European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius believes a unified European army should replace American troops amid geopolitical tensions. “How will we replace the 100,000-strong American regular military forces that form the backbone of military power in Europe?” he asked, later answering his own question by proposing the creation of a permanent continent-wide joint armed force.
Kubilius believes there must be a European Security Council, a centralized control hub. “The European Security Council could consist of key permanent members, as well as several members on a rotational basis—around 10 to 12 in total—whose task would be to discuss the most important defense issues,” he emphasized, adding that the United Kingdom may be barred from entering due to Brexit.
The idea that the European Union now seriously considers replacing American troops with a European army is the culmination of decades of shifting global power, economic cycles, and the EU’s structural failure to sustain its own sovereignty. NATO became permanent precisely because European nations could not muster the political will and economic unity to defend themselves independently. It is easy to talk about replacing 100,000 U.S. troops with a European force when Europe has yet to solve its own sovereign debt problems and cannot even harmonize a defense budget.
“Would the United States be militarily stronger if they would have 50 armies on the States level instead of a single federal army, 50 state defence policies and defence budgets on the states level, instead of a single federal defence policy and budget? Kubilius questioned. The United States is a unified nation (for now); the European Union model expects each member to abandon its national identity, which is simply not possible.
Defense policy would require a unanimous agreement among all member states. Yet each member state faces distinct security threats shaped by trade and geography. Spain will not have the same concerns as Poland, for example, as you cannot broadly paint Europe with one brush. It has become increasingly apparent that each policy issued from Brussels benefits some members while disadvantaging others. Trade, war, and migration — every nation faces unique challenges that cannot be solved by broad solutions. Each nation can only survive if it maintains its structural and economic integrity, which is why I have warned that the very design of the euro was flawed from the beginning. It is extremely unlikely that 27 independent nations could continually agree on ever-changing policies in the event of war. A centralized authority would need to assume control of the proposed army, make decisions unilaterally, and trust that soldiers would collectively follow orders.
The European Union coerces members into prioritizing European interests. The union was destined to fail, and these overhauls will only spur the cycle in motion—Europe is in the process of separating.
The proposed billionaire tax has caussed $1 trillion in potential tax revenue to flee California. The billionaire taxwould require California residents worth over $1 billion to pay a one-time 5% fee on all assets, including unrealized gains.
Google co-founder Larry Page fled the state and took his $276 billion net worth with him. Page moved his family office, Koop LLC, from California to Delaware and began purchasing property in Florida at the end of 2025. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, worth around $245 billion, sold his home in San Francisco in favor of Hawaii. Venture capitalist Peter Thiel cut ties with California, taking his $26 billion and counting, opting to relocate in Miami. Craft Ventures co-founder David Sacks fled California and opened an office in Austin, Texas. Sacks wrote on social media that “Miami will replace NYC as the finance capital and Austin will replace SF (San Francisco) as the tech capital.”
Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya believes California has lost$1 trillion in billionaire wealth because 50% of billionaire-driven potential tax revenue has left the state. Even if the bill does not pass, the fact that it was proposed and highly considered has unsettled capital and smart money will not remain where it is not welcome.
California heavily relies on top-earners to cover budget deficits. Last January, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) found that California is facing “double-digit operating deficits in the years to come”as a result of reckless government spending. For the 2025-26 period, the LOA believes the state may have a balanced budget, but calls Newsom’s spending and policies highly unpredictable.
GOVERNMENT SPENDING is to blame for the budget failures. Every analysis says the same thing. The LAO suggests: “Legislature would need to address in the coming years, for example, by reducing spending, increasing taxes, shifting costs, or using more reserves. The magnitude of these deficits also indicates that, without other changes to spending or revenues, the state does not have capacity for new commitments.”
California was banking on billionaires to cover 90% of the state’s health care costs. The 2025-26 budget allocated $188.1 billion in total ($42.1 billion General Fund) to Medi-Cal, representing a steep $4.5 billion General Fund increase from the previous year. Medi-Cal is expected to expand to $222.4 billion in FY2026-27. Administration costs alone account for nearly 17% of health spending, with costs increasing by 23% in 2023 alone. The state was expecting the billionaires’ tax to cover $22.5 billion in annual healthcare program costs. The funds have left the state and will not return.
