Ukraine SITREP July 15th, 2015 by Scott

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1. 

   вот так on July 15, 2015  ·  at 7:18 pm EST/EDT

   MH17 Most Likely Shot Down by Air-to-Air Missile

   The Russian Investigative Committee has data suggesting that the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was most likely brought down by an air-to-air missile produced outside of Russia, committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said Wednesday.

   “Regarding the priority version, we have data, including the one based on the results of examinations, [that suggests that] the plane was shot down by an air-to-air missile… Moreover, experts believe that they have established the type of missile and this is not a Russian-made missile,” Markin said.

   The data that the Russian Investigative Committee possesses, confirms the testimony of Evgeniy Agapov, a witness from Ukraine who served as a mechanic in the First Squadron Brigade of Tactical Aviation of the Ukrainian Air Force, he added.

   In December, a former Ukrainian airbase employee, whose name at the time was not disclosed, said he saw a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 combat jet carrying air-to-air missiles taking off, on the day of the tragedy, from an airbase in eastern Dnipropetrovsk, and later seeing the same plane return without any missiles.

   The Russian government believes MH17 was shot down by a Su-25 using A-A missiles and now say they have the evidence to back that up. Up till now the Russian government hadn’t officially committed to any theory of the downing, but it now appears they are sure it was A-A missiles. This decision to go public probably has to do with the phony MH17 investigation the Israeli-Americans are trying to push through the UNSC, using their cowed Malaysian colony.

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   • 

     Penelope on July 16, 2015  ·  at 2:04 am EST/EDT

     Bot Tak, It’s delightful to see the Russians contradict the lies.

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   • 

     вот так on July 16, 2015  ·  at 7:26 am EST/EDT

     RT has some more info on the shooting down of the air liner:

     MH17 likely downed by air-to-air missile, not Russian made – Investigative Committee

     They also describe the phony “investigation” being done by the ZPC/NWO colonials.

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2. 

   Stanley on July 15, 2015  ·  at 7:19 pm EST/EDT

   Very intense and constant shelling in various places, especially Gorlovka. Also, the DPR Ministry of Defense has been dissolved. The shelling means, of course, that Minsk is healthy and holding its solid benefits to Russia and Novorussia. The dissolution of the DPR Mnistry of Defense (and the deafening silence about it) also seems to mean something, but it is not yet clear what.

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3. 

   Daniel Rich on July 15, 2015  ·  at 7:23 pm EST/EDT

   @ Scott,

   Thank you for yet another stellar job done. Words are just that; words. Nevertheless, I do hope you can sense some sort of appreciation from them.

   Come here, you goofball!!!

   :[]:

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   • 

     Scott on July 15, 2015  ·  at 8:27 pm EST/EDT

     @Daniel Rich

     Thanks, man, for your kind words

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4. 

   Daniel Rich on July 15, 2015  ·  at 7:32 pm EST/EDT

   Fast rewind to 1913.

   The year before ‘The Great War/’

   It gave us the [very private] Federal Reserve Bank.

   It also gave us the Anti Defecation Defamation League [ADL].

   Who knew, back then, what was about to happen the next year?

   Who knew whom would benefit from that carnage?

   Who knew, back then, that these 2 tools would benefit a certain, very small, group [even 1 century down the line]?

   They can change names as much as they want, but the M.O. always remains a dead [too true in way to many cases] giveaway.

   News @ 11.

   Yes, I hate myself with a vengeance!

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5. 

   вот так on July 15, 2015  ·  at 7:33 pm EST/EDT

   The poor zionazis & nazis are in a major panic. Somebody in the west might see a Russian media article or program. :D

   Ghost of ‘Russian Propaganda’ Tops Europe’s List of Things to Fear

   After the Ghost of Communism terrified Europe for the better part of the 20th century, there is now a new “evil” sneaking up on Europe – the “ghost of Russian propaganda,” Italian news website Globalist.it reported.

   Europeans are freaking out about the alleged danger that can come with the spread of Russian propaganda. In their paranoid minds, the all-powerful information war-machine led by Vladimir Putin will “brainwash” the minds of innocent European citizens and turn them into Kremlin-loving zombies.

   However, a sober look at the real balance of power between Western and Russian media shows the opposite. The fact of the matter is that Western media is much more powerful than its Russian counterpart, Globalist said.

   While EU leaders scream at the top of their lungs about the rise of the Russian propaganda machine, hundreds of Western media channels and media outlets work tirelessly to spread Western values across the world. Every day of the week, Western TV channels, news agencies, magazines, radio stations, websites and bloggers vigorously analyze and interpret every single event in the world and give it to their audiences from the Western point of view, the Italian website said. Which is why it’s amusing to see Federica Mogherini panicking about “the ghost of Russian propaganda” allegedly taking over Europe. The superiority and effectiveness of Russian propaganda? Come on, really?

   All this hard work has paid off. This information (read: propaganda) has reached the minds of not only the citizens of Western countries, but quickly spread across the entire globe. The Western perspective has become the new status-quo, the unquestionable and hegemonic state of a new global reality.

   So, if that’s the case, then why is the West worried about Russian propaganda? After all, in contrast with Western media companies, Russian media agencies have a significantly smaller audience.

   Although the all-mighty Western media controls everything, there are some folks out there who can think for themselves, critically analyze and draw their own conclusions on things happening around the world. These people create problems for the monopoly of Western media, because they can think outside of the box and read alternative media sources.

   Russian media agencies provide an alternative outlook on global affairs. Due to their smaller budgets and outreach, they can’t equally compete with top Western media corporations. But what they do successfully is wedge into the global media field, provide alternative points of view and most importantly break Western media’s monopoly, Globalist.it said.

   What’s really happening here is simple: the West is worried that it no longer has full control of the media field. The superiority remains, but the monopoly has been shattered.

   Funny, when I saw the headline, I thought: before, the paranoids were afraid of commies hiding under their bed, now it’s Russian media people hiding under their bed. Then I saw the author already noted that comparison in the first paragraph. :D It sounds like this Globalist.it article is worth locating and translating, but I don’t have time to do that now.

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   • 

     Penelope on July 16, 2015  ·  at 2:13 am EST/EDT

     Bot Tak,
     One of the great virtues of Russian handling of the Ukraine situation was that it slowed the action down, thus giving the truth time to penetrate thru the fog of Western propaganda. Almost anyone can be fooled by the initial media blitz about a new event, but many begin to recognize the facts after a bit.

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   • 

     Outlaw Historian on July 16, 2015  ·  at 9:03 pm EST/EDT

     Back in the late 1990s, breaking the Corporate Media/Propaganda System’s stranglehold was seen as an “a priori” goal of global anti-capitalist activists in the run-up to 1999’s Battle in Seattle, which spawned IndyMedia. For the first 5 years or so, “Becoming the media” was quite strong, but except for a few places, the movement had no legs, and the global IndyMedia site’s been inactive for over 19 months, https://www.indymedia.org/or/index.shtml

     The platform remains, so it could get revitalized, although the rise of blogs hurts, although IndyMedia could help bloggers become more effective.

     The importance of the rise of Russia’s English media relates to the Big Lies being called as much. Although it must be noted that via polling many understand Corporate Media’s dishonesty, particularly amongst youth, thus the changing emphasis on propaganda platforms to games and movies.

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6. 

   alan on July 15, 2015  ·  at 7:42 pm EST/EDT

   I think may be even updating the constitution is not enough. May be Russia has to make it clear the seizing of assets will be considered at act of war and will respond accordingly.

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   • 

     Daniel Rich on July 15, 2015  ·  at 8:06 pm EST/EDT

     @ alan,

     Q; …considered at [an] act of war…

     R; I think, in this day and age, throwing around ‘wars’ like marshmallow candy around a campfire might look attractive at first sight, but the ramifications of the outcome of such acts drills magnificent holes down deeper into the core of mankind and, as such, should be left to be dealt with by cowards.

     Why cowards, you ask?

     Because cowards never fight.

     Idiots and drunkards might do, but not cowards.

     Just make sure absolutely the cowards don’t get the idiots and drunkards to fight wars for them.

