SPONSOR

Vaulted Invest in Gold

Visit this blog’s sponsor. Vaulted is an online mobile web app for investing in allocated and deliverable physical gold: Kunstler.com/vaulted


 

Support JHK on Patreon

 

If you’re interested in supporting this blog, check out the Patreon page or Substack.
 
Get This blog by email:

Attention Movie Producers!
JHK’s screenplay in hard-copy edition

Click to order!

A Too-Big-To-Fail Bankster…
Three Teenagers who bring him down…
Gothic doings on a Connecticut Estate.
High velocity drama!


Now Live on Amazon

“Simply the best novel of the 1960s”


Now in Paperback !
Only Seven Bucks!
JHK’s Three-Act Play
A log mansion in the Adirondack Mountains…
A big family on the run…
A nation in peril…


Long Emergency Cafe Press ad 2

Get your Official JHK swag on Cafe Press


The fourth and final book of the World Made By Hand series.

Harrow_cover_final

Battenkill Books (autographed by the Author) |  Northshire Books Amazon


emb of Riches Thumbnail

JHK’s lost classic now reprinted as an e-book
Kindle edition only


 

How Goes the War?

O h, you didn’t notice that World War Three is underway, actually has been for more than year? Well, that’s because most of it has been taking place in the banking sector, which for most people is just an alternative universe of math. The catch, which many people either miss or don’t care about, is that the math doesn’t add up.

For instance, the runaway choo-choo train of linked European sovereign bond obligations with its overloaded caboose of interest rate swaps and other janky derivatives of mass destruction. That train left the station in Athens a few weeks ago bound for Frankfurt. Ever since, the German government and its cohorts in the EU, the ECB, and the IMF have been issuing reassurances that the choo choo train will not blow up when it reaches its destination.

Few people grok that Greece is an entity with an economy not much bigger than North Carolina’s, yet it is burdened with roughly $350 billion of old debt that will never be paid back. The only thing at issue is how it will not be paid back, that is, what mode of pretense will be employed to disguise the inability to pay back this debt. The mode du jour has been the crude one of lending Greece more money to pay back the interest on the old debt. A seven-year-old ought to be able to understand where that leads.

It’s kind of up to the Greeks this week to possibly opt out of that farcical deal. They have at least two other present options: return to being a sunwashed semi-medieval backwater of olive farmers, shepherds, and inn-keepers, or perhaps lease out some cozy corner of their vast Mediterranean coastline to the Russian navy for enough annual walking-around money to keep the lights on for the aforementioned farmers, shepherds, and inn-keepers. Of course, that would drive the US and its NATO quislings batshit crazy.

We’ve already got our knickers in a twist over Ukraine, a so-called nation whose highest and best purpose over the millennia has been as a sort of lethal doormat in front of Russia, leaving adventurers like Napoleon and Hitler bleeding in the snow as they crawled back to their nations of origin. In short, Ukraine has worked so well for Russia that we must be insane to imagine that it would give up that traditional relationship. Yet the US and NATO persist in their foolishness and attempt to back up their Kievan intrigues with financial “sanctions” against Russia.

Russia is doing what it has always done in the face of adversity, which is to suck it up. And, anyway, these western financial monkeyshines don’t hold a candle to ordeals like the siege of Stalingrad. What’s more, the Russians, despite their peculiar alphabet and thuggish demeanor, are at least as clever with computers as our code jockeys. We (in the USA) think just because we’ve made it possible for everyman to drool over Kim Kardashian’s booty on an iPhone screen that we have some kind of immunity against cyber counter-attack from way out east.

It seems to me that Russia (with China and others) is very busy constructing an alternate financial network that will allow for international money transfers and other necessities for conducting normal trade operations, outside of systems like the SWIFT code, which the US has been using as a knout against our imagined enemies. The upshot will leave America high and dry in a lot of what remains of international trade, especially in oil.

Meanwhile we continue to tell ourselves the false and idiotic story of “energy independence,” based on the shale oil Ponzi scheme that blew up last fall — the consequences of which won’t really be felt for about another eight months, when all those wells drilled and fracked in 2013-14, start to fall off their production cliff, and the replacement wells will not have been drilled. We’re still importing almost 8 million barrels of oil a day, contrary to all the fairy tales we tell ourselves. What happens when the sellers decide they won’t take US dollars for it? Hmmmm….

 

Note: JHK’s 2015 Forecast is available now at this link: Forecast 2015 — Life in the Breakdown Lane

The new World Made By Hand novel

!! Is now available !!

Kunstler skewers everything from kitsch to greed, prejudice, bloodshed, and brainwashing in this wily, funny, rip-roaring, and profoundly provocative page- turner, leaving no doubt that the prescriptive yet devilishly satiric A World Made by Hand series will continue.” — Booklist

HistoryoftheFuture_Thumb

My local indie booksellers… Battenkill Books (Autographed by the Author) … or Northshire Books
or Amazon

Also: Published as an E-book for the first time!
The 20th Anniversary edition
With an entertaining new introduction by the author

GON_thumb

Bargain Price $3.99

Amazon Kindle …or … Barnes & Noble Nook …or… Kobo


This blog is sponsored this week by Vaulted, an online mobile web app for investing in allocated and deliverable physical gold. To learn more visit:Kunstler.com/vaulted


Order now! Jim’s new book
About the tribulations of growing up

Click here for signed author copies from Battenkill Books

Order from Amazon

Order from Barnes and Noble

Order now! Jim’s other new book
A selection of best blogs 2017 to now!

Click here for signed author copies from Battenkill Books

Order from Amazon

Order from Troy Bookmakers


Paintings from the 2023 Season
New Gallery 15


GET THIS BLOG VIA EMAIL PROVIDED BY SUBSTACK

You can receive Clusterfuck Nation posts in your email when you subscribe to this blog via Substack. Financial support is voluntary.

Sign up for emails via https://jameshowardkunstler.substack.com


About James Howard Kunstler

View all posts by James Howard Kunstler
James Howard Kunstler is the author of many books including (non-fiction) The Geography of Nowhere, The City in Mind: Notes on the Urban Condition, Home from Nowhere, The Long Emergency and the four-book series of World Made By Hand novels, set in a post economic crash American future. His most recent book is Living in the Long Emergency; Global Crisis, the Failure of the Futurists, and the Early Adapters Who Are Showing Us the Way Forward. Jim lives on a homestead in Washington County, New. York, where he tends his garden and communes with his chickens.

373 Responses to “How Goes the War?”

  1. George February 23, 2015 at 9:48 am #

    “Well, that’s because most of it has been taking place in the banking sector, which for most people is just an alternative universe of math. The catch, which many people either miss or don’t care about, is that the math doesn’t add up.”

    Consequences of the “New Math” that was all the rage in US schools in the 1960s?

    http://www.thesisa.org

    • K-Dog February 23, 2015 at 10:39 am #

      Yes, turns out the new math did not add up. With the subtraction of the old math we shall now suffer contraction!

  2. Htruth February 23, 2015 at 9:50 am #

    There’s nothing to worry about. Remember, we have either Hillary or Jeb coming down the presidential pipeline. http://youtu.be/QxusGpF7zzc

    • K-Dog February 23, 2015 at 10:42 am #

      That will be an election to sit out. Perhaps I shall present myself as an alternative???

      Not if I don’t want to be followed around again I wont!

      • ozone February 23, 2015 at 10:52 am #

        K.,
        If you surround yourself with the ideological cousins of Jeb’s trusted “advisors”, I wouldn’t think you’d have any troubles a’tall, and the flow of campaign money would resemble the output of a firehose! 😉

        http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-19/oligarch-rules-jeb-bush-surrounds-himself-architects-his-brothers-iraq-war

        Then, you could get your war on, both financially *and* militarily!

        • K-Dog February 23, 2015 at 9:53 pm #

          From your article:

          “Any society that apathetically stands by as one President after the other tramples on the Constitution will be subject to a litany of increasingly tyrannical, and even insane, leaders.”

          Hmmmmmmm, from what I have been reading trampling the constitution is a sure road to military dictatorship. Thats what happened with Rome. Jeb says he is is own man but we can be sure he will be kissing the same butt. Rich white republican butt will be slobbered all shiny wet. To fuck with all the people stupid enough to elect him. In that he will be no different than his brother.

          A definition of insanity is often described as doing something stupid twice but expecting different results. With prez-e-dent Jeb, America would be certifiably bat-shit crazy.

          If Jeb gets the job could we please be honest enough to say we have kings, royal families, and an aristocracy. That we are nothing like a democracy and that our leaders are never elected on merit to do the public good. Instead they are only elected to pursue personal glory, vanity, and wealth.

  3. Lindy1933 February 23, 2015 at 9:56 am #

    Never worry about oil producers taking dollars. They will just want and get a lot more of them for a barrel of crude.

  4. AKlein February 23, 2015 at 9:58 am #

    JHK asks the question: “What happens when the sellers decide they won’t take US dollars for it? Hmmmm….” Well, what have other industrialized countries done when denied oil? Germany developed synthetic oil from coal. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and, for us, ignited WW2. I’ll leave it to CFN readers to decide which course we will take.

    • DurangoKid February 23, 2015 at 10:11 am #

      What is the US already doing about oil? Kind of looks like the same old story. Economic arm twisting followed by accusations of terrorism or whatever -ism is in vogue topped off by invasion. I’m just hoping Uncle Sam is smart enough to back off Ukraine before he gets a bloody nose or worse.

      • AKlein February 23, 2015 at 11:56 am #

        That’s the point, Durango. Once the economic arm twisting is no longer functional, what next? Destabilization, accusations of terrorism, invasion, destruction? Threatening with a nuclear arsenal? If we’re not careful, we could easily be perceived as a mad dog that must be put down. That won’t have a good outcome for us.

        • K-Dog February 23, 2015 at 11:54 pm #

          That’s a scary thought.

    • Don February 23, 2015 at 1:43 pm #

      We’ll bomb ’em until they accept our money. Wait, I think we are already doing that.

    • gusmpls February 25, 2015 at 10:10 am #

      Don’t know, but Mr. Kunstler has been predicting this will happen for as long as I’ve been reading his stuff (a few years). Has to happen eventually, right?

      • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 12:54 pm #

        I could be wrong, but I can’t help but focus on this:

        The LONG Emergency.

        And he knows that the details emerge as we go. That’s kind of what makes it an “emergency.”

        So try not to be impatient. I know it’s frightening, but what can we do?

  5. Cold N. Holefield February 23, 2015 at 9:59 am #

    Whereas America is an Oligarchy feigning to be a democracy, Russia is a full-blown, finely-tuned Kleptocracy from top to bottom. It cannot be trusted to any degree in any endeavor. I’m not saying America is trustworthy, because it’s not, but I’ll still take a neutral (neither malevolent or benevolent) Oligarchy over a malevolent Kleptocracy if that’s the choice — and it is the choice. If we think things are bad in America and getting worse, some perspective is in order. Russia is ten times worse when you get outside of Lenningrad and Moscow (which are bad enough) — and explore the real, often-overlooked Russia.

    We’re all interconnected now through a globalized economy so we can’t very well ignore Russia and the spread of its Kleptocratic contagion. It deserves equal opprobrium as does America and China and every major player on the world stage. They’re all part of a whole.

    Is America meddling in Ukraine? Sure it is. It has been since the collapse of the USSR, but its meddling is insignificant compared to the meddling of Russia. The West and NATO aren’t that interested in seeing Ukraine succeed in gaining full independence from Russia, as the results show, but Ukraine must be Russia’s last expansionist endeavor. There has to be a line and I believe the borders of Ukraine are that line. Concede the albatross that is Ukraine to Putin and then truly and honestly hold his feet to the fire.

    Show Your Meddle

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • ozone February 23, 2015 at 10:22 am #

      If you’re not getting paid/employed by the US Dept. of State (Ministry of Propaganda), you damn well should be! 😉

      • K-Dog February 23, 2015 at 10:36 am #

        Methinks that is a very big IF!

    • harryflashmanhigson February 23, 2015 at 10:59 am #

      How can you possibly deride Russia as a kleptocracy when we had the state sanction trillion(s) dollar giveaway over the last 7 years! I agree with the above replies,you’re a shill or employed by the US govt. I’m British and the ridiculous propaganda against the Russian is shocking,I’m sure it’s worse over there!

    • orbit7er February 23, 2015 at 12:01 pm #

      Hmm well ColdN it is true that Russia has been ruled since Boris Yeltsin’s coup against Gorbachev by kleptocrats but of course that was at the instigation of the US and the West to turn over all State Enterprises, not to the Russian people that nominally owned them (Gorbachev’s plan) but to the Party Bosses and kleptocrats. It was massive privatization and gutting of public resources under brilliant Wall Street advice. As Dmitri Orlov has written it caused devastating pain to most Russians in a huge economic depression and die-off.
      But hey the new Russian billionaires were welcomed into the plutocrat’s club and even generously bought up US sports team like other US billionaires!
      I always find it amusing how much like 1984 American propaganda is- when our friend, Saddam, is suddenly made an enemy. The same for the Russian plutocrats boosted in their kleptomania by Wall Street but now suddenly bad guys? (I think they are all guys no gals in that club )
      Which also reminds of the famous joke, still on point:
      “whats the difference between Russian propaganda and American propaganda?

      Americans BELIEVE their propaganda!”” Ha ha!

    • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 4:10 pm #

      So we should nuke those Huns? Wait, why did we give them trillions of dollars? Or was then when they were under different management?

      Libertarianism just means the rule of the Corporations. The Russians don’t want to be ruled by our Corporations – they have their own which operate under the guidance of the Government. As it should be. Their system is superior. You want a war? Why not the war against the decay of our infrastructure? But there’s no much money in maintenance so it doesn’t get done. That’s a glaring weakness.

      • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 1:06 pm #

        Exactly. And what is maddening to me is that it makes no economic sense to sit there and let our infrastructure crumble and decay.

        And from what they’ve shown so far, neither Jeb or Hilary is interested in addressing that problem. As you say, no money – or not enough anyway.

    • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 1:02 pm #

      America’s Oligarchy NOT malevolent? Indeed your first sentence could serve as a well fleshed-out definition of Capitalism.

      And the “real, often-overlooked portions of America?

      “Expansionist endeavor”? That’s rather a-historical. What about US hegemony in Latin America and expansion in the Middle East, and now in Asia. Obama is building an aircraft carrier in South Korea. Why?

      Hillary can’t wait to get control of all those guns and ammo. Why?

    • trypillian February 25, 2015 at 9:23 pm #

      Once again Kuntsler is Ukraine bashing. You realize of course that this merely reveals his own insecurity. Ukraine is a shade under being the largest country in the EU at about 630,000 sq kms (France is about 640,000 sq kms). This large area resulted from diplomacy throughout the millennia; hardly a description of a ‘so-called nation’. Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe and not a basket case. On the science and technology front, the world largest aircraft, the AN-225 Mriya meaning Dream, NATO call sign Cossack, is designed and built there. I’m attaching YouTube links for your viewing pleasure. Further misguided references to Ukraine will be happily met by return fire.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYF6fYteIq8
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG0kyghGDS0

  6. goat1001 February 23, 2015 at 10:03 am #

    We are now in a holy war with the Islamic world, specifically those who follow the holy Quran in its full, original 7th century meaning. Mr. Obama is incorrect in saying we are in conflict with only a group of “extremists” and not Muslims in general. Actually we are in conflict with those who have a complete, fundamental understanding of the Quranic scriptures and are intent on following and executing this doctrine in its full application. This means restructuring the world to a 7th century Islamic worldview at all costs (or die trying it).

    This my friends, is a big problem for anyone who is not a Muslim and/or entertains any concept of freedom or democracy as these concepts are not compatible with fundamental Islam.

    • Smoky Joe February 23, 2015 at 10:14 am #

      It will be “die trying it.” You want to see wimpy fat Americans go genocidal? If ISIS pushes us enough, we’ll carpet bomb the entire area into the 7th Century. We have the energy resources to do that, come what may afterward.

      The fanatics are playing with a large and bored Pit Bull in the US. If they poke the Russian Bear or Chinese Dragon it will not go well, either.

      • Launcher February 23, 2015 at 11:53 am #

        I’m sure that Russia and China will not put up with Islamic nonsense, not so sure about the US with the appeaser-in-chief in charge. Western Europe, however is lost to Islam. The murdering, raping and anti-semitism is blamed on the victims. Islam has won western Europe, it is only a few short years until Islamic parties hold balance of power roles in European parliaments.

        • outsider February 23, 2015 at 2:08 pm #

          I agree Launcher. It’s a matter of demographics. The native, white populations are not having the 2.1 children per woman needed for replacement rate. Therefore, they’ve allowed all this Third World immigration to do the low level jobs needed to maintain their societies. These immigrants are having far more children and will eventually reach majority status, I’ve read by at least 2050 (sooner if some countries).

          • malthuss February 23, 2015 at 2:46 pm #

            Back in the 1980s I rad that the USSR would crumble because the Muslims there had such large families.
            And indeed the USSR did crumble.

      • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 1:19 pm #

        We carpet bombed Indochina and learned nothing. This was a kind of religious fanaticism (Jingoism) grounded in ideological mumbo jumbo. We thought our belief system was absolute truth. Like I said, we learned nothing.

        The most dangerous people in the world are fanatics. And the “Christians” and the “Muslims” are standing toe to toe, armed to the teeth, and both of them see total annihilation as salvation.

        Hitler said if he couldn’t defeat the rest of the world he’d take us all down with him. He ended in a coward’s suicide (Note: Not all suicides are cowards, but he most certainly was.). But he did take at least 50 million people with him.

        Fanatics often self-destruct. We’d have to examine history to see what happens when two fanatics are toe to toe in a life-and-death struggle. As frequently happens in history, the technology of death makes the past almost irrelevant to the present and the future. Warfare entails a lot of R&D!

    • sauerkraut February 23, 2015 at 12:31 pm #

      Goat, I suspect that the Christians who want to drag us back to the 5th Century are no better. Too bad the crazies can’t go off by themselves and annihilate each other, leaving the rest of us alone. But, of course, each of them needs the resources of a nation-state to prevail, and that can (apparently) only be obtained by ceaseless propaganda.

      If you want to assign blame for this lamentable state of affairs, a good place to start is Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons (1921), in which he defends his Arabian Policy. It is not too hard to track down when and how it all unravelled from there.

      • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 2:02 pm #

        Even if that was true, it’s not going to happen. The danger to freedom in America is from the Left. Even some Democrats admit Obama’s presidency has been a constitutional disaster.

        • Helen Highwater February 23, 2015 at 2:24 pm #

          You have a very interesting mind. Crazy, but interesting.

        • outsider February 23, 2015 at 2:29 pm #

          Janos, freedom in the USA has been done in by the National Security Warfare State, which both parties have supported. I don’t think we know what freedom means anymore. But it does seem that the McCainiacs (I first saw that term in a Pat Buchanan column) in the Far Right are hell bent on nuclear confrontation.

          I guess on one of those Sunday morning propaganda shows, McCain said that he was ashamed of Obama, ashamed of his country, and ashamed of himself because we have not armed Kiev to the teeth. He should mostly be ashamed of himself.

          • malthuss February 23, 2015 at 2:43 pm #

            ‘are hell bent on nuclear confrontation’..So Jesus can return??

          • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 3:36 pm #

            Well I can’t disagree with that. I was mostly responding to person still stuck in the Left/Right mindset.

            The Republicans are useful as faux opponents – like the Jersey Reds to the Harlem Globetrotters. And of course they are useful in “getting out the troops” for foreign adventures. But as far as the infrastructure of power in the modern Welfare State – it’s obviously going to be the Democrats all the way. That anyone could be worrying about an evangelical uprising in the middle of a Communist takeover is mind boggling. And of course the higher ups in the Republican Party know the score and are good with it.

          • DA February 23, 2015 at 8:32 pm #

            Janos,

            After, much foot-dragging, I finally had to concede that the old labels no longer apply. The new term for the Dems is ‘Neo-Liberal’. Neo-Libs aren’t really ‘liberal’ in any sense other than a broadly superficial social sense, while they’re Republican counterparts, the ‘Neo-Cons’, aren’t conservative in any sense either, other than in mouthing traditional social and religious platitudes. Both are for big government and big budgets, although both will proclaim that they’re not and blame it on the other. In the end, they’re more alike than they’re different, which makes total sense, since they’re funded by the same people.

        • sauerkraut February 23, 2015 at 2:44 pm #

          I think that it is an objective fact that Obama’s presidency has been a constitutional disaster. As was Bush’s before him.

          As for the danger to freedom, I think it is from neither the left nor the right, it is from the Democrat/Republican party and the intelligence community. Further, I think it is a good thing – a free USA in a state of privation would be far worse than an authoritarian USA. The only profitable question to consider now, is which type of authoritarian regime would suit the USA best.

          As I see it, the freedom option was allowed to lapse a dozen years ago, when everything was done for short term gain and the future was ignored.

          Eh, well, as a certain book says, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

          • Calico February 23, 2015 at 9:15 pm #

            How are we free? Sure, we call it the “Land of the Free”, but you have to pay to live. And if you don’t like or agree with the system, then tough. Do you still believe your vote matters up against a 1000 other Joe Sixpacks who vote CNN or Fox.

            By the way, did you know that if we threw out all the atheists, we would lose over half of our scientific community, but only 1% of our prison population?

            And speaking of prisons, here in the US we incarcerate over 700 people per 100,000. In Russia and Cuba, that number is closer to 500 per 100,000.

            I think this shows that your freedom to vote is dependent on incarcerating Christians. 🙂 Enjoy your vote, everything else cost money.

          • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 1:35 pm #

            To DA: Ronald Reagan turned the word “liberal” into an obscenity and the Democrats stood around silently with their hands in their pockets and let him do it.

            And they all joined in and kicked the promise of the New Deal to the gutter.

            My “Prologue” to the “Long Emergency.”

        • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 1:32 pm #

          The problem is organized religion, period. Nothing but a mechanism of social control.

          And we lefties attack Obama because his politics are too far to the RIGHT! He is a corporatist, in fact a Republican, just like the Clintons. And a war-monger. He has been preparing the next battlefields while he gives pretty speeches about “principles” and “values” that just ring hollow. I am a Progressive who was totally misled by him. I admit it. Can we please move on? Now, we “Leftists” have to deal with Hillary, a feminist war-monger! And we need to get her right off the political stage.

          Obama does NOT govern “from the Left.” He is one of the best friends Wall Street has ever had, for one thing, and a disaster for K-12 education. Better for big business than Nixon, e.g.

          The danger to freedom in America has always been right-wing demagogues. The fact that so many Democrats have joined them is just a measure of how far America’s political system has degenerated.

  7. K-Dog February 23, 2015 at 10:09 am #

    Energy independence and nutritional independence, we shall have both. Russia in the face of adversity sucks it up and responds to the challenge. As shall we.

    The grass field was fifty feet below the potato garden. The gate was locked behind him as it always was. He had his air rifle and he held it pointing towards the ground as he stepped on his rock path throuh the bushes that buffered and supported the fence. Old school high pressure sodium lamps along the fence shown over the grass and he looked for the shape or the movement. The first rabbit was easy and soon in the cloth bag. The second one was caught after a short walk in the concealing wood on the other side of the field. Two in the bag and back through the hidden fence gate an hour before dawn, lights off.

    His land everything from the edge of the bushes by the fence and inside. The sloped bank of rock and bush and the wide valley of grass field, wood and creek to the opposite slope a half mile away, public recreational area. His rabbit farm.

    He always listened quietly before opening the fence gate through the wood shed to the bank top through the bushes to the grassy field below. Any noise that could possibly be human and hunting would wait for another day. Today had been quiet, nothing looked amiss through his peephole through the gate. The trip had been a go and a success. He dressed his kill and hung it ready for a meal Then he unlocked the shed door and through the potato patch back to the house. His .177 pellet rife was quiet and accurate and hunger improved his aim. His hollow point ammo deadly. Public parkland in a city that had no time for parks fed his family. He was quiet and not noticed, his health disguised by heavy clothing.

    In the house the pellet gun would be put away and the regular gun checked. Curfew would end at sunrise and it would be safe to walk the streets. Neighborhood control would keep order with militia help if large crowds appeared. Property was protected. Soon he would head out for news as soon as he saw the neighborhood watch on the road outside. The news was getting better. Fewer people were dying and deliveries were keeping up with demand for the first time in months. Things were stable and a third of the local population was still alive. His neighborhood had done well. The properties were large and gardens had been prepared in the months when food prices had soared. Soon vacant houses would be razed to produce more agricultural land. The country had changed and it had only been a year since American life had collapsed and the die-off was nearly complete food security was now achievable.

    All it had taken was the trucks to stop running and now with food deliveries under military control the trucks ran once again. Diesel was allocated to emergency services, police patrol, food delivery and construction equipment as needed. Some of the land soon to be cleared would be growing biodiesel and the power grid was working fine. He had not needed his generator except for the single time that the windstorm had knocked things out for weeks. It had been serendipitous and had been a good time for night travel to be difficult. No neighborhood had wanted wandering mobs and most had stopped wandering by the time power was restored. The biodiesel allocation fell out naturally from the agricultural plan and global tumult would not interrupt food delivery a second time once the plan was implemented.

