Thanks b. joe biden will double down in losing war.

Posted by: jo6pac | Feb 14 2023 17:00 utc | 1

"This of course to Russia's advantage. It can delay the end of the war as long as it wants. At some point the 'West' will run out of ammunition and money for the war and will have to sue for peace."

I suspect that Nato/European countries are already stealing from the public purse, along with the likes of their respective lotteries using cash to bolster Ukraine at the expense of their own citizens. I also suspect that important tasks and infrastructure jobs in those countries are on a go slow or stopped altogether and the taxpayers cash is being funneled to Kiev.

The crazy sanctions put on Russia have backfired spectacularly on Nato and Europe, and its their citizens that are suffering, they can't afford to heat or eat properly, the UK's in an even worse state with Brexit, many folk are in hospital due to hypothermia and doctors surgeries are seeing a rise in patients suffering from malnutrition.

Of course Nato doesn't give a monkey's about how bad it gets for European UK/US citizens as long as the right people are making money, I hope the b*stards rot in hell.

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 14 2023 17:03 utc | 2

Oops... I think you mean Putin will give his speech in February, not March...

Posted by: MapleLeaf | Feb 14 2023 17:03 utc | 3

"Before the speech Putin will have a talk with leaders of the opposition parties."

Does Biden do that before his State of the Union address? Why not?

Posted by: geoff chambers | Feb 14 2023 17:11 utc | 4

news : 18. Uhr
Now Germany is ALONE with tank deliveries to the Ukraine.
ALL EU countries that pushed Germany first dropped out....USA has announced that it may not be able to deliver Abrahams until 2024 at the earliest.
The idiot is now Chancellor Scholz... the world is laughing and allies are letting him down.
Germany has NO allies.....Germany has them ONLY when it comes to Germany's money!!!

Posted by: mo3 | Feb 14 2023 17:13 utc | 5

Putin's address is scheduled for February 21, not March 21.

The Chechen leader has said that the war will be over by the end of the year. Unfortunately, I can't find the link. Sorry.

Posted by: JB | Feb 14 2023 17:14 utc | 6

Interview with Seymour Hersh (in German): https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/seymour-hersh-im-interview-joe-biden-sprengte-nord-stream-weil-er-deutschland-nicht-traut-li.317700

Posted by: Apollyon | Feb 14 2023 17:19 utc | 7

Norway reports that the whole Russian Northern Fleet has put to sea for the 1st time in 30 years. And every submarine and surface ship for the 1st time in 30 years will be armed with Nuclear Missiles.
https://warnews247.gr/ektakto-norvigia-o-rosikos-voreios-stolos-apeplefse-me-pyrinikous-pyravlous-meta-apo-30-chronia-etoimasies-syrraxis-me-nato/

Posted by: jgalt | Feb 14 2023 17:20 utc | 8

February 1, the US government has been addressing alleged "espionage balloons" from China, which in previous years had left no interest in the military, politicians or the media. Why?
.
Distraction from the Hersh article?
One could now argue that the Hersh article on the US blowing up of Nord Stream appeared on February 8th, so the reports of the alleged Chinese “spy balloon” as of February 1st cannot have anything to do with it. However, that is wrong.

As is the duty of a diligent journalist, before his article was completed and published, Hersh sent inquiries to the US agencies involved, such as the White House and the CIA, informing them of the results of his research and giving them the opportunity for gave an opinion. For example, Hersh's article states:

Adrienne Watson, a White House spokeswoman, responded in an email to a question about this: "This is false and completely fabricated." Tammy Thorp, a spokeswoman for the CIA, also wrote: "This allegation is completely and utterly false. ""

While we don't know when exactly Hersh sent out his requests, it was certainly more than a week before publication to give authorities time to respond and include their responses in the article. This means that Hersh may have sent out his inquiries before February 1st (his article was published on February 8th). So the US government knew before Hersh's article was published that a bombshell was going to drop, and had time to come up with a red herring.

That's speculation, of course, but it would explain why the US government (and its loyal Western media) are suddenly making such a hype about balloons, which have always been around and nobody has ever cared about.

Suddenly even UFOs are walking
The fact that this is a diversionary maneuver can also be seen from the fact that even media such as Der Spiegel, for which UFOs and extraterrestrials are normally nonsense that only lunatics spread, suddenly do not rule out in isolated articles that this is what has now been discovered everywhere objects in the sky could be extraterrestrial UFOs.

Time even quoted US General Glen VanHerck, who heads North American Air Defense Command NORAD, in an article entitled "'I Haven't Ruled Out Nothing,' US General Doesn't Rule Out Aliens When UFOs Appear" as saying that he doesn't use aliens as an explanation can rule out:

"I'll leave that to the intelligence and counterintelligence agencies to figure out. I haven't ruled anything out at this point."

Whether you believe in UFOs or not, it is remarkable that the US military always associates UFOs (i.e. unidentified flying objects) with possible extraterrestrials when there is something that the media wants to distract from. The most famous example of this was Pentagon UFO reports in the 1980s intended to distract attention from the F-117, America's first stealth aircraft. The aircraft, which looked very unusual for the time, entered service in 1982, but was so secret that its existence was not announced until 1988. The Pentagon was therefore happy to label sightings of the strange aircraft as possibly extraterrestrial UFOs in order to distract from the new type of aircraft.

It is therefore obvious that the hype about lost weather balloons, which has always existed, is intended to distract from something, especially since extraterrestrial UFOs are now even being brought into play by the US officials. This led Edward Snowden to write on Twitter:

"They're not aliens
I wish they were aliens
but they are not aliens
it's just the old engineered panic where an attractive nuisance keeps national security reporters busy investigating balloon bullshit instead of budgets or bombings (à la Nord Stream)
until next time"

it's not aliens

i wish it were aliens

but it's not aliens

it's just the ol' engineered panic, an attractive nuisance ensuring natsec reporters get assigned to investigate balloon bullshit rather than budgets or bombings (à la nordstream)

until next time

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) February 13, 2023
I share Edward Snwoden's view because I believe the balloon reports are intended to distract from Hersh's article on the Nord Stream blast.

For the sake of completeness, however, I will go into another theory that is floating around on the net.

The train disaster
On February 3, a train crash occurred near the village of East Palestine, Ohio, in which 50 wagons carrying highly toxic chemicals crashed and some caught fire. People complained of headaches and nausea.
s village has been evacuated, a state of emergency has been declared and serious environmental damage including contamination of rivers and drinking water is feared.

The accident hardly plays a role in national US media, and German media have only reported very briefly, if at all. As a result, speculation has been floating around the web that the balloons are intended to distract attention from this accident, which is said to be much worse than reported. Even comparisons with Chernobyl are drawn.

Of course, I don't know if there was an attempt to cover up something during the accident, but I wouldn't be surprised, after all, we experience that all the time. But I can say one thing for sure: If the balloons were to distract from the train accident, then the reports about the balloons would have been since February 3rd or 4th and not since February 1st, which is why I can't see any connection there.

In my new book "Putin's Plan - The World Does Not End With Europe and the USA - How the Western System Is Destroying Itself"" I address the question of what the final battle of the systems - which we are currently experiencing - is really about. We are witnessing nothing less than the clash of two systems in which Vladimir Putin offers the world an alternative to neoliberal globalism. Were the citizens of the West asked if they wanted all this, if they wanted to give up their prosperity and their freedoms in favor of neoliberal globalism?
.
Copied and Translated from Anti-mirror
.
https://www.anti-spiegel.ru/2023/spionageballons-als-ablenkung-von-der-nord-stream-sprengung/

Posted by: mo3 | Feb 14 2023 17:25 utc | 9

and Putin won't need a cocktail of stimulants to make the speech. wonder if joe finally falls off the stage.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 14 2023 17:27 utc | 10

Yes, the West is run by bastards and Putin is not the New Hitler.

But there is a long way to go before one can call him any sort of hero or anyone to be emulated.

Russia is a failing state.

Posted by: Noam A. Larkey | Feb 14 2023 17:30 utc | 11

Republicofscotland no. 2

NATO could face a real problem as West 'emptying war chests'

NATO could be "facing a real problem" as the West depletes its stock of weapons while it supports Ukraine, a military analyst has said.

Speaking to Sky News this afternoon, military analyst Sean Bell said NATO had "never budgeted" for a "war on this size and scale" and might struggle to keep up the current level of support.

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | Feb 14 2023 17:31 utc | 12

@mo3

Absolutely.I think Scholz has enough political cover as a result of everyone's backsliding to simply not deliver the tanks. If pressured by the other vassals he can say " where are yours?

He won't do this however.

Posted by: Judge Barbier | Feb 14 2023 17:32 utc | 13

meanwhile ... multipolarity gathers some pace ...

Xi meets Raisi, injecting new momentum to China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202302/1285469.shtml

China has always viewed and developed its relations with Iran from a strategic perspective, Xi said to Raisi, noting that no matter how the international and regional situation changes, China will unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with Iran, push for new development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, and play a positive role in world peace and human progress.

China supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity and supports its fight against unilateralism, hegemony and external forces that interfere in Iran's domestic affairs and sabotage its stability, Xi said. The Chinese side is also willing to deepen the comprehensive partnership by deepening cooperation in trade, agriculture, industry and infrastructure as well as expand cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. "

Posted by: Don Firineach | Feb 14 2023 17:35 utc | 14

m’larkey@ 11

is Russia failed bc it is not woke nuff 4u?

Posted by: paddy | Feb 14 2023 17:35 utc | 15

With NATO support reaching its limit and Russia poised to dramatically escalate it's conventional forces, expect Ukraine to reveal and utilize covertly acquired nuclear weapons.

Posted by: Elmer Fudd | Feb 14 2023 17:36 utc | 16

NATO is too busy fighting Alien UFOs to give a damn about Ukraine.

Apparently now they are on a shoot first orders within their airspace and missing "unknown" targets and having to explain that their Sidewinder missiles landed safely on the ground and didnt kill any americans.

LoL

NATO. Getting embarrassed by unknown UFOs now

Posted by: Comandante | Feb 14 2023 17:37 utc | 17

I’m still totally flabbergasted why the MSM are still not reporting Seymour Herschs’ investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. Anyway, I guess this will be a slow bomb fuse and when it does go off it will be interesting to see. Also I thought it was the British who were in league with the US on this operation and not the Norwegians. However, it all makes sense.
Thanks for the daily reportage.

Posted by: Pat | Feb 14 2023 17:41 utc | 18

@geoff chambers | Feb 14 2023 17:11 utc | 4

"Before the speech Putin will have a talk with leaders of the opposition parties."

Does Biden do that before his State of the Union address? Why not?

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 14 2023 17:41 utc | 19

I found an indirect source about the ending og the war:

Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Chechnya, on Russian TV: ”Although some say that it [operations in Ukraine] will take a year, or two, or even three, I think that by the end of the year, we will have completed 100% of our task.

From Bhadrakumar twitter account

Posted by: JB | Feb 14 2023 17:42 utc | 20

” This of course to Russia's advantage. It can delay the end of the war as long as it wants. At some point the 'West' will run out of ammunition and money for the war and will have to sue for peace.”

The other point is Nato will burn through soldiers at a much higher rate without ammunition. As the number of soldiers decrease, it will once again become in balance with US manufacturing capability, albeit that seems more like pyrrhic victory thinking.

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 14 2023 17:44 utc | 21

Amusing how German press quote Reuters that Dutch F-35s intercepted 3 Russian military jets near the Polish territory of Kaliningrad ............ "Die zu dem Zeitpunkt unbekannten Flugzeuge näherten sich dem polnischen Nato-Gebiet von Kaliningrad aus", heißt es in der von Reuters übersetzten Erklärung des Ministeriums

https://www.msn.com/de-de/nachrichten/politik/niederländische-luftwaffe-fängt-russische-kampfjets-in-der-nähe-polens-ab/ar-AA17tqF8

I was unaware that Kaliningrad was "Polish NATO-territory"

Clearly the Dutch Defence Ministry has some strange geopolitical aberrations and might want to revise its statements before erring too far !

It is now Reductio Ad Absurdam in Europe with every pipsqueak country like Estonia or Netherlands strutting their stuff and emaciated old dogs like UK and Germany and France trotting along behind.

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Feb 14 2023 17:46 utc | 22

The hyena of Europe, i.e., Poland is being readied as the upcoming front of the war against Russia. The poles are stupid enough and hate Russia so much that they are ready to sacrifice their country. Somebody should tell them that Nato cannot defend Poland. Neither can the US itself, short of going nuclear but then no one will be protected. But the poles seem to be itching for a good whipping. Russia should oblige!

Posted by: Tabaquis Stirring | Feb 14 2023 17:48 utc | 23

As long as the United States Dollar (USD) has the world's reserve currency status, there will be no shortage of money to fund the war. Actually, this is why there is a war going on now in Ukraine.

The USA wishes to keep its hegemony over the world. It does this mainly by having its USD being the world's reserve currency. It backs up and protects this most valuable status of its money with military might.

Russia has challenged the USA's world hegemony. So, Russia must go in the eyes of the USA. This is why the war in Ukraine rages on. This is why there will be no negotiations that actually lead to peace. This is why eventually this war will go nuclear.

Posted by: young | Feb 14 2023 17:49 utc | 24

Posted by: Judge Barbier | Feb 14 2023 17:32 utc | 13

You are clearly a political novice !

German Leopards are made by KMW which is in a JV with Nexter of France named KANT to build a new future European MBT.

Rheinmetall (largely owned by Blackrock and Vanguard) wants to offer its design - Panther using a Future Gun System 130mm - wants its project preferred.

https://www.rheinmetall-defence.com/de/rheinmetall_defence/systems_and_products/vehicle_systems/armoured_tracked_vehicles/panther_kf51/

Germany created a "Sondervermoegen" Fund of €100 bn. to buy new weapons but it has already shrunk to €87 bn because of interest costs.

The Luftwaffe wants F-35s and new heavy-lift aircraft; Rheinmetall and KANT want new tanks but first they need rid of the Leopards - so they lobby to sell them to Ukraine using German/EU funds to force German orders for replacements.

The Contractors want to send European NATO equipment east so Russia destroys it.......they lobby through press and politics to send EVERYTHING - to secure new order cycles. They cannot do it with planes because there is no platform commonality - and F-16s are used by none of the major European NATO countries save Turkey........so it has to be tanks

Scholz is a corrupt schemer who was out of his death once he left Hamburg. As Finance Minister his Ministry was raided by the police over corruption in Cum-Ex and the role of his Adviser from Goldman Sachs.........by becoming Chancellor he could stop the investigations. That is his level.

He was played over Nordstream; he was played over tanks - it is hard to imagine ANY German Chancellor before Scholz being so dim - being so clearly dim - so despised by the public for being dim - . He is a total nonentity surrounded by nonentities.

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Feb 14 2023 17:57 utc | 25

Ukraine casualties continue creeping up, as of today the total figure has breached a significant threshold 309,666 to be precise. This figure also includes some NATO allies who perished in the battle filed. Mainly from Germany, France, Poland, Rumania and Bulgaria. In addition, as of today; the reconstruction of Ukraine is as high as 1.276 trillion uSSa dollars. The tax payer in the uSSa is in the hook for life. Even the unborn will never be able to support their failed Republic.

Posted by: AI | Feb 14 2023 17:57 utc | 26

Hopefully Brandon can stay awake long enough to read the teleprompter, filled with the words Blinken et al. prepared for him.

Hopefully Putin can make threats he will actually deliver on, instead of drawing red lines no one will listen to, as his ambiguous and vague messaging falls on deaf ears once again.

Posted by: Et Tu | Feb 14 2023 18:03 utc | 27

If they move the war away from Donbass, Belgorod or Engels, to Kiev for example, then yes, they can keep it for as long as they like. Only if they manage to also control terrorism. Now there is war on Russian territory and they have losses, can't see any scenario where they would want to maintain it as is. nato likes it anywhere, would love to keep it going for 10+ years.

Posted by: rk | Feb 14 2023 18:04 utc | 28

”There was diplomacy going on with a phone call between president Joe Biden and the British premier Boris Johnson. The German chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Kiev to try to stop the upcoming war. It was way too late.”

Nonsense … There was no conversation with the Kremlin … see visits by Liz Truss and Annalena Baerbock … same with ministers of Defense … UK Ben Wallace, first vist UK-Russia In 12 years … most visits were insulting, hiding behind the war narrative set by Antony Blinken and NATO Command in the Pentagon …ehh Brussels. There would be no negotiation of any sort and the single goal was to show a united front … not an inch of movement was possible or the wrath of Joe would be on you.

All Joe wanted was a confrontation with Vlad … never heard and saw so much BS in press statements and media coverage. It was all intentional.

The single serious attempt was EU president of the moment French president Macron. Good discussion with Putin as earlier the Normandy Four summit failed to find a solution … however Macron came empty handed as he had no mandate from The White House nor from NATO. The Americans only issued deadlines and offered numerous threats … succes assured Putin would take a hardline position.

Details of Macron’s telephone conversations were later broadcast on France 2 in a documentary.

Behind the scenes in Macron's war diplomacy

Amazing leak: France 2 made a documentary from the transcripts of conversations between Macron and Putin four days before the invasion. Indeed, way too late!

Posted by: Oui | Feb 14 2023 18:07 utc | 29

Why Poland?. . .Meet the new Europe military power – Poland.

On 18 and 19 January 2023, the NATO Military Committee, joined by invitees Finland and Sweden, met in Brussels. The Chiefs of Defence discussed the strengthening of the Defence and Deterrence posture of the Alliance by increasing readiness, developing capabilities and interlinking national and NATO military planning more closely than ever.

General Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe briefed the Chiefs of Defence on the implementation of the Concept for the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area as well as the New Force Structure. General Cavoli noted that NATO military plans were taking into account the wide range of threats and challenges facing the Alliance and detailed how they will drive the New Force Structure Requirement. General Cavoli stated, "The Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area family of plans is the key and will drive our structure, operations, activities, resources, and command and control in the coming years."

Need to “drive the New Force Structure Requirement”? Meet Europe's coming military superpower: Poland, which intends to spend tens of billions on military gear. Poland has already spent a lot. Some recent purchases: second-hand vehicles worth €2.24 billion, K2 tanks for €3.14 billion, and K9 howitzers – €2.24 billion. The US has just approved the $10 bln sale of HIMARS rocket launchers, while future requests from the US include AH-64E Apache attack helicopters at more than $7 billion and 250 Abrams tanks for $4.75 billion.

How to pay the $30 billion for this? The European Union has not published its financial balances for some time probably because it fears that the figures could be politically instrumentalized. But when it did report finances, for 2018, Poland was the biggest monetary benefactor from the EU, enjoying 11.6 billion euros received, and Germany the largest contributor, $17.2 billion. Also in 2018 the UK contributed almost ten billion Euros. Now we have a situation in Europe which includes Germany taking a big economic hit due to sanctions and lost energy, while UK financing is no longer available since Brexit.

Poland must be quite sure that the EU will provide that thirty billion for war-toys despite the EU financial situation and despite the ongoing tensions between Poland and the EU over judicial proceedings. Poland has aggravated the EU when its Constitutional Tribunal issued a judgment that the Polish Constitution in some cases supersedes rulings by the bloc’s highest court. The Polish judgment is a direct challenge to the primacy of European law, one of the cornerstones of the illegal European Union.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 18:08 utc | 30

Great summary B. Very interesting to go back to the old days and see what really happend. Keep up the good work, Sir.

Just some thougths
Maia Sandu claims that russia are planning a coup in Moldova. Maybe we know will see the 101 airborne as a peacekeeping force there?

The US has provided Ukr with 100bill. A lot? No, its an investment by the american people. Rearming Europe will over a few years increase the MIC profit many times.

A long term 50bill purchase og F35 will probably cost 100bill. Fantastic business- modell. American taxpayers invest- the MIC profits.

And how will the 24th of feb. be marked in Europe? Torch ligth marches/ parades? I think Putin referred to those marches that svept Ukraina: not ukrainian, but nazi culture.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 14 2023 18:09 utc | 31

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 18:08 utc | 31

Poland is bankrupt. No more free money from Germany through EU makes sure of that. The humongous military spending and tax hikes will make sure of that. They have the same issue as Germany after rebuilding army through the MEFO bill scheme, once you spend it, you have to use it or lose it.

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 14 2023 18:16 utc | 32

How to pay the $30 billion for this?
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 18:08 utc | 31

---

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/european-peace-facility/

The EPF is an off-budget instrument aimed at enhancing the Union's ability to prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security, by enabling the financing of operational actions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) that have military or defence implications.

Posted by: too scents | Feb 14 2023 18:22 utc | 33

Yesterday I provided the translated transcript of the conversation between Putin and CPRF leader Zyuganov which showed they are both on the same page regarding Russia's overall direction. Putin also met yesterday with the head of the Liberal Democratic Party Leonid Slutsky, the LDPR being that of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Here's the short transcript of their meeting provided by the Kremlin:

Leonid Slutsky: Mr Putin, thank you so much for meeting us.

Vladimir Putin: Leonid Eduardovich, we are generally in contact – we meet quite regularly at various events, but individual meetings are always in demand, taking into account, of course, the current situation in the country.

Leonid Slutsky: Thank you again.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, it's hard to celebrate the first New Year without Vladimir Volfovich [Zhirinovsky]. At the same time, the party is strengthening and growing – we have almost 350 thousand people, including one and a half thousand people of the volunteer corps who actively worked in the new territories, even when they were not new territories.

From the very first days, we supported the special military operation in everything. Now we have taken under the wing of the movement "We sew for our people", shveibaty. Women-ascetics, many thousands of them, who sew camouflage nets, balaclavas, jackets-save our children, their health, their lives on the front line, as they themselves save us.

And of course, today I am grateful for the opportunity to report some thoughts to the faction. They are not revolutionary, they are not groundbreaking-now people don't need breakthroughs, they need common sense and a constructive position. If it is constructive, then it should not seize on its opposition, but be closer to people and solve the problems that really stand today.

They sound quite modest sometimes. It is necessary to introduce a single minimum package, as we believe, of support for volunteers and those mobilized in different regions of the Federation, so that these are uniform standards. We need to support the creation of nursery groups for children from two months to one and a half years old, in order to encourage women to feel confident and fulfill their tasks in the field of demography.

There are other proposals: both in the sphere of support for the participants of the SVO and those who help the special military operation in the rear, which is no less important, and in terms of national conservation and demography. Some suggestions were left over from Vladimir Volfovich.

We are now working more closely and effectively with the Government than ever before. We are heard, our constructions are brought to life, become valid laws, become mechanics that work.

And of course, since I am still Chairman of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, I am extremely grateful to you for your decision to grant me the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. This is a great responsibility, especially today, so I will report to you on the implementation of your assignments both in the African direction and in the important direction of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

Vladimir Putin: All right, Leonid Eduardovich. I know that your suggestions are always concrete and practical.

Leonid Slutsky: Absolutely.

Vladimir Putin: Let's move on to them and discuss them.

As you read, the party is small, under a million members, but it provides support just as the Communists do. Also yesterday, a meeting of the Security Council was held with the readout saying Lavrov's report in his African trip was the first item discussed.

Today, after Putin's meetings with the judges I reported on the open thread, he met with the leader of the party "Fair Russia – For the Truth" Sergei Mironov, which is a Socialist Party. This transcript is also short and follows:

Vladimir Putin: Sergey Mikhailovich, in general, we are in constant contact, but no one has canceled personal meetings, they always make sense. I suggest we talk about the current situation. But I also know that you have a number of questions that you would like to discuss in more depth.

You are welcome.

S. : Thank you, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich. Thank you for the opportunity to meet. It is a very good tradition to meet with the leaders of the State Duma factions.

Indeed, there are several suggestions.

First. First of all, I would like to say a word of gratitude: at the beginning of the year, you gave instructions to work out the issue of giving the people's militia of the LPR and DPR, which has been fighting since May 2014, the status of a combat veteran and all relevant social benefits. But there is also a category of volunteers. And I have prepared a letter addressed to you, and then I will pass it on to you – I also ask you not to forget that some of them were not part of the people's militia of the LPR and DPR, but fought since May 2014.

Thank you for fixing and drawing attention to a very painful problem – the problem of demography-and I must say only you here. All the decisions that are being made in the country – in this area] have always been your initiative. Because saving people – you understand perfectly well what the role is here.

In this regard, our faction, our socialist party "Just Russia-Patriots-For Truth" has several proposals.

First. I would like to appeal to you with a request from a huge number of large families to think about whether the next year, 2024, should be declared the year of a large family. The fact is that it is a large family, when the norm becomes three people, this will be what we need. Because even maternity capital now encourages the birth of the first child. And in this regard, our second proposal is to make a kind of progression of maternity capital. That is, to keep the same amount that is currently given for the birth of the first child, for the second to make more – somewhere around a million, and a little more than a million for the third child. Because it is the third child in the family, as we understand, that gives an increase [to population growth].

And one more request. The fact is that in our country, it turns out, only 5,959 families have eight or more children – either native or adopted. Less than six thousand families in all of Russia. I think that if, for example, two minimum wages were given to one parent, such a one-time social assistance would be very correct and useful. It is very good that you have returned the title of "Mother Heroine", the badge of" Maternal Valor", but I think financial assistance would be very useful.

Another topic concerns a special military operation. People send parcels to their husbands, sons, brothers, and acquaintances. I think it would be right if the federal budget helped the Russian Post-subsidized the transfer of one parcel per month weighing up to ten kilograms to each serviceman from relatives and friends, from anyone, so that there would be compensation to the Russian Post, because the soldiers really want and are waiting for such a message from home, such a message. packages.

And one more request, also related to a special military operation. Now, when a soldier is wounded and is being treated, relatives who come to visit him in the hospital, the road to this place where [he] is being treated is paid for by the Ministry of Defense. But this is about military personnel, but the volunteers who are currently fighting, they do not have this category. I have also prepared a letter for you and ask you to consider it.

And finally. I was recently, a month ago, in our new territories, in the Zaporizhia region, in the Kherson region. As you know, the Government has decided to increase tariffs for housing and communal services by nine percent starting from December 1. As long as these federal subjects are part of Russia, this applies to them. It is very difficult for them now, they are practically on the front line. And I appeal to you to consider giving them [a benefit] for this year-to freeze the tariff for housing and communal services at the level that it was before December 1. Because it is very difficult, and it would be right and fair to give them such help.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you for your suggestions. Let's go through each one in more detail.

Sergey Mironov: Thank you.

Putin is affiliated with the United Russia Party, which is Russia's largest, but he isn't its head. I don't know what other conversations are scheduled, but the three provided so far indicate complete solidarity with Putin and the government as a whole. Unfortunately, we're denied reading the more intimate details of those conversations, but what's provided to the public is a picture of togetherness in Russian's shared struggle.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 14 2023 18:23 utc | 34

Scholz is a corrupt schemer who was out of his death once he left Hamburg. <- cite from a post today

Does it mean that Scholz we can see is actually a zombie? It would explain a lot...

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 14 2023 18:25 utc | 35

There are no opposition parties. When they pretend to disagree, it is all theater. Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 14 2023 17:41 utc | 19

Not quite, they are negotiating for a bigger cut of the grift and graft. Rather than describe it as "theater", it is better described as 2 organized crime entities who compete, but mostly co-operate, for a piece of the action.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 18:26 utc | 36

https://t.me/luganskallnews/11367

Ukrainian notices in Bakhmut: this house would be set on fire to set a smoke screen for defenders retreat. If you have anything of value - take it out of the building before that.

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 14 2023 18:32 utc | 37

Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Chechnya, on Russian TV: ”Although some say that it [operations in Ukraine] will take a year, or two, or even three, I think that by the end of the year, we will have completed 100% of our task."

Posted by: JB | Feb 14 2023 17:42 utc | 20

It was Yevgeny Prigozhin (Wagner) who said 2-3 years to clean everything up to the Dnieper. Large cities like Sumy and Kharkiv will not be easy. I suggest he is currently closer to the action and more of a realist than Kadyrov.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 18:33 utc | 38

RE: The Big Earthquake in Syria and Turkey "Highly likely" a horrific US crime ...

Romanian senator Diana Ivanovici Soșoacă, speaking on 8 February before the Romanian Parliament, observed that:

 

One minute before seismographers detected the earthquake, Turkish gas and oil pipelines were shut down (NB. This is the only allegation we were unable to verify).
 24 hours before the earthquake, 10 Western countries recalled their ambassadors from Ankara.
 5 days before the earthquake, several Western countries, including Romania, issued a travel warning to Turkey without providing a motivation.

The earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria was followed by more than 150 aftershocks, the most violent being the second one, not the first. Atypically, it had no epicenter, but erupted along a fault line over several hundred kilometers. Further tremors are likely to occur, including in Istanbul.

Turkey dismissed U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson, who traveled to Ankara to demand an end to Turkish military exports to Russia and to Turkey’s opposition to Sweden’s accession to NATO [2].

Pls Read the whole article here:

https://www.voltairenet.org/article218842.html

Your Thoughts?

(P.S. I agree with Thomas Roeper that the "balloon" BS is a distraction from the Hersh article..)

Posted by: Fleurs-du-mal | Feb 14 2023 18:39 utc | 39

Putin gives very good speeches, laced with an understanding of history and literally references. Biden is his literal opposite - awkward, fumbling, almost every sentence a bold face lie or baseless assertion, bizarre whispering then random shouting.

Posted by: Sathanas Juggernaut | Feb 14 2023 18:39 utc | 40

Don Bacon @33 Everybody is waiting now to see Duda's Leopard tanks cross the border into Ukraine (with Ukrainian crews). He seems to have back-tracked on planes. I expect Biden will give Duda a push on his trip to Poland. Or maybe not.

Posted by: dh | Feb 14 2023 18:40 utc | 41

As long as the United States Dollar (USD) has the world's reserve currency status, there will be no shortage of money to fund the war.

Barflies; this simple truth is what we should be focusing on. This War only ends with De-Dollarization.

Posted by: Exile | Feb 14 2023 18:44 utc | 42

Speech #1: "OK everyone, this is what's what...",
Speech #2: "Er, Uh,... Hey, is that thing on?...",
Certainly everyone will draw their own conclusions...

Posted by: Josh | Feb 14 2023 18:45 utc | 43

A shipment of American armored vehicles has arrived in Germany.

https://twitter.com/PeImeniPusha/status/1625565453027512320

Posted by: too scents | Feb 14 2023 18:46 utc | 44

" One white Christian country down (Ukraine) one to go (Poland).

Posted by: Jacq | Feb 14 2023 18:00 utc | 27 "

Dont forget Russia, Germany, France, England, Ireland, the US, Australia, New Zealand etc ........... " White " nations are under " attack " everywhere.

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | Feb 14 2023 18:49 utc | 45

@42

can any of Poland f-16 fly?

Posted by: paddy | Feb 14 2023 18:49 utc | 46

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 18:08 utc | 31

The amusing thing is I posted a link to an article the other day in which Poland conducted a war game with all the promised new US weapons - F-36's, etc. - embedded in the scenario which involved a Russian invasion of Poland.

The game's result: Russia annihilated them in seven days. Kaput. Wiped out. Entire army destroyed.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 14 2023 18:54 utc | 47

(P.S. I agree with Thomas Roeper that the "balloon" BS is a distraction from the Hersh article..)

Posted by: Fleurs-du-mal | Feb 14 2023 18:39 utc | 40

Partially, but more importantly the balloons distract from the release of PVC from the train wreck set on fire in East Palestine, Ohio, which is a major environmental disaster.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 19:03 utc | 48

Et Tu @28--

You clearly don't read enough of what Putin has said over the last 5 years. The speech he's to give is very similar to the one POTUS is mandated to give yearly and will focus mainly on domestic issues. In the TASS article b linked up top, it's mentioned that there's no similar mandate in Russia and that this isn't the first time Putin has postponed this speech. Here's the 2021 speech transcript which is mostly about domestic issues since it was given during the pandemic, but also soon after the attempted and foiled Color Revolution Coup in Belarus. Putin spends a few minutes at the end of his speech addressing that and invoked his clever use of Kipling some will recall. I reproduce for you and other barflies that passage:

At the same time, unfortunately, it seems that everyone in the world is already used to the practice of politically motivated, illegal sanctions in the economy, to the crude attempts of some to impose their will on others by force. But today, this practice is degenerating into something much more dangerous – I am referring to the recently known facts of a direct attempt to organize a coup d'etat in Belarus and the assassination of the President of this country. At the same time, it is characteristic that even such blatant actions are not condemned by the so-called collective West. No one seems to notice it. Everyone pretends that nothing is happening at all.

But, listen, you can treat President of Ukraine Yanukovich or Maduro in Venezuela as you like. I repeat, you can treat them any way you want, the same Yanukovych, who was also almost killed and removed from power with the help of an armed coup. You can have any point of view about the policy of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. But the practice of organizing coups d'etat, planning political assassinations, including of top officials – well, this is too much, all the borders have already crossed.

But what is the confession of the detained participants of the conspiracy that a blockade of Minsk was being prepared, including the city's infrastructure and means of communication, a complete shutdown of the entire energy system of the capital of Belarus! This means, by the way, that, in fact, preparations were made for a massive cyber attack. But how else? It's so, you know, you just can't do it with one switch.

Apparently, it is not for nothing that our Western colleagues persistently refuse numerous Russian proposals to establish an international dialogue in the field of information and cybersecurity. We have suggested this many times. Everyone just walks away from even discussing this issue.

What would have happened if the coup attempt in Belarus had actually taken place? After all, this is what it was all about. How many people would be affected? What would be the fate of Belarus in general? No one thinks about it.

Just as no one thought about the fate of Ukraine when the coup was carried out in this country.

At the same time, unfriendly actions against Russia also do not stop. In some countries, they have started a very decent custom – for any reason, and most often without any reason at all, to cling to Russia. Sports, some new sport – who will say something louder?

We behave in this regard in the highest degree restrained, directly, without irony I will say, it is possible to tell, modestly. Often we do not respond at all not only to unfriendly actions, but also to outright rudeness. We want to have good relations with all participants of international communication. And we see what happens in real life: As I said, Russia is being picked up here and there for no reason at all. And of course, just like Sherkhan, all sorts of small Tobaccos are spinning around them, all like Kipling's, howling in order to appease their sovereign. Kipling was a great writer.

We really want to have good relations with all participants in international communication, including, by the way, with those with whom relations have not been developing recently, to put it mildly. We really don't want to burn bridges. But if someone perceives our good intentions as indifference or weakness and wants to finally burn or even blow up these bridges, they should know that Russia's response will be asymmetric, quick and tough. [My Emphasis]

I recall a great deal of discussion of Putin's quip at the time as well as much discussion about the Belarus events. Six months later the lengthy, detailed report on the ongoing Donbas Genocide was delivered and the events followed as I described yesterday.

Given Putin's discussions with party leaders, I expect him to discuss the greatly improved domestic situation over that of 2021, while I also expect him to deliver a detailed report on the overall international situation which would include a review of the Ukraine SMO.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 14 2023 19:03 utc | 49

Can we please have more Off Topic interruptions--PLEASE!!!!

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 14 2023 19:06 utc | 50

One white Christian country down (Ukraine)
Posted by: Jacq | Feb 14 2023 18:00 utc | 27

Nope. Not Christian. And not only because those Ukrainians set churches on fire.

Posted by: Vikichka | Feb 14 2023 19:06 utc | 51

Poland was given eastern Galicia at the end of WW1 as part of it's newly reconstituted nation. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army killed 100k Poles, Russians and Jews during WW2 in an attempt to constitute a Ukrainian state there. When the Soviets defeated Germany eastern Galicia became part of the Ukrainian SSR and hence part of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Up to now Poland has been steadfast in support of Ukraine, though last year raising the issue of the Galician genocide or ethnic cleansing. If the war goes continues to go badly for Ukraine and it becomes a rump state I wonder if the Poles may be tempted to help themselves in eastern Galicia.

Posted by: Mike Price | Feb 14 2023 19:09 utc | 52

WARNING: LONG POST!

Translation of the Sy Hersh German interview linked above. "I" is for the interviewer questions, "H" is Hersh's replies. Hersh supplies some additional information of interest which I noted in bold.

Interview with Seymour Hersh: Joe Biden blew up Nord Stream because he didn't trust Germany

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has published a controversial investigation into the Nord Stream attack. We talked to him. An interview.
Interviewer: Fabian Scheidler
14.02.2023 | 4:58 pm

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has published an investigation showing that the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines were initiated by the US government with the support of Norway. The U.S. government and the CIA have denied his account at Hersh's request. In many media outlets, Hersh has been accused of failing to disclose his anonymous source, so his claims cannot be verified. The criticism was also formulated that the research was not consistent. The Berlin publicist Fabian Scheidler spoke to Seymour Hersh for the Berliner Zeitung.

I: Mr. Hersh, please explain your findings in detail. According to your source, what exactly happened, who was involved in the Nord Stream attack and what were the motives?

H: It was a story that cried out to be told. At the end of September 2022, eight bombs were to be detonated near the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, six of which went off, in an area where it is quite flat. They destroyed three of Nord Stream 1 and 2's four major pipelines. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline has supplied Germany and other parts of Europe with very cheap natural gas for many years. And then it was blown up, as was Nord Stream 2, and the question was who did it and why. On February 7, 2022, just over two weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said at a White House press conference he held with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that the US would stop Nord Stream.

Biden said: "If Russia invades, there will be no more Nord Stream 2, we will put an end to the project." And when a reporter asked how exactly he intended to do that, since the project was mainly under German control, Biden said only: "I promise that we will be able to do it."

His deputy secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, who was deeply involved in the events of the Maidan revolution in 2014, had made similar comments a few weeks earlier.

I: They say that the decision to shut down the pipeline was made even earlier by President Biden. You write in your report that in December 2021, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan convened a meeting of the newly formed task force of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, the State Department and the Treasury Department. They write: "Sullivan wanted the group to come up with a plan for the destruction of the two Nord Stream pipelines."

H: This group was originally convened to study the problem. They met in a very secret office. Right next to the White House there is an office building, the Executive Office Building, it is connected underground by a tunnel to the White House. And at the top is an office for a secret external group of consultants called the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. I mentioned this to signal to people in the White House that I have information. So the meeting was called to examine what we would do if Russia went to war.

That was three months before the war, before Christmas 2021. It was a high-level group that probably had a different name, I just called it "Interagency Group", I don't know the official name, if there was one. They were the CIA and the National Security Agency, which monitors and intercepts communications, the State Department and the Treasury Department, which provides money. And probably a few other organizations that were involved. The Joint Chiefs of Staff were also represented. It was about making recommendations on how to stop Russia, either with reversible measures such as further sanctions and economic pressure, or with irreversible, "kinetic" measures, such as demolitions.

I don't want to go into the details here and not talk about a specific meeting because I have to protect my source. I don't know how many people participated, you understand what I mean?

I: In your article, you wrote that the CIA task force reported to Sullivan's Interagency Group in early 2022, saying, quote, "We have a way to blow up the pipelines."

H: They had a way. There were people there who knew what we in America call "mine warfare." In the United States Navy there are units dealing with submarines, there is also a command for nuclear technology. And there is a mine squad. The field of underwater mines is very important, and we have trained specialists for it. A central location for their education is a small resort town called Panama City in the middle of nowhere in Florida. We train very good people there and deploy them. Underwater mining specialists are of great importance, for example to clear blocked entrances to ports and to blow up things that stand in the way. You can also blow up a particular country's underwater oil pipelines. It's not always good things they do, but they work absolutely in secret.

For the group in the White House, it was clear that they could blow up the pipelines. There's an explosive called C4 that's incredibly potent, especially at the amount they use. It can be controlled remotely with underwater sonar devices. These sonar devices emit signals at low frequencies. So it was possible, and this was communicated to the White House in early January, because two or three weeks later, Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland said we could do it. I think that was on January 20. And then the President, when he held the press conference together with the German Chancellor on February 7, 2022, also said that we could do it.

The German chancellor did not say anything concrete at the time, he was very vague. One question I'd like to ask Scholz if I were chairing a parliamentary hearing is this: Did Joe Biden tell you about it? Did he tell you then why he was so confident that he could destroy the pipeline? We as Americans didn't have a plan at the time, but we knew we had the ability to do it.

I: You write that Norway played a role. To what extent was the country involved – and why should the Norwegians do this?

H: Norway is a great seafaring nation, and they have energy sources at depth. They are also keen to increase their natural gas supplies to Western Europe and Germany. And that's what they've done, they've increased their exports. So why shouldn't they join forces with the US for economic reasons? In Norway, there is also a strong hostility towards Russia.

I: In your article, you write that the Norwegian secret service and navy were involved. They also say that Sweden and Denmark were informed in some way, but did not learn everything.

H: I was told: they did what they did, and they knew what they were doing, and they understood what was going on, but maybe no one ever said "yes." I've worked a lot on this topic with the people I've talked to. In any case, in order for this mission to be carried out, the Norwegians had to find the right place. The divers, who were trained in Panama City, were able to dive up to 100 meters deep without heavy equipment. The Norwegians found us a spot off the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, which was only 260 feet (about 80 meters) deep, so that they could operate there.

The divers had to slowly return upwards, there was a decompression chamber, and we used a Norwegian submarine hunter. Only two divers were used for the four pipelines. One problem was how to deal with the people who monitor the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is monitored very thoroughly, there is a lot of freely available data, so we took care of it, there were three or four different people for it. And what was done then is quite simple. For 21 years, our Sixth Fleet, which controls the Mediterranean and also the Baltic Sea, has been conducting an exercise for the NATO navies in the Baltic Sea every summer (BALTOPS, editor's note). We are sending an aircraft carrier and other large ships to these exercises. And for the first time in history, the NATO operation in the Baltics had a new program. A twelve-day mine dropping and detection exercise should be conducted. A number of nations sent out mining teams, one group dropped a mine, and another group of mines went in search and blew it up.

So there was a time when things blew up, and that time allowed the deep-sea divers who attached the mines to the pipelines to operate. The two pipelines are about a mile apart, they lie a little under the silt on the seabed, but they are not difficult to reach, and the divers had practiced it. It only took a few hours to place the bombs.

I: So that was in June 2022?

H: Yes, they did towards the end of the exercise. But at the last minute, the White House got nervous. The president said he was afraid to do it. He changed his mind and gave new orders, so that it was possible to detonate the bombs remotely at any time. You do this with a normal sonar, a product of Raytheon by the way, you fly over the spot and drop a cylinder. It sends a low-frequency signal, you can describe it as a flute tone, you can set different frequencies.

The fear, however, was that the bombs would not work if they remained in the water for too long, which was indeed the case with two bombs. So there was concern within the group about finding the right remedy, and we actually had to turn to other intelligence agencies that I deliberately didn't write about.

I: And what happened then? The explosives were placed and a way was found to control them remotely.

H: Joe Biden decided back in June not to blow them up, it was five months after the war began. But in September, he ordered it to be done. The operational staff, the people who do "kinetic" things for the United States, they do what the president says, and they initially thought this was a useful weapon to use in negotiations. But at some point, after the Russians invaded and then, when the operation was completed, the whole thing became increasingly repugnant to the people who carried it out. These are people who work in top positions in the secret services and are well trained. They turned against the project, they thought it was crazy.

Shortly after the attack, after they had done what they had been ordered, there was a lot of anger among those involved about the operation and rejection. That's one of the reasons I learned so much. And I'm going to tell you something else. The people in America and Europe who are building pipelines know what happened. I will tell you something important. The people who own companies that build pipelines know the story. I didn't learn the story from them, but I quickly learned that they know.

I: Let us return to this situation in June of last year. President Joe Biden decided not to do it directly and postponed it.

H: Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press conference a few days after the pipelines blew up that Putin had been deprived of a major power factor. He said the destruction of the pipelines was a tremendous opportunity – a chance to deprive Russia of the opportunity to use the pipelines as a weapon. The point was that Russia could no longer put pressure on Western Europe to end US support in the Ukraine war. The fear was that Western Europe would no longer participate.

