A fascinating interview, with which I agree almost completely.
Orlov believes, as I do, that the US is facing bankruptcy and a major economic collapse is inevitable sooner, rather than later.
As I wrote yesterday, Trump is an “apprentice”, not a real president, in a political reality (or unreality) show. It is all theater. And the sponsor is?
Orlov says that Trump is in the game just for the money - for himself and his “friends” - by which I guess he means fellow billionaires like Musk.
He thinks that Trump is just having “fun”, that the Donald knows he cannot do anything to alter the course of destiny —that the trajectory of the US is ballistic, with its course taking it to another universe. He’s along for the ride -partly--he’ll bail out while he still can,
So, he is raking in the rewards of power and creating a Golden Parachute.
Gold is the keyword. As in “ Golden Dome” . There are various estimates —from $185 billion upwards—but that number is absurdly low—other estimates are half a trillion. But that is also insufficient. Considering the complexity, actually building something like this would cost 200 times the current defense budget — and might take 50 years.
None of that really matters — when we consider that the US has nothing capable of shooting down Sarmat or Oreshnik! It is just another Star Wars boondoggle,
It’s a dumb idea for the US. But, hey, remember the Stupidity Paradox?
It is a smart idea for that new, ever-so modern kind of alchemist that makes gold from paper.
Orlov points out obvious things I have also referred to — that the Russians will keep on advancing in the Ukraine — gradually — that they are not in a hurry. The longer it takes the better. It’s better for the US and Europe and their Mafia-like elites since the Ukraine is a very convenient super- money laundering scheme.
He adds the obvious point that Ukrainians are increasingly tired of being cannon fodder- and at some point they will rebel. You will have a civil war in Western Ukraine that will overthrow the post 2014 regime.
As for the Middle East, Orlov points out that the US shale oil bubble has burst, giving the ME oil states — and other oil states— enormous economic power, further diminishing the US.
War with Iran?
The US bases in the ME and their personnel are de facto hostages. If Israel or the US attack Iran, a lot of Americans will die. So the oil states are at pains to prevent that since it would hurt their profit margins too.
This gives Trump leverage in extorting money from them. Everybody has a margin.
Money, money, money.
Watch the video — and think. Forget the Duran, and Mearsheimer and Doctorow and McGovern et al — this is worth thinking about.
Putin 4
Ok. I am prolix.
Putin 4 is now about 8000 words. I need to cut and trim and think and check.
I worked on this thing most of the day today — more tomorrow. The trouble is the more I look at what I write, the less satisfied I am.
I wish I were smarter.
Many thanks to all those who bought coffees for Ichi and Chappy and wrote nice messages. I will also spend a couple of days replying to all those messages, which were truly heartwarming.
Today is May 31. Rainy Season begins in early June in Japan— but it seems it has already begun.
To contribute to the Chappy and Ichi Rainy Season Fund click here!
This is a King Cheetah, with stripes! Chappy thinks he is a cheetah.
"He adds the obvious point that Ukrainians are increasingly tired of being cannon fodder- and at some point they will rebel".
I am surprised that they didn't do so long ago. One of my favourite David Hume quotations:
"Nothing appears more surprising to those, who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye, than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few; and the implicit submission, with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers. When we enquire by what means this wonder is effected, we shall find, that, as Force is always on the side of the governed, the governors have nothing to support them but opinion. It is therefore, on opinion only that government is founded; and this maxim extends to the most despotic and most military governments, as well as to the most free and most popular".
- David Hume, “Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary. Essay 4 : Of The First Principles of Government”
Of course it is significant that for over a century now the US elite have cultivated the arts of persuasion, manipulation, propaganda, and reality distortion of all kinds. Their "soft power" has turned Germans and Japanese, among others, into brainwashed slaves, and convinced Ukrainians that Russians are inhuman monsters who must be destroyed. To update a proverb, the TV is mightier than the missile.
The US is bankrupt and has been since 2008-the only reason it is not is because the world still has confidence in the US currency.
However, that confidence is dying a bit every day-4.5% 10 year bond-Fed has lost control of the long end of the bonds-DXY below 100-gold at all time highs are all signals the US dollar is losing confidence.
In a way one can understand the US's violent military-they need to show the world they are the 'big dog'-when that mirage disappears (see Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Israel) as it is doing now, the US will be an economic dystopia.
And, BTW, here in Canada we will be in an awful situation as well.
Now for the good news.....
Hmmn, sorry, can't find any ..at this time...