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Post by imSINGLEruRICH on Feb 23, 2016 20:36:17 GMT -5
Patience.. ....Yeah we'll all be dead...by the time this comes to a conclusion........*&&*^%% dead....... AND.... that is not a "rumor", Gabby By the way.... Many thanks Duc, for the posts, articles and videos !! Much appreciated !! ROE
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LADY B
Dr. Of Diamonds
W.A.I.T. ~ Watching, Anticipating, Intentionally Trusting!
Posts: 156
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Post by LADY B on Feb 23, 2016 20:41:06 GMT -5
Sincere Thanks Duc N Altum!!!
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Post by Duc N Altum on Feb 24, 2016 8:09:22 GMT -5
Michael Snyder-Real Economic Activity Grinding To a HaltPublished on Feb 23, 2016 Financial writer and book author Michael Snyder contends, “The Baltic Dry Index dropped below 300 for the first time ever. We did not even see that during the 2008 Great Recession and financial crisis. I didn’t know the Baltic Dry Index could go that low. We are seeing exports decline dramatically in South Korea. New numbers for Japan came out . . . their exports were down 12% year over year. Exports in China have been falling month, after month, after month. U.S. exports were down 7% for the last monthly figure we had. India’s exports are down. This is happening all over the world. Real economic activity is grinding to a halt.”
Either way, Snyder thinks we get “global financial collapse” and “World War III” but does not know which one comes first. Snyder says, “We already have the global economy grinding to a halt, but if we get WWIII, that just accelerates things greatly. It’s the chicken or the egg, whichever comes first, but without a doubt, we are moving into a time described as a perfect storm.”
On precious metals, Snyder says, “I think silver will absolutely skyrocket in the years ahead. We like gold, but absolutely love silver.”
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Post by Duc N Altum on Feb 24, 2016 8:24:55 GMT -5
The FAILURE of FIAT MONEY | Rob Kirby
Published on Feb 23, 2016
IN THIS INTERVIEW: - Gold and silver manipulation is bullish for gold ►0:46 - Physical precious metal supply is tight and getting tighter ►5:53 - Negative interest rates is what happens when you have sociopaths in control ►13:18 - World economic collapse ►16:06 - How to be protected from what's coming ►26:18
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Post by gabbyhayes on Feb 24, 2016 9:48:35 GMT -5
Duc....do you still believe we are associated with Shore Gold...??
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Post by Duc N Altum on Feb 24, 2016 11:16:28 GMT -5
Just my belief, yes. And I believe all of the land that used to be in lime green on the claims maps, some sold and more gained and I believe all of that is still ours and I believe all of these companies just sitting on our original land are OUR holding companies. To me it makes sense to have CMKM be the victim empty shell and while this whole drama of the naked short and collecting money for the naked short. The bad guys would have no reason or excuse to sue a broke company, if all the claims were protected in holding companies that no outsider could touch. Holding companies is where I believe all of our claims are despite the surface picture drama. And I believe Shore is one of those companies. And the 1010 and so on despite the surface picture.
And I believe when it is safe to pay out our money, I believe our money was so important to protect because of the current fiat system going out, might of taken a huge chunk of all of our money. And I believe that "OUR MONEY" is important with those that decide to use their Rights Offerings because I do believe this is the richest land in the world. And WHAT DOES IT MATTER IF YOU HAVE THE RICHEST LAND IN THE WORLD IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO MINE THOSE RICHES OUT OF THE GROUND? So I believe this whole thing had to happen at once for it all to benefit many fronts, OUR Personal, and having thousands and thousands of shareholders that I believe will be millionaires and or an ARMY OR WHALES to help fund this richest land in the world. All just my personal belief and look forward to seeing the curtain open to see what really is, and have my socks knocked off.
I do not believe for one second that Bob Maheu showed up at 87 years old, to waste the last remaining portion of his life for nothing, as I believe this is all huge beyond my understanding, and I am completely comfortable in that belief.
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Post by gabbyhayes on Feb 24, 2016 12:50:41 GMT -5
Hope you're right Duc.....I can just imagine the pr from the company....this board would erupt..............
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LADY B
Dr. Of Diamonds
W.A.I.T. ~ Watching, Anticipating, Intentionally Trusting!
