Guest Post by Paul Craig Roberts
Russia’s president is a refreshing contrast to the liars who inhabit Western governments and Western media. The agenda of the Russian government is peace and international cooperation under the rule of law. Washington’s agenda is hegemony.
President Putin endeavors to lead the world to peace, while the neoconservatives who control Washington’s foreign policy try to drive the world to war. Contrast the crazed statements that flow from Washington comparing President Putin to Hitler, suggesting his assassination, and calling for shooting down Russian military aircraft with President Putin’s appeal that Washington abandon its hegemonic agenda and submit to international law and international cooperation. As President Putin has emphasized, for Washington “international cooperation” means submission to Washington’s will.
President Putin repeatedly states that governments must govern in accord with the people and not function as a decree-issuing body in accord with interest groups disrespectful of the people.
Throughout the West we see the increasingly unresponsive behavior of government. In the United States careful studies conclude that, despite elections, the American people have essentially zero input into the policies decided in Washington. In Greece, the government is coerced to impose on the Greek people policies dictated by large German banks supported by the German and EU governments. In Portugal, the socialists who won the election were told by the conservative president that they would not be permitted to form a government.
In the UK, a senior military official stated that the military would not permit Jeremy Corbyn to form a Labour government should the Labour Party win the election. The United States government threatens the governments of Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina for representing the interests of the voters who put them in office instead of Washington’s interests. The United States government has destroyed American civil liberty with its unconstitutional mass surveillance, indefinite detention without charges, and murder of US citizens without due process of law. Dissent itself is in the process of being criminalized.
Just looking at the basic facts makes it impossible to conclude that the West has “freedom and democracy” or that Washington’s bombs and invasions have brought “freedom and democracy” to Africa and the Middle East.
Every American can get a conclusive lesson about where moral leadership resides by becoming familiar with Putin’s speeches.
Here are some examples:
Paul Craig Roberts obviously read my Russia question of the day.
Another convert for the Stucky Good Guys Brigade. The hit parade keeps humming along!
Stay tuned folks for moar expected verbal diarrhea from the Unholy Trinity Of Stinky Evil (Bea, Sensetti, & Francis).
There is something rotten in WDC that moved from Chicago; I can smell the sulphur.
As I’ve said before, I think PCR has let himself be carried away by his own rhetoric and frustration, a shame, really, because he makes sense in a number of areas.
As to nonsense, his silly statements about South America represent nonsense bordering on delusion. The countries he names as having their voters “threatened” have little or nothing to do with threats by the USA. The “threats” are internal and made by the very governments he apparently supports. By month’s end, we’ll see how Argentina responds, because the odds now are on a repudiation of the dictatorial and quasi-marxist government that has discredited the productive potential of the nation. Venezuela is a splendid example of a failed stasi-style socialist/populist state with a demented bus driver running the show, Ecuador is a dollarized mishmash, and as for Bolivia, well, picture the US with Al Sharpton as prez. Compare these non-entity nations with Perú, Chile and Colombia and you don’t need a weatherman…
I despise the neo-cons, but Mr. Putin as the dove of peace? Please, Mr R, get of the “shining path” to peace and GET REAL!
“I despise the neo-cons, but Mr. Putin as the dove of peace? Please, Mr R, get of the “shining path” to peace and GET REAL!” —————- Montefrío
If not the dove of peace, are you saying Putin is the hawk of war? If so, prove it.
From what I can find/uncover, Russia’s water is not fluoridated, their food not Monsanto’d and their kids not shot with over 50 toxins before the age of 5 years old.
Correlation to freer thinking people that want peace, love and true scientific advancements?
I think so.
So we learn that our president lies and the msm lies and the government lies but i am expected to believe that Putin and the Russian media tell the truth.
Sorry PCR, at this point I trust nothing and no one.
Starting to think even this web site is a goverment attempt to draw out free thinkers to be put on a list.
Ok not really.
But maybe. Everyone here knows JQ is fast approaching lunch money income from his 6% link payments. Soon he retires to some island to wait out the storm while we suffer. 8*)
Jimski
Can you direct me to an island where the $130 I earned from the Amazon button last month will get me a nice condo on the beach?
Montefrio,
Stuck still thinks there are good guys and bad guys.
I would’t trust Putin any further than I could toss Obama. It is easy for Putin to have the high ground when our leaders are such low lives. I’m not sure how that makes him a good guy mind you. If you’re a religious person Revelations warns about a deceiver – a false saviour. If you want to look at it allegorically the lesson might be – when dealing with someone who seems too good to be true then chances are he probably is.
There isn’t one political leader left on the planet that I trust anymore. Period.
Stucky: NOT saying Putin is the “hawk of war”. I just don’t think that “visualize world peace” is at the top of his agenda and would have a lot less respect for him if I did.
I have a lot of respect for Putin. He’s a nationalist. What I don’t get is how Stucky can simultaneously like Putin and worry about Trump being a autocrat. When Trump fires someone he doesn’t generally use polonium 210.
