
That’s going to throw a wrench in the works.
That’s the asymmetrical thing.
What’s a would be neocon to do?

Posted by: jared | Apr 22 2021 17:28 utc | 16

I posted this on an earlier thread- but it goes here
The Russians are said to be pulling back from their stance. ie. “Ending” the present “exercises.” sending the soldiers off-field.
Very subtle. What they are doing is reducing (visibly for the PR) the quantity of servicemen dirctly involved in or near the frontier. BUT, they are leaving most, if not all, the heavy weapons in place. Particularly around Crimea. The heavies would be harder to transport back to the front line in the case of an advance by Zelnskies comrade-clots. The men are easier to move in a hurry – just fly them in or catch a passing train.
In other words the Russian “threat” is still there, but the Russians are, for the MSM, backing off. Zelnsky has the choice and probably an obligation to act. He can’t afford to continue without financial backing for his forces, diesel for his trains etc. Might he attack ? (apart from being a crass idiot if he did so). Then the forces in Donbas would be capable of delaying any incursion to allow a field force to reoccupy the terrain they have just trained on.

Posted by: Stonebird | Apr 22 2021 17:42 utc | 18

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(21)00103-8
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00869-2/fulltext
WHO pushed research to say covid was only droplet-transmission and not airborne? under the pressure of governments who did not want to ground flights?

Posted by: Mina | Apr 22 2021 18:40 utc | 20

Interesting, I read about about a stray SAM from Syria landing in the Negev. Or maybe it wasn’t so stray at all? Certainly a reminder of the range of Syria’s missile force. Related to this, the explosion in some Israeli depot. Iranian media were very, very quick to report it, and with apparent glee. However, not a peep on all of this in German state media.

Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Apr 22 2021 19:38 utc | 22

https://www.rt.com/russia/521827-czech-expel-russian-diplomats/
What are they thinking?
First the “ultimatum” and now this…. How did Putin call them in his reference?

Posted by: Kartoschka | Apr 22 2021 21:19 utc | 24

juliania – https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-CTOtAp7X/
from a friend.. you might enjoy that!

Posted by: james | Apr 22 2021 22:10 utc | 26

I tried to prepare myself for how I would feel, knowing that after the initial “demand” of vaccines from the sheep, who unquestionably assumed it good, had fallen off, there would be a glut of vaccine ready to go with no takers.
Well, here they are now, right on cue, blaming the surging covid cases on vaccine hesistancy, despite the fact that half of America is vaccinated. How is that even possible?!?!?!?
These motherfuckers can say anything…ANYTHING!!!!!!!!! and the sheep will believe them. The same wool pulled over the eyes during Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, the same wool now being used to pit countryman against countryman, family member against family member.
These motherfuckers are pure evil. They know that this will and has divided families and will keep them divided yet don’t care. Who cares if father does not see their son again before their death? Who cares if deplorables lose their job because of a mandate.
As it stands, I expect to be unemployed by Fall and divorced from my elderly father as well.
What a great country, full of evil motherfuckers at the top. At least Russia and China is showing them their international bullying is coming to an end. Now they are forced to turn inward against their own subjects.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Apr 23 2021 0:29 utc | 28

South America keeps rising!
This time… Peru.
Here’s a piece from Ollie Vargas’s Kawsachun News in Bolivia about Pedro Castillo, plans to kick out U.S. DEA. Most of the report comes from a newly elected socialist congressman who supports Castillo and asserts that everyone in Peru hates the narcos and the politician puppets and the
https://kawsachunnews.com/castillo-would-expel-worlds-main-drug-cartel-the-dea

Posted by: migueljose | Apr 23 2021 1:26 utc | 30

Pepe Escobar on his VK page reports that CENTCOM says it no longer has command of the skies, because of Iran’s drones. He doesn’t give a link but quotes this:

Gen Frank McKenzie, the head of CENTCOM – responsible for US forces in West Asia – made a startling admission in a written testimony to the House Armed Services Committee.
He admitted the Pentagon’s utter impotence facing a swarm of Iranian small and medium-sized drones used for surveillance and attacks: “For the first time since the Korean War, we are operating without complete air superiority.”

