The Weekly Watch

Merry Christmas


Or Happy Hanukah, Cool Kwanzaa, and Festive Festivus (for the rest of us),
or just have a good day if you are a devout non-celebrant.

Open Thread Image.jpg

Christmastide
by H. P. Lovecraft

The cottage hearth beams warm and bright,
The candles gaily glow;
The stars emit a kinder light
Above the drifted snow.

Down from the sky a magic steals
To glad the passing year,
And belfries sing with joyous peals,
For Christmastide is here!

The journey from Solstice to Christmas is a story of gods and cultures...

Whatever your preferred holiday, chances are you are carrying on some traditions from the Roman holiday Saturnalia. a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice—the return of the sun—and honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture.

In the Roman world, Saturnalia was a time of merrymaking and exchanging of gifts. The houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. This week-long bacchanal also included lots of food and wine, dancing and music. Slaves got the week off work, courts were closed, and all kinds of debauchery took place. One of the highlights of Saturnalia was the switching of traditional roles, particularly between a master and his slave. Everyone got to wear the red pileus, or freedman's hat, and slaves were free to be as impertinent as they wished to their owners. However, despite the appearance of a reversal of social order, there were actually some fairly strict boundaries. A master might serve his slaves dinner, but the slaves were the ones who prepared it -- this kept Roman society in order, but still allowed everyone to have a good time.

Businesses and court proceedings closed up for the entire celebration, and food and drink were everywhere to be had. Elaborate feasts and banquets were held, and it wasn't unusual to exchange small gifts at these parties. A typical Saturnalia gift might be something like a writing tablet or tool, cups and spoons, clothing items, or food. Citizens decked their halls and even hung small tin ornaments on bushes and trees. Bands of naked revelers often roamed the streets, singing and carousing - a sort of naughty precursor to today's Christmas caroling tradition.

The Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger wrote, "It is now the month of December, when the greatest part of the city is in a bustle. Loose reins are given to public dissipation; everywhere you may hear the sound of great preparations, as if there were some real difference between the days devoted to Saturn and those for transacting business....Were you here, I would willingly confer with you as to the plan of our conduct; whether we should eve in our usual way, or, to avoid singularity, both take a better supper and throw off the toga."

This festival honored Saturn, and he was an agricultural god. To keep him happy, fertility rituals took place under the mistletoe. During the Saturnalia branches of holly were exchanged as tokens of friendship. Female holly plants cannot have berries unless a nearby male plant pollinates them. So, the holly wreath is a token of friendship and fertility.

To honor the god Saturn, homes and hearths were decorated with boughs of greenery – vines, ivy, and the like. The ancient Egyptians didn't have evergreen trees, but they had palms -- and the palm tree was the symbol of resurrection and rebirth. They often brought the fronds into their homes during the time of the winter solstice. Among the Druids the oak was sacred, among the Egyptians it was the palm, and in Rome it was the fir, which was decorated with red berries during the Saturnalia.

Pepper wreath.jpg

An old tale from Babylon told of an evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump. The old stump symbolized the dead Nimrod, the new evergreen tree symbolized that Nimrod had come to life again in Tammuz. “Santa” was a common name for Nimrod throughout Asia Minor. This was also the same fire god who came down the chimneys of the ancient pagans.

Among early Germanic tribes, one of the major deities was Odin, the ruler of Asgard. A number of similarities exist between some of Odin's escapades and those of the figure who would become Santa Claus. Odin was often depicted as leading a hunting party through the skies, during which he rode his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. In the 13th-century Poetic Edda, Sleipnir is described as being able to leap great distances, which some scholars have compared to the legends of Santa's reindeer. Odin was typically portrayed as an old man with a long, white beard -- much like St. Nicholas himself.

The German and Celtic Yule rites merged with the Roman traditions when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain and central Europe. To the food and good fellowship, greenery, gifts and greetings they added the Yule log. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian.

