Para entender porqué estamos al borde del colapso imprescindible escuchar a Putin en Munich en 2007
Las advertencias proféticas de Putin, marcaron un antes, y un después en las relaciones entre Rusia y el mundo transatlántico, El mundo unipolar no es capaz de asegurar la estabilidad mundial. algo de lo que el imperio estaba convencido de lo contrario, amparado en el triunfalismo de sus prohombres, de esos que les dan premios y títulos por ensalzar el imperialismo neoliberal de Occidente
Transcript
00:12Hello friends
00:14In many of my videos I usually make reference to Vladimir Putin's speech in Munich,
00:19because to understand the current world and the moment in which all of
00:23humanity finds ourselves, viewing or reading it is essential.
00:26was a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin given on February 10, 2007 during
00:32the Munich Security Conference.
00:35Putin used the speech to make significant points about the future direction of
00:40policy, and warned that Russia would be led by itself, and would not allow interference
00:46or threats.
00:47In his speech, Putin strongly condemned the United States' efforts to build
00:53a unipolar world, criticized NATO's approach to Russia's borders.
00:58He called for patience on the issue of the Iranian nuclear program, and warned of
01:03the need to act respecting the Charter of the United Nations, in addition to addressing
01:07other issues of global importance.?
01:10The speech had a great impact and became known, like Putin's speech
01:15in Munich.
01:17Putin's prophetic warnings marked a before and after in relations
01:23between Russia and the transatlantic world. The unipolar world is not capable of ensuring
01:28global stability.
01:30something that the empire was convinced of the opposite, protected by the triumphalism
01:34of its great men, those who give them awards and titles for praising the neoliberal imperialism
01:39of the West.
01:42For example, the American philosopher and political scientist Francis Fukuyama, who, enthusiastic
01:47about the disintegration of the socialist bloc, announced the end of History.
01:53And he put it into a book in 1992, which was applauded in the empire even with their ears,
02:00he titled it "The end of history and the last man."
02:04It was a thesis that assured the final and indisputable victory of Western liberalism,
02:09as the highest point of the social and cultural evolution of humanity, and predicted
02:14a future full of peace and development.
02:17without global conflicts or instability.
02:19Surely Fukuyama had no idea of the existence of Putin, nor that history
02:24evolves despite the triumphalism of the fascists.
02:29Fukuyama in his book buried Marx definitively, and concluded the class struggle,
02:34riding on the back of the US and its armed wing NATO.
02:37However, decades later, it has become clear that the supremacy of a nation over
02:44the rest of the world, far from guaranteeing global stability, caused a whole wave
02:49of conflicts and violence, never before seen after the Second World War,
02:54creating the dystopian world that we know today with half of humanity in destitution
02:59or extreme poverty, a world in which minds like Francis Fukuyama,
03:04determined to stop history and the class struggle, no longer have a place, when billionaires already
03:08have everything economic power in your hands.
03:11Therefore, I believe that it would be good for all of humanity to analyze the aforementioned speech
03:18by Vladimir Putin in Munich, whose retrospective will make us all understand the current state
03:23of the planet, and understand why the West exudes so much resentment towards Putin.
03:29this is the speech.
03:31Thank you very much, dear Federal Chancellor, Mr. Telchik, ladies and gentlemen.
03:39I thank you very much for inviting me to participate in this very representative conference,
03:45which brought together politicians, military personnel, businessmen and experts from more than 40 countries
03:51around the world.
03:53The conference format allows me to avoid “excessive ceremonies” and the need
03:57to use diplomatic platitudes, pleasant to the ear, but hollow.
04:03The conference format allows me to say what I really think about the
04:08problems of international security.
04:11If my reasoning seems too controversial or not very accurate, I ask you not to
04:16get angry, since we are only in a conference.
04:21I hope that after two or three minutes of my intervention, Mr. Telchik does not turn on the “red light.”
04:28Let's start then.
04:30It is known that the problem of international security is much broader than the
04:34issue of political-military stability, because it encompasses the stability of the
04:39world economy, the elimination of poverty, economic security and the development of dialogue
04:44between civilizations.
04:45The universal and indivisible nature of security is reflected in its basic principle:
04:52“the security of each is the security of all.”
