LIGHT MOMENTS OF HISTORY: Bye Bye, "People Power"

In a way, it is lamentable because it is now really over the hill. Still, it was conceived in the Philippines after all. "People Power", I mean. Only it didn't leave the scene with fireworks but with resounding laughter.

The past few weeks have been a comedy of errors on the part of the EU in Ukraine after it was made clear once & fall by the Ukrainian President that gone were the days of its appeal and leverage so he rejected an Association Agreement with them. The "people power" hauled in from Western Ukraine (the poorest part of the country while the Russophone East, The Ukrainian President's bailiwick, is where the real wealth is) was the expected Western  "not-so-secret weapon", just like when they pressured Marcos to give 63,000 metric tons to the CIA during the first "People Power" test-run in Manila. Well, only the usual Western mainstream presstitute media & the NGO-mercenaries in Ukraine themselves were left interested in the topic this time around. The hapless Western Europeans, already saddled by prolonged economic depression and high unemployment rates with poor prospects of ever regaining their previous standard of living, were actually thankful of the prospects that  no Ukrainian can again steal their meager job options. However, the desperation wrought by a very public humiliation threw away decency from Western officials, both Western European and American, as they openly intervened in favor of their mercenaries. But can bullying arrest their dwindling influence? After all, the Ukraine episode has become the final confirmation of two game-changing facts: the loss of their financial muscle, and the consequent loss in their political power.

Well, the EU has its own "mysterious" mission order and it just played its last card after the ridiculous meddling of American Senator Eugene McCain in Kiev itself: the EU suspended the talks, apparently a move to "enrage" the "people power" more, but it's obvious, that would never resuscitate a dead elephant. The usual talk of sanctions and other "leverage" maneuvers were ominous in the past, but just add to the hilarity of the moment now. The EU, realizing its position just turned ridiculous with the presence of McCain, had no choice but to execute a last-ditch effort to save face: I imagine a ditched suitor saying: "No, it was not her who broke up with me, I broke up with her first!'

The Ukrainian President  has proved himself to be a worthy Poker player. However, at this point, he can discard the poker face and react freely instead to the punchline: time to laugh, baby!

Let them play. Nice comedy routine, EU (with special headstand tricks by McCain!).

People Power had its heyday, but people now are familiar with its tricks. It is now officially outdated.

COUNTDOWN TO THE ASIAN CENTURY: The New VIP's and Some Scheming "Dalahiras"

It turned out that the fatal flaw of Western-style democracy is that the most  logical choice for the good of a  country can easily be hijacked by a few simpleton section of its society, the latter being handily whipped up by domestic and foreign villains who are not necessarily mindful of their interests. Unfortunately, when brains were distributed, most didn't receive a sharp one (brains are more exclusive commodities than beauty, especially in Ukraine, the sexual playground of Europe). The case of the current Ukraine mass action is a very timely example. Their current contrived people power doesn't invite sympathy, much less solidarity, because it's obviously a mass of ignorant people who probably thought the world was like what some foreign-funded NGO's have hoodwinked them to imagine it to be (Which reminds me of the Philippine People Power which didn't really change the life of the Filipino except for more frequent recitation of the mantra "Democracy"- most Filipinos thought that meant a better life, but it really was only about 64,000 metric tons of gold being "extorted" from them). At its current state, the EU is swaying precariously beside a cliff, and not a few experts are predicting there are no guarantees it won't break up. It's obvious the major countries, highly indebted and gasping for air economically, are not exactly welcoming them wholeheartedly because of the unwanted  Eastern European migrants who flooded their labor markets earlier. The enthusiasm is obviously artificial: the EU authorities just recently warned they immediately needed nearly $3 trillion injection because of shortfalls from hard-up member countries so its obvious they're toying with the ignorant section of the Ukrainian populace who most probably didn't understand  the implications of their country's current flirting with bankruptcy.