~~
Meanwhile, Elijah Magnier – in a link that came from a commenter here, with thanks – reports that Iran at the discussions regarding returning to JCPOA used the recent cyber attack from Israel as moral high ground to force the dialog with the west. It’s an interesting read on how Iran doesn’t ever back down:
Iran embarrassed Netanyahu and cornered the West in Vienna
It’s also a telling illustration of how Israel continues to lose its grip on things.
~~
One more such illustration comes from a Hezbollah insider translated by Middle East Observer and republished at the Saker, to the effect that the axis of resistance has decided to retaliate against Israel attacks “openly”, which means with attribution from the retaliating party.
The region is losing its patience with Israel, or perhaps, more likely, sees its battlefield advantage over Israel and sees that showing this gains more now than hiding it:
“Resistance Axis on war alert, to ‘openly’ target Israel if Iran attacks continue: Hezbollah insider”
(sorry, the link doesn’t show up for some reason in preview)
This piece says that the resistance has decided on open confrontation with Israel, unless the US can restrain Israel from its provocations. It seems to me that Netanyahu’s strategy of provoking the US into war against Iran is backfiring, such that the regional axis is beginning to shift into leading the play rather than reacting to it.

Posted by: Grieved | Apr 23 2021 2:23 utc | 32

Eighthman #10
F35 are incapable of performance to specifications. That is why they are cancelled. Any half baked excuse will do.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Apr 23 2021 4:50 utc | 34

Below is a link to a Wall Street on Parade posting about an interview with James Grant with his point 6 being the title
“Today’s Rates, the Lowest in 4,000 Years, Harm Savers, Advantage Speculators, Misdirect Capital, and Perpetuate the Unnatural Lives of Failing Businesses…”
Other quotes from the James Grant interview
”
“Tesla is the Bitcoin of auto manufacture. And Bitcoin is the Tesla of monetary gimmicks.”
“The more intense the craze, the higher the order of intellect that succumbs to it.”
”

