RUSSIA OUTLINES A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

    At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this weekend, Russian engineers displayed a virtual model of the proposed Crimea Bridge. When completed, the bridge will be one of the world's longest---at nearly 12 miles. The project will accommodate four lanes of traffic and two lanes of light rail; crossing the Kerch Strait and connecting the Crimean Peninsula with the Russian mainland.

     The Bridge is expected to create thousands of jobs in the region, especially in Crimea where the tourism industry is projected to quadruple. Experts believe that the Bridge will be completed during 2018. Crimea is already receiving investment from developers for constructing new hotels. Unfortunately, EU and US countries cannot invest in Crimea due to economic sanctions. Nonetheless, over 170 bids have been received to date.

      Not everyone is happy with this project; most notably the neo-Nazi government in the rump-state of Ukraine. Nor are the envious and frustrated Smart Boys in Corporate America, whose plans to seize Crimean oil ports and raise the Rainbow Flag over Sevastopol collapsed in 2014 when Crimea seceded and reunified with Russia. Former NYC mayor and Wall Street financier Michael Bloomberg even went so far as to compare the project to Stalin's modernization projects of the 1930s. This is, of course, coming from a man whose lone technological achievement in New York was connecting the city with a network of surveillance cameras.

         Bloomberg should possibly have taken a good look at the Brooklyn Bridge and recalled that we once built things like that too. But an annual report from our own Department of Transportation in April showed that 61,000 US bridges are structurally deficient. Most of these are in the most heavily-trafficked regions and some 87% were constructed before 1970.

         Bridges are generally rated for a lifespan of 50 years before needing replacement; the current median age of US bridges is 42 years. Industry experts believe that an estimated $71 billion is urgently needed simply to repair critical structures. Without any substantial bridge replacement, the number of aging bridges is going to increase exponentially. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that over $3 trillion is required to bring US bridges back to full operating capacity by 2020.

        But that will likely not happen, because sums of that magnitude are needed both for maintaining a military capable of destroying other countries' bridges; and maintaining a welfare system which is supporting a large number of under/unemployed contractors, engineers, and construction workers. Nor is it likely that the costs can be lowered, because too many of the Smart Boys on Wall Street and the Legal Profession profit off cost inflation and/or frivolous lawsuits. Small wonder then, that political and financial leaders of the Bloomberg type envy Russian innovation.

        Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke at SPEIF noted this as well. "We need the US but we don't need them constantly interfering with our affairs, telling us how to live, and hindering Europe from building relations with us. Sanctions have had zero effect on Americans, but they tell their partners to endure them. Such a powerful nation could be of benefit to the world, including Russia, but the problem with the US government is its tendency to interfere with internal affairs of other countries."

         It isn't only other countries, President Putin. American citizens endure the same the same constant interference from the government in our own lives. But at least, Russia is willing to stand up to them, while the American people slavishly submit to them.

           And we wonder why Crimea chose reunification with Russia over American Exceptionalism? All we need do is compare this:

To this:
                             

        

ISIS SURRENDERS FALLUJAH, ALLIES RAISE IRAQI FLAG

      Allied leaders and media announced this morning the great news that Fallujah, Iraq is now in possession of the Iraqi government after a nearly two-year ISIS occupation.

      General Raed Judat, head of the Iraqi Military Police gave a press conference this morning from the steps of Fallujah City Hall. "The city has been purged of ISIS terrorists" he stated to a cheering crowd. General Judat went on the explain that the remaining ISIS forces holding out in the Western suburbs had surrendered. The Iraqi flag was then raised over the building.

       Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi addressed the nation this morning, proclaiming a national Day of Thanksgiving after the grueling three-week battle culminated in success.

       "We congratulate all Iraqis on this victory." Abadi said, "And another victory is close, very close, God willing, in Mosul to drive the last ISIS terrorist from the Iraqi nation."

        Abadi then reached out to the thousands of displaced Iraqi citizens, assuring them of imminent return to their homes after specialists clear the city of ISIS mines and booby-traps.

         "This is your city again, and with God's help, you shall return to it." he promised.

