International Monetary Fund (IMF) last Thursday announced that a preliminary staff-level agreement with the Sri Lankan government had been reached for a four-year arrangement to provide a $US2.9 billion loan facility, subject to the approval of the IMF the executive board.
IMF announces preliminary bailout loan agreement with Sri Lanka
Tag: GDP
Europe’s Coming Winter From Hell: Thanks for Your Sanctions War, Washington!
Europe’s impending depression is not to be discounted in terms of its relevance to this side of the Atlantic pond. Since the turn of the century, US exports to the European Union have soared from $12.3 billion per month to $30.4 billion. That latter amounts to $365 billion on an annual basis.
Needless to say, when European GDP descends into a double-digit slide, demand for US exports will plunge, causing declines in production and employment on this side of the Atlantic.
Europe’s Coming Winter From Hell: Thanks for Your Sanctions War, Washington!
Jeffrey Sachs: “Dangerous” U.S. Policy & “West’s False Narrative” Stoking Tensions with Russia, China
Amidst Uproar Over Nancy Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan, Media Ignores Aggressive U.S. Maritime Action in South China Seas
In order to force high-tech companies to decouple from the People’s Republic of China and reverse U.S. decline, U.S. imperialism needs a political/military crisis with China
Amidst Uproar Over Nancy Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan, Media Ignores Aggressive U.S. Maritime Action in South China Seas
A widely cited report predicting doom for the Russian economy has come under scrutiny from economists
By Margarita Lyutova. Abridged translation by Sam Breazeale, Meduza, 8/10/22
In late July, a team of researchers from Yale published a report titled “Business Retreats and Sanctions Are Crippling the Russian Economy.” Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the same team has maintained a list of international companies that have ceased operations in Russia in response to the war. The project is led by management and corporate responsibility expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management and the founder of Yale’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute. The report has been cited widely in recent weeks, but Sonnenfeld is neither an economist nor a Russia specialist, and experts have raised doubts about some of the report’s claims. Economic journalist Margarita Lyutova explains why the researchers’ conclusions might be worth taking with a grain of salt.
Meduza: A widely cited report predicting doom for the Russian economy has come under scrutiny from economists
Related:
Business Retreats and Sanctions Are Crippling the Russian Economy
Africa taken for ‘neo-colonial’ ride
By Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram – Jul 26, 2022
SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 26 2022 (IPS) – Like so many others, Africans have long been misled. Alleged progress under imperialism has long been used to legitimize exploitation. Meanwhile, Western colonial powers have been replaced by neo-colonial governments and international institutions serving their interests.
Africa taken for ‘neo-colonial’ ride
How Ukraine Lost Its Riches
If the ‘west’ really wants to deprive Russia of money it must immediately lift the sanctions and restart importing oil, gas and coal from Russia at then much lower prices.
Russia will not lack money to finance the rebuilding of Novorossiya’s great industries. Once that is done those areas are evidently able to support themselves and to guarantee a high standard of living. They will also have enough money to militarily defend themselves against anything the poor rest of Ukraine will be able to finance.
At the end of March, after negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey, there was nearly an agreement on a ceasefire and on the end of the war. Joe Biden then tasked Boris Johnson with telling Zelensky to continue the war. The ‘west’ would otherwise stop paying him. Zelensky did as he was told and stopped all negotiations with Russia.
An agreement with Russia at that time would have kept the Ukraine mostly as one state with only minor losses in the Donbas. But the decision to continue the hopeless war also ended all chances for Ukraine to keep its riches.
It will be poor and helpless while its ‘western’ neighbors will feast on it.
U.S. to send Ukraine $5.5 billion in new fiscal, military aid
U.S. to send Ukraine $5.5 billion in new fiscal, military aid
The $4.5 billion budgetary grant will fund urgent government needs including payments for pensions, social welfare and healthcare costs, bringing total U.S. fiscal aid for Ukraine to $8.5 billion since Russia’s February invasion, the U.S. Agency for International Development said.
…
The $1 billion arms package announced by the Pentagon is the largest single military package under President Joe Biden’s drawdown authority, including long-range rocket munitions and armored medical transport vehicles.
…
The fiscal and military aid packages – both first reported by Reuters on Monday – are drawn from a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine approved by Congress in May.
Overall, the United States has contributed more than $18 billion to Ukraine this year.
On The ‘Woke’ Flight To Taiwan + More
On The ‘Woke’ Flight To Taiwan
That too old ‘woke’ lady with the massive freezer full of very expensive ice-cream let it know through Taiwanese media that she wants to arrive in Taipei tomorrow, August 2, at 22:30 local time (14:30 UTC) and stay over night.
…
There is also this thought, by Cynthia Chung, which might become relevant:
In October 2019, Jake Sullivan, who became U.S. National Security Advisor in 2021, stated in an interview that the U.S. needed a clear threat to rally the world and play the role of saviour of mankind and that China could be that organizing principle for U.S. foreign policy. In the 2019 interview, he acknowledges that the problem was that people were not going to believe that China is a global threat, that their view of China is too positive and that the United States would need a “Pearl Harbour moment,” a real focusing event to change their minds, something he calmly stated that “would scare the hell out of the American people.”
She correctly traces such ‘Pearl Harbour moment’ thinking back to neo-conservative movement. Chung closes with this:
Thus, when Jake Sullivan observes that there is not enough anti-China sentiment to bolster an image of the United States as a “saviour of mankind” against China and that America is in need of a “Pearl Harbour moment” I would be very wary.
The circus around Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in the coming days, and evident glee that is coming forth from many of these neocons frothing at the mouth over this prospect is a clear sign that something incredibly reckless and stupid is about to happen.
Pelosi’s airplane might indeed be shot down on her completely irrelevant and unnecessary trip to Taiwan, and if it is, don’t be surprised if it was the Americans themselves who are behind it, who have shown they are willing to do anything for that “Pearl Harbour moment.”
Related:
Read More »Pelosi expected to visit Taiwan, Taiwanese and US officials say and Could Get Us All Killed!
Nancy Pelosi Taiwan Visit Could Get Us All Killed
Related:
Pelosi expected to visit Taiwan, Taiwanese and US officials say
Officials also believe the Chinese leadership doesn’t completely grasp the political dynamics in the United States*, leading to a misunderstanding over the significance of Pelosi’s potential visit. The officials say China may be confusing Pelosi’s visit with an official administration visit, since she and Biden are both Democrats. Administration officials are concerned that China doesn’t separate Pelosi from Biden much, if at all.
Pelosi is in the presidential line of succession, thus the administration takes extra care of her security when she travels overseas, the White House said on Tuesday, according to CNN.
They’re well aware that Pelosi is the second in line of Presidential succession!
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
You must be logged in to post a comment.