Patrick Lancaster in Donetsk speaks with The Duran

 Today (Also, a report from China):

War Zones w/Patrick Lancaster & Alex at Reporterfy (Live) - YouTube

*****

Contagion, the short list

 UK:

Waves of British firms closing as SME debt hits near-record levels (tipranks.com) - Oct 6

SWEDEN:

From ZUERST! Deutsches Nachtrichtenmagazin, October 5, 2022

This is how European industry is dying: Swedish steel mills are struggling to survive

Stockholm. Not only the German steel industry has its back against the wall because of the unaffordable energy costs. The Swedish steel mills are also struggling to survive, and just like in Germany, the first companies are already having to shut down.

...

Up to now, Europe's advantage in international competition has been associated with comparatively cheap energy - a direct effect of cheap Russian gas supplies over the decades. But this advantage vanished into thin air at the latest when the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was blown up. Not only in Sweden will many lights go out in the near future and many tapes will stand still. (mu)

Posted by: António Ferrão | Oct 5 2022 9:38 utc [Moon of Alabama comment section]

GERMANY:

“A Structural Rupture” – German Companies Shutting Down In Response To Record Energy Prices – ac.news - Sept 2

 

FRANCE:

Economic uncertainty causes hike in voluntary business closures in France – EURACTIV.com - Sept 26

Italy:

[Over 100,000] firms in Italy on brink of closure  (bignewsnetwork.com) - Sept 26

Summary, of sorts:

European Countries Are On The Brink Of Economic Disaster, OECD Says | The Daily Caller  - Sept 26

The Melting Euro | Gates of Vienna translated from Die Welt - posted at GoV Oct 4

The current inflation crisis is picking up steam in Europe. The following report is from Germany, but has wider applicability within the Eurozone. When Germany sneezes, Europe catches cold. Or Covid, as the case may be.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from Die Welt. The translator’s comments are in square brackets:

34 percent “perceived inflation” — Germany is threatened with dangerous dynamics

The inflation rate in Germany is currently at a record high. But for consumers, inflation feels three times as high, an exclusive study shows. Now that could set in motion a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Inflation in Germany rose to an average of 10% in September. This is the highest price increase since 1951, when the inflation rate in Germany was 10.5%.

However, a completely different price increase is registered with consumers. According to a survey by the International University (IU) based in Erfurt, the perceived inflation rate among Germans is 34.2%.

The reason for the large difference between officially measured and individually perceived inflation: “We always perceive inflation where we have consumer spending,” says Johannes Treu, Professor of Business Administration at IU. People are interested in what they have to pay every day to meet their basic needs.

“If we notice every time we go shopping that the shopping basket is becoming more expensive, we tend to overstate the real increase overall,” says the economist. People are much more aware of the prices for everyday things like electricity, gas and groceries.

For the official statistics, the prices are recorded in a defined basket of goods that has not changed over a long period of time, and contains various representative goods and services. This guarantees comparability, but has the disadvantage that the shopping cart also contains items that are rarely or never bought individually. But for things that are bought every day, the price increase is registered very precisely. Given the explosively rising prices for food, fuel and energy, it is therefore not surprising that the perception of inflation is three times higher than the official statistics. [For sure, because luxury items don’t seem to go up in price in the same way as everyday items that are needed for SURVIVAL. Food, for instance, isn’t even included in South Africa when it comes to inflation.]

For women, the perceived price increase is even higher at 39.3%. Men, on the other hand, only registered a price increase of 29%. The representative survey took place in mid-September. At that time, the inflation rate reported by the Federal Statistical Office for August was just 7.9%.

It is not yet known whether the increase to 10% has also increased perceived inflation. But it’s likely. Because four out of five respondents see no end to the current inflation. Specifically, 86% of women and 79% of men expect prices for goods and services to be “much higher” or “higher” in October than they were in September.

A self-fulfilling prophecy

The rising prices are a concern for 92% of those surveyed, with more than half even citing major concerns. “If I have the feeling that inflation is high, I automatically expect things to get even more expensive,” explains Treu. Companies took advantage of this; because of these expectations they would raise prices even more and unions would then also demand higher raises. But such expectations can trigger a classic wage-price spiral. According to Kerstin Bernoth, a researcher at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), this effect is based less on actual structural factors than on psychological dynamics. If consumers, but also companies, assumed that prices will continue to rise, people may prefer to make purchases and demand higher wages. Companies, in turn, will raise their prices if they expect to have to pay higher wages and higher producer prices. “Higher inflation expectations can become a self-fulfilling prophecy and boost actual inflation,” said Bernoth.

In their survey, the IU also wanted to know where the Germans are tightening their belts significantly — and where less. According to this, four out of five respondents cut back on energy costs, around a quarter on the purchase of new household items, as well as on trips and hotels. According to the survey, the least savings are in education.

Even when it comes to entertainment and enjoyment, budgeting is less pronounced: 24% of those surveyed did not go without media and entertainment or alcohol and tobacco products (21%). But no matter what area of expenditure was asked about, one constellation always remained unchanged: women limit themselves more than men.

Afterword from the translator:

Just this morning I found an old SPAR advertising paper from 2009 and compared some of the prices. For instance, 2.5kg of frozen chicken pieces were then R 14.99; they are now R 79.99 for 1.5kg. Single razor blades were R 3.99 for a pack of five; they are now R 6.99. I wonder which is more important for your daily survival, a clean shave or a full belly?

[END]

********

 

Russian drone strikes in Kiev

From Intel Slava Z:

The capital of Ukraine was visited by kamikaze drones "Geran-2" for the first time. On published videos from Kiev, you can hear a characteristic rumble and subsequent explosions.

According to our information, we hit the military barracks and the airfield. There are losses among Ukrainian officers and manpower.

Two short videos of the strikes:

Intel Slava Z – Telegram - posted 1:55 AM October 5 but the strikes must have been on the night of the 4th. 

*****

Did Putin go overboard by as much terming Western "elites" Satanic?

From President Vladimir Putin's historic speech on September 30, 2022 (via the Kremlin's official website, which provides the most accurate English translations of Putin's speeches):

[...]

