French military expert says NATO may repeat Soviet Union’s fate #NATO, despite all odds, did not disappear after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but this fate still awaits the North Atlantic Alliance in the coming years due to the lack of a geopolitical potential, Regis Chamagne, a French Air Force colonel, Commander of the Legion of Honor and holder of the National Order of Merit, has told Stratpol. "The way I see it, NATO will disappear soon. NATO should have disappeared after the collapse of the #USSR. But it didn't for existential reasons. NATO was looking for new missions," the expert said. "My forecast is that in five years’ time there may be neither NATO nor the EU. True, NATO will be trying to weaken Russia on its periphery and to harm it in the Middle East, but globally the North Atlantic Alliance has no potential". #Chamagne described NATO and the EU as "two sides of the same coin." - "Given the way elections are held today, we can say that the EU in its current shape is a dictatorship. The whole world has already seen this. The EU will end up just like the Soviet Union," he believes. The military expert explained that a system "based on permanent lies," like the current EU is unlivable. "The US policy towards the EU is aimed at weakening it. The core of the Western economy is the dollar," Chamagne added, noting that the hostilities in Ukraine have "opened the world's eyes to the fact that Russia's army is superior to the US one," which has accelerated the process of de-dollarization.

Dec. 22, 2024 - President Donald J. Trump Statement The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America’s Economy and National Security. A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports. The United States is the Number One user of the Canal, with over 70 percent of all transits heading to, or from, U.S. ports. Considered one of the Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal opened for business 110 years ago, and was built at HUGE cost to the United States in lives and treasure - 38,000 American men died from infected mosquitos in the jungles during construction. Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time of its building, and understood the strength of Naval Power and Trade. When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else. It was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations, doing business within our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage. Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete “rip-off” of our Country will immediately stop. The United States has a vested interest in the secure, efficient, and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that was always understood. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands! It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly! #TRUMP2024

Biden enters wrong (Russian) plane. Kamala just watches Neither Kamala nor the secret service realized the 'president' entered the wrong plane. A Russian plane! Joe Biden climbed back up the stairs of an airplane he wasn't supposed to be on, as Kamala Harris and the Secret Service stood and watched. 'This is a TOTAL metaphor for the Biden-Harris four years. No wonder the world is in crisis and America's economy is crumbling!'

The U.S. Commerce Sec. fears a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan She highlighted one hypothetical event that could be, in her opinion, "absolutely devastating." US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo expresses grave concerns about a possible severe crisis in the US economy if China invades Taiwan.

WORLD SHIPPING: The world pays and stays silent - WHY? It may be a bit pushed out of the headlines but what is happening in the Red Sea is dramatic and the most significant impact on the global economy of the war in Gaza. A senior official at an American consulting company explains that in view of the fact that 30% of global container traffic normally passes through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea crisis has a huge impact on global supply chains. The Houthi attacks on cargo ships resulted in an almost fivefold increase in the cost of shipping between Asia and Europe. This is estimated to fuel global inflation by adding up to 0.7% to the cost of the global economy's "core commodities". The best alternative routes add to the voyages thousands of kilometers, over 10 days (between Asia and Europe) and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel costs for each such journey at sea. "Given the global nature of our economy, few companies or industries are immune to the impact. The increased cost of raw materials and supplies, longer delivery times, production delays and distribution challenges will affect the entire manufacturing sector long after the crisis is over," he wrote. The world seems to have come to terms with this reality...

The Recession in America just hit McDonald's. Who is reporting a substantial decline in customer traffic in response to sky-high menu prices. With the cost of a Big Mac meal hitting nearly $20 in certain cities. These increased prices a leading to lower-income consumers to stop coming to the restaurant according to McDonald's CEO. A signal that there is stress building across the US Economy as more and more consumers are unable to afford basic necessities. With food prices now at their highest level in 30 years relative to income.

Global economic activity remaining low, says IMF Midterm prospects of global economic growth and economic activity remain low, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in its report, released before the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 28-29. "The global economy appears on track for a soft landing, but activity and growth prospects remain weak," IMF said. "Medium-term growth prospects remain subdued—reflecting secular trends and challenges including weak productivity growth, ageing, GeoEconomic fragmentation and climate vulnerabilities. These trends also undermine income convergence and increase the vulnerability of economies to external shocks," IMF experts added.

U.S. Navy warship shoots down Iranian drones, Houthi missiles, over Gulf of Ade The USS Carney shot down three Iranian drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile Wednesday launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The Houthi missile was headed toward the Gulf of Aden at about 8:30 p.m. local time. Forty minutes later, the USS Carney shot down three Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) nearby. The U.S. Central Command said there were no injuries or damage reported. The attack comes amid an uptick in tensions in the region. Houthis have been targeting commercial ships and vessels in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. forces to respond with a series of precision strikes. The Houthis say the attacks, which began in November, are intended to protest the Israel-Hamas war in the region, but many of the recent attacks have no clear ties to Israel. As a result, shipping companies have been forced to find alternative shipping routes, driving up oil prices and delaying the delivery of goods, raising concerns about the effect on the global economy. U.S. officials said earlier this week that U.S. troops have come under fire from Iranian-backed groups more than 160 times since late October. The attack also comes just a few days after three U.S. service members were killed and about 40 others injured in a deadly drone strike in Jordan Sunday. Biden has pledged to respond to the attack in a “time and manner of our choosing,” but he has also made clear he does not seek a larger war.

Microsoft, Google, Meta, other tech companies slash more than 21,000 jobs this year Microsoft said today it is laying off 1,900 employees. It joins dozens of other tech companies, including Google, Amazon, TikTok and Meta, in slashing tech jobs. It's the latest sign that Silicon Valley is still trying to adjust from the boom times of the pandemic. NPR's Bobby Allyn reports. So far, in 2024, over 75 tech companies have laid off over 21,000 employees. The tech industry has been shedding jobs for years now. Last year marked one of the worst in recent memory, with some 260,000 techies losing their jobs. This year isn't expected to be anywhere near that total, but the layoffs haven't stopped. The way executives are defending the continuation of job cuts may sound familiar. And no, it's not AI. The biggest driver of the recent tech layoffs we've been seeing is still companies trying to correct for their overhiring during the pandemic surge given that the high-interest-rate environment and tech downturn have both lasted longer than initially expected. Estimates that just about 20% of the job losses in tech have been explained away by artificial intelligence, with tech companies trimming and reshuffling staff and investing more in automation. The big focus is on generative AI, which is the next gold rush in Silicon Valley. And while the economy is improving, sticky inflation and still historically high interest rates are dampening the outlook.

Since Yemen's Ansarullah started its operations against Israeli-affiliated shipping, cargo passing through the Suez Canal has decreased by approximately 85% Suez Canal shipping has come to an almost complete stop after the Red Sea attacks. This has a major impact on the Israeli economy, they won't be able to handle this much longer.