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Perhaps the most interesting and relevant lesson for the USA from the Ukraine War is the tale of Russia’s economic resilience. Russia is the most economically sanctioned country in the world, yet it is economically thriving in direct contradiction of the advice given by most strategic and economic experts who unanimously predicted a rapid collapse of the Russian economy under the weight of sanctions. The sanctions generated economic devastation was supposed to topple the Putin government and win the war for Ukraine. That didn’t happened. Russia’s economy has actually grown quite robustly despite sanctions and the demands of the war. The question is why did this happen? and how is it relevant to the economic situation in the USA?
The economic theory of comparative advantage drives the anti tariff argument made against Trump’s economic agenda. Comparative advantage posits that countries maximise their wealth by doing what they are good at and trading for the things they are not good at. This is the most efficient way to create wealth. So why has this theory not worked in Russia?
Russia is one of only two countries in the world that are economically self sufficient – the other is the USA. When sanctions were applied to Russia, domestic companies stepped in to make substitute products that sanctions removed. Thus the sanctions created strong internal economic activity to compensate for the lost imports. Those value added and entirely Russian owned and created goods and services built domestic wealth that has significantly strengthened the Russian economy.
Many economists argue that tariffs are a form of self imposed economic sanctions that impact the domestic economy based on the comparative advantage theory. The comparative advantage theory might be true in the case of a non self sufficient trading economy like Canada, Mexico or Japan. But it is not the case for the USA. Tariffs in the USA are likely to have the same domestic substitution effect seen in sanctioned Russia, except the effect will likely be larger and stronger in the USA because it is a much bigger market with more sophisticated capital creation structures than Russia.
I think this is exactly what the Trump team is banking on, and if they are right, then the USA is set for serious economic growth after a year or so of transition to the new economic reality.
China is the major target of US tariffs. China is not self sufficient, it cannot produce enough food to feed its population and does not have the natural resources required to manufacture its global exports. It has to trade to create wealth to buy what it is not good at – producing enough food to survive and getting the natural resources to feed its manufacturing sector. It gets most of its wealth exporting to the USA, Europe and the West. To get favourable access to the US market it uses Canadian and Mexican assembly lines as Sundance has explained here previously. The real target of the Canadian and Mexican sanctions are China. Any ancillary benefit on illegal immigration and transnational crime is a very welcome bonus.
If Trump is able to implement his economic plan then we are likely to see a massive economic war between the self sufficient USA, focussed on building its internal economy as a means to be externally powerful, versus the non self sufficient China focused on trading its wares externally as a means to be internally powerful. History shows that the USA previously got wealthy and powerful through the self sufficient model whereas the UK got wealthy and powerful through the trading model. Both models work, but we will find out which is the best way to be powerful.
The USA is likely to prevail by being internally strong and not being the most efficient trading economy as possible. Clearly the comparative advantage is the most efficient use of economic resources to build wealth and hence power. But it is not the most effective way to stay powerful.
Everyone has heard the saying that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon can cause a typhoon in China. This is due to chaos theory where small disturbances can create chaotic and catastrophic outcomes in non-linear systems. A non linear system is one based on feedback loops. Trade and the economy are feedback loops. But some non-linear systems are more prone to catastrophic chaotic events than others. Ironically the more efficient a non-linear system is the more exposed to chaos it is. This is due to a concept known as coupling.
System coupling can be tight or loose. Tight coupling is very efficient, there are few if any redundant resources or buffers in the system. These systems tend to amplify small disturbances into catastrophic chaotic events. Think of it like a train. A train is very efficient, with little friction in the tracks, a single path that can be taken along the tracks and a powerful engine efficiently pulling many carriages connected to each other. But a single small event, such as a log on the tracks, can create a derailment. If the train is travelling at speed then the derailment is generally catastrophic as the initial derailment of the engine is amplified through subsequent carriages which have no capacity to avoid the disaster. They are tightly coupled.
A fleet of trucks all heading to the same destination travelling in convoy is much less efficient than a train. However, if the lead truck crashes then all the other trucks can avoid disaster as long as they travel at a safe distance behind the lead vehicle. The convoy is inefficient and the vehicle spacing is a buffer that absorbs the initial change that allows the following drivers to take evasive action. They have redundant capacity to change lanes to assist with the buffer space between vehicles. The loss of one vehicle does not stop the bulk of the delivery being made.
A highly efficient trading economy will prosper most of the time, but a small economic disturbance can cause massive economic shocks that amplify through the whole economy. If China were to lose key commodity or food suppliers it would likely lead to serious economic disruption. This is why China has multiple provider countries to reduce dependence on a single supplier. But these types of external shocks do not affect the self sufficient economy as much because they have the buffers and redundancy to adapt to these changes. Redundant resources are those used to adapt to change, buffers help cushion that change and buy time to adapt.
The one Achilles heal to the self sufficiency of the USA is its dependence on international debt. This closes the circle on the economic lessons the USA can learn from Russia. Russia’s economy is conservatively managed when it comes to public debt. Russia is one of the least indebted countries in the world. This makes Russia much less exposed to the shock of a sudden loss of external debt financed capital caused by Ukraine related financial sanctions. This is not the case for the USA which is why the US government must urgently get to surplus budgeting to pay down federal debt. Balanced budgets won’t be sufficient and deficit budgeting at the Federal level will only make the USA more exposed to the tight coupling risk from international debt markets. The US government’s addiction to debt financing is its greatest risk which is why the Musk and DOGE’s efforts to reign in debt is a necessary adjunct to Trump’s tariff based economic agenda.
