Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
July 26, 2024

Pentagon Again Applies Budget Lies To Deliver More Weapons To Ukraine

Whenever the Pentagon runs out of money designated by Congress as aid to Ukraine it starts to use creative accounting to free up some additional money from its general budget. The 'accounting errors' used therein are always in favor of more weapons to Ukraine.

Exclusive: Pentagon accounting error overvalued Ukraine weapons aid by $3 billion - May 19 2023, Reuters

The Pentagon overestimated the value of the ammunition, missiles and other equipment it sent to Ukraine by around $3 billion, a Senate aide and a defense official said on Thursday, an error that may lead the way for more weapons being sent to Kyiv for its defense against Russian forces.
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Pentagon accounting error provides extra $6.2 billion for Ukraine military aid - June 20 2023, AP

The Pentagon said Tuesday that it overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion over the past two years — about double early estimates — resulting in a surplus that will be used for future security packages.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said a detailed review of the accounting error found that the military services used replacement costs rather than the book value of equipment that was pulled from Pentagon stocks and sent to Ukraine. She said final calculations show there was an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended last Sept. 30.

As a result, the department now has additional money in its coffers to use to support Ukraine as it pursues its counteroffensive against Russia. And it come as the fiscal year is wrapping up and congressional funding was beginning to dwindle.

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Pentagon finds another $2 billion of accounting errors for Ukraine aid - July 14 2024, Reuters

The Pentagon has found $2 billion worth of additional errors in its calculations for ammunition, missiles and other equipment sent to Ukraine, increasing the improperly valued material to a total of $8.2 billion, a U.S. government report revealed on Thursday.

In accounting an entity can generally use one of several methods to account for stock material. Using (ever increasing) replacement costs or (ever decreasing) book value are two arguably valid methods. What is a no-no though is to change horses during race. One either uses one or the other. One never-ever changes the applied accounting method during the accounting period.

Any commercial company doing what the Pentagon is doing here would be asking for serious trouble.

One wonder if and when Congress will wake up to this.

Posted by b on July 26, 2024 at 14:22 UTC | Permalink

Comments
next page »

Never...

Posted by: the pessimist | Jul 26 2024 14:28 utc | 1

Yeah. I saw that latest scam a day or so ago. At first I thought the articles must be about the previous scam but no, they are running the same one again.

Gotta gear up for the last and the greatest offensive against those evil Ruskies....

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 26 2024 14:29 utc | 2

Exclusive from Reuters, eh?

I notice that the ship that I think is the Parks Canada research vessel, RV David Thompson, is still in the St. John’s harbour.

And I also notice that David Thomson is still chairman of Thomson Reuters.

https://ir.thomsonreuters.com/board-member/david-thomson

Side note: from wherever he’s tucked away in British Columbia, Trudeau released a joint statement today, with the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

https://x.com/CanadianPM/status/1816826916533313690

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Jul 26 2024 14:32 utc | 3

Congress is aware--it authored such methods.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 26 2024 14:33 utc | 4

And right on cue there's Pompeo (Trump's rump) saying Ukraine needs at least $500ml to keep things going...

Posted by: Gerry Bell | Jul 26 2024 14:33 utc | 5

Clap if you believe in Tinkerbell.

Posted by: too scents | Jul 26 2024 14:38 utc | 6

“ New GAO Report Commissioned By Senator Bernie Sanders Finds DOD Fails to Take Basic Steps to Combat Fraud Despite Spending More Taxpayer Money Than All Other Agencies Combined…

Despite this massive spending, the DOD remains the only federal agency in the country that has failed to ever pass an independent audit – a requirement under federal law for all government agencies since the early 1990s – and has remained on the GAO’s High-Risk List for waste, fraud, and abuse for 34 years. Last year, the DOD failed its sixth consecutive audit and was unable to fully account for 63 percent of its $3.8 billion in assets…”
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-new-gao-report-commissioned-by-senator-bernie-sanders-finds-dod-fails-to-take-basic-steps-to-combat-fraud-despite-spending-more-taxpayer-money-than-all-other-agencies-combined/

Whenever I point this out on “liberal” blogs, the usual response is to dismiss it or denigrate the messengers. Calls for good government get drowned out by paid influence peddlers and trolls…exactly what happens to Bernie.

Posted by: JohnH | Jul 26 2024 14:40 utc | 7

Any commercial company doing what the Pentagon is doing here would be asking for serious trouble.

No they wouldn't. They would be rewarded for finding a key to unlock growth, or some other such bullshite.

Posted by: too scents | Jul 26 2024 14:41 utc | 8

https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=1941

USA war spending exceeded a trillion annually 15 years ago, according to that report.

And what should we believe now, when nothing “passes” an audit and even “success” wouldn’t necessarily prove anything ?

Posted by: despondent | Jul 26 2024 14:42 utc | 9

Over the last few years, Ukrainian land must have become iron rich soil.

Posted by: Nokaz | Jul 26 2024 14:45 utc | 10

Plus, have you noticed the naivety in those popular charts that suggest USA “spends as much as the next 9 combined”? Many top-10 budgets (Germany, france, etc.) belong to wholly owned subsidiaries. A better chart would aggregate the spending of all Natostan and Nato-adjacent.

Posted by: despondent | Jul 26 2024 14:52 utc | 11

Over the last few years, Ukrainian land must have become iron rich soil.

Posted by: Nokaz | Jul 26 2024 14:45 utc | 10

---

If only ...

The taller of the two (below, left) is a 25mm round fired by the "Bushmaster" canon on the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

https://www.orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/consumer/depleted-uranium/penetrators.html

Posted by: too scents | Jul 26 2024 14:54 utc | 12

Clearly, the west won't stop.
Victory is their only option.

Posted by: vargas | Jul 26 2024 15:04 utc | 13

What's a few billion here or there when one brings in close to a Trillion a year?

Who audits the Pentagon? Is it even audited? Hmmmm ....

Posted by: Don Firineach | Jul 26 2024 15:11 utc | 14

Stage One

We'll win and you'll be indebted by whatever number we decide.

Stage Two

My bad, let's reduce the previous bill so we can send more as nobody will allow more

Stage Three

Seems like we lost it all

Posted by: Newbie | Jul 26 2024 15:15 utc | 15

That is about 14 Pentagon hammers right?

Posted by: Polli | Jul 26 2024 15:19 utc | 16

thanks b... endless hanky panky from those in power - whoever they are..

Posted by: james | Jul 26 2024 15:20 utc | 17

One of Washington's puppets has used another way of prolonging the war in Ukraine - by stealing billions from other people and giving it to the Kiev regime. Today, it completed the first step in that process, as Ursula von der Leyen boasted

Today we transfer €1.5 billion in proceeds from immobilised Russian assets to the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine.
Apart from the fact that it won't change the outcome of the war (victory for the people whose money the EU stole), it will discourage others from investing money in the EU and countries where the right to property is enjoyed only by NATO's allies. There have been reports lately that Saudi Arabia has warned it would to sell off some of its European debt holdings if the EU confiscates Russian money, as has just happened.

Posted by: Brendan | Jul 26 2024 15:21 utc | 18

@ Brendan | Jul 26 2024 15:21 utc | 18

lets see if ksa follows thru with the threat... they are a wee bit tricky, like erdogan..

