I’m sure this will reduce tensions and lead to a peaceful resolution of this little tiff. Fourth Turnings never fizzle out. Remember that.
Ukraine Leader In New Leaked Recording: 8 Million Russians In Ukraine “Must Be Killed With Nuclear Weapons”
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/24/2014 13:48 -0400
While the NSA is busy justifying its spying of every American its existence thanks to famous Moscow resident Edward Snowden, its Russian counterparts have been busy intercepting even more phone Ukrainian conversations.
After a month ago a leaked phone call between US assistant secretary of state Victoria Nuland and the US envoy to the Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt confirmed that it was the US that was pulling the strings in what was about to be a violent coup overthrowing Ukraine’s president Yanukovich, “someone” has just leaked another phone conversation, this time between parliamentarian Nestor Shufrych and former PM and ideological leader of the Ukraine “revolution” Yulia Tymoshenko and most probable future president of West Ukraine, in which Tymoshenko is makes the following threats, “It’s going too far! Bugger! We must grab arms and go whack those damn katsaps [a Ukrainian word used to refer to the Russians in a negative tone] together with their leader”, “I’ll use all my connections, I’ll raise the whole world – as soon as I’m able to – in order to make sure.. Bugger!.. not even scorched earth won’t remain where Russia stands” although all her empty threats collapse in the last sentence of the phone conversation in which she says, regarding the Crimea annexation, that “we are going to take it to the Hague International Criminal Court.” Good luck with that.
But the smoking gun, and where Putin once again shows just how masterful of a chess player he is, is the following statement by Tymoshenko, after asked, rhetorically, by her counterparty, “what should we do now with the 8 million Russians that stayed in Ukraine. They are outcasts“… to which she replies: “They must be killed with nuclear weapons.”
Needless to say, that is not how you make Russian friends, or diffuse geopolitical tensions with your superpower neighbor, who just happens to be set on recreating USSR 2.0. Because just like that Putin has his provocation carte blanche, as the second something, anything happens to any ethnic Russian in east Ukraine, Putin can point to precisely this conversation as proof of how Ukraine’s “government” feels toward the ethnic minorities in the east, and why “they deserve to be protected” the Russian bearhug. Which has been precisely Putin’s plan all along.
It is not surprising that after this recording was leaked, that Tymoshenko admitted the validity of the recording except for this part, because she knows just how greatly it can and will be used against her once Putin decides it is time to expand a little further beyond just Crimea.
Some of the other statements, transcribed by RT, confirming just how powerless Ukraine truly is in this struggle between David backed by the world’s most insolvent and natgas hungry countries, and an ascendent Kremlin goliath:
Tymoshenko, who plans to run in Ukraine’s presidential election, expressed confidence that she would have found “a way to zap those assholes [Russia].”
“I’ll use all my connections, I’ll raise the whole world – as soon as I’m able to – in order to make sure.. Bugger!.. not even scorched earth won’t remain where Russia stands,” she promised.
Despite being incapacitated by spinal disc hernia the ex-PM stressed she’s ready to “grab a machine gun, you know what I’m saying, and go shoot this bastard [Putin] in the forehead.”
Full recording below:
US Prepares To Provide A Billion To Ukraine As Detroit Plans Mass Water Shutoffs Over $260 Million
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/24/2014 15:54 -0400
Moments ago the CBO released its estimate of what S. 2124, aka “Support for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014”, better known as the “Payment of Overdue Gazprom Invoices Act” – here is the verdict: “CBO estimates that enacting the bill would decrease direct spending by $373 million over the 2014-2024 period. S. 2124 would achieve that decrease mostly by rescinding funds that were provided as an emergency requirement. Certain sanctions, if enacted, would affect revenues, but CBO estimates that those effects would not be significant. Pay-as-you-go procedures apply because enacting the legislation would affect direct spending and revenues. CBO estimates that the statutory pay-as-you-go effects of S. 2124 (which, by law, do not including the effect of rescinding funds provided under the emergency designation) would be to increase the deficit by $320 million over the 2014-2024 period.” Of course, the total amount authorized is substantially higher at $1.3 billion, and will be met through various loan guarnatees, and other US-backed promises, which the CBO is assuming right now, will not result in outlays (they will).
Either way, one thing is certain: in order to enforce the fading Pax Americana in the Ukraine, and to keep the funding to the otherwise insolvent Ukraine flowing, which as everyone knows will be first and foremost used to pay Russia’s Gazprom, the US is about to send lots of money abroad. As in, not in the US.
So when it comes to priorities, whom does Putin have to thank for the billions in Western funds he is about to receive? Maybe he can start in Detroit, where the local utility is planning mass water shutoffs over $260M in delinquent bills.
In other words, while the US is enforcing some odd international law, according to which a democratic vote is not credible but a violent coup is, US citizens are about to have no drinking water over a paltry $260 million. From Detroit News:
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department has a message for Detroit residents and companies more than 60 days late on their water bills: We’re coming for you. With more than half of the city’s customers behind on payments, the department is gearing up for an aggressive campaign to shut off service to 1,500-3,000 delinquent accounts weekly, said Darryl Latimer, the department’s deputy director.
