Figmund Sreud
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Who knew? ” [I]t is now official. What keeps the Russo-Ukrainian War alive is not the billions of dollars worth of weapons that NATO countries are funnelling into Ukraine, its is not NATO expansion, it is not Boris Johnson’s intervention to prevent a peace agreement in Istanbul, and it is not the refusal of Volodimir Zelensky to sit down and negotiate with Vladimir Putin. No, it is China!”
F.S.
Article from Canada, … but just perhaps, of interest to USians?
“It’s understandable that Canadians are anxious about the state of American politics this summer. Four months from the U.S. election, President Joe Biden is being hammered by the media while Donald Trump, a convicted felon, is being largely ignored.
But it’s not Trump we should be worrying about; it’s his supporters. They’re planning a detailed dismantling of the American federal government, leaving the states free to do as they please — especially those ruled by Republicans.
The blueprint for this dismantling comes from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. In April 2023 it published a 900-page document called “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise” under its Presidential Transition Project, also known as Project 2025.
Through its extensive collection of policy proposals, Project 2025 sets out a comprehensive plan to destroy the U.S. federal government as we know it. […]
Inside the Twisted Fantasy Project of a New America
F.S.
Oh, Germany: … the military situation for Germany is not just bad, it’s a catastrophe after the failed NATO proxy-war against Russia in Ukraine.
F.S.
Helmer on debate:
“If you think that Popeye beat Bluto because he ate spinach, this US presidential cartoon, I mean debate, was for you.
That President Joseph Biden, handicapped as he was by Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy body dementia, won the 120-minute television fight with Donald Trump seems so obvious to Russians, they express surprise at the near-unanimity in the US that the opposite was the outcome.
While the Russian state propaganda organs are repeating the “Joe Must Go” line — the US-funded Russian opposition media also — military and intelligence analysts in Moscow are concluding that Biden and Trump proved they are equally dangerous for Russia, but that Trump is now the candidate for much bigger wars in the Middle East and against China. Replacing Biden, Russian sources believe, is now an operation of the Zionist and Taiwan lobbies in Washington. […]
… read the rest at:
WHAT RUSSIANS DIDN’T MISS — BIDEN BEAT TRUMP IN THE SPINACH DEBATE
WHAT RUSSIANS DIDN’T MISS — BIDEN BEAT TRUMP IN THE SPINACH DEBATE
… fwiw,
F.S.
ICYMI: <I>Blockchain-based project <b>mBRIDGE>/b> will become the foundation for a new, global alternative financial system. mBridge does not support settlements made in U.S. dollars.
… for more from Dr. Warwick Powell:
Substack: https://warwickpowell.substack.com/… plus Dr.Powell’s lastest essay:
https://warwickpowell.substack.com/p/simulacra-machine-in-overdrive-europe… fwiw,
F.S.
Andrew Korybko unpacks this debacle rather cleanly!
“Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week made it impossible to deny his senility, yet the Western elite is gaslighting they were supposedly oblivious to this until now. […]
The reality is that they knew about this all along but covered it up by lying that any claims to this effect were “Russian propaganda” and/or a “conspiracy theory”, all because they actually approved of the Democrats installing a literal placeholder in the White House who the liberal-globalist elite could control. It was a refreshing change of pace from Trump, who was much too independent for their liking despite his occasional capitulations to their demands, and it also reassured America’s allies who disliked him too. […]
… rest at:
F.S.
Qualifier first:
Q: How many Polacks does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three – one to hold the bulb, and two to turn the ladder.I remember – back in late, late sixties – some unknown prankster – printed and distributed widely hundreds upon hundreds of high quality t-shirts with printing, “I Are Polish, I Are Smart!”. Polacks wore them with most pride, … imported, quality t-shirts were highly desired than by Poles.
Anyway, Korybko this a.m.:
The Polish leader didn’t realize that he was harming his own side, but apparently thought that he’d present Poland as the West’s Color Revolution vanguard against Russia when remembering its support of Belarusian anti-government militants, which Minsk has responded to by weaponizing illegal immigration. Duda probably also thought that he’d sway some members of the Global South over to Ukraine’s side by smearing Russia as an outdated colonial power.
Duda’s Call For “Decolonizing” Russia Proved That Putin Was Right To Warn About This Plot
https://korybko.substack.com/p/dudas-call-for-decolonizing-russia
F.S.
