U.S. Greenland 2029: Congressman Collins' Map Rekindles Trump's Dream

The idea of the US purchasing Greenland, an island a quarter the size of the USA, resurfaced after Republican Congressman Mike Collins shared an image of Donald Trump's 2024 Electoral College map, which included Greenland, colored red. The map was captioned "Project 2029," hinting that the island could become part of the US by 2029.

 Project 2029: The Greenland Purchase.

During his first term, Trump notably raised the idea of buying Greenland, describing it as "essentially a large real estate deal." In 2019, he remarked, "Denmark essentially owns it … We’re very good allies with Denmark, we protect Denmark like we protect large portions of the world … Strategically, it’s interesting, and we’d be interested, but we’ll talk to them a little bit." 

  "Essentially a large real estate deal." 

 Danish prime minister, 2019: "Trump doesn't understand reality."

Trump’s proposal to purchase Greenland reportedly included assuming Denmark's $600 million annual subsidy to the island. He also jokingly suggested swapping Greenland for Puerto Rico during discussions, according to The New York Times. However, Denmark, a NATO ally, firmly rejected the idea, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling it "absurd" and declaring, "Greenland is not for sale. That's where the conversation ends."

 

Deutsche Welle, August 16, 2019.

Throughout history, the US has shown interest in acquiring Greenland, with discussions dating back to 1867, 1910, and 1946. The island’s appeal lies in its substantial untapped resources, including offshore oil and gas reserves, as well as confirmed deposits of zinc, gold, iron ore, uranium, and other metals. Recent discoveries of rare earth elements, crucial for electric vehicles and wind turbines, have only increased its strategic value. 

 

Jared Kushner, February 15, 2024: "Gaza could be a valuable waterfront property".

 

Additionally, Greenland is seen as a critical geopolitical asset, with its position offering control over Arctic sea lanes and access to resources worth potentially trillions of dollars. It is also home to US military infrastructure, including components of the ballistic missile warning system and phased-array radar equipment at Thule Air Base, cementing NATO's control over the North Atlantic. In the future, Greenland could even be used to deploy US intermediate-range ground-based missiles.

 

See also:
Martin Armstrong (November 15, 2024) - US Military Base Opens 100 Miles Off Russian Border.

The Kosher Candidate | Wyatt Peterson

How strange, eh? Trump wins the election and all’s quiet on the Western front. No Antifa or BLM thugs tearing up major cities; no suspicious activity at the polls or meaningful cases of voter fraud; no histrionic media warning about the impending ‘rise of fascism.’ Nothing! It’s almost as if Trump was the deep state’s candidate all along, something I have contended since October 7, 2023.

 

 » Anyone who believes ‘The Donald’ will be calling the shots in his

upcoming administration has no idea how our political system works. «

 

My MAGA friends assure me the vote for Trump was simply ‘too big to rig’ and that his victory is cause for uninhibited celebration. Our broken election system that garnered so much attention just four years ago has miraculously been restored and conservative Americans can once again place their faith in the democratic process. Hallelujah!

  » There is nothing patriotic about allowing a bunch of rich Jews

to dictate the terms of our national discourse. «

The wealthy individuals who have cozied up to Trump over the past 12 months are single-issue voters, and that issue is Israel. [...] It’s probably safe to assume that the millions of dollars Trump receives from people like Helberg and Thiel motivates his rhetoric about deporting “anti-Israel protestors” and bombing Iran more so than any deeply held philosemitic convictions. Many of his supporters, however, fail to make this connection and, as a result, adopt similar attitudes and opinions to those their hero has been paid so handsomely to express. Indeed, the major benefit of a Trump presidency from the perspective of these people is his unprecedented popularity, which automatically ensures countless supporters for the Zionist cause. 

 

Had Kamala Harris been installed as America’s 47th president, I honestly believe a majority of Trump’s base would’ve quickly grown tired of watching material and financial aid go to Israel, thus creating a fissure in the Zionist edifice and potentially leading to an overdue reckoning with the Jewish Question. As it stands, Trump will likely live up to his billing as history’s most pro-Israel president and he’ll almost certainly be granted a free pass by his supporters who seem to view him in the same starry-eyed way as a child views his favorite athlete or movie star.

 Washington is the theater, and AIPAC is its master director.

