Of Course, They Lie.

Is water wet, is fire hot? Sure. Does Tony Blinken lie? Yes, always. 

Russia is calling on the administration of US President Joe Biden to avoid further escalation, Zakharova said, adding that Moscow still wants to defuse tensions and is open to talking to the US at various levels. However, the US is openly lying about maintaining contacts with Russia, Zakharova claimed. Last week, Price said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken still keeps in touch with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zakharova called the statement a “banal lie,” adding that the last time the two diplomats spoke was July 29.

This is the only thing they know how to. Blinken is a pathetic parody on diplomat, as, though, most of State Department is. But a brief review of Biden Administration reveals that most people there are incompetent. Per Zakharova's statement about" 

Washington’s “dangerous and short-sighted policy” has put it “on the brink of a direct clash” with Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday, responding to US State Department spokesman Ned Price, who blamed Russia last week for making relations between the two countries “unstable and unpredictable.”

It is not about a direct clash at the conventional battlefield, because the US simply has no resources or force structure to fight a real conventional war in Europe against Russia without sustaining a catastrophic defeat. Zakharova means what I speak about for many years--as much as such a conventional war between NATO and Russia will be horrifying--it is well documented America's bias towards nuclear weapons'  practically every time the US encounters difficulty (that means always) in conducting large scale operations. 

Now, to yet another "voenkor" running with this BS about Gerasimov. This time it is Mr. Pegov of Wargonzo. Thanks to Martin Berndt for pointing this out.

On Telegram Semen Pegov (War Gonzo) wrote yesterday that every high Russian official who traveled to Donbass was a target and a lot of lower ranking officials in the region have been killed. The Russians know what's going on. Gerasimov missed the parade on the Red Square this year. He probably was wounded. Those were the rumors then.  

Now, let me explain. Semen Pegov maybe considered by some a hot shot and a "combat veteran", especially when parading himself in military fatigue, but Semen Pegov is a graduate of the Smolensk State University, and you may have guessed it, Department of Journalism (in Russian), and apart from his "combat" exploits, he never served in the armed forces in any capacity, let alone officer capacity and has zero experience with any operational matter or high-end military technology. So, as any "voenkor" (a euphemism for BSer) his professional qualifications in purely military aspect are limited to reporting the suffering of civilians and tactical minutiae as provided by primarily low level personnel and traditional front-line rumors. 

In other words, Pegov has zero understanding of the subject he is talking about, and this subject is an operational and strategic level ISR and means of countering it. If he doesn't understand who the Chief of General Staff of Russia is and what goes into provision of his safety and security when he enters combat zone, there is absolutely nothing to talk about with him. E.g. Here is Mr. Shoigu flying over Baltic Sea:

And this is just the event in the air. Pegov, due to his "journalism" pedigree and never holding any clearance, doesn't know what forces (naryad sil) are engaged in provision of security for a person of such rank, not to mention that something tells me that ground screen forces for Gerasimov are much better than anything US or UK, let alone 404, could have placed on the ground even if they wanted to kill Gerasimov. But then again, can you explain to a graduate of "journalism" faculty and former editor of some artsy magazine what real C4ISR is? You know the answer, especially when it comes to the guy who fought his depression by getting into the conflict zones and is a definite adrenaline junkie. 

Did the US know where Gerasimov go? Yes, but Russia has a good reliable targeting for NATO HQs in Brussels and Pentagon and unlike NATO, Russia can hit those anytime and nothing could be done about it. So, my suggestion to Pegov and all those "analysts" from WarGonzo is to concentrate on what they do reasonably well--sell emotionally charged war footage and reporting to laypeople, and try to stay away from issues they have no clue about. After all, derogatory term "voenkorschina" appeared in Russia for a reason. It is a euphemism for selling primarily pseudo-military BS to housewives and househasbands, who are easily impressed by explosions, military uniform and as any normal people, yours truly included, react emotionally to war crimes and devastation of the war. In the end, if you want to know if some "voenkor" is a real deal (most of them are civilian BSers) ask them if they know how the resolution of uncertainties is done. Make sure to mention to them that it is directly related to Gerasimov's visit to the front-lines. 

