NATO Article 5 – Collective Defense


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Nov 16, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

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I have spent my entire career attempting to prove my own computer system wrong. It brought me no pleasure to reveal that the world was heading into a world war. The War Cycle has never been wrong.

Poland’s attack appears similar to the Lusitania sinking that began World War II. They have lied to start every war using excuses from weapons of mass destruction to the fact that Germans sank the Lusitania because the US was secretly using passenger ships to move weapons to Britain. The collaboration of NATO means that all countries must now act.

Article 5:

  • Collective defence means that an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies.
  • The principle of collective defence is enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.
  • NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time in its history after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States.
  • NATO has taken collective defence measures on several occasions, including in response to the situation in Syria and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
  • NATO has standing forces on active duty that contribute to the Alliance’s collective defence efforts on a permanent basis.

Bombing Poland is akin to bombing all NATO countries, and each country must collectively respond. NATO was never a means to curb warfare. They have been lining up troops around Eastern Europe in preparation for this moment. Governments would not have sent troops overseas to train Ukrainian soldiers if they did not expect to participate in a war themselves. Hold tight, as this is tragically the beginning.

Russia Denies they Were Their Missiles


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted Nov 15, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Russia has come out and denied that their missiles entered Poland. It is time the West calls out Zelensky for what he is – a ruthless liar who should be removed from power to save humanity – forget the planet. I warned from the outset, this would be the man who will create World War III. He is a total disgrace. He has done nothing but lies to the world EVERY SINGLE TIME. Any Western Media who supports Zelensky are puppets of the deep state and are NOT independent journalists. If they did their job. they would report the truth.

The Ukrainians shot down the Malaysian flight MH17 and tried to blame the Russians in the Donbas. They used an old Russian missile that was no longer in use.  The Ukrainians killed their own people to create a false flag before at Bucha. They massacred Russian civilians in Odessa in May and the West was silent. Those who went to Ukraine believing they were fighting for democracy have returned accusing Ukraine of carrying out war crimes.

Besides Zelensky outlawing the Russian language when the people of Eastern Ukraine are ethnic Russians who have lived there for centuries and Ukraine NEVER existed before the USSR,  he has also carried out a Holy War outlawing Russian churches and demanding they are not subservient to Kyiv. They is no different from the French seizure of the Vatican and moving it to Avinion – the period of the anti-popes. He has done the same thing and outlawed the equivalent of the pope to Russian Orthodox. He has not just denied democracy by rejecting the Belgrade and Minsk Agreements where the Donbas was to vote for their own independence, but he has even denied them the Freedom of Religion.

This is the man who is destroying the world and the West cheers this character? Every newspaper that cheers the death of people on the battlefield and civilians all to support this ruthless greedy character, has washed their hands in blood. They should put on their high heels to join him on the world stage. Claiming they cannot “independently” confirm is not good enough They are COVERING UP the Truth.

Biden Asks Lame Duck Congress to Quickly Expedite Another $38 Billion for Ukraine Plus $9 Billion for Big Pharma


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

The White House is urging Nancy Pelosi to utilize the lame duck congressional session and construct a massive omnibus spending bill that will wrap Ukraine funding, COVID spending and a federal budget extension via continuous resolution.  The request for Ukraine funding is an additional $38 billion.

Federal funds to support FEMA and hurricane recovery efforts will likely be part of the bargaining chips. Essentially, the sausage ingredients are: if congress doesn’t give Zelenskyy more money, then DeSantis will not get federal financial assistance.

If you don’t support Ukraine, you’re a Russian operative.

WASHINGTON DC – The Biden administration sent a letter to Congress on Tuesday outlining nearly a $38 billion request to help Ukraine continue fending off Russian attacks.

The administration is also asking for $10 billion in emergency health funding, with more than $9 billion going toward Covid vaccine access, next-generation Covid vaccines, long Covid research and more. About $750 million would be spent on efforts to control the spread of monkeypox, hepatitis C and HIV.

Congress has so far provided about $66 billion for Ukraine and other war-related needs. The administration argues that about three-quarters of that funding has either been spent or is committed to specific purposes.

An administration official said the White House plans to request additional disaster relief in the coming weeks to help with hurricane and wildfire recovery but didn’t provide any tentative figure.