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     • 

       alan on July 15, 2015  ·  at 10:12 pm EST/EDT

       No disagreement, I should have chosen a different word than “war” perhaps. I certainly does not mean if assets were seized, RF should start bombing. Look at it this way, many commentators now agree that “sanctions” are a form of warfare, so reciprocating with sanctions seemed like a no-brainer. So it is the same with asset seizures. If there is nothing to seize, seize the embassy….

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7. 

   Anonymous on July 15, 2015  ·  at 8:02 pm EST/EDT

   Nutty natterings.

   July 14
   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/11739349/Israel-and-Saudi-Arabia-present-united-front-over-Iran-deal.html

   8:53PM BST 14 Jul 2015

   The nuclear deal with Iran caused fury in Israel and consternation around the region at the likely increase in influence and resources of a newly enriched Iran.

   Most telling was the loudest expression of support. “I am happy that the Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved a great victory by reaching an agreement,” President Bashar al-Assad of Syria said in a message to his Iranian opposite number, Hassan Rouhani.

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8. 

   Cassandra on July 15, 2015  ·  at 8:17 pm EST/EDT

   So, they’re giving Crimea back?

   Putin’s whole premise in Crimea is derived from the ICC opinion on the secession of B-H, which was that the Serbian constitutional provision that it had to agree to secession was itself illegal as national constitutional courts did not take precedence over international law.

   Ukraine’s constitution provided that she had to approve a refendum. Putin relies on the ICC opinion to say that this constitution, like the Serbian, could not trump the right of self-determination.

   These are some very serious charges you are making, Cassandra. A polite suggestion: when making claims such as these, accompany those claims with your sources for them. Otherwise you might be thought of, and considered as, somebody trolling nonsense as part of an unscrupulous agenda.

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   • 

     eimar on July 15, 2015  ·  at 8:49 pm EST/EDT

     Cassandra:

     Are you saying the EHCR (which presides over jurisdictions the RF is not a member of and which has limits to its supra-national competencies anyway) is equivalent in its jurisdictional reach to the ICC?

     If so, what’s your case?

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     • 

       Uncle Bob 1 on July 15, 2015  ·  at 10:44 pm EST/EDT

       Being pro-Ukrainian is my guess as to her/his case.

       Russian courts have already ruled that the removal of Crimea from Russia in 1954 was “illegal”.So that by itself returns Crimea “legally” to Russia.But more importantly,a peoples human right to self-determination (and their strength to defend that right) trumps any and all so-called “international law”.So in both cases Crimea stays as part of Russia.

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       • 

         Outlaw Historian on July 16, 2015  ·  at 9:14 pm EST/EDT

         The Right To Self Determination is embodied in the UDHR, but that treaty doesn’t exist if your nation hasn’t ratified it and thus incorporated it into its legal code, like the Outlaw Empire, whose constitution states that ALL treaties become the “Supreme Law of the Land” (Supremacy Clause).

         After all the tiresome and genuinely superhuman effort Eleanor Roosevelt put into the formation and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the US Senate gave her the ultimate snub by refusing its ratification, and no president since has even tried to get it ratified–that act alone tells a lot about where the moral foundation of the Outlaw Empire lies.

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   • 

     Penelope on July 16, 2015  ·  at 2:31 am EST/EDT

     Cassandra, The folllowing link gives the opinion of Alexander Mezyaev, an attorney of the Russian govt. First an excerpt:

     “The United Nations International Court of Justice handed down an advisory opinion in 2010 saying unambiguously that the unilateral declaration of independence is in accordance with the international law. (2)

     A referendum based decision is not a «unilateral declaration of independence». The Court’s ruling was related to the unilateral declaration of independence by the illegitimate government of Kosovo and Metohija. In the case of Crimea the government is democratically elected and legitimate. There are no international norms to be violated; such norms simply do not exist.”

     The opinion goes on to puncture the idea (thrown around by Westerners) of “legitimacy” as not a legal concept.

     http://nsnbc.me/2014/03/15/referendum-crimea-international-law/

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   • 

     blue on July 16, 2015  ·  at 3:01 am EST/EDT

     There is nothing in the Russian constitution saying Crimea could not become part of Russia, nor is Russia saying that ECHR rules can’t be followed by other nations — just that Russia is not bound by it. There is also UN and various other bodies laws and rulings which may apply to various situations, as well as simply precedents and ethics throughout history.

     Of course Crimea is not going to be part of Ukraine again, if for no other reason than then Crimeans themselves would not have it. Part of Russia’s sovereignty is that it does not have to follow the rules of other nations, or even all the nations — it simply has to deal with the situation and consequences as any sovereign nation does.

     Both the US and the EU have recently set many precedents that laws don’t matter to them, dealing with Greece, Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, or any other place — not even the ‘rules of war, so trying split hairs and quibble of Crimea is silly.

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9. 

   Martin from Soviet East-Berlin on July 15, 2015  ·  at 9:53 pm EST/EDT

   WashinKiev plans SellOut of Ukraine for pathetic 790 millions http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=df6_1436886038

   Ukraine Wants to Sell off Its State-Owned Assets to Foreigners but Will Anybody Buy?
   Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=df6_1436886038#9TxHAoQRJSBrz73q.99

   “””””Ukraine’s Lithuanian minister of Economic Development announces the sale of 345 state-owned companies

   Have you always wanted to own a power plant, a mine or a chemical plant in bankrupt, corrupt and civil war-stricken Ukraine? Now is the time!
   Sales are projected to raise a pitiful $790 million
   Ukrainian Economic Development Minister Aivaras Abromavicius clarified exactly how many state companies would be offered up for sale to US and European investors at the upcoming Ukrainian-American investment conference in Washington D.C on Monday, stating that 345 state-run firms would be put on offer to the highest bidder.

   Speaking before reporters on Thursday, Abromavicius noted that the 345 firms offered for sale “will be included in the first wave of privatizations,” which he earlier confirmed would begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

   Kiev’s effort is ostensibly aimed at raising billions of dollars for the country’s cash-strapped budget, as the economy, hit by a decline in trade with Russia, financial panic, and civil war, lies in tatters and on the verge of default.

   Companies on the docket include the electricity generation firm Tsentrenergo and six of its regional distributors, gas transportation companies, the Odessa Port Plant, mining operations and agricultural holdings, which together are projected to bring 17 billion hryvnia (about $790 million) into the country’s coffers.

   Earlier this year, Ukrainian officials held similar conferences in Washington, Berlin and Paris. As late as last month, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk met with Ukrainian-Americans in Washington, telling them that his government wants “to see American owners on the territory of Ukraine,” stating that “they will bring not only investment, but also new standards, new ways of managing the companies, and a new investment culture.”

   B ut with the IMF (conservatively) projecting a 9 percent decline in Ukraine’s GDP in 2015, with inflation hitting nearly 50 percent and the country approaching debt levels amounting to 100 percent of GDP, analysts warn that the present may be the worst possible time for Kiev to sell off its large, state-owned firms. The country’s economic decline, political instability and the war in the east have hit property values hard, which means that Kiev is unlikely to collect significant sums forKiev the large, valuable, strategic assets offered up for sale.

   Analysts also suggest that Western investors will have little appetite for the purchase of the unwieldy, heavily-indebted state firms, many operating at a loss since the collapse of the Soviet Union, noting that the most profitable companies were already bought up in crooked schemes by the country’s oligarchs a long time ago.

   In this connection, AFP recently reported that Rada MPs connected with the country’s oligarchic clans are likely to use their influence to prevent the sale of the profitable state assets under oligarchs’ influence.

   Moreover, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung columnist Konrad Schuller recently poured cold water on the entire privatization initiative, noting that in an environment of speedy, murky, clan-dominated privatization, Western investors will have no time to assess whether the state companies offered up for sale are truly lucrative or not.

   Furthermore, while Yatsenyuk recently announced that over 150 major investors have already RSVP’d to attend the Washington conference, he has already been hit by dissention from within his own cabinet, with officials from the Energy Ministry and the State Property Fund challenging the pace and scale of privatization.

