The NATO Buildup On Russia's Border - Groundless Pretext For Cold War Revival

Submitted by Patrick Smith via Salon.com,

Have you picked up on the new trope du jour? We are all encouraged to bask in our innocence as we lament the advent of a new Cold War. The thought has been in the wind for more than a year, of course, at least among some of us. But we witness a significant turn, and I hope this same some of us are paying attention.

As of this week, leaders who know nothing about leading, thinkers who do not think and opinion-shaping poseurs such as Tom Friedman are confident enough in their case to sally forth with it: The Cold War returns, the Russians have restarted it and we must do the right thing - the right thing being to bring NATO troops and materiel up to Russia’s borders, pandering to the paranoia of the former Soviet satellites as if they alone have access to some truth not available to the rest of us.

James Stavridis, the former admiral and NATO commander, quoted in Wednesday’s New York Times: “I don’t think we’re in the Cold War again—yet. I can kind of see it from here.”

I can kind of see it, too, Admiral, and cannot be surprised: NATO has missed the Cold War since the Wall came down and the Pentagon’s creature in Europe commenced a quarter-century of wandering in search of useful enemies. At last, the very best of them is back.

The inimitable (thank goodness) Tom Friedman on the same day’s opinion page: “This time it seems like the Cold War without the fun—that is, without James Bond, Smersh, ‘Get Smart’ Agent 86’s shoe phone,” and so on.

Leave it to Tom to recall the single most consequentially corrosive period in American history by way of its infantile frivolities. He is paid, after all, to make sure Americans understand events cartoonishly rather than as historical phenomena with chronology, causality and responsibility attaching to them.

You have here a classic one-two. Stavridis’ successors in the military get on with the business of aggressing abroad and trapping Russia in a frame-up J. Edgar Hoover would admire, while Friedman buries us in marshmallow fluff sandwiches.

A couple of columns back I wondered aloud as to what all the talk of renewed Russian aggression, begun in mid-April, was all about. It certainly had nothing to do with Russian aggression for the simple reason there was none. If you saw any, please tell us all about it in the comment box.

A couple of columns earlier I questioned why John Kerry met Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov, his foreign minister, in Sochi. Altogether weirdly, the secretary of state suddenly appeared to make common cause with the Russian president.

My worst predictions are now realities. We have just been subjected to a tried-and-sometimes-true campaign preparing us for a Cold War reprise—begun, like the original, by spooks and Pentagon planners ever eager to escalate unnecessary tensions in the direction of unnecessary conflict.

Think with history, readers. We are now back in the mid-1950s by my reckoning, when the template at work today was perfected in places such as Guatemala. The Dulles brothers double-handedly transformed Jacobo Árbenz, offspring of a Swiss druggist and Guatemala’s second properly elected president, into an agent of “Communist aggression,” as the Times helpfully described him at the time. Árbenz was deposed in 1954, of course, and most Americans were obediently relieved that another “threat” had been countered. (I have always loved the purely American thought of an aggressive Guatemala.)

On through the decades, from Ho to Lumumba to Allende to the Sandinistas—every single case falsely cast as a Moscow-inspired challenge to the “free world,” every case in truth reflecting America’s ambition to global dominance. There is a golden rule at work here, so do not miss it: Americans never act but in response to a threat to human freedom originating among the mal-intended elsewhere.

Any good historian—and stop being so negative, you find good ones here and there—will tell you that the golden rule has applied without exception since the 18th century. It applied to the Mexicans in the 1840s, the Spanish in the 1890s, and countless times during the century we call American.

Even now, the golden rule is inscribed in any American history text you may pick up. It is integral to Americans’ consciousness of themselves. And in consequence it is near to impossible for most of us to grasp our role in events as they unfold before our eyes, never mind our true place in history.

So long as the rule applies, all notions of causality and responsibility are erased from the story. This reality is very close to the root of the American crisis, if you accept the thought that we are amid one.

I view the marked deterioration of the West’s relations with Russia since April in precisely this historically informed light. We have entered upon a new Cold War, all right, and its similarity to the last one lies in one aspect more important than any other: Washington instigated this one just as Truman set the first in motion when he armed the Greek monarchy—fascist by his own ambassador’s description—against a popular revolt in 1947.

You would think it something close to a magician’s trickery to conduct a century and more’s worth of coups, political subterfuge and military interventions and keep Americans convinced that all done in their names is done in the name of good. But we live through a case in point. We now witness an aggressive military advance toward Russia’s borders on a nearly astonishing scale, yet very few Americans are able to see it for what it is.

Such is the power of our golden rule.

The theme of new Russian aggression sounded over the past couple of months reeked of orchestration from the first, as suggested in this space when it was first sounded. It was too consistent in language, tone and implication, whether it came from the Pentagon, NATO or Times news reports—which are, naturally, based on Pentagon and NATO sources.

Anything counted: Russia’s military exercises within its own borders were aggressive. Russian air defense systems on its borders were aggressive. Russia’s military presence in Kaliningrad, Russian territory lying between Lithuania and Poland, was an aggressive threat.

The caker came 10 days ago, when Putin promised his generals 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles. Aggressive times 10, we heard over and over. “Loose rhetoric” was the incessantly repeated phrase.

In this connection I loved Ashton Carter in an exclusive interview on CBS Tuesday morning. Announcing NATO’s new plans for deployments in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, the defense secretary cited Putin’s “loose rhetoric.” The correspondent must have lost the playbook and had the temerity to ask him to explain. Whereupon the wrong-footed Carter mumbled, “Well, it’s… it’s… it’s loose rhetoric, that’s what it is.”

Got it, Ash. Loose rhetoric.

Does the secretary mind if we spend a few minutes in the forbidden kingdom known as historical reality?

Putin has not uttered a syllable of rhetoric—no need of it—since the Bush II White House floored him with its 2002 announcement that it would unilaterally abandon Nixon’s 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. “This, in fact, pushes us to a new round of the arms race, because it changes the global security system,” the Russian leader said subsequently. Whereupon Russia set about rebuilding its greatly reduced nuclear arsenal, of which the 40 new ICBMs are an exceedingly small addition.

There are no secrets here—only chronology and causality. In the context, I view the 40 new missiles as a very measured message—and of little consequence in themselves—in reply to the immodest lunge into frontline nations Carter disclosed in Estonia this week.

Where did President Obama get the idea to name this guy to head Defense? He outdoes Rumsfeld in certain respects. Not only is he deploying weapons and rotating troops in and out of six of NATO’s easterly members—the three Baltics, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. He now advances a number of bluntly escalating nuclear “options.”

