The Pentagon Testified Assessing Ukraine and No One Noticed


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 14, 2022 | Sundance

As we contemplate the massive $40 billion transfer of U.S. taxpayer funds to Ukraine, a few things need to be emphasized.

First, congress has decided to pay the salaries, benefits and pensions of Ukraine political officials and citizens.  As U.S. citizens try and figure out how to afford housing, gasoline, food and basic goods, congress has decided to subsidize another country.  That’s the first point.

Second, as to the pragmatic question of “to what end?” There was a critical point made last week by Defense Intel Agency (DIA) Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, that not a single media outlet or politician discussed.  During his briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Berrier was asked “can Ukraine win” the conflict against Russia?

Lt. General Berrier replied: “That is a difficult predication to make. I think where the assessment is at, is a prolonged stalemate should no factor change on either side. In other words, the Russians continue to do what they’re doing, and we continue to do what we are doing for the Ukranians.”  WATCH:

The Pentagon assessment is the best that can be achieved is a stalemate.  Billions of billions of dollars being poured into Ukraine, and the most likely outcome is a stalemate.  More people killed, an endless need for continued money to be poured into the ‘war’, and the best possible outcome is a stalemate.

So, riddle me this, why isn’t the U.S. policy position advocating for Zelenskyy and Putin to enter negotiations for a resolution?

What possible U.S. interest can be advanced, knowing the only outcome is a stalemate, where people are killed on either side and money spent on a proxy conflict that ends in loggerheads at some distant point months from now?

Also, why has no U.S. media outlet or pundit played the remarks and assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency, so that the American people can understand the intent of U.S. policy?

Senator Rand Paul Blocks Fast-Track Senate Vote for $40 Billion Additional Ukraine Funding


Posted originally on the conservative house on May 12, 2022 | Sundance 

Senator Rand Paul has blocked a fast-track senate vote on the additional $40 billion funding package created by Joe Biden and House Democrats.  Both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell approved a fast-track vote; however, senator Rand Paul (KY) stood defiant against their effort.

Despite the high-profile pressure from the two Senate leaders, Rand Paul refused to move and that means the Senate will have to take procedural steps to overcome his objection, which could take several days. “My oath of office is the US constitution not to any foreign nation and no matter how sympathetic the cause, my oath of office is to the national security of the United States of America,” Paul said in his remarks before objecting to moving to swift passage of the bill. “We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the US economy.” WATCH:

The $40 billion supplemental spending bill for Ukraine is more than the total military budget of Russia.  The combined Ukraine aid packages now exceed $60 billion, more than the entire budget for the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security including border protection.

Rand Paul is on the right side of history with his position, and the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with him.   However, the opinion of the people is irrelevant to the Senate.   Even democrat Senator Chuck Schumer seemed to admit this point when he said Rand Paul’s position “was not the opinion of the overwhelming majority here,” meaning in the senate.  Schumer would have used other terms if he thought the American people agreed with him.  They don’t, and he knows it.

An Important German Documentary on Ukraine


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted May 7, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

This is a MUST-watch Documentary from a German journalist who has been on the ground. It is important to see the other side of events for anyone who only listens to one side, is denied the very idea of free thought.

A number of people asked to see an ECM on Zelensky himself. This lines up perfectly with the final wave for Ukraine as well between 2021 into 2025 where it is highly likely we will see war escalated post-2024. Zelensky got his staring role to pretend to be a comedian who became president in line with the ECM turning point 2016.75 which marked the peak in confidence in government globally. 2016 saw both Brexit and Trump win which were direct blows to the establishment.

Tucker Why We Are in Ukraine – Payback for Hillary


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted May 3, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Senator Tim Kaine Indicates Biden $33 Billion Ukraine Spend Likely to be Packaged with Another $22 Billion COVID Money


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 1, 2022 | sundance 

Joe Biden has asked congress for two supplemental spending packages, $33 billion for the Ukraine/NATO money laundering operation (supported by both wings of the DC UniParty), and an additional $22 billion to deal with COVID, ie the money DC will use to send to states for another round of mail-in ballots for the November mid-terms.

