It’s a bit of a slow news day. On the Ukraine front of the Global War not much, if anything, has changed. The Ukrainians have attempted to resume offensive operations, after suffering massive losses, but appear to remain bogged down in the no-man’s kill zone land—unable to even reach the first line of three Russian defensive lines. So let’s review some of the past from a big picture perspective and then tie that to the current situation.
Interesting regarding NATO war machines, the French AMX 10, light tank, “excellent speed in reverse gear” sounds about right. So now the US is announcing its new “light- not a tank” tank the M-10 Booker. Designed to provide fire support to light infantry troops. When did we decide to put light troops in a position to need this? And of course it will likely be misused. Sure hope is has excellent speed in reverse.
Neocons is too neutral and not descriptive. Destroy Russia? Plunder its resources for use against the Chinese Colossus that we have helped create? War with Russia and China after pushing them together? How about calling them WAR PIGS?
I know I have written it before, but as the Ukrainians fail, and as next year's primaries on the Democrat side get closer, Biden or whoever is Biden's hand-puppeteer will be very tempted to intervene directly, most likely with NATO air strikes on Russian troops and equipment. These people are utterly incompetent and insane at the same time.
NATO air strikes? That would almost certainly be a one way trip. Hypersonic missiles would take out the airfields for any NATO planes that survived the Russian air defenses.
I'm finding it hard to believe that both things can be true:
1. our ruling class has happily outsourced all our manufacturing to China, and
2. our ruling class is seeking to isolate Beijing. From who? Russia? From Africa and South America and Southeast Asia and OPEC? From India? Ha ha ha.
From customers in the United States of America? Amazon would have nothing to sell. Walmart would close.
Our ruling class in this country is a uniparty, and by their coordinated actions have shown themselves to be looking out for themselves as members of a transnational elite seeking control of development across the globe. What is the purpose of our ruling class telling the masses here that we should be very scared of China, and the masses there?
Members of the Obama administration openly admired China's technocratic control over the masses... At least they were honest. I give them credit for saying the quiet part out loud.
It's the same Empirical view of the rest of the world that Britain held and to some extent still does. Was it the Clinton admin that wrote off American manufacturing to be outsourced to cheaper labour abroad?
I imagine that at no point did he or the any other person of power envision that the 'little yellow people' or the 'stupid brown people' would ever be capable of rising to a position of economic power to rival the great American capitalist empire. The Brits held the same attitude - they honestly believed they would never face challenge from the many countries they exploited and look where we are now - toothless and without the proverbial pot to p**s in.
Like Mark said, the Clinton administration didn't do what they did over any strenuous objections from the titans of industry. At all. The media told us what they were told to tell us: everyone would go to college and we would be a knowledge economy. We don't need no stinking coal plants. Nuclear can kill us. Therefore ship in those solar panels from China that are guaranteed to last a hundred years: so green.
To your point, it has been very unAmerican to think that the little guy or gal cannot have a good idea to build a better mousetrap; build it, sell it, and become a millionaire. The whole premise of our country is that unlikely people have valuable ideas so give them a chance.
So it would be a very bitter pill to swallow that our ruling class thought so poorly of 'little yellow people' or 'stupid brown people' as to think "we" would land on top.
I think we are all swallowing bitter pills right now. I certainly have lost belief in everything I thought my country stood for. Hopefully better days to come.
The government isn't the People. Bitter pill, yes, but small. The American People retain all the right stuff. A consequence of our era of loss-of-trust-in-normal-sources-of-authority is that people will be forced to think for themselves, form new networks for info and decisions (substack is a fine example). The powers that be don't get this reality - We will enter a period of local-sharing and community alignment. Has the possibility of being wonderful
The financialization of the economy is at the root of it. It goes back before the Clintons to the Reagan years and the dominance of libertarian "the world's just a big market" type thinking.
I think the idea is to keep China in subjugation--as the factory to the world but with no geopolitical influence. They would be provided with the resources needed to run things, but on our terms.
Seems like the horse has already left the barn, in terms of China building infrastructure in other countries. And then the Saudis open to selling oil for yuan?
"The Russian army has been transformed into the single most experienced army on the planet." Very true. It's been a steep learning curve, but they've succeeded. It's rather amusing to hear the casual contempt in which the Russian soldier has been held by so many Western "leaders". As suggested in the article, that is starting to change as the Beta men and female place holders who rule over us are starting to realise what they are facing. I'm currently reading Paul Carell's account of how the German army under Manstein saved their backsides after the Stalingrad disaster. It's an eerie experience as it was fought in roughly the same area as the fighting is occurring now. The numbers involved today are not as grandiose, but even today, few people in the West realise what a titanic struggle this is.
