Feb 142015
 
 February 14, 2015  Posted by at 9:38 pm Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , ,


Harris&Ewing National Capital digs out after storm Jan 14 1939

I’ve addressed the issue a hundred times, and it pains me to see it only gets worse. But it does. And it’s not my pain that counts, it has no meaning whatsoever, it’s the fact that we are inching ever closer to the kind of situations none of us would choose.

That is, war, people dying from sheer misery, people dying because they have no access to the services we take for granted, and even people being shelled by their own government.

All these things are happening as we speak, and we accept them lying down – on our couches -, and choose to ignore and even deny them, because we are trapped in narratives spun by those who see a profit in spreading these narratives. And who have a solid grip on what gets spun and what is not.

This is not going to end well. Not unless we speak up. Not for anyone amongst us. This one will not pass by your door, or mine. We’re approaching decision time. For the world, for your life and mine. It’s time to pick sides.

As I said, I’ve talked about this numerous times. I suggest you read for example 2014: The Year Propaganda Came Of Age. And then realize that the age of innocence is gone. That ‘I didn’t know’ no longer counts for anything. That ‘I’m just trying to make a living’ only goes so far. That your life is not only about you.

February 12 seems to have been a busy day. There had been a 16 hour – largely overnight – meeting in Minsk attended by Merkel, Hollande, Petroshenko and Putin. Why Putin was asked to attend – ostensibly representing the Donbass ‘rebels’ – is up for questioning, but he was there. The rebels themselves were not.

Not long after the cease-fire was announced, perhaps even prior to it, US Senator Jim Inhofe released photos, which he claimed prove Russian troops are in Ukraine. These were subsequently found to be fake. Like every other single ‘proof’ has been found wanting.

Think about that for a second, another second: it’s been a year since Maidan, since Yanukovich was chased out, and still not one piece of ‘evidence’ has been made to stick. Not one. While the US have the most advanced spy technology ever seen on the planet, it has not been able to produce one piece of information, for a whole year, to prove its assertions that Russia provides weapons to the ‘rebels’, sends soldiers to fight in the Donbass, or has anything to do with shooting down a plane. Not one single piece of evidence.

And then comes Inhofe. Who’s a bigwig, and whose claims may well sway Senate votes towards sending US arms to Kiev:

Inhofe Releases ‘Exclusive’ Deathly Images To Free Beacon That Are Not

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) released photographs Thursday of what he says is confirmed Russian military action against Ukraine. He gave them “exclusively” to the Washington Free Beacon. Except there’s just one problem — some of the photographs given to WFB from the 80-year-old senator date back to 2008 from the AP and aren’t exclusive at all.

The photos are fake. Completely fake. Just like all the other evidence presented over the past year. There is nothing that proves any Russian involvement. And if there were anything, you bet your behind they would trump it all over Fox and CNN until the cows had come home and left again for greener pastures. The US is attempting to start a war out of nothing, and for nothing, just because a group of deluded people think they can, and need to, conquer the largest nation on earth for their own advantage.

At roughly the same time Senator Inhofe tried to peddle his fake pictures, Ukraine ultranationalist leader Dmitry Yarosh, of the Right Sector, proclaimed he wouldn’t honor the Minsk deal.

Ukraine Right Sector Leader Rejects Peace Deal, Vows ‘To Continue War’

Ukraine’s Right Sector leader Dmitry Yarosh said his radical movement rejects the Minsk peace deal and that their paramilitary units in eastern Ukraine will continue “active fighting” according to their “own plans.” The notorious ultranationalist leader published a statement on his Facebook page Friday, saying that his radical Right Sector movement doesn’t recognize the peace deal, signed by the so-called ‘contact group’ on Thursday and agreed upon by Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia after epic 16-hour talks. Yarosh claimed that any agreement with the eastern militia, whom he calls “terrorists,” has no legal force.

Not only did Yarosh, who now says he wants to keep on fighting, play a pivotal part in the Maidan movement,and was heavily supported by the US and EU, this same man who ignores the agreement his own president signed, is a member of the Ukraine Parliament. And he’s on Interpol’s wanted list too. Yarosh, an acknowledged neo nazi, fights on ‘our’ side, and if if people like John McCain get their way, he’ll soon be provided with heavy US armory.