Russia and China want to end the U.S. Dollar as the World Reserve currency and end America’s ability to print 1 Trillion dollars a year to pay our bills. What has created the demand for U.S. Dollars is OPEC selling oil only in U.S. Dollars, established in 1973 as Nixon took the dollar off the gold standard.
Of course Stucky doesn’t understand one word of the above paragraph. Stucky thinks the U.S. can walk away from dollar hegemony with no consequences here at home. Stucky must believe that we can trim 1 trillion dollars a year out of our budget and our society will hold together. Stucky totally divorces Middle Eastern oil from dollar hegemony.. So let’s see if the Stuckmister might explain to us why the dollar is the World Reserve currency, how it came to be, and how it has maintained that status. If the Stuckmister refuses to comment on this post in a meaningful way I’ll be more than happy to address his glaring knowledge gaps. Gawd, I’m going to end up having to charge Stucky for all this schooling.
Sensetti
Actually, I fully understand your petrodollar comments. I even fully agree with you.
In fact, that’s yet another reason to cheer on Russia!!
Burn this shit down! I’m tired of waiting … black swan this, black swan that, charts of the day that insure the end is just around the corner, etc. etc. Crash this bitch already, and let’s start over. It’s the only way, despite starfcker’s cockeyed optimism.
Spare me the lecture that I don’t have any idea how bad it will be. You’re right, I don’t. Don’t bother telling me I’m a big fat pussy who will probably die in the first month. You’re probably right about that too. Then again, I’ve always been a survivor. If not, fuckit, I’m not afraid of dying. That’s a fact. Some days, Mr. Sensetti, I even think it’s a better solution.
“What I don’t get is how Stucky can simultaneously like Putin and worry about Trump being a autocrat.” —— Iska
Because I’ve LISTENED to many speeches by both.
In my eyes — and I know you disagree — Putin has credibility and integrity. Putin’s words MATCH what he does. Trump? Just a fun bag of hot air.
@Jim, $130 should get you an awesome place on the Izu Islands…
http://www.cracked.com/article_17379_6-real-islands-way-more-terrifying-than-one-lost.html
Plague island with the mental institution seems nice.
Very Good Answer Stucky, really though, riddle me this. Why are there so many discussions here on TBP concerning Middleastern conflicts and never a mention of the petrodollar, dollar hegemony, or US Bonds. US Middleastern policy is so easy to understand, we either control the leadership of Oil Rich nations or we create chaos so no one controls the country and we man handle it with our military, not looking for victory, looking to maintain and contain a state of chaos. That’s US dollar policy short and sweet. Doug Casey and many mainstream commentators do the same thing they just can’t understand why the US is even in the Middle East. No one wants to address the 800 lb dollar gorilla in the room, it’s a mystery to me.
Stucky I agree with lets get this doom show on the road to a point. I’m well prepared, I think, might be hard to dodge an incoming ICBM though. Call me selfish but I’d like to drift as is for another decade. I fear it will not recover in our lifetimes. The next World War will most likely go nuclear, of course, our military is convinced we can win a nuclear conflict. I hope we have some top secret anti- missile defense system in place like iron dome in Israel. Even if we do we will more than likely destroy the planet with nuclear fallout. Your balls will glow in the dark when you go to take a midnight piss, might be convenient but I just don’t know what the Ole lady will think about that.
“Plague island with the mental institution seems nice.”
But isn’t that basically where you live now?
Maybe snake island would suit you better.
listening to many of putins speeches, press conferences and internal question and answer sessions. he makes rational good sense in his responses and does not evade hard questions. when it comes to the fall of soviet empire i doubt if he believes total domination of eastern europe and stans is his goal. hard to get the desired results by the boot, yet strong trade with former soviet republics a wiser course. when it comes to geogia others on this site could offer me some help. nothing i’ve read would indicate the iranians and the russies will ever be buddies. bottom line, he supports anything in russia’s best interest. seeing the health of his nation improve has to have a bearing on his policies. i well may have a bias in a desire that my understanding of his positions are correct. his behavior in the baltics could quickly dispel my views.
Vlad and Barry both work for the same Overlords.
They both lie like an Persian prayer rug.
And while the names of the fiat systems they both pretend to rule over may have different names, the systems are both managed by the same entity (think wordly khazars), and they are both backed by the same asset (think energy).
If there was free energy, these psychos in charge would fight over water, or some other substance that is useful for humanity, and they would continue to use the same bank-sters they both use now: Goldman or Goldberg, or Goldstien, or Silverstien.
We, the little folk, thank our govt., for pissing in our general direction, and telling us it is rain.
What will happen to this country, in the hands of a certain lady who lays on the same Persian rug?
She will surely sell us down the road to perpetual servitude and war.
Vlad vs. Hittlary = WWIII
Pablito same bankers, don’t think so, China and Russia want to end the stranglehold the western bankers you talk about have on them.
Russia and China have had enough of western banking
Russia and China are once again saying, “Take that, America.”
President Vladimir Putin approved a new $100 billion reserve fund over the weekend that will specifically aid the BRICS nations: Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa.
