[this column was written for the Unz Review]
The suspense is over and we now know the names of all the members of the new Russian government. You can, for example, take this good summary published by RT.
What is important right now is not only what did happen, but also what did NOT happen. I will begin with two extremely important things which did NOT happen:
First, the Russian government has NOT remained unchanged. The naysayers had predicted that nothing at all would change, that the same folks who be sitting in maybe different seats, but that the changes would be primarily cosmetic. That did not happen. In reality 12 people kept their seats and another 9 were replaced.
Second, this was NOT a total gutting of the Atlantic Integrationist block. Most visibly, Anton Siluanov remained as head of the Finance Ministry. However, Siluanov was demoted from his position as First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia which has now been taken by Andrei Belousov, a huge change indeed. As for Medvedev, he was given a “golden promotion” to the largely technical position as Vice Chairman of the Security Council of Russia.
So what has taken place?
Most Russian observers notice two key things:
First, this is a highly competent, technically skilled, government. Truly, and arguably for the first time, each position in the new cabinet is now occupied by a professional whose expertise is recognized by all.
Second, this is very much a non-ideological government. This is not to say that the social and economic policies of Russia will not change, they will and the new government clearly indicates that, especially with the nominations of Prime Minister Mishustin and his First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov: these are both on record as very much proponents of what is called “state capitalism” in Russia: meaning an economic philosophy in which the states does not stifle private entrepreneurship, but one in which the state is directly and heavily involved in creating the correct economic conditions for the government and private sector to grow. Most crucially, “state capitalism” also subordinates the sole goal of the corporate world (making profits) to the interests of the state and, therefore, to the interests of the people.
In other words, goodbye turbocapitalism à la Atlantic Integrationists!
Russia has now made the fight against poverty a national strategic priority, something which the Russian people had wanted for years and which the previous “economic block” never considered a priority.
Furthermore, the entire Eurasian Sovereignists block of the government has remained unchanged. This indicates two things:
First, the Russian national security and foreign policy will remain unchanged.
Second, the Eurasian Sovereignists have finally weakened the Atlantic Integrationists to such a degree that a Medvedev nicely “boxed in” in the Russian Security Council or a Siluanov “boxed in” in the new Russian government have ceased to represent a serious threat to the future of Russia.
In other words – we can expect the new government to put even much more efforts into the ultimate goal of the full sovereignization of Russia (this goal is also reflected in the new Constitutional changes which will now place Russian national laws above any international treaty or agreements, another longtime goal of the Eurasian Sovereignists).
All I can say here is “finally!!”.
Another important thing which we can note is that Putin decided to work through evolution, not revolution. In fact, he has described this new government as a “balanced” one. There are many, including myself, who would have preferred not to see the names Medvedev and Siluanov again, but there are also many (possibly many more) who seeing these names still present might be reassured that Russia is not about to embark on a radically different political course. Frankly, I think that over the past century Russia has had enough revolutions, wars, big upheavals and terrible tragedies. There IS something to be said for stability and a gradual correction of course.
Furthermore, a new government which appears to have been formed purely on the merit of its individual members can probably generate much more support than a radically ideological one.
Where does all this leave Russia?
I would say that the Eurasian Sovereignists have finally secured their full control over the Russian state and that the demise of the Atlantic Integrationists is now a new fact of life. Since in this new government the only clearly identifiable group besides the Eurasian Sovereignists are the technocrats, this give Russia a much better chance to stand strong and united in the face of an AngloZionist Empire which has now clearly become unpredictable and therefore very dangerous (the murder of Soleimani is the best example of the actions of an Empire which has totally lost any sense of reality).
It is also interesting to note the reaction of the propaganda outlets for the Empire. Here are two of my favorite ones:
While the western “Russia experts” are usually folks who know close to nothing about Russia and the little they do not, they don’t understand, it is reassuring (and, let’s be honest here, heart warming) to see the impotent rage felt by the defenders of the AngloZionist Empire who clearly have lost control of Russia (in spite of being in TOTAL control of the Russia of the 1990s!).
Finally, the appointment of this new government leaves the Russian opposition – both the “official” parliamentary opposition and the so-called “non-system” opposition – in total disarray: the former only pretends to oppose the policies of the Kremlin while the latter is so terminally discredited that it can’t even make it into the Duma. This lack of any credible opposition might appear desirable, especially for those who, like myself, support the Kremlin, but in reality it is just another facet of a much deeper problem: Russia remains a country defined by one person, Putin, and not by a healthy and stable system. The latest reforms did take a few very good steps in the right direction (the Duma’s powers and responsibilities have been increased), but Russia will remain “Putin’s country” for the foreseeable future.
The Saker
God is the doer and the deed. Russia holds the key.
This will sound terrible, but please don’t crucify me. From the article:
… “state capitalism” in Russia: meaning an economic philosophy in which the states does not stifle private entrepreneurship, but one in which the state is directly and heavily involved in creating the correct economic conditions for the government and private sector to grow. Most crucially, “state capitalism” also subordinates the sole goal of the corporate world (making profits) to the interests of the state and, therefore, to the interests of the people.
This sounds very similar to National Socialism. One might note that no country ever rose faster from poverty and ashes to a vigorous economy.
