I would say another ten days it should be completely over.
Col. Douglas Macgregor,
on day 9 of the war in Ukraine [i]
The term defeatism is commonly used in politics as a descriptor for an ideological stance that considers co-operation with the opposition party. In the military context, in wartime, and especially at the front, defeatism is synonymous with treason.
Wikipedia
When a strategist can manipulate both sides in a conflict, where each side represents one blade of a scissors, he can use the slicing of the blades to cut his way through anything. The conflict then becomes a controlled experiment in which the contenders, as thesis and antithesis, are used to establish a new thing (i.e., synthesis). In the present case, Russia and China (using their Western agent networks and “useful idiots”) are playing out this strategy. They are attempting to destabilize Europe and America to remake the world. An essential ingredient in this strategy is defeatism.
Leninist Defeatism
Four overlapping “scissors strategies” are playing out, along existing fractures: (1) the Biden regime vs. MAGA; (2) Russia vs. Ukraine; (3) China vs. Taiwan; (4) Western elites vs. the exploited masses (of the collapsing Western economies). Behind these scissors strategies there is a convergence strategy, and all these strategies make use of anti-NATO and anti-capitalist defeatism.
To understand defeatism, it is useful to reflect on Lenin’s defeatism during the First World War. Russia was then fighting against Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. As a defeatist, Lenin wanted Russia to lose the war. In that event, he envisioned coming to power in a revolution. As events played out, the war brought Russia to the brink of economic collapse in early 1917. After the abdication of the Tsar in the February Revolution, Lenin’s defeatism led him to collaborate with the German government. The Kaiser, who was desperate to get himself out of a two-front war, provided Lenin with money (sent into Russia through the Bank of Siberia) so that Lenin could overthrow the Provisional Government and give Germany peace on favorable terms. After Lenin overthrew the Provisional Government in the October Revolution, he agreed to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. That treaty broke up the Russian Empire and ended Russia’s participation in World War I. This is how communism was established in Russia, with Defeatism as the key.
An important marker in all this was Lenin’s opposition to “the omnipotence of ‘wealth.’” Lenin was an enemy of the Establishment. He said that capitalism exploited the workers, pauperized them, and even slaughtered them in “imperialist wars.” We notice, today, similar rhetoric coming from mixed groups of right-wing defeatists. We may aptly call this defeatism “right-wing Leninism” because its modus operandi bears a striking resemblance to Lenin’s defeatism. But that is not all. The American right is more and more identified with the working class, and Lenin was a champion of the working class; so the case is more and more curious, involving what the Marxists call “contradictions.” In this context, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon reportedly told Ron Radosh: “I’m a Leninist.” Radosh asked what he meant, and Bannon said, “Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal, too. I want to bring everything crashing down and destroy all of today’s Establishment.” [ii]
Bringing down the United States Government, of course, would present a golden opportunity to Russia and China. The U.S. nuclear arsenal defends the free world (to whatever extent it is still free). If the United States collapsed in the wake a right-wing revolution to “destroy all of today’s Establishment,” and if the U.S. nuclear arsenal was compromised, who is to say the free world would survive? Given all this, a person like Bannon might be described as a Leninist in more than one sense, or perhaps as a tool of Leninism. On the one hand Bannon sees himself as a defender of the working class. On the other hand, his revolutionary trajectory might secure a victory for Leninism globally.
Setting aside, for a moment, the opportunity that “bringing down the [American] state” represents for Russia and China, it must be admitted that our erstwhile Establishment despises the country’s white working-class. Here we find the blades of one of our scissors – i.e., the Western elites vs. the exploited masses. It is a bizarre irony that the Marxist left, having emerged from its university hatcheries into government, has deployed Critical Race Theory and feminism to suppress what turns out to be the last instinctively American class; that is, the American proletariat. In a comical inversion of political reality, the right picks up the working class as the left picks up the elite. And so, the elitist thing is to be a Marxist of a new type – promoting feminism, open borders, and genderism. The lowbrow thing is to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. It is, in fact, the unwashed masses – Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” – who want to bring manufacturing back to the United States, who want a border wall, and who instinctively distrust the Establishment. Therefore, Bannon is a “Leninist” in the sense that he wants a revolution from below.
One must admit, since 1991, all our political terms have become inverted and confused. Yet there is method in the madness of this confusion. The idea that Bannon might call himself a Leninist goes hand-in-hand with Putin identifying himself as a Christian. As Iago said in Shakespeare’s Othello, “I am not what I am.”[iii] Bannon is not really a Leninist and Putin is not really a Christian. But a game is afoot in which, dialectically, the players become interchangeable so that the black and white pieces on the chess board can switch sides, change sides, or converge. As a strategist, I do not think all this is an accident.
The defeatism that is emerging on the right, having made revolutionary noises, shares Lenin’s hatred of bankers and high finance. And here, we are not talking about Bannon specifically. We are talking about the conspiratorial right. Precision is difficult here; but of all the conspiracy theories infecting the right, most believe that the malefactors of great wealth are the true enemies of mankind. Overthrow the banking cabal and all will be well. And so, the real right-wing Leninists – who make up an ill-defined grouping – have revolutionary aspirations at a deeper level than anybody has yet understood. Whereas conservatism hitherto deferred to Edmund Burke in his opposition to violent revolution, the right-wing Leninists have no such inhibition. Like the dialectical materialists of the communist movement, the right-wing revolutionaries have no transcendental calculus. They are not backworldsmen (in Nietzsche’s sneering coinage); and so, like the communists, they are after power – and they do not care how they come by it. Like Lenin, they believe that wars derive from capitalist conspiracies. This can be seen in the Truther Movement, which Moscow patronizes. It should not be overlooked that this growing preoccupation with conspiracy theory reveals a shift towards Machiavellianism (another Leninist trait). Ironically, conspiracy is the true faith of the conspiracy theorist; for he believes that history can be controlled by money and by cunning. His native envy must conclude, consciously or unconsciously, that history could be his to control. And so, stripping Marxism-Leninism of its outward paraphernalia, the conspiracy theorist has made for himself a simplified revolutionary theory – cutting directly to the chase.
Lenin wrote, “A democratic republic is the best possible political shell of capitalism, and therefore, once capital has got control of this excellent shell … it establishes its power so securely, so firmly, that no change of individuals, of institutions or of parties in the bourgeois-democratic republic can shake this power.”[iv] Similar statements may be found on any number of right-wing websites, and could form the basis for Moscow’s late-game strategy of convergence. The far right and the far left could join forces. After all, they seem to share the same enemy.
It is mind-boggling, indeed, to think that the right and left could combine, that they could agree on a revolution to overthrow capitalism. Of course, overthrowing Wall Street and the banks might destroy the West economically. In practical terms, what could be better for Moscow and Beijing? After the West collapses, the right and left – having defeated the evil “banksters” – could be comfortably merged. If anything should go wrong (and it probably will), the hard reset of a nuclear world war could be used to force the desperate survivors into a socialist survivalism. Should reactionaries and anti-socialists attempt to resist, something akin to the Russian Civil War would play out globally, by bullet and bayonet, enabling the have-nots to overthrow the haves.
Either way, the World Revolution wins.
The World Revolution: An Overview
We may visualize World Revolution as follows: (1) Begin a war in Ukraine that results in a global economic dislocation, either through a Russian victory or stalemate (since Western economic sanctions will apply either way, triggering the collapse of the West’s financial house of cards); (2) extend the economic mayhem by disrupting the West’s vital supply chains as China squeezes Taiwan and mobilizes for war in the Far East; (3) have a Democrat President denounce his Republican opposition as traitors (opening the way to civil war in the U.S., marking the end of U.S. global hegemony); (4) expose the bankrupt and predatory policies of the Western capitalist elite, turning the Western masses against their economic system and governments; (5) break up NATO; (6) bring about the “one Common European Home” advocated by Gorbachev and Yeltsin; (7) make the Pacific Ocean into a Chinese lake; (8) finish off the United States, occupy North America, and rule the world as a socialist commonwealth led by Moscow and Beijing.
This grandiose scheme, in its first iteration, originated with Lenin in Russia. As with all such schemes, it appears outlandish on its face. But all grandiose schemes of conquest appear outlandish at first blush. Think back to the Persian kings, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Caesar, etc. History shows us many outlandish schemes, and quite a few were successfully carried out. The Romans, according to Polybius, conquered through the patience of their far-sighted policy. The British used sea power to successfully maintain an Empire where Athens, in the ancient world, had failed. It is worth noting that the successful empires of the past were conservative, preserving the intellectual and spiritual heritage of their time. The grandiose scheme of Lenin, however, proposes to establish a world-wide socialist imperium leading to communism. What has taken modernity by surprise, in this matter, is the wantonly destructive nature of socialism. The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia established a regime rooted in the insistent belief that mankind can only be transformed by violence. The idea of transforming mankind in this way, of annihilating man’s instinctive acquisitiveness, is not merely utopian; it is a rationale for creating a totalitarian state predicated on an unprecedented concentration of power. In doing this the Marxists have ignored Lord Acton’s admonition: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[v]
The lust for power, with humanitarian window-dressing, must always produce a humanitarian catastrophe. When the socialists got power in Russia, forming the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), they directly preceded to mass killing and thievery. It is no accident that corruption hobbled the Soviet system, from top to bottom. Corruption is also a disease that afflicts Red China. It afflicts all the totalitarian socialist countries. Those who complain that the West is the most corrupt and decadent society of all, have no idea what they are talking about. They have not properly studied the socialist system of the former Soviet Union. Absolute power, does indeed, corrupt absolutely.
Therefore, it should not be a controversial proposition that all revolutionary socialist governments are predicated on gangsterism; that is, on lying, thieving, and murdering. We see this from Stalin’s terror famine in Ukraine to Pol Pot’s killing fields and Mengistu Haile Mariam’s Red Terror of 1980s Ethiopia. In their grandiosity they must kill enormous numbers of people because human nature will resist socialism’s insane policies. They must level civilization because civilized values are incompatible with their methods.
Unfortunately, we have not learned from the history of totalitarian socialism. Even as the “motherland” of socialism pretended to give up its objectives and adopt capitalism in 1991, even as Red China has played the capitalist game, the old objectives and methods remained in place. The long-range plan of Russia and China for remaking the world requires violence and robbery on an unprecedented scale. This has not changed. Look at what is happening in Ukraine. Look at China’s behavior toward Taiwan. Ask yourself why? The driving ambition of Moscow and Beijing is to annihilate. The most dangerous thing we have done, during the last 35 years, is to say to ourselves, “Yes, we can safely do business with Moscow and Beijing. They will not reign destruction on our heads.” Notice, then, how the missiles and nuclear warheads have been prepared in Russia and China. Notice, also, how the world’s food supply is being constricted. Does anyone remember that control over food always has been the communist path to consolidating power? The fact is, we cannot safely do business with Moscow and Beijing. The GRU defector, Colonel Stanislav Lunev, once described the leaders of the Russian Federation in the following way: “These are not human beings. These are crazy persons.” Commenting on the outlandish program of totalitarians, Hannah Arendt noted, “Until now the totalitarian belief that everything is possible seems to have proved only that everything can be destroyed.”[vi]
A Stratagem is Engendered
Moscow’s strategists have always considered energy to be the Achilles heel of Europe. The decisive energy inputs for a prosperous modern economy are principally oil and natural gas. If the West’s supply of oil and natural gas could be limited or cut off, an economic crisis could be triggered. In this context, the 1979 Islamic Revolution in oil-rich Iran was of enormous importance for Russia. The anti-American nature of the regime, and the liberationist features of Revolutionary Islam, made Moscow and Tehran natural allies. At the same time, Iran could be militarily built into a nuclear power that might easily close off the Persian Gulf oil during a future crisis. Of almost equal importance was the socialist takeover of oil-rich Venezuela under Hugo Chavez. If the United States was supine enough to tolerate the fall of South America’s oil hub, then Russia’s energy war was on its way to success. The icing on the cake, however, would be radical environmentalism.
In recent years geologists have found vast oil deposits in unexpected places. The doom and gloom predictions about peak oil did not come true. There exists, under the earth, large gas and oil deposits. All the West had to do was develop the technology to find these deposits and drill deeper – or fall back on unconventional oil extraction technologies. Here is where the environmentalists have played a significant role for Russia. In recent years radical environmentalism – in Europe and North America – has gone mainstream. With newfound political strength the environmentalists have opposed drilling, fracking, and more. From the outset, Moscow needed to interdict new sources of cheap energy. As luck would have it, the environmentalists did this for them.
It is easy to see who benefits most from radical environmentalism. Without question, Russia and China benefit. Chiefly, because of environmental concerns about nuclear power and coal in Germany, Russia was able to claim Europe as a market for its gas exports. Meanwhile, China secured its manufacturing base as Western manufacturing was moved to China. This owed much to the prohibitive costs associated with U.S. and European environmental regulations.[vii]
For obvious reasons the Soviet strategists became interested in an obscure scientific hypothesis: anthropogenic global warming. Here was a “scientific” theory with strategic utility for the socialist bloc. And then, on 23 June 1988, during a Washington, D.C. heat wave, James Hansen of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies told a committee of the U.S. Senate that, “The earth is warmer in 1988 than at any time in the history of instrumental measurements….” He said there was “only a 1 percent chance of an accidental warming of this magnitude…. The greenhouse effect has been detected, and it is changing our climate now.”[viii]
Hansen’s statement, on its face, was ridiculous. There is no such thing as “accidental global warming.” Such, however, was the straw man Hansen presented as the sole alternative to the greenhouse gas theory. Scientists have long known that the Earth passes through cycles of warmer and cooler temperatures. In fact, it was warmer in the early Middle Ages than it is now. The Vikings were growing crops in Greenland, which is not possible with today’s cooler climate. Yet anthropogenic global warming has been accepted as true. To this end, facts have been systematically falsified by agents of influence in the scientific community. Careers have been ruined.
To make environmental alarmism credible, nobody was supposed to question the anthropogenic global warming theory. Those who did question the theory were labeled “science deniers,” or they were accused of being paid agents of Big Oil. Yet science is about asking questions. When all this nonsense began, scientists did not even fully understand the mechanisms responsible for global temperatures. Given their ignorance about climate, how could scientists honestly say anthropogenic global warming was scientifically proven? Of course, everyone knows – or ought to know – the sun is a major factor in heating the Earth; but in 1988 nobody realized the role played by cosmic radiation and the sun’s electromagnetic field. In this regard, the work of Henrik Svensmark[ix] has proved embarrassing to global warming advocates. Ironically, Svensmark’s work suggests that the world may not be warming. Instead, we may be headed for serious cooling – with dire consequences to global food production.
Despite the future discoveries of real scientists, James Hansen’s 1988 statements before the U.S. Senate lent credibility to what followed. The New York Times’s declared that Hansen had sounded an alarm “with such authority and force that the issue of an overheating world has suddenly moved to the forefront of public concern.”
As noted earlier, the greenhouse gas theory of global warming has been around for many decades. It was one of many theories presented in academic papers. The originators of the theory were not Soviet agents. It was the political deployment of the theory that made it part of somebody’s strategy. Certainly, if we ask the question of cui bono, we cannot help looking in the direction of Moscow. Yet there is more: In 1982 the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Presidium of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Ivan T. Frolov, wrote a book titled Global Problems and the Future of Mankind. In this book he hinted that environmentalism was the key to Moscow’s future victory. According to Frolov, who later became a member of the USSR’s ruling Politburo, “pollution of the environment, the destruction of ecosystems, the destruction of many species … have now reached threatening proportions.” These “dangerous disharmonies in man’s interactions with nature are associated with … the capitalist socio-economic formation….” Therefore, he explained, these disharmonies require a “fundamental social transformation.” Comrade Frolov then played his trump card, the one that probably earned him his seat on the Politburo: “As a result of the formation of a layer of carbon dioxide around the Earth which encloses it like a glass cover,” wrote Frolov, “the threat of unfavorable changes in climate has arisen that may transform our blue planet into an enormous greenhouse … with possible catastrophic effects.”[x]
There it is, mapped out by a Soviet science propagandist in 1982. The Soviet Union picked up this idea, put their agent networks behind it, and built it into an “established science.” With government officials and the media trumpeting it, who could resist? The greenhouse gas-mongers could destroy anyone who questioned them. Here was a political instrument for sabotaging the West’s energy independence.
