Hey there you with the sad face

Interesting comments from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

“President Putin cannot deny sovereign nations to make their own sovereign decisions that are not a threat to Russia,”

https://www.9news.com.au/world/nato-commits-to-ukraine-membership-after-russia-invasion/edb70442-27ad-45a1-ba86-97b36647ee7d?utm_source=newsshowcase&utm_medium=gnews&utm_campaign=CDAqEAgAKgcICjCks_MKMNHogwMwjo2GAQ&utm_content=rundown

Seems like a “Principle” that could (and should) be “universalised”. Nations that are sovereign should be allowed to make what decisions they choose provided such decisions are not threats to the sovereignty of others.

But is it realistic? Perhaps at the heart of the issue is – whether actions (real, imagined or proposed) of the generalised “other” are a threat or not? Should the decision maker (re threats or not) be the one taking the action OR the one which feels threatened by the resulting acts?

Looking back to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the United States decided that Russian missiles should not be allowed in Cuba (too close to the US mainland) because they were an unacceptable threat. In due course, they were removed (after a few trade-offs).

A case of a sovereign Nation making the decision that the presence of such missiles were a threat and it was unacceptable?

Moving forward 60 years, we see that Russia believes having Ukraine as a member of NATO translates to missiles being too close to the Russian mainland and therefore it’s an unacceptable threat. (First strike advantage.)

Yes Stoltenberg says NATO is NOT a threat but should he be the one making the decision OR should it be the Russians – the ones who feel threatened?

Going further, should Iran (a sovereign Nation) be allowed to develop nuclear weapons? Should North Korea (a sovereign Nation) be permitted to develop greater nuclear capacity? Should the Solomon Islands (a sovereign Nation) be permitted to offer a Naval Port to the People’s Republic of China?

And if the answer to all of the above is NO – then what PRINCIPLES should be cited as a rationale? Or is it the case that there’s no Principle(s) involved other than – might is right?

BHP (read Australia) is now accepting iron ore payment from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) using RMB (yuan) which is further confirmation that the days of a ‘unipolar’ world are now in the historical dustbin.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/mining/chinas-secret-victory-against-australia-in-trade-war/news-story/3c9a1c37586043364ebe209e8d4f31fb

The rise of BRICS (plus) et al suggests that the declining American Empire’s almighty dollar is less powerful and their national debt of $31.3 trillion is looking somewhat ominous. So many Nations now unloading US bonds.

Where will it end?

https://www.usdebtclock.org/

“Slow learners” are-
* Those that support brutal autocratic regimes, and are unwilling to resist their expansion
* Those that think Kissinger was right. Was he? It are you just very selective with your approval of his views?

In the American provoked invasion of Ukraine…
Typical stupidity.
It’s the same defence men use for domestic violence.
* She wouldn’t do what she was told
* She was seeing someone else
* I told her I’d bear her if she continued to disobey me
As for losses, they are apparently about the same on each side, but Ukrainians know why they are fighting
MN becomes more pathetic with each comment

Russia’s war crimes even worse than United Nations previously thought…
https://bnn-news.com/un-russian-forces-killed-hundreds-of-civilians-at-the-beginning-of-the-war-240745

Yes SB, I think I’ve previously outlined my idea that having an unpredictable, narcissistic, easily offended weirdo in the Whitehouse might act as a restraint on expansionist murderous fascists.
Putin can plan for every response of a rational president. There is no ability to plan for the response of an unpredictable narcissist like Trump.
* Putin – “what would Trump do if we invaded Ukraine”
* Military planner- “it ranges from do nothing to nuke us. It depends on whether or not he perceives that he’s been personally slighted”

“Also things are bit quieter now that the master troll Tom R has quit these pages.”

I shall grab my violin

Some information for the Putin apologists
—-
One of the lies put out by the Kremlin is that there were 14,000 civilians killed by the Ukraine military during the civil war. This is completely untrue.
The figure of 14,000 comes from a United Nations report, but the breakdown is-
* 4500 were Ukrainian military
* 6500 were separatist militia
* 3000 were civilians, and were split between areas occupied by Ukraine and the Russian backed separatists. This also includes 300 civilians that died when the Russian backed separatists used a Russian missile to shoot down a civilian aircraft.

The American Empire is addicted to a belief in its exceptionalism, grounded in aggression both at home and abroad, For Australia, the greatest military risk is that we become a proxy for the US in its dispute with China in much the same way as Ukraine is in the USA’s dispute with Russia.

