The Plot Behind the Curtain


Armstrong Economics Blog/Geopolitical Re-Posted Mar 22, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong, I have a serious question for you. Do you think that Putin was lured into this mess by people trying to change the world? I will leave it at that.

GB

ANSWER: Yes. I cannot believe that Harris’ off-the-cuff statement at the Munich Security Meeting that Ukraine should join NATO was simply a stupid mistake on her part. She is not the brightest bulb in DC, but I believe IF this was a mistake, the White House would have instantly recharacterized what she said to make sure Putin would not take it that they were advocating violating the Belgrade Agreement where Ukraine was to remains neutral. Based on why I know, Harris is not even familiar with maps. I believe she was “handled” and told to advocate that by someone there who intentionally wanted to start this conflict. Both Harris and Biden will simply say what they are told and I fear the Neocons have taken over the White House.

There is no NATIONAL SECURITY interest for the United States in Ukraine. Everyone just chooses sides, but nobody asks the question why should the entire world go to war, which will turn nuclear, over Ukraine as they did over the Balkans in WWI? The US is not even strategically threatened if Putin took all of Ukraine.

Americans are foolish and think this is some video game and they can watch the US beat Putin like this is Monday night football. This time there are nuclear weapons and a Russian Stealth Sub can surface just miles offshow and launch against 160 targets in a matter of minutes. EVERY Administration has always sought peace UNTIL now! So go ahead and cheer for the destruction of Putin. Just be very careful for what you with for. War simulations with China have also warned that American can lose and very fast.

Biden keeps claiming that Russia is losing. He said the launch of its hypersonic missile in Ukraine over the weekend was a sign of desperation rather than testing the weapon real time. He then threatened China that if they supported Putin, they would suffer the same sanctions. Biden then says that Putin’s may launch cyberattacks against the US and use chemical weapons in Ukraine next because his “back is against the wall.”

If this is true, why not try to clam things down when we know Putin does not believe in retreat? We have only cheerleaders for war – no peacemakers. All of this because Ukraine refused to let the Donbas be independent in a democratic process and vote? You do not push Putin against the wall and then claim he is a madman. If Putin was really a madman, he would nuke Ukraine and then what? There is an intended agenda here and it smells like intentional war. Must we all die because Neocons simply hate Russians and Chinese?

It remains questionable why Putin is holding back. He has the power station and could turn off the power, but he has not. Reports keep saying the Russians are stalled about 15 miles from Kyiv. Poland has put its forces on alert as Russian and Belarusian forces are likely to deploy on the Polish-Ukrainian border to close all cargo routes to Kyiv. That is the typical siege strategy which tends to imply he wants a surrender rather than to flatten Kyiv.

Putin, I believe, was lured into his invasion knowing his chief complaint has been the constant eastward movement of NATO. That does not make him a victim. There are no good guys. Both sides fight for their own self-interest precisely as in economics – i.e. Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand. What he did not expect was this onslaught of attacks against all Russians and the sanctions that have effectively cut off Russia from the West. This is intended to put so much pressure on Russia that they storm the Kremlin and behead him or some drastic event of that nature. But now, the hatred is against all Russians as a race. This is the dream of Ukrainian Nazis.

Lindsey Graham has gone way too far even for a Neocon calling for the assassination of Putin. He better start watching his own ass in my opinion for as they say what goes around comes around. Putin would be justifies in trying to do the same to Biden if he was really the brains behind this mess. I’m sure there are Russians in the USA undercover who could carry out such an order.

Worse still, if you were China and you just watched what the West has done to Russia, you would be wise never to trust doing business with the West again. You certainly would count your fingers after shaking hands knowing that they could quickly do the same to you. This is certainly why China is moving rapidly to get its own alternative to SWIFT and Saudi Arabia has just agreed to join selling oil to them in Yuan.

