Tag Archives: BRICS

Sep 28 2023

Cuban Troops Fight for Russia


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Sep 28, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Cubans are no strangers to Western sanctions and aggression. Around 72% of Cubans live below the poverty line. “You can be a nuclear physicist and still die of hunger here,” one man told Politico, adding that he could not even afford toilet paper on his salary. Food insecurity remains a serious problem. GDP is expected to grow by 2% this year, but remains eight percentage points behind pre-pandemic levels. Desperate Cubans are now signing up to fight alongside Russian soldiers for citizenship and the opportunity to earn a living wage.

The Soviet Union helped Cuba during its 1959 revolution. Cuba and the Soviet Union paired up to fight in Angola as well. Cuba has remained neutral amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and basically has nothing to offer either side besides fighters. Putin announced in November 2022 that anyone wishing to fight for Russia would receive fast-track naturalization. The average salary in Cuba as of 2020 was about $9,500. One person told Politico they were offered a one-year teaching contract to aid troops in language exams for $2,100 per month plus a $2,000 sign-on bonus.

However, defecting to Russia is highly illegal. Recruiters have been arrested for running what the Cuban government deemed a “human trafficking network” to recruit new soldiers. These recruiters are seemingly looking for anyone as military experience is not a requirement. Worse, some news outlets are reporting that many Cubans have been tricked into joining the Russian military after being promised work away from the warzone.

Either way, can you blame them? The desperate people of failed Communist nations are literally starving and most men would do anything for their families. Nothing is fair during war and Russia is looking to recruit men from the most vulnerable nations to fight as they need to increase their military by at least 1.15 million service members.

Sep 17 2023

The Birth of the US Dollar


Armstrong Economics Blog/USD $ Re-Posted Sep 17, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Thomas Jefferson Act of Congress Signed as Secretary of State, January 14th, 1793,

Second Congress of the United States (1743-1826)

As Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson amended a previous Act, “establishing a Mint and regulating the Coins of the United States,” establishing the copper weight specifications for the first US coins issued in 1793 – the Cent and Half Cent. This is a document from our collection on the Monetary System of the World, establishes the birth of the US dollar authorizing the first issue of the coinage of the United States. It is unique and of tremendous historical importance.

The first copper coins created by the new United States of America were introduced into circulation in March of 1793. This document is signed “Th’ Jefferson” as Secretary of State and countersigned (in type) by George Washington as President, John Adams as Vice President and President of the Senate, and Jonathan Trumbull as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“Second Congress of the United States: At the Second Session, begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania, on Monday, the fifth of November, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two. An act establishing a Mint, and regulating the coins of the United States, so far as respects the Coinage of Copper.”

“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That every cent shall contain two hundred and eight grains of copper, and every half cent shall contain one hundred and four grains of copper; and that so much of the act ‘An act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States,’ as respects the weight of cents and half cents, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed…. Approved January fourteenth 1793…”

Sep 14 2023

Putin: Trump Indictments are Very Good for Russia


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics e-Posted Sep 14, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

When asked about the impeachment of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin said that it is “very good” for Russia insofar as it shows America is deteriorating from within. Putin and Trump once had a mutual respect for one another, acknowledging that each leader consistently put their nation first. Everyone besides the far-left can see that Trump’s indictments are a politically motivated attempt by the current administration to deny the people a fair election. “It shows the rottenness of the US political system that can’t claim to teach others democracy,” Putin stated. “What happened to Trump is a motivated prosecution of a political rival.”

The US cannot possibly blame Russia for meddling in the next election when the current administration is blatantly arresting political opponents. The former world democracy police can no longer claim to be pious. Everyone sees what is happening, but only those not in the globalist club have spoken out.

“Imagine if this happened to a leading opposition presidential candidate here in El Salvador?” President Nayib Bukele posted to social media. “Sadly, it’ll be very hard for US Foreign Policy to use arguments such as “democracy” and “free and fair elections”, or try to condemn “political persecution” in other countries, from now on.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is no stranger to worldwide criticism for not aligning with the globalists, has spoken out against the indictments as well. “Keep on fighting, Mr. President!” Orban published on X. “We are with you.”

