Modi to Visit Russia! Can he be Trusted? Conversation w/SL Kanthan!!

David Oualaalou, to sort of log in into the studio, or getting into the studio, that is. In the meantime, I'm gonna just start and wait for his arrival, and we'll just bring him in and we'll start the conversation. So, uh, first of all, I want to let you know some housekeeping stuff. Tomorrow I will be releasing another vid, a brief analysis about the multipolar world. So be on the lookout for that tomorrow at 07:30. AM my time here. Uh, I, I did a brief analysis on it, so take a look and let me know your feedback. I always love to read your comments, guys, because that's how I learn. And, and you all know we are in this community to learn from each other. This is not about— and that's how we're gonna do it. Second thing is, uh, I just heard from, uh, Mike, Dr. Mike Krupa Uh, he's asking if we could do it next week. I'm okay with it next week, so I'm gonna respond to him and most likely will schedule it for, uh, the 10th, July 10th. I will let you know. So, um, this is so far what I'm thinking about. The third thing I want to share with you briefly here is I am going to be working on hosting a panel. You know, I have two individuals in mind. High caliber, academically speaking, uh, but two individuals that I believe will give you the, the right perspective in understanding some major, major issue that I'm going to be addressing. I don't want to give it up too much for now. We'll just wait till the time comes. So I'm going to be coordinating with their busy schedule, and we'll figure out a, a date and a time that works for both of them. And I'll have them here for you. Uh, you will enjoy, uh, this particular, uh, panel. I, I, I have no doubt. I have no doubt. So let me see who's here and just say hi to all of you. Of course, uh, John Lay, good to see you. America just have to put up or shut up. That's true. That is true, man. And that's, by the way, what I'm going to be talking about tomorrow. So that has to do with this idea of, uh Uh, UTU, the Super, hi Doug, your white thumbnail looked weird. Which one? Which one are you referring to? So, uh, I don't know, sometimes I make thumbnails just as a placeholder and wait for, uh, my guy to, uh, sort of create a thumbnail. He's graphic designer, so, and he does great job, by the way. I've been I've been very content with him so far. Truth Seeker, good to see you as always. Willie Holman, uh, Farhad Razavi, Wong KC, uh, Army with Heart. Here you are, good to see you. I know you, we didn't see you yesterday and I was wondering, I hope everything is okay. So good to see you. Uh, Yon Dixon, good to see you from Malaysia. Uh, and Abdul, uh, I'm sorry, let me move this one so I can read it correctly. Abdul, uh, Abdul Rashid Yusuf. I hope I pronounced it correctly. Good to see you and, and welcome here. So, uh, you're in Malaysia, I'm assuming? No? Yeah. One Horn, as always. Orwellian Purple Grape 1984, good to see you. Wow, I'm in time! Yes, you are on time this time around. So good to see you as always. So yeah, I'm gonna be waiting for, uh, my guest here, but at the same time I'm gonna I just sent him a tweet thinking maybe, you know, sometimes, uh, you know, we all get busy schedule stuff and it could happen that overlooked the message that I sent because I sent the link and everything. And, uh, and if not, we'll just keep going, uh, and move on. So, so he knows that it's scheduled for July 2nd at 11:30 AM my time. So anyway, no, no, no worries. So, and I'm going to start the conversation since we're going to be talking about, uh, the upcoming visit of, uh, the Prime Minister of India Modi to Russia. Now, here is a key question just for you to contemplate. This is not about answering it or not, just to contemplate, you know. Why will Modi skip the SCO? You all know there is a meeting right now in Kazan ASEO. President Xi just flew in, flown in, flew in last yesterday. Uh, makes you just wonder. And Jean Sarkar, the foreign minister of foreign affairs individual, he's the one who's going to be heading a delegation to ASEO. Now, uh, begs the question, uh, if the head of state— in this case, it will be the prime minister— uh, is not willing to go by, but send in the foreign minister, um, that just doesn't look— doesn't look good. The optics of it do not look good because the question that many will be asking is, you know what, if, if India, or Modi that is, is not interested in SCO, why is he in it? Because that's, uh, uh, this is the meeting of the head of states, not the foreign ministers. And again, Could it be some health issues for Modi? Could it be? I don't know. I am just talking, thinking outside the box here. So, but any event, the idea of the SCO, uh, the meeting that is, uh, sort of like, okay, where things are headed with this group, because as you know, in addition to BRICS and the, of course, the ASEAN. Things are moving in a different direction on a global level. So, and this is why I am like, uh, thinking of, okay, uh, SCO, what will be expected of it? Like, what will we be expecting of this summit? So, so far, and I did read up some, not, not extensively, by the way, guys, I just read few Usually I like to read more to get different perspectives, but many argue that it is expected that this, this summit to sort of, uh, uh, create or pave the way for a multilateral cooperation. Well, okay, what are we talking about here? Multilateral cooperation. In addition to discussing regional issues such as the situation in Afghanistan. There are far more pressing topics than just Afghanistan. And that's why it didn't make sense to me when I read this, and I was like, uh, that just— something doesn't add up. So is SCO not living to its potentials because of some weak members? I don't know. That just, uh, that's just my thinking. I'm, I'm like just