DEVELOPING: Russia Threatens To NUKE Norway In Response Of US Marines Deployed

Norway has been warned by a senior Russian politician that it could now be a nuclear target after it allowed for the deployment of 330 US Marines.  

Frants Klintsevich, a deputy chairman of Russia's defence and security committee, said the deployment of US Marines at Værnes was part of a US build-up and made Norway fair game in the event of a nuclear confrontation.

Mr Klintsevich told Russia's TV2 channel the Kremlin viewed the 330 Marines in Norway as a direct military threat.

Norway joined Nato in 1949 but only after giving what was then the Soviet Union an assurance they would never allow foreign troops to be stationed there. 

The Local newspaper reported Mr Klintsevich said of the deployment of US Marines:'This is very dangerous for Norway and Norwegians.

'How should we react to this? We have never before had Norway on the list of targets for our strategic weapons. But if this develops, Norway's population will suffer.'

'Because we need to react against definitive military threats. And we have things to react to, I might as well tell it like it is.'

Norway's defence minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide, has rejected Russia's criticisms and said the deployment at Værnes, near Trondheim - about 700 miles from the Russian border - which is only a test run which will be reconsidered next year.

She said: 'There is no objective reason for the Russians to react to this. But the Russians are reacting at the moment in the same way toward almost everything the Nato countries are doing.' 

Major General Niel Nelson, commander of US Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, said the deployments would provide an opportunity for the corps to train directly with Norwegian troops.

'Having a rotational presence in Norway enhances the collective ability of our two forces to work together,' he told the Marine Corps Times.

25% Of Millennials Say “End Of The World” Better Than Trump Or Clinton

One in four young Americans are so dissatisfied by US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump that they would rather a meteor destroy Earth than have either of them in the White House.

The UMass Lowell/ Odyssey poll asked millennials to choose their preferred outcome for the elections; either Clinton or Trump winning the election, Barack Obama remaining as president for the rest of his life, a giant meteor wiping out humanity, or a random lottery to pick the president.

The results reveal young voters would rather die than elect Trump or Clinton.

More than half of those polled said they’d choose a meteor destroying the Earth over Trump winning the election, and 34 percent chose the planet's destruction over a Clinton White House.

“We do not take our respondents at their word that they are earnestly interested in seeing the world end, but we do take their willingness to rank two constitutional crises and a giant meteor ahead of these two candidates with startling frequency as a sign of displeasure and disaffection with the candidates and the 2016 election,” Professor Joshua Dyck explained.

For 39 percent of respondents, Barack Obama announcing his presidency for life would be better than either of the current candidates winning. Just over a quarter said it would be better if the next president was just selected by lottery.

The poll was conducted between October 10 and 13, with a random sample of 1,247 voters aged 18-35 from across the US.

When asked to choose between Clinton and Trump, 54 percent chose Clinton, and 21 said Trump.

Voters were also asked how they would vote if former Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders was against Trump instead of Clinton. Some 67 percent chose Sanders over Trump.

In a Mike Pence v Clinton election, pollers said Clinton would win 63 percent to 21 percent.

The poll revealed 92 percent of respondents had heard about Trump’s 2005 controversial comments about women, with 41 percent saying it made them less likely to support the Republican candidate, while 11 percent said it made them more likely to vote for Trump.

WAR DRUMS: Russia Warns US Of “Painful” And “Asymmetrical” Response To Any New Sanctions

Russia warned on Wednesday of “asymmetrical” and “painful” response if the United States were to place new or tougher sanctions on Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made the remarks to Russian lawmakers on Wednesday after the United States and United Kingdom talks on possible toughening of sanctions on Russia Sunday. He stated “If the US opts to further toughen sanctions in defiance of common sense and in disregard of its experience that has already been quite painful for them, then we will find measures in our toolbox that will have a painful impact, particularly in terms of America’s positioning in the world.”

Later on Wednesday, Russia’s lower house of Parliament voted in a bill to suspend the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement with the United States, employing the Vienna Convention. A reported 445 voted in favor, with one abstention from the 450-member Russian State Duma. Russia cited the decision and bill to “hostile actions” by the United States.

The bill passed will “suspend the agreement between the Russian and the US governments on the disposition of plutonium, designated as plutonium no longer required for defense purposes, its use and cooperation in this field.”

