Oil is worth less than zero? Mike Swanson explains this and the reality of cabin fever on a Tuesday night. How many financial instruments are broken? Does anyone remember the end of America
What is life going to be like in the new surveillance state? Will the economy hit the ground running or shake, rattle, and roll with a semi-cold start? Is this a new era in market exchanges?
Pearse Redmond joined Chuck in the second hour to discuss the new world disorders and the odd bending of the collective conscience. What are you having a hard time getting these days?
Chuck talks about being armed in a slightly heightened anxiety chamber where things are changing quickly.
Is the controlled demolition of the economy a strategy, sacrifice, or circumstance of fate?
In the first hour, Michael Swanson and Chuck had a unique exchange about the JFK Assassination and its implications regarding current events. Chuck also mentions his new glasses while the evolution of refining knowledge on deep political issues is made plain.
Hour number two revolved around a strange mob hit in the news and a discussion on what the news is not alerting you about. Pearse Redmond makes a few announcements, and Chuck has to say he is sorry.
Tuesdays are always fun, educational, and unexpected on The Ochelli Effect. News, and entertainment factory installed.
The wait is over! Christoph and I are back for another jam packed episode of Porkins Great Game. We begin by discussing the new direction that we will be taking the show in. Christoph and I explain why we will be focusing less on Central Asia and the Caucuses, and more on the the “global rimland.” We then move onto a discussion of the influential book The Unquiet Frontier by A Wess Mitchell and Jakub Grygiel. We talk about who Mitchell and Gryiel are, their careers at the Center for European Policy Analysis, and their current positions with in the State Department. Christoph and I then explore what is actually in The Unquiet Frontier and why it is such an important book. We talk about their theory of the global rimland and the policies that Mitchell and Gryiel lay out for the US empire. Next we talk about how these polices are quite identical to Trump’s foreign policy. We also touch on Trump’s recent foreign policy speech which appears to have been heavily influenced by The Unquiet Frontier.
Next Christoph and I talk about the recent political developments in Ukraine. We focus specifically on the recent assassination of Chechen fighter Timur Makhauri in Kiev. We talk about who Makhauri was and his complex history with Georgia and their security services. Christoph talks about the chaos that Ukraine has been plunged into since the US backed revolution. The two of us discuss how Kiev has been turned into a hot bed for Chechen terrorists, hitman, and all sorts of unsavory characters. Christoph also gives us his perspective as to what might be in store for Katharine in the near future.
We finish of the episode by turning to our favorite former Georgian Prime Minister Mikheil Saakashvilli, and his recent troubles in his adoptive home of Odessa. We chronicle Saakashvilli’s rise and fall as governor of the Odessa Oblast. We focus on his bombastic nature and his clashes with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Chistoph and I then move onto Saakashvilli’s insane arrest in Kiev, his escape from a police van, and his eventual re-arrest. We talk about what this means for Saakashvilli in the near future, and how his fate is identical to every other authoritarian leader who has aligned themselves with the US.
The wait is finally over, Porkins Great Game is back! We begin by taking a look at the recent Parliamentary elections in Georgia. We break down how the elections turned out and analyze the results and what that may mean for the political future of Georgia. Christoph and I also touch on the most recent scandal in Georgia dealing with yet another leaked audio tape of Saakashvili. In our second segment we discuss the ongoing violence in Afghanistan as well as a ongoing peace negotiations. We begin with the recent peace deal between the government and famed heroin warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. We also break down the latest Taliban attack on the city of Kunduz and the wave of attacks in the south in Helmand provience. Christoph and I also analyze the latest Taliban/Kabul peace talks which has conspicuously left out Pakistan. For our final segment we talk all things Syria. We touch on the recent push for more direct US action from armchair generals such as Charles Lister. Christoph and I discuss the reality of what is going on in Aleppo as well as the threat of armed conflict between Russia and the United States.
In our Weird Terrorism section we talk about the strange case of Jabar al Bakr: the White Helmet humanitarian who tried to blow up the Berlin airport. We also talk about the recent death of Uzbek leader Islam Karimov.
