Gartman: "The World Is Finally Awakening To The Fact That World War III Has Begun In Earnest" | Zero Hedge

Gartman: "The World Is Finally Awakening To The Fact That World War III Has Begun In Earnest"

We have no idea how to even comment on this latest observation by "world-renowned", if allegedly dead now that oil is again well above $44, commodity expert Dennis Gartman, who in his latest letter writes that World War III "has begun in earnest:"

SHARE PRICES, GLOBALLY, HAVE FALLEN PRECIPITOUSLY as all ten of the markets comprising our International Index have fallen and as one can see from the “red” in the price matrix below, 7 of the 10 markets in our Index have fallen by more than 1% and 5 of those 7 have fallen by more than 2% and 2 of those 5 have fallen by more than 3%. We have not seen a day such as this in more than a year and as our good, and very wise, friend, Mr. Doug Kass, reminds us, “Risk happens fast.”

Why now? Perhaps the markets are indeed concerned that the Federal Reserve Bank may pass on raising rates at its meetings this week, but will be moved to raise rates at a later time.

Or perhaps the markets are concerned that global economic growth does indeed seem to be waning and that a global recession lurks around the economic corner?

Or perhaps the world is concerned about the vote in the UK next week which is swiftly moving toward the UK leaving the European Union and thus the likelihood of other members of the Union at the periphery choosing to follow London’s lead.

Or perhaps the world is finally awakening to the fact that World War III has begun in earnest; that the Islamic World and the Judeo-Christian world are now truly at war in the aftermath of the murders in Orlando over the weekend. We are of the latter school of thought. We are convinced now that even the Obama Administration can no longer avoid the facts of the age; that Islam and the West are at enmity one with the other and in this light equity investment is wholly ill-advised. Add to that the concerns about the Fed. Add to that the concerns about global recession. Add to that the concerns about the UK and the European Union and one has the makings of serious equity market weakness.

We do know what to say about Gartman's next statement however: it may explain the early ramp in stocks as algos read that Dennis is now once again "net short."

We ended last week in our retirement account here at TGL modestly net short of the market in general, for we exited our long position in energy soon after the opening on Friday while we added to our short position via a derivatives position at precisely the same time.

For some it takes days to rotate their entire portfolio. Others, like Gartman, continue to manage it instantly.

China Says The US "Deliberately Hyping Up" Latest Spy Plane Intercept | Zero Hedge

China Says The US "Deliberately Hyping Up" Latest Spy Plane Intercept

In what is becoming a routine event, a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane was again intercepted by two Chinese J-10 fighter planes during a routine patrol in international airspace over the East China Sea on Tuesday, the US Pacific Commandsaid.

Stock photo of a RC-135U

The US is saying that the intercept was done in an unsafe manner - "One of the intercepting Chinese jets had an unsafe excessive rate of closure on the RC-135 aircraft. Initial assessment is that this seems to be a case of improper airmanship, as no other provocative or unsafe maneuvers occurred" Pacific Command said, without saying how close the Chinese fighter came to the US plane. One official told CNN that the jet was never closer than 100 feet however.

"The Department of Defense is addressing the issue with China in appropriate diplomatic and military channels" the Pacific Command statement added.

China's Defense Ministry said that it had noted the report and was looking into it. Additionally, China's Defense Ministry toldReuters "judging by the report, the US side is again deliberately hyping up the issue of the close surveillance of China by US military aircraft. Chinese military pilots consistently carry out operations in accordance with the law and the rules, and are professional and responsible."

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a much more harsh point of view on the subject however...

"Frequent close-up surveillance activities by US military threaten China's air and maritime safety." Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei said according to Bloomberg.

Hong also added that "China has the right to take defensive measures", and when asked if the incident had been timed to coincide with the high-level China-US talks in Beijing, Hong responded "Ask the Americans."

