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Food Supply Protectionism is Rapidly Spreading as Global Organizations Like The IMF Warn of Consequences

This is an update to an ongoing issue we started seriously discussing last October when it became clear that if the trajectory was followed, “the absence of food will change things.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is continuing to send warnings with increased urgency about the very real possibility of widespread food shortages in regions where food instability is a historic issue. [SEE HERE]

The war in Ukraine has triggered a sharp increase in energy and food prices that could undermine food security in the region, raise poverty rates, worsen income inequality, and possibly lead to social unrest,” the Fund said in its annual Regional Outlook for Africa.

This is a recent warning around a topic that has increasingly gained international attention.  Indeed, experts in multiple related agricultural fields have openly started to discuss and predict a looming crisis as the majority of the global food supply is contingent on only one or two growing cycles per year for harvest.  Those harvests are facing multiple headwinds that could likely result in lower yields.

Against this backdrop we can be certain that all nation’s government interests are taking this issue seriously.  Now, we are starting to see a race for supply control by various governments.

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Naomi Wolf Eloquently Deconstructs the Terms Dis, Mis, and Malinformation

The first principle in battling against the Alinsky crew is to not to accept their terminology.  Controlling language is a specific tactic of the professional political left.  We used to call it labeling, but modern leftists moved beyond labels into the creation of new definitions.  Modern leftists now use two different strategies depending on their target: (1) create new words, the traditional labeling; and (2) redefine existing words.

In this interview Naomi Wolf is one of the few people I have seen who correctly starts her discussion by dispatching the linguistics and framing her own baseline argument.  All politicians and candidates for office should watch how Wolf responds to the first question from Tucker Carlson, and then makes the better argument.

Wolf doesn’t waste time debating “misinformation”, “disinformation”, or “malinformation”, instead she accurately just says those things do not exist. Information stands undefined. From that position there are truth and lies.  Her approach is exactly correct.  Do not accept the insanity of the Alinsky language effort.  A refreshing and really good interview, WATCH:

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On January 13, 2022, the fraudulent and managed autocrat, the installed occupant of the White House, gave instructions to his fellow travelers in Big Tech, and I quote:

“I make a special appeal to social media companies and media outlets: Please deal with the misinformation and disinformation that’s on your shows.  It has to stop.”   ~ Joe Biden

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Spokesperson For World’s Largest Military Overwhelmed with Emotion for Ukraine During Press Briefing

Comrades, the deep, long and sullen violins were playing tearfully today as the World War Reddit theatrical performance came heavily to the Pentagon.  Leading narrative engineer John Kirby was captivating in his role as profoundly sullen squire overwhelmed with the magnitude of the moment and the emotion of the struggle in Ukraine.

The Biden production company is attempting to raise another $33 billion for enhanced theater operations in the besieged European country.  Pentagon chournalists are collecting canned goods, including soundbites, to support the war effort; and the Defense Dept is broadcasting the theme to Chariots of Fire across NATO signals.

Meanwhile, emotions throughout Europe are running high as valiant Prince Volodymyr of Donbas assembles his polished armor and directs his trusted steed into the wind.

Yes, today the clouds loomed heavy as Director Kirby narrated his audience while fighting bravely to keep the spirit of Edward R Murrow alive.  The wide-eyed maidens held their collective breath waiting in the mournful stillness of the moment… You could hear a pin drop. WATCH:

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White House Refuses to Define Success in Ukraine, But Want U.S. Taxpayers to Donate $33 Billion More Toward it

Yes, this actually happened today.  During her press briefing Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the White House doesn’t want to “define what success in Ukraine looks like,” but demands U.S. taxpayers to give them another $33 billion toward it.

A few moments later Psaki admits the money will be spent subsidizing not only Ukraine, but NATO allies who are suffering the results of inflation.

Psaki stated the Biden demand for more money “is not all for Ukraine, it’s also for some of our Eastern European partners and others to help support them during this time as well.”  Wait, now we are paying to subsidize the economy of EU countries while our own economy is contracting?

