The Congress Of Die Linke...

 ... political party. That's Euro "left" for you. 

Basically, the West's "left" today is tightly connected to all forms of perversion which are wrapped in the left's traditional rhetoric about social justice the fulcrum of which, as you may have guessed it already, is in... well, perversion. Obviously, such parties being the extension of a political manipulation apparatus of the Euro oligarchy are disposable and have zero instruments to influence the establishment of any kind of real social justice which lies primarily in economic field and the fate of the productive forces of the society. Yes, this includes this proverbial working class and people who actually contribute to society.

Lt. Colonel Davis And Me...

 ... noon Seattle time (3:00 PM EST), live. 

 

Ah, Yes.

 Trump, the military strategist. 

Бывший президент Дональд Трамп сообщил, что угрожал российскому президенту Владимиру Путину нанести удар по Москве, он сделал это заявление в интервью The Wall Street Journal. «Я сказал: «Владимир, если ты будешь гоняться за Украиной, я нанесу тебе такой сильный удар, что ты даже не поверишь. Я нанесу тебе удар прямо в центр гребаной Москвы». Я сказал: «Мы друзья. Я не хочу этого делать, но у меня нет выбора», — утверждает Трамп.

Translation: Former President Donald Trump said he threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin to strike Moscow, he told The Wall Street Journal. "I said, 'Vladimir, if you go after Ukraine, I'm going to strike you so hard you won't believe it. I'm going to strike you right in the middle of fucking Moscow.' I said, 'We're friends. I don't want to do it, but I have no choice,'" Trump said.

Yep, that's Trump, alright. In fact, classic Trump who cannot live without self-aggrandizing and BSing for a minute. Not that the cackling idiotress is any better, in fact she, or rather those who are behind her, is much worse, but that is how US "options" look like today. That's statesmanship, or what passes for it in today's US. Sad picture, really...

Yeah, Right...

 ... and too late. No matter how one tries to dance around it. 

There is a serious case to be made, that "studying" tactical minutiae, especially infused with a lot of 404 propaganda is not going to change anything for Pentagon, not to speak of NATO chihuahuas, because it is impossible to recreate grand-strategic and military strategic framework of Russia in the country whose Russian "expertise" for decades is based on BS by Soviet/Russian dissidents and other shysters from Ivy League who created and then bought completely their own BS in military history. PR they can do, beyond that--these are amateurs. 

However, give Cavoli the credit where credit is due--at least we know that Cavoli IS NOT Ben Hodges. Not by a long shot--under present circumstances this is not a small accomplishment. At least Cavoli admits (partially) the inevitable. Russia is done with the West. I read today some protestations from some Germans in the comments to my latest video that comparing SPD or Grune to Nazis is wrong. No, it is not, both parties profess genocidal ideologies and it is on the SPD watch that German panzers burned again on the Russian soil. Meanwhile Moldova gave EU the middle finger and UAE's President Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is treated by Putin as a dear friend. Here is him on the way to Novo-Ogarevo for personal visit with Vladimir Putin...

Russians treasure friends...

It Is Being Openly Mocked...

... West's economic "statistics". Hysteria around SMO and Kazan 2024. 

Kim Instructs...

 ... North Korean Troops before "deployment" to SMO. 

"Motherland expects from you: toilet bowls, microwaves, washing machines and asphalt." ;)) Just like from Russian Army whose personnel doesn't know what microwave ovens and toilet bowls are.

Ania--Concise And To The Point...

 ... speaks what everyone who matter understand. 

"BRICS SUMMIT, NOT US ELECTIONS WILL DETERMINE COURSE OF HISTORY"

Open Thread.

 Really busy today. Go at it.

Friday...

 ... Andre delivers, again. With Pakistani Donald Trump, no less))

 

Just Want To...

 ... reiterate, using James Kunstler's definition, the clusterfuck which this whole 404 adventure has become. 

МОСКВА, 17 окт — РИА Новости. Владимир Зеленский на совместном брифинге с генсеком НАТО Рютте призвал страны отправить военных для пополнения рядов ВСУ, его слова приводит украинское издание "Страна.ua". "Наш посыл всем странам: готовьте бригады, они могут быть резервом и могут заменить наших ребят, которые устали, они могут заменить их на поле боя", — отметил он.

Translation: MOSCOW, October 17 — RIA Novosti. Volodymyr Zelensky, at a joint briefing with NATO Secretary General Rutte, called on countries to send troops to replenish the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, his words are quoted by the Ukrainian publication Strana.ua. "Our message to all countries: prepare brigades, they can be a reserve and can replace our guys who are tired, they can replace them on the battlefield," he said.

 

Yes, prepare brigades. I say go one up--how about divisions, nay, army corps. I am sure the whole NATO is willing to fight Russia after it was demonstrated to them how the best NATO army as it existed prior to February 2022 was dealt with. Nah, I am screwing with you. But this Ze's latest escapade tells you almost everything you need to know what is cooking for the former 404 and US elections. The BRICS timing couldn't have been better. And couldn't have been more symbolic than that. Now enjoy the views of Kazan. 