WAR DRUMS: U.S To Deploy Anti-Missile System In South Korea ‘As Soon As Possible’

The United States will speed up deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system to South Korea given the pace of North Korea's missile tests, and it will be stationed there "as soon as possible," the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday.

Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asia, also told a congressional hearing the United States was in discussions with international partners, including the European Union, to deny North Korea access to international banking infrastructure after its recent nuclear and missile tests.

Russel told the House subcommittee for Asia the timing of the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system was a Pentagon matter.

But he added: "Given the accelerating pace of North Korea's missile tests, we intend to deploy on an accelerated basis. I would say as soon as possible."

Asked if the deployment was a “done deal," Russel replied: “Yes.”

A Pentagon spokesman, Commander Gary Ross, said THAAD would be deployed "as soon as feasible," but declined to give a specific timeline.

Russel told Reuters last week THAAD deployment was not negotiable as part of efforts to agree on new U.N. sanctions on North Korea after its fifth nuclear test on Sept. 9.

China, whose full backing is widely seen as crucial for sanctions on North Korea to be effective, is strongly opposed to THAAD and some experts have argued it should be part of talks on new U.N. measures.

Russel said China shared concerns about North Korea's nuclear program and there had been a vast improvement in cooperation on sanctions, even though there was "an awful lot more" Beijing needed to do to tighten them.

He said there had been "a very constructive and honest candid set of ongoing conversations" with China on new sanctions and added: "I hope you will see, as one of the products of that, real headway in the discussions."

Asked if consideration was being given to restricting North Korea's access to banking transaction services, such as the Swift system, Russel replied: "We are in discussions with our partners, including the EU, about tightening the application of sanctions and pressure, including and particularly to deny North Korea access to the international banking infrastructure."

Russel said the United States and its allies Japan and South Korea had been working to cut off North Korean revenue streams from coal and overseas workers and were considering further joint action.

WAR DRUMS: Russia Deploying Largest Naval Force Since Cold War For Syria

Just moments ago we reported that in the latest escalation involving Syria, the Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov was now sailing past Norway on its way to Syria, where it is expected to arrive in just under 2 weeks.  As part of the carrier naval group, Russia also deployed an escort of seven other Russian ships, which we dubbed the "most powerful Russian naval task force to sail in northern Europe since 2014" according to Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily reports.

It turns out it it was even bigger, because according to a NATO diplomat cited by Reuters, Russia is "deploying all of the Northern fleet and much of the Baltic fleet in the largest surface deployment since the end of the Cold War," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

"This is not a friendly port call. In two weeks, we will see a crescendo of air attacks on Aleppo as part of Russia's strategy to declare victory there," the diplomat said.

An intensified air campaign in eastern Aleppo, where 275,000 people are trapped, would further worsen ties between Moscow and the West, according to the diplomat who added that "With this assault, it should be enough to allow a Russian exit strategy if Moscow believes Assad is now stable enough to survive."

As we reported earlier, photos of the vessels have been released by the Norwegian military. A Norwegian newspaper quoted the head of the Norwegian military intelligence service saying the ships involved "will probably play a role in the deciding battle for Aleppo".was more than this and as Reuters reported second ago, citing a NATO diplomat, Russia is in fact deploying the largest naval force since end of Cold War to reinforce its Syria campaign.  From Reuters:While there is little we can add to this that we did not just say in the previous post, we want to remind readers what the east Meditteranean looked like in the summer of 2013, when the first escalation between Russia and the US converted the sea off the Syrian coastline into a parking lot for warships.

For those who missed it, here are the highlights from our previous post on the composition of the Russian flotilla:

According to a report by the Norwegian military which released pictures taken by surveillance aircraft, we know that the Kuznetsov accompanied by a fleet of Russian warships, is currently on its way to Syria and is sailing in international waters off the coast of Norway near Trondheim. Photos of the vessels, which include the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the Pyotr Velikiy battle cruiser, were taken near Andoya island, in northern Norway on Monday.

As reported by Reuters , a spokesman for the Norwegian military intelligence service said the country's armed forces frequently releases such footage, while newspaper VG quoted General Morten Haga Lunde, head of the service, as saying the eight ships involved "will probably play a role in the deciding battle for Aleppo". According to Russia's TASS state news agency, the aircraft carrier would carry 15 Su-33 and MIG-29K jet fighters and over 10 Ka-52K, Ka-27 and ??-31 helicopters.