Now I would like to return to what I said and want to address also all citizens of the country – not just the colleagues that are in the hall – but all citizens of Russia: do we want to have here, in our country, in Russia, “parent number one, parent number two and parent number three” (they have completely lost it!) instead of mother and father? Do we want our schools to impose on our children, from their earliest days in school, perversions that lead to degradation and extinction? Do we want to drum into their heads the ideas that certain other genders exist along with women and men and to offer them gender reassignment surgery? Is that what we want for our country and our children? This is all unacceptable to us. We have a different future of our own.

Let me repeat that the dictatorship of the Western elites targets all societies, including the citizens of Western countries themselves. This is a challenge to all. This complete renunciation of what it means to be human, the overthrow of faith and traditional values, and the suppression of freedom are coming to resemble a “religion in reverse” – pure Satanism. [...]

Now I'll turn to the transcript of Fox News host Tucker Carlson's September 22, 2022 report on his primetime show. After reading, kindly tell me whether you think Putin went too far.

(The transcript at Real Clear Politics, posted by Tyler Stone, is published at their website along with the Fox video of Carlson's remarks): 

Tucker Carlson: Transgender Mutilations and the Monetization of the Trauma of Children | Video | RealClearPolitics

TUCKER CARLSON: For thousands of years, clinical trials have been the center of medicine and the idea is very simple. Before you operate on someone or inject people with some new drug, you run trials first to make certain that what you're doing will help the patient more than it hurts the patient. This is not a new idea.

James Lind did it back in the 18th century with his famous scurvy trials. In fact, medical testing has been going on since at least biblical times because why wouldn't it? Daniel of Judah compared a vegetarian diet with the diet of the royal Babylonians over a 10-day period, so he had a control group, independent observers, the whole thing. It's not complicated, but it is essential. Throughout history, very few have questioned this practice because it makes obvious sense, but now they are.

Modern medicine seems to be abandoning the clinical trial. The FDA, for example, just authorized a COVID booster without even bothering to test it on people. They just gave it to a handful of mice and said we're ready to go. Why take the time to see if it actually works? Who cares if the drug lowers sperm counts or causes miscarriages or produces grotesque blood clots in otherwise healthy people?

The pharmaceutical companies can't be sued, so they're safe. They no longer have to care even about oversight. They sponsor the media companies that cover them. Big tech censors anyone who asks questions about what they do. Payment providers swoop in to shut down the businesses of anyone who dares to criticize Pfizer. That's happening.

The net effect is sad. Never has American medicine been more transparently a racket than it is right now. With the most basic ethical guidelines gone, completely ignored, you should not be surprised to learn that some hospitals have decided to monetize the mental anguish of children. Consider the University of California at San Francisco Hospital. Supposedly, it's one of the best in the world. UCSF, despite its august reputation, is not even trying to behave responsibly with children who been convinced by TikTok they should change their sex.

A new trend comes along propelled by social media. It didn't exist before at scale. Now it does. Rather than pausing and asking, What is this and how can we help the children? They blow right past it. UCSF Hospital's current guidance for treating so-called transgender youth is this. We got this right from their website, "As youth are transitioning at increasingly younger ages, genital surgery is being performed on a case-by-case basis more frequently in minors."

Genital surgery on children – his is a very big step. It's irreversible. So, you wonder, what is the medical basis for this? Well, a few sentences later, UCSF hospital admits that there is no medical basis. Instead, "In the absence of solid evidence, providers often must rely on the expert opinions of innovators and thought leaders in the field."

So, UCSF is conducting genital surgeries on minors based on "thought leaders in the field." What does that mean? Well, it means the Human Rights Campaign is in favor of it. It means activists are pushing it. It means there's no scientific data to justify it. This is horrifying. Why is this happening and how widespread is it? No one seems to be interested. Virtually alone in our media, Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire decided to find out the answers to those questions and in that search, he obtained this video. It's from 2018. The video shows a physician called Shayne Taylor from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which, like UCSF, has a global reputation for excellence. In this video, Taylor explains that Vanderbilt performs gruesome sexual surgeries on children. Why? Because those surgeries make Vanderbilt money.

DR. SHAYNE TAYLOR: Some of our VUMC financial folks in August of, sorry, October of 2016 starting a couple of years ago, put down some costs of how much money we think these patients would bring in and this is only including top surgery, this isn’t including any bottom surgery, and um, it’s a lot of money. These surgeries make a lot of money. Um so, female to male chest reconstruction could bring in $40,000. A patient just on routine hormone treatment who I’m only seeing a few times a year can bring in several thousand dollars without requiring a lot of visits and labs. It actually makes money for the hospital.

Oh, it makes money. So, this huge new trend appears, again, driven not by medical research, but by social media, convincing children they can change their sex and Vanderbilt, rather than pausing and asking once again, "How do we help these children? What is this?" Decides, oh, there's money there. We're all in. Now, it's hard to believe that everyone at Vanderbilt Hospital could possibly be for this because it's completely irresponsible and wrong. So, what would happen if a physician at Vanderbilt, a conscientious objector, disagreed with mutilating children for profit? That's a key question.

Another doctor called Ellen Clayton explained what would happen. Again, this video we're about to show you has also been around since 2018, but no one in the media cared to look at it until Matt Walsh found it this week.

ELLEN CLAYTON: If you’re going to assert conscientious objections, you have to realize that that is problematic. You are doing something to another person and you’re not paying for the cost of your belief. I think that is...a real issue. But I just want you to take home that saying that you’re not going to do something because of your conscientious, because of your religious beliefs is not without consequences and it should not be without consequences and I just want to put that out there. We are given enormous, if you don’t want to do this kind of work, don’t work at Vanderbilt.

So, if you object to this, leave; you can't work at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt clearly thought this through. Not everyone's going to be for this, so let's just make it really, really clear. If you're not fully on board with sexually mutilating children for non-medical reasons, on the basis of no medical evidence, then you just leave.

But that wasn't enough. They anticipated that this is so horrifying that some doctors might still step out of line. They might tell 16-year-olds that they have a psychological disorder or "this will pass or maybe stop watching so much TikTok" and "no, we're not going to mutilate your genitals or cut your breasts off, at least until you're an adult," but if they said that, that would of course, hurt the business model, so Vanderbilt recruited activists, trans activists, to bully physicians into submission.