Because each type of wood is associated with various magical and spiritual properties, logs from different types of trees might be burned to get a variety of effects. Aspen is the wood of choice for spiritual understanding, while the mighty oak is symbolic of strength and wisdom. A family hoping for a year of prosperity might burn a log of pine, while a couple hoping to be blessed with fertility would drag a bough of birch to their hearth.

season's greens

Seasons greens.jpg

In legend, at the Winter Solstice or Yule, the Oak King conquers the Holly King, and then reigns until Midsummer or Litha. Once the Summer Solstice arrives, the Holly King returns to do battle with the old king, and defeats him. In some traditions, the Oak King and the Holly King are seen as dual aspects of the Horned God. Each of these twin aspects rules for half the year, battles for the favor of the Goddess, and then retires to nurse his wounds for the next six months, until it is time for him to reign once more.

Often, these two entities are portrayed in familiar ways - the Holly King frequently appears as a woodsy version of Santa Claus. He dresses in red, wears a sprig of holly in his tangled hair, and is sometimes depicted driving a team of eight stags. The Oak King is portrayed as a fertility god and occasionally appears as the Green Man or other lord of the forest.

The name for the festival of the Winter Solstice in Druidry is Alban Arthan, which means 'The Light of Arthur'. Some Druid Orders believe this means the Light of the hero King Arthur Pendragon who is symbolically reborn as the Sun Child (The Mabon) at the time of the Solstice. Others see the Light belonging to the star constellation known as the Great Bear (or the Plough) - Arthur, or Art, being Gaelic for Bear. This constellation shines out in the sky and can symbolize the rebirth of the Sun.

the plow.jpg
the story.jpg

This time of year is very cold and bleak, which is why so many celebrations are needed to help people get through the Winter months. It is significant that many civilizations welcomed their Solar Gods at the time of greatest darkness - including Mithras (the bull-headed Warrior God), the Egyptian God Horus and, more recently, Jesus Christ.
Somehow, I missed out on Mithra. I wonder if he is neglected because of his similarity to the Christ figure.

"Mithra or Mitra is...worshipped as Itu (Mitra-Mitu-Itu) in every house of the Hindus in India. This Mithra or Mitra (Sun-God) is believed to be a Mediator between God and man, between the Sky and the Earth. It is said that Mithra or [the] Sun took birth in the Cave on December 25th. It is also the belief of the Christian world that Mithra or the Sun-God was born of [a] Virgin. He traveled far and wide. He has twelve satellites, which are taken as the Sun's disciples.... [The Sun's] great festivals are observed in the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox—Christmas and Easter. His symbol is the Lamb...."
Swami Prajnanananda

The Romans attributed Mithraism to Persians or Zoroastrians. Mithra is a judicial figure, an all-seeing Protector of Truth, and the Guardian of Cattle, the Harvest and of The Waters. Some claim Mithra represents the Sun itself, but the Khorda Avesta refers to the Sun as a separate entity – as it does with the Moon, with which the Sun has "the Best of Friendships," Mithraism has sometimes been viewed as a rival of early Christianity

In Rome, the worship of Mithra reached a peak during the second and third centuries, before largely expiring at the end of the fourth/beginning of fifth centuries. Among its members during this period were emperors, politicians and businessmen. Indeed, before its usurpation by Christianity Mithraism enjoyed the patronage of some of the most important individuals in the Roman Empire. In the fifth century, the emperor Julian, having rejected his birth-religion of Christianity, adopted Mithraism and "introduced the practice of the worship at Constantinople."

For the first three centuries of Christianity’s existence, Christ’s birth wasn’t celebrated at all. The religion’s most significant holidays were Epiphany on January 6, which commemorated the arrival of the Magi after Jesus’ birth, and Easter, which celebrated Jesus’ resurrection. In 325AD, Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor, introduced Christmas as an immovable feast on December 25th. He also introduced Sunday as a holy day in a new 7-day week, and introduced movable feasts (Easter). In 354AD, Bishop Liberius of Rome officially ordered his members to celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December.

Here's the History Channel's take on how Christmas evolved. (3 min)

So, to wrap up this longer than expected look at how we ended up with Christmas (which started with wiki and branched all over till I lost track of what I got where which is why I didn't source this piece). These December holidays are all about the return of light. Celebrations are found across most cultures. December 21st is also the festival of the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu, and represents her "coming out of the cave," a typical solar myth... Light and Darkness.