   [Click to view image: ‘df6_1436886038-c6471593c1ca366f412a6d61548934c3_1436886308.jpg’]

   In April of this year, Ukraine agreed to an International Monetary Fund-monitored austerity program, which called for the shedding of 24,000 government jobs, higher taxes, privatization of state assets and the withdrawal of subsidies on utilities in exchange for a total of about $40 billion in IMF-led foreign assistance over the coming four years.”””””

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10. 

    John Gilberts on July 15, 2015  ·  at 10:04 pm EST/EDT

    Excellent links as usual, many thanks. Here’s a good analysis of the ‘Yats’-Harpo Free-Trade etc:

    Ukraine PM Adopts ‘Anti-Oligarch’ Posture As Country’s Assets Offered to Highest Foreign Bidder
    http://newcoldwar.org/ukraine-pm-adopts-anti-oligarch-posture-in-ottawa-as-countrys-assets-offered-to-the-highest-foreign-bidder/

    “Yatsenyuk is strenuously denying any comparison to the debt situation of his government and that of Greece.”

    He also said in a Canadian interview that Right Sector was simply a criminal gang that should be disarmed, arrested and ‘punished.’

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11. 

    Uncle Bob 1 on July 15, 2015  ·  at 10:52 pm EST/EDT

    Whatever questions people may have about Putin’s personal commitment to the Russian Mir.Needn’t be asked about some other members of his government.Here in this video Dmitri Rogozin answers that pretty clearly for himself.BTW from this video I think he could change careers and go into the music World if he wanted to,he is that good:

    ” Dmitry Rogozin For the Motherland! NOVORUSSIA 2015
    On his twitter, Dmitri Rogozin, a Russian deputy prime-minister, dedicated his earlier recorded song “For the Motherland” “to Strelkov and the comrades.” The song and ITS Today’s Dedication unite the War in Afghanistan and later Other Wars with Today’s Struggle.”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm_U490i1IU

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    • 

      elsi on July 15, 2015  ·  at 11:13 pm EST/EDT

      Oh! He is great!
      How nice and how well sings!
      Is it true that he dedicated it to Strelkov and comrades?
      He deserves and comrades too.

      Spasibo Dmitriy Olegovich!

      P.S: Cassandra will be raging….

      Now V.V.Putin to sing, please!

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      • 

        Ann on July 16, 2015  ·  at 6:57 am EST/EDT

        Elsie, you’re funny…you never lost your love for Strelkov !!! I liked this song too…and Putin sings…you know that don’t you ?

        https://youtu.be/Hl0TBYFB08M

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        • 

          elsi on July 16, 2015  ·  at 1:10 pm EST/EDT

          Ann, you are also very funny.

          Well, I knew about this video of V.V. Putin singing, but this is in English and for an American/ European audience.
          I would like him to sing in Russian for the Novorossiyan fighters and people ( Including Strelkov, of course, who is loyal to him as I am to both ) and for all the Resistance around the globe.

          Come on, comrade, roll up a bit!
          Давай товарищ, закатать немного!

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12. 

    Anonymous on July 15, 2015  ·  at 10:58 pm EST/EDT

    Bot tak 7:33

    Bankers are even more scared because now they MUST to release the Iran’s money what they have freeze many years ago ,because of the sanctions. Now they will have much less money to pay bribes for politicians to continue this disgusting plan for the world.

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13. 

    eimar on July 15, 2015  ·  at 11:35 pm EST/EDT

    Uncle Bob:

    You’re right – the Crimean issue was resolved by the Crimeans through popular referendum.

    As it should.

    I was querying his/her apparent equivocation of ICC (international though not binding) with EHCR (European and only selectively binding.)

    And that’s before we even go into the non-constitutional means by which the current Ukrainian junta came to power – which was the reason for Crimean secession in the first place.

    A secession that would also have taken place peacefully (by referendum) in the Donbass had it been allowed to: the junta behaved as predictably as violently-implemented regimes do.

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14. 

    Signalman on July 15, 2015  ·  at 11:55 pm EST/EDT

    Another Atlas V, USAF/NASA rocket launched today, lifting a new GPS satellite into orbit.

    The Atlas booster was powered by a Russian RD-180 engine.

    Total dependence on Russian technology and production of Atlas engines.

    Americans bragged the last twenty-four hours over the Pluto photos sent back by NASA’s deep space probe (a nine-year project).

    Yet, they can no longer lift heavy objects off the planet without Russian rocket engines.

    The technology of the RD-180 is from 1999.

    Quite an ironic pair of events for American space science.

    What they are proud of from 9 years ago, they can no longer do.

    And what they do today, they must have Russian help.

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15. 

    MidaFo on July 16, 2015  ·  at 12:02 am EST/EDT

    We are in the age of piracy. The Good Ship ‘America’ with its subservient fleet of cowed opportunists is striving to hold sway with the simplistic philosophy of its prophet GW Bush, ‘Either you are with us etc’.
    Humanity deserves the consequences if it allows the USA to rule the ways.

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16. 

    Uncle Bob 1 on July 16, 2015  ·  at 12:04 am EST/EDT

    Well the Greek Parliament has betrayed the Greek people (once again) and passed the EU slavery bill.It is time for the “Greek Spring” to begin.Hopefully we can see that soon.But with the lack of courage I’ve seen among Europeans (minus Novorossians) lately,I doubt it.

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17. 

    Penelope on July 16, 2015  ·  at 12:37 am EST/EDT

    No one wishes more than I do to hear that Russia is heading towards financial independence. Currently Russia is in full compliance w the IMF’s requirement that she may issue rubles only upon earning or borrowing dollars. Various writers are feeding us false triumphalism. One hopes that they are only optimistic about the future. However what they write is inaccurate today.

    Eg: “Putin is saying: ‘We’re going to issue our own debt, we’re going to run our own system, we’re going to fund our own projects, and we’re going to do it all in our own currency. Kaboom. The only thing you’re going to be doing, is managing your own accelerating economic decline. Have a good day.” I can find no quote of Putin’s which can be interpreted in this way.

    We are urged to believe that the BRICS Dev Bank & CRA are terrifying the West. A factual inquiry into their functioning does not bear out any cause for Western concern:

    7/12/15 BRICS DEV BANK: http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/07/10/brics-bankers-confirm-they-will-undergird-not-undermine-western-financial-decadence/ Beijing’s emergency bail-out measures represent vast subsidies to financiers, just like those used in Washington, London, Brussels and Tokyo since 2007.

    Change is urgently needed yet the BRICS’ finance bureaucrats – especially two leading appointees from South Africa – won’t deviate from orthodoxy. Ongoing financial turbulence should offer a gap for the $100 billion Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), which is anticipated to open its doors next month. However, it carries not only a strange name that even many insider experts often get wrong, but is dollar-denominated and structurally hard-wired to support the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    To illustrate,” according to CRA rules agreed at last year’s BRICS Fortaleza summit, after 30% of a country’s quota is borrowed – based on double the amount of its own contributions (China at $41 billion, and Brazil, Russia and India at $18 billion each, and South Africa at $5 billion) – then the borrower must next sign a neoliberal IMF agreement.”
    .

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    • 

      blue on July 16, 2015  ·  at 3:13 am EST/EDT

      If Russians could manage the siege of Leningrad I guess they can manage a little upheaval while transitioning to financial independence from the empire.

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    • 

      Larchmonter445 on July 16, 2015  ·  at 3:56 am EST/EDT

      What are this year’s agreement concerning the CRA? A lot of water has gone under the bridge since last year.

      The Chinese in particular have used pressure to bust the IMF and to get more participation voting for themselves and others in the IMF. They have their man as #2 and when Christine finally is used up like the whore she is the Chinese will man the Fund.

      The use of existing institutions is a strategy. The Chinese and Russians want to expand their influence in those institutions, change them and not throw them off so easily.

      However, they also have constructed better and more powerful institutions like the NDB and AIIB and numerous other financial and development structures that will dwarf what the US now controls.

      People have the same attitude to what China and Russia are doing as many have about Donbass.

      Overthrow everything. Win the war. Blowup the international system and take over.

      That’s irrational. China and Russia have trade they need to keep going with International partners who happen to be part of the West. China can’t just blow up London and Berlin and Brussels financially. They can’t dump 1.3 Trillion in bonds of the US Treasury and not lose their shirts. Russia sells oil and gas and weapons and other items to members who need IMF and who belong to a system.

