Various items during the current interlude (OPEN THREAD)

Sim!
Muitos sites estão em modo “stand by”…
Só amenidades e aguardando, sinto tensão na Rede.
:-!
——————–

Google translate from mod:-
Yea!
Many sites are in “Stand by” mode …
Only amenities and awaiting, I feel tension on the network.

How Orwellian. An ‘Inclusiveness’ checker to exclude certain language. Brought to you by the Ministry of Free Speech.

No propaganda and/or sanctions threat is worth its salt. Whatever hot air blows from the West, the Russian position is immovable. NATO has to pack up and leave eastern Europe before it ends up in apocalyptic demise.
Let the collective West enjoy it’s self-destructive Woke culture, ‘inclusiveness language checker’, gender fluid citizenry,….

“According to Peskov, the only way forward for the US and NATO is to finally address Russia’s concerns in earnest, instead of brushing them off. “This is the reason we are insisting on receiving a direct response,” he explained, adding that Moscow expected an “extremely specific” response to its “extremely specific proposals.”

Moscow is not issuing any ultimatums, he maintained, adding that the Kremlin was not “speaking about military action,” and considers a military scenario “madness to do that.” However, he suggested Moscow would respond to the continued NATO expansions in other ways.”

Nothing like making suggestions to your nemesis and releasing them to the public. Looks like all that hypersonic hardware will just decay in/on the launch tubes/platforms.

Meanwhile, there’s been an attempted coup in Kazakhstan, Canada has sent “special forces” to Ukraine, there’s reports of a nato troop build-up along the Belarusian border and so much more. If accurate, Peskov showed their hand and it is embarrassing and weak. The U.S. and nato will laugh even harder at the Russian government and their written response will likely be “Screw you!!” And it’s a bit disingenuous to claim that the written response will govern the matter when the U.S. has rarely, if ever, abided by any promise – oral or written. One must look at the actions to judge behavior and the actions of the U.S. and nato toward Russia have always been and remain extremely hostile and threatening. Russia has a lost face with these comments disillusioning millions of people worldwide.

These deep state people like to provoke at any Olympics G.
P/D : Russia is calm with the Iskander M and the zircons. A part on his back has the nuclear shield (S500, A Nudol 235, Sarmat, Avangard, Poseidon, Burevesnik). I still believe that the Anglo elite tries to intimidate Russia with strong statements just for their public opinion and to keep the European sheep in fear.

German FM Baerock Flies to Moscow as Desperate Germany Seeks Way out of Crisis with Russia.

https://youtu.be/u4oDncCqN3c

❗❗The US State Department simultaneously announced new arms deliveries to Ukraine next week and a meeting scheduled for January 21 between Secretary of State Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Geneva.

❗❗Officials who managed to get acquainted with the latest intelligence reported that Russia plans to seize Kiev and overthrow the current government in Ukraine.

1/4 Why is Minsk 2 not running? Because this means that the United States must give the Donbass to Russia. They give without a fight. They don’t want to give up without a fight. But Russia is not satisfied with the naval bases of the UK, US on the Black Sea coast. Russia is
1/2 not satisfied with Ukraine as anti-Russia. That is, Russia’s claims extend further than Donbass. And they don’t even give Donbass to her. It’s time for Western partners to evacuate their instructors from Ukraine. Russia is simply left with no other option than to resolve.

It’s time to evacuate the instructors:
The United States does not plan to increase its military presence in Ukraine, Florida National Guard soldiers remain there as instructors
Pentagon

Warning sign?
Russia confirms that it has partially evacuated its embassy in Ukraine, but says the move was necessary based on harassment of its diplomatic staff.

Two S-400 battalions, a Pantsir-S battalion and 12 Su-35 fighters will be transferred from Russia to Belarus for exercises. During the transfer of Russian forces to Belarus, the capabilities of the transport infrastructure to ensure the transport of troops will be assessed.

❗❗NATO seeks to occupy Ukraine, information preparations are underway to advance the bloc to Ukrainian territory.
/Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin/
telegram new_militarycolumnist
What this statement means, I think, does not need to be explained.

