Tag Archives: U. K. Central Bank Digital Currency

Feb 25 2023

One Year Later, Biden Fails to Unite the World Against Russia. Plus, Week in Review with Michael Tracey | SYSTEM UPDATE #46


Glenn Greenwald Posted originally on Rumble on: Feb 24, 7:00 pm EST

Feb 25 2023

Interview: EVERY WORLD LEADER IS ALL IN ON THIS WAR WITH RUSSIA, THAT MAY INVOLVE CHINA


Armstrong Economics Blog/Armstrong in the Media Re-Posted Feb 25, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

View the video above or click here to watch the latest interview with One Radio Network: “EVERY WORLD LEADER IS ALL IN ON THIS WAR WITH RUSSIA, THAT MAY INVOLVE CHINA”

Feb 25 2023

U.S. Defense Dept Commemorates One-Year Anniversary of Ukraine Conflict with Potential for Further Troops on NATO Eastern Flank


Posted originally on the CTH on February 24, 2023 | Sundance

Following upon the heels of Joe Biden attending a meeting of NATO’s “eastern flank” partners, colloquially known as “the Bucharest-9”, and against the backdrop of China stepping into the picture with “no separation” support for Russia, the Pentagon is noting the anniversary of the Ukraine conflict by indicating additional U.S. troops maybe needed on the NATO eastern flank.

It is important to mention that Ukraine is NOT a NATO country.  The U.S. and Western media tend to avoid noting this uncomfortable fact, but NATO has no obligation to defend Ukraine.  Some might ask why NATO is even involved at all.

With that in mind, France 24 notes there is a possibility of a brigade sized reinforcement group inbound to this region [LINK HERE].  The Pentagon press release is below:

(Pentagon) – […] In response to the most urgent danger to European security since the end of World War II, we have moved swiftly with our allies to further unify and strengthen NATO. The Alliance has bolstered its defenses on the Eastern Flank. Meanwhile, the United States has deployed or extended more than 20,000 additional U.S. forces to Europe and forward-stationed the first permanent U.S. forces on NATO’s Eastern Flank. NATO is more united than ever, and the U.S. commitment to defend every inch of allied territory remains ironclad.

One year into a war of aggression waged by a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, our allies and partners worldwide stand united and resolute. Putin’s reckless, illegal war is not just an all-out assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and a historic threat to European security. It is also a direct attack on the system of rules, institutions, and laws that the world built at such great cost after World War II—a system that rejects aggression and respects the rights of all countries, big and small. (read more)

Feb 24 2023

The Ukraine War has been in the Planning Stage since 2013


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Feb 24, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

From the beginning, the United States provided $5 billion to fund the Ukrainian Revolution in 2014. The US-installed interim government launched the civil war against the Donbas on US instructions. Then in 2014, Obama signed a bill authorizing lethal aid to be provided to Kiev. Then in 2015, NATO Commander General Philip Breedlove favors military aid to Ukraine. The US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, John Kerry, and General Martin Dempsey of the Joint Chiefs agreed.

The West has been planning war against Russia using Ukraine as cannon fodder from the very start. The Neocons are a third party unto themselves. There are both Republicans and Democrats in their ranks. These people want war. They do not know how to exist without an enemy. Communism fell, but that did not matter. It was briefly replaced with the War on Terror. When the hung Saddam Hussein, they looked around and said – Ok who is next? Ah! Russia and then China!

Feb 24 2023

Tucker Carlson Outlines the Biden Plan to Support Ukraine for “As Long as It Takes”


The Biden administration and UniParty congress continues announcing additional tranches in tens-of-billions in U.S. taxpayer funds to support Ukraine.  The total spent or committed now exceeds $100 billion in just one year alone, with no end in sight.  We are funding almost all military operations and the government expenses of Ukraine to include pensions, pay and benefits for Ukrainian officials.

During his opening monologue Thursday, Tucker Carlson outlines the Joe Biden “as long as it takes” policy.  WATCH: 

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February 24, 2023 | Sundance

Feb 24 2023

Biden Pokes Xi – As China and Russia Align Closer, Joe Biden Sends Additional U.S. Troops to Taiwan


Posted originally on the CTH on February 23, 2023 | Sundance

This sounds exactly like something out of the State Dept playbook from an era when the U.S. military had the actual strength to back it up.  However, against the current state of affairs, specifically the U.S. control over the western NATO alliance, sending additional troops to Taiwan just because the U.S. is upset about China and Russia’s relationship, is simply poking the Beijing dragon.

