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Here’s a sobering thought: In the first month of 2017, we find ourselves closer to nuclear Armageddon than at any time in the last sixty years!
The Doomsday Clock, started by a group of scientists after the Manhattan Project back in 1947, is updated each January to show how close or how far away we are from the stroke of midnight, which means imminent nuclear holocaust.
Well, according to the latest report from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in January, the clock just moved to two-and-one-half minutes till midnight.
That’s closer to nuclear annihilation than any time since 1953 … immediately after the first H-bomb test by the Soviet Union.
This revelation is no surprise to me, because I’ve been warning you for some time now that the cycles of war are indeed ramping higher, and will continue to do so in the years ahead.
The war cycles are just one component in an intersection of multiple cycles I call the Edelson Wave, that are now converging into the most powerful tidal-wave of economic and political upheaval in more than eighty years.
All around me I see hard evidence that the war cycles are rising. Just look at the short-list of flash points for potential conflict around the world today …
- North Korea’s development of nukes and missiles to carry them…
- Hot war in Syria and rising tensions across the Middle East …
- Russia’s ambitions to restore the lost Soviet empire …
- China’s saber rattling in the South China Sea
The list goes on, and could easily include rising tensions between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states, not to mention threats by Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to intervene in the Syrian conflict.
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| Putin has his own ambitious agenda for expanding Russia’s power. |
Against this backdrop, we have a changing cast of world-leading characters with very strong personalities. Of course, this includes a new American president who enjoys talking tough and doesn’t seem hesitant to swing the big stick of U.S. military might.
And in the opposite corner is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who for all his friendly gestures toward Trump, has his own ambitious agenda for expanding Russia’s power.
Trump has promised to improve relations with Russia, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security.
Putin is dead set on restoring Russia’s former glory, by force if necessary. He has systematically flexed his military muscle to show his willingness to re-acquire former client states of the old Soviet Union. Remember Crimea? Remember Ukraine? Remember Georgia?
And he also has designs on the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Two of those Baltic nations share a border with Russia, and all three are now NATO members with NATO troops garrisoned on Russia’s front doorstep. This region is on the exact same warpath into Russia followed by Napoleon’s France, and later by Germany during two world wars, making it key strategic territory in Putin’s eyes.
Russia is also a major backer of the Assad regime in Syria, which sets him at odds with both Israel and Turkey, two other NATO members. Make no mistake, the stakes here could not be any higher, and here’s where the Doomsday Clock comes into play.
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Reportedly, the Russians have already warned both Turkey and Israel that Putin is prepared to use tactical nuclear weapons if necessary to safeguard the more than 20,000 advisers and troops now operating in Syria.
Both Turkey and Israel are NATO members, meaning any conflict over Syria could quickly escalate into full-scale nuclear war.
And that’s just one of multiple major flashpoints.
President Trump has also promised to punish China for predatory trade practices and currency manipulation. Trump’s choice for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, commenting on tensions in the South China Sea, went on record saying: “We’re going to send China a clear signal that … island-building stops and access to those islands is not going to be allowed.”
Bottom line: Not since the darkest days of the Cold War has America faced the possibility of major conflicts on multiple fronts. Regrettably, the Doomsday Clock is ticking closer to midnight, just as my own studies of the war cycles forewarned.
Best wishes,
Larry
P.S. The Dow is going to soar as high as 45,000 … NOT in spite of the struggling world economy or gargantuan federal debts … NOT in spite of gridlock in Washington and the uncertainty of the Trump presidency … NOT in spite of the mess in Europe and Japan and the rising tide of political violence and terror worldwide … NOT in spite of the new U.S. president and his radical shift from the economic policies of the past eight years … The Dow Will go as high as 45,000 – NOT in spite of all these crises in the global economy … but BECAUSE of them! Read more here …
Larry Edelson, one of the world’s foremost experts on gold and precious metals, is the editor of Real Wealth Report and Supercycle Trader.
Larry has called the ups and downs in the gold market time and again. As a result, he is often called upon by the media for his investing views. Larry has been featured on Bloomberg, Reuters and CNBC as well as The New York Times and New York Sun.
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Two corrections – Lithuania also borders Russia, the enclave of Kaliningrad, so all three Baltic states border Russia. Israel is not a member of NATO.
Good catch but just so you know Kaliningrad is an exclave not an enclave.
I do not believe Israel is a member of NATO as indicated above.
Israel is a partner, not a member.
