If you followed my research on banking and the reality of the Russian sanction regime, this report takes on an entirely new dimension.  The article is from ZeroHedge, and the topline is not the real story.

ZEROHEDGE – The collapse of three US regional banks – First Republic Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank – marked some of the largest failures in the banking system since 2008. Central banks contained the “mini-crisis” earlier this year with forced interventions and the mega-merger of Credit Suisse and UBS. Despite the interventions, global banks still axed the most jobs since the global financial crisis. 

A new report from the Financial Times shows twenty of the world’s largest banks slashed 61,905 jobs in 2023, a move to protect profit margins in a period of high interest rates amid a slump in dealmaking and equity and debt sales. This compared with the 140,000 lost during the GFC of 2007-08. (more) 

Look carefully at the graphic labeled “global banks.”  What do they all have in common?

These are not global banks, they are all “western banks.”  Do you remember a key component of my trip to eastern EU {Password Protected}.   That part of my research trip was specifically to understand the contradiction between what the west says about the Russian financial sanctions, and the reality of the irrelevance of those sanctions in Russia.

I didn’t talk, I watched; I listened.

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Leftist groups are apoplectic knowing the 2020 ballot fraud will be almost impossible to execute again in 2024. As a consequence, they have dropped to multiple vectors of defense including the filing of lawsuits under a stretched Lawfare provision of the 14th Amendment.

The radicals claim the Constitutional Amendment disqualifies certain current public officials who are defined as participating in an insurrection. The leftist claim questioning fraudulent results in a manipulated national ballot harvesting operation, is akin to an insurrection.

Questioning a leftist worldview is violence, but violence from leftists is free speech.

President Trump, the overwhelming majority of Americans and courts -sans Colorado- has dismissed the lawsuits as politically motivated. Today, a Michigan high court dismissed another attempt by the far left to keep President Trump from the Republican primary ballot.

In a brief order {pdf HERE}, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected an appeal over a lower court’s decision that parties can place whichever candidates they choose on presidential primary ballots. The justices were “not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court,” according to the order.

(Politico) – Michigan’s highest court said Wednesday that Donald Trump can appear on the state’s Republican primary ballot, but the court declined to weigh in for now on whether Trump is eligible to run in the general election and serve again as president.

The court turned away an appeal from Michigan voters who argue that Trump should be barred from the ballot because of his efforts to subvert the 2020 election and stoke violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The voters cite a provision of the 14th Amendment that, in some circumstances, bars people from holding public office if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion.”

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UFC Fighter Bo Nickal was recently talking to Joe Rogan when the subject of politics and President Donald Trump came up. Mr. Nickal had an interesting story to tell of his encounter with President Trump. WATCH:

https://youtu.be/FR6opzJJBV0?si=CqK79eIDENkpAxIt

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Yeah, well, if you want to understand the ideology of the leftists, communists and facists, look no further than this proclamation from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries:

[Source]

This is a completely loaded public declaration by the Democrat House Leader.

It goes without saying that mainstream media will ignore the extremism as presented, because that would involve an open admission that everything the Democrats accuse others of doing, including election denial, is exactly what Democrats do.

This statement from Hakeem Jeffries sounds a lot like David Plouffe and the “his kind” statement, because the expressed totalitarian ideology is exactly the same.

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Given the recent discussions about a potential Vice President pick by Donald Trump, several people have asked for my perspective.

Because I look at the office of the presidency slightly different than most, and specifically because the real challenge that needs to be addressed is located deep inside each institution of government, my perspective on the running mate is somewhat different than most.

The Vice President is the safety mechanism for continuity of government in the event that something happens to the President.

Additionally, for the unique nature of the 2024 election, the VP pick technically becomes the 2028 MAGA candidate by default and general intention.  Therefore, the selection of Trump’s running mate holds a greater weight of importance given the single term objective.

The primary factor of President Trump’s pick for VP should be, who will be the 2028 nominee.

Prior to President Trump’s first term in office, traditionally the role of the Vice-President, the actual tasks they are assigned to carry out, were generally ceremonial in nature.  However, President Trump approached the VP role differently, and gave substantive policy initiatives to Vice President Mike Pence.  [Pence proved he was not a good executive]

It should also be remembered that another unique aspect to President Trump’s term was his control over every of aspect of economic policy and trade.  This level of economic focus, with controls completely retained by President Trump, was then used as a mechanism to influence President Trump’s foreign policy.

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Given the nature of U.S. led NATO efforts, this collaborative move by Russia and Belarus is as subtle as a brick through a window.

Joe Biden policy, actually the policy of the US State Dept/CIA, like the policy of Barack Obama before him (same institutions), is contingent upon the targeted nations participating in a great pretending that U.S. moves are not intentionally adversarial.  Unfortunately, the era of pretend foreign policy pressure has ended, but the State Dept and CIA refuse to modify their playbook.

Russia, Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, et al, are not pretending.

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The president of Belarus said Monday that Russia has completed its shipments of tactical nuclear weapons to his country, an initiative that raised strong concerns in neighboring Poland and elsewhere in the region.

President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting of a Moscow-led economic bloc in St. Petersburg that the shipments were completed in October, but he did not give details of how many weapons were sent or where they have been deployed.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which are intended for use on the battlefield, have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. Russia said it would maintain control over those it sends to Belarus.