thinking out, uh,, uh, outside the box, as we say. So, and, and this, to me personally, I would put it within the context of what's taking place, for example, in elections in Europe, where things are headed a different direction. I posted something in the community as to France, what's going on in France, you know. But again, even with that, you know, are we gonna trust Marine Le Pen 100%? Uh, I would not, you know. Knowing what I know as far as how things work when it comes down to, uh, the, the European politics, but also the transatlantic relations between the US and Europe, you know, I— a lot of people were thinking about when Giorgia Meloni, as she was running for office, the hopes were— remember, it's on the record when she said, oh, we shouldn't be sanctioning Russia. All of a sudden she, she, she flipped. Second thing about the BRI, all of a sudden she said, no, we're not renewing this, you know. And that tells me right there, you can't— we can't assume that that's how it's gonna work, uh, for Marine Le Pen. Because, uh, but at the same time, you think in terms of, okay, what does it mean when you take into consideration some other economic blocks, the like of SCO in, in, in, in conjunction with what the elections or the, the voting outcomes in Europe, as far as the what the population wants. And that's to me what I see that link into what role groups like the SCO, economic bloc like SCO, or BRICS, or ASEAN for that matter, what role they're going to be playing in this new multipolar order. Because if they are not going to be playing a role, then what's the point? Are they going to be just to be a facade, just a figurehead, if I may use the term? No, they have to make concrete changes on the ground, economically speaking. So, and this is why you're going to be asking yourself, for a country like India being inside, uh, SCO, to what degree is it, how much is it contributing to ACU. The same arguments I will make about India in BRICS, and the same argument I will make about Philippines inside ASEAN. No, because, you know, this is why, if you guys recall, uh, I, I, I voiced my opinion about Nigeria, for example. Nigeria shouldn't be in BRICS till they figure out their massive corruption that exists in the system. And again, As one who's familiar with this, I used to travel to those areas in Africa back in my days in, in the government. And I always— as a matter of fact, not just because I was traveling there, but even before, we're talking about 2, 3 decades back then— that I used to always ask myself, how come Nigeria rich in oil and yet live in massive poverty? Makes me just wonder. So this is why one of those questions that I am not now thinking about— how we're going to move forward with organize economic blocks. Because like I always say, this new multipolar order is going to be guided by economic blocks, not ideology. This is not about East versus West. No, ain't gonna work this way. It's because now you get more countries, more countries are subscribing to the notion of economic prosperity. This is where the key that's going to be. And this is why, if you will, once you listen to my brief analysis tomorrow when I release the video, and I'll share a few things with you ahead of time, is the idea of the big question as a geopolitical analyst that I'm asking is what role will the United States play in this new multipolar order? Will it cooperate or will it resist? This change, resisting it. We all know what it means. You think about, for example, what just took place in Bolivia, uh, Bolivia, that is, uh, with the failed coup. Ain't happening in a vacuum. We all know who's behind it. Let's not sugarcoat it, you know what I mean? It's the idea of— and, and now I am faced with asking that question of what will the US do? Because they can't be, uh, just— they're gonna have to decide which direction. Do they want to move along where, where the rest of the world is moving, except that this time around the US will not be at the helm dictating the terms because that era has come to an end, or they're going to resist this change and create more tensions, conflicts like what we are witnessing, which is, uh, it's like I see the ball rolling when it comes down to Asia because that's where the next, uh, sort of, uh, theater of conflicts, if I may use the term, it's going to be. And that will define exactly what kind of— but, but again, you're gonna have to give a chance to the rest of the world to voice its own opinion as to where they want to go. And this is why that, uh, survey that I mentioned to you yesterday, uh, about where democracy is in the Western world— the US is in, in a negative— that's a reflection of where the world sees the US. And I am going to dig into that for you guys in the next few days or so. But, and, and again, we, we have to think in terms how we can understand this new multipolar order and it's the direction it is taking, you know. And of course, when you take a new direction, you're gonna have to consider all the changes that comes with it, because, Mike, my word on this, there will be challenges ahead. And one of the key that I see most countries will have to decide on— when I say most countries, the one that they are playing both sides— they're gonna have to decide on is which side of the fence they want to be on. You can't be on both. The likes of Philippines, what is doing— the likes of, uh, of, of India, even Singapore, to a degree. I, I'm like, okay, where Singapore stands in all this and all that. Yes, it's a great country and small country, of course, and it come— but, but you're gonna have to think in terms of— because remember, Singapore was one of the countries that imposed sanctions on Russia also. Is that because, uh, Singapore wanted to be associated with the West more so? Is it because that's how it always has been? And