The naval group which includes the carrier and its escort of seven other Russian ships, is the most powerful Russian naval task force to sail in northern Europe since 2014, Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily reports. The carrier can carry more than 50 aircraft and its weapons systems include Granit anti-ship cruise missiles.

Next in the flotilla, in terms of firepower, is the Russian nuclear-powered battle cruiser Peter the Great.

The Kirov-class cruiser Peter the Great escorts the carrier

As BBC adds, a Norwegian Lockheed P-3 Orion reconnaissance plane, monitoring the force, photographed the ships. MiG-29 Fulcrum jets and combat helicopters were visible on the carrier's deck.

The other Russian surface ships in the group are: two large anti-submarine warships - the Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov - and four support vessels.

Several of the task force ships are shown in this Norwegian photo

Ex-Witch Reveals the Ritual Satanic Abuse That Happens on Halloween

Ex-witch Beth says she used to love Halloween—until she connected the dots.  

"I really don't like to give a lot of details about it because it's very hard to talk about and, quite frankly, I don't want to disturb (people completely)," Beth says in a new video.  

Since her salvation in recent years and subsequent inner healings and deliverance, Beth came to realize she was abused in a satanic ritual on Halloween when she was just 3.  

"We went to the (Mormon) church and what happened next made my blood curdle. I was given candy, but that was just a prelude to the sexual abuse that would happen in a satanic ritual," Beth reveals in her blog.  

"On Halloween, Satanists use young children, such as myself, as sexual idols to worship. Other children receive a far worse fate. Death. I know for some this is more than you can even think to believe, but it is true. I can barely write these words because the pain of the truth is almost more than I can bear. If it wasn't for the grace and love of Jesus Christ, I would not even be here writing this at all." 

Swedish Court Allows The Flying Of ISIS Flag

A Swedish court has dismissed a case against a Muslim man accused of inciting racial hatred for flying an Islamic State flag because it is not an expression of hate speech. The now 23-year-old from Laholm, in Halland County posted a photo of himself posing with the flag as his Facebook profile picture in December 2015, but removed it when it was reported to police in March. The Syrian-born man was facing felony charges of inciting racial hatred, but Prosecutor Gisela Sjovalls

said she had made the decision to drop the charges “after careful consideration back and forth,” reports Hallandsposten. Sjovalls said the waving of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) flag cannot be considered hate speech because it is not an expression of disrespect towards any ethnic or minority group, for example, in the same way the swastika could be considered a symbol of racial hatred. Instead, IS are “against everyone except those who don’t belong to IS.”

“I Will Not Repent of the Destruction that is Coming upon America”

This message grieves my heart to write and even now I have tears streaming down my face. I must be obedient to my call and release this message in hope and prayer that a few will receive it and turn to the Only One that can save them, Jesus Christ.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come (Jesus), then that which is in part will be done away. (1 Corinthians 13:8-9)

These words were spoken to me in the Spirit:

“Those who have spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear, look and listen. I tell you these things so that fear will not overcome you and so that you are prepared. I AM the only shelter from the coming storm, under the shadow of My wings you will find peace and comfort. I AM the song in your heart, I AM the only joy for your soul, I AM love and you will arise and shine as My glory is poured out upon you to give you strength.

When you see The Event that has been prophesied by My messengers and foretold by the fallen ones, you will understand what time it is. It is the time of the end. It shall not be postponed, for once again I tell you very few have turned away from their sin. On the contrary this world gets darker by the day in every nation on the earth.

Many will begin this season strong in Me, but will stumble and fall because of fear and doubt.

You must remember My words and My promises, and keep yourself humble before Me. You must show love to your fellow man, your neighbors. If you turn them away, you are turning Me away. You must walk in the power of My Spirit and though you stumble and even fall, you will not stay down.

You Must be born of the Spirit and your sins washed away by My blood, baptized and full of My Holy Spirit to make it through this time. Praying in the Spirit without ceasing will be the way you gain the strength and refresh yourself to be able to stand back up after you fall.

Those who have been causing division in My body will be stopped. For they shall be shaken to the very core of their being by this event. My body shall be shaken the hardest for it is asleep. I have said, ‘ENOUGH! AWAKEN!’

I will once again flip the tables of the money changers. All religious activity that uses My name, yet is without the power of My Holy Spirit, will cease to exist. There will be no more middle road of compromise, you will either follow Me or follow the enemy. I tell you ahead of time that My way will not be the easy way, so count the cost now, but My way is the only way to life. My way will be supernatural in protection, power, and provision.