Now we have to keep in mind this unfolding story:

Russia would consider a Greek plan to provide Ukraine with S-300 air defense systems previously acquired from Moscow to be an “openly hostile act,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday. Greece has mulled sending such Soviet-era arms to Kiev if the US agrees to replace them with MIM-104 Patriot systems. “That would be a gross violation of…Russian-Greek…agreements on military and technical cooperation,” Zakharova stated, adding that both the 1995 and 2013 treaties signed by Moscow and Athens in this field “explicitly forbid Greece to re-export the military equipment supplied by Russia without Moscow’s consent.” “Trampling on its commitments under the treaties is bound to have consequences,” the ministry’s spokeswoman warned. Such a move would also conflict with the position of most Greeks, she said, adding that 70% of Greeks oppose “pumping Ukraine with arms” according to polls.

I am going to abstain from commenting on the moral side of the issue, but, again, read my lips--Europe is US' bitch and she will do as told, period. Whether people like it or not, I warned about this for years and Saker wrote an excellent piece on this recently. Europe IS being de-industrialized and will be poor, also in progress, and a cultural wasteland. And don't tell me that I didn't warn you. This is your Monday primer.

They Continue to Run With This BS.

I mean it. NYT, obviously, is a professional and human sewer serving as a bullhorn of DNC propaganda, but after making a risible story on "attempt" on Gerasimov, immediately the main source of Western media "info", mentally unstable Arestovich "confirmed".

Kiev's forces did attempt to kill Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov during a visit he made to the frontlines in Ukraine, Alexey Arestovich, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, has admitted. Arestovich was commenting on a report by the New York Times on Saturday that claimed Washington, which backs Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, sought to talk Kiev out of targeting the top Russian commander back in April. The paper’s sources claimed that the US had concealed the information about Gerasimov’s possible planned visit to the frontlines from Zelensky’s government, over concerns that an attack on a valuable Russian asset could provoke a direct military confrontation between Russian and American forces.

It is impossible to explain to imbeciles in NYT, who made this shit up in a desperate attempt to demonstrate the US willingness to "talk to Russia", and in preparation to the shift in narrative on 404, how the system of measures of preparation of such visits looks like, because US media have no real experts in modern war and, especially, the way Russia conducts it. It was only natural for mutual BS-feeders such as NYT (or US media, in general) and Ukie Goebbels to pair in spreading yet another utter delirium. I speak about this today:

The desperation in D.C. and in EU is palpable. You can almost cut it with knife. Hence a geopolitical and military delirium from Kissinger. There will be many who will swallow this fantasy hook, line and sinker. But, events in and around Bakhmut and Russia "running out of missiles and ammo" have their own logic which is beyond the grasp of Western establishment. I am on record--they don't teach real military history in Western universities. I will omit now speaking on Pentagon's approach to training of operational and strategic level command corps, but something tells me it is not education and training of appropriate level. One has to plan, but American military-political system institutionally is not designed for real planning. Look at the "glorious" results of the US military "operations". Facts speak for themselves and no amount of spin can change it.

Argentina...

I can only imagine what is happening now on the streets of Argentina's cities and towns. Congratulation! Well deserved. Now, Leo finally came through!

Again, Congratulations, Argentina!

UPDATE: This is WHAT happens in Argentina)))

I will repeat again--football is more than sports, it is a cultural global phenomenon which touches billions of people from poorest to richest and it is, in essence, a profoundly ANTI-GLOBALIST phenomenon despite being global, because it affirms a nation as a building block of global order. As such, it is always a triumph of a unique nation and its culture. Today it is Argentina's turn to be proud of this achievement, because it is from the national roots. I wonder if Boca's and River Plate's fans got together today;))

Larry On Hysteria... And Not Only.