Steve K9, perhaps sounds like, but isn’t. State capitalism is what social democracy aimed at in Scandinavia, in the 1950ies and 1960ied.
National socialism in Germany however, was clearly imperialistic and sponsored by US banks and corporations and made no aim or effort towards state capitalism. The “socialist” and the “workers party” component of the nazi-party was fake only. The NSDAP was a right wing party, and it took very few voters from the social democrats and the communists. The German left – a working class left – was never deluded, the middle class and the bourgeois voters were. All rumours of Hitler’s alleged working class appeal are just that, hearsay, fake history.
He’s an Anglo Saxxon. Anglo’s are totally incapable of running state owned companies. So he thinks this is true all over the world. Reality is of course, Japan, S.Korea , Russia and China are very successful with state owned companies.
State owned companies in these countries have a totally different character
Maybe not *so* much: Wasn’t Australia delving into “asset recycling”, which looks, at least to a layman, very far away from turboneoliberalism? At least in some of *their* infrastructures, they (the state) have been investing in them through their pension funds, acting maybe more as sovereign funds, and then re-investing the profits to some other infrastructures, not having the profits syphoned to anglozionist delocalized banksters… Again, it might not be true anymore, or it might not be extended, but I found it hopeful…
Capitalists in power always run state owned corporations into the ground, so that they can justify privatization.
“Simon Tisdall commends Angela Merkel’s “brave, open-door migration policy”
-The NSDAP was a right wing party
Is is not that easy to identify where the 37% voters came from.
SPD 1928 = 29.8%, 1932 = 21.6% -> -8.2%
KPD -> +3.6%
After the treaty of Versailles in 1918 when draconian reparations were imposed on Germany at the behest of the international bankers, the same bankers supplied Germany with loans so that France and Germany could pay their war debts to the same banks. This led to the hyperinflation of the German currency that became worthless. Hitler solved this problem by issuing his own debt free currency that paid the German workforce to create rail, autobahns, tanks and warplanes. This is why Britain declared war on Germany in 1939.
BS, Hitler ended up being the most popular leader, he was adored by almost all sections of the German people.
National Socialism is enjoyed by the Ukro garbage. In Russia, it has very little traction.
No, think more in terms of what Japan did from the 1950’s onward. Or what China is still doing.
The government sets the direction for the economy and makes specific choices about priorities for industrial and technological development. Entrepreneurs and established businesses are encouraged, but not compelled, to follow the lead of the government and, in so doing, gain significant benefits.
Russia is a huge country with a relatively small population and limited financial resources. Change has occurred very fast over the past twenty years and will continue at a fast pace. In order to most effectively marshall limited resources to a huge task, choices need to be made. That’s what China and Japan have both done and, in doing so, took largely peasant economies and made them into hugely wealthy and powerful states. In this regard, Russia is already well ahead of where both those countries started.
@andrew wilson
The comparison with Japan is a very good one ! Economically the russian Federation is in an analogue situation, growth and increase in productivity.
Japan did it magnificently, the problems started when the trade balance got very one sided and then were forced / seduced to financialization (repump dollars to drive speculation and stock markets) of the economy which almost immediatly put a stop on growth.
Russia will be confronted by the same problem, but that lies in the middle term future 10-20 years, up to there they can go full steam ahead if they can keep it on the tracks.
China is already there and is now forced to more qualitative growth, foremost of all further developing the domestic markets, a kind of Fordist approach – they now have the means to do it on scales unknown to us.
But this was only shuffling of boxes. Just follow where the former members of government landed, which positions they were offered. The social dimension of Putin’s speech was mainly to attract Belarus and Malorossia, and that is crucial for Russia. Zelenskiy has compromised himself already and now (wannabe socialist batkya) Lukashenko is also screwed…now that is an answer to NATO and Poland’s wet dreams of expansion. The Baltic minions are not worth mentioning, however there is left some work with Georgia to finish and with Kazakhstan to begin…
Financial resources these days are just data entries on bank computers. Therefore if there is shortage of money to put people to work, then the answer is to create more money but without incurring debt. The government owned Chinese central bank creates its internal currency the yuan without incurring debt that has enabled China’s economy to grow at over 6% per year. By contrast the US government is $23 trillion in debt on which $750 billion in interest payments must be made that stymies economic growth.
“the answer is to create more money but without incurring debt” no reason the government couldn’t do this, but they could also create money as debt by allowing citizens an interest free line of credit, a little above the subsistence level, to lift them out of poverty a sort of democratic creation of money that no-one else is doing yet. In the west only the aristocrats/bankers are allowed to create money like this, the rest have to compete for this ‘money’ by finding some way to serve them.
