Category Archives: Economics

Big Problem in Holland

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As expected, the formation of a new government in the Netherlands after last November’s elections has been a tortuous process, and is still ongoing. Our Dutch correspondent H. Numan sends this report.

Big problem in Holland

by H. Numan

Folks, an update about the Dutch elections. We’re now in the formation phase, and it doesn’t look good. Remember what I told you about the election results? The PVV is the clear winner. They rank even better today in the polls. However, polls are not elections. The elections results are pretty clear: we can have a progressive ultra-left or a somewhat conservative cabinet. The people really want that somewhat conservative cabinet. The elites want the other one. And they’re doing everything possible to make that happen.

Before the elections the VVD changed position and, for the moment, broke the boycott against the PVV. They were now open for a VVD-PVV coalition. In that order. The VVD in the lead, with the PVV hopefully far behind. As far as possible. However, when the polls indicated the PVV was going to win they took that back. No more VVD-PVV for them, the exact opposite of what their voters want.

The NSC party was never in favor of a PVV coalition. Pieter Omtzigt is hugely popular, but he never even suggested a possible PVV coalition. Omtzigt stepped out of the CDA party, and within that party he headed the left wing. The group that does not, repeat: not, want a PVV coalition. When he left he took most left wingers with him. They still don’t want that, but the voters do.

Both the VVD and NSC faced a big problem. They do not want a coalition with Wilders. But stating that openly would end both parties. The usual way around it is to negotiate ad infinitum until Wilders makes a mistake. Then shed crocodile tears over how hard they tried to work with that loose cannon but in vain. After that come up with an ultra-left-wing coalition within days.

That is happening right now. Last week the VVD senators announced they are going to vote for the spreidingswet, or Distribution Act. This law will give the government almost unlimited powers to seize private properties and force cities to accept any number of refugees forced upon them by the government. Yes, if this law passes, it will be possible to evacuate anyone from their private homes without any compensation whatsoever.

If you see this as a modern version of Hitler’s Enabling Act, you’re spot on. That is exactly what it is. The problem, as with Hitler, is how to prevent it. Actually, we can’t. This is legislation prepared under the Rutte administration, and cunningly pushed through after Rutte’s demise. Just like the Enabling Act, only they don’t have to burn the Binnenhof (our Reichstag) for it. And so far without violence. No big burly VVD brown shirts, but I do think VVD pants are getting brown right now.

Given popular opinion, and to save the last bit of credibility the VVD has left, their parliamentary faction voted against it. The law is now on the way to the Senate. Our beloved Kurdish refugee cum wannabe prime minister Dylan Yesilgöz advised VVD senators to follow their lead and vote against it. The senators, in their infinite wisdom, decided to give her the finger. They are going to vote in favor.

The people are not really outraged. Something like this was more or less expected. The credibility of VVD politicians was rated lower than used car salesmen; now they match that of pedophiles. The VVD plays the usual damage control game: they let old retired VVD prominents speak out against their own senators. Observe no currently serving VVD politicians do that. Only politically retired prominents. Why? Because they are perceived to be more conservative, and are taken more seriously by the electorate. Until now. Those retired politicians are, well, retired. They hold no actual position in the party. Hence, no threat.

Wilders did win the elections, but the PVV does not have a majority in the Senate. It is very difficult for them to counter or block that law. Especially because ALL of their proposed coalition partners are either in favor (VVD, BBB) or not present in the Senate (NSC). This incident did not happen by accident. I am certain of it, though it looks somewhat innocent. It is supposed to look that way. It does happen, fairly often, a senatorial faction does not follow parliament. But never in sensitive and important matters like this.

I have a feeling this is exactly the obstacle what our Turkish Delight wants, not from a position of strength but playing on her own weakness. Set your partner up for a demand he simply cannot accept, and demand more. If he fails, a divorce. If he refuses to give in, pour out a flood of tears and say you didn’t mean it that way and that you’ll do anything he wants. Until next time. Ask any married man.