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 23 2021 5:27 utc | 36

I came over to MOA in the hope of seeing Bernhard’s take on the big explosion in Israel, particularly to see his response to the analysis by Taxi (of platosguns.com) the American lady who lives in southern Lebanon and writes on security matters. I’m taking the liberty of quoting her long comment:
_____
Three days ago, here in the south and for the first time in quite a while, we had the israeli air force flying overhead just before sunset and doing so for at least one and a half hours – just buzzing and buzzing and buzzing away for a really long time. Then, in the early evening, we heard from the jewish press that a ‘mysterious’ explosion in an israeli missile factory near Jerusalem had occurred – this was the initial first report. Subsequently, and throughout the rest of the night, israel forced a gag order on its media releasing any further information on the ‘missile factory near Jerusalem’ story, and instead, the story of a Syrian attack “near the Dimona” began to circulate, with apparently israel attempting to retaliate against Syria, but failing due to Russian missile deterrence (the Russians used Russian missiles to deter, as opposed to destroy). Since then, little to no information on this incident has been released by israel – or by any other party, for that matter.
So, OK, let’s together look at this ‘cover up’ by the israeli military – and we know that some kind of jewish cover up is involved because the israeli press has been kiboshed by the israeli military immediately after the first initial report. We know that israel definitely attempted to strike at Syria later on in the night but failed, thanks to Russia. This attempted strike on Syria by israel is about the only fact that’s weaved into the bullshit story of ‘a Syrian attack near the Dimona’. We know there was a big explosion near Jerusalem, but, who done it?
To me, it looks like this: in order not to create panic in the jewish state, the jewish military needed to change the location of the explosion from Jerusalem to ‘near the Dimona’ – Dimona here being a trigger word for jews: a word that incites/inspires holocaust-related victimhood in the jewish mind. The jewish state would rather have the narrative of ‘we were attacked in a non residential area’, instead of ‘an explosion occurred in one of our missile factories that’s near residential Jerusalem’: because this would create many-many security questions that the jewish state does not want to answer. A real conundrum for the jew strategists here. We also know that a few years ago, Hamas sent a message to the jews by sending a couple of missiles that intentionally landed near the Dimona, as opposed to actually striking it. So, if this ‘near the Dimona’ strike came from Gaza, israel’s military would be forced to promptly respond in Gaza, but it didn’t do this, as it normally does. And even if Hamas was behind this explosion, striking at Gaza is presently undesirable for the israelis as it would destabilize israeli society, what with covid still running wild in the jewish state and army, and especially that their political decision-making is currently crippled due to the voting crisis that israel finds itself in today. For israel to strike at Gaza, for daring again to strike at the Dimona, would also be handing Hamas a HUGE PR victory, a victory that would create panic in jewish society. So, Gaza is not the culprit here – otherwise they would have claimed the strike themselves, as they normally claim all their strikes. We also know that it’s not Hezbollah’s style to go striking willy-nilly at israel, especially during Ramadan. Furthermore, we also know that Syria has no strategic logic or value to strike near the Dimona just for the sake of it – but, nevertheless, the jews retaliated against Syria because it is currently the weakest link in the Levant resistance and tel aviv needs to show israeli jews that their defensive posture is still active and working to protect jews inside israel. After all, it’s easier for israel to strike at Syria nowadays than it is to strike at Hamas or Hezbollah. This leaves, as culprit…. Iran! Yes, I’m seeing Iran in the picture. I’m seeing it as Iran’s quiet retaliation against the mosad op of last week on its nuclear facility in Natanz. A retaliation that uses cyber attack instead of launching a missile from Iranian or Syrian territory. And here is the cherry on the cake: israel cannot say it’s an Iranian cyber attack on an israeli missile factory – tantamount to admitting that a mega sabotage of israeli cyber security by Iranians had caused the explosion. This in itself would create a much bigger panic in the minds of jews than even ‘Hamas or Hezbollah did it’. Admitting to a successful Iranian cyber attack against an israeli military compound is about the worst thing that tel aviv can admit to.
In conclusion, I see this incident as a very successful Iranian cyber attack against the terrorist jewish state. This explains the unusual hush-hush approach that the israeli military has enforced on this story. And of course, Iran too is hush-hush about it as well. They don’t need to be dancing in the streets at the success of this cyber attack for us to know that Tehran is behind this incident. The Iranians retaliated with a very forceful message: ‘you touch our facilities again and we guarantee we will touch yours, again’.
The truth is that israeli deterrence is now at its weakest ever, all due to the Resistors’ continuous advancing technological stride. The security of israel has never been so open to targeting. Nothing in israel is beyond reach now – everywhere is presently checked by the Resistance. And THIS is the very news that the jewish military wants to keep away from jewish residents in israel. If israeli jews really-really knew how geostrategically weak they’ve become, and with no reversal in sight, they would start packing suitcases and leaving israel pronto. Israeli strategists consider reverse-Aliya (leaving israel) to be a very dangerous thing for the continuation of the state’s very existence – on par with the existential danger that Hezbollah presents to the jewish state. Tel aviv will do absolutely anything to avoid reverse-Aliya.
I say: bravo Iran, you make us proud when you stump and stomp on that vile little satan.
APRIL 22, 2021 AT 8:40 AM (presumably the time in Lebanon)

Posted by: sarz | Apr 23 2021 8:42 utc | 38

@Bernard 27

Posted by: Kartoschka | Apr 23 2021 9:10 utc | 40

Pfizer could give some recipients HERPES.
This report from the New York Post is handy but so incredibly lightweight it is sinister in its naivety. Shingles does give you a surface rash but the more damaging impact is on the virus assault on the body organs that can be severely impacted.
Clearly the Pfizer vaccine is last resort beyond Astra Zeneca and J&J it seems.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Apr 23 2021 9:37 utc | 42

