Channeling my inner Victor Meldrum …
There are news which are so incredible that one rubs one’s eyes and thinks ‘surely not!’, or; ‘they’re having a larf1’. Still, there it was last evening and it’s still there this morning, at the top of the DT’s online page: “Biden pushes for Von der Leyen to be Nato chief” (paywalled link).
Before I go into the gory details, here’s the BBC’s compilation of the print editions’ front pages: “Newspaper headlines: ‘UK mortgage crunch’ and Tory MP’s ‘police probe’.” (link). Nothing new there, then: ‘mortgage crunch’ and ‘Tory scandal’ are simply unmissable ‘news’.
I’m somewhat surprised that the print editions lagged behind the mighty BBC which had a shocking report last evening: “Climate change: World’s hottest day since records began” (link). Surely there was sufficient time for the Net Zero editors to push this ‘news’ onto their front pages? After all, the DM managed to get the vdLeyen ‘story’ into their online edition, which ‘a reporter’ nicely copied from the DT (link).
And so to the NATO Chief news. This story seems to have emerged in Brussels since the writer is the DT’s Brussels correspondent. We recall that the current NATO GenSec, Mr Stoltenberg, had his term in office prolonged for one more year in 2022, after the SMO started. And now the poor man has to keep going for another year!
When a short while ago news broke that Ben Wallace, the UK’s Defence Minister, had been rejected by Biden as new NATO Chief, we were informed that he desired a female NATO chief. It looks as if he’s ‘found’ one:
“Joe Biden is pushing for Ursula von der Leyen to be installed as the next Nato secretary general after Ben Wallace’s candidacy was blocked, The Telegraph can disclose. The president of the European Commission was said to be the United States’ preferred candidate after the White House rejected the Defence Secretary for the role.” (paywalled link)
The Danish PM Ms Frederiksen wasn’t to his liking. The EU big’uns, France and Germany, couldn’t find a suitable replacement because the Lithuanian PM was deemed to be ‘too hard’ on Russia. The same accusation was levelled at Mr Rutte, the Dutch PM, who wanted that job as well. Funny, innit: here I thought being ‘hard on Russia’ was a definite requirement …
However, MS vdL is definitely the best candidate as far as US politicians are concerned, and never mind the reality behind her track record:
“A Nato source said that the US president was attempting to convince Mrs von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, to succeed Mr Stoltenberg amid fears a suitable candidate will not emerge in the next 12 months. “We’re going to have a problem next year when it becomes clear that the field is no stronger than this year,” a second source said. Mr Biden and Mrs von der Leyen have built “a strong bond” in recent years, fostering close transatlantic ties over China, Ukraine and the climate, another source said.” (paywalled link)
Well, she is ‘powerful’ as EU Head Honcho but her job being up for grabs at next year’s EU ‘elections’. And she was Defence Minister for the mighty Bundeswehr, wasn’t she: what a track record – on paper. Mr Biden and his handlers apparently don’t care about that:
“Concerns, however, may arise over her recent poor handling of the German defence ministry, which she led between 2013 and 2019. In 2015, it was reported that German soldiers had to replace heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a Nato exercise, to hide their lack of equipment.” (paywalled link)
The inconvenient demands for proper investigations into her various dubious dealings both as German Defence Minister and as EU Chief regarding the murky procurement of covid vaccines which allegedly helped to bolster her private bank account – these don’t matter. There are rumours and leaks which are rather delicious, for example:
“In private talks, Mrs von der Leyen reportedly told Mr Biden she would not be available to take over any role at Nato until at least next year. White House strategists see a window opening up to poach her after next year’s European elections.” (paywalled link)
Clever, isn’t she! Clearly, she has successfully cosied up to Biden and his handlers, pulling thick wool over their eyes! Here’s another item:
“She was said to now “rely on Washington for intelligence” in a shift away from information relayed to her by European agencies, which misjudged Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Fluent in French, she would likely secure the support of Emmanuel Macron, who was opposed to Mr Wallace’s candidacy.” (paywalled link)
Does this mean she’s already an ‘asset’ for various US Agencies which I won’t name? While Macron doesn’t want an UK Chief ‘because: Brexit’, Mr Scholz, the German Chancellor, would rather she didn’t become NATO chief because he want’s to keep th EU Top Job for Germany (paywalled link). That’s more important than having a ‘strong’ NATO. It’s Brussels shenanigans and backstabbery at it’s finest:
“Mrs von der Leyen is expected to be a frontrunner for EU leaders to retain her role as the bloc’s most senior official in charge of the Commission. However, there are doubts over whether she would also be able to command support from the European Parliament, with Right-wing MEPs, who oppose her green policies, set to form an alliance. “It brings the Nato job into the discussions over Europe’s other top jobs,” a source said.” (paywalled link)
Interesting: the NATO top job is now also a sinecure for politicians past their sell-by date, turning the rather important matter of Defence and NATO into yet another playball for the puppet-string pullers in Washington and Brussels. Moreover, it shows that actual, military issues don’t really matter as long as Mr Biden has ‘wishes’. Never mind that nobody knows if he’ll be President after the 2024 elections.
One final thought: if ‘being hard on Russia’ is detrimental for a future NATO GenSec, then perhaps this war in the Ukraine is going to be wrapped up by next year. Some knowledgeable people have pointed out that the USA wants to ‘pivot to China’ – something in which NATO will be pressured to get involved because the ‘North Atlantic’ is now everywhere. And doesn’t vdL agree with Biden about China – and climate change? What could possibly go wrong!
That’s all I have for today. It’s always nice when news which come under ‘I don’t beleeeeve it!’ get top billing in a formerly famous paper! Have a good day.
