Europe's looming food crisis: "Some farming giants are shutting operations in Europe."

European Farming Giants Are Losing Steam Amid Energy Crisis - YouTube -- Firstpost (India) September 9

Note:  After USA, the Netherlands is world's largest agricultural exporter.

********

"They drove deep into Russian territory and now they are surrounded by Russian forces."

Pundita don't you dare laugh.  It's not funny. NOT FUNNY. Quote is from Brian Berletic's war update today for The New Atlas:

Ukraine's Offensive Coincides with US $3 Billion+ Aid Package - Russian Ops in Ukraine Sep. 9, 2022 - YouTube

 ********

"These droughts are pushing the land to the breaking point

Europe's farmers look to a future of long-term drought | DW Business - YouTube

Biden Laptop-FBI Affair: "Sometimes you gotta watch something break before you can fit it."

What's broken in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The quote is from the man who accidentally discovered damning information on Hunter Biden's laptop then alerted the FBI to the contents. For his trouble, it's barely an overstatement to say that he's lucky to be alive.  What he went through is quite a saga, which he's written about in a forthcoming book. 

For now, The Duran has interviewed him along with Larry Johnson, who's been on top of the laptop scandal since news of it broke.  He's probably been interviewed several times by now but The Duran's Alexander Mercouris was an attorney for many years -- a courtroom attorney. He knows how to get to the heart of situation, what questions to ask that will quickly explain and clarify a very complicated issue for those who are new to it.  And Larry's presence means that the issue will also be assessed from a defense intelligence point of view.   

The Laptop w/John Paul Mac Isaac and Larry Johnson (Live) - YouTube

The discussion starts around the 3-minute mark after finishing with introductions. 

As to whether the FBI can be fixed -- it's not just the Laptop Affair and clearly the bad actors are no longer confined to the agency's upper echelon.  I keep hearing that there are many good FBI agents.  But it looks to me as if the system has broken to the point where the only real fix is to create a new agency.

********

Who is responsible for Ukraine's ridiculous, suicidal battle planning?

Brian Berletic at The New Atlas updates his ongoing analyses of Ukraine's disastrous 'Kherson offensive' campaign. The deconstruction is very troubling because it points to NATO/U.S. rookie miscalculations.  Those people can't wargame their way out of a paper bag.

(2) Kherson: What Happens Next? - Russian Ops in Ukraine Update September 6, 2022 - YouTube

Alexander Mercouris update Ukraine war, latest EU panic response to gas/inflation crisis

 Kherson Offensive at Standstill, US Weapons Stocks Depleted, EU Throws Money at Gas Crisis-Inflation - YouTube

********

Rising food protectionism - falling dominoes

Three video reports from Singapore's public broadcasting service:

Indonesia's Soaring Food Prices: Can Export Bans Ease Food Inflation? | Insight - YouTube and

As Countries Ban Food Exports, Is A Global Food Crisis Unfolding? | CNA Correspondent - YouTube and

an in-depth report on the unprecedented heat wave in India, which prompted the government to ban wheat exports

India’s Extreme Summer: Will 45°C Heatwaves Leave Us Out Of Wheat? | Insight - YouTube

********

"Not the bridge to victory, the bridge to hell."

 Ukraine Suffers Massive Losses as Kherson Offensive Stalls and Russia Counterattacks - YouTube

Quote is from The Duran's Alexander Mercouris in his report posted two hours ago.

Alexander cited an estimated seven to eight thousand Ukranian casualties over a three-day period but said although there are much higher estimates.  The Ukranian troops have as much been ordered to march by the thousands toward certain death. To what end?  Reportedly the Ukranian military command has washed its hands of the matter after protesting against Zelensky's orders.  

********

Government by secrets means death of freedom in a society, and America is no exception

American Attorney Robert Barnes began his discussion at The Duran yesterday by untangling what the Justice Department is doing to Trump. He goes on to cover a range of government actions that enforce their power against the law and Constitution through the use of secrecy. 

The discussion also covers legal maneuvers against Julian Assange and James O'Keefe (Project Veritas), which are an abrogation of legal procedure.  Barnes also provides an informative explanation of the abuses of polling by political interests. 

Barnes does foray into his geopolitical opinions as a long-winded way of saying that sometimes governments are right about things. He should have stuck with disturbing illustrations of how the American justice system is now twisted by those who are tasked to carry out justice.  But given how much valuable information he provides, it's a minor criticism, which is why I suppose The Duran hosts -- Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris -- let him rattle on a bit.

'The Enemy Within' strategy w/Robert Barnes (Live) - YouTube

********

"This isn't bad policy. This is nuts."

Tucker Carlson in fine form. Quote is from his explanation yesterday that things are falling apart very quickly.  

