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Page added on January 17, 2015
Ruin is America’s future
Neoconservatives arrayed in their Washington offices are congratulating themselves on their success in using the Charlie Hebdo affair to reunite Europe with Washington’s foreign policy. No more French votes with the Palestinians against the Washington-Israeli position. No more growing European sympathy with the Palestinians. No more growing European opposition to launching new wars in the Middle East. No more calls from the French president to end the sanctions against Russia.
Do the neoconservatives also understand that they have united Europeans with the right-wing anti-immigration political parties? The wave of support for the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists is the wave of Marine Le Pen’s National Front, Nigel Farage’s UK Independence Party, and Germany’s PEGIDA sweeping over Europe. These parties are empowered by the anti-immigration fervor that was orchestrated in order to reunite Europeans with Washington and Israel.
Once again the arrogant and insolent neoconservatives have blundered. Charlie Hebdo’s empowerment of the anti-immigration parties has the potential to revolutionize European politics and destroy Washington’s empire. See my weekend interview with King World News for my thoughts on this potential game-changer. http://kingworldnews.com/paul-craig-roberts-new-crisis-worse-russia-unleashing-black-swans-west/
The reports from the UK Daily Mail and from Zero Hedge that Russia has cut off natural gas deliveries to six European countries must be incorrect. These sources are credible and well-informed, but such a cut-off would have instantly produced political and financial turmoil of which there is no sign. Therefore, unless there is a news blackout, Russia’s action has been misunderstood.
We know something real has happened. Otherwise, EU energy official Maros Sefcovic would not be expressing such consternation. Although I am without any definite information, I believe I know what the real story is. Russia, tired of Ukraine’s theft of the natural gas that passes through the country on its way to delivery to Europe, has made a decision to route the gas to Turkey, thus bypassing Ukraine.
The Russian energy minister has confirmed this decision and added that if European countries wish to avail themselves of this gas supply, they must put in place the infrastructure or pipeline to bring the gas into their countries.
In other words, there is a potential for a cutoff in the future, but no cutoff at the present.
These two events–Charlie Hebdo and the Russian decision to cease delivering gas to Europe via Ukraine–should remind us that the potential for black swans, and unintended consequences of official decisions that can produce black swans, always exist. Not even the American “superpower” is immune from black swans.
There is as much circumstantial evidence that the CIA and French Intelligence are responsible for the Charlie Hebdo shootings as there is that the shootings were carried out by the two brothers whose ID was conveniently found in the alleged get-away car. As the French made certain that the brothers were killed before they could talk, we will never know what they had to say about the plot.
The only evidence we have that the brothers are guilty is the claim by the security forces. Every time I hear government claims without real evidence, I remember Saddam Hussein’s “weapons of mass destruction,” Assad’s “use of chemical weapons,” and Iran’s “nuclear weapons program.” If a US National Security Advisor can conjure up out of thin air “mushroom clouds over an American city,” Cherif and Said Kouachi can be turned into killers. After all, they are dead and cannot protest.
If this was, and we will never know for certain, a false flag attack, it achieved Washington’s goal of reuniting Europe under Washington and Israeli auspices. But this success has an unintended consequence. The unintended consequence is to unify Europe under the anti-immigration policy of the right-wing parties, thus empowering the leaders of those parties.
If this surmise is correct, Marie Le Pen and Nigel Farage will find their lives and/or reputations in danger as Washington will resist the rise of European governments that do not adhere to Washington’s line.
The consternation caused by Russia’s decision to relocate its gas delivery to Europe is proof that Russia holds many cards that Russia could play that would bring down the political and financial structures of the Western World.
China holds similar cards.
The two countries are not playing their cards, because they do not think that they need them. Instead, the two powers are withdrawing from the Western financial system that serves Western hegemony over the world. They are creating all of the economic institutions that they need in order to be completely independent of the West.
Therefore, the Russian and Chinese governments reason, “Why be provocative and slap down the Western fools. They might resort to their nuclear weapons, and the entire world would be lost. Let’s just walk away while they encourage us to depart with their provocations.”
We can be thankful that Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the Chinese government are both intelligent and humane, unlike Western leaders.
Imagine, for example, the dire consequences for the West if Putin were to become personally involved as a result of the numerous affronts to both Russia and Putin himself. Putin can destroy NATO and the entire Western financial system whenever he wants. All he has to do is to announce that as NATO has declared economic war against Russia, Russia no longer sells energy to NATO members.
The NATO alliance would dissolve as Europe cannot survive without Russian energy supplies. Washington’s empire would end.