Thank you Mary 11.00am
For introducing me to the Brownstone Institute.
Apart from the article you quoted on bio defence puppets which was very interesting and I’m sure very relevant,
I took the opportunity to look at a couple of what they described as “related articles”
Two of which I took time to read
One was entitled “UK Covid inquiry reveals just how vast international COMMUNIST CONSPIRACY MAY BE”
And the second was
Affirmative action entrenches Division Nd Bigotry ”
Again, to me both very interesting and relevant
And I would guess to others on here
Roger T ; My pleasure
view-source:https://www.gbnews.com/news/scampton-raf-dambusters-dog-asylum-seekers
How many more so-called “asylum seekers”, properly known as “illegal immigrants” under the rules of the UN itself after passing through at least one safe country where they should have registered their claim?
Clearly they have been weaponised by the globalists and our subservient government who want to trash our country.
Presumably Sunak could veto the appointment of VDL if he so wished. In any case the evidence of the last year or so has shown what NATO isn’t . This is just more manoeuvering by Bidens handlers.
This is pre-planned. Biden is in on it.
The Fourth Reich is clearly upped the game.
As well as Europe, they want to take over the world.
S Y :” This suggests to me that the real agenda is to increasingly merge NATO and EU defence with NATO eventually replaced by the EU”.
Will the EU then be merged into the UN-WEF-WHO power complex. The EU being but a building block to one world government.
Below is a Brownstone Institute article which may be of interest
https://brownstone.org/articles/pandemic-leaders-were-biodefense-puppets-and-profiteers/
https://www.gbnews.com/politics/rishi-sunak-climate-change-pledge-dropped-rumours-latest
Hope at last of some common sense from Stupid Sunak?
Personally I think it matters very little what Sunak says now about any area of policy he cares to mention, because his time as prime minister of this country and the survival of his government and indeed his party is in its death throes with perhaps only 14 months at best to try and turn things around. Whether he likes it or not it will be a new prime minister and a new party of government after the next general election. I wouldn’t trust Sunak to run a bath let alone a country, and the incompetence of himself and his useless government continues to shine through. My big worry is that the thoroughly hapless Starmer will lead a continuity government to continue the socialist policies that Sunak and Johnson laid down before him, and that includes what will turn out to be the disasterous net zero policy which may eventually make the end of his premiership in 2029. Hopefully by that time a new political figure and centre right party will have come to light to provide us with an alternative route. The present known about candidates need not apply……..
The proposed selection of Ursula von De Luyen to head up NATO…….jobs for the boys eh, I should I say girls. And so it seems that someone else is going to replace her at the European Commission maybe because she faces potential problems on the Green Agenda front and this may affect her ability to lead that organisation. Biden probably thinks we’ve got to give leftie Ursula some sort of a job and NATO General Secretary seems the ideal fit, but how about having someone at the helm who has an expertise in defence like a top Army General, or is that too much like common sense and we all know that politicians here and abroad are not blessed with too much of that particular commodity. Still, its heartening to think that so called hard man Ben Wallace who is likely to lose his seat at the next General Election has been discounted from that role. The last thing we need is a twit like him shouting his mouth off about how we should arm Ukraine to the teeth and to hell with the circumstances. No, what we really need at the helm of NATO is someone who understands both sides of the coin, because that ongoing war is not the sole fault of Russia despite what our mainstream media might have us believe. The eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union springs to mind here, and the failure of the West to try and bring Russia in from the cold after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yes, common sense is indeed in short supply in political circles everywhere.
“Climate change: World’s hottest day since records began”
In my personal experience an absolute load of bollox.
JT- since (bbc) records began (two years ago). Fixed it.
My Mum used to tell of 104 deg in the shade on a cool day – Parkistan where she lived.
JT Of course. All part of the propaganda for Net Zero, which is designed to destroy our prosperity. While China looks on and benefits from our economic suicide (most of the new Green Jobs opportunities went to China I understand). Never forget when you pay your exorbitant power bills that it’s all thanks to Soros and his puppets The Blair Creature and David Miliband (2008 Climate Act).
PS It’s April Fools Day every day of the year as far as TPTB are concerned, with the joke always on us poor mutts aka taxpayers and citizens.
The Blair Creature just won’t go away, and up pops its ugly face just when we hope we’ve seen the last of it (sic). Reminds me of the Jack In the Box toy of yesteryear. Another of their little jokes.
They also said it was the UK’s hottest June. However, the hottest June in the CET record beating that was in 1846, and three others higher: 1826, 1822 and 1676… all before the industrial revolution got going. I can’t think why they failed to mention that.
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2023/07/04/hottest-evah-june/
The development of an ‘EU Army’, in reality a labyrinthine collection of bureaucratic defence components, continues but one of its champions wants to take charge of NATO. It may look like a Biden supported sinecure for VdL but I think we must ponder an agenda that is not being stated.
The UK has long argued that there is no need for a full blown EU Army because we have NATO. Wallace would have championed NATO but is blocked by Biden even though Wallace is supported by NATO appreciative countries. This suggests to me that the real agenda is to increasingly merge NATO and EU defence with NATO eventually replaced by the EU. This will release the US to focus on China while giving the EU a boost in its supra-national state ambitions. This will undermine Brexit even more, of course, as the UK gets sucked into the EU Defence arrangements. Whichever weak government is in power will allow itself to be subsumed into the EU version of NATO.
What the UK should do in response is to become neutral and have nothing to do with the take over NATO by the EU. In so doing we will avoid future imperial mistakes such as the various US overseas adventures that have cost us so much as well as the EU ones that will inevitably follow. Defence spending can focus in defending this island. That won’t happen alas.