[Note: this post of mine is temporarily located in the ‘guest section’ because of the current fundraiser. Once the fundraiser is over, I will place it back in the correct section. This analysis was written for the Unz Review. The Saker]
If the first months of 2017 were a time of great hopes following the historical defeat of Hillary Clinton, the year is ending in a sombre, almost menacing manner. Not only has the swamp easily, quickly and totally drowned Trump, but the AngloZionist Empire is reeling from its humiliating defeat in Syria and the Neocons are now treating our entire planet to a never ending barrage of threats. Furthermore, the Trump Administration now has released a National Security Strategy which clearly show that the Empire is in “full paranoid” mode. It is plainly obvious that the Neocons are now back in total control of the White House, Congress and the US corporate media. Okay, maybe things are still not quite as bad as if Hillary had been elected, but they are bad enough to ask whether a major war is now inevitable next year.
If we go by their rhetoric, the Neocons have all the following countries in their sights:
- Afghanistan (massive surge already promised)
- Syria (threats of a US-Israeli-KSA attack; attack on Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria)
- Russia (disconnecting from SWIFT; stealing Russian assets in the USA; attack on Russian forces in Syria)
- Iran (renege on nuclear deal, attack Iranian forces in Syria)
- The Donbass (support for a full scale Ukronazi attack against Novorussia)
- DPRK (direct and overt military aggression; aerial and naval blockade)
- Venezuela (military intervention “in defense of democracy, human right, freedom and civilization”)
There are, of course, many more countries currently threatened by the USA to various degrees, but the seven above are all good candidates for US aggression.
Let me immediately say here that listing pragmatic arguments against such aggressions is, at this point in time, probably futile. If anything, the recent disaster triggered by the US recognition of Jerusalem clearly proves that the USA is run by people as least as stupid and ignorant as they are evil and arrogant, possibly even more so. The sad reality we now live in is one where a nuclear superpower lack the minimal intelligence needed to act in defense of its own national security interests, and that is really frightening.
Last week I took a look at the mindset of what I called the “ideological drone“. If we now look at the mindset of the US national security establishment we will immediately notice that is is almost the exact same as the one of the ideological drone. The biggest difference between them might be that the ideological drone assumes that his/her leaders are sane and most honest people, whereas those in the elites not only know that they are total hypocrites and liars, but they actually see this as a sign superiority: the drones believes in his/her ideology, but his rules believe in absolutely nothing.
Take the example of Syria. All the US decision makers are fully aware of the following facts:
- Daesh/ISIS/al-Nusra/etc is their creation and they tried everything to save these terrorists.
- The joint Russian-Iranian-Hezbollah effort defeated Daesh/ISIS/al-Nusra/etc in-spite of AngloZionist support and attacks in Syrian forces.
- The AngloZionist forces are in Syria completely illegally.
Yet none of that prevents them from claiming that they, not Russia, defeated Daesh/ISIS/al-Nusra/etc. This is absolutely amazing, think of it – the entire planet knows full well what really took place in Syria, but Uncle Sam decrees that black is white, water is dry and what is true is false. And the most amazing thing is that they know that everybody knows, yet they don’t care one bit. Why? Because they profoundly believe in four fundamental things:
- We can buy anybody
- Those we cannot buy, we bully
- Those we cannot bully we kill
- Nothing can happen to us, we live in total impunity not matter what we do
Besides people with intelligence there is another type of people which now has completely disappeared from the US national security establishment: people with honor/courage/integrity. Let’s take a perfect example: Tillerson.
There is no way we can make the argument that Tillerson is an idiot. The man has proven many times over that he is intelligent and quite talented. And yet, he is Nikki Haley’s doormat. Nikki Haley – there is the real imbecile! But not Tillerson. Yet Tillerson lacks the basic honor/courage/integrity to demand that this terminal imbecile be immediately fired or, if that does not happen, to leave and slam the door really loud. Nope, the man just sits there and takes humiliation after humiliation. Oh sure, he will probably resign soon, but when his resignation comes it will have no value, it will be a non-event, just the sad and pathetic conclusion to a completely failed stint as Secretary of State.
The same goes for the US military: not one single officer has found in himself/herself to resign to protest the fact that the USA is deeply in bed with those who are responsible, at least according to the official conspiracy theory, for 9/11. Nope, in fact US special forces are working with al-Qaeda types day in and day out and not a single one of these “patriots” has the honor/courage/integrity to go public about it.
Imbeciles and cowards. I also happen to think that they are traitors to their country and their people. Patriots they are not.
Delusional imbeciles giving orders and dishonorable cowards mindlessly executing them. That is the setup we are dealing with. As Trump would tweet “not good”.
Alas, this is also a very hard combo to deter or to try to reason with.
And yet, somewhere, to some degree, these guys must know that he odds are not in their favor. For one thing, an endless stream of military defeats and political embarrassments ought to strongly suggest to them that inaction is generally preferable to action, especially for clueless people. Furthermore, one simple way to look at risks is to say that risks are a factor of probability times consequences: R = P x C.
I don’t think that US decision-makers actually formally think that way, but on a gut level this is rather straightforward, even for ideological drone types. If we assume that this is the case, we can now revisit our 7 countries listed above as seen by Neocon decision makers (not me! I already outlined how I saw the risks of attacking these countries in this article written this summer):
| Possible/likely consequences | Probability | Risk | |
| Afghanistan (surge) | more body bags | high | low |
| Syria (military intervention & attack on Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria) | Iranian & Hezbollah counter-attacks | high | high |
|
Russia 1 (economic attack: SWIFT & theft of assets)
Russia 2 (shooting of Russian aircraft in Syria) |
non-military response
military response |
high
medium |
unknown for me
medium |
| Iran (renege on nuclear deal) |
non-military response | high | low |
| Donbass (US backed attack on Novorussia) | Russian intervention | medium | low |
| DPRK (attack; blockade) | Nuclear war in Asia | unknown | unknown |
| Venezuela (direct military intervention) | quagmire | high | high |
A couple of points here:
Afghanistan: is rather straightforward and least controversial: there will be a surge in Afghanistan, it will result in more body bags, it will achieve nothing cost a shitload and nobody cares.
Syria: very tempting, but the big risk is this: that US forces will find themselves face to face with Iranian and Hezbollah forces who have been dreaming about this day for decades and who will make maximal political use of the US forces they will capture or kill. Frankly, to engage either the Iranians or Hezbollah is a very scary option. Ask the Israelis :-)
Russia option 1: rumors that the US would disconnect Russia from SWIFT or steal (that is politely called “freeze”) Russian assets and funds in the USA have been going in for a long time already. And the Russians have been making all sorts of menacing noises about this, but all of them very vague which tells me that Russia might not have any good retaliatory options and that this time around the hot air is blowing from Moscow. Of course, Putin is a unpredictable master strategist and the folks around him are very, very smart. They might hold something up their sleeve which I am not aware of but I strongly suspect that, unlike me, the US intelligence community must be fully aware of what this might be. I am not an economist and there is much I don’t know here, I therefore assessed the risk as “unknown” for me.
Russia option 2: the reaction of Russia to the shooting down by Turkey of a SU-24 in 2015 might well have given the US politicians and commanders that they could do the same and get away with it. In truth, they might be right. But they might also be wrong. The big difference with the case of the SU-24 is that Russia has formidable air-defenses deployed in Syria which present a major threat for US forces. Furthermore, if a Russian aircraft is under attack and the Russians reply by firing a volley of ground-to-air missiles, what would the US do – attack a Russian S-400 battery? The USA is also in a tricky situation in an air-to-air confrontation. While the F-22 is an excellent air superiority fighter it has one huge weakness: it is designed to engage its adversaries from a long range and to shoot first, before it is detected (I mention only the F-22 here because it is the only US aircraft capable of challenging the Su-30SM/Su-35). But if the rules of engagement say that before firing at a Russian aircraft the F-22 has to issue a clear warning or if the engagement happens at medium to short range distances, then the F-22 is at a big disadvantage, especially against a Su-30SM or Su-35. Another major weakness of the F-22 is that, unlike the Su-30/Su-35, it does not have a real electronic warfare suite (the F-22’s INEWS does not really qualify). In plain English this means that the F-22 was designed to maximize it’s low radar cross section but at a cost of all other aspects of aerial warfare (radar power, hypermaneuverability, electronic warfare, passive engagement, etc.). This all gets very technical and complicated very fast, but I think that we can agree that the Neocons are unlikely to be very impressed by the risks posed by Russian forces in Syria and that they will likely feel that they can punch the russkies in the nose and that these russkies will have to take it. Local US commanders might feel otherwise, but that is also entirely irrelevant. Still, I place the risk here at ‘medium’ even if, potentially, this could lead to a catastrophic thermonuclear war because I don’t think that the Neocons believe that the Russians will escalate too much (who starts WWIII over one shot down aircraft anyway, right?!). Think of it: if you were the commander of the Russian task force in Syria, what would you do if the US shot down on of your aircraft (remember, you assume that you are a responsible and intelligent commander, not a flag-waving delusional maniac)?
What will not stop is the full-spectrum demonization of Russia, thus the relationship between the two countries will further deteriorate. Putin’s Russia is a kind of Mordor which represents all evil and stands behind all evil. Denouncing and openly hating Russia has now become a form of virtue-signaling. Since the entire US political elites have endorsed this phobia, it is exceedingly unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.
Iran: Trump has announced that he wants out of the deal and while technically and legally he cannot do that, it’s not like he will care one bit. The USA has long given up any pretense at respecting any kind of law, including international law. Also, since Trump is clearly Israel’s shabbos-goy I think that we can safely assume that this will happen.
Donbass: will the Ukronazis finally attack? Well, they have been for many months already! Not only did they never stop shelling the Donbass, but they have this new “frog-jump” (pseudo) strategy which consists of moving in military forces in the neutral zone, seize an undefended town and then declare a major victory against Russia. They have also been re-arming, re-organizing, re-grouping and otherwise bolstering their forces in the East. As a result, the Urkonazis have at least 3:1 advantage against the Novorussians. However, we should not look at this from the Ukronazi or Novorussian point of view. Instead we should look at it from the Neocon point of view:
| Possible outcomes | US reactions |
| Option one: Ukronazis win | Russia is defeated, USA proves it power |
| Option two: Novorussians win | Russia is accused of invading the Ukraine |
| Option three: Novorussians lose and Russia openly intervenes | A Neocon dream come true: the NATO has a purpose again: decades of Cold War v2 in Europe. |
The way I see it, in all three cases the AngloZionist prevail though clearly option #2 is the worst possible outcome and option #3 is the best one. In truth, the AngloZionists have very little to lose in a Ukronazi attack on Novorussia. Not so the Ukrainian people, of course. Right now the USA and several European countries are shipping various types of weapons to the Ukronazis. That is really a non-news since they have been doing that for years already. Furthermore, western made weapons won’t make any difference, at least from a military point of view, if only because it will always be much easier for Russia to send more weapons in any category. The real difference is a political one: shipping “lethal weapons” (as if some weapons were not lethal!) is simply a green light to go on the attack. Let’s hope that the Urkonazis will be busy fighting each other and that their previous humiliating defeat will deter them from trying again, but I consider a full-scale Urkonazi attack on the Donbass as quite likely.
DPRK: that is the big unknown here. With some opponents, you know for an absolute fact that their people will fight down to the very last man if needed (Iranians, Russians, Hezbollah). But authoritarian regimes tend to have a pretty low breaking point unless, of course, they convince their own people that they are not fighting for a specific political regime, but for their country. I think that nobody knows for sure what the North Koreans will do if attacked, but I see no sign to simply assume that the North Koreans won’t fight. From what I hear, the memories of the ruthless attacks against North Koreans by US forces during the previous war on the Korean Peninsula are still very very real. Here is what an intelligence officer in the region wrote to me recently:
The Trump Administration’s bluster is pathetic. If this were a movie, and not real life, it would be funny (it’s still funny, but being in *******, I don’t fully appreciate it). The sad thing is that central casting couldn’t create a better foil for NK propaganda: in every way, including physically, he fits their caricature of the evil, imperial arch-capitalist Yankee businessman. It’d be like if Hitler came back to life and off-handedly threatened to destroy the US every other day (and had the capability to do so).
If this specialist is correct, and I have no reason to believe that he is not, then it is quite reasonable to assume that the possible dislike the North Korean people might have for their ruling elites is dwarfed by their hatred for the United States.
[Sidebar: he also had some interesting comments about my own assessment of the consequences of a war on the Korean Peninsula. Here is what he wrote to me:
Japan is a major target, for a number of reasons. The biggest is that there are a lot of US bases there that would be used to bring-in additional US troops/direct the war, but there’s also the fact that North Korea (and most South Koreans, actually), straight-up hates Japan. I won’t go into a history lesson (which you probably already know), but there is no love lost. Even if the war was confined to the Peninsula, which it won’t be, the global economy would take a major hit, because a ridiculous amount of global supply chain runs through South Korea (which on its own, bounces between the 15th and 10th largest economy in the world). Off the top of my head, I think Incheon (just west of Seoul) is the busiest airport in at least the region – it’s a major international hub, and Busan and Incheon are some of the busiest ports in the world – I want to say Busan is top 5, even busier than the Japanese ports. All the Chinese goods that go to America flow through the Sea of Japan – those will have to be re-routed. And a lot of the components that go in fancy electronics are actually made in SK, prior to final assembly in China – so that will be an issue. So even if we’re the only ones to go down, it’ll be bad news for the global economy. Your assessment of the artillery and special forces threat mirrors mine. One of the things I always thought was funny was how people disparage “World War 2 artillery.” As a whole, “World War 2 artillery” has probably killed more people than any weapon system in modern history (unless you say something really general like “knife” or “gun”). It’s not like you’ll be any less dead if your house is hit with a 152 as opposed to a J-DAM.]
And here is the deal, if you attack a small and defenseless country you can basically ignore the consequences of making the wrong guess, but when dealing with a country like the DPRK this is a miscalculation which no sane politician or military commander would ever take the risk of making. But delusional imbeciles giving and dishonorable cowards – would either one of them show the kind of caution needed when dealing with such a major threat?! I frankly don’t think so. In fact, I see no reason to believe that at all. Remember the “cakewalk in Iraq”? This term, coined by one of my former teachers at SAIS, Ken Adelman, is a wonderful illustration of the Neocon mindest: pure ideology and to hell with caution. We all know that this “cakewalk” ended up costing the Iraqi and American people: well over one million deaths for the former, well over five trillion dollars for the latter. Some cakewalk indeed… The truth is that at this point nobody knows what the outcome of a US attack on the DPRK might be, not even the North Koreans. Will that be enough to deter the delusional imbeciles giving and dishonorable cowards currently at the helm of the Empire? You tell me!
Venezuela: as much hatred as there is for Venezuela in the US elites, this country is not a lucrative target or, let me rephrase that, it is a great target to subvert but probably not a good one to intervene in. Violence in Venezuela is directly in the US interests but a direct military intervention is probably not. My contacts tell me that the Venezuelan military is an unholy (and rather corrupt) mess, but they also tell me that the popular will to resist the “Yankees” is so strong that a any military intervention will immediately trigger an ugly guerrilla war (not to mention a political backlash in the rest of Latin America). The truth is the US probably has the means to militarily intervene in Venezuela, but they also have much better options.
Now let’s sum this all up.
The chances are high that in 2018 the USA will
- Escalate the war in Afghanistan
- Renege on the nuclear deal with Iran
- Back an Ukronazi attack on Novorussia
It is quite possible that the USA will also
- Shoot down a Russian aircraft over Syria
I find it unlikely that the USA will
- Invade Syria
- Invade Venezuela
I am unable to evaluate whether the USA will:
- Disconnect Russia from SWIFT or seize Russian assets
- Attack the DPRK
Frankly, I am not very confident about this attempt as analyzing the possible developments in 2018. All my education has always been based on a crucial central assumption: the other guy is rational. That is a huge assumption to make, but one which was fundamentally true during the Cold War. Today I find myself inclined to think that psychologists are probably better suited to make predictions about the actions of the rulers of the AngloZionist Empire than military analysts. Furthermore, history shows us that the combination of delusional imbeciles and dishonorable cowards is what typically brings down empires, we saw a very good example of that with the collapse of the Soviet Empire.
With the latest Trump fiasco I have personally given up any hope of ever seeing a US President capable of making a positive contribution to the welfare of the people of the USA or the rest of the planet. The burden now is clearly on Russia and China to do everything they can to try to stop the USA from launching even more catastrophic and deeply immoral wars. That is a very, very difficult task and I frankly don’t know if they can do it. I hope so. That is the best I can say.
The Saker
Fantastic article! It’s great to be able to come to this blog and read something that cuts through all the MSM propaganda and provide desperately needed insight, which is in such such short supply.
I have a moral quandry that is troubling me and probably others as well. It seems clear that these out of control Neocons are quite capable of creating conditions in which millions or even billions of people could die. Yet there seems to be no way to oust them. What is the correct moral response to this situation? I take it as a given that any moral response would advocate non-violence. Perhaps the military could quietly remove them from power? Are there historical precedents to this that could serve as a guide? I’m very uneasy about 2018, needless to say.
I think St. Basil said something to the effect that one should so concerned about the state of one’s own soul, such that “news” is no longer of importance. I am obviously paraphrasing. Anyhow, that how I approach it. Still reading the Saker though.
You might (not) be surprised to hear that most Americans are perfectly happy with the status quo – and they really DON’T want their comfortable Worldview damaged by such trivia as “facts”, especially where overseas conflicts are concerned. Whilst it is very likely they have more than enough problems “on their plate” to deal with (employment, income, strange-and-costly healthcare system, astronomical housing / rent costs, etc., etc.), there is also this –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKKPeoVcs30
And, yes, there really IS a Flat Earth Society – https://www.tfes.org/ , which seems to take it’s mission reasonably seriously.
i think you are right – and the problems you describe are designed for that very purpose to keep them distracted, fearful, lost and obedient. What you see on TV, advertising etc is all meant to create what marketing experts call Panoramic Fear (to make you fear many things so you become more desperately impulsive and spend more) also marketing creates dissatisfaction with life and with the self in particular (i.e you know you are pathetic, insecure, fat etc…BUT if you buy this mascara …look how the model looks at you with confidence? You may get some of it IF you BUY this..)
Russia has alternative to SWIFT ready.
https://www.rt.com/business/382017-russia-swift-central-bank/
_________
If the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) is shut down in Russia, the country’s banking system will not crash, according to Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. Russia has a substitute
That is correct. Russia has indeed introduced their alternative to SWIFT, including a Russian debit card called “MIR”. The West is wasting its time trying to subvert Russia financially, bearing in mind Russia’s huge gold reserves.
Knowing how duplicitous the US are (“non-agreement capable” per VVP), as soon as there was a hint of the US strong-arming SWIFT into “doing their bidding” Russia (AND China) made the necessary preparations – which is basic commonsense really.
Shut off from “International trading”? Hope the likes of the UK can find another source for LNG in the winter :-). Russia can just export to China.
It may come to pass that undersea cables may “fail”.
One consequence would be that commerce would stop.
Then, what? Nobody knows.
https://www.submarinecablemap.com/
Thank you for that very interesting link. I’m probably not alone in not realising that the bulk of Global telecoms is still via cable – per the FCC, Sat.Com accounts for a third of one percent of (at least US) International capacity – so presumably the remaining 99.3% is fibre.
So, damaging one or more key fibres (especially if carefully chosen) could, and would, have a very significant effect on Global (civilian) communications, however because of the obvious duplication of capacity it’ll be a non-trivial effort.
Here’s a photo of V.V.P. “getting in some practice” at “Cable pruning” :-) – he doesn’t look too happy!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6707224-3×2-700×467.jpg
The history of the cable system goes to Victorian Britain. Every cable that came ashore in UK after that one (which failed due to theoretical and technical defects almost immediately) has been tapped. This is not hard to discover from official sources, though it is never spoken of. One ought to assume that cable failure, generally, will be a signal aspect of the new year, ahemmm…
Arthur C Clarke wrote a book about the cables…
Why failures?
Heartland can route fibreoptic by land. Sea People can’t, and these forces rely on coordinated systems – and of course satellites have quite similar “value”…and are fairly easy to ruin. I worked with a guy who was at one of the early tests, in the 1950’s, I believe. So obviously it’s a trivial matter today.
The deeper why? All war is based on deception.
I couldn’t agree with Saker more. If anything I’d say the level of brainwashing is even wore inside the US. Just like was done with WWII,the US has claimed “they” defeated ISIS.Russia is given -0- credit in defeating ISIS. Even the Iraqis and Iranians,let alone the Syrians are given little to no part in that.And while people here on the blog know that isn’t true.And maybe in the parts of the World not under US control they know the truth.But in the US and the Western stooge states,they believe that.In fact Theresa May the other day even claimed it was Britain that defeated ISIS.Except for small numbers of people in the West that are intelligent enough to search for the truth.The majority are brainwashed 24/7 with that propaganda.And sadly that is all the US cares about.They don’t care if the World believes them or not.They only care that people in the US believe them.