I refer to your conclusion paragraph. Economic National Socialism has two incarnations in the European history: 1) that from 1933 to 1945 in Germany where the accent was on “National”, and 2) that from 1945 to 1992 (Maastricht Treaty) in Western Europe where the accent was on “Socialism”. Both incarnations provided unequalled economic developed of countries literally raising from ashes. National Socialism with emphasis on “National” ends in war. It has done so in the past and is going to do so in the future with an America lead by the Anglo-Saxon element being an excellent example. The victims will be smaller countries as long as Russia and Chine enhance their cooperation. National Socialism with emphasis on “Socialism” provided a wonderful development of the Western Europe and, had it not been for the Maastricht Treaty and the follow up, it would have made Europe the land of honey and milk. Unfortunately it had produced several generations of well off retirees, still alive and opposing any change in the EU neo liberalism. These generations in their selfishness form the electoral basis of the likes of Macron, Merkel and others. From my understanding of Russia I would place their National Socialism in the same category as that from which Western Europe benefited so well in the past. I could never imagine a Russia “National” Socialist. It has a great people, generous and peace-loving, and it starts from a much higher development level and world standing than the National Socialism in 1933 Germany.
Saddam Hussien’s Iraq was also “National Socialism” setup by CIA post 1950’s
It was in fact a very well run GOV using the Nazi model
Let’s remember here, germans lost ww2, but nazis won, BUSH-Tribe brought hitler to power, and then took him down, just like ANZ always does, just like they took down Hussien
Hitler’s NWO is/was in fact a blue-print from Bush family, when Bush-1 was POTUS he too called for the NWO, which has always been NZ, National-Zionism; Let’s remember the first batch of Jews that Hitler sent to Palestine in 1932 were Zionists who had brought him to power
Just like the USA has it I think the Ukro-Nazi’s you see on TV in Ukraine, are just far-right opportunist rapists, you see this everywhere, I could tell you why they do this, but you wouldn’t like the answer
-National Socialism with emphasis on “National” ends in war.
WWII was pre-planned. The UK-Poland treaty was a setup for WW. Pearl Habor was a US/UK conspiracy. Stalin had assembled the largest army in the history of mankind afront the Germans, with tanks groups only suitable for German highways.
USSR air force = 7,133–9,100 (twice as many as the Germans)
With 5 mill as USSR losses for Operation Barbarossa -> Red Army > the German Army
Using the numbers for manpower and weaponry … there was no way Stalin could lose the war.
“This sounds very similar to National Socialism. One might note that no country ever rose faster from poverty and ashes to a vigorous economy.”
Adolf’s “Economic Miracle” under National Socialism was a complete fraud from the beginning. Under Adolf, Germany borrowed huge on international money markets, ostensibly to develop export industries. Instead, it went into rearmament. In ’38, the intl. bankers got a clue that they were gonna get stiffed on their loans, so they cut Adolf’s financing. That’s when he embarked on conquests, starting with Czechoslovakia, to take natural resources for the German arms industry that Adolf could no longer afford to import.
Putin’s Russia, on the other hand, has done entirely the opposite, made herself into the most autarchic society on the globe, requiring practically nothing, especially of the Anglosphere.
This drives the Anglosphere Foreign Policy Elite & Punditocracy (AFPE&P) absolutely up the wall.
@rkka
Yeah, those poor Wall Street and City of London Bankers in all honesty poured billions of credit into Adolf (some of it right after Trotsky failed in the UdSSR in the mid 20s, where suddenly over night Adolf entertained a 3000 men army, a big Villa with staff and the most expensive Merc you could buy – ALL of it on credit given to him by totally clueless Bankers from overseas, we know because of his tax-files) only to be totally surprised later.
The NYSE hit an all time high in autumn of 1944 when GIs where maimed like rats in holes – in the thousands per day a long the Western Front in Europe (roughly 40’000 CAS per month (a silent one, otherwise almost double that) , only six years after a very deep recession for which there was no light in sight – so the story goes….
”That’s when he / Hitler / embarked on conquests, starting with Czechoslovakia, to take natural resources for the German arms industry that Adolf could no longer afford to import.”
Hitler was fully committed to land-grabbing and war from the get-go. He knew the rottenness of the West’s ruling cliques and their tacit support of his project of anti-Russian genocide, the latter being no secret whatsoever. Hitler was a very Western politician, forever apeing his Anglo-American forerunners with a view to make his dear Germany prosperous at other peoples’ expense. Too bad Stalin and the USSR that he led wouldn’t have it. Now, with Putin at the helm of Russia, the West is going down the toilet.
What an autarchy it will remain is to be understood from the fact that Putin announced no constitutional changes regarding the “Russian” central bank and even no personal changes happened… so Naibulina (Medvedev’s friend) can further easily limit the scope of social funds available as it sets mantinels to government’s budget.
Money talks…
Indeed I wonder why Saker did not elaborate more on this fact?
The Russian central bank is owned by the same cartel that own the Federal Reserve and indirectly the EU central bank. I have often wondered why Putin does not circumvent these private banks.
After WW1 Germany borrowed money from US banks in order to pay its war reparations to France and Britain, that resulted in hyperinflation of the German currency. Hitler then created debt free money to pay the German workforce. This is why Britain declared war on Germany in 1939.
SteveK9, I think that your comment is off the mark.
After all, the role of any government in a society is to represent the people of the society. It is the role of the government to create the laws that govern the economy, and to create the conditions for the economy to thrive. So ‘one in which the state is directly and heavily involved in creating the correct economic conditions for the government and private sector to grow’ is precisely what a good government should do. An important condition for the economy to function properly is an adequate distribution of income. In this sense a GINI coefficient of about 0.3 – 0.35 has been found to be about optimum. Having companies ‘subordinate’ regulations that ensure such a distribution of income, as well as other conditions that are in the national interest, is also the role of the government.