Zuckerberg throws FBI under the bus

Zuckerberg's public admission underscores "The extraordinary connection between social media giants and agencies of the United States government." Quote from The Duran's ten-minute discussion of the bombshell news:

Zuckerberg goes on Rogan [show] and blows apart FBI, laptop, censorship narrative - YouTube

********

The Duran with Brian Berletic discuss Ukraine and China, U.S. struggle to maintain hegemony

Russia and Ukraine, China and Taiwan w/Brian Berletic from The New Atlas (Live) - YouTube

********

Dressed to kill the planet. "The textile industry is the second biggest polluter in the world after oil."

Quote is from an eye opening 40-minute report from Germany's Deutsche Welle:

Fast fashion - The shady world of cheap clothing | DW Documentary - YouTube

It's not that there are too many of us; it's just too many with disposable income, access to credit, and an insatiable desire to keep buying affordable stuff displayed on the internet. This combination creates a staggering level of waste and pollution that surprisingly extends to clothing.  

The DW report explains that the insatiable desire to keep buying is rooted in how the brain works -- a topic of crucial importance to the marketing industry and retail sellers. 

********

"Americans don't understand how bad the situation in Britain and parts of Europe has become."

That's a quote from The Duran's Alexander Mercouris today.

August inflection point (Live) w/Andrei Martyanov & Larry Johnson - YouTube

 (Andrei and Larry, both American citizens, reside in the USA.) Americans don't understand because the U.S. news media is greatly downplaying the situation and even ignoring many aspects of it. But there is no question it's becoming dire in Germany, which is Europe's powerhouse economy, and it's already dire in Britain.  

The Duran has been at the forefront in analyzing Europe's spiraling social/economic crises for as long as I've been listening to them, which was since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

It's a fair guess that the vast majority of Americans also aren't aware of how bad things are for Ukrainians and the country's regime but in this case it's because they have been blatantly and repeatedly lied to by the American government and its military spokespeople, including those at the Pentagon, by so-called academics who purport to analyze Russia and the war in Ukraine, and by virtually all mainstream media reporters on the war.  When they can't lie enough, they suppress information.

The lies go beyond war propaganda; the news media and government have created a kind of Digital Curtain, in the manner of the Soviet Iron Curtain and Maoist China's Bamboo Curtain. Western control of information about the war is just one part of the curtain that has descended on the American people. 

The Duran is an indication that there are holes in the Digital Curtain; the digital era transcends any one country and security regime's ability to impose blanket control. But not without trying.  The attempts to control every aspect of information that relates to politics, economics, and war across such large areas and populations are perhaps the most troubling aspect of this era.

Where is it all heading?  Mercouris, who is based on London, gives an indication when he discusses the growing outrage in Britain as people there wake up to the fact that there never was a Great Kherson Counteroffensive, and that they had been lied to about the actual war situation in Ukraine.  The British government has prided itself in being able to tamp down public outrage, but the war situation has combined with an economic nightmare for the British.

We'll see where it leads, as West Europeans also start to wake up. 

******** 

Pakistan's twin glacier melt/drought disasters extend far beyond the country

For more than 300 days a year the Indus River no longer reaches the Arabian Sea.  

Temperatures in parts of the country are 55C (131 F)

Very informative report from Singapore government's CNA Insider posted on August 2 of this year:

Poland buying Ukraine at bargain-basement prices

From Intel Slava Z - August 8:

The main thing from the statement of the press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service:

▪️Poland is preparing to establish control over the most promising sectors of the Ukrainian economy;
▪️Ukrainian authorities, in fact, have already begun to sell their sectors of the economy to Poland;
▪️Polish companies are buying grain from Ukraine at low prices, dooming Ukrainian enterprises to bankruptcy.

Telegram: Contact @intelslava 

"War at its most overpowering and its most terrible."

Crisis in Donbass, Kiev Officials Say Ukraine Only Capable of Limited Counteroffensive in Kherson - YouTube - Alexander Mercouris

My view is that U.S./NATO tutors gave the Ukranian military such bad training and tactical/strategic advice that it verges on a war crime.  

********

Tucker Carlson 7/25 report banned by YouTube but published at Rumble

Here is the July 25 report, which I posted ( Pundita: "Data may have been changed to better fit a hypothesis." Looming collapse of belief in medical science. UPDATED 7/27 ) but was banned by YouTube.

Tucker Carlson Tonight 7/25/22 Update - Breaking Fox News July 25, 2022 (rumble.com)

It is a great tragedy that YouTube management decided to ban this critically important report.

*******

Biden redefines recession tp explain there is no recession in the USA

 This is no longer Orwellian. We're in Clown World territory.  From Alex Christoforou's walkabout today in Athens:

Do NATO HIMARS operators in Ukraine need to get their eyesight tested?

"Last week, a Russian security source told Sputnik that HIMARS operating in Ukraine are being manned by outstaffed career NATO personnel and guarded by private military contractors, and that information regarding their operation was not being transferred to the Ukrainian side due to lack of trust. "

Kiev Complains Its US-Gifted HIMARS Rockets are ‘Shooting Blind’ - 29.07.2022, Sputnik International (sputniknews.com) 

The United States has delivered a dozen M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine, and promises to send at least four more. The Russian military has reported on the destruction of four HIMARS in precision strikes, and accused Kiev of using the powerful weapons to attack civilian areas instead of military targets.

