The strategically important Russian pipeline project “Power of Siberia 2” is on hold for the time being. The project, which is intended to bring gas from the western Russian Yamal gas field to China, is of strategic importance for Russia after Germany and other European states largely dropped out after the start of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
An announcement from Mongolia – a crucial transit country – now suggests a temporary halt to the plans. The government there recently announced its major strategic projects for the period 2024 to 2028. The Russian-Chinese mega-project is not mentioned at all in it. “We are in a long pause in which Moscow no longer believes it will get the deal it wants from Beijing and will probably put the project on hold until better times,” Munkhnaran Bayarlkhagva, a former official with Mongolia’s National Security Council, told the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
The expert also suggested that Beijing was not happy that the Russian state-owned company Gazprom had given the impression that it wanted to control the Mongolian part of the pipeline alone in the future. “That would have meant a sudden and long-term strengthening of Moscow’s influence in Mongolia at Beijing’s expense,” he said.
According to the Tass agency, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak had said in May that he expected a contract to build the pipeline to be signed in the near future. He had previously said in December that Gazprom and the Chinese energy company CNPC were working on an agreement that would set out the economic and commercial framework. The pipeline through Mongolia is to have a capacity of 50 billion cubic meters of gas.
The halt would be a setback for Russia. After the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine, the European Union imposed sanctions on the country that are still in force today. Since then, Russia has been trying to strengthen economic relations with China. To this end, both countries signed, among other things, a 30-year contract for gas supplies from Russia.
Part of these efforts is the “Power of Siberia” pipeline, which, unlike its planned successor, only connects the gas fields in eastern Russia, but not the deposits in the northwest that supply Europe. A closer look at the capacity, network and satellite data shows that this pipeline alone will ultimately not be nearly enough to compensate for the loss of the European market.
Comment: This is a setback for Moscow. China doesn’t want to pay for Power of Siberia 2. Mongolia won’t pay for it and Russia can’t as long as they are engaged in a war economy. That’s the simple explanation for this “quiet flop.”
Mongolia is not doing this at the behest of the CIA or State Department or the magical words of Biden the Ancient. Sure Mongolia is a NATO Partner, but she is also an SCO observer. She has good relations with both China and Russia and wisely seeks to maintain those relationships. There’s nothing sinister involved. It’s just a matter of Gazprom being broke. I’m sure they’re doing a jig of joy at Foggy Bottom over this decision, but I don’t see our hand in this. However, I bet the Kremlin doesn’t see it that way.
TTG
I am surprised that China is not more concerned about how they are going to handle the US naval blockade that will be imposed on their energy imports when they invade Taiwan. Or maybe China has no intention of invading Taiwan?
IMO, China will patiently wait to “assimilate” Taiwan [back] into China.
In Gamer terms, China has chosen to play for an Economic Path to Victory. It knows that war is bad for business (though it can be *very* good for some businesses!). Sure, there’s a psychological side to it (Han Nationalism + Maoist vengeance against KMT & Western Capitalists?), but invading Taiwan would destroy its usefulness.
China is glad to provide US Neocons with enough scary “news” to make sure that the USA wastes ever more money on Guns – and therefore keeps raising the cost of Butter, ultimately undermining the American Dream which once made our country the envy of the world.
Beijing is looking into the future and playing the long game.
Too bad US statesmanship, both parties, doesn’t do the same.
leith,
I don’t think our State Department is looking for a final confrontation with China over Taiwan or any other issue. They’d much rather stay at the current state of competition.
I am sure China is well aware that any military action towards Taiwan will crash their economy that already has some serious problems. They are also facing a demographic problem that will worsen in the near future. It is also becoming apparent that the top down political systems have an economic ceiling that is hard to break through.
Lars,
Actually those top down political systems worked pretty well for South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore – all of which were full on dictatorships when between the early 1950s and 1990s they underwent rapid industrialization and maintained exceptionally high growth rates of more than 7 percent a year.
China has stated on many occasions that they are seeking to follow the path that those countries blazed (minus the eventual democracy I presume).