When the private ‘corporate world’ sets its own rules, or has out-sized influence on the government in setting those rules, you soon end up with a ‘system of serial monopolies’, rather than a ‘market system’. When this happens the rules end up working only for the wealthy, but are devastating for the overall population. You end up with an income distribution more typical of the worst dictatorships (U.S. GINI currently is about 0.45) and an economy that fails due to lack of demand. This is what happened to the U.S.
I commend President Putin and his advisors for studying and understanding how economies work, and attempting to develop a system that avoids both the traps of a communist dictatorship, or a market dictatorship (which is what the U.S. has clearly become).
Laughable. Just because Anglo countries are utterly TERRIBLE at running state owned companies doesn’t mean places like Russia, Japan, South Korea and China are bad at it too.
I totally understand why you think that. Because you think all state owned companies are like the ones in the Alglosphere.
Case in point. Russia’s nuclear power plants. 39 of them are on order. One in Finland and one in Hungary. Yet somehow Canada’s and the US’s nuke power companies are bankrupt and useless.
Actually, municipally owned utilities have been highly successful in the USA. In Cleveland, the banks drove the city into bankruptcy because Dennis Kucinich, then mayor, refused to allow them to be privatized. Years later, the people of Cleveland thanked them for saving them millions of dollars in privatized profits on their electric bills.
In California’s energy crisis in 2000, the energy companies like Enron gamed the system, driving gas and electric bills up 10X. Los Angeles, had a municipally owned utility, did not see its rates go up.
Privatizing public assets is the equivalent of the British Enclosure Acts of the Commons, driving rural peasants into urban wage slave poverty. There is a reason why in Boston, there is ‘the Boston Commons’, and why Massachusetts is officially called The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Common Wealth! They were escaping the seizures of the public wealth which now basically redound to the City of London and the British Parasite Royals.
Socialism works when greedy bast-rds allow it to.
If that’s Socialism and it’s Nationalistic ….. HAIR ON ‘EM!
More like what the Chinese are doing and eating the United States lunch. Of course, I’m sure you prefer ultra-liberal laissez faire, but that’s just so retro.
-This sounds very similar to National Socialism.
Good question.
Is US free market or National Socialism?
Is Russia free market or National Socialism?
Was Nazi Germany free market or National Socialism?
Is Sweden free market or National Socialism? (the Swedes love their big Swedish companies)
In national socialism (as in social democracy Norway) the citizen has the obligation to work for the benefit of the state, the same obligation is for business state or private (social responsibility). A loose statement of creating the atmosphere for citizens and private business to succeed so that it will benefit the state is not the same as national socialism. There is no order for anyone to take part in it. (everyone has the obligation to work, for example is the program of the NSDAP and the social democracy of Norway).
Yes, steve, it ‘s national and in most important segments it is socialism.Something the bad old wallstreeters abhor but have no means ot stop.
Just like China’s over 52000 state companies. Unlike the british and US systems who are NOT national – except in weapon industries… -but globalist. Their globalist ends tend to sorb and engulf other nations wealth.
They have no means to stop anymore because times have changed and change is accelerating like mad. For example Cuba was a ”threaten”, not because Cuba threatend the neighbor in any way but because their ”BAD’ socialist example -if left to itself and free – might contaminate the latin american neighbor countries… of course
THIS was the reason of the Cuban blockade lasting 50 yrs till today.
Now just shift over to China: China is no cuba and within 20 years every african and a number of latin american and asian countries will eagerly follow china ‘ s BAD example of socialism.. Namely one single party, lots of state owned companies and private profits being subject to the STATE ‘s priorities and goals. Mainly cuz China will by its turn be the city shining on the hill. And warshington cannot even dream of preventing that.
Do you shelter any doubt on that outcome?
« Russia remains a country defined by one person, Putin, and not by a healthy and stable system. »
Which is exactly what ruined the Eastern Roman Empire (a.k.a. “Byzantium”). See, for example, what happened to the empire after Basil II.
Indeed, for any state it survive, it needs more than a genius on the wheel; what it needs is a statesmen-producing system that can ensure stable and peaceful succession of government.
Sorry, Byzantium was ruined by the Frankish crusade which stole everything. Just look at the Venice which proudly displays the loot. Mind you, some of the Emperors were extremely bad, but this is the unfortunate problem that all the Kingdoms have. Some kings are good some bad. Just look at any military, where land owners bought their High officer ranks like marshals, generals, colonels, and lower depending on their social status and not by their military abilities. Examples of bad and good are all over the place.
En example: King of Syracuse (Greek City, so to make it clear that we understand this issue) at the time of Hannibal. Nobody talks about him, but some compare him to Alexander the Great. His Hoplites helped Rome in a war against Carthage, then he turned to North Africa, where he freed 200+ Greek cities and totally destroyed Carthage. Rome gets the credit today.
Thank you Saker.
I was waiting for this article, and am now somewhat at ease. ‘Finally’, I agree.
Do you think there will be any movement at the CB ?
