We've argued on numerous occasions that the American Empire's war on Russia must be viewed as a multi-front war. This is true geographically--Ukraine, Syria, diplomatic jockeying around the world, ramped up tensions targeting China--but also in a subject matter way. The war is being prosecuted militarily but also on a monetary front. That's hardly surprising. Many wars have followed a similar pattern in which financial pressure is brought to bear on an opponent. However, in this case the monetary and financial front is of exceptional importance for two related reasons:
Speaking of digestion can one eat gold? The problem is that our government has purchased gold at a set price in the past and not voluntarily if my understanding is correct. Perhaps some gold but the old rule about not having all of one’s eggs in the same basket. Speaking of eggs how much gold for a dozen good egg layers these days? Does anyone know a good book about avoiding starvation while living in a barter based economy?
Hey fellow MIH readers and Mark. Thanks to you all for sharing and the discourse on pretty important stuff. I notice a lot more accurate info being presented here than can be found 'typically' in the MSM (Which I avoid like the plague anyways).
I was struck at the following, quoted here, from Mark's posting, in that so much of what is presented to 'We the People' (of the former Representative Republic, Constitutional USA) are out-right lies. If true, for instance, the first part here speaks of the USA intruding into Hong Kong - which apparently accelerated Beijing's take-over and subsequent demise of HK's political and financial structure.
"And an important factor for the Chinese attitude is their experience of the US’s attempts to destabilise Hong Kong, which led to it being taken directly under Beijing’s control. It is therefore important to understand China’s analysis of America’s objectives and methods in order to define her own position.
In April 2015, Qiao Liang, the People’s Liberation Army Major-General in charge of intelligence ... concluded that the U.S. would try everything, including war, to maintain the dollar’s dominance in global trading.
Qiao made the case that both the Latin American crisis in 1978—1982, and the Asian crisis in 1996—1998 were engineered by America."
Add to the first point the Latin America 78-82 and Asian 96-98 crisis' being engineered (Mark noted being done by deliberate interest rate manipulation) and then consider that the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis resulted from Russia's response to USA placing Nukes near THEIR border; Minsk 91/93 lies; and etc. (shoot this unlawful or at least immoral provocation list goes on and on and on) I am not just embarrassed, but ashamed of what MY country has become and continues to be.
Damn, my family has lost members in military conflicts - I swore to Uphold and Defend our Constitution as well. Yet, our allegiance was used, apparently, under false premises. Shed Blood, gave lives, put our own lives on the line for what? A country led by MIH/Neocons/Cabal/blob (etc., again)?
I've noted before my heartbreak in reflection of where this country and culture is today. Thinking about what I tried to convey here makes me outright angry. Angry. Damn. God Bless each and every one of you, friends. As advertised, He is the only one we can truly trust. (WrH)
I just noticed very dumb, WRONG typo.... I typed MIH meaning MIC (MIH! my favorite 'stack? goodness, sorry Mark!). Excited fingers, I guess, are to blame... (WrH)
Amen, Mr. Hovland. I would say that everything man tries to do, without God, ultimately ends in ruin, and it seems to me that the Western Elites’ decades-long and very successful agenda to create a completely interconnected and interdependent globalized world is now on the verge of coming back to bite them in a big way.
Your last line is the clincher, Wayne. All we can do is trust is God at this stage. And I'm sure he's got a few nasty surprises up his sleeve for the demons who are trying to destroy us all.
A fellow MIH reader shared a thought w/me today - where might Country and it's People separate? History shows countries fail, every time, yet God's People prevail. The difference is that Eternal part... Thanks for your note and encouragement once again S'21! (WrH)
Neocons in their bible, foreign policy magazine, are trying to blame Obama for being too timid on Ukraine, and Presidents since then following his policy. Oh, and Trump was the exception, being bad trying to slime Biden using Ukraine.
What an Interesting, delusional, and crazy world view:
Hey Ray, I think we can safely rely on LJohnson’s interpretation of a recent Newsweek piece and apply it to the FP one you cite!!
