Martin Armstrong is always worth reading imo. I get a lot of information on a daily basis but he has other sources and different focuses that I often find interesting and so I'm posting the below just FYI purposes only. https://patrickarmstrong.ca/2019/02/28/russian-federation-sitrep-28-february-2019/ On the latter, below is an article on Pence's insulting speech in Warsaw. I doubt Pence even today understands that you don't wear concrete encrusted builders boots to address allies and European VIP's: https://www.theamericanconservative...PwLjy3GBTOpIlgqWLKp9m6FJtfY96un688LxP4RgAeJhk And https://tomluongo.me/2019/02/21/merkel-draws-the-line-against-trump/
Well of course the "re-painting" of Russia as an evil rogue state is about gaining access to resources and creating new American markets for selling resources, part of the reason why "securing" Russia but not appearing too much of a threat is a delicate balance. Merkel's firm stance against American manipulation is very important for Russia... Germany is key. ^ this is interesting to me as I believe nothing will be more important to Putin's legacy, than what he does for his people and his country. Clearly he is determined to deliver. I have come to the conclusion that the Americans don't really know how to negotiate from any other position than brute force. It takes skill and manoeuvring... so far they have displayed none.
American don't know how to negotiate.....only through "brute force"??? I think the Russkis taught us that??? Great analogy scarlet
In Armstrong's quote he stated that the Libya crises woke Putin up, when it really started with Nato's illegal intervention in the Serbian civil war and the bombing of Belgrade. When Moscow objected at the Security Council, Clinton didn't pay heed and that's when Putin realized he needed to change priorities. So instead of modernizing Russia's industries and raising their standard of living, he began to modernize and rebuild their military and that it was paramount for Russia's survival. In Libya, Putin objected to a no fly zone, but Medvedev was president and he was an Atlantacist so he didn't veto it at the Security Council. Washington gave its promise that they would not kill Ghadaffy which they did of course, and what was supposed to be a no fly zone turned into a Washington bombing spree in support of terrorists. Medvedev lost the election because of it, and Vladimir Putin was re-elected.
Russia has a quickly declining population because of low birth rate and reducing life span.They have 10 million more women than men in their population.Many of their rural villages are completely devoid of any human life,abandoned.And unlike many of their Eastern European neighbors immigrants are not rushing to move there.
Those " rural areas"....lack adequate plumbing, roads, housing...and it's brutally cold in winter. Who in their right mind would consider immigrating to that?
The neocons ans neoliberals are two sides of the same coin. Same goals (consolidation, hegemony, world governance), different methods (military force vs extorting "free trade" to enforce regulatory and political compliance) The only question worth asking is: where ought sovereignty be held? With international organisations? Nation states? Bureaucracies independent from accountability? States? Counties? The individual?