COORDINATOR SHAWN REILLY: Trans Buddy provides trained peer advocates for transgender patients who are coming for doctor’s appointments or other healthcare-related services. Whether you’re looking for something that’s related to medical transition, such as hormone therapy, or something completely unrelated, like breaking an arm, or going to an ENT, we’re here to help support any transgender patients that come through our doors. Trans Buddy program is a one of a kind in the nation, and institutions are looking to Vanderbilt to replicate and expand programs like ours.

Oh, trans buddies – right. Enforcers, in other words. It's like having the Mafia standing over your shoulder while you're on the witness stand. Doctors should be, in fact have to be, allowed to give politically unbiased counsel to their patients without being intimidated, but the whole point of a trans buddy system is to prevent that. In one video from Vanderbilt, the trans buddies say they're on the lookout for doctors who don't use the right pronouns because that's "unsafe." Get in line or we’ll crush you.

Matt Walsh brought all of this to the surface just the other day and in response to it, rather than defend it or explain it, Vanderbilt University Medical Center took its entire website offline and no doubt at some point they'll be claiming it's unsafe for them, that the people who are shocked by what they're doing are actually the criminals here and that they're getting threatening phone calls. They're going to call the DOJ and anyone who comments on it is going to get a visit from the FBI. But the truth is, people who are horrified by this are not the bad actors. Vanderbilt is the bad actor. Vanderbilt has just admitted on camera to castrating children as young as 13-years-old. This is from Vanderbilt's psychiatry's YouTube page from 2020:

NARRATOR: We can provide gender-affirming hormones on an individual who is on a pubertal blocker, depending on whatever kind of blocker they’ve chosen, or we have discussed with them, or they can present to us at a later stage of puberty and then we provide the gender-affirming hormones. Previously, the Endocrine Society recommended to start these at age 16, but we all know that would be delayed puberty, right? 16-year-olds don’t start puberty. So, more recently, they did update that to say as early as 14 for compelling reasons. So, we have some individuals who have started gender affirming hormones at 13 or 14 to be more like their peers.

Has anyone at Vanderbilt Medical Center ever had a 14-year-old? And what sort of person would give a 14-year-old—Do you know what they're like? Have you lived with one before? Would chemically castrate a 14-year-old because he or she saw something on TikTok that suggested it's a good idea. This is lunacy, but the same YouTube page also confirms that Vanderbilt will happily perform double mastectomies on adolescent girls after they've drugged them because, you know, it's pretty lucrative, actually. Here's plastic surgeon Julian Winocour and Physician’s Assistant Shalyn Vanderbloemen:

SHALYN VANDERBLOEMEN: For any kind of top surgery, we do require one letter of well documented gender dysphoria by a licensed mental health provider. We ensure that the patient is capable of making fully informed decisions on their own, they’re the age of majority. However for a lot of our younger patients, again if they are 16 , 17 here at Vanderbilt if they have been on testosterone, have parental consent ,we’re able to do a lot of the top surgeries for those patients.

So again, this is a hospital filled with physicians and ethicists and other adults who ought to be stepping in to protect children from their worst impulses, from the latest fad, from their parents' neuroses, but they're not doing that because it's just too profitable to destroy the lives of kids. So, who should be the backstop against this? Who are the people who oversee this who really should be exercising adult wisdom here and restraint? Well, that would be, by definition, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's board of directors, and we're going to name them now in the hope that these people will do something to stop these crimes before the lives of more children are destroyed.

The board members would include: Edith Carell Johnson; John F. Stein; Jeffrey R. Balser; Lucinda M. Baier; Daniel Diermeier; Sara J. Finley; John R. Ingram; Michael M. E. Johns; Samuel E. Lynch; Alexander C. Taylor; and Makeba Williams.

Let's hope these people—this is the board that oversees all of this —let's hope these people act immediately to stop this crime. But to be clear, it's not just Vanderbilt. We called UCLA Hospital today and they told us they'd be happy to mutilate our child. They just need a referral for insurance purposes, so did Weill Cornell Medicine. One of our producers, Sammy, called Cornell about getting breast implants for her 15-year-old son, who she said was "questioning his gender identity" – just questioning. Here's what they said in response:

CALLER: It’s regarding my son. He is questioning his gender identity and was interested in treatments.

WORKER: This would be for plastic surgery, Dr. Otterburn does perform top surgery if that’s what you are referring to.

CALLER: If they are a minor how do you get to that stage?

WORKER: Alright, so I can make you an appointment so you can come in for a consultation to have a discussion.

CALLER: It’s for my son, who is a minor. He can just come in or do I come with him, how does that work?

WORKER: How old is he?

CALLER: 15.

WORKER: 15, OK. I would come with him.

Breast implants for a 15-year-old boy? Yeah, I'd come with them, whatever. It's not just UCLA. The account Libs of TikTok, which The Washington Post is desperately trying to get scrubbed from the internet, recently recorded a similar call with Children's National Hospital. Listen.

CHAYA RAICHIK, 'LIBS OF TIKTOK' CREATOR: I just want to know if you guys do service that age, you know, before obviously, before coming, you know, coming all the way for an in-person consult and going through all the paperwork and everything.

HOSPITAL WORKER: Oh, yeah. It depends. Each department is different. Some departments cut off at 18. How old is how old is your patient?

RAICHIK 16.

HOSPITAL WORKER: OK. Alright, so they're in the clear.

RAICHIK: So, they would do it for that age?

HOSPITAL WORKER: Yes.

RAICHIK: Okay, great. Is it a common procedure that you guys do for that age?

HOSPITAL WORKER: Yes. We have, um, all different type of age groups that comes in for that.

RAICHIK: For the gender, for the hysterectomy?

HOSPITAL WORKER: Yes, ma'am.

So, Children's National Hospital is now playing the victim here. Anyone who criticizes this as a threat and a danger and get DOJ involved. The Washington Post, New York Times jump on anyone who questions this is evil, but that, of course, is the opposite of the truth. The people doing this know that what they are doing is evil. They know perfectly well and that's why Vanderbilt took down its website after Matt Walsh reported on it. There is no scientific basis for any of this. It does not help children. It harms children. That is known. It's also obvious. Were you not a parent? Researchers in Stockholm studied the effects of transgender surgery over a period of 30 years. What did they find? Well, we'll tell you again.

