Wolf’s Lair 2.0

The Wolf’s Lair (German: Wolfsschanze; Polish: Wilczy Szaniec) served as Adolf Hitler‘s first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II. The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the village of Görlitz in Ostpreußen (now Gierłoż), about 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of the small East Prussian town of Rastenburg (now Kętrzyn), in present-day Poland. The central complex and the Führer‘s bunker were surrounded by three security zones guarded byContinue reading “Wolf’s Lair 2.0”

By the numbers: The de-dollarization of global trade

Central Bank USD Reserves, per IMF Per The Cradle: https://data.imf.org/?sk=E6A5F467-C14B-4AA8-9F6D-5A09EC4E62A4 ********** The imposition of US trade restrictions and sanctions against a number of nations, including Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Iraq, and Syria have been politically ineffectual and have backfired against western economies. As a result, the US dollar has been losing its role asContinue reading “By the numbers: The de-dollarization of global trade”

Polar Vortex 2.0

ZeroHedge: https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/siberia-records-minus-80-degrees-talk-polar-vortex-grows ********** Siberia Records Minus-80 Degrees As Talk Of Polar Vortex Grows BY TYLER DURDEN SATURDAY, JAN 14, 2023 – 07:35 AM Several weeks after the Christmas Arctic blast, much of the US and Europe have enjoyed record warmth. Recall on Dec. 27, we noted the cold air mass from Siberia that spread across theContinue reading “Polar Vortex 2.0”

Ukrainian Defense Lines — What Happens When They Are Breached

Moon of Alabama: https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/01/ukrainian-defense-lines-and-what-happens-when-they-are-breached.html#more Emphasis in bold ********** Soledar has fallen to Russian troops. Bakhmut (Artymovsk) will follow soon. This constitutes the breach of Ukraine’s second defense line within the Donetzk and Lysichansk oblasts. I will discuss those lines with the maps below. The first map shows the range of land taken by Russian forcesContinue reading “Ukrainian Defense Lines — What Happens When They Are Breached”

Soledar Collapses — Sanctions Next?

Per Southfront.org: https://southfront.org/breaking-russians-captured-afu-stronghold-soledar/ On 10 January 2022, in the late afternoon, official media sources of the Russian Wagner PMC stated that the city of Soledar had been captured by Russian units. Soledar was one of the key points of defence of the AFU in the East of Ukraine. The city is home to Europe’s largestContinue reading “Soledar Collapses — Sanctions Next?”

Banks Underwater

Is JPM Solvent? If not, what about Citi? Is anyone solvent? An available-for-sale security (AFS) is a debt or equity security purchased with the intent of selling before it reaches maturity or holding it for a long period should it not have a maturity date. Accounting standards require companies classify any investments in debt or equityContinue reading “Banks Underwater”

System Dynamics of the Global Economy

How did we get here? Cheap inflation-killing consumer goods coming from China, and cheap inflation-killing Russian energy under competitive western production funded by credit and inflation export. What comes next? Here’s Alistair Crooke to sketch the dynamics: https://thealtworld.com/alastair_crooke/systems-dynamics-follow-their-own-rules-and-not-groupthink ********** While America’s cultural and economic ascendency is portrayed as an End of History ‘normal’, it represents an obvious anomaly TowardContinue reading “System Dynamics of the Global Economy”

Bye Bye 1991-2022

What follows is the latest from Pepe Escobar ************************************************************************************************************* 2023 starts with collective NATO in Absolutely Freak Out Mode as Russian Defense Minister Shoigu announces that Russian Navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov is now on tour – complete with a set of Mr. Zircon’s hypersonic business cards. The business tour will encompass the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean,Continue reading “Bye Bye 1991-2022”

The Bakhmut Encirclement

Mostly Polish and some Germans holding the line. Larry Johnson: https://sonar21.com/what-is-ukraine-hiding-in-the-bakhmut-salt-mines/ WHAT IS UKRAINE HIDING IN THE BAKHMUT SALT MINES? 7 January 2023 by Larry Johnson  The prolonged battle for Bakhmut is portrayed in the press as a symbol of Russian weakness. I know that many Westerners have scratched their heads and wondered why such a fierceContinue reading “The Bakhmut Encirclement”