Today, we cover Uncle Sam’s fiscal clown show, and the Ukraine, in that order.
The first item will blow your head off, even if you’re in politics and think you know something.
(Actually, those folks intuitively know what I’m writing, but no one EVER comes out and says it openly.)
I highly urge you, to read to the end of it.
It’s NOT your typical “Feds spend too much” rant.
The second part is another Ukraine “HR” update, of sorts.
As you know already… in a protracted war, HR often trumps everything.
I think people are on the verge of waking up to that.
I was the FIRST one saying it. Read on.
Federal Deficit & National Debt:
The Story Behind The Story
We’ve come to that point again.
Republicans in DC are again talking about “spending” and “the national debt.”
Folks…..
THE DEBT DOES NOT MATTER.
The debt is like the boogey-man, to scare children.
But, let’s take this one piece at a time.
First off, you know Republicans don’t REALLY care about “spending.”
In 2017…..
…..Trump’s budget office…..
…..proposed a budget that would have cut about (going by memory) $45 billion in discretionary spending.
In fact, it proposed many $$$ billions in SPECIFIC cuts…..
…..to various programs and district earmarks…..
…..which Republicans NEVER do.
(Republicans only bullshit with vague talk of unspecified cuts, that they know will never happen.)
Well, what happened?
Paul Ryan’s House of Representatives…..
…..told Trump’s budget office to take a hike.
Why?
Because, Republicans are a FRAUD.
(If you have another explanation, please share.)
Have been a fraud, for as long as I can remember.
In 2017, for the first time EVER…..
They were given their druthers, to CUT CUT CUT…..
And they BALKED.
They WALKED.
They TOOK A PASS.
They grandstand for “optics“, but when it comes to DOING…..
…..they take a long lunch.
Today, the situation is so much worse than in 2017.
Back then, the Federal government’s built-in, “structural” deficit…..
…..was perhaps $600 billion/year.
Today, it’s much closer to $1 trillion/year.
WHAT are they going to cut, exactly?
They’ve spent over $100 billion on the Ukraine…..
…..and that will rise to $200 billion or more, before it’s done.
(After that, China/Taiwan’s on deck.)
The unspoken reason Europeans have begun lining up, to give their old F-16’s to the Ukraine…..
…..is to get U.S. F-35’s, free, in exchange.
Have you seen how much those cost?
So, let’s say they somehow cut a couple $$$ billion in welfare spending…..
…..and then have to buy another 50 F-35’s at about $80 million a pop.
What was the point?
And, remember…..
The Senate GOP…..
…..(not all, but much of it, including, McConnell)…..
…..went along with hundreds of $$$ billions in Democrat-led stimulus giveaways in 2021-2022.
So… what are the odds that ANY cuts in the House (however unlikely)…..
…..will clear a Democrat-led Senate with a weak, RINO-dominated GOP?
ZERO.
All this “cuts” talk, is just theater…..
…..to make you think Republicans are “fighting“, they “stand for something.”
If you still fall for it…..
…..you’re an idiot.
Now, as for THE DEBT.
Kevin “deer in the headlights” McCarthy says the debt, and interest on it…..
…..is the biggest…..
…..(or one of the biggest, don’t quote me)…..
…..problem facing the USA.
Look, as we’ve seen from EXPERIENCE….
…..(I’m not making anything up)…..
…..when you own The World’s Reserve Currency…..
…..the debt ONLY matters…..
…..if growth in deficit spending (including, spending to pay interest on the debt)…..
…..is so large and sudden…..
…..as to cause a sharp, jarring increase in the money supply…..
…..(too sharp to be shunted overseas, as per the “exporting inflation” playbook)…..
…..and there is near-zero growth (or worse, a decline) in economic output, falling far short of monetary growth…..
…..and, if that causes a high degree of price inflation…..
…..which upsets voters.
On the other hand…
If it doesn’t cause price inflation…..
…..IT DOESNT MATTER.
The debt could be a gazillion dollars, who cares?
You just “print” more money to roll over prior debt, it’s what they’ve done for 20 years.
(As for “the interest on the debt”… The more money they “print”, the more interest they DON’T have to worry about… Because interest payments on all U.S. debt held by the money factory, the Federal Reserve, are only NOTIONAL. They are paid to the Fed, then “remitted back to the Treasury.” It’s like owning a house, and paying yourself rent to live there. It’s not real.)
With a brief exception in early-mid 2008…..
We’ve had “manageable” inflation, every year UNTIL 2021.
So, the smart people know they can keep the game going…..
…..if they can avoid…..
…..or at least, minimize…..
…..price inflation.
Now, mainstream thinking…..
…..is that the stimulus and “pay people to sit at home” tsunami of 2020…..
…..echoing into 2021-2022….
…..was a one-off…..
…..and thus, nothing to worry about, we’ll get over it.
That is, price inflation may be coming down slowly…..
…..but it is coming down.
(Except for fuel prices, it’s really not coming down at all, you know this from your own life. But again… mainstream thinking.)
The problem with that line of thought, is…..
There’s ALWAYS something coming down the pike.
9/11 and the Crusades… an “unforeseen” financial meltdown… the 2019 Fauci Wuhanovirus.
Killer bees, zombies, asteroids.
How about, relations with China going so far downhill…..
…..that it breaks the “supply chain” MUCH worse than 2020-2021?
Of course, you KNOW that’s coming.
Some U.S. general or admiral warns of it, every week.
One of them just wrote to his subordinates, to get their wills ready.
There COULD also be a mass die-off from vakkseen side-effects…..
…..or (as I expect)…..
…..another pann-de-myck arising from broken imm-yoo-ni-tee, due to the mRNA shawtz.
In the given context, it doesn’t really matter what it is.
Financially, what brings down the house…..
…..will be the Government response to any one or more of the above.