Vladimir Putin wrote on 30.12.1999 Nezavisimaia gazeta: 4 | “Rossiia na rubezhe tysiacheletii”
Translated in Putin’s, First Person, pp. 209-229:
3.4 To create an effective financial system. This is a challenging task, which includes the following directions:
— to raise the effectiveness of the budget as a major instrument of the economic policy of the state;
— to carry out a tax reform;
— to get rid of non-payments, barter and other pseudo-monetary forms of settlement;
— to maintain a low inflation rate and stability of the ruble;
— to create civilized financial and stock markets, and turn them into an instrument of accumulating investment resources;
“to restructure the bank system.” This is written at the end of “to create an effective financial system” and it will happen — finally — like all his ideas, he had formulated 20 years ago.
Brilliant, thank you much!
Putin is an incrementalist, and a feeble one at that. He seems afraid to ruffle the feathers of the US, EU, and their loyal allies, all who have been lying through their teeth forever. One area where he is moving boldly is in military innovation, a critical necessity. He is bringing China with him in this endeavor. Another plus is in economic sanity. If he remains steadfast in those area, the US will fade and fold and eventually collapse. Not without a fight, mind you, but an ineffective fight as its leadership disintegrates. i
America always seems to have a leader that can quell disintegration and at the same time be one step ahead of the world, its sort of baked into the cake and b/c it is so esoteric, many cant figure out just how it is done.
Sure many here will fall by the wayside, but after the worldly reset, a small fraction will be left here to carry out the evolutionary process where as the remainder of the world will begin from scratch, again.
How about a followup. In particular for Economic Development: Maxim Reshetnikov?
Russia goes from strength to strength — the contrast to the ’ideologically stronger’ Nazi asylum of Ukraine as well as the West more generally speaks for itself.
Really, with headlines such as
and, even more impressive in-your-face baseless imbecilities
featuring against the backdrop of Russian total confidence and self-reliance, their effect only amounts to all-out, raw glee and Schadenfreude on the part of ever larger swaths of people who will support Russia. Let it be known here that on the subject of ’strategic-planning advantages’, it’s not so much a matter of political power, but of plain intelligence and perspicacity. Putin has got zero Western competition especially when it comes to these traits, mind you.
Hopefully, the deep chagrin brought about by this piece of news will be what literally breaks the heart of GS (initials only, mind you — we don’t want to be slandered as antisemites here, do we?)
As I mentioned in the Café January 20th, there is another old reptile with Swedish MSM credentials who has just published a book, the title of which now seems to be, well, somewhat premature at least: ’Russia without Putin — more free, peaceful, and fair’. Verdict: Utter litterature (misspelling intentional).
Dear Saker, thank you for the superb analysis.
Christ is Born!! Happy Theophany to you too!
So, I try to look at things on a spiritual level, and what I see is God blessing Russia as she emerges from the Golgotha of the 20th century. I am glad that you in this vineyard are here to guide us through the sensational nonsense of MSM. My heartfelt thank you for that!
On a concluding note look at the Impeachment circus in D.C. and see how God is punishing the USA. I am fearful of what will happen and think I will buy another gun soon.
Much Love to all truth seekers!
When judging Putin’s 20 years, anyone analyzing the results and the efforts made must always weigh it against the condition of the Russian Federation economically, demographically, militarily, and socially when he took over.
The Federation was at war with Islamic terror in Chechnya. It was a large and vicious war. It was the second war with these terrorists. Socially, the mafia gangs were rampant throughout Russia. Oligarchs (thieves) were raping the nation’s wealth, controlling much of the mineral resources and major corporations in the key industrial sectors.
The Fifth Column was an arm of the US State Dept. and CIA, and most of the Russian Media were in the hands of people with a deep hatred of Russia and were intent on a daily outpouring of negative news. These people also swarmed the Cinema and much of literature and the arts. The culture was under subversion.
Putin never had autocratic control of the government. He had to work with half the government at best.
Yet, he saved Russia from collapse, saved Russia from the terrorists, saved Russia from the mafias, and drove the thieving oligarchs out of politics and most of them out of Russia.
What he has not changed, reformed or got rid of was never possible in those 20 years. But now, he will try to deliver to the People what they need and must get. He better Constitution, a better government, a better economy and, hopefully, they will make a better society from it all.
Putin is a brilliant leader. Russians know it. When they elected him this last election, he was at 80% approval. The unhappiness the People feel now is not so much about the pension. It’s about not getting the Liberals out of the government.
With Putin, timing is key to his decisions, plans and actions. All that he needed was the right time. It’s now. He’s taken action. It’s a very good plan.
I didn’t mention as an excuse the burdens Putin faced: the sanctions, NATO, nazis in Ukraine, the Maidan and war brought to the borders, the treachery of the EU and Germany, the InfoWars, the Mi6 false flags, and the breakout of the START and INF treaties by the US which threatens global stability and national security.
Putin makes no excuses. So neither will I.
Just bare it all in mind.
Right on friend!
Brother Blue
Larchmonter,
While the Russian state has made tremendous strides since the 90s, its time to stop using the 90’s as the benchmark for Russia going forward.
By doing so, the state gets stuck at a certain level and continues pointing at the progress made.
What the Russian government has been able to accomplish militarily has been extraordinary. What the Russian government still needs to work on and progress is living standards. The success in raising the level is economic activity.