    Throughout the rest of the world populations were being thinned. With no fuel for transportation and drought devastating crop yields the world had starved. In America only in the most rural of areas did dogs survive.

    • Farmer McGregor February 23, 2015 at 1:09 pm #

      Dog! Great story! Have you submitted essays for JMG’s post-peak story collections? If not, you should.

    • Helen Highwater February 23, 2015 at 1:10 pm #

      Good stuff. Where can I read more?

    • Elizabeth February 23, 2015 at 2:58 pm #

      Good grief! Where’s the rest of it? I need more.

      • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 3:37 pm #

        Dogs is good eatin Liz.

    • DA February 23, 2015 at 8:49 pm #

      Once again, nice sentiment, but probably not in the cards. For long anyway. And when it comes to that, Russia will do better. Why? They’ve already, and in many cases are currently, experiencing it already. The things that we Americans pride ourselves most on now, our affluence and utter “first worldliness,” will be the first things to go. And Russia has already suffered its first major population crash, while we are still in the thralls of a major growth cycle. Our eventual fall may indeed be survivable, for a time at least, but there’s no point in sugar coating the short term hardships. It won’t be pretty.

    • K-Dog February 24, 2015 at 3:34 am #

      Ok, you asked so I re-wrote it. But it is gauche to republish here. You can get it here:

      http://chasingthesquirrel.blogspot.com/

      • ozone February 24, 2015 at 5:33 pm #

        Thanks, K of the Dog, I shall check it…. (away from the ‘people’ who feed their own waste matter into a funnel atop their heads.)

        Double-WOOF! 🙂

  8. Neon Vincent February 23, 2015 at 10:09 am #

    “That train left the station in Athens a few weeks ago bound for Frankfurt.”

    And when it failed to blow up last Friday, instead being scheduled to return in four months, the U.S. stock markets reacted with such relief they set new record highs. All this in a bull market that was so overvalued two years ago that one of my friends got out of stocks by July 2013. He learned the hard way that the best way to profit from stocks is to sell too soon. The worst part is that the bull may run another year. Yeah, until he has another Wyle E. Coyote moment like in 2008 and realizes he’s 1000 feet up in the air with no parachute.

    • outsider February 23, 2015 at 2:34 pm #

      But with zero percent interest rates in banks, what do you do? Buy land or gold, I guess.

      • DA February 23, 2015 at 8:52 pm #

        Quit subscribing to the silly notion that money magically “grows” in a zero/negative growth economy.

  9. Smoky Joe February 23, 2015 at 10:09 am #

    There’s a vision I like: “return to being a sunwashed semi-medieval backwater of olive farmers, shepherds, and inn-keepers”

    If only it did not come with semi-medieval disease and dentistry.

    Can’t have it all. But the Greeks have a lovely attitude toward hard work: don’t and be nice about it. I love the Mediterranean mindset. Seriously. Pass the olives.

  10. BackRowHeckler February 23, 2015 at 10:18 am #

    Trouble is, SJ, the Greeks also have a lovely attitude of evading income taxes, in fact evading taxes of all kinds, and of living beyond their means.

    We are talking about a county where almost everybody who has a job works for the government and you can retire with a full pension and benefits at age 40. I mean, how long can a situation like that last? Sooner or later the bills come due.

    brh

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 2:07 pm #

      Yes, the prejudice (if prejudice it be) is true: Northern Europeans work harder than Southern.

      Who is more adapted to life in a world without work? A world of robotics?

      • DA February 23, 2015 at 8:53 pm #

        Touche!

    • outsider February 23, 2015 at 2:42 pm #

      I don’t think it’s 40 BRH. Maybe 50 or 55, but haven’t their pensions been pretty much wiped out? As JHK pointed out, their bills are past due and they have no way to pay them.

      • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 2:03 pm #

        Americans who work full time and have no pensions are paying taxes that go toward paying the pensions of big corporations like United Airlines. In fact virtually ALL of the US airlines.

        Those corporations, fine examples of private-sector efficiency, defaulted on their pension programs. They simply didn’t put the funds into them that they had promised. They didn’t “pay their bills” and passed them on to the taxpayers. Nice gig.

        Many of those corporations also don’t pay any taxes.

        So tell me again why the Greeks are so “lazy.”

    • DrGonzo February 24, 2015 at 9:00 am #

      Only on CFN can somebody get away with saying something so blatantly inaccurate as “almost everyone works for the government and retires at 40 with a full pension”. WTF? I might as we’ll be listening to the liars over at Faux Nooze.

      • GutenbergGuy February 25, 2015 at 2:04 pm #

        Thank you for that reality check.

  11. BackRowHeckler February 23, 2015 at 10:32 am #

    As far as Ukraine goes, we’re seeing the damage and devastation modern artillery is capable of dealing out, something nearly forgotten in this era of special forces and aerial bombardment.

    How do you like it now, Gentlemen? (Ernest Hemingway’s favorite quip)

    brh

  12. ozone February 23, 2015 at 10:42 am #

    “It seems to me that Russia (with China and others) is very busy constructing an alternate financial network that will allow for international money transfers and other necessities for conducting normal trade operations, outside of systems like the SWIFT code, which the US has been using as a knout against our imagined enemies. The upshot will leave America high and dry in a lot of what remains of international trade, especially in oil.” — JHK

    I would concur with your assessment after reading a snowstorm’s-worth of articles about this phenomena (that’s not being extensively covered in US media outlets).

    I’m not sure that the “leaders” of this country (selected by a coterie of fat-cats and megalomaniacs) have any inkling of what a ‘flanking maneuver’ consists of, or even means. The only tactics understood/used are in-your-face bluff and bluster, accompanied by a heavy dose of saber-rattling. This is hard evidence of a blockheaded hubris and will not end well for the blusterers.

    Ps. Never seen the word “knout”. (Thanks; always enjoy another specific term.) Ouch!

    noun 1. a whip with a lash of leather thongs, formerly used in Russia for flogging criminals. verb (used with object) 2. to flog with the knout.

    • ReluctantWarrior February 23, 2015 at 10:55 am #

      ‘Medieval’ kind of has a nice ring to it.

    • BackRowHeckler February 23, 2015 at 10:58 am #

      Oz watch or read ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (a very prescient work incidentally) There you will see the word ‘knout’.

      brh

    • Arrow February 25, 2015 at 3:01 pm #

      knout… love it… perhaps a distant relative to a cat-o-nine-tails?

  13. 99 cent nation February 23, 2015 at 10:59 am #

    “what mode of pretense will be employed to disguise the inability to pay back this debt. ” We all are living under a huge pretense of being able to payback anyone. Look at the debt the U.S. is under and yet we steam along like we will have smooth sailing forever. I am truly laughing out loud. And when no one wants any more dollars for anything there will plenty laying around to feed the masses. Just imagine paper dollar salad washed down with contaminated water. Hmmm.

  14. Peecan February 23, 2015 at 11:03 am #

    “Meanwhile we continue to tell ourselves the false and idiotic story of “energy independence,” based on the shale oil Ponzi scheme that blew up last fall — the consequences of which won’t really be felt for about another eight months, when all those wells drilled and fracked in 2013-14, start to fall off their production cliff, and the replacement wells will not have been drilled.”

    I work for a chemical company in mid-south US. For three days last week our company was required to shut off our production (we use a lot of NG in our process) for three days in order to divert NG to residential customers so they could heat their homes during the cold snap. We were also told that many other large NG users in the region were under the same directive by the utility.

    What ?!?!?!?!

    Aren’t we supposed to be enjoying the fruits of our shale oil/gas boom for the next 20 years? This portends great problems ahead folks.

    • goat1001 February 23, 2015 at 11:42 am #

      That could have been more of a pipeline capacity issue rather than a resource issue – i.e. the ability of pumps to meet peak capacity and for pipelines to carry the gazillion cubic feet per second flow rate required during all the freaking cold.

      However, seeing that fracked oil and natural gas wells enter steep decline shortly after extraction and most of the sweet spots (read: low hanging fruit) have already been drilled, it is only a matter of a few years until NG starts to become tight (and tighter) on a permanent basis. Same goes for oil. So sometime in the vicinity of 2017 to 2020, I suspect that’s when the ultimate, final peak and decline in all gas and oil products unfolds in earnest, triggering the fall of the global banking system that will in turn take its cataclysmic plunge into oblivion, dragging industrialized civilization with it.

  15. Casualty09 February 23, 2015 at 11:04 am #

    WHK wrote: “Few people grok that Greece is an entity with an economy not much bigger than North Carolina’s, yet it is burdened with roughly $350 billion of old debt that will never be paid back.”

    According to one financial player, Paul Kazarian, Greek debt is far below that $350M figure if you use international accounting standards.

    See:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/21/business/dealbook/greek-debt-is-vastly-overstated-an-investor-tells-the-world.html?_r=0

    Now, Kazarian has been buying up Greek bonds for years, so he has an obvious financial interest in how this all plays out. But his analysis/theory could be the starting point for actions that, in effect, allow Greece to remain solvent while the owners of Greek debt still get paid on the debt they own, even if it is not “full” value.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  16. Q. Shtik February 23, 2015 at 11:06 am #

    From last week’s thread:

    Also the [yearly] taxes of $400 [per year] is – BRH

    ===============

    Well, if they’re [yearly] taxes that would make them [per year] I suppose. ;o)

  17. catboxer February 23, 2015 at 11:42 am #

    This is rich.

    Western civilization began in Greece about 2500 yrs ago.

    & Now it will end there.

    It came around & went around.

  18. sauerkraut February 23, 2015 at 12:17 pm #

    Yes, JHK, the USA has been baiting Russia for the last year, seemingly begging them to react. The question is, “Why?”

    You posit stupidity. While I think there is enough stupidity in Washington to go around, I think that there is more to it. There are some in Washington who aren’t stupid, and I think that they are manipulating the neocons for their own purposes.

    You may recall a Pentagon briefing many years ago, in which a general explained that, “We need to throw some little country against the wall every few years to make the rest obey.” Or obscenities to that effect.

    Further, as you point out, the Empire is in steep decline. The solution? Throw a BIG country against the wall to make the rest obey. Since that option will soon expire, the Empire is using it now, to prolong its last days of influence.

    The potential benefits to them outweigh the risks, in their perverted calculus, for it is the 99.99% who will pay if payment is due.

    Other views?

    • DA February 23, 2015 at 9:06 pm #

      Other than the obvious ones?

      The pitting of the EU against Russia to make the US EU ‘colonists’ to take sides for real?

      The attempt to draw Russia into an ill-considered war (nuclear or otherwise) at a time not of it’s choosing that it likely can’t win?

      The attempt to draw Russia into a nuclear shitting match that DC eggheads have calculated the Russians can’t win, and thus won’t fight, and thus will back down from?

      In short, agreed, US pols are out of answers. They’re grasping at straws at this point. Very dangerous straws.

  19. Farmer McGregor February 23, 2015 at 1:00 pm #

    Another fun and fabulous post, Mr. K.

    We…think just because we’ve made it possible for everyman to drool over Kim Kardashian’s booty on an iPhone screen that we have some kind of immunity against cyber counter-attack from way out east.” Brings to mind the ‘space race’ wherein the Ruskies won most of the pre-qualifying laps, and at this point are nearly the only remaining contender in the marathon.

    …the consequences of which won’t really be felt for about another eight months, when all those wells drilled and fracked in 2013-14, start to fall off their production cliff, and the replacement wells will not have been drilled… Amen to this as well. I’ve been sticking my neck out for the last few months by prognosticating that the plunge in petrol prices will result in actual shortages (ala 1970’s OPEC embargo) by late 2015.

    I have two nephews that work in the oil industry here in Colorado and Wyoming who tell me stories of huge layoffs and how their employers are shutting in as many wells (all fracked) as possible to stop the money hemorrhage, leaving only what is necessary to maintain the mineral leases — like only pumping one barrel a day. Combine this with the BRICS boys potential abandonment of the petro-dollar and you’ve got a recipe for disaster her in the empire.

    Not a good thing.

  20. islander800 February 23, 2015 at 1:04 pm #

    All the talk about what the future holds five or ten years down the road is missing the point. We may not see 2016.

    While the chicken hawks in Washington and Ottawa (yea, we’ve got our own obnoxious version in spades in the form of Christian fundamentalist Dear Leader Harper up here, and he’s got nothing to back up his anti-Russian bluster) ramp up their fantasies of making Ukraine the next American/NATO “sphere of influence”, Putin sees this as nothing short of an existential crisis. In his view, their only warm-water port in Crimea was stolen from them when the Western-instigated coup in Kiev took place and he absolutely had to get it back. The mop-up operations in the east now are simply meant to create a land bridge from Russia to Crimea. But how to pull it off without a military confrontation with the West? He’s using guile and subterfuge to try and keep from ramping up beyond the point of no return, but America insists on calling his bluff. Problem is, he’s not bluffing. If push comes to shove, he won’t back down. Russia knows how to take a licking and keep on ticking; America, I’m not so sure. Hell, we can’t survive without hot water.

    All to say, if America arms Ukraine, this will quickly spiral out of control. What’s to say it wouldn’t escalate to nuclear? Any war gaming, from what I’ve read, says otherwise. Why do the war hawks in Washington think Russia will just call “uncle” and back down? Seems to me they live, as Rove famously said, in their own reality and we’re all going to pay the price for their delusions.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  21. volodya February 23, 2015 at 1:34 pm #

    There’s mass delusion out there. Every era has one.

    In our time it’s the idea that you can live large spending other people’s money and that other people will gladly hand it over. And we can collectively do this forever.

    One version of this lunacy comes via financial sector. Make these small monthly contributions to a balanced portfolio and, in the decades to come, you’ll live in the lap of luxury.

    So how do you make up the huge gulf between the small amount you invest and the huge amount you get to spend? “Growth”, you see…

    “Growth” is the answer to everything. Invoke “growth” and rational thought grinds to a halt. And, the average Joe, who is basically innumerate and barely literate, takes what he’s told and shuts up, you know, not wanting to look like a pussy or a hick.

    But you can’t fill the tank or the grocery cart and pay for it with stocks. No, you’ll need cash.

    No worries though. People will, in the decades hence, be happy to cough up their savings and take the company stocks off your hands. Just watch, dangle those stocks and they’ll empty their bank account. How do you know? They just will. Stop thinking.

    Another version of the lunacy comes courtesy of the intellectual leading light. And, according to this beacon of hope, debt doesn’t matter. So, if it doesn’t matter, then borrow. Make a pig of yourself, because, after all, you’re spending other people’s money. Don’t worry, somehow it will all be fine.

    What about the Greeks?

    You shouldn’t question your betters.

    But since you’ve committed this breach, this is what happens when people run out of other people’s money. See, the Greeks have been at it for a while now, and, with the list of “other people” stupid enough getting shorter by the hour, they’re now trying to stick it to Germans. I guess they’re assuming the Germans are stupid enough.

    It’s like some Greek artsy type said a few years ago, why can’t the Germans just give us the money? And, when questioned about the easy going, tax evading Greek lifestyle at the root of this disaster, his reply was: we’re Greeks, not Germans. What a joker.

    Ah, don’t worry. That wily Greek chap with the PHD, what’s his name? Varoufakis(?) will outsmart them all. See, the PHD is supposedly in game theory. Yeah, just wait, Merkel and her blundering crew won’t know what happened. No problem.

    • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 2:14 pm #

      Remember though, Merkel hates Germany. Her allegiance is the European Union. She would impoverish Germany in order to keep Europe united and keep the respect of her peers – other EU politicians who have betrayed their nations.

      How do I know? She has called her own people “racists” for being against the Muslim takeover.

      • Helen Highwater February 23, 2015 at 2:27 pm #

        How on earth do you come up with this stuff?

        • malthuss February 23, 2015 at 2:41 pm #

          Ms. Merkel is a ‘One World Gov’ type. I assume she would love to
          put 2 [or 92] more million non Whites [or anti Christian Whites like Muslim Albanians- not that Albania has 92M to spare] in
          Germany.

          So in this case I agree with Janos.

          • beantownbill. February 23, 2015 at 3:01 pm #

            Just because someone believes in a one-world government doesn’t mean they want multiple cultures living in their country. It only means they believe one governing body should make decisions for everyone in the world.

          • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 3:29 pm #

            Bill: that’s the old Civics Class rap about the United Nations. Who could argue with it? Then every Western Nation opened up their borders in order to destroy their integrity of their own people and culture. Thus the paranoid right wingers were vindicated 100% – and the Liberals were proven to be fools for all time.

            Even the first point is actually problematic. Even if they hadn’t set out destroy the very heart and soul of nations – the people – how would it have worked? We would have had to disarm and turn our weapons to a small group of men, unelected and not answerable to the people. And is that to superior to the American form of Government? I was deceived as well as a young man. The UN types knew better. They knew they had to destroy nations in essence in order to rule them. And the first to go had to be the White Race.

          • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 3:55 pm #

            Malthus: You’re a university man and would know – do students councils have any real power? Do they really influence was Universities do – like divesting from Israel?

            AIPAC is very upset, saying that student councils have to be run like Washington is run, with all non-pro-Semites voted out.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 3:22 pm #

          You listen and try to understand why people are saying what they’re saying. Have you tried it? Or do you just react the talking points given to you via the media?

          Merkel can’t stand German patriots just as you can’t stand American or Canadian ones. Remember a universal nation is a contradiction in terms. Things are what they are because they’re not something else.

  22. beantownbill. February 23, 2015 at 2:56 pm #

    Russia and the U.S. won’t go nuclear over Ukraine; it just doesn’t make any sense. If there really is a cabal of elites running things, they’d have to be stupid to wreck the world. What rational human being would prefer living underground ruling everyone else as a mole man with no trips to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Santa Barbara, or anywhere else? Just because someone’s a psychopath doesn’t mean they have completely lost touch with reality.

    In 1962 we almost went nuclear with Russia over missiles in Cuba, the key word being “almost”. Khrushchev was no wimp. He was known as “the Butcher of the Ukraine” and deserved the name. Yet when faced with nuclear war, he backed down, which cost him the Soviet chairmanship 2 years later, as he knew it would. I don’t imagine Barry and Vlad not being able to ultimately work things out, even if it costs both of them something.

    What is particularly worrisome is if a radical Islamic group comes into possession of a nuclear device. They are not rational. Just like any crazy person, their actions make a kind of sense if you think it through. What man wouldn’t want to go to heaven, be in the presence of God, and be serviced by 72 virgins? However, this is another topic for discussion.

    My point is, enjoy being alive, appreciate what you have and wait for new sources of energy to come on-line.

    • DA February 23, 2015 at 9:14 pm #

      You’re implying rationality where there is none. And then you segue straight into the “Islamic nutcase scenario,” which just goes to show how played you are. What an idiot!

      • beantownbill. February 23, 2015 at 9:49 pm #

        If you disagree with my comment, fine, but there’s no need for personal attacks. The proper retort would be to say that was an idiotic statement. See the difference? One derides the statement, the other me. By replying thusly, you show a real need for development of your relationship skills.

        My post was meant to state my faith in the rationality of the 2 main parties to the Ukraine situation, and to emphasize that by comparing them to a truly irrational party.

  23. PeteAtomic February 23, 2015 at 3:00 pm #

    I’m just hoping Bush III & the leftovers from the previous other two Bush administrations, like Paul Wolfowitz & the other neocons, don’t end up back in the White House. The conflict in Ukraine would get really hairy, because the neocons are all about exerting hard US power & neo-imperialism. It would be Cold War, part II.

    So, if the capital for the Bakken is no longer there, then the US imports more oil & oil prices rubberband back up again, correct?

    Which would mean… capital flow back into drilling in the Bakken again (?)
    Or doesn’t anybody know what will happen (?) It seems to me that the element of surprise in all this is the most worrying.

    • outsider February 23, 2015 at 3:15 pm #

      Pete – If we’re not in Cold War 2 by now, I don’t know what you’d call it. Pat Buchanan says we’re in a more dangerous situation now than in the days of the USSR empire because our leaders are filled with hubris, instead of the common sense exhibited by his bosses Nixon and Reagan. They were smart enough to drink toasts with Breshnev and not threaten military attack. Reagan’s defense build up helped to destroy them financially because they couldn’t keep up. Cold War 1 ended without firing a shot. Doubt if we’ll be so lucky in Cold War 2.0.

    • sauerkraut February 23, 2015 at 3:26 pm #

      The problem, Pete, is that no-one may take enough US dollars to fill demand. That’s the best case problem.

      I think that the current oil price manipulation has the purpose of preventing capital from ever flowing back into the oil patch, or at least, not fast enough. Recall that the IEA warned that oil/gas investment had to exceed $1.5T per annum to maintain supply. That is no longer happening. When investment is sufficiently low, it will cripple production for many years, possibly forever. That, I think, is the plan.

      Of course, whether that really is the plan is unknown. If it is the plan, whether it will work is unknown. And the state of our financial system in the future is unknown – will it be sufficiently robust to support international trade?

      • sprawlcapital February 23, 2015 at 9:05 pm #

        Sauer–This all makes sense, but it begs the question: whose plan is it? Saudi Arabia’s? Exxon’s?

        • sauerkraut February 24, 2015 at 12:23 am #

          I suspect that the Saudis helped Obama to think of it for himself. When approached, they held out for, and got, a commitment to throw the frackers under the bus. Big Oil stands to gain at the expense of Little Oil, and Wall Street gets a chance to profit from instability. USA gets to weaken Russia with low oil prices, just like 1980. UK, of course, is the deck of a willing aircraft carrier.

          Russia gets to watch Wall Street’s towers shake (and maybe fall), her oligarchs get to squeeze the oligarchs from the 1990’s, and she positions herself to lead a new international financial system. China gets lower oil prices for a time, just about until her own investments in central Asian oil pay off. In the meantime China buys gold and plays a very long game.

          Of course, Saudi gets much higher oil prices sometime soon, and gets leverage which might lead to a pipeline straight into Europe. They also make it impossible for anyone but a nation state to do real oil exploration, so while the majors are off gobbling up the minors, the majors are losing the future.

          Everybody THINKS he wins. Soon we find out who is playing chess and who is playing snap.

          Just my thoughts. Could well be wrong. I welcome a deeper analysis.

      • PeteAtomic March 1, 2015 at 2:05 pm #

        OK, thanks for the insights.

        I liked what Eric Garland said on the latest podcast: “The future of the economy is 1910.”

  24. barbisbest February 23, 2015 at 3:14 pm #

    “What happens when the sellers decide they won’t take US dollars for it? Hmmmm…. ”

    Then it will be World & Civil War III, and it will be the last!!

    And what happens when petroleum runs short and we can’t service nuclear power plants? Monsters!!! My poor planet. We could have veared to solar in the 80’s.

    Disney’s new film, Into the Woods, Robert Redford’s new film, Walk in the Woods, Pierce Brosnan’s latest commercial of him going to his cabin in the woods, and who can leave out the offerering of Beau Bridges pan flute recordings to induce sleep…. does the collective conscious know that we are “going into the woods” like the Mayans. Furthermore, what is the COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS that JHK mentioned a few weeks ago. Is there one? Anyone? Sounds like voodooey hoodooey to me. Heaven knows there ain’t none of that. Do we even have an individual conscious.

    While on the subject, check out next month’s issue of the Nation. Corporations take over legislative power!! Great article!! One of the biggest threats. Corporate controlled state is, guess what?!?!? We’re on our way!!

    • barbisbest February 23, 2015 at 3:16 pm #

      And the last World & Civil War III will be the last, that should warm everyones cockles!!!

      • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 4:01 pm #

        That’s what they said about WW1. Einstein said it better: the Fourth World War will be fought with rocks and sticks. But then it wouldn’t be a World War would it? Like the spaceman in The Day the Earth Stood Still, I just helped Einstein with his math. I could help your Ken Wilber too.

        War is the human condition. Embrace your destiny.

  25. Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2015 at 3:51 pm #

    Roseanne Barr said she hopes UC Davis gets nuked – after the Jewish students leave. This was in regards to the student council voting that the University divest from Israel. Now imagine if a prominent White person said that a Black College should be nuked after the Whites students leave. It would be front page news both here and around the world. This is a far more egregious thing to say than Paula Deen using the N word decades ago. Yet all we hear is crickets. We’ve becoming creatures of the media, only capable of outrage when they give us the outrage cue.

    http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/02/12/roseanne-barr-tweets-she-hopes-uc-davis-gets-nuked/

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • sprawlcapital February 23, 2015 at 9:20 pm #

      Well put, Janos. And thanks for speaking favorably of Albert Einstein, a Jew. We are witnessing your moral growth, and it’s encouraging. [Zero sarcasm.]

      • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2015 at 4:41 am #

        He was a Zionist. As for his physics, he took from other men without giving them any credit. He was a great scientist, but as a man he didn’t make it.

