Someone get NATO a tissue!
by Pepe Escobar
source:
http://rt.com/op-edge/254213-nato-eu-russia-economy-swift/
http://russia-insider.com/en/why-nato-terrified-russia/6359
The twin-pronged attack – oil price war/raid on the ruble – aimed at destroying the Russian economy and place it into a form of Western natural resource vassalage has failed.
Natural resources were also essentially the reason for reducing Iran to a Western vassalage. That never had anything to do with Tehran developing a nuclear weapon, which was banned by both the leader of the Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
The ‘New Great Game’ in Eurasia was always about control of the Eurasian land mass. Minor setbacks to the American elite project do not mean the game will be restricted to a mere “war of attrition”. Rather the contrary.
All about PGS
In Ukraine, the Kremlin has been more than explicit there are two definitive red lines. Ukraine won’t join NATO. And Moscow won’t allow the popular republics of Donetsk and Lugansk to be crushed.
We are coming closer to a potentially explosive deadline – when EU sanctions expire in July. An EU in turmoil but still enslaved to NATO – see the pathetic “Dragoon Ride” convoy from the Baltics to Poland or the “Atlantic Resolve” NATO show-off exercise – may decide to expand them, and even try to exclude Russia from SWIFT.
Only fools believe Washington is going to risk American lives over Ukraine or even Poland. Yet let’s plan a few steps ahead. If it ever comes to the unthinkable – a war between NATO and Russia in Ukraine – Russian defense circles are sure of conventional and nuclear superiority on sea and land. And the Pentagon knows it. Russia would reduce NATO forces to smithereens in a matter of hours. And then would come Washington’s stark choice: accept ignominious defeat or escalate to tactical nuclear weapons.
The Pentagon knows that Russia has the air and missile defense capabilities to counter anything embedded in the US Prompt Global Strike (PGS). Simultaneously though, Moscow is saying it would rather not use these capabilities.
Major General Kirill Makarov, Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces’ deputy chief, has been very clear about the PGS threat. Moscow’s December 2014 new military doctrine qualifies PGS as well as NATO’s current military buildup as the top two security threats to Russia.
Unlike non-stop Pentagon/NATO bragging/demonizing, what Russian defense circles don’t need to advertise is how they are now a couple of generations ahead of the US in their advanced weaponry.
The bottom line is that while the Pentagon was mired in the Afghanistan and Iraq quagmires, they completely missed Russia’s technological jump ahead. The same applies to China’s ability to hit US satellites and thus pulverize American ICBM satellite guidance systems.
The current privileged scenario is Russia playing for time until it has totally sealed Russia’s air space to American ICBMs, stealth aircraft and cruise missiles – via the S-500 system.
This has not escaped the attention of the British Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) – as it gamed sometime ago whether Washington might launch a first strike against Russia.According to the JIC, Washington might go rogue if “a) an extreme government were to take over in the United States, b) and there was increased lack of confidence by the United States in some if not all of her Western allies owing to political developments in their countries, c) and there was some sudden advance in the USA in the sphere of weapons, etc. that the counsels of impatience may get the upper hand.”
US ‘Think Tankland’ spinning that Russian military planners should take advantage of their superiority to launch a first strike nuclear attack against the US is bogus; the Russian doctrine is eminently defensive.
Yet that does not exclude Washington doing the unthinkable the next time the Pentagon thinks of itself to be in the position Russia is now in.
SWIFT changes
The whole game used to be about who ruled the waves – the geopolitical gift the US inherited from Great Britain. Control of the seas meant the US inheriting five empires; Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands. All those massive US carrier task forces patrolling the oceans to guarantee “free trade” – as the hegemonic propaganda machine goes – could be turned against China in a flash. It’s a mechanism similar to the carefully choreographed “leading from behind” financial op to simultaneously crash the ruble/launch an oil war and thus smash Russia into submission.
Washington’s master plan remains deceptively simple; to “neutralize” China by Japan, and Russia by Germany, with the US backing its two anchors, Germany and Japan. Russia is the de facto only BRICS nation blocking the master plan.