Putin realizes that the insolent neoconservatives would have to push the nuclear button in order to save face. Unlike Putin, their egos are on the line. Thus, Putin saves the world from nuclear war by not being provocative.
Now, imagine if the Chinese government were to lose its patience with Washington. To confront the “exceptional, indispensable, unipower” with the reality of its impotence, all China needs to do is to dump its massive dollar-denominated financial assets on the market, all at once, just as the Federal Reserve’s bullion bank agents dump massive uncovered gold contracts on the future’s market.
In order to avoid US financial collapse, the Federal Reserve would have to print massive amounts of new dollars with which to purchase the dumped Chinese holdings. As the Federal Reserve would protect US financial markets by purchasing the dumped Chinese holdings, the Chinese would lose nothing from the sale. It is the next step that is decisive. The Chinese government then dumps the massive holdings of dollars it has received from its selloff of dollar-dominated financial instruments.
Now what happens? The Fed can print dollars with which to purchase the dumped Chinese holdings, but the Fed cannot print foreign currencies with which to buy up the dumped dollars.
The massive supply of dollars dumped in the exchange market by China would have no takers. The dollar’s value would collapse. Washington could no longer pay its bills by printing money. Americans living in an import-dependent country, thanks to jobs offshoring, would be faced with high prices that would seriously erode their living standard. The United States would experience economic, social, and political instability.
Putting aside their brainwashing, their defensiveness and patriotic support of the regime in Washington, Americans need to ask themselves: How is it possible that the government of the United States, an alleged Superpower, is so unaware of its true vulnerabilities that Washington is capable of pushing two real powers until they have had enough and play the cards that they hold?
Americans need to understand that the only thing exceptional about the US is the ignorance of the population and the stupidity of the government.
What other country would let a handful of Wall Street crooks control its economic and foreign policy, run its central bank and Treasury, and subordinate citizens’ interests to the interests of the one percent’s pocketbook?
A population this insouciant is at the total mercy of Russia and China.
Yesterday there was a black swan event, an event that could yet unleash other black swan events. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-01-16/largest-retail-fx-broker-stock-crashes-90-swiss-contagion-spreads The Swiss central bank announced an end to its pegging of the Swiss franc to the euro and US dollar. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-01-15/its-tsunami-swiss-franc-soars-most-ever-after-snb-abandons-eurchf-floor-macro-hedge-
Three years ago flight from euros and dollars into Swiss francs pushed the exchange value of the franc so high that it threatened the existence of the Swiss export industries. Switzerland announced that any further inflows of foreign currencies into francs would be met by creating new francs to absorb the inflows so as not to drive up the exchange rate further. In other words, the Swiss pegged the franc.
Yesterday the Swiss central bank announced that the peg was off. The franc instantly rose in value. Stocks of Swiss export companies fell, and hedge funds wrongly positioned incurred major hits to their solvency.
Why did the Swiss remove the peg? It was not a costless action. It cost the central bank and Swiss export industries substantially.
The answer is that the EU attorney general ruled that it was permissible for the EU central bank to initiate Quantitative Easing–that is, the printing of new euros–in order to bail out the mistakes of the private bankers. This decision means that Switzerland expects to be confronted with massive flight from the euro and that the Swiss central bank is unwilling to print enough new Swiss francs to maintain the peg. The Swiss central bank believes that it would have to run the printing press so hard that the basis of the Swiss money supply would explode, far exceeding the GDP of Switzerland.
The money printing policy of the US, Japan, and apparently now the EU has forced other countries to inflate their own currencies in order to prevent the rise in the exchange value of their currencies that would curtail their ability to export and earn foreign currencies with which to pay for their imports. Thus Washington has forced the world into printing money.
The Swiss have backed out of this system. Will others follow, or will the rest of the world follow the Russians and Chinese governments into new monetary arrangements and simply turn their backs on the corrupt and irredeemable West?
The level of corruption and manipulation that characterizes US economic and foreign policy today was impossible in earlier times when Washington’s ambition was constrained by the Soviet Union. The greed for hegemonic power has made Washington the most corrupt government on earth.
The consequence of this corruption is ruin.
“Leadership passes into empire. Empire begets insolence. Insolence brings ruin.”
Ruin is America’s future.
by Paul Craig Roberts | Infowars.com
30 Comments on "Ruin is America’s future"
Plantagenet on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 4:46 pm
1. Claiming the US has “used” the Charlie Hebdo” tragedy is clearly false. obama was too dumb to even go to Paris with the other world leaders protesting the slaughter of the artists and Jews by Muslim fanatics.
