Puppet MastersS


Snakes in Suits

IMF's Director Batista spills the beans: Greek bailout was 'to save German and French banks'


Keep Talking Greece
Wed, 04 Mar 2015 02:42 UTC
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© keeptalkinggreeceBailout, Executive Director, Greece, IMF, interview, Paulo Nogueira Batista.
This was never said officially before! "They gave money to save German and French banks, not Greece," Paolo Batista, one of the Executive Directors of International Monetary Fund told Greek private Alpha TV on Tuesday. Batista strongly criticized not only the euro zone and the European Central Bank but also the IMF and the Fund's managing Director Christine Lagarde for defending Europe much too much..

He urged Greece to directly negotiate with the IMF and favored the restructuring of the Greek debt that is being held by the European partners.

Video: English with Greek subtitles:


Comment: Straight out of the horse's mouth:
"The Greek issues were not the best handled by The IMF... They put too much of a burden on Greece and not enough of a burden on Greece's creditors"


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Gold Coins

Chinese billboards in Thailand herald renminbi as 'new world currency'

Simon Black
Sovereign Man
Wed, 04 Mar 2015 02:33 UTC
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When I arrived to Bangkok the other day, coming down the motorway from the airport I saw a huge billboard - and it floored me.

The billboard was from the Bank of China. It said: "RMB: New Choice; The World Currency"

Given that the Bank of China is more than 70% owned by the government of the People's Republic of China, I find this very significant.

It means that China is literally advertising its currency overseas, and it's making sure that everyone landing at one of the world's busiest airports sees it. They know that the future belongs to them and they're flaunting it.

Comment: We wouldn't place bets on the RMB being the world currency but it certainly is an alternative to the 'petrodollar'.

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Bad Guys

US commander in Europe Ben Hodges loses it, says Vladimir Putin wants to destroy NATO

Justin Huggler
The telegraph
Wed, 04 Mar 2015 01:30 UTC
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© AFP 2015/ ATTILA KISBENEDEK
The commander of the US army in Europe has spoken out in support of the military relationship with Britain, amid concerns it could be damaged by defence cuts.

"The US-UK relationship is as important as ever," Lt-Gen. Frederick "Ben" Hodges said. "The UK is our oldest ally and still a leader in NATO. I think the UK will live up to its leadership position."

He accused Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, of seeking to destroy NATO, and warned that Russia could seek to use the sort of "hybrid warfare" seen in eastern Ukraine against a NATO member to test the alliance.

"I am sure Putin wants to destroy our alliance, not by attacking it but by splintering it," he said in a speech to military and political leaders in Berlin.


Comment: Well, it's not Putin's fault when the US/NATO/EU via the IMF destroy people's lives and force them to start looking for alternatives.


Comment: This sure was a bizarre rant by the general, but it gives a glimpse of how these peoples' minds work (or don't work!).

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Bulb

Congressman: U.S. should aim for peace in Ukraine, not to humiliate Russia


Sputnik
Thu, 05 Mar 2015 01:20 UTC
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© AP Photo/ Lauren Victoria BurkeUS Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

Comment: The U.S. isn't just trying to humiliate Russia. They are trying to draw them into a conflict that will drain their resources and economy. So far, Russia has been smart enough to realize this and hasn't engaged. But it's highly doubtful that the elites in the U.S. will listen to the wise advice of Congressman Rohrabacher any time soon.


The United States should aim to establish peace in Ukraine and not repeatedly to humiliate Russia, US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said on Wednesday.

"Our goal should be to try to have peace in that part of the world [Ukraine], not to try to humiliate Russia again and again and again," Rohrabacher said during US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland's hearing in the US Congress on the United States' Ukraine policy.

The Chairman of the US House's Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee noted that if the United States' real goal is to defeat and humiliate Russia, the people of Ukraine will continue to "suffer and suffer and suffer."

During the hearing, the US lawmakers also raised the question of the United States providing Ukraine with defensive weapons.

Nuland announced on Wednesday that the United States sanctions team is currently in Europe to discuss with European allies imposing additional sanctions on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis.

