An enterprising journalist from Bolivia [Twitter Link] mapped the countries that support the sanctions against Russia (yellow) versus the countries that are not participating in the western sanctions against Russia (grey).  The image provides a visual reference to consider our previous discussions about the cleaving of the global economy between two overarching ideologies.

[Source Credit]

In my estimation this intentional global cleaving, using the opportunity created by the Ukraine crisis, is going to be the major story of this year.  This global splitting can be looked at in multiple ways, but the overarching story is the ramifications of two global trade relationships.

The western alliance (in the yellow above), has forced the world to reevaluate the dollar as the global trade currency, by denying Russia and their trade partners the ability to use the financial mechanisms under western control. To work around the sanctions, Russia is working on new financial systems to sell oil and farm products in non-dollar currencies.  There is also a possibility the petro-dollar, for the global trade of oil, might be dropped.

Russia is part of OPEC.  While many countries develop their own resources, OPEC sells the majority of oil the rest of the world consumes as the basis for their economic engine.  One way to look at the global cleaving is to look at the way energy is viewed.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has long accused NATO and the collective west of trying to interfere in the nations of their adversaries. Using the recent examples of Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria, specifically Putin has said the United States wants to overthrow the elected leader of Russia.

Until today the western governments have denied this allegation. However, in his rambling and inarticulate speech in Poland today Joe Biden stated of Vladimir Putin “for God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” a direct call for the regime change the same Biden administration has denied.

Expect a clean-up effort in 3,… 2,… WATCH:

Overall, it was clear the people behind the Biden administration were attempting to use the background of a grand speech in Poland to reset the failing administration of Joe Biden.  However, they failed miserably.  [Transcript forthcoming]

It was yet another “democracy -vs- autocracy” narrative effort by the people trying to prop up Joe Biden.

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Showcasing what we have said from the outset, everything about the conflict in Ukraine is a case study in war propaganda as created by the U.S. State Dept, the intelligence apparatus and Hollywood {Go Deep}.

…”Strategic success in the 21st century is not about a physical land grab of territory; that’s what Putin has done.  In this century, strategic power is increasingly measured and exercised by economic strength, by technological sophistication and your story – who you are, what your values are; can you attract ideas and talent and goodwill? And on each of those measures, this will be a failure for Russia.”

~ Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh

White House Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh boiled down geopolitical power to a cultural issue of social likeability.   This is genuinely what the people running the State Dept., CIA and Biden administration believe.  To put a fine point on it:

(New York) – Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been in talks with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to make a video appearance during Sunday’s broadcast of the Academy Awards, The Post has learned.

Academy officials still are debating on whether Zelensky will indeed appear briefly on the show, sources said. It’s also not clear if he would appear live or in a taped message. Sources said the debate centers on whether the Oscars should remain apolitical as the Russian invasion of Ukraine rages on. (read more)

The relationship between the CIA and Hollywood is well established.   As a consequence, the award for best actor in a made for television drama or mini-series goes to….

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There comes a time when a person has no more tongue to bite.  Joe Biden speaking to U.S. troops in Poland about “democracies at an inflection” point in history, is jaw-dropping when you consider the behavior of every western government leader over the past two years.

Once again, Joe Biden, the same authoritarian who mandated that every American worker undergo a medical procedure in order to qualify as a person who might earn a living, sits atop his high-horse and pretends that western government leaders have some inherent claim to the protection of democracy.

Given their collective behavior over the past two years, the hypocrisy of this continued talking point is beyond outlandish.

[Transcript] …”We’re in the midst of — and I don’t want to sound too philosophic here — but you’re in the midst of a fight between democracies and oligarchs.  Xi Jinping — who I’ve spent more time with, they tell me, than any other world leader — points out to me that he believes, in China, that democracies can’t succeed in the 21st century.  The reason is things are moving so fast, change is happening so quickly that democracies require consensus, and we can’t put together consensus as quickly as autocrats can.

So, what’s at stake — not just in what we’re doing here in Ukraine to try to help the Ukrainian people and keep the massacre from continuing — but beyond that, what’s at stake is: What’s — what’s — what are your kids and grandkids going to look like in terms of their — their freedom?  What’s happening?  The last 10 years, there have been fewer democracies that have been formed than we’ve lost in the world. 

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The Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) announced today they are likely to have the financial mechanism for a Russia-India currency exchange and trade process in place within a week.   Previously, India announced their decision to continue purchasing oil from Russia despite the western sanctions.  Prime Minister Modi is a pragmatic, tactical and shrewd business-minded politician.

India is becoming a major player in the geopolitical world, as recognized by former President Trump during his Indo-Pacific trade partnership discussions.  The population of India is over 1.4 billion people, and they are industrializing as a more democratic counterbalance to China. Prime Minister Modi has been a key political leader in generating economic alliances to the benefit of his nation, while maintaining a prudent stiff-arm toward the influence of major multinational corporations.

(Via CNBC) – India is expected to announce a payment arrangement that would allow trade with Russia to continue, the president of an Indian exporters’ association told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Wednesday. 