What about the gifts????

Santa and gifts.jpg

For readers -
Those of you who enjoy the season, here's a collection of online books, stories, and poems good for reading to kids or having them read to you. Happy Christmas reading

For film lovers -

H. G. Wells' Things to Come 1936 (1.5 hours)
The story shows the destructive nature of war and how it will catapult us back to a state of barbarism, warlords, and another plague called the "Wandering Sickness." However, science lift humans above all this and creates a new, modern society free of warfare. ...Well it is Christmas.

And a couple of my favorite silent films

Here's a nicely restored version of Metropolis, a 1927 German expressionist epic science-fiction drama film directed by Fritz Lang. Set in a futuristic urban dystopia, the story is about trying to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes of their city. (2.5 hours)

A story from my neck of the woods, filmed in 1927, with one of my favorite actors, Buster Keaton.
The General (1.3 hours)

Music
Sugar plum fairy on glasses (2.5 min)

Tommy Jarrell - Mount Airy, North Carolina 1983 – Breaking Up Christmas (4 min)

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon a lovely WWI song with scenes from Mr. Cutler's grade 6 class (7 min)

The Story of the Christmas Truce of 1914

Christmas around the World – fun Christmas photos from around the world (4 min)

I'll finish up with views of Earth while Frankie sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (3.5 min)

So much for Holiday muzak

How about a little news before we go?
Perhaps there's peace in the air for Syria.
Erdogan proposes Putin to meet with Al Assad and start a negotiation process in Syria

Sadly the US won't cooperate with peace making...
Potential new US legislation aimed at curbing Syria's illicit drug trade is being weaponized to strike at the state and starve its people.

Giant Anti-War Protest Coming To DC!
Stopping war is a tough enough challenge for individuals or disparate groups, so coalitions are absolutely necessary to confront this scourge. And Nick Brana of the People’s Party and Libertarian Angela McArdle are seeking to build just such a coalition to end the war in Ukraine, free Julian Assange, disband NATO and achieve any number of other laudable goals through a rally in Washington DC this coming February.
Jimmy talks to Nick and Angela about building coalitions, making common cause and uniting for shared objectives across the political spectrum.
For more info: https://rageagainstwar.com/

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Putin, Lavorov, and Shoigu all went to Belarus to meet with president Lukashenko.
Meanwhile Medvedev delivers ‘personal message’ from Putin to Xi. Lots of speculation about this but no real information about the purpose.

Douglas Macgregor describes enormous success for the Russians. (45 min)

Here in the US we had the Zelensky theatrical PR stunt in congress.
Zelenski's "Epic Piece Of Theater"
Garland Nixon talks with the Duran about the visit.

They also had an excellent conversation with Robert Barnes as well as Jeffrey Sachs.

Another excellent conversation about Ukraine conflict and its background.

Ukraine's LAST STAND w/ Scott Ritter and Dan Kovalik (1 hour)
That may be enough news for the holiday....

Screenshot 2022-12-25 at 06-16-23 The Newborn King - scheerpost.com_.png
I hope your day is filled with peace, joy, and friendship.

As always this is an open thread and any and all comments are welcome.
Today is largely a reprint of an essay I created on Christmas 2016 here at C99. I figured like me, you forgot most of this content. At any rate have a lovely day!

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Lookout's picture

from John, Mike and Masha! (4 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5n2Jtd4w5g]

...
WE DELIVERED CHRISTMAS TO 1000+ Children in Donbass! (20 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45vDWtXjEwQ]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

studentofearth's picture

of the house wakes up. (Obviously no small children in the house this year)

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Lookout's picture

@studentofearth

Have a wonderful Christmas with your family! Enjoy your meal too. I just put our turkey in the oven...it is too cold to smoke it outside, but at least it has warmed into the teens. Headed toward mid-20's today ...it' a heat wave. Cooking inside also warms the house.

We have friend near Melbourne Australia where it is 112F. What extremes.

