I want to cover a couple of things here, and the first is Ukraine. I think it may be too late. Here’s a quote from a Charles Krauthammer column of March 28, 2014. About eight years ago! Obama was in office. “Russia should be no match for the American superpower. Yet, under this president, Russia has run rings around America, from the attempted ingratiation of the “reset,” to America’s empty threats of ‘consequences,’ were Russia to annex Crimea. Annex Crimea, it did. For which, the ‘consequences,’ have been risible. Numberless 19th and 20th century European soldiers, died for Crimea. Putin conquered it in a swift and stealthy campaign, that took three weeks, and cost his forces not a sprained ankle.”
If America had acted under Obama, as it is now, the annexation might have been thwarted, with Putin giving up, because of world-wide pressure. Obama did nothing, and Crimea has been in Russia’s hands now, for eight years or so? It was so easy with Crimea, he tried it again, and figured it would be another three-week annexation. It wasn’t. If Obama and the European Union, had lowered the boom on Putin, eight years ago, he probably would have gone back to Russia. Since it wasn’t a quickie, as was Crimea, he’s stuck with it, and far too proud to give up. I’ll bet that eventually, Ukraine’s nation will be lacking in its southeast section, and we and Europe, will have given up. It’s too late, Putin will never give up, till he has the southeast corner of Ukraine, regardless of the coast to Russia, or bankrupting Europe, the UK., and America. It’s eight years too late.
Bitcoins, etc.
Three years ago, I wrote a couple of columns on bitcoin, pointing out that it is a fraud, is backed by nothing, and stay away. Here’s a quote from the latest National Review. This is part of a column by James Lileks, who is really funny.
“You have heard of cryptocurrencies, NFT’s and bitcoins. The blockchain. Where is the blockchain? You might ask, “Can I drive there, and say to the blockchain teller, “I would like all my bitcoins, please. Put them in this bag.” And then I walk down the street, with my hands in my pockets, jingling bitcoins? No.
“I’m not entirely unfamiliar with crypto-block-chain coins, or whatever you call it. I put some money in Etherium, a cryptocurrency, with a long, solid reputation. It has lost 70% of its value. How odd. Something named “ether” turned out to be insubstantial. NFT stands for “Non-fungible-Tokens.” The NFT, which the bitcoins and others are, is the thing that proves you own the coins. Except you don’t. Put it this way: You don’t own the Mona Lisa, but you own the only map in the world, which shows you where the Mond Lisa exists. NFT; a randomly generated series of attributes, like sunglasses or unicorn horns, applies to a template of an unhappy monkey, rendered in garish hues. “
Gold and silver, have no ‘blockchain,” proving you own them somewhere, but you don’t really, but you know they exist somewhere. Bitcoin, has gone from $67,000 to $20,000, and this is for ONE, non-metallic thing, that supposedly exists in a computer’s disc somewhere. Aren’t you glad that your gold and silver are yours to have, hold, and store till, needed? Aren’t you glad that your super-market doesn’t sell your groceries on a ‘blockchain’ device? You’d starve to death. And if an economy or paper money all comes down in a heap, you will own the only world-wide money, in all nations, and in all languages, with no blockchains, and exempt from governments and politicians’ machinations. How comforting, the knowledge that you own a universal insurance, with no premiums to pay every month. They just sit there. If no need arises, you can leave them to your kids with no taxes or knowledge by anyone. No insurance could be as comfortable as beautiful metals tucked away.
As usual, the gun screamers are at it again. “Let’s ban all assault weapons.” A baseball bat, is an assault weapon, but it has to be used close-up. A hand gun, which most random shootings are used with, is a weapon to protect you from assault, from a substantial distance, by sub-humans, who usually commit their crimes with stolen guns, and never an AR-15. They’re too big to carry in their pocket.
-Don Stott – don@coloradogold.com.