Comrade rebels, for his weekly monologue UK pundit Neil Oliver reviews the ever-controlling, increasingly totalitarian, western political landscape, and then gives his perspective on how the BRICS formation seems to be benefiting from it. It is an interesting contrast worth review. WATCH:
Discussing the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), Ireland’s Media Minister defends the decision that a government appointed entity will ultimately decide what speech is permitted by citizens. This is the next phase in the control of opposition to the expansion of government controls. We are all traveling at the front of one long continuum toward tyranny.
Are the people of Ireland so weak and pathetic they cannot make decisions or formulate opinions for themselves? Of course not. This is not what government control of information is about. Government control of information is about CONTROL of the people. WATCH:
CTH has encountered criticism for our position on information. Perhaps it is important to step back and explain exactly why we should not be playing by rules established to control us while engaged in the battle of ideas. First, my position:
…”There is no such thing as “disinformation” or “misinformation”. There is only information you accept and information you do not accept. You were not born with a requirement to believe everything you are told; rather, you were born with a brain that allows you to process the information you receive and make independent decisions.”…
The original BRICS economic alliance between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has expanded today. During the summit held in South Africa, the group which is home to about 40% of the world’s population and a quarter of global gross domestic product, voted to accept the applications of Iran, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia.
What we see forming now is further evidence of the great energy cleaving. As most western nations chase the World Economic Forum’s priority around ‘climate change’, the BRICS alliance hedges for more traditional energy sources (oil, natural gas, coal). China will benefit the most as the Western industrial economies will not be able to compete in a global market using windmills and solar panels.
The western alliance (yellow) will be chasing climate change energy policy to power their economies. The rest of the world (grey) will be using traditional and more efficient energy development. The global cleaving around energy use would be complete.
This is not some grand conspiracy, ‘out there‘ deep geopolitical possibility, or foreboding likelihood as an outcome of short-sighted western emotion. No, this is just a predictable outcome from western created events that pushed specific countries to a natural conclusion based on their best interests.
(New York Times) […] On Thursday, the bloc revealed its decision, adding six new countries, including the staunchly anti-Western Iran, in an apparent victory for Beijing.
Obviously, we take all reports from Russian media through the prism of Suspicious Cat. Complicating matters, we take any/all reports from Western Media through the folded and mirrored prism of multiple Suspicious Cats. So don’t look for CTH to provide definitive analysis on this multi-geopolitical storyline; instead, look for me to share a series of possibilities that might not be discussed elsewhere.
As long-time readers know, I have a strong and reliable network in Peter (that’s the abbreviated name used in familiar Russian discussion with those who live in the Saint Petersburg region of Russia). I have previously discussed my opinion of the western media reporting on Yevgeny Prigozhin {Go Deep}, I will not repeat.
Dubya, Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin the caterer.
Today, Russian media are stating that Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash after a series of meetings in Moscow, upon a return flight to Peter. Perhaps, or perhaps not. Given the nature of a very specific background in/around the issue(s) of Wagner and Prigozhin, and with both the Russian and USA geopolitical overlays as context, here are some possible considerations:
♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was heading home to Peter when an unfortunate accident led to his plane crashing.
♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was heading home to Peter when the Russian military leaders decided to kill him.
♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was detained by Putin allies, then the return flight destroyed to disappear him.
♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was returning to Peter when a successful retaliatory CIA operation killed him.
♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and organizing a defensive Wagner operation against NATO under the auspices of his death.
♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and is now very much alive and retired with no one looking for him.
♦ Prigozhin was never in Moscow and is very much alive and retired with no one looking for him. √
Tucker Carlson sits down for a sobering discussion with Col Douglas Macgregor about the war in Ukraine and the current status of the conflict. {Direct Rumble Link}
As Carlson outlines the looming possibility that NATO is going to have to enter the war because the Ukraine military is slowing being degraded, Macgregor outlines the technical and strategic issues the U.S/NATO forces would have with a war in eastern Europe.
After outlining the strategic flaws and problems the U.S. would face in a direct confrontation with Russia, the discussion then shifts to ask the obvious question: What comes now? What are the goals and objectives for Russia, now? WATCH:
I swear this guy has people looking over my research shoulder. Tucker Carlson travels to Hungary, home of PM Viktor Orban, for an interview with the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić. Carlson then shares a preview of the upcoming conversation {Direct Rumble Link}.
