The Saker: The Syrian Powderkeg

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Following up on our recent warning about the situation in Syria, Chris sits down this week for a conversation with The Saker, who writes extensively on geo-political and military matters. The Saker (a nom-de-plume), is a former intelligence expert with professional and personal insights into Russia and the Middle East.

He shares our deep concern for the dangerously misdirected current state of US foreign and military policy, as well as the potentially lethal repercussions these threaten to have in the powderkeg that is Syria.

In this week's podcast, The Saker provides an excellent distillation of the complex forces in play in Syria -- as well as in the brewing friction between the US and Russia -- and why the risk of nuclear war has now grown higher than it has been in decades:

I'm not convinced there is a US strategy. I think there is a CIA strategy, a Pentagon strategy, a State Department strategy. There used to be a White House strategy. Right now, I am not even sure. We should go deeper into who is doing what inside the Pentagon and the military. I mean, there is chaos. There has been chaos since at least Obama because he was an extremely weak president. When a superpower like the United States is ruled by more or less an absent man in the White House, the agencies themselves start implementing their own policies. This is happening now under Trump, who was elected under specific platform and now is basically giving it up. There has been a coup against him by the neo-cons who basically got him under control. He wanted to drain the swamp, but the swamp basically drowned him.

I'm not sure there's anything I can identify as a US policy. There is, however, an Israeli and a Saudi policy. And those two happen to be very, very closely aligned. Because those two, first of all, are extremely powerful as we know, inside the United States. But not only inside the United States but they are also objectively aligned in the region, which is very counter intuitive. It's natural to wonder: What would the Saudi Wahhabis have in common with the Israelis? What they have in common is an immense fear of Iran, first and foremost. And generally, the Saudis and the Israelis have the same exact interest for the Arab Muslim world, which is to keep it in chaos and weak. That allows them to rule it. It's that simple(...)

[Provoking Russia in Syria] is completely nuts. And it is due to that fact that I 'm convinced the neocons are not American patriots. They have their ideology. They have their agenda. They are just like parasites sitting in the United States and using that country for their own petty ideological interests. Which is the same thing the Saudis have been doing, by the way. Our government has been hijacked, and that's the real problem.

By patriot, I simply mean a person who loves his country. Through that lens, Americans should immediately see that Russia and the United States have no conflict. There's nothing to fight over and a great deal to work together with. This is something that the neocons do not want. And that's why they basically crushed Trump. That is why both the Democratic party and the Republican party don't let the people who are for a non-aggressive foreign policy -- like someone like Ron Paul -- get anywhere near power. If you look at the Republican and Democratic national committees they always take away money from these candidates – even if means losing a Congressional seat. There is a real problem here in the United States. And that problem could end up with international nuclear war.

Click the play button below to listen to Chris' interview with The Saker (45m:51s).

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://peakprosperity.com/the-saker-the-syrian-powderkeg/

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The Elephant in the Room
I have gradually become more convinced that there is a cabal, a group whose membership and goals are secret, which is very active in world politics. The cabal is ruthless and utterly without spiritual or moral compass. They are the group that Leo Strauss and Nicolo Machiavelli refer to the “wise” or the “philosopher elite.”
The cabal is concerned with power for its own sake. Dominance is its goal. It operates without spiritual or moral principles. Leo Strauss, an atheist, outlined the 3 levels of humans

