Zero Hedge — US Citizens Told Depart Ukraine Now By Any Means Possible In New Embassy Alert

Strange, given that there is no evidence of Russian troops mobilized for an imminent offensive, as even the Pentagon admits. A possible reason for the seeming US "overreaction" would be a provocation by false flag to elicit a Russian reaction that can justify the US in calling "Russian aggression," even if the reaction would be using standoff weapons rather than troops and tanks rolling across the border.

Zero Hedge
US Citizens Told Depart Ukraine Now By Any Means Possible In New Embassy Alert
Tyler Durden

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-embassy-new-alert-us-citizens-should-depart-ukraine-now-any-means-possible

Here is a hypothetical scenario for some such.

This is complete fiction based on the current situation. We post it as a counterweight to the fiction produced by the western corporate media...

The Vineyard of the Saker
Ukraine and Russian escalation dominance: A Fiction
rgz

http://thesaker.is/ukraine-and-russian-escalation-dominance-a-fiction/

On the bright side, implementing the Minsk agreement would defuse the situation — if it were to happen. However, the Ukrainian nationalists are dead set against it and they would be in a position to blow it up by attacking Donbass, to which Russia would certainly react. They are especially emboldened now that they have been armed with advanced weaponry by the US and NATO.
TASS
US has assured it will make Kiev implement Minsk accords, Lavrov says
https://tass.com/world/1393463

See also

TASS
Wish to ruin Minsk-2 may push Kiev into war with Russia — expert
https://tass.com/world/1393563

Current MAGA view

 

Bannon on current economic situation…. “stagflation!” on steroids….

Bill Mitchell — Video stream available – The Global Economy after two years of the pandemic

It’s Wednesday and I am flat out finalising writing commitments and my teaching responsibilities at present. I have also been doing a lot of media interviews given the inflation release yesterday. People are believing the nonsense coming out in the financial press that inflation is ‘out-of-control’ and interest rates need to be hiked to stop it in its tracks. How will increasing interest rates allow a Covid sick truck driver to return to work any quicker? How will a rise in rates, increase the number of container ships in the right locations? Etc. It is tiresome to be sure. Today a video, some information about my university classes that we are making available to the general public (starting later today), and then some post minimalism....

Bill Mitchell – billy blog
Video stream available – The Global Economy after two years of the pandemic
Bill Mitchell | Professor in Economics and Director of the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE), at University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Otto English - The Truth About Boris Johnson: One Year On

 This is pretty damning criticism of Boris Johnson: 

Otto English says he's an incompetent, lazy, good for nothing, barefaced liar, self indulgent, over privileged, self serving, who's only in it for himself, and the end of his political carreer can't come soon enough. 

https://youtu.be/oY4Uqsx5vAk

Links — 25 Jan 2022 AM

Sputnik International
IMF: Russia-Ukraine Conflict Could Further Increase World Energy Costs
https://sputniknews.com/20220125/imf-russia-ukraine-conflict-could-further-increase-world-energy-costs-1092510865.html

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Slams Foreign Media for Whipping Up ‘Russian Invasion’ Fears (US and UK took a step too far? It's resulting in disunity rather than unity.)

https://sputniknews.com/20220125/ukraines-defence-minister-slams-foreign-media-for-whipping-up-russian-invasion-fears-1092512473.html

Zero Hedge
Goldman Sachs Warns Ukraine Conflict Risk Could Spark Doubling In EU NatGas Prices
Tyler Durden

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/goldman-sachs-warns-ukraine-conflict-risk-could-send-eu-natgas-180-eur

Moon of Alabama (revealing the nonsense)
A 'Parthogenetic' Conflict - There Is No Russian Invasion Threat To UkraineCovert Action Magazine

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/01/a-parthogenetic-conflict-there-is-no-russian-invasion-threat-to-ukraine.html

Covert Action Magazine (more destruction of the narrative)

STRIPPING AWAY THE BULLS**T: U.S. and Russian Threats Over Ukraine—What They’re About and Who’s the Aggressor
Dee Knight

https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/01/25/stripping-away-the-bullst-u-s-and-russian-threats-over-ukraine-what-theyre-about-and-whos-the-aggressor/

TASS
Moscow, Germany generally close in position on Nord Stream 2 — [Russian] ambassador

https://tass.com/economy/1392831

Yars ICBM launchers embark on combat patrols in central Russia drills

https://tass.com/defense/1392803

Navalny added to registry of terrorists and extremists — Financial Monitoring Service

https://tass.com/politics/1392755

AntiWar
Are Neocons Worried at Pace of US-Russia Talks?
Ray McGovern, co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and retired 27-year career CIA whose tasks included preparing and briefing The President’s Daily Brief and leading the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch

https://raymcgovern.com/2022/01/25/are-neocons-worried-at-pace-of-us-russia-talks/

The Vineyard of the Saker
Tuesday morning headlines (a little change of tone or not?)
The Saker

http://thesaker.is/tuesday-morning-headlines-a-little-change-of-tone-or-not/

Aeron Mate - US war lobby fuels conflict in Russia, Ukraine, and Syria: ex-Pentagon advisor

There are too many lobby groups in Washington pushing for war with Russia, says Douglas Macgregor. He also says that Trump liked to be liked, especially when pandering to his base, which stopped him getting things done. 