Larry gives an excellent spread on the hysteria in the West.  

Impotence can make men do foolish things and evoke helpless rage. While erectile dysfunction can be resolved, at least temporarily, with the help of a little blue pill, there is no remedy for political impotence other than reality. One example of Western political flacidity is Europe’s decision to impose a new batch on sanctions on Russia, which include trying to muzzle RT. Strong nations that are prevailing in a conflict do not resort to such feckless, useless measures. These are the actions of weaklings.

Pay attention to highlighted in yellow. It is spot on. But it is not just hysteria, it is some bizarre combination of panic and delusion. Herr Scholz is an imbecile, as is most of his "cabinet" saturated with brainwashed stooges of the Empire. And if it wasn't enough for this "leader" to parade himself and Germany as clowns, he doubled down today.

The Western nations should never walk out of talks with Moscow, regardless of how big the "differences" between the two sides are, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Germany’s SZ newspaper in an interview published on Friday. Dropping out of any talks with Moscow would only make the task of ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine harder, the chancellor believes. "What is important is that, despite major differences in [our] positions, we do not let the thread of talks with Russia be broken," Scholz said, adding that "if we do not talk, Russia would be even less likely to end the war." The chancellor still blames Moscow for its ongoing conflict with Kiev and maintains it is Russia that should be proactive in halting military action. Yet, the chancellor also advocates a negotiated solution rather than a military one. "For this, it will be necessary to talk," he told SZ.

Somebody, explain this moron that there will be no "negotiations" anymore with Europe--only dictating conditions for unconditional surrender. His Germany is a geopolitical pip-squeak, who long ago traded her sovereignty and culture for the ersatz economic stability largely due to Soviet and Russian energy imports, and Russians are keenly aware of the origins of Germany's contemporary organic Russophobia, much of which is rooted in the events of Spring 1945. 

And then, of course, crusty fossil of good ol' Henry Kissinger who completely lost his mind and even a remote sense of what modern warfare is. This creep now warns against "another world war", by invoking... inapplicable "lessons" of WW I. 

Urgently negotiating an end to hostilities in Ukraine would prevent another world war, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger argued in an essay published on Friday. The 99-year-old statesman noted that, in 1916, the US government had the chance to end the First World War through diplomacy, but missed it for reasons of domestic politics. Kissinger laid out his reasoning in the December 17 issue of The Spectator, describing the current conflict as a “war in which two nuclear powers contest a conventionally armed country,” a clear reference to Ukraine being a proxy war between the US and Russia. The “peace process” Kissinger proposes would “link Ukraine to NATO, however expressed,” as he believes neutrality for Kiev is no longer an option. He also wants Russia to withdraw to the lines before February 24, while the other territories Ukraine claims – Donetsk, Lugansk and Crimea – “could be the subject of a negotiation after a ceasefire.” 

How this artifact of America's past "glories", such as Vietnam, is still listened to is a complete mystery--the dude is lost completely in technological and operational realities, same as doesn't have a handle on what real global power balance is. What's left for him is to "sell" some platitudes to Western media. Somebody, tell this guy that the US lost the arms race. And I mean not a hyperbole, I am talking about hard cold reality of the US now trailing behind Russia in key military technologies and having a disastrous procurement philosophy designed, however unintentionally, to lose real wars.  

Somebody explain to him what this is and what, actually, defends those silos, before he spews the next portion of geopolitical delirium. But Henry's desperate attempts to save NATO from what is coming to it are just another manifestation of what is highlighted in yellow in Larry's quote from his Western Hysteria piece.  Yes, losing hurts. Especially against this news which underscore my point of many years--Dollar economic figures are meaningless when measuring against real, physical economies and real militaries and their actual combat capabilities. Absolutely meaningless and, in fact, nothing more than a propaganda shtick to represent Western economies as the largest ones in the world. 