I think North Korea,Syria,and maybe even more so Donbass is the most dangerous flash points for war in 2018.Everyday I see the drums beating in the US for war against North Korea. I don’t even remember a bigger propaganda campaign in the US before the attack on Iraq.The general consensus (the 100% consensus) is that the US will just bomb North Korea.And North Korea will shiver in fear and bow-down.Its the same policy the US followed with Iraq in the 1990’s.Almost every year the US bombed Iraq at will.And Iraq just stood by and took those attacks.I have no way of “knowing” what the North Koreans will do. But from history,I don’t see the North Koreans standing and taking attacks.I think they will strike back.And then the US and North Korea will be fully at war.The big question will be China’s and Russia’s reaction.The consensus in the US is that China is weak.And the US can,whenever they choose,destroy China’s economy with sanctions.Is that true? I doubt it,but once again the only thing that counts for the US is that most of their people believe that (and they do).So China,and Russia,will need to decide if they can protect their security if North Korea fell and the US military was setting up bases and missile sites on their borders.That may be the most important decision of 2018.
As for Syria.The US still plans on overthrowing Assad.They have no intention of “going quietly into the night”.So there is no way (for me) to guess what they will do.I can only say they will “do something”.
As for Donbass? The most dangerous times will be the run-up to the Russian Presidential election.And if we escape that time period.The World Cup will be the next major danger period.The US/Ukrainians know that Russia won’t want anything to spoil the World Cup inside Russia.So “who knows” what Russia would do if the junta attacks Donbass during that event.
Your take on Donbass about the perfect time( going by the empires previous actions) the neocons will strike is near prophetic. Well done sir.
The reasons behind the fact that most Westerners will give credit to the US for defeating ISIS ( rather than the 4 countries Ru-Irq-Irn-Syr) is not just a lack of intelligence. It has a lot to do with intellectual laziness (deliberate ignorance) and arrogance, which make it easier for them to lie or to act as if they didn’t kow that something is odd.
@Uncle Bob 1
“They don’t care if the World believes them or not. They only care that people in the US believe them.”
I couldn’t agree more. But there are lot of related matters here. Consider for example Rumsfeld’s assertion about “Creating our own reality”. The conclusion to be drawn here is that whereas the individual mind is typically lucid and coherent (except for the mentally ill), the collective mind can easily get paranoid, delusional and megalomaniac. And people like Rumsfeld speak to the collective mind. The collective US mind is what is the central problem today. In what other age and what other country has the media been full of jokes and half-serious calls to “nuke” so-and-so or such-and-such country? Talk of genocide has been normalized in the US, and political and military leaders can openly call for nuking this or that. In short, massive crime against the core of humanity is today not only condoned in US society but has been adopted as state policy. Apart from the Vandals and Chingiz Khan, no one has ever embraced the deliberate destruction of whole cities and countries. Yet, “bombing countries back to the stone age” is accepted conduct in US foreign policy.
The pathology at societal level sooner or later infects even the individual mind. What results are individuals who, while otherwise sane and lucid, are completely delusional and irrational on matters pertaining to people and issues outside their own group. Thus the American custom of counting and mourning their own dead while casually saying “We don’t do body counts” (per Colin Powell) when it comes to other races and peoples. Thus the American belief that we can lick this or that country – even after a spate of military disasters.
The problem has become vastly magnified by the global control and dominance of US media and Hollywood. These feed the social pathology day in and day out in every possible way. Military operations not successful in theatres x, y, and z? No problem! Our media will create a different reality and our movies will sell it all over the world. “Of course the Russkies are bad – and commies to boot” – haven’t the media “proven” it again and again? “Of course we defeated ISIS” – the media has shown us so many images and fed us so many stories “proving” our success.
So how on earth do you deal with a people who are collectively delusional and individually half sane and clever but half mad and ignorant? More so when they live inside a cocoon and are fed only mad and bad stuff about the world outside the cocoon by the media?
You and others above you seem determined to reoresent the American people as the idiots who run the country and bloviate on the media would have you do. They long ago ceased to represent us and even Putin knows this well.
Look behind the curtain and you will find a confused and demoralized populace afraid of losing their jobs, unable to even think of raising a family, fearing the next health crisis will bankrupt them, life expectancy going down the tubes, in debt up to their eyeballs…more and more uncertain of what the future holds for them and for the world. And above all, having no idea how to peacefully remedy the situation. Yes, peacefully, because many of us are religious – buddhist, islamic, christian – even orthodox!
We used to be proud that the world loved us. Now we know the world is frightened of us, and belueve me, we are just as frightened.
Ironic, isn’t it? Do peoples deserve to have maniacs, idiots or greed merchants take over their country? Its very sad that has happened here. We may not know what to do about it, but we are not as you describe, and we are the 99 percent.
Our leadership has failed us. We accuse them, and we are deeply, deeply ashamed of them. They are stupid, greedy, frightened people and liars to boot, but we are not them!
We already know our elections are a sham, and that the country we used to believe in no longer exists if it ever did.
Remember how Russians became in the Yeltsin years? Americans arent there yet but they are contemplating that scenario, believe me they are. We are. God help us, and you as well.
One of the interesting aspects of the former USSR was the free education that they offered not only to their own citizens but also to people from the third world countries. America did likewise, and in Australia we had ‘The Colombo Plan’ to help educate people from the sub-continent and South East Asia. Malaysia in its wisdom sent most of their potentially communist (Chinese) students to Australia under this scheme, and I had a few friends in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
But now in Australia our tertiary students now have to pay for their education under what is called a ‘HECS’ scheme. This is pure double dipping by our federal government as everyone knows the higher education in most cases create a higher wage and thus a higher tax bracket.
So is it purely a coincidence that once the USSR collapsed along with their scheme to educate tertiary students for free that the students in the west suddenly had to pay ‘HECS’ fees for the right to better their nation?
And again, once the federal government controls the education, and abuses that education system for political gain, does that result in the intellectual demise and the stagnation of our society.
What a price we are paying for our ‘betters’ ideology. America is not the only country being stupefied!
Trust me Juliania, we could be on the same side. My condemnation of Americans is not based on rooting for any other country or people. However, if you ignore my central point, namely, Americans’ supreme indifference to the fate of others, you fail to take note of a major problem that the world is facing. How is it possible that the major American media can brazenly call for nuking this or that, or for bombing this or that country back to the stone age, without a single ordinary American calling them out to be criminal psychopaths and advocates of war crimes? No other country indulges in this sort of trash talk and genocidal policy.
There is a frightening collective pathology afoot in America and most Americans are infected. Sorry, but that is the way I see it. That does not mean that I believe that the Chinese or Russians or any other people would necessarily turn out better if they acquired the advantages that America has had. There is a saying that goes somewhat like this: “Nothing grows or survives under a tree grown oversize”. Birds on that tree do not see the tragic fate of other plants and trees.
Our media is part of the oligarchy. Of course they promote the neoliberal agenda! As do all the millionaires and wouldbe billionaires in Congress. And indeed, the educational ‘system’ is rotten and has put the younger generation woefully in debt. The only good thing about that is that people are having to think for themselves.
Did you hear from the Russian people when they were experiencing hard times? Are you hearing from Ukranians? I really don’t know why you are blaming common folk. It is the ones manufacturing weapons and making political decisions to keep the world on a war footing that are to blame. That ‘collective pathology’ stuff is hooey.
There are two kinds of people in the world – the ones that think there are two kinds of people, and the ones that don’t.
Its the Khazarian Talmudic inspired Jews Juliania. Its the Jews. Shake off your Jewish masters and the U.S. might have a chance at rebound and survival.
Behind the curtain? Jews. They ideologically believe, through their demonic Talmud that they are promised to be the masters of the human race, and their Messiah will come down and rule with an ‘iron’ fist.
Its the Jews. They control information, finance, education, internal and foreign policy and now the military. They will stop at nothing to realize their twisted narrative.
Why do you think they have been exiled, and/or expelled from 84 different countries and provinces, for a grand total of 109 times, since 250 A.D. Carthage.
Its the Jews.
S.W.I.F.T. is a private corporation in Belgium but it still falls under the jurisdiction and human rights laws of E.U. in general and Belgium in particular.
Specifically in Belgium, it’s “War Crimes Law” claims universal jurisdiction and allows for prosecution of those involved, in Belgian courts.
S.W.I.F.T. cut down services to Iranian banks thus by default participated in indiscriminate punishment of the whole population thus the former falls under the definition of the Belgian “War Crimes Law” and is prosecutable.
As an example, in my particular case, my gravelly ill father-in-law was unable to find Ambison (Liposomal Amphoteracin B, as it was not possible to import that drug due to the lack of the ability of private parties to settle their financial accounts) used in severe fungal bloodstream infections). Multiple families, not involved in interstate conflicts, suffered similar faiths.
Bringing legal action against that company costs money that the affected private individuals can not bare, let alone the fact that most are not well informed and do not even know about this.
However is a third party brings a court case against S.W.I.F.T., it would be mired in controversy and taking another indiscriminate attempt to boycott the whole population would become impossible at the very least. In a best case scenario reparations can be sought, representing another death nail in the coffin of the dollar’s status as reserve currency.
We need to prosecute S.W.I.F.T. and bankrupt or at least curtail them.
fyi – another recent contribution on the core issues. His critique on US (and military) culture change is especially worrisome. Lot narrative outcomes come to mind.
Scott Bennett –“Solving the US-Russian relations impasse”
https://www.facebook.com/capsule.ninetynine.7/videos/1992321041038611/
Dear Anonymous,
Scott Bennet has totally misread the USS Liberty attack!
Firstly; who ordered the USS Liberty into the area where it could be attacked? Don’t tell me Israel. How about LBJ?
Also remember that the USS Liberty was a ‘spy ship’. It was apparently there to gather information, so think CIA or NSA.
The Israeli attack first took out all of the ships radio communications, except one that was non-operational at the time of the attack. Why? So as it could not call for help from the 6th Fleet.
Then there is the story of the aircraft from the 6th fleet that were armed with nuclear weapons that were heading to bomb Cairo. Who had the power to order a nuclear attack against another country? Only LBJ
But get this! Once the USS Liberty was able to send out a distress call, these planes were ordered back, but being armed with nuclear weapons could not land on their air craft carriers and so had to land in Malta.
So in other words Admiral Kidd had ordered the attack on Cairo for the attack on the USS Liberty, before the 6th Fleet had any knowledge of the attack, Can you understand what this means? It means that both LBJ and Admiral Kidd had to know that the USS Liberty had been set up as a target and that Egypt and Nasser were the fall guys!
Did you know that Nasser trusted LBJ?
Now why would Admiral Kidd order the USS Liberty to sail to Malta after being so seriously damaged, again considering the massive hole in the side of the ship?
LBJ had foreknowledge, McNamara had foreknowledge and so did Admiral Kidd.
Dear Andrew S MacGregor,
Scott Bennett’s interview is staggeringly accurate about everything including 9/11 and the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty. Many people will be shocked by it, and not believe it, but I am convinced the vast majority of it is true.
Everyone should watch it, and not be put off by your critical comment quibbling about a very minor detail. You give the impression that Scott Bennett is a disinfo merchant, which is the direct opposite of the truth. He was one of very few people in the US Military, who was actually jailed for having the courage to tell the truth. He admits it took him some time to realise the truth about 9/11. That applies to almost everyone, including The Saker. Read his book about it, its excellent.
Incidentally, you do not have to be registered or logged on to Facebook to watch it.
Happy New Year, hopefully with no major wars.
Tony
Dear Tony,
I have never said, hinted or insinuated that Scott Bennett was/is a disinformation agent. I said that he was missing a couple of extremely important details. The rest of what he states I believe is factual.
I am not quibbling over a ‘minor detail’!
I also read somewhere years ago that it was LBJ who suggested to Nasser to place all of his military aircraft on show as a sign of strength, which enabled the Israeli airforce to eliminate Egypt’s airforce in a single attack.
If you cannot comprehend the significance of the USS Liberty to be sent from America to be stationed in the Mediterranean, so as it could be attacked by the Israelis, then you are not thinking.
There is absolutely no way that the attack on the USS Liberty was ‘coincidental’. Please remember that prior to the attack, Israeli aircraft had flown over and identified the USS Liberty, so the Israelis knew exactly what they were doing.
Who else in 1967 could order a nuclear attack on another country except the ‘Commander in Chief. of the American Forces??? Ergo, the only person who could have given Admiral Kidd permission for the nuclear attack on Cairo was LBJ; only LBJ and LBJ made that order!!!
And yes, you are correct when you say that you do not have to be registered or logged on to Facebook to watch it (Scott Bennett interview), and the reason I know this is because I watched it, all of it. Why else would I make the initial comment! .
Apparently we are not permitted to attack a President of the United States of America, but I am not an American, I am Australian, and I an well aware of the treachery of American Presidents.
I have read claims that LBJ ordered Israel to attack the Liberty (see Philip Nelson’s book “Remember the Liberty”). It’s important to keep in mind though, that LBJ was offered up as a backup patsy after the Oswald-as-lone-assassin story began to fall apart.
Johnson may have had foreknowledge of the Liberty attack or of JFK. To then conclude that LBJ was the mastermind behind either is not warranted. There is no evidence or even plausible argument in either case. The only (emotional) argument advanced to support this is based on Johnson’s personal character. True, Johnson was a ruthless politician. However, he was also a canny and careful political operative that had a clear understanding of the structure and limits of power.
In the case of the Liberty it’s particularly implausible that Johnson “ordered” Israel to attack the ship. Israel simply would not respond to such an order if it was not believed to be in their strategic interest. Even if Israel wanted the US to enter the war, the use of Israeli attack aircraft to attack a US ship simply on Johnson’s say so would put Israel at great risk. The only President that seriously tried to force Israel to act against their perceived strategic interests was JFK when he tried to prevent Israel from developing nuclear weapons.
In addition, the coverup of the Liberty attack extended well beyond the Johnson administration. So Nelson’s book looks to me more like disinformation, I’m afraid.
David Hollander, Excellent analysis.
I was amazed, that I had never before today heard of Scott Bennett, so I found out a little more. Many people here, will be wary about using Facebook. His interview is also available on Youtube.
“Dr. Scott Bennett, formerly of the U.S. Army 11th Psychological Operations Battalion, attempted to blow the whistle by contacting the commercially-controlled media and writing to US politicians after being sacked from his job as terrorist finance investigator”
As a result, he was jailed for 2 years, and tortured by The US Government. During this time, he actually wrote a book, whilst in prison on a typewriter, the contents of which were smuggled out. Unlike other whistleblowers, his existence has been almost comprehensively buried, by all forms of media. In this respect, he reminds me of ex CIA asset Susan Lindaurer, who received very similar treatment, for attempting to reveal the truth by contacting senior US Politicians about 9/11. (Her book Extreme Prejudice is excellent).
He reveals a lot more here, which in my opinion is extremely accurate of both historical and current events. The contents is stunning, and many people will find it difficult to believe, despite the overwhelming evidence that it is true.
“Interview with a Military Whistleblower. Russian – American Relations”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyC4oKIhCzg
Tony
Oh my Godfather!
I have seen this all before! This is a classic two way stitch.
Why does it remind me of my training at the Police Depot in St.Kilda Road. Melbourne, back in 68?
I must have really touched a nerve.
Dear David,
I think you have erred with your English. From Woodrow Wilson until today, with the exception of John F Kennedy, no American President has ever given ‘orders’ to Israel. As Ariel Sharon stated ‘We tell America what to do’ or words to that effect.
You state: “Israel simply would not respond to such an order if it was not believed to be in their strategic interest.” but consider this. Would it have been in the Israelis strategic interests for Cairo to be bombed with nuclear weapons? The answer is yes. Such an attack by America would have reinforced Israel’s position in the ME. It also would have diminished the USSR’s position within the ME as well as the USSR would not have been prepared to face a nuclear war.
Keep in mind the reasons why America bombed Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the message to the USSR.
You state that: “To then conclude that LBJ was the mastermind behind either is not warranted. There is no evidence or even plausible argument in either case.”
Please do not put words in my mouth! I have never said, or believed that Johnson was the ‘mastermind’ behind any attack. What I have stated is this:
1. Johnson issued the orders for the USS Liberty to sail to the Mediterranean to supposedly gather information in regard to the 7 day war. The USS Liberty was a NSA surveillance ship.
2. Johnson was the only person who could have ordered a nuclear attack on Cairo.
3. That planes from the 6th Fleet were on their way to attack Cairo with nuclear bombs when the distress call from the USS Liberty was heard by the 6th Fleet. That once that distress call was received, the planes from the 6th Fleet on their way to Cairo were recalled and had to land on Malta as planes carrying nuclear bomb were not permitted to land on aircraft carriers.
You have also stated that: “It’s important to keep in mind though, that LBJ was offered up as a backup patsy after the Oswald-as-lone-assassin story began to fall apart.”
Where on earth did you get that impossible theory from? LBJ ordered the Warren Commission. The WC found that it was the ‘single gunman’ that took out JFK, LBJ was never considered as a backup patsy, as the MSM and the American government never let the LHO ‘lone assassin’ story fall apart.
Why do you think so many witnesses, not so much of the JFK assassination, but those of Officer JD Tippit and Lee Harvey Oswald’s murders were eliminated?
I would also disagree with your conclusion in regard to Nelson’s book. From what you have told me I think Nelson may have been ‘spot on’!
http://russiafeed.com/moscow-deny-us-planes-overnight-stays-3-russian-airfields-starting-january/
Due to usa creating problems over “openskies” treaty …russia responds….
thanks alot for that link to Scott Bennett – a very interesting speaker and so ‘on the money’ – with Israel and the American people needing to wake up and realize who their enemy really is –
and thanks Tony_Opmoc for your pointed comment(s) – I wouldn’t have even checked this Scott Bennett link without your imput –
What is there about Scott Bennett that reminds me so much of Webster Tarpley’s description of Edward Snowden? (How to Identify a CIA Limited Hangout Operation) Quite a bit actually.
How does one go to jail? Apart from playing the game ‘Monopoly’ the normal manner is to be arrested and then taken before a court of law. At what particular date was Scott Bennett arrested? I couldn’t find it. Perhaps it is written in his book ‘Shell Game’, but that is not the required source. Every arrest should be documented, which means there should be another source of Bennett’s arrest other than Bennett. I cannot find this corroboration.
Bennett states that he did time; two years in fact. Again, I cannot find any mention of the court that sentenced Bennett, nor can I find any dates or places where Bennett was incarcerated or released, only the fact that he was able to communicate with another prisoner, Brad Birkenfeld. I couldn’t even find Steve Bennett’s date of birth.
We are all informed that Scott Bennett was a ‘whistleblower’. So just what exactly did Bennett blow the whistle on? We are told; “Bennett’s whistleblowing was about the State of California child support agencies charging 10% on arrears without informing paying fathers. I beg your pardon! That is not ‘whistleblowing’.
Bennett resided in Washington and Tampa, Florida, not California, and he was never employed by any Californian Child Support Agency, ergo the claims that Bennett was a whistleblower are false. The only connection Bennett has with California is that he was a student of the ‘Catholic University of America’.
We are informed that Steve Bennett studied at George Mason University in Virginia (B.S. in Advertising), San Jose State University in California (M.A. in International Business and Public Policy) and Catholic University of America in Washington DC.(Ph.D. in Political Theory) I wonder which of these course took place as part-time studies while Scott Bennett was employed at Booz Allen Hamilton?
From ‘Wikispooks’ we have ‘Dr Scott Bennett’! Hang on, who and what is ‘Wikispooks? Furthermore how many graduates of Business Studies call themselves ‘Dr.’? Oh, I see, that is a move to demonstrate Scott Bennett’s superiority over us mere mortals. BTW, this page was last updated (or created) on the 17th November 2017.
Wikispooks informs us that “Scott Bennett had a background in advertising before being fast tracked into the US military PSYOPS division, receiving a direct commission as an officer”. WOW! What do you expect; the man has a Ph.D. so if he enlists he is automatically going in as an officer. Grunts do not have Ph.D.’s unless it is for footwork!
Bennett enlisted in the 11th Psychological Operations Battalion. Double WOW!!! That is a ‘Militia’, a week-end warriors unit, What was Scott Bennett’s rank? 2nd Lt! That was his entry rank, the lowest Officer rank there is. What was his rank on completion of his services? 2nd Lt. I think he served 5 years with the 11th Psycho, and he never got past his initial rank of 2nd Lt. With his accomplishments one would expect him to be at least a Captain after 5 years.
Bennett attempted to blow the whistle by contacting the MSM. He also wrote to US politicians, but there is a rider here; he apparently did this only ‘after he was sacked from his job as ‘Terrorist finance Investigator’!
May I ask a simple question? What is a 2nd Lt from the 11th Psychological Operations Unit doing investigating ‘Terrorist Finances’? That a job for the big boys at Criminal Investigations!
Psychological Operations normally follow the teaching of General John Rawlings Rees of Tavistock fame in conning the grunts to fight more effectively against the ‘enemy’ using tactics and various innuendos against them.
Isn’t that exactly what Scott Bennett is doing now? Scott Bennett is everything that Tony_Opmoc says he is not, and that is extremely telling
An (ex?) cop from Melbourne investigating and (ex?) psyop from …
Gotta love this stuff!