The intercept comes just days after US Defense Secretary Ash carter and other top military officials attended a security meeting in Singapore, during which Carter said that China was building a "Great Wall of self-isolation" due to China's activities in the South China Sea, as well as reminding China that US intends to remain the main underwriter of security in the region. Carter reinforcedthat nothing would deter "America's determination to, and resolve to, fly, sail, or operate wherever international law allows." - something that has already led China to brand the US as being "The greatest threat to peace and stability"

With the US flat out stating that it wouldn't withdraw from the region due to the trillions in trade that passes through the South China Sea, we expect to continue to see more of these games being played between the two nations.

The Pentagon’s Great Wall of Impotence — RT Op-Edge

The Pentagon’s Great Wall of Impotence

Pepe Escobar is an independent geopolitical analyst. He writes for RT, Sputnik and TomDispatch, and is a frequent contributor to websites and radio and TV shows ranging from the US to East Asia. He is the former roving correspondent for Asia Times Online. Born in Brazil, he's been a foreign correspondent since 1985, and has lived in London, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, Washington, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Even before 9/11 he specialized in covering the arc from the Middle East to Central and East Asia, with an emphasis on Big Power geopolitics and energy wars. He is the author of "Globalistan" (2007), "Red Zone Blues" (2007), "Obama does Globalistan" (2009) and "Empire of Chaos" (2014), all published by Nimble Books. His latest book is "2030", also by Nimble Books, out in December 2015.

Published time: 7 Jun, 2016 15:57

© AFP

No one ever lost money betting on the Pentagon refraining from exceptionalist rhetoric.

Once again the current Pentagon supremo, certified neocon Ash Carter, did not disappoint at the Shangri-La Dialogue – the annual, must-go regional security forum in Singapore attended by top defense ministers, scholars and business executives from across Asia.

Context is key. The Shangri-La Dialogue is organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which is essentially a pro-Anglo-American think tank. And it takes place in the privileged aircraft carrier of imperial geostrategic interests in South East Asia: Singapore.  

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US Says China Is Building A "Great Wall Of Self-Isolation" | Zero Hedge

US Says China Is Building A "Great Wall Of Self-Isolation"

The back and forth between the US and China continues, as US defense secretary Ash Carter said today at the 15th Asia Security Summit in Singapore that China risks isolating itself with its actions in the South China Sea.

"The United States welcomes the emergence of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous China that plays a responsible role in the principled security network. We know China's inclusion makes for a stronger network, and a more stable, secure, and prosperous region. Unfortunately there's growing anxiety in this region, and in this room, about China's activities on the seas, in cyberspace, and in the regions air space. Indeed in the South China Sea, China has taken some expansive and unprecedented actions that have generated concerns about China's strategic intentions. Countries across the region have been taking action and voicing concerns, publicly and privately at the highest levels of regional meetings. As a result China's actions in the South China Sea are isolating it, at a time when the entire region is coming together and networking. Unfortunately if these actions continue, China could end up erecting a Great Wall of self-isolation"

Although Carter said the US would welcome China's participation in a "principled security network" for Asia, the defense secretary went on to say very directly that China might as well play ball, because the US is going to continue to trot out warships and spy planes as it plays top cop in the region.

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Is Obama's Entire Foreign Policy Going Down In Flames? | Zero Hedge

Is Obama's Entire Foreign Policy Going Down In Flames?

Authored by Eric Zuesse via Strategic-Culture.org,

First, let's look at where we stand in each of Obama's current 'missions'...

LIBYA

On May 19th, the Washington Post headlined «Agreement that could lead to US troops in Libya could be reached ‘any day’», and reported that Joseph F Dunford, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that US troops will be sent to Libya to fight against ISIS, and that, «there will be a long-term mission in Libya», in order to deal with the mushrooming presence of ISIS fighters who have come to Libya after the secularist leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, was overthrown there by US bombing backed up by other NATO forces, and some Libyans on the ground.