The US dollar may soon disappear from Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) trade statistics, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says, as member-states are cutting use of the currency in mutual settlements. Lavrov noted that trade between the countries of the union is rapidly growing, and said it is high time statistics were calculated in the currencies they use. The EEU, which is based on the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, was established in 2015. It was later joined by Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. “The EEU is one of the most dynamically developing regional associations. It unites almost 185 million consumers, and its total gross income is more than $2 trillion. Although, it is time to switch over to calculating statistics in other currencies, so far we count in dollars out of habit,” Lavrov said at a conference on Wednesday.

It goes without saying, that the nation which can, for the price of a SINGLE US strategic missile submarine, which doesn't even exist yet, procure eight state-of-the-art boomers, will have little problem prosecuting the large scale combined arms operation such as SMO without disrupting economic activity at home. But they don't teach those things in American universities where Kissinger is listed as "honorable" member. And so it goes--PR maneuvers to cover up the real story. Meanwhile, Russia, who, as we all know, ran out of missiles yet again, yesterday turned off the lights in 404 and continued to churn out those nasty little Karakurts capable of carrying all those missiles, of which Russia, evidently, runs out constantly. One of them, "Burya" (Tempest) has left for State Trials to be transferred to the Navy soon. 

I wonder why Russia ordered the additional batch of 3M22 Zircons a few weeks ago (in Russian), wink, wink. This is your Saturday primer. 

I Know It Is Friday... Angelo Badalamenti...

 ... and I wanted to have it with something uplifting, but this week we lost one of true cultural icons--Angelo Badalamenti has died on December 11. He and his music was always something extraordinary. Touched by genius. Just listen to soundtrack to The City of Lost Children--an eerie, nightmarish but hauntingly beautiful film. 

But it was Twin Peaks which brought him a global fame. And we lost a genius, a true cultural icon.

 

And, of course, this...

I live in the Twin Peaks land, literally, and it took Badalamenti's genius to capture both haunting beauty and hidden horror of the land. It is  heartbreaking such as his piece "Heartbreaking" from Lynch's masterpiece Twin Peaks: The Return in the end of  the 11th Episode. 

It is painfully beautiful, it is very Badalamenti... R.I.P., Master.

On Projecting.

Thanks to Johnny Rotten who posted this photo in previous post. Talk about projecting and radiating. Maria looks more than just attractive here, she look regal. 

I am 100% positive that she knows how many eyes around the world are looking at her. She projects Russia who in Russian language is her, Russia is a feminine entity. This is a concentrated representation of a soft power--a deadly combination of brains, attractiveness and femininity. Just wanted to point this out, especially against the background of bacchanalia in the West designed to "re-invent" the beauty and femininity by extolling ugliness as a virtue. One cannot buy class, one has to be born to it.

Here We Go Again!

Make no mistake, I get it--it hurts being a sore loser, but we may state with absolute certainty now that most what US "senior military officials" know about real war is derived from blowing the shit from unarmed civilians. They lack serious skills in strategic and operational planning and I expressed myself on this issue not for once, especially when commenting on the modern day academic standards or, rather, lack thereof in the USMA in West Point. But here we go again.

Russia is running low on ammunition as its Ukraine invasion careens toward the one-year mark, and it may soon be forced to use older, unreliable rockets and artillery shells -- some built decades ago, according to a senior U.S. military official. The new ammunition, what the Pentagon calls "fully serviceable," could be used up by early next year as the war continues despite the winter weather, said the official, who briefed the press Monday on the condition of anonymity. Russia also appears to be running low on precision-guided munitions. 