This was the case until Beijing launched the New Silk Road(s), which essentially mean the linking of all Eurasia into a “win-win” trade/commerce bonanza on high-speed rail, and in the process diverting freight tonnage overland and away from the seas.
So NATO’s non-stop Russia demonizing is in fact quaint. Think about NATO picking a fight against the constantly evolving, complex Russia-China strategic partnership. And in a not so remote future, as I indicated here, Germany, Russia and China have what it takes to be the essential pillars of a fully integrated Eurasia.
As it stands, the key shadow play is Moscow and Beijing silently preparing their own SWIFT system while Russia prepares to seal its air space with S-500s. Western Ukraine is doomed; leave it to the austerity-ravaged EU – which, by the way, doesn’t want it. And all this while the same EU tries to handicap the US commercially with a rigged euro that still doesn’t allow it to penetrate more US markets.
As for an irrelevant NATO, all it can do is cry, cry, cry.
As usual Pepe Escobar nails it. Fundamentally, though, I think the Western leaders, like all bullies, are cowards. They won’t dare to launch a direct attack on Russia or China. However, they have plenty of asymmetric options in places like the central asian ‘stans, Syria, Iran and now Yemen. This will try to destablize and paralyze Russia and China by formenting internal and external chaos for both countries. Whether this will lead to a global nuclear conflagration is very possible within the next five years. I believe that thats as long as it will take for either side to gain a decisive upper hand. So the decisive moves by each side must occur within that time frame. Unfortunately it is likely that we are living in very interesting times.
O U T :
full scale war with Russia/China
I N :
target assassinations, Charlie Hebdos, 9/11s, fake-beheading, false-flags without end, CIA infiltration of anything and everything, mayhem, more Holocaust museums, relentless media-bullshit, “experiments” with martial law, American Sniper 2, 3, 4 and 5, etc.
I think full scale thermonuclear war is very much on the cards. Not because either side wants it, but because the Empire’s increasing desperation is leading it to create a very dangerous international situation. Attacks like Charlie Hebdo, false flags ISIS are relevant only in so far as they can be used as pretexts for pressure escalation on Russia-China or even for war. In and of themselves they are only useful in terrorizing western populations and so keeping them in line. They do not by themselves influence the trajectory of global events.
9/11 was a paradigm shift.
‘They’ need another one now.
I wonder…
We have not one but two great Pepe’s.Pepe Muhica and Pepe Escobar. We are rich people, we are rich.
Russia and China are unique targets that present problems for NATO and the US government.
Both were former Communist societies. They understand their people and the strength of their people.
Targets that get overthrown easily by color revolution and destabilization are nations or regimes where there is no history of true united struggle, be it fighting invaders and/or dealing with terrible economic circumstances for prolonged periods.
Whenever the machinery of attack is unleashed on a typical target nation, the society fractures and disintegration of the center of power results. This could not happen to Russia. NATO knows it must decapitate the government, not just rid Putin, but many others in the government and military. Basically, a nuclear war is the only way to deal with Russia.
China is even more difficult to try to defeat. Its leadership is collective. Too many targets.
Ideologically, temperamentally, NATO desires defeating Russia. But it is a pipe dream.
Every month Russia gets militarily stronger, more impossible to attack.
and I hope you’re right too !!
Ann,
Greeting. knowing a little and loving the long History of Russia, Red Ryder is right, it’s a pipe dream, and that reminds me the rules of the military genius Marshal Montgomery
Rule number 1, “Do not march on Moscow”. Various people have tried it, Napoleon and Hitler, and it is no good.
Rule number 2 “Do not go fighting with your land armies in China”. It is a vast country, with no clearly defined objectives.
Let’s get not overexcited. During the Yeltsin years we saw how easily it was to take Russia down. A weak leader (like we have in Western countries throughout) is enough – the Financial-Mafia will do the rest.
Actually, the west missed its golden opportunity to take Russia down during Yeltsin. He was a horrible leader, but he bought Russia some much needed time and breathing space. Ironically.