Four years after Hansen’s senate spectacular, in 1992, Senator Al Gore, Jr., wrote Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit. Echoing Ivan T. Frolov, Gore proposed a fundamental social transformation to fight pollution and climate change. Gore, like Senator Joseph Biden, had been promoted into the United States Senate by Armand Hammer (identified by British and U.S. intelligence as a long-time Russian asset).[xi] As a strategist, I do not think all this is an accident.
Today nearly everyone in the West believes in the greenhouse gas theory of anthropogenic global warming. One might say, with some truth, that we “are all useful idiots now.” The bogus nature of anthropogenic global warming propaganda should be obvious to anyone who understands science. It should also be obvious to anyone who understands Soviet strategy, the communist movement, and the history of communist “active measures.”
Germany is, in all probability, the country most damaged by the anthropogenic global warming religion. Under its Climate Action Program 2030, and the new Climate Action Act, the Germans have been closing nuclear and coal power plants. This has led to greater dependence on Russian natural gas. As Patrick Wintour explained in the Guardian, Germany’s “rejection of nuclear power and its transition away from coal meant that Germany had very few alternatives to Russian gas.”[xii] The Russians, in fact, were preparing to cut off Germany’s gas supply months ago. According to Robert Habeck, Russian-owned gas storage facilities in Germany “had been ’systematically emptied’ over the winter, to drive up prices and exert political pressure. It was a staggering admission of Russia’s power to disrupt energy supplies.”[xiii] American leaders have warned Germany about its growing dependence on Russia for many years, but the Germans would not listen.
And now, thanks to the opportunity presented by the war in Ukraine, and thanks to Russia’s ability to cut off Germany’s gas supply, the Kremlin can play out its scissor’s strategy in Europe. Without enough electricity or heat, revolutionary conditions will obtain in Germany. Businesses will not be able to function. Workers will lose their jobs. The German government will be blamed. People have already taken to the streets. Revolutionary defeatism is on its way.
Douglas Macgregor: A Case Study in Pro-Moscow Defeatism
Voices exist, and will continue to appear, preaching the inevitability of Western decline. They will preach Russia’s rise, and China’s rise, and even socialism’s rise, etc. Listen carefully to these voices. Ask who they are. Ask why they are speaking out. In recent years, on the right, there are defeatists who preach the abandonment of America’s allies in Asia and Europe. One such person is retired U.S. Colonel Douglas Macgregor. And he is a classic “blame America firster.”
A defeatist will tell you that America is to blame for all the bad things that are happening. During the Cold War the left promoted defeatism. Yet the left, contrary to its past behavior, is currently holding the line against Russia and China. All the better, then, that they might pull the rug out from under the West’s defensive preparations. Inconsistent characters that they are, they can always double back. And this has already begun to happen. In April Biden canceled two nuclear warhead programs,[xiv] and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was hard-pressed trying to explain why Germany has sent less military aid to Ukraine than Norway. These leftists cannot be trusted to defend the West. And yet, they are holding the banner high – for the moment. What is most worrisome, that this juncture, is that the loudest voices of defeatism are on the right. For the sake of credibility, the ideal defeatist would be someone with military credentials. Figures like General Michael Flynn come to mind, and he certainly has been serviceable. Better than Flynn, however, is Colonel Douglas Macgregor, a self-described military strategist favored by Fox News broadcaster Tucker Carlson.
Colonel Macgregor has been a military consultant and TV commentator since his retirement from the U.S. Army in 2004. Macgregor was appointed by President Trump to replace Richard Grenell as ambassador to Germany in 2020. However, Macgregor’s nomination was blocked by the U.S. Senate because of “controversial statements.” What hurt him most was Macgregor’s notion that Germany’s struggle to overcome its Nazi past partook of a “sick mentality.” He was subsequently labeled an antisemite by American Jewish groups, though he was defended by three Israelis in a Jerusalem Post opinion piece.[xv] Macgregor’s antics are reminiscent of General George S. Patton, a famously opinionated U.S. general who fought in World War II. But then, Macgregor is no Patton.
In an appearance on the Laura Ingraham Show three weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Macgregor said, “NATO, under the pressure of a potential conflict, appears to be crumbling. It has virtually no cohesion.” Macgregor then sarcastically mocked NATO’s preparations in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also blamed the United States for helping to create the crisis.
To be effective, defeatism does not have to be consistent or coherent. A week ago, Wednesday Macgregor published an article in the notorious pro-Kremlin publication, Veterans Today. He argued that Biden’s support for Ukraine, as meager as it is overblown, is the equivalent of FDR’s policy of “unconditional surrender” during World War II. Macgregor then compared Biden’s policy of sending aid to Ukraine with Lyndon Johnson’s intervention in the Vietnam War: “LBJ found out the hard way that the North Vietnamese were far more committed to ‘victory at any cost’ than were the American people.” It is surprising indeed, that Macgregor shamelessly echoes the defeatist rhetoric of the pro-Marxist left of the 1960s. In this context, someone should remind him that American soldiers are not fighting in Ukraine. It is a totally different situation than Vietnam.
While Macgregor attacks those who sympathize with Ukraine as “gratuitously self-righteous,” he indulges his own self-righteousness by blaming the United States for the war. In one interview he said, “Moscow will never again allow Washington and its allies to transform eastern Ukraine into a launching pad for offensive military operations against Russia proper.”[xvi] A lie of this kind is inexcusable coming from a military man. NATO never turned Eastern Ukraine into a launchpad for offensive operations against Russia. Nobody in NATO would dare attack Russia. But notice the shocking contradiction in Macgregor’s two statements. Suddenly, the weak NATO alliance he mocked in January is transformed by his rhetoric into a threat effective enough to require a Russian preemptive strike into Ukraine!
As an interesting segue into the scissor’s strategy, Macgregor has criticized German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as “a crusader of the type you see in Washington.” It is funny that he zeroed in on the leading German Green Party politician. The Greens have made their own special contribution to NATO’s future defeatism. As one blade of the scissors to another, Macgregor blasted Baerbock for wanting to “reshape the world to conform to some sort of ideologically pure and good and morally upright picture that always fails in the end….”
Mocking Baerbock’s environmentalism has its place; but is she a princess of darkness or a misguided idealist? Of course, Macgregor is grinning ear-to-ear at Baerbock’s good intentions. He thinks good intentions are foolish. (One wonders, in truth, what his intentions are.) Speaking in English during a recent meeting in Prague, Baerbock said Ukrainians were fighting “for the right … to define their own future by themselves. So [the defense of Ukraine] is not up to Germany….” She affirmed that Ukraine wants to be free and peaceful, and Ukraine has the right. The German foreign minister will not be blackmailed by Russia, saying, “we stand with Ukraine as long as they need us.”
Let us compare these remarks of Foreign Minister Baerbock with statements made by Macgregor’s diplomatic hero, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. On 20 July 2022 Lavrov said that Russia did not intend to occupy or “impose anything on anyone by force” in Ukraine. Directly contradicting himself, Lavrov explained that “peace talks make no sense at the moment” adding that Russian territory ambitions may “extend further West” as the war continues. Incredibly, Macgregor calls Lavrov “one of the most exceptionally talented and intelligent men I’ve ever met. And he is very much in the traditional mold of a great European statesman.”
Can the lackey of a murderous dictator be “a great European statesmen”? Or is he a hack whose flights of genius are circumscribed by the knuckle-dragging instincts of the thug he serves? Macgregor may insist on Lavrov’s greatness, but what is he going to propose next? A reassessment of Joachim von Ribbentrop? A gooey kiss for Talleyrand?
Whatever criticisms can be made of Foreign Minister Baerbock, she appears to be the opposite of Macgregor’s hero. “If I give the promise as a politician,” said Baerbock to a recent meeting of European politicians in Prague, “there could be the chance that people disagree with me and they say in four years, well, you didn’t tell us the truth; but if I give the promise to people in Ukraine, ‘We stand with you as long as you need us,’ then I want to deliver, no matter what my German voters think …. And this is why, for me, it is important … to always be very frank and clear; and this means, [with] every measure I am taking, I have to be clear that this holds as long as Ukraine needs me. And this is why it is so important we have to be frank. Yes, everyone wishes … that tomorrow the war stops. But in case … it wouldn’t stop … we are facing now wintertime where we will be challenged as democratic politicians. People will go on the street and say, ‘We cannot pay our energy prices,’ and I will say, ‘Yes I know, so we help you with social measures.’ But I don’t want to say, ‘Then we stop the sanctions against Russia.’ We will stand with Ukraine and this means the sanctions will stay all through winter time, even if it gets really tough for politicians.[xvii] And we have to find good solutions all over Europe to balance the social effects…. This is a hybrid war [in which] the second strategy [of Russia] is to split our democracies, saying, ‘Now the poor people are being left behind, and we have to give the answers.’ No, we stand in solidarity with everybody in our country as we stand with everybody in Ukraine.”[xviii]
However strenuously I disagree with Baerbock’s views on climate change, she talks more like a statesman than Lavrov. In this matter, she is not deceiving her public. She is ready to fall on her sword. On the other side, Lavrov tells blatant lies. Yet Lavrov is Macgregor’s ideal. It is no surprise that Macgregor showed similar statesmanship when he justified Russia’s invasion during an interview with Tucker Carlson. According to Macgregor, NATO was planning to deploy missiles and troops on Ukrainian territory. Not long thereafter, in another interview, Macgregor compared the Ukraine War to the Cuban missile crisis. There is one problem with this comparison, however: there really were Russian nuclear weapons and missiles in Cuba in October 1962, along with Russian troops; but NATO has never placed nuclear weapons, missiles, or troops in Ukraine. Macgregor also forgot to mention that despite the placing of Russian nuclear missiles in Cuba, the United States did not invade Cuba in 1962 or any time thereafter. So how can he justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with an analogy that is not analogous?
With love for Sergei Lavrov and inept reasoning, Macgregor keeps saying that Ukraine has lost the war. His defeatism is indefatigable. Not only does he say Ukraine has lost, but any effort to help Ukraine is “reinforcing defeat.” In an article he wrote for the 23 August edition of The American Conservative, Macgregor argued that “new weapon systems won’t change the strategic outcome in Ukraine. Even if NATO’s European members, together with Washington, D.C., provided Ukrainian troops with a new avalanche of weapons, and it arrived at the front instead of disappearing into the black hole of Ukrainian corruption, the training and tactical leadership required to conduct complex offensive operations does not exist inside Ukraine’s 700,000-man army.”[xix]
After appearing on Fox News’s Life, Liberty and Levin,at the outset of the Ukraine War, Macgregor was chastised by Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin, who felt compelled to “correct some of the things that Col. Doug Macgregor just said … because there were so many distortions.” Macgregor, said Griffin, had just vilified the West, sounding like an apologist for Putin. She slammed Macgregor for “appeasement talk” from someone “who should know better because … he was the one who was advising President Trump to pull all U.S. troops out of Germany….” It was, she said, “that kind of projection of withdrawal and weakness … [that] made Putin think that he could actually move into a sovereign country like Ukraine.” Griffin wanted to warn the television audience: “I’ve known and seen Vladimir Putin operate since 1999 when I was based in Moscow for Fox. It is where I started my career with Fox, and Vladimir Putin is a former KGB [officer, and] he has been laying the groundwork for this….”[xx]
On this same broadcast former Republican congressman Trey Gowdy said, “I did not understand Col. Macgregor’s analysis that they [the Russians] don’t want weapons on their border. If they keep taking countries, they are going to have weapons on their border.” Exactly right!
This is what Macgregor has missed. If NATO was the party of bad faith, engaged in treacherous actions, why didn’t Sweden and Finland align with Russia instead of joining NATO (as they have done)? The answer is obvious. Russia is the aggressor. Yet Macgregor will not admit this simple fact. He also cannot admit any of Russia’s battlefield defeats. When the Ukrainians took back a critical airfield west of Kiev in the first days of the war, Macgregor mocked the idea. “The Ukrainians haven’t taken back anything,” he said. Yet the Ukrainians did retake the airfield and the Russian encirclement of Kiev failed.
Macgregor has said that the Ukrainian cause is hopeless, that Ukraine’s president is a “puppet.” They should surrender and save themselves, he has said. Ukraine, says Macgregor, “is an artificial construct – a third of that country is not Ukrainian. It never has been.” – So how does Macgregor account for the Euromaidan Revolution? How does he account for Ukraine’s splendid will to resist the Russian invasion? The Ukrainian Army has killed nearly 50,000 invading Russian soldiers. They have destroyed nearly 2,000 Russian tanks. How is that for a country that “never has been”? [xxi]
At the same time, Macgregor says the Russian military is competent and successful. He sees no humiliating setbacks or defeats. The Russians, he claims, were trying to spare civilian lives by taking the slow approach at the outset of their invasion. During a 23 March 22 interview on Fox News, McGregor said, “What’s happened now is, the battle in eastern Ukraine is almost over.” The Ukrainians should give up, he suggested. Russia has won the war. “We should stop shipping weapons,” he added, because Ukraine’s cause is “a hopeless endeavor.” Oh yes, Macgregor’s counsel is always surrender. Quit the war. Let Russia take Ukraine. Give up.
Here are excerpts from Macgregor’s Interview with Stuart Varney at Fox Business Fox on day 9 of the war: [xxii]
FOX ANCHOR: Is Putin going to flatten Ukraine?
MACGREGOR: No. Absolutely not. In fact, he worked hard to capture most of it intact with surprisingly little damage, frankly. Much less damage than we inflicted on Iraq when we went into it. They are surrounding the Ukrainian forces and annihilating them. Zelenskiy is waiting for Biden to rescue him, and that is not going to happen.
ANCHOR: Do you think the end is in sight.
MACGREGOR: Oh yeah. The end of this phase is still a few days away. In the first five days I think, frankly, the Russian forces were too gentle. They’ve now corrected that, so, I would say another ten days it should be completely over.
ANCHOR: It sounds like, colonel, you do not approve of Zelenskiy’s stand.
MACGREGOR: I think Zelenskiy is a puppet, and he is putting huge numbers of his own population at unnecessary risk. And, quite frankly, most of what comes out of Ukraine is debunked as lies within 24 to 48 hours. The notion of taking and retaking airfields, all of this is nonsense. It never happened.
ANCHOR: [Incredulously] He is not a hero, standing up for himself and his own people? You don’t think he is a hero?
MACGREGOR: [Smiling broadly] No. I do not. I don’t see anything heroic about the man. And I think the most heroic thing he can do right now is to come to terms with reality: Neutralize Ukraine. This is not a bad thing.
This exchange is vintage Macgregor. To smugly degrade the president of a beleaguered nation and promote the aggressor’s cause is disgusting. Yet this is what Macgregor does. To show how much currency Macgregor’s false narrative has, I received a call two Sunday evenings ago from a pro-Russian right-winger. Following Macgregor’s lead, this man confidently stated that Russia has already won the war. “All the news says so,” he insisted. I then asked, “Wasn’t the Russian drive on Kiev repulsed? Is not the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet at the bottom of the Black Sea?” The pro-Russian partisan did not answer me. “The Americans sank the Russian flagship,” he said. The Ukrainians, of course, get no credit for anything.
Concluding Remarks
There has occurred, in the West, a general intellectual decline. In place of historical knowledge and classic philosophy we have conspiracy theories animated by feelings of resentment. These feelings are readily exploited, especially by Moscow. In fact, right-wing conspiracy theories can be seen as an adjunct to the old Marxist-Leninist demagogy, predicated on harnessing class resentment to ignite a “proletarian” revolution. As history shows, this harnessing was extended by the communists to include racial and sexual resentments, with devastating cultural effects on the West. After the supposed collapse of communism in Russia, Moscow was free to extend this strategy to the exploitation of conservative resentments – to harness the revolutionary potential of alienated traditionalists, racists, and libertarians.[xxiii]
Moscow can now mobilize an ever-wider spectrum of malcontents. (Why limit yourself to Marxists?) By gradual steps, conspiracy theorizing has brought anticommunists to see that capitalism is the real enemy. Moscow would have all right-wingers believe that communism itself was merely a conspiracy originated by capitalist malefactors.[xxiv] This coopting of the right by Russian disinformation has a long history, going back to the 1920s. In more recent decades we have the pro-Russian ravings of Lew Rockwell and the late Justin Raimondo. We have, on the paleoconservative side, Patrick Buchanan and Paul Gottfried. What is left of conservatism once you remove the libertarians and the paleoconservatives? Here the communist salami slicer has narrowed the spectrum of totalitarian resistance to a disempowered set of nobodies, labeled as “neocons.” It is interesting to see how the MAGA movement has marginalized the neoconservatives, driving them back onto the left.[xxv]
It is unlikely that Douglas Macgregor knows any of this. His military education, deficient as it was, does not enable him to grasp the strategic meaning of his own words. One observes that he is impulsive, even knee-jerk in his responses. Thus, he has joined those voices – on the left and the right – that despise the existing order. By seeing NATO as the problem, and Ukraine as a puppet state, he becomes a puppet in his own right. He has judged his brother as his enemy, yet he has not pulled the log out of his own eye.