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Paying Through the Nose For Cultural Enrichment

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The following video provides a succinct indication of how expensive it is to provide accommodation for “asylum seekers” in the Netherlands.

RAIR Foundation includes this introduction:

In the Netherlands, there’s a significant political controversy involving the Dutch government’s spending on asylum seekers while many citizens live in poverty. The government has allocated 24 billion euros for asylum support, highlighting a stark contrast to the one million Dutch citizens living below the poverty line. Central to this debate is Eric van der Burg, the acting State Secretary, who is relieved that a new law about distributing asylum seekers among municipalities has gained support in the Senate.

However, this law has caused political inconsistency within the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy party (VVD), a major political party in the Netherlands. The VVD members in the lower house of Parliament opposed the law, while their counterparts in the Senate supported it. This difference in stance within the same party has raised questions about their political coherence and strategy.

Erik de Vlieger, a prominent real estate entrepreneur, criticized the government and suggested that those who voted for left-wing Prime Minister Mark Rutte or the VVD party were misled. During the debate, Van der Burg revealed the substantial costs associated with housing asylum seekers, with figures reaching 31,000 euros per year for regular asylum accommodations and 65,000 euros per year for emergency shelters.

Many thanks to Gary Fouse for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

Video transcript:

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Citizens of the EU Pay the Poor Tax

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Resistance is futile: you will be assimilated by the CBDC Borg. Today the European Union; tomorrow the rest of the Western world.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from the Austrian news portal eXXpress. The translator’s comments are in square brackets:

Out for cash?

EU bans cash payments of more than €10,000

The EU is getting serious: cash payments of more than €10,000 will be banned. Luxury goods retailers must also verify the identity of their customers and report suspicious transactions to the authorities. The EU speaks of an important step against money laundering, the FPÖ warns against the abolition of cash.

Negotiators from the European Parliament and the member states agreed on Thursday morning on new regulations with which the EU wants to officially take action against money laundering. The stricter rules are intended to close loopholes in national laws and apply, among other things, to the trade in jewelry, luxury cars, private planes and ships.

According to the agreement, financially strong football clubs such as FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will also be subject to the new law from 2029. Professional football, with its billions in investments from third countries, is seen as a possible gateway for money laundering in Europe.

Greater control of cryptocurrencies and banking

The authorities should also monitor cryptocurrencies and the banking transactions of the super-rich with assets of at least €50 million more closely. Owners of companies with a share of at least a quarter must be registered throughout the EU. This is intended, among other things, to prevent Russian oligarchs from being able to circumvent the EU sanctions as a result of the attack on Ukraine.

Stricter anti-money laundering rules for cryptocurrencies, banks, oligarchs and football clubs are “long overdue,” said European Parliament negotiator Eero Heinäluoma. An EU-wide uniform framework closes the national loopholes. “Up until now the member states have been losing billions of euros,” explained the Finnish Social Democrat.

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Take the Infidels For Everything You Can Get!

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In a following video, a young “French” woman gives her followers a crash course on how to game the French welfare system in order to make as much money as possible without ever having to work.

There’s no indication of the young lady’s ethnicity, and with her burka and hoodie it’s hard to determine much about her appearance. She speaks rapid, clipped French, which may help a native French-speaker identify her background. I can usually understand at least a little bit of a French-language video, but in this one I was lucky to pick out one word in ten, even with the French text right there on the screen.

So I’m betting she’s a culture-enricher, eager to milk the kuffar for everything she can get.

Many thanks to HeHa for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

Video transcript:

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China, the Clown State

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Our Bangkok correspondent H. Numan reports on the latest geopolitical news from the Far East.