Then for the Ukrainian Intelligence to put out a story claiming there is a Russian group of Russian elites were allegedly conspiring to overthrow Putin and “restore economic ties” with the West. They are posting this on Facebook post from the Chief Directorate of Intelligence for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Obviously, this is pure propaganda for if this were true, they would not warn Putin. Instead, they are putting out disinformation hoping someone will believe it and think they will be a hero. They are even putting out the name Alexander Bortnikov, the Russian Director of the Federal Security Service, will become his successor to the president. It is highly unlikely that they would prefer Bortnikov.

Back in a December 2017, an open letter published by Kommersant, where more than 30 Russian academics criticized Bortnikov for attempting to legitimize the Stalin’s Great Purge. He would be far more aggressive than Putin. So it seems to be disinformation in hopes that Putin would believe it and eliminate Bortnikov clearing the way for their true desired target to head Russia.

Ah! The Games people play!

Think Twice if not three times before you just CHEER for the defeat of Russia.

There is no retreat in Putin’s mind and doing away with him will only confirm to all Russians that the West is not to be TRUSTED.

Is this the future you really want for your children and grandchildren?

Moscow Warns Biden Has Crossed the Line Where No Former President Has Ever Gone


Armstrong Economics Blog/Neocons Re-Posted Mar 22, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

There is little question that what the US is doing is not defending Ukraine, they are deliberately attempting to force the Russian people to overthrow Putin. Now Russia’s foreign ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan to inform him that President Joe Biden’s remarks with respect to the Russian President Vladimir Putin have gone too far. He was warned that Biden is pushing bilateral ties to the brink of collapse. This is going BEYOND the cold war – this is escalating to the point where ties are just severed.

Biden said last week that Putin was a “war criminal” for sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry has made it very clear: “Such statements from the American president, unworthy of a statesman of such high rank, put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture.” Biden is clearly engaging in the typical Neocon rhetoric of DEMONIZING your opponent. The Kremlin has described the comments as “personal insults” against Putin.

One must wonder if Biden even understands what he is doing, or is he just reading the teleprompter. NEVER before in the entire history of US/Russian relations has any former President been hurling personal attacks to DEMONIZE a Russian leader. It appears that the Neocons have seized the White House and formed some sort of partnership with the climate change zealots. It certainly appears that there is an intentional desire to create war and this is out in the open. One must wonder that it was sanction that led to Japan attacking Pearl Harbor and will this escalate into a Declaration of War between the US & Russia et al sooner rather than later?

Mike Lindell Drops 88-Page Forensic Report Showing Conclusive Evidence of Manipulated Voter Files From Mesa, Colorado


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on March 22, 2022 | Sundance

For several months, Mike Lindell has been championing a forensic review of voter files from Mesa County, Colorado.  In a series of forensic reports looking into Colorado’s use of Dominion vote tabulators, a data forensic team led by cyber-security expert Doug Gould have been reviewing electronic files from the 2020 election. {Direct Rumble Link}

According to Mike Lindell, Doug Gould and the team of forensic analysts who just completed the work, have conclusive evidence that files were manipulated and deleted during a May 2021, software update driven by the system vendor, Dominion.  Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters made a copy of the election files before and after the Dominion vendor installed software.  A forensic review of those files shows a difference in the actual voting tabulation.

The Files and PDF of the raw material are AVAILABLE HERE.

Mike Lindell notes he is filing injunctions immediately against seven states to stop them from using these electronic systems in the 2022 election, and later more injunctions will be filed in other states.  The evidence to support those injunctions is included in the 88-page report.

I hope Lindell is successful, because part of the motivation for Joe Biden to continue extending the national state of emergency over COVID, appears to be the ongoing effort to use expanded mail-in ballots in the 2022 election.

Comrades, Spring Has Arrived


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on March 21, 2022 | Sundance 

Rejoice, with the first day of spring upon us, you have officially survived the “winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm.”

It was touch and go for a few moments, but the random sniffles, sneezes, coughs, stuffy heads and fevers did not deter you from living.

Congratulations fellow rebels, you are champions.