Moscow and Beijing are great powers. They have thousands of nuclear weapons, fleets, and armies. While we should never disparage military power, ideas represent an even greater power; for the mind is involved in everything, having the power of perception and decision. If you can rule a person’s thoughts, then you rule the person. To this end Moscow and Beijing have built networks around the world for spreading subversive thoughts in other countries. One of the core thoughts now being inculcated on the right, is defeatism. As a case in point, Macgregor’s Defeatism helps to show that two ideas are at work in defeatist rhetoric: (1) Moscow and/or Beijing is not your real enemy; (2) your real enemy is the elite of your own society. This message, essentially, is Leninist. It is revolutionary.
Because the West has been infiltrated at all levels by socialists, the alienated conservative wants to throw the baby out with the bathwater. By all means, throw out the bathwater. But how does that work when your own ideas are part of that same bathwater? Ideas are, indeed, decisive. Take up the wrong ideas and you are defeated before the fighting starts.
Moscow and Beijing are succeeding in the information war. They have intellectually disarmed the West. By raising the false flag of their own spurious capitalism, they created narratives for turning conservatives into revolutionaries. Even now, they are working to unite the left and right against capitalism. The blades of the left-right scissors, once closed, could form a stabbing weapon with which to finish off the West.
This is the game that is being played.
Notes and Links
[i] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHxZyPdo3L0&t=56s
[ii] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/06/lenin-white-house-steve-bannon
[iii] Othello, I. 1, 65.
[iv] V.I. Lenin translation Robert Service, The State and Revolution (London: Penguin Books, 1991), p. 14.
[v] https://oll.libertyfund.org/quote/lord-acton-writes-to-bishop-creighton-that-the-same-moral-standards-should-be-applied-to-all-men-political-and-religious-leaders-included-especially-since-power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-1887
[vi] Hannah Arendt, Totalitarianism (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1968), p. 157.
[vii] When some US firms move production overseas, they also offshore their pollution (theconversation.com)
[viii] 4 Key Moments That Forced Americans to Confront Climate Change – HISTORY
[ix] The Chilling Stars: A Cosmic View of Climate Change: Svensmark, Henrik, Calder, Nigel: 9781840468663: Amazon.com: Books
[x][x] Ivan T. Frolov, Global Problems and the Future of Mankind (Moscow, 1982).
[xi] The Truth About Armand Hammer’s Relationship With Prince Charles (grunge.com)
[xii] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/02/germany-dependence-russian-energy-gas-oil-nord-stream
[xiii] Ibid.
[xiv] Pentagon to scrap nuclear gravity bomb as part of Biden review – Washington Times
[xv] Antisemitism accusations against Dr Douglas MacGregor are deeply upsetting – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
[xvi] https://www.veteranstoday.com/2022/08/31/joe-bidens-demand-of-unconditional-surrender-to-russia-will-fail/
[xvii] Tough for the politicians? What about the German people?!
[xviii] Accusations against Baerbock rejected as “disinformation” (deutschland.de)
[xix] https://www.theamericanconservative.com/reinforcing-failure-in-ukraine/
[xx] https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/watch-fox-reporter-scolds-col-macgregor-for-sounding-like-a-putin-apologist
[xxi] https://www.dw.com/en/russia-ukraine-updates-russian-troop-losses-surpass-45000-kyiv-says/a-62948923
[xxii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHxZyPdo3L0&t=56s
[xxiii] See the writings of Aleksandr Dugin, whose mission it is to harvest right-wingers for Moscow.
[xxiv] See, for example, the conspiracy theory of the John Birch Society.
[xxv] The neoconservatives were failures, to be sure, and their demise deserves an essay of its own. In short, foolishly believing that Russia was the West’s “partner,” the neocons allowed themselves to be strategically diverted and politically discredited by their misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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256 responses to “Defeatism and Revolutionary Strategy”
[…] An important marker in all this was Lenin’s opposition to “the omnipotence of ‘wealth.’” Lenin was an enemy of the Establishment. He said that capitalism exploited the workers, pauperized them, and even slaughtered them in “imperialist wars.” We notice, today, similar rhetoric coming from mixed groups of right-wing defeatists. We may aptly call this defeatism “right-wing Leninism” because its modus operandi bears a striking resemblance to Lenin’s defeatism. But that is not all. The American right is more and more identified with the working class, and Lenin was a champion of the working class; so the case is more and more curious, involving what the Marxists call “contradictions.” In this context, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon reportedly told Ron Radosh: “I’m a Leninist.” Radosh asked what he meant, and Bannon said, “Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal, too. I want to bring everything crashing down and destroy all of today’s Establishment.” [ii] […]
Excellent post. I will come back and read it again later today because there’s much to ponder….so many games yet the same game 🫤 thank you for speaking about the bigger picture which only can be seen by stepping back to acknowledge the similarities of today to other historical strategies that used ‘defeatism’ in the past. We would all benefit if classical education became vogué and more possessed the tool of critical thinking.
I don’t see the Right winning anything. Trump is about to be indicted, Bannon just got perpwalked, and the Dems are acting as if they’ve already rigged 2022. To my eyes, the Right has never been weaker. It appears the US is falling to left-wing fascism, and that every government power is being weaponized against their enemies. Only today we learn that Trump’s Save America PAC is ALSO under investigation.
The Democrats are acting as people who have nothing to lose or as people who know the election is rigged, or those who know time is short.
Speaking of which, isn’t there a window of time here for Putin/China before Europe ultimately secures new energy? I have heard they have massive natural gas deposits, but will they tap it?
It seems to me that Russia must act soon with this strategy. It seems to me that their advantage will not last forever, unless the Europeans are completely compromised, which is possible. I would be shocked if Europe was in this same position next winter. Now Putin is talking about halting all natural gas AND oil to Europe. It is being sent to China, who is reselling it for huge profits, which further drains European finances. I hear financial guys talking about a sovereign debt crisis for Europe. It certainly seems like the Communists have chosen this winter to apply extreme pressure – the question is whether this is a key moment in their strategy or merely another stepping stone to world fascism.
Nyquist’s article shows the many deceptions we are buried with. Recently I read a quote
“We truly live in a nightmare of evil”. Nyquist exposes the evils of Communism with skill. The West swallowed fifty plus years of Communism gradualism. Thanks so much for decades of excellent research!
Kevin Taylor
Some of those allegedly Marxist-Leninist talking points are objective truths so obvious that could discovered independently by many people. Not everyone being realistic about American power has it from Lenin. Not everyone who sees that capitalism reached dead end has it from Marx.
The left-right labels of bourgeoise politics are meaningless, clearly what American MSM call left represents the monopolist status quo.
There is, essentially, nothing in Marxist-Leninism that is objective truth. It is shot through with lies and half truths and they make the entire thing a lie. You can hang to the fantasies that your ilk loves so well, but that will not turn Marxism into anything but the lie it is.
Actually all the phenomenons I read about in this blog can be explained through material interests of different classes in much simpler terms. You people don’t have to worry about the monopolist Great Reset color revolution, it will fail, because there is not class basis for that. You probably have to worry about alienated masses doing real revolution though. Your establishment definitely worries with the current campaign against dissent.
Commit: people on the right are gradually coming to the realization that the WEF and the Great Reset are merely communist fronts who we need to oppose alongside Moscow and Beijing. Materialistic monopolism is the enemy, and materialistic monopolism is at the heart of both Fascism and Communism.
Anyways, it is a spiritual vision connected with justice equally for all that transcends material, holds a nation together and builds it up.
Commit, not one “explanation” Marxism has is valid. The entire system is a lie from start to finish. Your “simper explanations” are those of grade schooler thrashing about on things they have no clue about, and you have repeatedly shown you have no clue.
One point is worth considering. There are some insights in Marxism, otherwise it would not have attracted such a following. The insights, however, contain errors which far outweigh the value of the insights. Yet the ill will of Marx himself, who wanted political power, and was fixated on destruction, underlies the whole. Keep in mind: the best bait on a hook is a real worm. Marx had a real worm on his hook.
Yes, Marx did tap into some real issues, although I doubt he was original in this regard (and seems to have borrowed ideas from many others). For example, his analysis of the alienation of workers from the product of their labor as a result of industrialization in a capitalist society so that they are ultimately forced to sell their labor rather than a tangible finished product of some sort is quite interesting among other valid criticisms that he makes of the capitalist system in industrialized societies. That said, all of his solutions are ridiculous and completely untenable, but this is not really that surprising when one considers that communism is all about destroying the existing social order and not a whole lot of thought is put into planning the society that is supposed to replace it. They are essentially wreckers and destroyers rather than builders.
“The Vikings were growing crops in Greenland, which is not possible with today’s cooler climate.”
That was something Jerry Pournelle liked to say.
MacGregor never seemed well informed and seemed to making things up as he went. Alas, there are too many Putin worshippers out there that take his words as the next gospel. The Hofts (“Hateway Pundit”) are every bit as bad as Gottfried, Buchanan and the so called “American Conservative.” People with intelligence seem to among the worst of the gang on Russia, and it is truly puzzling as to why. I have run-ins with a lot of these morons on Instapundit as well as Hateway.
I’m no fan of Lincoln*, but he had it right that the US would fall from internal rot. The people shilling for Putin are a good example of that rot.
* He made the country safe for the deep state, and the rot that has resulted.
Now I will look at Col. MacGregor in a different light. Thank for the article.
Maybe relevant. Yesterday Tucker Carlson’s guest was a self identified Marxist-Leninist podcaster Jackson Hinkle.
Each side is represented by the blades of a scissor, not each side represents. Also, overthrowing an administrative state compromised by the CCP hardly serves the interests of the CCP. You accuse others of being ‘ideologists’, but you seem hell bent on hamfisting every world event and personality into your ‘everyone but John McCain is a commie’ paradigm. Some of the intelligence you’re privy to is good, but your analysis is abysmal. It’s self-evident you don’t live down here with the rest of us
John McCain was compromised by the communists when he was a prisoner in communist Vietnam. I have never said he was ok. Please do not lie about my position on him. You seriously misunderstand what I’m saying. We have to fight communism in every front. But we cannot do so by embracing communist narratives.
Excellent essay, Mr. Nyquist. Yes, McCain was likely compromised by the communists during his time in captivity in Vietnam. I am currently reading a book about “re-education efforts” in communist China in the previous century by a fellow named Robert Lifton. Even though the author seems to be a typical specimen of the American Academic Establishment (for lack of a better term), the book is nonetheless very enlightening. It’s called Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism. Of course, the tools of tyrants have become much more sophisticated since that author did his case studies on both Chinese and Western subjects that were arrested and were unwilling participants in the Chinese communist indoctrination program, but it does drive home the point that the communists have no qualms about coercing others into being re-educated/induced into accepting their peculiar outlook or eliminating those who cannot be brought around to their point-of-view. I suspect, that without the rights that protect us in the West, few people could hold up under the sort of pressure to which many of these people were subjected, having to reveal to their tormentors every aspect of their past in great detail over and over, eventually confessing to imaginary crimes against the “people” that were essentially fabricated out of thin air from the most insignificant events which they revealed to their captors after being subjected to sleep deprivation and other forms of torture over an extended period of time.
.
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Putting rythm in this thread. Sometimes an object is more powerful in exposing spirits than all the interrogations. (Joke, it was a typo).
In ancient times superior spirits would organize other spirits. This was the power of suggestion. The defeatist is basically possessed by the spirit of the loser in battle as ordered so by a superior spirit organizing all spirits. This is what communist demoralization is all about. The same spirit of defeatism and demoralization is also found in the Climate Change charade. So McGregor is a cultist just like the left, or, rather, the Kremlin has found his weak point for Russian military bluster just as they found the weak point of the left in morality megalomaniacal bluster of Marxists. These have bits of the same father. Much like an abused victim of “domestic violence”, the cultic knows deep down it is being abused, but he or she refuse to admit it because he or she is also “privacy” cultic secret agenda minded.
This is how words infect. Roe v Wade had nothing to do with abortion but about a larger agenda and choice of words. The word Privacy inserted in the language was meant to shoot far and wide and give inherent support and favoritism to the cultic minded, the dupe, willing or not.
I bet a dime a dozen Biden does not hate the Maga crowd, but like Darth, he is proud to see the dark force of revolution working in them, feeling like “we” are his own children-becoming as Deleuze coined it euphemistically in politically correct secular philosophical way. As for Bannon, he strikes me as wannabe competitor perhaps. The ego of the like of Bannon is a strong glass ceiling against the voice of cooler more conservative heads. Much like Lenin who preached national defeatism when he was on the losing political end but world magalomania when on the winning one, the like of Bannon strike me as another “it is ok only when I do it” type, ie being just as demoralizing when it benefits himself, willing to trash America and give the keys of Ukraine to Putin like McGregor for political immediate expediency in transient polling times.
Festivities in the democratic process of voting is an occasion to invoke and adopt many transvestite spirits indeed.
Our elites in the West appear to be plainly Marxist, hellbent on imposing a Chinese style social credit system on steroids. Digital ID legislation is being prepared in the UK and France as I write these words (Macron’s first order of business when re-elected this year was to push for that). Draconian “hate speech laws” designed to gag and imprison dissenters are also in the works (being prepared in the UK right now). These are not the laws a free society should expect.
So I view our globalists as not being blindsided at all by Russian and Chinese shenanigans, but as being happy to let the Russo-Sino experts at subversion do their dirty work for them and then, when the West is ripe for the plucking, step in and enforce their own dystopian hyper socialist hellscape. Accordingly, I don’t so much see the World Economic Forum as being a puppet of Moscow and Beijing as rather playing along with them for the duration of their objectives remaining common. Imagine that… in a bizarre twist, the barbarian nations transpire to be the ultimate “useful idiots” for the western globalists.
I keep reverting to the prophecy of this in Revelation 17 because it’s unambiguously, incontrovertibly unfolding before our eyes right now. The Western governments – whether ostensibly conservative or not – already take their marching orders from the same nefarious source, united as one in promoting all the neo-Marxist idols: LGBT, CRT, feminism, the climate-carbon psyop and the pharma-vaxx psyop, all keen to “build back better” in lockstep: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings [the western governments in apocalyptic language], which have received no kingdom as yet [i.e. possess no true sovereignty of their own]; but receive power as kings one hour [temporarily] with the beast [the red political system “that was, is not and yet is “(Marxism)]. These have one mind [united in policy as described above], and shall give their power and strength unto the beast [a total, broad spectrum commitment to its dogmas, tyranny and basketcase ideas].” (Rev 17 v12,13).
All that remains is for all the apparatus of oppression to fall into place. Conservatives, reactionaries, anti-communists and, especially, evangelical Christians, need to be thinking in terms of survival and evasion at this juncture. We are definitely much further into the abyss than pretty much anyone on our side understands. The window to do anything affirmative on a personal or familial level is fast closing. But as for action on a societal or governmental level? That window was bolted shut long ago, even though I know it’s not what anyone wants to hear. But it really is every true blue conservative for himself now, sad to say, until the Lord intervenes and destroys this evil, as He promises to.
Don’t worry about those. Whinny bourgeoise degenerates and lumpen don’t do revolutions.
Beware the moment when military and law enforcement classes join the proletarians and turn against the establishment.
Commit, I’m confused, I thought there were only three classes of individuals. Intellectuals, warriors and laborers. Which one are you referring to as the “whinny bourgeoise degenerates”? Maybe we need to make up all new ones again? Usually, the warriors win the revolutions.
Exceptional analysis! Many things fall into place. Waited for something like this for a long time.
These quotes from Jeff in this post paint a pretty clear picture where we are at. We have been accelerating down this path too hard and too long…If possible; it is going to be extremely difficult to stop and find reverse.
“The lust for power, with humanitarian window-dressing, must always produce a humanitarian catastrophe.”
“Notice, then, how the missiles and nuclear warheads have been prepared in Russia and China. Notice, also, how the world’s food supply is being constricted. Does anyone remember that control over food always been the communist path to consolidating power?”
