Tag Archives: Morocco

Nov 4 2017

Crimea & Carving up the World


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics

Re-Posted Nov 4, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

ukraine-ethnic-divide-data

COMMENT: Dear Marty
You mention that Crimea was taken by Russia. However, this is just the MSM view. The West is accused of fermenting the problem in Ukraine which precipitated this. The people voted in a referendum with 31 international observers, 95% to reunify with Russia where they had belonged since 1783. Why does the West not recognize the referendum??

Ukraine had passed a law making Russian not the first language after the coup. The people of Crimea have voted in overwhelming numbers and by an overwhelming margin to leave Ukraine and to federate with Russia. The majority population in Crimea speaks Russian, identifies with Russia and was formally a part of Russia until the region was transferred to Ukraine as a largely administrative measure in 1954 when Ukraine and Russia were full republics united in one country: the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.

REPLY: From the outset, my position was that Ukraine should have been split according to language. Borders have been drawn by politicians, and this policy has given us so many problems over the years. It is language and culture that should define a national border. It is also wrong for the refugees to enter Sweden and then refuse to adopt the culture of that nation demanding their own laws will apply in specific regions. This is not like colonizing the Moon.

Yanukovych_Viktor

What I would disagree with you on is that the West instigated the revolution. I personally have friends who were in Maidan and they were not puppets of the CIA. The revolution was over the corruption in the Yanakovich administration and the extortion of small businesses as his sons were running a protection operation.

The West did instigate the civil war in Syria. That was to help Qatar get a pipeline through Syria to Europe in order to compete with Russia. That was the whole issue and Obama’s agenda.

The vast majority of people in Crimea were Russian with Tartars as well. Crimea was Russian and was given to Ukraine to manage by the Soviet Union. It is Russian by culture and the sanctions against Russia are political for economic reasons and are not based upon the desire of the people of Crimea. The people should decide the same as they should decide in Catalonia, Scotland, Northern Ireland, etc., etc..

Nov 2 2017

Discussion with Dr Bill Warner on NYC jihad attack


Nov 2 2017

Germany Also Engages in Political Prosecution


Armstrong Economics Blog/Germany

Re-Posted Nov 2, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

The Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in Germany has asked the Federal Government to file a lawsuit against all decisions of European Central Bank (ECB) regarding the purchase of government bonds and corporate bonds as well as derivatives since 2015. They are petitioning to file in the European Court of Justice asserting that the policies of the European Treaties and by the Federal Constitutional Court were being violated.

Effectively, the ECB “stimulus” policy (QE) has completely failed and instead has become a life-support system subsidizing the debt of Eurozone member states. Even reducing the amount bought per month is an attempt to see if the marketplace takes up the debt. But the Eurozone governments never cut back spending or reformed. They never had to. The QE program was merely targeting to support the government – not the average person in the economy.

Meanwhile, the former leader of the nationalist AfD, Frauke Petry, was formally charged with perjury and was accused of lying under oath about the party’s finances. If found guilty she would face a minimum sentence of six months in jail, but it would be the end of her political career. This seems to be another political-prosecution.

Frauke Petry resigned from the AfD and has plans to form a new political group in the German parliament that will be distant from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). For this reason, she is a threat politically.

Why are all politicians not prosecuted for lying to the public to win an election and then do the opposite? The charges against Petry are intended to stop her political career.

Nov 1 2017

Trump Convenes Late Night National Security Briefing – NYC Terrorist Pledged Allegiance to ISIS Prior To Attack


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on October 31, 2017 by

Statement from the President on the Terrorist Attack in New York City:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of todays terrorist attack in New York City and their families. My Administration will provide its full support to the New York City Police Department, including through a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We offer our thanks to the first responders who stopped the suspect and rendered immediate aid to the victims of this cowardly attack. These brave men and women embody the true American spirit of resilience and courage. I will continue to follow developments closely.”  – WH Link

Against the backdrop of the terrorist attack in New York City, a rather deliberate looking President Donald Trump convenes a late night national security meeting:

(LINK)

Immediately following the meeting/briefing, President Trump Tweeted: “I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already extreme vetting program.  Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!”    POTUS appears pissed.

Additional reporting on the terrorist:

The New York Post is reporting the driver who plowed into a group of people on Tuesday, killing 8, left behind handwritten notes pledging loyalty to ISIS along with an image of an ISIS flag inside his vehicle.

Sayfullo Saipov, 29, had the notes written in Arabic inside his Home Depot rental truck along with a picture of the ISIS flag, according to law enforcement sources.  The handwritten notes indicated that he had pledged allegiance to the terror group, the sources said.  (read more)

VIA FOX NEWS –  The man suspected of plowing a truck through a crowded bike lane in New York on Tuesday is 29 years old, from Uzbekistan with a green card, Fox News has confirmed.

Police have identified Sayfullo Saipov as the driver of the rented pickup truck who killed eight people and injured at least 11 more in the attack in near the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.

