Category Endless War

Jul 18 2022

Ukraine Cargo Plane Crashed in Greece Carrying 11 Tons of Bombs, Mortars and Landmines to Bangladesh


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 17, 2022 | Sundance

If I had to hazard a guess about what this was, I’d say it is most likely: (a) part of the massive Ukrainian stores of mortars and landmines in eastern Ukraine that were moved in order to keep the Russians from capturing them; or (b) the actual arms that were captured by Russian and then sold on the world arms market.   Either way, somehow, they end up as part of an arms deal from Serbia to Bangladesh.

With the new and improved western weapons provided by the United States, Ukraine is likely upgrading and selling their old weapons to various nefarious arms dealers.

This shipment happened to crash, and that’s the only reason we are hearing about it.

(Via Daily Mail) –  Soldiers in hazmat suits searched for signs of nuclear and chemical substances at the crash site of a Ukrainian cargo plane transporting nearly a dozen tons of mortar shells and land mines.

The Antonov An-12 light aircraft, which was transporting the weapons from Serbia to Bangladesh, had eight Ukrainian crew members onboard. They were all killed. 

An official at Kyiv cargo operator Meridian told Reuters: ‘Of course they didn’t survive this.’  Eyewitnesses filmed the fireball crash in the early hours today, with explosions continuing for two hours and the charred wreckage burning until morning.

Drone images from the scene showed debris from the bulking aircraft strewn in fields.  Serbia’s defense minister said the plane was carrying 11.5 tonnes of products made by its defense industry and the buyer was Bangladesh defense ministry.   Greek authorities could not provide any more information on the aircraft’s cargo. (more)

Previously Russia was reporting to have captured a massive Ukranian military weapons cache near Kharkov (northeastern Ukraine).  I wrote about it HERE.  However, the video (partial screengrab below) was quickly removed by the internet police.

The doomed weapons shipment supposedly originated from Serbia, so the original source could be either Ukraine or Russia.  Who knows?  Amid all of the propaganda, Ukraine corruption and furious U.S. arms shipments into Ukraine, there are multiple sketchy participants likely involved in selling the arms on the global black market.

FUBAR

Jul 16 2022

Cunning Senator Manchin Tricks West Virginia Voters, Senator Stalls $500 Billion Green New Deal Energy Legislation, Democrats Demand Removal from Chair of Energy Committee


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 15, 2022 | Sundance 

Joe Manchin didn’t completely torpedo the $500 billion in Green New Deal climate change spending, but he did stall it for a month saying he would not support the climate change spending until he sees July’s inflation numbers in August, which should be a warning.

If you think carefully about it, it’s a classic Manchin head-fake.  The July and August inflation numbers, to be released in August and September respectively, are almost guaranteed to be lower than June.

July/Aug are the two months we are in right now where inflation is hitting a plateau.  Gasoline prices are dropping due to a drop in demand. This is the period before prices start rising again in September and October when the energy farming costs start to roll out with the next harvest.

Senator Manchin isn’t stupid; in fact, he is quite Machiavellian, he knows this… thus, his position.

Manchin can give the illusion of prudence, but he knows the July inflation rate will show a decrease for two reasons.

First, in the month-to-month comparison, July will not carry the same scale of gasoline and energy increases as June.  Second, in the year-over-year comparison, July ’22 will be comparing to July 2021 when prices already started skyrocketing.  Bottom line, July inflation will give the illusion of dropping, which gives Manchin a shield to support the spending…. and he will.

WASHINGTON DC – Joe Manchin is forcing Democrats into a brutal choice: Take a deal now to lower the costs of health care premiums and prescription drugs, or try to negotiate a larger bill in September that includes climate and tax reform with no guarantee it will pass.

The West Virginia Democrat said Friday that he wants to see another month of inflation numbers before considering legislation that might increase taxes on some higher-income Americans and plow hundreds of billionsof dollars into the energy sector. On Thursday Manchin “unequivocally” rejected July or August approval of Democrats’ proposed energy investments and tax increases in a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to a person briefed on the meeting.