Putin’s 40 warheads are squirrel guns next to Carter’s proposals. The new sec def is talking about an offensive nuclear curtain across Europe, a “counterforce” capable of hitting Russian military installations and “countervailing strike capabilities”—pre-emptively deployed nuclear missiles that include Russian cities among their targets. (Thanks to Pepe Escobar of Asia Times for his analysis of Carter’s “Pentagonese.”)

I should remind readers at this point, lest you forget, that we American are the aggressed upon, not the aggressors.

One news report can be singled out here as the celebratory herald of the newly unveiled stance. This is the previously quoted piece in Wednesday’s Times, which appeared under the headline, “NATO refocuses on the Kremlin, Its Original Foe.” Read it here, a real lab specimen, no breach of the golden rule anywhere in its several thousand words.

I needed a minute to get past the “refocuses” in the headline, with its thought that after many years away NATO must now unexpectedly return to the Cold War scene. Preposterous. How many members have been recruited eastward since the Wall came down? I count 12, 10 of which were Warsaw Pact nations. (Slovenia and Croatia, the other two, emerged from the destruction of Yugoslavia.)

Busy time advancing in the direction of the “original foe,” one has to say.

What follows the head is an account of new training exercises and dummy B-52 bombing runs—“all just 180 miles from the Russian border,” our correspondents report effervescently. This is wound around an exceedingly well-carved account of European views of this new turn backward. The latter is meant to veil ambiguity and reluctance that run wide and deep among many NATO members while making the enthusiasm found in former Soviet satellites appear to speak for the majority.

Fraudulent, top to bottom. One, European resistance to this latest NATO advance is now a matter of record. Recent surveys by organizations such as Pew indicate that among West European members the thought of coming to the aid of any newer member may be rejected by a majority.

Yes, we read, there are divisions within the European camp. But these are put down as the consequence of Russia’s campaign to sow disunity in NATO. I had to read that bit twice—and not only because it was reported twice in the same piece. I imagine a lot of Europeans are thinking this assertion over carefully, and not with smiling faces.

Two, East European army officers and civilian officials simply cannot be taken as authoritative judges of Russia and its intentions. This is flatly illogical, and as the Times habitually makes use of them as such I take it to be purposeful trickery to skew Americans’ understanding of European views of NATO.

As earlier noted, I ascribe a certain paranoia to the Poles, the Balts and others formerly in the Soviet orbit. For obvious reasons this sentiment is understandable. But that does not make the argument that they are rational analysts. It makes the opposite argument: They may be understandably paranoid, and have a lot of bad history behind them, but paranoids are not to be taken as sound sources of analysis. Zbigniew Brzezinski is our up-close Exhibit A.

There is craft and there is wile, and these correspondents are well on the wily side in their use of sources. To represent the American view they resort to the usual Times scam: a single-source story dressed up as a multi-source story. Everyone quoted is either Pentagon, NATO or formerly one or the other. These people all get dressed in the same locker room every morning, let’s say, given they all say exactly the same thing.

(Memo to the Times: A multi-source story means a story representing multiple perspectives.)

On the European side, the mirror image: No one from Western Europe is quoted. Everyone cited is from one or another of the newly accessed member states, most being either military officers with fingers on triggers or defense ministry officials.

It skews the analysis to the point of implausibility. These people are all preparing for a Russian invasion of the Baltics or Poland, but there is no shred of evidence Moscow is within a million miles of any such planning. Evidence of Russia’s desire to calm this circus down is mountainous—and for precisely this reason ignored.

A couple of loose ends remain to be tied up at this juncture. The E.U. just renewed its sanctions regime against Russia for an additional six months. Why? There had been considerable resistance to this only a matter of weeks ago.

That visit Kerry paid to Sochi. Why did he make it, if all we see unfolding now was already on the story board, as surely it was at the time of Kerry’s curious travels?

These questions are best answered together, to the extent we have comprehensive answers. In my view a certain bargain has in all likelihood been struck.

Prior to Sochi, it was well known that Washington’s overplayed hand in Ukraine, especially its efforts to undermine the Minsk II ceasefire, had begun to threaten a trans-Atlantic breach. I have since had it from good sources in Europe and Washington that the Obama administration is disappointed, if not worse, with the Poroshenko government in Kiev. It does not take much to be a puppet, but they do not seem capable of managing even that.

Kerry went to Sochi not to launch any new initiative with Putin and Lavrov, as I had too hopefully suggested, but simply to assuage Chancellor Merkel and other disgusted Europeans. Hence Victoria Nuland’s clumsily calculated assertions, noted in this space at the time, that Minsk II was the key to a solution in Ukraine.

Kerry’s bargain, in my view, was that if things did not improve post-Sochi, the American option would go forward. And since Sochi we have had inertia in Kiev and the drum beating night and day as to Russian aggression. In effect, NATO and Washington conspired to make sure there would be no post-Sochi progress.

The American option, to finish the thought, now lies before us.

So does the curtain rise on the Cold War revival much of Washington has spoiled for since Putin proved other than the Yeltsin-like client American strategists had initially taken him to be.

“We didn’t want to have this new challenge,” Defense Secretary Carter told Marines aboard a destroyer floating in the Baltic Sea. “But then all of the sudden here you have behavior by Russia, which is an effort to take the world backward in time. And we can’t allow that to happen.”

Sure thing, Ash. Taking the world backward. Thrust upon us. Got it. Golden rule always.

Comments

[Implied Violins]

The Archduke Ferdinand has been shot. Remember 6/27/15.

[CaptainAmerika]

the great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions, but by iron and blood

[Publicus]

>Texas has most of the USA's nuclear warheads

>And most of the active tanks

>And the only factories that can build the F-16, F-22, and F-35; even if we can't get all the components to build our own, it denies them to the US

>And 16% of the military is from Texas

>A poll of active duty soldiers shows that 64% favor secession

>Most of America's refineries are in Texas; dropping the price of oil doesn't do shit if Texas cuts you off from fuel; yankees will freeze by the thousands come winter

>The strategic petroleum reserve is also in Texas

>Texas has its own independent power grid, including nuclear power

>Multiple seaports and international airports, so trade will do just fine

>Texas exports more technology than California now

>And has established gold and silver as an alternative to the US dollar

>Russia has already announced it would support Texas if it seceded

[Anusocracy]

Well, the raison d'etre for government is to succeed through doing evil.

[TruthInSunshine]

Zionists are really pushing hard to start a hot war between western powers and Russia in Ukraine proper (not continued proxy war either).

