This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
"Whatever We Decide Is A Disaster For Us" France Admits Putin Is Winning, Europe "Blinked"
While the analogy of Vladimir Putin playing geopolitical chess (while the rest of the world plays checkers) has been a popular one, the French ambassador Gerard Araud has a different - somewhat stunningly honest - persepctive: Putin "is more a poker player really, putting all the money on the table; saying, 'Do the same' and of course we blink. We don't do the same." As Bloomberg reports, Araud goes on to express entirely un-Juncker-like, how Putin has outmaneuvered his opponents and humiliated Ukraine. Simply put, he adds, the Russian president "has won because we were not ready to die for Ukraine, while apparently he was," leaving the ominous question, "when is Putin going to stop? Whatever we decide is a disaster for us."
Vladimir Putin has outmaneuvered his opponents and humiliated Ukraine by continuing to back pro-Russian separatists and flouting a cease-fire, making it crucial that sanctions on Russia remain firm, France’s ambassador to the U.S. said.
The Russian president “has won because we were not ready to die for Ukraine, while apparently he was,” Ambassador Gerard Araud said yesterday at a Bloomberg Government breakfast in Washington... Echoing the view of other European envoys in Washington, Araud expressed concern that the Ukraine conflict has hit an impasse, leaving Putin the winner by default.
Poroshenko is “kneeling in front of Putin with the cord around his neck and saying, ‘You know, you have won,’” and Putin is still not backing down, Araud said.
While many observers have called Putin a geopolitical chess player, he said, the Russian leader is more a “poker player really, putting all the money on the table, saying, ‘Do the same,’ and of course we blink. We don’t do the same.”
...
The economic sanctions against Russia must stay in place to prevent Putin from going further, said Araud, who moved to Washington in September after serving as the French ambassador to the United Nations.
...
“Whatever we decide is a disaster for us,” Araud said, again expressing his personal view. On one side, he said, lies France’s credibility as an arms supplier who delivers on contracts, and on the other, the difficulty of delivering a weapons system to Putin, who might use it against Ukraine or a European ally.
Araud concludes - rather ominously - and far too honestly for a paid-up member of the European elite:
“The question is there on the table: When is Putin going to stop?” Araud said. “That’s the reason that we need to keep the sanctions” because, “let’s be frank, it’s more or less the only weapon that we have. We are not going to send our soldiers in Ukraine. It does not make sense to send weapons to the Ukrainians, because the Ukrainians would be defeated real easily, so it will only prolong the war” and lead to a “still bigger Russian victory.”
* * *
- 52553 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -


Hope Gerard avoids planes in the near future.
DONT MESS WITH THE BEARS!
and i see an 'accident' in someone's future..
zamboli...no, its been done...
gerbels...hmmm...
Russia, with an economy about the size of Italy's, beats Europe. Blink, Europe, blink!
Yes, he should avoid aeroplanes or he may become knwn as Gerard Depart'ure.
Poor widdow fwoggies.
No balls.
Cheese eating surrender monkeys ready to give up again. What else is new?
I wonder how the decided to surrender to Putin rather than to ISIL?
Since our sanctions on Vlad & Cie are cratering as we speak, why don't we just go from terribly bad to fuck all worse and impose more, stricter sanctions ... squeeze em' till their eyes bleed natural gas for free.
Stop being America's bitch and grow your own balls is your answer Frenchie
Typical bullshit Bloomberg, insinuating what they really mean to say, as they deftly imply Putin is an unstoppable Aggresor, while it is America all the while everywhere- Ukraine, Middle East- that ruins the world to rule it.
Just imagine the disgrace of being told what to do by Barry, when you know it will become a disaster...
Great hit piece. Who exactly wrote this? The underlying message is exquisite in its subtlety. Did y'all catch that?
Yup, weekend Tyler on deck.
plane crash for christmas ....check
Implicit assumption in this article: evil Putin, the new Hitler, out to rule the world. Run!!
Reality: USSA fucks anything that moves. Including itself.
Complete bullshit.
I am sitting in a cafe in Kiev right now. I am a ranch hand from Texas. There is no describing the lies that have been told about the Ukraine situation and/or Putin. Where is the Russian aggression?? No mention of the terror campaign by the Ukrainian army? Who actually downed MH 17?? German Intel says antiaircraft from UKR ground. Missile from UKR aircraft makes more sense... Gerard makes one very good point... There will not be another Stalingrad or even an invasion of Russian soil. Do you think that V Putin doesn't understand the endgame?? Before NATO shows up on Russian soil there will be no more Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, or any other euro capital city. With time, no more New York or Washington... The air incursions are intended to demonstrate that Russia is alert. Besides Afghanistan, how many countries has Russia invaded? Compare that to the USA... Leave Russia and Ukraine alone.... Americans are mad because the women here are beautiful and all they have are a bunch of nagging, fat old hags!
correct, many lies have been told. ok, let's look at undeniable facts. there was a war. soldiers of several sides were killed in this war. refugees fled their homes. a piece of territory of one sovereign country is now controlled and claimed by a neighbouring sovereign country, on nationalistic grounds. including an Act of Annexation by the Russian Duma
all against the rules of the Old Order. And now Putin asks for New Rules, claiming that the "New Order" ripped all pages of the old rules out of the book, making it silly for him to be "the only one that abides", in his version
and this is it, folks. The Old World Order was around the UN, international agreements and treaties, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, etc.