Even Bill Clinton got duped by Yeltsin’s drunken buffoon act. And Bill Clinton is VERY smart.
Clinton is an embarrassment to America on many different counts.
Clinton ‘s a dick that uses cigars for sex.
Yeltsin was a first class traitor and a drunk. Why do you think he got kicked out and the oligarchs got controlled and checked?
Because Russia woke up to the threat.
After I finished my coffee early this morning, I stared, for what looked like eternity, at the crumpled tea leaves, that rocked softly back and forth in the tiny puddle at the bottom of my cup.
Then it dawned on me; for whatever odd reason, the countries that are
Beijingbeing demonized today, actually will benefit all of mankind in the foreseeable future. Both Russia and China are after peace and prosperity for everyone [in general], whereas FUKUS thrives on self perpetuating conflicts and fanning the flames of any conflict imaginable.Not a conflict?
Send in the NGOs to do what they do best; bring along crayons and start another color coded revolution [no questions asked, please].
Having grown up with the ‘Commies are bad’ adagio, I’m at a crossroad in my life, I never thought possible to reach or be at. Yet here I am and I actually like what I’m seeing.
Yes, you’re absolutely right, both China and Russia have many issues I don’t agree with, but at least, they don’t shove everything they believe in, in my face and tell me to ‘act accordingly.. or else…”
I feel like I’ve got room to breathe again…
@ Vineyard Moderator – B.H.
As an impressionable child, I really believed that ducking and diving under a table would save me.
Only later on in life, you realize that the same footage contains images of entire structures being ripped apart by the scorching, nuclear blast, the very one I’m hiding from…
C’mon you two. Pack it in. You’re getting too close to why people gravitate to the Saker blog and everyone will start crying in a minute.
PS. I think you nailed something there DR that a lot of people cannot express.
Hey Daniel, what time does that train for Russia leave? See you on it!
The Russian railtracks are different from the West’s. Trains cannot adjust.
Actually the trains can adjust. You have to wait at the border while they change wheels. I’ve taken many pleasant train rides from Ukraine to Poland. ;)
I know. But having to give up your wheels and replace them with others is not pleasant.
VGA:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_gauge
this happens all the time.
cheers
VGA:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_gauge
this happens all the time.
cheers
Great comments! Spot on!
Well said!!
Magic tea leaves at the bottom of your coffee??
Who cares, as long as it works!
I was shamed.
I saw us use neo-nazi’s in Croatia in the 90’s. Fool me once, shame on you.
I saw us use an actual WW2 nazi-allied soldier in Bosnia in the 90’s. Fooled me twice, shame on me.
When I saw us use the political and ideological heirs of the Waffen SS / Banderite genocidal maniacs in the Ukraine to unconstitutionally overthrew a democratically elected government in the heart of “civilized Europe” and launch a war of aggression against the half of the Ukraine who saw their electoral victories at the ballot box reversed by sniper bullets, there was no fooling left to be done. The curtain was lifted and Oz fully revealed for the world to see.
And the battle joined.
I’ve been a Russophile since about age 7 or so. Yeah, I went through that “duck and cover” crap too but never bought into it.
My reasons were childish: how could the US be so mean to a country that produced the likes of Thaikovsky, Tolstoy, Pavlova, etc?
When I was in college studying French, I hung out at the library reading Soviet Life.
Still a Russophile after 60 years.
I remember sitting in the Kremlin Park in ’88 watching Gorby’s entourage emerge and I was so thrilled.
Then he gave away the farm.
“SWIFT changes”
According to zerohedge in March 2015
“not only did SWIFT NOT kick Russia out… but they announced that they were actually giving a BOARD SEAT to Russia.
This is basically the exact opposite of what the US government was pushing for.”
and on top of that
“the Chinese are busy putting together their own version of it called CIPS.
CIPS stands for the China International Payment System; it’s intended to be a direct competitor to SWIFT, and a brand new way for global banks to communicate and transact with one another in a way that does NOT depend on the United States.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-12/wests-plan-drop-russia-swift-hilariously-backfires
Why is China supporting the bankers? They are behind all that is going on… Did I miss something???
