Most countries around the world ban the use of cluster munitions. The US, Ukraine, and Russia do not. Nevertheless, the announcement that the US will send cluster munitions to Ukaine—because, it is said, we’re running low on conventional munitions to send—is receiving what seems to me to be almost a surprising amount of pushback. You can start here in the US. The NYT provides a fairly full account of what this is all about, but the important thing is the strongly negative lede and intro to the article:
RedState has some details on Yellen’s recent trip to China, appalling. She got the same reception as Blinken at the airport, but somehow she figured it was a good idea to bow multiple times during her meetings with Chinese officials. Simply can’t find the words to express the proper level of contempt.
Being the psychopaths that they are, they also find it impossible to interract normally with other human beings. Hence all the cock-ups, gaffes and misunderstandings in communication.
Brilliant! The radical secular beasts that have insinuated themselves into our government(s) and attempting to rule us and reduce our numbers are truly psychopathic. Their philosophy of “healing the world” is a cover for the what they are really after and it’s more like “steal the world.”
"Now what will happen at some point is the Chinese will say--they'll probably go along with that for a while--but at some point [the Chinese will] say, 'Look, this new system, this new currency, is the major system used in international trade, you [Americans] must join it as well.’ That's probably where we're heading."
Gee, how are we supposed to participate in a currency backed by gold, when Ft. Knox is likely empty?
Even if we retain the amounts of gold that, for example, Kim Dotcom recently cited, the problem is the enormity of our debts. The size of our debt could still force a default, since the gold wouldn't be sufficient to cover the debt. That would have serious impact, even if our long term fundamentals remain strong. But political turmoil can trump fundamentals. There are many examples of that.
Thanks for the wide ranging and interesting post, Mark. The Charles Hugh Smith piece makes some very good points. Nothing earth shatteringly new but spot on nonetheless. Thanks for sharing it.
For those interested in BRICS economic developments, Pablo Escobar wrote a piece at Zerohedge a couple of days ago about the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in New Delhi. He briefly relates areas of discussion at the summit including SCO/BRICS integration, the plans for developing additional infrastructure for trade among members, and the development of a BRICS currency.
"Several leaders at the SCO summit were in favor to what amounts, in practice, to an expanded BRICS-SCO Central Bank. When the new BRICS-SCO-EAEU currency is finally adopted – of course it’s a long way away, perhaps in the early 2030s – it will be traded for physical gold by participating banks from SCO, BRICS, and EAU member-nations."
He also notes that the SCO members collectively do not want the Yuan as a reserve currency. Perhaps Yellen was just on a fact finding (spying:) mission to learn what the Chinese intentions are in this area, even though a BRICS currency is not imminent.
Someday someone’s going to write an article sharing all the things the Zhou administration wasn’t going to do in this war and has reversed many. Abrams, F-16’s, billions etc.
And i read somewhere recently John McCain wannabe Lindsay Graham is spearheading a bi-partisan push to ensure US support for Ukraine’s NATO ascension. And surprising pushback from some NeoCon’s.
I represent a S. C. company in the embedded computing space. A large chunk of their biz is devoted to MAD (mil/aero/defense) and they love Graham for his pro-MAD politics. You can be assured he’s enjoying the bribes, kickbacks and money laundering that goes with this sort of political support. He’s definitely a McCain republican.
Well, if we’re sending cluster munitions to Ukraine because we’re running low on conventional munitions, aaaa, what are we gonna fight the Russians and the Chinese with, pitchforks and pronouns?
Let’s see, these hayseed hicks have pissed off everybody in the world, nobody trusts our word, and we’re basically persona non grata anywhere on the world stage. It never occurred to these dipsticks, sorry gang but I’m running out of pejorative adjectives to describe these people, that all of these pissed off folks might have been stockpiling physical gold for a reason other than it looks pretty in the sunlight! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has watched the movement of physical gold and concluded that something was afoot. Not brain science or rocket surgery, just plain old everyday common sense, well to everyone but the Neocons.
Now their in panic mode and can’t figure out why nobody wants to talk to them! You reap what you sew and what goes around definitely comes around.
