Category Budapest Agreement 1994

Oct 16 2022

Russell Brand Discusses the Common Sense and Pragmatism of Trump on Subject of Ukraine


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 15, 2022 | sundance 

It appears our friend Neil Oliver has the week off. So, we will visit another, albeit saltier, U.K. voice who is also grounded in pragmatic common sense.  Russell Brand recently discussed how “President Trump is Right” about the issues around the Ukraine war and the conflict with Russia.

Mr. Brand notes a few bold nuances that are mostly lost in the media conversation and uses his sarcastic humor to point out the current reality. WATCH:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=J41T8Yh38mI%3Ffeature%3Doembed

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Oct 13 2022

Behind the Scenes of World War Reddit


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 12, 2022 | Sundance

On February 24, 2022, Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, Daleep Singh, told the world what to expect about the U.S. and allied response to the war in Ukraine.  We called the white house strategy “World War Reddit.”  Here’s what Deputy NSA Singh said:

…”Strategic success in the 21st century is not about a physical land grab of territory; that’s what Putin has done.  In this century, strategic power is increasingly measured and exercised by economic strength, by technological sophistication and your story – who you are, what your values are; can you attract ideas and talent and goodwill? And on each of those measures, this will be a failure for Russia.”  ~ Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh

Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh boiled down geopolitical power to a cultural issue of social likeability.  Realize that what he said is the White House strategy leading our foreign policy.  That strategy is why the White House enlisted TikTok influencers for their Ukraine effort [link].  Remember, the State Dept is also leading this effort.  That is the context for this video. WATCH:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zckV1bYrGdQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed

That’s why we called it World War Reddit eight months ago.  Where the State Dept was going with this “war” was obvious.

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(Source)

Oct 11 2022

The Ukraine War is Really the Start of World War III


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Oct 11, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

I have close personal friends on all sides of this Ukrainian nightmare — Kyiv, Donetsk, and Moscow. The Russian translation for the film on me, “The Forecaster,” was done by a Ukrainian Russian-Speaking person in Donetsk. I have listened to all the sides, and all I can say is that the hatred there is engrained and will not be eliminated any time soon.

Perhaps I am old school like Kissinger. What I can say is I have studied war. In contrast, about 50,000 Americans died in battle in Vietnam, including some of my high school classmates. North Vietnam lost up to 1,489,000, and South Vietnam lost up to 1,119,000. In World War I,  the total deaths included 9 to 11 million military personnel, with 6 to 13 million civilians. Some have estimated the total number debt of up to 40 million during World War I. In World War II, it is estimated total of 70-85 million people died.

My point is that war is made by politicians causally because they are never the people who die. The best a soldier can hope for is to come home uninjured and alive, and his home and family are still intact. The Neocons always want war. They exist in all countries. Their purpose in life is to hate their imagined enemy. John McCain hated Russians, period. He hated them before Putin as well and always preached war. He may be dead, but there are plenty of Neocons still cheering World War III, like John Bolton and John Brennan, not to forget Hillary.

For the life of me, war just seems to be inherent in our species. Only the Romans ever discovered how to create peace through free trade. Discussing the war in Kyiv, the response to let the Donbas go, which is occupied by Russians anyway, the response is, “No way, they will then want the rest of the country.” But at the same time, they expect the ethnic Russians in the Donbas and Crimea to return to Russia and leave their homes that have been in their families for centuries.

Meanwhile, in Russia, they realize that this is NOT a war against Ukraine, but against the United States. With the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution, the West installed an interim government that was NOT elected by the people. It was that government that sent the army to attack the Donbas — not any Ukrainian elected government. This is the Neocons still waging war, hiding behind Ukraine.

This is an attempt to explain the Minsk Agreement to Zelinsky. In Washington, NOBODY gives a DAMN about the Ukrainian people. The more that die, the better to justify war with Russia. No matter what I say, write, or even try to talk to people on each side, it is in vain. They will not be satisfied without war.

