Full screen recommended.
Deuter, "Endless Horizon"
So, we rise from the rubble...
StatCounter
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
"A Look to the Heavens"
"What's happening at the center of spiral galaxy NGC 5643? A swirling disk of stars and gas, NGC 5643's appearance is dominated by blue spiral arms and brown dust, as shown in the featured image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The core of this active galaxy glows brightly in radio waves and X-rays where twin jets have been found.
An unusual central glow makes NGC 5643 one of the closest examples of the Seyfert class of galaxies, where vast amounts of glowing gas are thought to be falling into a central massive black hole. NGC 5643, is a relatively close 55 million light years away, spans about 100 thousand light years across, and can be seen with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Wolf (Lupus)."
"The Worst Of Them All..."
"Science may have found a cure for most evils,
but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -
the apathy of human beings."
- Author Unknown
○
"I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination - indeed, everything and anything except me."
- Ralph Ellison, "Prologue to Invisible Man"
○
○
Full screen recommended.
Phil Collins, "Another Day In Paradise"
"Car Owners Will Be Furious When Prices Drop 40 Percent From Current Levels"
Full screen recommended.
Epic Economist, 11/26/24
"Car Owners Will Be Furious When
Prices Drop 40 Percent From Current Levels"
"If you own a car and you're paying a car loan, or have plans to sell your vehicle over the next few months, you should pay very close attention to the news we're going to report today. Used car prices are falling so fast that one in four Americans are already underwater on their loans, and some of them don’t even realize it yet. This means 25% of car owners in the U.S. owe more on their auto loans than their cars are worth. And we're not talking about a negative equity of one or two thousand dollars. According to new data from Edmunds, many individuals have a negative equity of more than $15,000.
With inventories piling up at dealerships, used and new vehicles are experiencing the biggest price correction since the pandemic. Experts predict a crash of up to 40% before the spring of 2025. And though this may bring a well-deserved relief for would be buyers, it will leave millions of car owners and sellers in a world of pain. Stay tuned until the end of this video to learn how to navigate this challenging landscape and understand the depth of the crisis the U.S. auto market is facing right now."
Comments here:
Dan, I Allegedly, "You Can't Go There"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 11/26/24
"You Can't Go There"
"Imagine you reserve your dream vacation and you find out
that you’re going to one of the most dangerous places
in the world all of a sudden? Who would want to do this?"
Comments here:
"Life, In Short..."
“It is easy to overlook this thought that life just is. As humans we are inclined to feel that life must have a point. We have plans and aspirations and desires. We want to take constant advantage of the intoxicating existence we’ve been endowed with. But what’s life to a lichen? Yet its impulse to exist, to be , is every bit as strong as ours - arguably even stronger. If I were told that I had to spend decades being a furry growth on a rock in the woods, I believe I would lose the will to go on. Lichens don’t. Like virtually all living things, they will suffer any hardship, endure any insult, for a moment’s additional existence. Life, in short just wants to be.”
- Bill Bryson
"Grave Faults..."
“Only the following items should be considered to be grave faults: not respecting another's rights; allowing oneself to be paralyzed by fear; feeling guilty; believing that one does not deserve the good or ill that happens in one's life; being a coward. We will love our enemies, but not make alliances with them. They were placed in our path in order to test our sword, and we should, out of respect for them, struggle against them. We will choose our enemies.”
- Paulo Coelho, "Like the Flowing River"
"The 'Empire Killer' Strikes Again"
"The 'Empire Killer' Strikes Again"
by Nick Giambruno
"One of the most potent and underappreciated forces responsible for the downfall of the most powerful empires throughout history has been debt. While military defeats, political upheavals, and external invasions often dominate historical accounts of the fall of great powers, excessive debt - the "Empire Killer" - has quietly but relentlessly eroded the foundations of empires across the centuries. From Rome to the Soviet Union, the over-extension of resources, poor financial management, and the inability to service massive debts have led to economic collapse, social unrest, and, ultimately, the demise of these once-mighty empires.
Understanding how debt has played a role in the fall of these empires gives us insight into the role it could play in the collapse of the US Empire. Here is a summary of some prominent historical examples of this clear pattern.
The Roman Empire: One of the most iconic examples of debt’s destructive force is the Roman Empire. At its height, Rome was the center of the known world, controlling vast territories, including much of Europe, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East. Maintaining a vast empire required immense financial resources. The Roman government needed to fund its sprawling military, build infrastructure such as roads and aqueducts, and support the grandeur of its capital city.
Emperors financed the resulting debt by debasing the currency - reducing the silver content in Roman coins. However, this led to rampant price increases and economic instability. The more the Roman government tried to print its way out of debt, the worse the problem became. As debt and inflation strangled the Roman economy, the empire struggled to pay its soldiers, undermining military morale and effectiveness. Weakened by internal financial collapse, Rome became vulnerable to external threats. The combined weight of financial mismanagement, social unrest, and military decline led to the empire’s collapse.
The Spanish Empire: In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire was a global superpower. The discovery of the New World brought an influx of gold and silver, filling the Spanish government’s coffers beyond imagination. However, this newfound wealth bred complacency and extravagance. The Spanish monarchy became embroiled in costly wars across Europe - including the Eighty Years’ War with the Dutch and conflicts with France and England - and indulged in lavish expenditures without regard for fiscal sustainability.