funny and interesting enough that yesterday I was talking to a good friend of mine and mentioned to me something I didn't know. Do you guys know, and I'm sure you do, that majority of the ethnic population in Singapore are of Chinese descent? You know, 70% of them do not speak the Chinese language in Singapore. So that just gives you— so for, for me personally, Singapore will be one of those countries that's going to have to decide which direction you're going to want to take. And that's the norm, uh, as far as when there is a change into the global system. The same arguments was made back in after World War II. So, and I am going to do either recorded video or livestream for you about the geopolitics of World War II. Very interesting. I have some— I have access to some video tape, regular tape recorded black and white. You don't, you don't find them anywhere else. You know, I, I have access to those and I intend to watch them. I, I don't know how I can transfer this here for you guys to see, but it will be worth understanding what these changes are all about. So, and, uh, the whole idea of, uh, where, uh, where the world is headed, uh, it will be very interesting. And we already— to those who are in denial mainly in the West. There are some in some other parts of the world thinking that what the world is going to enter into multipolar. No, no, no, no, we are already into that order. When you hear comments coming out of Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Washington, uh, Helsinki, Stockholm, whatever, Madrid, Barcelona, uh, Madrid and Lisbon, whatever No, no, the multipolar is already here. The question now is how we're gonna move forward into this new order. And this is why the key question I fall back on again, especially for my country: what will the US do? Will it cooperate or will it resist this change? And resisting it, they ain't gonna resisting it just, uh, by just not, not, not agreeing to whatever policies, is resisting it through the creation of conflicts. And that is where my big concern, uh, moving forward. Now it's going to be, of course, since Asia now is the hub, economic, global economic hub, no, no, no other way around it. So, uh, it, it It's gonna have to be now, how will Asia move forward? I remember when I was doing my master's degree, uh, because my, uh, my, uh, major was in international security, and I had to focus on certain geographical areas, and Asia was one of those that I had to study the security issues in Asia back then. Remember, that was in the— when did I get my master's? Back in 2000 2003, somewhere around that time. And even back then, I used to argue as far as, okay, well, we're going to have to think about the next 25 years, where Asia is going to be. If there will be a change to the global order, Asia will be at the heart of it because the economic trends indicating that the shift of the wealth from the West to the East is a fait accompli. And that comes with it, these changes into the security. And this is why I am thinking, and I am just thinking, okay, with this trip of Modi to Russia makes you just wonder once again, are you going to be playing both sides? You can't. Till when? At some point you're going to be faced with the reality of where do you stand. I understand about national strategic interests. I understand about all that, but again, it's going to become the credibility on the global stage as the world shifts to a different setting. And Asia, in my opinion, is going to be the key to how now it wants this particular direction or a new path of the multipolarity, how it's going to be managed. That is the key. And this is why, to those who have said at some point— I remember reading somewhere that, uh, and I agree to a degree, I agree to a degree, uh, that China cannot be this always playing nice. Sometimes you have to hit hard and push back hard. But on the other hand, China also understands the, the strategic consequences if it engages militarily. You know, to those who are saying, which is the narrative here in the West, of course China's gonna invade Taiwan, it's nonsense. Yeah, that's what it is. It's because it just doesn't make any sense strategically, doesn't make any sense for China to do so, but also because China considering those changes, the upcoming challenges into the new global order that is already here. And China is going to want to ensure they play it safe, and rightly so. So, because remember, there are now the reemergence of new alliances. Look at it now— Russia, North Korea, and China. Can you just imagine this? Add Iran to the mix. And this is why, like I argued in my book, in my Russia book, that both Russia and China should put the past behind them. You all know the history of Russia and China, the conflict there. Now they're gonna have— they will be forced to put it behind because the new multipolar system will require them to do so. And that's exactly what they did. That's, to me, the shrewd thinking, the geopolitical calculations, the strategic thinking of the leaders thinking forward, because they're thinking about the survival and the welfare of their people. It's not about their, uh, political career, it's not about their legacy, and so forth. So I wish, I wish in the West we were thinking in these terms, but unfortunately we're not. You look at it just in the idea of corruption. So, so, and, and just, uh, uh, let me see, uh, again if I get the message from No, I didn't. So I guess he's not here, but we're just gonna move on. No worries, I'll reschedule it with him some other time. It's not a big deal, it's not a big deal. So, uh, since I'm talking about geopolitics, the new, the new multipolar order, I may as well just keep the conversation here, and I will entertain some of your questions, guys, regarding this. So the, the question that, uh, as I mentioned, becomes