I posted Bennett’s FB link originally because he pops up occasionally on the threads I follow (and at the time I could find no You Tube link).
I cannot verify the veracity of his claims but what he says resonates with what I have come to understand generally is the current state of affairs etc. And I have no issue with alternative narratives presenting themselves.
However, in these matters I always (and I mean ALWAYS!) reserve a portion for the possibility that it is part of a sophisticated programme — and that included Snowdens, Assanges, and … Sakers etc. There appears to be quite an industry of ‘ex-‘ staffers like Lawrence B. “Larry” Wilkerson (retired United States Army Colonel and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell); Paul Craig Roberts etc contributing to the alt-debate. For their former sins? I care not and read the words rather than the person. In most cases, especially here, I work on the basis that although it suits ‘higher’ surveillance systems to know where (and whom) the resistance is located that in general the intentions of protest at systemic corruption are right and the individual outputs are best judged on their respective merits.
The key question is in these matters is always for me: cui bono?
What Bennett says here (in the links) resonates with my understanding — and is far more erudite (and apparently informed). It would not matter to me if he is a controlled opposition playing the internet equivalent role of a zionist ‘Palestinian’ protester who pulls a gun and captures the protest leader. I’m too old to care about much more than helping preserve the best of the western democratic ways knowing full well in my own experience that much core good has decayed over the recent decades of operating mendacity at the highest levels. That you have invested energy investigating Bennett is of value as well although I’m not sure where that leads to. Sometimes on the roads to Damascus people have epiphanies and change … (or so it seems).
What Bennett says about systems and culture trends is generally accurate. Beyond that my interest drops rapidly as it is largely derivative on debased core values. The main question to ask ourselves in these adventures is: are we seeking clarity, or ‘leaders’? It is often not an easy question to answer.
Dear Anonymous,
My first comment was that Scott Bennett missed a couple of extremely vital ingredients in the USS Liberty story.
Most people these days follow the stories put out in the 90’s. It is also usually forgotten that ‘marked’ Israeli aircraft flew over the USS Liberty prior to the attack, and that tells us that the Israelis knew exactly who and what the USS Liberty was.
But then the aircraft that attacked the USS Liberty were not ,marked, which is again reported and this is also very telling, as it means the attacked did not wish to be identified, although the attacking aircraft were Mirages.
That these aircraft did not have their normal markings on tells us that the attack on the USS Liberty had been planned as it would have taken some time to removed those painted markings from the Mirages. This was the final clue that the Liberty had been ‘set up’!
And then there is another little segment that I mentioned that is rarely remembered. The Egyptian airforce was on display when it was attacked and almost totally destroyed by the Israelis.
As I mentioned, that was supposedly ordered by Nasser who had been advised by LBJ. What this means is that the Egyptians virtually had no aircraft to attack the USS Liberty, as well as no aircraft to intercept the bombers from the 6th Fleet flying to attack Cairo.
The final piece of information that is ‘forgotten’ is that the distress call from the USS Liberty had to have stated that they were being attacked by Israeli forces, which is why the bombers were recalled and ordered to land in Malta.
However, I never at any stage attacked the integrity of Scott Bennett which is what Tony_Opmoc accused me of.
In fact, whilst listening to Scott Bennett, his narrative closely followed what his work would have been in 11st Psychological Unit. It was only his ‘background’ that was lacking substance, and I hadn’t even considered that until I was attacked. It was this attack that told me everything!
In answer to your final question, most of us are endeavouring to find the truth. Again many of us are endeavouring to pass on the knowledge we have to others who have similar quests. And as for ‘leaders’, I stopped looking for them years ago. They will put themselves forward on their own prerogative. However we should also heed the warnings of Cicero and his like.
Webster Tarpley has warned us of Snowden and Assange, but there was another before these two back in the 1990’s by the name of ‘Ari ben Menashe’ who ‘warned’ us of the backdoor in every Microsoft system called ‘PROMIS’. He is still active today.
“This is absolutely amazing, think of it – the entire planet knows full well what really took place in Syria, but Uncle Sam degrees that black is white, water is dry and what is true is false. And the most amazing thing is that they know that everybody knows, yet they don’t care one bit. Why?”.
To understand why, one must understand the American mentality, as exemplified by the comments of former Bush Chief-of-Staff, Karl Rove:
‘That’s not the way the world really works anymore,’ he continued. ‘We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do’
In other words, ‘reality’ is whatever the American Empire defines it to be. (Sociopaths in mental institutions share the same mindset)
And as for war, the following links demonstrate in both word and deed that the United States is preparing to wage a major war (aka World War 3) soon. The first article is most revealing as it exposes the American logistical build-up that is necessary to wage this war.
US Prepares for Forcible Entry Operations in Remote Theaters of War
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2017/12/27/us-prepares-for-forcible-entry-operations-in-remote-theaters-of-war/
Is the Buildup to World War I Being Repeated for WWIII?
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/12/27/is-buildup-world-war-being-repeated-for-wwiii.html
Marine General Sees Another US War Coming
http://stephenlendman.org/2017/12/marine-general-sees-another-us-war-coming/
Indeed they do!
Well done!
I encourage everyone to read them.
There are many supporting matters also – such as the necessity of maintaining discipline at home…er die Heimat, no….wait ah! “Homeland:,,, oh what people! Cops like stormstoopers shoot fist and then make stories…
What happens when truth is no longer a reality?
When I was writing my article, “Understanding the tyranny of Terrorism” which I dedicated to the murder of the ‘Rolling Stones’ journalist, Michael Hastings, I did a very short study of General David Petraeus, who authored the plans to attack Iran via the hijacked MH370.
General Petraeus was never concerned about ‘the truth’. For him, it was always perception, Please think about that for a moment. About 80% of history is not factual but rather, perception. This has been explained to us as ‘the winner writes the history’, but even so, there have always been that knowledge by a very few, of what exactly happened.
On the 26th of June 2017General Petraeus made some comments at the start of the American/Australian ‘war game’ in Queensland code-named ‘Talisman Sword’. According to Petraeus a ‘force of about 500 Daesh fighters took control of the city of Marawi. Said Petraeus, “Collectively, a lot of us – including the Philippines government, which was concentrating its efforts on counter-narcotics-took out eye off that particular ball.”
Of course General Petraeus, being Obama’s man never mentioned the fact that the Philippines President, Rodrigo Duterte, called Obama “putang ina mo” or ‘son of a whore’, as well as moving closer to China. Such moves against America requires counter moves which would explain why the ‘Moro Liberation Army of Mindanao suddenly became ISIS and Daesh.
So what is General David Petraeus’ perception of the possibility of war this year?
Well, for a start Petraeus and his colleagues have been working on this since 2011. Petraeus and Co. are also well aware that their MSM will always put ‘their perception’ before any truth and you can see the reaction when these perceptions fail, such as when Clinton lost the 2016 election.
The MSM has been preparing the average sheeple for war for years, and just recently there has been the hint of an attack on the DPRK by March. There has also been a ‘warning’ by a US Marines General of a possible strike and war in the Ukraine early in 2018. Of course there has never been any confirmation of General Randy Kee being shot in the Ukraine.
Again the US has stated that it will not be giving up it’s bases in Syria, Of course the US military knows that these bases are illegal, but hey, that’s not the perception back home. So why have those bases? Remember the US did not have bases to hold in Vietnam, nor in Grenada, but like the legions of Rome, they have them in every subdued country they have ever entered, including in Darwin in Australia. (Australia is subdued, not conquered yet.)
These bases in Iran add fuel to the thought of the KSA and Israel getting together for an attack on Iran. However should real fighting break out elsewhere, then the troops from those bases may been shipped out to the fighting, unless of course the Iranians, the Syrians and Hezbollah decide otherwise. Even Iraq may decide that a little revenge would be a tasty dish.
So, at the moment we have two possible scenarios for a US attack, the DPRK and Donbass. The Saudis though will also be aware of this, and if the US starts a war in any other theatre, then the KSA’s dream of attacking Iran may not get off the ground, unless of course the KSA makes the decision to initiate their own attack first. Oh dear! That’s a rogue element.
There is of course another element that should be given consideration. Do not forget 911.
For that attack to initiate the ‘War on Terror’ many thousands of innocent lives were sacrificed for the perception that America was under attack. A similar scenario was utilised for the London attacks of 7/7 2005. Then there were the MH370 an MH17 false flags in 2014, followed up with the Russian airliner shot down on the 31st October, 2015 (Halloween) over the Sinai Peninsula by ISIS (American/Israel). In other words the American neocons take great delight is making innocent sacrifices to initiate a false flag.
There could be one other play to come into consideration, the ‘Stock Market’ and a major crash with the loss of billions of investment dollars. Like 911, some people always like to make some pocket money.
I’m curious how much weight you gave to Israeli interests in your assessment of the chances of a US/Saudi/Israeli attack on Iranian forces in Syria.
Given that Jews and other ardent zionists heavily influence US Middle East policy, and that the Israelis are in a panic about a permanent Iranian military presence on their border, it would seem like the chances that some action will be taken to expel Iranian forces from Syria. Perhaps you believe that the Iranians will back down and withdraw from Syria?
Personally I assess the risk of a large war before summer to be extremely high right now. This belief is not based upon my geopolitical knowledge, but from what I see going on around me here at home. Between Israeli security interests and the looming financial catastrophe, war might seem like a good option to Jews on Wall Street and in DC.
“Given that Jews and other ardent zionists heavily influence US Middle East policy, and that the Israelis are in a panic about a permanent Iranian military presence on their border, it would seem like the chances that some action will be taken to expel Iranian forces from Syria.”
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-israel-iran-secret-pact-2017-12
It’s amazing to me that the developed world can continue planning and building for a rosy future making vast investments and implementing ingenious technological innovations meant to serve billions of people whilst Washington lurks in the background repeatedly threatening to level it all into dust in a single day. Absolutely no country within its vassalage seems capable of lifting a hand or uttering a syllable of protest to these deranged maniacs. Is there no one in the EU willing to offer that, in comparison, the status quo–even if Washington is denied the pleasure of crushing Russia, China and Iran–is vastly superior to extinction of the human species? Merkel, May and Macron will simply stand by and watch with their thumbs up their bums as American devils gleefully uncage the monsters described in the Apocalypse? Goodbye to all humanity has created because? What’s the goal in serving Washington in this cult of mass suicide?
“Absolutely no country within its vassalage seems capable of lifting a hand or uttering a syllable of protest to these deranged maniacs…. as American devils gleefully uncage the monsters described in the Apocalypse…”
As Gandalf would say, “devilry of Saruman”!
We must conclude that the incessant media prapaganda acts as black magic incantations that stupefy Merkel, May, Macron and the entire lot.
I for one see no other explanation for this amazing passivity.
To your point…
“We must conclude that the incessant media propaganda acts as black magic incantations that stupefy…”
Yes exactly. It’s not mindless repetition simply to fill air time. It’s a praxis of implantation. How did CNN manage to miss the entire first year of a momentous presidency (and it is momentous no matter how you grade it)? Because they were too busy casting spells to trouble themselves with even titular journalism.
https://fullspectrumdominoes.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/the-devils-still-here-and-hes-bringing-brimstone-back/
“When it isn’t cobbling war consensus, the MSM proffers a diversionary parade of Godot-esque Groundhog Days propped up with whispers of Big News to Come. Interwar periods (to the extent they exist anymore) call for little more than mass distraction and broad consumption. Until the war drums beat again. Which they are so clearly doing now.
Hence the Russian obsession, as cheerleaders for the Bernaysian mono-narrative –the Blitzers and Tappers of Tele-Pharisaic CNN-world– struggle to install the Next Clear and Present Danger via talismanic repetition: Russian influence! Russian influence!”
Perhaps because the United States government as well as the Western European governments all serve the interests of the globalist banking cartel and their attendant multinational corporations?
@RMM
“We must conclude that the incessant media prapaganda acts as black magic incantations that stupefy Merkel, May, Macron and the entire lot.”
Black magic incantations from the media to stupefy: So well said! Very astute and a very gifted description of the “sorcerer and his victims” (a turn of speech inspired by your well-crafted words!)
Unfortunately there is, I am convinced, actual black magic at work. The handful of bolsheviks could not have taken over without black magic behind them. This is why it was such a priority for the bolsheviks to destroy the churches and murder the priests and monks. Many world leaders are I believe knowingly possessed and many more unknowingly.
There is a wider spiritual war going on that we all play our part in. Prayer and meditation works. When we lower our vibration we give up the inner battleground.
Happy New Year
“The investigation into the killing of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1918 was resumed in 2015. And this time, the Russian Orthodox Church is pushing the Russian government to again investigate the “ritual killing” theory.”
https://www.memri.org/reports/russias-federal-investigators-consider-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-tsar-nicholas-ii
once you loose survival and other instincts (i.e. natural confidence children seem to have, also animals) – you enter a kind of Dark Age – and even a memory of functioning instincts etc disappears.
that’s one of the reason why these psychopaths in charge and their useful idiots and sheeple they rule have no idea what to do. They bend over and wait for their perceived masters to solve their problems (as per their early and lifelong brainwashing)
here is a prophetic book about it by Jane Jakobs – everything she warned about about 12 or so years ago happened.
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Age-Ahead-Jane-Jacobs/dp/1400076706/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515022617&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+age+ahead+jane+jacobs
Do u know in Syria the S-400 tracked the F-22 in all those times the F-22 was harrasing the SU-25? even after an SU-35 was sent to chase away the Raptor. Me thinks Russia has decided what happened in 2015 will not happen again. Russia knows Erdogan did not make that call for the shoot down. But he had to pay coz he was the Head. So I will bet my bottom coin that If the US shot a Russian aircraft anywhere, an F-22 will pay simple! There will be no war except the US escalates. And ‘escalation will be met with escalation’.
He’s complicit. That one pilot that shoot them down may were of either the guleni movement loyalist or NATO loyalist. Which is why instead defending his action immediately after shoot down he’s calling the NATO as if in panic. I bet they convinced him that was the plan and he’s not informed except after the fact.
As much as I think that Erdogan is a snake of the worst kind, I think that he may have been totally removed from the decision to take out the SU-25. I also think that the pilots flying the F16s were not Turks. But, after the fact Erdogan’s man (Davutoglu?) who may have been in on it bragged about it. Perception – remember?
On the other hand, I think that the decision to take the Russian ground forces out of Syria was a tactical move in order to minimize the chance for direct conflict with USA. In my mind the next seven months will be very crucial, until the FIFA games are over. The airplanes stay, but they can be protected by the use of Pantsirs. Russia just tested them against “militant’ missles”. I guess this was also a warning to the emperor that s-400 do not need to be used to do the job. The ground fighting is assigned to the other players, at least for the next seven months.
It is also my suspicion that the idiot Johnson was just in Moscow to deliver threats and take the FIFA games away from Russia, as England is dying to do them.
Afganistan: We Taliban are ready for more muricans to litter our soil…great nutrient!
Syria, Iraq, Iran, Hezbollah: Bring it! We will make kebab out of porky muricans (new edition)
Russia, Donbass: Are you serious? Poor uki and ami boys will be raped…again
Venezuela: Well coke and ganja plants will be growin out of poor marines…what a shame ;)
DPRK: We will eat you ALIVE!
What happened to my previous comment about Donbass?
I didn’t see another comment. It must not have come through,or somehow went into spam and was lost.I found this one there,and retrieved it.If you can, resend it.MOD
Please repost and speak to us
Texas is a man from an interesting origin, and one fine man too. One does speculate on how the US “justice system” helped to shape Texas-the-man. Presume it managed to help him understand which way the wind blows, and then of course he decided what to do about it…and he’s doing it!
Texas the State is also interesting. In some ways Texas is a “rogue Provence” of northern Mexico, and Texans all know the State came into the US as a stand alone sovereign country – by Treaty Law. Treaties are contracts. They can come to an end. In the legalistic frame, then Texas can leave the US anytime.
It may do just that. In the fullness of time.
Hello all, Saker,
Donbass, you rated probability as moderate in the chart but high the text. I believe you meant high, esp. when you factor in upcoming presidential elections in march and world cup in june-july (they will want to boycott it and have it defacto cancelled without EU countries + Brasil and Argentina).
I red an interesting piece auto translated by google on Cassad the other day where he was saying their artillery capacity was overrated (x3) by Ukie regime itself:
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/3898909.html
I’m clueless on this type of discussion though (just trusting the analyst). We’ll soon find out though I’m afraid (also keeping an eye on terract campaings in RF, if the latest two events can be considered a pattern)
On SWIFT, it is nuclear, ATM would be the least of their problems if transborder wires (bank to bank) substitue is not fully operational and not just btw Russia and China. I would also add CLS to SWIFT as well as major clearing houses on forex, cash equity and derivatives mkts (many of which are located in murica for the latter)
Medvedev suggested banning all transiberian flights from the EU. Clearly they’ll have to wave again such threat to let the EU minions understand that all major EU airline companies would no longer service Asia and go bankrupt real quick.
cheers
Fabien
Not sure if that works.
I just came from China – this time without passing a single meter of Russia, via Azerbaidshan, changing planes in Baku.
They would shut down the nat gas pipeline and energy exports to EU, which they would have to, because they wouldn’t be getting paid. Cutting off SWIFT is not an option, it would lead to a kind of siege warfare between nation states that Russia would be sure to win… only the most delusional neo-con could think otherwise.
Intelligence Insider Warns Of Imminent War: “Likely In The Next 12 Weeks…”
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-28/intelligence-insider-warns-imminent-war-likely-next-12-weeks
You forgot Transnistria btw.
Good analysts like Starikov are predicting that the West will turn it into a war zone.
If there is indeed a deadline of 20 March a sensible man might ask himself “why?” What is the deal with 20 March? If there some other event that a war might prevent? Perhaps a gold yuan? I have no idea what the significance of the date is, but I would sure like to…
20 march is the equinox. i searched the term “march 20 in history”… there are those aspect of History that rhyme and make as prologue
there seems also to be a schedule, as logistics define capabilities, an one can’t keep men in formations honed sharp forever…
look at the logistic, these define capabilities, and these define options. general intent is obvious long ago.
Well…Since M 20 is Spring time, and the 4th reich tries to avoid errors of Barbarossa 1.0, the significance of M-20 may be this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chlVWLe7RNs
“Springtime” for mr H and the gang…means barbarossa 2.0
By the way, the cited excerpt of “Springtime” is itself part of a “psychological set”. It is also, as “sets” do, giving a “tell”.
Speaking of “tells”, in the sense we know from poker and police work, etc, it is very interesting to note the tells when the key stooges go on video… like the tie eater, but not generally quite so amusing.
Sets and tells are the same thing, to the sharp observer…if you remember your Sherlock stories…
Saker
this was exactly the article I was mentioning !
Referring to this assessment,
can the author or some other knowledgeable person recommend a work where such a psychological assessment of the US leadership structure or aspects thereof has been done?
I would be very grateful for that!
Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) is a good source to understand the mindset of Trump, at least.
You can find many videos by Scott Adams on YouTube. While I find Adams’ assessment of the geopolitical situation to be somewhat detached from reality, his explanations of Trump’s methods of perception management and confidence trickery make a lot of sense.
The gist of it is: Trump wants to be perceived as a great president by the American people. All his “diplomacy” and politics are tailored to enhance this perception. Trump’s approach to international politics is that of a businessman who bears no responsibility for the fate of the market – he only views individual transactions and will make use of any opportunity for short-term gains.
My thoughts after listening to Scott Adams were: There is no better man to destroy the Empire than Trump. He is the elephant in the porcelain shop, and just by constantly repositioning he will break everything.
how did Graves put it in ” I Cladivs”…? “let all the poisons that lurk in the mud…hatch-out!”
some people who voted for trumpster understood that it was precisely this reason that determined their decision. and of course the alternative was known to be a criminal of an unspeakable character…so they may have thought ” let us throw, so to speak, a “grenade” ” – a Hail Mary strategy of sorts.
Try ‘The bulshit machine’. Book 2 of trilogy. Book 1 explains how we ended in the current civ frame. Book 2 explains very well the psychological frame in which the AngloZioNazi empire operates since at leat 1913. Book 3 explains the possible end game.
Nils:
Don’t looks for instant insights from psychology gurus or dry academic texts. Think about the great literature you have read or the great art you may have seen. Literature and art give insights into the human mind and condition – all its glories, its sicknesses, its genius, and its sad pathologies. And the philosophers (if you have waded through their deep and sometimes murky waters) top it up. Best wishes.
Tty the bulshit machinr. Great synthesis. Very insightful. Of course i do agree with you partly. Sometimes great literature and art are fabricated with a certain plan. Plans within plans within plans. Dr zhivago is such a great fabricated literature. Human psychology boils down to rude evolunary instincts. No great ideas/thoughts govern the human mind only strives and evolutionary pressure. We as social animals revert to the psychopath who can beats the other psychos in our immediate socium and can chanel power. Read the book. You don’t need to read all 3, read the 2nd. You will be astonished and will realise that you already knew all those things but you didn’t mind them too much.
Dear Saker,
Thank you very much for one more of your fascinating analyses that have attracted numerous and faithful readers and followers.