Posts: 156
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Post by LADY B on Feb 24, 2016 15:05:20 GMT -5
Just my belief, yes. And I believe all of the land that used to be in lime green on the claims maps, some sold and more gained and I believe all of that is still ours and I believe all of these companies just sitting on our original land are OUR holding companies. To me it makes sense to have CMKM be the victim empty shell and while this whole drama of the naked short and collecting money for the naked short. The bad guys would have no reason or excuse to sue a broke company, if all the claims were protected in holding companies that no outsider could touch. Holding companies is where I believe all of our claims are despite the surface picture drama. And I believe Shore is one of those companies. And the 1010 and so on despite the surface picture. And I believe when it is safe to pay out our money, I believe our money was so important to protect because of the current fiat system going out, might of taken a huge chunk of all of our money. And I believe that "OUR MONEY" is important with those that decide to use their Rights Offerings because I do believe this is the richest land in the world. And WHAT DOES IT MATTER IF YOU HAVE THE RICHEST LAND IN THE WORLD IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO MINE THOSE RICHES OUT OF THE GROUND? So I believe this whole thing had to happen at once for it all to benefit many fronts, OUR Personal, and having thousands and thousands of shareholders that I believe will be millionaires and or an ARMY OR WHALES to help fund this richest land in the world. All just my personal belief and look forward to seeing the curtain open to see what really is, and have my socks knocked off. I do not believe for one second that Bob Maheu showed up at 87 years old, to waste the last remaining portion of his life for nothing, as I believe this is all huge beyond my understanding, and I am completely comfortable in that belief.
Refreshingly picturesque! I am completely comfortable with that summation! Thanks again!!!
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Post by imSINGLEruRICH on Feb 24, 2016 16:17:25 GMT -5
As am I. Thanks LadyB, for the picturesque visualization. A super pick me up on this cold rainy day here in this little corner, of the world. !! Single
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Post by marbearcat on Feb 24, 2016 17:20:19 GMT -5
If we, cmkx, were connected to Shore Gold would not S.G. have to release this info to it's shareholders at some point? I'm sure there are cmkx shareholders that have bought shore gold because of this hype. Have they received info from company financials that this is so?
If they have I'm sure they would be out on the streets yelling this info.
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Post by John Winston Lennon O'Boogie on Feb 24, 2016 18:02:10 GMT -5
If we, cmkx, were connected to Shore Gold would not S.G. have to release this info to it's shareholders at some point? I'm sure there are cmkx shareholders that have bought shore gold because of this hype. Have they received info from company financials that this is so? If they have I'm sure they would be out on the streets yelling this info. I got a pay check the other day...
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Post by marbearcat on Feb 24, 2016 20:28:30 GMT -5
If we, cmkx, were connected to Shore Gold would not S.G. have to release this info to it's shareholders at some point? I'm sure there are cmkx shareholders that have bought shore gold because of this hype. Have they received info from company financials that this is so? If they have I'm sure they would be out on the streets yelling this info. I got a pay check the other day... So you can't seriously discuss the issues I see, wonderful.
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Post by Duc N Altum on Feb 24, 2016 20:45:50 GMT -5
Another Death Nail for the Dollar – CHINA’S SILK ROAD IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS: FIRST TRAIN FROM CHINA February 24, 2016 by Joseph Farrell, Giza Death Star
Catherine Austin Fitts shares this one, and it’s worth passing along, for it is huge with economic and, more importantly, geopolitical significance. As you read this, compare China’s approach in the region, to the USAs:
The ancient ‘Silk Road’ is back in business as new train connects China to Tehran
Now if you’ve been following this story, and China’s ambitious plans (and let’s not forget, Russia’s as well), to expand the rail networks in central Asia, Siberia, and (in Russia’s case), across the northern reaches of Eurasia in the Arctic, this will possibly come as a surprise, for the links are being built, and now, used. And the usage is huge with geopolitical significance.
With that in mind, there’s a significant statement in this article: The first train connecting Iran and China loaded with Chinese goods arrived in Tehran Monday, reviving the ancient Silk Road trade route and highlighting the economic possibilities for Iran since the lifting of international sanctions, AFP reports. The 5,900-mile trip from eastern Zhejiang province took 14 days, or 30 days less than a typical sea voyage between Shanghai and the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas,according to the head of the Iranian railway company, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi." (Emphasis added) The key here is the relative quickness and ease, not to mention cost effectiveness, of moving goods by rail(and one may assume, eventually a linked road and highway network as well), between China and Europe. Effectively, this is a huge offset to American sea power and its ability to interdict trade if necessary; it’s an end run around that power, and a direct challenge to the principal feature of Anglo-American geopolitics for more than a century, which has been to prevent precisely the formation of such a huge trade zone circumventing its naval power and the trade and empire built from it. Think George Orwell’s “Oceania” here.
