March 9, 2022
Here's the truth on Ukraine, as far as I can tell
By Dan Truitt
First, and most importantly, virtually no one in the U.S. has got this right, including conservative outlets and pundits. Putin's a thug, but he's an excellent politician and a strong leader. And he's not crazy, as some seem to surmise. He is a cold, calculating, strategic thinker who has disciplined his mind and body for decades. He's a Russia first guy. Think Donald Trump minus all the hot air and Big Macs, and add a willingness to off his enemies.
We promised Russia we would not expand NATO when the Soviet Union fell. We went back on that promise and incorporated almost the entire Eastern Bloc into NATO.
Then after 9/11, Bush II unilaterally canceled the '72 ABM treaty, which until then had frozen nuclear weapon development in the Soviet Union and the U.S., effectively ending the arms race. Bush's rationale was that we needed to develop new nuclear weapon tech to defeat terrorism. As if we were going to nuke Osama bin Laden.
Bush's rationale for NATO expansion was also terrorism. So Bush triggered a fresh arms race. Bush was a decent man, but the more time goes by, the more he looks like an absolute moron to me.
Ukraine belonged to Russia for centuries. The two countries have almost identical cultures and languages. Kyiv used to be the capital of Russia. Putin's war is a war of defense. Russia (rightly, in my view) feels threatened by NATO expansion. Russia is a mainly land-based, continental power that desires a buffer with the West. Ukraine serves that purpose perfectly.
The U.S. triggered a coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014, overthrowing the democratically elected president who was Russia-friendly and installing a pro-Western, pro-NATO leader. Putin has had his eye on Ukraine ever since but dared not do anything when Trump was in power because he feared and respected Trump.
So Putin in the meantime brilliantly helped move along a green revolution in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, leaving Europe, with its wind farms and solar panels, hungry for more energy, which it bought from Russia in the form of natgas.
Trump's right: Putin is a genius. Unfortunately, we seem to be in a historically rare period in which the leaders of 1.5 billion people — i.e., the West — are to a person feckless, obtuse, senile, or some combination of the three.
Now that we have President Potted Plant in office, Putin has made his move. By the way, the story is that Russian annexed Crimea some years ago. Putin's version is that the Crimeans had a plebiscite, and over 90% voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia. That alone should give you an idea of what a dysfunctional country Ukraine is.
Putin has no intention of "reconstituting the Soviet Union." That's a big fat lie. This war is the West's fault, not Putin's. At any time, we could have discussed these issues with him. Instead of seeking closer ties with Russia (as Trump was attempting — he even talked about disbanding NATO, since Russia is no longer a territorial threat to Europe), we constantly antagonize Russia with our NATO expansion.
What we should be doing is assuring Russia that we are not a threat, making treaties with Russia bringing us closer together (after all, they are a European, Orthodox Christian nation), and turning our united efforts against the real threat: China. We couldn't have mishandled this more.
Contrary to popular opinion, the Ukrainians are not making a heroic stand against the Russkies. They're getting their asses kicked. They're hiding in population centers, and Russia, trying to get to them, is killing a lot of civilians as collateral damage.
They're fighting a relatively clean war (if there is such a thing), and all Zelensky has to do is meet with Putin and agree to Putin's four demands: 1) Ukraine cannot join NATO, 2) NATO arms out of Eastern Europe (honoring our promise to Russia's then-leader, Gorbachev), 3) a ban on NATO missiles within striking distance, and 4) autonomy for the two predominantly Russian provinces in east Ukraine.
Numbers 2 and 3 are a pretty big ask, but here you see how Putin himself may have read The Art of the Deal: always ask for more than you want.
Zelensky could end this in two hours if he wanted. Instead, he seems to have developed a Churchill complex. He's begging for money and arms, which will prolong the bloodshed. No one is reporting the billions in medicines, foodstuff, and other aid the Russians are shipping into Ukraine.
These insights I'm getting from the Greek press (I live here), which is being much more even-handed; from people inside Russia; and from Ukrainians whom I know. I also watched the four-hour Putin interview documentary by Oliver Stone, which skewed left but provided a fascinating look at Putin the human being. I repeat: he is not crazy. He has a surprisingly good sense of humor. Just to remind you, I'm not a fan.