We have discussed Hungary quite a bit, because Viktor Orban has been a very public thorn in the side of Joe Biden, the CIA and USAID (same/same), along with the US State Dept. It makes sense that Orban, via Budapest, would be a safe host for a discussion between Tucker Carlson and Aleksandar Vucic. WATCH:
I wouldn’t normally write a post like this, but WE ARE NOT going to find this level of ground reporting anywhere in U.S. media. As you might be aware, I have been doing extensive research on the Russian economy specifically with the outcome of western sanctions.
In his video a Youtuber I follow visited a local supermarket, similar to a WalMart Super Center to share information for his USA followers.
Dima Dear, a remarkably nice young man, lives in St Petersburg, Russia (formerly Leningrad), and he shares various experiences with his audience at their request. There is a lot of U.S interest as people following his story are starting to realize life in Russia is not what western media portray.
If you are familiar with USA grocery prices, what Dima shares in this ground report is stunning from a U.S. perspective. If you watch this livestream, keep in mind that 100 rubles equals $1.00. 350 rubles is $3.50. Additionally for weighted products 1kg equals 2.2 lbs. So generally speaking, if something is 100 rubles/kg it is $1 for two pounds.
Example from the video:
•Lean ground beef at 329 rubles/kg is less than $1.65/lb.
•Bacon at 250 rubles/kg is less than $1.25/lb.
•20 eggs are 139 rubles or $1.39.
•Boneless skinless chicken breast $4 for 4lbs.
•Typical Bagged salad mixes .79¢ each. etc.
The wild part is that in Russia they are getting worried these prices are too high. 👀
The average rent for a nicely furnished 2-bedroom modern apartment in St Pete Russia is around $500/month. Something akin to downtown Manhattan. Including rent, utilities, food, transportation, personal items and purchases, a Russian citizen can live very comfortably, remarkably comfortably, on an income of around $1,200 to $1,500/month. In downtown St Pete which is considered a more expensive place to live.
Put that into a USA middle-class perspective and evaluate the impact of western sanctions against the average Russian cost of living.
Some economic data released by the land of the rising sun points to a larger global weakness in manufacturing demand. Within the data year-over-year exports from Japan fell in July by 0.3%, which is the first time since 2021 the contraction was noted.
Digging a little deeper, the weakness in Japanese exports is driven primarily by a decline in exports to China of 14.3% in July, which follows a 10.9% decline in June. Japan is a component supplier to China, which would indicate the demand for Chinese products globally is substantially less than Beijing has previously admitted.
That said, Japan’s direct export of finished goods to the U.S. actually increased 13.5%, mostly driven by the export of electric vehicles.
However, 13.5% is identical to the overall decrease in Japanese imports.
Essentially, component parts to China are down, but completed finished goods to the U.S. are up. Overall, the results from Japan point to a soft overall global economic status, the result of continued contraction of Western economic activity.
TOKYO, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Japan’s exports fell in July for the first time in nearly 2-1/2 years, dragged down by faltering demand for light oil and chip-making equipment, underlining concerns about a global recession as demand in key markets such as China weaken.
Using the X platform, formerly called Twitter, Tucker Carlson interviews Robert Kennedy Jr about his campaign, U.S. foreign policy, Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Bio-Labs and who killed his uncle. {Direct Rumble Link}
Several people have made queries about the current state of our national economic condition against the backdrop of disconnected data points that seemingly conflict. Here’s my review.
July and August are key months to gauge the prior six months of U.S consumer positioning.
Why?
Because all advance purchase orders for the U.S. holiday season are made in May, June and July for inventory builds and delivery schedules for September. The decisions made by purchasing officers in late spring and early summer, reflect their predictive analysis for the holiday season.
Inventories are evaluated, critical financial discussions are held, and orders are placed for September arrival and distribution. This predictive activity is what we see in the July and August data that flows from the global, multinational and shipping corporations who facilitate the transfer of the goods. Check what is happening in distribution, and you can see what eventually creates the boxcar effect in the supply chain that ultimately leads to shuttered manufacturing.
Those who are involved in the business of shipping goods are signaling the flares around the state of the consumer economy and what will happen. At the same time, the wording is almost hilarious in this era of great pretending. Instead of saying ordinary words like “poor sales results for durable goods,” the parseltongue calls sales, “destocking.” Example: “CEO Vincent Clerc said he saw no sign that the destocking which has curbed global trade activity would end this year.”
Global shipping company Maersk is warning that shipping volume is low because warehouse inventories are high. The goods are unsold.