China’s approach is a long term “soft power” approach, one in almost direct contrast to the American destablization efforts in the region. China builds railroads, ships goods, and America drops bombs and drones. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which approach will win friends and influence people in the long run.
But this also means that Chinese military power can also be swiftly projected into the region, if need be. Of course, rail lines are as subject to interdiction as sea lanes, but the problem here for the strategists of “Oceania” is that the land powers of the region, China and Russia, are not the same thing as the smaller nations the American military is used to bullying. And this means, inevitably, that China will play a role in the Middle East, if only to ensure the stability of its investments. In the light of last Thursday’s News and Views on F. William Engdahl’s assessments of American strategy in the region, That strategy, as he outlined it, was to create massive instability in the region, and indeed, perhaps it is a strategy designed to upset the plans of China. Indeed, if Middle eastern oil is jeopardized by regional conflict, this will only hurt China, and fuel American domestic production once again, which has been hurt by the recent low oil prices. China, conversely, will seek stability in the region, and to project its power eastward into the Pacific, and to develop Russian energy resources even more.
The “grand chessboard” just became very interesting. What’s the next step for Russia and China? Watch the “stans” of Central Asia…
See you on the flip side…
thedailycoin.org/?p=64074------------------------------------ By: jay_adobe10 Apr 2010, 09:14 AM EDT Rating: post rating 4 Rate this post: Msg. 924579 of 925193 (Reply to 924573 by thingyydoo34) Jump to msg. # And thingyy, wait til you see the events unfolding on the horizon, far east horizon. Enjoy your weekend. Event driven activities and accomplishments. Reread some old posts from 3 yrs ago. imo of course By: jay_adobe 05 Jul 2007, 12:13 PM EDT Msg. 571567 of 779307 (This msg. is a reply to 571558 by waterdog85.) Jump to msg. # waterdog, presume that I am not in the know. I am merely a shareholder with an opinion who enjoys discussing potential outcomes. I do not know what your bank account will look like, but if I had that number of shares, I would expect to retire when the final bell rings. When will it happen? It's happening all around you right now. The cogs are turning, the resignations have and are happening, laws are changing, countries are realigning their economic systems, new leaders are being put in place, bad guys are being rounded up in record numbers, lights are shining where lights haven't shined before, NSS has been admitted and reforms are occurring, our funds are drawing interest prior to payout.....and on and on and on. When the master deems the atmosphere is properly conditioned, it will occur. And to think that you were one of a group of 60K+ powerful enough to move the world for a split second......It's history in the making; a legacy; a heritage. Hmmmmmm. of course, imo. ----------------------- And here is a little more on the SILK ROAD TRADE from a little while back-----> worldlandbridge.com/THE NEW SILK ROAD BECOMES THE WORLD LAND-BRIDGE EIR Special ReportThis report is the blueprint for the peaceful future of our planet.
Civilization has reached a cross-road, where the threat of war has returned in a manner unforeseen just months ago, but where the prospects for a new paradigm of global cooperation towards genuine development have also reached a potential breakthrough.
With the initiatives coming out of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and allied nations like Egypt and Argentina, mankind is on the threshold of a new form of cooperation among nation-states working towards the common aims of mankind. At the Fortaleza, Brazil BRICS heads of state summit in July 2014, the member nations, along with the nations of South America and the Caribbean, agreed to create a New Development Bank, one of a network of new credit institutions to finance major infrastructure projects in the areas of transportation, energy, agriculture and scientific research and development. Chinese President Xi Jinping has placed the highest priority on the New Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road, linking the Asia-Pacific region to Western Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Executive Intelligence Review, which has pioneered the proposal for the European Land-Bridge for the past two decades, has produced a new Special Report, The New Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge. The 370 page report, available in hardcopy and electronic format, is a blueprint for global development for the twenty-first century and beyond.
The report provides an in-depth analysis of the crucial challenges to be overcome for genuine global development on a scale unknown in human history, including water management and future energy resources. The report details twenty of the most pressing international development projects on the agenda for the next several decades, including the New Suez Canal, the Nicaraguan Canal, the Trans-aqua project for central Africa, and the Bering Strait Tunnel linking Eurasia with the Western Hemisphere.
