Big revelations at Senate hearings.

 REVEALED: DEMOCRAT SENATORS ARE MOSTLY CONCERNED WITH PRESERVING STATE POWER

COVER-UPS, LIES AND MISINFORMATION ARE ALL ACCEPTABLE TO PRESERVE THE STATE

While I have to admit I have not watched all of the Senate confirmation hearings, I have watched some of the questions and testimony for each of the 3 nominations currently ongoing. 

What I saw was a another despicable example of the biased partisan methods similar to those used in the infamous Kavenagh hearings, It will most likely have the same effect, a disaster for the Democrat interrogators. It seems they have their orders and they will follow them as good soldiers even if they destroy what may be left of their credibility. Whatever it takes, to cover-up, conceal and misinform the public about the abuses of the state bureaucracy. All they are doing is affirming what more Americans than ever have suspected, Washington is a cesspool of corruption, lies and hypocrisy. While the Democrats are the stars of state today, there is little doubt there are plenty of stars on the Republican side, if needed in the future.

We watch long winded questions, that are more oratory pronouncements that immediately deny any answer that is not a yes or no. We watch as they immediately drown out answers by over talking answers that may be honest and put the questioner in a bad light.  It all seems so coordinated and orchestrated, just to provide negative sound bites to their allies in the media.

I suspect those being interrogated have far more moral clarity and a desire to obey the constitution that the interrogators.

I would bet that every one of these interrogators have received large contributions from big Pharma and other big state beneficiaries.

What seems to be unanimous among the Democrat interrogators is that they all support.

1. Unlimited unconstitutional and illegal surveillance of American citizens and anyone who questions those tactics is to be labeled a traitor. 

2. That it is Ok to arm and fund Al-qaeda and other Jihadist groups, if they can be used to further the states agenda.

3. That if your opinion coincides with that of Russia or any other competitor, even if it is the verified truth, you are an agent of a foreign government. 

4. That Edward Snowden is traitor and deserve the worst punishment, even if his revelations were all known by the foreign opponents of the state, but only the U.S. citizens were informed of the illegal and unconstitutional acts of the state.

5. That high office holders number one duty is preservation of the existing power structure or they are a traitor.

I could go on and on, but these interrogators, in their zeal, and their delusional and out of touch behaviour have exposed themselves as the corrupt, lying sidewinders that they are. 

 

Is the USPS collapsing or is it political protest?

 USPS PACKAGE SERVICE IS CHAOTIC

LACK OF WORKERS OR POLITICAL PROTEST?

The United States Postal service has been the cornerstone of mail and package service for many decades. Everything ran pretty well until 2020, then it has fallen apart and seems to be now getting worse. Of course, Covid did have a bearing on the problems of 2020, but this year it seems a 6" snowfall has, in effect made their package service inoperable. While anyone can expect to have some delays for weather, it seems the other services have continued to provide satisfactory service, while the USPS has fallen apart. Their letter and envelope service seems to be working but packages are often sitting in centers for weeks and often misdirected around the country.

It creates a lot of frustration for senders and those who are expecting to receive their packages in a timely manner. 

At present I have 2 packages mailed on Jan. 21 that have only moved 60 miles in 10 days. Not one of the 5  packages mailed priority mail have been delivered since Jan. 21. Some have moved but are stranded in other places around the country, often sent back and forth between distribution centers. Does this have to do with the snow or the inauguration on Jan. 20?

I have an incoming package that left  Chicago on Jan. 22, then went to Warrendale Pa. then Lehigh Valley, 4 days later arrived in Brooklyn, then Queens, then Harrisburg, then back to Lehigh valley and finally is listed for delivery today, I can only hope. Can the weather cause this?

I have other packages that went from Phila, to Atlanta, then back to Phila. then to Florida, but has not yet been delivered. Is this a result of weather?

I actually have other similar stories, but it would become a very long article. 

I have mailed thousands of packages with USPS for over 25 years and up to 2020 their service was great, occasionally a slow delivery or mishap, but it is now impossible to be considered as a reliable service.

The word is that hey have a shortage of workers, that many do not read english and one must wonder if the crackdown on illegal immigrant has deprived the usps of workers. Whatever the reason, if they cannot handle packages then discontinue package service, stick to the letters and padded envelopes which they seem to be able to handle. They then will require fewer workers and should be able to provide excellent service for first class mail.

 

RFK Jr., Is the rise in pharmaceuticals the key to health or an indication of disease?

 IS IT TIME THAT SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS BE ASKED?

CAN WE DO BETTER?

The fear mongering concerning Robert Kennedy Jr . is most likely going to doom his nomination as "Secretary of health", or should it be "Secretary of Drug Therapy"

The prevalence of maintenance drugs that are administered to Americans is an indication of unhealth or chronic disease among the American population. It seems that most everyone over the age of 50, and many below that age, are taking numerous drugs on a daily basis. Maintenance drugs, the ones you will be taking for the rest of your life, are the bread and butter of the Pharmaceutical industry.

The U.S. healthcare industry, from the medical schools, funded by the drug business,  on up or down is centered on drug therapy, there is a drug for any possible ailment and it is the first choice encouraged by most of the healthcare industry, that is where the money is, not in preventive lifestyle choice or diet. 

Of course drugs have their place, antibiotics were a game changer in the preservation of life, infection at one time was the biggest cause of death, often from minor injuries, the end of lives of accident victims would  be enormous without the availability of antibiotics.

Everyone accepts that vaccines have been important in avoiding certain diseases. Vaccines at one time were always the administering of a dead or weakened virus that triggers  a response to the human immune system. There has always been some controversy about vaccines, they are not all the same, 

Dr. Jonas Salk, the inventor of the first Polio vaccine criticized the introduction of the Sabin vaccine because unlike his vaccine which used a dead virus, Sabin's, sugar cube vaccine,  used a weakened live virus. This had a risk of causing contagion or mild polio symptoms. Salk was not labeled an anti-vaxer.

Now we see labels of drugs as vaccines that do not insure non infection, they are not vaccines if they do not insure non infection.

There is evidence that very young infants should not be overloaded with numerous vaccines before they have the time to build a proper immune response. Sooner may not be better than later. Of course, the industry works on risk percentages and if the percentage is low, discount it, unless you or your child is part of that low percentage. Should parents be able to determine if certain vaccines do not have a credible risk/reward.  Some childhood disease did not have long term risks worse than the vaccine. Life threatening disease should be the priority. 

There is conclusive evidence that the population is experiencing a massive explosion of chronic disease at an earlier age than in the past. Diabetes, heart disease and other disease associated with old age are now common in young people, Drugs may mask the symptoms and extend life for some, but it is not the answer to overall health. 