Saipov drove a rented pickup truck from Home Depot through a crowded bike path for several blocks before finally crashing into a yellow school bus near Chambers and West Street, police said.

After exiting the vehicle, Saipov yelled “Allahu Akbar” and waived around some type of weapon, which authorities believe to be an airsoft gun or a B.B. gun. The suspect was shot twice by police and taken into custody. He remains in the hospital and is expected to survive his wounds.

[…]  According to the Associated Press, the suspect is believed to have rented the truck about an hour before the attack.

Authorities discovered that Saipov had a Florida license and he’s been connected to an address in the Tampa area. But he was living in New Jersey as recently as this summer and working as an Uber driver, a friend of Saipov told Fox News.  (read more)

 

Nov 1 2017

The Rising Separatist Movements in Europe-Eastern Europe


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics

Re-Posted Nov 1, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

There are many in Spain who just outright disagree with any right of Catalonia to be independent. History, culture, language, nothing really matters. Some have said it is the Spanish Constitution and all of Spain should vote to let Catalonia leave or stay. All of that said if Madrid had just allowed a fair referendum then whatever the vote was should have stood.

This is all about saving the EU and not Spain. It was the oppression that probably made others vote to leave. All of Spain cannot vote against one region. London did not vote on Scotland and neither did Toronto against Quebec. California has people pushing to separate and that is not a right to be decided by me in Florida.
Separatist movements are now rising throughout Europe. We see Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales in the UK all have separatist movements. There is even talk in Bavaria among friends I have there and Prussia wants more autonomy. Then there is Normandy and Brittany in France. There is a long list starting with Moravia, Lombardy, Insubria, South Tyrol, Carinthis, Friule-Venezia, Hungarian minorities, Savoy, Liguria, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Rijeka Istria, Veneto, Padania, Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, Sandzak, Serbian Republic, Vojvodina, Szekely Land, Gagauzia, Transnistria, Donbass, Crimea. Latgale, Ingria, Skameland, Samogita, Bornolm, and don’t forget Northen Cyprus. Some of these are asking for full independence and other more autonomy.
It is the economic issues intermixed with the refugee crisis that is sparking these movements today.
Nov 1 2017

Spain Invades Catalonia – Nullifies the Democratic Vote


Armstrong Economics Blog/SPAIN

Re-Posted Nov 1, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

The Spanish Police have invaded Catalonia and the rigged high court of Spain nullifies its independence. It really is astonishing when you compare these actions to Russia and Crimea. At least Crimea the population were Russian speaking and not Ukrainian. Here we have Catalonia has had its own language from before the existence of Spain and have always regarded itself as separate and autonomous.

The action of Madrid are hailed and the constitution is the entire basis for the denial of human rights in Catalonia. Politicians have been carving the world and declaring borders for power. They have ignored language, race, religion and everything else for political power. Nobody ever says that is somehow wrong.

This is what is going on in Europe. Brussels is determined to eliminate borders, federalize Europe, and they hope in one or two generations, they will surrender language and culture to a central power.

Nov 1 2017

The Politics of Change – Iceland – New Zealand – Czech Republic


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics

Re-Posted Nov 1, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

The Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson’s Independence Party won the most votes in the Iceland election but he saw his party’s support eroded as voters turned to smaller parties in protest. This leaves the country in a position of uncertainty as the election has opened the door to power for the nation’s charismatic and very attractive left-wing leader, Katrin Jakobsdottir. Now Jakobsdottir has the chance to form together a narrow majority for a center-left coalition. She is a 41-year-old who is very popular on her own with pre-election polls that showed one in two voters wanted her as the premier.

Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic’s general election, the Populist billionaire candidate Andrej Babis and his party have won the largest cache of votes about 30%, which was three times that of anyone else. He ran on a Eurosceptic platform. He has said that he would not bring the Czech Republic into the Eurozone but he wants the country to stay in the EU. He also wants changes to the European Council on issues like food quality and a “solution to migration”.

The new Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, has declared that capitalism is a blatant failure. She has banned foreign investment in property in the country.

What we are witnessing is 1933. That is when Roosevelt, Mao, and Hitler all came to power. It was not a particular political philosophy, but whoever was in power was being thrown out.

Oct 31 2017

Political Correctness Running Amok? – Did CBS News Intentionally Lighten Skin Color of NYC Terrorist?…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on October 31, 2017 by

Normally this might be one of those things to pass off as just accidental or part of rushing a story to the headlines.  However, in this instance CBS immediately reported an exclusive picture of New York Terrorist Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov.  TWEET  and WEBSITE

On the left is the actual picture of 29-year-old Saipov; on the right is the version of the picture that CBS broadcast, used in newscasts and also put on their website.  Notice any difference?

(CBS TWEET LINK)

 

(CBS Website and BROADCAST Link)

(Side by Side Comparison)

Additionally, it was reported by eye-witnesses, and confirmed by law enforcement, that during the attack Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov yelled “allahu akbar“.

