It’s interesting how everything that is obviously wrong in Hershes reporting is explained by eager bar flies as a clever way of protecting his sources.
Especially given that he practically outed them (or it) by retelling information from a meeting that very few people had access to.
Trust me: it’s no longer a secret in Washington who the source is. If it ever was.
Posted by: Jörgen Hassler | Mar 9 2023 19:55 utc | 75

How is that not the most obvious bit of misdirection in the entire Hersh article? Clearly the details of an illegal covert operation would not be shared with the members of an Intel Advisory Committee, made up of political appointees.

Posted by: How Sausage is Made | Mar 9 2023 21:11 utc | 104

Does anyone find it odd that Russia is still effectively supplying Ukraine with oil?
The druzhba pipeline is still flowing (difficult to find info) and Bulgaria is refining Russian oil and resending it to Ukraine.
An analysis on this would make interesting reading.

Posted by: Johnycomelately | Mar 9 2023 21:17 utc | 106

Latest Andrei for the haters… Haven’t listened to it yet but I believe he discusses the New York Times article.
Supermarket Intel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zShI5Xl4Ls&t=1s

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 9 2023 21:22 utc | 108

Russian television viewers were hit with a fake report of a First Strike by NATO against Russia.
The incident is being blamed on a “hack.”
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03/09/russians-told-take-radiation-pills-and-find-shelter-in-another-hack-18414921/

Posted by: JesusIsJustAlright1 | Mar 9 2023 21:24 utc | 110

The US and Ukraine were the only two countries that opposed a UN General Assembly vote on condemning the NAZI ideology. It is no wonder that the US White House bestowed the International Women of Courage Award on Yulia Paevskaya, who goes by the nickname ‘Taira’ who is a member of the Azov Ukrainian nationalist battalion.
Moscow’s ambassador to the US Antonov “described Paevskaya as a “terrorist cutthroat whose hands are covered in the blood of the elderly, women, and children.” In March 2022, as the fighting raged in the besieged city of Mariupol, which is now part of Russia, Paevskaya “pretended to be a mother of two children whose parents she had killed herself,” and then tried to escape disguised in civilian clothing, Antonov stated.”
https://www.azerbaycan24.com/en/moscow-condemns-nazi-celebration-at-white-house/

Posted by: Krollchem | Mar 9 2023 21:26 utc | 112

Posted by: James c | Mar 9 2023 20:38 utc | 94
There’s a Wikipedia article on it with a timeline but I remember a poster here pointing out that it had some notable omissions back then … still, might be somewhere to start if you ignore all attribution.
I am quite interested in the simultaneity of renewed attacks on ZNPP and the discovery of serious corrosion problems at France’s Penly nuclear power station that possibly affect all of France’s nuclear power stations.
The attacks on have always ZNPP always had a flavour of trying to get it back on the table as a winnable chip for the EU.

Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 9 2023 21:27 utc | 114

And more official narrative!
Talking points opinion.
https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/bakhmut-tom-clonan-analysis-6013051-Mar2023/

