Tag Archives: Economic Collapse

Jul 10 2023

US Sending Most Deadly of All Weapons to Ukraine That Kills More Civilian Than Soldiers


Armstrong Economics Blog/Neocons Re-Posted Jul 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Cluster Bombs kill more civilians than soldiers and are one of the most lethal weapons that destroy any territory. More than 120 countries have signed on to an international treaty banning the weapons, which typically scatter a large number of smaller so-called bomblets over a large area that can kill or maim unwary civilians months or years later. The United States refuses to sign the treaty. Our Neocons block anything to reduce their blood-thirsty hatred of Russians and Chinese. The United States is kept divided, using abortion and LGBTQ and pushing transgender on minor children all to divert our attention from the cold hard reality that the United States has undergone a coup where the Neocons are now in full control of the government and intend to wage world war III. There is no way they will allow Trump to win, nor will they allow RFK Jr. Biden will win and the CIA, etc, will ensure the vote is rigged in 2024. There is no way they will allow anyone to come to Washington to stop this war they have dreamed about their entire lives.

The US has maintained that Cluster Bombs are a war crime in themselves. Yet, the United States intends to now send Cluster Bombs to Ukraine. The Neocons care nothing about international law or even the opinion others have of the United States. The Neocons have pushed torture in Guantanamo Bay and don’t forget about what they did in the Middle East. The Neocons directed the United States Army and the Central Intelligence Agency to commit a series of human rights violations and war crimes against detainees in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq,

What they did in  Abu Grab was a war crime but nobody in Washington will dare accuse a Neocon. The US pays professionals on how to torture. There would be nobody in Guantanamo Bay prison if they were guilty. They would put them on trial publically and pump up the press and the prosecutors would become famous and then run for political office. Their best case was put on trial and the jury found him innocent of over 200 charges and guilty of only one count of conspiracy.  Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was the best case they had. Obama reiterated his first campaign promise to close Guantanamo Bay and end torture back in 2008. – it’s still open.

Neocons always do whatever they want. They will NEVER comply with international law and could care nothing about tarnishing the image of Americans worldwide.

Jul 10 2023

Car Companies Offering Free Wheel Locks Amid Rampant Crime


Armstrong Economics Blog/USA Current Events Re-Posted Jul 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Crime in America has become so out of control that car manufacturers are now providing free steering wheel locks. Kia and Hyundai are among the companies offering free locks nationwide. There was a 95% increase in these stolen vehicles last year. Videos emerged on social media explaining how to easily steal certain late-model Kia and Hyundai vehicles using a screwdriver. The car manufacturers are taking the blame, but the true criminals are the politicians implementing light-on-crime policies.

There are lawsuits against numerous car manufacturers and calls to pull 10 million cars without engine immobilizers off the road. The problem does not lie with the car companies. “In many cases, the vehicles are stolen solely for the purpose of operating in a reckless and dangerous manner. Such criminal conduct endangers our local communities and violates the property rights of the vehicle owner,” Kia said. Disturbed teens and young adults are primarily committing these crimes. This is a moral issue in our society where the youth have been taught that they are victims and entitled to what is not theirs.

Residents of San Francisco commonly leave their windows rolled down to avoid criminals smashing in their windows. NYPD provided 500 Bronx residents with air tags to keep track of their cars. Catalytic converter theft is on the rise everywhere. And some are simply stealing cars for fun without profit. Cities are overrun with crime and there are no repercussions for bad behavior. Teens will get a slap on the wrist at most. No police force is launching an investigation to track down a stolen personal vehicle.

Stories emerge in the news of young wannabe criminals hurting themselves or others during these joy rides in stolen vehicles, and the journalists always portray them as the victims. For example, when five teens were ejected from a car during a joy ride and died, Kia was asked to put forth a statement. People are dying and killing others on these joy rides. Where are the parents? Morals among the masses have weakened.

People could leave their car doors unlocked when I was growing up. One class action lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai claims the companies are “blatantly valuing profits over the safety and security of their customers.” Is it really a safety feature if it merely prevents others from stealing the car? Vehicles without engine immobilizers existed for many years without issue. It is an issue now due to the cultural shift in thinking. America is becoming an increasingly dangerous place, and everyone besides the criminals are held responsible.

