by Pepe Escobar, posted with the author’s permission and cross posted with The Cradle
The stunning spectacle of the EU committing slow motion hara-kiri is something for the ages. Like a cheap Kurosawa remake the movie is actually about the Empire of Lies-detonated demolition of the EU, complete with subsequent rerouting of some key Russian commodities exports to the US at the expense of the Europeans.
It helps to have a 5th columnist actress strategically placed, in this case astonishingly incompetent European Commission head Ursula von der Lugen, with a brand new vociferous announcement of an extra sanctions package: Russian ships banned from EU ports; road transportation companies from Russia and Belarus prohibited from entering the EU; no more coal imports (over 4.4 billion euros a year).
That translates in practice into the Empire of Lies shaking down its wealthiest – Western – clients/puppets. Russia of course is too powerful militarily. The Empire badly needs some of its key exports – especially minerals. Mission Accomplished in this case amounts to nudging the EU into imposing more and more sanctions and willfully collapsing their national economies, allowing the US to scoop everything up.
Cue to the coming catastrophic economic consequences felt by Europeans in their daily life (but not by the wealthiest 5%): inflation devouring salaries and savings; next winter energy bills packing a mean punch; products disappearing from supermarkets; holiday bookings almost frozen; Le Petit Roi Macron in France – maybe up to a nasty electoral surprise – announcing “food stamps like in WWII are possible”.
We have Germany facing the returning ghost of Weimar hyperinflation; BlackRock President Rob Kapito saying, in Texas, “for the first time, this generation is going to go into a store and not be able to get what they want”; farmers in Africa not able to afford fertilizer at all this year, reducing agricultural production by an amount capable of feeding 100 million people.
Zoltan Poszar, former NY Fed and US Treasury guru, current Credit Suisse grand vizir, has been on a streak, stressing how commodity reserves – and here Russia is unrivaled – will be an essential feature of what he calls Bretton Woods III (yet, in fact, what’s being designed by Russia, China, Iran and the Eurasia Economic Union is a post-Bretton Woods).
Poszar remarks that wars, historically, are won by those who have more food and energy supplies, in the past to power horses and soldiers, today to feed soldiers and fuel tanks and fighter jets.
China, incidentally, has amassed large stocks of virtually everything.
Poszar notes how our current Bretton Woods II system has a deflationary impulse (globalization, open trade, just-in-time supply chains) while Bretton Woods III will provide an inflationary impulse (de-globalization, autarky, hoarding of raw materials) of supply chains and extra military spending to be able to protect what will remain of seaborne trade.
The implications are of course overwhelming. What’s implicit, ominously, is that this state of affairs may even lead to WWIII.
Rublegas or American LNG?
The Valdai Club has conducted an essential expert discussion on what we at The Cradle have defined as Rublegas – the real geoeconomic game-changer at the heart of the post-petrodollar era. Alexander Losev, a member of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, offered the contours of the Big Picture. But it was up to Alexey Gromov, Chief Energy Director of the Institute of Energy and Finance, to come up with crucial nitty gritty details.
Russia so far was selling gas to Europe to the amount of 155 billion cubic meters a year. The EU rhetorically promises to get rid of it by 2027, and reduce supply by the end of 2022 by 100 billion cubic meters. Gromov asked “how”, and remarked, “any expert has no answer. Most of Russia’s natural gas is shipped over pipelines. This cannot simply be replaced by LNG.”
The risible European answer has been “start saving”, as in “prepare to be worse off. Reduce the temperature in households”. Gromov noted how, in Russia, “22 to 25 degrees in winter is the norm. Europe is promoting 16 degrees as ‘healthy’, and wearing sweaters at night.”
The EU won’t be able to get the gas it needs from Norway or Algeria (which is privileging domestic consumption). Azerbaijan would be able to provide at best 10 billion cubic meters a year, but “that will take 2 or 3 years” to happen.
Gromov stressed how “there’s no surplus in the market today for US and Qatar LNG.” And how prices for Asian customers are always higher. The bottom line is that “by end of 2022, Europe won’t be able to significantly reduce” what is buys from Russia: “they might cut by 50 billion cubic meters, maximum.” And prices in the spot market will be higher – at least $1,300 per cubic meter.
An important development is that “Russia changed the logistical supply chains to Asia already”. That applies for gas and oil as well:
“You can impose sanctions if there’s a surplus in the market. Now there’s a shortage of at least 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. We’ll be sending our supplies to Asia – with a discount.” As it stands, Asia is already paying a premium, from 3 to 5 dollars more per barrel of oil.
On oil shipments, Gromov also commented on the key issue of insurance: “Insurance premiums are higher. Before Ukraine, it was all based on the FOB system. Now buyers are saying ‘we don’t want to take the risk of taking your cargo to our ports’. So they are applying the CIF system, where the seller has to insure and transport the cargo. That of course impacts revenues.”
An absolutely key issue for Russia is how to make the transition to China as its key gas customer. It’s all about Power of Siberia 2 – which will reach full capacity only in 2024. And first the interconnector through Mongolia must be built – “we need 3 years to build this pipeline” – so everything will be in place only around 2025.