However, in the analyses of the 7-8 possible 2018 war options that could be classified as “incremental escalation” one more should be included in the “war or no war” dilema.
A massive pre-emptive total attack on Russia (or Russia&China) possibly preceeded by some form of a large false flag event to politically justify it to the anglo-zionist masses already psychologically prepared by the preceeding 4 or more years of propaganda. This would be a willful, concious and coldly reached decission based on the following:
– unsustainable nature of the empire that has overstretched itself;
– huge debt and posible imminent financial breakdown;
– economic integration and rise of the euroasian landmass with concurrent decoupling from the az-financial system;
– rapid military modernization and strengthening of the Russian, Chineese and other euroasian countries.
Thus the conclusion “now or never while we still have” (or think they have) the advantage.
Жељко из Крајине
Yep, the Empires’ window of opportunity is running out. Its either got to take a chance now or disintegrate. But I’m still hoping that its only going to really throw caution to the wind and start WW3, as per Scott’s old argument, in 2020. That gives Russia, Iran, Syria, China etc still 2 more years to build up their strength.
Until then its just hopefully going to be skirmishes everywhere, Russia has won in Syria, the NATO irregular proxy ISIS has been all but eliminated there. Russia should really consider cultivating its own irregular proxies, a nice touch would be to perhaps donate lots of the high end US, Nato and Israeli weapons captured in Syria to the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Houthis in Yemen. The Taliban in particular could really do with some portable, longish range anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
The ‘surge’ planned for Afghanistan is a picture of particular tragedy and delusion. Perhaps this reveals more about the current mindset of these people than anything.
“DPRK: that is the big unknown here.”
Most likely scenario:
China, weary of of the threat of millions of North Korean refugees flooding into China, decides that the idiocy has gone too far, bites in the sour apple and removes the ruling CIA – Kim Jong-un clan in a short but heavy-handed military intervention. South Korea, Japan and Taiwan protest in over the top hollywoodesque style to please their Zionist masters while being quite happy with this outcome. End of the farce.
: )
Considering Tillersons statement that Russia must do more to “stop the war in the ukraine”…Merkel Macron and co uselessly failing to implement Minsk with their collective EU frontline statements about Russian aggression and propoganda russian truth rebuttal units , ..growing media control of anything which suggests exposure of their lies and falsehoods…media willingly following the propornot model to implement it worldwhile..Nato declares it is in full defensive mode selling oops “defensive weapons” to protect its delusions, perhaps undersea cables, facebook youtube or whatever lunacy anything it thinks might be applicable to deliberately create hostility…. the tinder that has been set alight by the laughing insane psychopathic usa and sacrificial european lambs frantically fanning the flames threatens whatever “peace” we think we are living in but is not owned by us….will never be owned by us….can never be really safeguarded by us and forbears who deserve it most for all our sufferings for our next generations….peace that it is hanging on by the skin of its teeth and by the “graciousness” of those delusional psychpaths who want to say it is only by their will you have a pretence of normality so long as you are willing to be hoodwinked by them and their false promises…….no wonder there is so much mass depression, psychosis, mental illness,drug and alcohol abuse,homelessness, societal aggression etc etc…..
Saker are you familiar with the guy who broke the story of Russian intervention in Syria.
He has an interesting take on the NSP.
http://www.voltairenet.org/article199174.html
I’m not convinced Trump is finished yet. He always seems to have wiggle room, and right now his main battle is against the Deep State conspiracy to frame him.
I think he has a copy of Sun Tzu.
Fourth or fifth paragraph have word ‘degree’ where you want ‘decree’– but what’s a unvoiced velar stop among friends. (no need to show comment)
Lebanon is in real danger.
What you have described can only be described as actions that are part of a strategy.
So what is the strategy?
Obviously, to create confusion.
Why is it necessary to create confusion?
To hide something even more ominous than all of the terrible possibilities you have listed.
What could be even more ominous than all of the things you have listed?
For the people of the United States, especially, but also for everyone who participates in the modern global economy, the only possible answer would be the US dollar is about to be imploded, and the people who hold assets denominated in US dollars are about to discover they have been made penniless by the Zionist financiers who are stealing everything and sticking everyone with the bill for their epic, decades long crime spree.
Think Greece multiplied ten thousand times over.
The reason they are doing it is because this is the only way they can keep what they’ve stolen.
The finance elite must be prosecuted, jailed and their ill gotten gains must be returned to the people they have pilfered.
Further, their agents must be removed from government by Democratic means, which means, to use a well known phrase — taking to the streets and demanding a draining of the swamp
No presently standing political leader can be permitted to preside over this process. All must resign or be arrested and removed by the people currently responsible for legal enforcement. We need only the police and coursts to do their jobs and uphold the law, starting at the top and working their way down. Any official who resfuses to do their job must be removed and likewise prosecuted for corruption.
This means going to the streets and refusing to go home until we’ve achieved our objective, and yes, they’ve chosen January for this reason.
This also means being ready for a standoff that will potentially last for years.
Do not let them do what they did in 2008. Resolve to demand that this time — we will not allow it.
Prosecute the criminal elite!
How hard can it be when we outnumber them 10 000 to 1?
The longer I observe the behavior of Washington DC, the more I believe that it must be a foreign entity of some sort. Almost none of its decisions have anything to do with the wellbeing of any living people at all. It is absurd that any American could believe otherwise, given that every single observable fact leads to this conclusion.
Josh,
Dmitry Orlov has a very interesting take on this in his book “Everything is Going According To Plan”, which I highly recommend, even though I do not necessarily agree with all of his views.
It’s in the chapters “The Demiurge and the Banality of Evil”, and “The Mystery of American Violence”. Its based around the concepts of demonic possession, groupthink, and the “egregore”
I had not come across this term before, and I am no longer religious. However, most people are, and I found these chapters intriguing.
A wiki definitionis as follows “Egregore (also egregor) is an occult concept representing a “thoughtform” or “collective group mind”, an autonomous psychic entity made up of, and influencing, the thoughts of a group of people. The symbiotic relationship between an egregore and its group has been compared to the more recent, non-occult concepts of the corporation (as a legal entity) and the meme.”
Whether religious or not, this seems a very accurate definition of recent events as controlled by “a foreign entity of some sort.”
I still remain of the opinion, that this entity is probably human, and that it makes mistakes, and that it can be, and needs to be defeated.
However, I think simply praying or exorcising it away, is highly unlikely to be effective, though there is probably no harm in trying.
My preferred method, is for these people (if human), to be arrested, and brought to trial, as it appears they have broken every human law in existence.
Tony
Like you Tony_0pmoc , I used never to mix my geopolitics with my spiritual affinities. In America, the firewall is called separation of church and state. We’ve be trained well to keep each realm on separate shelves. But this was a unilateral disarmament strategy.
It’s become an unshakable article of faith for me that the other side takes explicit orders from the spiritual realm, then formulates those orders into geopolitical and eschatologically coherent behaviors. The ‘thoroughly modern’ and media-saturated secular mind (which again we’ve been diligently trained into BY them but not WITH them) is put at a tactical disadvantage since events have been stripped of their purpose and eschatological significance. Human history is far from shambolic. Rather it is the consolidation of all earthly wealth, power and dominion in the personage of one man.
The most crystallized view of the egregore was oddly enough from the movie Labyrinth when David Bowie says to the girl: “worship me and I will be your slave”. Demons are paradoxically powerless without human psychic energy. Yet they can bestow great power on humans and will perform slavishly if said humans agree to nourish them with precious God-given soul content. This is also the classic Faustian bargain. G-d by contrast is the seat of H-s own power. Parasitic circularity belongs to the other side.
A key moment in the western spiritual disarmament movement is when Baudelaire’s Lucifer seeks invisibility. The devil knows that by seemingly disappearing during the Age of Reason, he can better encourage a similar spiritual abdication on the other side. So, we lose G-d to secular humanism. But the devil remains in a scientific garb. Today’s Europe is a helpless void that jihadism will voraciously fill.
https://fullspectrumdominoes.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/the-devils-still-here-and-hes-bringing-brimstone-back/
Interesting point.
However, my own take is that the entity you refer to may not be foreign – whatever you mean by the term.
It may be what we usually call a demon, and therefore “foreign” in the sense that it’s not a member of our humanity.
But may turn out to be a human or group of humans who hate humanity and work to destroy it, using the neocons, zionists, et al, as a convenient vehicle, taking advantage of their dark hearts.
So, Washington’s actions may be appear to be impelled by some kind of demonic possession, but it may turn out that the demons obsessing whoever is behind all this evil are actually humans, not disincarnate entities.
Or, to put it this way: saints, even the greatest, are not angels but perfected humans.
Analogously, the evil people behind the current dire threat to humanity’s survival are not foreign entities, but evil members of our own human family.
Very carefully and clearly worked problem and statement, Saker. Many thanks.
Delusional expectations are understood by psyco-boffins as “psychological sets”
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=psycological+set&t=ffab&ia=web
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(psychology)
These are created by “media”, as machines that capture the imagination and define the pathways available to “see” solutions.
The create delusion. It’s snake oil selling on a vast scale.
Of course the elite is at least as easy to delude as any group. And they self-create sets too, a positive feedback loop…and we know what happens when there’s too much positive feedback…a one shot event.
Wars, big war, tend to be one shot event as it is so big that it shatters the “sets” as well as the abilities to fight.
The claims about the NK getting oil now at sea from Chine was first mooted as a “set”, then “discovered”.
(11 is a classical example of the use of “sets”, and also the weaknesses of the technique.)
Always look for “mise en scene”… that is the literary term for a “set”. Another is repetition, another is “foreshadowing” ,
Me? I think MacKinder’s Theory interacts with Jevons’ Theory, and make together absolute necessity of alomost immediate war from the point of view of the anglosaxon empire… But Saker’s reasoning is in no way less salient or valid, as it informs many details. Of course the war has been going on since 1945…but the matter has become more urgent.
https://southfront.org/us-led-coalition-is-forming-kurdish-dominated-army-in-northern-syria/
Plus
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155022413256366&id=137767151365
Usa retraining isis and Sunni radicals to wage sectarian warfare
If you are russian or any links to a russian or russia in usa
https://www.rt.com/usa/414398-senate-probe-russian-anyone/
https://southfront.org/irans-ayatollah-khamenei-u-s-is-still-assisting-isis/
https://southfront.org/netanyahu-praises-tremendous-firepower-of-iraeli-air-force-sends-warning-to-iran-hamas/
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/28/547049/US-confronting-the-totality-of-Iranian-threats-Tillerson
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712271060346152-nusra-syria-lavrov-defeat/
SANA news reporting usa still rescuing isis and transpirting out…but still killing them elsewheres….is there a “wrong kind of terrorist ” for their purposes?
https://southfront.org/not-quiet-syrian-front-us-launch-another-war/
Usa to spend 500m on train and equip SDF and YPG in Syria….vehicles…earth moving equipment armaments etc etc sounds like in for the long term…… in 2018
Dear Saker,
About Afghanistan you write “…it will result in mode body bags, it will achieve nothing cost a shitload and nobody cares”. I hope you are right.
But at the same time, I have there have been recent reports about Uncle Sam building up the defeated ISIS (from Syria/Iraq) in Afghanistan. If this is true then Uncle Sam must have some dirty tricks up its sleeves, and the consequences might be much less benign than more body bag. So, the product of likelihood of happening (which is already happening) and the severity of consequence (much worse than more body bags) should be greater than “low”. Any thoughts?
Thanks again, for another great analysis.
I would like to see Mr Putin and Mr Xi, call the wests bluff and corner the Israeli menace.
Then start making the rules.
I’d the israeloamericans are planning to continue their terror war against Syria, at the very least.
US Reportedly Evacuates Daesh Leaders From Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Again
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712291060410421-us-continues-daesh-evacuation-syria-reports/
“US helicopters have evacuated Daesh leaders from several areas across the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor to the country’s northeast, Syria’s SANA news agency has reported, citing eyewitnesses.
According to residents, SANA reported that the jihadists were evacuated Wednesday and flown to safety to al-Hasakah province, much of which is presently under the control of Kurdish and US forces.
Sources said that several US helicopters had conducted low-altitude flights into the al-Saad camp for temporarily displaced persons, landing near the al-Hasakah Dam in southern al-Hasakah province, bringing in terrorist leaders reported to have joined a new group of militants supported and organized by the US.
Previously, SANA said, US helicopters had evacuated 47 terrorist leaders to al-Hasakah, with injured militants reportedly sent to receive medical assistance from Medecins Sans Frontieres doctors.”
Good report here
https://www.activistpost.com/2017/12/us-to-officially-send-lethal-arms-to-ukraine-russia-says-us-crossed-the-line-but-us-has-been-arming-kiev-for-years.html
https://southfront.org/hayat-tahrir-al-sham-begins-withdrawing-from-western-ghouta-videos-photos/
Ex terrorists? Going to idlb..hhmm
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712291060410421-us-continues-daesh-evacuation-syria-reports/
http://theantimedia.org/us-signs-secret-deal-with-israel-to-tackle-iran/
…………..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5220273/Thousands-protesters-Iran-attack-president.html
Hmmm…”.attempted” colour revolution ?
Probably not, JJ.
Or not yet, at any rate.
The protests are in the region bordering Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, which feels neglected: high unemployment, poverty, contrasted with those in Tehran living in luxury, and the government spending so much on Syria and other geopolitical goals.
It all sounds genuine enough, but of course all colour revolutions begin that way, and get manipulated.
Still, Iran is a solid country.
Concerning ‘Russia 1 – asset theft’, last week (Dec 20th) a very broad executive order (#13818) was signed, enabling the US government to ‘freeze’ any assets of individuals or companies who are (directly or indirectly) involved in ‘serious’ human rights abuse or corruption.
Important point is section 1.a.ii : any foreign person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General can … With other words, there is no judge, no jury, no due process, nothing involved – agreement of three individuals is sufficient.
To increase the possibility to ‘pressure’ any company/individual (foreign or not) into submission, the same 3 people panel in section 1.a.iii can target anybody who might have provided material/technical support (meaning banks etc or even other governments!).
Neatly signed short before Christmas when nobody is really looking. By the way, section 1.a.ii.D and 1.a.iii.C clarify that ‘attempt’ is sufficient, no actual abuse or corruption are required. I thus would expect ‘Russia 1’ as outlined by The Saker above has a high possibility to be seen during 2018.
Nevertheless, I wonder how much the US government actually wants to target China with this act.
not important since empire abandoned law long ago, but these orders are all quite ephemeral and moot under the US law itself…
http://www.techlawjournal.com/glossary/legal/attainder.htm
perhaps we shall be treated to Nuremberg 2.0 and have another lawyers trial…they did it once…
no? Yes, they did try a few of the nazi legal people…
look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8wipF1sqkY
But they will have to make the movies in the language of the victors, that can that be English? One does doubt that, somehow.
Anyone think that so-called ‘Executive Orders’ are thought up and formulated by the ‘Executive’ himself?
Hmmm…not a chance in hell!
No doubt the intrigues of Washington dwarf those of even the finest whorehouse in Paris…but these orders remain quite illegal and unconstitutional, and in time may blow back on the issuing parties, whoever wrote them may someday stand in the dock.
take he time to read the USC, a document of essentially wishful thinking at the moment…
as to the specific matter: Bill of Attainder
Definition: A legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without a trial.
The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3 provides that: “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed.”
“The Bill of Attainder Clause was intended not as a narrow, technical (and therefore soon to be outmoded) prohibition, but rather as an implementation of the separation of powers, a general safeguard against legislative exercise of the judicial function or more simply – trial by legislature.” U.S. v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437, 440 (1965).
“These clauses of the Constitution are not of the broad, general nature of the Due Process Clause, but refer to rather precise legal terms which had a meaning under English law at the time the Constitution was adopted. A bill of attainder was a legislative act that singled out one or more persons and imposed punishment on them, without benefit of trial. Such actions were regarded as odious by the framers of the Constitution because it was the traditional role of a court, judging an individual case, to impose punishment.” William H. Rehnquist, The Supreme Court, page 166.
“Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation. … The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation that sudden changes and legislative interferences, in cases affecting personal rights, become jobs in the hands of enterprising and influential speculators, and snares to the more-industrious and less-informed part of the community.” James Madison, Federalist Number 44, 1788.
Supreme Court cases construing the Bill of Attainder clause include:
Ex Parte Garland, 4 Wallace 333 (1866).
Cummings v. Missouri, 4 Wallace 277 (1866).
U.S. v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437 (1965).
Nixon v. Administrator of General Services, 433 U.S.425 (1977).
Selective Service Administration v. Minnesota PIRG, 468 U.S. 841 (1984).
See also, SBC v. FCC.
thanks for the comments and especially the insight about the ‘Bill of Attainder’. While I do agree that the current ruling clique in the US does not care about the law (national/international) or their own constitution, they still have a desire to veil their actions in a ‘pseudo’ legal cloth to easier sell it to the MSM and their followers (nationally and internationally).
In this regard, the executive order #13818 will be useful vehicle and therefore raises the likeliness of the postulated ‘Russia 1 – asset theft’ scenario raised by the saker.
Absolutely true.
Naturally they are looting everything anywhere they can. The German nazis did the same on a tiny scale in France. They will take it all, if they can.
Korea is a fluke. All the noise is just marketing for the US military industrial complex and selling weapons to the gullible in the region. Both S. Korea and Japan also happen to have the money for it.
With two neighbors like Russia and China, Kim has little to fear. He knows it all to well, hence the impunity with which he test missile after missile. Had the country not been neighboring the two military and economic giants, the country would have been long toast ( see Irak, Libya, Serbia, none of which border either Russia or China). Neither Russia nor China will stand idle with N. Korean under attack which will increase the cost for the US operations ( both human and material) to unacceptable levels.
I would add to your list the omnipresent danger of the ISIS/Taliban insurgency metastasizing in the central Asian republics. Based on the increased level of co-operations and military drills between Russia and the countries in the region, it looks like Putin is keenly aware of this danger and does all it can to prevent the Islamic militants from taking over the central Asian republics.
In this context it is refreshing to know that the new Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev appears to get along -at least from what it transpires in the media- much better with Putin and Russian then Karimov used to. That is certainly helpful as the country shares a long border with Afghanistan and also ( unfortunately) saw a large number of its citizens join the scumbag terrorists in Syria or elsewhere in the Middle east.
To wrap it up, I think it is this vulnerable area that the Deep State will try to focus its resources and evil attention on in the years ahead with the goal of destabilizing the central Asian republics as the first step, with the ultimate goal of creating chaos in central Russia itself among.
I see same about Korea. There is no way Kim could be so reckless if it is not bordering China, and has fought many wars on its behave.
Kim has taking it for granted for too long.
Very important Saker article for the New Year.
As we all pray and hope and implore for Peace and some Justice in this world, we are confronted with madness and greed and an Empire of lunatics led, not by a US President, but by a clique of military and Intel men (and a few women) whose base line of sociopathy is unprecedented in world history.
Trump pre-empted immediate and direct action against Russia and Iran. So, the election was “good”. On-going, the Presidency is in escrow, held from the voting public who wanted a cooperative relationship with Russia, and a coordination with the multi-polar world to avoid more war.
And why do we have the neo-cons running US foreign policy? Because Trump was cowardly about General Flynn, and Trump’s great ideological weakness is for Israel.
Once Flynn was dispatched, Trump conceded to the IC that they could run foreign policy, and he doubled down on more war in order to get a military victory he could sell as ‘America was back on top!’
So, through the CIA came all the neocons. Matched with the feckless Pentagon, the nationalism of the election campaign (control of borders, sovereignty not globalism, balance of trade not lopsided loss of millions of jobs) morphed into jingoism. America First, became America Dominant. The weakened America of Obama became the robust America of Trump. Bellicosity was back in vogue. Drone strikes were out and massive bombings of Raqqa and Mosul were more Nixonian than Bushian. ‘Let them eat lead and phosphorus’, “I’ll bomb the shit out of them” got cheers as Americans thought that Victory was upon them, and rightly, divinely so.
The marginalization of Russia in world Media was finalized with the banning of RT and branding all pro-Russia blogs, articles, tweets as Kremlin bots. The demonization of everything Russia meant the victory in Syria could never be due to Russia.
It is a Trump victory. Cut a another piece of chocolate cake and two scoops of ice cream for the POTUS. Conqueror of all of ISIS!
Back to psychology deficits among the NSC-neocons and policy drivers:
They have two fears. Fear that momentum on the planet has shifted away from their institutions of control. And fear that, just maybe, Russia has weapons that can blunt American dominance.
Momentum is often out of anyone’s control. Events sometimes create momentum. Presently, North Korea’s nuclear tests and ICBM flights have created an opportunity and momentum shift in behalf of the Hegemon. The US now has a policy it is driving hard, not just with THAAD missiles that threaten MAD status of China and partially of Russia. The US has new foreign policy built on naval dominance of the QUAD. Four nations joined at the hip to contain China in the Indo-Pacific rim. This is huge momentum, and will grow in threat to China in the coming year. All brought on by Kim and North Korea. A geo-political opening that was heaven-sent for Trump and the neocons to exploit.
