Commentary
-
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
Hey, everybody, Peter Zion here coming to you once again from Colorado. You may have noticed in the news of late that the Europeans are starting to find, how shall I call this a non standard ways of targeting non standard ways that the Russians are using to get around sanctions in various forms.
And the issue of the day happens to be gold. So one of the many, many ways that you can avoid sanctions that deal with either the euro or the dollar is to physically trade in gold, like you physically fly it to a location to pay for goods or services. And the Russians are taking a page from the Iranians who have been doing this for years. The big difference here is scale. Russia is a much larger country with a much larger economy. And unlike Iran, it is actually a producer of gold. And for the Russians, this is a pretty good trick. So gold because it is so dense in terms of its value is relatively easy to hide or smuggle. So according to official statistics, Russia is the world’s third largest producer. But their production statistics are a state secret, they only share what they want to there’s no auditing. And so that’s undoubtedly higher, they’re almost certainly the number one. In addition, Russia has a state reserve of gold bullion, that is a complete state secret that we don’t know how big it is. So they’re probably the world’s largest holder of gold. In addition, there is a state reserve of partially processed gold that is not in full bullion form, but could be with not too much difficulty. So if the Russians ever felt that they needed a few extra 10s, or maybe even hundreds of billions of dollars of gold, it probably wouldn’t be a big stretch for them. In addition, and this is where the Europeans come in. Russia likes to accept services for Wagner, that’s their paramilitary combat group that they used to basically crush opponents in foreign countries. Basically, you get a dictatorial government somewhere most likely in Africa, but contracts for Wagner to come in and like destroy the opposition. It’s very similar to what a lot of African countries do with the Angolans and their ninja group. But they’d like to get paid not just in gold, but in gold concessions. And all of these bulk concessions that the Russians or Russian groups operate around the world are also state secrets. And so we don’t have that data either. So at the end of the day, the Russians literally just take a plane and fly the gold somewhere to pay for, say imports of products that are sanctions.
And if this sounds a little weird, and a little fantastical, keep in mind that Russia is a really big place. And a lot of high end stuff is already transported by air. And in the case of the gold mines, they’re almost exclusively in North Eastern Siberia, the least populated part of the country. And the mines themselves typically are not on a road or rail network. So they’re bullion has to get flown to Moscow anyway. So it’s pretty easy for the Russians just to divert one or two of their own planes loaded up with a few million $2 billion with a Boolean, and fly it to say China or Iran or wherever else in order to pay for services. no easy way around this unless you decide to go after those international concessions themselves to problems with that, first of all, you’re targeting Wagner, so there might be a fight on your hand. And second, Wagner doesn’t go into countries where it’s not invited. So you’re talking about having to flip the views of a hostile probably dictatorial and maybe even borderline genocidal government in order to get at Wagner. These are not things that are easily done, but if you’re gonna go after the Gold Trail, that’s really the only way to do it. Okay, that’s it for me. See you guys next time.
-
Why interest rates will be higher for longer
At the start of 2024, the outlook for the U.S. economy was optimistic. Inflation was falling, unemployment was shrinking and the country was experiencing strong GDP growth. As 2024 progressed, that situation changed. Inflation proved stubborn, remaining above 3%, and economic output slowed down, making the Federal Reserve’s initial prediction for six rate cuts no…
-
How to handle plunging US birth rate before it’s too late
The latest CDC report on the U.S. birth rate reveals a decline in fertility rates, with 2023 seeing just 1.62 births per woman, marking the lowest level since data collection began in the 1930s. Births in the U.S. decreased for over a decade prior to the onset of COVID-19, and then experienced a 4% drop…
-
Japan must confront reality of military threats
The United States and Japan have been friendly since the aftermath of World War II, after which the U.S. committed around $38 billion (in 2024 dollars) to help rebuild its former enemy. Today, especially in light of the growing military threat from neighboring China, Japan is increasingly aligned with Western security alliances like AUKUS and…
-
US may need to find new sources of uranium
Russia is the world’s largest producer of enriched uranium, presenting a problem for U.S. supply chains as Western sanctions against Russia continue to escalate in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition to uranium’s use in nuclear weapons, nuclear power provides around 20% of domestic American energy. Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan explains…
-
China’s Fujian aircraft carrier is nothing to worry about
A number of U.S. commentators have raised alarms over China’s rapid construction of naval military vessels — and about China’s supposed ability to outproduce the United States in any long, protracted conflict. Recently, China unveiled a new aircraft supercarrier named the Fujian. These developments coincide with increasingly aggressive Chinese naval behavior. Straight Arrow News contributor…
Latest Stories
-
Chinese EV-maker Zeekr is coming to the US. Will Biden’s tariff hike stop it?
-
Anti-oil activists try to break into Magna Carta display
-
Charges dropped against 211 migrants who stormed border, DA appeals
-
Bumble founder: Future of dating could be one AI talking to another
-
VA school board votes to restore Confederate names changed in 2020
Popular Opinions
-
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.
Latest Opinions
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum. We hope these different voices will help you reach your own conclusions.
The opinions published in this section are solely those of the contributors and do not reflect the views of Straight Arrow News.
Latest Commentary
We know it is important to hear from a diverse range of observers on the complex topics we face and believe our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions.
The commentaries published in this section are solely those of the contributors and do not reflect the views of Straight Arrow News.
Peter Zeihan
Geopolitical StrategistHow to handle plunging US birth rate before it’s too late
Japan must confront reality of military threats
US may need to find new sources of uranium
Dr. Frank Luntz
Pollster and Political AnalystGen Z debates capitalism vs. socialism, meritocracy vs. equality
‘We want to find common ground’: Gen Z’s stubborn optimism
‘Take the job seriously’: Why Americans are fed up with Congress
Pete Ricketts
U.S. Senator for Nebraska