[…] Democrats are reeling after Manchin’s communication to Schumer indicated that climate change and tax provisions are unworkable for any party-line bill considered this summer. Fury is building within the party, with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) questioning whether Manchin should continue to chair the Senate’s Energy committee.

[…] Manchin had sought to shave down an energy package originally set at more than $500 billion to $300 billion or less. He balked privately at sending money to the EV industry and the Direct Payment program. (Read More)

While you won’t see a single MSM analyst, financial pundit or mainstream political commentator point out what Manchin is doing, his strategy is cunning.

Right now, conservatives are calling Manchin a hero for blocking the GND spending while progressives attack him.  This gives the impression that he is a centrist, above the fray, and wise in his outlooks toward the economy and budgeting.   However, it’s a ruse.  Joe Manchin knows, just like you do, that the next inflation report will be much lower.  He is positioning to support the climate change spending in September.

Watch.

Bookmark this.

The scheming strategery of Joe Manchin is as predictable as the scheming strategery of Mitch McConnell.

The two wings of the UniParty duck seem still on the surface.  This type of ploy is exactly how DC is able to operate, paddling forward furiously, just below the surface; and almost no one can see what is happening.

Once you see the strings on the political marionettes, you can never return to that moment in the performance when you did not see them.  However, because too few people see them, almost everyone congregates in the lobby during the mid-term intermission asking, “hey, when did Texas become dependent on windmills?”

Jul 9 2022

June Jobs Report Shows Gains of 372,000, April and May Reports Revised Downward by 74,000


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 8, 2022 | sundance 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the June jobs report [Data Here] showing 372,000 job gains on the establishment survey of businesses.  However, the April and May reports were revised downward by 74,000 jobs, and there is an odd disconnect between the survey of businesses and the survey of households.

The survey of businesses (BLS establishment report) shows job gains of 372k for the month of June, but the survey of households (BLS household report) shows that fewer people are working.  The labor-force participation rate slipped to 62.2% from a previous high of 62.4%, fewer people are working.

This odd disconnect has many people wondering what is going on?

Wage growth comes in at 5.1% on an annual basis, which is far below the current BLS calculated rate of inflation at 8.6%. Meaning wage growth is not keeping up with inflation despite workers entering the labor force at a higher entry level wage.

Economists overall are flummoxed as job gains would indicate a strong economy. However, the actual economic activity, the creation of goods and services, is not growing.  Quite the opposite appears.  Orders for factory goods have dropped, inventories of currently available goods are climbing, and sales figures across a broad spectrum of companies are negative.  The economy as measured by the creation of goods and services is stalled, but the economy as a measure of employment is firm.

Table B-1 of the BLS report shows where the jobs gains are being recorded.  Employment in professional and business services added 74,000 jobs in June, employment in leisure and hospitality added 67,000. Transportation and warehousing added 36,000 jobs, and manufacturing increased by 29,000. Simultaneously, retail ‘general merchandise’ stores lost 7,000 jobs, and residential building construction lost 4,500 jobs.

It would appear that as spending priorities are definitely taking place; the jobs growth is in the current maintenance of lifestyle and not the ‘moving up’ in lifestyle.  This would align with the general sentiment of the labor force that most people are just trying to get through the massive inflation impact and sustain their current rate of household expenses.

The decline in the labor force in June “is hard to explain,” said chief economist Aneta Markowska of Jefferies LLC, in light of the strong demand for labor. (link)

It’s really not that hard to figure out what is happening.  Well, I should say, not that hard to figure out, unless your job is to pretend not to know things.

Jul 7 2022

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Proactively Blames Russia for Pending Global Food Shortage


Step back for a minute and elevate the discussion to a bigger review.  In the past several months every single institution of policy making has stated, many emphatically, that a looming global food crisis is imminent.   No one is hedging on this point; everyone in the geopolitical system is in alignment saying there will be food shortages.

Joe Biden, NATO, the G7, the European Union, the World Bank, USAID, and every western leader in the United States and Europe has stated there will be food shortages.

They are not saying there might be shortages; their statements are emphatic, there will be shortages.