Including businesses, schools and commercial buildings, there are 323,900 Detroit water and sewerage accounts; 164,938 were overdue for a total of $175 million as of March 6. Residential accounts total 296,115; 154,229 were delinquent for a total of $91.7 million. The department halts cutoffs through the winter because of complications associated with freezing temperatures, such as damaged pipes. But this spring, a new contractor has been hired to target those who are more than two months behind or who owe more than $150 — twice the average monthly bill of $75.
The department says it’s now ready to “catch up” with cutoffs halted because of the unusually harsh winter weather. DWSD is looking to show there are consequences associated with not paying water bills, Latimer said.
“Not everyone is in the situation where they can’t afford to pay,” he said. “It’s just that the utility bill is the last bill people choose to pay because there isn’t any threat of being out of service.”
People pay up more when they see the department out cutting off water to neighbors, and the statistics bear that out, officials said. In July, for example, before contractors started on the shutoffs, the department cut off 1,566 customers. That month, it collected $149,000 in water bills. Extra contractors started working on cutoffs last summer. Attheir peak in October — before cold weather caused a halt to the disconnects — 3,700 cutoffs occurred. The department collected more than $350,000 in overdue bills that month. That number of cutoffs translated to more than double for warm weather months compared to last year.
“We’re trying to shift the behavioral payment patterns of our customer base right now,” said Constance Williams-Levye, DWSD commercial operations specialist. “And so aggressively we’ll have a team of contractors coming in, in addition to our field teams.” Up to 20 additional contractor crews are expected to be employed working on the cutoffs, DWSD officials said.
The department bills monthly and sends out notices when bills are overdue. When an account is more than 60 days late, a notice goes out saying service could be cut, Latimer said.
Residents don’t necessarily have to move out but Latimer said there were instances, in the case of households with children, where the department of social services will come in and say the kids will be removed from the home if water is not restored.
“Usually folks will then come in and make some kind of arrangement,” Latimer said.
While we respect the DWSD’s “behavioral” experiment at making Americans accountable and taking responsibility for their action, such as paying for services rendered, it is far too late – the entire fabric of US society would tear apart, with disastrous and deadly consequences, if such an approach was taken at the wholesale level. Confused why? Just look at the $17.5 trillion in public obligations the US government is on the hook for, and which it will never repay, aka the “Minsky Moment” with the only footnote that for now the US is the world’s reserve currency, so the Fed can always print more $ and monetize even more debt. Sadly, this always ends in tears.
In the meantime, since everyone in the US is merely living from can kicking to another can kicking, one wonders: wouldn’t the $373 million in funds destined to pay off Putin’s oligarch buddies not be better used to pay overdue DWSD bills, which would then allow several tens of thousands of Detroit residents to have running water for a few more months?
Not that we advocate either course of action, but we do wonder: just who sets capital allocation responsibilities at the White House. Because last time we checked, Russian billionaire oligarchs don’t even vote in the US.
USA “lends” Ukraine a billion Oreo bucks.
Russia currently sells Ukraine its natural gas at a discount. Russia just announced the discount will be discontinued. Pay full price Ukeeies!
Hence, the billion Oreo bucks flows directly to Russia. Vlad says “Thank You” …. which in Russian sounds just like “Fuck You!!”.
The “loans” come at a TREMENDOUS cost to the Ukrainians ….. the loss of freedom, a shattered economy, a lifetime of servitude unlike what even Stalin could muster. Thank you Western powers!
video: Who In Ukraine Will Benefit From An IMF Bailout?
Damn, this is how it starts, no?
From the article above, “USSR 2.0. Because just like that Putin has his provocation carte blanche, as the second something, anything happens to any ethnic Russian in east Ukraine, Putin can point to precisely this conversation as proof of how Ukraine’s “government” feels toward the ethnic minorities in the east, and why “they deserve to be protected” the Russian bearhug. Which has been precisely Putin’s plan all along.”
Bullshit! Putin didn’t undermine the government of Ukraine with it ending up in the hands of lunatic Nazis who run around threatening anyone who isn’t just like them. Putin has responded with measured restraint.
While I am sure he is enjoying making the western powers look like complete fools and idiots which of course they are, he didn’t plan this and there is zero evidence he has any intent on rebuilding the Czarist/Soviet empire.
“But this spring, a new contractor has been hired to target those who are more than two months behind or who owe more than $150 — twice the average monthly bill of $75.”
—-Detroit Water and Sewage Department
Off Subject. But $75 a month is outrageous for a water and sewer bill. Look at a map. Detroit is surrounded by fresh water. Here in Tucson, our water bill averages $46 a month. We’re in the fucking desert. It costs millions to get fresh water here and treat it!!!!
Could the answer be ………………. unions?