In short, Joseph, no. Being a psychopath means never having to say sorry or admit being wrong. The two Alexes at The Duran deal with this very well. There have been a whole host of experts telling the neocons for years now that everything they think they know about the real world is wrong. It has had no effect. So, when the Ukraine caper fails, as it will, they will simply go on to their next pet project. Probably saving Taiwan for democracy.
I hadn't heard of Ellsberg in years but the obit brought it back. He was a US marine intelligence officer who exposed the Pentagon's secret plans concerning the prosecution of the Vietnam War. Cult hero.
Assange embarrassed the Dems/left/DSC (deep state cabal)and as such gets no protection. Ellsberg was a protected species and celebrated by the Dems and the left.
Lots to unpack here. Starting with "It is the U.S. government that must agree to a new security architecture in Europe." Nothing that the US proposes will be accepted by the Russians. Their trust in the Biden Regime's word is less than zero. The Russians will take what they need in Ukraine, make Belarus and any other weak links impregnable, and tell the US and Nato: "Here's your new reality. Suck it up!" Concerning the Neocons, the Duran boys do a great breakdown of the internal war currently being waged between the few sane people left in the Pentagon and the nutjobs like Nuland and Blinken at the State Dept. How on Earth did anyone give Nuland, an incompetent and deranged individual, the power to lead us into something that could turn out very similar to WW3?
As the Ukraine war heads to its resolution, the Russians will clearly be visible as the winners. The political blow-back will be serious; I imagine internal EU fury at the US, UK, and NATO-supporters. The result will be foundational cracks in relationships over 80 yrs old - a schism in the West is ahead
Maybe, but you just never know. And never underestimate the sheer stupidity of the sheep who inhabit most countries. Here in Switzerland, we've just voted to EXTEND the Covid laws and impose a whole raft of crazy "climate change" laws that will screw our economy. Sometimes I despair.
A link to Bjorn Lomberg (he of "Skeptical Environmentalist" fame) discussing the problem of exponential costs to try and achieve a carbon neutral policy. Ouch.
Hi Steghorn21 - wowza, what gives in the Alps that Switzerland of all places is adding kool-aid to the punch bowl? Is climate change theology even stronger in Switzerland than Germany?! Are the Covid law extensions simply convenient means to control (the most famously successful neutral democratic federation ever!).
Whenever Nuland is mentioned I'm reminded of an insult favoured by an ex Royal Marine I used to work with and which he only used for the very worst type of person. Out of respect for Mark's blog I won't repeat it.
The WSJ doesn’t appear to share your view of what is happening in Ukraine. I think the phrase is viewing through rose colored glasses. Or something. At some point the spinning is going to be dizzying.
The WSJ is all aboard the crazy train. I don’t know how much it has to do with the new woman in charge of the paper that came from London, but it extends beyond the Ukraine coverage. “Serious journalism” and analysis it is not anymore. Another casualty I guess.
I was a long time reader, forty years at least, until 2020 when I cancelled everything. I broke down and accepted their offer for Saturday print and online for $8.00/month. It’s barely worth that but at least I can get a quick check off the markets every day. They can’t screw that up
The deterioration of the WSJ is very sad. Almost every article and editorial is a lie. The letters to the editor indicate that there are many out there who believe these lies. That is what is wrong with this whole Ukraine fiasco as well.
We canceled the print subscription but my husband kept a digital subscription.
Scroll past the end of some articles and all opinion pieces, past some related links thumbnails... and you will see a blue "show conversation" button. Toggle that.
The combox can be an interesting read: a lot of commenters drinking the koolaid and asking for more; other commenters pouring the koolaid out on the ground in disgust.
No problems, Amanda. There are a lot of names to play with, past and present, in this great drama.
Interesting regarding NATO war machines, the French AMX 10, light tank, “excellent speed in reverse gear” sounds about right. So now the US is announcing its new “light- not a tank” tank the M-10 Booker. Designed to provide fire support to light infantry troops. When did we decide to put light troops in a position to need this? And of course it will likely be misused. Sure hope is has excellent speed in reverse.
Neocons is too neutral and not descriptive. Destroy Russia? Plunder its resources for use against the Chinese Colossus that we have helped create? War with Russia and China after pushing them together? How about calling them WAR PIGS?
Works for me.
I know I have written it before, but as the Ukrainians fail, and as next year's primaries on the Democrat side get closer, Biden or whoever is Biden's hand-puppeteer will be very tempted to intervene directly, most likely with NATO air strikes on Russian troops and equipment. These people are utterly incompetent and insane at the same time.