Time will tell if Trump and the USA succeeds. The USA should learn the lessons from Russia’s economic management and its resilience in the face of sanctions based on its domestic economic self sufficiency. It would appear that the Trump team already knew this, the Russian example strengthens their argument to focus on self sufficiency rather than comparative advantage. This economic strategy is not available to any other countries. The USA is much better placed to capitalise on self sufficiency than the smaller and less sophisticated Russian economy. But the Trump plan is unlikely to work without rapidly fixing the US federal budget and controlling public debt.
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to explain the whole story as I see it.
As someone who studies economics, this was very well written, John. Thanks for the post.
As someone living with the economics– I welcome your perspective. 🇺🇸💰
You have no reason to be “sorry” for this extremely informative and well-reasoned post. Thanks for sharing!
“Self-sufficiency” is the key. Russia never allowed herself to cease to be domestically self-sufficient. The USA freely did, trusting far too much in “banker’s games.” That’s why Russia can produce everything that it needs to fight a war, and her opponents simply cannot. Unfortunately, “modern war” is very much a contest of production. (Yes, there “used to be” a time when the USA could manufacture a new heavy bomber every hour … from metal that it mined.)
People need to re-remember that “MAGA” is not simply an acronym on a red hat. It is a national security imperative. Every nation must always strive to “put itself first.” In every thing that it does, and in every thing that it negotiates. Because, for very obvious reasons, no one else on earth ever will . . .
Self Sufficiency is the very reason the Globalist want Putin out. Unlike Putin, PT has a limited time in which to make America self sufficient again. Putin has held power for many years and will probably die in office. PT has mentioned more than once a third term and a bill has been introduced to extend his presidency to a third term. I hope a third term will be seriously considered because to complete PT economic transition, time is not on his side and I don’t see anyone else as capable. This plan in motion is just too important and PT is a once in a 100 maybe 200 year leader. I just can’t see discarding this opportunity when a presidents term limits can be changed.
What you wrote is brilliant! We all want to see our children and grandchildren thrive. We simply cannot do that while OUR Jobs are shipped overseas so other countries can steal American ingenuity. We must be able to stand on our own in everything. And, I will not accept the premise that we have to import people from other countries.
Quite frankly this is NOT a serious article. However, my perspective is, that if VP JD Vance can really and truly embrace the business ideas of President Trump he might be something to consider. Yes, I understand about the spooks raising him up, but hearts and minds can change, most especially when you have young children.
I will also say this as a Mother of a Gen Z, those kids were irreparably harmed by not being allowed to go to school during the Covid bullsh*t., and by the grace of God they did learn their Constitutional rights. That is why they voted for President Donald J. Trump.
“JD Vance Might Have Just Had His 2028 Run Won for Him”
https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2025/03/11/the-power-of-the-meme-n2186527
His First Term was hamstrung by the Uniparty.
His Second Term was handed to the “Incredible Husk” by the Uniparty.
His Third Term which we are in now should allow him to handicap the Uniparty enough to truly MAGA in his Fourth Term..
Well thought out. Appreciate your perspective and experience
Thank you for a wonderful lesson on economics. I feel much more confident discussing this with others. What an education for me!
I love this post! You’ve articulated a lot of thoughts/ideas that I share, but I’ve never been able to convey them succinctly. Thank you for taking the time to write this.
Exceptional well done John. I would very briefly add two aspects to add for consideration of the entire picture and PDJT’s plan.
One is the aspect of his plan to implement a strategic reserve. Its intent is likely to provide a buffer for the fluctuations that will inevitably occur over time regarding funding and debt in regards to self reliance. Would also note the commentary by Bessent about monetizing government assets (related to creation of a strategic reserve and debt reduction), as well as those about the U.S. going through a “detox” period with the latter related to several of your points about reducing reliance upon debt.
The other is a look at the current debt and its dependence upon foreign entities. Currently the amount of the debt held by foreign entities sits at $8.5 trillion (~23.3% of the total current debt) per the data provided by the St. Louis Fed shown in the chart below:
Several bits of note. One is the rapid increase which began and continued throughout Dopey’s occupancy in the WH. Another is the flattening of the curve during most of PDJT’s first term. The last is the return of a rapid rise during Brandon’s term, along with the slope reversal upon the re-election of PDJT.
One additional note regarding the strategic reserve and its composition. Many (including myself) have questioned the plan to include certain crypto assets, including BTC, in the strategic reserve. One potential recent event tends to indicate that there are those who feel there may be merit in the concept – if there wasn’t, why would there be such concern? (There are several possibilities as to the why.)
Thank you. Your last two paragraphs are what the whiners and complainers are missing. President Trump’s economic plan is comprehensive. He wants to address the whole of the problem not just the feel good things his distractors want us to focus on.
The sanctions failed because shipping routes were altered globally to support China intermediate processing and subsequent export or through reflagging. Biden admin never exercised control over secondary energy markets.
Nicely done! Thank you.
its because they don’t import from their enemies
ABC News staffers ‘crying and upset’ amid sweeping layoffs that gutted GMA3 and shuttered FiveThirtyEight
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/disney-abc-news-layoffs-b2710390.html
They must have been getting secretive USAID cash and now that it’s gone, so are they.
Yippee, either way.
A little “oppo” for you guys that is quite disturbing, in my eyes.
I am an avid TikTok fan. Sorry, but I am. There are some fantastic conservative content creators out there, plus you get to see a lot of great independent music artists, dancing and quite honestly there are just some truly funny people out there!
