Puppet MastersS


Bizarro Earth

US, Poland to hold joint military exercises near Ukraine border

US, Poland  military exercises
© Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesU.S. Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne take part in an exercise outside the operating base at the Arlamow Airport on Tuesday in Wola Korzeniecka, Poland.
A State Department source tells Fox News on Thursday that the U.S. and Poland will hold joint military exercises tomorrow near Rzeszow, about an hour away from Poland's border with Ukraine.

President Joe Biden had visited the city during his trip to Europe for a NATO summit in late March.

"Tactical and fire training at the training ground in Nowa Dęba is to deepen the interoperability of Polish and American troops and to harmonize Polish military units," the Polish military said in a statement previewing the military exercise.

Comment: See also: Psychotic Polish deputy-PM offers US to install nukes in his country, wants Washington to send tens of thousands more troops


Snowman

Why do Europeans have to sacrifice hot showers to 'stick it to Putin'?

Europe eu US sanctions
EU citizens are being asked to make great sacrifices to support a sanctions regime against Moscow over its military offensive in Ukraine. But how long will Western consumers be willing to live without creature comforts?

What a difference a month can make. Not long ago, Moscow and Berlin had the champagne on ice for an expected ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nord Stream 2, a planned 1,234-km (766 mile) pipeline extending from Russia to Germany that would have kept Europe warm and toasty for decades. Now, EU officials are advising their citizens to dial back their time in the shower and invest in wool sweaters as calls for decoupling from Russian energy supplies ratchet up.

"Everyone is asking, 'what can I do,'" remarked Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition. "You can do two things," she recommended. "Control your own and your teenager's showers, and when you turn off that water, you say, 'take that, Putin.'"


Comment: Note that this is supposed to be a commissioner, a person in a position of top responsibility; does she really believe what she's saying? Does she think the average person is so stupid that they need to be spoken to as though they were an intellectually stunted child? With representatives like this, is it any wonder Europe is in the dire state it's in?


Comment: Indeed, whilst a proportion of people are simply incapable of seeing the facts, and will simply choose to perish believing the lies, a great many others will eventually come to realise that they've been tricked, but not before they and their loved ones undergo near unimaginable suffering: Also check out SOTT radio's:



Attention

Central bank smackdown: Glazyev vs. Nabiullina

Russia Central Bank
© ReutersA Russian state flag flies over the Central Bank headquarters in Moscow, Russia.
Why did Putin appoint a financial terrorist to run Russia's Central Bank? Did he know he was putting Russia's future in the hands of someone whose interests align more closely with power-mad globalists than with the Russian people? Does he understand the role the Central Bank chief played in facilitating Washington's theft of Russia's foreign reserves? Does he understand the role the Central Bank chief played in allowing Russia's currency to be ripped to shreds by vicious hedge fund speculators acting on Washington's behalf? Does he understand that doubling interest rates overnight to 20% will wipe out business investment, increase unemployment and push the economy headlong into a protracted slump? Does he like the idea that Russia's national bank is now lending money at the same inflated rate as a Mafia loan shark? Would Putin borrow money at 20%? Would anyone?

And if no one borrows money, then there's no credit expansion. And if there is no credit expansion, there's no economic growth. And if there's no growth, the economy goes into a downward-death spiral that curtails personal consumption, weakens business investment, boosts the jobless rate, shrinks the social safety-net, lowers living standards, intensifies social discontent, and threatens the political stability of the country. These are the knock-on effects of bad monetary policy. And, these are the outcomes that Russia can expect if Putin sticks with the current Central Bank chief.

