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Tom Luongo: Iran, Venezuela And The Two Great Resets

by | Mar 7, 2022 |

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Importantly, we discuss some points I haven’t been able to shoehorn into recent blogs because they were already so massive.

The first thing is the JCPOA negotiations in Vienna. They are pushing rapidly to conclusion now in order to stabilize oil markets by trying to offset voluntary embargoes of Russian oil with newly-released Iranian production.

There are a couple of problems with this calculus, not the least of which is that Iran’s oil sector will not be able to just spin up another 1.5 million bbls/day before Russia responds in ways I discussed in the article linked above, i.e. offering oil for gold well below ‘market price.’

The second big issue is along the same lines, which is the US making diplomatic overtures to Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela to life sanctions on his country. Remember it was Trump’s ill-conceived blockade of Venezuela which prompted US importers to begin buying huge amounts of Russian Urals grade as replacement barrels.

Why would we do that if we hate Russia so much? And it’s not, shitlibs, because Trump loves him some Putin man meat, you congenital morons. It is simply because the Gulf coast refineries are tuned for refining that Venezuelan sludge they mainly produce. It’s known as heavy-sour oil. And Russian Urals grade is the closest competitor to it on the global market.

That’s why US imports of Russian oil surged over the past two years. And it is also why since this conflict has been pushed into reality the prices at the pump in the US have skyrocketed as US imports of Russian oil fell to nearly zero in the days leading up to Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.

The big question on anyone’s mind here is why would either Iran or Venezuela ever trust the US on any issue related to the weaponization of access to financial markets ever again? In fact, why would they even talk with these people unless they already have cut-outs and work-arounds already in place.

More here

The Most Famous Person In The World

by | Mar 5, 2022 |

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Dear Friends:

“Mr. McAdams, how does it feel to be the most famous man in the world?”

This is not how most of my press appearances begin and it is the concluding chapter of perhaps the strangest 24 hours of my life. But thus began my interview on India’s Times Now Television this morning as a follow up to one of the craziest and – even just 24 hours later – the most-watched moments of television history!

For those who haven’t seen it, I was invited for the first time to be a guest on one of India’s top English language television stations. I figured that since India’s a huge country and there must a good-sized audience, it might be a good opportunity to inform non-American viewers that there are perspectives on foreign policy here that, though widely-held, rarely get an airing on mainstream outlets.

What followed was an incredible comedy of errors that is less funny if it is explained. It can be viewed here.

In short, the producer had somehow mixed up my name and affiliation with that of a newspaper editor in Kiev, so that when the Ukrainian was calling for military attacks on Russia, the show host thought it was Daniel McAdams, director of the Ron Paul Institute for PEACE and Prosperity. He screamed at the other person who he thought was me to “take a bit of a chill pill.”

No comedy writer could have penned a more hilarious madcap back-and-forth, because this was purely authentic.

What followed was completely unexpected. Twitter users across India viewed and retweeted the video at this point almost 13 million times. For many hours “Mr. McAdams” was trending number one on Twitter India. Clever Indians made endless hilarious memes about the craze mix-up. For example:

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More from Dan here

Bill Clinton the Horrible

by | Mar 5, 2022 |

If someone has done a full and honest assessment of Bill Clinton’s presidency, I would really like to see it. It is stunning how many ills Clinton’s two terms in office inflicted, directly or indirectly, on the American people and the world. Some of the worst stuff happened after he left office, but make no mistake: he prepared the way.

Thus it is no exaggeration to say that Clinton helped make the 21st century, in its most horrible respects, what it is.

By my casual accounting, Clinton strengthened the intrusive national-“security” state, specifically regarding “domestic terrorism” (signing the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which included limiting the federal power of habeas corpus); accerlated the mass-imprisonment state and expanded by 50 the list of federal crimes carrying the death penalty (by signing the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994); paved the way for the 2008 Great Recession and costly bank bailouts through his HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo’s fevered promotion of subprime mortgages; set the stage for 9/11 and mass surveillance by the NSA with his bombing of Iraq, continued starving of Iraqi kids, support for Israel’s persecution of the Palestinians, and bombing raids in Afghanistan and Sudan (destroying a pharmaceutical factory in the latter) after attacks on two U.S. embassies in Africa; and sowed the ground for Vladimir Putin’s rise to power in 2000 and the future Russia-Ukraine war by starting the expansion of NATO years after the Soviet Union had disappeared, leading NATO forces in the bombing and occupation of Russia ally Serbia, and promoting by force the secession of Kosovo from Serbia. Clinton also facilitated the looting of Russia on behalf of Western interests and Russian oligarchs.

I’m sure this is not an exhaustive list.

