My thesis here is that the fact that there is really no significant public disagreement in the collective West with the war on Russia that is backfiring so spectacularly is a sign that the decline of Western civilization from within has proceeded to the point that the forces of dissolution have gained the upper hand—we are now at the point of self demolition. Yes, there are protests against the coming economic hardships, but as far as pushback against civilizational collapse there are precious few, and relatively isolated, instances … Hungary’s Orban, Meloni in Italy. The fact that, in the face of clear self harm, so few can formulate opposition to the forces that are behind it all—globalism, Neocon hegemonism, transhumanism—speaks eloquently to the the reality of civilizational decline, and the difficulty we face in reversing it.
Points about the destructive limits of the MK 54 are valid, but we really don't know what might have been dropped by that P8. The important point is the very suspicious track of the P8 along the pipeline at the time of the breach when nothing else was in the air at that location. Needs an explanation.
I am afraid that the "collective West" is the equivalent of a rabid animal, running wild spreading death to any other unfortunate mammal that it has close contact with. Or alternatively, like cancerous cells that have become immortal, growing unchecked until the entire body self destructs.
BTW, Hudson's comment (from Pepe Escobar) about take-or-pay problem for Germany is moot: force majeure is likely to remove the obligation from the customer to pay due to an "act of God" (or act of war).
Here's a wild thought in which Russia could save the day for Europe (Germany): Russia accelerates the destruction of Ukraine government, negotiates the "carving up" of ex-Ukraine territory with the likes of Poland, Romania, Hungary, etc, but retains protective rights over the existing Natural Gas pipelines running to Europe. These lines, until recently, carried a large portion of the Russian gas to Europe. Russia offers gas to European countries to relieve the hardships caused by the EC. Sounds far fetched, right?
Thank you for summing things up so nicely, but while it is clear that "there is really no significant public disagreement" this does not mean that the public is on board. Our governments are committed in their arrogance and stupidity to a course of action that is disastrous, but the public has not been consulted. We will craft our own solutions as the problems arise, Representative government may be doomed, but humanity is not.
This guy (Konstatin Kisin - twitter.com/KonstantinKisin/status/1575853684852150272) gives what strikes me as a useful summary of Putin's recent speech - one that dovetails nicely with all that Mark has gone to so much (successful!) effort to explicate here. The medium-length thread begins,
"I wish every single person in the West would listen to Putin's speech. Obviously, that won't happen so let me summarise as a professional translator for 10+ years. He states, as he has done from the outset, what his intentions and complaints are in the plainest terms possible."
JC today has a very tidy link to a 2014 interview with Condi Rice that predicts almost exactly this entire Ukraine conflict including the pipeline. These (Deep) State Department goons must have been so frustrated during the Trump years!
I think and hope that the Nato and Davos folks are premature in celebrating the Euroweenies falling back into line. NS or no NS, there is massive hardship coming to us this Europe. That can still get even the most placid sheep off their rear ends.
Again, I stagger in amazement that 40 years after I served in Nato to stop those evil Russians, it's those said Russians who seem like our saviours, and our "own" sides who seems like the axis of evil.
I grew up during the Cold War era when the USSR was enemy number one so it is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I am listening to Vladimir Putin in 2022 and thinking, “You know, I agree with a lot of what he is saying.” And then I look at the national embarrassment that is the Capital of this once great nation and think, “You know, I don’t believe anything that they say.”
It’s a sad state of affairs that we have come to, but the fat lady ain’t sung yet!
The Fruits Of Western Civilizational Self Demolition
Points about the destructive limits of the MK 54 are valid, but we really don't know what might have been dropped by that P8. The important point is the very suspicious track of the P8 along the pipeline at the time of the breach when nothing else was in the air at that location. Needs an explanation.
Are we finally seeing the fruit all those prayers for the conversion of Russia, called for by Our Lady of Fatima over one hundred years ago?
I am afraid that the "collective West" is the equivalent of a rabid animal, running wild spreading death to any other unfortunate mammal that it has close contact with. Or alternatively, like cancerous cells that have become immortal, growing unchecked until the entire body self destructs.
BTW, Hudson's comment (from Pepe Escobar) about take-or-pay problem for Germany is moot: force majeure is likely to remove the obligation from the customer to pay due to an "act of God" (or act of war).
Here's a wild thought in which Russia could save the day for Europe (Germany): Russia accelerates the destruction of Ukraine government, negotiates the "carving up" of ex-Ukraine territory with the likes of Poland, Romania, Hungary, etc, but retains protective rights over the existing Natural Gas pipelines running to Europe. These lines, until recently, carried a large portion of the Russian gas to Europe. Russia offers gas to European countries to relieve the hardships caused by the EC. Sounds far fetched, right?
Thank you for summing things up so nicely, but while it is clear that "there is really no significant public disagreement" this does not mean that the public is on board. Our governments are committed in their arrogance and stupidity to a course of action that is disastrous, but the public has not been consulted. We will craft our own solutions as the problems arise, Representative government may be doomed, but humanity is not.
This guy (Konstatin Kisin - twitter.com/KonstantinKisin/status/1575853684852150272) gives what strikes me as a useful summary of Putin's recent speech - one that dovetails nicely with all that Mark has gone to so much (successful!) effort to explicate here. The medium-length thread begins,
"I wish every single person in the West would listen to Putin's speech. Obviously, that won't happen so let me summarise as a professional translator for 10+ years. He states, as he has done from the outset, what his intentions and complaints are in the plainest terms possible."
A tldr version worth a look.
JC today has a very tidy link to a 2014 interview with Condi Rice that predicts almost exactly this entire Ukraine conflict including the pipeline. These (Deep) State Department goons must have been so frustrated during the Trump years!
https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/c-and-c-news-saturday-october-1-2022
He sounds like Ronald Reagan talking about the godless Soviets. The irony.
I think and hope that the Nato and Davos folks are premature in celebrating the Euroweenies falling back into line. NS or no NS, there is massive hardship coming to us this Europe. That can still get even the most placid sheep off their rear ends.
Again, I stagger in amazement that 40 years after I served in Nato to stop those evil Russians, it's those said Russians who seem like our saviours, and our "own" sides who seems like the axis of evil.
Now we know. The Russians love their children too
I grew up during the Cold War era when the USSR was enemy number one so it is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I am listening to Vladimir Putin in 2022 and thinking, “You know, I agree with a lot of what he is saying.” And then I look at the national embarrassment that is the Capital of this once great nation and think, “You know, I don’t believe anything that they say.”
It’s a sad state of affairs that we have come to, but the fat lady ain’t sung yet!
For those who might be interested, this is how we probably did it:
https://www.monkeywerxus.com/blog/the-nord-stream-2-pipeline-sabotage