And there's more, too, because the economy provides the funding for the military which is currently embroiled in a scorched earth, life-or-death struggle with the United States in Ukraine. If the economy tanks, the war effort will falter, morale will sour, material support will diminish and Russia will face its biggest challenge since the Wehrmacht gathered outside Moscow in October, 1941. So, a personnel change must be made immediately. The economy must be strengthened, domestic investment must be increased, and the correct monetary policies must be put in place. That means Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina has to be removed immediately. Here's more from Russian economist Sergei Glazyev:
When we talk about the nationalization of the Central Bank, (what we mean is) bringing it into a policy of conformity with national interests. Right now, its policy is contrary to national interests.... We see in whose interests such a policy is pursued. The Central Bank raised interest rates to 20 percent, giving the bankers a dominant position in the economy. Possessing the most expensive and scarce resource, money, they determine which enterprise will survive, and which enterprise will die, go bankrupt, and so on. Rising interest rates are holding the entire Russian economy hostage to a handful of bankers. ("Events Like These Only Happen Once Every Century (Sergey Glazyev)", The Saker)
Sound familiar?

It should. We can all​ remember other instances when Central Bankers took advantage of a crisis to enrich themselves and other members of the banking cabal.

Popcorn

Sit back and watch Europe commit suicide

euro flag tatters
© The CradleWashington's competition with rising power Russia is so fierce, it is willing to sacrifice Europe.
The stunning spectacle of the European Union (EU) committing slow motion hara-kiri is something for the ages. Like a cheap Kurosawa remake, the movie is actually about the US-detonated demolition of the EU, complete with the rerouting of some key Russian commodities exports to the US at the expense of Europeans.

It helps to have a 5th columnist actress strategically placed - in this case astonishingly incompetent European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen - with her vociferous announcement of a crushing new sanctions package: Russian ships banned from EU ports; road transportation companies from Russia and Belarus prohibited from entering the EU; no more coal imports (over 4.4 billion euros a year).

Briefcase

Need for a special counsel in Hunter Biden's case has grown urgent

Bidens
© Andy Wong/EPA-EFEPresident Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden
David Weiss, the US attorney for Delaware, seems to be leading a genuine investigation of Hunter Biden: Prosecutors taking the case to a grand jury the other day even asked a witness about "the big guy," for whom Hunter and his partners had reserved a 10% cut of one potential (and lucrative) deal.

No one familiar with the case has suggested who the "big guy" might be if not now-President Joe Biden, and at least one of the partners has confirmed it was Joe.

Then, too, Weiss is a veteran of the Delaware office, appointed US attorney in early 2018 by President Donald Trump — not a political hack. The only thing at all questionable about his Hunter investigation is why it has taken so long, when the probe actually began long before the last election. Hunter's bank records on his dealings with the Bank of China, for example, got subpoenaed back in May 2019.

For the long wait, you have to assume the blame rests with his superiors in Washington. It would've been standard procedure to hold off making headlines in the runup to the 2020 vote, but delays since then likely came at the order of central Justice, namely Attorney General Merrick Garland and his top aides.
Weiss/Garland/Klain
© Al Drago/UPI/Demetrius Freeman/Pool/Reuters/KJNDavid Weiss US Attorney Delaware • AG Merrick Garland • WH Chief of Staff Ron Klain

Dollar

US to send $100M in additional military aid to Ukraine

Delivery
© Ukraine Ministry of DefenseUS military aid to Ukraine
The U.S. is sending up to $100 million in additional military aid to Ukraine as Russia's invasion of the country continues.

The State Department and Pentagon announced the military funding in statements Tuesday evening. The money will go toward Javelin anti-armor systems, according to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he authorized an immediate drawdown to address Ukraine's need for more anti-armor systems. Drawdowns allow the president to help countries during emergencies without needing approval from a legislative authority or budgetary appropriations, according to a Defense Department handbook.

Tuesday night's drawdown marks the sixth such allocation the U.S. has made for Ukraine since August, according to Blinken. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $1.7 billion since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in late February. He said in a statement:
"​​I have authorized, pursuant to a delegation from the President earlier today, the immediate drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $100 million to meet Ukraine's urgent need for additional anti-armor systems.

"The world has been shocked and appalled by the atrocities committed by Russia's forces in Bucha and across Ukraine. Ukraine's forces bravely continue to defend their country and their freedom, and the United States, along with our Allies and partners, stand steadfast in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Comment: The pile on of military supplies seems to have no end:
Czechia has provided Ukraine with tanks for use in its ongoing conflict with Russia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, on Tuesday.