Correct, Israel isn’t a NATO member. It does have a long-term memorandum of understanding, a limited alliance in all but name, with the US.
Nonsense, stick with gold & silver
thank you!
Money can not help your purpose
Larry,
Israel is not a NATO member like Turkey..however if Israel was attacked by Russia or Turkey it would provoke the U.S. to retaliate.
Israel a member of NATO? Are you sure?
Larry, you stated twice that Israel is a NATO member. Not true.
Israel is not a member of NATO. It is included in the group of major non-NATO ally (MNNA), a designation given by the United States government to close allies who have strategic working relationships with U.S. Armed Forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Israel is not a member of NATO
It seems like a piece of information, just as important as what they say the number is right now, what the number was previously? Were we 1 second farther away before than we are now or an hour? Without that for context, it feels like hype from these scientists.
I believe they moved the clock up from 3 minutes away to 2 1/2 minutes. That is the closest the scientists have set the clock since 1953, when it was at 2 minutes to midnight. It is hype, but reflects their fear.
Not that it invalidates the main point here, but FYI Israel is NOT a NATO member.
Israel is not a member of NATO. I don’t believe Napoleon’s invasion of Russia went through the Baltics; that would have been a month’s wasted march in his advance on Moscow.
I believe you are pretty rigorous in your analyses and follow your insights. When you appear to get carried away with your rhetoric, you start to look like our President.
Napoleon was in the Baltics. There was a siege at Riga.
Israel is not a NATO member.
Why did you leave out the growing Israeli settlements in the West bank into Palestinian territory? This is a major source of conflict which has much greater chance or war than the over hyped threat of Russia.
Dear Barbara , Israeli boarders in 1947 is where the boarders are now , the Arab nations decided to take the land away from the Israel until 1967 when the Israeli army avenged the Arab neighbors . The West Bank was given to the Israeli folk way before 1967 . We tend to have short memories .
Your paragraph # 1 is beyond the pale !
The Doomsday Clock is outrageously without merit.
You are absolutely correct. I find the whole article to be hyperbole!
Funny how no one in USA media or blogs like this one ever list American Imperialism ambitions and overthrows of legitimate foreign governments (Regime Change) as reasons we are nearing Nuclear Armaggedon?? Because they are just pissing everyone off and there is a reason they ar hated across the globe and seen as the worst of “bullies”…Just read “The Project for the New American Century (PNAC)” the neo-conservative game plan and you’ll see the mentality that got them there… and then the fact that as part of the German reunification agreement the west said it wouldn’t expand NATO “one inch eastward”.. Well that was a lie and was breached repeatedly, and when the West overthrew the Ukrainian governement covertly, Vladamir put his foot down and said “enough!”… So your statement:
“Vladimir Putin, who for all his friendly gestures toward Trump, has his own ambitious agenda for expanding Russia’s power.Putin is dead set on restoring Russia’s former glory, by force if necessary. He has systematically flexed his military muscle to show his willingness to re-acquire former client states of the old Soviet Union. Remember Crimea? Remember Ukraine? Remember Georgia?” is not accurate, he is mearly protecting his own territory and interests from a constantly encroaching NATO and USA onto his doorstep and had they succeeded in Ukraine, they would have been in control of the Russian Black Sea Port in Crimea, which would have been unacceptable to Russia…. So this constant rant of propaganda from everywhere you turn in the western media trying to brainwash us by repetition, including from yourself and especially Martin Weiss about “Russian Aggression” is really making me angry… When the former USSR tried to install missiles in Cuba, Kennedy almost started a Nuclear war to convince the USSR that they had gone too far, that was seen as ok, even seen as heroic by some…Well now the shoe is on the other foot and Russia is saying “enough” as NATO is putting missiles on their borders and they (The Russians) are being portrayed as the antagonist!?!?…See the hypocrisy?? The truth is that the Globalists are really pissed that Putin has foiled their plans in the middle east (and the world) and are doing everything they can to smear and portray him as a villain..They were preparing for outright war as soon as Hillary got in as President..Well luckily for us she didn’t otherwise the doomsday clock would be striking midnight right now!…Maybe with Trump we have a few more years before the globalist re-group and find another way to get there…In the meantime: Please stop perpetuating the BS about Russian supposed ambitions and ignoring the Wests blatant aggression… How blind and dumb do you think we all are.
I couldn’t have said it better myself, Wasteland Warrior.