So Bill Clinton, who lives the good life as a prestigious figure worldwide, gave us a fortified carceral and death-penalty state, the housing-market collapse and bank-bailout state, 9/11 and the “war on terror”/mass surveillance state, and the new cold war with Russia. That is quite an achievement for one president. How can we thank him?

Maybe it’s a good thing his co-president didn’t get elected in 2016.

COVID Backpedaling is Classic Gaslighting

by | Mar 4, 2022 |

The term Gaslighting has gained usage over the past decade as a fixture of pop psychology. Broadly, the term describes a pattern of manipulation that victims experience in abusive relationships. 

Psychology Today defines it thusly

Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity. Over time, a gaslighter’s manipulations can grow more complex and potent, making it increasingly difficult for the victim to see the truth.

Today, New York City announced that it will be suspending all vaccine requirements and mask mandates in schools. This rollback is just one of a growing wave across the nation, and even the globe. 

While some have pronounced that the COVID regime is crumbling, the web of inconsistent and illogical policy, and the pattern of restrictive easing and reimposition of lockdowns has always been the main feature of COVID-tyranny. 

It is also a feature of gaslighting. It is especially intense when the abused attempt to leave the relationship:

A primary goal of gaslighters is to keep the victim hooked. If a victim disagrees with or questions their abuser, he or she may try to make themselves seem as if they themselves are being victimized by their targets. Alternately, they may try to lure a partner back with positive reinforcement. Many people eventually find a way to escape a gaslighter’s influence, leaving the manipulator to search for a new target; often, they already have another victim in mind.

The primary goal of a gaslighter is to get the victim to doubt their own sanity to make them easier to control. A gaslighter’s main weapon is information. 

Does the following sound familiar?

A gaslighter will initially lie about simple things, but the volume of misinformation soon grows, and the gaslighter may accuse the victim of lying if he or she questions the narrative. They typically deploy occasional positive reinforcement to confuse the victim, but at the same time, they may attempt to turns others against the victim, even their own friends and family, by telling them that the victim is lying or delusional.

So, as restrictions lift across the nation, and indeed, the world, should advocates of liberty declare victory? Shall we take to the streets in celebration? 

Or, as before, is this just another cycle of abuse?

Biden Leads State of the Union with Anti-Russia Tirade

Biden Leads State of the Union with Anti-Russia Tirade

by | Mar 1, 2022 |

President Joe Biden opened his State of the Union address with an all-out attack on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, framing the conflict in Ukraine as a battle between “light” and “darkness.” He pledged to “save democracy” and closed his remarks with an exhortation to Ukrainian troops, saying “go get him” while shaking his fist – likely referencing Putin. 

The anti-Russian portion of the speech drew loud and frequent cheers from the galley of blue and yellow-clad congressmen, all as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States was prominently seated next to the first lady.

Biden said there is strong global support for Ukraine and that Putin’s Russia had been isolated from the world, touting a recent round of sanctions that targeted Russian banks. He also announced a campaign targeting the assets of wealthy Russians living abroad. 

The president expressed support for the “proud” Ukrainian people, and while he vowed to send additional aid, Biden again emphasized that the US would not defend the country with its own forces. 

NATO unity took center stage in the anti-Russia tirade, with Biden calling to deploy more US forces to defend the territory of member states. He added that Putin may extend his military operation beyond Ukraine and seek conquest elsewhere in Europe, saying “when dictators don’t pay a price, they keep going.”

Biden argued that Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has made NATO stronger than ever and that a review of the current historical era will show a Russia in decline. With NATO’s refusal to back up Ukraine with direct military reinforcement, it appears the West hopes to weaken the Kremlin with the blood of Ukrainians and exploit fears generated by the war to prod other European states to become more militaristic toward Moscow. 

Biden claimed the conflict in Ukraine as the sole fault of Putin and Washington’s overtures for diplomacy with Moscow were met with a stone wall – though his administration made virtually no effort to meet reasonable Russian security requests.

While he made few substantial announcements during the mostly rhetorical address, the president did declare the American airspace would be closed to all Russian craft, following suit after the European Union and other Western allies took similar steps.

In a bit of good news, Biden pledged to do more for victims of the burn pits – military waste disposal sites known to have conferred a range of debilitating diseases to soldiers. While he has thus far disappointed those pressing for justice on the issue, Biden acknowledged on Tuesday night that his own son may have died of cancer caused by a toxic burn pit, which could be a sign that he will take the issue seriously.

Hillary Clinton Wants to Turn Ukraine into Afghanistan

Hillary Clinton Wants to Turn Ukraine into Afghanistan

by | Mar 1, 2022 |

Former Secretary of State and failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has called to arm up an insurgency to repel Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, joining a growing number of pundits and officials suggesting that Washington should hand Russia its own costly, years-long occupation akin to the US (or indeed Soviet) experience in Afghanistan.