The state was also planning to redirect $2.5 billion from billionaires’ annual contributions to food and education assistance programs. Governments will never understand that they cannot rob Peter to pay Paul without repercussions. Again, the proposal alone was enough to uproot capital, businesses, jobs, development, and innovation.
Posted originally on Jan 13, 2026 by Martin Armstrong |
Russia is slinking back into its old Soviet Union methods of spying on citizens. Beginning on January 1, 2026, internet providers in Russia are now required to store all text, audio, and video messages for three years. The Center for Countering Disinformation has access to every Russian’s digital footprint.
Per usual, authorities claim the measure is to protect against fraud. The true motive is control, instant punishment, and the notion that citizens will begin to self-censor their private correspondence to avoid criticizing the Kremlin.
The Roskomnadzor (the federal communications regulator) has the authority to disconnect the Russian internet segment (Runet) from external sources at whim. Regulators may block or permanently ban individual websites or services if they believe they are a threat to national security. Telecom operators must issue commands and control network traffic in accordance with the Roskomnadzor. The Russian internet will be completely isolated from the global network.
Fines and penalties have been inconsequential despite increasing severity. As of September 1, 2025, Russians face a 5,000 ruble fine for “intentionally searching extremist materials.” This was significant as it was the first time Russia punished citizens for viewing prohibited online content.
Over one million websites have been analyzed for pretrial blocking by Roskomnadzor and the Prosecutor General’s Office. Over 150 media organizations are currently blocked in Russia. The government has repeatedly shut down the internet on a regional basis throughout the Ukraine war, with authorities claiming the blackouts are needed to support drone warfare.
Social media channels such as Twitter/X, Reddit, META/Facebook, LinkedIn, SnapChat, and Discord are inaccessible. YouTube and TikTok may be used on a limited basis. Russians are forbidden to view BBC News, Deutsche Welle, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and other news outlets. VPNs are illegal, although widely used, and Russia ranked #1 in the top internet outages in 2025.
Russia ranked first worldwide in total internet disruptions in 2025, according to Top10VPN’s Cost of Internet Shutdowns report. Analysts recorded 37,166 hours of outages, citing their scale and technical complexity. pic.twitter.com/amRIN2yAke
Russians all know that Big Brother is monitoring them online and tapping their phones. People in former communist nations do not trust the government. They’ve been taught throughout the generations to keep a guard up. Unlike those in the West, the Russians and Chinese understand that the mainstream media is merely a propaganda tool. The information displayed on your TV screen or the front page of the newspaper has been pre-approved by the government; otherwise, it would not be permitted to air. I can proudly say that this website is one of them, and we are permitted to operate in both Russia and China.
The Kremlin and every other government authority has unlimited access to text messages and online searches. You can delete your texts and clear your search history, but government can still see your complete digital footprint. Governments suedinternet and phone providers years ago to ensure they had full backdoor access to every outlet. Social media outlets were compromised, and those who failed to comply like TikTok were either banned or sold out. Digital privacy is not a protected right. Modern civilization depends on the internet for communication and information, making it a prime target for government surveillance. We will see governments continually restrict internet access in the years ahead as each nation aims to create a digital firewall to protect its citizens from sharing information, or worse, collaborating against the regimes controlling them.
Posted originally on CTH on January 12, 2026 | Sundance
According to reporting from the Associated Press the telephone call lasted approximately 15 minutes; however, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called it “a very good conversation.”
(AP) “Sheinbaum said the two leaders did not speak about Cuba, which Trump threatened Sunday. Mexico is an important ally of the island nation, including selling it oil that it will need even more desperately now that the Trump administration says it will not allow any more oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba.”
According to the AP report, President Trump again told President Sheinbaum that he was ready to support Mexico with U.S. law enforcement should she decide to take on the cartels. Sheinbaum again said that Mexico did not need the U.S. help and progress was being made.
