Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
December 21, 2023

Zelenski For Sales

I can not vouch for the photo below. But its symbolic value is certainly relevant.


bigger

It is a book about a bygone politician on sales. No unusual but still, why would anyone ditch 5 of whatever for it?

Meanwhile the Economist continues to do its best to amplify Nazis.

Ukraine’s army is struggling to find good recruits - Economist - Dec 17, 2023

The new recruits came from a variety of backgrounds, but they shared one thing: after rudimentary training in western Europe, none of them expected to be deployed to an assault unit at the hottest section of the Ukrainian front line. Some had signed up voluntarily, thinking they would to be given places in units that suited their profiles: as drone operators or artillery men. Others were plucked from their villages with little warning. One older recruit didn’t even have the chance to pick up his false teeth. After less than a week in the trenches of the Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, the platoon of 20 had been reduced by six. Three had been killed in action, three seriously wounded.
...
There are several examples of successful recruitment campaigns into individual units. The 3rd Assault Brigade, created nine months into the war as a branch of Ukraine’s special forces, is perhaps the most visible. Skyscraper-sized adverts in Ukraine’s cities glamorise life as one of the brigade’s stormtroopers, slaying goblin-like caricatures of evil. But no less important is the brigade’s reputation for competent command, good equipment and low attrition rates. New recruits typically undergo months of training, unlike the one-month standard.

Khrystyna Bondarenko, a spokesperson for the brigade, says it has no shortage of volunteers. By the start of next year the brigade will be Ukraine’s largest, she says, at around the size of a NATO division. (Ukraine’s army does not have divisions.) The majority of its new recruits are under 25, and she turns down 150 applications a month from minors. “No one is saying there are millions of people waiting to fight in Avdiivka [a town in the Donbas that has recently seen fierce fighting],” she says. “But there are people you can work with.”

The third assault brigade is of course the essence of Ukrainian fascism:

The brigade was established by a merger of the Azov SSO (Special Operations Forces) units that had been created by former Azov Battalion veterans.
...
With the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, most units of the Azov Regiment were based in Mariupol where they soon would be besieged. Outside of Mariupol, many former veterans of Azov outside the city began forming new units, in particular in Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv. These units were soon integrated into the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and became collectively known as "Azov SSO".

In November 2022, all the former Azov SSO were merged into a single fully operational combat unit within the Ukrainian Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The formation of this brigade was strategically designed to create a highly mobile, well-equipped, and extensively trained force capable of engaging in both defensive and offensive operations. According to Andriy Biletsky, as of January 2023 the brigade was deployed in the Battle of Bakhmut.

An important milestone for the brigade occurred on 24 February 2023, when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally presented the Regimental Colour during a ceremonial event.

The Economist writers claim that the Azov Nazis have had a "low attrition rate". The historical record does not support that claim:

The Azov Brigade, hailed by Ukrainians for its tenacity during Russia’s siege of Mariupol, is scrambling to rebuild from heavy combat losses as it seeks to play a muscular role in Ukraine’s next major assault.

After being defeated in Mariuplo Azov rbuild with the recruitment of thousands of new fighters only to lose more of them:

The Russian military group known as “Center” has reportedly inflicted significant damage on the Azov Brigade, a group that has been banned in Russia and labeled as a terrorist organization. The military confrontation took place in the Krasnolimansk direction, with reports suggesting that the Azov Brigade has suffered considerable losses both in terms of personnel and equipment.

The Economist isn't the only outlet that is whitewashing Ukrainian Nazi gangs. The New York Times went through several stages from calling Azov "a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization" to white washing it as a simple "unit in the Ukrainian military".

Andriy Beletsky, the commander of Azov mentioned in the above quoted Wikipedia excerpt, is know for declaring that:

“the historical mission of the Ukrainian nation at this critical moment is to lead the white peoples of the world in the last crusade for its existence, and to fight against the sub-humanity led by the Semites”.

The Economist depicts the urge of many young Ukrainians to join the fascist Azov brigade as a positive example.

I find it frightening.

Who, by the way, is paying for them?

Posted by b on December 21, 2023 at 9:57 UTC | Permalink

Comments
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It's Zloty, polnish currency. Approx $1.25

Posted by: Klaus | Dec 21 2023 10:08 utc | 1

80 years after WW2, conservative newspapers like the UK Daily Mail are still regarded with contempt for pro-Hitler comments they made in the 30s. (The Mail is actually banned as a quotable source by Wikipedia, though it was the only UK paper to report the Hunter Biden laptop story).
How will the Economist, NYT, Guardian, le Monde, the BBC & practically every other "centre left" media source be remembered for its reporting of the Ukraine war? After nine years, from Maidan to the Russian invasion, of reporting on the Neo-Nazi movement, they all went quiet. Absurd false flag attempts, like the bombing of the maternity hospital & the theatre in Mariupol, were hushed up.
The "liberal" centre left press is collaborating with Nazis. May they disappear for ever.

Posted by: geoff chambers | Dec 21 2023 10:12 utc | 2

Another remnant of the Mariupol Azov Nazis was
stationed in the spring south of Chasov Yar half way to
avdiiika as a preparation to counterattack to reclaim Mariupol
as part as the June offensive (if it had been successful)
along either the Avdeevka or Ugledar Axis

Posted by: Zhukov | Dec 21 2023 10:13 utc | 3

On December 18th John Helmer posted on a article in which he assessed there hadn't been recent engagements between Russian Foreign Ministry and the "Houthis".

https://johnhelmer.net/the-us-prepares-its-ukraine-war-coalition-fleet-in-the-red-sea-to-protect-israel-attack-yemen-russia-responds/

"In the past, Moscow officials have consistently defended the Yemeni state’s sovereignty, including its territorial waters in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Ministry has also defended “dialogue with the Houthis and other Yemeni political associations, as well as with all interested states”.
Russia has also proposed that the United Nations legalize and regulate all operations impacting Yemen.
But that was long ago. The last but one statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry mentioning the Houthis, the civil war in Yemen, and Saudi military intervention was issued six and a half years ago, on March 17, 2017:"

He noted another meeting in January 2018 but according to him..

"There is no Foreign Ministry record of a meeting with Hisham Sharaf, Foreign Minister since 2016 of the Sanaa-based Yemeni (Houthi) government. The Russian Embassy in Sanaa was evacuated in December 2017.
In November 2019, Moscow appeared to be saying the only international Red Sea operation it would countenance for Yemen should be led by the United Nations (UN). “We”, declared the Ministry’s press department, “urge the parties to the Yemeni conflict to do everything in their power to keep up this positive change so as to be able to stop the hostilities altogether and to launch a UN-led process of peaceful settlement based on the regard for the interests of all the main political forces as well as religious and regional groups in Yemen. We are still convinced that these developments will not only benefit friendly Yemen but will also help to ensure security of all the neighbouring countries.”
------------------------------

I left this comment on his article, which did not pass moderation:

There have been a few contacts between Ansarallah – National Salvation Government (Houthi) representatives and the Russian Foreign Ministry in recent years.

* https://debriefer.net/en/news-10187.html

* https://russia-islworld.ru/novosti/russian-deputy-foreign-minister-received-a-delegation-of-yemeni-houthis/

* https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2022/08/11/mohammed-abdulsalam-comments-on-high-level-visit-to-moscow/

* http://www.ccdf-ye.org/en/2023/02/26/abdulsalam-meets-with-deputy-foreign-minister-of-russian-federation-in-muscat/

Might be one or two I’m missing here.

Although the developing partnerships with UAE and KSA clearly take precedence. Those two have both opted out of Prosperity Guardian according to reports.

------------------

Three days later he publishes an article on Russia negotiating with the Houthis.

https://johnhelmer.net/running-the-red-gauntlet-russia-is-negotiating-with-the-houthis-for-red-sea-passage-of-oil-cargoes-defying-us-eu-sanctions/

It's not unusual for him in my experience...

Posted by: Diagonal | Dec 21 2023 10:20 utc | 4

Reisner recently posted a new video.

https://youtu.be/WoP1i9ZzwOs?si=0YbXdkJZFOXtriB9

Impressive contortions of the man in order to tell you the truth as far as he can, without displeasing his superiors too much.

All in all, it must be a sobering watch for those who have only drunk the western propaganda kool-aid up to now.

Posted by: Augusto Pi | Dec 21 2023 10:28 utc | 5

Meanwhile Bloomberg reports that Ukraine's economy is boombing thanks to business innovations like khaki green ass-wipes.

The economy is headed back to its prewar level as manufacturers have pivoted to new markets and products while consumers have kept spending.

...

From its base in the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine, Biosphere Corp. supplied countries across the former Soviet Union with household and cleaning products. Demand was buoyant. Orders were good.

Then, like for the rest of the country, life turned upside down in February last year when Russia invaded. Sales collapsed 30%. Biosphere needed to fill the void as Ukrainians went to war. The result: a wet wipe in a khaki-green envelope that’s suitable for soldiers in the trenches.

The product is just one of the many innovations for the war effort that have demonstrated Ukraine’s resilience over the past 22 months.


continues ==> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-21/companies-boost-ukraine-s-war-economy-with-us-eu-aid-in-doubt

What a triumph.

Posted by: too scents | Dec 21 2023 10:28 utc | 6

In fact the Jan 2018 RFM meeting mentioned was with the internationally recognised Hadi puppet regime officials

Posted by: Diagonal | Dec 21 2023 10:44 utc | 7

Oh dear ... I can imagine that in Polish supermarkets, even kitty litter and wrapping for flowers or hot chips might sell for higher prices than Zelensky's biography or autobiography.