On the Yamal pipeline, “most of the gas goes to Asia. If the Europeans don’t buy anymore we can redirect.” And then there’s the Arctic LNG 2 – which is larger than Yamal: “the first phase should be finished soon, it’s 80% ready.” An extra problem may be posed by the Russian “Unfriendlies” in Asia: Japan and South Korea. LNG infrastructure produced in Russia still depends on foreign technologies.
That’s what leads Gromov to note that, “the model of mobilization- based economy is not so good.” But that’s what Russia needs to deal with at least in the short to medium term.
The positives are that the new paradigm will allow “more cooperation within the BRICS”; the expansion of the International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC); and more interaction and integration with “Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Iran”.
Only in terms of Iran and Russia, swaps in the Caspian are already in the works, as Iran produces more than it needs, and is set to increase cooperation with Russia in the framework of the strenghtened strategic partnership.
Hypersonic geoeconomics
It was up to Chinese energy expert Fu Chengyu to offer a concise explanation of why the EU drive of replacing Russian gas with American LNG is, well, a pipe dream. Essentially the US offer is “too limited and too costly”.
Fu Chengyu showed how a lengthy, tricky process depends on four contracts: between the gas developer and the LNG company; between the LNG company and the buyer company; between the LNG buyer and the cargo company (which builds vessels); and between the buyer and the end user.
“Each contract”, he pointed out, “takes a long time to finish. Without all these signed contracts no party will invest – be it investment on infrastructure or gas field development.” So actual delivery of American LNG to Europe assumes all these interconnected resources are available – and moving like clockwork.
Fu Chengyu’s verdict is stark: this EU obsession on ditching Russian gas will provoke “an impact on global economic growth, and recession. They are pushing their own people – and the world. In the energy sector, we will all be harmed.”
It was quite enlightening to juxtapose the coming geoeconomic turbulence – the EU obsession in bypassing Russian gas and the onset of Rublegas – with the real reasons behind Operation Z in Ukraine, completely obscured by Western media psyops.
So I submitted a few questions to a US Deep State old pro, now retired, and quite familiar with the inner workings of the old OSS, the CIA precursor, all the way to the neocon dementia.
His answers were quite sobering. He started by pointing out, “the whole Ukraine issue is over hypersonic missiles that can reach Moscow in less than four minutes. The US wants them there, in Poland, Romania, Baltic States, Sweden, Finland. This is in direct violation of the agreements in 1991 that NATO will not expand in Eastern Europe. The US does not have hypersonic missiles now but should – in a year or two. This is an existential threat to Russia. So they had to go into the Ukraine to stop this. Next will be Poland and Romania where launchers have been built in Romania and are being built in Poland.”
From a completely different geopolitical perspective, what’s really telling is that his analysis happens to dovetail with Zoltan Poszar’s geoeconomics: “The US and NATO are totally belligerent. This presents a real danger to Russia. The idea that nuclear war is unthinkable is a myth. If you look at the firebombing of Tokyo against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more people died in Tokyo than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These cities were rebuilt. The radiation goes away and life can restart. The difference between firebombing and nuclear bombing is only efficiency. NATO provocations are so extreme Russia had to place their nuclear missiles on standby alert. This is a gravely serious matter. But the US ignored it.”
An interesting report from Greece on the Zelenskyy propaganda tour, and the response to Zelenskyy bringing an Azov Nazi to speak to Greek parliament.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONYJ-0RmQK8
Zelenskyy is on a massive PR tour, preceded by Nuland trying to strong arm each country into opposing Russia. There is a standard playbook in action – the PR people link Ukraine’s so-called plight to critical events in the target country’s history eg the Holocaust in Israel which went down like a sack of bricks.
The Greek President calls Azov Nazis ‘heros’ – with widespread outrage from a wide range of political parties.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Zelensky is a complete incurable psychopath. Watching the West, I am now completing my studies on psychopathy. Now I will ignore him. This piece by Pepe Escobar is hugely CREATIVE. I know how to value people’s positive things. Pepe is a Latin American who, as São Paulo said: “learned to fight the good fight”, and with creative talent.
And do you know why I love Russian civilization? For the following reasons:
Russians = Russians like magic, like to dream: it has the greatest ballet and dance on the planet, it was the country that had the greatest number of brilliant composers of academic music and erudition, it had extraordinary painters, it was one of the creative pioneers of cinema, it had great writers and the greatest writer of all time, and it has great athletes and extraordinary military men.
USA and England = there was only Bebop Jazz and Shakespeare, truly artistic. All other achievements were stolen from other peoples. And all other Anglo American cultural stuff is inferior, and it’s rubbish.
So when I look at the history of HOMO SAPIENS, I am inspired and amazed by Russia and China 5000 years ago. All other things are supporting.
Giving him too much credit as a psychopath (more suited to his boss Kolomoisky ). Zelensky’s a jumped up little rent-boy squirt way out of his depth and being manipulated like a used condom by professional racketeers like Nuland.
Even if Zelensky wanted to negotiate in good faith. His Masters won’t allow it. Otherwise he might suffer an “accident”
Whereas it is true that Russia always produced great artists, musicians and writers, most of which I have read; it is the British authors that I am a great admire also of: Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, the Bronte sisters, Huxley, Orwell and so many more. It is from British history that I learned their evil hold upon this world,and even learned true Russian history and about China also. They all had cultures thousands of years old,but over here in north America, we are infantile.