 Douglas Macgregor, a retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor, analyzes the US-Russia standoff in Ukraine; the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan; Trump's failure to act on 2016 campaign anti-interventionist rhetoric, only to surround himself with neocons; and the ongoing, overlooked US military occupation of Syria after the decade-long CIA dirty war. "The Military Industrial Congressional Complex," Macgregor says, "seems to be more powerful than anyone who occupies the office of the presidency." Guest: Douglas Macgregor, retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor.

https://youtu.be/zkYgXQo2aQs

How Inequality Leads to Industrial Feudalism — Hanna Szymborska and Jan Toporowski

Same story stated a bit differently: Class structure (stratification) determines class power (social, political and economic), which determines distribution of assets and income.

Rising asset prices generate a more unequal distribution of wealth by increasing the value of wealth that must be acquired to secure a position in the next wealth class. At the same time, the growing credit possibilities of rising asset values reinforce the floor preventing demotion into a lower social class. In light of asset price fluctuations, diversity and stability of the wealth portfolio, and the credit practices associated with such portfolios, thus have a defining role in both upward and downward movements across classes.

This asset dependence is specific to particular classes because they have different kinds of assets. Different kinds of assets have different credit implications and practices associated with them and these different credit implications and practices may ease cash flows in particular classes to prevent downward social mobility. But increasing asset inequality makes upward social mobility more difficult. In this way asset inflation and growing wealth inequalities restrict social mobility and give rise to industrial feudalism....

Naked Capitalism
How Inequality Leads to Industrial Feudalism | naked capitalism

Hanna Szymborska, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Birmingham City Business School; and Jan Toporowski, Professor of Economics and Finance, SOAS, Visiting Professor of Economics, University of Bergamo, and Professor of Economics and Finance, International University College.

Originally published at Institute for New Economic Thinking

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/01/how-inequality-leads-to-industrial-feudalism.html

See also

MR Online

World Inequality Report: Class divide explains more than regional divisions

Originally published: Peoples Democracy by Sanjay Roy (January 23, 2022

https://mronline.org/2022/01/25/world-inequality-report-class-divide-explains-more-than-regional-divisions/

Marketplace

How much of our labor force has been lost to COVID-19?

Kristin Schwab

https://www.marketplace.org/2022/01/24/how-much-labor-force-has-been-lost-covid-19/

Steve Paikin - Is the U.S. on the Verge of Civil War? | The Agenda

It's hard to debate with a side which rejects mainstream science, from Covid through to climate change. The right-winger on this panel accuses the American elite of being leftwing. They discuss how secession may be an option, where the US breaks up into several countries.  

"The United States is coming to an end," says Stephen Marche. In his new book, "The Next Civil War," the Canadian author insists rising inequality, racial conflict, environmental destruction, and a lack of unified national purpose, means another American civil war is now inevitable; it's just a matter of how. A year following the storming of the U.S. Capitol, The Agenda asks whether these fears are overblown, questions how divided America is and whether its undergone healing , or if its angry factions are headed towards serious violent conflict.

https://youtu.be/cagQGM2abec

Bill Mitchell — Australia–inflation mania is alive and well but running on fumes!

There is an increasing frequency of articles appearing in the financial press in Australia about how inflation is back and that the RBA had better start hiking rates and stop buying government debt. Warnings to home buyers that mortgage rates are about to go through the roof. And all that sort of stuff. Moronic. If you examine today’s data release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics – Consumer Price Index, Australia (January 25, 2022) – which relates to to the December-quarter 2021, you might be wondering what the fuss is all about. Inflation rose slightly in the December-quarter 2021 and was driven by rising automative fuel costs (uncompetitive cartel and deliberate government petrol tax policies), global supply chain disruptions (pandemic) and material shortages (supply chain and bushfires). Not much more to see than that really. I note the same journalists are out there beating the inflation mania drum. Don’t they get sick of being wrong all the time. Their wages should be linked to their predictive capacity – they would starve!...

Bill Mitchell – billy blog
Australia – inflation mania is alive and well but running on fumes!
Bill Mitchell | Professor in Economics and Director of the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE), at University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Links — 24 Jan 2022 PM

One World
Is The US Preparing To Sacrifice Zelensky In Order To Justify Russia’s Containment?
Andrew Korybko
http://oneworld.press/?module=articles&action=view&id=2428

New Cold War

Why Washington's Focus on Credibility is a Recipe for War

Jonathan Cook

https://newcoldwar.org/why-washingtons-focus-on-credibility-is-a-recipe-for-war/

Al Jazeera
NATO sends reinforcements to Eastern Europe amid Russia tensions

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/24/nato-sends-reinforcements-to-eastern-europe-amid-russian-anger

Politico
US puts 8,500 troops on alert as Russia tensions ramp up
Quint Forgey

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/24/us-troops-eastern-europe-deployment-00001485

EU maintains unity on Russia — but only just (more like just barely)
David M. Herszenhorn, Lili Bayer

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-foreign-ministers-russia-debate-weapons-training-ukraine

Reminiscence of the Future (21 min video, no transcript)
Me Talking About 50,000.