OK, now onto what is “troubling” me. There is a new “trend” on TikTok that has been coming up on my “For you page (FYP)” lately and typically, I see mostly conservative content but the algorithm landed me on the “other side” of TikTok and these lunatics are absolutely terrifying to me. The new trend is them discussing what they are going to do when “it” happens. They never say what “it” is, but it is CLEARLY obvious that they all mean the assassination of President Donald Trump, as well as Vice President JD Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson. They like to mention that it MUST be ALL 3. They are giddy. They talk about dancing in the streets, taking a week off work to celebrate like its a holiday, fireworks, etc… Do these people really think this is what our country will look like if that happens??? There are also a lot of people advocating for someone to please “do it: without saying what “it” is but it is completely obvious. They are saying like, hey if you are a veteran who’s unhappy you should do “it.” If you decide to do “it” don’t miss. And waste no time, hurry up. And who wants to be the next Luigi??
The content creators aren’t what scare me guys. It’s the 10s of thousands commenting on these videos, liking them, sharing them, re-posting them, stitching them, etc… And get this – I’ve tried to report them, only to be told by TikTok that these videos do not violate TOS, I would assume because they don’t explicitly say what “it” is. Not only that, every time I try commenting something negative on these videos, MY comments get taken down because I am calling them out for the pscyhopaths they are.
Anyway, stay vigilant out there. There are so many crazies that look normal and are walking among us. May God keep our President, VP, Speaker, Musk and all of our fearless leaders and their families and loved ones safe during these times when people are desperate and seemingly ready to do the unthinkable.
Anyway, love you all. MAGA!!!
You should report all such suspicions promptly to the Secret Service. You can also post a private message on the White House website. This sort of activity is a criminal offense. But, “if you see something, say something.” Don’t assume that somebody else is already aware of it … be the one to sound the alarm, and do not hesitate. “Do it now.”
Beware the Ides of March.
Praying for all our leaders and our country, whether the Ides of March is upon us or not.
But I am always mindful of what a group of supposed “learned men” did to Caesar on that day.
Interesting.
If memory serves, if the President, VP and Speaker were to all die together, the Presidency would fall to the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, which, since January 3, 2025, is Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
Interesting that “they” want to see him as President.
More likely they don’t know the line of succession continues after the Speaker of the House.
If Sen. Grassley takes a pass because of his age, Sec. State Rubio is next.
Ssssshhhhhh!!! Don’t tell them.
NOT QUALIFIED born in 1971 – His Parents WERE NOT NATURALIZED UNITED STATES CITIZENS YET
( Happened in 1975 )
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/10/rubios-parents-were-plain-old-immigrants-not-refugees/336501/
But – NEITHER WERE – Kissinger, Albright, …
” The original meaning of “natural born Citizen” also comports with what we know of the Framers’ purpose in including this language in the Constitution. The phrase first appeared in the draft Constitution shortly after George Washington received a letter from John Jay, the future first Chief Justice of the United States, suggesting:
[W]hether it would not be wise & seasonable to provide a . . . strong check to the admission of Foreigners into the administration of our national Government; and to declare expressly that the Command in chief of the american [sic] army shall not be given to, nor devolve on, any but a natural born Citizen. ”
https://harvardlawreview.org/forum/vol-128/on-the-meaning-of-natural-born-citizen/
They are idiots. I will say I believe some of them mean Trump/Vance/Musk when they say “all 3.” The funniest one I saw was the goal to get down to Jasmine Crockett. LOL!
You should definitely report this to Secret Service and the FBI. This sounds quite serious and, as we know, there are many mentally challenged out there who would definitely attempt to do “it”.
That be the whole point of the trend; planned agitprop to get someone mentally challenged to act out.
Yep.
Beware there are probably MANY trolls and people who are PAID to post these things, and comment, like, etc. We first learned from Wikileaks of the “troll farms” online posting in the comment sections of news/blogs/websites, it was a DNC specialty during the 2016 election and several “influencers” admitted leading up to the 2024 election that they were offered money to push a narrative to their followers. It’s the lovely new age of information warfare!
Some of the actual posts are from verified and accounts with a large following. Scary stuff.
Natalie Winters
@nataliegwinters
The Federal Judge who just went after @DOGE
is married to the attorney representing Hampton Dellinger in his lawsuit against the Trump administration.
She was also Lisa Page’s personal attorney during a GOP inquiry into her efforts to smear President Trump with the Russia Collusion Hoax with Peter Strozk.
How is this not a conflict of interest!?
Cont…
https://twitter.com/nataliegwinters/status/1899490201778434385
Trump derangement syndrome meets all in the family.
Must be a hoot at weddings.
David Friedberg Predicts Trump’s Master Plan
On E218, the besties debated Trump’s economic strategy, and what his endgame could be.
@friedberg’s most optimistic theory: the three-legged stool
Cont…
https://twitter.com/theallinpod/status/1899491382793773532
My best laugh of the day:
ISIS Claims Responsibility For Meghan Markle Netflix Show | Babylon Bee
BAGHDAD – The mystery of who unleashed a dangerous threat upon the world came one step closer to being solved, as ISIS released a video claiming responsibility for Meghan Markle’s new Netflix lifestyle show.
The terrorist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria took credit this week in a short online video statement sent to multiple news organizations. Though the content of the video was chilling, international anti-terrorism experts agreed that the video was much more engaging and better edited than the Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix program.
“We have given you a taste of pain. We are prepared to release more,” a masked ISIS fighter said in the disturbing video. “To America, Israel, and all other infidels occupying the lands of Islam, the horror of Markle awaits you.”…
Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh
🚨 BREAKING: Rep. Sarah McBride – a transgender – was just introduced as “Mr. McBride” and ALL H*LL BROKE LOOSE….