Not to be outdone, NATO has this:

Nato Head Says Alliance Has Data On Russian Military Presence In Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claims that the intelligence service of the alliance has some documented data of Russian military presence in eastern Ukraine. Stoltenberg announced it on air of the Kommersant FM radio. According to Stoltenberg, the militias of eastern Ukraine wouldn’t have been able to achieve the success they are demonstrating without Russia’s support. He said that NATO receives data on Russian military presence in Ukraine from the intelligence services, journalists and other sources but presented no concrete facts.

Moscow has repeatedly denied alleged presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in late January that those accusing Russia of sending troops and weapons to the conflict-torn south-eastern Ukraine need to substantiate their accusations with proof. “We hear a lot about the flow of Russian troops and arms,” Lavrov said speaking at his annual news conference. “And every time I respond that if one speaks with such certainty, than one should present some facts. However, no one is either capable or willing to present the facts.”

Again, if they has any such data, it would be plastered over every news paper and every TV screen in the western world, and likely beyond. But, turns out, Stoltenberg is as reliable as Senator Inhofe and the rest of them are:

OSCE Chief Saw No Russian Troops In Ukraine’s East

Lamberto Zannier, secretary general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), told a forum on OSCE’s project coordination in Ukraine he could not confirm the movement or the presence of Russian forces there…

To top off the madness, apparently yesterday, one day after the Minsk cease-fire accord, the EU announced new anti-Russian sanctions for Monday:

New Anti-Russia Sanctions to Enter Into Force Monday

Maja Kocijancic, European Commission’s spokesperson for foreign affairs, confirmed Friday that the EU will add 19 individuals, including five Russians, and nine entities to the list of sanctions over Ukraine on February 16. The statement was made a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with the leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine, brokered a new deal on the crisis reconciliation in Minsk. “The political decision of additional listings has been taken on January 29. The [EU] Foreign Affairs Council on Monday adopted a legal act so it made it fulfilled this political commitment and has set to give the diplomatic efforts a chance that entering into force will happen on February 16, which is this coming Monday,” Kocijancic said.

The European Union, the United States and other countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over its alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict. The restrictions target the country’s defense, energy and finance sectors, as well as a number of individuals. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it is not militarily involved in Ukraine’s internal affairs. Following the Minsk talks, EU leaders convened for an informal meeting but a new-wave of anti-Russia sanctions was not on the agenda, European Council President Donald Tusk announced. Meanwhile European leaders agreed that the implementation of Thursday’s deal will become a touchstone for further relations with Russia.

That doesn’t make any sense at all, to declare new sanctions when you’ve just signed a deal. That smacks of less than honorable intentions.

Ultra right wing military hothead Yarosh, honorable member of the Ukraine parliament, states he will not abide by what his own superior signed, while the ink he signed it with was still fresh. Which means the Kiev government, and by extension the US and EU, can claim it wasn’t them who violated the accord, but it will be violated regardless. And then when the rebels, alternatively labeled pro-Russian or Russian-led, defend themselves against the Right Sector, the west will have its narrative to declare war on Russia.

And that will not turn out well for us, for you and me. There’s nothing there that will benefit us. The lives of our children will be sacrificed on the altar of a few handfuls of crazed psychopaths. Unless we stop them. It would seem there’s not much time left.

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  • #19163

    Harris&Ewing National Capital digs out after storm Jan 14 1939 I’ve addressed the issue a hundred times, and it pains me to see it only gets worse. Bu
    [See the full post at: Trapped in a Narrative]

    #19165
    wroblon
    Participant

    “Not one. While the US have the most advanced spy technology ever seen on the planet, it has not been able to produce one piece of information, for a whole year, to prove its assertions that Russia provides weapons to the ‘rebels’, sends soldiers to fight in the Donbass, or has anything to do with shooting down a plane. Not one single piece of evidence.”

    https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/23/us-ukraine-crisis-tanks-exclusive-idUSKCN0IC1GE20141023

    #19166
    Ken Barrows
    Participant

    Well, at least, Senator Inhofe is an expert on climate and environmental matters.

    #19167
    palloy
    Participant

    wroblon,
    https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/23/us-ukraine-crisis-tanks-exclusive-idUSKCN0IC1GE20141023
    Reuters showed photographs of the two badly damaged tanks, one of which had lost its turret, to four independent military experts, who said they were of a type used exclusively by the Russian army.

    At least one, they agreed, was a T-72BM – a Russian-made modification of a well known Soviet tank. This version of the tank, they said, is not known to have been exported.
    =====

    So who were these “four independent experts” and which photograph was it? Were they truly independent? I mean Reuters has never retold the west’s lies before, have they?