Posted by: james | Jul 26 2024 15:24 utc | 19

That financial legerdemain is all about profiteering on the part of the WarDefense Industry (aka the Military Industrial Complex)...along with the numerous grifters who cheered and clapped like trained seals when Nuts n' Yahoos, the world's #1 genocide specialist appeared before them in the Hou$e of Corruption and the $enate of $enility.

Some are in it for the money, some from innate psychopathy and some for the worship of ego-based personal power. The bulk of them are rank materialists, representing the worst aspects of the deracinated and degraded while deliberately dumbed-down Murrikkkan people.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jul 26 2024 15:44 utc | 20

Gerry Bell @1433

Pomposity (aka Pompeo) has a quintessential Italian surname, so one would presume that he is a Romanist. Uh-uh. He's one of those insane Evangelists and as the former head of the Agency, probably uses that affiliation as a cover story. Whether or not Trump is primarily controlled; it is my assessment that that pompous bass-turd was imposed upon the president by those who call the shots for the Agency.

On a personal basis, I'd not trust that man with the loan of a three-dollar bill.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jul 26 2024 15:50 utc | 21

Congress is aware--it authored such methods.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 26 2024 14:33 utc | 4
-------------------------------------------------------
Which authorization covered this procurement and that shipment? Oh, it is one of the other ones!

The official shell game of DoD. Way too much stuff for anyone to keep track of.

I have practiced this in the corporate world. You take a single capital spending authorization from corporate HQ and invoke it in every country where acquisitions need to be made.

Posted by: Acco Hengst | Jul 26 2024 15:51 utc | 22

And right on cue there's Pompeo (Trump's rump) saying Ukraine needs at least $500ml to keep things going...

Posted by: Gerry Bell | Jul 26 2024 14:33 utc | 5

Wasn't that $500bl .. with a B.

Posted by: blueswede | Jul 26 2024 15:53 utc | 23

John H @1440

Thanks for sharing the true status of the financial shenanigans on the part of not only the WarDefense Industry, but also of the alleged "representatives" of We The People, whose materialistic and egotistic greed is their primary motivation for running for high orfices.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jul 26 2024 15:54 utc | 24

despondent@1452

OTOH: "Wholly owned subsidiaries" are how the Russians are able to build and sustain cutting edge weaponry for relative Kopeks on the Ruble...as compared with the U$$A grifting and profiteering for Hundreds on the Dollar.

It is only due to Bank$ter control over the mass media that the American people are maintained in a state of being "comfortably numb" when it comes to matters of state. Otherwise, the torches and pitchforks...

Posted by: aristodemos | Jul 26 2024 15:59 utc | 25

What is Congress going to do?

Please, let's abandon this Boomer-tier take that government "works" or can hold itself accountable.

When Trump gets in, this will accelerate as he will try to buy off his enemies in government rather than embark on meaningful reform.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 26 2024 16:02 utc | 26

Posted by: Don Firineach | Jul 26 2024 15:11 utc | 14

########

IIRC, the last time the Pentagon was close to an audit, Donald Rumsfeld the Secretary of Defense went in front of Congress and told them there were billions in unaccounted spending.

Shortly after, 9/11 happened and the Pentagon was "attacked", with the entire records wing destroyed.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 26 2024 16:05 utc | 27

Brendan@1521

Did you catch the news about how the French high-speed rail system has been systematically sabotaged in numerous locations immediately preceding their invitation of the Izzy $tate to participate in the Paris Olympics? Whether the operatives were Russian or Iranian is up for consideration.

What we are witnessing here is a form of warfare without significant violence. It's the classical "war by other means". The government of little Macaroni, the Rottenchild minion and stooge, are left flatfooted and blushingly embarrassed by these actions.

Rest of the world hafta be laughing their asses off about this situation. The Collective Wa$te and their hidden rulers are not very capable of dealing with 5th Dimensional Warfare.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jul 26 2024 16:06 utc | 28

Store was found empty, or they shipped but didn't arrive ?

Something about Iran-Contra ...

Posted by: Ornot | Jul 26 2024 16:10 utc | 29

The recent accounting 'errors' that have resulted in a multi-billion dollar bonanza for the Kiev regime need to be seen in the context of the missing Pentagon trillions. Every few years the scandal of the inability of the Pentagon to ever pass an accounting audit bubbles into consensus reality & then disappears again.

From the infamous speech by then Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld the day before 9/11:

"Our financial systems are decades old. According to some estimates, we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions.”

(According to the MSM debunkers the money wasn't 'missing', it just couldn't be accounted for - in the same sense, you don't lose your virginity, you simply can no longer account for it)

In 2016 there was the Office of the Inspector General report titled “Army General Fund Adjustments Not Adequately Documented or Supported" which discusses 6.5 trillion dollars been unaccounted for and in 2020 there was an article by Bloomberg’s Anthony Carpaccio which discussed a mind-blowing 'Pentagon $35 trillion accounting black hole':

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-35-trillion-accounting-black-231154593.html

While the figures vary wildly over the years, it's always in the multi-trillion dollar ballpark, which makes the hundreds of billions flowing through Kiev seem like loose change.
One could argue this money flows into the US black budget & the realm of unacknowledged special access programmes, but that just replaces one set of unknowns with another as the amounts involved are simply staggering.


Posted by: FakeBelieve | Jul 26 2024 16:13 utc | 30

Good post. Do have to push back on the naivete of saying "commercial" companies couldn't get away with this. First reason is because commercial companies are part of Pentagon bookkeeping. (See, military/industrial complex.)

Second, despite the variation in human nature meaning that some individuals wouldn't and don't, the system impels as much funny bookkeeping as possible. That's why the regulators are gamed as much as possible. Putting as many big bourgeoisie in seats on regulating bodies as possible, from Treasury Secretary down (Trump is considering Jamie Dimon,) cutting budgets (no more money for IRS enforcement of big tax evasion cases with lots of lawyers paid by rich people,) or outright abolition (the CFPB is currently a favorite candidate,) and the usual lobbying and campaign financing and lawyering, lawyering, lawyering as possible...that's how the system works. The common prejudice that a military background is somehow a real qualification for government is part of the same corruption (the bad kind, which is what's legal.) It's like thinking prosecutors are good candidates for government. (Starmer, Harris if you will, I don't want though.)

Third, falsifying the military budget is a part of hiding how militaristic the US truly is. It hides the amount of tax dollars spent on things that aren't part of national defense, but offense, a world neocolonial empire that the masses disproportionately pay for, while true government services are starved as much as possible. If an acceptance of funny bookkeeping practices is required for this essential goal, the ruling class resigns itself to necessity, I think.

Note that the hostility to bureaucrats and big government is promoted because of hostility to politicians interfering with their God-given property right to do what the rich want. Anybody who claims to want small government is also against big prisons. The slogan "Out of the boardrooms, into the bedrooms!" is too obvious to be said aloud, but that's the effective meaning of a lot of anti-government rhetoric. But that's part and parcel of the same nonsense about how "we" are overtaxed. No, we are underpaid. Though that may not be true of a lot of MoA commentariat, some of whom drop claims to property and status.

Posted by: steven t johnson | Jul 26 2024 16:16 utc | 31

The Pentagon just got $60 billion from Congress. This adds a bunch more to that pile. I guess they are planning for almost another year of sending weapons to Ukraine?

What is the significance of the Russian Central Bank raising the interest rate to 18%? Seems pretty high given inflation is only about 7%. Will it work? Does it really matter?

