KIT KLARENBERG—Those few analysts who predicted the invasion of Ukraine well in advance universally failed to anticipate Berlin would support and facilitate any U.S. counterattack, particularly in the financial sphere. They believed Germany possessed the requisite autonomy and sense not to commit willful economic suicide in service of Empire. After all, the country’s stability, prosperity and power were heavily dependent on cheap, readily accessible Russian energy. Voluntarily ending that supply would be inescapably disastrous. For this failure, they can be forgiven. Berlin, particularly in the wake of reunification, has successfully presented itself to the world as sovereign, led by sensible people acting in the best interests of their nation, and Europe. In truth, ever since 1945, Germany has been a heavily occupied nation, drowning under the weight of U.S. military installations, and its politics, society and culture aggressively shaped and influenced by the CIA.
ASSHOLES, BASTARDS & CRIMINALS
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GARLAND NIXON—Garland and Dr Monteiro discuss the enormous political and structural changes taking place in the world as the US empire, representing the aristocratic/racist/exploitative colonialist order, now mired in irrevocable decline and chaos, slowly gives way to a new world order rooted multilateral sovereignty and genuine democracy. These are exciting times for humanity, says Dr Monteiro. There are indeed troubles and dangers ahead, but if the US ruling class can somehow finally accept (or be forced to) a new egalitarian multinational system, many things will rapidly begin to improve for most of humanity. The Global Majority—the “non-white” portions of the world—will now be in command.
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ERIC ZUESSE—indicated in polls there), was widely publicized in U.S.-and-allied ‘news’-media as having instead the highest support by the Russian people of anyone who might challenge Vladimir Putin for Russia’s leadership. It’s a lie, and always has been. Other politicians had far higher polled support in Russia — but none was nearly as high support by Russia’s voters as Putin was.
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MICHAEL ROBERTS—All the Indonesian presidential candidates are promising upwards of 15 million new jobs in the next five years, in a country where about 3 million people enter the job market annually. But most estimates reckon that Indonesia needs 7% economic growth annually to churn out enough jobs for its young population and the growth forecast for the next two years is closer to 4% a year. Around 1,000 jobs were created for every trillion rupiah of investment in 2022, compared with 4,500 jobs in 2013.
These jobs are supposed to be generated by moving away from an economy based on mining, oil production and single crop agro exports (palm oil), which are mainly capital intensive to a more broad-based manufacturing and hi-tech economy like China or Vietnam.
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GREG KASANSAKIS—Please help me understand what this crazy thing is. I’m terminally baffled. Can this be the supposedly awe-inspiring IDF?