Dear friends,
I just took a short break from my life in “meatspace” to comment upon the great news of the day: Russia is introducing a full 12 months embargo on the import of beef, pork, fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, cheese, milk and dairy products from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Canada and the Kingdom of Norway. Russia is also introducing an airspace ban against European and US airlines that fly over our airspace to Eastern Asia, namely, the Asia-Pacific Region and is considering changing the so-called Russian airspace entry and exit points for European scheduled and charter flights. Furthermore, Russia is ready to revise the rules of using the trans-Siberian routes, and will also discontinue talks with the US air authorities on the use of the trans-Siberian routes. Finally, starting this winter, we may revoke the additional rights issued by the Russian air authorities beyond the previous agreements. This is such an interesting and major development that it requires a much more subtle analysis than just the crude calculation of how much this might cost the EU or US. I will attempt no such calculation, but instead I would point out the following elements:
First, this is a typically Russian response. There is a basic rule which every Russian kid learns in school, in street fights, in the military or elsewhere: never promise and never threaten – just act. Unlike western politicians who spent months threatening sanctions, the all the Russians did was to say, rather vaguely, that they reserve the right to reply. And then, BANG!, this wide and far-reaching embargo which, unlike the western sanctions, will have a major impact on the West, but even much more so on Russia (more about that in an instant). This “no words & only action” tactic is designed to maximize deterrence of hostile acts: since the Russians do not clearly spell out what they could do in retaliation, God only knows what they could do next! :-) On top of that, to maximize insecurity, the Russians only said that these were the measures agreed upon, but not when they would be introduced, partially or fully, and against whom. They also strongly implied that other measure were under consideration in the pipeline.
Second, the sanctions are wonderfully targeted. The Europeans have acted like spineless and brainless prostitutes in this entire business, they were opposed to sanctions from day 1, but they did not have the courage to tell that to Uncle Sam, so each time they ended up caving in. Russia’s message to the EU is simple: you wanna be Uncle Sam’s bitch? Pay the price! This embargo will especially hurt southern Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Greece) whose agricultural production will greatly suffer from it These countries also happen to be the weakest in the EU. By hitting them, Russia is maximizing the inevitable friction inside the EU over sanctions against Russia.
Third, not only will EU carriers suffer from much higher costs and flight times on the very important Europe to Asia route, but the Asian carriers will not, giving the latter a double competitive advantage. How is that for a way to reward one side while hurting the other? The EU got one Russian airline in trouble over its flights to Crimea (Dobrolet) and for that the entire EU airlines community could end being at a huge disadvantage vis-à-vis its Asian counterparts.
Fourth, Russia used these sanctions to do something vital for the Russian economy. Let me explain: after the collapse of the USSR the Russian agriculture was in disarray, and the Eltsin only made things worse. Russian farmers simply could not compete against advanced western agro-industrial concerns which benefited from huge economies of scale, from expensive and high-tech chemical and biological research, which had a full chain of production (often through large holdings), and a top quality marketing capability. The Russian agricultural sector badly, desperately, needed barriers and tariffs to be protected form the western capitalist giants and, instead, Russia voluntarily abided by the terms of the WTO and then eventually became member. Now Russia is using this total embargo to provide a crucially needed time for the Russian agriculture to invest and take up a much bigger share on the Russian market. Also, keep in mind that Russian products are GMO-free, and that they have much less preservatives, antibiotics, colors, taste enhancers, or pesticides. And since they are local, they don’t need to be brought in by using the kind of refrigeration/preservation techniques which typically make products taste like cardboard. In other words, Russian agricultural products taste much better, but that is not enough to complete. This embargo now gives them a powerful boost to invest, develop and conquer market shares.
Fifth, there are 100 countries which did not vote with the US on Crimea. The Russians have already announced that these are the countries with which Russia will trade to get whatever products it cannot produce indigenously. A nice reward for standing up to Uncle Sam.
Sixth, small but sweet: did you notice that EU sanctions were introduced for 3 months only, “to be reviewed” later? By introducing a 12 months embargo Russia also sends a clear message: who do you think will benefit from this mess?
Seventh, it is plain wrong to calculate that EU country X was exporting for Y million dollars to Russia and to then conclude that the Russian embargo will cost Y million dollars to EU country X. Why is it wrong? Because the non-sale of these product with create a surplus which will then adversely affect the demand or, if the production is decreased, this will affect production costs (economies of scale). Conversely, for a hypothetical non-EU country Z a contract with Russia might mean enough cash to invest, modernize and become more competitive, not only in Russia, but on the world market, including the EU.
Eighth, the Baltic countries have played a particularly nasty role in the entire Ukrainian business and now some of their most profitable industries (such as fisheries), which were 90% dependent on Russia, will have to shut down. These countries are already a mess, but now they will hurt even more. Again, the message to them is simple: you wanna be Uncle Sam’s bitch? Pay the price!
Ninth, and this is really important, what is happening is a gradual decoupling of Russia from the western economies. The West severed some of the financial, military and aerospace ties, Russia severed the monetary, agricultural and industrial ones. Keep in mind that the US/EU market is a sinking one, affected by deep systemic problems and huge social issues. In a way, the perfect comparison is the Titanic whose orchestra continued to play music while the sink was sinking. Well, Russia is like a passenger who is told that the Titanic’s authorities have decided to disembark him at the next port. Well, gee, too bad, right?
‘clock’ by Josetxo Ezcurra |
Last, but most definitely not least, this trade-war, combined with the West’s hysterical russophobia, is doing for Putin a better PR campaign than anything the Kremlin could have dreamed of. All his PR people need to tell the Russian population is the truth: “we did everything right, we played it exactly by the book, we did everything we could to deescalate this crisis and all we asked for was to please not allow the genocide of our people in Novorussia – and what was the West’s response to that? An insane hate campaign, sanctions against us and unconditional support for thegenocidal Nazis in Kiev“. Furthermore, as somebody who carefully follows the Russian media, I can tell you that what is taking place today feels a lot like, paraphrasing Clausewitz, the “a continuation of WWII, but by other means”, in other words a struggle to the end between two regimes, two civilizations, which cannot coexist on the same planet and who are locked in struggle to death. In these circumstances, expect the Russian people to support Putin even more.
In other words, in a typical Judo move, Putin has used the momentum of the the West’s Russia-basing and Putin-bashing campaign to his advantage across the board: Russia will benefit from this economically and politically. Far from being threatened by some kind of “nationalistic Maidan” this winter, Putin’s regime is being strengthened by his handling of the crisis (his ratings are higher than ever before).
Yes, of course, the USA have shown they they have a very wide array of capabilities to hurt Russia, especially through a court system (in the US and EU) which is as subservient to the US deep state as the courts in the DPRK are to their own “Dear Leader” in Pyongyang. And the total loss of the Ukrainian market (for both imports and exports) will also hurt Russia. Temporarily. But in the long wrong, this situation is immensely profitable for Russia.
In the meantime, the Maidan is burning again, Andriy Parubiy has resigned, a the Ukies are shelling hospital and churches in Novorussia. What else is knew?
As for Europe, it is shell-shocked and furious. Frankly, my own Schadenfreude knows no bounds this morning. Let these arrogant non-entities like Van Rompuy, Catherine Ashton, Angela Merkel or José Manuel Barroso deal with the shitstorm their stupidity and spinelessness have created.
In the USA, Jen Psaki seems to be under the impression that the Astrakhan region is on the Ukrainian border, while the Russian Defense Ministry plans to “open special accounts in social networks and video hosting resources so that the US State Department and the Pentagon will be able to receive unbiased information about Russian army’s actions“.
Will all that be enough to suggest to the EU leaders that they have put their money on the wrong horse?
The Saker
PS: have to leave again. Will be back on Saturday afternoon.
Thank You, great talking points and it nails it. Amazing in that this ids what the 1% in Amerika want to drive down the economy here and in the eu then blame Russia. The Amerikan public I’m afraid isn’t smart enough to figure it out do to the lying corp. owned press.
See ya Sat. and have a Great Time
There goes McDonald supposedly slaughtering 1000 cows a day in Russia only.
Kindest regards,
Mohamed.
