An updated diagnosis of the most intractable problem currently facing the world economy - the simultaneous emergence of hot and homeless money, often illegal in origin, and a massive, growing, and ultimately unrepayable burden of debt incurred, often illegitimately, by the world's poor countries.

France is forming a coalition of nations that are willing to consider the possibility of deploying Western forces to Ukraine, Politico reports.

On Friday, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné travelled to Lithuania to hold a meeting with his Baltic and Ukrainian counterparts to promote the idea that foreign forces might assist Ukraine in tasks such as de-mining.

Séjourné repeatedly mentioned mine clearance operations as a potential area of assistance, stating it "might mean having some personnel, [but] not to fight."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on EU member states to invest heavily in the defense industry. These efforts should see the creation of weapons that will ensure the dominance of their armies on the battlefield, she said.

Von der Leyen also equated European security with continued support for Ukraine, which she said Brussels will keep providing “for as long as it takes.”

Addressing a congress of the European People’s Party in Bucharest, Romania on Thursday, von der Leyen said that the bloc needs to “turbo charge our defense industrial capacity in the next five years.” She added that this push would “help us fill the urgent need to rebuild, replenish and modernize Member States’ armed forces.”

Gutfeld: If Biden was a Walmart greeter, he'd say hello as customers leave the store

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM0g0rjRVBo

My favorite Sesame Street character and the White House are in agreement about shrinkflation, Hope writes.

What they're saying: "C is for consumers getting ripped off. President Biden is calling on companies to put a stop to shrinkflation," the White House posted while quoting Cookie Monster, who said —

"Me hate shrinkflation! Me cookies are getting smaller."
The intrigue: Not everyone's happy about the blue monster's commentary.
"I'm shocked," Frank Oz, who worked with creator Jim Henson, wrote on X. "Muppets need to live in their own pure world."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jczt5zmxv6Y

HORRID... MAKES YOU FELL ILL... BS ON TOAST.... INSANE JOE.....

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW....

Recently there was an interesting piece in the South China Morning Post on “Communist Party orders cells to study Xi Jinping Thought and learn speeches” See China’s Communist Party orders cells to make Xi Jinping Thought a priority, cadres must study president’s speeches, South China Morning Post.

Right now, the very highest levels of the Deep State — the U.S.-UK empire and its dependent colonies’ collaborating aristocracies — are struggling within and against each other over what to do now that their decades-long plans and expectations of ultimately expanding to absorb into their empire every country and so to win for their billionaires collective rule over the entire planet, are collapsing into abject failure in the battlefields of Ukraine, in America’s war there to defeat Russia.

Eric Zuesse (blogs at https://theduran.com/author/eric-zuesse/)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US journalist Tucker Carlson on Friday called President Joe Biden's State of the Union address to Congress "possibly the darkest, most un-American speech" ever delivered by a US president, saying that it had been focused not on US's national interests, but on pouring billions of dollars into military aid to Ukraine.

"That was possibly the darkest, most un-American speech ever given by an American president," Carlson said during a broadcast published on his X account, calling Biden a "cruel and vicious demagogue."

The US journalist described the president's address as a "lie," saying that Biden "quickly explained" that his top priority "has nothing to do with America" and was related to "sending billions more to Ukraine."

US ‘will not bow down’ to Russia – Biden
The US president urged Republicans to unblock military aid to Kiev in his State of the Union address

The US will not stop supporting Ukraine during its conflict with Russia, President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address on Thursday night.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hell-bent on “sowing chaos around Europe,” Biden claimed.

“If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop in Ukraine, I assure you he will not,” Biden told Congress. He went on to renew his appeal to House Republicans to stop blocking additional military aid to Kiev.

“Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons it needs to defend itself,” he said.

The modern world is “unfair,” but social disparities and global inequalities can be addressed by establishing a multipolar world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the World Youth Festival (WYF) in Sochi, Putin said: “There are no equal conditions in the world for everyone. This is the main injustice of the current world order.”

The Russian leader noted that in the United States people can die “at the doorway of a hospital” if they don’t have medical insurance.

“The world is unfair, that’s for sure. And people who do not have sufficient income cannot receive a normal education or have the right to count on medical care,” Putin said.

NATO’s ongoing ‘Steadfast Defender 2024’ maneuvers are heightening tensions globally by enacting a military confrontation with Moscow, the secretary of the Security Council of Russia has said. Nikolay Patrushev also cited the alliance’s growing military spending as an indication of its “increasingly aggressive nature.”

The exercises, hailed as the largest NATO has held in decades, kicked off in late January and will end in May. According to Supreme Allied Commander for Europe Christopher Cavoli, the drills feature some 90,000 troops from all 32 member states. In addition, 1,100 combat vehicles, including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as over 50 naval vessels and 80 helicopters, drones and fighter jets are taking part, it is believed.

The United States was unable to manage the responsibility of being the world’s only superpower after the Cold War ended, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the World Youth Festival (WYF) on Wednesday.

The WYF runs in Sochi from March 1-7, hosting some 20,000 young people from Russia and abroad for sporting and cultural events, competitions and panel discussions.

Addressing participants at the festival, Putin noted that after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US elite had an opportunity to take advantage of their new “monopoly on world leadership.”

“I believe that the United States has failed to handle the burden of responsibility that fell on its shoulders.”

The president predicted that as the multipolar world develops, “fundamental changes will also occur in Europe.”

Media Freakout About GOP Hating America and Whether This is the "Last Election," w/ Vivek Ramaswamy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlKnZ5q4siM

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North Carolina: The main question for Donald Trump and Joe Biden coming out of Super Tuesday is this: where will Nikki Haley’s supporters go?

For Haley, beating Trump to the Republican nomination was always going to be tough – particularly after he won almost every primary and caucus race leading up to this contest.

Here’s the worst part about the leaked German ‘Crimean Bridge attack’ call
Some officers seem to have forgotten which country they are sworn to defend – and they are really bad at deception, too....

Pentagon claims economic bonanza from arming Ukraine
Workers from Texas to Ohio benefit from Washington’s campaign to procure arms for Kiev, Lloyd Austin has claimed...

The Ukraine conflict is a boon for the US economy as it has allowed more jobs to be created in the American military-industrial sector, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the White House Competition Council on Tuesday, the Pentagon chief promised that Washington would continue to push for a stronger defense industry, particularly in light of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. 

Austin claimed that American military assistance to Kiev has not only “saved lives” and kept Ukraine in the fight, but has also strengthened the US economy.