GREECE, RUSSIA, INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CLEARING, AND SOME HIGH OCTANE ...
While our eyes here have been focussed on space recently, there has, of course, been the usual flurry of activity on Earth, specifically in Europe, and more specifically with respect to Greece and Russia and the ongoing controversy between Europe, the Anglosphere, and Russia regarding the Ukraine. But first, the camel's nose in the door was this story, shared by Mr. T.M.:
REPORT: The ECB is preparing for Grexit
What's new here is that the effort now seems to indicate that Germany is leading the effort to prod Greece out of the Euro:
"But Edward Scicluna, Malta's finance minister, poured more petrol on the fire. Here he is in MaltaToday, suggesting that a Germany-led bloc could prod Greece out of the euro:
"'I think they've now reached a point where they will tell Greece 'if you really want to leave, leave,' finance minister Edward Scicluna told MaltaToday.
"'And I think they mean it because Germany, the Netherlands and others will be hard and they will insist that Greece repays back the solidarity shown by the member states by respecting the conditions," Scicluna said ...
"'Unfortunately for Greece, they do not know how the rules and the Eurogroup work. They are completely new and that's a drawback for them, Scicluna said."
Now, if you buy the notion that the Greeks are "completely new" to the Eurogame and "do not know how the rules... work." I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn, cheap. Make your cheque payable to cash. As readers here are probbaly aware, Mr. Putin has made overtures to Greece, including offers of a loan, and various ministers of the new Greek government have already journeyed to Moscow for talks that one wishes one could have been a fly on the wall to hear.
But there's more, and this may be the biggest story:
What Would Exclusion From Payment System SWIFT Mean For Russia?
There's much to ponder in this article, but I want to draw your attention to these paragraphs:
"They have again begun discussions about restrictions on the SWIFT payment system," Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a government meeting Monday, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. "If such a decision is taken our economic reaction, and reaction in other spheres, will be unlimited."
Predictions of dire consequences were also heard from Andrei Kostin, the head of VTB Bank, Russia's second largest lender, during the Davos economic forum last week.
"It will lead to a serious deterioration of the international relationship between the East and the West," Kostin told an audience of investors, officials and journalists Friday, according to the Russian economic news agency Prime.
He added that formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia could well be severed should Russia be disconnected from SWIFT.
SWIFT in Russia
The core of SWIFT's work is a secure financial messaging service that communicates payment orders to be settled at correspondent accounts — accounts that one financial institution holds with another financial institution.
The network has become key to the functioning of Russia's financial system since the first bank began to use the service in 1989.
About 360,000 such messages are sent daily, making Russia the second most prolific user of SWIFT in the world, the head of SWIFT in Russia, Roman Chernov, told a conference last year, according to RIA Novosti. Over 600 Russian financial institutions use SWIFT, which saw a 40 percent growth in its traffic in 2014, he said.(Emphasis added)
Already we've seen the Russians launching their own internal clearing mechanisms, and last year we also saw the Russians insist, and get, the credit card clearing operations for western credit cards to have operational clearing centers based in Russia.
So what might Mr. Medvedev's remarks portend? It is worth noting that Mr. Medvedev is perceived, at least in some circles, as more "pro-Western" than many other top Russian leaders, including Mr. Putin. Thus, having him statew that Russia's "economic reaction, and reaction in other spheres, will be unlimited," is significant. But what might unlimited in this context mean?
Here comes the high octane speculation part. The hint of what this might be is contained, I suggest, in the following statement near the end of the Moscow Times article:
"There are no other available systems, clients will have to open correspondent accounts with Chinese banks and work through them," said the Higher School of Economics' Vasily Solodkov.
In other words, the current international clearing system lacks redundancy, and thus, to create parallel international clearing systems - redundancy - a "conflict" is needed. It is the West's chokehold on these systems that give it enormous ecomonic power and leverage, and it is the challange to this monopoly - and indeed to this dangerously insecure - system that is, I think, behind the current international financial scramble. If the BRICSA nations, for example, are to cement their alliance and mutual interests, at some juncture they must have their own parallel systems of international clearing.
Enter Greece. Greece shares many things in common with Russia, including a common Orthodox culture. Could we be watching the first step toward the construction of a parallel system of international financial clearing? Perhaps, but it is too early to tell. But even if Greece eventually capitulates to the West's demands, ultimately Russia (and the rest of the BRICSA nations) will have to have redundant and parallel systems of international financial clearing, and this in turn will require heavy space assets to do so. Bringing competition to the SWIFT and CHIPS networks would not be a bad thing, obviously. But the real question is why the sudden urge to isolate Russia from the existing systems in the first place?