"Persons with transsexualism after sex reassignment have considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behavior and psychiatric morbidity than the general population." 30-year study and it's not just one study. More than a thousand patients at the Tavistock Gender Clinic in the U.K. have just sued the clinic. They say they were pressured into life destroying treatments and that clinic is now being shut down. And that will happen in this country.

This is a fad and because there are no adults left, no one has put up a hand to say "slow down." But five years from now, we're going to look back on this, like a lot of things we've done recently, like destroying public art and statues and the COVID vaccine and so many other things that we've done without thinking about it, in an environment where no one's allowed to protest, we're going to look back in shame and horror.

Amy Tishelman is the lead author of the guidelines for the "World Professional Association for Transgender Health" and Tishelman just admitted that recommendations for gender-affirming hormones and surgeries were removed from the internet to eliminate a paper trail and avoid lawsuits when inevitably practitioners followed them. Watch.

AMY TISHELMAN: We were thinking, and it was scary for me, about the potential uses of the chapter for legal and insurance context. Again, what we didn't want to do was create a chapter that would make it more likely that practitioners would be sued because they weren't following exactly what we said.

This is completely wrong. They won't even defend it. They won't even answer simple questions about what it is and again, it's irreversible. Hospitals are mutilating children: Boston Children's Hospital, UCSF, Cornell, UCLA, Vanderbilt and other. And they should all stop immediately, no matter how much it hurts their business model, no matter how much it costs them.

[END TRANSCRIPT]

********

 

Trump and Musk clickbait

I am sick of seeing headlines and photos related to Donald Trump and Elon Musk.  As to the media fascination with Trump and Musk -- maybe it's the same fascination that makes it profitable to keep showing earwax removal ads. The companies must know there are some people who like looking at disgusting things.

********

Krasny-Limon is an American propaganda sideshow. Stay focused on Bakhmut

I don't like repeating myself day after day, but I would counsel PATIENCE to those wringing their hands over Russian losses in Kharkov and Limon. Patience and an adding machine although only God and the Russian military can accurately tot up the number of Ukranian troops killed in their takeover of territory the Russians had already as much ceded. 

In any case the Ukranian casualties in those onslaughts across open land have been described as "massive." It was like shooting fish in a barrel for Russian missiles and artillery. I've seen estimates as high as 10,000 dead within a week, and that's not including seriously wounded. Russian casualties (KIA and wounded) at the most a couple hundred.

As to the claim by some Western sources that Limon is strategically important -- only to the White House.  They've GOT to show before the November midterm elections in the USA that the Ukranian military is making good use of the billions in American military aid.

In this the White House is ignoring the Russian war plan, which cedes territory their military longer needs for the next phase of their operations Ukraine. 

Would they have made these concessions if they had gone into Ukraine with more troops?  Yes, they would have done the same -- although a faction in the Russian public doesn't want to hear this. 

What these Russians need to keep in mind is the stated goals of the SMO and the fact that the life of each and every Russian soldier is very important to Russia's war planners. The lives of Ukranian soldiers are worth nothing to NATO and Ukranian war planners and their political supporters in the West. This has been repeatedly and gruesomely demonstrated. 

********

Nord Stream pipelines can be restored if repairs done fast enough

Early reports were that the damaged pipelines couldn't be fixed because of saltwater corroding the pipeline interiors. According to a report today from RT (below), it seems that if Russian pipeline engineers can work unimpeded, they can bring about a minor miracle because the saltwater has yet to corrode the pipes. 

The problem is that it wasn't safe until today to get near those pipelines and now they are now a crime scene. That, added to what will certainly be tremendous pressure from the USA to block repairs, may put the miracle out of reach. But as an unusually cold winter is now predicted for Europe, I can only hope that repair work on the pipelines will quickly proceed.  

As to whether the German government is willing to open Nord Stream 2 -- just days prior to the attack on the pipelines there were increasingly large demonstrations in Germany to do just that.  If the German public thinks there is a chance to get the pipelines restored, it's likely the demonstrations will build to a crescendo.

The really bad news is that restoring the pipelines will be very costly; all parties would have set aside the legal wrangling about who pays the bill.

More bad news is that at least as of today, it seems the Russian government is demanding to know who attacked the pipelines before proceeding to repair them.  I think that's a mistake; I think the priority should be on repairing the pipelines. And I think Russian engineers and German ones should work together at repairing the pipelines.   

In any case a lot of "ifs" but still a fighting chance.   

Nord Stream pipelines can be restored – Moscow — RT Business News - 2 Oct, 2022 14:15

Russia may be able to fix the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were damaged earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak said on Sunday.

“There are technical possibilities to restore the infrastructure, it requires time and appropriate funds. I am sure that appropriate opportunities will be found,” Novak told Russia 1 TV.

According to the official, however, the first step should be to determine who is behind the incident.

“As of today, we proceed from the fact that it is necessary, first of all, to figure out who did it, and we are sure that certain countries, which had expressed their positions before, were interested in it. Both the US and Ukraine, as well as Poland at one time said that this infrastructure is not going to work, that they will do everything to make sure of it, so, of course, it is necessary to seriously look into it,” Novak stated.

Citing German security services, Der Tagesspiegel newspaper earlier reported that the damaged routes could be permanently out of use if they are not repaired quickly, as salt water could cause corrosion.

The Danish authorities reported leaks on both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday after a local pipeline operator noted a loss of pressure following a series of undersea explosions in the area. The Danish Energy Agency reported earlier on Sunday that the pressure on the Nord Stream 1 is stable and the gas leakage is over, while on Saturday, it said the Nord Stream 2 also stopped leaking gas.

The incident is widely considered to be the result of sabotage. Russia has called it a terrorist attack. While those behind it have not yet been identified, Moscow has blamed the US [and Britain, if I recall, from reading Putin's speech].