Hillary Clinton’s former Vice-Presidential running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, appeared on CBS Face the Nation to discuss.  As noted by Senator Kaine, the Senate will happily authorize the $33 billion for Ukraine; however, the COVID spending bill will more likely run into resistance from the Republicans in the Senate who want to extract some of their own Wall Street priorities.

The forward-looking solution, as it appears from the Kaine perspective, is for Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer to work out a deal where both spending packages are bundled. This approach gives cover to the DeceptiCon wing of the republicans to support the COVID mail-in ballot funding scheme, in order to keep their UniParty proxy war in Ukraine fully funded.  WATCH:

As Biden Asks for $33 Billion, Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff Surface in Ukraine Meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 1, 2022 | sundance 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a quietly organized trip with a small group of senior House Democrats, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) to Ukraine.

The trip comes as Joe Biden is asking congress for an additional $33 billion in aid to fund the government of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bringing the total U.S. taxpayer laundry operation to around $50 billion.  Pelosi and Schiff likely setting up the mechanics for the distribution of funds to include congressional family indulgency fees, or Fourth Branch brokerage costs.

“Our delegation traveled to Kyiv to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine,” the group said in a statement. “When we return to the United States, we will do so further informed, deeply inspired and ready to do what is needed to help the Ukrainian people as they defend democracy for their nation and for the world.” (link)

Would Putin Use Nukes?


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Apr 27, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andrei Kozyrev served under Putin’s predecessor Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s. From his former position within the Russian Federation, Kozyrev believes Putin would only use nuclear weapons in “very specific situations.” Namely, if NATO became involved and Russia was backed into a corner from which there was no escape. “If Russia or one of those countries really threatened in their hearts – existentially, that is … if NATO troops come to Moscow, then probably they will resort to nuclear weapons,” Kozyrev told reporters.

Ukraine’s Zelensky has been touting that Russia is close to using chemical and nuclear weapons against Ukraine. “Not only me — all of the world, all of the countries have to be worried because it can be not real information, but it can be truth,” Zelensky said to CNN reporters, strategically in English. Zelensky stated that all nations should be concerned about Russia’s nuclear capabilities, but Putin is not that ignorant. The goal is to secure land that is believed to belong to the Russian people, not to create a nuclear world war. Putin believes he is winning the global battle financially by saying Russian sanctions have led to a “deterioration of the economy in the West.”

Similar to North Korea launching missile exercises to remind the world not to invade, Russia is touting its nuclear capabilities as a scare tactic to prevent the NATO alliance from decimating their country.

Ukraine Asks for Billions More to Support Their Budget and Social Responsibilities for Ukrainian People


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on April 25, 2022 | sundance

The government of Ukraine is asking western nations to fund their budget.  Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked for $7 billion per month in financial assistance to retain their government obligations.  Yesterday, Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reiterated that demand saying, “the cash, in sense of our budget, is very important for social and humanitarian responsibilities of our state to our people.”

l am not wanting to belabor a point that many have discussed here, but there really does come a time when the American people must draw a red line and ask, ‘to what end?‘  The United States government, both the white house and congress, have already pledged $14 billion dollars to Ukraine without a single representative asking the American people if they support it.

Certainly, there is an argument to be made that Ukraine needs the support of the world as they struggle with a conflict in their nation.  However, charity begins at home, and for too long our national leadership has been willing to use our income taxes as tools for their own political agenda.  The brazen expectation by leaders of Ukraine for the United States citizens to finance their government is, in my opinion, the last straw of a series of straws.

The issue would not be so significant if that request was not also accompanied by the visibility of western European nations, supposedly NATO allies, barely spending any money of their own wealth to assist their direct neighbor.  The U.S. financial support is ridiculous when compared to how Europe is responding to the Ukraine crisis.