The U.S. can't seem to kick its Cold War habit of looking at Russia as the enemy. The enemy, the real threat, is China, not a country of 125 million with a GDP less than that of 16 million Canadians.
I'm wondering what President Potted Plant is going to do when China invades Taiwan. Now, that is a threat to world peace. We get almost all our microchips from the Taiwanese. I wonder also how we will survive the next three years with this idiot in the W.H. The answer, as always, is prayer and lots of it.
Here's the truth on Ukraine, as far as I can tell
By Dan Truitt
First, and most importantly, virtually no one in the U.S. has got this right, including conservative outlets and pundits. Putin's a thug, but he's an excellent politician and a strong leader. And he's not crazy, as some seem to surmise. He is a cold, calculating, strategic thinker who has disciplined his mind and body for decades. He's a Russia first guy. Think Donald Trump minus all the hot air and Big Macs, and add a willingness to off his enemies.
We promised Russia we would not expand NATO when the Soviet Union fell. We went back on that promise and incorporated almost the entire Eastern Bloc into NATO.
Then after 9/11, Bush II unilaterally canceled the '72 ABM treaty, which until then had frozen nuclear weapon development in the Soviet Union and the U.S., effectively ending the arms race. Bush's rationale was that we needed to develop new nuclear weapon tech to defeat terrorism. As if we were going to nuke Osama bin Laden.
Bush's rationale for NATO expansion was also terrorism. So Bush triggered a fresh arms race. Bush was a decent man, but the more time goes by, the more he looks like an absolute moron to me.
Ukraine belonged to Russia for centuries. The two countries have almost identical cultures and languages. Kyiv used to be the capital of Russia. Putin's war is a war of defense. Russia (rightly, in my view) feels threatened by NATO expansion. Russia is a mainly land-based, continental power that desires a buffer with the West. Ukraine serves that purpose perfectly.
The U.S. triggered a coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014, overthrowing the democratically elected president who was Russia-friendly and installing a pro-Western, pro-NATO leader. Putin has had his eye on Ukraine ever since but dared not do anything when Trump was in power because he feared and respected Trump.
So Putin in the meantime brilliantly helped move along a green revolution in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, leaving Europe, with its wind farms and solar panels, hungry for more energy, which it bought from Russia in the form of natgas.
Trump's right: Putin is a genius. Unfortunately, we seem to be in a historically rare period in which the leaders of 1.5 billion people — i.e., the West — are to a person feckless, obtuse, senile, or some combination of the three.
Now that we have President Potted Plant in office, Putin has made his move. By the way, the story is that Russian annexed Crimea some years ago. Putin's version is that the Crimeans had a plebiscite, and over 90% voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia. That alone should give you an idea of what a dysfunctional country Ukraine is.
Putin has no intention of "reconstituting the Soviet Union." That's a big fat lie. This war is the West's fault, not Putin's. At any time, we could have discussed these issues with him. Instead of seeking closer ties with Russia (as Trump was attempting — he even talked about disbanding NATO, since Russia is no longer a territorial threat to Europe), we constantly antagonize Russia with our NATO expansion.
What we should be doing is assuring Russia that we are not a threat, making treaties with Russia bringing us closer together (after all, they are a European, Orthodox Christian nation), and turning our united efforts against the real threat: China. We couldn't have mishandled this more.
Contrary to popular opinion, the Ukrainians are not making a heroic stand against the Russkies. They're getting their asses kicked. They're hiding in population centers, and Russia, trying to get to them, is killing a lot of civilians as collateral damage.
They're fighting a relatively clean war (if there is such a thing), and all Zelensky has to do is meet with Putin and agree to Putin's four demands: 1) Ukraine cannot join NATO, 2) NATO arms out of Eastern Europe (honoring our promise to Russia's then-leader, Gorbachev), 3) a ban on NATO missiles within striking distance, and 4) autonomy for the two predominantly Russian provinces in east Ukraine.
Numbers 2 and 3 are a pretty big ask, but here you see how Putin himself may have read The Art of the Deal: always ask for more than you want.
Zelensky could end this in two hours if he wanted. Instead, he seems to have developed a Churchill complex. He's begging for money and arms, which will prolong the bloodshed. No one is reporting the billions in medicines, foodstuff, and other aid the Russians are shipping into Ukraine.