          The governments of China and Iran, whose advisors assisted in the operations, sent their congratulations as well. "The honor of the liberation of Fallujah is the result of national solidarity and faith in God against terrorist and extremist forces." Iran's Speaker of Parliament said. "We continue in the hope that security and tranquility once again will be established in Iraq."

              Fallujah's liberation effectively split the lines of communication between Raqqa and Mosul, the two last major cities under ISIS control. Russian Intelligence Services estimate that around 80% of ISIS forces have been killed, captured, or fled since the Alliance was formed in Baghdad last September. Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and recently, Lebanon, are all contributing jointly to sweeping terrorism from the region.

               

          

          

RIDING THE NEW SILK ROAD

     As part of an aggressive global economic initiative, Chinese President Xi Jingping visited Serbia today, the first visit from a Chinese Premier since 1984. This visit follows meetings in neighboring countries Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Greece by Chinese officials and Xi will visit Poland next.

      Xi's project, now 2-3 years into development, is called The One Silk Road, a motif from Chinese culture referring to an ancient trade route. China's ambitious plan is to invest in infrastructure development in partner-countries, chiefly through ports, railways, and other transportation facilities. To that end, China announced last week a proposal to establish an international bank to compete against Wall Street-dominated concerns like the IMF and World Bank. More details about this bank will doubtless emerge when Xi attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council meeting in Tashkent next week.

      The One Silk Road Project is projected to create millions of jobs in the Eastern Hemisphere.

       In a very pointed symbolic gesture inaugurating this new economic shift, Xi dedicated the cornerstone to a new Chinese Cultural Center built on the site of the former Chinese Embassy which was destroyed in a NATO airstrike in 1999. A monument to the Chinese who died in that attack will remain as part of the proposed courtyard.

      "The Serbian people, with an indomitable spirit, have risen time and again from the ashes, like the Pheonix; a spirit we Chinese greatly admire." Xi stated, "Both China and Serbia are peace-loving powers, but who do not fear the hegemonic designs of others. We are united in our commitment to world peace and development."

        China has already signed a major port deal with Greece and plans to make Athens the hub of Europe's end of the Silk Road. They are striving to build a high-speed rail service uniting Europe and East Asia, in which Serbia will play a major role. Already, Chinese engineers have begun rail upgrades in Greece and Macedonia. The proposed new system will run from Athens to Hong Kong.

         While China's project is ultimately going to be a great benefit to the world, it is sad to consider that American reaction has been to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to obstruct China militarily, diplomatically, and covertly in every conceivable way, without allocating a dollar to rebuilding and upgrading our own failing infrastructure. We have no high-speed rail here, while China is increasingly connected by it. Even a Chinese deal to build an experimental high-speed line in the US folded under a morass of bureaucracy, lawsuits, and xenophobia.

        Formerly, the United States was the undisputed world leader in mass-transit. We once had a railway system that was the model which other nations emulated. But infrastructure issues don't grab headlines like China-bashing does; or today's headline that a basketball player threw his mouthguard into the stands during a tantrum; or the major announcement that Pornhub will now be offering audio services for the blind. The latter story is considered, by today's standards, a major US technological breakthrough.

        So in the immediate future, while a typical Ameroboob arrives at 4 AM to the airport; wastes two hours allowing TSA perverts to paw through his underwear and take nude photographs of his kids; hoping all the while nobody in his entourage was accidently added to a No-Fly List; anticipating an uncomfortable crowded flight with no amenities--- the Greek who arrived at Athens Terminal at the same hour will be half-way to Hong Kong, enjoying a nice breakfast in the dining car. But at least the US airlines' profit margins will remain high; and in modern America, the bottom line is really all that matters.

                                                         Chinese Public Transportation

                                               American Exceptionalist Public Transportation


         

THE BELTWAY: MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR CULTURAL MARXISM

        Doubtless mortified by Syria's recent suppression of several Jihadist drug-smuggling and sex-trafficking rings, a few dozen outraged employees of the US State Department urged John Kerry to consider military action against the Assad government. Kerry has yet to comment on the proposal, which was an internal memo leaked to the press. Considering that this happened during the same week that a CIA torture report was leaked and the DNC database was hacked; Kerry might be inclined to consider strengthening the Beltway's own security before getting involved in Syria's.

