theduran--2020-12-03--The Cheering Section for World War III

The Cheering Section for World War III

America repeatedly elects and re-elects champions of “ regime change ” in nations abroad ( George W. Bush in 2000 , Barack Obama in 2008 , Donald Trump in 2016 , and Joe Biden in 2020 ) , such as in Iraq in 2003 , and in Afghanistan in 2001 , and in Libya in 2011 , and in Syria in 2011-2020 , and in Yemen in 2015-2020 , and in Ukraine in 2010-2014 ; and , in all instances , has destroyed those nations while claiming to be supporting ‘ human rights ’ and ‘ democracy ’ and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those nations that it was actually destroying .
Joe Biden , like all 21st Century U.S. Presidents except Donald Trump , wants regime change in Russia , and that would require WW III .
Only people who are either very stupid or very evil want that .
Which is Joe Biden ?
Which was Barack Obama ?
Which was Hillary Clinton ( whom Trump had beaten ) ?
Which was Bush ?
All of them were supported by the post-World-War-II , permanent-Cold-War , endless-war , Washington Establishment , and by the controlling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Lockheed Martin and ExxonMobil .
And , therefore , all of them were elected to lead America ’ s Government .
It ’ s a bipartisan Establishment , which includes every American billionaire ( none mobilizes against imperialism , or “ neoconservatism ” ) , and which chooses the Presidential and almost all Congressional nominees of both of America ’ s two political Parties .
So , Americans always ‘ elect ’ such leaders , in this permanent-warfare ‘ democracy ’ .
But its ’ going to war against Russia — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be different , because that would be a nuclear war , all-out , instantaneous , and all of the weapons on both sides would be launched within less than an hour .
There would be no looking back and correcting strategic errors , no recalibrations , no second-guesses .
It would be historically unique , and all of the guesses would be made within that few-minutes-long period , and would be final .
A part of this Establishment is the magazine Foreign Policy , which is owned by the pro-imperialist ( or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtually never has opposed any American aggression and has conspicuously supported them all .
He used to own the Washington Post , which he sold in 2013 to the like-minded Jeff Bezos .
America ’ s billionaires own or control all its major news-media and almost all of its online media that have a significantly large audience .
( After all : billionaires can buy anything , and once they buy it , they control it . )
This is how Americans always come to ‘ elect ’ such people to lead the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the U.S. Supreme Court , who will see the world in essentially the same way that they do .
Regardless of whether the liberal or the conservative version of that way , it ’ s the Establishment way .
As the Nobel Peace Prize winner American President Barack Obama phrased that way , numerous times , while he was America ’ s President , “ The United States is and remains the one indispensable nation ” , meaning that every other country — including Russia — is “ dispensable.
” In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first term , while he hid this ) , he constantly identified Russia as being America ’ s main enemy , but was a skillful enough politician to make fun of , and casually to ridicule , his 2012 ‘ election ’ opponent , Mitt Romney ’ s having said that “ Russia , this is , without question , our number one geopolitical foe.
” Obama was implying that he didn ’ t agree with that statement .
It ’ s because of lies like this ( to the effect that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize .
Secretly , even at the very start of his first term , his Administration were preparing to restart the Cold War in a very serious way , by preparing to take over Russia ’ s next-door neighbor Ukraine and Russia ’ s Arab ally Syria .
But no matter how many times the American public have been lied-to , they never get the hint ; and , so , even at the end of Obama ’ s Presidency , he wasn ’ t considered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 59 % job-approval rating at the end of his Presidency .
( And , of course , some of the other 41 % disapproved of his Presidency for reasons that were lies from agents of the Republican Party ’ s billionaires ; so , only far fewer than 41 % had any idea , at all , that he , like his immediate predecessor , had been perhaps America ’ s most harmful and worst , of all Presidents . )
Both of America ’ s political Parties represent only the billionaires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
It ’ s a phony ‘ democracy ’ , but few Americans even know this .
The problem isn ’ t lack of democracy abroad : it is lack of democracy in U.S. federal ‘ elections ’ .
This Government is , in fact , a dictatorship , but it uses propaganda to fool the public to think otherwise .
The problem is here at home .
The following is an example : Donald Graham ’ s Foreign Policy magazine published an article on November 13th , headlined “ Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ Biden has a clear-eyed view of the threat posed by Russia — but a lot of bad advice to ignore.
” Its warning is that “ Too often , Washington seems to want better relations with Moscow than Moscow wants with Washington.
” Its worry is that Biden might turn out to be “ desperate and weak ” against Russia .
It is as if the end of Russia ’ s communism , and of the Soviet Union and of its military Warsaw Pact that had been created in response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO alliance against communism , had all never even happened .
Russia under Putin poses an existential threat to the United States and other countries of the West , Russia ’ s neighbors , and his own people .
Biden seems to understand that , not least because he has been the target of Russian interference in the 2020 election , including a disinformation campaign tied to Russia that was designed to smear him and his son Hunter .
Earlier this year , Biden wrote , “ To counter Russian aggression , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military capabilities sharp while also expanding its capacity to take on nontraditional threats , such as weaponized corruption , disinformation , and cybertheft.
” He continued : “ We must impose real costs on Russia for its violations of international norms and stand with Russian civil society , which has bravely stood up time and again against President Vladimir Putin ’ s kleptocratic authoritarian system.
” In an interview with CBS News ’ 60 Minutes before the election , Biden said he considered Russia “ the biggest threat to America right now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our alliances.
” These instincts are sound , and Biden likely will appoint officials who think the same way he does .
There are too many discredited or else outright disproven statements there to go into any of them , because each would require an article in itself ; but , clearly , the intent of each of those allegations is to prepare the American public to support bringing regime-change in Russia — i.e.
, conquest of Russia ’ s Government , by means of sanctions , coup , or maybe an invasion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Putin .
He simply is not interested in any rethink in U.S.-Russian relations unless that was to involve a capitulation on the part of Washington .
As long as Putin remains in power , there is little point in spending precious U.S. diplomatic and presidential time and effort in trying to improve U.S.-Russian relations .
There is one exception , however : arms control , where the United States and Russia have a mutual interest in renewing the New START agreement , which is set to expire next February .
Just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several arms control agreements with the Soviet Union while the two countries were rivals during the Cold War , Washington can today find common ground with Moscow while seeing Putin ’ s Russia as a threat on virtually every other issue .
Neither country wants or can afford to engage in an expensive , destabilizing arms race .
It claims to be supporting a peaceful way for America to conquer Russia , presumably by persuading the Russian public to get rid of Putin .
Is there a realistic possibility to conquer Russia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian people for that objective — such as this Foreign Policy article urges Biden to do ?
On 6 March 2016 , Jeff Bezos ’ s newspaper , which he had purchased in 2013 from Donald Graham , headlined “ How to understand Putin ’ s jaw-droppingly high approval ratings ” , and opened “ Russian President Vladimir Putin has an 83 percent approval rating.
” it tried to , but failed to , find a way of explaining this , and it simply concluded that this problem “ has flummoxed Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ band of oppositionists .
Some of them say that Russians are too scared to speak their minds to pollsters .
Others claim that the poll numbers are manipulated , although most Western polling firms arrive at similar figures.
” In more depth , the article “ Is Putin ’ s popularity real ?
” in the March 2016 Post-Soviet Affairs , examined this matter .
It opened , “ Vladimir Putin has managed to achieve strikingly high public approval ratings throughout his time as president and prime minister of Russia .
But is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying to pollsters ?
” That article presented a graph , “ Figure 1 .
Vladimir Putin ’ s approval rating : 2000–2015 .
Source : Levada Center Omnibus Surveys .
Data from Russia ’ s two other major polling agencies , VT sIOM and FOM , paint a similar picture.
” It showed that , going all the way back to the year 2000 , when Putin became Russia ’ s leader , the job-approval of Putin has been between 60 % and 90 % , and it soared ( instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 through and since Obama ’ s coup which in February 2014 overthrew and replaced Russia ’ s neighbor Ukraine ’ s Government by an anti-Russian Ukrainian Government , in order for Obama to become able to grab , for the U.S. Navy , Russia ’ s largest naval base , which is in Crimea .
Though Obama ’ s coup succeeded , his goal of grabbing that naval base and turning it into an American one failed .
The Russian people supported , and continue to support , Putin ’ s opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conquer Russia .
This study , “ Is Putin ’ s popularity real ?
” , therefore concluded by saying ( with obvious regret ) that “ our results suggest that the main obstacle at present to the emergence of a widespread opposition movement to Putin is not that Russians are afraid to voice their disapproval of Putin , but that Putin is in fact quite popular.
” The problem , for America ’ s dictators ( its billionaires ) , isn ’ t Putin : it is the patriotism of the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s national sovereignty , never to yield it up , to any invader .
Consequently , only America ’ s plan to defeat Russia by means of an overwhelming and sudden nuclear blitz-attack will be able to ‘ win ’ against Russia .
The Foreign Policy article urged Biden to push against Russia at least as hard as his predecessors have done : “ Biden should ignore advice to ease or remove sanctions on Russia until Putin withdraws Russia ’ s forces from Ukraine , including Crimea.
” Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would advocate to withdraw Russia ’ s forces from Ukraine , including Crimea , to be a traitor .
( Would Americans think that an American President who allowed Russia to perpetrate an anti-U.S. coup in Mexico , and then to station Russian missiles there against the U.S. , to be anything else than a traitor ? )
Crimea was part of Russia until the Soviet dictator arbitrarily switched it to Ukraine in 1954 , and Ukraine ’ s far-eastern Donbass region , which also seceded from Ukraine , had voted more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama ’ s violent coup overthrew ; so , those Russian troops are defending those two areas against Ukraine ’ s efforts to grab them back by military force .
Obama had failed in his goal of seizing Russia ’ s naval base in Crimea .
No Russian leader will allow any reversal of that U.S. failure .
Any attempt by the U.S. regime to reverse it would bring hot war between the U.S. and Russia and would escalate to WW III unless America would back down , which people such as Jeff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any U.S. President to do .