Are the standards of normal for high blood pressure and diabetes continually being lowered in an effort to prescribe more maintenance drugs now a common practice?

We must realize that many would rather continue in their habits and just take a pill, but the younger generation should be given the information and opportunity to engage in habits that will help in maintaining life long health.

Does anyone ask why so many women today are unable to conceive without extradentary expensive intervention with In vitro therapy? Have the real risks of long term use of the birth control pill really exposed the risks of stroke, cancer and infertility? Is social expediency a priority over long term health?

While RFK Jr. has raised many of these questions and has been labeled and criticized for them, one must ask, Can we do better? While the habits of Americans may take years to change, Just taking a pill is not the answer to a healthy life.

TikTok taking, plunder in the name of security.

 TIK TOK IS NOT THE FIRST TARGET COMPANY OF U.S.

A PRECEDENT WITH LASTING REPERCUSSIONS

I have yet to see an explanation as to how Tik Tok is using its users in a way that is a national security risk. I suspect it is more that some big players in social media  covet the value of Tik Tok and maybe the NSA is unhappy that Tik Tok is not selling them data on their users as is the practice of the U.S. social media companies.

A survey of U.S. users overwhelmingly are more worried about the NSA monitoring them than China.

It is in effect a taking or plunder of the assets of Tik Tok and it will have repercussion that are not even close to being estimated.

The U.S. has been involved in shady takings before, one is the former French company Alstom that was fined and the DOJ charged them with crimes, drove their price down, then arranged a takeover by GE, this happened in 2015, a possible payback by the Obama administration for the support of the GE then owned MSNBC.   https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/219171338015504465/2146364287737013802

Is Tik Tok some sort of payback by the Biden administration and will Trump continue with this practice?

We see the EU regularly fine and extort money from U.S. companies for dubious crimes or failure to adhere to EU rules. 

We see the freezing and the attempts to confiscate Russian assets. We can expect Russia has the ability to freeze and confiscate western assets.

China has the ability to confiscate lots of U.S. assets that are in China.

This law on Tik Tok was passed in the final days of the Biden administration and so far Trump may have no way to interfere in this, but he may be able to direct its sale to someone other than the Biden 's intended recipient.  I expect that anyone who questions this plunder will be labeled a China apologist or worse, but this is a precedent that no one can predict its ultimate repercussion. It will not encourage anyone to locate their business in the USA.

If Trump wants to negotiate with Denmark over the use or purchase of Greenland or a lease on the Panama canal, it can be done in a proper way, but if he uses the economic power or the state to intimidate, it will be just the same old use of  U.S. power that has destroyed the reputation and the credibility of the United States.

I believe that Tik Tok should suspend its operations in the U.S. rather than submit to this plunder and let the political and economic repercussions work its will on the senators and legislators who voted for this. It would be a real interesting to see how these young and innovative users will still be able to use Tik Tok. 

 

All deals need to be passed by 2/3 of Senate.

 SENATE CONFIRMATION PROTECTS BOTH AMERICANS AND OTHER SIDE OF DEAL

UNCONFIRMED DEALS ONLY GOOD UNTIL NEXT ADMINISTRATION

We can expect a lot of deals to be made in the next few years. Past history has shown that many of deals are often signed by the president or other representatives, but not confirmed by the Senate. Some are taken as good faith hand shakes, they are often worthless deals that will not stand the test of time.

One recent deal was the Iran nuclear deal, never voted on by the Senate and withdrawn by the incoming administration. Then there is infamous deal on ending NATO expansion that was ignored by the next administration. These deals and their ending often create bad faith, bad reputations and even war.

Deals confirmed by the Senate most likely can be broken, but it would take another 2/3 majority vote by the Senate. If a deal cannot get the 2/3 majority for passing, it most likely will be overturned as soon as new administration comes to power.

We are most likely soon to see major negotiations concerning the Ukraine conflict, if not approved by the Senate, the next administration will likely opt to reignite that conflict and it will again place the world on the edge of nuclear war.

The same can be said about any negotiations with Iran or China. Iran was open to a comprehensive deal years ago, if coupled with a pledge by the U.S. not to attack Iran, never happened.

It is time that the United States restores its integrity and reputation by sticking to deals and thus making it much harder for either side to opt out.

While deals confirmed by the Senate will not guarantee longevity it will at least force the Senate to assume it responsibility and will make opting out much more difficult.

NATO expansion key to end of Ukraine war.

 BOTH TRUMP AND PUTIN WOULD LIKE NEW COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY AGREEMENT

CAN THEY OVERCOME THOSE WHO LOVE CONFLICT?

So far, both Trump and Putin have expressed a desire to talk about Ukraine. It seems they are also interested in a new attempt to scale back nuclear weapons. Trump wants such a deal to include China. It appears that Trump could envision a system with recognition of spheres of influence that would keep competitors out of areas considered as security zones. This would be a new approach to global security and would be a departure from the existing policy of the U.S. to attempt to contain competitors, even when there has not been any attempt to expand.

Everyone, of course points to the Russian invasion of Ukraine to proof of expansion, but if they would be objective, it would be clear that this crisis was all about NATO expansion to the borders of Russia, that is considered a threat to the security of Russia. Trump has made it clear he does not want Russian and Chinese ships off the coast of the U.S. or a presence in Panama and I am sure in Mexico or Canada. We must assume he would be willing to keep U.S. ships out of the Taiwan straits or the Baltic sea and would restrain U.S. generals from talking about an inevitable war with China. If you threaten, war you should expect the recipient to prepare for war.

Without a withdrawal of the policy of NATO expansion the war in Ukraine will continue and may very well expand. The reality is that Russia perceives NATO on its borders as a existential threat, as would the U.S. with Russian missiles in Mexico or Cuba. Eliminate NATO expansion and a serious negotiation can begin, otherwise it is just talk without substance.

Somebody needs to silence the U.S. representatives who think they can intimidate China with threats of war. China did not damage the U.S. manufacturing capacity, it was the policies of the U.S. government and the attraction of escaping U.S. restrictive regulations, red tape, taxes and lower costs.  The U.S. is very unlikely to win a war with China, it is not a shortcut to the reforms that need to be made to restore America's competitiveness.

One thing is clear, the U.S. needs a change of approach and policy that has been the policy for the last 3 decades, war, sanctions and intimidation is unsustainable and is becoming increasingly ineffective. It is the biggest threat to the safety and prosperity of the U.S. There is a window of opportunity to change that policy, if the advocates of that policy can be overcome. 

Jan. 6 pardons, reaction to excessive prosecutions and sentences.

 MOST HAVE SERVED 4 YEARS, ENOUGH?