You're full of shit, and you know it. BEFORE the war you mention, and all that followed, there was a COUP which overthrew an elected government, just 1 year ahead of the next planned elections. That coup was financed and prepared by US and actively supported by EU countries (like Poland), which makes EU an accomplice to this crap. So spare me the high talk about "international agreements and treaties".
The whole Ukraine mess proved that EU is nothing more than America's bitch, even when it's directly against its existential interests. Alas, that's to be expected considering the very low quality of the people running it. In any event, the Europeans are now even more fucked that before, and the new economic adversity (caused by their insane and unquestioned alignment with the American Foreign policy) will only haste the demise of this dismal piece of social engineering which is the EU. Have fun at the funeral ! I'm sure that all the Europeans with shit jobs, low pensions and no welfare left to "smooth things out" will make a great audience for your boring sermons about the hidden virtues of a centralized continental bureaucracy.
Classic case of a complete disconnect between the elites and everybody else.
The EU elites know they'll be taken care of by the Fed-fed bankers, regardless of what happens to 'their' economies when they make decisions that run contrary to the citizens' interests.
Nagging fat old bags---, Referring to Nuland and hubby?
This article jumps to conclusions and doesn't even mention the new LNG terminal in Swinoujscie, Poland - literally a stone's throw away from the German border. This will be able to account for 50% of Poland's annual NATGAS & in the past week they decided to expand capacity to 75% of Poland's annual NATGAS consumption. Currently Poland relies on Russia for 80% of its NATGAS.
This is a very real threat to Russia & France could easily build two of these terminals within 5 years to mitigate Russian supply threats. Why France doesn't just build its own "MediterreaneanStream" directly to the MIDEAST is something I haven't researched, but is also an option on the surface.
Poland's procurement of JASSM missiles has also had an effect on Russia in that a Russian air force base had to be relocated deeper within Belarus, further away from its border with Poland. So I wouldn't write these articles & brainwash people into believing that Russia holds every single trump card - its quite vulnerable and its current attitude will result in more LNG terminals and lost customers. Ben Rich also said the US has every advanced technology you can think of and then some, European nations had architectural and artisitic masterpieces to show for their empires - the US has put a lot of money into research and has better stuff then Russia will ever have.
Within several years' time Europe will have alternate sources to procure their energy needs. In a perfect world, Russia and Putin's regime become ever more isolated.
In a perfect world, this comes to fruition, and we can end the wars over control of energy resources.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/531836/does-lockheed-martin-really-...
I'm curious, when was the last time you held a mirror up to the regime known as United States, Inc.?
The US media constantly 'holds a mirror' up to the United States, Bob. That's why such a great deal of diversity of opinion exists about Obama and US policy.
In the Russian state-controlled media apparatus, the government either directly tells journalists what to say or applies the necessary pressure in order to ensure compliance. When Russian journalists refuse to comply, they die, which is why a couple hundred journalists have been killed in Russia during post-Soviet times.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_Russia
"The CPJ lists Russia as "the third deadliest country in the world for journalists" since 1991, exceeded in the number of deaths only by Algeria (1993–1996) and post-invasion Iraq.[20] It is more revealing, perhaps, to set Russia alongside its G20 partners — not just the USA and France, but also Saudi Arabia and China (see Table 1, in IFJ report).[21] Russia's problem, shared by certain other members of G20 (India, Brazil and Mexico), is not simply one of the number of deaths but that the killing with impunity has persisted over time."
The role of the American mass media has always been to repeat whatever their masters tell them to.
Apparently the 'masters' tell the American MSM to say both that Obama is a saint and a monster, that he is worthy of both impeachment and the Nobel Peace Prize, that US involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq is both a godsend and a travesty of justice, that America is spending far too much on social welfare programs and hardly enough.
Again, Bob, we hear a diversity of opinion on the full range of issues.
I can't teach you to think in a few blog posts, Bob. You're going to have to do some of this for yourself.
Please explain why the USSA media completely ignores things like an internal coup (Nov 1963) or government complicity in mass murder of its citizens (Sept 2001). Admittedly, it keeps them alive...
Operation Mockingbird
Within several years' time Europe will have alternate sources
How long is that in doggy years?
You're coming to the poker table with nothing.
<cough> Michael Hastings <cough>
Only reason more journalists don't die in the USSA is because they take it up the arse from the CIA etc (and get very well paid to do so as been widely reported recently).
Fuck all "journalist integrity" left in the West, at least in the MSM.
Patriot another 10 week expert troll. You are a liar .
And if you go to recent Putin years, how many ? 5 cases. And 2 for which you can rule out political assassination. I think this list, as everything in Wiki, is politically motivated. When I check the same list about America http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_the_United_St..., I couldn't find any single case of "journalist killed in car crash".While after Googling for it, I found immediatley one case : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hastings_(journalist). The article says : "Hastings became a vocal critic of the surveillance state during the investigation of reporters by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2013, referring to the restrictions on the freedom of the press by the Obama administrationas a "war" on journalism.[5] His last story, "Why Democrats Love to Spy On Americans", was published by BuzzFeed on June 7.[6][7] Hastings died in a fiery high-speed automobile crash on June 18, 2013, in Los Angeles, California"
Gary Web, San Jose Mercury expose on CIA drug running, suicided with two (2) bullets to the head in Sacramento. Coroner ruled it suicide.