Posted by: Ed4 | Jul 26 2024 16:49 utc | 32

It is quite well understood by laymen who are paying attention that Ukraine has long been a clearing house for the Western embezzlement of public treasuries.

Another reason for Russia to destroy the Kiev regime.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 26 2024 16:51 utc | 33

Whenever I point this out on “liberal” blogs, the usual response is to dismiss it or denigrate the messengers. Calls for good government get drowned out by paid influence peddlers and trolls…exactly what happens to Bernie.

Posted by: JohnH | Jul 26 2024 14:40 utc | 7

Oh, poor John. You make a good point and the present genocide, oligarch puppet Bernie as some suppressed revolutionary. Id understand is it were still 2016. He talked a good game. I still like the term "abolish the billionaires". But, really, have you been unable to discern what a fraud that old shyster is? Or are you just some troll trying desperately to encourage the illusion there is an anti war, anti capitalist left in the dem party?

If the former, grow up. If the latter, go fuck yourself, troll.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 26 2024 16:58 utc | 34

A friend of mine who worked at GE for 30+ years told me that the accounting was always fraudulent and they were not the only ones who were doing it. I know Wall Street banks like Goldman do it all the time.

Posted by: AI | Jul 26 2024 17:10 utc | 35

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 26 2024 16:51 utc | 33
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Destroying Ukraine is the same as destroying Burisma and Kerry's family who used to control it from the US.

Posted by: AI | Jul 26 2024 17:13 utc | 36

What is the significance of the Russian Central Bank raising the interest rate to 18%? Seems pretty high given inflation is only about 7%. Will it work? Does it really matter?

Posted by: Ed4 | Jul 26 2024 16:49 utc | 32

Borrowed money can be used to bid for resources

RF currently needs significant resources for the military

High rates reduce completion and prices

As an added bonus you reign in inflation (and with the public sector in almost full steam there is little risk of deflation )

Posted by: Newbie | Jul 26 2024 17:15 utc | 37

Biden Crime Family

Did you know that the Secretary of Defense (SOD) has been an inner circle member of the Biden Crime Family
since before Biden was Obama's VP.

Raytheon bought themselves a Secretary of Defense (SOD).

After Lloyd Austin retired from the Pentagon he created a shell of a company *somewhere*
and Raytheon merged it into Raytheon by handing Lloyd Austin a bushel basket of stock.
Enough stock to put him on the Board of Directors of Raytheon.
Lloyd Austin couldn't legally become SOD (Secretary of Defense) as he had to wait several years after retiring
from the Pentagon. A law was created to hinder the Washington "revolving door".
Well, Congress voted Lloyd Austin an exception to the law and he became SOD (Secretary of Defense).

---

Here is what I have found thus far about Austin Strategy Group, LLC, Great Falls, Virginia. (HT:Sunny)
It is the nothing burger shell we all expected it was.

After he retired, Austin joined the board of directors of Raytheon Technologies, one of the largest Pentagon contractors. He is also on the board of Nucor, the largest American steel producer, as well as health care company Tenet.

Public records show that he runs his own consulting firm, Austin Strategy Group, LLC, located in Great Falls, Va., but the firm has little public presence and its client list is not publicly available.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/09/lloyd-austin-experience-record-443818

That sure sounds like a "gotta have it" company for Raytheon! No wonder Raytheon paid a bundle for it! (snark)

The article has a lot more about Austin's connection to the Biden family.


---
Is anyone surprised that a guy connected to the Biden family is dirty himself?

Posted by: librul | Jul 26 2024 17:15 utc | 38

Congress is entirely on-board.

Posted by: Feral Finster | Jul 26 2024 17:17 utc | 39

COTTUPTION… C O R R U P T I O N . . . in the military and military industrial complex…!?!?
You must be mistaken.

Posted by: Liberator | Jul 26 2024 17:18 utc | 40

It's lies all the way down. I for one wouldn't trust anything they've reported as shipped to ukraine. There's far more sent than announced, even with their incompetence in keeping track of their assets.

Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Jul 26 2024 17:18 utc | 41

DoD is only finding budget surplus money that Congress slipping to it under the table. This avoids congress having to explain it to the voters. I am sure the same will be happening with funding to Isreal very soon. Nobody will be held accountable, it seems to unamerican to do that now.

Posted by: Matt | Jul 26 2024 17:27 utc | 42

Remember FTX?

It was/is a crypto exchange that was managed by clowns.

Someone wanted it that way.

I see FTX as another entry in the ledger of the Incompetence Doctrine.

(not in any order and NOT comprehensive)

Invasion of Iraq over non-existent WMD
Tora Bora, letting the boogyman escape
JFK Assassination and security failure
October 7th and security failure
July 13th Trump Assassination and security failure

The book keeping at FTX was so horrendous that fraudsters, Ukrainians and politicians could launder money
with near impunity. Someone liked it that way.
FTX, and the fraud, would have continued for a long time
except the clowns broke it.


Posted by: librul | Jul 26 2024 17:27 utc | 43

US Pentagon cannot tell you the price of anything. All weapon that it buys have flaws to contract spec that are either ignored or waived w/o reducing contract pay outs.

DoD can reduce the “price of anything bc it is all fiction.

Empire of fallacy and untruth.

Posted by: paddy | Jul 26 2024 17:28 utc | 44

Librul@1715

The Boyz in lockup would describe Austin as a "House-Nigga". Ironically, they would be envious of his ill-gotten wealth. What those ghetto-born kids do not comprehend is that one needs to play the game to rise above the crowd.

Understanding how rackets operate is currently imperative in this ruptured republic. Uncle $hmuel $ugardaddy does prefer that his stooges maintain a public face.

Posted by: aristodemos | Jul 26 2024 17:33 utc | 45

If you don't learn how to do this legally within 6 months of training to be an accountant, then really you should have stuck to making fries.You always have something up your sleeve and the answer to 2+2 is variable. US beancounters are better than most at this sort of stuff so I don't know why it might be a surprise to anyone. And the law makers like it this way. Indeed, I could almost argue that the Western aid to Ukraine so far has been of zero monetary value, or near to that figure, and possibly has even given "us" a profit. But I might need a few hours on that line.

Though clearly Trump borrowing money from some NY banks and paying it all back with the agreed interest is fraud so he needs to be fined something like $400M. All is fair in love and war.

Posted by: marcjf | Jul 26 2024 17:36 utc | 46

Russian Hackers Leak Data About 3,200 Mercenaries Fighting in Ukraine, 07.26.2024.

On July 26, RaHDit, a Russian hacker group (also known as “Evil Russian Hackers”), made the news once again with a massive leak, after having published the data of more than 1,200 Ukrainian drone operators earlier this month.
RaHDit has disclosed information on more than 3,200 foreign mercenaries fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Among them is Evelyn Aschenbrenner, born in 1981, who is a senior soldier and assistant commander in the personnel unit of the 1st Battalion of the International Legion in Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces. Aschenbrenner is an LGBT* person who also uses the “they” pronoun.

Tanner Pierce Reed, born in 1993, a US citizen, is a former Oakland Police Department officer. On July 26, 2023, he was arrested in the state of Indiana for molesting a minor and aiding and abetting juvenile offenses.

