90 billion Euros to Ukraine - Update

BBC News Reports in its 9.38am post that the EU is to loan the Ukraine 90 billion Euros to fight the Russians.

Lets Get Real:

This is a way of doing it, it is not Russian frozen Assets held in Belgium.  This will annoy Putin, he is making claims that Ukraine is retreating on all fronts, typical Russian false claims, the WAR is costing Russia in men and resources, as long as the West, in this case Europe funds Ukraine by whatever means then the WAR can go on.  Russia cannot be allowed to win.

Russian frozen Assets for the Ukraine ? - Update

BBC News Reports that President Zelensky has stressed the need for frozen Russians to be given to Ukraine, they need it for the WAR effort.

Lets Get Real:

The Belgium PM has great reservations about the plan, this blog has a long memory, the UK supported Belgium in 1914, thus the start WW1, also Belgium during the First Gulf War would not give missil parts for the UK, they said SORRY, its the first reaction that is important, the European Countries are trying prevent WW3, while Belgium is playing politics, if they are ever invaded again then the UK should consider its position.  Let's hope Europe gets its act together over the next few hours and days.

Paris and Brussels bomb maker Dead - Update 3

Fox News: Reports " The shadowy terrorist believed to have made the explosives used in Tuesday's attacks in Brussels and the November massacre in Paris was one of two suicide bombers who died at Zaventem Airport, sources told Fox News. "

The worry for the EU Countries is that the Paris and Brussels attackers are part of a bigger terror cell, the US and the UK should work with the EU Countries to connect the dots and to double and triple check information in case something have been overlooked.   The borders between THE Middle East and EU need to be tighter.   There has to be a better relationship with the muslim communities, to allow for more information to come through and to deal with any problems within the community, such as the lack of jobs and career paths for they younger generation.  The West needs to get its ACT together and fast. 

The failure of Western Intel - Update 2

Daily Mail: Reports " Outrage as Turkish president reveals they arrested one of the Brussels bombers in June and deported him BACK to Belgium - and even warned authorities he was a militant  "

Lets Get Real:

The dots were not connected when it comes to the Brussels attack, the West has to be smarter, how come the writes for the Lone Gunmen  ( X Files spin -off ) and Homeland had a better insight to the minds of the terrorist than Western intelligence,  the secret nature of intelligence means that different networks are loathed to share secrets, its the nature of the job.  The political leaders must make sure that their spy chiefs have access and share information.   The Countries that make up the EU have to get their heads out of the sand, the West must strike hard and often at threats to its security.    Liberals decry the use of drones but they have no answers to security questions.   THUS time for the West, the US and EU to fight fire with fire, and destroy Daesh. 

Brussels Terror Attacks - Update

BBC News - Live Blog: Reports in its 6.51pm post the following, " A provisional update sent by the office of Belgian Health Minister Maggie De Block says 31 people are dead and 300 injured, of which 150 remain in hospital.  "

Lets Get Real:

The Belgium police and intelligence networks have to get their ACT together, there needs to be better information sharing, the EU needs the member countries to share intelligence with each other, BUT the hard fact is that the EU and its members has to deal in firm manner with the threat from Daesh.   This means tough action, no get them a lawyer when you catch a terrorist, water board them in till your happy that they have given ALL the information they have.    Daesh is a threat to Europe and the US, the leaders need to pull their heads from the sand and grow up, tough action needed and now. 

Brussels Attacks - Update 3

Telegraph - Live Update: Reports in its 4.48pm post the following, " Police raids underway in Brussels..David Chazan reports Belgian police are raiding at least one address in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek from where they suspect the attacks were launched.  Other raids are reportedly in progress in other parts of the capital. "

Lets Get Real:

The EU has to close its borders with the Middle East, it needs to tough up security on States that border the Middle East.   Then the US and the EU has to send troops to Iraq and Syria to close down Daesh as a threat, otherwise there will be other attacks in the US and Europe.   The left wing liberals will decry such a move but it is needed.    The Daesh group can not be talked too, it can not be tolerated to exist.   This is the time for the West act in a forceful manner, time for action not words. 