Andrei Martyanov, former USSR naval officer and expert on Russian military and naval issues

http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2022/01/me-talking-about-50000.html

SouthFront

After Diplomatic Failure, NATO And U.S. Turning To Military Option To Contain “Russian Threat”

https://southfront.org/after-diplomatic-failure-nato-and-u-s-turning-to-military-option-to-contain-russian-threat/

NEO

Europe Faces a Moment of Truth Over Russia’s Demands on the United States Presence in Europe
James O'Neil, Australian-based former Barrister at Law

Internationalist 360º (2030)
The Anaconda Loop: NATO’s Strategy Against Russia

José Negrón Valera

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2022/01/24/the-anaconda-loop-natos-strategy-against-russia/

Defend Democracy
Donetsk, Russia warn that Ukrainian buildup on borders heralds attack on Donetsk, Lugansk

http://www.defenddemocracy.press/donetsk-russia-warn-that-ukrainian-buildup-on-borders-heralds-attack-on-donetsk-lugansk/

International Policy Digest

Nostalgia at the AUKMIN Talks: Britain’s Forces Eye Australia

Binoy Kampmark

https://intpolicydigest.org/nostalgia-at-the-aukmin-talks-britain-s-forces-eye-australia/

Moon of Alabama
A War In Ukraine Is Tactics - Putin Does Strategy

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/01/a-war-in-ukraine-is-tactics-putin-does-strategy.html

Boris Ex-Friend Says He Has No Morals & Exposes His 'Biggest Weakness'

Sonia Purnell has known Boris Johnson for over 30 years and she also worked with him at the Telegraph. She says that the more you get to know him, the more you get to dislike him. Despite his bubbly persona, he can get very angry, and some people are scared of him, because they fear what he might do. Sonia Purnell says that he's totally unfit for office.

Before I met my girlfriend she was a floating voter, although a slightly left leaning one. I've educated her quite a bit, but I was horrified the other day when she said that she liked Boris Johnson, saying that the he was funny. WTF! 

https://youtu.be/FOQaprPHbJE

Links — 24 Jan 2022 AM

One World (big picture analysis. US foreign policy "experts" and military "experts" that are publishing are completely clueless about the big picture and as a result are completely lost in their heads. )

What Are The US Deep State’s Grand Strategic Calculations Vis-à-Vis Russia & China?

Andrew Korybko

http://oneworld.press/?module=articles&action=view&id=2425

Angry Bear
Advocate of Book Burning Becomes Chairman of Virginia School Board
Dan Crawford

https://angrybearblog.com/2022/01/advocate-of-book-burning-becomes-chairman-of-virginia-school-board

The Hill
US threatens sweeping export controls against Russian industries

Jordan Williams

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/590997-us-threatens-sweeping-export-controls-against-russian-industries

Ray McGovern
Perfidious Albion Giving Grist to NYT
Ray McGovern, co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and retired 27-year career CIA whose tasks included preparing and briefing The President’s Daily Brief and leading the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch

https://raymcgovern.com/2022/01/23/perfidious-albion-giving-grist-to-nyt/

The Guardian
How vulnerable is UK energy system as tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine? (price-sensitive)
Jillian Ambrose

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/24/how-vulnerable-is-uk-energy-system-as-tensions-rise-between-russia-and-ukraine

Science (China outcompeting. US can't let this happen.)

U.S. science no longer leads the world.

Jeffrey Merrvis

https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-science-no-longer-leads-world-here-s-how-top-advisers-say-nation-should-respond

SCMP (US "experts" assumed this was impossible based on culture and history, overlooking national interests)
How China and Russia forged a friendship after bridging decades-old differences

Laura Zhou

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164077/how-china-and-russia-forged-friendship-after-bridging-decades

Interfluidity (on the way to collapse)
Dreams and kindness are all we have
Steve Randy Waldman

https://www.interfluidity.com/v2/9122.html

Internationalist 360º
Military Deployment in Ukraine: Is a War in Eastern Europe on the Horizon?

Yoselina Guevara

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2022/01/24/military-deployment-in-ukraine-is-a-war-in-eastern-europe-on-the-horizon/

Sputnik International
Kremlin: Ukraine Amassing Troops on Contact Line in Donbass in Apparent Preparation for Attack
https://sputniknews.com/20220124/kremlin-says-huge-ukraine-military-buildup-on-donbass-line-of-contact-shows-preparation-for-attack-1092481474.html

True to Form… Brits Take Lead in NATO Psy-War Against Russia
https://sputniknews.com/20220124/true-to-form-brits-take-lead-in-nato-psy-war-against-russia-1092486513.html

Ex-UN Expert: US-NATO Narrative of 'Russian Invasion' of Ukraine Has Turned Into 'Religious Dogma'

https://sputniknews.com/20220124/ex-un-expert-us-nato-narrative-of-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-has-turned-into-religious-dogma-1092470865.html

TASS (This is the real problem in Ukraine. The Russian buildup is to deter this by the certainty of complete obliteration. Even the neo-Nazis behind this get that.)
Risk of Ukraine staging provocations in Donbass higher than before — Kremlin

Russian military cannot ignore NATO’s activity in Europe, says Kremlin
https://tass.com/defense/1392331

Russia expects separate response on security proposals from NATO — Kremlin
https://tass.com/politics/1392311

West using legacy media, official resources more often to spread disinfo, says diplomat [Maria Zakharova]
https://tass.com/world/1392321

Russian diplomat [Maria Zakharova] castigates Department of State’s ‘strange and unwise’ information agenda

https://tass.com/politics/1392229

Russian Baltic Fleet’s 20 warships deploy to sea for sweeping drills

https://tass.com/defense/1392417

Counterpunch (more useful to look at NATO as attempted perpetuation of Western colonialism in perpetuity. The religious aspect is the use of "liberalism" as justification, similar to the justification of Christianizing the savages in the earlier rounds of colonialism. Same domination game though.)
NATO as Religion
Alfred De Zayas

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/01/24/nato-as-religion/

Dangerous Heat Across the Globe
Robert Hunziker

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/01/24/dangerous-heat-across-the-globe/

Turkey Hit By Unprecedented Power Outages As Iran Halts Gas Flows — Tsvetana Parasko

• A disruption to natural gas imports from Iran has caused an unprecedented level of power cuts in Turkey.
• The power cuts have largely impacted major industrial zones, with some companies forced to halt production as a result.
• Iran claims that its natural gas flows have been restored but Turkey has said its supplies and gas pressure remain very low....