Yes, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Twain and others are good, but not enough great prose for me. The history is even less exciting than the Caribbean or South America. However, it is today that we all face,and the future looks very dark.
Clearly, the West was priming Ukraine to harm Russia, most clearly they were attacking China,who are a threat to their perceived dominance. So when Putin said ” they were going to sanction us anyway”. It meant that the Russians saw it coming a long time ago.
When Pepe said China was stockpiling for a long time; what does it imply? Do those 2 countries know that they have to face the devil at some point?
In war, you have to have logistics” supply lines etc.” You then have to have a constant re-supply of fuel. Russia has both in abundance,and as such China.
WW3 is a threat, because these sanctions and propaganda is only for western domestic audience, but when the real economic pain sets in; what will they do?
I daily skim western news to see what garbage they come up with. Some crazies want WW3 and even nuclear war. Brainwashed people always believe in themselves,so anything is possible. The west has created a fantasy/ illusion for it’s masses, who have been slowly going down for years,and too stupid to know it. But they will complain this summer and what to do?
I am only interested in fertilizers and wheat going to Africa and friends. Similarly the oil, gas and all the resources needed, and Zion USA can keep Europe. The insults are simply too much, and it is time for counter-sanctions.
Yes, England has Shakespeare, and the equally colossal and divine Charles Dickens, who are among the highest things in mankind. I know, France has Alain Resnais, Stendhal. Germany has Fritz Lang, Bach, Schumann, Beethoven. Holland has Vincent van Gogh, etc.
But if we are talking about magic and artists of the highest level in all artistic fields, then Russia is unparalleled. I have no doubt, Russians have great souls!
I have the impression that the Anglo-American Empire has something up its sleeve, some very well-founded scientific study, proving that humanity would survive nuclear war. Because I can’t think of anything else that would motivate the US/NATO to make such a determined and “passionate” aggression against Russia and China. Some might think there are aliens running the Pentagon, CIA and Democratic Party, but that would still be surreal to me without proof. Perhaps, definitely Washington, London and Brussels are just delusional.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky brought along an Azov Nazi of Greek heritage to his speech to the Greek Parliament on Thursday and all hell broke loose, reports Joe Lauria.
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/04/08/outrage-as-azov-nazi-addresses-greek-parliament/
Pepe,
To avoid such highly probable devastational suicide, why couldn´t some willing EU members decide on their own to keep on buying oil & gas from Russia paying with Rublegas despite EU sanctions ?
It´s both technically and practically possible, right ?
Politically it´d mean an internal EU division for sure.
But starving and/or freezing to death — or melting down during summer for that matter, imagine tourism without A/C — is not a politically correct option either having acceptable payment means available, correct ?
The EU will come apart one way or another. The splintering is already evident. Once austerity really starts to bite the puppet fovernments are going to start falling, some more easily than others.
This is one of the primary reasons for expanding the war to Poland, increasing the divide between East and West to prevent those wavering from switching sides.
Black Cloud
But when deeeep austerity sinks in and, as you rightly say BC …” governments start falling…” welllll … I guess that life would still go on albeit with new leaders, right ?
So then — if not before — but surely THEN… why couldn´t some willing EU members decide on their own to keep on buying oil & gas from Russia paying with Rublegas despite EU sanctions ?
Or selling their possibly available gold for that matter ?
Politically it´d mean an internal EU division for sure, we agree.
But starving and/or freezing to death — or melting down during summer for that matter, imagine tourism without A/C — is not a politically correct option either while having acceptable payment means available to change that altogether.
And if in view of all of the above new leaderships take over, I wouldn´t be so sure that the EU will necessarily come apart as you say. As a matter of fact the EU might turn pro-Russia (sorta) and commission the Nord 2 pipeline pretty much going back to pre-Ukraine invasion days.
Just sayin´
Your final paragraph assumes that the EU “leadership” and the EU nations are free to act as rational actors. They are not – the US/NATO will not permit the EU to act in a manner that is inconsistent with the policies that US/NATO has prescribed.
While it exists, the EU, as an organization, will march in lockstep with NATO. And, even after the EU falls apart, US/NATO has ways that the individual states don’t stray too far off the reservation.
Peter K
I understand and agree with you in “normal” conditions…
But the situation I was referring to and Pepe Escobar sees coming right here in his article is QUITE different.
Peter, what would probably happen when …” deeeep austerity sinks in “…in Europe ?
Would a starving Europe freezing to death with NO tourism still …” march in lockstep with NATO ” ???
Please I beg to differ…
And in such a case the US/NATO would not be so powerfull as to be able to manage Europe´s political from the other side of the Atlantic. That would mean a US-Europe war that´d never happen, methinks…
The animosity within the EU states lives on. Only covertly to keep the facade and the French are masters in this game… The NSA knows this because they bugged all data traffic and they will exploit this. Airbus is only one example of many. Rhein Metal, Peugeot-Opel…
In addition, the EU is very unpolar in many countries. The willingness in Germany to have to pay for the debt of others is at the end. What the ECB has committed since 2010 can not be excused as mistakes will be at the end of 2022 as a bill in Berlin, Copenhagen, Rotterdam and Vienna be on the government tables.
