The End for The Empire of Lies

[Steve_uk]

      https://x.com/ivan_8848/status/1969399428092961087

      Putin delivering the epilogue for the Empire of Lies,

Putin: "I want ordinary Western people hear me, too. You are being persistently told that your current difficulties are the result of Russia’s hostile actions and that you have to pay for the efforts to counter the alleged Russian threat from your own pockets. All of that is a lie.

The truth is that the problems faced by millions of people in the West are the result of many years of actions by the ruling elite of your respective countries, their mistakes, and short-sighted policies and ambitions. This elite is not thinking about how to improve the lives of their citizens in Western countries. They are obsessed with their own self-serving interests and super profits."

      Nothing to dispute there

You can't see the inherent contradictions in your posts. The Empire of Lies: it's a good enough description of Putin's Russia from around 2004, when electoral fraud on a huge scale took place. Add that to the totalitarian nature of the regime, the killings of expatriate oligarchs, of recalcitrant journalists, of credible political opponents, the annexation of Crimea and the buffer zone it now needs inside Ukraine to defend its ill-gotten gains.

[Steve_uk]

       "There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen."
       The above is a quote by Lenin, made whilst living in exile prior to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

       It is apt when applied to the geopolitical turmoil currently occurring. The overturning of decades of "World order" shaped by the collective West ever since the break up of the Soviet Union is being accomplished in weeks/months, largely by the successor state to the USSR, Russia, which demonstrates  Twain's observation that, "History never repeats, but it often rhymes."  There are many rhymes 
       The speed and significance of geopolitical and geo-economical events is upending the World order. Meanwhile, in the collective West, we are fed blatant "War Propaganda" by our supposed independent media who studiously ignore hugely significant events unfolding everywhere that document in real time this "upending". Russian media banned because...
      Ukraine is merely one small part of current events. The western media giving blanket coverage to any subject is a clue to the discerning to look elsewhere to see what's being obscured. Ukraine just happens to be the particular square of the geopolitical chessboard that the latest UK/US/NATO gambit to break up and weaken Russia, in order to control the trillions of oil/gas/gold/mineral reserves that Russia happens to be sitting on, is playing out. It is desperate gambit born of desperate times for the collective West and is destined to fail. As the unipolar world dies screaming, the new multipolar world is being born.


                                             PART ONE ( The Death of the Dollar )

       Almost unreported in Western media, the ongoing and accelerating ditching of the dollar in world trade and therefore as reserve currency not only gathers pace, it is turning into a sprint. China and Russia introducing a "basket of currencies" which are "commodities backed" and bypassing the dollar is game-changing. Russia selling it's gas only in Rubles to "unfriendly countries" demonstrating quite clearly who is in charge of the board. Saudi Arabia doing a huge oil deal with China, denominated in yuan. All of this unthinkable until now. The world, or at least 7/8ths of it, has had enough of UK/US/NATO bullying, warmongering, piracy, theft and extortion and refuses to join the "Collective West" in sanctioning Russia. It turns out, much to the "Collective West" surprise that there is such a thing as the "Collective East" and they are now, with Russia at the forefront, standing up to the rapidly becoming less "Collective West."
       Russia domestically tying the price of gold to the ruble, along with "No rubles, no gas" to unfriendlies was a predictable response to the self defeating idiocy of the EU and Western sanctions on Russia. That the supposed leaders of those countries now suffering the economic blowback couldn't or didn't predict a severe Russian response to the the theft/freezing of their funds in Western banks defies belief. Why would they imagine that Russia would keep supplying gas, whilst they keep supplying now useless Euros/Dollars which are then stolen/frozen in Western central banks due to sanctions? The EU response to double down and triple down on self defeating sanctions will be their downfall. They have taken their own gun, shot themselves in the foot and then the other foot, and now they are aiming the gun at their own head. The rest of the world also sees the outright piracy of the West and takes notes.
       The Ruble, predicted to crash by "western experts" to 200/250 rubles to the dollar has in fact bounced back to around 75/80 rubles to the dollar. It is the aggressor nations of the "collective west" whose economies are collapsing. The latest "Sanctions from Hell" another in a long list of recent failed and increasingly desperate gambits by the diminishing Western powers to save the petrodollar system.
     https://thesaker.is/rublegas-the-worlds-new-resource-based-reserve-currency/
 An informative essay from Pepe Escobar in the link above is worth reading. It would be in UK media if we had one that functioned and dared to "speak truth to power" rather than "tells lies on behalf of power"
       World power has disproportionately been wielded by the US/UK led NATO alliance since the break up of the USSR. Particularly the illegal use of sanctions, non UNSC approved, against countries who refused to kowtow. If sanctions don't have the desired effect, after relentless propaganda, a regime change will be attempted via western sponsored "colour revolutions".
       If all this fails then NATO, the largest and most criminal, genocidal organisation ever, will invade, destroy, break up the country in question and call it "Responsibility to Protect". There are a lot of problems to unpick to take on the "Empire of Lies". Financial power and military power are the foundations that facilitate the criminal, genocidal aspirations of the Empire and they are being systematically dismantled and destroyed by a Russia/China alliance and backed by an ever growing bandwagon of countries who see the new multipolar world order being born.
       The dismantling of US financial power continues apace but can only really succeed if the muscle behind it (NATO) is also neutralised which leads us to Part Two.     
     