Spain borrowed heavily from European bankers to finance its ambitions, accruing enormous debts. At first, the influx of colonial wealth allowed Spain to service its debts, but as wars dragged on, the costs began to outstrip the income from the New World. Spain’s creditworthiness diminished as the debts mounted, and the economic decline became irreversible. The inevitable consequence was a series of bankruptcies in 1557, 1575, and 1596.
Each bankruptcy weakened Spain’s creditworthiness, making it more difficult to borrow money on favorable terms. The once-dominant empire lost its influence, illustrating how an abundance of wealth, when mismanaged and coupled with excessive debt, can precipitate a rapid descent from power.
The French Monarchy: The fall of the French monarchy in the late 18th century provides another stark example of how debt can destabilize a powerful country. France’s involvement in costly wars, such as the Seven Years’ War and the American Revolution, strained the country’s finances. Meanwhile, the extravagant lifestyle of the French court, epitomized by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, drained the treasury further.
France was deeply in debt, and the government struggled to service its loans. By the late 1780s, the French government was spending more on interest payments than its military. The French monarchy imposed heavy taxes on commoners to pay the cost of its debts, while the nobility and clergy were largely exempt. It led to widespread anger among the population, fueling social unrest. In 1789, the situation reached a tipping point, igniting the French Revolution.
The Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China. It was a leading world economic power, but spending and foreign borrowing in the 19th century was a significant factor in its decline. The Qing Dynasty faced enormous financial strain due to prolonged conflicts, including the Opium Wars, the Taiping Rebellion, and the Boxer Rebellion. These wars forced the Qing Dynasty to borrow heavily from foreign lenders.
The Qing government increased taxes on peasants and small landholders to manage its debt. The tax burden, widespread corruption, and inefficiency in the imperial bureaucracy led to social discontent and weakened the central authority’s control over the provinces. Debt was a critical factor that exacerbated the already unstable political and social situation in the late Qing Dynasty.
The British Empire: The sun never set on the British Empire at the height of its power. However, the two World Wars strained the empire’s resources beyond its limits. The cost of fighting in WW1 and WW2 left Britain deeply in debt, particularly to the US. The financial strain of debt made maintaining control over its vast territories impossible, and Britain’s role as a world superpower diminished. The pound ceased being the world’s leading reserve currency.
How Debt Destroys Empires: A Familiar Pattern:The typical pattern in these examples of collapsing empires (and numerous others I didn’t have time to mention) is:
Stage #1: Empires achieve success and become overconfident.
Stage #2: Overconfidence leads to extravagant spending on luxuries and wars.
Stage #3: Empires finance this lavish spending by going into debt.
Stage #4: The debt grows to an unsustainable level and creates a crushing burden.
Stage #5: Empires finance the debt through taxation and currency debasement.
Stage #6: The populace bears the brunt of debt repayment as empires raise taxes and debase the currency - to the maximum extent - until it causes internal instability.
Stage #7: Empires cannot finance their militaries because of their debt burden. This is usually the tipping point.
Stage #8: Underfunded militaries plus internal instability make empires vulnerable to foreign invasion, domestic revolution, civil war, and other existential dangers.
Stage #9: The empire collapses.
Stage #1: Empires achieve success and become overconfident.
Stage #2: Overconfidence leads to extravagant spending on luxuries and wars.
Stage #3: Empires finance this lavish spending by going into debt.
Stage #4: The debt grows to an unsustainable level and creates a crushing burden.
Stage #5: Empires finance the debt through taxation and currency debasement.
Stage #6: The populace bears the brunt of debt repayment as empires raise taxes and debase the currency - to the maximum extent - until it causes internal instability.
Stage #7: Empires cannot finance their militaries because of their debt burden. This is usually the tipping point.
Stage #8: Underfunded militaries plus internal instability make empires vulnerable to foreign invasion, domestic revolution, civil war, and other existential dangers.
Stage #9: The empire collapses.
The US federal government has the biggest debt in the history of the world. And it’s continuing to grow at a rapid, unstoppable pace. While the US government can extend the charade of solvency longer than any other entity on the planet, not even the most powerful empires in human history can do so forever, particularly when they start to struggle to pay the interest costs.
The situation has reached a tipping point. That’s because the federal debt’s annualized interest cost exceeded the defense budget for the first time earlier this year. It’s on track to exceed Social Security and become the BIGGEST item in the federal budget. As a result, the US Empire is somewhere between Stage #6 and #7 in the empire collapse pattern I described above."
"Wars And Rumors Of War, 11/26/24"
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 11/26/24
"COL. Douglas Macgregor: How Close to WWIII?"
Comments here:
o
Community Church of Boston, 11/26/24
"Ray McGovern and Scott Ritter
Talk About Nuclear War With Russia"
Comments here:
o
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 11/26/24
"COL. Lawrence Wilkerson:
Russia Can Legally Attack NATO"
Comments here:
Bill Bonner, "Fighting Words"
"Fighting Words"
Deficit spending is really just a way to transfer wealth from
‘the People’ to the insiders and the elites. Eventually and
inevitably consumers pay the bill in the form of higher prices.
by Bill Bonner
Baltimore, Maryland - "Kamala Harris, admitting that she had lost the race, pledged to keep ‘fighting.’ She must have used the word 15 times. In bygone years, she might have said she would ‘keep up the struggle.’ Or she might have said she would keep ‘working’…or keep trying…or keep the light on for us. Now, everything’s a fight. She also referred to the US military as the ‘most lethal fighting force’ in the world. In another phase of our history, it would have been called a ‘bulwark’…a ‘protection’…designed to keep us ‘safe’ in a dangerous world. Now, apparently, its purpose is to kill people. These word choices tell us about an important shift in America’s zeitgeist.