These insights I'm getting from the Greek press (I live here), which is being much more even-handed; from people inside Russia; and from Ukrainians whom I know. I also watched the four-hour Putin interview documentary by Oliver Stone, which skewed left but provided a fascinating look at Putin the human being. I repeat: he is not crazy. He has a surprisingly good sense of humor. Just to remind you, I'm not a fan.
The U.S. can't seem to kick its Cold War habit of looking at Russia as the enemy. The enemy, the real threat, is China, not a country of 125 million with a GDP less than that of 16 million Canadians.
I'm wondering what President Potted Plant is going to do when China invades Taiwan. Now, that is a threat to world peace. We get almost all our microchips from the Taiwanese. I wonder also how we will survive the next three years with this idiot in the W.H. The answer, as always, is prayer and lots of it.
28 comments:
If and when the UK, US and Others send more arms to Ukraine, Russia will have no choice but to destroy Ukraine fast. And if there is any need, Russia may even have to strike at the US and NATO Military base near Russia.
Russia has to do a neat job to neutralize any threats to its' survival. There can be no compromise even as World-war 3 looms.
Go Russia and demolish the Supremacist lmperialist.
China now has a "dual circulation" policy initiated by President Xi which directs the country to rely more on its own domestic market (Chinese provinces trading with each other, each province can be larger than many countries in the world) and less trade with the outside world. This would make China more solidly immune to US and Western sanctions.
If China announces to the world that it would only accept yuan for all trade with China, just like Putin announces Russia would only accept rubles for its oil sales, this would smash the US dollar global hegemony.
NATO: Dumb and dumber:
'Since the Maidan, Russia, presumably working with China, has set a trap for the United States in the Ukraine. They knew that after the revolution, the West wouldn’t be able to help itself, and would move NATO forces into the country, and NATOize the country, and so they planned the response – and understood the US response.
There had to be an invasion, because they had to get the US to act in this deranged way, which is the result of both unfathomable hubris and the general degrading of the culture into a state of nonstop moral panic.
The US has already lost.
Putin has demonstrated hypersonic missiles in the Ukraine. These cannot be shot down by any of NATO’s missile defense systems, meaning if NATO tries to attack Russia conventionally, Russia can strike targets across Western Europe. Moreover, there is just no way to invade Russia.
The only remaining options are to back off or start a nuclear war.'
https://www.unz.com/aanglin/how-are-those-sanctions-working-out-guys/
Biden is in Europe for NATO, G7 summits & European Council meeting, all about confrontation.
Meanwhile Chinese FM Wang Yi is spreading stability, reconstruction and inclusiveness. Wang is visiting India after Afghanistan and Nepal.
This is the difference between China and the United States.
No worry. Another 100-years war, which was very common until 1970. After that only kuching kurak "conflicts" here & there.
More profits from war stocks. If only war stocks were available to common people 3000 or 5000 years ago, serfdom & slavery wouldn't have lasted for 10,000 years. Ordinary citizens would have made enough money to buy their freedom & at the same time contribute taxes to their kings or govts.
Wars set people free.
That's why LKY and Goh Keng Swee so fucking adamant about Sinkies doing NS (machiam like Sparta 2,500 years ago).
I have the good news and the bad news from Ukraine.
The bad news is that Russia has suffered heavy defeat with 15,000 deaths and more than 30,000 injured. Now, what about the militia from the two breakaway republics? Together could I say another 15,000 and 30,000 injured. I think NATO would like this kind of reports.
Now the good news. There were no reports of deaths on the side of the Ukrainians. Not even one? Incredible journalism? But there were reports of more than a thousand civilian deaths. Again, I think NATO would love this even more.
But watching Channel News America, I keep digging in the salt with my breakfast.
According to western media, Russia already lost the war. All the Russian tanks were destroyed.
Can you believe that?
The fact that countries like Russia, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are or will be doing oil deals outside of the US$ should be big news, but not in the West. It is unimportant!