2. The Swiss are smart to end the peg holding down the value of the Swiss franc. Everyone in Switzerland with Swiss francs in now 30% richer then were yesterday.
The US and EU are devaluing their currency through QE. The Swiss simply responded to this reality.
aaa on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 6:29 pm
Russia will collapse first.
Don’t worry.
Juan De Vega on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 6:36 pm
Oh yes, and they will be trumpeting the need for increased surveillance and security… and pre-crime will be taken to new levels… only express happy thoughts on your phone calls.
Lingban Tobo on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 6:37 pm
America trained the terrorists who attacked France and CIA instigated the attack in France to align France with US policies again. US is a terrorist nation. Russian Foreign minister rightly implied by the attack in France was set up by US to punish France and make them obey U.S foreign policies. France and Europe do not see what we ordinary citizens see.
jjhman on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 6:40 pm
“We can be thankful that Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the Chinese government are both intelligent and humane, unlike Western leaders.”
What is this guy smoking? I’m not exactly sure what they teach in KGB school but I’m pretty sure it’s not how to be humane.
Perk Earl on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 6:53 pm
“Claiming the US has “used” the Charlie Hebdo” tragedy is clearly false. obama was too dumb to even go to Paris with the other world leaders protesting the slaughter of the artists and Jews by Muslim fanatics.”
Obama could have shown up, but the primary person that blew it was Kerry, (secretary of state) who was really the person that should have shown up (cause you don’t want to put the prez in a position of maybe being shot). What seemed weird to me about that march is all those EU leaders all in the same public place at the same time?! Isn’t that courting trouble? I’m sure extremist radicals will later be in angst over that missed opportunity.
Plantagenet on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 7:30 pm
Even obama later admited he blew it by not joining the other world leaders in Paris.
obama didn’t go because he didn’t appreciate how traumatic the murders of the cartoonists was for the Europeans, and how significant and cathartic the huge rally in Paris would be to express solidarity with the slain cartoonists and the murdered Jews killed by the Isalmist fanatics. Obama has been strangely silent about defending freedom of speech and denouncing these heinous murders—in fact he actually chided the Europeans for not doing more to be accommodating to Muslims in Europe.
Makati1 on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 7:36 pm
jjhman, Who is killing women and children all around the world today in the thousands? The Russians? The Chinese? NO, it is the Americans and their toadys in Europe.
PCR summed up the real world in this article and it is so full of real truth that most ‘flag wavers’ won’t even read it. Blow-back is a bitch and it is coming to the US in tsunami loads from now on. Whether you like it, or believe it, or not. All you can do now is try to prepare and get to ‘high ground’. Or get out…
Speculawyer on Sat, 17th Jan 2015 9:25 pm
I’ve learned that I need to scroll down and look at the source before looking at a Peakoil.com article. Infowars.com? . . . LOL, you’ve got to be kidding me. I’ll pass on loopy conspiracy theory nonsense.
GregT on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 12:10 am
“I’ll pass on loopy conspiracy theory nonsense.”
Just stick to the MSM Spec, and everything will be OK.
They care about you.
Perk Earl on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 2:37 am
So Plant, apparently you are suggesting Obama should have gone all the way to Paris to stand in a photo-op? Ha ha!!! Are you pro-propaganda then?
What the following article confirms is my concerns/suspicions surrounding the idea of all those EU country leaders being exposed in a public place which wouldn’t have been extremely foolish to say the least. Actually they were on a side street! Ha!
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-01-17/truth-behind-cherlie-hebdo-solidarity-photo-op
The Truth “Behind” The Charlie Hebdo Solidarity Photo-Op
Once again the mainstream media peddled the spoon-fed propaganda that world leaders “led the march” to honor the victims of the Paris shootings last week. Glorious photo-ops of Merkel, Hollande, Poroshenko, David Cameron (oh, and not Barack Obama) were smeared across front pages hailing the “unity in outrage.” However, as appears to be the case in so many ‘events’ in the new normal managed thinking in which we live, The Independent reports, French TV has exposed the reality of the ‘photo-op’ seen-around-the-world: the ‘dignitaries’ were not in fact “at” the Paris rallies but had the photo taken on an empty guarded side street…
Well, one thing we can take from this is the MSM is complicit with this type of propaganda. On that note I’m off to saw some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ’s.
Perk Earl on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 2:38 am
Correction: Would have been extremely foolish…
Makati1 on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 5:33 am
Actually, the article does not originate with Infowars, it was just tagged as such. Just as most articles here are not originated by Peak Oil. So, my comment about ‘flag wavers’ holds. Ignorance is the inability to look at all sides of an issue openmindedly. Not a common trait of Americans.