SSS, maybe the water bill includes trash removal. In any case, I’m in favor of shutting off the water of anyone who hasn’t paid their bill. Comparing Ukraine and Detroit almost makes it sound like we should be bailing out Detroit’s delinquent water consumers. Nope. And no money for Ukraine.
SSS/Iska – it takes a lot of water to grow watermelons. No wonder Detroit’s water bills are so high.
It takes very little water to grow jalapenos, thus Arizona’s low water bills.
You guys really should be able to figure this stuff out for yourself.
Funny shit Llpoh, but nobody grows anything in detroit, except maybe weed, they get a little card so they can get they shit fo fee.
Just like in my dying town I’m sure Detroit water costs so much because, yes, the unions, but also the municipalities built these brand new facilities based on tax structures of a decade ago. The tax base is no longer there to pay the bonds, so the city just raises the cost of services, to the FSA who doesn’t pay their own bills anyway.
We had a union paper mill in town that was the largest user, and payer to the water filtration plant, the union kept making demands that could not be met, the mill kept warning they would shut down, the union didn’t back down, the mill said goodby and there went a couple thousand jobs plus hundreds of shops depending on the mill.
Now the residents are screaming because water and sewer rates rose, and we are right on Lake Michigan.
Iska-you have it right. No dollars for Ukraine or Detroit. Even if we had the money.
Fuck Detroit,give my tax dollars to Putin.
Regardless the geo-politics, Putin , by duty, will certainly come to the aid of Russian in the Ukraine , if they are attacked.
The silly bitch , with the herniated disc talks a great man-up game , but when the spark she strikes create a raging inferno, she’ll be the first dickless cur looking for asulaum in the West.Mark it,
The Russin leader knows America is weak and broke. The battle for the world has begun. Think global warming is bad now. Think what an nuculer bomb or two will do for warming the planet
Ukrainians on the verge of a nervous breakdown
by Dmitry Orlov
[Wednesday update: In the wake of the Ukrainian defense minister walking away from his job yesterday, there is talk of mass desertion in the Ukrainian army.]
[Tuesday update:
Ukraine’s defense minister has resigned (via El País).
“Since some don’t like the decisions I have made, I am not going to stay in this post,” he said before the Supreme Rada (Parliament) in Kiev. The deputies, which initially rejected his resignation, ended up accepting it after an emergency meeting among the different political parties… In his speech before the Rada, he offered a new—and disheartening—tally of desertions: only 4,300 of the 18,800 [Ukrainian] soldiers in Crimea will continue in the Ukrainian army; the rest have accepted the offer by the Russians to join their armed forces.]
In this intercepted phone call Yulia Tymoshenko, a likely Ukrainian presidential candidate (but there will be no elections*) talks about using nuclear weapons on the eight million Russian citizens who live in Ukraine.
Good thing these “Ukrainians” don’t have any nuclear weapons, but they do have plentiful baseball bats and AK47s looted from armories in the west of the country. Listening to the tone of her voice (these Ukrainian nationalists are speaking together in pretty good Russian, by the way; they are both urbane and Ukrainian is a village dialect) I almost feel sorry for her. Except that she is talking about murdering people like me (my father was born in Kiev, so I have the right to a Ukrainian citizenship). Ahem, President Putin, do you have a moment?
[* And the reason there will be no election is that if the election were held today, the people in power would get maybe 5% of the popular vote.]
In his novel The White Guard, Mikhail Bulgakov, writing of the events of 1918 in Ukraine, characterized Ukrainian politics as a “pathetic operetta.” We appear to be at just that point yet again.
In other news, the ever-amusing Russian Liberal Democrat leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky has proposed dividing up Western Ukraine between Poland, Hungary and Romania. Poland quickly responded that it has no interest in annexing former Eastern Poland. I can’t blame them.
Putin jokes
Joke #1: President of Israel calls up Putin and says: “Vladimir Vladimirovich, I didn’t know you were a Jew!” Putin says, “I didn’t either; what makes you think I am a Jew?” President of Israel says: “You got Americans to pay you $5 billion to take over Crimea. You must be a Jew!”
Joke #2: Putin is watching TV. Calls up his Chief of Intelligence: “Give Tyagnibok a medal for banning the use of Russian in Ukraine. What do you mean he isn’t one of ours? Ok, give Yarosh a medal for the idea of blowing up Ukrainian gas transit lines. What do you mean, that’s his own doing? How about that cretin Lyashko? How about those cretins from Svoboda—Miroshnichenko and others? So, DO WE HAVE ANY AGENTS ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE AT ALL?! Where the hell are they? What the hell do you mean they bought a dump-truck of pop-corn and a tanker truck beer and are watching it like a movie?!!!” Hangs up in disgust. Calls again: “How could you let Muzychko get killed?”
EL
Please refrain from using EL as a name unless your using it like as in espanol language, main. The beaners around here are a beleaguered and put upon sub class of commentators, and we don’t need your inflammatory bullchit making things more complicado for yo. Much of gravitas.
Yulia Tymoshenko is a potty mouth. Did she and Dick Cheney attend the same charm school?