If anybody has any extra popcorn, I’ll trade you some for a nice cold soda.
Re Zhou sending cluster munitions per MoonofAlabama:
“The decision, likely illegal, was made because the U.S. and its allies have run out of other 155mm munitions:
The move, which will bypass U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1 percent, comes amid concerns about Kyiv’s lagging counteroffensive against entrenched Russian troops and dwindling Western stocks of conventional artillery.”
Oh boy. And these illegal munitions are just what is needed to galvanize EU/Nato support for what is left of) Ukraine?
Actually the war started because Hitler sent his troops into Poland, after the Rhineland, Austria and Czechoslovakia. The allies, especially FDR, were not overly concerned about the Holocaust.
With regard to your first sentence: that was, I imagine, what you were taught in school, are continued to be told by main stream sources and choose to believe. Some of us do not choose to believe that any more.
On your second sentence, likely true in the sense that they were not concerned about the holocaust of gypsies and the mentally backward either.
But, the Jewish question was probably not behind or related to the allies entering WW2 - unless, possibly, some of the bankers backing the war were Jewish.
Now I am curious. What, then, did bring on the war? England and France did declare war after Hitler invaded Poland. The French didn't do much until there were German soldiers in France. Germany declared war on us after Pearl Harbor. In the face of the expansionist policies of Germany and Japan just what could have been done to avert the war?
My thumbnail understanding. The Anglosphere thought that Hitler could be controlled and pointed east to attack Russia, and the Anglosphere spent a lot of money supporting Hitler's rise. Obviously German moves east--Austria, Czecho, Poland were part of that overall plan. The partition of Poland with Russia, though, was a wake-up call that Hitler couldn't be controlled. The way to have prevented WW2 was to never have meddled in German affairs by supporting the Nazi rise and to have abandoned the plans to destroy Russia.
Thank you for reminding me there was a lot of perfidy in England's handling of the situation, expecting Russia and Germany to cancel each other out. But I strongly object to those who assume we could safely ignore the situation, citing that public sentiment here was strongly against the war. Unpleasant facts intrude. Hitler and Japan built up superb war machines, were intent on using them, and if successful Germany was on the way to a nuclear bomb and developing the means to deliver it. The way to have prevented WW2 was to have been aware of the danger posed by Germany and Japan and taken steps to counter them earlier.
Mark see above and my apologies for falling asleep.
One thing I need to add is the Ron Unz articles found on Lew Rockwell link to his blog site. There you will find material dealing with the validity of the Holocaust - I for one am not ready to consider that. I find it a difficult subject to approach with an open mind.
Yeah. I don't know. I really cannot find it in me to open up those articles on his blog that refer to the holocaust as propaganda and so I can't tell you what's up with him. I find it deeply uncomfortable to even look at the titles.
Spot on. When Biden taunted the American people that you needed F-16s and nukes to dissent from his government was chilling. The surveillance apparatus has a real dampening effect on organizing dissent.
IMO if Zhou goes through with sending these “cluster” munitions, he, along with the group of maniacs directing this evil escalation, should be charged with war crimes. Let’s see if the Euros break ranks over this.
Maybe he strongly opposes this insane policy but realizes that the wokesters and neocons who control Zhou Baidan would only dig their heels in and stick with the policy if he publicly opposed it?
Just saw LJ’s latest on how things are shaping up re Nato members:
“NATO has not stomach to let Ukraine join its club. Germany, along with denouncing Biden’s decision to supply cluster munitions to Kiev, declared that any decision about Ukraine joining should be postponed. Hungary and Bulgaria also have signaled their opposition to letting Ukraine get membership status. France is on fire and Macron does not appear to have the political heft to advocate for Ukraine and the pro-Kiev government in the Netherlands is kaput:“
Good job from LJ. It will be fascinating to see what happens next week among the Villians of Vilnius. Will they all be whipped into line by the neocon attack dogs, or will we actually see the first signs of real rebellion?
Yes, agree re the end of Zhou’s residency, and also for the reason that the Russians may now up the ante and we get American personnel coming home in body bags.