The Central European nation has also reportedly supplied Kiev with howitzer artillery pieces and Soviet-made BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles. The supplies have been funded by the Prague government and some private donors, who joined a state-backed crowdfunding campaign.

Western nations have been supplying Ukraine with weapons, ammunition and fuel since shortly after the start of the Russian military attack, in late February. Most deliveries to date have included portable anti-tank and anti-air missiles, as well as small arms.

Australia said earlier this week it has been flying Bushmaster armored vehicles to Europe, destined for use by Kiev's forces. German media also earlier reported that Berlin had approved the delivery of self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine by a number of other NATO members.

Some NATO states, such as Slovenia, have virtually depleted their own supplies. Now, its prime minister, Janez Jansa, says his nation's Western allies are in no rush to replenish these stocks.
"Unfortunately, our reserves are depleted and now we are trying to replace equipment... with new deliveries from US.

"If the war is going to get longer and longer, the war equipment that is being damaged needs to get serviced. Ukrainian repair houses are 100% busy, and they are asking other nearby allies to help them with repairs."
Earlier, Russia warned that it would consider arms deliveries to Ukraine as legitimate military targets but Moscow hasn't targeted any arms convoys outside of Ukrainian territory so far. It has not commented on a potential response to NATO states providing equipment repair facilities to Ukraine.
The MIC must be having one helluva field day as the war thickens and the usual hands-off countries continue relinquishing their dispensable military equipment to Ukraine.


Target

UK government plans to launch new digital ID technology April 22 as part of dystopian nationwide digital identity push

Digital ID
© Technology Salon
The UK government is pushing ahead with its nationwide digital ID plans, despite half of the responses to its public consultation on digital identity opposing the idea.

On April 6, 2022, new digital identity document verification technology (IDVT) that enables data sharing between public bodies and businesses for the purpose of identity verification will be introduced. It will be made available to UK employers, landlords, and letting agents who can use it to digitally carry out pre-employment criminal record checks, right to work checks, and right to rent checks.

The introduction of this digital IDVT is part of the government's far-reaching digital ID plans which were announced in March. The government has framed these digital ID plans as a way for UK citizens to "easily and quickly prove their identity using digital methods instead of having to rely on traditional physical documents."

Comment: 'Nothing to see here, folks! Move along...'


Dominoes

Hungary breaks with EU, will pay for Russian gas in rubles

Orban
© Getty ImagesHungarian President Victor Orban
Hungary has broken ranks with the European Union, saying it will accept Moscow's demand that gas supplies be paid for in rubles.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has opposed any EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas or Western arms shipments through Hungarian territory to Ukraine, told journalists on April 6 that he had agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin that if asked, Hungary would pay for gas shipments using the Russian currency.

Earlier on April 6, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said gas contracts were between his country and Russia, and that the EU had "no role" to play in the deal.

Comment: Blowback on Hungary could be significant. It urges the bloc to not punish Hungarians for their political choices:
The EU Commission has triggered a new mechanism which could see billions of euros allocated for Hungary [be withdrawn].

Speaking in the European parliament on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explained that the European Commission and the Hungarian leadership have "not been able to find common ground" on the issue of anti-corruption reforms. She added that Budapest's response to a formal notice on the matter did not leave the EU top body with any other option but to move on "to the next step." "The Commission has today told the Hungarian authorities that we will now send a formal letter to start the conditionality mechanism." She referred to the instrument adopted in late 2020 allowing the bloc to withhold aid funding from a member that is found to be failing to adhere to the union's democratic principles.

Orban's presidential victory prompted his chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, to call on the European Commission to accept "the basic rules of democracy" and "not to punish Hungarian voters for expressing an opinion not to Brussels' taste." Gulyas was apparently referring to harsh criticism of Orban's policies by the EU leadership.