“Let me make this simple — if Ukraine, thanks to CIA help, was kicking the stuffing out of the Russians and the CIA was confident of an impending Ukrainian victory, then this piece would never have been written. This smacks of major “ass covering” and blame shifting. CIA people only do these types of leaks when they learn that reservations are being made for seats on the helicopters that will be landing on the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Kiev when evacuation day comes. We did it before in Saigon and Kabul. By God, we can do it again.”
Thanks Ray. Altho' the first line, sub-heading I guess, kinda sets the stage: "A series of bad decisions during the Obama years prepared the ground for Vladimir Putin’s war."
Bad decisions? Yeah, the decision to intervene in Ukraine politics, finances and etc. installing a 'West-Friendly' government that provoked Putin/Russia to invade. But, of course, "we did it 'cause we're so smart and it's for the best of reasons!" (/sarc off). Like so much, apparently, of world affairs that are a mess, the actual fault is never confessed and when the Poo hits the fan in failure, the indentured MSM and a lying mass of Gov't leaders/deep staters and Blob-ers tell us all how bad the messed up countries are behaving. I do wish you (and all MIH folks) the absolute best Ray! (WrH)
Obama was the prototype of the modern Western leader. He rose from nowhere, had no achievements to his name, was a puppet for bigger forces, and above all, hated his own country. His decisions weren't "bad" as in wrong; they were deliberate. Everything he did was a deliberate effort to destroy his country.
The "internet via phone" coupled with 2 generations now of failed/intentional crap public education met it's expectations in Mr. Obama. Critical thinking unnecessary 'cause you can look it up on the phone - and be spoon fed what you should know. Best @ you sir! (WrH)
Another article blamed it on Bush’s decision to push for nato membership for Georgia and Ukraine, and wonders of wonders, shortly after that Putin invaded Georgia.
I don’t understand the neocon / uniparty / WEF / Soros obsession with Ukraine.
Mark, in a not to distant past posting noted the infatuation with the Russian resources and how they'd so much better be handled by 'Western Powers', I mean sensible invaders, I mean anyone else than the 1000 year old country now occupying the land they're contained within... (I added a lot to Mark's note, but I seem full of extra words today, sorry 'bout that!). Point, of course, being that Russia, post Soviet Union, seems to be a fatal attraction for the US/NATO/whack-job west. Best-est regards! (WrH)
“ This will ensure that physical markets and their derivatives are insulated from a fiat currency collapse, a likely consequence of gold’s return to its true monetary status.”
Swags:
1. This is about removing the requirement of using dollars for trade transactions.
2. China and Russia are focused on the existential dollar threat from the U.S. and want to protect their trading ability / export markets.
3. This solves the issue of how eliminating currency exchange rate trade issues. No more worry of I got paid in x currency, but how do I convert it. As well as devaluation (re Zimbabwe).
4. This new currency is only focused on trade transactions.
5. The new currency will facilitate a new trading swift alternative, outside of us control
6. This new currency will destroy paper gold, by locking up a bunch of physical gold into the currency.
Ray, keep in mind the Yuan has maintained a Peg to the Dollar. This is not mentioned (or if so, not quoted in MIH) but of significant note. The Latin/African countries being levered, per McCleod (Macleod? I dunno, sorry) with interest increases aren't pegged. China and it's management of their Renminbi (I so note as Chinese Yuan often gets confused with the Japanese Yen) often is the subject of American Leadership angst. If loans in Yuan/RMB along with a decoupling from that US Dollar peg are managed adverse impact to King Dollar just may be in play in a significant way.
I've not read DF's link - (sorry sir, stupid un-planned house rebuild/repair project is a time eater for me!) but I will and if need be apologize to you both for this small intrusion... Blessings! (WrH)
So Putin got a degree in energy economics and now he's just pumping gas at a "gas station masquerading as a country," like John McCain said. Too bad McCain isn't here to enjoy the war we are winning, handily.