Oilprice

Turkey Hit By Unprecedented Power Outages As Iran Halts Gas Flows

Tsvetana Paraskova

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Turkey-Hit-By-Unprecedented-Power-Outages-As-Iran-Halts-Gas-Flows.html

Bill Mitchell — Euro area inflation is not accelerating out of control

Last week (January 20, 2022), Eurostat released the latest inflation data – Annual inflation up to 5.0% in the euro area – which followed the release from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics data (January 12, 2022) – Consumer Price Index Summary , the latter, which shocked people, given that it recorded an annual inflation rate of 7 per cent before seasonal adjustment. The Euro area inflation rate over the same period was published as 5 per cent. It is obviously hard to see clearly through the data trends given the amount of pandemic noise that is dominating. But I stand by my 2020 assessment (updated several times since) that we are still seeing ephemeral price pressures as a result of the massive disruption the pandemic has caused to production, distribution and transport systems. In a sense, I am surprised the inflationary pressures have not be greater....

Bill Mitchell – billy blog

Euro area inflation is not accelerating out of control

Bill Mitchell | Professor in Economics and Director of the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE), at University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia

http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=49077

Links — 23 Jan 2022 PM

Irrussianality (Brit intel disinformation)
Reporting on Russia – A Case of Rigid Orthodoxy
Paul Robinson | Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa

https://irrussianality.wordpress.com/2022/01/23/reporting-on-russia-a-case-of-rigid-orthodoxy/

RT (US intel disinformation, this time corrected by the CIA)

Secret of ‘microwave weapons’ targeting US diplomats revealed

Paul Robinson | Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa

https://www.rt.com/russia/546848-havana-syndrome-us-diplomats/

Zero Hedge
Blinken Says "Too Early" For Russia Sanctions As Hope For Unified NATO Response Unravels
Tyler Durden
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/blinken-says-too-early-russia-sanctions-hope-unified-nato-response-unravels

Defend Democracy Press
US Pacific Commander Defends $27 Billion Plan to Confront China

http://www.defenddemocracy.press/us-pacific-commander-defends-27-billion-plan-to-confront-china/

bneIntelliNews

Polls show Russian public opinion united on Ukraine

Theo Normanton in Moscow

https://www.intellinews.com/polls-show-russian-public-opinion-united-on-ukraine-232551/

Sputnik International (jumping the shark—again)
UK University Puts Trigger Warning on Orwell's Novel 1984 Over 'Explicit Material'

https://sputniknews.com/20220123/uk-university-puts-trigger-warning-on-orwells-novel-1984-over-explicit-material-1092461429.html

CaitlinJohnstone.com
Anonymous Officials Claim There’s An Evil Russian Plot Again But The Evidence Is Secret Again
Caitlin Johnstone
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/01/23/anonymous-officials-claim-theres-an-evil-russian-plot-again-but-the-evidence-is-secret-again/

Anti-War (Biden choosing war?)
Report: Biden Weighs Deploying Thousands of Troops to Eastern Europe and Baltics

Dave DeCamp

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/01/23/report-biden-weighs-deploying-thousands-of-troops-to-eastern-europe/

A Twitter thread about the Uyghurs

 This twitter thread could be close to the truth about what happened in China with the Uyghurs, but I can't validate it. The truth would seem to be somewhere in the middle. 

China had a massive problem with terrorism, which had taken the lives of 11,000 people and injured many more. 

Militant Jihadists were coming back from the war in Syria all fired up with Jihadism, wanting to spread militant Jihadism throughout China. They wanted to separate Xinjiang from the rest of China and create a caliphate state, from which they could launch a war into China.

I put out here in the past leaked CIA documents which which discussed how they could use jihadist Uyghurs to cause a civil war in China. The document said such a war would drain China’s resources, slow down its development, reduce its competive advantage, and then the US could regain its competive lead again. This is how the world works, and its evil!

China was rightly very concerned about this and decided to put many of the radicalised Uyghurs through a re-education program.

China had never made it compulsory for the Uyghurs to speak Mandarin, and this had led to them to be left behind economically, which caused a lot of resentment, fueling the seperatist movement, so now learning Mandarin became a priority. 

The radicalised Uyghurs were shown films of suicide bombers who had survived, but now deeply regreted what they had done, as they had killed innocent people. 

Films of the families who had lost love ones were also shown where the family members were very distraught and upset. And maimed victims who had survived suicide bomb attacks were shown. On the whole, the reeducation programme was a success. 

Below is just one person's point of view, but he he did feel that the reeducation programme was very disruptive. 

There is no genocide in Xinjiang but there is marginalisation. No one should be forced to take extra education because of their cultural background.

Look, I’ve had multiple contacts who’ve gone through the education. Yes they’re alive and yes they speak Uyghur and can be Uyghur.

But just think about how it feels that you lose a year of your life because of the actions of others?

Like yes, you can go home during school, yes the schools are run by Uyghur teachers but it doesn’t detract from how it’s a policy targeted at a certain group.

Honestly, since I went back to China, I’ve heard some pretty sick things from ignorant people. They assume Islam is violent just because of what the American news reports. The East Turkestan terrorist attacks haven’t helped.

China needs to everyone aware of the truth.

Anyway, just stop saying nothing is happening in Xinjiang.

