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. √

I’m sure the funeral will be quite superb.

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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:

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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}

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Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni sounds slightly less nationalist and slightly more globalist in this interview as she discusses the current challenges for Italy within the European Union.  With a large focus on the African continent, mostly driven by root cause illegal immigration, Prime Minister Meloni outlines how supporting the African economic needs are a pragmatic solution to the outflow of migrants. {Direct Rumble Link} – WATCH:

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan represents the UniParty outlook from Washington DC.

From the position of influence and affluence, both Republican and Democrat policy makers are aligned in a unified outlook toward foreign policy and geopolitical affairs. Washington DC does not have two competing political parties on these issues; there is complete alignment and unidirectional focus.  Never forget that.

Before getting to the Sullivan points, I’m going to shift the discussion slightly, back to the core and explain something that might help provide context for issues from China to Russia and beyond.

Everyone in Washington DC agrees with the agencies and institutions that create the national security state.  The intelligence apparatus and the national security agencies frame the “interests of the U.S. government.” The politicians never push back against those agencies and the strategic policies they present as a solution.  This is important to accept as you contemplate the continued push only in one interventionist direction, regardless of American public opinion.

The only countervailing force that has ever entered the modern system against this dynamic was President Donald Trump. That is why the “system”, consisting of both Republicans and Democrats, together with every institution the system controls, was/is/are unified to repel Trump.

This hive mindset is critical to understand, because the central conflict, the perspective that Trump represents a threat, originates from whether the combined institutional administrative state is correct in their assessments or not.

The “system,” an assembly of career ideologues who define themselves by their sense of self-importance, never believe they are wrong about anything; therefore, every means is justified in their mind.  Any person who opposes their worldview is a threat.  Every threat then becomes a target.

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Before getting to this rather jaw-dropping moment, let me first paint the Big Club agenda within it.  Everyone knows the Big Club is stressed about the inability of Ron DeSantis to launch a successful campaign.  Trillions are at stake, and they have invested hundreds of millions into the effort. Things are getting serious now.

You have heard me repeat it before; the Big Club it is a large network of aligned financial interests.  It does not take a lot of organization and/or the creation of some massive global conspiracy, to create outcomes of mutual benefit when the interests of the parties are aligned.

Bob Vander Plaats is a big Ron DeSantis supporter in 2024 as he was for Ted Cruz in 2016.  Team DeSantis in 2024 are the same people as team Cruz in 2016.  The network of Vander Plaats and team DeSantis are aligned in common interests.

Vander Plaats organizes the candidate summit knowing the person selected to moderate the discussion is against the interests of all GOPe candidates.  The outcome was predictable and by design.  Using their GOPe vulnerabilities Tucker Carlson eviscerates the DeSantis competition.

During a discussion of priorities, Mike Pence says the state of our USA is “not my concern.” Mike Pence will never recover from this.  WATCH:

https://youtu.be/vX5J9doHj2U

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This is not good. Apparently, the 20,000 additional troops sent to Europe last year bringing the total to 100,000 are not enough.

Earlier today Joe Biden signed an order activating 3,000 reserve troops to be ready for deployment as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.  [White House Announcement]

WHITE HOUSE – “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 121 and 12304 of title 10, United States Code, I hereby determine that it is necessary to augment the active Armed Forces of the United States for the effective conduct of Operation Atlantic Resolve in and around the United States European Command’s area of responsibility.  

In furtherance of this operation, under the stated authority, I hereby authorize the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, under their respective jurisdictions, to order to active duty any units, and any individual members not assigned to a unit organized to serve as a unit of the Selected Reserve, or any member in the Individual Ready Reserve mobilization category and designated as essential under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, not to exceed 3,000 total members at any one time, of whom not more than 450 may be members of the Individual Ready Reserve, as they deem necessary, and to terminate the service of those units and members ordered to active duty.” (link) 

Politico has further information from the Pentagon:

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The sanctions levied against Russia by the collective West have essentially failed.  There is inconvenience within Russia amid ordinary citizens for global and economic transactions, but most of the govt transactions have continued.