Another single-issue voter close to Trump these days is billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. A longtime donor to Democratic candidates and organizations such as Michael Bloomberg, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic National Committee and Planned Parenthood, Ackman announced his support for Trump in July after complaining about Joe Biden’s “lack of support” for the Jewish state.

 The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy — John Mearsheimer.

[...] Conservatives tend to believe the fight for the soul of our nation is being waged between ‘progressive leftists’ and ‘America First.’ In reality, ‘Wokeism’ is but a tool in the hands of powerful forces who wield it to destabilize Western Christian civilization. The second the ‘woke’ golem goes off the reservation and begins operating with a measure of autonomy, its creators shift their shape and pose as patriotic crusaders in the fight to reclaim our nation from the monster they have created. There is nothing patriotic about allowing a bunch of rich Jews to dictate the terms of our national discourse and to chase from public life anyone they deem a threat to their interests at that time.

 » Trump is surrounded by Zionist fanatics who believe 

they’re entitled to a return on their deposit. «

Which brings me back to Trump. Anyone who believes ‘The Donald’ will be calling the shots in his upcoming administration has no idea how our political system works. Howard Lutnick, the billionaire New York Jew heading the Trump transition team, has already stated he’s working closely with Jared Kushner on hiring personnel for the administration; and former ‘Never Trumper’ Ben Shapiro has indicated ultra-Zionists Mike Pompeo and David Friedman will be in charge of Trump’s “Israel policy.” Shapiro disclosed the information during an online debate with Jewish activists Sam Harris and Bari Weiss, telling them, “on his Israel policy, Mike Pompeo and David Friedman are the most likely people to be in the administration ... I know precisely the people talking to him — I’m not speculating about that.” Later in the segment, Shapiro rightly stated that “Trump is the most pro-Israel president in American history,” revealing where his, and so many of his co-religionists’, true interests lie.

John Mearsheimer on how Israel exerts total control over US foreign policy.

Recently I was reading through some old political newsletters and magazines I’ve accumulated over the years. One item which caught my attention was an August 2012 edition of Michael Hoffman’s Revisionist History newsletter titled, ‘The Quadrennial Return of the Lesser of Two Evils Meme.’ In it, Hoffman wrote the following about former Republican presidential candidate Willard ‘Mitt’ Romney:

"Mr. Romney is an obvious opportunist who would say or do just about anything to get elected. The pro-life argument only holds water if the murder of unborn Iranian babies in their mother’s womb counts for nothing with the Religious Right. Romney is the preferred candidate of the bankers and super-rich, and of war-Zionism. Within a year or less of being elected President it is very likely that he will bomb, or help the Israelis to bomb (the media weasel word is “strike”) Iran back into the stone age, with the familiar, cynical, Talmudic doubletalk about “collateral damage” when the “surgical strikes” somehow drift beyond Iranian nuclear power facilities and into “command and control centers of the regime” (Iran’s civilian city centers.) This is the documented Israeli tactic against Lebanon and Palestine, and US military policy is becoming increasingly indistinguishable from Israeli barbarity."

What was true of Mitt Romney in 2012 is equally true of Donald Trump in 2024, only the latter once again has the US military at his disposal and is surrounded by Zionist fanatics who believe they’re entitled to a return on their deposit.

Quoted from:
Wyatt Peterson (November 7, 2024) - The Kosher Candidate.

The United States Exists for War | Scott Ritter

Anyone hoping that the United States will be a force for peace is hoping in vain. We are not a force for peace; we are not wired for that. The United States exists for war. This is what President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about in his farewell address in 1961, when he spoke of the rise of the military-industrial complex working in concert with Congress to undermine American democracy.

 The US proves itself globally to be the primary source of strife, war, repression, and genocide.

» Electing a new president will not change this dynamic. «

It succeeded. America's democracy today is literally a shadow of what it could and should be. It doesn’t matter that we can all go out and vote on November 5th. Just look at who we are voting for. If you believe that having Kamala Harris representing the Democratic Party and Donald Trump representing the Republican Party indicates a politically healthy America, you are mistaken. What it shows is that America is among the most unhealthy nations in the world regarding democracy and politics.