Wow, plenty to unpack there! "Did the Neocons give serious thought to this possibility before pressuring Russia into a war for its survival?" Clearly, the neocons didn't give any thought to the consequences of their actions. I've said this before, but it still baffles me how these so-called highly educated, worldly "experts" can't see things that are blindingly obvious to people like us, mere mortals at the bottom of the food chain. When the dust settles from all this - and let's hope it's not radioactive - the neocon decisions to sanction Russia, steal her dollar reserves and kick her out of Swift will be seen as some of the greatest blunders in modern history. The economic changes morphing out of those consequences make the events in Ukraine look like a local street brawl. The birth of a new economic hemisphere, which might in normal times have occurred over the space of a decade, is now taking place as we speak.
I have been equally baffled by the magnitude, and apparently infinite supply, of the incompetence, stupidity and self confident arrogance of these “brilliant people”.
As you said 21, “blindingly obvious” to us peasants, but inscrutable to these geniuses! I’m not sure that “ intellectual inertia” is a suitable explanation for this phenomenon, I’m leaning more towards delusional thinking based upon a complete repudiation of what is right in front of them, they just can’t face reality.
As far as how the BRICS and the general financial environment will change over the next period of time, I think we would be wise to remember, as Hemingway wrote, that things have a tendency to develop gradually and then come to fruition all at once.
These folks obviously aren’t very good at the “all at once” stuff. Come to think of it, they’re not all that great at the “gradual” stuff either, so however things develop, it’s going to be a very, very bumpy ride.
Agreed. As for the pace of things, I get the same feeling right now concerning Ukraine as I did during the final phase of the Afghanistan fiasco: the waters are flowing slowly and smoothly but the waterfall is around the next bend. It does seem to be reaching a crisis point. At this point in time, perhaps the only solution is for the whole system to crash so that something better can emerge.
Have to agree, an inflection point is rapidly approaching and with so many balls in the air and so many buffoons in power, the shape of things to come is a fearsome mystery.
I tend to go with greed and incompetence, rather than a dastardly plan. However, you're Orwellian reference might well be right. We could end up not with some viable, democratic alternatives to the GAE, but with three enormous totalitarian blocks, each as bad as the other. China is no friend of democracy.
I agree, Ashowa. It’s very hard to believe that all the many-faceted destructions are only the result of incompetence, arrogance and greed. Surely those things are in the mix too, and many doubtless have not signed on to any grand “dastardly plan,” but then, why do we often refer to so many puppets, and who’s pulling the strings? Perhaps there IS a powerful cabal at the top whose aim is to remake the world in the image they desire, with far fewer people to control.
I can't remember if it was Mark or someone else who said it, but Sullivan is a political campaign manager, not a military strategy wonk. He's obviously thinking about Nov '24.
The bottom line is that they will link the value of money to something that is real and tangible. This sounds like an incredibly daring and revolutionary idea, but it's what the world did before the 1970s.
Great points. The Brits behaved even more ruthlessly towards the "lesser breeds" than the US neocons do. China and Russia haven't forgotten that. As for trust, it makes me laugh at all the talk about freezing the conflict and then getting Putin to negotiate. There is no-one, but no-one out there he can talk to.
Your last paragraph says it all. Gold is worth what people are willing to pay for it, like any commodity. And trust is all-important. Not only stealing reserves, but the total lack of fiscal responsibility and disregard for the Rule of Law here at home has destroyed the credibility of our government at home and abroad. "Once trust is destroyed, it is very difficult to earn it back."
Speaking of digestion can one eat gold? The problem is that our government has purchased gold at a set price in the past and not voluntarily if my understanding is correct. Perhaps some gold but the old rule about not having all of one’s eggs in the same basket. Speaking of eggs how much gold for a dozen good egg layers these days? Does anyone know a good book about avoiding starvation while living in a barter based economy?