Just one day before the start of the so called “Peace Summit” in Switzerland, Vladimir Putin gave a lengthy speech to all the senior staff in the Foreign Ministry. Speech and details:
F.S.
I just have to share this timely rant with you folks here ( can’t help myself, in fact!), … it’s one by, presumably, a prominent and smart Canadian. Here it goes, … but a shortish vid first:
<b> The cult </b>
F.S.
Alastair Crooke at its best, … his latest essay:
The coming Novus Ordo Seclorum – Change we must; there is no choice!
F.S.
Whoever is behind that green chicken is, … is a phlunkin’ dumb truck. The moment I noticed that he/she/green chicken quoted Peter Zeihan, I simply stopped reading!
Mapping the War
How to understand what’s really going on in UkraineOh, Nvidia!
With the stock price of Nvidia (NVDA) now trading at over U$1,000 per share, Nvidia stock has been up 270,000% since it went public. If you bought 1000 shares of Nvidia at its going public time – in 1999 – for a mere U$376 and held them until today, … you are now a millionaire! A few numbers to help you better appreciate Nvidia’s meteoric rise:
– Nvidia is now larger than the entire German stock market, and five times the size of companies like Walmart, Exxon, and Visa!
– Nvidia posted quarterly revenue of U$26 billion, up 18% from last quarter and a whopping 262% from a year ago. – Its data center revenue is up 427% from a year ago.
– The aggregate market cap of the 174 smallest S&P 500 stocks is equal to that of Nvidia.
– Its market cap is greater than the GDP of every state except California and Texas.… all true if reported correctly by Nvidia.
fwiw,
F.S.
A ‘peace’ conference barring one of the warring parties participating is beyond ridiculous…shameful ..
——————————Nah, … it’s just a huddle. Think rugby:
F.S.
Dr. John Campbell, his latest, reviewing and ‘facially opinionating’, an uncommon article from The New York Times
F.S.
Most fascinating, … and fitting for current moment in time! Listen to this interview, but not from “investing” prospective, but, … purely, from the “geopolitical” prospective. It’s a “baseball game” we are watching, it’s the most important game, … and we are only in the “second inning”! Here it goes: Michael Every, Rabobank – interview. About an hour long, … some very interesting advise – two, actually – at the end!
F.S.
And so, … the wicked will never relent! The argument presented by a most not a bright of a person:
The Four Key Reasons Why The U.S. Will Never Stop Targeting Russia’s LNG Sector
– LNG has become the most important swing energy source in an increasingly insecure world.
– Energy exports remain the foundation stone of Russia’s essentially petro-economy.
– Russia’s LNG industry is closely associated in Russia with President Vladimir Putin personally.F.S.
I kid you not, … “The U.S. Senate unanimously voted in favor of a bill that would ban the imports of Russian uranium as the latest attempt to squeeze Russia’s export revenues amid its ongoing war on Ukraine. Yes! But, … “the import ban legislation contains waivers to make sure nuclear reactors have enough fuel,” Foot. Aim. Shoot.
F.S.
Well, there’s many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas
There’s many a young boy who feels things he can’t comprehend
And a small town don’t like it when somebody falls between sexes
No, a small town don’t like it when a cowboy has feelings for men […]Who knew? I didn’t, … and I have been (mostly) a resident of Cowtown, Cal & Gary Town, Calgary, Alberta since, … oh, ~ 1978 AD.
Anyway, … official vid:
… fwiw,
F.S.
Paper based on Crooke’s speech that will be given in Moscow in couple of days:
Alastair Crooke from Russia ( … still in Russia on the speaker circuit)
Israeli Retaliatory Strike On Iran (Scott Ritter)
__________________________Pfft, … it was “a ‘de-escalatory strike’” – Yonatan Touva, a senior analyst at Mitvim, a think tank in Tel Aviv, explained on X of Israel’s attack, … and so, folks, move along, nothin’ to see here. All is super cool…
F.S.