(Of course there were those who didn’t (perhaps still don’t) see it as a proxy war nor did they believe that there was a ‘coup’ way back in 2014). Oh how we laughed!

Over more than 200 years, the historical record shows that the US Empire has subverted and overthrown so many governments. Indeed, as an ex-President pointed out, it has a military industrial complex that relies on War.

As others have highlighted – it funds our War Memorial and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and many other fronts for US military and business interests. Try AALA for another outrageous example.

Australia has outsourced its foreign policy to another. But It’s what Vassals do!

Yes TB – so many citizens of the USA fervently believe that the “American way” is not only the best way but the “one and only true way”. Armed with that belief, they confront the world with a type of missionary zeal.

And while we might commend them for their good intentions (being generous), they seem unable to rise above their own cultural soup and acknowledge that while their their way might be best for them, others have different attitudes, values, beliefs and priorities.

In short, they are ethnocentric through and through.

(As an aside – journeyed through Turkey with a number of American fundamentalist, southern religious ‘zealots’ who were really put in their place by a local guide who really knew his theology, broadly defined.)

Then TB, you’re welcome to explain how the world would be healthier, more prosperous etc. if spheres of influence were left to the CCP and the Putin regime

RE – “… why the world would be healthier, happier, safer, more prosperous …”

Reveals much as to how a particular individual, located in a particular class, in a particular society, rooted in a particular culture might ‘construct’ a particular idealised world.

But, make no mistake, those ‘values’ should not be universalised or extrapolated – IF one wants to understand what motivates the vast bulk of others in the wider world.

It’s (again) ethnocentric! (And yes it’s very, very difficult not to be ethnocentric.)

You’ve (typically) ducked the issue MN.
At least I admit my position – I’d prefer that there were not superpowers, but since we have them, I’m glad one is an (imperfect) western democracy.
You just can’t bring yourself to admit that the world would be even more oppressed and dismal if it was just left to the CCP and the Putin regime to divide up their spheres of influence

Re – “… ducked the issue ..”

Perhaps – but maybe I duck the way the “issue” is defined (by you).

(As an aside of sorts). Just listening to Tim Dunlop on (Big Ideas RN) speak about the rise of the Teals and before them the ‘Voices for’ etc. Both have their roots in ‘kitchen table’ (political) get togethers. Crucially, they advanced via ‘discussion’. With minutes (records) provided at the end.

Yesterday, listened to Marcia Langton speak about the meetings re “Voice to Parliament” and how Aboriginal groups DON”T proceed by voting but by arriving at a ‘consensus’. Yes it takes time but everyone gets to have a say. Just as it was in the Greek City States (albeit by only male citizens.)

IN our ‘democracy’ one often hears about the need to “have a conversation with the electorate” BUT there’s no mechanism (structure) that enables that. People aren’t interested in politics because they have no discernable influence. It’s irrelevant to daily life – especially for younger people.

A couple of weeks ago Media Watch reported that Putin’s popularity was at 79%. (Yes it’s a nation at war BUT.) In China, governments have incredible high levels of popularity as well. In Australia and the USA, popularity of governments is usually ‘line ball’.

Perhaps we put far too much emphasis on the ‘process’ (voting) which is essentially a contest – with consensus (outcomes) being in retrospect.

Look at the USA. Enormous spending and yet the contest is between two effing incompetents. Not that it matters (perhaps).

Foreign Policy is outsourced to the Military Industrial Complex (doesn’t matter who the President is with the origin(s) of the Ukraine conflict, for example, having its roots in the early 1990s). Health Policy in the hands of giant Corporations. Economic/financial Policy outsourced to wall Street. etc etc.

Enough for now.

You should try thinking a little more MN.
* It is Russia that is in serious decline, the invasion of Ukraine is a last gasp for international relevance.
* Russia’s economy has contracted by about a third in the past decade. It’s loss is equivalent to the economies of Malaysia and South Africa combined.
* Western democracies continue to hold over 50% of the world’s trade.
* The EU economy is about the same size as China’s, and that’s without the UK
* The west is acting with more cohesion and unity that at any time in half a century.
* BRICS is likely to fall apart, with military clashes currently between India and China, Modi refusing to attend his annual meeting with Putin, Xi expressing reservations about Putin’s war
Don’t back the the success autocratic regimes

As Bernie Sanders points out – “At a time when we spend more than the next 11 nations combined on defense, we should invest in healthcare, jobs, housing, and education—not more weapons of destruction,”

(BTW – doesn’t include the billions of military aid given to Ukraine.)