There's plenty of prepper stuff out there on the internet. I intend to eat my mother-in-law if things get too bad. Plenty of fat! :)
That’s a lot to digest
Hey fellow MIH readers and Mark. Thanks to you all for sharing and the discourse on pretty important stuff. I notice a lot more accurate info being presented here than can be found 'typically' in the MSM (Which I avoid like the plague anyways).
I was struck at the following, quoted here, from Mark's posting, in that so much of what is presented to 'We the People' (of the former Representative Republic, Constitutional USA) are out-right lies. If true, for instance, the first part here speaks of the USA intruding into Hong Kong - which apparently accelerated Beijing's take-over and subsequent demise of HK's political and financial structure.
"And an important factor for the Chinese attitude is their experience of the US’s attempts to destabilise Hong Kong, which led to it being taken directly under Beijing’s control. It is therefore important to understand China’s analysis of America’s objectives and methods in order to define her own position.
In April 2015, Qiao Liang, the People’s Liberation Army Major-General in charge of intelligence ... concluded that the U.S. would try everything, including war, to maintain the dollar’s dominance in global trading.
Qiao made the case that both the Latin American crisis in 1978—1982, and the Asian crisis in 1996—1998 were engineered by America."
Add to the first point the Latin America 78-82 and Asian 96-98 crisis' being engineered (Mark noted being done by deliberate interest rate manipulation) and then consider that the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis resulted from Russia's response to USA placing Nukes near THEIR border; Minsk 91/93 lies; and etc. (shoot this unlawful or at least immoral provocation list goes on and on and on) I am not just embarrassed, but ashamed of what MY country has become and continues to be.
Damn, my family has lost members in military conflicts - I swore to Uphold and Defend our Constitution as well. Yet, our allegiance was used, apparently, under false premises. Shed Blood, gave lives, put our own lives on the line for what? A country led by MIH/Neocons/Cabal/blob (etc., again)?
I've noted before my heartbreak in reflection of where this country and culture is today. Thinking about what I tried to convey here makes me outright angry. Angry. Damn. God Bless each and every one of you, friends. As advertised, He is the only one we can truly trust. (WrH)
I just noticed very dumb, WRONG typo.... I typed MIH meaning MIC (MIH! my favorite 'stack? goodness, sorry Mark!). Excited fingers, I guess, are to blame... (WrH)
Amen, Mr. Hovland. I would say that everything man tries to do, without God, ultimately ends in ruin, and it seems to me that the Western Elites’ decades-long and very successful agenda to create a completely interconnected and interdependent globalized world is now on the verge of coming back to bite them in a big way.
Your last line is the clincher, Wayne. All we can do is trust is God at this stage. And I'm sure he's got a few nasty surprises up his sleeve for the demons who are trying to destroy us all.
A fellow MIH reader shared a thought w/me today - where might Country and it's People separate? History shows countries fail, every time, yet God's People prevail. The difference is that Eternal part... Thanks for your note and encouragement once again S'21! (WrH)
Neocons in their bible, foreign policy magazine, are trying to blame Obama for being too timid on Ukraine, and Presidents since then following his policy. Oh, and Trump was the exception, being bad trying to slime Biden using Ukraine.
What an Interesting, delusional, and crazy world view:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/07/11/obama-russia-ukraine-war-putin-2014-crimea-georgia-biden/
Hey Ray, I think we can safely rely on LJohnson’s interpretation of a recent Newsweek piece and apply it to the FP one you cite!!
“Let me make this simple — if Ukraine, thanks to CIA help, was kicking the stuffing out of the Russians and the CIA was confident of an impending Ukrainian victory, then this piece would never have been written. This smacks of major “ass covering” and blame shifting. CIA people only do these types of leaks when they learn that reservations are being made for seats on the helicopters that will be landing on the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Kiev when evacuation day comes. We did it before in Saigon and Kabul. By God, we can do it again.”
ML,
You are right, I did not even think why the cya article was written.
Ray, there’s a brilliant dissection of another CYA exercise by the NYT, preformed by Mercouris at about the 17-minute mark!
https://youtu.be/ika0UU_Jiyw
Thanks Ray. Altho' the first line, sub-heading I guess, kinda sets the stage: "A series of bad decisions during the Obama years prepared the ground for Vladimir Putin’s war."