In my native Sweden, the Social Democrats came to power in the 1930’s and installed a very rigid top down system. WWII brought a unity government but afterwards, they continued their system and it produced a lot of progress. Until in the 1970’s, when that ceiling was reached and stagnation ensued. This brought about a political rearrangement. Socialist systems can work well for awhile, but that control eventually stop the necessary inventions that are needed. In my experience, this is a common flaw and it is rather universal.
James
It worked for China too. Established a phenomenal base to work with. But the “eventual democracy”, or at least the accompanying loosening up, is what enabled the tigers to break through the ceiling that applied to them just as much as it does to China. China is so far unable to replicate that part.
An announcement from a “former official ” is not even worth an LOL.
Harvard expert says…. what, it will take 6 years to build the pipeline? No marde professor. Did you think you would get any cash flow before you could ship product?
Did you notice the other articles like the one on Saxony and Thuringia’s elections? Oh the dangers of afd. I wonder how the German voters will get screwed this time.
China can possess and lease foreign infrastructure they built when the borrower defaults for 99 years. Russian law forbids this. No-limit friendships have a limit.
Lesly,
What EU law allows the EU to transfer Russian assets to Ukraine? Can they do that to China too when there is a dispute in the next 99 years?
Fred,
“On May 22, 2024, Regulation (EU) 2024/1469, which authorizes the use of net profits from the frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and self-defense against Russia’s war of aggression, entered into force.”
TTG,
Speaking of seizing things, did you see Kamala’s plans for seizing assets?
TTG, I have highly mixed feelings about that regulation.
What about Pokrovsk? NZZ, Zurich’s conservative paper, sounds pretty alarmist. A couple dances its last dance in the city?
Forbes: The drumbeat of recent Russian advances east of Pokrovsk, northwest of Donetsk, should sound like an alarm in Kyiv. On Friday, Russian infantry marched into Novohrodivka, seven miles east of Pokrovsk. Firing a rocket-propelled grenade, they knocked out a Ukrainian tank.
Pokrovsk sits astride the main Ukrainian supply lines west of Donetsk. After weeks of steady Russian gains, the city is in increasing danger.
Analysts anticipated this development. In late July, Frontelligence Insight—a Ukrainian analysis group—described the situation around Pokrovsk as “critical.” And that was before the Russians captured several more villages on the road to Pokrovsk including Orlivka and Mykolaivka
NZZ: https://www.nzz.ch/international/ukraine-krieg-die-donbass-stadt-pokrowsk-vor-der-schlacht-mit-russland-ld.1844451
https://archive.ph/c0Ve5
Fred, Regulation 2024/1469 is legal as it does not touch the Russian assets. It instead allows what is basically a tax of 100% on any profit from the assets. Those revenues are then sent to Ukraine.
Nothing is stolen or confiscated from Russia.
Poul,
LOL it’s just a tax on assets you aren’t allowed to move out of the EU. I’m sure the investments in the EU must be booming now. BTW did you see where Ukraine didn’t pay their debt on August 1st? Puts the EU and UK in a bit of a financial bind. Oh look, we’ll just take the ‘interest’ off Russian property. They need more money than that.
That why it’s called “sanctions”. As for a reduction in investments in the EU due to fear of sanctions I don’t see anything real.
Ditto with the US. China just had a 99 billion dollar trade surplus with the world which is the same as they now have to invest a 99 billion in American and European assets. There are no other economies that can absorb such amounts of money.
And no. China is not abandoning the dollar or the Euro. They are just trying to hide their dependence on the US economy. We would see massive valuation changes in currencies if there was a real Chinese/Non-Western sell-off American and EU assets.
https://www.cfr.org/blog/china-isnt-shifting-away-dollar-or-dollar-bonds
https://www.cfr.org/blog/chinas-imaginary-trade-data
That Ukraine will need a full debt restructuring after the war should not surprise anyone. Russia’s economic warfare will no doubt be viewed as an important factor in their victory in the war.
Meanwhile the Sudzha metering station is still in operation. Sending GazProm’s gas to Hungary and Slovakia, yet it’s been under Ukrainian control for a week and a half. I expect that any day now Putin will target it and blame it on Ukraine.