We are deeply diseased. We have an establishment that thrives on global confrontation. Our entire means of interfacing with the world—economically, diplomatically, and otherwise—is through violence. Look at how we propose to solve the Israeli-Gaza conflict: by providing billions of dollars in military assistance to Israel. We seem to have no other option. Even when we attempt to pressure Israel by stopping arms sales, it feels as though weapons are our sole contribution because it is all we know how to do. Consider Ukraine; that’s all we have.

 » Our entire means of interfacing with the world is through violence. «

In contrast, look at how China engages with the world through the Belt and Road Initiative, a $10 trillion infrastructure development program that has allowed China to win over the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of nations while we seek to destroy everything. The primary American representative globally these days is the regional combat commander in the Middle East. If you're the ambassador of a major Middle Eastern country, your effectiveness hinges on the presence of the military representatives, because they are the ones calling the shots. The same is true in Europe and Asia; military influence is paramount.

The military is not meant to be a diplomatic agency, yet it has become the most important diplomatic agency of the United States. This reality tells us that our reason for existence is not peace; it is war. Electing a new president will not change this dynamic. Donald Trump may superficially speak the language of peace, but he is an instrument of war and power. He implies that he can project American economic power without backing it up with military force. Even when he talks about peace, it’s always underpinned by threats. For example, when he threatens Putin, claiming he’ll make those domes disappear, what does that really mean? It implies violence; that’s all we know how to do.

 » We have an establishment that thrives on global confrontation. «

This pattern persists across the political spectrum. The Democrats resort to economic violence, military violence, and political violence, just as the Republicans do. The CIA exists to undermine foreign governments, as we’ve just seen again in Georgia. The Georgian people, who held a fair and free election, find that the United States refuses to accept their democratic outcome because it was not the one we wanted. Consequently, we intervene, trying to instigate a Maidan-like revolution in Tbilisi, just as we did in Kiev.

 

» Now that Ukraine has failed, the US is preparing continental Europe for direct conflict with Russia. «
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, November 3, 2024.

I wrote an article titled "The American Midas Touch." In ancient Greek mythology, King Midas is known for turning everything he touches into gold, but it also meant that everything he touched ultimately died. This is the American Midas Touch: we seek to turn everything to our benefit, but in doing so, we often bring about destruction. At the end of the day, we touch others and they die because we know only how to kill for our advantage. None of the candidates represent a force for peace, and America will never be a force for peace as we are currently configured.

Reference:
Scott Ritter (November 3, 2024) - Israel and Ukraine are Crumbling, and Even Trump is Powerless to Stop It! (video) 

 

 MCWGA MMXXIV

What Is the US and Where Did It Come From? | Think About This Question

 

In the nearly two and a half centuries of its existence, this country has killed millions of innocent people around the world. And it has no intention of stopping. “Nothing Personal - Just Business” - that's their favorite slogan, with which they continue to kill people all over the world, divide other countries among themselves and start civil wars.

 

  » Nothing Personal - Just Business «

ooooOoooo

 

The US was founded by Satanists and has been ruled by Satanists ever since.
This is their 'Great Seal'.
 

ooooOoooo

 

The whole world stands frozen in uneasy anticipation, waiting for the results of the presidential election in the distant land of US. There is no reason why we should have high expectations about it.

1. The outcome of the election will not change anything for Russia, as both candidates share the same bipartisan consensus that ‘Russia must be defeated’.
2. Kamala is dumb, inexperienced, and easy to control, as she will be terrified of everyone around her. All the real decision-making will be done by a coterie of top ministers and advisors plus (indirectly) the Obamas.
3. A low-energy Trump, spewing clichés like 'I'll offer them a deal' and 'I have a very good relationship with...,' will be forced to comply with the system and its rules. He won't stop the war. Not in one day, not in three days, not in three months. And if he actually attempts to do it, he could end up becoming the new JFK.
4. The only thing that matters is how much cash the new POTUS can squeeze out of Congress to finance someone else's war, fought in a far-off land. Cash to feed the American military-industrial complex and to line the pockets of the Banderite scum in Ukraine.
5. That is why, if we want to please both candidates for the highest American office, the best thing to do on November 5 is keep pummeling the Nazi regime in Kiev! 

Dmitry Medvedev, November 3, 2024

ooooOoooo

 

 
Trump's Derangement Syndrome.