Macron was e.g. very much against Nordstream 2 because it brings advantages to the industry in Germany. Now France is selling nuclear power and the Germans which have had to agree to accept to store the burned fuel-rods for final disposal.
Since 2008/09, France has succeeded in concealing a national bankruptcy, while Germany is going bankrupt because of a completely incompetent government. And if Zemmour wins the election this weekend, this cosmetically intact alliance will fall apart. The resulting development alone will act like an explosive device.
Why do guys like you keep attacking the USA?
Very Chic & Trendy?
The Fact is that the Washington is Occupied Territory,like Vichy in France,and is no part in this Boll Shot,other than the crooked politicians in Washington.Washington is currently occupied By The British bankers who are at the heart of this nasty business.
George Soros & Lord Mark Malloch Brown who control the Dominion voting machines that put the dim witted Bosterd into the White House
Opposed to them & closing in are the Free Sovereign Red which control most of America.
The USA is out of this,Western Europe will finally get what it deserves.
And in America,We too will be glad to be rid of the Pilgrims Society & the Followers of Cecil Rhodes
Some did – Hungary and Slovakia, for example.
“The idea that nuclear war is unthinkable is a myth. If you look at the firebombing of Tokyo against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more people died in Tokyo than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These cities were rebuilt. The radiation goes away and life can restart” – Pepe Escobar
This is valid Research relevant scientific documents and texts on the subject.
I expect these weapons to be used; there is no “just Ukraine war”. The war is between the East and the West – hopefully is will be a war of cultures and beliefs vs. soley economic supremacy.. We will see.
Right on, Pepe.
At this point, the propaganda in Germany is so violent and gearkill, I’d rather choose to ignore it.
Just worried about ‘people will be killing people’ on the streets for no reason or sheer rage and hostility soon.
Already brutal abuses against families and employees who question America, Pfizer, Democracy, Sanctions, Genderblender and Migration.
The population really gotta walk on egg shell. Police and courts do not help the political abused. Everyone is alone and by himself.
If you are in the system, collect your pay check and shut up.
Do not – under any circumstance – talk to anybody about your views. There are snitches and climbers everywhere. Wrong views can ruin your future or even destroy your blood line.
Let Pepe say what needs be said, but do not – if you live in the Empire of Sanctions [and Lies] or in Europe – speak such truths at work, in school or public.
We are living in times of no-walls and satellite ears.
In Australia it is physically dangerous to have a contrary opinion. A large chunk of the population here are quite happy to resort to immediate violence in order to “correct” opinions they don’t agree with (past experience working in Metropolitan Emergency Departments here!)
My problem is that my Brother in Law works for BNP Paribas Moscow. So I am very aware (via Telegram) of the true realities, and frankly this is becoming very scary indeed. Whilst I feel the Russian High Command will keep their nerve, I cannot say the same for the EU and US, and that’s before we consider those further down the food chain. All it takes is the one mis-interpreted command.
Thats right. The sheeple in suicide mode do the opposite of what they should do. Think they can safe themselves and please the psycho by licking his shoes and get angry at anyone who dare to insult the bully.
Must Read!
The Bretton Woods III paper by Zoltan Pozsar of Credit Suisse is available online here:
https://plus2.credit-suisse.com/shorturlpdf.html?v=4ZR9-WTBd-V
The paper was published on 7 March 2022. I got a copy on Telegram the next morning and immediately sent it to my investment banker friend. A week later I found the online link.
Thank you for sharing Pozsar’s article.
However, if you are not in the field of finance or world economics, how can anyone understand what he is saying???
If you can explain what he is trying to reveal, buy all means, illuminate us.
Pozsar could do us a big favor by relating to us on an even playing field, otherwise, there’s only a select few who understand his thesis.
Since economic issues are at question, I would like to point readers attention to the following. Despite geopolitical intricacies, in every or almost every military conflict there is always an issue of who benefits or will benefit from circumstances to earn incremental profit. Follow the money. Period. The fiat money system had initiated by Nixon in 1971 (broken USD peg to gold and printing money out of thin air) has led to its bankruptcy. It was then accelerated by Lehman Brothers collapse (too big to fail = eg. AIG, Bear Stearns and alike rescue efforts ), following by managers too big to jail (eg. CEO of corrupted institutions benefiting from house of cards implosion), all of it resulting in economic behemoths (mega corporations following M&A wave) too big too manage (until now of course). Corporate capitalism versus “democracy” and fair share of each and every citizen in national wealth pie.
Imagine you are entrepreneur running your company, say producing shoes. You need to invest and apply for an investment loan to commission new factory. How much would you get from your bank? By rule of thumb no more than 3-4x your EBITDA = recurring, sustainable, annual cash operating profit less depreciation and amortisation (added back non-cash costs). Now let’s go ballistic and fly hypersonic to stratosphere. What is global GDP (gross domestic product = the world’s total net worth = all we as humans produce, consume, exchange, etc). Roughly US 85T (eighty five trillion USD dollars). Now what is a global debt? Roughly USD 250T, so ca. 3,0x global GDP. So far so good. However, there are also so called derivatives (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/derivative.asp), that notional value amounts to at least USD 500T………so if we add it up to plain vanilla debt (household, corporations, government, etc) we end up with total global debt of ca. USD 750T vs. global GDP of USD 85T = ca. 9.0x…….Unsustainable = unpayable.