Denmark and Estonia are rejecting any Russians and canceling their visas. The scary part is that China, North Korea, Iran, and Syria, just to name a few, know that Russia cannot be allowed to fall, for they will be next. There seems to be nobody even contemplating a world if Russia was to be defeated or if the world divides. All of this for a strip of land occupied by Russians for centuries? No. It is about a long-seething hatred that has existed for more than a century, and Ukraine is the excuse. There is no resolution until the death count rises substantially. This will NEVER end; even if Putin withdrew, the West would move in for the kill.

Oct 11 2022

Crimea was a Neo-Nazi Terrorist Attack


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted Oct 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

My sources in Crimea have confirmed that this was a Ukrainian Neo-Nazi terrorist attack. The driver of this 18-wheeler died. He picked up a load of fertilizer and was not part of the plot. They were watching and blew up the truck remotely killing the driver and the car next to it and blowing up the bridge. Ukraine itself has not taken credit for it. This was a coordinated attack by the Neo-Nazis. I cannot express how much hatred these people have stored up inside. They waited to detonate the truck when it was under a train of tankers filled with fuel.

Oct 11 2022

The Madman of Ukraine in High Heels


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted Oct 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT: Hi Martin
It is obvious that Zelensky does not have a brain and is being controlled by outside forces. Is it Schwab or is he just a front also? You probably know more than what is going on than anyone else including intelligence.
Thank you
All the best
MW

REPLY: I cannot say everything without compromising some sources. These people have played a dangerous game. Putin never intended to wage war on Ukraine. He was there to do what he said, protect the Russian population in the Donbas and Crimea, which have NEVER been occupied by Ukrainians. Zelensky should go back to dancing in high heels and leave the real world to serious people.

This launching of 83 missiles is the biggest attack on Kyiv since the war began. That in itself proves he was never trying to conquer Ukraine. This propaganda is all strategically being put out to create war. Europe needs this because it can no longer fund itself on the same basis of endless borrowing with no intention of ever repaying the debt. The failure to have consolidated the debt from the outset is tearing Europe apart. These people think (1) they can defeat Russia and chalk one up for climate change since 50% of Russia’s GDP is energy, and (2) a war will allow them all to default and create another Bretton Woods while reducing the population. These are real objectives.

Putin never struck Kyiv because that was the home of the Russ, where the Russians began. Only the destruction of Kyiv in 1240AD by the Mongold resulted in them settling in Moscow. Kyiv to Putin was more or less like London has been to the United States. This attack on Kyiv is what I have been warning about. Putin has been criticized by the hardliners for being too soft on Ukraine. They are not as nostalgic about Kyiv as Putin has been.

The West is pushing Russia and they will get what they want – war. This is just insane. The Ukrainian people need to overthrow Zelensky – NOW! He is not putting their best interests first. It has been confirmed he has already stashed more than $100 million offset and he will fly away on a private jet leaving the death and destruction behind. Maybe then he will change his shirt.

In the meantime, Russia can take down the power grid of Europe with a handful of missiles. Without alternatives, Europe’s current energy shortfall will worsen this winter. If Russia attacks the satellites, without GPS, most people will be lost today. Things can get really messed up without nuclear war.

Oct 11 2022

Biden Announces U.S. Air Defense System for Ukraine Following Retaliatory Russian Missile Attacks


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 10, 2022 | Sundance

In a statement today from the White House, Joe Biden has pledged “to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems.” [link]  The statement comes as a result of a phone call between Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Two days ago, a bridge between Russia and Crimea was bombed by Ukraine causing a section of the bridge to collapse.  Yesterday, Vladimir Putin retaliated with missile strikes against several cities in Ukraine and key infrastructure for energy.

The U.S. State Dept and CIA are continuing to lead and coordinate the Ukraine war effort with U.S. personnel in place to organize operations. [link]

Like the bombing of the Nordstream pipeline, it is highly likely the Kerch Strait bridge targeting was planned by Ukraine and the United States.  However, we are not permitted to speak about these coordinated efforts. The bottom line is the U.S. Biden administration going further toward direct engagement with Russia via the proxy state of Ukraine.

