Preparing the NATO occupation of Ukraine

 

The media is fearmongering that the nuclear reactors in Ukraine (pic Czernobyl) are emitting radiation and are close to an explosion. I know nothing but it appears to me that they are preparing the psychological ground for taking over these facilities. 

Inflation considerations

 

America is starting to fight inflation. Or is it? The country has enormous debts, and I wonder which policy favors it: inflation and paying back the debt with quasi-worthless paper, or no-inflation or negative-inflation, so its interest payments are lower. 

Drought in China

 

The Yangtze (the long river) has almost stopped flowing. Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai depend on its waters. The Yangtze historically was known for its catastrophic floods. 

Argentina: President warns Attorney General

 

"Nisman se suicido, espero que Luciani no haga algo asi"  that is, Attorney General Nisman "killed himself" (it is known that he was assassinated by the Secret Police) and hope Luciani (the current Attorney General) will not do something similar. It is a death threat. Luciani formally accused Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, current Vicepresident, of managing the 10%  bribe system collected in all public works contracts and asks for 12 years in jail. The 10% was paid by the contractors to Kirchner - in US dollars or transferred to her bank account in the Province of Santa Cruz. All have been documented, including Kirchner's Panama bank accounts. Argentina's 45 million citizens are not surprised. 

Stasis in Ukraine

 

After six months of the war in Europe, the front seems to have stabilized. Ukraine has improved its weaponry with American and German stuff. Russia has attached a border strip largely peopled by Russian ethnics, and is digesting its conquest.  

Experts say this war could go on for years. It is ruining all of Europe. I don't know. 

Great Britain: 10% Inflation

 

The British currency is losing value very fast, Europe is slipping into recession and a holiday in England is becoming cheap for us Israelis. I love London. The Sondheim Theatre is showing "Les Miserables". It would be nice to visit around November but have no one to go with. The last two times went with my daughter but she is a teacher and "married". The wife is busy with her undead mother. London has to wait for me. 

Mearsheimer Warns about the Dynamics of Escalation

 

The dynamics of escalation in wartime are similarly hard to predict or control, which should serve as a warning to those who are confident that events in Ukraine can be managed. (Mearsheimer)

I heard much about escalation during the Cold War. I have to re-read On Escalation (Herman Kahn, 1965) and Escalation and the Nuclear Option (Bernard Brodie, 1966). In those contexts, it especially referred to war between two major states with weapons of mass destruction during the Cold War.  

Kahn's Scale:

IV. TRADITIONAL CRISES
Basic Description and Definition
The Rungs of Traditional Crises
Rung 4. Hardening of Positions-Confrontation of Wills
Rung 5. Show of Force
Rung 6. Significant Mobilization
Rung 7. "Legal" Harassment-Retortions
Rung 8. Harassing Acts of Violence
Rung 9. Dramatic Military Confrontations
A Recent Example of a "Traditional Crisis" Scenario
V. INTENSE CRISES
Basic Description and Definition
The Rungs of Intense Crises
Rung 10. Provocative Breaking Off of Diplomatic Relations
Rung 11. Super-Ready Status
Rung 12. Large Conventional War (or Actions)
Rung 13. Large Compound Escalation
Rung 14. Declaration of Limited Conventional War
Rung 15. Barely Nuclear War
Rung 16. Nuclear "Ultimatums"
Rung 17. Limited Evacuation (Approximately 20 per cent)
Rung 18. Spectacular Show or Demonstration of Force
Rung 19. "Justifiable" Counterforce Attacks
Rung 20. "Peaceful" World-Wide Embargo or Blockade

According to the above, the world is already in Rung 20 in the Russia-USA conflict, and very near regarding China.