I suspect that the Mongolian expert quoted in the third paragraph of the OP nailed it:
***
…Beijing was not happy that the Russian state-owned company Gazprom had given the impression that it wanted to control the Mongolian part of the pipeline alone in the future. “That would have meant a sudden and long-term strengthening of Moscow’s influence in Mongolia at Beijing’s expense”
***
China and Russia probably each think they are the Greater Power in the new partnership, for very different reasons. Russia has been a Great Power for centuries (though it took a couple decades off), and has a large military with some *very* high-tech weapons. China has been a Great Power for Millenia (though it took a few centuries off!), and wields enormous economic power.
Russia is in the weaker position in this bargaining, largely because the war in Ukraine, but also because it’s saddled with cultural baggage (alcoholism, corruption) which add economic drag. China has different cultural baggage (risk-averse, inside-the-box thinking?), but it is now the world’s economic powerhouse.
Mongolia is stuck in the middle, so of course Russia and China will be jockeying for influence there. All three have a lot to gain from the project; I suspect that they will eventually find a way to balance the costs and benefits. But for now – with Russia weakened by the war in Ukraine (and now in Russia, too!), and possibly low on cash – the situation is out of balance, so negotiations are stalled.
I am married to a Mongolian, speak Mongolian run an outdoors company in Mongolia and used to have a sideline doing journalism in Mongolia. So here in a nutshell the Mongolian position:
1. Mongolians hate and fear China. If not for Russia Mongolia would be long gone and have suffered the fate of Tibet. That is simply a fact.
2. The Mongolian army is still closely linked to the Russian army and all higher officers have trained at the Frunse academy.
3. The Russians try to keep Mongolia as independent of China as much as possible. For instance they tried to organise a new railway line from one of the greatest copper mines in the world (Oyun Tolgoi) to the Transsib to give Mongolia the chance to export the copper not through China. There was much jockeying behind the scenes and the effort came to nought.
4. Economically China is slowly but surely taking over. This process has accelerated since the war in Ukraine began. Telecommunications is in Chinese hands and people don´t talk about certain subjects on the phone anymore.
5. Russia is between a rock and a hard place. Either lose Mongolia and have China no more than 250k from Lake Baikal (now more than a 1000k) or else lose in Ukraine and have NATO at her door.
For now China needs the help of Russia in the Taiwan matter. That is why I suppose China hasn´t been more forceful in Mongolia yet. Still the Chinese drive a very hard bargain and Russia certainly would prefer to open Nord Stream again. That is why I believe that Russia is still amenable to a negotiated solution in Ukraine. For the same reason I believe the Chinese won´t mind if the Ukraine war goes on for quite a while longer. Certainly a total Russian victory is the last thing they want.
Russian forces seem to be making more rapid progress in Donbas. Ukraine has invaded Russsia. Who’s winning?
Worst nightmare faulty turrets and barrels.they will be needing industrial strength duct tape
An open letter to leaders of both canada and russia
Dear sir
I would like to take this opportunity to recommend the palestinian people of gaza.
In the years that i have been acquainted with several of them,i have found them to be an intelligent,tough,and above all resourceful people.
I have concluded that without doubt global warming will open up vast parts of your northern lands and i implore you to resettle the Palestinian people to those areas of your countries.
I had the pleasure of visiting canada and have concluded that a new wave of migration is necessary.The same goes for russia
Yours truly
Edward lurie
mcohen,
I am very hurt that you would talk to Canada this way.
Do we Canadians not always vote whatever the US votes on every single Israel related UN resolution? Did we not shut down the student protesters on our college campuses who were protesting against your ongoing genocide? Do we not consistently pay lip service to a two state solution while actively aiding and abetting your slow motion (well not so slow motion anymore) ethnic cleansing?
Canada’s commitment to Israel is so strong that we are grooming Crystia Freeland to be the next prime minister of Canada and she is a ziocon’s ziocon. She makes Bibi look like Norman Finkelstein. Sure she comes from a long line of Ukrainian Nazis, but trust me – that is a feature not a bug. It means she is willing to hitch her wagon to whatever great power will benefit her the most – with no moral qualms to get in her way. She isn’t just willing to back Israel to the hilt, she is positively salivating at the opportunity.