I can think of the obvious answers: to punish Russia for "their aggression" in the Ukraine (the "I have a bridge for sail in Brooklyn" version of the story). But the deeper reason is, I suspect, to create redundancies in the system, such that taking out SWIFT or CHIPS won't impede financial transfer. But creating such redundancies also implies an implicit threat to the system of global clearing. And that's where it gets interesting, because no power on Earth has a vested interest in wrecking the system of international clearing. So the short version is this: one creates massive communications redundancies in response to perceived or potential threats. It's when one contemplates that angle, that things get very interesting indeed. Thus, if an attempt is being made to isolate Russia from the system of international clearing, then the response will be predictable: Russia will create its own, in conjunction with other nations. And thus, the West's actions can either be conceived as counter-intuitive, and counter to its own interests, or the objective is, at a much deeper level, to create financial clearing redundancies and massively parallel architectures for international financial clearing, which would permit western economies to continue to function in the international arena even if their clearing were suddenly to be taken out. .
And that, folks, implies a military and deeply strategic agenda, done in response to a perceived or potential threat. Systems and communications redundancy and decentralization = military response.Or, as the article itself avers, the fact that so much international clearing occurs via SWIFT simply results in the following equation: SWIFT = O.B.T.(One Big Target).
The real question is, what is the perceived or potential threat?
See you on the flip side...
22 Comments
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Michael Hudson[The economist]
The latest Greek Tragedy/Farce.
http://michael-hudson.com/2015/02/greece-austerity-for-the-bankers/
[12 minutes]
Thanks Robert another great link just watch how long can these carrion eaters keep this up. But these jerks confuse money-power-dreaming with thinking.
I check Michael Hudson regularly with F William Engdahl for keen analyses.
A new book is coming out that does an interesting anthropological approach using the modernized tools become master approach[like money as a tool that became master]. It’s the second part of The Max Keiser Report 723.
http://rt.com/shows/keiser-report/235067-episode-723-max-keiser/
How long?
Professor John McMurtry boils it down to life sciences versus those that kill life as we know it. The privatized money-sequence system destroys life. Period!
The systems basically require new energy sources to keep running. “Their” ace in the hole are the “zero-point” systems. Fusion looks to be next. “they” just have to figure out how to monopolize, quantify, and have absolute control over it in all markets[including controlling the black-markets as well].
Like Catherine Austin Fitts says:
Crime that pays; Is crime that stays.
A completely new paradigm, counter to destroying life, need to be put in play; while pulling out the current life destruction, extraction systems…
by their very roots!!!
Indeed, we can’t underestimate the kind of psychopathic intelligence working here. One has the advantage when it sees other dimensions to the game..
The Bankster’s Blazing Defense Strategy Revealed.
http://youtu.be/Z_JOGmXpe5I
I just get the feeling that something has to break here, Greece, Ukraine, Syria, and the madness of the western elites. After the Russian prime minister uttered the now famous words of, if you don’t reveal what’s going on with the ET/UFO issue, we will. There is something going on here that is beyond “Black”, and together with the hidden system of finance, the world is in turmoil and drawing from history, a solution has to be found. The answer I believe is space and all the lies that go with it, Swift and financial clearing depend on space telecommunication, and whoever rules space, has the upper hand. So I am waiting for the “BIG NEWS”, and when I say BIG, I mean BIG.
Looks like Germany is trying to resurrect either the Holy Roman Empire or the Hanseatic League. Or a commination of both with help from it’s Norsemen cohorts in the UK-USA. As for Greece it might soon have company Italy, Portugal, Spain may exit the European Union as well and ask for membership in the new Eurasian Union-BRICSA instead.
Hmmm… I am sorry but I just don’t see your HOS as viable here. I think you are giving those involved, particularly in the West, much more perspicacity, intelligence and foresight than is warranted. Would that those pulling the strings could see around as many corners as you do!
The threats of tossing Russia out of SWIFT is just another Kagan-nee-Nudelmann/PNAC/ZioCon/NeoFascist wetdream, part of the ColdWar 2.0 offensive kicked off with the Ukraine debacle. This psychopathic/paranoic/parasitistic Cabal is as delusional as it is desperate, as they see that they are increasingly exposed, and that their power base–the hijacked corpse that once was the United States of America (R.I.P.)–is an empire well over the apex of its Laffer Curve and gathering momentum at an alarming rate.