Why not just tell some truth and rename the Department of Defense as the Department of ATTACK.

And there’s more: – “The $858 billion budget amounts to a roughly 10% increase from the previous year and $45 billion more than the historic sum President Joe Biden requested, and it was approved even after the Pentagon failed yet another audit, unable to account for more than 60% of its assets.”

What it doesn’t mention is the spending from its Vassals. It goes to great lengths to coerce NATO (read North American Treaty Organistion) to spend 2% of GDP on this Attack capability – 95% of which transfers to the USA’s military industrial complex.

Not to mention Australia’s regular tributes that are demanded. And paid!

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/12/16/moral-and-political-disgrace-just-11-senators-vote-no-858-billion-military-budget

Re BRICS and the laughable claim that – (just wishin’ and hopin’?) – “it’s likely to fall apart”

Did you know that:

“Algeria, Argentina, and Iran have all applied, while it is already known that Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt and Afghanistan are also interested, along with Indonesia, ”

No links equates to no credibility.

As for BRICS + + – just watch this space. Lol.

Yes Modi and Putin hate each other. Lol. They are almost at war. BRICS + is falling apart.

It’s in ToM’s (unreferenced) News. But it’s not in everyone’s news. Other sources provide evidence that both Nations (Russia and India) proceed on the basis of their interests. It’s an approach Australia could pursue.

By the way, there’s at least a dozen references that could be provided that offer like evidence.

ToM do yourself a favor and read some works by Antonio Gramsci (or commentators) on how “common sense” is produced/manufactured. But beware, Gramsci was a jailbird – a prisoner. But with Notebooks.

PM Modi will not go to Moscow for annual meeting with Putin
So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternatively in India and Russia. The last summit was held on December 6, 2021 in New Delhi.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/no-modi-putin-summit-this-year-after-they-met-in-september-report-8315950/

Your comprehension isn’t too good.
1. China and India are currently engaged in military conflict. They are the 2 biggest economies in BRICS.
2. Modi has repeatedly expressed concerns about Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and refused to attend his annual meeting with Putin.
You seem to deny those facts.

How good is it that Putin has shown the world that is is able to make a quick transition from fossil fuels

Hang on!

Yea, but, I just read those same words on here?

Hi to all, how’s everyone keeping? Well, I hope.

Some are till recovering from the big event yesterday?

What “big event” was that?*

You need to watch the video 😉

And for those who might be interested in economic theory (how it’s being constantly developed and the distance it yet must travel in order to become more ‘useful,)

” After the several western debacles centred on regime-change by military shock-and-awe, even hardened neo-cons – by 2006 – had conceded that a weaponised financial system was the only means to ‘secure the Empire’.

But this conviction has now been upended – and states around the world have taken notice.

This shock of miscalculation is all the greater because the West disdainfully had taken Russia to be a backward economy, with a GDP on a par to that of Spain. … Russia and Belarus, taken together, constitute only 3.3% of global GDP.

‘GDP’ as a measure of economic resilience is wholly “fictional”. Contrary to its name, GDP measures only aggregate expenditures. And that much of what is recorded as ‘production’, such the over-inflated billing for medical treatment in the U.S.’ and (said, tongue in cheek) services such as the hundreds of economists’ and bank analysts’ highly-paid analysis, are not production, per se, but “water vapour”.

Russia’s resilience, Todd attests, is due to the fact that it has a real economy of production. “War is the ultimate test of a political economy”, he notes. “It is the Great Revealer”.

And what is it that has been revealed? It has revealed another quite unexpected and shocking outcome – one that sends western commentators reeling – that Russia has not run out of missiles. ‘An economy the size of Spain, the western media ask, how can such a tiny economy sustain a prolonged war of attrition by NATO without running out of munitions?’.

‘GDP’ as a measure of economic resilience is wholly “fictional”. Contrary to its name, GDP measures only aggregate expenditures. And that much of what is recorded as ‘production’, such the over-inflated billing for medical treatment in the U.S.’ and (said, tongue in cheek) services such as the hundreds of economists’ and bank analysts’ highly-paid analysis, are not production, per se, but “water vapour”.

Russia’s resilience, Todd attests, is due to the fact that it has a real economy of production. “War is the ultimate test of a political economy”, he notes. “It is the Great Revealer”.

And what is it that has been revealed? It has revealed another quite unexpected and shocking outcome – one that sends western commentators reeling – that Russia has not run out of missiles. ‘An economy the size of Spain, the western media ask, how can such a tiny economy sustain a prolonged war of attrition by NATO without running out of munitions?’.