“We told [President Trump], so far it’s going very well, it’s not necessary, and furthermore there is Mexico’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and he understood,” Sheinbaum is reported as saying, which, if you think about it, is really quite an alarming statement even within a brief phone call.
When asked about combatting cartel influence, “so far it’s going well” is not exactly confidence inspiring. Within the answer itself is an admission the Mexican government has an issue with cartel control. – AP REPORT HERE
Saying they have it under control is an admission there is something that needs to be controlled. Apparently, success on this issue in Mexico is defined as, “a significant drop in homicides, falling U.S. fentanyl seizures and fentanyl overdose deaths.”
According to Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente, these are the “tangible results” Secretary Rubio previously said were needed. So, there’s that.
Posted originally on CTH on January 12, 2026 | Sundance
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett appears on CNBC to discuss the current status of the Trump economy. Obviously, the first question to Hassett surrounds the announcement by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell that he is under a grand jury investigation.
Director Hassett rightly notes the DOJ is independently investigating the issues of Powell as a result of both a Senate Banking Committee (Tim Scott) and House criminal referral for misleading and false testimony related to the construction of the FED building in Washington DC. Both the decisions by the Federal Reserve and the Dept of Justice are not outcomes of President Trump’s decision making. Secondly, Hassett is considered a candidate to replace Powell in May, so it would be inappropriate for him to make any comments. WATCH:
Posted originally on CTH on January 12, 2026 | Sundance
Regardless of how you feel about the Federal Reserve Board, I think we would all agree the construct of an autonomous central bank is outside the boundaries of our constitutional framework. Factually, the Sea Island financial group set up the Federal Reserve as a system of control over the U.S. economy that was completely unnecessary.
That same ultra-constitutional mindset of omnipotent power permeates the recent statements by FED Chair Jerome Powell, who now attempts to evade a Dept of Justice investigation by hiding behind the ruse of his non-elected office.
Last year, facing ridiculous cost overruns, Congress questioned Powell over the insane spending proposal by Powell for a new office building. Chairman Powell characterized the construction changes, that escalated the cost of the project from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion, as ‘minor modifications.’ That’s $2.5 billions of taxpayer money.
In an effort to both use his office as a defense, and simultaneously weaponize the power of his position, Jerome Powell waits until Sunday evening to announce he is being investigated by the DOJ [SEE HERE], and then he claims it is political targeting.
On Friday, the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas, threatening a criminal indictment related to my testimony before the Senate Banking Committee last June. That testimony concerned in part a multi-year project to renovate historic Federal Reserve office buildings.
I have deep respect for the rule of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one—certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve—is above the law. But this unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure.
This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. It is not about Congress’s oversight role; the Fed through testimony and other public disclosures made every effort to keep Congress informed about the renovation project. Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.
This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.
I have served at the Federal Reserve under four administrations, Republicans and Democrats alike. In every case, I have carried out my duties without political fear or favor, focused solely on our mandate of price stability and maximum employment. Public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats. I will continue to do the job the Senate confirmed me to do, with integrity and a commitment to serving the American people.
Thank you.”
Most Americans do not understand what the Federal Reserve Bank does, let alone grasp the concept of how the Federal Reserve construct has been weaponized against their economic interests.
Ultimately, at the core of the issues with the FED is the need for power and control by those who exist in the strata of high finance and banking; essentially, the originating assembly we call the Sea Island group. This group, in synergy with the Federal Reserve, operates to control the U.S. government through monetary policy. There is no other reason for the group to exist.
There’s no reason why banking (interest) rates cannot be localized, determined by each financial institution according to their specific area of focus, and the control of capital outflows determined at a level closest to the Main Street enterprise.
For decades a growing number of voices have been against the FED control over U.S. monetary policy. However, the independent fiat of the FED is defended by all the beneficiaries of the controlled financial system.
Jerome Powell has consistently been politicizing his office through the use of policy. Now, he is claiming to be the victim of politicization, because he is being subjected to the same investigative rules that would apply to any other financial institution head who was guilty of fraud and/or mismanagement.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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