Russia's move of insisting on payments in rubles is going to remove hundreds of billions of unnecessary usage of the US$. China's oil deal with Russia in Yuan is going to remove another hundreds of billions of unnecessary US$ usage. China's oil deal with Iran, via investments for oil, is removing another hundreds of billions of unnecessary usage of the US$. And we have yet to know how much more billions of US$ will be bypassed with Saudi Arabia getting Yuan from China for oil. Looks like demand for Rubles and Yuan will see better days.
With such massive demands for US$ dwindling by the day, I wonder where those US$ being printed day and night will go to? Right now, that has already fueled inflation, unheard of in the USA, and will be getting worse. Trump is benefiting from all this.
But never mind, the USA can sell it's oil in US$ to the EU, multiple times more expensive than Russia. It will be a 'wink wink' situation for the USA and the EU. Hope the Germans and French are not reading this 'fake news'
By the way, why are EU leaders, like Macron, are said to be uninterested in talking to Boris Johnson? That hog is big and fat and cannot be difficult to spot. Of course Macron is still sore with the submarine deal sabotaged by Biden, Johnson and Morrison. The rest of Europe now thinks the UK is now irrelevant and just puffing hot air.
According to MSM, Ukraine is even pushing Russia back into Russian territory. I believe that, but with lots of salt.
I also have good news and bad news.
The good news, the 13 Ukrainian soldiers in the island that were supposed to be killed by the Russians are alive and taken prisoner to crimea.
The bad news, their heroes medal would be withdrawn by the Zelensky once this news is reported and their lies exposed.
Not to forget that India's oil deal with Russia is also in rupees.
It is not the mini mice that thinks they matter, but those big countries like Russia, China, India, Iran and Saudi Arabia that are pushing the US$ to the cliff.
Zelensky is now fighting a corruption scandal surfacing. It this in the news? Apparently not!
The USA and EU cannot say NATO expansion is not a threat to Russia, yet at the same time they are even placing nuclear missiles in NATO countries bordering Russia. What are those missiles for? Even if they can fool everyone else, they cannot fool Putin. He is too smart.
Against China, and if a sanctions war erupts, it will not be in energy as in the case of Russia. It will be what the USA cannot do without and that is consumer goods. Everything in Walmart for example, comes from China. Can the USA afford to take the risk?
Sure, everything has alternatives, but at what price? The USA has oil and gas to tide them over the Russian energy issue, but not Europe. Even expanding production needs time and investments. But to produce the range of consumer goods without China is a tall order, even in the context of the richest country in the world. Going through the motion without deeply thinking about the consequences can sometimes backfire badly and disastrously.
Biden and his bunch of clowns have scored their own goal by weaponising the dollar. The dollar would start to spiral down into a bottomless pit. It is now a very risky business to hold on to the dollar.
If one big holder starts to sell, everyone would also want to sell, and there will be a run on the dollar. Everyone wants to sell first before it is too late. There will be panic and a stampede.
If there is a dollar run follows by a bank run, the American Empire would collapse immediately.
When China follows what Putin did, and insist on payments in Yuan for all the goods they produce for export to all unfriendly counties, eg the USA market, that would be really beginning of the end.
Remember, they do not call China the factory of the world for nothing.
One of the most frequent lines heard in Washington is that Russia is now globally isolated. The west is mistaking its own unity for a global consensus.
One misleading measure is at the UN. In the organisation’s last tally earlier this month, 141 of 193 member states condemned Vladimir Putin’s blatant violation of international law. But the 35 that abstained account for almost half the world’s population. That includes China, India, Vietnam, Iraq and South Africa. If you add those that voted with Russia, it comes to more than half.
The BRICS group is larger than the West.
Author is trying to deescalate the war in Ukraine but ironically helping to create another one, on China. Taiwan is half the world away and is recognised as part of China under the One China policy by most countries including the US. So how is China Taiwan reunification any of his or the West fcuking business?
It is Putin and Nato that created a war, not China. How is China a threat to them except maybe economically? Is he saying white caucasians shouldn't be fighting against one another but to divert all resources to fight people of another race?
Nothing but just another white supremacist take.
If US$ falls, the Whites no longer call the shots. That is why the Whites have to throw their support behind the USA. Some may beg to differ, eg the Germans, but they cannot decide as they are mere puppets.