Daesh takes responsibility for Brussels Attacks - Update 2

Guardian - Live Updates: Reports in its 3.28 pm post the following, " Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the two bomb attacks in Brussels, a news agency affiliated with the group said.   Amaq agency said:  " Islamic State fighters carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices on Tuesday, targeting an airport and a central metro station in the centre of the Belgian capital Brussels. "

Lets Get Real:

The Daesh terrorist group has to be taken out by the West, the destruction of large parts of Iraq and Syria and the terrorists attacks in the US/ France and Belgium show that this terrorist group is the major threat to the security of the West.   One can assume as the UK is  under threat after bombing Daesh in the Middle East, thus MI5 has to double its coverage and prevent terrorists from planning and carrying out acts of terror.   THE US and Europe should send troops out to the Middle East, clear the terrorists out of their bases, the time to ACT is now. 

Belgium Terrorist Attacks - Update

BBC News - Live Updates: Reports the following in its latest post, " An image widely published by Belgian media is said to show three men who are believed to have carried out the attack at Zaventem Airport. "

Lets Get Real:

At this moment the death toll in the Brussels attack stands at 34, Daesh has stated that it was behind the attacks.  The Belgium Government needs to tough up its ACT, while the EU needs to face the problem that free travel within the EU is giving to many access points to the terrorists.   The Intelligence networks need to take the gloves off and go on the attack, to close down threats. 

The attacks on the airport and metro in Brussels seems to be following the script of Obama's favourite TV show, Homeland, one would have to be curious, were these attacks planned before the show or did the show give the terrorists ideas for an attack.   In Homeland it was Germany that was attacked, the terrorists picked a country with weaker internal security when it hit Belgium, it barely has a government. 

Cameron and Syria - Syrian Crisis

Daily Mail: Reports " Britain to start bombing ISIS in Syria next week: Cameron gives MPs the weekend to mull case for bombing before crunch vote  "

Lets Get Real:

The Conservative Government should be bombing Syria right now, the House of Commons can wait, they have been slow and have shown a Iraqi War complex, last time they allowed Assad to get away with the use of WMD on his own people, this time the threat is Daesh. One can only hope THIS TIME that the Commons saws some backbone and supports the government.  It can be expected that Labour MPs will go against their leader as Jeremy Corbyn has been a disaster when it comes to foreign policy, the UK voter would be under severe threat if Corbyn ever came close to power.    THUS MPs STAND AND SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT. 

Is Brussels the next target ? - Paris Terrorist Attack

Telegraph - Live Blog: Reports in its 1.52pm post the following, " Brussels, an eerily silent city...Amid growing fears that Brussels is a prime target for a repeat of the Paris attacks, it has fallen eerily still,.."

Lets Get Real:

The problem the Police and other security forces face is that you can not keep people on a constant state of alert, so far nothing has happened in Brussels, thus the threat level might be taken down, that is when the problem starts, do you jump every time new information comes along, or do you wait, if you wait and something happens the people, voter will not be happy, on the other hand if you have a constant alert the people will just see it as part of normal life, thus it becomes normal.   Lets hope the Police authorities in Brussels are on their tones, but know when to rise the alarm and when to let it down again, tough choice. 

David Cameron and Syria Part 2 - Syrian Crisis

Guardian: Reports " UK could join Syria airstrikes within weeks, Osborne suggests..Chancellor says PM will call Commons vote only when he expects to win it but there are signs that MPs’ mood has already shifted after Paris attacks "

Lets Get Real:

IF the PM is going to strike Syria he should start this week, then have the House of Commons vote, there is no way the House of Commons would say NO if aircrew are in the air and are attacking Daesh.   The PM should use the Royal powers he already has and go to war.   Daesh could use the time between the Cameron's outline for the role of the UK in a Syrian Strike as a chance to hit UK as with Paris or cause problems as is the case in Belgium. The West has to destroy Daesh, it can not be contained, time for West to find its Churchillian/Thatcher backbone.   Time for War.