America, The Event planned for your shores will be ten times more destructive than anything you have ever seen before, for you have rejected Me and My ways and My laws.

I will allow this so-called terrorist act, so that your blinders will be removed and you will see the evil that runs this system of Babylon the great. All the games, charades and political theater will be over and your leaders will be shown for who they truly are. The fire of fury that will be unleashed will be astounding, but this will only be the beginning. Even worse disasters will come upon this land that once knew Me. Your entire banking system will begin to crumble after this first event. It will falter at first and then seem to stabilize for a season and then come crashing down never to recover again. Men shall riot, loot, steal, and kill because of the lack of food. The people will cry out for protection from their government and martial law will be declared. Most will cry and weep for the days of old but they are never to return.

And what of the one who was to make you great again? I AM the Great I AM!

Disease, famine, and civil war shall be upon your land and brother shall fight brother and father be against son. America, I tell you, troops from other nations that are said to bring peace will divide your land and hold you captive.

My city and My land will never be divided by you. I will NOT allow it! This land shall be divided by a great earthquake and the seas shall rise upon you, O Babylon the Great. War looms on the horizon even now as you concentrate on things that don’t matter and will never come to pass. In the end, America shall fall in one day and it shall be burnt from one end to the other. Then your false hope shall arrive from the heavens and most will take their mark and worship the beast because they did not know Me. Oh why America could you not see that I AM your Savior?

I have warned and pleaded with you America for many years and the warnings are over.

Oh how I have cried and interceded for this nation to come back to me, but it will not.

You have been blessed with more abundance of food and material wealth than any nation ever, yet you do not thank Me. You stand tall and proud, but you will be made to bow as you are humbled.

I have loved you, but you have gone after idols and strayed from the straight and narrow way.

This is My final course of action toward you America.  It never had to be this way.

I have a remnant in you that I will protect for they will be the reapers of the great harvest of souls. Many more of My own shall I take to be with Me out of the devastation and destruction brought upon this land.

America this is your final hour.

Repent before your Creator, Savior, and God.

I will not repent of the destruction that is coming upon America.

I AM Jesus the risen Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Computer Chip Implants Causing Terrible Problems

News media reports and corporate advertisements around the world are selling all the benefits of computer chip implants with hardly any mention of the serious consequences. This post tells the other side of the story.

I found this classic quote on the FDA website:

“The FDA is not aware of any adverse events associated with RFID.” (Source: FDA)

This is an amazing statement coming from an agency of the federal government in a nation founded on Christian faith and principles. Our forefathers would have been all over it, but there were no chip implants in those days. By the time the technology finally arrived, Americans have forgotten the dangers. It is safe to say our nation’s spiritual radar system is down.

We cannot count on our government to warn anyone about these dangers. They are more likely to mandate chip implants than protect anyone from them.

To their credit, the FDA followed up that statement by identifying one problem, “the potential hazard of electromagnetic interference (EMI) to electronic medical devices from radio frequency transmitters like RFID.” However, they made no mention of medical reports showing chip implants caused the growth of malignant cancerous tumors in laboratory rodents and dogs. (Source:WashingtonPost.com)

There are also security problems. Although people promoting them say the implants currently on sale can only be picked up by readers in very close range, some people worry that strangers could still tap their personal information without their knowledge or consent. RFID chips can be read from up to 33 feet, but scanners must be within four inches to read NFC chips (Near-Field Communication), which is why NFC chips are becoming the most likely chip to replace credit cards.

The Bible warns of another problem with chip implants that makes all of the above small by comparison. Anyone who receives the mark on his forehead or on his hand will be tormented with fire and brimstone and the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They will have no rest day or night.

9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11)

Verse 11 separates worshipping the beast from receiving the mark. So even people who refuse to worship the beast are still doomed if they receive the mark because either of these offenses result in the same penalty.

In her book entitled “I Am the God that Reveals,” Dr. Patricia Green shares this word she received from God:

“I warn My people in advance not to take the mark of the Beast. Is it better to gain the world and lose your soul? Remember, I have repeatedly warned you that when the abomination of desolation is set up in the temple, My return is very close. Do not take the mark of the Beast. Do not bow down to the abomination of desolation that has set himself up as God. Do not love your life that you lose your eternal salvation. Do not fear death, but fear the One who can cast you into hell.”