The HIMARS Washington sent to Kiev are a “good first step,” but their accuracy leaves something to be desired without the sophisticated support hardware they get when used by the US military, Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, has complained.

“Presidential advisor Mikhail Podolyak laid out [Ukraine’s military] needs last month: 2,000 troop transport vehicles, 1,000 gun-mounted vehicles, 500 tanks, 300 multiple launch rocket systems, and also the drones and communications equipment necessary to maximize the effectiveness of these systems,” Gerashchenko said in an interview with Newsweek.

“HIMARS and heavy artillery are a good first step, but if we do not have the technology to find and correct targets for artillery strikes, then we’re just shooting blind,” the official lamented.

Gerashchenko also called on Western powers and officials in Kiev to calculate “how much ammunition is available” for Ukraine’s HIMARS and other Western-provided heavy artillery, and how much would be needed “to liberate our occupied territory in the regions of Kharkov, Zaporozhye, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk, and then to ramp up industrial production in order to meet the need.”

The Ukrainian military showed off the extent of its effort to “liberate” Donbass territory using HIMARS on Friday, with territorial defense officials in the Donetsk People’s Republic reporting that some 53 people were killed and 75 others injured in a HIMARS strike on a detention center in Yelenovka, DPR, with the facility containing Ukrainian prisoners of war, including members of the notorious ultra-right Azov Regiment.

“Obviously, it is a deliberate shelling fueled by the desire to eliminate those representatives, in particular, Azov, who have begun to testify. There are quite a lot of testimonies, some of which became public, even more were recorded by our investigative bodies,” DPR head Denis Pushilin said. The Ukrainian General Staff denied responsibility for the attack.

Scores of civilians have been killed in HIMARS strikes on cities and settlements across the Donbass and other areas of eastern Ukraine in recent weeks.

Last week, the Lugansk People’s Republic’s Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) monitoring mission reported that two civilians were killed in shelling of the city of Alchevsk using the US-made weapons system. A week before that, seven people were killed and 40 others injured in a HIMARS strike on the city of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region. In early July, the DPR’s JCCC monitors reported HIMARS being used in the city of Snezhnoye in the eastern DPR.

US Military Worried It May Run Out of HIMARS

Earlier this week, retired Marine Colonel and former Pentagon Office of Management and Budget staffer Mark Cancian warned that the US could run out of HIMARS munitions to send to Ukraine in three to four months if it provided more than 12-20 of the weapons to Kiev.

Mark Hertling, a retired Army lieutenant general and former general of US Army Europe, expressed similar concerns in a recent Twitter thread, indicating that the US has limited numbers of HIMARS available, that most of them are already attached to Army and Marine units in preparation for potential military operations. The supply of munitions for the systems is also limited, with about 9,000 of the 200 pound GPS-guided missiles manufactured per year, Hertling explained.

“Smart planning consideration of our Department of Defense (and all the nations that are supplying MLRS) is this: How much risk do we take in giving Ukraine an exceedingly large number of our smart weapons? And…What if, in the near future, we face this or another enemy in a conflict?” Hertling asked.

I’m 100 percent sure I don’t have all the considerations that went into this decision making. But I am also relatively sure those saying ‘give Ukraine everything it wants’ are also not considering several important US national security factors,” the retired commander added.

Last week, a Russian security source told Sputnik that HIMARS operating in Ukraine are being manned by outstaffed career NATO personnel and guarded by private military contractors, and that information regarding their operation was not being transferred to the Ukrainian side due to lack of trust. The source indicated that HIMARS fire is being covered by salvos from less advanced artillery, including Smerch and Uragan, to saturate Russian air defenses.

[END REPORT]

See also: 

Scoop: NATO Doesn’t Trust Ukraine With HIMARS, Operating Advanced Artillery Themselves, Source Says - 21.07.2022, Sputnik International (sputniknews.com)

 ********

Meanwhile, China is facing big economic trouble.

For an overview see India's WION report July 26:

The Full Context | Multiple crises riddle Chinese economy | Can China take the death blow? - YouTube

*******

Col. Macgregor: "Europe is going to have to find its own way forward."

Quote is from his latest Ukraine war update with Judge Napolitano. The colonel thinks Germany's present government will fall soon and that whatever replaces it will have to find some way to make peace with Russia.  They'd better make peace soon; the country is in serious trouble. 

Col Doug Macgregor - Ukraine Russia latest - YouTube

They also have a short discussion about North Korea and Taiwan. 

********

Somehow I get the feeling this video is aimed at German citizens

 Pundita don't you dare laugh it's not funny.

See also German city bans hot water in public buildings — RT World News - July 28

Say, whatever happened to Ukraine's blacklisting of 700 British firms?