         For example, if the US actually had competent officials in the State Department they would realize that Assad's forces are part of an Alliance, and attacking them will also attack roughly five other countries. These include Russia, China, and Iran---people who might take an unfavorable view of the Pentagon dropping bombs on their citizenry.

           Kerry might also have considered that the Pentagon's current state of readiness might not be quite up for WW3. The Pentagon this week had to beg Congress to allow them to import more Russian-made rocket engines, for example. It must be rather galling for Pentagon commanders---putting on these grand military demonstrations in front of Russia and China---knowing that imports from these countries keep our military supplied.

             As if this wasn't enough, a representative of the US Diversity Air Force was forced shamefacedly to confess to the press that, alas, the rumors were true. The USAF had indeed lost 12 years' worth of intelligence and security data.

             "Hopefully we'll be able to get this data recovered and there won't be a long-term impact" said General Mark Welch, "We must learn what happened, how it happened, and keep it from happening again."

               And hopefully Obama won't start WW3, if our lives depend on intellects like General Welch. Doesn't an average 12 year-old with his first computer know enough to backup his files? But remember that this is the same Pentagon who outsources software technology to China and India, then has no idea why their systems keep getting hacked.

               Meanwhile, on the troubled island of Okinawa, the Pentagon has decided that after a grueling 11 days of alcohol prohibition and curfews, our brave men and women in uniform have suffered enough and the temporary restrictions would be removed. (Translation: the restrictions were cutting into defense contractors' profit margins). Other than a DUI with critical injuries and a few assaults and robberies, the personnel stationed on Okinawa behaved themselves during this harrowing ordeal. Besides, the Tojos have deployed extra police to the island, so our forces can emerge from their safe spaces just in time for weekend festivities. Which hopefully won't result in any Okinawan casualties.

                 

               

FEATURE FRIDAY, JUNE 17th EDITION

      The past week has been remarkable, even by contemporary American standards, for its seeming outbreak of mass insanity. Two Jihadists attack Orlando and Amarillo, and we're told that the killings had no connection to Islamic extremism. A beautiful and talented Christian singer is assassinated; we are told it was not a hate-based crime. Within minutes of the first shooting, the Cultural Marxists demand gun control and then accuse Donald Trump of exploiting the tragedy for political gain. Obama denounces senseless violence; then announces major military build-ups in Europe, the Pacific, and the Middle East.  

        But now it is an early Summer weekend, and the few remaining sane Americans are entitled to some respite. And since for seven straight days the Cultural Elites have droned endlessly about gun control, we have decided to offer as our weekly recommendation a television series based on the life of a legendary American gunfighter, Johnny Ringo.

        Johnny Ringo aired on CBS from 1959-1960. And even more politically incorrect, it was sponsored by a cigarette manufacturer. If readers can find copies of episodes (some are on Youtube) with the original advertisements, it will be refreshing viewing, whether one uses tobacco or not.

         Johnny Ringo is a gunfighter who, because of his reputation, is offered a sheriff's job in a small Arizona town. In the premier episode, he is called upon to rid the town of the corrupt gang running it. The acting sheriff is an alcoholic named Case whom Ringo reforms by giving him an opportunity to prove his worth. Case goes on to become a respectable merchant and his daughter Laura becomes Ringo's steady girlfriend.

          In these reviews we also hope to highlight the positive portrayals of masculinity against the absurdities posited by certain denizens of the Manosphere who peddle their false philosophy of Game as true masculinity. One of the most remarkable things about Johnny Ringo is how closely the villains approximate the Gamers' standards of masculinity. In the first episode and several which follow, Ringo's opponents are clearly employing Game Techniques as a way of dominating their presumed inferiors. In several other episodes, brutal men are holding women by fear; a few PUA-types appear among others. A very common theme is the clearly stated motivations of hatred and desire for unearned dominance and superiority the villains display. Those depictions should illustrate quite graphically just how much previous generations of real men and real women thoroughly despised men of these character traits.

             For his own part, Ringo displays masculinity in a purer form. One especially noteworthy recurring theme in the series is redemption. Ringo, although never hesitant to use his marksmanship skills in pursuit of justice, is ever-willing to forgive those who've made mistakes and deserve a second chance. This is because of a masculine character trait which has vanished from popular culture altogether and never adduced by the Game Cult: humility.

          In our narcissistic era of entitlement, humility is a virtue rarely seen or practiced. But humility and redemption are two closely related concepts; c.f., the writings of St. Paul in the New Testament. It's actually impossible for one to exist independently of the other. Hence we see in contemporary culture the seeming paradox wherein irredeemable evil is defined as anything that opposes personal entitlement. Humility though can only come from a position of strength. How else would it possible to redeem or reform unless one power to do it?

              Johnny Ringo's plots are also interesting in that they frequently include moral dilemmas and metaphysical riddles that confront various characters. There is something of an undertone throughout the series of 'Right vs. Relativist' ethics being played out.

                 Though the series only lasted one season, Johnny Ringo is a genuinely underrated production. The scripts and plots show some sophisticated and intelligent thought went into them. From an artistic standpoint, despite capitalizing on the name of a Western legend, the characters are portrayed as genuinely human; with all their strengths and weaknesses who not infrequently fall to rise again. In other words, what we see is humanity in both its best and worst forms---with the caveat that any one of us are capable of both nobility and sin. Though Johnny Ringo never depicts any particular religious scenes or plots, it has a distinct current of Christian motifs and value systems running through it.

                 Johnny Ringo is in the public domain and nearly all episodes are on Youtube free of charge, although DVD sets are available.

                  

FACING COLLAPSE, ISIS SOLDIERS FIGHT AMONG THEMSELVES

    Yesterday, the Syrian Air Force leafleted the ISIS capital Raqqa with notices that further resistance was futile and that surrender would be the most prudent course. This action has apparently caused some rather violent confrontations among the Terrorists. Deserted by their own leaders and facing inevitable defeat, morale in Raqqa is reportedly very low among ISIS soldiers. The Allies now have the city surrounded on three sides and are driving from Deir Ezzur to complete the siege.

    The Syrian military also announced yesterday that the bodies of three high-ranking ISIS financial officials were discovered in the desert near Deir Ezzur. Intelligence sources believe they were associates of Hatim al-Utaybi, who disappeared from Raqqa over the weekend with the ISIS treasury. Criminals sometimes object to splitting the loot.

    Nonetheless, the elite Desert Eagles Syrian commando unit has been sent on Utaybi's trail. The discovery of the corpses indicate that he's headed for Turkish lines.

     Al-Qaeda isn't faring much better. Five of their commanders were killed in Idlib yesterday, by all accounts at the hands of their own men. There's reportedly been a purge underway among Al-Qaeda forces for the last month. 

      The criminal activities of these groups should make us all pause to consider that, contrary to Western propaganda, their motives may not necessarily be religiously based. Revelations are breaking through the mainstream media filters of considerable weapons, narcotics, and white-slave trafficking carried out by these organizations. It certainly is not unprecedented that criminal organizations have used religion as a disguise; and certainly Islam is not any more immune to that possibility than any other religion.

        It should also give the Western public pause to consider our own governments' support for these groups and whether their underlying motives are genuinely about liberation are true or not. Syrian security forces announced that they had broken up a major drug lab operating in Damascus, seizing nearly 25 pounds of hashish and 1200 amphetamine tablets. The latter of these narcotics is a copy of a drug called Captagon which is peddled legally in the United States by Big Pharma and illegally on the streets here as well.

        The Iranian government, whose advisors have been assisting Syria in suppressing the drug traffic, issued a statement today announcing that since March alone, Iranian police have broken up 26 drug-smuggling operations on Iranian soil.

         Police commander General Hossein Rahimi told reporters that "Iran is on a crossroad linking the international narcotics hub of Afghanistan to the Persian Gulf and European countries. Iran has long complained that the global community, the Western countries in particular, do not contribute in the campaign against the narcotics-smuggling trade. Iran is making lone efforts to block the transit of narcotics from Afghanistan to Europe and the US."

          As if that doesn't put things in perspective enough, General Rahimi also pointed out that, "Opiate drug production has increased 40 times its levels in Afghanistan since the US invasion in 2001. Under the Taliban Regime, it was estimated that Opiate productions was about 185 tons annually. Since the US-led invasion, Opium production has surged to 3,400 tons annually, reaching a high of 8,200 tons in 2007."