“There has occurred, in the West, a general intellectual decline. In place of historical knowledge and classic philosophy we have conspiracy theories animated by feelings of resentment.”
“Moscow and Beijing are succeeding in the information war. They have intellectually disarmed the West.”
But, what has severed people’s moral and spiritual moorings to the point where this is the result?
It was severed as follows: A mistaken belief in materialism — the idea that spirituality is a delusion. This brings moral collapse and political calamity follows.
Indeed.
So, the ultimate solution cannot be political then. For that would only be treating the symptom of the disease.
I am reminded of the words of the hymn:
“O where are kings and empires now
Of old that went and came?”
If we could only learn from history…
So you side with the establishment that impoverish masses in the name of protecting so-called liberal values and stopping alleged climate change. Against the masses that care about such unimportant material things like food and fuel.
Caught me in the blades of your scissors, did you?
I do not see it as an issue of sides, but of chosing a path which leads to better results, beginning with myself. I am keenly aware of the selfishness within that I must battle against to prevent myself from hurting and oppressing others that I interact with.
If we were to treat others as we desire to be treated, return good for evil, and be more content with what we have, and share with those who have less (to paraphrase some of Jesus’s teachings)…how would that impact my life, those around me, and the world I live in?
Jeff,
In your estimation, did the thrust in the direction of materialism and humanism (I see them as being somewhat joined), pre-date communism/Marxism? Or vice versa? I had always thought these ideas sprang from philosophies put forth during The Enlightenment. I wish I were better read on these topics and am curious how you would piece them together.
The Enlightenment was not, in all respects, atheistic. An impetus for questioning certain dogmas came out of the wars of religion that broke out during the two centuries preceding the Enlightenment. The shock of seeing Christians killing, burning and defaming each other caused a lot of rethinking by serious people. The atheist strand was the most extreme and destructive during the French Revolution, holding that religion was — as Marx said — “the Opium of the people.” The atheism that emerged in the French Revolution, in the middle of the Terror, was already associated in some respect with a pre-Marxian communist element. As a side-note: Robespierre was guillotined, ironically, because he believed in God and opposed the rising atheist element in the Revolution. It is incorrectly assumed, for example, that Voltaire was an atheist. Technically, many of these people were searching for a God who did not tell his followers to make war on other believers (who believed differently). The behavior of Christian authorities during the wars of religion, and the nature of Chrsitian vs. Christian conflict, has contributed more to atheism than any philosophic argumentation. In the ancient world, political atheism was rare if not unknown. No atheist empire has ever existed until the Soviet Union came into existence in 1917 (unless you count the Paris Commune as an empire).
Jeff, when you write “Christian versus Christian conflict” you are essentially asserting that the Reformation did not rediscover the essential biblical truths of salvation through Christ alone, by grace and faith alone that had been buried for a thousand years in the dogma of the medieval church. Luther didn’t declare war on the pope. The Bohemians were targeted for destruction by the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor. The Protestants were forced into a wholly defensive war of survival. By the way, do you know that the official Roman Catholic doctrine defined by the Council of Trent is still in effect? Anyone who subscribes to one or all five ‘solas’ is anathema–eternally damned! So much for “separated brethren”.
This site is not for religious controversy or refighting the wars of religion. We have to be unified. Unless people can unite as Americans against a common enemy, we are doomed.
Great article Jeff. Today it seems certain Americans who call themselves right wing are romanticizing treason. There’s a kid who calls himself “America First” on the web, but he has claimed he wishes Putin nuked America, also wishing Putin was the president of America. Some commentators on the right also seem to refuse to even mention the word “Communism”. The other day I watched one who’s popular on Youtube, he cited a quote by Antonio Gramsci but not mentioning how Gramsci was inherently linked to Communism, and that C-word did not come up in the video, instead I heard “the cabal”. What’s wrong with simply calling an Italian Communist who’s quite the influence to modern Marxists a Communist?
Good observation. There is a corruption of language here that allows the formation of a false picture of reality.
It could be that the person named “America First” is an influencer paid by Russia to lead conservatives astray. But you are on to something in terms of someone trying to make the label “communist” disappear from the conservative lexicon.
https://rise.tv/episodes/16304e598b35c5 Trevor Loudon’s interview with Man In America 8/24/22
In the subscribers-only part of the interview, Trevor and Seth mentioned that QAnon commenters on Telegram are now saying that Xi is really anti-Communist and secretly working with Trump to take down the Deep State. For anyone keeping score, it’s now Trump, Putin and Xi working together. If North Korea sends soldiers to Ukraine, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kim Jong-Il were added to the list of world leaders secretly aiding Trump.
It will be interesting to watch the reaction of conservatives as Russia becomes more openly allied with other Communist countries. They will either have to admit they were badly mistaken about Russia, or dig themselves deeper and start pretending that openly Communist countries are not Communist – in other words deny reality.
Trevor said the influence of QA is already having a real effect on American politics. Before the war, Republican candidates – I’m assuming they said this in private – could not take an open stand for Ukraine because of pressure from their base, who were very much influenced by QA and Tucker Carlson’s pro-Russia stance. Trevor and Seth also talked about QA followers on Telegram who say they would actively welcome Russian and Chinese troops into their countries (ie Canada and the US). This is worrying. Just how significant is the influence of QA? After convincing too many conservatives to remain passive and complacent when they needed to organize and get into Trump’s ear, it seems that QA took that success to the next stage by getting them to believe that Putin/Russia are on America’s side. “Trust the plan” seamlessly tacked on Putin to Trump’s masterplan without skipping a beat. While misperceptions of Russia existed long before QA, the new levels of denial and inversion of reality that MAGA and other conservatives are engaging in may be the unique work of QA and the recently stepped-up efforts of other propagandists.
I think the unorthodox political orientation of Trump also played a role in the relatively recent pro-Russia turn of so many ordinary conservatives. Before, it was mostly the anti-Semites and some paleo-cons or traditionalists who supported Russia, but the wholesale turn of many American conservatives toward Russia in the last 5-6 years, and especially in the last 6 months, might be partly explained by the success of Trump, who combined elements of the old Left and the Right. The synthesis of (some) traditional conservative values and pro-working-class concerns seems to have inspired a new wave of conservative populists to jettison what they saw as old, failed policies inherited from previous generations of conservatives, policies that were seen as no longer relevant in the radicalized political landscape of today’s America. The failed Reaganite and “neocon” policies that were marked for the scrap heap included the idea that Russia, and other Communist countries, are enemies of America. As Jeff said, a case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Conservatives’ eagerness to break with what they saw as overly restrictive political traditions led them to embrace new alliances with Leftist “moderates” (eg. Tulsi Gabbard) and overrode any last common-sense concerns for national security. One of those ‘overly restrictive’ traditions that’s being abandoned is the idea of playing by any rules, since the prevailing opinion now is that it’s better to win by employing Machiavellian tactics rather than lose while playing by Marquis of Queensbury rules; this is probably where McGregor and co.’s admiration for liars and “hard men” like Putin comes from. Cynical arguments about NATO being weak and obsolete, and about Big Business being in bed with Big Government – but no mention of businesses being in bed with China and Russia’s governments– are repeated ad nauseum in the conservative media echo chamber and so become the ‘truth’. And when the war in Ukraine started, all the seeds planted by QA and other propagandists suddenly bore fruit. Rather than being a wake-up call, the war served as vindication of the new pro-Russia and anti-state/anti-big business orientation of the bold new conservative movement. And so, we are at a point where, with the zeal of new converts, many conservatives are marching in lockstep and proudly proclaiming their new-found faith in Russia. And maybe soon, faith in China as well.
Very interesting commentary, Laura. It is fascinating to see how Q-Anon neutralizes patriotis, then turns them into partisans of our country’s most dangerous enemies. This should be obvious on its face. Why hasn’t MAGA addressed this? Why is this allowed to fester? The whole thing is deeply troubling.
Agree 100%. I went back a few months ago and searched the “drops” for reference to Russia and China. Very few mentions (other than Russiagate) – but the insinuation was that Xi and Putin had maintained “closed economies” and displayed some hostility to the West because they wanted to protect their people from the Satanic Globalist agenda of the West, led by CIA and the “5 eyes” intelligence alliance. The theory pushed was that the “Global elites” had propagandized the masses by pitting capitalism against communism – to keep people divided – when really neither system is to blame, and the real villain is the Global Elites who are hiding and suppressing medical and energy innovations that essentially could liberate the world, while instead they are plotting to enslave us all through war and technological control. The idea was that Trump was “recruited” by patriots in the military to run a stealth mission to take the the Deep State in the U.S. and by extension, across the globe. QA at one point quoted Putin saying “the world’s leaders worship Satan” and suggested Putin was secretly against the Globalists.
In hindsight, it’s so obvious.
In real time – and yes I read the drops in real time – the idea about China + Russia as anti-Globalist was a sub-theme, not prominent. It was subtle enough I had to go back and check, because I wasn’t sure exactly what QA said about them. The China/Russia as allies theme was only hinted at, not prominent. The focus was dissecting the “inside baseball” of the Russiagate operation and the “hero” of the story was the U.S. military. That’s who supposedly recruited Trump. I think the reason so many patriots fell for it SO HARD was that they just couldn’t believe the President would let the DOJ and intelligence agencies undermine his Presidency right under his nose for 4 years, when it was clear as day to all of us. They thought their must be “a Plan.” I’ll admit some of the “drops” were interesting and even insightful. But a lot seemed like obvious MAGA politics. I thought it may be run by someone in MAGA politics. The stealth aspect was just so obvious and sketchy. But I didn’t suspect China or Russia.
Again, it’s obvious now, the way the notion was seeded (but not too prominently) that Xi and Putin were secret MAGA allies. The real kicker for me – when I saw the actual (and not merely hypothetical) danger with QA – was after the election, and MAGA dug into to fight for a Trump victory. When Trump stupidly called supporters to DC the day Congress was certifying the vote – I got really worried. There was such a disconnect between MAGA’s hope to turn it around, and the reality on the ground. Thousands showing up that day was so prone for disaster – frankly it’s a miracle it wasn’t worse. I’m convinced A LOT OF PEOPLE thought there was “a Plan” – even if they didn’t fully admit it to themselves. Of all things Trump did – that’s what I really blame him for, calling people to DC that day. Such a terrible idea.
But anyway, Laura, it’s so interesting you’re still seeing this on Telegram. I’m not on Telegram, so I had no idea how much these QA planted seeds have grown.
And here’s something to chew on – if QA was a China/Russia operation, or even if is wasn’t, what’s our own intelligence know about it?
Interesting comments. Thanks.
In-Q-Tel[Aviv]. The three largest channels that pushed the Qult were of the frenulum deficient persuasion. Future education will require a very thorough study and historical revision of Soviet subversion and its methods, if only to catch out Trust Operation like behaviors early. The evangelical right is especially susceptible to the form of presentation and auguries it deployed.
In other words, you concede that you can’t win a debate with Putin.
When surrounded, circle the wagons and fight.
Agreed. Nevertheless, Putin is winning the propaganda war. If we can’t logically counter his rhetoric, we lose on that front.
We have to understand the narratives we are entangled in and how they entrap us with defeatist policies. We must build our own narratives.
You have made mention in comments on a prior essay, that US weapons shipments and dollars are not going to Ukraine as publicly announced that they were to be. I would appreciate your reflection of my hypothesis about that, if you please.
The Federal Reserve had been engaging quite extensively in quantitative easing of interest rates, by purchasing their own bond issues. Could it be that they now are recouping their expenditure? Were we supposed to think that that private bank was doing such, for free?
There is speculation about a massive siphoning of funds. But nobody seems to know what is really happening with the money. There is a dishonest book-keeping game, as in the past. Either funds are used clandestinely to fix our own military problems, or somebody is embezzling a lot of money.
There have been complaints in Ukraine that weapons and material have not arrived as promised.
PS — Strategy is not a debate. In the case of Russia, their active measures set up narratives that make winning impossible. But then, they are bound to bungle.
Without a specific example, in general it seems to me, that if Russia puts forth a double bind narrative, then the response would be to deconstruct that canard, and address the real issues. To simply ignore Putin as Biden has done, just gives credence to Putin, in the eyes of the UN. Maybe Biden is being blackmailed into diverting the funds for Ukraine to Russia?
I hope not.
“NATO has never placed nuclear weapons, missiles, or troops in Ukraine.”
This is a provable lie! Go ahead & block my post you coward
Please link your proofs from a neutral and reliable source (not a Russian propaganda site).
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine surrendered it’s nuclear arsenal to Russia, but announced two hundred Soviet nukes in their possession, as unaccountable. The United States paid Ukraine to find them and turn them over as well, but it’s not clear that they ever did.
If so, could those weapons still be viable with proper maintenance? How does Ukrainian commander in chief, General, Valery Zaluzhny, get to call nuclear war as feasible?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-military-chief-says-limited-nuclear-war-cannot-be-ruled-out/ar-AA11zxgE
Nuclear war is feasible because Russia has the weapons and could win by using them.
Russia never complained, and their agents ruled that country for many years after 1991. There are no nukes there.
I.LANYARD: you didn’t read the article, did you? If you had, would you have not recognized that General Valery Zaluzhny said it is feasible that the Russians will use tactical nukes? Not the Ukrainians?
Putin seems not to care about his defeats. He says, “Europe will freeze.” That seems to be the strategy.
Re:
[ R.O. says:
SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 AT 2:58 PM ]
What’s Zaluzhny’s solution then, for the US to give him nukes to use on Russia? As for what, a retaliatory strike?
Please stop with the nonsensical questions.
So, now all of a sudden, Jeff, you trust Russia? At one point you were saying that Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet union, still had the same old Soviet leaders as before. Now you say that Zelensky, was fairly elected, that the CIA did not execute a coup d’état.
If Russia didn’t complain about Ukraine withholding 200 nukes, maybe Russia was planning ahead for the day that Ukraine would use those against NATO? If so, then Zelensky, would be in possession of them, yet today, as long as we can trust the CIA to be in Ukraine making sure that Ukraine can’t use weapons against Russia..
No. I do not trust Russia. Yes. The former Soviet Republics started out with apparatchiks leading most of the states. Changes did happen in Georgia and the Baltic States first. Then Ukraine had a revolution in 2014, called the Euromaidan Revolution, which prompted a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. The Euromaidan was not a CIA coup. Please study this event more closely. And yes, Zelensky was fairly elected in 2019. He did not come to power during the revolution of 2014 (which you, buying into Russian propaganda, inaccurately refer to as a coup). Ukraine does not have 200 nukes. Russia would have made a very big deal about this if it were so, and Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in the face of such firepower. You do not launch a decapitation attack at a government controling 200 nukes. It’s a very dangerous thing to attempt. Why do you continually barrage me with obvious Russian propaganda? Can’t you recognize Russian propaganda when you hear it, or do you have a tin ear?
Re
[ Jeff Nyquist says:
September 8, 2022 at 3:51 pm ]
Putin may be more than a bit facetious, but the US sanctions Russia, and Europe may freeze as result of unintended domino effect. Putin says, (I know, one can’t listen to Putin) that the pipeline is broken on the EU side, and they can’t get the parts to fix it due to the sanctions against buying products from Russia. Putin claims that he would like to sell energy commodities. Okay, so don’t prove him wrong, then.
Ps:
China had been manipulating it’s currency for decades, despite US protestation. Trump leveled tariffs against China, to be paid by American consumers. Shortly thereafter, Covid hit.
I think part of the strategy is not Ukraine at all, but rather to some extent the conflict and resulting sanctions serve as a diversion (and excuse) for what Russia is doing in Latin America. In other words, now that he is slapped with sanctions, Putin can accelerate the ongoing activities in support of authoritarian regimes in Central and South America as well as increasing Russia’s actual military presence in that region, as the whole point seems to be to undermine US hegemony as both short and long-term objectives. I think Russia’s present military action in Ukraine should always be considered in light of this wider context, especially given the trend towards the establishment of anti-US regimes in Latin America in recent years and direct collaboration on the part of Russia with these regimes (Venezuela, Cuba, and increasingly countries like Mexico and now Colombia). Communists don’t care about war casualties and are willing to take two small steps backwards in order to make a giant leap forward. The Russians didn’t perform in a spectacular fashion in Georgia and yet they accomplished some strategic objectives with the taking control of the Tbilisi pipeline, etc. Considering the West’s lackluster response to Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, it makes perfect sense for Russia to invade Ukraine a few years later.