They are beginning to develop what will be known as Kazan-city, Kazan wants her own skyscraper cluster.

On The Eve Of Kazan...

 ... Putin's large interview. 

 

Now They Begin To Ask...

 ... questions where their sons and husbands are. Too late for that. 

They don't understand that now Russians don't care and, in fact, are quite satisfied with numbers of 200s and 300s from 404. They applauded atrocities against Russians. Russians will neither forget, nor forgive.

Nima And Me...

 ... in an hour, live. 

 

This Is In The Foundation...

 ... of the whole goddamn thing with the West. 

It was always about it. Even when it deals with metaphysical, such as West's attempts to remove Orthodox Christians through Kiev's regime from their cathedrals, as is the case today in Cherkassy.

 

Russia and Russian Orthodoxy are a threat to the West by the fact of their fierce independence which can also defend itself. In fact, best in the world in this respect and, yes, it is a very loaded statement.

Larry On "Mixed Reviews"...

 ... of Ze's "Victory Plan", LOL))

Read the whole thing at Larry's blog.
 

I Salute You, General.

He was a rare breed--of the British Stiff Upper Lip and his coarse voice when he made a decision to stop the slide towards WW III, especially against the background of a hysterical Wesley Clark, sounded with authority. Boy, the world needed then, in 1999, a true British courage and toughness. And General Sir Mike Jackson delivered. 

General Sir Mike Jackson, the former head of the British army who commanded troops in the 2003 Iraq war, has died aged 80. The former chief of the general staff died on Tuesday surrounded by his family. Jackson, who was given the moniker “the Prince of Darkness” for his composed manner and gravelly voice, also served in senior command posts in Kosovo during the 1990s. The British army wrote on X: “It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the death of General Sir Mike Jackson GCB, CBE, DSO, on 15 October surrounded by his family. “General ‘Jacko’ served with distinction for over 40 years, finishing his career as Chief of the General Staff.

Russians today pay tribute to a real soldier.  

В Великобритании в возрасте 80 лет скончался отставной генерал Майкл Джексон, бывший начальник штаба Сухопутных сил страны, сообщают британские СМИ со ссылкой на Минобороны королевства и Совет ветеранов десанта. В историю он вошел как «самый разумный военный в НАТО», когда в 1999 году отказался выполнять приказ американского генерала Уэсли Кларка о штурме аэропорта Слатина в Приштине (Косово), который марш-броском заняли российские десантники. «Я не начну третью мировую войну из-за вас», – сказал тогда генерал Джексон американцу. Проявив тем самым ответственность, которая выше ответственности перед вышестоящим руководителем – ответственность ни много ни мало за судьбу всего человечества.

Translation: Retired General Michael Jackson, former Chief of Staff of the British Army, has died at the age of 80, British media reported, citing the UK Ministry of Defence and the Airborne Veterans Council. He went down in history as "the most sensible military man in NATO" when in 1999 he refused to carry out an order from US General Wesley Clark to storm the Slatina airport in Pristina (Kosovo), which Russian paratroopers had taken by force. "I will not start World War III because of you," General Jackson told the American. He thereby demonstrated a responsibility that is higher than responsibility to a superior - a responsibility for the fate of all mankind, no more and no less.

Rest In Peace General! You were a true soldier and a pride of United Kingdom. I salute you.

Russia will also remember you.

Colonel Is On Fire Today.

Indeed, real professionals know the truth... Emphasis on REAL. 

No, Not Really.

 BND chief knows very little about Russia and... Germany. 

Russia is obsessed with Germany and is seeking to undermine its unity through disinformation, influence operations and sabotage, the heads of German intelligence agencies have claimed, asking lawmakers for more power and funding.

Most Russians don't give a flying fuck if Germany ceases to exist tomorrow. I speak about this and other things in my video.  

NATO Armor Doesn't Do Well...

 ... in Kursk borderlands. Neither did SS Panzer Divisions in 1943. Thanks to Kazmans. 

I wonder where those mighty British Challengers are, I am positive these wonder weapons surely will turn the tide of SMO in 404's (euphemism for NATO) favor. Right? Nah, I am screwing with you)). They are in the swamp.

Nikolaev Tank Repairing Plant...

 ... doesn't repair anything anymore after a jolly group of five Iskanders paid the visit to this strategic facility. 

The video gives a very good spacial reference picture speed-wise (M=6+ hypersonic weapons arrivals) and why NATO AD complexes are powerless against Iskanders; five building have been completely denazified together with 10 units (6 tanks included) of armor in them. And, as you can see yourself, somehow those damn Russkies have a very (I would say outstanding) accuracy of those missiles. Must be Western microchips from washing machines and backward optronic guidance, I am sure Russians got those from Japanese cameras.

Yep, Context...

 ... or rather those ever important operational factors matter. Larry makes an excellent point. 

Let’s start with some facts. From August 1 to September 30, the Russians captured territory that is twice the size of the Gaza Strip:

The Russian Armed Forces captured:

1) 468 sq. km of territory In September 15.6 sq. km/day

2) 351 sq. km of territory In August 11.3 sq. km/day

The Gaza Strip is 41 kilometres (25 miles) long, from 6 to 12 km (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide, and has a total area of 365 km 2 (141 sq mi).