04:56According to what Franklin Roosevelt said a few days after the Second
05:01World War was unleashed.
05:02“Broken peace, no matter where, puts the entire world in danger and under threat.”
05:10These words have not lost their relevance.
05:14This is confirmed by the theme of our conference, which is noted here: “Global crises
05:19and global responsibility.”
05:22Two decades ago, the world was divided ideologically and economically,
05:27its security was guaranteed by the immense strategic potential of two superpowers.
05:34The global confrontation displaced pressing economic and social problems
05:38to the periphery of international relations and the agenda
05:42. As happens in every war, the “cold” war left us its “unexploded mines,” figuratively
05:48speaking.
05:49I am referring to the stereotypical ideological criteria, the double standard policy and other clichés
05:55of the mentality of the bloc era.
05:58The unipolar world that was proposed to be established after the end of the “cold war”
06:04did not become a reality either.
06:05The History of Humanity knows, of course, periods of unipolarity and aspirations
06:11to achieve world domination.
06:13There was a lot in the History of Humanity.
06:17But what is a unipolar world? No matter how much we try to embellish that term, in practice
06:22it has only one meaning: existence of a single center of power,
06:28a single center of force and a single center of decision making. .
06:32It is the world in which there is only one owner, one sovereign.
06:37Ultimately, this is harmful not only for those who find themselves within
06:42the framework of such a system, but also for the sovereign himself, since this system
06:47destroys him from within.
06:49Furthermore, such a state of affairs has nothing to do with democracy.
06:55Because democracy, as is known, is the power of the majority, in which
07:00the interests and opinions of the minority are considered.
07:05I want to point out, by the way, that they are constantly trying to educate us, Russia,
07:11teaching us democracy.
07:14But those who do, they themselves do not show much desire to learn.
07:17In my opinion, the unipolar model is not only inadmissible for the contemporary world
07:23but impossible.
07:24And not only because a single leader in the contemporary world, precisely in the
07:30contemporary world, will not have enough political-military or economic resources.
07:36But because, and this is even more important, it is a model that cannot work
07:41because it lacks the moral basis of our civilization.
07:45It should be noted, at the same time, that everything that happens in our world, and we have only recently
07:52begun to debate it, is a consequence of attempts to impose the conception of the
07:56unipolar world in international affairs.
08:00What result do we have?
08:03Unilateral actions, often illegitimate, did not solve a single problem.
08:11What's more, they generated new humanitarian tragedies and new sources of tension.
08:17Judge for yourselves: the number of wars or local
08:22and regional conflicts has not decreased.
08:23Mr. Telchick made a very mild mention of it.
08:27Today in such conflicts no less people perish than before, and even more.
08:33Much, much more!
08:37We are currently observing a hypertrophied use of force in international affairs,
08:42an almost unbridled use of military force, which plunges the world into a maelstrom of conflicts
08:48that break out one after another.
08:50As a result, they do not have the strength to provide a comprehensive solution to any of them.
08:56It is impossible to find political solutions to them.
09:00We are witnesses of an ever greater disregard for the basic principles of International Law.
09:06Furthermore, certain norms or almost an entire system of law in force in a country,
09:12first of all in the United States, has exceeded its national frameworks in all fields:
09:18in the economy, politics and the humanitarian sphere, and is imposed on others. State.
09:24Who can like such a state of affairs? In international affairs, the aspiration
09:27to resolve one problem or another based on political considerations, the current situation, and
09:33the aspiration to resolve one problem or another is increasingly observed.
09:38of the present moment.
09:41This is very dangerous.
09:42In such a situation no one feels safe anymore.
09:47I want to emphasize it: no one feels safe!
09:50Nobody feels protected nor can they have firm confidence in International Law.
09:57Such a policy acts, of course, as a catalyst for the arms race.
10:03The dominance of the force factor inevitably encourages certain countries to aspire
10:08to possess a weapon of mass extermination.
10:11What's more, threats have emerged that were known before, but today acquire a
10:17global character, such as terrorism.
10:21I am convinced that we have reached a crucial stage in which we must
10:25seriously reflect on the architecture that global security must have.
10:29It is necessary to seek a sensible balance between the interests of all subjects of
10:36international relations, taking into account that the “international landscape” changes rapidly due
10:40to the dynamic development of various States and regions.