The communists are attempting to advance on all fronts, and are making stupendous gains in South America.
Not even Moscow disputes that Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons.
“Provable lie”
Proceeds to not prove it
Jeff Nyquist:
1. What is your Biblical eschatology ?
How does this all play out , on your view ?
2. What does the Bible say about “Conspirac(ies)” ; Psalm 2 for example ?
3. What is it – specifically , precisely , without exception – one must Necessarily believe in order to have irrevocable Everlasting Life ?
Thanks for your time .
There is a profound error in thinking that the time and eternity do not work in tandem.
Quantum physics?
No, it is not quantum physics. It is the μεταξύ. (The Metaxy.)
Jeff ,
Perhaps when you have “time” , you can interact with my highly unambiguous questions devolving upon “eternity” ?
Unless one’s worldview is tethered to the objective truth contained in Scripture (exegesis/hermeneutics) , then all the temporal considerations will necessarily come shy of epistemological value .
It is the one hundred percent accuracy of Eschatology, which proves the Bible, to be supernatural. A friend of mine, a graduate of American Baptist Seminary and a retired deacon of that denomination, who explains that all those asleep in Christ, will arrive to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, at the same time as the Rapture of the Church.
Jeff Nyquist ,
Still waiting for your answers to my questions .
Jesus stated : “For what does it profit if a man gain the whole world but lose his soul ? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul ?”
His rhetorical question answers itself .
Further , Peter – in the imperative – states :
“Sanctify the Lord in your hearts and always give a reason for the hope that lies within you.”
Only you know why you’ve avoided the singular issue with unending consequence .
Mr. Grady, Your quesiton is off topic. Furthermore, it is not polite to preach theology when you have not been invited. And more to the point, it is rude to suggest I am going to Hell because I would not answer your question. Not that anybody cares what my theological views are: I believe “Apocalypticism” — which is what you presented — is a theological error. Eric Voegelin coined the term “Apocalypticism” to designate one of the three major errors leading to a distorted view of history. I have quoted St. Augustine in this regard twice previously. I am getting tired of reposting the quotation. So please, back off.
Biblical eschatology gives a bare outline of the future. Russia is being set up for the Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 destruction. God sees all of time and tells about some of what he has seen. He doesn’t tell nearly all of it.
This is an interpretation. It is not positive knowledge.
PS — Let me quote St. Augustine again: “It is vain, therefore, that we try to reckon and put a limit to the number of years that remain for this world, since we hear from the mouth of the Truth that it is not for us to know this.”
Read that:
1967 + 40 + 87 = 2094, at the latest.
IT IS VAIN AND IT IS ESCAPIST. LIfe is not supposed to be a countdown to something that happens after life. We have a responsibility HERE AND NOW.
In the here and now we are to love the Lord our God with all our soul and all our might and our neighbor as thyself. We are to set ourselves apart from the world, and not embrace the world. We are to put our Faith in our Father in Heaven, and not live in fear.
Yeah, well, the countdown is waiting to hear what you propose for us to do. Talk about defeatism. My point which you censored, is that Jesus said that we would know the general time frame of his return, and when we see the signs, to look upward as our Redemption draws near. In the meantime, we are to resist evil, but that vengeance is HIS.
Even the very act of trying to predict the “end of days” is unhealthy. It gives us a false sense of superiority over the other “sheep” and prevents us from existing in this moment. I myself have fallen prey to it. It is a trap of always thinking “this is the moment, this election, these next 2 years”. It paralyzes men. It gives us a false sense of control over things entirely out of our control. In many ways, it is a desperate attempt to cope with the horrific state of the world. Believing that in the future at some vaguely predictable date, all of this ends, is as Jeff said, “escapism” and the coward’s out.
No, we must stay in this moment and preserve the country handed down through telling the truth and raising the collective consciousness. We must accept that we don’t know the future and the ONLY thing in our control is how we act right now and what we do to be courageous in speaking the truth. Jeff is a good example of this, unwavering in the face of what seems like overwhelming odds, yet still putting the divine spark of truth out into the collective consciousness, not seeing the immediate fruits but trusting that the rest is up to universal destiny, if only we do our part.
Good points, Perseus. Faith is not about knowing. It is about steadfastness when you do not “know.”
Thank you.
Jeff:
Oh I wish you wouldn’t bring up some contested narratives, like 9/11. The truthers numbers include architects, engineers and scientists who claim, based on their professional experience, that the official story is false. I’m sure you can find other examples that don’t include controversy.
Where the truthers and other conspiracy theorists go off the deep end is to speculate, without evidence, causality. You show how communists exploit that speculation. I refuse to join them in that speculation.
Jeff, you are without peer in your knowledge of communist theory, plans and capabilities. But you don’t know basic physical sciences, such as basic Newtonian mechanics. Thus, when you make dogmatic statements on some of these controversial events that contradict basic physical sciences, I see that as divisive, not uniting. Wouldn’t it be better just not to mention them?
I consider myself a strong supporter of capitalism. However, when I look at much economic activity in the U.S., I see fascism, not capitalism. Like fascism everywhere, they are destroying the economy of the U.S. I see the need to encourage capitalism, not put roadblocks in its way.
Banks and finance are necessary for capitalism. But not the “too big to fail” megabanks and megacorporations, whose actions are those of fascism, not capitalism. The very fact that they are “too big to fail” is why they should be broken up into smaller entities so that capitalism may flourish. The true capitalist doesn’t want to tear down, he wants to restore.
I want justice, not revolution. The purpose of government is to provide justice, equally, to all levels of society. Do we have that now? If one puts that question on the street, the majority of people will say “No.”
“Like the dialectical materialists of the communist movement, the right-wing revolutionaries have no transcendental calculus.” The rest of what you describe is rooted in this sentence.
The American “Revolution” was rooted in a transcendental calculus. Basically, the people who fought that war were conservatives. They fought against what they saw as injustice.
I remember Vietnam—our soldiers on the ground won the ground war. Our defeat was engineered by Democrat leftists in Washington DC.
There are engineers and at least one, US Navy demolitions expert who debunk the official obfuscation. There is no publicly released, objective investigation.
Very well stated.
The banking cabals run the system at this point. They won’t allow you to replace them without some deeper changes of the (not only)ruling class structure.
The Leninist point of view coincides with the Truther point of view. This is not accidental. Commit offers us Exhibit One. WAKE UP.
While I wouldn’t go so far as to dismiss all “conspiracy theories” out of hand as nonsense (I think there are some legitimate unanswered questions with respect to 9/11, for example), it is undeniable that some people on the right are using these conspiracy theories to construct an anti-US, pro-Russia narrative that completely ignores the communist threat posed by countries like Russia and China. And, I think it is also reasonable to conclude that Russia uses these narratives constructed around prevailing conspiracy theories to accomplish its own strategic objectives, namely to cause division and promote instability and distrust, not so much distrust of individual corrupt politicians or business moguls, but rather of the US system, itself, and its institutions. The fact that many business people promote agendas inimical to the traditional liberties and notions of individual freedom upon which the US system is based, can just as easily be explained by virtue of the fact that greedy businessmen (and businesswomen) are willing to sacrifice such notions of individual liberty for the sake of profits. And, I have no doubt that there are communists embedded within these businesses and institutions, which also can explain what we are seeing without the need to resort to some overarching conspiracy of the rich or whatever. When I look at the Critical Race Theory that is currently being promoted in the US, I see no real difference between this and communism. In communist Russia and China, people belonging to the middle and upper classes were guilty of crimes against the “people,” merely by virtue of being successful in a system that supposedly was built on the exploitation of the poor. A doctor or lawyer, for example, was guilty by virtue of their exercising these professions under communist logic, because they could only have achieved such success by belonging to a privileged class that achieved its success by oppressing the poor. Similarly, those who are born into a certain ethnic group, social class, or whatever, are deemed to be guilty under the microscope of Critical Race Theory by virtue of their mere existence and belonging to a privileged class, race, etc. Such people (like the members of the bourgeoisie class in communist societies) are guilty of exploitation and must be re-educated. Even the words they use are all part of, and operate in furtherance of, a system that is based on oppression and exploitation of others, etc. In fact, only the names have changed, but the old communist strategy of using class (and racial divisions) to promote the overthrow of the existing system/society in favor of a new classless society is still alive and well and masquerades under the label of “Critical Race Theory.” The common thread that unites all of these tendencies is the goal of destroying and overthrowing the existing social order in favor of a classless society run by powerseeking megalomaniacs. What comes after isn’t so important to these people compared with the lust for power and the drive to destroy the existing social order.
If you want to see the depths of political depravity, go over the Gateway Pundit and read the comments to Larry Johnson’s juvenile screeds. The Hofts and Johnson are idiots when it comes to Russia and I wonder if Johnson is not a paid agent of Putin’s regime.
Johnson drank the Kool-Aid long ago
You answered the question I had been pondering about the right and why they are going in that direction. Great essay.
R.O.: “Materialistic monopolism is the enemy, and materialistic monopolism is at the heart of both Fascism and Communism.”
If you claim to be anti communist and your main enemy is monopolist capitalism at the same time, this article about you.
Let’s assume that JR Nyquist is correct about the geopolitical scissors. Let’s assume that the leaders of global capitalism know about this strategy, but initially were confident they could prevent it by building functioning missile defense and controlling middle eastern resources, economically insulating and disarming first Russia and then China. Then at least since the failure of the so called war on so called terror and 2008 crisis, failure of controlling Iran and Central Asia which was part of the initial plan of insulating Russia. Russia developing weapons that can avoid potential missile defenses, the leaders of global capitalism realized the game is over in long term, probably won’t survive as a ruling class once they loose control over the third world resources. Unless they try something desperate, something like the Great Reset. They definitely see the threat in bourgeoise democracy, which can overthrow them once the real crisis hits. Their institutions like WEF may be infiltred by communists who influence them to do bad decisions. But the main goal of those institutions still is to preserve power of monopolists, of current ruling class, not a true revolution. Probably by imposing some form of authoritarian government. They also feel the need of rationalizing the economy for they know sooner or later the cheap third world resources will stop inflowing. That was the original plan which I think was supposed to happen with covid, but the opposition was stronger than they expected.
Centralization by any other name.
Continuation of process of monopolization that was already described by Lenin. When monopolies can’t expand externally, are driven out from external markets, they have to turn on internal expansion. Monopolize what is left from small business, small land owners and so on. Denying imperialism access to external markets was described by general Sejna as a key step of the long range strategy.
If you refuse to call the “fall” of communist regimes in 1989 true revolutions for being staged from above, you can’t call great reset a true revolution. The old capitalist ruling class pretending to be socialist is not a revolution. It will fail anyway because who is supposed to impose it? Well, there are attempts to create loyal woke they/them military and police. But I think they overestimate power of those ridiculous ideologies over material realities.
Commit: You ought to be better at recognizing your own side. Klaus Schwab has a bust of Lenin in his library.
Commit: don’t twist my words into something that I didn’t write.
Did you understand it when Jeff wrote “transcendental calculus”?
Joseph Schumpeter more accurately described the system as “oligopoly.”
You err. Capitalism is not a system, “capitalism” is only a shop keeper exchange condition made possible by the equal rule of law. The project of the Founding Fathers makes capitalism possible. Marx however inverted the whole process by turning and inciting rich men into weapons of revolution to overthrow this equal rule of law applying to the rich, powerful, civil servants and the state equally aka the US Constitution, balance of powers limiting all government and powers/wealth. Democrat slavery was a debauchery of capitalism. Marx did not invent anything, he only codified the debauchery just the way wokists want to codify and punish for pronoun misuse in order to bring up paranoia and corruption. Not content enough of eccentric rich people who inherently are tempted to bribe and lobby, Marx codified a means to prevent from stopping that debauchery and revolution. Why? Because since revenge is not a political program, Marx had to gaslight revenge as if it was a political program for the “worker paradise”. Marx is essentially an anti-Anraham , an anti-Founder. But you cannot murder and spoil someone’s success without going to prison, thus you persuade the rich and police, nay, you even corrupt them in the process, in adopting the intellectually self-corrupting gaslight religion of death. Thus abortion becomes life saving measure. So much so that when taking a polygraph, women who commit abortion will say they did not commit murder and they pass the polygraph! Whereas if you have yourself a mere guilt perception of having killing a rat infestation in your life, you might have to out down that you were cruel once to animals because of your self doubt threatening you to fail the polygraph test by contradiction of emotions. Just look how powerful that is. The Vegan Marxist movement is absolutely vicious, believes in abortion and righteous cannibalism! In the name of guilting people for eating meat. This is schizophrenia in that people have lost connection with each other in the modern world as it is all technically and not socially oriented, because being a geek is not a political project either. Money men are geeks. In a movie Marilyn Monroe plays the role of a woman dreaming of marrying one of those nerds with glasses sitting on the beach reading stock quotes all day, The rich are extremely attracted to communism, in a first time. The Egyptian communist leader in the 50s was a communist. The rich and the poor get both infected by this revenge or power take over as a non project, completely gaslighted. Many rich think they will then settle themselves their station but only to find themselves naively gaslighted themselves outside their station “in the next stage of revolution”. The rich only know how to make money and bribe, but they do not know how to lead a platoon, shoot guns and organize secret agenda cult services. They do not see the end game of their own sin which is their own destruction since they planted the seeds of their own subversion by subverting themselves the rule of law. It is pointless to talk in the language of conspiracy theory about banksters since their own demise is pre-peogrammed. It only is letting oneself be foolishly manipulated in taking credit for a crime of subversion one did not even plot in the first place, working as a fall guy for the dark army and helping concealing it.
Peace, I agree with you that there is a plan for global dictatorship, however, in the thick of details (capitalists, communists, proletariat, elite, patriots, Islam, etc) you are missing a bigger picture.
The bigger picture is that we as humanity forgot God Almighty and uphold the Divine Law on Earth, and finally stand before our Creator for our final reckoning (Day of Judgement)…and eternal life in the Hereafter…heaven or hell.
Since we rejected God Almighty we also lowered our vigilance, thus corruption has spread everywhere…be it West or East, or Muslim lands.
In the fog of confusion and separation from God Almighty by ordinary folks, the greed of elite class (be of capitalist or communist persuasions) humanity unfortunately is headed for a calamitous war.
This is what God Almighty refers to tasting the fruits of our own handiwork, in that we have elected (or shoved down our throat communism) corrupt men to make laws on land over Divine Law.
So these men (or women) are acting like gods for petty amounts of bribes, and thus leading us to a nuclear confrontation…not to mention the damage that mRNA vaccines, energy and food shortages in Europe, North America and developing nations will cause in the next 2 years.
This is all part of God’s Master Plan because HE promised that HE will send Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) at the end of time to correct his (pbuh) position with God Almighty that he (pbuh) was the Last Messenger to the Jews, and that he (pbuh) never professed to be God or be worshipped as son of God Almighty.
So the multifaceted turmoils we are experiencing today is from God Almighty Himself, through HIS evil agents (AntiChrist and Gog and Magog, that is, Khazaars) to humble people so they will return to worshipping One True God, The Mighty and Majestic!
Things will get very intense in the next 7-8 years starting this winter (2022, northern hemisphere) until Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) returns and re-establishes Divine Law and Justice, God Willing!
And that is the biggest picture. Thank you for reading this far.
Don’t you see the Russians and Chinese behind this? If not, why not?
God is not just a content, it is a container. Your theology completely errs and is inherently cultic and subversive.
Case in point, during 911 the Scientologists started bombarding NYC with adds because confused and scared people, at a weak point in their life (weakness potentially triggered by crypto-Marxist muslims working for Moscow) felt guilty or were turning each other (graphitis defacing Britney Spears on adds attributing 911’s fault on herself). This opportunist recuperation by Scientology of lost sheeps, when applied by communists is called Active Measure. An Active Measure person is not a mere opportunist recuperator, but is the one who created the conditions favorable to trauma resulting in transformation and self positioning in gathering the evil fruits of their work.
Thus stop blaming and solely isolating people for their sins, for “forgetting God”. It only is one part of the equation. The other part is a cultural or traumatic external conditioning. You are concealing the perpetrators of Active Measures and, like Scientologists, making yourself foolishly guilty of being a recuperator and subverter, while the real perp is hiding behind the shadows, the real perp being the orchestrator architect called Active Measure.