Enough of the fake news already!
When you’re right, you’re right and you “Wasteland Warrior” are right! (I do wish people would have the courage and honesty to use their own names when discussing serious matters, but I suppose I can understand why someone wouldn’t want to- especially if their job was political correctness sensitive!)
Well stated Wasteland Warrior, I was going to post on here but you have summed up everything I was going to write!
Amen brother! ! You have hit the nail on the head. It couldn’t have said better!!
Ostracism of a class of people or their religion promotes hostility and a vengeful attitude.
The travel rule executive order and disparaging statements made justifying it may cause many thousands of Dirty Rats to join ISIS out of spite and a feeling of rejection.
Absolutely zero evidence of what you state.
We surround Russia with bases, tanks and offensive missiles and Putin is the aggressor? We over-throw Ukraine and Putin is the aggressor? Crimea votes to join Russia and Putin is the aggressor? And by the way Israel is NOT a member of NATO. Israel has been the aggressor in the region. Bought US politicians have committed treason and war crimes helping destroy the Middle East. http://www.globalresearch.ca/we-re-going-to-take-out-7-countries-in-5-years-iraq-syria-lebanon-libya-somalia-sudan-iran/5166
Thank you, Rick. I think Larry Edelson needs to sit down and read George Orwell’s 1984
Larry Edelson: “And in the opposite corner is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who for all his friendly gestures toward Trump, has his own ambitious agenda for expanding Russia’s power.”
Exactly what do you mean by this, Larry? How many countries has Russia invaded since the USSR ceased to exist? Zero, zilch, nada. …., and don’t even try mentioning Crimea. The democratically elected Ukrainian govt. was toppled by the US with Victoria Nuland running the show. In 1990 the US and Russia signed an agreement that NATO would not expand to the east. Now Poland, the Baltic states and many more are NATO members.
So, who’s expanding.
When Trump says he wants to make America’s military great again. This from the President of the country with a larger military budget than the next ten countries combined.
Who is the agressor?
You had me until “Israel has been the aggressor in the region”!
Thank you for that moment of clarity in this ever rising insanity brought on by our Far Left media .
Larry first you were at 31,000 Dow now your at 45,000 which is a big leap in faith and otherwise.
Dear Larry, I wish you and your studies were wrong. But it seems obvious that they are correct. One only need read the news to see it plain as day.
OK. So, do you really think any place will be ‘safe’ in a nuclear war? I do not think so.
Are we headed for armageddon? If so, what is the point of trying to make any investments at all? Why not just find a sunny beach and spend some quality time that may be left with family and friends? It seems to me that even the most rank ego maniac has some sense of self preservation. Maybe I am wrong. I hope I am right. Incidentally.
I do not think that Thailand will be spared nuclear fall out from targets in Asia. The southern hemisphere will not be spared either (remember the movie, On The Beach)? If worldwide nuclear war does come, we are looking at an extinction event for our species (and many others as well).
Investments? Why care? The clock is ticking. Very few, if any, will survive a nuclear holocaust. And those that do will not enjoy a good life. It will be back to the age of horse power and disease and warlords.
So, enjoy you time left, Larry. It is not a matter of IF. It is a matter of WHEN.
Aloha,
Tom Beach in Hawaii
From Europe to China and the Middle East, most of these countries have been at war of some kind for much of the last 2500 years, at least. There are simply too many separate entities over there with many different beliefs and customs. Many cultures, some peaceful and some always lusting for more power. Is it the people or the leaders who have a constant desire for more power? Likely, it is the leadership. Power hungry, overly- egotistic leaders make for highly explosive environments. In some instances, it is a struggle to survive and in others it is the desire to exploit. No way can the US, in its present military condition, thanks to Obama, take on more than one front. We can no longer protect everyone and perhaps we should look to defend our own country more so.
Fortunately, there are forces behind the scenes that keep these things in check. Although, it is getting nearer and nearer, the time is not yet.
Larry, I agree with your list of hot spots and analysis, however, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is not a good source on this issue. In fact, academic scientists are not a good source about anything outside science and even seem incompetent in many critical areas of science. Academia, including science academia, has, in general, committed itself to a failed political philosophy that is not supported by logic, experience or empirical data. I’m not naive about the “friendship” between Trump and Putin (and neither are they), but Putin will see how far he can push strategic maneuvering rather than using greater force for the next couple of years. The Middle East remains an area where a flash fire can break out any day, but the likelihood of that expanding has diminished significantly for now. The main threat, and it is significant, is the increased tension between China and the US, but unless Xi is really stupid (he doesn’t seem to be insane), there should “just” be a series of controlled bluffs. Speaking of insane, a North Korea with nuclear weapons is a real threat, but the only annihilation that’s likely to result is that of North Korea – I say “only”, but it would, of course, be a great tragedy for the North Korean people to experience nuclear attack because of its insane leader.
