"U.S. trade sanctions imposed on its NATO allies extend across the trade spectrum. Austerity-ridden Lithuania gave up its cheese and agricultural market in Russia, and is blocking its state-owned railroad from carrying Belarus potash to the Baltic port of Klaipeda. The port’s majority owner complained that “Lithuania will lose hundreds of millions of dollars from halting Belarus exports through Klaipeda,” and “could face legal claims of $15 billion over broken contracts.” Lithuania has even agreed to U.S. prompting to recognize Taiwan, resulting in China refusing to import German or other products that include Lithuanian-made components."
"The expectation of Gorbachev and other Russian officials in 1991 was that their economy would turn to the West for reorganization along the lines that had made the U.S., German and other economies so prosperous. The mutual expectation in Russia and Western Europe was for German, French and other investors to restructure the post-Soviet economy along more efficient lines.
That was not the U.S. plan. When Senator John McCain called Russia “a gas station with atom bombs,” that was America’s dream for what they wanted Russia to be – with Russia’s gas companies passing into control by U.S. stockholders, starting with the planned buyout of Yukos as arranged with Mikhail Khordokovsky. The last thing that U.S. strategists wanted to see was a thriving revived Russia. U.S. advisors sought to privatize Russia’s natural resources and other non-industrial assets, by turning them over to kleptocrats who could “cash out” on the value of what they had privatized only by selling to U.S. and other foreign investors for hard currency. The result was a neoliberal economic and demographic collapse throughout the post-Soviet states."
I can see why Putin put Khordokovsky in jail, if this is true.
Wikipedia : On 27 February, masked Russian troops without insignia took over the Supreme Council (parliament) of Crimea and captured strategic sites across Crimea, which led to the installation of the pro-Russian Sergey Aksyonov government in Crimea, the conducting of the Crimean status referendum and the declaration of Crimea's independence on 16 March 2014.
There is a lot more from Michael Hudson in the article at NC that anonymous quotes that makes a lot of sense: https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/02/michael-hudson-americas-real-adversaries-are-its-european-and-other-allies.html
Caption Compo!: Macron: "Is it us that's small or is the table too big?"
Andrew - the war started when Victoria Nuland's coup replaced the pro-Russian elected government with a "pro-Western" one.
(I use quote marks because "pro-Western" doesn't really mean being in favour of the West and its historic peoples. It means anti-racist indoctrination and Gay Pride)
14 comments:
US economist Michael Hudson
"U.S. trade sanctions imposed on its NATO allies extend across the trade spectrum. Austerity-ridden Lithuania gave up its cheese and agricultural market in Russia, and is blocking its state-owned railroad from carrying Belarus potash to the Baltic port of Klaipeda. The port’s majority owner complained that “Lithuania will lose hundreds of millions of dollars from halting Belarus exports through Klaipeda,” and “could face legal claims of $15 billion over broken contracts.” Lithuania has even agreed to U.S. prompting to recognize Taiwan, resulting in China refusing to import German or other products that include Lithuanian-made components."
"The expectation of Gorbachev and other Russian officials in 1991 was that their economy would turn to the West for reorganization along the lines that had made the U.S., German and other economies so prosperous. The mutual expectation in Russia and Western Europe was for German, French and other investors to restructure the post-Soviet economy along more efficient lines.
That was not the U.S. plan. When Senator John McCain called Russia “a gas station with atom bombs,” that was America’s dream for what they wanted Russia to be – with Russia’s gas companies passing into control by U.S. stockholders, starting with the planned buyout of Yukos as arranged with Mikhail Khordokovsky. The last thing that U.S. strategists wanted to see was a thriving revived Russia. U.S. advisors sought to privatize Russia’s natural resources and other non-industrial assets, by turning them over to kleptocrats who could “cash out” on the value of what they had privatized only by selling to U.S. and other foreign investors for hard currency. The result was a neoliberal economic and demographic collapse throughout the post-Soviet states."
I can see why Putin put Khordokovsky in jail, if this is true.
What time does the war start?
Wikipedia :
On 27 February, masked Russian troops without insignia took over the Supreme Council (parliament) of Crimea and captured strategic sites across Crimea, which led to the installation of the pro-Russian Sergey Aksyonov government in Crimea, the conducting of the Crimean status referendum and the declaration of Crimea's independence on 16 March 2014.
... The war started in 2014.
You need a caption competition for the photo
Macron
"This is as close as I can get and feel safe"
Putin
"Have a nice cup of tea"
There is a lot more from Michael Hudson in the article at NC that anonymous quotes that makes a lot of sense:
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/02/michael-hudson-americas-real-adversaries-are-its-european-and-other-allies.html
Caption Compo!: Macron: "Is it us that's small or is the table too big?"
"Phew ! You stink !" Said both.
You really do everything you can to appear as a 1970s James Bond Villain, don’t you Mr Putin?
https://youtu.be/VRYVsC8JY1A
I know the table looks big, but we already had to saw a foot off the legs...
Quote from the wonderful "Mean Time"
"You're thick, and I'm 'ard"...
Andrew - the war started when Victoria Nuland's coup replaced the pro-Russian elected government with a "pro-Western" one.
(I use quote marks because "pro-Western" doesn't really mean being in favour of the West and its historic peoples. It means anti-racist indoctrination and Gay Pride)
"The last guy I did this with tried to break my hand. I'm not falling for that one again." *Winks*
"I've been expecting you. This button under my desk..."
I think the end-game is starting to come clear.
It has been reported that a new law will be put to the Russian parliament recognising the Donbas region etc as Russian territory
Once passed the Russian army will roll in and move up to their new border.
There will be some fighting, but not much.
Lots of diplomatic grumpiness.
And that is it.
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