That is, a SECOND-STAGE booster acceleration of the money supply and price inflation…..
……when we haven’t even come close to clearing the FIRST round…..
NOT, simply, “the debt.”
The debt doesn’t matter.
The Bottom Of The Barrel Says “Hello”
And… ZeroHedge Pays Dreizin A Compliment
“You won’t hear this in the MSM”…..
…..(for how long should I keep saying that? LOLOLOLOLOL)…..
…..but on Wednesday…..
…..the head of the Ukrainian army’s manpower directorate…..
…..announced that men with a “limited capacity” draft status…..
…..(that is, men who previously went through the effort to identify a medical condition or mental disorder to their local draft office, which may or may not have involved an exchange of cash)…..
…..are henceforth…..
…..DRAFT ELIGIBLE…..
…..although, these medical cases, typically not all that young…..
…..will (he claims) be sent to logistical units…..
…..and NOT into combat.
Well, if you’ve been reading me…..
…..and you have a perfect memory…..
…..you recall what happened to the Ukraine’s Territorial Defense militiamen…..
…..who signed up for duty within their respective regions (in case Russia ever reached them)…..
…..and were then, unlawfully, deployed, in many cases…..
…..to distant combat zones (with many, many thousands dead)…..
…..until the law was finally changed to meet the reality…..
…..allowing them to be lawfully deployed, contrary to their contracts.
In short, the Ukraine doesn’t have a great track record on promises to its defenders.
And, if the state needs men, the state needs men.
The reason it needs more men…..
…..is because existing forces are being chewed up…..
…..and essentially no one has VOLUNTEERED in many months…..
…..(All the dummies are already in uniform, or dead, or with their asses in slings. There’s no more fucking retards in the pipeline)…..
…..and, you know…..
…..SOMEONE has to man those foxholes.
I wrote to my mailing list audience, IN FEBRUARY 2022…..
…..before “the invasion”, before this blog…..
…..that too many military-age Ukrainian men had emigrated…..
…..due to the economic collapse caused by cutting ties with Russia, and becoming an American colony…..
…..and that now, Ukrainian manpower is unsound…..
…..and the Ukraine CAN’T raise and field the necessary size of motivated, committed force…..
…..that some thinktanks and MSM thought would be possible, when everything started.
I said all that A YEAR AGO.
Now, the smart people are waking up.
WITHIN THE SAME 24 HOURS as the manpower directorate’s announcement…..
…..former UK senior MP and defense junior minister, Gerald Howarth, told Sky News…..
…..that NATO countries may have to intervene…..
…..and fight Russia directly.
Howarth is still involved in Tory activism, he is by no means retired.
He’s not a top, top dog….
But, he’s NOT some Ron Paul character who just spews whatever, speaking for himself.
Again, I think the smart people are waking up.
Reporting on Howarth’s TV appearance…..
…..(and wrongly referring to him as “Former UK Defense Minister”)…..
…..the mega alt news-blog, ZeroHedge, had this to say:
At the very least, Howarth does admit what many in the alternative media have been saying for some time – That Ukraine’s efforts have ground to a halt without further support from NATO troops. The deliveries of money and weapons are nothing more than a stop-gap; wars are won by men.
Look at that LAST sentence.
(I bolded it, just for you.)
LOL.
“Many in the alternative media“, LOLOL.
Who, besides ME…..
…..has focused on the “HR” side…..
…..recently, or at all?
(All the experts were on the same page, that all Ukrainians are so brave and itching to fight, the whole country just lining up to fight, and it’s just a matter of giving them “the tools they need.”)
Yeah… NO ONE BUT ME.
(You don’t like me tooting my horn? OK. Who else? Name one other person who’s covered this in an informed way.)
ZeroHedge has been on my mailing list since before this blog.
It’s clear they’ve been reading me.
Over time, I’ve seen them picking up on little things, borrowing this, borrowing that.
Not often at all, but it’s happened.
Evidently, they’re still doing it.
These assholes will NEVER cite me directly.
It’s been a while since anyone making money online…..
…..had the COURAGE and DECENCY to do that…..
…..but these guys were turds to begin with.
Pulling in MILLIONS of ad dollars a year…..
…..the top two guys living like Beverly Hills…..
…..by running a mega-blog with a skeleton crew…..
…..with AT LEAST 3/4 of their content, re-posted verbatim, wholesale from somewhere else.
Well fuck ’em.
It’s still a great compliment!
I’ll take it!
Keep ‘Em Hooked… And Hooked… And Hooked
This is for my “alt” audience only…..
…..(unless you’re a square who wants to slum with the freaks and lunatics.)
A commenter suggested I watch a new video…..
…..with the Greeks (Mercouris and his wingman) and Robert Barnes.
Robert has lost A LOT of weight, he looks FANTASTIC.
The video is over two and a half hours long.
WHO THE FUCK HAS TIME FOR THIS???
The target demographic must be students on winter break.
As for me…..
…..I’ve got a day job…..
…..AND a “large” (by gringo standards), needy young family…..
…..AND rental properties… AND this blog.
EVEN IF I only had two of those four…..
…..I STILL wouldn’t have time.
Anyway…..
It looked to have been a livestream…..
…..but the Greeks always put those up on their channel as permanent vids…..
…..and of course, YouTube inserts a shitload of ad breaks.
I hope they’re paying Barnes a share.
You know, over my last two blog posts…..
…..I’ve received TENS of comments and emails…..
…..about Mercouris beating around the bush, he talks too slow, takes forever to say anything…..
…..repeats himself, it’s better to watch him at 2X speed, etc.
And yet, those leaving such comments, and sending me these emails…..
…..STILL mostly admit to watching and enjoying.
That’s fine, to each his own.
It’s still better than MSM TV.
But look, folks…..
Mercouris and others…..
…..(yes, others, not to single him out too much)…..
…..do it that way…..
