Category: GeoPolitics
The analysis published under this category are as follows.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Russian President Putin Plans Surprise Christmas Aleppo Visit to Celebrate Syrian Government Victory / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Nadeem_Walayat
President Vlad Putin plans a surprise visit to formerly Syria's most populous city, Aleppo, which after 4 years of civil war and the recent Russian military backed onslaught has been turned to rubble. Nevertheless a celebratory Christmas scene will be set to include an orchestra playing "Carol of the Bells", russian jets flying over, a military parade through cleared of rubble and white washed streets, all topped off with Vlad Putin's grand finale that follows in the footsteps of whom he was named after Vlad the Impaler, as the pinnacle of festivities will involve Vlad Putin disrobing and bathing in the blood of hundreds of dead Syrian children harvested earlier from the rubble of East Aleppo, leaving fellow Dictator Assad to take notes whilst looking on, on how to truly frighten the people into obedience, which Vlad Putin is the master of.
Monday, December 12, 2016
Maps That Explain US Main Economic Strength Over Russia / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
BY JACOB L. SHAPIRO : Power is a relative concept. To say one nation is powerful means nothing. Power derives meaning only when assessed in comparison.
Two nations whose powers we constantly reevaluate are Russia and the United States. Much of our analysis is driven by how weak we believe the Russian Federation is.
There are different ways to evaluate this. Comparing US and Russian regional economies is particularly striking.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
World War II and the Origins of American Unease / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
By George Friedman : We are at the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. That victory did not usher in an era of universal peace. Rather, it introduced a new constellation of powers and a complex balance among them. Europe's great powers and empires declined, and the United States and the Soviet Union replaced them, performing an old dance to new musical instruments. Technology, geopolitics' companion, evolved dramatically as nuclear weapons, satellites and the microchip — among myriad wonders and horrors — changed not only the rules of war but also the circumstances under which war was possible. But one thing remained constant: Geopolitics, technology and war remained inseparable comrades.
Sunday, December 04, 2016
The World Prays for the End of America’s Global Hegemony / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Dylan_Waller
America’s global hegemony was initially crafted in 1913, through the introduction of the income tax, the creation of the Federal Reserve, and the consequent rise of the military industrial complex. Since then, America now operates 800 military bases in more than 70 countries, which has forcefully been subsidized through the taxation of the American population. While the American government can not be held accountable for its countless and atrocious war crimes, failing to pay taxes to support the military industrial complex will land anyone else straight in jail. While the Federal Reserve and income tax has certainly been a catalyst for the slow, but steady deterioration of America’s middle class, the greater destruction has certainly manifested outside the shores of America.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Castro Was Not Who You Thought He Was / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Jeff_Berwick
Castro is dead, but he achieved his purpose, which was to aggravate the Cold War, provide a test case for communism and frighten people about incipient nuclear missile exchanges.
His passing marks the end of the first phase of the Cold War. Now it is very obvious that a second phase is being prepared.
Tensions between Russia and the US are being continually heightened… and no, they are still ongoing even with the election of Trump who, under the guidance of Henry “War Criminal” Kissinger, has pledged his full support for NATO while Putin has replied that he will crush NATO.
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Understanding the Trump Presidency , Beyond Merkel / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
By Reva Goujon : We hear all the time about how the world "should" work. Self-proclaimed liberals and conservatives, Keynesians and Reaganites, humanists and hawks, globalists and nationalists have crammed the airwaves and filled our Twitter feeds with policy prescriptions, promoting their worldview while scorning others'. But after the emotionally charged year this has been, I suspect many people are growing weary of big theories and cursory character assassinations. Instead, it may be time to replace the pedantry with something more fundamental — and less divisive — in which to ground our thoughts and make sense of the world.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Why A US-Russia Reset Will Help the Economy / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: AnyOption
Although the Democrats eagerly painted Russia as the enemy throughout the American election campaign, the budding dialogue between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump has some interesting implications. In many ways, both represent the ongoing global shift in political dynamics towards more right-wing governments. While historically these developments have created an environment ripe for conflict and war, the surprising election of Trump may sow the seeds of change to this classical narrative.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, November 21, 2016
Here’s the Real Reason Putin Sympathizes with Trump / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : The US presidential campaign contained a constant undertone of Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
Putin said nice things about Donald Trump, and Trump about Putin. In fact, there is a small faction of Trump supporters that admires Putin. They like that he is a strong leader and his position on gay rights and other matters. They do not see him as a former communist, but rather as a defender of Western civilization.
But, the key here is to understand the real issues that exist between the US and Russia. At the heart of this matter is Ukraine.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, November 04, 2016
Russia–US Tensions Likely to Rise in 2017 / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
There will be increased tensions between Russia and the US in the near future. That is the opinion of Jacob Shapiro, director of analysis for Geopolitical Futures. He argues that a Clinton win means the relationship between the US and Russia is going to worsen.
