Dexter White returns to discuss where we are in the War in Ukraine and what it means for both the future of Europe and the global financial markets as emboldened neocons may see any of Russia’s operational mishaps around Kiev as openings to further attack on Russia.
Show Notes
#GotGoldorRubles? Russia Just Broke the Back of the West
Podcast Episode #98 – Dexter White and the Fog of Truth Around Ukraine
Podcast Episode #99 — Dexter White and Putin’s Mumu of No Return
Previous Episodes:
Podcast Episode #100 — Alistair Crooke and Russia’s Real War for Independence
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URGENT – Moscow
Bloomberg
“Putin orders gas exports to be halted If buyers don’t pay in rubles”
Putin signed a decree requiring payment in rubles for Russian gas supplies as from Friday, April 1 which also demands buyers of gas to open accounts in Russian banks warning that Moscow can halt gas contracts if buyers don’t pay in rubles. Additionally, new payment proceedings in EUR or USD could be blocked.
No April Fool´s Day prank, no bluff.
Just head-on gloves-off confrontation with “unfriendly” nations that hate Russia´s guts.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/putin-signs-decree-ordering-gas-exports-be-halted-if-buyers-dont-pay-rubles
They just do not comprehend that Putin means what he says.
France and Germany insisted today that they’ll only pay with euros and signal they’re prepared for a cutoff of Russian exports… ( !!!! )
Vladimir Putin replied “If unfriendly countries do not pay in rubles by April 1 this will be considered a default on gas contracts, in which case they will be scrapped”.
This would affect the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Switzerland, most of the 27 nations of the European Union, and a number of smaller countries which — apparently — would have their economies automatically spiral into stagflation.
https://www.rt.com/news/553066-germany-france-gas-rubles/
https://www.rt.com/business/553060-russia-gas-ruble-decree-explained/
I haven’t heard the whole podcast but I want to get this out early if the podcast isn’t going to discuss the situation on the ground in Ukraine so the rest of the commenters can see:
The Russians have decided to go back to Donbass to work on digging out the entrenched Ukrainian positions there. This does not make any sense if they do not believe NATO will attack. Take for instance the Battle of France and how the Germans dealt with the Maginot line: they harassed the fortresses enough to keep the French garrisons in their forts and pushed through in the north, ignoring the line and mopping it up long after the battle was won. This made sense because Britain’s best troops were already in France, they would have had to cross the channel to reinforce France, and therefore there was no reason to believe the forces in France could be relieved and this the soldiers in the Maginot Line were useless because they could not maneuver.
This goes also for the Ukies in the East. They cannot maneuver, so they are effectively out of the fight unless some large force comes from the west through the center of the country to try and break them out and resupply them. That would be NATO for those not following me.
This is a big leap in logic. The Russians have more likely used the fake sieges like the one in Kiev in order to draw enemy troops to those locations, while leaving a stranded force in the east of the country, which is quite clearly the main Russian military objective here. It is not hard to see. The idea of a NATO-VSU breakout force is ridiculous, you have watched far too many WW2 movies.
I don’t want to listen to the podcast myself, I agree with all of the posters here who have a low opinion on Mr White’s prowess.
Look, you can be on the Russki’s side all you want but refusing to take into account the possibility of Russians operational failures is just dumb. If you were a Russian general you would no doubt be very much concerned about the operational failures you know you have made. That’s how you fight on.
I have experienced the change of Wheels at the Polish Ukraine borders several times. Quite interesting.
For myself looking at history and NATO I need to side with Russia. No finance can comprehend 25 million killed and the Barberic way that it was done along with the atrocities in Ukraine itself to my people is not so many years past.
Tom, I´ve been trying to send you a direct email and it´s rejected over and over again.
The email address I have was posted before per ” tom DOT luongo AT outlook DOT com ” to no avail. Could you please let me have a different email address to reach you ?
I don’t know what to tell you. You can send me a twitter dm
Tom,
Could you please send me a contact email just saying “hello” to
” jorgevilches AT fibertel DOT com DOT ar ”
Please don´t forget the “ar” after the last DOT.
I´d reply to you ” on top of ” such email of yours.
Sorry but I do not have a Twitter account.
Tom, thank you, I´ve just received your “Ping” email.
I´ve just replied to you and sure hope I can reach you now.
This Dexter person is literally painful to listen about military matters. There’s nothing more irritating than someone who pretends he’s telepathic and superior to Russian generals while delivering his thoughts though a nasally voice and with an air of superiority. It’s like listening to nails on a chalkboard.
To be fair to Dexter, both of them are going through the motions here. The real war is civil with unspeakable casulties. I hear two broken hearts.
Agree 100%
The Americans have told all US citizens to exit Ukraine and Russia post-haste. It sounds like they are brewing a chemical attack. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Yesterday, Russia presented a very detailed summation of their findings from the bio labs. They named names, linked the money trails and gave clear evidence that these labs were not for humanity benefit. I assume the western media either dismissed it as propaganda or did not cover it at all. Based on all the false flag talk in the West, the timing of the Russia presentation can not be coincidental.
History Lass….report disputed…
https://theintercept.com/2022/03/17/russia-ukraine-bioweapons-misinformation/
This is painful to listen to. Tom your mate is completely clueless regarding the Special Military Operation, and events on the ground. Perhaps you might direct him to Scott Ritter, rather than the western propaganda he has been totally immersed in.
I’d second Jess’ comment.
You see folks, part of the point of these discussions with Dexter has been to POINTEDLY explore points of view that one may or may not actually believe in.
The only way an argument gets stronger is to argue your opponents’ position. This is literally what Dexter is doing…. and he’s doing it for the stated reason (IN THE PODCAST) to get you to consider the other side’s position to also illuminate their next potential moves.
I find it really sad, actually, that so much of the audience here can’t see that.
If you found this conversation ‘painful’ then that honestly says more about your state of mind than Dexter’s or mine.
I didn’t here Dexter explore anything, all I heard was BS, Sry.
Putin has just warned the West of new “food and migrant crisis” which will ´inevitably´ flood Europe, adding that “Western politicians are allegedly prepared to sacrifice their citizens’ interests in order to enjoy the good graces of their overseas master and overlord”… most probably referring to the USA.
“People are urged to eat less, put on more clothes, and use less heating, give up on travel – presumably for the benefit of the people who are demanding this kind of voluntary deprivation as a sign of some abstract North Atlantic solidarity” — sarcasm intended.
Putin accused the US of trying to solve its own problems at the expense of other countries and to shift the blame for its own economic mistakes onto Russia… also trying to cash in on the current global instability by attempting “to push Europe towards expensive American liquid natural gas”. Putin added that all the sanctions which are being imposed on Moscow now “have been prepared in advance”…
https://www.rt.com/russia/553071-putin-migrant-food-crisis/
What mind fucked me was Biden’s little montage last week saying the sanctions will only hurt the people. And he made sure to elaborate it would be all people; regular people (Russian, European, American, etc). Why would you admit this and still go through with it? Obviously he’s not all there but still. Definitely not in an election year as we head towards the midterms. Is it under promise/over deliver psychology? Doubt it most people don’t have the attention span to make the revelation worthy.
When Biden said in late 2021 “This would be a Dark Winter for the unvax’d full of death and disease” I scoffed. Didn’t buy it for a moment. But this food shortage talk has my antennas raised.
la guerra in ukraina e’ un teatro con morti veri. nato, stati uniti, europa…personaggi ,marionette con fucili veri.. macron parla per rothscild .la vera guerra e’ tra rothschild e la russia….putin dovrebbe bombardare rothshild e via via gli altri schifosi… fine della crudelta’ durata da secoli.
Yes, and after all the insane comments by the psychopaths that rule Europe, directed against their own citizens, where is the outrage against those rulers by the citizenry? All we’ve seen so far is pro-Ukraine virtue signaling, and anti-Russian. As an individual, I’m not willing to “sacrifice” to these monsters for their vendetta against Putin. They haven’t even offered any conciliatory sacrifice themselves. This is “let the eat cake” all over again. I wonder if Putin is scratching his head wondering what is wrong with the people that inhabit Europe. Maybe they deserve to burn. Maybe, like after the Black Death, a better Europe will emerge. The populace should have bloodlust at this point for these monsters, and it’s like they don’t even care. How much abuse are they willing to endure at the hands of their masters before they simply rise up and slaughter them all? It’s like covid was a test run to see how much the cattle will endure. It was tailor-made for a propaganda narrative (an invisible enemy). But now this is real, tangible. You can see with your own eyes that the only threat to your well-being is your own government, and the propaganda is still working on the vast majority of imbeciles.
After listening to this broadcast I am telling my family that it may be best to stay at our Panama property until this crisis passes. Did someone forget the Russian navy has an impressive number of nuclear armed subs? I believe 30 are operational any one of which could reduce most of the USA to nuclear rubble.
These podcasts remind me of the old Hannity and Colmes show. Tom is the informed one and Dexter is the heel making absurd statements and points.
Mariupol is a complete meat grinder, but apparently Dexter thinks the Russians should repeat that in Kiev and Kharkov which are orders of magnitude bigger.
Dexter maybe buy some books on military history. Glantz has a great series on Stalingrad. You will develop a better appreciation of the complexities of mechanized warfare. No plan survives contact with the enemy.
Molleman, your last sentence is missed by many. Well done, and add in flexibility and then concentration of force and they should get a better understanding of what may be in story for Ukrainian forces in the east.
I concur what Jess said above. Tom, your partner is illiterate and naive regarding modern military matters, especially regarding operational planning and military doctrines.
Mr. White’s knowledge seems to be derived from fairytales about the invincible U.S. military, American exceptionalism and some Marvel Hollywood movies.
I’d suggest studying Carl von Clausewitz, Erich von Manstein or Георгий Константинович Жуков.
For example, the illiteracy becomes apparent when both of you start talking about the usage of tactical nukes without mentioning systems like the 9К720, 3К55, 47M2 and 3M22. Russia does not need to go nuclear to sink a CSG or strike operational or strategic depths of an enemy. Please research which of those systems was deployed in Khmeimim Air Base early Feb 2022.
I find it immensely interesting that the Russians used a Kinzhal to destroy munitions kept in a deep bunker where the Soviets kept tactical nukes. They might also in the event of a war use the same missiles to do the same to NATO tactical nukes. Before that report I had never heard of such a thing being accomplished, and likely neither did anyone else.
I think Dexter may have had a point on the Spetznaz troops getting shot down though. While Ritter may be right that the soldiers around Kiev were a distraction, the failure to close the pincer on the forces in Eastern Ukraine seemed like, well, like a failure. I’ll believe the Russians that they didn’t want to take Kiev because Kiev is a huge city full of radical Banderistas, CIA types, and now apparently a heavily armed populace and all of it on the edge of the least Russian speaking part of Ukraine, making it a poor place to plan to occupy because local support would be minimal, but failure to take rail depot’s in the north are a reasonable explaination for why the pincer has not yet been closed.
I have a question regarding the podcast with Dexter White:
The information I have read has stated that the Russian forces have an estimated 200,000 troops versus roughly 600,000 Ukranian troops. What is Dexter’s understanding of troop numbers? I would love more confirmed numbers if it is different from the previously stated.
What is happening now militarily is somewhat rare, but has been seen before:
Operation Compass
36,000 mobile British verses 150,000 immobile Italians in the Western Desert of Libya and Egypt in 1941.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Compass
If the larger force can’t move, for whatever reason, (no fuel, no transport, no air support), the smaller force just moves around at will smashing the larger force in piecemeal battles.
I would not be surprised if the Russian generals did not use O’Connor’s campaign as a model / textbook example as it is very well known to military historians. Hannibal in Italy, during the Second Punic War, would be another example, but in that case the Romans were in fortified cities and kept themselves supplied by sea.
Given the volumes of errors in western media in recent decades, and the fact these errors keep getting bigger each year — I find it difficult to take their propaganda about how the Ukraine war is going seriously.
How many times do these people get caught making stuff up before the public stops taking them seriously?
Compared to the US invasion of Iraq or Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine seems to be going quite well. Nope, it doesn’t make for good CNN theater. But this is a real war, not a TV show.
On the ground, the Russians have control of the Dneiper river, both the origin and the mouth into the Black Sea. That makes it difficult for heavy reinforcements to be brought into eastern Ukraine (such supplies would need to cross the river). The roads out of Donbass are controlled by the Russians.
Nuland’s nazis and the CIA operatives supplying them are trapped. They are being ground into rubble, figuratively and literally.
The bulk of the Ukraine military that had been massing along the Donbass region border are also trapped. If Zelensky has a brain in his head, he will want to get those troops evacuated — Ukraine will have a serious shortage of men to repopulate the western “half” (west of the Dnieper river). Nuland’s nazis are going to be eradicated, and bluntly Zelensky would be better off without them anyway.
If the war was going as badly for Russia as western media claims, Zelensky wouldn’t be in a fruitless panic to get NATO to become directly involved. Zelensky seems to have belatedly realized this is really a proxy war between the Washington DC warmongers and Russia — and DC is “willing to fight to the last Ukranian”…. Wars are easy and fun when someone else is doing the dying. Unless Zelensky realizes his error, it literally will go until the last Ukranian. DC and Russia will just fight somewhere else, all the Ukranians will be gone.
If the war was going as badly as western media claims, Biden wouldn’t be trying to manipulate crude oil / gasoline prices with his ridiculous SPR release. The system can only pump 500K barrels a day, but the 1st dementia patient thinks it can magically pump twice that amount because he thinks he has the power to order it. Sorry dementia man, physics wins you lose.
Meanwhile Germany is going to go into economic collapse tomorrow unless they start paying for natgas in Rubles. As the CEO of BASF pointed out, Germany could probably find other suppliers in 4-5 years if they really really really pull out all the stops. But for the next 4-5 years, Germany has no choice.
Fertilizer supplies all over the west are going to be a problem THIS SUMMER. That means food shortages by next fall — just when the SPR would run out of oil if Biden’s fantasy withdrawal happens.
The Ukraine war is proving a complete disaster for NATO overall, and its not exactly going well for the USA either. Europe will be economically destroyed by June unless they find billions in Rubles by April 1st (aka tomorrow). The US is facing crazy gasoline prices, fertilizer prices, propane and methane. Energy price spikes like this often foretell a recession, but severe stagflation is a sure thing.
If the morons in DC think this is “winning”, maybe they need to lay off the tiger blood. Look up the Charlie Sheen reference — except Sheen was high on drugs, the crazies in DC have no such excuse
BASF is by far the world’s largest chemical producer.
Today its CEO warned that greatly decreasing energy imports from Russia — let alone shutting off the flow — would risk the very existence of all European SMBs and would likely spiral Germany into its most “catastrophic” economic crisis since the end of World War 2 including hyper-unemployment and total collapse throughout Europe.
[ WW3 game over not with a bang but with a whimper ? Just askin´… ]
CEO Martin Brudermüller considers an EU import boycott of Russian natural gas to be irresponsible with Germans greatly underestimating the consequences of what this would mean… including famine.
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/basf-chef-brudermueller-warnt-vor-gas-embargo-gegen-russland-17925528.html
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/basf-ceo-warns-germany-total-collapse-if-russian-gas-supply-cut
Dex is a Clown! He is stupid and clearly a deep state sycophant and shill. Keep him on and loose me and many others. It’s a bad look. FDW!
The discussions between Dexter & Tom have been really great and informative in the past. They usually make for a great team on a lot of discussion items. However, I think the disagreement between Tom & Dexter is indicative of the real divide that currently exists in the world, and it may be irreconcilable, until one world view prevails over the other (which is what has me worried).
This is what Francis Fukuyama said two weeks ago:
“Russia is heading for an outright defeat in Ukraine. The collapse of their position could be sudden and catastrophic, rather than happening slowly through a war of attrition. The army in the field will reach a point where it can neither be supplied nor withdrawn, and morale will vaporize. … Putin will not survive the defeat of his army … A Russian defeat will make possible a “new birth of freedom,” and get us out of our funk about the declining state of global democracy. The spirit of 1989 will live on, thanks to a bunch of brave Ukrainians.”
Fukuyama is the preeminent NeoCon scholar and is “known for his book The End of History (1992), which argues that the worldwide spread of liberal democracies and free-market capitalism of the West and its lifestyle may signal the end point of humanity’s sociocultural evolution and become the final form of human government.”
So, if that is what they are thinking in Washington, then there are three possible outcomes:
1] Fukuyama’s Washington unipolar consensus / outcome prevails.
2] Putin (and presumably Xi’s) balanced multi-polar world prevails.
3] A long and dangerous struggle between the two takes place with an unknown outcome.
I just don’t see the unipolar outcome as possible. For one, they have lost so much Western popular support that they can no longer run non-fortified democratic elections. Additionally, a unipolar world government, without competition, is going to stagnate (not evolve) and become utterly corrupt. And I think we see this everyday in the news. As much as I have benefited from living in a US dominated unipolar world, I just don’t see it as sustainable. However, it is the 3rd outcome that has me worried as I see the two camps (and Tom & Dexter are a microcosm of the rift) as irreconcilable. Hence, “Gold, Goats & Guns”.
So, if you see the discussion between Tom & Dexter like that, you may understand how serious the impasse is. And having listened to Dexter before, I can say he is a really intelligent commentator… however, I didn’t know that he was/is a closet masochist, based on the feedback he knows he is going to get here in the comments. :) (lol)
Let´s talk about the Rubles which “unfriendly” EU member states are now required to pay for Russia´s oil & gas… and eventually all other Russian exports thus increasing the amount of Rubles needed even further.
OMG sorry guys, but I just made a serious mistake please forgive me !!!
Because in view of the glaring absence of Ruble reserves in the hands of the EU “unfriendlies” — or anybody else for that matter — I really should have said let´s talk about the much-needed gold, at least for the coming 12 months after which, possibly, some EU “unfriendlies” may have learned how to accumulate at least “some” Ruble reserves through trade with much-hated Russia and thus reducing the amount of gold required…
Last year, the EU alone — not counting any other “unfriendlies” — imported 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, valued at about $180bn at current volatile prices. Oil exports from Russia to the EU were about 2.3 million barrels per day, worth an additional $105bn for a combined total of $285bn, which at the current exchange rate of RUB 75.5 is RUB 2.15 trillion.
So assuming consumption does not rise more than 10%, the EU during the next 12 months has to roughly source more than TWO and a HALF TRILLION Rubles which at these exchange rates would mean — back of the envelope spitball calculations — approximately 165,000,000 (one hundred and sixty five million) Troy ounces of .9999 gold give or take a dozen million ounces here or there…
This would only be only to cover for EU oil & gas imports during the next year after which, maybe, just maybe, such sum would be lower in the (rare) event that Russia decides to import EU goods paying for them in Rubles they print.
Questions:
(1) do EU countries own 165,000,000 Troy ounces of gold available with prompt delivery ?
(2) how much gold bullion would EU countries need to buy in the world market then ?
(3) At what price ? Higher than today´s maybe ?
(4) Would other “unfriendlies” outside the EU also be involved in this conundrum ?
Just sayin´…
rothscil contro russia…PUTIN bombarda rothschil …fine della crudelta’ durata secoli
The EU has to convert 225 billion euros into roubles to receive RE. I am guessing this will scale up us the rouble strengthens, and the euro waltzes into the dustbin of monetary history. Over to Tom….
AtoZ we basically agree in the total sum in Euros, probably a bit larger. And this would be for a 12 month supply of Russian oil & gas to EU “unfriendlies” NOT any other stuff (palladium etc etc etc) or services.
And of course everything expressed at current market values and exchange rates both of which would NOT hold under current circumstances. Still, the excercise we are both doing is valid
Now the PROBLEM AtoZ is that the Russians could NOT accept Euros as they are worthless to them it´s just confiscated pieces of paper. Their Euros bank accounts are mostly frozen and only “open” for purchase of stuff the EU needs.
See the problem ?
Got gold to sell to Russia at R $ 5000 the gram ?
They´ll pay you that price till June 30…
Just want you to know that I value your comments greatly, as I try to wrap my head around the cultural, theological, historical, psychological and, now, with your and Tom’s help, economic features of the Apocalypse.
And, yes, little castle, from the town northeast of Genova, Castelletto d’Orba, where my Nono Mario was born in the late 19th century.
Your acknowledgement is much appreciated Castelletto, thank you !!
At least I try, so please do count on me for whatever questions you believe I could help out with, either for yourself or the other members of this distinguished audience. And if I don´t have any reasonable answers or nothing significantly different to respond, I´ll just shut up and admit it right away, promised.
Caro Castelletto, io sono 50% catalano ed un altro 50% italiano nativo dell area d´il Lago di Como un piccollo posto sulla montagna da nome Mello vicino a Sondrio, conosce-tu ? …Traona anche… San Martino… il mio zio era Sindaco Comunale di Mello e ho stato sulla Ukrania nell 1943 come oficiale italiano nella bataglia di Stalingrado imaginate che io ho ascoltato molti storie ! Miracolosamente mio zio ritornó a Mello senza ferite troppo sano ho partito nell ultimo treno Milerovo RUSSIA – Lublin Mirena POLONIA !!
I think at this point the West has to escalate the war because it’s the only reason they could give to their dumbed-down populace, which lacks character and the ability to think, why the world is going to hell. They can’t try the truth because the vast majority won’t understand the truth. Many people in the alternative media sphere believe that rulers don’t tell the truth because the masses would rise up. After what I’ve seen the past 2+ years, I’m convinced the masses won’t rise up, and actually have never risen up in human history. Everything you are told about history of people rising up en masse is complete crap. The closest thing you ever had was the American Revolution, and that was completely co-oped by the money powers within 10 years. Most people simply don’t understand and aren’t able to understand — how economies function, what money is and how it functions, and how easy it is for sociopaths who do understand to game the system because of this ignorance of the masses.
Dexter is painful to listen to. OTOH, your Tuesday night rant and again on Halsey, as you were tired, frustrated and a little drunk, were fun, entertaining and informative.
As an American US-centric mindset of Dexter is understandable, but his knowledge of American, Russian, Chinese and their politics and history is deplorable. His hubris and sarcasm toward everything that is anti-US, or in other words he actually believes in the “exceptionalism” of America in a world of 7.9 billion of which the US population are a minority. The infantile belief in an utopian future of reinvented American society rather than the end of the hegemonic and demonic control of the rest of the world is his fervent hope. “He’ll (Putin) be dead in ten years.” So will you, sooner or later, Dexter, leaving a much worse legacy.
As an American US-centric mindset of Dexter is understandable, but his knowledge of American, Russian, Chinese and their politics and history is deplorable. His hubris and sarcasm toward everything that is anti-US, or in other words he actually believes in the “exceptionalism” of America in a world of 7.9 billion of which the US population are a minority. The infantile belief in an utopian future of reinvented American society rather than the end of the hegemonic and demonic control of the rest of the world is his fervent hope. “He’ll (Putin) be dead in ten years.” So will you, sooner or later, Dexter, leaving a much worse legacy.
My brother’s first reaction to the kickoff of Russia in the Ukraine was to contact his guys training forces in NATO tactics and gear at “Ukrainian” bases. In the forces together since the early 80’s, my brother (CWO PPCLI) quickly located and got their take on what happened. Two days before this kicks off, all the NATO trainers were moved to Poland and Latvia. Their collective opinion at the time, even those going back in? Russia would tie up Ukranian forces at the capital but not attempt to take it and was lined up to move through Donbas and Luhansk while pushing through their Crimean state to take Odessa. Canadian forces from the Bosnia Herzegovina conflict are also some of those training Ukrainian forces. Why is that of interest? They’re the same forces who trained in Germany and the Canadian prairies to take on Russia, in Russia.
Thank you, great info
Gasprom has pulled out of Germany, France is talking down Russian energy, Britain has been caught with its pants down in Ukraine, Poland has a hard-on for a total European war theatre. I am disappointed in the Poles. For the rest, it’s business as normal = no business ironically. Oh, and there is a nip of Covid in the air.
I predict European suicide rates quadrupling in the next 6 weeks. Inflation to reach 20%.
AtoZ: The Poles are not what they appear. IMHO Remember they were on the outs with the EU in terms of both their judicial system and the EU wanting to shut down their coal industry. So, with Russian energy being eliminated, the Poles may end up being the savior of the EU. And by being close to the front lines, they are going to get a huge economic boost from all of the military deployments / spending. And they also have their eyes on former Polish territory (L’vov area) that was taken from them and given to the Ukraine in 1939.
I would say they are acting more like Hungary than anything else, but they have more to gain going along with the EU, up to a point. Remember they were not willing to pass their Migs to Ukraine a few weeks ago… so they are a very cagey lot. IMHO
Important to have Dexter on at times as we all need to get out of our comfort level. Everything cannot be an echo chamber even for me. Have him on again!
That.
I didn’t have time to listen to the podcast, but read the comments here. I’ve noticed lots of negative comments regarding the guy called Dexter who was interviewed by Tom. As a believer in truly competitive free markets (not the ones in the west generally based on Ponzi schemes), I think all counter opinions and views are healthy and should be heard. Eventually, the free market forces (in this case the opinions of the majority and common sense) will eliminate the bad apples. It is up to us as thinking individuals to filter the information, use our common sense and connect the dots. IMO, so far Tom proved to have a high degree of integrity and analytical reasoning more than many in the alternative media space. However any thought or analysis should be challenged.
Today I have read an article in ZH suggesting that the Russian invasion aligns well with the Great Reset and that the US and the west in general can not be dumb enough to not foresee all what a crippling effect all of this would have to their economies. Basically the author is suggesting that invasion of Ukraine and the western response may very well be a part of Great Reset scheme (https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-real-target-western-sanctions).
Personally I don’t believe that this is the case because I think I see more compelling evidence to suggest that this hypothesis is not true. However contrary opinions are always challenging and healthy in general as they make you think harder about one’s own convictions (except if evidently a psyop). That is why I even tend to read some of the nonsense BS coming out of MSM.
Mattiew, the ZH article you reference specifically does mention that
(3) Real punishment to Russia means increasing oil & gas production flooding the market and tanking the price.
Well, that trick was pulled only once, can´t do it anymore.This is not 2015 by any means with a supposed US ´super production´ only during a very brief time span and on the basis of UN-sustainable shale fields only kept on running somewhat for the sole purpose of faking a self-sufficiency of sorts.
With shale, the oil & gas industry knows all too well that the more your drill and produce … the more money you lose… only to be compensated, yet again, by the Fed´s impunity at “money” printing something which now flashes RED to the whole wide world and is intimately related to what´s going on right now
Shale “sweet spots” no longer exist as they are fully exhausted. The only aspect that subsists is the enormous pollution footprint generated during production and now left behind with enormous pending costs of many almost un-solvable impacts environmental or otherwise.
Comments getting missed / blocked / not-posted a lot… I sent one yesterday, and Tom has approved other comments in the meantime. Its not just a matter of waiting / being patient.
Like others have posted (when comments go through?)… I refuse to give Patreon the info they want to censor and control who gets paid and who doesn’t. F#ck Patreon and all the silicon valley crazies.
My comments sometimes don’t go through. And the only mechanism for paying Tom for his time is a mess.
For those reasons… I’m out
I’m sorry guys… i’ll check to see if I’ve missed anything.
Same old problem – faulty premises leading to conclusions that are backassward.
The serious cognitive dissonance heard around the 76min mark (“surely it’s too high-concept?”) is inevitable when imagining that the Washington Generals have the influence and competence to co-ordinate multiple central bank policies across the world.
The Washington Generals and their peers are an ancient relic of the mildewy Great Game – expecting an analysis of their laughable activities to yield anything of value these days is like trying to locate Julia Roberts by bugging the gerbil up Richard Gere’s ass.
The central banks take orders directly from the Davosian Globetrotters, and the Washington Generals just wander around the court with their underpants on their head.
And yeah sure, sometimes they find themselves with the ball.
The problem isn’t having a counter point on the show. Maybe you understand it this way. Dexter has a show on Crypto or an IT related field he is an expert in. His counter point guest has no experience in these areas but just pontificates using key words associated with the topic. It’s clear his guest is completely unqualified to hold up their side of the conversation. Listeners with a similar background to Dexter are like, WTF is going on here.
matthiew
I could reply LOTS more to your provocative post but for the sake of time and space I´ll just focus only 3 aspects
(1) The WEF´s Great Reset vis-á-vis the Ukraine invasion crisis
In your post you reference a ZH article which you say suggests that “the invasion of Ukraine and the western response may very well be a part of the Great Reset”. Well quite frankly Mattiew and with all due respect…no matter how hard I try I can´t fathom why or how on planet Earth you dare to say that as the author of such article does not mention the WEF´s Great Reset anywhere at all (???) not even once, not even by mistake. Go figure…
(2) Dumb & dumber
Regarding your concern — which other posters have shared before– in that “the US and Western leadership cannot be dumb enough to not foresee what a crippling effect all of this would have to their economies”… well, sorry to say Matthiew YES, they are THAT stupid, THAT dumb, THAT mediocre, THAT narrow-minded, THAT ill-prepared, THAT incompetent… and much MUCH much more. I can attest to that fact but I please urge you to just take my word for it because right here right now for reasons of space I cannot submit to you the evidence. Trust me Matthiew, I am 100% certain regarding the above. And nothing better than the oil & gas pricing example included the ZH article you reference.
Mattiew, the ZH article you reference specifically does mention that
(3) Real punishment to Russia means increasing oil & gas production flooding the market and tanking the price.
Well, that trick was pulled only once, can´t do it anymore.This is not 2015 by any means with a supposed US ´super production´ only during a very brief time span and on the basis of UN-sustainable shale fields only kept on running somewhat for the sole purpose of faking a self-sufficiency of sorts.
With shale, the oil & gas industry knows all too well that the more your drill and produce … the more money you lose… only to be compensated, yet again, by the Fed´s impunity at “money” printing something which now flashes RED to the whole wide world and is intimately related to what´s going on right now
Shale “sweet spots” no longer exist as they are fully exhausted. The only aspect that subsists is the enormous pollution footprint generated during production and now left behind with enormous pending costs of many almost un-solvable impacts environmental or otherwise.
Pepe Escobar… maybe took note of Tom Luongo´s previous title herein ?
…(sic) ´ Putin opted to really go for broke and break the West’s back ´ (sic)…
…(sic) ´ #GotGoldorRubles? Russia Just Broke the Back of the West ´ (sic)…
THE GOLDEN RUBLE … or “hard”-ruble backed by oil & gas, minerals, commodities, etc.
Or…”13% of the planet will not dominate the other 87% anymore.”
NATOstan vs. Eurasia: the Western “rules-based international order” bites the dust.
by Pepe Escobar
“The unilateral sanctions made dollars and euros worthless to Russia. Hysteria fits won’t cut it: this will be resolved – but under Russia’s terms. Period. The Foreign Ministry had already warned that refusal to pay for gas in rubles would lead to a serious global crisis of non-payments and serial global-level bankruptcies, a hellish chain reaction of blocked transactions, freezing of collateral assets and closures of credit lines.”
“Moscow is working on a set of documents defining the new deal. Essentially, that spells out no rubles, no gas. Contracts become null and void once you violate trust. The US and the EU broke legally biding agreements with unilateral sanctions and on top of it confiscated foreign reserves of a – nuclear – G20 nation.”
“The Duma is contemplating the extension of payment in rubles to other essential products – such as oil, metals, timber, wheat. It will depend on the collective voracity of the EU chihuahuas. Everyone knows that their non-stop hysteria may translate into a colossal rupture of supply chains across the West.”
“Russia remains self-sufficient, food-wise. American hysteria over “isolated” Russia is laughable. Every actor that matters across Eurasia – not to mention the other 4 BRICS and virtually the whole Global South – did not demonize and/or sanction Russia.”
“The sudden switch from dollars/euros to rubles was hardcore, Olympic-level geoeconomic judo. Putin enticed the collective West to unleash its demented hysteria sanction attack – and turned it against the opponent with a single, swift move.”
“Not to mention the master coup by the Russian Central Bank, pegging 1 gram of gold to 5,000 rubles – which is already around $60, and climbing. Coupled with No Rubles No Gas, what we have here is energy de facto pegged to gold. The EU Chihuahuas and the Japanese colony will need to buy a lot of rubles in gold or buy a lot of gold to have their gas. And it gets better. Russia may re-peg the ruble to gold in the near future. Could go to 2,000 rubles, 1,000 rubles, even 500 rubles for a gram of gold.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-meet-new-resource-based-global-reserve-currency
While Dexter muses over whether white should have fianchettoe’d the bishop, and whether or not this is an English opening that has morphed into a King’s Indian, we are now in the middle game.
Russia has turned the gas off to Germany & Latvia.
What can one say?
Silencio…
AtoZ, hello buddy.
You say “Russia has turned the gas off to Germany & Latvia”
SOURCE please I can´t find it anywhere…
Gazprom was being hounded so they closed their German offices on Friday. According to Katja Yafimava, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, this means the entire European gas supply is terminated.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russias-gazprom-exits-german-business-amid-row-over-pricing-2022-04-01/
I don’t think the US wants Europe having Russian energy, end of. So, the complete destruction of Europe, manufacturing, logistics, is on the way – and I doubt the US will fold before the river, so I am expecting kinetic war as well. Life and soul of the party – sorry
I have also read reports of Latvia and Lithuania having the gas turned off.
But look, Nato is now fast-tracking Finland.
Britain is shipping precision weaponry to Poland for the war, (and apparently flouting international law on war crimes).
Nato is on a war footing, and has been for a long time. The energy sub plot is not causative, it is indicative. There will be be nothing allowed out of Russia. It’s war.
It seems just a matter of time before Russia intercepts an arms delivery outside of the Ukraine. And then it’s another European war.
Sorry to be a Cassandra.
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