The demonization and bear-baiting of Russia is certifiable insanity, but they are desperate to block Russia’s resurgence and are trying to put the country “in play,” which is a euphemism for wrecking it, which, truth be told, is all these parasites know what to do. They are not creators, they are destroyers, and if all else fails, well, “There’s always war.” They are doing this on a fast-track agenda because they are trying to outrun the gathering social, political and economic collapse of their host (the former USA).
The Cabal follow the maxim that “Among the blind, the one with one eye is king.” So they go around the world, blinding every state that still can see. Disgusting psychopathic delusionals; unfortunately, Western society is in their thrall (and in their pockets) and collectively suffers from Stockholm Syndrome.
I concur. The psychopaths are in charge of the asylum. There may be a level of influence above — or below — the deep state, but at the deep state level, this is all about taking Russia down at any cost.
The “West’s” financialized/securitized system of polical economies is like a serpent eating itself out of existence. A Ponzi scheme pat it’s expiration date. A new system is needed IF some players are going to through monkey wrenches into the derivative bubbles. “They” can’t allow a new DeGaul demanding gold payments. When that happened they switched the black gold. They are running of options. In other words, they’re at their wits end
Just as 9/11 was in the works for sometime; so was the 2008 economic implosion. In fact, Ellen Brown did some investigation and found the fuse for the implosion was set on 9/11/2008. Si these “event” are staged by the deep state with all the symbols & forewarnings in play, following some ritualized ancient script[updated in sync to align with the “stars”].
Thus, the ongoing “ponzi” scheme of zero point interest, heading toward negative interest realms method to madness, is part and parcel to this said script. “They” are buying up Earth[assets], in every shape & form possible, with their free-monopoly money. These real estate, arts, technologies, yachts, commodities, etc., are increasing in value, as the paper to buy them, approaches zero. They are privatizing ALL the roads. These privatized roads do not lead to Rome; but to hell.
This “new” civilization; ironically, is being modeled on an ancient one; and will be felled, not by its weakness, but by its own strength.
http://inthesetimes.com/article/17533/how_to_sell_off_a_city
Thanks for the link Robert just read the article. Abby Martin had Rick Perlstein it’s author as a guest on her show Breaking The Set 02/23/14.
Yes. I originally got it off
http://wgnradio.com/
Your definitely on-the-ball Marcos.
Marcos, I’ve tried every angle I can to bring the Breaking the Set show with Rick Perlstein and can’t find it. Can you help me here please?
You can try http://www.rt.com/breakingtheset or hulu.com/breakingtheset_rt DaphneO
Couldn’t find it either.
The last show 2/24 And before 2/19.
??
I think it may be my mistake I might have confused Democracy Now with Braking The Set. I think Rick Perlstein was interviewed Amy Goodman not Abby Martin right day wrong show.
Webster Tarpley calls Amy Goodman’s show:
Hypocrisy Now!
There is another story on that subject.
Just google:
The City That Privatized Itself To Death.
So they have used a former director of the Maltese central bank as their mouthpiece. And Malta has, well, a rather “offshore” setup. Perhaps no other non-Bundesbank figure was available?
There are a lot of cross-currents at play in these treacherous monetary waters. Up til now euro-orthodoxy has held that the exit of any country from the system would mean a severe blow to the currency’s stability. But we know that this is all a game of mirrors, and one man’s destabilization is the next man’s bread and butter. Is Mr. Global on Wall Stree and in the City working for a devaluation of the euro, believing that this will prop up the dollar-denominated payments system? Or is Herr Global in Frankfurt/Berlin working for the same end, to his own perceived advantage? And to what advantage, since the idea they are putting out of a new, “improved” euro thanks the expulsion of Greece is just ludicrous. And on the Eastern Front, might “Mr Bundesbank” actually be working with Russia?
And by the way Russia has just paid the equivlen fo a hundred billion dollars into the new BRICSA bank.
Ironic: there’s an argument that the Cold War started in Greece in ‘46 or ‘47, when the English and the US overthrew the communist government.
Not to be confused with the US overthrowing the Greek government in 1967.
As for redundant communication systems, to be used by banking, government etc. There’s better tech, similar to sub-space communications used in the TV series Star Trek. Of course a modification of this tech, and it exists at least in a primitive form, could hack a computer hard drive isolated from any network–or suddenly turn large amounts of matter into powder.