This is why 2018, China and Russia must neutralize NK’s threat to Asia Pacific community. They must configure a way to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Or the QUAD will have a moral basis of being. Right now it is just a hegemonic construct.
As for the fear of Russian weapons systems that the US cannot cope with, let’s be realistic. EW and S 400 are the only things keeping the US from crushing the small forces Russia has at risk in Syria. CENTCOM would take over the skies of the ME without Russia weaponry such a risk to their flights.
So, too, the Black Sea. Look how aggressive the US and NATO is testing the edge of Russian tolerance. Only the advantages Russia has with EW and S 400s protects the southern and western districts. We would have war without them. The Ukies, Poles and other vassals would be happy to battle a disadvantaged Russia. However, the advantage is with Russia, so we have no war, yet.
The narrow path left for diplomacy in North Korea and Russian advantage in Ukraine/Black Sea/ME is in what we place hope.
The monster of Empire is alive and well and about to raise hell somewhere.
Trump likes victory or what he can sell as victory.
The Pentagon can choose any theater they want. They have authorization to do anything anywhere except to start with Russia, to start with NK, or to start with Iran. Those are too big for victory claims. The outcome for those three are highly doubtful.
Ukraine vs Donbass, it is a 3:1 chance of being a US loser. But it serves a big purpose to demonize Russia and maintain sanctions. So, more war? Probability is very high. Especially, timed for elections and World Cup. The neocon con game is “always demonize Putin and Russia”.
Syria, I’ve said is now version 2.0. The first Syrian War is a victory for Russia-Syria-Iran-Hezbollah. The Second Syrian War has begun. It is a face down directly with Israel and al Nusra and Centcom and ISIS-repackaged as anti-Assadian forces (again).
Russia will have to win this one as it did the first war. Downsized for now might be temporary. It depends on the commitment of Iran to invest better troops than the weak Shiite militias presently in Syria. They are no better than cannon fodder. They don’t hold captured ground and are poorly trained and led. These are not the quality PMU militias from Iraq. These are mostly from Afghanistan, with little at stake in the outcome. The US advisers target them with ferocious ISIS counter attacks that seem to always succeed. Since this second war in Syria is about Israel’s fear of Iran and the Shiite crescent to Lebanon, Iran needs to step up and put quality forces in scale into the battle. Get a massive victory early and save the Syrian people more hell to come.
We are faced with a sociopathic Empire. It now has a figurehead who suits it better than the narcissistic Obama. Sociopaths of grandiosity like the McMasters and Mattis ilk are perfected teamed by a fellow like Trump. His ego is like a balloon taking on helium. It always can take more as it expands to the occasion. Give them a chance at victory as they define it (Raqqa and Mosul) and they will do it every time.
Madness ends when the source is terminated. It does not end on its own. Nor will it run out of fuel for its fury. Saker shows the list of targets. It could be easily doubled in length.
They have no soul. They have no heart. They have no logic. They are fascists through and through. They have control of the hegemonic powers in all spheres. They rule.
The only thing separating them from total global control is Russia. This is why their fury and rage is endless against Mother Russia and Putin.
We have been on the verge of Feudalism for several years. It comes packaged in several ways. Americanism. Globalism. Liberalism. Financial Capitalism. These ideologies require Militarism to succeed and install the Feudalism sought by the Elites.
The year ahead is another make or break period. The wedge of Eurasia development and the lever of Russian military weaponry is our only hope.
Nothing good can possibly come from Trump, the US, or the Western institutions. The entire civilization is lost to corruption, deviance and greed. They are pre-zombies, automatons of Satan.
JJ, respect rule 10 of the moderation policy. Mod
Well said, Larchmonter. I think the biggest problem for the American populace in particular is they as a whole have no concept of what war is. There has been no serious fighting since 1865 on American land and even that conflict was ‘limited’ to the southeast of the country. Yes, America has been to war many times since then and America has suffered loses but the wholesale death and destruction of total war is to them a concept seen in history videos. I personally don’t think they have the stomach to go through such a horror and survive as any kind of a cultural entity if they survive at all.
This begs the question of if the American general populace has no clue of the kind of destruction visited on others in today’s wars beyond what they see in the video game of Flying Tank War, what about the military who serves in those conflicts afar? What about the spooks and intel types and analysts who do see it, maybe for many not up close and personal enough to hear and smell the result but certainly close enough to have a concept of the true horror of War. They can not all be soulless and heartless, can they? Or can they be so? Can they be so heartless, so unfeeling, so callous that they are willing to pull the whole edifice down on their own heads? It seems to me to be unfathomable that they would do so but from the looks of it they seem to be more than willing to walk to the precipice and look down in to the seething, boiling and white hot cauldron of war they are so wishing to start and not think that the precipice will crumble under their feet as they fall in to the Cauldron of Horror.
It is a puzzlement to see so many supposedly worldly and educated people in US and EU thoughtlessly edging ever closer to the crumbling borders of the cauldron and for this thoughtlessness I have no clue as to what to think of it, let alone how to stop it. Perhaps the only thing to be done is to wait and if needs be see how good Pantsir, S400, Buk Umpteenth Upgrade and other odds and ends perform. If they don’t perform well, it won’t make any difference to us after the fact, our city will be a smoking ruin wherein we’ll be fighting in the rubble if any of them survive to hit the shores of our beaches and I can guaranty some of us will survive to fight them. We did the second and third defense of Sevastopol and we can damn sure do the fourth.
Auslander
Author
Never The Last One http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGCY8KK A Deep Look In To Russia, Her Culture And Her Armed Forces
An Incident On Simonka https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ERKH3IU NATO Is Invited To Leave Sevastopol, One Way Or The Other.
Auslander,
Maybe up to 5% of Americans are psychopathic or sociopathic (sociopaths can’t control their impulses and tend to wind up in jail). There are probably another 15-20% of the population that see that psychopathic behavior is successful in America and copy them. Everyone else is normal.
Psychopaths have a high need for power and are good at climbing to the top of political&corporate hierarchies, but their weakness is that they’re incompetent.
Anyone who would make a great soldier or officer is weeded out of the US military. They either quit or don’t get promoted and get kicked out.
The American elite are incompetent parasites who will kill their host and that is why America is fated to become a bankrupt ex superpower . All that matters to them is money and power. The exact same type of situation is happening in the Ukraine now.
ISIS has shown up in Afghanistan, so I’m guessing the US is trying to destabilize the central asian stans.
“ISIS has shown up in Afghanistan, so I’m guessing the US is trying to destabilize the central asian stans.”
Amazing how these criminal gangs can ‘fly’ over to Afghanistan — returning home, or on the next front line?
Certainly Iran has an eastern border to worry about and also note recent friction between Pakistan and India. The latter risk has been largely omitted by the Saker in this analysis but it remains a significant threat to peaceful progress. Especially given the Chinese links with Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s deep water ports.
The USA is heading for economic challenges that only externalised conflict and war in foreign lands can mitigate.
The Shock and Awe Syndrome of a “Strike” as War is what works for Americans.
The Mother of All Bombs dropped on Afghanistan. Americans loved it.
The Missile Strike on Syrian airport while Trump served chocolate cake to Xi. Americans loved it.
They expect War is a stealth strike by Tomahawk or B-2. Boom! We killed ’em. It’s over. We won. America! USA! USA!
Incoming? No such thing. Never is return fire. (ref: MC Hammer “Can’t Touch This”) America is safe from War.
The talk this week was the US will give Kim a bloody nose! See? It’s easy. Punch him in the nose! Don’t need diplomacy. Don’t have to lose Americans in any War. Bam! One punch, he feels pain and bleeds. It’s that simple.
Americans play in their psyop-massaged heads a single shooter video game in which there is no way to lose or be shot dead themselves. They always win.
Trump and NSC just wrote the game book, NSS. We shoot, you die.
Auslander,
As a child, my mother, sister, and I hiked to the bottom of Kīlauea Iki, an 800 foot deep volcanic crater that last erupted around 1880. The walls of the crater were covered with trees and ferns, truly a beautiful hike.
3 months later Kīlauea erupted, leaving the crater only ~300 feet deep. I’m sure there were many hikers in the last few weeks of calm and beauty.
Several miles away is Halema‘uma‘u caldera. There is an iron railing maybe 5-6 feet from the edge surrounding the crater to keep the tourists back. Lots of people would be happy to stick their heads over the edge even when the floor of crater was molten. Bottom line, lots of idiots who believe that since nothing has happened recently (last 100 years or last 100 minutes) that nothing will happen in the future.
All the best, hoping for a quiet uneventful new year.
I think the problem for the US Empire is that anything other than the shortest and most decisive of conflicts leads to it’s long-term demise. Any “serious” (not Afghanistan) extended warfare in one theater would mean pulling assets away from the Empire’s network of bases and thus weakening it. Or it could lead to a draft in the US, which would be most risky gambit imaginable for the military.
The best bet is the Donbas, I am sure a plan is in the works to do something during Russia’s election & World Cup finals, but the Ukrainians may be too incompetent to pull it off.
I can’t imagine the US military brass signing off to attacking NK. Unless there’s a super secret weapon I don’t know about you’re risking about twenty thousand dead marines in three days, not to mention all the civilians.
Mod note: Stating an affirmation of one’s belief in the absence of absolute knowledge makes a far better argument. How about using “I believe you are wrong…” about the risk of attacking Russia through SWIFT being high. Yes, the damage to the Russian economy would be higher to what Russia could do in return to the EU, but they are immeasurably tougher and more determined than the western Europeans. Without Russian energy supplies their fragile, debt-ridden economies would shatter. To sign off on that would make them far more subservient than any vassal during the Middle Ages, they would have to be considered no better than the Empire’s chattel slaves.
Russia has been a supporter of North Korea in the past and while it is risky, the Russians might assist North Korea with tactics & maybe technology. Russia would benefit if NK could give the US a bloody nose. The other possibility is that NK preemptively strikes South Korea, Japan or both. Russia has the ability to jam US plane and ship defense systems. So US could jam and NK could attack. It is not in China or Russias interests to have US bases in North Korea.
A war in NK will not benefit any one, not even Kim.
IMHO, US’s specifically picking on Russia is a sign that Russia is a easier opponent of the two. Russia is over stretched. China want development, not war.
Kim does not dare to start a fight. Like Saker said, no one knows how many NKrean will fight for Kim… and China will not back it up if it starts a war…
I see it the other way. They pick on Russia so much because it is the only military threat to them.If they can destroy Russia then it will be China’s turn.They agree with you that China wants development more than anything.They figure they can threaten China to stay in line until they finish off Russia.Then its China’s turn.With all the billions that China’s trade has given them.Their military is much weaker than the US or Russia.They believe defeating China would be hard as long as Russia is around to help China.They will try to strangle China’s trade first.But if Russia falls,the “velvet glove” is removed,and the “iron hand” comes out.
As smart as the Chinese are supposed to be.How they can’t see the way the US works is stunning (that goes for Russia too).I’ve seen them work for decades and it follows a pattern.Only those that are like the three monkeys “see no evil,hear no evil,speak no evil” can’t see that.They know that both Russia and China don’t want war.Both countries have suffered enormously from war.While the US hasn’t suffered from war since the middle of the 19th century.The population doesn’t really fear a war they know nothing about its effects.So they “push,and push” Russia and China.And each time they succeed,it confirms their thinking.And then they push again.North Korea,and Ukraine,are the latest examples of that.Anyone that thinks they will “just stop” knows nothing about the US.
I have another theory. The US government, whatever composes it, knows it has lost the trust of the majority of the people it supposedly serves. It inflicts a barrage of ” hate Russia” on its people in the attempt to create a bogeyman worse than it itself is. It is not working. This has been going on since the campaigns before the last election, and it was supposed to get Hillary elected by demonizing Putin. It did not!
Our government wants us to be afraid enough to support a war, just as many did after 9/11. They know we are not that afraid, because not enough of us now trust them. It’s the only thing holding them back. I don’t know how long it will do so, but they lose more adherents with every roll of the sun and those former ‘patriots’ are never going back, never. Please, people of the world, if you can help us peacefully hem these imposters in, do so!
Even just your prayers would be very helpful. Thank you.
Thanks for the replies. The US is not as powerful, as it appears, nothing is quite as obvious as it appears. If Russia believes an attack on NK is likely, then Russia has a lot of upside by helping NK and lets say a ground war starts, this provides many opportunities, China could engage Taiwan, a multitude of forces could take on Israel and Iran could take on the badly organised Saudis who are too scared to use ground forces in Yemen. Iran could take out the Strait of Hormuz and damage Saudi oil fields. The Saudi’s are on their knees financially. So its possible US could be overstretched very quickly.
Two years and 18 days ago I made the prediction that war is coming. See here:
/auslander-on-war-war-is-coming-it-is-a-fact-an-inescapable-fact/
The situation has not changed much, in some fields the SitRep is better, in some worse. I do not have the ability or resources Saker has for research but I do have resources he does not have and my resources confirm that next year will be the most dangerous year to date for the possibility, read likelihood, for war. So be it, there is nothing I or we can do about it here. The situation in our household is the same this year as then, ‘she’ will not go to mainland for safe haven, she clearly stated that where I am, she is. I will not leave this city, come what may. Period.
I will close this short reply to a masterpiece of an article by Saker with a quote from a close friend and comrade who wrote in my posting after some said I seemed despondent:
“…….my friend, my comrade.
I am not despondent and we are not afraid, not in the least. There is no despair or fear in either our household and compound or our City.
You are correct, we see our wounded coming down from Donbas and we bury our dead from Donbass to the tears of their loved ones, we hold the loved ones in our arms and try to console them but for them there is no consoling. We smell the smell and hear the roar of battle and it has never stopped, not for a single day since April of last year regardless of what the media says from both sides.
However, we do, to an extent, see the ‘big picture’ although I for one am not terribly well educated and can not express in an erudite manner my thoughts and feelings. We are also in a small and quiet corner of a vast land, almost a backwater from the more cosmopolitan environs of Mockba and St. Petersburg. On the other hand I will never forget to my dying day Mr. Xheronovsky’s comment in late February of last year on his first visit to our fair city, to wit: “My God, these people are more Russian than we are!”
How correct he was regardless of whether he was pandering to the cameras or not. We ARE more Russian than mainland Russia and as such we will defend this city and this peninsula to the very bitter end if we are attacked and I have no doubts that if Russia is attacked the citizens will defend Russia to the hilt. This willingness to defend the Motherland is something DC and Langley simply can’t understand, they find it impossible that a in their opinion backward land, culture and populace will not bow in subservience to them. I’ve got news for them. As Juan so eloquently said last year, we will die fighting to the last man and woman before we bow on bended knee to a single one of them.
We well know that Mr. Putin has a vastly more informed and intricate view of the situation. We of course will never have such a view and we should not. All we can do, and this we do, is put our faith in both him and Him.
For us, we do not sit and stew, we do not worry. Life goes on, we laugh, we joke, we talk to friends and neighbors, we attend Church and tease Father Giorgei, we take our blue girl for her usual promenades in City Center Park, we take care of our duties to this city and this country. We have prepared, yes, of course, but we can have absolutely no influence on the current events until and if we are attacked. If that event comes to pass, well, let’s just say that DC, Langley and EU will rue that day for the rest of their short lives after an attack on our city. As the saying goes, may God have mercy on their souls because we won’t.”
Auslander
Author
Never The Last One http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGCY8KK A Deep Look In To Russia, Her Culture And Her Armed Forces
An Incident On Simonka https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ERKH3IU NATO Is Invited To Leave Sevastopol, One Way Or The Other.
The 20 M “deadline for war” that’s been spoke about, the equinox date for Barbarossa 2.0, coincides closely with the election…
wiki: “The 2018 Russian presidential election will take place on 18 March 2018.[1]
The first round will be held on Sunday 18 March 2018. If in the first round no candidate attains an absolute majority of the votes (more than half), then according to the law, a second round will take place exactly three weeks later, on 8 April 2018.[2]”
Very unlikely there will be a second round. I think Putin will get around 65% of the vote.With 30% split between the Communists and LDP. The other 5% (or less) will be split among the other 3 or 4 candidates.
Nevertheless M20 and the days around that date represent an inflectional point in History and, if, for example, the election processes were interrupted by war…well you can see how a weakness might develop.
Nothing in the Imperial Strategies stand alone.
An excellent article, as always from The Saker. As the old saying goes, a cornered rat is a dangerous rat. For the first time in modern history, neither Washington nor Wall Street really know what they are supposed to do, as they are facing a situation which they never faced before.
The US is looking into a gigantic foreign and domestic debt, the dollar is printed in huge amounts backed by nothing, while Eurasia is on the rise, a horror story for Wall Street, which cannot forget the old bankers trick of taking you to war every time they face financial difficulties. However, analysts have for years been warning that this old trick cannot work any more, as the US never before had such a huge debt and an almost worthless currency, not to mention the erosion of the manufacturing base (according to analysts, 28.000 factories in the US have been closed down, while according to Trump 60.000 have been closed).
Will the neocons provoke a war ? In my opinion yes, but a war waged by proxies (unless ofcourse they are totally insane and use US forces directly against either North Korea or Iran).
In 2018 we are having presidential elections in Russia. The temptation to disrupt those elections and hope Putin either “loses” or else is “overthrown” is a temptation the neocons simply will not let pass. They will force Poroshenko to attack Donbas, hoping Kiev will win and in the process hoping to provoke Russia to openly intervene, and thus accuse it of aggression. They are also hoping this will case Putin to “lose” the elections.
Nothing of the sort will happen. Ukraine is facing huge financial difficulties, where the bulk of the population is demoralized, having trouble finding employment and paying monthly bills. The majority now regrets that coup d’etat against Yanukovich in 2014. The population is demoralized, while the moral of the Ukrainian conscript army is certainly no better. Worse for Kiev, the Russians in the Donbas had three years to dig in and prepare defensive positions. Ukraine’s numerical advantage means nothing. Their troops will be in the open while the Russians will be dug in, waiting for them. The side which attacks always loses more. Also, its impossible not to believe that Putin, too, is expecting an attack against Donbas. He must have by now beefed up the Donbas Russians with more high tech.
Should Poroshenko be foolish enough to attack, he will almost certainly face huge opposition at home, if not an uprising. Some months back the Ukrainian police was raiding night clubs looking for kids who were dodging the army draft. You don’t fight a war with those type of recruits. I wouldn’t be surprised if Putin is actually hoping for Poroshenko to attack, knowing perfectly well what the repercussions in Ukraine will be. And the neocons in the US ? They wont care one bit what happens, nor do they really understand the situation. I fear they will start a chain reaction both in Ukraine and else where, which will cause immense political and economic damage to the US. Perhaps its for the better, so that the neocons finally grasp reality. Will they accept it, remains to be seen.
Whether or not there is a war depends on global elites, the global deep state one might say. We would do well to try to figure out what they are seeking, what their goals are — but see we never can because the instant one tries to the shrieks go up CONSPIRACY THEORY CONSPIRACY THEORY!!!
Call me naïve or delusional but I don’t agree that the Jerusalem thing was a disaster and somewhere, Joseph P. Farrell and Robert David Steele appear to agree with me. In fact, J.P.F. qualified my take on it of “fundamentally sound”.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-25/us-slashes-united-nations-budget-285-million-following-stunning-jerusalem-rebuke
One cannot stop but think that it was planned all along as it unfolded…
If we remember the last presidential campaign, that was one of Trump’s promises: to cut down the US support of the UN he qualified as “political game” and NATO, which he even declared “obsolete”.
https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/04/02/donald-trump-tells-crowd-hed-be-fine-if-nato-broke-up/
What better way to do it than concoct some pretext he knew in advance to result in a vote against the US? Any moron would have known that his Jerusalem declaration was going to be so unpopular worldwide that attaching to it a threat of slashing down the UN budget would render it… inevitable! Who lost the most in that move? Zionist-owned, warmongering Congress, who could not oppose it, and Europe. I view it as a clever way to slash over-bloated budgets and pulling out of the war mentality.
Nothing happens randomly or by coincidence. In my views, we’re looking at well-orchestrated scheme to cut down on US war expenses. First, he imposed on NATO members an increase in their participation and now, this.
We’re looking at something big unfolding. I just don’t know what it is… but somehow, I don’t see a major war in the future.
” Who lost the most in that move?”
I would say it is Palestinian parents that have lost their children. Palestinian wives who have lost their husbands,brothers and sisters their siblings,children their fathers.It is the oppressed people of Palestine that always “lose” the most from the horrors of Israeli and US terror inflicted oh them.
One of the items you find on timelines of the ‘path to WW2’ is that Germany withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933.
BTW, its not just Trump. Railing against the UN has been a standard feature of Republican rhetoric for a long time now. The ones who are, or pretended to be ‘statesmen’ didn’t do this, at least not once they’d reached that stage. But at lower levels of the Republicans, this has been popular and common for quite some time. Republican Presidents tend to cut UN payments, withhold UN payments completely, and talk a lot about the need to ‘reform’ the UN. And its been ‘red meat’ to the Republican base for decades.
In this way, Trump is just finding an alignment with his own beliefs and and the beliefs of the base of the Republican Party. Trump doesn’t see the UN as anything that makes him money, and doesn’t see it as anything that helps America, and as something that costs money he would rather give to billionaires.
There is an important difference here though. It’s true that old generation Conservatives (paleo-conservatives) were opposed to the UN. Primarily based on their perception of the UN being part of a global Communist conspiracy. The goal of which was to subordinate the US government to the UN, subvert American society, and replace traditional Christian values with atheism, etc. Zionism, Bolshevism and Jews were also identified as elements of this conspiracy. However, this manifestation of Conservatism has been essentially completely replaced by neoconservatism.
Trump by his actions and declaration is fully subordinate to Israel. This is completely opposed to traditional American nationalism. He is a neocon not a paleocon. Nevertheless, the supplanting of old style American nationalist conservatism with neoconservatism within the Republican party bears out your point. He is well aligned with the modern Republican party neoconservative base.
All three of you raise good points and… we are all left with either believing and fearing that WWIII is coming or that something is at play to prevent it. I choose the latter because envisioning the former weighs me down and, somewhere, I want to believe that there is a God in all of us and humanity as a whole is sick and tired of war and ready to move past that insane tit-for-tat paradigm.
If I’m wrong believing the best and the worse happens, I’ll deal with it when it happens. Worrying about the worse now, will only have robbed of the mental strength I will need if it ever comes to pass. No point in living twice the same horror: once in imagination and once in reality.
Happy New Year to all.
Considering Tillerson is his Neq York Post article said that Russia had invaded Georgia and Ukraine
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/12/south-ossetia-postpones-return-to.html?m=1
as Ossetia is tbe only independant state that has officially recognised LNR and DPR it has postponed its own referendum to join Russian Federation in order to keep that recognition valid……..
.but interesting about its referendum folks.
Just starting to read this, and the first bit leaves me with a comment…. :)
While the western corporate press seems to talk constantly about their hopes for war (and their associated ratings/circulation boosts), its always about North Korea alone or Iran alone.
The Trump administration seems to be driving towards war on both fronts, simultaneously . So, what should be considered is prospects of the USA fighting a two front war. After all, if Trump gets his war in N. Korea, is this administration going to start being nice to Iran once they get their war?
And of course, one would also to consider that thing that never seems to occur to US war planners…… that maybe it won’t be their decision? For instance, both Iran and North Korea are in regional conflicts with US allies, so what happens if Kim really is crazy enough to see a US-Israel-AlQaeda-ISIS-KSA-UAE war with Iran as the opportunity to do a ‘reunification’ of the Korean peninsular their own way? Or, what happens if Iran sees a USA-North Korea war as an opportunity to aid a Shiite uprising in the KSA and that leads to a 2nd USA war front?
Remember, in 1939, Hitler did not believe that he was starting WW2 when he invaded Poland. He’d become so used to UK and France not responding to his multiple aggressions, that it simply didn’t occur to him that they would fight over Poland.
Mr. Paul Craig Roberts has been writing of late of the dangers of making a power like Russia believe that a war is inevitable if not imminent. So, what happens if Russia and China exchange a couple of phone calls and reach the conclusion that a USA v North Korea war or a USA v Iran war means that that moment is their best chance to take on a USA that is increasingly belligerent and threatening to both of them? Perhaps they decide to convince whichever country is not in the initial war that now is their time to fight the USA while the USA is busy on the other side of the world? What happens if Russia decides that a USA war is the perfect time to rid itself of an annoying fascist problem on their borders? What happens if China decides that a USA war, especially over in the Middle East, is the perfect time to solidfy their control over the South China Sea? What if China decides to see what happens to the USA if when they are fighting a war, their manufacturing supply line to China is cut off and suddenly the USA is now bereft of all the cheap made-in-China goods that major companies like Walmart and Apple depend upon? What if China decides that a US war means that they’ve held US treasury notes for far too long and that its time to dump the portion that they have not already been slowly easing out of?
The constant mistake of US war planners is that they always act like they are the only player in the game that gets to make a move. They always scream about how unfair it is, and usually seem generally surprised, when opponents make what should otherwise seem to be obvious counter-moves. Russia not allowing their big plans for Ukraine to take the major naval base at Sevastopol seems one of many examples of rather obvious countermoves creating surprise, revealing the lack of planned countermoves, and great cries of anguish from the western corporate-fascist-feudal states.
And as I wrote above, Hitler did not think he was launching the Next World War when he invaded Poland. To the Germans, this was just another move similar to their annexing Czechoslovakia. They didn’t count on the British and the French deciding that this was the moment when enough was simply enough. The end result was of course the near obliteration of Germany cities and the occupation of the country by forces now insisting on regime change.
I used to believe that the US was too dependent on Chinese imports to start a war with China.But I’ve rethought that position.There is a lot of talk in the US MSM about “China will suffer more than the US with sanctions on trade” and “some things are more important that money”. They are prepping the population for the coming fight.
I haven’t seen the figures,but I guarantee there is far more Chinese money in US banks and bonds than US money in Chinese banks.The Chinese foolishly have invested billions in the US.Once the struggle begins,all that money and investments will be gone.And as for the imports,there is India,Japan,Taiwan,etc,etc,to restock US stores with low priced goods.There is an old saying that the “creditor can have the lender by the short-hairs” when they want too. This is such a case.Several hundred billions of Chinese money is in US national debt.That would be gone in an instant.
Why any country that seeks to escape US control would ever put a dollar in the US is totally beyond me. They’d be better off burning that money in stoves for heat.But as we see constantly countries do that.And they end up losing it.They should pay attention to the saying “fool my once,shame on you.Fool me twice,shame on me”.
Much of their lies about Syria, and how they are not responsible for creating both Al-Qaeda and ISIS is largely for domestic political consumption.
I have a gut instinct that if the story really blew up, if the truth was ever presented to the American people, then that is what would cause them to rise up and rebel.
Consider ….
1) Most Americans are actually aware of the rights they’ve lost in the Global War on Terrorism.
2) Most Americans are actually aware that the US Government has been throwing ever growing amounts of taxpayer money at the Pentagon and Deep State, supposedly to make Americans safe from Terror.
3) The efforts to stir up public opinion against the atrocities of Al-Qaed and ISIS has been very successful.
So, if the truth really sank in that they’ve lost the liberties, trillions of dollars all in a fake and phony war on terror, and that instead they’ve really been helping the hated forces of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, then I think that might just blow the lid off.
Thus, the desperate propaganda to maintain the illusion of the wars on ISIS and the now rather forgotten war on Al-Qaeda. Somewhere deep in their hearts, they know that’s all that might stand between them and a sudden helicopter trip where they are calling other western-corporate-fascist countries pleading for asylum.
One question I “never” see asked in the US is “if our military is so great.Why have we been fighting for 16 years in Afghanistan.And the Taliban are now still said to control 40% of the country”.I’m sure the answer they would get is something like “because we haven’t really been fighting them all out”.But that would lead to the obvious next question “if not ,why not”.I never see those questions because Americans aren’t able to “put two and two together” to ask them.Like sheep they just accept that we are “fighting in Afghanistan”. Without asking anything more about it.As long as no one talks about the cost in money.And as long as the US death toll in a month there is less than the monthly murder rate of most US cities,no one cares enough to ask those questions.
The issue of total AngloZionist/neocon impunity/lack of accountability needs to be examined further. In the short to medium term, neocon beat will go until they’re held to judicial accountability. Result of this lack of accountability leads to tyranny. We now see this with Trump/US, Netanyahu/Israel, MbS/House of Saud etc. Only question: What is catalyst that mercifully ushers in an era of neocon accountability? Devastating terror blowback, economic/fiscal collapse, climate disaster? Hard to know. But I do know the accountability train is a comin’ for those neocon lunatics. And good riddance to them…
Good News! Bibi’s going to jail soon.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Former-police-adviser-Netanyahu-indictments-will-be-earth-shattering-519970
Hmmm, in case of economic attack on Russia?
Russia has already created their own version of SWIFT. Stories on TASS about it recently.
So, here’s this for a countermove ….. say gee, if we aren’t on SWIFT anymore, then we can’t sell gas to Europe any more. Sounds like a bit of a hiccup has even the UK now begging for Russian gas to stave off a cold winter.
And besides, relatively soon the big mega pipeline projects to China will come on line. For some reason I’m thinking that this is in 2019??? When that happens, Russia can sell lots of gas to China, so may not really need their EU sales so much. If the US goes for economic war with Russia, then it seems to be a question of can Russia hold out until these pipelines are operational. With related question of whether they can be accelerated, or whether alternate transportation means (like railcars?) can be implemented to bridge the gap?
But the EU definitely needs Russian gas to stay warm during cold winters.
US LNG is expensive and currently not available in the sort of volumes to replace Russian gas. It also takes infrastructure like LNG terminals in ports to do the transfers, which can not be built overnight. And since there are safety concerns with such terminals, trying to rush them could be disastrous.
Would the US declaring economic war against Russia be the last straw that costs the US their alliance with Europe? Maybe German business decides that making lots of money and staying warm in the winter is worth more than an alliance with the increasingly bothersome and annoying Americans, who they’ve probably never really liked in the first place. Its usually not too hard to get a European to talk about the faults of the ‘typical Americans’ they’ve had to do business with in the past.
Those LNG Terminals make very high-value targets for a spot of “asymmetric warfare”.
Just re-import some US ATGM munitions and it’ll be difficult to say just “who” did it, especially since the US has had a firm policy of arming almost every Tom, Dick and Harry globally for a long time!
We might be seeing some more of this, should things heat up a little (pun intended!) –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdEqC5oMdrI
With regard to DPRK, its rather typical for a ‘rally round the flag’ effect at the start of a war to raise the popularity of that nations leaders. Or rather, its leadership in whole, but maybe not the leader who led them into the war. See Neville Chamberlain for the latter effect. But it did not stop the British people from then rallying around Churchill until the end of the war, even during dark times when British forces were losing on all fronts.
Both DPRK and Iran are ‘revolutionary’ societies who are now several generations old. The North Koreans since the 1950’s and the Iranians since the 1970’s. Both societies had titanic struggles against the USA at the time of their creation. Iran’s leaders called the USA ‘the Great Satan’, and its hard to believe that the USA was any more popular within a DPRK that had been bombed and starved.
The only question is how strongly do following generations still believe the revolutionary thoughts that created the country?
One historical example of which I can think is the USA War of 1812 against the UK Empire. That was about 45 years after the initial revolution, and like with N. Korea and Iran, it was a war against the same empire they’d had to fight to be free and who’d never gotten over their upstart colonists rebelling against them. Historically, I don’t get any sense at all that later American generations had any problem re-igniteing a war fever against the UK some 45 years later. And that’s about the same generational gap as there is in Iran since their Revolution, and only about 1 or maybe 2 generations longer in the DPRK since their war against the USA.
I think the leaders of the US military are rational. Most of the political leaders also think they are rational, but for them rational means whatever improves their political career and the wealth they can make from that.
However, I would describe most of the leadership of both as ‘brain-washed’ or ‘indoctrinated’, so I’m not sure I’m in huge disagreement with the Saker.
“Believing their own propaganda” is another phrase I’d use to describe them. And they live in a propaganda system that while it is still possible for people to go outside that system and look around, the society increasingly and rigidly reinforces that a proper citizen and certainly not a military man nor politician would ever pay attention to RT or Global Times.
So, to me its not that they are not ‘rational’. But that they get most of their information and all of their world view from a very limited number of dubious sources. Fox News and Breitbart for those so minded on the right. CNN,the NYT and WaPo for those so minded on the left.
I would not encourage it, but if one was daring they could do an experiment where they put on an anti-psyops, anti-propaganda hazmat suit and then got their news only from CNN for a period of time. They’d end up with an entirely warped view of the world, and to a non-CNN watcher would appear irrational. I know, because I’m an American who used the obscenity controls on TV systems to block CNN from my house at the time of Dubya’s Iraq War, and after decades of not watching CNN, the CNN watchers in the society around me definitely appear irrational!
I am a big fan of Rene Girard:
“Clausewitz was possessed, like all the great writers, by resentment. It was because he wanted to be more rational than the strategists who preceded him that he suddenly put his finger on an aspect of reality that is absolutely irrational. Then he retreated and tried to shut his eyes.”
“On September 11, people were shaken, but they quickly calmed down. There was a flash of awareness, which lasted a few fractions of a second. People could feel that something was happening. Then a blanket of silence covered up the crack in our certainty of safety. Western rationalism operates like a myth: We always work harder to avoid seeing the catastrophe. ”
First things is a neocon-ish publication, but not everyone who writes for them are neocons –at least I don’t like to think of Girard as a neocon– guilt by association.
The take home message is this: We who are caught up in the middle of things know enough to without excuse.
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/08/on-war-and-apocalypse
Where ever the empire has built up large numbers of troops there will be war, its that simple.
A stark warning to us all is that never in history has a military buildup occurred that has not ended in war. As Thomas Hardy once said “You can do anything with bayonets except sit on them.”
The empire will attack in Donbass/Russia, Syria/Iran and North Korea/China. There is a pattern here of course, in all three theaters, proxies are being used as place setters for the military build up and eventual war.
All three theaters are of course one larger war, Gestalt principals here would apply.
“You can do anything with bayonets except sit on them.” I thought it was Napoleon… But intelligent people often say the same intelligent things, even quite independently.
You are probably correct, armies fight where they are, entil they fight somewhere else….US has been exercising paratroop assaults…and pulled C5’s out of mothballs all of a sudden….
logistics, comrade…
In my view, the US must be going through a re-assess, regroup process after last week’s spanking at the UN General Assembly with the Jerusalem vote. This was not the ‘usual suspects’ voting against the US but rather, as they say, the whole world voting against the Empire. It will take some time to figure out what kind of plausible coalition could be put together in the wake of the U.N. vote for any bold moves since, as we know, the Empire doesn’t dirty its hands more than necessary.
Of course, rent-a-terrorist could be employed, but that only has regional impact. It is, in effect, pursuit of a long game. The question in my mind is: does the US feel it has time for the long game ? (it does not, IMO).
So what does that leave us with? A false flag, but what kind and how big? Something with global impact that could heal all the US’s recent self-inflicted wounds behind it? Yes, oh yes, that and even more!!! Now what might do that? What this world needs is a good enema …. hell, a nuclear enema, with DPRK as the patsy!!!
Say it ain’t so, Joe.
“….the US must be going through a re-assess, regroup process after last week’s spanking at the UN General Assembly ….”.
The empire is at the end of its rope, so all it can do is hang itself, no matter how ill-advices is seems. I hope I am wrong though….
It seems the US has entered a phase where it no longer cares that everyone is learning that it’s the US orchestrating terrorism in the world. The world is being careful to not be responsible for starting WWIII, thus everyone seems to be afraid of the US. It’s wise to be afraid of insane actors. Many people are disgusted with the countries who refuse to confront the US, for example Russia and Chine, but I think patience is necessary. Confrontation will come soon enough, and it could easily lead to the end of life as we know it. I am quite contenet in the knowledge that the world is rising up to make alliances for the new multi-polar world, where everyone’s interests are respected. It’s quite unfortunate, however, that all of the new economic alliances are following the capitalist model which exploits the one-time extravaganza of fossil fuels, which took millions of years to accumulate. Continuing this model will deplete these resources within a century, according to most experts, and will result in catastrophic damage to the planet’s ability to support life as we know it.
I experience daily anguish due to living in a country that inflicts terrorist genocide upon the world, while most of my fellow American citizens think the US is a noble country that is spreading democracy and freedom. It’s revolting! The 1% are those Americans who work the business of genocide for the banking families, by keeping banking, Wall Street, MSM, and the MIC complex going, which includes the government. It’s apparent to me that the US will not change what it is doing until it no longer exists as a country. It will continue training homeless Takfiri bums how to use weapons to murder civilians (and help themselves to the rape and plunder of their victims). It will continue until somebody physically stops them. It’s sad that those who are willing to stop them know that the US considers the use of nuclear weapons as a real option, and therefore they are inhibited in doing what is necessary. They don’t want to start a nuclear war by directly confronting the US military.
So the world is chipping away at the Empire of Evil, by excluding it from their alliances, by moving away from the dollar, and by resisting the daily affronts, insults, and provocations put out by the monster. Leaving the Evil One to thrash about in its own sphere may be the safest way to survive to another day. Hoping it will smarten up and play nice with the world is futile. The monster thrives on murder and theft of its victims’ wealth. It has plans to murder everyone and steal everything. Only death of the monster will save us from it. Some think it is killing itself. For sure it is isolating itself, and some think the financial collapse that might occur at any time will be enough to end its reign of terror. Time will tell. Until then, it’s murder and mayhem where ever the US has its terror-training bases, and theft.
You are correct. Patience is necessary. Both Russians and Chinese are known for their patience, something Americans do not possess. Russia and China are applying what the military calls “a defensive-offensive”. This means they are laying emphasis on their infrastructure and making surgical political moves on the international scene, like Putin in Syria. They wish to avoid confronting the US directly, in case the US military and Wall Street panic.
The US, on the other hand, is applying a globalist policy, forgetting that no empire in history survived. The more you expand, the more it costs you. Look at the gigantic US foreign and domestic debt. Also, the more you expand, the more enemies you make. Has the US any real friends in the world ? How about enemies ? And yes, the US establishment does not care about the response of the international community, which can be very dangerous, especially for the US.
As far as I can see, both Russia and China are playing the waiting game, waiting for the US to implode financially. I don’t think they will have to wait too long.
Dear Saker,
Much agreement. It’s a very dicey situation. I think for eschatalogical reasons however they will go lateral in that they will attack the first PRC base in Africa. They will pen PLN in SoJ and SCS. Russia will be forced to fly in 15k heavy airborne. Russia will need Egyptian airbase to cover southern Sinai and Ethiope kingdom/PRC base. They will stage a nuke probably in NE Syria to up the stakes. False flag threats. Then false flag nuke on Damascus so its smoking ruin. They will have China penned up and unable to defend its base in Africa from cannibal head shoppers. They will have Russia stretched from Lisbon to Vladivostok to Damascus, Iran, Egypt and the ancient kingdom of Ethiope…and whither goest Cuba and the Boliviar.!
The spreading and thinning will continue. The ChinaAfricom base is the crux. Iran wont be properly made war upon until RF is pulled into eschatalogical alignment in Egypt and Ethiope. Pressure on Japan and South Korea will continue in effort to repatriate key supply chain capability to US mainland.
Meanwhile a non nuclear state with 200 nukes in the mid 1980’s has enough subs now to false flag the world into Armageddon but wont do that because it loves all of us and beside they are all pointed at Iran, right.?
Saker, you’re missing the most likely war scenario – although you do peripherally consider it when you consider a US/Israel attack on Hizballah in Syria.
The highest war likelihood is a US/Israel/(possiblyNATO) attack on Hizballah in Lebanon – and perhaps in Syria, as well. Israel does not want a war with Iran as long as Hizballah can drop 1,600 missiles a day on Israel for three months.
War with Hizballah and Syria is a prerequisite for war with Iran. Russia screwed the US/Israel/Saudi plan to have the US and NATO do a “Libya” on Syria. But if the war on Hizballah in Lebanon also includes Hizballah forces in Syria, then the US and Israel can still get their war on Syria as well as Hizballah.
The only question mark is what Russia will do if such a war extends into Syria. Russia does not want to be seen supporting a “terrorist” group like Hizballah – even if Russia doesn’t view them as such. But Russia also doesn’t want the Assad regime destroyed, either. So it’s an unknown what Russia will do.
I agree Venezuela is a non-starter. Iran won’t be attacked until Hizballah and Syria are dealt with. Donbass is mostly irrelevant and if it happens it will likely be a repeat of the previous war, i.e., Ukronazis will get their butts kicked if Russia has to intervene more directly.
As for North Korea, it’s a virtual certainty that there will be a war. It won’t be until spring or summer because no one wants to fight in the North Korean winter. All it will take is another nuke and/or missile tests and Trump will have no choice but to try some sort of military attack. The problem with a minimalist attack is that North Korea certainly will retaliate and then Trump will have to up the ante again. There’s no chance Trump will negotiate because the purpose of this war is to seize North Korea’s six to ten trillion dollars in undeveloped mineral resources (and of course put military bases on China’s borders) (and of course give him a “war President” poll bounce – at least until the negative consequences to the US become obvious – too late.)
If there is a war with North Korea, China will almost certainly enter it if NK looks like it will lose and be occupied. There is also a high probability of a massive insurgency if the US/SK does occupy the North and that insurgency will undoubtedly get huge Chinese support.
So I think we’re guaranteed for two wars in 2018: US/Israel/NATO against Hizballah in Lebanon and possibly Syria, and North Korea.
The Iran war will happen but not until Hizballah and Syria are degraded.
I have a question perhaps more learned heads can answer. Koreans both north and south have good reason to despise the Jananese for their actions pre 1945. The US killed a lot of Koreans not all northern and supported a nasty dictatorship in the south. Therefore NK pretty solidly anti-US and significant distaste for occupiers in SK.