Of course, this official is "anonymous" because who would like to parade oneself as a military amateur and ignoramus. Wasn't Russian Army supposed to run out of ammo and cruise missiles like what... in March or April? One has to ask a question--these "anonymous officials", have they ever commanded anything larger than the squad or have they ever won anything in their life in real war? We can confidently say no, because Pentagon's "record" is abysmal, with the US losing its wars left and right against grossly inferior technologically but determined enemies. Now, to conceive that somebody, who "studied" military economy from the "text-books" penned by financiers and stock brokers from Wall Street, who still think that the US is the "largest economy in the world", will understand what Russian military industry is, is down right risible. They have no intellectual apparatus to grasp it--they haven't been taught it. I omit here my many years long contention that the understanding of Russia in the West is that of a kindergarten petulant child, but this is the issue of the Western humanities "education". 

Of course, the other possibility should not be discounted too--US "journos" simply made this shit up--their MO, basically--and "reported" it in accordance to ideological imperatives of the moment, those imperatives being an extremely acute necessity to cover up the collapsing front of VSU (NATO really) around Bakhmut and those severe strategic ramification which this collapse entails for not just Zelensky regime, but for its handlers. And we know his handlers are in London and Washington. Not to be outdone, of course, is London's The Economist--a collection of pompous imbeciles, "consulted" by MI-6 and "byproducts" of Sandhurst--who continue to spread utter pseudo-military BS and propaganda and quote today... Zaluzhny.

Ukraine has enough men under arms—more than 700,000 in uniform, in one form or another, of whom more than 200,000 are trained for combat. But materiel is in short supply. Ammunition is crucial, says General Syrsky. “Artillery plays a decisive role in this war,” he notes. “Therefore, everything really depends on the amount of supplies, and this determines the success of the battle in many cases.” General Zaluzhny, who is raising a new army corps, reels off a wishlist. “I know that I can beat this enemy,” he says. “But I need resources. I need 300 tanks, 600-700 IFVs [infantry fighting vehicles], 500 Howitzers.” The incremental arsenal he is seeking is bigger than the total armoured forces of most European armies. Ukraine’s partners are speeding up efforts to repair and refurbish old and damaged equipment to return it to the field faster, in part by teaching Ukraine to fix it as close to the front lines as possible. They are also accelerating the manufacture of weapons to meet growing demand from Ukraine and their own armed forces.

Yeah, sure. He forgot to mention, of course, that VSU had more, much more, than that in February, but then encountered Russian force three times smaller and all those numbers simply evaporated. Or, as Russians say, if the grandmother had the balls, she would have been the grandfather. But Western BS peddlers with zero knowledge of operations (I doubt they teach that in Britain anymore) and operational planning as related to real war have only that tool left for them--BS. But The Economist's drivel is symptomatic of the UK's state in general, that one is of a complete economic, moral, intellectual and military degradation. At least, Ron Jeremy for all his hilarious appearances had a large cock, UK has only the former left and is reduced to nothing more than Tabaqui.  

And so we go, the vicious circle of BS and PR actions, lies, expose' of stupefying incompetence across the board continues. Meanwhile Russian industry--you know, the real economy--continues to churn out military materiel and equipment in, ahem, industrial quantities and preparing for yet another "defeat", like retaking all of Donbass and then... Who knows what then.

Eastbound supplies of Russian natural gas will continue to grow and could hit almost 90 billion cubic meters by the end of this decade, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at a meeting of the Strategic Development and National Projects Council. He said the development of port and pipeline infrastructure to the south and east would be an important step to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions and other “hostile actions” against Russia.“Implementation of such projects as the Kovyktinskoe Field, the Power of Siberia 2 and the Far Eastern route will make it possible to increase gas supplies to the east to 48 billion cubic meters by as early as 2025 and to 88 billion by 2030,” Putin said. This would actually amount to more than 60% of gas supplies to the West in 2021, he noted.

And dedollarization continues to accelerate. As someone noted today in Russian segment about Putin's meeting with Council on Strategic Development--the West is completely absent from a discussion. But then again, do you care about doormats? Only when the time comes to throw the old one out and get a new one to the threshold of one's home.