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28961080
    But now experts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London have told the BBC that they have identified a Russian tank in a separatist column in eastern Ukraine that they say could only have come from across the border in Russia.

    Joseph Dempsey, an IISS analyst, has studied video footage reportedly taken on 26 August in Sverdlovsk, Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine. The video shows a convoy of military vehicles.

    Whilst date and location are unconfirmed, …
    =====
    So these experts were from IISS in London, (they wouldn’t be biased, would they?) and the video date and location are unconfirmed. Apparently the Russians have many tanks removed from service that are identical to Ukrainian models, that would blend in in Ukraine, but they sent a T-72BM as well, by mistake. Silly Russians.

    And so it goes, on and on, while US satellites have never picked up anything.

    #19168
    rapier
    Participant

    I’ve wandered a few times into article discussions on Slate and even erstwhile ultra liberal Salon and other sites where Ukraine is the topic and outright hatred of Russia, no make that Putin, runs very high. From that comes the simple narrative, the US is supporting freedom.
    There is nothing that can be said which questions the NY Times narrative which is the US war party’s narrative which is not rejected as being simply the product of either someone fooled by Russian propaganda or an enemy of freedom. So what is one to do?

    Nothing could be done to stop the Iraq adventure despite gigantic rallies against it and very broad dissent and it had zero effect. This is many times worse so I ask again. What is to be done. It’s almost totally in Obama’s hands now to alter the course. To do so will brand him an appeaser and don’t forget he hates Putin too and seems to buy into the dominant narrative.

    In addition I think war or rumors of war in Ukraine are meant to keep the EU together. I think that has always been part of the calculation, dumb as that may be.

    #19169
    palloy
    Participant

    This from RT today mentions IISS – see if you think they are unbiased, RT obviously thinks so, but they are biased too, of course.

    https://rt.com/news/232347-russia-military-balance-isis/
    A UK think tank’s annual report on global military capabilities has its first and biggest chapter devoted to Russia, “challenging the European security order”. Political analysts said the document was biased and could lead to a new Cold War arms race.

    The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine is what the bulk of the latest annual Military Balance report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is focused on. The group describes itself as “a world-leading authority on global security, political risk and military conflict” and has former US and British government officials among its members.

    “The Kremlin… appears to desire a fractured Ukraine, unable to move beyond Russia’s orbit and get closer to western institutions,” argue the authors of the Military Balance 2015 report.

    “Western countries are now having to devise a strategy… to deal with an apparently revisionist Russia,” the report goes on to say, concluding that “Europe is facing a more belligerent Russia” and calling for “dissuasion of Russian adventurism on EU or NATO territory.”

    The language of the report is something that betrays a non-impartial approach to some of the report’s readers.

    “This is a Cold War document, wherein Russia is depicted as a force for bad in the world and the West a force for good,” political analyst John Wight told RT. “Words such as ‘revisionist’, ‘belligerent’, and ‘adventurism’ are liberally deployed in a negative depiction of Russia”.

    Journalist Phil Butler says the report “reeks of hyperbole summoning terms like ‘hybrid warfare’ to describe the Ukraine civil war”. He finds the document to be “totally western-centric in that it’s an unbridled instigation for a new arms race”.

    The report describes prospect for peaceful settlement as “unpromising,” while the US considerations over arming Kiev are said to be “a moral obligation and a strategic duty”, or at least an option that must be “‘kept on the table’ in support of the diplomatic process”.
    [more]

    #19170
    rapier
    Participant
    #19171
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    rapier

    Thanks for that link; always good to hear Cohen.

    #19172
    Figmund Sreud
    Participant

    To wroblon:

    U.S./NATO countries are providing Kiev with military equipment and gear. This is right in the open – an acknowledged fact. What’s unacknowledged is, … is that the military equipment headed for Ukraine is strictly of Soviet origin – of Soviet specifications.

    Back in last summer it was openly announced that U.S./NATO had arranged for regular shipments of military equipment from Eastern Europe – ex. Warsaw Pact nations, to Ukraine. Officially, all equipment being shipped is the equipment that has been written off – surplused, … since it was replaced with U.S./NATO specifications equipment.

    So, there. That is why you see a lot of destroyed equipment, by Nonorussians, … that is of Russian origin.

    Anyway, … Ukraine is not going to get any – none – of U.S./NATO military equipment until it is firmly a U.S./NATO member! Trust me on that, …

    #19173
    Nassim
    Participant

    Apparently, the British have sent 50 “defensive” armoured cars – Saxons – to Ukraine. They were used in Iraq – another defensive operation – and have been refurbished.