What is the solution? Inflation, hunger, pandemic or war…………They have tried big time to instigate inflation, but failed until now (it is already in town, but higher one is coming sooner than you can imagine). Hunger is coming as well due to skyrocketing fertilizer prices and shortages (eg. food stamps mentioned in the article). Pandemic? They tried big time, but failed (though I guess they will not give up on it yet). What is left? You answer yourself……….The Ukraine proxy war is the globalists last ditch effort to turn the tide. They know very well the system of their own creation is bankrupt (but will suck up everybody and everything – EU soon coming economic demise – to its very end like Azov guys hopeless last battle in Mariupol).
So, the only solution to the problem seems to be technically simple, but practically onerous to implement due to rising citizenry awareness and disobedience (boycott of existing social contract): death to cash = elimination of bank run risk = introduction of CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) backed up by nothing linked to social scoring system (points earned for compliance with government whims) and UBI (Universal Basic Income = income for permanently unemployed due to replacement by artificial intelligence). Globalists wet dream is to bring everybody down to the level of digital record (digital ID with all info on the subject like personal data, health status, etc), so they can control our moves and ultimately thoughts layering us in accordance with their wishes. From internet (I) through internet of things (IoT) to internet of bodies (IoB). Transhumanism will lead to our “happiness” through elimination of inferior individuals (biogenetics manipulation), conditioning at embryonic life stage, so everybody could be happy, own nothing and live the life in accordance with their masters directives. Limes Inferior!
Unpayable? don’t pay. Let the stupid lenders hang dry.
Good luck, try not to pay if you are an ordinary bread eater owing relatively small amounts to your creditors. They will hunt you down immediately and enforce. However, if you owe sizeable amounts your creditors will solve your (implicitly their) problems while you would sit with your arms folded waiting for “presstitutes” rushing in for punchy headlines, so algos can trade accordingly……
Would you not like to be too big to fail & jail? And more importantly to be a benchmark for aspiring, young businessmen who dream about “success” in this global casino falling apart in front of our very eyes?
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinese-tycoon-who-faces-8-billion-margin-calls-tells-bank-he-wants-keep-shorting-nickel
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinese-nickel-tycoon-reaches-standstill-deal-massive-margin-call
Would you not like to be too big to fail & jail?
Arek on April 08, 2022 · at 3:47 am EST/EDT
All you have to do is have your court-appointed defense-attorney negotiate a deferred-prosecution agreement.
Easy-peasy.
Seems highly probable Russia deploys nukes to Cuba, again..
All these Euro-trash politicians back-slapping each other during their 7 course lunches and dinners in Brussels & Frankfurt, how they stuck it up to Russia (half unelected ) while the poorest & elderly can’t afford to heat their homes or even cook proper meals. If the British/Europeans weren’t so spineless they’d be attacking their dumb politicians in their homes. I’d say their constituency but very few were actually born within 300 miles of the towns/cities they represent or have taxpayer funded 2nd homes in London.
Austerity is the new buzz word again around town, I heard up to a generation or 30 years of it. Two big tells are the increase in beggars/homeless on the trains and streets and soup-kitchens / food banks.
Where I live the foobanks are asking not to give potatoes because folks can’t afford to cook them.
This is genuinely scary. When I spent a number of years in the UK 20 years back the standard of living was pretty good. OK the climate’s awful (by Aussie standards!) but quality of life was pretty excellent.
Obviously things have really gone downhilll since the turn of the century.
There are more food banks in Britain (2,300+) than McDonald’s branches.
Disgusting, shameful and scandalous are terms nowhere near strong enough….
It would be great to see a discussion between Pepe and Micheal Hudson on these issues
Breaking:
Marine Le Pen, the French presidential candidate for the “National Rally”, announced that France will leave NATO if she wins the elections.
Complete bullshit. She has made no such statement.
You should see it on video
https://metro.co.uk/video/far-right-presidential-contender-le-pen-wants-france-leave-nato-2607973/
I tried the link but if there is a video it’s broken. What I see amounts to just a picture and a journalist’s assertion in text. I would never take the word of an unknown Brit “journalist”.
A search on RT France for “Marine Le Pen” and NATO turns up nothing.
https://francais.rt.com/recherche?q=marine+le+pen+NATO&df=&dt=&type=
Marine Le Pen’s web site does not have it either.
https://mlafrance.fr/
As they say, “Pics or it didn’t happen.”
I wish it were true, but the evidence is not there. But still, I hope she will be the next president of France.
The link works without a problem and yes she said “we will leave the integrated command of NATO.” Evidence is there complete with pics.
Let’s stop fooling ourselves. Currently, Le Pen does not have the political or financial backing to have France exit NATO.
It would take a seismic shift of epic proportions for all the paid off politicians, and the Super Wealthy in Europe to exit NATO.
They are ALL paid off by US$$ and by the free lunch of big profits they’ve been enriched by in playing their casino games at the US/EU Financial Markets.
The link is working in Britain and she does say she wants to leave NATO.