Professional violinist Maurice Sklar received insights into another problem, which is the immediate impact the mark in transforming the very nature of the recipient. In a 24 March 2014 interview onTribulation Now Radio, he made the following comments:

“There was this hologram movie kind of… where the antichrist was three dimensional, it was like he was in front of you, but he wasn’t.  I have never seen technology quite this advanced.  They said, “You’re going to be alright, we’ll take care of you, just bow down on your knees, and receive me’ Almost like he’s Lord, but he said it in such a way that it didn’t seem like a big deal, but it was.  They could not touch the person until they got down on their knees.  I didn’t put that in what I wrote, but when they got down on their knees, then there was this automatic thing that they got stamped.  It looked like an electronic tattoo or stamp.  I believe in some parts of the world, it was on their forehead, some parts was on their hand.  The right hand, but I saw a forehead.  And then they went into this room in the back, and they had food and they could eat, they slept, but when they came out, they were like zombies.  They had lost their mind, they were in a complete takeover, like “i robot” movie.  It was like a taking over of their whole being.  They lost their soul.  You could tell. Many of them, the ones that were young, the ones that were fit, were immediately brought into the military, this police force, and they were given weapons and they were like zombies, they went out and joined the police that were rounding everyone up.”

As strange as it sounds, Maurice Sklar’s testimony is supported by video interviews with people living in rural areas of the Philippines. They claim government agents have been arresting people and forcing them to accept microchip implants in their hand and a black 666 tattoo on their forehead. They also explained how the implants changed the recipients into very different people. We live in a world filled with liars, so I don’t know if these testimonies are true, but decided to share them only because they confirm what Maurice Sklar saw in his dream. (Source:DailyMotion.com)

Christian blogger Elvi Zapata shares an even more disturbing testimony about the impact of the mark, which in certain cases is irreversible and eternal. The following is an excerpt from his testimony about an encounter he had with a 19-year old boy who had already received the chip implant. These comments were transcribed starting at the 24-minute mark of the video below.

“When I began to talk about the mark of the beast back in 2012, I noticed that I began to get the attention of many people. Many people were touched by the message and by the testimony that we had given back then. In 2013, I began to receive messages from people who had gotten the mark of the beast. I think it was March 25, 2013 that the Mark of the beast was official in the United States.

Christians had received the Mark and I began to be contacted by a young man who had gotten the mark of the beast and he had said himself in his own words in writing that the Holy Spirit used to speak to him and when he got the mark the Holy Spirit stopped talking to him.

When I began telling him what the Lord was speaking to me, he wanted me to go ask the Lord because he said he went with a friend to a government federal building and got the mark of the beast. He said it was because he heard so much about the secure information that the RFID chip, I keep saying the mark of the beast, but the RFID is the mark of the beast. It is the system of the beast.

So he went and got the RFID in 2013. And the moment he got the RFID, this is his own words, he used to pray before since he was seven years old. He remembered since he was seven, he was very young, that he used to hear the voice of the Lord. He was raised in a Christian home and all that. He used to hear the voice of the Lord. And when he went and got the RFID with his friend, he would cry out, he would cry and go into his room, but he never heard the voice of the Lord after that. He said he fasted. He prayed and cried out like never before in his life, but the Lord would not speak again to him.

He contacted me to ask me if I would ask the Lord if he would forgive him and talk to him. I went in prayer with the Lord, seeking the leading of the Lord in this. This was the first time for me to hear something like this. I was shaking, I was stunned by this young man who was 19-years old at the time he got it. I was stunned. I was very nervous when this young man contacted me. And I tell you this because other people began to contact me too.

He contacted me and told me this, so I went to the Lord. And I remember the Lord saying to me, “What he did, he did it knowingly and he will not be forgiven for this.”

I was so shocked by what I heard from the Lord, that I went and contacted a dear brother who hears the Father very clear. He has a great relationship with the Father. I said, “Brother will you please ask God? I need you to go ask the father before I can go back to this young man. “

I told him what this young man had done. So this brother went to the father and this brother got a similar word. And the word was, the Father said to him, “Because he made the decision to take this mark of the beast, this RFID,” God said, “I will not allow him ever to come into my throne or to come into my heaven.”

