Kursk invasion - the beginning of the end of the war?

 

In a copycat maneuver to the Russian invasion to create buffer zone in Harkov last spring the Ukrainians decided to copy them and launch an invasion in Russia's Kursk region. They gathered everything they had, newest equipment, best units and launched the attack on August 6th. 

Initially they had success, the border was protected by border patrols, conscripts and militias allowing Zelenski's troops to occupy several dozen villages including the small town of Sudza. But Russians reacted quite quickly limiting this pocket of occupation and limiting Kiev's army's advance further.

Fierce aviation, artillery and missiles strikes hit the invaders inside this pocket while Russia informs that more than 5000 invading soldiers were eliminated together with large numbers of tanks, armored vehicles, rocket launchers, etc. 

Conditions also deteriorate in the occupation zone where Russian civilians now ask the Ukrainian military administration set under occupation to provide for utilities, food, medicines and such putting an even greater strain on the already depleted capacities of the Ukrainian military. 

And in the meantime Russian armies continue their slow and steady advance in southern and eastern Ukraine, reaching Torestsk and closing in on Pokrovosk. Ceasov Yar is seeing hard battles with its eastern part already under tight Russian control.

A look back in history can't shake the feeling the Ukrainian offensive is just a desperate Battle of the Bulge type of attack, with sacrificing their best troops and equipment in the hope Russian will ease the pressure of the other fronts and hastily redeploy large units and divisions in Kursk. Allowing then the Ukrainian a counteroffensive that would fail shamefully as their last one during summer 2023.

But such a hope is far fetched and it was wishful thinking to believe Russian will fall for such a trap, actually they are pretty content with a larger front as their numerical superiority allows them to win the long game of attrition war.

Donald Trump versus Kakamila Harris

 After the senile-looking old man quit the presidential race (probably they can't accomodate diapers in the Oval Office) his good for nothing side-kick went into the race blazing. She is Indian, she is Black, she is Migrant, she is Quack? 

Showing the hypocrisy of the leftard extreme Americans are asked to vote for her just because she's not White. To discriminate in a positive manner. But that's long a modus operandi of the extreme leftards, if you are White, if you straight, if you are a man, if you are Christian they hate you with a passion from all their narrow rainbow colored brains.

In the meantime Donald Trump, while not the best choice either, is marching forward towards his second term. We are all looking forward to see the wokes crying in November and old mc Donald back at his oval farm. 

Ukraine is in the toilet

 I think there is no point in arguing the war in Ukraine goes from bad to worse ...for Ukraine. Sure Russia is losing a lot of troops, tanks, vehicles and such but they are still winning in a war of attrition. 

Each week the Russian troops push deeper and deeper into Ukrainian territory even by a few kilometers "liberating" villages and closing in on their next target cities. Ceasov Iar is partially occupied, Konstaninovka is being reached and Ukrainian troops are retreating each day. Especially in Donetsk the situation is looking bleak with massive Russian artillery strikes that pummel and obliterate enemy positions.

There is still not sufficient western assistance and despite western useful idiots rhetoric and brown-nosed journalists another Ukrainian offensive simply doesn't stand a chance. More and more Zelenski is kicked and pressured into entering negotiations with Russia and these talsk won't be easy nor pleasant. 

Recalling how the "experts" said the Russian economy won't resist to western sanctions more than two month, maybe six then, and we are in the third year of war it is clear that the western markets aren't dominating the economy anymore. China, India, Brazil, the global South, the new emerging countries are capable of sustaining Russia's economy and even help it grow.

And with Donald Trump soon in the White House it will be check mate for poor Zelenski. 

Banks are falling down? First Republic Bank is next?

 After Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse it looks like there is still trouble in the banking sector and mass-media is reporting it.

Recently the news is Deutsche Bank will let go about 800 fresh headcounts, business could be slow? And what about First Republic Bank losing 40% of it's stock value in a heartbeat?

Shareholders are getting more and more concerned while the top banks are trying to assure everyone that they have everything under control, but do they? People are scared about the safety of their deposits, loans are accessed harder and harder and there are few eager to get into debt now.

What do you think about 2023? Will be get another Credit Suisse crash? Another Silicon Valley Bank meltdown? 

Will Ukraine really launch a counteroffensive?

 More than one year passed since Russia invaded Ukraine and the war seems to head to a front stalemate with Russians chipping away a village or two every month and an alley in Bakhmut every week. 

Starting with February there were numerous news about an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive which will obliterate the Russian forces and liberate a lot of territory, being Crimea or Zaporzje or Donetsk. The counteroffensive was then delayed to March so the Ukrainian army can get more equipment and tanks from NATO countries and then delayed again in April to get better weather conditions.

Now the counteroffensive is delayed even more to May while Bakhmut is on the brink of falling with Russian troops controlling close to 90% of it. So the question arises , when can we expect to see this counteroffensive? If ever?

Russian media already boasts that Ukrainians tried to launch it twice and failed twice with the amass of troops being detected by Russians, bombed and dispersed with huge casualties. Can the Ukrainians amass a critical force without Russians detecting it or hide it from their enemy? Time will tell. 

Beware the coronavirus! Virus! Ruuuun!

With the recent news panic is getting more and more widespread in Europe. A month ago the coronavirus was a remote piece of news in the international news column and most people were saying : eh, it happens somewhere in China, it's a Chinese thing, doesn't impact us.

Then the news became more and more concerning, the number of sick and dead went spiralling out of control. Most people still didn't care, they couldn't imagine happening to them so they just ignore it.

Recently there started to be outbursts in Europe and even in America authorities are considering it's just a matter of time. From almost indiferrence and calm people went crazy, you see them assaulting the hypermarkets and buying provisions for months , wearing surgical masks in the open, arguing desperately the government should do something now and end it! Magical powers the government has no?

Meanwhile the markets are plummeting hard, the economies are starting to take damage, international trade is down and ... could this be the start of a recession or a new economic crysis? We can only hope!

Resource wants to buy a house

Every now and then there comes a time in the life of a resource to move to a bigger house. Generally this happens when the resource's family grows, usually with the birth of the first or second child.

Faced with the need to move resources start assesing their opportunities. Depending on their luck the real-estate market can be low or high, rarely do resources wait and expect a price fall. More than that there is usually a gap between what they want and what they can afford as resources tend to earn to little money and save very few to none.

Let's be honest here, each of us wants a nice house with large rooms, storage areas, a nice backyard to relax, parking space in a quiet area with good infrastructure, nice neighbours, good schools and kindergardens and ... wait a minute, all these come with additional cost. And when finally adding up expenses and looking into our wallets and accounts we are considerably short of money. We sigh and we hope for a market fall.