…..FOR A REASON.
If he “got to the point” every day…..
…..in just 10 or 15 minutes…..
…..instead of 45 or 60….. or 154…..
…..he’d be running ONLY A FRACTION of the ads…..
…..and he WOULD NOT be “in business.”
He MIGHT still do it…..
…..but it WOULD NOT be a career.
The 60 minute ramble-sessions, and the 150-minute guest shows…..
…..are there for a reason.
Watching (or having to skip) all those ads…..
…..is the price you pay for ANYTHING visual…..
…..that is out of the mainstream.
As for this blog, it’s still free…..
…..but you’re welcome to leave a donation…..
…..so that I’m not working for nothing.
BTW, I really appreciate all the nice comments that come with the donations.
I’m sorry, I just don’t have time to respond to everyone.
Oh, and as for OnlyFans…..
…..as I said, it’s great for video hosting and paywalling, but I got so many comments like, “What if my wife saw my credit card statement?”…..
…..that my pending renewed video effort…..
…..will be through Locals or Substack, LOL.
Thanks for the feedback!
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It’s funny when you say “You won’t hear this in the MSM” I doubt anyone reading you listen to the MSN
It would be interesting to hear your opinion on the missing Pentagon $2 trillion and the US don’t have the hypersonic missile or the hypersonic and supersonic missiles?
Thanks
Shit, I try. Ended up with just WSJ and still barely tolerate the establishment leftist spin there. More and more of it btw. The old guard retiring?
Still surprised Dreizin have not got a knock on his door from DOJ or some ‘mostly peaceful’ protesters urging him to stfu.
Streisand Effect, that’s why. If the Duran was doing serious damage, then they’d be algo suppressed, by YouTube and the NSA, it’s largest seed-funder (I wonder who got the final shares issued for NSA seed?).
Michael Hudson has a similar take on USD, described in his economics textbook “Super Imperialism”. I wish I could recall who it was now after all these years, but heard a speech in Singapore about Ronald Reagan’s wild spending program. The speaker claimed it was being sold to both RR and his conservative backers as a way to bankrupt the federal government, when the MIC knew it could go hog wild without hurting the dollar. I’d always though of the RR admin spending as a way to swing the USA from a dull production based economy to a finance base bubble economy and kill off unions at the same time, but the MIC conspiracy sounded interesting and fun.
I subscribed for almost 20 years but when they started throwing around en-sir-rection I finally canceled. Hmm I guess I should throw some of that Dreizin’s way.
One of the most annoying tics of people who discuss the massive debt loads is the alarm about “saddling our children and grandchildren with 30, (or 150, or 400 trillion depending on how you count it) dollars in debt and obligations, that they will someday have to payoff”.
What on earth makes them think there is any intention to pay off this debt? That amount is simply not payable in any plausible scenario. I sometimes challenge those people to please show me any even half-hearted plan on how to pay it down. Even economists and politicians have stopped talking about even balancing the budget, let alone paying down the accumulated debt. Some of it the government owes to itself. Some will eventually just get blown off if interest rates get too high for it to be refinanced.
I’m not an expert , but I’m guessing if the dollar ever loses enough value, the debt will eliminate aged by issuing a new currency so that the debt in old dollars will no longer be legal tender like Confederate war bonds, or Weimar Marks, or the South Korean Won that basically got cancelled and replaced by a brand new Won a couple of decades ago.
A real as hell Great Reset. I’m glad I don’t hold any government bonds.
I’m the same way. You can tax us all 100% and we still couldn’t do it. The dumbass Dems idea of taxing the rich is just their control freak weirdness. As for Repubs wanting to control spending. LOL, I’ve known for many years it was a lie. I like Rand Paul, but I guess he needs to keep up appearances by bitching about it here and there, but forgetaboutit.
Actually, for four years I get physically unwell when reading or listening MSM. My blood pressure rises as I get angry at the attitude of impartiality while the MSM only spread falsehoods, blatant lies, their continuous sins of omission, and their memory span of three days (at most).
So, of course I did also watch the Alexanders as they dominate the alt-sphere on youtube, and there it was where I learned about Dreizin. A breath of fress air, and on top of that really funny.
Maybe humor is the best way to deal with this shitshow and suffering caused by these own-fart-sniffing imbeciles (our politicians, medical honchos, etc.)
I think that the only reason why they don’t cite you is because of your, hmmm, how to put it, …, well, your rather embellished language. “We can’t be associated with that can we?”
I like to compare your Reports with my antique Katana: no beating around the bush, cutting straight to the essence, with a clear own character, as I and as far as I can see, a truly decent person behind it.
Wrt this report, the first part is absolutely true, I would have like to know your opinion about Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a couple of weeks back that they could accept other currencies than the dollar for oil. If they would proceed with this, the dollar’s reserve status will be endangered, is it not?
Wrt the second part, I can’t help myself, the madness truly breaks my heart. Btw, I live close to a military airport somewhere in Europe, I’ve never seen, and heard so many Apaches, chinooks, and military gear active. This doesn’t bode well…
In the first point you made you didn’t address the world moving away from using $US for settlements to national currencies/gold/barter etc. As that builds all those $$ end up coming home what happens then?
Well the debt will matter when it does and the more BRICS grow the fewer dollars used. That old cliche will ring out, ” how did Hemingway go broke; little by little and all at once. What is total hubris is congress telling Turkey to get on board or no F16. Lol those are sold in dollars bad enough we steal FX now we dont want to sell and sure General Dynamics loves those threats.
Yeah I get you are young and sure time is pressious but being old and retired like the Duran. It’s my nightly dose of Ukraine and political mania dam better than CNN.
Keep up the blog always love your in your face news blasts. Curious what you think of Rumble new upgrade and I never use YouTube unless fixing something.