That’s a brilliant move, Macron has been talking about it for years and never had the balls. Now she’s going to get all the political credit for it. Even better, if she’s elected and we’re lucky she may reconcile us with Moscow, she always had cordial relations with Russia.
Precisely. France could do it as lame Germany is out. But then we have all the President killings. If they can kill Presidents for a Corona vaxx, then…………..:-P
What a world when those that were considered right wing nuts like Le Pen and Orban are now the sane ones. I used to consider myself proudly left, but with the re-emergence of fascism through the liberal so-called left, I have to renounce the term left in favour of simply identifying as a socialist.
I wouldn’t so flatly rule out something you cannot be certain about. How can you prove a negative? Especially in the current climate of censorship.
However, if Mme Le Pen has adopted such a policy, she will certainly not win any election. There are means.
DeGaulle did that already in 1966 – more exactly pulled out of the NATO integrated command, keeping the treaty.
Re-integrated by Sarkozy in 2009.
The precedent is there.
Slightly off topic but distantly related!
Vladimir paid a visit down under which make me chuckle.
I am rather proud of him for his astute appraisal of our tyrants in this region.
https://cairnsnews.org/2022/04/07/putin-asks-scomo-just-who-is-crazy/
Probably a fake but nevertheless hilarious (and oh so true!).
The behaviour of the “western” politicians demonstrates a complete lack of concern for those who pay their (hardly inconsiderable) wages and numerous “perks of the job”. Certainly in Australia it demonstrates the “Tradies” mindset – “I’m OK and f**k everyone else, Mate”. Another reason why Australia is going nowhere in a hurry.
Wow. I didn’t even know that site existed! In far north Queensland too…
I used to live near a port where sometimes a LNG ship would come by in a river area, and it was surrounded by coast guard boats, because if it exploded, the force would have destroyed the city nearby like a atom bomb.
These things are very very very dangerous, and in a world like we are in now, some terrorist could shoot at one of these easily, or attack it with a drone. Germany likes risk you see.
Well lets not forget all those manpads that are going to be flooding the EU after this war. It would be a shame if one of them exploded one of those ships,now wouldn’t it. They wanted to use those to kill Russians and then they were turned on them,Karma I guess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuPVEsQaGB0
These are individual tanker cars. The current largest LNG “Q-Max” Tankers contain up to 266,000 cubic metres of liquefied gas, kept liquefied by multiple refrigeration systems. This is roughly equivalent to 5.5 Billion cubic feet of gas vapour.
Modern ATGMs have a range of about 4000 metres (e.g. the current Javelin models). Tankers are VERY big targets, and it’ll only take the one hit for there to be a very major event. Compound this with the loss of gas (which will be substantial), and all of a sudden buying LPG becomes a lot more costly, since these vessels would be almost uninsurable against such attacks.
there is a video of Ray Dalio that gives a good political economics perspective and help to figure potential outcomes for the present time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xguam0TKMw8
Good article detailing the start of this crisis until today:
Ukrainian leftist criticizes Western war drive with Russia: US is using Ukraine as ‘cannon fodder’
https://multipolarista.com/2022/03/14/ukrainian-leftist-war-russia-us/
Great for bringing people up to speed–and nice that it is from a Ukrainian’s point of view. Thank you for this!
Good new article on the Ukraine crisis:
Bucha Massacre and Genocide of Ethnic Russians in Ukraine
https://canadianpatriot.org/2022/04/06/bucha-massacre-and-genocide-of-ethnic-russians-in-ukraine/
Yes, I understand. I already eat many lentils and travel by streetcar – we still have them here. And I will start freezing, I mean saving. I will increase my budget for charity since there will be many more in need. China has lifted 600 million people out of poverty, and promoted prosperity everywhere by producing at low cost. America and Europe point fingers in the wrong direction and pauperize people in their own countries, possibly worldwide. They are the relevant ones where war is concerned while being full of self-praise. That is the difference.
I believe it’s important to know many things about countries and events here are a few good things to know now:
Great video on the war’s progress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Kt2p97VGE&ab_channel=RichardMedhurst
Good article on the early language issue in Ukraine.
https://en.topwar.ru/194215-kak-naselenie-malorossii-otverglo-chuzhoj-i-iskusstvennyj-ukrainskij-jazyk.html
Putin — Bucha Tells the Story.
https://julianmacfarlane.medium.com/putin-bucha-tells-the-story-b2a74548c54c
And two of my favorite songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNuTBKAre4Q&ab_channel=SocialistEast
The WEF Globalist Idealogues are well on track to deliver on 50% of their promise.
They are making remarkable progress towards a situation where the majority ” will own nothing…….”
>South Korea
>unfriendly
You might want to check on the special exemptions SK’s companies have wrestled from their own government to keep doing business as usual with Russia. Samsung is here, and very happy that Apple and Bosch are leaving.
And right behind Samsung in this line stands SK’s shipbuilding industry.
“Sit back and watch Europe commit suicide”
I’d love to, unfortunately, my country- Bulgaria – was sold out t NATO in 2004, and sold again to EU in 2007. On the other hand, being a border country, there is at least small chance that a Russian-friendly government could be installed at some point of the future. Otherwise, we’ll end up at the wrong side of the history. Again.
On the other side, these EU problems may derail the aspirations of the current batch of quislings in power here in BG to replace our native currency with the euro. So it’s lose some, win some.