“We have advocated the building of a new type of international relations underpinned by win-win cooperation, put forward and followed a policy of upholding justice and pursuing shared interests, and championed a new vision featuring common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.
“We should be fully mindful of the complexity of the evolving international architecture, and we should also recognize that the growing trend toward a multi-polar world will not change.
“We should be fully alert to the grave nature of international tensions and struggle; but we also need to recognize that peace and development, the underlying trend of our times, will remain unchanged. We should be keenly aware of the protracted nature of contest over the international order; on the other hand, we need to recognize that the direction of reform of the international system will remain unchanged.”
– Chinese President Xi Jinping, November 28, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction · The New Silk Road Leads to the Future of Mankind! The Coming Fusion Power Economy on the Basis of Helium-3
The Metrics of Progress · Energy-Flux Density: Global Measure of Economic Progress, The Principle of the Development Corridor, Financing the Global Land-Bridge 2064
Expand Nuclear Power for the World’s Survival, Solve the World Water Crisis
China: Silk Road to Development and Peace · China Becomes a Model Among Nations: A Science-Driver Approach to Lift Up Mankind, China’s New Silk Road: Changing the Paradigm Toward Global Development
Russia’s Mission in North Central Eurasia and the Arctic · Russia, Eurasia’s Keystone Economy, Looks East, Tumen River Initiative: A Step for Peace in Northeast Asia
South and Central Asia: From Arc of Crisis to Corridors of Development · India Is Ready to Fulfill Its Legacy of Leadership, Bringing High-Technology Development to South Asia, Central Asia: Ending Geopolitics
Southwest Asia: Crossroads of the Continents · Southwest Asia and the Eurasian Land-Bridge
The Crucial Contributions of East and Southeast Asia · Japan Must Return to Leadership in Nuclear Energy The Mekong Development Project: A TVA for Southeast Asia, Thailand’s Kra Canal: Keystone for South Asian Development, Connecting Indonesia to the Eurasian Mainland
Australia: Driver for Pacific Development · A Vision To Bring Australia into the Land-Bridge Process
Europe: Western Pole of the New Silk Road · Germany: The Key to European Integration into the New Silk Road, Greece and a Marshall Plan for the Mediterranean, Italy: Build the Mezzogiorno, and a New Renaissance, Spain: The World Land-Bridge’s Bridge to African Development
Africa: Test for Global Progress · A Nuclear-Based Infrastructure Platform Is Necessary for Africa’s Future, Appendices: The Transaqua Project, Africa Pass
Bringing the Western Hemisphere on Board · Rediscovering the Americas, North America: Restoring the American System
Fighting for International Development · LaRouche’s 40-Year Record — Fighting for International Development, Development Models, Tennessee Valley Authority: Great Projects Make Great Nations, Deng Xiaoping’s China Miracle, The South Korea Model: How to Transform an Impoverished Nation into a Modern Economy
Epilogue · Dump Geopolitics, and Create a Future for Humanity
MAPS
MAPS
ENDORSEMENTS
“As an active player in the financial crisis in late the 1990s in Japan, I see the ongoing financial crisis, centered in London and New York, as a clear déjà-vu of what happened in Japan 15 years ago. The measures recently taken by supervisory authorities in London and New York, as well as the ECB, demonstrate that Western officials have learned nothing from our experience of 15 years ago. They have made serious mistakes which will prolong the economic slump in the trans-Atlantic region. Among other mistakes being repeated today, the so-called ‘quantitative easing’ does nothing to help stimulate the real economy at all. Instead it helps investment banks conceal their financial failure, by supplying liquidity and resources for their gambling in derivatives.
“Without New Deal-type, large-scale public spending aimed at creation and/or improvement of economic infrastructure, which would form the basis for the next step of economic development for all of mankind, the real economy of the world will not be stimulated.
“From this point of view, the World Land-Bridge Report contains essential elements, for the world to get out of the current situation, and avoid frictions among countries. It is of this view that I strongly endorse the report.”
Daisuke Kotegawa · February 12, 2015, Research Director, CANON Institute for Global Studies (Former Executive Director for Japan at the IMF)
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LADY B
Dr. Of Diamonds
W.A.I.T. ~ Watching, Anticipating, Intentionally Trusting!