Now while we don’t want your Palestinians we are ready and willing to take your highly educated Israeli Jews who will be fleeing Israel in the near future. The welcome mat is out. Let’s face it – Europe is coming apart at the seams and the US is full of gun nuts who will shoot you if you look at them sideways. Canada is the only rational choice for Israeli Jews these days – and don’t forget we have a pretty good education system. We score higher on the PISA than any other white country except Estonia (which isn’t even a democracy).
James,
How about all those native graves petite Justin paid out millions about? How about those lockdowns? Thanks for pointing out the colors of your country, white being the flag of surrender and all.
Fred,
It was the lockdowns that made me finally turn on Justin. I will never forgive that mother****** for closing the gyms for a year – I lost a great deal of muscle mass, gained a great deal of fat, and I am convinced my testosterone dropped precipitously making it hard for me to fight my way back to the fitness level I had before Covid.
It was Biden who urged Justin to crack down on the truckers by the way:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-tells-trudeau-trucker-protests-are-serious-effects-us-companies-rcna15983
You yanks – you tell us what to do and then when we do what you told us to do, you vilify us for actually doing what you demanded we do. It’s not easy being America’s poodle.
James,
What’s so magical about gyms? We never used them in Infantry or Special Forces and gained plenty of muscle mass and lost weight. I don’t know about testosterone levels. I know a lot of people that increased their exercising and fitness levels because of the lockdowns. The shutdown of bars and restaurants probably helped.
TTG,
How many small businesses went out of business do to government actions that were unnecessary for any reason other than wielding power? I’m happy for the people you know who became healthier. Lots of others didn’t.
Fred,
I don’t know if those actions were unnecessary, but they were applied far too late. the international travel restrictions were applied late and weakly. It wasn’t until the middle of March 2020 that Trump called for staying at home and limiting gatherings. Even then he was still saying nothing to see here.
TTG,
You memory hole the charges of racism and the states that took Trump to court over the travel ban. Likewise Drs. Fauci and Birx and all their manipulation including 2 weeks to slow the spread.
Fred,
I’m well aware of his China flu schtick and the whining about travel and other restrictions. Trump had the “bully pulpit” and could have done much to influence behavior if he chose to do so. Instead, he absurdly downplayed what was happening and did too little too late. But even if he did everything right, it may still have been a mess. Panic is hard to contain.
TTG,
Gyms are not magical – I should have adjusted. I did not realize how long the lock downs would last and I did not realize the toll it would take on my body. Unfortunately.
The best time in my life fitness wise was when I was training at the Beaver Boxing club in Ottawa and doing a calisthenics class led by a Canadian Armed Forces dude in addition to the boxing training. Those were the days.
James,
Ah, now I understand. I don’t think many thought the lock downs and pandemic were going to linger as long as they did. As you grow older, you’ll discover that any hiatus from physical activity quickly leads to physical atrophy. I was just lucky that my fitness regime doesn’t require facilities or people. I did notice more people in the forests and on the waters during the lock down.
The best shape I was in was in Hawaii. Three of my RECONDO school cadre were training for the Delta Selection Course and I trained with them humping a 65 lbs rucksack up and down the mountain jungle of the Kahuku Mountains. Even SF wasn’t that strenuous.
TTG,
I know. It was so dangerous all the homeless here died off, as did all those illegal immigrants with the not so great medical care from ‘back home’. Two of the not until Biden federally mandated shots got taken off the market. Pfizer got immunity and ‘vaccine’ got a new definition. Too bad for Pat for trusting NIH. Now if only the MSM had not done the election prep daily death count and repeated it on Dorsey run Twitter and Zuckerberg the media suppression head of FB’s place things would have been different. Like in Sweden where they didn’t lock down by government order.
Cuomo, Whitmer, Huchel, Newsome, and the summer of Mostly Peaceful……
Memory hole and repeat the current talking points. She who must be elected needs the help.
Fred,
That was an interesting question about the homeless. It turns out the Covid death rate among the homeless was twice the rate of the rest of the population. We only lost a million out of 330 million to Covid, so it wasn’t going to wipe us, the homeless or immigrants out. Even Africa with a population of 1.3 billion lost well under a million. You’re right about the media’s obsession with the death count. Unfortunately, the administration did not express an effective counter narrative.