The picture is not complete. While Putin makes noise at the Baltic States, why do you hear nothing about the Central Asian States, which were all Soviet states?
While China is building islands to extend its marine perimeter, the real source of raw materials to fuel China’s economy is to the North…Eastern Siberia.
The Central Asian States are being connected to China’s NEW SILK ROAD. Is it just possible that Putin is chicken when push comes to shove & faced with 1 Billion population with Nukes & modern weapons to match?
Asynchronous cyberattacking is one thing, but with death-dealing weapons it is something else
DOOMSDAY CLOCK RESET
According to their own website ( doomsday clock ) they moved the clock to reflect an increase in global warming issues on man. So, politics has contaminated the original meaning of Doomsday Clock time. Its now governed by other criteria besides threat of nuclear war. This does not necessarily means we are not still in fact moving closer to nuclear war, as we probably are. In any event, not much anyone can do about it. When your time comes, it comes and that is that.
Larry, I enjoy reading your columns, but . . . please be more careful with facts (try not to become an “alternative fact” person like the clown in the White House). Your errors about Israel and Lithuania have been pointed out already, so I’ll leave it there.
The other factual issue requiring correction, besides Israel never being a NATO member, is that the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ doomsday clock got far worse than the present reading. Between 1953 and today, the reading got as close as 6 SECONDS before midnight, during the Reagan Administration. Also worth noting, is that the BAS clock is not based on any set of objective facts. It is political propaganda, seeking political power for the weapons designers of the former Cold War adversaries, based upon an obsolete Freudian psychological theory that men fight wars to woo women, for which reason it was argued that a global government run by men with tiny gonads, huge frontal lobes, ugly spectacles and white lab coats, could somehow diminish the risk of nuclear annihilation and bring about prosperity through nuclear energy use. To date, there is no evidence that atomic scientists can govern anything effectively.
Crimea in particular has been a part of Imperial Russia long before Texas joined the union. Are advertcaing giving Texas back to Mexico? Ukraine has for centuries been in the sphere of Russia, since Roman times. The USA meddling in the Ukrain is nothing short of i.e. Russia meddling in Canada and we all know that would not be tolerated, so wake up! As you should well know Ukraine was a part of Kazaria.
The last time we elected a businessman to the Presidency, we got infrastructure improvements, Smoot/Hawley and other trade controls, and the Great Depression. This time we could get World War III, as well. However, we were on that path before Trump was elected. Putin had already announced an overhaul of Russia’s nuclear capabilities in fear of Clinton’s election. She would have made the war a certainty.
Incidentally, I see no sign that Trump is less imperialistic than Clinton. He seems ready for war with China over the South China Sea.
I believe that the United States government has already used tactical nuclear weapons in it’s military operations, a few times! One pretty clear example is the opening shot for the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. A video was shown on national TV of a Bunker Buster strike on Saddam Hussein’s digs in downtown Baghdad. What was shown was a brilliant, and overwhelming flash followed by a massive and rising column of dirt and debris and the formation of a mushroom cloud above that! I don’t think it is a secret that the really powerful Bunker Busters are nuclear.
Larry: The posting pundits deploring USA as the aggressor is egregiously wrong. There has never been a more benevolent nation in the history of the world. Now Beyond that is: obama has totally enabled Iran with a so-called agreement that Iran contends they never signed. obama, by lifting the sanctions and giving approx $150 billion dollars, has enabled Iran to go shopping, Russia, China, and North Korea. The implosion point will begin with Iran being nuclear with in 12 months and all hell (WWIII) will break out, in the middle east. There will be incursions in the South China Sea also. Russia will not start a nuclear war, however as said; Iran will be the total instigator. Mark it on the wall. Also, when will you open this new Program?
Who really cares about the doomsday clock anyway?