ALL BETS ARE OFF.
NATO is “coordinating” country 404 forces.
So, IN PRACTICE, this means NATO is IN. And can’t be surprised if it is treated as such.
Article 5 now applies to Ukraine.
Russia shoots down a Pentagon satellite? NATO can invoke Article 5.

ICAO agrees with Minsk on the Ryanair plane incident — Ministry of Transport

https://tass.com/world/1389991?fbclid=IwAR3sy6NgD3pC1DXK2AHaReJlAXYhvagqwIfPh7lQGZEVZ96qa_m-ZNlaSw4

Putin’s immediate intentions are a mystery. His thinking is not
Vladimir Putin will attack Ukraine in the east. Or from the south. Or with a feint from Transnistria in the west. Or from Belarus. He will announce peace and then attack. Or vice versa. So: war is coming. Or maybe not.

https://cepa.org/black-box/?fbclid=IwAR2Tk0xH0wwbAm5AGz2CXbDNuJd3eRsOATI1WsYShHwmwy2REWt3zjJ_SUM

“The only thing Ukraine gained from Maidan was gay parades and a war,” said Vasilisa Ivanovna Markova, a 52-year-old factory worker.

Lastly, I note the latest change in the tune of leading Western media about the applicability of Nuland’s ‘sanctions from hell’ to Russia. Today The Financial Times published a lengthy article by its Moscow correspondent Max Seddon explaining how Russia has amassed wealth, reduced its foreign exposure to purchases of its state bonds and to foreign investment flows generally, so that it can withstand whatever Washington is planning to send its way should it take action in Ukraine. The same article explains Western Europe’s energy dependence on Russia as barring imposition of sanctions that leave no channel of payment open. There is nothing new in the report, so its timing for publication now reflects only one factor: the growing recognition in Western financial media that Russia is bullet-proof and that it will do what it wants to secure its vital security interests whatever Washington and Brussels may think.

OOPS! Brent #oil jumps to the highest level since 2014 as geopolitical tensions stirred in the Middle East and concerns about the demand impact of the omicron virus variant eased. WTI tops $85 as Houthi fighters launch drone strikes on United Arab Emirates.

TheNatlInterest reported that the US had a plan to attack Kaliningrad,which was described as “a single symphony of violence to break down advanced defenses”
Gen.Harrigian,CDR of US AF in Europe,said that the city & its garrison “could be prime targets for multi-domain operations

The Russian Federation will not participate in further discussions in the OSCE on proposals for security guarantees. Permanent Representative of Russia..

Having totally lost any faith in popular MSM narratives I am not a big fan of the global climate change agenda. However as a conservative individual, big chunk of Scottish in me, the ongoing posturing of military equipment is obscene. Oh it’s fascinating, our obsession amply illustrated by my presence here. The equipment is often amazingly cool looking, effective or not. Some are certainly sane to feel defensive, while seldom do we see, uh oh looks like they may attack, we better bring up our aircraft carriers for defense. The most offensive weapon. Push comes to shove just scrap waiting to be processed.

Bottom line what the hell do we get for our money? I was stationed on a nuke fast attack, it got cut up for scrap in the late 90’s. I propose it was always scrap. Did it help humanity to evolve, did it keep us safe from dangerous manmade molecules? Did it slow down our evolution into weird anti-pack animals who while utterly stuck in huge crowds, continue to report epidemic levels of loneliness, in spite or perhaps because, of our ubiquitous use of social networking. Like porn, sort of scratches the rash, but it does not sooth the soul.

So take the money for one aircraft carrier and use it to research psychopaths in leadership. Then fix it. The only way psychopaths rule is; when we obey, don’t question, and indeed divide and conquer ourselves. Oh I know this ideal is quite out of the question. If we are to build anything lets build infrastructure for advancement, not more scrap.
.

The US response will be nonsense or nothing at all, or may be an invitation to more bather. Doesn’t matter either way. Russia will not attack Ukraine unless Ukraine attacks the Donbass. Ukraine will not attack the Donbass without US permission. US will not give Ukraine permission because it would precipitate war and an economic and LNG rupture between Russia and Europe, destroying the European economy–and by extension the US economy as well. Extreme tension will continue as it serves the interest of the US military-industrial complex and keeps the peasants fearful.