Bad decisions? Yeah, the decision to intervene in Ukraine politics, finances and etc. installing a 'West-Friendly' government that provoked Putin/Russia to invade. But, of course, "we did it 'cause we're so smart and it's for the best of reasons!" (/sarc off). Like so much, apparently, of world affairs that are a mess, the actual fault is never confessed and when the Poo hits the fan in failure, the indentured MSM and a lying mass of Gov't leaders/deep staters and Blob-ers tell us all how bad the messed up countries are behaving. I do wish you (and all MIH folks) the absolute best Ray! (WrH)
Obama was the prototype of the modern Western leader. He rose from nowhere, had no achievements to his name, was a puppet for bigger forces, and above all, hated his own country. His decisions weren't "bad" as in wrong; they were deliberate. Everything he did was a deliberate effort to destroy his country.
The "internet via phone" coupled with 2 generations now of failed/intentional crap public education met it's expectations in Mr. Obama. Critical thinking unnecessary 'cause you can look it up on the phone - and be spoon fed what you should know. Best @ you sir! (WrH)
Another article blamed it on Bush’s decision to push for nato membership for Georgia and Ukraine, and wonders of wonders, shortly after that Putin invaded Georgia.
I don’t understand the neocon / uniparty / WEF / Soros obsession with Ukraine.
Mark, in a not to distant past posting noted the infatuation with the Russian resources and how they'd so much better be handled by 'Western Powers', I mean sensible invaders, I mean anyone else than the 1000 year old country now occupying the land they're contained within... (I added a lot to Mark's note, but I seem full of extra words today, sorry 'bout that!). Point, of course, being that Russia, post Soviet Union, seems to be a fatal attraction for the US/NATO/whack-job west. Best-est regards! (WrH)
I’m not sure what this means:
“ This will ensure that physical markets and their derivatives are insulated from a fiat currency collapse, a likely consequence of gold’s return to its true monetary status.”
Swags:
1. This is about removing the requirement of using dollars for trade transactions.
2. China and Russia are focused on the existential dollar threat from the U.S. and want to protect their trading ability / export markets.
3. This solves the issue of how eliminating currency exchange rate trade issues. No more worry of I got paid in x currency, but how do I convert it. As well as devaluation (re Zimbabwe).
4. This new currency is only focused on trade transactions.
5. The new currency will facilitate a new trading swift alternative, outside of us control
6. This new currency will destroy paper gold, by locking up a bunch of physical gold into the currency.
I don’t know how this news fits in.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/imf-hints-allowing-countries-use-chinese-yuan-debt-repayment?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Maybe the IMF is doing an Andrew Weissmann: getting onboard with the winning team. Even Macron is doing it.
Yuan is not widely used, so IMHO it's nothing.
It's still a big admission to make from a "Beast Central" organisation like the IMF.
Ray & DF, G'evening!
Ray, keep in mind the Yuan has maintained a Peg to the Dollar. This is not mentioned (or if so, not quoted in MIH) but of significant note. The Latin/African countries being levered, per McCleod (Macleod? I dunno, sorry) with interest increases aren't pegged. China and it's management of their Renminbi (I so note as Chinese Yuan often gets confused with the Japanese Yen) often is the subject of American Leadership angst. If loans in Yuan/RMB along with a decoupling from that US Dollar peg are managed adverse impact to King Dollar just may be in play in a significant way.
I've not read DF's link - (sorry sir, stupid un-planned house rebuild/repair project is a time eater for me!) but I will and if need be apologize to you both for this small intrusion... Blessings! (WrH)
So Putin got a degree in energy economics and now he's just pumping gas at a "gas station masquerading as a country," like John McCain said. Too bad McCain isn't here to enjoy the war we are winning, handily.
May I be wrong, but the Lord Himself told us, "Judge them by their fruit" ... McCain's fruit was rotten.