is how this new multipolar order is going to be managed, you know. And again, it's not going to be driven by ideology because that is not what's at the heart of it, you know. The era after World War II was defined by ideological, uh, uh, uh, uh, dimensions to it. This era now, you know, post-US era, it's going to be defined by economic blocks. It's the economic aspects of it. That's going to drive now countries to think in terms of strategic interests. You know, do I want to become prosper economically for the welfare of my own people, or do I want to engage with the hegemon and just risk everything? And this is exactly where you see those changes that took— are taking place in some countries. When you look at, for example, Africa, what it did with pushing out France out pushing the US out and every other Western entity. Why? Because Africa, certain African countries, mainly the ones in the Sahel region— and I always keep the map here for you guys— in the Sahel region, it's because the richness of the natural resources, it's going to be— it's going to play a major role in sort of reconfiguring the economy of whatever countries we're talking about. Be it Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, what have you. And of course, the geopolitical dynamics that's taking place at that time, because now those countries, the likes, as an example, in Africa, they're going to realize our resources are not being stripped away from us for, for, for, for fraction of the cost. We are benefiting from it. Asia— and I'll be going back and forth between Africa and Asia— Asia is going to be thinking in, or Asia is already thinking in those terms, even If you consider what's taking place right now in, in Japan, in South Korea, yeah, it's the government that's making decision. But remember, guys, and I've said this before, when I mentioned Japan or South Korea, I am referring to the government, not the people. The people there inside, they are Japanese who do not want what their government is doing. Japanese themselves do not want the presence of US forces. Same arguments is made about the, the South Korean people. So anytime I use the term the government, uh, Japan or South Korea, I'm referring to the government for that matter. So when you think about Asia, Asia also will have to be and, and must be thinking in terms how he wants to proceed. For countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia, even though Australia doesn't want to identify as Asian nation, and Philippines Those, they're going to have to really, really, really go back to the drawing board, the geopolitical drawing board, and recalculate their, their strategic sort of equation. Because what they are embark on— what they are embarking on, it's not going to bode well for them moving forward. It's because here is the, the fact of it, and the fact is simple. China's today is not China's of 30, 40 years ago. Japan of today is not Japan of the '80s. So, and those changes in, in both aspects, uh, economics and military, are enough to give you an idea of, okay, if you are a head of a country, you're going to be thinking in these terms: do I have the economic, uh, infrastructure do I have, which in this case, uh, uh, uh, uh, China does have far more than any country in the region there. Yeah, Japan has some, South Korea has some, but not in comparison. Because here's the thing, what I learned yesterday from my, my dear friend, so, and we were just talking about, because there is a key which is a fact, it's a fact. You look at for us here in the United States What do we do? How do we manage everything? Just by printing more money, right? What did China do? Did China printed more money? No, no. Any— they didn't sink themselves into debt, but any money they had and, and developed and saved, whatever, whatever, and they're being reinvested into the economy, the infrastructure. That is one of the secrets to why China succeeded. I mean, tell me, guys, correct me if I'm wrong, does China print as much money as the US does? I mean, I just saw a documentary about this, uh, the tunnel under the water that is now operational, which took about 7 years. It's the economy, it's prosperity into that context. And this is why for Asian nations that includes Japan and South Korea and the Philippines and Singapore and Malaysia, and all of them, no exception, all of them, they're gonna have to think in terms what role they want to play in this new multipolar order, because it is here. The US can do squat about it. I'll tell you this straightforward, even though I am being very sort of polite in saying it in a nicer way, whether the US will resist this change or will it cooperate, knowing that it's going to have to accept it's no longer the one dictating the terms to the rest of the world, because that era has come to an end. And this is the hard— this is the, the pill Washington is not willing to swallow, because they still thinking in these terms of Yeah, the US was the dominating power managing the world. There is no doubt about it. But that was back then after World War II when we set up the system. And you all know this, guys, all this. I don't need to beat the dead horse by keep repeating stuff. You all know all this by now, except that now there is this change. And consider yourself lucky to be alive to witness, uh, this, uh, change in history. I am excited about it. I mean, I wrote about it. I wrote certain aspects of it out of, uh, and again, I didn't forget to put the link for you, and I'm gonna actually, I'm gonna do it right now if I can get to it. Uh, on, if I can get to it, you'll, uh, yeah, I got it here. So I, I wrote about over 143 articles, guys. So I'm gonna put the link for you, uh, uh, those— this is for your own, whenever you get time. I'm gonna put it in the chat box so you all can see it there. This