The United States has been assisting Ukraine with economic and non-lethal military support since the Kiev government began a military operation against independence fighters in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk last April.
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Attention

More lies please! Polls show Netanyahu's popularity was boosted by US speech

Allyn Fisher-Ilan
Reuters
Wed, 04 Mar 2015 23:06 UTC
netanyahu_ISIS
© DesconocidoThe face of terrorism
Israeli opinion polls on Wednesday showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got a slight boost in popularity after his U.S. speech slamming an emerging nuclear deal with Iran, but he is still running neck and neck with his leading rival in a March 17 election.

A survey published by Channel 10 television indicated Netanyahu's Likud party would gaining two seats to 23 compared with what he had a week ago. That would still leave him in a tie with Isaac Herzog's Zionist Union.

The country's Channel 2 television had Netanyahu's right-wing party up by one seat to 23, just behind Herzog's left-of-center list.

Comment: Netanyahu lives in an alternate reality, and in that reality Iran is the equivalent of what Netanyahu actually is. This apparent struggle between Bibi and Obama, good for a tiny boost in popularity, is likely another lie with malevolent intentions:
The US, as prescribed by Brookings, is portrayed as desperately trying to hammer out an almost unreasonable accommodation with Iran, while "mad dog" Israel seeks to unilaterally attack Iran - thus giving the US the plausible deniability it openly claimed it would disingenuously attempt to create ahead of any Israeli attack on Iran.


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Boat

East Mediterranean getting 'hot' - Provocation by Turkey against Greece?

Kakaouskia
The Saker
Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:20 UTC
turkey greece
Some worrying events happened in the Aegean the past couple of days. Turkey has issued a unilateral NOTAM reserving large swathe of the Aegean, including large part of the Hellenic FIR for military exercises with live fire from 01/03/2015 to 31/12/2015. This effectively cut the Aegean in half, but most importantly it included part of Limnos, a Greek island in north Aegean. So in effect, Turkey has stated that it could use parts of an island belonging to Greece as a firing range.

A close observation of the timeline of events after the cancellation of the South Stream, Greek elections and the recent Eurogroup meeting shows that a few rats are in place:

Comment: The troika will not shy away from any and all dirty tricks to force Greece back into line. If it's in Turkey's best interests to go forward with the pipeline, why are they seemingly sabotaging their relationship with Greece?

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Quenelle - Golden

Best of the Web: Venezuelan president Maduro revokes visa rights for "U.S. human rights abusers" Bush, Cheney, and others on his "anti-terrorism list"

Rachael Boothroyd
venezuealanalysis.com
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 23:04 UTC
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The Venezuelan government has responded to increased pressure from Washington by revoking visa rights for former US politicians such as George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, described by President Nicolas Maduro as "terrorists against the peoples of the world" on Saturday.

"I have decided on a prohibition list for people who will not be permitted visas and who can never enter Venezuela, for a set of chief US politicians who have committed human rights violations. They have bombed the people of Iraq, the people of Syria, the people of Vietnam... It is an anti-terrorist list," declared the head of state to an impassioned crowd.

The statements were part of a rousing speech delivered by the president on Saturday to thousands of marchers who had taken to the streets of Caracas to reject White House interference in the South American country. The march was a direct response to a string of further US sanctions enacted against the Venezuelan government in early February and to what Maduro characterised as a "moment of increased aggression" from the Obama administration. The head of state went on to call for a "global rebellion against US imperialism".

"The US thinks it is the boss, the police of the world... Something happens somewhere, let's say in Asia, and a spokesperson for the US comes out saying that the US government thinks that such and such a government shouldn't do such and such a thing in Asia... Are we going to accept a global government? Enough of imperialism in the world!" stated an incensed Maduro.

During his speech, the head of state also announced a slew of new diplomatic measures against the US which include the implementation of visa requirements for all US citizens visiting Venezuela.

"They must pay what Venezuelans pay when they want to travel to the United States," said the president.
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Gold Seal

Fitting end: Nobel Peace Prize chairman who oversaw Obama award removed for first time in 114-year history


RT
Wed, 04 Mar 2015 20:48 UTC
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© Reuters/Heiko Junge/NTB ScanpixDeposed Nobel Peace Prize Committee Chairman Thorbjoern Jagland
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee's chairman has been removed from his post for the first time in the award's 114-year history. He's been criticized over a number of the panel's controversial picks, like US president and the EU.