I guess the coroner didn't want to be the second man in history who suicided with 2 bullets to the head...
i'm going with never.
German experts say otherwise, not even close.
not even consider the extra costs.
Your delusion is against Russia.
Russia has always been a reliable supplier.
Bob, Russia isn't even close to Germany's GDP, you idiot. Not even Purchasing Power Parity.
By the way, our Russian family just finished watching 'Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears' (again). It's wonderful!
Purchasing power means nothing when it's not for sale.
Russia is not a baker...and they don't have to make a gay wedding cake for anyone.
"Amerikan Patriot" with israeli passport.
You sound more like an American idiot than patriot. However, the two terms tended to become interchangeable, lately...
I hear the ad hominem attack, Bob, just no logic or analysis. Why? Because you have none. You silly goose! :-)
I couldn't care less what you "hear". If you express yourself like a moron, expect to be treated as such. You can always keep quiet and pretend to be smart...
Someone drank the koolaid and still hasn't woken up...
Middle East will always be in turmoil for obvious reasons spanning centuries while Russia represents a reliable , abundant supplier of nat gas to EU. Question is will EU remain solvent under debt load of smaller members. Nevertheless there will always be demand for energy. Polish terminals meaningless, just as their horse cavalry and waving swords. Buy Gazprom---great dividend, real assets and low PE
"the US has ......has better stuff then Russia will ever have."
Perhaps, but perhaps not...if the US had true superiority in all things military then its plan for world domination through armed conflict would already be underway. Further, the US is not the only country with secrect space and super weapons programs involving some extremely advanced technology, eg the real time video of huge Chelyabinsk Meteor shows something that looks suspiciously like a projectile destroying it prior to impact...please note the meteor was travelling at an approximate speed of 69,000klm per hr (= approx 43,000mph) at the time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UynMejSghs
So, either the Russians have some really advanced shit hidden away or they have some powerful unknown "friends" on their side
Or Maybe,
Just Possibly,
You are suffering from severe delusions of Granduer.
From massaging your own Ego far too much into the night.
Best Wishes!
James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense. He was privileged to all the USA's secrets in the modern day of the UFO. It was widely rumored and speculated that he stood alone wanting to release government UFO information to the general public.
Since there was no suicide note from such a literate man who wrote so much, that a belt or cord was found tied suspiciously around his neck. You do not need to be a conspiracy theorist to understand the facts around his death are more then extremely suspicious.An f'd monetary system won't mean anything to the US as long as it has said technology. And lol at the person who suggested using this tech on conventional battlefields & risk losing it or letting others know about it. These are last resort weapons...nostradamus even said terrible new weapons would be introduced during wwiii
Nonsense. He committed suicide because he was losing influence in Washington. His son, an attorney, died of an aeortic anurism at 62
"if the US had true superiority in all things military then its plan for world domination through armed conflict would already be underway."
Your premise is partially flawed. The US plan includes military, economic, political and cultural domination of the world. No sense in Total War to acheive this objective. It would be insanity to flirt with a full scale war Russia over the south of Ukraine and Crimea with the kind of military technology that they possess. Our interference and bungling in the Ukraine does leave doubt about our leaders competence.
@ Joe Trader:
Five are four winters.
Suppose that Putin did not close the taps this Christmas.
Still need three monstrous winters without gas, moron.
In two years, all that Russia produces will be going to China.
If Europe need gas or oil, to pay - very - expensive.
Putin endured many slaps in the face like any good patient Slavic but, believe me, the patience of a Slavic vanishes and the return, the retaliation, it's insane.
The beatings that gives a Slav when angry surprising, as is said above, insane thing.
Slavic is like the Brazilian gaucho, gives an ox not to pick a fight but gives a whole herd not to leave one.
hehe
The United States doesn't mess with any country that has nukes. Little North Korea, Pakistan, China, etc. They sure as hell are not gonna piss off Russia.
Just the facts. Barry is pussy and will do nothing. No other potus is stupid enough - Barry isn't smart enough to fuck with Putin - and from his actions, it appears he knows it.
Dogmatic idoelogy permeates every statement and action that has come from the US empirical apparatus. i think the US shadow leadership no longer has the sanity to see such distinctions so clearly.
The United States is not an independent country. Its government does whatever its bankster masters command it to. And indeed, the U.S. has chosen to confront Russia. If it comes to nuclear war, the Davos clique can always hide out in the southern hemisphere for a few years while waiting for world population to be reduced to "sustainable" levels.
Joe Trader
Great. However,
From where will the gas come from?
There is lots and lots of natural gas available. Also NGLs (natural gas liquids). The two main issues are that it will take some time to build up the infrastructure and the costs would be higher than Russian gas.
Still, Europe would be smart to have alternative suppliers.
DoChenRollingBearing
Lots and lots of natural gas in Poland?
