Nov 202022
 
 November 20, 2022  Posted by at 2:20 pm Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,


Ivan Aivazovsky Sea channel with lighthouse 1873

 

 

I suggest we have three “pairings” of people. In Russia, there’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. In the US, we have Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. In the EU, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. Of course, there’s also President Biden and Putin; the EU has no president, it only has von der Leyen. Likewise, you at times see Russian and American Defense misters, but the EU doesn’t have one of those either. It sort of makes do with Borrell.

For the three pairings, the job titles are different, but these are the people you see talking most when Ukraine is the topic. Certainly Lavrov, but also Zakharova, are diplomats. Blinken and Borrell like to call themselves that, but they are obviously not. The job of a true diplomat is to always leave channels open to talk with everyone, and never condemn or speak ill of, anyone -in public. It’s bad manners. But Blinken is a neocon who’s been cheering on various US invasions for 30 years, and that disqualifies him from diplomacy. As for Jean-Pierre, let’s not even discuss her. We don’t want to insult Zakharova by even trying to make a comparison.

Von der Leyen and Borrell have the disadvantage that their power is not genuine. They have never been elected to their posts, other than by a small group of insiders that are easily controlled. Moreover, the EU has no army, it depends 100% on the US, so independent decisions are out of the question. The EU is talking again about its own army, and even about building its own fighter jet, but each would cost at least 10 years, and thus be useless in the current situation.

Perhaps that’s why Von der Leyen and Borrell talk more, and more aggressively, than the others. But with that talk, along with the sanctions they have made the bloc’s policy, they have brought a lot of misery to the people in their member countries. Of course, they claim this is inevitable, and it’s all Russia’s fault, but that is merely a claim. Just like the idea that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was totally unprovoked. That practically no country outside the “collective west” think it’s true says a lot.

And the next colossal and fully unnecessary blunder appears to come next week, when the European parliament is poised to declare Russia a “Terrorist State”. What they hope to achieve by that, who knows? Bragging rights? Diplomats don’t do those. Even the US refuses to go there, because “none of these efforts at keeping some kind of potential negotiations open would be possible if the US slapped a ‘terrorist state’ label on Russia.” The ‘terrorist state’ label comes straight from Zelensky, and the EU appears set to still follow him closely. While the US is creating some distance from him. The talk in Turkey last week between the US and Russian intelligence chiefs should not be overlooked. And yes, that’s right, the EU doesn’t have an intelligence chief.

When Zelensky and Poland tried to lure the US into a NATO war against Russia in reaction to the “missile over Poland”, the US for the first time said a firm “NO”. A turning point? It’s the US making clear they will not enter the war. Because as Lidia Misnik wrote: ‘The US Won’t Sacrifice Chicago For Warsaw’ What’s more, as Batiushka said, “In Kiev, Warsaw, the Baltics and in London, they should remember what the Americans did to [Saddam] Hussein and Bin Laden. They are quite capable of doing the same again, pulling the plug on them all.”

 

 

The best thing to do for the EU would be to get rid of both Borrell and von der Leyen, and adopt a less antagonistic and more diplomatic position vs Russia, but that may be hard to achieve, given the power structure in Brussels. Still, there must be a few French and German real diplomats left. But, ironically (?!), the US may not agree. They may want for the EU to continue it’s self-destructive path for a while, at the same time that the US washes its hands clean(er). European pain is American gain in many ways. Just look at EU purchases of weapons and LNG. Once Europe freezes over, this will not be a viable attitude, but for now…until Christmas…

From RT via Azerbaycan:

Borrell’s Ideas Deepen EU Divisions – Moscow

The EU’s policies towards Moscow promoted by foreign policy chief Josep Borrell only deepen the divisions in the bloc, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday. Earlier this week, the top EU diplomat proposed six points to serve as guidelines for diplomacy towards Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. Commenting on Borrell’s plans, Zakharova said that while it is “too soon” to speak about what it may entail, Moscow “does not harbor any illusions” about the bloc’s political thinking. “Unfortunately, the ideas which are being sold to EU members by… Borrell do not contain even a hint of the EU’s strategic vision [regarding Russia].”

“They only work to deepen the … divisions in Europe,” the spokeswoman stated, adding that the EU has not proposed any measures to solve the numerous problems in bilateral relations. Revealing his six-point plan, Borrell described the stand-off with Russia as a “geopolitical battle,” and insisted that the EU should, among other things, isolate Russia internationally, hold it accountable for its alleged misdeeds, while cooperating with the bloc’s partners and supporting civil rights groups. While trying to root out any alternative points of view, the EU has fully embraced the idea of isolating Russia, Zakharova said, adding that “this is hopeless and will only impose costs on EU countries and their citizens, who are forced to pay out of their own pockets for the strategic blunders of their politicians.”

“It’s emblematic that most global capitals are not ready to follow … Brussels, which, in its medieval logic, is bringing the world back to the age of schism, high walls, and besieged fortresses,” she said. Her comments come as EU countries face protests over high energy prices and surging costs of living, which have been worsened by the sanctions on Russia. In late October, thousands of Czech citizens rallied in Prague to decry the rampant inflation, while calling on the government to begin direct talks with Moscow over gas imports.

EU member state Hungary has repeatedly spoken out against the sanctions. Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed that they “have failed” and have only backfired on the EU and damaged the economy. Following the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine in late February, relations between the EU and Russia deteriorated rapidly as Western countries imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow. In June, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov claimed that EU-Russian ties had frayed to the point that it would be difficult to damage them any further.

 

 

You can just about watch the EU under the present “leadership” commit hara kiri in real time.