Don’t be stupid like opportunist Germany hiring Hitler and then be blamed suffering from all kinds of perceptions in order to hide the ultimately guilty party which are Lenin and Stalin. In fact, German guilt, and alternatively religious post-protestant arrogance, all serve equally to hide the real perp.
Populist Roundtable 28: Reflections on Gorbachev with J.R. Nyquist (Nevin Gussack)
Many of these issues seem to stem from an uneducated and apathetic public, which has allowed these utopian or apocalyptic illusions to spread. Without an informed and commonsensical baseline of reality, which many of modern social technologies have unintentionally or intentionally removed us from, it becomes impossible to sort through the weeds to find the truth. It would seem at least, that an education system which did its job would solve many of these issues, though it seems to have been infiltrated or corrupt almost since conception. Relegating education primarily back to the family unit, a near impossibility now, or decreasing as much as possible at least would push next generation in right direction. Do you know anything about the history or infiltration of the education system and do you have thoughts on it, Mr Nyquist?
Oh yes, the education system is heavily infiltrated with communists. When I received my teaching credential in 1986, both my master teachers told me to study Karl Marx because he was “the future.”
Ironically, that’s precisely what you did, much to their chagrin. I recall one Friday night after classes, a group of professors gathered in the student center, having refreshments, having a friendly semi private discussion about how to achieve World domination. Universities, both public and private, now have police forces under the command of some obscure entity; it doesn’t seem to be the university president. I’ve attended and worked at more than a few different schools. I have an uneasy feeling that if state and municipal governments ever collapse, intentional or otherwise, that college campuses will become the defacto local field marshal posts.
All of the Covid mandates originated in China. The lady who advised the CDC what to do was the same one in charge of that in China; social distancing, lock downs, non essential workers, non essential businesses, wear a mask, get lethal injections. I noticed that right off. I asked people rhetorically, ‘why are we doing what they do in China?’
Now, 85% of everybody in the World has taken the commy shots. What side are they on? Who can one trust? How long before the majority of people keel over? Food manufacturing plants have burned down. China and Bill Gates buy up all US farmland in order to take it out of production. Deflation is invariably fought with inflation, which only makes money more scarce. Supply chains are deliberately being slowed down. Energy is being cut. What difference does it make if Klaus Scwab works for Putin or if Putin works for him? The people can’t get their hands on either of them.
There is a difference between, defeatism and defeat. In the US after all those injected are incapacitated, dead or dying, those who refused the shots and quit their jobs to evade the mandates, will no longer have to be handled with soft power, but rather be targeted with physical force, by robodogs, drones, and 5G.
Look on the bright side. Maybe the guys who order the guys to run the robots will die from their own commy shots, or maybe the guys who run the robots will die before the order is given, and the dictators are technically illiterate.
It is not 85 percent of the world that have taken the shots. Russia and China, and their allies, have not been taking our vaccines. They are not using the mRNA technology. This is an important distinction to make.
Yes, Sputnik, for example, which has been widely distributed in Latin America uses “viral vector” technology that functions differently from the mRNA shots available in the US and Western Europe, and I believe China’s version is also based on viral vector technology rather than the mRNA technology. That is a very good point. In addition, the J & J shot that was based on viral vector technology received a lot of bad publicity early on due to alleged clotting issues, leading people in the West to choose one of the two mRNA shots over the J & J shot. I also remember that when the pandemic started, videos were “leaked” out of China that purported to show people dropping dead (or laying dead) in the streets — I saw one, for example, that allegedly showed two military officers walking, and one collpases and purportedly dies as the video is being recorded. Although people did die rather quickly from the virus due to cytokine storms and comorbidities, I didn’t see any footage anywhere else that even came close to these videos leaked out of China, the overall effect being to generate worldwide hysteria. I am not arguing for one point of view over another, but just pointing out things that caught my attention, including what you mention above.
Why didn’t the UK intervein?
(Excerpts from linked articles)
Charles has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. For 14 of these countries, as well as the UK, the King is head of state.
These countries, known as the Commonwealth realms, are: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59135132
The Solomon Islands government has refused a US Coast Guard cutter routine port call, denying ships refueling a request.[2] The Solomon Islands’ actions are likely related to the nation’s realignment with China, embodied in a recently signed security pact. The pact allows China to expand its economic, political, and military influence in the South Pacific region by increasing trade and enabling military personnel to be stationed on the Solomon Islands.[3] Deterioration of US-China relations has caused President Xi Jinping to strengthen relations with South Pacific islands to contest the US and allies’ presence and influence. The US fears a Chinese military buildup on the islands, as it would threaten US naval bases in Guam and the security of regional allies, such as Australia and New Zealand
https://www.counterterrorismgroup.com/post/the-solomon-islands-refusal-of-us-coast-guard-cutter-to-make-routine-port-call
A difficulty I bump into thinking through the “scissors” strategy (and the general, over-arching confusion about both facts and morality) is this: I appreciate the error and danger of defeatism; but I can’t, in response, support or root for the likes of Biden or the “neocons” because I simply don’t trust them. I don’t believe the money we’re supposedly sending to Ukraine actually gets there or if it does, is used for intended purposes; ditto re weapons; I see sanctions as a misguided mess that may ultimately may destroy US standing as a reserve currency, or at least strengthen Russia’s leverage, not ours; in fact, I see everything this administration does (despite what they say) as intended to weaken our country and make us more vulnerable. Maybe there’s some room for nuance – and some good guys left in positions of power – but in general this is how I see it.
I don’t agree with the assumptions of the likes of Tucker Carlson and others – but let’s say, as a thought experiment, that the dust were to clear and the real enemy became apparent and undeniable. I believe Carlson and many others who now sound like defeatists would immediately step up in defense of our country – while the democrats and the current administration will be laid bare as the true defeatists. They will still say things like “the rise of China is inevitable,” roll out a bunch of blather about “global community” and “equity” and make excuses the end result of which is our failure, and the end of the United States as we know it. MacGregor sounds like he’s in that latter camp.
I guess what I’m saying is – there seems to be a lot of disordered thinking among decent people that misdirects genuine patriotism and can-do sentiment; while in contrast, there seems to be a lot of cynical posturing among compromised, corrupt people – waving a false the banner of patriotism and the pretense of moral courage as cover for a depraved, subversive agenda, where supposed actions *against* Russia or China actually are designed to advance the communist agenda. Like Pelosi’s Taiwan junket and the absurd Congressional aid packages don’t seem to get where actually needed. Good people are thinking from misconceptions and wrong assumptions; corrupt, enemy operators are (I believe) actually acting on behalf of the enemy under the guise of fighting against them.
From 40,000 feet, I still put my hope in decent people. I pray that disordered thinking will be straightened out. In the meantime, I’m not construing people’s views toward Ukraine as a litmus test on their character or patriotism, because the fight – by our enemies’ design – is and will be larger than Ukraine, regardless of how it plays out, and frankly most everyone seems confused about the current moment, with attacks on our way of life on every front. I don’t say this to minimize Ukrainians fight for their lives and their country.
This essay on defeatism is extremely clarifying, as I certainly don’t want to fall into that trap. I hope what I’m describing is the opposite, namely a hope and openness that our fellow countrymen are not lost, or stuck between the scissors with no road back to clarity. I pray that all our hopes aren’t tied to the plans of our current administration, because I think it’s a front. I pray that like a rock in a tumbler, or metal in a fire, American minds will be perfected and clarified through growing adversity. The scissors strategy requires deception. At some point, remaining deceived is impossible. But we aren’t their yet.
Not one county has scrapped the internet connected Venezuelan voting machines. People need to pester their county commissioners to get that done, along with vote by mail all damn month, rolling voter registration, and street corner ballot boxes. What have we got, about two months yet?
The thing about these complicated plans that exploit “contradictions” in the conservative camp, is that they can become entangled in their own confused lies. Clarity is what is needed, as you say. And certainly, we should never support Biden or any other communist shill.
Lanyard states :
“It is the one hundred percent accuracy of Eschatology, which proves the Bible, to be supernatural. A friend of mine, a graduate of American Baptist Seminary and a retired deacon of that denomination, who explains that all those asleep in Christ, will arrive to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, at the same time as the Rapture of the Church.”
Indeed Lanyard .
The eschatological format is clear .
Only those who believe in Jesus for Everlasting Life (John 1:12-13,4:10-14,5:24,6:28-47,11:23-27,20:31 ; Acts 16:31 ; 1 Timothy 1:16) – apart from all behavioral performance (works) = Ephesians 2:8-9 ; Romans 3:21-5:11,11:6 ; Titus 3:5 – are those who “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4) .
Little children can understand and believe in Him for the doubtless Guarantee , having irrevocable Life at that moment . Because He didn’t lie to them .
No better news , ever .
Jeff, you said that people told you how Russia has elite troops in Siberia, and that Putin is not sending his best men to the invasion of Ukraine, but how much do you think is really true? I don’t want to sell the Ukrainian efforts short, but isn’t the bungling of the invasion, the loss of his men, all the tanks and other military vehicles being turned into fiery wrecks, isn’t that too much effort for what is being sold as a Russian ruse of some sort? It also comes across as trying to look strong when they’re weaker than the world thought they were before, then there are those reports of Russian missiles not working well after being stored for too long, their tanks that Putin claimed were “invincible” and now we are seeing how they’re not this unstoppable might. Not that I want to underestimate the Russians, but it really looks like the juice is not worth the squeeze. Perhaps this long stalemate/quagmire in Ukraine will cause massive problems for Europe in the future but so far it looks like Russia is losing a lot for no significant gains.
The Russians are really having problems in Ukraine. It is obvious they did not think there would be such problems. After all, they had defeated the Ukrainians in two battles in the Donbas. But the Ukrainians worked hard to overcome their military failings. The Russians were complacent. Putin now acts like he does not care. “Europe will freeze,” he says. But maybe, just maybe, the Germans will surprise everybody with a surprise solution. Then Moscow’s failure will be complete.
Like with chess, you can make the best set up and moves, if you bungle the last move that kills your opponent for sure in 2 or three strokes, you will most likely lose the game actually. In chess, there is two observational philosophies to adopt. The one is to play the empty spaces to constrict the enemy and to force it to make the first fatal domino move for fear of passing his turn. At this point it is much a poker game. The other skill is to tactically see an opportune situation to check mate in a few killing moves instead of constriction mating moves. It is a different skill to plow through for a position to check mate than to constrict the board in terms of space acquisition like in Go. Chess is two games in one. And this is what we see in Ukraine.
Putin had all his pieces set up properly to constrict the world with nonsense ecology, racial and sexual/gender schizophrenia agitation, corruption empowerment, debauchery of the rich, placement of sclerotic cowards and indecisive weak men in power. He thought Zelensky was gay. However his military is completely incapable or completely bungled the decapitation and check mate move plowing his way to take power hostage in Ukraine. He still is truing now by occupying Nuclear Power-plants in a desperate move. He now risks losing big time.
However. the West, his opponent, is refusing to check mate him back, out of fear and corruption. We are not capitalizing on the genius of Zelensky at the skill of counter attacking when the opportunity of the opponent’s mistake can be exploited for a kill, Foolishly we want to restrain Zelensky instead of recuperating him and mating Putin.
If we make a mistake in not seeing Putin’s mistake, the new fake peace deal will be implemented where Russia will reassess and reprepare, because, having saved and preserved their core of constricting move on the west, we would allow them a restart.
The skill of conquest in an election is not the same as that of the rule, but conquest is also recuperation of a situation of transformation painstakingly processed and fermented over the years. The evil leavening of the Pharisees is the basis, ie. the Marxist gaslighting seeds of intellectual corruption, cynicism and self subversion.
I have serious doubts that Russia has truly elite troops anymore. Spetznaz kill teams were sent into Ukraine to capture or kill Zelensky, and all of them were captured or slaughtered.
I saw an an interesting article a few days ago, which had slipped my mind. Chinese troops are in the Kuban for training. What that training could be is beyond my knowledge and am not sure, given the performance of the Russian Army, that the Chinese will get much benefit from that “training.”
The Russians and Chinese leaders have stumbled into their own military negligence.
With the amount of time that China (and Russia too?) spend on political indoctrination every day for their troops, how good are they in battle?
The most important thing in war is knowing which direction to point the weapons.
Jeff, can you elaborate on the biggest mistakes Russia made in Ukraine? I’ve heard that the extra-range missile systems made a difference. But what about before that? It can’t just have been that they expected them to surrender. Was there any key military details that made the difference?
The Russian mistakes were many. They sent in their tanks, initially, without infantry support. They underestimate the Ukrainian infantry’s ability to kill tanks. Then were not able to sweep away all of Ukraine’s anti-air defenses. Their paratroop envelopment of Ukraine miscarried on two points. They dropped in an area without cover and the Ukrainians wiped them. Then some of the reinforcing units were shot down. The battle for Kiev went very wrong for them. Heavy losses. The artillery offensive was smart, and was showing some results, but the HIMARs knocked that out. Now their low morale and poor leadership are showing their defensive positions to be vulnerable as well.
There are many signs that the ‘special military operation’ is not going well. Russia may have even wasted several high-end missiles to take out cheap decoys.
Ukraine lures Russian missiles with decoys of U.S. rocket system
Washington Post ● By John Hudson 8/30/22
The Ukrainian decoys are made out of wood but can be indistinguishable from an artillery battery through the lens of Russian drones, which transmit their locations to naval cruise-missile carriers in the Black Sea.
After a few weeks in the field, the decoys drew at least 10 Kalibr cruise missiles, an initial success that led Ukraine to expand the production of the replicas for broader use…
…The destruction of Ukrainian replicas may partly account for Russia’s unusually boastful battle damage assessments on Western artillery, particularly the U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.
“They’ve claimed to have hit more HIMARS than we have even sent,” one U.S. diplomat observed.
———-
On the economic front Russia is being hurt by the sanctions. The thing is, the West can do just fine without Russian gas/oil – provided the West started drilling for oil and putting its vast reserves to use. But it’s much harder for Russia to make do without Western goods and technology.
The true impact of sanctions on Russia | DW Business Special 8/5/22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzvR958CYTw
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his team at Yale School of Management say the narrative that Russia is riding out the sanctions is false. Their own research suggests Russia’s economy is suffering much more severely than widely reported.
– Imports have fallen by 50%, over 1200 foreign companies have left Russia; Even Chinese imports have fallen 50%
– Markets have rewarded companies that pulled out of Russia, pullouts due to financial, operational and reputation risks
– in last few months Putin has deleted the national income and economic statistics, inputs/outputs of energy, imports/exports, performance of major Russian firms, airport traffic, etc.; the government is instead putting out false metrics
– The ruble is not an actively traded currency, therefore claiming that it is doing well is misleading; stock market fallen by 50%, outside investors stuck with uninvestable assets, as Russia d/n allow them to sell
– Russian gas is not liquified, needs to travel through pipelines; but no pipelines in Asia therefore cannot easily pivot and export gas to Asian countries
– India’s reserve largely filled so no storage room to buy much more; India and China demanding $35/barrel discount, if Russia sells at $52/barrel hardly making any money bc even though it is the 3rd largest OPEC producer it is the most inefficient; took 5-6 days to get oil to Europe, could take 35 days to get to India/China
– Germany has 6 plants ready by calendar year end that can convert liquified natural gas to gaseous state so that Germany can receive more energy from all over the world
– Russia drawing down on reserve, $600 bn foreign currency reserve, half of it is frozen by the West, since outbreak of war Russia has spent $80 bn
– Russia badly needs semi-conductors which China/India are not selling; cannot replace machinery or get replacement parts for industrial and consumer goods
– 12% of direct employment, could be 3x indirect employment from foreign firms that have now left
FortuneMagazine (twitter)
Over 3.8 million Russians left from January to March this year, according to the Federal Security Services’ own estimates. Some left for work or travel reasons, but many also left because of Russia’s war on Ukraine. https://bit.ly/3PBuEg6
The average age of Russians who left the country after February 24 is 32 years old, while 80% of them have a higher education degree, according to a recent survey from OK Russians. https://bit.ly/3PBuEg6
Russia’s current, large-scale brain drain of young, skilled and educated citizens, could decimate sectors from journalism, to academia, and technology, experts say. https://bit.ly/3PBuEg6
This is very good. Had trouble getting the approve button to work.
Did you collect all these statistics yourself? Or were they consolidated in an article? Thank you.