I question that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_industry_in_Poland#Oil_and_gas_fields_in_Poland
Then, keep in mind that:
a) US alone consumes about 26 Mcf (Million cubic feet) a year
b) Most gas is not recoverable. 35% recovery is considerate excellent
c) Watch their language. You want the proved reserve. See Chris Nelder link below
c) And all the parties involved lie, and misrepresent the size of the fields
http://www.getreallist.com/do-we-really-have-100-years-worth-of-shale-gas.html
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n9140us2a.htm
Good links Escrava. Note that I did not write "Poland", Exxon pulled out.
Even Peru has lots of natural gas. Qatar, Algeria, many others. And depending on US demand, as well as what we actually can extract, there is plenty to go around.
Also, two of the MLPs have petitioned .gov to be allowed to export ethane propane and butane, as they are not considered "crude oil" (they are gases with many uses).
Plenty, for a few years anyway...
It's an LNG maritime import terminal you idiots. Why would you post a link that proves my point & then act as if low natgas production in poland doesn't justify building natgas import facilities?
1. Although more expensive it undermines russia, and prices agreed to now may possibly be less then future market prices. Also has already provided negociating leverage in recent negociations with russia. Kinda stomps on ZH's disillusionment that russia is completely in control. Any russian naval threat to those tankers is an act of war against nato - which would help russia familiarize itself with the implications of nato's article 5 if it dares to go there.
2. Qatar has massive amounts of natgas - ZH knows this very well with the desire to put a pipeline through syria
Joe Trader
You wrote:
Currently Poland relies on Russia for 80% of its NATGAS.
This is a very real threat to Russia & France could easily build two of these terminals within 5 years to mitigate Russian supply threats.
So then, don't blame the Hedgers for you not be clear with your writing and that the gas comes from Russia, still.
By the way, I know that's a terminal. I just needed to clarify the gas source.
How can you be so stupid to say that natgas still has to come from russia - right after I said they could get it from Qatar instead of russia? You're still saying taht Poland built an LNG port to continue using russia as a source - when this is clearly wrong. Don't tell me you're that stupid.
Qatar supplies natgas for LNG importers. Qatar supplies natgas for LNG importers. Qatar supplies natgas for LNG importers.
Got it yet? And because countries don't want russian natgas, they build LNG terminals.
You're such a russian ass kisser, completely failing to twist the facts - which is all russians can do, in addition to getting drunk.
And then , out of nowhere something comes up and ... Mo?ejki are so usefull for us in Poland
Joe Trader
It’s obvious, by your language, that you have an agenda, besides describing what is going on.
Anyway:
a) If Qatar could get its natural gas, from a field that they share with Iran, to Europe, why would they go all the way to the north of Poland?
b) Then, once this gas is in Europe, why would they convert it to liquid (LNG)? They would have to build all new facilities to ‘Liquefaction’ in Poland as well as new ships, trucks, and so on for ‘Shipping’ it. Then, it would need to be ‘Stored’ in especial tanks for this LNG to be ‘Regasificated’ again.
Who will afford these stupidities?
Don’t we have enough debt (give me your labor and resources, in exchange for a piece of paper) that is about to implode, on the system, already?
Or, do you think, once this Fiat–money Ponzi scheme implodes, that we will go back to localized slave labor; and, that will be able to invade other nations, and take their resources by force?
Living beyond one’s mean, in a finite planet, by worthless currency, surrounded by a growing global population, that are deluded believing that they can have more and more, is for an abrupt end.
For the people that would like to know more about LNG
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/04/f0/LNG_primerupd.pdf
Hate Russia much or just hoping your right as a trader !!!
Joe Trader
I have no argument with the points you made. In fact I went to wikipedia to look up that terminal in Poland under construction. I would be happy if Europe gains some supply leverage.
I regret that my writing was not clear.
europe shoots itslef in the foot when it comes to supply leverage. They fail to tell the US to fuck off completely when the Bulgarian/Austrian pipeline was quashed.
Its like they want Ukraine to be their only option
joe, if you trade based on the analysis you have written here, you are going to be broke. Gas suppliers will sell where they can get the most money and that is by far not in Poland - or any other place in Europe. Additionally, getting that supply is much more than just the terminal, it would require tens of billions in investments, making the cost for the gas to the consumer even less competitive.
Additionally, the dependency in the current relationship is not on Europe's side as much as it's with Russia. Russia needs the cash as much as Europe needs the gas. Were Europe to make itself reliant on LNG, it would then become a truly dependent partner, and pay more for the gas. Awesome strategy....
The Poland LNG terminal you reference is for 2.5 bcm (original plan), a tiny fration of Europe's annual 550 bcm.
You would do well to notice that Nord Stream fundtions perfectly well.
Every major gas company in continental Europe has said that there is no way to replace Russian supply. If you think you are smarter than all of them, then trade on that information and let's see where you stand in 2-3 years with that position. Good luck!
This discussion seems completely detached from economic reality.
The fact that there is talk about "the implications of nato's article 5 if it (Russia) dares to go there" is a dead giveaway.
People should have a little intellectual honesty before shooting off at the mouth. Hell, it is very easy for an ideological laptop bombardier to consider things in the abstract without doing even the most cursory economic analysis.