Covid say – What Monroe doctrine? What Commonwealth?
The Munroe Doctrine first established in 1823 really continues until today, ostensibly created to “prevent European Imperialism throughout the americas”, the real primary purpose of James Monroe’s new foreign policy was aimed at ensuring that only amerika could colonise the rest of the two continents.
That policy continued through the 20th century – after all what was the ‘Cuban missile crisis’ about? The Munroe Doctrine that’s what, amerika has consistently refused to allow any administration anywhere in North or South America that they believe may favour a closer relationship with a nation other than amerika.
This is why Venezuela, Peru, Nicaragua & Brazil for example have fallen foul of the amerikan blob whenever they appear to reject amerika as their closest ‘big brother’.
Mexico is copping it big time at the moment, simply because there is currently a slightly left of center administration in Mexico, an administration which sometimes questions when amerika instructs it how to behave.
Yet there is a completely unashamed lack of reciprocity between amerika and the other nations of the americas. Even Brazil, currently suffering under the jackboot of the Bolsonaro mob who appear to exist solely to do as washington DC instructs, but which ia suffering an unimaginable number of Covid-19 deaths each day, is ignored by amerika. The amerikan vaccination program is only for amerikans – close friends and neighbours can jam it up their arses as far as amerika believes “we’re all right Jack – bugger you!” has been the response of amerika to the people of South & Central america.
England is equally screwed up. Queen Betty and the rest of the royal bludgers have always been big on promoting joints such as Pakistan, India, Nigeria & South Africa for example; as being the closest friends england has, nothing to do with the oil, minerals, cheap labour and burgeoning markets, of course, /snark that is why the commonwealth matters to england with Queen Brenda at the front, always shouts, yet even as England is getting close to total vaccination, What has england done?
Not only has it hoarded all available vaccines for itself, now it has decided to ban all arrivals from those commonwealth countries whose inability to secure vaccines have left ’em vulnerable.
I jacked up a few weeks ago when Aotearoa temporarily blocked arrivals from nations where those arrivals were averaging close to 50% covid positive. Why? because many of those who were coming to Aotearoa were Kiwi citizens – maybe they had been born in Pakistan or India, but they lived and worked here before going back to the villages they had been born in to celebrate a wedding or funeral.
Whack em in quarantine for two weeks & then they can get back into kiwidom just like everyone else coming back.
The government who had implemented a successful covid elimination program refused to accept the risk of covid seeping out of hotel quarantine.
I disagree on human rights grounds but at least since Aotearoa is Covid free, I get what they reckon they are trying to achieve,
Covid is rampant in amerika & england, yet particularly in england, politicians have ‘blacklisted’ a mob of nations such as Pakistan & India, preventing even englander citizens from returning to their homes. WTF? englanders have consistently failed to keep Covid to a minimum and now it seems that both they & amerika are warping the process to restrict the arrivals of brown people citizens or not?
How low can you go, eh?

Posted by: Debsisdead | Apr 23 2021 11:50 utc | 44

@ Posted by: NemesisCalling | Apr 23 2021 0:29 utc | 28
The Americans claim all their vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J) have 97%+ efficacy (after the two doses). If those rates are true, then the USA has to fully vaccinate (i.e. two doses per person) a little bit above 70% of its entire population (yes, including babies, children etc. etc.) in order to reach herd immunity.
So far, the USA has vaccinated some 130 million (about half of which received the two doses, 70 million of those 130 million). That means the Americans have only fully vaccinated one fifth (20%) of its population. At this rhythm, we should have to wait until the beginning of 2022 to reach that.
If, after herd immunity is reached, the number of cases continues, then we have to start to think about the hypothesis that the USA has crappy vaccines. And that’s not even considering the variable of the new mutations of the COVID-19 (specially the Brazilian ones).

Posted by: vk | Apr 23 2021 14:02 utc | 46

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Apr 23 2021 9:37 utc | 42
I recommend looking behind hysterical msm “news” before parroting their hysteria, uncle.
The 6 clinical cases were of the shingles variety, related to chickenpox. This virus lays dormant in those previously infected and can reactivate under certain conditions. I’ll leave you to seek out the facts.
Your headline news is rubbish. Complete misrepresentative hysteria.