KYIV, Ukraine — President Vladimir V. Putin unleashed a far-reaching series of missile strikes against cities across Ukraine on Monday, hitting the heart of Kyiv and other areas far from the front line, in the broadest assault against civilians since the early days of Russia’s invasion.

Mr. Putin said the strikes on almost a dozen cities were retaliation for a blast that destroyed sections of a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, though they also seemed intended to appease hard-liners in Russia who had been openly critical over the prosecution of the war.

Denouncing the bombing of the Kremlin-built bridge, an embarrassing blow, as a “terrorist attack,” Mr. Putin threatened more strikes if Ukraine hit Russian targets again.

“No one should have any doubt about it,” he said. (read more)

BIG PICTURE – The baseline for the global aspect to the Ukraine conflict remains rooted in the economic cleaving underway.  Saudi Arabia has expressed their alignment with OPEC+, including Russia, on a coordinated oil supply.  The NATO alliance broadly wants to pressure their partners away from oil, coal and natural gas.   Thus, today in addition to the phone call with Zelenskyy, Joe Biden called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz:

“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany.  The leaders reiterated their condemnation of Russia’s attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory, as well as their ongoing commitment to hold Russia accountable for its brutal actions and provide security and economic assistance to Ukraine. The leaders also discussed recent developments in global energy markets and the importance of securing sustainable and affordable energy supplies.” (link)

The western ideologues, politicians, corporations and banks (yellow on map) are trying to force a new global energy system.  However, there is opposition from multiple nations (grey on map) who see the effort to shift away from oil, coal and natural gas as economic suicide.

We are now starting to see currencies like Brazil and Mexico having greater stability and growth than the value in U.S. dollars.  That said, in the long term the economics of this conflict will ultimately decide the outcome.

The citizens within the western alliance nations are suffering the consequences of the global economic cleaving.  Energy driven inflation, a purposefully created problem, is creating a recession amid the western alliance nations.  The monetary policy of U.S., EU, CA, NZ and AU is currently constructed to lower economic activity to support the reduced amount of energy resources available.

Specifically, because the Ukraine conflict is being used as a justification for political economic and monetary policy, there appears to be no limit in what the U.S. will do to widen the ideological war against Russia.  Unfortunately, the era of great pretending forbids anyone from talking openly about the true root of the issue.

It seems clear now that NATO, led by the USA, is willing to escalate a European war if that’s what it takes to protect the climate change goals.

Without Russia as the bad guy, the Build Back Better agenda becomes naked to the world.  The Ukraine conflict provides a visible shield to prevent any larger discussion.  Reference the attempt by Elon Musk to mitigate the Ukraine conflict by talking about a peace deal with Russia keeping the Russian speaking eastern Ukraine.  In the week since that proposal became international fodder for ridicule, the conflict in Ukraine has intensified.  This is not coincidental.

We are pretending our way into a war.

Oct 10 2022

Russia v USA


Armstrong Economics Blog/Russia Re-Posted Oct 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Reports are coming in from a protest in Moscow against the United States after the Ukrainian attack upon the Crimea Bridge Saturday. Russians are calling for nuking Washington DC. No matter what country you go to, there is always going to be a pro-government and an anti-government position. The Ukrainian propaganda keeps claiming that some sort of revolution against Putin and he has ordered the arrest of military officers. But there are no independent sources that verify anything being put out by Ukraine, which tends to be fake news on so many levels. They will continue to wage a propaganda war in hopes that someone will listen and overthrow Putin. But my sources are very good. Putin is the moderate and I would be seriously concerned if he was overthrown for it would be by the hardlines who have been criticizing him for NOT being aggressive enough.

The Russian government did drive TWO “YARS” Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM’s) on the street in front of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. This is a failed proxy war to overthrow Russia for climate change. These people think overthrowing Putin and the people will cheer and end energy production which is 50% of Russia’s GDP. Look, there is no talking to these people. They believe what they want to believe and that is our problem. Nobody stops to ask: What if we are wrong?

My concern for timing remains the week of November 7th as well as next April.