Hillary & Bill Clinton - friends of Victoria Nuland (nee Noodleman) and her PNAC Jew Ziocon husband, Robert Kagan, both publicly stated that they'd die his foxhole fighting with the IDF defending Israel, and we know that Jeb Bush will give Israel as much American Taxpayer $$$ as Israel demands, also.

[disabledvet]

Really?

I know I can hardly wait to head off to the Eastern Front...

[wee-weed up]

Yep, TPTB know the only sure-fire cure for a coming major financial crisis is...

More war!

[cookie nookie]

I miss the Soviets and the Red Chinese.  Things were much more simple back then.  Plus Ronnie was in charge.  I miss him, too.

[HowdyDoody]

Herr Goebbels' memory lives on. He would be proud of what the West is doing.

[Nexus789]

At least Ronnie grasped the idea that the gunfight would mean he dies as well as the bad guy.

[basho]

does it have its gold back yet?

has the russian navy arrived yet?

[GoldSilverBitcoinBug]

Texas seceding good !

Be sure if one day you secede restore back some Christianity, Constitution, stopping Zionism and foreign interventionism or what made America a good country some time ago, I will pay you a visit :)

[Real Estate Geek]

"Russia has already announced it would support Texas if it seceded"

I gotta call 'Bullshit' on that last one.

[y3maxx]

...American Millennials gonna love joining the Armed Forces.
Great jobs for them nerds....Video games gone wild.
3 D helmets plus all the other toys!

[10mm]

The military has around 200k rapes reported a yr. Throw in p/t gang members, transgenders. Bottom of gene pool. Next up for fodder, immigrants. 

[OldPhart]

Sadly, a great many of the Millennials (and later) have/are been/being programmed as less than cannon fodder.  I'm old enough to where I don't think the draft will hit me, at least not until the end, but our war criminal government has apparently decided, long ago, that it needed another world war to cull the population.  And, by God, we're fuckin' going to have one.

WWIII will be on Main Street, USA.  There is no doubt about that.

[Fourmyle]

And the leaders will live splendidly in mine shafts for a few hundered years. Maybe a tour of a potash mine should be arranged in advance. On the + side, already buried, no need for enbalming ( kind of dry already ) ...

[HowdyDoody]

The upper enlistment age in Ukraine was raised to 60 years. That may have given them ideas.

[WOAR]

Why would they join? College is going to be free in a few years, so what's the point?

Or do you think they'll actually draft all these fat, useless, never-touched-a-wrench-in-their-life, entitled, spoiled rotten dickholes?

I mean, Millenials.

[oldmanofthesee]

And, I repeat, no one has ever asked the Magical Kneegrow, what he meant with his remark to Mevendev. "Tell Vlad I'll have more flexibility after the election". And, Obumnuts has never offered an explanation. It's all bullshit!

[basho]

wow! lmao

[Nexus789]

More like flash and blast

[The Darwin Mode]

"The Archduke Ferdinand has been shot. Remember 6/27/15." --Implied Violins

That would have been funnier a year ago, since he was shot on the 28th of 1914. I know, I know, history's just a collection of conflicting fables anyway...

[Freddie]

Hey ZATO - step up and pay your bills in Greece and the Ukraine along with the EU and the emerging g*y ObolaLand/Trayvonville aka formerly USSA.

What no money?  No money for Greece or endless pi of the Ukraine? How about bankrupt Puerto Rico?  "I want to live in Amerika...."  and all those West Side Story g*y show tunes.

Oh that is not gonna work.  No money?

[doctor10]

The MOC is unhappy the banking and O'Care insurance guys are having all the fun!!!

[LawsofPhysics]

War has always been a very profitable racket, for some anyway.

[Ignatius]

Russia just needs to stop aggressively noticing that its borders are next to NATO bases.

[Bill of Rights]

Need more distraction....

[Son of Loki]

War -- A sure cure for unemployment; after all, "the idle mind is the Devil's workshop." Barry doesn't want all those idle hands thinking too much about their predicment.

[Anusocracy]

Most people need to grow up and admit that they are pieces of shit like their rulers.

[Nexus789]

The next war will be the cure for our putrid civilisation.

[sam i am]

the Neocons have robbed us all from the peace we wanted so much

http://thesaker.is/saker-rant-the-neocons-have-robbed-us-all-from-the-peace-we-wanted-so-much/

[NoWayJose]

China would like nothing better than to see the US, Europe, and Russia go up in nuclear smoke. This would let China dominate the planet for centuries.

[BarkingCat]

And who would they sell their shit to?

Without markets for their exports, China is toast

[Ginsengbull]

Chinese civil war.

[Max Steel]

well thats the wrong perception you are carrying during ww2 when only i dustralized and developed nations were fighting an all out war usa economy was working fine and they had Gold Standard back then . They were simply supplying weapons to both the sides . Same wil be the fate of Chinese during ussa hot war against Russia unless ussa thugs decides to nuke china too , then things will get more ugly otherwise china will launch its gold standard by then .

[suteibu]

China seems to be pretty much minding its own business.  If it benefits from other nation's fuck-ups, so what?

[GoldSilverBitcoinBug]

Chinese are just traders and businessmen coupled to a nation wide factory, the first thing that a Chinese think is about creating wealth not death.

[basho]

rule 1: think your comments through before posting.

with your obviously miniscule attention span think them through multiple times. lmao

[JustObserving]

The Nobel Prize Winner doing what he does best - more war

US, NATO Playing War Games on Russia’s Doorstep, Threatening Russia with a First Strike Nuclear Attack

The United States is engaged on a very dangerous path, because they have adopted the doctrine of preemptive war and they are in fact also saying that they can use nuclear weapons against Russia on a preemptive first strike basis.

Now that type of discourse is extremely dangerous, because it could ignite a World War III scenario.

First of all, they say that the new generation of nuclear weapons, namely the tactical nuclear weapons, are harmless to civilians and can be used against non-nuclear states; this is an outright lie.

And now they that they are threatening Russia with nuclear weapons, and this is very clear, the nuclear option has been debated in the US Congress.

We are at a very dangerous crossroads in our history – the unthinkable: a possible World War III scenario.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-nato-playing-war-games-on-russias-doorst...

[FreeShitter]

Man this is such a great time to be alive...all these events happening.

[OldPhart]

That Great Time may be cut short by a really bright light...go to the light.

[WOAR]

Man, I always enjoyed games based on the Apocalypse. Fallout, Metro: Last Light, BattleTanx...

It's gonna be fun to live it.

FOARWARD WOARWARD!

[detached.amusement]

yes, abandon your potential when you die, that's a fantastic idea.  leave it for the vultures because in life there werent enough vultures stealing from you.

STAY PUT WHEN YOU GO.

[BlussMann]

Dumb shit Norwegians awarded the Darkie the  laughable Nobel Peace Prize and StepnFetchit didn't even show up for the trinket.

[cherry picker]

Putin isn't going for more territory.

NATO needs an enemy to justify those F35 fighters, the CIA, and all the other bullshit that comes with it.  They are so transparent it hurts, eh Nuland?

[Nexus789]

Russia has 17,098,242 km² with massive mineral deposits. It is the greedy West that wants to steal those resources.

[Max Steel]

when you will combine two usa it will give you one russia . 

[NoWayJose]

Haven't both the US and Russia learned that the other guy's nukes are no longer stuffed into hardened silos, but instead are on planes, trucks, submarines, etc -- things that MOVE -- and cannot be targeted in a first strike?

[Ginsengbull]

Neither wants to target each others nukes.

They both want to reduce populations.

[datura]

No, Putin certainly does not want to reduce his population, after so much effort he put into growing it again, you know all those programs for having more Russian babies and such. This time it is all very one-sided. Putin simply IS just a guy, who loves his country and wants to defend it. He will do everything he can to stop any wars. And many Europeans already know it. Germans just love him. And Italians welcomed him with a huge sign reading: "Putin, save the world!" Which, of course, does not guarantee that he will be able to. But what he is also doing is building a lot of nuclear tunnels and bunkers for his people, much more than the USA will ever do for theirs. Russia wont be the first to attack, Russia will wait for the enemy to start - for the entire world to see, who started it. And we, in Europe, are beginning to see it very clearly. This time the USA simply will not be able to play the good one and stay outside of most the war like in WWII. This time the USA will be Hitler for all to see and if any of Americans survive, they will be made to pay for the consequences from the rest of the angry world. 

[OldPhart]

if any of Americans survive, they will be made to pay for the consequences from the rest of the angry world. 

And most of us will deserve it.

[Parrotile]

This could become a serious problem for not only Americans, but for your Northern Cousins in Canada too.

The majority of "The Rest of the World" may not distinguish between a genuine American accent, and a "sounds like American, so must be American" accent; if things get to the stage where being American becomes a sort-of death sentence, then being Canadian might be a hazard too.

Hopefully sane minds will prevail (seems Europe is starting to realise the enormity of the situation), so maybe we'll manage to avoid this time around . . .

[Ginsengbull]

Datura, have you been eating the Jimson weed again?

Putin is an elitist insider first and foremost.

It's his job to ride Russia into the ground.

[basho]

ginsengbullshit

[Nexus789]

Not what the data and reality shows

[Max Steel]

you should be rather thankful to russian leadership that they are not sissy like Murikan leaders , if russian starts playing the same deploymnet of weapons game people like you will be pissing in your diapers .

[Volkodav]

15 Years of Putin Administration in one infograph:

http://ozziesaffa.blogspot.com/2014/06/15-years-of-putin-rule-in-one-infograph.html

[Nexus789]

The Russians never really had fixed silos. They are bringing their train mobile nukes back.

https://zbigniewmazurak.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/russias-huge-nuclear-ar...

The US could not find Saddam's primitive Scuds in Iraq even with total air superiority.

[Max Steel]

well both of them have nukes in planes and submarines . usa use subs for furst strike meanwhile russian nukes in subs are for deterrence . usa has parked its nuke bombers in turjey , holland and germany but they arent a problem for russia as they will be shot down much before they launch their nukes in baltic airspace only . Russia will simply plce no fly zone and whoosh all your bombers will be in trouble . Rest ussa nukes are still in hardened silos meanwhile only russian nukes are mobile on trucks not yankkes nukes . though russia still holds nukes in silos but unlike murika where its land based nukes are all in silos russian nukes are mobile .

Talking about Trident SLBM little do you all know but S-400 , A-135 can easily shoot it down but Bulava russian latest SLBM was made to tear past murikan defenses . Trident has 11,000 km range which murika wants for first strike capability but Bulava on the other hand has 8,000km rangge enough to destroy usa mainland from the coast of Hawaii and since they were designed to go past your defenses , it becomes more lethal . 

US is targwting russia by opening biological centres which will br used by us army in order to create biological weapons both in Georgia and Ukraine . Ukraine biological center is a proposed plan which current russin usa ambassador fatass teft made when he was ukraine ambassador for usa . Search in russian news you will find it .

placing nukes nd shields in europe is an insane move by usa who thinks they can target rusian before reaching them . well russia can also ply the same game , if required they can park their nukes and nuclear tipped iksanders in cuba , nicaragua and venezurla along with elevtronic jammers to neutralize your silos basrd icbms . remeber usa land based nukes are lying in silos all of them . But unlike usa ledership russianeadership isnt insane and they want to live peacefully but on the other hand usa is lopkong for every possible way to target russia .

[CHC]

Fucking unbelievable.  The hubris and arrogance in Washington is astounding.

[Nexus789]

Sadly it is believable. Won't they be shocked when TOPOL missiles start to obliterate the US. The last thing they will say is that that was not in the PowerPoint.

[Duc888]

It's a fucking jobs program for the MIC.  They obviously need to train more terrorists and kill more people.  Job security and all that......

[Normalcy Bias]

Considering the litany of nuclear 'close calls' over the years, we're lucky to have even made it this far.

"I don't know what's gonna happen, man, but I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames."

  - Jim Morrison

[JustObserving]

The world almost ended on October 28, 1962 with a launch of US nuclear missiles - 1 nuclear missile for Russia and 3 for China from Japan:

At the final moment of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, the U.S. nuclear missile men in Okinawa received a launch order

“Oh, my God!,” Bordne recalled his colleagues as saying as they turned white with shock and surprise when they received a launch order before dawn on Oct. 28. The order was issued from Kadena to all four Mace B sites in Okinawa including Bolo Point, he said.

 
According to him, the three-level confirmation process was taken step-by-step in accordance with a manual by comparing codes in the launch order and codes given to his crew team in advance. All of the codes matched.

 
“So, we read the targets out loud. Out of the four missiles, we had only one headed toward Russia. The other three were not going to Russia. That, right away, gave us a start to wonder. Because the launch directive said you launch all the missiles,” Bordne said. His crew team was in charge of four out of eight missiles deployed at the site.

“And we figured, ‘Why hit these other countries?’ They’ve got nothing to do with this. That doesn’t make any sense,” Bordne said. “So, our captain, the launch officer, said to us ‘We’ve got to think this through in a logical, rational manner’.”

When the launch order was issued, the five-level “DEFCON” scale, or defense condition, remained at level 2, one step from starting a war. Theoretically, a launch order should not be issued unless DEFCON is raised to 1, which means initiating a military counterattack against enemy forces.
The order under DEFCON 2 made the crew team, especially the launch officer, so dubious about its authenticity that the officer ordered suspension of the ongoing launch procedures which Bordne was engaged in.

Finally, the launch officer figured out that the order had been mistakenly issued, Bordne said, but added he has no idea why such an order was issued. Even though Bordne did not specify which country had been targeted besides Russia under the order, it is believed to be China considering the Mace B missile range of 2,200-2,300 kilometers.

http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/04/01/japanese-news-agency-reveals-...

[Normalcy Bias]

Here's a fun list, including my favorite: armageddon nearly caused by a bear climbing a fence...

http://mentalfloss.com/article/25685/7-close-calls-nuclear-age

[rejected]

Amazing how so many take the high probability of them and their loved ones being incinerated so lightly,,, some even joke about it.

Well, I'm sure they won't be smiling when it happens but by then it'll be too late to get off the lunatic train.

[OldPhart]

It's called Gallows Humor.

One of my ancesters, about to be hung, was told to step on the trap.

"Do you think it's safe?"

[suteibu]

Too bad the left waited so long to call out Obama as a war monger.  Of course, he got Obamacare and the gay thing so there's that.  Plus, no more election pressure for him. 

Still, too bad....and too late.

[Stumpy4516]

I'll just throw this out there.  March 2014 (I think) there was an earthquake in the Crimea region and the Russian military claimed they had monitored and detected intense burst of electromagnetic waves directed to the area of the earthquake.  The Russians claimed it was part of a HAARP attack by the US and was a weapon of mass destruction.   They went so far as to say this was a military attack against Russian personnel.  Some years ago after there as an unusual type of earthquake in Afganistan, the Russians claimed it was triggered by the US using HAARP. 

Now there has been a large tornado in southern Uke in the area of the Dnepropetrovsk region.  The Russians have not spoken of it yet but others are claiming this is so very unusual (sounds like residents have not seen this before) that it is another HAARP attack by the US.

Interesting for what it might be worth.

[Savyindallas]

You may be right about HAARP  -I'm not sure, but I think there may be something to this. Same for chemtrails. 

[Ginsengbull]

Russians have been playing around with backscatter radar for decades, pumping massive amounts of electricity into the air.

Ham radio operators refer to the sound as the "russian woodpecker".

[disabledvet]

Who knows what the "military industialists" have cooking this go around.

I would draw a distinction between what is in NATO's interests and what are in AMERICAN interests however.

NATO has kept the peace in Europe going on over 70 years now...which when you look at "European History" really is saying something.

That is the purpose of NATO and, indeed...as Europe wipes itself off the map yet again...this time via "the Euro" would appear..mission will be called upon yet again.

AMERICAN interests however should be seen as a lot different from "NATO interests."

First off on its face the United States doesn't even need Europe actually.

In short "Europe is a pain in America's ass." On this Russia and the USA probably agree.

Second...generally speaking the USA doesn't like to get involved in other countries' Civil Wars. I would absolutely classify Russia's ongoing attacks against Ukraine as just that and hence "non of America's business."

Having said that going Full Retatrd into Crimea and threatening everyone in the West with nuclear Armageddon as Putin and his cronies have done and keep doing does mean "you have now invited the USSA to join your little Party of Nuttiness"...not the least reason being to try and figure out just how nutty these clowns really are but also to ask...AND ANSWER..."what happens to Russia post Putin Nuttiness?"

Right now that question has nothing but ugly answers to it seems to me...hence both the United States AND NATO will continue to Conigency Plan this absolute certainty (yes, there will be a Rusia post-Putin) and execute on that plan whether any of us peons here like it or not.

No I don't see Germany being much a threat to anyone or anything for he foreseeable future either I might add. They can't even get the Athens Stock Exchange to open.

Other than that...surely we can all agree that World War II was a bad idea...

[OldPhart]

Second...generally speaking the USA doesn't like to get involved in other countries' Civil Wars. I would absolutely classify Russia's ongoing attacks against Ukraine as just that and hence "non of America's business."

Having said that going Full Retatrd into Crimea and threatening everyone in the West with nuclear Armageddon as Putin and his cronies have done and keep doing does mean "you have now invited the USSA to join your little Party of Nuttiness"...not the least reason being to try and figure out just how nutty these clowns really are but also to ask...AND ANSWER..."what happens to Russia post Putin Nuttiness?"

Seriously, Dude, (actually Sir, as DisabledVet) ... you need to expand your reading of history (last hundred years or so right on up to today.)  On the internets there are things like videos on youboob that are actual documentaries and first hand accounts that will blow many holes in the first paragraph above that I quoted.  And do a bit a research on the phrase "Fuck the EU" linked with Victoria Nuland and how a duly elected democratic government was deposed in a coup d'etat organized by the US.

If you are a vet, you have a duty to educate yourself so that you do not give false testimony to our youth or spread easily debunked government propaganda that only serves to make you appear foolish.

Semper Fi.

[basho]

I would draw a distinction between what is in NATO's interests and what are in AMERICAN interests however.

> you do that, i'm listening.

NATO has kept the peace in Europe going on over 70 years now...which when you look at "European History" really is saying something.

> maybe during the time of the ussr. after that, no way. imperialistic ami tool.

That is the purpose of NATO and, indeed...as Europe wipes itself off the map yet again...this time via "the Euro" would appear..mission will be called upon yet again.

>crap

AMERICAN interests however should be seen as a lot different from "NATO interests."

>ok, let's hear them

First off on its face the United States doesn't even need Europe actually.

>really?

In short "Europe is a pain in America's ass." On this Russia and the USA probably agree.

>really? i don't think RU would agree

Second...generally speaking the USA doesn't like to get involved in other countries' Civil Wars. I would absolutely classify Russia's ongoing attacks against Ukraine as just that and hence "non of America's business."

>no they've been starting a lot of them including the one in UE

sounds like you've been spending tooooo much time with usmsm.

suggest a mental enema 4 u. lol

[BlussMann]

If Germany could get the monkey ass Americans out of their nation it should ally with Russia, a much better future cooperating with Russia than the diseased West.

[SquadronVBF94]

And it's worth absolutely zero.  If HAARP were so all powerful why didn't President Bush lay waste to Tehran years ago. Or why hasn't Obama laid waste to Moscow itself or Tel Aviv? What a bunch of stupid crap.

[Farqued Up]

Damn, glad you educated me, the liars really are only just building a Walkie-talkie to the subs as they amplify the Earth's magnetic field.
i can rest easy now, never mind that whales can talk to each other over thousands of miles with long wave length SOUND, not even radio waves.

Nope, I'm convinced that the California drought is HAARP, they just don't know how to tune the system. Go look up how vacuum tube amplification works, and HAARP is the grid bias, using millions of watts of RF to manipulate where the lines start converging near the poles. Otherwise they woul have put the field in Hawaii where the girls are prettier and the humpbacks and sperms hang out in the winters.

[Volkodav]

worth nothing if you can't provide links...

[BarkingCat]

Why is Putin talking to Kerry? I would not in his position. I would let my Secretary of Whatever handle it.

As president he should only talk to others on his level.

[Ginsengbull]

Because Hillary was too busy.

[Brazen Heist]

Apparently Washington has nothing better to do than waste money and protect fragile egos.

[pine_marten]

Messing with Russia seems unwise.  Particularly when the country doing the messing has an effeminate charlatan at the helm.

[BlussMann]

Poland and the Scandinavian countries are not capable of self government. They would be better of with Russia's guiding hand.

[TheReplacement]

When was the last time Sweden was conquered? 

Oh right, the last time was by Denmark. 

How about the time before that? 

Dammit, Denmark again. 

Before that? 

Fine, Denmark.

Are you saying there is a Scandinavian country has never been governed by anyone but Scandanavians? 

Yes, unlike EVERY other country in Europe.

Oh well, time for a new theory.

[OldPhart]

Sweden should probably stop pissing off Denmark.

[GoldSilverBitcoinBug]

Oh well, time for a new theory.

Hint: swede aren't the Vikings anymore with an army full of gays and women and the country full of immigrant and feminized men Sweden will get invaded in two weeks at most if SHTF.

[mog]

Can't get your comment to accept an up vote.

Heres my tick anyway.

[Volkodav]

vote does not work if use italics

[BlussMann]

What does that have to do with ability to govern themselves ? Anyway, Sweden has been conquered by the 3rd world shit races who are pouring into its borders, leeching its wealth for their benefit while the so called government denies those same benefits to
"their" own people. Nigger occupation or Russian occupation ? You decide.

[Savyindallas]

Zio Bankster scum have sucked the nation dry and it's all about to collapse  -time for a flase flag, blame it on Putin and start a war with Russia. Most dumbass sheeple in America will fall for it  -they always do. Like stealing candy from a baby. Get ready for TSHTF  - could start this week.  

[disabledvet]

That's just what Hebistan needs right now.

Spot on there Cape Canaveral!

[silvermail]

Russia - this is not Vietnam. The war against Russia will be the last war for the United States and oily historical point that will end the existence of the United States.

[Atomizer]

It take a series on EMP strikes to eliminate jets dropping a nuclear bomb. Googles unmanned cars will drive over a cliff.

Preparing Americans for Hyperinflation

[Ginsengbull]

The old XB-70 was painted nuke blast reflective titanium white.

[Max Steel]

how will you take care of russian new supersonic pak-da nuclear bombers ? They will be out in next three years .

[Bill of Rights]

Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Banking Disruptions in Greece

June 28, 2015

The State Department alerts U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Greece of the possibility of disruptions to banking services – including credit-card processing and servicing of ATMs – throughout Greece in light of developments within the local economy. International and local media are reporting that banks will remain closed starting on Monday, June 29, 2015, and that capital controls may be imposed before they re-open. U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry more than one means of payment (cash, debit cards, credit cards), and make sure to have enough cash on hand to cover emergencies and any unexpected delays.

The State Department recommends you maintain a high level of security awareness and avoid political rallies and demonstrations as instances of unrest can occur. Exercise caution and common sense: Avoid the areas of demonstrations, and if you find yourself too close to a demonstration, move in the opposite direction and seek shelter. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence.

The U.S. Embassy maintains a website with information about anticipated demonstrations, rallies, and strikes. We encourage all U.S. citizens to review their personal security plans, remain aware of their surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. U.S. citizens should maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance their personal security. Exercise vigilance to protect against pickpocketing and secure valuables in hotel rooms when traveling. For additional information, please refer to “Travelers Checklist.”

U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Greece are encouraged to enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or nearest Consulate to contact them in the case of an emergency. U.S. citizens without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Athens. Regularly monitor the Department’s website where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Greece.

Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). You can also stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution. You can follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well.

You can contact the U.S. Embassy in Athens for general consular assistance and up-to-date information on conditions in Greece. The U.S. Embassy in Athens is located at 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, except on Greek and U.S. official holidays and the last Wednesday of every month. The U.S. Embassy in Athens can be reached by e-mail, or by telephone at 210-720-2414, or 210-729-4444 for after-hours emergencies. If you are a U.S. citizen with an after-hours emergency, please call the U.S. Embassy in Athens at 210-729-4444.

[Son of Loki]

Good post. However, imo, almost any big city is much more dangerous then any place in Greece right now after twilight yet we never receive these warnings from Big Brother.

[disabledvet]

"Conceal and Carry becomes a global human right. United Nations votes yes!"

[OldPhart]

US State Department

Memo to US Citizens

Carry lots of cash.

Memo to various Agents

(Civil Asset Forfeiture to be Level One Rigorous)

[Thomas Aquinas]

"The idea was that those who direct the overall conspiracy could use the differences in those two so-called ideologies [marxism/fascism/socialism v. democracy/capitalism] to enable them [the Illuminati] to divide larger and larger portions of the human race into opposing camps so that they could be armed and then brainwashed into fighting and destroying each other."

Myron Fagan

"The drive of the Rockefellers and their allies is to create a one-world government combining supercapitalism and Communism under the same tent, all under their control.... Do I mean conspiracy? Yes I do. I am convinced there is such a plot, international in scope, generations old in planning, and incredibly evil in intent."

Congressman Larry P. McDonald, 1976, killed in the Korean Airlines 747 that was shot down by the Soviets

[mog]

shot down by the Soviets

Having been mysteriously sent into Soviet territory by the Americans with another plane - a yank spy plane - with a similar profile to twitch the Russians trigger fingers, flying nearby.

Larry P McDonald was murdered by the Americans not the Russian.

He was going to spill many beans on the lies and terror being committed by the Yanks in Central and South America.

He was telling the truth re the illuminati.

He was American toast - not Russian.

[Farqued Up]

Search KAL-007, a great book on the subject of plugging in inertial guidance nav points, sending a Boeing 707 electronics plane repeatedly to put the Soviets on alert and monitor their responses. The Captain was a former fighter pilot, true about MacDonald from Georgia.