On this episode Christoph and I start off with our favorite Georgian politician, Mikheil Saakashvili, and his most recent meddling in his native country. While ostensibly operating as governor of Odessa, Saakashvili was recently caught on tape advising the owner and director of popular TV station Rustavi 2 on how to instigate a violent confrontation with the goverment. The pro-Saakashvili channel has been in a long legal dispute and the current regime has trued multiple times to shut it down. Christoph explains what is at stake for Rustavi 2 and how Saakashvili has been inserting himself into the situation. We discuss his plans to start a “revolution” by orchestrating a violent government showdown. We also talk about Georgia’s recent descion to buy natural gas from Russia and Iran. Christoph breaks down the reasons for this and address’ the persistan claims that the Georgian Dream Coalition is “pro-Russian.”
Next we move to Syria and the startling rumors of Chinese involvement in the war. We discuss a series of reports about Chinese naval vessels and military advisers arriving in Syria. Next we talk about the growing Uighur presence in places such as Jisr al Shughour and Deir ez-Zour. We break down the increasing role of the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) with in the jihadi movement, but also their role in bringing hundreds of Uighur’s to Syria. We explore how all of this has forced China’s hand to a degree when in comes to fighting international terrorism.
For our third section Christoph and I explore the recent shooting down of a Russian jet by the Turkish military. We breakdown the reality of what actually happened, and provide a detailed analysis as to why Turkey carried out this action. We talk about Russia’s recent targeting of Turkish backed Turkem fighters, and how this one was one of the major factors for Turkey downing the fighter jet. Christoph explains how this was probably a joint US-Turkey operation separate from the NATO power structure. Christoph also tells us about the leader of the Turkem fighters and his true identity as a Turkish national and son of a Turkish mayor. As we round out the section we explore the ISIS oil smuggling routes that have also been bombed by Russia. We talk about how much of this lucrative trade is being overseen and brokered Bilal Erdogan, son of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Christoph also gives his predictions as to the sorts of steps Russia will be taking in the near future.
For our weird terrorism section we discuss South Korea’s claims that ISIS and North Korea are in league with one another. As if that isn’t weird enough, we also touch on China’s claim that the Dailai Lama supports ISIS.
Christoph and I also briefly discuss a new media project that Sibel Edmonds is starting that both of us will be a part of.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am no longer associated with Sibel Edmond, or BoilingFrogs/Newsbud. I think she is a con-artist and a petty and vindictive individual. If you want to know more about why I broke off all ties with Sibel you can find out more here:
In this second episode of the new BFP Roundtable series Pearse Redmond, Sibel Edmonds and Tom Secker discuss the recent “revelation” from Putin regarding Gladio B operations in Chechnya. They start with the basic facts that Putin has laid out: intercepts obtained by the FSB show that US officials in Azerbaijan were supporting and backing Chechen rebels during the early 2000’s. The panel each breaks down the interesting timing of these revelations, which come as a series of shake-ups in and around Russia have threatened Putin’s grasp on power. Is this a threat from Putin to the West or a bone to throw to the hardcore nationalists within the Russian Federation? Later they move on to the question of who Putin is as a leader and how he has managed to let his nation become completely encircled by NATO. The group then moves on to how the geopolitical chessboard has been reoriented away from ideological battles into one based on identity and media control. They finish off by looking at how Russia Today fits into this new geopolitical landscape.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am no longer associated with Sibel Edmond, or BoilingFrogs/Newsbud. I think she is a con-artist and a petty and vindictive individual. If you want to know more about why I broke off all ties with Sibel you can find out more here:
On this week’s episode we continued our roundtable discussion on Gladio B with Sibel Edmonds and Tom Secker. Picking up where we last left off, the three of us explored some of the reasons for Russia’s presumed intransigence in the face of mounting NATO and Gladio operations in their backyard. As a case study for this we looked at Ayman Al Zawahiri’s little-discussed imprisonment by the Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Chechnya in 1996 while traveling with four diplomatic passports and a laptop. We discussed why the FSB captured him as well as why they let him go. Tom provided the context of the geopolitical situation in Russia at the time, and how this directly relates to the FSB’s actions with Zawahiri; with a defeated Soviet Union, Russia had to bide its time and begin to piece together what the new NATO strategy represented. Sibel expanded on this by discussing similar “diplomatic” incidents that she saw take place while at the FBI, dealing with foreign nationals caught in counterintelligence operations in the US using “diplomatic passports” who, like Zawahiri, were quietly released back to their home nation.