Hello Andrei, I hope you are recovering, I rarely make any comments here but I am with you already few years from the time of Givi and Motorola. I just now want to ask you to please write a good article about Russia disregarding the role of Propaganda. How can’t they have translation of their main channels Iike Vesti or programs like 24 hours where Russia position is given with clarity. It hurt me so much when I read the obvious ANTI RUSSIA narrative of RT and Sputnik. So bizarre. You need to help more raising the alarm here.
Best regard, Luis

The strategy of the American, British, and European imperialist nations appears to involve ensnaring Russia in an unending conga line of security summits, negotiations, discussions–while never fundamentally honoring Russia’s core security interests.

The Euro-Americans will piously run their mouths all day and all night professing their intentions to promote peace, de-escalation, reducing conflict.

All the while, these same Americans, British, and Europeans continue to deploy military equipment, “trainers,” mercenaries, spies, and special forces into not only Ukraine and Baltics but fomenting regime change operations in distant regions like Central Asia or Kazakhstan.

This is the Talking Trap.

Negotiating with these snakes will get you bitten.

this comment has been flagged as of little/no value (possibly troll) by the saker
“The Council of the Duma at a meeting on Monday unanimously decided to withdraw from the consideration of deputies a bill on the introduction of COVID-certificates with a QR code for visiting public places.”

From what I’ve read, this only means that the federal Russian government won’t force this devilish thing, but that local provincial authorities are still free to coerce Russians to adopt the QR cattle tag to live their daily life. So much like the rest of the world, Russians are not out of the woods yet.

I don´t know if it´s an “interlude”, a “prelude”, the “calm before the storm” or whatever, but I DO know that it´s now just about impossible to find a place aboard any flight from the New York City airports to Brasil. Seems like the diplomats and other folks “in the know” are desperately bailing out before a feared “event”. Apparently, some are even paying first or business class fares to fly 10 hours crammed into center seats in economy class, just to be sure that they and their families will be well clear of “ground zero” when / if the stuff hits the fan. Do they know something that us poor common plebes don´t?

^^;;^^

Morc

The Arab oil embargo was at the American request by Henry K. That was two years after the USA took the dollar off from the gold backing. HK approached and asked King Faisal of Saudie to increase the oil from $2 to $8. King Faisal asked why. HK said, your majesty we have oil but it cost more to extract. To spare you the details, KH said to Faisal to sell the oil in any price you want under the conditions you only sell the oil with the US dollar and all proceeds circle back to the USA banks. So if you think the USA didn’t do that because it would hurt the American industry, I say humbly you are mistaken. Anyone with basic calculas can see that every thing countable has an optimum point for maximum results. Since every country in the western world and its vassals are forced to increase the dollar reserve, therefore, the USA will gladly print more dollars to keep up with the demand, the petrodollar. The USA was broke from Vietnam War, this rescued it.
When HK asked Faisal any thing you would like in return, the reply was I would like to pray in Aqsa. He meant to liberate Jerusalem. They cooked up the 73 war with the condition that Egypt to kickout the Soviets and for Egypt to become pro west. Sadat didn’t need any convincing he was a western asset. When Faisal asked Nixon for the end of the deal he was killed and Nixon was killed politically. And the marathon negotions began. Egypt got nothing other than high prices and listen and oblige to the dictat of IMF and the young and the educated to immigrate.
Now, suddenly the price of gas has gone up manyfolds. Probably was planned decades in advance. In the USA called “deregulation”, in its vassal states is called “privatization and investments”. In the USA and its vassals led to the same thing unbearable prices, low income, middle class eliminated and the poor became beggars. Now the question is will the empire stop trying to keep hegemony over and control of the gas and oil? I don’t think so. The empire owners I see them saying to each other, imagine if we control the the Russian energy. To shore up oil prices and keep it in demand, they have to control it. As you know the electric cars are rolling the streets and with electricity being cheeper we so assumed. Those guys are on a roll and a head of us. We only can run after and follow them.
Electricity is way up. Staying with oil cars would be better off. As they convinced the majority of us electricity is more enviroment friendly, they can easily convince us oil, it turned out to be more friendly. Always the first time is harder. In Jordan, the KW of electricity for the 200 KW of usage has gone up from 5 cents to 7 cents a KW. From 201KW to 600KW from 7 cents to 14.5 cents. From 1000KW and over to 28cents a KW.
The best deal was to those who have solar energy. You can’t have solar panels without connecting to the power company sorry the investor company with the governments agreed and gauarnteing those prices for 25 years. The power company buys the the electricity from the sollar panels owners at 1.4 cent a KW the the owner buys it like everybody else. I don’t know about you guys but I think it is a genius. Imagine you create a society to build everything and when they are done you tell them they are mine you can’t leave and you have to buy from me at the price I decide it is good for me. You have no say, I own you. keep your mouth shut, put a mask on it or I will tape it for you. We live the American nightmare, oops the dream.
We all counting on Russia to save us from slavery. I have full confidence the empire will fail and fail miserably. It’s vassals will regret it for eternity.
Now in the mean while breathe while it is free of charge. It is the darkest before the dawn.
Cheers,

Andrei

In your list of items you didn’t include the current diplomacy occurring between Germany and Russia. The Germans appear to be rattled about the prospect of a war in Ukraine as this would likely mean Nordstream 2 would be kaput. If the pipeline can be certified by the German regulator, rubber stamped by the EU and come into operation, then maybe, with that out of the way, the Germans can be persuaded to put pressure on Ukraine to finally get the Minsk Agreements implemented. This looks the best hope for locking the NATO door on Ukraine forever since the autonomous republics in the Donbas would always veto any overtures to/from NATO by/to a decentralised and federated Ukraine under a new constitution.

It is strange that the Russian pledge not to invade is being ignored or rejected. RT: “The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that it has plans to invade the former Soviet republic, and insists that any buildup of troops close to the shared border poses no threat.” A rising state, and almost any state, will not disregard a pledge like this, especially in this sui generis situation of an accusation before a factual deed, where not so much “intentions” (I read they don’t know what’s on Putin’s mind), but bad desires or wishes, are supposedly known and therefore condemned. Anyway, we all know persons who don’t keep their word, who have ‘no word,’ and we know how the world regards such people. To think that a remarkable nation with the pride of Russia would choose to stoop to the level of some wretched person and lie about this, to then invade – is absurd. What would Russia be saying, then, to all other countries about itself, and how would this be remembered by all people and by history, and the effects of that? On the other hand, if their “repeated denials” (their word) were accepted in this public setting (as if by strategy), the victory or advantage gained for Ukraine would be real. Speaking of Ukraine, the obviously best thing to do to avoid the invasion it talks about, is to pledge that it will not join NATO. On the other hand, the plan to join NATO could cause the invasion – strange plan, absurd.

@ tranquilocomp on January 19, 2022

“It is strange that the Russian pledge not to invade is being ignored or rejected.”

Not strange at all.

Even more than ignoring/rejecting Russia’s assurances, is the psy-ops launched around the invasion.

a) Presstitute MSM has been reporting non-stop Russia is readying a false flag to justify an attack on 404.

b) Banderastan’s SBU, closely coordinating psyops with CIA, is spreading all kind of rumors, e.g., Russian diplomats and their families are being evacuated from 404. Ukraine’s foreign ministry deny the rumors, regardless, MSM had already done their job,

c) No matter how many times Russia states its right for its troops be anywhere in its territory, US/NATO officials and MSM consider the proximity to the Ukraine’s border a “provocation and escalation.” Of course, the troops deployed by the US/NATO on the 3B+PU, are not a provocation or an escalation, they are there doing the sacred duty for the West to contain the Russian hords.

The agit-prop war on Russia is in full swing. We can expect any kind of misinformation, fake news, lies and deceit from the West, a lot more than just ignoring/rejecting Russia’s word. Not strange at all, it is normal, SOP.

Lone Wolf

Saker, allow for a contrarian in our midst. Permission please to deviate from the doom-and-gloom I have been finding lately in all my favorite blogs (MoA, Saker, UR, ZH) and in the journeys they send me to.

I need some hopefulness, even if I will get it from myself reading my own, and only, and possibly trashed, comment in the net.
Let me explain myself. It is all about the abundant rays of hope I have been sensing and seeing since my heart started to prevail over my mind.
Some bluntness is required before I lose your attention.
Russian engineers were able to convince D. Rogozin that, in the process of developing the weapon concepts of the VVP March 2018 speech, they stumbled upon technology that would ensure first strike capability with no, or minimum, damage from retaliation. The engineers agreed to more testing, but made it clear that they will not start production until an intense campaign to convince the Americans was carried out by the leadership to persuade them, and the whole West, to accept the PROPOSAL (pardon the scream, see below, from now on only “The P”).
Not so subtle threats were made by engineers like: – leaving shop to pursue careers with churches, mosques and synagogues; – some single people said that they would prefer to go plant trees in Siberia than to be associate with the immorality of the weaponry.
When accused of being unpatriotic they retorted that the same phenomenon might be happening in America, that that is the only explanation they can find for the performance of the F-35 and the littoral ships. They added the ship rammings of the navy, kids avoiding STEM careers and paying attention only to cellphones, etc. They agreed though that the phenomenon in America must still be mostly at an unconscious level.
Rogozin fell from his chair when told that the engineers are expecting more competence from the leadership now than the country received from Stalin around the 1950s when he failed miserably in convincing Truman to stop the development of ICBMs. (Solzhenitsyn smile could be heard in the room; I know, nobody can hear a smile, but until last week nobody could manage, as Ryabkov did in that press conference, to express gloating with the eyes only). The engineers were told that VVP is trying to engage China and India offering technology transfer. Apparently China said it does not need the Poseidon to deal with Australia, they will attempt trade again in the near future. India said it cannot accommodate a Greek god in their Pantheon. Both were very receptive, however, to joint command which worked so well keeping the species around in 1962 with Archipov.

Brevity is called for again, I can feel your impatience. I advise spending sometime with Job ( the Old Testament one, not the Apple one) whose reading is mandatory for the whole leadership since VVP took over from that guy who was too friendly with Bill Clinton. Iranians and Syrians are also experimenting with the practice.

The Godfather-like -The Proposal -The P. Russians offered to renounce the weaponry in exchange for a credible path forged together that will eliminate once and for all this nonsense of mass destruction. We could still have fights, of course, but anybody who is for fighting should be present in the battlefields, no more this business of air conditioning for the top guys who are in no danger and getting the best pensions.
This is what is meant by “to employ a military technical approach”. It is either agreeing with The P., or the highway.

Some more indications of hope in bullet form:

– What is it with the recent fanfare with the TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons) when they tried to keep it hidden from us since it became law (?) in last January?
– From the ultimate insider, D. Ignatius, “if Putin had problems with our bases in Romania and Poland, nuclear bombers around, NATO expansion, etc. all he had to do is to is ask us, we do not understand why he keeps “pushing an open door!”.
– Pentagon general admitted calling the PLA to straighten out something either Trump or Biden did regarding either Wuhan or Taiwan. I cannot understand all the criticism toward a guy who instantly become one of my heroes. More of the same: – the general who told Dick Cheney to take a walk, that Dick would be able to bomb Iran only over his dead body (in my failing memory either Fallon or MacMullen, but these appear to have been admirals); – general Mattis who almost recovered from his Fallujah image with me after having suspended the Douma attack in the morning-after after the Russian air force took to the air in Khmeimim; – the next to last example is of that anonymous (to me) general who, in Kosovo, told Wesley Clark he was going to disobey the command he was given because he was not about to start the …..III with the Russians (please do not ask me to clarify, you told me not to trust Wikipedia). Last the guy (sorry, can’t remember the name) that told Obama and Kerry that they could not have a no-flying zone over Syria. It should be obvious to anyone that there (is?) are plenty of influential people in the Pentagon prepared to march with the Russian engineers.
– You might be thinking of squashing my enthusiasm, nipping in the bud my panglossian irreality, by reminding me of them, those who created the English language oxymoron the size of the Everest, the intelligence agencies. I will have you know that the Director of the main one was recently in Moscow telling that he already got the analysis staff on board on accepting the The P., but he is having problems with operations, and might even be unable to cancel some ongoing missions, and begged for understanding. He asked for the same treatment provided in the past for English speakers in the cauldrons around the Donbas and in Syria. He was assured that there will not be any cauldrons in the future, and the all huffing and puffing at the border, with ten times the military might needed for the job, is just an attempt to persuade the other side to stop the mistakes they have been perpetrating before and since Minsk 2. The Director understood and promised utmost cooperation in the future. The meeting ended when no one on the Russian side was able to recover their voice after hearing in the room sounds making the names like Givi, Zakarchenko and Motorola. I myself have my heart blocking my mind and throat with images of those days. God bless.
– Lastly, the oligarchs. How can anyone be so naive and blind like me! Let me shock you first with the example of VVP reaching a very workable arrangement with his in Russia. In China, President Xi, after the Jack Ma failed IPO and the cooling off of the housing market with Evergrande, has earned unforgettable respect. In America, which is the oligarchs formidable bastion, the most popular one has recently divorced his wife, and he is trying hard to change career from ms-dos and healthcare to farming, check the amount of land he is recently buying. Other is saying that he is satisfied with the 10(ten) trillion bucks he already has in his portfolio. The Doyen of the group promised to support legislation that will result in him paying an amount in taxes 5% more than his secretary. Prepare yourself for the the next two shocks. 1. Credible sources vouch that, after hearing in more details about what the Poseidon could provoke in Wall Street if deployed near the harbour, and the possible skills of the Burevestinik mirvs (pardon me Gordog at MoA, I am only trying to make a point here) in finding bunkers in America and farms in Paraguay and New Zealand, a list of mandatory choices for people and policies for the next President was quickly drawn, list that include Sheila Bair as supremo at the Treasury, Michael Hudson to liquidate the FED and free to work with and apply his ideas on rent, money supply and debt forgiveness; the experimentation with China development model, which resulted in 700 million more people eating owing in part to the introduction of Brazil Luis Inacio Lula da Silva “three meals a day approach” after Deng Xiao Ping allowed Gordon Gekko in; the extinction of patents related to medicines; the centralization of bio-research in only one place with a truly international character and the concomitant decommissioning of all bio-labs in the planet (an aside, DARPA is trying to reach the Bulgarian journalist D. Gaytandzhieva to help with the location of these labs because the NIH is refusing to share the list). The second promised shock: 2. The London Rothschilds are studying the release of strings on the BIS and the European bank; they even promised to help with the dismantling of the EU after reading Francis Lee articles in the Saker. Still floating in the air without credible confirmation is that the Pope, when told about the Russian The P., asked if his going back to washing the infidels feet once a year and allowing again his flock some access to kiss his hands, may help the Americans to accept The P.. Still in the category of non-confirmed rumors, the Queen seems willing to release the very legal claims the Crown has over all the land the British once set their foot on ( I am so happy I might not need to pay title insurance next time I buy a house).

As you can see good omens abound.

Skip the following if you are pressed for time, but I feel the need to share the WaPo of today (01/19) (reading of which is mandated by wife trying to get me some balance for the views in the blogs above) :

– the 10 trillion dollar guy saying, page A16, that he will be favoring investment in the environment (not clear whether preventing warming, cooling or both); in the same page Exxon-Mobil commits to net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050;
– JR Bolton op-ed article over which you do not need to be a Freud or a Jung to smell desperation;
– the climax is at page A20 where some “United Progressives” ad manages, behold!, to be more confusing than the American Senate it seeks to influence.

Please do not read sarcasm or pretension above. I am a legal alien retiree approaching the beginning of his eight decade on Earth, on a good pension, wonderful wife and family, living in the east coast trying his best, without the help of an editor, to share signs of hope.
The motto I have been trying, and failing miserably, to live by, lately, was made explicit to me yesterday. It is a phrase in the biography of St Antony of Egypt by St Athanasius:

“He was never troubled, his soul being calm, and he never look gloomy, his mind being joyous.”

Love you all. Ziul78

( trying with the pseudonym to make it difficult for the algorithms Michael Hayden left at the NSA to track me down; see how naive I have become?)