On July 14 The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security Defense Council of Ukraine published a list of about 60 Western journalists, politicians, academics and activists it claims are “promoting narratives consonant with Russian propaganda." 

That is not quite saying they are Russian propagandists -- a hair splitting ignored by the listees, several of whom are American, who took public issue with the claim, which has somehow morphed into a blacklist among outraged critics of the list.  

Scott Ritter, who made it onto the list, even wrote his congressional representatives to point out that the American government should not be funding Ukraine's call to blacklist Americans, although he puts the term "blacklist" in quotes.  (The full text of Scott's letter was published by Consortium News.)

I don't see a call for blacklisting on the center's website, but in any case, the list set off an uproar.   

Yet if you want to know about a card-carrying blacklist issued by the Ukranian government, look at this:

Revealed: More than 700 British firms blacklisted in Ukraine for suspicious activity | openDemocracy

By David Leask and Richard Smith

May 16, 2020

openDemocracy (U.K.)

British shell companies provide high prestige with low transparency – perfect for money-laundering, popular across the former Soviet Union.

They are as common as muck in Ukraine. And often as dirty.

Foreign shell firms – ‘offshores’ in the jargon – litter the country’s politics and economy.

They are used to conceal ownership, avoid tax, make illicit payments and launder dirty money. Their abuse, say anti-corruption campaigners, help keep Ukraine poor.

Many are British, especially Scottish. Now an analysis of Ukrainian government public records by openDemocracy gives another glimpse at just how often UK corporate entities are being red-flagged in the country.

The businesses are all listed on a searchable database of thousands of international corporate entities subject to special sanctions, usually because of suspicious money transfers.

Officials decreed that such enterprises – many of which appear to be shell firms registered in traditional secrecy jurisdictions such as Panama or Belize – could trade in the country only if they obtained individual licences.

[...]

Rachel Davies, head of advocacy at anti-corruption campaign group Transparency International, suggested the sheer volume of UK entities subject to Ukrainian special sanctions reflected the widespread abuse of British shell firms in that country.

She said: “The presence of so many UK companies on this list is a stark reminder of Britain’s role as a global hub for financial crime. Despite recent advances in improving corporate transparency, it is still far too easy to set up opaque firms in Britain.

“The limited checks on the individuals behind these companies means that UK entities regularly appear in major money-laundering scandals. Until there are tighter controls on company formation, their continued involvement in suspected financial crime poses a significant risk to the UK’s status as a safe and respectable place to do business.”

Ukraine introduced its blacklist at the turn of the century as it tried to stem capital flight and address irregularities in the movement of money. Its economy ministry told openDemocracy that sanctions – which range from special licensing to fines and outright bans – were imposed by officials or courts at the request of law enforcement or market regulators.

The country late in 2019 lifted its regime of special licensing but the economy ministry still publishes a searchable database of international companies which were subject to the rules. Ukrainian laws are not usually retroactive and the ministry argues that sanctions still apply to blacklisted firms, although this is under legal debate.

[...]

I skipped quite a bit to get to the last paragraphs I quoted, and the rest of the article is lengthy, as the authors take pains to outline a tangled tale -- as tangled as the era which has given rise to globalized thievery that has in effect put entire countries up for sale.

But my question at the moment is whether these blacklists have anything to do with the British government's level of intervention in the Ukraine-Russian war and Boris Johnson's fanatical support for the country's present regime. We might know if it's a factor once, if ever, the blacklisting tale gets untangled.    

********

Brian Bertelic untangles Pentagon's version of warfighting status in Ukraine

Russian Ops in Ukraine (July 28, 2022) - Ukraine's "Kherson Offensive," Battle in the Donbass (rumble.com) - video report; can also be seen at YouTube

It was a struggle in parts, but The New Atlas' Brian Bertelic manages to keep a straight face about the Pentagon's pretzel analysis. 

********

Poland prepping as NATO's next battering ram against Russia.

Brian Berletic at The New Atlas outlines the situation with emphasis on describing weapons systems being loaded into Poland. His YouTube page includes urls for print references (NEO, WSJ, Reuters, etc.) that he discusses in his report today.

Poland's Position as the Next "Ukraine" - YouTube

********

"The first thing you have to do is designate a Nitrogen Minister"

Today's handy tips from The Duran's Alex Christoforou on how to crash your nation. If you haven't heard about the land grab in the Netherlands, a relatively painless way to learn is during Alex's July 6 walkabout in a beautiful Athens marina.

Mark Rutte land grab. Elensky wants $750BN. Sunak-Javid dump Boris. Obrador, free Assange. Update 1 - YouTube  (Alex bows to calls for a ban on the letter "Z" so technically it should be "Gaprom.")  

********

With so much potential wealth, why is Ukraine so poor?

The author mentions the Russian interest in the incredible wealth of the subsoil in Donbass. The Russians can stand in line; everyone and his uncle must have been interested in developing that land -- except, it seems, the Ukrainians themselves.  What have those people been doing all these years? Very mysterious, it seems to me.     