Posted by: jpc | Mar 9 2023 21:28 utc | 116

Posted by: Nikkei | Mar 9 2023 19:43 utc | 69:
Thank you for the link to Nikkei Asia. Interesting article. But I take issue with one thesis the article articulates: That is, China’s hope to restore relationship with Europe being behind its motivation to take this peace proposal initiative.
I believe this is a misread of China’s geopolitical inclination as of now. I think China is now resigned to Europe’s continued decline (has been since the turn of the century) to persist and would play lesser global roles in both economics and/or political realms going forward. Old Europe are all abject vassals of the Empire fearing their steady loss of racial supremacy since WW2, while new Europe has proved to be colonial wannabes yearning for crumbs and handouts from the Empire since the breakup of the Iron Curtain. What has any of these polities, Old and New Europe, shown anything resembling upward mobility? In new industry? In science/technologies? In politics buttressed with some dignity? All China sees in Europe are a bunch of beggars wanting to hold onto past glories (by brown-nosing whom they consider to be still the king of the jungle) with the remnants of their past wealth and economies. China would gain better returns from investing and developing the BRI in the new world: SE Asia; Africa; Latin America; Central Asia. By the way, the new world sees Europe/Empire in more or less the same light. That’s why China is building new cities in Africa and the Middle East, building new transport/logistics infra structures everywhere, instead of these being built by the Whiteman as in the past.
In Nov. 2021’s CPC Plenary Session Xi Jinping proclaimed that the world is facing a dramatic change, he called it change of a century. He meant the pending demise of the Empire and its loyal group of vassals in the 5-10 years to come. China has no use for tapping the dwindling wealth of the old west. China will slowly pare down its western currency reserve holdings and invest in a new world infra structure buildup that will render the West non-exceptional, just ordinary members of a new global community. China’s proposal is to tell NATO that promises have to be kept and national security is indivisible. Not only is there no need for new Asian NATO (call it ATO), it should actually disband, or else over time it will be forced to disband. So, why would China want to cuddle up to Ole West???
Now that the proposal is on the table, we shall see how it goes in 2023. I doubt that SMO will conclude by the summer, but the goals of SMO will be insidiously attained going forward anyway, without being characterized as such. Finland and Sweden, if they do join NATO, will be joining an empty shell, like the present so-called 5-eyes. NATO will, in the future, make use of China threat as the excuse for the western MICs to exploit their respective citizenries, while focusing their propaganda in Asia instead of North Atlantic. It will be a comical geopolitical charade, until the West runs out of money period.
Posted by: Hamish H Wong

Posted by: Hamish H Wong | Mar 9 2023 21:35 utc | 118

However, yet again Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is running on emergency diesels – the last line of defence. This is the sixth time – let me say it again SIXTH time – that ZNPP has lost all off-site power and has had to operate in this emergency mode. Let me remind you – this is the largest nuclear power station in Europe. What are we doing? How can we sit here in this room this morning and allow this to happen? This cannot go on.
I am astonished by the complacency – what are we doing to prevent this happening? We are the IAEA, we are meant to care about nuclear safety.
Each time we are rolling a dice. And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out.
This is the IAEA’s Director General from today’s meeting of the Board of Governors.

Posted by: Pudding | Mar 9 2023 21:37 utc | 120

William Gruff – I don’t doubt that they would, I’m just trying to figure out what it would look like. The only experience I have with unconditional surrenders was Germany in 1945 and Japan (other than the Emperor gets to stay) in 1945 as well. I can easily imagine an unconditional surrender when an army occupies a country, but what about when they dont? Or is that the plan?

Posted by: LGB! | Mar 9 2023 21:44 utc | 122

Neoliberal captured nations don’t have policies aimed at uplifting the public and making the nation stronger, so the attempt to say Russia’s captured by Neoliberalism falls flat on its face when genuine evidence is applied. Time for that troll to drown under its bridge.
As for who Russia will negotiate with in Europe, the Hungarians are a good choice as are the Austrians. Every EU/NATO nation agreed three (3) times to abide by the principle of indivisible security yet all broke those treaties at the behest of their Master. When the Master is vanquished or at least removed from Europe, those nations will be free to agree to the concept again as it happens to be what Russia insists upon as I’ve noted dozens of times. However, something must be done with Russophobia, replacing it with Neoliberalphobia or Anti-Neofeudalism would be an excellent choice.
oldhippie @62–
Yes, but that was back in Neverland and Schwin is now owned by the Dutch and headquartered across the river from Portland in Vancouver. That latter city was once the major Liberty Ship building champion, but the industrial complex of both cities are rusted ruins like their Rust Belt counterparts. The Reagan/Thatcher and their disciples destroyed the UK and USA just as badly as the Neoliberals raped Russia only it occurred over a longer timespan without the same level of societal destabilization and death. I recall a book title from the 1990s, The Race to the Bottom, whose authors didn’t realize that had already happened within their own nation. Standing joke during Clinton’s reign about his “job creation”–Yeah, and I have three of them. I don’t really find it odd considering things that there’s no examination of the gray and black economies within the USA–Shadowstats latest unemployment report has 24.5% unemployed whereas the government’s U6 measure is only 6.6%, so those people need to be earning money somehow. New numbers to be released and discussed this weekend.
Again, all of this fits within the overall Big Picture that contains the 4,500+ year-long Class War between Creditors and Debtors, which forms the essence of the Civilizational War. Did anyone catch the snippet I pulled from the annual Threat Report released to Congress yesterday that the Empire accuses China of trying to uphold and implement the principles of the UN Charter, saying that poses a threat to individual freedom, while the Empire sends many hundreds to their deaths daily in Ukraine?!
Again, the trolls here are abetting gross immorality and Genocide and shouldn’t be provided with the time of day. Yes, some aren’t too obvious at first but then become clear soon enough. They’re clearly miserable wretches who need to be left to stew in their own shit or sent to the Eastern Front.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 9 2023 21:49 utc | 124