         
       
       
     

This will find favour with gringo and ngb1066: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/07/04/brics-expansion-population-gdp-vietnam/

[ngb1066]

This will find favour with gringo and ngb1066: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/07/04/brics-expansion-population-gdp-vietnam/

This is a world trend which will continue.  Amongst other things it will longer term lead to a crisis for the US dollar.

[gringo]

This is a world trend which will continue.  Amongst other things it will longer term lead to a crisis for the US dollar.

    And here is the root of all the problems in the world, ngb. The increased belligerence emanating from Empire is a desperate attempt to maintain dollar reserve status and the financial hegemony that comes with that status. Venezuelan narco terrorists  , the shameless cover given to Israel, trade wars and threats; it is apparent to the world now that Western Empire is an international crime gang of so called democracies but whose governments self evidently serve global financial and corporate interests. As Putin remarked after the summit with China's Xi Jinping sometime last year, "The 500 year Vampire ball is coming to an end".
      The BRICS countries have already shifted massively from dollar trading and tmilitary pre-eminence in the world has also shifted. Russia's crushing of a NATO force in all but name in Ukraine has destroyed the myth of NATO invincibility. The article that Steve linked in the previous comment is a good piece. It references the NAM(non aligned movement) drawing parallels with BRICS. I'm sure ngb and others know well the history and relevance of NAM but for those who don't, it is a good reference point in understanding current alignments and the real root of the wars that western powers involve themselves in.

"BRICS itself shares many commonalities with the Non-Aligned Movement, which was founded by anti-colonial Global South leaders who refused to participate in the First Cold War."

       The history of the NAM and particularly the relationship of those countries with the Soviet Union is helpful in understanding the evolution of BRICS and the Belt, Road Initiative (BRI) of China. The adage that "History never repeats but it does rhyme" is demonstrated amply in this brief history. Wikipedia entry on NAM below;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movement

      In a nutshell, NAM was an anti colonialist organisation of states within the UN in the post WW2 era. The Soviet Union were helpful in gaining many of these countries independence from the colonialist powers and were viewed as the "good guys" by the colonised countries. Many people recognise the dissolution of the Soviet Union as the catalyst for the current rounds of hostile western interventionism. With no bulwark against them the previously colonialist powers, now morphed into NATO began to aggressively expand and launch resource wars. Russia, under Putin, along with China have risen to provide that much needed bulwark against the aggressive, colonialist western powers.
      We have come full circle but now the anti colonialists appear to have the upper hand in dismantling the old system. Colonialists morph into NATO and NAM morphs into BRICS+. History is rhyming again.