Lukashenko has said that hosting Russian nuclear weapons in his country is meant to deter aggression by Poland, a NATO member. Poland is offering neighbor Ukraine military, humanitarian and political backing in its struggle against Russia’s invasion and is taking part in international sanctions on Russia and Belarus. (read more)

All of Eastern Europe is praying for President Donald J Trump.

For most of Western Europe it’s already too late.

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U.K Pundit Neil Oliver uses his weekly monologue to remind us of the humanity behind the Christmas message.  For the greatest hope within the birth of Jesus Christ, a child’s birth that represents all hope, the purest hope.

…”people feel the cold, and not just the cold of winter. But the cold of an antihuman ideology that would take everything from us, including each other, including everything that makes Christmas so important.  In all circumstances it is possible, vital, to remember the light; to remember that light and warmth are real.  We can resist in simple and fundamental ways, like keeping lights lit and fires warm wherever it is possible – by keeping Christmas.  Here’s the thing, day follows night; winter follows summer and autumn; but winter, even the darkest winter, knows that the spring is coming… that the spring, always comes!”

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Most will not see the forest through the trees.  I have shortened this longer interview with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, to emphasize a point.

Monaco is one of the extreme control operatives from the Obama era who transferred intentionally into the Biden administration to continue control operations.  Monaco is literally one of the consequential DC administrators responsible for maintaining a well-honed and weaponized Dept of Justice.  That’s all she does; organizing and keeping the Main Justice targeting mechanism focused on their priority is her job.

In this interview segment, transcript provided below, DAG Lisa Monaco outlines the importance of keeping a corrupt system isolated so that only the corrupt officials within it have reign.  Of course, that’s not the exact context of her comments, but when combined with the actual reality of the effort – that’s the cornerstone of the non-pretending message.  WATCH:

[Transcript] – […] THOMAS: I’m going to ask a couple questions that I hope get to transparency, understanding the limits that you have to operate within. Can you assure the American public that Special Counsels Jack Smith and David Weiss, Robert Hur are operating without regard to anything but the facts and the law?

MONACO: Yes. And the reason I say that, Pierre, is, look, these are matters of the utmost importance and significance. Cases of that level of significance are — it’s exceptionally important that they are handled independently, confidentially and free of any outside or inappropriate influence. And that’s exactly why the attorney general appointed special counsels in the first place.

THOMAS: Just for the record, so the public can hear it from a top official at DOJ, has President Biden ever raised the classified documents investigation, the probe of Hunter Biden with you or the A.G., tried to influence you? Has he ever done that in regard to President Trump?

MONACO: No. And the attorney general’s been exceptionally clear on this point. (more)

Outcomes are determined by controlling inputs.

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It is often said in recent years that events in Europe present as the precursor for events that later follow in the U.S. and North America.  Indeed, there are many points of reference which support this outlook.

According to recent media reporting, various state police agencies in Europe took action against Islamic extremists, identified as ISIS-k affiliates, to stop planned terror attacks against Christian targets, specifically well-known cathedrals, this Christmas holiday season.   The events took place in Austria and Germany, with targets identified in Vienna and Western Germany.

(Jerusalem Post) – Austrian, German, and Spanish police were on high alert at cathedrals in several cities due to concerns that Islamists were planning a terrorist attack on Christmas or New Year’s Eve, with several suspects already arrested in Vienna and Germany, according to German reports.

According to the Bild, several suspects were arrested in the Ottakring district of Vienna, while another was arrested in Saarland, Germany.  The arrested suspects are Tajiks allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, the branch of ISIS in south-central Asia, according to the report.

Vienna Police noted in a press release that there is an “increased terror alert level” and “generally an increased risk in Austria during the Christmas holidays.”

“Since terrorist actors across Europe are calling for attacks on Christian events – especially around [Christmas Eve,] December 24 – the security authorities have increased the corresponding protective measures in public spaces in Vienna and the federal states,” Vienna Police said, adding that there would be increased patrols and surveillance during the holidays, with attention focused primarily on churches, religious events, and Christmas markets. (read more)

I would be remiss if I did not add context to this report, literal boots on the ground reporting, something that many U.S. readers might find of interest.

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CBS floated some ridiculous story about President Trump asking advisors their opinion of Nikki Haley as a VP option.  That story is nonsense.  Anyone in the orbit of Donald Trump knows Nikki Haley is a nonstarter.

CBS is known as the worst news organization for making stuff up.  There is no element of their thin-gruel story [SEE HERE] that is believable.  Here’s why…

President Trump is known for remembering betrayal; he doesn’t always burn the bridge, but he never recrosses it.

Nikki Haley in February 2021: …”“I don’t think [Trump’s] going to be in the picture,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I don’t think he can. He’s fallen so far.” […] “We need to acknowledge he let us down,” she said. “He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again.”  (link)

Two months later, April 2021, when asked about her 2024 presidential ambitions Nikki Haley says:…”Out of respect I would never do anything to go against [Trump], he knows that. I would have a conversation with him and talk to him about it should we decide we want to pursue it; but, um, no, I have a great respect for him, and I would never consider running against him.” (link)

When Nikki Haley attempted to contact President Trump he ignored her calls.  She could not get the meeting.  She announced her intention anyway, because she was always going to announce her candidacy.   Everything structurally around her was well known as soon as she left the administration.

Use the CTH site search tool function and type in “Nikki Haley” for the results.  Take a few Snickers bars because you are going to be there a while.

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