Yesterday, we posed mischievous questions. Are we really defending democracy? Is this a case of good guys vs. bad guys? And can we really worry about deficits when US policymakers are so diligently trying to build a better world? The answers seem so obvious that we won’t bother with them. Instead, we just brush them off with more questions. What’s so good about democracy if it can’t match income with expenses and robs ‘the People’ with inflation? And if it’s a question of good vs. evil, how do we know we’re on the right side?
Nothing in the historical record or current affairs suggests that the Ukrainians are better people than the Russians... or that Israelis are more favored by God than the Palestinians. (God stood by as the Germans massacred the Jews... and now is mute as the Zionists massacre the Palestinians. Whatever else might be said about Him, God keeps his own counsel.) He is silent about Americans too. Are they good... or bad? He doesn’t say.
So let us assume that we are like the rest of the human race... neither always good, nor always bad... but always subject to influence. What then is the peculiar gravity that tugs both of our political parties toward the two things most likely to destroy us: inflation and war?
We’ve already ‘followed the money.’ And yes, that seems to explain much of it. US total deficits in the 21st century are more or less equal to the ‘empire budget,’ that is, to military and foreign policy spending. America’s leaders could have said ‘no’ to both... with no loss of health or happiness in the Homeland. They did not. Instead, they gave the program an enthusiastic ‘yes’ and invaded Iraq.
And now... we are $36 trillion deeper in the hole... with nothing to show for it. Nor is there any evidence — none — that spending money you don’t have actually makes you better off. Debt used to be reserved only for emergencies. Today, both Democrat and Republican lawmakers vote for deficits; neither can tell you where the fire is. Of course, here again, money tells the tale. Deficit spending is really just a way to transfer wealth from ‘the People’ to the insiders and the elites. Eventually and inevitably consumers pay the bill in the form of higher prices. But why now? Why was the US government relatively more fiscally responsible before this century began? Why did politicians back then, generally, favor peace over war? What has changed?
You already know about the role of America’s fake post-1971 money. It made deficit spending - including huge, unnecessary outlays to the firepower industry - much easier. Big ‘defense’ budgets - not subject to Congressional oversight or audit - were recycled back into lobbying and politics, yielding even bigger ‘defense’ budgets.
But that’s not the whole story. The politicians and their favored industries always want more wealth and power. How come they’re getting it now, more than before? A hypothesis we drew out in our book, "Uncivilizing America," is that there’s a see-saw pattern in history. Society makes progress on ‘win-win deals’ - voluntary innovations that take place all the time... in business, science, learning, social relationships... clubs... customs... just about all consensual activities.
Language evolves... along with rules... customs... investments... institutions... and enterprises. This evolution builds more than material wealth... it adds art, technology, manners, culture, style... all the elements of what we call ‘civilization.’
But there’s a contrary temptation. There are takers as well as makers. A guy makes a million dollars in a profitable business. Then, a crooked accountant embezzles half of it... and a lawyer for a disgruntled employee takes the other half. Wealth is created by win-win deals. But it is taken away, and redistributed, by hook and by crook - win-lose deals.
And the things we see as government policies - whether supposedly to stop the Russians or help the poor - are actually win-lose deals meant to redistribute wealth to the elites and their favored causes. “Transfer” payments, for example, were less than 5% of GDP in the 1970s. Now, they peaked at 17% in 2020. These deep Primary Political Trends come in long waves that shift the balance from freedom and prosperity to control and poverty.
After the US ‘Civil’ War, the US and Europe entered a longish period of relative peace and prosperity. It was the ‘Belle Epoque’ in Europe... and boom-time in America. Was it perfect? Far from it. But GDP growth rates soared. The US dollar was backed by gold... with not a drop of inflation for six decades. The country had very little debt; the Fed had not been set up. Federal income tax, too, was still in the future. And senators were appointed by the states, not elected by ‘The People.’
Then, as if a virus had escaped from the lab, came WWI, the Spanish Civil War... WWII... and Korea - more than 40 years of war... inflation, depression and mass murder. That period was followed by another 50 years of (relative) peace and wealth creation, lasting to the end of the 20th century. By 1999, the US was at peace (more or less). Its budget was balanced (more or less). Its arch enemy, the Soviet Union, had disappeared. And its assets - in gold terms - were worth more than ever before... and ever since.
Since 2000, however, the Primary Political Trend appears to be towards more government, more debt, more inflation, more regulations, sanctions, controls, war - more ‘win-lose deals,’ in other words. We’ll see soon whether the new administration, aided by wealth creators Musk and Ramaswamy, can turn it around."
Adventures With Danno, "Thanksgiving Deals At Meijer"
Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, AM 11/26/24
"Thanksgiving Deals At Meijer"
Comments here:
Monday, November 25, 2024
"Alert! NATO Emergency Meeting; Nukes For Ukraine; NATO Troops; Preemptive Strikes; Bunker Building"
Full screen recommended.