How else can companies, or nations, clear international trade?
The idea is to bypass the US dollar,not support bankers per se.
The US dollar has been used as a weapon!,which is unacceptable to many nations.
Like BNP Paribas,fined 9 billion USD for sanctions busting trades.
Most modern day countries were not in existance in 1944 when the US was given *world* reserve currency status.
Since 1971 the US has constantly abused it’s “exorbitant privilege” and the world is sick of the US…..
I hope that helps.
When China, Russia and a host of other resistance nations depart from the Basel headquarted Bank for International Settlements and form their own “central bank of central banks” outside the orbit of the western financial parasites, only THEN shall we know that the future prosperity of mankind is in the right hands.
So we see US/Nato supporting a usurping neo-NAZI regime in Kiev against a southeastern rebellion wishing to retain their language and culture while in the Middle East the US/Nato are supporting and fighting alongside organ-eating Islamic fundamentalists waring over Syria and a legitimately elected government (well, as much as Ukraine’s government is legally elected).
And the mainstream media plays its PR propaganda part in managing this clear duplicity. Here is a classic example from Reuters: “(Reuters) – Hardline Islamists fighting side-by-side with groups backed by the United States have made gains in northern Syria in recent weeks while showing rare unity, which some fear may be short-lived….”.
Eh???
In a plain-English summary: basically US supports Al-Qaeda (and worse) in fight to over-through Syria’s Assad and establish a post-Nato Libyan style State-of-Chaos.
The link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/us-syria-crisis-opposition-islamists-idUSKBN0NL21620150430
The wahhabi cult groups in the middle east and north Africa are like a zombie army for the US (suicide bombings ect)
Neo-Nazi street gangs gaining power in Europe. Another zombie army there.
Japan in the pivot on Asia?
The West is the very best in organising idiots.
U.S. doing the same in Yemen; as was done in Vietnam and Nicaragua, the U.S.always against people’s revolutions and supporting the authoritarian dictatorships and neo-nazis as in Ukraine. Proxies like ISIL and Al-queda do the U.S. bidding.
“Moscow, May 2 (AFP) Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified an accord today to set up a USD 100-billion reserve fund for the so-called BRICS — the five leading emerging economies that include Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa….
“The accord on the creation of a common reserve fund for BRICS countries has been ratified,” a document from the Kremlin quoted by RIA Novosti news agency said.
The fund is meant to shield the BRICS against “short-term liquidity pressures” and promote greater cooperation between the five member countries.
Russia — which has suffered huge currency fluctuations since the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine — sees the fund as an alternative to international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank that are dominated by the United States.
The BRICS countries between them account for 40 per cent of the world’s population, and a fifth of the planet’s GDP.”
http://www.niticentral.com/2015/05/03/russia-signs-up-to-usd-100-billion-brics-fund-to-rival-imf-311693.html
BRICS and AIIB is a NEW world financial infrastructure NOT just a backup! British Empire City of London Crown Wall Street Dutch Roman Babylon Empire us finally near finished!
Unfortunately, the situation is Brazil is not so good, as there is an attempt at ‘color revolution’ there at the moment, in the form of an impeachment movement against the elected President Dilma Rousseff, promoted by the dangerous mainstream media. The president has been accused of all sorts of things – corruption, armed robbery, ‘gangsterism’, you name it. It is disgusting – an unbelievable slander campaign in the MSM and in social networks, brainwashing the people and making them turn against their own interests…
President Rousseff seems to be confident; however, some political analysts are doubtful and fear a coup. One thing is for sure: the government of the PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores) has been sitting on the wall for many years, and lost a few opportunities to make more fundamental changes and gain more power among the citizens. But, having said that, the balance of power in the government has never been at their side – a sign of depoliticization and absence of a nationalist spirit, which also explain corruption among them. It is a terrible situation.