China, the clown state

by H. Numan

You’re not going to believe me. Recently new corruption scandals have rocked the People’s Republic of China. The commander of the Chinese Rocket Forces disappeared. A bunch of army, navy and air force top commanders also vanished in Nacht und Nebel. That happened a couple of months ago, but now they are all officially charged with corruption. Not just a bit of corruption. Corruption on a scale that baffles even Russians. China is very busy trying to become a superpower. They have the biggest army in the world, the biggest navy in the Pacific… but… it’s of little or no use. It is all falling apart.

Thailand

Before I continue, two related stories from Thailand. The new Srettha government was planning to allow Chinese police stations in tourist areas. Real People’s Police offices with semi-diplomatic status, where Thai officials would be welcome only on invitation. All to accommodate and support Chinese tourists, of course. What else?

A part of the soft power of China is tourism. Thailand relies heavily — as do many other nations in the region —on Chinese tourists. About one-third of all foreign tourists used to be Chinese. They vanished during and because of the Covid pandemic. Now the pandemic is over, Thailand wants them back. Apparently, at all costs.

That gave the Chinese government a nice opportunity. China is, as we all know, a communist dictatorship. Its citizens cannot freely travel, not in China itself (you need internal passports) and certainly not abroad. Percentage-wise, not that many Chinese can afford to travel abroad, but with +1 billion you have a lot of tourists who can. Most Chinese travel in groups. That’s a pretty common way to travel in Asia anyway, but in China there is another reason. A group is much easier to control than individual travelers. And China can control who gets this pot of gold. Provided they are nice to the Chinese government, that is. For example, micro states in the Pacific who acknowledge Taiwan suddenly didn’t get any tourists. Until they cut formal relations with Taiwan. Then, all of a sudden all ‘problems’ were solved and the flood of tourists came back.

People’s Police stations in Thailand

The Chinese government wanted real Chinese People’s Police stations in Thailand. Once that happened, all restrictions would be lifted. To manage Chinese tourists? Of course! What else? To control Thailand? The very idea! Thailand is an independent country, and proud about it. This created so much of a nationwide outcry that PM Srettha hastily withdrew those plans.

The Kra Canal

We’re not done yet, because China is big. They have more irons in the fire. The next one is ongoing, with a (small) possibility of succeeding. The Kra canal. You all know the most famous canals of the world, being the Panama and Suez canals. Another maritime choke point is the Strait of Malacca. At the moment maritime traffic is at a maximum. Large ships have to make reservations in order to cross it. For China it is of vital importance. All oil and most commerce to and from China has to pass the strait. It’s very easy to block by just about anyone. India, for example, is fortifying the Andaman Isles just to be able to do that. A canal through the narrow part of Thailand in the deep south might solve that problem for China, and give them another route. Which could just as easily be blocked, but now you have two passages to control.

That would be the Kra Canal. That’s a centuries-old dream of Thailand/Siam/Ayutthaya. They always wanted such a canal. However, it’s far more difficult to construct than the Panama canal, so nothing ever happened. Many projects were initiated, but no shovel ever hit the dirt. As long as I have been in Thailand (30 years!) rumors about reviving the Kra canal came and went.

This time the Chinese government is putting a lot of pressure on Thailand to construct one. Money is not an issue. Engineering can be done by the Chinese. We finance it too, on (for China) excellent conditions. Just allow us to build the damn thing!

I doubt very much whether it will ever happen. Singapore isn’t exactly thrilled to see half of their maritime trade sail away. A small state, to be sure, but with a lot of commercial power. America won’t be overjoyed either. Biden or Trump doesn’t matter. A Kra canal is not in the interests of America.

Another problem that will rear its ugly head: the revolting southern muslim provinces. They are located exactly on the other side of the proposed canal. The first problem will be unruly muslims milking the project for all they can. The second problem is that once the canal is there, independence is no longer a pipe dream. Rather something that almost certainly will happen when those provinces are separated by a huge canal from the mainland. A lot of water will flow through the Chao Phraya before it will happen. If at all.

