There's a lot going on. I agree with TL that stealing Russian assets would be a massive error on the West's part. Freezing their assets and dollar reserve was already one of the greatest mistakes in post-WW2 history and gave vast impetus to the BRICS. Going the full Monty will seal the deal. As for ATACMS taking out the Crimean bridge, it may be a snazzy headline for a few days but it will have zero effect on the Russian economy or military effort: the Russians have been building up their land links as back-up.
Without provocation, US has illegally annexed one third of Syria. The parcel is Syria's best agricultural land--US bureaucrats laugh about it and say the rest of Syria is "rubble"--the land also contains Syria's only oil resources which US freely steals. US military are posted on the land and will shoot you if you try and walk on the land. A starving Syrian child perhaps wishing to plant seeds for food would also be shot if he walked on the land. Unlike the Crimea and Russia connection, Syria has never been part of the US, Syrians have never been allowed to vote on whether they'd like to be part of the US, nor do most Syrians speak English. Also, US policy is to threaten to punish any entity which tries to help starving Syrian children.
The Syrians I know are faithful and patriots, but they abhor what the USA has doe to their former country and the false claims of butchery laid upon Assad. The U.S. has devolved into a Mongol empire.
Luongo also said it will be real interesting to see if Europe follows suit with the FX reserves, or if they're just waiting to pull the football away as we swing for it.
Europe's only hope - and it's a slim one - is to break away from the US neocons and make it's peace with Russia. I have little hope that this process will begin with a Euro refusal to follow America's FX move.
They can’t and won’t. The welfare societies of the West have squandered their wealth, their decency, and their pride by taking from the productive to give to the unproductive and then created militancy among the grifters who now feel entitled to steal from everyone.
They won't. At least not with the current "leadership". If they didn't protest about the neocons blowing up Nordstream, they aren't going to cause a stink about this.
It's unfortunate, Steg, but I can understand their reluctance. The same reluctance can be found in the U.S. So many people of a certain age are living with the hangover of a WWII and cold war mentality and they see Russia as the Soviet Union. I blame a lot of this on journalists and academics who rewrite history to match their ideological underpinnings. The masses never get an honest appraisal of anything anymore. I never agreed with Nixon's opening to China. It was a move born out of cold war thinking the old "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thinking. The rentier class got the world they wanted and now we live with the consequences of their greed and lust fr power. The West with their air of superiority did not understand Chinese culture no more than they understand Russian culture, or Islamic culture. I a sure you are well read in your history and being European you know that nothing has really ever truly changed. Modernized, yes, but change no. The strong still bully the weak and promote favorable policy with bribes, graft and lies so it always remains so.
It's a strange contradiction, isn't it? The Western globalists feel they are so superior to the Russians and Chinese, yet they do everything they can to undermine Western traditional culture.
I wonder if the guy has any self awareness at all, thinking he can threaten China to stop siding with the Russians? He needs to get out more if he believes that any country in the world is still intimidated by the US, especially after the Ukraine and ME fiascos.
The U.S.A. and China can each hurt each other's economies but we have passed the point where it would hurt China more. It's open to debate but if a full trade war started I think America's general sclerotic nature versus China's flexibility and dynamism would be the deciding factors. I'd bet of China coping better.
Just like saying NATO and Ukraine can hurt Russia. They can still. But Russian can hurt them back a whole lot more. Russians and Chinese are also much tougher than us.
That said, it is just insulting and weird to threaten China w/ massive sanctions if it doesn't stop allying w/ Russia -- if that is what Blinken's trip is about. Flailing, desperate move.
Not going to happen and, again, all US is doing is insulting China & looking dumb. Wonder who the Chinese will send this time to meet Blinky at the airport? Maybe just a taxi? Lol.
To a civilization that’s been around thousands of years they do not think and plan for the moment they plan for a hundred years. These neocons and progressive Dems are demonstrating a deep misunderstanding of the world due to their greed and lust for power. The immediacy of some form of evil pleasure blinds them to the problems they will have visited upon the rest of us for years to come.