And we are not talking empty farm land. The Russians are in the process of enveloping the Ukrainian troops that invaded Kursk and have captured scores of villages and towns along the line of contact in the Donbass. The Western press is struggling to come to grips with the reality of what is happening on the ground. As I noted in my October 11 article, Why Is the Pentagon Now Pushing the False Narrative About Russian Casualties?, the Ukrainians continue to exaggerate the number of Russian casualties and Western officials accept the bunk as true. The fantasy tale was presented in a Politico article, Russia Gains Ground in Ukraine, But at Steep Cost.

Correct, they need to self-medicate. Hence they exaggerate. SMO is an Exhibit A of a professional (forget about morals for now) inadequacy of the best and the brightest in Pentagon. It is a double whammy--a humiliation with a bitter taste of all-consuming professional envy. It is as simple as that. Read the whole thing at Larry's blog.

In Related News...

 ... BS primarily occupies the space in the brains of NATO military "leaders" where such things as sound military education, experience, logic and Sun Tzu's triviality about "knowing thy enemy et al" should reside instead of this substance of bovine excrement, but who am I kidding.  

WIESBADEN, Germany (Reuters) - NATO will not be cowed by Russian threats but keep up its strong support of Kyiv, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on his first visit to the alliance's Ukraine mission in Wiesbaden, set to take over the coordination of military aid from the U.S. "The message (to Russian President Vladimir Putin) is that we will continue, that we will do what's necessary to make sure that he will not get his way, that Ukraine will prevail," he told Reuters in a joint interview with German public radio Hessischer Rundfunk on Monday. Rutte spoke at Clay Barracks, the U.S. base hosting the headquarters of the new mission, dubbed NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), which will gradually assume the coordination of Western military aid to Kyiv.

Yes, it is always a good idea of creating the commission on managing the previous commissions which have been created for the study of the issue on creating more commissions. 

Speaking in one of 12 green tents that house NSATU as it is built up, Rutte earlier on Monday addressed allied troops from more than a dozen nations already working on the mission that will, at a later stage, move into a nearby hangar and be complemented by Ukrainian troops. NSATU is expected to have a total strength of some 700 personnel, including troops stationed at NATO's military headquarters SHAPE in Belgium and at logistics hubs in Poland and Romania. The Wiesbaden base is also home to the U.S. unit in charge of long-range missiles that Washington will deploy to Germany temporarily from 2026, to counter what both countries describe as a threat posed by Russian missiles stationed as close as Kaliningrad, some 500 kilometres (311 miles) from Berlin.

Say what? How could they have allowed this thing to happen in the midst of... only 12 green tents. There should have been at least... three times more green tents. 

How can anyone plan aid and NATO operations for VSU in only 12 green tents is beyond me, plus--what kind of a joke is this? Why green tents? They should be pink or, at least, of some sort of light reddish hue. 

But, of course, the reality of the resources and scales is not known to such people as Rutte (look up his bio--the guy's background is... fabulous) who from the day one has a firm hand of Washington up his ass to assure that he doesn't deviate from the party line while NATO (a euphemism for the USA) is in desperate search of a solution to this conundrum. After all, in accordance to Pentagon and State Department "planning" Putin's "regime" was supposed to collapse some time late 2022--early 2023. Well, it is the end of 2024, and apart from demolishing best ever American proxy, the news are really bad. Like this:

МОСКВА, 15 окт — РИА Новости. Рубль по итогам августа впервые стал главной валютой для расчетов за импорт товаров и услуг из стран азиатского региона, следует из анализа РИА Новости данных Банка России. В конце лета его доля в платежах достигла рекордных 43,6% против 42,9% месяцем ранее. При этом удельный вес рубля превысил валюты дружественных стран в августе на 0,6 процентного пункта, что позволило российской валюте стать основной для оплаты поставок. Рекордную долю рубль также занял в расчетах за африканские товары, увеличившись на 0,5 процентного пункта — до 69,9%, а также за поставки из Океании, где им оплачивается 84,3%. В целом в августе российская валюта стала использоваться в импорте немного меньше — 44,7% против 45,9% в июле. Одновременно сократилась и доля дружественных валют — сразу на 2,2 процентного пункта, до 31,2%. А вот главными бенефициарами стали "токсичные" валюты, в которых стали оплачивать 24,1% российского импорта против 20,7% месяцем ранее. Главным образом это произошло за счет увеличения доли недружественных валют в расчетах за импорт из Азии (+1,1 процентного пункта, 13,3%), Америки (+8,3 процентного пункта, 71%) и Европы (+6,9 процентного пункта, 49,3%).