Jul 10 2023

Pence Promises War if Elected


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Jul 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Mike Pence is chomping at the bit to invade Russia. He became the first GOP presidential candidate to travel to Ukraine to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump, DeSantis, and Kennedy have all stated that they want to end the war immediately. No one is as EAGER to involve themselves as Mike Pence, who all but guaranteed World War III under his rule.

“I have no doubt that if (Russian dictator) Vladimir Putin overran Ukraine, it would not be too long… before the Russian military crossed a border where we would have to send our fighting men and women to fight against them,” the Republican presidential candidate said. Pence has even condemned Biden for his “slow” reaction, despite sending so much money to Ukraine that the Pentagon cannot keep track. “I mean, President Biden said in his State of the Union address that we’re there as long as it takes. But I want to say to all your listeners, it shouldn’t take that long,” Pence said.

BUT WHAT WOULD REAGAN DO? Every GOP candidate channels his name and pretends the ghost of Reagan would back any policy they put forth. “Look, Ronald Reagan said in 1985 words in his State of the Union address that were later called the Reagan Doctrine. It was this idea that if you’re willing to fight the communists in your country, with your soldiers, we’ll give you the means to fight them there so we don’t have to fight them here. And that was part of the philosophy of American leadership in the world that set into motion the forces that brought the collapse of the Soviet Union map. And I think this is just the same fight,” Pence said.

The conflict in Ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with communism. Pence claiming we need to fight the Russians in Ukraine to prevent a conflict on US soil is ignorant at best. There is no threat of Russia invading America or Europe. Russia put forth multiple peace treaties, but the West continued to fuel the flames of war. Ukraine is a NATO leech, not a member, run by a corrupt government that disregarded all options for peace. Why would we send our men and women into battle to die? Because the ethnic Russians didn’t have their promised elections in the Donbas? The only people who will benefit from a world war are those like Pence, who profit from the military-industrial complex.

Jul 10 2023

Sunday Geopolitical Talks – Biden and Coons Admit Ukraine Almost Out of Artillery Shells, No Strategic NATO Consideration Until War With Russia Ends


Posted originally on the CTH on July 9, 2023 | Sundance 

Both Joe Biden [VIDEO HERE] and Senator Chris Coons [VIDEO HERE] were interviewed as part of the Sunday talk circuit just before the upcoming NATO summit.  The message from both voices were similar as part of the larger geopolitical discussion, so I’m blending them into one review.

On the subject of Ukraine seeking NATO membership the key democrats gave the same explanation and justification, although Biden mumbled a little more alarmingly.  Biden, speaking to the Dept of State narrative engineers on CNN, noted there can be no discussion of Ukraine entering NATO as long as the war with Russia is ongoing.  From Biden’s perspective if NATO accepted Ukraine now, then all of NATO would immediately need to enter the war with Russia.

What Biden and Coons did not say was that if NATO opened the door to Ukraine now, the interests of Russia would immediately change.  If NATO was to make immediate announcements of Ukraine membership, Russia would be stupid not to expand the war immediately and begin the process of taking all of Ukraine instead of the eastern Russian speaking section bordering the homeland.

On the subject of sending cluster bombs to Ukraine, both Biden and Coons admitted something that would not ordinarily be discussed in public circles.  Ukraine is almost out of 155mm artillery shells and the U.S. stockpile we have used to support them is now gone.   It will take more than several months to manufacture and resupply our own military stores, let alone support the needs of Ukraine.  As a consequence, 155mm cluster bombs are being supplied in lieu of our ability to provide less deadly munitions.

[COONS] – “First, we are running out of 155mm artillery munitions, and they are burning through them at a remarkable rate. Six to eight thousand a day. That’s a million a year. We have a plan to bring back online the manufacturing of 155mm shells at scale, but that won’t happen for months. They are at risk of losing this counter offensive if they run out of their shells. We have a large stockpile of 155mm shells that are cluster munitions. It’s the Ukrainians who are asking to be able to use these on their own soil. They’ve committed to monitoring their use to remediating them after the war. And frankly, they will be tactically helpful against dug-in Russian troops that are behind large minefields. So weighing all of those factors, the President made a tough call that I will support.” (more)

[BIDEN] – […] “we’re in a situation where Ukraine continues to be brutally attacked across the board by munitions — by these cluster munitions that are — have dud rates that are very, very low — I mean, very high, that are a danger to civilians, number one. 
 