The administration’s request for emergency money comes as appropriators aim to clinch a year-end government funding deal that would stave off a partial government shutdown on Dec. 16 and increase agency budgets for the current fiscal year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already promised to provide more money for Ukraine in a government funding package, while some conservatives are arguing that the U.S. should cut off financial assistance and assess how funding for the country has been spent to date. (read more)

Deja Vu, Senator McConnell Says Midterm Voters Were Scared of Extremist Candidates


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

In an identical rehash of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell’s purge of Tea Party populism in 2012, a decade later Mitch McConnell gives his perspective on the 2022 midterm election by saying the MAGA populists were just too extreme for independent voters.  If only, the professionally political would have listened to his program and made the white wine spritzer crowd comfier, Republicans would have won.

This is the exact same playbook McConnell used in 2012 to align with his Democrat party friends and destroy the Tea Party movement.  Those who wear sweaters on their shoulders and live amid the high-minded tribes, were just “too frightened” of the unwashed Republican candidates in 2022.  Seriously, those are his words, “too frightened.” WATCH:

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Most casual political observers have absolutely no idea how McConnell works.  However, for over a decade CTH has been trying –mostly failing– to awaken the base of commonsense voters.  In 2010, 2011 and 2012 the #1 priority for McConnell was to destroy the threat represented by the Tea Party.  In 2022 we are seeing an exact replay of the same intents and purposes, only this time the target is President Trump’s MAGA movement.

Keep in mind this is the same Mitch McConnell who was challenged by the audience during a 2017 Rotary Club meeting in Kentucky, about why he refused to support the election priorities of President Trump.  McConnell responded, “I’d ask for a show of hands, but I know everybody’s saying, ‘been there, haven’t done anything,’ which I find extremely irritating — and I’m going to tell you why.”

McConnell continued, “a Congress goes on for two years. Part of the reason I think that the storyline is that we haven’t done much is because, in part, the president and others have set these early timelines about things need to be done by a certain point,” he said.  Then came the kicker, “our new president, of course, has not been in this line of work before, and I think had excessive expectations about how quickly things happen in the Democratic process.

Ah, the customs, traditions and parliamentary norms of the Senate were to blame for republican intransigence on the Trump agenda.  President Trump held “excessive expectations” as to what could be done to support the America-First agenda in the senate.

According to Mitch McConnell, it was Trump’s fault for thinking a Republican majority Senate would work to support the American middle-class.

Comments like that reveal for most what the true motive of Senator McConnell is all about.  It is a motive and agenda all wrapped up in the senate power structure.

McConnell does not fear being in the minority; the color of the flag atop the spire of the UniParty Senate does not matter to those underneath it.  McConnell maneuvers with just as much power in the minority as he does in the majority.

In fact, McConnell makes more money selling his DeceptiCon caucus votes to Chuck Schumer (on behalf of Wall Street) than he does in the majority where he is forced to purchase them.

Indeed, the entire scheme is a rigged game, as Christopher Bedford realized last year and wrote in The Federalist [SEE HERE] after Mitch McConnell delivered his post-election impeachment floor speech.  A ploy to destroy the MAGA movement with Trump removed:

THE FEDERALIST – […] “So what’s all behind this? After four years of yelling “MAGA!” while pushing his own classic, corporate Republican policies, McConnell had hoped to rid himself and his conference of the conservative populist nationalism the former president had championed and go back to the way things were.

He wants a return to promising to tackle illegal immigration before winking at corporate America that nothing will change. He wants to raise money on fighting the abortion of our infants while comfortably lifting nary a finger. He wants to shrug and change the subject when asked about men dominating women’s sports and using women’s bathrooms. He wants fewer taxes and more wars. Hell, he wants someone to blame for the Republican losses in the Georgia special election, and with them the loss of his seat at the head of the Senate.

Instead, his push to impeach ended with rebuke from his own conference. Angry and embarrassed, he blamed his own colleagues as well as the former president, performing a 20-minute attack ad for the left to use on Republicans for the next election cycle and beyond.” (read more)

Through his power structure, McConnell directly controls about 8 to 15 Republican senators; we have called them “The Decepticons” for years. [Cornyn, Thune, Porter, Blunt, Portman, Burr, Barasso, Crapo, Murkowski, Gardner, Roberts, Sasse, Tillis, Rubio, Graham, Romney, and now, Tim Scott]

McConnell has a well-used playbook he deploys to retain power at all costs and select candidates that will be indebted to his Senate schemes. The 2022 Senate candidates have been up against the same Mitch McConnell club machine that readers here are very familiar with.