The list of mercenaries also includes Kristaps Maurins, born in 1991, a Latvian native. Kristaps competed in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where he came in 21st place in luge. In Latvia, he served as the general secretary of the Latvian Luge Federation.

Pablo Garrido Mancedo, a Spanish citizen, who has a record of partaking in various military conflicts prior to going to Ukraine. In particular, he fought on the side of Kurdish militants in Syria.

Juris Alberts Ulmanis, born in 1959, is an entrepreneur, professor, climber, and polar explorer. Today, he serves in the ranks of the 67th Mechanized Brigade of the International Legion (unit A4123). He has participated in fighting against Russia on the Ukrainian side multiple times and has provided various goods to Ukrainian forces, including financial aid. He wrote a book titled When War Becomes Personal, and is known for his Russophobic rhetoric. He has served in Ukraine's National Guard for five years.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has repeatedly warned foreign citizens against traveling to Ukraine and emphasized that under international humanitarian law, mercenaries are not considered combatants and do not have the right to prisoner of war status.

According to the Ministry, over 13,000 foreign mercenaries have arrived in Ukraine to fight for the Kiev regime since the start of the special operation. During this period, about 6,000 fighters have been eliminated.

sputnik

Posted by: guest | Jul 26 2024 17:43 utc | 47

Posted by: guest | Jul 26 2024 17:43 utc | 47
++++++++++++++++++
Following from you bar, many French mercenaries have recently arrived in the Kharkov Region to fight for Ukraine, the region’s governor, Vitaly Ganchev, told reporters. "Of course, we do not know the total number of mercenaries who are now fighting in Ukraine on the side of nationalist formations. I can say that many nationalities are represented there. According to the information we have recently received, a large number of mercenaries have arrived from France. However, foreign contingents are also arriving from other countries - Poland, the UK and the US," he said

Posted by: AI | Jul 26 2024 17:56 utc | 48

@Posted by: librul | Jul 26 2024 17:27 utc | 43

Who managed the July 13th assassination attempt?

It seems to be a double layer of Incompetence.

The security on July 13th was a fail, no one disagrees with that.
Head of the SS (USSS) has already resigned (a friend of Jill Biden;
watch how she lands on her feet; even a crappy book deal would net her a million).
[Slight digression. Was taken aback one day to see an autobiography of the "surprise witness in the Jan 6th trial" displayed
prominently at a bookstore. A secretary is now a millionaire.]

So mismanagement of the security is layer ONE of the Incompetence, and the perps hoped it would end there.
But there is too much evidence left behind indicating Crooks was a mere patsy.
In other words, an incompetent execution of a multi-shooter assassination.

This link is preliminary evidence, but well worth your time.

https://seemorerocks.substack.com/p/trump-and-the-crowd-were-shot-at

---
Incompetence Doctrine - using incompetence/negligence as a cover-up for planned criminal activity.

Is it possible that someone is playing fourth dimensional chess?
That is, was layer TWO, an incompetent execution of a multi-shooter assassination, intentional?

...This creates quite the maze of possibilities...
Best wait for more information to come forth.

Posted by: librul | Jul 26 2024 18:08 utc | 49

There is now massive-scale corruption even in Germany. Bundestag MP Sevim Dagdelen, a member of the newly formed BSW party and a member of the parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told NDR that the government is “clearly not fulfilling its obligations” under the UN treaty and that the “supposed ignorance and unwillingness to know [the US military delivers several types of cluster munitions to Germany and stores them on its territory before handing them over to Ukraine, German broadcaster NDR reported on Thursday] is evidence of a lack of democratic sovereignty and vassalage towards the US.”

Posted by: AI | Jul 26 2024 18:15 utc | 50

What on earth must the American public think about this as their government gives billions in aid to a Neo-Nazi regime, when the money could be spent back home in America on more important things, America is in my opinion in need of a revolution.

Meanwhile.

"The US military delivers several types of cluster munitions to Germany and stores them on its territory before handing them over to Ukraine, German broadcaster NDR reported on Thursday. This means Berlin could be in violation of a UN convention banning the weapons, though it denies any knowledge of the situation, the outlet said.

Cluster munitions are banned by more than 110 nations under the 2008 UN Convention on Cluster Munitions due to the extreme danger they pose to civilians. They scatter small bomblets that can remain unexploded after the initial blast and effectively become mines.

The controversial ammunition is stored at a US-owned depot in the town of Miesau in western Germany, NDR said, citing a spokesman for the US Army Europe and Africa Command. The munitions are then sent on to Ukraine as part of Washington’s military aid, he said."

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 26 2024 19:13 utc | 51

I notice that the ship that I think is the Parks Canada research vessel, RV David Thompson, is still in the St. John’s harbour.

And I also notice that David Thomson is still chairman of Thomson Reuters.
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Jul 26 2024 14:32 utc | 3

He must be ancient. /sarc. He was born in 1770.

The ship is named after the Anglo-Canadian explorer and surveyor, David Thompson, who mapped a huge amount of Western Canada and parts of the USA and for whom the Thompson River was named.

Posted by: jrkrideau | Jul 26 2024 19:20 utc | 52

The Ukrainian Neo-Nazi regime has rebranded its Neo-Nazi Azov brigade, it is now known as the Third Assault Brigade. New name same evil vile people.

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 26 2024 19:23 utc | 53

The Ukraine clusterfuck never made much sense and has many contradictions.

We know that the Israel Lobby OWNS Congress. What if its members also OWN the MIC? That would explain a lot of the organisational flaws and contradictions built into US defense policy.

Hazy accounting rules may be just the tip of a very grubby reality. For example we're hearing about vast sums of $ spent on supply of weapons to Ukraine, but Ukraine is always whining about shortfalls and insufficient weaponry. What if Jewrael is being armed with shipments designated as "Ukrainian"?

Imo, speculation along the lines suggested above has the potential to fill in a lot of puzzling blanks.
YMMV.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jul 26 2024 19:33 utc | 54

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jul 26 2024 19:33 utc | 54

A few months into the LIHOP in Gaza, I remember seeing a video of a Palestinian militant thanking Ukraine for selling them some shoulder fired anti-tank weapon. There might be some good stuff to be purchased from the Afghans, too.

Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 26 2024 19:56 utc | 55

I was under the understanding that under GAAP rules durable goods are the only things that can use depreciation where as consumables have to use replacement costs. So maybe on the tanks and other busted up old useless shit we give them but big time no no on ammunition/fuel/parts. But I am not an accountant.
Either way the valuations that are to be reported will be defined under law. Which does not really exist in an oligarchy so let the fraud continue. Israel is about to attack Lebanon and get themselves into deep shit so there is not going to be any ammo or tanks or anything for UAF anyway.

Posted by: badjoke | Jul 26 2024 20:21 utc | 56

Is there a good study of comparative military finance during ww2? It would be interesting to look at the way all the combatants appropriated funds for war.

I did some work a few years ago on how the Athenians financed the fleet after 484. Accounting errors abounded, funds were fiddled, but the oversight of military officials was very effective. Each had to render a detailed account of disbursement and receipts at the end of their term (a year). Penalties for misappropriation were severe. In the end the fleet was mainly underwritten by a combination of hegemonic taxation and tying wealth to service as trireme commanders. The richest Athenians paid for upkeep in exchange for the prestigious trierarchy.