Accept this basic cornerstone.  Then ask why not a single proactive step has been taken by any of the aforementioned institutions or governments to alleviate what they declare is a certainty.  Why?

Simple question, “why?”

If all of the western nations, non-govt organizations and heads of state, are aware of a coming food crisis, why is there no proactive response?

It is a question that even the most hardcore leftists will not answer, because there is only one answer.  No action is being taken because they do not want to take action.  No effort to avoid the crisis is being done, because they do not want the crisis avoided.

Peel all the layers of obfuscation and causation away, and what we find is the epicenter of the food shortage is directly the result of the Build Back Better agenda.  A post-pandemic western government deliberate decision to radically change global energy development.  In succinct terms, the climate change agenda.

However, regardless of how you feel about the validity of “climate change,” the cause of diminished food supplies is purposeful.  It is not climate change causing food shortages. It is the purposeful action taken under the guise of mitigating climate change that is causing the shortage of food.

The collective Build Back Better energy policy of western governments’ is the reason for massive increases in energy costs, massive oil price jumps, gasoline price increases, significant increases in chemical costs, increases in diesel fuel costs, shortages of fertilizer created using natural gas, and the end result is lower crop yields, higher farming costs and eventually, food shortages.  They know this.

All of the organizations and government who have been decrying the future shortage of food, know it is the radical shift in energy resource development that is creating the crisis.  This acceptance of reality begins the framework to understand just how entrenched and committed these western leaders are toward their beloved climate change agenda.

We do not yet know the scale of food shortage, but we do know -and everyone admits- there will be severe shortages on a global basis.

Western leaders will not and cannot accept the blame for what they are doing.  So, they will blame-cast, excuse and justify what is likely to surface.

Food shortages will be blamed on the Ukraine conflict, Russian aggression, climate change and any various iteration of justification that does not identify the true cause, their energy ideology.

I’m not so sure that people fully understand what the entire system of western government would be willing to do to avoid being blamed for avoidable death on a potential scale that is quite alarming.  All of the western leaders, institutions and governments are on the same boat.   They are all in this together.

~ Deafening Drumbeats for War ~

~ Joe Biden Blaming Russia ~

Reminder, watch:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-C3QiEah7mc%3Ffeature%3Doembed

.

….. You think that guy is going to take responsibility?   What would he do to avoid it?

July 6, 2022 | sundance 

Jul 5 2022

Energy Crisis Driving Up Food Costs


Armstrong Economics Blog/Agriculture Re-Po sted Jul 5, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Agriculture experts are calling this season one of the most important crop years in recent history. The supply chain has barely improved, exports are expensive, and we must rely on domestically grown and raised food more than ever. Everything is connected, as are the ongoing crises. The energy crisis is adding to rising food prices as farmers are concerned about the availability of oil.

Gas prices are around 63% higher YoY as of June. The cost of diesel is over double pre-pandemic costs. Although diesel prices rose after the Ukraine invasion, prices were already on the rise. Crude oil supply in the US is at its lowest level since 2004, causing many to panic buy.

Crude production peaked in December 2019 when the nation was producing 400 million barrels per month. The Farm Bureau noted that in 2020, fuel costs represented around 3% of total on-farm expenditures. It is now estimated that the cost of fuel, electricity, and lube will increase by 34% for American farmers in 2022. This does not even factor in the fertilizer shortage farmers are facing.

“If the U.S. cannot increase production and is not importing the supplemental quantities needed to meet the increased demand, prices could continue to rise,” the Farm Bureau recently reported, “Furthermore, limited domestic refining capacity for those crude oil supplies could further strain supply availability as demand rises, which could also contribute to increased costs.”

The Farm Bureau has two suggestions for the Biden Administration – 1) crude oil producers need regulatory flexibility, and 2) allow refiners to increase domestic capacity. The agency is warning that any misstep could cause fuel prices to spike, such as the upcoming hurricane season. Every sector is begging the White House to increase demand as we are all struggling in numerous ways from America’s new energy-dependent status.