NEO:
Netanyahu convened a meeting of his war cabinet on 14 April, a day after the Iranian attack, to formulate an effective strategy to respond to this attack. Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, stated, after the end of the meeting, that Israel would “exact a price” for Iran’s attack at a time and in a war that suits it. Any escalation between Israel and Iran will have serious repercussions not just for the two countries but for the whole world. Israel’s attack on Iran could lead the world into a major war. A war between Iran, and Israel would result in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The world, especially Europe, will plunge into an energy crisis. The world will see a major spike in oil and gas prices. This war will also further widen the gulf in the Middle Eastern world. Moreover, the prospects of World War 3 will also increase. At this juncture, world leaders, especially the US, European Union, Russia, and China – should play an effective and prudent diplomatic role to de-escalate the situation, otherwise this game of brinkmanship could lead the world into major catastrophe.
Alastair CROOKE: A Sensibility to the Numinous
Is it possible for BRICS states to keep a foot in “a world, cut in two”? Likely not – at least until the U.S. and European Cultural War arrives, at least, to some partial outcome. Being a participant in the western financial system – alone – becomes highly problematic because of its social toxicity; but the insurmountable obstacle, plainly put, is that the main impetus to western mechanistic epistemology is derived from a teleological anti-morality.
Put starkly, the ‘new values’ we are seeing are intended to drive a stake through traditionalism. Where is the stake thrust? It strikes at what BRICS members have in common on the plane of moral issues, which might be called a sensibility to the numinous. Much of contemporary western thinking simply ignores the dimensions of our moral consciousness and dismisses it, as either confused, or irrelevant.
Is a peaceful accommodation between BRICS and the West possible?
Pepe ESCOBAR: Disappear or die
The key question remains: what will happen to Gaza and the Palestinians. Prof. Hudson’s judgement is ominously realistic: “As Alastair Crooke has explained, there now cannot be any two-state solution in Israel. It has to be either all Israeli or all Palestinian. And the way it looks now is all-Israeli – the dream from the outset in 1947 of a land without non-Jewish people.
Gaza will still be there geographically, along with its gas rights in the Mediterranean. But it will be emptied out, and occupied by the Israelis.”
On who would “help” to rebuild Gaza, there are a few solid takers already: “Turkish building companies, Saudi Arabia financing developments, UAE, American investors – maybe Blackstone. It will be foreign investment. If you look at the fact that the foreign investors of all these countries are looking for what they can get out of the genocide against Palestinians, you realize why there’s no opposition to the genocide.”
Prof. Hudson’s final verdict on “the great benefit to the U.S.” is that “no claims can be brought against the U.S. – and against any of the warfare and regime change that it is planning for Iran, China, Russia and for what has been done in Africa and Latin America.
Israel, Gaza and West Bank should be seen as an opening of the New Cold War. A plan for basically how to financialize genocide and destruction. Palestinians will either emigrate or be killed. That has been the announced policy for over a decade.”
The Gaza genocide as explicit policy: Michael Hudson names all names
Hundreds of Bodies Found in Mass Graves at Al-Shifa Hospital ‘Bulldozed by Israel and Buried Like Trash’ – Dr. Day
___________________” … when wilt Thou come forth from Thy hiding, and change tears to smiles, and groans to joys?” WHEN?
F.S., … not sure of a source of above line, … but I’m sure it is high time!
Nate Hagens unfortunately is still using the term “climate change” – Oroboros
—————————-Yes, … but I’m more fascinated by Michael Every‘s arguments. Nate’s? Not so much, …
Best,
F.S.
Interesting, wide ranging discussion! Long. A snip on just but one subject, GDP, ( … at about 22:23 mark.)
… GDP is the metric which means everything. There are many different ways you can slice and dice that. We’ve already mentioned Bhutan and gross domestic happiness and other measures. They’re a little bit abstract, but the more concrete way I like to look at it is what’s GDP for? Okay, let me pivot for a second to something that’s more of a thesis of mine, because I think that’s where we’re going to go in a moment. So if you’ve got two countries trading together using comparative advantage and free trade, which ticks every box in terms of the current framework, and you say, “Okay, my GDP is doing well, your GDP is doing well because of this, because of how we’re specializing and trading together.” That’s wonderful until you ask yourself what’s your neighbor doing with their GDP?
Now, are they building public housing and hospitals and schools and developing a thriving arts and culture scene and pushing the boundaries of literature, or are they creating technological wonders to share with the world, or are they building tanks and planes and aircraft carriers and guns and bombs and starting to put them near your border. I’m putting it in the most stark possible terms, but those are very much the terms that we’re starting to see around us today in different geographies. And what’s the point of GDP if that is what GDP is producing? And what’s the point of free trade if that’s what free trade is helping to generate through the eciencies?