When this brother (referring to his friend, not the 19-year old boy) gave me this word and I had shared with him what the Lord Jesus had said to me, he was also shocked. He was like wow. We were both like, my goodness. These are powerful words. There is nothing like this I have ever shared on the air before. So to me it was like, Oh my God!

To say this on the air, and this young man heard it on the air, he listened to the high tower, but he never contacted me again. I am sure he was so brokenhearted by this.

That’s why I wanted to make sure this word came from God because I was so shocked The words would not come out of my mouth. I was nervous. I was shaking. I was shaking for days. It was such a strong word that I received from the Lord and what the Father said to him too.

I went back to The Lord and asked, “This is your word? “

And he said, “Yes.”

Although it is not mandatory yet, the mark of the beast is here. Things are moving along much faster than most people realize, which makes sense because churches in America are mostly silent on this subject. Pastors avoid it because it is too controversial, but it needs attention because everyone needs to be warned about what is happening and the eternal consequences of receiving computer chip implants.

It is time to draw closer to God than ever before so when the day comes when chip implants become mandatory, we will stand firm in faith no matter what the cost.

RUMORS OF WAR: US And Russia In Dangerous Spiral

Relations between Moscow and Washington are on a precipitous decline, as Russia attempts to assert itself as a resurgent world power in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Deploying nuclear-tipped long-range missiles in its Baltic enclave in Kaliningrad and anti-aircraft batteries across Syria, threatening military partnerships with Cuba and Egypt and dispensing with a 16-year-old US-Russia nuclear agreement, the Kremlin and the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, appear to be preparing the nation for prolonged conflict with the West.

Decades of cold war between Soviet Russia and the United States never featured such a brazen attempt at disrupting the government of the other as we are witnessing today, say US intelligence agencies, which last week formally accused Moscow of attempting to interfere in America’s already-turbulent presidential election.

Their analyses point to a multi-pronged Russian attack on the Democratic Party, the campaign of its nominee, Hillary Clinton, and vulnerable state and local election systems. 

This includes a contractor for Florida’s election system, according to the FBI, which has warned that the information of tens of thousands of voters may have been stolen. Given the extent of the coordinated, well-executed attack, “only Russia’s seniormost officials could have authorized these activities,” James Clapper, US director of national intelligence, said in a statement.

Russia’s decision to increase its military presence in Kaliningrad has spooked the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – members of NATO and the most likely battlegrounds for a test of the military alliance by Moscow.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has said he would pause before coming to their defense if they don’t pay their full membership fee of 2% of GDP. He also has questioned the value and necessity of the NATO alliance itself.

Trump, whose advisers have extensive Kremlin ties and whose family had significant investments in Russia (according to his son, Donald Trump Jr., in 2008) says he would seek to improve ties with the Russian government as president.

Yet an improvement of ties, in Trump’s view, may simply mean acquiescence to Moscow on a host of fronts, from the Baltics to Syria, where Russia is now under investigation for war crimes due to its air assault against civilian targets in the city of Aleppo.

Trump said last week that Aleppo – the starved holdout of a rebellion against nominal Syrian president Bashar Assad– has “basically fallen” and should be abandoned. Syria is no longer Syrian, but Russian and Iranian, he said on a debate stage with Clinton, who shook her head in disapproval.

Negotiations restarted on Saturday on the Syrian crisis in Lausanne, Switzerland, where US Secretary of State John Kerry hoped to get regional powers – Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt – on the same page. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov threw cold water on the meetings at the start, saying he has “no special expectations” for the summit.

Given its stated interest in expanding its sphere of influence, once again, into Eastern Europe and the Middle East – actions that Trump has not opposed, and appears willing to facilitate – Democratic leadership and US intelligence officials fear they are witnessing a concerted Russian effort to interfere in the US election to his benefit.

But they see other motivations as well. Russia has long sought to undermine American confidence in its democratic system of government, and sowing doubt through its own hacking of that system furthers that goal. Moscow sees Trump – who has for months warned that the election may be rigged – reinforcing their efforts by his own volition.

A third motivation may be forward- thinking, as Putin faces the prospects of a turbulent election of his own in 2017-18, the centennial of the Russian Revolution. Fearful of mass protests over Russia’s economic decline – prompted by unparalleled inequality and aggravated by international sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine – Putin has consolidated homeland security, police and counter-terrorism forces into one National Guard answerable only to him.