While China’s Xi has not directly commented, Chinese political commentators seem to be in agreement that the US government is deliberately locking up their top political opponent. The South China Morning Post wrote an article entitled: “Trump’s indictment: the real takeaway is the US is as polarised as ever.” A professor from Renmin University of China published an op-ed titled, ”Trump’s indictment and bank collapses a poor advertisement for US democracy.” Both articles say that China is laughing at the American political system. “The generation of young people who shouted ‘Long live President Wilson’ at the end of World War I, and the idealistic generation who endorsed a ‘fight for freedom and democracy’ in Tiananmen Square in 1989, have little in common with young Chinese people today who see no upside to emulating American democracy,” he wrote.

Divided we fall. The world sees America’s weakness as we are no longer a united nation, under one. We are divisible and under the tyrannical rule of the deep state who uses a corrupt career politician with dementia as their puppet.

Sep 14 2023

North Korea backs Russia


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Sep 14, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Kim Jong Un traveled to Moscow to show Russian President Vladimir Putin his support. North Korea is completely dependent on China after the hermit kingdom was shunned from global trade long ago. Russia’s support could prove vital to North Korea as reports of famine and hardship have made their way out of the secretive country.

Kim Jong Un said Russia will secure a victory over “evil” forces. “Russia is waging a sacred fight against the West,” he said, adding that North Korea will work together with Russia to “fight against imperialism.” Three generations of dictators have been focused on demolishing the West, accumulating military supplies, and militarizing the nation in preparation for an inevitable attack. The entire Korean peninsula will be up in arms if China, Russia, and North Korea begin performing military exercises together.

North Korea has nothing to lose, a dangerous enemy indeed, and needs this partnership with Russia more than Russia needs North Korea. Absolutely no one is willing to trade with the strict dictatorship, and they are wholly reliant on China. The nation only exists because it has nuclear powers that it threatens to use frequently. Russia will likely ask for military bases, equipment, and fighters. North Korea is seeking advanced Russian technology as the nation has faced numerous embarrassments after failed military tests. In particular, North Korea wishes to launch spy satellites but has failed on numerous occasions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the details will be kept confidential. This partnership gives the West another reason to point its finger and say, “Those are the bad guys.” A grand-scale war is increasingly becoming inevitable.

Aug 29 2023

Russian Lives Matter


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Aug 29, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The most influential aspect of Black Lives Matter is its name choice. Of course, black lives matter, but the messaging behind the movement itself was pure corruption and controlled civil unrest by the left. It was seen as racist to say that ALL lives matter because the focus was only on Black Americans. Then the police tried to use the term Blue Lives Matter, fueling the animosity.  The phrase has caught on, and a Danish director has come under fire for saying “Russian lives matter.”

Lars von Trier risks cancellation after commenting on a social media post featuring Denmark’s latest donation to Ukraine of extremely lethal F-16 fighter jets. “Russian lives matter also!” he stated on the Instagram post. He said his post was for Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Putin, and not least Mrs. Frederiksen (who yesterday, like someone head over heels in love, posed in the cockpit of one of the scariest killing machines of our time, grinning from ear to ear). “Russian lives matter also! Best regards, Lars.”

Ukrainian media outlets turned the post into a story of hatred. Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, even weighed in on the situation: “The choice between the executioner and the victim becomes a tragedy when the artist chooses the side of the executioner. Ukraine doesn’t live in abstraction, but in a cruel reality in which Russians are murderers. A simple piece of advice for a famous director: imagine that it is a Russian missile that is flying into his city every day, that his father or mother was killed, his grandson was taken to Russia, and that a Russian looter raped his wife before burning down his house. In this case, the abstraction of hypocritical ‘humanism’ takes on completely different features – real, not fictional life.”