The government has, however, done a good job in foreign policy, perhaps recognizing that little can be done in Brazil if the international situation does not change…
We need a Portuguese Saker,pronto.
Russia more or less has what every country on earth wants. WIth a package of nuclear technology, weapons guaranteed to repell Americans, and every natural resource to support such industries, along with China’s massive labor force that is excellent of doing “good enough” construction projects; it’s obvious why most countries are joining AIIB, SCO, etc.
Unless the Russians and Chinese change their strategies later on, it appears that their militaries are used as domestic rapid reaction forces, with forces abroad doing occasional rescue missions (Yemen) and critical infrastructure protection (Chinese). The Russian military, and probably the Chinese, too, prioritize capturing everything intact, so even if they did have expansionist policies in the future, it would probably be executed like the Crimean campaign.
Once the Russia-China-World alliance accelerates, they will have to either abandon or buy the US. With 4% of the world population turning 25% of the world’s resources into garbage, they will not be able to afford the existence of the US. The US has nothing to offer. Depleted oil, collapsing infrastructure, dangerous weather patterns, a suicidal, diseased, physically incapable, zombified population; it might just be best for the world to let the Americans go down in flames, let it go fallow for a few years, and salvage the scrap later on.
NATO is still in Nixon’s madman doctrine. They are bluffing and are thinking about their pensions. Some of them might be thinking of resigning a bit early, though, to run away to their private resorts somewhere. If they are serious about taking Russia, there are still other options for them besides nuclear war.
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2005/01/scenario_cheche.html
Remember that the Americans are training a Ukrop sabotage detachment to ruin infrastructure. No industrial power can withstand sustained attacks on its infrastructure. There may come a time where the Americans decide to lose the NGOs and Color revolutions and send in deep cover sabotage units. Thousands of miles of natural gas pipes, oil pipes, power lines, water lines, communications being routinely attacked could easily derail the Chinese-Russian world alliance. S-500s can be made irrelevant if the economy producing doesn’t have the required electricity. SWIFT alternatives mean nothing when their fiber optic trunks are routinely severed. Of course, the same thing could be used against the Americans.
World War three could easily end up being a bunch of people simply breaking things.
The basic problem with such an approach? Retaliation. Including targeting the individuals who are giving the orders for mass sabotage, or at least hitting their proxies right in front of them. Let’s just say Russia has capabilities that the CIA, used to adversaries of the Islamo sort in recent years, would not expect. And keep in mind even Al-Qaeda/Taliban managed to carry out multiple ‘blue on blue’ or ‘behind the wire’ attacks, most infamously the suicide bombing that killed several CIA operatives in Afghanistan by a previously trusted Afghan officer.
I don’t need to give the Homeland Stasi or NSA monitoring this site (perhaps on their lunch breaks during the graveyard shift at Ft. Meade) any ideas by getting into specifics. But suffice to say, if Vympel Spetsnaz were unleashed on Kiev, or even just Mariupol or Kharkov Avakov, Parubiy and co would all suddenly inexplicably take ‘extended vacations’ to Switzerland or wherever. In short, they’d be terrified. Because they are cowards. Parubiy wasn’t even standing in the open or personally shooting back on the Maidan square, and that was in a case when he knew the snipers were on ‘his side’ while they shot both sides. Parubiy couldn’t even have he and his men take a few token shots at the snipers to make the false flag look more convincing. That’s how big of a coward he is. Just like all those Right Sector commanders like Yarosh who get unconvincing flesh wounds before the cauldron shut at Debaltsevo or near Donetsk Airport. When the s–t gets hot, these minions don’t consider themselves to be nearly as dispensable as the fools who follow them.
FSB has been good thus far at stopping the SBU trained saboteurs in Crimea. Having lots of local eyes and ears and an intelligent, alert population like those in Russia, Crimea and Donbass.
FSB has been good at stopping and/or pursuing terrorist attacks on symbolic targets, police, soldiers, schools, etc. Stopping attacks on infrastructure? Not so much. Too much distance to cover. Too remote. Too centralized. And too expensive to protect. Chechen insurgents had good results in the past and few were captured or killed.