He has given this new force the legal ability to fire on crowds using live ammunition without warning, and search and seize private property without warrant.

Putin’s foreign policy is unified by his opposition to democratic uprisings – in Syria, in Ukraine and historically in Eastern Europe, where protests for liberal democratic governance unshackled from Russia nations historically in its sphere of influence.

American accusations of Russian interference in this presidential election set up a narrative that allows Putin next year to level similar charges against the United States, Russia experts warn.

Russian officials have touted its role in the US election as “flattery” and its actions in Syria and Eastern Europe as evidence of its relevance.

“It’s flattering, of course, to get this kind of attention,” Lavrov said last week, “for a ‘regional power,’ as President Obama called us some time ago.”

Putin also suggested that Russia’s actions had the effect of elevating its profile on the world stage: “Let us not forget that we bear special responsibility as the two largest nuclear powers for maintaining international peace and security at the global level.”

Russian state-run media is taking cues from its leadership, running increasingly militaristic segments on the state of relations. One channel, NTV, suggested all citizens identify their nearest bomb shelters, suggesting the possibility of impending nuclear conflict.

In an interview with three journalists over the weekend, Moscow’s envoy to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said relations with Washington are at their lowest point since 1973.

“It’s kind of a fundamental lack of respect and lack of in-depth discussions,” Churkin said, adding: “If the change of administration is going to help, that’s fine.”

5 Urgent Warnings From Big Banks That The “Economy Has Gone Suicidal”

The economy has gone suicidal.

It is working against the very people who need its energy to survive. It is collapsing on its own weight, and the weight of literally incalculable levels of toxic debt. And it is going to create the greatest disaster of our time, if the warnings from the world’s most powerful bankers are any indication.

While the general population is obsessed with the details of the world’s most entertaining and bizarre election in American history, the big banks are gearing up for a deadly serious economic collapse.

Just during the past few weeks, there have been major discussions about stock markets dropping, the insolvency of Europe’s biggest investment bank, the mounting debt crisis and a deeper, long-term decline for ‘everyday Americans.’

Here’s what you probably missed while the Hillary-Trump cage match has taken over the collective psyche:

1. HSBC Issues “Red Alert” Over Imminent Sell-Off of Stocks

The U.S. stock market is artificially propped up by the Federal Reserve, but their ability to stimulate the economy has worn off. Immunity has set in, and they’ve got nothing left.

It is only a matter of time until Yellen raises rates.

When the shoe drops, everything falls with it.

via Business Insider:

In a note to clients released Wednesday, Murray Gunn, the head of technical analysis for HSBC, said he had become on “RED ALERT” for an imminent sell-off in stocks given the price action over the past few weeks.
[…]
In late September, Gunn said the stock market’s moves looked eerily similar to those just before the 1987 stock market crash. Citi’s Tom Fitzpatrick also highlighted the market’s similarities to the 1987 crash just a few days ago. “With the US stock market selling off aggressively on 11 October, we now issue a RED ALERT,” Gunn said.

2. I.M.F. Issues “Stability Warning” Over Deutsche Bank

Germany’s – and Europe’s – largest investment bank is in the midst of a terrible crisis with its balance sheets, overloaded with toxic debt that is big enough to topple several continents.Goldman Sachs and others, of course, have echoed their concerns.

According to the NY Times:

“The focus of investors has shifted from the level of capital to the business model, and that is why banks are under pressure,” said Peter Dattels, deputy director in the I.M.F.’s capital markets division.
In their report, the fund’s economists argued that the problems with European banks were deeply structural: a toxic brew of low levels of capital, troubled loans and business models that no longer delivered profits in an era of low growth and negative interest rates.
In particular, Mr. Dattels said, “banks are transitioning from outdated business models that rely on large scale balance sheets,” saying that Deutsche Bank fell into this bucket.
Economists and regulators have argued that Deutsche Bank, given its size and culture of risk-taking, poses more of a risk to financial markets than its peers in Europe and the United States.

As per usual with the haunting spectre of 2008, Deutsche Bank’s demise threatens contagion on a global basis, and will almost certainly infect U.S. markets as well.

3. Bank of America Warns That a Recession is Imminent, and Unavoidable

As SHTF reported, even the big banks are being forced to admit that stimulus is no longer working, and that consequences are happening.

