Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.'s Blog, page 161

Systemic Considerations

Whatever else you think is happening in our world, contraction is the reality-based order-of-the-day, and everything else is downstream of that. The world has to get by with less. Nothing is going to fix this for everybody, though any number of schemes for redistributing what’s left will preoccupy the political mojo.

Right now, it’s tariffs, which are an attempt to restore industry ceded to the formerly left-behind people elsewhere in the world — taking back what we used to do. You are correct t...

Standing at the Edge of the Iran War Cliff

Millions of people around the world were at the edge of their seats over the weekend, waiting to hear whether Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff’s indirect talks with the Iranian foreign minister would ratchet down tensions or would break down and bring on a major Middle East war.

If it seems bizarre that the outcome of a meeting between a US president’s designated negotiator and a foreign government minister could determine whether we plunge into possibly our biggest war since World War II, that...

The Real Costello

A change of pace is always welcome, especially when writing a column about politics. The latter can be as boring as writing about cooking, and the only newspaper that used a cookery writer as a political pundit is The New York Times. I think he’s called Frank Bruni and he’s reported to be going blind due to his loathing of Donald Trump.

Never mind. When your correspondent was still in shorts and newly arrived in America, the greatest and most feared gangster was one Frank Costello. Brought up in...

Is ‘De-Dollerization’ on the Table? BRICS Summit Approaches as Trade War Simmers

For many years now I have been talking about the growing global economic divide between East and West. This volatile opposition between the BRICS nations and the US is not a product of the Trump era. It has been decades in the making with a myriad of complex working parts and numerous US trading partners have been preparing for the fallout as far back as 2008.

At the same time behind the scenes there have been malicious influences at play: Special interests within the Davos community have been w...

Seven Reasons Why Brass Knuckles Should Not Be Banned

Brass knuckles, which can be made of any material, metal or not, are worn around the knuckles of the hand to increase the force and damage of a punch. Although they are not illegal on the federal level in the United States, they are illegal in about 20 states and in many foreign countries—but not in “Red” China.

A 1931 law in Michigan, MCL 750.224(1)(d), imposes severe penalties, including a possible prison sentence, for possession of brass knuckles. A Grand Rapids-area man was charged with unla...

Trump Backs Away From Improving Relations With Russia

Trump gives in to the military/security complex, renews weapons to Ukraine and extends sanctions on Russia for a year. 

On April 10 Trump declared a continuation of the national emergency with Russia and renewed President Biden’s April 2021 executive order declaring Russia to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the United States.”

By renewing Biden’s executive order, Trump even buys into the Russiagate charges against himself:

Amon...

Why China Won’t Call a ‘Tariff-Wielding Barbarian’

Three wise monkeys are perfectly aware of what a pigeon posing as eagle is really up to.

The Toddler Temper Tantrum-style Trump Tariff Tizzy (TTT), now accelerated to 145% – and counting – is yet another thunderous trademark pigeon smashing the chessboard gambit.

It won’t work. Trump claimed that China would call him to “make a deal”. That’s reality show territory. Reality is more like the statement by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council: “Given that U.S. exports to China already ...

War With Iran?

There are a number of discussions about a potentially imminent U.S. war on Iran. Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism concludes that a war is more likely than not. Crooke, Mercouris and Diesen are ambivalent (vid) but also seem to expect a conflict.

President Trump (or, more correct, Netanyahoo behind him) has made demands towards Iran that are designed to be rejected:

End all nuclear programsDestroy medium range missiles which can reach IsraelStop support for all ‘resistance’ movements in the Midd...

Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Mexico?

According to press accounts, the Trump administration, which some right-wing libertarians have humorously described as being “antiwar,” is now contemplating dropping bombs on Mexico. Yes, real bombs that kill people and destroy things, just like the bombs that U.S. national-security state officials used to kill people in Iraq, which, like Mexico, never attacked or invaded the United States. More specifically, such a bombing campaign would target drug cartels in Mexico.

Make no mistake about it. ...

The Forgotten Cancer Cure Hiding in Plain Sight

Over the last six months, I’ve worked to bring the public’s attention to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) a forgotten natural therapy which rapidly treats a wide range of conditions and that many studies have shown is very safe (provided it’s used correctly), and, most importantly (thanks to the 1994 DSHEA act which legalized all natural therapies) is now readily available. Since I believe DMSO has an immense amount to offer to the medical community and individual patients, I’ve thus diligently worked ...