But America ’ s Establishment treats the American public as being idiots who have no idea about any such realities .
However , since Foreign Policy aims to pressure America ’ s leaders to spend evermore government-money on buying the weaponry of U.S.-based armaments firms such as Lockheed Martin ( which , perhaps , most of them are invested in ) , and to open new grounds for extraction firms such as ExxonMobil ( which especially Republican leaders are invested in ) , it had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. President would intend any such thing as militarily invading Russia : the blame , for intransigence , is , instead , placed totally against Putin : Putin is simply not interested in any rethink in U.S.-Russian relations unless that was to involve a capitulation on the part of Washington .
Putin aims for American “ capitulation ” ?
Is that what he wants ?
Or does America demand Russia ’ s capitulation ?
And how would that be possible , except in a nuclear ‘ victory ’ resulting from America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After all of America ’ s sanctions against Russia , and its efforts of subversion against Russia via propagandizing for Russia ’ s oppositionists , and its coup that outright seized Russia ’ s next-door neighbor and that now threatens to bring Ukraine into NATO and to place America ’ s nuclear weapons there — the aggressor is : “ Putin ” ?
Really ?
The article continues with yet more of the standard — though all entirely either firmly disproven or else never proven — accusations to demonize Putin , a litany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unproven allegations against him : Biden ’ s aim to “ impose real costs on Russia for its violations of international norms and stand with Russian civil society , ” as he wrote , reveals a readiness to pursue a long-overdue policy based on principles and values .
Given Russia ’ s appalling track record on human rights , the Biden administration should aggressively implement the Magnitsky Act , which penalizes Russian officials who engage in gross human rights abuses .
The list of victims of the Putin regime ’ s brutal treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It includes the assassination or poisoning , either in Russia or on Western soil , of the former spies Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal , the journalist Anna Politkovskaya , and the opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov , Vladimir Kara-Murza , and Alexei Navalny .
Near its end , the article urges Biden to be even more aggressive against Russia than his predecessors were : Neither Obama nor Trump visited Ukraine or Georgia during their presidency to demonstrate U.S. support at the highest levels for these fledgling democracies .
Biden has been to both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include stops there on a trip to Europe .
Investing in the success of these countries is a good way to solidify their defense against Moscow .
He should also be unequivocal in his support for the people of Belarus in their struggle against Lukashenko .
Finally , the United States must stop enabling Russian corruption .
Corruption is Putin ’ s most nefarious and successful export , and the West greedily imports it .
The idea that Russia “ exports ” and America “ imports ” corruption , is the exact reverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which that article is assuming that its readers don ’ t know are the fact that Harvard ’ s economics department were hired by the U.S. Government in the late 1980s and early 1990s to set up capitalism in Russia so as to cut America ’ s billionaires in on the loot , and the fact that those Harvardians did precisely this .
As a result , Russia ’ s economy plunged catastrophically under Boris Yeltsin until Putin became President in 2000 and ordered the billionaires to pay to Russia what they owed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pursue them in foreign courts if they refused to comply and instead escaped .
Those cases against some who absconded are still pending , more than twenty years later .
If U.S.-and-allied billionaires can ’ t get a cut , they want the country to be destroyed ; it ’ s their way ; it ’ s merely the normal thing for the aristocracy of an imperialistic country .
What else is imperialism about ?
( Few Americans have even a clue as to what it ’ s about . )
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s terms , including never again to become involved in politics , they could stay in Russia , and keep the wealth that was legally theirs .
But Putin ’ s bottom line is that any billionaire who violates the conditions will be prosecuted for any violations .
Virtually as soon as Putin came into power in Russia , the national economy turned around .
The 1991-1999 collapse ended , and GDP rose almost as fast as in China .
And , as a result , Obama was following through on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Government that had become semi-official policy under George W. Bush ’ s Administration in 2006 , of ultimately winning a nuclear war against Russia , instead of the prior-existing ( ever since the 1940s ) strategy , of using nuclear weapons only in order to prevent a WW III , the shared fear , of Mutually Assured Destruction ( “ MAD ” ) .
So , now , under Biden , it seems that Nuclear Primacy will be ramped up even more than it previously has been .
The cheering section is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On 4 December 2014 , the former U.S .
Congressman Ron Paul had headlined “ Reckless Congress ‘ Declares War ’ on Russia ” , and he condemned the casual disregard of any requirement of truthfulness in a resolution ( “ H .
Res 758 ” ) which had been passed that day almost unanimously , with only 10 “ Nay ” votes , half Republican and half Democratic , but 411 “ Yea ” votes , 97.6 % of the votes being to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is clear that almost 100 % of members , even in that House ( and the Senate tends to be even worse ) , are rabidly imperialistic ( or “ neoconservative ” ) .
If a President Joe Biden will follow through on that — as he has given every indication he wants to do — then the only remaining question will be whether , in the estimation of his equally imperialistic advisors , America ’ s military superiority to Russia is sufficiently “ Nuclear Primacy ” for them to advise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all-out nuclear attack against Russia .
Three days later , the writer Thad Beversdorf headlined at Zero Hedge , “ The Most Essential Lesson Of History That No One Wants To Admit ” , and he analogized that vote , to the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives , on 10 October 2002 ( “ H.J .
Res .
114 ” ) for invading Iraq , which was far less unanimous , 296 “ Yea ” and 133 “ Nay ” , with 61 % of Democrats voting “ Nay.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , than there is support for a President Joe Biden to blitz-nuclear-attack Russia now .
After the failure of the Democrats ’ effort to expel Trump from office as a ‘ puppet of Putin ’ ( or , as the Washington Post noted , “ Joe Biden has called Russia ’ s Vladimir Putin a ‘ KGB thug , ’ mocked President Trump as ‘ Putin ’ s puppy ’ ” ) , they might be even more in favor of launching WW III now than they were on 10 October 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like this , the President really wouldn ’ t even need to pay attention to the Constitutional requirement of a formal Congressional declaration of war against Russia — the members of both the House and Senate are already on record as being overwhelmingly in support .
For the President , only the opinions of his advisors will be important .
Of course , things won ’ t get to that point if at some stage between now and that decision ’ s being made , the U.S. President will do the decent thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been surrounding himself with people who have given any indication of their supporting such a move .
And the cheering section for WW III in America ’ s press would make extremely embarrassing for him to do that .
Maybe some in the press would even call him a “ commie ” if he did .
I recently watched a presentation by former World Bank President , James Wolfensohn , to a political science class at Stanford University .
The moral to his story ( and I use that ironically ) was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , in the face of a rising East soon to control a higher share of the world ’ s assets than the West , to retain the West ’ s global control .
He stressed it was something his generation did not have to deal with but that today ’ s Western up and coming political class must consider .
You see , China is a powerful nation , but without an alliance with Russia , China can be contained due its lack of energy .
Because China is both a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more trade with the US , Russia is the obvious target to prevent a fully formed Sino-Soviet alliance .
The idea that it was ever about “ capitalism versus communism ” was just fakery , to fool the boobs .
And , now , suddenly , two of America ’ s billionaires , Charles Koch ( a top funder of the Republican Party ) and George Soros ( a top funder of the Democratic Party ) , have joined together to form “ The Quincy Institute , ” supposedly to end America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America has recently been “ imperialistic ” ) .
The creation of this new organization was first reported by the veteran journalist Stephen Kinzer in the Boston Globe , on 30 June 2019 , headlining “ In an astonishing turn , George Soros and Charles Koch team up to end US ‘ forever war ’ policy ” .
But , then , on 11 August 2020 , that Institute headlined its own “ New Paper Offers ‘ Course Correction ’ for America ’ s Failed Syria Policy ” , and reported there that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culpable for the war , the worst outcome for both U.S. interests and for Syrian civilians would be total collapse of the Syrian state , ’ Simon [ the paper ’ s author ] says , ” and so he argues that the U.S. should “ open diplomatic contact with the Syrian regime , ” in order to request the “ regime ” to cease cooperating with its foreign allies , especially Iran .
For example , the full paper , itself , asserts that , “ The alternative to Israel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a regulated framework for [ by which Simon actually means against ] Iranian activities in Syria .
The government best able to negotiate and enforce such constraints is the Syrian regime itself.
” In other words : Syria ’ s Government should do some things against Iran ’ s Government that the Israeli and American regimes want done .
( Supposedly , this is NOT neoconservative ?
How stupid does a person need to be to believe that ? )
The U.S. regime is not being referred to , in Simon ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime ” — which it actually is , far more than Syria ’ s Government is .
In other words , the con goes on : this is yet another con-job , but coming now from supposedly non-political hires of two U.S. billionaires — two of the individuals who actually control the U.S. Government — instead of from their supposedly democratically s ‘ elected ’ political office-holders .
The U.S. regime has the gall to call itself a government , while calling its victim-nations “ regimes.
” Obviously , continuation of that haughty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with ending the invader-nation ’ s imperialism .
Furthermore , the paper itself , by Simon , says nothing , whatsoever , about the necessity for the U.S. regime to pay restitution to the Syrian Government — much less , about placing Barack Obama and Donald Trump before a tribunal of international criminal law , for their war-crimes .
In other words : it is a bad joke upon its audience .
The fakery , to fool the boobs , changes , but nothing yet indicates that it will reduce , and no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will end .
Even so much as restitution , by today ’ s nazi government , to its victims , isn ’ t so much as mentioned , even once .
Perhaps the endless war will just change its name , until it ends the world .
Its cheering section will never let up .
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author , most recently , of They ’ re Not Even Close : The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records , 1910-2010 , and of CHRIST ’ S VENTRILOQUISTS : The Event @ @ @ @

