Democrazy?

In plain view is the insanity of western (so called) democracies. Romania leads the way. First they cancel elections cause "far right' Georgescu was called to win. Now they charge, arrest, and eliminate him from running...The most popular candidate. Then consider the side lining of the first and second most popular elected parties in Austria, Germany, France, and others. Then there's Canada, now appointing a UK central banker as PM while playing against the Trump rhetoric as an election looms. Here in the US we call for free speech as pro-Palestinian speech is suppressed. The EU is a joke to my mind with an appointed board controlling elected national leaders. My question is: what democracy are you talking about?

I think so called democracy is an illusion...a fairy tale we've been told so often we think it is true. There's no doubt the world is in flux. Is it the end of empire/imperialism/colonization? I doubt it. I want to begin with three clips featuring Alex Krainer. He makes a rational argument that the vestige of the British empire is the root cause of much of the worlds troubles, and they view the US as their muscle man.

(75 min)
We discuss the new Prime Minister of Canada, Trump aligning with China and Russia, democracy vs autocracy and consensus politics vs power politics.
Tom Luongo is a former research chemist, amateur dairy goat farmer, libertarian, and economist whose work can be found on Zero Hedge and Newsmax Media. He hosts the Gold Goats ‘n Guns Podcast.
Alex Krainer is a Croatian national, former hedge fund manager, author and contributing editor at Zero Hedge.

Alex Krainer: Ukraine Struggles, Russia Hesitates, US Watches Closely

(65 min) A wide ranging discussion.

ALEX KRAINER /HOW RUSSIA SAVED AMERICA and the HISTORY THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW

(65 min) Alex provides an excellent historical background
I can't remember which clip, it may have been two of them, contains Alex comments about the opium wars which the UK imposed on China. He claims the fentanyl crisis here is also by design. An interesting hypothesis.

Lots happened this week. The Judge and Larry Johnson traveled to Moscow to interview Lavrov.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview to the US bloggers, March 12, 2025 (90 min)

There was a US/Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia which called for a 30 day ceasefire which Putin politely declined.

HTS continues the barbarous slaughter of non-believers in Syria as Israel bombs Damascus.

The tariff wars continue.

Congress passes a CR and keeps the government open till September

Let's start with the situation in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk has been surrounded in a brilliant move of Russian troops moving through an empty pipeline to reach the Ukrainian rear without notice and complete the encirclement. They are surrounded and given the choice to surrender or be killed.

US President Donald Trump has asked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to spare the lives of the Ukrainian troops that have been encircled in Kursk Region as part of a ceasefire agreement. Following a meeting in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, Washington and Kiev put forward a 30-day ceasefire proposal, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff delivered the details of the initiative to Putin on Thursday. In a press conference on Thursday, the Russian president stated that he is open to the idea of a truce, but stressed that certain issues have to be addressed beforehand, including the fate of Ukraine’s incursion forces, which are currently surrounded in Russia’s Kursk Region.

The X post continues...
Putin confirms he had a phone call with Trump, and is willing to spare the lives of the surrounded Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region if they surrender, but they committed crimes against civilians and will be prosecuted as terrorists.
Overall, what you should take from this is that Trump is holding true to his word as the peacemaker and is taking significant steps towards not just ending this conflict, but towards normalizing relations with Russia, and permanently ending this Cold War we are in with Russia before it escalates into full-scale WW3.

Putin Defies Trump, EU Cornered, Ukraine's Forces Surrendering in Kursk | Scott Ritter
(28 min) Scott suggests the ceasefire proposal was designed to get the EU on board with ending the conflict.

Russia's main ceasefire demands
• No NATO membership for Ukraine
• No NATO ”peacekeepers” in Ukraine
• Ukraine is denazified/demilitarised
• The 4 Donbass regions are recognised as Russian territories plus Crimea
In exchange:
• Cease of all hostilities
• Peace and stability for Ukraine

These have been clear since last June.

Putin Peels Off The Masks Of The Ceasefire Kabuki (Pepe Escobar)
The “ceasefire” announced with trademark bombast by Team Trump 2.0 should be seen as a tawdry kabuki inside a cheap matryoshka. As we peel off the successive masks, the last one standing inside the matryoshka is a woke transvestite tiny dancer: a Minsk 3 in drag. Now cue to a “ceasefire” redux: President Putin in uniform only for the second time since the start of the SMO, dead serious, visiting the frontline in Kursk. Finally, cue to the actual peel off operation: Putin’s press conference after his meeting with Lukashenko in Moscow. Ceasefire? Of course. We support it. And then, methodically, diplomatically, the Russian President pulled a Caravaggio, and went all-out chiaroscuro on every geopolitical and military detail of the American gambit. A consumate artful deconstruction.
End result: the ball is now back in Donald Trump’s court. Incidentally the leader of the revamping-in-progress Empire of Chaos who does not (italics mine) have the cards. That’s how diplomacy at the highest level works – something out of reach of American bumpkins of the Rubio variety. Putin was gracious enough to thank “the President of the United States, Mr. Trump, for paying so much attention to resolving the conflict.” After all the Americans also seem to be involved in “achieving a noble mission, a mission to stop hostilities and the loss of human lives.” Then he went for the kill: “This ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis.” As in all Russian key imperatives – widely known since at least June 2024 – will have to be satisfied. After all, it’s Russia that’s winning the war in the battlefield, not the U.S., the – already fragmented – NATO, and much less Ukraine.
Putin was adamant on the ceasefire: “We are for it.” But there are nuances; once again, it’s called diplomacy.