Cont…
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1899550929923248444
As long as McBride doesn’t try to go into the Women’s Room, I could care less if he’s introduced as “Miss McBride”.
Mountains out of Molehills.
How high can Keating go? 😂
But announced with a chuckle!
That’s actually a good idea. hehe.
You’re part of the problem.
I don’t expect anyone to play his mind games. Pretty sure like most, he is still intact.
no, we are over that nonsense
You can play pretend, but no one else should be required to . Pretending that Mr. McBride is a miss is the same as pretending that he is a she and he’s not and never will be even if he chops it off.
I care about this a great deal. It is a good part of the reason this country is in the toilet right now.
When you accept someone’s psychoses as legitimate in any way, you are giving tacit permission
and condone the behavior as normal.
It is not.
The Mtn out of mole hill attitude is why God hates neither warm nor cold.
Your attitude is a big part of the problem.
❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️ ‼️
It should be unlawful to represent oneself as the sex opposite of one’s creation, especially if it still has original parts. This is deceitful and misleading.
Just because one has a mental illness, gender dysphoria, doesn’t mean the rest of the world must partake.
“Heeeey that’s false advertising!” -Cheech-“Up In Smoke”
He is a Mr. and to refer to him as a Miss, Ms. Mrs. is a BIG LIE. Even if he chops off his junk , he is still a Mr. Lying should not be allowed.
Lying is protected speech in Congress.
too bad, so sad
https://open.substack.com/pub/lawyerlisa/p/is-this-carney-and-epstein?r=b7nwz&utm_medium=ios
Yes
Unbelievable!!!!🤮
https://patriotpost.us/articles/115198?mailing_id=9065&subscription_uuid=5f6140f5-0441-421e-864a-f0f97229031e&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.9065&utm_campaign=snapshot
What is unbelievable? Care to share something about whatever it is you are linking to?
Thank you! Posts like this need to be called out, especially when they come from a poster I have never heard of before!!
Johnny St.Pete
@JohnMcCloy
PERFECT CRASH COURSE ON TARRIFS w/ @JackPosobiec
& @MikeBenzCyber
There is a reason people who barely speak like, Warren Buffett are out on TV saying it’s “dangerous” & it’s because they have the most to lose not Americans. USAID also acts as a force of soft power to further expand the globalist search for more profits at our expense.
They have been outsourcing our manufacturing base to Mexico/China & we no longer make things. They did the same with India as they served as our tech. We are outsourcing slave wages overseas so that our nation becomes solely reliant on consumption and services.
President Trump is trying to course correct our American ship and return manufacturing here so that we increase jobs and have less reliability on other nations. This is also crucial to our military stability if all that we require as a citizenry is right here at home.
The only people upset by this will be Multi-National corporations and that’s why Wall Street is reacting because it will impact their bottom line long term and the vast tax exploitation they utilize via loopholes like the “Double Dutch”
Ignore the noise.
This is how we restore the Golden Era and shift away from Crony Capitalism.
Video linked (7 mins)…
https://twitter.com/JohnMcCloy/status/1899532257834020959
Also: remember that “tariffs” are commonplace. (If you prefer, call them an “import tax.”) However, in much of our present-day trading relationships, we pay tariffs but do not collect them. For far too long, we have not paid attention to these “non-deals,” and we have not re-negotiated them.
“There is a reason that people that barely speak, like Warren Buffet…
Buffet is surfacing. People that run the show and stay out of the news
“surface” when they are signaling to select groups or individuals.
I refer to the behind the scenes, generally out of the press movers and
shakers as “submarines.” ( My own term of 30+ years)
When a “submarine” surfaces, it’s always a signal to “those that matter” ie
the ones that are in on the scam or readying a new one to foist on the rubes.
President Trump has a gift when it comes to making people out themselves.
I think the people complaining should be forced to tell us why we should not charge the exact same tariffs other people charge us. I will get the popcorn.
it’s live now when posting, began 11 minutes ago so around 4 p.m. eastern time; Transportation Secretary holds press briefing on the NTSB report for the air incidents that happened last month:
Very interesting. Now I know why Rand Paul voted against it.
https://www.malone.news/p/its-rescission-time?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=583200&post_id=158850641&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=p13k6&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Matt Van Swol
@matt_vanswol
🚨#BREAKING: HUD Secretary, Scott Turner, has REJECTED a proposal by the City of Asheville NC for $225 million in disaster relief.
It was uncovered that buried in the proposal was a clause that the city would “prioritize” DEI when distributing disaster relief funds to victims…
Cont…
https://twitter.com/matt_vanswol/status/1899501855366877672
That’s Asheville.
The Austin of NC.
Is it worse than Gainesville, Fl??
Yes…
I really like Scott Turner. He is doing a great job and is a nice guy to boot.
Doesn’t surprise me. San Francisco of the east.
Damn! Somebody is actually reading.
Every move President Trump and his team have made of the past 2-weeks, with respect to the conflict in the Ukraine, has been SUCCESSFULLY aimed at defining the negotiations in Saudi-Arabia as being between:
The Ukraine + their EU Allies and Russia ..with the US as mediator.
The EU Government, the 3-Top Powers in the EU and Z-Man, by the idiotic actions have cooperated in the effort beautifully. As has Russian via their expression of willingness to talk.
The final act needed was to drag Z-Man to the table, which was accomplished.
