With the kind indulgence of the readers and followers of this column, allow me please to ventilate on this very important geo-political issue of Ukraine-Russia war and its impact on us, as being profounded by the Integrated Development Studies Institute, of which excerpts have also been published in another daily:
"The last two weeks saw successive thunderbolts striking geopolitics and world finance. Never since the combined plagues, calamities, barbarian invasions of ancient times, or the pre-World War 1, have there been such waves of earth-shaking events coming together in such a short period, creating a foreboding that titans may be roaming on earth to punish man.
"Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked NATO this week to attack directly into Russia preemptively, potentially asking for the start of a direct world war. This after the tension in the previous week when he publicly applied for NATO membership again, a direct public challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which fortunately for the world, was turned down.
"Just two weeks ago, the US destroyed the dreams of Germany and France by, the world now suspects, blowing up two Nord Stream oil pipes that were the single biggest source of energy for Europe.
With these pipes in place, Germany had a chance to become once again a first-tier world power when its industry is combined with vast Russian resources. It has been revealed that one of the US' key written geopolitical strategic goals was to keep the Germans down, never to rise beyond being a US wingman like the UK.
"Initially all the US and the EU media, without investigation, immediately pinned the blame for the sabotaged pipes on Russia. It was clear to everyone that only a powerful state player could have the technology and access to damage the pipes in four adjacent locations, within a week. The other suspects were the US and the UK but, though suspected by everyone, no one wanted to mention it.
Ukraine had motive, but not the independent ability to do this damage.
In the midst of high, although declining world prices for oil, which dropped from $120 to $80 per barrel, OPEC last week decided to cut 2 million barrels of production a day — which would spin the world deeper into recession, that EU and the US are already at the edge of.
"Rumors spread of a coup vs Xi Jinping in China, based on insinuations of a Zeng of Falun Gong, Epoch Times, a group which generates news of the collapse of Chinese economy and business every year. This invention was spread very enthusiastically by several US and by some Indian internet sites that spread any wild rumor about China.
"World currencies are plummeting vs the US as it continues to raise interest rates, after over a decade of reckless dropping of rates and release of trillions of US dollars without production of goods.
The Australian central bank goes deep into theoretically negative equity territory. The Japanese yen depreciates more than 25 percent! from about 114 yen to a US dollar at the end of 2021 to below the 142 yen to a US dollar in September 2022; except for the Russian ruble, every currency including the Philippine peso is dropping.
"The UK's new prime minister Liz Truss leads the UK from its First World to near Third World status, with the pound dropping 21 percent to its lowest ever versus the US dollar, inflation reaching nearly 9.9 percent. Against this environment, against all economic theory except political expediency, she cuts taxes even for the rich, plans to release even more money into an inflation, and froze energy prices regardless of consumption level, with a government subsidy estimated at 130 billion pounds. All these moves have put UK finances in deep debt.
"The Ukraine war is not the reason for the world's inflation woes, currency volatility, world hunger, supply chain disruptions.
The cause of all these is the US weaponizing everything in order to remain the world's sole superpower. Its sanctions, sequestering of sovereign funds, blocking of direct supplies, printing money to buy world's goods without producing, blocking the flow of alternative information to allow people to judge issues intelligently, fake news from US intel agencies to provoke wars, insisting uninvolved countries should participate in war… These are the causes of the world's tailspin today, disguised through preaching about defending human rights, fair playing field, and peace.
"The Philippines' DFA and DND don't have to side with Russia or China, they just need to act intelligently based on facts and history. To not listen to wider sets of informed parties on different dimensions of the issues, to declare as some leaders in foreign affairs and defense have done, preemptively, that the Philippines will participate in any war led by the US could be an indication of the control the US has over our current agency heads, led by a PR operation, their lack of knowledge of facts, or even elementary ability to position and negotiate well for the Filipino people."