From Zero Hedge:

European Parliament Set To Designate Russia A “Terrorist State”

The European Parliament has prepared a resolution recognizing Russia as a “terrorist state” – to be subject of a vote held during a session in Strasbourg next week, according to a spokesperson’s briefing at a Friday news conference. The largely symbolic resolution was drafted by the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) and cites Russia’s “intimidation and destruction of Ukrainians as a nation,” according a draft previously seen by Euronews. The political blocs Renew Europe and the European Conservatives and Reformists are also said to be backing a formal declaration which could come as early as next Wednesday.

While not legally binding, the resolution can be used for the EU to slap further sanctions on Moscow, and can create momentum for other countries like the UK to adopt the ‘terror state’ label for Russia. However, the UK has so far resisted these calls from some individual British politicians and officials. So far, the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been the first to legally recognize Russia as a terrorist state. The Biden administration has also thus far resisted some isolated Congressional calls to do so, as the Kremlin has warned such a measure would destroy all ties and communications. It would make negotiated settlement in Ukraine almost an impossibility.

So far it’s especially been the Pentagon which has sought to keep an open line of communications. The CIA director William Burns was also in Turkey this week meeting with this Russian intelligence counterpart. But none of these efforts at keeping some kind of potential negotiations open would be possible if the US slapped a ‘terrorist state’ label on Russia. The US is also chiefly interested in pursuing prisoner swaps, with citizens like Brittney Griner now serving long prison sentences.

There are things shifting and moving, especially on the US side. It’s very much the question if that will happen fast enough for the people of Europe, who will be cold, and Ukraine, who will be cold and in the dark..

 

 

 

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Home Forums Diplomacy Is In Short Supply

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
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  • #121473

    Ivan Aivazovsky Sea channel with lighthouse 1873     I suggest we have three “pairings” of people. In Russia, there’s Foreign Minister Serge
    [See the full post at: Diplomacy Is In Short Supply]

    #121480
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Nothing is turning the way the US wanted. Impotent anger is turned on it’s own citizens.
    Let the Game start.
    World Cup, that is.
    J Lo, an old prune in the tight green dress performing on the world stage of an opening ceremony instead in some back alley venue at home – type of an “export” that US is never tired of.

    #121490
    Afewknowthetruth
    Participant

    Here’s NATOstan diplomacy for you: the NATOstan puppet regime forces (or maybe actual NATOstan operatives) have renewed attacks on the Energodan nuclear power plant, with the intention of causing the release of nuclear radiation from the spent fuel storage facility, in the hope of forcing Russia to abandon the immediate vicinity.

    #121491
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    You may envy me at will: Goodwill granted me a lovingly worn hardbound copy of C.L. Sulzberger’s A Long Row of Candles — Memoirs & Diaries 1934-1954, with just the right whiff of book mold to let you smell the history as you read it.

    My eyes are shot but it’s the kind of book you can dive into anywhere and pull our surprising nuggets of little known but very telling info.

    C.L.Sulzberger

    “In a 1977 article for Rolling Stone, journalist Carl Bernstein included Sulzberger in a group of columnists and commentators whose Central Intelligence Agency relationships Bernstein characterized as going “far beyond those normally maintained between reporters and their sources.” He cited CIA files as referring to Sulzberger as what the agency called “known assets.” Bernstein quoted unnamed CIA officials as saying Sulzberger at one time published a briefing paper the CIA provided him almost verbatim under his byline. Bernstein then quoted Sulzberger as calling that allegation “a lot of baloney” and insisting that while the agency might have considered him “an asset,” in the sense of his willingness to answer questions about his travels to (fictitious nations) “Slobovia” or “Ruritania,” he never took formal assignments from the agency nor would “get caught near the spook business.”[3] The Times also denied that Sulzberger had ever been a paid CIA agent.”

    I think the truth leans toward Sultzberger’s view. Those were different times. The Great Brain Rape of the USA’s popular mindset didn’t really get cooking until the 50s when tv sets began to become affordable for the average person. There were many journalists back then who could think for themselves and could pull the wool over CIA eyes more than the CIA could pull wool over theirs.

    We had some serious real journalists back then without them having to go “alt”.

    #121492
    Afewknowthetruth
    Participant

    The fascistic puppet Zelensky regime says ‘no peace talks’ because ‘peace talks would mean surrender’.

    #121500
    oxymoron
    Participant
    #121502
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “I’m interested in the proposition that Musk’s Twitter poll about reinstating Trump’s account was a “bot trap”.”

    My interpretation is that Elon used the low-hanging irresistibly forbidden fruit to lure politically bent bots to vote against Trump. I would think there are several ways to sniff who’s more likely a bot and who isn’t, not perfectly but along a probability curve. Whether or not Elon intends to “out” or oust alleged bots, it gives his AI lots of incoming data on the de facto enemy’s bots.

    Think of it as the Stuxnet Principle, if you will.

    More Info

    ***

    C.L. Sulzberger’s book is proving to be a very rare treat. Written in 1969, it is from a very different time when journalists had real brains and at least half a soul.

    #121505
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    More info on bot traps:

    Pull them out by their bots-traps

    ***

    The music that first and fully seduced me into adoring the medieval/renaissance period of Western music was this easily accesible bit of very antique highbrow popular music:

    Anthony Holborne ~ Dances and Airs ~ The Bruggen Consort

    #121509
    John Day
    Participant

    Thanks for digging into Bot Traps in general, boscohorowitz. I didn’t realize how much of a thing it might already be.
    Boy, amd I behind the times again…

    #121512
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    Ivan Aivazovsky Sea channel with lighthouse 1873

    Always awed by this man’s ability with a canvas-brush-and some oil colors…

    Thanks Ilargi…

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