Of the 141 that supported the UN vote, how many truly and honestly support it without being under veiled coercion or fearing regime change. Some were not even having anything to do with the sanctions. And they have those ambassadors going around trying to put pressure on those countries that abstained or refusing to take part in the sanctioning.
The Americans always try to set the narrative, fabricating lies to make the world believe what they want them to believe using the media to control their thinking.
They have been spreading so much lies about Ukraine, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc etc. And the Covid and pseudo vaccine lies and the need to have booster after booster jabs.
HO Ching
Careful but decisive step towards living with an endemic Covid, while staying prepared in case a new and more troublesome variant pops up.
We should be able to relax much further over the next 3 months to June, unless a more troublesome variant emerges.
Another development to watch would be China, as Omicron seeps in quite fast and aggressive, given their lower rate of vaccination for their old folks, on top of a lower efficacy vaccine and lack of booster.
China should use this period to authorise and get better vaccines like the mRNA vaccines for their older folks, and esp to boost - one shot to uplift their 2 shots of the less effective inactivated virus vaccines, and another shot as a booster later.
There should be plenty of mRNA vaccine capacity available globally, plus local players like Fosun had secured mfrg rights in China to do domestic local production.
And to use the time not just to continue the whack-a-mole dynamic zero policy, but really to work hard to boost vaccination for their seniors as one key plank of Omicron dynamic zero.
US, EU Try to Go after Russian Gold but Moscow Says All its Gold Reserves Secure in Country’s Central Bank Vaults
Russia holds roughly $130 billion in gold reserves, the world’s fifth-biggest stockpile. The US and EU authorities hinted of possible sanctions targeting Russian gold. But Russian central bank on Friday says: “All the gold from our gold and foreign exchange reserves is in the vaults of the Bank of Russia on the territory of our country,”
Earlier this month, the US and its allies froze roughly half of Russia’s reserves, worth $300 billion, as part of sanctions over Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. However, the remainder of the country’s reserves, which includes physical gold, is secure, according to the Bank of Russia.
This confirms Biden and Boris are true idiots as they talked about going after Russia's gold.
This also confirms they are 'Robbing Hoods'. They robbed the lands belonging to the Native Americans. They robbed the oil belonging to the Iraqis. They were trying to do the same to Venezuela.
They are now using sanctions against others to rob their gold and reserves. This is their 'Rule of Law'. If countries have gold or reserves with them, they better start doing the obvious. Hope it is not too late. It is never too early if they are smart.
Why are countries so stupid to trust them by leaving their gold with them, thinking Fort Knox is the safest place on earth. The Fort is safe, the people in charge of the place are proven to be anything but safe. All the gold there have been stolen and is believed to be just an empty shell.
Singapore Sovereign Wealth Funds' Capital Trapped in Russia ?
The Russian Central Bank (Bank of Russia) on Friday imposed restrictions on the movement of funds to countries that introduced economic sanctions against Russia in connection with its military operation in Ukraine.
“In response to the partial freezing of Russian reserves, Russia also introduced restrictions on the movement of funds that could be transferred to unfriendly countries, for a comparable amount,” a statement on the website of the Bank of Russia reads.
The regulator explained that it is essentially applying a “mirror measure,” banning the movement of capital, the sale of securities by foreign investors, and their withdrawal of funds from the Russian financial system.
In addition, payments on the corporate debt of Russian companies and government debt to holders from countries that support sanctions against Russia can now only take place with the permission of a government commission.
The tiny city state of Singapore is on Russia's "unfriendly countries" list after it ganged up with the West to impose unilateral sanctions on Russia.
Following on paying rubles for oil and gas, Russia will declare the US DOLLARs is illegal in Russia. These will protect Russians for keeping a depreciating US dollars caused by the crazy printing of uncle Sam. All others countries may think it logical to ban us dollars.
Puzzling online ST frontpage headlines (Mar 25):
* The war against Covid-19 may be over, but skirmishes and casualties will continue. Singapore now has to ensure that the hard-won success does not go down the drain
* Singapore reports 7,584 new Covid-19 cases, with 826 patients hospitalised
7584 new cases and that's victory ?? Success??! War over ??!
US President Biden to welcome Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong to the White House on Tuesday
Will review efforts to ensure free and open Indo-Pacific, and will discuss Ukraine-Russia situation.
(Newswires)
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