      Russia is one tenth the US. China is one fourth the US. Those are real comparisons.
      However, in ten and twenty years they will match the US which will be choking on debt and no growth. The US if it doesn’t reform its economy will be like Japan has been for 20 years.

      This isn’t like a movie. It’s the largest challenge ever in human history. A global hegemon must be weakened and a multipolar world must be developed. 4.5 billion people living on dirt have to have food, transportation, housing, medical, education and connectivity to the rest of humanity. And that is just inside Eurasia. There is still Africa and Latin America with billions more who need the same development path.

      Only Russia and China have the concept, will and means (and leadership) to do this.

      It can’t be done quickly by destroying what exists. What exists must be changed, must atrophy, and then the new will replace the old.

      The planet is looking East to Eurasia. The Europe-Atlantic “civilization” has run its course. But the change is a long process.

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      • 

        Erebus on July 16, 2015  ·  at 5:16 am EST/EDT

        Larch, all good points.
        There’s a few I couldn’t pass by…

        “…the Chinese will man the Fund.” That’ll be a sight to see. Everyone will know we’re not in Kansas anymore. The symbolism will be world-shaking.

        “The use of existing institutions is a strategy.” Absolutely. All revolutions, even the most violent, use existing institutions during & after the takeover, and sometimes to effect takeover. Bus drivers keep driving the same buses from the same stations. Bankers issue new currency from the same wickets. Etc.

        “…the NDB and AIIB and numerous other financial and development structures that will dwarf what the US now controls” The jury is still very much out whether the new will stay parallel to, or subsume/absorb the existing structures. That depends on a fundamental tipping point we’re not at yet. Namely, are we working towards two (or more) competing world orders, or one. I believe the former, at least in the medium term (say, 50-100yrs).

        “They can’t dump 1.3 Trillion in bonds of the US Treasury and not lose their shirts.” Well, a few have thought of at least one way they could, without losing so much as an old sock. I believe that when the moment is right they will use it, probably in tandem with their BRICS partners. They’ve exhibited all the signs that they’re setting up for it since joining the WTO. Pushed into a corner, that moment may be sooner than they’d like.

        ” China is one fourth the US.” Huh? If you’re talkin’ GDP, at PPI, China’s GDP is larger today, and at the official FX rate it’s about 2/3s of the US. I don’t know how China accounts for the black market in its GDP calculations, but that is, in my experience, somewhere between 40% & 50% of domestic economic activity. If one was to add all of it, the Chinese economy is larger at the official FX rate already.

        “Only Russia and China have the concept, will and means (and leadership) to do this.
        It can’t be done quickly by destroying what exists. What exists must be changed, must atrophy, and then the new will replace the old.
        The planet is looking East to Eurasia. The Europe-Atlantic “civilization” has run its course. But the change is a long process.”

        Amen.
        Rome took almost as long to “Fall” as it took to “Rise”. The West’s “Fall” won’t be completed in my lifetime.

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        • 

          blue on July 16, 2015  ·  at 4:44 pm EST/EDT

          Things speed up as history goes by.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
          The French Revolution (French: Révolution française) was an influential period of social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799,
          […]

          Ten years, over 200 years ago, and with no internet, cell phones, etc.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution
          Date January 1978 – February 1979

          Now even a few months might be enough.

          Collapse … hell, the WTC went down at free fall. Just a matter of the charges being covertly placed beforehand.

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      • 

        Anonymous on July 16, 2015  ·  at 2:58 pm EST/EDT

        Larchmonter445 & Erebus,

        Reminds me of how many people hoped that at the last minute Tsipras was going to Grexit & join the Russian bloc, completely ignoring the repeated statements of Tsipras to the contrary.

        I will continue to hope with you regarding Russia & China’s intentions to eventually overthrow the IMF system which prevents nations everywhere, including Russia, from issuing their own currency independent of dollar income. This system will continue to trap countries into debt like Greece’s & Brasil’s. It will continue to funnel money & power to the international bankers who are the real decision-makers behind the US’s wars of aggression, and behind what is happening to the Greek people & innocents everywhere.

        However much I hope, I will continue to hear the actual words of the Chinese & Russian govts & to notice their actions without indulging in rewriting those words to suit my own hopes. I think a more helpful course is to continue to learn about and expose the criminality of the IMF/Fed system, because that may actually help whatever forces are striving to overcome it, whether inside or outside the Chinese & Russian govts.

        For those who wish to know more I recommend Starikov’s free online book http://lit.md/files/nstarikov/rouble_nationalization-the_way_to_russia%27s_freedom.pdf

        or Ellen Brown’s work

        or here’s a site w many brief articles http://www.financialreform.info/f_r_site_index.html At this site I found Brian Leslie’s work especially clear & powerful.

        Regards

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        • 

          Larchmonter445 on July 16, 2015  ·  at 6:30 pm EST/EDT

          http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/nikolai-starikov-how-escape-western-economic-system/ri8781

          Starikov on why it takes time to change the unipolar monetary system.

          Gold Ruble, Chiina, and strategy

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        • 

          Penelope on July 16, 2015  ·  at 9:12 pm EST/EDT

          I didn’t mean this to be anonymous; this is Penelope.

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        • 

          Erebus on July 17, 2015  ·  at 1:16 am EST/EDT

          Penelope,
          “I will continue to hope with you regarding Russia & China’s intentions to eventually overthrow the IMF system…”

          We don’t differ in substance, and I do believe Russia and China have come to approximately the same conclusion. So, the question is now of strategy only.
          blue mentioned the French Revolution took only a decade. He doesn’t mention that it was a decade that included the Terror, and was followed by the Napoleonic wars that took another 1.5 decades. On todays scale, with 7x the population and “N”x the destructive power available, a global French Revolution / Napoleonic episode is to be avoided in every way possible. The current system was built on the ruins of a devastating war, and there’s no wish to have the next one stand up in similar circumstances.
          The IMF system is drowning under an ocean of debt and internal contradictions. RU-CN don’t have to do anything at all, and it will inevitably collapse on its own. They aren’t wild-eyed revolutionaries, the IMF system doesn’t need to be “overthrown”, and they also know that duplicating a system as visibly flawed as the IMF’s would be folly.

          In the meantime, their strategy seems two-pronged:
          – build parallel structures, that aren’t a frontal assault on, but are flexible enough to react to failures in, existing systems. Let them develop and mature so they become robust mechanisms that can maintain liquidity through the transition when it comes. You do that most effectively by making investment possible on the periphery, where existing systems are inactive.
          – gain stronger positions in existing systems to minimize their threat to your new institutions, with an eye to forcing the internal changes that enhance their robustness and fairness, so that they too can, mutatis mutandis, play a role on the other side of the transition. Yeah, an IMFv2 may well carry on from the point where IMFv1 failed.

          History is a process. A world network of institutions is being built. That network will initially be China-centric but will also develop as time goes on and countries in S. America, Africa, S.E. Asia and E. Europe stand up and demand a bigger voice. If the new institutions fail to accommodate them, they too will fail. T’was ever thus, and t’will ever be.

          The central question is whether those institutions will morph into political tools used for domination of weaker states. With the Greek crisis, we watched the culmination of a process whereby the institutions that were originally set up to underpin the European Dream morph into overt tools for subjugation. Their failure is now public. The information leaking from the Troika – Greece “negotiations” will do more harm to Europe than whether Greece Grexits or not.

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      • 

        Penelope on July 17, 2015  ·  at 12:40 am EST/EDT

        Larchmonter 445, When you said,

        “Overthrow everything. Win the war. Blowup the international system and take over.

        That’s irrational. China and Russia have trade they need to keep going with International partners who happen to be part of the West. China can’t just blow up London and Berlin and Brussels financially. They can’t dump 1.3 Trillion in bonds of the US Treasury and not lose their shirts. Russia sells oil and gas and weapons and other items to members who need IMF and who belong to a system.”

        Presumably you were addressing someone else as I have never on any occasion advocated dumping bonds or blowing up anything..

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        • 

          Erebus on July 17, 2015  ·  at 8:05 am EST/EDT

          Read my response to Larch above (on July 16, 2015·at 5:16 am UTC).