Sweden lost 82,000 out of a population of 10 million, not much worse than our death rate. And they did it without the draconian restrictions other than limiting the size of public gatherings. Their culture of normal social distancing also helped. They didn’t destroy their economy doing it. Their government also offered a confident, steady and clear message. We did not.
An excellent study of the Swedish experience under Covid.
https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/sweden-during-pandemic#
TTG,
The best thing about censorship and suppression is what is left out. What age were those million human beings that “died of Covid” and did you miss the revisions from “of Covid” to “with Covid” and what by ‘chance’ is a comorbidity?
Fred,
Covid deaths skewed towards the old, but so do deaths from heart disease and cancer. Same for flu deaths and the majority of flu deaths are actually caused by pneumonia induced by the flu. The article on Sweden states that both Norway and Sweden listed only deaths from Covid not deaths with Covid.
James –
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, especially since my great-grandma & grandpa were Canadian wetbacks who snuck into the great state of Maine one night. They liked it so much they stayed.
The reason you score so high on PISA is because of the 7 million plus Asian-Canadians. And in democracy, Estonia has a top 10% score in the democracy index. They are #3 in the world just behind Denmark and Sweden. They are head and shoulders above Canada whose score is in the 10 t0 20% range and is rated #25 behind Italy and Spain.
Leith do you have a Baltic, Eastern European family background? Ancestors from there? Are you familiar with the country and thus have a certain fondness?
What democracy index are you using? Freedom House offers no ranked index as far as I recall, and your rank does not agree with the Economist’s.
https://ourworldindata.org/democracies-measurement
Are “ethnic Russians” still stateless in Estonia?
LeaNder –
Q1&2: No.
Q3: I was familiar with and fond of a family of Estonian refugees that my Aunt Marge sponsored about 70+ years ago.
Q4: VDEM index.
Q5: “The Citizenship Act provides the following requirements for naturalisation of those people who had arrived in the country after 1940,[25] the majority of whom were ethnic Russians: knowledge of the Estonian language, Constitution and a pledge of loyalty to Estonia.[26]” Seems fair to me.
Hmm, Ok, thanks.
It’s indeed number 3 in the Liberal Democracy Index.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-Dem_Democracy_Indices#Democracy_indices
Liberal Democracy Index
This index incorporates measures of rule of law, checks and balances, and civil liberties along with the concepts measured in the electoral democracy index.[7]
& arbitarily 16 in the Egalitarian Democracy Index and 34 in the Participatory Democracy Index:
Not sure if this works:
No it doesn’t work with the link I used.
page 62:
https://www.v-dem.net/documents/43/v-dem_dr2024_lowres.pdf
leith,
Can we apply the same law in Israel to people whose parents and grandparents arrived after 1940?
When you deprive more than 33% of your population of the right to vote because they do not belong to the dominant ethnic group then you are not a democracy.
James –
Great idea, ‘We’ probably should. But neither Biden nor Trudeau have the ability to enact law in Israel. Why don’t you suggest that to those in Likud who dominate the Knesset?
White country?. I only need one glimpse to see.I saw it at a market in calgary.Tired old white men.
Outside the cities the land is harsh,not very forgiving.The winters are brutal but that will change as the planet warms.
As to the middle east,60 degrees in the shade.
mcohen,
Hey – British Colombia is seriously beautiful. Vancouver and Toronto are reasonably mild. Calgarians are super friendly.
I do love this video. For me it really captures the magic of Jerusalem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D97gP-1zyqQ
James,
Toronto is North of Detroit and gets a lot more snow. Hardly a mild climate.
Hey they are very, very good musicians, James. They do not seem to use blackback, or do they?
I love the contrast. 😉 … Eilat?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ultra-orthodox-singers-defy-stereotypes-on-tv-reality-show/
The Gat brothers grew up secular in the southern city of Eilat, where they developed their love for modern music. Before becoming religious 16 years ago, Arie learned to play the guitar and later became a professional drummer. Gil, 37, spent some time in New York playing gigs at jazz clubs and blues bars.
James, since you are evidently Canadian, I would what you think of this article:
https://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2022/05/15/canada-under-globalist-control/
Keith,
The WEF is infiltrating everyone. I don’t think Canada is any more infiltrated than the US or EU. I’m not happy about it but what to do?