So much crap about the vax too especially military report and its effect on over 4000 pilots. The most stupidest or treacherous move applied to our military.
So pleased to see you talking about Govt Debt. I understand the ruse very well. But just a comment to support the concern of the Inflationary effects of deficit spending the Govt issues Debt to drain reserves to offset inflationary effects of deficit spending. I’d love to discuss this issue of the Debt Myth further.
A Russian admiral, Air Force general, and Army general are sitting in a cafe in Paris. The admiral asks, “so who won the propaganda war?”
If you think you have it bad there in the USA, look at us here in Europe, boy we are fucked big time! We are for heading for a several years of pain. My biggest concern regarding the Ukraine war is that when Ukraine is about to collapse. What will the uncle sam do? Will they accept defeat? Or will they go all in and if so well, things could get real ugly really fast. Thanks again for those blogs mate!
Speaking of Barnes (and yes, he looks great!!), his sidekick, Viva, had an interesting (live) video yesterday with Konstantinos Kisin, an (ex) Russian, who has recently gotten some notoriety from his speech given to a woke crowd at the Oxford Union. Kisin was quite ‘anti Russia’ with Viva, insisting that Putin is evil, Russia is imperialist, that if the Baltic States weren’t in NATO, Russia would swallow them up, etc. He also (incorrectly) advised that Finland and Sweden had entered NATO. Viva tried to dispel much of this, although Kisin bullied him throughout, insinuating that Viva isn’t Russian and therefore knows nothing about it. But for anyone who watched the video (grinding their teeth in the process) it’s interesting to note that Kisin came to the UK at age ELEVEN. So WHERE does his political opinions come from? He is as indoctrinated against Russia as any ‘woke’ westerner, and even continues to conflate Russia with the USSR. If you want to indulge in an exercise of frustration (your own), this is a video to watch.
Kisin is a spoiled son of an exiled (disgruntled) oligarch — rude and arrogant
Just recently, I read an article in some MSM source on Apple News (it is why I can’t find it again…) It was about how in Latvia, about 1/3 of the population is native Russian speaking, there is a need in the country to suppress the Russian language and culture of this large segment of the population. It was a Canadian MSM source. Canada prides itself on “multiculturalism”, but when it comes to conflict, there is one group that shant be allowed to practice its culture.
Just to support the notion that HR is playing a major factor in this conflict. A pro-Ukrainian YouTube channel call Willy OAM had an interview with a “Soldier X” who was fighting/training troops in Bakhmut. The soldier and Willy are Australian. “Soldier X” stated that conscripts with 2 weeks training have been sent to the front in Bakhmut, confirming the HR issues in Ukraine. He also described what he thought would need to happen for Ukraine to win the war, and essentially that was that Ukraine would have to rebuild a completely new army, which is a bit difficult when you are fighting a war and sending soldiers with 2 weeks training to the front lines. So, yeah, it is coming out. Eventually, the MSM won’t be able to hide it.
I learnt of this channel just this week from Sonar21. His propaganda is western narrative, but there are lots of facts on the ground that Ukraine definitely would not like if they knew. With a terminal brain tumour though, he probably gets away with truth because with the sympathy vote here in Oz would create uproar if he was silenced.
Sonar21 opened my eyes to this channel. He is western narrative, but good for some home truths about the military facts on the ground. What I’ve noticed about active military men(I have a high level one in the family who is in logistics and related training) is they are so well brainwashed they have almost no clue about the true geopolitics of their work.
I know a couple of overseas “Russians” and Ukrainians who have a similar mindset to Kisin.
When I last checked they were posting how much they hate Putin on Linked In from the safety of London rather than doing anything about it practically. Such as fighting in Bakhmut if they feel so strongly about it.
Expatriate status does funny things to people sometimes. Projection seems to be one typical behaviour pattern.
More likely they know where their bread is buttered and will take advantage of the spoils that come with being anti-Russian. That is what has annoys me about so many in politics and media and why I agree with Driezen’s take on not voting Republican too. They all know there is more money to be had being within the in crowd, so the incentive is to go hard and strong, be outspoken with the narrative, that way you might beat the rest of the bunch to the trough.
Brilliant.
Retired people, the unemployed and people “between jobs” are probably the full target demographic for those videos.
They are entertaining though. In small doses. For a spare idle hour they compete well with vintage editions of The Benny Hill Show – escapism to an era when people knew how to laugh!
Yes, I’ve discovered a lot of old comedy, both video and audio (Radio Echoes). It has kept me sane over the last three years. The madness goes on, here in the UK.
I got in to padcasts for the commute, at the gym and when mowing the lawn, painting or pottering around in the workshop etc. And now I’m retired I can easily digest a 2hr podcast.
Or people who drive long distances for work.
I can’t watch the Greeks any longer. They provide nothing of interest, for me at least.
And yes, they ramble on for too long, without much substance. They could condense in 10 min, what they rant on for two hours. When I did watch, I had to use an ad-blocker, to keep my sanity.
totally agree
I watch The Greeks on Odysee, and have found all the channels I need on there. Like Tesco and Asda, I only go to YouTube when I REALLY have to. True, Alexander can be a bit long and drawn out, but it’s free, and I’m retired. No MSM for me, no TV licence.
About govt finance and debt I passed the last 10 years trying to explain people the very same things…few understood, the ones who got it, taught I was crazy.
Now I start to forecast the consequence: as the inflation breaks the game, they fear it as the plague, but they don’t have tools to fight inflation, maybe they could try to cancel the debt owned by the central bank and THEN raising rates but at this point I think that manouvre (cancelling debt) will provoke a psicological inflationary spike. So if inflation won’t go out by itself without raising rates they have no option: US dollar and other “reserve” currencies will fade away and with the financial egemony they will also lose the other kinds of egemony. I don’t think that will be a peaceful transition…
Someone claimed that if a country has a reserve currency then it must run trade deficits in order to provide the liquidity needed to sustain international trade (among other countries). If it attempted to run trade surpluses it would remove liquidity from international trade and collapse markets.
I think that somebody was Triffin. Yes, if your currency is the reserve currency then that country must run trade deficits. My eyes roll every time I hear this talked about in the media.
He also pointed out the conflict that monetary policy has with the domestic and world economies. They do not align. Even the gold bugs don’t seem to understand that money always means running a deficit . Gold mines have run constant deficits to the vaults. Keynes was right about his comment that money eventually winds up in the hands of a saver. Of course the thing I would tell Keynes is that the power to create money and credit will wind up in the hands of a sociopath.
Re spending and deficit. Isn’t it just a global pyramid scheme? How can a country continually run with deficit and humongous debt?
It would have to compensate by having huge inflation, which is evidently not happening (current inflation can not make up for the deficit/debt, it’s at least two orders of magnitude too low)
And like any other pyramid scheme: it comes to an end sooner or later.
The end is, I’m afraid, sooner, rather than later, and I can’t even begin to think what happens once we start the free fall.
Well the problem is all through history debt accumulates. Call it the Pareto principle , big fish eat little fish whatever. The people who have money make more of it and loan it back out. Same thing happens in the US. The gross savings rate is quite high , but the net savings rate is low, or about zero, because its just the wealthy recycling their spare cash into more lending. Rome had a slightly lower interest rate than other ancient world powers and may be why they lasted longer. However at 8% it eventually just piles up in wealthy hands while the people’s money is debased. That is why Israel had that 50 debt Jubilee. they had some pretty good macro economics ya know. That includes real estate inside and out side the gate being treated very differently.
With the fiat money it can expand forever, except that eventually the place where the money flows ends up causing such political instability from their stupidity , greed , evil plots it also fails. So its between wealthy hoarding real money and loaning it out until it chokes everyone else or the scum of the earth having access to limitless credit.
People use it everyday and they have no idea what their money really is. That makes the dilemma that much worse.
I really laughed out loud at “What if my wife saw my credit card statement?”
As for the Mercouris, I’m weaning off… and the Military Summary Channel (shorter) only Ukraine focused, I might listen to while driving.
Yes, usually double speed with mercouris. And on Rumble, I only get perhaps a few seconds of advertisement right at the beginning. I wish I paid more attention to the Robert Barnes interview… just so I could give what I consider highlights. But, ..Oh… one thing. Trump and Graham’s closeness was something Mercouris queried Barnes on. Barnes said Trump needed Graham to counter Nicki Halley who is also from the same Carolina state. Fred Barnes was chalking it all up to politics. Fred Barnes also noted that Trump will and usually ends up going in his own direction when elected. Fred also discussed what direction Trump would be likely to go in. Fred noted to look at how the institutional characters (deep state and lackey’s) were dealing with Trump. If they were quiet and accepting of Trump… they would be thinking they have in their pocket. If they are fighting Trump and trying to destroy him, then they are still worried about Trump going after them.
I believe that summary above is at least roughly on-target in regards to one of the more salient points discussed by Barnes. They also may have discussed how the Ukraine war isn’t helping advertise the effectiveness of weapons… Barnes even (I think) remarked that he notices dips in military suppliers stock prices when it is announced they are sending those arms to Ukraine…
Three hour program summarized in one or two paragraphs?
His name’s not Fred.
I watched the live stream with Barnes, and let me be the first to go record (lol) and say “Barnes is full of himself, just like Trump”. And in his case he can not see beyond the end of his nose. Still fun to listen to while at work.
Ya gotta love Gene Wilder!
Barnes is always an earful, love his commentary and respect his knowledge.
I’d love to hear more from Gonzalo Lira, like you he’s a genius;)
Jacob, I’m amazed to hear you’re still watching Youtube adverts. I’d have thought a switched on guy like you would know how to avoid them, as I have done for over a year now. You just have to be Brave and change your browser.
You’re being elitist. 😉 Install AdBlocker for Youtube and be done with those things. I’m sure there are others.
This may not be relevant but I noticed the bit where you talk about ads, especially on Youtube – don’t people use adblock? Or the various incarnations of it? I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen an ad on anything I watch. In fact the Brave browser I use blocks most of the ads already and with a Youtube adblocker, it’s perfect. VPN too is a pretty good idea, less spying on your internet activities.
The Saker, The Duran, Berletic, Martyanov, Larry Johnson and you are better than the MSM. You quarrel sometimes like old hags but it just adds a little spice.
Great explanation of the US national “debt”. I guarantee most people who read that still won’t really understand it though, it’s etched into their hard drive that national debt is the same as, say, household debt, just with more zeroes.
Re Mercouris – guilty as charged lol. Like I said previously he’s entertaining. He’s an intelligent guy and his musings are interesting in themselves, even if totally pointless other than the dosh he earns from it. It’s an indulgence, and 2x speed reduces the commitment. In fairness I think he serves a useful purpose as a gentle gateway to “alt media” for those who may experience serious cognitive dissonance if they go too hard too soon. If they’re interested, curious and smart enough they can make their own way after that. Dunno how they’ll find this peach of a blog though, he stopped mentioning it and it doesn’t get cited anywhere that I’ve come across.
It’s certainly not possible to go 2x with Robert Barnes, the man is a supercharged, super-informed stream of consciousness on legs.
Yeah, I don’t have time for those 2+ hours videos. I hardly have time for the 1 hour videos. I’m up at 6am, out the door by 7am, back home around 4:30pm and then I make dinner with the wife, eat and cleanup and it’s already 7pm. After 12-13 hours of that, I don’t want to hear anyone going on and on about anything.