There seems to be movement towards talking for the next 30-days. Let’s see what happens.
The only Horse Fly in the dung pile is the democrat lead delegation in Kiev. Hopefully President Trump and his team know what damage that delegation is attempting to do. Yank the passports and put them on notice that DoJ is looking into charges.
By toning down the “leaving NATO rhetoric”, the President has taken NATO off the table for any body to use either during the negotiations and here at home to undermine the President.
The Democommunists who are in Kiev should be arrested as soon as they get off the plane in the US.
Nice for a birthday card!
May 14, 1998
The Harvard Boys Do Russia
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/harvard-boys-do-russia/
[snip]
Essential to the implementation of Chubais’s policies was the enthusiastic support of the Clinton Administration and its key representative for economic assistance in Moscow, the Harvard Institute for International Development. Using the prestige of Harvard’s name and connections in the Administration, H.I.I.D. officials acquired virtual carte blanche over the U.S. economic aid program to Russia, with minimal oversight by the government agencies involved.
[snip]
H.I.I.D. had supporters high in the Administration. One was Lawrence Summers, himself a former Harvard economics professor, whom Clinton named Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs in 1993. Summers, now Deputy Treasury Secretary, had longstanding ties to the principals of Harvard’s project in Russia and its later project in Ukraine.
[snip]
H.I.I.D.’s first awards from U.S.A.I.D. for work in Russia came in 1992, during the Bush Administration. Over the next four years, with the endorsement of the Clinton Administration, the institute would be awarded $57.7 million—all but $17.4 million without competitive bidding. For example, in June 1994 Administration officials signed a waiver that enabled H.I.I.D. to receive $20 million for its Russian legal reform program. Approving such a large sum as a noncompetitive “amendment” to a much smaller award (the institute’s original 1992 award was $2.1 million) was highly unusual, as was the citation of “foreign policy” considerations as the reason for the waiver. Nonetheless, the waiver was endorsed by five U.S. government agencies, including the Treasury Department and the National Security Council, two of the leading agencies formulating U.S. aid policy toward Russia. In addition to the millions it received directly, H.I.I.D. helped steer and coordinate some $300 million in U.S.A.I.D. grants to other contractors, such as the Big Six accounting firms and the giant Burson-Marsteller P.R. firm.
[snip]
Anne Williamson, a journalist who specializes in Soviet and Russian affairs, details these and other conflicts of interest between H.I.I.D.’s advisers and their supposed clients—the Russian people—in her forthcoming book, How America Built the New Russian Oligarchy. For example, in 1995, in Chubais-organized insider auctions of prime national properties, known as loans-for-shares, the Harvard Management Company (H.M.C.), which invests the university’s endowment, and billionaire speculator George Soros were the only foreign entities allowed to participate. H.M.C. and Soros became significant shareholders in Novolipetsk, Russia’s second-largest steel mill, and Sidanko Oil, whose reserves exceed those of Mobil. H.M.C. and Soros also invested in Russia’s high-yielding, I.M.F.-subsidized domestic bond market.
Even more dubious, according to Williamson, was Soros’s July 1997 purchase of 24 percent of Sviazinvest, the telecommunications giant, in partnership with Uneximbank’s Vladimir Potanin. It was later learned that shortly before this purchase Soros had tided over Yeltsin’s government with a backdoor loan of hundreds of millions of dollars while the government was awaiting proceeds of a Eurobond issue; the loan now appears to have been used by Uneximbank to purchase Norilsk Nickel in August 1997. According to Williamson, the U.S. assistance program in Russia was rife with such conflicts of interest involving H.I.I.D. advisers and their U.S.A.I.D.-funded Chubais allies, H.M.C. managers, favored Russian bankers, Soros and insider expatriates working in Russia’s nascent markets.
Despite exposure of this corruption in the Russian media (and, far more hesitantly, in the U.S. media), the H.I.I.D.-Chubais clique remained until recently the major instrument of U.S. economic aid policy to Russia. It even used the high-level (Al)Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission…
I wish he’d turn off the annoying, vocal background music. In the past he’s used instrumental smooth jazz at very low volume levels. At least people are complaining about it in the comments.
NATO Soros. Soros NATO
Mike Benz
11 Mar 2025
Many details given. DOJ and FBI seriously slammed, too.
USAID: The Major Terror Funder in the World Today (25:50)
Mike Benz
11 Mar 2025
I know there’s a good chance Benz is in “limited hangout” mode (Suspicious Cat is engaged), but I still like to listen to him whenever time permits, because I always learn something new…
And yes, I did.
I knew about the Biden brag on firing the prosecutor, but until today listening to this, I did not put together one detail: the $2 billion that Biden threatened to take back from Ukraine was USAID funds.
Blinding MAGA sunlight!
Why 2024???
Because Trump has
Already been Selected to WIN 2024!!!
Actors be Acting.
Hollywood.
Central Casting.
SHOWTIME.
CGI IRL.
How many Producers in this Movie?
How many Trumps?
IT GOES DEEP!!!
Who is Orange Man?
How many Elons?
DEEP DEEP.
Who Selects These People?
Who is Q?
The World is NOT what YOU Think.
2024 is the BEST thing to EVER Happen
to Trump & WORLDWIDE.
Think Time.
Think Witch Hunt.
Think Chaos on a Global Scale.
Another Hoax?
Again Again.
Peekaboo.
As the WORLD Turns
Upside Down on its Head.
Literally It’s Coming.
The Start.
-John mcafee 11-22
https://prayandbeready.wordpress.com/2020/09/23/what-does-maga-really-mean/
🧐-❓
Trust Sessions.