One has to feel sorry for the plantation pine trees that their bark was not put to better use.

Posted by: Refinnejenna | Dec 21 2023 10:48 utc | 8


Reisner recently posted a new video.
Posted by: Augusto Pi | Dec 21 2023 10:28 utc | 5

Reisner is probably not a trustworthy source anymore. A year ago, he was one of the first to talk about Ukrainian problems that the Ukraine may lose the war. He went offline after that for a couple of months.

Afterward, he seemed to have changed. Instead of providing a distant, factual explanation, there was a shift to a 'we' (Officially, Austria is still neutral!) and propaganda claims. If he's now starting to hint at the impending defeat, after even Western journalists have accepted the reality, isn't that a bit late?

Posted by: Tuk | Dec 21 2023 10:58 utc | 9

"
...
Who, by the way, is paying for them?
"

Posted by b on December 21, 2023 at 9:57 UTC | Permalink

The list is certainly not complete, but it is a start:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Auslandshilfen_f%C3%BCr_die_Ukraine_seit_2014

There are also private donations etc.
"The regiment was initially financially supported by the Ukrainian oligarch and Jewish community member Ihor Kolomojskyj, among others." (wiki)
"and to fight against the sub-humanity led by the Semites"(@b)
Pure irony!

It was then subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior.
Preferential treatment for "willingness" is also likely to be given within the armed forces.

I guess there is always room for Rifleman's in the armed forces of Ukraine.
https://ab3.army/en/vacancies/

Otherwise, here are a few target suggestions for the Russian armed forces.
https://ab3.army/en/contacts/

KYIV
Peremohy Avenue, 83/2
Every day from 10 AM to 5 PM
DNIPRO
V. Zhukovskoho Street, 43a
Every day from 10 AM to 5 PM
LVIV
Staroevreyska Street, 7a
Every day from 10 AM to 5 PM

Or are the Russians grateful that the problem cases can come forward voluntarily?

Posted by: 600w | Dec 21 2023 11:07 utc | 10

Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov on the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

1. Kiev planned to blockade Melitopol in 15 days during the counteroffensive and then advance with access to the Sea of Azov, Mariupol and the border with Crimea

2. The main task of Russian troops in the special operation zone this year was to repel a counteroffensive by the strike group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which planned to deprive the Russian Federation of a land corridor to Crimea.

3. For the offensive, the enemy increased the strike group in the Zaporizhia direction from 50 to 80 battalions.

4. The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a counteroffensive on June 4 and, with huge losses, could not overcome the tactical defense zone of the Russian Federation.

5. The enemy's great offensive failed. The total losses amounted to 160,000 men and 766 tanks. more than 3000 armored fighting vehicles, 121 aircraft and 23 helicopters.

6. In total, Ukraine has received more than 5200 tanks and armored fighting vehicles, 1300 artillery units (guns, mortars, self propelled guns, MLRS), more than 100 aircraft and helicopters, 23,000 UAVs, more than 200 cruise and tactical missiles since the beginning of the SMO.

7. More than 100,000 soldiers have been trained abroad in NATO countries.

8. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are now actively defending and successfully improving their positions. More than 1,500 objects of military industrial significance were hit. The level of military production in Ukraine has decreased.

9. The general confrontation with the United States, which has made Ukraine and Europe, as well as Palestine, a zone of wars and conflicts, continues.

10. The hegemony of the United States and its satellites is becoming a thing of the past. A new multipolar world order is now taking shape.

tg

Posted by: rpst | Dec 21 2023 11:09 utc | 11

In a recent speech Putin again referred to Western leaders who deceived him about Minsk agreements. According to reports he is really miffed about it. So the question is why harp on it to such an extent. Putin is usually calm and measured, so what is gained by showing one's irritation so publicly and repeatedly. I propose a potential explanation.

Since the collective West has been changing its tune about victorious Ukraine and started to suggest a freezing of the conflict, the talk about ceasefire is everywhere. In addition, the Russians may be wary that the mobilization of the world opinion around the need for a ceasefire in Gaza may expand to include all conflicts. So I suggest that the campaign of reminding people about Minsk deceptions serves more to warn, not so much the collective West, but the Rest of the World (ROW) that Russian patience was exhausted long ago and that any talk about compromise or ceasefire in Ukraine is pointless.

Posted by: Pagan | Dec 21 2023 11:32 utc | 12

Reisners presentation is interesting. This is explaining basic military facts to fools.. "management compatible" AKA ELLI5.

Truly sad none of this has arrived in the thick skulls of western planners yet. You would imagine a NATO combined arms planner would be able to count airframes before kicking off an offensive. The "russian bum" slide is actually hilarious, what a sarcastic way to drive that point home.. In case Oberst Reisner is reading this: mad ballz!

It's also scary how unbothered the attack helos were in targeting the Leopards. If you can hover over the battlefield like that, area denial and air defense seriously went wrong, especially how easy it is to deny the skies with modern systems.

Equally scary how that cheap slow moving drone got a Leo to cook of - I thought only T72 did that?

Also interesting to me that the whole mine clearing distance per layer would have been 120-500m. Clearing three lanes as evidenced in the videos would not have been impossible in less than an hour. Kind of sucks if the mine clearing tanks are simply picked off immediately.

This probably outlines a big change in offensive preparations. As both sides have learned you can't amass tanks or troop concentrations and planes are too expensive. Good things we now have drones where you don't need to.

I would expect the next offensive to be meticulously prepared with large numbers of attack drones. Cheap ones to light up the skies and attract expensive AA systems, enduring ones for surveillance, swarming suicide drones to attack anything that moves and exact suppression.
What's still missing are anti-drone drones and jammers, maybe also mine-clearing drones, these are probably in the works.

With lancets and a few thousand of the new 5kg-payload reusable drones system it's possible to move forward with AD systems and artillery that would otherwise be picked off by counterbattery fire. This in turn allows for mine clearing and breakthroughs.

The issue will then with how to control millions of drones at the same time, enter AI and IFF systems, maybe even EMP.
An EMP strike could be the equivalent of today's saturation bombardment or the drum fire of WW1.

Maybe I am wrong too and demining would better be done from B52 or Bear bombers. Right now Russia doesn't really have the mine problem but some glide bombs might also help with that job.

In many ways someone is still fighting the last war here. In WW2 arms development really started up after 2-3 years.

Posted by: SOS | Dec 21 2023 12:05 utc | 13

ELI5 = explain like I am five

Posted by: SOS | Dec 21 2023 12:06 utc | 14

@12,

He was asked about is why he’s been talking about. But it does serve the purpose of laying ground work for how any talks on a settlement will go. Lavrov has previously said that Russia is willing to talk but that it would not agree to a ceasefire during settlement talks. That’s the common way these things are done. The Vietnam settlement took a lot of negotiation while fighting continued.

The world isn’t going to demand a ceasefire in Ukraine like it has for Gaza because the two situations are different. For one, Russian information operations outside the west have been very successful so the majority of nations are on Russia’s side. For two, the calls for a ceasefire in Gaza are because of the civilian massacre by Israel, which Russia is not doing. Most of the world does want an end to the conflict in Ukraine but it recognizes where the holdup to that end is. So it doesn’t prioritize a ceasefire there for the same reason it does in Gaza, at the geopolitical level.

Posted by: Lex | Dec 21 2023 12:19 utc | 15

after Zelenski for sale, can't wait Ukraine Foreclosure

Posted by: rotoro | Dec 21 2023 12:19 utc | 16

Posted by: Pagan | Dec 21 2023 11:32 utc | 12

100% agree with your thinking.

But remember during negotiations you always start with extreme positions knowing that you will have to give things up. Many say the West will choke on Russian demands. I don't believe that, I think Putin will give a lot away to get peace as many Russians are being killed. Especially if Trump wins and he is dealing with a conservative statist like himself.

Putin doesn't want to be the new leader of the world. All he wants is to be able to use mother Russia's skills and real resources the way he wants. Stop others from stealing the foreign coins he throws in the back of the drawer after buying the imports mother Russia needs.

If anybody threatens those terms you are watching what happens. The more extreme the West acts the more extreme the final deal will be.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 12:20 utc | 17

'usually blended with some variant of racism or discrimination against a demonized "Other", such as Jews. These ideas have motivated fascist regimes to commit massacres, forced sterilizations, deportations, and genocide'


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism


'Nearly 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have moved to Israel under the Law of Return since the 1980s, but their Jewishness has been questioned by some rabbis. Last year, the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who also holds the health portfolio, warned that illegal immigrants from Africa “threaten our existence as a Jewish and democratic state”.


Israel gave birth control to Ethiopian Jews without their consent

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gave-birth-control-to-ethiopian-jews-without-their-consent-8468800.html

Posted by: phenon | Dec 21 2023 12:26 utc | 18

Toilet paper is still cheaper, I believe.

Posted by: Kaiama | Dec 21 2023 12:29 utc | 19

Helmer:

It's not unusual for him in my experience...

Posted by: Diagonal | Dec 21 2023 10:20 utc | 4

Helmer is interesting at times, and not interesting at times. Not especially good on Putin and his government as near as I can tell. Russians may know better about that than I.

Most of the people around Putin have been there a long time, moving to different roles once in a while, it is safe to think he approves of all of them and of what they have to say. He tolerates, even likes diversity of views, a good trait. He is loyal to his people, and they to him. He does not like turncoats.