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Those High-Maintenance Migrants

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It’s widely accepted that “migrants” are a net financial drain on any Western nation that decides to import them en masse. The following article reports on the research conducted by a German economist in an effort to quantify the amount of money lost due to all the cultural enrichment.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from Junge Freiheit. The translator’s comments are in square brackets.

Note: the translator has also appended some interesting and useful material at the end of this translation:

Raffelhüschen: Immigration costs €5.8 trillion

The pension and social expert Raffelhüschen calculates the overall economic price of immigration. He dispels a myth, and describes migration policy as “dumb as straw”.

Berlin

The economist Bernd Raffelhüschen has presented a calculation of how expensive immigration is for the German population. Accordingly, mass migration creates an overall economic hole of €5,800,000,000,000 — in short, €5.8 trillion. [I’d love to know how much of that money has ended — and is still ending up — in the offshore accounts of the political “migration” mafia?]

The Freiburg professor dispelled the myth, promoted by all established parties, that immigration saves pension and social security funds. According to Raffelhüschen, there is already a large gap in the aging German society between what employers and employees pay in taxes, nursing care, pension and health insurance contributions and what they will be paid out in the future, says Raffelhüschen.

According to the expert, this “sustainability gap” will grow to €19.2 trillion if Germany continues to accept 300,000 foreigners annually. On the other hand, if we no longer allowed migrants into the country, the number would only be €13.4 trillion. Immigration increases the hole by €5.8 trillion. Raffelhüschen: “That is the price of immigration in our current system.”

Raffelhüschen: Foreigners pay little

On average, migrants would need six years to integrate into the German labor market. During this time they have scarcely paid anything into the social system. But even after that, according to his study, which he prepared for the Market Economy Foundation, things will hardly get any better. Because they earned significantly less than their German colleagues due to a lack of qualifications. As a result, they also paid fewer taxes and duties. However, they received the same sickness, nursing and pension benefits.

Raffelhüschen explained: “Although the age structure of migrants potentially has a demographic rejuvenation dividend, this does not lead to a positive fiscal balance of migration in any of the scenarios considered.”

To illustrate his results, Raffelhüschen chose an example: “An asylum seeker comes to Germany at the age of 26, is rejected after two to three years, but remains here with tolerance. Then he gradually begins his first jobs, gets qualified and, at the age of 35, begins a career as a tax and contribution payer. Because his pension entitlement is low, he receives basic security as a pensioner — for which his contributions would never have been enough.”

Even skilled immigration brings a loss

The 66-year-old scientist, who once advised the federal government in the so-called “Rürup Commission,” said: “It doesn’t pay off. This is all far too expensive.” This year alone, the federal government is making almost €50 billion available in its budget for migration — not including the costs to the social system.

Raffelhüschen has calculated that even with an additional immigration of 100,000 trained skilled workers per year, Germany would still show a loss. The “sustainability gap” would then still be €14.2 trillion — and therefore €800 billion above the financing burden without any immigration.

Raffelhüschen found clear words for the migration policy pursued so far by both the Merkel and now Scholz governments: “If we carry on as before, we are dumb as straw!”

Afterword from the translator:

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An Electrifying Experience in Schleswig-Holstein

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A Swedish battery company will be given a massive subsidy by the EU to build a battery factory in Schleswig-Holstein. The batteries produced there will be used by for electric vehicles; the project is part of the push for Net Zero in the EU.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from the daily news program Tagesschau. The translator’s comments are in square brackets:

EU approves subsidies

Northvolt battery factory can be built

The Swedish company Northvolt is permitted to build a large battery cell factory in Schleswig-Holstein near Heide as planned. The EU Commission approves subsidies worth €900 million.

The Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt can build its planned factory in Heide in Schleswig-Holstein. The EU Commission has approved the proposed funding for the billion-dollar project, it announced today. According to the commission, without the subsidy, Northvolt would have chosen a location in the USA.