Take care and stay warm!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

TheOtherMaven's picture

Amazing! Biggrin

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Lookout's picture

@TheOtherMaven

...but I guess he could have thrown in a grinch or something.
He had quite the array of monsters.

Hope you have a great holiday!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

Thanks for the holiday rundown. Thought I'd add a little to the whole thing with Constantine and Xtianity. Rome was polytheistic as a culture, one could and most did worship one or more gods of one's choosing, as well as, officially, Constantine. Judaism and Xtianity were, howeveer, not cool because their adherents refused to recognize the emperor as a god, but the xtians were cut a little slack because Constantine's mom had become one, and a devout one at that.

It came to pass (heh) that Constantine attributed a great and important military victory of his to intercession or assistance from the xtain god, so he declared that it was no longer uncool to worship same and henceforth he would be included among the acceptable gods and his worship would be included among the laundry list of acceptable gods. But, the whole xtain thing of monotheism and worshipping only Jesus or Jesus+YHWH, was still technically out because, among other things, Constantine was still a god also too.

It was only much later that Xtianity became mandatory and exclusive.

Saturnalia, for my money, was the right approach to things.

Happy holiday or your choice to all.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris

I like the Saturnalia approach too.

We went to York, UK once where Constantine was made the leader of Rome...
http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/themes/constantine-the-great

The system of succession at the time demanded that another Caesar should become emperor but the soldiers in York immediately proclaimed Constantine their leader. It proved to be a pivotal moment in history. He is known as Constantine the Great for very good reasons.

Hope you and yours have a great holiday!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

QMS's picture

Enjoyed the sugar plum fairy on glass
and the DC peace rally theme

cranking up the wood stove and
cooking up goodies for the guests-of-us

thanks for posting and enjoy your holiday!

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

Who would post a Festivus essay each year. Ek, I think he passed on like so many have.
https://caucus99percent.com/content/festivus

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

QMS's picture

@Lookout

almost replied to riverlover Wink
thanks for sharing!

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

And we'll reflect on friend pasts and future!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

@Lookout

remember him because he made a comment about me ... He said I am charming ... that was a first and knocked me out.

OMG miracles happen. that was the nicest way to save a bit of Christmas Spirit through tomorrow for me. LO

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

Sometime this week someone urged us to think about eyo. I wish her the best on this Christmas day and hope she is healing.

Wishing you the best too Mimi!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout in Friday's OT. She is always "here".

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@Lookout thanks for the Weekly Watch and thanks for your friendship. I have been logged in all day it's been fun. I cancelled another post and then I forgot what I wanted to say. hmph. Thanks, I just want to say thank you most of all. I really felt a lot of love this week, and have been showered with gifts from neighbors and friends. And I'm really glad to be here reading all the comments, you guys crack me up, make me lol, make me cry, make me think, and also make me dance a little bit. C99 influencers. heh

Peace and Love

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It is still pretty chilly in Galveston, although it is sunny and the gale winds finally died down to the customary sea breeze.
I am racking my brain to remember where I was when I visited both Constantine's castle and that of his mother. Croatia? Serbia? Shit, can't remember. The guide taking us around Mom's gardens lectured us about how she and her son would walk through the gardens, discussing the difficulties of Empire. Lack of cohesion and commitment to Constantine. According to the guide, Mom suggested looking into this small sect called "Christians." She admired how they stuck together, facing down lions and death for their beliefs. She imagined soldiers, and even citizens of the Empire would stick together if they all went Christian. Constantine negotiated with the Catholic Church, gave up his god-hood, got Saint status, converted the entire Empire to a Christian Empire. The Catholic Church was, of course, delighted at the immense tithing to come!
Stay warm, everyone! We still have another Holiday coming up in a week!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

Last week the "old time religion" joke? song came up. Makes you realize how many religions have come and gone. However, almost all of them celebrate this time of year focused around the solstice. Humans have always been connected with the heavens and planet, but in recent decades we've been losing that.

Y'all have a wonderful Christmas at the beach!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

This showed up today.
Twitter liked being in on the various agency stuff, at least at first. Seems even Twitter had hell trying to deal with them before Musk took over.
We are so propagandized! We must hate Russia! We must support Ukraine!
https://taibbi.substack.com/p/twitter-files-what-weve-learned-so?utm_sou...