This is how wars are waged as the enemy must be dehumanized. As Danilov said, the reality Ukraine wants to portray is a “cruel reality in which Russians are murderers.” So every single person, old and young, in a large country is a ruthless murderer? This is akin to how the terrorist groups in Afghanistan painted all Americans as bloodthirsty killers. It is the same story repeated throughout history – villainize the enemy and cheer his last breath. Human nature is the same wherever you go. Fact: the majority of Russians simply want peace and are not Prigozhin clones plotting on Ukraine’s downfall.

“I was just stating the obvious: that all lives in this world matter! A forgotten phrase it seems, from a time when pacifism was a virtue,” the filmmaker replied, later mentioning he had no idea the trouble his comments would cause. But sure, cheer the image of the F-16 jet designed for mass murder of fellow human beings.

Aug 28 2023

Teaching Hedging


Armstrong Economics Blog/Trading Re-Posted Aug 27, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT: Marty, I just wanted to thank you. I attended your 1985 World Economic Conference, and you taught me how to hedge. That made my career, and now I am about to retire. Nobody was teaching hedging in the early 1980s. You have impacted the world far more than you realize.

I will be at the WEC this year in my official capacity. Next year, it will be for me personally. I sincerely wanted to thank you, and you should post this. The newbies need to know you were there decades before anyone else.

God bless.

GK

REPLY: George, it has been a long journey. I am glad I helped you in your career. You have always been there for me and I appreciate old friends. BTW, they still do not teach hedging in universities. Just amazing.

Aug 26 2023

Who Killed Wagner Boss Prigozhin?


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Aug 25, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly died in a plane crash on Wednesday afternoon. The plane crashed south of Kuzhenkinskoe in Russia’s Tver region, instantly killing all ten aboard. News outlets are pointing to Vladimir Putin. After all, Prigozhin did attempt to stage a coup two months ago. Other outlets claim the Wagner boss has faked his death. Russia is launching an investigation into the crash, but we may never have answers.

“An investigation of the Embraer plane crash that happened in the Tver Region this evening was initiated. According to the passenger list, first and last name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in this list,” Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport said in a statement.

So why would Putin not have had him arrested or killed after the coup on June 23 that he deemed treasonous? Some may say Putin wanted to maintain a cool head and appear unbothered as if his leadership was never questioned. But why would he choose to take out Prigozhin at this stage? The two men were personal friends. Prigozhin apologized for the attempted coup, claimed he went crazy, and allegedly met with Putin after the incident to apologize.

Prigozhin was allegedly in Belarus with his eyes on Poland. Yet, Russia has not been concerned about Poland. There is an ongoing proxy war between the West and Russia playing out in Niger. There we saw a coup that overthrew the government while chanting “Wagner” and raising Russian flags. He was spotted in Africa on August 21 in a video, which was his first time addressing the public since the failed coup.

“We are working. The temperature is plus 50 [Celsius]. Everything’s the way we like it. PMC Wagner is conducting reconnaissance, making Russia even greater on every continent – and Africa even freer,” Prigozhin said in the video. “Justice and happiness for the African nations,” he said. “We are messing with ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other banditos. We hire real supermen and continue working on tasks that were set to us and we promised to carry out.”

There is a long list of people who would have wanted Yevgeny Prigozhin dead. The White House and others are blaming Putin, but I do not believe it is that cut and dry, although it is mysterious that the plane crashed in Russia. Russia would retaliate against any country or organization found responsible, but they would not be so careless as to attack a NATO nation. So the question remains — who killed Wagner boss, Prigozhin?

Aug 25 2023

The “Green Energy”Duck Curve Threatens Grid Collapse


Have you heard of the duck curve? When Solar Power & Wind kick in, suddenly fossil generation must cease and when solar & wind collapse, fossil machines must suddenly generate putting enormous stresses on the machines.