It’s another step by the BRICS to build an alternative so they don’t have to go to the United States or the International Monetary Fund for any financial help.
BRICS leaders first agreed on the new fund — seen by many as a power play against the west — at a conference last July. The BRIC countries make up 40% of the world’s population and about 20% of the world’s economic activity.
Related: Emerging market stocks are surging
The reserve fund will help BRICS countries with cash problems. It will get most of its seed funding from China, which will contribute $41 billion. Russia, India and Brazil will put in $18 billion each, and South Africa will give $5 billion. The timing is critical as many emerging market nations and businesses are struggling to pay their debt for various reasons.
China is also moving forward with its own investment bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which America isn’t supporting financially.
That bank has quickly become a thorny issue for President Obama. European nations, such as Britain and Germany, defied U.S. requests to withhold membership, and chose to back China’s bank.
Related: Biggest loser from the strong dollar: emerging markets
Last week Obama said he’s “all for” China’s investment bank, but wants to make sure it’s operated properly before the U.S. joins. But both the bank and the fund appear to be an effort by the BRICS reduce reliance on U.S. and western Europe for investment.
IMF Director Christine Lagarde said last October that she sees the new BRIC reserve fund as complementary to the IMF, not a rival. The IMF’s total reserves amount to about $1 trillion, according to an IMF spokesperson.
“I don’t see it, as some people have said, competing with the IMF,” Lagarde said at a press conference. “We will be working and partnering with this arrangement if it endures.”
http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/04/news/economy/russia-approves-brics-reserve-bank-imf/
The comments about South America were wrong – each of the named countries is run by a Marxist whackjob. The Venezuela government is not legitimate by any standard, Ecuador is a mess, Bolivia is part of another planet and Argentina is and will probably always be a mess run by morons. The fact is the U.S. is almost totally disengaged in Latin America, all leftist drivel to the contrary notwithstanding. The whole place (minus Colombia and Cuba, perhaps) could fall into a hole in the ground and Washington would not know for weeks.
As for Putin, he is attempting to protect the vital national interests of his country. The entire anti-Putin thing has been cooked up by a gang of certifiably insane Neo-Cons, most but not all Zionist Jews, who since the 1990’s have tried to impose a lunatic “total dominance” on the rest of the world, with results known to all of us, especially those with a loved one buried in a military cemetery. The Crimea and Ukraine issues are merely loose threads from the collapse of the Soviet Union, of no concern to us. The Syrian intervention is in fact saving us from ourselves and from the cabal of Zionist traitors guiding our military and foreign policy. Putin, like all KGB First Chief Directorate officers, is a well-educated man with a solid understanding of world history and a cold view of the world. He has no time for intellectual vomit such as chatter about “democracy”, “diversity”, international law, and so on. He looks at the world and sees it as it is. Compared to Putin, Obama and his entire senior staff are like Jethro Bodine and the banjo player in Deliverance matched up against Churchill, Charles DeGaulle, George Kennan and Stalin. Our current political leaders – including most certainly that pant suited horror Hillary – have placed all of us in grave danger. Put Trump in the White House (the only one who has clearly stated he wants to lessen tensions with the Russians and others) and place the other candidates in cabinet positions, according to their abilities. It might be enough to save us.
I do like PCR, but i think he is going a little too far here. I wouldnt go so far as to say putin is endeavoring the world to peace. Putin looks out for russia and its interests first and foremost, and refuses to toe the line of DC. While that is admirable, its not the same thing as leading the world to peace. Although he does speak well, and makes a lot of sense, far more than the neocons running things here.
Contrast him with europes “leaders”. They do whatever washington wants them to do, to the detriment of their own people. Case in point, they actively help the us gov destroy whole countries in the middle east, and are now being inundated with third world refugees fleeing their home countries to suck on the welfare teets of western europe, which will drag them down and eventually, after a couple generations, destroy those countries. I also think he gets carried away with praising governments like venezuela. While its true they also reject american hegemony, what they are doing to their citizens is far from beneficial. Socialism doesn’t work for anyone but those few people who run the government. History is full of examples that prove it doesn’t work out well at all for the average citizens.
PCR is getting carried away with this one. Just because people refuse to do what the us govt tells them to doesn’t make them admirable in every way. If he thinks we would be better off being like venezuela, he is out of his mind
Ever time me n Billy see Putin on the TV two things happen 1. Billy starts rockin back and forth in his motorized wheel cart, screamin at the top uh his lung ,”gawd dammed sumbitch communist bastard” over and over. 2. We start laughing cuz invariably either one or the other shits ourselves and that plus the sound ‘putin’ makes fer more laughter which makes fer more loose bowels til we’re both sittin there in urine and diarrea soaked sweatpants wonderin what comes next.
Stucky- Bring it !!! O nutless wonder and we shall smite you as before.
Warning, do not click on a BW comment, you never know what atrocities the English language will be subjected to. And though the comments are lurvable one day, they are turvable the next. BW’s family makes the Kurdasians seem mainstream bible belt folk.