U.S. Senator Ray Lujan Suffers Stroke, Creates Issue for Biden and Democrat Agenda


Posted originally on the conservative tree House on February 3, 2022 | Sundance | 328 Comments

Senator Ray Lujan from New Mexico suffered a stroke recently.  Thankfully, despite the seriousness of his medical situation, he is expected to make a recovery.  However, he will likely miss all U.S. Senate work for at least a month.  Lujan’s absence creates a significant issue for Senate Democrats in an upper chamber with a 50/50 split.

Lujan suffered the stroke last Thursday, on the same day Joe Biden announced the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.  The news of Senator Lujan’s major medical condition has been essentially quiet.

With Joe Biden expecting to nominate a Supreme Court justice very soon, the senator’s absence could be problematic.

However, not to worry, creepy Joe’s recent praise of Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham will likely assist.

WASHINGTON DC – […] While the 49-year-old New Mexico Democrat is expected to make a full recovery, no one knew when he would return to the evenly divided Senate, or what it means for the immediate agenda.

Luján’s unexpected medical condition comes at a moment when Senate Democrats simply don’t have any votes to spare to pass party priorities, including reviving their social spending bill and now confirming a Supreme Court justice. The latest news could leave Democrats reliant on Republican votes to move forward on nominees and other priorities.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday evening that Democrats are “grateful” that Luján will make a “full recovery” and that he looks forward to his return to the Senate. He predicted that “the Senate will be able to carry forward with its business.”

Carlos Sanchez, Luján’s chief of staff, said that the senator checked himself into a hospital Thursday afternoon in Santa Fe after experiencing dizziness and fatigue. The senator later learned he had suffered a stroke and had to undergo decompressive surgery. (read more)

To the rescue….

Must Watch, AP Journalist Matt Lee Questions State Dept About Claims of Russian Aggression


February 3, 2022 | Sundance | 608 Comments

If you watch anything today, this is it.  AP Journalist Matt Lee has been around for a long time. He’s the consistent person in the State Department briefing room who understands the deep state institutional games, and he knows how to spot narrative engineering.

Earlier today State Department Spokesman Ned Price said, “The United States has information that Russia is planning to stage fabricated attacks by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces as a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine.”

Journalist Matt Lee then asked Ned Price what the declassified evidence was that the state dept was referring to.  Price responded that he just gave it to the audience; meaning his word was the evidence.  Matt Lee calls bullshit on Price, and things got really interesting. WATCH:

Folks, the intelligence state, the Fourth Branch of Government, is making it all up.  Everything about this Russian looming attack narrative has been manufactured out of whole cloth by the Intelligence Community and Biden administration.

The statements and position by Ned Price are transparently absurd.  Ridiculously so.  Matt Lee calling the bluff on the U.S. State Department, and comparing them to Alex Jones conspiracy theorists, is peak insanity.  No one trusts the U.S. government institutions any longer.  Everyone knows the “intelligence state” makes stuff up to steer and control events.  It’s a joke.

Russia is likely not doing anything, likely doesn’t even have a threatening posture, but yet, inside the DC bubble we are on the precipice of a thermonuclear war. We have passed through the looking glass, and now we are in bizarro world.

U.S. Forces Strike ISIS Leadership in Northern Syria, Backyard of Recep Erdogan


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on February 3, 2022 | Sundance | 133 Comments

According to the White House, 50 special forces operators attacked the leadership compound of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the ISIS replacement head for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who was killed in 2019.  According to the White House occupant, after a lengthy engagement with U.S. forces, al-Qurayshi killed himself the same way al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb.  There were no U.S. casualties.

(Via ABC) First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said U.S. officials believe al-Qurayshi’s explosive killed himself, his wife, and three children. She added that U.S. officials were conducting an assessment to determine whether American action resulted in any civilian deaths. (more)

The White House background briefing on the strike IS HERE.  The remarks by Joe Biden ARE HERE.

Sending 50 special operators for one building engagement is a little heavy; however, obviously the White House was petrified that something would go wrong, and the last thing Ron Klain wants would be another boondoggle to add to the pile of disasters this administration has created.

That said, rather than debate the mission, I would draw attention to the location and bigger picture.  Northern Syria is part of the Muslim Brotherhood territory under the influence of Turkish President Recep Erdogan.  ISIS, al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, and all extremist Islamic factions therein are all just various shades of authentic Islam as promoted by The Muslim Brotherhood.