“This €902 million measure is the first individual aid approved to prevent an investment from moving outside Europe,” said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The EU wants to produce more strategically important technologies such as batteries and semiconductors itself in order to become more independent from third countries such as China and the USA. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) emphasized: “I am very, very happy that this is happening today.” [I wonder how much of that money ends up in his offshore account and in gold bullion?]

3,000 new jobs

The Northvolt company was also pleased: “The EU Commission’s positive aid decision is groundbreaking not only for Northvolt’s settlement project in Heide, but for the European battery cell industry as a whole,” said a company spokesman. “We are now waiting for the municipal decisions as part of the ongoing land use plan process.”

Northvolt wants to produce battery cells for electric cars in the factory in the Dithmarschen district. According to the EU Commission, the plant in Heide will be able to produce batteries for 800,000 to one million electric cars per year. Production is scheduled to start in 2026 and reach full capacity in 2029. The €4.5 billion investment is expected to create 3,000 jobs. The company has already invested around €100 million of its own funds in the construction project in Heide, according to people close to the project.

Location advantages in Schleswig-Holstein

The federal and state governments are funding the project with around €700 million. There are also guarantees for a further €202 million. Of the funding, around €564 million go to the federal government and up to €137 million to the state. The funding is spread over several annual installments. The federal government released a funding decision in December. It was subject to state aid approval from the EU Commission.

The project will be the largest industrial project in Schleswig-Holstein in decades. Northvolt had always emphasized the locational advantages of the west coast. A lot of wind power is generated there on land and at sea, which the factory needs in large quantities.

Afterword from the translator:

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A Green Holodomor for Germany?

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The “climate crisis” provides a useful pretext for the oligarchs that rule over us, justifying interference with our daily lives down to the finest details — what we eat, what we wear, what we drive, where we live, and, most importantly, how much of each of these things we do. Saving the planet requires sacrifices on our part, and we are assured that will be brought to heel in service of this noble purpose.

The Green party in Germany is in the vanguard of the Western push to impoverish ordinary people in order to accomplish environmental goals. And, since the Greens are part of the current governing coalition, they are now in a position to impose their will on German citizens.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from the online news portal Nius:

Is the next bureaucracy monster coming? Greens demand “Resource Protection Act”

The Greens believe that Germany consumes too many raw materials. And that’s why they’re calling for a “resource protection law”. Is the next bureaucratic monster already lurking here?

The environmental policy spokesman for the Green parliamentary group, Jan-Niclas Gesenhues, called for a “resource protection law” on Thursday. The reason for this: Germans live well above their “ecological standards”.

“We need a resource protection law at the federal level in order to legally limit and reduce resource consumption in Germany,” said the member of the Bundestag in an interview with the editorial network Germany. “We live massively beyond our ecological circumstances.”

An environmental levy per ton of material is to be introduced

Germany consumes 16 tons of raw materials per capita every year. Germans would use 340 kg of packaging waste per capita. This would put Germany in second place in Europe. “We have to correct this in order to protect the environment and not burden future generations.” The Green politician called this government intervention a “market economy instrument”.

That is why there should now be binding reduction targets for materials such as gravel or sand by 2030. In addition, there should be an environmental tax per ton of material. Green lobby groups such as BUND have been calling for such a law for years. So far they have not been able to get their demands accepted.

Afterword from the translator:

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Forget the Windmills — We Like Nukes

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The French are well-known for bucking the zeitgeist and opting for nuclear power to provide the bulk of their electricity requirements. Now they are going further: they’re dismantling windmills in order to preserve the traditional French cultural landscape.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from the German outlet Apollo News:

Energy Transition the Other Way Around

France is dismantling wind turbines again

While Germany is wasting billions on the transformation to renewable energies, France is doing very well with its nuclear power. Now Paris is resisting EU plans and is even dismantling wind turbines.