Donbass: why is it so disputed?| ILLUMINATION | Medium

Everything depends on the riches of its subsoil

By Annalisa Vibio
April 20, 2022

The military aggression by the Kremlin goes far beyond the desire to recover the identity of the ancient Slavic people of the Rus’. Behind this political facade, in fact, there are practical and economic reasons. Putin’s goal is mainly to lift the Russian economy and solve its difficulties by targeting the mineral wealth of the Donbass.

This region, in the east of Ukraine, can indeed be considered as the industrial heart of the country, as it is rich in mineral deposits, oil and, at the same time, famous for its coal reserves. The most exploited area extends for about 23,000 square km south of the Donets River, but the areas that have coal in the subsoil also cover several kilometers overst [sic], up to the Dnieper River.

In short, the Donbass has always been one of the most economically advantaged areas in Ukraine. Before 2014, before the self-proclaimed Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk caused the separatist conflict, the region was worth 14.5% of the nation’s GDP and produced 25% of exports. Until Frebruary, low-intensity warfare has however, then brought tragic consequences. In addition to the collapse of industrial production by 70% or the railway lines and roads destroyed, in seven years the number of victims has reached 14 thousand.

What thus is the Donbass treasure?

Gas and lithium

The Donbass or all the territories bordering the Dnieperare rich in gas fields, discovered starting from the 1950s. 90% of neon gas comes from the region, which is the basis for electronic chips. Iceblick is therefore the company, founded 32 years ago in Odessa, which produces 65% of the world’s neon. For this reason, it is Silicon Valley’s preferred supplier.

Connected to neon, Donbass is also important for lithium, a fundamental component for electric car batteries. The Australian group European Lithium, in Donetsk, in the days preceding the outbreak of the war, had just closed an extraction contract. Similarly, Chinese interests were also coming to the area as the Chengxin company had just decided to finalize a concession.

Obviously, the Kremlin’s design thwarted all efforts.

Minerals

According to the experts of the CNR of Rome, the rocks of the Donbass region are particularly valuable. In fact, lithium is not contaminated by other metals, such as zinc, lead or cadmium.

Other minerals are also present in the subsoil, as well as rare elements (cobalt, chromium, ziconium, molybdenum). These are particularly important for the production of optical fibers to catalysts. In addition, the Donbass includes 10% of the world reserves of iron, 6% of titanium and 20% of graphite. The Kiev geological service, before last February, was trying to attract 10 billion in investments.

Furthermore, Ukraine is the largest manganese reserve in Europe, with more than 2 billion tons, located mainly in the Dnipro basin. Finally, the nation ranks first on the continent for both titanium and uranium reserves. At the time of the Soviet Union, the country owned the monopoly for the production of concentrated titanium. Likewise, it is no coincidence that the main nuclear power plants have been built in these areas.

The Azovstal

The Azovstal steel factory became the symbol of the siege of Mariupol. Part of the Metinvest group, it was founded in 1837 and then relaunched in 1933. Strategically located in the heart of Europe, the industrial complex, now bombed and besieged, was technologically advanced and particularly efficient. Not surprisingly, at the time of the USSR, it supplied 50% of the steel produced in the Soviet Union. Its great strength was its proximity to the energy and raw materials supply funds, alongside the commercial port.

Thanks to its efficiency, tensions and low-intensity warfare have never hurt the turnover, which reached 2.7 billion euros last year, beating the other large Kryvorizhstal complex near Kiev. This was recently bought by ArcelorMittal.

Sources I was inspired by to write this article:

• Ucraina: acciaio e miniere, ecco il tesoro del Donbass che fa gola a Putin, published by La Repubblica
• Donbass, perché la Russia lo vuole e l’Ucraina non lo molla, Dataroom by Milena Gabanelli, published by Il corriere della sera
• Terre rare, carbone e metalli: perché il Donbass è così prezioso, published by Il corriere della sera

I am an Italian student who tries every day to improve her English. I really like writing and studying in this language, also to be able to reach more people. However, I still often run into mistakes. So, if while reading my article you have found some, do not hesitate to contact me, either through a comment or private note!

[END]

"Data may have been changed to better fit a hypothesis." Looming collapse of belief in medical science. UPDATED 7/27

UPDATE

Fox also posts Tucker's reports at Rumble.  Here is the report that YouTube banned:

Tucker Carlson Tonight 7/25/22 Update - Breaking Fox News July 25, 2022 (rumble.com)

 END UPDATE

Tucker goes through a list- - bing bing bing -- of how pharmaceutical companies abused scientific research in the most horrific ways.    

Col. Douglas Macgregor has choice words about the Woke U.S. military

 And some words about the alliance called NATO.  The July 19 conversation with Judge Napolitano is based on Macgregor's July 18 article Worshipping Dead Horses - The American Conservative.

