Reality consumes the illusion:

Russia increased oil exports by 7% and LNG exports by 8% in 2022 in terms of volume.

Commodities are at critical levels in terms of inventories.

This is going to cause inflation if that remains the case.

Inflation remains poorly understood in too much of the #fintwit world.

Not remotely surprising to the relative few of us in west who actually understand China rather then experts who know absolutely nothing.

China’s strongman president has reversed his decisions on a wide range of policies, wrong footing rest of the world.

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/the-xi-nobody-saw-coming-20230116-p5ccqj

Increasingly hearing this across Europe.

Vienna:

Europe's future security architecture should include Russia

Clown show continues via the nation which excels in hypocrisy:

The US is purchasing VGO from Indian refineries made from Russian crude oil.

The right in the US is projecting fear of rise of China whilst trying to make out China is collapsing.

Would be better spending time and energy dealing with demise of their own nation.

It has never been China's desire to be an hegemonic power. That is merely the very myopic mindset of the west who believe that's the only way the world can operate.

Multipolarity is the very antidote to hegemony.

Clown show continues. The UK never fails to disappoint.

UK steps up imports from India's biggest refinery, which imports crude from Russia.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/01/14/india-offers-russian-oil-back-door-britain/

Clown show that never ends:

According to the European Commission, private investors should assist with the conflict in Ukraine and help financially.

When you look at comments made by western Chinese experts they genuinely believe what they say is true despite all the evidence to the contrary.

In a broader context we see the same ludicrous statements regarding how the US reigns supreme.

Detachment from reality is stark.

Interesting to see the climbdown in the alt media about the WEF.

Some are furious with us for exposing their entertainment.

But don't worry, they will find something else to drive fear into you. Otherwise they have nothing to say.

So it continues:

Saudi Arabia Says Open to Settling Trade in Other Currencies than the dollar

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-17/saudi-arabia-open-to-talks-on-trade-in-currencies-besides-dollar

In the eyes of far too many westerners eyes it ok for the US to wage endless wars, regime change attempts, assassinate leaders, weaponise the dollar and threaten and coerce nations, because the US is a democracy and is protecting the freedoms of its people and other democracies.

Flipside is that China is nasty horrible authoritarian dictatorship so reality of whatever they actually do internationally is irrelevant because it's inherently evil as they aren't a democracy like us even though we actually project dictatorial policies globally ourselves.

Sixteen people have been killed, including Ukraine's interior affairs minister, after a helicopter crashed beside a kindergarten in an eastern suburb of the capital Kyiv.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64315594

Russian energy rotation continues and western sanctions continue to be a failure.

Exports of Russia's seaborne crude oil rose to 3.8m barrels last week, highest level since April 2022 and a weekly rise of 30%.

Largely to Asia and decreasingly to Europe.

So it turns out that Brussels now wants EU member states to make additional contributions because most of their monetary reserves have been drained due to Ukraine war.

Stupidity knows no bounds.

Stoltenberg at WEF:

More NATO troops on the Russian border is not a threat to Russia.

On that basis Russia can presumably open up military bases in Mexico and station Russian forces there.

Jacinda Ardern has said she is resigning saying she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job.

Don't be surprised to see more resignations going forward.

It is becoming clear that western govts are now struggling to keep the momentum going wrt Ukraine war. They have finally realised Russia does mean what it always said in that if necessary they will keep the war going for years. West fears its unable to match that commitment.

Appears Kiev has reached out to Beijing to act as a mediator in discussions with Russia about ending the war.