Posted by: Patroklos | Jul 26 2024 20:38 utc | 57

What happened to the $63 billion USA donated to Ukraine just 2 months ago? Looks like Russian attacks decimated it en route to the front. Now both the US and the EU are scrapping the bottom to find some money for Ukraine.

Best response should be cyber attacks on European war mongers, particularly Brussels and the West Black Sea Ukrainian shipping lifeline. Europe benefits most from it.

Anti ship missiles in the hands of Houthis can also hurt Europe, especially if Saudi Arabia does not pull out their funds in the EU.

Russia should also consider if it should keep pumping oil to Hungary and Slovakia. They are less insane compared to the rest of NATO but Ukraine blackmails them as pipelines travel through Ukraine. The biggest beneficiary is Ukraine which enjoys almost free Russian oil. Closing this down benefits Russia and sinks Ukraine further. Autumn is just around the corner. Ukraine already lost 80% of its electricity generation.

Posted by: Jason | Jul 26 2024 21:03 utc | 58

Posted by: Brendan | Jul 26 2024 15:21 utc | 18

Some here have alleged that the asset confiscation was done under the behest of the USA with the intention of undermining the euro and any faith in it as an alternative to the US dollar. Not that I would put it past the USA to have twisted the EU's arms in that - the US has seen the euro, for all its flaws, as a threat to its dollar hegemony.

Posted by: joey_n | Jul 26 2024 21:08 utc | 59

"I know he's a good general, but is he lucky?”

~ Napoleon Bonaparte

Putin *might* be the good general, yet Joe Biden will go down in history as a master in the art of attritional warfare. Joe has schooled Vlad on attrition. Call it luck if you will. (See above quote)

Russia is losing a heartbreaking number of men. Worse yet, they are a nuclear power being bombed casually by the West -- The point of being a nuclear power is to prevent that! No enemy could openly bomb the United States or China. Yet once Putin launched his SMO blitzkrieg, Ukraine could legally ask for assistance, and of course, invader Russia can't complain about counterattacks on their soil. Ukraine is bombing Russia, just as Russia would bomb any invader of their land.

Russian forces have been ground to a halt for years. Attacks within this vast nuclear superpower continue unabated, as if Russia was some third world colony in the global South, a weapons testing ground for the MIC. Russia is spending at Bushian levels to keep the slog going, yet do not occupy a country, as did GW Bush. They are stopped cold along a hellish World War I style front of trenches and artillery positions.

And Joe's only pain, America's only pain, are these obscure accounting errors within a wasteful Pentagon budget. Attrition? The F35 program was attrition. It weakened potential US forces due to greed. In contrast, Biden's counter-SMO is funded by little slivers of money. China buys a few T-Bills to get rid of all their Walmart dollars, and Attrition Joe has more money to fund Russia's humiliating failure.

Putin is very dangerous for Russia now. Just as Hitler was encouraged to invade after Russia's bumbling invasion of Finland, the whole world now sees the Russian military as a paper tiger. RF are an arms show military, incapable of any coordinated large-scale offensive. Even Kremlin talking points illustrate this. Russia invaded a "404 state" yet has been stopped cold for years.

Russia is much weaker now for another reason ... this is a civil war within the same civilization. The United States fighting Texas would be no different. Vlad's SMO is destroying Russian civilization which includes Kyiv, while Biden's mind is free to roam, as he transforms accounting errors into Putin's bane: weapons, reconnaissance, and cash, making the goals of Putin's SMO even more absurd. Biden is shrewdly funding a civil war that is tearing apart the land of historical Russia.

Attrition Joe's military instincts are evident, even when compared to myself:

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."

~ Napoleon Bonaparte


(J'ai envie de récupérer la couronne impériale des mains du pape Pie VII et de la poser sur la tête de Joe Biden. N'oubliez pas qu'il est le commandant de la nation la plus puissante de la planète)

Posted by: Napoleon | Jul 26 2024 21:09 utc | 60

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 26 2024 19:23 utc | 53 "New name same evil vile people."

How is that possible given the Ukrainian casualty numbers that are constantly cited here?

Posted by: Ed4 | Jul 26 2024 21:15 utc | 61

The Cradle: One third of the world under US sanctions: Report

The US government currently imposes sanctions on a third of all nations on earth in a situation that disproportionately affects low-income countries – 60 percent of which are under US sanctions of some kind – according to an analysis of the White House’s long-standing policy of economic warfare by the Washington Post.

This trend spiked during the last four US governments and reached a fever pitch under President Biden, who imposed over 6,000 sanctions in just two years.

“It is the only thing between diplomacy and war and, as such, has become the most important foreign policy tool in the US arsenal,” Bill Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official, told the US news outlet. “And yet, nobody in government is sure this whole strategy is even working.”

Washington’s over-reliance on using the US dollar as a weapon of war took a marked turn following the 11 September attacks in New York City. Up until then, economic sanctions had primarily targeted “rogue states” like Cuba and Libya to block them from taking part in the global financial system and instigating regime change.

MORE...

https://thecradle.co/articles-id/26129


Posted by: Menz | Jul 26 2024 21:18 utc | 62

Of course Congress will never "wake up" to the DoD's practice of changing accounting depreciation methods from one auditing period to the next. Congress representatives and senators stand to benefit financially if any "surplus funds" discovered during the audit can be spent on buying more ammunition and weapons from the companies that fund Congress members' election campaigns.

BTW, who usually carries out audits of the DoD and other US govt departments? Are these audits conducted by internal govt auditors or by private auditors? And if the audits are done by private auditors, who are these private auditors? Are they the usual suspects like KPMG, Ernst & Young, Deloittes and PwC?

Posted by: Refinnejenna | Jul 26 2024 21:23 utc | 63

Posted by: Jason | Jul 26 2024 21:03 utc | 58 "What happened to the $63 billion USA donated to Ukraine just 2 months ago?"

The aid is released in batches. Some months only a few hundred million, some months a few billion. Not much of that $60 billion has been released yet. They post a news release on the US State Department website. So no, it doesn't look like Russian attacks decimated it en route to the front.

"Ukraine already lost 80% of its electricity generation."

Other sources say: "Russian attacks have destroyed about half of Ukraine's generating capacity, officials say" But yeah, it is bad.

Posted by: Ed4 | Jul 26 2024 21:25 utc | 64

MoA barflies tempted to respond to Napoleon's comment @ 60 should take note of the advice proffered near the end of the comment and allow our petit Napoleon to continue rambling on to his Waterloo and St Helena dead-end.

Posted by: Refinnejenna | Jul 26 2024 21:28 utc | 65

The hypocrisy of human beings is the problem we all have.

In reality, we all believe ourselves to be better than others, morally, intellectually and in our actions, but our supposed supremacy over others is the consequence of our lack of humility. We treat others like shit because we have no respect for ourselves.

We have been taught to undervalue ourselves, as individuals, compared to the group, because there is a part of us that is gregarious and a part that is identity. We share the gregarious part with all beings in existence. The core of our identity is human: we are self-conscious beings.

Which is a privilege.

Being self-conscious is a process that is not guaranteed.

If, tomorrow, we decide to end our self-consciousness, no superior being is going to prevent it. Because it does not care about our imaginative problems, nor our ridiculous troubles.

But, life is full of being self-conscious.

Being human means being self-conscious: identity.

Posted by: Water | Jul 26 2024 21:29 utc | 66

Shortly after, 9/11 happened and the Pentagon was "attacked", with the entire records wing destroyed.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 26 2024 16:05 utc | 27
---------------------------------------------------------------
The military has a long and successful history of dealing with inaccurate accounting.