           Now to connect the dots a little further, we see that the US has seen a huge spike in both opiate and amphetamine abuse during the same period. We have also seen from the Benghazi and Fast-and-Furious scandals that weapons and narcotics from the Middle East are being funneled to drug gangs operating on the US-Mexico Border, and whom, it appears are being covertly aided by certain US interests.

            Will this give any American a pause to consider much of anything? Doubtful. The top headlines in the American media are today as follows: 'Ryan Issues Stern Warning about Trump';  'Vary's Mission on Game of Thrones May Be Darker than You Expect'; 'Phoenix Woman Runs Over Boyfriend After Learning He's HIV-Positive'; 'Florida Attorney-General Declares War on Anderson Cooper'; 'NFL Star's Autopsy Reveals Suicide' and a few articles about grieving Orlando shooting victims and editorials demanding tighter gun laws.


             

Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You

OBAMA EATS CROW AS ASIAN PIVOT FALLS FLAT

      Following a series of mass-protests in Tokyo, the Japanese Empire has deployed a special police unit to Okinawa. The protests were in reaction to a series of violent and property crimes, extending back several years, involving US military personnel and Pentagon defense contractors.

       The special police are to be deployed to patrol the perimeters of the US Okinawa base after dark, after a self-imposed base curfew proved ineffectual. The protests were a major embarrassment for Washington and Tokyo, coinciding as they did with visits from Obama and Ash Carter. Washington hoped to intimidate China with a show of military solidarity. However, posing as defenders of Japan while the Japanese are forced to defend themselves against the defenders no doubt appeared rather comical to Chinese authorities.

        These recent humiliations naturally haven't stopped Obama and Akihito from engaging some military demonstrations. Yesterday, the Pentagon dispatched a squadron of fighters to their other Coalition partner, The Philippines. This caused another embarrassment when Facebook and some other US media outlets erroneously reported that The Philippines and China were at war. Oops...

        Facebook did however retract their icons advertising their solidarity with The Philippines and issued an apology. Still, it seems rather troubling that they had such advertisements evidently already prepared.

          The Air Force followed China's demands that the US desist from spy and military aviation in the region. US spy planes have not only provoked military confrontations, they have nearly collided with civilian airliners three times in the last month alone. The continued provocations from the Pentagon led Chinese Admiral Sun Jiangou to issue a recent press statement:

          "We do not make trouble, but we have no fear of troublemakers." Admiral Sun stated. "China will not support any decision made unilaterally by the UN Arbitration Court, nor allow any infringements of its sovereignty and security interests, nor stay indifferent to the irresponsible behavior of some countries operating in or around the South China Sea."

          Admiral Sun's vow was carried out this morning. Joint naval exercises between the US, Imperial Japan, and India have been encroaching closer and closer to the disputed waterways. The Chinese Navy is patrolling the area now and threw a scare into the commander of the USS Stennis. A visibly nervous Captain Gregory Huffman stated to the press that "there is a Chinese vessel 7-10 miles away," he stated, adding that Chinese ship had been following the Stennis since it passed through the South China Sea. Two weeks ago, the Stennis was refused entry into Hong Kong and chased away by Chinese patrol boats.

          It seems obvious to everyone outside of the Beltway that Obama's so-called Pivot in Asia has fallen flat. American weakness is becoming increasingly apparent, and all of these military theatrics are bringing that weakness into bold relief. A recent poll conducted by an Australian university of citizens in the five largest Pacific Rim nations show a decided lack of confidence in US leadership in that region. 82% of Chinese; 80% of Australians; 77% of South Koreans; 68% of Indonesians; and 61% of Japanese surveyed believe that the days of US Pacific dominance has passed.

         It all represents a sad turning-point in US history. From the 1890s to the 1990s, the US was the unquestioned defender of freedom and free trade in the Pacific. But since the 1990s, a combination of Wall Street greed and Ameroboob indifference and exceptionalist hubris has allowed China to wedge us out and assume the leadership role in the Pacific. That process will continue for the foreseeable future. The Chinese Century is dawning over the Pacific while the Prozac Nation can do little more than impotently wave its fists in outrage.