Posted by: suzan | Apr 23 2021 14:36 utc | 48

I’m sorry Paco, james, Debsisdead,
I would agree from the visuals and the virulence expressed here that the Pushkin extracts do apply to many comments and videos – the last peacefully good thing on here that I hold onto was the Putin speech to the country, so I’m holding to that for now. Devils and meanspiritedness are hard to digest; they poison the soul. Here is the Lenten prayer I have been saying, say for the last time today as tomorrow is Lazarus Saturday, the Lazarus Christ raised from the dead, after the short verse: “Jesus wept.”
O Lord and Master of my life,
Take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness,
lust for power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility,
patience and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King,
Grant me to see my own errors,
And not to judge my brother.
O Lord, cleanse me, a sinner (12 times)
Best wishes to all for a meaningful week ahead.

Posted by: juliania | Apr 23 2021 16:48 utc | 50

Posted by: juliania | Apr 23 2021 16:48 utc | 50
Thanks for your kind words, this is the second year we miss Easter celebrations which in Spain we call Holy Week, actually it is more that a week, it starts with Palm Sunday and it is celebrated in each and every town and city. Hopefully come next year, just like Lazarus everything will come back to life.

Posted by: Paco | Apr 23 2021 17:23 utc | 52

Why do embassies and ambassadors even exist? They are an artifact of the 19th century, they attract mobs and terrorists and require expense and soldiers to guard them.
If you can do an auction on ebay with somebody in Malaysia using paypal or send out a blockchain contract to the other side of the globe, who needs personal representatives?

Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 23 2021 18:01 utc | 54

To James at 55
Fiódor Dostoiévski is the author of “The Demons”
VS

Posted by: VS | Apr 23 2021 21:10 utc | 56

S: thank you for the comment and link!

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Apr 23 2021 23:16 utc | 58

@ VS – thanks! i was starting to think that… looks like a good book!
@ paco – thanks! it is not that i didn’t think some of ‘heart of the dog’ was good, but he is just not anywhere in the same league as dyostovsky or h.g. wells as a writer… maybe it is lost in translation, but i didn’t have that problem with brothers karamazov.. i think bulgakov is over-rated at this point! thanks for your input – always appreciated!
@ Lex Talionis – thanks…i have a copy of ‘notes from the underground’ that i have yet to read… thanks for your book suggestion.. i am a bit swamped at the moment.. i am reading a book paul recommended ‘the gun and the olive branch’ which is a departure from the fiction~!

Posted by: james | Apr 24 2021 2:41 utc | 60

Below is a short posting from Xinhuanet
”
BUCHAREST, April 23 (Xinhua) — The foreign ministers of Romania, Poland and Turkey met here on Friday for a trilateral meeting on security issues, which also included a special meeting with their counterparts in Georgia and Ukraine.
During the trilateral meeting, issues related to the security situation in the Eastern Neighborhood, as well as the preparation of the NATO Summit on June 14, 2021, were discussed.
The three foreign ministers agreed to continue close coordination in areas of common interest in the future, especially in consolidating NATO’s deterrence and defense stance, with a focus on the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea region, as well as strengthening resilience and support for partners in the region, especially for Ukraine and Georgia.
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu presented his country’s priorities for the NATO Summit and insisted on the need to continue to strengthen NATO’s position on the entire Eastern Flank, including the Black Sea region.
For the first time for the trilateral format launched some ten years ago, there was also a special working session with the participation of partners – the foreign ministers of Georgia, David Zalkaliani, and of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba.
Talks between the five foreign ministers focused on the security situation in the Eastern Neighborhood, including the Black Sea.
The Romanian minister, together with his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau and Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu sent a clear unitary message reaffirming support for the two partners’ Euro-Atlantic aspirations, as well as the common interest in continuing cooperation with these partners in order to strengthen defense capacities and increase resilience.
”

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 24 2021 4:42 utc | 62

Supply disruptions on raw materials, as well as finished goods…
If it’s rare, is expensive. Isn’t it?
Are we witnessing inflation’s return? One of those that are preludes to war?
In a time of never-ending negative rate and himalayan QE, it doesn’t seem to bode well for the triumphant West… and hence for peace.
Or is it just a normal process, for the global commercial flux put to sleep during lockdowns, which now struggles to come back to a “business as usual” scheme?
Being quite of an economicus ignoramus, I’m searching for clues, not to mention answers.
I’d be glad to read the thoughts and links of the regular contributors on that topic.