is back then when I used to write, uh, for the Huffington Post. And, uh, when you get a chance, take a look, and you will notice that some articles that I wrote back then reflects on today. That's how far back. And because again I've been mindful of the idea of, well, this US era of dominance is going to have to come to an end at some point. Then I was asking the question, asking myself, of course, what kind of order are we going to be in? What will my country do? How will my country accept this new order? Will it cooperate in it or will it resist it? And this is why you have to think in terms of— I take a country, I have a good friend of mine which I haven't talked to him for a while, I don't think so, he's traveling somewhere. He's from originally from Vietnam, you know, Charlie. Charlie and I, we go way back to the '90s, wonderful human being. And, and he and I would talk about, you know, how Vietnam was back then. You know, when he left on the boat and all that stuff. And, and, and, and, and you look at where Vietnam is today as an example, and you see why the US get upset, angry with the Vietnamese. Well, hold on a second. Who gives you the right to be angry with a, a head of state, uh, a sovereign state, that is, just because that head of state met with another, and with another a head of state that you happen not to like. You know, that's like the same arguments I've made about when the European Union foreign policy chief, the, the Gordon Borrell, the idiot Borrell, was saying that, oh, the European Union has concern now about Tunisia, uh, relations with China, Russia, and Iran. Who the heck are you to dictate to what kind of sovereign countries can do? We're talking about sovereign states. And this is exactly my point in all this, is that Asian nations will have to recognize this kind of dynamics. I am sure there are some, not all, because remember, a head of state is no smarter than you. Always remember that, guys. A head of state, I don't care who the head of state is, good because of he or she surround himself or herself with is the type of advisors that have that kind of the understanding, the depth of what geopolitics is all about, what strategic interests are all about. They have the strategic thinking. Those are the people that can make a leader move forward. But the leader himself or herself ain't smarter than you, no, because You can do it by yourself, like we always say this one. And this is, again, I am compelled to say that Asian nations going to have to think in terms of where do we want to go, what direction do we want to go, which side of the fence we want to be in, because conflict is coming to Asia. Make no mistake about it. It's just how it's going to be managed. Is where the key argument— and that's exactly what I argued in, in the upcoming video that I'm going to be releasing for you, uh, tomorrow. So, so this is what, what I see. The last thing I'm going to talk about, uh, here before I'll close it up, because I only want to talk briefly here— I, I'm— I don't know what happened to, uh, uh, Essel Kantaan, but something happened. So you know how it is. Uh, it's, it's life, you know. Sometimes you just have to move on on this. Uh, the one thing that I am certain of is that, as I said, the conflict is coming to Asia. And, uh, uh, uh, the, the idea of, uh, sort of they're going to have to make a decision. They can't be hiding behind, you know, the leadership, as you, as you all know, guys, is defined by when you are making a decision, when it matters. You know, if you have a leader that just show up for photo ops, whatever, what kind of leader is that? Because leadership matters. It matters when it's tested in real time. That, that's the way I look at it. That's the way I look at it. So, and this is why I am thinking in terms of Asian nations, the, like, the likes of Philippines. I, I'll say them, I don't Shy away. The likes of Philippines, the likes of Singapore, the likes of, uh, uh, South Korea, Japan. Now Indonesia and Malaysia, you're gonna have to consider those two countries because we can ignore that too. If you know the history of the, for example, the Indonesian government that goes way back into the '50s, you know, we played the major role in navigating the direction of that country. So we ensured they always having control over the leadership No, Prabowo, you know, has been around, come— it came from an affluent family and so forth. But at the same time, I am aware— I remember when I was in DC, I was aware of his understanding and his ties with the US government. Uh, Dr., I am— this is, uh, SL Kantan, uh, he said, uh Gonna start in 30 minutes. Uh, uh, I'm gonna have to— I'll tell him we're gonna reschedule it. Uh, let me just send him a quick message here, guys. Yeah, it won't work because I'm almost done. It won't work, and I'm rescheduling. Okay, it won't work. So yeah, this is what I'm gonna do, guys. I'm just gonna let him know, uh, uh, uh, we'll reschedule it for next week. And no, no hard feeling, you know, things happen. Uh, we'll reschedule it. Uh, because I am live now. All right, yeah, so no, no, no problem with this. So what, what was I saying? I was saying the idea of, uh, uh, uh, this country is going to have to think, they're going to have to decide, you know. Same thing applies to India. And I know, I know, I know there are some thinking that I always talk negative about India. No. And I mean it when I say this, guys, is the people that I feel bad for. I feel sorry for those people in India. The Indian citizens deserve to be prosper, deserve to live a good quality life, you know. But when the government is kind of not— and, and, and by the way, I criticize my own government. My own government ain't doing a damn thing about American average people. That, that's the reason why I bring this kind of stuff. And, and