Translation: MOSCOW, 15 Oct — RIA Novosti. The ruble became the main currency for payments for imported goods and services from Asian countries for the first time in August, according to RIA Novosti’s analysis of Bank of Russia data. At the end of summer, its share in payments reached a record 43.6% against 42.9% a month earlier. At the same time, the share of the ruble exceeded the currencies of friendly countries in August by 0.6 percentage points, which allowed the Russian currency to become the main one for paying for deliveries. The ruble also took a record share in payments for African goods, increasing by 0.5 percentage points to 69.9%, as well as for deliveries from Oceania, where it is used to pay for 84.3%. Overall, the Russian currency began to be used slightly less in imports in August — 44.7% against 45.9% in July. At the same time, the share of friendly currencies also decreased — by 2.2 percentage points, to 31.2%. But the main beneficiaries were "toxic" currencies, which began to pay for 24.1% of Russian imports, compared to 20.7% a month earlier. This was mainly due to the increase in the share of unfriendly currencies in payments for imports from Asia (+1.1 percentage points, 13.3%), America (+8.3 percentage points, 71%) and Europe (+6.9 percentage points, 49.3%).

These numbers (with minor fluctuations) are the material manifestation of what real military power buys one, not just sovereignty but the ability to trade with your partners in whatever currency and on whatever conditions one wants. And Kazan is coming...  

Is There Any Chance...

 ... for us to get into this future (or afterlife--is this how the paradise looks like?). 

Reality, however, is this... it is still genius... 

...

Here Are Some Interesting Thoughts...

... on Russia's Ark. Charles who has his own channel explains in this video why he is in Russia (turn on the captions). 

He is a French traditional Catholic who stresses especially one thing which Europe lacks--safety for a family and not just the physical one. Remarkably, I want to do a quiz, a "competition" of sorts--who can identify the SECOND most important thing in Charles' story other than, of course, his life story? It is in the video. BTW--can totally relate, all my life, it seems, we were moving. Changing places, it seems, is the hallmark of our clan)). 

 

P.S. For those who will start questioning, again, my reasons for staying in the US and not moving back to Russia. I will repeat (again)--our home (not house, but home) is in the US and the US, unlike Europe, is still a different story. It is a complex story but our reasons are valid. Plus--I just need to get out of the house and see magnificent Cascades and breath the air of Pacific Ocean every morning. In related news, went to Sportsman's Warehouse and bought myself Beretta APX1 Compact. Just let it be...  Security, you know--we shoot first and ask questions later.

Kiel Report...

 ... and some numbers are shocking. Even when sourced from 404 and US "data". US Army Anti-UAV latest prototypes don't do that well in real war. Russian and Chinese navies seem to be in a non-stop combat training mode, obviously operating as a joint force. Kazan is coming, you know, and Washington knows what this is all about and trembles... That is why joint task groups are in the sea all the time. 

People Ask Me...

 ... why I insist that the SMO is effectively a closing salvo of WW II. My first book is largely about it without stating it like this. But with Kazan BRICS summit coming and new reports pouring in about atrocities committed by "mercenaries" from the West and about their (very low) combat qualities, one begins to understand why they hate Russia. This also explains why they cannot lose as in maintaining a degree of decency and honor when defeated. And they have been defeated. Now comes this sensitive issue of how much, in the end, Nazis influenced the US--a lot, but we knew that. The issue, however, is larger, it is metaphysical. The moment the West is defeated and enters "arrangement" phase...

ВАТИКАН, 14 окт – РИА Новости. Посланник папы Римского Франциска по урегулированию на Украине кардинал Маттео Дзуппи в понедельник прибыл в Россию для оценки усилий по содействию воссоединению семей и обмену пленными, сообщили РИА Новости в службе печати Святого престола. "Подтверждаю, что кардинал Маттео Дзуппи сегодня начал новый визит в Москву в рамках миссии, порученной ему папой Франциском в прошлом году, чтобы встретиться с властями и оценить дальнейшие усилия по содействию воссоединению украинских детей с семьями и обмену пленными", - сообщил представитель ватиканской пресс-службы. Ранее источник РИА Новости сообщил, что Дзуппи провел встречу с министром иностранных дел Сергеем Лавровым, эту информацию подтвердил МИД РФ. Другой источник не исключил встречи кардинала с патриархом Московским и всея Руки Кириллом. 

Translate: VATICAN CITY, October 14 – RIA Novosti. Pope Francis’ envoy for a settlement in Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, arrived in Russia on Monday to assess efforts to facilitate family reunification and prisoner exchanges, the Holy See press service told RIA Novosti. “I confirm that Cardinal Matteo Zuppi began a new visit to Moscow today as part of the mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis last year to meet with the authorities and assess further efforts to facilitate the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families and the exchange of prisoners,” a Vatican press service spokesman said. Earlier, a RIA Novosti source reported that Zuppi had met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; this information was confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Another source did not rule out a meeting between the cardinal and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
I don't doubt for a second that Vatican and its envoy have humanitarian aspirations and are genuine in that. But Pope's envoy is in Moscow not for that as a main item of discussion. They are not idiots in Vatican, they have been doing this for centuries, including assisting in saving remnants of Nazi big honchos in 1945. But this time Vatican knows that Russia has all economic, military, diplomatic, political and intellectual resources to finish the combined West off as a threat. The Western Europe in 1944 was "saved" from the Red Army marching in 1946 to France, thus obtaining a full control of Europe, not least through massive political power on the Communist and real left-wing parties in Italy, Greece, France etc. It was "saved" by Anglo-American Allies. But then, the USSR lay in ruins, courtesy of the unified European Nazi forces, today the picture is radically different--it is the combined West which is hollowed out economically, militarily and spiritually. So, Vatican needs to know what's next. They worry... and rightly so.