Turkey is a member of NATO.  Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi and all of the various offshoots of ISIS could not operate in Northern Syria without the assistance of Turkey.  But we are not allowed to talk about that.  Notice how none of the media ask the White House or Pentagon if we discussed the attack with Turkey in advance?

Background – Circa 2018

The announcement of The United States drawing down troop deployment from Northern Syria, with the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia sending in replacements to bolster the region, highlights a much larger backstory.


President Obama’s February ’09 Cairo speech began a sequence of events that led to what was called the “Arab Spring” – factually an extremist uprising.  Bolstered by the resulting chaos, the Muslim Brotherhood rose to power in Egypt behind Mohammed Morsi.

However, a majority of the Egyptian people rejected President Morsi’s Sharia governance, and asked a well respected General Fattah al-Sisi to step in.

Accepting the request of a desperate people, Sisi removed Morsi, disbanded the Muslim Brotherhood and went on to win a landslide election in 2014.

The leadership of the Brotherhood fled to Qatar.

President Obama and his policy team were not happy with this outcome.  Obama supported Morsi, not al-Sisi.  Another person who was not happy was Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who also supported Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Undeterred, and understanding the need for urgency, Egyptian President al-Sisi then began a long process of confronting extremism.  Sisi destroyed the Hamas terror tunnels on the border between Egypt and Israel; and, despite the anxiety expressed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Sisi brokered an interim peace agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israelis.


Destroying the Hamas tunnels removed the physical terror influence of Iran.  President al-Sisi then returned his focus back to Qatar and their support for the exiled leadership of the Brotherhood.

President al-Sisi formed a coalition against Qatar. This coalition included the UAE and Saudi Arabia who withdrew their ambassadors and isolated Qatar in the region.  This was the beginning of what we now call, more broadly, the Arab coalition.  The coalition initiated sanctions against Qatar until they stopped financing and harboring terror.  Remember, this is late in 2014 and a lot is happening really fast.

Against growing pressure from Arab states, including the Gulf Cooperation Council, Qatar agreed to expel seven leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Again, reflecting his alignment with the Brotherhood, and with much more grand ambitions of a new Ottoman empire as his unspoken motive, Recep Erdogan provided the terror leaders a home in Turkey.

It is important to note timing (’13, ’14, ’15,) and the political alignments:

  • President Obama, Turkey (Erdogan), Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and Iran, were aligned with favorable outlook toward the Muslim Brotherhood.
  • Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the Gulf Arab states were not favorable toward the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the background of this ideological conflict, Syria was in a state of civil war as a result of U.S. Obama policy carried out by Secretary Clinton/Leon Panetta and Secretary Kerry/John Brennan. Obama was aligned with Turkey, again Erdogan, who wants greater influence and has a vision of his new Ottoman empire.

As gatekeeper between Europe and the Middle East, Erdogan knows the value of his geography and the influence it provides him.

Erdogan also wants to absorb Northern Syria and is willing to enlist his Muslim Brotherhood allies toward his goals.  However, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE (team anti-Brotherhood) are against the expansion of Turkish influence.

Despite President Obama’s ongoing opposition, Egyptian President al-Sisi faced down Turkey over a U.N. Security Council seat and quietly defeated them.  [In a secret ballot, Erdogan lost.]  At the same time this was happening, expansive energy reserves via natural gas, were discovered to be much larger than initially thought off the coast of Israel.


♦Fast forward to the 2016 presidential election and outcome of a Donald Trump victory.  With President Trump, the power dynamic shifts.

Hillary Clinton, recognizing the value of the financial benefit from Qatar, would have supported the Muslim Brotherhood; Donald Trump did not.

The Anti-Brotherhood, anti-extremism team now have an ally.  The key voices are Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi, Saudi Arabia King Salman, and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

President Trump supported the disposition and view of the Arab coalition (Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, GCC and ultimately Israel); President Trump was not supportive of the Pro-Brotherhood more extremist team (Turkey, Qatar, Palestinian Authority), and that becomes brutally obvious during the historic U.S-Gulf Arab Summit, when President Trump tells the audience to “drive out” the extremist voices.

