Is Putin’s Strategy Finally Beginning To Work?

Is Putin’s Strategy Finally Beginning To Work?

Written by Paul Craig Roberts; Originally appeared paulcraigroberts.org

I have explained Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Christian practice of turning the other cheek to Western provocations as a strategy to convey to Europe that Russia is reasonable but Washington is not and that Russia is not a threat to European interests and sovereignty but Washington is. By accommodating Israel and withdrawing from the multi-nation Iran nuclear-nonproliferation agreement, US President Donald Trump might have brought success to Putin’s strategy.

Washington’s three main European vassal states, Britain, France, and Germany have objected to Trump’s unilateral action. Trump is of the opinion that the multi-nation agreement depends only on Washington. If Washington renounces the agreement, that is the end of the agreement. It doesn’t matter what the other parties to the agreement want. Consequently, Trump intends to reimpose the previous sanctions against doing business with Iran and to impose additional new sanctions. If Britain, France, and Germany continue with the business contracts that have been made with Iran, Washington will sanction its vassal states as well and prohibit activities of British, French, and German companies in the US. Clearly, Washington thinks that Europe’s profits in the US exceed what can be made in Iran and will fall in line with Washington’s decision, as the vassal states have done in the past.

And they might. But this time there is a backlash. Whether it will go beyond strong words to a break with Washington remains to be seen. Trump’s neoconservative pro-Israel National Security Advisor John Bolton has ordered European companies to cancel their business deals in Iran. Trump’s ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell has ordered German companies to immediately wind down their business operations in Iran. The bullying of Europe and blatant US disregard of European interests and sovereignty has made Europe’s long vassalage suddenly all too apparent and uncomfortable.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, previously a loyal Washington puppet, said that Europe can no longer trust Washington and must “take its destiny into its own hands.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/merkel-europe-can-no-longer-rely-on-us-protection/ar-AAx4AwV

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that Washington’s leadership had failed and it was time for the EU to take over the leadership role and to “replace the United States.” Various French, German, and British government ministers have echoed these sentiments.

The cover story of the German news magazine Der Spiegel, “Goodbye Europe,” has Trump giving Europe the middle finger. https://www.rt.com/news/426550-spiegel-trump-cover-iran/ The magazine declares that it is “Time for Europe to Join the Resistance.”

Although European politicians have been well paid for their vassalage, they might now be finding it an unworthy and uncomfortable burden.

Whereas I respect the virtue of Putin’s refusal to reply to provocation with provocation, I have expressed concern that Putin’s easy acceptance of provocations will encourage more provocations that will increase in intensity until war or Russian surrender become the only options, whereas if the Russian government took a more aggressive position against the provocations, it would bring the danger and cost of the provocations home to the Europeans whose compliance with Washington enables the provocations. Now it seems that perhaps Trump himself has taught that lesson to the Europeans.

Russia has spent several years helping the Syrian Army clear Syria of the terrorists that Washington sent to overthrow the Syrian government. However, despite the Russian/Syrian alliance, Israel continues illegal military attacks on Syria. These attacks could be stopped if Russia would provide Syria with the S-300 air defense system.

Israel and the US do not want Russia to sell the S-300 air defense system to Syria, because Israel wants to continue to attack Syria and the US wants Syria to continue to be attacked. Otherwise, Washington would call Israel off.

Several years ago before Washington sent its Islamist proxy troops to attack Syria, Russia agreed to sell Syria an advanced air defense system, but gave in to Washington and Israel and did not deliver the system. Now again in the wake of Netanyahu’s visit to Russia we hear from Putin’s aide Vladimir Kozhim that Russia is continuing to withhold modern air defenses from Syria.

Perhaps Putin believes he has to do this in order not to give Washington an issue that could be used to pull Europe back in line with Washington’s policy of aggression. Nevertheless, for those who do not see it this way, it makes Russia again look weak and unwilling to defend an ally.

If Putin believes that he will have any influence on Netanyahu in terms of selling peace agreements with Syria and Iran, the Russian government has no understanding of Israel’s intent or Washington’s 17 years of war in the Middle East.

I hope Putin’s strategy works. If it doesn’t, he will have to change his stance toward provocations or they will lead to war.