     

[Steve_uk]

    And here is the root of all the problems in the world, ngb. The increased belligerence emanating from Empire is a desperate attempt to maintain dollar reserve status and the financial hegemony that comes with that status. Venezuelan narco terrorists  , the shameless cover given to Israel, trade wars and threats; it is apparent to the world now that Western Empire is an international crime gang of so called democracies but whose governments self evidently serve global financial and corporate interests. As Putin remarked after the summit with China's Xi Jinping sometime last year, "The 500 year Vampire ball is coming to an end".
      The BRICS countries have already shifted massively from dollar trading and tmilitary pre-eminence in the world has also shifted. Russia's crushing of a NATO force in all but name in Ukraine has destroyed the myth of NATO invincibility. The article that Steve linked in the previous comment is a good piece. It references the NAM(non aligned movement) drawing parallels with BRICS. I'm sure ngb and others know well the history and relevance of NAM but for those who don't, it is a good reference point in understanding current alignments and the real root of the wars that western powers involve themselves in.

"BRICS itself shares many commonalities with the Non-Aligned Movement, which was founded by anti-colonial Global South leaders who refused to participate in the First Cold War."

       The history of the NAM and particularly the relationship of those countries with the Soviet Union is helpful in understanding the evolution of BRICS and the Belt, Road Initiative (BRI) of China. The adage that "History never repeats but it does rhyme" is demonstrated amply in this brief history. Wikipedia entry on NAM below;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movement

      In a nutshell, NAM was an anti colonialist organisation of states within the UN in the post WW2 era. The Soviet Union were helpful in gaining many of these countries independence from the colonialist powers and were viewed as the "good guys" by the colonised countries. Many people recognise the dissolution of the Soviet Union as the catalyst for the current rounds of hostile western interventionism. With no bulwark against them the previously colonialist powers, now morphed into NATO began to aggressively expand and launch resource wars. Russia, under Putin, along with China have risen to provide that much needed bulwark against the aggressive, colonialist western powers.
      We have come full circle but now the anti colonialists appear to have the upper hand in dismantling the old system. Colonialists morph into NATO and NAM morphs into BRICS+. History is rhyming again.



   

I would agree that some of the interventions by Western powers in the last few decades have been unnecessary. But to compare a free, voluntary association of democracies with the former Soviet Union is a stretch too far. The latter country had its own empire in Eastern Europe built around a forced cordon sanitaire, it injected its own dissidents in mental hospitals with antipsychotic drugs ( just look at how Russia treated Alexei Navalny), it was mean with foreign aid and ethnically cleansed several countries to serve its own purpose.

[ngb1066]

I would agree that some of the interventions by Western powers in the last few decades have been unnecessary. But to compare a free, voluntary association of democracies with the former Soviet Union is a stretch too far. The latter country had its own empire in Eastern Europe built around a forced cordon sanitaire, it injected its own dissidents in mental hospitals with antipsychotic drugs ( just look at how Russia treated Alexei Navalny), it was mean with foreign aid and ethnically cleansed several countries to serve its own purpose.

You do talk utter reactionary bollocks, if you will excuse my language.  You seem to adopt the position of the most right wing elements of society today, even to the extent of justifying the venal crimes of the supremacist state of Israel.  I really believe that history will judge people like you very harshly.

[Steve_uk]

You do talk utter reactionary bollocks, if you will excuse my language.  You seem to adopt the position of the most right wing elements of society today, even to the extent of justifying the venal crimes of the supremacist state of Israel.  I really believe that history will judge people like you very harshly.

You would have more credibility if you acknowledged some of the downsides of life in the former Soviet Union and modern-day Russia. I post an article here, which you might regard as fair and balanced: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/i-m-a-russian-living-in-london-this-is-what-people-back-home-think-of-putin/ar-AA1PLtvl?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=6909acd4dfd64945ba9a3cb429469d24&ei=12

There's a video here of life in contemporary St. Petersburg. It reminds me somewhat of life in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a very good advertisement for Russia, notwithstanding it being something of a show city. https://youtu.be/pgeCuhFCG_A

[gringo]

I would agree that some of the interventions by Western powers in the last few decades have been unnecessary. But to compare a free, voluntary association of democracies with the former Soviet Union is a stretch too far. The latter country had its own empire in Eastern Europe built around a forced cordon sanitaire, it injected its own dissidents in mental hospitals with antipsychotic drugs ( just look at how Russia treated Alexei Navalny), it was mean with foreign aid and ethnically cleansed several countries to serve its own purpose.