To remind ourselves how Minority and Majority Senator McConnell took down the threat of the Tea Party, revisit these old articles CNN Part I and CNN Part II  both showcase how McConnell works.   Then do some research on how McConnell worked with Haley Barbour in Mississippi [SEE HERE].

For those who follow the deep weeds of politics, McConnell’s schemes are brutally transparent. For the remaining 97% of the voting electorate, they still don’t understand how the UniParty works. Decepticon leader McConnell doesn’t want the American electorate to see purchased Senate Republicans voting NO on border security.

McConnell must preserve the trough.  Yes, Democrats are ‘our’ opponents; they are ideological enemies to freedom and a constitutional republic. However, just as dangerous an enemy is Mitch McConnell; the man who builds and fills the Trojan Horses that are presented to the voters every two years in order to maintain the illusion of choice.

Governor Ron DeSantis Responds to Questions About Donald Trump by Focusing on His State Level Accomplishments


Posted originally on the conservative tree house November 15, 2022

During a press conference earlier today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was asked about the potential for conflict between him and President Donald Trump as cast against the 2024 election.

I’m not going to inject too much opinion into the answers as presented, because the Florida Governor is remaining coy with his 2024 intention.  While all of the indicators are clearly visible that DeSantis has been participating on the 2024 operation since July this year, it would be against his management team interests for Floridians to see him admitting to an early exit.  WATCH:

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The management team around DeSantis need him to remain cloistered, while the media and advocacy machinery they have constructed (and continue to finance) does the attacking against MAGA leader Donald Trump.  If the Big Club discussions were to surface publicly, the bloom would quickly fall from the ruse.

Just keep watching, and we will keep pointing out the connections.

Another Perspective on Early Voting Laws, 2022 Ballot Collection Electioneering and the 2024 Election Geography


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

A Twitter user Eurysthenes has put together a well written encapsulation of the modern electioneering challenge contrast against the midterm outcome. [LINK HERE]  Strong, well-written insight is always good to review and consider.  This is no exception.

[Kari] Lake fought a strong campaign but was unable to overcome the unprecedented ballot harvesting operation (83% of votes estimated to be Early / Absentee by ABC News) and likely widespread voter fraud and suppression, not to mention her opponent running the election as SoS.

This is also the reason why Laxalt was defeated in NV (where 79% of ballots were cast early) and Oz was defeated in PA. No excuse postal voting, ballot harvesting, and / or early voting are also permitted in GA, MI, and even FL.

Lake’s defeat means that the Arizona electoral system will continue to function as it has since 2020, and that Republicans will be unable to win any statewide election in the foreseeable future. The same is true of any state where such rules persist.

This is my estimation of the current electoral map as it stands. Whilst NV and GA are currently unwinnable, both have GOP governors who could – but may not – change this by 2024. Regardless, the Democrats have now guaranteed victory in 270 EVs worth of States.

This means that it is now no longer possible for Republicans to win the presidency under current conditions. It may be possible to retake the Senate in 2024 by flipping two or more of MT, WI, OH, WV, and possibly NV – but the Presidency is now a DNC Sinecure.

As we saw under the Obama regime, the Presidency no longer requires a majority in the legislature to govern. Expect to see a continued rise in the use of executive orders, and potentially increased conflict between the regime and the currently conservative-majority Supreme Court.

Obviously, this has substantial implications for the strategic landscape of US politics. The only issue for Republicans at a federal level going forward is election integrity. Nothing matters other than this.

All politics going forward is metapolitics. The battle for control of federal offices will now occur in the legislatures and the courthouses, not at the ballot box. Elections will be won by those who manage procedural outcomes – campaigns will be virtually irrelevant.

The good news is that this frees the right from the unceasing struggle between tactical and strategic victories, as the former are no longer plausible. Focus can be put solely into beneficially escalating the conflict without regard for short-term electoral consequences.