Even on a day as windy as Friday, when Germany achieved record-breaking wind energy production levels, Germany emits significantly more CO2 per kilowatt hour than France.

France is taking a completely different approach from Germany’s: our western neighbor is even dismantling wind turbines in order to protect the landscape from damage. As a French energy expert reported to the French magazine Boulevard Voltaire, more and more wind turbines are being dismantled in order to protect France’s landscape culture.

The featured expert, Fabian Bougle, reported to the magazine that there were now numerous resolutions from several French state councils to give priority to respecting French cultural heritage. A few days ago, the appeals court in the French city of Nîmes ordered the dismantling of seven wind turbines that had been installed for seven years in the city of Lunas in the Hérault department because they had caused too much environmental damage.

It is not the first of its kind. A state council had previously decided to cancel the construction of wind farms because it would destroy the landscape that Marcel Proust describes in his work. Another French prefecture also canceled a wind turbine project because it would damage the landscapes that inspired Camille Pissarro’s paintings.

Expansion targets by 2030 — France rejects it

And politically France does not adhere to the rigid regulations of the EU. There is currently a real dispute between France and the European Commission because France does not want to commit to the expansion goals in renewable energy issues. It was only on Monday that the European Commission in Brussels published its recommendations on the member states’ energy-climate plans (PNEC — predicted no-effect concentration) for 2030.

The EU’s basic idea behind these recommendations is that countries must present their plans in detail and demonstrate the means by which member states want to achieve the European goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. However, according to the European Commission, with the plans presented so far there would only be a reduction of 51% at the European level, not the desired 55%. “The 21 draft plans received so far in their current form do not enable us to achieve our goals,” the commission wrote critically in its statement on Monday.

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We Have Ways of Making You Give Up Your Christmas Goodies!

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Here’s another example of “Bah Humbug” in Germany, but this time it’s not because of political correctness or Islam. It’s simple bureaucratic overreach by state agencies on behalf of entities that profit from the copyright on a Christmas musical ditty.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from the online news portal Nius:

Cookie trouble in North Rhine-Westphalia: Kindergartens are no longer allowed to sing “In the Christmas Bakery”

“There are lots of goodies in the Christmas bakery…” These are the words that begin the popular song by Rolf Zuckowski from 1987, which many people probably remember from their own childhood. Otto Waalkes sang it, and many others, too. To this day it is a hit in many kindergartens at Christmas time.

The popular Christmas song is now flying off the song list in two North Rhine-Westphalian daycare centers. But not because it’s suddenly too Christian. The bureaucracy is to blame, or rather — GEMA.

GEMA stands for “Society for Musical Performance and Mechanical Reproduction Rights”. And this GEMA puts a stop to the daycare hit: If the song is rehearsed and sung in front of the parents, this is considered a public performance and the kindergarten has to pay fees. This is what RTL reports. GEMA charges €150 for a public performance. That’s why a daycare center in Münsterland and one in Recke, near the Lower Saxony border, have decided to no longer perform songs that are subject to GEMA.

The CEO of one of the affected daycare centers, Björn Schmitz, explained in an interview with RTL: “It’s not about the amount of the fee, but rather the bureaucratic effort behind it.”

“I would have to pre-register every song we sing”

A piece only becomes officially license-free 70 years after the composer’s death; before that, public performance of the song incurs license fees, which GEMA collects on behalf of the rights-holders. To register via the GEMA online portal, you must specify exactly how long the celebration lasts, how large the area or room is in which the celebration takes place and how many minutes of it will be without music. “I would have to register every song we sing in advance,” explains daycare director Mechthild Ahrens in an interview with RTL. It is not possible to spontaneously start or play a song.

NRW does not have a framework agreement with GEMA

The problem with daycare centers in North Rhine-Westphalia is that this federal state, unlike others, does not have its own framework agreement with GEMA. That’s why every daycare center has to sign a contract itself and pay the fees — or simply forego certain songs. Each song must be registered individually; spontaneous singing performances are not possible. There is also another bureaucratic burden: the facilities have to specify how long the celebration lasts, how large the rooms are and how long music will be played.

