Today (as you might be aware Mark), MK Badrakumar has basically said Biden is damn— if he does and damn— if he doesn’t! To run or not to run - any action he takes is a “zugzwang.” MK is a brilliant thinker:
“Indeed, Biden must willy-nilly remain in power beyond 2024 or else he becomes extremely vulnerable. Therefore, Biden desperately needs a second term. He cannot be too sure even if some other Democratic candidate wins in 2024. God forbid, if the Republicans seize the presidency, Biden and his family members will be fighting with their backs against the wall.
But there is also the flip side. Biden’s candidacy will bring Nord Stream, Hunter Biden, Ukraine war, et al, to the centre stage of the election campaign. Is it worth the risk?”
From his “Punchline” blog - it ties in with your post of yesterday about the NYT/IC contention that Ukrainians carried out NS sabotage…
Yes, I saw that earlier. But note also that the Senate Republicans have basically closed ranks behind the "Insurrection" narrative. That amounts to continued support for the regime that replaced Trump's presidency. That doesn't translate into support for Zhou, necessarily, but it does mean closing ranks against a Trump return or the candidacy of any similar person who would change the basic direction of the American Empire.
So I guess that means there is hope yet for Biden, albatrosses and all, because Trump. I gurss if you can call J6 an insurrection, you can call annihilation of Ukraine a victory. Sick times.
You beat me to it with the JKH quote, Mark. I read that yesterday and thought it a brilliant summary of where we are: "Imagine that on an April evening in 1912, the captain of the RMS Titanic had announced a grand ball at which the male passengers were asked to wear their wives’ clothing and vice-versa…. That was approximately the condition of Western Civ verging on springtime in 2023" As for a Ukraine exit ramp, it the neocons get out now, the American public might just have forgotten about it by Nov 2024.
Let's see, a pro-Ukraine "group" is responsible for damaging 3 of 4 lines of the Northstreams. I suspect that the head of this anti Putin "group" would be none other than the insane, warmongering, neocon extraordinaire, the one and only Ms. V. Nutland.
For those growing weary of heavily spun war coverage at the Duran and the Saker (bye-bye!) and actually keeping score on Macgregor's predictions over the past year, I offer an alternate pro-Russian view:
McGregor's predictions have been out, but his overall analysis is spot on. The Duran guys are as good as it gets. They weigh up the evidence and have the integrity to admit when they don't know what's really going on. As for the Saker, agreed. His laughable self-importance and continual inclusion of fools like Pepe Escobar really degraded the value of his site.
The CCP piece is very interesting: China's gov't being more confrontational to the USA and West by several sigma above normal. (through the Vlahos thread is this link to of all things Christiane Amanpour doing some actual & reasonable journalistic probing of the question "what does China want" https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1633074264201994242/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1633074264201994242¤tTweetUser=amuse ) The weird thing, in terms of BRICS evolution, is that Russia and China are not natural allies, having come more from the frienemy side of the spectrum. If Russia didn't need the market and currency heft, they'd be happier I suspect in a "RIBS" + West + China + non-aligned-Asia multi-polar world (come to think of it, I would too). China is antithetical to the religious cultural imperatives central to Putin's Russia. In fact, the Davos crowd and the CCP-urge for control and stability world-wide are closer than China-Russia. weird world, no?
Two thoughts. Should Afghanistan be added to the list of defeats?
Second. I’m thinking of the bubble the neocons and their supporters are living in. It may be best exemplified by The Turtles reaction to Fox News release of the J6 tapes and Tucker Carlson’s video that is all over the internet. Briefly stated, he is denying the reality of what Carlson presented. Saying it is all lies. I watched it. It is actual video taken on Jan 6. What world does the guy live in?
Re Afghanistan, the reason that I didn't add that is because I'm not convinced that it was part of the bigger Neocon strategy of regime change in Russia. There's no doubt that the strategic location athwart energy rich Central Asia and the land routes between China and Russia were attractive, but in 2001 I don't think they realized what Putin would become as an opponent.
It may not have been tied into bringing down Putin but it was definitely part of the overall neocon MO of slapping around little countries just to show whose in charge.