Promoting entrepreneurship, supporting projects that have good probability of success financially, eliminating bureaucracy, stamping out nepotism and corruption, the list is long.
Only when these economic drivers are implemented things will improve. Otherwise, everyone is stuck comparing Russia today to Russia 20 years ago.
Respectfully,
Crazyczar
> What the Russian government still needs to work on and progress is living standards
Which is what was said for the last few years… The living standards will get there, as did most of the promises made by Putin 20 years ago.
my concern lay in the deal that brougth Putin to power..was he beholden to a souce of power for that development.
enough has heppened especially recently to all but prove Putin to be sincerely Russian in all respects. to put aside the Atlanticists finally proves a whole of Putin as a true nationalist. it also reassures me that even if there is some source of power Putin is behlen to it is a Russian soruce in line with Putins polices and as such nothing for such as I to b worried about
I of course am not Russian and my opinion hadly counts. yet Russian nationalist success is crucial for the world..always was and even more so at this point. supporting Russian nationalism, positive Russian succss I also support my own interest in the world
Putin is for real..and as such he has demonstrated that he is indeed a supreme intellect and all round incredibly capable individual emotionally as well. I am glad my time coincides with his..a truly competent world leader, status by merit
Bravo. For this to be truly revolutionary, the citizenship / nationality requirements of the politicians should also be applied to the ownership of critical industry & especially the media.
“State capitalism” is wrong verbage. I think it should be named “socially responsible capitalism”. After all, president Putin’s actions and words are all pointing to this.
Indeed, “State” capitalism invokes a Chinese model. Nonetheless, it is an accurate description in its functionality and describes many western models (at least on paper) that have state development agencies.
The problem has been in the implementation/operation since Reagan and Thatcher times when the faux economic ideologies of ‘small government’ and self-governing markets (read ‘no government’ and rule by criminal oligarchies under the theme of ‘exceptionalism’ of neo-feudal plantations) neutered the ‘Will of the People’ in whatever form it was expressed.
Regardless of the label, the core issue is the same — Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” is owned by and works for the people.
Unlike the British system that ultimately works for the Crown (and encrusted in birth right); or in the modern USA approach, with its once hallowed Constitution little more than a moth eaten museum artifact, dancing to not-so-invisible strings dangling from various ‘dual passport’ fingers, the new Russian model actually looks like a viable system designed for the benefit of the Russian people in their quest for “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
There is reason to be optimistic that this display of rational, sensible, lawful self-control of national culture and destiny will not only work, but catch on quickly around the world.
What could go wrong? … and that will probably set the future stage and script for the collective of ‘usual suspects’ to begin their response. We have Rumsfeld’s collection of “known knowns”; “known unknowns”; “unknown unknowns” — unexpected or unforeseeable conditions, which pose a potentially greater risk simply because they cannot be anticipated based on past experience or investigation.
“Known unknowns result from recognized but poorly understood phenomena. On the other hand, unknown unknowns are phenomena which cannot be expected because there has been no prior experience or theoretical basis for expecting the phenomena.” ( Statement of Evidence of E. D’Appolonia, D’Appolonia Consulting Engineers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
We can be assured that certain interests are hard at work generating some appropriate “”unknown unknowns” for Putin’s plans. However, an interesting development is emerging along the back roads of Syria wherein the tips of some normally ‘invisible’ rogue fingers are being exposed in their clearly illegal actions in respect to Syrian state oil assets. See “US Troops Seen Blocking Russians From Syrian Oilfields In Series Of Dangerous Standoffs” (ZeroHedge). Potentially explosive given recent assassinations in Iraq. Russia’s new government may be tested internationally sooner then they would prefer. November 2020 is looking to be another interesting pivot-point in global affairs.
… ” … in reality 12 people kept their seats and another 9 were replaced … ” …
It seems that 43 % were replaced and 57 % left…
half of replacement . why not 100% ?
Are there not enough patriot rusians to replce all atlantists ? Not skilled ones ?
but in would be more indicative if we knew how many atlantists were replaced ,
and at what posts. If minister of sport is atlantist it is less trouble than he is minister of economy…
… ” rusia has now MADE fight against poverty … ” …
It is just intention to start fight against poverty , but it mostly depend on balance and strength of patriots vs atlantists. To move up or to move down in economy , and fight against poverty. Intentio is just not good enough.
Only actions and success count.
…. ” … highly competent , technically skilled , government … ” …
Rusia needs government composed of rusians , not jews , not khasars. So those relations will guide efforts and success. If jews continue to rule rusia , no advance in fight against poverty could be expected.
Rusia needs government of highly skilled economists , not technicians, to solve huge economic problems and help 25 – 30 milions rusians in poverty.
President putin for years has sergey glasyev as economic adviser who advises him just opposite of what governer naboulina is doing , but putin keeps naboulina in seat. So question is why he keeps adviser , and not listen his advices ?
The headlines cited are totally absurd!!
Are we at the Saker the only sane people left in “the West”???
Putin a criminal? According to Tisdall. Who the h— is Tisdall to call Putin a criminal?