I think the reason for this decision was that the war was not going well for the West and they were afraid of the approaching winter. Nord Stream 2 was put on hold by Germany itself, not by international sanctions, and the US was afraid that Germany would lift the sanctions because of a cold winter.

I: What do you think are the motives for the attack? The US government was against the pipeline for many reasons. Some say she was against it because she wanted to weaken Russia or to weaken relations between Russia and Western Europe, especially Germany. But perhaps also to weaken the German economy, which is a competitor of the US economy. High gas prices have caused companies to migrate to the US. What is your view of the motives of the US government?

H: I don't think they thought it through thoroughly. I know that sounds strange. I don't think Secretary Blinken and some others in the administration are deep thinkers. There are certainly people in the American economy who like the idea of us becoming more competitive. We sell liquefied natural gas (LNG) with extremely high profits, we make a lot of money from it.

I'm sure there were some people who thought, 'Boy, this is going to give the American economy a long-term boost.' But in the White House, I think, they were always obsessed with re-election, and they wanted to win the war, they wanted to win a victory, they wanted Ukraine to somehow magically win. There might be some people who think that maybe it's better for our economy if the German economy is weak, but that's crazy. I think we've gotten caught up in something that's not going to work, the war isn't going to end well for this government.

I: How do you think this war could end?

H: It doesn't matter what I think. What I do know is that there is no way this war is going to end the way we want it to, and I don't know what we're going to do if we look further into the future. It scares me that the president was willing to do that. And the people who carried out this mission believed that the president was aware of what he was doing to the people of Germany, that he was punishing them for a war that was not going well. And in the long run, this will not only damage his reputation as president, but also be very damaging politically. It will be a stigma for the US.

The White House feared that it might be in a losing position, that Germany and Western Europe would no longer supply the weapons we wanted, and that the German chancellor might put the pipeline back into operation – that was a big concern in Washington. I would ask Chancellor Scholz a lot of questions. I would ask him what he learned in February when he was with the President. The operation was top secret and the president was not supposed to tell anyone about our ability, but he likes to chat, he sometimes says things he shouldn't say.

I: Your story was reported rather cautiously and critically in the German media. Some attacked your reputation or said you had only one anonymous source and that it was not reliable.

H: How could I talk about my source? I have written many stories based on unnamed sources. If I named someone, they would be fired or, worse, jailed. The law is very strict. I've never exposed anyone, and when I write, of course, as I did in this article, I say it's a source, period. Over the years, the stories I've written have always been accepted.

I: How did you check your facts?

H: For the current story, I worked with equally experienced fact-checkers as I used to have at the New Yorker. Of course, there are many ways to check obscure information that is shared with me. The personal attacks on me also miss the point. The point is that Biden has decided to let Germans freeze this winter. The President of the United States would rather Germany freeze than Germany possibly stop supporting Ukraine, and that to me is a devastating thing for this White House.

I: The point is also that this can be perceived as an act of war not only against Russia, but also against Western allies, especially Germany.

H: I would put it more simply. The people involved in the operation saw that the president wanted to freeze Germany for his short-term political goals, and that horrified them. I'm talking about Americans who are very loyal to the United States. With the CIA, as I put it in my article, you're working for power, not for the Constitution.

The CIA's political advantage is that a president who can't get his plans through Congress can walk with the CIA director in the White House Rose Garden to plan something secret that can affect many people on the other side of the Atlantic – or anywhere else in the world. That has always been the unique selling point of the CIA – with which I have my problems. But even this community is appalled that Biden has decided to expose Europe to the cold in order to support a war he will not win. This is nefarious to me.

I: You said in your article that the planning of the attack was not reported to Congress, as is necessary in other covert operations.

H: The matter was also not reported to many places within the military. There were people in other places who should have been informed but were not informed. The operation was very secret.

I: What role does courage play for you in your profession?

H: What's brave about telling the truth? Our job is not to be afraid. And sometimes it gets ugly. There have been times in my life when... -- you know, I'm not talking about it. But threats are not directed at people like me, but at the children of people like me. There were terrible things. But you don't worry about it, you can't. You just have to do what you do.

Interview: Fabian Scheidler

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 14 2023 19:09 utc | 53

@22 Paul Greenwood:

The phrase is awkwardly formulated, but still correct: the planes came from Kaliningrad direction flying towards Polish NATO territory.

Posted by: Verdant | Feb 14 2023 19:12 utc | 54

Posted by: young | Feb 14 2023 17:49 utc | 24
«As long as the United States Dollar (USD) has the world's reserve currency status, there will be no shortage of money to fund the war.»

Wars are not fought with money, but with physical resources, in particular fuels and cereals are the critical ones, and the USA is self-sufficient in both. Money *may* help buy physical resources from other "neutral" states, but ultimately it is the state's own physical resources that matter.

«Russia has challenged the USA's world hegemony. So, Russia must go in the eyes of the USA.»

The PRC has challenged the USA world hegemony, so the RF must go because it is a big buffer state protecting (with Kazakhstan) the northern and western borders of the PRC.

Because for the USA the RF is "a gnat on the butt of an elephant", and the real prize is not defeating the RF, but regime change in the RF and President Navalny "inviting" the USA to build DOD/CIA bases and biolabs on the PRC borders, completing the encirclement and isolation of the PRC, the end of the Belt-and-Roads Initiative, and as someone added, the end of fuel and cereal supplies from the RF to the PRC.

Posted by: Blissex | Feb 14 2023 19:12 utc | 55

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 18:33 utc | 39
"It was Yevgeny Prigozhin (Wagner) who said 2-3 years to clean everything up to the Dnieper. Large cities like Sumy and Kharkiv will not be easy. I suggest he is currently closer to the action and more of a realist than Kadyrov."

Prigozhin was obviously trolling the interviewer in that interview. You can't possibly take his comment seriously in context. Kadyrov is almost certainly right give or take a few months.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 14 2023 19:13 utc | 56

Posted by: Et Tu | Feb 14 2023 18:03 utc | 28

Ok, let's accept that Putin is "vague" in his communication, just for the sake of argument.

What word would you use to describe the eurotrash "leaders"?

Posted by: Arganthonios | Feb 14 2023 19:13 utc | 57

dh- post 42

I believe that the tanks and planes and solidiers training in Europe, USA and Canada are for Ukraine 2.0. After we have had some sort of conclusion on this conflict- not that it will be concluded!

Posted by: Paul | Feb 14 2023 19:13 utc | 58

Posted by: AI | Feb 14 2023 17:57 utc | 26

You're talking complete rubbish. There are no significant number of Bulgarians in the Ukro-ranks, in fact there are more Bulgarians fighting on the Russian side! The numbers in the rest of your screed are also not supported by any source...

Posted by: Humbert Humbert | Feb 14 2023 19:16 utc | 59

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 18:33 utc | 39

If you think in the sense of completely "cleaning" a large city like Zaporizhe or more likely Kharkov from insurgents, I do agree it can take months, or maybe even years. The resistance could not be front line style, it could go underground or guerrilla and take years to smoke out if they have supplies which they most likely do.

What we are seeing in Bakhmut right now, the advance could be 10 or 20 meters per day. It could take several months, especially with high rise buildings and cellars. To clear out and mark what's been cleared.

However, regarding the war outside cities. It will go faster. If it's a "front" in the open everything will move more per day. Out in the open it's easier to hit someone in the trench, and tanks and stuff. So as a compromise, it's likely that the front line war will be over much more sooner and the "clean up" in the larger cities will take longer, where Prigozhin is probably correct.

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 14 2023 19:24 utc | 60

ThusspakeZarathustra (12).

I don't know where you are, but in the UK there's cut backs everywhere on all sort of public and community services, which begs the question where is that money going, I'm pretty sure that public money is being moved away from it designated assignments and funneled into fighting the war in Ukraine, and its the citizens of West who will suffer, and see reduced public services.

Nato and its European allies cannot afford to lose this war, the world is watching, even then its too late for the West as Russia pivots away from Europe to the East and new alliances and financial systems and markets grow and blossom in the East, which will ultimately affect the West.

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 14 2023 19:25 utc | 61

Posted by: too scents | Feb 14 2023 18:46 utc | 45
.
THEY don't go to the Ukraine!
They stand with guns at the ready and wait for Putin's army...
Because everyone in the west is afraid that Poland will be overrun immediately or that Putin will challenge him and run to western Ukraine.
:
ABRAHAMA SHALL NOT SEE A NATO COUNTRY BURN

Posted by: mo3 | Feb 14 2023 19:25 utc | 62

Just to repeat here: I keep reading some "pro russian" idiots who claim that in February 2022 the ukrainian fascists were planning to attack the Donbas, and therefore the invasion of Ukraine was justified because of preventing that.

But actually in February 2022 the ukrainian fascists had been attacking and bombing the Donbas for 8 years, starting with the Mariupol Massacre of 9 May 2014, and in particular in the nearly two weeks before 24 February 2022 they had been bombing relentlessly the cities of the Donbas, in complete disregard of the Minsk 2 treaty.