American operatives are no doubt watching very closely what is happening in Bulgaria and pulling strings there, just as they are doing everywhere else in Europe and worldwide. It is important to raise the awareness of these goings-on and understanding how detrimental they are to the national interest and security of the nations concerned. Exit from the EU and Nato should become widely discussed topics. Alignment with Moscow and BRI must be sought.
“Putin will not succeed in his dream of creating a “multipolar world order” if he doesn’t sever ties with the past, abandon the neoliberal policies that have kept the developing world under Uncle Sam’s bootheel for the last century, and remove the Central Bank albatross that is draped around Russia’s neck. The time to dump Nabiullina is now.” Mike Whitney – Unz Review.
Perhaps Putin is afraid there will be a coup backed by the powerful oligarchy which’s firmly attached with the global US dollar mafia inside the government establishment. What if ordinary citizens stage massive demonstrations across the country asking Putin to replace Nabiullina, immediately. They must rise up before it’s too late.
How interesting. But at the same time European stock markets are showing no kind of panic or evidence of looming disaster. Food and goods available and steady move to renewable energy continues. In Western media they instead are seeing Russia nothing but oldfashioned out of date Co2-ecosystem (gas station) while of course still having strong but anyway shrinking blackmail weaponry of gas and (lesser) oil. Could it be that Kreml is overestimating its gas, oil and other strategic raw materials when anyway most of it near in future is needed by China, not Europe? If in future Europe produced only 15% of global goods but 25% of service then it can survive without Russian gas and oil. 80-85% of critical strategic resources are not in Russia.
Hydrocarbons are not “just” for heat generation. The entire petrochemical industry relies on hydrocarbons to provide the feedstock for everything from polymers to pharmaceuticals. Europe may go as “green” as it likes, but they’ll still need hydrocarbons for non-fuel applications.
German Chemical Giant Warns Of “Total Collapse” If Russian Gas Supply Cut
ttps://www.zerohedge.com/energy/basf-ceo-warns-germany-total-collapse-if-russian-gas-supply-cut
BASF chief, who knows what he is talking about, unlike infantile imperialists.
Hara-kiri must be the ultimate virtue signaling evah!
No very nice to sit back and watch! In French :
Sanctions contre la Russie, le hara kiri européen
https://solidariteetprogres.fr/documents-de-fond-7/economie/sanctions-contre-la-russie-le-hara.html
https://solidariteetprogres.fr/IMG/jpg/e3hg3uadtcp0pydra5ch4ysqw76.jpg
Oil Brent price now “only” 101 $ barrel. Russia has only natural gas left and during this critical stage nations will use other old methods to win energy crisis. To make it clear the real oil price now is 20% cheaper that in 1980, 10% cheaper than in 2008 and near the level of 2012-13.
Definitely the importance of natural gas is highly exaggerated. Nations like Finland can easily abandon it within next 5 years after opening new nuclear power plant (1600 MW) this summer. Solar and wind power is booming fast and in future there will be big move to rechargeable battery renewable energy. Besides coal is avaible in Europe. Poland is winner and Germans don’t hesitate to play their doubled standart “clean energy” nonsense. Russia have to sell their gas, oil and coal to China and Muslim countries with cheaper price.
Running a modern industrial economy, Germany, on batteries is the smokiest pipe dream of crack addicts.
There is not shortage of hydrocarbons, just a shortage of brains in infantile imperialists.
Alternative green energy batteries and a new marihuana deal will outperform all other social life forms on the planet in the new reset.
We are going full libtard………………………………LOL.
Not sure about Pepe Escobar’s take on fertilizer and Africa. A good number of oil-rich African countries produce their own fertilizer.
For example, Nigeria already has several state-owned and private companies producing fertilizer.
In late March, a new privately-owned fertilizer plant opened in Nigeria. It is the largest anywhere in Africa and is capable of producing 3 million metric tonnes of fertilizer annually
https://www.africanews.com/2022/03/23/nigeria-launches-africa-s-largest-fertilizer-plant/
Her actual name is: Ursula von der Leyen
Not “Lugen”
Its a joke Nugie.
“von der Lugen”
would be roughly translate as
“baroness of Lies”
Ursula von der Lunatic
Certain facts are poorly passed common knowledge like the real use of natural gas in Europe. This article in 19 Jan 2022 mentioned:
“According to the European crop nutrient company Yara Fertilizers, in several of their transformation steps, natural gas, essentially methane, is upgraded by combination with nitrogen from the air to form nitrogen fertilizer.
“While 80% of the gas is used as feedstock for fertilizer, 20% is used for heating the process and producing electricity,” according to Yara.
Unsurprisingly, when natural gas prices rose, prices of nitrogen fertilizers also shot up. In fact, prices of nitrogen—as anhydrous ammonia, urea, or liquid nitrogen, phosphorus as diammonium phosphate, or DAP, and potassium as potash—all gained significantly over the past year.
China’s ban since September 2021 on exporting phosphate fertilizer to ensure domestic supply supported fertilizer prices. Russia also banned fertilizer exports soon after.
China, India, the US and Brazil are the world’s top fertilizer consuming countries and are also key producers of major agricultural products.