Yemen is Iran's baby now, I expect the Russians to respect that, and avoid interfering. Yemen/AnsarAllah seem to like the Russians.

Also, the Russians do not necessarily say what they really think. Like the Chinese, they speak to advance diplomatic purposes, like any sophisticated actor really. They emphasize multi-lateral institutional action. The Iran-Saudi-UAE changes now in process are a great example of how effective that can be.

You can tell the state of US' diplomatic corps by their infantile dogmatic diplomatic discourse, and emphasis on coercion.

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 21 2023 12:30 utc | 20

The Zionists are using the second world war as cover for exact fascist behaviour.

'Fascism's extreme authoritarianism and nationalism often manifest as a belief in racial purity or a master race, usually blended with some variant of racism or discrimination against a demonized "Other", such as Jews. These ideas have motivated fascist regimes to commit massacres, forced sterilizations, deportations, and genocides.'


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism


Nearly 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have moved to Israel under the Law of Return since the 1980s, but their Jewishness has been questioned by some rabbis. Last year, the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who also holds the health portfolio, warned that illegal immigrants from Africa “threaten our existence as a Jewish and democratic state”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gave-birth-control-to-ethiopian-jews-without-their-consent-8468800.html


x

Posted by: phenon | Dec 21 2023 12:31 utc | 21

The book cover as such seems to be real (and based on a 2022 Getty image).
The polish book sale picture first appeared about September 23 (according to TinEye) in a dubious image forum.
Hence no proof of originality so far.

Posted by: Peter F. Meier | Dec 21 2023 12:38 utc | 22

Isn't this Israel and Ukraine and the US today:

'ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

Posted by: phenon | Dec 21 2023 12:41 utc | 23


Posted by: too scents | Dec 21 2023 10:28 utc | 6

Bloomberg is a lying piece of yellow journalist crap.

A country with 50% population loss and most of its wealth having fled with the people is by definition economically zombified. Only western fiat keeps it from implosion.

By publishing such drivel, they expose themselves as part of the government propaganda machine.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 12:41 utc | 24

Geopolitics:

What happens to us if America is defeated.

What happens to us if Russia is defeated.

What happens to us if China Is defeated.

&

What happens to us if America wins.

What happens to us if Russia wins.

What happens to us if China wins.

Is just as good a summary as anything else. Why you see the dividing lines as other smaller countries choose sides. As they know if X falls and Y wins they could be next "eventually". Explains what is happening in the Pacific to a T.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 12:42 utc | 25

All indications are Ukraine is being 'cancelled'.

Btw, interesting to note that the Covid 'crisis' lasted approximately 2 years from January '20 to January '22 and then vanished into thin air. It's starting to increasingly (for now) seem we might see something similar with Ukraine, the thing lasts 2 years from Feb '22 to Feb'24 and vanishes to thin air. Coincidence? Is 2 years some kind of time limit when continuing a given crisis will start to give increasingly diminishing return and lose effectiveness?

Of course, we could just get another replacement 2 year crisis soon.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 12:48 utc | 26

“the historical mission of the Ukrainian nation at this critical moment is to lead the white peoples of the world in the last crusade for its existence, and to fight against the sub-humanity led by the Semites”
Proceeds to fight on the side of the Semites-led US and under command of Semite Zelensky.
What did he mean by this?

Posted by: Anon321 | Dec 21 2023 12:54 utc | 27

Here is the Zionist empires modus operandi;

' His definition of fascism focuses on three concepts:

"Fascist negations" – anti-liberalism, anti-communism, and anti-conservatism.
"Fascist goals" – the creation of a nationalist dictatorship to regulate economic structure and to transform social relations within a modern, self-determined culture, and the expansion of the nation into an empire.
"Fascist style" – a political aesthetic of romantic symbolism, mass mobilization, a positive view of violence, and promotion of masculinity, youth, and charismatic authoritarian leadership'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism


Posted by: phenon | Dec 21 2023 13:02 utc | 28

Bloomberg is a lying piece of yellow journalist crap.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 12:41 utc | 24

Just stop issuing treasuries and replace the treasuries with granny bonds and Bloomberg will cease to exist.

It's whole model is built around a bunch of parasites using other people's savings to make a quick buck. They can't even do that without state backed treasuries.

The parasites are a bunch of middle men that should be removed from the system. Do that and Bloomberg shrinks into oblivion.

It was launched in the United States in mid-1994 as the Berlin wall was getting put on wheels. The right made up a mythical fantasy story about money. Financial capitalism was born.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 13:24 utc | 29

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 12:41 utc | 24

The demand leakage's are becoming a HUGE problem. Time to get rid of them.

https://www.crisesnotes.com/the-night-they-reread-pozsar-in-his-absence/

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 13:32 utc | 30

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 12:41 utc | 24

Another reason why many Americans will cheer if the $ zombies flee America. Very happy to see de- dollarisation.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 13:36 utc | 31

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 12:41 utc | 24

Workers used to get full salary pensions or 2/3rds salary pensions. As the Berlin wall was put on wheels the gold standard, fixed exchange rate brigade used their mythical money story to convince workers it was an affordability problem. Were told they had to hand their hard earned savings over to these parasites instead. All they had to do was sign a bit of paper they were given to them by their employer to accept the changes.

What a complete waste of skills and real resources. That could be doing something more useful than shuffling other people's savings around. Taking their cut.

The gold standard, fixed exchange rate brigade are a danger to society and every human being they come across. Workers could still be getting full salary pensions or 2/3rds salary pensions and be retiring early.

If they weren't so stupid and so easily entrapped by propaganda and GROUPTHINK.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 13:57 utc | 32

You want to get rid of Bloomberg and the demand leakage's that are now a very serious problem ?

It is a very easy thing to do.

https://new-wayland.com/blog/the-only-bonds-we-need-are-granny-bonds/

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 14:07 utc | 33

The Economist depicts the urge of many young Ukrainians to join the fascist Azov brigade as a positive example.

I find it frightening.

____

Why frightening? They’ll be destroyed, which is not a bad thing. One could even say it’s 404’s way of contributing to its own denazification.

Posted by: malenkov | Dec 21 2023 14:11 utc | 34

Pagan | Dec 21 2023 11:32 utc | 12

In a recent speech Putin again referred to Western leaders who deceived him

What nonsense.
Especially if we are served this bullshit again and again. (already Gorbachev sang the same boring song)

Even thousands of years ago it was clear to all people if you can cheat your enemy, then immediately take the chance! This fact applies in west, east, south or north, everywhere in this world, since one side has something that the other side would like to have too.

yes yes, the are deceived, because the contracts are not secured.


That the Kremlin is not playing with other rules, we have seen with the ammunition from North Korea.
At the beginning of the year it was still said, No No No Utkin, Lotus, Prigo in North Korea you do not buy ammunition! We have enough ammunition. As soon as the were offline, what does the Kremlin do then? Buy ammunition from North Korea. ( the business is maybe very big for someone there ? )

Posted by: theo | Dec 21 2023 14:21 utc | 35

I penned this 18 months ago.

*******
Seems like I hit the nail on the proverbial head.
*******

-----

I came upon a fashion display window,
it contained an American nuclear family unit.

It grabbed my attention - loyalty to fashion,
is what it spoke.

That is how propaganda works, isn't it?
Very similar to the way fashion works...
or strike that...
not "similar" but rather exactly like it.

People seek acceptance, and they do this through mimicry
and conformity which leads to Groupthink as well as to being fashionable. Beliefs, including political ones, are
like fashion, individuals adopt the group ideas and wear them like they are their own.
They signal group belonging.

Again, I came upon a fashion display window.
The nuclear family, display window dummies, wore T-shirts and color coordinated
skirts or trousers (running pants in this case). Each wore, including the little girl dummy, a T-Shirt that messaged
their support for Ukraine, either "I Stand With Ukraine" or "Puck Futin". The mother dummy had a scarf in Ukrainian flag yellow and a skirt in Ukrainian flag blue.
The little girl dummy had a matching outfit less the scarf.
They were fashionable.

******
It struck me as representative of how superficial and banal are the American people's "support for Ukraine".
Is Ukraine aware that they are "the flavor of the month"? Support for Ukraine will be discarded, changed and forgotten
by Americans like yesterday's laundry. Support is manufactored by the drumbeat of propaganda and when something
else comes along Americans will change their T-shirts and their interests.
******

It is perfect that the dummies in the display window were headless. Perfect.
Perfect in the context of Ukraine, as Americans are fashionably supporters of Nazi head-choppers.
Yes, head-choppers.
[Head-choppping has been attested.
https://www.newsweek.com/evidence-war-crimes-committed-ukrainian-nationalist-volunteers-grows-269604]

What do Americans dummies need heads for anyway? Beliefs are adopted not through the intellect, but through conformity
to the group.

For added assurance the fashion display window had a large banner and in big bold letters the words "Global Relief".
Support was Global. Now that is a big and widely accepted Group for a conformist to safely belong to. The banner also
claimed that profits from the sale of the clothing would go to the Ukrainian people and not be laundered through some
offshore account in the Cayman Islands.

Let us hope that American, pre-chopped, fashionably loyal dummy supporters of Ukrainian Nazis do not discover a double meaning in the term
American nuclear family.

https://imgbox.com/gDCbsrfO

Posted by: librul | Dec 21 2023 14:25 utc | 36

Pagan apt name one of suitable deities to worship is Satan presumably.