-----------------
One example to illustrate the point-
In 2013, the average price of LNG imports into China from the vaunted "massive amounts of natgas" from Qatar (which was China's biggest LNG supplier in 2013) was US$ 17.32 per MMBtu.
The average pricing for pipeline imports into China for Uzbekistan gas was US$ 8.63 per MMBtu.
------------------
Uzbekistan is expected to increase gas exports to China to at least 10 BCM per annum over the coming years.
Fuck the euphemisms and fuck the lies. Although it is hailed as a convenient panacea for people with ulterior agendas, LNG is not "just a little more expensive", it is flat-out uncompetitive against pipeline gas.
The liquefaction process costs alone (without including any other costs) exceed the costs of actual extraction.
If those "smart" Poles or any other country wants to "diversify" and MORE THAN DOUBLE their Energy costs outright and immediately, without even accounting for many massive infrastructure expenses (storage facilities, re-gasification facilities, distribution network, ports and terminals) for LNG, they can go right ahead.
Good luck with that.
DoChenRollingBearing
The world will NEVER ever run out of resources.
What we will run out is the ability to extract these resources because:
a) Labor and Technology cost because the easy resources we're finishing using it
b) We will always need one form of mineral to extract another mineral
c) And we will need more and more minerals as we extract less and less minerals
Ugo Bardi: “Because to extract minerals, you need energy. And that is the problem, you need more and more energy, and you have less and less minerals…You see the problem?
The troubles come from our attitude that continues to make us believe that oil will last forever. It is not possible. Let's start thinking about that!"
It seems like ZH will unfortunately never run out of your sometimes dimwitted responses.
"Energy return on energy invested" is a great concept, and hard to break that unless new technology comes along to save us.
Technology has saved us before...
DoChenRollingBearing
My first job was for Zapata Marince Service, in Brazil.
Stick with the bearings, darling!
I down vote you every time just because of your fat mexican bitch avatar.
That makes you a bigot and chauvinist… What would make your mother proud.
More Worster Sanctions!
That ain't gonna be natural gas coming outta them eyes...
Gonna be tears of laughter.
America surrendered in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read some history.
Well, so, what about Grenada, Mr. Smarty Pants? Huh? Got ya there. Did not even have to pull the Panama card.
sarc]
What about Grenada? Big deal... I sat in a US submarine for an entire month of my life 1 mile off the coast of Cuba. Yes, it was the month right before the marines went in to take Grenada...Operation Urgent Fury.
Do you want details of the Cuban Navy at the time?
we didnt surrender during DESERT STORM...
it was a stand up fight...armerican equipment vesus russian equipment...
“We were not retreating! We were just repositioning our army.”
Don't forget Wall St in 2008
and ............Korea - MacArthur went all the way to the Manchurian Border saw 600,000 Chinese and then "Discretion was the better part of Valor" and he did Michael Jackson slow walk in reverse back to 38" parallel never to go back
wasted countless villages with napalm and gasoline bombs on peasants with spears on the way back - but he knew at his age a wipeout of his troops wouldnt look good as the last campaign
The lies told were very similiar to the Ukraine and Putin Propaganda today - script never changes - read I.F. Stone - one of the best US Journalists in the last century
ohh damien, your sad little jew troll of a cub reporter was a political tool of his time...the reason for the walkback to the 38th was America miscalculated with the commitment of the PLA , coupled with Mcnumbnuts wanted /and counted on the use of our new cool wonder weapon the BOMB. ps thats why he got fired...you should remember even at your age.lol
More like 2 million reds on the border. They had more men than our guys had bullets
But the marines at Chosin Reservoir had tootsie rolls...
After winning, yes. Three democrat surrenders, after three republican wins. There's a pattern
What was won?
Please elaborate...
Surrendered in Iraq and Afghanistan? Oy... you must be long RTN, GD and BA. Moar war!
How's this for an alternate narrative: we got the fuck out of Iraq, where we should never have been in the first place, and we got the fuck out of that Sharia fist-pumping shit hole called Afghanistan after a decade of bombing rubble into more rubble and futilely trying to bring a tribal society stuck in the 8th century into the 21st.
The NPR guest said we're not really "out" of either Eye-Rack or After-Kanistan. He said there's over 80,000 merikans in the Green Zone alone not counting other locations there and he said in Sandwichstan the Army just about stands guard over the peasants growing drug plants.
He said we stay for many reasons but a main one is to keep Russia and China relatively surrounded.
It all stinks.
it sounds like the shit is gonna hit the fan!! MAD will be tested and don't see how anyone will win. but when the corporations take over after the government fails well hope it's not to late!!! 9 days of quite left then all hell brakes loose. after the replicant donkeys take over they will be blamed mark my words
And yet I think Europe might start to cross sides and join Russia against America.
Don't forget:
1. The US spies on all European countries
AND THAT'S A ACT OF WAR!
2. The Us hold European gold and is not planning to give it back.
AND THAT'S A ACT OF WAR!
If Switzerland goes to a gold standard, others in Europe will also need to follow. So the gold will become pretty important.
Off course, the referendum in Swizz will be fixed but one day soon, a country will succeed in going to a gold standard and than the breakup will start.
3. The US it's militairy power is going down. The only reason Europe followed the US is because it was way cheaper to use the US army than to pay for one of their own. So if Europe needs a expensive army to, why would they need the US?