The Truth About American Freedom and Democracy | Shahid Bolsen

As an American, we grew up with a constant drumbeat telling us what a great country America is because it's so free and boasts so many freedoms. This is the ultimate example of a misconception: America, the land of the free. This phrase is completely meaningless. Ask an American what they mean by freedom. What do you mean by the freedom you have that others don’t? The average American citizen has less freedom than any random villager in Indonesia or Ghana or anywhere else in the Global South.

» What do you mean by the freedom you have that others don’t? «

What freedom are you even talking about? Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. For many, missing even one paycheck means being thrown out onto the street. That’s the reality. You don’t just have one master in America when it comes to your slavery. We talk about debt slavery, wage slavery, and so on. Your employer is your master. Your student loan officer is your master. Your landlord is your master. The credit card bureau is your master. Your mortgage loan officer is your master. Your insurance adjuster, your Health Maintenance Organization, the Internal Revenue Service, your credit card company—they are all your masters. In America, you are a slave with many masters, and they all have their chains on you, each with their own lash to use on your back. So what freedom do you have?

 

» In America, you are a slave with many masters. «

You have more laws and regulations in America than in any other country in the world. The average American's daily life is governed, influenced, restricted, or determined by tens of thousands of laws and regulations—upwards of 50,000 to 100,000 rules at the municipal, state, and federal levels—not to mention the rules imposed by your employer. Most of these rules exist under the pretense of making society better and protecting you, but the truth, known by any American who is paying attention, is that these rules exist primarily to generate revenue for the enforcing bodies through fines and fees. That’s the real purpose behind most of these regulations. It's not about health, safety, or security; it is just about making money off you.

And in this so-called great democratic country, you have no say in how any of that money is spent. You have no say in how the funds collected from you are utilized. So I ask again: what freedom do you really have? What freedom is so special and unique? Honestly, none. Zero. There are no freedoms you have in America, that are not available elsewhere. And there are freedoms elsewhere that you do not have in America. But they constantly tell you how free you are, implying that every other country is an oppressive tyranny where no one can do anything. 

 

» And there are freedoms elsewhere that you do not have in America. «

Moreover, the overwhelming majority of Americans never leave the country, so they don’t even know what life is like anywhere else. Western civilization has never truly believed in freedom as the highest value. That’s the reality they don’t want you to know. It’s just part of the sales pitch to convince you how wonderful your society is. If you trace back to the alleged philosophical roots of Western civilization in ancient Greece, the philosophers they tout as inspiration—Aristotle, Plato—did not subscribe to this belief in unqualified freedom. The true foundation of Western thought has always been more authoritarian and classist than liberal and democratic. They prioritized order and the security of the status quo over liberty and freedom. They always believed in power being held by the elite. If you actually read these philosophers, whether they are Greek, Enlightenment thinkers, or the so-called founding fathers, you will see the lineage of thought behind the modern Western power structure. They sell the public an idea of freedom, but anyone with common sense knows that you can’t base an organized society solely on liberty and the so-called sovereignty of the individual.

 

» The entire democratic mechanism is designed to marginalize the population. «

Anyone who thinks about it for more than five seconds realizes this. How long would such a society even last? But the government and the power structure don’t even respect the population enough to tell you that. They don’t want you to understand the real system you live in. Instead, they tell you how free you are and indulge your fantasies because they perceive you as childlike. That’s why they don’t educate people properly. The level of idiocy imposed upon the public in America is astronomical. You might point to the freedom to criticize the government or to protest. But they only grant you the freedom to protest in a 'democracy' when they aren’t actually providing you with democracy. Think about it: why would you need to go out into the streets to demand change if you have a functioning democracy? If political mechanisms exist to meet your demands, why protest? Because your government ignores you. That’s why. Your freedom to protest and to criticize the government just means you have the freedom not to be listened to. In fact, democracies have perfected the exclusion of the population from policy-making decisions. The entire democratic mechanism is designed to marginalize the population.

 » Anyone who thinks about it for more than five seconds realizes this. «

Right now, they have you focused on the election, thinking about who will win, who to vote for, or who to vote against, while real power is completely removed from that process. They have distracted you from where real power lies because they have convinced you how free and democratic your society is, which, in practical terms, means you have no power whatsoever. You have no voice. That is why it doesn’t matter when you protest in the street; it matters no more than casting a vote in a ballot box. Both actions hold equal significance regarding policy outcomes. It starts from the misconception that your so-called civilization ever believed in freedom, liberty, and democracy. Those who rule over you never believed in that for a moment. What you have is the system they intended you to have—a system where power is held by the elite and the population is completely disempowered.