Thank you, Mr Wauck, for the write-up(s) = you are appreciated. A few thoughts on this one. No quibbles on the summary direction of the accursed Ukraine war: put a fork in it. Putin will extract a very high price for closure in the end-game; NATO, sanctions, Nordstream reparations, and reserve currency mechanisms are on the agenda. I suspect that was the reason Olaf Scholz made a White House visit. I doubt he had anything substantive to say to Zhou in their private meeting, but likely lots to say to Mr Jake Sullivan and others. Mr Scholz will be looking to next Winter's concerns (that is the EU's real problem, they can't keep paying the current energy costs another year) in terms of energy, grain, fertilizer supplies, and where is their market for German produced goods?? Germany invented "Real Politik" under Willy Brandt, they could readily pivot to Russia (and Turkey). On the question of a President Trump being able and ready to change the course of the Ukraine awfulness, we differ: I think he would've made all the difference. As to Powell and the Fed == gulp! I favor high interest rates to bring inflation into check, but the size of the deficit is now so vast I don't see how we aren't stuck with the worst of both worlds: inflation to enable paying debt off in cheaper dollars and high long term interest rates. Ugh. Too much power in the current Washington DC structure, near total decoupling of the actions of the elite class from the will of the people. We live in interesting times.
Wow. Just wow. You have hit all the main issues here. Just one point, a Civil War is highly unlikely, but without it we will never function as a country. Washington has lost control over the people of this country. Permanently. Yes, there are the sheep who go along, and those who are totally dependent on Washington, but the rest of us have zero confidence in the regime, and even the rule of law. They can shut us up, and we will continue to pay taxes, but we couldn't care less if any of Washington's initiatives or even wars succeed. Call us deplorables, proles or even domestic terrorists, but they have succeeded in alienating all the most productive elements in America.
Scholz makes the appeasers of 1938 look like Churchill. I remember the rabid anti-Americanism of the Cold War years in Germany. The German lefties really hated the US. Where did those guys go?
Through some unholy alliance of Modern Monetary Theory (largely Lefty in origin, but beneficiaries of all stripes learned to love the spend) and a wildly-overblown confidence (mostly neocons) in America's enduring destiny as the world's reserve currency and geopolitical/military big swinging [bleep], I don't think anyone in power, of either party, incurred all that debt with the slightest view of it ever being repaid. With bills coming due, Plan Bs--at least those not involving global war or societal upheaval--are in frighteningly short supply.
But Clinton was forced into that position by a populist Republican movement that took fiscal responsibility seriously. Whether that movement was aligned with the Bush wing or not, I don't know, but agree it was the Bush wing that sent everything off the rails under GWB.
But there's an important Clinton angle: it was Clinton who forced banks to start lending to people who couldn't pay their mortgages. That contagion created the housing bubble and took about 10-15 years to work its way through the financial system until it collapsed under GWB's watch.
Fascinating info regarding Michael Lewis. The "Clinton did it" argument, though not secret, is also not widely known. I learned it maybe 8-10 years ago, but the best source was Matthew Crawford's article on Rounding the Earth a year or so ago; he entered wall street just before it really hit the fan. So it stands to reason that he would not have known the Solomon angle.
I understand about Perot, but that doesn't mean that Newt's movement was insincere about discipline (thinking out loud, I'm not taking a position); they just got co-opted and compromised. By the time GWB rolled around, they were either gone or corrupted and took the path of least resistance.
Speaking of detesting your own citizenry, not to mention citizens of other countries…my jaw dropped reading the attempt at a face-saving (and election-saving?) move by Zhou and co. to all of a sudden blame Ukraine for killing Nordstream…after leading the Ukes around by the nose for at least a decade, pushing them to antagonize Russia to the point R invades, goading and pushing Germany especially to “get in line” and be quiet so Zhou can now turn this looming defeat into another sick vaudeville of an election campaign…is as base and evil as it gets.
And think about it: not only does it open the door for Biden to walk away from Ukraine, but since NS was an act of war against NATO members, it also opens the door for Ukraine's neighbors to plunder the remains left by Russia.
I hope the Baltic states are learning from this. Be wary of taking the US for an ally.
I never thought of the US president as an oligarch until now. Mark mentioned that even Senate Republicans are refusing to counter the “insurrection” nonsense of J6, and are closing ranks against Trump’s candidacy…looks bleak as far as accountability goes
Today (as you might be aware Mark), MK Badrakumar has basically said Biden is damn— if he does and damn— if he doesn’t! To run or not to run - any action he takes is a “zugzwang.” MK is a brilliant thinker:
“Indeed, Biden must willy-nilly remain in power beyond 2024 or else he becomes extremely vulnerable. Therefore, Biden desperately needs a second term. He cannot be too sure even if some other Democratic candidate wins in 2024. God forbid, if the Republicans seize the presidency, Biden and his family members will be fighting with their backs against the wall.