Yeah, we need to debunk the obvious fake news like mass genocide, slavery and rape etc but we also need to see that there is discrimination and an over response to terrorism.

If you have twitter you can read the whole thing here. 

https://twitter.com/realsteelmuslim/status/1395975638893273090?t=woHXLF0VdTT5NVhAxw7Gzg&s=19

Links — 23 Jan 2022 AM

India Punchline

Ukraine: Russian intervention highly likely

M. K. Bhadrakumar | retired diplomat with the Indian Foreign Service

https://www.indianpunchline.com/ukraine-russian-intervention-highly-likely/

Turcopilier (Chilling)
My Last Post On Ukraine And National Security Issues By Walrus

Dances with Bears

CONTENT ANALYSIS OF SECRETARY BLINKEN AT GENEVA REVEALS PSYCHOPATHOLICAL INCAPACITY TO NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA
John Helmer

http://johnhelmer.net/content-analysis-of-secretary-blinken-at-geneva-reveals-psychopatholical-incapacity-to-negotiate-with-russia/

The Vineyard of the Saker

What Next? | The Vineyard of the Saker

Tarik

http://thesaker.is/what-next/

Sputnik International
Moscow: Kiev, West's Provocations in Donbass and Attacks on Russians Won't Be Tolerated
https://sputniknews.com/20220123/moscow-kiev-wests-provocations-in-donbass-and-attacks-on-russians-wont-be-tolerated-1092461336.html

France 24 (the not-so-hidden agenda of recent disinformation– suppression of the opposition in Ukraine)

Ukraine vows 'dismantling' of pro-Russia groups after UK claims

https://www.france24.com/en/video/20220123-ukraine-vows-dismantling-of-pro-russia-groups-after-uk-claims

TASS
German chancellor urges West to beware of anti-Russian sanctions boomeranging

https://tass.com/world/1392023

Admission of new Eastern European countries to NATO not on agenda - German chancellorWest seeking to prepare information space for major provocations - diplomat

https://tass.com/world/1392027

One World

The US’ Anti-Chinese Deep State Faction Hates Ukraine’s Close Ties With China

Andrew Korybko
http://oneworld.press/?module=articles&action=view&id=2424

What’s With All The Recent Ukrainian Coup Talk?

Andrew Korybko

http://oneworld.press/?module=articles&action=view&id=2423

Al Jazeera
Taiwan reports new large-scale Chinese air force incursion

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/23/taiwan-reports-new-large-scale-chinese-air-force-incursion

How (Not) to Fight Inflation — Stephanie Kelton

Why monetary policy is not like a thermostat.

The Lens
How (Not) to Fight Inflation
Stephanie Kelton | Professor of Public Policy and Economics at Stony Brook University, formerly Democrats' chief economist on the staff of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, and an economic adviser to the 2016 presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders

https://stephaniekelton.substack.com/p/how-not-to-fight-inflation

Complete opposite views

 

JPM here:

Here Comes The Pivot: JPM Sees Sharp Slowdown In US Economy, "No Further Hawish Developments From The Fed" https://t.co/eE9Xpxhuvl

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 22, 2022

Goldman here:

There's a risk the Fed will tighten monetary policy at every meeting from March, Goldman Sachs economists say https://t.co/qRtaiSrYFN

— Bloomberg Economics (@economics) January 23, 2022

How can 2 large firms in the industry have such opposite views?

Boeing: “F=ma!”    Lockheed Martin:  “No! F=mv!”

Whaaaaaaaaaaatttttt?!?!?!

When a Wild Bull Stumbles into a Hibernating Bear — Wisdom Seeker

What happens when a market that has previously had a sharp, extended run declines below the 200 day moving average. Here is the historical record. It's an indecisive indicator. Outcomes depend on accompanying factors.

Wolf Street
When a Wild Bull Stumbles into a Hibernating Bear
Wisdom Seeker

Ben Norton - CIA is training paramilitaries to 'kill Russians'

 A summery of the evil the CIA has caused from Central America onwards. This information has fed through to the public occasionally, but they seem to forget. It just amazes me how the US gets away with it as it's all in broad daylight. The US burnt North Korea to the ground, but today only Kim Jong-un is considered evil. A country, that because of US sanctions, found it difficult to modernise, but today people think that it is Kim Jung-on who is stopping North Korea from developing. The North Korean government may well be crazed, but you have to look at the whole of North Korea's history. 

Propaganda is so effective in the West because people believe we have free press. Also, the mainstream news programmes are manned mainly by Conservative voting liberals, who are trained at the top universities, and they seem to be on the whole very nice people, so no one suspects that they are being lied to. Also, the news anchors themselves probably believe the propaganda that is being fed to them. 

https://youtu.be/s4O_axFmtNo

Links — 22 Jan 2022 PM Updated

Gilbert Doctorow — International relations, Russian affairs (excellent analysis by a Russian speaker.)
Blinken and Lavrov meeting in Geneva: two steps forward and one step back
Gilbert Doctorow

https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2022/01/22/blinken-and-lavrov-meeting-in-geneva-two-steps-forward-and-one-step-back/

Sputnik International (note that this is the US negotiating for Europe instead of Europe for itself.  Qatar: difficult to make up for Russian gas. If Russian energy becomes unavailable, prices will rise.)
US Reportedly Negotiates LNG Supplies to Europe With Qatar to Cut EU's Dependency on Russian Gas

https://sputniknews.com/20220122/us-reportedly-negotiates-lng-supplies-to-europe-with-qatar-to-cut-eus-dependency-on-russian-gas-1092452938.html