'if you can cheat your enemy, then immediately take the chance!'

How in this case are enemies turned into neutrals or friends (let alone the Christian turn the other check ethos)

Posted by: phenon | Dec 21 2023 14:27 utc | 37

I have a group of long time friends who were active in the Sanctuary movement in the 1980s, helping Salvadorans and Guatemalans who were fleeing death squads. Now, these friends and their adult children are hard core "blue no matter who" DNC democrats, obsessed with hatred of Putin, Russia, Trump and the MAGA "losers". They listen to NPR and BBC, watch MSNBC and CNN, read the Guardian, Wapo, NY Times and the men read the Economist. Our discussions have become more strained especially since Trump won and now we still get together a few times a year but when the topic of Russia/Putin/Ukraine comes up it's like trying to talk with people who are in a dream state. The Economist is usually cited as the most authoritative source when they present their arguments. British culture is almost above the US.
Both factions-- MAGA red teamers and blue anon dems-- are immersed and invested in their cult although I think the blues' delusions are more twisted (support for Azov while they insist they are still pro peace). Their story tellers (Rachel Maddow, Paul Krugman, etc) are high priests and priestesses. Their worldview is falling apart.
I continue to try and figure out how to talk with my old friends, emphasizing our common Catholic/Christian values, acknowledging my own past errors and why--support for Bill Clinton, etc-- before talking about today's issues, including the latest article from the Economist.

Posted by: migueljose | Dec 21 2023 14:29 utc | 38

... if you can cheat your enemy, then immediately take the chance!

Posted by: theo | Dec 21 2023 14:21 utc | 35

---

The dim future of this zero-sum thinking is being tested worldwide in the crucible of truth.

Posted by: too scents | Dec 21 2023 14:30 utc | 39

@Peter Meier, 22

the Polish book is real. It is a Polish one, written in Polish, so you have to look at Polish sites,
e,g. here "cheap book" online shop
https://www.taniaksiazka.pl/zelenski-biografia-wojciech-rogacin-p-1649647.html
Published in 2022, number of pages 304.

Posted by: BG13 | Dec 21 2023 14:31 utc | 40

Pagan 12

USUKIS are liars in every context, but to utilise the only available mechanisms for peace as mechanisms for war is outrageous.

Christianity metamorphoses the message of Jesus AS against Zionism, political power, into a message of genocide, a 180 degree reversal.

Shop around. If your present mattress wholesalers are giving you substandard products and untrustworthy customer service...

buy one from a foot in the door salesman and get a mattress from a skip with a new cover, Amelek Beds, genocidally hygienic, ethnically sourced, guaranteed to make you sleep for ever, certificated by Soros and protected by warranty from Azov Insurers.

Posted by: Giyane | Dec 21 2023 14:34 utc | 41

too scents | Dec 21 2023 14:30 utc | 39

1.5 million deaths Malorussian and greatrussian
and you com with this ?

Stop your philiosophies,
I m not the devil.

Posted by: theo | Dec 21 2023 14:37 utc | 42

[email protected] at work, God does have a sense of humour. Faux Jews from Europe offering the African descendants of David a place to squat. Explains the sterilization part.

Cheers M

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Dec 21 2023 14:40 utc | 43

Trump has been banned from standing by the Colorado Democrats.

In any other country, whenever an opposition candidate is banned, there are howls of outrage about dictatorship, yooman rights, and All The Soros Horses And All The Soros Men are in full Democracy Protestor mode, throwing petrol bombs and torching public buildings, with all the western presstitute media hacks cheerleading them on.

Not that anyone needs to form a fan club for Trumpo The Magnificent. He is the world's No.1 Shabbos Goy, grovelling on his knees to Nuttyyahoo. He was the most pathetic and ineffectual US President in history, a sort of latter day King Lear, with all the people he appointed publicly and brazenly stabbing him in the back, and openly bragging about it - and getting away with it.

If he is elected, we will just get an action replay of his last failed administration. Western elections are never more than a choice between a dogshit sandwich and a catshit sandwich. That sums up "western democracy."

But what Trumpo has achieved (unwittingly) is forcing the puppet masters to take off the mask from our sham democracy and reveal its true nature - rigid censorship, blanket surveillance, crude repression, and to discredit their lying corporate media.

That is of some value, whatever you think of Trumpo, which probably isn't very much. He is just another politician, a lying, worthless POS.

Posted by: anon | Dec 21 2023 14:43 utc | 44

https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2023/12/somebody-must-tell-this-guy.html#comment-6349474643

AFU leaves Krynki in disgrace?

According to Ukrainian media, members of Zelensky's headquarters supported the decision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to withdraw the remnants of Ukrainian groups from the Krynok area on the left bank of the Dnieper. According to military expert Yuriy Knutov, due to the lack of people and shells, the Ukrainian army is forced to go into a blind defense.

According to Ukrainian social networks, the landing dates in the area of the Antonovsky Bridge, the islands in the floodplain of the Dnieper and the Zaporozhye NPP have been postponed indefinitely-until "the formation of a stable reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" on these bridgeheads. And the forces and means prepared for the landing in Krynki were " redirected to close the LBS in the area of Rabochino and Ugledara." However, this expression can be considered a euphemism — after the publication of a video in which a Russian FAB-1500 with UPMK falls into an elevator with APU manpower, it became clear that these forces were "redirected" straight to hell.

Interestingly, at the same time, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny opposed the accusation of General Tarnavsky in the failure and failure of the timing of the "Lower Dnieper amphibious operation". During two months of heavy fighting, the enemy did not achieve the slightest success there. But in Kiev, apparently, they decided to look for another "scapegoat", and save General Tarnavsky.

Recall that the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on our bank of the Dnieper was planned as an "offensive"one. The enemy intended to accumulate the best forces on the bridgeheads in Krynki and Cossack Camps, and then break through the defenses of the Russian army and make a breakthrough in the direction of the Crimea (the distance from there to the peninsula is about 80 kilometers).

According to Russian military telegram channels, the enemy constantly suffered huge losses in the Krynok area, but it was very difficult to squeeze them out of their positions. In terms of counter-battery power, the APU in the Krynok area had an advantage over the Russian Armed Forces. Our main trump card experts called aerial bombs with UPMK, which smashed enemy columns with equipment and manpower. But our fighters could not fully take control of all the ways of delivering ammunition to the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, the Ukrainians tried to destroy all living things on the approaches to their bridgehead with the help of FPV drones.

Earlier, during a direct line, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the situation in the Kherson region is very sad for Kiev. The enemy is suffering huge losses, despite the fact that the AFU commanders are throwing more and more people into the Krynok area. Putin said that our military should not squeeze Ukrainian soldiers out of their positions in a short time. We need to wait until the enemy suffers even greater losses in the confrontation with the Russian army.

According to Yuri Knutov, a military analyst and director of the Museum of the History of the Air Defense Forces, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are forced to change their tactics to defensive ones in order to accumulate forces.

"The behavior of the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is clear — they have already said that they intend to go into a blind defense. At the same time, they call it "active defense, created to grind the Russian army." They have already started building fortifications in the north of Ukraine — in the Kiev, Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions. This "Zaluzhny line" should run along the borders with Russia and Belarus," Knutov said.

Against this background, the Kiev regime started talking about the need to mobilize at least half a million people in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he recalled.

"This confirms that the human losses of the Ukrainian army are enormous. She suffered them during the summer counteroffensive, the Russian Defense Ministry estimated them at 159 thousand people the day before. I think that soon people without one limb or internal organ will be called up in Ukraine — in fact, people with disabilities, " the analyst said.

At the same time, Kiev said that they allegedly managed to save 95% of NATO military equipment, he recalled.

"We really haven't seen any American Abrams or British Challenger aircraft in combat yet, or a number of other types of equipment. Kiev plans to send new recruits to train with NATO instructors in order to start a new stage of the "counteroffensive"in the spring. It is difficult to say whether these plans are realistic, because they do not take into account possible actions of Russia in the winter period at all. When planning preparations for the spring offensive, the Ukrainians are planning complete inactivity of the Russian army in anticipation of when the Armed Forces of Ukraine will gather new reserves and rush into battle with us, " Knutov said.

The Russian army is unlikely to sit idly by all winter, so the situation can change very much, and not for the best for the APU.

"This plan is completely ill-conceived, but this is already the problem of the Ukrainian General Staff. In the situation around Krynok, the statement of President Putin also played a role — they say, "let them continue to burn their reserves, it is profitable for us." Dozens of stupid "meat assaults" launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the left bank of the Dnieper River claimed thousands of lives of Ukrainian Marines. If the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to prepare reserves for landing on the left bank, they will face the same fate that was shown in the video of the Russian Defense Ministry. In the area of the grain elevator on the right bank, where the human reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were concentrated, a FAB-1500 bomb was dropped from the UMPK. At this point, the entire reserve of the Ukrainians ended, and there was no one to transfer to Krynki. This strike had a sobering effect on the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, " the military expert said.

Knutov believes that it is unrealistic to make well-trained attack aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of disabled people in six months.

"But the Kiev regime still dreams of creating a new army and throwing it into battle. At first glance, to gather 500 thousand people for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is an unrealistic task. But there are still people in Ukraine-for example, recently they counted 4 million draft dodgers, including hundreds of thousands of men who left the country for the EU, Russia and wherever they look. But those who would like to go to defend the Kiev Nazi regime are almost gone. In Ukraine, there are still those who do not have money to pay a bribe to the military commissar: they hide in caches and basements. The second category is people with disabilities. It is them, along with the old men and boys, that the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine intends to call into the ranks. It is not difficult to predict how this will end for Ukraine, " expert Knutov concluded.