Of course, the book may have been commissioned by the CIA.

[SquadronVBF94]

My but what a stupid question. Of course they have access to a fundamental truth most others don't.  They understand the truth of the brutality of Russian occupation and violent repression.

[basho]

/s

fixed it 4 u

[q99x2]

If you arrest Lloyd Blankfein, Jamie Dimon, Janet Yellen, Christine Lagarde, Mario Draghi and a few others on charges of financial terrorism the world will return to peace. Crime and war crimes are funded by banksters. Stop the banksters and stop the crimes.

[FIAT CON]

I just watched the latest episode of the new weekly documentary series called VICE. This episode was about cold war 2.0

I like the show, but this episode stated that the Russian State controls all the media and it is telling all the people about the bad merikans (propaganda)  then obozo is interviewed and he talks about the Russian Propaganda because the networks are state controlled... wait a minute tell the truth, that the us media is also controlled....

So of course this show leaves the merikan viewer with the idea that the Russians are the aggressor!

[disabledvet]

We Americans are evil!

We have horns growing put of our heads, cleft hooves for feat, eyes like exploding volcanos and devious minds.

We have evil laughs and set wicked traps for you that once you are in you will find only under trial of greatest of paining and suffering can you even IMAGINE living!

And, yes...we like to make wiener dog balloons in our spare time and give them to children.

FEAR THE AMERICAN BEAST MAN MOTHER. RUSSIA!

[Flybyknight]

Has no one told you  Magic mushrooms are bad for you.

[basho]

you forgot to add that most of you muricans have your heads up your colletive posteriors.

[TheReplacement]

Am going to Russia soon.  Will report back what they say.

That is, if ZH doesn't land someone on a no-fly list.

[Bro of the Sorr...]

stop watching tv. your mom was right itll make you retarded. only thing i still watch is south park.

[Bro of the Sorr...]

that being said i did see a good movie recently. good bye lenin. shows what life was like after the wall came down in east germany. my favorite scene was when the protagonist walked into a bank with a big bag of money to exchange it for deutsche marks and the teller said: sorry, cant trade that in, it's worthless. coming soon to a country near you.

[Farqued Up]

Why isn't RT television not shown here. It is all over Europe satellites. It is great news viewing. We can watch it over the net on TV, I use Apple TV which is a deck of cards size gadget that connects to one of the HDMI plugs on the TVand costs less than a Benjamin. Easier ways to dial in but I'm not up on it.

[Freddie]

VICe is shit.  Is that a Mordeci Murdoch operation?  Conservatives think Fox News is their friend which is bullshit.  All TV and all hollywood is full on 24x7 PNAC/ZWO propaganda.

[opport.knocks]

VICE is still majority Canadian owned. It used to be good, but has taken a huge credibility dive since Murdoch bought a small share for a ridiculous price. What did he really get for that money? Then when they got the "exclusive" behind the scenes interviews with ISIS, you knew what the game was and Mossad was obviously in the mix. I glance at it now and again, but not for the same reasons as before.

[Volkodav]

Kremlin does not control all the media.

Moscow Times is one terrible example

[VW Nerd]

Maybe Putin could help Puerto Rico with their debt and in exchange put some hardware and manpower in our backyard....

[Atticus Finch]

Ashton Carter is a megalomaniac, psychotic. Surprising that no one in Washington has noticed.

[TheReplacement]

Erm, why do you think he was promoted?

[OldPhart]

No one would be in Washington if they weren't already megalomaniac, psychotic and a psychopath...those are just our elected leaders...the rest are worse.

[realestateroadkill]

When there are so many comments by the Russian Security agents, the West must be doing something right. I love reading about the peaceful Russians...hahahahaha..tell that to Crimea, the Ukraine and I forget the name of the other small country Russia recently swallowed....What a bunch of morroons!! "Peace loving Russians" Oh stop...hehhehehhehhehehaaa....yur killing me

[TheReplacement]

Tell that to the Afghans, Pakistanis, Yeminis, Iraqis, Libyans, Syrians, and Somalis.  I suppose since they are brown people they do not count.

And it is either morons or maroons that you are trying to spell there moose knuckle.

[BlussMann]

I personally don't give a shit about Paki's, Afghans and the rest of that detritus - there's just no need to be over there.

[Flybyknight]

If the Russians wanted to invade Ukraine it would take about a weekend and they would be home for dinner on sunday night. It is the USA that started the war in Ukraine and is fuelling it now because they are financially and morally bankrupt. I am guessing you know this and are just a troll for the neocon fascist regime in Washington. If not widen your information sources from the Washington controlled mainstream media.

[basho]

"....yur killing me"

how long will it take.

you are obviously brain-dead already.

[Volkodav]

bored

[luna_man]

I don't believe these "CRIMINAL clowns", understand what that cornered "bear", represents...

don't know about you, but for me, life changer

[TheReplacement]

Having encountered a live, wild bear on a couple of occasions I have found it expendient to simply talk to them but never act aggressive or try to corner them.  They have always just walked away.  Not much for fighting or conversing, apparently, are they.

Admittedly, the fighting would be one sided.

[OldPhart]

My first time I shit bricks and threw them at him.

Between the smell, the screams and "oh, shits" the bear went back into the woods.

The point that he was over a 100 yards away doesn't matter.

[Gold Eyed Cat]

The first time I saw a bear it had it's brother with it.  We just let them have the tennis court and stayed inside playing Monopoly instead. It was only fair.  They were there first.

[dogismycopilot]

Ok, so as a kid my dad took me to work one day - a B52 they were doing some upgrades too. Climbed in and around the thing for a day. Now here is the key: my dad and his co-workers, when they talked about the Soviets, they talked about them with respect. Yes, they were Godless Communists and they threatened our way of life, but there was no derogatory remarks about them as a people. 

What we are seeing now is a very hateful and personalized type of propaganda from the Americans that has not been seen since WWII when dealing with the Japanese.

As for the Uke supporters in America and Canada: just remember, when this turns into a shooting war, most Yanks and Cannucks don't know the difference between a Ukrainian and a Russian. You are all the same to them - so I fully expect you to be put in internment "fun camps" as well.

For the rest of us, if we want to save the world, we need to get Ash Carter out as soon as possible. 

[TheReplacement]

Sorry to break it to you but Ash Carter is not a problem or a solution.  He is a tool.  A tool is something used by a craftsman to perform work.  If you want to solve the problem you are going to have to figure out who the craftsman is and reverse engineer the rest from that point.

[dogismycopilot]

yes, you are correct. 