Russia has a budget deficit and would need money for its own survival. That’s not surprising that Russia would sell its oil to EU, even at less than 4100₽ per barrel. The whole masquerade about how Russia won’t sell oil below $60 per barril was for internal purpose and nothing else – Like, the decree specified exemptions could be made with the permission of Vladimir Putin.
At the end of the day, Russia would more depend on EU than EU would on Russia. Something Vladimir Putin knew, hence why he would want to expand Russia’s economic partnership with Asia but turning out to be more complicated than expected.
Also, European officials realize how much Russia depend on EU. They will profit from this as much they could. I saw they’re thinking of lowering the cap at $40 and cap other products like coals, diamonds and so on.

Posted by: Trycep | Mar 9 2023 21:53 utc | 126

Posted by: Pudding | Mar 9 2023 21:37 utc | 123
In the absence of a better explanation. I’m assuming that the latest attacks on ZNPP are a mostly EU ploy to wangle “international” control of ZNPP so it can be used to prop up both Ukraine and EU generating capacity.
The way RF is pruning away Ukraine’s other generating capacity, it’ll end up complete dependent on the EU, which might itself suffer reductions due to technical failings.
If ZNPP stays firmly under RF control, there look to be serious additional risks for the whole EU grid. If these were to manifest in big power outages, the connection with reckless warmongering policies would be almost impossible to hide.

Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 9 2023 21:54 utc | 128

@Jo, #122:
Yes Jo, China is lacking lawyers and business consultants to boost their GDP. They have to resort to making steel, producing cobalt, or building high speed trains to make their economy look respectable in the eyes of the western analysts.

Posted by: Oriental Voice | Mar 9 2023 22:00 utc | 130

Talk of NATO or “empire” surrender is wishful thinking at best.
The British Empire gradually shrank over 2-3 generations due to over extension and the inability to maintain it after 2 big wars. Why would the US and it’s NATO franchise holders be any different?
An eventual treaty with Russia is also unlikely. NATO will never agree and why would Russia trust them? Russia will stop when there is no longer a threat and/or the will/means to continue. The conflict line will be frozen until the next time.

Posted by: How Sausage is Made | Mar 9 2023 22:01 utc | 132

How Sausage is Made – That’s kinda what I am thinking here. North/South Korea type situation most likely on 404’s western border, maybe to include Moldova, but probably not any NATO states. I hope I’m wrong, but this is just one spectator’s guess. Maybe trade opens back up, but I just think there is a gonna be a new iron curtain.

Posted by: LGB! | Mar 9 2023 22:05 utc | 134

Complacency is the mother of defeat.
Posted by: shadowbanned | Mar 9 2023 20:49 utc | 96
My way of saying it is that a war should be conducted with a sense of urgency.
Apparently the Russians don’t agree.
Now for a history of the war:
More than most people, the Russians are anti war, no doubt because of there remembrance of that terrible war, World War II. Also, there is a law in place that makes it illegal to use conscript troops outside Russia if there is no declaration of war. Putin chose both to obey the law and to not seek a declaration of war. To invade Ukraine they stripped the conscript troops out of the regular military units that invaded, and used the ‘breakaway republic’ troops along with groups that would be called civil defense forces in the United States. That produced an army that lacked a central command and might fare poorly in a major fight.
When they couldn’t reach a deal with Ukraine, and lacking the troops for a blow out fight, the Russians decided to retreat to a more defensible position. Across the Dnieper River in the south, and with a shortened combat line in the north. Next they started to put together a proper army of a few hundred thousand men and annexed four of the oblasts in the east. If they continue to obey their laws and don’t declare war, the military command is now free to use conscript troops in the annexed oblasts. That, and they are now damaging the infrastructure of the country with their smart munitions.
A lot of military types who should know what they are doing, thought that the Russians would launch a major military operation early this year, and it didn’t happen. It may or may not be smart tactics, but I doubt it is stupidity. They have something in mind. What I am not sure, but there are a collection of possibilities. One is that they think time is on their side because it is. Enthusiasm for the war is fading in the political west. China is now more firmly on the Russian side than they were a few months ago. And the west is burning through their weapons stores without doing much to replace the used munitions.
Another thought that comes to mind is that perhaps the Russians are not really concerned about the Ukraine war because they know they can take out the Ukrainians at any time. Their concern is with the possibility of a blow out fight with the full NATO forces. With that in mind they are positioning themselves for the best possible outcome should the war expand to a full NATO fight.
At any rate, war is more fun when it is fought with energy. I find this slow pacing to be frustrating.

Posted by: Jmaas | Mar 9 2023 22:07 utc | 136

@Krollchem, §115:
You might also have seen that Jill “Mrs Brandon” Biden and Anthony ´blinking´ Blinken gave an International Women´s award to a man yesterday. “Alba” Rueda was born and grew up a boy but “transited” at the age of 16 to a woman . . .

Posted by: John Marks | Mar 9 2023 22:09 utc | 138

I just asked, as an experiment, the AI ChatGPT to give me a timeline of significant military events in Ukraine over the course of the war.
It did a fairly crappy job. It first gave me a lot of boiler-plate about how “fighting continues with both sides blah blah blah and civilian casualties”. Then I told it to be more specific about towns and cities taken by each side, which produced a slightly better response.
Unfortunately it told me Mariupol was taken in December, which is hilarious. It also said Kramatorsk has already been taken and Bahkmut months ago, neither of which is true.
It did give this warning:

It’s important to note that this is just a brief and simplified summary of some of the major events in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and that the situation is fluid and rapidly changing. It’s also worth noting that there may be discrepancies in reporting and interpretation of events, particularly from different perspectives and sources.

Which still doesn’t explain why it was so off on a lot of major events.
It also told me this:

I apologize for the mistake in my previous response. As an AI language model, I have access to the latest news and events, and my knowledge cutoff date is September 2021.

Why the hell it said it’s knowledge cutoff date was in 2021 and then proceeded to give me information for all of 2022 is a howler in itself.
Clearly the news feeds the AI is getting is seriously deficient. I’d take an answer it might give you on Ukraine with a large grain of salt.
I won’t post the whole thing as it is very long, covering the entire period of the war, but here is a sample so you can see what I’m talking about:

March 26-27, 2022: Russian forces capture the city center of Kiev, marking a major victory in the conflict. Ukrainian forces continue to resist in the west of the country, but reports suggest that they are under intense pressure from Russian forces…. [MY NOTE: This will be news to Ukrainians!]
May 6-12, 2022: Fighting continues in western Ukraine, with both sides reporting gains and losses in various parts of the region. The conflict has caused significant damage to infrastructure and displaced millions of people, creating a humanitarian crisis. The international community continues to call for a diplomatic solution to the crisis… [MY NOTE: Notice that it refers to the area of Ukraine involved in the fighting as “western Ukraine” not “Eastern Ukraine.” The rest is boiler plate it spits out on almost every entry.]
October 28-November 3, 2022: The conflict intensifies, with reports of heavy fighting and casualties on both sides. Russian forces make further gains in southern Ukraine, taking control of several more towns and cities, including Mariupol and Melitopol. Ukrainian forces attempt to regroup and launch counterattacks, but are facing significant challenges from Russian air and artillery support. The conflict has caused significant damage and displacement, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence… [MY NOTE: it finally notices Mariupol which actually fell on May 20, 2022.]
December 2-8, 2022: Fighting continues in southern Ukraine, with both sides reporting gains and losses in various parts of the region. Russian forces take control of several more towns and cities, including Melitopol and Mariupol. Ukrainian forces attempt to resist, but are reportedly facing significant challenges from Russian air and artillery support. The conflict has caused significant damage to infrastructure and displaced millions of people, creating a humanitarian crisis. [MY NOTE: Then it repeats the capture of Mariupol in December!]
[MY NOTE: And again in February!]February 3-9, 2023: Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, with both sides reporting gains and losses in various parts of the region. Russian forces take control of several more towns and cities, including Mariupol and Volnovakha. Ukrainian forces attempt to resist, but are reportedly facing significant challenges from Russian air and artillery support. The conflict has caused significant damage to infrastructure and displaced millions of people, creating a humanitarian crisis…

All in all, only a moderately useful exercise. I was hoping to get a nice timeline of military events for my upcoming Substack article on the war, but this is clearly inadequate.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 9 2023 22:12 utc | 140

Talk about copypasting stale Empire press releases and cobbling together an ‘article’, all in the name of journalism. I note a couple of commenters trying to call the author out, but I see Ireland has it’s own equivalents of the 77th Brigade and Bellendcat defending the Empire’s narrative.
Posted by: West of England Andy | Mar 9 2023 21:53 utc | 130
I know it’s beyond sad.
There’s a complacency in Ireland that’s going to get a very rude awakening pretty soon!
The Irish media is a tiny and shrinking pool of right on progressive types funded by government advertising during covid and MNC/ property advertising.
No one in that pool deviates from the official progressive narrative if they want to work.
Plus US corporations keep the party going for now.

Posted by: jpc | Mar 9 2023 22:18 utc | 142

Downplaying Russia’s budget deficit with mentioning USA’s debts would be an odd thing to do. USA could afford this because dollar is a strong currency and this country would weigh 15% in the global economy.

Posted by: Trycep | Mar 9 2023 22:21 utc | 144

If RF did launch a volley of Kinzhal there is a reason for that. Could be something as simple as for testing. Or it could be there was very special group of targets. Recall the one used way back a year ago took out an ammo bunker that was below 60 meters of solid bedrock. A normal 500kg warhead does not do that. US has no penetrator that would have a prayer of doing that. We know of the Kinzhal, we do not know much about it.

Posted by: oldhippie | Mar 9 2023 22:32 utc | 146

Sounds about right, with this out of control Democrat spending on CRT and giving our money to the illegal aliens, not to mention 10% for the Big Guy.
If not the western border of the Ukraine, where do you think the new border might end up? Similar to the Cold War Iron Curtain? (Russia gets Eastern Europe, leaves the garden of Western Europe to rot until they decide they want to play nice)

Posted by: LGB! | Mar 9 2023 22:37 utc | 148

Posted by: oldhippie | Mar 9 2023 22:32 utc | 149
Could well be all those reasons, plus a reminder that “Yes, we have these weapons and they work”, in order to quieten some of the barking in the European dog-pound.

Posted by: West of England Andy | Mar 9 2023 22:43 utc | 150

@ James c | Mar 9 2023 20:38 utc | 94
thanks is all very true.. thanks for saying that.. eventually a light will be shone on this, as it is a parallel to the nordstream terrorist actions, and points directly to usa involvement..

Posted by: james | Mar 9 2023 22:54 utc | 152

mental health disorders in UK military grown by 80% in last few years it says on tv…so many PTSD and insufficient care afterwards…wonder how any and how many that survive ukies conscripted citizens afterwards are going to cope as so many have taken or been forced drugs on in service…..

Posted by: Jo | Mar 9 2023 23:06 utc | 154

John Marks – I ain’t taking that bet! Your crystal ball sounds as good as any. It would be nice if the UN could ban alliances such at the NATO and the EU ones, but as long as US and them have the veto power, that prolly aint happening.

Posted by: LGB! | Mar 9 2023 23:15 utc | 156

@LGB! §159:
OK LGB, where do you think the ball will land?
And would you take a bet on it?

Posted by: John Marks | Mar 9 2023 23:19 utc | 158

John Marks – Helllllll no, I ain’t betting, lol. Made a lot of bad bets over the years, thanks to mf Q and friends 🙁
But, if someone put a gun to my head, I might have to go with the western borders of Ukraine + Moldova and maybe, just maybe, one of more of the baltics (L, L, E) if they come to their senses and want to go back to Mama Bear.

Posted by: LGB! | Mar 9 2023 23:36 utc | 160

@110 info from last year was that it wouldn’t be restored in 2022.
I dunno if it’s running now, can you back that up? I had been thinking it was offline entirely and they’ve been importing fuel from the west.
https://www.ukrinform.net/amp/rubric-economy/3509685-destroyed-kremenchuk-refinery-cant-be-restored-this-year.html

Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Mar 9 2023 23:42 utc | 162

Druzhba remains open because it’s the means of supplying oil to Russian friendly or at least not antagonistic European countries.
Danilov was bitching today that Ukrainians are starting to talk about negotiations. That’s the Russian plan for Ukraine. Not to conquer the country but to pressure it until it throws out Zelensky and the puppets itself. If that fails, then a negotiated settlement where Ukrainians get to see the Russian aligned oblasts getting developed while rump Ukraine gets nothing from the west.
You don’t beat your little brother to death, you make him say “uncle” and teach him a lesson. And if you can fracture Europe and demilitarize it with only hopes that a dysfunctional and falling American empire will protect it.
Georgia is not a result of going too slow. Georgia would happen no matter what happens in Ukraine because the only tool left in the American toolbox is destabilization and the “arc of instability”. The antidote for that is when Europe watches the US abandon Ukraine and leave it as a violent, festering failed state right outside the garden wall. And that’s why forcing Ukraine to surrender with a big military offensive and conquering the country doesn’t do Russia much good. NATO won’t surrender because “it’s not a party to the conflict”. It has to be forced to abandon its prized proxy or the people of that proxy need to throw it out. That’s the example that Eastern Europe (minus the Poles) needs.

Posted by: Lex | Mar 10 2023 0:10 utc | 164

Posted by: OttoE | Mar 9 2023 20:51 utc
China. Troll of the day: China’s Foreign Ministry says China’s arms sales to Russia will be the same as US arms sales to Taiwan.
That’s result of wishfull thinking inspired by CNN article headline – “China’s foreign minister equates possible supply of weapons to Russia with US military support for Taiwan” (if that was the original source).
Why China would send weapons to the Russia directly. and not through the North Korea?
BTW, Ukrainians are reporting massive usage of Russian’s new high precision planner bombs equivalent of JDAM-ER with more powerful warhead.
Yet, Ukrainians also posted first video of Switchblade-600 usage against Russian armored vehicles.

Posted by: asehi | Mar 10 2023 0:15 utc | 166

I’ve been wondering if Bakhmut is a bluff and the primary objective is Avdivka. Is the spat about Wagner not being supplied enough munitions just the reality of it’s drop in priority.. By operationally encircling the former, have the Russians forced Zelensky to live up to his ‘festung’ rhetoric and fixate on holding or relieving the city, whilst ignoring the real Russian goal. Is Bakhmut part of the open deception campaign that the Russians are running against the NATO ISR complex? Perhaps the main effort will focus on a north, south axis, whilst Ukraine reinforces a second defensive line that will be orientated in the wrong direction, with her strategic reserve equally out of place.

Posted by: Milites | Mar 10 2023 0:25 utc | 168

CIA’s attempts of colour revolutions in both of Belarus and Kazakhstan occured before the invasion. What is happening in Georgia had nothing to do with Moscow’s poor perfomance in this war. CIA would’ve eventually done this because expanding ties in South Caucasus was one of CIA’s options to weaken Moscow.

Posted by: La Cachette | Mar 10 2023 0:39 utc | 170

RE: shadowbanned; remarks about Prussia.
With respect, but I believe you got your history backwards.
The area around what is now Kaliningrad was originally Prussian as you say. Kaliningrad used to be called Koenigsberg until the Russians took over the area from Germany after WWII. Originally, Prussia was the land of a Baltic tribe by that name that went out and took over the area in central Europe inhabited by the German tribes culminating in the German State founded by Bismark in 1871. So, what really happened was the Prussians assimilated the “Germans”, not the other way around.
Posted by: Robbei | Mar 10 2023 0:24 utc | 170

No, the Old Prussians, who were not a Germanic tribe, were conquered by the Teutonic Order in the 13th century, and by the 17th century their language had completely disappeared and they were assimilated/replaced by Germans. Then the name was taken by the German state that started in that general area and eventually reunified Germany. But it is not a German state, not a continuation of the Baltic Old Prussians, it just had the same name derived from the toponym.

Posted by: shadowbanned | Mar 10 2023 0:49 utc | 172

oldhippie @ 176
You understanding nothing about treasuries

Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 10 2023 0:53 utc | 174

There will be three poles in the new Multipolar World and that should lead to world peace as long as everyone just stays in their sphere of influence.
Posted by: LGB! | Mar 9 2023 23:41 utc | 164
Re my post: I found it amusing that a very similar argument that Putin made in launching the S.M.O. which was enough to get the warhawks riled up (to put it mildly) and yet 12 months later they make a very similar argument against Mexico without a shred of self awareness or shame.
Re your post, my only slight detraction from your post is that I read Bill Barr’s and Lindsey Graham’s threats as a shot across the bows of Mexico for not only failing to join in the sanctions on Russia but actually, as far back as 2022, ruling it out;
Mexico declines to impose economic sanctions on Russia
https://www.reuters.com/world/mexicos-president-says-will-not-take-any-economic-sanctions-against-russia-2022-03-01/
Mexico, along with several other Latin American countries seem to be showing themselves protective of their own independence, much more than the Europeans at least. So that tells me they might be less willing to remain within the US sphere of influence.
You may, however be right and to be fair the current order does appear undoubtedly to be in its death throes. In addition Russia and China do seem to be staking their claim as we speak. But I have a question (and its very much one which I don’t think can be answered fully at this point) how does the multi-polar world avoid the mistakes of the uni-polar one? I’m thinking of India specifically who are not ready yet (I don’t think) to take a seat as a major or global power but they do seem to be on the cusp.
Will the multi-polar world view India as a threat to their spheres of influence? And if so what steps will they take to possibly delay India’s rise? If they don’t view India as a threat, will they be happy for India to take a piece of their pie?

Posted by: SattaMassaGana | Mar 10 2023 0:55 utc | 176

SMG – and yeah, I understand that some latin american countries may not feel great about being in the US sphere of influence, so it would need to be a coordinated effort between the US and the other great powers (you stop supporting Cuba and Venezuela and we pull out of NATO and stop supporting Ukraine/Japan/SK). Could be just crazy enough to work!

Posted by: LGB! | Mar 10 2023 1:02 utc | 178

Posted by: shadowbanned | Mar 9 2023 20:23 utc | 85
“Let’s recall why these things are banned — because not all of them explode, so you are left with scattered small bomblets all over the landscape, impossible to clean up.
Now if UA was truly after “liberating” the territories that RU has taken over and is committing “atrocities” on a daily basis in, would they ever even think about using cluster munitions? That’s their own land after all, right?”
—————-
No! Ukraine forfeited its right to claim the Eastern Regions of the former Ukraine as Ukrainian after the 2014 coup against the elected government. That is why they (the Ukrainian Nazis) responded to the Russian people of the Donbass as you pointed out in your last paragraph:
“…these are the same people who covered Donetsk with petal mines, mined their own farmland so heavily tractors will be blown up by them well into the 22nd century (if there are still tractors then), shell civilians all over the Donbass, including with anti-personnel HIMARS rounds, did the same in Kherson (which had only been Russian for six months, i.e. the civilians there were even more “Ukrainian”, but it didn’t matter), etc. etc.”

Posted by: Ed | Mar 10 2023 1:15 utc | 180

@ Bill Smith | Mar 10 2023 1:21 utc | 184
Like dozens of other countries, KSA realizes that the purchase of US armaments, however poorly they may perform, ensures some degree of continuing US good will. Otherwise the only purchaser of F-35s would be the USAF.

Posted by: malenkov | Mar 10 2023 1:26 utc | 182

The real psychohistorian would have posted an argument, not a drive-by raspberry.

Posted by: malenkov | Mar 10 2023 1:29 utc | 184

That’s so disgusting of Western officials to slowly start ditching Ukraine, while they were the ones to encourage Kievan regime to provoke Moscow with vague promises that Ukraine would join NATO and EU. Ukrainians deserve better.

Posted by: Versai La | Mar 10 2023 1:34 utc | 186

A hopeful sign [from RT “Kiev’s security chief names ‘dangerous tendency’ among Ukrainians “]:
“[One should] bear in mind that those [people advocating talks with Russia] are growing in numbers. It is a very dangerous tendency when even people in western Ukraine are starting to talk about such things,” Danilov said, as cited by RIA news agency. He also pointed out a local politician in the western Lviv region that allegedly called on Kiev to sit down at the negotiating table with Moscow.”

Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 10 2023 1:45 utc | 188

SattaMassaGana @179–
The Multipolar World will be governed by the Global Security Initiative which allows for zero hegemony just as the UN Charter envisioned. Initially, there’ll be two blocs–the Dollar Zone within which will reside the Euro zone and the RoW which will use the newly designed international financial system and its specific trading currency for interactions between nations while nations internally use their own national currencies. The hope of the designers is that eventually those in the Dollar Zone will want to participate in the wider system and thus eventually the Dollar Zone will be reduced to just Canada and the Outlaw US Empire. Clearly, there will be friction between the one nation trying to maintain its illegal, immoral hegemony and that of RoW, but it will be vastly outnumbered and at odds with its own public.
The real key to it all is the parasitism of Neoliberalism as it destroys its host economy thus gravely weakening the nation where it resides. Such a relationship cannot last forever, so RoW must merely be patient and await the inevitable demise of the Outlaw US Empire.
India, your main issue, is already sequestered within BRICS and SCO, and if it wants social stability will change its ways. Plus, India wants to act as a role model for other underdeveloped nations, but to do so it must change its unhealthy stratification. And it will be helped to do so via subtle external and not so subtle internal pressures.
Another unmentioned but problematic issue is that of Occupied Palestine and the fact that there’s no place in the world any longer for its behavior which is greatly similar to that of the Outlaw US Empire. Currently, there’s a great deal of internal turbulence that some local observers say is approaching the threshold of Civil War. So, it’s possible centrifugal forces will solve the issue before the RoW must intervene.
Unfortunately, paradigm changes of this magnitude don’t happen quickly, nor in this case would we want it to for that would likely mean it being solved via nuclear exchange. The best case is for most of the initial process to be completed in five years, although that could be shortened. Yes, there’re many variables still in play that will complicate or perhaps simplify the change; but the change is coming, and RoW is behind it happening.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 10 2023 1:48 utc | 190

@ the pessimist | Mar 10 2023 1:45 utc | 192
Indeed, ’twas all good & well when Eastern & Central Ukraine/Ukrainians were doing the dying/suffering, yet now it’s come home to Galicians ?
@ Bill Smith | Mar 10 2023 1:40 utc | – All
Relentless BS. See.
@ Daenerys | Mar 10 2023 1:44 utc | 191
Sigh. What transparent rubbish, crafted from whole cloth. TheMoscowTimes propaganda = DebkaFile = VOA = RFE = VeteransToday, etc. See.

Posted by: Outraged | Mar 10 2023 1:59 utc | 192

Some videos for today.
Russia conducts major retaliatory strikes on the Kiev regime in response to last week’s Banderite terrorists attacks on Bryansk oblast:
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/ukraine-retaliation-strikes:d
RT follows Wagner group on its Artemovsk advance:
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/Wagner_Artyomovsk_0803:a
Kiev regime terrorist attack foiled – Pridnestrovie government:
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/Transdniester-terror-attack-foiled:d
Wrong opinion: German anti-war activist faces charges for criticizing support to Kiev regime:
https://odysee.com/@RT:fd/arrested-yt:0

Posted by: Nate | Mar 10 2023 2:17 utc | 194

Republicofscotland | Mar 9 2023 16:03 utc | 8
The sheer bias of the UN has been revealed during this conflict showing it to be a Western tool controlled by the USA…
Considering the UN was the brainchild of the CFR and State, for “managing” the post WWII world…

Posted by: Spanky | Mar 10 2023 2:29 utc | 196

That is not me at 177 telling oldhippie what he does or doesn’t know….grin
@ Guy | Mar 10 2023 0:14 utc | 168 who asked
”
Do you think Russia’s latest use of the Kinzhal was intended to make the world hold its breath? Because that would be really strategic, wouldn’t it?
”
The intention on the China/Russia side of our civilization war is to get the right God Of Mammon people to hold their breath. I don’t know what it is going to take but perhaps the puppets don’t have the balls/ovaries of the cult and are starting to become afraid.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 10 2023 2:43 utc | 198

Posted by: Anton Gorbatow | Mar 9 2023 19:38 utc | 67
Exactly

Posted by: MervRitchie | Mar 10 2023 2:47 utc | 200