Ousted Chairman Thorbjoern Jagland, a former Norwegian Labor prime minister, had been in charge of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee for six years before he was voted out on Tuesday. He will remain a member of the committee, but the leading role has been passed on to the panel's deputy chairman, Kaci Kullmann Five, a former conservative party leader.

"There's a new committee with new people, and new people can always lead to new considerations," Kullmann Five told journalists. "Jagland has been a good leader for the committee for six years."
New Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, responsible for selecting #NobelPeacePrize Laureates: Kaci Kullmann Five http://t.co/UXw2YP0FGR

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) March 3, 2015
Three out of six prize winners chosen under Thorbjoern Jagland have raised controversy.

Jagland's first year as chairman in 2009 saw the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to US President Barack Obama, who at that time had only been in office for nine months.
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Info

Grand analysis of the Battle for Debaltsevo


Colonel Cassad
Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:51 UTC
ukraine graves
© UnknownUkrainian graves, courtesy of the US State Department

The battle for Debalcevo. Results.

The campaign began after systematic shelling of the Donbass cities by the artillery of the fascist junta, following which the "2nd truce" was torn apart and the high-intensity military action with the use of all available means of destruction resumed.

The first stage of the campaign was associated with the fighting for the Donetsk airport, which was captured by the NAF ['Novorossiya armed forces'] forces. The junta's counter-offensive on the airport failed miserably and led to major personnel and materiel losses. After repelling the junta's counter-offensive, the NAF transitioned to offensive again and tried to penetrate the junta defensive line at Peski - Opytnoye - the air defense unit - Avdeyevka.

This offensive was generally unsuccessful for the NAF: despite suffering serious losses, they failed to even solve the problem of capturing Peski. They couldn't fortify in Avdeyevka either. So, after capturing the installations to the north of the airstrip in the airport, the NAF gradually transitioned to defensive actions and repelled the junta counter-attacks directed at capturing the settlement of Spartak.

Comment: With the rebel forces in Ukraine proving their ability to wage war effectively, it is obvious that the State Department, through its stooges, is looking for alternatives to crush this resistance. If the civil war continues then it is possible that all that they worked for could be reversed through the effectiveness of the anti-Nazi resistance.

For more info, check out:

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Light Sabers

One mountain, two tigers - Why a Russian-Chinese alliance may be difficult

Huiyun Feng
The Diplomat
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 20:29 UTC
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© Presidential Press and Information Office, Kremlin
The rising tensions between Russia and the West, especially the United States, over Ukraine provide a constant reminder of the Cold War, when the two superpowers fought proxy conflicts for spheres of influence. A key question in the current game of great power politics is whether China and Russia will form an alliance against the United States?

In his Foreign Affairs article "Asia for the Asians: Why Chinese-Russian Friendship is Here to Stay," Gilbert Rozman listed six reasons why the Chinese-Russian partnership is durable. However, Joseph Nye, in a recent piece published in Project Syndicate titled "A New Sino-Russian Alliance?" questioned the possibility by pointing to deep problems for a Sino-Russian alliance in the economic, military and demographic spheres.

Both Rozman and Nye are, in fact, looking at different sides of the same coin. However, both have missed something. The future of a China-Russian relationship depends largely on relations these two countries have with the West, especially the United States. If Washington pushes too hard on oil prices, Ukraine, and NATO expansion toward Russia, and if the U.S. rebalances too far against China in the Pacific, China and Russia may indeed move towards a formal alliance, even if that may not have been what they originally wanted.

Comment: It's doubtful that the U.S. will reconsider its foreign policy objectives, which should drive Russia and China towards each other more and more as the U.S. pushes for more hegemonic control. Both countries should realize that past grievances only hurt their chances at fighting off U.S. global domination and to come together to present a united front against that. Both Xi and Putin seem level-headed enough to understand the bigger picture and get over their paranoia over each other.

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