On 24 February 2022 the Donbas was *already* under attack, and the LDR+DNR counter-attack with the support of the small RF expeditionary force was not an invasion to prevent an attack.

If the RF had been bombing Riga and Vilnius for 10 days, should NATO have let it happen, because it was not an attack? Would a NATO counter-attack have been an unprovoked aggression against the RF?

Posted by: Blissex | Feb 14 2023 19:27 utc | 63

@19
I'm confused. Do you mean no opposition in Western Countries or Russia??

Posted by: Cocochanel | Feb 14 2023 19:31 utc | 64

The insipid west huffing &puffing trying in vain to convince themselves that their words and actions are virtuous, have already lost the battle. This will become clearer as things progress. Egotistic, narcissistic behavior is no substitute for serious thought and planning. When it comes to war.

Posted by: Dingo | Feb 14 2023 19:35 utc | 65

Polish history is filled with Russia hate.
But mostly from its own stupidity.
Even Catherine the Great managed Poland by fucking (literally) the Polish Prime Minister. Of course it was love on his part and business for her.
This time Poland will not be as lucky. Of course Russia will fuck Poland but bot gently, that I know for sure.

Posted by: Cocochanel | Feb 14 2023 19:37 utc | 66

@63 Trying to imagine all that military hardware and highly trained crews sitting in Rzeszow and the Russians don't show up.

Posted by: dh | Feb 14 2023 19:42 utc | 67

@ too scents | Feb 14 2023 18:22 utc | 34
from your link:
>You quote: "The EPF is an off-budget instrument aimed at enhancing the Union's ability to prevent conflicts. . ."
>I quote: "The EPF has a financial ceiling of €5.692 billion in current prices. . ."

But Poland plans to spend $30 billion.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 19:42 utc | 68

#67 Tastefully stated. Did you read that in a history book? Or did Catherine tell you personally?

Posted by: Dingo | Feb 14 2023 19:45 utc | 69

https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-2-14-23/h_b4edf4b7b5c3e900908e0a12354b705d

The latest in public lies. It's truly remarkable.

Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 14 2023 19:47 utc | 70

Posted by: Mike Price | Feb 14 2023 19:09 utc | 53
«Poland was given eastern Galicia at the end of WW1 as part of it's newly reconstituted nation. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army killed 100k Poles, Russians and Jews during WW2 in an attempt to constitute a Ukrainian state there.»

That's terminology that embodies a sordid trick of propaganda: the polonized ruthenians in the west started calling themselves "ukrainians" to lay claim to the whole of Ukraine, which has not been part of a ruthenian state since 1795, when the lithuanian-ruthenian-polish empire was defeated.

There were three, not two, main cultural groups in the ukrainian SSR: uniate polonized mostly fascist ruthenians in the west, orthodox malorussians/ex-cossacks in the center, mostly speaking russian but also the ukrainian dialect of russian, and orthodox great-russians in the east, usually speaking only russian.

«Up to now Poland has been steadfast in support of Ukraine, though last year raising the issue of the Galician genocide or ethnic cleansing.»

There are many fascist lithuanian, ruthenian, polish revanchists who want to re-create the lithuanian-ruthenian-polish "trimarium" (a word without which it is impossible to understand the eastern european mess) empire, and make the Russian Federation return to be a small state of Muscovy on their eastern border (with Navalny as president) but each of the three groups want to be the ones on top in the returned "trimarium" empire, and put the others in inferiority.

Indeed at various times each of the three groups was on top: first the Duchy of Lithuania, than the Kingdom of Ruthenia (which for some time included Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland and southern Italy under King Lev/Louis), and finally the Kingdom of Poland became dominant.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lithuanian_state_in_13-15th_centuries.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Galicia%E2%80%93Volhynia#/media/File:Louis's_kingdoms_and_his_vassal_territories.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rzeczpospolita_voivodships.png

https://twitter.com/matasmaldeikis/status/1534831970043273218
"See new Tweets
Conversation
«Matas Maldeikis MP 🇱🇹 If Russia revokes her 1991 recognition of Lithuania's independence, Lithuania will revoke the 1634 Treaty of Polyanovka and demand that Putin submits to the authority of Władysław IV and returns all occupied territories to the Grand Duchy. Smolensk is Lithuania!»

https://twitter.com/MatasMaldeikis/status/1537043521261211651
«Matas Maldeikis MP 🇱🇹 I'm just having a cup of coffee while I wait for western leaders to decide which eastern borders they want to redraw ☕️»

Posted by: Blissex | Feb 14 2023 19:50 utc | 71

Exile @43

De-dollarization (or more generally the death of the USD as world reserve currency) is obviously a vital issue.

But as will be evident, we are not looking for a single discrete event--where one day people all agree to say "the USD is dead."

De-dollarization is already happening--and we are seeing the dollar fall (except against every world currency except the ruble), but fall in terms of purchasing power against essential imports, especially commodities.

The more pressing (and closely related) question is, with China & even now Japan reducing their UST holdings at the rate of over $100 billion a month, and fewer foreign or even domestic institutional buyers, what are the limits to Fed program of making up the sales shortfall in USTs? The Bank of England got a bad scare--exeunt Truss--when the market did not respond to the BoE bond issuance & the Bank of Japan is running scared.

I get the feeling the China & Russia have a gold play--to greatly damage faith in fiat debt-finance US currency, but suspect it will only be used, once Ukraine pretext for nuclear war subsides.

Posted by: Paul Damascene | Feb 14 2023 19:53 utc | 72

mo3 | Feb 14 2023 17:25 utc | 9
Copied and Translated from Anti-mirror

You should call it Anti-Spiegel, because the name is a direct reference to the german US propaganda magazine "Der Spiegel". That's just a minor note.

More important: Thomas Röper is a reasonable and relevant journalist - unfortunately publishing only in german. It is good to give him international visibility. So - thank you.

Posted by: Tapio | Feb 14 2023 19:54 utc | 73

Posted by: Paul Damascene | Feb 14 2023 19:53 utc | 73

If you look at US 3 month treasury bill rate, it's gone up from 0.41 to 4.74% in a year. Gold price has remained approximately the same in that time. That's quite something to me and stinks of gradual de-dollarization process?

I think these central banks are stuck with rates. They have to keep them higher than, say, 2017-2019 average because otherwise inflation will get much worse, and there's no data in the world that can shove radically increasing poverty under the mattress. War is also a product of this situation, US debt is unmanageable, default will come soon. After that the global south will rip the US currency and economy to shreds and gold price will go higher, and other commodities.

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 14 2023 20:05 utc | 74

@unimperator | Feb 14 2023 19:24 utc | 61
re: If you think in the sense of completely "cleaning" a large city like Zaporizhe or more likely Kharkov from insurgents, I do agree it can take months, or maybe even years. The resistance could not be front line style, it could go underground or guerrilla and take years to smoke out if they have supplies which they most likely do.

Yes, it took the mighty US Army four years to "completely clear" Baghdad of of guerillas.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 20:06 utc | 75

The west has caught a virus. It has been sick a long time. The virus has weakened it’s systems to the point it can’t take care of it’s own people.

Posted by: Dingo | Feb 14 2023 20:06 utc | 76

@70 commenting on 67

Well I didn't talk to Catherine ??
We are talking about the same Catherine aren't we ??
I do read historical information just like everyone else.
Of course we always rely on the author and his historical source and perspective.
But if you read Russian history in a more general way you will see it's relationship with Poland and Lithuania and the current situation then becomes obvious.

Posted by: Cocochanel | Feb 14 2023 20:13 utc | 77

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 14 2023 19:09 utc | 54
«Translation of the Sy Hersh German interview linked above»

“But in the White House, I think, they were always obsessed with re-election, and they wanted to win the war, they wanted to win a victory, they wanted Ukraine to somehow magically win.”

The president is just a politician, a means to "wrangle consensus" for the oligarchs. They may be obsessed with elections, but they are disposable to the people who actually matter and drive policy.

“There might be some people who think that maybe it's better for our economy if the German economy is weak, but that's crazy.”

It is not crazy at all, one of the main strategic policies of the USA over many decades is to keep Germany down (and Russia out).

“I think we've gotten caught up in something that's not going to work, the war isn't going to end well for this government.”

This administration is disposable. Public relations front-men change, long term strategies remain, because states and their oligarchs have long-term interests. A lot of people like Hersh have no idea just how ruthlessly vicious can be the oligarchies that rule empires.

“What I do know is that there is no way this war is going to end the way we want it to”

The "deep state" and the oligarchs and their strategists most likely want Ukraine to be defeated, as bloodily as possible, to create a couple of generations of revanchist ruthenian "freedom fighters", constantly destabilizing the Russian Federation; otherwise they would not have pushed Ukraine to a war as a sacrificial pawn against a much bigger opponent.

“the president was aware of what he was doing to the people of Germany, that he was punishing them for a war that was not going well. And in the long run, this will not only damage his reputation as president, but also be very damaging politically. It will be a stigma for the US.”