China’s ban and fertilizers in India
China, the leading fertilizer supplier globally, banned exports of fertilizers and urged coal and natural gas companies to fulfil contracts signed with domestic producers of fertilizers.
The effects of this ban are seen in the neighboring country, India.
India imports an average 60% of the 10 million-12 million mt of its annual DAP consumption. According to an early-December Reuters report, 40% of this comes from China.
As India entered its winter or Rabi cropping season in November, demand for fertilizers in the country is likely to peak. The Reuters report mentioned cases have already emerged of Indian farmers facing delays or disruptions on the fertilizer supply side.
India produces all its wheat in the winter sowing season along with some oilseeds, pulses and corn.”
“Most of Russia’s natural gas is shipped over pipelines. This cannot simply be replaced by LNG.”
Basic question for EU politics: How do EU politicians expect to meet their suggested reduced carbon emissions footprint, if they switch to diesel powered, transatlantic shipping of individual vessel limited batches of LNG from USA? How many vessels and how many return diesel powered cross-Atlantic trips per annun does it take to match the flow of a fixed Russian pipeline supply? Apparently, in the west, the much discussed “environmental crisis” will very quickly take a second row seat to the Neo-Con’s political and economic war against Russia.
The German’s are complete lemmings. They will have no long term choice, but to reinstate their nuclear power reactors, mothballed under Merkel in favor of [Russian] natural gas, if the inefficiency of US LNG shipping is their only long term alternative, from a US-NATO driven anti-Russian/Gazprom political environment.
well, if there is now talk of 2024 for the completion of “Serberia 2”, why not invite more workers, why not invite Chinese to help. Then the pipeline is ready in October 2022. This must go much faster. I also expect bottlenecks in the supply of spare parts for machines that are located in Russian factories and will probably be out of service from June onwards if suitable employees are not quickly found to oversee the production of these spare parts within Russia. I am sure that mechanical engineers from the former East Germany, who do not only speak Russian, but above all very well the lies of the von der Lugen see through and would be really immediately solidary.
Pepe writes … “in this case astonishingly incompetent European Commission head Ursula von der Lugen”
But, is she really incompetent? That depends.
I had this argument at the time Hillary began her 2016 campaign, and she was bragging about her ‘experience’. Except, to me, she had a record of incompetence. The Clintons had been elected on Health Care Reform, and her first task in the administration was to screw that up by taking bribes from anyone and including them and thus creating a complicated spaghetti chart of a health care plan. As part of the leadership in the White House, the pair managed to get the President impeached, and so angered the party that the Nader campaign split off to try to deny them a third term. As a supposedly liberal Senator from NY, she did accomplished nothing and did some very non left wing things like vote to kill over a million Iraqis on a war based on a Big Lie (created in part by Victoria Nuland in VP Cheney’s office). This was the great ‘experience’ that she was bragging about? To me it was incompetence.
But was it incompetence? That is judged on whether or not she met her goals, but what were her goals? I’m judging her on her public political effectiveness at the jobs she’s entrusted by the citizens to handle. But, is that really Hillary’s goal? Or, was Hillary’s goal from Day One focused on how to build the family bank account as high as it could go? Looking back, I just wonder how much she got paid for the Iraq war vote? How much per dead Iraqi?
So, is the EU leader Cruella truly ‘incompetent’? Or is she going after different goals than the ones the public has entrusted to her?
“The EU won’t be able to get the gas it needs from Norway or Algeria (which is privileging domestic consumption).”
I wonder how far Joe Biden’s poll numbers have to drop before he decides that he also needs to start ‘privileging domestic consumption’ to quell a revolution at home? The lower he goes, some sort of action to please the homefolk becomes more likely. Remember, judging from two previous presidential runs, Joe’s natural base popularity is down in the single digits. Desperate moves to try to stay above rock bottom seem more and more likely.
Europe might think it can rely on American supplies (someday), but, relying on America has not been a particularly good wager thus far in the 21st century. Hmmm, shivers from Berlin to London, as heck really does freeze over.
Bern, the US has only to suffer Biden for another 5 months.
Its already been decided within the DNC that Kamala Harris will replace him after the Dems lose the control of the House (and possibly the Senate) in the November Midterm elections.
Carlson belled the cat this week.
Tucker: Democrats have decided to replace Biden (11 mins)
https://youtu.be/j58Bx0Ebppw
hola hombre, vi que te bloquearon en twitter, felicidades!!! creo que no puede sino ser más que un halago ser peligroso para estos decerebrados… he compartido algunas ligas de tus textos pero los de strategic culture los bloquea… abrazos
————————
Google translate from Mod:
Hello man, I saw that they blocked you on Twitter, congratulations! I think it can not but be more than a compliment to be dangerous for these dealers … I have shared some leagues of your texts but those of Strategic Culture blocks … Hugs
I know how Russia can get Zelenski to sign onto any Russian demands in 1 day: simply deliver nuke ICBM missiles to Iran aimed at Israel, then Putin can tell the world “its to defend Russia from America”, or some other nonsense.
Within an hour, Israel will send mossad goons to Ukraine to torture Zelenski into signing anything Putin wants.
After all, this is a satanic Zionist operation through and through, so pressure to resolve it must be aimed at Israel and the vipers who run it.