my thinking is, and it's not like they are not— there are some good people, there are some smart people inside, it's just they are not in possession of power. And, and this is where I see those challenges, and they're going to have to decide how to move forward. Same thing now applies to Philippines, you know. You all remember when Duterte was— and I do remember his interview when he was asked because he was pushed by the West to consider fighting. He's like, well, are you crazy? Me fighting the Chinese? You know, and then he's like, no, no, because he knew the consequences, what it's going to be. So then everybody was— I was one of those, I won't deny it, I was one of those thinking maybe Marcos Jr. will follow on the same path and move Philippines forward. I was wrong because I think I got too comfortable in thinking, oh, he saw where his country is moving, he might continue the policy for that. I was wrong on that. So, and that's just normal. This is how, uh, and this country is not going to have to decide. Same thing for, uh, Singapore. Singapore at some point, as, as great of a country I had a colleague who was stationed there, uh, stationed as a civilian, not as a military, uh, uh, working at the embassy there. And he and I, we will talk, and it's like, what an incredible country. But at the same time, the question for you guys: how did Singapore become what it became? Thanks to whom? Yeah. Uh, because how Singapore came to be, and I understand it's a small country, you know, Singapore is not the— it's gonna fight whomever, they can't. Well, what is— how many people in Singapore? Like, like 12 million, I think, something like that. Very, very small, right? So it's just at the same time it's becoming now more evident as to do you want to be associated with the West or do you want to be associated with Asia? Of course, you can choose whatever. It's just remember the optics in the international, on international, like I always say, in international relations, optics matters. So the optics of Singapore matters and they're going to have to figure out moving forward And now you think about, uh, majority of the people in Singapore are of Chinese descent. They don't even speak the language. Uh, wow, Abdurahman Yusuf, thank you. 2 million in Singapore. Yeah, you can just see. And they're gonna have to figure out and make a decision as to which side of the fence they want to be in, in this new multipolar order. Because it is here. Whether Singapore or any other country for that matter likes it or not, even my country, there is— what they going to do, you know? Are you going to deploy the aircraft carriers? So what? Look, we couldn't even deal with the H group in the Red Sea. We couldn't even deal with that. And that's, that's my point in all this, except that Asia, because Why I am focusing on Asia? Because it's the economic engine now of the world. It's not the West anymore. And the shift of wealth from the West to the East has been happening for over a decade. I was made aware of this back in 2004 when I was still in Washington. So it's just how, how it works. Yeah, so that, that's just part of how, how, how it is. So, uh, all right guys, I am going to answer some questions for you and then I'm going to sign off for this. Then I am debating, uh, whether to do a live stream for you on July 4th. I know July 4th is the holiday here. I haven't decided yet. I don't drink alcohol, I don't do that crazy thing for July 4th. Yeah, what is that? Independence from whom? From the Brits. So what? To me, to me, just another distraction, no more, no less. Uh, I haven't decided yet whether I'll do it or not, but I might even take a break. Just, I'm starting to feel I do need a break. I've been going constantly for the last few months, guys, but again, because it's my commitment to you, simple as that. You know, I'm not complaining. I'm not. And I don't complain because if I don't want to do something, I don't do it. You know, simple as that. Uh, yeah, so I'll, I'll see. And if it is, I'll do a live stream on July 4th. So what? So, so to me, uh, spending time with you also, to me, it's, it's rewarding for me psychologically and emotionally. I truly enjoy being with you guys, chatting and talking. So, so let me, uh, uh, uh, take a question from Hong Wong since it's in front of me here. Dr. O, as you mentioned Philippines, I just found out that Sara Duterte quit the Philippines cabinet. What impact is this? Because I didn't hear that. This just happened. Yeah, well, it will have a major one because Marcos Jr., Marcos Jr. Uh, yes, Marcos Jr., uh, Bongbong, that is, without Sara Duterte wasn't gonna make it. So the question is, is Sara Duterte now is going to be preparing to run against Marcos, which he ought to do so. So that will be— that's to me a hint. This is a sign for where things is going to be headed in Philippines. This saying, I am assuming some of them are seeing where the ship is headed and they don't like that. So that's what it means to me. So, and I'm gonna— now that you mentioned this one, uh, Hong Kong, I'm gonna take a look at it and reach out to my buddy and find out more detail about that. There are some people that I know, of course, and I trust, and, and I'm gonna ask them about this one. Uh, Cheesecake, good to see you. Question: is the Philippine economy going up or down? No, it's going down. To my knowledge, and again, I could be wrong, but all indications, all the people that I've been talking to, all the trends that I'm seeing, it's not doing well. So, and they're gonna have to think in terms of how— because remember, if you have an unhappy population, you know what's coming. You know what's coming. Uh, Oh yeah, I like this one here. We lie with sheet and we steal. Corruption in US political system. It is spot on, spot on. There is no other way of