Vladimir Putin is one world leader who has studied history thoroughly. In a recent address, Putin discussed America’s plan to annex Greenland and explained that it is not some “extravagant plan” that Trump imagined. In fact, the United States had plans to annex Greenland going back to the 1860s.

Secretary of State William H. Seward was keenly in favor of annexing Iceland and Greenland in the 1860s as part of American expansionism. Not only was Greenland abundant in minerals, fish, and game, but it provided a strategic military base. Denmark was willing to listen to the proposal and considered selling Iceland and Greenland for $5.5 million in gold. There was no formal offer and President Andrew Johnson along with Congress refused to approve of a treaty, as it was considered wasteful by Republicans at the time.

America believed Canada may consider joining the United States if they acquired Greenland. The Trump Administration’s ideas may seem absurd but this geopolitical strategy spans over 150 years.

The Alaska Purchase of 1867 was immediately met with backlash. The media mocked the purchase of Alaska as “Seward’s icebox” or “Seward’s folly,” angered that the $7.2 million purchase should have been spent elsewhere. The media claimed the “polar bear garden” had nothing of value and relentlessly mocked the acquisition. The unpopularity of the Alaksa Purchase is one of the reasons the Greenland proposal failed back then.

America’s ambitions in the Arctic continued. In 1919, Denmark, Germany, and the United States discussed territorial disputes, and had the deal passed, the United States would have acquired Greenland. During the next World War, Denmark permitted the United States to establish military bases on Greenland to prevent the Nazis from capturing it. The United States offered to buy the land after the war ended but it fell through.

Putin explained that the United States will continue to “systematically pursue its geostrategic, military, economic, and political interests in the Arctic.” He said that this is a matter between two specific countries and “has nothing to do with us [Russia.” However, Russia is extremely concerned that “NATO views the Arctic as a potential staging ground for conflict,” noting that NATO is actively training troops to fight in Arctic conditions. They are taking troops from Sweden and Finland, “countries with which, I should note, we had no issues until very recently.”

“They are creating these problems with their own hands. Why? That’s entirely unclear,” Putin said in his address, noting that Russia would “respond accordingly.”

“I want to emphasize Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we are closely monitoring the situation and building the appropriate response, enhancing the combat readiness of our armed forces and modernizing our military infrastructure. We will not allow any infringement on our sovereignty. We will reliably defend our national interests,” the president stated, continued by saying Russia will promote peace in the region and support Greenland’s economic development. Putin said he would be interested in investing in the Arctic and collaborating on projects with “friendly nations, and possibly even Western countries if they show interest in cooperating.”

History always repeats, but few bother looking through the scrolls of time to understand why the world is unfolding at its current pace. The United States has always desired control over Greenland, and this issue of acquiring the island reemerges every few decades. The concern here is that the world is not at peace. The neocons, historically, have wanted to confiscate Russia for itself and began arranging the current proxy war in Ukraine long ago to use as a stepping stone to enter Russia. They are not well-versed in history, as plans to conquer Russia have failed countless times.

Incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes it is time for the European Union to begin punishing Hungary for voting against pro-war policies. The Social Democrat Party of the last administration, along with Merz, is forming a coalition to ensure that any remaining vestige of a democracy in Brussels dies.

“Existing protective instruments, from infringement proceedings and the withholding of EU funds to the suspension of membership rights such as voting rights in the Council of the EU, must be applied much more consistently than before,” negotiators from Merz’s conservative bloc and the SPD wrote in a draft coalition agreement on EU politics.

Now, the European Commission blocked Hungary from receiving €22 billion in aid back in 2022. Orban attempted to meet with Putin directly to act as a peacekeeper of sorts, deeply angering the EU as their agenda does not permit a de-escalation. The EU has been battling Viktor Orban for years and most recently decided the “new norm” would be to void the need for any unanimous vote among member states since Orban does not want to send endless funds to Ukraine.

The new German government plans to “advocate an expansion of qualified majority voting in the Council of the EU, particularly on certain issues of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), such as the imposition of sanctions.” This basically means that Hungary will have absolutely no say in policies that it must abide by under the authoritarian rule of the EU.

Germany, France, and Poland are looking to strengthen their alliance, the Weimar Triangle, and use their strength to shape future EU policies. Germany is the breadwinner for the alliance, followed by France who is also taking the strongarm position and offering nuclear protections for Europe. Then you have Poland who has agreed to contribute more to defense than ever before and is positioned as a stepping stone to Ukraine.