 

Next is the dismantling of the Western institutions which allowed morally bankrupt Western Europe, as an active enabler of Nazism economically and militarily, and as a tacit supporter of the Nazi vision in the East, to continue after the WW II and even prosper. This time is over--it is the combined West which must be denazified. I talk about it in my today's video and Kazan-2024. And Vatican knows that once Russia withdraws from European geopolitical project of the last 1,000 years, Europe and the West are over. Russia is the only country in the world which can obliterate the West physically, economically and morally and Russians, it seems, finally made up their mind. Stalin was explicit on May 9, 1945. 

The great sacrifices we made in the name of the freedom and independence of our Motherland, the incalculable privations and sufferings experienced by our people in the course of the war, the intense work in the rear and at the front, placed on the altar of the Motherland, have not been in vain, and have been crowned by complete victory over the enemy. The age-long struggle of the Slav peoples for their existence and their independence has ended in victory over the German invaders and German tyranny. Henceforth the great banner of the freedom of the peoples and peace among peoples will fly over Europe.

Europe doesn't deserve freedom and it is time to finish the job.

The Timing Of Kursk...

 ... operation was chosen by NATO planners with what you can see in this video--of which I explained at the very start of this "mission"--in mind. Correct--a presence of fairly thick forests which would have made (which they did) the work of Russian UAVs operators harder. Well, it still didn't decide the issue and UAVs still provided and continue to provide critical support for what now has become a mop-up operation or, rather, dig out operation in Kursk Oblast against VSU. It was one of the tactical and operational factors strongly considered by NATO, including the idea of digging in inside those forests for a PR effect. Reports of VSU "holding the ground" was a good propaganda fodder for the Western public but, as marine from the now legendary 810th Brigade explains and shows (in Russian but you do not really need an interpreter--everything is self-evident), they tried to pull this trick in a wrong country, against wrong armed forces and people.

But, but... as you can see yourself, Pacer (Inokhodets) has very little problem with finding valuable VSU (in reality NATO's) armor and dealing with it by means of a very nasty ATGM Vikhr.

As a result--most of the roads in the small pocket in Kursk Oblast are littered with NATO's armor. 

Not a good idea in both cases: either hiding in forests or, let alone, traveling in the open--it is death sentence in both cases, and as both Alexes correctly noted yesterday--Lavrov's "demand" to lift all sanctions off Russia is peremptory and... naturally designed to be refused by the US. Russians do it on purpose...

Russia can continue with SMO for as long as it wants, NATO... well, has lost and is out of resources, that includes the US. Meanwhile, Russians produced a horror for the West, officially--Excimer Lasers. First fully Russian lithography machines are going into series production early 2026. For now 350 nm, then, 90 and then... Mikron does produce 90 and 65 nm topology already, but this is done on Western technology. Now, however, a critical range for all military and most industrial applications is already being tested on Russian-made machines. So, I guess, no more cannibalizing those Western washing machines and... tanks to extract those precious microchips for Russian missiles, of which Russia ran out like... since ever. What a bummer, right?

Summary Of NATO's Kursk Planning...

 ... by Akhmat guys. It is an operational perfection itself))).

 

I See, It Didn't Go As Planned...

 ... but didn't war criminals from the US MSM were trying to convince us that Israel's economy and Army are just the finest thing ever? They sure did. And now...

Israeli Army Economizing on Weapons Use Amid Arms Embargoes, Sources Say. To better prioritize use of weaponry, the Israeli army raised the rank of officers allowed to approve use of mortars and other weaponry as ammunition inventories dwindle. 

Hey, it's Haaretz today, not me. You see, the real war is a bitch. As many pointed out--Nixon had to take the US off gold standard precisely because otherwise he wouldn't be able to finance the war in Vietnam. You see, this is the USA of 1971--still the largest and most advanced industrial economy in the world at a time. Yet, even the US couldn't do it against Vietnamese, who, while supported by the Soviet Union primarily, and China, had one thing which the US didn't have--love for their nation and heroism while fighting on their land. Now, consider the issue of the Middle East--as I repeat ad nauseam, Israel's economy depends on many critical supplies on Israrl's slap bitch, the US. Once war gets into protracted attrition mode, Israel has no real resources. Especially so human ones. 

London CNN  — In late September, as Israel’s nearly year-long war widened and its credit rating was downgraded yet again, the country’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said that, while Israel’s economy was under strain, it was resilient. “Israel’s economy bears the burden of the longest and most expensive war in the country’s history,” Smotrich said on September 28, a day after Israeli airstrikes killed Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, ratcheting fears that tensions with the militant group would turn into a full-blown conflict. “The Israeli economy is a strong economy that even today attracts investments.” 