The ambitions of restoring Czarist Russia, Turkey’s Ottoman Empire, and Iran’s Persian Empire are not new. They are among many nations that still long for their former glories. China’s need for natural resources isn’t breaking news either. What is new is that we have a guy that bears a striking resemblance to an orange Orangutan occupying the Oval Office. That is the real threat. My immediate concern is not war, but rather Trump’s impact on technology stocks. In aggregate, technology companies control vast amounts of wealth and as they are generally at odds with Trump, my fear is that he might decide to make a series of moves that are designed to tank their market caps to weaken their opposition. Some of his policy overtures towards China certainly qualify.
Hitler would not have made it if people would have stood up to to him to begin with. One has to give the impression that you do not want to mess with us. That prevents troubles. China has a big armed forces but they are pretty smart. They have known better than to be one to start a conflict. There forces are more for going where they are ask to come in.
If we have a nuclear conflict we do not need a financial service. Marshall law will rule. The rules will all change if we have a major global conflict.
Please get your facts right.
I am living in England but visited Crimea and Ukraine many times on business and have many friends there.
Crimea was a small autonomous state with its own parliament and its people consider themselves Russian with Russian history, language and religion. (Christian Russian Orthodox)
Ukraine’s population is 35% Russians who were bombarded by the nationalist army, blockaded and starved to surrender. Fearing the same fate, the Crimean parliament voted to join Russia and the Russian parliament quickly accepted. Not one shot was fired and no one demonstrated.
Russia has not sent any of its forces into Ukraine but is sending is sending food to convoys to it, has taken in 1 1/2 million Ukrainian refugees and declared to the United Nations and the World it has no wish to take over the country. What more do you want?
Look at the mess and dictatorships you have created in South America, for God’s sake keep out of Europe.
Larry, you have included nearly all in the list of nuclear players but the nuclear club’s ringleader. You know, the only one thus far who hesitated not one minute to unleash its atomic creations of diabolical horrors on civilians — not once, but twice. Why such obvious omission?
The doomsday “scientists” predicted one of their lower doomsday levels during the Cuban missile crisis – arguably one of the time periods when we were closer to nuke war than any other time. This is a group that I have no confidence in.
My observation is that Trump is playing chess. He is thinking about the time that fait currency dies and what will replace it. Bit coin has the disadvantage of being dependent on access to the internet. My guess is that he is anticipating some sort of precious metals based currency that will not be used outside of the U.S.A. In order for this to work, he needs the capability to adjust it’s value for trade with the other currencies that exist. Hence, the bilateral trade deals. This is a way to bypass the super fait currency, Special Drawing Rights. Keep in mind that Trump has been through bankruptcy. In order for that to work, you have to plan ahead. trump is thinking ahead to America’s bankruptcy.
We are closer now because our former President spent his last few months doing things that would move us closer to war. Fortunately, they caught on toward the end and just waited for the new President. Putin is smart enough to know that he can become much richer and more powerful if our countries are BOTH prospering. War might solve today’s problem, but profits solve tomorrow’s.
The US is commited to Israel more than NATO. It’s just a point of reasoning that aggression against either could lead to war. Funny how articles like this get so many to major on a minor. Like they use to say back in grade school “big wow “.
The doomsday clock was pretty high under Reagan but Reagan negotiated nuclear arms reductions, improved relations with Russia, and started or joined no wars. A couple of military operations in Grnada and Lybia, that’s it. So the scientists up the clock when a Republican becomes President and lowers it when. Democrat becomes President. That’s not science, that’s politics.
Larry is wrong not only as regards Israel. He seems to live in an echo chamber, And not only him, as one can infer from the comments
Those above that state that the Baltics were not involved in the Napoleonic invasion of Russia…..are wrong. In late June of 1812, Napoleon crossed the River Niemen into Lithuania, in a bid to conquer Russia with and army of almost half a million men.
Just because a country is not on the direct route to Moscow is not a reason to state that an invader would not go there. Look at Hitler’s (some would say crazy) troop diversions on the Germanic invasion of WWII.
Also, he puts all the blame for the killing, looting, the mess in Ukraine, Crimea, and Georgia on Putin. But that was all a US NATO operation. Ukraine was flat out a coup de tat, bullying there way into ousting the elected president, then looting the gold and cutting the peoples entitlements by half. Georgia was a US NATO unprovoked attack on some minding their own business little province. The president of Georgia was educated in the US at Columbia. The Crimea has been a Russian naval base for 200 yrs or better. And US NATO surround Russia resources with ballistic missile systems, and Larry says its all Putin’s fault.