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Sephy

Eventually, their goals will align. Today or tomorrow Europeans will withdraw from the deal. Mark my words!!

potcracker2588

they have already….SIEMENS for starters,

Sephy

Yes, I think they’ve started withdrawing silently. The EU politicians will stop talking about Iran in few days and their companies with halt cooperation with Iran.

paul ( original )

I agree even if they never actually say so.

Sephy

Yeah, I guess that’s what will happen.

Boris Kazlov

I usually agree with evertying Dr. Roberts writes, but nobody listens to him. To think that Putin is only limited to the borders of Russia in his obligations is a petty and ignorant line of thought, there are no borders, but a civilizational clash, one plunged in idiocy and the other holding onto what is meaningful in life. Russia has the duty to lead and be the military muscle of the latter, the empire of degenerates will not go down without a fight, right now Syria is the batlleground, Russia must not shirk its role, it would be an existential threat to it.

Sakaramanga

How true! But then, the empire of degenerates (aka the empire of the cities) seem too strong to take on; like a cancer that spread too much to operate on.

Tudor Miron

Craig Roberts is hopeless :) Such inability to comprehend what is going on is amusing for a guy that makes a living out of analyses of events.

I posted this predictions many times, some of them already happened and that reinforces my urge to share it with others so there is more understanding and people don’t blindly fallow same old route as we’re doing for thousands of years.
Prediction: According to global predictors (GP) plan, after reformatting of CCCP there comes time to reformatting USA. Center of concentration of power (governing) are being removed from US to China and from UK (Europe) to Iran.
Problem with GP is that due to natural development of human civilization and rule of time it started to lose control and stability of governing and as a result, humanity is on a verge of total political, ecological, social and military catastrophe.
At the same time humanity is on a verge of next technological leap forward (all the previous major leaps were accompanied with major bloodshed.)
I will continue.

Serious

It’s working well …. for USA.

Syria is shared. USA has won.

Putin is one man. USA is a system.

Putin will leave one day. The USA system will continue.

Serious

To win against USA, you need to build an alternative system. That’s big deal.

It’s like people telling to boycott. OK, you boycott but what is the alternative ?? OK, I boycott INTEL and I buy what ???? A calculator ??

paul ( original )

If Europe ( by which we mean the major EU powers) does wriggle free of
US domination it will only to pursue its own hegemonic agenda. I
don’t see this as an improvement. The EU elite are no friend of mine
to be sure. At least Trump feigns belief in border walls while the EU
wants to open theirs . If I only had a choice as between Trump or the
EU I think I would choose hemlock.

RichardD

“Israel continues illegal military attacks on Syria. These attacks could be stopped if Russia would provide Syria with the S-300 air defense system.”

It’s easy for PCR and all of the anti Russia bobble heads here to make these types of stupid unsupported statements. It’s difficult for them to explain how providing S-300s is going to stop attacks originating outside of Syrian airspace, as all or almost all of the attacks since the IAF F-16 was shot down by an S-200 and crashed and burned in northern Israel have been.

Using PCRs rational, I’m assuming that he’s talking about using S-300s to shoot down Israeli aircraft over Lebanon, Israel, and the Mediterranean, etc.. While ignoring the fact that the Syrians can do that right now with their Mig 29s, S-200s, Buk, Panstsir and other systems. They don’t need S-300s to do that, all that they need to do is change the rules of engagement.

So PCR’s and all of the no mind bobble heads here contention that providing Syria with S-300s is some type of magical cure all that will stop Israeli attacks isn’t based in reality. And is incorrect. S-300s would be a fractional improvement in Syria’s air defense capability. But it isn’t a game changer that will chase the Jews away and prevent attacks on Syria as PCR and the bobble heads contend.

Serious

I have better options. Give Syria nuclear warheads. If USA or israel strikes, SAA used them.

Problem is that being nice while you are slaughter will only increase the slaughtering.

RichardD

How does the Nuclear Non proliferation Treaty apply to your plan?

– Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty –

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Non-Proliferation_Treaty

Serious

Who cares about the UN ?

RichardD

The people running the governments of it’s members. So do you have an answer to the question?

Serious

Give Assad S-400, S-300, new tanks, new aircrafts, 100 intercontinental nuclear missiles and enjoy peace.