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Eric Zuesse, originally posted at Strategic Culture
America repeatedly elects and re-elects champions of “regime change” in nations abroad (George W. Bush in 2000, Barack Obama in 2008, Donald Trump in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020), such as in Iraq in 2003, and in Afghanistan in 2001, and in Libya in 2011, and in Syria in 2011-2020, and in Yemen in 2015-2020, and in Ukraine in 2010-2014; and, in all instances, has destroyed those nations while claiming to be supporting ‘human rights’ and ‘democracy’ and to be ‘opposing corruption’ in all of those nations that it was actually destroying.
Joe Biden, like all 21st Century U.S. Presidents except Donald Trump, wants regime change in Russia, and that would require WW III. Only people who are either very stupid or very evil want that. Which is Joe Biden? Which was Barack Obama? Which was Hillary Clinton (whom Trump had beaten)? Which was Bush? All of them were supported by the post-World-War-II, permanent-Cold-War, endless-war, Washington Establishment, and by the controlling owners of America’s international corporations such as Lockheed Martin and ExxonMobil. And, therefore, all of them were elected to lead America’s Government. It’s a bipartisan Establishment, which includes every American billionaire (none mobilizes against imperialism, or “neoconservatism”), and which chooses the Presidential and almost all Congressional nominees of both of America’s two political Parties. So, Americans always ‘elect’ such leaders, in this permanent-warfare ‘democracy’. But its’ going to war against Russia — a real war against Russia — would be different, because that would be a nuclear war, all-out, instantaneous, and all of the weapons on both sides would be launched within less than an hour. There would be no looking back and correcting strategic errors, no recalibrations, no second-guesses. It would be historically unique, and all of the guesses would be made within that few-minutes-long period, and would be final.
A part of this Establishment is the magazine Foreign Policy, which is owned by the pro-imperialist (or “neoconservative”) Donald Graham, who virtually never has opposed any American aggression and has conspicuously supported them all. He used to own the Washington Post, which he sold in 2013 to the like-minded Jeff Bezos. America’s billionaires own or control all its major news-media and almost all of its online media that have a significantly large audience. (After all: billionaires can buy anything, and once they buy it, they control it.) This is how Americans always come to ‘elect’ such people to lead the country and to choose judges such as on the U.S. Supreme Court, who will see the world in essentially the same way that they do. Regardless of whether the liberal or the conservative version of that way, it’s the Establishment way. As the Nobel Peace Prize winner American President Barack Obama phrased that way, numerous times, while he was America’s President, “The United States is and remains the one indispensable nation”, meaning that every other country — including Russia — is “dispensable.” In fact, during his second term (after the first term, while he hid this), he constantly identified Russia as being America’s main enemy, but was a skillful enough politician to make fun of, and casually to ridicule, his 2012 ‘election’ opponent, Mitt Romney’s having said that “Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe.” Obama was implying that he didn’t agree with that statement. It’s because of lies like this (to the effect that Obama opposed American imperialism), that Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize. Secretly, even at the very start of his first term, his Administration were preparing to restart the Cold War in a very serious way, by preparing to take over Russia’s next-door neighbor Ukraine and Russia’s Arab ally Syria. But no matter how many times the American public have been lied-to, they never get the hint; and, so, even at the end of Obama’s Presidency, he wasn’t considered a war-monger by most Americans: he had a 59% job-approval rating at the end of his Presidency. (And, of course, some of the other 41% disapproved of his Presidency for reasons that were lies from agents of the Republican Party’s billionaires; so, only far fewer than 41% had any idea, at all, that he, like his immediate predecessor, had been perhaps America’s most harmful and worst, of all Presidents.) Both of America’s political Parties represent only the billionaires who fund them, never the U.S. public. It’s a phony ‘democracy’, but few Americans even know this. The problem isn’t lack of democracy abroad: it is lack of democracy in U.S. federal ‘elections’. This Government is, in fact, a dictatorship, but it uses propaganda to fool the public to think otherwise. The problem is here at home. The following is an example:
Donald Graham’s Foreign Policy magazine published an article on November 13th, headlined “Biden’s Putin Challenge”. Its sub-head is “Biden has a clear-eyed view of the threat posed by Russia — but a lot of bad advice to ignore.” Its warning is that “Too often, Washington seems to want better relations with Moscow than Moscow wants with Washington.” Its worry is that Biden might turn out to be “desperate and weak” against Russia. It is as if the end of Russia’s communism, and of the Soviet Union and of its military Warsaw Pact that had been created in response to America’s having created its military NATO alliance against communism, had all never even happened.
The article asserted that:
Russia under Putin poses an existential threat to the United States and other countries of the West, Russia’s neighbors, and his own people. Biden seems to understand that, not least because he has been the target of Russian interference in the 2020 election, including a disinformation campaign tied to Russia that was designed to smear him and his son Hunter.
Earlier this year, Biden wrote, “To counter Russian aggression, we must keep [NATO’s] military capabilities sharp while also expanding its capacity to take on nontraditional threats, such as weaponized corruption, disinformation, and cybertheft.” He continued: “We must impose real costs on Russia for its violations of international norms and stand with Russian civil society, which has bravely stood up time and again against President Vladimir Putin’s kleptocratic authoritarian system.” In an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes before the election, Biden said he considered Russia “the biggest threat to America right now in terms of breaking up our security and our alliances.”
These instincts are sound, and Biden likely will appoint officials who think the same way he does.
There are too many discredited or else outright disproven statements there to go into any of them, because each would require an article in itself; but, clearly, the intent of each of those allegations is to prepare the American public to support bringing regime-change in Russia — i.e., conquest of Russia’s Government, by means of sanctions, coup, or maybe an invasion.
It says that:
The problem is Putin. He simply is not interested in any rethink in U.S.-Russian relations unless that was to involve a capitulation on the part of Washington. As long as Putin remains in power, there is little point in spending precious U.S. diplomatic and presidential time and effort in trying to improve U.S.-Russian relations. There is one exception, however: arms control, where the United States and Russia have a mutual interest in renewing the New START agreement, which is set to expire next February. Just as the United States was able to sign several arms control agreements with the Soviet Union while the two countries were rivals during the Cold War, Washington can today find common ground with Moscow while seeing Putin’s Russia as a threat on virtually every other issue. Neither country wants or can afford to engage in an expensive, destabilizing arms race.
It claims to be supporting a peaceful way for America to conquer Russia, presumably by persuading the Russian public to get rid of Putin.
Is there a realistic possibility to conquer Russia’s Government while winning the support of the Russian people for that objective — such as this Foreign Policy article urges Biden to do?
On 6 March 2016, Jeff Bezos’s newspaper, which he had purchased in 2013 from Donald Graham, headlined “How to understand Putin’s jaw-droppingly high approval ratings”, and opened “Russian President Vladimir Putin has an 83 percent approval rating.” it tried to, but failed to, find a way of explaining this, and it simply concluded that this problem “has flummoxed Western nations and frustrated Russia’s motley band of oppositionists. Some of them say that Russians are too scared to speak their minds to pollsters. Others claim that the poll numbers are manipulated, although most Western polling firms arrive at similar figures.”
In more depth, the article “Is Putin’s popularity real?” in the March 2016 Post-Soviet Affairs, examined this matter. It opened, “Vladimir Putin has managed to achieve strikingly high public approval ratings throughout his time as president and prime minister of Russia. But is his popularity real, or are respondents lying to pollsters?” That article presented a graph, “Figure 1. Vladimir Putin’s approval rating: 2000–2015. Source: Levada Center Omnibus Surveys. Data from Russia’s two other major polling agencies, VT sIOM and FOM, paint a similar picture.” It showed that, going all the way back to the year 2000, when Putin became Russia’s leader, the job-approval of Putin has been between 60% and 90%, and it soared (instead of fell) during the period in mid 2013 through and since Obama’s coup which in February 2014 overthrew and replaced Russia’s neighbor Ukraine’s Government by an anti-Russian Ukrainian Government, in order for Obama to become able to grab, for the U.S. Navy, Russia’s largest naval base, which is in Crimea. Though Obama’s coup succeeded, his goal of grabbing that naval base and turning it into an American one failed. The Russian people supported, and continue to support, Putin’s opposition to America’s constant efforts to conquer Russia. This study, “Is Putin’s popularity real?”, therefore concluded by saying (with obvious regret) that “our results suggest that the main obstacle at present to the emergence of a widespread opposition movement to Putin is not that Russians are afraid to voice their disapproval of Putin, but that Putin is in fact quite popular.” The problem, for America’s dictators (its billionaires), isn’t Putin: it is the patriotism of the vast majority of Russians — their support for Russia’s national sovereignty, never to yield it up, to any invader.
Consequently, only America’s plan to defeat Russia by means of an overwhelming and sudden nuclear blitz-attack will be able to ‘win’ against Russia. The Foreign Policy article urged Biden to push against Russia at least as hard as his predecessors have done: “Biden should ignore advice to ease or remove sanctions on Russia until Putin withdraws Russia’s forces from Ukraine, including Crimea.” Of course, Russians would consider any Russian leader who would advocate to withdraw Russia’s forces from Ukraine, including Crimea, to be a traitor. (Would Americans think that an American President who allowed Russia to perpetrate an anti-U.S. coup in Mexico, and then to station Russian missiles there against the U.S., to be anything else than a traitor?) Crimea was part of Russia until the Soviet dictator arbitrarily switched it to Ukraine in 1954, and Ukraine’s far-eastern Donbass region, which also seceded from Ukraine, had voted more than 90% for the Ukrainian President whom Obama’s violent coup overthrew; so, those Russian troops are defending those two areas against Ukraine’s efforts to grab them back by military force. Obama had failed in his goal of seizing Russia’s naval base in Crimea. No Russian leader will allow any reversal of that U.S. failure. Any attempt by the U.S. regime to reverse it would bring hot war between the U.S. and Russia and would escalate to WW III unless America would back down, which people such as Jeff Bezos and Donald Graham would make career-ending for any U.S. President to do. But America’s Establishment treats the American public as being idiots who have no idea about any such realities.