    “Ukraine crisis: Former British armoured vehicles arrive in conflict zone after being sold off by private firm”

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ukraine-crisis-former-british-armoured-vehicles-arrive-in-conflict-zone-after-being-sold-off-by-private-firm-10046210.html

    #19174
    Raleigh
    Participant

    “But without war and the threat of war the military-industrial-national security state complex would falter. Since even before President Eisenhower warned of what would happen if our republic ceded power to it, its unelected and unaccountable leaders have been calling the shots.

    Therefore perpetual peace is out of the question. If enemies do not exist, the United States will have to invent them. […]

    Could this be why Team Obama, with support from unreconstructed Cold Warriors in Europe, decided that the time had come to provoke Russia?

    A new Cold War would certainly make life more interesting – and profitable — for them. And with the fear of Islamist terrorism in the West receding, a new Cold War would be just the thing to raise anxiety levels back to where our rulers like them to be.”

    https://www.counterpunch.org/2015/02/13/playing-with-fire-in-an-age-of-absurdity/

    Psychopaths? There’s a very slim chance of getting in the door of politics unless you are one. It’s where these guys hang out, the centers of power. It’s all about power; money is secondary because it just flows naturally out of power. Money often buys power, but power always gets you money. Better to have power.

    Trying to deal fairly with a psychopath is going to get you nowhere. They understand you (that you have a conscience/empathy, and you’re probably not going to lie, but they will). Their aim is to destroy you, your credibility, so that they come out on top. Because they so easily lie, but you won’t, it is easy to discredit you. Once a lie gets put out there, it’s hard to refute it. You are always behind the eight ball.

    But the one thing that psychopaths hate (their biggest fear always) is being exposed. When their lies start being exposed (which is what used to happen when we actually had a “free press”), they will run for the hills. That’s why they’ve made damn sure that what we have is an “owned press” that keeps the truth out.

    Germany, France, the rest of Europe will have to tell the U.S. warmongers to take a flying leap.

    #19175
    Raleigh
    Participant

    Another small country: Honduras. The U.S. rides again!

    “About “half of all U.S. arms exports for the entire Western Hemisphere” went to Honduras in 2011, Martha Mendoza disclosed, referring to the $1.3 billion in military electronics that “neither the State Department nor the Pentagon” would explain. […]

    We can say the same of U.S. efforts to shape Honduran society. The “military simply did not exist in any institutionalized form” there for much of the 20th century, Kirk Bowman observes. This situation changed after the U.S. and Honduran governments signed a Bilateral Treaty of Military Assistance in May 1954. We see the outcomes today. The journalists gunned down by passing assassins, the poor farmers stalked and murdered for defending their land—this is as much a part of Obama’s Latin America legacy as his celebrated Cuba thaw.”

    Obama’s Latin American Legacy

    Don’t you think we ought to call these people psychoticians?

    #19176

    wroblon, if there were proof, it wouldn’t be limited to one or two photographs. that in itself is a dead give-away.

    #19178
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    The ceasefire was broken at 2 am in the Cauldron, by Ukrainian troops.
    This according to Fort Russ;
    https://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/02/zakharchenko-calls-emergency-meeting.html

    Consistent figures estimate 8,000 Ukrainian troops trapped by the separatists. That is effectively, the Ukrainian army.
    I think this will end quickly if the general ceasefire ends. Russia will be in Kiev in 3 days or less.
    The general consensus, from the sources I read, is that Putin is through with this insanity.

    #19182
    wroblon
    Participant

    @all
    Video of Aleksandr Zacharczenko describing russian military support for the separatists:

    + numoerous reports in polish press regarding the presence of russian troops in eastern Ukraine:

    https://www.polskatimes.pl/artykul/3550995,ukraina-rosyjskie-czolgi-wjechaly-na-teren-obwodu-donieckiego-spalimy-wszystko-na-co-natrafimy,id,t.html

    https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/swiat/artykuly/461798,ukraina-rosyjskie-czolgi-t-72-wjechaly-przez-granice-do-doniecka-wideo.html

    https://www.defence24.pl/news_kolejne-rosyjskie-czolgi-na-ukrainie

    But let’s say I’m incorrect and all of the above is incorrect/false/unsubstantiated/Kiev’s propaganda. Then, can you please answer this: assuming no russian involvement, where are the separatists getting their military equipment from?