Global Inequality (WWI and today, "If we were to replace Britain and Germany ... by US and China today we would not be very much remiss." Britain began prepping for war with Germany in 1905. History rhyming?)
Free trade and war
Branko Milanovic | Visiting Presidential Professor at City University of New York Graduate Center and senior scholar at the Stone Center on Socio-economic Inequality, senior scholar at the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), and formerly lead economist in the World Bank's research department and senior associate at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

https://branko2f7.substack.com/p/free-trade-and-war

Zero Hedge (safe haven like gold or risk asset with high volatility?)
Fear And Panic As Bitcoin Crashes 50% From All Time High
Tyler Durden

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/22/confusion-over-uk-claim-that-putin-plans-coup-in-ukraine

Deutsche Welle (that didn't take long. Realism not allowed.)
German navy chief Schönbach resigns over comments on Putin, Crimea

https://www.dw.com/en/german-navy-chief-sch%C3%B6nbach-resigns-over-comments-on-putin-crimea/a-60525709?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

The Guardian (the article shoots it down.)
Confusion over UK claim that Putin plans coup in Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/22/confusion-over-uk-claim-that-putin-plans-coup-in-ukraine

The Independent (looks like another excuse to blame Russia for reacting militarily to a Ukrainian offense against Donbas. Ukraine put ~120k troops at the line of control months ago and Russia responded with the buildup that now is being claimed is a preparation for Russian invasion.)

UK accuses Russia of plot to instal pro-Kremlin regime in Ukraine | The Independent

Kim Sengupta

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-invasion-uk-b1998695.html

Sputnik International (interestingly, this actually what happened when the West overthrew the democratically elected president of Ukraine in 2014 and installed a puppet government.)
Russian Foreign Ministry Blasts 'Nonsense' UK Claims That Moscow Sought Puppet Gov in Ukraine

https://sputniknews.com/20220122/russian-foreign-ministry-blasts-nonsense-uk-claims-that-moscow-sought-puppet-gov-in-ukraine-1092457170.html

TASS (some analysts think that the West will make a move during the Olympics as it has in the past, perhaps while Putin is in China. It's part of the playbook. Ukraine is set on taking the Donbas by force and the West appears to be behind it.)
Chinese embassy in Russia calls [Bloomberg] publication about [Xi] "request not to invade Ukraine" a hoax

https://tass.com/world/1391929

Turcopiler ("IMO, the 'Russian Build Up' story is rubbish." "Rubbish" = disinformation)
An Amateur Look At “Russian Build Up” Photographic Evidence By Walrus

https://turcopolier.com/an-amateur-look-at-russian-build-up-photographic-evidence-by-walrus/

Defend Democracy
Russian Foreign Ministry slams US ‘report’ on Kremlin’s Ukraine policy as provocation
http://www.defenddemocracy.press/russian-foreign-ministry-slams-us-report-on-kremlins-ukraine-policy-as-provocation/

Ukrainian opposition party branded US sanctions against its members as ‘political terror’

http://www.defenddemocracy.press/ukrainian-opposition-party-branded-us-sanctions-against-its-members-as-political-terror/

John Pilger on Ukraine, US tensions with Russia & China: An Enemy is Essential for US & Its Vassals!

A good interview! Ukrain is discussed in the second half. Hitler stormed Russia from the Ukraine border in WW2, which caused around 20 million Russians to lose their lives, so they are rightly concerned about the security of its borders. 

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to legendary journalist and filmmaker John Pilger. He discusses the scandal surrounding Boris Johnson over Downing Street parties during Coronavirus lockdowns, growing US tension with Russia over Ukraine amid the backdrop of NATO enlargement to Russia’s borders, tensions with China and the West’s need for a perpetual enemy, the continuing persecution of Julian Assange and much more

https://youtu.be/kFxh0PQTpOg

U.S. Says ‘Wants Peace Not War’ as It Arms Ukraine to the Teeth, by FINIAN CUNNINGHAM.

The British establishment managed to spin the lie of antisemitism in the British Labour Party. 

The Western establishment have managed to make their populations believe that the Uyghurs were brutally thrown into concentration camps. Did you see that footage of a little girl behind a metal fence and her mother on the other side kneeling down talking to her while she sobbed her eyes out? "Separated for the re-education camps", said the headlines, but I saw footage afterwards of the mother and her child quite happy and smiling. The little girl was just being sent off to a boarding school, which is a school system still quite popular in rural China, because the schools are so far away. It's a huge country. 

Then there was the Uyghur slave camp that the BBC 'secretally" filmed in the dark, while a journalist crept around its periphery with his camera crew, whispering into a microphone, but Jason Lightfoot when around the next day in broad daylight and filmed everything without any problems. It was just a standard factory and everyone was relaxed and friendly. 

Then there was the Russiagate saga, followed by the Skripal fiasco. 

Then it is was said that Jeffrey Epson - who had lots of incriminating evidence against many of the elite - hung himself. 

It seems the establishment of can spin any lie it wants and people will just believe it. It's all quite disturbing! 

The public isn't being told about how the US promised Russia that it would not expand NATO into Eastern Europe, but then broke its promise and filed those countries with Western backed armies and missiles all aimed at Russia. Now we are postering against Russia along it's border in the Ukraine. But Putin is said to be a thug who may even invade Sweden, let alone the Ukraine. 

The militarization in Ukraine is being led by the United States, along with its trusty British bulldog. The conclusion is that Washington has decided to ramp up the push for war against Russia using Ukraine as a proxy – and using a twisted narrative about Russian aggression and invasion. The rebuffing of a historic security detente with Moscow is being disguised by the facade of Washington appearing to be chivalrous and courteous to purportedly find a consensus with allies.