However, since Foreign Policy aims to pressure America’s leaders to spend evermore government-money on buying the weaponry of U.S.-based armaments firms such as Lockheed Martin (which, perhaps, most of them are invested in), and to open new grounds for extraction firms such as ExxonMobil (which especially Republican leaders are invested in), it had to deny explicitly that Biden or any other U.S. President would intend any such thing as militarily invading Russia: the blame, for intransigence, is, instead, placed totally against Putin:
Putin is simply not interested in any rethink in U.S.-Russian relations unless that was to involve a capitulation on the part of Washington.
Putin aims for American “capitulation”? Is that what he wants? Or does America demand Russia’s capitulation? And how would that be possible, except in a nuclear ‘victory’ resulting from America’s having achieved “nuclear primacy”?
After all of America’s sanctions against Russia, and its efforts of subversion against Russia via propagandizing for Russia’s oppositionists, and its coup that outright seized Russia’s next-door neighbor and that now threatens to bring Ukraine into NATO and to place America’s nuclear weapons there — the aggressor is: “Putin”? Really?
The article continues with yet more of the standard — though all entirely either firmly disproven or else never proven — accusations to demonize Putin, a litany of America’s standard lies and unproven allegations against him:
Biden’s aim to “impose real costs on Russia for its violations of international norms and stand with Russian civil society,” as he wrote, reveals a readiness to pursue a long-overdue policy based on principles and values. Given Russia’s appalling track record on human rights, the Biden administration should aggressively implement the Magnitsky Act, which penalizes Russian officials who engage in gross human rights abuses. The list of victims of the Putin regime’s brutal treatment of its perceived enemies is long. It includes the assassination or poisoning, either in Russia or on Western soil, of the former spies Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal, the journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and the opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Alexei Navalny.
Near its end, the article urges Biden to be even more aggressive against Russia than his predecessors were:
Neither Obama nor Trump visited Ukraine or Georgia during their presidency to demonstrate U.S. support at the highest levels for these fledgling democracies. Biden has been to both countries numerous times, and he should include stops there on a trip to Europe. Investing in the success of these countries is a good way to solidify their defense against Moscow. He should also be unequivocal in his support for the people of Belarus in their struggle against Lukashenko.
Finally, the United States must stop enabling Russian corruption. Corruption is Putin’s most nefarious and successful export, and the West greedily imports it.
The idea that Russia “exports” and America “imports” corruption, is the exact reverse of the truth. Among the realities which that article is assuming that its readers don’t know are the fact that Harvard’s economics department were hired by the U.S. Government in the late 1980s and early 1990s to set up capitalism in Russia so as to cut America’s billionaires in on the loot, and the fact that those Harvardians did precisely this. As a result, Russia’s economy plunged catastrophically under Boris Yeltsin until Putin became President in 2000 and ordered the billionaires to pay to Russia what they owed, or else Russia would outlaw them and pursue them in foreign courts if they refused to comply and instead escaped. Those cases against some who absconded are still pending, more than twenty years later. If U.S.-and-allied billionaires can’t get a cut, they want the country to be destroyed; it’s their way; it’s merely the normal thing for the aristocracy of an imperialistic country. What else is imperialism about? (Few Americans have even a clue as to what it’s about.) For the Russian billionaires who agreed to Putin’s terms, including never again to become involved in politics, they could stay in Russia, and keep the wealth that was legally theirs. But Putin’s bottom line is that any billionaire who violates the conditions will be prosecuted for any violations.
Virtually as soon as Putin came into power in Russia, the national economy turned around. The 1991-1999 collapse ended, and GDP rose almost as fast as in China. And, as a result, Obama was following through on the “Nuclear Primacy” goal of the U.S. Government that had become semi-official policy under George W. Bush’s Administration in 2006, of ultimately winning a nuclear war against Russia, instead of the prior-existing (ever since the 1940s) strategy, of using nuclear weapons only in order to prevent a WW III, the shared fear, of Mutually Assured Destruction (“MAD”).
So, now, under Biden, it seems that Nuclear Primacy will be ramped up even more than it previously has been. The cheering section is all ready for him to do that.
On 4 December 2014, the former U.S. Congressman Ron Paul had headlined “Reckless Congress ‘Declares War’ on Russia”, and he condemned the casual disregard of any requirement of truthfulness in a resolution (“H. Res 758”) which had been passed that day almost unanimously, with only 10 “Nay” votes, half Republican and half Democratic, but 411 “Yea” votes, 97.6% of the votes being to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives a declaration of war against Russia. So, it is clear that almost 100% of members, even in that House (and the Senate tends to be even worse), are rabidly imperialistic (or “neoconservative”). If a President Joe Biden will follow through on that — as he has given every indication he wants to do — then the only remaining question will be whether, in the estimation of his equally imperialistic advisors, America’s military superiority to Russia is sufficiently “Nuclear Primacy” for them to advise the U.S. President to launch a sudden and all-out nuclear attack against Russia.
Three days later, the writer Thad Beversdorf headlined at Zero Hedge, “The Most Essential Lesson Of History That No One Wants To Admit”, and he analogized that vote, to the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, on 10 October 2002 (“H.J. Res. 114”) for invading Iraq, which was far less unanimous, 296 “Yea” and 133 “Nay”, with 61% of Democrats voting “Nay.” There was less unanimity to invade Iraq then, than there is support for a President Joe Biden to blitz-nuclear-attack Russia now. After the failure of the Democrats’ effort to expel Trump from office as a ‘puppet of Putin’ (or, as the Washington Post noted, “Joe Biden has called Russia’s Vladimir Putin a ‘KGB thug,’ mocked President Trump as ‘Putin’s puppy’”), they might be even more in favor of launching WW III now than they were on 10 October 2014. With a Congress that’s like this, the President really wouldn’t even need to pay attention to the Constitutional requirement of a formal Congressional declaration of war against Russia — the members of both the House and Senate are already on record as being overwhelmingly in support. For the President, only the opinions of his advisors will be important. Of course, things won’t get to that point if at some stage between now and that decision’s being made, the U.S. President will do the decent thing and back down. But he has not been surrounding himself with people who have given any indication of their supporting such a move. And the cheering section for WW III in America’s press would make extremely embarrassing for him to do that. Maybe some in the press would even call him a “commie” if he did.
Beversdorf also wrote there:
I recently watched a presentation by former World Bank President, James Wolfensohn, to a political science class at Stanford University. The moral to his story (and I use that ironically) was to challenge them to figure out a way, in the face of a rising East soon to control a higher share of the world’s assets than the West, to retain the West’s global control. He stressed it was something his generation did not have to deal with but that today’s Western up and coming political class must consider. You see, China is a powerful nation, but without an alliance with Russia, China can be contained due its lack of energy. Because China is both a more difficult opponent and one that has much more trade with the US, Russia is the obvious target to prevent a fully formed Sino-Soviet alliance.
The idea that it was ever about “capitalism versus communism” was just fakery, to fool the boobs.
And, now, suddenly, two of America’s billionaires, Charles Koch (a top funder of the Republican Party) and George Soros (a top funder of the Democratic Party), have joined together to form “The Quincy Institute,” supposedly to end America’s imperialism (but without acknowledging that America has recently been “imperialistic”). The creation of this new organization was first reported by the veteran journalist Stephen Kinzer in the Boston Globe, on 30 June 2019, headlining “In an astonishing turn, George Soros and Charles Koch team up to end US ‘forever war’ policy”. But, then, on 11 August 2020, that Institute headlined its own “New Paper Offers ‘Course Correction’ for America’s Failed Syria Policy”, and reported there that “‘Recognizing that Assad is largely culpable for the war, the worst outcome for both U.S. interests and for Syrian civilians would be total collapse of the Syrian state,’ Simon [the paper’s author] says,” and so he argues that the U.S. should “open diplomatic contact with the Syrian regime,” in order to request the “regime” to cease cooperating with its foreign allies, especially Iran. For example, the full paper, itself, asserts that, “The alternative to Israel’s whack-a-mole strategy [against Syria] is a regulated framework for [by which Simon actually means against] Iranian activities in Syria. The government best able to negotiate and enforce such constraints is the Syrian regime itself.” In other words: Syria’s Government should do some things against Iran’s Government that the Israeli and American regimes want done. (Supposedly, this is NOT neoconservative? How stupid does a person need to be to believe that?) The U.S. regime is not being referred to, in Simon’s screed, itself, as a “regime” — which it actually is, far more than Syria’s Government is. In other words, the con goes on: this is yet another con-job, but coming now from supposedly non-political hires of two U.S. billionaires — two of the individuals who actually control the U.S. Government — instead of from their supposedly democratically s‘elected’ political office-holders. The U.S. regime has the gall to call itself a government, while calling its victim-nations “regimes.” Obviously, continuation of that haughty, basically dictatorial, attitude is inconsistent with ending the invader-nation’s imperialism. Furthermore, the paper itself, by Simon, says nothing, whatsoever, about the necessity for the U.S. regime to pay restitution to the Syrian Government — much less, about placing Barack Obama and Donald Trump before a tribunal of international criminal law, for their war-crimes. In other words: it is a bad joke upon its audience.
The fakery, to fool the boobs, changes, but nothing yet indicates that it will reduce, and no indication, whatsoever, is provided that it will end. Even so much as restitution, by today’s nazi government, to its victims, isn’t so much as mentioned, even once. Perhaps the endless war will just change its name, until it ends the world. Its cheering section will never let up.
—————
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
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theduran--2020-12-03--Breitbart goes after Lin Wood, labels him 'MAGA poseur'