Being one of those “euoros” you speak off (a swede) I am horrified at this development. I hate it. I want no part of it. I wish my country would have no part in it.
BUT: we have no say. The peoples in Europe have no say on politics these days. Most big decisions are taken on the EU-level where unelected beaurocrats push the agenda. And in smaller matters back home we fight against mainstream parties elected not so much by the public but by the media.
Believe me: not even in a country like Sweden which has historically seen Russia as an arch foe is there any popuular support for confrontaton with Russia. Not amongst the people. And I’m a right-winger for christ sake. Not some leftist reminicing about the Bolsjeviks.
I hate communism but today root for Russia and I’m a swede living in Sweden – how strange is that? Never thought I’d live to see that happening.
Marcus, also being one of those Euros and having lived in your country I respectfully disagree. In matters of foreign policy the power is not in Brussels. This means of course that instead of going through a layer of corrupt bureaucrats in Brussels, the empire controls the actions of its puppets directly. Same outcome. Different mechanism. It has to be noted however, that countries like Greece, Italy and Austria or even Germany were not at all eager to sanction Russia. In these countries neither the elites nor the people want a confrontation with Russia, but the elites eventually betrayed their people and gave in to pressure. In Sweden however the situation is different. The population has russophobic reflexes, and despite Sweden officially being a neutral non-nato country it is more pro-US than most Nato countries. Your foreign minister Bildt has been consistently hostile towards Russia, and has worked together with Poland and the Baltics to demonize Russia, and to pull the EU in a more confrontational direction. I cannot see any objective reason for that as Sweden certainly would benefit from good relations with all its neighbors. So given the long-time anti Russia stance of your country, I don’t think you can just blame it on the EU (which is of course also complicit). What would interest me to hear from you is why your Swedish elites and politicians are so russophobic? Do you think its a blind reflex from the cold war years? Or do you think that your politicians (Bildt, Reinfeldt etc) and business elites (Wallenberg, Bonniers, etc) are satrapies of the empire?
Best
David
@Marcus. Can you point me to any Swedish news sources which are not completely anti-russian and provide different views than the MSM? In the past I found ordfront to take a pretty independent line on foreign policy (about internal Swedish politics I don’t care so much -sorry). But it appears to me that also ordfront has submitted to the diktat of political correctness.
NATO has just suspended cooperation with Russia.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/743982
Gee, ya think maybe those food embargos might hurt? (What *will* Latvia do with all those fish??? Etc.) But the Food Wars actually go both ways since Ukraine’s production this year cannot not be severely curtailed, while if you take a look at this pretty picture,
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
you’ll see that we’ve got a “bit” of a problem also: lots of vegetables used to be grown in California, and Kansas, the Southwest and Pacific Northwest are pretty much bone-dry also, long-term.
So I said this months ago, folks, but let me say it again: unless you plan on eating lots of Latvian fish, Irish cheese and the like, if you’ve got any storage (canning, freezing, drying) capabilities at all, get crackin’, bc we’re looking not just at sky-high prices, but actual food shortages this winter. And depending where you live, you could still plant and harvest a lot of veggies. (If anyone wants any more info, I’ll be happy to share it.)
I so love it when bullies are shown up. Now, get ready for all the whining.
michael
They can also close the passage through Russia of the Northern Distribution Network and wreck havoc with the withdrawal from Afghanistan. If they do that, NATO/US would probably have to leave most of their equipment behind.
One correction (from the linked Medvedev statement): The airspace ban for EU and US flights to Asia is only “on the table”.
There is another bonus. If more airlines like Dobrolet go broke, then Russians will increasingly travel Russian holiday locations, like Crimea and Sotchi. This will also boost the regional develpment of these regions, which is badly neede right now. Nice coincidence.
EU is doing a great favor to Russia.
If I were not living in Europe, I would hope that they cut the oil and gas. This would finaly deliver Russia from the “dutch desease” + Russia itself would have much more ressources for many years to come.
Maybe the Europeans arent so spineless after all. Maybe they have deciced to make Russia stronger, so that it would balance the US in the world :)
thank you!
@Marcus from Sweden,
I agree with you. You have unelected EU leaders but believe me WE have unelected people here too.
Somebody chose them for us and Americans believe * they* are voting. When in fact the “leaders” we get have been already chosen for us.
Republicans & Democrats.
Different circus.
SAME clowns.
@Nora,
Great advice, as we will certainly see even higher prices ( they are already high) this winter.
Thank you for link. I will share it with others.
In the comments section below the Guardian’s article on the Russian import ban one guy wrote today …
Let’s ban those awful Russian dolls … they’re so full of themselves!
… which made me crack up :-) But many of the other comments are completely in line with what the Saker and others have been predicting for some time now, like this one …
This is bad news for suppliers in the EU and great news suppliers in Argentina, Brazil and South Africa. Russia will be playing the Great Equalizer by selling oil and gas to the EU, China and India and redistributing the proceeds to developing countries that are able to produce food. The miles and miles of plastic covered green houses and the income they produce in Holland and Spain will simply relocate to the developing world where they can be operated cheaper. Once cargo is loaded on board a ship the transport cost to anywhere in the world is incidental.
As US NATO sanctions take hold, redirection of markets for manufactured goods will follow. Russia will be seeking sources for manufactured goods like airliners and automobiles from Brazil and China to the detriment of suppliers in the US and EU.
Once the flow of commerce is established between Russia and the other BRICs nations it will be next to impossible for the EU to regain their lost markets.
As the world economy shifts to the newer emerging markets world trade will likewise shift from transactions in dollars to other world economies. As the World watches what could happen to them if they do not follow US dictates the US lead sanctions against Russia will encourage trade away from the dollar. The US will find itself out of the loop and the dollar will lose its status as the world reserve currency and the US will loose is hegemony.
At the expense of the EU and US domestic markets the Military Industrial Complex is the only short time winner in the West. With the restart of the Cold War and continuation of endless military confrontations around the world the US based military suppliers will profit. This could be profitable in the short term but in the long-term lead to the economic ruin of the countries involved.
It is hard to see why US and EU countries are so gullible as to put up with this scenario. It is a big win win for Russia and BRICs and other emerging markets and a big loss for the EU and US. The only thing the EU and US have to gain is a bankrupt and devastated Ukraine.
It is beginning to appear that Obama and the West are being manipulated and out foxed by that shrewd old Chess Master Putin.
“Let’s ban those awful Russian dolls … they’re so full of themselves!” -very funny, because they are literally full of themselves :D
From Spain: I’ve been following the Ukie madness with horror since day one. Europe was certainly a scam for me before Ukraine exploded. A bad joke made for banksters and eurocraps. I never suspected it’s much worse than that: a prostitute of the US War Party gladly destroying itself to please her overlord. I hate all our rotten ruling class… I’ve disagreed many times with Putin’s soft approach to Europe. Today I say we’re having just a first pay of what we deserve for nurturing a nazi nest in the heart of Europe
Il discobolo
Counter-sactions on all countries that imposed sanctions to Russia. The Eus, USA, Canada, Norvegia, but do not forget Switzeralnd and Japan.
Blocking transit airlines could be, instead, double faced. So cautions in this respect
I suggest to ban also beer imports from sanctioning countries to Russia. And, why not?, the Coca-cola and Pepsi and their associated beverages?
a true sorry, pardon story…
once when Attila, Napoleon and Alexander the Great met this is hat they talked about:
Attila: if I had automatic wepons I would have conquered Europe.
Alexander the Great: If I had tanks I would have conquered India.
Napoleon: If I had ZNN* nobody would know I lost in Russia
*any alphabet news agency
As always, thank you saker for your analysis! The western MSM seemed to be downplaying Russia’s new sanctions and they had me feeling down that they were weak and stood to hurt Russia much more than the EU. I feel a little better now :)
The EU economy is slowing down.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/07/business/international/italy-falls-back-into-recession-raising-concern-for-eurozone-economy.html?_r=0
POOPOOSHENKO has TROUBLES!!!
Ukraine fascist infighting: Poroshenko mobsters fighting Hans van Baalen Guy Verhofstadt Euromaiden supporters ( THIRD video in link is HILARIOUS music and all!)
Do not miss the priest fighting over a car tire in the middle of the riot.This is what happens in countries where the Zionists infiltrate—troubles & more troubles!
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8fa_1407420760
Hey! Zionist Nuland they need another badge of your cookies .
In a criticism of Putin and his policies in Left magazine (I’m reading a Yandex trans.), the editors accused him of:
“his unwillingness to seriously address the development of national production and market, impetuous growth of prices for housing, a snail’s pace of military modernization, flagrant inequality in the education system and many other manifestations of anti-democratic and reactionary essence of Putinism’s internal life of the country. Moreover, small and middle bourgeoisie, as the most educated and active part of the society and understands that the internal policy of Putinism begins to come into sharp conflict with the objective of strengthening our independence.”
Now think of all the most recent changes and events in this year’s activities with China, with Russia’s electronics industry, with Crimea, with self-sufficiency in Space, Military, Transportation, IT, IT security, Finance, Banking, Credit, Education, Birth Rate, Rule of Law, foreign partnership shifts, and the panoply of external affairs and internal developments, and now Agriculture.
Even the Militia is asking for SCO to replace OSCE at the crash site.
These are tectonic shifts in the future processes and systems of Russia and international affairs.
Every negative hitting Russia and Putin is producing multiple positives for the future opportunities of Russia and Russian development of a dynamic, innovative and creative nation. In terms of entrepreneurial, small and medium business development, this is the engine we saw in China. It raised 400 million from feudal poverty to a vibrant middle class. Russia will be a dynamo in many arenas in ten years or less, especially if many of its best return from the West and give back to Mother Russia.
Crisis is opportunity. I think investment flow (FDI) will soon reverse again and billions will be coming into Russia. The opportunities are enormous now that the delusion of EuroDream is over.
The American deep state behind US foreign political and economic policy is tactical playing high stakes poker against strategic chess played by the BRICS. The US coup has replaced the corrupt Ukraine government with an even more corrupt US aligned dictatorship. This dictatorship is transforming Ukraine into a war economy built around neo-NAZI symbolism and slogans that hail Ukraine and their “brave heroes”. These drumbeats for war and the economic consequences for all of Ukraine are well described in this video:
http://www.sovereignman.com/podcast/podcast-014-dulce-et-decorum-est-pro-patria-mori-14818/
The Saker wrote:
“What else is new?”
Well, there’s this ;-) :
In Transcarpathia an uprising is born against Kiev
‘Pravda.ru’ reports that the actions of the protesters against mass military mobilisation in the Transcarpathia region are turning into a full scale uprising. Local residents are blocking the roads, stopping trains and are taking over the control of places of strategic importance…
On 3rd of August, Dmytri Dzygovbrodsky, a blogger, published the report of Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Carpathian Ruthenia, Peter Getsko, on the current situation in the region.
“Transcarpathia is one step away from a full-blown riot. We will witness what it will grow into, in the next couple of days. People of the People’s Republic of Carpathia are against the military mobilisation of its citizens for Kiev’s fascist war. Citizens of the People’s Republic of Carpathia demand autonomy. Everything is being decided right at this moment. Hopefully, a second front will be opened….
Here is a GREAT German opposition politician lecture to Merkel in opposition to the Ukraine war with warnings about the consequences for Europe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIi4a7ri-dc
YES! Great speech! Obama ‘ s appalling war rhetoric. I couldn’t agree more!
NO!- the big news is what is happening in Ukraine, and why there is a world wide embargo- notably joined by this blog- against disseminating details of up-to-date events on the ground.
Are we supposed to NOT notice that even services like ‘ANNA-NEWS’ are no longer linked from here?
A Emergency UN Security Council meeting, the supposed ‘final’ push by the neo-Nazis against the ‘rebels’, a supposed massive build of of Russia forces on the border, and most significantly of all, the head of NATO travelling to Kiev…
yet what do we see? A phenomenal drop-off of reporting from Novorussia by ALL non-Russian-speaking outlets, including this one. What curious timing. Are we really not supposed to notice?
The presence of the head of NATO means direct negotiations between the zionist filth of the West and the highest powers in Russia. I guess certain people think the ‘sheeple’ (or is it the ‘cattle’) have no right to know what is really going on.
Now sanctions… Notice that while even the zionist slave nation of Japan (soon to be seen at war with a unified Korea), has issued sanctions against Russia, the evil racist zionist ‘homeland’, Israel, NEVER EVER issues sanctions against Russia.
WAIT???!!! Every nation of the West sanctions Russia EXCEPT Israel? YES! And the USA and EU don’t complain about this? YES! Now you should start to smell the stink of something very foul indeed.
Sadly, Russia’s real leaders supported the genocide in Gaza every bit as much as those of the West. And yet the exact same tribe that brought Holocaust to Gaza are bringing Holocaust to Novorussia- the same Novorussia that would be free and at peace by now had Russian peacekeepers entered at the very beginning.
As for sanctions, well had Russia acted for peace on day one, sanctions would have come and gone by now, because the lower level political leaders of the West would have found their populations had no taste to see Russia punished for bringing peace to the region.
The escalating ‘sanctions war’ is a direct consequence of Putin NOT sending in the peacekeepers- how very odd.
Meanwhile, people that care about Novorussia are constantly told to focus on ‘the trees’ not ‘the forest’.
The finer details of ‘sanctions’ or the false flag count for absolutely nothing. In both cases the ‘truth’ is whatever the zionist mass media machine says it is, and anyone suggesting otherwise is a fool and a knave. The bigger picture matters- nothing else. And individuals who consider themselves ‘greater’ than us want us to know as little about the ‘bigger picture’ as possible.
PS if the head of NATO in Kiev doesn’t mean direct, secret negotiations with Team Putin, it means NATO is planning for direct war with Russia. The former is terrible for the people of Novorussia, the later terrible for the Human Race.
Very skewed interpretation of events. NATO being in Kiev is the equivalent of General Whatshisface saying “C’mon Vlad, I dare you to make a move!” Same old shit.
@Saker
I was just thinking about the effect on the agricultural sector and very much agree with all your points.
I used to be pro America but one of the things that has happened in the US since the banking mafia took over completely is everything is now rigged for the benefit of big business including agribusiness so we now have crops that require more and more pesticide and fertiliser to grow at all making it impossible for the small farmer to compete.
This is very dangerous for the world imo.
#
Off-topic but may be interesting to you.
I wonder how Russian agriculture is organized? In England after the great plague the aristocracy divided their land into family farms and leased them out to farmers on 100 year leases. So although the land was still owned by the aristocrats by legally having a 100 year lease each farmer knew if they worked hard and improved the farm they could pass the benefit on to their children.
In a Russian context doing something like this would be a way of getting the best of both public and private ownership. The land stays owned by the state so it can’t be sold off to foreign oligarchs but by splitting it into family farms with 100 year leases you also get the benefit of private ownership i.e. people working hard to pass an inheritance to their kids.
Great ideas!!!
First crack in the facade? And don’t you just wish you could be a fly on that wall! ;~) The head of German’s Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations says that Russia and the EU must give up sanctions: http://en.itar-tass.com/world/744023
Given what’s apparently going on in Kiev right now (is Klitschko still hiding out? Has the smoke at least gone away?), plus Netanyahoo’s worries about being found responsible for, oh, something that must have happened in Gaza, maybe the momentum the usual suspects so carefully cultivated may have been, erm, disrupted a bit?
Honestly though: our “leaders” are not only insufferably arrogant, obscenely violent and utterly nuts, they’re also mind-bogglingly and just plain blindly stupid. Who here honestly thinks that if Germany weren’t occupied and had her druthers, she’d choose us? Looks like we gave her the perfect excuse to do so now. And Italy, and anywhere else in the EU where agricultural exports matter, especially if “austerity” has already bitten them hard.
Touché to every DC and think tank genius who had a hand in plotting this whole gambit.
The Junta was installed by the US deep state for four main purposes:
(1) Extract oil and gas resources:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/08/ukrainian-energy-firm-hires-biden-son-as-lawyer/
Such resources are estimated at about 1.4 trillion US dollars:
http://theother14.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/the-gas-evaluation-report-that-started-the-war-in-the-former-ukraine/
(2)Following the collapse of the Ukraine war economy from stagflation the oligarchs can buy up large sectors of the Ukraine economy for pennies on the dollar.
(3)The subsequent contraction of the EU economy is hoped by the US and Canada to lead to conditions favorable to a corporate takeover of Europe once the Transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP) is approved. Russia is holding off sending military into Novorussia as this would trigger further support for TTIP by the professional politicians of Europe.
(4) Large scale migrations of ethnic Russians from Ukraine to Russia, along with sanctions are calculated to lead to unrest in Russia in hopes of a Russian color revolution with help from Soros and the rest of the 5th column.
Regarding air transit, I don’t think Russia should go that route, since similar measures could be taken against them.
But the bans on imports? Perfect. It accomplshes two great things at once: hurt them where it matters, and protect/foster your own industries.
The huge difference is this: If push comes to shove in the economic wars, Russia CAN be completely self-sufficient. It has what it needs to be a pure autarky if it has to.
Europe cannot do that. Simple. Engaging in economic terrorism against Russia is, for Europeans, an act of total imbecility.
http://polish.ruvr.ru/news/2014_08_07/Pomnik-UPA-w-Polsce-oblano-farba-i-napisano-Smierc-katom-Wolynia-i-Donbasu-4932/
Illegal banderist’ monument in Poland was recently devastated. New inscription have appeared on it, which insults nazi puppets: “Death to slaughterers of Wolyn and Donbass”.
” I can tell you that what is taking place today feels a lot like, paraphrasing Clausewitz, the “a continuation of WWII, but by other means”, in other words a struggle to the end between two regimes, two civilizations, which cannot coexist on the same planet and who are locked in struggle to death.”
A little overstated, this “two civilizations” thing. There is no choice other than coexistence lest “locked in struggle to death” becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The people of The West are not the same as the venal 1% who set policy and propagandize via their media. This 1% are the ones agitating for war – why take the bait? The process is to continue to reveal their methods and madness – not to become mad ourselves.
I am in Russia now, and let me tell you, the people are not afraid or sad because of these sanctions. Sure, the hipsters will miss their french cheeses. But, as I was told by a taxi driver from Buryatia who also owns a farm of cattle they sell for meat, they hope this will allow them to start competing again on the domestic market. The US meats were too cheap, quality low, but it flooded the market and the locals couldn’t compete. Now, let’s hope that the administration really does the right things and uses this opportunity to build the domestic production when it comes to agriculture and food, instead of everything coming from Argentina etc.
All in all, I think this was more of a way to show the Europeans how dependent they are on the Russians, and also on Russian tourism (there are rumors that a couple of the main tourist agencies that just caved in were sabotaged by the government). If so, it’s a severe chess move: showing Europe what happens when Russian tourists stop coming.
I don’t think this is long lasting, but more of a way to unbalance the Europeans and show them that Americans will not fill their wallets.
All in all the sentiment here is good and the love for P is strong.
Applause to you Saker. Thank you.
NATO midget Rasmussen is in Kiev to make sure that they flatten Donetsk with those ballistic missiles and more aerial bombardment.
NATO needs Ukraine as their next launching pad for war.
While the EU and Atlantic hegemony is unraveling in all the right places (Syria-Iraq-Turkey-Kurdistan-Iran-Afghanistan-Lebanon-Jordan-Libya for starters), they see a nice target in Russia. Ports to bomb, military exposed in open terrain, rolling steppes.
They call it a “target rich environment”.
Of course, the ghouls are thinking of their video game Shock and Awe attack or General Clark’s bombardment of Kosovo. Those were sitting duck environments.
What Rasmussen and the whackos at HQ have no concept about is the S-300, S-400.
NATO will be like the Israelis in the 1973 Yom Kippur war against Egypt, when the Russian SAMs were taking down every jet flown over Egyptian forces.
This technology the Russians have is overwhelmingly effective.
For the bomb-thrower mob of NATO, they only think of the damage they can do. They huddle by their monitors and joy-sticks and radars, safe in a cavern or bunker. But their war fantasy will die a horrid ending when their cruise missiles and bombers and fighter-bombers get shredded. And then the counter-strike levels ten or twelve NATO bases and 20 or so European cities lose some of their landmarks.
How do you say “No Mas” in Danish?
Meanwhile, the dissolution of Ukraine proceeds apace:
Police & activists clash on Maidan, tires burn anew in central Kiev
And there are rumors that several battalians of various oligarchs’ private armies are leaving the battlefield and heading back to Kiev to join the big big party and throw tires & molotov cocktails at each other.
Good times, good times.
quote ” the all the Russians did was to say, rather vaguely, that they reserve the right to reply. And then, BANG!, “
not really. it is too late too little.
americans and british enemis of russia got embolded by weakling response of russia to their oepn aggression . russia should have stopped supply of gas to mainly england-the main enemy of russia and secondarily ukraine. now they have given anglo enemies enough gtime to prepare for alternative means.
Is there anybody from South Africa here?
Now is chance to make a lot of money.
Long live BRICS.
I have had a ban on U.S. products for quite some time now.
R n R from U.K.
@Anonymous 17:10
Not sure what “planet” you come from but we can safely presume it is an odd one indeed.
Are we supposed to NOT notice that even services like ‘ANNA-NEWS’ are no longer linked from here?
Feel fee to post some content from other sources, it’s as easy as the one you just posted.
A Emergency UN Security Council meeting, the supposed ‘final’ push by the neo-Nazis against the ‘rebels’, a supposed massive build of of Russia forces on the border, and most significantly of all, the head of NATO travelling to Kiev…
yet what do we see? A phenomenal drop-off of reporting from Novorussia by ALL non-Russian-speaking outlets, including this one. What curious timing. Are we really not supposed to notice?
As far as the criminals in NATO, they have yet to engage the RF in any way and have prevented any dialog between the EU and Ukraine. They have stood in the way and have also prevented the RF from moderating any meaningful dialog.
Slightly OT, but have you noticed the national Guard is being mobilizes in the US to protect them from children.
More on topic, the “Western” MSM cannot and will not report any facts on the situation in the East that implicate Kiev, period.
WAIT???!!! Every nation of the West sanctions Russia EXCEPT Israel? YES! And the USA and EU don’t complain about this? YES! Now you should start to smell the stink of something very foul indeed.
FYI: Israel and Russia signed a major “trade” deal this past December. Israel abstained from the UN vote re: Crimea. While this may not have occurred to you, Israel does not care what anyone thinks. While the two situations may have many similarities, they are not the same issues nor strategies as they are both more concerned about their own.
While this may seem suspicious, it may simply be the result of several factors. One, not “directly” interfering in the affairs of other sovereign Nations. Two, the China factor which dovetails with the previous. Three, the India factor. Four the Korea factor and possible reunification. Five, the oil/gas energy factor. Six, the people in Russia are not anti-Semitic, to “borrow” a term. Seven, while Palestine and Novorussia are in a similar “boat”, sadly it is their responsibility to deal with their oppressors.
Keep in mind, this does not include the rest of the BRICS, not the position of the NAM. These interests cover over half of the Nations of the globe. Just because NATO and the 5-Eyes have a superior military component, they are not reflective of the world community. Not only that, but globalization has effectively rendered them insufficient with regards to manufacturing, agriculture and more importantly a populous that can “live” without creature comforts and are not buried in debt.
To conclude this rebuttal, keep in mind that the neoliberal/neoconservative “supply side” economy has utterly failed in every nation that is infected it. This is how the “boomerang” will play out. Just consider how that works when there is an over supply with no demand.
Take a few moments, well maybe days/weeks, and research something known as the “commodities super cycle” and what happens when that bubble bursts. As previously mentioned, the energy wars are only a means to the end that are accelerated via trade wars, currency wars and trade wars. The “west” has indeed done the RF a huge favour as it allowed the Ruble to devalue, which will make it more tuned to the Yuan. This has effectively created a way overvalued Dollar and Euro.
There are many reasons why both the RF and PRC have been acquiring and hording all the gold they can over the past several years while keeping a very low national debt. If push comes to shove, the MIC will indeed protect the tangible energy sectors, since Fiat currency is based on thin air…
Putin, this is exactly how you handle bullies. Good Show! Italy is already reporting bank troubles and after Germany they had the most economic ties of the main EU countries to Russia. Yes, we in the US will have to suffer but we have had a pretty smooth ride on the coattails of these Shadow government neocon types. Such is the way of group Karma–if you were a pacifist in Nazi Germany you either committed suicide, went underground or left the country. Latin America ( not Central America) has its possibilities as refuge these days..
Ukrainians Urged to Save Energy as Russian Gas Shortage Hurts
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=834_1407422899
Ukrainian soldiers killed during the attack on check point.. ( GRAPHIC):
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8c0_1407420909
Ljashko the crazy violent homosexual AND pedophile kidnapping a man in front of his daughter or maybe wife?.I don’t speak Russian so I cannot tell who she is in relation to kidnapped man. (VIDEO)
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8bc_1406561981
Demonstrators clashed with city employees and armed guards in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on August 7 as the workers tried to clear barricades and tents from Independence Square. Protesters set fire to piles of tires and threw bottles and bricks at the municipal workers, who eventually withdrew. The square — known as the Maidan — was the epicenter of massive antigovernment protests last winter which eventually saw the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Petro Poroshenko was elected as the country’s new president in May, but several hundred protesters have remained on the square, saying they want to ensure the new government follows through on reforms. Kyiv authorities have been negotiating with the protesters to clear the square since Vitali Klitschko was elected mayor in May.
VIDEO
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f8b_1407419230
Another man kidnapped by the Fascist Junta:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=17a_1407376023
“Freedom” sponsored by the USA for Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya…works out every time, eh?
I understand and respect the Russian moves. But still, it is sad that W Europe cannot be friends with our Russian brothers.
But we get what we deserve; our zombie populations have voted in these weak stooges.
Both we and our Russian brothers will have to suffer some hardships- for what!
I hope that the BRIC countries will have the balls to be independent (and that Russia will help them out (Argentina)). Eventually, some EU countries, after EU disintegration, we will become part of the free world!
Hi Nora,
Share more please :-)
JC from bone dry Central Valley, California. House and shed fully paid with 1/2 acre property. Even with water, buy 15gal filtered water every ten days from local grocery.
EU blames Putin, JC blames EU and Oboomo.
Kindest Regards
JC
quote “This embargo will especially hurt southern Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Greece) whose agricultural production will greatly suffer from it These countries also happen to be the weakest in the EU. By hitting them, Russia is maximizing the inevitable friction inside the EU over sanctions against Russia.”
considering that nato is organ of english parasite race and is manily controleld by english race with blessing of north european nations like holland and occupied germany thsi sactions which might hurt much russophile greeks is a wrong way is it not? russia msut stop gas to north western europe and mainly england the main evil in all this. this 3rd world war has been plotted and started by english theiveing race jsut like 1st and 2nd world wars.only stupid ruyssia and china donto know about it.
Sorry Saker but I can’t find evidence of actual activation of the airline ban. I can only find the statement that they might.
Not even on RIA
Do you have a link?
Not sure that one year ban is enough for safe investment. That’s time for one or two crops max. And then what, when Russian market is flooded with subsidized trash from EU again? Same goes for meat production, where you have to invest even more into infrastructure. If the ban was to be lifted year from now, such investment would be even more risky.
“Sixth, small but sweet: did you notice that EU sanctions were introduced for 3 months only, “to be reviewed” later? By introducing a 12 months embargo Russia also sends a clear message: who do you think will benefit from this mess?”
True enough I suppose, but because we’re talking about agricultural products, the long seasons need to be taken into account. Normal capitalist business is divided in the quarters, each 3 mos. long. The agricultural “business cycle” is, in the northern hemisphere, a full year.
Saker,
you neglected to mention the impact on the Polish economy. That alone should bear glad tidings!
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-08-06/poland-feels-pain-of-russia-sanctions-chart-of-the-day
quote “Sadly, Russia’s real leaders supported the genocide in Gaza every bit as much as those of the West. And yet the exact same tribe that brought Holocaust to Gaza are bringing Holocaust to Novorussia- the same Novorussia that would be free and at peace by now had Russian peacekeepers entered at the very beginning.”
this si true.
the traitor lavrov only recently was saying that israel is hurting gaza because israle is in danger of missiles from gaza-” in other words this lavrov dog was justifying isralei actrion in gaja.
Patience is a virtue, and the Kremlin’s sense of humour is still sharp.
A geography lesson on how you can’t isolate Russia and an encouragement to look at maps.
russia has not got much time. anglos have worked it out and they are not going to wait for general winter or one year-they are rachetting the stake every week and russia acts stupidly as weakling tro make that rachetting more justified from russis’s enemies point of view.
Saker. Prostitutes charge for their services so EU can not compare to them, I think prostitutes have more dignity! I read today that Finland is already asking compensation from EU for the losses that the Russian embargo will cause to them and that is just the beginning or the beginning of the end. EU will sink deeper into recession specially the Southern economies, that is a pity I think since I know how ie. Spanish people think and they are in general sympathetic to Russia and Putin. But people in the EU have no voice or vote it is the bureaucrats who decide under the orders of its “masters” we know who.
Maybe Mrs. Merkel deserves an extra price: No more German cars into Russia!!! And IF the French pull through the sale of the ships to Russia… hmmm… maybe French cars for Russia :-)
In the meantime, the Fed and its minions continue their warmongering efforts…first Iran, then Syra, now Russia. Russia has many oil and gas contracts with Europe and South America; the newly opened BRICS financial system will challenge the bankrupt fed/world bank/imf; only another world-wide war can generate the kind of $$ needed to bail the Fed etc. out.
Bottom line: Russia comes out on top; the petrodollar is doomed; the USA is on the verge of a catastrophic economic collapse and the ONLY bright star on the horizon is that people are FED FUCKING UP WITH WAR WAR WAR WAR WAR and hopefully, all support for this senseless slaughter ends.
I will ignore all saber rattling from the west because frankly, the west can’t afford it.
Your best post yet.
Love how you say that Putin doesn’t threaten or cajole, he just acts.
This is the brilliant masterstroke to pay the west back in a way they didn’t anticipate while cultivating Non-EU/NATO replacement trade and invigorating local enterprise.
Plus the middle finger to the preening wuss in the White House by giving Snowden 3 more years.
Every time I give up on Putin, he pulls the fat out of the fire
Some comments about food.
All the types of food on the European sanctions list have strong producer lobbies behind them in Russia. I know about three in particular.
Bascially the big Russian producers have cartels which prefer high prices to expanded production. In the case of pork, the smaller family producers can’t compete with the integrated big firms, created with government subsidy to favoured people because the local processing plants are antiquated and costly to run (the big producers have the latest kit). So the only real competition is foreign. Foreign pork carries a 15% duty in quota and 50% out of quota. Last year, when EU pigs were banned, the US and China (which was having a kill off due to overproduction) took up the slack. This time China has a much smaller herd and there is a severe drought. The Russian cartel will make a fortune. Modern Russian pig farms are already very profitable with 40% return on capital last year.
In dairy, like in pigs, the equipment is the latest and best. But the husbandry standards are low. Russian cows don’t have the milk yield per kilo of feed found elsewhere. Mostly because they are fed very cheap feed (same with the pigs). The saving on the feed doesnt compensate for the loss in output and quality. Russian feed in the big units is full of every additive imagineable especially antibiotics.
Apples are widely grown by small producers but the temperature controlled storage and transport isn’t there to get them to market in supermarket quantities. A few big firms dominate. They were subsidised to plant new orchards.
These cartels will not respond with increased production. A year isn’t long enough in farming even if they were sincere. They will take the profits.
For chicken, see pigs.
The level of trade isn’t huge for Russia or the EU, even less for the US. It’s more about producer interests. Brazil will be the biggest new supplier and New Zealand and Chile. I’m working with Zambian, South African and Indonesian prospects. In no case will the volume involved be transformational.
I guess alcohol wasn’t included to support the French.
The Ukies still shelling Donbas and VP drinking Stolichnaya with comrades in Kremlin. Za Rodinu, za Stalinu, na boi, na boi, na boi.
It’s in the history books forever. The betrayel of the 21st century.
Russian agricultural land can be bought outright by a real Russian citizen or a corporate citizen with at least 50% real Russian shareholding. Foreigners, real or corporate can lease land for 49 years either directly from the government or from a real Russian such as a cooperative. Leases can often be paid retrospectively in kind, so the members of the Kholkhoz get paid in wheat or the right ot harvest part of the crop. In the US it would be called sharecropping. most very large farming firms lease their land from cooperatives, ideally bankrupt ones.
@ Nora 15:52 if NATO suspends cooperation with Russia the door swings both ways –
See Anon 16:12
”They can also close the passage through Russia of the Northern Distribution Network and wreck havoc with the withdrawal from Afghanistan. If they do that, NATO/US would probably have to leave most of their equipment behind.
To quote PCR the leadership of USEUUKAUSCDN are “dumbshits”
Oops!! A quick response from the Duma’s FA Pushkov::
NATO to be affected more by suspension of cooperation than Russia
http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/744034
On the Money quote: Well just you find another exit from Afghanistan.
”Speaking of full termination of cooperation with Russia, Pushkov said NATO would be affected by this more than Russia as this would call into question NATO’s use of the transit point in Ulyanovsk for the redeployment of its troops from Afghanistan.”
This trade war intended to isolate Russia are from leaders and vassals without 2 brain cells.
Chile, Argentina, Brazil, India and China will now expand more exports to Russia.
And who is NATO to speak of more sanctions?
These USEU sanctions will hasten the breakup of the EU. Produce from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France are most affected. The Tipping point for Germany nears:
Already German business sounds the alarm
EU must Give up Sanctions in favour of negotiations,
http://en.itar-tass.com/ukrainian-
FYI< Another NY times CFR puff piece featuring the US Ambassador to the Ukraine, the subservient clown to Nuland, Fuck the EU, Nudelman.
Read the comments: most of them oppose the idiotic policies promulgated by this castrated fool.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/07/opinion/to-beat-putin-support-ukraine.html
From Col. Cassad: “After one and a half hours of preliminary bombardment on the defensive line Snezhnoye-Torez-Ivanovka, a group of Ukrainian army consisting of three tank battalions of the 81-st Separate Mechanized Brigade with the support of the 74-th Separate Regiment of Special Forces went into attack and fell into a minefield, which were setup the previous night in the supposed locations of possible breakthrough. Over 15 minutes more than 19 armored vehicles were destroyed. Several dozen people were captured. According to the preliminary, and at this moment, not clarified, data, between 3 and 8 IFVs and 4 tanks were captured. The enemy is suffering catastrophic losses.
Militia forces are developing a counter-offensive in the direction of Dmitrovka-Dyakovo.”
Decisions in the West are made by technocrats who answer to bankers. Good to see Putin setting both an economic AND moral example with his carefully chosen list.
Imagine if Western leaders worked for us the way Putin works for his country — instead of slavishly taking orders from publically/privately controlled gangster monopolies. Stephen Harper is presently terrified the Germans will back out of the Canada-EU trade pact because Merkel is hedging about allowing unaccountable private courts to overrule ‘democratically’ elected national governments.
From what I’ve seen the sanctions seem designed to develop the Russain economy as much as punish the parasitic globalists. Westerners can only dream of such behaviour.
Russia needs to make extensive investments in energy, agriculture, mining and infastructure. 7% growth is easily acievable and will likely be returning to Russia very soon. There is still so much low lying economic fruit to be plucked — its situation is comparable to that of North America in 1900.
I would also start shopping select Western-owned assets to potential Chinese and other buyers. I think it’s time for Russia to recoup its losses to Wall Street, London, Frankfurt and so on.
I’m planning to go make an Elect Putin sign and plant it on my front lawn for the next Canadian general election.
Really — can’t wait to see the reaction.
Maybe someone in the U.S. should start a campaign to vote for Putin as a write-in for their next Presidential election.
Regarding comparative advantage with the Outlaw Empire’s agriculture, you mustn’t forget the massive amounts of subsidies provided in the yearly “Farm Bill.” It would be great to see the SCO/BRICS construct a just WTO instead of the theft-based one currently existing.
OK, I apologise in advance if this is inappropriate for this blog, but I have been thinking for a while now about how an American can express support for Novorossia… and the best I could come up with so far is: proudly display Novorossia’s flag. Admittedly, being a Southerner, the design appeals to me for other historical reasons :)
So today, I went on CafePress and used my nonexistent design skills to make a sticker and a bigger wall decal. Let me make one thing clear: I do not expect to or want to profit from these. I only have a vague idea of how Cafe Press works, but if they pay me any “royalties” (or whatever), I promise 100% of these will be donated to a local animal shelter in the fine state of Tennessee.
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product2.aspx?number=1345763068
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product2.aspx?number=1345737516
Hi Stalker.
Follow your blog for some time, and can not tell you how much agree with you.
Warm hug from Serbia bro. We went through all of the mess western bureaucrats could invent, including media harassment, and finally three months bombardment.
Well friends, it is becoming more apparent that the globalist neocon cabal is becoming rather desperate in their echo chamber attempts to spin the narrative in their favour. The Harper Regime is in disarray as is evident in the mindless dribble-drabble being spewed out of every orifice, aka: Loyalist Ministers.
It should be worth noting that these globalists are utilizing this to push more “free trade” that favour speculators in order to download the costs onto the “consumers” better known as government debt payers. They will force these secret trade agreements down our throats by hook, by crook or at the barrel of a gun, period.
Since these articles are getting tweeked via odd updates, we’ll post the entire article below and subsequent comments if necessary.
Russia sanctions show Putin’s ‘short-sighted desperation,’ Canada says
Ban covers meat, fish, milk, fruit, vegetables from Canada, the U.S., EU
CBC News
Posted: Aug 07, 2014 5:31 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 07, 2014 2:56 PM ET
Canada will not be intimidated by Russia’s ban on its food imports, Industry Minister James Moore said Thursday, warning that the sanctions will hurt Russian consumers more than Canadians.
“We will certainly look at the impact of these sanctions on the Canadian economy, but they will in no way cause us to have any hesitation in the principled position we’ve taken in opposing [Russian President] Vladimir Putin’s regime,” Moore said during a news conference in Montreal.
Russia responded Thursday to fresh sanctions from Canada, the U.S. and other countries with a ban on food imports for a year. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that the ban includes Canada, the U.S. the European Union, Australia, Norway and others. Banned items include:
Meat.
Fish.
Milk and dairy products.
Fruit and vegetables.
Moore said the sanctions show the importance of expanding free trade, including the Harper government’s drive toward a free-trade deal with the European Union.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz made similar comments in a statement Thursday, criticizing Putin’s “short-sighted desperation.”
“Our government will continue to put Canada’s national interests first, but we cannot allow business interests alone to dictate our foreign policy,” Ritz said.
Russia’s move was taken on orders from Putin in response to sanctions imposed over the crisis in Ukraine. The ban will cost farmers in North America, Europe and Australia billions of dollars but also isolates Russian consumers from world trade to a degree unseen since Soviet days.
Canada had on Wednesday slapped new sanctions and travel bans on several top Russian and Ukrainian politicians and groups with ties to Putin’s government. Those sanctions, imposed in co-ordination with the U.S. and the EU, came amid reports Russia is massing thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has frequently said Russia’s occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and provocative military activity in eastern Ukraine is a “grave concern” to Canada and the world.
(cont’d…)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-show-putin-s-short-sighted-desperation-canada-says-1.2729821
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-show-putin-s-short-sighted-desperation-canada-says-1.2729821
@Carmel, @Marcus from Sweden,
I agree with you both as stated in the previous Iraqi post. I live in the UK, and I hate the sanctions but support them 100%. And they did a wonderful selection.
@Anonymous said:
Sadly, Russia’s real leaders supported the genocide in Gaza every bit as much as those of the West.
I have to agree. I do not agree with much of your post, but I do agree with the quote above. Putin supports Israel a lot more than the Palestinians. He has an in-depth hatred for Islam as shown much in his past comments, and also like every other leader he does not go against the Zionists but neither does he kiss their ass, well at least not as much as the rest of the world leaders.
I have a great dislike for Mahmoud Abbasa and the PLO. Bunch of traitors. Just like Fatah was in the end.
Palestinian Authority withdraws complaint against Israel
The Palestinian Authority requested International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Ms Fatou Bensouda to nullify the complaint filed on July 25, 2014 by Palestinian Justice Minister Salim Sakka and Gaza Attorney General Ismail Jaber against the war crimes committed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.
Interim President Mahmoud Abbas argued that the complaint was likely to backfire against the Palestinian resistance (which is legally false) and that the Palestinian Authority favored a different strategy: joining the Court (which it never followed up on).
The complaint was endorsed by 130 law professors from around the world. In accusing Israel of colonialism, it automatically triggered a series of precautionary measures and prohibited foreign companies from trading with Israeli entities established in the occupied territories. So that even if the complaint were not to be considered in a long time, it would nevertheless have generated immediate effects.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: “Do not listen to any voice that suggests we would be opposed to an action before the International Criminal Court. Some people say that Hamas or other resistance fighters could be the targets of such a procedure, but it is not true. It is only propaganda. Nothing that we do worries us. We are under occupation and it is our right, by law, to resist. And it is also the right of our people to be defended.”
In the absence of elections, Mahmoud Abbas has been the acting president since 2009. Accused of collaborating with Israel, he regained popularity once more by supporting the people of Gaza since the onset of Operation “Protective Edge.”
(…cont’d)
Russia’s sanctions will mostly affect Canada’s pork industry. Canada’s agricultural exports to Russia amounted to $563 million in 2012, though Jim Laws of the Canadian Meat Council said that number dropped to $260 million last year.
Laws told CBC News Network pork producers will start to feel the effects right away, with up to 1,000 container loads of pork on ships bound for Russia.
Laws was optimistic that much of the meat could be re-directed to other countries or back to Canada, but said that the redirection alone would cost the industry “quite a bit of money.”
“We’re fortunate that we have many markets for pork around the world. Last year, we sold some $3.2 billion worth of pork to over 120 different countries. Russia, however, was the fourth most important market” behind U.S., Japan and China, he said.
Geoff Irvine, head of the Lobster Council of Canada, said the Russian sanctions are “not good for Canada.”
“For lobster, Russia is a small but potentially good market. The biggest impact on seafood in Canada will be on northern shrimp, and maybe cheaper fish like Pacific hake and herring.”
Russia depends heavily on imports
Russian stock indexes initially fell by about 1.5 per cent on the news before recovering most of the losses a few hours later.
Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov acknowledged that the measures would cause a short-term spike in inflation, but said he did not see a danger in the medium or long term. He said Russia would compensate with more imports of products from other suppliers such as Brazilian meat and New Zealand cheese.
Russia depends heavily on imported foodstuffs — most of it from the West — particularly in the largest and most prosperous cities such as Moscow. In 2013, the EU’s agricultural exports to Russia totalled $15.8 billion US, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture says food and agricultural imports from the U.S. amounted to $1.3 billion.
Medvedev argued that the ban would give Russian farmers, who have struggled to compete with Western products, a good chance to increase their market share.
But experts said that local producers will find it hard to fill the gap left by the ban, as the nation’s agricultural sector has continued to suffer from poor efficiency and shortage of funds.
While the government claimed it will move quickly to replace Western imports by importing more food from Latin America, Turkey and ex-Soviet nations to avoid empty shelves and price hikes, analysts predicted that it will further speed up inflation.
Chris Weafer, an analyst at Macro Advisory in Moscow, said the ban will likely speed up inflation and further cloud an already grim economic outlook. “Along with higher interest rates, higher food costs will mean that households have less money to spend and that will depress the economy,” he said.
Market watchers said consumers in the expensive food segment will suffer the most, losing access to goods like French cheeses and Parma ham, but others will also eventually feel the brunt as food variety will shrink and inflationary pressures increase. With retail chains stocked up for months ahead, the ban will take time to hurt, however.
The measure led to sardonic comments across Russian online media and liberal blogs, bringing reminiscences of empty store shelves during the Soviet times, but there was no immediate indication of consumers trying to stock up.
(cont’d…)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-show-putin-s-short-sighted-desperation-canada-says-1.2729821
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-show-putin-s-short-sighted-desperation-canada-says-1.2729821
(…cont’d)
Moscow will be hit hard
The damage to consumers inflicted by the ban will be felt particularly hard in big cities like Moscow, where imported food fills an estimated 60-70 per cent of the market.
Russians have relished imported food since the fall of the Soviet Union, when year-round supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables arrived and ubiquitous cheap American frozen chicken quarters became known as “Bush’s legs” after the then president.
Medvedev said Russia is also considering banning Western carriers from flying over Russia on flights to and from Asia — a move that would significantly swell costs and increase flight time. He said a decision on that hasn’t been made yet.
Russia may also introduce restrictions regarding imports of planes, navy vessels and cars, Medvedev said, but added that the government will realistically assess its own production potential.
Medvedev made it clear that Russia hopes that the sanctions will make the West revise its policy and stop trying to pressure Russia with sanctions.
“We didn’t want such developments, and I sincerely hope that our partners will put a pragmatic economic approach above bad policy considerations,” he said, adding that the ban could be lifted earlier if the West shows a “constructive approach.”
EU Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent voiced regret about the ban. He said the commission still has to assess the potential impact, and reserves “the right to take action as appropriate.”
With files from The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-show-putin-s-short-sighted-desperation-canada-says-1.2729821
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-show-putin-s-short-sighted-desperation-canada-says-1.2729821
It may be worth noting the war-mongering slide show that accompanies the article as well as the comments.
We’ll try to update with the captions and images in a follow up if time permits so that these ‘comments” will appear in order.
What to expect. Continued and upgraded American aggression and EU cowardice. More tragicomedy from the ‘Ukrainians’. Victory for Novorussia and Russia. The development of South America as an armed anti-American force. One generation to break the EU and to return to the nations of Europe. Implosion of the US. State capitalism is closer to communism than capitalism, so I’m down.
– from Nazi-occupied Amerika
I liked this comment under the ZeroHedge article linked to:
> Clint Liquor
My guess is; Come winter, Putin will decide Russia will only accept Rubles or Gold for Nat. Gas. <
Whether he does or not, there is still time to propagate this meme far and wide. And to buy shares in pants manufacturers.
Cultural and political repression in Ukraine
More on repressions of Hungarians Slovak, Romanian and Roma in Transcarpathia:
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2014/08/05/transcarpathian-gambut.html
Next up will the ethnic Greeks living in fear around Maripul who are setting up barricades to resist the Junta:
http://eu.greekreporter.com/2014/02/27/anguish-and-fear-for-the-150000-greeks-living-in-ukraine/
http://eu.greekreporter.com/2014/05/05/greeks-in-ukraine-fear-for-their-lives/
Antiwar messages are banned in Ukraine similar to Farley Mowat in the US during the Vietnam war for his antiwar book about war in Italy titled “And no birds sang”.
Ani Lorak who was scheduled to perform at the Odessa nightclub ‘Ibiza’ on Sunday but dozens of nationalist (right sector thugs) activists tried to disrupt the concert.
http://theother14.wordpress.com/2014/08/05/ani-lorak-unrest-in-my-concert-in-odessa-had-a-deranged-visiting-people-under-drugs/
Culture Minister Evgeny Nishchuk said boycotting performances by Lorak “and the likes of her” is “a good and necessary deed.”
http://rt.com/news/177732-singer-blacklist-lorak-odessa/
Apparently, the Ani Lorak’s powerful antiwar song titled “flowers” doesn’t fit well into the draft mobilization of men (and women doctors) into the Junta’s army:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEfN2ErEpLc
To expand the war into Crimea the junta is working with Igor Kolomoisky to create a radical Islamic “battalion Crimea” terrorist group, comprised of Wahhabi thugs, to infiltrate Crimea. http://battalionkrym.blogspot.com/
More on the protests in Kiev with many videos at:
http://theother14.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/shots-fired-as-violence-breaks-out-in-maidan-square/
The banning of the Communist party probably contributed to this antiwar movement:
http://theother14.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/kiev-junta-disibands-communist-party-of-ukraine-prelude-to-general-suppression-ethnic-cleansing/
thousands have been imprisoned by Kiev junta for slightest hint at opposition by the kiev junta and many more will follow given the demonstrations in Kiev.
1/2 ALERT
https://twitter.com/20committee/status/497437554166472704
http://20committee.com/2014/08/07/latest-ukrainian-intelligence-news/
Saker and friends – some interesting agitprop coming out of SBU and their sock puppet/NSA Galician fascist (American citizen) Twitter warrior John R. Schindler at the US Naval War College in Newport, RI.
Essentially, it looks like the Ukies are getting ready for some fallout from the MH17 ATC tapes release (or insider leaks about them) and are in major cover their arses mode, testing talking points using reliable US government shill/sock puppet directors. Thus they’ve come up with this cockamamie story that the evil Kremlin GRU/FSB operatives planned a false flag using a rebel Buk to shoot down an Aeroflot airliner in Ukraine and blame it on the poor Ukrainian army.
http://www.businessinsider.com/russian-soldiers-social-ukraine-2014-7
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/no-instagram-doesnt-prove-whether-russian-troops-are-in-ukraine-2a959f92c23b
I bring this up here because Saker raised the possibility a couple of weeks back that the Ukies shot down MH17 while trying to kill an Aeroflot airliner and shot down a Malaysian 777 that had similar colors to an Aeroflot plane by mistake. It appears today the SBU are ‘mirror imaging’ this earlier Saker theory.
This bolsters my notion that SBU and their, ahem, CIA/NSA handlers at SBU HQ in Kiev read this blog including its comments religiously. They may even ‘wargame’ how to respond to the points made herein and then issue the marching orders via Ukraine at War, the Khodorkovsky-funded Interpeter Rag in NYC, Buzzfeed, Business Insider with its John Schindler groupie ‘reporters’ Paul Szoldra and Michael B. Kelley, or other ‘reliable’ outlets that can be trusted to push the Kiev/StateDept/NATO party line. (For those who don’t know, Szoldra was pushing hard his ‘scoop’ about ‘Russian troops inside Ukraine’ using an Instagram photo from a Russian soldier that an MTC cell tower across the border in Ukraine picked up, and his story was debunked by the War is Boring blog pointing out the prevalence of cellular towers on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine border).
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2014/07/and-few-more-pointers-from-saker.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2014/07/just-though-not-even-hypothesis.html
Furthermore, we’ve all seen the discussion here about how the Ukies may have lost control over the chain of evidence, both at the crash site and the grim possibility (for the Ukies and entire NATO Narrative) that Russia made copies of the flight recorders and handed over this data to the Malaysians before the Malays gave the recorders to the Dutch and Brits. Therefore the Ukies are desperate to come up with some Narrative to explain how the Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk ATC may have ordered MH17 into the line of Buk fire, and they’re prepared to go all the way to claiming ‘Russian operatives’ inside UKRAINIAN ATC did it. This should come as no surprise, since this is essentially what the Ukies claimed about the Maidan ‘Heavenly Hundred’ sniper killings and Odessa massacre, that ‘Russian agents’ came in and executed those bloody ops then got away scot free.
The Ukies like their CIA/NSA string pullers would always desperately prefer to look incompetent (to the point that Russian agents are everywhere in Ukraine including inside Borispol ATC) over complicity in massive crimes and false flags.
From Reuters today :
(Reuters) – Stocks ended lower on Thursday, continuing a recent streak of weakness as Russia’s surprisingly harsh retaliatory measures in response to Western sanctions raised concerns about global growth.
Why surprisingly harsh ? I have said it before and will say it again, the EU is led by a bunch of unbelievably stupid morons of the highest order. Can somebody explain to me exactly what did they expect ? because Im getting a very strong vibe here that the scale of the Russian sanctions has really taken them by surprise. Did they expect to keep on ratcheting up the sanctions against Russia with no come back like they are dealing with an unruly child ? These donkeys really amaze me, seriously. These are supposedly intelligent adults with armies of “analysts” at their disposal. These people are totally divorced from reality. They try to create their own reality and that is the only reality they want to recognise. For all their talk of being “committed” to de-escalation and a diplomatic settlement in Ukraine they mean they want their side to win in Ukraine and for Russia to stop supporting the independence supporters in Ukraine and throw them to the Nazi dogs. Maybe this will provide them with a wake up call but I seriously doubt it as these so called “leaders” are all traitors to their own countries and to their own peoples as they are nothing but fifth columns for those shining bastions of “freedom and democracy” in the land of the “free” and home of the “brave”. They all deserve stringing up.
Does anyone know anything about Israel’s use of the YAL 1 high energy laser beam in Gaza? Gordon Duff (yeah, I know) is claiming Boeing tested the system and quotes the CIS interviewing Gates about it; then it was supposedly scrapped until it reappeared as part of “Iron Dome”. He goes further than that, suggesting it could be used to clone commericial air traffic and attack various targets, including Gaza, and ends with other speculation/hypotheses as to what else Israel may be up to.
http://journal-neo.org/2014/08/06/israel-deploys-a-new-weapons-system-in-gaza/
It would be nice for every one of these monsters to pay some retribution in this life, not just the next — and the same in spades for every single slimebucket who tries to support them here.
to Marcus 15:43
I can just back that, I’m from Austria and its here the same, as well as in the whole German-speaking area;
every day newspapers and media send massive anti Russian propaganda, and like 80 or 90% of readers check that and take side of Russia,
but newspapers don’t care, they write every time the same shit
(although they must invent more and more propaganda technics, lol)
Canada announcing immediate shipments of war supplies to Kiev, and NATO announcing imminent NATO war games in co-operation with Kiev’s neo-Nazis. Putin’s obviously backed down like a little b**tch, which is why we have as these pathetic laughable articles telling us how ‘devastating’ Russia’s counter-sanctions are going to be to the world’s most powerful industrial empire.
Looks like my guess about Putin accepting a deal with the West to have Kiev’s attacks in Novorussia dialled down a notch, so the defenders can continue to maintain a ‘stalemate’ has proven to be true, sadly. With no imminent neo-Nazi victory, the pressure is off Putin, and Putin can avoid sending in the peacekeepers yet again.
This is the same Putin who supported the genocide in Gaza every bit as much as any leader of the West. This is the same Putin who ‘built-up’ the Russia economy in partnership with Tony Blair (why do you think so many Russian Jewish ‘Oligarchs’ ended up in the UK?)- the British ensuring that Russian energy supplies to Europe were developed without a hitch.
Putin is a Fabian. Tony Blair is High Lord of the Fabians. Putin is proud to see himself as Blair’s ‘apprentice’.
Putin thinks himself involved in some higher ‘master plan’. Never forget that if Russia had sent peacekeepers into Novorussia at the beginning, there would have been no war, no massive loss of life, no wide-scale destruction of property and no ever escalating program of sanctions.
So, by the simplest logic, Putin is choosing to accept a war in Novorussia, with massive loss of life on both sides, and terrible sanctions against Russia and its people, for some greater plan yet to be revealed. And by all accounts that ‘plan’ is a full bloodied war against Kiev and its NATO enhanced army, when Kiev launches an all out attempt to take Crimea.
What is it they say in the ‘Terminator’ movie? Time to find some factor 50,000 sunblock?
I think if Russia continues with the sanctions.Especially the Airline ban,it will be long-term good for Russia.But like many I’m concerned with the war effort.I fear at best our side is barely holding our own.And at worst being slowly defeated by the massive numbers and equipment of the fascist junta.I hope that doesn’t happen.Because it will signal a huge problem for Russia.Not only would it be the lost of the Ukraine.And their being totally turned to a Russophobic pro-NATO state.But it will be the loss of Transnistria as well.The Ukie’s already are forbidding Russia from crossing Ukraine to reinforce Transnistria.And the only other way to enter is from Moldova.And they won’t let Russia either.So basically you have a siege there.The Moldovan’s could and will move to “reclaim” control of it.And there is no way for Russia to respond without war with Ukraine.And then there is Crimea.Which the Ukie’s are certain to infiltrate at least.Senting terror groups to attack Russian positions there.They will be so pumped over their “victory” over Russia they will want to “reclaim” Crimea for sure.