10:45The Federal Chancellor has already mentioned this.
10:48For example, the summary GDP of India and China, in terms of their
10:54parity purchasing power, is already greater than that of the United States.
10:58The GDP of the countries of the BRICh group: Brazil, Russia, India and China, calculated according to
11:04this same principle, exceeds the summary GDP of the European Union.
11:09In the opinion of experts, in a foreseeable historical perspective, this gap will
11:14increase.
11:17There is no doubt that the economic potential of the new centers of global growth
11:21will inevitably result in an increase in their political influence and strengthen the
11:26multipolar character of the world.
11:29Relatedly, the importance of multi-vector diplomacy will greatly increase.
11:33Openness, transparency and predictability of politics have no alternative.
11:41The use of force must be approached as an exceptional measure, analogous to the
11:45death penalty that continues to exist in the judicial systems of certain States.
11:51But today we are observing that countries in which the death penalty is not applied
11:56to murderers or other dangerous criminals easily agree to participate in military operations
12:01that can hardly be classified as legitimate.
12:05And in such conflicts people of peace die, hundreds and thousands of people die!
12:13At the same time, the question arises: can we contemplate with indifference and apathy
12:19the internal conflicts that arise in certain countries, the behavior of authoritarian regimes
12:24and tyrants.
12:26as well as the spread of weapons of mass extermination?
12:31This was the essence of the question that the dear Mr. Liebermann asked the
12:35Federal Chancellor.
12:36Did I understand your question correctly (he said, addressing Liebermann)?
12:42It is a serious question.
12:44Can we look with indifference at what is happening?
12:50I will also try to answer your question.
12:53Of course, we shouldn't do it.
12:57Of course not.
12:58But do we have resources to face such challenges?
13:03Yes, we have them.
13:06It is enough to remember recent history.
13:08In our country there was a peaceful transition to democracy.
13:14It is not like this?
13:17A peaceful transformation of the Soviet regime took place.
13:20A regime that possessed colossal arsenals, including nuclear weapons!
13:26And why now, whenever something happens, do we have to throw bombs and shoot?
13:33It seems that in the context of the absence of the threat of mutual extermination, we lack
13:38political culture and respect for democratic values and the Law.
13:43I am convinced that as the only decision-making mechanism on the use of
13:48military force, only the UN Charter can act.
13:53In relation to this, I want to point out: either I misunderstood what our colleague, the Italian Defense Minister, said recently
13:58, or his expression was not very correct.
14:02What I heard was the following: that the use of force can be considered legitimate in
14:09the case of whether the respective decision was made by NATO, the European Union or the UN.
14:15If he really thinks so, we have different opinions.
14:19Or I heard it wrong.
14:21The use of force can be considered legitimate if the decision to do so was made in the
14:27framework of the UN and in accordance with its Charter.
14:30The United Nations cannot be supplanted by NATO or the European Union.
14:37When the UN manages to truly unite the forces of the world community, capable of reacting
14:42to events that develop in one country or another.
14:47When we free ourselves from contempt for International Law, then the situation can
14:51change.
14:52Otherwise, we will only have dead-end quagmires and multiply serious errors.
14:59Furthermore, it is necessary to insist that International Law has a universal character,
15:06both in the interpretation and application of its norms.
15:09It should not be forgotten that democratic procedure in politics involves holding debates and
15:15meticulously making decisions.
15:19Dear ladies and gentlemen:
15:22The potential danger of the destabilization of international relations is linked
15:27to an obvious stagnation that is observed in matters of disarmament.
15:32Russia is in favor of resuming dialogue on this very important problem.
15:38It is important to preserve the solidity of the international legal basis on this issue, as well as
15:43to guarantee the continuity of the process of nuclear arms reductions.
15:48We have agreed with the United States to have reduced our nuclear potential on
15:53strategic carriers to about 1,700 to 2,200 units by December 31, 2012.
16:02Russia is ready to strictly fulfill the commitments made.
16:07We hope that the counterparty also acts transparently and does not think of
16:11saving a couple of hundred warheads just in case, for bad times.
16:17If the new US Secretary of Defense tells us that the United States is not going to hide
16:22these loads in warehouses, neither "under a pillow" or "under a blanket", I propose that
16:27we all stand up and applaud such a decision.