"We're fucked"

 LOL

Catastrophe in Europe marches on

 The Duran, today:

More on Russia's force majeure declaration:

Gazprom Declares Force Majeure On Some Gas Deliveries To Europe | OilPrice.com

See also:

$100+ Oil Is Back For The Long Haul | OilPrice.com

Germany Faces Coal Supply Crisis As Rhine River Waters Dwindle | OilPrice.com

Europe's Heat Wave Is Pushing Energy Prices Up and Clean Energy Out - Bloomberg

********

Indian Reserve Bank's answer to SWIFT- - and the petrodollar

 Wow.  Times they are a changing.

HIMARS boondoggle explained

Analysis from The Duran's Alexander Mercouris 

Russia Claims HIMARS Destroyed, Plans Further Advance, Ukraine Kherson Offensive Possibly Called Off (rumble.com) - July 17

Another illuminating discussion of the boondoggle and the current military situation in Ukraine is from Brian Berletic at The New Atlas. This video is much shorter than Alexander's; both are helpful for a broad understanding of the present and projected war situation in Ukraine. 

 Ukraine Loses another HIMARS, Russian Advance Continues (rumble.com)- July 17

For those who can't get enough of Alexander's analyses (that includes me), see: 

 Ukraine Drops Million Man Army, West to Reject Putin's Pending Offer, War Clouds Gather over Iran - YouTube - July 17

********

Biden fails in Saudi Arabia

 Video report yesterday from The Duran's Alex Christoforou:

Biden fails in KSA. MBS will consult with OPEC+. Italy Di Maio blames PUTIN for Draghi trouble. Update 1 (odysee.com)

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Swedish society no longer a model, to the extent it ever was

The following report makes clear Sweden has become violent.   

'Very Worrying': Swedish Police Ring Alarm Bell Over Gangs Armed With Anti-Tank Weapons - 18.07.2022, Sputnik International (sputniknews.com)

********

 

Heat Wave in W. Europe: Unexpected twist to the sanctions war against Russia

In Europe they were worried about the effect of Russia sanctions on heating in Europe's upcoming winter. They didn't think about the summer. 

"Weather watchers in the U.K. have been more focused on how cold it might get in winter with energy bills due to jump again in October and exacerbating an already painful cost-of-living crisis. ... The heat is set to put added strain on a U.K. energy system that’s already under pressure from soaring natural gas prices. London office buildings will be ramping up electricity demand to keep workers cool.:

Scorching summer heat wave throws Britain into more chaos | The Spokesman-Review - July 16

By Will Mathis, Charlotte Ryan and Deirdre HipwellBloomberg News
LONDON – After strikes, transport disruption, soaring inflation, a jump in COVID-19 infections and the resignation of its prime minister, now the sweltering summer is about to add to the havoc in the U.K.
The Met Office issued its most severe warning for next week, with temperatures set to rise above 95 Fahrenheit in parts of England, including London, and they might hit national records exceeding 104 F. The red alert, with potential power outages, canceled flights, and a danger to life was triggered for the first time and is in place for Monday and Tuesday. 
The government convened an emergency Cobra meeting on Saturday to prepare contingency plans for the heat wave. Transport for London advised customers to travel only if necessary.

It all added to the chaos in a nation that’s grappling with messy politics and a wilting economy. While supermarkets expect ice cream sales to also reach records and coastal resorts welcome people to cool down, the custodians of the U.K.’s infrastructure are flagging the worst-case scenarios.

The electricity infrastructure is straining under the heat and as cooling systems ramp up, a lack of wind is reducing supplies. The railway network, which in the past has seen cables snap and tracks buckle, is reducing speed on services. The National Health Service is concerned hospitals already overwhelmed will see a spike in patients suffering from the heat.

“In this country, we’re used to treating a hot spell as a chance to go and play in the sun,” said Penny Endersby, the Met Office’s chief executive officer. “This is not that sort of weather.”

Searing temperatures across Europe have crippled agriculture in France, forced Spain to cut water supply in some regions and triggered a state of emergency in parts of Italy. While more drastic this year, increasingly hot summers aren’t as unusual as they are in Britain. Greece, for example, regularly experiences deadly wildfires.

Weather watchers in the U.K. have been more focused on how cold it might get in winter with energy bills due to jump again in October and exacerbating an already painful cost-of-living crisis.

The U.K. had taken a break from images of canceled trains, hours-long lines at airports and missing luggage to watch Prime Minister Boris Johnson announce his resignation following a series of scandals involving his conduct. The news this week has been dominated by the race to replace him – but also the weather.

The latest warning is an escalation from forecasts in recent days, when the Met Office expected next week’s temperatures could likely reach the high 80s.

The heat is set to put added strain on a U.K. energy system that’s already under pressure from soaring natural gas prices. London office buildings will be ramping up electricity demand to keep workers cool.

That could increase the load on some grid infrastructure that’s not able to transmit as much power when ambient temperatures rise.

Britain’s network is designed for extreme temperatures but operators in the areas affected by the Met Office’s red warning have escalated preparations for the heat wave, according to the industry lobby group.