Ironic, the situation regarding the cluster munitions, a real 'cluster' caused by the educated idiots in charge. The 155 mm shells that are going to be sent to "Z" contain impact fused submunitions, if they fail to detonate it's no worse than a live grenade laying around. On the other hand, area denial CBU's which disperse large numbers of anti-personnel mines that do not become inert in a short time are bad news. Sometimes I wonder why the laws of war ban the more lethal weapon, example; hard ball ammo is more likely to wound a man for life, who would have died quickly if expanding projectiles were used. I became so viscerally angry, not sickened, ANGRY, while watching the video Larry Johnson posted the other day, the one by an overhead drone showing the gruesome results of treading on modern anti-personnel mines, evildoers such as Nuland et al should be subjected to the most cruel punishments ever devised.
Logic and rationality suggest that we should expect 7 times 7 of what we dish out be received by us in return. Even though we the people are not personally responsible, we will suffer.
"Now that debt is rising faster than 'growth,' and 'growth' is dependent on speculative credit-asset bubbles, the collapse of the Keynesian dream looms large."
Well, he did say that in the long run they'd all be dead. And he was right: the long run is indeed upon us, and the men of those times are indeed all dead. Not much consolation for the living, though, is it?
Keynes was in fashion because his theories worked great………. in theory, but not in practice and the elites liked the bit about deficit spending which they knew could be a way to increase their own wealth without the paroles catching onto their corruption.
Keynes theories worked great to jump-start an economy during the Depression. During prosperity it was supposed to be paid back. They forgot that part. What do we do to fix the coming Great Depression when we have no credit to draw on? Our stock markets are the current Ponzi scheme.
"Please note that they emphasize the well nigh unfathomable stupidity and incompetence of the Zhou regime that McConnell, Barr, and the rest of the Ruling Class saw fit to foist upon America."
If this can be said too many times, that number has so many zeroes behind it that it might as well be infinity.
I had no idea on the NBA ratings - if this is being hidden, what else is being hidden?
The lack of a campaign infrastructure is a tell, I’m not sure of what. Biden knowing he will drop out? Or he knows what matters is control of the vote counting structure?
The US could have:
Cheap energy
Low cost manufacturing
Low cost raw materials
Unfortunately the Left though red tape / regulations, bad laws, climate change fanaticism, monopolies, to big to fail, and a corrupt tax system is making sure that does not happen.
and more stupidity... https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2023/jul/08/ukraine-nato-must-step-in-to-stop-russia
NATO = US. You first--we're right behind you!
My comment (below) foreshadowing what appears today...
https://humanevents.com/2023/07/08/bidens-broken-promises-on-us-engagement-in-ukraine
Maybe I should play Powerball now.
RedState has some details on Yellen’s recent trip to China, appalling. She got the same reception as Blinken at the airport, but somehow she figured it was a good idea to bow multiple times during her meetings with Chinese officials. Simply can’t find the words to express the proper level of contempt.
Who will they send next, the WH janitor? He'd probably do a better job.
Yeh, and I’d be willing to bet real money that he’d get a better reception!
These people bring an entire new dimension to the word “grovel”.
Being the psychopaths that they are, they also find it impossible to interract normally with other human beings. Hence all the cock-ups, gaffes and misunderstandings in communication.
Brilliant! The radical secular beasts that have insinuated themselves into our government(s) and attempting to rule us and reduce our numbers are truly psychopathic. Their philosophy of “healing the world” is a cover for the what they are really after and it’s more like “steal the world.”
"Now what will happen at some point is the Chinese will say--they'll probably go along with that for a while--but at some point [the Chinese will] say, 'Look, this new system, this new currency, is the major system used in international trade, you [Americans] must join it as well.’ That's probably where we're heading."
Gee, how are we supposed to participate in a currency backed by gold, when Ft. Knox is likely empty?
Even if we retain the amounts of gold that, for example, Kim Dotcom recently cited, the problem is the enormity of our debts. The size of our debt could still force a default, since the gold wouldn't be sufficient to cover the debt. That would have serious impact, even if our long term fundamentals remain strong. But political turmoil can trump fundamentals. There are many examples of that.
I doubt Ft. Knox is empty, Anne. I'm sure the guards left a few Snickers wrappers before they closed the doors for the last time.