Back to Syria.  The Brotherhood is the political branch of multiple extremist groups. The bottom line is the Brotherhood supports radical Sunni extremism regardless of faction or fighting force.  President Recep Erdogan of Turkey also favors the Brotherhood; and unfortunately, he leverages his position inside NATO with that favorability in mind.

Recep Erdogan wanted Northern Syria, and he wanted to eliminate any resistance toward his gaining Northern Syria – specifically, the Kurdish resistance.

Concerns over this key point was what drove a wedge between government policy advisers. Differences of opinion over this key point are what was driving opposition to Trump’s withdrawal position from Syria.

The Arab coalition, and Israel, oppose Erdogan.  President Trump was undergoing a transition period for quite some time.  Trump’s plan was essentially to draw down U.S. troops in Syria, and replace them with regional Arab coalition allies to bolster the Kurds.  Many U.S. voices were concerned that Turkey (Erdogan) would attack this coalition and the Kurds, without the presence of U.S. troops.

Ultimately, this is where President Trump’s unique strategy became important.

President Trump was aware of the duplicitous and untrustworthy nature of President Erdogan; simultaneously Erdogan is in the NATO alliance.  President Trump would obviously not allow fear of a NATO ally to drive U.S. policy, and he was right.

If you think about it, either: (A) Turkey needs to comply with group regional security and stability measures; or (B) Turkey needs to be kicked out of NATO, confronted and crushed.

Which option do you think President Trump was working on?

December 23, 2018:


December 24, 2018:


Knowing the economic approach that President Trump brought to solving these challenges, it was obvious Trump was positioning for option “A”, but in the background hoping for the opportunity to use option “B”, which would really get to the root of the problem.

This geopolitical dynamic also provided a clearer understanding of what motives Erdogan held when he was so aggressively antagonizing over the Kashoggi matter and trying to create a fracture in the relationship between President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MbS).

[…]  We know that Jamal Khashoggi was never a journalist—at least, not in the usual sense of the word; he was a highly-partisan operative who worked with a handler to publish propaganda at the behest of the Emirate of Qatar. He was, in other words, an agent of influence. (read more)

Yes, that’s correct.  Even the New York Times admitted Jamal Khashoggi was actually receiving his articles from the Qatar government explicitly to push an agenda favorable to their pro-Muslim Brotherhood views.

Now think about this.  In the U.S. we know The Washington Post is essentially the print propaganda for the U.S. intelligence apparatus, and more specifically the CIA.  Khashoggi was working at the Washington Post to write stories, approved by Qatar, favorable to the Muslim Brotherhood.   The CIA Director was John Brennan – the former head of U.S. CIA Saudi office.

Notice how the pro-Brotherhood ideological gang is all connected around Khashoggi?  Turkey, Qatar, CIA (Obama, Brennan) etc.

Oh, and one last thing.  Remember that 2014/2015 massive natural gas reserve discovery off the coast of Israel?

Remember that?

Well, there was a 2018 development:

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that Israel, Greece and Cyprus will sign an agreement early next year to build a pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, while the United States pledged its support for the ambitious project.

The $7 billion project, expected to take six or seven years to complete, promises to reshape the region as an energy provider and dent Russia’s dominance over the European energy market. It also could curtail Iranian ambitions to use Syria as a gateway to the eastern Mediterranean.

Speaking at a summit with the Greek and Cypriot leaders in southern Israel, Netanyahu said the three nations reaffirmed their commitment to the pipeline and discussed “important aspects” of the project. Italy is also a partner in the pipeline’s planning. Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said the project is waiting for a green light from the European Union to move forward.

“We’re going to sign formally, officially, this agreement in a few months,” he said.

In another boost for the project, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman hailed the pipeline as integral to the “stability and prosperity of the Middle East and Europe,” and urged all countries in the region to ensure its success.