There are approximately 30 U.S. troops in Taiwan on a regular rotating basis. Nothing large or significant.  However, immediately after China and Russia announce there is no distance or limit in their relationship, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration is sending an additional 200 U.S. military troops into Taiwan.

(Via Wall Street Journal) – […] The number of American troops, which has included special-operations forces and U.S. Marines, has fluctuated by a handful during the past few years, according to Defense Department data. The planned increase would be the largest deployment of forces in decades by the U.S. on Taiwan, as the two draw closer to counter China’s growing military power.

[…] The expanded training, both in the U.S. and in Taiwan, is part of a gathering U.S. push to help a close partner prepare to thwart a possible invasion by China. The U.S. officials said the expansion was planned for months, well before U.S.-China relations plummeted anew this month after a suspected Chinese spy balloon traversed North America for more than a week before being shot down by the Air Force.

With a decades-old military buildup gaining momentum, China’s People’s Liberation Army is increasingly engaging in aggressive maneuvers, sending planes and ships near Taiwan. Following Russia’s full-on invasion of Ukraine last year, the Pentagon has redoubled efforts to get Taiwan to adopt what some military specialists call a “porcupine” strategy, focusing on tactics and weapons systems that would make the island harder to assault.

The additional troops will be tasked with training Taiwan forces not only on U.S. weapons systems but on military maneuvers to protect against a potential Chinese offensive, the U.S. officials said. The officials declined to provide other details about the deployment, which hasn’t been previously reported. (read more)

This is not going to change the dynamic of Russia and China in alignment against western NATO policy, but it will likely make Beijing even more determined against U.S. interests.

Yesterday: “Earlier Wednesday, Wang held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “Our ties have continued to develop dynamically, and despite high turbulence in the global arena, we have shown the readiness to speak in defense of each other’s interests,” Lavrov said. Wang responded in kind, underlining Beijing’s focus on deepening ties with Russia — a relationship it has said has “no limits.” (read more)

Why is it whenever there are Democrats in the White House there is always conflict in the world?

Feb 24 2023

NATO Promotes World War Reddit


Posted originally on the CTH on February 23, 2023 | Sundance 

Many people said I was interpreting U.S. foreign policy too literally last year when we first discussed Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh outlining Biden’s geopolitical strategy against Russia {Go Deep}.  However, all of the propaganda constructs around World War Reddit have tripped the signal flares exactly as anticipated.

Now, with increased tensions and hostilities present, we consider this data point as provided by NATO, on the Twitter.  This is not a spoof.  Yes, this is the official messaging platform for NATO on Twitter:

[Source]

Going back to one year ago when Daleep Singh emphasized U.S. foreign policy would be driven by who could “tell a better story.” Daleep Singh sounds like the senior head of a Google Human Resources operation telling the department heads how they need to convey their feelings in order to hire the talent for continued growth in the industry.  This is a direct quote:

Feb 24, 2022 – …”Ultimately, the goal of our sanctions is to make this a strategic failure for Russia; and let’s define a little bit of what that means. Strategic success in the 21st century is not about a physical land grab of territory; that’s what Putin has done.  In this century, strategic power is increasingly measured and exercised by economic strength, by technological sophistication and your story – who you are, what your values are; can you attract ideas and talent and goodwill? And on each of those measures, this will be a failure for Russia.” (link)

February 24, 2022 – Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh boils down geopolitical power to a cultural issue of social likeability.

Let this sink in.

Realize that what he is saying is the strategy leading our foreign policy.

People said I was nuts at the time, when I presented that example of the insanity of cognitive disconnect that exists in the Biden Administration (Western NATO Alliance) worldview.

There’s no way U.S. strategic geopolitical policy would be dumbed down to such a TikTok level, I was told. You are interpreting the policy language too literally they said.

I warned about the potential of this insufferable, Tik Tok (socially inspired), foreign policy outlook to be dangerous.

