News Review: Chaos Reigns

The warmongers are still at it.

[No, Ansar Allah and Vlad are not the big problem.]

Published: 2025-03-24

Updated 2025-03-24: A small section was significantly expanded including relevant news via Simplicius. The big news was Russia’s central bank’s assets are not to be thieved. Helmer’s latest article was added to sources to reinforce an already understood process which was discussed with Helmer on the Gunners’ Shot video.

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The Canary in the Coal Mine

It has been pleasing to see US constitutionalists coming to the defense of legal residents' protections under the constitution. The 1st and 5th amendments protect speech, association and due process. To borrow a phrase from Craig Murray, it is interesting to see just how often the US establishment's treatment of Wikileaks and Julian Assange turn out to be the canary in the coal mine for the ongoing abuses shown by US governments.

Issuing editorials and legal challenges are to be commended. If these issuers of these challenges to the US establishment's march down the road to totalitarianism would like some advice on how to organise and thus empower their protest, they could have a chat with Ksharma Sawant, or a couple of out of work politicians across the pond.

The later, who we shall rejoin below, know a t'ing or t'ree about political organizing.

The (Corporate) War for the Peace

Bernard from Moon of Alabama took the time to review the differing read-outs from the recent 2 hour long conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. He noted the differences between them which are being exploited by expired Ukrainian President Zelensky to undermine the undefined "ceasefire" and thus any trust between the US and Russia.

Bernard cited a public address by Zelensky to support his case.

He refrained from noting that the read-out differences reveal the ineptitude of the US State Department. In years gone by, the US may not have cared about accuracy in its diplomatic communications for its force made these distortions largely irrelevant. This is not the case for its negotiations with the 3 other parties to the war, namely, Ukraine, the European powers and Russia.

Malformed diplomatic documents maintain the war.

The carve up of remaining valuable assets in Ukraine, first by Britain based on the "100 Year" treaty, and then by the US seeking mineral leases, has moved on to nuclear power stations. Ukraine's duplicitous former allies are picking at its carcass while the complexity of the details for a peace are shrouded in unrealistic "ceasefires".

New-Yalta alarmism remains uninspiring

Prof. Diesen invited Gilbert Doctorow to discuss the recent diplomatic initiatives.

Doctorow moved the discussion to the highest level of geopolitics by declaring his belief in the theory that Trump wants a Yalta style division of the globe into Powers and spheres of influence. He suggested that associated with this is a total sidelining of the Britain, France and Germany. Into this narrative he wove the bargaining over nuclear power stations in Ukraine.

Frankly, it was all a bit fanciful. Current US and British behaviour cleave simply to squabbling over Ukrainian assets. Even Doctorow admitted that the current, insane European leaders, who are tripling down on the Ukraine war by advocating policies of 1 trillion Euros to be spent on arming for war, are unlikely to survive their rhetoric.

This is not to say that these outrageously irresponsible policies should be ignored. In the end, Europeans need to rein in or toss out the current batch of nostalgic leaders wanting to fund their military industries on almost stolen Russian foreign reserve assets and their citizen's savings, sitting in pension funds.

The most cogent counter to Doctorow's proclamations of a new Yalta came from Alexander Mercouris' summary of Putin's speech to a meeting of Russian industry (business) leaders. Mercouris felt the need to emphasize that Putin's words should be trusted because misleading one's industrial leaders political suicide. Putin's message was very clear.

Russia's economic direction is not changing whatsoever. Do not, business leaders, be concerned over recent talks with the US about the Ukraine war and potential settlements.

Putin cited a 1970s era US sanctions package which targeted the USSR. It was not rescinded until 2013 (22 years after the dissolution of the USSR), and was replaced the next year with a new version. Do not expect sanctions relief, business leaders. It aint coming, and we don't care anyway.

Businesses which have succeeded in import substitution will continue to be supported. International trade resolution via the alternate methods established with BRICS+ partners should continue to be used. If opportunities arise for US or European investment in Russia, great. But that will be done on Russia's terms to assist Russia's industry and economy. Full steam ahead to the multi-nodal world!

And that multi-nodal world does not include the political rhetoric of "new Yalta" dividing the world into super-Powers, with or without Europe. Trump will be given all opportunity for a seat at the table in the multi-nodal world, but not one to divide BRICS+ into competing super-Powers defined by the US.

Witkoff Fluff

Tucker Carlson had a chat with Trump Envoy Witkoff. Larry Johnson summed up the nothing burger well, noting that Witkoff doesn't understand anything about global politics, or regional politics in any of the regions which Trump has entrusted him to negotiate.

The same could be said of Marco Rubio, but Johnson didn't push it that far.

The assertion that Witkoff knows diddly was partially undermined by Simplicius in his latest piece wherein we learn that the envoy's grandparents were Russian.

Simplicius informs us that a split is developing between the French side of the UK-France entente and its British half. Starmer's warmongering is just too gory for Macron who is signaling a U.N. brokered "peacekeeping" force. Of greater significance is a Politico article which Simplicius cites. It informs that the Baltic "tigers" are being told that the confiscation of Russia's Central Bank assets is "impossible". Belgium Prime Minister Wever described the potential theft as "an act of war", which is a refreshingly realistic assessment of the proposed grand larceny.

Thursday are the big days in the EU week. The next installment will see leaders gather under Macron's flag, on March 27th, to continue the discussions which are thankfully going nowhere.

"EU ReArm" is the code name for the latest slush fund to use the current panic as an opportunity to fund political interests, particularly military production. France slapped down yapping Kallas' demand for an immediate 5 billion Euro for Ukraine. Italy's Meloni is warning against debt instruments and declaring that Italy's budget has no "fiscal space" for the spending. Slovakia's Fico is refusing to support further sanctions on Russia because these might undermine a peace process. The usual European political maneuvering is under way. But, Russia’s central bank’s assets are supposedly off the table.

Israeli Zionists: Genocide and Annexation with Full US Support

The Zionist settler colonial project, with the full support of the US, diplomatic cover from the EU and military support from Britain and Germany continues its rampage against humanity and upon international law.

Recent headlines from Antiwar summarize the catastrophe which Israel is inflicting on its neighbours and itself.

Palestine is partially annexed. Syria is partially annexed. Lebanon is partially annexed. The genocide in Gaza continues and has escalated in rhetoric and civilian murders.

Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice is painting its fingernails. Shame on it.

Ansar Allah

Trump is following the perennial, US presidential tradition of putting the lives of the US military at risk for no benefit but for the weapons contractors which profit from citizens' taxes.

The rhetoric of blaming Iran for Ansar Allah's actions is classic US hypocrisy which its media will re-broadcast ad nauseam.

Stop the bloody genocide, Trump, and Ansar Allah will again stop attacking Israeli shipping and its military. If you attack Iran you and the US military will lose, and crash the world economy.

I4C Trouble

And now, back to those "retired" politician across the pond, and to end with some good news.

The rabble rousing duo of Clare Daly and Mick Wallace are still delivering their uniquely Irish and humanist commentary on our troubling times.

Enjoy.

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Sources

Trump's  Money Shot — Gunners Shot Fires Back; John Helmer; Dances with Bears; 2025-03-23

Perilous Times for Personal Liberty; Andrew P. Napolitano; Antiwar; 2025-03-20

Deporting Non-Citizen Protesters Sets a Dangerous Precedent of Punishment and Retaliation for All Americans; Rutherford Institute; Natylie's Place: Understanding Russia; 2025-03-22

How Zelenski Is Trying To Sabotage Trump's Negotiations With Russia; b.; Moon of Alabama; 2025-03-22

Negotiations Continue to Go Nowhere as Europe Bashes Head Against Wall; Simplicius; Simplicius' Garden of Knowledge; 2025-03-24

Seizing frozen Russian assets is 'an act of war,' says Belgian PM; politico.eu; Archive.today; 2025-03-21

Putin concludes closed meeting with business community - Russian Politics & Diplomacy; N/A; TASS; 2025-03-18

Tucker Carlson's Interview with Steve Witkoff Reveals Surprising Ignorance; Larry C. Johnson; SONAR21; 2025-03-23

Tucker Carlson Interviews Trump's Diplomatic Envoy Steve Witkoff (Ukraine-Russia); Natylie's Place: Understanding Russia; 2025-03-23

Lebanon PM Warns of Risk of 'New War' as Israeli Airstrikes Pound Southern Lebanon; Jason Ditz; Antiwar; 2025-03-22

Israel Sends More Troops Into Syria, Launches Airstrikes on Multiple Sites; Jason Ditz; Antiwar; 2025-03-23

Katz: Israel To Begin Annexing Gaza; Kyle Anzalone; Antiwar; 2025-03-21

State Department Approves First Sale of Laser-Guided Missiles to Saudi Arabia; Jason Ditz; Antiwar; 2025-03-23

US bombs Yemen, EU kills 'democracy' in Romania; Daly & Wallace; I4CTrouble; 2025-03-17

• MP3

• "US bombs Yemen while Irish leader heads to Washington on bended knee to pay homage to 🇺🇸Empire, as EU kills 'democracy' in Romania.."

Aaron Mate on how NATO provoked Russia in Ukraine and undermined peace; The Grayzone; The Grayzone; 2025-03-20

Will the Nationalists Turn Against Zelensky?; Glenn Diesen interviews Nicolai Petro; Glenn Diesen; 2025-03-21

Putin; Sanctions will not be lifted. BRICS is way forward; Christoforou and Mercouris; The Duran; 2025-03-22

Alastair Crooke : Trump in a Hurry; Putin Patient.; Napolitano interviews Crooke; Judging Freedom; 2025-03-24

• Crooke also refers, from 00:17:41, to Putin’s speech to the Union of Russian industrialists, and makes the same summary as Mercouris.

• Crooke names the Russian 19th century economists to which Putin referred, advocating for a self-sufficient economy to promote internal employment. Painfully, Napolitano misses the point which Crooke is emphasizing, and fails to offer Crooke the opportunity to expand upon it.

US-Russia Grand Bargain Without Europe - Andrey Kortunov, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen; Christoforou and Mercouris with Andrey Kortunov; The Duran; 2025-03-23

America Attacks Yemen - Has Trump Set Himself Up For Failure?; Prof. Diesen interviews Prof. Marandi; Glenn's Substack; 2025-03-23

'Corporatised War Termination' Will Not Work For USA in Ukraine / Dr John Helmer /Brig Arun Sahgal; GUNNERS SHOT; GUNNERS SHOT; 2025-03-24

TG 1842: Tucker Carlson Interviews Steve Witcoff: The Ukraine Negotiations; Peter Lavelle and George Szamuely; The Gaggle with Peter and George; 2025-03-24

• P&G note Witkoff’s sensitivity to many elements of the underlying causes in the NATO-Russia Ukraine war. Indeed, some of his acknowledgements sent the neo-con crowd at Kagan’s “Institute for the Study of War” into hysteria.

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