Canadian Prepper, 11/25/24
"Alert! NATO Emergency Meeting; Nukes For Ukraine;
NATO Troops; Preemptive Strikes; Bunker Building"
Comments here:
Musical Interlude: Justin Hayward, "I Dreamed Last Night"
Full screen recommended.
Justin Hayward, "I Dreamed Last Night"
"A Look to the Heavens"
“What's happening behind those houses? Pictured here are not auroras but nearby light pillars, a nearby phenomenon that can appear as a distant one.
In most places on Earth, a lucky viewer can see a Sun-pillar, a column of light appearing to extend up from the Sun caused by flat fluttering ice-crystals reflecting sunlight from the upper atmosphere. Usually these ice crystals evaporate before reaching the ground. During freezing temperatures, however, flat fluttering ice crystals may form near the ground in a form of light snow, sometimes known as a crystal fog. These ice crystals may then reflect ground lights in columns not unlike a Sun-pillar. The featured image was taken in Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks in central Alaska.”
The Poet: James Broughton, "Quit Your Addiction"
"Quit Your Addiction"
"Quit your addiction
to sneer and complaint.
Try a little flaunt,
Call for comrades
who bolster your vim
and offer you risk.
Corral the crones,
Goose the nice nellies,
Hunt the bear that hugs
and the raven that quoths.
Stay up all night
to devise a new dawn... "
- James Broughton,
"Little Sermons of the Big Joy"
"Elites And Bank CEO’s In Panic As Economic Collapse Is Imminent!"
Full screen recommended.
The Atlantis Report, 11/25/24
"Elites And Bank CEO’s In Panic
As Economic Collapse Is Imminent!"
The global economy is standing on the brink, and the warning signs are impossible to ignore. Bank CEOs and economic elites are scrambling to respond as fears of a 2024 and 2025 recession grow louder. Inflation continues to erode purchasing power, debt is reaching unsustainable levels, and even the job market is showing cracks. Reports suggest the European Central Bank may implement three rate cuts this year, signaling instability across the eurozone. Meanwhile, in the U.S., declining wage growth and rising unemployment are painting a grim picture for workers. With first-quarter figures providing only temporary relief, the question remains: Are we prepared for what’s coming?
Comments here:
Adventures With Danno, "Recalls: I Don't Even Know What To Say, Here We Go Again"
Adventures With Danno, 11/25/24
"Recalls: I Don't Even Know What To Say,
Here We Go Again"
Comments here:
Jeremiah Babe, "People Are Paying Their Taxes With Credit Cards; Walmart Prices Continue To Soar"
Full screen recommended.
Jeremiah Babe, 11/25/24
"People Are Paying Their Taxes With Credit Cards;
Walmart Prices Continue To Soar"
Comments here:
"The Champ"
"The Champ"
by CP
"Ding, ding, ding, you hear the bell for the start of the fight, hear the crowd, noisy, excited to see this rematch between you and Life. You're here, and still the Champ, right? Fought this guy so many times before, always beat him, too, though you took many a beating yourself in the process, each fight a little tougher, taking a little more out of you each time. You meet in the center of the ring... damn, has this guy grown somehow? He looks bigger, more muscled, and has a real confident look in his eye. So what? You're the Champ, still standing, right? Let'sget it on!
Ding, ding, ding, you meet him in the center of the ring, toe to toe, jabbing, bobbing and weaving, feeling each other out. He seems faster than you remember, while your own punches are a hair slower, not quite able to connect solidly, while his land solidly, crisply, heavily. He lands a tremendous body shot to your side, knocking the air right out of you, and you clinch him desperately, sucking in as much air as you can while he hammers away at you, your forearms blocking most, but not all, of those heavy, heavy punches.
Ding, ding, ding, the bell ends the round and you sit on your stool, hearing the trainers tell you how to fight this guy, "Don't clinch with him, he's too strong, he'll bust you up!" "Dance, man, side to side, bob and weave, don't give him anything to hit! Jab and dance away, jab, jab, jab..." words you've heard so many times before. You think of previous bouts with this guy, the loss of a job when you had a family to support, the bitter divorce, the deaths of loved ones, and every time he came wanting to knock your head off, but your will power, training and instincts always kept you standing at the end, still the Champ, right? But this time, something's not right, something's different somehow.
Yeah, time's gone by, not so young or strong as you once were, not as fast, don't recover as fast, but haven't been taken out yet, right? And everybody knows the rules, the only way he wins is to knock you out, you just gotta hang on, take his best shots and give him all you got until that bell rings for the end of the fight, and if you're still there, still standing, you win. Still the Champ, right? Round after round after round...
Ding, ding, ding, last round, you're feeling so tired, legs almost gone, no snap to the punches, but he looks fresh, strong, and bores in with a mean intent, landing hammer blows, knocking you back towards the corner where he wants you, you try dancing sideways, he cuts off the ring, no escape that way, and keeps coming in. A thunderous right cross lands smack on your chin, everything turns black for a second, legs about to go as the instincts kick in and you throw your body back out of the way, sucking in as much air as you can, shaking your head to clear the blurriness, but you're in the corner now, where he wants you, and here he comes with a vengeance, fast, strong, wanting the knockout, but you're still standing, still the Champ, right? Right?