And if Bloomberg thinks that “setting himself up to rule for life” gives Putin “strategic planning advantages” over Western leaders, why doesn’t he—in the free market of ideas—advocate for he clearly reckons is a better idea and push for some long-term strategic planning on this side? How stupid does that headline sound? Doesn’t Bloomberg see what he is actually saying there? Isn’t he kind of saying that a centrally planned economy might have advantages over a “free market” “invisible hand” one? Or am I reading that wrong?
Quite apart from the questionable assertion that Putin is setting himself to to rule for life—that is not the impression I have from analyses of his changes that I have read. On the contrary, some at MoA are suggesting that the Sol. assassination moved Putin to accelerate this announcement, in case the maniacs in DC should manage to “remove” him.
Anyhow, thanks for the rundown.
Katherine
There are a lot of Americans who don’t believe the propaganda of the sociopaths and psychopaths who rule us. They just control the major communication platforms.
Calling Putin criminal is projection. They know the western leaders are criminal, the latest example was the ‘in your face’ murder of Soleimani. The only way to defend their world view is to project such criminality onto a moral opponent. Indeed it is so absurd that you would think even fools can see it.
“How stupid does that headline sound? Doesn’t Bloomberg see what …”
These headlines are not meant for thinking people.
They are designed to attract a sleeping class of ‘blue pill’ mechanical readers trained for quick, simple sound bites and a preference for the official self-reinforcing mainstream narratives of the day.
These media are ‘the message’ (and the massage) — the medium of choice for the mesmerizing and the mesmerized to engage in their dance unto death (do them part).
Their value is, along with popcorn entertainment, to enable a discernment of the qualitative differences between reality (truth and fact) and constructed propaganda.
Their evil is in the damage they cause to a wider environment including many innocent victims of the “we think it [the price] was worth it” Madeleine Albright variety of social-political cancer. May they rot in a suitable hell when the time comes.
The West, that is to say the Anglo-zionist empire, seems totally obsessed with Putin and Russia. Not a day passes without the media in one form or another spewing out its Russophobic bile. And if it is not Russophobia it is Russophrenia. Russophrenia is a strange phenomenon. It is argued that 1. Russia is a powerful, expansionist and revisionist state, armed to the teeth and plotting a war against the west, and 2. Russia is a weak and declining power with a small economy, always on the verge of collapse, similar to Italy, a ‘gas station masquerading as a nation.’ Ermm, neither of these propositions are true. But no matter. I don’t know if the ruling western elites, ensconced in the media, departments of state and the corporate financial sector acutally believe any of this, but who do they think they are kidding exactly? The ideological bubble in which the western PTB keep their captive populations is letting out air, like a slow puncture, and more and more of the captive populations are beginning to slowly realise this. Hissssss!
Hi Katharine,
‘Who is Tisdall’? My knee-jerk reaction when I saw that headline was to mutter ‘he’s an idiot’. But that is too easy. I see a lot of this not only in MSM but also in the alt-right media, which tells me, as Saker I believe has said, the ‘alt’ was created by the usual 3 letter agencies. It wouldn’t have mattered what Mr. Putin said or outlined for the future, the accusations would be the same because these people are completely propagandized and they are agenda-driven. Their agenda is to flag wave for the empire and hate on Russia.
It seems to me that even a sober non-judgmental glance at what has been outlined, to be voted on is a fixed, 2-year term for president, who must not be a dual citizen and has lived in Russia only for at least 25 years; This tells me Vladimir Putin is not intending to stay and he wants to make sure after he is gone that the leadership of the country does not fall into the hands of a dictator or foreign intruders.
That he was also considering what Pompeo called a new strategy of bringing countries in line by assassination is possible. I know I have been thinking about it. This is a very old strategy for gaining power. Just murder whoever is in the way. Vladimir the greats oldest son murdered his two Orthodox brothers for this reason. What the arrogant ‘evangelical murderers’ in the Washington viper den seem to have lost sight of is that within the outworking of Divine providence, such evil will be turned back on the perps.
The empire now seems to be running on never-ending lies and billions of financial digits created daily to mask over the failing system. The saying is that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Great analysis. I fully agree!!!
Most importantly, there is no trace of Kudrin in the new gov. Not even the faintest smell of him.
Kudin is a banker’s man.
From Wikipedia:
According to Kudrin, “no-one regards state ownership of such assets as an end in itself” and “we are not going to see a continuous strengthening of the state’s position.”
In 2005, Kudrin and Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov clashed over a proposal to cut VAT tax from 18% to 13%. Fradkov supported the proposal, but Kudrin argued that lower VAT could endanger stability of the ruble and would cause the government to withdraw money from the stabilization fund. The same year, Kudrin received the “Finance Minister of the Year 2005” award by the Banker magazine.
According to Renaissance Capital, Kudrin’s poll ratings are not favourable as he is seen as responsible for some highly criticized welfare reforms
During Putin’s presidency, Russia’s macroeconomic policies were highly prudent, and extra income from oil exports was put in stabilization funds. The Stabilization Fund of the Russian Federation is widely regarded as Kudrin’s idea. Alexander Osin, chief economist at Finam Management, regards the Stabilization Fund as one of Kudrin’s main achievements. However, other analysts have described The Stabilization Fund as “dead money”, which doesn’t benefit the real economy. The Stabilization Fund was split into the Reserve Fund and National Welfare Fund in February 2008.