EU Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn made it clear that the body planned to speed up the implementation of the mechanism. However, any suspension of funds would involve additional negotiations between the sides and a qualified majority vote in the European Council. The EU Commission will have to provide details of particular cases when rule-of-law violations directly led to the misuse of EU budget funds by Hungarian authorities, which means that the process is expected to last months.

The conditionality mechanism, along with a multi-billion recovery package, was supposed to serve as "an additional layer of protection in cases when breaches of the rule of law principles affect or risk affecting the EU financial interests."

Poland and Hungary had consistently argued that the "conditionality mechanism" was not included in any of the EU treaties. They also said the ECJ would be overstepping its powers in approving such a mechanism.
Budapest takes umbrage with Kiev's offensive comments and insults:
Hungary's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Ukrainian ambassador, on Wednesday, over Kiev's harsh criticism of Budapest's stance on Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Peter SzijjartoIt wrote on facebook:
"It is time for Ukrainian leaders to stop their insults directed at Hungary. Kiev should acknowledge the will of the Hungarian people."
He reminded that Budapest had condemned the use of force by Russia, acknowledged Ukraine's sovereignty and accepted hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the fighting.

However, the FM reiterated that Hungary wasn't a party to the conflict in Ukraine, saying that "we want to, and will, stay out of it."

Budapest, which has arguably the closest ties with Moscow among the EU capitals, has joined European sanctions imposed on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine. But it refused to send weapons to Kiev and insisted that it'll never support any curbs on Russian energy.

Ukrainian ambassador to Hungary, Lyubov Nepop, will now have to explain the words of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who claimed on Tuesday that
"Orban feared Russia's influence and warned that Hungary would eventually be forced to choose between Moscow and the "other world."
Kiev officials suggested that Budapest could be looking to use the fighting in Ukraine to claim the country's western Zakarpattia Region, populated by Hungarians, for itself.
A peace summit has been proposed:
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday that he has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine in Budapest, urging the Russian leader to declare an immediate ceasefire.

Orban said, as quoted by AFP, "His response was positive, but with conditions."
To the EU, Hungary is 'a disturbance' in 'the force'.


Calculator

Moscow pays foreign debt in rubles for first time

rubledollar
© Getty Images/Diy13The US currency's share of global reserves fell ten times faster in the last year than in the previous 20, Stephen Jen has said
US blocks banks from processing payments in dollars.

Russia has paid foreign holders of Eurobonds in rubles for the first time after an attempt to settle the $649.2 million payment was rejected by a foreign financial institution under orders from Washington, the Russian Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the US Treasury stopped Russia from paying holders of its sovereign debt more than $600 million from reserves held in US bank accounts, saying that the Kremlin had to choose between draining its dollar reserves and default.

Roughly half of Russia's foreign exchange reserves, worth over $300 billion, have been frozen by Western countries as part of sanctions over Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded:
"Russia has all necessary resources to service its debts... If this blockade continues and payments aimed for servicing debts are blocked, it (future payment) could be made in rubles."
The country has a total of 15 international bonds outstanding with a face value of around $40 billion. Moscow has managed to provide several foreign exchange coupon payments on its Eurobonds before Washington stopped transactions.

Quenelle

Oh, so.... You're now saying we were right about Arizona election fraud?

trump rally Texas
© Miami StandardFormer President Trump rallies gigantic crowd to his recent Texas rally
Just a day or two after I threw in the towel on Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, he surprises me. General Brnovich has issued to Senate President Karen a 6 month "interim report" on his investigations Fann is the woman who had the fortitude to stand up and drive the Maricopa Audit to completion. Six months after she turned her investigation over to the Attorney General, he has now confirmed in an official letter that the Maricopa Audit led him to investigate and catalogue in his letter a shocking amount and kind of systemic vulnerabilities (precisely as CyberNinjas reported), punctuated by the news of criminal fraud for which he has been and is prosecuting people.

Attorney General Brnovich put the money shot in the opening:

Comment: Good news, though it isn't as if there weren't already mounds of evidence screaming the fact: