Puppet Masters

West to East: Global power balance shifting - the American empire is dying

Joachim Hagopian
American Empire Exposed
Wed, 18 Mar 2015 23:57 UTC

A major recent event last week largely went unnoticed by both MSM and independent news sources alike. The British are apparently jumping ship away from the US dollar/petrodollar in an overt effort to align itself more closely with the BRICS alliance as it seeks a new standard international currency. For several years Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa (BRICS) have been preparing the world for its transition from USD standard international currency to its own alternative-in-the-making. America's so called mother country England has seen the writing on the wall and knows the global balance of power is rapidly tilting in favor of where the sun always rises in the emerging East.

The European central banking cabal from the City of London, a separate and private political and financial entity apart from the rest of both London and England, sent British royalty Prince William to China to quietly sign a deal to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This surprising new development is a clear indication that the royal Bank of England is placing its financial bet and future on China and the East as its rock solid anchor. Much of the world has been looking to move away from and abandon the longtime global financial stronghold of the US Federal Reserve, its World Bank and US dollar standard. A US official feebly chastised UK in the Financial Times:

We are wary about a trend toward constant accommodation of China, which is not the best way to engage a rising power.

More consternation arose when Germany, France and Italy have additionally made overtures in the same direction. This worldwide trend spells utter defeat for Obama and his disastrous foreign policy. After Washington's been exerting strong-armed pressure on Australia as its key allied partner supporting its failing Asian pivot designed to check China's growing regional and global dominance in the Pacific Asian market, Australia is now also looking to follow suit accepting and embracing China's lead.

The West's attempts to draw Russia into Ukraine are an utter failure

Rostislav Ishchenko
The Saker
Mon, 16 Mar 2015 03:42 UTC

In an interview with the radio station Russia Today, Rostislav Ishchenko, President of the Center for Systematic Analysis and Forecasting, talks about who is trying to draw Russia into a military conflict, and why, Crimea's role in the situation, and the splitting of the Ukraine into separate territories.

In one of your articles, you wrote that the Ukraine was in all likelihood considering some sort of attack on Crimea. What exactly did you mean?

First, I don't think the Ukraine or even the powers that be in Kiev want to attack Crimea. I believe that even the orders to shoot that [Oleksander] Turchynov allegedly gave the military in February 2014 were a PR move. It's doubtful whether he gave such orders at that time. And, if he had given them, of the 20,000 soldiers who were in Crimea at that time, someone would have fulfilled them.

Second, as for an attack on Crimea by the Ukraine, I have already said and I'll repeat it: from my point of view, it's one of the last ways to start a war with Russia. It's perfectly clear that, from February to March of last year, they began trying to draw Russia into direct combat in the Ukraine. And it's clear that the idea came not from Kiev but from Washington.

After the failed attempts to get Russia to send troops to southeast Ukraine in March, April, May, and August, as well as in January of this year, the only more or less justified chance, from the point of view of international law, to instigate a Ukrainian-Russian war is to attempt to play the return-of-Crimea card. And it has been important from the very beginning to ensure that the Ukraine is not seen as the aggressor.

Comment: Unfortunately for the West, Putin has been two steps ahead of them the whole way and didn't fall into the trap of taking Ukraine.

Is a gold-backed ruble in Russia's future?

Russia Insider
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:25 UTC

This article originally appeared at KOPP Online. Translated for RI by Alexander Samarkin

Russia is struggling with a number of liabilities these days. The price for oil, Russia's most important export good, has reached historical lows. During the previous weeks the Ruble could only recover slightly from its devastating slump against the Dollar, that has been lasting for a year now.

Compared to February last year, the Russian currency now has about 40% less purchase power than the Greenback. Russia and USA are in the middle of a currency war that threatens to become an armed conflict. Not even during the cold war has the ,diplomatic" talk between USA and Russia been that harsh.

Even from elitist circles come ominous warnings of an acute geopolitical danger. The continuing sanctions against Russia in the process of the Ukraine-crisis hurt the Russian economy additionally. The Russian government has to take radical measures to enhance the attractiveness of the Ruble for investors. In this context a gold backing seems more probable than ever.

People have spoken: Over half of Ukrainians fed up with Poroshenko - Almost 60% don't believe stories published by Ukrainian press

RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:11 UTC

A recent poll by a Ukrainian research group shows how unhappy the country is with their politicians. Only eight percent say the country is going in the right direction, while almost two-thirds assert they don't approve of the president's actions.

The figures should make for worrying viewing for President Petro Poroshenko and his government as Ukraine is currently mired in economic turmoil and political instability. A poll carried out by the Kiev-based Research & Branding Group from March 6-16, shows just how fed-up Ukrainians are with the way their country is being run.

Poroshenko may have been in power for just over nine months, but it would appear his 'honeymoon' period has well and truly ended. Just a third of those asked believe he is doing a good job, while almost 60 percent say they aren't happy with the way the billionaire is running the country. If elections were carried out today, just under 20 percent of Ukrainians would back Poroshenko, while 30 percent would either vote against every candidate or not bother going to the polls.

However, Poroshenko seems to be getting off lightly. Ukraine's nationalist Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk is even less popular with less than a quarter of those surveyed believing he is doing a good job in helping to run the country.

Comment: The question is - does the people's unhappiness with their leaders matter? The Kiev leadership is a U.S.-installed puppet regime. The U.S. can simply replace one puppet with another, and nothing will change. It should be clear that democracy and freedom matter little to the U.S. government, and that their meddling in Ukraine has little to do with caring about the population.

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité - French government begins blocking websites it doesn't like

Michael Krieger
Liberty Blitzkrieg
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:11 UTC

© Twitter
You are being redirected to this official website since your computer was about to connect with a page that provokes terrorist acts or condones terrorism publicly.

There's no better way to show terrorists you mean business than by preemptively ending freedom before the infidels have a chance to.

Ever since the tragic Charlie Hebdo terror attacks, France has responded by turning its back on decency, freedom and civilization itself. While the counterproductive authoritarian government response to terror attacks throughout the Western world has been long noted by myself and countless others, no country has demonstrated a more enthusiastic embrace of fascism and irrationality than France.

The writing was on the wall shortly after the attacks. I noted it in the post, French Authorities Demonstrate Defense of Free Speech by Arresting 54 People for Free Speech.

Russia and South Ossetia sign alliance treaty - Russia pledges military protection

RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:02 UTC

© RIA Novosti / Aleksey Nikolskyi
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov make a statement for the press March 18, 2015

The presidents of Russia and South Ossetia have signed a key treaty according to which the two nations will partially join their military forces, and Russia will provide full military protection to its ally.

The treaty introducing the collective security principle was signed by Vladimir Putin and Leonid Tibilov on Wednesday, after the two presidents held talks in Moscow.

Vladimir Putin said the document was another step not only in improving mutual legal systems, but also in economic development between the two nations. Leonid Tibilov added the friendship between the two countries and the stepping up of integration processes, were an answer to threats and challenges existing in the modern world.

"We know the Russian Federation is the only guarantor for our people and for our republic," Tibilov said, adding that South Ossetia supported all Moscow's political moves, such as the reunification with the republic of Crimea one year ago.

The document sets out that Russia would provide for the security and defense of South Ossetia, including constant protection of its state border. In return, South Ossetia would allow part of its military to join Russian military forces. The details of the process must be developed jointly by the two countries within six months of signing the treaty. The procedure will be financed by the Russians and 1 billion rubles (about $16 million) will be allocated from the Russian budget for this purpose.

The treaty with South Ossetia is very similar to the agreement with the Caucasus republic of Abkhazia signed in 2014 and ratified by the Russian parliament in January this year. Both republics were recognized by Russia after a brief war in 2008, which took place after Georgia tried to reclaim South Ossetia by military force, in violation of ceasefire agreements and despite Russian peacekeepers' presence.

In December 2013, Russia introduced a free trade regime with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Large-scale Russian military exercises 'logical response' to NATO troops on its border

RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 18:56 UTC

As NATO increases its activity by putting troops on the Russian borders, it is hardly surprising that Russia responds in a similar way, political analyst Chris Bambery told RT.

Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian Northern Fleet put on full combat alert as part of large snap military exercises. The announcement came with increased NATO activity near the Russian border.

RT: The media generally reports that these are a response to the NATO exercises. What's your take?

Chris Bambery: I think they are a response to NATO exercises which have taken place at first in the Black Sea and now in the Baltic. Why America has sent 750 military vehicles to the Baltic states including Abrams tanks, I don't know. Plus 3,000 troops. Germany is sending 600 troops. This is quite an escalation for Russia and it's on their border we should remember. But I think we also have to say something else. The rhetoric from America and to some extent from London is this idea that Putin is this "new Hitler," "the aggressor." The German military intelligence know full well that Vladimir Putin has got no ambition to occupy Ukraine. He's got no ambition to occupy the Baltic states. He's not an idiot. He is not going to invade the Baltic states and have a war with NATO. If there was evidence that Putin had sent in armored columns into Ukraine, NATO which has been [monitoring] this and the Americans who have been [monitoring] this very carefully would have flooded the world with those images.

And in fact Germany and France have secured a ceasefire which is relatively successful. So why they are going along with the Americans who clearly have much more aggressive agenda here, I don't know. This is a question we should ask Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel. But I think the answer to your first question is: sure, if you are going to put troops on the borders of Russia, isn't it logical; is it hardly a surprise that Russia is going to respond in kind?

Who is behind Tunisia museum attack?

RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 18:37 UTC

© Reuters / Stringer
A tourist injured after an attack by gunmen on Tunisia's national museum is wheeled on a stretcher in Tunis March 18, 2015

Groups like IS, which could be behind the Bardo Museum shootings, have a long history of collaborating with the West and may have attacked tourists just to maintain their anti-Western façade, says independent political analyst Dan Glazebrook.

RT: Do you think that the Western tourists were targeted on purpose?

Dan Glazebrook: Yeah, I think so. The thing is with ISIS and these groups - they have a long history of collaborating with the West. It's fundamental to their appeal that they kind of try to present themselves as anti-Western. If you look over the last several years, they've been singing from the same song-sheet - whether it's on Libya, the fight against Gaddafi; Syria, the fight against Assad. We've had revelations about fighters' passage to Syria to go and fight against Assad being facilitated by MI5, by British intelligence. This all came out in the hearings in Mozambique last year. So these guys are on the same page, they are helping to fulfill the West strategic aims of destabilization in the area. ... The thousands and thousands people they've killed, the vast majority of them have been other Muslims and non-white people. From time to time they have to kill some Europeans and some Westerners in order to maintain this façade of somehow being opposed to the West, whilst they continue to carry out and facilitate the West's strategic aims.

RT: A large number of Islamic State fighters reportedly come from Tunisia. Why is that?

DG: It was estimated at one point that the actual majority of foreign fighters in Syria were of Tunisian origin, over 3,000... They've also fought in Libya; they've fought in terrorist campaigns in Algeria. There are many different reasons; part of it is a kind of extremist backlash against the extremist secularism of the previous President [Zine El Abidine] Ben Ali and his predecessor [Habib Bourguiba]. But I think a lot of it is just simply to do with the economics and finances. There is very high unemployment in Tunisia. It is rumored that you can get up to $27,000 a year for going to fight for ISIS... Billions of dollars were put into these sectarian militias to build up these groups by Saudi Arabia and the USA as a bulwark against the resistance axis of Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah. These billions of dollars are still slushing around.

Sergio Altuna, researcher focusing on jihadist movements and political Islam in Tunisia: "I'm not sure at this point if the Bardo Museum was the main target of this terrorist operation... But given the fact that the Bardo Museum is just by the National Assembly another feasible possibility would be that a terrorist attack was aimed to attack the Assembly. It was working [Wednesday]; everybody was there - by the way, debating the new anti-terrorist law. Maybe security was too high... There is no clear information about it."

More Sino-Russian cooperation - Russia and China to open joint online payment processing platform

RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 18:25 UTC

Russian online payment system Yandex.Money is to start processing payments for China's online platform TradeEase, which is aimed at increasing cross-border trade between the two countries.

The project is expected to have a turnover of $830,000 in the first 3 months after it starts in the summer.

The platform will be launched by China's PayEase payment service, Bank of China, China's Heilongjiang province and the border city of Suifenhe, Vedomosti reported on Thursday.

About 10 salesmen from the city of Suifenhe and other cities in the southern province of Heilongjiang will join the online platform in the beginning. The number is expected to grow to several hundred within a month after the launch and to exceed 1000 by the end of the year, according to Yandex.Money documents, Vedomosti said.

The average spend on Chinese online stores accepting payments through Yandex.Money is currently $58 and is expected to be comparable on the TradeEase platform, says the Deputy Commercial Director for Yandex.Money, Anna Kuzmina.

No surprise! Obama to veto any cuts to Pentagon war budget

Bill Van Auken
WSWS.org
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:00 UTC

The Obama administration is prepared to veto any cuts to the 2016 Pentagon budget, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told the House Armed Services Committee in testimony Wednesday.

Carter said that President Barack Obama would reject any proposal that includes the sequestration caps imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act, which the Democratic president supported and signed into law following the staged crisis over the debt ceiling that year.

The statement came as both major parties sought ways to circumvent the mandated cuts in military spending.

Obama, significantly, has made no threat to veto budget proposals imposing spending caps on vital social services. Indeed, while traveling the country touting relatively minor programs that are likely to be trimmed or eliminated in budget negotiations with the Republican congressional leadership, his administration is proposing to implement some $400 billion in cuts to future Medicare and Medicaid spending, even as he seeks to slash corporate tax rates by up to 10 percent.

The president's threat to veto sequestration for the military while remaining silent over social spending dovetails with Republican policy, which centers on raising arms spending while offsetting it with even deeper cuts to domestic programs.

Comment: So, the US the war machine will continue to rage on while millions are mired in poverty, much needed social services are cut and infrastructure continues to deteriorate.

However, it looks like the cosmos may have something else in mind for those who have lost their mandate of heaven.

Lament for Babylon

Their HELL bent in injecting this SHIT in to everyone and will stop at nothing until their demented goal is achieved. If you lose your job for not...

Winternights3

Someone deport this monstrous POS back to hell, or wherever. Anywhere with a good stockade 😤and his kids too

slbeaudry

To prevent Corona spreading they're gonna make everyone be asymptomatic super spreaders. if you agree with this action as legitimate you're a dumb...

sbc

If you read the linked white house statement try not to puke.

sbc

Let's go, Brandon! Fucking asswipe, worthless, POS. Fraud! Argh! 😤

slbeaudry

Puppet Masters

West to East: Global power balance shifting - the American empire is dying

The West's attempts to draw Russia into Ukraine are an utter failure

Is a gold-backed ruble in Russia's future?

People have spoken: Over half of Ukrainians fed up with Poroshenko - Almost 60% don't believe stories published by Ukrainian press

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité - French government begins blocking websites it doesn't like

Russia and South Ossetia sign alliance treaty - Russia pledges military protection

Large-scale Russian military exercises 'logical response' to NATO troops on its border

Who is behind Tunisia museum attack?

More Sino-Russian cooperation - Russia and China to open joint online payment processing platform

No surprise! Obama to veto any cuts to Pentagon war budget

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