But there is also the flip side. Biden’s candidacy will bring Nord Stream, Hunter Biden, Ukraine war, et al, to the centre stage of the election campaign. Is it worth the risk?”
From his “Punchline” blog - it ties in with your post of yesterday about the NYT/IC contention that Ukrainians carried out NS sabotage…
Yes, I saw that earlier. But note also that the Senate Republicans have basically closed ranks behind the "Insurrection" narrative. That amounts to continued support for the regime that replaced Trump's presidency. That doesn't translate into support for Zhou, necessarily, but it does mean closing ranks against a Trump return or the candidacy of any similar person who would change the basic direction of the American Empire.
So I guess that means there is hope yet for Biden, albatrosses and all, because Trump. I gurss if you can call J6 an insurrection, you can call annihilation of Ukraine a victory. Sick times.
(and shame on the Republicans)
You beat me to it with the JKH quote, Mark. I read that yesterday and thought it a brilliant summary of where we are: "Imagine that on an April evening in 1912, the captain of the RMS Titanic had announced a grand ball at which the male passengers were asked to wear their wives’ clothing and vice-versa…. That was approximately the condition of Western Civ verging on springtime in 2023" As for a Ukraine exit ramp, it the neocons get out now, the American public might just have forgotten about it by Nov 2024.
Let's see, a pro-Ukraine "group" is responsible for damaging 3 of 4 lines of the Northstreams. I suspect that the head of this anti Putin "group" would be none other than the insane, warmongering, neocon extraordinaire, the one and only Ms. V. Nutland.
Nope. Jake from State Farm.
For those growing weary of heavily spun war coverage at the Duran and the Saker (bye-bye!) and actually keeping score on Macgregor's predictions over the past year, I offer an alternate pro-Russian view:
https://open.substack.com/pub/roloslavskiy/p/a-response-to-ron-unzs-latest-ukraine
Again, I don't endorse this guy. I just find value in a diversity of perspective.
McGregor's predictions have been out, but his overall analysis is spot on. The Duran guys are as good as it gets. They weigh up the evidence and have the integrity to admit when they don't know what's really going on. As for the Saker, agreed. His laughable self-importance and continual inclusion of fools like Pepe Escobar really degraded the value of his site.
That's not a perspective so much as a rant coupled with a panhandling appeal.
The CCP piece is very interesting: China's gov't being more confrontational to the USA and West by several sigma above normal. (through the Vlahos thread is this link to of all things Christiane Amanpour doing some actual & reasonable journalistic probing of the question "what does China want" https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1633074264201994242/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1633074264201994242¤tTweetUser=amuse ) The weird thing, in terms of BRICS evolution, is that Russia and China are not natural allies, having come more from the frienemy side of the spectrum. If Russia didn't need the market and currency heft, they'd be happier I suspect in a "RIBS" + West + China + non-aligned-Asia multi-polar world (come to think of it, I would too). China is antithetical to the religious cultural imperatives central to Putin's Russia. In fact, the Davos crowd and the CCP-urge for control and stability world-wide are closer than China-Russia. weird world, no?
Two thoughts. Should Afghanistan be added to the list of defeats?
Second. I’m thinking of the bubble the neocons and their supporters are living in. It may be best exemplified by The Turtles reaction to Fox News release of the J6 tapes and Tucker Carlson’s video that is all over the internet. Briefly stated, he is denying the reality of what Carlson presented. Saying it is all lies. I watched it. It is actual video taken on Jan 6. What world does the guy live in?
Re Afghanistan, the reason that I didn't add that is because I'm not convinced that it was part of the bigger Neocon strategy of regime change in Russia. There's no doubt that the strategic location athwart energy rich Central Asia and the land routes between China and Russia were attractive, but in 2001 I don't think they realized what Putin would become as an opponent.
It may not have been tied into bringing down Putin but it was definitely part of the overall neocon MO of slapping around little countries just to show whose in charge.