Posted by: Krynki | Dec 21 2023 14:49 utc | 45

@Posted by: anon | Dec 21 2023 14:43 utc | 44

The best thing Trump did was to stop
WWIII Hillary from being elected.

Repeatedly, publicly and over a long period of time
she said that she would shoot down Russian planes
over Syria. How does such an act not lead to escalation?

Posted by: librul | Dec 21 2023 14:53 utc | 46

I think one question could be...how can we get Azov Battalion off of the major U.S. Eastern college campuses-

Posted by: t_dalton | Dec 21 2023 14:57 utc | 47

Reading this and going back to the spreadsheet

Yesterday I talked with a fresh captive of the Armed Forces from the Kupyansky direction. Of their entire company of 96 people, only three people have been fighting since last summer, the company commanders are drunks, and two are sergeants. The rest were mobilized and captured in different regions of Ukraine.

So 16 months and only 3 left in 96

That amounts to, roughly, 20% attrition (KIA+irrecoverable WIA) per month

If the biting edge is roughly 250.000 AFU soldiers, then for 22 months we, once again, get 1.100.000 attrited (KIA+irrecoverable WIA) for the entire SMO.

If Shoigu's numbers are taken as total attrition it does not make sense , 380.000 with 9 waves of mobilization would be slightly more than 40.000 per wave, bizare at best when the numbers mentioned are in the 100's of thousands.

There is one way that numbers make sense:

1. Shoigu's numbers only concern KIA
2. the total he gave was PRIOR to the counter offensive

That way 159.000x2 = 318.000
PriorT +383.000x2 = 766.000
TOTAL AFU ATTRITION 1.084.000

Close enough to 1.100.000 and it gives a counter offensive with casualties maybe 30-40% above the prior SMO

And this number is close in line with the TV one as well.

Now for more interesting numbers, if the ukraine population is close to 19M then they should be crying uncle, if it is closer to 29M they should still be able to raise another 300-400k meat package.

Posted by: Newbie | Dec 21 2023 15:06 utc | 48

BUY THE BOOK!

WOŁODYMYR ZEŁENSKI. ZDUMIEWAJĄCY BOHATER UKRAINY by Andrew L. Urban and Chris McLeod (Apr 2022) is in stock for the low, low price of 16zł (USD 4.00).

OR

A Message from Ukraine: Speeches, 2019-2022 (Nov 2022) is $9.99 hardcover, $4.99 Kindle.

Bertelsman (2022)

Bringing together a new introduction by Volodymyr Zelensky with his most powerful war speeches, "A Message from Ukraine" recounts Ukraine's story through the words of its president. It is the story of a nation valiantly defending itself from Russian aggression. And it is the story of a people leading the world in the struggle for democracy. Above all, it is a battle cry for the world to speak out and fight for liberty. If not now, when? The book includes sixteen speeches that the President has personally selected to explore Ukraine's journey since 2019, as well as a stirring introduction in which he reflects on what he has learnt about himself and about Ukraine since the full-scale invasion. All the President's proceeds from the book - amounting to at least 60p per copy of the print edition sold in the U.K. - will go to United24, his initiative to collect donations in support of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensk* said: "Supporting Ukraine is not a trend, a meme or a viral challenge. It is not a force to rapidly spread across the planet and then just as rapidly disappear. If you want to understand where we are from, what we want and where we are going, you need to learn more about who we are. This book will help you do just that. Since my inauguration in May 2019, I have delivered about 1,000 different addresses around the world. I have selected the sixteen speeches in this book because they will help you understand Ukrainians: our aspirations, our principles, and our values. Above all, this book will help you hear our message to the world: that we are a free and independent people, and that we will not stop fighting until the last Russian troop has left our territory." ...

KIRBY (2023)
"What we have said before," Kirby said, "and we'll say it again today, that if coming out of this meeting, there's some sort of call for a ceasefire, well, that's just going to be unacceptable because all that's going to do, Mike, is ratify Russian's conquest to date."

Kirby said he hoped China's president would keep OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION with President Joe Biden and also seek out the Ukrainian side of the story through discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensk*.

"We hope, and we've said this before, that President Xi will call and talk to President Zelensk* because we believe that the Chinese need to get the Ukrainian perspective here," Kirby said.

Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 15:10 utc | 49

Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with others. The typical division into three branches of government, sometimes called the trias politica model, includes a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_powers

What this means is the head of the executive should not be exercising any influence over the judiciary.

what Biden has done is put his viewpoint out in the middle of dozens of judicial attacks on the former president as they head into an election:

'Trump no question supported insurrection' This is the amount of doubt needed for a criminal conviction conveniently for him politically.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/20/biden-on-colorado-ruling-trump-no-question-supported-insurrection/71987070007/

Posted by: phenon | Dec 21 2023 15:11 utc | 50

Posted by: SOS | Dec 21 2023 12:05 utc | 13

>In many ways someone is still fighting the last war here. In WW2 arms development really started up after 2-3 years.

Yes. Most military people and most older people have a real difficulty understanding how fast technology is progressing.

Plus all humans have a problem with exponentials unless they constantly remind themselves to think exponential. It takes 10 doublings to go from 1 to 1024. If each doubling takes 2 years, then total time 20 years, but 75% of the progress in the last 4 years, and first 10 years are hardly noticeable.

Your point about EMP is good but that's raising the stakes. There's also the option of taking out all the satellites, attacking merchant shipping with missiles and drone subs (much easier than attacking war ships), biological warfare, etc.

My thinking is drones will eventually be hardened or protected against EMP. If you have billions of drones, just keep 90% inside protective cases (Faraday case) while 10% are exposed.

I'm certain that future wars will pretty much eliminate humans from near the line of contact. Big meat-based life forms are just too vulnerable and give off too visible infrared and acoustic signatures. This is the last big war among developed countries where humans from opposite sides still make close contact.

Posted by: anonposter | Dec 21 2023 15:38 utc | 51

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 13:32 utc | 30

Thank you for that link, I've skimmed it and bookmarked for further study.

The shadow banking system is a real thing and a ticking time bomb. The author's suggestion to get rid of it by removing the deposit cap on FDIC insurance is another thing; I am not sure it is wise as it would just encourage more speculation and bubbles, with the losses being socialized and profits privatized.

I'm not sure what it has to do with Bloomberg's propaganda other than Bloomberg itself is probably waste-deep in the shadow banking system and making money off the skim. As is usual for banksters.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 15:43 utc | 52

Skyscraper-sized adverts in Ukraine’s cities glamorise life as one of the brigade’s stormtroopers, slaying goblin-like caricatures of evil.

I guess a term usually associated with the einsatzgruppen slipped past the Economist's editors.
Or did it...?

Posted by: robjira | Dec 21 2023 16:02 utc | 53

In response to
"
Who, by the way, is paying for them?

Posted by b on December 21, 2023 at 9:57 UTC
"

We all do in some way and it is the global private finance cult that is forcing us to pay for their perfidy against us.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 21 2023 16:18 utc | 54

Reisner recently posted a new video.

https://youtu.be/WoP1i9ZzwOs?si=0YbXdkJZFOXtriB9

Impressive contortions of the man in order to tell you the truth as far as he can, without displeasing his superiors too much.

All in all, it must be a sobering watch for those who have only drunk the western propaganda kool-aid up to now.

Posted by: Augusto Pi | Dec 21 2023 10:28 utc | 5

Same video in English:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjMr3RZ8Ss

Posted by: Moscow Exile | Dec 21 2023 16:23 utc | 55

Yemen is Iran's baby now, I expect the Russians to respect that, and avoid interfering. Yemen/AnsarAllah seem to like the Russians. Also, the Russians do not necessarily say what they really think. Like the Chinese, they speak to advance diplomatic purposes...
Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 21 2023 12:30 utc | 20

Let's recap "diplomatic purposes" 2023 in chronological order. I suspect some people are not yet convinced, enemies of democracy are wise to G7 "divide and conquer" ROW stratagems. They've been comparing two hundred years of notes and are consolidating objectives, commercial alliances, and trimming weak links.

February The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper

China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis

March
Joint statement of the President of the Russian Federation and the Chairman of the People's Republic of China on the plan for the development of key areas of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation until 2030

Joint Trilateral Statement by the People's Republic of China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran

China, Russia, Iran hold joint naval drills in Gulf of Oman
(Prince Abdulaziz warns from imposing price cap on Saudi oil exports)

April
Saudi-Omani delegation to hold ceasefire talks with Yemen's Houthis in Sanaa

Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman to form joint naval force under China auspice

(National Review, "Persian Gulf States" lol)

November
Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit Adopts Resolution on Israeli Aggression against the Palestinian People

December
Declaration by the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Ways and Means to Counter, Mitigate and Redress the Adverse Impacts of Unilateral Coercive Measures

Position Paper of the People’s Republic of China on Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

(al-akhbar, Sana'a and Riyadh draft agreement to end the Saudi war is ready to be signed)

Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 16:30 utc | 56

The shadow banking system is a real thing ...

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 15:43 utc | 52

---

The simple way to cure financialization is to tax transactions. A tax on orders, whether they fill or not, would put an end to high frequency trading and act as a flywheel against speculation.

