Here’s another recent excellent Michael Hudson, he covers a lot of ground. He’s on a roll lately, saving the world one YouTube at a time, pass them around. I send every Hudson vid to every zombie I know, they don’t watch them but I continue to send them anyway, kind of a red pill suppository, maybe one day they’ll insert it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fujl6lC2tWg
This is very good too, Jimmy Dore and Hedges, Hedges cleaned up his act on Ukraine he was a little slow out of the gate. Below is the article by Hedges Dore references if you don’t dig Dore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqIEyzW_Iqs
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/listen-to-this-article-americas-theater#details

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 19 2023 19:46 utc | 4

Too easy! It is always zero over a lifetime.
Thus useless as a metric 🙂

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jan 19 2023 20:57 utc | 6

Something that may be of interest to other Australians. I had always wondered about the destruction Of Hanson and One Nation. When I researched it around 2013, I found that Abbott was front man for an anonymous group of wealthy donors who funded the operation. They had a very similar name to the group of wealthy donors Abbott is currently fronting for.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-20/tony-abbott-advising-controversial-lobby-group-advance-australia/101873526
Tony Abbott advising controversial conservative lobby group Advance Australia

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 19 2023 21:11 utc | 8

@ Posted by: V123ren@gmail.com | Jan 19 2023 21:03 utc | 7
Seems like standard misdirection from whoever was really responsible.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Jan 19 2023 21:50 utc | 10

In other Russian news, Mikhail Kalashnikov died this week at age 94.
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-kalashnikov-idUKBRE9BM0KP20131224

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Jan 19 2023 22:58 utc | 12

There be much strange news today! Inciter of the January 6th capitol hill riots. DJT is now demanding the automatic arrest and jailing of all reporters involved in the exposure of stolen government docs.
In other news Government employees controlling ‘wastebook’ and ‘parrot twatter’. Point blank refuse to relinquish any control over this social media period! Where 98% of the content consists of lies and pure fantasy fiction!
Is DJT becoming senile in his old age? Or, is he totally stressed out at facing his remaining years in a New York jail cell?

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jan 19 2023 23:11 utc | 14

Are the humans mad enough to destroy their tiny civilization by this inconsecuential passage in the Human Life?
Doubt it. Humans are always impressed by greed and whatever, but Humans remember the time when we, all, was under the cover of spirit, true, honestity, compassion for the pain of others.
If we are a bunch of mother fuckers, do not feel asthonized, remember who you are.
This war is our war because our morality is trembling…
Epa

Posted by: Epa | Jan 19 2023 23:28 utc | 16

If this is an open topic free wheeling at the bar, then I’d like to repost this link regarding a Russian’s ideas that I think have merit. I mean Kropotkin spent time outside of Russia, and of course he was fond of all the French socialists, but I think he was very impressed by the English folks who had a brigade ready to go if somebody was in need…..I suspect, the English brigades remain in place to help anybody gets involved in waves over their heads off the coast of England. But the Scottish folks must realized that to have a Scottish lassie making so many choices lately is not very advisable for the sake of the Scottish folk who presumably must hold onto idea long held?
Anyhow, I guess this means I am obligated to contribute and I’ll do it if I can assuming I don’t have to use PayPal, and then I’ll consider this link from Kropotkin one that has merit deserved.
https://libcom.org/article/mutual-aid-factor-evolution-peter-kropotkin
This is the 3rd link I’ve found that has the whole book in it, so it must be free of copyright claim, and really a good idea resonates does it not?
I pray for peace but I know Odessa beckons.

Posted by: Buffalo_Ken | Jan 19 2023 23:58 utc | 18

Reposting this from Week in Review given this is the new open thread:
The Chinese Vice-Premiers Speech At Davos 2023: A Comprehensive Investment Analysis
Davos 2023 is taking place amongst an increasingly insecure world with recessions imminent or expected. Regional conflicts and a global struggle for supremacy are unfolding as a scramble for energy resources, and climate warming problems appear at increasingly opposite ends of the political spectrum. China’s geopolitical position, as the world’s largest trading nation, the second largest global economy and with the world’s second largest population will have a huge impact on how the year will be shaped. At Davos 2023, China’s Vice-Premier, Liu He, had this to say as concerns Beijing’s perspective of Chinese and global development during the coming year and will be of great interest to academics, geopoliticians and investors alike. My own comments follow where appropriate.
Liu: Good morning! Let me begin by thanking Dr. Schwab for inviting me to Davos again. The last time I came here was 2018. Over the past five years, we have experienced all kinds of unexpected events, and witnessed profound changes in the world’s political and economic landscape. Therefore, the theme of this year’s Annual Meeting, “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”, cannot be more relevant.
Mutual understanding is an important prerequisite for cooperation. Online communication, no matter how frequent or how technologically advanced, is no substitute for in-person meetings. I had quite a number of very warm meetings with some old friends these two days. Hopefully, at this face-to-face meeting, I can help you understand the Chinese economy better.
In 2022, China completed its major political agenda. We held the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and elected the new central leadership with President Xi Jinping at its core. We drew up an ambitious blueprint for advancing Chinese modernization in the coming five years and beyond.
and much more of interest.
From: Silkroadbriefing.com.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 20 2023 2:21 utc | 20

In my post at #20 above I reiterated China’s Vice-Premier, Liu He report to the DAVOS attendees or supplicants if you prefer.
These are the key takeaways with Liu’s remarks commented by CDE aka Chris Devonshire-Ellis of silkroadbriefing.com.

Liu: The theme of this meeting, “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”, is highly relevant. As President Xi Jinping noted, changes of our world, of our times, and of history are unfolding in front of us in unprecedented ways. The world has once again come at a historical crossroad, and its future hinges on the choices we make. As for how to advance international cooperation, I would like to share with you the following three observations.
First, we need to uphold the right principles and maintain the effective international economic order. Under the new circumstances, the traditional way of thinking cannot provide the solution. That is why we have to abandon the cold war mentality, try to understand the nature of things from the perspective of material duality, endeavor to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and join hands to respond to global challenges. We believe that an equitable international economic order must be preserved by all. Equitable division of labor, encouragement of competition, anti-monopoly, protection of property rights and IPRs, promoting entrepreneurship and free flow of production factors, fair distribution, a strong social safety net, and ensuring macroeconomic stability are the well-proven economic principles that are still relevant today. Government has a key role to play on major issues, despite temporary resistance and some setbacks, we must have the courage to uphold truth and law of economics and address complex issues pragmatically with plain and simple solutions.
CDE: The key word that Liu used here is ‘equitable’. The use of this word in the context of his mentioning an ‘international economic order must be preserved by all’ therefore does not mean that China does not seek change. It does. This indicates that a number of highly significant global struggles can be expected to emerge in terms of global influence. China and its allies are pushing for reforms at the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank, and many other global institutions that are perceived to have become structured in a manner sympathetic to the United States and its allies rather than emerging economies. This is now being challenged. Davos itself has been downgraded – the key global issue today is what to do about Russia – yet it was not invited. Institutions are being diminished. The shift is geopolitics is occurring, what remains to be seen is whether one group of nations continues to keep its institutions while another grouping emerges with new ones – or whether there is room for compromise. If not, a divided world order will likely emerge – heightening, not diminishing the potential for conflict. Key to this are planned developments with the growth of BRICS, potential new regional blocs, and the emergence of new digital, asset-backed ‘tokens’ to replace the SWIFT banking network and the US dollar – increasing being seen as a risky currency to be using when potentially facing difficulties with Washington – as is now being built into many economies backup plans. The once US-friendly Saudi Arabia is now reported to be dropping the US Dollar as a preferred currency and intending to use the Chinese Yuan as just one example. India is another. These developments will take time to take shape – but Liu is correct in implying that change is coming.
Liu: Second, we need to strengthen international macro policy coordination and strike a good balance between inflation and growth. To tame inflation, some countries have chosen the policy that will likely result in the hike-recession-recovery loop. But it is important to note that inflation this time around is driven by multiple factors. Apart from the demand side, supply-side measures are also needed to repair the supply chains and preserve energy and food security.
A joint response to this challenge requires international cooperation and maintenance of peace. We call for more attention to the negative spill-over effect of major countries’ rate hikes on the emerging markets and developing countries so as not to add to more debt or financial risks. We stand ready to work with all parties to find solutions to the debt issues of some developing countries.
CDE: There is mild criticism of the Fed here, which is increasingly acting in shorter-term US interests than medium-term global problems. That may be deliberate, in order to ‘encourage’ China to take more risk. Alternatively it could indicate a US decline. Time will tell. Much has been written about Chinese debt traps in its dealing along the Belt and Road Initiative in particular, and will continue to be by the ill-informed or scandal-mongers, however a number of Western academic papers last year, including the Lowy Institute essentially de-bunked that. That’s not to say that some loans have gone awry and require refinancing. That’s not unusual (ask your local bank manager) and is no real surprise when projects designed to develop cash-flow revenues to help repay loans were delayed by Covid. By and large China though has been sympathetic to its creditors, and the level of stressed debt given the huge amounts Beijing has lent remains well within financial lending norms.
Liu: Third, we need a global response to climate change. Most countries in the world are keenly aware of the urgency of climate governance and the need for common actions. COVID-19 has revealed to us a possible connection between climate change and public health crisis. This is an area where effective international cooperation is needed.
China will honor its commitments to the international community, push for global cooperation on climate change, and work with other countries to tackle the serious challenges posed by climate change, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
CDE: China was very active in 2022 as concerns greening industry sectors and announcing new regulatory structures and incentives to promote the use of green technologies and addressing climate change. It has to: China has a coastline of some 14,500km and numerous key cities lie in low-lying areas, including Shenzhen, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai, and Dalian among many others. We discussed China’s 2022 green and low carbon plan, and the relevance to foreign investors here and discussed China’s new green compliance laws here.
Liu: How to strengthen cooperation in a fragmented world is a real problem we all face. We must dig deep into the causes of fragmentation, promote positive-sum games, identify the possible converging areas of cooperation, and explore the mechanisms for doing so. We must work together to firmly safeguard world peace. We should be grateful that this year’s Davos Forum presents us with an opportunity to do just that. I wish the Forum a full success, and hopefully, it can help us strengthen cooperation and preserve peace in a fragmented world.
Conclusion by Chris Devonshire-Ellis
Liu is a heavyweight politician and an economist – he studied the subject at China’s Remin University and also has a Master’s from Harvard. He is a former member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and one of the Vice Premiers (along with Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, and Hu Chunhua) of China. Liu is also a Director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, was named vice-premier on 19 March 2018 and is heading the China Financial Stability and Development Committee. In short – there is no-one better placed than Liu to discuss the 2023 direction of China’s economy. Investors interested in the China market should take note.

The frauds in the UKUSA might take note but I bet the propaganda barely shifts.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 20 2023 4:26 utc | 22

karlof1
responding to your Pepe Escobar report in Cradle post at Ukraine thread. I thought it better to avoid the thread guardian rage and respond here….

A new gold standard
In Golden Ruble 3.0 , his most recent paper, Glazyev makes a direct reference to two by now notorious reports by Credit Suisse strategist Zoltan Pozsar, formerly of the IMF, US Department of Treasury, and New York Federal Reserve: War and Commodity Encumbrance (December 27) and War and Currency Statecraft (December 29).
Pozsar is a staunch supporter of a Bretton Woods III – an idea that has been getting enormous traction among the Fed-skeptical crowd.
What’s quite intriguing is that the American Pozsar now directly quotes Russia’s Glazyev, and vice-versa, implying a fascinating convergence of their ideas.

That War and Currency Statecraft download link is a worthy read. It describes the shift in finance flows:

Among current and aspiring BRICS members, current account surpluses are at a record, but dollars aren’t being put into Treasuries but are used for geopolitical ends – China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia are becoming bankers to EM countries dealing with crushing dollar debts:
Russia is funding Turkey, China is funding Russia (see graph 5.4 here),
the Saudis and the GCC are providing more financing to Egypt than the IMF, and China and Saudi Arabia are providing funds to Pakistan as per Brad’s blog.
These are all new dynamics for the U.S. dollar system, so let’s pay attention: the flows that Brad highlights means that current account surplus countries are putting a greater distance between themselves and the U.S. Treasury and the western financial system.
By “deflecting” dollar inflows, they are weaponizing the U.S. dollar as well to secure foreign policy wins in the new “Great Game” at the expense of the G7. And “deflection” is the anteroom of de-dollarization: our starting point to understand de-dollarization should be a book by Zoe Liu and Mihaela Papa, Can the BRICS De-Dollarize the Global Financial System, which we discussed in our previous dispatch. The book was published just before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and highlights the “plumbing” that’s been put in place by the BRICS countries to de-dollarize their trade relationships

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 20 2023 5:38 utc | 24

Dr. Jeffrey Sachs tells AcTVism Munich that the war in Ukraine did not start last year. Rather, it started in 2014, when the West helped to orchestrate the overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically elected President.
The War in Ukraine and the Missing Context & Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1EwmYbK7QA

Posted by: Irish | Jan 20 2023 6:20 utc | 26

@ karlof1 | Jan 20 2023 6:13 utc | 25
My own theory and suggested procedure for most of that debt is to repudiate it as the predatory lending it is.

Posted by: John Kennard | Jan 20 2023 6:31 utc | 28

That is it! Tech Schmech
We’ve all seen the intrusions so called technology has made on our world after the past 3 decades but now the absolute arseholes have wrecked my favourite sport with their greedy, weak as piss attempt to turn it into a video game. Shame on them.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jan 20 2023 8:04 utc | 30

The link in Post 24 by Uncle Tungsten is profound. The Credit Swiss Banker, Poznar, Reviews in 7 pages De-Dollarization. Reminder – with accelerated De-Dollarization Eurasia prevails.
Here is the link again:,
https://doc-0o-9s-docs.googleusercontent.com/docs/securesc/ha0ro937gcuc7l7deffksulhg5h7mbp1/okm0a0h53dgjejb0ri9m4cdj33emk7lp/1674206250000/05503812216123985096/*/1JH2v6NowS2B6Hv6qLYRgPXooO-ViSRAL?e=download&uuid=2403919e-e498-4bed-853f-1ab015ffe3c7

Posted by: Exile | Jan 20 2023 9:27 utc | 32

Are they trying to rid the US of it’s massive mis-use of dollar supremacy with it’s overwhelming debt problems? OR are they trying to place themselves in “Controlling positions” of the new system before it gets completely independent?
I don’t know if there is a clear answer yet.
Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 20 2023 9:46 utc | 33
I suspect the answer to your question will determine the overall trajectory of the global community for the coming century.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 20 2023 12:54 utc | 34

Chronicles of Democracy.
Innocent weather forecast on Polish TV. Ah, half of the neighboring country is shown as Polish territory? Pfft, not worth discussing a trifle.
The indignation of the “civilized countries”, the headlines in the newspapers about the “Polish threat”, “aggression”, “outrageous behavior” and so on? You must be kiddin’.

Posted by: alaff | Jan 20 2023 13:30 utc | 36

@ Posted by: Exile | Jan 20 2023 9:00 utc | 31
Like all nukes use one and two return. Or in the sad case of the USSA. The country that fired the first one in dumb&dumber anger. No residential center above 1000 residents would be left untouched. That is what is called “Mutual Assured Destruction”. As outlined by one Robert McNamara.

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jan 20 2023 14:24 utc | 38

reply to 32
Access denied, dude.

Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 20 2023 15:02 utc | 40

@ uncle tungsten
thanks for that downloadable link to the poznar article.. it is worth reading!
— aussie folks… i got to see lloyd spiegel play last night.. he is doing a tour of canada.. he’s amazing!
Lloyd Spiegel ‘Walk On’

Posted by: james | Jan 20 2023 17:24 utc | 42

the New Left Review’s Sidecar has published an interesting article-The Death Gap- on life expectancy. The billionaires running the Tech sector are investing billions in research to bring them longer lives without those declining powers that afflict the poor.
“…the most important form of ‘social distance’ imposed by the pandemic was not spatial, not a matter of meters. It was the temporal distance between rich and poor, between those who could escape the worst effects of the virus and those whose lives were abbreviated by it. Modernity established a biopolitical chasm – a social distancing of death – that was widened and accentuated by the Covid-19 crisis. This was demonstrated by a litany of studies across various countries. For instance:
“In this retrospective analysis of 1,988,606 deaths in California during 2015 to 2021, life expectancy declined from 81.40 years in 2019 to 79.20 years in 2020 and 78.37 years in 2021. Life expectancy differences between the census tracts in the highest and lowest income percentiles increased from 11.52 years in 2019 to 14.67 years in 2020 and 15.51 years in 2021…”
https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/the-death-gap?pc=1492

Posted by: bevin | Jan 20 2023 19:29 utc | 44

Posted by: Exile | Jan 20 2023 9:27 utc | 32
As stated previously, your Google doc or whatever is not open to public access. Nobody here can see it.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 20 2023 20:51 utc | 46