The Atlantic 

U.S. Says ‘Wants Peace Not War’ as It Arms Ukraine to the Teeth, by FINIAN CUNNINGHAM.

Reports On China - Uygur Slave Labor DEBUNKED: New legal paper slams ASPI's report | Reports on China

You can read the report yourself. There's a link given. 

In 2020, ASPI, or the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, released a report claiming to have uncovered the widespread use of Uygur slave labor in Chinese factories. The report, Uyghurs for Sale, went on to gain huge traction in media and government circles, ultimately leading to the popular belief today that Xinjiang’s Uygur people are forced to work against their will. This has had huge ramifications, including but not limited to the US announcing a boycott of any and all products produced in Xinjiang.

But a recent report by Australian Jaq James, an independent Western propaganda analyst and international law advocate, debunks ASPI’s entire report from a legal standpoint, concluding that “the ASPI report was not a work of scholarly analysis, but rather a piece of strategic disinformation to exact harm.” The 78-page report shows that not a single one of ASPI’s 18 accusations stand up to scrutiny, and that the report purposefully and maliciously smears China as a human rights abuser, with the ultimate result being that it was actually the Australian think tank that has infringed on the human rights of the Uygur people, namely “their right to work and their right to access work-training programs, and possibly other human rights.” 

Read the paper in full here: http://www.cowestpro.co/papers.html

Jaq argues that this could mean that ASPI actually contributed to human rights violations of consensual Uygur workers under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. She also argues that ASPI and the Australian government “must right the grave wrong perpetrated against the Uyghurs because of the ASPI report.”

https://youtu.be/JN-Rq2iUYPY

Links — 22 Jan 2022 AM

Consortium News [US finally has to make decisions that affect it too and is playing for time]
UKRAINE CRISIS: US ‘Toolboxes’ Are Empty

Scott Ritter, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, serving in the Soviet Union as an inspector implementing the INF Treaty, on General Schwarzkopf’s staff during the Gulf War, and from 1991-1998 as a UN weapons inspector

AntiWar
Godot Likely To Arrive Before Russia Invades Ukraine
Ray McGovern, co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and retired 27-year career CIA whose tasks included preparing and briefing The President’s Daily Brief and leading the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch

RT 
Is the plan to bankrupt Russia working? (No.)
Paul Robinson | Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa

CaitlinJohnstone.com
Lunatic Pundit Says It’s “All But Certain” We’re On The Cusp Of A Massive War With Russia (Ukrainian-born MSNBC commentator,  Lt. Col. (retired) Alexander Vindman– remember him? Yeah, a career officer that only made Lt. Col.)

Caitlin Johnstone

https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/01/22/lunatic-pundit-says-its-all-but-certain-were-on-the-cusp-of-a-massive-war-with-russia/
 
Sputnik International (stalling)
Moscow Says Received False Accusations From US Instead of Response to Security Guarantees (the US is accusing Russia of planning to invade Ukraine in order to avoid responding to Russian demands about security guarantees. The ploy is not going to work. Russia will act asymmetrically.)
https://sputniknews.com/20220122/moscow-says-received-false-accusations-from-us-instead-of-response-to-security-guarantees-1092448541.html

How US Weaponises NATO to Maintain Its Own Space Dominance & Deter Russia and China (neo-imperialism)
https://sputniknews.com/20220122/how-us-weaponises-nato-to-maintain-its-own-space-dominance--deter-russia-and-china-1092447085.html

Chief of German Navy Believes Crimea Will Never Come Back to Ukraine (realist)

https://sputniknews.com/20220122/chief-of-german-navy-believes-crimea-will-never-come-back-to-ukraine-1092446474.html

Middle East Eye (energy at a price)
US 'in talks' with Qatar over Europe gas supply if Russia invades Ukraine

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-qatar-europe-talks-natural-gas-supply-russia-invades-ukraine

TASS
Washington asks Russia to keep US response on security guarantees secret - paper (secret from you)
https://tass.com/world/1391787

Russia does not rule out military provocations from US, Kiev regime - diplomat (most likely is military provocation to elicit Russian response to blame Russia as the aggressor)

https://tass.com/politics/1391903

Politico (taste of asymmetry)
Biden’s new Ukraine quandary: What if Russia is outsourcing cyberattacks?
Maggie Miller

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/22/biden-ukraine-russia-belarus-cyberattacks-527638

Zero Hedge (reality setting it)
Kiev "Now In The Crosshairs" As Russia Moves Fighter Jets & S-400 Missiles Into Belarus: Pentagon
Tyler Durden
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/kiev-now-crosshairs-russia-moves-fighter-jets-s-400-missiles-belarus-pentagon

Bank regulatory asset values falling

 

All this Fed “hawkish” rhetoric already causing a reduction in the Depository regulatory asset values this from H.8 as of 2 Wednesdays ago:

Probably down another few $B this week so probably -$15B or so…

4Q 2018 these losses reached about -$40B equities sold off about 20% so if we’re at -$15B we’re going to see the current 8% or so reduction at this point… sounds about right…

Plus Mike is reporting we’ve gone into a short term fiscal surplus this month with Fed still adding 100s of $B system reserve balances so Deposit liabilities and reserve assets increasing at the Depositories which makes it EVEN WORSE at this time…

If Fed keeps up the “hawkish” talk and eventually starts to raise the risk free rates then we’re just going to keep going down until they stop…

If Trump were in Presidency he would be excoriating the Fed for such “hawkish” rhetoric at this point threatening to fire them while we’re still in a virus pandemic unemployment accelerating and 10 million people still out of the workforce….  perhaps pushing for tax cuts too…

Biden cognitive impaired and just barely able to read what the monetarists have typed into his teleprompter for him to read…

Nato enlargement crisis: money becomes a weapon — Ben Aris

Weaponising the dollar will only catalyse this process of de-dollarisation. The basis of any financial system or fiat currency is trust. The British pound bears the legend “I promise to pay the bearer one pound” as the note is not money qua money, but a note of promise to pay money to the holder of the note, originally in the form of gold. Using money as a weapon undermines this trust.