Quoted from:
Shahid Bolsen (October 26, 2024) - They Never Intended For You To Be Free. (video)

 

 What a spectacle.

Hidden Signs and Obvious Clues | Janet Yellen

The moment United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen uttered the phrase "the dollar is the world's reserve currency", the coat of arms of the US Treasury Department fell off her lectern and crashed to the ground.

October 22, 2024.

Esoteric Trumpism │ Constantin von Hoffmeister

For his supporters, Donald Trump is a bulwark of traditionalism and a champion of ‘America First’. For his detractors, he is a disruptive, deceitful agent of chaos. But a more philosophical approach frames him as a key figure in an eldritch struggle with deep-seated forces of decay. Esoteric Trumpism is a profound, almost mystical interpretation of Donald Trump’s political journey, situating him not merely within the framework of contemporary politics but as a figure of cosmic and world-historical significance. This interpretation posits that Trump’s rise and continued influence reflect deeper metaphysical catalysts at play in the twilight of Western civilization, as predicted by the historiographer Oswald Spengler in the 1920s and 1930s.

» Trump’s significance lies not in the man but in the archetype he embodies. « 

According to Spengler’s cyclical theory of history, every great culture passes through stages of growth, flowering, and decline, ultimately transforming into a civilization. A civilization, in Spengler’s view, is the final, ossified stage of a culture – marked by materialism, a dystopian government apparatus, and stagnation – where the original creative spirit has faded. In this phase, democratic institutions begin to decay, leading to the rise of autocratic leaders, or Caesars, who assert their will as the last defenders of the civilization’s final flickers of vitality. Trump, in this narrative, appears as a Caesar of the West, struggling against the forces of chaos and entropy that threaten to engulf the remnants of the culture’s achievements. 

The Swamp, in the context of Esoteric Trumpism, eclipses its conventional political metaphor as a term for entrenched, secretive, and subversive agencies. Instead, it takes on a life of its own, representing a primordial, chthonic entity whose tentacles have reached into the heart of American power. This is no mere political quagmire – it is an ancient force, predating the Republic itself, fueled by what can only be described as eldritch energies. Trump’s wrestle against this dark presence is painted in Lovecraftian tones, where the stakes are not just electoral victories or policy changes but the very soul of the nation. His presidency becomes a metaphysical battle, with Trump cast as a modern hero who, like Spengler’s envisioned Caesars, refuses to capitulate to the rot that envelops his civilization. Each executive order, every political maneuver, is understood as an audacious attempt to dismantle this machinery of the Great Old Ones that has operated unseen for centuries. Trump’s defiance is portrayed as a courageous, almost tragic stand against the inevitable. He fights not for personal gain but to stave off the encroaching darkness that looms over the West.

» Regardless of financial strength, political power and knowledge of previous history life cycles, 

no empire leader has ever been able to prevent its supremacy from collapsing. «

[...] Trump’s economic nationalism and policies aimed at restoring American autarky – through tariffs, immigration controls, and the reduction of global dependencies – are emblematic of a dying civilization’s last effort to preserve itself. Spengler wrote that as civilizations enter their final stages, the state becomes primarily an economic object, with the competition for resources and sovereignty taking precedence over other concerns. Trump’s trade wars with China and his efforts to revive American industry are therefore not merely political strategies but the actions of a Caesar seeking to preserve his people’s material and cultural autonomy in the face of an encroaching global order. These actions reflect the Spenglerian picture of a civilization striving to maintain its vitality, even as it approaches its unstoppable downfall.

[...] Trump’s significance lies not in the man but in the archetype he embodies. The rise of such Caesarian leaders does not promise material success; their triumph is symbolic, not in policies but in their rebellion against a senile and rabid world order. Trumpism, even as Trump’s personal influence fades, will persist as a movement that channels the existential fears of a civilization in freefall, longing for a return to integrity and self-expression. The power of the archetype lies in its resonance with a people alienated by the deep state – Trump articulates their despair, even as his achievements remain modest. His role is to act as the last expression of Western vitality, not to reverse the downward spiral but to embody the final brave spirit of a people grasping for survival in a world disintegrating into frenzied insanity. 