I watch the Alexes on Rumble whenever I do watch them and I’ve rarely watched the Duran. The two together are just awkward IMO. Mercouris talking over and going on and on. And then Christoforou does this annoying thing I call an “essay question” — not that the answer is expected to be an essay but the freaking question is like 5 pages long!
I also want to spend some of my day (after the 13 hours) doing something interesting and, if possible, enjoyable! I don’t watch TV and I can read fairly quickly. So I like the blog format and getting to the point! Which BTW, the Dreizin report is usually perfect in format and content for what I want.
As an old mentor told me many years ago, if you don’t blow your own horn someone will use it as s spittoon
LOL regarding the Greeks – Alexander Mercouris – a debarred Barrister (interesting and sad case where he went a bit doolalley and forged a letter)…his daily updates are maddeningly slow and verbose. I just read the comments below to get the gist.
You, Big Serge, Lviv Tyler and Will Schryver are the only people worth following on the Twitter on matters Puke-raine (I’m 12 hour banned having said Trans is a mental illness….)
If you want to see a truly insane interview look for Tobias Ellwood, Tory MP on Sky…
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the UK defense committee and member of the parliament, told Sky News on Monday that Britain must face Russia “directly” in Ukraine and avoid leaving Kiev to “do all the work.”
Keep up the good work!
Tobias Ellwood is totally deranged. One of the UK’s Lindsey Grahams, of which we have far too many.
What are your thoughts on the 410k irretrievable losses and 305k KIA put out there by your former employer Stratfor?
Did you find the quote from Stratfor? I did not and I could only find tweets about it, thus I concluded it is a fake news. Stratfor did not made that comment.
The fed and treasury magic show may be notional but with price inflation, you and me are paying that debt – for real.
The government is just like the producers and more of a fraud. We are not long to be the world reserve currency then we will be the Wiemar Republic on steroids! There are no Republicans just Democrats and Rinos who flew with the likes of Epstein and are totally controlled. Put a fork in Ukraine, its done. The tanks, long range missiles, and F-16’s are just to get Putin to give them an excuse to send in NATO troops, BUT UK has no army, Germany is a joke, France runs out of ammo in a few hours. Only Poland has some untrained troops just drafted. So they will go nuclear to slow the Russians and you can bend over and kiss your ass goodby being in DC unless you get smart and move like yesterday. Look up Gruver’s vision, the ghost subs that come under giant ships and just shut off their engines and wait..Read Jer 51 and see America’s fate
Hello Jacob,
I’d like to ask a few quick questions re. Ukraine’s materiel and HR issues:
(1) Why do you discount the possibility of quietly mobilizing the surplus male population of Ukrainian refugees in the EU? That would increase Ukrainian numbers, save European lives, and reduce fiscal strains on EU countries. Plus I imagine it would be cathartic for citizens of those countries in which the refugees are not exactly being good guests.
(2) Do you think it’s unlikely that the US will raid its stocks of ‘land war’ equipment to send to Ukraine (Bradleys, Strykers, rifles, helmets, armor, etc.)? Why? After all, they seem much less useful against China.
(3) What are the main logistical issues standing in the way of F-16s being flown by ‘retired volunteers’ from Ukrainian airbases? If Russian missile strikes haven’t prevented Ukraine from being able to fly its remaining planes to this day, it seems unlikely that they would prevent F-16s from flying, if at higher maintenance costs and attrition rates. And, given that the F-16 is the most-produced fighter aircraft ever, would the logistics issues concern something other than spare parts?
I’m 24 and don’t know shit, so I’d appreciate enlightenment, or a pointer to where best to look for it.
Not much time but I’ll cover #3. You live in the West? How many people do YOU know, who’d volunteer to severely risk their lives for the Ukraine? And how many of them are F-16 pilots?
1. They cannot legally to that … it would require too much institutional change in the EU and each country involved. Hell, they can’t even kick out African rapists. An adjacent topic that commentators on the possibility of Hungary, Romania, or Poland absorbing chunks of a defunct Ukraine … This would also be such a challenge to the much vaunted “norms & vaues”, rule of law, EU institutions, etc., that it is hardly imaginable without NATO falling apart.
2. The US is already emptying its own reserves, and is running low on a lot of things that should be in inventory. You need a lot of gear even for training and practice to retain a standing army. All NATO countries are balancing functional depletion of stuff with basic ability to defend the border and retain any semblance of a functional armed force.
3. F-16; American planes require smooth runways, unlike the old Soviet kit that can make do with a roadway; there are hardly any smooth runways left; you need an army of trained mechanics, warehouses full of parts (a plane spends more time being serviced than flying), hangers to work and park … and all this stuff is subject to Russian cruise missiles. Then you radar infrastructure. Also, how are you to avoid being shot out of the sky by the best echeloned air defense in the world? Right now planes are flying 60m above the ground, but what are you going to do with an F-16 for such sorties? MIG pilots cannot be retrained (I’ve heard; it’s a matter of first unlearning everything, like somebody who has learned to swim a stroke the wrong way). How many well rehearsed fighter pilots are there? How many would be kamikaze types? How many willing to sacrifice their lives for a lost cause?
a few possibilities –
#1. they would go somewhere else in the world if they have the means (US primarily but anywhere would do). Or they might hide or riot.
#2 boys and their toys, the generals will want to keep them. I think Jacob addressed helmets recently. They have extras of like helmets but not that many extra to give hundreds of thousands away.
BTW, GLEN GREENWALD! Perhaps Jacob has mentioned him before, but I get more out of one hour with Glen (“System Update” 7PM EST, on Rumble) than from the long-winded Alexes. Alexes are good, but too drawn out for me.
PS: I just e-mailed Tom Woods suggesting Jacob Dreizin as a guest.