The United States instituted a transfer tax on all sales or transfers of stock in The Revenue Act of 1914 (Act of 22 October 1914 (ch. 331, 38 Stat. 745)). Instead of a fixed tax amount per transaction, the tax was in the amount of 0.2% of the transaction value (20 basis points, bips). This was doubled to 0.4% (40 bips) in 1932, in the context of the Great Depression, then eliminated in 1966. By 2020, all major economies have moved to the GST (Goods and Services Tax) based tax system.

In 1936, in the wake of the Great Depression, John Maynard Keynes advocated the wider use of financial transaction taxes. He proposed the levying of a small transaction tax on dealings on Wall Street, in the United States, where he argued excessive speculation by uninformed financial traders increased volatility (see Keynes financial transaction tax below).

ref ==> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_transaction_tax

Posted by: too scents | Dec 21 2023 16:38 utc | 57

OK so this is a book that you can buy, about Zelensky, for what that is worth.
But Zelensky himself is nothing but a hired hand (and that is to put it politely). He has been bought by the US, lock stock and barrel, like so many other "leaders" in this corrupt world. He will be tossed away like a used piece of junk, when no more benefit can be got out of him. That is after something like 700000 people have died.
There is something seriously wrong in this world.
It is time for revolts, all over. It can't continue like this

Posted by: g wiltek | Dec 21 2023 17:02 utc | 58

War—preparation for it and its aftermath—is the gift that keeps on giving. None of the threads here have examined hidden brain injuries that will possibly follow many surviving soldiers—Ukrainian and Russian—years after this conflict is over. The NYT today publishes its third article today highlighting how the concussive force of weapons like artillery and mortars is causing brain injury to US military personnel repeatedly exposed to the shock waves produced to the firing of at least 14 weapon types. [ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/us/army-blast-safety-brain-injuries.html ] . Links to the two previous articles are within today’s piece. The specific nature of the brain tissue damage differs from CTE that concussed American football players suffer. But like CTE the cumulative damage doesn’t show up until year’s later. One of the examples given is the reservist who recently killed 18 in the state of Maine. He was a hand grenade instructor for 19 years, exposed to thousands of blasts.

My point is that many Russian and Ukrainian veterans who survive this war are likely to suffer future behavioral difficulties years after the end of the fighting.

Posted by: mjh | Dec 21 2023 17:09 utc | 59

To answer b's question:

They are being privately funded by a Semite.

They are being publicly led by a Semite.

Their main backer, the USA, pretty much all involved are Semites.

All Azov is doing is leading the white peoples of Ukraine to extinction being led by the nose and puppeted by Semites.

How can ordinary Ukranians not know this?? Are they this stupid, ignorant or brainwashed??

Azov is doing the Semites' bidding and killing white people in industrial numbers. It is maddening how stupid and ridiculous this is.

Posted by: Johnny | Dec 21 2023 17:22 utc | 60

@unimperator | Dec 21 2023 12:48 utc | 26

Btw, interesting to note that the Covid 'crisis' lasted approximately 2 years from January '20 to January '22 and then vanished into thin air.
It started in March '20. People could have listened to me in April '20 and be done with it then. But no.

The pattern is that the Empire is in crisis and must create eternal problems for everyone else to avoid collapse. The crisis subject changes, but the motive is the same.

Posted by: Norwegian | Dec 21 2023 17:29 utc | 61

We know about Ukrainian Nazis in Canada. One of them was honoured in Parliament. But it has not really sunk into the public consciousness or impacted Trudeau's pro-Ukrainian stance. Don't play me music that I don't want to hear, to quote our song writer and singer, Valdy.

Posted by: Mike Price | Dec 21 2023 17:51 utc | 62

"Who, by the way, is paying for them?" (them = azov nazi brigade)

The judeonazis of course like once upon a time the man with three passports.

Posted by: Naive | Dec 21 2023 18:07 utc | 63

by Moscow Exile | Dec 21 2023 16:23 utc | 55

Thanks for reminding me on Heer.
Reisner is cool enough to present more stuff on screens, and quietly express the position of his R&D department. While he sitreps a bit leaning to explain the Western view, he also has a pretty neutral position.

When he talks to the German main media, he is very cold facts realist. Duitsers are not pleased to hear that from an Austrian.
He is not poisoned with Russo-phobia.

Posted by: whirlX | Dec 21 2023 18:08 utc | 64

Posted by: Johnny | Dec 21 2023 17:22 utc | 59

Most of the leaders you are listing are not semites. The semites are the Palestinians. Without a doubt.

Posted by: Naive | Dec 21 2023 18:09 utc | 65

Naive,

Just using b's nomenclature... And that Azov guy's. But yes, I do agree with your point.

This might be the dumbest thing ever. Literally idiotic. You can't tell me that Andriy Beletsky has no idea who funded Azov, who leads Azov and who the head of the country is, and who are the cheerleaders for this war from the USA.

All Jews. (Or Semites as they call themselves).

Do they not have internet in the Ukraine?? How do the Orthodox Ukranians not figure this out?? How can someone be so misled to volunteer for a slaughterhouse in service of and for WHAT HE SAYS is his actual enemy.

Pure insanity.

Posted by: Johnny | Dec 21 2023 18:15 utc | 66

each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_powers
Posted by: phenon | Dec 21 2023 15:11 utc | 50

This statement is incorrect in theory and in practice, which proves again wikiwtf. I don't know how this polemic manifests in your corner of the world that has escaped parliamentary procedure, BUT no British American contributor to either the Articles of Confederation or US Constitution expected or vested "independence" in federal authorities. Read the records: Every debate deliberated establishment of unilateral agency in any government office.

Until FDR's admin, the federal government was weak. States' governments enjoyed "independence," because every congress since the civil war dared not infringe the 10th. Unless, of course, they'd left money on the table.

By design, then as now, limitation legal authority in each body precludes "independence" and has fomented epic conflicts between their members, elected and commissioned (executive "appointment") ever since. "Powers"—the legitimacy, if you prefer, of government bodies—states' and federal—are interdependent. And let us note, the "responsibilities" and obligations of its members are are in practice...optional, typically assayed by strongly worded letters, movements, and opinion surveys by "the people" so long as they don't besmirch real property.

Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 18:18 utc | 67

Lavrov's in Tunis today and held a presser after his meeting with his Tunisian colleague where the initial Q&A revisited an incident from last year that IMO didn't get discussed enough at the time:

Question: As you know, during your previous trips to African countries, the West tried in every possible way to obstruct your talks. Did history repeat itself this time? Have you been told by your colleagues from Tunisia about how their arms were twisted?

Sergey Lavrov: This trip was not only to Tunisia. It began yesterday in Marrakech at a meeting of the Russian-Arab form of cooperation. I did not ask questions about how Western countries accompanied these plans and the visits themselves.

I do not want to go into details now, but we know for a fact that any trip by a Russian delegation, including a delegation from the Foreign Ministry, to the Arab world, the Middle East and North Africa is always preceded by demarches by Western diplomats who warn and warn, and in some cases, as they like to say, "hint at consequences."

We have already said (this is no secret) that last year's visit to Cairo to the headquarters of the League of Arab States was preceded by public demarches by the American, British and European ambassadors with a direct call to cancel Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's speech at the headquarters of the League of Arab States. When it was explained to them that Russia has its own relations with the Arab League, which are built on the basis of existing agreements, Western diplomats began to ask representatives of the League to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine after Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's speech. To this, it was also explained to them that the League has its own position on how and where certain situations have developed and are developing. Then we received a third request from Western ambassadors: to let him speak, not to condemn, but at least not to be photographed with him. I'm not kidding. I am saying this only because all this was made public by the Arab League Secretariat itself. They even issued a special document on the results of this indecent demarche of Western diplomats.

To reiterate, I did not talk about such phenomena during my visit to Morocco yesterday or to Tunisia today. I have no doubt that this trend continues. We have reliable information that the West is sending instructions to all its ambassadors to behave in the same way as they behaved on the eve of our visit to the Arab League headquarters last year.

The incident provides an excellent example as to why Russian and Chinese relations with RoW are so much better than the West's.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 21 2023 18:22 utc | 68

Posted by: Pagan | Dec 21 2023 11:32 utc | 12

It shows that the empire of lies cannot be trusted and that there is nothing to negotiate. The only issue is capitulation, which means demilitarisation, denazification (and criminals sent to court for their war crimes), AT LEAST Odessa, Nikolaiev, Karkov and Dniepropetrovsk back to Russia, all sanctions terminated, indemnity payments for NS, ETC.

Posted by: Naive | Dec 21 2023 18:24 utc | 69

Yemen is Iran's baby now, I expect the Russians to respect that, and avoid interfering. Yemen/AnsarAllah seem to like the Russians. Also, the Russians do not necessarily say what they really think. Like the Chinese, they speak to advance diplomatic purposes, like any sophisticated actor really.
Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 21 2023 12:30 utc | 20

To demonstrate "diplomatic purposes" opposed to military confrontation with G7 "leadership" [HERE] rather than [THERE], let's recap unexpected events this year.

February The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper

China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis

March
a href="http://tinyurl.com/bddc536b">Joint statement of the President of the Russian Federation and the Chairman of the People's Republic of China on the plan for the development of key areas of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation until 2030
Joint Trilateral Statement by the People's Republic of China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran

China, Russia, Iran hold joint naval drills in Gulf of Oman
(audigazette,Prince Abdulaziz warns from imposing price cap on Saudi oil exports)

April
Saudi-Omani delegation to hold ceasefire talks with Yemen's Houthis in Sanaa

Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman to form joint naval force under China auspice
(National Review, "Persian Gulf State")

November
Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit Adopts Resolution on Israeli Aggression against the Palestinian People

December
Declaration by the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Ways and Means to Counter, Mitigate and Redress the Adverse Impacts of Unilateral Coercive Measures
(al-akhbar, Sana'a and Riyadh draft agreement to end the Saudi war is ready to be signed)

The G7 "Divide and Conquer" stratagem has finally failed. RoW has compared two hundred years of notes and wised up.

Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 18:47 utc | 70

anon @ 44

Don't be insulting Lear by comparing him to Trump. Impossible to imagine an Edgar or a Kent devoting themselves to Trump.

Trump would be more sympathetic if he had dementia. He does not. A lifetime of bad judgment.

Trump more an actor than a player. Not enough of an actor to ever portray Lear. He plays a WWF heel.

Posted by: oldhippie | Dec 21 2023 20:10 utc | 71

This substack article that was suggested by Larry Johnson provides some good insight into NATO's great weakness, "NATO IS A MESS AND THE RUSSIANS ARE WINNING", that also deeply affects the ability to do anything about Taiwan and China. And it's not a very long read.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 21 2023 21:06 utc | 72

"the sub-humanity led by the Semites”

elensky?

Posted by: nook | Dec 21 2023 21:22 utc | 73

Warmongers Biden and Blinken should be forced to sit through this video. . ."Honoring Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russia'sBiden's war"

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 21 2023 22:10 utc | 74

Try again:

"Kirby said he hoped China's president would keep OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION with President Joe Biden and also seek out the Ukrainian side of the story through discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensk*."

---

Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 15:10 utc | 49

Which means: "stop ignoring us".

===

"The simple way to cure financialization is to tax transactions. A tax on orders, whether they fill or not, would put an end to high frequency trading and act as a flywheel against speculation."

---

Posted by: too scents | Dec 21 2023 16:38 utc | 56

Yes, and tax wealth, especially inherited wealth.

===

"My point is that many Russian and Ukrainian veterans who survive this war are likely to suffer future behavioral difficulties years after the end of the fighting."

---

Posted by: mjh | Dec 21 2023 17:09 utc | 58

Yep, USA has been picking up a lot of "brain injuries" in the Middle East, and the Izzies in Gaza, and back in Vietnam it was the same, and "shell shock" in WWI.

===

"This statement is incorrect in theory and in practice, which proves again wikiwtf. I don't know how this polemic manifests in your corner of the world that has escaped parliamentary procedure, BUT no British American contributor to either the Articles of Confederation or US Constitution expected or vested "independence" in federal authorities. Read the records: Every debate deliberated establishment of unilateral agency in any government office."

---

Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 18:18 utc | 66

Agree. A thorny subject however, since many of the states had no real interest in serving the people. Lincoln started the federal power grab, in order to preserve the Union, and Woody Wilson really got the police state going, Truman allowed it to take over, JFKs assassination cemented it into place, the mass media reduced it to unexplained drivel.

===

"To reiterate, I did not talk about such phenomena during my visit to Morocco yesterday or to Tunisia today. I have no doubt that this trend continues. We have reliable information that the West is sending instructions to all its ambassadors to behave in the same way as they behaved on the eve of our visit to the Arab League headquarters last year."

---

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 21 2023 18:22 utc | 67

Nice. Reminds me of the Indian FMs "Your problems are not our problems" speech a while back.

===

"The G7 "Divide and Conquer" stratagem has finally failed. RoW has compared two hundred years of notes and wised up."

Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 18:47 utc | 69

Yes, well done.

===

I wanted to add with regard to Buddhism that I don't consider it a religion, but a practice. I agree with the point of view that "desire is the cause of suffering", seems unarguable really, but disagree in that, allowing that it is so, I still don't want to leave, I want to stay here and work on it.

Nice thread today.

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 21 2023 22:13 utc | 100

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 21 2023 22:18 utc | 75

Head of Ukraine border control says 6000 military aged men leave per day. Multiplied by 365, that would be ~2.1 million per year. Ukraine is said by some to only have around 2-3M military aged males left (some claim even less), so at this rate, in another year they would have no one left to fight but women or people "above or below" military age: i.e. teenagers or 70+ year olds.

◾️Every day, about 6 thousand men of military age leave the territory of Ukraine abroad.

◾️This was stated at a briefing by the head of the department for organizing border control of the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service, Igor Matviychuk.

◾️ They schemes used are variable from using transport permits for truck drivers to several relatives of conscription age accompanying a disable family member across the border.

https://twitter.com/simpatico771/status/1737966263937200391

Welcome to the definition of a failed state. Russia precisely doesn't want to touch anything in Ukraine with a 10 foot pole, just wait till it crumbles on itself and pick up the pieces they need later from the aftermath.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 22:48 utc | 76

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 22:48 utc | 75

>Welcome to the definition of a failed state. Russia precisely doesn't want to touch anything in Ukraine with a 10 foot pole, just wait till it crumbles on itself and pick up the pieces they need later from the aftermath.

According to https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/12/21/7434041/, "if Russia wins, Russia could exact terrible victor’s justice on Ukrainians. This isn’t speculation. It’s precisely what the Russians have already done in Ukraine: mass executions, castrations, rapes, torture and abductions of children."

What I get from this hysterical quote is that Ukrainians are becoming increasingly paranoid and incapable of behaving rationally, perhaps because all the sane men are fleeing and the sane women already fled last year.

Posted by: anonposter | Dec 21 2023 23:06 utc | 77

House Republicans, if they have any brains, would condition any further aid to Ukraine on achieving specific reductions in border invasions on the Rio Grande before releasing any funds.

For example- border crossings down 50% by March means $xx in funds for Zelenskys corrupt regime.

Don’t just give pudding skull a huge amount- release it slowly, in tranches, contingent on verified performance in reducing the invaders, not promises that can be broken. Act like Erdogan.

Just to be clear I am totally against giving Ukraine one more red cent. But in terms of realpolitik this scenario makes sense and if not followed, shows that the Hoiise freedom caucus and Speaker Johnson are just another bunch of stooges.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 23:09 utc | 78

4/16/2019, Warmonger Trump insists on continuing bloody Yemen war: NY Times, "President Trump vetoed a bipartisan resolution on Tuesday that would have forced an end to American military involvement in Saudi Arabia’s civil war in Yemen, rejecting an appeal by lawmakers to his own [supposed] deeply rooted instincts to withdraw the United States from bloody foreign conflicts.

The veto, only the second time Mr. Trump has used his power to block legislation passed by both houses of Congress, strikes down a resolution that invoked the War Powers Act to distance the United States from a four-year conflict that has killed thousands of civilians and resulted in a widespread famine.

The measure was a rebuke of Mr. Trump’s support for Saudi Arabia."..."Trump Vetoes Measure to Force End to U.S. Involvement in Yemen War," Mark Landler and Peter Baker

Posted by: susan mullen | Dec 21 2023 23:12 utc | 79

Posted by: anonposter | Dec 21 2023 23:06 utc | 76

I see a de-populated outcome for large swaths of Ukraine, simply because no one will fund central part of Ukraine. It will become a 'Mad Max' society, or equivalent to Robinson Crusoe. EU won't fund central Ukraine and Russia would but can't afford it.

Depopulated territory is much easier to use as a defensive buffer against Nato and its neo-nazi dogs. Eventually something could be rebuilt though.

The best case scenario would be to get non-western investments into Ukraine, build OBOR roads and rail lines through to Hungary and connect Hungary and rest of the Balkans with the non-western world. It will cripple EU and Nato and blow the WEF sand box called west out of the water.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 23:16 utc | 80

WOMAN OF THE YEAR: She saved her husband from mobilization!

She snatched him back out and stood her ground! He owes her big time.

Touching!

https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1737825012667519039

The country is a complete circus and coming to its end.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 23:34 utc | 81

" In a recent speech Putin again referred to Western leaders who deceived him about Minsk agreements. According to reports he is really miffed about it. So the question is why harp on it to such an extent. Putin is usually calm and measured, so what is gained by showing one's irritation so publicly and repeatedly. I propose a potential explanation.

Posted by: Pagan | Dec 21 2023 11:32 utc | 12 "


Putin has stated the same thing throughout the years, each deception had to do with a different situation, the main being NATO's promise that it would not try to extend to Russia's borders.

This begs the question, how can a geopolitical genius be deceived by the same party on numerous occasions ?

Posted by: Moonie | Dec 21 2023 23:40 utc | 82

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 23:34 utc | 80

That video speaks well for the woman… and Ukrainian women who stayed and didn’t whore themselves out for western porn addicts.

Most of the hoes who fled to Europe and the IS would probably have let the van take their man away, knowing they could find another one to replace him.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 22 2023 0:28 utc | 83

@ Moonie | Dec 21 2023 23:40 utc | 81
re: Minsk Agreements
Wait, there's more:
Feb 17, 2015 — By resolution 2202 (2015), the UN Security Council called on all parties to fully implement the “Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements".

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 22 2023 0:36 utc | 84

Let's look on the bright side. . .
Ukraine conflict could ruin EU – Borrell . . .The bloc’s top diplomat has admitted that not all member states see Russia as a “strategic threat”

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 22 2023 0:42 utc | 85

Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 12:20 utc | 17
*** I don't believe that, I think Putin will give a lot away to get peace as many Russians are being killed.***

There is absolutely nothing that Putin could give away without indisputably being a traitor.