US military has command of SK military in event of conflict breaking out with NK. Suppose US makes first move (non nuclear)
NK well dug in above Seoul, what if instead of firing on Seoul, NK states Koreans should not kill eachother for US benefit and appeals to SK military to stand down for as long as NK does not attack Koreans. NK then chucks missiles at US Japan and US Korean (isolated) bases. If 5% of SK military stand down then US can probably not trust a further 20% but which 20%, if 10% they will have to doubt half of the force. NK retains its nuclear deterrent and even if 20% of the artillery targetting Seoul were destroyed 80% is still enough. If at this point US continues to chip away at NK artillery emplacements it will seem both the agressor and weak at same time but escalation would also carry same risks. At this stage NATO UNSC vetoes would have to be deployed to quash peace initiatives from all non-involved states. Dollar and Yen would be in trouble.
Connected??
Some headlines …
Chinese vessels were “caught red handed” – in the words of President Trump – by US spy satellites, illegally selling oil to North Korea
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-26/us-spy-satellites-catch-chinese-ships-illegally-selling-oil-north-korea
Russian Tankers Reportedly Caught Selling Oil To North Korea
https://zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-29/russian-tankers-illegally-selling-oil-north-korea-report
Gold Tops $1300 – Best Year Since 2010 As USD Tumbles Most In 14 Years
https://zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-29/gold-tops-1300-best-year-2010-usd-tumbles-most-14-years
One might also note that the “Chinese” tanker in question is in fact a Taiwan tanker, but one would have to look carefully…so it is the obedient US stooge, Taiwan, or the US itself, that maybe transfers at sea…anybody can make claims and put up pictures…
And this is all part of an illegal blackmail targeting kids and women. Like the Boer War…and the Brit concentration camps. Starve the wives and kids to make the men surrender….very civilized…
As an aside, I don’t know why MSM keeps claiming that these are spy satellite photos when they are clearly not – they are aerial photographs, possibly taken by a photo drone.
Re seizing Russian assets: I saw an article a long time ago the Empire has assets in Russia that are about equal to Russian assets in the Empire. Therefore Russia will seize theirs and it will be a wash so the Empire gains nothing. Re shooting down a Russian aircraft in Syria: the Empire’s aircraft might lose the battle and get shot down instead. What does the Empire do then? Re attack the DPRK: I think the Military Junta has enough brain cells to know it is a very bad idea and won’t try. China might sink one or more of their AC carriers and like you said in a previous article on this what will the Empire do then? Escalate into the unknown?
An analysis of this kind makes it worthwhile to keep following Saker’s blog.
In general, the Saker’s analysis leaves very little room for making comments, but I will still try to give my opinion on this.
While I agree that we’re dealing with extremely incompetent and dangerous people at the helm of the Empire today, I still find it highly unlikely that they will be so stupid to launch a major war. Everything we have seen so far in the conflict between the U.S. and Russia indicates that the former is preparing for a protracted informational and economic warfare against the latter.
In the sense, I don’t believe that the intense Russophobic campaign in the media and U.S. elites is a prelude to some kind of a direct military confrontation.
What I believe is true is that U.S. Deep State strategists believe that:
1) Russia can be subverted economically, and potentially even politically, and frankly, Putin’s economic performance is not encouraging.
2) Russia can be provoked into a military intervention in Ukraine to save Donbass in case of a military defeat against Kiev.
3) The fifth columnists in Russia still wield enough influence that some day, it could be possible for them to cause some kind of an upheaval.
What failed, however, is the old Deep State strategy of isolating and containing Russia, and this is the most encouraging part for me. If we remember, U.S. strategists like Brzezinsky and others during the Obama administration and earlier, often used the term of ‘containing’ Russia as a mean of weakening it and paving the road for Moscow’s ultimate capitulation.
Also, the old strategy of Kissinger is isolating one major U.S. adversary by negotiating a deal with the other, as we know from Nixon’s rapprochement with China.
I don’t see any significant development in 2018, apart from what we have seen in 2017 already. Sure, the tensions with NK will rise from time to time, but what we’ve seen so far indicates that both sides would back down at some point.
As far as Ukraine is concerned, I totally agree that we may witness another attack by Kiev, and since that is mentioned, I also agree with Saker’s assessment that option number 2 (Novorussians lose, and Russia is blamed for invading Ukraine) is the worst.
In that case, Putin would be faced with a very tough choice, and the one he’s been avoiding all this time: either intervene or lose face.
A Russian intervention would indeed be a dream come true for the Neo-cons and their Deep State masters, but what does Russia have to lose? Would the mainstream media step up their demonization? Yes. But that’s already underway and it’s not stopping, no matter what Russia chooses to do.
That scenario is best avoided, however, but if there is no other choice, Russia has to take it.
Iran options: beyond one-sided nullification of Iran deal, I think the empire of chaos will also try the other weapon in its toolbox (beside war, economic sanctions), which is CIA/Mossad initiated regime change. Any thoughts on this from Moon of Alabama?
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/12/iran-regime-change-agents-hijack-economic-protests-.html#more
The regime change option is very viable for the empire. Many young Iranians are as brain washed as their western counterparts. Besides they don’t like the Islamic restrictions put on them. Recently a party organized by youngsters which included alcohol and mixing of sexes was cracked down by the Iranian police. The first thing the Iranian women do is throw the headscarf once they get out of Iran. A lot of qualified youth do want to get out of Iran and many do. You will find Iranian researchers and scientists, both males and females, in many universities in the West. Besides youths of any countries are jerks save few, it’s always better to show dreams of a glorious future to these feeble minded and make them go out in demonstrations against the establishment. It always works, at least in the middle east.
Thoughts?
OK. The daily moa advert/clickbait.
Hi vot tak,
Are you suggesting that the empire (CIA/Mossad) is going to go agist Iran with clickbaits? Please do enlighten us. Thanks.
The advert doubles down…
Ad hominem comment removed … DaveJoe please read Saker moderation policy … we are here to discuss the ideas and events of day … not to attack other commentators … mod
I wonder how vulnerable the dollar is to a revolution in Saudi Arabia. The dollar reserve currency status is supposed to depend on Saudi support.
Lavrov has a bit of fun satirizing the pindo propaganda against Russia.
‘So much meddling, so little time’: Vintage Lavrov at his best on Russian late-night talk show
https://www.rt.com/news/414588-lavrov-meddling-jokes-japan/
“Russia’s FM has lightheartedly shared Moscow’s ‘international achievements’ with the host of a Russian satirical show. With many elections to interfere in, only the Japanese emperor managed to buy more time in power, Lavrov said.
Recalling the elections in France, the Catalonia independence referendum and the Brexit vote, the seasoned diplomat, known for his sense of humor, was asked to share Moscow’s foreign policy plans for next year.
“You haven’t mentioned all we’ve done. What about Sweden, Denmark, Montenegro, Macedonia and Austria? We’ve worked hard, [meddling] isn’t that easy,” Lavrov joked on NTV channel’s ‘Mezhdunarodnaya Pilorama’ (‘International Sawmill’) show.
Russia got so involved in other states’ affairs, it didn’t have enough time for other important things. “For instance, to develop cultural ties with Japan, we had to organize a big and successful festival there [at the last moment],” Russia’s Foreign Minister said. “However, so far, we’ve failed to take down the Japanese Emperor.”
Apparently, the Japanese leader still “has two more years.” “We did everything to speed up the process, but he managed to beg for some more time,” Lavrov said sarcastically.”
When a life-long professional diplomat decides to partake in satire bordering on ridicule – in a public forum – it seems as though that diplomat has decided that there is no further use for diplomacy, at least just now… Does it not?
I think Comrade Lavrov is telling us that the gentlemen of his group have come to conclude that real direct war is about to begin. If I were in that position I imagine I too would make fun of those people who are so foolish as to want war. Now he’ll have a rest until his expertise is again needed…perhaps at the Imperial Surrender, or maybe some other job. But it looks like diplomacy period is ended.
And yes, it was funny.
The israelis/zio-scum order the mic to accelerate rearmament for ww3. The pindo congress is almost 100% aipac territory.
US Lawmakers Push to Accelerate Aircraft Carrier Procurement
https://sputniknews.com/us/201712301060422038-us-lawmakers-accelerate-carrier-procurement/
“A group of more than 100 US lawmakers are pushing to double the number of aircraft carriers procured for the US Navy for fiscal year 2019.”
The aipac queens mask their demands with “better deal” nonsense, like zionazi quisling in chief (trump) does, but the real reason is accelerating zionazi power projection (war) and increased, unaccountable profit making for the mic.
IE: the zionazis/nazis are preparing for a major war in a few years and are now in fast track rearmament mode.
To bad the mic scamsters only build obsolete garbage. Carriers that can’t launch planes. Stealth fighters without stealth. ABM systems that can’t hit the broad side of a barn door. That cost + 20% profit scam works great when the costs balloon out of control and even better when the garbage doesn’t work as advertised.
How Not to Build an Aircraft Carrier
The pricey history of USS ‘Ford’
http://warisboring.com/how-not-to-build-an-aircraft-carrier/
RiC
Well needed analysis of the apt named Ford, that article. Another problem with the elec-mag catapult they didn’t mention, that I read about elsewhere, was that it could not launch a fully loaded f-18. Thus the aircraft needed additional in air refueling. What this meant is that 1/3 of the carrier’s f-18 compliment needed to be devoted as tankers for the others. So instead of around 70 aircraft available for combat roles, the actual amount was reduced to around 45. This is around the same as the half sized the uk QE oversized “escort carrier” and that of Russia’s AK cruiser-carrier classes. Furthermore, the Ford folly was built around the f-35, which is why the catapults we’re not designed for the heavier weight of f-18s. So there you have a defective carrier designed around a defective aircraft, and neither can be economically fixed to over come their inherent faults. And rather than cancel these boondoggles and put the effort into material that makes better sense, the buggers double down on their faulty money makers. Yet they want to conquer Russia, China, Iran, DPRK, and everyone else who resists being their colonies. How stupid can one be?
VT
Stupid enough to commit legal bribery.
Some of the defense industry profits are used to make campaign contributions to members of Congress and some is used to hire programs managers in the military to reward them for keeping the money flowing.
That’s the scamster mentality. They don’t care if America goes bankrupt.
Like PT Barnum said, there’s a sucker born every minute.
while Russia will be inducing the Zircons in 2018.
I think why they want to double the number of carriers is because they know most of them are gonna get blown up by China if they attack NK.
Excellent article, some input into cutting Russia from SWIFT.
If the EU, cut Russia from SWIFT, they would not be able to pay Russia for the gas they buy, Russia would probably demand gold, or simply cut the gas supply for non payment. Sure the US would jump in to sell gas to the EU, but it would take months for the energy deficit to be filled, and the EU would enter an almost instant recession as thousands of factories and power stations shutdown.
The economic disruption would drag the US down with Europe, and the political consequences within Europe would be major.
If Europe agreed to pay in gold, the Euro and US dollar would suffer major devaluations.
I think Russia would welcome being cut off from SWIFT, it would do more harm to the US than Russia.
“Yet none of that prevents them from claiming that they, not Russia, defeated Daesh/ISIS/al-Nusra/etc. This is absolutely amazing, think of it – the entire planet knows full well what really took place in Syria, but Uncle Sam decrees that black is white, water is dry and what is true is false. And the most amazing thing is that they know that everybody knows, yet they don’t care one bit. Why?”
There is an interview journalist Ron Suskind did with a key Bush Jr. aide back in 2004.
The aide is believed to have been Karl Rove.
“The aide said that guys like me were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.” I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism.
He cut me off. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” he continued. “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”
Faith, Certainty and the Presidency of George W. Bush
By RON SUSKIND October 17, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/faith-certainty-and-the-presidency-of-george-w-bush.html
One of the more interesting pieces of news on the MSM this morning was the presence of Russian forces on the West Papuan Island of Biak.
Two Ilyushin-76 Transporters and two TU-95 bombers along with an overall deployment of 110 Russian personnel. The Russians were there for a ‘Russian Military Exercise’ according to our MSM.
So just exactly what does this mean? The Indonesians have always been linked with America and with Australia as the US’s Deputy Dawg. However, one should consider the affront to Indonesia with the removal of Timor and its oil-fields from Indonesia, and the Bali bombing on the 12th of October 2002 of which the ADF Captain Rodney Cocks played a major role before moving to Iraq where he was involved in the UN bombing that killed the head of the UN delegation, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
Indonesians are not stupid and are a major Islamist country. Their military would be well aware of the US’s moves on terrorism as part of a vilification of Islamists. They would also be aware of the source of the Aceh tsunami which occurred on the 26th of December 2004 that was predicted by the Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer in early December as a ‘terrorist attack.
So does the presence of Russian military on Biak mean that the Indonesians may have decided to side with Russia and China?
Andrew,
It means that there is a customer need for the regime change/hybrid war protection services that Russia successfully advertised in Syria. I wonder what other customers are interested?
We can buy anybody
Those we cannot buy, we bully
Those we cannot bully we kill
Nothing can happen to us, we live in total impunity not matter what we do
This sounds like Israeli mantra
We are facing a dark night, and I am reminded of the old saying that “After the Dark Night Comes the Dawn”
But I hesitate to say that this dark night that is surrounding us will have any dawn to it.
Politicians have managed to create enough destructive power to destroy life from the earth; and they are continuously piling up more and more nuclear weapons…
https://whenwardisappears.wordpress.com/
https://southfront.org/us-defense-secretary-warns-assad-from-attacking-us-backed-forces-claims-us-shifts-strategy-in-syria/
which could be anyone they choose to designate as such?
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712301060424061-usa-russia-dialogue-across-syria-demarcation/
usa claiming dialogue system still in place-if they use it?
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712301060424812-us-coalition-daesh-syria/
Is going to stay in Syria “once “daesh is finished to rebuild communities…….although both Russia and Syria say they are finished except for pockets and there is no reason for usa coaltion presence(unless usa is carefully choosing who of daesh they wish to preserve to extend reasons for their presence considering how slowly and with few actions they are “removing” daesh….
https://southfront.org/us-backed-forces-withdraw-from-several-positions-around-hajin-town/
Yesterday noted that FSA and SDF had action
https://southfront.org/free-syrian-army-establishes-operation-room-to-capture-manbij-from-us-backed-sdf-video/
which seems strange
https://southfront.org/us-led-coalition-conducted-military-operation-against-isis-around-al-tanaf-photos/
which confirms isis are right under usa noses at al-tanf which russia knew all the time
also strange
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42519054
Usa warns Iran to respect protestors against corrupt and terrorist regime
yeah yeah yeah
Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels has got nothing on the Americans and their talent for standing reality on its head.
That first SouthFront article exposes the imperial delusion and arrogance of the Americans and their “defense” secretary Madman Mike Matthis who has the gall to warn Syria against militarily defending against the American invaders who are illegally occupying parts of Syria.
Deep down, Americans believe they have a right to rule the planet, invade and occupy any country that they wish–and when that country fights back against the American colonizers, the USA will act like they are the aggrieved “victim” no less!
This is evident with the America colonial occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Syria.
Unbelievable.
There is something supremely sick about the American Empire and its imperialist people.
But of course, you have only to look at how America was spawned as an Anglo Colonizer empire based upon the ethnic cleansing of Native Indian nations and the theft of their land to see that this warped American value system is foundational to the American entity since 1776.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5221569/Russia-helped-North-Korea-acquire-missile-technology.html
Blame game?
Don’t say a conspiracy when they say a conspiracy. The Western groupies will probably wipe each other out before Russia/China/Iran and Turkey have to sneeze. Relax. Remember the military analysis you did of Moab, Ammon and the folk from Mt Seir’s attack on Jehoshaphat in History 101? Or Hezekiah and Sennacherib the Blasphemer?
“..Besides people with intelligence there is another type of people which now has completely disappeared from the US national security establishment: people with honor/courage/integrity. ..”
as a Serb who has spent 12 or so years in the US and as many in the UK – I think this is a very accurate overall description of both these countries (not just their ‘leadership’).
It’s to do with psychopaths in power and how they brainwashed Anglosheeple to internalize psychopathic behavior, to consider it normal, acceptable and something to worship and seek. I’ve read in a few books that LA, NYC and London are officially world’s capitals of psychopathy (I think London is the worst by far).
That’s exactly why I left LA (and London) – I felt friendships were very shallow and opportunistic, best friends are jealous of each other, there was no meaningful integration, and instead of real happiness (which comes from meaningful social interaction and cooperation) there was only mania, drugs, whoring and prostitution (and depression and self-medication afterwards) etc.
When I lived in DC (during Sonwden’s leaks)I realized Americans are also very cowardly. When you exposed lies and dirty tricks to them – they are too scared to react meaningfully so they just pretend as nothing happened (as if no plots, lies etc have been exposed)
So when you combine a lot of psychopaths with naturally fearful, slavish (but very greedy) people that is what you get – no balls and no honor across the whole society. Hollywood and other propaganda outlets glorify this also.
Matt Taibi of Rolling Stone wrote a good book about the origins of American slavish Stockholm Syndrome (he infiltrated into one of their military-inspired Born Again ‘Christian’ camps – i.e the kind both W Bush and J. Carter went through). With a critical mass of such brainwashed (cut off from reality and ‘proud’ of it), fearful, slaves…that is the only outcome possible for a society. No honor and no intelligence are accepted and glorified – that’s what good slaves are meant to be):
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Derangement-Terrifying-Politics-Religion/dp/038552062X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1514639653&sr=8-5&keywords=matt+taibbi+books
Even when you look for work in the US, you will not get a job if your superior feels threatened with your better education, and skills – in my experience everything in the US has been optimized to promote fearful obedience as opposed to brave confidence, good character and meaningful skills.
I’ve also always had impression that American women generally stay away from genuinely confident men – although they would never admit that. They seem to prefer conformists in tight jeans(with plucked eyebrows) talking quietly and copying everyone else.
It looks like one very sick society … 20% slick & 80% sick.
https://prepforthat.com/many-of-californias-middle-class-now-sleeping-in-their-cars/
yes, I’ve been taking photos of these dirt-poor homeless for years. Once as I walked from Russian Hill in SF where I lived until recently – towards SF city Hall – about 30 min walk – I counted 12 white dirt-poor homeless injecting heroin in broad day light.
There are tent cities all over SF, LA (especially Venice Beach and Downtown), Seattle is even worse. And for years local governments from all around USSA have been shipping their homeless to Hawaii (that’s how they’solve’ their homeless problem)
I have never seen so much poverty and so extreme anywhere else and I’ve been around the world a few times.
Last time I was in Serbia I only saw one beggar (and she was actually counting a big bunch of money – I took a photo of her)
Essential dedicated public servants…nurses teachers….people trying to help others etc….very difficult to afford to live in major cities…commutting is expensive….societies priorities ..need re prioritising.
Not only are they living in their cars, but many of the elites and even other working people who are slightly better off will insist that if these people have cars, they can’t be poor!
The Alt Right and Richard Spencer are denounced as NAZIS!!!!! by the Antifa….Counterpunch Leftists and White Liberals….Yet the Alt Right is categorically opposed to the Nazis of Galacia and their extermination campaign against Christian Russians in the Eastern Ukraine.
In fact, The Antifa…and White Liberals…openly support and vote for Politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama who are the enablers of the Galician Nazis.
GOD BLESS CHRISTIAN RUSSIAN!!!!!….GOD BLESS SLAVA CHRISTIANITY!!!!!…..This is the Alt Right view of things….I want to get up to Herkimer soon in the Mohawk Valley…….
The basic reason for the confidence of the anglo-jewish elite in the USA is that they are fully aware of the fact that the vast majority of the American “street” is totally bamboozled and dumbed down to the point where they are simply “pilot fish” to the shark.
confidence and balls are the hardest thing to find in the US.
The exact opposite of the Hollywood BS/propaganda.
I don’t think I have met anyone very confident in all my 12-13 years I ‘ve spent there – and I’ve met (and shared a house with) movie stars, famous producers, Armani etc models, billionaires, famous lawyers architects etc.
I’ve met a famous Italian architect (Fuksas )and he was naturally confident and had a great sense of humor. But never Americans.
plus a lot of offspring of very famous and wealthy politicians, Attorney generals etc
Usually the wealthiest – the more they suffer from guilt and insecurity. And more likely their kids are to die from drug overdose.
Lately I’ve noticed a lot of fear (and it’s the wealthy and famous who have developed the most panoramic fear of all) – they know something is very wrong in their empire of lies.
An average Serbian or Argentinean kid has much more confidence than anyone I have ever met in the USSA.
I spoke to young Americans (millenials) about that – and they told me they thought people as confident as I am (an average Serb) only existed in movies.
Here is my take on what is going on in the Trump administration.
The US Deep State is the entity conducting wars all over the world.
Trump will have to end the Deep State before he can launce a new US foreign policy.
Trump was elected to make America great again. This includes:
To bring offshored Jobs back to America.
To build the wall.
To end Billions in Foreign aid.
To reign in federal spending.
To drain the swamp Deep state.
But he also promised:
To support Israel
To make friends with Russia.
To stop policing the world.
To make Europe pay more for its own defence.
How does he succeed with such conflicting promises only within he’s first year in Office?