Russia has been able to sustain its weapons-supply because it has a real economy of production that has the capacity to maintain a war – and the West no longer does. The West fixated on its misleading metric of GDP – and with its normalcy bias – is shocked that Russia has the capacity to outpace NATO’s arms inventories. Russia was billed by western analysts as a ‘paper tiger’ – a label that now seems more likely to apply to NATO.

Much more here.

https://strategic-culture.org/news/2023/01/23/the-most-egregious-mistake/

TB there are many historian already saying it BUT they don’t get a run in the MSM. Censorship is out and about. Even in the freedom loving US of A.

Never mind who runs the country. Look at who owns it and whom they reward. (Check the graph.)

“The transfer of Australian assets to American ownership has continued unabated: In the second half of 2021 then Treasurer Josh Frydenberg approved the transfer of $130 billion of Australian assets to foreign private equity funds, benefiting Goldman Sachs who facilitated the transactions, by multimillions of dollars. … Josh Frydenberg now is employed by Goldman Sachs:”

And it’s all legal.

https://johnmenadue.com/committee-for-the-republic-salon-18-january-2023-anzus-leading-us-to-war-against-china/

In much the same way as the American Empire prepared the Ukrainians to do do their fighting against Russia, Australia is to lead the charge against China.

If only we had a democracy that went beyond a facile description.

TB of Queensland

I am still waiting for you to apologise for saying this

First the Howard government cheating East Timor out of millions of dollars by spying on them – a “friendly” nation …now the Morrison government cheating Australia! Dictator mentality!

The link you gave said two things.

1. we had a 50:50 deal with Indonesia for Timor Sea gas
2. Howard Cabinet was worried that we would lose our 50% share if Howard got East Timor their independence.

I am so glad i voted for Howard. Your mentality is to mislead people. Well, you will not mislead me.

But let’s talk about the USA
Investigating cases related to sexual and gender-based violence present specific challenges. The Commission has found that some Russian Federation soldiers committed such crimes. These acts amounted to different types of violations of rights, including sexual violence, torture, and cruel and inhuman treatment. There are examples of cases where relatives were forced to witness the crimes. In the cases we have investigated, the age of victims of sexual and gendered-based violence ranged from four to 82 years.
The report is illuminating
https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2022/09/update-chair-independent-international-commission-inquiry-ukraine-51st-session

They don’t stop transmission.

No, but they do/would slow it a lot if everyone got vaccinated.

Banning Djokovic was an act of stupid hubris

Yes, there was a lot of that about at the time 😉

2. There is good strong evidence that Howard & His Private School Bullies
happily cheated East Timor of what was rightfully theirs

Well then please provide some.

In September 1974, Whitlam met with Indonesian President, Suharto, in Indonesia and indicated that he would support Indonesia if it annexed East Timor.[53] At the height of the Cold War and with American retreat from Indo-China, he felt that if incorporated into Indonesia, the region would be more stable, and Australia would not risk having the East Timorese FRETILIN movement, which many feared was communist, come to power.

Tb

From your first link

The documents, still heavily redacted, show cabinet was concerned that Timor-Leste’s independence process may disrupt access to the oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea, because Australia’s prior agreement with Indonesia for a 50:50 revenue split would be void.

That was from your first link. Can you speak English? Once again

1. we had a 50:50 deal with Indonesia for Timor Sea gas
2. Howard Cabinet was worried that we would lose our 50% share if Howard got East Timor their independence.

I am so glad i voted for Howard. Your mentality is to mislead people. Well, you will not mislead me.

The historical perspective that’s slowly emerging. (But sadly not in the Empire or in it’s local vassal. Here’ we are focusing on balloons and spy cameras. Next it will be MG cars.)

As for “active and informed citizenship” – not even a blimp on the horizon.

Hey TB

I got this from Wikipedia

Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam told Indonesia that his government would not oppose an annexation of East Timor in 1975,[1] a decision that quickly proved controversial at home. In October 1975,
Indonesian troops poured across East Timor’s border with Indonesian West Timor at the town of Balibo. Among those killed by the advancing Indonesian troops were five Australia-based journalists, who came to be known
as the Balibo Five. Many in Australia and elsewhere[2] were convinced that the murder of the unarmed reporters was intentional.[3] Australian support was criticised at times. Australia and Indonesia concluded several contracts about the boundary between Timor-Leste and Australia during occupation time,
which is causing several quarrels between independent Timor-Leste and its bigger neighbour.[4]

Now we know why you say crap about Howard. Labor/Whitlam gave away East Timor. So you make stuff up about Howard.