4. Oil and energy are more important than relations. Not only for America who sold out every friend if needed to be. And that's also why Europe will switch sides.
You keep talkin' like that and we'll invade wherever it is you live on Thursdays and set your thinkin' right by givin' youse guys a taste of real freedom, democracy and right thinkin', even better than your own unelected leaders in Brussels, Goddammit!
ROFL
Yup, weall will show you real AMERICAN DEMOCRACY n how it are worked buddy!
Don't you think it's depressing that "bringing democracy" is newspeak for killing people?
Founding Fathers pretty much told that...
Two wolves and lamb decide what is for dinner....
Lynch mob also democratic both is killing...
Americans sure have difficulty comprehend simple truths
knukles, the phrase you're looking for is "we will free the shit out of you"
Already drunk ?
1,2,4 right on...3....not so much... trillions of dollars and the best science and secrecy money can buy makes fer some serious whoop ass....I dont think any major global actor(s) wants to be rudely surprised to find out whats behind the curtain....insofar as Europe turning against us...thats problematic for me and some others I am scandinavian and dont care much for my fellow non-European residents...not my people...not my culture.The latinos ,black,jews and rednecks and can fight that battle after all its now thier country .America should have stayed out of the European theatre in wwII...now look at Europe future third world white minority shithole like North America....but hey put on your hymie hat and sing koom bi ya suckas
Yeah but instead of paying interest and debts they run up for nothing, they get to spend all their money on tanks.
Who cares how large the economy of Italy and France is, if all their economic activity is made up of creating a pretense of having economic activity?
Russia is not a wonder motor of industry either, but they manage to create some value while Europe tolerates flaccid mock rogues like Rompey and Barroso, saves baby seals, and sells itself on Conchita Wurst.
Hookers and blow are a good portion of Italy's GDP.
Game theory, at its best!
Trouble is, I hate to be forced to be a piece in a game I depise.
Fuck 'em all.
@ DoChen,
"Russia, with an economy about the size of Italy's, beats Europe. Blink, Europe, blink!"
Comparisons:
Russia covers nine (9) 'time-zones'. Italy (or rather, The Vatican) covers less than one.
Russia is curerently the number ONE supplier GLOBALLY of natural gas supplies, and number TWO in OIL PRODUCTION. Italy has... well,,, 'Olive Oil'.
Fiats and Ladas are roughly comparable in quality (they both really SUCK), so there is no comparison available.
EUROPE is DEPENDANT on RUSSIA for the importation of NATURAL GAS to get through the harsh winters. ITALY is a really TINY part of the E.U. 'machine' (on the negative side).
RUSSIA doesn't NEED a 'large economy' to make the pasty-faced E.U. members comply.
WHO RUN BARTER-TOWN?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgq4w4dqKsU
You KNOW who.
Russia is not a service economy so much
Russians do not spend money they do not have normally
DCB my friend, had not spoken to you in many moons!
Europe has to blink because; although its paper economy is much bigger than Russia’s it is just that, paper. It is a net energy and raw materials importer and without Russian oil and gas its citizens freeze. Europe has no armed forces to speak off, yes I know of the great German Bundeswher , yet no credible military threat is possible. The only tools that Europe has are trade, foodstuff and German technology for oil and gas. The sanctions, pushed for by a castrati US administration can only hurt Europe while moving Russia further down the de-dollarization path.
Grande verdade!
hehe!
Bears are still far in the Taiga.
think of as Siber reserves
first of all there is no winner in a war for general population on either side, on the other hand you can mess with a bear, bu you cannot be monkey with banana bureacrat
Better stay away from balconies and windows in high rise buildings too
A man against europussies. Who did he think would win von rumpoy?
LOL
Von Rumpoy VS Vlad Putin
in an MMF Cage.
May the Best Man win!
Pay Per View on Espn This Thursday!!
Tyler, this article is only a good excuse to make fun out of the French, and we will surely have a firework of hateful comments and “good jokes” coming from “superior people” - as usual in ZH, when it is about the French.
But in terms of monkeys surrendering to third world, flip flop wearing, combattants, I don't think Yankees have any lesson to give to the French.
Just as well, I guess.
Any lessons the Yanks would give the French would have to be in German.
"Hope Gerard avoids planes in the near future."
or visits to a tall building
Just what exactly is Putin "winning"?
The argument for capitalism?
In an off hand sort of way.
Gerard has a point. It´s very much "Peace in our time" drama that unfolds. And Europe blinked - and will most likely do it again. Until she stops blinking and then...it´s suddenly a new game.I would say we are about annexation of Sudeten land - time on a historical time-table.
A poker player that doesn´t know when to stop will inevitably begin to loose big. And then something bad may happen.Russia is a superpower but that it would be able to really overstep it´s stabilized current boundaries and absorb the baltic states and part of Poland and try to gobble up Finland , etc is wholly unrealistic. And that would unleash a concerted effort of a lot of players to get rid of the poker player.
The FSB informants on this site and their FSB trolls have now been warned.Don´t get carried away. We know very well what´s going on do not sympathize with the Obamas of this world and we do prefer a multipolar world. But don´t misinterpret this as a sign of weakness.If 440 million Europeans eventually becoming galvanized into resistance and hopefully a new less silly , immature and quasi-socialist US administration will not be something you can chew on but more the bite that chokes you.