Washington is eyeing the east Mediterranean with renewed interest. In a meeting with the Greek foreign minister earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the region “an important strategic frontier” for Washington, which is working to strengthen its relations with “democratic allies there like Greece and Cyprus and Israel.”  (read more)

Do you know who was the original energy policy consultant; the person who constructed the obscure -at the time- policy paper plan to avoid an EU pipeline through Turkey; and who put all of these regional heads together that ultimately ended with this announced deal?

That would be the little known, generally invisible young energy adviser, who would eventually become the central figure in the “spygate” targeting, George Papadopoulos.

Yes, for those following the granules as they expose… that energy extraction strategy alone would have put Papadopoulos in opposition to the interests of President Obama, candidate Clinton, Turkey, Qatar and ultimately Iran and Russia.

Huh… Funny that.

It’s almost as if…..  I digress.

FAST FORWARD TO 2019

December 16, 2019, the White House released a letter sent by President Trump to President Erdogan, of Turkey, dated October 9th.

The letter was sent two days after President Trump made the decision to pull 28 members of the U.S. military out of harm’s way; two days before President Trump outlined the sanctions against Turkey; and five days before President Trump initiated those sanctions through Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The warning was clear.  President Trump was clear-eyed about the motives and intentions of the Turkish president, and Erdogan’s ideological alignment with political Islam via The Muslim Brotherhood.

One of the reasons this strategy is better than any military action, is simply because Turkey is a unique NATO ally, and the NATO alliance within Europe is insufferably incapable and unwilling to take action to defend their interests.

European NATO members wanted the benefits of a perpetual U.S. military presence. That EU outlook was simply beyond the limits of what President Trump was willing to do.

President Trump wanted to bring our troops home.

President Trump made it clear that any action by Turkey into Syria was unilateral.  There will be no assistance by the U.S. on any aspect – including if Turkey was counter-attacked by Russia/Syria or organized Kurdish forces.

Essentially, Trump left Erdogan naked to a myriad of his enemies.

The U.S. part of the NATO shield is removed. The Europeans will not evoke the NATO defense treaty without the U.S. Heck, the EU is essentially spineless without the power of the U.S. military.  Additionally, President Trump is calling out the duplicity of the entire situation by calling all of their bluffs. President Trump is calling out: NATO, weak EU ‘allies’ and Turkey.

In essence, the Trump White House approach was a major Gordian knot being cut. It is unlikely President Erdogan expected to have this framework made so public.

With Europe refusing to stand up to defend their own interests, President Trump removed U.S. forces from the untenable position of guarding all the big cat cages, ad infinitum, to keep the zoo status intact.

Instead, President Trump supported the Arab coalition and the GCC that has been assembling a military coalition to protect itself from the Muslim Brotherhood.

That, along with the strategic need to keep global oil prices low to offset any influence by Iran and Russia, is why President Trump was willing to support Saudi Arabia with more troops – while simultaneously withdrawing from Syria where the U.S. was having to stand alone to protect the interests of Europeans who will not protect themselves.

In one regional area, the U.S. would support and defend Israel, Egypt and Jordan. In the Southern region the U.S. will support the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain and Qatar).

Will political Islam likely have a resurgence in the region, and will Recep Erdogan rise as the head of the Ottoman Empire once again? The former is likely, the latter is unknown.

President Trump was correctly withdrawing U.S. troops from a position of adversarialism against a NATO member. Why should the U.S. protect the interests of allies who will not be standing up to protect themselves?

President Trump was correct.

President Trump used economic weapons against Turkey.  And, in keeping with the economic doctrine, Europe was also in the crosshairs.

President Trump would use economic weapons, a new U.S-EU trade deal, against the EU for creating this mess and refusing to defend themselves.

President Trump would only use military weapons to protect allies that were: (A) willing to protect themselves, and (B) willing to pay for the support of the U.S. military protection.

It really was a commonsense doctrine.  Help those who help themselves.

This was one of those weird “be careful what you wish for” scenarios for Turkish President Erdogan, because in his lust to recreate the Ottoman Empire ,he just might get removed. By isolating Erdogan on these issues, President Trump effectively left him naked to an alliance of his enemies

After President Trump talked to Kurdish General Mazloum Kobani Abdi, the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, President Trump then discussed the options available to President Erdogan. As a result of that conversation, Erdogan requested the U.S. mediate negotiations.