  26. Vlad the Inhaler February 23, 2015 at 5:45 pm #

    Great article which, as usual, tells truths others simply seem unable to grasp. But the Cyrillic alphabet peculiar? No, it’s beautiful, with a fascinating history that echoes to this day in the split between the eastern and western Slavonic world. It’s phonetic too, with few of the massive inconsistencies of the English version (especially British English) of the Roman alphabet. I adore Cyrillics.

  27. wpa--ccc February 23, 2015 at 6:20 pm #

    JHK: “the consequences of which won’t really be felt for about another eight months”

    Neon Vincent: “The worst part is that the bull may run another year.”

    You are both close. The dollar collapses on Sept. 13, 2015.

    Get out of the market before then. Better to have money in a local community-owned credit union paying 1% interest, than to lose your money, never to be seen again.

  28. wpa--ccc February 23, 2015 at 6:26 pm #

    outsider: “But with zero percent interest rates in banks, what do you do?”

    Put your money into a local community-owned credit union.

    You will get a small positive return, up to 1% interest. You will not lose your money when the economy crashes seven months from now.

    • outsider February 23, 2015 at 7:08 pm #

      I give up, wpa-ccc. Why is the dollar going to crash on Sept 13 (why not 9-11?). Even if one had the courage to ride out the last crash, as most of us did, you’d be well ahead today. Why will this next crash, which will definitely come at some point, not wind up being the same? That is, if you’re still young enough to ride it out again, which I’m not sure I am anymore.

  29. wpa--ccc February 23, 2015 at 6:33 pm #

    goat1001: “So sometime in the vicinity of 2017 to 2020 … the fall of the global banking system that will in turn take its cataclysmic plunge into oblivion, dragging industrialized civilization with it.”

    goat1001, it will happen much sooner, on Sept.13, 2015. Prepare now.

  30. wpa--ccc February 23, 2015 at 6:36 pm #

    islander800: “All the talk about what the future holds five or ten years down the road is missing the point. We may not see 2016.”

    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! TSHTF on Sept. 13, 2015.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  31. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2015 at 6:40 pm #

    Two old timers – Larry King and Stephen Cohen, contributing editor of ‘The Nation,’ discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv2f6ZZmx4A

  32. wpa--ccc February 23, 2015 at 7:47 pm #

    outsider, we are on seven-year cycles. Collapses happen on Elul 29 of the Hebrew calendar.

    Sept. 17, 2001, was the beginning of the economic calamity associated with 9/11 and the lowering of interest rates by the Fed resulting in the collapse of the stock market Sept. 17, 2001 – Elul 29 on the Hebrew calendar.

    Likewise, Sept. 29, 2008, marked the next big crash. Sept. 29, 2008, also fell on Elul 29 of the Hebrew calendar.

    Sept. 13, 2015, will be the next Shemitah year – which occurs on Elul 29 every seven years on the Hebrew calendar.

  33. DA February 23, 2015 at 8:15 pm #

    World War III indeed!

    Had to laugh at news accounts today of DC budget battles allegedly “threatening” DHS funding. Such drama!

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/23/us-usa-congress-security-idUSKBN0LR1M920150223

    Right on time, DHS clown prince Jeh Johnson chimes in to warn us to “be vigilant” at malls due to an alleged threat by Somali terror group ‘Al-Shabaab’. Oh my!

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/22/mall-of-america-tightens-security-terror-threat/23839301/

    In due time DHS revealed that they were “not aware of any specific credible threat,” strongly implying that the whole thing had been yet another carefully contrived false alarm (sometimes known as fraud, or worse) to keep the amazingly gullible American Sheeple dutifully hiding under their beds in fear and pressure ramped up on Congress and the Prez to pass a funding bill.

    And so it continues to go here in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Knaves, where USGov.Inc continues to perpetuate its ‘All Terror, All of the Time’ meme, all the better to keep its economically and intellectually impoverished masses dutifully in line.

    • BackRowHeckler February 23, 2015 at 9:50 pm #

      I don’t know DA, there are 50,000 Somalis living in the Minneapolis area. Last year the WSJ did a story about a young Somali man who left Minnesota to join ISIS, leaving behind 3 wives and 19 kids to be supported by the state welfare system. I’ve read when these tribesmen arrive in the US they don’t even know how to wear shoes or pants, but can disassemble and assemble an AK47 no problem.

      Who brought these people to live amongst us, and for what reason?

      brh

      • PeteAtomic March 1, 2015 at 2:33 pm #

        The good liberal boomers in the Twin Cities made the grievous error of believing that importing Somalia would be similar to the influx of Hmong people after the Vietnam War. What they didn’t understand was that unlike the Hmong who were escaping a hostile government and were desperate for a safe haven, the Somalis essentially view living in the US as a place to regroup before returning to join the global Jihad. The Somali population isn’t interested in democratic participation in the US, equal rights for women or progressive ideas in general, and is hateful towards Americans (particularly African Americans). We may as well have simply moved Anbar province in Afghanistan to Minnesota for the same results.

  34. Buck Stud February 23, 2015 at 10:27 pm #

    I’ve noticed that many of these ‘post-peak’ story writers usually seem to squeeze through the “bottleneck” unlike the majority of humanity which has been ‘thinned out’.

    Instead of Julio’s knife sticking out of the carotid artery after a surprise attack, Post Peak story writer is bagging game, tending to cornucopia gardens planned well in advance of ‘The Collapse’ and humping healthily without the aid of Viagra.

    Life is good.

    • BackRowHeckler February 23, 2015 at 11:49 pm #

      Somebody has to survive to tell the story Buck, or else there ain’t no story. From what I gather almost every civilization in every age spins out end of the world scenarios. I know Rome did and they largely came true. For the Greeks, the bogey man was Persia.

      I see a new show coming soon on Fox, a semi-comic ‘last man on earth’ fantasy, where the main and only character pulls all kinds of crazy stunts in a world without people.

      An article that was running last week on some internet sites ’10 ways the world could end’. Curiously enough, they did not list energy depletion, which doesn’t seem to be on anybody’s radar anymore now that we are ‘energy independent’.

      brh

      • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2015 at 4:38 am #

        Did you read The Martian Chronicles? Everyone has fled Mars back to Earth. One miner up in the hills was stranded. He was desperate for company. One day a phone rings and it’s a woman. Mind racing, he drives half way across the planet to find her. He does – and she’s enormously fat, just eating bon bons and truffles all day every day. They go to a movie and he tries to keep away from her. Afterwards she says she’s getting sleepy, with a sly look in her eye. He says he feels wide awake. Finally the feeling of being trapped overwhelms him and makes a break for his car, ignoring her wails. And in the long nights in the years to come, when the phone rings, he doesn’t answer.

        • Buck Stud February 25, 2015 at 11:31 am #

          LOL, that’s hilarious and oh so universal–hasn’t this happened to just about everyone?

          It even happened to Clint Eastwood in “Play Misty For Me”. Although his tormentor certainly wasn’t ugly or fat, she did end up liked a beached whale off the cliff’s of Carmel.

          Clint always had a way of reducing complexity to the elemental solution–Toodle Doodle Do, Wah Wah Wah!

      • Buck Stud February 25, 2015 at 3:01 pm #

        Apologies for the late reply BRH; this format makes it easy for one to forget where they were at.

        No doubt you’re right. My only point is that there is quite a bit of self-aggrandizing going on in terms of scenario/outcomes. The heroic farmer and the sanctimonious ‘I told you so’ Noah types.

        Not too many contemplate the infection driven death that would be avoided by evil, and “unsustainable” modern medicine.

  35. Q. Shtik February 23, 2015 at 11:50 pm #

    A point of interest (at least for me):

    Yesterday I told ya’ll about a stock market over-bought/over-sold formula I maintain. I mentioned that the Nasdaq was very over bought. Well, today the Nasdaq became THE MOST OVER -BOUGHT (according to my formula) in more than 10 years and possibly ever. My data stored in an Excel file goes back to January 3, 2005. Older data has since been deleted. The new formula output number for Nasdaq as of today’s close stands at .918. Sure, this could be some meaningless happenstance but I think something is brewing.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2015 at 4:39 am #

      Why did you let such valuable data be deleted? Obviously your partial data indicates that the surge is based on sand and water – a worthless foundation.

  36. wpa--ccc February 24, 2015 at 1:08 am #

    Q., NASDAQ advanced toward 5,000 today. But now that you have pointed out how overbought it is, I am revising my prediction. It will not get to 5,000. It will probably start falling starting tomorrow.

  37. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2015 at 2:18 am #

    Ivan Lizan. Three fronts for Russia: How Washington will fan the flames of chaos in Central Asia

    U.S. Gen. “Ben” Hodges’ statement that within four or five years Russia could develop the capability to wage war simultaneously on three fronts is not only an acknowledgment of the Russian Federation’s growing military potential but also a promise that Washington will obligingly ensure that all three fronts are right on the borders of the Russian Federation.

    In the context of China’s inevitable rise and the soon-to-worsen financial crisis, with the concomitant bursting of asset bubbles, the only way for the United States to maintain its global hegemony is to weaken its opponents. And the only way to achieve that goal is to trigger chaos in the republics bordering Russia.

    That is why Russia will inevitably enter a period of conflicts and crises on its borders.

    And so the first front in fact already exists in the Ukraine, the second will most likely be between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the third, of course, will be opened in Central Asia.

    If the war in Ukraine leads to millions of refugees, tens of thousands of deaths, and the destruction of cities, defrosting the Karabakh conflict will completely undermine Russia’s entire foreign policy in the Caucasus.

    Every city in Central Asia is under threat of explosions and attacks. So far this “up-and-coming front” has attracted the least media coverage – Novorossiya dominates on national television channels, in newspapers, and on websites –, but this theater of war could become one of the most complex after the conflict in the Ukraine.

    A subsidiary of the Caliphate under Russia’s belly

    The indisputable trend in Afghanistan – and the key source of instability in the region – is to an alliance between the Taliban and the Islamic State. Even so, the formation of their union is in its early days, references to it are scarce and fragmentary, and the true scale of the activities of the IS emissaries is unclear, like an iceberg whose tip barely shows above the surface of the water.

    But it has been established that IS agitators are active in Pakistan and in Afghanistan’s southern provinces, which are controlled by the Taliban. But, in this case, the first victim of chaos in Afghanistan is Pakistan, which at the insistence of, and with help from, the United States nurtured the Taliban in the 1980s. That project has taken on a life of its own and is a recurring nightmare for Islamabad, which has decided to establish a friendlier relationship China and Russia. This trend can be seen in the Taliban’s attacks on Pakistani schools, whose teachers now have the right to carry guns, regular arrests of terrorists in the major cities, and the start of activities in support of tribes hostile to the Taliban in the north.

    The latest legislative development in Pakistan is a constitutional amendment to expand military court jurisdiction [over civilians]. Throughout the country, terrorists, Islamists and their sympathizers are being detained. In the northwest alone, more than 8,000 arrests have been made, including members of the clergy. Religious organizations have been banned and IS emissaries are being caught.

    Since the Americans do not like putting all their eggs in one basket, they will provide support to the government in Kabul, which will allow them to remain in the country legitimately, and at the same time to the Taliban, which is transforming itself into IS. The outcome will be a state of chaos in which the Americans will not formally take part; instead, they will sit back on their military bases, waiting to see who wins. And then Washington will provide assistance to the victor. Note that its security services have been supporting the Taliban for a long time and quite effectively: some of the official security forces and police in Afghanistan are former Taliban and Mujahideen.

    Method of destruction

    The first way to destabilize Central Asia is to create problems on the borders, along with the threat that Mujahideen will penetrate the region. The testing of the neighbours has already started; problems have arisen in Turkmenistan, which has even had to ask Kabul to hold large-scale military operations in the border provinces. Tajikistan has forced the Taliban to negotiate the release of the border guards it abducted, and the Tajik border service reports that there is a large group of Mujahideen on its borders.

    In general, all the countries bordering Afghanistan have stepped up their border security.

    The second way is to send Islamists behind the lines. The process has already begun: the number of extremists in Tajikistan alone grew three-fold last year; however, even though they are being caught, it obviously will not be feasible to catch all of them. Furthermore, the situation is aggravated by the return of migrant workers from Russia, which will expand the recruiting base. If the stream of remittances from Russia dries up, the outcome may be popular discontent and managed riots.

    Kyrgyz expert Kadir Malikov reports that $70 million has been allocated to the IS military group Maverenahr, which includes representatives of all the Central Asian republics, to carry out acts of terrorism in the region. Special emphasis is placed on the Fergana Valley as the heart of Central Asia.

    Another point of vulnerability is Kyrgyzstan’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for this fall. The initiation of a new set of color revolutions will lead to chaos and the disintegration of countries.

    Self-supporting wars

    Waging war is expensive, so the destabilization of the region must be self-supporting or at least profitable for the U.S. military-industrial complex. And in this area Washington has had some success: it has given Uzbekistan 328 armored vehicles that Kiev had requested for its war with Novorossiya. At first glance, the deal isn’t profitable because the machines were a gift, but in reality Uzbekistan will be tied to U.S. spare parts and ammunition. Washington made a similar decision on the transfer of equipment and weapons to Islamabad.

    But the United States has not been successful in its attempts to impose its weapons systems on India: the Indians have not signed any contracts, and Obama was shown Russian military hardware when he attended a military parade.

    Thus the United States is drawing the countries in the region into war with its own proteges – the Taliban and Islamic State – and at the same time is supplying its enemies with weapons.

    ***

    So 2015 will be marked by preparations for widespread destabilization in Central Asia and the transformation of AfPak into an Islamic State subsidiary on the borders of Russia, India, China, and Iran. The start of full-scale war, which will inevitably follow once chaos engulfs the region, will lead to a bloodbath in the “Eurasian Balkans,” automatically involving more than a third of the world’s population and almost all the United States’ geopolitical rivals. It’s an opportunity Washington will find too good to miss.

    Russia’s response to this challenge has to be multifaceted: involving the region in the process of Eurasian integration, providing military, economic, and political assistance, working closely with its allies in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, strengthening the Pakistani army, and of course assisting with the capture of the bearded servants of the Caliphate.

    But the most important response should be the accelerated modernization of its armed forces as well as those of its allies and efforts to strengthen the Collective Security Treaty Organization and give it the right to circumvent the highly inefficient United Nations.

    The region is extremely important: if Ukraine is a fuse of war, then Central Asia is a munitions depot. If it blows up, half the continent will be hit.

  38. wpa--ccc February 24, 2015 at 2:28 am #

    Republicans have control of the Congress, but they are so incompetent they can’t even successfully do a shut down.

    If there is no budget, there should be a complete shutdown. The Republicans can only manage a fake shutdown:

    — TSA agents will remain in airports. They should be sent home.

    — Patrol agents would still be manning the border. The border should be left open.

    — Coast Guard officers would continue monitoring the waters.

    Republicans may think they control congress, but they can’t even manage a shutdown worth the name.

  39. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2015 at 4:09 am #

    A violent psycho-correction of the general population with the help of modern American media technologies was performed on Ukraine. People were immersed in a fictional informational space. There was a substitution of reality. However, when the fictional reality begins to contradict the facts of life, the brain shortcuts and an explosion of idiocy follows. People are starting to lose the cause – consequences relationships.

    This stupid and cruel experience was one of the reasons for the splitting of consciousness and prepared the psyche to the subsequent uncritical perception of strange ideas, born as a result of a bizarre symbiotic development of American psycholinguists and violent dreams of Galician farmers.

    Many technologies that impact the psyche are the secret developments of intelligent services and we can only unravel the mystery backwards, from results to causes, as a psychiatrist, listening to the nonsense of the patient, trying to get to the traumatic circumstances that led to insanity.

    http://dima-piterski.livejournal.com/171272.html

    Does it sound a little familiar?

  40. Therian February 24, 2015 at 4:36 am #

    No amount of financial engineering can disguise the fact that Russia’s debt/GDP ratio is 0.135 while you can scarcely find anyone else where it’s under 1.0 and some are at THREE.

    Even Cold N. Holefield can’t use non-Euclidean arithmetic to slide outta that one. Russia’s low population is going to be a boon in the future and not a bane. Meanwhile, we’re inviting every Tom, Dick, and Harry from Absurdistan to Shanghai to “come on over!!” and we were going to have a tough time of it even at 250M.

    Russia also has huge gold reserves. It will get the last laugh when they somehow muddle through while the Western societies completely break down. In fact, I claim they’re already breaking down right now. What’s the “culture” of America? The Super Bowl? Meanwhile, in places like St. Petersburg, you can see ballet, classical music, or theater almost any night of the week at a high level.

    Hasn’t anyone noticed how STUPID our society is with middle-aged people wearing the jerseys of sports “heroes” … befitting an 8-year-old? Some kinds of breakdown cannot be measured. They can only be observed and chronicled.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  41. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2015 at 5:32 am #

    I’ve made a little experiment on the Island and made a medium batch of Russian-Siberian meat dumplings. I was specifically selecting a guaranteed non-GMO ingredients such as pork and kettle raised on my own farm. The price I used in calculations was average local grocery store-prices for meat and vegetables. The meat stuffing of the dumplings (we call them Pelmenies in Russia) was half and half mix of ground meat (combination of pork and beef) and grounded onions, garlic and cabbage (cabbage makes the stuffing especially tender and easy to digest).

    The batch was frozen in the fridge. It takes about 10-15 minutes to boil salted water and cook the dumplings, getting a delicious satisfactory meal on demand any time you need it.

    I was somewhat surprised at the results: it turned out that a half-pound portion of dumplings costs about only 45 cents (20 local pesos) worth of ingredients. Of course labor is somewhat tedious.

    Compared to the local traditional food – rice, beans and chicken – depending on the quality it’ll go for somewhere around 125 – 150 pesos, or between $2.80 and $3.30, and no comparison in taste.
    I guess I found a good way to lower my grocery bills at least 4 times (!), at the same time increasing the quality of the food. (All cheap chicken here is stuffed with penicillin to prevent deceases on overpopulated chicken farms).

    Need to experiment with other dishes.

  42. Florida Power February 24, 2015 at 8:49 am #

    Here’s an interesting chart from Zero Hedge yesterday:
    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-23/biggest-problem-facing-world-today-9-countries-have-debt-gdp-over-300

    Greece makes the top ten, but there are some surprising names in the mix here.

    There are some even more interesting omissions…

    • Therian February 24, 2015 at 10:39 am #

      Thanks for the zerohedge link, Florida. It merely bolsters my case since even “responsible” countries like Belgium and the Netherlands are in the top ten. Russia doesn’t even crack the top FORTY yet we’re to believe that they’re on the brink of insolvency. ROTFLMAO!!!

      Singapore, often alleged to be “Asia’s Switzerland” is at #3 on the list while the REAL Switzerland is not in the top 40.

  43. rube-i-con February 24, 2015 at 10:05 am #

    They have at least two other present options: return to being a sunwashed semi-medieval backwater of olive farmers, shepherds, and inn-keepers, or perhaps lease out some cozy corner of their vast Mediterranean

    what nonsense. Go to Greece, the people are very well educated and hardworking & forward-minded trying to find a solution to their debt. Greece doesn’t need to pay back its old debt, as claimed by kunstler, debt is simply rolled over in the modern world.

    Does the US pay back its old debt, or simply issue new debt in its place? Gosh, guess the US only has two options then, one of which is to return to being a snowbound semi-medieval backwater of wheat and corn farmers.

    Oh yeah, wasn’t Japan also slated to revert to a medieval lifestyle? How is that prediction working out, jimmy?

    Meditteraneans don’t live to work, that’s true. US Americans could take a lesson from that playbook. Instead, the latter die from overwork. How stupid is that?

    Go to Greece, you’ll love the people, the landscape, the sun, the healthy food, the great family life. We had an unforgettable couple of weeks there & are going back. Go for a catamaran journey around the islands in the incredible blue waters.

    Then go back to the US and slave your life away & then tell me who really has it better.

    I’ll take a couple of hectares with olive trees, goats, great neighbors that share a relaxed way of life. Have fun with your heart attacks and $50,000/night hospital rooms. Don’t forget to ‘save for retirement’. That’s when you finally get to ‘live’ in the US, haha.

    You don’t know what shills you are for the US american financial ‘services’ (lol) ‘sector’.

    disclaimer: we are roasting a half pig over anjico & sipping very cold beer. company of 20 persons or so, all family or very close friends. also on the menu is javali, wild boar, and several huge cuts of meat i dont know what are called in english.

    that’s called living. you US americans will get there after 40-50 years of slavery. right?

    think Greece has unpayable debt that its citizens will be burdened with? haha, what do you think awaits you US americans after you work yourself to death for 40 years?

    didn’t know the joke’s on you? still time to find a nice warm country like Greece, learn a skill that’ll make you enuf money to live well & exit the US American rabbit hole matrix.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvEIMrqZCjc

    kontrahend (yeah i know the video’s of birmingham)

    • Buck Stud February 24, 2015 at 10:33 am #

      ” Don’t forget to ‘save for retirement’. That’s when you finally get to ‘live’ in the US, haha.”

      A lot of truth in your post kontra. The Moody Blues expressed a similar lament back in the days when a brighter light still flickered:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ulXt7AJBM

      • rube-i-con February 24, 2015 at 11:31 am #

        Buck, I’ve been on a huge moody blues kick for the past several months, couldn’t agree with you more.

        just missed out on a 2-week cruise with them, damn, carl palmer was on the jaunt as well.

        “I leave the 20th century with no regrets…”

        i pay homage to the incontestable art our recent forbears left us, hitchcock, serling, too many to name…

        kontrahend

        • Buck Stud February 25, 2015 at 11:08 am #

          Yep kontra, the Moody Blues are great. On one dark and gloomy day that looked like a Chinese ink brush drawing, raindrops were rolling down the window while the Moody Blues “Are You Sitting Comfortably” was playing in the background. I thought I was in heaven for a moment.

          But all moments pass and I found myself think of that Robert Henri quip of ‘I never felt so tired as when I was resting’.

          Sometimes we just need to move and build things to satisfy those other aspects.

    • Therian February 24, 2015 at 10:48 am #

      “Debt is simply rolled over …”. Thank you, Dick “Deficits Don’t Matter” Cheney!!!

      Sorry to harsh your buzz but this cavalier dismissal of the meaning and consequences of debt ignores all of world history. I agree that America has joined China as a large world sweatshop and your viewpoints about lifestyle. However, to simply declare the size of debts to be irrelevant is to declare that a sort of world financial utopia has broken out.

      Last I checked the world is beset by a global concentration of wealth the likes of which it has never seen. That’s why “Ninety-nine percenters” and “one percenters” are memes. However, the true reality is that it’s the “ninety-nine point nine nine percenters” and the “point zero one percenters”. The party lifestyle you describe in Greece will not persist there or anywhere else in Europe due to simple demographics.

  44. rube-i-con February 24, 2015 at 11:13 am #

    you obviously don’t get simple observations about debt being rolled over. no one repays their massive debts. individuals don’t pay off mortgages either.

    they’re rolled forward. greece doesn’t have 350bn and the US doesnt have 17tn. which country is paying it off? neither can.

    no one can.

    also, what party lifestyle are you talking about? the greeks eating well, living relaxed in the sunshine with extremely close knit families?

    go back and read the post, don’t read into it.

    you all still have plenty of time to find a warm, friendly country with real culture and low prices.

    go help the greeks by buying some of their real estate, instead of being a US american borg whose sole purpose is to be squeezed of all life and money, all the while living in the greatest cuntry on earf.

    we’re all waiting for you down here, plenty of land, natural food and fine weather.

    disclaimer: raising 50 head of cattle, our newest adventure. will expand to several hundred if it works out for us.

    yeah, we know brazil is being deforested to raise cattle, that’s why we’re planting several thousand trees.

    intelligence + technology bixxes

    live it, love it, learnit

    kontrahend

  45. volodya February 24, 2015 at 12:29 pm #

    I wouldn’t have put it the way he did but Janos has a point.

    I’ve often wondered, why it is that when some outfit like ISIS pulls off some outrageous murderous stunt, that the first instinct of our high intelligentsia is to berate Christians? You know, like Obama just did in his speech.

    I don’t get it these guys. Is Obama trying to be a moral beacon? Is he trying to show his greatly evolved and nuanced understanding of the great events of our age? Or is he just pulling rank, talking down to us, putting us yokels in our place?

    You don’t need to tell us that the Western, Christian world doesn’t have clean hands. We know. Not that anybody has a sniff about history. Because we don’t. But for many decades now the notion of our extra-special un-clean-ness has been the bread and butter of our great intellectuals.

    Not only have careers been built on it, they take great pleasure in telling us how evil we are and all the bad stuff our ancestors did. You can see the glee on their faces.

    Even when it’s others that are doing the evil, the discussion comes back to us and our past, even stuff that’s centuries gone. Somehow it’s all about us.

    You can’t miss it. Even if you’re a non-reading, non-news watching teen bubble-head obsessed with hair and nails, you know. Just like everyone (even those who don’t WANT to know) KNOWS about the Kardashians. Like the Kardashians it’s inescapable.

    The mess in the Middle East is a typical case. Ooh, those evil Brits and French, drawing all those straight line borders. See, all the mayhem is all their damn fault. Not only them but the US.