«There is interest among some NATO nations in participating in the mission, Dunford said, but the specifics of who and what would be involved remain unclear. The operation will likely focus on training and equipping militias that pledge loyalty to Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, the leader of the new Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA)», which «has not yet been accepted by either existing rival government in Libya». In other words: the US and its allies had produced a failed state and a festering jihadist breeding-ground where US troops now will be sent in order to re-establish the peace and prosperity that it had destroyed there. They’ll do this by participating in Libya’s civil war – trying to dictate whom Libya’s leader will be.

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The United States Has No War Strategy — War Is Boring

The United States Has No War Strategy

A multi-trillion-dollar bridge to nowhere in the Greater Middle East

by ANDREW BACEVICH

We have it on highest authority — the recent killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan marks “an important milestone.”

So the president of the United States has declared, with that claim duly echoed and implicitly endorsed by media commentary — The New York Timesreporting, for example, that Mansour’s death leaves the Taliban leadership “shocked” and “shaken.”

But a question remains — a milestone toward what, exactly?

Toward victory? Peace? Reconciliation? At the very least, toward the prospect of the violence abating? Merely posing the question is to imply that U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Islamic world serve some larger purpose.

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ClubOrlov: A Russian Warning

A Russian Warning


We, the undersigned, are Russians living and working in the USA. We have been watching with increasing anxiety as the current US and NATO policies have set us on an extremely dangerous collision course with the Russian Federation, as well as with China. Many respected, patriotic Americans, such as Paul Craig Roberts, Stephen Cohen, Philip Giraldi, Ray McGovern and many others have been issuing warnings of a looming a Third World War. But their voices have been all but lost among the din of a mass media that is full of deceptive and inaccurate stories that characterize the Russian economy as being in shambles and the Russian military as weak—all based on no evidence. But we—knowing both Russian history and the current state of Russian society and the Russian military, cannot swallow these lies. We now feel that it is our duty, as Russians living in the US, to warn the American people that they are being lied to, and to tell them the truth. And the truth is simply this:

If there is going to be a war with Russia, then the United States

will most certainly be destroyed, and most of us will end up dead.

Let us take a step back and put what is happening in a historical context. Russia has suffered a great deal at the hands of foreign invaders, losing 22 million people in World War II. Most of the dead were civilians, because the country was invaded, and the Russians have vowed to never let such a disaster happen again. Each time Russia had been invaded, she emerged victorious. In 1812 Nepoleon invaded Russia; in 1814 Russian cavalry rode into Paris. On June 22, 1941, Hitler’s Luftwaffe bombed Kiev; On May 8, 1945, Soviet troops rolled into Berlin.


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Unintended Consequences: Easy Money = Overcapacity = Trade Wars | Zero Hedge

Unintended Consequences: Easy Money = Overcapacity = Trade Wars

Submitted by John Rubino via DollarCollapse.com,

It’s unclear what China was thinking when it borrowed all those trillions to quadruple its capacity to make steel, cement and other basic industrial products. There’s no record of it checking in with the other countries that have such industries to see if a sudden surge of cheap imports was okay with them.

Turns out that it’s not. The US in particular seems to lack a sense of humor where the death of its steel industry is involved:

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As Our Past Wars Are Glorified This Memorial Day Weekend, Give Some Thought To Our Prospects Against The Russians And Chinese In World War III - PaulCraigRoberts.org

As Our Past Wars Are Glorified This Memorial Day Weekend, Give Some Thought To Our Prospects Against The Russians And Chinese In World War III

Paul Craig Roberts

The Saker reports that Russia is preparing for World War III, not because Russia intends to initiate aggression but because Russia is alarmed by the hubris and arrogance of the West, by the demonization of Russia, by provocative military actions by the West, by American interference in the Russian province of Chechnya and in former Russian provinces of Ukraine and Georgia, and by the absence of any restraint from Western Europe on Washington’s ability to foment war.http://thesaker.is/how-russia-is-preparing-for-wwiii/

Like Steven Starr, Stephen Cohen, myself, and a small number of others, the Saker understands the reckless irresponsibility of convincing Russia that the United States intends to attack her.