“In the Weimar Triangle, we will seek close coordination on all relevant European policy issues in order to act more united in the service of the EU as a whole,” reads the draft agreement, echoing previous statements made by incoming chancellor Merz.

The entire union was created unfairly, and certain member states have always benefitted more than others. Now, the top economies in Europe are ready to strongarm the others. They will dictate policies and determine how other nations are to operate, while only thinking of the best interests of Brussels. The demise of the European Union is certainly on the horizon.

Half of American parents with adult children are supporting them financially, according to a report by Savings.com. The number of adult children dependent on their parents continues to tick higher, up from 47% in 2024 and 45% in 2023. In fact, the average parent is spending $1,474 monthly per child to make ends meet amid the cost of living crisis.

Around 83% of respondents reported contributing to their adult children’s monthly grocery bills, 65% assist with cell phone plans, 44% are paying off auto payments, and 45% are paying for student loans. For those who are not living at home, 63% of parents admitting to helping pay toward rent or mortgages.

This is causing stress for a generation that should be planning for retirement, with 60% admitting they are living a more frugal lifestyle to support their adult kids. Half of respondents said that they have had to pull money from their savings and/or retirement accounts, and another 31% have taken on debt to continue supporting their kin. As for retirement, 35% believe they will need to push back on retirement plans.

This growing trend is altering society. Every generation is feeling the burden of the cost of living crisis. Rentals have never been higher and it is increasingly difficult for adults with entry-level jobs to find housing. In fact, one in three adults aged 18 to 34 still live with mom and dad. Autos, groceries, health care—every aspect of life has increased dramatically for the younger generations. This is one of the reasons why we see a declining birth rate as the cost of living is costing Gen Z and younger Millennials the opportunity to pave their own way.

You have to wonder why we have the most incompetent people in government, perhaps in history. While there is not a single leader in Europe who I would even want to have a drink with or shake hands, we see the same on the LEFT in the United States. No matter how often they want to rob anyone who produces and works for a living, they seem incapable of learning from experience. What is this? The triumph of hope that Marxism will work one day?

The mayor of Seattle, founded on November 13th, 1851, in a fictional place they call the Emerald City, admitted that the city collected $47 million less in payroll taxes last year as large companies continue to flee this Marxist utopia. According to the Seattle Times, he said that the expected tax per head to bring in over $400 million in revenue instead brought in only $360 million in 2024, leaving a $47 million payroll tax deficit that is added to a $260 million budget deficit, pushing Seattle over the edge.

Retailers understand that they sell less if they raise prices without improving quality. The LEFTIST Marxists REFUSE to look at human nature because they are too busy stuffing their pockets. DO NOT BUY DEBT from Seattle. We are sliding into a Sovereign Default once again, as in the 1840s, which was a period known as the Hard Times because of the Sovereign Defaults of the States.

Andrew Jackson, founder of the Democratic Party, set the Sovereign Defaults of States in motion by shutting down the central bank. This led to every state allowing banks to issue their own money, which led to fraud and Wildcat Banking. In 1866, the U.S. Government levied a 10% tax on the bank notes of state and private banks, effectively forcing them to retire their currency. Jackson also demanded only gold for the purchase of federal land, which also undermined the private currency.

While everyone points to the Federal Reserve and the Federal Debt, the Feds also have the authority to create money. The states DO NOT!!!! While in theory the Feds can monetize their way out of a debt crisis, states CANNOT! We have just witnessed here in Seattle the mindset of Blue states and how dangerous they have become when we look forward in time. Recent analyses that we have undertaken up to 2023 have revealed that several U.S. states face significant fiscal stress that could elevate their risk of default.

As seen in Seattle, states are confined to adjusting budgets and raising tax revenues. Key factors contributing to risk include high debt burdens, unfunded pension liabilities, structural perpetual budget deficits, weak economics as the great migration from high-taxed states to lower-taxed states dominates post-2020, and the demographic trends of reduced population. Young girls are told to enjoy life, and the world has too many people, so we see the birth rates collapsing throughout the West. That ensures the pension fund Ponzi scheme will not survive since they are based on the assumption that the population grows, not shrinks. The states that are often highlighted as having elevated default risk:

Pension Liabilities: Illinois, Kentucky, and New Jersey have the worst-funded pension systems.

Debt Load: Connecticut and Massachusetts lead in per-capita debt.