No, no, no… the “Greeks'” 2/12 hour extravaganza was a tour de force… and the often loquacious Mercouris said nary a word… it was primarily Barnes and he was at the top of his game… many subjects of cutting-edge interest were expanded on, plus a useful summary of Greeks’ theory from their previous roundtable with Barnes that certain pieces of the current puzzle are fitting together to presage a Polish invasion of Ukraine. There were no wasted words here… sometimes you just have to make time for high quality podcasts like this.
Jacob in all honesty I am still getting used to you and in a good way. Like several have mentioned you are quick to the point which releases valuable time. This list of bloggers here in the comments potentially consume half a day or more. Even though I’m retired I still have a full agenda and consuming all these people really takes a bite out of the day. Now I am weaning to 10 to 15 minute reads or listens and on with the day. Thankfully I have zero ads to contend with on my laptop setup but on the smart TV am peppered with the annoyance of ads. Keep up the good work.
Jacob laconic jewels: ” If you still fall for it….. …..you’re an idiot”.
The ”1984” / ”Brave New World” is upon us,
now and forever more, until the bitter end. Amen.
Don’t forget Fahrenheit 451. Boston Dynamics will supply the mechanical dogs, Tik Tok does the indoctrination and reading and knowledge are destroyed.
Jacob – regarding just released Barnes — only ~30 minutes but truly, truly OUTSTANDING summary
Russian Ukraine Endgame: End of Russia or end of Globalism?
https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/upost/1802605/hush-hush-ep-45 .
And a PS thought: Still a mystery to be explored: What is the role of St. Obama in covering up Biden family crimes?
As a personal experience story related to one of Barnes’ comments in the the video linked. I had a friend that worked in Moscow in the late 90’s and he said the maintenance man in his apartment building was a currently serving Russian General, my assumption was he was actually the head of maintenance for the team at the high end apartment complex. But still quite a status fall for a general to need such a second job.
I would go further than saying the debt doesn’t matter. Its does not even really exist. What they do is print money. Its a nonconvertible currency. And the Fed raising rates also hardly matters. That’s why its not causing unemployment. That is because whatever the debtors pay , the creditors receive. Anyone holding Treasuries now gets more money. What its really about is the Federal budget deficit.
And lets say that they run a surplus and that triggers a wave of deleveraging , well then there is this thing called automatic stabilizers. Obama had no fiscal policy because it he dead locked for 6 years. The economy was being run by an algorithm, aka the automatic stabilizers that it seems no one knows about in the media or in Congress.
The day that the US starts borrowing in another currency , then people can really start to stock up on adult diapers.
To the point and always the wit:-). So what are the investment implications for where to put one’s $’s?
What do you think about Peter Zeihan’s dire predictions or forecast on Russia?
Never mind. I got the gist on what Dreizin thought of Zeihan on previous articles.
Nobody should care about grifter Zeihan’s “predictions”…
Dreizin covered Zeihan in a previous post.
BTW Russia will win the Ukraine conflict or we are going the nuclear route, can’t see mothers in the USA sending their sons to die for Ukraine?
Given the view numbers I can easily the YT talkers making a notable amount of money. I like Barnes’s commentary and insight but he spend a lot of time on his videos with viva, his own multiple times a week Locals videos, appearances on Alex John (who I don’t watch) and his regular circuit of live shows on other channels like the Alexes, people’s pundit, and American untold stories. I understand he’s doing this mostly not for money but for political goals, which I certainly don’t disagree with. But that’s a lot of hours weekly for an attorney with a significant practice and a side job of being a near professional sports gambler. Again like Barnes and think he’s mostly on target.
Ok you got the cheapskate me to donate. Why well you provide more benefit than all the rest.
BTW you’re the first semi public source that mentioned the EV battery life problem, odd since everyone is holding a cell phone and uses a laptop where they actually complain about the degradation of batteries but think in EVs is not a thing. I’ve been saying it for years.
The Greeks got a good thing going, that’s for sure. I’ll never knock anyone for trying to maximize their income, provided they’re rendering an honest and useful service/product, and for the most part, that’s what they do. They found a gap in the market and have capitalized handsomely on it. Can’t say I’m a big viewer but hats off to ’em.
You missed a great opportunity to educate your audience on why The Fed, all central banks, are the enemy of the people. You are right that the Republicans will continue deficit spending. But, you missed WHY whoever is in power will do deficit spending. It is not as simple as saying they want to line their pockets and payoff their cronies. That was done before The Fed existed, still happens at state and local levels and without deficit spending. The reason why deficit spending is required is to do otherwise will cause a financial meltdown and end of the Federal Reserve Note as a fiat currency. Federal Reserve Notes are borrowed into existence. But, the interest to repay that debt is not create. Therefore, it simply is impossible, net, to repay the debt. Any reduction in the overall debt level = a reduction in the number of dollars (Federal Reserve Notes). That is the definition of deflation. Since interest is not borrowed into existence, a reduction in Federal Reserve Notes to service existing debt spirals downward as someone, somewhere will not have enough dollars to service their debt and will default wiping out more Federal Reserve Notes and widening the number of people not able to service their debts exponentially until it all collapses. The Federal Reserve and debt-backed fiat currencies are the enemy of the people, of everything. But, as long as they are mandated as legal currency, the federal government must continue spending (exponentially) more than it raises in revenue. This has been happening, not for 20 years, but over 100 years. It cannot go on forever. But, one cannot predict when it will end. We only know every day brings the demise closer.
I encourage you to migrate all your work to Substack and/or Locals. I have subscriptions on both. I’m sure you already have plans for that.
Nakedcapitalism.com often harks on “if you depend on a platform you don’t own, then you don’t own your business.” They’re thinking about things like Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc. However, if what I read from the Twitter Files about government sponsoring university research which is being in turn handed to corporates who run the internet for profit, then I hope Jacob is keeping a share eye out on eBay for a good mimeograph machine, an IBM Selectric typewriter, and a large stack of stencils. 😛
A republican that knows the debt is not real??? I am impressed. I don’t think Mercouris could do a video in less than 30 minutes. He’s a lawyer. He is very thorough and extensive and very interested in the topic. He struggles to keep it to an hour.
