False flag approaches

I am rebuilding our forecasting model for the U.S. stock market, which is why I will only comment on my yesterday’s post briefly today. Note also that I will not publish an entry tomorrow.

Yesterday, I noted that the brief trip of CIA director John Ratcliffe to Moscow would have been to ask something from Moscow (regarding Iran) and a plea to try to avoid the likely-approaching escalation in Ukraine. Essentially, I speculated the reason for the trip to have been an effort to avoid a multi-front escalation that would reveal the weakness of NATO/U.S. by pushing the world into a higher escalation ladder, which the U.S. would struggle, and would not want to meet.

Today, Patricia chimed in by noting in X that

You don’t make a surprise, desperate trip to a country you’re imposing sanctions on unless it’s to ask for something.
It only takes two brain cells to see that this kind of visit is to ask for something, not to make threats.

I think she’s right on the money with her assessment.