    Not once have I ever heard or seen the finger of blame pointed at imperial powers like the Turks.

    The Turks fucked about in the area for centuries so you’d think it logical that some analysis be done as to the possible deleterious effect of Turkish misrule. You know, on such minor matters as stifling the economic and intellectual and cultural and national development of peoples in the area. And, even if any analysis HAS been done, have you ever heard it discussed? In public? I haven’t.

    No, it’s much more fashionable to blame the West, not to mention easier. It’s even OK if it’s just plain stupid. See, “stupid” doesn’t matter. Not when the good regard of fellow faculty members and a university administration is at stake. And especially an academic career. Whatever stupid stuff has to be said will be said.

    And so Obama gets up on the stage, stands up straight and tall, looking mournful and pensive. And, with a carefully measured tone and his trademark cadence, let’s us have it.

    And all the great and the supposedly wise (at least in their own estimation) nod.

    Next to starting a war, it’s a great way to change the subject.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • volodya February 24, 2015 at 1:05 pm #

      OK Q, I’ll fix it before you tell me:

      I wrote:

      And, with a carefully measured tone and his trademark cadence, let’s us have it.

      should be: “lets” us have it.

      and not: “let’s” us have it.

      Also: I don’t get “it” these guys.

      should be: I don’t get these guys.

      Happy? Anything else I missed?

  46. wpa--ccc February 24, 2015 at 1:31 pm #

    Volodya, deny the grammarian his OCD pleasures.

  47. Q. Shtik February 24, 2015 at 11:14 pm #

    You simply must add David Stockman to your list of must-read blogs. Here is the latest:

    http://davidstockmanscontracorner.com/kick-the-can-has-morphed-into-a-blatant-farce/?utm_source=wysija&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mailing+List+AM+Tuesday

  48. Q. Shtik February 24, 2015 at 11:26 pm #

    Incredibly, my over-bought/over-sold indicators have edged up AGAIN. The Nasdaq number is now .925 and the DJIA, .804.

    Keep in mind, it is mathematically impossible for these numbers to exceed 1.000 and virtually impossible for them to even REACH 1.000.

  49. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 3:40 am #

    Fruits of the revolution bring tangible results! The Ukrainian hryvna enthusiastically flies to hell, updating daily historical lows. By Tuesday evening February 24 hryvna exchange rate reached 40 against the dollar.

    This is equivalent to 5 times (!!) collapse of the when compared with the hryvna a year ago. A year ago, the dollar was buying 8 hryvnas, in early autumn, 16-17, at the beginning of this year, a little more than 20, and now at 40.

    The average pension in Ukraine is 1,670 hryvnas, which at current exchange rate is equivalent to 42-45 dollars. If the exchange rate stabilizes at 35-40, the pension in Ukraine will not only be the smallest in Europe, but also the smallest in the planet Earth.

    The average cost per month for the maintenance of cattle in Eastern Europe is about $85 per cow.

  50. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 5:24 am #

    In recent months, Russia has launched several processes to disconnect from the dollar system. Russian version of internal SWIFT system is already functioning – by mid-February 91 Russian banks have already joined the system of domestic interbank transfers. By May Russia is going to complete this process, neutralizing mechanisms of dollar control of the Russian economy.

    In parallel, the national payment system is being created and put into effect, which cancels the monopoly of American systems in domestic credit card transactions. MasterCard and Visa are not expelled from Russia, as they agreed to work within the framework of the Russian system. On January 30, first five Russian banks began to process domestic transactions of the MasterCard cards through internal processing center NBTS with the settlement through the Bank of Russia. By March 31 all Russian banks must go on the national payment system. These steps along with closing of dozen toxic banks and close of dollar banking refinance facilities will lead to the creation of a sovereign Russian banking system.

    In parallel, there is an active de-dollarization of the global economy – the engines of this process are Russia and China. It is reported that direct foreign exchange transactions between Russia and China, excluding the dollar from circulation, from July to October of last year increased by 2400%. In late December 2014, China launched a swap trade in the format “yuan-ruble” with Russia worth 1.24 trillion rubles.

    In parallel, China launched swaps with the Malaysian and New Zealand currencies. Iran as well has joined in the process. Egypt under the breakthrough agreements with Russia promised to withdraw Russian segment of its tourism from the dollar, allowing the ruble to be accepted for direct payment of services in its territory.

    Mutual settlements in national currencies are practiced by Brazil, Uruguay, and India. This process is not specifically advertised, and therefore it is possible that many join it secretly – and at one point you find that new outside-of-dollar-payment system has substituted the dollar.

    Formal establishment of the New Development Bank, the first meeting of the Board of Directors will be held July 7, 2015 in Ufa, Russia, in fact, is a public launch of a new global international financial system, independent of the West. There will be a full transition to this system in five years by 2020, as planned, or earlier, depending on how the West would react. Each new attempt in Washington to unleash a world war only accelerates this process.

    http://russkiy-malchik.livejournal.com/586858.html

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  51. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 6:10 am #

    US are not going to give up and going pedal-to-the-metal

    Washington unveiled a new US national security strategy. It was signed by President Barack Obama:

    – The United States will unilaterally use military force in the event of a threat to citizens of the country or allied countries;
    – The United States intend to participate in the education of future political and economic elite around the world;
    – The United States will modernize NATO forces to ensure security in Europe;
    – United States intends to help Europe’s energy security and diversification of energy imports;
    – The United States will deliver the equipment to partner countries to combat terrorism, to train their security forces;
    – United States intends to promote cooperation with Cuba to provide security in the region.

    So-called “Russian aggression” is mentioned in a number of “serious challenges to national security,” the United States along with “violent extremism and evolving terrorist threat”, “cyber security challenges,” “accelerated climate change” and “infectious diseases”.

    Russia is mentioned in the new strategic document of the US administration, a total of half a dozen times.

  52. rube-i-con February 25, 2015 at 7:49 am #

    Incredibly, my over-bought/over-sold indicators have edged up AGAIN. The Nasdaq number is now .925 and the DJIA, .804.

    indicators are great for predicting the past with accuracy.

    kontrahend

  53. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 8:40 am #

    If somebody could find accurate info on inflows of foreign money into American stock market and banking system, that would be a good way to predict when the markets will implode.

    As long as it keeps growing, so will the markets. As soon as it dries up, the markets will implode and so will the dollar.

    Not a bad way of writing off a few trillions of foreign debt.

  54. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 9:39 am #

    Here is a prediction I saw back in 2007.

    Hyperinflation – is the last step before the big war. In order for it to bring the desired result, you need to prepare. Part of this preparing is to destroy the maximum number of financial systems around the world and bring into the United States a large part of world’s disposable capital.

    For hyperinflationary shock to have not only internal therapeutic effect, but also could be used as a first attack on the world economy, the United States must first conduct a sufficiently long campaign to strengthen the dollar. If the dollar will grow over a couple of years on a background of zero inflation or even deflation, but at a high enough rate of the Treasuries, it will once again be the most desirable means of payment and reserves.

    And when all calm down, relax, again believe in green paper, then all shit will hit the fan.

    So – to involve foreign capital into the game on the US stock market during hyperinflation, dollar must first be strengthened. And not for a month, but for sufficiently long time to build confidence that it is a strategic turn. I.e. strengthening the dollar needs at least a year or two. All markets in the world are crumbling, but the dollar keeps strengthening. After a year or so, the United States again begin to enjoy the confidence of foreigners. They begin to bring their money there. Then run latent phase of hyperinflation due to the ongoing external strengthening of the dollar. Hidden hyperinflation expresses in a sharp rise in the stock market and real estate market in the United States. And then the foreigners are happy to rush in with their money to play in these markets. And where else? In their own countries they have everything collapses and the US markets go up, and even against the background of rising of price of the dollar.

    It takes several months and then – BANG! Fed releases hyperinflation from the financial markets and within 3-4 days brings down the dollar by 4-5 times. All foreign capitals are burnt overnight.

  55. rube-i-con February 25, 2015 at 12:01 pm #

    man you girls never tire of predictions of implosion, wwiii, massive human die offs, etc.

    youre always wrong, too.

    greece has been cited umpteen times as the domino that will start the endtyme cascade of events, at least in a financial sense.

    well here we are years after greece was supposed to do this. i’ll be going back soon and thinking of you all as we enjoy that wonderful country and its inhabitants.

    now its the inbread ragheads thatve kicked off wwiii.

    come over to the other side, the world’s getting better thanx to technology and big changes in lifestyle habits.

    new good news – newish water recycling technology will cut water usage by 50-90%, solving the issue.

    just like cars are way more efficient and pollute less, and are safer.

    thats the way the world works, not your flimsy predictions of chaos.

    kontrahend

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 12:23 pm #

      “… not your flimsy predictions of chaos”

      Actually, a healthy dose of inflation – 4 – 5 times – could be good for US economy and making American labor and products competitive again. Also, reduces the burden of foreign held dollars and T-bills. It probably won’t solve the entire US debt problem, only global war could, but still…

      Deflation is much more dangerous.

  56. volodya February 25, 2015 at 12:09 pm #

    Q,

    Kick-the-can has been a farce for a generation. Institutionalized by Greenspan and his successors with Bernanke and others quacking and quacking about deflation.

    Tell me CFN, has anybody seen this mythical monster that we’re all supposed to dread? I haven’t seen a stitch of it myself but I keep hearing it, deflation, deflation…..

    They tell us that NIRP is the solution. Yes, the bank carving away your savings every year will slay the beast. Tell me, are you stupid enough to fall for this?

    Let’s forget what the tall-foreheads say because the alleged “science” of economics is corrupt to the roots and full to the brim with criminals. And their touting NIRP is just more proof.

    The oligarchs already gutted people’s incomes. Now for so many of us it’s a scramble with two or more shit-wage, part time jobs.

    But this isn’t enough. If you’re lucky to put away a few bucks they want a piece of that too. Hence, NIRP.

    So, let’s say that we actually have deflation. Let’s say that this deflation is 2% per year.

    What of it? Let’s imagine your boss never gives you a raise. Not so far-fetched is it? With decreases in the prices you pay, your purchasing power gets bigger every year. Imagine that.

    And that folks, is the point. That’s their fear, that’s why we can’t have deflation.

    See, the more financially insecure people are, the more docile they are. Keep people in a state of fear and they’ll do what they’re told just to scratch out those last few bucks to pay rent.

    Work off the clock for a half hour? No problem boss. See, you don’t want to get on his bad side, do you? If you don’t do it your fellow employee will and those five hours you need will go to him.

    And that’s also the thinking behind NIRP. Don’t you see, fear is such a powerful motivator. You? With money in the bank? Can’t have that. Can’t have you feeling even a little flush.

    Because, with some money saved, you’re less afraid, less compliant, less willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice and get your ass to the store and scratch out a few more hours even if some is without pay. You have to be unendingly flexible, you need to be not too picky about actually getting money. The boss, the store, the company have to make the numbers.

    And see, fucker, in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s become a class thing. You, with money in the bank? You? Just who the hell are you?

    No, don’t even think it, not you.

    • MisterDarling February 25, 2015 at 1:54 pm #

      Hello V,

      re | “Tell me CFN, has anybody seen this mythical monster that we’re all supposed to dread? I haven’t seen a stitch of it myself but I keep hearing it, deflation, deflation….. “-v.

      Are you overlooking the very obvious drop in the price of *fuel*, perhaps?

      A deflationary down-spiral was the baked-in-the-cake when resources were diverted from tangible economic activity, to propping up that coke-n-whore fueled casino on Wall Street.

      • volodya February 25, 2015 at 2:06 pm #

        Mr D all I’ve seen is inflation. Nothing but.

        Do I believe official inflation stats? Nope, never have. Govt statistical agencies, as far as I can see, are as full of shit as can be.

        This drop in oil won’t last. It never does. There’s only so much the Saudis will do. This is costing them.

        • MisterDarling February 25, 2015 at 4:25 pm #

          Hi V,

          re | “This drop in oil won’t last. It never does. There’s only so much the Saudis will do. This is costing them.”-v.

          We don’t agree about what the cause of the drop is. I’m saying __demand destruction__, you seem to be saying that the Saudis (for various reasons and half-bright plans) are causing an “oversupply” or “glut”…

          To that I’d like to point out that there’s no such thing as ‘too much’ or a “glut” of anything when demand for it is stiff.

          Cheers!

  57. BackRowHeckler February 25, 2015 at 12:35 pm #

    Well, I don’t know much about macro-economics, for what its worth, and what many of you seem to be missing, we have the best economic strategy in the history of the world. Its simple: bring interest rates down to zero so it makes no sense for people to keep money in banks, but have to go to the equities market for any kind of return. Next step, keep the financial markets guessing when you will raise rates, but at each fed meeting announce you will not be raising rates at the moment, but reserve the right to do so sometime in the near and far future.

    Each time this happens the market goes up 200-300 points.

    The recovery continues unabated. Once again, happy days are here.

    How do you like it now, Gentlemen?

    Oh yeah, before I forget, ISIS rounded up 150 Christian women and children in villages northern Syria, after requiring Christian families to identify themselves by painting ‘N’ (for Nazerene) on their doors. Just 2 days ago. What, you haven’t heard about it? Yes, and they haven’t been seen since. The Imams in the White House aren’t interested, so their sycophants in the MSM aren’t interested either evidently. An article in the British media suggests a mass immolation is planned for these Christians who belong to a sect that goes all the way back to the time of Jesus. Oh, you’ll know when it happens. “A group of unidentified extremists burned some unidentified folks alive in NSyria.” That’s how it will sound. Just so you’ll know when it happens

    brh

  58. wpa--ccc February 25, 2015 at 12:41 pm #

    Rubicon: “greece has been cited umpteen times as the domino that will start the endtyme cascade of events, at least in a financial sense.”

    Don’t forget Iceland, Argentina, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. All should be dead ducks by now according to CFN, victims of IMF/Austerity. Like Greece they decided not to play along. The CFN-predicted world economic collapse/EU collapse/etc. never happened. Even the USA economy is sustainable and is recovering nicely according to economic indicators.

    GROWTH IN USA GDP

    2.2% … 2013
    2.4% … 2014
    2.6% … 2014 fourth quarter

    See a trend?

    60 consecutive months of PRIVATE SECTOR job growth. Labor market participation is improving, too, if you take into consideration the baby boomers leaving the labor force voluntarily.

    • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 1:03 pm #

      Does the US GDP numbers reflect reselling of the Chinese cheep shoes at 800% markup? (from $2 +shipping to $20). How in the world does it help American worker?

      • MisterDarling February 25, 2015 at 1:50 pm #

        Hi FitM,

        You realize of course that you are under no obligation to feed the trolls… Sock doesn’t know WTF he/she is talking about as usual.

        Notice the repetition of that pathetic garbage about labor participation tanking b/c there was some mass retirement right around 2008/9? When IN FACT there are more people 50+ working or trying to work than ever? Because they can’t afford to retire?

        FitM, you’re trying to have a conversation with a flesh-puppet. We may not see eye-to-eye on all issues but I suspect that you’re better than that.

        Best Regards & Cheers!

        • BackRowHeckler February 25, 2015 at 2:00 pm #

          What’s most entertaining is when wpa-ccc gets into a conversation with LisaM.

          Remember the song ‘Dancing with Myself’ by Billy Idol?

          • ozone February 25, 2015 at 7:33 pm #

            Ahhhahaha! Good one, BRH.
            (Nice reference too.)

      • Q. Shtik February 25, 2015 at 5:34 pm #

        [Does] the US GDP numbers reflect reselling … – Finca

        =================

        [Do]

  59. BackRowHeckler February 25, 2015 at 12:50 pm #

    Florida Power.

    re: Debt to GDP

    I used to be a big listener to Bob Brinker’s radio program ‘Money Talk’.
    At the time I had a second job setting type, one of the quite jobs in printing in that period before computers, so I could listen when it came on on Saturday afternoons. This particular nite he was talking about the debt to GDP ratio and a listener called in and asked what would happen it the debt to GDP ratio ever exceeded 100% in the US. Brinker answered it was a silly question; would never happen.

    brh

    • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2015 at 1:44 pm #

      Perhaps he’s related to Beebo Brinker?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beebo_Brinker

      • BackRowHeckler February 25, 2015 at 2:09 pm #

        Vlad, you enjoy busting my b-lls, that much is clear.

        I don’t mind. At least its better than being ignored.

        brh

        • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2015 at 6:49 pm #

          I was serious about the t shirt. I’m going to get one.

    • Q. Shtik February 25, 2015 at 5:29 pm #

      one of the [quite] jobs in printing – BRH

      ===============

      One of the [quite] what jobs? Interesting? Boring? Give us a hint.

      • BackRowHeckler February 26, 2015 at 10:30 am #

        I meant ‘quiet’, Q.

        As opposed to where I am now, around those giant web presses, so loud you can’t hear yourself think.

        And to think at one time I did a lot of copy editing and proofreading.

        brh

  60. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 1:30 pm #

    3-parent babies: Britain first to legalize radical DNA treatment

    Britain has become the first country to legalize the creation of in vitro fertilization (IVF) babies using three parents, which doctors say could prevent inherited genetic diseases.

    The House of Lords voted on Tuesday for a change in the law to allow the treatment. The peers rejected an attempt to block the plan by 280 votes to 48.

    http://rt.com/uk/235363-three-parent-babies-legalized/

    How do you like it now, Gentlemen?

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  61. MisterDarling February 25, 2015 at 1:44 pm #

    Well, there was this:

    “…or perhaps lease out some cozy corner of their vast Mediterranean coastline to the Russian navy for enough annual walking-around money to keep the lights on for the aforementioned farmers, shepherds, and inn-keepers. Of course, that would drive the US and its NATO quislings batshit crazy.”- J H K.

    And then this happened:

    http://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/470786–greek-cypriots-sign-military-deal-with-russia

    Actually it was in the works for the a few weeks, but now it’s official. Cyprus is lovely in the Spring, I hear.

    • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 2:07 pm #

      Everybody is missing the Egypt card played by Putin:

      On 9-10 February 2015 the President of Russia went on an official visit to Egypt. Results of the visit are impressive. After a long break (several decades) in relationships, Russian weapons, Russian grain and Russian technology will again flow to Egypt. Russian experts will build Egyptian nuclear power plants, develop and restore its shattered economy. With particular geopolitical importance of Egypt (and the entire Mediterranean) gives the resumption of the Russian-Egyptian strategic cooperation truly global, world-wide significance.

      The new leader of Egypt, Field Marshal Al-Sisi – staunch Arab nationalist, ideological heir to the famous Gamal Abdel Nasser – sees Putin as related in spirit: Russian nationalist, and therefore ready to work closely together.

      Putin builds on the periphery of Eurasia chain of strong defense strongholds for the new Russian politics.

      Egypt is the only real military power in ME that could deal with Islamic State.

      • MisterDarling February 25, 2015 at 4:20 pm #

        re | “Everybody is missing the Egypt card played by Putin:”-FitM.

        Yes, old news 2 weeks ago on Zero Hedge (among other aggregators and sources). But, what’s the point of overloading CFN with the evidence?

        Hope your farm is doing well.

        • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 5:32 pm #

          Farm is doing well, thank you. It aint making much money, but I just learned how to make fresh sour cream – oh boy, that’s unbelievable! I think I ate something like that many, many years ago. And all it takes is a goddamn blender. And all those years I didn’t know!

  62. volodya February 25, 2015 at 1:58 pm #

    BRH,

    About the 150 never to be seen again Christians: if they happen to appear in a starring role in an ISIS snuff video, the one thing you can count on is how fast our betters will wheel the discussion around from the evil perpetrated by ISIS to one lambasting us.

    They’ll say to you don’t be deceived BRH, we have a great deal of guilt around our collective necks. Never you mind ISIS and its barbarism damn you. They aren’t the problem. YOU are the problem and so am I. We’re the REAL culprits. We ALL are in the Christian West.

    See BRH, what we’ll be told is that every time ISIS perpetrates one of its murderous outrages, it only points out the urgent need for individual and collective self examination HERE. And, need it be said, corrective action.

    There needs to be an accounting for our societal deficiencies. And our own personal deficiencies. Such as how we aren’t sufficiently progressive in our attitudes. And inadequately accepting and embracing and tolerant. There’s a lot you need to learn BRH. With proper guidance you many begin to understand.

    You see BRH, in case you’re one of those harboring unclean thoughts, Islam is a religion of peace. Christianity is the religion of imperialism and killing and war and persecution. Have you properly examined your thoughts and beliefs and attitudes BRH?

    See, BRH, our betters will be profess to be shocked by whatever death video ISIS barfs up. And there will be a few ritual incantations to that effect. But they will not waste time getting to the meat of the matter, that is, Islamophobia in OUR society. See, they’ll tell us that’s the REAL issue. That’s the REAL focus. Prejudice and mis-treatment of Muslims HERE among US.

    Never mind the barbarities in Paris. Never mind the Boston Marathon bombings. Never mind the Egyptian Copt massacre.

    9/11? You’re not seeing the broad view BRH. You need a wider perspective.

    What about the Spanish Inquisition? What about the witch burnings? What about the crimes and inequities of Western colonialism? What about the rank hypocrisy in church going Christian society? What about their anti-science crusades?

    See, BRH? Are you beginning to see, to understand? With time, with study and effort, you will. And especially you will begin to appreciate your own role and your own guilt. A great deal of good will come of it.

    Obama will be our spiritual guide. Trust Obama.

    Oh, w.r.t. macro economics, don’t sweat it, you know as much as anyone. Especially the practitioners in the field.

    • Buck Stud February 25, 2015 at 3:19 pm #

      LOL…you and BRH are getting pretty polished with the sardonicism.

      In actuality, Muslim groups like ISIS are pretty much reviled here in the U.S., witness all the media polls showing overwhelming support for a military response to ISIS. IOW, I just don’t see all this self-reflection and contemplation that you mention. In fact, there is absolutely no danger of that happening here in the U.S. to any real depth. Yeah, the academic types and other hand-wringers may pay it some lip service because it’s in their job description but it’s all theatrics and empty gestures at the end of the day. After all, only an imbecile would seek to ‘understand’ such vicious butchers.

  63. wpa--ccc February 25, 2015 at 2:29 pm #

    brh, JHK said in 2008 there would never ever be an economic recovery. If the labor participation rates were worse, if the GDP was declining, if private sector layoffs were increasing, if unemployment was increasing… you can be sure Mr. Darling and the rest of the true believers would be embracing those statistics as proof JHK was right.

    As it is they are reduced to denying or doubting the legitimacy of the statistics, which is pretty pathetic when you think about it.

    Just like these guys were telling me years ago that the XL pipeline would be built because TPTB in the oil industry want it built. Wrong again.

    Just like things were supposed to change now that Republicans are in charge. Wrong again. Obama is still in charge.

    On Wednesday, however, Boehner gave no indication that his caucus would support McConnell’s offer. “Until I can see what they’re going to pass, no decisions have been made on the House side,” he said.

    The Republicans are divided and dysfunctional. Obama is still in charge.

  64. wpa--ccc February 25, 2015 at 2:35 pm #

    Volodya said: “Obama will be our spiritual guide. Trust Obama.”

    Damn straight! You got that right. At least Obama knows how to recognize the enemy and it is not 1.5 Billion Muslims.

    In all fairness, W also said the same as Obama, after W’s initial stupid talk about waging a “crusade,” which he later took back.

  65. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 3:35 pm #

    Iraqi Army Downs 2 UK Planes Carrying Weapons for ISIL

    TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraq’s army has shot down two British planes as they were carrying weapons for the ISIL terrorists in Al-Anbar province, a senior lawmaker disclosed on Monday.

    “The Iraqi Parliament’s National Security and Defense Committee has access to the photos of both planes that are British and have crashed while they were carrying weapons for the ISIL,” Head of the committee Hakem al-Zameli said, according to a Monday report of the Arabic-language information center of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.

    He said the Iraqi parliament has asked London for explanations in this regard.

    The senior Iraqi legislator further unveiled that the government in Baghdad is receiving daily reports from people and security forces in al-Anbar province on numerous flights by the US-led coalition planes that airdrop weapons and supplies for ISIL in terrorist-held areas.

    http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931204001534

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  66. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 5:19 pm #

    Al-Sisi is going to clean Libya out of fucking monsters and he won’t give a damn what America thinks or wants. Assad will do the same in Syria.

    • MisterDarling February 25, 2015 at 11:28 pm #

      Al-Sisi and Assad aren’t going to win any ‘good governance’ recommendations from me, but I’m thoroughly in favor of having bad people eliminate even worse people, by any means necessary.

      Consider; where would the Cambodian people be if they had waited for the US, ‘The Western World’ (or the Peoples Republic of China for that matter) to rescue them? Oh, wait a minute… That’s right. There wouldn’t BE any Cambodians left, so that problem “would have taken care of itself” as some of our State Department psychotics would put it.

      In the end, it was up to the despotic government of the newly unified Peoples Republic of Vietnam to liquidate Pol Pot’s psycho’s…

      But that’s the way it typically has gone over the past 100 years or so, isn’t it?