Afterword from the translator:

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The Windmills of Your Mind

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Intuition tells us — at least those of us who are thoughtful observers — that the “net-zero” craze is a hoax that will not work, and will bankrupt any nation that seriously attempts to implement it.

There is now an academic study that backs up that intuition. It quantifies the catastrophic economic failure that would result if Greta Thunberg were to get her wish, and the developed world attempted an implementation of net-zero.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from Report24. The translator’s comments are in square brackets:

The Paris climate targets do not pass the cost-benefit test

A new comprehensive analysis examines whether implementing the Paris Agreement’s emissions policy goals will produce more good than harm. The result is sobering and should also alarm climate fanatics. We cannot destroy our economy just because we hope that it will have an improbable temperature effect.

Regardless of whether or not the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions actually has an effect on global temperature development, the implementation of laws, regulations and measures in this regard is guaranteed to have an effect on the world’s economic development. The — highly questionable — measures decided by politicians will also lead to massive economic upheaval in the coming decades. This is also illustrated by a new comprehensive analysis on this topic.

The analysis shows that even in the best-case scenarios, the trillions of dollars in costs (4.8% of GDP) associated with transitioning from fossil fuels to net-zero emissions by 2050 still outweigh the net benefits (3 .0% of GDP) in 2100. “The central estimate of the costs of climate policy, unrealistically assuming implementation at minimal cost, is in the range of 3.8-5.6% of GDP in 2100. The central estimate of the benefits of climate policy, unrealistically assuming high emissions without policy and constant vulnerability, is between 2.8-3.2% of GDP,”, according to the researchers.

These also explain that in 2050 — when “net zero” should be achieved according to politicians’ plans — “the best estimates of the benefits of the 1.5° C target would be around 0.5% of GDP”, “while the costs would be almost 5%”. So we are talking about a negative contribution ten times greater than any possible benefit. In various medium-sized model calculations you also get a negative cost-benefit ratio with a factor of two to four.

However, one should not forget that this analysis assumes a correlation between the CO2 content of the air and the temperature development. An assumption that has already been refuted by several research teams. For example, Report24 already has reported here, here, and here. This also means: All the measures taken by politicians to reduce CO2 emissions will have no significant impact on global temperatures, but will have a massive impact on economic developments. So we should prepare for a worst-case scenario for the economy…

Afterword from the translator:

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The COVID Corruption Business

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The huge amounts of “pandemic” money sloshing around in the budgets of various Western countries were an invitation to all sorts of grifters to put their snouts into the trough. The following scandal from Belgium is the latest to emerge. It seems that a politically connected operator was able to grease the right palms and get a lucrative (€50 million) COVID-money deal redirected to a favored crony.

Kathleen Depoorter is a member of the federal Belgian parliament for the New Flemish Alliance (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA). In the following video she calls out the country’s political leadership about the Corona money scandal.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

English-language articles about this scandal are scarce. The one below was the most comprehensive I could find. I realize that BNN Breaking is a deprecated source, but those who read French will find that this article from the Belgian state broadcaster RTBF lines up well with the BNN Breaking story:

Belgium’s Health Ministry Embroiled in Contract Controversy: A Deep Dive

by Ebenezer Mensah
December 9, 2023

In the heart of Belgium, a dispute has arisen, casting a shadow over Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke and the Federal Public Service (SPF) Health Public. At the core of the controversy is the awarding of a public contract initially entrusted to Belgian SME Medista, for the distribution and storage of strategic reserve of medicines, COVID-19 tests, and vaccines. In 2022, the contract was transitioned to French multinational company Movianto, bringing the fairness of the process under scrutiny.