'How much of your unit's assets where on board of that helicopter that got destroyed?'

Going across the reporting units that helicopter would have been grossly overweight but all the sergeants got their books balanced.

Posted by: Acco Hengst | Jul 26 2024 21:30 utc | 67

Posted by: Water | Jul 26 2024 21:29 utc | 66

Spazzing a metric shit-ton of spam

Posted by: Boo | Jul 26 2024 21:46 utc | 68

Posted by: Refinnejenna | Jul 26 2024 21:23 utc | 63

I think there was some really interesting accounting done on Sept.11, 2001 at the Pentagram.
Poof! Those 3 billion Rummie just mentioned the night before vanish, as if by magic!

This one's for Napoleon.
Waterloo Sunset

Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 26 2024 21:47 utc | 69


"The Pentagon has a funding shortfall of about $10 billion for U.S. military weapons needed to replace those already sent to Ukraine, a shortfall that requires additional money from Congress to fix, top Defense Department officials said Monday." VOA 2023

"To address these challenges, DOD is using some of the $25.9 billion that Congress provided to expand the defense industrial base’s production capacity. Since February 2022, DOD has committed or obligated over $2.8 billion to increase weapons production. For example, DOD is using nearly $2 billion of this funding to drive a sevenfold increase in 155mm ammunition production."


"DOD requested an additional $18 billion in supplemental funding beyond the $7.7 billion that remains unobligated to continue replacing weapons transferred to Ukraine. In April 2024, Congress passed legislation to provide DOD about $13.4 billion that may be used to replace weapons sent to Ukraine."


https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106649

“As a result, DoD officials sometimes record defense articles as delivered while they are in transit, weeks before they arrive in Ukraine,” the report noted.

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/03/15/pentagon-weapons-deliveries-ukraine/


"Approximately 60 percent of the weapons were “delinquent,” meaning they were neither initially logged into a tracking database, nor added after shipment from American stockpiles."

https://www.justthefacts.media/p/weapons-in-the-wrong-hands-us-arms

Just random examples ... Etc. Etc. Etc.


Posted by: Ornot | Jul 26 2024 21:50 utc | 70

Well, technically you can change, but then you have to provide a footnote disclosing the reason for the change, financial effect of the change and what the financial statement would look like without the change. It would raise eyebrows, and would be noted by the auditors in their report.

Posted by: c matt | Jul 26 2024 21:53 utc | 71

The UK ruling Labour party now supports the issue of an arest warant for netinyahoo.
Thats offical.
Having ousted the far right torys.
Britain has moved 'Left' and regained its sanity.
America is also moving left by nominating kamila Harris as canditate for president.
Meanwhile trump kisses netinyahoos arse in 'ma a largo'

Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 26 2024 21:55 utc | 72

Posted by: Refinnejenna | Jul 26 2024 21:28 utc | 65

More interesting is what he wrote in French. For it is both a lie and the most stupid joke about Biden.

Posted by: Naive | Jul 26 2024 22:07 utc | 73

Posted by: Napoleon | Jul 26 2024 21:09 utc | 60

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

Lol, that would be the "Joe Biden" who just dropped out of the running due to advanced decrepitude?

Whose regency council are overseeing a country roiling in discontent, debt, corruption and global antipathy?

As for the Russian world being torn apart. The Ukrainians chose the path of Bandera & cargo-cultism.

Thus for the price of two or three Napoleonic battles the RF will put an end to all that, whilst probably regaining Belarus to boot.

Hardly a "heart-breaking" outcome for the (relatively) modest losses sustained, by a country of 150+ million people.

Posted by: Urban Fox | Jul 26 2024 22:15 utc | 74

Very informative.

Ray McGovern on Netanyahu Pushing for War with Iran & NATO's Next Move in Ukraine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5mrkarVgUQ

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 26 2024 23:04 utc | 75

c matt | Jul 26 2024 21:53 utc | 71
would be noted by the auditors in their report.
~Pentagon
~Auditors
🤪🤣🤡

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 26 2024 23:36 utc | 76

Will Congress wake up to this? Of course not! Congress is knowingly and intentionally on autopilot when it comes to Pentagon accountability. The Department of Defense has never even once had a successfully completed audit, despite it being required by law. Other Federal agencies would be excoriated and had their budgets cut with worse threatened when they get anything short of a clean audit, but DOD? Excuses, mumbles, silence, ...followed by budget increases even though it can't really be shown in any detail how the funds will be used, or even how current funds are being used.

It all sounds so bureaucratic to most people that the Pentagon and their lame, spineless allies in Congress and industry and just spin it away easily using the same tired old phrases about patriotism, national security, support the troops, and all these other tired and thin old lies and tropes and get away with it.

Self-described fiscal conservatives talk about needing to cut Social Security and Medicure in order to reduce the national debt and shore up the programs for the future, but the American public actually gets a lot of value from that spending.

So-called defense spending, on the other hand, is treated by successive Presidents and Congresses as untouchable entitlement spending that can not under any circumstances be cut or even criticized, even though its value to the public is limited and mixed at best.

I could go on ranting about this all night after years of work in budget and policy for grossly underfunded programs in conservation and environmental protection that get heavy criticism for not being able to account for $100k, while the Pentagon daily loses two orders of magnitude more on waste and fraud for which it is never called to account.

But I'll spare you. Plus, I think most of the MoA readership already knows all this.

Posted by: Maxcrat | Jul 27 2024 0:13 utc | 77

/cheep

It seems like an acid reflux backup of cashflows: federal government > military department > purchase gear & services. I understand private contracts for gear and services that causes it backs up cashflows to influence military, and in turn influence federal government. Yet it also seems like public military department also is corrupted by cashflows, in wanting to maintain their budgets, so cashflows backs up into shuffling resources around and justify its existence by creating busywork.

Could corruption come from both a public and private desire to retain cashflows and importance? If the question is "preservation builds its own entropy", how would you rewrite budget maintenance to avoid feeding into these two interested appetites? Is the solution to boom and bust cycle budgets? Or is it regular auditing with reassurances, like stick & carrot?

Seems like a behavioral problem that could be within reach to manage before dissolution of the state wholesale. Or is it merely impossible and cyclical boom and busts of nations and empires through this form of accounting corruption is the norm? How have other societies brought their public military office and their private merchants to heel for the state longer and more peacefully?

Basically I'm trying to take this expected event out of the cynical current events and into the philosophical human management level. Is it a solvable problem, or are such corrupting motivations an inescapable function of being alive? What do historical examples teach us?

/cheep cheep

Posted by: titmouse | Jul 27 2024 0:22 utc | 78

Probably found in in that 2.3 trillion dollar stack they lost on Sep 10, 2001.

Posted by: UWDude | Jul 27 2024 0:35 utc | 79

sorry testing posting with my ui.


Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 26 2024 14:33 utc | 4 26 07:33 AM


Congress is aware--it authored such methods.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 26 2024 14:33 utc | 4 26 07:33 AM


Posted by: Nokaz | Jul 26 2024 14:45 utc | 10 26 07:45 AM


Over the last few years, Ukrainian land must have become iron rich soil.

Posted by: Nokaz | Jul 26 2024 14:45 utc | 10 26 07:45 AM

above generated with a handful of mouse clicks and typing some control keys.
the post fail because it expired but a couple of control keys restored the post box so i can try posting again.

