US/NATO War on Russia

[David Guyatt]

S&P Cuts Russia to Step Above Junk, Outlook Negative

By Anna Andrianova April 25, 2014 3:32 AM


Russia's sovereign debt rating was cut to the lowest investment grade at Standard & Poor's, which said further downgrades are possible if economic growth deteriorates and the conflict in Ukraine sparks wider sanctions.
S&P cut Russia's rating one step to BBB-, it said in a statement today. The grade, on par with Brazil and Azerbaijan, has a negative outlook. S&P last downgraded Russia in December 2008. Russia's currency and bonds fell.

I find to hard not to conclude that S & P (and perhaps the other ratings agencies too) are willing dupes of Uncle's economic warfare department.

But that's just me, I guess.

[David Guyatt]

As Sir Herbert Tooth last night pointed out on his Cotswold Free Radio programme, broadcast live from the George Soros Media Centre, Strobe-on-the-wold, this now extends, in the continuing absence of a mass incursion by the Red Army, to any Russian private with an erection.

I do love listening to Strobe-on-the-world. My dentist has it on during those specially painful oral incursions, and it does wonders to focus the mind.

Btw Tooth, would that Russian private with an erection be known as Private Partz?

[Magda Hassan]

Might be Private Hardenov?

[Magda Hassan]

S&P Cuts Russia to Step Above Junk, Outlook Negative

By Anna Andrianova April 25, 2014 3:32 AM


Russia's sovereign debt rating was cut to the lowest investment grade at Standard & Poor's, which said further downgrades are possible if economic growth deteriorates and the conflict in Ukraine sparks wider sanctions.
S&P cut Russia's rating one step to BBB-, it said in a statement today. The grade, on par with Brazil and Azerbaijan, has a negative outlook. S&P last downgraded Russia in December 2008. Russia's currency and bonds fell.

I find to hard not to conclude that S & P (and perhaps the other ratings agencies too) are willing dupes of Uncle's economic warfare department.

But that's just me, I guess.

I think they are perfectly willing tools and hope to make a killing on it at the same time working their HFT voodoo on the markets.

[Magda Hassan]

Why the U.S. hasn't punished Russian oligarchs

By Laurie Bennett

March 24, 2014 at 2:02pm
While Russia is beginning to feel the pinch of U.S. sanctions, President Obama's list of targeted individuals is still remarkable for the oligarchs and companies not on it.

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One reason for this is immediately clear: The U.S. has significant stakes in many of the enterprises controlled by Russian billionaires.
The interactive Muckety map above shows some of the oligarchs (tan boxes) and Russian companies (salmon-colored boxes) that have not yet been sanctioned. The blue boxes at the bottom are just a few of their American investors.
The pressure to overlook these connections mounts as Russian President Vladimir Putin steps up military and economic tactics in his incursion of Ukraine.
For example, Gazprom, one of the companies shown in the map, has increased natural gas prices on exports to Ukraine.
Obama, beginning a four-day visit to Europe, repeated his intent to broaden sanctions on Monday. "We're united in imposing a cost on Russia for its actions so far," he said.
Update: G-8 leaders agreed later Monday to exclude Russia and to move their next meeting from Sochi to Brussels.

http://www.muckety.com/256B836FBF901876C...7&big=true

Another look at Russians who aren't being sanctioned

By Laurie Bennett

April 28, 2014 at 10:51am
The last time the Obama administration announced sanctions against Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, we noted some prominent companies that were not targeted.
Today, as the Treasury Department releases additional names, we take a similar look.

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The New York Times notes that many had expected that Alexey Miller, president of the Russian natural gas company Gazprom, would be cited. He was not.
Our interactive Muckety map above shows some of the possible reasons for the omission.
Large U.S. corporations have invested millions in Russian firms. Gazprom, a major supplier of gas to Europe, is one of the major beneficiaries.
The U.S. has targeted Igor Sechin, an adviser to Russia President Vladimir Putin and president of Rosneft oil company.

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Rosneft has entered joint ventures with ExxonMobil, a major spender on lobbying and political campaigns in the U.S.
ExxonMobil overwhelmingly favors Republicans.
The other six individuals sanctioned today are Russian government officials. The new companies cited have connections to individuals who were previously sanctioned.

http://news.muckety.com/2014/04/28/anoth...oned/46611

[David Guyatt]

That 1st Muckety map is an interesting read for the big US names listed and it's little wonder Obama won't touch them.

It just goes to show what propaganda this whole thing is imo.

The US got caught with their hands in the till and ever since have been trying to eclipse that fact.

[Paul Rigby]

Germany, unlike Britain, retains elements of an opposition, and some (slight) voice in the mainstream discourse:

[video=youtube_share;pculDDRKHdg]http://youtu.be/pculDDRKHdg[/video]

[David Guyatt]

Germany, unlike Britain, retains elements of an opposition, and some (slight) voice in the mainstream discourse:

[video=youtube_share;pculDDRKHdg]http://youtu.be/pculDDRKHdg[/video]

I found that really quite refreshing. Pols speaking usually drive me to suicide, but that was an exception.

[Peter Presland]

Germany, unlike Britain, retains elements of an opposition, and some (slight) voice in the mainstream discourse:

I found that really quite refreshing. Pols speaking usually drive me to suicide, but that was an exception.

I found it quite refreshing too.

But with a rueful smile at the obligatory scene-setting gyrations: The need to equate Putin's alleged militarism with that of NATO; Putin is a bad man; WWII victor's history an unquestioned given etc etc.

Still, as Paul says, there is an element of genuine opposition in the Bundestag. No doubt given voice by a deeply uneasy sense of deja-vu among those with any understanding of real history.

I also found the body language of Merkel and the 'advisor'? to her right, plus the stony-faced silence of the assembled members to the right of the video frame telling.

[Peter Presland]

This is long but very informative video. Spoken in Russian, it is a lecture to a Moscow University class, with simultaneous dubbed English text.

I have also posted the full transcript on [URL="https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Document:Battleground_Ukraine"]Wikispooks here
[/URL]