The statements , views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily @ @ @ @ @ .

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theduran--2020-12-03--Wales ID cards & UK Military INFOWAR unit against skeptics

Psyops outfit turned on the public to ensure no one strays from the acceptable opinion on the vaccine The British @ @ @ @ @ “ information warfare ” unit to combat “ anti-vaccine militants ” and interrupt their “ @ @ @ @ @ according to a report in The Sunday Times .
The report ( behind a paywall @ @ @ @ @ is usually used to assist with operations against al-Qaeda and the Taliban , but now @ @ @ @ @ those who dare question the sanctity of COVID vaccination .


theduran--2020-12-03--EU mulls rule change. Poland & Hungary EU VOTE will no longer count

EU set to change rules .
Poland & Hungary EU VOTE will no longer count The European Union is appearing @ @ @ @ @ union ” of willing participants ( nothing at all new ) .
And apparently its @ @ @ @ @ and expendable simply if things don ’ t go the way of the powerful technocrats @ @ @ @ @


theduran--2020-12-03--ELECTION MESS. One month later, thousands of ballots found in NY race

ELECTION MESS .
One month later , thousands of ballots found in NY race Democrats face accusations of fraud in @ @ @ @ @ on election night erased by judge and mail-in ballots Democrats face accusations of fraud in @ @ @ @ @ on election night erased by judge and mail-in ballots A New York congressional race came @ @ @ @ @ reviewing individual spoiled ballots , resulting in the Democratic incumbent erasing his nearly 30,000-vote deficit @ @ @ @ @ and declaring victory .
“ In NY-22 , the Democrat incumbent was trailing by almost @ @ @ @ @ ” said Hot Air editor Jazz Shaw on Twitter .
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theduran--2020-12-04--Georgia Bombshell Video: Watch The Evidence Of Election Fraud

An attorney has tendered CCTV evidence to a Georgia Senate Judiciary Subcommittee which she claims shows poll workers waiting for @ @ @ @ @ before accessing ballot-stuffed suitcases from under a table .
Georgian election workers pretend to stop @ @ @ @ @ telling everyone to go home , except that is for the workers waiting to restart @ @ @ @ @ away under tables in suitcases .
Watch the video which was presented as evidence to @ @ @ @ @ at the hearing to investigate allegations of election fraud .
How will big tech and @ @ @ @ @ and censor this tomorrow ?
I expect they will continue to censor and lie about @ @ @ @ @ sane person , visible evidence of election fraud .
I expect Bill Barr will again @ @ @ @ @ be fired , tomorrow !

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Republicans tender new CCTV footage to Georgia Senate Judiciary Subcommittee | Sky News Australia An attorney has tendered CCTV evidence to a Georgia Senate Judiciary Subcommittee which she claims shows poll workers waiting for observers and media to leave before accessing ballot-stuffed suitcases from under a table.
source
Georgian election workers pretend to stop work at 11 pm, telling everyone to go home, except that is for the workers waiting to restart processing thousands of votes secreted away under tables in suitcases. Watch the video which was presented as evidence to the Georgia Senate Judiciary Subcommittee at the hearing to investigate allegations of election fraud.
How will big tech and the main stream media spin and censor this tomorrow? I expect they will continue to censor and lie about what is, to every sane person, visible evidence of election fraud.
I expect Bill Barr will again do nothing. He must be fired, tomorrow!
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theduran--2020-12-04--John “Dead End” Durham

John “Dead End” Durham

John Durham ’ s “ dead end ” career started after he moved to DC after a successful career prosecuting crime families and gangsters .
Then his ability to indict criminals started to dry up .
In November 2017 when answering the QUESTIONNAIRE FOR NON-JUDICIAL NOMINEES , Durham describes his 10 most notable litigation , all of those he chose were crime family and gang relate In 1999 , Attorney General Janet Reno asked him to investigate the relationship between the F.B.I .
and the Boston crime boss James ( Whitey ) Bulger , a longtime informant .
That investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ F.B.I .
supervisory special agent and a former Massachusetts state police lieutenant , according to the Justice Department .
The investigation resulted in the indictment and conviction of former FBI Supervisory Special Agent John Connolly on Racketeering and Obstruction of Justice charges and the indictment and conviction of former Massachusetts State Police Lt. Richard Schneiderhan on Obstruction of Justice charges .
Connolly was sentenced to a period of 10 years imprisonment on September 16 , 2002 .
Richard Schneiderhan was sentenced to a period of 18 months incarceration on July 8 , 2003.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Michael Mukasey tapped Assistant U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut , John Durham , to conduct a three year investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes as a special prosecutor for the Department of Justice .
“ A team of prosecutors and FBI agents led by Durham conducted an exhaustive investigation into the matter , ” said Matthew Miller , director of the Justice Department ’ s office of public affairs .
“ As a result of that investigation , Mr. Durham has concluded that he will not pursue criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videotapes , ” Miller said .
Mr. Durham ’ s investigation into the C.I.A .
tapes was broadened a year later , during the Obama administration , by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. , who asked him to investigate whether the agency violated any laws in its treatments of detainees .
His final report remains classified .
He closed the torture investigation in 2012 , also without filing any criminal charges .
Mr. Durham was tasked with examining the roots of the Russia investigation by Attorney General William P. Barr in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review .
It was turned into a criminal investigation in October 2019 .
There has been no sign of a report since , just empty promises , and I doubt there ever will be .
Why has Durham been appointed special council by Bill Barr , simply to do what he does best now , to carry on his investigation across into another administration and into another dead end !

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
John Durham’s “dead end” career started after he moved to DC after a successful career prosecuting crime families and gangsters. Then his ability to indict criminals started to dry up.
In November 2017 when answering the QUESTIONNAIRE FOR NON-JUDICIAL NOMINEES, Durham describes his 10 most notable litigation, all of those he chose were crime family and gang relate
In 1999, Attorney General Janet Reno asked him to investigate the relationship between the F.B.I. and the Boston crime boss James(Whitey) Bulger, a longtime informant. That investigation led to the prosecution of a former F.B.I. supervisory special agent and a former Massachusetts state police lieutenant, according to the Justice Department.
The investigation resulted in the indictment and conviction of former FBI Supervisory Special Agent John Connolly on Racketeering and Obstruction of Justice charges and the indictment and conviction of former Massachusetts State Police Lt. Richard Schneiderhan on Obstruction of Justice charges. Connolly was sentenced to a period of 10 years imprisonment on September 16, 2002. Richard Schneiderhan was sentenced to a period of 18 months incarceration on July 8, 2003.”
Dead End 1
In January 2008, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey tapped Assistant U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, John Durham, to conduct a three year investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes as a special prosecutor for the Department of Justice.
“A team of prosecutors and FBI agents led by Durham conducted an exhaustive investigation into the matter,” said Matthew Miller, director of the Justice Department’s office of public affairs.
“As a result of that investigation, Mr. Durham has concluded that he will not pursue criminal charges for the destruction of the interrogation videotapes,” Miller said.
Dead End 2
Mr. Durham’s investigation into the C.I.A. tapes was broadened a year later, during the Obama administration, by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who asked him to investigate whether the agency violated any laws in its treatments of detainees. His final report remains classified. He closed the torture investigation in 2012, also without filing any criminal charges.
Dead End 3
Mr. Durham was tasked with examining the roots of the Russia investigation by Attorney General William P. Barr in May 2019, which began as an administrative review. It was turned into a criminal investigation in October 2019. There has been no sign of a report since, just empty promises, and I doubt there ever will be.
Why has Durham been appointed special council by Bill Barr, simply to do what he does best now, to carry on his investigation across into another administration and into another dead end!
Buy now
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theduran--2020-12-04--Latvia becomes a victim of the East-West confrontation