Jul 5 2022

Let Them Eat Crickets


Armstrong Economics Blog/Agriculture Re-Posted Jul 5, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Bill Gates’ dream of a meatless Utopia is coming to fruition one insect at a time. Aspire Food Group of Canada announced that it has created an “alternative protein manufacturing facility.” They are not referring to soy or plant-based alternatives but are encouraging the consumption of crickets.

The facility will produce 9,000 metric tons of crickets annually for both pets and humans. I personally would not even allow my dog to eat this pest. So, the plan is to distribute two billion bugs across the US and Canada. Crickets were previously sold to fish bait and pet shops (reptiles) for around $12 for 250 crickets, according to some estimates. The average female lays up to 10 eggs per day for the duration of her short lifespan. One square feet can hold an estimated 1,000 crickets, making this a much easier alternative to raising traditional livestock. Crickets require less space than cattle and allegedly produce less CO2 despite the fact that livestock is not the main culprit.

While other nations have eaten insects for centuries due to a lack of alternatives, the West has not been exposed to this diet. An article in Farmer’s Weekly noted that bacteria contamination is associated with both wild and farmed insects, including the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Micrococcus, Lactobacillus, Erwinia, Clostridium and Acinetobacter, as well as members of the family Enterobacteriaceae.

Expect the media to normalize eating bugs. Perhaps Ina Garten will do a special on how to roast them for your next gathering. However, we have always had the resources to eat fresh produce and animals that are traditional to Western culture. The idea that eating insects will somehow save the planet from mass climate destruction is absurd.

Jul 5 2022

Senator Lindsey Graham Returns from Turkey Hopeful to Close Deal on F16 Sales


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 4, 2022 | Sundance 


Senator Lindsey Graham (U-DC) was apparently in Turkey around the same time as the NATO summit.  According to a Twitter announcement by Graham he has returned to the U.S. hopeful to close the deal on selling F-16”s to Turkey now that Turkish President Recep Erdogan has removed opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

“I will do all in my power to support the Biden Administration’s decision to sell F-16s to the Turkish Air Force,” Graham writes.

Also adding, “These fighter jets, in the hands of our NATO allies, will create a sense of stability and provide capability to the Turkish military that is most definitely in America’s national security interests.” {link}

On Tuesday of last week Turkey removed their block of Sweden and Finland from joining NATO, and on Wednesday Joe Biden agreed to sell Turkey 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes:

Newsmax – The Biden administration threw its support on Wednesday behind the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, a day after Ankara lifted a veto of NATO membership for Finland and Sweden.

Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary for Defense for International Security Affairs at Pentagon, said strong Turkish defense capabilities would reinforce NATO’s defenses.

“The United States supports Turkey’s modernization of its fighter fleet because that is a contribution to NATO security and therefore American security,” she said. (read more)

Finland now represents an additional 1,340 km (830 mi) long direct border with Russia.  The border runs mostly through uninhabited taiga forests and sparsely populated rural areas.

Jun 13 2022

Sebastian Gorka FULL SHOW: J6 Committee: Did Pence usurp President Trump?


AMERICA First with Sebastian Gorka  Published originally on Rumble on June 10, 2022

Sebastian gives his take on the Democrats’ “primetime” January 6th hearing, with special guests Julie Kelly, Boris Epshteyn, Jim Carafano, and Michael Knowles.

Tune in to America First with Sebastian Gorka, Weekdays 3PM-6PM EST.
Subscribe to the America First podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/america-first-with-sebastian-gorka-podcast/id1451874289

Jun 11 2022

Do I Whine?


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

Jun 11 2022

Despite Massive Media Promotion and Every Outlet Pushing, J6 Prime Time Hearings Fall Flat with Less Than Half Regular Audience


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

Despite every single media outlet, broadcast and cable, promoting the J6 committee hearings which aired on every channel during prime-time viewership, the total Neilsen audience was around 20 million.  According to media tracker Joe Concha that’s about half an ordinary viewership for the regular broadcast networks.

Given the amount of attention the corporate media pushed in advance, the results are a major failure for the J6 effort.  As noted by Just The News, the ratings were “dismal.”

Tucker Carlson opened his show tonight talking about the media fiasco, and Tucker is also the only broadcast to cover the new Biden ethanol mandate.  WATCH: