Economics And Empires

Home Economists,

  Aleks at Black Mountain Analysis (Serbian) caps off his excellent series: Economics and Empires 6 [i]​  Downfall

​  Power or hegemony is attained through control of markets and resources. These two aspects are everything that is important in the global game of power. Nothing else. Again:
Markets
Resources
Period.
​  The United States of America has been chosen as the host for the Western Oligarchy to enforce its policies from a militarily unreachable place. Obviously, that has succeeded very well. The Western Oligarchy consists of Oligarchs, mainly from the Western states. Not only from the United States, but from other Western countries as well. Hence, their intention to make these states prosper at the expense of the rest of the world....

-Extensive analysis, graphics and explanation -

​..Implementation of the free world order could be finished by 2032, maybe.
But will it be a paradise? I’m sure that a period of prosperity will follow for most of the people of the world. And there will be losers as well.
​  But will the freedom and independence of most nations be long lasting? I hope so, but by studying the rise and fall of empires we all know the following: The next empire is right around the corner. And it won’t be Russia in this case.
​  We should all stay vigilant and try to do everything to avoid any empire being established. People should be free. Nations should be free.
But our nature seeks to dominate over others. And this is why our history is full of violence. There is little hope to change this as long as humans are ruling over us.

Economics and Empires 6 [i]

​  Russia's BRICS Presidency Lends Hope for ‘Proactive Push Towards Multipolarity’

​  President Vladimir Putin underscored at the end of the year that Russia would devote its BRICS presidency in 2024 to building a fair world order, and “strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security.” https://sputnikglobe.com/20240101/russias-brics-presidency-lends-hope-for-proactive-push-towards-multipolarity-1115911001.html

​  Global Elections 2024: A Year of Political Shift?​ [Will I get to vote for anybody who is not already corrupted? Will votes be counted or ​just pretend-counted?]

​  As the world steps into the leap year of 2024, the global stage is set for a series of significant events, with elections playing a pivotal role in shaping the future. A staggering 46% of the world's population, along with 54% of global GDP, will engage in the procedure this year. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240102/global-elections-2024-a-year-of-political-shift-1115945702.html

​  Gilbert Doctorow , The enabler of our two concurrent world wars: Washington

  From the perspective of Washington, these are proxy wars which put at risk very few of its own men at arms, though some do come home in body bags without word to the press, while preparations proceed apace for the launch of a third proxy war in the South China Sea. The Philippines are the latest recruits to the prospective encirclement and assault on China.

​  On their talk shows, the Russians speculate on when a mutual defense pact with Iran, China and North Korea will be announced. This will not be a bloc, like NATO, but will enshrine the key principle of ‘one for all and all for one’ in case of attack by outside forces...

..Vesti maintains a near blackout of news on the Israel-Hamas war in broadcasts to its home audience. Why? Because Russia does not want to get embroiled in that war when it needs all its human and materiel resources to defeat the Ukrainians and their NATO backers. Moreover, Russia can be satisfied that the Iranians and their Houthi proxies have the situation in the Middle East under control, restraining the United States from region-wide escalation by engaging directly on Israeli’s side.​..

​..In Russian news, all attention is on the one conflict in which the Russians are themselves deeply engaged, and there news from the line of contact, news from the home front which a day ago experienced a murderous attack on the border town of Belgorod that killed 25 civilians and gravely injured another fifty or so, news from the United Nations Security Council deliberations of the same, more than fill the time allotted to 14.00 o’clock and 20.00 o’clock wrap-ups.
​  Anyone following developments of the Ukrainian war these past few days will note the tit for tat nature of the strikes dealt out by the warring parties day after day. The chain of events began early on the morning of Wednesday, 26 December, when the Ukrainians deployed air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles to destroy the Novocherkassk, a large landing ship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet parked in the harbor of Feodosia, on the eastern shores of the Crimea. The ship was said to be loaded with drones and the missile strike set off a fire and explosions that may have killed as many as 74, both on the ship and in the port.
​  However, the outstanding feature of the attack was not the numbers of the dead or the loss of the ship itself: it was the demonstration that Kiev had now been given a Storm Shadow variant with much greater flight range than the initial shipments from the U.K. and France.

​  From the perspective of the Russian high command, this new ability of the Ukrainians to strike far deeper into Russian territory represented a serious escalation of the conflict which required mirror-image escalation from Russia. The Russian response was not long in coming: on the 27th, Russia launched the largest missile attack on Ukraine since the start of the Special Military Operation, more than 150 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and armed drones, directed at cities across the Ukraine, including Kiev.​

..It would appear that their main interest was to destroy caches of the Storm Shadow and also the most advanced Western ground to air missiles. They claim to have destroyed a Patriot complex in the Lvov region, killing a substantial number of French military who were in charge of the installation.​..                                                ..The Ukrainian response the next day was a concentrated attack on the Russian border city of Belgorod, capital of an oblast of the same name. Belgorod is not more than 20 km from Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv... This time missiles were sent into apartment blocks and other civilian structures, killing some 25 Russians and gravely wounding perhaps 50 more, some of whom were evacuated to Moscow by plane on life support.
​  Yesterday and today the Russians avenged this serious loss by renewed missile attacks, now concentrated on Kharkiv, whence the attack on Belgorod had come. They demolished the headquarters of military intelligence in the city, claiming to have killed many foreign advisers, probably British and Americans, who were guiding the attacks.  They also struck air fields across Ukraine which could be used to service planes carrying the Storm Shadow.

​  I end this overview with the remark that American-British escalation of the weaponry deployed against Russia was at the start of what we have witnessed these past six days. And that can be no accident. It follows from the news of the war in the immediately preceding period, which unequivocally demonstrated that on the ground, along the line of contact, the Russian forces were moving steadily to overrun Ukrainian positions and force a retreat...
​  The overall impression was depressing for the Ukrainian cause at the very time that Congress was in recess after rejecting efforts by the Administration to pass legislation ensuring continued financial and military aid to Kiev. Now these Ukrainian missile attacks on the Black Sea fleet in the Feodosia harbor and the attack on civilians in what is properly speaking Russian Federation territory of Belgorod oblast would give luster to the Ukrainian cause while prodding the Russians to escalate and perform what Washington would showcase as war crimes.
​  Escalation is the game Washington is playing. In Ukraine. In the Red Sea. In the Eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Lebanon.

Washington seems oblivious to the possibility that the proxy wars it is fanning may yet invite a Russian, or Iranian, or North Korean strike directly on U.S. assets, whether overseas or on the Continental United States​ [or "somebody" pulling strings in the empire WANTS that to happen.] https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2024/01/02/the-enabler-of-our-two-concurrent-world-wars-washington/

  The Israeli economy cannot sustain this war for half a year. What does this mean?  War in Gaza won’t end in 2024 – Israel West Jerusalem has refused to entertain international calls for a ceasefire in the besieged enclave https://www.rt.com/news/590012-israel-war-all-year-gaza/

​Plausible deniability? I don't know.  Biden Admin Says US, Israel Not Behind Iran Blast As Death Toll Surpasses 100 https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/least-20-dead-after-twin-blasts-rip-through-memorial-irgcs-soleimani-southern-iran

Rapid escalation in the Middle East: Israel crossed the "red" line - Bombed the Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut - The deputy leader of Hamas is dead​  https://warnews247-gr.translate.goog/ragdaia-klimakosi-sti-mesi-anatoli-proti-epithesi-tou-israil-sti-viryto-vomvardise-to-propyrgio-tis-chezbolach-nekros-o-yparchigos-tis-chamas/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp#google_vignette

​  Influential Israeli Politician Urges Army Occupation Of Southern Lebanon For 50 Years

​  Israel's influential former defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who has long been known as an outspoken hawk aligned with the hardline political opposition, is calling for the Israeli army to occupy southern Lebanon with a goal toward creating a permanent security buffer zone. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/hardline-israeli-politician-urges-army-occupation-southern-lebanon-50-years

Nasrallah Says Hezbollah Prepared To Wage 'No Limit' War On Israel​  [Revenge is a dish best served cold. Nasrallah is a seasoned veteran of these wars.]