          China’s $1.3T Treasuries are WMD, to be used when the moment is right. One famous Chinese PLA strategy paper even referred to them as such. There’s reason to believe China threatened to use it in 2008(?), but the Saudis reacted very negatively.

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18. 

    вот так on July 16, 2015  ·  at 2:15 am EST/EDT

    Some great analysis along with the necessary news gathered in one place. Thanks Scott.

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19. 

    Red Ryder on July 16, 2015  ·  at 3:11 am EST/EDT

    And we thought our banksters were bad actors.

    Here’s a report from Russia/Donbass

    http://rusvesna.su/news/1436962801

    Oleg Tsarev: “Russia, stop feeding the ATO!”

    15.07.2015 – 15:20

    Oleg Tsarev: “Russia, stop feeding the ATO!” | Russian spring

    Famous Ukrainian and Novorossiysk politician made a sensational statement in which it called on the Russian authorities to deal with financial institutions of the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian subsidiary which indirectly support the “ATO”.

    * * *

    Russian state-owned banks invest money in Ukraine. Moreover, do not just invest, but also increase its share in the assets of the Ukrainian banking system — only for 2014, their share grew to 12%. This is stated in the analytical article of the international rating Agency Standard & Poor’s. In the same article rating Agency estimated aggregate risks of the largest Russian banks in Ukraine in the $23-25 billion.

    These figures were announced by Vladimir Putin, “Our banks already invested about $ 25 billion. Russia’s Finance Ministry has given a loan in the past year — three billion. Gazprom has extended a loan to the Ukrainian economy another $ 5.5 even with the discount, which no one promised $ 4.5 billion. Count it all together. It 32,5–33,5 billion dollars for the last time!”.

    It is surprising that the increasing investment from Russia takes place against the backdrop of the fact that foreign banks are fleeing from Ukraine, closing branches and subsidiary banks. It turns out that, unlike Russia, the European banks to support and Fund the Kiev regime is not going. But for any country’s banking system is extremely important. Banks is like the circulatory system of the economy. Now Russian banks is the core banking system of the Ukrainian economy, its Foundation, taxes which go to Fund the ATO.

    To the amount of about 30 billion dollars., issued in the form of loans, it is necessary to add about thirty billion dollars in investment for private Russian businesses and government agencies. Money invested in Ukraine’s economy, already can be considered lost for Russia.

    Ukrainian companies do not return EN masse and do not serve their loans. In Ukraine, the courts, driven by financial incentives received from borrowers, as well as Patriotic sentiments, massively bring the property out of the Bank collateral, not recognize prisoners of the credit agreement. Loan now does not exceed 20%. Russian banks in Ukraine are ready to give an 80% discount, just to get back at least part of the provided funds.

    However, they continue to issue new loans.

    Here is a recent news — “Vnesheconombank” invested 303 million in its Ukrainian subsidiary, Prominvestbank”. The money went to ensuring 638 million shares, which were issued by the Bank in Ukraine. This is not the first such news.

    Here January 2015: “Bank VTB is preparing a decision on the increase of capital of PJSC “VTB Bank” (Kyiv) and JSC “BM BANK” for 265 million dollars.” But 265 million then was not enough. And in June 2015, “VTB plans to the end of the year to capitalize “VTB Ukraine” on $800 million this was stated by the head of the Bank Andrey Kostin.

    And only recently, it is accepted in Russia the program of recapitalization of banks by 1 trillion rubles, the state has transferred 27 Russian banks and primarily those that have subsidiaries in Ukraine. Thus, to support the Ukrainian banking system will be at the expense of money of Russian taxpayers!

    But it’s not just about the recapitalization of banks.

    Last year, the “daughter” of the Russian Sberbank and VTB participated in the bond issue military loan — that is, literally, to raise money for the ATO. Thank God, thanks to the noise, which we raised last year and this year, they do not.

    But that’s not all.

    Subsidiaries of Russian banks in Ukraine are engaged in the provision of benefits to participants of anti-terrorist operation: for example, freezing and deduction of interest on their loans. June 8, 2014 entered into force the law under which banks were required to provide the following holidays: interest rate is not accrued and not paid interest for the period while the soldier is in the area of the ATO. But the most shocking fact that the Ukrainian subsidiaries of Russian banks did it voluntarily and prior to the adoption of this law. But after I raised this issue on the Committee under the Federation Council, they removed the advertising of this promotion from the website, but continued to provide it. My assistant has found this out by calling the Bank. Unfortunately, not a screenshot from the website of the Bank, so I will not call him. What is happening, not to me surprising. I personally know of many leaders of Russian banks in Ukraine. Many of them are convinced of the Ukrainian nationalists.

    Sadly, Russian banks are not just carried out the orders of Kiev regime of the termination of work in the Donbas, when Poroshenko decided to block the rebellious region, but they have done it before all other Ukrainian banks. Performed it first!

    And I want to ask: what if tomorrow the Kiev government will ask Sberbank, VEB (in the face of “Prominvestbank”) and “VTB” financial support for the work of prisons and the creation of a special concentration camps for Pro-Russian political prisoners and prisoners of supporters of Novorossiya, Russian banks will respond and helpful on this?

    However, the answer to this question is clear.

    But hundreds of millions of dollars that they invest in the financial system of Ukraine, is not just stocks, bonds and tax credits.
    Is direct support for the regime, the fair valuation of which we hear every day on Moscow TV channels. But television channels, and business works.

    And if you need help, chip in for the shells for the artillery, which shelled Horlivka and Donetsk, — then why not help?
    It’s probably “will improve the business climate around the Russian business in Ukraine.

    It hurts to think that people in the Donbas kills the weapons bought, in particular, with the help of Russian banks — banks of the same country, for the sake of Union with which the people in the Donbass are risking their lives. I hope that the Russian leadership still take control of the activities of private banks in Ukraine.

    We know that the rule of business is “nothing personal”.

    But for aiding in the Commission of war crimes to be answered. Before God exactly, but it may happen that you have on this earth.

    Comfortable to be Russian bankers on the court on a hard bench beside Kolomoisky?

    Tags: “ATO”Oleg Tsarev

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    • 

      Penelope on July 17, 2015  ·  at 3:10 am EST/EDT

      Red Ryder,

      I’ve been following the story of Russian banks’ investment into their Ukrainian branches for several weeks. Thanks for the great summary. Sure is perplexing. It wd seem likely that the funds/bank branches wd be nationalized or stolen. VTB is a Russian state bank, stranger still.

      Any theories?

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20. 

    Red Ryder on July 16, 2015  ·  at 3:25 am EST/EDT

    Nikolai Starikov in Donetsk

    There are some Russian language videos of his appearance and speech.
    Here’s a Yandex translation of the article, in part, what he said about Donbass, Ukraine, Putin, and Minsk 2. And the war against the Russian world.

    How and why Minsk 2 works is important analysis by Starikov. His audience in Donetsk are the people suffering the artillery shelling.

    http://politikus.ru/video/54183-nstarikov-v-donecke.html

    In the course of communication with the Pitmen Nikolai Starikov expressed his thought about the inevitability of war in the Donbass, as the ruling circles in the West do not want reunification of one nation and peoples of the former Soviet Union at least in the same Eurasian Union. According to the writer, they are interested in “we were allowed to split up”.

    “Were attacked not only Donetsk and Lugansk, and was attacked the whole Russian world. Because we are one people – the great Russians, the little Russians and Belo-Russians. It happened in vivid form the opposition to the Eurasian Union. Because Ukraine is the key. Without Ukraine, the restoration of a powerful Eurasian space, which can be called the Eurasian Union or Russia – the restoration of this whole impossible. So, when we talk about the future – need to understand that for our peace of mind all of Ukraine must be freed from the power that consciously pushes Ukraine into a war,” said in Donetsk Nikolai Starikov.

    When this writer and social activist stressed that the benefits of the “Minsk-2” there is no doubt. “Every war ends in peace, and peace is war. Talking with the enemy”, he said.

    In his view, this allows to reduce the number of victims among civilian and military. Also does not allow the other party to demonize in the eyes of European public DPR, LPR and the Russian Federation.

