Ukraine & Russia Coup


Armstrong Economics Blog/Russia Re-Posted Jun 29, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Kiev’s Great Offensive has been unimpressive, to say the least.  Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov has claimed that he has yet to deploy the bulk of its Western-trained forces he keeps in reserve for this much-touted counteroffensive against Russian forces. They have only been able to capture a few small villages quite some distance from the major Russian defensive lines.  The notorious Neocon, Lindsey Graham, says the counteroffensive is moving slowly but steadily.

Reznikov boasts, “When it [the major push] happens, you will all see it… Everyone will see everything.” These are supposed to be the main troop reserves, including most of the brigades trained in the West and armed with NATO-supplied tanks and armored vehicles. Reznikov also commented on the failed revolt by the Wagner private military company in Russia. He insisted that it was a “vivid illustration” of Moscow’s vulnerabilities.

The American Neocons were against Reagan even talking with Gorbachev. George Herbert Walker Bush, back in 1992, proclaimed the fall of the USSR and Communism would usher in the era of the peace dividend. The Neocons fight tooth & nail against any peace accord with anyone. Even the existence of NATO was being called into question once Communism fell, and with it, the Khruschev doctrine of spreading communism to overthrow capitalism. That seems to have made the Neocons’ blood boil, but they have adopted the same policy and believe that they now have the right to assassinate foreign leaders, overthrow dictators, and destroy both Russia and China to spread their view of Capitalism to the world which is still authoritarian since they impose their doctrines that the Western people are never allowed to vote on.

Nevertheless, the Western press has been so indoctrinated by the Neocons using the standard demonization of a leader to create hatred of everyone in that target country or like Hillary did to everyone who voted for Trump, calling them the “deplorable” thereby demonizing 50% of the nation. The Ukrainians were static, watching with joy as Russia, they were told, was on the verge of a Civil War. They had hoped that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s march on Moscow would not just end the war but overthrow Vladimir Putin’s regime. They have lied so much demonizing Putin that they themselves seemed to believe their own propaganda that replace Putin, and there would be peace, and Russia would crumble into dust.

Alas, the insurrection proved short-lived, for 75% of Prigozhin’s army did not follow him. This great counteroffensive that began on June 4th has shown little sign of breaking through Russian lines in force any time soon. This has called into question Reznikov’s claims, for at the same time, some Western officials are suddenly becoming very nervous and want to talk about peace. Zelensky exploited the event to further his propaganda calling it a “happy day” after visiting the front lines on June 26th.

The question is whether the events in Russia will have longer-lasting effects on the battlefield and this RIFT I have been writing about for money where the Russian Military has been divided and felt that Putin had their hands tied with this “special operation” only to protect the Donbas and not to invade Ukraine proper. Those in the Military see it as a losing strategy, just like the US failed in Vietnam for the same reason – not bombing the North.

Some fear that the Wagner Group might try to cut off the military supplies coming from Poland. Others see that moving to Belarus would allow them to invade and take Kiev. What is clear is that many of Wagner’s forces have joined the Russian Military and returned to Ukraine. Others, including the 2,500 to 5,000 troops who played a role in the mutiny, may join Mr. Prigozhin in Belarus, which concerns NATO.

Alexander Lukashenko offered the Wagner troops the use of an abandoned military camp. There is no question that these are professional troops who could be used on missions that the Russian Military does not formally sanction. That all depends on the relations with Moscow. The propaganda has no doubt caused much confusion on both sides. Prigozhin now insists that he was never out to topple Mr Putin. Indeed, it was unlikely that he could have ever done that for he would have been annihilated.

The impact on Russia’s high command raised by this insurrection is much more significant. The divisions and intrigues inside Russia’s leadership have been apparent for months. General Sergei Surovikin, the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine between October and January, had prior knowledge of the rebellion as did many others. This was no surprise and even came on time with our model’s forecast. Prigozhin, it was claimed, had intended to kidnap Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, and General Valery Gerasimov when they visited the Ukraine border. That was well known. So this “coup” was certainly no secret.

Because Ukraine is making slower progress than the American Neocons and European officials had hoped, there are some calling for peace talks fearing that Russia will become much more aggressive after this coup. Ukrain’s casualties are enormous and over 8 million people have fled Ukraine resulting in a dwindling population even to draft people from. Assuming that Ukraine has yet to commit the majority of its new Western-equipped brigades to the battlefront, any attack against well-defended Russian positions, including minefields, has only exposed Ukraine’s troops with limited NATO training and is still no match for seasoned troops. That is a lesson that is as old as the Roman Empire.

Ukrainian commanders are suffering with significantly depleted forces, while the American Neocons wanted shock & awe for video clips on CNN. The Art of War is a great instruction. Pretend to be weak when you are strong. Things may not be what they appear – that is the lesson of war. The West reported this as if it was a real coup. They never had the army necessary to overthrow Putin or invade Moscow. Was this all a show to also appear weak and get the Ukrainians all excited, thinking they had just won?

The Neocons & Endless Wars & Endless Corruption


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Jun 27, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

I reported that the Pentagon admits that “due to accounting errors,” they LOST $6.2 BILLION! This is nothing new. The Pentagon has NEVER passed even one audit. Money simply vanishes and is often used by the Neocons to undermine geopolitics to further their own agenda. Then there is the sheer price gouging that is mindblowing. There is ZERO accountability EVER when it comes to war.