16:31Well, it would be a very important statement.
16:35Russia strictly abides and will continue to abide by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
16:40and the regime of multilateral control over missile technologies.
16:44The principles on which these documents rest are universal in nature.
16:51In this regard, I would like to remind you that in the 1980s, the USSR and the USA signed
16:59the Treaty on the Liquidation of a whole class of medium and short-range rockets.
17:05But the universal character was not communicated to this document.
17:09That is why today countries such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic
17:14of Korea, India, Iran, Pakistan and Israel already have such missiles.
17:21Many other States are developing similar systems and plan to incorporate them
17:25into their armed forces.
17:28Only the United States and Russia are fulfilling their commitment not to develop them.
17:34It is understood that in such a context we are forced to think about the guarantees of our
17:38security.
17:40At the same time, the development of new types of weapons based on high technologies cannot be allowed
17:45, which would destabilize the situation.
17:50Needless to say, it is also necessary to adopt measures to prevent the emergence of new
17:54sources of confrontation, especially in space.
17:58As is known, the “Star Wars” are no longer science fiction, but a reality.
18:06Already in the mid-80s (of the last century) the US practically carried out the interception
18:12of its own satellite.
18:15In Russia's view, the militarization of space could lead to unpredictable consequences
18:21for the world community, comparable to those of the beginning of the nuclear age.
18:28On more than one occasion we promoted initiatives aimed at not admitting the placement
18:32of weapons in space.
18:36I would like to inform you today that Russia has prepared a draft international treaty to prevent
18:41the placement of weapons in space, which in the near future will be addressed
18:45to other countries as an official proposal.
18:49I propose to work together on it.
18:51We cannot but be concerned about the plans to deploy elements of the
18:57anti-missile defense system in Europe.
18:59Who benefits from a new round of the arms race, inevitable in such
19:04a case? I very much doubt that it will be the Europeans themselves.
19:10None of the so-called “problem countries” have missiles that can really present
19:14threat to Europe, with ranges of 5 to 8 thousand kilometers.
19:19Nor will it have it in the foreseeable future.
19:23It is also obvious that a hypothetical launch of a North Korean missile against the United States
19:28via Western Europe contradicts the laws of ballistics.
19:33In Russia we say in this case that this is equivalent to “reaching the left ear with the
19:38right hand.”
19:39Being here in Germany, I cannot fail to mention the critical state of
19:44the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.
19:49The adapted FACE was signed in 1999, based on a new geopolitical reality: the liquidation
19:59of the Warsaw Bloc.
20:02Since then, 7 years have passed, but only 4 States have ratified this document,
20:08including the Russian Federation.
20:11The NATO countries openly stated that they were not going to ratify this Treaty, including
20:17the thesis of flank limitations, concerning the placement on the flanks of a certain
20:23number of troops, as long as Russia does not withdraw its bases from Georgia and Moldova.
20:30We are withdrawing our troops from Georgia, and we are doing so in an accelerated manner.
20:36We have resolved our problems with the Georgian side, everyone knows this.
20:42Our contingent of fifteen hundred troops is still present in Moldova, which is
20:47carrying out peacekeeping functions and guarding the ammunition warehouses
20:51that remain from the time of the USSR.
20:56We are regularly debating this problem with Mr. Solana, he knows the position
21:00we maintain.
21:03We are willing to continue working on this path.
21:06And what is happening at this same time?
21:10At this same time, the so-called US light bases emerged in Bulgaria and Romania,
21:16with 5,000 troops in each.
21:20It turns out that NATO deploys its vanguard units towards our national borders,
21:25while we, by strictly complying with the Treaty in question, do not respond in
21:30any way to such a procedure.
21:33I think it is obvious that the expansion of the Atlantic Alliance has nothing to do with
21:37its modernization or with the guarantees of security in Europe.
21:41On the contrary, it is a provoking factor that undermines mutual trust.
21:46We can rightly ask: against whom is it aimed.
21:52such expansion? And what has become of the assertions that the West gave us after
21:56the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact? Where are those assertions now. which
22:02no one even remembers?
22:05I will allow myself to remind this audience of what was said.
22:09I would like to quote from the speech of the Secretary General of NATO, Mr.
22:14Werner, in Brussels on May 17, 1990.