The foreign policy of Latvia has been providing a surprising case of balancing policy between economic wisdom and political situation for some decades .
Being the EU and NATO member state , Latvia managed to fulfill its commitments and at the same time Riga maintained fruitful relationship in the economic sphere with neighbouring countries – Russia and Belarus .
And this despite the fact that these two countries are seen by the European Union and the Alliance as opponents rather than friends .
But cooling of the EU and NATO ’ s relations with Russia made such a balance impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions that totally harmed its economy .
Thus , Latvia has gradually become a victim of the East-West confrontation .
Only one of the negative results of this confrontation is dramatic reduction of transit cargo .
Russia ’ s cargo volume has fallen sharply .
Russia ’ s decision to build its own ports and divert traffic to them has become a direct consequence of the EU economic sanctions imposed against Russia .
In October , the largest decrease in Latvian ports was for coal transported to the main coal terminal on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned average of 118 wagons , only 39 were received per day .
The more so , in October , the Russian side did not coordinate 94 % of the requested amount of coal cargo – customers wanted to receive more than 4,800 coal wagons to Latvian ports , but got only 279 .
In November , 100 % of the requested amount was not agreed , which means a complete stop of coal cargo delivery .
And it is clear that gradually less and less cargo will pass through Latvia and maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign policies toward relations with Russia .
On the one hand , Latvian authorities understand that the country needs Russian cargoes .
Latvian Minister of Transport Tālis Linkaits points out : “ It is the need of the Latvian state to ensure the operation of the infrastructure of “ Latvijas dzelzceļš ” .
And we are interested in every ton of cargo that could come through Latvia or to Latvia.
” On the other hand , during the annual Rīga Conference which took place in November Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš and NATO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia remains a threat .
“ Russia remains a great big problem , ” Kariņš said .
Latvia as well as other Baltic States deployed NATO troops on its territory and thereby endangering good neighborly relations with Russia and regional security in general .
Russia has taken measures to build up its military capabilities as well .
Former President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers says : “ Prayers will not help .
This is Russian policy.
” Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevichs admitted : “ I don ’ t understand what we sometimes have in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us to drive in the middle of the road – to be proportionate , to be principled in matters of principle , to be practical , but not to carry from one ditch to another.
” So , Latvia maneuvers between politics and the desire not to lose important partner .
Russia in its turn does not hide its intention and is not going to play along .
If Latvia ’ s political views prevent it from developing fruitful partnership with neighbour states , this is Latvia ’ s choice .
Latvia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its foreign policy .
Latvia ’ s failure in cooperation with Russia reflects the bleak economic prospects if Russia ceases to see the region as a territory of special economic importance .
In recent years , Moscow has already made it clear that it considers the gain in the struggle for the region too small to participate in it .
The situation resembles an old Latin proverb : “ Between two stools , one falls to the ground.
” Latvia is almost on the ground .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The foreign policy of Latvia has been providing a surprising case of balancing policy between economic wisdom and political situation for some decades. Being the EU and NATO member state, Latvia managed to fulfill its commitments and at the same time Riga maintained fruitful relationship in the economic sphere with neighbouring countries – Russia and Belarus. And this despite the fact that these two countries are seen by the European Union and the Alliance as opponents rather than friends.
But cooling of the EU and NATO’s relations with Russia made such a balance impossible and forced Latvia to take such political decisions that totally harmed its economy. Thus, Latvia has gradually become a victim of the East-West confrontation.
Only one of the negative results of this confrontation is dramatic reduction of transit cargo. Russia’s cargo volume has fallen sharply.
Russia’s decision to build its own ports and divert traffic to them has become a direct consequence of the EU economic sanctions imposed against Russia.
In October, the largest decrease in Latvian ports was for coal transported to the main coal terminal on the Russian Island in Riga. Of the planned average of 118 wagons, only 39 were received per day.
The more so, in October, the Russian side did not coordinate 94% of the requested amount of coal cargo – customers wanted to receive more than 4,800 coal wagons to Latvian ports, but got only 279. In November, 100% of the requested amount was not agreed, which means a complete stop of coal cargo delivery. And it is clear that gradually less and less cargo will pass through Latvia and maybe not at all because of the destructive foreign policies toward relations with Russia.
On the one hand, Latvian authorities understand that the country needs Russian cargoes. Latvian Minister of Transport Tālis Linkaits points out: “It is the need of the Latvian state to ensure the operation of the infrastructure of “Latvijas dzelzceļš”. And we are interested in every ton of cargo that could come through Latvia or to Latvia.” On the other hand, during the annual Rīga Conference which took place in November Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg both emphasized that Russia remains a threat. “Russia remains a great big problem,” Kariņš said. Latvia as well as other Baltic States deployed NATO troops on its territory and thereby endangering good neighborly relations with Russia and regional security in general. Russia has taken measures to build up its military capabilities as well.
Former President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers says: “Prayers will not help. This is Russian policy.”
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevichs admitted: “I don’t understand what we sometimes have in Latvia, that it is somehow difficult for us to drive in the middle of the road – to be proportionate, to be principled in matters of principle, to be practical, but not to carry from one ditch to another.”
So, Latvia maneuvers between politics and the desire not to lose important partner. Russia in its turn does not hide its intention and is not going to play along. If Latvia’s political views prevent it from developing fruitful partnership with neighbour states, this is Latvia’s choice. Latvia’s economy today is hostage to its foreign policy.
Latvia’s failure in cooperation with Russia reflects the bleak economic prospects if Russia ceases to see the region as a territory of special economic importance. In recent years, Moscow has already made it clear that it considers the gain in the struggle for the region too small to participate in it.
The situation resembles an old Latin proverb: “Between two stools, one falls to the ground.” Latvia is almost on the ground.
The Baltic Word
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theduran--2020-12-04--Unemployment Numbers WAY Understated! Labor Department Officially Admits It’s Wrong!