    When Europeans see that Ukraine does not fulfill the Minsk agreements, the inhabitants of the European countries accumulated fatigue from this war. Nikolai Starikov drew attention to the fact that in the negotiation process with the Russian Federation, involved not simpletons who can be easily deceived by empty promises. The Minsk agreements also enable DND and LNR to create and enhance a more professional and your army, which will be able to repel any aggression against Republics.

    Nikolai Starikov, talking about the fact that since the war is now against the entire Russian world stated that: “In this situation we must consolidate. This means that the part of the Russian world for the “chess Board” should sit one GM. This is GM we have is the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. We have no reason not to trust him. We must give Grossmeister safely carry the “party”. It is extremely difficult. Put aside emotions can win. And I’m sure we have all the chances to win! But we have to give Grandmaster play, not accusing him indiscriminately, not substituting its own, maybe sincere but emotional statements and actions, thus “pouring water” on the forces that actually play on the other side of the “boards”. The victory of the Russian world is a victory not a single Grandmaster, is the victory of all! But China and India have anyone sitting at the chessboard. So let’s help the GM to win this terribly challenging party.”

    Nikolai Starikov said that in the civil war military power, and victory is achieved in the most part in the war of ideas. “Step by step Donbass moving towards a full-fledged state structures. The state in the full sense of the word! And in a situation where there is controlled by the Kiev area, there should be created an attractive area with attractive idea. When the issue of transition from one side to the other is very simple: you don’t have to learn the language, you there your. Soldier of the Ukrainian army, who took the side of Donbass, – he’s so equal as everybody. Civil war is the decomposition of the enemy in all ways. Until this happens – it will be very difficult this war to end!”, – declared Donetsk Russian writer and public figure Nikolai Starikov.” Source: http://nstarikov.ru/blog/53207

    Источник: http://politikus.ru/video/54183-nstarikov-v-donecke.html
    Politikus.ru

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21. 

    Uncle Bob 1 on July 16, 2015  ·  at 5:38 am EST/EDT

    I wondered how long until the Ukrainians figured out who caused all the latest trouble in Transcarpathia.It was “Putin” of course, behind it all:

    “Putin is in charge of the Ukraine. The proof.”

    The only truly amusing aspect of the disgusting in fact story with a mini-civil war in Mukachevo of Transcarpathia was the information noise, accompanying this extravaganza.

    Well, first of all, both, so to speak, “parties of the stand off” virtually simultaneously declared each other bandits (I think — this is the rare case when both sides were equally right in their claims).

    It happens.

    But that’s okay.

    Much more interesting is a place occupied in their worldview by a current Russian President, hardly suspecting anything about the situation.

    So.

    As we are told by the reliable informed sources in the Ukrainian blogosphere, Putin really runs the show over there.

    On the one hand, it was he, the sinister, who provoked his agents from the “Right sector” to “rock the peaceful Transcarpathia”.

    But on the other hand — again, it was he who has mobilized his agents in the SBU, the Interior Ministry and the inner circle of President Poroshenko (according to some sources, including Poroshenko himself), to sweep up the “Right sector”: the moment was too convenient, and Putin, as all know, hates the true patriots of Ukraine.

    And here, actually, no more arguments are needed: the “Right sector” is officially banned in Putin’s Russia.

    But, again, on the one hand, undoubtedly Putin’s agents ordered to withdraw “the battalions of the Right Sector” from the “ATO zone”. And on the other hand, realizing the treachery in governmental power structures, these valiant battalions have begun to withdraw from the zone of special operation only in order to block the way of Putin’s agents to the capital of independent Ukraine, which is the reason for all this fuss around the checkpoints.

    And on the one hand, only traitors and Putin’s agents could demand the resignation of Interior Minister Avakov.

    But on the other hand, how can you not demand it, if he is the doubtless traitor and doubtless Putin’s agent?!

    And if to all this we add a photo of the honorary Consul of Ukraine in Antalya, Turkey – Mr. Levent Aydin – in a t-shirt with the image of Putin and the inscription “Politeness – all ours” which was published on Facebook by the vigilant journalist Vasilisa Yılmaz, the depth of penetration of Putin into the inner world of Ukraine becomes just truly metaphysical.
    And even, one might say, existential.

    I have a feeling that if Mr Putin had suddenly gone mad and became a candidate for the early presidential elections in the independent Ukrainian Republic, he would have won exactly with the same percent as in the rest of Russia.

    Although why would he run. According to all the parties of all of the latest Ukrainian conflicts, he is already behind everything in Ukraine.

    http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/07/both-sides-of-transcarpathia-mini-civil.html

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    • 

      eimar on July 16, 2015  ·  at 7:48 am EST/EDT

      Uncle Bob:

      This reminds me of that old ‘The In-laws’ movie with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin.

      Falk is a rogue CIA agent whose daughter is marrying Arkin’s (a middle-class dentist) daughter.

      Through various twists and turns, Arkin winds up in the middle of some nameless, Latin American ‘banana republic’ coup.

      Running along the tarmac under a hail of bullets, Arkin succeeds climbing aboard the (pretty flimsy-looking) getaway plane, only to be turfed out by Falk, because Arkin failed to ‘run serpentine’ , a zig-zag ‘technique designed to help fleeing agents avoid getting shot.

      Back into the hail of bullets goes the bewildered Arkin to his initial starting point, all the while being loudly encouraged by Falk to ‘run serpentine! You can do it!’ from the speeding plane..

      Gasping for breath, and clearly terrified out of his wits (and still in his dentist white tunic ) Arkin turns and runs towards the plane. Again.

      But this time, ‘serpentine’, much to Falk’s loud approval (‘Yes! Yes! That’s it! Very good!)

      I saw it in the nineties in Madras where it had been dubbed. Seeing Falk and Arkin spouting rapid Tamil was the icing on this truly comic cake.

      The maze-like thought processes of Right Sector remind me of this.

      They clearly are onto the ‘serpentine’ Putin..

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      • 

        Penelope on July 16, 2015  ·  at 3:14 pm EST/EDT

        Eimar,

        Hilarious description, Eimar. I can visualize the whole thing. Arkin is about the best tragi-comedic actor I’ve ever seen. He made me laugh again and again in “Popi”– all the while hating myself for laughing over the real problems of the so-funny character he played.

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22. 

    Jak Jones on July 16, 2015  ·  at 5:51 am EST/EDT

    Thank You

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23. 

    Nussiminen on July 16, 2015  ·  at 6:53 am EST/EDT

    “Meanwhile, fascism is oozing out from every European pore. How amazing it is to watch the veneer of ‘civilization’ just peeling off.

    Things are escalating and speeding up. It’s all started going downhill since the US and EU staged their putsch in Ukraine and named Russia as their enemy.”

    In view of the first paragraph, Tsipras and the Ukronazis, for all their superficial differences, are being 100% honest about their firm commitment to “European values” : Corporate plunder accompanied by utter squalor and militarism.

    As regards the second paragraph, fascist rampaging and total psychosis are permanent features of Western miscivilization. But to make a point that’s more on topic, I would say that the current European mayhem was set in motion when the Berlin wall came down and “European values” returned with a vengeance, not least to Russia proper. The Maidan Nazi putsch in the Ukraine became imperative when Russia freed itself and got BRICS up and running.

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    • 

      Penelope on July 17, 2015  ·  at 3:24 am EST/EDT

      Nussiminen,

      Things ARE speeding up aren’t they? Also the media seems much worse to me– like a race to the bottom. It’s the entire degradation of journalism that makes it feel like an end game to me. I mean how could they possibly hope to maintain for long the credibility of such a cartooned pinocchio-view of the world?

      But you know, other than a little ostrich syndrome, the great mass of the people are still remarkably normal, just unknowing to one degree or another.

      Nearly all the psychopathy is restricted to the people one might see on TV & the oligarchs.

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24. 

    eimar on July 16, 2015  ·  at 7:07 am EST/EDT

    Penelope – ditto!

    An odd tidbit I found on the comments section of some forgotten link has stuck in my mind.

    The comment was allegedly from an American who had shared military duty with the IDF.

