Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Russia under attack


US economic warfare ramping up.
Russian assets were hot until the new sanctions, with foreign investors piling into Russia’s sovereign ruble-denominated debt as one of the best ways to make money in the global zero-interest world. But the sanctions have hit not just those companies on the new US list, but all of Russia’s companies. A sword of sanctions is now dangling over everyone as those announced so far were directed in such a way is it is impossible to guess where it will fall next. This uncertainty has done far more damage than the actual sanctions which applied to a very small number of names....
Russian Insider
Russia's Bonds Are Toxic Nuclear Waste Again, Hello Bondageddon
Ben Aris

The US advancing militarily also.
The United States is transferring the 1st Armored Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division from Texas to Poland in the coming summer.
It is reported that the transfer of this military unit is carried out “as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve , which aims to strengthen the US allies on the eastern border. The brigade includes tanks, combat vehicles, self-propelled howitzers.
Fort Russ
US transfers a Texas division to Poland
Inessa S.

The Russian military is now getting restive watching the US advance and there is even talk of a military coup. Some strategist don't want to wait for the inevitable, but rather to go on the offensive sooner rather than later, and they view Putin as weak and dithering. They are aware that they could have been in Kiev in a few days without much of a fight following the Ukrainian coup, but now it would be much more of a slog. And the US has had a chance to beef up its European presence. Why wait for a full-scale US build-up on preparation for an invasion.

Johnson's Russia List
A Military Coup Against Putin Although Unlikely Cannot Now be Excluded, Felgengauer Says




8 comments:

Matt Franko said...

Tom,

Wait till Trump is done in Korea and then he'll get to the Russia situation and fix that...

Korea should be wrapped up this month and then he can get to Russia/Syria/Iran ...

Tom Hickey said...

Korea should be wrapped up this month

We'll see. I very much doubt that Kim will disarm unilaterally, which is what the US demands from some token "reward."

Trump and Kim are not going to reach a final agreement. No one expects that. If neither walks, then there will be a process of drawing up an agreement acceptable to the NK, SK, the US, and Japan, that China will have to sign off on, too.

But Trump can't depart too much from what the deep state wants or they will raise hell in the US media and pressure Congress, too, over a "sell-out."

Bolton revealed the game. He wants it to be modeled on Libya, where the US takes out the nukes and then overthrows the leadership. Kim is not a dummy.

It's complicated.

Matt Franko said...

Well Trump somehow chiseled himself between Xi and NK .... and then he’ll somehow get himself between Putin and Iran/Syria...

These aren’t the Obama people... France will get the handoff and be the European point man on the deal... UK is personna non grata until they start to clean house in MI6 ....

Tom Hickey said...

Well Trump somehow chiseled himself between Xi and NK

Keep dreaming. Right now, NK (and China) are winning in this poker game. Trump's the mark.

Matt Franko said...

Dilbert thinks the party hasn’t even started yet:

https://twitter.com/scottadamssays/status/991318580091219970?s=21

Trump will probably bring Kanye and Ivanka....

Tom Hickey said...

The Unz Review
Trump Did NOT Convince Kim to Ditch His Nukes. China Did/
MIKE WHITNEY

SK President Moon was and is also a crucial player. He ran on improving relation with NK.

The US deep state is concerned about the US being shut out when they want control.

Konrad said...

TOM HICKEY WRITES, "The US deep state is concerned about the US being shut out when they want control."

True, and let’s also remember that the Deep State hates peace because peace is not profitable.

When Trump lied about sending an armada to North Korea, and boasted about incinerating North Korea with “fire and brimstone,” the stock values of U.S. weapons makers soared.

Over the past year, while the S&P 500 has risen roughly 12%, the Aerospace & Defense Select Industry Index has risen 27%.

However, now that Korean peace is a real possibility, those same stocks have taken huge hits.

Last Friday the S&P 500 index remained unchanged, but the Aerospace and Defense Select Industry Index fell roughly 1.3%.

This means the USA's five largest weapons makers lost $10.2 billion in stock value in just one day (27 April 2018).

War is profitable. Sabre rattling boosts stock prices.

Meanwhile the two Koreas are now shaking hands. Therefore Trump says he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, even as Trump supports the destruction of Yemen, and keeps ratcheting up his war talk against Russia and Iran.

Andrew Anderson said...

True, and let’s also remember that the Deep State hates peace because peace is not profitable. Konrad

I suppose that are some purported Christians in the Deep State and they should be warned:

The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Psalm 11:5

I would not like to be hated by the Lord, profit or no.