RIGHTS DENIED , EXCESSIVE TARGETED PROSECUTIONS

While the Jan. 6 protests turned riots were indeed a unique event in American history, after several years of riots and terrorist activity by Black lives matter and Antifa, when most were congratulated for their passion and often bailed out by Democrat politicians, it should have not have been a surprise. The precedent for this behaviour was often orchestrated and condoned by Democrats.

First, this was never an attempt to overthrow the election or the government. It may have been an attempt to delay the certification of this election, and this was in response to the failure of the legal system to address the many questions and controversies of the 2020 election. One has to be a partisan denier to deny that this election was fraught with irregularities and indications of widespread fraud.

That being said, some did indeed break the law and deserved prosecution, but I doubt if it was ever 1600 people. Many were just in attendance and were prosecuted just for being there. Many were held in solitary confinement for months before charges were actually filed, denying them their constitutional rights. There were still people who were being targeted for the fact that they were in attendance.

Some of these people were sentenced to decades of confinement and most all were handed down excessive sentences for the crimes. It was without a doubt selective enforcement and selective sentences. It was because they were Trump supporters in Washington D.C. it is clear the message was, they should no better than to enter the domain of the National government.

So, Trump pardoned most all of them, some will have their sentences commuted, it is true that they were part of an opportunity for community punishment for those that oppose the establishment. It is doubtful that any have gotten off easy, many of their lives ruined and families destroyed. Their pradons were just an attempt for community justice.

Of course, we see the left still do not believe they have got their pound of flesh, and some would have supported the death penalty for all. Get over it, I expect you will have more immediate things to complain about in the near future.

Mexico still has the same problems as 4 years ago.

 

HOW WILL MEXICO DEAL WITH THEIR CARTEL PROBLEM?

EXPLOSION IS INEVITABLE, QUESTION IS NOT IF, BUT WHEN

President Trump has now labeled the Mexican cartels as terrorist groups. This is a very serious move and it will create a crisis for the Mexican government. It is no secret that the cartels now control most of Mexico with the exception of Mexico city and that is most likely just window dressing. A former president of Mexico declared war on the cartels and in a short time declared that the government lost the war. Since that time it is sort of a policy of coexistence, that will eventually need to be addressed, if Mexico is ever going to be a serious democratic nation. The article below is from 2019 and it seems it is as true today as it was then. We can expect that the new Trump administration is serious about a Monroe 2.0 doctrine, the cartels are going to be dealt with.

The government of Mexico's new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is now slightly over a year old. The trends of the new administration are now becoming reality. The new Populist President is enjoying a 60 to 70% approval rating with the population. He has gained popularity by selling off the Presidential jet, regularly walking and talking to the people and now flying on commercial flight. He has lived up to his image of a President for the people.

While the image is presently holding up, serious problems are smoldering below the surface. 8 out of 10 consider crime to be the number 1 problem. Murders are up 2.2% from the record of 36,685 slayings last year. The day he took office he declared an end to the country's war on drugs, saying you can not fight fire with fire. 65% of Mexicans believe that the Cartels are more powerful than the government, just 29% believe the government is stronger. Many churches have eliminated evening masses as the parishioners are too fearful to travel at night. Less than 13 % of violent crimes end up with a suspect in court compared to 80% in the United States.

The President disbanded the 40,000 member National Police, whose  purpose was to pursue organized crime. While this organization had problems with corruption, it was replaced with a new National guard of 70,000 members. It has not yet become a well organized institution.

At the same time the economy is limping along with only a slight growth. Many of the reforms are to give more control to the government.

In last couple of months we have seen a raid on a Police station resulting in many deaths in the successful liberation of a Cartel Leader. The ambush massacre of 3 women and six children, U.S. citizens. In the last weeks an assault on a municipal building by 40 armored vehicles, with cartel symbols, that resulted in the death of 23 people. In the last week, the U.S. issued an advisory that U.S. citizens should stay out of 5 provinces in Mexico because they are under the control of the Cartels.

President Trump has threatened to label these cartels terrorist organizations just as ISIS and Al Qaeda. The President of Mexico pleaded to not do that and Trump has for the moment backed off.

Mexico has cooperated in patrolling the U.S. border and has had a great effect on stopping illegal crossings. He does seem to have a good relations with Trump for now and Attorney General Barr has gone to Mexico to offer help.

Sooner or later this situation will change for the worse. Obrador's hope that the criminals would behave better, is wishful thinking. They most likely view him as weak and will expand their control of the country. 

Cartel's have very simple business plan. Offer a stick and carrot, this applies to officials in Mexico and politicians in the U.S. The carrot is bribes way above their usual earnings and the sticks are death to them or their family. In a country with very weak law enforcement it is an easy choice.

When Columbia finally began to seriously squash the cartels in their country it lasted over a decade and resulted in the death of over 600 police and tens of thousands of judges, constables and citizens. Bombings of government building and the bringing down of an airliner to kill a judge.

The Mexican cartels then took over the Colombian business and may now be even stronger and more organized. They have had several decades to strengthen their position.

Sooner or later the Mexican Cartel's will need to be addressed, either by popular demand of Mexicans or U.S. pressure. Most likely a combination of both.

With a common border, we will not be immune from the violence that will erupt the day this fight becomes a reality. We should be strengthening our border and preparing to protect our citizens along the southern border. We will not only have the consequences of direct violence, but also the humanitarian crisis that could resemble a Syria in our neighborhood.

Originally published 12/20/2019

Biden admits administration members criminal liability.

 PREEMPTIVE PARDONS FAMILY, JAN.6 COMMITTEE, FAUCI

ARE PREEMPTIVE PARDONS LEGAL?

Within minutes to the end of his presidency, Joe Biden pardoned all of his family members and their spouses, who it is indicated were beneficiaries of foreign kickback money, particularly from Ukraine, but also China. 

He also pardoned all the partisan members of the Jan. 6 committee and the sole republican Liz Cheney. There is evidence that they selectively hid much evidence in their biased investigation.

He pardoned former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mark Milley ,who may have committed treason by communicating with the Chinese military and other possible acts of treason.

He pardoned Anthony Fauci who was head of the National institute of health and was directly involved in Covid research conducted in Wuhan China and financed by the U.S.  It has never been revealed why gain of function research to make these diseases contagious to humans was pursued.

Of course he had previously pardoned his son Hunter for any acts committed for the last 12 years. It is obvious he was the used to convey foreign money to the whole Biden family.

As far as we know he has not pardoned those prosecutors and others who in their zeal to damage Trump may have conspired, lied and broken the law.

Biden did not attempt to pardon himself.  His own DOJ decided that although guilty, he was not competent to stand trial for breaking the law on classified documents.