Ooh, sarcasm, I like it.
Thanks for the wide ranging and interesting post, Mark. The Charles Hugh Smith piece makes some very good points. Nothing earth shatteringly new but spot on nonetheless. Thanks for sharing it.
For those interested in BRICS economic developments, Pablo Escobar wrote a piece at Zerohedge a couple of days ago about the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in New Delhi. He briefly relates areas of discussion at the summit including SCO/BRICS integration, the plans for developing additional infrastructure for trade among members, and the development of a BRICS currency.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-golden-ruble-30-sco-welcomes-new-global-globe
Here is what PE says about the BRICS currency:
"Several leaders at the SCO summit were in favor to what amounts, in practice, to an expanded BRICS-SCO Central Bank. When the new BRICS-SCO-EAEU currency is finally adopted – of course it’s a long way away, perhaps in the early 2030s – it will be traded for physical gold by participating banks from SCO, BRICS, and EAU member-nations."
He also notes that the SCO members collectively do not want the Yuan as a reserve currency. Perhaps Yellen was just on a fact finding (spying:) mission to learn what the Chinese intentions are in this area, even though a BRICS currency is not imminent.
Someday someone’s going to write an article sharing all the things the Zhou administration wasn’t going to do in this war and has reversed many. Abrams, F-16’s, billions etc.
And i read somewhere recently John McCain wannabe Lindsay Graham is spearheading a bi-partisan push to ensure US support for Ukraine’s NATO ascension. And surprising pushback from some NeoCon’s.
I represent a S. C. company in the embedded computing space. A large chunk of their biz is devoted to MAD (mil/aero/defense) and they love Graham for his pro-MAD politics. You can be assured he’s enjoying the bribes, kickbacks and money laundering that goes with this sort of political support. He’s definitely a McCain republican.
He's a full-blown psychopath.
Good news about the nba. Hope all those fools never see the end of their ridiculous contracts
Well, if we’re sending cluster munitions to Ukraine because we’re running low on conventional munitions, aaaa, what are we gonna fight the Russians and the Chinese with, pitchforks and pronouns?
Let’s see, these hayseed hicks have pissed off everybody in the world, nobody trusts our word, and we’re basically persona non grata anywhere on the world stage. It never occurred to these dipsticks, sorry gang but I’m running out of pejorative adjectives to describe these people, that all of these pissed off folks might have been stockpiling physical gold for a reason other than it looks pretty in the sunlight! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has watched the movement of physical gold and concluded that something was afoot. Not brain science or rocket surgery, just plain old everyday common sense, well to everyone but the Neocons.
Now their in panic mode and can’t figure out why nobody wants to talk to them! You reap what you sew and what goes around definitely comes around.
If anybody has any extra popcorn, I’ll trade you some for a nice cold soda.
No popcorn, but Mercouris has one of his most powerful mini-seminars yet on the clusterf— currently playing out! It’s worth the time!
https://youtu.be/fAeSea4NvKk
Someone needs to offer M a good cold beer!!
He's a very serious type, so maybe he'd prefer a heavy tome on geopolitics.
Yes, he has a fine mind (and library!), but I think he’d be fun to have a beer with!
Ooops.
Re Zhou sending cluster munitions per MoonofAlabama:
“The decision, likely illegal, was made because the U.S. and its allies have run out of other 155mm munitions:
The move, which will bypass U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1 percent, comes amid concerns about Kyiv’s lagging counteroffensive against entrenched Russian troops and dwindling Western stocks of conventional artillery.”
Oh boy. And these illegal munitions are just what is needed to galvanize EU/Nato support for what is left of) Ukraine?
Link: https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/07/ukraine-biden-again-escalates-war.html#more
And the Malthusians rejoice!
“There's going to be a period of great disruption.” That might go down as the understatement of the century.
One theory is that Germany’s economy was turned around after WW1 because Hitler was not using a debt based currency. Hence WW2.
We know Colonel Ghadafi was attacked and Libya destroyed because he proposed a gold backed pan-African currency.
Now the BRICS want to issue a gold backed currency. This is huge. I see that as a challenge.
And as Mr. Wauck indicated in posting just the other day the video All Wars Are Bankers Wars, things may really hot up. WW3?
Actually the war started because Hitler sent his troops into Poland, after the Rhineland, Austria and Czechoslovakia. The allies, especially FDR, were not overly concerned about the Holocaust.
https://www.lermuseum.org/second-world-war-1939-45/1939/britain-and-france-guarantee-polish-sovereignty-31-march-1939
With regard to your first sentence: that was, I imagine, what you were taught in school, are continued to be told by main stream sources and choose to believe. Some of us do not choose to believe that any more.
On your second sentence, likely true in the sense that they were not concerned about the holocaust of gypsies and the mentally backward either.
But, the Jewish question was probably not behind or related to the allies entering WW2 - unless, possibly, some of the bankers backing the war were Jewish.
Now I am curious. What, then, did bring on the war? England and France did declare war after Hitler invaded Poland. The French didn't do much until there were German soldiers in France. Germany declared war on us after Pearl Harbor. In the face of the expansionist policies of Germany and Japan just what could have been done to avert the war?
My thumbnail understanding. The Anglosphere thought that Hitler could be controlled and pointed east to attack Russia, and the Anglosphere spent a lot of money supporting Hitler's rise. Obviously German moves east--Austria, Czecho, Poland were part of that overall plan. The partition of Poland with Russia, though, was a wake-up call that Hitler couldn't be controlled. The way to have prevented WW2 was to never have meddled in German affairs by supporting the Nazi rise and to have abandoned the plans to destroy Russia.
Thank you for reminding me there was a lot of perfidy in England's handling of the situation, expecting Russia and Germany to cancel each other out. But I strongly object to those who assume we could safely ignore the situation, citing that public sentiment here was strongly against the war. Unpleasant facts intrude. Hitler and Japan built up superb war machines, were intent on using them, and if successful Germany was on the way to a nuclear bomb and developing the means to deliver it. The way to have prevented WW2 was to have been aware of the danger posed by Germany and Japan and taken steps to counter them earlier.
" ... plans to destroy Russia." Plus ça change, eh?
Lew Rockwell posted a series of articles entitled The Truth About World War 2. They're enlightening.
I believe these were written by Ron Unz (Unz Report)and they are enlightening to say the least.
The Truth About World War II June 26, 2023
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2023/06/lew-rockwell/the-truth-about-world-war-ii-2/
Why Everything You Know About World War II Is Wrong June 13, 2023
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2023/06/ron-unz/why-everything-you-know-about-world-war-ii-is-wrong/
World War II: A Revisionist Reading List June 6, 2019
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2019/06/david-gordon/world-war-ii-a-reading-list/
Getting to the Truth About World War II June 9, 2009
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2009/06/eric-margolis/getting-to-the-truth-about-world-war-ii/
A New Look at How World War II Happened May 1, 2008
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2008/05/thomas-dilorenzo/the-truth-about-world-war-ii/
Thanks, I'll check that out. I'm always up for revisionist history.
Links?
Mark see above and my apologies for falling asleep.
One thing I need to add is the Ron Unz articles found on Lew Rockwell link to his blog site. There you will find material dealing with the validity of the Holocaust - I for one am not ready to consider that. I find it a difficult subject to approach with an open mind.
Amanda, what's with Ron Unz? He's Jewish but puts some horribly anti-semitic stuff out there. Have I got him wrong?
Yeah. I don't know. I really cannot find it in me to open up those articles on his blog that refer to the holocaust as propaganda and so I can't tell you what's up with him. I find it deeply uncomfortable to even look at the titles.
Dunno. A well known Jewish internet personality recommended Unz to me on a different topic, but I just never got into it.
We're cannon fodder only because we allow ourselves to be used as cannon fodder.
Spot on. When Biden taunted the American people that you needed F-16s and nukes to dissent from his government was chilling. The surveillance apparatus has a real dampening effect on organizing dissent.
IMO if Zhou goes through with sending these “cluster” munitions, he, along with the group of maniacs directing this evil escalation, should be charged with war crimes. Let’s see if the Euros break ranks over this.
and yes, “where is Trump on this?”
The same place he is on building the wall, locking her up and pardoning Assange.
Maybe he strongly opposes this insane policy but realizes that the wokesters and neocons who control Zhou Baidan would only dig their heels in and stick with the policy if he publicly opposed it?
I dunno…I bet Haass and his CFR brain trust never imagined, in their wildest nightmares (Trump) that by installing Zhou they would bring down Nato.
Never forget--it was bipartisan. Never forget McConnell, Ryan, Barr. And others.
Yes, of course.
Bears repeating.
Just saw LJ’s latest on how things are shaping up re Nato members:
“NATO has not stomach to let Ukraine join its club. Germany, along with denouncing Biden’s decision to supply cluster munitions to Kiev, declared that any decision about Ukraine joining should be postponed. Hungary and Bulgaria also have signaled their opposition to letting Ukraine get membership status. France is on fire and Macron does not appear to have the political heft to advocate for Ukraine and the pro-Kiev government in the Netherlands is kaput:“
This is the link!
https://sonar21.com/ukraines-failed-counter-offensive-paints-nato-into-a-corner/
Good job from LJ. It will be fascinating to see what happens next week among the Villians of Vilnius. Will they all be whipped into line by the neocon attack dogs, or will we actually see the first signs of real rebellion?
Mar a Lago?
Yes, agree re the end of Zhou’s residency, and also for the reason that the Russians may now up the ante and we get American personnel coming home in body bags.
Ironic, the situation regarding the cluster munitions, a real 'cluster' caused by the educated idiots in charge. The 155 mm shells that are going to be sent to "Z" contain impact fused submunitions, if they fail to detonate it's no worse than a live grenade laying around. On the other hand, area denial CBU's which disperse large numbers of anti-personnel mines that do not become inert in a short time are bad news. Sometimes I wonder why the laws of war ban the more lethal weapon, example; hard ball ammo is more likely to wound a man for life, who would have died quickly if expanding projectiles were used. I became so viscerally angry, not sickened, ANGRY, while watching the video Larry Johnson posted the other day, the one by an overhead drone showing the gruesome results of treading on modern anti-personnel mines, evildoers such as Nuland et al should be subjected to the most cruel punishments ever devised.
Logic and rationality suggest that we should expect 7 times 7 of what we dish out be received by us in return. Even though we the people are not personally responsible, we will suffer.
"Now that debt is rising faster than 'growth,' and 'growth' is dependent on speculative credit-asset bubbles, the collapse of the Keynesian dream looms large."
Well, he did say that in the long run they'd all be dead. And he was right: the long run is indeed upon us, and the men of those times are indeed all dead. Not much consolation for the living, though, is it?
Keynes was in fashion because his theories worked great………. in theory, but not in practice and the elites liked the bit about deficit spending which they knew could be a way to increase their own wealth without the paroles catching onto their corruption.
Keynes theories worked great to jump-start an economy during the Depression. During prosperity it was supposed to be paid back. They forgot that part. What do we do to fix the coming Great Depression when we have no credit to draw on? Our stock markets are the current Ponzi scheme.
"Please note that they emphasize the well nigh unfathomable stupidity and incompetence of the Zhou regime that McConnell, Barr, and the rest of the Ruling Class saw fit to foist upon America."
If this can be said too many times, that number has so many zeroes behind it that it might as well be infinity.
I had no idea on the NBA ratings - if this is being hidden, what else is being hidden?
The lack of a campaign infrastructure is a tell, I’m not sure of what. Biden knowing he will drop out? Or he knows what matters is control of the vote counting structure?
The US could have:
Cheap energy
Low cost manufacturing
Low cost raw materials
Unfortunately the Left though red tape / regulations, bad laws, climate change fanaticism, monopolies, to big to fail, and a corrupt tax system is making sure that does not happen.
The US could have:
Cheap energy
Low cost manufacturing
Low cost raw materials
and a GNP that might justify high market valuations and back up high outstanding credit. Quoth the raven, nevermore.
So on target, with the tragedy that is the Biden Administration. I hope the nevermore part is wrong for the 2024 election.
“Quoth the raven, nevermore”