US pretends that China is a "big bad enemy" when reverse is true. The "big enemy" claim is aimed at true #1 US enemy, US taxpayers. US elites need "scary" enemies like China and Russia as an excuse to bleed US taxpayers to death and prevent us from enjoying our own country. US has freely given Communist China everything that wasn't nailed down for decades. China can get anything it wants off any computer. US universities also give China everything they want. Notice now they're saying US must help Ukraine because if we don't "China will think US is weak." Ollie North said US must immediately send lots of weapons to Taiwan because of "scary China."
They're proud of the policy, "their blood, our bullets." At least two, Lindsey Graham and Brit Hume, have said US giving money to Ukraine is a great deal because Americans aren't dying there, but others are. So "no US boots on the ground" excuses crimes against humanity. US taxpayers were told flattening Libya was a good deal because there were (allegedly) no US
Is it pride of policy or are they just simply conning the public and gloating all the way to the bank to cash their bribes. It's rather ghoulish to brag about using others to die for your investment portfolio, don't ya think?
ATACMS missiles are already in Ukraine and were used in an attack on a Russian Airfield. Supposed 10 out of 13 were shot down, and the Russians had advance notice of the attack and moved their aircraft per the Duran.
The major use of this Ukraine fluffing seems to be paying for Weapons already sent to Ukraine, either from U.S. stockpiles, or directly from the manufacturer.
On today's Mercouris video he discussed likely speculation that pentagon and MIC have already been supplying Ukraine on the sly , so the funding was necessary to settle accounts.
He's top notch on many things but tends to get a bit too deep into conspiracies. He often takes an important detail and makes it the central plank of the event. I guess we all do that, to be fair to him.
Thanks for this great report.
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Country-Then-Richard-Cook/dp/1949762858
There's a lot going on. I agree with TL that stealing Russian assets would be a massive error on the West's part. Freezing their assets and dollar reserve was already one of the greatest mistakes in post-WW2 history and gave vast impetus to the BRICS. Going the full Monty will seal the deal. As for ATACMS taking out the Crimean bridge, it may be a snazzy headline for a few days but it will have zero effect on the Russian economy or military effort: the Russians have been building up their land links as back-up.
Forrest Gump's mama used to say, "Stupid is, as stupid does."
Without provocation, US has illegally annexed one third of Syria. The parcel is Syria's best agricultural land--US bureaucrats laugh about it and say the rest of Syria is "rubble"--the land also contains Syria's only oil resources which US freely steals. US military are posted on the land and will shoot you if you try and walk on the land. A starving Syrian child perhaps wishing to plant seeds for food would also be shot if he walked on the land. Unlike the Crimea and Russia connection, Syria has never been part of the US, Syrians have never been allowed to vote on whether they'd like to be part of the US, nor do most Syrians speak English. Also, US policy is to threaten to punish any entity which tries to help starving Syrian children.
The Syrians I know are faithful and patriots, but they abhor what the USA has doe to their former country and the false claims of butchery laid upon Assad. The U.S. has devolved into a Mongol empire.
Thank heaven a few people are starting to realize this.
Those bases need to be "Nigered"
Luongo also said it will be real interesting to see if Europe follows suit with the FX reserves, or if they're just waiting to pull the football away as we swing for it.
Europe's only hope - and it's a slim one - is to break away from the US neocons and make it's peace with Russia. I have little hope that this process will begin with a Euro refusal to follow America's FX move.
They can’t and won’t. The welfare societies of the West have squandered their wealth, their decency, and their pride by taking from the productive to give to the unproductive and then created militancy among the grifters who now feel entitled to steal from everyone.
They won't. At least not with the current "leadership". If they didn't protest about the neocons blowing up Nordstream, they aren't going to cause a stink about this.
It's unfortunate, Steg, but I can understand their reluctance. The same reluctance can be found in the U.S. So many people of a certain age are living with the hangover of a WWII and cold war mentality and they see Russia as the Soviet Union. I blame a lot of this on journalists and academics who rewrite history to match their ideological underpinnings. The masses never get an honest appraisal of anything anymore. I never agreed with Nixon's opening to China. It was a move born out of cold war thinking the old "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thinking. The rentier class got the world they wanted and now we live with the consequences of their greed and lust fr power. The West with their air of superiority did not understand Chinese culture no more than they understand Russian culture, or Islamic culture. I a sure you are well read in your history and being European you know that nothing has really ever truly changed. Modernized, yes, but change no. The strong still bully the weak and promote favorable policy with bribes, graft and lies so it always remains so.