Posted by: frkorz | Jul 27 2024 1:00 utc | 80

Follow the money.

1) you work and pay taxes, the rich don't work and have offshore to escape taxes;

2) you vote and are covninced that you chose, while the rich just use their billions to buy the politicians, rig the elections, control the media, and make sure nothing really changes;

3) the corrupted politicians then use your taxes to make contracts with the companies owned by the rich that financed their campaigns. In other countries thisnis simply corruption. In the West it is the legalized "lobby" and results in war, because those companies owned by the oligarchy manufacture weapons;

4) in the vassal regimes, those that play this game and repeat the words of their master, get to eat a piece of the cake, through "USAid", or "NED" or any other bullsh*t like that. The honest people not only don't eat the cake ($€£), they are also attacked by he oligarchy's MainStreamMedia.

The more this system is kept, the more money it deals with, the more corrupt it is, the lesser chance there is of this ever changing. It only gets worse, year after year, like a snowball. At one point, it was only about a beach in Cuba, now it might be 3rd (and last) world war with nucleqr weapons.

I have just summarized 80 years of NeoLiberal Capitalism, aka Fascism pretending to be "democracy", and genocide prerending to be "human rights", and mass brainwashing and cancellation pretending to be "freedom".
This system is how you get rid of a people's representative like Jeremy Corbyn, and guarantee the fraud election of a vassal of such imperial oligarchy called Keir Starmer.

This system is also how you end up calling "nazi" to Putin, while your side is the one actually collaborating with nazis and genocidal lunatics.

This system is how you entertain near 1 billion westerners and make them believe it was "necessary" to invade Serbia, Libya, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc.

This system is what makes lunatics with "they/them" as pronouns to think that they are "Left" wing, when in fact they support Fascist/NeoLiberal economics with pornographic inequality.

This system is what George Orwell wrote about in "1984". But not even he was able to predict how globalised mass brainwashing MaindStreamMedia, oligarchs' "social" media, and other PsyOps and lies and manipulation, would be able to convince successfuly the vast majority of western citizens to call "freedom and democracy" to all this genocidal naZionist imperialism.

The reality is like a "V for Vendetta" movie where the people are so brainwashed that they actually support the dictator instead of being able to understand that the regime is rotten and needs change.
In other words, reality is now the "Idiocracy" movie, Kamala or Trump is the new "President" that seller of the "Brawndos got electrolites", but the difference is that in reality this is a tragedy and not a comedy with a happy ending.

Some naive people are even worried about Trump's assassination attempt, when in fact they should be worried that Trump, Biden, their teams and parties, all of the Congress, Pentagon, Langley, WallStreet, etc, are all still alive. Thats the real problem! The fact that the monsters are still alive and getting richer. Not an injured ear of an orange fascist naZionist that has already declared war against Iran and will also do that against China.

So here it is the "democratic" choice given to USAmericans: either war with Russia, or war with Iran and China.
Those with eyes can see: the choice is an illusion. The regime (or the oligarchy, or the DeepState, call ot what you wanr) has already made sure their forever war + MIC's guarantee profits will continue unchanged, whatever you chose in the "elections".

Considering this, the Pentagon's accounting errors are just a meaningless joke to keep you entertained discussing nothing and changing anything.
You should be sharpening the pitchforks and preparing the guillotines, but instead your are all divided between blues and reds, greens and pinks, etc, while the genocidal warmonger oligarchy laughs and conquers.

Posted by: Carlos Marques | Jul 27 2024 1:37 utc | 81

We all wish we had accountants that could find such numbers for us. I guess the flipside is the trillions they find missing and unaccountable. That doesn't seen to be a problem either as now one is ever responsible

Posted by: Hankster | Jul 27 2024 3:02 utc | 82

Any/all misdirected funds should be subtracted from the generals’ pension fund.

Posted by: Sentient | Jul 27 2024 3:44 utc | 83

3) the corrupted politicians then use your taxes to make contracts with the companies owned by the rich that financed their campaigns. In other countries thisnis simply corruption. In the West it is the legalized "lobby" and results in war, because those companies owned by the oligarchy manufacture weapons;

Posted by: Carlos Marques | Jul 27 2024 1:37 utc | 81

I agree with much of what you say, but this is something that seems missing and must be addressed. Using war to 'make profits' is of course useful the investors and employees of the MIC, and it's useful in terms of subduing opposition at home and abroad- although it generates more opposition than it subdues in the delining phase of the Empire. The investor class as a whole would be better off if the US backed away from conflict for awhile and reindustrialized, focused on controlling Latin America and looting Europe. There is a significant faction of the PTB that recognizes this, there are others who are deeply invested in the current model, and they dominate the apparatus of state. One of the challenges the less warlike faction of the PTB faces is booting these rabid minions out without crashing the MIC- not because it makes profits, but because it is pragmatically necessary to be modern and robust, to defend their interests, which at the moment it can't really do effectively. In addition, the processing of money, materials and labor through the MIC is a form of a Potlach- it keeps money circulating in the capitalist economy but doesn't create anything of value to consumers, which would cause an immediate crisis in the capitalist economy because the productivity of the individual worker, multiplied by technology, is already so high that an ever larger fraction of potential workers must be kept unemployed to prevent a crisis of over-production. The MIC pretends to make goods, but then destroys them in massive displays to enhance the ruling elites prestige and power. For some time now, this has been one of the top two most important roles of the MIC. Efficiency in this process requires the MIC to be massively inefficient in the actual production of weapons, something that we've known about since the beginning of the Cold War, but which has been shown by the wars in Ukraine and the middle east to have reached extreme proportions.

Posted by: Honzo | Jul 27 2024 3:53 utc | 84

I'm not a salesman but anybody sincerely believing that "accounting error" being legit is gullible enough to have me selling him the Eiffel Tower.

Posted by: DidierF | Jul 27 2024 5:32 utc | 85

Carlos Marques @ 81
Thats all well and good, except the capalist elite are ahead of you, they have the monoply on pitch forks and tumbrils, as seen in Afganistan, Syriea, Iraq and Venizuala.
Before you apply pitch forks (demolition) make dam sure you know how to replace what you dont like with something better not worse.
For instance replace fake democracy with true democracy. Taking back the meens of prodution from the elite and their MOA stocks and share holders.
Revolution is a romantic concept.
Cival war is no respector of the peace loving public.
Becarefull what you wish for.

Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 27 2024 5:51 utc | 86

When do we see the human lose of lives accounted for ? The west has acumulated a large debt on that account. Time to pay the bill. In kind or reparation.

Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 27 2024 5:58 utc | 87

Douglas Macgregor
@DougAMacgregor
BREAKING: Russian hackers expose 3,200 ‘Western mercenaries’ in Ukraine..

A hacker group has leaked a purported database of more than 3,200 Western mercenaries fighting for Ukraine.

On Friday, a group identifying themselves as ‘Russian Angry Hackers Did It’ (RaHDit) released a list strategically timed to coincide with the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris.

The list features a range of individuals, including a Winter Olympics participant from Sochi and a former US police officer facing charges of child abuse.

https://x.com/DougAMacgregor/status/1816888299048280502


Posted by: Menz | Jul 27 2024 7:28 utc | 88

Tell us something we don't know:

Ron Filipkowski
@RonFilipkowski
BREAKING: The NRA does not support Kamala Harris.

https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1816617304160907546

Posted by: Menz | Jul 27 2024 7:29 utc | 89

Karlofi, did you give Premier Li Qiang permission to use your line?