The US deficit spending, just like Europe’s, depends on the reserve currency status of theirs respective currencies, but also on frequency of global trade priced in them. If China disengages from the Western financial system, and starts trading not only with third parties, but also with the West itself, in its own currency, the West will be doomed. It simply won’t hold politically, but first and foremost, socio-economically. Unless… Some AI robots start emerging. It would alter societies that we knew in human history. Even if successful (and that is a big if), it won’t be fun at all. Most probably some kind of hyper-olygarchy, protecting the most narrow interest of the very few chosen ones, from the useless mob that lost any sense of self-dignity.
Regarding Mercouris, I wouldn’t agree with you. Although I find some of his battlefield analysis a bit boring and monotonous, he parses through articles that he finds interesting, and they tend to be very telling. He can also speak skillfully about those, in great detail, which is not easy by any extend. I think he should do two videos instead of one, probably would be better idea both commercially and consumer-wise.
Here is my long comment in style of Mercouris. That is all I am going to write for today.
Thank you all for reading. You can also buy our mugs, our hoodies, our sweatshirts, follow us on Rumble, Rookfin, Odysee, Bitchute, once again thank you all for reading and more from me soon.
LOL
Do another t-shirt, with ” you won’t hear this on the msm!”
Chris Hedges, the founder of Zero Hedges left/was pushed out a long time ago as was Paul Jay from The Real News Network. Those platforms along with Democracy Now! are twisted sisters compared to what they used to be.
No one has time to watch Alexander Mecouris at normal speed. Interesting take on how the whole YT payment scheme works as I have ‘Adblocker for YouTube’ installed and only see the cheesy ‘in broadcast’ sponsorship advertisements. Along with ‘Adblock Plus’ and ‘FaceBook Purity’ I’ve washed that shit right out of my hair.
Hello! It’s ZeroHedge not ZeroHedges, and the founder is a Bulgarian immigrant named Dan Ivandijski.
Who started his following by astute Geekish/arcane/math financial insight.
Chris Hedges was accused of outright plagiarism a few years back and I do not believe he refuted the charges. While I find him to be a good writer and interview subject he did himself a disservice by doing so. Kudos to him for taking on the Obama administration regarding the NADA back in the day. A case which he list BTW.
What if BRICS choose an alternate reserve currency?
I read all of your blogs, whatever the day is. I’m retired. And I could listen to Robert Barnes for hours.
If Putin succeed in closing down the petrol-dollar, what will then happen to inflation in the USA? Please do a talk as to what your opinion is regarding this. Kind regards and thanks for the info.
Another entertaining blog, cheers. Regarding who “has time for shit”, Personally I like long form podcasts because I work Hans Solo doing skilled labour and have the luxury of listening to something whilst working also they are good for long commutes etc, there’s probably a bunch of people in the same boat. Speaking of podcasts you got a mention on Americas untold stories today in which Barnes was a guest (sorry no time stamp).
I just today watched a segment by Yanis Varoufakis(the ex greek finance minister) and maaannn did he explain the problem of the American economy, the global financial system, it’s relevance to the current economic and geopolitical situation, particularly that of the US conflict with China. It’s a half hour, but it’s likely one of the most informative 30 minutes you could spend on youTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MfuGSlDRsc
Dang – re your new comment policy, you mean this space isn’t to be used as a personal tiki bar? haha
this comment is pertinent to the new comment policy 😉
The Duran… I oft have trouble with sleep so start playing it on my flat earphones, drop the sound to min., drop the noggin onto my pillow & hope no really obnoxious, loud ads hit me at 2 AM. Not a fav, otherwise. Herr Dreitzen turned me from a fan to a w/e.
Jacob, you got the economics right. For further insight regarding how money works I suggest your viewers read Stephanie Kelton’s book The Deficit Myth. To understand how America got where it is read Michael Hudson’s Super Imperialism. Btw, I just sent you $50 so don’t bitch about me being a Marxist. Thanks for your great work, I always look forward to your posts.
Has anyone else here noticed Jacob has only 133 subscribers including me? How many comments defending “the Greeks” right to make money from their work? C’mon all you cheap fu@ks, chip in.
There are no YouTube commercials if you watch it on Rumble.
I’m in for a couple bucks a month
What? You’re mad because not enough people are frequenting your Falafel stand? Because they keep going to Bob’s hamburger and fry stand?
Back many years ago, when I first started my IT career, had to go to this insurance office and make their new computer work with all of their programs. The “owner” of this location asked me about his Packard Bell computer that was being replaced. I said “Generally they don’t have a good reputation but I’m a believer in if it works for you it’s good”. A very honest appraisal. With a smile even.
When I got back to the office I nearly lost my job. Why? As soon as I had left this guy calls the office and complains vehemently as if I had raped his dog, beat his children, and smeared feces on the store front windows. All because he had added a modem to that Packard Bell and was exceptionally proud of it.
People only want to hear the echos of their own mind. An easy thing when there is so much empty space between those ears. Tell a person a truth and he’ll call you a liar and talk behind your back. Tell him his own delusions and he’ll call you and honest man and sing your praises.
You have to be like Satan. Mix a little honesty with some tasty lies. How on earth did you have kids. I don’t know of any woman that’s chomping at the bit for an honest nice man. Those folks become incels. But maybe starting out life as the son of a local drug lord isn’t the best perspective to have.
Do you want to make money or do you want to tell the truth? Now, I think, increasingly, people are looking for sincerity. So, metered properly, you will eventually gain some notoriety. One thing I’d drop asap though is attacking people that other folks like.
Check out my website. It went through some major changes since I moved out of Austin though (don’t want to be in a city when the bad shit starts). Lol.