      Where would we be if Stalin’s people hadn’t done the heavy-lifting and taken care of Hitler? The Allies would have stalemated at the Channel, and the next twenty-five years or so would have been spent watching war-profiteering families like the Bushes ‘broker’ peace (while making money off both sides).

      When it comes to working with US foreign policy people, it’s best to picture them as the *Ferengi*;

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferengi

      Cheers!

  67. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2015 at 7:10 pm #

    Iran defiantly conducted exercises at sea with destruction of the model of an aircraft carrier. Given who uses carrier fleet, it is easy to assume the addressee of these exercises.

    The Iranians demonstrated “mosquito tactics” of the great mass of light attack missile boats. The attack is designed to oversaturate the defensive capabilities of the enemy air carrier strike group and allow breaking into the distance of missile strike of the greatest number of boats. Tactics, of course, extremely costly and suicidal, but it looks quite logical – the loss of just one aircraft carrier could force the US to roll back any military operation in any theater of operations.

    To counteract this tactic is only possible over a large ocean space. Near the shores it is practically impossible to oppose it. It is clear that Iran is in this case fulfills the possibility of destroying the enemy air carrier group in the Persian Gulf. Outside the Gulf in the open ocean, it will be less effective.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B9AYGGXmqw

  68. Buck Stud February 25, 2015 at 8:50 pm #

    Interesting article…too brazen for his own good?

    http://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/02/tyler-durden/netanyahu-lies-about-iran/

    • MisterDarling February 25, 2015 at 11:41 pm #

      Vlad,

      re | “Great article which, as usual, tells truths others simply seem unable to grasp. But the Cyrillic alphabet peculiar? No, it’s beautiful, with a fascinating history that echoes to this day in the split between the eastern and western Slavonic world. It’s phonetic too, with few of the massive inconsistencies of the English version (especially British English) of the Roman alphabet. I adore Cyrillics.”-vl.

      Mr. Orlov has gone off at length about how orthographically weak the English language is, and I (much as it pains me to write this) have to agree with him. It really should not take someone 10-20 years to figure out how to navigate the disconnect between the way that English is spoken and written… Such a pity.

      Because of it’s promiscuity, acquisitiveness and constant field-stripping of discourse down to its most efficient essentials, English was a fantastic imperial tongue in every other way.

  69. wpa--ccc February 25, 2015 at 8:52 pm #

    JHK asks a serious question this week: “How goes the war…”

    Al Qaeda, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh, etc. are desperate for legitimacy. They are propagating the lie that the West is at war with Islam. They are using that lie to recruit. And many on CFN are repeating the same lie, giving support to ISIS/ISIL/Daesh by perpetuating the myth and at the same time giving them a legitimacy they do not deserve. They are violent criminal terrorists. 99.9999% of Muslims are not.

    I reject that premise that we are at war with Islam. I refuse to collaborate with the terrorists by repeating that lie.

    It is an outrageous lie. Just look at the facts: We have patriotic Muslims living in the United States, patriotic Muslims in our armed forces, patriotic Muslims serving in our Congress. It is obvious Islam is a religion of peace and we are not at war with Islam.

    By saying we are at war with Islam CFN is giving the terrorists the legitimacy that they seek. They are not Islamic religious leaders. They are terrorists.

    • nsa February 25, 2015 at 9:45 pm #

      We here in Ft. Meade first discovered Barry selling shoes in Nairobi and, on a bet with the boys over in Langley, taught him English, gave him a complete makeover including a course in public speaking from a teleprompter, concocted a plausible history, and then installed him as a modern day pharaoh just for our own entertainment. Having achieved full spectrum dominance in every facet of modern existence, and total information awareness…..we deserve to have a little fun with our subjects….

  70. wpa--ccc February 25, 2015 at 10:23 pm #

    Muslim lives matter.

    Stop the Islamophobia.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  71. Janos Skorenzy February 26, 2015 at 12:10 am #

    He/She strikes out. One is reminded of the movie “Freaks” and how the She/he couldn’t get the man SHe wanted.

    http://www.dailystormer.com/lol-transgender-woman-shouldnt-be-diversity-officer-at-all-girls-college-because-shes-now-a-white-man-students-say/

  72. nsa February 26, 2015 at 1:04 am #

    MrDarling,
    Your history is somewhat weak, probably the result of a public school education. The US overthrew the govt of Prince Sihanouk, and officially installed,supported, and armed the Khmer Rouge. And the skulls…always the skulls. Reminiscent of Tamerlane’s trail of skull mounds everywhere he conquered. His largest mound: 90,000 skulls mounded following the sacking of Baghdad in the year 1400.

    • MisterDarling February 26, 2015 at 7:53 pm #

      Hello ‘NSA’…

      re | “MrDarling,
      Your history is somewhat weak, probably the result of a public school education. The US overthrew the govt of Prince Sihanouk, and officially installed,supported, and armed the Khmer Rouge. And the skulls…always the skulls. Reminiscent of Tamerlane’s trail of skull mounds everywhere he conquered. His largest mound: 90,000 skulls mounded following the sacking of Baghdad in the year 1400.”

      No mine isn’t. It was the Vietnamese that ended Pol Pot’s reign in ‘Kampuchea’ (formerly and again ‘Cambodia’) in 1978/9;

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia#Khmer_Rouge_regime

      I used that example because it reinforced my point: that it’s more realistic to expect bad people to ‘take out’ worse folks, then to expect that the forces of ‘Western Civilization’ (or some other group that claims to set an exemplary example) to ride to the rescue.

      I said nothing about the *origins* of the Khmer Rouge or of the regime that they removed, that was not part of my post. Nor did I mention anything about “skulls” (?).

      Not sure why you wrote this NSA. It didn’t address my point at all.

  73. FincaInTheMountains February 26, 2015 at 3:25 am #

    Putin’s rating increases in proportion to the prices of buckwheat, toilet paper and sausage.

    The fact that Russians put up with rising costs and cuts (Obama explained that this is the price for annexation of the Crimea and support for Novorossia – in short, for the defense by Russia of their own) – is a sign of quality of civic consciousness.

    After all, only qualitative civic consciousness during external pressure on the State can set priorities – and instead, in response to a rise in price of sausages run out into the street to destabilize the State, – on the contrary, to continue its support.

    The scenario when Russian oligarchs take Putin out, give Sevastopol back to NATO and Novorossia to punitive “Asov” battalion and continue to feed Kiev’s regime is not even on the horizon.

    • Q. Shtik February 26, 2015 at 11:58 am #

      the price for annexation of [the] Crimea

      =============

      Finca, I thought we had this settled, it is just Crimea, not [the] Crimea.

  74. volodya February 26, 2015 at 12:17 pm #

    Mr D,

    You’re right, it may be demand destruction. In any case, I read that there’s a million barrels a day being produced in excess of demand. So, I suppose, too much oil coming up either way…

    A word about deflation: I’ve been hearing about deflation being just around the corner and about how it will destroy the world as we know it for the better part of 20 years. There’s no deflation. It’s bogus. Even in the late 1990s when oil went down to 10 bucks there was no deflation.

    IMO the deflation argument is used as justification for Fed policies that benefit the already rich. You see, they aren’t rich enough.

    I’ve also looked at official inflation stats and they don’t square with reality. They have the smell of concocted numbers, all fiddled and diddled.

    If you look at the official numbers over time you’d be required to believe that the Fed has such a sure hand on the monetary dial that they can serve up such stability in price inflation, that is, between 1.5% and 3.5% for the most part, year after year. Do you believe they have such skill?

    Now, think about what we’ve seen.Think about the hollowing out of US industrial capacity, especially in the last generation, and all the economic mayhem that inflicted on so much of the country.

    Think about the repeated asset bubbles and busts over the past twenty years and all the chaos those entailed. And, think about the numbers that we used to read in various economics publications, about the massive growth in the US money supply, that is, when we used to get such numbers. I haven’t seen them for years. As I recall, around 10 percent per year growth in the money supply, year after year.

    Now, does any of this, including what you’ve seen with your own eyes, square with this alleged stability in inflation rates as shown in official stats? I say it didn’t happen. I say it can’t be done.

  75. volodya February 26, 2015 at 12:31 pm #

    I heard on the news that, as part of the extend and pretend deal that Greece made w.r.t. its un-repayable debt, that Greece is supposed to tackle corruption. No, I think rather that corruption will tackle Greece.

    They say that Varoufakis has a PHD in game theory. Well, good thing.

    Think about it, nobody in Greece is honest in paying taxes, especially those that make a lot of money. Nobody is honest is paying tax because nobody else is honest. Logically enough, nobody wants to be the fool that files an honest return.

    It will take a PHD in game theory to un-tie this knot.

    Never mind applying his PHD in dealing with Merkel. He needs to deal with Greeks. Good luck with that.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  76. wpa--ccc February 26, 2015 at 1:14 pm #

    How goes the war against immigrants?

    Mexicans did not cross the border… the border crossed them.

    In 1846, shortly after the annexation of Texas, President James Polk ordered U.S. troops into disputed lands, precipitating a war against Mexico. The war ended with the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.

    This is what Chicano activists mean when they say “the border crossed them.”

    Support the dreamers. Support organization like these:

    National Council of La Raza

    Voto Latino

    Service Employees International Union

    United We Dream

    Viva la raza cosmica!

    La raza cósmica includes whites, blacks, mestizo, etc. .. in other words, the human race.

    • Janos Skorenzy February 26, 2015 at 9:35 pm #

      Sure. That’s why the motto of La Raza says: For our Race everything, for other races nothing.

    • BackRowHeckler February 27, 2015 at 10:54 am #

      At the time of the Texas-Mexican War in 1836 there were only about 3000 Mexicans living in Texas. Most of them sided with Sam Houston and the Norto Americanos. Mexico was a broken down dystopic sh-thole even then.

      brh

  77. wpa--ccc February 26, 2015 at 1:59 pm #

    West Texas Intermediate down 1.5% to $50.22.

    $50 a barrel. Remember when it was $100 a barrel?

    CFN predicted it would go to $150 leading to collapse. Wrong.

    CFN said below $80 fracking would end. Wrong.

    CFN said below $80 extraction of tight oil ends. Wrong.

    CFN said below $80 and the Saudis won’t play. Wrong.

    Mr. Darling says it is “demand destruction” causing the problem. Really?

    Has world population gone down? Is China using less oil?

    Has car production gone down? Are fewer cars on the road globally?

    Doesn’t increasing USA GDP mean MORE oil, MORE demand?

    Oh, and inflation is down .07%. DOWN. Negative inflation.

    CFN said QE would result in hyperinflation. Wrong.

  78. FincaInTheMountains February 26, 2015 at 5:38 pm #

    The Swiss and Denmark National Banks in early February lowered their interest rates on deposits of up to negayive 0.75% per year. They are trying to stop the further strengthening of their national currencies – the Swiss franc and the Danish krone, in the past two months have repeatedly lowered the deposit rate to negative values. These rates are the result of a sudden influx of money into the Swiss franc and the Danish krone, as well as banks in Switzerland and Denmark for fear of collapse of the euro in the event of a Greek exit from the Eurozone.

    One of the Danish banks even had a mishap due to negative interest. In early February, Nordea Kredit Bank offered its customers a negative rate on the mortgage. The bank was forced to take this step after three consecutive declines in deposit rates of the Central Bank of the country, which was brought to minus 0.75%. Now the bank Nordea Kredit provides mortgage and instead of charging interest to customers pays them extra. Such a situation with a mortgage has developed because of a floating rate that is tied to lending rates in the interbank market. But Nordea computers failed to recognize the absurdity of negative interest rates, bank customers received a rare opportunity to get such a magical loan: a bank customer gets the money to buy an apartment, and then the bank pays him interest every month as a thank you.

  79. Janos Skorenzy February 26, 2015 at 6:38 pm #

    There is only one word in my vocabulary today: Anne. Anne, Anne – the very rocks and trees sing it. Or is it merely the echoes resounding my heart? Anne. Barnhardt? No, Coulter.

    http://www.amren.com/news/2015/02/for-death-by-isis-you-have-to-go-out-illegal-aliens-deliver/

    • BackRowHeckler February 27, 2015 at 10:49 am #

      Wait a minute, Vlad.

      you’re telling me all these illegals aren’t ‘Dreamers’ with pure hearts, law abiding migrants, here to do the work Americans will not do?

      This is not what Bathhouse said the other night at the staged ‘town hall event’, hosted by MSNBC, in Miami, Invitation Only.

      I’m shocked. shocked i tell you.

      Its either a LBGT/DNC Holywood fundraiser or an event with illegals, pick one.

      brh

      • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 1:55 pm #

        Bathhouse? You have a gift. You must admire the Bahaus too.

        Consider: it will be generations before the Truth of who and what this man is will be revealed. And that’s if we can even hold them off. If not, it never will. People still don’t know who King was. And only now are historians beginning to question FDR and Pearl Harbor. Or even the Civil War. A few brave souls now are willing to admit the South was right.

  80. FincaInTheMountains February 26, 2015 at 7:00 pm #

    Crisis as the engine of the US economy

    Grounds for a new global financial and economic crisis have been created by anti-crisis measures of the US central bank – the FED, which from 2008 to 2014 flooded the US economy with cheap money. Over the years the Fed was actively buying US banks’ and companies’ public debt and US mortgage bonds totaling more than $3 trillion dollars. The US government with the help of Fed brazenly robbed the entire world economy of more than $3 trillion dollars, without spending a single dollar. (All money were created electronically)

    In fact, the Fed acted very wisely by involving in its anti-crisis program of quantitative easing only “virtual” money. Each month, filling the global financial and stock markets with tens of billions of virtual dollars, the Fed extracted out real money backed by real commodities that has been used for the development of real and banking sectors of the US economy, as well as for the recovery and growth of the American consumer market, which accounts for more than 70 % of US GDP.

    In all the years of the Fed’s quantitative easing for the recovery of the US economy it made to pay all the countries in the world, buying US debt and using non-cash US dollar in its trade operations. As a result, the dollar inflation spread throughout the world, greatly weakening the world economy and in the US inflation rate for the last 6 years was kept at 1-1.5% per year, as in real terms cash money supply remained unchanged. Such financial Fed policy has led to the fact that the US, along with non-cash dollars managed to “export” their economic problems to the whole world. Therefore, today, when US GDP recovers rapidly and voracious American consumer market is inflated again, the rest of the world economy, and above all, the major economies of China, Japan, the European Union, by contrast, are immersed in a crisis.

    Now the United States needs a new global crisis in order to get rid of their debts. Today, total US debt – external and internal public debt, corporate debt, domestic and external debt of US states – is already more than 58 trillion dollars. Gluttonous Americans are accustomed to spend more than they earn. In recent decades, the United States basically lived through external borrowing: in 2001 foreign debt amounted to 5.7 trillion US dollars, and today has more than 18 trillion dollars and continues growing.

    In order to reduce debt and get rid of at least 20% of the debt burden (11.6 trillion), the US will need the global financial crisis at least four times stronger than it was in 2008. This should be a financial tornado, which would sweep away everything in its path, sucking most of the world’s capital into the United States.

    There is a real danger that the Americans to reduce its debt burden will use a new tactics. It is expected that this year the base interest rate on the US dollar will rise from the current near-zero values in the range of 0-0.25% per annum up to relatively high levels. Once interest rates on dollar rise, the US itself will artificially trigger a new global crisis to force the flow of global capital into the US economy and the US stock markets.

    The secret of this tactic is that during the global financial-economic and geopolitical crises, as well as large-scale military conflict, many investors in search of “safe haven” are buying US government bonds. And when demand for US government bonds rises sharply, then, accordingly, their yield drops sharply. Thus, any world-wide crises play into the hands of the United States. In this regard, it can be expected that in the new world crises rates on government bonds in the US to fall to negative values, so that the US government will stop paying interest on its debt and its debt buyers will pay extra to US government for what it “allowed” to investors to keep their money in “safe” US debt securities. As a result, the buyer, buying US government bonds, will immediately part with some of their equity in favor of the American state.

    As a result of this scheme, the US government, will be making, and not to paying the interest on its debt, as it is now. Then the US Treasury can still add interest and commissions for operations with US bonds, which is common in the world. All this will significantly increase budget revenues of United States, making the US government more interested in a different kind of protracted global crisis.

    US still have time before a new world “grinder” to trigger a new world financial and economic crisis to drive the global economy into a “great depression” and turn the flow of capital from around the world into US. In such circumstances, the only solution for the international community not to use the US dollar as the world’s main reserve currency and to avoid it in trade settlements.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  81. FincaInTheMountains February 26, 2015 at 7:28 pm #

    I am really tired of listening to American bloggers blaming FED of idiocy – you don’t rise to that position of power being a blabbing idiot.

    Americans by default assumes that there is no economy other than American and the dollar is american currency, not an instrument of conducting the world policy.

    If you take into consideration that America wages the war on the rest of the world (and not just for just a year, but much longer), all missing logical pieces fall in place.

    • Therian February 27, 2015 at 3:03 am #

      The real “idiots” in America are consumers. I sicken of the ubiquitous houses in America where garages are full of junk because it cannot fit inside of the 1500 square foot houses that are already full of junk.

      The Fed is not a hegemon despite the “powers” that it is alleged to possess. They can only control interest rates and money supply. It’s the “potent directors” fallacy. In reality, if Russia and China start to sway a move away from the almighty dollar there is little to stop them. Compared to 2010, FIFTEEN TIMES more non-American banks have switched to other currencies as a base for transaction (from only 900 to 14,000).

      The USA obvious has the “loudest” and most pervasive media complex … as big or bigger than the rest of the world put together. Thus, the movements of most of the world occur in relative silence and accumulate in the dark of night.

      Debts, the protests of Dick Cheney notwithstanding, DO matter because the differences in indebtedness create strife and war. Why is there such a hue and cry over Greece? It’s not because of Greek debt. It’s because the French, Germans, Dutch, and so on INVESTED in Greece.

      Expect “allies” to start squabbling more and more. Meanwhile, Russia, which the media has convinced us is on the verge of death, has, in reality, the most sustainable economy of ANY large country in the world.

      • FincaInTheMountains February 27, 2015 at 5:56 am #

        “They can only control interest rates and money supply.”

        Oh, just those two lille’ things?

        “if Russia and China start to sway a move away from the almighty dollar there is little to stop them.”

        Couple of wars on their periphery, maybe? Vicious attack on Russian economy and financial system?

  82. Janos Skorenzy February 26, 2015 at 9:37 pm #

    American Gulag open for business. A Black Site has apparently been operating in Chicago.

    http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/24/chicago-police-detain-americans-black-site?CMP=share_btn_tw

  83. Buck Stud February 26, 2015 at 9:56 pm #

    I’m surprised WPA hasn’t posted this news yet:

    “Native American Council Offers Amnesty to 240 Million Undocumented Whites.”

    http://cityworldnews.com/native-american-amnesty/

    • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 2:59 am #

      They had no such authority since they didn’t see themselves as one united people. Nor did we apply for residence – we took it from them by force and fraud exactly as the Jews took Palestine from the Arabs, except we didn’t need any outside help.

      They better smarten up since their treaties and lands are granted by us, not Mexico.

  84. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 2:21 am #

    Buck Stud, it is not an amnesty when the native Americans make whites jump through hoops and pay money to stay here legally. An amnesty is a pardon.

    I agree with the idea of an amnesty for whites, but not with strings attached.

  85. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 2:29 am #

    CPAC conservatives are not on board with John Ellis, W’s brother.

    John Ellis Bush is too gay-friendly, immigrant-friendly, and supports Common Core academic standards.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 3:22 am #

      Is John long for Jeb?

    • Buck Stud February 27, 2015 at 2:36 pm #

      “John Ellis Bush is too gay-friendly, immigrant-friendly, and supports Common Core academic standards.”

      And not only that, but he now trails Walker and is running behind other GOP hopefuls in polls with Hillary. I doubt Jeb will make it through the GOP primary especially since Koch money is lining up behind Walker.

      • Buck Stud February 27, 2015 at 2:38 pm #

        I was looking at a advance poster with a photo of Jeb and “Bush 2016”. At that moment the sheer visual impact hit me: That ship ain’t sailing anymore, done come and gone…that brand ain’t selling anymore.

  86. FincaInTheMountains February 27, 2015 at 3:56 am #

    Killing Europe

    Ukrainian conflict in its current form will be short-lived. What would be the continuation?

    After a series of defeats of Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) the world has seen sharply increased diplomatic activity of leaders of major EU states – Germany and France. For the first time since the beginning of Ukrainian drama Merkel and Hollande rejected the sweeping accusations against Russia and went to negotiate with more or less from pragmatic positions.

    This is evidence of serious disagreements between the EU and the US on the Ukrainian question, which has already incurred significant losses from mutual sanctions and most importantly – the expected incomparably higher losses from a possible participation of the European Union in an armed conflict (even if not direct) with Russia with a high risk of its expansion on a large scale.

    Talks in Minsk were the peak of diplomatic activity of EU leaders, during which it was possible to conclude an agreement on ceasefire. Many hope that this will be the basis for a complete stop fighting in the Ukraine. However, analysis of the final document does not give such high hopes. Terms of peace, which was signed by Ukraine, is largely unacceptable for her because it is assumes de facto recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, including their right to a special foreign policy.

    Alignment of forces

    First of all, we should mention the fact that the Novorossian Armed Forces (NAF) had finally turned into a full-fledged armed forces capable of conducting major offensive and defensive operations. Their combat potential defined by high tactical training of fighters, operational training of commanders, absolute moral and psychological superiority over their opponents, is very high.

    The announcement by Donetsk republic mobilization of ten thousand people in these conditions is fully justified. And there is no doubt that even if voluntary (as opposed to the Kiev), it will be successful. This will raise the combat potential of NAF to a level at which they can inflict a decisive defeat to UAF.

    Meanwhile, the much-touted fourth wave of mobilization declared in Ukraine, has failed. It was able to mobilize only 20 per cent of the planned 62 thousand – a little more than mobilization in DNR. In this case, the moral and psychological potential and training of reservists incomparably lower than those who voluntarily go into NAF. The failure of mobilization in the country with nearly 42 million people indicates that Ukraine does not want to fight and do not trust their government in spite of all official polls and massive propaganda media.

    Possible scenarios

    As Ukrainian society mobilization resources necessary for the continuation and successful conclusion of the war, largely exhausted, it means civil war in Ukraine entered its final phase, which may result in the establishment of a peace, or the transformation of the internal conflict into international.

    Peaceful end is being sought by Russia, and now European leaders of Germany and France realized its acceptability. Today, peace is possible only on the basis of the existing military-strategic and military-political realities in a combat zone.

    Russia’s interest in such peace is clear – to create on its south-western border a relatively stable and friendly formation that, regardless of their status would be a buffer between Russia and the hostile part of Ukraine.

    The EU interest in ending the war in Ukraine is also obvious. The armed conflict in the center of the Old World, threatens involvement of Russia and NATO into a military confrontation (even if very limited) fraught with grave economic and political losses, including shocks that could lead to the collapse of the current elites.

    The second scenario involves escalation of the war in the Ukraine through its internationalization with the prospect of becoming a full-fledged international armed conflict with participation of the leading countries. US are interested in this scenario and they control the current leaders of the Kiev government. The motives are obvious – States need to have reliable access to the Russian-Ukrainian border to further advance into Russia with the use of “soft power”. And for the Kiev authorities Donetsk and Lugansk region are important from an economic point of view. Here are significant reserves of energy (coal) and industrial capacity.

    Forced peace

    Condition of peaceful conclusion of the Civil War is the ability of European and Russian leaders to maintain their commitment to the early establishment of peace in the Ukraine under the inevitable pressure from the US, as well as to convince Washington of non-internationalization of the conflict. In this case, there may well be limited arms supplies to Ukraine and even increasing the number of private military companies (secretly executed in spite of the Minsk agreements).

    A key role during the final phase of the civil war and the formation of the postwar order in the region will play a policy of Ukrainian authorities and management of Novorossia. Former, judging from their rhetoric today, are not adjusted to take into account the realities of the military-strategic balance of forces and hope to restore full control of the breakaway regions. The latter deny even the possibility of any interference from current Kiev authorities.

    Based on this, we must assume that in the near future in terms of the armistice pro-American government will focus on restoring the combat readiness of its troops in the south-east. Another wave of mobilization is likely. We should see large-scale retraining of the personnel of the UAF and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine by specialists from the United States. Cannot be excluded (bearing in mind the law giving foreigners the right to occupy leadership positions in the Ukrainian state), that part of the command positions in parts and operational headquarters of anti-terrorist operation (ATO) will be officially replaced by US personnel officers and generals. Supply of arms is very likely. Due to these measures, the combat capability of the troops of Ukraine can be increased to a certain extent. After that, approximately one to two months, the fighting will resume with renewed vigor.