saying it, you know. And you guys, by the way, do you know who do you have to thank, uh, uh, this, uh, you, you have to thank it? Do you know who do you have to thank this for? Supreme Court. US Supreme Court that also made corruption Okay, especially with his decision in 2010, United Citizens versus— I think it was about donations. They said unlimited donations because the Supreme Court in itself, which I have no respect for, for not only is fractured but it is also corrupted. And those guys there shouldn't be there appointed for life. They shouldn't be. No one, no one appointed for life. There is no such thing. This is why when I was teaching at the university, you know, I never believed— still till today I don't believe in tenure. You become a tenure, meaning you can be fired, whatever. I don't believe in that because the moment professors become tenure, they have no incentive to work hard for their students. The whole reason for why an individual will choose to become a professor is to serve the students Give them and share the knowledge with them, and then never stop, never stop doing the best for your students. Once you become tenure, what incentive do you have to work hard? None. You are secured a payment at the end of the month, your paycheck. You are secure that you won't be fired unless you break the law. So what incentive? You become nothing but a dead weight. That's how I look at it. The same thing for those bureaucrats in, in, in the government. There shouldn't be a lifetime appointment. I don't believe in it. Now it's different story that if the people voted for you, that's different story, you know, that is different story. I'm talking about my system here. I'm not talking about China. I'm not talking about Russia. I'm not talking about whatever. I'm talking about my system here, right here. Because here is the discrepancy: if the President of the United States serves only 2 terms, he can't serve 3 terms, right? Why the Supreme Court has that, uh, that, that, uh, sort of, uh, incentive to serve forever? Because the system was set up from the get-go that way. A lot of Americans do not know, so, and that's just part of it. All right, let me see another question, guys, uh, and I'm gonna scroll, uh, Maran Dorcier, good to see you, Maran, as always. Okay, I'm gonna scroll up a little bit just to see if there is something there. And, uh, oh, Army with Harmony, uh, Army with Harmony. Uh, question off topic: if Israel bombed Beirut airport, will the US, uh, uh, the US, uh, deploy Marines into Lebanon? No. Or will— no, no, they won't. They won't. What the US will do, uh, first of all, Israel will not do that unless they have the backing of the US, because remember, Israel cannot fight by itself. Uh, the H Group in Lebanon is no small matter. Oh yeah, no small matter. Uh, uh, I think I disclosed— yeah, uh, I wrote a whole section about it in the Iran book. When I upload it, guys, for any of you who will purchase the book, you will read that through. I, I detailed about 2 pages just about that group because you have to go back in its history and understand. And now there, its military capabilities— it was the H group Lebanon that kicked Israel out in 2006. Now you all remember what happened in 1982 in Beirut, right? Because we never understood not only the makeup of the society in Lebanon, but also we didn't understand the capabilities of the age group at that time. So, so I— the only way I see them doing this for Israel, only if the US— and the US has, by the way, for the record, the US has moved some military assets near Israel, just in anticipation of a possible conflict. Yeah, so, uh, I hope it doesn't happen because it won't be pretty. It will not be pretty. And the age group is ready to fight, and they will fight. They will fight to death because they don't fear death. They really— this is something we don't understand about the culture in West Asia. Uh, let me— I'm looking at another question. Uh, okay, question here from Amber Spirit. What, uh, what do you think gonna happen if Russia close its border for moving goods in and out of Europe? No, first of all, they won't close that. And second, what, what's going to happen? Nothing. These borders are secured. Remember, this is not the US. I live in state of Texas. I know what's going on at the border here. Our border, it's so by design, by the way. No, nothing is going to happen, uh, except that, uh, the Russians are thinking strategically. I've already enter into the deal with the Chinese to build a pipeline from Siberia, because that's the one that's going to be bringing gas. And that was supposed— some of the other gas was supposed to go through Nord Stream 2, through Turkey into Europe. Now Russians don't have to worry about that because the Asian market is going to make up the difference. And I've been saying this for a while. I've been saying this for a while. I disclosed this in the book because I was aware of the project. I was aware of the funding of the Chinese into Siberia. So, so that's what's going to— no, nothing's going to happen. And, and, uh, excuse me, we found out that the sanctions backfired. That's, that's what happened there. Uh, uh, question. Q7A, good to see you as always. Dr. O, do you think Russia will renegotiate the currency used in trade with India? India does not produce enough goods that Russia can, uh, uh, uh, that Russia can buy, which means Russia will be left with excess rupees. Uh, they could, they could talk about this. Let's sip water. Excuse me. They could renegotiate this, and, and, and I bet they will. Because if there is one thing— and I still do not know why the Russians didn't do it from the get-go, why the Russians didn't ask for payments in gold to begin with. India has some gold, okay, beside the one stolen, uh, by England, which England, by the way, has