NATO air strikes? That would almost certainly be a one way trip. Hypersonic missiles would take out the airfields for any NATO planes that survived the Russian air defenses.
I am very curious what the Republican candidate's response will be...if its Trump...or Not-Trump.
Regarding Escobar's commentary,
I'm finding it hard to believe that both things can be true:
1. our ruling class has happily outsourced all our manufacturing to China, and
2. our ruling class is seeking to isolate Beijing. From who? Russia? From Africa and South America and Southeast Asia and OPEC? From India? Ha ha ha.
From customers in the United States of America? Amazon would have nothing to sell. Walmart would close.
Our ruling class in this country is a uniparty, and by their coordinated actions have shown themselves to be looking out for themselves as members of a transnational elite seeking control of development across the globe. What is the purpose of our ruling class telling the masses here that we should be very scared of China, and the masses there?
Members of the Obama administration openly admired China's technocratic control over the masses... At least they were honest. I give them credit for saying the quiet part out loud.
It's the same Empirical view of the rest of the world that Britain held and to some extent still does. Was it the Clinton admin that wrote off American manufacturing to be outsourced to cheaper labour abroad?
I imagine that at no point did he or the any other person of power envision that the 'little yellow people' or the 'stupid brown people' would ever be capable of rising to a position of economic power to rival the great American capitalist empire. The Brits held the same attitude - they honestly believed they would never face challenge from the many countries they exploited and look where we are now - toothless and without the proverbial pot to p**s in.
Like Mark said, the Clinton administration didn't do what they did over any strenuous objections from the titans of industry. At all. The media told us what they were told to tell us: everyone would go to college and we would be a knowledge economy. We don't need no stinking coal plants. Nuclear can kill us. Therefore ship in those solar panels from China that are guaranteed to last a hundred years: so green.
To your point, it has been very unAmerican to think that the little guy or gal cannot have a good idea to build a better mousetrap; build it, sell it, and become a millionaire. The whole premise of our country is that unlikely people have valuable ideas so give them a chance.
So it would be a very bitter pill to swallow that our ruling class thought so poorly of 'little yellow people' or 'stupid brown people' as to think "we" would land on top.
I think we are all swallowing bitter pills right now. I certainly have lost belief in everything I thought my country stood for. Hopefully better days to come.
The government isn't the People. Bitter pill, yes, but small. The American People retain all the right stuff. A consequence of our era of loss-of-trust-in-normal-sources-of-authority is that people will be forced to think for themselves, form new networks for info and decisions (substack is a fine example). The powers that be don't get this reality - We will enter a period of local-sharing and community alignment. Has the possibility of being wonderful
You hit the nail on the head :)
The financialization of the economy is at the root of it. It goes back before the Clintons to the Reagan years and the dominance of libertarian "the world's just a big market" type thinking.
I think the idea is to keep China in subjugation--as the factory to the world but with no geopolitical influence. They would be provided with the resources needed to run things, but on our terms.
That's called the Rules-Based Order.
Seems like the horse has already left the barn, in terms of China building infrastructure in other countries. And then the Saudis open to selling oil for yuan?
https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/17/china-intelligence-service-centers-ccp/
And soon enough, if not already, China's own growing middle class will sustain growth of its manufacturing sector.
"The Russian army has been transformed into the single most experienced army on the planet." Very true. It's been a steep learning curve, but they've succeeded. It's rather amusing to hear the casual contempt in which the Russian soldier has been held by so many Western "leaders". As suggested in the article, that is starting to change as the Beta men and female place holders who rule over us are starting to realise what they are facing. I'm currently reading Paul Carell's account of how the German army under Manstein saved their backsides after the Stalingrad disaster. It's an eerie experience as it was fought in roughly the same area as the fighting is occurring now. The numbers involved today are not as grandiose, but even today, few people in the West realise what a titanic struggle this is.
Do you really think they are psychologically capable of ever facing the truth of what they’ve done?
They will face the truth when they are, to use Douglas Macgregor's term, *annihilated*.
In short, Joseph, no. Being a psychopath means never having to say sorry or admit being wrong. The two Alexes at The Duran deal with this very well. There have been a whole host of experts telling the neocons for years now that everything they think they know about the real world is wrong. It has had no effect. So, when the Ukraine caper fails, as it will, they will simply go on to their next pet project. Probably saving Taiwan for democracy.