Compounding this issue is our own American economy and the serious pain being felt by American workers and taxpayers as the spending creates even more massive inflation that we have to cope with.   We gained national independence around the premise of taxation without representation from England, and yet here we are again sending scarce income, without consultation or representation, to DC elites who send that money overseas.

(CBS) – […] MARGARET BRENNAN: But, specifically, is it medical supplies you need most? Is it heavy weapons? Is it just cash?

PRIME MINISTER DENYS SHMYHAL: We need weapon, medical support. But many countries support us because they take our injured soldiers.  The cash, in sense of our budget, is very important for social and humanitarian responsibilities of our state to our people.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And that’s $4 billion to $5 billion a month Ukraine needs?

(read more)

Where is the social and humanitarian consideration for our own people. The American people?

The Ukraine government request/demand is just so matter-of-factly stated as if it’s just another day in the life of a group of people who have no concept they are discussing the distribution of your earnings.   They don’t even have the mental association or reference point for who and what the golden goose is that creates the baseline for them to even talk about it.

The American taxpayer is reduced to some weird, disconnected entity that was scraped from their loafer as they entered the boardroom.

At gas stations across the nation, people in real economic pain, psychologically draining and worrying anxiety, are pulling out thirty bucks to put a few gallons of gas to get them to their job where what?….

…Where they are expected to use their calloused hands to generate the payments for Ukrainian government officials to spend on their “social responsibilities of the state?”…  Think about that the next time we set down the hamburger meat at the supermarket because it costs too much, or we try and figure out how to make the kids shoes last just a few months longer.

The level of rage this geopolitical disconnect is creating is entirely unsustainable.

Americans generally do not like being angry, we are the most charitable and kind people in the history of all assembled nations on this planet, but this level of being taken for granted needs to come to an end, AND SOON.

I don’t know about everyone who reads this, but the people around me are more than a little sick of this nonsense.

Major Riots Against Macron Throughout France Over Questionable Election


Armstrong Economics Blog/France Re-Posted Apr 25, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

There are major riots in just about every city in France over the validity of the election.  Police are breaking up protests by using teargas on civilians. The youth especially are protesting for Macron wants to create an EU army and that will inevitably lead to drafts.

Should Russian Oligarchs Fund Ukraine?


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Apr 25, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

As the war in Ukraine continues, so does the need for funding. Zelensky’s people are now asking for $7 billion in funding per month. The World Bank estimates that it will cost $60 billion to rebuild Ukraine’s infrastructure and the war is still ongoing. Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva said they secured the $7 billion in funding for two months already with funds from other nations. Who will pay for the rest?

The $60 billion estimate is over three times the amount of Ukraine’s GDP. They could never recover on their own. Some would like to use the forfeited assets of Russian oligarchs to fund the war. US Treasury Secretary Yellen warned that doing so would be a “significant step” that would require careful consideration among nations. This yet again brings NATO members one step closer to fully entering the war.

Former hedge fund manager Bill Browder, who has advocated freezing oligarch’s funds, also once warned long ago not to tamper with the oligarch’s funds after seeing their retribution firsthand. “You don’t want to take [the oligarchs’] money because if you lose it, they’ll kill you,” Browder stated. Hedge funds are now required to freeze the assets of Russian oligarchs but have not received direct advice on how to manage those frozen assets. This leaves funds open to future lawsuits if not violence if the sanctions are ever lifted. Some are pointing to the hedge funds and private management companies for collecting the money in the first place, regardless of whether it was earned in a perfectly legal manner.

For all intents and purposes, the people who lost their life savings are mostly private citizens who have been a victim of circumstance. They did not fund Russia’s invasion. This could be considered an act of war by Russia for it would certainly be a complete violation of international law. Using assets seized by private citizens to fund a war opens the door to a new form of warfare that will only cause people to refrain from investing in countries that allow this to go on. Welcome to the total collapse of globalization. We are staring into the eyes of a Great Depression that would make the 1930s look like a dress rehearsal.

Georgia confiscated the property of people who supported the king during the American Revolution. Because of that, Georgia remains one of the poorest states for it took over 100 years before capital began to return to Georgia.