It is extraordinary to see the confidence that many Americans place in their military’s ability. After 15 years the US has been unable to defeat a few lightly armed Taliban, and after 13 years the situation in Iraq remains out of control. This is not very reassuring for the prospect of taking on Russia, much less the strategic alliance between Russia and China. The US could not even defeat China, a Third World country at the time, in Korea 60 years ago.

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Transition to Multipolar World Only Barrier to Washington's Domination - Russia Insider

Transition to Multipolar World Only Barrier to Washington's Domination

The decline of US influence in key regions around the world, such as the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, North Africa and Europe, directly results from the so-called phenomenon of imperial over-stretch.

The most tangible consequences are Washington's reduced ability to predict and react in focal areas of the world. The constant need to subdue and control each aspect of life has ended up alienating the involvement and importance of the US role in these regions. For the moment, it is important to focus on where Washington continues to demonstrate considerable influence and strategic skills, it is still able to influence the course of events.

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Is Scarborough Shoal Worth a War? – Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

Is Scarborough Shoal Worth a War?

By Patrick J. Buchanan

If China begins to reclaim and militarize Scarborough Shoal, says Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino III, America must fight.

Should we back down, says Aquino, the United States will lose “its moral ascendancy, and also the confidence of one of its allies.”

And what is Scarborough Shoal?

A cluster of rocks and reefs, 123 miles west of Subic Bay, that sits astride the passageway out of the South China Sea into the Pacific, and is well within Manila’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

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China Demands US "Cease Immediately" Provocative Spy Plane Missions Near Its Borders | Zero Hedge

China Demands US "Cease Immediately" Provocative Spy Plane Missions Near Its Borders

Just days after a report that two Chinese J-11 fighter jets buzzed a US spy plane above the South China Sea, Beijing has officially escalated its displeasure at US surveillance up the chain of command and as Reuters reports, Beijing has demanded an end to all U.S. surveillance near China. 

As a reminder, a U.S. Defense official said two Chinese J-11 fighter jets flew within 50 feet (15 meters) of the U.S. EP-3 aircraft in what the Pentagon deemed an "unsafe" intercept. And, just like Russia, China has had enough and demands US provocations end.

Stock footage of a Chinese J-11 fighter

"It must be pointed out that U.S. military planes frequently carry out reconnaissance in Chinese coastal waters, seriously endangering Chinese maritime security," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei Hong told reporters, adding that  "we demand that the United States immediately cease this type of close reconnaissance activity to avoid having this sort of incident happening again."

Speaking at a regular press briefing, he described the Pentagon statement as "not true" and said the actions of the Chinese aircraft were "completely in keeping with safety and professional standards." "They maintained safe behavior and did not engage in any dangerous action," Hong said.

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A Campaign Of Blatant, Self-Serving Lies——–The U.S. Army’s Propaganda War On Russia And For Bigger Budgets « The Burning Platform

A Campaign Of Blatant, Self-Serving Lies——–The U.S. Army’s Propaganda War On Russia And For Bigger Budgets

Guest Post by Justin Raimondo 

In early April, a battalion of senior military officials appeared before a Senate panel and testified that the US Army is “outranged and outgunned,” particularly in any future conflict with Russia. Arguing for a much bigger budget for the Army, they claimed that, absent a substantial increase in funding, the Russians would overtake us and, even scarier, “the army of the future will be too small to secure the nation.”

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! And before you know it, Brooklyn will be renamed Putingrad.

Of course it was pure coincidence that, shortly after these alarm bells were rung, a piece appeared inPolitico magazine purportedly showing that the Russians were breathing down our necks: it revealed a “secret study” – revealed for the first time! – that supposedly detailed Russia’s deadly new capabilities as demonstrated in Ukraine. Included in this potpourri of propaganda was the assertion by none other than Gen. Wesley Clark, former presidential candidate and well-known Russophobe, that Moscow had developed a tank that is for all intents and purposes “invulnerable.”