    At this point, the command of the NAF certainly be able to create a sufficiently powerful groups to repulse the offensive of the Kiev government and the subsequent successful counteroffensive. Its purpose will be to repulse UAF to the borders of Donetsk and Lugansk regions and to move aside the front line beyond the reach of large cities with heavy artillery and MLRS. For the duration of this operation will be two to three weeks. Realizing the military defeat, the president of Ukraine will start to take desperate steps towards internationalization of the conflict, ensuring open accession of the United States and some EU countries.

    Formation of the post-war order will last one or two months. At the same time the West will try to make a claim for recovery of Ukraine paid by Russia, and not just for Novorossia region, but the rest of the country.

    The Big War

    The alternative scenario can be considered an escalation of armed confrontation. It can occur after the failure of the projected offensive by Kiev government and the successful development of counter-offensives by NAF. In these circumstances, knowing that their policy in Ukraine suffers the final collapse, the US can go for large-scale deliveries of weapons and military equipment to the Government of Kiev, and in such quantities that they are allowed to change the unfavorable course of the war in Ukraine. Large supply of foreign weapons in the absence of specialists in its use will justify entry to Ukraine of a significant number of military advisers and specialists who will soon become combatants and significantly outnumber currently available fighters of private military companies.

    Under these conditions the NAF will incur significant losses and the Russian leadership will face a dilemma – to refuse to support Novorossia, thus losing face and coming on the verge of a social explosion in Russia, or go for the provision of a large-scale military-technical support for NAF as a symmetrical response action. Judging by the dynamics of the foreign policy of Russia, the likelihood that Russian leadership will decide to support Novorossia weapons, volunteers and advisers, is very high. Of course, social movements will become more active in Russia, which can give the ranks of the defenders of the Novorossia several thousand volunteers. As a result the fighting in the south-east of Ukraine will become on a much larger scale than it is today.

    In this case, it is safe to assume that after some initial successes the Kiev government and foreign mercenaries will take a beating. Already bogged down in a war in Ukraine, and now facing impending defeat, the United States and some of its NATO allies, who decide to join them, will have nothing else to do but to intervene in the war with its regular forces.

    This is likely to be preceded by a provocation to justify such intervention (such as a downed “Boeing-777”). Judging from the experience of such military conflicts of the second half of the XX and XXI centuries, immediately after provocation on the territory of Ukraine rapid deployment forces of NATO and the United States will be introduced, and the positions of NAF will undergo massive air strikes by Western alliance. Following begin active operations with the aim of complete defeat in a short time of the armed forces of the People’s Republics. In the experience of the wars of the last decades to conduct ground operations, NATO members could raise up to 30-40 thousand armed personnel.

    In these circumstances, Russia will have nothing left but to start putting its regular troops and aircraft to counter the aggressor, at least their air defenses. Thus, the internationalization of the civil war in Ukraine will lead to a clash between Russia and NATO with severe consequences, up to transition to the use of nuclear tactical weapons. Apparently, this is scenario was referred to by French President Hollande, noting that the alternative to peace in Ukraine can become a big war.

    Thus, the civil war in Ukraine put the Ukrainian people, the US, the EU and Russia faced with a choice: either give up part of their mutual claims and take into account the objective conditions for the establishment of peace, or go all the way for the outbreak of the European war with a high risk of it transition to a nuclear phase.

  87. Karah February 27, 2015 at 4:31 am #

    I am watching the price of oil steadily climb back up at the gas pumps.
    In eight months, all the drilling will supposed to get started again but by fewer companies. Houses are going up for sale right and left along with big chunks of commercial realestate. Its a buyers market but fewer people have the cash to invest and a lot of boomers are turning a corner and staying put. This year will be the last hurrah for a lot of people. I think next winter will see a lot of stress on big cities because of an influx of poor people looking for work or handouts….probably in cities that do not normally have the problem. The cracks will show as far as communicable diseases, drugs and crime. pretty soon every city will mirror chicago….schools will shut down…murders go up…weather stops commuting.

    • barbisbest February 27, 2015 at 11:29 am #

      “This year will be the last hurrah for a lot of people. I think next winter will see a lot of stress on big cities because of an influx of poor people looking for work or handouts….probably in cities that do not normally have the problem. The cracks will show as far as communicable diseases, drugs and crime. pretty soon every city will mirror chicago….schools will shut down…murders go up…weather stops commuting.”

      Probably right on Karah. We’re already seeing it in increase in Heroine overdose deaths, at least in my region. Where is a good place to be poor. Nowhere, I’d say, but at least, less far to fall when we go, if we get there.

  88. Karah February 27, 2015 at 4:38 am #

    As far as rest of the world, if they have not fled their countries, they will suffer. If you can afford to escape syria, greece, ukraine, myanmar, south korea…do it now. its not going to get any better for those places in an economic way. Where is the best place to be poor, anyway? Australia? USA?

  89. FincaInTheMountains February 27, 2015 at 5:13 am #

    Alexander Geskin. Why Hillary Clinton is being funded by those who blew up the twin towers?

    None of the political heavyweights have yet announced their intention to run for President of the United States.

    This is due to the fact that, having made such a declaration, the candidate immediately puts himself under the Election Law and will be required to report on all the funds that come in his/her election fund. Much easier to raise funds for a charity, and then if they accidentally find the way into the election fund or be used for political agitation, bypassing the election fund, then it will have to be proven, and malice of this “charity” will have to be proven as well.

    So last week, the US and the world were shocked when it turned out that the Clinton Family Foundation receives huge amounts of money from Germany, Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). By a strange (or quite natural?) coincidence, this list represents the union of the countries that most loudly, without any investigation, demanded sanctions on Russia, which allegedly helped Novorossia militia to bring down the Malaysian “Boeing”.

    However, today the United Arab Emirates have become famous all over the world, promising the delivery of American weapons (they have no other) to Kiev junta than to create a surprisingly nice background for a meeting of the Norman Four in Paris, especially when you consider that Angela Merkel and Hollande, who now can be provisionally regarded as leaders of Party of Peace in the West, flew to Moscow and entered into some kind of a deal with Vladimir Putin after they realized what the consequences will be for their countries in case of American arms deliveries to Ukraine.

    Furthermore, this deal is manifestly outside of Ukraine and Europe, and has a really geopolitical, if not global, significance since then Angela Merkel traveled to Washington for approval of the deal with US President Barack Obama. And because he also went to some geopolitical concessions, since otherwise any need for such approval would not be required, or 2.0 Minsk would not be so successful.

    And it was very successful, since Merkel and Hollande for the sake of success agreed that the question of whether the Debaltsevo cauldron should be solved on the battlefield. Moreover, there are persistent rumors that Merkel suggested that, and it says that for Germany, this deal was really an issue of paramount importance, a matter of life and death.

    Which is not surprising when you consider that European support for neo-Nazis in Kiev revived old fears of Europeans that the denazification of Germany has not been unequivocally successful and united Europe is lead by a worthy heiress of the German Empire that started two World Wars in Europe.

    Such a failure of the legend of the denazification obviously was not included in the plans of Angela Merkel, and now Germany you can quite confidently consider a country belonging to the Party of Peace, as well as Obama’s America, unlike Hillary Clinton’s America.

    And this, of course, for Russia is undeniably positive result of the defeat of Ukrainian army under Debaltsevo, and the whole chain of Ukrainian events that were initiated by the Foreign Ministers of the European Union a year ago, when they signed the guarantee to President Yanukovych, knowing full well that this piece of paper is a death sentence not only for Ukrainian president, but for the country he lead.

    But the Clinton Foundation will have to do without German money (other than those that they have already received), and this may be the beginning of the collapse of the party of war on a global scale.

  90. ozone February 27, 2015 at 8:53 am #

    Speaking of legal fraud, here’s one possible reason for all the recent braying about ‘homegrown terr’ists in the homeland’. Somehow, continual robbery and profit, far beyond the bromide of “just and reasonable” might irritate a few broke-ass folks.

    http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/2/financiers-and-power-producers-rig-electricity-markets-rob-consumers.html

    This is what happens when Goldman-Sachs gets their beak into a utility and then sells it off to another group of amoral, Mammon-worshipping shitheads in Texas. Have no illusions, misery can (and will) be imposed by cackling profiteers who justly and reasonably might be need of some hangin’.

    JHK,
    Got your electric bill this month?
    Now you’ll get why it almost doubled. I know lots of people that will be hard pressed to pay this and heat their homes.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • ozone February 27, 2015 at 9:14 am #

      Doh! Didn’t get to the main point there.
      Remember Enron, Klepto-Corzine, etc., etc., etc.?

      Why should we expect “just and reasonable” behavior from these oligarchs in regard to the entirety of the planet if they’d rig and game and immiserate their very own people?? (…And don’t jump in here with that idiotic shit that a good dose of benevolent fascism would fix this right up; it won’t, because we have its perfect exemplar going on RIGHT NOW.) They’re in the process of gaming, rigging and collaterally immiserating the world, and if you worship at their altar you agree with their ‘principles’. (I would add that this turns out to be a suicidal path in the end, without fail.)

      • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 1:49 pm #

        Wrong Pete. Under Fascism, the Corporations are kept under control by the Government, as in todays Russia or China. Not that those Nations are to be emulated, but their systems are clearly more stable that ours, even though they fall short when it comes to human rights.

        • ozone February 27, 2015 at 2:34 pm #

          Bow down, boy. (If real boy you are. I’m picturing Pinocchio.)
          Bow down and pray to be accepting of your fate: an early exit through the dark door to the unknown.
          Toady, follower, sheep for shearing, servant of evil and cold murder.

          • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 2:42 pm #

            You aren’t eager to learn. I’ve told you repeatedly that our current system isn’t Fascist, but you aren’t willing to let go of your ignorance. Our current system is Plutocracy. Get it thru your wooden head.

          • ozone February 27, 2015 at 7:23 pm #

            Learn???
            From *you*? (That’s only possible in the negative sense.)

            Since we’re going the declarative route, you realize you’re exactly the kind of tool that keeps the status quo rolling, don’t you, Longnose? (You’ll get that when they have no more use for you. “That vladdie is becoming a bit froggy; I think he’s starting to believe his own bullshit.”)

            The single thing verifying your existence is your fear; you absolutely *reek* of it.

          • Janos Skorenzy February 28, 2015 at 12:16 am #

            The Arch Druid says the same thing about Fascism. If you can’t learn from me, learn from him. In either case, you are simply wrong.

  91. rube-i-con February 27, 2015 at 9:16 am #

    buckwheat, toilet paper and sausage

    thnks for a most interesting phraseology, i`ll chew on it for a while

    can only control the money supply and interest rates

    that`s the biggest `only` i have ever read of my whole life. wish i could only do that much. doesn`t really get you anywhere though, do es it.

    FincaInMountains, drop the ukraine jizz & tell us about your farm in south america, it`s soo much more interesting, moi drug. ya lyooblyoo ukrainy lyudei no pozhalicta ctop…….

    do you recycle water there? south america could easily be the worlds biggest exporter of (solar) energy, since its entirely untapped, but their moronic inability to organize themselves means it will not happen for 2-3 decades.

    dumbass govt tariffs make it horribly economically infeasible to put up panels. i know of one german fellow down here in brazil that did so at his own expense, talk about ass backwards.

    a depressed kunstlerite would see the everyday temperatures of 40 celsius (104 fahrenheit) as proof the world is burning up. those with a modicum of intelligence recognize it as the best energy gift there is – free, unlimited, non-polluting, worth lots of money sold on the market, able to provide free water (from desalination etc), free air conditioning, run manufacturing facilities with virtually no pollution.

    you gals get it…

    kontrahend

    • FincaInTheMountains February 27, 2015 at 10:57 am #

      “do you recycle water there?”

      What the heck are you talking about, man? I have two sources of water on my farm: 1. Rain water collected from the roofs of milking facilities – free, but not reliable (especially during spring and summer dry season, like it was this year) 2. Mountain river – always has enough clean drinkable water, but I need to lift it up 30 meters and 100 meters to two separate milking facilities – need to use gasoline-powered high-pressure pump, actually 2 of them for 100 meters of altitude.

      So I use the combination and use the pumps only when don’t have other choice.

      “south america could easily be the worlds biggest exporter of (solar) energy”
      You know my opinion on it – BS, solar could be used in certain situations, but definitely not enough (unless I invest a fortune into a very complex system with batteries and power inverter) to lift water up 100 meters (around 300 feet).

  92. BackRowHeckler February 27, 2015 at 11:12 am #

    Something’s up.

    All last week ABC has been running Spike Lee’s Malcolm X film.

    And last nite on the CBS news there was a whole segment on Malcolm X, an appearance he made at Brown University in 1964, and what a great guy he was.

    I thought with everything going on in the world the way it is why would CBS news waste time on a story about a guy gunned down 50 years ago.

    But today after i saw in the news Eric Holder stated he believes the autobiography of Malcolm X should be required reading in schools throughout the country, it all made sense.

    Do you need any more evidence that these news networks are not neutral independent entities, but agit prop for Obama and the democratic party?

    brh

    • malthuss February 28, 2015 at 10:02 pm #

      Thanks. I saw a few minutes of a documentary or something [not a feature film] on the idiot box a few days ago about MX life.

      MX was known as ‘Detroit Red’ and was .25 White.

      The media never ceases to amaze me w the disinformation.

  93. barbisbest February 27, 2015 at 11:24 am #

    Janos Skorenzy
    February 24, 2015 at 4:41 am #

    “He was a Zionist. As for his physics, he took from other men without giving them any credit. He was a great scientist, but as a man he didn’t make it.” But Ken Wilber did, he burned off Kharma, a real man, what valor. I doubt you could help Ken Wilber, Janos. He doesn’t need it.

    • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 1:34 pm #

      Remember, he doesn’t believe in popular voting since “Most people are Nazis.” He’s a totalitarian just like me. I think most people are fools (not Nazis). Obviously we differ on who we would allow to vote. He wouldn’t let me vote, but probably would let illegal African immigrants with an average IQ of 70. Thus he would ignore what his own color chart indicates: that Black Africa is Red and always will be because the people are genetically inferior in terms of what we value in the West – smarts.

      • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 1:39 pm #

        Btw, it’s spelled Karma not Kharma, unless you want to use the Pali in which case it’s Kamma or Khamma.

        And how do you know he’s burned off his Karma? From what I’ve heard he’s eager for more, bedding his female students left and right. Not that I condemn him – more like envy. But he’s certainly no Saint.

        • Therian March 1, 2015 at 9:17 am #

          As a Californian, I can say I am sick to death of self-anointed gurus like Ken Wilbur. He’s another one of these guys who used “shtick” to achieve fame i.e., when his now-deceased wife went through chemo he shaved his head to show “solidarity” with her. Sheesh.

          He was originally a sort of failed “mystic” whose original book went through 20 publisher rejections. His wife contracted breast cancer when Wilbur was 35 and he parlayed her illness into boosting his lame theories about holography and spirituality. What is it with these New Agers that link their spiritual mumbo-jumbo with Physics thereby thinking that it “scientizes” their metaphysical cant?

          Lots of people’s relatives die horrible, painful deaths but almost all of them suffer in noble silence and obscurity. Not Mr. Wilbur!! Like Yogi Bhajan (of Kundalini Yoga fame), the Bhagwan, Richard Alpert (Ram Das), and so on, Wilbur did indeed have a universal rep for using his self-created celebrity to bang his female students just like all those other I mentioned (except Alpert who preferred boys).

          Wilbur’s big whoop-de-doo revelation is that the Boomers are egotistical to which my reaction is “No shit, Sherlock”. I wonder if Wilbur has been on Oprah like Eckhart Tolle, another obscurantist dweeb whose books are impenetrable collages of Buddhism, Hinduism, and a few other isms piled into dense philosophy all of which says the same thing about ego and the present moment.

          Americans have lost many things but one of the foremost is their capacity for critical thinking and personal modesty. When we’ve got a shtick we parlay it all the way to Hollywood or huge publishing gigs.

          • Janos Skorenzy March 1, 2015 at 3:30 pm #

            Wilber rejects the Holographic paradigm and argues for a more traditional metaphysic. His fame was already assured without writing about the love of his life and her noble struggle.

            I take issue with the man for other reasons, like his association with the elite of the Democratic Party.

  94. rube-i-con February 27, 2015 at 11:35 am #

    Finca,

    i believe the romans were able to pump water to higher locations using gravity alone.

    also, check out this energyless water pump http://www.instructables.com/id/Worlds-greenest-water-pump/

    kontrahend

    • FincaInTheMountains February 27, 2015 at 12:26 pm #

      You can believe any bs you want. Have you done any of those projects or just shooting your mouth off the u-tube?

      • rube-i-con February 27, 2015 at 8:10 pm #

        no sorry the romans built the aqueducts before i had a chance to. the energyless part of the pump refers to using only the waters own power for pumping.
        sorry if thats too advanced to grasp.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 8:57 pm #

      i believe the romans were able to pump water to higher locations using gravity alone.

      All of which has been incorporated into modern systems if applicable already. Implying that such can be incorporated now as a “fix” for current problems is of course stupid, which you probably suspected even before you posted this non-sense, which further makes me continue to wonder about your intelligence/seriousness.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_ram#Common_operational_problems

  95. barbisbest February 27, 2015 at 11:36 am #

    War is the natural state of man. Peace to you Janos. What you are not, you have been or will be the next time around. “I know I am deathless” Walt Whitman. Wonder if Walt Whitman and Anne Gilchrist reincarnated yet.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 1:44 pm #

      I love Walt! He wasn’t against war. And he talked about the lower races, cheerfully admitting that someday they’ll be where we are now. He would be amazed that his latter day disciples would be against the White Race. A strong masculine supremacist too. Glad you know you place, at least in this regard.

      • Q. Shtik February 27, 2015 at 8:50 pm #

        A strong masculine supremacist too.

        ===============

        You have no problem that he was gay? Have you turned over a new leaf?

        • Janos Skorenzy February 28, 2015 at 12:19 am #

          Yes, it was his Achilles heel. But at least he didn’t discriminate: he sexually harassed wounded men from both the North and the South while doing his “nursing”.

          But a great poet. That’s not nothing.

  96. rube-i-con February 27, 2015 at 11:36 am #

    inca,

    i believe the romans were able to pump water to higher locations using gravity alone.

    also, check out this energyless water pump http://www.instructables.com/id/Worlds-greenest-water-pump/

    kontrahend

    • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 2:35 pm #

      How about solar energy roads? Would they be viable?

  97. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 1:48 pm #

    barbisbest: “But Ken Wilber did, he burned off Kharma, a real man, what valor.”

    The way Wilber burned off karma is described in his book, GRACE AND GRIT. You are right: a real man, what valor.

  98. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 1:51 pm #

    Thank you, President Obama, for opposing XL and for supporting net neutrality… and winning on both.

    Once again, it is demonstrated that big corporations (Comcast, Exxon, etc.) do not always get their way.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:51 pm #

      So expound on that if you will. I haven’t really followed the whole thing, but it’s being portrayed as just the opposite in the MSM today.

  99. Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 2:33 pm #

    Major Liberal/Libertarian with huge following begins to come to the Light. The birth pangs of a god….

    http://www.dailystormer.com/stephan-molyneux-the-war-on-whites/comment-page-1/#comment-1952699

    No wonder they want to turn the Internet into a kind of commercial utility before they are thoroughly refuted.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:57 pm #

      Thank goodness there’s only a few of you out there Janos! Always wonder why Kunstler shuts down overtly anti-Jew comments reflexively and yet allows you to continue. Payoffs perhaps?

      • Janos Skorenzy February 28, 2015 at 12:22 am #

        So just let the White Race die then? So much for what passes as “reasonable”. It only seems so because it’s been beaten into your head ever since you were knee high.

  100. MisterDarling February 27, 2015 at 2:37 pm #

    Just because it’s Friday, and b/c it’s not a bad idea to remind ourselves every few months, this happened – and keeps happening;

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/sci-tech/scientists-know-there-are-more-giant-craters-in-siberia-but-are-nervous-to-even-study-them-20150226-13q7b5.html

    The global-warming issue doesn’t ‘go away’ it accelerates. It’s the biggest becomes the elephant in the room. At this point, MSM’s silence on the topic assures it’s importance – given their track record.

    The big melt;

    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fcf40cc64971496e91d3059f2f7878f3/big-melt-antarcticas-retreating-ice-may-re-shape-earth

    By the way, you’ll notice how even this article from AP downplays the overall threat assessment by only discussing the sea level rise due to one de-glaciation. It forgets to mention that this is happening worldwide.

    Cheers!

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Janos Skorenzy February 27, 2015 at 2:49 pm #

      http://www.grindtv.com/lifestyle/in-style/post/frozen-waves-captured-nantucket-surf-photos/

      Slurpee waves off Nantucket. Unprecedented. No doubt to the True Believers, an Ice Age will also be proof of “Global Warming”.

      • MisterDarling February 27, 2015 at 8:07 pm #

        You’re focusing on local conditions. Pictures are pretty, but they don’t tell us much about what’s happening to the climate system as a whole.

        You need to consider global median and mean temperature data, and the atmospheric chemistry data (CO2 levels at 400 parts-per-million is significant point). In other parts of the world the opposite extreme is happening, and overall – as a planet – things are getting hotter.

        Friends tell me the out in San Francisco the locals were utterly creeped-out by a long series of balmy blue-sky days in February, when 20 years ago, they would have been lucky to get their jackets off for an hour during the day.

        Janos, the reason that I even bother communicating with you as if you might actually assess what I’m saying on it’s own merits, is because of the very small chance that it will increase your survival chances… You have a smattering of critical thinking ability (impaired & warped as it is), and I’d much rather have an interesting fascist around in a time of extreme scarcity, than a horde of blithering-idiot mainstreamers…

        [I’m only half-joking about this… lol]

        😉

        Cheers!

        • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:22 pm #

          The AGW/ACC argument is unwinnable MD and it’s pointless at this point as well. The time for these arguments has long since passed, so the deniers are actually right after all. Proving anyone’s “right” or not at this point is a fool’s errand. That’s the good news.

          The bad news is that the rest of the world will have to suffer humanity’s ongoing suicide as well, but that’s how the eco-cookie crumbles.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 28, 2015 at 12:25 am #

          Roman Britain was warmer and that’s with little carbon footprint compared to today. The Dinosaur days were even warmer. Do you think they had technology?

        • ozone February 28, 2015 at 8:53 am #

          MD,
          ‘Tell ya what: You can keep a venomous snake for a pet over yonder at your place if you want. (After all, that’s your business.) But I guarantee you’ll get tired of his sponging and gum-flapping after a while when you find out he’s not interested in doing any real work and expects alms and handouts for all his ‘exceptional’ ideas on social constructs that, somehow, always end up with him as autocrat, lounging on cushions while enjoying the fruits of others labors.

          As an example of what to expect, look at the sheer volume of his postings on this blog. That could get mighty tiresome in real life.
          (Keep the safety off, just in case.)

          • Janos Skorenzy February 28, 2015 at 2:44 pm #

            Of course. Anyone who shows you you’re wrong is automatically evil. Prog is evil too and you would never answer him when he tried to have a real conversation with you. And the Archdruid is evil. Here he is telling you what Fascism is. Our current system is the opposite. Does our Government control the Corporations or vice versa? Does our Government revere or history and traditions or is it doing everything possible to destroy them? Let your soul answer. You shut up for a minute and listen.

            http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2014/02/fascism-and-future-part-one-up-from.html

  101. MisterDarling February 27, 2015 at 2:47 pm #

    Also thought that I’d roll this out again… Because CFN has to whether a LOT of supremely clueless bullcr*p based on ‘GDP’ and the BLS’s self-admitted horseshit ‘statistics’…

    Item 1:

    You can’t eat GDP:

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-09-20/decline-americas-economic-model-1-simple-chart

    Take a closer look at just that chart:

    http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2014/09/20140917_chart.jpg

    Personally I have nothing against CFN’s *Baghdad Bob Brigade* – they’re just doing their job: one long rearguard action. Actually, I feel a teensy-bit sorry for them, because while they’re cutting and pasting unattributed information from their organizations ‘knowledge management system’ – for the sake of the ‘king’s shilling’ – people in the know are having actual lives and moving the eff onward.

    Cheers!

  102. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 3:17 pm #

    MisterDarling: “You can’t eat GDP”

    BLS just revised downward GDP growth from 2.6% to 2.2%

    Should we believe BLS?

    How can we? Mr. Darling has already pronounced:

    BLS is horseshit ‘statistics’ according to Mr. D.

    So, if BLS says GDP went down .4%, the opposite is probably the case. Government lies according to CFN, so GDP is now 3% … proof of economic recovery.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 8:40 pm #

      You are TRULY a simpleton and a dolt! Like arguing with a 3 year old.

      • Q. Shtik February 27, 2015 at 9:25 pm #

        You are TRULY a simpleton and a dolt! – DA

        ================

        Or as OEO used to say back in the day, a Fucktard and a Moron. I yearn for the simple insults of yore.

        • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:38 pm #

          LOL! Likewise.

  103. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 3:26 pm #

    Median family income has been rising lately. And middle class net worth has also been rising if you are a home owner.

    The evidence does not come from “horseshit statistics” … nor from BLS government statistics.