  1. The philosopher-elite who love power for its own sake and are without morals, spirituality or empathy. The philosopher-elites are atheist.
  2. The gentlemen easily manipulated by invoking patriotism, religion, honor and morality. Religious and national identification is useful to control the gentlemen.
  3. The vulgar masses who only care about crude personal comforts and are moved by base emotions like fear.
    Strauss and Machiavelli believe that there is a natural order of human beings where the brilliant and cunning rightfully lead the gentlemen and vulgars. This is done by deception and cunning. The prime method is the dissemination of myths. Their arrogance of the philosopher-elites is supreme: If the gentlemen and vulgars are stupid enough to believe the myths we disseminate, they they deserve to be dominated. Domination is the natural order of humanity where the brilliant lead the stupid.
Many have written on this cabal and who they might be (and surely there are several groups coming from this level). The one that is most concerning to me is the group The Saker is talking about, the Ziocons. I believe that this group “did” 9/11, implemented the patriot act transformation, stepped up the surveillance state legal framework and DHS infrastructure build out, are “cauldronizing” the middle east deliberately, and are taking down Europe using the “weapons of mass migration.” They are ascendant in central banking, the creation of wealth and the concentration of wealth in their own hands, control most media ownership, and limit public discussion. They burn humanity and the Earth itself for their benefit. George Bush, Sr, referred to this group as the “crazies in the basement,” a term later echoed by Colin Powell and Lawrence Wilkerson. The Ziocons are both 1) an agenda, and 2) a secret society. First, the Ziocons are a secret society. Members walk in the open and participate in “normal” society. They behave like normal empathetic human beings and attend church and synagogue with family, and play normal social roles. But their allegiance is secretly given to another purpose—the power of their group. They are a Transparent Cabal. And, they are psychopathic, meaning that though they have no capacity for empathy, yet they are intelligent enough to hide this and behave as if they do. David Icke wrote well about this group with his essay The Zionist Elephant in the Room (video and written) . I believe that this essay is well done and probably correct.

The Saker follows-up with “How to Bring Down the Elephant in the Room.” I greatly appreciate his scholarly review of this group’s actions and roles.

Making sense of the crazies Making sense of the motives and goals (one cannot speak of “logic” in this case) of self-deluded racists [the Ziocons] can be a difficult exercise. But when the “basement crazies” (reminder: this term was first used here) are basically in control of the policies of the US Empire, this becomes a crucial, vital exercise for the survival of the mentally sane.

…

Living with ZOG :-) Some might argue with the “occupation” part of the label. Okay – what would you call a regime which is clearly acting in direct opposition to the will of an overwhelming majority of its citizens, and which acts in the interests of a foreign nation …? Because, please make no mistake here, this is not a Trump-specific phenomenon. I think that it all began with Reagan, and that the Ziocons fully seized power with Bill Clinton. Others think that it all began with Kennedy. Whatever may be the case during election after election Americans consistently vote for less war and each time around they get more wars. It is true that most Americans are mentally unable to conceptually analyze the bizarre phenomena of a country with no enemies and formidable natural barriers needs to spend more on wars of aggression then the rest of the planet spends of defense. Nor are they equipped to wonder why the US needs 16/17 intelligence agencies when the vast majority of countries out there do fine with less than 5. Houston, we got a problem ZOG is not an American problem. It is a planetary problem, if only because right now ZOG controls the US nuclear arsenal.

Christopher Bollyn outlines much of the global domination project of the Ziocons. (here and here)
One listing of the cast of characters in the 9/11 Myth Making Event is included here.

Control of thinking and discourse

This topic is not widely discussed in polite circles. Why not? Tom posts a JHK essay today on a mechanism by which discourse in “polite society” can be limited.

The Overton Window is a concept in political sociology referring to the range of acceptable opinions that can be held by respectable people. “Respectable” of course means that the subject can be integrated with polite society. Respectability is a strong precondition on the ability to have open influence in the mainstream.
JHK asks:
…who exactly is in this corps of “respectable people” who set the parameters of acceptable thought? Primarily, the mainstream media — The New York Times, The WashPo, CNN, etc. — plus the bureaucratic functionaries ..., the universities which educate the “respectable people” (the thinking class) ...and finally the think tanks and foundations that pay professional “experts” to retail their ideas. The Overton Window can be viewed as a mechanism of political control, demonizing anyone who departs from the consensus of respectable thought, and especially if they express their heresies in public speech.
In a GREEN Meme society, anything suggestive of “bigotry” and "insensitivity" is abhorrent. So noticing the influence of the Ziocons is resisted. I know. As I reflect back on how long it took me personally to consider “the elephant,” I see tremendous internal resistance to even thinking about it, even in the privacy of my own mind! Hence, mature discussion of this topic seems only to be possible at the YELLOW Meme level. And even then, with difficulty. PP has many YELLOW Meme thinkers. This is quite unusual!!
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s_p,
I have had the experience on more than one occasion, of being reminded by my betters that my point of view, which aligns with yours, is not what “the serious people” think and is therefore not a proper subject for polite discussion. JHK’s essay gives us the mechanics of how all challenges to the Ziocons are powerfully marginalized with hyper aggressive policing of thought and speech.
Thanks for pulling these different essays together into a convincing indictment of the warmongers running U.S. foreign policy. They are hell bent on conflict with Russia, the last obstacle to achieving total American hegemony. Victory will glorify and elevate this insane cabal to their rightful perch.
Tim.

