Of Significance.

Second only on record Russian-Chinese strategic bombers patrol, escorted by Russian VKS SU-35Cs. 

MOSCOW -- Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol mission over the Western Pacific Tuesday in a show of increasingly close military ties between Moscow and Beijing. The Russian military said that a pair of its Tu-95 strategic bombers and four Chinese H-6K bombers flew over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the joint mission was intended to “develop and deepen the comprehensive Russia-China partnership, further increase the level of cooperation between the two militaries, expand their ability for joint action and strengthen strategic stability.” The ministry added that the patrol flight “wasn't directed against any third countries.”

Generally speaking, when you have two TU-95MS capable of carrying 16 X-101/102 cruise missiles with a range of 5000+ kilometers--the message cannot get any clearer.

As ABC notes:

It follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement in October that the idea of a future Russia-China military alliance can’t be ruled out — a signal of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing amid growing tensions in their relations with the United States.

It is, certainly, a very high level military cooperation once one considers that both types of bombers are nuclear capable and this joint patrol gives a taste of Russia's involvement with China, and vice-versa. of course, traditional Western media routine followed with headlines like this: South Korea scrambles jets as Chinese, Russian aircraft enter air defense zone. But it is a pretty routine thing for aircraft to cross many countries' "air defense zones" while not violating national airspace. Once one considers a concentrated dysfunction on the display in the United States, some reminders about red lines become necessary because today, with the United States--who knows. The country is, for all appearances, collapsing in a sense that it is a perfect storm of a systemic and institutional disintegration. One MUST ask questions about what is going on when the law of the land is being gang-raped, together with common sense and morality, with none other than former AG Barr entering the mode "nothing to see here, folks, move along, move along". 

This whole thing is a wowser--I can see, obviously, a reaction in Russia on that and it is one of disbelief. A third world country run by mafia still pretending that it is "free" and is "democracy". It is a pathetic show of law and order being thrown out of the window by "elites" who are corrupt and unprincipled to the utmost. If you think you have seen it all, wait for this. The Nation, US preeminent lefty magazine produced this few days ago:

The Votes of Black Americans Should Count Twice. Vote reparations would empower us to replace oppressive institutions with life-affirming structures of equality.

Meanwhile, Washington still cannot pass a normal Stimulus Bill which is urgently needed to give desperate tens of millions of people some relief in the what passes for the economy, which is in a state of paralysis. Merry Christmas, you, deplorables. The scale of a clusterfuck the United States has become defies the imagination. The signs are unmistakable--the dysfunction metastasized and threatens to grow into a complete chaos. Most likely it will before turning America into the Orwellian nightmare. We are getting there. As I always say, drawing any historic parallels is a fool's errand, this is an uncharted territory because the world changed so much. 

Meanwhile in a truly bizarre world of America's greatest nation that ever was, circus continues:

The US sanctions list, published by the US Department of Commerce, includes the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Foreign Intelligence Service. 

Demoralized Russian Armed Forces and intelligence services are about to capitulate unconditionally and declaration of unconditional surrender due to American sanctions to follow shortly, any minute now. Or maybe not. That is why Russian-Chinese full-blown military alliance may be closer than we think--its contours are already visible now. In fact, it could be the only thing which can prevent the US from going rogue fully, but then, God help us all.