World War One - The Great War

BBC News: Reports " World War One commemorated in events across UK "

Lets Get Real:

In today's UK the Great War or World War One is seen through the optics for TV, Film and book versions of the War, thus if you stop someone in the street and ask them to sum up the War in one word you could find the following words, used, Trenches, Waste, Part 1 or 2, or if you dig deep and gave the public a choice they might say, it was the fault of the Germans, it was to rescue Belgium, those on the left might say it was a War for those to make money,etc.    So if you ask this blog what the War was about, you would get the following, the real point of entry for the UK was to protect our ally France, the Cabinet was only united when Germany invaded Belgium.   The protection of Belgium was underwritten by the UK and Germany, when Germany sent her troops through the UK has to act, but the Britain at the the time was more concerned about the Irish troubles, those troubles were set aside once Germany invaded, and also made the Cabinet united, it can be argued that the UK would never have allowed France to go under, as having Germany that close to British wasters was to much of a threat to the Empire in the long term.   Thus once France was under threat it was only a matter of time before the UK came riding to the rescue. 

ObamaCare Part 2 - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports the following on the fight between Obama's White House and the US House, "  Obama stands firm on healthcare in face of escalating Republican stand-off.....GOP outlines demands for host of political concessions amid twin threats over US debt ceiling and Affordable Care Act ".

Lets Get Real:

The Republicans in the House and Senate have to stand firm on the debt ceiling, not allow their leaders to roll over, the Republicans should not shut down the Government, this blog does not think it would be a political disaster that the elite media is throwing out every time, when you look at the results of the last shut downs in the 90s, the Republicans did not lose the House and in 2000 Bush 43 won the Presidency.   If you remove the threat of a shut down the job of the Oval is to manage the debt of the US, thus if the Oval wants to spend more it needs to raise the debt ceiling, well the Republicans should make the Oval pay, the price being a delay for 1 year in ObamaCare.   The elite establishment will argue that the US will lose its credit rating, what does having a 17 trillion debt do the long term credit rating of the US, the welfare state of the US is killing the US dream, it does not work in such a vast Country as the US, the US is not Belgium, a European welfare state does not work when you have a population of over three hundred million and growing.  To save the US the Republicans have to stand together, delay ObamaCare. 

Belgium DOWNGRADED - Eurozone

BBC News: Reports that the credit agency Standard & Poor's ( S&P) had downgraded the credit rating of Belgium from AA+ to AA. As noted in previous post folks the yields for Belgium bonds have been growing, also the last time this blog looked there is no actual government in Belgium, on the whole does not seemed to have harmed the good but boring people of Belgium ( yes they still didn’t give us ammo for the 1st Gulf War ). The Euro crisis is like watching a slow train wreck folks, as of Monday it will cost more for Belgium to sell its bonds, after the disaster of the German bonds, one has to ask when are the politicians going to wake up, at this rate the EU elite are going to take the Euro and the UK over a cliff, it will be to late when we hit bottom folks.

Belgian and French BONDS UP - Eurozone Crisis

Guardian Live: Reports on the raise of Belgian 10 year bonds yields, the rate at the present is 5.893%, while triple A France has seen its yield go up to 3.718%. The contagion from Greece and Italy has happened folks, the more Germany and France try to protect all 17 Euro States the more the cancer is starting to hit both France and Germany. The Germans could only sell 60% of their bonds, the UK had the cheapest rate, even than Germany. The Credit Agencies have warned France that it could be next to have the dunce hat, something has to give folks, if Germany wont move on Euro bonds or ECB then the PIIGS have to get out of the Euro, thus the Euro could take down the EU and the Western economic system.

