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"Thus, as he also says, markets are just another battleground for nation state hybrid wars. And if that’s the case (as per the plot of Casino Royale) it obviously stands to reason that our state is bankrolling or feeding counter-espionage trading too. And that suggests honest actors don’t really have a chance in that context."

I don't know if I would go so far as to say individual honest traders don't stand a chance. It has been obvious to many by now that Gold, Silver, Oil, Gas, and basically all other commodities are manipulated markets. Insider trading is also rampant (and perhaps especially among our Congress critters). Yet, normally, the impact of any one country's spy agency on markets seems like it must be pretty limited. So the "limited hangout" would seem to be pretty limited, too. If commercial and individual traders felt they couldn't compete why would they trade at all?

But it brings up an interesting question: Just how much dark money are the intelligence agencies (especially in the U.S.) being funded with? Does anybody know? How could we find out?

P.S. - I appreciate the "double meaning" in your title very much, Mark! Very clever.

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Something to consider: the fact that the US and Russia exchange prisoners, and likely still exchange on some level some intel, means that each “understands” the other to the point that there is something called deterrence. Prevents the worst stuff from happening at an institutional level - we let loose something with Ukraine starting in the early 2000s, at least, that we cannot control and have no idea what will happen.

We do NOT have deterrence with China, as we do not fundamentally understand them and we do not even try to understand them, at an institutional level.

Lastly, we tend not to recognize, for obvious reasons, that Russia, China, India and many others are really doing their own thing and going about their business without much thought or concern for the US. As we have held onto the old TELEVISION driven fantasies of Globalism and encouraging people to try and be whatever they can dream of, the rest of the world has embraced the DIGITAL and are moving on.

American and the West no longer do real assessments of the people and places and possibilities in the world. Andrew Marshall who ran the Office of Net Assessment for decades, as the counter to the CIA’s goofy assessments, kept the peace, no nukes or massive wars.

And yes, in the DIGITAL paradigm it is full surveillance of everything…and intel agencies have those inside details…though probably too stupid most of the time to really capitalize on the $ and they have little ability anymore to manipulate.

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Dr. Fauci Admits He's Infected With COVID For Third Time After Being "Vaccinated And Boosted Six Times"

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What a maroon (as Bugs would say).

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Well, Fauci certainly cornered the market on COVID - in more ways than one.

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That’s absolutely surreal lol.

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Just like the head of YouTube that severely censored anything anti jab dying suddenly of turbo cancer…

One of the side effects of the jab may be a depressed immune system that results in turbo cancer.

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I didn’t even hear her dying. Wow…the Universe works in mysterious ways…

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/former-youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-dies-56-lung-cancer-rcna166070

My guess is death of a son also increased her stress level, which also depressed her immune system. And her father died last year.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/10/business/susan-wojcicki-dead.html

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I think I remember her son passing away.

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