The parts about Russians leaving were from twitter. The economic statistics were my notes from the DW video. Sonnenfeld has written articles too, like this paper in July.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4167193 Business Retreats and Sanctions Are Crippling the Russian Economy
https://som.yale.edu/story/2022/over-1000-companies-have-curtailed-operations-russia-some-remain
There are many signs that the ‘special military operation’ is not going well. Russia may have even wasted several expensive high-end missiles to take out cheap decoys.
Ukraine lures Russian missiles with decoys of U.S. rocket system
Washington Post ● By John Hudson 8/30/22
The Ukrainian decoys are made out of wood but can be indistinguishable from an artillery battery through the lens of Russian drones, which transmit their locations to naval cruise-missile carriers in the Black Sea.
After a few weeks in the field, the decoys drew at least 10 Kalibr cruise missiles, an initial success that led Ukraine to expand the production of the replicas for broader use…
…The destruction of Ukrainian replicas may partly account for Russia’s unusually boastful battle damage assessments on Western artillery, particularly the U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.
“They’ve claimed to have hit more HIMARS than we have even sent,” one U.S. diplomat observed.
On the economic front Russia is being hurt by the sanctions. The thing is, the West can do just fine without Russian gas/oil – provided the West started drilling for oil and putting its vast reserves to use. But it’s much harder for Russia to make do without Western goods and technology.
The true impact of sanctions on Russia | DW Business Special 8/5/22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzvR958CYTw
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his team at Yale School of Management say the narrative that Russia is riding out the sanctions is false. Their own research suggests Russia’s economy is suffering much more severely than widely reported.
– Imports have fallen by 50%, over 1200 foreign companies have left Russia; Even Chinese imports have fallen 50%
– Markets have rewarded companies that pulled out of Russia, pullouts due to financial, operational and reputation risks
– in last few months Putin has deleted the national income and economic statistics, inputs/outputs of energy, imports/exports, performance of major Russian firms, airport traffic, etc.; the government is instead putting out false metrics
– The ruble is not an actively traded currency, therefore claiming that it is doing well is misleading
– Russian gas is not liquified, needs to travel through pipelines; but no pipelines in Asia therefore cannot easily pivot and export gas to Asian countries
– India’s reserve largely filled so no storage room to buy much more; India and China demanding $35/barrel discount, if Russia sells at $52/barrel hardly making any money bc even though it is the 3rd largest OPEC producer it is the most inefficient; took 5-6 days to get oil to Europe, could take 35 days to get to India/China
– by the year end, Germany will 6 plants ready that can convert liquified natural gas to gaseous state so that Germany can receive more energy from all over the world
– Russia drawing down on reserve, $600 bn foreign currency reserve, half of it is frozen by the West, since outbreak of war Russia has spent $80 bn
– Russia badly needs semi-conductors which China/India not selling; cannot replace machinery, semi-conductors, or get replacement parts for industrial and consumer goods
– 12% of direct employment, could be 3x indirect employment from foreign firms that have now left
FortuneMagazine
Over 3.8 million Russians left from January to March this year, according to the Federal Security Services’ own estimates. Some left for work or travel reasons, but many also left because of Russia’s war on Ukraine. https://bit.ly/3PBuEg6
The average age of Russians who left the country after February 24 is 32 years old, while 80% of them have a higher education degree, according to a recent survey from OK Russians. https://bit.ly/3PBuEg6
Russia’s current, large-scale brain drain of young, skilled and educated citizens, could decimate sectors from journalism, to academia, and technology, experts say. https://bit.ly/3PBuEg6
Let me first state that I appreciate a written blog over a video for the sake of digesting the word. My hearing doesn’t react as quickly as the spoken word. I don’t often dispute what you discuss. However, this particular blog troubles me. I will confine this to only one segment of society for now. The group is composed of mostly blue-collar types who consider America to be a republic bound by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Many are bible oriented, hardworking, self-sufficient, independent family folks. They lament what has happened to our country and often fault themselves for not acting sooner to curtail our downward spiral. You see, they all had jobs at one time. Many were union members who received some share of the rewards for their labor (albeit at the hands of Mafia controlled unions that became a business unto themselves). And the Mafia eventually became legitimate business enterprises (I say that tongue in cheek) with much political influence. Even so, the workers were busy earning a living only to see industry leave the country while foreigners were imported to replace them. After Rupert Murdoch figured out how to break the union and rob the retirement of the workers, every major company followed suit. Matters worsened when they realized they were dying in wars for resources and strategic position under the pretense of spreading democracy and liberating people. We were unsuccessful on both counts and now do business with our enemies. The blooded American is further exasperated by the communist controlled power structure that currently exists within our midst. It is designed to destroy everything we grew to cherish as you often describe. While the MAGA movement seeks a leader who can turn the country back, it is too diverse and misguided to understand reality. And the many within the patriot movement lack organization and funding though they are ardent supporters of change for the better to the point that they are willing to emulate Ukraine in an effort to restore order. It is not capitalism that they abhor but the greed, graft, corruption and manipulation. All individuals are capitalist whether working for honest pay or managing an enterprise or selling drugs or sex. Capitalism is universal independence. That is anathema to the functioning of a dictatorial state.
But here is the wrench in the gears. I perceive that you believe we can enlighten the uninformed with truth. We have spent decades destroying education to the point that only those possessed of the power to reason might conceivably be awakened. The rest are deaf, dumb or indifferent. And many are foreigners and enemies of the republic bent on our destruction. They are openly supported by our representatives in all facets of business, media, and education, entertainment, political, judicial and religion. There is no longer a universal language by which we may unite. Islam hates us. Foreigners do not wish to become American. BLM/Antifa and the perverts are expendable brown shirts poised for civil war as they are supported and financed by those opposed to patriot Americans. It is no secret that population reduction is supported by a majority of countries not the least of which is the USA (as opposed to using the designation America). FEMA has been holding training exercises for over two decades to determine the best course of action necessary to deal with various calamities. It might be assumed their intent is the preservation of America though, in fact, the exercises are geared toward thwarting revolutionary activity.
Some believe the American patriot is a coward for not going kinetic. That is not true. Due to a lack of leadership and the ability to openly assemble without observation and infiltration, the patriot is waiting for the war to come to him. And it most certainly will whether we like it or not. There is no way to prevent it from happening. The powers in charge will make it happen. Yes, it will be the signal for Russia and China to be involved. And no, America cannot be saved or restored. No amount of reason can stem the tide. Now, you might think I am defeatist; and you would be wrong. I will fight; but I will not murder. Once the fighting starts Ukraine will look like a cake walk.
Beautifully said, Eddie.
Another reason that the American patriot is waiting to go kinetic, is because he instinctively knows that the side that shoots first, loses the moral advantage. That’s why Robert Toombs, first secretary of state of the Confederacy, opposed the attack on Fort Sumter.
I wonder what sort of country will we have after the fighting stops. One thing is sure, is that our population will be greatly reduced. That alone will make great changes in our lifestyle. What will it do to our political structure? Will we still have a constitutional republic? What about trade with other nations? How many companies will have to close their doors for lack of workers? How many products will we have to go without?
During the fighting, I agree with you, it will be fierce. Which is why I think a Chinese and Russian invasion will fail. But at what cost?
I agree with you, Eddie. And certainly, we are going to have to oppose, oppose and oppose again this failed Establishment, with the view of winning the soft left over to the patriotic cause. But we cannot do this with right wing Leninism, or with defeatism, or with pro-Russian sympathies. The communist are vulnerable because they allowed their own left-wing shills to pretend to be Moscow’s enemies. Let’s exploit that. Let’s shock the left and show them we agree about Russia. If Biden is dishonest in his stand, let’s catch him out. Let’s show him for the liar he is. And as you say, American can definitely do their own version of the Maidan Revolution if our aspiring totalitarians dare to impose a tyranny on us. But they have not dared as yet. They are edging in that direction, but it’s a big step to take. People in this country value freedom — right, left, and center. They will be enraged at anyone who takes freedom away. This is what the communist fears most. That is why the Marxists in our government want to arrest people on the right. They want us to be as afraid of them as they are of us. And they have convinced a lot of people that MAGA is bad, that MAGA is a bunch of insurrectionists manipulated by the Russians. Unfortunately, there are big names in MAGA who are dirty. Big names who have sold us false narratives and defeatist narratives like, “We have to ally with Russia because we cannot defeat China and Russia at the same time.” This is not an acceptable way to talk. Russia and China ARE ALLIED and we have to face the facts. We should not allow this kind of nonsense to be repeated on our side as a “divide-and-conquer” narrative. It plays directly into that scissors strategy. And if these fools keep doing that, maybe there will be a civil war; but we should do everything to counter the enemy’s misdirection. We should shame all the useful idiots on the left and the right. Always fight the communists, but not everyone on the left is a communist. Not everyone in MAGA is a Russian shill. We have to keep that in mind. We must throw out that bathwater, but not the baby. We have to analyze what is happening, and break it down into understandingable bits. We have to understand how the enemy sees it, and how the enemy is exploiting our own misconceptions. I have always had faith that the American people will rally. What is frightening, as you say, is our lack of leadership. The working class is patriotic. They are the last truly American class standing. But they lack the knowledge, the sophistication, to overcome the lies of their own leaders (right and left). The conservative and liberal elite have both turned against the American working man. So how do we win our ruling managerial class back from the brink of this forward lurch into totalitarianism? Watching Germany, I think we are seeing something new. Germany is going through a very difficult thing. Their befuddled leaders are groping through this crisis. Some are bad, but others are simply misguided. Seeing Foreign Minister Baerbock’s evolution to the anti-Russian position was interesting, and to see her position now is mind-boggling. How do we read this? I do not know exactly what to think, but she is making a brave (some would say foolish) stand against Russia on foreign policy. She is part of the reason why Germany has not bent the knee to Russia as many believed Germany would. Why? Misguided idealism is yet idealistic, and that idealism may have redemptive power. I believe Baerbock is a Christian, if I read her biography correctly. Perhaps she can be turned around on certain issues. The fact that Baerbock is feeling her way to making a stand is incredibly interesting. She may disappoint us in the end, but so far she seems to be evolving, as if she is amenable to learning — perhaps the hard way. Already her party has changed some of its more radical ideas about fossil fuels. They are going to burn more coal. Maybe they will wake up one day and realize that the real threat is not global warming but global cooling. How many of these Greens will change, becoming right-of-center idealists in the coming years? This kind of shift has happened before. Add more reality to that leftist idealism and maybe they will become passionate conservatives. And this should be our hope. Look at some of these leftists who are becoming conservatives through this vaccination crisis. How interesting this is! Perhaps what we need is more faith in reasoned argument and less in angry denunciations. Ignorance is not evil. Many of these people are simply ignorant. To be sure, those who have taken very wrong, very dishonest positions, must be taken to task. We do not fail to criticize wrong ideas. But we have to be as fair as possible in the way we do it. What we need is a lot of thinking, even if there are no clear answers at first blush.
This is such a helpful, hopeful, pragmatic commentary. It’s true, add reality to leftist idealism, and you can get passionate conservatism.
“How many of these Greens will change, becoming right-of-center idealists in the coming years?”
I did. And technically I’ve been part of our “ruling managerial class.” The thing about the Greens is there’s always been a contradiction between the diagnosis (mistreating environment) and the technocrat (communist) solution; between the popular cause (“save the planet”) and the technocrat agenda (“control the planet”). This disconnect is what’s radicalized a lot of Greens. They think they need to fight harder against “right-wing capitalists” and “work harder to push their own side.” But the closer you get to policy, you realize “your side” is doing precisely what it set out to do – control, manipulate, sabotage, enrich themselves.
The technocrat/communist agenda has gotten bolder and more obvious. Shoes are dropping (CRT, medical tyranny, blowing up cities, censoring dissent), and even us Greens start to get it, and faster than “moderate dems” who honestly are just RINO counterparts. The democrat communists dropped the mask several years ago and people like me finally were pushed to start figuring out just how many things we were getting totally wrong. For me it was Russiagate. Of course, I found God, too. That may be more of a stretch for a lot of Greens.
But I’ll say this too – most of the managerial class aren’t actually what I’d call ideological Greens. They’re technocrats. They identify with credentials and positions, with a lifestyle that flatters their egos, and they nurture a worldview and morality defined by complexity. Complexity means you never have to stand for anything, and you can justify anything. Very few believe in God. How to win them over? Whatever it is, has to involve being humbled.
Humility is good for the soul.
“The communist are vulnerable because they allowed their own left-wing shills to pretend to be Moscow’s enemies.”
It seems as if this strategy is a tiny, tiny microcosm of the NEP and the False Liberalization strategy: sacrificing one of your assets for a larger gain, with the risk that you can lose key ground. The world fascists sacrificed their Left-Wing assets in Europe with the risk that what is potentially happening now could happen. But was that really all there was? Surely there must have been more. To my mind, there is still some card to play in this strategy, such as a direct attack by Russia, and then their Left-Wing asset arresting their political opposition.
But now Russia stands potentially waking up their controlled European Left-Wing, and losing them from their slumber in much the same way they lost Ukraine as an asset. What do you think of this analysis?
The problem with Russia’s scissors strategy is the bungle factor. If one thing miscarries you have tangled yourself in a knot. You cannot easily untangle it. This happened to them in 1989-1991.
“Klaus Schwab has a bust of Lenin in his library.”
As I said, they want people to believe they are socialists. Probably they think that telling directly that the great reset is a monopolist takeover would not gain more support.
Commit, that is not the truth of the matter. Please see the first 10 minutes of the close connections Putin/Russia have with Klaus Schwab and the WEF. However, the whole discussion is excellent and worth listening to.
https://www.worldviewweekend.com/tv/video/worldview-radio-trevor-loudon-communist-revolution-america-china-has-captured-white-house
Ok, so Putin appeared on WEF, so did all other world leaders.
WEF tries to appear as a global, inclusive club, they invite everyone. The global financial capital that runs WEF for sure would love to economically control Russia. As I wrote above, the window of opportunity for achieving that via confrontation has passed, maybe ten years ago. The imperialists switched to deception games. There is no chance they can succeed.
Trevor Loudon is blinded by his own rich anglo-saxon background, seeing everything that threatens his class as communism. To understand Leninism you first have to understand imperialism, he for sure doesn’t.
But Lenin’s theory of imperialism is a cynical reductionism, entirely one-sided and long discredited.
They are socialists. You don’t know your own political depravity well enough to see it in others.
For sure they are not Leninists. Leninism is about overthrowing monopolist class (them). You people are crazy if you think British royals would support an actual revolution.
Commit: it sounds like you’re saying Schwab/WEF deliberately telegraphs Leninism to signal that the Great Reset is a socialist/communist revolution against monopolist capitalism, when in reality the Great Reset actually is the monopolist capitalist takeover.
Here’s the point I’ll give you: capitalism doesn’t work if it’s corrupted, ie, the conditions for free, competitive markets are overtaken/subverted by centralized planning and control. But see, centralized planning and control are the hallmarks of communism. And no one actually wants centralized planning and control, so that’s why it’s currency is deception and suppression of truth.
You seem to identify communism with a class revolution – but then what? The “masses” control everything? But they have to organize to run a society, meaning there’ll be a hierarchy, which quickly looks like the installation of new class stratification. What an “idealistic” communist fantasizes as “control by the masses” in reality is just the appointment of a new class to act as/on behalf of the “masses” (ie, the State), ie, centralized planning and control by the few. The spirit of a “class revolution” once you really think it through is actually the creation of conditions for a free people, and the creation of government whose purpose is to preserve the liberties and prerogatives of self-determining individuals. Which looks a lot like free markets and the rule of law. But I’ll give you – even that ideal requires virtue, especially among those entrusted with governing. The communist ideal of class revolution takes root where a person has given up on the possibility of individual, non-coerced virtue. But it’s all a big contradiction. Communism purports to shift power from the few to the many – but that’s manifestly impossible. Because instead, the imperative to obscure or deny stratification means “the few” becomes an unacknowledged proxy for “the many” but pointing that out is intolerable.
And last: from a purely materialist perspective (as you seem to construe it), how do Schwab/WEF (“monopolist capitalists”) dominate governments that have militaries? Your suggestion seems to be that all world governments (or at least the ones with real power) are in on it (or they’re deceived, or controlled) and would never unleash their massive war-making powers for their own national ambitions (or their own dictatorial vision). But from a purely materialist perspective, isn’t the one with the weapons actually in charge?
Seems that you are missing the fact that this monopolist class operates globally. It controls the governments not other way around. I think we can call it a corrupt system.
“but then what?”