The question is, are blanket pardons legal when no indictments or convictions have occured?  One would think the crimes committed would need to be enumerated to qualify for a pardon. 

By issuing these pardons it is an unprecedented act and an indictment of the corruption of this administration. It is the legacy of the Joe Biden administration.

D Day, MAGA to DC.

 END OF OBAMA BIDEN ERA

HOPEFULLY A NEW DIRECTION FOR AMERICA

We can expect that today will be the start of a new approach to the problems facing this country. It is true, that Trump is a problem solver and not someone who wants to kick cans down the road. We can expect a whirlwind of activity that will be a new atmosphere in Washington. 

We can expect that Trump will spend his first day cancelling every act of Joe Biden that he has the power to cancel. We can also expect executive orders enforcing immigration laws and an effort to actually enforce existing legislation. 

It is reported that over 40% of federal workers hope to hinder or disregard Trump's agenda. For those who want to play that game and are protected by civil service laws, there are going to be openings in Nome and maybe soon in Greenland.

I do believe that Trump, above all else, wants to do what is in the best interest of the country, a good example is his willingness to skip the pageantry of the outdoor inauguration and settle for much abbreviated and simpler indoor event. He can then spend more time getting down to business.

As for the fear of retribution, I do not expect that Trump will go after his political opponents, but he does need to demand accountability for those who broke the law in their hysteria to attack Trump. This needs to be addressed to end this type of behavior in the future.

Trump should focus on domestic reconciliation and strengthening America at home. There is much to be done to attempt to unify the country and strengthen it for the difficult time ahead.

A new look at the place for America in world affairs is much needed, a new strategy of cooperation and coexistence, while still protecting America's vital interests, will go a long way in cooling the heated international situation.

Trump's election has provided hope to many in this country, and I expect to many on the receiving end of U.S. policy for the last few decades. I expect there is a window of good faith both at home and abroad, it will now be up to Trump and his team to fulfill that hope.

California fires, $250 billion and counting.

 WHERE WILL ALL THE MONEY COME FROM?

WE WILL ALL BE PAYING FOR THIS CATASTROPHE

Sadly, what happens in California will affect us all. While much of the housing may be covered by Insurance, this added hit on the insurance industry will be paid for by all of us with increased insurance premiums on our homeowners policies. These policies have already risen substantially in recent years and the reality is that insurance has an arrangement that they are connected in case of disasters. No insurance companies could cover all these loses without such an arrangement. Premiums in some areas like Florida, and I suspect California, are now so high, often over $1000 a month, that some can no longer afford these premiums. If some decide to eliminate insurance, that makes a smaller pool and again increased premiums.

Some insurance companies are actually exiting certain markets as they become too risky to provide insurance, this is already the case in some areas of California, due to prevalence of fires. Flood insurance is now mostly provided through some sort of Government program.

While we see the cost of housing replacement, then there is the infrastructure that has been damaged, much of this is uninsured and will be replaced by FEMA or extra money in the form of disaster relief. The reality is that, while we are often touted as the richest country in the world, it seems that if we subtract the debt from the assets, much of the country is broke. This will require more spending, more debt, another loss of the purchasing power of the dollar through inflation.

I suspect that we will soon see the insurance industry begin to reevaluate who they insure much more closely. We can expect they will begin to actually look at properties and possibly refuse to insure some if they look too risky. This will be much more likely in hurricane, tornado, flood and fire prevalent locations.

In one way or another we will all be paying for what happens in other parts of the country.

World already in midst of global war.

 POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC WAR UNDERWAY

MAJOR POWERS STILL USING PROXIES FOR MILITARY WAR

We have been hearing warnings about WW3 for some time, possibly so much that many have discounted this reality as just so much political noise. While the major nuclear powers are not yet in direct military conflict, they are in the midst of political, economic and proxy military conflicts for some time now.

The Ukraine/ Russian conflict is the best example, this war has been going on since 2014 and possibly longer. It has been a calculated effort by NATO at the direction of the USA to contain and weaken Russia as a economic, political and military power. It has been decades of pushing the narrative that Russia is to be feared as a threat to western Europe and the United States. While Russia was not an enemy of the United States, some wanted an enemy to solidify political opinion, they have succeeded.

The emergence of China as a global economic powerhouse has resulted in a similar narrative, but so much of the west is dependent on goods imported from China that there is conflict on how far to go with this hostile action against China. Without China's manufactured goods the inflation rate in the west would certainly double or more and create economic hardship in incalculable ways. While western Europe is suffering dramatically by the curtailment of access to Russian energy, a curtailment of China's goods would be devastating to the whole western world.

In the middle east there has been perpetual war since 1991 mostly in an effort to keep the region in chaos and disorganized and to guarantee access to the oil in the region. 

Then there is the political and economic war focused on Georgia, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, India, Pakistan and other Central Asian nations in an effort to peel them away from a neutral or  Pro-Russian position. It is ongoing and not diminishing.

While NATO and other alliances support this effort, the United States is the big funder of all these efforts. With over 750 foreign military bases in 80 countries, it has caused the United States to become so overstretched that it has contributed to a debt of over $37 Trillion and growing quickly. Dollars have buying allies and supporters, will they still be allies when the gravy train ends?

The U.S. has in effect wagered its future on winning this global conflict one way or another. The ability to create dollars out of thin air and policies that have forced much of the world to accept these depreciating dollars has been the cornerstone of this whole endeavour. In recent history the dollar was involved in over 80 % of world transactions, it has recently fallen to just 52%. Foreign holders of U.S. debt, competitors and allies have been slowly but steadily been liquidating their U.S. debt instruments and moving to do business in their own currencies. 

While the U.S. can still use sanctions and pollical maneuvering in an attempt to control the world,  it is losing this dollar effort by the policies that are undertaken from inside the country, not from foreign efforts alone. 

The reality that China, Russia and now Iran have formed an economic and military alliance because they all fear that they must unify to survive the threats to their existence, is an indication of the futility of the present U.S. policy. Continuing this policy will lead to economic collapse or nuclear disaster. 

 

NATO chief tells members to prepare for war.

 RUSSIA UKRAINE TRADE ATTACKS ON ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

RUSSIA  ADVANCES WEST EVERY DAY

Ukraine has used long range missiles to attack Russian oil terminals while Russia is attacking energy, both electric and oil facilities, in Ukraine. All the while, Russia is advancing at an accelerating rate all along the front in eastern Ukraine. It can be expected at this rate Russia will soon have overcome most of the major defensive positions of Ukraine that have been built in the last 10 years.

It is reported that there is also an electronic attack on Russia's internet that may be orchestrated by some western country, if so, maybe we will soon see reprisals that will affect more than Ukraine.