But the real story isn't about the EU  because people power as a political destabilization weapon isn't their specialty. That there were sudden petitions for American help right in the White House website were the proof that foreign destabilization is at work here. The dark intention was not hidden, that's part of the given in this kind of political weapon- telegraph the intent for psy-war effects. Unfortunately, the world has changed recently without the usual fanfare: the effect now is actually comedic. The main problem of Ukraine is economic, it needed money but the IMF couldn't force its usual extortionist tricks. The Ukrainian President didn't only reject the IMF offer, and since the Western Europeans are just as hard up (and highly-indebted America neither had the money), he also rejected the EU itself for a better deal with the cash-flushed Russia. The Western media disinformation tried to make this appear as a fight for the West and their alleged values, but the drama is actually just a proof of the changing dynamics in the world.

If you're hard up and can't fight frontally with cash, the cheapest option is just to destabilize. In a neighborhood, one-upmanship is almost a given. The eclipsed lady in the corner, unable to come up with the money to shore up her pretensions, will try to spread gossip and intrigue instead to destroy the reputation of her newly-rich nemesis. The battle tactics of a broke "dalahira" or "intrigera". That's what the EU (and America) has been reduced to now. While before, when they clearly lorded economically over, these kinds of destabilization spread fear. But now, they have become hackneyed  and, viewed from the prism of a dawning Asian Century, strangely amusing.

Here's the joke: the other side thought they could dictate the terms as usual, but ironically, it strengthened the hand of Yanukovich instead. It will still be hard for the EU next time because it will still have no money and Ukraine will still be near bankruptcy. In the end, just as America's pivot to Asia will eventually realize-  power means actual, tangible money. Especially in Asia.

Welcome to the club of the New VIP's- only CASH admission here, please. Definitely no credit, especially to highly-indebted nations.


NB: (DEc 4, 2013)
It gets more amusing. His country is still on the brink of bankruptcy,  so, while some of his more ignorant countrymen were still  being conned to do a  "People Power" because they wanted to be associated with the supposed "rich" West (which they haven't fully appreciated has no money to help them & was precisely conning them to "revolt", paving the sneaking of the IMF magicians through the backdoor), President Yanukovich just embarked on a trip to seek help from where the real money is- China & Russia. If the real state of things is not still obvious to the most stupid sucker, I don't know what is. I didn't expect, the countdown towards the Asian Century would be hilarious...

LESSONS FOR THE ASIAN CENTURY: Presstitute 101

The biggest con game of the present Powers-that-be is the so-called free Western mainstream press. Well, as recent events steadily revealed the underlying putrefaction even of Western democracy itself, the credibility of the Western mainstream media is fast disintegrating into tatters. The coming Asian Century should strive to forge a less hypocritical media: this fading one leaves a disgusting taste to the mouth- it had the gall to present itself as authoritative and credible but it was just another racket from a gangster's bag of tricks after all. There are not really many Filipinos watching CNN or other foreign networks, and the few who do are educated enough to be suckered to swallow everything, but it's still tasteless to realize this racket continuing. I just hope Asians will have more self-respect to avoid it in the Asian Century.

That the Western mainstream press is an important part of the hegemonic structure over the world is just too evident with this piece. Below is a nice lesson on the anatomy of "presstitutes" from RT.

Ukraine & EU: Why some protestors are more equal than others

 Neil Clark 

One thing’s for sure: if you live in the US or Western Europe, and haven’t spent the last three days locked in a wardrobe, you’re probably well aware that protests against the Ukrainian government have been taking place in Kiev.
That’s because western news networks and media outlets are making sure that you know about them. ‘Tens of thousands rally in Kiev for closer EU ties’ the Washington Post posts this AP article . ‘Thousands protest Ukraine’s rejection of trade ties’ says the New York Times.
Leading western media outlets have not only have deemed the protests to be a major story, but their reporting makes it quite clear whose side they are on. Here‘s the New York Times talking about two of the protestors.
“For young people, the future is brighter with Europe,” said Maria Lyskenko, 20, a student, who stood with her friend, Alyona Zorina, also 20, holding a sign that said, “Europe = Future Ukraine. Ms. Zorina said that President Viktor F. Yanukovich was acting out of selfishness and self-interest in deciding not to sign an agreement with the European Union.
 In its report on the protests, CNN quotes a Mr David Kramer of ‘Freedom House’, described as ‘a US-based nongovernmental organization‘. "He (Yanukovych) has left his country vulnerable to Vladimir Putin's threats and pressure‘, Kramer told CNN. That will be Yanukovych's legacy if he doesn't reverse course."
It’s revealing to compare the highly sympathetic, high profile western coverage of the Ukrainian protests with the way other protests have been covered in recent years.