The Fed’s disastrous rescue plan after the 2008 financial crisis has left the U.S. economy in a fragile and vulnerable state.
via CNBC:

“We are seven years into a full-fledged, all out, central bankers doing everything they can to stimulate demand,” Bank of America-Merrill Lynch’s head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy Savita Subramanian recently warned on CNBC’s ” Fast Money .”

“We looked at all of these indicators that have been pretty good at forecasting recessions and we extrapolated that if they follow the current trends they’re on, we’re going to hit a recession sometime in the second half of next year.”

[…]

“What scares me is the market been so fragile.

Again, we’re playing with musical chairs here, not theoretical possibilities. The recording will end, and play time will be over.

4. Macquarie Group’s Leading Investor Warns That the Private Sector Will Never Recover From QE3… and the Age of Human Jobs Is Over

Federal Reserve monetary policy has absolutely eviscerated small businesses. Even typical players in investment markets are no longer able to get returns in private investment.

This is forcing a de facto state-run economy, and to make matters worse, all the humans are about to be laid off as robots take their jobs.

In the coming decade, 3.5 million truckers will lose their jobs, and along with will go waitresses, secretaries, teachers, office workers and much more. What then?

As SHTF reported:

The head of the investment banking firm Macquarie Group went even further, cautioning that we are witnessing nothing short of a terminal economy… one which they very well might not be able to put back together again:
via the Epoch Times:

Global central banks with their easy money policies of negative interest ratesand quantitative easing are working against a debt deflation scenario, with limited success, according to Shvets. “That was the entire idea of aggressive monetary policies: Stimulate investment and consumption. None of that works, there is no evidence. It can impact asset prices, but they don’t flow into the real economy,” he said.

[…]

“There is no productivity on a global basis… The private sector will never recover, it will never multiply money again…”

5. The Bank of International Settlements – the Central Bank of Central Banks – Warns of Chinese Economy Meltdown

Our financial problems are global in nature, and markets in China are just as vulnerable to collapse. Basically, all the major economies are playing the same dangerous shell game.

As Michael Snyder reported:

The pinnacle of the global financial system is warning that conditions are right for a “full-blown banking crisis” in China.  Since the last financial crisis, there has been a credit boom in China that is really unprecedented in world history.
At this point the total value of all outstanding loans in China has hit a grand total of more than 28 trillion dollars.  That is essentially equivalent to the commercial banking systems of the United States and Japan combined.

The Bank for International Settlements warned in its quarterly report that China’s “credit to GDP gap” has reached 30.1, the highest to date and in a different league altogether from any other major country tracked by the institution. It is also significantly higher than the scores in East Asia’s speculative boom on 1997 or in the US subprime bubble before the Lehman crisis. (source)

But of course there is more.

Put this together with the downright eerie predictions of ranking figures in Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase.

• Goldman Sachs warns that the “Third Wave” of the financial crisis is upon us, and will be the worst phase of it yet:

This wave is characterised by rock-bottom commodities prices, stalling growth in China and other emerging-markets economies, and low global inflation, Goldman Sachs analysts led by Peter Oppenheimer said in a big-picture note.
This triple whammy has its roots in the response to the first two waves of crisis — the banking collapse and European sovereign-debt crisis — and it is all part of the so-called debt supercycle of the past few decades. (source)

• JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned last year that a “volatile crisis” is coming.

He is preparing his firm to dig deeper into control over the digital grid, and the fees, penalties and surcharges that go along with it.

As SHTF reported:

The trigger to the next crisis will not be the same as the trigger to the last one – but there will be another crisis. Triggering events could be geopolitical (the 1973 Middle East crisis), a recession where the Fed rapidly increases interest rates (the 1980-1982 recession), a commodities price collapse (oil in the late 1980s), the commercial real estate crisis (in the early 1990s), the Asian crisis (in 1997), so-called “bubbles” (the 2000 Internet bubble and the 2008 mortgage/housing bubble), etc
[…]
These “reaction” transactions of the next financial crisis will be intensified by the new financial terrain:
• automated, rapid via computers, algorithms, big data;
• “shallow markets” and threatened with “illiquidity”;
• positioned to charge for deposits and transactions while less likely to lend and returning little or no interest;
• vulnerable to cyber theft and subject to account freezes;
• market “depth” limited by gravity of actions of big fish in the pond – big banks, Federal Reserve bond purchases, derivatives moved by enormous players and rapid computerized trades; dark pools of billionaires steering big deals from the shadows;