Pepe discussed the situation with Nima this week...
Pepe Escobar: Putin’s Bold Reply to the U.S. (60 min)

US-Russia Diplomacy & the Ceasefire Proposal - Dmitri Polyanskiy, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen
Insights from the Russian UN ambassador (23 min)

Alastair speculates the proposed 30 day ceasefire was designed to allow for elections.

(57 min) Europe and Israel Decline & Fragment - Alastair Crooke, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen
The last 20 min or so focus on the situation in Israel.

Let's see what kind of democracy does Ukraine have?
No Election In Ukraine Even If Truce With Russia Achieved – Podoliak
Ukraine will maintain martial law and will not hold a presidential election even if a ceasefire with Russia is established, Mikhail Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, told the Italian newspaper la Repubblica on Friday. Martial law has been in place in Ukraine since the conflict with Russia escalated in February 2022. Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired in May 2024, and he has refused to hold a new election, leading to debates about the legitimacy of his administration. Since US President Donald Trump assumed office in January, the US has been attempting to mediate peace in the conflict. Earlier this week, it proposed a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine claimed it was ready to implement, contingent upon Russia’s agreement.

The European chihuahuas continue their toothless barking.
President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, has echoed the Russian leader’s comparison of European leaders to puppies, commenting on how quickly they shifted to supporting the US push for a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Last month, Putin predicted that European politicians, who “happily carried out any order from the president in Washington” under President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, would soon fall in line with changing US policy. Given Trump’s “character and persistence,” all of them would soon “stand at the master’s feet and gently wag their tails,” the Russian president said

Russia ‘Must’ Accept Ceasefire Deal – Macron
Or what little Napoleon? Yap, yap, yap.

The EU’s Plan For ‘Peace’ Is To Buy More Weapons With Taxpayer Money
European defense is basically a teenaged-grade fantasy war gaming league at this point – minus the generous sponsorships. On Wednesday, defense ministers from five European heavyweights – France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Britain (yes, Britain, because apparently Brexit only applied to sensible EU decisions) – gathered in Paris to figure out how to elbow their way back into the Ukraine game. With US President Donald Trump running the show himself, Europe’s big players are scrambling for relevance. And they’re doing such a stellar job of it that the German defense minister is now relegated to sounding like every annoying dude sitting courtside at a French Open tennis match who thinks he’s offering stellar insight into the state of play.

Western Asia
Laith Marouf: Resistance regrouping and preparing for the Worst

(36 min)

Syria: Russia May Work With US & Israel To Build Alawite State (8 min)

Joshua Landis on Massacres Under New Al Qaeda Gov’t

(about 25 min)
“There have been widespread massacres along the coast of Alawites,” reports Professor Joshua Landis, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “This is a religious minority in Syria. They're also the community that backed Bashar al-Assad's regime. Most of the top officers in his security forces and intelligence service were Alawites. And so for that reason, the entire Alawite community has been labeled as guilty and is accused by these Jihadi militias of being guilty.”
“They just slaughtered every Alawite male they could find along the coast. And not just men, although the vast majority were men. But in many instances, entire families were killed in their apartments. And we have a number of videos of mothers showing you their kids and their entire household who have been shot. A hundred and forty people were just slaughtered in the main town on the roads and the square. And you can see just horrible videos.”
The narrative that we've been told in the west is that regime change is necessary to promote democracy around the world. But, Landis explains, though many Syrians justifiably hated the Assad government, the results of US foreign policy make things worse.
“Americans believe that when they overturn dictatorships, they're going to get a democratic outcome. We convinced ourselves of this in Iraq, in Libya, in Afghanistan, that we could somehow mold these societies in our own image. And we've discovered that time and time again: we're wrong. And what has happened throughout the Middle East, whether it's the Taliban or Al-Qaeda or ISIS, is you're going to get these extremist militias.”
Follow Professor Joshua Landis: https://x.com/joshua_landis

INTERVIEW: They want to drive them into the sea

(15 min) 'We predicted it would happen.' Syrian Girl on the murders of the minorities, captured on the cameras of the killers. It cannot be denied.

Trump clashes with Netanyahu over hostages
(7 min) Max Blumenthal details the rising tension between Trump and Netanyahu as the US government engages in unprecedented direct talks with Palestinian factions over hostages in Gaza.

Syria and Erdogan's control of the regime

(16 min)

European Insanity
After Romania eliminate their front runner, it seems France is going to take a page out of their book. Eliminate candidates. Cancel elections. That's now European democracy.