to return the gold to India. Because that gold belongs to India. But India— Russia could have asked India to pay in gold. I don't know why they want to hit with the rupees. So yeah, if they are to renegotiate, it will be because of the financial aspect, by asking India to pay in, uh, in, in rupees. On the other hand, uh, I also can see the Russians might limit the amount of energy, gas or oil for that matter. However, the military sale will still go on because India is a client or is, uh, sort of, uh, acquires military hardware from Russia. So that's the only way I see this happening. And this is part of why I'm wondering about the trip of Modi to India. Okay, one last question, guys, here. Uh, Panos here, thank you so much. I love you, David, you are unbiased. No, I'm just fair. I, I, I like fairness and justice, you know. I, I won't sleep good if I am to do injustice. I can't. It's just my nature, my personality. Uh, I won't. Uh, okay, one more, one more, one more. Caracola, good to see you, and thank you, Dr. O. You're most welcome. You guys are awesome, and I mean it when I say it. I'm not saying it to be Mr. Nice, that is not me. And I mean it when I say you guys are nice. Yeah, still good people out there, it really is. And it's nice to know, really nice to know. Uh, by the way, uh, uh, uh, about my Asia trip, I got good news yesterday. We'll leave it at that, I don't detail much. So, uh, I will be making some planning now, and, uh, then, then you'll find out. Uh, Cheesecake, oh, that's a good question, that's a good question. Is the US becoming the next USSR? Uh, no, no, I won't go that far, except that, uh, the standard living in America is going to change very, very drastically. And who's going to be harmed the most is the average people. Especially those who live paycheck to paycheck. Uh, be on the lookout, guys. Tomorrow we're gonna be doing, uh, on the other channel, a live stream on this aspect of it. Really, really, I, I wish Americans wake up. I really wish. I wish they can just watch one of our episodes here just to hear the truth. They are being brainwashed by design. They don't— because the government doesn't want them to know. So they're gonna be hit hard financially. The standard of living is gonna go bad. US in a decade will be very different. Like, my word on it. We're not going back. We're done with that era. So, oh, Francis Tango, you're watching soccer, uh, the final, I guess, right? So, oh good, you all enjoy it. Uh, Army with Harmony, let me, let me— I'm sorry, I got the wrong one here. Army with Harmony, will you be, will you be going on the journey before the elections? Yes, yes, yeah, I, I can't wait that long, so I am looking at the end of August, maybe September, somewhere around that time, because I have to make a lot of arrangements And, uh, then, then, uh, and most likely I will not disclose the stuff. It's just, you know how it is. You gotta— there are some nasty people out there. And, and, uh, and by the way, I am authorized to defend myself by any means. So you read between the lines. Uh, Uh, Dr. O, can you give the link tomorrow for the other channels? Uh, which one? Oh, the other channel. Oh, for the other. Okay, okay, uh, okay. Oh, of course, Cara Collette. Of course, of course. Yeah, you're right, AJ. Just, they're nasty people out there. I'll tell you a quick story, guys, just quick story here before I sign off. I had someone, a high-ranking official inside the government, lied about me saying something I didn't say. Yeah, lied. So They did this backstabbing in the back, and I learned my lesson from that because I did disclose some stuff at that time. We were just talking, you know, a colleague. Nah, they didn't like the fact that, you know, you are a little bit intellectually higher level, you are whatever. I don't know what was the issue, and stabbed me in the back by saying that I said something about the president at that time, and I didn't. They said I said something about the president at the bar. I don't go to bars. So, but anyway, it's, it's old. Uh, the one thing I've learned, you let go of the past. Negative energy, keep it away. Stay positive. That is the key. So that is always the key, and I find it— I'm at peace internally, really. I'm at peace when I think like that. I think positive. This is why I get excited when I'm with you guys. It's the energy, not just from me, it's from you as well. So, uh, that's, that's the way I see it. So, okay guys, I am going to sign off here and, uh, uh, Oh, let's see one last question here from, uh, Fardus Gamin. Uh, question: what do you think about the current situation in Bangladesh, especially now that the government is doing everything to favor Modi even though people are against it? I am not familiar. I am familiar with Sheikha Hasina and the corruption that exists, massive corruption behind the scenes, which we were aware of it. I was aware of it back when I was in Washington, DC, as far— because we wanted to sort of, uh, use Bangladesh also, uh, to a degree. Uh, and yeah, when you think about— and I traveled to Nepal, and I did ask, I remember when I was in Kathmandu, and, and I got like mixed feeling about the answers that I got, uh, on the opposite ends between where Bangladesh stands vis-à-vis Nepal and India. Or Sri Lanka for that matter, whatever. Yeah, I can see why, uh, Bangladesh will go with direction of India because it also depends on India on some trade of sort. Uh, uh, that's, that's so far what I know, but I'd be happy to take a look at it and see what's going on. So, all right guys, I am going to sign off here and I will see you tomorrow on the other channel. And maybe Thursday, as I said, I might end up doing a live stream Oh, I didn't decide anything yet. So, uh, appreciate you being here, and I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.