Seriously, the scale of this hubris is blood boiling.  First, they cannot tell us what success consists of, but give us money anyway.  The first segment to watch happens at 18:15 of the video, WATCH (prompted):

TRANSCRIPT – Q    Against the backdrop of the President’s announcement today and request for this $33 billion aid package, can you say: Is it the policy goal of the United States for Ukraine to defeat Russia? 

MS. PSAKI:  Well, look, it depends on how you — we’re not going to define that from here.  That’s for the Ukra- —

Q    How would you define it?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, that’s for the Ukrainians to define. 

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Madness, Joe Biden Asks Congress for $33 Billion More for Ukraine to Fund Their Government Salaries, Pensions and Budget Obligations

This is getting seriously out of hand.  On top of the $14 billion already appropriated for Ukraine assistance, Joe Biden is now asking for a supplemental budget allocation of an additional $33 billion for Ukraine.  Good grief, that’s almost $50 billion in aid, plus the billions in distributed weapons.

Biden is asking for U.S. taxpayers to fund the budget, salaries and pension obligations of the Ukraine government.  Biden made his request in a letter [SEE HERE] to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

[…] “I am writing to provide you with my request for fiscal year (FY) 2022 emergency supplemental funding for critical security and economic assistance to Ukraine.
 
I appreciate the Congress’ continued bipartisan support for Ukraine, NATO, and other partner countries affected by Russia’s War in Ukraine.  My Administration is committed to providing the Ukrainian people the assistance they need.  Our assistance to date has made a difference on the battlefield, helping Ukraine win the battle for Kyiv. 

This $33.0 billion request for additional funding and authority builds on the Congress’ supplemental appropriation of $13.6 billion on March 15, 2022, and seeks to address immediate and near-term security and economic needs.  Additional security assistance will put urgently needed equipment into the hands of Ukraine’s military and police, including ammunition, armored vehicles, small arms, demining assistance, and unmanned aircraft systems. 

Economic assistance will provide Direct Budget Support to provide rapid, flexible funds to assist the Government of Ukraine.” (read more)

Joe Biden wants U.S. taxpayers, those who are struggling to pay our own bills, to fund the government of Ukraine?  In case anyone is not up on current events, we are broke.

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Russia Stops Gas Supplies to Poland and Bulgaria Amid Ongoing Ukraine Battle

At the same time as Russia has targeted railway lines as part of the effort to block U.S. arms shipments into Eastern Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has now followed through on the previous warning to stop Russian gas supplies unless payments are made in non-sanctioned Rubles.

Poland is obviously the primary target for retaliation here, as the NATO alliance is using Poland as the gateway for arms deliveries into Ukraine.

According to multiple reports from the EU Russia has halted gas shipments into Poland and Bulgaria.  (Reuters) “Gazprom Russia’s gas export monopoly, suspended gas supplies “due to absence of payments in roubles”, as stipulated in a decree from Russian President Vladimir Putin that aims to soften the impact of sanctions.”

There are conflicting reports as to whether Germany is paying Russia, or whether they are trying to avoid running afoul of the NATO alliance by reducing Russian imports.

Ukraine President Zelenskyy is using the opportunity to reinforce his position that all European countries need to stop purchasing energy from Russia, or else they are not supporting Ukraine.   However, it’s not as simple as it seems because multiple EU countries are dependent on Russia for energy products and there are no immediate alternatives.  Russia is leveraging this dependency in an effort to break the western sanctions.

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Sunday Talks, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal Interview with CBS Margaret Brennan, Cash is Important Because American Taxpayers Need to Fund Our Pensions and Salaries

Given the scale of the stakes for western government; and given the professed intentions of govt-aligned big tech to control the story; it is almost impossible to have an honest and open dialogue on the internet about what is happening in Ukraine.  That said, for those who have been using independent resources to form their own opinion of the events in/around Ukraine, this interview highlights some important aspects.

First, notice how Prime Minister Shmyhal is not the least bit bashful about saying cash is important because American taxpayers, the working American people, have a duty to fund the pensions and retirement accounts of the Ukrainian people, including govt politicians. [03:37] Indeed, much of the financial assistance Joe Biden has been sending to Ukraine (beyond the weapons to support the proxy war) is going toward paying the wages and salaries of corrupt Ukranian leadership.

