"When a nation threatens another nation the people of the latter forget their factionalism, their local antagonisms, their political differences, their suspicions of each other, their religious hostilities, and band together as one unit. Leaders know that, and that is why so many of them whip up wars during periods of national crisis, or when the people become discontented and angry."
Taylor Caldwell
"Every war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac...War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it."
George Orwell
Gold popped very hard today on what is undeniably a flight to safety out of fiat currencies and into something that is durable in a crisis with less counterparty risk. It was a clear result of the tension in the Crimea.
By the way, most Americans have little understanding of the role which the Crimea has played historically and how it is different from and more important to Russia than the Ukraine itself, which is important in its own right.
Nato has shoved its membership to the doorstep of Russia, using European as a proxy with the most to lose. And finally Russia has reacted, drawing their own line in the sand. And we are shocked, shocked that they can do something so primitive as send in the military to protect what they view as strategic interests over a territory and a people who have long standing ties.
I do not wish to defend Putin and what he is doing, as I prefer not to defend China. I view both of these former communist nations as evolving oligarchies that routinely diminish the rights of the individual and enjoy significant corruption at the top. Copycats that they are.
Unfortunately continental Europe is providing a convenient buffer for this conflict by proxy, and we know what the Anglo-American policy thoughts on that topic have been of late, FU Europe. And that does not stand for Frank Underwood or Francis Urquhart, although it certainly matches their fictional styles towards politics depending on which version of House of Cards you may have been watching. A house of cards indeed.
Have a pleasant evening.