I hope that people on the left and people on the right figure out that this ‘left vs right’ paradigm is a shell game and start supporting people like Tucker Carlson and Tulsi Gabbard who have, I believe, figured this out.
Please change “would” to “wonder”.
Hmm, I wondered what made you write this. Hmm? The West Bank will be Israel’s Second Front after ‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood’? Third, Lebanon, fourth Syria? How will they label this Operation? Operation Judea and Samaria? Via b.
Israel Katz tweeted in Hebrew (machine translation):
ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz @Israel_katz – 4:42 UTC · Aug 28, 2024 The IDF is working intensively from tonight in the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps to thwart Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures that have been established there. Iran is working to establish an eastern terrorist front against Israel in the West Bank, according to the Gaza and Lebanon model, by financing and arming terrorists and smuggling advanced weapons from Jordan.
We must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and whatever steps are required. This is a war for everything and we must win it.
You are a Brit mcohen? I forget and may be wrong.
New Left Review:
Tareq Ali interviews Rashid Khalidi
THE NECK AND THE SWORD
https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii147/articles/the-neck-and-the-sword
Lea n der parachuted in from mondoweiss to turcopolier
Seriously ….the new left review…..Lol
Phil Weiss was seizing the time. I thought you claimed you were there too. I did not stay very long for several reasons. Similar to b’s blog.
Besides, I was made aware and read PL before I stumbled across Mondoweiss. Thus not parachuted from Mondoweiss to turcopolier but strictly the other way round. But you are welcome mcohen
I was when Obama flew in and got caught up in a sandstorm.Remember that.Evidently was posting on mondoweiss too.
Who can forget the old woman in Ethiopia.one of my best.oh man those were the days
And now he is back with ….KAMALA
Ladies and gentlemen I give you
Gifty
https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/subsistence-surplus-how-gifty-went-barely-making-ends-meet-meeting-president-obama
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Meet-the-people-President-Obama-met-in-Africa.html?soid=1103295952315&aid=1y_gNLHVMRU
Ethiopia then and now
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/04/ethiopia-military-executes-dozens-amhara-region
And people actually want to vote for his buddy Kamala.they don’t have rocks in their heads cause they smoke them
James.Your ignorance becomes you. Palestinians would be a boost to the economy and country.In any event from what i read Canadians are very supportive of Palestinians.
https://scheerpost.com/2021/10/05/why-so-many-young-arab-israelis-are-becoming-doctors/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pharmacy-offers-arabs-career-boost-enhanced-ties-with-jews/
Why are christians and jews preoccupied with Israel? Israel is no closer to my heart than Tierra del Fuego.
Optimax
Tierra del Fuego?
Have you the earring.the golden one
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aRlSHG5hRY4
Good day to destroy a russian.
You can take whatever or whichever position you want about who’s in the right or not in the ongoing Russia v Ukraine conflict and you can beat your chest about it night after night and on into next week. But if you can’t isolate this data point below from all that tired worn out hoopla and see that firing weapons like this towards a nuclear power plant situated in a highly populated and immensely fertile area is an act of criminal insanity then you have lost your bearings. You got carried away. Big timec. And it’s not amusing anymore. It’s an unprecedented level of homicidal and suicidal danger and pig-headed bluster and stupidity. So calm down and stop it. Now. Otherwise this ends very very badly. For you and everyone else.
Russia Says It Defused U.S. Developed Munition Near Kursk.
https://youtu.be/PU-ETTCywDE
You are absolutely right.
For a comparison of what is happening now to the events that led to World War I, see
https://kwharbaugh.blogspot.com/2024/08/ukraine-love-and-world-war-iii.html
Keith Harbaugh:
Difference is the weapons these days are much more powerful than during WWI. At the conclusion of this interview Gilbert Doctorow explains Lavrov’s latest statement to the effect that the West is a pack of misbehaving little boys who are playing with matches. I’ll make it easy for you – he closes by explicitly saying that Putin & Company are preparing a nuclear strike on the continental United States.