Clinton made her case during a Monday night appearance with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, recalling that during the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, resistance fighters “had a lot of countries supplying arms and advice,” which, she continued, “didn’t end well for the Russians.”

“So, I think we have to watch this carefully. We have to provide sufficient military armaments for the Ukraine military and volunteers. And we have to keep tightening the screws,” Clinton added.

While the Soviets certainly wasted blood and treasure in Afghanistan, it also cost the Afghan population dearly. Over one million died during the war. While the Afghan mujahedeen did eventually force the Red Army into retreat, Osama bin Laden was able to establish roots in the country in the process, later helping to reignite conflict in a nation riven by violence and war for some 40 years straight.

The Joe Biden administration appears to be on board with the insurgency plan. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the US is working on the logistics of bringing weapons into Ukraine, while the White House is requesting billions in additional aid. At least hundreds of millions will go to provide arms to Ukrainian forces. 

The administration is unlikely to meet resistance in Congress, with House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith (D-Washington) already giving a full-throated endorsement to the scheme.

“We need to be prepared to support them in that fight. I think we need to be prepared to support that insurgency in a similar way that we supported the insurgency in Afghanistan,” he argued at an event last Thursday.

The Plan All Along?

While most public figures will present this strategy as a reaction to Russian aggression, there are signs it was in the works for years. 

Speaking on the potential for a Russian invasion of Ukraine during a 2014 panel, influential hawkish grand-strategic greybeard Zbigniew Brzezinski said:

“If the major cities, say Kharkiv, say Kiev, were to resist and street fighting became a necessity, it would be prolonged and costly. And the fact of the matter is—and this is where the timing of this whole crisis is important—Russia is not yet ready to undertake that kind of an effort. It will be too costly in blood, paralyzingly costly in finances. And would take a long time and create more and more international pressure.

 

Accordingly, I feel that we should make it clear to the Ukrainians that if they are determined to resist … we will provide them with anti-tank weapons, hand-held anti-tank weapons, hand-held rockets—weapons capable for use in urban short range fighting. This is not an arming of Ukraine for some invasion of Russia. You don’t invade a country as large as Russia with defensive weaponry.”

 

 

While President Barack Obama was skittish about providing weaponry after backing the 2014 ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, the Trump and Biden administrations have since followed Brzezinski’s plan to the letter. Under Trump, the White House transferred billions in anti-tank missiles and other arms, while American forces were deployed to teach local troops how to use the weapons. Meanwhile, the CIA has brought Ukrainian militants to the US to train in insurgency tactics as administration officials now debate whether to do more of the same. 

While it is unclear if Biden intended to provoke a Russian invasion by flatly rejecting Moscow’s security concerns in the region – all the while arming Kiev to the teeth as it wages war on Russian-speaking separatists – senior officials have predicted such an incursion could be a very expensive decision for Vladimir Putin.

“If war breaks out, it will come at an enormous human cost to Ukraine, but we believe that based on our preparations and our response, it will come at a strategic cost to Russia as well,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters several weeks ago.

State Officials Pass Anti-Russian Measures to Virtue Signal Support for Ukraine

State Officials Pass Anti-Russian Measures to Virtue Signal Support for Ukraine

by | Feb 28, 2022 |

As supporters of Ukraine make loud displays of solidarity amid Russia’s invasion – including boycotts on Russian vodka – state governments in the US are virtue signaling their own support with proposals for bans and prohibitions on the country’s exports. 

A bill introduced last Friday by Massachusetts Democratic state representative Patrick Kearney calls for an outright ban on “the purchase and/or consumption by any and all consumers and entities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of any and all product[s] made in Russia.”

It’s unclear how Kearney intends to keep residents from drinking or eating Russian-made products, but other states have proposed more practical measures, with New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Chris Sununu ordering state liquor stores to pull all Russian-made booze from their shelves. The state’s laws dictate that liquor may only be sold through government-run outlets, effectively meaning a ban across all of New Hampshire.

Similar orders were issued by the governors of Ohio and Utah, while a North Carolina state senator is pushing the NC Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to follow suit. 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott stopped short of any official measure, but did call on retailers in the Lone Star state to stop selling Russian products, declaring that “Texas stands with Ukraine.”. 

 

In Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf and the liquor control board instituted a ban on Russian goods, while the state’s treasury is actively working to divest from Russian companies. The legislature is seeking to codify the policy into law, though it is largely symbolic as the state’s Russia-based holdings are reported to be minimal. 

While the moves are unlikely to have a noticeable impact on Russia’s economy, they highlight deep anti-Russian sentiments built up over the past decade and inflamed by Moscow’s military action in Ukraine. Following years of fake scandals ranging from Russiagate to Bountygate, Americans were primed to see Vladimir Putin as the ‘New Hitler’ – certainly not the first US ‘adversary’ alleged to be a madman resembling the Nazi leader.

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