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

throughout all the Twitter files. FBI, CIA, DHS, NSA, all of them knee deep in the twitter censorship.

Shape the narrative....

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Pluto's Republic's picture

@Lookout

https://taibbi.substack.com/p/notes-on-a-friday-night

...I found to be a must read, if you haven't already done so. It was uplifting in the way it confirms that which is intellectually honest in public discourse. This is a watershed moment for authentic journalism and serious people.

Wishing you all the best and much warmth for the holiday, Lookout.

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IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"
Lookout's picture

@Pluto's Republic

Hope you have a lovely holiday!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

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mimi's picture

empty. but I hope it starts working again in Mid January. I pray for better and a little warmer times.

To all who feel sick and lonely, let's just be there one for the other and keep frirnds company for as long as we can.

Merry Christmas !

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

is a good positive story.

Even enemies can become friends when we reject violence and see people as they truly are—as individuals. The British and German troops who on Christmas Eve enjoyed a night of joy amid the carnage of 1914 could attest to that.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTXhZ4uR6rs]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

@Lookout trenches. It helped him to never become a Nazi, but not so his son. He (the son) was a real one.

you never never know how people and your kids turn out. Later in his life he became my favorite uncle as a child, but when I understood a bit more, I just couldn't believe how he could be so mislead. Both my grandparents died at the end of wwII, from hunger and illness. My grandma took care of the litte children in hospitals and there she caught diphteria, which gave her the rest.

Oh well, it always is something wrong.

Thank you for this magnificent Weekly Watch.

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mimi's picture

who do you hate /love more, Putin or Selensky?

Me. hate both the same. No need to answer in public, if you don't have the guts. the intention to answer mimi's slly question.

It is definitely a bad winter and a bad Christmas in my head. Time to go to bed. Good Night.

I hope Joe shikspack will get better slowly. Though looking at at the images in our TV coverage in Germany, of the weather in NY, it doesn't look so good.

Stay warrm.

Hallelujah !

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

I admire Putin and pity the comedian puppet coke head running Ukraine. He too is a victim, and I predict will not fare well. We'll see.

Stay warm and healthy!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

@Lookout
but why do you admire him?

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

He is the first leader since the dissolution of the USSR to protect Russian resources from western predators (which is why they hate him) and build cooperative global alliances with other countries. The US on the other hand focuses on destruction of his country and his removal.

Too bad our two countries don't have as competent leaders as Putin.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

TheOtherMaven's picture

@Lookout

which would be a tremendous improvement over what we actually have. :-O

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

QMS's picture

@Lookout

Maybe I should follow MSM closer?
Or you mean the bi-polar country Wink

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Zelensky is a coward, has no problem with his people getting slaughtered.
Putin does whatever he can to keep his people from being slaughtered.
I could go on, but that is a starting place.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Pluto's Republic's picture

@on the cusp

....that Putin's efforts to avoid Ukrainian civilian casualties when the Russians entered the country may have been a strategic mistake. Holding back like that made Russia's overwhelmingly superior forces look weak. As a result, the war was extended unnecessarily, giving theUS and NATO time to restock Ukraine with extended firepower.

While Russia's back is to the wall in this war — meaning that Russia will lose its sovereignty in defeat, Russian leaders will be tried and executed, Russia's assets will be seized, and the nation will be impoverished and likely broken apart into weakened states — the US, too, sees itself against the wall. Defeat for US/NATO will mean the end of their grandiose fantasies that their imaginary Empire will rule over the entire world. Would that be enough to trigger the criminally insane monsters who run the US to release all of their nuclear arsenal at once in a fit of rage?

That's why this conflict is so dangerous.

The infantile and insane neocons in Washington, who have orchestrated this war, have a deep belief that it is better to end all life on earth than to allow communism to flourish anywhere on the planet. Unimaginable wealth has completely rotted the minds of the Global Financial Elite families who actually do control and undermine what humankind can achieve in this World. There are no sane voices left in DC.