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Further to JHK’s indictment of the tyranny of the Overton Window (which I first came across at the excellent Naked Capitalism blog) John Pilger writing in today’s (also excellent) Consortium News states:

“Palestine,” said Nelson Mandela, “is the greatest moral issue of our time.” Why is this truth suppressed, day after day, month after month, year after year? On Israel – the apartheid state, guilty of a crime against humanity and of more international law-breaking than any other– the silence persists among those who know and whose job it is to keep the record straight. On Israel, so much journalism is intimidated and controlled by a groupthink that demands silence on Palestine while honorable journalism has become dissidence: a metaphoric underground.
Sadly, JHK's Overton Window is firmly shut on this as topic as it is on a few others given his repeatedly mentioned "allergy" to conspiracy theories. I suppose we all have our own blind spots, feet of clay, internal inconsistencies, etc., etc.
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Tim Larson - “Victory will glorify and elevate this insane cabal to their rightful perch.”
Like a vulture picking the dead meat off our bones?
http://www.canstockphoto.com/black-vulture-6393602.html

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sand_puppy wrote:
1. The philosopher-elite who love power for its own sake and are without morals, spirituality or empathy. The philosopher-elites are atheist.
As a former Atheist, I doubt there would be many self-identifying Atheists who worship magic numbers, aka Gematria, as most of the false flags seem to be modeled around.
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I was once compared to the tin foil hat crowd for questionig 9/11. It was clear that one attendee knew of the issues with the official story, but he was unwilling to come to my defense. Perhaps he had already learned the lesson I was being taught.

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Jim Silva wrote:
This epic thriller is actually your life, and it's called “The Fall of the Republic - Sleeping Through the Revolution.”
I honestly don't sleep all that well these days.
Ben Franklin wrote:
Q: Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy? A: A Republic, if you can keep it.
We sold it, so we could buy stuff at Walmart.
Sir Francis Bacon wrote:
For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes... Numberless, are the ways, and sometimes imperceptible, in which the affections color and infect the understanding.
There is an excellent example of attempts to control public thinking and discourse in the climate change arena.
Perhaps the effort is so blatantly obvious, regarding global warming, because there is incomplete consensus amoung the philosopher-elite? Perhaps the control is being attempted by groups other than the elite?
I could list examples "till the cows come home," but one example should sufice. A couple of years ago, the Pope announced that not believing in global warming is a sin.
Keep in mind, I'm saying absolutely nothing here about climate change, only the attempt to control thought and discourse.
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The squeaky wheel gets the oil, unless you have the means to replace the bearing. Since I have stopped going to the doctor, stopped listening to MSM and disconnected the warning light in my car, I have less to worry about.
(“Yes dear, I’ll be with you in a minute”.) ;>)

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Chris you are batting pretty high with your choice of guests. Great interview and the Saker is always a very informative read and in this case conversation. It seems to me that people like him, yourself and a very few others are the only adults left giving straight up and honest information. Have him back, because in my mind he presents a mature and realistic viewpoint of geopolitics. Thanks

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When asked what sites he likes for info he replied that most of it comes from people he knows in the places he needs to know about. Just like a modern fighter pilot’s 360 degree vision horizon, such direct info gives us the chance to see more of what’s going on from a more complete perspective. Great interview’s with thoughtful insights are rare birds. Thanks for this one.

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When asked what sites he likes for info he replied that most of it comes from people he knows in the places he needs to know about. Just like a modern fighter pilot’s 360 degree vision horizon, such direct info gives us the chance to see more of what’s going on from a more complete perspective. Great interview’s with thoughtful insights are rare birds. Thanks for this one.