BRICS News
@BRICSinfo
🇨🇳 🇺🇸 China says the United States has become an empire of lies

https://x.com/BRICSinfo/status/1816936555845423183

Posted by: Menz | Jul 27 2024 7:32 utc | 90


Just imagine a world where the General Accounting Office (GAO) ran a similar fine toothed comb through Health, Education, Medicare or Housing. Of course it would never happen cos the pentagon provides a far higher kickback to dollars spent ratio than any other department.
Though I would not be surprised to see justice pulling the same stunt or homeland 'security' for that matter.

Q. Why oh why don't amerikans smarten up and see these blatant rorts for what they are?

A. Because huge sums are also spent on diverting citizens from such issues onto nonsense like "was it a piece of plastic or a bullet that took a chunk outta drumf's ear?" or "why did genocide joe not use whitehouse letterhead for personal party business?" despite if he had, then the shrieks from the other half of the uniparty woulda been even louder & accompanied by justifiable cries for impeachment.

As long as amerikans choose to wander down these planned diversionary paths rather than into the real issues which confront them such as "How are we going to still live well now we are no longer a hegemon?" or "how does sucking the population into ww3 improve the accommodation shortage?", amerikans should learn how to live in a state of continuous economic downturn.

We see it even in this thread where, rather than dealing with the real and relevant issue b. highlighted some barflies attempt to divert the thread into the afore-mentioned diversionary bulldust.

Wake up amerikans! then wake up yer neighbours & family, not about the farcical prez beauty contest where nothing will alter, no matter who amerikans 'vote' for and instead concentrate on ways & means to develop your local community & infrastructure, cos if you leave that up to pols, nothing will ever get better.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jul 27 2024 8:45 utc | 91

Ukraine Weekly Update, 26th July 2024: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-weekly-update-32b

Posted by: Dr. Rob Campbell | Jul 27 2024 9:57 utc | 92

And so the theft begins.

"The European Union has transferred 1.5 billion euros to Kiev from the revenues obtained from the Russian assets frozen as part of the European bloc's sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine war.

"Today we transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from immobilized Russian assets to the defense and reconstruction of Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X on Friday."

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 27 2024 10:54 utc | 93

In the US the GAO is the Government ACCOUNTABILITY Office which makes it all the more funny.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jul 27 2024 11:48 utc | 94

"The UK ruling Labour party now supports the issue of an arest warant for netinyahoo. Thats offical."

Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 26 2024 21:55 utc | 72

It's official is it?

Why don't you have a link to match your acclamation?

You never do-you just squawk illiterately-making no sense.

I'm sick of your uninfomred, illeterayte shit-

Posted by: canuck | Jul 27 2024 12:25 utc | 95

"The UK ruling Labour party now supports the issue of an arest warant for netinyahoo.
Thats offical."

Posted by: Mark2 Moron | Jul 26 2024 21:55 utc | 72

Like usual you are wrong and misinformed. Here's what the UK government actually did on this issue:

"LONDON -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Friday that the U.K. will not intervene in the International Criminal Court's request for an arrest warrant against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.20 hours ago"

Much different than your misinformed garbage.

Posted by: canuck | Jul 27 2024 12:29 utc | 96

"Russian forces have been ground to a halt for years. "

Posted by: Retarded Napoleon | Jul 26 2024 21:09 utc | 60

Your obvious retardation is quite comical.

You should start a comedy blog .

Posted by: canuck | Jul 27 2024 12:33 utc | 97

https://t.me/RVvoenkor/73359

U.S. Thwarts Ukraine's Operations Behind Russian Lines After Defense Minister Belousov's Call

▪️Defense Minister Belousov called the head of the Pentagon in early July to report on the Ukrainian "secret operation" against Russia, the NYT writes, citing its own sources.

▪️On July 12, Belousov called to warn of Russia's discovery of a "Ukrainian covert operation" against the Russian Federation, which, according to the Russians, was approved by the Americans.

Belousov asked Austin if the Pentagon was aware of this operation and whether they understood that it could lead to an exacerbation of tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Pentagon officials were surprised by this claim and were unaware of such an operation.

"But whatever Belousov said, all 3 Pentagon officials noted that it was taken quite seriously, and the Americans contacted the Ukrainians, stressing that if they are planning something like this, they should not do it," the newspaper writes.

▪️Despite Ukraine's deep dependence on the United States for military, intelligence and diplomatic support, Ukrainian officials are not always transparent with their US counterparts about their military operations, especially those directed against targets behind Russia's lines.

These operations have disappointed US officials, who believe that they have not only failed to improve Ukraine's position on the battlefield, but also risk alienating European allies and expanding the war," the NYT adds.

▪️The publication also notes that the operations that caused concern in the United States included strikes on a Russian air base on the west coast of Crimea, the explosion of a truck on the bridge over the Kerch Strait and drone strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Posted by: guest | Jul 27 2024 12:41 utc | 98

Posted by: Carlos Marques | Jul 27 2024 1:37 utc | 81

1) you work and pay taxes, the rich don't work and have offshore to escape taxes;

Lol. The rich do work, and some work very long hours, it's just that the rich's work operate on top of a lot of normal people's work so from your point of view it seems the rich are just sitting there collecting rent.

And the rich pay enormous amounts on taxes, enough to pay for the salaries of dozens or even hundreds of government employees, or to give away money to thousands destitute migrants, or to send to the Ukraines to be corrupted by former commies, or whatever else the government deems high priority at any givent time.

Also, offshore accounts are mostly used by corrupt politicians such as the infamous Jewish Comedian of the Ukraines, not by the rich doing regular business. The rich prefer to not pay taxes by creating funds to support their ideological preferences.

Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Jul 27 2024 12:42 utc | 99

Lol.
Economics is a pseudo science religion.

What is Nutty doing in the US except helping himself to ever more Magick money boot filling? He has family and homes there.
The ziofascist ukropian game is nearly over for this century.
All that is owed to the RF will be collected.
They always come to their Money. Bismarck said as much.
Not a single dollar that is ‘given’ or ‘lent’ to ukropia is ever seen by the majority of the mincemeat fodder. Plenty of cash goes around and leaves the country to buy luxury motors and homes for a few.
The natzios have been feeding off us for centuries
Their Vampires Ball is nearly done.
The masses are gathering and preparing the stakes to put through their evil hearts.

Yes they are intimately connected - the Failure of the Crimea Dream and the Failure of the consolation prize, the Levant Dream. Accounting is an invention, book keeping is how to hide and steal from the poor to keep them poor.

The shapeshifters know they are fucked and are trying to start a major conflagration and sacrifice of western youth and economies as they run for cover behind that heinous coming worldwide war. They’ll buy up the western assets (land and property) using the invented money from the victims they will dispossess - to lord over for the next few generations again, as they lick their wounds.. before trying again.

Ps the Illegal apartheid entity’s Bonds are heading for junk (already have) but they are not allowed to be re-rated as such! Many pension funds are divesting fast and leaving a hot potato to be picked up by the Fed - kerrching, the Magick Money Machine being driven to self destruction.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Jul 27 2024 12:52 utc | 100

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