Trump supported Israel via he’s FN resolution to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
But the entire world voted against Israel, and Trump will now use the result of the FN vote to reduce Foreign aid.
This is actually 2 of he’s promises fulfilled in just one single action, and without the Democrats and the Israeli lobby being able to blame him for the result.
(It’s political genius).
During the Election the Trump team was accused of colluding with Russia, and the deep state ordered the FBI to start an investigation against the Trump administration.
This whole charade has ended up with Deep State agents such as former FBI director Comey, Hillary, the Clinton Foundation, McCain, and former President Obama being questioned about the sales of Uranium to Russia.
And CIA has been disclosed as the entity that interfered in the US presidential election, not Russia.
When the FBI Russian investigation has run its course, an exonerated Trump administration will be able to reign in the Deep State (CIA-FBI), and take up friendly relations with an exonerated Russia.
This will actually be 2 more of Trump’s promises fulfilled in just one single action, and without Trumps opposition or the US Deep State being able to blame him for the result.
(It’s political genius).
So far the only warmongering Trump can be accused of is the US missile attack against the Syrian military bases, (Trump was kind enough to warn the Syrian Government in advance so no Syrian planes was lost). Trump has actually been quite passive in Syria, and let Syria, Russia, Iran, and Lebanon defeat The US Deep State mercenaries (ISIS) in Syria.
Russia has since made a 50 year contract with Syria of keeping its Air and Naval Bases in Syria.
Trump has also been Twitter mongering against North Koreas President Kim Jung-un.
This have inflamed Kim Jun-un so much that he have become careless, and have proven to the whole world that he possesses intercontinental missiles, and nuclear weapons.
Consequently Russia and China are now working with Trump (Good Cop – Bad Cop) to reign in the regime of Kim Jung-un, to avoid a threat of nuclear war.
YES the US Deep state is still active in Ukraine. But Trump have been absolutely passive in Ukraine, and have no blame for the current NATO escalation in the Baltic Sea. Both the war in Ukraine and the NATO Baltic escalation was executed during the Presidency of Obama.
Trump has actually kept his promise to stop policing the world, without Trumps opposition being able to blame him for the result.
(It’s political Genius)
I hope that I have read Trumps actions correct.
If so we are in for a:
Happy New Year.
I see that Trump propagandists are still desperately trying to peddle the lie that their false idol is one of the “good guys”–when he is merely yet another puppet fronting for the American Empire and its deep state.
The Trump regime is a war criminal regime just as much as Obama or previous US regimes. Recently, the USA admitted that it has troops in Yemen as part of the USA-British backed Saudi war against that nation, a war that has caused one of the great humanitarian disasters in recent history.
Pentagon admits presence of US troops in Yemen as cholera cases top one million
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/12/23/yeme-d23.html
This is not to mention Trump’s declaration of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem to legitimize the Zionist occupation of the holy city.
Donald Trump is the White nationalist/alt-right version of “Hope and Change,” a political Pied Piper and false prophet.
or Trump could have arrested McCain & Hillary the first day in office,
and with 1 action he would have kept all his promises.
and he sure had enough dirt on them (hillary – the 30,000 emails, mccain – records of phone
correspondence with ISIS)
but that’s just me…
I have supported Trump for a long time. He is winning, but some people haven’t seen it yet. His recognition of Jerusalem is a small thing, imo. What really matters is his war against the deep state and the effect it will have in other countries, too. There are swamps everywhere and humanity suffers. Trump will save the US economy and inspire people in other countries. The probability of 2018 being a good year is very high.
Black magic. Spells. Mesmerism. Exogenous forces. Extra-rational explanation.
I am heartened by the dawning recognition, evident among many on this thread, that the realities that parade before our eyes cannot fully account for the geopolitical actions we are witnessing. Many are correctly intuiting that more than simply a missing piece on the chessboard, there is an entirely hidden dimension to the game itself. We are running out of encapsulating human superlatives to explain the other side: insane, suicidal, psychopathic. Indeed the garden-variety human excesses by themselves lack sufficient explanatory power.
Why?
Human history is being taken from human hands and graduating upwards into the clouds. During this phase, clutch your soul closer to your heart. News-makers and ambition hounds are gesticulating fools. The walk-around flesh and blood world matters less and less.
As I survey the day’s events like you, mouth agape, I keep the following Bible verse closely in mind:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. –Ephesians 6:12
A diminishing catalog of events remains human all too human. The anthropos is a fading beacon. Look for the imprimatur of flesh and blood. But look also for the handiwork of Principalities, good and ill that are increasingly stepping out from behind the frontispiece of flesh to assert their eternal calling.
Ten years ago, were I to read these words, I’d scoff. Some of you may still be there.
It’s the hardest leap for reasonable men and women to make. But make no mistake it is a stunning breakthrough if it can be accomplished. Re-arming with a spiritual view of history balances the struggle against those on the other side who never abandoned their ancient Babylonian secrets (numerology/usury being a true world conqueror), yet who managed to disarm US into the backwaters of secular humanism and atheism. Western Europe is a pitiful edifice to this spiritual void, a post-religious vacuum painted as a ‘victory over religious superstition’. Poor misbegotten and thoroughly (post)modern fools. Abrahamic fervor returns to the continent by the sword of Jihadism. The renouncement of Christendom deserves no kinder fate.
So be it. It could be worse.
ANY flavor of Abrahamic monotheism trumps Mammon and Moloch. (Before being codified into three discrete branches, Abraham was –and remains– the pre-Judaic Imam of Mankind.) There is an alternative, a true Anglo-Zionist nightmare: a Germany-Russia grand rapprochement that would shatter the MacKinder chessboard for good and truly peripheralize the periphery. Dostoevsky prophesied the future of Christianity would reside in the Third Rome, Moscow. Christianity, the Orthodox form, could flow eastward into the desolated West on the caravans of Eurasian integration. But that’s a whole ‘nother tributary…clearly Europe has put itself up for spiritual grabs. All civilizations have gods, whether explicitly expressed or not. Some, like Lucifer, excel best under invisibility cloak while demanding of others “the destruction of superstition” (a Baudelaire term). No one ever called Lucifer a dummy.
But back to true eevill…
The purpose of human history is a wholly negative affair punctuated at the very end by a pulse of eclipsing Goodness. For now, we pay witness to the Devil’s consolidation of all power, wealth and prestige on the planet so that he can lay proper claim to his designation, The Prince of This World (again, but for tiny and stubborn remnants of Observant Jews, Orthodox Christians, true Muslims).
Lucifer is a gradualist. Christ will be climactic.
I think of the spirit of Antichrist/Dajjal as a noxious gas seeping into a room. There is a deliberate and unavertable ‘physics’ to the process. As the force of the stream strengthens, the fissure grows wider. The gas invades the room (human existence) until it supplants the native atmosphere altogether (except for tiny Abrahamic remnants — those who receive the sustaining breath of life from a different world). There is a boiling frog dynamic to this process. We have been steadily normalized to all manner of deplorables. Also, the gas is not unlike carbon monoxide (odorless, colorless) except for the existential stench of evil for those with the nose to smell. Humanity is overwhelmed in stealthy increments.
This inter-dimensional incrementalism is captured in a hadith that Shiekh Imran Hossein illustrates so brilliantly on the cover of his book Jerusalem in the Quran. I would urge all to get this book.
http://www.imranhosein.org/books/37-jerusalem-in-the-quran.html
A Day like a Year – Pax Britannica
A Day like a Month – Pax Americana
A Day like a Week – Pax Judaica
Note the inter-dimensional time-gap narrowing as human history becomes increasingly estranged from the dull plod of human time and ‘speeds up’ to better synchronize with spirit-time (eternality?). We all feel it. There is hardly time to digest one geopolitical bombshell before another falls on our heads. Indeed time is ‘moving faster’ which again is to say human events no longer conform to appropriate human intervals of considered action and cognitive absorption. We are being dragged along. Nor is it eternality that is ‘slowing down’ for us. Rather we are speeding up for it as the fullness of time nears with the closure of human history.
Evidence of the immanence of Pax Judaica beyond the recent developments surrounding Jerusalem as the Capitol of Israel? Everyone it seems, not just Judaism, Christianity and Islam, covets Jerusalem. Occult forces seek it no less. Banking is no mere vocation. It is an ancient praxis of belief. Look at the slavish masonic and occultic detail the Rothschilds put inot the Israeli Supreme Court building. Why would the bloodless practitioners of banking engage themselves in such rigorous detail when they already own the flesh-and-blood world? Clearly their fixations lie beyond all that the eye can survey. And look at the building itself. The sheer scale and grandeur betray its global ambitions. The world’s justice will be dispensed from that building, make no mistake.
The MSM served as a gimpy kimono to help lend credence to the other side’s narrative. However do not expect a fallen kimono to stop the onslaught. They will charge ahead unbowed by modesty even though they are now officially intelligible. The Principalities no longer feel obliged to engage in subterfuge. This is yet another sign of history’s nearing end. Everything has stopped making sense in a realpolitik context. The Antichrist stream will overwhelm all human institutions.
Lucifer’s people are propelled forward by a malignant (and essentially nihilistic) force contemptuous of Man that poses risk to their flesh and blood as well as our own. In that sense, their behavior can be said to mimic the human conditions of ‘irrationality’ and ‘psychopathology’. Yet in almost a variant of replacement theology, their human inclinations have been supplanted by a demonic presence. Thus while their actions resemble human behavior, it is not wholly human. Prepare to head-scratch in the years ahead.
They are quite beyond themselves. Some are hostages to their own deviance, explicitly via intelligence agency blackmail or more subtly by spiritual ensnarement. They are miserable people no doubt. Alas, we will see more of this madness –not less– as the spirit of Antichrist takes fuller command of the room.
Human agency –flesh and blood– will play a diminishing role as we approach the back-end of history. Elemental forces above our heads are coming to the fore of the battle. Events will appear increasingly inexplicable in strictly human terms. We ride shotgun now with the Principalities. Choose your driver wisely.
https://fullspectrumdominoes.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/the-devils-still-here-and-hes-bringing-brimstone-back/
Thank-you and I agree. The veil is thinning. Time is arcing towards eternity. There are several trajectories for the human soul. We are in an alchemical transformation and the dross will fall out as the immortal ether rises. We must choose. Not to choose is is to forsake our precious free will and thus fall backwards in the evolutionary spiral.
I recommend reading Soloviev’s- A Short Story of the Anti-Christ. (Quote from Amazon below).
k
This is a story of the Anti-Christ, written by the Russian mystic Vladmir Soloviev in 1900, this futuristic tale is set after the fictional conquest of Asia and Europe by an ever-expanding Japanese empire. In the cultural and sociological aftermath of this great war, a unique man appears. He is special, beautiful and brilliant in everything he says or does. He is, in every respect, a superman. After a mysterious midnight visit from a shadowy, incorporeal being claiming to be his ‘father’, this man at once sets to write an expansive treatise, universally acclaimed. When the closely bonded Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches raise an objection with the work based on its total omission of Christ, the superman invites the remainder of these churches to a grand summit in Jerusalem. Aided by his dark magician, the superman’s stage is then set to either gain the complete support of the three remaining churches, or to destroy them utterly.
http://www.vissarion.eu/en/Last Testament/LastHope.htm
A contemporary equivalent.?
Hi JJ
Link not found. Could you repost in cafe?
Cheers
K
Ok checking….yup posted there check it works and if anything of interest….I really feel there is a genuine heart there.
We see through a glass darkly until such time as we don’t. Thank you for the Soloviev heads-up, kinterra.
I was previously unaware of him. From my cursory readings he seemed ensnared in the Yellow Peril of the day. What would he make of the Russia-China double-helix and Eurasian integration, I wonder? Geopolitically, he might have missed the boat. I note he wrote the book in 1900, the year of his death and therefore missed MacKinder’s far more able 1904 “The Geographical Pivot of History”.
I’m really taken with the Berdyaev and Dostoevsky nationalist approach and frankly I do not see a healing of the Great Schism in the cards. The moral and canonical relativism and Philo-Semitism of Vatican II and the Protestant/Evangelical false consciousness which has become so pervasive as to extol Zionist exceptionalism over Christianity itself hardly pave the way for an impending rapprochement. No, Orthodox Christianity may be the last uncompromised strain in our tradition—and I’m a nominal Presbyterian!
An interesting dytopic book being talked up by no less than Pope Francis (and Ratzinger before him) is Robert Hugh Benson’s ‘Lord of the World’ (1907). Francis uses it to warn against what he calls the, “globalization of hegemonic uniformity” or “ideological colonization”.
https://aleteia.org/2016/04/08/why-are-two-different-popes-telling-us-to-read-lord-of-the-world
Francis’ preferred version of globalization is the polyhedron in which, similar to the macroeconomic notion of comparative advantage, each nation retains its discrete character while offering –as opposed to subsuming– its indigenous cultural features in an effort to enrich the whole. However this is Western malady brought about, ironically enough, by the capitulations of the Western churches. How curious of Francis to express eleventh-hour misgivings about the creeping monoculture which is the spirit of Antichrist in my estimation.
Christendom is being nurtured in the East. Whether it gathers itself in time to rescue Europe from an Islamic fate remains to be seen. Bolshevism was a demonic scheme hell-bent on circumventing this very ascendancy. Too late. It should be said that Bolshevism is in its formative stages via Antifa in America. Russia’s peculiar historical development is precisely the preservative that clears its path onto world stage today. Spengler said as much as well.
Happy New Year to all. And may 2018 turn out a little less grim than so many of us up here feel it will be.
_____________
“If, as Nicolas Berdyaev claimed, “independent Russian thought was awakened by the problem of the philosophy of history”, America’s purveyors of wickedness glossed our version of the history problem by consigning us to a deep sleep of irresolvable terror.
No ideas emerge unscathed through the churn of history, the ultimate sausage-maker. America’s Cold War synthesis, painted as unabashed victory was attenuated, by design, into a false proposition. Consequently, Bolshevism must be reengaged, this time on domestic soil. (Commentator Ben Shapiro likens America’s current schism to a reenactment of the Weimar’s Brown Shirts versus Reds; though in fairness, the latter is well-evidenced, the former less so.) Borrowing a recent headline from Adam Garrie of ‘The Duran’, Antifa is a terrorist group in the blood-soaked Bolshevik tradition. Amen to that, Comrade.”
https://fullspectrumdominoes.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/the-devils-still-here-and-hes-bringing-brimstone-back
Oh…
Somewhere above kinterra, I mentioned my longstanding misgivings about America’s Separation of Church and State. This would all be very chaste and Presbyterian-polite, except we’re dealing with a binary formulation: Anywhere the Holy Spirit ISN’T, the Antichrist IS.
I thought your man offered up an eloquent rebuttal too
“But if the faith communicated by the Church to Christian humanity is a living faith, and if the grace of the sacraments is an effectual grace, the resultant union of the divine and the human cannot be limited to the special domain of religion, but must extend to all Man’s common relationships and must regenerate and transform his social and political life.” –Vladimir Solovyov
–FSD
FSD reading your response on 1/1/18- I glean my first inspiration for this New Year-as a guiding mantra:
“Wherever the Holy Spirit isn’t, the anti christ is”.
The pervading presence of the spirit will continue to make itself ever more felt in the subtle realms of the inner forum of consciousness. What confounds is the immense disparity of how the glory of awakening to the Presence is occurring amid the experience of such degeneration and decay of the human being. Yet such is the path through this apocalyptic chapter of human history. The descent of the Holy Spirit necessitates that all impurity be driven out from hidden places into the visible light. Thus we may choose our way. You may like my New Years greeting in the cafe posted 12/31.
Blessed Be in the circle of all.
k
Great back and forth, kinterra…
Strictly speaking, I would suggest that the Holy Spirit already dwells in our midst. I think the descent (in both Islam and Christianity, mind you, though with notable theological differences in both) is undertaken by Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that even Jesus does not know when His final arrival will be permitted. That is a mystery known only to the Father. However He could already be on a staged descent (mirrored perhaps to the pyramidic ascent of his arch-nemesis). What we do know is that His arrival will be timed to the final ascent of the man most antithetical to Him, the Antichrist. As we must first reach the apotheosis of evil (the ‘capstone’ when all the world is governed by a ubiquitous malevolence much like an inescapable and oppressive atmosphere), I do not anticipate the stage you describe so eloquently when, “all impurity is driven out from hidden places into the visible light” until the moment of Christ’s victory. But hey, I’m no theologian, and you may be.
Thus the “glorious awakening” you speak of that I am noting in people around me too is not so much a climactic game-ending event, but rather a heartening seventh-inning reversal in a nine-inning game. Evil will get ‘much worse’ before its climactic defeat frees us once and for all.
Also as I find myself more in thrall to the formulations of Sheikh Imran Hosein, Pax Judaica is a crucial precursor to this culminating phase.
I hope that’s not a niggling point.
Despite their well-advertised contradictions (resolvable perhaps only in another dimension), I am convinced the guiding hand of G-d shines through in the Torah, the New Testament and the Quran.
–FSD
Hello Dear Brother FSD, Thank-you for reply. (I am not a theologian btw).
I too am taken with Imran, whom I read actively, and also find great wealth in many religious teachings. It is Jesus Christ who makes all things new, so all true religions and Ancient teachings reveal their great truths to us when they are understood through the Light of the Holy Spirit. (I too understand that the Holy spirit descended at Pentacost, but this much occur in within each of us through the activity of our free will.)
It seems that what is unfolding in this Apocalyptic Chapter of history is that evil is given a period of time to demonstrate its power- like the temptations in the wilderness. Each soul is a Christ in the making and what was given to us in the life and deeds of Jesus Christ in a human body on the earth is the Way, the Truth and the Life by which we become the new Adam. Therefore we must face the reality of evil- the anti forces or principalities. Each human soul must also under go the three archetypal temptations after which the angels do minister to us just as occurred with Jesus Christ on the fortieth day.
I too would wish to live in a Christian country and culture, thus my love and admiration for Russia and some South American countries which profess themselves as Catholic countries. But as you say, G-d has a mission for evil. We must enter the wilderness as Jesus Christ did, and encounter the wasteland of evil. When we find the living presence of our Lord within us we no longer rely on outer authority, but upon the living presence of God within us. Through the ministering of the angels and the guidance of the Holy Spirit we create a new culture and community, based on the experience of the living God not on dogma or doctrine. The light of dawn is on the horizon- soul by soul we make up its rays.
I’m happy to continue our dialog, but I think we should move this conversation to the cafe. See you there.
Blessings,
k
Hard to imagine after my lengthy diatribe just above that I failed to link it cogently to Saker’s grim analysis for 2018. For those looks for an exhausted foe, a circumspect nemesis, signs of reappraisal, you won’t find it. We face a Beast, not a flesh-and-blood enemy. It will come and come and come. That’s its mission by G-d’s strange design. Resist the tendency to anthropomorphize the inhuman. Spiritual stamina on our parts is key.
@ Anonymous
I totally agree with you of the atrocities still being committed in the name of America.
Regarding Yemen: It’s a dirty war, but the Saudi Kingdom may fall regardless whether the US and Britain have troops in Yemen. Yemen will be next Nation to triumph like Syria, when Israel and its US and Saudi paid mercenaries are thrown out from Ibdil, the Golan Heights and Jordan.
And Yes Trump threatens to move The US Embassy to Jerusalem.
But if so, the US will be the laughing stock of the World, when it is the only country having its embassy in Jerusalem. The US embassy in Jerusalem will be a monument constantly reminding Israel of its total defeat by a united world, and in the future Israelis will weep up against the US embassy wall instead of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
The rest of the world will weep for the millions of people killed, maimed and displaced during the war on Terror.
@ RATM: If Trump had arrested Hillary and McCaine on day one, he would have ben accused of being a dictator. Such actions are regarded in the west as a NO GO, and Trump would have been impeached.
Instead western society will accept if the FBI or a US Court arrests the villains.
I’m no cheerleader for Trump.
But odd enough most of he’s actions seems to backfire.
I believe that in politic all actions or inactions are planed.
To understand what is going on, just compare the chaos happening for over 10 years in Russia when the former USSR collapsed to what we are seeing today in America.
Russia turned out all right. And I believe America will turn out right too.
The federal US have no more money, and Trump can not indebt the American people to Trillions of more dollars in debt, like Clinton, Bush and Obama did.
Without money Trump can’t make war.
So I’ll just give Trump a little slack, to clean out this mega Deep State apparatus.
@ Saker: Tanks for all of your enlighten articles during the Years.
Thanks making this forum a possibility for dialogue between East, West, North and South.
My best wishes for all people.
Operation Iran Implosion 2018 begins a few days early:
As a sequel to “freedom” in Egypt / Libya / Syria / Ukraine, disaffected Iranians are now on the streets demanding a change of government — away with the Mullahs — as the Empire professes support at the United Nations and on Twitter for “freedom” in Iran.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching! #IranProtests
10:42 PM – Dec 29, 2017
Don’t get me wrong , but the middle eastern people deserve this. Getting swayed by west instigated protests which shows them fake dreams. After Libya and Syria, they still haven’t got the lesson. They don’t deserve the protection of the Ayatollah and the Revolutionary guards. Let their worst scums rule them.