Later we explored the recent uptick in violence in Chechnya and how this relates to an increase in NATO operations meant to destabilize Russia. I discussed how fragmented ISIS is and how easy it is to turn on the Chechen terrorist movement’s switch. Tom asked both Sibel and me how we thought we ought to feel towards the Chechen terrorist movement: Should we support them because of their desire to seek independence from an authoritarian state? Or instead, should we oppose them as they are a tool of NATO power? Sibel explained how the choices are always the lesser of two evils, and how both NATO and Russia are bad choices. Sibel explained Gladio’s desire to break up areas such as Chechnya and Dagestan into autonomous states so that ultimately chaos will reign supreme. We talked about the prospects for Chechnya to become one of these autonomous NATO-backed nations complete with Gulen-style schools and a Gulen power base. Sibel later spoke about the threat of Russian nationalism to Putin’s tight grip on power. Sibel explained that while NATO despises Putin, they ultimately need him in place as the alternative; strong Russian nationalism would be much more detrimental to the Gladio Deep State. We ended the conversation on a philosophical note when Sibel asked Tom and me whether we would want to live in a unipolar world dominated by NATO, or in a bipolar world dominated by NATO and Russia. This was a wide-ranging discussion that ended with more questions than answers, so we will be continuing our roundtables on these topics — and more — next month.Quick note: There is a special announcement at the end of the show about a new podcast series that Tom and I are working on. It will be dealing exclusively with our research on the CIA and Hollywood and should be out in about two months. Check out Porkins Policy Review for more updates on this.
Quick note: There is a special announcement at the end of the show about the new podcast series that Tom and I are working on. It will be dealing exclusively with our research on the CIA and Hollywood and should be out in a bout two months. Check out Porkins Policy Review for more updates on this.
On this week’s episode Christoph Germann and I cover three major flash points in Central Asia and the Caucasus region: We start by examining some of the recent developments in Afghanistan, beginning with the surge in opium cultivation and heroin production. We discuss how this was always one of the main goals of the NATO-led invasion and how integral opium is to black operations such as Gladio B. Next we take a look at a story which received almost no coverage in the mainstream media, the “invasion” of Afghanistan by neighboring Turkmenistan. We look at why the Turkmen government decided to send in troops to the Faryab region of Afghanistan and what this means for the future of the nation, as well as the proposed TAPI natural gas pipeline. We then explore the reality of the so-called “withdrawal” of US and NATO troops from the war-ravaged country. Christoph explains why there is no actual withdrawal, given the thousands upon thousands of remaining military contractors, a massive embassy and Obama’s’ quiet expansion of the US mission with each passing day. We end the Afghanistan segment by taking a look at China’s increased involvement in the nation. We look at the Chinese proposal to restart peace talks with the Taliban, and explore the notion that they could sway the Pakistanis to ease up their support for Taliban factions.
For our next segment we move to Kyrgyzstan and first take a look at that nation’s warm relations with Russia. Christoph explains what the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union is, and why the Kyrgyz government has decided to join in. Later we discuss recent actions the Kyrgyz government has taken against various western-funded NGO’s, including Freedom House and the George Soros-funded Advocacy Center for Human Rights. Christoph explains why Kyrgyzstan is quite worried about these NGO’s “promoting democracy” in a country that saw two recent color revolutions orchestrated by western NGO’s. We finish off by looking at Soros’ recent visit to the nation, as well as allegations that the State Department’s Tech Camp event could be a prelude to a Maidan-style “revolution.”
