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UPDATE: Ukraine - a bridge too far - 3/16/14

 

Dear All,

A number of comments have come in regarding the Democracy Now interview of Professor Stephen Cohen contained in Friday's post. The interview apparently struck a nerve.

I'm passing on another piece in which Cohen expands on the misplaced and counter-productive antagonism toward Vladimir Putin that is pervading Washington and the media: Newsweek: The American Who Dared Make Putin's Case

"I began warning everyone in 1990, in the 90s when Clinton began to move NATO towards Russia, that this was going to lead to exactly what it’s led to...that if we keep this up, we’re like a Western Pac-man heading East, gobbling up all the way until we hit Russia’s border...Ukraine has always been the brass ring for these [U.S./NATO] people. That’s what they wanted and they went a bridge too far in Ukraine. Any Russian leader who has legitimacy at home would have had to do some version of what Putin is now doing. They’d push back."

Obama's former secretary of State Clinton has compared Putin to Hitler and today John McCain referred to Russia as “a gas station masquerading as a country.”  Nice. Very productive. 

As Cohen proffers, how would these same politicians react were Russia to show up in Canada or Mexico supporting the overthrow of either of their democratically elected administrations?  The U.S. is reverting to a dangerous and unnecessary cold war sensibility because we have lightweights in charge of our security and future. 

It was Putin, Cohen stresses who resolved the Syrian crisis when Obama backed himself into a corner with ill-advised bravado and bluster. Yet Obama, who might have made a gracious gesture toward Putin and Russia by appearing at the Sochi olympics pulled a no-show.  Sochi was under heightened terrorist threat during the olympics and the U.S. president also lost an opportunity to make a statement about standing against international terrorism. Barack Obama seems to prefer the low road in international relations, reacting to crisis, drawing lines in the sand, making threats and taking cheap shots. There is no grand vision, only myopia.

Such contrasts in roads taken are what distinguishes statesmanship from community organizing.

Jeff

When Community Organizers Attack - 3/15/14

 

"Human beings have a universal right to determine their own future." -- President Obama condemning 'The Affordable Care Act' Russia's actions in the Ukraine, 3/4/14

 

 

Dear All,

 

With feigned indignation over Vladimir Putin's role in Ukraine, Barack Obama and John Kerry are engaged in an utterly reckless provocation of Russia following an attempted U.S. coup gone awry (In the leaked recording of the telephone conversation between State Dept. official Victoria Nuland and U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, the two are heard plotting the staffing of a new government). The U.S. is no more committed to Jeffersonian democracy abroad (or for that matter, in the U.S.) than is Russia yet the pretext of defending foreigners from tyrants has served as cover for U.S. global mischief making for decades. Americans are buying into the mainstream prattle that the Ukraine confrontation is about the right of self-determination, "sanctity of borders" and related drivel. They have even been convinced that Russia is the aggressor in this standoff. The point of U.S. aggression in Ukraine was the intent to place Nato missiles at Russia's doorstep. Everything else you read in mainstream media is fluff.

 

And so, for what can only be assumed is a means of diverting attention from domestic political unpopularity, a potential nuclear confrontation has been spearheaded for a gagged-up cause under the command of a community organizer:

 

 

 

Spend the 20 minutes or so watching Democracy Now's Amy Goodman interview NYU Russian Studies professor Stephen Cohen, who reviews the duplicity and deceit underlying America's role in Ukraine's instability:  US Hypocrisy and 'Regime Change' -- The Simple Truth about Ukraine

 

Out-of-his-helmet...The Senate's crazy uncle -- John McCain, who emerged from five years as a Vietnam POW rancorous, bitter and non compos mentis just cannot resist the opportunity to actively participate in the destabilization of governments. As Brandon Smith reminds us in this piece, McCain has a Zelig-like habit of being photographed embracing opposition leaders wherever the U.S. seeks regime change, including with Al-Queda's al-Nusra Front in Syria and most recently with Oleh Tyahnybok, who in 2004 delivered a speech to Ukraine's parliament calling for battle with the  "Muscovite-Jewish mafia." 

 

"The revolution in Ukraine is run primarily by the Svoboda Party, a National Socialist (fascist) organization headed by Oleh Tyahnybok.  Here is a photo of Tyahnybok giving a familiar salute...

...I am now thoroughly convinced that John McCain is a pasty ghoul of the highest order...McCain was in Libya during the coup against Moammar Gadhafi. McCain showed up to essentially buy off the rebels in Tunisia. McCain hung out with al-Qaida in Syria. And, what a surprise, McCain met with the Ukrainian opposition movement just before the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych.  Here is a photo of McCain giving a speech to the opposition with none other than Neo-Nazi Oleh Tyahnybok standing over his left shoulder..

...Why McCain? I have no idea. All I know is, if this guy shows up in your country, take cover."

 

Are you hearing much in the media about the social and political history of the Ukrainian people -- those for whom the U.S. may seek to impose another of its democratic 'springs'? Ukraine is the land of the Cossacks and its history would not necessarily engender admiration among those sent to 'liberate" it, although they would not be expected to know this since 37% of Americans are unable to locate America (on a map of America).

"Shirley Matheson, a part-time Arby's employee residing in Dayton, Ohio, agreed with Weiss's assessment. "I live in the U.S.A., so why would I need to know where America is? Or the United States for that matter...As long as there's still room on that map for all three of those countries, I'm sure everyone will keep getting along just fine."

