That is the most optimistic take on Trump's Russia fixation I've heard and the one thing that could excuse his and JD's recently having taken it upon themselves to parrot Russian propaganda - if it works. It reminds me of a recent post on X: "(praying) please be 5-D chess, please be 5-D chess..."
I recently wrote something similar without the comparison to Kissinger. Yanis Varoufakis, a self-described “Libertarian Marxist,” has written about the impact of opening up China (“two billion low wage workers entered the Minotaur’s realm” - Ch. 2 of Technofeudalism). What’s unclear is the amount of leverage the U.S. can actually have through rapprochement with Putin, or if the reality is the reverse. What’s also unclear is how the new global order shakes out as other states are induced to make new choices given what Washington is now signaling. For example, does Beijing read this is a green light in the South China Sea? Do non-nuclear ME states now see the need to arm themselves against a muscular and unconstrained Israel? Do resource-rich countries see even greater value in partnering with China?
Based on what I read, there are pressure points that can be applied to Putin, if devised cleverly. His domestic economic situation is dire, except for the military industrial complex. Those factories are getting all the money, all the credits, but none of those credits are going to be paid back. They're making loans to factories to build munitions and weapons that are already bad loans. And so the Russian financial system is ruined. His payment system is under massive pressure. He's got dirhams and he's got rupees that he can't use for anything. He's accumulating huge stocks of UAE currency and India currency as well as Chinese currency, which he can only use really to trade with China, although there are a couple of other third parties he can use it for. He's hemorrhaging his human capital abroad, marked by massive labor shortages domestically since 700,000 people killed or seriously wounded in the war. Putin lost the European market to a very great extent. The gas market was extremely lucrative for him, thanks to mistakes by Germany. He hasn't been able to recuperate that level of volume with sales. The oil is still selling, but it's complex to sell it. He can't develop his Arctic energy because ExxonMobil and other companies with the tech were forced to leave.
That’s what I was thinking. He’s always been a reliable stenographer for the Left’s message du jour, which is most often a bunch of BS clothed in puffed up language.
Extraordinarily fascinating and insightful article, “ “Reversing Kissinger” by Lee Smith!!
Positively a must read!
Lee Smith is a great writer and researcher. Thoroughly enjoyed his massively insightful non fiction ‘Strong Horse’ book.
Great analysis, Lee Smith.
https://x.com/BarakRavid/status/1897403953358499980
See here what Trump said to Hamas
Can you imagine a world where Google is no longer the sole arbiter (or skewer) of search results?!
I can and it’s a brand new, magnificent world to behold!
Hilarious that Google is relying on the national security card. Must be trying to protect all their workers that protested working for the DOD
Fascinating read by Lee smith.
Great article by Lee Smith …
That is the most optimistic take on Trump's Russia fixation I've heard and the one thing that could excuse his and JD's recently having taken it upon themselves to parrot Russian propaganda - if it works. It reminds me of a recent post on X: "(praying) please be 5-D chess, please be 5-D chess..."
I recently wrote something similar without the comparison to Kissinger. Yanis Varoufakis, a self-described “Libertarian Marxist,” has written about the impact of opening up China (“two billion low wage workers entered the Minotaur’s realm” - Ch. 2 of Technofeudalism). What’s unclear is the amount of leverage the U.S. can actually have through rapprochement with Putin, or if the reality is the reverse. What’s also unclear is how the new global order shakes out as other states are induced to make new choices given what Washington is now signaling. For example, does Beijing read this is a green light in the South China Sea? Do non-nuclear ME states now see the need to arm themselves against a muscular and unconstrained Israel? Do resource-rich countries see even greater value in partnering with China?
Based on what I read, there are pressure points that can be applied to Putin, if devised cleverly. His domestic economic situation is dire, except for the military industrial complex. Those factories are getting all the money, all the credits, but none of those credits are going to be paid back. They're making loans to factories to build munitions and weapons that are already bad loans. And so the Russian financial system is ruined. His payment system is under massive pressure. He's got dirhams and he's got rupees that he can't use for anything. He's accumulating huge stocks of UAE currency and India currency as well as Chinese currency, which he can only use really to trade with China, although there are a couple of other third parties he can use it for. He's hemorrhaging his human capital abroad, marked by massive labor shortages domestically since 700,000 people killed or seriously wounded in the war. Putin lost the European market to a very great extent. The gas market was extremely lucrative for him, thanks to mistakes by Germany. He hasn't been able to recuperate that level of volume with sales. The oil is still selling, but it's complex to sell it. He can't develop his Arctic energy because ExxonMobil and other companies with the tech were forced to leave.
Excellent article
Let's see where those so called secret talks are being held-I doubt that Barak Ravid is a favorite of anyone within the Trump administration
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/05/trump-hamas-hostages-gazz-ultimatum
This is the only statement to Hamas from anyone in the Trump administration that matters
That’s what I was thinking. He’s always been a reliable stenographer for the Left’s message du jour, which is most often a bunch of BS clothed in puffed up language.
Only three sapling trees for the irgc? Gharqad trees would be symbolic...🤔
I checked the date but they didn't copy tu b'shvat😵💫
Wild about Russian invitations to Nixon to join in the potential Sino savaging 🧐