If the Americans can find talent, which seems to be a problem, then all of the physical infrastructure that the China-Russian-World alliance relies on can be put out of commission as long as the attackers want. You can send all of the spetsnaz you want after the repair crews are done, but the attackers will be long gone. If they’re doing it the way its suppose to be done, that is. Escobar is wrong to think that NATO is just going to cry.
Also, if the Americans are training infrastructure saboteurs the way they are supposed to be trained, they are likely training them to operate without any constant supervision. Their campaign is planned in advance before anything is actually attacked. The trainees will likely be taught how to identify targets as per CARVER, will be able to plan and execute planned actions with or without an intact leadership. One cell attacks important oil pipelines in remote areas over a specific period of time. Another handles gas pipelines. Another rail lines. Phone lines. Water mains, etc. Of course, this strategy can also be used by the NAF or Russians against Kiev/Americans. Because of global economic integration and MAD, I think neither side will do something like this. But if right sector is a rogue unit that will do what it pleases, then it is a possibility.
If they are in fact cowards, or at least not good at attacking armed people (strong points), it would be all the more reason for the Americans to get proxy armies to focus on disrupting networks (weak points). Machines and material don’t shoot back, and causing disruptions to the infrastructure of the Russian economy will do far, far more than attacking civilians with artillery.
Escobar has been good at writing about deal making that doesn’t invlove the US. But he doesn’t appear to have much of a grasp on military strategy. He seems in this instance to be stuck on comparing this-or-that piece of equipment another, but war isn’t that simple.
Of course America will engage in terror attacks to destabilize Eurasia.
It is a shock when USA doesn’t wage terror campaigns.
For instance, the United States of America has been guilty of terrorist acts against Cuba for half a century.
Fifty years of US terrorism against Cuba
http://www.voltairenet.org/article132624.html
This includes America’s use of biowarefare weapons like spreading swine flu in Cuba.
Yet, in typically Orwellian American fashion, the United States has listed Cuba on its list of terror states.
Think about that for a second.
The world’s leading terrorist nation, the United States of America, has the arrogance to put Cuba on its terrorist list–and more outrageously, to appoint itself the leader of a “War against Terrorism.”
American terrorism is nothing new.
Terrorism is as American as baseball and apple pie.
as far as the States ‘going rogue’ that’s tactical terminology…I heard that a released CIA document talked about a power play where the politicians play ‘gone rogue’ to scare and subjugate their ‘partners’…
well, Pepe’s take is cheerful…kind of in his temperament I think. All I can say is, “I hope you’re right”.
Makes sense and as per …
http://WWW.larouchepac.com
Nato is an obvious fake, thats been proven in Ukraine! They are useless then they meet real soldiers as they do in Lugansk. Nato is more like an terroristorganisation than a military alliance.
Nato is an expensive fake! Notice every Nato mainstream media story has a little footnote comment attached reading something like “… and you EU guys need to pay up more $$$s for the service!”.
It’s basically a protection racket to support the employment of poor grunts at home and feed untold imaginary ‘QE’ funds into a military and congressional complex spanning the various marginal seats of government. Here I differ a little from Pete E: ‘Breedlove’ is really ‘breed fear’ (although hate comes in as well as a derivative effect).
Dangerous triumphalism.
This is all wrong.
Nato is redundant unless you believe Russia is a threat to Europe.
Europe was becoming persuaded that not only Russia is not a threat, but that Nato was an unpleasant organisation to have in Europe. Europe wanted to replace it with an EU defence force.
The US finds Nato incredibly useful – an international organisation completely controlled by the US.
So the whole Maidan colour revolution (whoops color revolution) was about creating a credible threat to Europe that would demand the existence of the pointless Nato.
This explains a lot – including the reason why so many anti-Nato voices feel they have to show their anti-Putin side.
The US has achieved its aim – Nato looks save for another 20 years. At great cost to everyone, and at horrendous cost to Ukrainians.
I like how you think.