Makati1 on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 5:37 am
BTW: http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/
If you want to go to the source…but then maybe you don’t know how to use the internet search engines…lol.
henriksson on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 5:45 am
Conspiracy theories are unbecoming of this site, and I say that as an anti-imperialist.
bobinget on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 6:41 am
No public officials, least of all Nigerian, French,
Israeli, American politicians, mourn *deaths of Boko Haram victims. Why? Could it be those villagers were poor, faceless, uneducated, black?
If President O had shown his kisser in Paris for ‘the photo pop, Plant would have doubtless scooped FOX informing readers how much fuel AF #1 consumed, millions spent on security etc.
As Commander in Chief, O has the thankless job
of steering this ship of state through an undeclared
World War around religion and oil.
If O does nothing, stands by as an observer as he and most western politicians did in Syria, are doing in Nigeria, the Left will criticize. If he opens up yet another front against another vicious Islamic movement, the US will be said to spreading terrorism. Ignorant comments on these pages say it all.
**Islamic crazies are rioting, killing French people
because they were murdered and wrote about it.
*Satellite images and witness accounts have emerged of what Amnesty International calls the “catastrophic destruction” from a massacre in northern Nigeria. Hundreds are feared dead after Boko Haram militants attacked Baga and surrounding areas earlier this month. Before and after images taken of two adjacent towns show thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed. The Nigerian military has claimed a toll as low as 150, but it could be as high as 2,000. Boko Haram is also suspected in a pair of suicide attacks over the weekend where explosives were strapped to young girls. It was nine months ago that the hashtag #BringOurGirlsHome drew the world’s attention to the group’s abduction of some 270 schoolgirls, most of whom remain unaccounted for. We host a roundtable discussion on the latest developments and the rise of Boko Haram with three guests: Adotei Akwei, managing director of government relations for Amnesty International USA; Rona Peligal, deputy director of the Africa Division for Human Rights Watch; and Horace Campbell, professor of African American studies and political science at Syracuse University. “The Boko Haram struggle is about who will control the billions of dollars, 10,000 barrels of oil per day that is siphoned out of Nigeria,” Campbell argues. He has written extensively on African politics, including the article, “The Menace of Boko Haram and Fundamentalism in Nigeria.”
**Four people were killed in protests turned violent in Niger on Friday, after French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published more cartoon images of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) a week after gunmen shot dead 12 people at its offices in Paris.
The Niger government said four were killed as police clashed with a crowd that attacked a French cultural centre and set churches ablaze.
Protesters in the West African country’s second-largest city of Zinder in the south set French flags ablaze, while police responded with tear gas.
Three civilians died, including two who were shot by police during an attack on their station, interior minister Hassoumi Massaoudou claimed on state television.
A police officer was run over and killed, while 45 other people sustained injuries
bobinget on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 7:22 am
Instead of skimming, I read every word of PCR’s
diatribe.
I found the words ‘it’ ‘and’ ‘the’ to be unbiased, truthful.
Plantagenet on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 7:53 am
@peakearl
I’m not suggesting obama should have gone to paris. Obama himself is suggesting that —– his White House spokesman admitted obama erred by not going
paulo1 on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 8:38 am
PO.com loses a lot of credibility every time they publish this kind of tripe, including Orlov.
This guy either needs counselling, or his pension wasn’t as much as he figured and he is angling for a book sale.
Makati1 on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 9:19 am
Ahhhh… the ones who don’t want to look at reality are obvious today … lol. You have all been brainwashed to perfection by the Ministry of Propaganda. You deserve the Police State being built around you. I hope your kids/grand kids know how to speak Mandarin.
James Tipper on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 9:53 am
Bobinget, there are certain elements in the West that have expressed their concern of the atrocities committed by Boko Haram. Every time we express our concern the PC group shouts us down and say “how dare you judge them”. Really they are the equivalent of Islamic fascists, wanting to oppress all of Nigeria with their brand of Islamo-fascism. Of course you say that and everyone screams, “Oh my god, how could you as an American say that, nazi, kkk, imperialist, blah blah blah”.
So why should we care? The idiotic and loony left has given us an excuse to not care about political issues around the world, we can just write it off as, “they’re smart enough to handle it”. Even when they’re clearly not. And simply ignore world issues then. Of course this is another bit of hypocrisy, if America is the world police, get criticized, if it’s not the world police, we get criticized.