The majority of the strategic geopolitical world doesn’t operate on these western constructs of ‘feelings’ and sensitive values. The majority of the world is a construct of individual nations looking out for their self-interest. It is cold, brutal and calculated assembly prone to influence based on strength, not expressive feelings and emotions intended to influence values.

Now, look at that NATO message again, knowing the policy construct as it comes from the U.S. State Dept and CIA operation is essentially a pantomime, a script, complete with timed air raid sirens, lighting and optical illusions.

We are closer to expanded war than people realize. Not because an unsufferable NATO alliance is manipulating events in Ukraine under the auspices of World War Reddit, But rather because that same collective alliance is filled with weakness.

A NATO alliance strategy based on fiction, women defense ministers, fictitious images, wokeism as a military priority, diversity, equity, feelings and a worldview that is transparently silly.

As Mike Tyson said, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

Producer: Victoria Nuland, Director: Anthony Blinken, Screenplay: Jake Sullivan

[CTH Twitter Thread Here]

Feb 24 2023

Hungary’s Viktor Orban Does Not Want to Participate in Western Effort to Escalate War Against Russia…


Posted originally on the CTH on February 23, 2023 | Sundance 

… and because of that, he’s now a bigger target than ever.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is not willing to join the NATO alliance in pushing further escalation of war against Russia.

Now, we begin to connect the dots, see the bigger picture and understand exactly why Samantha Power is running an operation inside Hungary with the unspoken intent of destabilizing the Hungarian population against the government.

(Via Daily Mail) – Hungary’s far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban snubbed Wednesday’s meeting in Warsaw with President Joe Biden and the other Bucharest Nine leaders after insisting Donald Trump was the only person who could broker peace with Vladimir Putin.

Orban has been an outlier on the war in Ukraine, chiding the European Union for prolonging the conflict and saying in October that only former U.S. President Donald Trump could negotiate a deal between the Ukrainians and Russians to end the conflict.

‘This is going to sound brutal, but hope for peace goes by the name of Donald Trump,’ Orban said at the time, arguing Biden wasn’t the man for the job because he has ‘gone too far’ in calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a ‘war criminal.’ (read more)

Follow the bouncing ball of consequence….  TWO WEEKS AGO:

Hungary has been in the crosshairs of the Biden/Obama administration ever since Prime Minister Viktor Orban refused to align with the WEF Western Democracies in their quest for regime change in Russia.  As the NATO led western alliance assembled to use Ukraine as a proxy war against Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban would not join.

In early April 2022, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was overwhelmingly reelected {LINK}, despite the massive efforts against him by the European Union, western and euro-centric multinational globalists.   As a result of the victory, Brussels was furious at the Hungarian people.  Associated Press – […] “Orban — a fierce critic of immigration, LGBTQ rights and “EU bureaucrats” — has garnered the admiration of right-wing nationalists across Europe and North America.” (link)

Within the statements reported from his 2022 victory speech, Prime Minister Orban warned citizens of the NATO and western allied countries about the manipulation of Ukraine and how he views the Zelenskyy regime:  […] “while speaking to supporters on Sunday, Orban singled out Zelenskyy as part of the “overwhelming force” that he said his party had struggled against in the election — “the left at home, the international left, the Brussels bureaucrats, the Soros empire with all its money, the international mainstream media, and in the end, even the Ukrainian president.” (link)

This put Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the crosshairs of the western alliance, specifically the EU and U.S. bureaucrats who use their power, position and intelligence apparatus to manipulate foreign nations.  A year later and now we see USAID Administrator Samantha Power in Hungary openly discussing her seeding of the NGO’s and political activist systems in order to generate yet another color revolution. {Direct Rumble Link} – WATCH:

Samantha Power, the wife of Cass Sunstein, is well known as the Obama/Biden administration’s advance operative who uses her position in U.S. government to influence activism in targeted nations. Hungary is now a target.

See the construct?

Feb 23 2023

Biden & Putin Duel with Words


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Feb 22, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

President Vladimir Putin shot down the balloons claiming he would declare war on NATO, martial law in Russia, or announce a new major wave of military mobilization because Russia is losing. What is really sad is to find the total lack of any unbiased account from any mainstream media around the world whatsoever proving that the media is all behind this agenda to create World War III. They have been given instructions from their respective governments and how dare they offer any actual investigative analysis.