Let that first point settle in deeply, as we consider how working Americans are being financially destroyed by U.S. monetary/fiscal policy, yet the same U.S. officials wiping out your bank account are funding the bank accounts of people in Ukraine.  Interview WATCH:

Second point.  Notice [06:02] how Prime Minister Shmyhal hedges, pauses and thinks about the response to the question of ‘what is victory’, a stalemate or Russian exit?  In the U.S. proxy war against Russia, Shmyhal is not the person who can answer that question, only the White House can.

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Sunday Talks, Interventionist Marie Yovanovitch Admits If Trump Won Election, Putin Would Never Have Invaded Ukraine

This interview is gag-worthy as two condescending leftists wax philosophically about how progressive U.S. foreign policy should dictate global society.  However, it does show just how flawed the ideology of the interventionist political leftists has become, and why their expansionist ideology always culminates in conflict.

Example: Right now, China is threatening to put military bases in the Solomon Islands.  Australia and the collective west are aghast and ready to draw “red lines.”  At the same time the U.S/NATO put military forces ever closer to Russia and are shocked that Putin would eventually respond to the red lines he previously drew.  The geopolitical hypocrisy is ridiculous.

That hypocritical example above highlights the ironic point made in an interview between Margaret Hoover and former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch as they discuss President Trump.

If Trump had won reelection, there was no reason for Putin to invade Ukraine because Donald Trump was not trying to expand pressure on Russia or any other foreign government.  Yovanovitch admits directly that Trump foreign policy did not create conflict; yet, Yovanovitch pretends not to see the cause and effect in her leftist intervention advocacy.  WATCH (prompted to 14:42):

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Blinken and Austin Heading to Ukraine As Russia Posts Stunning Video of Captured Weapons Cache in Kharkiv

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised more weapons for Ukraine according to Reuters. “British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday to confirm Britain will supply fresh weaponry to support Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion.” (link)

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are heading to Kyiv tomorrow for talks with Zelenskyy. “[I]n what would be the highest-level visit by U.S. officials to Ukraine since the start of the war. The Defense Department and State Department declined to comment. Mr. Zelensky, speaking to reporters in a subway station in Kyiv on Saturday, said he would discuss military supplies and the pace of their delivery with the U.S. officials. The Ukrainian president has pressed Western countries for more weapons and support, and the U.S. and allies have raced to supply Ukraine with NATO-standard heavy weaponry.” (link)

Meanwhile Russia is reporting to have captured a massive Ukranian military weapons cache near Kharkiv (northeastern Ukraine).  The video is quite remarkable:

https://youtu.be/A5u101ZsDdE

When you watch that video, it’s hard not to wonder where all that military hardware came from previously, and how long the buildup of that particular Kharkiv weapons depot had been happening.  There are thousands of tons of weapons and ammunition in that video.

Additionally, Russia’s defense ministry said on Saturday that its forces had shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet and destroyed three MI-8 helicopters at an airfield in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine regarding the Russian claims.

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IMF Director After COVID Spending Spree, Inflation and Global Food Crisis, Perhaps We Need to Pay Attention to Law of Unintended Consequences

It’s not exactly a confidence builder when the Director of the International Monetary Fund answers the question about forward priorities by saying, “Perhaps we need to pay attention to the law of unintended consequences.”  You had one job Kristalina, one job.

During an International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring debate and discussion segment, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, outlined her perspective against the backdrop of massive inflation caused by the global financial institutions telling government to spend money and they will print it, during COVID.  [The video is prompted to 01:04:50] WATCH:

The discussion included EU Central Bank President Lagarde, US Fed Chair Powell, Indonesian Finance Minister Mulvani – when IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva admitted they channeled their COVID fear and emotions by unsustainably printing money without pausing to think through the consequences.

Now, the world is facing massive inflation, economic contraction, looming hunger, widespread famine and a pending global financial collapse.

Their response? “Whoops.”

Not to worry, they’ll have a little wine and chocolate and figure things out.  Swear.

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