We have seen cases in which inaccurate data has been found and corrected .
Revisions take place .
But in 2020 , admission after admission of incorrect data has been detected , referenced , and then ignored .
Despite the fake numbers , the mainstream media will continue to parrot the official numbers .
They don ’ t even look at the Labor Department ’ s own statements about how inaccurate the numbers are simply because they know the majority isn ’ t paying attention and it ’ s really all about keeping them divided and conquered .
Job well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Come With Disclaimer on Accuracy U.S. Jobless-Claims Data to Come With Disclaimer on Accuracy The closely watched weekly reports on U.S. claims for unemployment benefits will soon come with a disclaimer that the figures aren ’ t accurately capturing how many people are actually claiming benefits , after a government watchdog found the figures to be “ flawed.
” COVID-19 : Urgent Actions Needed to Better Ensure an Effective Federal Response The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in catastrophic loss of life and substantial damage to the global economy , stability , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. had an average of 116,000 new COVID-19 cases per day from November 1 through November 12 , 2020 .
US media layoffs on track for record high in 2020 | TheHill US media layoffs on track for record high in 2020 Media industry layoffs are poised to reach an all-time high in 2020 due in large part to the coronavirus pandemic , according to new research .
An estimated 28,637 cuts were reported in the industry by late October , Variety , citing data from Challenger , Gray & Christmas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record 28,803 reported in the media sector in 2008 .
Fueled by low interest rates and a historic housing shortage , California ’ s median home price in September reached $ 712,430 , closing out four straight months of record highs .
The state ’ s housing market briefly cooled in the early months in the coronavirus pandemic , but by June , they were fully on the rebound , with the median sales price reaching $ 626,200 , the highest ever at the time , according to a report from the California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner of Buca , La Banane and Jacobs rack up $ 46 million in debt ?
( Including almost $ 100,000 for mushrooms ) | The Star How did the owner of Buca , La Banane and Jacobs rack up $ 46 million in debt ?
( Including almost $ 100,000 for mushrooms ) When Godspeed brew pub owner Luc Lafontaine decided to sell some of his beer to La Banane , he figured it was a good fit .
An elegant restaurant with a top chef serving classic French food would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saison flavoured with Japanese yuzu citrus , or the classic Czech-style lager brewed at his east-end brew pub .
Dollar index hits its lowest level in more than two years – Axios Dollar index hits its lowest level in more than two years The dollar index , which tracks the greenback ’ s value against a basket of currencies , touched its lowest level in over two years .
What ’ s going on : Investor sentiment soared this month – following Biden ’ s win and prospects of congressional gridlock , possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We face great challenges as a country right now .
To recover , we must restore the American dream—a society where each person can rise to their potential and dream even bigger for their children .
As Treasury Secretary , I will work every day towards rebuilding that dream for all.
” / Twitter We face great challenges as a country right now .
To recover , we must restore the American dream-a society where each person can rise to their potential and dream even bigger for their children.As Treasury Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebuilding that dream for all .
There has been more money , cash , debt flowing into equities .
More cash here than ever before .
Money printing is buying treasuries , bonds , debt at a record pace in 2020 .
Tech stocks are being bought heavily .
Margin accounts are popular .
• The Money GPS : The Broken Economy Leaving Millions Without A Job !
Economic Crisis or Opportunity ?
• The Money GPS : BIS Central Banker Admits EPIC Level Crisis Is the Most Likely Result of Global Mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties .
They ’ re all lying to you .
None are your friends .
None wish to help you .
Wolves in sheep clothing .
More distractions than ever before .
The magician always makes a spectacle to hide the trick .
JANET YELLEN MIGHT BE BACK .
Anyone suggesting government took over the Fed and not the other way around needs to wake up .
Fed gained more control .
Even Bloomberg admits it .
The revolving door and the control over the public is very evident to those paying attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – How To and Solutions How To Fix the Global Economy ( Instagram ) The Money GPS Financial Education 101 coming soon.100 % free eCourse for you to learn from but for those who already know the content , this is perfect to share with others .
I ’ m creating this course for people specifically to get the foundation # money # moneyGPS # financialeducation pic.twitter.com/nzqVVSSorT HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON AMAZON – FREE eCOURSE : http : //TheAmazonGPS.com LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKS !
http : //books.themoneygps.com Sources Used in This Video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the most active , most informative channel in the financial world .
Day after day , breaking down the data and making it easy to understand .
This channel is not here to help build a portfolio , give stock picks , or financial advice .
It ’ s simply data that is generally not found through conventional means .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
source
We have seen cases in which inaccurate data has been found and corrected. Revisions take place. But in 2020, admission after admission of incorrect data has been detected, referenced, and then ignored. Despite the fake numbers, the mainstream media will continue to parrot the official numbers. They don’t even look at the Labor Department’s own statements about how inaccurate the numbers are simply because they know the majority isn’t paying attention and it’s really all about keeping them divided and conquered. Job well done it seems.
U.S. Jobless-Claims Data to Come With Disclaimer on Accuracy
U.S. Jobless-Claims Data to Come With Disclaimer on Accuracy The closely watched weekly reports on U.S. claims for unemployment benefits will soon come with a disclaimer that the figures aren’t accurately capturing how many people are actually claiming benefits, after a government watchdog found the figures to be “flawed.”
Labor Department Published ‘Flawed Estimates’ of Weekly Jobless Claims, Watchdog Says – WSJ
Labor Department Published Flawed Estimates of Weekly Jobless Claims, Watchdog Says WASHINGTON-The nation’s system for providing unemployment benefits to jobless workers has consistently produced inaccurate data and lower-than-appropriate payouts to millions of workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a government watchdog said Monday.
COVID-19: Urgent Actions Needed to Better Ensure an Effective Federal Response
COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in catastrophic loss of life and substantial damage to the global economy, stability, and security. According to federal data, the U.S. had an average of 116,000 new COVID-19 cases per day from November 1 through November 12, 2020.
US media layoffs on track for record high in 2020 | TheHill
US media layoffs on track for record high in 2020 Media industry layoffs are poised to reach an all-time high in 2020 due in large part to the coronavirus pandemic, according to new research. An estimated 28,637 cuts were reported in the industry by late October, Variety, citing data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, reported, nearly as many as the record 28,803 reported in the media sector in 2008.
Statement on LIBOR Transition – November 30, 2020
Click to access bcreg20201130a1.pdf
Median Home Price Sets New Record in California – DNyuz
Median Home Price Sets New Record in California Fueled by low interest rates and a historic housing shortage, California’s median home price in September reached $712,430, closing out four straight months of record highs. The state’s housing market briefly cooled in the early months in the coronavirus pandemic, but by June, they were fully on the rebound, with the median sales price reaching $626,200, the highest ever at the time, according to a report from the California Department of Finance.
Italy Approves New Stimulus Package to Bolster Shrinking Economy – Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-30/italy-approves-new-stimulus-package-to-bolster-shrinking-economy
How did the owner of Buca, La Banane and Jacobs rack up $46 million in debt? (Including almost $100,000 for mushrooms) | The Star
How did the owner of Buca, La Banane and Jacobs rack up $46 million in debt? (Including almost $100,000 for mushrooms) When Godspeed brew pub owner Luc Lafontaine decided to sell some of his beer to La Banane, he figured it was a good fit. An elegant restaurant with a top chef serving classic French food would be an ideal spot to showcase the Belgian-style saison flavoured with Japanese yuzu citrus, or the classic Czech-style lager brewed at his east-end brew pub.
Dollar index hits its lowest level in more than two years – Axios
Dollar index hits its lowest level in more than two years The dollar index, which tracks the greenback’s value against a basket of currencies, touched its lowest level in over two years. What’s going on: Investor sentiment soared this month – following Biden’s win and prospects of congressional gridlock, possible stimulus, and headway on coronavirus vaccines.
22068.jpeg (1200×1200)
No Title No Description
(19) Janet Yellen on Twitter:
“We face great challenges as a country right now. To recover, we must restore the American dream—a society where each person can rise to their potential and dream even bigger for their children. As Treasury Secretary, I will work every day towards rebuilding that dream for all.” / Twitter
No Title We face great challenges as a country right now. To recover, we must restore the American dream-a society where each person can rise to their potential and dream even bigger for their children.As Treasury Secretary, I will work every day towards rebuilding that dream for all.
There has been more money, cash, debt flowing into equities. More cash here than ever before. Money printing is buying treasuries, bonds, debt at a record pace in 2020. Tech stocks are being bought heavily. Margin accounts are popular.
— APPENDICES —
— FOOTNOTES —
No Title Wake up to the suits and ties. They’re all lying to you. None are your friends. None wish to help you. Wolves in sheep clothing. More distractions than ever before. The magician always makes a spectacle to hide the trick.
No Title Hmmmm…What do you think about this? pic.twitter.com/M87q3TLzv9
No Title JANET YELLEN MIGHT BE BACK. Anyone suggesting government took over the Fed and not the other way around needs to wake up. Fed gained more control. Even Bloomberg admits it. The revolving door and the control over the public is very evident to those paying attention. #janetyellen pic.twitter.com/2lHmrIHw0T
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The Money GPS – How To and Solutions
The Money GPS Easy eCourse
— The Money GPS —
How To Fix the Global Economy (Instagram)
No Title The Money GPS Financial Education 101 coming soon.100% free eCourse for you to learn from but for those who already know the content, this is perfect to share with others. I’m creating this course for people specifically to get the foundation #money #moneyGPS #financialeducation pic.twitter.com/nzqVVSSorT
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON AMAZON – FREE eCOURSE: http://TheAmazonGPS.com
LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKS! http://books.themoneygps.com
SUPPORT MY WORK: https://www.patreon.com/themoneygps
PAYPAL: https://goo.gl/L6VQg9
OTHER: http://themoneygps.com/donate
AUDIOBOOK: http://themoneygps.com/store
T-SHIRTS: http://merch.themoneygps.com
MY FAVORITE BOOKS: http://themoneygps.com/books
Sources Used in This Video: http://bit.ly/TheMoneyGPSSources2020
The Money GPS is the most active, most informative channel in the financial world. Day after day, breaking down the data and making it easy to understand. This channel is not here to help build a portfolio, give stock picks, or financial advice. It’s simply data that is generally not found through conventional means.
#money #finance #invest
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theduran--2020-12-04--President Donald Trump Speaks:  Voter Fraud and Irregularity, December 2, 2020. Consent of US ALL!

You will have a hard time finding the full , unedited , uninterrupted , 45-minute speech by President Donald J.
@ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
So I have provided a link to it for you , here .
@ @ @ @ @ .
Support The Duran on Patreon !


theduran--2020-12-04--The Georgia pipe bust lie

The Georgia pipe bust lie

BREAKING : Governor Kemp Calls on Secretary of State Raffensperger to Call for a “ Signature Audit ” in the @ @ @ @ @ Calls on Secretary of State Raffensperger to Call for a “ Signature Audit ” in @ @ @ @ @ State Brad Raffensperger Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified the election results in November @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s 16 electoral votes .
“ Working as an engineer throughout my life @ @ @ @ @ numbers don ’ t lie .
As secretary of state , I believe that the @ @ @ @ @ today are… Trump legal team will not be intimidated by radical left .
Next stop @ @ @ @ @ .
Support The Duran on Patreon !


theduran--2020-12-04--Kemp calls for signature audit after Georgia CCTV video exposes election lie

Georgia Gov .
Kemp Calls For Signature Audit Following CCTV Footage Of Late-Night Ballot Malarkey Georgia Gov .
Kemp Calls @ @ @ @ @ Footage Of Late-Night Ballot Malarkey Georgia Governor Brian Kemp ( R ) has called for @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election after CCTV footage from election night appears to show several Atlanta poll workers @ @ @ @ @ .
” I called early on for a signature audit , ” Kemp said in @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ Ingraham Angle , ” adding ” I think it should be done…


theduran--2020-12-04--Obama will take SHOT on Live TV. U.S. ready to roll out SHOT ID CARDS

Obama will take SHOT on Live TV .
U.S. ready to roll out SHOT ID CARDS Obama Says He Will @ @ @ @ @ To Convince People It ’ s Safe “ If Anthony Fauci tells me this is @ @ @ @ @ m going to take it ” Obama Says He Will Take COVID Vaccine On Live @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Safe Despite having the regulatory backing to make getting the COVID vaccine a @ @ @ @ @ most companies in the U.S. are unlikely to do so for fear of provoking a @ @ @ @ @ according to a Reuters report , which notes that , “ Private U.S .