Roussef is an amazing lady. Its nothing short of miraculous she’s survived as long as she has – and continues to be influential. I have hopes she will prevail.
Brazil is still very much in the grip of it’s feudal class, now allied with the transnational corporate variant exported by the US/Europe.
This article illuminates why the issues Brazil faces are far from unique:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41745.htm
The SBU’s recent behaviour in Odessa was spectacularly crude: ‘terrorist cells’ do not operate in the hundreds, much less openly.
All it’s done is reveal it’s uselessness at gathering Intel and targeting effectively:. If all it can ‘bring to the table’ is squads of goons rounding up pamphleteers, it will soon run out of money.
I predict it will contract and more of its members will follow the money to the fascist battalions.
Which is good, as it increasingly concentrates the fascists into clarified targets.
I am hoping the current situation will streamline and those who are being cast as each others ‘enemies’ will abandon the ‘play’ for a ‘script’ authored for the benefit of the most. ;)
“So NATO’s non-stop Russia demonizing is in fact quaint”
Wait til the masses cotton on to that! Before they do, the humiliation of the aggressors may cause a very nasty reaction, so arm yourselves, ‘put on the armor of God’ all ye, If you get tired of hearing about the armor of God, or of wearing it, look out the window, the sun shines, the white clouds billow across the blue skies, the glorious spring reigns.
Or as I do often, let your eyes wander across the page to that image of the risen Christ, with pale blue aura, and rising above the blue rocks in magnificent silken white robes. What and where is this picture from actually?
What was that I read earlier on this thread about a train to Russia?
Comrade, it is not wise to underestimate or show contempt for the enemy.
Wisdom and humor may may only be mistaken as contempt by those who do not stand in the light.
I used to think Pepe Escobar a rational sarcastic observer.
“Russian defense circles are sure of conventional and nuclear superiority on sea and land. And the pentagon knows it!?”
“As for an irrelevant NATO, all it can do is cry, cry, cry.”
He can’t believe what he wrote, he must have had a few too many on Saturday night.
Both Russia and China are up front about the inclusiveness of their trade projects–Eurasian Union and Silk Roads–in a manner akin to Fair trade, not the Outlaw Empire’s version of the “Free” trade Open Door Corporate Rule crap. Their emphasis on honest relations with no double standards or “Unequal Treaties” encompassing an enforced system of International Law is very attractive to all nations not a part of the enslaved nations of the Outlaw Empire. I think that’s what really has the Outlaw Elite upset given all the lies they’ve told since WW2’s end.
Those who enjoy a good read would do well to peruse “The Wizard of Oz,” since it’s a political tract related to the oligarchical situation during what was known as the Gilded Age from 1880-1914. Then the author’s point can be counterpoised against what Hollywood did to his message in the Judy Garland musical. The Silver versus Gold issue may confuse those unfamiliar with that era’s mainstream media’s attempt to simplify/vilify the Progressive Populists political uprising and other contemporary context.
The Russo-Sino projects are vital as they hold the key to getting a grip on the environmental crisis–a crisis that cannot be dealt with properly because its proper solution is against the Outlaw Empire’s interests as it wants to use its destabilizing aspects to its advantage.
First the west is capitalist and Russia is communist. Now the west is going communist and Russia is capitalist. Could it be would it be……mere coincidence?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjseFAe-Ubg#t=278
How can the Orthodox Church do this?
An Orthodox priest blessing Aidar, Azov, Right Sector… their weapons?
I can imagine that they miss something, when they are busy with upholding lies, which takes a lot of energy. People with such mindsets – to leave it unspecified – can’t fathom that they are not the center of existence.
Realistic people are working to counterbalance hegemony:
Nicaragua approves Russian satellite base for ‘alternative GPS’
Escobar is indulging in triumphalism, which only encourages reckless behaviour on both sides.
He has become a missile gap fantasist. Is the Pentagon paying him for this, or was he drunk?
Do you think that there is no counterbalance developing at all?
