MARKET PERSPECTIVE

By J Mulraj

Nov 16-22, 2024

The Insanity of Politicians Can Lead To It

There is, it seems, no height for insanity. Joe Biden’s decision, last week, to allow Ukraine to use its long range missile, ATACMS, to strike nside Russia is pretty darn close to the ceiling. Putin has earlier warned that the use of Western supplied armaments to strike inside Russia would be considered at attack on Russia by the collective West, and will trigger a nuclear response.  Thus far, America and Western powers had restricted the use of advanced weapons supplied to Ukraine by them, to only within Ukranian territory. But now, for reasons only he can explain (perhaps), he, or the Deep State, has allowed the use of ATACMS on Russian territory. The UK has permitted use of long range missiles, the Storm Shadow. ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, are long range, supersonic ballistic missile. The Storm Shadow is a low observable, air launched cruise missile.

Russia has plenty of equally, or more, deadly weapons to retaliate. And it will, should a befuddled Biden and a zonked Zelensky are foolish enough to strike at Russia. Russia has 5580 nuclear warheads, the largest stockpile in the world. (Before the breakup the Soviet Union had 45000).

In addition it has, or is developing, developed weapons of mass destruction. Such as the RS-28 Sarmat, which is  a super-heavy thermonuclear armed, intercontinental ballistic missile which travels at 10 Mach, faster than any interceptor missile. Also, under development, is a nuclear torpedo, Status-6, which, when fired in the sea, can create a 500 metre tall wave, and can be used to demolish littoral states, like UK. Russia has the Avangard, a hypersonic glide vehicle, which travels at 20 mach, so is invulnerable to any defense missile system, which are slower. It has the Kinzhal hypersonic air launched ballistic missile, which travels at 10 Mach and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. And others.

Russias modified nuclear doctrine allow it to use nuclear weapons if attacked by a conventional weapon that’s supplied by a nation with nuclear weapons. Under this doctrine it can use nuclear weapons against not only Ukraine but the two nuclear powers that supplied it the weapons, USA and UK.

This triggers WW III.

What did an addlepated Biden hope to gain by permitting a mindless Zelensky permission to deploy ATACMS against Russia, an adversary with more nuclear warheads and deadlier weapons, which has publicly announced its intention to retaliate. With this background, is it Biden’s desire to show that his missile is bigger than Putin’s, even at the risk of global destruction? It is sheer insanity. No gains. Huge losses.

Do Americans not see the contradiction? America is helping Ukraine, ostensibly in the interest of preserving ‘democracy’, or its right to chose to join NATO. Yet, Biden, with 60 days left to step down, initiates policy actions that threatens to destroy USA and thus violate its own democracy which has given his opponent a decisive mandate! Trump won a trifecta, the Presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives!

Armed with ATACMS and given the green light by Biden, a foolish Zelensky has already launched (apparently 6) ATACMS against Russia. A day later it launched the UK supplied Storm Shadow.

Putin has used a new, Orezhnik, missile to attack a Ukranian city. He may use a weapon, such as a thermobaric missile, to essentially obliterate Kiev. The world is praying that Putin would be more sober and circumspect than the leader who goes ‘all in’ in a nuclear poker game, with a lousy hand!

The nuclear threat is not being taken lightly. European nations like Sweden, Denmark, Finland and others have publicly warned their citizens to stock up on food and water. So has Russia, building bomb shelters and warning people.

The nuclear clock is showing 1 minute to midnight.

All this is thanks to the desperate, meandering machinations of a leader with dementia, who has to vacate office in 2 months and should not be embarking on such mindless missions.

God created paradise, the Garden of Eden. The devil in the nuclear weaponry may transform it into his playground. The deep state may possibly have triggered WW III aided by a President unable to think through consequences of his inane actions.

Two NATO members, USA (which provided ATACMS) and UK (which provided the Storm Shadow) , are already targets under Russia’s revised nuclear doctrine, having supplied weapons used to attack Russia on its territory. Russia interprets this as a declaration of war on it. If it opts to attack European NATO members, then it must be remembered that NATO itself has no nuclear weapons to retaliate with. Only 2 European countries do, UK and France. Will the command structure allow for the speed of response needed in a nuclear confrontation?

Last week the BSE Sensex ended at 79117, up 1537 points over the week.

In corporate news, US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani with bribery charges paid to Indian officials, in order to procure large orders for solar energy to be supplied by Adani Green Energy, which was planning to make a green bonds issue (now called off) to US investors. The prosecutors have also charged his nephew, Sagar Adani, who had, apparently, maintained notes of these bribes. Whilst the Prosecutor seems to have evidence to indict them, the counter narrative being built is that the deep state is seeking to thwart a promised $2 b. investment in America by the group after Trump assumes Presidency, and also in response to Gautam Adani’s insistence that Bangladesh pay its bills for electricity supplied by the group. Share prices of the group fell by around 20% the day after the indictment.

The trajectory of global stock markets will depend on the behavior of the global polity. Is their ego larger than their self preservation instinct? It’s time they make a bonfire of their vanities!

Picture Source: Source: deepai.org

Comments may be sent to jmulraj@asiaconverge.com