   You agree that “some western interventions…were unnecessary”. Which ones do you agree were unnecessary? The fact that you agree that “some” western wars were unnecessary makes the rest of your post moot and a little bit silly. Talking about free and voluntary association with countries who by your own admission have launched multiple “unnecessary wars” is a contradiction, Steve. You’re nearly there.

[gringo]

I would agree that some of the interventions by Western powers in the last few decades have been unnecessary. But to compare a free, voluntary association of democracies with the former Soviet Union is a stretch too far. The latter country had its own empire in Eastern Europe built around a forced cordon sanitaire, it injected its own dissidents in mental hospitals with antipsychotic drugs ( just look at how Russia treated Alexei Navalny), it was mean with foreign aid and ethnically cleansed several countries to serve its own purpose.

   Everything that you falsely accuse the USSR of is a confession of the western colonialists now. China, Russia and BRICS aren’t using threats, blackmail and coercion to force other countries into their trading system. Only the western powers are aggressively inserting themselves into other countries to steal resources. You know this, Steve, and are now defending the indefensible.
     Do you think that western “unnecessary interventions” are the cause of most of the current turmoil in the world? Would any of these “unnecessary interventions” amount to wars of aggression. Western wars have all been to protect the western created financial system and dollar reserve currency status. You would instantly recognise the criminality if China, Russia or any other country/alliance were using the current western playbook. 
    You need to embrace truth and ignore western lies, Steve. Firstly, Navalny, who you often bring up, wasn’t a Russian opposition leader, he was a Western Intelligence asset. Until you embrace the truth about western power you will always be on the wrong side of justice and history.

[Steve_uk]

   Everything that you falsely accuse the USSR of is a confession of the western colonialists now. China, Russia and BRICS aren’t using threats, blackmail and coercion to force other countries into their trading system. Only the western powers are aggressively inserting themselves into other countries to steal resources. You know this, Steve, and are now defending the indefensible.
     Do you think that western “unnecessary interventions” are the cause of most of the current turmoil in the world? Would any of these “unnecessary interventions” amount to wars of aggression. Western wars have all been to protect the western created financial system and dollar reserve currency status. You would instantly recognise the criminality if China, Russia or any other country/alliance were using the current western playbook. 
    You need to embrace truth and ignore western lies, Steve. Firstly, Navalny, who you often bring up, wasn’t a Russian opposition leader, he was a Western Intelligence asset. Until you embrace the truth about western power you will always be on the wrong side of justice and history.

But they use such methods internally against their own people.

If Navalny was a nonentity, why did they have to kill him? https://youtu.be/vQnrW9DSGvg

[Steve_uk]

   You agree that “some western interventions…were unnecessary”. Which ones do you agree were unnecessary? The fact that you agree that “some” western wars were unnecessary makes the rest of your post moot and a little bit silly. Talking about free and voluntary association with countries who by your own admission have launched multiple “unnecessary wars” is a contradiction, Steve. You’re nearly there.

I wouldn't have intervened in Iraq or Libya. Putin intervened in Syria.

[gringo]

I wouldn't have intervened in Iraq or Libya. Putin intervened in Syria.

   Are you seriously suggesting that the US/UK et al didn’t intervene in Syria. Russia were there legally. US were at one point funding, arming and training separate terrorist groups who were fighting each other in Syria. Did you think Afghanistan was legal and justified? If so what was achieved? I think you should add both Syria and Afghanistan to your list and realise that the very same people who committed all the war crimes contained in those wars are the same people whispering into your ear demonising Putin and you are still listening to the blood soaked liars! Why?

[Steve_uk]

   Are you seriously suggesting that the US/UK et al didn’t intervene in Syria. Russia were there legally. US were at one point funding, arming and training separate terrorist groups who were fighting each other in Syria. Did you think Afghanistan was legal and justified? If so what was achieved? I think you should add both Syria and Afghanistan to your list and realise that the very same people who committed all the war crimes contained in those wars are the same people whispering into your ear demonising Putin and you are still listening to the blood soaked liars! Why?

They were harbouring Osama bin Laden, as I recall.