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I am constantly surprised when there is discussion of Iran and the West’s preoccupation with conflict with it, that no mention of the Iran Oil Bourse is ever mentioned. Iran is a major producer of oil and gas. (India would be in dire straits were it not for Iranian imports).
Much has been made of Iran attempting to get nuclear weapons in the lame stream media, it was good to hear this being dismissed by the saker. It is an obvious red herring.
Iran being, I believe the 3rd largest producer of oil in opec with the secand largest proven reserves, is certainly a key player in the global economy. It is even more so since it established its own oil bourse. The 2 major oil bourses are the NYMEX and the ICE.
The NYMEX is owned by CME. I seem to recall the Fed having opened an office in Chicago lately. The CME group is a rather interesting piece of work The following link will give some insight into just what they are up to. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-parisian/cme-group_b_1472694.html.
In any event they are involved in some serious trading for serious dinero. Iran opening a bourse is in direct competition with CME.
ICE is also in competition with Iran when it comes to trading oil and natural gas. ICE is backed by some names which should be familiar to everyone here, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, BOA, UBS, CITI and Credit Suisse. Some names very prominent in the derivative markets which are still going strong. The following Wiki link gives a pretty good thumbnail of this company. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercontinental_Exchange Oh and by the way it has ties to the Federal Reserve. A very important connection in regards to Iran.
Aside from being in direct competition Iran has also decided to not use the USD as a form of payment for its products. This is a triple whammy for Iran. Going against the two major oil bourses and taking , Yen, Yuan, Rubles, Gold etc threatens the USD’s status as world reserve currency. It is no wonder they are being demonized.

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More people in the West (especially here in benighted America) need to hear this sort of gimlet-eyed analysis. The sleepers might actually wake.
If (when?) things in the ME escalate, please do an update interview with the Saker to keep us abreast of his analysis. (I’ll add his website to my roster, as well…)
VIVA – Sager

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I also just heard about the Overton Window phenomenon. But for me it applies to Modern Money theories. They don’t fit the OW so there’s no general acceptance, in spite of their reality and foundation in law. The mainstream is founded in models based on assumptions, a very flawed idea. But it’s a bit off topic in this thread.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-14/sleepwalking-to-world-war-three-stan-grant/8710390

Australia is plunging headlong into catastrophe and we are utterly unprepared. In fact, we may be past the time when we can prepare. The time-bomb is ticking and it will explode in our lifetimes. All certainty will be lost, our economy will be devastated, our land seized, our system of government upended. This isn't mere idle speculation or the rantings of a doomsday cult, this is the warning from a man who has made it his life's work to prepare for just this scenario. Admiral Chris Barrie was chief of Australia's Defence Force between 1998 and 2002. He has seen war and sent troops into battle. Now, he says we are sleepwalking towards a conflict that will alter the world as we know it. Australia, he says, will be invaded. He fears for the country his grandchildren will inherit... Founding dean of the Harvard University Kennedy School, Graham Allison, fears the world is lurching towards conflict unseen since World War II. He puts his case in a new book, Destined for War: Can America and China escape Thucydides' Trap? Thucydides? He was the Greek Historian whose writings about war 2,000 years ago resonate still. "It was the rise of Athens and the fear this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable," he writes. Then it was Athens-Sparta. In 1914 it was Germany-Great Britain and now China-United States.
"As far ahead as the eye can see, the defining question about global order is whether China and the US can escape Thucydides's trap. Most contests that fit this pattern have ended badly," Allison writes.
On the current trajectory, Allison says, war is "not just possible, but much more likely than currently recognised". Any clash between the US and China is potentially catastrophic, but as much as we may try to wish it away, right now military strategists in Beijing and Washington are preparing for just an eventuality. Global think tank the Rand Corporation prepared a report in 2015 for the American military, its title could not have been more direct — War with China: Thinking Through the Unthinkable.
People who hope to ride out WWIII in New Zealand, Australia or other places in that region may be greatly disappointed.