Ding, ding, ding..."
"This I Believe..."
“This I believe: That the free, exploring mind of the individual
human is the most valuable thing in the world.
And this I would fight for:
the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.
And this I must fight against:
any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.”
- John Steinbeck
“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge.
That myth is more potent than history.
I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts.
That hope always triumphs over experience.
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that love is stronger than death.”
- Robert Fulghum
"A Much Needed and Very Special Musical Interlude"
Look at the posts below...Every day we're hopelessly saddened and discouraged at just how truly bad it really is, and nothing we can do about it. Of necessity we need to be aware of these things, but it's not and never will be enjoyable. Then, as now, you need a short break away from it all, and this very special musical interlude is precisely that. Relax, enjoy...
Now and then, very rarely, you stumble upon something simply extraordinary, something that's just so astonishingly, magically beautiful and well done it's unbelievable. This is one of those times... Savor these wonderful images with sound on...
Full screen recommended.
Dark Legend, "An Imaging of Tuesday Afternoon"
The Elves sing of the beauty of Tuesday Afternoon.
o
Full screen recommended.
Dark Legend, "An Imaging Of Nights In White Satin"
o
Full screen recommended.
Dark Legend, "An Imaging Of Forever Autumn"
o
Full screen recommended.
Dark Legend, "An Imaging Of Your Wildest Dreams"
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Dark Legend YouTube Channel
"The Very, Very, Very Last Time..."
“What happens to people living in a society where everyone in power is lying, stealing, cheating and killing, and in our hearts we all know this, but the consequences of facing all these lies are so monstrous, we keep on hoping that maybe the corporate government administration and media are on the level with us this time. Americans remind me of survivors of domestic abuse. This is always the hope that this is the very, very, very last time one’s ribs get re-broken again.”
- Inga Muscio
And sadly you know it won't be...
"Opiod Epidemic: End Of The Kensington Ave. El Train, Philadelphia"
Full, horrifying, screen recommended, if you can stomach it.
Narcotropolis, 11/25/24
"Opiod Epidemic: End Of The
Kensington Ave. El Train, Philadelphia"
Comments here:
Jean-Paul Sartre said, "Hell is other people." Also attributed to him was this,
"This is Hell, cleverly disguised just enough to keep us from escaping."
Here's the proof...
"15 Signs Everyday American Families Are Completely Broke"
Full screen recommended.
The Atlantis Report, 11/25/24
"15 Signs Everyday American
Families Are Completely Broke"
"In 2024, more families than ever are openly admitting they’re flat-out broke. Not struggling, not getting by - broke. And it’s not just anecdotal; this is a nationwide reality. Inflation is devouring paychecks, debt is burying families alive, and hope? Well, hope has been replaced by despair. Americans are being forced to make gut-wrenching decisions just to keep the lights on and food on the table.
The data doesn’t lie: wages can’t keep up with the skyrocketing cost of everything, from housing to healthcare to basic groceries. Right now, millions of hardworking Americans - people who play by the rules and do everything right - are slipping deeper into financial quicksand. Today we’re breaking down the numbers behind this economic crisis, exposing how it’s tearing apart the foundation of our nation."
Comments here:
Gregory Mannarino, "Expect A Severe Recession To Hit The U.S. In 2025"
Gregory Mannarino, PM 11/25/24
"Expect A Severe Recession To Hit The U.S. In 2025"
Comments here:
"The Outcome of War with Russia"
"The Outcome of War with Russia"
by Jeff Thomas
"Much has been said and is being said regarding the proxy war between the US and Russia. Those of us in the West rely primarily on news reports. Virtually all news that we see in the media was created by one of three agencies – Associated Press, Reuters, and, to a lesser degree, AFP. All three companies are owned by the same parent companies, who, in turn, own most of the Western corporatist structure, and, not surprisingly, the reports that they distribute to the media are boilerplate.
As such, the TV news tends to be uniform, and whenever a new catch-phrase pops up, such as "extreme right activists" or "January sixth insurrection," it tends to appear in all major media on the very same day and is then used ubiquitously. We, therefore, receive only one "truth," and we’re left to either accept it or comb the internet for alternate possibilities. In no case is this truer than the present proxy war between the US and Russia in Ukraine. The news we receive is consistent and yet quite false.
And so, the average person can be forgiven if he’s struggling to figure out how this will all play out. Who would actually win such a war? For the past few years, the viewer has been assured that Mister Putin is incompetent and is hated by his people, that the Russian military is disorganized and about to quit, and, on any given day, Ukraine is making progress in beating back Russia and will soon win. If this is all true, victory would seem to be a slam-dunk. All that’s necessary is yet another tranche of, say, twenty billion dollars.
Yet, if we do our homework, we find that Russia is not only not failing, it’s expanding its might rapidly. Its troops are better armed, better equipped, better trained, better supplied, better commanded, and their munitions are more advanced than their Western counterparts. But how is this possible? How can so little have been achieved when American money is being thrown at the problem at a level that exceeds that of a World War? Well, the answer to that question may also be the answer to the question of the war’s outcome. But first, let’s step back and run through a brief history of the US Military Industrial Complex (MIC).