“Allahu akbar” is a familiar phrase shouted by Jihadists during all terrorist attacks.  Everyone knows what it means when proclaimed.  However, CNN refused to note what was shouted during the terrorist attack, instead look at what they broadcast (chyron):

But wait, it gets better, or worse really…  The next example of political correctness is even more gobsmacking. The CNN reporter in New York refused to even describe the suspect.

WATCH:

Oct 31 2017

EU Support Madrid Refuses to Acknowledge Catalonia


Armstrong Economics Blog/European Union

Re-Posted Oct 31, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

 

Madrid has seized Catalonia by force and the EU, of course, backs Madrid saying they do not recognize Catalonia as a free state. This is demonstrating that human rights in Europe mean nothing when it comes to protecting the jobs of those in Brussels. This is clearly sending a statement to the rest of Europe – shut up or you are next. That statement should surprise nobody since the rising separatist movements in Europe are against the power of Brussels.

Meanwhile, Spain is proposing to change the President of Catalonia with treason. They threatened him before that he would end up like the last attempt to break away – dead. The Catalan regional president, Carles Puigdemont, who has been deposed by the central government in Madrid, has called on the population to “democratically resist” the seizure by Madrid. In a televised address on Saturday, Puigdemont said he would continue to work to build a “free country”.

Puigdemont’s speech was also published in writing. This version was signed with “Carles Puigdemont, President of the Generalitat (Government) of Catalonia”. It was the first time since his dismissal following the Catalan Declaration of Independence on Friday that the politician voiced his opinion.

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría took control of Catalonia’s administration on the weekend. The Catalan police chief Josep Lluis Trapero was also terminated.

Oct 30 2017

Some Logical but Unmentioned Conclusions


Paul Eidelberg

Seven years ago, Caroline Glick exposed “The high price of coalition stability” (Jerusalem Post, June 22, 2010).  Her article involved some unmentioned but logical conclusions regarding Israel’s system of coalition cabinet government.  The present writer has written of these unmentioned conclusions in policy papers, books, and countless articles during the past two decades. Indeed, I have systematically correlated Israel’s political failings with its flawed institutions – all in vain.

Before continuing, let me assure the reader than I am well aware of the fact that political institutions, however wisely designed, cannot prevent the election of inept and even treacherous office holders, including presidents of the United States such as Barack Obama.  In other words, there is no institutional substitute for virtue and wisdom.  It should be emphasized that properly designed institutions can mitigate men’s follies and vices.  Alas, this is not the case in Israel, whose governmental institutions maximize the disarray of politics in this country.

The disarray began and continues as a result of a simple political decision: when Israel’s government was established in 1948, its founders, headed by David Ben-Gurion decided to make the entire country a single electoral district.  This political arrangement necessitates a parliamentary system in which parties win Knesset seats on the basis Proportional Representation (PR). Given a low electoral threshold (it has risen from 1% to 3.25%), PR spawns a multiplicity of parties such that no party has ever come close to winning a majority of the 120 seats in the Knesset.  This fact necessitates coalition cabinet government, which results in a cabinet consisting of several rival political parties.

Let’s examine the grounds on which virtually every commentator fears to tread.

1) The multiplicity of parties produced by PR prompts major parties – recall Labor in 1992 and the Likud since then – to deceive the public by campaigning on a more or less centrist or more vote-getting agenda, only to shift in the opposite direction once the leaders of these parties become prime ministers.  Thus, Labor leader Yitzhak Rabin, who scorned the PLO in the 1992 election campaign, signed – after a “decent interval” – the Israel-PLO agreement of 1993. Likewise, Ariel Sharon, who campaigned against Labor’s policy of disengagement in 2003, adopted – after another “decent interval” – that very policy!

2) Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also devious.  He said nothing of the “two state solution” preceding the February 2009 election. But after a mind-numbing interval of four months, he endorsed a Palestinian state!

3) Some sixty years ago, David Ben-Gurion denounced Proportional Representation and revealed the pernicious nature of multiparty cabinet government, which remains solidly entrenched to this day.  The reasons are not pretty.  PR not only yields a multiplicity of parties in the Knesset.  It also compels citizens to vote for fixed party lists.  One result is this: the members of the Knesset are not individually accountable to the voters in constituency or regional elections.

4) Moreover, members of the Knesset know that this system of voting for fixed party slates – a system found only in four out of more than 80 countries classified as democracies – enables an incumbent MK to be re-elected without having to compete with a rival candidate (who would surely reveal the incumbent’s political failings).  For this reason alone, virtually all members of the Knesset oppose direct, personal, and democratic election of Israel’s parliament.

5) Furthermore, multiparty cabinet government enables any MK, regardless of his record, to become a cabinet minister – the road to power and political longevity.  This explains Glick’s characterization of Ehud Barak is a “serial bungler.”  One may add Shimon Peres, the father of Oslo, who became a permanent fixture in the Knesset until that conglomeration of self-serving politicians elected him Israel’s president!

Surely a well-informed and perceptive political analyst like Caroline Glick could add many other instances of the disastrous consequences of multiparty cabinet government.