Spain DOWNGRADED - Eurozone Crisis

BBC News: Reports that the credit agency Standard & Poor's has downgraded the Spanish credit rating, from AA to AA-, due to low growth, debt and high unemployment. The contagion from Greece has taken down the Belgium/French Bank Dexia, the cost of Italy and Spain selling their bonds is over 5%, its only because the European Central Bank is buying Italian Bonds that the Italy has not gone down the toilet, the cost is that Italy is now owned by the ECB. The expected 2/3 trillion bailout package is being created to safe guard against having to bailout both States, they can not be allowed to go under, as their fall would take down World Banks and kill off the Euro and damage the EU. The problem is folks there is still no detailed plan, the rumoured plan is as follows, 1, bailouts for the Eurozone Banks, a 2/3 trillion stability fund, the managed default of Greece. The latest rumour out of the EU is for Banks with Greek debt to write off 50% to 60% of that debt. Thus before a Greek default a big firewall has to be in place to protect the banks, thus the delay folks, lets see the details folks.

The Germans and Bank Bailouts

Guardian Live: Reports on remarks by Chancellor Merkel of Germany, the Chancellor stated that Europe would bail out the banks if the need arose. It is interesting that the Chancellor used the term EU, she didn’t say the Germans, as the UK is in the EU, is the Chancellor asking that all members of the EU bailout eurozone banks, this would cause anger on the Conservative backbenches, the UK has already given six billion pounds to Ireland, lets recall that was the same amount as the expected UK budget cuts. One can postulate that should the Greeks default the rest Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy will ask for more bailouts at reduce cost and less austerity. In many respects this would be gun to the head of the EU, the expected Greek default has already caused the French/Belgium Bank Dexia to go belly up, the bank carried high Greek debt, its worse with French and Germans banks. Thus what ever deal the PIGS wanted they would have to be given, as the EU could not survive if they all defaulted on their debts. Thus expect the UK to get its wallet out folks, the 2/3 trillion safety net has to come from somewhere, the Germans wont pay it all, and the UK still has its triple A credit rating, thus can still borrow large amounts from the market. This is going to cost the UK folks.

The Banks and the Eurozone Crisis

Telegraph Live: Reports that there is no rescue plan for the European Banks even after news reports. The rumour of a banking rescue plan is the reason for the Markets going up in the UK and Europe. At the moment the Stock Markets are running of blind rumour and fear, one minute hundred of points down, then back in the good, while this is going on Greece is going to hell, the first directly Greek affected bank, Dexia has to be bailed out by the French and German Central Banks, Italy is going to the dogs, or fast becoming owned by the European Central Bank, the US in political system is deadlocked till the 2012 election, the EU seems hoping something comes along that bail them out, so far the EU has not been that impressive, and if Greece goes under without a managed default then its game over, Great Depression, the PIIGS will bring down the EU.

Stock Markets TODAY and the Eurozone Crisis

Guardian Live: Reports that the FTSE - 100 in the UK fell by 2.6% today, while French and Germans Markets fell between 2% and 3%. Thus the EU Finance Ministers have pressed the delay switch for the next patch of Greek bailout, the markets are tanking, the French/Belgium Bank Dexia could go under, one has to wonder what other banks could be taken down, its misery every day on the Market folks, the Markets want stability, thus the grand plan of 2-3 trillion euros to bring stability to the economic system, the building up of European banks and the managed default of Greece has to be bought forward, an investor would have to be stark raving bonkers to invest in the present market, people can make money in such market, betting on a banking collapse in Europe, but its not nice and not very smart in the long term, if the whole system goes then forget economic growth or major profit for a long time, think 1930s Great Depression but worse, its that bad folks.

The Greek Crisis and European Banks

Telegraph Live: Reports that the French/Belgium Bank Dexia has needed to be backed by the Central Banks of France and Germany. The Contagion of the Greek crisis has started folks, the Stock price of the Bank has fallen over a cliff and taken bank shares will them, if and when Dexia goes down what other banks will it take with it, are there other debts that is held by the bank that is now known, all important question folks. Its about time EU got off its backside and developed a plan, the PIIGS are finished, Italy and Spain need to be saved, the rest might have to be thrown to the wolves, otherwise the DEBT just grows, and grows, the austerity packages get tougher, more people need welfare, thus the reduction in GDP, a very vicious paradox folks, the need to pay the debt, but the very fact of paying back the debt makes a solution impossible. Cold days ahead folks, its that gloomy folks.