Economic Volatility: Alaska, Louisiana, and Hawaii face sector-specific risks (oil, tourism).

Demographics: Illinois and West Virginia struggle with population loss and shrinking tax bases.

We are told that default is unlikely. However, the states’ tools to avoid default, namely tax hikes, have reached their limits. People and companies are migrating. While they like to say no state has defaulted since the Great Depression, the city of Detroit suspended its debt payment in 1937 and finally made good with the devaluation thanks to inflation in 1963. This was NOT confined to the United States. Canada also defaulted on its national debt in 1931. By 1937, they were also concerned about a widespread default by the provinces.

The Democrats are still in denial about the cause of losing the election to Trump. They are not reforming or surrendering their WOKE agenda. This is what guarantees that we are headed toward a massive state default on debts. We are looking at a complete system-wide default by 2034.

As I wrote recently about how states are trying to seize power from municipalities, this is also about lining their pockets with more money.

PRIVATE BLOG – Gold & The Geopolitical Nightmare

Private blog posts are exclusively available to Socrates subscribers. To sign-up for Socrates or to learn more, please visit Ask-Socrates.com.

https://ask-socrates.com/

Cuba is a tragic example of what can happen to a society under a Marxist–Leninist socialist republic—equal in poverty. New reports show that nearly a quarter of Cuba’s population has fled the nation in the past four years alone in search of economic opportunities.

Such a mass exodus is usually only seen during times of war. Estimates state that around 545,011 people escaped the island in 2024, with 45.5% fleeing to the United States. Spain, Serbia, Mexico, and Uruguay remain popular for socialist refugees. The study was conducted by Cuban economist Albizu-Campos as the nation has not held a formal census since 2012. The National Office of Statistics has acknowledged that the population has fallen beneath 10 million, with their estimates stating 300,000 fled in 2024.

Cuba has been in a crisis for many years now. The nation faces one of the worst energy crises and it has become commonplace for entire regions to go a day without any power. Trade restrictions have caused widespread shortages of essentials such as food, water, and oil.

Their currency is worthless. Inflation hit 500% in 2021, falling to 200% in 2022, but the nation is unable to keep proper figures. In 2021, authorities attempted to establish the Cuban peso as the main currency and introduced a new currency pegged to the dollar called “moneda libremente convertible” (MLC). Cuba, like Venezuela and other socialist economies, has suffered from economic mismanagement rather than just US sanctions. There is no private property, the dual-currency system has failed, and central planning is non-existent.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel reached out to Russia, Turkey, Algeria, and China for financial assistance but remains blacklisted by most of the West. Canada is actually the top importer of Cuban goods, accounting for $585.61 million of exports in 2023 out of a total of $1.59 billion. Tobacco, nickel, ores, and alcohol remain Cuba’s last standing exports but most nations sanctioned Cuba long ago and they are hard-pressed to find any buyers. Exports declined by $900 million as agriculture and tourism plummeted.

Russia has attempted to help Cuba bypass sanctions by supplying essentials like meat and dairy, and President Diaz-Canel is expected to visit Moscow in the coming months. Russia and China are Cuba’s last hope for a financial lifeline.

The Cuban Human Rights Observatory (OCDH) estimates that at least 89% of Cubans currently live in “extreme poverty.” This is a textbook tragic example of how a nation inevitably falls under Marxist–Leninist socialist policies that dictate everyone must be equal in poverty.

England has fallen. Politicians permitted open borders and permanently altered society. England is no longer a Christian nation. They have abandoned their core traditions and beliefs for outsiders who vote for liberal policies. The UK is now debating implementing new sentencing guidelines to establish a two-tiered justice system that will ensure white, straight, Christian men receive the harshest sentences.

Under new guidelines, judges and magistrates will obtain pre-sentence reports for offenders from minority groups. They will be asked to consider an offender’s religion, race, and sexuality to ensure their treatment is favorable.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is reviewing the blatantly biased policy. “The guideline states that a pre-sentence report will normally be considered necessary for these cohorts. A pre-sentence report can be instrumental in assisting courts in the determination of their sentence. But the access to one should not be determined by an offender’s ethnicity, culture or religion,” she stated. “As someone who is from an ethnic minority background myself, I do not stand for differential treatment before the law like this.” You know the situation is dire when even the liberals are questioning its validity.