Russia is not threatening the Baltic states, Poland, or Finland. NATO is threatening Russia.
Really...? You mean to say that they don´t think the Baltic states independence is an abberation ? What about their naval activities in the Baltic including but not limited to clandestine touring of other countries national waters. The placing of military equipment in said waters. That´s just for shit and giggles ?...and so are the constant fly-overs and exercises in air force tactical nuke strikes to take out command centers in Norway,Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic states. The kidnapping of Estononian intelligence officer on ESTONIAN national territory and bringing him to Moscow for "interrogation". The poor guy was stupid enough to investigate the links between Russian organized crime and Russian military structures and planning.In Estonia.
Well that really sounds like a benign counter-balance to the aggressive NATO cabal Mr Now-it-all
i think russia knows that territorial expansion is a headache it doesnt need at this stage. Russia doesnt need NATOs nukes on iots doorstep and it is handy to have a buffer country or two in between.
I think they are smart enough to know that staying cool and using energy dynamics until NATO breaks up and/or the US disintergrates is a better option. Once acheived - well, then they might look at the option of further territory gains.
There´s only one flaw to your thinking. You postulate that their thinking and logic is the same as ours. Russia as well as China may have a totally different outlook on things. You may yet come to be very surprised. Just as surprised as everyone was at operation Iraqi Freedom. Whaddayamena they don´t want democracy and liberties? But , but , but ...they attacked us for our liberties...right?
Russia may just laugh at the concept that territorial ...or more aptly put influence expansion would be a headache. After all what are you supposed to do to a superpower that has 1200 nuclear warheads. They will do as they damn please.
You would think that they would take the smart road - the high road and wait for NATO to disintegrate - but I am not sure they really think like us.
I don't think like you, and I don't understand what the U.S. government thinks it is accomplishing by making Russia an enemy. Yeltsin offered an alliance, remember that? It seems that the U.S. MIC just has to have enemies, so it goes around creating them. A monster indeed.
Why are ITER and the Large Hadron Collider in Europe? The U.S. has no money for anything but weapons. Foolishness. The U.S. needs to use its resources more wisely. What ever happened to the "peace dividend"? That's right, the U.S. can't stand being at peace.
Yes we agree on the sorry nefarious influence of the MIC. However the enemies they badly need are most likely not the guys with a full repository of nukes of everykind and biological and chemical weapons. A country that spans 11 time-zones and enorumous amounts of natural resources. And a large army that is being aggressively built up. You would be very stupid to engage such an adversary. Hell - you don´t even dare attack Iran. The prey of choice for MIC seems to be those small sandbox countries with a lot of money although Iraq didn´t go too well and the US army couldn´t even hold done Bagdad with 100 000 troops.
Now - a new cold war would perhaps be something that fits MIC´s bill - however it now seems to be much more 6th generation warfare and that´s not the old big systems shinding that paid off so handsomely in th old days.
Yeltsin is long dead and in the ground and there´s new people in the Kremlin that think differently.
As for scientific investments in Europe the question is if we can afford it. It looks like we have to invest in armaments instead.
Russia is a Baltic state. Look at a map. The Kaliningrad exclave can only be reached by sea from St. Petersburg.
Never heard about your Estonian friend before. As to whether he was on Estonian territory or not, I suspect the border is not well marked in some areas. And yes, there are frictions between Estonia and Russia regarding Estonia's treatment of its Russian minority.
If you want to talk about exercises, also mention NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea that preceded the Russian ones. In any case, it is clear that Russia is continually trying to deescalate tensions with the west, while NATO seeks to justify its continued existence by provoking Russia. This will not end well.
Not heard about it and suspect the border is not properly marked. Ha ha. That caper also involved stun and smoke grenades and submachine guns and was clearly on the wrong side of the well marked border crossing station. And then the poor man brought to Lubyanka in Moscow for questioning.And not yet sent home A pure mistake. Of course.
As for the minority question it also goes to the Putin doctrine that Russia has unilateral right to act militarily wherever they percieve that Russian nationals may be threatened. No one really knows what that definition of threat entails.The national russkies have in the recent past been very active in working with those ex-Russia minorities when it comes to bilateral political disagreements.
I guess you wouldn´t be to upset if Chinese subs patrolled deep into US waters and landed teams of commandos that did things like that and also planted electronic surveillande gears let´s say in San Francisco harbor.And had bombers performing mock attacks on El Toro with getting code verification transmitted for go ahead to nuke that installation. Just a small tactical nuke though. That would of course only be a natural thing for China and them protecting their borders. Right?
After all it´s a well known fact that China does not have any aggressive intentions towards the US. Right?
What I am trying to say is that just because the Golfer-in Chief and the administration are run by Soros and neocons and stirring up trouble in places where they shouldn´t be - this does not automatically transfer innumerable good virtues onto the Russian side.
Life is way to complicated for being summarized in the simplified analyses , here on ZH.
To the down-voters.