Most are reporting that Putin has merely recycled the same lines about his rationale for invading Ukraine nearly one year ago. They have ignored the entire Minsk Agreement or the fact that Zelensky told the press the day before the invasion on February 23rd, 2022 that Ukraine would no longer be neutral and was preparing to rearm itself with nuclear weapons. We invaded Iraq claiming that was what Saddam was doing when he made no such public statement.

They all pretty much reported that Putin offered no vision of how the war he launched might end. They have exonerated everyone in the West and Zelensky as some savior of Democracy when he outlaws all criticism of him at home and orders the Donbas will no longer be part of the Russian Orthodox Church but be subservient to his new Patriarch of Kyiv.

Putin’s only measured response was to announce that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty. Even that was merely a formal statement for he then said that Russia would not start testing nuclear weapons unless the United States did first.

What I have been reporting from reliable sources is that the view in Russia has shifted from a war with Ukraine to a war against the United States and NATO. Putin said:

“The US and NATO openly state that their goal is the strategic defeat of Russia,”
He added. “And what, after that are we just supposed to let them to travel around our (nuclear) facilities?”

“They want to inflict a strategic defeat on us and climb all over our nuclear facilities,” Putin said.

“So I’d like to make the announcement today that Russia is suspending its participation in the START Treaty.”

Still, Putin is not the war-monger that the Western Press is told to print. He has had 30 years to invade Europe and has not. The Russian people are not interested in conquering Europe. This is old Neocon propaganda stories that have been pushing the entire theory of Regime Change all along. They objected to Reagan’s meeting with Gorbachev and claimed back then that it was a trap and that Gorbachev should not be trusted.

Putin has demonstrated that he was not looking for World War III and made it clear that Russia is not withdrawing from the treaty entirely, only suspending participation. We must not forget that it was the United States claiming neutrality while sending arms to Britain using passenger ships that got the US into WWI. NATO and the US are by no means neutral, this entire Ukrainian War was begun in 2014 by the US’s interim unelected government in Kyiv which began the civil war and sent troops to invade the Donbas in 2014.

Joe Biden seems to actually think he will be running in 2024. The display for him in Poland with all the lights was clearly a ploy from Roman times and the light coming from the head of Sol to save the Roman Empire in its time of desperate need during the reign of Aurelian 270-275AD who built the Wall Around Rome to hold off the barbarian invasions. The Rays of light were to symbolize the Roman god Sol, the Sun, who rose every day and was thus invincible (SOL INVICTUS).

Even the Statue of Liberty used the same symbol – INVICTUS. Interestingly, this paved the way for Christianity for even our Christmas Day was the feast day of Sol. The lights behind Biden were deliberately placed for the very same message, that we will be INVINCIBLE. Biden was pitching his reelection in 2024 as well. He declared:

“The decisions we make over the next five years or so are going to determine and shape our lives for decades to come.” In that sense, he is correct. This will be a major war like no other before and it will indeed reshape the future. But the victory lap before the battle is typical to boost morale and convince people they are about to die for a very good cause.

Biden added: “The choice between chaos and stability, between building and destroying, between hope and fear, between democracy, [which] lifts up the human spirit, and the brutal hand of the dictator who crushes it.” All of this is propaganda. Putin is no more a dictator than any other world leader. In fact, we all live in a real dictatorship for Republics are the worst form of government ever conceived. Biden has never allowed the people to vote on this war. We are to die with no right to even object to this war.

The bias of the press is just amazing. Even Bloomberg wrote: “Putin falsely blamed the West for starting the conflict and said the Kremlin wouldn’t be the first to test nuclear weapons.” They simply refuse to even state the truth about anything. They ignore the fact that the West agreed to the Minsk settlement only to buy time confirming the West wants this war. The press all have their orders – whip up the people for World War III. The truth no longer matters.

Biden declared that Russia would never win the war and never addressed Putin’s remarks about suspending the treaty. He also threatened China declaring that he will sanction every company that supports Putin’s invasion. Biden has failed to consider any honoring of the Minsk Agreement and Xi Jinping has been trying to broker peace but Biden will have nothing to do with any peace agreement – he is reading his teleprompter and only wants war.