    #19183
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    @ wroblon

    Okay, let’s walk this back a bit; the U.S., unabashedly orchestrated a coup in Ukraine against a democratically elected government.
    So, what’s your point? If you’re looking for the moral high ground, there isn’t any.
    I know a little bit about Ukraine and its historic relationship to Russia. The U.S. is operating in an especially ignorant and dare I say, criminally, irresponsible manner.
    Oh, and everybody already knows Russia is supplying equipment; the point is there are no regular Russian troops or motor divisions in Ukraine.
    The man himself, Putin, said there were Russian volunteers and soldiers on leave/vacation in Ukraine. Even the OCSE (independent observers) have said they have seen no Russian troops.
    So, again, what’s your point?

    #19186
    wroblon
    Participant

    I’m not looking for any moral high ground whatsoever. But stating that there is no russian military involvement in the Ukraine is just false.

    Don’t get me wrong; I am a huge fan of The Automatic Earth. But what worries me is that in a quest of escaping the mainstream narrative, Mr Meijer is trapping himself in a different one.

    #19187
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    @ wroblon

    Who has said there is no Russian military involvement? What is said is, there is no physical presence/involvement. Critical reading/thinking are tools that, lacking, leave one crippled.

    As Ilargi has already said;
    “wroblon, if there were proof, it wouldn’t be limited to one or two photographs. that in itself is a dead give-away.”

    As to the Polish press? You think they have no axe to grind in this absurd theater?
    You, and I can only go by what you post here, seem to be caught in a bit of an information, no strike that, propaganda trap your-own-self.

    And further you say; “But what worries me is that in a quest of escaping the mainstream narrative, Mr Meijer is trapping himself in a different one.”

    A different one? You mean the one that is reality? What’s the trouble with that, pray tell?
    It would seem you are not aware of the gargantuan anti-Russian propaganda blitz by the west, and specifically the U.S. government.
    Buyer beware…

    #19193

    Huge numbers of Russians have family members in Ukraine. A small part of them have gone over to prevent these aunt and uncles and nieces and nephews from being annihilated by the likes of Yarosh. So yes, there are Russians in Ukraine. And Putin does not try to stop them from going. There are a lot of funds collected in Russia to support these Russian fighters. Some of that goes to weaponry. But the majority of rebel arms is still Russian arms confiscated from the Ukraine army. If Putin sent over official army units he would play right into the hands of NATO. That the US, EU, NATO have never offered any proof for the presence of these troops is all you need to know.

    #19194
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    @ Ilargi

    Yep, pretty simple really…

    #19195
    bluebird
    Participant

    There are several major stores in the news. There is Russia & Ukraine, there are ISIS militants killing hostages, there is Obama asking for power to go to war, there is Greece possibly defaulting its debts, and the markets rocketing to new highs. Am I the only one to wonder if one of these newsy stories will be the trigger to implode the global financial ponzi bubble.

    #19196
    mr.mud
    Participant

    The Causes of the MH17 Crash are “Classified”. Ukraine, Netherlands, Australia, Belgium Signed a “Non-disclosure Agreement”

    The Causes of the MH17 Crash are “Classified”. Ukraine, Netherlands, Australia, Belgium Signed a “Non-disclosure Agreement”


    The plane in Ukraine swept swiftly from the brain.

    #19198
    Realitychecker
    Participant

    “…… it’s the fact that we are inching ever closer to the kind of situations none of us would choose.
    That is, war, people dying from sheer misery, people dying because they have no access to the services we take for granted, and even people being shelled by their own government”.

    Perhaps the warped explanation for this dangerous situation that has been intentionally created, is given in this article on Zero Hedge (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-15/only-question-about-so-called-recovery) as this extract argues

    “…….now that for the first time ever, central banks are set to monetize all global government debt, something we showed previously…and leave virtually no other securities to satisfy investor demand” except a good war that would provide plenty of investible demand from the military-industrial sector of the west.

    I have a growing conviction that the world is becoming increasingly irrational, so throw in the early impacts of Limits to Growth and a growing opposition to US global hegemony and it begins to look like a case of God help us all from the follies of our so called elites.

    #19200
    Hotrod
    Participant

    Perhaps the warped explanation for this dangerous situation that has been intentionally created, is given in this article on Zero Hedge (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-15/only-question-about-so-called-recovery) as this extract argues

    If this is correct than the world is indeed run by psychopaths and there is little to no hope for the future. Unless they are removed like a cancerous tumor. And maybe not even then.

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