COUNTDOWN TO THE ASIAN CENTURY: Future of Western Europe and Ukraine lies in Eurasia

It was really the wisest decision- Ukraine rejected joining the EU after all. Who, in his right mind, would want to join  a group which is so highly-indebted it is imploding in the first place? Ukraine immediately set its sights on restrengthening its relationship with Russia. Russia, after only 20 years of capitalism and without massive printing of money like what the Central Banks of the  floundering "developed" Western countries are busily doing, is already the richest country in Europe by GDP-PPP: $3.4 trillion vs. Germany's $3.3 trillion, and it will form the locus of the big landmass (Russia-China-Central Asia) which is the future economic center of the world (adjacent countries in East Asia really has no alternative but to recognize the generator of the greatest wealth- is the Philippines even aware of this geopolitical play?). I find the whole episode actually funny- after the debacle in Hungary, Romania, and some others who didn't exactly progress despite their high expectations on their  membership, some still had the stupidity to be hoodwinked by delusion artists. Well, this is just confirming the obvious course of events... the steady dawning of the Asian Century.

 NB (November 23, 2013)
For the record: Prime Minister Mykola Azarov of Ukraine said requirements of the International Monetary Fund were "the last straw" that pushed the Ukrainian government to reviving negotiations with Russia instead of the EU, writes Ukrainska Pravda. According to Azarov, the IMF demanded that Ukraine, a country in near debt default, increase utility prices and stop increasing social help payments to pay its debts. (The article is in Cyrillic, just use a Translator). The Western Europeans were under the impression the supposedly lesser ones will only be"too excited"  that they will gladly forget reason, conscience and self-respect just to belong to their "exalted" group. But how can one with tattered clothes be "exalted" enough to sweet talk even the most stupid sucker if it's obvious he himself doesn't have the money to buy a new dress? It really gets comical here. It just becomes obvious... the lessening leverage of the hackneyed tactics of a fading era.

As expected, the Western mainstream press was again used to spread the disinformation that it was Russia which pressured Ukraine. Typical role of Western mainstream press: shield the bankers and let everybody talk of anything else EXCEPT the REAL reason. If you are quick, you can also see here who the Western mainstream press is really working for.

 The article was from RT.

‘Future of Western Europe and Ukraine lies in Eurasia’

William Engdahl  

 

The EU ‘horror show’ would not have offered Ukraine any financial benefits, geopolitical analyst William Engdahl told RT. He argues that multinational corporations just want to use Kiev to extract the resources of yet another European country.
RT: Ukraine's decision came as a surprise for many. What triggered it?  

William Engdahl: I think it’s a combination of things but ultimately it was economic pressure from Moscow. I think that had a lot to do with their decision where Ukrainian economic interests truly lie. And perhaps some of the Ukrainian business elites looked more closely at what the EU trade agreements would require of them to sacrifice and realized that it wasn’t the dream boat that they perhaps hoped for.

RT: Will they be able to strike a balance between Moscow and Brussels?

WE: I think if they are clever, I suspect that the Ukrainian political leadership has a delusional view of what the EU would bring for the Ukrainian economy. Of course they long to be accepted as a Western European nation, and so forth, since the breakup of the Soviet Union but right now the EU is in a kind of a death spiral with the false construct of the Eurozone. And the austerity package that the IMF is bringing to the periphery – Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy and so forth – that is a horrendous thing.

The EU has little now to offer Ukraine and if Ukrainian business, political leaders were looking at the thing more realistically, they would concentrate on building stronger bridges to the East. Because the future of Europe, of Western Europe, not simply Ukraine, the future of Western Europe in my view lies in Eurasia in a sense of Russia, China, the Middle Eastern countries, especially Iran.