Move on to Taiwan...yes, that sounds right. I view the activities from Obama's third term as all intentional:
- divide country and hobble financially; check
- ruin the dollar as unambiguous international reserve currency; check
- break NATO; work in progress
- wreck our standing as a source for good and help internationally; almost there
- drive havoc in asia and make China look like the reasonable party (as if); next step in the plan
The whole project is to shrink America and make us 'just like other countries'. Harumph
What a miserable thought.
Yes and No. Yes, because in a sane world, such people would be locked in a lunatic asylum. No, because they will lose.
At the cost of how many lives? They are disgusting human beings.
Daniel Ellsberg died yesterday. Anyone trying the same thing today would be treated much more harshly. Just ask Julien Assange.
I don't know who that is but the name rings a bell ... what have I missed?
I hadn't heard of Ellsberg in years but the obit brought it back. He was a US marine intelligence officer who exposed the Pentagon's secret plans concerning the prosecution of the Vietnam War. Cult hero.
Ah! I had just speed read Mark's previous post where he mentioned the Pentagon Papers - I've been up since the crack of dawn. Thanks :)
Assange embarrassed the Dems/left/DSC (deep state cabal)and as such gets no protection. Ellsberg was a protected species and celebrated by the Dems and the left.
Lots to unpack here. Starting with "It is the U.S. government that must agree to a new security architecture in Europe." Nothing that the US proposes will be accepted by the Russians. Their trust in the Biden Regime's word is less than zero. The Russians will take what they need in Ukraine, make Belarus and any other weak links impregnable, and tell the US and Nato: "Here's your new reality. Suck it up!" Concerning the Neocons, the Duran boys do a great breakdown of the internal war currently being waged between the few sane people left in the Pentagon and the nutjobs like Nuland and Blinken at the State Dept. How on Earth did anyone give Nuland, an incompetent and deranged individual, the power to lead us into something that could turn out very similar to WW3?
As the Ukraine war heads to its resolution, the Russians will clearly be visible as the winners. The political blow-back will be serious; I imagine internal EU fury at the US, UK, and NATO-supporters. The result will be foundational cracks in relationships over 80 yrs old - a schism in the West is ahead
Maybe, but you just never know. And never underestimate the sheer stupidity of the sheep who inhabit most countries. Here in Switzerland, we've just voted to EXTEND the Covid laws and impose a whole raft of crazy "climate change" laws that will screw our economy. Sometimes I despair.
A link to Bjorn Lomberg (he of "Skeptical Environmentalist" fame) discussing the problem of exponential costs to try and achieve a carbon neutral policy. Ouch.
https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/author/bjornlomborg/
Hi Steghorn21 - wowza, what gives in the Alps that Switzerland of all places is adding kool-aid to the punch bowl? Is climate change theology even stronger in Switzerland than Germany?! Are the Covid law extensions simply convenient means to control (the most famously successful neutral democratic federation ever!).
Russia is Nuland's Moby Dick. Somebody let me off this ship.
Nailed it. We are risking WW3 just because those nasty Russkies were mean to Nuland's ancestors a while back.
That is the best analogy ever!
Weren’t the two Bushes responsible for this beast along with her husband?
Whenever Nuland is mentioned I'm reminded of an insult favoured by an ex Royal Marine I used to work with and which he only used for the very worst type of person. Out of respect for Mark's blog I won't repeat it.
The WSJ doesn’t appear to share your view of what is happening in Ukraine. I think the phrase is viewing through rose colored glasses. Or something. At some point the spinning is going to be dizzying.
The WSJ is all aboard the crazy train. I don’t know how much it has to do with the new woman in charge of the paper that came from London, but it extends beyond the Ukraine coverage. “Serious journalism” and analysis it is not anymore. Another casualty I guess.
I was a long time reader, forty years at least, until 2020 when I cancelled everything. I broke down and accepted their offer for Saturday print and online for $8.00/month. It’s barely worth that but at least I can get a quick check off the markets every day. They can’t screw that up
The deterioration of the WSJ is very sad. Almost every article and editorial is a lie. The letters to the editor indicate that there are many out there who believe these lies. That is what is wrong with this whole Ukraine fiasco as well.
They don’t show the letters or comments online so I miss that part other than a couple of letters on Saturday.
We canceled the print subscription but my husband kept a digital subscription.
Scroll past the end of some articles and all opinion pieces, past some related links thumbnails... and you will see a blue "show conversation" button. Toggle that.
The combox can be an interesting read: a lot of commenters drinking the koolaid and asking for more; other commenters pouring the koolaid out on the ground in disgust.
I still overpay every month and seriously consider canceling it every month. Getting closer every day though.
+1
And, let's not forget, its a Murdoch property...