On the generation side, the high-pressure system that’s bringing the heat also creates low winds that sap Britain of one of its biggest sources of cheap energy. Wind farms are set to generate less than 2 gigawatts of power on Monday, leaving the electricity grid more reliant on expensive natural gas.

Solar will help lighten the burden, but the U.K.’s fleet of farms is much smaller than its wind power potential.

[END REPORT]

See also:

Hungary declares 'energy emergency' over threat of shortages - ABC News (go.com) - July 13

Heat wave in Europe: 'National emergency' in UK as historic temps forecast and wildfires rage (msn.com) - July 17

[...]

In Spain, 237 deaths have occurred due to high temperatures this month, according to the country's Carlos III Institute, which records temperature-related fatalities daily.

The heat has helped fuel raging wildfires in multiple countries:

• In France, firefighters struggled Saturday to contain a huge wildfire that raced across pine forests in the Bordeaux region for a fifth straight day.
• In Portugal, more than 160 people have been injured by wildfires and hundreds have been forced to evacuate. The pilot of a firefighting plane also died when his plane crashed.
• Spain is also battling several wildfires, including two that have burned about 18,200 acres and caused around 3,000 people to be evacuated.
• [...]

"RUSSIA Takes $100 BILLION Risk of Self Insuring OIL DELIVERIES to INDIA & CHINA due to SANCTIONS"

I wondered why the Russians weren't doing that.  Turns out they are. This move largely obviates the Western sanctions, which to my understanding are chiefly aimed at Western oil insurers.  Yet Russia's move is one of necessity given the great increase of Russian oil shipments via sea since sanctions were imposed. Very clear explanation of a complex situation at this YouTube site:

See also: Russian fuel is flooding the Middle East – Bloomberg — RT Business News - July 17

 

"It's pretty much done for the U.K."

SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds - BBC News - July 12

The BBC investigative report on the SAS murder of several Afghan detainees during the Afghan War is shocking news -- but almost as shocking is the British public's reaction to the report, at least according to Andrei Martyanov. 

This is the first I'm hearing about the issue, from Andrei's discussion in his video report today. 

SAS and BRICS - YouTube

After listing other horrors in the society, he concludes that Britain is, well, pretty much done for. 

Britain is actually very wealthy, so it won't collapse, but the, uh, social fabric seems badly frayed. Yet one obvious bright spot is that the BBC report indicates it reached its gag limit -- or rather a faction in the British military or the government did and alerted the Beeb. From a VOA report dated July 12: 

[...]

A BBC investigation, citing newly obtained military documents, alleged Tuesday that 54 people were unlawfully killed in the southern Afghan province of Helmand by a single unit of the Special Air Service (SAS), a special forces unit of the British army.

The broadcaster said its four-year inquiry also found “evidence suggesting the former head of the special forces failed to pass on evidence to a murder inquiry.”

[...]

Report Alleges British Soldiers Committed War Crimes in Afghanistan (voanews.com)

Yet according to Andrei, at least, the British public is more upset about the disclosure threatening to endanger British lives than the war crimes. I doubt all Britons feel that way although it does seem that the society is in deep trouble.  They can stand in line; Western societies in general are in deep trouble. "Things fall apart, the center cannot hold." 

******* 

Yet another great analysis from The Duran's Alexander Mercouris

His high level of analysis is so consistent that it's easy to start taking it for granted, so sometimes I have to remind myself that he is absolutely incredible. Alex Christoforu, his co-host at The Duran, calls him "The Oracle of London" and that he is, although his political analyses of the entire of Europe makes him also "The Oracle of Europe."  And while he is always downplaying his understanding of military matters ("Remember I have no military background.") his insights about the Ukraine military situation are often invaluable.

He does have an advantage in that he comes from a political family in Greece and has been steeped in European politics virtually all his life.  In addition to this vast knowledge, which has given him good judgment, his research on political and military matters is so painstaking I wonder when he sleeps. He is notoriously high strung, but I would be too if plowed through, analyzed, and reported on as many reports as he does every day. 

Yet I think that part of his nerves is the sense of responsibility he has regarding his commentaries, as more and more people turn to him for insights during this very dangerous and confusing time.  He obviously wants to get it as correct as he can. That's a heavy load to be carrying, day in, day out, seven days a week.  

A driven man.  But to our advantage. You can learn a great deal from Alexander Mercouris, so the investment in time listening to him is well worth it.  I think you'll agree that as long as minds such as Alexander's are among us, the human race is better off than we tend to assume on our worst days.  

Here is his latest, from yesterday, posted at Rumble:  

Russia Intensifies Shelling, Gains Ground in Donbass, Ukraine Places Hopes in HIMARS, Putin to Tehran (rumble.com)

*******.   

G7 answer to China's BRI, a steal at $600 billion, reduced from $40 trillion!

 sigh.

Oops!

 Ii updated the previous post but just to make sure everyone sees the update:

UPDATE 9:05 PM ET

From a later entry at Moon of Alabama comment section:

@40; terrifying video of Kinzhal strike;

That video is fake - VFX.