RT: But nonetheless a lot of Ukrainians have the aspirations to be part of the EU?

WE: Well delusions are in every society. What can I say? You have a delusion that life would be better in the EU. Talk to Polish people, talk to Hungarians, talk to many of the countries who joined the EU, maybe even joined the Euro and realized it was a horror show. It destroyed their domestic industry. The EU is a construct of global multinationals and those global multinationals want to cherry-pick what is useful out of the Ukranian economy which has precious resources.

RT: Let’s talk about the main political tension at the moment and Yuliya Tymoshenko. Some members of the parliament say she could be freed to get medical treatment. What is her future then?

WE: She is a very complex case, but I think she has been made into a symbol, into a straw woman for Western and especially the US State Department pressure on Ukraine to make concessions towards the West and towards NATO. And at this point Ukraine has rethought the entire NATO option the previous presidency was so keen on and realized that it would not be the most sensible thing for Ukraine and I agree with that.

But I think Yulia Tymoshenko became a symbol and it had little to do with her actual activities. Her corruption with the gas deal she made when she was in office is well documented. She was tied in with mafia elements that made billions at the expense of Ukrainians and also the Russians. I think she was made a symbol for another agenda and that is to put pressure on Ukraine to make concessions towards the West.


 William Engdahl is an award-winning geopolitical analyst and strategic risk consultant whose internationally best-selling books have been translated into thirteen foreign languages. 

COUNTDOWN TO THE ASIAN CENTURY: Beyond The "Bubbles"

As the world turns headlong towards the Asian Century, a very credible analysis of the state of world finances from Strategic-culture.org.

 

"Bubbles" Starting to Form in the Financial Markets

Valentin KATASONOV

A recently published study from the bank JPMorgan gives an overview of changes in the world money supply in recent years. In just the first three quarters of this year the world money supply, as measured by the M2 aggregate, grew from 63 to 66 trillion dollars. The M2 monetary aggregate includes cash, non-cash money in current accounts, fixed-term and savings deposits, and short-term government securities. This means that in less than a year the world money supply grew by 3 trillion dollars, or 4.6%. It has reached almost 100 percent of the annual world GDP. According to the estimates of specialists at JPMorgan, approximately 1 trillion out of these 3 trillion dollars came from the group called the G4: the U.S., Great Britain, the Eurozone (17 European countries) and Japan The other 2 trillion dollars came from the other countries of the "golden billion" (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and 10 countries of the European Union) and countries on the periphery of world capitalism. These giant infusions into the world economy create the illusion of, if not economic growth, then at least some kind of economic stability. However, it is nothing but an illusion, since the official GDP figures published by national statistics services embellish the real state of affairs. Adjusted for inflationary price increases, the real world GDP is either not increasing, or is gradually decreasing. The other side of this process is the imperceptible but consistent decrease in the purchasing power of the currencies of various countries. Simply put, money is depreciating. It is not difficult to figure out, based on the JPMorgan assessments, that for all of 2013 the growth of the world money supply could reach at least 6 percent. Several months ago the international auditing company Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) presented a forecast of the development of the world economy in 2013 (Global Economy Watch 2013). According to the company's estimates, the growth of GDP in the world will be 3.3% (2.0% in the U.S.). If one compares the estimates in the JPMorganstudy and the data in the Global Economy Watch 2013forecast, it is not difficult to understand that the rapid growth of the world money supply in recent years is creating the illusion of economic development. Amid rampant monetarism, statistics services do not measure changes in the production and consumption of goods and services, but simply record the growth of the money supply. *** The world money supply is growing mostly thanks to the U.S. Federal Reserve System, which after the financial crisis took up a policy of so-called "quantitative easing" (QE) in the economy, stating that the American economy needs to be revived, and thus it needs a boost in the form of cheap money. And money becomes cheap when there's a lot of it.