Posted by: Herr Hesser | Apr 24 2021 8:45 utc | 64

http://thesaker.is/americas-neoliberal-financialization-policy-vs-chinas-industrial-socialism/
Try this very interesting interview with M. Hudson

Posted by: Kartoschka | Apr 24 2021 12:06 utc | 66

For the Idiot, try the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation. It was so absorbing (and many themes of the Karamazov are there) that I could not stop reading until I finished it in 3-4 days.

Posted by: Mina | Apr 24 2021 13:25 utc | 68

to josemiguel: Good news that Castillo plans to leave the Lima Group. Argentina just did so. The Lima Group, for those who have not read up, is in fact the creation of the ukrainian nazi descent canadian, Chrytsia Freeland. (funny name. haha.) and includes a collection of eeuu toadie countries (yes it is complicated. Lots of overlapping billionaires) with the avowed intention of getting rid of the elected president of venezuela. At the moment, disappointingly, the chilean foreign minister, Andres Allemand, is still very strongly in support of the overthrow idea. I’m not sure about Pinera, but he apparently had a direct phoneline to pfitzer so chile was one of the first to obtain the modi-thingee.
(Pinera is one of the nine chileno billionaires, many of whom gained their advantages during the Pinochet era. Interestingly, the Alessandri family, which owns among other things, Arauco lumber co., sold the entire year’s production (last year) to the eeuu – thereby making beaucoup buckos on the 300% lumber price increase. Their homeland, chile, suffered greatly as there was no construction lumber to be had. I am told that some small mills have started up, but they lack the kiln drying capacity so the quality is perhaps not so good.)
Also, as many know, the bolivian coup was staged, with support from eeuu and perfidious albion, by – surprize surprize – ukrainian neonazis. I suppect but have not yet discovered a connection with the canadian neonazis.
I have a collection of links on this and other subjects of interest (Jake Sullivan in brazil in 2013)
which will post tomorrow.
Thanks to all and to b for good works.

Posted by: Miss Lacy | Apr 24 2021 14:26 utc | 70

Putin orders preparing list of hostile states for sanctions
According to Putin’s decree, the Russian government would be tasked with preparing a list of countries with hostile policies against Russia and the number of local staff allowed to work in foreign embassies in Moscow.
Russia’s relationship with the West has deteriorated, and so far, Moscow has expelled US, Czech, Polish and Bulgarian diplomats in retaliation for expelling its own diplomats.

Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 24 2021 15:46 utc | 72

as a canuck, i know russia permanently banned crystia freeland… good for russia for doing so…
surprising how wikipedia actually allows this to be included in the write up on her.. some truth comes thru…
“Freeland’s maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak or Mykhailo Khomiak in Ukrainian, had been a journalist before World War II. During the war in Nazi-occupied Poland and later Nazi-occupied Austria he was chief editor of the Ukrainian antisemitic daily newspaper Krakivs’ki visti (News of Krakow) for the Nazi regime.[26] After Chomiak’s death in 1984, John-Paul Himka, a professor of history at the University of Alberta, who was Chomiak’s son-in-law (and also Freeland’s uncle by marriage), used Chomiak’s records, including old issues of the newspaper, as the basis of several scholarly papers focused on the coverage of Soviet mass murders of Ukrainian civilians. These papers also examined the use of these massacres as propaganda against Jews.[27][28][29] In 2017 when Russian-affiliated websites further publicized Chomiak’s connection to Nazism, Freeland and her spokespeople responded by claiming that this was a Russian disinformation campaign during her appointment for the position of minister of foreign affairs.[30][31][32][33][26] Her office later denied Chomiak ever collaborated with the Nazi Germany.[34] However, Freeland has known of her grandfather’s Nazi ties since at least 1996, when she helped edit a scholarly article by Himka for the Journal of Ukrainian Studies.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrystia_Freeland

Posted by: james | Apr 24 2021 16:35 utc | 74

@Stonebird | Apr 24 2021 16:17 utc | 73

The Russian are completing their “turn to the east”. I do not think they will hesitate to slap sanctions on anyone.

