John Helmer — The Red Line Crossed, In The Cross-Hairs, At Trigger Point — Waiting For An October Surprise

Approaching the level of the Cuban missile crisis?

When Putin starts talking publicly about red lines being crossed and crosshairs, it gives pause, unfortunately not to the American and NATO leadership, it seems.

The Russian leadership doesn't threaten, it warns. If the warning is not heeded, then it acts.

First there was the red-line announcement. On Friday in Athens there was the cross-hairs statement. By the month of October, the month before the US presidential election, there will be the trigger point.

The US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies are going to war with Russia, accelerating the inevitability that Russia will strike in self-defence. This is what the first and second statements by President Vladimir Putin warn. There will be no statement of warning when the trigger point arrives.

Dances with Bears

The Red Line Crossed, In The Cross-Hairs, At Trigger Point — Waiting For An October Surprise

John Helmer

Also

The Duran
5 Reasons Washington Has Already Decided to Go to War with Russia
Peter Lavelle

Oleg Nazarov — Junta is provoking Transcarpathia

European nationalism still a factor to be reckoned with.

J.Hawk's Comment: It is definitely true that Hungary is handing out its passports and citizenship hand over fist to Ukrainian nationals living outside Hungary's current borders. This policy has to be of considerable attractiveness to ethnic Hungarians and any Hungarian-speaking Rusyns because that's about the only way they can achieve visa-free travel into the EU in the foreseeable future.

In part it's Orban's recipe for electoral success--these expatriates unsurprisingly vote for his Fidesz party in droves, since that's the one party that really and truly defends the interests of Hungarian minorities abroad. However, intentionally or unintentionally, that policy might lead to some pretty serious Hungarian irredentism, and the fact that Romania's government (which has a much bigger Hungarian minority than Ukraine) is staunchly pro-Ukraine (and pro-US) is not an accident. Bucharest and Kiev have a common enemy, and that enemy isn't even Russia but rather Hungary.

Fort Russ
Junta is provoking Transcarpathia
Oleg Nazarov
Original: Junta is provoking Transcarpathia
Translated from Russian by J.Hawk

John Henley — Romania and Bulgaria: 'If people go to Britain, of course it's to contribute'

… a nervous coalition government has rushed out measures making new arrivals wait longer before they can claim benefits – and, more controversially, is calling for a wider debate on the principle of free movement within the European Union and perhaps even an EU migration cap.

Of course, immigration of labor is what is supposed to happen to make the euro work. Now that it is happening, political resistance is rising to immigration that will force wages in that country down. But employers will be happy with being able to offer lower wages and salaries. 

This is political issue especially in Britain since, while a member of the EU, the UK is not a member of the EZ. 

And, of course, emigration will further hurt the "contributing" countries since they will lose highly qualified workers to higher paying nations through this "brain drain."

But everyone knew this when they signed up for the EU and EZ, right?

The Guardian

Romania and Bulgaria: 'If people go to Britain, of course it's to contribute'

Jon Henley

Dell Cameron — Police cars explode in Canada as fracking protests turn violent

What started as a peaceful protest by the Elsipogtog Mi’kmaq First Nation in New Brunswick against a shale gas project has now spun violently out of control. After the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) advanced on the anti-fracking protest, demonstrations clashed with police, chemical agents were deployed and at least half a dozen police vehicles were destroyed by Molotov cocktails

The Daily Dot
Police cars explode in Canada as fracking protests turn violent
Dell Cameron

See also Romanian villagers force Chevron to suspend fracking operation by Agence France-Presse


Indonesian court jails fourth Chevron employee over corruption by Agence France-Presse