[END REPORT]

********

Increasingly probable: unusually cold winter in Europe

Scientists warn of cold winter in Europe — RT World News - 2 Oct, 2022 13:58

There will also be less wind and rainfall – a setback for alternative power sources – a weather tracker says

European countries may be about to face a colder than usual winter, the head of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) predicted on Sunday. This forecast comes as the continent is struggling with an energy crunch spurred by the sanctions the West has slapped on Russia over the Ukraine conflict.

Speaking to the Financial Times, ECMWF Director-General Florence Rabier said that early data suggest that in November and December Western Europe may face a period of high pressure. This, she noted, may bring in colder weather with less wind and rainfall, which may reduce the amount of power generated by renewable power sources.

“If we have this pattern then for the energy it is quite demanding because not only is it a bit colder but also you have less wind for wind power and less precipitation for hydro power,” Rabier told the outlet.

The ECMWF chief went on to say that while in the short term Europe may experience milder weather due to the recent hurricanes in the Atlantic, an atmospheric phenomenon called La Nina may bring in colder weather later on. This usually occurs due to periodic cooling of the Pacific Ocean, which triggers ripple effects on weather across the globe and can change wind and precipitation patterns.

Rabier noted that Europe just experienced one of its hottest summers in history. While this proved to be a bonanza for solar power, it also led to a decreased share of wind and hydro power in the EU’s energy mix. [emphasis mine]

Various Western officials and public figures have warned of the desperate situation the EU may find itself in this winter. On Thursday, Microsoft founder Bill Gates claimed that in a few months the continent may face a “very scary situation” as many people could be unable to heat their homes.

In late September, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson also predicted that this winter “will not be easy,” but adding that next winter “will be even more difficult.”

In recent months, Brussels has been reeling from an energy crisis fueled by skyrocketing gas prices due to the sanctions the West imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict. To alleviate the situation, the EU approved on Friday a package of emergency measures, including mandatory power savings, a cap on excess market revenues, and a levy to capture surplus corporate profits. Officials have also encouraged consumers to save energy by all available means.

[END REPORT]

********

In Europe, "We're not calling for revolution, we're calling for common sense."

Well, if common sense comes calling, please, send some to the United States.

I don't agree with the guest that the WEF is trying to salve its conscience because they have no conscience, but otherwise, this is the most informed rant I've heard all year.:

 Oh SH*T, something BIG is happening in Germany, the WEF is scared | Redacted with Clayton Morris - YouTube 

 

EDWARD SNOWDEN GRANTED RUSSIAN CITIZENSHIP

 Breaking News at Sputnik 15 minutes ago:

"On September 26, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has officially granted Russian citizenship to former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden."

That's the entire Sputnik report, so far. 

Putin Grants Snowden Russian Citizenship - 26.09.2022, Sputnik International (sputniknews.com)

********

Drone strikes on Ukraine targets in Odessa

Ukrainian sources have reported at least 3 strikes by Russian kamikaze drones against AFU facilities in Odessa.

According to preliminary reports, several of the arrivals were in the vicinity of the regional administration building and the headquarters of the Ukrainian South command.
t.me/intelslava/37884
Sep 25 at 01:19

Post includes short videos of the strike(s).  Intel Slava Z was reporting on kamikaze drone strikes in Odessa hours before Ukranian sources mentioned them. ISZ also posted this about a half hour after the above one:

Locals write that there are a lot of ambulances under the Ukrainian command headquarters "South" after morning attack. ...

********

UPDATED Partial reservist mobilization means Russia quadruples offensive combat capability in Ukraine

 Scott Ritter's observation, from his interview with Regis Tremblay yesterday.

Russian Mobilization - Prisoner Exchange - Russians Fleeing the Call-up (rumble.com)

Haven't gotten to [to the part of the interview about the prisoner exchange.].

UPDATE

I deleted my somewhat cynical comments about what Scott might say after listening to him discuss the prisoner exchange.  He is very much for the return of the (55) Russian prisoners to Russia.  His observations are moving.  

 ********  

Battle for Bakhmut City drawing to an end

Specific Bakhmut discussion starts at 16:07 mark in Alexander Mercouris' update today. Wagner Group and allied forces (probably militia) are now very close to the city center.  He goes on to summarize other significant military action and explains the Ukraine military's tank problems, which are pretty much insurmountable for the foreseeable future of the war.  

In general, Alexander concludes that the entire Russian operation in Donbass is drawing to a close.    

Russia Proceeds with Referendums, Partial Mobilisation; Ukraine Conflict Enters Moscow's End Game - YouTube

See also The Duran's war update today, which provides a little more detail about the Bakhmut situation and the one in Lyman.

Referendum day, Peskov issues warning. Zelensky running out of road, what next? - YouTube

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Tucker Carlson Horror Show

I don't watch Tucker as a matter of course, and when I do it's usually snippets.  But this particular show, broadcast last night on Fox, is so horrifying I was mesmerized. It's not just about the people in Washington pushing to using to nuclear weapons -- Tucker brings on Doug Macgregor to ask him WHY.  Wait until he gets to the segment about hospitals in America mutilating children for profit. 

So is America being taken over by demons?  There are still many sane and good people in this country -- obviously, or we wouldn't know about the mutilation horror.  But it seems to me that evil is in the ascendent. 

Mercifully there is no discussion on the show about Trump, at least the part of it I saw, despite the 'Breaking News' headline and photo.  

   

In America the wheels are coming off

Larry Kudlow talks to Steve Moore about US economic woes -- "Feels like the wheels are coming off."  

Nobody in Washington is talking about this: Economist - YouTube - 7 minutes - Fox News.

Mentions that gasoline now costs $10 gallon in Britain.

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Many European Industries Shut Down Even Before Winter Sets In

Firstpost (India) 10 hours ago - 5 minutes

European Industries Shut Down Even Before Winter Months Set In - YouTube  "The worst is yet to come ... all because Europe shot itself in the foot."

See also Firstpost's Industrial Panic Set To Burn a Trillion Dollar Hole in Europe’s Pocket? - YouTube - 4 minutes 

Now a real risk that EU countries will no longer be 'first world.'. Wasn't wise Crazy to join the US sanctions against Russia.  