After World War II, the MIC complained to the US government that it was dramatically downsizing production (and therefore revenue) due to a troubling lack of warfare. It argued that as the world’s new military leader, the US must maintain warfare in order to maintain its new hegemony. The administration agreed, especially as MIC lobbyists were quite prepared to kick back a generous portion of profits to both political parties if they played ball.
The Korean War created the template for the new relationship. After it was over, the MIC and the US government were already looking for the next conflict in order to keep production ongoing. In doing so, the concept of a perma-war became more important than any actual political need for war. Eventually, the US got the hang of it with the Middle East wars – always open a new theatre before closing an existing one.
Along the way, the MIC expanded to supply not only bombs, rifles, helmets, etc., but toothbrushes, socks, and rations. Once they’d taken on any and all products related to an army, they began to supply the army itself – soldiers on contract. Falling recruitment was no longer a problem, as the numbers could be made up by taking on more contract soldiers. (As a side issue, the reader may wish to recall what happened to ancient Rome when they went the route of an army of mercenaries.)
To further revenue, the MIC also created a policy to take on retiring senior military staff as "advisors." These advisors can be seen on the evening news with regularity. Whenever a retired general is being asked what his opinion of a given US military adventure is, he can be counted on to assure that what’s needed is greater military expenditure.
Along the way, in 1993, the Pentagon urged the existing 51 defense contractors to consolidate into just five, essentially eliminating competition. Although MIC prices were already exorbitant, that one move sent prices off the charts, as the five companies then had a monopoly. As an example, Raytheon, the sole supplier of Stinger missiles, was charging the US government $25,000 per missile – a whopping price – but today, the price for one such missile is $400,000.
Not surprising, then, that with such markups on all goods provided by the MIC, the US spends more on "defense" than the next ten countries combined. Therefore, the cost of fighting the same war costs the US many times what it would cost the enemy. This leads us to a principle that I have regarding war: "In warfare, the loser is likely to be the country that goes broke first." And here we come to the critical point of variance with regard to war with Russia.
For decades, the US has been fighting "sport wars" – mini wars against small countries that the US has been certain to win, and the game has gone well. The wars don’t achieve much; in fact, they have no end object – no actual conquest – only the continuation of warfare itself and the flow of revenue to the MIC.
But what happens when the US goes up against another world power – one that has military providers that compete for business, providing more up-to-date armaments and supplying them for a fraction of the cost; one that’s set up to manufacture them at a far more quickly than the US MIC?
US war promoters such as Victoria Nuland or John Bolton have never experienced a world war; they’ve only experienced sport wars in which the US controlled the entire show. In their own words, they clearly assume that a war with a major power is simply bigger – more exciting. What they fail to understand is that the major power is not limited to funding, as a small country would be. Further, the opponent is paying far less for material than the US. Throughout history, empires have failed due to the fact that nothing costs more than warfare.
In addition, the US is, for all practical purposes, broke. It’s now the most deeply indebted country in the world and is only able to continue trade until the rest of the world ceases to accept further US debt. The petrodollar has reached its end, and the reserve currency status is soon to follow.
Considering all of the above, what’s the outcome of a war with Russia likely to be? Well, for any Westerner who’s diligent about planning his personal future, a factor for his consideration might be what his world will look like if Russia emerges victorious."
https://swpcayman.com/media/commentary/the-outcome-of-war-with-russia
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Judge Napolitano, "Scott Ritter: How Close to Nuclear War?"
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom,11/25/24
"Scott Ritter: How Close to Nuclear War?"
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Dan, I Allegedly, "I Have No Money"
Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 11/25/24
"I Have No Money"
"A shocking banking crisis has left thousands of Americans unable to access their savings after the collapse of Synapse, a crucial middleman for digital banking services. This hidden financial disaster affects users of popular banking apps and services, with some victims losing their entire life savings. Discover how "banking as a service" companies like Yotta promised FDIC insurance but left customers with pennies on the dollar after Synapse's bankruptcy. From a FedEx driver losing $7,000 to a homeowner who can't access $282,000 from their house sale, these stories reveal the dangerous gap in our banking system.
Learn why popular payment services like Cash App, PayPal, and Chime aren't actually banks, and what that means for your money. Plus, get crucial tips on protecting your savings and avoiding similar financial pitfalls. I also share insights about the City of Oakland's potential bankruptcy and the true cost of Thanksgiving dinner in 2024. This isn't just another bank failure - it's a wake-up call."
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Bill Bonner, "Foreign Entanglements"
George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson
at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
"Foreign Entanglements"
The Biggest Loss will come like a land mine disguised as a child’s toy.
Wrapped in such bright colors, it will be irresistible to the
governing elites - a package of high inflation along with war.
by Bill Bonner
Baltimore - "On Friday, US debt hit a new record. Fox News: US national debt hits a new record: $36 trillion. There are was also this little news item last week. Reuters: Putin says Ukraine war is going global. President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the Ukraine war was escalating towards a global conflict after the United States and Britain allowed Ukraine to hit Russia with their weapons, and warned the West that Moscow could strike back.
Ukraine struck Russia with six U.S.-made ATACMS on Nov. 19 and with British Storm Shadow missiles and U.S.-made HIMARS on Nov. 21, Putin said. "From that moment, as we have repeatedly underscored, a regional conflict in Ukraine previously provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character," Putin said in an address to the nation carried by state television after 8 pm Moscow time (1700 GM).