Erdogan’s request and acceptance happened immediately after President Trump signed an executive order [See Here] triggering the sanction authority of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as leverage against Turkey.

That’s how President Donald Trump was able to finally remove U.S. troops from Syria and get us out of the quagmire created by Washington DC foreign policy.

CDC Credibility


Armstrong Economics Blog/Humor Re-Posted Jan 13, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Bill Gates has no medical degree and Fauci went straight to the government after his degree. Rochelle Walensky trained in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1995 to 1998 and then became a fellow in the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program. In 2001, she earned an MPH in clinical effectiveness from the Harvard School of Public Health. and joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School in 2001 becoming an instructor, then as a professor. The old saying is those that can just do it and those that can’t teach. In this case, read up on a subject and then dictate to the rest of us. If I read a book on health but never practiced medicine, perhaps that would qualify me to work at the CDC or be a top adviser.

Public Confidence Continues to Wane – United in Disgust


Armstrong Economics Blog/North America Re-Posted Jan 12, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Public confidence is continuing to decline, according to a recent poll from the Trafalgar Group partnered with the Convention of States Action. The survey conducted in December recorded responses from 1,076 Americans who seem to be concerned that society is completely in a state of decay. Question one: “Do you believe American society and culture is in a state of decay or a state of progress?” An alarming 76.8% of respondents reported that they believed society was in a state of decay, 9.8% felt society was progressing, and 13.4% were unsure.

Confidence is declining on both ends of the political spectrum: 61 percent of Democrats, 85.9 percent of Republicans, and 81.8 percent of No Party/Other reported that they believed the country was decaying.

“Americans have always been fueled by hope and optimism, and now are united in disgust. Our leaders in Washington, DC are setting the tone, and clearly we need dramatic changes there in both parties in the next election,” Mark Meckler, president of the Convention of States Action group, stated. “United in disgust” certainly describes the way the world feels. The “leaders” in DC have abandoned the people as we go on to year three of the COVID power grab. Unemployment is down, wages are up, but inflation is so high that the average person is scraping by. The rules constantly change, and society at large has been pushed to a psychological breaking point by governments.

Our model indicates that this private wave will continue for years to come before peaking in 2032. Government has lost the public’s trust entirely. This is why I say their Build Back Better agenda will not succeed, for the people are beginning to realize that the “new norm” is an unacceptable way of life.moreCategories:North America

Another Board Member Flees the Fed


Armstrong Economics Blog/Central Banks Re-Posted Jan 12, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

As I reported in November, Federal Reserve members are fleeing the central bank. Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Richard Clarida announced that he is resigning this Friday before his term ends in the midst of scandal. Similar to other Fed members who resigned in 2021, Clarida has come under harsh scrutiny for what many deem insider trading. With only two weeks left of his term, it comes as some surprise that Clarida chose to leave his position immediately.

What is of most interest is that Clarida will now be absent at the policy meeting set for late January when officials will decide when to raise interest rates and minimize the $8 trillion balance sheet. Having an active voice in that conversation is of less concern than escaping scrutiny. Following in the footsteps of Robert Kaplan and Eric Rosengren who resigned over alleged pandemic-related insider trader, Clarida is fleeing at the first sign of scandal despite denying wrongdoing.

“Rich’s contributions to our monetary policy deliberations, and his leadership of the Fed’s first-ever public review of our monetary policy framework, will leave a lasting impact in the field of central banking,” Fed Chairman Powell, who decided to stay at the Fed amid his own scandal, said in a statement. “I will miss his wise counsel and vital insights.” President Biden has already nominated Lael Brainard to take his place, which comes as no surprise as many suspected Brainard would replace Powell had he not been renominated.

When allegations of insider trading among Fed members came to light, Powell stated that he would have an ethics committee investigate board members. Perhaps the board members know that any potential investigation could end in legal disaster and abruptly stepping down is the safest preventative measure.