I think there is something with the media in the U.S. that makes Americans unable to hold more than one thought at any given time in their mind. You know just because you have done elected at least three catastrophically bad administrations in a row doesn´t give you a monopoly of further thoughtful analysis. Just because Bush #43 and Rummy and Cheney most likely would have ended up in something like the Nuremberg trial and Obama can only be compared with emperor Nero - or worse doesn´t mean the gangster-in-chief in the Kremlin is a benign giver of all good gifts. He´s just smarter than the golfer-in-chief.
I am just as you really fed up with this NWO crap but that doesn´t mean I will be moving to China and taking up a campaign for human rights anytime soon. That would hurt something awful.
What is the matter with you folks. Why can´t you just see things as they are?
If you want to campaign for human rights, you can do it right here in the good old USSA. Militarized police have murdered more Americans than terrorists, including 9/11.
I know. That´s why I don´t reside in the ConUS any more. I am very saddened with what has happened. Nowadaysthe US is like a bad rerun of the DDR.Complete with a modern version of Stasi.
my friend's step-sister makes $67 every hour on the computer . She has been fired from work for 7 months but last month her pay check was $14130 just working on the computer for a few hours. blog here... www.Yelptrade.com
I just sent an e-mail to her computer. It seems like the Packers want a gangbang.
The boys said they would chip in 100 bucks each. If they like her, they will contract her two more times.
In just three days, she will exceed last month's paycheck.
I understand your mother is also in the business. I should be able to find her some work too...
Tylers,
This guy has been been shitting all over the board for over a month. He has well over one hundred bullshit messages in that time period- all spam and not one legit post.
Is he a close friend or something? Are you taking a cut of the action?
How about shutting down his fake account and cutting him off?
This guy Araud is truely insane and out of touch with reality.
I cant believe he says these insane things like nothing is his fault and he is such a good little catholic boy. And that is why he lost.
Another imperialist punk.
French surrender monkey.
The guy told the truth. The French did not elect Obola. America is a joke and the non-surrender American military kisses Obola arse. Who are the cowards?
Getting back to Putin and Europe. No one in Europe will want to go to war with Russia except the Poles. Good luck.
Those guys fighting for NovoRoyissa aka Eastern Ukrainian locals are pretty hard core. They don't want to fight the pathetic Ukie conscripts. They have said if they have to fight them then they will kill these them.
And nail guns. Definately stay away from nail guns.
Locals are Miners, Farmers, Factory workers, hard men all occupations..
older guys, ex services and specialists
Afgantsy, Chechnya and other conflicts..very experienced
trained from Soviet studies of WWII city battles thru present day..
Ladies armed also...
Hard men but honest and fair men. They do not want to kill their (somewhat) fellow countrymen. They know the Ukies are being conscripted by the evil oligarch zio scum in Kiev. They have told them to not fight. The mercenaries, nazis and other murderers Kiev sends - well they show them no mercy.
These men and women are an inspiration just like the Syrians and also the Egyptians. I am very impressed with the battlefield commanders and fighters of NotoRoyissa (sp?). Sickened that the NWO zios start this shit ina poor country with poor people and kicked them even harder. It shows how evil these oligarchs, NeoCons, Zios and the rest are.
Yes - it´s a very complicated thing. Perhaps best thing would be to partition Ukraine and let the eastern Russian speaking part go to Russia. It´s equally wrong to try to force them into the western hemisphere
He didn't tell the truth, unless he really is a douchebag salon intellectual with his head so far up his ass that he creates "disastrous" false dichotomies where none actually exist.
It's not just France's credibility as an arms provider that is at stake, so is its credibility as a trade partner, and its credibility as a peace negotiator.
There will be no peace if the parties lack all credibility with each other until the mountain of dead bodies reaches high enough to overcome the deficit in trust.
The Poles are always on the wrong side of things.
Ain't hard to do when youre stuck between Russia and Germany.
They ask for it..
mouth ahead of brains
@ Freddie,
"The French did not elect Obola."
Neither did the Americans (if the truth be told).
"French surrender monkey."
What would you expect from a country with a national bird of a chicken?
The German way is much more preferable though: Fight till the Fuhrer dies.
Then you can rebuild your country with a better chance.
chicken is the only animal on whole animal reign who is still happy enough to keep singing when foots still in the shit.*
* = french proverb
take a meditation about it ;)
Focus on the Fuhrer dies part!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-MMft7p9A8
Your grasp of European history is very poor. The French didn´t surrender in WWI. Look up their casualty figures for yourself. Suffice to say they dwarf the US civil war.
But in the WW2 they couldn´t wait to surrender.Why..? Well everyone had seen what happened in Russia with their revolution and the ensuing terror and holodomor an massive purges of army , burgoisie and so on. This is why the Spanish civil war became such a bloody thing with massive executions and "limpieza" cleansing of all reds in nationalist territories.
The french PTB were equally concerned and worried about socialists and communists (of which there where many) in France and also hated the "internationalistst" (the jews). They wanted Hitler into France so they could start cleaning house at home. They suspected that if they didn´t put a hot stop to socialism and communism in their own backyard the same things they had seen 10-15 years earlier in Russia would happen also to them , the well-to-do , the officers , the academics , the burgeoisie. So the majority of them said to Adolf - pleased to meet you , welcome in.
Easy to talk and act like a neocon when your enemy isn't on your borders, or a major trading partner.
Touché !