I have heard the conspiracy theories that this $6.2 billion funded the Russian coup. That is not true. There is a lot more behind the scenes regarding the coup and the Western press is too biased to really report the truth. They would rather portray this is the end of Putin than dig even a quarter-inch beath the surface.

I have not just reconstructed the world monetary system but also included every form of government I have been able to document. Just as I reported that the Peloponnesian War was Sparta v Athens, which was ancient Communism v Capitalism. Sparta never issued any coinage, and they rejected private property. They were the first commune that inspired Marx, the French, and many others. It was Sparta that won against Democracy, which gave people like Schwab hope.

The office of the Inspector General in our governmental system is only a symbolic gesture to the old Roman Plebeian Tribune, Tribunus plebis, the tribune of the people. The Tribune had the power to bring criminal charges against any government official. It was created because the elite’s corruption was unprecedented during the Roman Republic. Thereafter during the Imperial Era, the Emperor would claim to have the Tribucan power to defend the people against the corrupt Senate. We are desperately in need of that power being restored today. I do not support “Republics” or career politicians that can be bought and paid for. There was $2.3 trillion missing, and that was in 2001. Magically, one of the three planes during 911 just so happened to strike the Penago but only the room where all the records were stored. Obviously, the terrorists were trying to prevent the audit of the Pentagon that Rumsfeld swore would take place the day before 911.

The Plebeian Tribune defended the people against the corruption of the government. This was the prelude to Caesar crossing the Rubicon when it became clear the whole system was just too corrupt. The Plebeian Tribune was perhaps the first attempt to stop corruption. This was not a military function but rather a powerful political office. The Tribune had the power to defend the people. This function was called ius auxilii. The body of the plebeian (people) was sacrosanct – the people were Rome, not the politicians. In Latin, the term for this power is sacrosancta potestas. The Plebeian Tribune had the power to veto anything that the Senate tried to enact.

The number of Plebeian Tribunes varied, but in the beginning, there were two appointed to this position when this office was created in 494 BC. This coincided with the First Secession of the Plebeians getting their own assembly. When the plebeians seceded in 494 BC, demanding representation (similar to our not taxation without representation), the patricians granted them the right to have Plebeian Tribunes with greater power than the patrician tribal heads. These Plebeian Tribunes became very powerful figures in Rome’s Republican government. They had the right to veto but even much more. Thus, our Congress is voted by the people, and the Senate was originally established whereby the states appointed Senators. It took a Constitutional Amendment in 1912 to allow the Senate to be subject to election. We can see the original form of the US government was to mirror that of the Roman Republic. The office of the Inspector General became the substitute for the Plebeian Tribunes.

As I have said, hand ANY power to those in government, and they will expand that power endlessly. Once the plebs created a governing body, they too followed that same path of endless expansion. The number of Plebeian Tribunes grew rapidly to five from two. By 457 B.C., there were now ten Plebeian Tribunes. Soon after creating the Plebeian Tribunes, the plebeians were then allowed two Plebeian Aediles. The election of the Plebeian Tribune, from 471 BC, after the passage of the lex Publilia Voleronis, is when we then find that they expanded their bureaucracy and then a council of plebeians presided over by a Plebeian Tribune.

The power of the Tribune grew. That is when a patrician, Publius Clodius Pulcher (93–52 BC), who had a distinguished noble family, actually had himself adopted by a plebeian branch of their family so he could run for the office of a plebeian tribune under the plebeian name of Clodius. He was a populist Roman politician who saw the growing corruption in the Senate led by Cato the Younger and Cicero. He became a political contender during the First Triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. He went as far as to stage an adoption by a Pleb to defend them.

As a Plebeian Tribune, Clodius pushed through an ambitious legislative program, including free grain for the poor. This would become a corrupt welfare program in itself for when Caesar came to power, he ordered a census and found extensive corruption to get free grain with multiple fictional people claiming residence in the same small flat. Nevertheless, Clodius is primarily remembered for his feuds with corrupt political opponents, particularly Cicero, whose writings offer antagonistic, detailed accounts and allegations concerning Clodius’ political activities and scandalous lifestyle. Cicero targeted Clodius, who was then tried for the capital offense of sacrilege, following his intrusion on the women-only rites of the goddess Bona Dea. They claimed Clodius intended to rape Caesar’s wife, Pompeia. Clodius’ feud with the fake news author and corrupt Cicero led to Cicero’s temporary exile. Clodius’ feud with Titus Annius Milo (died 48 BC) ended in his own death at the hands of Milo’s bodyguards. In 52 BC, Milo was then prosecuted for the murder of  Clodius and exiled from Rome. His friend, Marcus Tullius Cicero, unsuccessfully defended him in the speech Pro Milone.

Without a Plebeian Tribune with the power to bring criminal charges against anyone on capitol hill, including senators, congressmen, bureaucrats, and even the Attorney General, the corruption in Washington will consume the entire nation like cancer.

Lindsey Graham can promote World War III because of his hatred of every Russian, but the hard facts suggest that the US cannot produce as many munitions as Russia. This corruption is consuming everything! The United States spends over $800 billion annually on defense with ZERO accountability! Shai Assad, former Defense Department contract negotiator Assad said the Pentagon overpays for absolutely everything! What NASA pays under $400 for, the Pentagon pays $10,000. The West is running out of ammunition. Perhaps Lindsey and his Neocon buddies should stop skimming off these contracts and diverting money to overthrow other leaders or to keep the ones they like in power with endless bribes.

For the people, war is only death and destruction. For the Neocon politicians – it’s an endless gravy train for all their clandestine operations.