Barba_Papa

Who is going to pay for those? Russia does not the unlimited US defense budget to provide all that gear free of charge, nor does it have the petro rubble that allows it to print free money to pay for it either. Syria is broke and Iran’s economy is going to tank again when the US sanctions will get renewed. .

RichardD

Putin’s strategy is winning the Syria war, and yes it’s clearly working. What he decides to do about the area east of the river remains to be seen. From what I’ve seen, allowing a US Jew world order Kurd secession project to succeed isn’t part of his plan. Now that clearing the interior pockets west of the river is nearing completion. Work will start being done on the border areas and east of the river.

As far as clearing the IDF out of the occuppied Golan, West Bank and East Jerusalem to implement UN and other resolutions that the evil Jew blood sucking baby rapers are in chronic violation of. That would best be done by including some key regional nations like Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. I think that there would be a lot of support from your average American outside of the DC beltway and a 50 mile radius of NYC if something along these lines was developed. Who are very tired of the Jews and all of the problems that they are causing the US and humanity.

What the Syrian war, as tragic as it is, has provided humanity. Is an opportunity for Russia, China and others to shut down the Jew world order hegemony plan of endless fabricated war, subversion and deprivation, and replace it with something more sensible that provides our planet with much needed peace and prosperity. The Jew nexus of Tel Aviv, Washington, Paris and London is where the Jew problem is being run out of. Palestinians, Americans, French and British people should work together on getting their nation’s and humanity’s Jew problem corrected.

Russia, which has a long and tragic history of it’s own of Jew machination and crime against the Russian people, has maneuvered itself into an excellent position to counter act the Jew campaign being run against it and humanity with it’s Syria campaign. Dropping the hammer on the occupied Golan is something that I pointed out was going to happen a number of months ago on these threads if the baby rapers kept up their aggression against Syria. I didn’t specify the Golan, and I’m not psychic or a prophet. But it was common sense that push back was in the pipeline in reaction to the Jews murderous aggression. Considering the balance of forces in the region.

I don’t claim to have access to ET time forward viewing technology and intel. But I’m willing to take it into consideration if provided the opportunity to do so. I’m not against Jews as individual human beings. They have rights and lives just like everybody else. But I do recognize that their ideology is evil, criminal and Satanic. And that humanity would be much better off outlawing it and creating a Jew free planet.

RichardD

Hamas would win free and fair elections in Palestine. Which would be helpful with dejudifying east Jerusalem and the West Bank. And set the stage for unifying Palestine and voting Israel and Judaism out of existence there.

A UN resolution on outlawing Judaism as an evil mass rape cult on a planetary basis to create a Jew free world would also be helpful.

RichardD

Talmud rabbinical Judaism is an evil satanic ideology and pedophile mass rape cult and has been for 3,000 years. It should be outlawed to create a Jew free planet.

Obviously many Jews disagree with it because the attrition and assimilation rate into non Judaism is high.

Jews rape 1,000 of their cult babies world wide every week, infect them with venereal disease, brain damage and murder them:

– New case of neonatal herpes caused by Jewish circumcision –

https://nypost.com/2017/03/08/new-case-of-neonatal-herpes-caused-by-jewish-circumcision/

– the true causes of “antisemitism” –

https://thesaker.is/a-crash-course-on-the-true-causes-of-antisemitism/

RichardD

You’re clearly a Jew mass pedophile rape cult supporter ignoring their systemic crimes against humanity. Raping children is mainstream Judaism.

RichardD

Look moron, learn to use a dictionary. I said outlaw Judaism, not genocide Jews.

RichardD

When you accuse someone of advocating genocide when their clearly not, that’s what you get. You’re the evil Jew pedophile rape cult supporter.

RichardD

You’re an idiot. Your definition of genocide is so broad that any abuse of anyone for anything constitutes genocide. That’s a misuse of the term, the standard definition of which is physically killing large numbers of people to exterminate them. Like in the holocaust. What you’re talking about is persecution and discrimination, not genocide.

I’m talking about outlawing an evil Jew pedophile mass rape cult to get rid of it. That is causing enormous problems and has been for a long time. That has a Satanic Talmud rabbinical ideology condemned for Satanism and demon worshiping by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jesus Christ and many others for thousands of years, not killing all of it’s practitioners. Copy and paste what I’ve written and show where you’ve disproven it using the standard definition of genocide that means physically killing people. You can’t so you won’t.

What is it about blood sucking mass pedophile rape is a primary ritual of Judaism that you don’t understand?

“as with any right, the freedom of religion can be abridged if its exercise would infringe on the rights of others.

As a result, several groups have been made into recognized criminal organizations. … These cults have generally been involved with activities like murder, abduction, statutory rape, or other serious crimes. Often, they hold an illegal activity to be a primary focus of their religious teachings, making adherence to the group’s beliefs a virtual guarantee of grossly illegal activity directly harming others.”

– Are Cults Legal? –

https://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=35055

KennyB

A very small, very rich and very well connected minority of Jews exercises power far beyond what you’d expect from their small number. Likewise, Jews in general wield power and influence far exceeding what you’d expect from their relatively small numbers.

It’s doubtful that even 10% of Jews fully realise what is being done in their name in Israel and, via organisations like AIPAC, in the countries where the majority of Jews live (the USA, UK, Russia and Europe).

TiredOfBsToo

The time is fast approaching when Europe’s citizens will find out once and for all whether their politicians are all spineless. Will they allow the US to terrorize them while destroying their jobs and economies or will they finally stand up to the bully? I believe right now it’s all about strong language, in the end we’ll find that Europe’s politicians are all cowards, unable to stand up to the bully except to ask for some knee pads to make their servitude easier.

MeMadMax

This is part of the strategy, trump WANTS the “spineless politicians” to stand up to him and respond in some way(which is most likely something to do with trade I.E. tariffs).

Trump is dismantling the global trade market piece by piece(started with china) because it doesn’t work for the US(the evidence of this is too long to list)… The Euro was created to destroy the dollar, and if the “spineless politicians” suddenly have a backbone and react with some sort of trade restriction, then they just played into the game, hook line and sinker.

Garga

Wait a minute…
Are you saying that there is intelligence behind the things Trump does!?

No offence, but freaking unbelievable! :-O

TiredOfBsToo

See my response.

Pave Way IV

Cells of simple life forms, such as the dangerous orange sponge, sometimes respond in unison to stimuli we cannot see or understand. This is often misinterpreted as intelligence.

TiredOfBsToo

I often wondered whether Trump was very very smart or very very stupid. Lately, I come down on the side of stupid, however, if his goal was truly to isolate the US on the world stage, pulling us out of the UN and just concentrating on building up America and not US Empire, then the outrageous moves he’s made on violating the International agreement on Iran, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, putting all the psychopaths like Bolton and Pompous in the government, letting empty head psychopath Haley defy reality at the UN in front of an international audience, would indeed generate outrage around the world and achieve success while looking like he’s appeasing the psychopaths and hawks. The question is, is he really brilliant or just working the election circuit for money, you know, with the Zionists and MIC supporters? As the Clinton gang has yet to be investigated for their pay to play schemes and the Uranium debacle with the Russian government, for which much evidence exists, and at a time when the Clinton gang has accused him of collusion with Russia, makes me believe that he’s really really stupid and just working the election circuit. I mean, he can’t even turn that whole Russian business back on those that initiated the Russian BS with all of the evidence available…. that’s just plain pathetic!

Incidentally I don’t believe in all of that Russian BS emanating from the propaganda mouthpieces of the Military Industrial Complex through it’s mass media mouth pieces.

MeMadMax

Cannot simply pull out of the UN, unfortunately. That requires congress to do and it won’t happen, too many big money ties in there.

TiredOfBsToo

Not to mention the whip that the psychopaths wield at the UN, although it appears that the stranglehold the Empire has on it’s vassals seems to be weakening with each outrageous move from Trump. I was hearing that even though the Major EU countries are considering skirting the Empire’s sanctions moves over the Iran deal, the monopoly energy companies, like Total for instance, are winding down their efforts in Iran. It’s funny in a morbid way how western monopolies all work together to destroy countries, jobs for their respective citizens, and all at the behest of the Empire. I sincerely hope that all companies breaking the International agreement at the command of the Empire never have the opportunity to work in Iran ever again. Russia filling the void in energy extraction left by these greedy law breaking companies would be a good thing; China and others could provide the insurance needed. I have high hopes that companies breaking the International Agreement will suffer not a temporary decline in profits, but permanent ones. I also have high hopes that the EU countries will back their rhetoric with action, it’d be a good first step towards a world free of war and terrorism. Who knows, Americans could finally benefit once the war industry tanks and start bringing the country into the 21st century, instead of following the path to a banana republic.

zman

The only thing Trump wants is to make his Zionist buddies happy. This global trade you think Trump is attacking, is run by the same bunch that hired him…

TiredOfBsToo

“I have expressed concern that Putin’s easy acceptance of provocations will encourage more provocations that will increase in intensity until war or Russian surrender become the only options..”

I agree. I wonder sometimes if Putin truly understands that ‘western’ mindset, the mindset of a bully.

“Israel and the US do not want Russia to sell the S-300 air defense system to Syria..”

Hopefully, Putin has informed both Israel and the US that one more uncalled for provocation will ensure that Syria get’s those S-300s. As far as shooting down Israeli war machines over Lebanon, if Israel can fire from Lebanon, Syria is within it’s rights to shoot them down over Lebanon.

Justin

yet a are flight from a Russian AN-124 super heavy lift aircraft just landed in syria! I wonder what is inside it :)
My opinion is that russia was embarassed beauseBibi was in russia during the Victory day parade sitting next to Putin! Yet as soon as he left Moscow and flew back home to Israel, Israel attacked Syria!
Im sure a deal would have been made (or refused)! So if Russia is to fly in S-300’s they will get the in under disguise! Why would they risk Israel attempting to shoot their aircraft down! You get the S-300 in by saying “we will not sell the S-300 to Syria” and then u fly the bastard in immediately! I wouldnt be surprised if a S-300 system suddenly appeared!
Europe is so upset with the USA right now that they would be GLAD that Russia has done this!

TiredOfBsToo

Putin did say he wouldn’t sell it to them. He’s not known to lie, but it sure would make a nice gift. Anyway, hope springs eternal :)

Justin

Putin has announced 2 times in this war that he was withdrawing most of the russian forces! first time he said he said “our mission is complete and we are withdrawing!”But didnt!
The second time he said he was withdrawing most of the aircraft and ground forces yet increased them)
In a war, why would words matter? Bibi would have been begging! What other reason would he have been there! Russia has priority requests! Either Bibi guarenteed them or Bibi said “no”!

There is a good chance Europe is supporting this move now that the US is backing out the Iran deal! Europe might swing towards Russia and support this move (S-300)

TiredOfBsToo

Putin did in fact withdraw some aircraft and supporting crews, but then the situation changed and they had to return. Anyway, Putin makes all other politicians look sick.

“Europe might swing towards Russia and support this move (S-300)”

Actually, I can’t see the EU going that far. I do hope though that when the US targets the economic engine of the EU countries for trading with Iran, that the politicians will have the stomach (and spine) to stand up for their people and the law. We’ll be getting that answer very shortly just as soon as the US begins targeting the EU countries with sanctions.

wwinsti

If it’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that you cannot repel missile attacks by shooting down a certain fraction of the attackers missiles. Russia and China have complete air defense zones, they have MIGs & other aircraft with look-down-shoot-down radar, so any fighter becomes a miniature AWACS plane. Selling a few S systems to Syria would only make those systems targets, which is not in Putin’s interest at all. The key to stopping Israeli attacks is retaliation, preferably with strategic range weapons. If Israel loses infrastructure and lives for each provocation, those attacks will become rarer. Bibi can always buy or make more missiles.

Serious

The way to stop these attacks is simply to give Assad weapons !!!

It’s so simple but Putin doesn’t do it because he is israeli friend !!

wwinsti

So Putin’s goal should be to refight the Yom Kippur war?

I assure you, that was dicussed and was taken off the table the day before the first Russian planes landed in Latakia on Sept. 30 2015.

Barba_Papa

>>Bibi can always demand that the US sends him more missiles free of charge. <<

Fixed it for ya. ;-)

wwinsti

Even better.

Serious

Putin likes syrian naval bases but is friend with israel. Putin is playing against his own country interest. You will get nothing from israel unless shit.

Serious

USA and israel don’t send flowers, they sent bullets and missiles. So, it’s very simple. Give Assad weapons so that he can defend and retaliate.

Serious

What is israel giving to USA ??? Nothing. Only trouble.
What is giving israel to Russia ??? Nothing. Only trouble.

But, they both support israel. It’s absolutely unbelievable.

Manuel Flores Escobar

Rule of 3..If Syrian air defense have been able to destroy 70% of incoming missiles..Russia with more system and better training will be able to destroy 100%….
Rule of 3…If Syrian surveilance, warning and adquisition Radars have been able to indentify targets…
Modern Russian air defense Radars &software near them know now the firm of JASSM, Tomahawk,AGM 142,F-22,F-35…etc…and how to engage them…

wwinsti

You opponents can count how many interceptors/ launchers you have. They will always be able to increase the number of missiles launched based on that count, there are no Russian forests, lovely, dark and deep, for those launchers to hide in. The camo they sport now is almost an afterthought.

John

Linear observation and planning is way out the window now. Although at one time your common made sense, in real time …. today …. it is now nonsense. Think about it wwinsti. The game is being played out in plain view and the results are being seen by all of us. I wish well to you.

Smaug

I only tead the first paragraph. I’ll finish the article as soon as South Front labels it ‘opinion.’

Criticalthinker101

You might want to QA your written comments before being so dismissive of SF’s journalistic standards. I mearly shine a torch? in highlighting your attempt, good effort.

FlorianGeyer

President Putin is a Chess Master and is playing many games at once. He has always used the judo technique of using an opponents weight to his own advantage. It is fair to say that US stupidity and short sighted or even blind ‘diplomacy’ is creating many enemy’s for the US.

Vassals rarely like their master and the EU are now openly muttering and grumbling about the US and the Holy Grail of Israel. Especially after the murderous and unnecessary assault on unarmed Palestinians who are INSIDE the Gaza Concentration Camp.

Nikki Haley today showed herself to be the dumbest piece of AIPAC loving shit that has ever represented the US Coalition of Terror in the United Nations. Whilst the US is losing influence, why would President Putin give America an opportunity to deflect her mediocrity by blaming Russian supplies of the S300’s.

They will arrive but only when the US has no imbecilic excuses left to invade Syria with US troops.
The recent elections in Iraq will hasten the US withdrawal from that country as they face a new IED campaign to kill and maim Americans. :)

Magnus La Magne

I think Putin should stop his JUDO diplomacy and start Mixed Martial Arts, I would love to see him do the equivalent of a flying knee in the international arena

FlorianGeyer

Satisfying as that may be, his opponents are not yet disorganised enough to do that. If China also entered the ring to tag with Russia the US Coalition would fold rather quickly.

New Israel is Muslims

Putin did not turn the other cheek in 1999, when 250,000 civilians were murdered and a country destroyed.

FlorianGeyer

That was a CIA inspired conflict and in 1999 it threatened the very existence of an independent Russia.

American jews have always coveted the resources of Russia. In fact without them the US will sink in a sea of debt decades earlier.

The 21st Century is most unlikely to be the American Century now.

New Israel is Muslims

CIA/FSB conflict:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9cRoXgawVA

Chechnya was free during the 90s and a false flag was staged to murder 250,000 Chechens.

FlorianGeyer

Whereas in the real world and lot the Israeli/US La La Land you exist in, this happened.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-23/original-chechnya-bombers-cia-saudis-and-bin-laden

Joe Dirt

Yawn…..so boring, typical russki propaganda.

John Whitehot

“I have expressed concern that Putin’s easy acceptance of provocations will encourage more provocations that will increase in intensity until war or Russian surrender become the only options”

this is one of the worse errors an analyst can make. in any case, this writer has been increasingly unimpressive of late.

S Melanson

The beginning of the article is such an about face given PCR prior articles that he must be wearing a neck brace. Reading further, the narrative transitions, rather awkwardly, to the familiar PCR arguments of old. Now having two opposing narratives to a pressing dilemma can make for a very interesting article if there is an overarching analysis that integrates the two of them so that the reader can gain deeper insights then would be gained examining each narrative in isolation. PCR not only fails to provide integrated analysis, the limited analysis he does provide is to superficial to garner meaningful insights on either narrative (let alone their interplay and tension in setting policy).

By superficial, here is one example of a huge hole in PCR’s analysis.

If you are going to talk about tensions between the EU and the United States, then you absolutely have to talk about natural gas supply and pricing. The USA, due to Frakking technology, is a net exported of liquified natural gas and is,looking for,markets. So, not surprise, the USA wants to replace Russia as Europe’s primary supplier of gas. The problem is that US LNG is much much more expensive than Russian gas – just ask Ukraine how non-Russian gas supply is working out for them – or should we say bankrupting them.

If free markets were for real, the US would not be able to compete with Russian gas. But for the USA, their version of free market forces is such that the high cost producer (USA) will crush the low cost producer (Russia). How? Well study sanctions against Russia and you will notice a few target Russian energy supply infrastructure such as new pipelines such that EU companies are penalized should they cooperate with Russia – for example Nordstrom pipeline project. If you think the EU are annoyed over Iran, imagine US interference with their energy security. And yes, Putin is very much hoping for a fracturing of the EU and American relationship. There is more of course but this illustrates my point.

I actually prepared an extensive article submission (2,500 words) a few months back on this very topic but did not end up publishing due to unforeseen circumstances. I can post the article in a comment for those interested. You will see how relevant it is to this PCR article.

Lastly, regarding Russia lack of response as sign of weakness, I challenge this assertion, with facts of course. First, Russia took out a secret US, Mossad, Saudi Arabia etc… command post in Allepo in response to US ‘accidental’ bombing of Syrian troops. Everyone in the command post was killed and the US could not say anything – think of the inconvenient questions it would raise with the public. Russia has style. Also, Russia threatened hitting launch platforms of any missile strike if Russians in danger. Note that missile strikes have been very kid glove (exception of Israel). Also, Russian naval assets harassed French forces participating in the last missile strike such that France failed to give meaningful contribution to strike. French pride a little dented I am sure. Note also that threat of supplying S300 to Syria is to give leverage to maintaining a check on the aggressiveness of western powers. It is a bargaining chip being held back as a threat.

Lastly, the goal has been to topple Assad and they have been trying since 2011. Russia intervened in late 2015 and in a relatively short time shored up Assad’s position.

And today, the jihadists (proxies) are being routed and Assad is still in charge. So who looks weak?

MeMadMax

Putin has a desire to expand russia into the global trade system…
Trump has a desire to destroy the global trade system(started with steel tariffs and trade war with china) in favor of isolating the US domestic economy by making it stronger domestically.

Two very different goals, I think putin will get screwed the most because the global banking cartel has been trying to infiltrate russia for over a hundred years now.

Styx

“the global banking cartel has been trying to infiltrate Russia for over a hundred years now.”

I think one doesn’t have to be outstandingly well informed in order to notice that the proverbial cart (“voz” in Russian, if I remember correctly) in respect of that infiltration is still more or less at the exactly the same point where it started. No surprises though with guardians like Elvira Nabiullina or her equally impressive predecessor ..

“Nabiullina did not graduate from one of the Keynesian-monetarist hotbeds such as MIT or the University of Chicago. She graduated from Moscow State University and worked her way up through the Russian Ministry for Economic Development and Trade.”

https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/91e8dfd6ebe7a08f227c27b3835b6d6d72406c6540e1eca5e65e4f7857f1a3a5.png

Kapricorn4

Janet Yellen is the public face and spokesperson of the federal reserve, but she does not set its policy.

Styx

I am aware of that.

Kapricorn4

What else are you aware of with regard to the federal reserve ?
Harold Wilson referred to them as the Gnomes of Zurich.

Styx

How very illuminating.

Anything else?

Wegan

The US is like a cornered cat, a dangerous one AKA paper tiger with radioactive teeth. The Dollar will collapse in 5-10 years. China and Russia will start eating away market share in Commercial aircraft and electronic components industries who are the last two bastions of the West. The US is having less and less engineers graduating, most of google, apple and microsoft engineers are foreigners.

War and racket are the only things the US can do to keep its standing for the short term in the world.
And that’s it …just for the short term because after that they will be downsizing or downsized by their victims. All those aircraft carriers that will sink, will not be replaced and they will be sinking. The technology is there.