    Home prices rose by 4.6 percent over the past calendar year, according to the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller national index of home prices.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 8:20 pm #

      And exactly what does “rising” mean, pray tell?

      Home prices will of course continue to rise, considering that credit is basically free and that Fed “funny money” has filtered down to the now corporatized mortgage markets.

  104. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 3:30 pm #

    Republicans at CPAC just walked out on John Ellis Bush as he was about to give a speech to conservatives.

  105. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 3:37 pm #

    But as The Washington Post reported, the BLS is structured in such a way that the White House can’t mess with its math, regardless of which party is occupying it.

    “Anyone who thinks that political folks can manipulate the unemployment data are completely ignorant of how the BLS works and how the data are compiled,” Betsey Stevenson, a former chief economist at the Labor Department.

    I think Mr. Darling qualifies as one of the misinformed about data compilation, making him gullible… easily persuaded by conspiracy claims of data manipulation.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • DA February 27, 2015 at 8:36 pm #

      Surely even YOU don’t believe that malarkey! The WH, as the top dog in a top down hierarchical bureaucracy, CAN INDEED mess with just about anything under its purview. Let me tell you from experience, data manipulation at ALL levels is not only assumed these days, it’s pretty much a topic for open discussion at all high level staff meetings. That’s the beauty of all this IT technology in the hands of rank amateurs, aka “managers.” “The numbers” can easily be made to fit whatever story the idiots want to tell.

  106. MisterDarling February 27, 2015 at 6:52 pm #

    Here’s the Greek payment schedule, visualized;

    http://i.imgur.com/h0TfOZK.png?1

    Oh yeah sure, that’s totally do-able…

    /s

    “The only thing at issue is how it will not be paid back, that is, what mode of pretense will be employed to disguise the inability to pay back this debt.”-J H K.

    Indeed…

    😉

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:08 pm #

      Not sure what all the legend abbreviations mean.

  107. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 8:57 pm #

    DA: “The numbers” can easily be made to fit whatever story the idiots want to tell.

    Then why were the numbers for GDP just adjusted downward from 2.6% to 2.2% … why weren’t the numbers “made to fit” in a way that makes the administration look good?

    When are they going to “make” the numbers “fit” with regard to labor participation rates? Current numbers don’t reflect well on the economy and those are the BLS numbers favored and cited on CFN.

    Ditto with the wealth inequality numbers, which show how the rich are getting richer and everyone else, who also called voters, is worse off. Why aren’t those numbers “made to fit” a narrative more favorable to the current administration for re-election purposes?

    If the numbers could “easily” be “made to fit,” there would never be unfavorable numbers.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:05 pm #

      As I’ve posted previously:

      Father Merrin: Especially important is the warning to avoid conversations with the demon. We may ask what is relevant but anything beyond that is dangerous. He is a liar. The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don’t listen to him. Remember that – do not listen.

      Numbers are manipulated to fit a story, and stories change (nearly constantly) over time. Nothing is EVER as simple as it seems, and CERTAINLY never at the upper levels.

  108. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 9:09 pm #

    Mister Darling: “Oh yeah sure, that’s totally do-able…”

    After watching the ability to kick the can down the road for the last 15 years to avoid general collapse, why do you now doubt?

    Or do you foresee a collapse of the global banking system “just around the corner”? Do you see an imminent end to the transportation systems and empty store shelves and mass starvation in developed countries like Greece?

    The ability to pay back or the inability to pay back … it doesn’t matter. Countries regularly default on loans with no dire consequences. Both Greece and Argentina have reneged on their commitments to bondholders seven and eight times respectively over the past 200 years. And most countries have defaulted at least once in their history.

    Guess what, Mr. Darling? Life goes on. So it doesn’t matter whether it is “doable” or not.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:45 pm #

      Life goes on, until it doesn’t. In actuality, people and life in general are extinguished everyday. Funny thing is, the dead don’t tell their tales. Funny that.

  109. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 9:12 pm #

    DA: “As I’ve posted previously:” I live in a black and white world where devils lie.

    Thanks for that “explanation.” You didn’t answer my question about why would there ever be unfavorable numbers.

    • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:25 pm #

      Because occasional unfavorable numbers further the overall lie. Christ fuck, you REALLY ARE a fucking simpleton-dolt, aren’t you!

  110. wpa--ccc February 27, 2015 at 9:24 pm #

    Lots of countries have debts that are not repayable, including historic superpowers. Defaulting does not equal disappearing as proved by the continued existence of Italy, Egypt, Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • DA February 27, 2015 at 9:36 pm #

      In the case of the US, UK, Spain, and France, each hegemons in their own time, or sycophants of hegemons in others. Egypt and Portugal are not and have not been relevant for some time, and Japan has been little more than a US protectorate/sycophant since WWII.

      The relevant point at this point is, who prints the money and what for? The answer is, of course, the US, and for the benefit of the now multi-national banks, who then funnel it into the stocks and coffers of the US inspired multi-national corporations.

  111. FincaInTheMountains February 28, 2015 at 1:54 am #

    Bloomberg: How Much Will You Pay to Park Cash as Central Banks Go Negative?

    The monetary guardians of the euro area, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark are now imposing negative interest rates on bank deposits or on funding operations that feed through to the real economy.

    Analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia reckon almost a quarter of worldwide central-bank reserves now carry a negative yield.
    By confounding the onetime idea that they had to stop cutting borrowing costs at zero, monetary-policy makers are seeking to spur spending over saving. They also expect their currencies to weaken as capital inflows are discouraged.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-27/central-banks-with-negative-rates-spur-question-of-how-low-to-go

    Demurrage is the cost associated with owning or holding currency over a given period. It is sometimes referred to as a carrying cost of money. For commodity money such as gold, demurrage is the cost of storing and securing the gold. For paper currency, it takes the form of a periodic tax, such as a stamp tax, on currency holdings.

    Demurrage is sometimes cited as economically advantageous, usually in the context of complementary currency systems.

    In practice, demurrage in paper currency will have a form of banknote expiration date – usually by the end of the year. After the expiration date, banknote seizes to be a legal tender and must be exchanged at authorized financial institution (bank) at a certain discount for a new one, or be deposited to saving or checking account, also at a discount.

  112. FincaInTheMountains February 28, 2015 at 2:26 am #

    Negative interest rate on bank deposits is the inevitable consequence and testimony that the real economy has stopped all growth.

    A real economy is finally ceased to develop. It is not only not receiving any credit support from the banks, but constantly bled dry by them through the diversion of funds from the real economy to the financial markets.

    In other words, banks parasitized due to the accumulated wealth of mankind and at the expense of the real economy. Today, the parasite has sucked almost all the juice out of his victim and he himself is on the verge of death. Fighting for their existence, bank parasite ruthlessness towards society increases dramatically. Traditional (economic) methods of parasitism stop working. Negative interest rates on deposits – a sign that the model of economic and financial system, which was built by moneylenders for last several centuries, actually falling apart before our eyes. We are witnessing (and partly participants) of the transition to the other world financial and economic model.

    After the introduction of negative interest bankers may follow with much more serious measures. For example, the elimination of part or all of global financial obligations. In the new model, the role of money would be drastically reduced, and their functions will be different than it is now.

  113. FincaInTheMountains February 28, 2015 at 5:16 am #

    “also, check out this energyless water pump” — kontrahend

    The “alternative do-it-yourself” energy projects, like kontrahend likes to push here, are all almost 100% diversions from the real-in-the-metal solutions that could be used for practical purpose.

    For instance, nobody is talking about Stirling Water pump that was commercially produced by Rider-Ericsson Engine Company in the United States in the second half of the 19th century.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mlyXRBLkqc

    It was operated by wood-burning build-in stove in an absolutely unsupervised way – when the wood burns out it simply stops. It requires a manual push to start it up. It is extremely simple and reliable and requires minimum service that could be easily performed by the owner-operator. It is also safe – no water boiler that could blow in case of steam engines. Analog of the machine could be used as well for small power generation – like feeding the fridge – which is of primary importance in extreme situations that requires the use of such machines in the first place.

    It does the job of efficient and high-altitude water pumping. Of course, it could be greatly improved in industrial settings by 1. Modernizing the Stirling engine for much better efficiency (like using NASA design) 2. Using modern pyrolysis-based wood stoves (that requires some high-temperature materials capable of taking 2300 F) and also runs without supervision. It still requires a small electrical input – 150watts – to operate forced air fan and, optionally, electronic controller to save wood by slowing the air fan when certain temperature has been reached.

    I have managed to build a pyrolysis-based wood stove(without controller) that I operate for drying the palm nuts, but producing of efficient industrial Stirling engine is beyond my technical or financial capabilities.

  114. rube-i-con February 28, 2015 at 8:44 am #

    All of which has been incorporated into modern systems if applicable already. Implying that such can be incorporated now as a “fix” for current problems is of course stupid,

    we’re talking about supplying a little farm with water, not the city of chicago

    please read posts carefully . there is no mention of ‘current problems’, just pumping a bit of water up to finca’s hamlet using some clever little device(s) that employs gravity/natural water pressure.

    this is typical jhk sycophant dismissal of any technology. cuz you know, it’s too late to do anything cuz the world’s about to end.

    nevertheless, we salute you as we soar high, high above your limited visions into a future of cornucopia and boundless energy.

    kontrahend

  115. Being There February 28, 2015 at 9:48 am #

    Just a thought…..

    Time isn’t on our side.

    What a difference a few decades make. The US used to dream of greatness, now we dream of unending war.
    Kennedy: We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
    Now: We choose to go to war……
    First the Ukranian coup brought to you by the Neocons, continues…..
    PCR has an article to check out on the Nemtsov murder:
    http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/…/nemtsov-murder-anti-puti…/

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Buck Stud February 28, 2015 at 12:06 pm #

      I was just waiting for the first person to implicate the U.S. in the Nemtsov assassination. And who else but PCR to answer the bell of “right on cue” (Actually, there were probably others to beat PCR to the punch; you know, the “deeper thinkers’.)

      But I’m sure the truth will come out eventually; after all, Putin and Co. are ‘investigating the murder’.

      • Being There February 28, 2015 at 2:44 pm #

        Ha, these are the things we won’t get an answer to, but sometimes you have to watch the patterns.

        With Europe/NATO turning on Putin, it would be indeed foolish for him to assassinate an American asset and dissident just to prove everything we say about him.

        I’m no fan of the leadership anywhere these days, but I don’t think that P is brain-dead.

      • BackRowHeckler February 28, 2015 at 8:13 pm #

        “Round up the usual suspects.”

  116. volodya February 28, 2015 at 11:17 am #

    Karah and Barbisbest

    The “best place” to be poor? Boy, that’s a real crap-shoot. The best place to be poor IMO is a place where you can grow your own and eat it or smoke it unmolested. But growing takes skill. Not everyone has the touch.

    No objection to helping out people in a bad way. That’s not what I meant by unmolested.

    What I meant was that when authority pulls back some other authority always takes its place. And it never works for free. They’ll tell you they have to eat too.

    The goons won’t take no for an answer. You may be able to shoo them away for a time by special pleading: I’m a poor widow, I have x number of mouths to feed.

    Or, if you’re a tough guy, lookee here Mister, my gun’s bigger’n yers, now run along. But they’ll be back.

    Nobody leaves this place alive. But, with some luck, you may not starve and, maybe, if you grow good stuff and they don’t take it from you, you’ll die high.

    Governments are liars, statistical agencies are in their service and anyway both work for oligarch interests. Every time I hear Krugman or Summers or Greenspan or Yellen talk I want to puke. It’s hideous.

    Anyone who looks around can see things for what they are. As Mr. Darling says you can’t eat GDP.

    • Janos Skorenzy February 28, 2015 at 2:53 pm #

      Byzantium didn’t let Jews anywhere near money, politics, or education. China is gambling with its future by letting them in.

  117. wpa--ccc February 28, 2015 at 12:23 pm #

    DA: “Because occasional unfavorable numbers further the overall lie. Christ fuck, you REALLY ARE a fucking simpleton-dolt, aren’t you!”

    So, if the numbers are favorable, they are manipulated. And if the numbers are unfavorable, they are also manipulated.

    That is a totalitarian belief system. It will not admit anything contradictory to the conspiratorial mindset. It is not unlike a fundamentalist religious mindset.

    Things (like BLS statistics) are being manipulated behind the scenes by powerful invisible forces beyond our control. Bow down. All resistance is futile.

    I am in fundamental disagreement with such a paranoid irrational view.

    TPTB are regularly being frustrated by the will of the people, defeated actually. Examples: XL pipeline defeated by 350.org activists and net neutrality being preserved by battleforthenet.com activists.

    • Being There February 28, 2015 at 2:40 pm #

      Well, the problem is it will continue to keep coming up again and again just as net neutrality will continue to be fought.

      Surely you don’t believe the corporatists will go gently into that good night with all their power and influence, do you?

      I bet you in short order we’ll all be signing more petitions begging the FCC not to allow the media giants to charge for faster access. I also believe I’ll be signing more petitions against the XL pipeline.

      It’s not paranoia or fundamentalist fervor to recognize that we have become a global, hegemonic corporatocracy. These people don’t like to lose and they have lots of $$ and lobbyists to do their bidding.

      These are just the first rounds for both these issues. They are already taking this to court.

      Apres Monsieur Obama……..

      • Janos Skorenzy February 28, 2015 at 2:50 pm #

        As if the two issues are the same. We could use that oil Be. One night out on the plateau or in an unheated apartment in November, and you would be sniffing those fumes and greedily munching on coal.

        • Being There February 28, 2015 at 3:55 pm #

          Vlad,

          The XL pipeline has nothing to do with providing anything for the US. It’s for a Canadian Corporation to send the tar sands oil through our country to refineries and sent to the International Oil Bourse.

          In the meantime, we put our water table in jeopardy because these AH’s won’t put in safety measures cuz it costs too much money.

          In an anti-regulations environment you are asking for a nightmare which will cost lives.

          • Q. Shtik February 28, 2015 at 4:41 pm #

            these [AH’s] won’t put in safety measures

            ============

            AHs

            It’s plural, not possessive.

  118. volodya February 28, 2015 at 12:33 pm #

    BT, war is a wonderful distraction isn’t it?

    It works, not just for the oligarchs running things in the US, but also those in Russia. Putin has approval ratings they can only dream of in these parts.

    And, while this rancid little fight is going on in the Ukraine, the average Ivan in the street is too distracted to pay attention to the looting run from the Kremlin.

    So, who do you think is worse, their oligarchs or ours? Would you rather have the Koch brothers or some cockroach from the steppes?

    So, who killed Nemtsov? A long list of likely suspects I, um, suspect. Who do they round up? The eternal question, cui bono?

    You know, if I was a betting man I’d bet on one of two outcomes. The more likely, nobody gets caught. The less likely outcome, the rub-out gets pinned on some low-level schmuck in the Russian secret service.

    No matter, that’s secondary, IMO the real purpose was the same as in the Kennedy killing: to send a message.

    What message? Be happy for what you have. Also, (similar to the 1963 communique) we have the power, not you, and we mean to keep it. And, if you don’t like it, we’ll take what you have and, not only that, you’ll end up like Nemtsov.

    It’s a crude messaging strategy but, like the Kennedy dispatch, effective.

    • Being There February 28, 2015 at 2:41 pm #

      Agreed.

      Speaking of which what were those break-ins into the WH or the fellow with a gun on the elevator all about?

      • Being There February 28, 2015 at 2:47 pm #

        War isn’t just a distraction, Lord knows it’s what runs the economy. A big big giant money maker for private interests living on dare I say….tax-payer money.

        Who are the takers?

  119. rube-i-con February 28, 2015 at 12:49 pm #

    Lots of countries have debts that are not repayable, including historic superpowers. Defaulting does not equal disappearing as proved by the continued existence of Italy, Egypt, Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States.

    add Greece to the list, since it’s the whipping boy of the endtyme fanatics. except that it never trips off the end of the world so longed for by the myopics out here.

    Median family income has been rising lately. And middle class net worth has also been rising if you are a home owner.

    my income went up 300% last year, and my kids’ is rising very significantly.

    man, and i thot the financial system was in its death throes. funny, we all work in technical areas, kind of in line with the fact that technology is advancing and requires specialists.

    not geniuses, just folks willing to put in lots of hours studying. wife just passed the bar exam at 47 years old. she has loads of real estate related experience as a non-lawyer that’ll put her good stead as an attorney. in other words, hard work over years past will now pay off.

    A real economy is finally ceased to develop.

    An economy is simply money changing hands via sale and purchases of things and services. Lots of that going on. There’s plenty of technological development taking place.

    I think you folks are way too focused on the fact that so many people have made stupid choices that lock them out of any economic viability.

    feminine studies, history of dance.

    wpa — ccc is right on so many fronts. i used to be an endtymer til i woke up and saw progress right in front of my face, progress that puts the lie to so much of what is alleged out here.

    all your escatological prognostications are smashed by entire countries powering themselves on clean, limitless energy.

    self-driving cars will cut fuel usage :

    A recent report by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America projects that so-called intelligent transportation systems (ITS) could achieve a 2 to 4 percent reduction in oil consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions each year over the next 10 years as these technologies percolate into the market.

    Just one example of our technofantasies! haha, jimmy kunstler, you are the decade’s biggest loser.

    Some of these technologies are already producing significant sustainability benefits. The Smithsonian Institution, for instance, reduced the fuel consumption on its fleet of 1,500 vehicles by 53 percent by using GPS tracking and wireless communication to better manage its vehicles.

    damn, another technofantasy.

    guess we can’t lose for winning.

    nevertheless, we salute you as we rocket past you into boundless progress and discovery.

    kontrahend

    could we go on and on and point out that spain, denmark, the other nordic countries, germany, google (which is the size of some countries) , apple etc. all use

  120. rube-i-con February 28, 2015 at 12:52 pm #

    …all use free solar energy or other renewable clean energy.

    haha, it’s so easy to beat up on you girlies.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  121. FincaInTheMountains February 28, 2015 at 1:49 pm #

    According to Moscow rumor mill, Nemtsov was killed in a car near Kremlin (was it too hard for Langley boys to do him in right in Putin’s cabinet?). At the moment of murder that lady (??!!??) from Kiev was with him. She was, fortunately, unharmed.

    Here is a pic of them together:

    http://www.don24.ru/upload/blog/e86/e86639a9c3d417d1ec074f429b728b19.jpg

    Also, it turns out that the large ocean development right near me (100+ mils) happens to be Nemtsov property – I guess it pays to be a Russian dissident.

  122. wpa--ccc February 28, 2015 at 3:54 pm #

    Rubicon: “point out that spain, denmark, the other nordic countries, germany, google (which is the size of some countries) , apple etc. all use free solar energy or other renewable clean energy.”

    Blasphemy! Too much magic! Heresy!

    You are going against the CFN doctrine that alternative energy is no solution. Let me give something that is anathema on CFN: FACTS!

    ** China put in a massive 21 gigawatts of new wind power in 2014, half of all the wind power installed in the entire world that year and four times as much as the US. I wonder if the Chinese know something we don’t?

    ** Turkey has announced that it will try to add 20 gigawatts of wind energy to its electricity production capacity in only 8 years. I wonder if Turkey knows something we don’t?

    ** Australia has just opened the world’s first large-scale wave power facility. It will power a naval base. I wonder if Australia knows something we don’t?

    ** The Jordanian government has announced its determination to install solar panels on the roofs of all 6,000 of the country’s mosques. I wonder if Muslims are more environmentally responsible than Christians?

    ** Germany cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 5 percent in 2014. The country increased energy efficiency, grew its economy, and increased the percentage of electricity generated by renewables from 25% to 28% year over year. So much for the Republican idea that renewables are not economically feasible.

    We salute you as we soar high above your doomsday laden minds.

  123. rube-i-con February 28, 2015 at 4:02 pm #

    wpa~~~ccc

    right on baby!!

    kontrahending cfn^ers since 2008

  124. wpa--ccc February 28, 2015 at 4:04 pm #

    …In the UK in January, wind turbines generated an impressive 14% of all the electricity used in the isles. Wind powered the equivalent of 8.7 million UK homes. On January 2, for a single day, wind provided almost one third of all the electricity generated in Britain. The UK has 12 gigawatts of installed wind capacity.

    Denmark produced almost 40% of its electricity from wind in 2014, having doubled that figure in a decade.

    They said it couldn’t be done. Now that countries all over the world are doing it, we should perhaps be saying: It couldn’t be done in the USA, where idiots in Congress (both houses controlled by Republicans) cannot even pass a bill to fund DHS after active threats against American malls just last week.

    Of course, some CFN idiots will probably be asking: was that video with threats really just a “black flag” operation to manipulate us, to terrorize us into staying away from malls? Well, in that case, take W’s advice: go shopping. Yeah, that’s a solution.

    There is a price to be paid for ignoring facts. There is a price to be paid for believing in invisible unknown forces that demoralize you into inaction.

  125. Pucker February 28, 2015 at 7:07 pm #

    Mr. Spock died. Mr. Spock was always so f…ck’n logical except when he got really horny in the episode called “Amok Time”.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  126. rube-i-con February 28, 2015 at 7:25 pm #

    Leonard Nimoy, a Brookline boy, beantownbill, did you know that?

    What a class act he will always be.

    For those of you not familiar with his work in the rejected pilot for Start Trek, he was a much more emotional, fiery Spock.

    His character was toned down into the legendary Spock we all love for all subsequent episodes.

    All imitators (in later series/movies) are pathetic attempts to recapture his greatness. A sham. Like Kevin Costner playing baseball…ugh.

    Check out the pilot on youtube.
    Also, check out the many Star Trek bloopers there, great fun.

    To the transporter room, Mr. Spock.

    kontrahend

  127. BackRowHeckler February 28, 2015 at 8:25 pm #

    These Christians captured by ISIS in NSyria, I trust they’re getting equivalent treatment as the prisoners at Guantanamo, Halal meals, airconditioned cells, TV, chance at regular worship, medical care, bibles, exercise periods, dental treatment, hot showers, haircuts, legal representation.

    BRH

  128. BackRowHeckler February 28, 2015 at 9:28 pm #

    The hope is that Code Pink, CAIR and the IMAMS in the White House, all noted Humanitarians, will issue some joint statement ensuring the safety of the captured Christians. The Pope, too, interrupting his Global Warming Mission, will try to intervene on their behalf (if he can fit it in).

    brh

  129. Buck Stud February 28, 2015 at 11:05 pm #

    Here are some reader comments on the Nemstov murder from a well known conspiracy theory website:

    “Nemtsov was a blood sacrifice because our true leaders are psychopaths.”

    “This dead guy was not getting the job done for his Washington masters. So he was worth more to them dead than alive.”

    “What he should be reporting is how much money he and his friends like Soros are spending on thugs and fascists to create “Russian spring” fascist protests and destroy people’s lives and try to start war Bloomberg and Soros want to put the Russian people in a permanent winter while the Gold Worshippers steal it all, and tear down the reviving churches for good measure.”

    “He is a long list of CIA paid clients who outlasted his usefulness and finally met his fate. Just another assassination by CIA.”

    “Nemtsov died as politic long time ago and CIA was unable to use him anymore. Plus Nemtsov knew a lot of dirty secrets and possibly stole a lot of money of CIA for revolution in Russia. That is why they killed him. At least now they can tell how Putin is bad.”

    “Bloomberg is Soros’s friend and fellow club member, and is participating in this propaganda and warmongering right with Soros and the other Golf Worshippers.Bloomberg is involved with all this killing and stealing too, and he wants to steal from russia too with his pals.”

    “It was probably a Mossad hit. They seem to adore false-flags, with 9/11, the three fake yeshiva punks in the West Bank, etc.”

    • BackRowHeckler March 1, 2015 at 12:23 am #

      Interesting, Buck.

      Have you ever read about the Kirov murder in the 1930s that set off event called ‘The Great Terror’? Similar to this, a rival of Stalin ends up getting shot down, on Stalin’s orders, then Stalin uses it to launch a murder spree unmatched in the history of the world. Only goes to show you not much has changed in Russia in 80 years, Lenin, Stalin, Putin, you can get killed pretty easy, best to lay low and not attract the attention of the authorities. Good advice for here in the USA too.

      brh

      • FincaInTheMountains March 1, 2015 at 3:55 am #

        Khrushchev in his memoirs states that Kirov’s murder was organized by Stalin and the NKVD(KGB).

        After the XX Congress of the Communist party of USSR (CPSU), on the initiative of Khrushchev a special committee to investigate the issue was created headed by Shvernik and with participation of Shatunovskaya (herself repressed in 1937).

        Proceedings of the commission were not published during the Khrushchev administration.

        Molotov ( Minister of Foreign Affairs) in 1979 stated: “The Commission concluded that Stalin was not involved in Kirov’s assassination. Khrushchev refused to publish it – not in his favor.

      • Buck Stud March 1, 2015 at 2:21 pm #

        BRH,

        No I have not but I’ll check it out. I believe I have mentioned that a Russian art mentor of mine who emigrated to the U.S. as an ‘artist of special ability’ would read articles to me from certain Russian newspapers detailing some of the atrocities occurring in his former country. The one instance I best recall is an entire apartment building being burned down because its residents refused to move and make way for more lucrative development.