Medista Cries Foul

Medista, holder of the contract from 2020 to 2022, contested the decision, alleging that an SPF Health Public official unfairly assisted Movianto. In an attempt to validate their claims, Medista presented evidence, including hidden camera videos obtained with the assistance of Black Cube, a private investigation firm staffed by ex-members of the Israeli intelligence service.

Medista also claimed unpaid invoices amounting to EUR 5.3 million from the SPF, unsuccessfully challenging the contract award in the Council of State, and sought to amicably settle the dispute.

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Digital Dystopia

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The European Union is implementing a digital ID, which will be coupled with the digital euro and personal health data (an extension of the “vaccine passport”) to produce a comprehensive digital profile for each EU citizen. It’s not hard to see the erosion of personal privacy that will emerge out of this digital gulag.

Dominik Kettner is a German entrepreneur whose specialty is the precious metals trade, and is also a prolific vlogger who produces numerous videos on finance-related topics. In the following video he talks about the implementation of the digital euro, and the danger it poses to the civil liberties of European citizens.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

Video transcript:

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Russia Floods Africa With Free Grain

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Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from the Eurobrics news portal:

Despite sanctions: Russia delivers free grain to Africa

Despite the harsh sanctions policy of the collective West, Russia is recording consistently positive or even record results in most of its economic sectors. In the agricultural and food sector, for example, Moscow achieved a historic high last year — a total harvest of almost 160 million tons of grain.

As a result, Russian exports also increased significantly: in the 2022/23 agricultural year, Russian grain deliveries abroad totaled around 60 million tons. The export of wheat, flour and wheat products is expected to amount to 45 million tonnes, which corresponds to a global market share of around 20%.

This means that the turnover of the Russian agricultural sector is also increasing. According to the TASS news agency, which refers to preliminary information from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, Russia was able to increase its income from agricultural exports by 12% to a record US$41.5 billion in the summer compared to 2021. The Ministry of Agriculture officially expects an increase to US$45 billion.

For Russia, this recovery is essentially vital after the catastrophic decline of its entire agricultural sector in the 1990s and the associated food supply crises. In this respect, the decision in Russia was correct to even manifest the guarantee of food self-sufficiency as part of the national doctrine on food security in 2010.

Thanks to billions of euros in subsidies or support programs that have since flowed to agricultural producers, a 90% self-sufficiency level for the most important staple foods in the country, as defined by the doctrine, has been guaranteed for several years, so that the Russian government is now focusing on an agricultural policy set on Export.

Free grain for African crisis countries

Countries in Africa and Asia that repeatedly struggle with food crises will benefit from this. In this regard, at the Russia-Africa Summit last July, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his intention to provide free grain as humanitarian aid to six African countries on the World Food Program list. These crisis states are Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Mali, Zimbabwe, Somalia and the Central African Republic, which were originally supposed to receive up to 50,000 tons of grain from Russia. The scope of this aid has now been increased by the Russian Foreign Ministry to 200,000 tons of wheat.

The move came after Moscow previously refused to extend the grain agreement with Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations Organization. This deal was intended to enable exports of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizer from Ukrainian Black Sea ports along a secure maritime corridor to countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In addition, the contract should, among other things, lift those Western sanctions that are directed against the Russian agricultural sector. This included, for example, lifting the ban on grain and fertilizer exports, lifting certain sanctions in the banking sector or on the import of agricultural machinery.

Despite the fact that Western sanctions — which curb Russian agricultural exports — remain in place, Russia is already implementing its agricultural aid promise, sending the first Russian ship with free grain to Africa in November. As Russian media recently reported, citing the Somali national news agency SONNA, a ship carrying 25,000 tons of free wheat from Russia arrived in Somalia last week.

“Somalia has received an urgently needed aid shipment of 25,000 tons of wheat from Russia to combat the consequences of floods in the country. The aid shipment, which arrived in Mogadishu on Thursday, was handed over to the Somali Disaster Management Authority (SoDMA),” it said.

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