Yes, here is the announcement from TASS
Putin signs decree on countermeasures to other states’ unfriendly actions

Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 24 2021 16:48 utc | 76

I believe the US cancellation of Turkey’s F35 contract is intended to do economic harm. Now Biden has declared that Turkey perpetrated the Armenian genocide. Serious displeasure over something – still the S400 purchase?
Overt attacks on shipping by thinly veiled perpetrators – Iran, Syria, and Israel mixing it up. Israeli munition factories exploding ‘accidentally on purpose’, Iran’s Nuclear program targeted by Israel, errant missiles landing near the Israeli nuke facility, Lebanon in a state of deepening crisis, American base targeted by rockets in Iraq, Iran and Saudi leaders conducting secret negotiations, the Houthis still targeting Saudi oil infrastructure, Ukraine in a deepening economic crisis exacerbated by COVID restrictions (people need a special pass to travel to work and being caught without it carries a very heavy fine, yet only people with legal work can obtain such a pass and over 60% of workers in Kiev work ‘under the table’ and so cannot get such a pass) and at the same time is calling up reserves and striking at Donbas [Ukraine doesn’t need weapons, but economic aid and an effective vaccination program]. Leader of Belarus targeted for assassination, leftists winning elections in South America, Germany considering putting Nordstream 2 on hold while the Greens are gaining political strength, President of Chad dead and ISIS active all around the Sahara, Russian diplomats expelled over baseless accusations…. could likely go on for quite a while here, didn’t mention Asia, Afghanistan, and so on.
So many things in a state of flux and instability.

Posted by: the pessimist | Apr 24 2021 17:25 utc | 78

@ Kartoschka | Apr 24 2021 12:06 utc | 66
Merci, l’ami !

Posted by: Herr Hesser | Apr 24 2021 19:07 utc | 80

https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/jerusalem-351.html
The German main public paid news never hear of any chants, Provokation or other Rassist things. Only angry Arabs clashing with the police, cos “Als Auslöser für die Unruhen in Jerusalem gilt Zorn der Palästinenser über Sperrmaßnahmen der israelischen Polizei in der Altstadt während des Ramadan-Monats.”
They are just angry because the police don’t let them into some places. So angry that they fired rockets… Or so the story of Tagesschau

Posted by: Kartoschka | Apr 25 2021 19:46 utc | 82

james @ 55 Thank you – still ahead – if you can find online some of the Holy Week music, it is quite lovely. I have some tapes of early 80s recordings and concerta I will be playing for myself – classical radio plays selections sometimes and the Rachmaninov Vespers are beautiful if you can find that. We had a choir my younger days that did the eight part harmonies, but in church everybody sang as the whole service is sung or chanted, even the readings. No instruments, just the human voice.

Posted by: juliania | Apr 26 2021 3:33 utc | 84

Thank you james! I love that duet, just as I love Orthodox church music that includes women’s voices – here’s a very nice recording from a group in Kansas, of Rachmaninov’s interpretation of the central hymn for Orthodox Sunday worship. Below I will give our church’s translation of the lyrics, which we sang in English – they won’t match the Slavonic exactly but come pretty close.
https://thelistenersclub.com/2019/07/17/
rachmaninovs-cherubic-hymn-from-the-liturgy-of-st-john-chrysostom/
Here we become, in mystery,
icons of the cherubim, icons of the cherubim
echoing their singing Holy, Holy, Holy thrice
in the hymn to the life-giving Trinity.
Now let us, now let us lay aside
Every care of this life, every care of this life.
So we shall make welcome the King of all, the king of all
Invisibly upborn by angelic hosts
On shield and spears like conqueror
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
I haven’t yet found a hymn from the Holy Week repertoire. If I do, I will put it on the most recent Open Thread. We didn’t use Rachmaninov’s music in our church services — it is simply too difficult for that setting. But we did sing selections in concert formats, back in the ’80’s. We had several other composers’ interpretations of this central hymn that we sang in church- there is a basic format to follow there, but the melodies vary.

Posted by: juliania | Apr 26 2021 20:44 utc | 86