It is estimated that Ukraine has lost over 50,000 soldiers in the Kursk offensive and continues to send more troops, often drawn from the front.

Zelensky says he will not conscript younger Ukrainians unless the west sends more weapons.

It is also reported that Ukraine's losses have now exceeded 1 million dead.

This conflict will soon have been going on for 3 years, while the NATO keeps threatening, it is unlikely they could muster an army to enter the Ukraine conflict. With the social unrest already at a high level any such move would most likely trigger near civil war conditions. 

German opposition leaders are embracing reopening pipelines for Russia gas. The German manufacturing sector, once the largest and most advanced in the EU is crumbling by the day due to energy shortages. 

Slovakia and Hungary are already in open revolt of these policies that are destroying their economies, Austria and Romania are not far behind. Huge demonstrations are occuring in Romania after the court cancelled elections because the opposition to EU policies won. 

This Ukraine war is putting a strain on the EU, NATO and one might expect a revolt against U.S. leadership in the future. It is likely that the whole European community will be suffering from the effects of this conflict far into the future.

A brief history of money.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MONEY

Money, we are all familiar with it, most want more, some to the point of  excess. It has been described as the, "Root of all Evil".  Realistically, we do need a certain amount, but I would like to talk about a simple brief history of Money.

Originally, most financial transactions were a form of barter,"I'll trade you a goat for that woven shirt that one of your wives made". Or,"I am tired of goats, how about we trade for some of your sheep". This all worked out well and good, but eventually someone got the bright idea of converting wealth to some form of exchange.

There is some record of salt being a form of exchange, or round stones with holes,  but most items were quick to lose their value when someone either found a pit with enough salt to flood the market or a method to mass produce stones with holes.

Eventually they settled on gold and silver as a form of money. Early records show that, as early as 2150 BC, the Shekel and Talent were used in the middle east, These were measures of weight,  A shekel was .36 of a troy weight oz. A Talent was equal to 60 manehs and 3000 shekels. This standard of weight was used by Egypt, Babylon, Phoenicia, Greece, Persia etc.  The ratio was 15 shekel's of silver = 1 shekel of gold.  Everyone had a balance scale to do business.

Finally, as governments grew and became more sophisticated, the minting of money began. This consisted of coins which were of a standardized weight, usually embossed with the image of  the King or individual in power at the time. It made trade much simpler and  must have caused a recession in the scale business.

As is usually the case, it did allow for some skulduggery, clipping and shaving of coins was known to happen. Then Kings sometimes made the coins smaller with the same designation. This may have been the first form of Government endorsed inflation.  "Honey, were did we put that old scale?"

Interestingly, the size and weight of coins varied over the years, but the ratio of gold to silver was fairly constant from 500 BC up to the 20th Century.

Biblical  times-  12-1             Rome          12-1         Europe     0-1492        10-1

Early Greece      13-1             Early Japan  8-1                          1492-1834   15-1

Alexander          10-1             Early China  12-1        England                       16-1

The United States settled on the ratio of 15-1  The Constitution stated that all money was to be gold or silver coin.

O course, we have been talking about gold and silver coins. What about paper money?

In medieval Europe, gold and silver was the medium of exchange. When someone had a little more than needed for survival, they often placed it with a Goldsmith, who had a natural need for security in his business.  He would account for their items and give them a receipt.  The Rothschild's started out this way.  Humans sometimes being a little lazy, and not too careful about things, began to exchange the receipts for other goods and services and leave the gold with the goldsmith.  Goldsmiths, who were a little sharper than the average person of the day, soon realized that his receipts were as good as gold, and no one knew how much gold he really had stored for people. He was able to purchase Real-Estate, finance explorers to the new world and many other endeavors with his own receipts that did not represent gold in his possession. I could expound forever about how they used this power, but I will resist.

There were many known instances were these early bankers got a little too greedy, rumors circulated  that there was more receipts than gold, and a run for their gold started.  When they could not produce the gold,  he might have been found hanging somewhere.

Remember, Politicians and Governments always take note of a good idea to increase their power and wealth.

Early paper money was a receipt for a weight of gold or silver, In the USA. a silver dollar was .7734 troy oz. of silver.  20 silver dollars could be exchanged for 1 Oz. troy of gold, a $20 gold piece. This was a ratio of 15-1. I personally remember silver certificates, which were supposed to be redeemable for 1 silver dollar. Up to 1934 you could exchange a $20 bill for a $20 gold coin. The US dollar had the reputation of being, "as good as gold". The gold-silver ratio today is 72-1.

In 1914, with passage of the Federal Reserve Act,  money no longer represented an asset, but would now represent Government debt. A promise to repay by the government.

In 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt, by executive order, ordered all citizens to turn in their Gold Coins in exchange for paper $20.00 bills. Private possession, or exchange of gold was outlawed. When the government decided they had confiscated all the gold they were going to get, they raised the price of gold to $35.00 oz., this was used for trade between countries. Those wonderful paper dollars they exchanged with the citizenry just became worth 43% less than the gold coins they exchanged.  Citizens were threatened with $10,000 fines and 10 years in jail for not cooperating.  Gold ownership was again legalized in December of 1974.

Silver still circulated as coins till 1964,  when they were replaced by alloys with no intrinsic value.

So now all money that exists, has  no intrinsic value, but only the confidence that someone else will exchange goods and services for it. While there are many instances in modern history where that confidence evaporated, so far most people are still willing to accept modern currency.

Currency itself is now in the process of being replaced with electronic currency, Bitcoin, Debit and Credit cards etc.. Endless possibilities, that will make the ancient clippers, shavers and dishonest goldsmiths envious.

originally published Oct. 12, 2015

It appears we are now coming to the end of fiat currency era, that is currency without any real built in value. What will replace it is yet to be seen. Big government would of course love to have currency that is just a digital entry, that they could manipulate, block, or devalue with a click of a computer. It seems some of the world is exploring another option that would be some form of real money. There is one of those age old truths that good money will always drive out bad money. That is true as long as there is an option of good money available. I expect we will seeing the new options in the near future. 
5/8/23

We now see the plan to introduce a central bank digital currency. Indeed, a monetary unit without any intrinsic value, unable to be held personally. It will allow governments to view every transaction, determine what transactions should be allowed, confiscate all wealth with the click of a computer key and in effect give government ultimate power over the people. It will be the end of all freedom of choice in a free market. It will give government the ability to tax, inflate, confiscate and dictate what can and cannot be traded. It will create all kinds of methods to avoid this trap and will be accompanied with the penalties to enforce that this is the only alternative money.