TB- you need to stop making stuff up. But you never will

Was this a ‘terrorist act’?

Perhaps the UN will act? Lol.

TB

Did you read this???

Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam told Indonesia that his government would not oppose an annexation of East Timor in 1975,[1] a decision that quickly proved controversial at home. In October 1975,
Indonesian troops poured across East Timor’s border with Indonesian West Timor at the town of Balibo. Among those killed by the advancing Indonesian troops were five Australia-based journalists, who came to be known
as the Balibo Five. Many in Australia and elsewhere[2] were convinced that the murder of the unarmed reporters was intentional.[3] Australian support was criticised at times.

Now i know why you condemned John Howard for sending in the troops and getting East Timor their independence. You made stuff up saying Howard wanted their oil.

You said that because you cannot admit your party, the ALP gave away East Timor to Indonesia

Matt Gaetz is another one on Putin and MN’s side. Along with Silvio Berlusconi and Scott Ritter
What is it about the pro Putin brigade that causes so many of them to be child sex offenders?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Gaetz

Only for those who want to be informed – and have a concentration span to allow just that.

I doubt whether MN has anything to say about this…
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered “the most massive violations of human rights” in the world today, the head of the United Nations says, as the war pushes into its second year with no end in sight and tens of thousands dead.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-28/un-chief-points-to-massive-rights-violations-in-ukraine/102031056?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf264585173&utm_campaign=abc_news&utm_source=m.facebook.com&sf264585173=1

While the American Empire frequently claims the best of “intentions” (important in deontological ethics – read the 10 Commandments for example), the “outcomes” (teleological ethics) are invariably less than what was promised.

As stated at the outset of the conflict in 2014, Ukraine and its populace would be in a much better place today if it hadn’t chosen to drink the kool-aide and stayed well away from enticements to be the ‘meat in the sandwich’ between USA and Russia.

The war continues because the last Ukrainian isn’t dead yet. And the sad and dangerous reality that Russia believes its very existence as a (Christian) Nation is under threat while the American Empire (and its NATO creation) are also now over committed.

Both see that they cannot afford to ‘lose’. And both have an unrivalled capacity to destroy civilization as we know it.

Only China is attempting diplomacy.

A side of Zelensky rarely reported.

But he won’t negotiate until … the 12th of Never.

Re “decry the values of democratic nations” Lol.

So what are the “values” of these democratic nations of which you speak? Do they exist at the “lived” level or only at the “verbalized” (slogan) level? Care to enumerate?

Is North Korea a “democratic” Nation? (Its Formal title is “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)”). What about Russia? Have you read the Russian Constitution? It refers to being a “democracy” as well’

So where in the Australian Constitution does the word “democracy” get a mention? And if not, then why not? Does the Australian Citizen get the opportunity to elect the most powerful politician in the Nation? Who elected Morrison? Boris? Truss? Albo?

Might be time to look behind the slogans. To divide the world into “democracies” and “autocracies” (good and bad) is simplistic nonsense. Grow up!

Not necessarily opposed to “democracy” as a form of government but I do know that we haven’t given it (a democracy) an honest go. What we have currently is a facade.

To claim that Ukraine is a democracy is also hilarious. No free Press. Opposition organisations banned. Zelensky was elected on the promise that he would make peace with the Russian population. etc etc. Zelenski is a good actor. But also a puppet whose enduiring claim to fame is that he can play the piano with his “member”.

https://www.google.com/search?q=zelenski+piano&oq=zelenski&aqs=chrome.5.0i355i512j46i512j0i10i512l3j0i512j0i10i512j69i65.8304j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:9ea955ff,vid:oua0Puihrkc

For a democracy to function, it requires an informed electorate and citizens who are prepared to work at it. etc etc. No evidence of that.

You can’t help being an apologist for the fascist Putin regime
Your anti democratic views are too entrenched.
What’s the problem with Ukraine seeking the same democratic systems and living standards as other former Warsaw Pact countries?

TB of Queensland.

Are you still around? Read this

Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam told Indonesia that his government would not oppose an annexation of East Timor in 1975,[1] a decision that quickly proved controversial at home. In October 1975,

Your statement that Howard got East Timor their independence to get their gas was a smokescreen to cover up ALP failures.

You sneakily said that Howard invaded to steel their gas. But we already had 50%.

If labor was in power East Timor would still be part of Indonesia like Gough Whitlam wanted.

TB you are an expert in smokescreens.