While even the imbeciles from all kinds of "rating agencies" get it, reality is--Israel is the country with a population of around 9-9.5 million, that is to say around the size of population of Hungary, which means no matter how they BS everybody about their "hi-tech" and shit, Israel simply has no (zilch, zero) population-industrial base to survive on its own, especially against the enemy which is highly motivated and is ready for the long haul. Period. I omit here extremely low tactical literacy and combat qualities of IDF. One cannot fight physics and math, it is impossible. In the end, Iran alone dwarfs Israel economically in real terms, not in those BS GDP numbers. Remember, CINC--Combined Index of National Capability? Please, find me Israel here... I can see Iran clearly, though. 

Turkish Gambit...

I have a sense that for Erdogan and Turkiye Kazan 2024 will be a turning point. Erdogan is not dumb and he can see, at least partially, the outcome for Atlanticism. It is not a good outcome. But the time comes when he will have (or be forced) to act in accordance to overwhelmingly strong logic of circumstances which BRICS in Kazan will create. In fact, those circumstances are already in place. Fikret Akfirat of Aydinlik wrote a succinct summary on the issue (in Turkish). In the same time, Germany and its combat "technology", especially famed (a euphemism for propaganda) Leopards have had enough. 

Fire In The Hole.

A rather dramatic way of Russians dealing with this famed VSU "defense"--mostly hiding in dugouts and all kinds of other holes. Cannon fodder it is and not very effective at that anymore.

Anti-tank mine will do the trick. Few, if any, will survive. Mind you--not grenade but anti-tank mine.

Attitudes, Really?

I am always in awe with the US establishment newspeak when they try to turn causality upside down and break any logical connections to the events. BTW, this is how they teach military history in the US military academies. 

Dreary economic attitudes and sharply divergent views on social policies mark the 2024 presidential election, contributing to a tighter contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump: Just 2 percentage points now divide them in a new ABC News/Ipsos poll. Harris has 50% support to Trump's 48% among likely voters in the national survey, with a similar 49-47% result among all registered voters. (Among all adults, regardless of registration status, it's a single-point race, 49-48%, excluding those who wouldn't vote.)

Ah, so these are merely "attitudes", which could be "adjusted" by propaganda machine, not the real situation with the US economy which is, in reality, catastrophic. Huge part of it, of course, is pouring money and resources into the catastrophe in 404 and the US already IN the strategic defeat--a hare brained scheme by ignorant ideologues such as late Zbig and other doctrine-mongers from Washington who know about zero about Russia and warfare. Now we have this:

Oct 11 (Reuters) - Boeing will cut 17,000 jobs -- 10% of its global workforce -- delay first deliveries of its 777X jet by a year and record $5 billion in losses in the third quarter, as the U.S. planemaker continues to spiral during a month-long strike. CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a message to employees that the significant downsizing is necessary "to align with our financial reality" after an ongoing strike by 33,000 U.S. West Coast workers halted production of its 737 MAX, 767 and 777 jets.

As you may have guessed it--these are all the hallmarks of the "great" economy. We also witness now "great" Israeli "Army" "fighting" as only they can do...

I worked as a trauma surgeon in Gaza from March 25 to April 8. I’ve volunteered in Ukraine and Haiti, and I grew up in Flint, Mich. I’ve seen violence and worked in conflict zones. But of the many things that stood out about working in a hospital in Gaza, one got to me: Nearly every day I was there, I saw a new young child who had been shot in the head or the chest, virtually all of whom went on to die. Thirteen in total. At the time, I assumed this had to be the work of a particularly sadistic soldier located nearby. But after returning home, I met an emergency medicine physician who had worked in a different hospital in Gaza two months before me. “I couldn’t believe the number of kids I saw shot in the head,” I told him. To my surprise, he responded: “Yeah, me, too. Every single day.”

The pattern repeats itself in Donbas and Kursk Oblast against civilians, including children. Rape, beheading, public executions. Well, Washington, enjoy yourself in the mirror. These are your people, albeit in case of Israel--you are Israel's people... The West is over...

...

Open Thread.

 Go at it. Very busy today.

Friday...

Phil Collins (I wish him only the best--he is very ill) is a certified Russophobe and, evidently, not a very bright fellow. Many hate him for turning great Genesis towards popsy sound, once Steve Hackett has departed. But, I still love And Then There Were Three album as well as Wind and Wuthering--all post Gabriel albums. And they were good, damn good...

If You Want To Understand...

 ... why the US military education is bunk, here is an example. From neocon central Atlantic Council. Let's start, however, with the CV of the author of this drivel. He is JAG, actually. Lt.Colonel Gregg Curley. He is in Marines and most of his military education has entries like this: Roger Williams University School of Law, MBA and Naval Justice School. Hey, I have nothing against JAGs anywhere--they do a very important work in Armed Forces and are critical in many judicial matters of everyday military life and war. This, however, hardly explains this entry: USMC Command and Staff College, Master of Military Science. The immediate question here WHAT military science? Here is the list of this 10 months course:

Command and Staff College courses are taught by a military and civilian faculty divided into four departments:  Leadership, Warfighting, War Studies, and Security Studies. The program consists of 11 core courses and two electives (electives change each year and are not listed).