Perhaps embarrassed by what seemed like an exercise in inter-service internecine warfare, Politicorecently ran an article by Mark Perry throwing new light on what is really going on here. Citing senior military figures, Perry’s piece threw a rhetorical hand grenade into the Army’s argument:

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Remembering The Lessons Of WWII: Putin Calls For A "Non-Aligned System Of International Security" | Zero Hedge

Remembering The Lessons Of WWII: Putin Calls For A "Non-Aligned System Of International Security"

While celebrating V-Day (marking the day the allies accepted Nazi surrender in WWII), Russian president Vladamir Putin said that Russia is all for creating a non-aligned system of international security to counter global terror.

Picking up where Obama couldn't finish, Russia gave a complete and unrelenting pounding to ISIS in Syria (albeit to protect an interest in having Assad's regime stay in tact), and proved that it will not mess around with ISIS or any other terrorist extremists. Russia's stance was reiterated during the V-Day celebration in Moscow, where in his speech, Putin referenced the violence that these extremist groups have brought to the world, and indicated that it is a threat to be taken seriously: "Today our civilization has faced brutality and violence -terrorism has become a global threat."

Putin also implied that the evil the world faces today is akin to that of the Nazi threat during WWII, and called upon everyone to remember the lessons of history, unify, and defeat the terrorists. "The lessons of history show that peace on our planet doesn't establish itself, that you need to be on high alert. We must defeat this evil, and Russia is open to join forces with all countries and is ready to work on the creation of a modern, non-aligned system of international security."

Of course, even after seemingly extending an olive branch to the United States, Putin couldn't resist taking a quick jab at the Obama Administration's complete incompetence when it comes to its handling of ISIS, noting that one of the lessons that should be learned from history is that "double standards, and short-sighted indulgence to those who are nurturing new criminal plans" is unacceptable.

Make no mistake about it, Putin is positioning himself yet again as the strong leader that Obama clearly is not. As the U.S. continues to lose credibility around the world, Putin is making sure to take every opportunity to be there for everyone when they need real leadership - who could have possibly seen that coming.

The New Normal: Cold War 2.0 - Sputnik International

The New Normal: Cold War 2.0

We are all living in Hybrid War time. From R2P (“responsibility to protect”) to color revolutions, from currency attacks to stock market manipulations.

From judicial-financial-political-media enabled “soft” coups – as in Brazil – to support for “moderate” jihadis, multiple stages of Hybrid War now cross-pollinate and generate a vortex of new mutant viruses.

© AP PHOTO/ GERO BRELOER

NATO's Surge in the Baltics: Trying to Show Putin Who's in Charge?

Hybrid War, a Beltway concept, has even been turned upside down by the conceptualizers. NATO, affecting puzzlement at the very existenceof the concept, interprets the Russian “invasion” of Ukraine as Hybrid War. That serves prime Hybrid War purveyors such as the RAND corporation to take it further, peddlingwar game scenarios of Russia being able to invade and conquer the Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — in less than 60 hours.

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Somnolent Europe, Russia, and China -- Paul Craig Roberts - PaulCraigRoberts.org

Somnolent Europe, Russia, and China

Paul Craig Roberts

On September 19, 2000, going on 16 years ago, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of the London Telegraphreported:

“Declassified American government documents show that the US intelligence community ran a campaign in the Fifties and Sixties to build momentum for a united Europe. It funded and directed the European federalist movement.

“The documents confirm suspicions voiced at the time that America was working aggressively behind the scenes to push Britain into a European state. One memorandum, dated July 26, 1950, gives instructions for a campaign to promote a fully fledged European parliament. It is signed by Gen. William J. Donovan, head of the American wartime Office of Strategic Services, precursor of the CIA.”

The documents show that the European Union was a creature of the CIA.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/1356047/Euro-federalists-financed-by-US-spy-chiefs.html

As I have previously written, Washington believes that it is easier to control one government,
the EU, than to control many separate European governments. As Washington has a long term investment in orchestrating the European Union, Washington is totally opposed to any country exiting the arrangement. That is why President Obama recently went to London to tell his lapdog, the British Prime Minister, that there could be no British exit.

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