The use of dollars as the currency of preference gives the US enormous geopolitical power and at the same time being the reserve currency of choice it also creates an enormous pool of money for the US government to draw on in its own borrowing.

Undermining that trust and penalising Russian banks will only drive Russia closer into the arms of China, with which Russia has already been actively developing an alternative payment system. Moreover, China will be equally concerned by Russia’s exclusion from the dollar settlement system, as clearly Biden’s agenda is to deal with the China problem next and Beijing will be next in line for the same treatment. Other countries that are also on the US problem list will be equally concerned and also want to have alternatives to the dollar system. None of this is in the US long-term strategic interest.... 

bne IntelliNews

Nato enlargement crisis: money becomes a weapon
Ben Aris in Berlin

The Case for Strategic Price Policies — James K. Galbraith

For four decades, mainstream economists have slammed the door on the idea that the US government might intervene to manage the prices of certain goods. But this reactionary mindset has no sound basis, and today’s inflationary episode should be an occasion for reconsidering the question....

Project Syndicate
The Case for Strategic Price Policies

James K. Galbraith | Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. Chair in Government/Business Relations and Professor of Government at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin

Links — 21 Jan 2022

The Cradle

Iran-Russia hit maximum strategy

Pepe Escobar

https://thecradle.co/Article/columns/6033

Asia Times — Opinion
Epidemic of insanity strikes America’s leaders

Spengler (David p. Goldman)

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/epidemic-of-insanity-strikes-americas-leaders/

 
Naked Capitalism
Macron Suggests EU-Russia Talks. Meltdown Among EU, US Apparatchiks Follows.
Yves Smith

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/01/macron-suggests-eu-russia-talks-meltdown-among-eu-us-apparatchiks-follows.html

Moon of Alabama
U.S. - Russian Talks Are A Sign Of Progress

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/01/us-russian-talks-are-a-sign-of-progress.html

The Vineyard of the Saker
Is there a deal being prepared behind the scenes?
The Saker

http://thesaker.is/is-there-a-deal-being-prepared-behind-the-scenes/

Spiegel Online (nice economy you have there. It would be too bad if something happened to it.)
A War of Nerves: Germany Has Little Maneuvering Room in Ukraine Conflict

Markus Becker et al

https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/a-war-of-nerves-germany-has-little-maneuvering-room-in-ukraine-conflict-a-faece2a7-c098-48cb-a9cc-cd0d5daf78f1#ref=rss

 
Mintpress News
ASPI – The Gov’t-Funded Conspiracist Think Tank Now Controlling Your Social Media Feed
Alan Macleod

https://www.mintpressnews.com/aspi-think-tank-controlling-twitter/279490/

Hellenic Shipping News
IMF sees cost of COVID pandemic rising beyond $12.5 trillion estimate
IMF/OECD News
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/imf-sees-cost-of-covid-pandemic-rising-beyond-12-5-trillion-estimate/

The Guardian
IMF warns China over cost of Covid lockdown

Phillip Inman

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/21/imf-warns-china-over-cost-of-covid-lockdowns

DW
Davos: IMF chief says world must 'spend billions' to 'gain trillions'

https://www.dw.com/en/davos-imf-chief-says-world-must-spend-billions-to-gain-trillions/a-60518489

Naked Capitalism (pushing the population limit – revisiting Malthusianism)
UN Report: The World’s Farms Stretched to ‘A Breaking Point’
Dana Nuccitelli
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/01/un-report-the-worlds-farms-stretched-to-a-breaking-point.html

Sputnik International
Biden Says US, China Need Not Have Confrontation But Have Economic Competition
https://sputniknews.com/20220121/biden-says-us-china-need-not-have-confrontation-but-have-economic-competition-1092434945.html

Billionaire Entrepreneur Mark Cuban Launches Affordable Online Pharmacy of Generic Drugs

https://sputniknews.com/20220121/mark-cuban-launches-affordable-online-pharmacy-of-generic-drugs--1092436586.html

ECNS
U.S. propaganda against China on Xinjiang groundless: Pakistani officials
Xinhua
http://www.ecns.cn/news/2022-01-21/detail-ihauzmfa9716228.shtml

China to become world's largest luxury market by 2025: [Bain] report

Xinhua

http://www.ecns.cn/news/economy/2022-01-22/detail-ihauzmfa9716267.shtml

Yahoo Finance ( 91.4 per cent last month from a year earlier. What happens when you don't think things through.)
Lithuanian exports nearly obliterated from China market amid Taiwan row

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lithuanian-exports-nearly-obliterated-china-093000699.html

The Money Illusion (on disinformation)
Lost in translation
Scott Sumner | Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University

https://www.themoneyillusion.com/lost-in-translation-4/

Conversable Economist
Central Bank Digital Currency: The Fed Speaks
Timothy Taylor | Managing editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, based at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota

https://conversableeconomist.wpcomstaging.com/2022/01/21/central-bank-digital-currency-the-fed-speaks/