What kind of future do these things portend? Again, we project ourselves ten years ahead…into a future with $60 trillion in debt…50% inflation…and near constant war. We’re not predicting anything, just wondering about how the Biggest Loss might come about.
The Biggest Loss, we believe, will come like a land mine disguised as a child’s toy. Wrapped in such bright colors, it will be irresistible….at least to the governing elites - a package of high inflation along with war and depression. Inflation will allow the Establishment to continue spending money it doesn’t have. War will help keep ‘the People’ in line behind the government. And depression will be the result (among other things). Herewith, we suggest how future historians might explain it.
In 2024…all over the world…nations, especially those of the West, continued to spend far more than they received in revenues…almost guaranteeing inflation. No law tells elites they need to do this. But deficits are much more attractive than cutting spending and reducing their own power.
Their financial model – taking from ‘the People’ in order to pay off special pleaders, the insiders, and the elite -- seems to have run its course. It worked when debt was low and population growth was high. But now, almost all of the leading players are approaching a crisis. ‘The People’ can’t be squeezed much harder. And with record high debt and rising interest payments, along with fewer working age people to pay for pension and medical programs, there is little ‘loot’ left to be divvied up.
‘War talk’ is increasing. Like threatening a divorce, war talk leads to war acts. It becomes hard to stop. And the major players are ‘gunning up.’ As the hammers increase, so does the hunt for nails. These things don’t really explain; they only describe. At a deeper level, killing other people is what humans have always done. Not all the time. But episodically. It’s in their blood. In their genes. In their stars.
The real question future historians will have to grapple with is: Why now? Why can’t the most sophisticated, supposedly most civilized democracies in the world match income with expenses? And why don’t they settle their differences peacefully?
Even the US, the richest of all major nations, spends nearly a half again more than it raises in taxes. And like every empire before it, it garrisons much of the planet with its troops and its weapons. No sparrow can fall anywhere on Earth, without expecting a response from the Pentagon, CIA, or other US government agencies.
Over centuries of trial and (mostly) error, the world’s nations developed rules, protocols and customs that were supposed to prevent disasters – both military and budgetary. Budgets were meant to be balanced. Inevitably, ‘the People’ pay the bills. So, the US constitution puts the ‘power of the purse’ in the hands of the people’s representatives in Congress. So too, by 1787, the dangers of paper money were so well known, that the founders insisted that states should ‘not make anything but gold or silver’ legal tender.
They had had more than enough of war too. As early as the Roman Empire it was considered a breach of etiquette to launch an unprovoked attack. Rome, though, quickly mastered the art the ‘false flag’ provocation…and was often ‘invited to intervene’ by one group or another.
In the US, the founders cautioned subsequent generations to ‘avoid foreign entanglements,’ or to not ‘go forth in search of monsters to slay.’ They gave the power to declare war to Congress so as to limit the military adventures a Chief Executive might get up to. Governments also developed their diplomatic skills. They were meant to help avoid war by negotiating rather than fighting.
But then…when all of these safeguards failed – 1914 – 1945 -- they got together and created institutions designed to settle differences peacefully. The UN, the International Court of Justice. The International Criminal Court – all were supposed to extend the ‘rule of law’ not just within a nation…but between nations.
But the old lusts and urges never disappear completely. The US president, now possibly senile, tempts Russia to launch its nuclear warheads. Congress shirks, both its responsibility to protect the nation’s finances and to avoid war. And the institutions that the US itself set up to help maintain the peace are derided and ignored.
The International Court of Justice, which dared to try to enforce the law, is called a “Kangaroo court’ by one senator. And the feds warn that anyone who pays attention to the rule of law, as announced by its foremost institutions, will be sanctioned!
Instead of trying to avoid violence, the US seems to be trying to keep it going. Its agents and shills blocked Ukraine from making peace with Russia in 2022. And it has used its veto 49 times against a UN cease fire proposal for the Near East. Of course, some of the reasons for bellicose behavior are obvious. Firepower is a major US industry. There’s money in war. Best yet, the money is largely untraceable.
NewsNation: "The Pentagon on Friday failed its seventh audit in a row, with the nation’s largest government agency still unable to fully account for its more than $824 budget, though officials stress they are making good progress toward a clean audit in 2028. The Department of Defense technically earned a disclaimer of opinion, meaning it failed to provide sufficient information to auditors to form an accurate opinion."
But there’s always more to the story, isn’t there? Maybe democracy really is in danger. Maybe the US – by extending the Monroe doctrine to the entire world – really is making us safer? And surely we’re not going to sweat the money when our very survival is at stake, right? Someone needs to stand up to evil; if not us…if not now…who, and when? More to come."
Jim Kunstler, "The End of the World Frolics"
"The End of the World Frolics"
by Jim Kunstler
"If these people had to be honest, it would all be over."
- Mike Benz
“Now that our cheques are bouncing and we are starting to default on our debts, our entire civilization appears to be manifesting suicidal behavior in an effort to control the firing squad.”