• Leadership in the Profession of Arms I

• Evolution of Modern Warfare 

• National Security Affairs and the International System

• Joint and Marine Corps Operations

• The Marine Corps Planning Process

• Leadership in the Profession of Arms II

• Origins and Evolution of Contemporary Great Power Competition

• Evolving National Security Concepts and Operations

• Complex Operational Problem Solving and Design

• Master of Military Studies

• Capstone Planning Exercise (PC-X) 

Absolutely nothing is wrong with this list except... that this course Origins and Evolution of Contemporary Great Power Competition in the US should be completely disposed of due to confabulation of the American military and political history in the XX century and a complete block in ANY US military educational institutions of REAL history of WW II. It is simply not taught anymore in any US military school. Secondly, I don't see a critical course of the Theory of Operational Research and introduction to appropriate level mathematics which starts in military academies, say in Russia? Can you teach an MBA and JAG differential equations, a spread of applied physics of military technology and systems integration understanding of which is critical for modern day battlefield in all three manifestations of military art: tactics, operations and strategy. Do you sense where I am going with it? Well, so this marine Lt. colonel pens this wowser...

In the early days of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, the Atlantic Council’s Daniel Fried likened Ukraine’s bold maneuver to George Washington’s historic raid across the Delaware River. At the time, this analogy was fitting, given the information available and the perceived objectives. However, as the operation approaches the six-week mark, it has become clear that this incursion is not merely a raid—a military operation characterized by temporary seizure of territory and a planned withdrawal. Ukraine has had multiple opportunities to withdraw, yet it remains. At this point, a different historical analogy may provide some insights: the Battle of Gettysburg.

You see, this is what lack of serious military STEM education and ignorance of world's military history (with the exception of beaten to death mind-rape of the American Civil War) gets you--correct, operational-strategic kindergarten. First, what nobody told those US generals and colonels is that it is 2024 and technological paradigm changed so much that it completely overhauled Operations and Operational Art and, as a result, strategy, that even time-wise and technologically close to us WW II lessons should be applied within a strict framework of technological, tactical and operational caveats, which, in the end redefine the whole process of developing strategies--a process unknown for the US military. So, finding a historic symmetry between Gettysburg and VSU's (a euphemism for the Washington and London "planners") suicidal incursion in Kursk Oblast is downright stupid. 

Curley lists "similarities" and parallels" : 

Strategic parallels and potential objectives in Ukraine

1. Political impact: A significant Ukrainian victory, combined with Russia’s embarrassment, could demoralize Russian forces, boost Ukrainian morale, intensify domestic and international pressure on Russian leadership, and enhance Ukraine’s leverage in negotiations or potential peace talks.
2. International recognition: Success on Russian soil could increase international support for Ukraine, resulting in continued military and economic aid while further isolating Russia diplomatically. In the short term, it could also prompt reconsideration of restrictions on the use of foreign-supplied weapons in Russian territory, enhancing Ukraine’s operational capabilities.
3. Further military campaigns: Ukrainian success could force Russia to redeploy some of its troops, limiting Russia’s ability to advance in the Donbas and perhaps providing time and space for Ukraine to strengthen its defensive position in the region.
4. Impact on morale and military strategy: Major Ukrainian victories could significantly boost national unity and morale, encouraging volunteer enlistment and drawing stronger international support.
5. Bringing the fight to Russia: While early successes could strengthen Ukraine’s position, they may also force the Kremlin to resource another front, which would further diminish public support and may generate additional leverage for Ukraine.

For starters he should go to the mirror and look into it. It WAS NOT a Ukrainian "operation" and VSU didn't have "many opportunities to withdraw", because there was no order from NATO to withdraw. It is a known and well documented fact that on all command levels in SMO Armed Forces of Ukraine are "manually" commanded by NATO officers. Not very good officers, I may add, because the only reason a catastrophe in Kursk (together with atrocities against civilians--a hallmark of American way of war) was planned and undertaken is an election campaign in the US with a desperate need for any kind of success in SMO which was launched in counter to a delusional Washington plan (they are ignorant illiterate people in Washington) in 2022 to topple "Putin's Regime". US Armed Forces do not know and have no experience in defending the country and for the last 50 years lost all of their wars which have been fought, in the end for primarily PR purposes. 

And if there are any parallels to be drawn to this suicidal mission, I would suggest this USMC officer to get a REAL reliable book on Operation Zitadelle and Kursk Battle and refresh his memory on what happened there starting July 5th, 1943 and where Russians ended up after Kursk in 1945. Meanwhile, it is the US (NATO in general) planning and C4 which manged to kill more than 1 million of Ukrainian troops (23,000 in Kursk alone since August 6, 2024) with another million of wounded and maimed and Ukrainian state ceasing to exist. So, instead of wasting the time on finding some useless parallels I would suggest this USMC JAG to get a good book on Russian culture and history, all 1200 years of it--maybe that will give him some insight into why nobody can defeat Russia in wars. I don't hold my breath--he is JAG and who cares about Pareto Distribution and scaling of military campaigns, right? Ah yes, those academies in Russia, what do they know. Gettysburg, oorah! 