22:18He said: “The very fact that we are prepared not to station NATO troops
22:23beyond the territory of the FRG is a firm guarantee given to the
22:29Soviet Union.”
22:31Where is that guarantee?
22:34The stones and blocks of the Berlin Wall have long been distributed as souvenirs.
22:40But it should not be forgotten that his fall became possible, among other causes, also thanks
22:45to the choice made by the people of Russia in favor of democracy and freedom,
22:50openness and sincere cooperation with all members of the numerous family. European.
22:56But today they are trying to impose new dividing lines and walls, although virtual,
23:02that fragment our common continent.
23:04Will we again need long years and decades, as well as the succession of several generations
23:10of politicians.
23:12to be able to “dismantle” those new walls?
23:16Dear ladies and gentlemen:
23:19We express ourselves unreservedly in favor of strengthening the non-proliferation regime.
23:24International Law allows the development of technologies for the production of
23:29nuclear fuel intended for peaceful use.
23:31Many countries, with every reason, aspire to create their own branch of nuclear energy
23:38as the basis of their energy independence.
23:41But we know that it does not take long to transform such technologies into ones
23:46that allow obtaining military material.
23:50This causes serious tension on an international scale.
23:54A clear example of this is the situation that exists around the Iranian nuclear program.
23:58If the world community does not find a sensible solution to this conflict of interests,
24:05destabilizing crises like this will continue to shake the world, because it is not only Iran
24:10that is capable of doing so.
24:13We all know it perfectly.
24:15If we do not do this, we will constantly face the threat of the spread of weapons of
24:21mass extermination.
24:24Last year, Russia promoted the initiative to establish multinational
24:30uranium enrichment centers .
24:32We are open to such centers being created not only in Russia but also in other
24:37countries, where nuclear energy exists on a legitimate basis.
24:41States wishing to develop nuclear energy could receive guaranteed
24:47fuel by participating in the work of such centers under strict control
24:51of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
24:53The Russian proposal echoes the recent initiatives of US President George
25:01Bush.
25:03I believe that Russia and the United States are objectively and equally interested in strengthening the
25:08non-proliferation regimes for weapons of mass extermination and their vectors.
25:13Our countries, occupying leading positions in terms of their nuclear
25:18and missile potential, must also take the lead in developing
25:23new, more rigorous measures regarding non-proliferation.
25:28Russia is prepared to undertake such work.
25:32We are consulting with our American friends.
25:37It must be about creating a whole system of political levers and economic stimuli
25:42that allow States to be able to develop their nuclear energy and strengthen
25:47their energy potential.
25:49without the need to have their own nuclear fuel manufacturing plants.
25:55In relation to this, I want to deal in more detail with the issue of
25:59international energy cooperation.
26:02The Federal Chancellor also touched it.
26:04In energy matters, Russia aims to develop single market rules for
26:10the entire world and to work in conditions of transparency.
26:14It is obvious that the price of energy agents must be determined on the market, but not be the
26:19subject of political speculation, economic pressure or blackmail.
26:25We are open for cooperation.
26:29Foreign companies already participate in large energy projects carried out in
26:33our country.
26:36According to various estimates, up to 26% of oil extraction in Russia, I mean
26:42well, up to 26% corresponds to foreign capital.
26:45Can you give me examples of such a large presence of Russian capital in
26:51key branches of the economy of Western states?
26:55Such examples do not exist!
26:58They do not exist.
27:00I also want to mention the correlation between the investments that come to Russia and
27:04those that go from Russia to other countries: it is approximately 15 to 1.
27:11Here is another clear example of the open and stable character of the Russian economy.
27:16Economic security is an area in which we must all adhere to
27:21single principles and compete honestly with each other.
27:24The Russian economy always has greater possibilities to do so.
27:30This is confirmed by both domestic and foreign experts.
27:33Recently, the OECD raised Russia's rating: from the fourth risk group to the third.
27:41Taking advantage of the opportunity to be in Munich, I would like to express gratitude to
27:45our German colleagues for having contributed to making such a decision.
27:51As you know, Russia's accession process to the WTO has approached the
27:57final stage.
27:58I want to point out that during long and not easy conversations that we were having.
28:03More than once they told us about freedom of speech, freedom of trade and
28:09equal opportunities, but they always said it referring only to our market, Russia.