        So I don’t find it hard to believe that an outspoken political figure was gunned down in the former U.S.S.R. Apparently, more business as usual.

        And I hope my posting of the above quotes did not make it appear that I took the quotes seriously; quite the opposite in fact. Nearly every one of the above quotes were predictably cliche, which is ironic because these types throw around the term “sheeple” as if they were the real critical thinkers.

        It seems the phrase “I don’t know” is no longer acceptable and so most on these sites engage in hair-trigger declarative pronouncements which right from the get-go puts one at odds with a spirit of inquiry.

        Don’t get wrong, I enjoy reading a strong thesis supported by evidence but I think people tend to gather their evidence from the same well-worn ruts that also happen to support biased beliefs. And the people who do otherwise are often derided as Will-O-The-Wisps or traitors.

        Battle lines are by nature very rigid and ideological battle are being drawn tighter and tighter all of the time. Vlad, for instance, covets that moment when any diversion or gaze adrift from the collective goose-step would result in one’s instant elimination. So the person who ‘contains multitudes’ stands on a very narrow ledge between freight trains moving in opposite directions. But it’s still very interesting to experiment with the political change-up just to watch the reactions of those who suddenly feel betrayed and to get a visceral feel for the dynamic of it all. But I agree, the true sages most often keep their mouth shut not for fear of repercussions but simply because they don’t know.

        • Janos Skorenzy March 1, 2015 at 3:21 pm #

          Oh rubbish. Hitler’s Germany had many dissidents who were left alone. Traitors were a different story, of course.

          Don’t know is good – as long as you are trying to know. Of course there are things about which few know, or can know, or will ever know. You are making all these distinctions, right?

          • BackRowHeckler March 2, 2015 at 12:06 am #

            What about The White Rose?

            they got beheaded if I’m not mistaken.

    • mika. March 1, 2015 at 11:22 am #

      CIA = KGB = Vatican gov mafia

      Many snakes one Medusa head. Anyone who doesn’t understand this doesn’t understand the game. The game of predation.

  130. FincaInTheMountains March 1, 2015 at 3:30 am #

    The US goal is to liberate Europe from the energy supply from Russia and take her place. To this end, the United States should: firstly, to undermine a steady supply of Russian gas to Europe; secondly, to introduce the most severe international sanctions against Russia, ideally making it impossible to purchase Russian gas Europe in general.

    Because what the Americans can sell for $9, Russians can sell for $6. And as long as Gazprom is not blown out of the European market, there aint nothing Americans could catch in the “Old World.” That’s it!

    However, in the case of initiating of the American LNG project in the EU, in 10 years US won’t have any interests in Ukraine, so the Ukrainians will have to get used to the ruined economy and poverty, and to think how to get out of their difficulties themselves!

    Everything else, the civil war in Ukraine, the attempts at destabilizing Moscow’s political landscape by killing their own agent Nemtsov who outlived his usefulness, are just means to that goal.

    Funny, they wanted to sacrifice Alexei Navalny to make a real impact, but Putin saved Navalny’s life by placing him under administrative 15-days arrest.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Being There March 1, 2015 at 1:45 pm #

      I like that explanation. There’s more. There’s regime change to get a US friendly puppet like our good friend, the Neoliberal drunkard Yeltstin. Those were the heady days of the Soviet collapse.

      Then we don’t have any more challenges to invading any country we want or bombing it.

      Shock and Awe—its a real money maker, that one.

  131. BackRowHeckler March 1, 2015 at 3:47 am #

    Not to worry, Putin has vowed to get to the bottom of the Nemtsov murder if he has to move heaven and earth to do it.

    brh

    • Being There March 1, 2015 at 1:45 pm #

      BRH

      Putin isn’t your problem.

      • ozone March 1, 2015 at 7:52 pm #

        BT,
        …A “larger picture” overview and perspective of recent presidential history (actual and contrived) should give us a starting point in understanding the chute to the abattoir we’re [quite deliberately] being herded into.

        http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/02/27/the-metamorphosis-of-vladimir-putin/

        Yes, I would surmise that the financial war that JHK refers to would be the reason to get the ‘hot’ war up and running for empire’s glory, continuation, and most of all *survival*! The reams of denial and distraction by the usual suspects here should give us a glaring clue as to the desperation and panic running through the imperial bureaucracy. (Heavens! “Jobs” may be lost!)

  132. FincaInTheMountains March 1, 2015 at 6:59 am #

    French researcher was able to find a molecule capable of stopping and killing cancer cells in certain types of cancer

    Called ET-D5, this molecule with anti-cancer properties “has the ability to stop the division and proliferation of tumor cells, and destroy the vessels that have formed and that feed the tumor.”

    Thus, tumors may be destroyed due to this molecule, blocking their development and their blood supply, without damaging the organs affected by the tumor. For now, this molecule has only been tested on mice and the results are very promising. Aurelie Juhem can not do tests on humans now because it needs at least 500,000 euros in order to toxicological tests.

    http://www.depotekk.com/2015/02/et-d5-molecule-that-could-kill-cancer.html

  133. Therian March 1, 2015 at 9:46 am #

    Half of youngsters in their 20s are now living with their parents. Also, they’ve been raised (or is it more accurate to say they were “tended to once in a while”) by absentee parents to tired to be parents. Thus, the US birth rate among people born here is going to drop precipitously. We’re merely a decade behind Europe. These 20-somethings will NEVER have the wherewithal to sire and raise children in an economically protected environment. They can’t get the jobs … not that most of them would have the character to work those jobs anyhow.

    The problem of our youth having no future whatsoever gets peculiar silence from TV, radio, and authors. This crisis, and make no mistake that it’s anything less than a crisis, has made the takeover of the US by Asians and Mexicans a fait accompli. Also, since these kids have no money to spend, a feature of most US cities is now failing pubs, cafes, restaurants, and entertainment venues while cellphone stores proliferate like mosquitoes. Even in California, a state which prides itself on its relaxed vibe, is losing most mom-and-dad cafes and eateries which get replaced by office space, financial services, or gizmo shops.

    We are sooooo far out on this limb that, frankly, there’s nothing to be done but grin and bear it. The end result will be a chaotic America because in case you haven’t noticed, even the USPS is full of Filipinos and other Asian cultures. That’s why when you move, the chance that your mail will ACTUALLY be forwarded to your new address is about 25%. And that’s the problem in a nutshell. People from the world’s shitholes bring a rather laissez faire attitude to America about PRECISION. So we’ll end up being more like Manila.

    Have you noticed that you’re spending a lot more time on the phone per year with Comcast or some other outfits fixing a problem for the third or fourth time? Get used to it!!

    • Janos Skorenzy March 1, 2015 at 6:16 pm #

      So that’s why they call it a “manila envelope”.

  134. Q. Shtik March 1, 2015 at 12:31 pm #

    I can say I am sick to death of self-anointed gurus like Ken Wilbur. – Therian

    ==============

    Without knowing so much as diddly about Ken Wilbur I can tell from what you have written that if I did I would agree with your assessment 110%.

    • Janos Skorenzy March 1, 2015 at 3:41 pm #

      His saving grace (to some extent anyway) is that he has never claimed to be a guru, but only an acharya or teacher. Of course one could argue that even that comes with ethical strictures not to sleep with your students. On the other hand, they were all grown women of course and it’s not like their well financial well being depended on his approval.

  135. Q. Shtik March 1, 2015 at 12:43 pm #

    Anyone who doesn’t understand this doesn’t understand the game. – Mika

    ===============

    Oh please, Mika, help us to understand the game.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • malthuss March 1, 2015 at 4:56 pm #

      Far as I can tell, Ken Wilbur is a writer.
      I assume you have no interest in his ilk.

      http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Wilber/e/B000APH4W2

      • Q. Shtik March 1, 2015 at 6:05 pm #

        I assume you have no interest in his ilk. – Malthuss

        =================

        I have no time for people who believe spirits fill the earth and the sky and people who have figured out the meaning of life and for an entry fee of $49.95 will explain it all to you. I assume that would describe Wilber and his ilk.

        • Therian March 2, 2015 at 4:27 am #

          That about sums up the shtick of just about all New Age “mystics” i.e., “If you come to my workshop for $500 I will enlighten you”, “If you buy my book for $29.95 I will enlighten you”, “If you subscribe to my newsletter for $199/year I will enlighten you”.

          Yes, Q. you’ve got it nailed. They prey upon the credulous upper middle class. The lower and lower middle classes, ironically, have the sense to write these people off as bullshit artists and, besides, they can’t afford the “enlightenment fee”.

    • mika. March 1, 2015 at 6:20 pm #

      It’s a “game” where all the supposed opposing sides are spawned and sponsored by one central entity — The Vatican gov mafia. It’s a game of scripted theater, informational lies, and genocidal predation. To perceive and understand this “game” all you need to do is look at who are its constant victims and those who are never seen, mentioned, investigated, etc.

      You see, Q, the propaganda is so pervasive and total, that emotionally people simply cannot bring themselves to look past it. Anything which brings it into question is so outrageously preposterous to their whole world of knowledge and understanding that they would never give it serious consideration. And that’s exactly what the propaganda is meant to do.

      • Q. Shtik March 1, 2015 at 10:55 pm #

        Thank god we have YOU to sort all this out for us.

        • mika. March 2, 2015 at 12:30 am #

          We? Who is we? You’re a corrupt propagandized callous dolt.

          Anyhow, this is for the rest of youz Vatican/CIA fascists. Without morals, you’re dead. Just waiting to be buried. And you will be.

          • Q. Shtik March 2, 2015 at 12:45 am #

            We? Who is we? – Mika

            =========

            You know, the rest of us, the poor ignorant unwashed…. everybody but you.

        • Therian March 2, 2015 at 4:28 am #

          I see the needle of the record player is still stuck in a multi-year groove. Sigh.

  136. wpa--ccc March 1, 2015 at 1:24 pm #

    I can say I am sick to death of self-anointed gurus like Ken Wilbur. – Therian

    His name is Wilber, not Wilbur. He was student body president and captain of the football team.

    He is not a guru. Wrong religion. Hinduism has gurus. Wilber is Buddhist.

    He is not self-anointed. Have you ever read a book of his? Read GRACE AND GRIT before going off on Wilber. He was a dishwasher and a microbiologist before becoming a transpersonal theorist.

    If you don’t know what a transpersonal theorist is, just know it is important work. It is as important as being a plumber, a machinist, or a dishwasher. Wilber has real life experience as a dishwasher.

    Here is Wilber talking about his life in his 20s
    http://integral-life-landing-pages.s3.amazonaws.com/KWfootnotes/KW_footnotes.html

    • Q. Shtik March 1, 2015 at 3:02 pm #

      He was a dishwasher and a microbiologist before becoming a transpersonal theorist. – WPA

      ===============

      If someone asks “what do you do for a living?” and you answer “I’m a transpersonal theorist” you are automatically suspect in my book. However, the shaved head lends an air of credibility.

      • malthuss March 1, 2015 at 4:58 pm #

        No money in the former. The Mexican buddhists have that market covered.
        Now being a Published ‘TT’, thats another story.

    • Janos Skorenzy March 1, 2015 at 3:44 pm #

      Tibetan Buddhism – his main lineage – has gurus and uses that word for their English speaking students. In Tantric Buddhism, the relationship between Master and Disciple is very close. Less so in Theravadan Buddhism.

    • BackRowHeckler March 1, 2015 at 10:50 pm #

      Hey Asoka/WPA-CCC

      A few years ago weren’t you talking up some Swami from Oregon, turned out to be a con man who owned 93 Rolls Royces, scammed a few thousands suckers out of millions $$$ before going on the lam headed back to India just ahead of the FBI?

      brh

    • Therian March 2, 2015 at 4:42 am #

      Oh he has “real life experience as a dishwasher” does he? I love the way you sensationalize the ordinary. I was a tire changer for two years in a Sears Auto Center. I picked lettuce in the summer in Arizona. I was a janitor for a year at a Lord and Taylor department store. I have no family. They are ALL dead. Should I shave my head and make a cult about myself?

      He can put his “transpersonal theorizing” where the sun don’t shine, Mr. WPA.

  137. Q. Shtik March 1, 2015 at 3:15 pm #

    He is not a guru. Wrong religion. Hinduism has gurus. Wilber is Buddhist. – WPA

    ==============

    In case you haven’t noticed, “guru” has become an almost generic term for someone who knows (or seems to know) their shit in a given field and guides (or presumes to guide) others.

    Even I was once a sort of half-assed guru of eight-ball at my local watering hole.

  138. wpa--ccc March 1, 2015 at 3:27 pm #

    In case you haven’t noticed, “guru” has become an almost generic term for someone who knows

    Point taken. Sometimes I forget I’m dealing with civilians.

  139. rube-i-con March 1, 2015 at 3:44 pm #

    Half of youngsters in their 20s are now living with their parents. Also, they’ve been raised (or is it more accurate to say they were “tended to once in a while”) by absentee parents to tired to be parents. Thus, the US birth rate among people born here is going to drop precipitously. We’re merely a decade behind Europe. These 20-somethings will NEVER have the wherewithal to sire and raise children in an economically protected environment. They can’t get the jobs … not that most of them would have the character to work those jobs anyhow.

    typical CFN worrywart. my 20 something kids are all living on their own for years, have solid careers, were raised well by parents always there for them.

    they have the wherewithal to have and raise 3-4 kids each (they already sponsor kids). They have plenty of character to go around.

    get out and meet the tattooed hoardes, many of them are just great folks i’d be proud to have as naybors.

    i more and more am seeing that CFN is all about bottom-of-the-barrel attitudes.

    kontrahend

  140. wpa--ccc March 1, 2015 at 7:09 pm #

    I have no time for people who believe spirits fill the earth and the sky and people who have figured out the meaning of life and for an entry fee of $49.95 will explain it all to you. I assume that would describe Wilber and his ilk. –Q

    You assume wrong. You will continue to be swindled until you learn how to use the excellent New Jersey interlibrary loan system.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  141. wpa--ccc March 1, 2015 at 7:32 pm #

    Tibetan Buddhism – his main lineage – has gurus and uses that word for their English speaking students. –Janos

    Janos, you have Wilber wrong, too. The Tibetan lineage is only one of many influences in Wilber’s work. Wilber is in agreement with Mahayana Buddhism, and Advaita Vedanta, in the sense that he believes that reality is ultimately a nondual union of emptiness and form.

    You do Wilber a disservice by strongly associating him with the shamanism of Tibetan tribal/guru religion. In the Buddhist lineage Wilber is much more universal, closer to Zen than to Nyingma. See Wilber’s book, ONE TASTE.

    Wilber has been influenced by a number of non-Tibetan traditions and teachers: Nagarjuna (India), Alan Watts (UK), Advaita Vedanta (India), Trika Shaivism (Kashmir), Ramana Maharshi (India), and Adi Da (NYC).

    Buddhism has had three “turnings” :
    1) Theravada;
    2) Mahayana;
    3) Vajrayana.

    Wilber is trying to engineer a fourth-turning, an integral Buddhism.

    http://fourthturningbuddhism.com

  142. Buck Stud March 1, 2015 at 8:20 pm #

    …he believes that reality is ultimately a nondual union of emptiness and form.”

    Wow, now that is deep. I can see how a skull without a brain might be a union of form and emptiness. But a non-dual union?

  143. Buck Stud March 1, 2015 at 8:36 pm #

    Janos writes:

    ” Hitler’s Germany had many dissidents who were left alone. Traitors were a different story, of course.”

    That’s interesting, “many dissidents who were left alone”. But it would be more believable–for myself at least–if you could cite a source?

    My reference to you up thread was your dream of a monolithic white race marching in fascistic lock step. Are you now denying this dream?

    Have you ever seen the art of Marinetti and the Italian Futurists? Angular, directional, thrusting with purpose– they ‘were going places important’ and with no needless gazing to the peripheries of distraction. I sense you would very much welcome such a dynamic for your cause, hence my comment:

    http://www.wolfsonian.org/sites/default/files/84.5.43.1-3_lead_painting.jpg

  144. Q. Shtik March 1, 2015 at 8:47 pm #

    You assume wrong. – WPA

    =============

    I must confess to exaggeration. It was not $49.95.

    From your link:

    DVD (SOLD OUT)
    $49

  145. BackRowHeckler March 1, 2015 at 10:53 pm #

    To pick up an earlier thread,

    Hey BT, i have news for you, everything that happens in the world isn’t the result of the CIA or the US Government trying to start a war for fun and profit (contrary to what you seem to believe)

    brh

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  146. nsa March 1, 2015 at 11:04 pm #

    You are all on notice….we here in Ft. Meade and Langley have noticed the deviant content of this site….and are investigating all of you as security risks to our glorious national security state…….

  147. BackRowHeckler March 2, 2015 at 12:01 am #

    One more thing, a little off topic but within the rubric of collapse …

    Chicago has a problem. The problem is the city has $50 billion in pension liabilities, but only 50 dollars in the bank.

    Over 1000 retirees collect more than $100,000 per year, and several dozen take in $250,000 year.

    The plan where public sector unions suipport democratic poltiticians, and the politicians once in office hand out generous contracts to the unions lasted 60 years, but now its over. The money is gone. Demographics and identity politics played into it, too. Republicans cannot be blamed because there are no Republicans within 75 miles of Chicago. Now bankruptcy is a real possibility, just like Detroit. I haven’t been to Chicago in awhile but friends tell me the downtown area still looks pretty good but once you get into the neighborhoods its like a 3rd world nation. Certainly the murder rate in Chicago rivals Honduras and South Africa, which is saying a lot.

    brh

  148. wpa--ccc March 2, 2015 at 1:03 am #

    Yes, the buddhist heart sutra expresses it like this: form is no other than emptiness, and emptiness is no other than form.

    Read Nagarjuna or the Advaita Vedanta authors for more.

    Advaita’s “tat team as” is consistent with Moses’ “I am that I am” or Jesus: “The kingdom of god is within you.” It is all non-dual union.

    If you want to read the traditional advaitan texts, try these: Dattatreya’s Avadhuta Gita, Gaudapada’s karika on Mandukya or Shankara’s Crest-jewel of Discrimination.

    “If the same divinity constitutes the core of all individuals, they cannot but be equal.” –Gandhi

    Black, white, yellow, red, brown, etc. … all equal.

  149. wpa--ccc March 2, 2015 at 1:05 am #

    nsa: “You are all on notice….”

    Thank you for your kind warning.

    Perro que ladra no muere.

  150. wpa--ccc March 2, 2015 at 1:07 am #

    Correction:

    Perro que ladra no muerde.

    Todos mueren.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  151. wpa--ccc March 2, 2015 at 1:25 am #

    Auto-correction messed it up good. Non-Auto-Correction:

    Advaita’s [“tat team as”]

    Should be:

    Advaita’s [ “Tat Tavam Asi” ]

    Thou Art That or That Thou Art

    Non-duality… form is emptiness… emptiness is form.

  152. wpa--ccc March 2, 2015 at 1:26 am #

    Should be:

    Advaita’s [ “Tat Tvam Asi” ]

  153. wpa--ccc March 2, 2015 at 1:28 am #

    I am signing out for this week. Good work this week, everyone.

  154. michigan_native March 2, 2015 at 1:30 am #

    We’re fucked, so we may as well get stoned and have a good time now, while it lasts. Hopefully, I will meet a babe like this before the shithouse goes up in flames. This gal is hot https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=934423999931086

  155. rube-i-con March 2, 2015 at 8:13 am #

    We’re fucked, so we may as well get stoned

    you have no idea how wrong you are. sounds like you’re dead in the water doing nothing. plant trees, learn to fix electronics, appliances, etc., something that’s interesting and you can make some $$$ at.

    ain’t rocket science.

    kontrahend

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  156. FincaInTheMountains August 12, 2015 at 5:43 am #

    Bushes strike at Clintonites
    Today, hardly anyone could be surprised by the assertion that many relevant and significant events in the world are somehow connected with the election campaign in the US, as it determines which path of development the world is going to take. This does not mean that the US is leading the development of the entire world, but they certainly could arrange the World War III, and business people do calculate the probability of this event, and it somewhat affects their business planning. To put it mildly.

  157. FincaInTheMountains August 12, 2015 at 5:44 am #

    Different world States are associated with different political clans in the US, but there are those that are under direct governance by US political clans and essentially, are protectorates of these clans. For example, it is no big secret that the Kiev junta is led by Clintonite Biden. Accordingly, Ukraine is not a protectorate of the United States, but of the Clinton Clan. And the Clintons have a very good intelligence network, which is now working for the elections and spying primarily on the Bushes, and only then on Russia. As a result, the law of causality for outside observer gets all screwed up as a result of their investigation activities that are often ahead of the events, the cause of which they are.

  158. FincaInTheMountains August 12, 2015 at 5:44 am #

    For example, the day before yesterday the exacerbation of armed confrontation in the Ukraine was neither here nor there, but today everything fell into place. Clintonites have sent Ukrainian armed forces into fight because yesterday they learned that the campaign takes a new turn, and we learned about it only the next day. Meanwhile, the day before Clintonites had to at any cost divert attention from next day sensational statement by Jeb Bush, in which he accused Hillary Clinton in the creation of an “Islamic state”.

  159. FincaInTheMountains August 12, 2015 at 5:45 am #

    And so far Jeb confines subtle hints to excessive independence of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in talks with Iraq to extend the US troops mandate there, which resulted in the mandate not being extended, and in 2011, Barack Obama began to withdraw from Iraq. But Jeb Bush has not yet addressed the issue that ISIS is not a remnant of the Iraqi army of Saddam Hussein, as Hillary states with her usual arrogance, but the other name for “Syrian rebels” whom Clinton enthusiastically supported during her tenure as Secretary of State.

  160. FincaInTheMountains August 12, 2015 at 5:48 am #

    Thus, the leader of the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton has already put into action all her reserves in the attacks on Bush, except perhaps accusing his brother President George W. Bush in organizing 911 attacks.
    Despite the modesty of Jeb Bush, the above statement is indeed a very important event in international politics, and not just small maneuver in the election campaign. This statement means that the Republicans and the Bush clan are willing to submit to the court of public opinion all the activities of the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and not just the killing of the US ambassador in Benghazi and the related Servergate. And it inevitably drags a revision of the results of her activities as the First Lady of the United States, because if she was able to pursue her own foreign policy, being subordinate to President Obama, who hates her, even the silliest American now understands who led the US policy of 1990 s.
    And their silliness this time will play against her, because all the good they will credit to Bill and everything bad to her, because, despite the fact that Americans are very fond of economic prosperity of the 1990s and “the only superpower in the world “, they do not want to pay for this prosperity today.
    And for Hillary Clinton, the time when she was First Lady and Queen of medical reform, can also be cursed, because it is by virtue of her activities, not only as Secretary of State, but as the First Lady, now we have a possibility of armed confrontation between US and Russia.
    And compared to that possibility even the official war with ISIS that is long sought by Obama, could seem unsubstantial from financial point of view, especially when in September-October, once again the time will come to raise the national debt ceiling.
    Jeb Bush’s statement shows that it is ISIS, not Ebola or Russia is the “focus of evil” in the modern world. And to combat this evil requires the cooperation of the United States with other countries, and US foreign policy should be determined by precisely this factor, not bloodthirsty mania of “regime change” and “liberation” of the nations from the legally elected governments who for one reason or another are not liked by the former US Secretary of State and world’s forces of evil who are behind her.
    http://regnum.ru/news/polit/1951130.html

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  161. FincaInTheMountains August 12, 2015 at 5:50 am #

    Moreover, he did not mention the fact that there had been more than 2,300 armed with latest American weaponry conveniently left in Mosul as if specially prepared for ISIS militants to bypass the ban by President Obama.

  162. FincaInTheMountains August 12, 2015 at 5:50 am #

    Moreover, he did not mention the fact that there had been more than 2,300 Hummers armed with latest American weaponry conveniently left in Mosul as if specially prepared for ISIS militants to bypass the ban by President Obama on arms supplies to the Syrian opposition.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. The Math Doesn't Add Up | ZombieMarkets - February 23, 2015

    […] Submitted by James H Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  2. The Math Doesn’t Add Up | DailyDeceit - February 23, 2015

    […] Submitted by James H Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  3. The Math Doesn't Add Up - Exploring the News - February 23, 2015

    […] Submitted by James H Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  4. The Math Doesn’t Add Up | PushBack - February 23, 2015

    […] Submitted by James H Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  5. » How Goes the War? Olduvai.ca - February 23, 2015

    […] How Goes the War? […]

  6. The Daily Debt Rattle | StealthFlation - February 24, 2015

    […] • The Performance of Many Hedge Funds Just Comes Down to Owning Apple (Bloomberg)  • How Goes the War? (Jim Kunstler)  • Putin Says War With Ukraine ‘Unlikely’ (BBC)  • Tales From an Oil-Sands Slide: Angst […]

  7. Um ponto de situação | Achaques e Remoques - February 24, 2015

    […] Clusterfuck Nation, February 23, 2015 […]