California’s Subsidised Solar Onslaught Threatens Total Grid Collpase
Aug 25 2023

Letter to EPA giving facts of CO2 & Global Warming


This is a great summary paper by the esteemed Authors William Happer & Richard Lindzen

Click to access Happer-Lindzen-EPA-Power-Plants-2023-07-19.pdf

Aug 24 2023

Multiple Reports of Yevgeny Prigozhin Killed in Plane Crash Returning to St Pete from Moscow


Posted originally on the CTH on August 23, 2023 | Sundance 

Obviously, we take all reports from Russian media through the prism of Suspicious Cat.  Complicating matters, we take any/all reports from Western Media through the folded and mirrored prism of multiple Suspicious Cats.  So don’t look for CTH to provide definitive analysis on this multi-geopolitical storyline; instead, look for me to share a series of possibilities that might not be discussed elsewhere.

As long-time readers know, I have a strong and reliable network in Peter (that’s the abbreviated name used in familiar Russian discussion with those who live in the Saint Petersburg region of Russia).  I have previously discussed my opinion of the western media reporting on Yevgeny Prigozhin {Go Deep}, I will not repeat.

Dubya, Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin the caterer. 

Today, Russian media are stating that Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash after a series of meetings in Moscow, upon a return flight to Peter.  Perhaps, or perhaps not. Given the nature of a very specific background in/around the issue(s) of Wagner and Prigozhin, and with both the Russian and USA geopolitical overlays as context, here are some possible considerations:

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was heading home to Peter when an unfortunate accident led to his plane crashing.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was heading home to Peter when the Russian military leaders decided to kill him.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was detained by Putin allies, then the return flight destroyed to disappear him.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was returning to Peter when a successful retaliatory CIA operation killed him.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and organizing a defensive Wagner operation against NATO under the auspices of his death.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and is now very much alive and retired with no one looking for him.

♦ Prigozhin was never in Moscow and is very much alive and retired with no one looking for him. √

I’m sure the funeral will be quite superb.

(Via Fox News) Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner Group who challenged the rule of Vladimir Putin just months ago, was involved Wednesday in a plane crash that has left 10 people dead outside of Moscow, state media is reporting.

The business jet was traveling from the Russian capital to St. Petersburg went it went down in the Tver region, according to the TASS news agency.

“Prigozhin was listed among the passengers, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency,” read a post by TASS on Telegram. “An investigation into the crash of the Embraer aircraft has been launched, the department noted.”

It’s not immediately clear whether Prigozhin is among the 10 reported to have died in the crash. The Pentagon told Fox News Digital that it is monitoring the situation.

“We have seen the reports. If confirmed, no one should be surprised,” White House National Security Council spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, said in a statement. “The disastrous war in Ukraine led to a private army marching on Moscow, and now – it would seem — to this.”

Putin, meanwhile, has made a public appearance at a concert in Russia after the news of the crash emerged. 

In late June, Prigozhin initiated what observers called the most significant challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime in his 23 years in power. 

After marching his 25,000-strong mercenary forces to within 125 miles of Moscow, Prigozhin abruptly ended the operation and ordered his troops to return home before heading into exile in Belarus.  (more)   lol 

Born in 1961, Prigozhin grew up as a somewhat snarky Soviet Robin Hood, a street urchin who flowed invisibly between Finland and Leningrad in a black-market social circle that, well, let’s just say I am familiar with.

When he was 20, Prigozhin was arrested for a heist and federally imprisoned for 9 years while the Soviet Union collapsed. When he exited prison Russia was different, and with St Pete now becoming a tourist destination, he joined the capitalist opportunity with a street food vending business, started a restaurant then opened a catering company.

Prigozhin is hard as nails, snarky as hell and very tricky.

He is one of the apex gremlins and very much still connected to the Peter streets, very connected. He is beloved. He was never connected to the towers of Russian politics as the West portrays. Prigozhin doesn’t have the pedigree nor the disposition for political power.

Let me put it this way, no one knows how to play gremlin mind games against the West better than Yevgeny Prigozhin. He’s a little bit like a less refined Oleg Deripaska, and much scruffier. Also remember, in February 2018, Prigozhin was one of 13 Russians indicted by Andrew Weissmann and Rod Rosenstein for interfering in the American election through the Internet Research Agency. lol

Review any definitive analysis with caution.