Wow, plenty to unpack there! "Did the Neocons give serious thought to this possibility before pressuring Russia into a war for its survival?" Clearly, the neocons didn't give any thought to the consequences of their actions. I've said this before, but it still baffles me how these so-called highly educated, worldly "experts" can't see things that are blindingly obvious to people like us, mere mortals at the bottom of the food chain. When the dust settles from all this - and let's hope it's not radioactive - the neocon decisions to sanction Russia, steal her dollar reserves and kick her out of Swift will be seen as some of the greatest blunders in modern history. The economic changes morphing out of those consequences make the events in Ukraine look like a local street brawl. The birth of a new economic hemisphere, which might in normal times have occurred over the space of a decade, is now taking place as we speak.
I have been equally baffled by the magnitude, and apparently infinite supply, of the incompetence, stupidity and self confident arrogance of these “brilliant people”.
As you said 21, “blindingly obvious” to us peasants, but inscrutable to these geniuses! I’m not sure that “ intellectual inertia” is a suitable explanation for this phenomenon, I’m leaning more towards delusional thinking based upon a complete repudiation of what is right in front of them, they just can’t face reality.
As far as how the BRICS and the general financial environment will change over the next period of time, I think we would be wise to remember, as Hemingway wrote, that things have a tendency to develop gradually and then come to fruition all at once.
These folks obviously aren’t very good at the “all at once” stuff. Come to think of it, they’re not all that great at the “gradual” stuff either, so however things develop, it’s going to be a very, very bumpy ride.
Agreed. As for the pace of things, I get the same feeling right now concerning Ukraine as I did during the final phase of the Afghanistan fiasco: the waters are flowing slowly and smoothly but the waterfall is around the next bend. It does seem to be reaching a crisis point. At this point in time, perhaps the only solution is for the whole system to crash so that something better can emerge.
Have to agree, an inflection point is rapidly approaching and with so many balls in the air and so many buffoons in power, the shape of things to come is a fearsome mystery.
*The birth of a new economic hemisphere, which might in normal times have occurred over the space of a decade, is now taking place as we speak.*
I tend to go with greed and incompetence, rather than a dastardly plan. However, you're Orwellian reference might well be right. We could end up not with some viable, democratic alternatives to the GAE, but with three enormous totalitarian blocks, each as bad as the other. China is no friend of democracy.
I agree, Ashowa. It’s very hard to believe that all the many-faceted destructions are only the result of incompetence, arrogance and greed. Surely those things are in the mix too, and many doubtless have not signed on to any grand “dastardly plan,” but then, why do we often refer to so many puppets, and who’s pulling the strings? Perhaps there IS a powerful cabal at the top whose aim is to remake the world in the image they desire, with far fewer people to control.
The Sirius Report
@thesiriusreport
As we keep saying and why WW3 is not going to happen. Also this clearly has wider implications for NATO.
Jake Sullivan:
The US military will not fight the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, this position remains basic and permanent for the US.
If Jake Sullivan says it, spin it 180 degrees.
I can't remember if it was Mark or someone else who said it, but Sullivan is a political campaign manager, not a military strategy wonk. He's obviously thinking about Nov '24.
Sullivan has donned his brown trousers. At least he's seeing the reality. Nuland et al are a lost cause.
The bottom line is that they will link the value of money to something that is real and tangible. This sounds like an incredibly daring and revolutionary idea, but it's what the world did before the 1970s.
Great points. The Brits behaved even more ruthlessly towards the "lesser breeds" than the US neocons do. China and Russia haven't forgotten that. As for trust, it makes me laugh at all the talk about freezing the conflict and then getting Putin to negotiate. There is no-one, but no-one out there he can talk to.
Your last paragraph says it all. Gold is worth what people are willing to pay for it, like any commodity. And trust is all-important. Not only stealing reserves, but the total lack of fiscal responsibility and disregard for the Rule of Law here at home has destroyed the credibility of our government at home and abroad. "Once trust is destroyed, it is very difficult to earn it back."