The most reckless gamble in human history came in 1962, when a president, who had come to power by vote rigging and a fake “missile gap”, just decided that it was worthwhile to officially reject the Turkey for Cuba deal Khruscev was offering. JFK chose to risk the world just for kicks, just for the sake of humiliating Russia.
The problem is that this decision is today seen as statesmanship; lunacy is praised as “presidential”. If the same “optimism” prevails in Moscow, we are done for.
Bragging of “conventional and nuclear superiority on sea and land” ought to be as embarrassing as denying climate change. Especially when Escobar admits that Russia has “not totally sealed” its air space. Either it is sealed or it isn’t.
You have no idea how pissed off JFK was when he found out Allen Dulles snuck those missiles back into Turkey – the very missiles he ordered removed when he first took office.
That’s how urban legends are created. Allen Dulles resigned after the failed 1961 invasion of Cuba.
JFK had approved the invasion. The missiles had to be withdrawn as obsolete, and were withdrawn.
The “rogue CIA” story is a phantasy; CIA people act for the President or his NSC, and are often more honest than the White House crew.
Wasn’t it s-300 that was supposed to have sealed Russia’s airspace?
What bout the airborne lasers? What protects the airdefence radars from being disabled by lasers?
At the moment I believe lasers are only very short range.
It’s like attacking a group of snipers with a knife. It could be a good sharp knife but there’s a problem. Not to worry the US can throw more billions at another ‘solution’.
What a huge scam the mil complex is.
The S300’s are designed to defend command complex like a nuclear power site, not a CITY. Its rage is also limited to like under 100KM like the pantziers which is even shorter like 60km. This is where the S400 comes in which uses the S300 and longer range of over 200KM missiles and the S500 which covers like over 500KM. You can imagine, those 500 KM range missiles would be HUGE.. Maybe have like 4 to a trailer and cost millions each. Not very effective unless they are after ICBM’s. So you need layered defenses which can track objects upto 2000KM away and engage them at 500KM distance. Depending on what is coming at you, you take them out with the best option for it. You don’t want to throw away those S500 missiles against cruise missiles. The numbers mean more than just a couple of missiles but a system of radars and missiles and command complex. Just like Aegis missile system also uses many different types of missiles and can even take out the ISS. But each command needs to be able to take out the entire arsnel of the enemy so each aegis group needs to defend against 2000 ICBM’s. And now with Russia having ways to fire missiles via the southern poles, the number of aegis ships have to more than double, Quadruple in fact.. Make the other guy go broke trying to defend against your ICBM;s. Russia is also placing missiles on ships in seas which are land locked. But again, it is to make the enemy spend more money trying to defend against it. The costs to defend is far greater than the weapon itself.
In the old days, the practical task of an ABM system was to take down the few enemy missiles that survived your first strike.
Has anything changed, really?
Russia is in the drivers seat, just wait out the USA and know that NATO will not attack Russia. As bad as the NATO propaganda is, NATO has a survival imperative. War with Russia is suicide for the USA and NATO, thus it is not likely. The US debt, social problems and no serious economic plan, the USA is heading down the drain and most of the world understands this. The snake known as America is about to eat its own tail with social unrest and economic collapse. DARPA and RAND know this and have planned accordingly. The plan has been for years to expand the prison industrial complex, militarise the police, build FEMA camps, this has all been done, we inside the empire are just waiting for the shoe to drop.
Unfortunately, a serious war would solve all problems in the US, without the need for FEMA camps.
War may be used to hide economic crisis or even personal crisis, such as the Lewinsky Affair.
In some situations, the players may want an “unbelievably small” war. Gamblers are not rational, their reputation may trump their survival instinct.
Poor Kaiser Franz Joseph only wanted a quick small war; it just got out of hand.
NATO afraid of Russia ??
NATO troops will have a “cake walk” all over Russia. All the way to Vladivostok & they will be welcomed with flowers & vodka by Russian people dancing in the streets with joy at the return of the 90’s Yeltsin democracy & Khordokovsky installed as President of Russia with Kasparov as Prime Minister !
Trust me.
I am a respected western media analyst.
Would I lie to you ?