    He happened to be at the airport where a Boeing identical to MH-17/the MH-17 itself (don’t remember exactly) was parked (I think it was Amsterdam or some European airport – possibly Schipol.)

    He noticed a man photographing the plane from a range of angles, and recognised him as member of Mossad whom he had known in Israel.

    This was in a restricted area but still visible to the American.

    He said he found it odd, even suspect behaviour, but assumed the Israeli had secured permission.

    He said the incident came back to him after the MH-17 attack.

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25. 

    вот так on July 16, 2015  ·  at 7:10 am EST/EDT

    Which is the safer option: fighting with pindo troops? Or against them?

    Friendly Fire ‘Kills’ Allied Troops During NATO War Games in Germany

    If the scenario that took place at a recent NATO war game in Germany had played out on the real-life battlefield, the United States would have accidentally killed members of an allied unit with friendly fire.

    “We had a fratricide scenario,” said US General Daniel Allyn.

    During a recent training exercise, an ally’s call for air support took 30 minutes to reach American forces, because “we did not have interoperability right,” Allyn said.

    By the time US soldiers received the request and opened fire on the enemy position, allied troops had already assaulted it, meaning the barrage came down on them, Breaking Defense reported.

    “So am I satisfied with where we are on interoperability?” Allyn said. “I am not, and I will tell you our allies and partners aren’t either.”

    NATO allies experienced trouble with communications interoperability in Libya in 2011, when French pilots gave up on targeting data from US drones, because the American systems took too long to verify the intelligence then get it to their allies.

    Friendly fire: as American as white cops executing innocent black folk.

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26. 

    Uncle Bob 1 on July 16, 2015  ·  at 7:18 am EST/EDT

    I guess I’m getting jaded,but this prediction from a RS spokesman brought a warm smile to my face:

    “Poroshenko to Be ‘Executed in Dark Basement’ After Coup – Right Sector”

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko should be worried, as things are getting hot on the streets of Kiev amid the standoff between the Ukrainian government and the Neo-Nazi radical group Right Sector.
    The extremist group said Poroshenko won’t be able to flee from the country in the event of a coup, as did his predecessor Viktor Yanukovych in February of 2014, the Voice of America (VOA) reported, citing Artem Skoropadsky, the press secretary of the Right Sector.

    “If there’s a new revolution, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his supporters won’t be able to escape from the country, as did the previous president. They can’t expect anything, but an execution in some dark basement carried out by a group of young Ukrainian soldiers or members of the National Guard,” Skoropadsky warned the current president, as quoted by VOA.

    Read more: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150715/1024676767.html#ixzz3g2LGXZk1

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    • 

      Nussiminen on July 16, 2015  ·  at 11:52 am EST/EDT

      Refined amusement would be an understatement here :-)

      I think it corroborates the diagnosis I suggested the other day:

      Ukro-trash = Kosher Nazis too stupid to realise their own worthlessness (even as Nazis).

      Moreover, in one sense I agree there is indeed substance to the claim that Banderastan is a banana republic of sorts. Ukro-trash would be capable of anything for a bunch of bananas, however rotten. That’s the very essence of the slogan Glory to the Ukraine, to the heroes glory.

      Yet, for the first time ever, I do wish the RS lots of luck in their “patriotic endeavour”.

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27. 

    blue on July 16, 2015  ·  at 7:53 am EST/EDT

    OT — not on Ukraine specifically..

    Here’s the ‘book’ (PDF transcript)

    http://www.monetary.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Huber-Modern-Money-Paper.pdf

    and here’s the movie (lecture video — 51 minutes)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7QDOzgNdFs

    Very interesting and rewarding talk on modern money. MMT currency theory, banking, fractinal reserve, etc.

    I haven’t gotten to these yet, but looks like list of other talks of the conference
    9th annual conference american monetary institute 2013

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=9th+annual+conference+american+monetary+institute+2013

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    • 

      Penelope on July 17, 2015  ·  at 3:36 am EST/EDT

      Thanks, Blue. Terrific. I’m ordering a book on MMT, but need everything I can find on it.
      I recommend to you an older site & therefore unique– not least cuz of the high degree of skill in the use of English and, well– thinking.

      http://www.financialreform.info/f_r_site_index.html

      An incredible variety of econ topics.

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28. 

    Wim Roffel on July 16, 2015  ·  at 9:40 am EST/EDT

    “Lukoil is leaving Romania”

    And then the link goes to an article with the title “Russia’s Lukoil has no plans of withdrawing from Romania”.

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    • 

      Scott on July 16, 2015  ·  at 6:49 pm EST/EDT

      Lukoil states that they have no plans to leave; it’s Romania’s government that pushes them out of the country.

      Today, LUKOIL asks the Euro commission to interfere, because Romani’s government is refusing any negotiations

      http://www.gazeta.ru/business/2015/07/16/7640797.shtml

      Romania’s government is trying to bring the prices of the LUKOIL’s assets and oil refinery Petrotel down and to buy them cheap, or to take them over for free.

      Every Russia’s company doing business in Europe and North America, public and private, will face the same fate.
      The West wants to take over the Russia’s market share in Europe and the North America.

      It’s all done to push Russia’s elite to topple Putin and to surrender the country.

      It looks like we have to choose between the Lukoil’s profits and existence of Russia.

      Tough choice.

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      • 

        Penelope on July 17, 2015  ·  at 3:51 am EST/EDT

        Scott,

        Makes it more urgent to make currency- creation free of the IMF/Fed system. They could do it with a whole block of other countries– all simultaneously take back their own central bans & currency.

        Shameful war-making. Thank you for following all this esoteric stuff w the lawsuits, confiscations, etc.

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29. 

    JJ on July 16, 2015  ·  at 10:51 am EST/EDT

    Remedial environmental contracts-useful for clearing up after fracking, or biological, chemical and nuclear situations????
    ==============================

    http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/kiev-emptiness-fear-and-hatred.html
    re lawlessness, criminality in Kiev ongoing/increasing

    also
    “In Kiev, scammers have found a new scheme to fool the locals by sending them fake bills for housing and utilities. Such receipts received residents for at least five houses down the street Borshchahivska and Victory Avenue, writes “Ukrainian Truth”. The fake receipts specified amount identical to the present, indicating that the scammers have access to the databases of local public utilities, or work there.
    So from Kiev Tatiana Voronov with a difference of a few days received two identical bills – differed only by the bank, which must be received in cash. It is interesting that the two documents are almost identical. In each specified debt UAH 200, only different banks, which carried out an operation. From Kiev suggested that this could produce high quality counterfeit only one who has access to the database.
    The Kiev Administration reported that this situation has arisen for the first time in their practice. “Who found the number of houses – is not more than 5 houses in the Shevchenko district of today, there is information about the company, whose details have in the payment, all banks warned about counterfeit bills, drafted and submitted a statement to the police, brought about this criminal proceeding” – said the representative of the administration. He confirmed that the bills could make people related to the system of housing and communal services, because you need to have access to the database.”
    http://www.anna-news.info/node/38840
    google translate
    ===============================

    and contrary reportage
    http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/ukrainian-prime-minister-yatsenyuk.html
    yats defends right sector to attack police…
    “But the prime minister, in his remarks to the AP, appeared to echo the group’s accusations against police, while also denouncing violations of the law by any of the parties.

    “It wasn’t about the Right Sector. This is about corruption and smuggling and arms on the street,” Yatsenyuk said. “They supported smugglers and contraband, and everyone will be brought to justice for the crimes that have been committed.”

    blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/the-right-sector-took-city-of-lvov.html

    as it says

    Tymoshenko says whole region is about smuggling-perhaps because she hasn’t got a look in or cut…..http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/yulia-timoshenko-accuses-all-security.html

    ========================================
    what happened to threat of 20 Right Sector Battalions moving on Kiev?
    On Monday during a briefing of the National Council for Security and Defense, Poroshenko demanded that the Interior Ministry, the Security Service of Ukraine, and other law enforcement agencies disarm all illegal armed groups operating in Ukraine. The Right Sector refused to lay down arms saying it is not an illegal armed formation, but “a volunteer corps which protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian nation.”

    Read more: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150715/1024643116.html#ixzz3g33TnsjG

    German Mp concerned about Right sector etc…….