When Calamtity Hits The "Uto-uto"

It would be too easy to be caught up being melodramatic after a devastating typhoon, and Filipinos, with their penchant for "palabas" (show), may have just found a perfect stage to emote, revealing for the umpteenth time the chronic misfortune of the eternal sucker. Climate change has become big business all the while suckers saw it as a mere environmental problem. Now that it turned out to be just another financial derivative bubble waiting to burst, it suddenly has become urgent to be alert not to be reduced once again as the eternal uto-uto (sucker). But wait, the story gets more interesting- the calamity occurred at a time when the country was all abuzz with austerity while big military defense outlays are planned allegedly as defense against China, which is estimated to be twice as rich as America in twenty years time anyway, so you wonder, would tightening belt for that particular wacky goal be even worth it, or were we tricked again to shed money for the American military-industrial complex for no clear advantage except being the perennial "uto-uto" (Why not just go the reliable Oriental "saving face" and be done with it? Our corner will be the economic center of the world soon and we are acting as if we are forever blessed being part of a declining, washed-up era). Common Pinoys are practical, the moment they realize a new neighbor is richer than the old one in the corner, the balance of "great respect" automatically shifts without "ni ha-ni ho" from anyone.

 There's a nice piece on the interplay of curious forces among suckers and bullies amidst environmental devastation by the old reliable Globalresearch.ca.


 Global warming, Typhoon Haiyan and the Philippines
Michel Chossudovsky

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the strongest tropical typhoon ever recorded, has resulted in devastating consequences for the Philippines. The natural disaster took the lives of more than 10,000 people.
An estimated 615,000 residents have been displaced. Up to 4.3 million people have been affected, according to government sources.
The tragedy has become a talking point at Warsaw Climate Change Conference under UN auspices. The plight of Typhoon Haiyan has casually been assigned without evidence to the impacts of global warming.

Reconstructing Tacloban: It's All About GOLD

A major disaster, and the do-gooding season is on. The usual pledges from the supposedly rich, but now actually cash-strapped countries, will cover the immediate emergency needs. The actual funds for the reconstruction of a city will not come through compassion though. The Philippines will shoulder it all, as always. Surprisingly, if it finally uses its brains for once, it can do it easily. And it can regain its dignity besides. More importantly, its freedom.

Tacloban City, Central Philippines: After Supertyphoon Haiyan/Yolanda
regional capital: Region 8 
provincial capital:  Leyte Province
population 220,000
(video courtesy of Sun-Star.ph) 

Tacloban is not a simple victim of a natural calamity. If given the chance, it could even be a catalyst to the country's renaissance. In many ways. First, it's the hometown of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. The time for her full vindication and resurrection has arrived- she has the cards if she does decide to shuffle them. A big part of the comedy that is the Philippines is that its poverty is supporting the scam that has installed financial fascism throughout the world. Around the world in hundreds of banks are more than a million metric tons of re-minted gold  that were retrieved from the Philippines but they remain not part of the "official" gold reserves of the world (stated as only 171,000 tons). Acknowledgement of their presence will simply collapse once and for all the already-collapsing financial integrity of the Western countries who are now busy signing checks for a few million dollars as "humanitarian aid to a poor country".  The Philippine gold alone that was extorted from Marcos when he was overthrown came to 63,000 metric tons and that can build a new Tacloban far modern than New York City. But enough is at hand to bring Tacloban alive again. Though it's accepted Imelda doesn't have access to all the Marcos gold, she has enough access to hundreds of billion dollars worth. A trickle is only needed to turn Tacloban into the monument of her dreams. Pressure will understandably be thrown her way, but the world spotlight and the disaster compassion dividend can give her a wider struggle room. In the Philippines, where the mouth is mostly the meat of the discussion, a new, modern Tacloban will be the propaganda king.

NB.
A friend has a "maldito" idea.The favorite trick of the manipulators to control the world finances is "shorting"- actually, the Philippine gold is enough to short the current financial fascism, so it may not only bring about a new Tacloban, but a new financial paradigm if you would allow the more "mischievous" to tinker with it a bit more aggressively. So you see, the Philippines is not a minor entity in the scheme of things when you really come right down to it.


Read more about the Marcos gold here, here and here.