​  As is typical of his speeches, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah gave no details on the paramilitary group's next steps, or whether an escalation in the conflict is on the horizon, but he asserted that the killing al-Arouri will not go without punishment, issuing all the usual fresh threats and warnings. He did warn of a 'no limit' war.
​  "If the enemy thinks about waging war against Lebanon, then our fighting will be with no ceiling, with no limits, with no rules. And they know what I mean," Nasrallah said. "We are not afraid of war. We don’t fear it. We are not hesitant. If we were, we would have stopped at the front."
​  He called Israel's targeting south Beirut the day before, which resulted in the assassination of al-Arouri and some six others, a "dangerous" act. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/watch-nasrallah-gives-speech-after-hamas-deputy-chiefs-assassination-beirut

​  This aircraft carrier is already out of range of Hezbollah's Iranian hypersonic anti-ship missiles. It is replaced by an amphibious assault ship and missile cruisers.

​  The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group is heading home from the Mediterranean Sea, according to a Monday announcement by the US Navy.
​  It had patrolled there, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean, for months of additional, extended duty in order to provide protection for Israel and be on the ready for potential escalation, given persistent exchange of fire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah too.
​  The Navy said the USS Ford's presence will now be replaced by the Bataan amphibious ready group, which has 2,000 Marines onboard. This ready group includes the USS Bataan, and the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall - which are currently transiting the Red Sea, making ready to enter the Mediterranean. https://www.zerohedge.com/military/uss-ford-aircraft-carrier-returning-home-after-extended-deployment-protecting-israel

​  Asymmetric response, or just carrying-on?  Houthis Claim Another Container Ship Attack As Middle East Turmoil Worsens

​  Turmoil in the Middle East today has been marked by twin explosions near the burial site of the late Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, resulting in at least 73 fatalities and injuring 170 others. Additionally, there are new reports of another attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
​  According to Bloomberg, the Houthis' armed forces' spokesman claimed rebel forces attacked the container ship "CMA CGM TAGE" after the vessel's captain ignored multiple warnings. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/houthis-claim-another-container-ship-attack-middle-east-turmoil-worsens

​  Same or different? Hard to keep up: Explosions reported near ship in Bab el-Mandeb Strait: UK agency

​  British maritime security agency UKMTO reported explosions late Tuesday near a cargo ship in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2435521/middle-east

​  Great Game India, Yemen's Naval Blockade on Israel

​  After Israel unleashed unprecedented violence on Gaza, killing over 20,000 people, mostly women, and children, Yemen’s armed forces led by Ansarallah declared on November 14 that they would attack any ship associated with Israel that was traveling through the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea. This vital canal is the entry point to the Suez Canal, which is used by 8.8 million barrels of oil per day and around 10% of world trade every day.
​  Ansarallah declared on December 9 that it would broaden its operations to include targeting any ship, regardless of nationality, traveling to Israel through the Red Sea. Ansarallah Armed Forces spokesperson: “All ships in the Red Sea bound for Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, will become a target for our armed forces if Gaza does not receive the food and medicine it needs.” https://greatgameindia.com/yemens-naval-blockade-on-israel/

Fiery statement from Sanaa calls on Yemeni people to prepare for all options after US attack in Red Sea​ [Do they have Iranian ​or Chinese hypersonic missiles yet?] https://en.ypagency.net/314994

​Again: Maersk decides Red Sea too unsafe for its ships for now https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2024/01/03/companies/maersk-red-sea-unsafe/

​  Israeli officer kidnaps Palestinian infant​  [Crying infant, dead family, Israeli officer who picked up baby has also died since then.]
​  According to the report, Israeli officer Harel Itach, a Givati Brigade commander, allegedly kidnapped a Palestinian infant from her family home in Gaza following the killing of her family members. The specific date of the incident was not disclosed, but the organization underscored the significance of taking this information seriously.
​  After learning about the Israeli officer's death on December 22, 2023, due to injuries sustained in the Gaza war, a close associate of Itach revealed the alleged kidnapping incident. The friend disclosed that the whereabouts of the Palestinian baby remains unknown. Euro-Med Monitor voiced profound apprehension, expressing fear that this incident involving the officer and the Palestinian infant is not an isolated occurrence. The rights group cited numerous testimonies it has received, indicating a pattern where the Israeli army reportedly detains and relocates Palestinian children without providing information about their whereabouts https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-soldiers-kidnapped-infant--other-children--euro-med

Israeli army storms 5 Palestinian camps in occupied West Bank, destroys infrastructure with bulldozers​  [Who can live in a barren wasteland?] https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231231-israeli-army-storms-5-palestinian-camps-in-occupied-west-bank-destroys-infrastructure-with-bulldozers/

Manhunt for Mossad agents across Turkey: 33 arrests by MIT - Erdogan dismantles Israel's network! ​ MIT – Mossad war with 33 arrests of agents - 13 escaped https://warnews247-gr.translate.goog/protofanes-anthropokynigito-praktoron-tis-mosant-sti-tourkia-33-syllipseis-apo-ti-mit-o-erntogan-xilonei-olokliro-to-diktyo-tou-israil/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp#google_vignette

​Long range missiles? The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has announced in a statement that its fighters have targeted an Israeli military site in the occupied Golan Heights. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iraqi-resistance-hits-israeli-military-targets-in-occupied-g

  Israeli occupation announces death of 29 soldiers due to friendly fire in Gaza

​  The Israeli occupation army announced that about 17% of the deaths of its soldiers in Gaza were accidents.
​  It said that 29 soldiers were killed in separate incidents since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, including 18 by friendly fire, according to what Israeli media reported on Monday, January 1, 2024.
​  The Israeli newspaper “Jerusalem Post” explained that some of these incidents were “friendly fire” incidents, while others were tanks running over soldiers they did not see, walls falling on soldiers, or errors with explosives during preparations for an attack on the Palestinian resistance. https://en.ypagency.net/315027

​Watch out, Lebanon!  Israeli occupation forces withdraw 5 combat brigades from Gaza Strip https://en.ypagency.net/314984

These are the big, rare, extremely-expensive drones that perform strategic missions. New in 2024: Marines train more drone pilots, fill MQ-9 squadrons https://www.c4isrnet.com/news/your-marine-corps/2023/12/31/new-in-2024-marines-train-more-drone-pilots-fill-mq-9-squadrons/

Making my heating bill go up: U.S. Now World’s Largest LNG Exporter https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/US-Now-Worlds-Largest-LNG-Exporter.html

2 types in 2 minutes. What are the different types of Artificial Intelligence?

​  Researchers train AI chatbots to 'jailbreak' rival chatbots - and automate the process​  ["Free, free, set them free"]

'Masterkey' method means that if a Chatbot is updated, a new jailbreak can be automatically applied.

​  NTU Researchers were able to jailbreak popular AI chatbots including ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Bing Chat. With the jailbreaks in place, targeted chatbots would generate valid responses to malicious queries, thereby testing the limits of large language model (LLM) ethics. This research was done by Professor Liu Yang and NTU PhD students Mr Deng Gelei and Mr Liu Yi who co-authored the paper and were able to create proof-of-concept attack methods. https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/researchers-train-ai-chatbots-to-jailbreak-rival-chatbots-and-automate-the-process

Police Detective: 50% of Sudden Infant Deaths Happened Within 48 Hours of Vaccination — But No One Is Allowed to Say It​  from 10/2/23 https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/sudden-infant-deaths-vaccination/

​  Baby Who Died 34 Hours After Vaccines Had Toxic Level of Aluminum in His Blood, Report Confirms​  from 9/14/23
The parents of 62-day-old Sawyer learned their baby’s blood contained 95 micrograms per liter of aluminum, a level that would be toxic for adults. The toxicologist who read Sawyer’s report said the aluminum and antigen levels in the blood were due to the vaccines. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/maine-baby-sawyer-vaccine-death-aluminum/

​  Report Linking Fluoride to Lower IQ in Children Made Public After CDC, HHS Tried to Block It​  from 3/16/23
The National Toxicology Program on Wednesday released a draft report linking prenatal and childhood fluoride exposure to reduced IQ in children, after public health officials tried for almost a year to block its publication.​   https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/ntp-report-fluoride-lower-iq-children/

​Avoiding Chemical Additives (pictured with New Year's tomatoes)