… anyway, a link to a whole:
F.S.
Following vid reflects on the overextension and subsequent decline of the western civilization. On its linear way of planing things vis-a-vis a lateral. There is a substantial squawk in it that I, for one, differ, … er, disagree strongly. But that’s me, still, … I think it’s worthy of hearing it out. Here it goes:
… btw, here is link to the interviewee’s website:
https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk/… fwiw,
F.S.
Interesting, I have been looking at multiple waterways for ship movement and I see that tug service currently is not as prolific as I remember. Here is a typical (Hamburg, Germany) shipping channel and I see employment of tugs
very spotty. And so, Baltimore Harbour practices are not uniquely unsafe:F.S.
Kunstler made a good point about the FSK Bridge collapse fiasco that I had overlooked: INSURANCE. – D Benton Smith
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I don’t think insurance/reinsurance is fretting much. On that Tuesday’s trading, reinsurers’ stock weren’t much affected. Arch Capital Group fell -0.4%, AXIS raised +0.1%, Everest Group fell -0.9%, RenaissanceRe raised +0.6%. Hannover Rueck raised +1.0%, and Swiss Re flat at 0%. Most losses should go to the International Group, … unless, of course “Joe Biden” group – as promised will pick up a tab!F.S.
… btw, prior to above, I also posted following comment on that same incident on Dr. Day’s tableau:
As I watched a replay on “Marine Traffic” of that ship departing the terminal, first thing that went through my head was, ‘What a phlunkin’ cowboys that captain/pilot duo must be?” Morons! Imagine, 180 deg. turn departure and almost immediately up to a speed of 8 knots within sight of a bridge ahead, … within confines of a harbour! Who in the name of ‘gawd’ does such manoeuvre with a 300 metre long and 50 metres wide container ship, … and fully loaded? And that’s precisely what these two captains did, … and than something really, really went wrong! Anyway, … considering the layout of that port – and the size of this ship, … I don’t think this ocean-going tub should have exceed 3 knots! At least not until clearing that phlunkin’ bridge! … but what do I know? I quit sailing my sailboat ~5 years ago when I left Vancouver Island for Calgary.
F.S.
On that now infamous and controversial bridge / ocean-frequent-crossing bath tub incident, … here is a preliminary report on released info from NTSB:
Note that at ~7:00 min. mark, information on Voyage Data Recorder indicates that this tub hit the bridge support at the speed of ~7 kN.
Anyway, … I have a strong opinion on this incident that I posted a day or so ago on Dr. Day’s substack that goes like this:
I doubt very much that there was anything intentional in this incident. Time is money in this business! Strict schedule. Berthing rights allotment – you miss it, too bad! Line up behind that last tub at anchorage! Next? When I sailed on my sailboat on Great Lakes, … most often we saw lakers racing each other to the locks. You get to the lock first, a loosing tub has to wait extra hours, … lost time! Anyway, … in this case, I believe, a habit was controlling both captains – you know, we do this every time ( … speeding out of the bay with impunity! ), and nothing ever goes wrong. Until it does! I suspect it was simply a catastrophic, unfortunate, equipment failure. If that boat was not going, say ~8 knots plus to start with, … but just 3, with lost engine power, it probably would have been just drifting within couple or three nautical miles at river’s current rate, and that probably would centre it between the bridge’s supports instead, … or just brush one! The night cam vid shows that there was virtually no wind – a very, very calm night. So virtually no wind effect on that tall containers-staked-up walls, … … fwiw
Now, some may believe that this incident was engineered by some nefarious organization. Sure! There are always ‘possibilities’ and there are always ‘probabilities’, … but there is also a very wide ocean between these two. So, go ahead, you assign a numbers to each, …
F.S.
Interesting foray into nuclear energy with some deep, deep rabbit holes:
US Scheme to Challenge Russian Dominance in Nuclear Energy Faces Major Obstacles – Including an Overreliance on Russia
… speaking of rabbit holes, I find following quite interesting, it’s a podcast and transcript:
Nuclear? Perhaps!
A conversation with Jigar Shah, head of DOE’s Loan Programs Office.Western media slowly admits that it gets it! Doomberg chimes in:
