Russia

[5.56NATO]

Russia took its biggest step yet to shore up the ruble and defuse the currency crisis threatening its stricken economy.

In a surprise announcement just before 1 a.m. in Moscow, the Russian central bank said it would raise its key interest rate to 17 percent from 10.5 percent, effective today. The move was the largest single increase since 1998, when Russian rates soared past 100 percent and the government defaulted on debt.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...e-decline.html



The oligarchs that run the west are felling the ruble with attacks on multiple fronts, from drastically reduced oil prices to sanctions and many other methods seen and unseen. This is making a lot of Russians make runs on their banks to get their holdings out before the end comes. If the western oligarchs are successful in ruining the Russian economy it may make sense to expect Russia to strike the western oligarchs with the power they have remaining, meaning nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.

Imagine your bank runs out of cash and has to resort to the bank on top of it that it gets its money from. So your bank calls up its bank and says hey can you loan me a few million? Your bank's bank says sure, let me set you up. Your bank says oh yeah what interest rate? Your banks bank says 17 percent. Your bank says wtf, last time I got a loan from you it was at 10 percent! I couldn't justify a loan at 10 percent wtf how can you expect to take a loan at 17 percent? So your bank doesn't take the loan, you can't get any money out of your bank because it doesn't have any, your account has been absorbed by your banks creditors, you lose, good day sir. This is what Russians are facing right now today. This is what we will face if/when the fed starts hiking rates instead of quantitative easing. But in Russia's case don't expect them to take it silently.

Apparently last night Putin tried to talk some sense into the Euroligarchs, dunno if he got anywhere, but this is a stupid thing for Europe to play along with the western oligarchs since a lot of Europe gets a major portion of its energy from Russia. Also there's the Fulda gap, through wich thousands of Russian tanks could flood into Europe if the worst comes to be. This would probably be in conjunction with a Russian cruise missile strike on our leadership, mil and civilian, from subs off our coasts, making the cruise missiles flight times very short. Just some fun thoughts for you.

[5.56NATO]

And speaking of cruise missles.....

Billion Dollar Surveillance Blimp to Launch over Maryland
In just a few days, the Army will launch the first of two massive blimps over Maryland, the last gasp of an 18-year-long $2.8-billion Army project intended to use giant airships to defend against cruise missiles.

And while the blimps may never stave off a barrage of enemy missiles, their ability to spot and track cars, trucks and boats hundreds of miles away is raising serious privacy concerns.

The project is called JLENS – or “Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System.” And you couldn’t come up with a better metaphor for wildly inflated defense contracts, a ponderous Pentagon bureaucracy, and the U.S. surveillance leviathan all in one.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2...unch-maryland/



I've a sneaking suspicion these blimps will be used not to perceive incoming enemy weapons but to spy upon we the people. Not like the 0bamaregim would ever do anything that nefarious or anything. And this is why Russian cruise missiles will strike their targets, because the 0bamaregim is spying on us instead of our enemies.

[5.56NATO]

Russian Food Suppliers Have Begun Halting Shipments
Until now, when it comes to the fallout in the Russian economy from the crude price plunge leading to a collapse in the Russian currency, most of the interest has been on how the Russian financial system recovers and/or survives and just as importantly, what Putin's response would be. Just yesterday, we wrote that as a result of capital controls fears, many western banks led by Goldman Sachs had halted liquidity to Russian clients and other local entities.

However while the adverse impact on the Russian banking system has been mostly confined to the upper class - since there is virtually no middle class in the country to speak of - the second cold war of words, which rapidly morphed into a very hot financial war, is about to hit the very ordinary Russian on the street, because as Russia's Vedomosti reports, citing vegetable producer Belaya Dacha, juice maker Sady Pridoniya and others, Russian suppliers are suspending food shipments to stores because of unpredictable FX movements. And it is about to get worse: very soon Russians may have to live without imported alcohol because at least on supplier of offshore booze, Simple, halted shipments in "a two-day pause” to see what happens with the ruble, Vedomosti reports.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-1...ting-shipments

[5.56NATO]

Russia raises colors on latest ssbn;
http://rt.com/news/214155-russia-sub...imir-monomakh/

Inside a Ruskii subskii at missilskii launchskii;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=hFx3gLs9K74
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c17g...layer_embedded

[LAGC]

Meanwhile, the Defense Department is launching two huge blimps off the East Coast, ostensibly to detect and intercept incoming cruise missile strikes against our capital.

http://rt.com/usa/215403-army-surveillance-blimp-test/

How much do you want to bet that once this whole pissing match with Russia blows over, sights will turn inward? Apparently these things offer incredible surveillance -- super ultra-high resolution cameras that can track dozens of "threats" including individual vehicles as far as 400 miles inland from the coast.