On the opposite side of the consequence coin, absent the ability to purchase consumer goods on the global market, Russian domestic consumer independence has grown dramatically.  There is more stuff being made and created inside Russia, for Russians to purchase, than ever before.

I cannot see how the Russian GDP doesn’t benefit from this in the long-term.

Then again, I don’t buy the official Western narrative about the “horrible” life inside Russia, because I talk to ordinary middle class Russians who seem to have found a way to organize life without too much disturbance.

Russia is actually a case study in the elimination of imports and the economic outcomes therein.

It doesn’t suck to be a consumer; average Russians are doing fine, and it seems to get better over time.  Ironically, give them a few more years of Western sanctions, and Russia could be a manufacturing powerhouse.  Russia is a big country with a lot of raw material resources.

UNITED NATIONS, July 12 (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he extend a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine in return for connecting a subsidiary of Russia’s agricultural bank to the SWIFT international payment system, sources told Reuters.

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This latest development from the Biden administration is concerning on many levels.

The White House is announcing their approval to send cluster bombs to Ukraine in an effort to provide a very deadly and dangerous type of munitions that have been resoundingly criticized by most of the western alliance. Cluster bombs are not just dangerous on the battlefield, they are also notorious for creating collateral civilian damage.

That said, when you overlay the reality of the Ukraine policy, essentially World War Reddit, being driven in large part by a psychological operation that is challenging to figure out from a reality perspective; in combination with very unstable people in the U.S. government seemingly playing war within the larger policy agenda; one must also look at this from a Russian intelligence position.

Is the Biden administration really willing to deploy cluster bombs or is this some PR narrative intended to give the impression the U.S. is willing to up the stakes in the use of weapons that will continue escalating, regardless of consequence. There are a lot of unstable minds within this larger Ukraine narrative as promoted by the White House, Pentagon and State Dept (CIA).

WASHINGTON DC – The Biden administration on Friday announced it will include cluster bombs in the United States’ next $800 million weapons package for Ukraine, as well as armored vehicles and air defense missiles.

President Joe Biden acknowledged it took some time to be convinced to provide the controversial weapons, but he stressed the importance of supporting Ukraine’s ammunition supplies while preserving U.S. inventories, as well as discussing how Kyiv plans to deploy the bombs.

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Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is locked in a contract dispute with his former network who took him off the air, but continues to enforce the contract he signed with them.  As the contract battle wages, and while litigation with the network continues, Carlson is limited in his options for platform broadcast.

As a result, Tucker Carlson’s personal Twitter account which existed prior to his Fox contract and is not subject to the terms and agreements, remains an outlet for him to use while not violating his non-compete clause.  Almost all other platforms represent what would be considered online competition to Fox Digital, so broadcasting a new show on any of those digital platforms would represent a potential legal issue and not an option. {Direct Rumble Link}

Tonight, Tucker Carlson aired a 10-minute monologue, what he calls “episode 1” from his Twitter account. While Tucker does not financially benefit from the Twitter platform, for the social media owner Elon Musk the broadcast represents much needed content oxygen. Tucker states at the end of his monologue that if Twitter suppresses or uses their internal fact-check mechanism known as ‘Community Notes‘ to control his content, he will exit the platform. WATCH: 

(Reuters) […] Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the collapse of the massive dam on Tuesday, which sent floodwaters across a swathe of the war zone and forced thousands to flee.  Ukraine said Russia committed a deliberate war crime in blowing up the Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam, which powered a hydroelectric station. The Kremlin blamed Ukraine, saying it was trying to distract from the launch of a major counteroffensive Moscow says is faltering. (more)

Elon Musk, who not coincidentally entered an ideological alignment with Fox News CEO Rupert Murdoch on behalf of Ron DeSantis, has a vested financial interest in making sure his Community Notes police do not attach warnings and citations to the “controversial” dialogue of Carlson.  While there appears to be an ongoing CN notes war in the background, so far the Musk administrators have been able to keep the platform control agents from impeding the broadcast.

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