She Is Absolutely Correct...

 ... one of rare occasions when this uneducated bimbo got it right. For all the wrong reasons, of course, but right nevertheless. 

BERLIN, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to speak with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the topic of brokering peace in Ukraine, Germany's foreign minister said on Friday. "Ukraine is ready for a just peace," Annalena Baerbock said in Berlin, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to hold talks with Scholz on Friday.Speaking alongside the foreign minister of Slovakia, Baerbock criticised Putin for rejecting overtures for peace talks.

Absolutely correct. E.g. if I need to discuss the issue of property demarcation and maintenance with my neighbor--I go and talk to her (wonderful old lady), but not to her French poodle. So obvious, I talk to the owner, not to some lap dog who decides nothing. Then she continues. 

"He refuses to accept peace and every day sends another signal in favour of war and destruction. These days, he is no longer even prepared to speak to the German chancellor on the phone," she said.

Aw, poor baby, she still didn't get the message that Germany is irrelevant already and will become fully non-entity very soon. The only interest the Germany presents for serious geopolitical players is who will import the last remaining morsels of increasingly unsustainable and non-competitive German industry while Germany runs itself, completely on own volition, into the Morgenthau Plan. It got delayed in 1945 due to humanity of Ike and of Soviet leadership--recall Stalin's sacramental "Hitlers come and go, but the German people and the German state remain". As it became clear now--Germany learned absolutely nothing and substituted Nazism for uber-liberal fascism. The Nazi seed was preserved by the US. Don't be fooled by AfD's narrow victories in Brandenburg and Thuringia--this is a former GDR which was allowed to remain German the way Germany should have been reborn. Not without its problems, of course, but the rest of Germany--it hates Russia. It is just that this time around Russians wouldn't need to take Berlin, again--it takes between 5 to 15 minutes to settle the issue once and for all. 

 

Back to UVZ's 88th BDay. 

Here's Leopard tank, delivered 10 days ago to UVZ. To study. Well, those Leopards didn't fare well against Russian weaponry in SMO. German engineering is like a Mercedes--overpriced, over-engineered, overrated and pain in the ass to fix. Some things never change, I guess.

UVZ

This acronym strikes terror into the hearts of Russia's enemies. 

The acronym stands for Uralvagonzavod--literally Ural Railcars Works. And, boy, look at them those "railcars" produced in the city of Nizhny Tagil. 

Not only those "railcars", starting from legendary T-34s, first of which rolled off the conveyor in 1941, to T-72s to T-90M Proryv, continue to roll off assembly lines today, but UVZ produced now undeniably the best tanks in the world--real combat in SMO left no doubts about it. Moreover, Russia is unbeatable in terms of quality and numbers of these tanks produced. By a mile, more than whole NATO combined. Today, UVZ celebrates its 88th anniversary. These are state-of-the-art, netcentric tanks which are capable to take on any self-proclaimed "best" Western tanks and defeat them, in fact--they did it many times already. 

Dmitry Orlov in his latest, symptomatically titled Uncontrolled Chaos, notes today:

It was a disaster 80 years in the making. At the end of World War II, the United States stood virtually alone as an economic power. Accounting for 50 percent of global GDP, it held 80% of the world's hard currency reserves. Fast-forward to 2024 and the share of the US in the world economy has shrunk to 14.76% (calculated from figures provided by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund). But even this number is misleading, for fully 20% of the US economy is made of what goes under the acronym FIRE: finance, insurance and real estate. These are unproductive parasites on the productive economy. Another unproductive parasite is health care: ridiculously overpriced, it amounts to almost a quarter of all spending in the US. Neither the resources consumed by FIRE, nor by health care spending, contribute much of anything to the standing of the US within the world economy. Adjusted for these, the US share of the world economy dwindles to just over 8%. While hardly negligible, this share is nowhere near sufficient to give the US anything like a majority vote or veto power in world affairs. The tragedy of the situation is that the mindset of Americans, particularly those occupying positions of authority in Washington, has been unable to adapt to this development. Their mindset appears to be fixed for all time: they believe that they can still dictate terms to the whole world and finding it increasingly awkward to cover up for the fact that almost the whole world (with some notable exceptions) now feels free to ignore them.

Here, you can see yourself overwhelmingly non-productive nature of the US economy. 

Get it? They consider a third world economy "based on services" a sign of a "developed nation". No wonder, when one looks at such "developed nations" like UK or Germany which increasingly look like a third world. Which also explains why the US is incapable of producing a new Main Battle Tank, with the reputation (primarily through Hollywood and propaganda) being blown up to smithereens by good ol' UVZ's T-72. Remember this? 

Well, in related news... Another SSK of pr. 636 Yakutsk (for Pacific Fleet) was floated today. 

But, but, I am sure that capitalization of the St.Petersburg's Admiralty Wharfs which builds those subs is nowhere near the capitalization of any business consulting company in the US. Hey, what do those losers at UVZ have on this monster--they'll tell you how to run business, right? Right?