No, it will enhance the reputation the of the USA oligarchy as utterly ruthless and so powerful that they can wreck even the economy of Germany. Machiavelly said that for a ruler it is preferable to be feared than loved. The USA have wrecked Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lybia, Syria, a fearsome demonstration of their power.

Jonah Goldberg, “Baghdad Delenda Est, Part II: Get On With It,” National Review, April 23, 2002.
“Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business.”

Posted by: Blissex | Feb 14 2023 20:16 utc | 78

I always wonder why putin does not record 3 minute videos explaining his position. Instead of making long speeches that are ignored.

He should record these in German. I believe he speaks it. And explain simple concepts like the war began with the Maidan coup and The Americans blew up the pipeline. The goal would be to break the Germans away from the Americans.

A video like this would be impossible to censor.

Posted by: Forte Shades | Feb 14 2023 20:22 utc | 79

@Blissex | Feb 14 2023 20:16 utc | 79
Very good, but of course the U.S. is a "free" state not an "authoritarian" state like Russia.. . .s/
Meanwhile, U.S. policy is to make other countries "afraid, very afraid" that they could be next, so it's better for them to go along and get along.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 20:25 utc | 80

Pepe Escobar on NordStream, again:

https://thesaker.is/nord-stream-terror-attack-the-plot-thickens/

And again, Hersh is a limited hangout.

Yes, I told you so.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 14 2023 20:28 utc | 81

Biden officials say recent aid packages from Congress and America’s allies represent Kyiv’s best chance to decisively change the course of the war."

Change the course of the war? But isn't Ukranazistan inevitably winning? So the aid package is to make Ukranazistan lose?

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 14 2023 20:31 utc | 82

# 78 Cool then.

Posted by: Dingo | Feb 14 2023 20:32 utc | 83

I always wonder why putin does not record 3 minute videos explaining his position. Instead of making long speeches that are ignored.

Posted by: Forte Shades | Feb 14 2023 20:22 utc | 80

Perhaps Russia has observed the negative effect of modern "sound bite" culture on the quality of western culture thought and decision making. Then decided not to go that route.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 20:35 utc | 84

A duel, or a complete mismatch that the referee would stop after Round 1?

President Biden’s speech will largely be directed at the US domestic audience and will consist of the following:
Vlad Man Bad
China Man Bad
Orange Man Bad

In the other corner President Putin will deliver a measured, sober, and lucid address, seasoned with historical references and their relevance to today. This will not just be aimed at domestic Russian audiences but the multipolar world as well.

~~~~~~

Re: a couple of posts straying into economics; all good points but please be careful folks, lest we provoke another lorem ipsum word salad from Lenny Henry!

Posted by: West of England Andy | Feb 14 2023 20:35 utc | 85

@Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 18:26 utc | 37

Rather than describe it as "theater", it is better described as 2 organized crime entities who compete, but mostly co-operate, for a piece of the action.

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 14 2023 20:38 utc | 86

I believe that a fellow like Hersh has to draw the line somewhere regarding what he wants to get across, because to go all the way would mean an accidental fall from a tall building.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 20:41 utc | 87

...and President Navalny "inviting" the USA...

Posted by: Blissex | Feb 14 2023 19:12 utc | 56

Aye, I see we're on the same page. I bet the USA originally planned to have him in the Kremlin by now. Oh well, but the sanctions from hell failed miserably and IMO they don't have 10-15 years to accomplish all that (as you wrote a couple weeks back), max 3-5 years. I guess we'll find out... for sure they won't stop trying.

Posted by: Zet | Feb 14 2023 20:44 utc | 88

I believe that a fellow like Hersh has to draw the line somewhere regarding what he wants to get across, because to go all the way would mean an accidental fall from a tall building.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 14 2023 20:41 utc | 88
.
oops :
Bet the CIA & & are very worried about their health right now!
If he suddenly dies after such a revelation, whether 85 years old or 100!
Biden and Knarten would be done!

Posted by: mo3 | Feb 14 2023 20:48 utc | 89

Republicofscotland @ #2:

I suspect that Nato/European countries are already stealing from the public purse, along with the likes of their respective lotteries using cash to bolster Ukraine at the expense of their own citizens. I also suspect that important tasks and infrastructure jobs in those countries are on a go slow or stopped altogether and the taxpayers cash is being funneled to Kiev."

Governments aren't constrained by taxpayer funds any more, they just spend and issue more debt, which their pet central banks then buy with currency created out of thin air.

But governments (and their CBs) can't create resources out of thin air, hence the inflation we're seeing.

As the establishment's favorite pedo observed:

There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of Society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose.

Posted by: Observer | Feb 14 2023 20:49 utc | 90

# 85 yes the western mind is incapable of extended concentration . To distracted, lost the ability to focus. It’s a regression of the intellect. This should be obvious in the dueling speeches.

Posted by: Dingo | Feb 14 2023 20:50 utc | 91

Richard Steven Hack | Feb 14 2023 19:09 utc | 54

Hersh: In Norway, there is also a strong hostility towards Russia

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 14 2023 20:52 utc | 92

Forte Shades @

I always wonder why putin does not record 3 minute videos explaining his position. Instead of making long speeches that are ignored.

You mean 140 character speeches? Maybe Putin can hire someone like whoever it was that yaked up Trump's tweets at 3am.

And, Putin has already delegated that short attention span pop culture silliness to Kadyrov, Medvedev, Prigozhin.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Feb 14 2023 20:53 utc | 93

And again, Hersh is a limited hangout.

Yes, I told you so.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 14 2023 20:28 utc | 82

Why trust Escobar more than Hersh? They both have anonymous sources, though Pepe does not claim any for Nordstream other than information in the public domain. Followed by a process of speculative deduction.

Recall the Pepe was one of the first to document the situation at Azovstal, and told us that at least 6 foreign languages were intercepted in communications there. Conclusion, NATO bigwigs were down there. Bombshell story.

Azovstal is evacuated, via a negotiated deal with Russia, and Escobar makes no effort to confirm his story and identify the non-Ukrainian military forces that were housed there.

Now that is the definition of a limited hangout.

I am sticking to the position that the US acted alone until there is real evidence otherwise. It would be too risky to involve other national militaries and they would have been more afraid of potential blowback.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Feb 14 2023 20:55 utc | 94

Even toxic UK tabloids are getting it.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/14/vladimir-putin-win-ammunition-war-against-west/

Posted by: Milos | Feb 14 2023 21:02 utc | 95

LoL Baghdad Milley already setting the table for that Joe speech. It will be a Triumphant speech were they declare their victory over Russia.

Joe speech will liken to that victory speech Dubya did when they declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.

https://twitter.com/scottadamsshow/status/1625569913405378573

I would not be surprised if the Comedian shows up in person and they give him a medal like in the Star Wars I movie. Maybe a hot girl with funny hairdo will do the honor. Maybe that Norwegian PM Party cokehead Chick.

LoL

Posted by: Comandante | Feb 14 2023 21:03 utc | 96

Another redline. From TG Victor vicktop55:

Redacted @TheRedactedInc - The US is sending depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine. If you don't think WE are at war with Russia, you're wrong.

https://twitter.com/TheRedactedInc/status/1625344079692431362?t=G7HsR4fpYycYf5WaPTrWFw&s=19

https://t.me/vicktop55/12648

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Feb 14 2023 21:06 utc | 97

Hersh: In Norwegen gibt es auch eine starke Feindseligkeit gegenüber Russland
Das ist eine Lüge.
Gepostet von: Norwegisch | 14. Februar 2023 20:52 UTC | 93
.
Honor your opinion...
But you don't know how your mind thinks either, only what they tell you!

Posted by: mo3 | Feb 14 2023 21:06 utc | 98

Honor your opinion...
But you don't know how your mind thinks either, only what they tell you!

Posted by: mo3.1 | Feb 14 2023 21:07 utc | 99

Posted by: Blissex | Feb 14 2023 20:16 utc | 79
"The "deep state" and the oligarchs and their strategists most likely want Ukraine to be defeated, as bloodily as possible, to create a couple of generations of revanchist ruthenian "freedom fighters", constantly destabilizing the Russian Federation; otherwise they would not have pushed Ukraine to a war as a sacrificial pawn against a much bigger opponent."

I disagree completely. These morons thought they could destabilize Russia with a war with Ukraine. As Martyanov says, they really don't understand Russia and never have.

Not to mention that no amount of "Ruthenian freedom fighters" are going to destabilize Russia. They tried that in the 1940's and lost 200,000 people. So that plan is a non-starter as well.

"The USA have wrecked Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lybia, Syria, a fearsome demonstration of their power."

And now the USA is losing power everywhere, so much so that they're threatening to resort to nukes. At which they will also lose.

"Jonah Goldberg, “Baghdad Delenda Est, Part II: Get On With It,” National Review, April 23, 2002.
“Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business.”"

Except the morons decided to pick on the two most powerful nations in the world - Russia and China - to try this game. Now they're going to be shown what "mean business" really means.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 14 2023 21:10 utc | 100