[The Darwin Mode]

I'd love Texans to secede... they deserve each other. The Texas Constitution mandates all public officials and trustees to declare that god exists, I shit you not. "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being." Former Governor Rick Perry boasts of Texas' "standing up for religious freedom,” clarifying for his fellow Americans that "freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from religion.” If theocracy is what Texans want, then fine, let 'em have it. And Muslims are welcome, too, right? Of course they are! Perry wouldn't be proud of Texas' religious freedom if they weren't.

[dsty]

So you have evolved?

Are you now a metrosexual?

Seems like we are headed back to the slime.

You don't need God cause you have "evolved"

What a fool.

[GoldSilverBitcoinBug]

He is devolving like all his ass fucker friends.

[Hugh G. Rection]

It makes me do a quick review in my head of bugout plans.... Unfortunately I live a little to close to Pearl Harbor for comfort, although if we're lucky it will just be a big boom over the White House.

[onmail]

This is only a distraction for the real war which will be in Middle east.

This is to keep Russia busy on its borders while Western nations , their allies & their master Israel gobbles up all oil fields in middle east.

And then Russian oil fields will be in target.

----

Why

----

Western economy is collapsing, they have printed too many dollars, pounds , euro, yen etc. Money needs to trickle only when there is a demand for it, when industries work, when they have oilfieds, factories etc. to work. Without work & resources all this printed money is useless .

Thats why evil west wants to start world war. And what a coincidence homosexuality is legalized in Satan America , looks like America is trying to send multitude of many ppl down to burning hell which lies awaiting below just a 1000 km molten rock. Obamma you are a really a beast from hell below.

[bid the soldier...]

Here you are, Mr Smith

I wondered aloud as to what all the talk of renewed Russian aggression, begun in mid-April, was all about. It certainly had nothing to do with Russian aggression for the simple reason there was none. 

Is this aggressive enough for you?

April 13, 2015, Russian president Vladimir Putin lifts the ban on delivery of S-300 missile air defense systems to Iran in connection to the nuclear dialogue.

Of course, they're probably not S-300 any more.

They're Antey-2500 now. 

[Victor999]

So the US first supplying missile defece systems to Europe is not aggression, but Russia supplying missile defence systems to Iran is aggression.  Interesting point of view.  Don't you feel the inner tension of such divergent views? - it literally shines from your statement.

[bid the soldier...]

Me?  What, sir, do i have to with it?

Your entire reply is built around my slightly sarcastic remark, "is this aggressive enough for you?"

the inner tension of such divergent views?

The only inner tension I've felt was when I woke up one morning in the late 60's and realized I was living in Nazi Germany.

If you came to zh more frequently you'd know that no one here is more opposed to current American foreign policy than I am.

In 2009 I predicted that the economy was almost worthless and that the market would crash, but not until it was 'good and ready', and I am not surprised that the Fed has not let that happen yet.

When the Russians were booted out of Kiev by the nazi Friends Of Barack, I predicted then that the ISS would become a chip in the Kremlin's hand in the back and forth between Moscow and Washington.  You must have looked at the headlines today and know that SpaceX's cargo ship blew up and Musk's company is red carded and the US even further away from a manned flight to the space station than they were yesterday.

Now Roscosmos alone (read Vladimir Putin) decides the comings and goings to and from the ISS.

***The EU extension of Russian sanctions for 6 months.

***The Greek default on its loans to the EU.

***The last 3 of the crew of the ISS brought down leaving it unmanned. With only Russia able to launch manned rockets to get there.

ALL HAPPENING AT THE END OF JUNE 2015

  John le Carre could not have come up with a cleverer denouement.

(Oh, don't forget the troublesome Chinese market.  End of June, too.

[bid the soldier...]

Last night I neglected to say that the Fed, along with other parts of the US government, plotted and planned the inflation of the subprime bubble and its crash in 2008 late in the 20th century.

But Denial flows wide and runs deep here at zh, and commenters like you are more concerned about where they'll get their quotidian six pack after the SHTF, than how this unbelievable mess came to pass.

Finally, the expectation by everyone that sarcastic comments should end with an 's' in parenthesis or a stroke, testifies to the rampant retardation of the assembly here.

Oh, wait a minute .... 

[bid the soldier...]

Lord, save me from hit-and-run gadflies, who disappear as quickly as they came, like cockroaches when you turn on the lights.

;O)

[smacker]

Once Cold War II is underway and it becomes a household term - the many articles published on Zerohedge and elsewhere which chronicle the Western political gameplan and lies of how it all began and who is driving it - will be a treasure trove of future reference for people to know the truth.

It has been from Day One a Western .gov objective driven by Washingtonand its puppet NATO with the aim of damaging the Russian economy, trying to usurp Putin and preventing it from becoming a member of the global community to ensure there is a uni-polar world with its management HQ in Washington.

Whereas the political liars and fake historians got away with claiming  that Cold War I was a defensive response to Soviet aggression, the West won't get away with blaming Cold War II onto the Russians. It is 100% caused by the West and the facts and evidence will prove it.

[bid the soldier...]

smacker

 the West won't get away with blaming Cold War II onto the Russians. It is 100% caused by the West and the facts and evidence will prove it.

 The facts and evidence will be unnecessary after the West loses to Russia.

[smacker]

Maybe. My fear is the mindset around today in the West that nukes can be used in a limited way to put Russia down without causing Armageddon. I think they're mad but they have control of the buttons.

_{ps: I didn't red-down you.}

[bid the soldier...]

Absolutely right.

No limited use of nuclear weapons will be tolerated in populated, industrial, military areas. The side receiving the first limited strike has to hit back, and from there a nuclear exchange is sure to proceed.

It's just a variation of Generad Jack D. Ripper's scheme in 'Dr. Strangelove'?

Today the anti-communists of the 50's are in control of the US military and State dept.

And their watchword is no longer "better dead than red." Now it's 

"Better Deceased Than Hegemony Decreased." 

[bid the soldier...]

I know

ps: I didn't red-down you.

I don't care about downvotes, smacker.  

Besides I have  '-1'.  

Either an admirer or a stalker.  I'm not taking any chances and am sleeping with my Walther under the pillow.

[vincenze]

The good and prosperous times for the NATO's European countries are over. They produce less and less, the unemployment rate goes up and up.

Ok, the USA paid $5 billion to Ukrainian rebels to overthrow the Ukrainian president.

But some corporation can also pay $5 billion to rebels in Greece or Spain or Estonia and ask them to overthrow their governments. When people are not happy, it's easy.

That's why the European governments need tanks and guns.