Usually I’d have something sarcastic to say about that but at this point nothing would surprise me. Nothing. But I will add that the Judge is an attention seeker. Sarcastic enough? More seriously — if you watch carefully you’ll see that GD goes to some length to discredit the usual suspects chez Napolitano — namely Ritter, Johnson, Macgregor .. et al without mentioning their names. That’s because he thinks it’s important to point out that they are very mistaken about some important things. For example he cites a former SU & RF soldier who is now in the upper Duma who says that the NATO troops are generally much better equipped and trained than the RF soldiers today. A point so obvious you wonder why anyone would bother mentioning it — but not if you’ve listened to the misinformation on that channel. Nonetheless you have to decide for yourself if Doctorow’s interpretation of Lavrov has merit. He might be 100% right. But it’s also 100% right that Jesse James once planned in detail the murder of Alan Pinkerton. From what I read of it he almost certainly could have pulled it off. But he didn’t.
Putin Calm and Patient | Gilbert Doctorow & Judge Andrew Napolitano. 25 min.
https://www.youtube.com/live/B8igxfGfvqE
F&L,
“US developed”. Next up is to blame Sweden for all the Nobel developed explosives.
Fred – F&L’s dead right. It’s not so much a question of who developed it. It’s a question of who prepared the targeting package.
EO:
One day maybe Fred will understand that I only quote the Video text headings as I see them on YouTube. Or maybe he does already. I guess he thinks that trying to blow up an atomic reactor is ok if you can trick people into thinking someone else did it.
I guess the fact that Oppenheimer nearly strangled his roommate to death at Goettingen University had no bearing on his becoming the director of Los Alamos or Lawrence Livermore. Oh — the guy he nearly killed was a very promising young physicist or mathematician. Kinda like the people he ordered around while getting them to build a bomb. An heir to a huge banking fortune. Irrelevant. It’s almost as funny as the guys who believe that Bertrand Russell was interested in Wittgenstein’s “philosophy.”
EO,
That would be the UK.
Fred,
That dovetails nicely with my theory that Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” was actually a thinly veiled true story. Remember, Jonathan Harker purchases real estate in England for the evil demonic Count Dracula. Then Dracula moves to England.where he continues to live the life of the undead — murdering and worse. This was published in 1899. Dracula is immortal with super powers. How long do you think it took for him to become King of England? (By the way, before he became King Prince Charles was buying up real estate in Translyvannia — he really was – coincidence?)
Fast forward to the present day and the demonic presence just won’t quit. As Fred has revealed – correctly. Everyone in Russia is saying it’s the British who planned the incursion. Their plan is to trigger a nuclear war between the US and Russia so that after the dust settles they can rule again unhindered. If it makes no sense to you that’s normal — you aren’t a vampire. But Royalty? Royalty which collects Transylvanian real estate. Royalty from an island to which Count Dracula relocated in 1899.
F&L,
As I recall from my grandfather’s tales of when he was a prisoner, no not at the Château d’If , but in Zenda, the English were great gentlemen. I don’t think he was referring to Boris or 2 Tier Keir.
It might flatter the vanity of our politicians and military, Fred, thinking the UK is out ahead of the field when it comes to dirty tricks.
Also enables the Americans to claim that the worst of it is down to us Brits.
I’m doubtful. Whether it’s us or the Ukrainians or other NATO countries, these dirty tricks call for world class ISR. As far as one knows, it’s only the Americans have that in the West.
Same with that Kursk offensive. We were asked to believe that Zelensky dreamed that shambles up all by himself. Then it was claimed the Americans knew nothing about it and that it was a UK initiative to push the surprised Americans into escalation.
All rubbish. Ukraine is swarming with Western Intel and instructors and technicians, all needed to plan the Kursk offensive. And none of those passed any information back to their respective governments? Western equipment – American, German, UK, French, all sorts, had to be earmarked for the operation. As well as mercs in quantity. And none of this was known? Do they take us for fools?
Kursk, like the similar disaster of Krynki, was a Western planned operation. So, to return to the original point, were these attacks on the ZNPP and other attacks on nuclear facilities. “Nothing to do with us, Guv” doesn’t work.
F&L –
It’s a Kremlin provocation. Ukraine has no desire to blow up a nuke plant so close to its own border.
If I might be allowed to go off topic, I cannot recommend Tucker Carlson’s interview of Mike Benz enough:
https://x.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1828918312069128268
James, ya gotta be kidding suggesting Tucker! Now “weird” totally fits him!