Biden has decreed all of this because the Neocons behind the curtain are demanding war – the ultimate goal they have been seeking since they stood against Ronald Reagan even talking with Gorbachev. They have opposed any relationship with Russia. They imposed sanctions on the export of pipe ever since Russia and Germany came to an agreement back in 1955.

Feb 23 2023

Russia and China Heavily Promote Strong Ties as Western NATO Alliance Expand Larger War Pressure


Posted originally on the CTH on February 22, 2023 | Sundance 

I wrote about distinct data points in the last 24 hours {SEE HERE] that lean toward direct NATO hostile activity against Russia.   Joe Biden might be saying that Ukraine flags are hanging from homes in small town America (major propaganda footing), but the overwhelming majority of Americans do not support an expanded war.

Russia is preparing.  Today, high level officials from China and Russia held talks in Moscow and they were not hiding their unity of purpose in an alliance that would oppose western NATO engagement.  When Beijing allows the panda mask to fall, the dragon message underneath it, “a relationship with no limits,” should be reviewed very carefully.  The AP has some good color on the Moscow meeting.

(Via AP) Russia and China showcased their deepening ties Wednesday in meetings others are watching for signs that Beijing might offer the Kremlin stronger support for its war in Ukraine.

The visit by Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s most senior foreign policy official, to Moscow comes as the conflict in Ukraine continues to upend the global diplomatic order.

Relations between Russia and the West are at their lowest point since the Cold War, and ties between China and the U.S. are also under serious strain. Moscow suspended its participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty with Washington this week. And the U.S. expressed concern that China could provide arms and ammunition to Russia.

Speaking at the start of talks with Wang, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed ties between the two countries and added that the Kremlin expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Russia.

The Russian leader, whose own rule over Russia is imperiled by the war, noted escalating international tensions, adding that “in this context, cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the global arena is particularly important for stabilizing the international situation.”

While Wang said “Chinese-Russian relations aren’t directed against any third countries and certainly can’t be subject to pressure from any third countries,” the specter of the war and how it has galvanized the West and deepened its divide with Russia hung over his meeting with Putin.

For instance, Wang emphasized that Moscow and Beijing both support “multipolarity and democratization of international relations” — a reference to their shared goal of countering the perceived U.S. dominance in global affairs.

Earlier Wednesday, Wang held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “Our ties have continued to develop dynamically, and despite high turbulence in the global arena, we have shown the readiness to speak in defense of each other’s interests,” Lavrov said.

Wang responded in kind, underlining Beijing’s focus on deepening ties with Russia — a relationship it has said has “no limits.” (read more)

China is never going to tell U.S. diplomats that Beijing will support Russia in the war.  That’s not the way the panda messaging works.

Officially, China will present themselves as the high-road traveler, saying every effort for peace should be the focus.  However, the interests of China, which is the real motive of the Beijing dragon, are much better positioned if the U.S. and western alliance decide to engage in war against Russia.

All of those advanced mineral, oil and energy investments by China become exponentially more valuable if Team Windmill goes to war against Russia. All of those U.S. multinational corporate assets currently held in Chinese manufacturing investments, will become outright property of the CCP if the U.S. goes into direct conflict with Russia.

The western NATO alliance (+ Japan and Australia) could certainly benefit from war to avoid the currency collapse looming as a result of excessive COVID spending combined with the Build Back Better energy policy shift.  However, the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as well as Iran and Saudi Arabia have already been roleplaying and positioning a currency replacement for OPEC+ (which includes Russia).

There’s nothing in the current geopolitical landscape to pull the NATO alliance away from increasing hostilities, and there’s nothing in the geopolitical outlook of China which precludes them from siding with Russia if the conflict does break out.  In addition, no nation plays the passive-aggressive panda mask game as good as China… AND they’ve got North Korea to use as a controlled scapegoat arms broker.

Nothing in this scenario of the Chinese panda hugging Russia gives any optimism toward less likely World War III.  It’s all bad.

Making matters worse, the one ingredient that could stop these war drums is respect.  Do you think Chairman Xi and President Putin respect the cunning geopolitical strategy of Joe Biden?   Of course not.  No more than they respect Justin Trudeau or any other EU political leader representing their collective woke ideology.

Take respect out of the war dynamic and you lose the emergency brake.