Thank you, Mr Wauck, for the write-up(s) = you are appreciated. A few thoughts on this one. No quibbles on the summary direction of the accursed Ukraine war: put a fork in it. Putin will extract a very high price for closure in the end-game; NATO, sanctions, Nordstream reparations, and reserve currency mechanisms are on the agenda. I suspect that was the reason Olaf Scholz made a White House visit. I doubt he had anything substantive to say to Zhou in their private meeting, but likely lots to say to Mr Jake Sullivan and others. Mr Scholz will be looking to next Winter's concerns (that is the EU's real problem, they can't keep paying the current energy costs another year) in terms of energy, grain, fertilizer supplies, and where is their market for German produced goods?? Germany invented "Real Politik" under Willy Brandt, they could readily pivot to Russia (and Turkey). On the question of a President Trump being able and ready to change the course of the Ukraine awfulness, we differ: I think he would've made all the difference. As to Powell and the Fed == gulp! I favor high interest rates to bring inflation into check, but the size of the deficit is now so vast I don't see how we aren't stuck with the worst of both worlds: inflation to enable paying debt off in cheaper dollars and high long term interest rates. Ugh. Too much power in the current Washington DC structure, near total decoupling of the actions of the elite class from the will of the people. We live in interesting times.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Wow. Just wow. You have hit all the main issues here. Just one point, a Civil War is highly unlikely, but without it we will never function as a country. Washington has lost control over the people of this country. Permanently. Yes, there are the sheep who go along, and those who are totally dependent on Washington, but the rest of us have zero confidence in the regime, and even the rule of law. They can shut us up, and we will continue to pay taxes, but we couldn't care less if any of Washington's initiatives or even wars succeed. Call us deplorables, proles or even domestic terrorists, but they have succeeded in alienating all the most productive elements in America.
"Waiting for financial markets, banks, and monies to blow?"
Check out this podcast between Danielle DiMartino Booth and Francis Hunt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vijw7dKHYHg
A couple notes:
First thirty minutes describing calamitous developments and ominous portents in real estate, auto sales, etc...
34:30 - Never seen financial media so united in presenting conditions so contrary to and denying the reality of everyday experience
42:00 - trillion dollar bank bailouts in 2019 were bigger than subprime bailouts; repo lows (banks) always precede formal recessions by a year or two
43:00 - COVID could be seen as a cover story for the repo bank bailout
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/over-40-americans-think-ww3-imminent
Scholz makes the appeasers of 1938 look like Churchill. I remember the rabid anti-Americanism of the Cold War years in Germany. The German lefties really hated the US. Where did those guys go?
Right?! At least all those pols who more proudly sport a Ukraine flag than our own red white & blue.
Through some unholy alliance of Modern Monetary Theory (largely Lefty in origin, but beneficiaries of all stripes learned to love the spend) and a wildly-overblown confidence (mostly neocons) in America's enduring destiny as the world's reserve currency and geopolitical/military big swinging [bleep], I don't think anyone in power, of either party, incurred all that debt with the slightest view of it ever being repaid. With bills coming due, Plan Bs--at least those not involving global war or societal upheaval--are in frighteningly short supply.
But Clinton was forced into that position by a populist Republican movement that took fiscal responsibility seriously. Whether that movement was aligned with the Bush wing or not, I don't know, but agree it was the Bush wing that sent everything off the rails under GWB.
But there's an important Clinton angle: it was Clinton who forced banks to start lending to people who couldn't pay their mortgages. That contagion created the housing bubble and took about 10-15 years to work its way through the financial system until it collapsed under GWB's watch.
Fascinating info regarding Michael Lewis. The "Clinton did it" argument, though not secret, is also not widely known. I learned it maybe 8-10 years ago, but the best source was Matthew Crawford's article on Rounding the Earth a year or so ago; he entered wall street just before it really hit the fan. So it stands to reason that he would not have known the Solomon angle.
I understand about Perot, but that doesn't mean that Newt's movement was insincere about discipline (thinking out loud, I'm not taking a position); they just got co-opted and compromised. By the time GWB rolled around, they were either gone or corrupted and took the path of least resistance.
True. Bill knew he was cooked if he couldn’t find a path forward after the ‘94 midterms.
Correct. The battles never cease.
Speaking of detesting your own citizenry, not to mention citizens of other countries…my jaw dropped reading the attempt at a face-saving (and election-saving?) move by Zhou and co. to all of a sudden blame Ukraine for killing Nordstream…after leading the Ukes around by the nose for at least a decade, pushing them to antagonize Russia to the point R invades, goading and pushing Germany especially to “get in line” and be quiet so Zhou can now turn this looming defeat into another sick vaudeville of an election campaign…is as base and evil as it gets.
And The Hague takes a pass.
And think about it: not only does it open the door for Biden to walk away from Ukraine, but since NS was an act of war against NATO members, it also opens the door for Ukraine's neighbors to plunder the remains left by Russia.
I hope the Baltic states are learning from this. Be wary of taking the US for an ally.
I never thought of the US president as an oligarch until now. Mark mentioned that even Senate Republicans are refusing to counter the “insurrection” nonsense of J6, and are closing ranks against Trump’s candidacy…looks bleak as far as accountability goes
Yes