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Evidence that central Bakhmut is about to fall to the Russians

 Alexander Mercouris, in his Ukraine war sitrep today, reported that he sees evidence to suggest that fighting has moved to the center of Bakhmut.  The evidence is chiefly that the Ukrainians have blown up a bridge in the city in the attempt to stop the Russian advance. 

Russia Reaches Bakhmut Centre, Prepares Major Winter Offensive, Defends Liman, Exchanges Prisoners - YouTube

Intel Slava Z has photographs of the blown-up bridge and its location 

https://t.me/intelslava/37696?single

along with this comment:

Khokhols [Ukrainian forces] blew up the last bridge connecting the central part of Bakhmut (Artyomovsk) with the eastern part of the city. Apparently they are preparing for defense in the center and along the river.

So if the Russians are not yet in the city center, they will be soon and then it should be quick work to rout the Ukrainian forces.  Then it will be dominoes falling much faster than anyone could have predicted even 48 hours ago.

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The Duran with Garland Nixon starts at 9 AM Eastern time

"Garland Nixon is a talk show host, video commentator, news analyst, and philosopher. He’s a former police major and criminal justice adjunct professor. He received the national “Stand” award from the American Civil Liberties Union for his work on criminal justice reform and police misconduct." -- from Microsoft Q&A.  I am familiar with him through his interviews of Scott Ritter, which I thought were great.  

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Is Russia's partial mobilization enough to accomplish its stated goals in Ukraine?

Last night on his YouTube show Scott Ritter put the question to Yakov Kedmi, a Soviet born Israeli statesman and politician; head of Nativ (Liaison Bureau) from 1992 to 1999, specializing in repatriation of Eastern European Jews to Israel; former officer of the Israel Defense Forces; veteran of the Yom Kippur War. Starting in 2014 he became a frequent guest on Russian TV shows to discuss geopolitical issues.  

❗ MOBILIZATION in Russia | Putin's final warning to NATO | Donbas, Kherson & Zaporozhye referendum - YouTube

Q&A starts at the 17:30 minute mark.  Kedmi then explains what the partial mobilization actually means. how it will be implemented and goes on to answer other questions put by 

Ritter, including Kedmi's controversial statement about Stalin. 

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Biden's speech to the UN - text

Remarks by President Biden Before the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly - The White House - September 21

11:08 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you. 

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, my fellow leaders, in the last year, our world has experienced great upheaval: a growing crisis in food insecurity; record heat, floods, and droughts; COVID-19; inflation; and a brutal, needless war — a war chosen by one man, to be very blunt. 

Let us speak plainly.  A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map. 

Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Charter — no more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force. 

Again, just today, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime. 

Now Russia is calling — calling up more soldiers to join the fight.  And the Kremlin is organizing a sham referenda to try to annex parts of Ukraine, an extremely significant violation of the U.N. Charter. 

This world should see these outrageous acts for what they are.  Putin claims he had to act because Russia was threatened.  But no one threatened Russia, and no one other than Russia sought conflict. 

In fact, we warned it was coming.  And with many of you, we worked to try to avert it.

Putin’s own words make his true purpose unmistakable.  Just before he invaded, Putin asserted — and I quote — Ukraine was “created by Russia” and never had, quote, “real statehood.”

And now we see attacks on schools, railway stations, hospitals, wa- — on centers of Ukrainian history and culture. 

In the past, even more horrifying evidence of Russia’s atrocity and war crimes: mass graves uncovered in Izyum; bodies, according to those that excavated those bodies, showing signs of torture. 

This war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, plain and simple, and Ukraine’s right to exist as a people.  Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe, that should not — that should make your blood run cold.

That’s why 141 nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine.  The United States has marshaled massive levels of security assistance and humanitarian aid and direct economic support for Ukraine — more than $25 billion to date. 

Our allies and partners around the world have stepped up as well.  And today, more than 40 countries represented in here have contributed billions of their own money and equipment to help Ukraine defend itself. 

The United States is also working closely with our allies and partners to impose costs on Russia, to deter attacks against NATO territory, to hold Russia accountable for the atrocities and war crimes.

Because if nations can pursue their imperial ambitions without consequences, then we put at risk everything this very institution stands for.  Everything.

Every victory won on the battlefield belongs to the courageous Ukrainian soldiers.  But this past year, the world was tested as well, and we did not hesitate. 

We chose liberty.  We chose sovereignty.  We chose principles to which every party to the United Nations Charter is beholding.  We stood with Ukraine.

Like you, the United States wants this war to end on just terms, on terms we all signed up for: that you cannot seize a nation’s territory by force.  The only country standing in the way of that is Russia. 

So, we — each of us in this body who is determined to uphold the principles and beliefs we pledge to defend as members of the United Nations — must be clear, firm, and unwavering in our resolve. 

Ukraine has the same rights that belong to every sovereign nation.  We will stand in solidarity with Ukraine.  We will stand in solidarity against Russia’s aggression.  Period.

Now, it’s no secret that in the contest between democracy and autocracy, the United States — and I, as President — champion a vision for our world that is grounded in the values of democracy. 

The United States is determined to defend and strengthen democracy at home and around the world.  Because I believe democracy remains humanity’s greatest instrument to address the challenges of our time. 

We’re working with the G7 and likeminded countries to prove democracies can deliver for their citizens but also deliver for the rest of the world as well. 

But as we meet today, the U.N. Charter — the U.N. Charter’s very basis of a stable and just rule-based order is under attack by those who wish to tear it down or distort it for their own political advantage. 

And the United Nations Charter was not only signed by democracies of the world, it was negotiated among citizens of dozens of nations with vastly different histories and ideologies, united in their commitment to work for peace. 

As President Truman said in 1945, the U.N. Charter — and I quote — is “proof that nations, like men, can state their differences, can face them, and then can find common ground on which to stand.”  End of quote.

That common ground was so straightforward, so basic that, today, 193 of you — 193 member states — have willingly embraced its principles.  And standing up for those principles for the U.N. Charter is the job of every responsible member state. 

I reject the use of violence and war to conquer nations or expand borders through bloodshed.

To stand against global politics of fear and coercion; to defend the sovereign rights of smaller nations as equal to those of larger ones; to embrace basic principles like freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and arms control — no matter what else we may disagree on, that is the common ground upon which we must stand. 

