Imperial Suicide Watch

Blade, meet jugular:

Senate GOP Vows To Block All Except Tax Cut, Debt Bills

You might think this is just domestic posturing.

[Cue dramatic pause, followed by hysterical post-American laughter.]

Not so. This is about putting the START treaty to reduce nuclear stockpiles, a rational and sane deal for both the US and Russia, on ice (treaties need 2/3rds majority, so it's not a question of that vile fiction called the filibuster).

The Rethuglicans strut and preen and issue bombastic statements, as if attempting to outdo their classic forerunners in intermingled Imperial corruption and decline, the Roman Senators. Where Rome borrowed other people's soldiers for its mad wars, America borrows other people's money for its mad speculations. But no Empire lasts forever, and now it is the turn of this one to be ground beneath the remorseless wheels of History.

Which explains Russia's response. Because Russia. Doesn't. Care.

They don't need to.

The Russian developmental state, a.k.a. Bearzilla, is loaded with cash, debt-free, and powering up its nanotech, aerospace and software industries.

But it matters for the US, because it depends on massive inflows of funds from the nations of the semi-periphery -- funds controlled by developmental states.
 This is the era of developmental states, and there's only one rule of the global jungle: do NOT bet against Bearzilla, Bolivarzilla, Pandazilla or Brazilla. If you try, you will be eaten.

Let the munching begin!