(This is the part where I issue a mea culpa over my brief period of advocacy for DeSantis. We all make mistakes. Given the above description, there is only one man for the job of GOP nominee in 2024…)

It is no longer viable to win by having good candidates and a popular message. GOP cannot win the Presidency in 2024 or beyond under current conditions. Decisions now should be taken with the reality of developing America’s cold civil war to our advantage, not winning particular elections.

Political energy now must be spent solely on destroying the Republican establishment and turning the GOP into a fully insurgent party. I for one hope that Blake Masters is acquainting himself with the Kentucky housing market – I hear Lexington is beautiful this time of year.

Useful discussion now must center on how the right of the GOP can demolish the GOPe, and how it must develop as it does so.

The conflict is going to intensify, and things are going to get rough, but we must ensure it does so to our advantage – the only way out is through. (LINK)

Within Minutes of Arizona Gov Election Call, Twitter, DHS and Big Tech Begin Blocking Discussion of Difference Between “Ballots and Votes”


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

I’m going to skip noting that Elon Musk Twitter is essentially unchanged, regarding the relationship between Twitter, the Dept of Homeland Security and the disinformation police, as many keep saying Musk Twitter has not had time to reformat.

That said, five days after our post-election review of the difference between ballots and votes, and within minutes of the controversial Arizona governor contest being announced by DHS media outlets, suddenly any discussion about “Ballots -vs- Votes” is considered a risk to democracy. [LINK}

The need for control is a reaction to fear.

Twitter specifically, and Big Tech writ large, has now placed a warning on the CTH article where we draw attention to the general difference between ballots and votes. The timing of the intervention, as related to the content discussed, is transparent. Sunlight is a great disinfectant and must be controlled at all costs.

In one sense this effort to block discussion is irrelevant, the discussion is now taking place; attentions are being paid; the horse is out of the barn; millions are now expanding the discussion and applying Occam’s Razor to the simple reality. This is why information providers and independent researchers must work with urgency and diligence to control their own platforms.

CTH is never going to stop discussing the uncomfortable stuff because Truth Has No Agenda, regardless of our personal feelings or opinions on the matter.

Yes, in this discussion there is a clear difference between two electioneering priorities, one focused on ballot assembly and the other focused on winning votes.  However, in the broader sense this censorship effort to control discussion of these distinctions shows just how far and fast we are collapsing into a totalitarian and Orwellian nightmare.

You can read or re-read the article HERE.

Find me something malicious, violent or even ::gasp:: untrue about the subject of Ballots vs Votes as written.

If truth is viewed by Twitter/DHS control mechanisms as an issue that could lead to “real world harm,” well, what does that tell us about how they are defining the “threat to our democracy” as applied from the mindset of the decisionmakers.

Beyond the annoyances, downstream at a granular level these types of information controls have consequences most information consumers do not consider.

These labels created by Big Tech are used against content providers like CTH to block people from reading.  Paths on the internet are controlled by a host of technology systems that use these “malicious” tags as a justification to divert viewers and control the scale of information distribution.  We call this “Techfiltration“.

Techfiltration is the threat to free speech and truthful -even controversial- discussion. Therefore ‘techfiltration’ is really the threat to democracy, not the speech itself. GO DEEP to understand the prior discussion of how your internet provider, cell phone carrier and browser control your internet travel.

…”If you cannot reach a website, see an image, view a page, or navigate a system, it’s likely not anything you are doing wrong; most often it’s the result of a tech control system designed to keep you away from the data.  Additionally, valid information like emails or text messages are increasingly identified as malicious, spam or blocked completely by the email or cell phone service you have subscribed to.” (more)

CTH has one long standing position about discussion and research, The Truth Has No Agenda.

While the Twitter/DHS targeting operation may be intended to shut down discussion and research, we at CTH will not flinch.

It may seem like a small thing to many, but what these censorship examples represent are dangerous when left unchallenged.   Once again, CTH will challenge these self-appointed arbiters and we will not stop providing information that challenges the orthodoxy of ‘approved’ collective thought.

Their need for control is a reaction to fear.

Our small yet formidable beacon will remain lit, and people will find it.  We will continue asking the uncomfortable questions and presenting the logical conclusions, even if the DHS information control officers despise us in the reading of it.

Steadfast as always, determined as ever, and even more resolute with each annoyance.

~ Sundance