8/24/23

We can expect the unsustainable debt and deficits of the United States, accompanied by the desire of other countries to flee the use of the dollar, to reach a crisis in the near future. It is very likely that it will soon be clear that this debt will no longer find those willing to risk this haven for their real money. We can expect schemes to rescue this situation with possibly forced investment by IRA and 401's into U.S. debt or a sudden crisis followed by the end of this current fiat money system. We expect the cure to be total control of all assets.

5/3/2024

The EU is pushing to get its CBDC launched this year. As the debt situation in most of the western world is escalating many predict some sort of reset of the financial system. It will most likely be preceded by a debt crisis and then the roll out of the promised solution.

9/27/2024

We now see flight from U.S. bonds from countries around the world. It seems that interest rates are now possibly needed to rise to sell this debt. Those liquidating U.S. debt seem to be buying Monetary metal. The answer to shoring up the U.S. dollar and debt market is a balanced budget. With a $2 trillion deficit either raising taxes or cutting spending will cause a economic recession at best.

1/14/25

Will all this speculation end in one week?

 WILL HE OR WON'T HE, CAN BECOME HE DID OR HE DIDN'T

THE REAL DEALING WILL NOW BEGIN

It is now one week until the inauguration and the presidency of Donald Trump will begin. All the speculation can soon end, we can expect a whirlwind of news out of Washington. Then we can shift to second guessing and condemnations about Trump's actions.

We can expect on day one that Trump will sign executive orders reversing every executive order that is reversible, signed by Joe Biden. It is becoming an American tradition. 

We can expect the firing of all the Federal attorneys appointed under Biden, again another new American custom.

We can also expect the introduction of a lot of legislation. 

There will be a marked difference between the first and second Trump terms that in term # 1 Trump had no idea who he would nominate or appoint to key positions. He hoped that the ex military generals were all patriotic picks that would help him move the country in a new direction. The reality was they were just more bureaucrats who felt their role was to move the President in the direction chosen by the bureaucracy. He now knows many of the real players in Washington and the direction they want to push him into going.

Hopefully a new war will not break out in the next week.

We should expect the border will be number one priority, it had better be, or Trump will get lots of criticism from his supporters.

Kellogg is talking about 100 days for a resolution of the Ukraine conflict, at the rate of Russian advance, that conflict will be very ripe for a resolution in that time.

The middle east is the most nasty problem, very complicated, but there are indications that Iran may be ready to move in a new direction and Israel has realized that destroying Iran is not likely to happen. An end to the Ukraine conflict could add cooperation from Russia and China in bringing about a solution to this long lasting crisis. There is still hope that a new administration can get many to move to a better place.

Russia and China can be expected to be around for a long time and cooperation and coexistence will be the only real choice in avoiding a disaster for everyone, hopefully Trump understands this reality.

All the talk of tariffs on much of the world is likely just a basis for new negotiations, with much of the world. A tariff war will only end badly for everyone.

The FBI and CIA need a rebranding, the FBI needs to focus on investigations in interstate matters and the CIA should be an intelligence gathering agency rather than a unregulated military organization. 

Greenland and Panama is again a negotiating beginning that some changes in the existing order can be had, but in a peaceful negotiated cooperative way.

So, in one week we can end all the speculation and then criticize or praise the real actions, I expect there will plenty of both.

Trump security doctrine, Monroe 2.0?

 IS TRUMP CONSIDERING A NEW GLOBAL SECURITY PACT?

ACKNOWLEDGING AREAS OF INFLUENCE

One must wonder what is behind Trump's references to Greenland, the Panama Canal and now Mexico being run by the drug cartels. If indicates that Trump may be envisioning a new security arrangement that would have the United States focusing on North America and the waters in that orbit. It would possibly be an awareness of the limits of U.S. power to control the world.

Trump has also voiced his opposition to Russian and Chinese warships in adjacent U.S. waters, does that mean that some sort of arrangement could be made to set up recognized areas of influence. Would the U.S. be willing to stop sailing warships through the straits of Taiwan and the south China sea. Would the Pacific west of Hawaii, the east coast of Russia, the Black sea and the Baltic Sea be void of U.S. warships. 

If the citizens of Greenland could have a referendum to become part of the United States, would that apply to Russian oblasts that are now considered inside Ukraine's borders.

As of yet, it is unclear where all of this going, but the reality is that the United States is not likely to be able to afford troops stationed in over 100 counties and be involved in controlling every part of the globe.  It could mend its financial insolvency and enhance its security if it focused on the security of its own neighborhood, essentially North America.

While no one is suggesting that the United States is going to withdraw inside its North America fortress, the reality is that the U.S. is at war with Russia, over NATO expansion, is threatening war with China and is debating attacking Iran, that is recipe for disaster on a global scale. How can the world step back from this precipice of global disaster?

Those who still believe that it possible to control world events with U.S. military power are living in a delusional past. I suspect that all of the major powers of the world recognize that some new arrangement is going to be necessary to avoid catastrophe. It will require a recognition and respect for the security concerns of all and a willingness to cooperate and co-exist for mutual prosperity. 

Arctic. the new Frontier.

 EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF THE ARCTIC

IT IS EVIDENT THAT IT WILL BE THE NEW LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

Everyone is amazed at talk about Canada and Greenland. The Arctic may soon supersede events in the middle east and Ukraine as the most important areas in the coming decades. The Arctic shoreline is claimed by 8 countries, Russia, 53%, Canada, 40%, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the USA. Continental EU nations and most of the world, do not have any claims on this, until now, uninhabitable land mass.

It is all about the prospects of climate change and the reality that if this change continues, these lands will have their mineral and their natural resources available. While most western nations have adopted the idea of attempting to reverse climate change by deindustrializing their economies, Russian scientists have had another view. Their opinion is that while carbon emissions are part of the climate change phenomena, it is a minor player with sun spot activity, pole shifts and other natural changes that leave the ability of man to stop these changes irrelevant. Their plan is to adapt to the changes and the Russian government has been working in that  direction for years.

It seems that western countries may also have belatedly come to that conclusion and thus the increased focus on the new Arctic frontier.

Much of the Arctic is governed by International law and the Arctic council which has all the above 8 as members. so far these rules and negotiations have been friendly and cooperative.

At this time we have "Territorial sea" which is 12 miles and has full sovereignty of sea, land and seabed by the adjoining country.

Then their is the "contiguous zone" that is 24 miles and gives the controlling country the right to enforce laws, considering immigration, customs and sanitary control among other rights.

Then there is the "Exclusive economic zone" which extends 200 miles and give the exclusive right to explore and extract from the water column and the seabed.

The rest is considered the domain of mankind and also international sea travel is protected by a sea treaty.