About That Pro-Hamas Student Dems Are Protecting, MUST-READ Thread Shows How DANGEROUS Mahmoud Khalil Is
https://twitchy.com/samj/2025/03/11/ryan-mauro-thread-mahmoud-khalil-n2409654#google_vignette
If in fact he’s this dangerous, then he should not be deported. Instead, lock him up in GITMO.
And do that 3 hop thing on him.
If you are an American citizen…..
protest whatever you want💁♀️🤷♀️
Free Speech is Free Speech
Period
If a person is NOT a citizen of America….
or is a dual citizen idiot🤢
Do NOT come into my country 🇺🇸and protest
in any way…for any “cause “. Period.
Deport them.
Color Revolution tactics. 💁♀️🤷♀️
Social Security solved everyone get 25K @ birth in your name ..
To calculate the value of $25,000 compounded at an 8% annual interest rate for 66 years, we use the compound interest formula:
A = P (1 + r/n)^(nt)
Where:
A = the future value of the investment
P = the principal amount ($25,000)
r = the annual interest rate (8% = 0.08)
n = the number of times interest is compounded per year
t = the time in years (66)
Since the problem doesn’t specify the compounding frequency, I’ll assume annual compounding (n = 1), which is standard for such questions unless stated otherwise.
Plugging in the values:
A = 25,000 (1 + 0.08/1)^(1 * 66)
A = 25,000 (1.08)^66
Now, calculate (1.08)^66:
(1.08)^66 ≈ 159.318 (using a calculator for precision).
So:
A = 25,000 * 159.318 ≈ 3,982,950
Thus, $25,000 compounded at 8% annually for 66 years grows to approximately $3,982,950.
And with 66yrs of inflation, a Happy Meal will cost $400,000.
Does any bank ever offer compound interest any more?
I mean, to deplorables?
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Arrested on ICC Warrant for Alleged Crimes Against Humanity Related to His Anti-Drug Campaign | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft (<click to open)
International Criminal Court arrests former President Duterte in Manilla for crimes against humanity for the deaths of many drug traffickers while in office. He was aware that he may be arrested as he returned from a Hong Kong speaking event.
Caught my eye because President Trump has spoken of his thoughts on Chairman Xi’s handling of China’s drug problem, of which he declares there is none, by executing drug traffickers.
Good thing the USofA is not an ICC member, this could very well be setting a precedent of a former president being arrested on their home turf. But then again, they would also have to go to Bejing, although China is not a member either.
Israel, Russia, Libya and Qatar being the other notables not listed as members of the ICC.
Six Countries That Aren’t Part of the International Criminal Court (<click to open)
Still find it odd that a country would allow a former president to be arrested by an International Organization on its own home soil. The former president being one who had cracked down on the drug trade to make it a better and safer place for the country he was serving.
As I’ve read it, a whole bunch of innocent people were caught in the meatgrinder.
Many instances of State Sanctioned Death Squads planting dope on non users and non dealers for shakedowns both monetary and sexual in nature.
There were many reports of rival Death Squads planting dope on each other. It was a mess.
Don’t get me wrong, low level fentanyl dealers should be shot in the back of the head twice before being kicked in a lye filled ditch after 1 appeal post conviction and the ICC employs hacks like Jack Smith for “Judges”..
I don’t blame Russia. Minsk Agreements anyone?
“Russia will not agree to a 30-day ceasefire, since it will only allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm. A temporary ceasefire is unacceptable.”
— Viktor Sobolev, Russia’s State Duma Deputy.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1899536122541437167
Russia is defeating Ukraine/NATO militarily.
they would be dumb to accept this BS offer.
😎
yes
And Republican’ts..
AaronJLeas
@AaronJL
6h
·
·
Not sure what President Trump is doing.
Attacking Massie is a Yuge mistake.
This is only going to hurt the MAGA base, this creates division, its like attacking Ron Paul.
Thomas Massie is the only politician not taking Lobbyists money, he hasn’t sold his constituents out, he has always voted how he spoke, and it shows.
I stand with Thomas Massie.
———///—Motive?
Sure will draw attention to a lotta stuff.
————///
“‘’The “conservatives” who are attacking Thomas Massie will never say it out loud, but the real reason they oppose him is because of the sign that’s posted on his office door that reads:
[NO FOREIGN LOBBYING].
🧐 Kayfabe ?
No, it’s because he is a traitor to his party when the chips are down. Your don’t see a Democrat holding out from his party when the chips are on the line.
——-///
https://m3.gab.com/media_attachments/71/c3/8e/71c38ed88542ee0b311ac7e3fe5ae745.webp
——///
I call BS!
Question:
How did Rand Paul vote?
Senate has not voted yet. Paul is a Senator.
See the above link
as to how he will vote
If Rand is going to put one foot in a bucket of ice water and walk around with Massie professing “muh principles”…big Whoop!
I’m tired of the grand-standing and getting nowhere with these types of politicians. After all, why are they sitting in those seats? How do they help their constituents?
Where is their respect for President Trump?
Did they always vote this way during the Biden years?
Did Rand Paul EVER push McConnell to force the Senate into recess during President Trump’s first term so that DJT could appoint the people HE wanted in key positions, rather than the people that Cocaine Mitch told him were the only options from which he could choose? Yeah, I thought NOT…
Massie and Rand Paul have made a cottage industry out of being contrarians but I never hear either of them actually proposing any solutions. They just like to say “NO” and pretend that they are taking principled stands, but when the chips are down, they stand with the Democrats and spit on the Republicans!
Absolutely!
If you look at his past voting record, you will see that he ALWAYS votes in agreement with the Constitution of the USA…
A “”traitor” he ain’t!
What exactly does that mean “ALWAYS votes in agreement with the Constitution of the USA”…
Where in the Constitution does it direct Congress Critters how to vote?
I don’t believe Massie is a traitor, he is a “muh principles guy”, regardless of the stakes.
One of the first political office-holders I worked for when I was about 20 years old, explained to me this fact of certain politicians philosophies:
Standing on your principles, rather than negotiating with your team because you are needed to take a stand to benefit your constituents, is akin to putting one foot in a bucket of ice water and attempting to walk around, espousing your principles.
You are not helping anyone, not even yourself.
Massie is going to be Massie, however public service is NOT his forte.
Politics is a group sport, it’s not a one man band.
If you cannot step up to the plate when your party needs you for the good of your constituency, then you are just not good enough to be in public service.
You are expected to make deals.
can’t see the forest through the trees
Dum-assie is a hypocrite.
PDJT does not go after someone without good reason–Dumassie is a DeSantis Glowie.
Why yes he is a hypocrite, but he is not alone…not by a long shot…..
no sh*t sherlock
Sorry but he is never there in the clinches.
Oh… I wasn’t agreeing with Massie’s vote.
Just reposting
-and wrote:
👉🏻Sure will draw attention to a lotta stuff.
Don’t apologize; you wrote the Truth.
Ask Mr Rino why he voted yes during Biden Term??
A trillion for Obama’s community redirection and theft act is automatically funded every time a cr is passed instead of a budget.
That kinda makes Mr Musk look silly chasing fraud waste and abuse while Congress throws more cash into the uniparty discretionary fund.
President Trump and Mr. Musk are just getting started to cleaning up the fiscal mess that the Biden cabal created and ramped up the destruction on their way out the door.
They are not magicians.
US-Ukraine co-announce agreement to put forward a 30 day ceasefire to Russian.
Any thread here covering this?
https://redstate.com/wardclark/2025/03/11/ukraine-agrees-to-30-day-cease-fire-if-russia-concurs-n2186535
In other news, Tiger Woods suffers another debilitating leg injury.
Tiger ruptured his Achilles tendon. Pray surgery goes well and he heals (no pun intended) quickly. Wonder if Dr. ElAttrache did his surgery
Practice injury.
Hoping the best for one Golf’s GOATs!
There something above by Sophi, Russia says no.
Thanks!
Simply The Best
He’ll probably give it to Barron.
A safe purchase.
Who would steal an electric vehicle that can drive you to the police station.
How and When to Beat Your Wife?
According to OFFICIAL Palestinian TV
👇
USAID shredding documents?
If we heard about this yesterday then the government has too. US Mashals should have immediately been dispatched to retrieve every single remaining piece of paper, thumb drive, and other computer hard drive. Shut down this illegal activity and arrest all who participated in destruction of evidence.
Having worked in local government, we were subject to the public records act. All records needed to be retained for specified periods of time.
Where is our DOJ and FBI to investigate and enforce appropriate laws?
A lawsuit filed yesterday by newly-formed Climate United–headed by former Obama aide Beth Bafford and stacked with Dem activists–that received $7 billion from Biden EPA’s climate slush fund confirms Citibank has frozen disbursements to the fund:
$UM a B1TCH…
ANY BETS on WHERE This lawsuit ( LAWFARE ) Goes ?
( TOO EASY for You to Say a Hyphened D.C. ” judge ” that is ” married ” to a connected lawyer )
Perhaps Thomas Massie did not realize that President Trump has it all (including enough leverage to force exactly as many Democrats as he needed, to vote how he needed them to vote)
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/house-vote-stopgap-amid-trump-massie-feud-freedom-caucus-comes-around-senate-looms
Oopsies?
Or it could all be kayfabe. Fog of war.
Well thank you, Joni Ernst:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/biden-cronies-cash-vaccine-company-registered-po-box/
that was a nice windfall those people just extorted from the american people with none of the credentials to show they are legitimate. $28 million passed to them by FJB just prior to his leaving.
10% for the Big Guy (or whoever signed off on that)?
Tucker Carlson claims GOP Senator Tom Cotton is trying to block the release of the JFK Files:
He is a politician, so when his lips move, the lie is inbound.
Better hope Tucker doesn’t have the receipts and proves Cotton is a lying duplicitous snake
All work and no play makes Tom a Dulles boy.
Not a fan of Tom Cotton, but also not a fan of Tucker Carlson, who always seems to idolize the wrong people and then arrives late tot he party and tries to pretend that he was there all along…
Trump needs to cancel the useless NATO meeting in Dayton Ohio now that NATO is involved in drones attacking Moscow
WONDERING which Country HAS That CAPABILITY ( by themselves ) …
the OTHER ” Napoleon ” WANT TO BE helping out the yard gnome ?
https://www.worldatlas.com/space/countries-by-number-of-military-satellites.html
FHA is burning through a quarter BILLION a MONTH to make mortgage payments for people not paying their bills
When does this end?
Of course I don’t like it, but I hope they add the payment(s) to the back end or taken out of proceeds when sold.
They are added to the back end – but with zero interest – so effectively US taxpayers are providing interest free loans for the term of the loan on the money not paid. Do it a while and your effective average interest rate goes down considerably. Do it even longer and the loan becomes interest free.
When banks return to collateralized loans.
Here’s one example of how banks offered zero down, zero closing costs mortgages to “minorities”.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bank-of-america-black-hispanic-mortgage/
Everyday I think our government can’t be that stupid and then everyday I am proved wrong.
It is a Federal Crime to shred Classified Documents. This has no bearing on Democrats, because they think they are (D)ifferent. Apparently they don’t understand they lost the last election.
Where is our DOJ?
“WHAT? USAID Senior Staffer Instructs Remaining Staff to Convene for an ‘All Day’ Document Destruction”
Excerpts:
A senior official at USAID instructed the agency’s remaining staff to convene at the agency’s now-former headquarters in Washington on Tuesday for an “all day” group effort to destroy documents stored there, many of which contain sensitive information.
The materials earmarked for destruction include contents of the agency’s “classified safes and personnel documents” at the Ronald Reagan Building, said an email sent by USAID’s acting executive director, Erica Carr, and obtained by POLITICO.
“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” the email said. Carr instructed staff to label the burn bags with the words “SECRET” and “USAID/B/IO/” (agency shorthand for “bureau or independent office”) in dark Sharpie.
The email didn’t provide any reason for the document destruction. The building is being emptied out after mass layoffs, which may have disrupted routine document destruction timetables. Customs and Border Protection is planning to move into the USAID facility, having rented 390,000 square feet of office space in the building last month.
https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2025/03/11/senior-usaid-senior-staffer-instructions-remaining-staff-to-convene-for-an-all-day-document-destruction-n2186550
Ignore the stock market — Wall Street dealing with painful detox from government spending addiction
https://nypost.com/2025/03/10/business/ignore-the-stock-market-wall-street-dealing-with-painful-detox-from-government-spending-addiction
If they can sink someone’s stock, they can tank the market.
Spot on, Erik Carlson
https://badlands.substack.com/p/the-smith-mundt-act
You want to know what the Plan was?
^^ This was (much of) it ^^
We should feel free to debate the ethics amongst ourselves. . .
And ask ourselves – when do we get around to making it illegal once again?
Four years of seeing the psy ops, four years of 99 percent of the people falling for both black hat and white hat psy ops – all of which does very little to reinforce one’s faith in the ability of the average human to know when they are being fooled.
I can’t argue with the results, but this cannot continue forever in an allegedly self-governed Republic.
Pro-Mahmoud Khalil demonstrators arrested after clash with NYPD as ‘pro-Hamas’ Columbia graduate faces deportation
https://nypost.com/2025/03/11/us-news/nypd-arrests-at-least-a-dozen-pro-mahmoud-khalil-demonstrators-as-pro-hamas-columbia-student-faces-deportation
BREAKING: The Department of Education will begin sweeping layoffs tonight with about half of its 4,400 employees expected to be let go – CNN
@insiderpaper
https://t.me/THEREALTORIABROOKE/54979
Department of Education lays off nearly 50% of its workforce
https://abcnews.go.com/US/department-education-faces-50-layoffs-after-closure-notice/story?id=119690524
For those who can tear themselves from the latest crisis:
https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2025/03/11/ntsb-issues-urgent-recommendations-in-preliminary-report-on-washington-dc-crash-n2186545
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/trump-says-he-will-classify-left-wing-attacks/
Thank goodness the GOP passed the spending bill. You have to get thru this initial morass and demonstrate you can govern and namely get thru the midterm with increased numbers and then start with better and more targeted spending reductions. Keeping the airplane flying level is better than a tail spin. It keeps the positive momentum.
We can’t wait until after the midterms for targeted spending reductions. We have to do all we can between now and the midterms, otherwise we won’t control either branch of the Congress after the election.
Then you will see retribution from the Dems, and we will be relying on President Trump’s veto pen to stop them. Not a great way to finish the last two years.
I don’t think democrats have any shot in hell of winning the midterms .
You underestimate the number of oblivious voters, voters with TDS, Dim dirty tricks and voter fraud then…
Regardless, if the vast majority of what he wants to do isn’t accomplished in the first year, the probability of it getting down starts to go down drastically.
Can this Afghan immigration crap be scrapped?
House GOP Funding Bill Brings More than 50,000 Afghans to U.S. on ‘Special Immigrant Visas’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/03/11/house-gop-funding-bill-brings-more-than-50000-afghans-u-s-special-immigrant-visas/
Still has to pass the Senate with 60 votes
I always thought CR budget bills only required a majority in the Senate.
Correct – which is their excuse for using it and not doing wth they should – pass an actual budget with the smallest deficit possible. Quit kicking the damn can.
Lone Democrat to back House GOP spending bill explains decision
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5189796-golden-votes-republican-stopgap
After House votes to avert government shutdown, Senate Democrats face ‘stark’ choice
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-passes-spending-bill-government-shutdown-looms/story?id=119686681
On February 7, President Trump gave Pam Bondi 30 days to complete a comprehensive review of regulations that impede Second Amendment rights and present a plan to protect those rights. The deadline has passed and she is ignoring it and has not done what the President ordered. She was anti-gun rights in Florida so this is no surprise. She is a disaster and has to go. See https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2025/03/11/the-deadline-has-passed-bondi-release-findings-n1227923
Shocking, shocking I tell you.
Rosie left the US!
Hope she live in an area of Ireland that has been culturally enriched.
Good luck in Ireland, you silly idiot. iCan you read?
Thank you Donald Trump!
“Shred And Burn All Documents”: USAID Staff Ordered To Destroy Evidence On Tuesday | ZeroHedge
Couldn’t Donald Trump just order all Paper shredders be removed from USAID immediately?
Where would someone Burn the evidence?