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IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"

@Pluto's Republic you are damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Zelenski was threatened, reportedly a death threat, so off he went to war.
Yes, the sides are taking shape. One side will be a winner. Battered badly, but a winner of "the prize".

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Pluto's Republic's picture

@on the cusp

...I edited and extended my comment into several paragraphs. You might want to refresh and reread. Or, you might have seen my entire comment, and preferred to focus on Putin. That's perfectly understandable.

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IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"

@Pluto's Republic My reference to "the prize" is to take the lead in some global economy and be No. 1, although being No. 1 in a completely devastated global economy seems like winning the booby prize.
I do look forward to the end of US hegemony, and am hoping China and Russia usher in an economic system that is as fair as they insist it will be.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Pluto's Republic's picture

@on the cusp

Globally, there are only regional trading agreements or unions, and exchange banks that turn one currency into another to facilitate trade between nations. Each nation should be free to trade in any currency that works best for them and their trading partner. A reserve currency was handy in the olden days. But we have computers now and can easily calculate an exchange in any medium of exchange with the push of a button. There are settlement banks throughout the world happy to escrow the exchange.

I see no reason that each nation cannot embrace whatever internal economic system that works for their own culture. Being bullied or forced to go to war over what sort of economic system a particular nation uses internally is the corrupt perversion of a predator.

China and Russia have two very different economic systems. Russia has a capitalist economy. China has a hybrid communist economy. Neither has a desire to force their own economic system upon any other nation.

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IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"
Lookout's picture

@Pluto's Republic

Ruble yuan trade for oil and goods with China...same with Iran..and India... and on and on. This is a new system to my mind, and it is for the better.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Pluto's Republic's picture

@Lookout

...and only cover certain significant trades, such as the agreement between China and Russia that allows China to buy oil from Russia and pay in Rubles. Russia and China have a robust trade in other goods that are settled conventionally. Their currency swap arrangement covers only oil and it allows both countries escape two US-imposed restrictions: 1) It bypasses US sanctions on the purchase of Russian oil and it bypasses US monitoring of trades via the SWIFT system.

"Currency swaps" between trading partners are not uncommon. But they are not a new system of global trade. They are negotiated bilateral agreements between nations, usually for a specific trade; however each nation typically has numerous trades with scores of different countries that are settled with USDollar Reserves. All national banks hold Dollar Reserves to facilitate international trade. In recent years, however, the world has watched the US steal those reserves from nations like Afghanistan and Russia — a criminal act that could tip the game board.

The ideal is to facilitate trades with a reserve currency that is not the domestic currency of a nation, such as the Yuan or the Dollar — an arrangement that can create a threat to the world, as we have seen. One possibility is a neutral transnational commodity currency, like gold or Bitcoin. Another possibility is a synthetic trading currency from a coalition of nations, such as the BRICS. An Interesting paper from Cambridge Press:

Can BRICS De-dollarize the Global Financial System?

https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/can-brics-dedollarize-the-global...

One way or another, the Dollar has to go.

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IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"

@Pluto's Republic n/t

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@Pluto's Republic

...the arrogance, ignorance, and incompetence of western leadership is absolutely staggering.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Pluto's Republic's picture

@Lookout

By the way, this essay is an amazing compilation. Thank you for giving this community so much of your aware and accomplished and poetic self.

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IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"
Lookout's picture

@Pluto's Republic

We all bring such good info to the table. We may not all interpret it the same but we're willing to look at what is understood. Sharing is what make this a community. Thanks for what you do.

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

soryang's picture

Who's doing the Whitehouse PR, Quentin Tarrantino? It’s showdown at the OK corral. Make my day! No, it’s a UFC commercial. Zelensky was too busy in the trenches, to wash or wear clean clothes.

Cringeworthy, juvenile...

惑世誣民 혹세무민

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3 users have voted.

語必忠信 行必正直

Lookout's picture

@soryang

....like perhaps Zelensky's speech to congress? No doubt with CIA consultation.

Thanks for the Jimmy sketch!

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

reading, all the best, every damn day, ok.

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5 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

We don't cope well. (3 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltcu5Cx8A7I]
Have a good night y'all!

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4 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”