The so-called rupee-ruble trade mechanism could come as early as next week, according to A Sakthivel, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).  The FIEO, a government-backed association representing over 200,000 exporters, oversees India’s export promotion councils.

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Joe Biden just told U.S. troops in Poland they are going into Ukraine.

Earlier today Joe Biden landed in Rzeszow, Poland, to get a firsthand look at international efforts to help some of the millions of Ukrainian refugees fleeing war in their country.  While there, he delivered remarks to the 82nd Airborne who are bolstering NATO’s eastern flank.

During his remarks, Joe Biden stated the troops are going to see heroic acts by the ordinary men and women of Ukraine.  He directly implied the 82nd airborne unit was going into Ukraine, and stated, “You are going to see when you are there.”  Standing next to Biden while those statements were made, is U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.  No one attempted to stop Biden from publicly saying we were sending troops into Ukraine.  WATCH (prompted):

After making the remarks about the troops going into Ukraine, Biden went into his ideological talking points about Democracy vs Autocracy again.  He’s literally completely oblivious to his own administration actions.

Almost the entirety of the Western government leadership including Scott Morrison (AU), Jacinda Ardern (NZ), Emmanuel Macron (FR), Justin Trudeau (CA) and Joe Biden have been far more authoritarian and autocratic in their COVID-19 rules, regulations and mandates than most non-western nations. It really is stunning that someone in the White House doesn’t pull him back from this talking point.

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Within the background game we are supposed to ignore, the people behind Joe Biden pre-select and pre-approve the questions he receives.  The approved journalists and questions are written on a sheet for him to use; today was no exception.  However, during the NATO press briefing the importance and subject matter of the venue put pressure on him to answer one non-approved question.

That singular question ‘triggered’ the angry Biden disposition to surface, when he was asked to reconcile his current sanctions regime against previous statements about sanctions being a deterrent to Russian aggression.  Biden gets agitated easily. WATCH (prompted):

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With less than a quarter of the U.S. population having any confidence in Biden’s ability to handle the Ukraine crisis [AP Poll], the installed White House occupant headed to NATO to discuss consensus opinion.

Cliff Notes from Presser – Biden was bullish about the NATO alliance, yet everyone essentially agreed to resist Ukraine’s call for them to enforce a no-fly zone in the country.  During the presser [VIDEO], Biden said he wanted Russia’s ouster from the G20 but conceded it likely won’t happen and deferred to the larger group. Biden unveiled new sanctions but acknowledged that they haven’t been and will not be a deterrent. Then said while his administration wants to get Europe to stop relying on Russian energy, he recognizes it can’t be done.

When Biden was questioned about potential food shortages, he admitted the discussion did actually take place. “With regard to food shortage… it’s gonna be real,” Biden said, while admitting the price of the sanctions is not just going to surface in Russia and Europe but is likely to show up in other nations including the United States.

Don’t downplay the food shortage issue.  The absence of food can change things very quickly.  How the various national leaders respond to food shortages, and/or prices for food that makes food insecurity a very real issue, is an unknown.  However, a food crisis -and the subsequent solutions- could change the direction of many policies.

Call me crazy or whatever, but when you watch and listen to all of these NATO members either individually or collectively, you can get the distinct impression that they’re waiting on advice from some other organization and/or entity that usually provides them instructions.

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Well, this is weird.  After weeks of the horrible Putin narrative, Newsweek softens the tone, perhaps sees a larger landscape where Russia is working strategically though a plan and says, “Putin’s Bombers Could Devastate Ukraine but He’s Holding Back.”  Wait, what?

According to the anonymous Newsweek sources – intelligence officials who fear speaking publicly for fear of severe repercussions – it would be very easy for Vladimir Putin to level the key cities and industries in Ukraine, but he’s not doing it.

The strategy Newsweek is seemingly beginning to admit is the same strategy Col Douglas Macgregor has been speaking about.

(Newsweek) – As destructive as the Ukraine war is, Russia is causing less damage and killing fewer civilians than it could, U.S. intelligence experts say.

Russia’s conduct in the brutal war tells a different story than the widely accepted view that Vladimir Putin is intent on demolishing Ukraine and inflicting maximum civilian damage—and it reveals the Russian leader’s strategic balancing act. […] Understanding the thinking behind Russia’s limited attacks could help map a path towards peace, experts say.

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It’s a smart move by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Facing financial sanctions and economic pressures from the U.S, NATO, EU and western allies, Putin stated today that all oil and gas payments must be made in Russian rubles.

The EU has few options as they are reliant upon Russia for energy products oil and gas.  If Putin organizes payment in rubles, his currency will automatically increase.  This sets the stage for other less hostile countries like the BRICS alliance to assist Putin ideologically and financially by transacting in rubles through the Russian central bank.

(Oil and Gas) – […] Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would start charging the countries it considers “hostile” in rubles for its natural gas.

“I have taken a decision to switch to ruble payments for our natural gas supplies to the so-called hostile states, stop using the compromised currencies in such transactions,” Putin said, per a transcript published on the Kremlin website as carried by Bloomberg.

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