It is a copy of this YT video "What if Russia Started Nuclear War?" from 22 February.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ67hVlxM-8

Posted by: moabeobachter | Jun 19 2022 15:56 utc | 67

Oops.  Okay, but the what the heck is that explosion?  And what does a Kinzhal strike look like?  Anyway, the video is definitely not showing a strike today on Uke weapons depot.  

"Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Oh my God! Holy shit!" UPDATED 9:05 PM ET

 알렉산더 대왕 on Twitter: "@Russ_Warrior @Navsteva A Russian Kinzhal missile at 12,000 kilometers per hour, 10 times faster than sound, was, reportedly, used today to destroy a Ukrainian weapons depot 136 meters underground. (Listen to the astonishment of the American reporter when he suddenly saw this). via @Dmitry65smols https://t.co/hbP4BsmFlb" / Twitter

(H/T Moon of Alabama comment section.)

UPDATE

From a later entry at Moon of Alabama comment section:

@40; terrifying video of Kinzhal strike;

That video is fake - VFX.

It is a copy of this YT video "What if Russia Started Nuclear War?" from 22 February.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ67hVlxM-8

Posted by: moabeobachter | Jun 19 2022 15:56 utc | 67

Oops.  Okay, but the what the heck is that explosion?  And what does a Kinzhal strike look like?  Anyway, the video is definitely not showing a strike today on Uke weapons depot.  

"What a complete mess the collective West has made of things."

The observation is from Alex Christoforu (The Duran) during his walkabout/video report today at the Thessaloniki harbor in Greece.

NYT, Biden has no idea what Elensky is doing. Yellen price cap oil. Lavrov de-mine Odessa. Update 1 (rumble.com)

(Kiev's government called for a global ban on the letter "Z" so Alex took them at their word and always refers to Zelensky as "Elensky." snark.)   

********

Russia consolidates gains in Ukraine

Russia Consolidates Gains, Land Bridge to Crimea Complete, Ukraine Must Surrender Kherson Zaporozhie (rumble.com) - Alexander Mercouris (The Duran) video report June 9

While China has been encircling India, India has been encircling China

Interesting.  The catch is that the explanation is delivered in VERY rapid-fire Indian-accented English; the moderator is racing to stuff the report into 15 minutes. Also, he keeps referencing his "previous" video about China; I can't find it yet -- "Think School" has several videos posted at YouTube.  Well, the previous video is not necessary for an understanding of India's own "String of Pearls." It just requires close listening to keep up with the pace of explanation.

How India is TRAPPING China with its Military STRATEGY? : Geopolitical Case study - YouTube

********

"Why should you have nice relaxed weekend when I can spoil it for you?"

Andrei Martyanov at the top of his form.  I decided not to spoil my weekend so I'm watching the complete video tonight but I can't resist the title:  "Math of Geopolitics."  Something to do with "Composite Index of National Capability, British fake videos, real economy."  

Math of Geopolitics, CINC. - YouTube

Sounds like 25 minutes of sheer hell but Andrei has a way of making hell sound almost fun, or at least amusing.  

********

"The U.S. cannot defeat China. So what they're going to do is burn down the world to spite China."

Brian Berletic is a one-man army LOL.  Listen and learn if you've never heard of the Oslo Freedom Fund before.  

Brian, under the pen name of Tony Cartalucci, has been exposing the scheming of such characters for years, which I've mentioned several times over the years on this blog, and is continuing under his own name to pull back the curtain. 

I am very proud to say that Brian is an American, born and raised.  He has already done more than his share to alert fellow Americans to the worst threats from within their own country.  He has lived for years in Thailand but should not be confused with the anti-American contingent of expat Americans around the world. He is most definitely not anti-American. It is just that he knows in great detail the real drivers of the worst of American foreign policy.

His New Atlas channel on YouTube is also available on Rumble and while he started a new blog called The New Atlas, I am seeing a dire security warning associated with the link.  So, I am sticking with his old blog, Land Destroyer, which features his most recent writings/videos for New Atlas. 

By the way he's doing great video updates on the war in Ukraine. I see The Duran is starting to take notice.  

******

Electronic warfare on the battlefield

Telegram: Contact @intelslava - June 4

The newest electronic warfare complex "Palantin" during a special operation suppresses electronic objects of Ukrainian militants [video]

The complex of electronic warfare (EW) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation "Palantin" blocks the control of reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles of the enemy, "jamming" cellular communication centers and Internet sources at the command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Actually, Palantin has been in use for some time:  

"Tirada" and "Palantin": 19 new electronic warfare systems have been created in Russia over the past few years (topwar.ru) - 5 May 2021 ("Many of them have no analogs.")

For a broader discussion of battlefield EW:

Deadly secret: Electronic warfare shapes Russia-Ukraine war | AP News - June 4

Detailed report that breaks down complex concepts so a 'general' reader can understand them.

********