- Luke Dodson
“Joe Biden” is feeling blue. Not a joke. In the lurid sunset of his dwindling term-in-office, the long shadow of his legacy points toward a gigantic glowing cinder where North America used to be. Such are the grievances of the outgoing president. I pass unto you and your legions of white supremacist slobs the ashtray that was once our mighty nation. Fix that! But, as Sir Mick Jagger observed some time ago: you can’t always get what you want. “Joe Biden,” in despair, sinks deeper into his McTeer power recliner and slips back into the bitter dream of his nemesis, a beast named Chrump...
It’s such a chewy name: Chrump, a fricative fiesta! The tongue briefly presses against the alveolar ridge before releasing, then curls back, and the jaw opens slightly to form this vowel sound, the lips close to let the sound resonate nasally before releasing air. Chrump Chrump Chrump. Like, what your mouth would feel like working through a bowl of Froot Loops. So satisfying! The outgoing Party of Chaos can’t stop chanting it on the cable news networks, as if trying to invoke the ancient furies, ghastly, terrifying figures with snakes for hair, dogs' heads, blood-red eyes, and bat-wings, brandishing torches and scourges to mortify their enemy.
Otherwise, fantasy aside, they are in paralysis as this enemy, Mr. Trump, marshals his pieces on the gameboard: Musk, Vivek, Bobby Jr, Tulsi, Bondi, Hegseth...Ay-yeeeeee! They are coming to get us...Somebody...do something!
Okay, then, who, exactly, in the shadows behind the half-conscious ghoul in the White House, thinks that now is a great time to commence an ATACMS (Attack’ems) missile barrage on Russia as the very thing to salvage our Ukraine project? You’d naturally turn first to Blinken and Jake Sullivan, those gold-dust twins of overseas jiggery-pokery. Or, is it the geniuses at Spook Central, worried about the fumigating operation incoming with Mr. Ratcliffe? Or perhaps it’s the men-in-skirts over in the Pentagon, seeking to punish humanity because of the clerical error inflicted on them by the desk up-yonder that handles sexual assignments at birth. Blow it all up!
The psychopathic wrath of this gang is really getting out-of-hand. Can Mr. Putin make it any clearer? FA and FO. Hence, many of us are a little concerned that the Thanksgiving birds might not make it to table this year, or ever again, if “Joe Biden” and company keep it up. One more sortie of ATACMS or British Storm Shadows and the satellite targeting and navigation installations for these missiles will get vaporized, along with the NATO member technicians on duty there. What’s your next move, “Joe”? ICBMs? I think we all know what that means.
Let me tell you a few things about this Russia Russia Russia business. It’s been thirty years since the fall of the Soviet Union. It was a bold political experiment running a society by means contrary to human nature, and after an impressively long run, seven decades, if finally flopped, bankrupt in every sense of the word. It took a while for the dazed Russians to get their minds right after that long misadventure, but they have come around to embrace the idea of being a normal European nation. That is, a country whose citizens are at liberty to do business, travel freely, enjoy a rule-of-law (rather than a rule of despotic personalities). That is, much like we are supposed to be.
Surely, Russia under Mr. Putin has its imperfections, at least as viewed through the lens of America’s Woke-cryptoMarxist-Neocon/psychopath lens. Mainly, it won’t do what we tell it to do: roll over and die! But as often is the case with illnesses of the mind, the American cabal projects its own perverse thoughts on its adversary. Russia, we keep insisting, wants to take over the world! Is it news to you that this does not comport with reality? (By now you know that news in the USA does not comport with reality.) Rather, America acts like we want to take over the world. Hegemony: power over everyone and everything, an increasingly sick notion, given how things are going in this world. Sorry to tell you: that dream is over.
Since 1990, Russia has tried like hell to establish normal relations with western Europe and the USA. Our blob wouldn’t allow that. Russia even asked to join NATO some years ago. Russia wanted to trade with Germany, France, Italy, and the rest. Our blob had to stop that. Finally, the blob geniuses decided that they could put Russia out of business altogether, bust it up to make it helpless, and then own all its mineral and energy resources.
Ukraine would be the means to accomplish that - plus we’d end up with all the goodies in Ukraine, too: the breadbasket lands, the ores. BlackRock, Halliburton, and many other companies lined up to benefit from this scheme, which is now a smoldering wreck. Mr. Trump, wants to terminate that stupid, wicked project. Going back even further, to 2016, he proposed to try making friends with Russia. The benefits were obvious, principally, keeping them on our side against the rising power of the CCP. Russia, no longer under communism, had interests in common with Western Civ - hell, it was part of Western Civ, really, its literature, music, science, manners.
The blob couldn’t abide what Mr. Trump was proposing, so they turned around and burnt his ass with the Russia Russia Russia flamethrower... and after that there could be no more talk of friendship between the USA and Putin Putin Putin. Mr. Putin must marvel at how much America under “Joe Biden” is loving the old Soviet Union - since we’re doing everything possible to emulate its workings. We’ve got censorship. We’ve got an FBI-turned-KGB swatting citizens guilty of nothing and a DOJ stuffing them in our gulag. We’ve got a senile president every bit as non compos mentis as Konstantin Chernenko was. We’ve neatly managed to bankrupt ourselves.
Do you see yet what has been going on in our country? In about fifty-odd days we are going to start correcting all that - if “Joe Biden” doesn’t conjure up nuclear Armageddon. This Thanksgiving, direct your prayers to averting that outcome, and give thanks for better days to come."
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