Leninist way would be imposition of proletarian dictatorship but I don’t really care what you will do in your country after imperialism collapses, it won’t have any effect on my life anymore. If the monopolists preserve their control over the USA after losing control over the external empire, it won’t be pretty for common US folks.
Typically, communist governments rule over a starving mass of destitute people. If so-called imperialism collapses, it will be the same outcome writ large.
No Schwab is perfectly aware he is a subversive socialist. The capitalist who benefited as such thanks to the rule of law who then turns to subvert it with his money is in a situation of inversion. He has signed onto the communist project as the first step toward communism is capitalism (the subversive type, one above the rule of law).
Ah yes, the super secret “socialist WEF” plan that they want people to believe, where literally nobody but Jeff says that. No idea why anyone takes you seriously.
Communist fronts are relatively easy to spot. How come you can’t see it?
“But Lenin’s theory of imperialism is a cynical reductionism, entirely one-sided and long discredited.”
I agree its outdated. Contemporary imperialism depends primarily on monetary domination. Which is even more fragile, prone to domino effect once starts collapsing.
Monetary domination? You point your credit card at my head and say, “Stick em up.”
a hobo with a gun has more power in a street confrontation than a billionaire
You keep deleting my answers to your own reaction to my comment.
Let me at least cite Putin.
“So, they printed more money, and then what? Where did all that money go? It was obviously used to pay for goods and services outside Western countries – this is where the newly-printed money flowed. They literally began to clean out, to wipe out global markets. Naturally, no one thought about the interests of other states, including the poorest ones. They were left with scraps, as they say, and even that at exorbitant prices.”
This is the core of monetary imperialism, buying real products of other people’s labour and commodities for nothing but money you issue. Those who refuse obey are denied access to global trade cause you control the payment system.
I have not deleted any of your posts. I am having trouble even seeing all of them.
As I read the discussions here about the WEF, I would also like to comment.
Fact is, that WEF is based on Marxist principles.
From swiss MSM:
“Afterwards, (former swiss) President Moritz Leuenberger addressed the WEF participants (in 2001), quoting Karl Marx …. and referring to the father of the I. International as an early representative of globalization and forefather of the WEF.”
https://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/wef–karl-marx-als-urahne/1857952 (deutsch ).
In my opinion, WEF offers an economic model for western countries for the peaceful transformation (convergence) into communism that the perestroikists have always dreamed of. The usual KGB tactic of putting other “bad guys” in the foreground to cover their own tracks.
What about Schwab? In my opinion he is a useful idiot or, more likely, a duped one.
You can also find very interesting information in the swiss medium republik.ch.
https://www.republik.ch/2018/01/23/viel-davos-um-nichts (german):
“… Schwab was not that unhappy regarding Trump’s election … At the time, no one knew that Trump was coming. Schwab’s people merely spoke of “big changes at the last minute. But they looked as happy as children before the presents. Understandably so. The boss had pulled off a PR coup that the World Economic Forum desperately needed. More and more often, the first guard boycotted the Davos congress. …”
But if you read another swiss newspaper, see the following …
“The election of Donald Trump as U.S. president is also not in his favor. It is well known that Schwab is close to the Clintons. In addition, Trump ran his election campaign as a fight against the elite and the “Davos Man.”
https://www.bernerzeitung.ch/der-superidealistische-weltverbesserer-601940099547 (german)
And also in bernerzeitung.ch, an thats interesting:
“…In order not to lose any time, Schwab prefers to hold discussions with the highest ranking representatives from politics, business, …. That means with the elite. This flatters his vanity. …Familiar people say that he dreams of one day winning the Nobel Peace Prize.”
It seems he is very vain …, an ideal victim for the KGB?
The key that the WEF offers to the countries (in my opinion) is the (crypto) “carbon currency”. This already goes back to the technocracy movement from the years 1930 sympathetic to the NAZIs. Patrick Wood has written some interesting things about this. One of the most famous representatives of this movement was M. Hubbert (inventor of the peak oil theory). With today’s technical possibilities, you can totally control people’s consumption via carbon currency. (example: too much driving by car, no more meat consumption for the rest of the month, etc.) That is ugly socialism.
I do not agree with Woods on all issues. For example, he thinks that the technocracy movement is using the communists as useful idiots … I rather think the communists are taking advantage of technocracy, see China with its COVID policy.
Ukraine War: As It’s Happening
The Moscow Times is collecting all the latest breaking news and developments in Russia’s deadly attack on Ukraine.
You can access our earlier live coverage here.
Includes reporting from AFP.
34 MINUTES AGO
Staff at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine have been detained and tortured by Moscow’s forces, the president of Ukraine’s nuclear energy agency told AFP in an interview Friday.
“A regime of police harassment of personnel was gradually established” following the Russian takeover, Petro Kotin said.
He described the situation at the plant now as “very difficult,” citing “torture” of staff and “beatings of personnel.”
Some 200 staff members have been detained and two among the plant’s personnel were beaten to death, he added.
And the beatings will continue until morale improves. As Solovyov said recently, Russia is trying to rescue the souls of their Ukrainian brothers. I guess if you have to break a few eggs…
They’ve made a pretty big omelette, haven;t they.
Actually Ukrainians seeing how poorly educated and exploited are those Russian soldiers, I can tell you that many Ukrainians want to save Russians from Putin. Ukraine is much more apt at attempting to grow Russians than the opposite. Russia sends civilian Ukrainians to Gulags, Ukrainians have the magnanimity of helping Russian deserters figure out their lives back. There is a difference between what “she” says and what “she” does when she says she likes someone. Russia, her bodily demeanor, is much more telling of the level of despise she has.
Jeff, are you concerned at all that Xi and Putin are meeting again in person next week, given that their last in-person meeting shortly preceded the invasion of Ukraine?
It could signify that China is going to ramp up its economic war on the West. The number of Chinese ships coming to US ports have dropped off. A pre-war sign, to be sure, but perhaps a pre-war embargo is beginning. They are turning the economic screws. When do the attack? When our collapse reaches its apex.
Or is it due to their covid restrictions ? The Epoch Times this week reported some degree Covid restrictions in 32 provinces.
One might wrongly assume that keeping on topic indicates there are no bible believers/students on this site. It might also be considered that evangelism often has a negative side effect in its method of presentation. There are so many different interpretations regarding scripture that one can only state his opinion and be done with it rather than arguing the point.
Stanley Montieth, deceased American radiohost and author, apparently became notable for showing Thomas Jefferson abhored the banking system in its infationary pursuit.
Michael Lewis (author of The Big Short) indicated in a public talk he was asked by Congress to explain Wall Street to congressmen, both parties apparently. He attended a conference in that regard and was appaled by the political class’s ignorance. So no Intelligence was sufficiently feeding the American political class in general adequate information on the Economy. Even Warren Buffet, during the 2008 crisis (and surrounding period) had poor net returns and suffered in his fund, while Michael Burry made history by shorting the housing marketing like he’d won the lotto.
This information indicates, just as Golitsyn explained, the Western Intelligence has been neutralized and the political class/elite has been by that fact unable to prepare or adjust itself. The CDO finacial crisis was all about, it can be suspected, an activist subversive infiltration of Wall Street and the government, and especially the CIA or the Intelligence departments.
According to common credit standards, I heard, you only loan to someone who has at least 30% of their regular income available/free for payment. Less than that there is a catastrophic moral hazard at play looming to wreak havoc. It takes less than two years of 10% CPI inflation in America (because this rate in reality is double, i.e. 20%) to seemingly send the entire American credit system into default and crisis, and the country is already in a bubble (that is, delusionally burning money away). This situation is just a repeat of the CDO scheme, but “improved”. One may very well suspect communist involvement.
But you are not against banks in principle, right?
That is a truly excellent summary, Pedro.
Hello Mr. Nyquist,
Thank you very much for this very interesting piece.
I have a slight objection to the notion to call Wall Street “capitalist”. There is no benefit for high-finance bankers to act in a free market competitive (e.g. capitalist) environment. These people are not capitalists in this sense. They are after monopolies which are granted to them by government. Exactly the thing we can currently observe dressed in incoming ESG regulations.
The clique who established the third central bank of the US in 1913 – after it got beaten down two times – are not capitalists but monetary socialists. Their central banking system model has to fail; but not without confiscating the wealth of the people via inflation. This was demonstrated by Mises in this Theory of Money and Credit (1912). Marx had good reason to call for a central bank in the Communist Manifesto.
Which brings me to the conclusion that by attacking the banking interests one is not really stabbing the free Western capitalist system in the back. Quite contrary, calling for the removal of the central bank is paramount for the establishment of a free society. This financial system is bound to fail and can’t be perpetuated indefinitely. Perhaps the timing of the breakdown can be fixed in a way to facilitate Russian and Chinese interests, but fail it will anyhow.
Further, not only Germany had a stake in the Revolution in 1917 but there is also involvement in the form of financing it by other parties. For example, Olof Aschberg and also American banking, especially William Boyce Thompson who was working for Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Thomas Lamont working for J.P. Morgan and Charles R. Crane. They were using the Guaranty Trust and the Red Cross Mission (with Harry Hopkins as general manager in D.C.) as conduits to funnel funds to the Bolsheviks. Guaranty Trust trust later merged with Olof Aschberg’s Nya Banken to form the first international Soviet bank in 1922.
The Bolshevization of Wall Street was known among well informed circles as early as
1919. The financial journalist Barron recorded a conversation with oil magnate E. H.
Doheny in 1919 and specifically named three prominent financiers, William Boyce
Thompson, Thomas Lamont and Charles R. Crane:
Aboard S.S. Aquitania, Friday Evening, February 1, 1919.
“Spent the evening with the Dohenys in their suite. Mr. Doheny said: If you believe in
democracy you cannot believe in Socialism. Socialism is the poison that destroys
democracy. Democracy means opportunity for all. Socialism holds out the hope that a
man can quit work and be better off. Bolshevism is the true fruit of socialism and if
you will read the interesting testimony before the Senate Committee about the middle
of January that showed up all these pacifists and peace-makers as German
sympathizers, Socialists, and Bolsheviks, you will see that a majority of the college
professors in the United States are teaching socialism and Bolshevism and that fifty two college professors were on so-called peace committees in 1914. President Eliot of
Harvard is teaching Bolshevism. The worst Bolshevists in the United States are not
only college professors, of whom President Wilson is one, but capitalists and the
wives of capitalists and neither seem to know what they are talking about. William
Boyce Thompson is teaching Bolshevism and he may yet convert Lamont of J.P.
Morgan & Company. Vanderlip is a Bolshevist, so is Charles R. Crane. Many women
are joining the movement and neither they, nor their husbands, know what it is, or
what it leads to. Henry Ford is another and so are most of those one hundred
historians Wilson took abroad with him in the foolish idea that history can teach youth
proper demarcations of races, peoples, and nations geographically.”
William Boyce Thompson’s contribution to the Bolshevik cause was recorded in the contemporary American press. The Washington Post of February 2, 1918, carried the following paragraphs:
GIVES BOLSHEVIKI A MILLION
W. B. Thompson, Red Cross Donor, Believes Party Misrepresented. New York, Feb.
2 (1918). William B. Thompson, who was in Petrograd from July until November last,
has made a personal contribution of $1,000,000 to the Bolsheviki for the purpose of
spreading their doctrine in Germany and Austria.
In the end bankers and communists share the same ideological underpinning of materialistic internationalism which makes them natural allies.
“What you Radicals and we who hold opposing views differ about, is not so much
the end as the means, not so much what should be brought about as how it
should, and can, be brought about.” Otto H. Kahn, director, American International Corp., and partner, Kuhn, Loeb & Co., speaking to the League/or Industrial Democracy, New York, December 30, 1924
From my research Wall Street / high finance not only took part in giving to the Bolsheviks but also via Brown Brothers Harriman and Montagu Norman / Hjalmar Schacht in financing Hitler while the Rockefellers were involved in providing Hitler with synthetic oil and also in financing eugenics programs at Kaiser Wilhelm Institute.
I think this should be mentioned in the first section of the piece. Anyhow, thank you again for your work.
Excellent article and a perspective I have not been readily exposed to. You mentioned Lew Rockwell. Mr. Nyquist could you please expand on your critique of lewrockwell.com? I do appreciate the free market anti war sentiments on that site in so far as supporting the original American non-intervention stance that my countrymen used to espouse prior to WWI.
I like economic freedom, too, and peace would be nice if you can avoid being attacked or invaded. Forgive me for simplifying this; but Rockwell favors Russia over America, is too critical of America’s defensive role, and I seem to remember (and you can correct me), that he thinks the Confederacy should have won the Civil War. Whenever I listen to him, I cringe at his naivete. He is blind about Russia, and much too hard on the United States. Certainly, Iraq should not have been invaded. We should not have attempted nation-building in Afghanistan. But if America was not there to defend Japan, Australia and Europe, those countries would have fallen a long time ago.
Eschatology has been mentioned multiple times here lately. A good resource for understanding the variety of interpretations of Revelation is “Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary” by Steve Gregg.
If one wants to know more about amillennialism, which was the view held by St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas (if i remember correctly), Martin Luther, and John Calvin, and Jeff (if I a interpreting his comments correctly), a good resource is “A Case for Amillennialism” by Kim Riddlebarger.
Amillenialism can be easily proven wrong. Papias, a source trusted by St. Irenaeus (2nd Century influential bishop), assured from firsthand witnesses of Christ that Christ predicted the Millennium and Judas Iscariot especifically doubted this doctrine or resented it. St. Jerome recorded in his generation (4th century) many Christians believed the Millennium. Acts: 1:6-7: “They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? But he said to them: It is not for you to know the time or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power”. Christ didn’t deny said expected event was coming, he simply wouldn’t give the precise date. But the nail in the coffin of those who deny the Millennium is that it is rhetorically impossible to maintain that the mysteries of Scripture (as 6th century clergyman Pope Gregory I put it, “When scripture describes a fact it reveals a mystery”) will remain unknown forever, because from that one would have to conclude they were meant never to be revealed, which is absurd. That is why the coming Great Catholic Monarch (prophesied by countless reputable Catholic prophesies, deemed reputable by esoteric mainstream Muslims like Sheikh René Guénon, by the way) is supposed to come and unveil the mysteries, and that is why the inhabitants of the earth are predicted to mourn in Matthew 24 during the coming of the Son of Man (a title given to Ezekiel, designating the prophet assuming the office of the Ark of the Testament). Revelation 10:7: “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared by his servants the prophets.” According to Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (17th century faithful of repute among Catholics) these words are connected to an Angel or messenger that is this Great Monarch. Well, the above-mentioned angelic trumpet, according to the Third Secret of Fatima (the one never released) read by Vatican insider Father Malachi Martin (his statement is from a Art Bell nineties interview), has to do precisely with this apocaliptic passage. The Third Secret is said to contain the chain of events of Revelation chapters 8 to 13, and the starting point of this chain of events is (according to Sister Lucia or as she gave information to reckon in a 1957 interview) the year 1960 A.D. (time of the carrying out of the 2 Vatican Council which substituted the papal tiara with a Russian tiara, meaning the transformation of the Roman Church into a communist torture device, a figurative Iron Maiden). Sister Lucia Especifically associated in 1957 the coming 1960 punishment with Russia. So it is to a nonCatholic reasonable to infer that from the fact the Fatima public sign in the sky in 1917 was confirmed before a multitude (and by a secular antiCatholic journal no less), said Third Secret claim about a confirmation of the chain of events of Revelation chapters 8 to 13 within our times should be intimidating, or in the very least something the political ramification of which requires attention (as in Michael Shermer’s “Why people believe weird things” book sort of attention). It is almost certain that Malachi Martin was referring to the Third Secret’s description of the coming of the Great Monarch (Revelation 11) when Martin said to Art Bell the Secret speaks of the manifestation (with a sign in the sky) of a power from on high that all inhabitants of the earth will be confronted with. They will use their prejudice to deny it and reject it, but they’ll have the certainty that there is a power above our heads not of a simple human kind.
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Amillennialism spiritualizes everything and renders Revelation a superfluous reiteration of points already well established rather than providing rich details of what is to come, which is, after all, what Jesus Himself said the purpose of the book is right from the first verse. Amillennialism appeals to sneering, patronizing intellectual pride and no shock, therefore, that it is the mainstay eschatology of the more established forms of apostate Christianity. Invoking the early Reformers as advocates of it doesn’t count for much, given the darkness they were emerging from.
Amen!