If you’re still committed to a strong foundation for the good of every nation around the world, then the United States wants to work with you. 

I also believe the time has come for this institution to become more inclusive so that it can better respond to the needs of today’s world.

Members of the U.N. Security Council, including the United States, should consistently uphold and defend the U.N. Charter and refrain — refrain from the use of the veto, except in rare, extraordinary situations, to ensure that the Council remains credible and effective.

That is also why the United States supports increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives of the Council.  This includes permanent seats for those nations we’ve long supported and permanent seats for countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The United States is committed to this vital work.  In every region, we pursued new, constructive ways to work with partners to advance shared interests, from elevating the Quad in the Indo-Pacific; to signing the Los Angeles Declaration of Migration and Protection at the Summit of the Americas; to joining a historic meeting of nine Arab leaders to work toward a more peaceful, integrated Middle East; to hosting the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in — this December.

As I said last year, the United States is opening an era of relentless diplomacy to address the challenges that matter most to people’s lives — all people’s lives: tackling the climate crisis, as the previous spoker [sic] — speaker spoke to; strengthening global health security; feeding the world — feeding the world.

We made that priority.  And one year later, we’re keeping that promise.

From the day I came to office, we’ve led with a bold climate agenda.  We rejoined the Paris Agreement, convened major climate summits, helped deliver critical agreements on COP26.  And we helped get two thirds of the world GDP on track to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

And now I’ve signed a historic piece of legislation here in the United States that includes the biggest, most important climate commitment we have ever made in the history of our country: $369 billion toward climate change.  That includes tens of billions in new investments in offshore wind and solar, doubling down on zero emission vehicles, increasing energy efficiency, supporting clean manufacturing.

Our Department of Energy estimates that this new law will reduce U.S. emissions by one gigaton a year by 2030 while unleashing a new era of clean-energy-powered economic growth.

Our investments will also help reduce the cost of developing clean energy technologies worldwide, not just the United States.  This is a global gamechanger — and none too soon.  We don’t have much time.

We all know we’re already living in a climate crisis.  No one seems to doubt it after this past year.  We meet — we meet — much of Pas- — as we meet, much of Pakistan is still underwater; it needs help.  Meanwhile, the Horn of Africa faces unprecedented drought. 

Families are facing impossible choices, choosing which child to feed and wondering whether they’ll survive.

This is the human cost of climate change.  And it’s growing, not lessening.

So, as I announced last year, to meet our global responsibility, my administration is working with our Congress to deliver more than $11 billion a year to international climate finance to help lower-income countries implement their climate goals and ensure a just energy transition.

The key part of that will be our PEPFAR [PREPARE] plan, which will help half a billion people, and especially vulnerable countries, adapt to the impacts of climate change and build resilience.

This need is enormous.  So let this be the moment we find within ourselves the will to turn back the tide of climate demastation [sic] — devastation and unlock a resilient, sustainable, clean energy economy to preserve our planet.

On global health, we’ve delivered more than 620 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 116 countries around the world, with more available to help meet countries’ needs — all free of charge, no strings attached.

And we’re working closely with the G20 and other countries.  And the United States helped lead the change to establish a groundbreaking new Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response at the World Bank.

At the same time, we’ve continued to advance the ball on enduring global health challenges.

Later today, I’ll host the Seventh Replenishment Conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.  With bipartisan support in our Congress, I have pledged to contribute up to $6 billion to that effort.

So I look forward to welcoming a historic round of pledges at the conference resulting in one of the largest global health fundraisers ever held in all of history.

We’re also taking on the food crisis head on.  With as many as 193 million people around the world experiencing acute — acute food insecurity — a jump of 40 million in a year — today I’m announcing another $2.9 billion in U.S. support for lifesaving humanitarian and food security assistance for this year alone.

Russia, in the meantime, is pumping out lies, trying to pin the blame for the crisis — the food crisis — onto sanctions imposed by many in the world for the aggression against Ukraine. 

So let me be perfectly clear about something: Our sanctions explicitly allow — explicitly allow Russia the ability to export food and fertilizer.  No limitation.  It’s Russia’s war that is worsening food insecurity, and only Russia can end it.

I’m grateful for the work here at the U.N. — including your leadership, Mr. Secretary-General — establishing a mechanism to export grain from Black Sea ports in Ukraine that Russia had blocked for months, and we need to make sure it’s extended.

We believe strongly in the need to feed the world.  That’s why the United States is the world’s largest supporter of the World Food Programme, with more than 40 percent of its budget.

We’re leading support — we’re leading support of the UNICEF efforts to feed children around the world. 

And to take on the larger challenge of food insecurity, the United States introduced a Call to Action: a roadmap eliminating global food insecurity — to eliminating global food insecurity that more than 100 nation member states have already supported.

In June, the G7 announced more than $4.5 billion to strengthen food security around the world.

Through USAID’s Feed the Future initiative, the United States is scaling up innovative ways to get drought- and heat-resistant seeds into the hands of farmers who need them, while distributing fertilizer and improving fertilizer efficiency so that farmers can grow more while using less.

And we’re calling on all countries to refrain from banning food exports or hoarding grain while so many people are suffering.  Because in every country in the world, no matter what else divides us, if parents cannot feed their children, nothing — nothing else matters if parents cannot feed their children.

As we look to the future, we’re working with our partners to update and create rules of the road for new challenges we face in the 21st century.

We launched the Trade and Technology Council with the European Union to ensure that key technologies — key technologies are developed and governed in the way that benefits everyone. 

With our partner countries and through the U.N., we’re supporting and strengthening the norms of responsibility — responsible state behavior in cyberspace and working to hold accountable those who use cyberattacks to threaten international peace and security. 

With partners in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, we’re working to build a new economic ecosystem while — where every nation — every nation gets a fair shot and economic growth is resilient, sustainable, and shared. 

That’s why the United States has championed a global minimum tax.  And we will work to see it implemented so major corporations pay their fair share everywhere — everywhere.

It’s also been the idea behind the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which the United States launched this year with 13 other Indo-Pacific economies.  We’re working with our partners in ASEAN and the Pacific Islands to support a vision for a critical Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, connected and prosperous, secure and resilient.