Russia, most likely due to their experience in the Arctic, is way ahead of the rest of the world in taking advantage of their majority position. They have built the biggest and best nuclear powered icebreakers and also portable nuclear power plants that can be moved to where needed, they are already doing shipments through the Arctic sea that has shortened the routes to Europe and China by as much as 40%.

Some of these countries, do not have the resources or the technology to take advantage of their position and may be forced to take on partners to be able to develop their resources.

Russia has already partnered with China in developing sea routes and also will be able to assist in refining of certain metals and manufacturing needed tools and equipment.

There is no doubt that the Arctic is going to change the geopolitics in the very near future.

Will Greenland go up for sale?

 WHAT IS GREENLAND WORTH?

THE ULTIMATE REAL ESTATE DEAL

We hear much talk now of the U.S. buying Greenland from Denmark. Then you hear that Greenlanders want independence from Denmark, that in itself is a complication. Would the Greenland citizens be more open to becoming part of the United States, likely a territory? Donald Trump Jr., someone with experience in the real-estate business, was in Greenland yesterday, was he talking to the Danish or the Greenlanders?

Denmark, says not for sale, but that is often the beginning of business negotiations. Denmark is 1822 miles from Greenland, but only 500 miles from Maine. Denmark has a population of 6 million and Greenland a population of 57,000. Denmark has GDP of $404 billion. Greenland GDP $3.24 billion. Greenland has an area of 836,300 sq. miles, that translates to around 535 million acres. Only the coastal areas are ice free, the rest is ice covered and sometimes as much as a mile deep.

So, what is Greenland worth? Let's face it, it is not ocean front property in southern California or even farmland in Iowa. There is a reason that it has only slightly over 50,000 inhabitants, very few people would ever be willing to live there. I expect the young leave as soon as they are old enough to set out on their own.

So, will Denmark ever consent to selling Greenland? What if an offer was made and it was put up for a referendum? At $100 an acres it would be $535 billion, more than the annual GDP of Denmark.  At $200 an acre it would be over $1 Trillion, approaching 2 1/2 times the GDP. That would be around $18,000 per man women and child in Denmark, or $72,000 for a family of 4. Does anyone doubt that such a deal is possible?

Would it be good deal for the USA? If you are die hard believer in global warming you should be ready to pay lots for waterfront property, just not too close to the water, as it is now.  We could expect the leasing for mineral rights would be a windfall for the U.S. 

What about Denmark? Well they have had this territory for decades and done very little with it. They may not have the financial ability to ever develop it. Can they get more for it? Maybe, what about an auction, Is anyone else interested in this prime re-estate? Maybe China or even Russia, who has lots of experience in developing in the arctic. Wow, Who knows what Denmark could get in a competitive bidding contest? It would be the biggest Re-estate auction in world history.

We will see, as of now it is just the beginning of this possible deal, but don't be too sure that it will not be sold.

Another western leader bites the dust.

 TRUDEAU LATEST TO LOSE CONFIDENCE

WILL IT TRANSLATE TO CHANGE IN CANADA

Justin Trudeau is the latest western leader to lose the confidence of his party and resigned yesterday. We have witnessed the leaders in Germany, France, the UK all becoming out of favor in their countries, We have also seen elections in Georgia, Romania, Austria and also Slovakia and Hungary moving in a rightward direction. We also see sanctions and other responses from other western countries in response to these moves. So much for democracy, it seems it is always endorsed until the wrong people win elections.

Trudeau is popular in the elite globalist community and it seems he wanted to be recognized as a leader. He may have overstepped himself with his vaccine mandates, freezing trucker  bank accounts and a visible disdain for the reality of Canada's resource based economy. I suspect that many of the rural voters in Canada have been inactive and cared little what went on in Ottawa. Trudeau may have awakened them at least temporarily.

The reality is in the parliamentary system, leaders are appointed rather than elected. It is obvious that in most EU countries and in Brussels the agenda of the ruling elite is far different than what the average citizen is concerned about. There is an entrenched bureaucracy that is near impossible to change direction. 

Often the appointed leader is the sacrifice that will be made with promises, but little change in direction. Much like what happens in organized crime when one leader becomes too visible or causes close attention. He is quickly sacrificed to cool the heat. Then business goes on as usual.

Time will tell if new leaders will attempt to set a different course or will they talk about change, but continue on their current path.

BRICS expands to 18 members for 2025.

 NOW HALF WORLD'S POPULATION, 41% GLOBAL ECONOMY

OVER 30 OTHERS INTERESTED IN JOINING

BRICS, originally organized in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, then added South Africa in 2010. In 2024 Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and United Arab Republic were added. This year 2025, 9 more countries were offered and have accepted partnerships with BRICS. They are Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. It is expected that around 30 other countries are under consideration for 2026.

BRICS is an economic union thats main qualification is the abstaining from using sanctions and participating in economic warfare. The escalation of the use of sanctions and economic retaliation and the motto of " you are either an ally or an enemy" has added to the attraction to this union. Many of these countries are already targets of some sort of economic sanctions or pressure to economic submission or social compliance. BRICS hopes to establish a trading group free from such methods and focus on mutual economic prosperity. Only time will see if that is possible.

They have up to now rejected the idea of any one country's currency becoming the new global reserve currency, but at present are doing business in their individual currencies between each other and continue to also use the dollar and Euro for business. They have successfully created a clearing option for transactions between member countries and are hoping to give many developing countries another option other than the present western dominated economic structure. 

They have set up commodity trading centers in Moscow and Shanghai that will trade physical commodities, rather than paper futures contracts that many feel are manipulated with short selling and other exotic trading methods. Up to now most commodities are priced by exchanges in London and Chicago. 

The western world often views BRICS as a security threat to the west's dominance in world affairs. Many of the BRICS members view it as more of another option and hope that all countries can participate economically without the use of economic pressure to control world politics.

The Ukraine war and the economic aftermath have propelled BRICS, in the eyes of much of the world, to be a necessary option to avoid economic manipulation and destruction by others. Despite warnings from the current major powers it seems this arrangement is moving forward, as many feel it is a necessity for their own economic sovereignty and survival.

Will Transnistria become the new bait for Russia?

 EU PRESSURE FOR MOLDOVA TO ABSORB THIS SMALL ENCLAVE

GEOPOLITICAL  GAMESMANSHIP AGAIN

Transnistria or the official name, The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republics, is a small narrow territory situated between Ukraine and Moldova. The inhabitants prefer to call their country Pridnestrovie and may be offended if referred to as Transnistrians. 

This area has been semi-autonomous since 1924. It has also been under the control of Romania and was formerly part of the Soviet Union. With the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 it declared independence from Russia and also from Moldova. The international community considers it part of Moldova. There was an armed conflict between Moldova and this country from March 1992 to July 1992. Russia negotiated a ceasefire between the parties that has been in effect ever since and there are  reasonable relations between Moldova and the region.