 

Quoted from:

Constantin von Hoffmeister (October 19, 2024) - Why Donald Trump is a mystical figure of historic proportions. 

 

See also:
Constantin von Hoffmeister interviews Alexander Wolfheze (October 11, 2024) - Globus Horribilis. (video)

FEMA Funding Crisis Amid Hurricane Milton Threats: Why? | Lena Petrova

North Carolina is grappling with the devastating consequences of recent Hurricane Helene, while Florida now braces for Hurricane Milton, a 'Category 5' storm with winds reaching 180 miles per hour and potential storm surges of up to 15 feet. Milton is projected to make landfall early Thursday morning. Arguably the worst part about what is just hours away is that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is running low on funds. 

 

Who. What. When. Where. How. Why.

Many Americans are questioning the allocation of federal resources, particularly as the government continues to send substantial aid to foreign allies, such as $18 billion to Israel and $175 billion to Ukraine, while domestic disaster response funding remains precarious. With back-to-back hurricanes testing FEMA's resources, a former deputy administrator warns of severe strain on the agency's capabilities.

Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, 

overseeing immigration, disaster response, and national security efforts.

As Milton approaches, questions arise regarding FEMA's readiness to handle immediate and long-term recovery needs. The uncertainty surrounding available funds is compounded by predictions that Milton could cause unprecedented reinsurance losses, particularly if it strikes major urban areas like Tampa. 

» FEMA is a front for the Deep State Cartel to funnel money toward immigrants and wars. « 

None dare call it conspiracy.

This could result in extensive federal budget requirements to support displaced residents and rebuild critical infrastructure. The pressure on FEMA to respond effectively is mounting, with concerns about its capacity to manage the aftermath of this powerful storm.

Reference:
Lena Petrova (October 8, 2024) - REALITY CHECK: US Emergency Agency Is LOW ON CASH 

As Cat. 5 Hurricane Approaches Florida. (video)

Russians Show No Sign of Sanction Fatigue | The Hill

Absolutely stunning article in The Hill - about how "Russians must suffer but they live better than in the EU":

» Two and a half years into their nation’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russians seem to be less affected by the war than they were in 2022. Neither Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region nor the most recent Western sanctions seem to be igniting discontent among “ordinary” citizens or the affluent populations of Russia’s largest cities. This comes as a surprise to many Western policymakers and the Russian dissidents who invested some hope in Muscovites and Petersburgers becoming disgruntled with the “war economy,” as such luxuries as Western boutiques, unlimited internet use and even easy weekend trips to European capitals vanish.

The Hill's main audience are lawmakers, policymakers, and influential 

digital consumers, particularly in and around Washington, D.C.

[...] The Western sanctions imposed in 2022 caused a sharp fall in Russia’s capital exports. Almost all the money that would have previously been channeled into luxury European real estate instead started to flow into Moscow, St. Petersburg and their suburbs. Since 2021, the average dollar price of an apartment in Moscow has risen by a staggering 43 percent, and the city government has invested huge efforts into expanding transportation facilities and stimulating private businesses in the service sector to meet growing demand. [...] In the last ten years, 78 new stations of the Moscow underground were built — more than in the previous four decades —  and the commuter network was integrated into a broader railway system, now resembling the Paris Métro-RER network. The city now has the largest fleet of locally made all-electric buses in Europe, while river electric trams are bolstering Moscow’s transit infrastructure.

[...] Although Visa and MasterCard suspended their operations in Russia, Russians continue to use Central Bank’s Instantaneous Payments System, which allows the transfer of any amount of money using one’s mobile phone number as an identifier, immediately and without commission. Russia’s capital cities are now ahead of European metropolises in using QR-code payments and facial recognition in financial transactions, and mobile data in Russia remains the cheapest and fastest in Europe. Grocery shops feature the same assortment of goods as before the war, including French wine and Italian confectionary. On the top of that, doorstep delivery of food and goods by autonomous bots is commonplace. 

 

[...] Meanwhile, booming demand is driving up local wages. Moreover, the job offers have been so enticing in recent months that many Russians who left the country at the beginning of the war, are now returning after failing to integrate into European societies. Even Western celebrities like the developmental economist Jeffrey Sachs are starring in glamorous international events like the recent BRICS Urban Future Forum which attracted dozens of mayors of major cities across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. [...] This economic progress, partially caused by the West’s confrontational policy, has undermined the anti-Putin sentiments in the country much more than any other factor. 