The military claims they won't be used for domestic surveillance, but I wouldn't be surprised if DHS had a direct feed so that they can spot any sort of "domestic terrorist" threat of a convoy of militia vehicles trying to mobilize. It's only a matter of time before the FBI and local law enforcement agencies want to tap in to aid in criminal investigations and what not. Being able to track any vehicle from crime scene to eventual destination. Hundreds of terabytes of surveillance data per minute, but apparently they already have the storage space to be able to review up to a week's data.

Say good-bye to privacy unless you live way far inland.

[1 Patriot-of-many]

I wouldn't be surprised if we push Putin into invading at least the Ukraine and maybe further.

[imanaknut]

Or Putin could capitulate and pull out of Ukraine which would then allow the evil west to end sanctions.

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Or Putin could capitulate and pull out of Ukraine which would then allow the evil west to end sanctions.

Would you? I highly doubt he would lose face doing so.

[5.56NATO]

Neat pics of transporting some Akula class attack subs for refit;
http://englishrussia.com/2015/01/22/...-thru-arctics/
Looks like they're getting everything ready.

[chiak47]

Tom Brady used deflated balls...

[Altarboy]

Chiak, lol.

There is a really good book that I recommend called The Russians by Headrick Smith. It is an old book, but very insightful if you want to know more about Ruskies.

[chiak47]

Chiak, lol.

There is a really good book that I recommend called The Russians by Headrick Smith. It is an old book, but very insightful if you want to know more about Ruskies.

Weird, I have been reading that book off and on for a month or so now. Good book, kinda dry but a great insight nonetheless.

[5.56NATO]

Now this is weird. 0bama is doing all he can to mess with Russia short of war, and here the fcc is considering this brilliance;

Wait! What? FCC ponders plan to route U.S. 911 calls through Russian satellites
http://news.investors.com/politics-a...#ixzz3PxjTgkCt

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Russia took its biggest step yet to shore up the ruble and defuse the currency crisis threatening its stricken economy.

In a surprise announcement just before 1 a.m. in Moscow, the Russian central bank said it would raise its key interest rate to 17 percent from 10.5 percent, effective today. The move was the largest single increase since 1998, when Russian rates soared past 100 percent and the government defaulted on debt.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...e-decline.html



The oligarchs that run the west are felling the ruble with attacks on multiple fronts, from drastically reduced oil prices to sanctions and many other methods seen and unseen. This is making a lot of Russians make runs on their banks to get their holdings out before the end comes. If the western oligarchs are successful in ruining the Russian economy it may make sense to expect Russia to strike the western oligarchs with the power they have remaining, meaning nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.

Imagine your bank runs out of cash and has to resort to the bank on top of it that it gets its money from. So your bank calls up its bank and says hey can you loan me a few million? Your bank's bank says sure, let me set you up. Your bank says oh yeah what interest rate? Your banks bank says 17 percent. Your bank says wtf, last time I got a loan from you it was at 10 percent! I couldn't justify a loan at 10 percent wtf how can you expect to take a loan at 17 percent? So your bank doesn't take the loan, you can't get any money out of your bank because it doesn't have any, your account has been absorbed by your banks creditors, you lose, good day sir. This is what Russians are facing right now today. This is what we will face if/when the fed starts hiking rates instead of quantitative easing. But in Russia's case don't expect them to take it silently.

Apparently last night Putin tried to talk some sense into the Euroligarchs, dunno if he got anywhere, but this is a stupid thing for Europe to play along with the western oligarchs since a lot of Europe gets a major portion of its energy from Russia. Also there's the Fulda gap, through wich thousands of Russian tanks could flood into Europe if the worst comes to be. This would probably be in conjunction with a Russian cruise missile strike on our leadership, mil and civilian, from subs off our coasts, making the cruise missiles flight times very short. Just some fun thoughts for you.

Sometimes I think a missile strike on our "leaders" otherwise known as traitors wouldn't be such a bad thing. It sure does appear they want to goad the Russians into WWIII though doesn't it?

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Now this is weird. 0bama is doing all he can to mess with Russia short of war, and here the fcc is considering this brilliance;

Wait! What? FCC ponders plan to route U.S. 911 calls through Russian satellites
http://news.investors.com/politics-a...#ixzz3PxjTgkCt

I believe Obama and his chronies want to destroy the US. It's become so obvious, the guy is just evil.

[chiak47]

Beijing and Moscow announced a joint effect to build a high speed rail line linking the two nations capitals. 4300 or so miles.

Just how cozy are the two? Where does India fit into the grand scheme of things?