Signs of the Times #80

Existential Crisis for the World?

Quotes of the Times:

“NATO is ready, for a direct confrontation with Russia.” Admiral Rob Bauer, Head of NATO Military Committee Jan. 28, 2023. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/01/head-nato-military-committee-admiral-rob-bauer-nato-ready-direct-confrontation-russia-video/

“The fact is that Ukraine, which is a non-NATO country, is going to be vulnerable to military domination by Russia no matter what we do.” Barack Obama, March 10, 2016.  https://www.theatlantic.com/press-releases/archive/2016/03/the-obama-doctrine-the-atlantics-exclusive-report-on-presidents-hardest-foreign-policy-decisions/473151/

“Putin casts war in Ukraine as an existential conflict for Russia.”

News headline, commenting on speech by Putin, Sept 30, 2022. Radio Free Europe, https://www.rferl.org/a/taking-aim-at-us-putin-ukraine-war-existential-russia/32059970.html

“Through weakness and incompetence, Joe Biden has brought us to the brink of World War III.” Donald Trump. https://www.rt.com/news/570648-trump-ukraine-peace-deal/

“…once the Third World War breaks out, unfortunately it will not be on tanks or even on fighter jets. Then everything will definitely be turned to dust.” Dimitry Medvedev, former Russian president, Jan. 28, 2023. https://tass.com/politics/1568437  

“Amid the smoke of war power is shifting decisively to the east.” Jonathan Eyal, Guardian Newspaper, Jan. 29 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/29/amid-the-smoke-of-war-power-in-europe-is-shifting-decisively-to-the-east

Originally the term ‘existentialism’ or ‘existential’ referred to a school of philosophy that emphasized the human experience with an emphasis on free will and choice. In recent times it has taken on the meaning of referring to issues that threaten the existence of people and/or nations. For example, the term existentialism is frequently used to describe the current war in Ukraine.

For Russia, the war in Ukraine has always been about existentialism. An application by Ukraine to join NATO has always been regarded by Russia as a threat to its very survival. This is because NATO armies and NATO missiles would be parked right outside Russia’s front door. One can only wonder how America would react if Chinese armies and Chinese missiles were parked hard up against its southern border in Mexico. Would America not regard such a scenario as an existential threat?

It was originally thought by America and its Western allies, that extreme sanctions imposed upon Russia, would be enough to force Russia out of Ukraine and even cause Putin and his government to fall. It came as an enormous surprise to the Collective West, that Russia not only survived, but thrived. The Collective West used to derisively refer to Russia as ‘a gas station masquerading as a country’ and that its puny GDP could never overcome the collective economic might of the West. But Russia has survived and thrived for the following reasons:

1. Ever since the CIA manufactured coup against the democratically elected government of Ukraine in 2014 (known as the most blatant coup in history), Russia has been preparing for what they knew was coming next.
2. Only the nations of the Collective West participated in the sanctions against Russia. This refusal to ‘follow orders’ by the rest of the world has stunned the Collective West.
3. Because the rest of the world will not ‘follow orders’ this means by default they collectively support Russia and continue to trade with Russia.
4. Because the rest of the world support Russia, the sanctions have backfired on those who have imposed them and their domestic economies are in crises. For example, the EU nations are de-industrializing because the dramatic increase in energy costs is making industry unprofitable.
5. Because the nations which are not members of the Collective West are observing the decline of the Collective West, they are rapidly changing their relations with the West and with each other.
6. Saudi Arabia is one of the nations changing its diplomatic and economic relations from West to East. Saudi Arabia is now accepting other currencies (especially Chinese yuan), for its oil.
7. Up until now all sales of oil, internationally, have been done in US dollars. Making the US dollar the world’s reserve currency. This has been the basis of American power in the world for decades – this American power is now ebbing away – which has now created an existential crisis for America and the Collective West.

Because of the above reasons (and much more), the Collective West is facing its own existential crises. This is why they have no option but to ‘double down’ on their support for Ukraine. The war in Ukraine is on an escalating escalator. Neither side can back down, therefore each side is pouring more and more resources into the conflict. The Collective West has just announced that they are going to send battle tanks to Ukraine. As soon as the announcement was made Volodymyr Zelensky, said thanks for the tanks, but I also need warships, submarines, fighter jets and long-range missiles (the kind of missiles that can hit Moscow) – the escalating escalator continues… and Russia is about to launch its own escalation with a major winter/spring offensive… what will the next round of escalations bring…?

As a result, the scientists who control the doomsday clock, have moved the hands of the clock to 90 seconds to midnight. This places the doomsday clock, the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been before…  Does this mean that the whole world is in an existential crisis…?

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