Posts: 156
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Post by LADY B on Feb 24, 2016 21:18:08 GMT -5
As am I. Thanks LadyB, for the picturesque visualization. A super pick me up on this cold rainy day here in this little corner, of the world. !! Single You're welcome Single!
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Post by Duc N Altum on Feb 25, 2016 1:21:18 GMT -5
Another Death Nail for the Dollar – CHINA’S SILK ROAD IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS: FIRST TRAIN FROM CHINA February 24, 2016 by Joseph Farrell, Giza Death Star
Catherine Austin Fitts shares this one, and it’s worth passing along, for it is huge with economic and, more importantly, geopolitical significance. As you read this, compare China’s approach in the region, to the USAs:
The ancient ‘Silk Road’ is back in business as new train connects China to Tehran
Now if you’ve been following this story, and China’s ambitious plans (and let’s not forget, Russia’s as well), to expand the rail networks in central Asia, Siberia, and (in Russia’s case), across the northern reaches of Eurasia in the Arctic, this will possibly come as a surprise, for the links are being built, and now, used. And the usage is huge with geopolitical significance.
With that in mind, there’s a significant statement in this article: The first train connecting Iran and China loaded with Chinese goods arrived in Tehran Monday, reviving the ancient Silk Road trade route and highlighting the economic possibilities for Iran since the lifting of international sanctions, AFP reports. The 5,900-mile trip from eastern Zhejiang province took 14 days, or 30 days less than a typical sea voyage between Shanghai and the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas,according to the head of the Iranian railway company, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi." (Emphasis added) The key here is the relative quickness and ease, not to mention cost effectiveness, of moving goods by rail(and one may assume, eventually a linked road and highway network as well), between China and Europe. Effectively, this is a huge offset to American sea power and its ability to interdict trade if necessary; it’s an end run around that power, and a direct challenge to the principal feature of Anglo-American geopolitics for more than a century, which has been to prevent precisely the formation of such a huge trade zone circumventing its naval power and the trade and empire built from it. Think George Orwell’s “Oceania” here.
China’s approach is a long term “soft power” approach, one in almost direct contrast to the American destablization efforts in the region. China builds railroads, ships goods, and America drops bombs and drones. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which approach will win friends and influence people in the long run.
But this also means that Chinese military power can also be swiftly projected into the region, if need be. Of course, rail lines are as subject to interdiction as sea lanes, but the problem here for the strategists of “Oceania” is that the land powers of the region, China and Russia, are not the same thing as the smaller nations the American military is used to bullying. And this means, inevitably, that China will play a role in the Middle East, if only to ensure the stability of its investments. In the light of last Thursday’s News and Views on F. William Engdahl’s assessments of American strategy in the region, That strategy, as he outlined it, was to create massive instability in the region, and indeed, perhaps it is a strategy designed to upset the plans of China. Indeed, if Middle eastern oil is jeopardized by regional conflict, this will only hurt China, and fuel American domestic production once again, which has been hurt by the recent low oil prices. China, conversely, will seek stability in the region, and to project its power eastward into the Pacific, and to develop Russian energy resources even more.