In an interview with Mauldin Economics, Shapiro begins by calling the Clinton campaign email leaks a “political sideshow.” He does not think it is a big deal, even if it was done by Russian hackers.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, October 31, 2016
Divergent Themes in Late 2016 / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Andy_Sutton
Despite the arrogance, hubris, and lying (obviously – its election season!), we have never seen a cycle that has be more absent in terms of policy details worthy of analysis. Outrageous claims about job creation, making America strong, and so forth are issued, but there is no substance. We have tried on numerous occasions to find enough specifics to even perform cursory analysis and it is just not there. It is very reminiscent of Nancy Pelosi telling America in 2010 that if they wanted to read the healthcare bill they had to pass it first. This is what passes for economic jurisprudence in the Republic the founders gave us all those years ago.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
The US Is an Island of Stability in a Destabilizing World / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
Yet more proof that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Despite Americans’ pessimism, world-famous strategic analyst George Friedman thinks that the US is in pretty good shape while “the entire Eurasian landmass is in a state of failure.”
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
The US Sent a Warning Message to Putin / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
BY JACOB L. SHAPIRO : US Vice President Joe Biden went on NBC’s “Meet the Press” recently and said the US was sending a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden’s words come after the US released a statement that it was “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.”
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, October 24, 2016
Obama's Pivot to Asia Hits a Roadblock in the Philippines / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
While the mainstream media continues its obsessive reporting on the mud-slinging campaign for the White House, a dramatic development in China last week brought President Obama's "pivot to Asia" to a sudden halt. Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, while in Beijing, announced his country's "separation" from the United States. He told his Chinese audience, "Your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States ... both in military, but also economics."
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, September 22, 2016
The Last Time We Saw This Was Before World War II / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : Europe and Asia, taken together, are the heart of humanity. That’s where 5 billion out of the 7 billion people in the world live. When instability comes to this part of the world, it shakes humanity.
That’s why the geopolitical pattern developing in Eurasia is so ominous. It is like a hurricane—absorbing huge amounts of energy from the ocean, using that energy to build a vast, integrated structure, and then destroying whatever it touches.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, July 25, 2016
Terrorism Fuels Nationalism and Deglobalization of the World / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
BY PATRICK WATSON : The weaponized truck attack in Nice, France has terrorism fear on the rise once again. The incidents seem to be more frequent, and the death tolls are rising. People are afraid, and they want it to stop.
Don’t hold your breath, says George Friedman of Geopolitical Futures. The top geopolitics expert says all the options are bad. And, the wrong responses could make the problem even worse.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, April 11, 2016
As Ukraine Collapses, Europeans Tire of US Interventions / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
On Sunday Ukrainian prime minister Yatsenyuk resigned, just four days after the Dutch voted against Ukraine joining the European Union. Taken together, these two events are clear signals that the US-backed coup in Ukraine has not given that country freedom and democracy. They also suggest a deeper dissatisfaction among Europeans over Washington's addiction to interventionism.
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, December 26, 2015
The Force Awakens Star Wars U.S. Evil Empire vs Islamic JEhaDI Rebels? / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The Star Wars franchise has returned with a block buster movie 'The Force Awakens' that once more pits a resurgent technologically advanced First Order Evil Empire against the religiously motivated but lightly armed desert dwelling JEhaDI warriors in an apparent war that involves the fulfillment of ancient prophecies.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
John Kerry’s Moscow Lovefest / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Mike_Whitney
If John Kerry doesn’t win an Oscar for his performance in Moscow on Tuesday, then there’s something very wrong with the system.
From the time he touched down at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, to the time he left some 26 hours later, the Secretary of State was as cordial and conciliatory as anytime in recent memory. There was no hectoring, no lecturing, no threats of additional sanctions and no finger-wagging condescension, just pleasant give-and-take on the main issues followed by friendly chit-chat, multiple handshakes, and plenty of smiley photo ops. To say his hosts were surprised by Kerry’s behavior is a probably an understatement. After nearly three years of nonstop belligerence and confrontation, the last thing Sergei Lavrov and Vladimir Putin expected was an ingratiating Kerry oozing brotherly love and carrying on like an old buddy from college.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Grandmaster Putin Beats Uncle Sam at His Own Game / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Mike_Whitney
Imagine that you despised your brother-in-law and wanted to kill him. But you didn’t have the guts to do it yourself so you hired a hit-man to do the job for you.
Would you still be guilty of murder?
You’re darn right, you would be. So let’s apply this same rule to US foreign policy: Would it be just as wrong to invade a country, kill its people and topple its government with militants that you funded, armed and trained as it would be with your own US troops?
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, October 04, 2015
Putin’s Blitz Leaves Washington Rankled and Confused / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Mike_Whitney
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a blistering critique of US foreign policy to the UN General Assembly.
On Tuesday, Barack Obama shoved a knife in Putin’s back. This is from Reuters:
Read full article... Read full article...“France will discuss with its partners in the coming days a proposal by Turkey and members of the Syrian opposition for a no-fly zone in northern Syria, French President Francois Hollande said on Monday…