France Considers Drastic BANNING Of Le Pen

(2 min) "Le Pen warns of ‘undemocratic verdict’ if banned from 2027 race"
Brussels Signal article

England’s Reform Vote Victory CANCELLED (2 min)
"Reform would win local elections – but Angela Rayner cancelled them"
Telegraph article

Democrazy UK style.

Canada is also in flux.
Why were 2/3 of Liberal leadership voters disqualified?
Mark Carney has never won any election at all—he’s not even an MP.
Seriously: two out of three voters were disqualified? That’s a fiasco. You’d think the mainstream media would care, but all they care about is stopping Pierre Poilievre, because he’s threatening their journalism subsidies.

Kevin O’Leary: Mark Carney Would Wreck the Economy (16 min)
"If we elect Carney, we could lose 50-60% of the value of the dollar," warns Kevin O'Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful. In an exclusive interview with Daniela Cambone, O'Leary sharply criticizes Mark Carney, comparing him to "Trudeau on steroids" and predicting his policies would harm Canada. "He is backed by Gerald Butts, who is the Antichrist out of Canada. Everybody knows that." As the Canadian federal election tightens, O'Leary predicts Carney will lose, and the Conservatives could secure a majority mandate. With tariff threats ramping up and relations strained, can Canada still turn to the U.S. for help?

Tariffs and the Economy

The Enemy’s Plan to Seize YOUR MONEY “Is RIGHT on Schedule,” Warns Jekyll Island Author

(32 min) Everything is on schedule for our enemies," says G. Edward Griffin, author of The Creature from Jekyll Island. In this exclusive interview with Daniela Cambone, Griffin argues that politicians who repeatedly make promises but fail to deliver substantial change ultimately leave people worse off over time. "The American people now have made the president a king… We are in trouble, not because of the enemy but from the inside of our nation." Griffin also envisions a future where traditional money may cease to exist, replaced entirely by digital currency or digits—drastically altering how economic systems function.

Ten dems voted for the continuing resolution to keep the government operating. This has caused a schism in their party.
Far Left Dems Launch HOSTILE TAKEOVER as Trump Addresses Delay in JFK Disclosure
(16 min)

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appears on Bloomberg to discuss the tariff approach of President Trump toward national security. Economic security is national security. Lutnick correctly points out the crazy mindset of the Canadians and Europeans not understanding and respecting the big picture objective of President Trump. Ex. President Trump says we need steel and aluminum made in the USA, Canada responds with a tax on soccer balls. As Lutnick says, “really, I mean, REALLY?”

(25 min)

The Pros and Cons of Higher Tariffs: Are They Good or Bad for the Economy?

This seems a fitting summary of the week...
Messrs Trump and Putin sincerely seek to end the age’s stupidest war in Europe’s dumbest country, while the European Union and its outlier Great Britain go ostentatiously more insane every week. They bethink themselves storybook conquerors out of some retrograde history written by gibbering globalists. Macron and Friedrich Merz propose a grand invasion of Russia, as if Napoleon and Hitler had never existed, and they aim to get it done on about three days’ worth of ammunition. You first, Emmanuel, Merz insists. Non, non, pas de tout, Macron demurs with a deep bow.

Keir Starmer, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, and PM of an empire in late-stage sclerosis, does jumping jacks with pom-poms across the channel to cheer on France and Germany in their quixotic quest to conquer of Russia. “Go get’um lads!” he cries. Think of Sir Keir as a Monty Python archbishop as written by George Orwell under the direction of Franz Kafka — there’s what’s left of your jolly old England!

Meanwhile Ursula von der Leyen rehearses her part as the wannabe Joan of Arc in this political psychodrama. Her sweet grandmother’s face will smile placidly as the flames tickle her penitent’s robe. She was born for this. A million deracinated Congolese perform the twerk mazurka around her flaming pyre while the muezzins sing out the call to prayer from every minaret around Brussels. Her Hanoverian ancestors weep for Ursula through the mists of the centuries. Was Satan himself behind the contract she signed with Pfizer for as much as 4.6 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine at a cost of €71-billion? Where did the money come from and where exactly did it go, and what did Ursula finally have to show for it? The European Court of Auditors had a look at this tangled web and blew their lunches all over the rue Alcide De Gasperi in Luxembourg City. Snails, champignon, and shards of puff pastry on the ancient stone steps. A disgrace.
...
No, it is not true that Donald Trump’s ancestors invented the trumpet, but shrill brassy notes resound all over America these days as his enemies ululate and rend their garments. Liz Warren is yelling from streetcorners like her head’s going to blow plumb off her shoulders. Randi Weingarten was keening on MSNBC like an oboe with a broken reed. The entire two month-long spectacle has been a musical extravaganza. The President and his sidekick, Elon, keep coming at the country’s resident blob-of-evil like pit-bulls on a pack of wild hogs. Shreds of bacon have been flying all over the Beltway. I could have told you years ago that the blob was mostly lard and little meat. Now you know. It’s a sight to behold for the ages.

I hope everyone has a good Sunday. Please add anything of interest in the comments below.