It's a strange contradiction, isn't it? The Western globalists feel they are so superior to the Russians and Chinese, yet they do everything they can to undermine Western traditional culture.
TL's Theory of Everything practically demands that they split over the FX.
We'll have to wait and see, but that would be more than a tell. It would confirm everything.
“Blinken going to threaten China” that’s rich.
I wonder if the guy has any self awareness at all, thinking he can threaten China to stop siding with the Russians? He needs to get out more if he believes that any country in the world is still intimidated by the US, especially after the Ukraine and ME fiascos.
We can still hurt their economy.
Other countries have survived sanctions because China backstopped them. Who backstops China?
When they get their alternative to Swift setup, then the gloves will come off.
The U.S.A. and China can each hurt each other's economies but we have passed the point where it would hurt China more. It's open to debate but if a full trade war started I think America's general sclerotic nature versus China's flexibility and dynamism would be the deciding factors. I'd bet of China coping better.
Just like saying NATO and Ukraine can hurt Russia. They can still. But Russian can hurt them back a whole lot more. Russians and Chinese are also much tougher than us.
That said, it is just insulting and weird to threaten China w/ massive sanctions if it doesn't stop allying w/ Russia -- if that is what Blinken's trip is about. Flailing, desperate move.
Not going to happen and, again, all US is doing is insulting China & looking dumb. Wonder who the Chinese will send this time to meet Blinky at the airport? Maybe just a taxi? Lol.
To a civilization that’s been around thousands of years they do not think and plan for the moment they plan for a hundred years. These neocons and progressive Dems are demonstrating a deep misunderstanding of the world due to their greed and lust for power. The immediacy of some form of evil pleasure blinds them to the problems they will have visited upon the rest of us for years to come.
At least China gives us something to laugh about.
Wasn't it janitors last time? LMAO
Head of the rickshaw drivers' union.
US pretends that China is a "big bad enemy" when reverse is true. The "big enemy" claim is aimed at true #1 US enemy, US taxpayers. US elites need "scary" enemies like China and Russia as an excuse to bleed US taxpayers to death and prevent us from enjoying our own country. US has freely given Communist China everything that wasn't nailed down for decades. China can get anything it wants off any computer. US universities also give China everything they want. Notice now they're saying US must help Ukraine because if we don't "China will think US is weak." Ollie North said US must immediately send lots of weapons to Taiwan because of "scary China."
Driven by greed and power they live for the moment without considering the consequences of their folly. Hubris.
They're proud of the policy, "their blood, our bullets." At least two, Lindsey Graham and Brit Hume, have said US giving money to Ukraine is a great deal because Americans aren't dying there, but others are. So "no US boots on the ground" excuses crimes against humanity. US taxpayers were told flattening Libya was a good deal because there were (allegedly) no US
"boots on the ground."
Is it pride of policy or are they just simply conning the public and gloating all the way to the bank to cash their bribes. It's rather ghoulish to brag about using others to die for your investment portfolio, don't ya think?
ATACMS missiles are already in Ukraine and were used in an attack on a Russian Airfield. Supposed 10 out of 13 were shot down, and the Russians had advance notice of the attack and moved their aircraft per the Duran.
The major use of this Ukraine fluffing seems to be paying for Weapons already sent to Ukraine, either from U.S. stockpiles, or directly from the manufacturer.
On today's Mercouris video he discussed likely speculation that pentagon and MIC have already been supplying Ukraine on the sly , so the funding was necessary to settle accounts.
That's was a very informative video.
Very interesting appraisal and updates. Thanks for doing all that slugging! I agree with you on most of your analysis and assessment!
As usual, Tom makes it too complicated.
He's top notch on many things but tends to get a bit too deep into conspiracies. He often takes an important detail and makes it the central plank of the event. I guess we all do that, to be fair to him.