Apneaman on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 11:28 am
James the only difference between the left and right in America are the justifications for empire. Tea baggers and conservatives want the government to get it’s damn hands off their government benefits as they scream about useless eaters and demand an end to poverty relief. Latte liberals like to moralize about global injustices on their e-devices that are manufactured with slave labour and rare earth minerals that are extracted with child slave labour. From extraction to disposal, it’s an environmental nightmare. None of them gives a shit about anything except their own privilege, status and being/feeling right. The late great American author and social critic, Joe Bageant, called it the “American Hologram”
http://www.joebageant.com/
J-Gav on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 2:53 pm
Good one Apnea! And thanks for reminding us of Joe.
James Tipper on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 4:09 pm
Apneaman, I agree completely, I’m in no way defending the American conservatives, they are in many ways absolutely bonkers(just look at their view on things like birth control, abortion, and other things). Of course there’s nothing more offensive to the sense then a douchey leftist hipster on his iPhone 6, drinking Starbucks, and wearing namebrand clothing complaining how corporations are so evil and wrong. It’s like the logic completely goes over their head.
The irony is that many of these global empires are based upon ancient traditions of end times, the Abrahamic religions get giant raging hard-ons just thinking about it. The irony? That they ignore the peak oil apocalypse that’s going to happen, and it is similar to what they say in revelations: “of the time and hour, nobody is sure”. It’s the same way with peak oil. Even more ironically these Abrahamic people(generally speaking) are some of the most vehement peak oil deniers. But the 21st century is soon going to face it’s judgement day and all those people will need to change their act real quick or perish. It’s only a matter of time.
Makati1 on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 6:55 pm
Paulo1, he is the author of over 12 books and I am sure he is financially sound. He also has seen the government from the inside and knows what he is talking about. That the deniers call him ‘crazy’ and put him down says more about their mental state than his. He is a bit older than me but we have shared the same history and seen the same events. Have you?
Keep those blinders on tight and buy a good supply of those rose colored glasses. You are going to need them.
Speculawyer on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 8:47 pm
“Just stick to the MSM Spec, and everything will be OK.
They care about you.”
Seriously . . . you think Infowars is a legitimate place to get news? It is no wonder you have a very loose grasp on reality. It nothing but endless ‘false-flag’ conspiracy theories. They are 9/11-truthers, climate-change deniers, think that the Boston marathon bombing was done by the US government . . . great source there.
jjhman on Sun, 18th Jan 2015 10:49 pm
Wow. There’s a lot of “hate the U.S.” on this site. All I can say is “Get a life”. The ole USofA is stark full of, guess what, pretty average people. We’ve been privileged to have been born on a continent full of natural resources, educational opportunities, excellent legal environment and much else that has made this a wonderful place to live, that is if you are a white male. My generation has worked pretty hard to make opportunites more equal. It’s not perfect but a lot of privileged white males have put their lives and fortunes on the line in a totally selfless way.
Those of us past, say 50, have also benefitted from having the only major industrial plant left on the planet after WW2. So we grew up feeling a little entitled. Big deal. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Europe and Latin America. All things considered we’re just not any worse or better than anyone else. We’re just the luckiest generation of humans who ever have been born on this planet or ever will be.
Makati1 on Mon, 19th Jan 2015 2:01 am
jjhman, you are 100% correct. But, the US took a wrong turn about 1970 and is on the road to hell now. All that ‘advantage’ went to the heads and pockets of the few and they now want it all.
BillC on Mon, 19th Jan 2015 2:13 am
Most of I wanted say is above.
But mainly I am a proud American.
I do not appreciate this “UK” resident putting the US down.
F.U. Mister I hate America
Davy on Mon, 19th Jan 2015 6:10 am
JJ, well said and my opinion also. I welcome alternative views because we live within a system that must be viewed from the outside to safeguard deception. Reading Mak’s comment above I am impressed by how bought in he is to an anti-American message. Mak, deceives himself with his assurances he has the facts and the truth. These type of people are most suspect in my book. I am trying to figure out what is true and hope to get closer to that truth.
Many of us flag waiving Americans here are waiving an upside down flag. Yet, we don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bath water unlike Mak. Mak is seeking the end of America for a personal agenda. Let us criticize and pick apart the worst of our country in an attempt to save it and not destroy it. The basic values of America are sound and still there under the surface. The hijackers will meet their maker eventually.
Life cycles and systems oscillate. We appear to be in that process now in a greater and lesser cycle of civilization. The greater is oil driven BAU the lesser is the failed policies of global hegemony and wealth transfer of many to a few. This will not last because history has shown societies that reach this level breakdown and transition into a successional state. This transition and new state is relatively close by all measures I see out there now.