Here’s why Putin decided to send a nuclear message to Washington

Here’s why Putin decided to send a nuclear message to Washington

RT

Updating Russia’s nuclear doctrine is certainly not a spontaneous step. It is long overdue and is linked to the fact that the current level of atomic deterrence has proven inadequate. Especially given that it failed to prevent the West from waging a hybrid war against our country.

Until recently, the desire to inflict a strategic defeat on us was considered insane and impossible, given that Russia is a nuclear superpower. But it turns out that it is taken seriously in some minds in the West. That is why the current level of nuclear deterrence has proved inadequate in the face of the US-led bloc’s growing involvement in the conflict against Russia, which has already turned into discussions about strikes by Western long-range missiles deep into our territory.

In this regard, lowering the threshold for the use of atomic weapons and expanding the number of situations in which Moscow allows this step is long overdue. Just as the wording of the previous version of the doctrine, which stated that the use of nuclear weapons in a non-nuclear conflict was only possible in the event of a threat to Russia’s very existence as a state, was no longer in line with global realities. Now this threshold has been lowered, and the use of nuclear weapons in a non-nuclear conflict is possible in the event of a critical threat to the country’s sovereignty.

I repeat: not the very existence of our state, but critical threats to its sovereignty.

That is why the use of nuclear weapons is now permitted both against a non-nuclear state that commits aggression and against nuclear states that support it. This is a response to the proxy war that is being waged against us and which is becoming more and more intense.

As for President Vladimir Putin’s public announcement of the changes, this is of course related to the discussion I mentioned earlier about the use of Western long-range missiles deep into our territory. Russia really believes that this would mean a transition to direct warfare, and in order to get this message across, the president has decided to announce some changes and concrete manifestations of lowering the nuclear threshold here and now to show the West that the risks for it are increasing. And they need to understand that entering into a direct war against us would be much worse for them than the defeat of Ukraine on the battlefield.

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Globalism And The Commitment To National Identities

Two World Wars And A Debilitating Cold War Did Nothing To Dissuade Global 'Elites' From Building A New Empire On The Ashes Of The Old - It Will Suffer A Similar Fate

J.B. Shurk

Nationalism has become the great bugaboo of global talking heads today.  It is discussed in the marbled halls of Western capitals as a scourge that must be eliminated just as swiftly as its equally detested cousin, populism.  Policies that are popular with the people and nation-states that reflect the self-determination of the people cannot be permitted!  

Who says?  Some very important people who belong to august bodies such as the European Commission, the United Nations, the Bank for International Settlements, the World Economic Forum, and the World Health Organization.  International groups with lofty reputations have no time to trifle with the beliefs and needs of discrete peoples.  The globalists are here to save democracy by ridiculing and rejecting whatever the people might want!

Sounds a little bit like an absolute monarchy, does it not?  The public is not in the mood for another round of CV lockdowns.  Who cares? — it’s what the WHO director commands!  Citizens are extremely unhappy with the attendant crime, cultural conflict, and expanded welfare obligations that come with rampant illegal immigration.  So what? — the unelected bureaucrats at the E.C. and the U.N. are committed to destroying national identities!  Westerners demand an end to money-printing and runaway inflation.  Who asked them? — we do what the multinational investment firms say!  

What we have today are kings and queens who sit on distant thrones and bark orders at the common people living under their rule.  Those who object to being ruled are condemned as “extremists,” vulgar “populists,” and bigoted “nationalists.”  From the royalty’s point of view, anyone who represents the people is a threat to the globalist monarchy’s continuing reign.  Populists and nationalists, you say?  Egad, off with their heads!

Why can’t the French, Dutch, British, German, Polish, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Australian, Canadian, and American governments represent their own peoples?  Because those territories are too small for their designs.  Today’s “elites” have global domination on their minds.  The concerns of individual nation-states are too petty for those who covet the whole planet.

We used to have a pretty good word to describe an arrangement in which many separate countries are forced to bend the knee and pay tribute to a superior power: empire.  

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Time Is Running Out: US Port Strike Could Begin Tuesday; Goldman Finds Highly Exposed Retailers

Time Is Running Out: US Port Strike Could Begin Tuesday; Goldman Finds Highly Exposed Retailers

TYLER DURDEN

Time is running out for the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX)—a coalition of port operators and carriers—to form a new labor contract as the existing one expires at midnight. A no-deal scenario would mean thousands of longshoremen at three dozen facilities across 14 Gulf and East Coast ports would begin striking at 12:01 am EST. Tuesday would mark the beginning of a major supply chain storm (inflation surge) in a no-deal scenario.

Goldman analyst explained last week that a walkout by ILA members would jeopardize $5 billion in daily international trade coming into the Gulf and East Coast ports.

Goldman's Jordan Alliger told clients, "Upwards of $4.9bn per day is at risk in international trade along the East and Gulf coasts, along with the potential for supply chains to likely become less fluid due to emergent congestion, which in turn could result in a re-emergence of transport price inflation."

"The biggest wild card in the presidential election that nobody's talking about? The looming port strike that could shut down all East and Gulf Coast ports just 36 days before the election," Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen wrote on X earlier this month. 

On Monday morning, with just a little over half the day left, a team of Goldman analysts led by Brooke Roach provided clients with the "current state of the supply chain and freight environment for the retail industry." 

• What is happening: The International Longshoreman Association and US Maritime Alliance contract is set to expire on September 30th. Our US transports analyst, Jordan Alliger, detailed the potential ramifications should labor disruption arise at East / Gulf Coast Ports in this note published on 9/26. While we take no view on the likelihood of any outcome, our team has fielded an increased number of investor queries focused on potential disruption to US retail as a result of potential congestion, which could come at a critical shipping period for US retailers ahead of the holidays.

• Comments from retail associations: The American Apparel and Footwear Association estimates that 53% of all US apparel, footwear, and accessories imports are routed through the East and Gulf Coast ports. The AAFA also noted risk from East Coast / Gulf port disruption to impact West Coast port operations, creating strains/delays across the supply chain. Separately, the Retail Industry Leaders Association has also stated that while retailers have activated contingency plans to mitigate potential effects of work disruption, it becomes harder to mitigate the longer a work stoppage goes on.

• Our view on potential impact: We surveyed our hardlines and softlines coverage universe to assess exposure, and we found the majority of companies who responded pointed to the following: (1) A higher rate of reliance on West Coast ports for their primarily Asia-sourced product; (2) Proactive rerouting and other plans ahead of potential disruption to ensure critical product arrives on-time for holiday; (3) Other contingency plans in place, including airfreight for select items. Many companies indicated they were already planning for higher freight expense in 2H due to a variety of risk factors, with port contract negotiations one factor alongside ongoing Red Sea disruption and higher rates on spot product. That said, we note that the magnitude of potential disruption is likely a function of the length of any work disruption and subsequent port congestion (which could likely impact both West and East Coast ports). Historically, a longer period of congestion for retailers has typically been associated with a higher risk of delayed product arrival, which can be a headwind to full-price sales for holiday or seasonal items. Full detail of exposure by company is listed in the tables below.

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