Number two, the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition, the ammunition — they used to call them 155-millimeter weapons. This is a — this is a war relating to munitions. And they’re running out of those — that ammunition. And we’re low on it.” (read more) 

Ordinarily in a time of war one might not expect to see public discussion of ammo supplies; alas, in the era of World War Reddit, it seems not to be an issue.

On the subject of China, I think this is the first time when Joe Biden has said publicly, that after the Xi-Putin summit, Biden threatened Chairman Xi Jinping with unilateral action to remove U.S. corporations and investment from China if Xi was to openly assist Russian President Putin.   At least that is the Biden claim within the interview.

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Jul 10 2023

Elon Musk Signs Pledge to Support China’s Socialist Values


Posted originally on the CTH on July 9, 2023 | Sundance 

There’s a lot of background discussion about this latest issue created by Elon Musk signing a pledge to support the socialist (communist) economic enterprise systems under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.

Most of the current discussion is focused on the weak ideological ‘free-market and democratic’ commitment exhibited by Musk’s adherence to the rules and dictates of the Chinese state.  However, I’m staying far outside the esoteric and nuanced implication of this.  The reality is much simpler.

Elon Musk is in a dire financial situation; he cannot afford to be high-minded and ideologically connected to free-speech and free-enterprise right now (if he ever was).

The Musk empire is in a very weak financial position; these decisions made, while China is holding such financial leverage over him, are made without option.  Ironically, Twitter is banned in China. lolol

(Via Daily Mail) – […]  Elon Musk’s Tesla was the only foreign company in the lineup of 15 other automakers to sign the letter.  Part of Musk’s pledge was a promise to support China’s ‘core socialist values’ and bear ‘the heavy responsibility of maintaining steady growth.’ 

The automakers also agreed not to ‘exaggerate or use false publicity and disrupt fair competition with abnormal pricing,’ according to Bloomberg. 

China accounts for one third of Tesla’s annual sales, reports the FT. The communist country is Tesla’s second-largest market after the U.S. and the Shanghai plant is the electric car maker’s largest production hub. 

Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher with Human Rights Watch, criticized Musk’s moves, telling the FT: ‘Failing to comply with ‘core socialist values’ has been frequently used by authorities to punish speeches that are critical of the Chinese government.’  (read more)

Once you strap onto the ride with the dragon, you don’t get off until the ride’s over.

When the Turkish government told Musk to block the political opposition to the Turkish government, Musk complied.

When the French government told Musk to block and remove content adverse to their domestic interests, Musk complied.

When China says support Communism in our country, or else…. Musk adheres.

Elon Musk is no John Galt.

Jul 9 2023

Le Pen – What Have You Done to France?


Armstrong Economics Blog/France Re-Posted Jul 9, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Jul 9 2023

Zelensky Cancels All Elections Becomes Dictator for Life


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted Jul 8, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Is it true that Zelensky is canceling elections?

HZ

ANSWER: On June 22, 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a dictator installed by the West to create World War III against Russia. Zelensky told the BBC that Ukraine’s scheduled 2023 parliamentary and 2024 presidential elections would occur only if martial law had ended by that time, as reported by the New Voice of Ukraine. Hence, he has a personal reason not to seek any peace whatsoever.

There is NO WAY Zelensky is fighting for democracy – this is all propaganda. He hates Russians and refuses to allow them to separate as per the Mink Agreement and, at the same time, refuses them to vote in any Ukrainian election, no less for their independence. Zelensky is an outright war criminal, and over 8 million Ukrainians have now fled their own country because he refuses to end the war and is destroying his own country all for Blackrock’s investment scheme. His own people would remove him from office, so he cannot allow any election, and there is no way NATO or the USA will allow free elections in Ukraine.

There is no way this war will end without the Donbas’ destruction and Russia’s fall. It is a proxy war that the United States started. CIA chief John Brennan traveled to Kiev in 2014 and instructed them to begin the civil war. Kiev called the Russians of the Donbas “terrorist” because they sought independence from Kiev just as Kiev sought independence from Moscow.