Together with partners around the world, we’re working to ser- — secure resilient supply chains that protect everyone from coercion or domination and ensure that no country can use energy as a weapon.

And as Russia’s war rolls [sic] — riles the global economy, we’re also calling on major global creditors, including the non-Paris Club countries, to transparently negotiate debt forgiveness for lower-income countries to forestall broader economic and political crises around the world. 

Instead of infrastructure projects that generate huge and large debt without delivering on the promised advantages, let’s meet the enormous infrastructure needs around the world with transparent investments — high-standard projects that protect the rights of workers and the environment — keyed to the needs of the communities they serve, not to the contributor.

That’s why the United States, together with fellow G7 partners, launched a Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.  We intend to collectively mobilize $600 billion
in investment through this partnership by 2027. 

Dozens of projects are already underway: industrial-scale vaccine manufacturing in Senegal, transformative solar projects in Angola, first-of-its-kind small modular nuclear power plant in Romania.

These are investments that are going to deliver returns not just for those countries, but for everyone.  The United States will work with every nation, including our competitors, to solve global problems like climate change.  Climate diplomacy is not a favor to the United States or any other nation, and walking away hurts the entire world.

Let me be direct about the competition between the United States and China.  As we manage shifting geopolitical trends, the United States will conduct itself as a reasonable leader.  We do not seek conflict.  We do not seek a Cold War.  We do not ask any nation to choose between the United States or any other partner. 

But the United States will be unabashed in promoting our vision of a free, open, secure, and prosperous world and what we have to offer communities of nations: investments that are designed not to foster dependency, but to alleviate burdens and help nations become self-sufficient; partnerships not to create political obligation, but because we know our own success — each of our success is increased when other nations succeed as well.

When individuals have the chance to live in dignity and develop their talents, everyone benefits.  Critical to that is living up to the highest goals of this institution: increasing peace and security for everyone, everywhere. 

The United States will not waver in our unrelenting determination to counter and thwart the continuing terrorist threats to our world.  And we will lead with our diplomacy to strive for peaceful resolution of conflicts. 

We seek to uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. 

We remain committed to our One China policy, which has helped prevent conflict for four decades.  And we continue to oppose unilateral changes in the status quo by either side. 

We support an African Union-led peace process to end the fight in Ethiopia and restore security for all its people. 

In Venezuela, where years of the political oppression have driven more than 6 million people from that country, we urge a Venezuelan-led dialogue and a return to free and fair elections.

We continue to stand with our neighbor in Haiti as it faces political-fueled gang violence and an enormous human crisis.

And we call on the world to do the same.  We have more to do. 

We’ll continue to back the U.N.-mediated truce in Yemen, which has delivered precious months of peace to people that have suffered years of war.

And we will continue to advocate for lasting negotiating peace between the Jewish and democratic state of Israel and the Palestinian people.  The United States is committed to Israel’s security, full stop.  And a negotiated two-state solution remains, in our view, the best way to ensure Israel’s security and prosperity for the future and give the Palestinians the state which — to which they are entitled — both sides to fully respect the equal rights of their citizens; both people enjoying equal measure of freedom and dignity.

Let me also urge every nation to recommit to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime through diplomacy.  No matter what else is happening in the world, the United States is ready to pursue critical arms control measures.  A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. 

The five permanent members of the Security Council just reaffirmed that commitment in January.  But today, we’re seeing disturbing trends.  Russia shunned the Non-Proliferati- — -Proliferation ideals embraced by every other nation at the 10th NPT Review Conference. 

And again, today, as I said, they’re making irresponsible nuclear threats to use nuclear weapons.  China is conducting an unprecedented, concerning nuclear buildup without any transparency. 

Despite our efforts to begin serious and sustained diplomacy, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to blatantly violate U.N. sanctions.

And while the United States is prepared for a mutual return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action if Iran steps up to its obligations, the United States is clear: We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome.  The nonproliferation regime is one of the greatest successes of this institution.  We cannot let the world now slide backwards, nor can we turn a blind eye to the erosion of human rights.

Perhaps singular among this body’s achievements stands the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is the standard by which our forebears challenged us to measure ourselves.

They made clear in 1948: Human rights are the basis for all that we seek to achieve.  And yet today, in 2022, fundamental freedoms are at risk in every part of our world, from the violations of — in Xinjiang detailed in recent reports by the Office of U.N. — U.S. — reports detailing by the U.S. [U.N.] High Commissioner, to the horrible abuses against pro-democracy activists and ethnic minorities by the military regime in Burma, to the increased repression of women and girls by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

And today, we stand with the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic rights.

But here’s what I know: The future will be won by those countries that unleash the full potential of their populations, where women and girls can exercise equal rights, including basic reproductive rights, and contribute fully to building a stronger economies and more resilient societies; where religious and ethnic minorities can live their lives without harassment and contribute to the fabric of their communities; where the LGBTQ+ community individuals live and love freely without being targeted with violence; where citizens can question and criticize their leaders without fear of reprisal.

The United States will always promote human rights and the values enshrined in the U.N. Charter in our own country and around the world.

Let me end with this: This institution, guided by the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is at its core an act of dauntless hope.

Let me say that again: It’s an act of dauntless hope.

Think about the vision of those first delegates who undertook a seemingly impossible task while the world was still smoldering.

Think about how divided the people of the world must have felt with the fresh grief of millions dead, the genocidal horrors of the Holocaust exposed.

They had every right to believe only the worst of humanity.  Instead, they reached for what was best in all of us, and they strove to build something better: enduring peace; comity among nations; equal rights for every member of the human family; cooperation for the advancement of all humankind.

My fellow leaders, the challenges we face today are great indeed, but our capacity is greater.  Our commitment must be greater still.

So let’s stand together to again declare the unmistakable resolve that nations of the world are united still, that we stand for the values of the U.N. Charter, that we still believe by working together we can bend the arc of history toward a freer and more just world for all our children, although none of us have fully achieved it.

We’re not passive witnesses to history; we are the authors of history.

We can do this — we have to do it — for ourselves and for our future, for humankind.

Thank you for your tolerance, for listening to me.  I appreciate it very much.  God bless you all.  (Applause.)

11:37 A.M. EDT

[END]