Sarah Jones, the industry minister, declared that England cannot have a two-tiered justice system. “We disagree with this decision. I think it’s really important in the country that people are trusting in the justice system that we have and that means you can’t have a two-tier system, it has to be fair, it has to be equal to everybody and so we have asked them to think again about this guidance,” Jones stated.

The Labour Party announced it would increase migrant spending by 30% this year. The majority of mayors in major cities are Muslim, which is not a negative but a sign of how society has changed. Muhammad has been the most popular baby boy name in the UK in recent years. The UK has lost its identity and is no longer a Christian nation. Pew Research Center believes that Muslim women will have more children than Christian women by 2035, and Islam could become the most followed religion in the world. Build Back Better nations are becoming unrecognizable as the very essence of their cultures and traditions is challenged.

I lived in London for years and fell in love with the city, but it has drastically changed, and I would not want to return as a permanent resident. Politicians are willing to change the rule of law to punish their own citizens. Britain is voting itself into extinction as repopulation theory destroys their culture and the nation they once knew.

The World Health Organization admitted that it has “no choice” but to cut its budget substantially. America’s exodus from the organization left the WHO with a budget gap of $600 million for FY2025, and it plans to cut expenditures by 20%.

The United States provided 16.3% of all funding from FY2022-2023, amounting to $1.3 billion of the organization’s $7.89 billion. Trump believes the WHO partnered with China to hide the origins of COVID-19, and he is particularly disgruntled that the US was paying 10X more into the organization compared to China at a cost of $500 million annually. “The World Health Organization has become nothing more than a corrupt Globalist scam…paid for by the United States, but owned and controlled by China,” Trump stated in November 2024. “I will not allow public health to be used as a pretext to advance the march of global government,” Trump stated before vowing to leave the organization.

“Dramatic cuts to official development assistance by the United States of America and others are causing massive disruption to countries, non-governmental organisations and United Nations agencies, including WHO,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his e-mail to staffers. “While we have achieved substantial cost savings, the prevailing economic and geopolitical conditions have made resource mobilisation particularly difficult.”

Tedros is the first person in the 75-year history of the WHO who is not a medical doctor. Klaus Schwab supported him for that post, just as he recommended Lagarde for the IMF and then for the European Central Bank. He has also put in the head of the IMF from his board of the WEF as well. Schwab has the WHO in his back pocket. To put someone who is not a medical doctor at the head of the World Health Organization would be like putting Jeffrey Epstein as the head of a monastery.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was the second-largest donor to the WHO, and Gates used the organization to push the pandemic response, urging nations to use the very vacations he helped to fund. That man had ties to every globalist health organization. Still, Gates has come forward in recent weeks saying his organization simply can’t make up for the budget gap caused by the US withdrawing—and that is GOOD NEWS.

All the world leaders supporting the Great Reset were eager to relinquish complete power to the unelected officials at the WHO. The WHO wanted to seize the ability to force health mandates on the global population. The organization continually asks for global taxation in the name of health.

The scheme is to eliminate democracy. They accomplished that in Europe, where the people are allowed to vote only for an MP who has no power to overrule the Commission, which never stands for election, as is the case with the head of the EU, who is also UNELECTED by the people. The general belief is that the people are TOO STUPID to know what is best, and democracy became populism when Trump was elected. This proposal is clearly stated as part of the Great Reset put out by Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum.

The Pandemic Treaty would have allowed the WHO to bypass national laws and impose its will on the people. There has never been a more massive power grab than what we witnessed under the guise of the pandemic. The WHO attempted to force nations to sign a Pandemic Treaty in 2022 to ensure it could remain in control:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in the governance, financing and systems needed to keep the world safe from epidemics and pandemics. There is an emerging global consensus around the need for an international treaty or other legally binding instrument, to provide the framework for a more coherent and coordinated response to future epidemics and pandemics.”

They had plans for global passports, taxation, and every method to provide a small group of unelected “visionaries” with centralized control over the world. The WHO is one of the organizations that was used to help them achieve their goal. As stated on the World Economic Forum’s website:

“To achieve a better outcome, the world must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to social contracts and working conditions. Every country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed. In short, we need a “Great Reset” of capitalism.”

Now I could go on endlessly about the plans for the Great Reset, but focusing on the WHO’s involvement—their role was to weaponize public health to provide the WEF and UN with the ability to restructure the global economy. Trump’s withdrawal from the organization was a major win for global freedom. We will see the nations still on board with the Great Reset attempt to boost funding, as the power the pandemic provided was far too great to relinquish.