Our third segment takes a critical look at the recent firing of Georgian Defense minster Irakli Alasania, and at how this is being framed as some sort of reversal of Georgia’s pro-NATO Euro-Atlantic choice by Alasania, while the current regime is doing all it can to integrate faster into the NATO sphere. Christoph and I discuss what this could mean for the future of the NATO-controlled nation, especially with the upcoming 2016 elections in Georgia. We also look at billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanashvili and his control of Georgian politics. We finish off the podcast by taking a look at the recent “killing” of infamous terrorist Samantha Lewthwaite in Eastern Ukraine and Tarkhan Batirashvili in Syria. We both offer our perspectives on what the FSB and Russia may be trying to say with these announced killings, and explain why neither of these figures is actually dead.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Tom and I are no longer associated with Sibel Edmond, or BoilingFrogs/Newsbud. I think she is a con-artist and a petty and vindictive individual. If you want to know more about why I broke off all ties with Sibel you can find out more here:
On this special thirtieth episode of Porkins Policy Radio we welcome back Sibel Edmonds and Tom Secker for a roundtable discussion of The Lone Gladio and Operation Gladio B. Tom starts us off by exploring some of the themes brought out in The Lone Gladio with respect to main character Greg McPhearson; will we ever see a “rogue agent” within the CIA take on the agency? How does the oft-used concept of “blow-back” fit in with the murder of Greg’s lover Mai? Sibel discusses in detail the problems with blow-back as they exist in popular discourse, and explains how unintended consequences of covert operations are almost always intended by those implementing them. Later we move on to the endgame scenario for Operation Gladio: Sibel explains how the “Pakistanization” of Turkey is in fact a goal of the Gladio Deep State network. Sibel talks about how beneficial it is to the Gladio operators to have a weak and divided Turkey. We discuss the new face of ISIS, Georgian-born jihadi Tarkhan Batirashvili and his striking similarity to one of Sibel’s characters in The Lone Gladio, Yousef Mohammad, as well as the real life story of Ayman al Zawahiri. Rounding out the conversation is Sibel’s analysis of the current geopolitical situation with Russia and NATO. Sibel goes into detail about the reality of Putin’s power, and gives her opinion as to why Russia has not been more confrontational towards the encroaching NATO presence in its own backyard.
On this edition of Porkins Great Game, Christoph Germann and I focus primarily on the conflicts brewing in the Caucasus region. First, though, we take a look at the new head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg. We explore how the media has crafted a particular image of the former Norwegian Prime Minster as an anti-war Russia-friendly NATO head. Christoph explains how this is merely a cosmetic change for the military alliance, pointing out the fact that the real power of the coalition lies with the Supreme Allied Commander, who is, of course, always an American. Then we move on to the recent suicide bombing in the Chechen capital of Grozny. We explore how significant that bombing is for the region. Grozny and Chechnya in general have seen a calm and stable security situation in the past several years, with neighboring Dagestan receiving the brunt of violence. Christoph goes into some of the peculiarities of the attack, and gives his opinion as to who might be behind it, and what this means in terms of the grand chess game. Later we discuss the unsigned treaty between Russia and breakaway nation Abkahzia, which would further integrate the former Gerorgian territory into Russia. We talk about the treaty itself and what it actually spells out: changing Abkazhia’s customs and tax regulations to that of the Eurasian Customs Union, giving Russia control over the armed forces during an emergency, and creating a joint military operations center. Christoph dispels the hype that NATO and Georgia have made over the treaty, essentially a projection of what NATO itself has done to Georgia. We finish the podcast by taking a look at the recent vehicular deaths of Christophe de Margerie and Serena Shim. We discuss the possibility that de Margerie’s death was planned by an outside actor, as well as what his death means for nations such as Russia which have long counted on Christophe de Margerie’s investment in oil and natural gas. As we close out with a look into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Serena Shim’s car “crash.” We point out the fact that Shim had told Press TV, the day before her death, that she had evidence of ISIS fighters entering Turkey via NGO trucks and that Turkish intelligence was looking for her. Christoph goes into detail about the role of the Turkish deep state in the Syrian conflict, and their continued use of NGO’s and aid organizations to ferry weapons and arms into Syria and other nations. We close out with a humorous look at CIA (and Gladio B) operative Graham Fuller’s futile attempts to change his public image by way of the Huffington Post.
Quick note: We now have a brand new logo for the show that was created by my sister and Porkins Policy Review contributor, Emma Redmond. If you want to check out more of her work please visit Red House.