The West’s attempt to undermine Russia economically since 2022 has thus produced an opposite result — at least so far. «

Quoted from:

The Hill (September 30, 2024) - Why do Russians appear so satisfied despite the war in Ukraine?

The US-China Competition in Southeast Asia | Jin Canrong

The US-China competition is going to be a long-term rivalry, and one shouldn't expect immediate outcomes. It consists of domestic competition, in which both countries will try to improve the competitiveness of their economies and the efficiency of their governance. It also consists of relationship-informed competition, where both countries will try to win favor with other nations during this process.

 Jin Canrong, Professor and Associate Dean of School of 

International Studies at Renmin University of China.

To me, the highlight of this competition will occur in Southeast Asia. The American strategy tends to create conflict and tension around China, fostering unrest and stirring up trouble, motivating countries like the Philippines and India to escalate tensions with China. Additionally, the US will use many NGOs to incite color revolutions in the area, including Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia. Even if these NGOs do not succeed in overthrowing governments, they can still create disturbances and interrupt China's rise. This is a favored geopolitical strategy of the US. In addition, the new $1.6 billion congressional bill passed to support the media demonization of China—what I would call "dog food for social media"—is a well-known tactic that the US has been continuously using against its geopolitical rivals.

 » Southeast Asian countries need industry to boost their growth, and China will be their biggest investor. 

These countries also require infrastructure development, which China can provide. China's financial capabilities 

are well above those of its Western counterparts when it comes to foreign investments. «

It's all part of the grand competition, and we are accustomed to it. The Chinese government cares greatly about Southeast Asia. We often express our desire to establish a community of shared future with Southeast Asian countries. The economic relationship with Southeast Asia has been quite positive in recent years, and the political relationship is also generally healthy, aside from the situation with the Philippines. Almost all Southeast Asian countries were originally colonies of the West, so the cultural and historical influence of Western powers over the region still exists today. There was an organization called the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), founded back in 1954. Its primary goal was to prevent the spread of communism during the Cold War. This can also be seen as part of a broader coalition against China led by the United States. Thus, the US has some advantages over Southeast Asian countries, at least due to recent history, particularly because China was too weak to project any significant power in the past.

Of course, I believe China's influence is catching up to that of the US in the region. To begin with, we are their neighbors, while the United States is far away. Secondly, our economic ties with the region are much stronger than those of the US. Finally, I think the majority of Southeast Asian countries agree with the Chinese style of non-interventionist foreign policy. In recent months, research and polls conducted by organizations in Singapore and Australia have shown that China's influence over the region is improving and has surpassed that of the United States in some countries. The magazine "Foreign Affairs" has also expressed concern that the US is losing its influence in the region. 

» The US economy is not prepared for global war. We are broke. «  

— Peter Schiff, October 2, 2024.

From my point of view, I believe the current situation is a deadlock—50-50. It's hard to say who is really leading in the region: China or the US. Again, the polls can sometimes be deceiving; they might not provide an accurate picture of what's really going on and can change quickly due to ongoing events. Nonetheless, I believe China is going to overtake the US in terms of influence over Southeast Asian countries in the near future. I believe this is a trend that is difficult to reverse. China has a large and expanding industrial sector, which often carries a spillover effect. Many Southeast Asian countries need industry to boost their growth, and China will be their biggest investor. These countries also require infrastructure development, which China can provide. Additionally, China's financial capabilities are well above those of its Western counterparts when it comes to foreign investments. 

I still see the US as the sole superpower on this planet, but what we are witnessing is that many regional powers are on the rise. In fact, I find it amusing that the majority of Chinese scholars today still consider the US to be the sole superpower. However, many of my foreign colleagues disagree with me. When I traveled to Africa recently, many people there told me that there are currently two superpowers in the world: China and the US. Within the Chinese intellectual community, we do not yet see China as a superpower. That being said, I believe we are entering a bipolar world, particularly in Asia and Southeast Asia, although it is important to note that there are also other strong regional powers. If I refer to it as merely bipolar, our friends in India might take issue with that description.

Quoted from:

Jin Canrong (October 1, 2024) - US-China Competition in Southeast Asia. (video)