The “grand chessboard” just became very interesting. What’s the next step for Russia and China? Watch the “stans” of Central Asia…
See you on the flip side…
thedailycoin.org/?p=64074------------------------------------ By: jay_adobe10 Apr 2010, 09:14 AM EDT Rating: post rating 4 Rate this post: Msg. 924579 of 925193 (Reply to 924573 by thingyydoo34) Jump to msg. # And thingyy, wait til you see the events unfolding on the horizon, far east horizon. Enjoy your weekend. Event driven activities and accomplishments. Reread some old posts from 3 yrs ago. imo of course By: jay_adobe 05 Jul 2007, 12:13 PM EDT Msg. 571567 of 779307 (This msg. is a reply to 571558 by waterdog85.) Jump to msg. # waterdog, presume that I am not in the know. I am merely a shareholder with an opinion who enjoys discussing potential outcomes. I do not know what your bank account will look like, but if I had that number of shares, I would expect to retire when the final bell rings. When will it happen? It's happening all around you right now. The cogs are turning, the resignations have and are happening, laws are changing, countries are realigning their economic systems, new leaders are being put in place, bad guys are being rounded up in record numbers, lights are shining where lights haven't shined before, NSS has been admitted and reforms are occurring, our funds are drawing interest prior to payout.....and on and on and on. When the master deems the atmosphere is properly conditioned, it will occur. And to think that you were one of a group of 60K+ powerful enough to move the world for a split second......It's history in the making; a legacy; a heritage. Hmmmmmm. of course, imo. ----------------------- Here is an older article I posted some time ago as a refresher on the Silk Road Trade.----> "New Silk Road" Could Change Global Economics Forever, Part 1 Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/23/2015 - 16:45 Part 1: The New Silk Road
Beginning with the marvelous tales of Marco Polo’s travels across Eurasia to China, the Silk Road has never ceased to entrance the world. Now, the ancient cities of Samarkand, Baku, Tashkent, and Bukhara are once again firing the world’s imagination. China is building the world’s greatest economic development and construction project ever undertaken: The New Silk Road. The project aims at no less than a revolutionary change in the economic map of the world. It is also seen by many as the first shot in a battle between east and west for dominance in Eurasia. The ambitious vision is to resurrect the ancient Silk Road as a modern transit, trade, and economic corridor that runs from Shanghai to Berlin. The 'Road' will traverse China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Germany, extending more than 8,000 miles, creating an economic zone that extends over one third the circumference of the earth.The plan envisions building high-speed railroads, roads and highways, energy transmission and distributions networks, and fiber optic networks. Cities and ports along the route will be targeted for economic development.
An equally essential part of the plan is a sea-based “Maritime Silk Road” (MSR) component, as ambitious as its land-based project, linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and the Indian Ocean. When completed, like the ancient Silk Road, it will connect three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. The chain of infrastructure projects will create the world's largest economic corridor, covering a population of 4.4 billion and an economic output of $21 trillion. Politics and Finance: The idea for reviving the New Silk Road was first announced in 2013 by the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. As part of the financing of the plan, in 2014, the Chinese leader also announced the launch of an Asian International Infrastructure Bank (AIIB), providing seed funding for the project, with an initial Chinese contribution of $47 billion.China has invited the international community of nations to take a major role as bank charter members and partners in the project. Members will be expected to contribute, with additional funding by international funds, including the World Bank, investments from private and public companies, and local governments.Some 58 nations have signed on to become charter bank members, including most of Western Europe, along with many Silk Road and Asian countries. There are 12 NATO countries among AIIB´s founding member states (UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Norway), along with three of the main US military allies in Asia (Australia, S. Korea and New Zealand).After failed attempts by the US to persuade allies against joining the bank, the US reversed course, and now says that it has always supported the project, a disingenuous position considering the fact that US opposition was hardly a secret. The Wall Street Journal reported in November 2014 that “the U.S. has also lobbied hard against Chinese plans for a new infrastructure development bank…including during teleconferences of the Group of Seven major industrial powers. The Huffington Post’s Alastair Crooke had this to say on the matter: “For very different motives, the key pillars of the region (Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan) are re-orienting eastwards. It is not fully appreciated in the West how important China's "Belt and Road" initiative is to this move (and Russia, of course is fully integrated into the project). Regional states can see that China is very serious indeed about creating huge infrastructure projects from Asia to Europe. They can also see what occurred with the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), as the world piled in (to America's very evident dismay). These states intend to be a part of it.” Buttressing this effort, China plans on injecting at least $62 billion into three banks to support the New Silk Road. The China Development Bank (CDB) will receive $32 billion, the Export Import Bank of China (EXIM) will take on $30 billion, and the Chinese government will also pump additional capital into the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC).
The US: Unlikely Partner on the Silk Road:
Will the US join the effort? If the new Trans-Pacific Partnership (that pointedly leaves out both Russia and China, two Pacific powers) is any indication, US participation seems unlikely and opposition all but certain. But there's no good reason that America should sacrifice its own leadership role in the region to China. A project as vast and complicated as the Silk Road will need US technology, experience, and resources to lower risk, removing political barriers for other allied countries like Japan to join in, while maintaining US influence in Eurasia. The Silk Road could enhance US objectives, and US support could improve the outcome of the project. An editorial in the Wall St. Journal argues that the US proposed trade agreement and China's sponsored Silk Road project are complimentary, with the trade agreement aimed at writing rules for international trade, while the Chinese aim at developing infrastructure is necessary for increased trade. Initial Project:A look at the first project, currently under development, provides a good example of how China plans to proceed.