Pridnestrovie has its own government, border patrol, police, a small military of around 5000, its own currency and functions independently of Moldova, and a population of around 500,000.

Russia has what it refers to as small peacekeeping force of around 1200 and there is a substantial cache of ammunition and weapons left from the soviet era. Russian soldiers rotate in and out through airports in Moldova.

Up until the beginning of the Russian special military operation, they had reasonable relations with both Moldova and Ukraine. Pridnestrovie quickly declared neutrality in the conflict, but Ukraine closed the border at that time. This left Moldova the only border open to imports and exports. Their parliament asked Russia for protection, as they then believed they were vulnerable to attack, but Russia made no decision on that request.

They are also vulnerable from the cut off of gas that moves from Ukraine. The population is Russian, Modavian and Ukrainian.

It seems that now this region is being eyed as an opportunity to place Russia in a position that it may have to decide to defend the region, which is around 200 miles from the Russian border. It seems there is EU pressure on both Ukraine, but mostly Moldova to take over this small region. One can expect that Moldova is being offered sticks and carrots to do this bidding. Possibly some gas from the EU if they cooperate.

It is unlikely that Russia will be distracted from its focus on its existing campaign in Ukraine and defending this country at this time would almost be impossible. We will have to see if Moldava and its citizens are ready or willing to go down this road. One can expect that region has relatives on both sides of this border, but the opportunity to force Russia to open another front or be labeled as losing something is more important than the lives of some collateral damage in this ongoing geopolitical war. 

EU uses gas as political weapon against itself?

 OR IS IT SYMBOLISM OVER SUBSTANCE?

EU IS STILL BUYING RUSSIAN GAS WITH A NEW NAME

Yesterday was a new low in EU politics as Ukraine, with the blessing of Brussels and Washington, cut the supply of gas that comes through Ukraine from Russia. This move is advertised as a step to hurt Russia financially, much like a prisoner who goes on a hunger strike to hurt their jailers, but no one is going to force feed the EU Russian gas, they may very well be successful in committing financial suicide.

The crisis will be especially severe for Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania who get the majority of their gas through Ukraine. No secret that there is plenty of political pressure on Hungary and Slovakia to submit to Brussels edicts on Ukraine and other social issues. There is also political pressure on Moldova to become part of EU and NATO and soon to militarily invade Transistia. Of course, only Russia would use gas as a political weapon in the middle of winter, except that they have not.

The reality is that the U.S. wants the EU to buy LNG gas from the U.S. at a far higher price than it cost from Russia. Will this cause a rise in the price of energy in the U.S.? Some believe that all those manufacturing businesses closing in Germany will soon emigrate to the U.S., while cheap energy is important it is not the only factor in where a business locates. So far the loss of jobs and business in the EU is being taken by, you guessed it, China. The low cost manufacturing giant is willing and able to fulfill any vacuum created by the west's misplaced political moves.

As for gas from Russia, if it is refined and sold by a third party, it is no longer Russian gas, but some other kind of gas, but at a much higher price. That is the reality of much of the gas that is currently being sold to the EU, just Russian gas with another label, and at a higher price. We must marvel at the wisdom of the current leadership in the EU. 

While they can now proclaim how they are hobbling Russia's ability to wage war, they are in effect hobbling their own ability to be prosperous and inevitably their own ability to wage war. In the meantime many of citizens, who do not live in the big cities, will need to start deforesting the continent to keep warm this winter.

Russia's strategy clear, Attrition, both Ukraine and NATO.

 BRIDGES OVER DNIEPER TELL IT ALL

WHO CAN ENDURE MORE SUFFERING?

While we continually hear rumors of peace negotiations and that Trump will end the war in a short time, the reality is cleary much different. After the initial invasion in 2022 and the failed peace talks in Istanbul, Russia reset its strategy that is now clear and focused. It has not changed and it is not likely to change in the near future. It is a strategy of attrition of men supplies, equipment and money coupled with the results of misguided attempts to damage Russia by cutting off energy to Europe.

While many are still delusional in defeating Russia, the reality is the clock is in Russia's favor. Russia is well aware of their history in defeating foreign enemies and NATO is the enemy of Russia and NATO expansion to contain and encircle Russia has been planned and implemented for 30 years.

The great plains of Ukraine have been a treacherous and disastrous 800 miles for foreign armies, from Napoleon to Hitler and now NATO. Logistics is always a serious consideration in war, if you cannot supply your army, it will be defeated in short order.  While many have stated that Russia's slow advance indicates that it is weak and unable to make much progress in occupying Ukraine.  The reality is that Russia wants to fight this war close to its border, its logistics are short and uncomplicated. It has always been aware that it could become an all out NATO war and it would force the enemy to move men and materials over 800 miles to be at the Russian border.

A clear affirmation of this strategy are the railroad and highway bridges over the Dnieper river, a huge river something like the Mississippi. Russia could have removed these bridges early in the war and caused great logistical problems for NATO's supply to Ukraine, yet they never touched these bridges, as if to say keep sending all that wealth and treasure and we will make it a huge scrap pile in eastern Ukraine, close to our supplies.

Some claim that they kept the bridges to be able to enter western Ukraine, but the reality is that then Ukraine would destroy the bridges to keep the Russia in the east. Russia has never desired to occupy western Ukraine and that is still the case. 

The plan is attrition to the point of an inability to resist. Ukraine's manpower is near that point, but they are encouraged to keep fighting and lower the recruitment age, but it is futile, the longer it goes on the weaker Ukraine will become.

As for NATO, the smaller nations have already indicated that their cupboards are bare of available weapons to send. Every current government on the continent is about to be replaced and their energy shortages are having a decided negative effect on their economies. Is NATO expansion worth suicidal economic warfare? While Washington believes that Europe may be expendables in the geopolitical battle against Russia, do the citizens of Europe agree?

While to now Russian citizens have not had to endure too much discomfort, but if it should need to, I expect that the majority of Russians will out endure the west, they are self sufficient in food and energy and have a history of great endurance against all odds. 

Again, would Ukraine have been better off as a neutral nation able to trade freely with the west and east? Would Europe be in a better place without this conflict and be able to access energy with long term contracts at under market prices as they did before the war? Is the United States in a better place in the world than it was before the Ukraine project?

It is now all about face saving and damaging Russia without regard to any of those realities. The answer to all the above questions is NO. Maybe escalation is all that is needed, after this $Trillion dollar war in expended wealth and lost prosperity will another Trillion bring success? I expect it is time for everyone to start asking those questions, is face saving for the bureaucrats worth all this death and destruction?