theduran--2020-12-05--Bitcoin’s Maximum Pressure Campaign

Bitcoin’s Maximum Pressure Campaign

The president ’ s “ maximum pressure ” campaign still has time to run .
And when two donors proposed an attack on Iran to Mr Trump before leaving office , the subject of Iran ’ s in-part reliance on crypto arose .
That ’ s because the Central Bank of Iran supports Bitcoin .
But considering that 77 % of BTC is hard cached and with a US dollar valuation of $ 350Bn , only about $ 76Bn US in BTC is actively traded .
Considering that Iran ’ s GDP is $ 440Bn the Central Bank of Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even so , speculation related to such a BTC hit on Iran is worth a go .
Even before Trump ’ s donors pressed for that attack , the Department of Justice was asked to provide an ‘ enforcement framework ’ for crypto which was released on October 8th , 2020 .
Coordinated voices within the SEC had expressed concerns about crypto , including China ’ s head start ; issues with payment systems which cause crypto to be preferred for black ops , illicit transactions , and ‘ gray market ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the US ’ s scope to limit Iran ’ s access to BTC was more immediate and the Treasury proposed SWIFT-like tactics , where the Treasury ’ s OFAC enforcement enforces bitcoin exchange compliance with US sanctions and weaponization of the US dollar .
This precedent was set by the Bittrex BTC exchange in 2017 .
However In 2019 , the US Treasury wished to maintain trust in Bitcoin and allowed Bittrex to selectively ease restrictions .
Even so , peer-to-peer exchanges such as LocalBitcoins , Coinbase & Binance will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s listed exchanges , we see that nations of the Non-aligned Movement ( ie NAM or non-G20 ) are largely excluded .
That ’ s a problem for claims that crypto – specifically bitcoin — circumvent all major central bank controls everywhere .
However Iran has discovered successful methods to avoid US Treasury restrictions on bitcoin .
As a result , the Joint Chiefs concluded that increased restrictions on Iran ’ s access to crypto exchanges would have little effect , and would only raise public awareness about bitcoin , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it must have occurred to the White House and its military advisors that an attack on Iran ’ s crypto capability – for example bombing Iran ’ s power stations which provide very inexpensive power for crypto computing – would provoke a wider war with little visible effect , other than typical deadly US militarist aggression .
The assassination of Iran ’ s top scientist made far more sense to the war criminals of course .
Even so , Trump ’ s donors are not necessarily appeased by this assassination .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the core of all crypto transactions .
Whether the NSA has a backdoor into that algorithm is still in dispute , but so far there is no evidence such a crack exists .
Even if an NSA crack does exist , to ‘ stuxnet ’ Iran ’ s crypto operations would take the entire system down , destroying a $ 350Bn US slush fund called Bitcoin , and that is not in the US Treasury ’ s interest .
As for bitcoin , let ’ s examine a few issues formerly unaddressed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial megalith is touting bitcoin — that ’ s a problem .
BlackRock colludes with the Federal Reserve ( Exchange Stabilization Fund ) in its various market scams .
And America ’ s largest criminal bank JP Morgan , is also touting bitcoin .
Idea being that primary dealer banks and insiders will possess enough knowledge to bail , presumably when the SEC and Treasury/Fed are ready to enforce their own crypto currency standard on the public by law .
By definition , the current US ‘ regulation ’ for crypto — or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintained when crypto takes a sizable share of US dollar reserve currency percentage .
It ’ s ironic too that Bitcoin Messiah ’ s who were previously most critical of the criminal banks and central banks are now cheering potential central bank involvement in bitcoin .
The irony is rich .
In China news , rumors still abound that Bitcoin exchanges may be derailed by the government .
China ’ s OKEx has already experienced a ‘ mysterious issue ’ that bitcoin advocates choose to ignore .
Bitcoin advocates consider all that to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is profitable for bitcoin farms in China at present .
A canard or not , who knows ?
The gist here is that enough bitcoin remains to calculate that it will take one hundred years plus to get to the last equation .
* But as time goes on and ‘ halving rewards ’ are halved , the effort and time to calculate the last remaining codes will likely prove unprofitable , regardless of fees realized .
Even so , no system lasts for one hundred years in this present age and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Powers-that-Squeeze will certainly act .
Interesting too that in the recent Fed/Treasury Congressional hearing , Maxine Waters cut-off the mic of the Ohio representative who asked a question about the Federal Reserve ’ s “ plans ” for crypto .
Powell/Mnuchin were not allowed to answer the question .
And the ‘ financial questions ’ from Congress were more like softball sweets presented by fawning lapdogs to their owners .
Yes , this contrarian article will come under heavy flak .
The bitcoin messiah ’ s and their fanatical proselytizing are extant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s consider one last question : Was crypto invented by the CIA ?
Only Satoshi Nakamoto the inventor of Bitcoin can tell us for sure — called by his English-translated name that ’ s , “ Central Intelligence ” .
If there ’ s any good reason to shun crypto it ’ s that one… that is until the Fed/Treasury forces their cashless society upon us by law… in the Great Reset !
*Proposals exist to change the BTC protocol to allow more .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by Steve Brown…
The president’s “maximum pressure” campaign still has time to run. And when two donors proposed an attack on Iran to Mr Trump before leaving office, the subject of Iran’s in-part reliance on crypto arose. That’s because the Central Bank of Iran supports Bitcoin.
But considering that 77% of BTC is hard cached and with a US dollar valuation of $350Bn, only about $76Bn US in BTC is actively traded. Considering that Iran’s GDP is $440Bn the Central Bank of Iran is only in part dependent on bitcoin. Even so, speculation related to such a BTC hit on Iran is worth a go.
Even before Trump’s donors pressed for that attack, the Department of Justice was asked to provide an ‘enforcement framework’ for crypto which was released on October 8th, 2020. Coordinated voices within the SEC had expressed concerns about crypto, including China’s head start; issues with payment systems which cause crypto to be preferred for black ops, illicit transactions, and ‘gray market’ currency operations as well as capital flight.
But the US’s scope to limit Iran’s access to BTC was more immediate and the Treasury proposed SWIFT-like tactics, where the Treasury’s OFAC enforcement enforces bitcoin exchange compliance with US sanctions and weaponization of the US dollar. This precedent was set by the Bittrex BTC exchange in 2017. However In 2019, the US Treasury wished to maintain trust in Bitcoin and allowed Bittrex to selectively ease restrictions. Even so, peer-to-peer exchanges such as LocalBitcoins, Coinbase & Binance will not accept Iran-based bitcoin wallets.
Considering Bitcoin’s listed exchanges, we see that nations of the Non-aligned Movement (ie NAM or non-G20) are largely excluded. That’s a problem for claims that crypto – specifically bitcoin — circumvent all major central bank controls everywhere. However Iran has discovered successful methods to avoid US Treasury restrictions on bitcoin. As a result, the Joint Chiefs concluded that increased restrictions on Iran’s access to crypto exchanges would have little effect, and would only raise public awareness about bitcoin, which is undesired by the federal government.
Also, it must have occurred to the White House and its military advisors that an attack on Iran’s crypto capability – for example bombing Iran’s power stations which provide very inexpensive power for crypto computing – would provoke a wider war with little visible effect, other than typical deadly US militarist aggression. The assassination of Iran’s top scientist made far more sense to the war criminals of course. Even so, Trump’s donors are not necessarily appeased by this assassination.
The NSA’s SHA-256 encryption is at the core of all crypto transactions. Whether the NSA has a backdoor into that algorithm is still in dispute, but so far there is no evidence such a crack exists. Even if an NSA crack does exist, to ‘stuxnet’ Iran’s crypto operations would take the entire system down, destroying a $350Bn US slush fund called Bitcoin, and that is not in the US Treasury’s interest.
As for bitcoin, let’s examine a few issues formerly unaddressed. For one, the allegedly criminalized BlackRock financial megalith is touting bitcoin — that’s a problem. BlackRock colludes with the Federal Reserve (Exchange Stabilization Fund) in its various market scams. And America’s largest criminal bank JP Morgan, is also touting bitcoin. Idea being that primary dealer banks and insiders will possess enough knowledge to bail, presumably when the SEC and Treasury/Fed are ready to enforce their own crypto currency standard on the public by law. By definition, the current US ‘regulation’ for crypto — or lack of it – cannot be maintained when crypto takes a sizable share of US dollar reserve currency percentage. It’s ironic too that Bitcoin Messiah’s who were previously most critical of the criminal banks and central banks are now cheering potential central bank involvement in bitcoin. The irony is rich.
In China news, rumors still abound that Bitcoin exchanges may be derailed by the government. China’s OKEx has already experienced a ‘mysterious issue’ that bitcoin advocates choose to ignore. Bitcoin advocates consider all that to be fake news, probably because bitcoin is profitable for bitcoin farms in China at present. A canard or not, who knows?
The gist here is that enough bitcoin remains to calculate that it will take one hundred years plus to get to the last equation.* But as time goes on and ‘halving rewards’ are halved, the effort and time to calculate the last remaining codes will likely prove unprofitable, regardless of fees realized. Even so, no system lasts for one hundred years in this present age and when bitcoin takes serious US dollar market share the Powers-that-Squeeze will certainly act.
Interesting too that in the recent Fed/Treasury Congressional hearing, Maxine Waters cut-off the mic of the Ohio representative who asked a question about the Federal Reserve’s “plans” for crypto. Powell/Mnuchin were not allowed to answer the question. And the ‘financial questions’ from Congress were more like softball sweets presented by fawning lapdogs to their owners.
Yes, this contrarian article will come under heavy flak. The bitcoin messiah’s and their fanatical proselytizing are extant — actually another red flag. But let’s consider one last question: Was crypto invented by the CIA? Only Satoshi Nakamoto the inventor of Bitcoin can tell us for sure — called by his English-translated name that’s, “Central Intelligence”. If there’s any good reason to shun crypto it’s that one… that is until the Fed/Treasury forces their cashless society upon us by law… in the Great Reset!
*Proposals exist to change the BTC protocol to allow more.
@newsypaperz
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