 

 

While the principals for which Edward Snowden has risked his life will never be understood or appreciated by most Americans, or for that matter, most journalists -- Bill Moyers' interview of former congressional staffer Mike Lofgren reveals the ugly truth of the U.S. political and economic power grid -- that voting is placebo for the masses. Lofgren connects the dots for us from the perspective of a veteran political operative, confirming that the greatest threat to Americans' security does not come from overseas; it is at home and it is everything Eisenhower foresaw and warned about --a financial/industrial/government nexus: Moyers & Company: The Deep State

 

 

"Maybe you'll grow up to be a TSA agent  one day too, Johnny.."   Returning from a vacation last month accompanied by a three year-old, my encounter with the TSA was more animated than usual. I typically proceed through the cattle prodding by avoiding eye contact, never assisting the government insects in any manner but always firmly pointing out to them any poor manners thrust my way ("Please'...we say 'please").  I also see to it that my belongings are not placed on the conveyor belt (and out of my sight range) until I am allowed to proceed through the metal detector. This is a small attempt to retain a bit of dignity and control in the face of an entirely pointless shakedown.  

 

On this particular evening, after having passed inspection and as we were gathering our belongings I heard the voice of a TSA agent: "Did this young fellow get one of these?"  Hearing this I turned around and saw our three year-old being approached by a TSA employee holding a roll of gold star stickers, each resembling a sheriff's badge. He had peeled off a star and was about to hand one to our young citizen, at which point I said: "He doesn't want it... Please don't touch him. Don't touch him."  As the startled agent began to speak again I continued in a loud and firm voice: "We complied with your inspection but you don't have the right to play with us. Don't try to amuse us." 

 

The effort to place a more humane face on the TSA is classic indoctrination and clueless boobus would surely prefer to watch his child being 'deputized' by a former fast-food worker than use the opportunity to maintain his dignity and assert his rights.  And it is in precisely this manner that subtlety and incrementally, compliant citizens are stripped of their personal liberties. 

 

 

This is an extremely fine piece: Brandan Smith: The Truth behind Political Correctness

 

 

A proposed bumper sticker to be made available to Manhattan residents:

'SAVE THE HORSES - EUTHANIZE  DI BLASIO'

 

 

The trend...

 

China dumped $47.8 billion of US Treasuries in December 

 

Fed reports record drop -- $166 billion -- in foreign custodial holdings of U.S. Treasuries thus far in 2014

 

 

 

Silver and gold...

 

It isn't as though anyone appears to be trying particularly hard to keep their clumsy paw prints from revealing their participation in the central banking conspiracy to suppress the price of gold. One has to be wary when something is too obvious although often, the simplest explanation is the correct one. The case of the disappearing February 23rd Financial Times article on gold price rigging is less revealing in journalistic content (the story warranted a big "duh" from our corner of the world) than in the FT editorial board's admission (without explanation) that it had the article removed from its on-line version after it had already been published. Someone obviously got a call.

 

Precious metals continue to light up the investment world in 2014 with nary a word from the financial press. While the equity markets are treading water, silver and gold prices have increased 10% and 15% respectively in the first 11 weeks of the year. The HUI index is up 31% and GDXJ, the junior miners ETF has advanced 43%. A number of junior exploration stocks have already doubled in price this year. This is just the opening salvo in the resumption of the precious metals secular bull market. This phase will see even more astounding returns than the period of 2001- 2007.

 

Nothing is going to come close to the returns on gold and silver investments these next few years. Buy bullion coins and the stocks of good precious metal companies on pullbacks. Dis-hoard your dollar denominated investments (non-precious metal stocks). The U.S. dollar's days of dominance are coming to an end.

 

My best,

 

Jeff

UPDATE: Ukraine gold reserves reportedly shipped to U.S. - 3/10/14

 

Dear All,

Amazing is it not, how quickly gold can be transported when there is a will (and the gold)? The Fed advised Germany that it will take eight years to comply with its request to return a portion of its sovereign gold ostensibly being held in custody at the New York Fed vault. Even so, the Fed is significantly behind schedule, having returned only 5 tons in the past year. If the following report is accurate, 33 tons of Ukraine's gold were airlifted out of Kiev airport early last week.

 

The question of where the bullion is headed is less the point than that of its size and rapid mobilization, something the U.S. Federal Reserve seems incapable of.  Whether all or some of it is headed to New York as sovereign owned or to Switzerland to private accounts, one thing is certain; the Ukrainian people, whose labor ultimately paid for these reserves have no increased chance of ever seeing this gold again even it is the former rather than the latter: Newswire24: UKRAINIAN GOLD RESERVES LOADED ON AN UNIDENTIFIED TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT IN KIEV’S BORISPOL AIRPORT AND FLOWN TO U.S.

 

More this weekend.

 

Jeff

UPDATE: Ukraine- the real deal - 3/5/14

 

Dear All,

The propaganda is flying at breakneck pace with the vast majority of it emanating from the U.S. and its lapdog media. If you caught any of Vladimir Putin's news conference yesterday, your impressions of him are likely rather different than the image being cultivated in the west. He is hardly a madman. Putin is ruthless and disingenuous, but no more so than his American counterpart and the political animal kingdom generally.

I urge you to read former U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Paul Craig Roberts' superb synopsis of what has transpired.  It is radically different than the narrative put forth by the U.S. administration and its "presstitutes," as Roberts and Gerald Celente refer to them: Propaganda Rules The News –Paul Craig Roberts 

"Washington organized the coup in Ukraine in order to promote its world hegemony by capturing Ukraine for NATO and putting US missile bases on Russia’s border in order to degrade Russia’s nuclear deterrent and force Russia to accept Washington’s hegemony...Washington plotted against and overthrew an elected legitimate government and then lost control to neo-nazis who are threatening the large Russian population in southern and eastern Ukraine, provinces that formerly were part of Russia."

Jeff