    “The Right Sector rejects the Minsk peace agreements, especially the provision on the dissolution of illegal armed formations and their integration into legal structures. That did not happen,” the expert says. “Now we see a conflict brewing up between Poroshenko and armed nationalist groups. In addition, Poroshenko is rapidly losing support among Ukrainians. It is a terrible situation, but I hope that the West will wake up and see what is actually happening in Ukraine.”

    Read more: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150715/1024643116.html#ixzz3g333fBPA

    and
    http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/right-sector-justifies-pillaging-in.html

    as it says

    http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/the-ukrainian-failed-state-pravy-sektor.html

    article by Flores
    ==========================
    Kiev didn’t submit new draft law on constitution to Contact Group for discussion

    World July 16, 12:50 UTC+3
    Both draft laws from July 1 and from July 15 contradict the Package of measures because they were submitted for consideration with violation of procedure envisaged by the Minsk accords

    TASS
    http://tass.ru/en/world/809010

    and
    MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. Draft amendments to the Ukrainian constitution that have been elaborated without consultations with the self-proclaimed republics in Donetsk and Luhansk are not a document provided for by the Minsk-2 agreements, Russian foreign ministry said on Monday commenting on Ukraine’s bill on constitutional amendments concerning decentralization.

    aha, because
    KIEV, July 16./TASS/. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has changed amendments to the Constitution to have a special status for parts of Donbas not controlled by Kiev fixed in its main text, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reports on Thursday referring to its sources.
    “According to the interlocutor, the Ukrainian president resubmitted to Verkhovna Rada (parliament) draft amendments to the Constitution, in which one provision was worked over: the article on fixing the status of the occupied regions was moved from transitional provisions of the Law on the Introduction of Amendments to the Constitution to transitional provisions of the Constitution, namely to the body of the Constitution of Ukraine,” the newspaper said.
    It said these changes took place during a visit to Ukraine of United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland.”

    perhaps more details here?
    “Today in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine should be considered a law on the special status of Donbass. Just before the vote in Parliament, a US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland. Upon arrival which was adjourned, it usually takes about 20 minutes, but this time has lasted for 2 hours. On the sidelines immediately began to say that such a long break can be linked to pressure on the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada on voting on the special status of Donbass. Today the Ukrainian parliament should be included in the agenda of the session and sent to the Constitutional Court regarding the amendments to the Constitution of decentralization.
    Also present in the parliament Nuland and other foreign owners of Ukraine, such as the head of the European Union to Ukraine Ian Tombinsky and the USA to Ukraine Geoffrey R. Pyatt. It is expected the presence of the President of Ukraine and Poroshenko, who will have to present the bill, which was introduced to them in parliament.
    We must assume that the current visit to Ukraine Nuland was primarily caused by the need to ensure and monitor the “correctness” taken Kiev government decisions in the manner required for the United States.”
    http://www.anna-news.info/node/38837
    google translate

    and
    KIEV, July 16. /TASS/. The draft amendments to Ukraine’s Constitution imply no federalization or special status for the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics known as Donbas, President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday.
    “There is not a single hint of federalization. Ukraine was, is and will remain a unitary state. The draft envisages no special status of Donbas.
    ==============================================

    As the press service of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the negotiations c creditors’ committee in Washington has been progress on a number of substantive issues now need to focus on bridging differences.
    “Further meetings between the two sides is scheduled for next week with the sole purpose – to finalize the terms of a debt transaction in Ukraine as soon as possible”, – the report says.
    Recall, July 15, 2015 in Washington hosted a meeting between Ukrainian delegation headed by the Minister of Finance of Ukraine Natalia Yaresko and members of the Ad Hoc Committee of creditors of Ukraine to discuss the operation of Ukraine’s debt.
    During the talks, it was about the restructuring of the external debt of Ukraine, holders of which are fifteen large funds, the largest of which is the Franklin Templeton. Since the beginning of last year, Ukraine paid these funds had $ 2.2 billion.
    At the same time the head of the Ministry of Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that Russia expects to repay the debt by Ukraine in December this year and is not ready to go for a deferment or installment debt.
    http://www.anna-news.info/node/38842
    google translate
    ===========================================

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30. 

    JJ on July 16, 2015  ·  at 10:56 am EST/EDT

    oh boy

    “Families of passengers Malaysian aircraft “Boeing-777” shot down in eastern Ukraine in the summer of last year, filed a lawsuit against the former “Minister of Defense” self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” Igor Girkin (Strelkov) for compensation, reports Telegraph.
    In documents submitted to the court stated that during the conflict in the east of Ukraine Russian citizen Girkin, using the pseudonym “Igor Strelkov,” acted with the approval of the Kremlin and the separatists led military operations. During one of these operations allegedly was shot down by a Malaysian “Boeing” and Girkin “ordered, facilitated and / or abets the commission of the offense and / or has entered into a conspiracy with those who launched the missile or rocket.”
    Accused of the incident and the Russian authorities: “The defendant Girkin acted under the direct or obvious leadership of the Russian government.” Accordingly, “I ordered, facilitated and / or abets the commission of the offense and / or has entered into a conspiracy with those who launched the missile or rocket.”
    Family members of 18 passenger aircraft demand compensation in the amount of $ 900 million (51 billion rubles). Relatives of victims of the tragedy lawyer Floyd Wisner relies on the American “Law on the Protection of Victims of Torture”, which gives an indication of foreign nationals.
    Relatives of victims of the tragedy lawyer Floyd Wisner relies on the American “Law on the Protection of Victims of Torture”, which gives an indication of foreign nationals. He told the newspaper that “it’s not about the money, we try to get answers from Girkin and to put pressure on Russia, so that it cooperated with the International Tribunal”
    Also, a lawsuit was filed against the airline Malaysia Airlines, which is accused of negligence in the planning of the course of the aircraft over the territory of the conflict in the east of Ukraine. ”
    http://www.anna-news.info/node/38825
    google translate

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    • 

      blue on July 16, 2015  ·  at 4:16 pm EST/EDT

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11742865/MH-17-Russian-separatist-leader-sued-for-900-million-by-crash-victims.html

      Igor Girkin, the leader of Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, was on Wednesday formally accused of orchestrating the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines flight, MH17, in July last year.

      A writ filed in Chicago also alleges that Mr Girkin was acting with the blessing of the Kremlin when his forces fired at the Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

      The case has been brought on behalf of the families of 18 of the passengers on board the aircraft, including six Britons.

      They are claiming a total of $900 million (£575 million).
      […]
      In addition the writ accused the Kremlin of being complicit in the atrocity.
      […]
      The claim has been submitted on his behalf, because Mr Dalziel had bought the plane ticket in the US.

      Malaysia Airlines declined to comment.
      […]

      An American court — as if that means anything or has any jurisdiction whatever. Ridiculous farce by clowns in the peanut gallery. The US is become a nation of idiots and fools.

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31. 

    Dean on July 16, 2015  ·  at 6:36 pm EST/EDT

    Thanks Scott. Here is an update for “4. About Saakashvili being governor of Odessa”. He now has a Deputy governor:

    http://fortruss.blogspot.ca/2015/07/the-girl-from-i-am-ukrainian-video-made.html

    “The girl from “I am Ukrainian” video made Deputy Governor of Odessa
    Siding with foreign interests to destroy your country’s economy and constitution pays off:

    The girl from “I am Ukrainian” video, Yulia Marushevskaya, has been appointed 3rd in command for Saakashvili’s team in Odessa, at just 25 years old. Saakashvili claimed that she has been “educated” in Harvard and Stanford, but Stanford University states no one by that name studied there. She has no other qualifications and no experience. Well, at least she’s not a wanted pro-American strongman like her boss.

    In case anyone forgot, the original “I am a Ukrainian” video was made by a Western team with connections to US gov’t.”

    Possibly this should be under “humor”.

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32. 

    Dean on July 16, 2015  ·  at 7:03 pm EST/EDT

    With regards to the BRICS bank and dollar hegemony, this interview with Starikov helps explain the process of changing the world economic system. (English subtitles)

    http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/nikolai-starikov-how-escape-western-economic-system/ri8781

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