The first major economic development project will take place in Pakistan, where the Chinese have been working for years, building and financing a strategic deepwater port at Gwadar, on the Arabian Sea, that will be managed by China as the long-term leaseholder.
Gwadar will become the launching point for the much delayed Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline, which will ultimately be extended to China, with the Persian section already built and the Pakistan-Chinese section largely financed and constructed by the Chinese.
The pipeline is also set to traverse the country, following the Karakoram Mountain Highway towards Tibet, and cross the Chinese western border to Xinjang. The highway will also be widened and modernized, and a railroad built, connecting the highway to Gwadar.
Originally, the plan was to extend the pipeline to India, with Qatar joining Iran as natural gas suppliers, forging what some considered a “peace pipeline” between India and Pakistan, but India withdrew, under pressure from the US along with its own concerns over having its energy supplies dependent upon its adversary, Pakistan.
India's Counter:
Not surprisingly, India, a US ally, countered China's initiative with one of its own, announcing a new agreement to build a port in Iran on the Arabian Sea, only a few hundred miles from Gwadar, bringing Iranian energy to India via Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
Although it would offer an alternative to the Chinese-backed Gwadar initiative, the US warned India not to move ahead with the port project before a final nuclear agreement between Iran and the West is actually signed.
Both the Chinese and Indian projects are clearly in defiance of international sanctions on Iran, but both countries appear unconcerned. The Chinese could also be accused of a ‘double dip’ sanctions violation, given the immense and continuing trade deals it negotiated with Russia.
The rest of the business world is sure to follow, or risk losing out in what is certain to be a new “gold rush” towards Asia in a world still struggling with the lingering effects of the great recession. And New Delhi pointed out the harsh truth: American energy companies are also trying to negotiate deals with Iran. Following on the heels of the US visit, the German mission is due in Tehran soon, with the French beating everyone to the punch in an earlier visit.
What then of sanctions? Sanctions only work in a world united behind them. If a large part of the world chooses to ignore sanctions, they become unenforceable.
Conclusions:
China and much of the world is intent on developing the largest economic development project in history, one that could have dramatic ripple effects throughout the world economy.
The project is expected to take decades, with costs running into the hundreds of billions of dollars, if not trillions. What that will mean for the world economy and trade is almost inconceivable. Is it any wonder then, that the world’s largest hedge funds, like Goldman Sachs and Blackstone, are rushing to market new multi-billion dollar international infrastructure investment funds?
No doubt a project as large and complex as this is likely to have failures, and is certain to face many western geopolitical obstructions. Assuredly, the “great game” will continue. Look no further than US President Barack Obama, who also senses the urgency. “If we don’t write the rules, China will write the rules out in that region,” he said in defense of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
In a world where economic growth is tepid, with Europe still struggling with the aftermath of the global recession, along with China's growth slowdown, where else could a project that promises so much opportunity be found?
It's a good bet that giant iron mining companies like Vale, that have seen their business fall to a thirteen-year low, are currently busy figuring how much steel goes into construction of a new, high speed 8,000 mile railroad. If the project is successful, it could very well spark a boom across the entire depressed international mining, commodities, and construction sectors.
Consider how many jobs could be created in a decades-long construction project that spans a huge region of the world. In practically every sector, the prospects are enormous for a revival of trade and commerce.
The ancient Silk Road increased trade across the known world, but the Road also offered far more than trade. One of its least anticipated benefits was the widespread exchange of knowledge, learning, discovery, and culture.
Beyond the riches of silks, spices, and jewelry, it could be argued that the most important thing that Marco Polo brought back from China was a famous nautical and world map that was the basis for one of the most famous maps published in Europe, one that helped spark the Age of Discovery. Christopher Columbus was guided by that map and was known to have a well-annotated copy of Marco Polo's travel tales with him on his voyage of discovery of a new route to India.
For the world at large, its decisions about the Road are nothing less than momentous. The massive project holds the potential for a new renaissance in commerce, industry, discovery, thought, invention, and culture that could well rival the original Silk Road. It is also becoming clearer by the day that geopolitical conflicts over the project could lead to a new cold war between East and West for dominance in Eurasia.
The outcome is far from certain.
Coming soon, Part 2: Cold War or Competition on the New Silk Road. www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-23/new-silk-road-could-change-global-economics-forever-part-1
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