28:15There is another important issue that has directly to do with global security.
28:19Today there is a lot of talk about the fight against poverty.
28:24And what is really happening? On the one hand, large financial resources are allocated for aid programs for the
28:30poorest countries.
28:34But many of you here will know that often that money goes only to companies
28:39of donor countries.
28:41On the other hand, industrialized countries subsidize their agriculture, and limit access
28:47to high technologies for other States.
28:51Let's call things by their own names: it turns out that with one hand "
28:57charitable aid" is distributed, but with the other hand the economic backwardness is preserved as well as
29:01the profit is collected.
29:05The social tension that arises in depressed regions inevitably leads to the
29:09increase in radicalism and extremism, as well as fueling terrorism and
29:14local conflicts.
29:15And if this happens, for example, in the Middle East, where the external environment is
29:22acutely perceived as an unjust world, the risk of
29:26global destabilization arises.
29:28The major powers should see this threat, and respectively, build a
29:34fairer and more democratic system of global economic relations, in which everyone
29:38has the prospects for development.
29:42Dear ladies and gentlemen, when speaking at a conference dedicated to the issue of security,
29:48it is impossible to silence the activity being carried out by the Organization for Security
29:52and Cooperation in Europe.
29:55As is well known, this was instituted to analyze all aspects of security,
30:00all, I want to emphasize: military, political, economic and humanitarian, also in their
30:07mutual relationship.
30:08And what do we see today?
30:11We see that this balance is altered.
30:14They try to transform the OSCE into a vulgar instrument used to guarantee the interests
30:23of a country, or a group of countries, to the detriment of those of other countries.
30:29Respectively, both the bureaucratic apparatus of the OSCE, which
30:36is in no way related to the founding countries, as well as the
30:41decision-making procedure and the use of the so-called “non-governmental organizations”, which
30:47are independent only in pure form, because they are financed by specific forces,
30:52and therefore, they are controlled.
30:56According to statutory documents, in the humanitarian sphere the OSCE is called upon to provide
31:03cooperation to member countries - at their request - in the observance of
31:08international human rights standards.
31:12It is an important task.
31:15We are supporting her.
31:18But this does not mean practicing interference in the internal affairs of other States,
31:22much less dictating to them how they should live and develop.
31:27It is evident that such interference does not contribute, in the least, to the maturation of
31:32authentically democratic States
31:35. On the contrary, it makes them dependent, and as a consequence, unstable in
31:41political and economic aspects.
31:45We hope that the OSCE will be guided in its actions by its direct tasks, and will structure relations
31:53with sovereign States on the principles of respect, trust and transparency.
32:00Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
32:02In conclusion, I would like to point out the following.
32:07We often hear, including myself personally, calls from other countries,
32:13including European ones, for Russia to start playing a more active role in
32:17international affairs.
32:20In light of this I want to make a small observation.
32:24I think there is not much need to stimulate or push ourselves.
32:30Russia is a country with a history of more than a thousand years, and in fact it has always enjoyed
32:34the privilege of pursuing an independent foreign policy.
32:39Today we have no plans to abandon this tradition either.
32:43At the same time, we see how the world has changed, we realistically assess our
32:48possibilities and our potential.
32:50And of course, we would like to have to do with some partners who are also independent
32:56and have a sense of responsibility, to be able to build together.
33:01a just and democratic world order, capable of guaranteeing security and prosperity not
33:06only for a select few, but for the entire world.
33:10Thank you for your attention.
33:13After listening to this speech from February 2007, the only thing left to do is compile what NATO
33:19and the US have done since then, starting with promoting the war in Georgia just a year
33:24or so after this speech.
33:26Then came the ones we all know in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Syria, finish
33:33that of Iraq in 2011 that they had started in 2003, until reaching this definitive one in Ukraine,
33:39which has put the entire planet at the feet of the horses of the apocalypse.
33:45which indicates where NATO went through this speech by Putin in 2007, since today 17 years
33:50later they are still worse.
33:51And Putin has put into practice what everyone knew would end up happening, and
33:57the war in Ukraine is the first scenario of everything that can come later if
34:01a safe and multilateral space that makes everyone happy is not achieved.
34:07This is all friends, receive greetings.