Biden & Harris are clearly a no-brainer for the Neocons. There is way too much at stake. If the Neocons could, they would suspend elections in the USA as well. These people have wanted to destroy Russia for decades. They have waged endless wars, one after the other, and never won a single one. The Taliban are now major arms dealers selling billions of dollars of the weapons we left behind. They intend to escalate Ukraine and need to get the US directly involved because they cling to the idea that no president has ever lost an election during a time of war. They need to escalate this war and soon. The rumor is that Ukraine will detonate a dirty nuclear bomb and blame Russia, and then NATO and the USA invade.

Jul 9 2023

The Dutch Government Has Fallen – Prime Minister Mark Rutte Future Uncertain, New Elections Likely


Posted originally on the CTH on July 8, 2023 | Sundance 

The Netherlanders are a rather dramatic sort, organizing their system of governance on coalitions of various shades that agree to high-minded pleasantries as a way to remain above the fray of pesky conflict.  Alas, once a moment of core and consequential disagreement reaches an impasse, the entire Dutch government is said to “collapse.”

The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte traveled to Tunisa earlier this year, together with EU leaders, pledging €1 billion in assistance if the North African gatekeepers could just stop the flow.  The effort didn’t work, and his small country of 18 million, already dealing with major internal conflict driven by farmers and climate change, could not cope with the toxic political challenge of increased unlawful migration.

Associated Press – The ruling Dutch coalition collapsed Friday after tense talks among the four parties in Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s ruling bloc failed to broker a deal over ways to rein in migration, a senior politician said. 

Henk Kamp, a senior member of Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy told Dutch television: “It is a great shame that the government has now fallen.” The failure of months of talks on the thorny issue could now force a general election. 

Rutte’s Cabinet gathered late Friday in a hastily scheduled meeting. “We talked for a long time, we are coming here tonight because we did not succeed,” Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren told reporters as she walked into the Cabinet meeting.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers wasted no time in calling for fresh elections. 

Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Party for Freedom, tweeted, “Quick elections now.” Jesse Klaver, leader of the Green Left party also called for elections and told Dutch broadcaster NOS: “This country needs a change of direction.”

Rutte, the Netherlands’ longest serving premier, presided over late-night meetings Wednesday and Thursday that failed to result in a deal. More talks were held Friday evening, and he declined to answer questions about the issue at his weekly press conference before the discussions.

[…] There will likely be an election for the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament later this year amid a polarized and splintered political landscape. Rutte’s Cabinet would likely remain in office as a caretaker administration until a new government was formed.

During provincial elections earlier this year, a populist pro-farmer party put Rutte’s party into second place. The defeat was seen as a possible incentive for Rutte to do his utmost to hold together his coalition until its term ends in 2025. (read more)

Jul 8 2023

Biden Administration Appeals Court Ruling That Blocks Govt from Censoring Free Speech on Social Media


Posted originally on the CTH on July 7, 2023 | Sundance | 79 Comments

In a previous ruling in the case of The State of Missouri v Joe Biden, Judge Terry Doughty agreed with the state position that evidence had clearly shown agencies of the U.S. government had infringed upon First Amendment free speech in targeting social media companies with demands for content removal. [Ruling and Injunction pdf]

The social media companies outlined in the state lawsuit include Facebook, Instagram, Meta Platforms Inc, Twitter, Google and YouTube.  Evidence provided by the states showed clear and convincing evidence the government was unlawfully monitoring social media and telling the platforms to remove content adverse to their interests.

The judge outlined an emergency injunction barring government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI from talking to social media companies for “the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech” under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  The ruling provided narrow exceptions.

Obviously, given the scale of government involved censorship of speech within social media, the injunction was a major loss to the Biden regime, who operate -in part- with the benefit of controlling public opinion and information.  The judicial ruling disrupts the ability of the Biden administration to censor the online speech of Americans.

As a result of the injunction, the DOJ is now asking Judge Doughty to stay or pause his injunction while the government files a full appeal to the 5th circuit court of appeals.

(Reuters) –  The Biden administration on Thursday asked a federal judge to put on hold his earlier order barring some government agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with social media companies about moderating their content.

 

In a filing before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Monroe, Louisiana, the administration said the judge’s Tuesday ruling was “both sweeping in scope and vague in its terms,” and likely to be overturned on appeal.

The administration appealed the order to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday. If Doughty refuses to pause his own order, the administration will likely ask the 5th Circuit to do so instead while it considers the appeal.

Doughty’s order came in a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri and by several individuals. They alleged that U.S. government officials effectively coerced social media companies to censor posts over concerns they would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. (read more)