*** Especially if Trump wins and he is dealing with a conservative statist like himself.***

Trump, like Biden, is basically just a front for the US-empire.
The political establishment perpetuating its dictatorship via running both the government and an alleged "alternative" to be temporarily deployed if too many of the public become alienated from the incumbent squad.

Whatever deals Statists of the global State (NWO) -- as per that intended by the WEF and associated agencies of monopoly-capitalism -- make between themselves, are always, inevitably, going to be contrary to the interests of the general populations they pretend to represent.


Posted by: Cynic | Dec 22 2023 0:45 utc | 86

Posted by: Pagan | Dec 21 2023 11:32 utc | 12
Posted by: Moonie | Dec 21 2023 23:40 utc | 81

Putin has stated the same thing throughout the years, each deception had to do with a different situation, the main being NATO's promise that it would not try to extend to Russia's borders.

This begs the question, how can a geopolitical genius be deceived by the same party on numerous occasions?

I have watched Putin live on RT, during the signing the start of the SMO where he grumbled "I should have done that before."
In 2007 Putin told NATO and the West everything that was bothering Russia and they laughed at him. In 2008 and 2009 he was an outcast at various G-whatever meetings. He regretted not telling them before the same stuff in Genova G20 where Berlusconi and W.Bush were reigning and were still inclined buddies.

Signing treaties and making deals requires some trust and a respect, that being gone, for Putin is left only in a great disappointment and mistrust of the complete Western morality and the mentality. He was pretty much a pro Western guy at that time and he regrets it, too.

Military pressure and a frequent messaging from Kremlin, with more and more denigration of the West indicates that RF seems angry enough and is fed up with Western wiggling. Lavrov softly called the West to sanity or total defeat.
January to March 2024 will be an interesting event rich timeline.

Posted by: whirlX | Dec 22 2023 1:02 utc | 87

Posted by: susan mullen | Dec 21 2023 23:12 utc |

I think you're the first one to bring up the fact that Yemen has already been under attack by the US, since 2015.

The US, which announced in Feb. 2014, when Yanukovych fled Kiev to save his life, that his fleeing meant that he was no longer president, but has been claiming since 2015 that Hadi is still the legitimate president of Yemen, even though he also fled.
Such hypocrisy!
AND the US helped Saudi Arabia with the blockade of Yemen, using the USN to block shipments of food to Yemen, leading to the starvation deaths of unknown numbers of children (probably in the hundreds of thousands, but we don't know. Unlike in Gaza, no one seems to care.)

And now Lloyd Ratheon Austin has the NERVE to announce that the US is going to the Red Sea to support "freedom of navigation"??!!
After the US helped stop the shipment of food to feed the people of Yemen? Where was the freedom of navigation there?

I think that these facts should be front and center in any discussion of the US's newest act of war.

Weird that the only time it has come up is to attack Trump, although it started under Obama/Biden, but I guess we have to take what we can get.

Posted by: wagelaborer | Dec 22 2023 1:19 utc | 88

wagelaborer | Dec 22 2023 1:19 utc | 87--

I've written here that the Outlaw US Empire's been waging war on Yemenis via its proxies for 10+ years, but not on the Ukraine thread.

whirlX | Dec 22 2023 1:02 utc | 86--

There was a short discussion as to Putin's recent behavior and associated words on a comment thread at my substack, which IMO is related to the need to perform a public mea culpa in preparation for the 2024 election and setting the table for the next 6+ years of conflict with NATO/Outlaw US Empire as head of Russia, and especially to fulfill the several vows he's made about vanquishing the hegemon's system. At today's meeting, he made a very short but important statement about what BRICS+ will work very hard on in 2024 regarding the international financial payments regime/system:

Work continues on the creation of so-called inter-depository bridges with friendly countries. Why is this done? In order to keep track of investments in securities without using Western infrastructures, such as Euroclear, which has suspended work with our country. Actions on so-called inter-deposit bridges will allow us to work in the financial market outside of unfriendly infrastructures.

During our BRICS presidency next year, we will work on the introduction of digital financial assets for international settlements. We are actively working together with the Bank of Russia on this issue.

I discussed this earlier this year on the topic of central bank digital currencies and how such a system could easily be organized by major trading nations to bypass the West's system and then add smaller nations as they modernize their financial systems.

Putin knows where the Empire's soft spot resides. It's military is no match for Russia, but Putin doesn't need to launch a kinetic war when he too can go Hybrid. Russia will continue to build itself as if for war but also for its future as the two goals complement each other. If one takes the time to review all that Putin & Lavrov have done in December, a rather complete picture can be drawn/seen. The title of Crooke's latest SCF essay when reworded is apt: "Russia Can Continue Its Path and Wait at Leisure while the USA Labors and Errs."

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 22 2023 2:30 utc | 89

This begs the question, how can a geopolitical genius be deceived by the same party on numerous occasions ?

Posted by: Moonie | Dec 21 2023 23:40 utc | 81

Very simple: he needed time. And he got it. He fooled everyone including you.

Posted by: Naive | Dec 22 2023 2:40 utc | 90

Some videos for today.

Russian mortar team strikes enemy position near Kupyansk:
https://rutube.ru/video/364d73b4ef5cf5ec25124908820b4b7d/

Russian airborne forces storm enemy fortified position near the DPR’s Artemovsk:
https://rutube.ru/video/5f72b04e067c4d0fcd31a4554df6f71f/

Russian Grad launcher opens fire on enemy camouflaged positions near Artemovsk:
https://rutube.ru/video/a073d7cfa1e17387b860b88584292f35/

Russian drones strike enemy speed boats attempting to cross the Dnepr River:
https://rutube.ru/video/c6cfef93f2ff54577208f5df35b89bb9/

Russian Su-25 conducts airstrike near Donetsk:
https://rutube.ru/video/524dad9f335e75e99cecaf11c835fe5d/

Posted by: Nate | Dec 22 2023 2:53 utc | 91

I think Putin will give a lot away to get peace as many Russians are being killed.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Dec 21 2023 12:20 utc | 17

Typical western mentality. Russians do not think like western people. And at the end they win. What is "a lot"? What is "many"?

Moreover the objectives of the SMO are clear for everyone able to listen. And Odessa is a Russian city. Everyone has to swallow that.

Especially if Trump wins and he is dealing with a conservative statist like himself.

To call a leader who is breaking the western hegemony to pieces a conservative... LOL, it is ludicrous.

Posted by: Naive | Dec 22 2023 2:54 utc | 92

Warmongers Biden and Blinken should be forced to sit through this video. . ."Honoring Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russia'sBiden's war"

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 21 2023 22:10 utc | 73

Sociopaths feel no empathy.

Everyone has the woman he deserves:

https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1737825012667519039

The country is a complete circus and coming to its end.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 23:34 utc | 80

Isn't it?

Posted by: Naive | Dec 22 2023 3:00 utc | 93

Hey... Love for sell! Just get your shots and tests....

Posted by: nook | Dec 22 2023 3:34 utc | 94

I wonder why Putin, being a lawyer, doesn't distinguish between UAF fighters who get afforded POW status and Geneva Convention protection, vs NATO mercs and NATO personnel who don't.

Since there is no declaration of war on either side, these are illegal combatants who are not a party to the conflict. Yeah, I know that NATO is unofficially a party, but let's be legalistic here.

Given that, Russia is under no obligation to afford any Geneva Convention protections to a non-Ukrainian soldier, merc, or illegal combatant. Putin could declare that any such hostiles encountered on the battlefield will be summarily executed, or even targeted with bounties.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 22 2023 3:50 utc | 95

@ Cynic | Dec 22 2023 0:45 utc | 85

Re: Trump, like Biden, is basically just a front for the US-empire.

No. Trump bad-mouthed NATO, pulled out of Iraq and Syria, set up the pull-out from Afghanistan and struck a huge agreement with North Korea which was a bridge too far for the MIC, and dropped like it never happened.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 22 2023 4:15 utc | 96

@ Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2023 12:48 utc | 26

2 years is considered by historians to be the line between a "short war" and a "long war". 1 year or less is a "conflict", although Korea is occasionally listed in that way, simply because of any lack of war declaration by any country.

Why 2 years? Seems arbitrary, but for history, that encompasses 2 growing seasons, and 2 summer-winter weather cycles, with an impact on stored food and goods. If a country doesn't starve or run out of fighters or allies in 2 years, then wars simply last 4 to 10 years.

This conflict soon to be long war will last 4 or more years once it is past the 2 year mark. Because resources are being supplied to one side far beyond their own capability to produce or supply.

The worst is yet to come, I'm afraid to say.

Posted by: BroncoBilly | Dec 22 2023 4:21 utc | 97

Well, the book is in romanian, and the romanian currency is the lion (literally). So, 4.99 lions.

Posted by: McStrontium | Dec 22 2023 4:51 utc | 98

“It is a book about a bygone politician on sales. No unusual but still, why would anyone ditch 5 of whatever for it?“

If the “whatever” was worth a quarter ($0.25 US money) then the book shown would be comparable in price to toilet paper. At that point, I’d buy it for that price - and that purpose, starting with the cover.

Posted by: Dalit | Dec 22 2023 4:54 utc | 99

Re: Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 21 2023 18:22 utc | 67

The incident provides an excellent example as to why Russian and Chinese relations with RoW are so much better than the West's.

Very diplomatic way to put it - and not throw Tunisia "under the bus"!

Impressive.

Posted by: Julian | Dec 22 2023 5:17 utc | 100

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