Finance Minister, Kudrin has also supported increasing the retirement age
Just wanted to air something out. Balanced budgets and high reserves and sound monetary conditions are not “neoliberal” policies. I think sometimes ppl on the Russian economic left , believe that Russia is being “neoliberal” when the govt does these things. Its just not.
When you have your economic house in order like Russia does, social policy is cheap.
I just wanted to say that.
“Russia remains a country defined by one person, Putin, and not by a healthy and stable system.”
True. But he happens to be the man who brought Russia from near-death to where it is now….. and I believe that he is capable of taking it much further. Give him time. He has proven himself.
Simone Tisdall is one of these mass media “journalists” who is always 100% correct ….. only in his belief that the vast majority of his readers are people who are mentally starved and quite content to swallow any pre-processed brain-food laying around on the floor, provided it is BAD.
Putin is moving Russia in the direction of China – toward a meritocracy – where the most qualified individuals function in the government in their areas of expertise, and where the best and brightest (not in the twisted U.S. sense) run the country for the good of the majority. Xi Jinping has led the way and Russia is following. Americans who care about our country should take note.
You mean the USA has an Apprentice running it!
Well, to be fair, he may hear, “You’re fired”. Which would be just desserts except for the fact that two Christian apocalypse fanatics would be left running the show. Pence with his finger on the red button and Pompeo egging him on….yikes!
Thanks for the information ! Saw the guardian article typical of the guardian around Russia tells you very little in the way of reliable information.
China has set up its capitalist enterprises in a similar way! Both China and Russia are de-dollarizing as an alternative to privatization and financialization that the neoliberals and neocons love.
Russia will never again be caught in that capture of their economy by the neoliberals under that western appointed Yeltsin!
The ‘fall of Communism’ and the dissolution of USSR have been perceived by perceptive people who did not get drunk on fuckuyamic ‘end of history’ drink, as a gambit.They warned that it was a trick to induce in the West a false sense of victory and security, while the steps to recovery were taken under the radar.
The task was indeed gigantic, but responsible Russian ‘deep state’ representatives looking into Russian history understood the policy directive of Czar Alexander III that Russia has only two allies: ‘its armed forces and navy’ and that only a sovereign Russia would be able to ensure also a decent ‘quality of life’ for its people and put in place the means to avoid another revolution (in actual fact history shows that the multiple ‘Russian’ revolutions have not been possible but after military defeats). The rage of the Anglo-Zios is provoked by the realization that they have fallen asleep at the wheel.
And, perhaps more significantly, by this event (generally unreported):
“Netanyahu Gives Putin Disputed Old City Church in Exchange for Jailed Israeli Woman”@https://www.jewishpress.com/news/elections-news/:
“Following a report on Channel 13 on Monday night that as part of the efforts to release Naama Issachar Russia is demanding possession of Alexander’s Court in the Old City, Ma’ariv on Wednesday morning published a document confirming that Israel had already responded to the Russian demand, and did it three weeks ago.
“MK Omer Bar-Lev (Labor) tweeted in response: “In 2003, Sharon informed Putin that he would hand over Alexander’s Court if Russia stopped selling weapons in the Middle East. Tomorrow, Netanyahu will hand it over in exchange for a girl who shouldn’t have been in custody for one second.” And he concluded: “We used to have strong leaders.”…
The land on which Alexander’s Court was built, Which includes the Alexander Nevsky Church and several other buildings, was purchased in 1859 by Czar Alexander III, Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland…
Israel was going to recognize the ownership over the Russian compound in the Old City sooner or later anyway – although it had been sitting on that decision since 2015. The Naama Issachar arrest and ridiculously harsh sentence of seven and a half years in jail over possession of 9.5 grams of hashish was just an incentive. Initially, the Russians were hoping to prevent the extradition of a Russian criminal hacker to the Americans in exchange for the Israeli woman sniffed by a customs dog in Moscow airport. Now they’ll get a nice piece of real estate.
As to MK Omer Bar-Lev’s sentimental yearning for strong leaders – we have strong leaders, in the Kremlin”.
9.5 grams of hash is sale amount. She broke Russian law. Here, one ‘joint’ is good for a year, two is good for five years. She was lucky in spite of the fact she is an idiot.
Auslander
Why is Russia so hard in Cannabis possession and its use? Cannabis Ruderalis is native to Russia. Indica sources from South and goes back over 5000 years as a medicine in China. Do you even get medical MJ? CBD? There are more chemicals being discovered. The science and medicine should be farther along if but for big corporate, oligarchy cartels (big pharma, big textile, big liquor, etc) and their Frankenstein’s monster, the gov (collective of various mafias). Maybe Putin will ease it, allow it at the least at the medical level, and maybe decriminalization. Look, I lost a good friend to Heroin just three years ago. It is my understanding Russia, too, had an unfortunate drug (opiate, benzos, meth, alcohol, research chems, synthetic Cannabis. The unjust prosecution vs this plant and the people who find some use from it, beneficial or maybe detrimental. It isn’t the plant that is the root of the problem. It is the un or miseducated person, and one who has far greater access to said drugs vs quality Cannabis, whether outdoor, indoor or greenhouse. The fact that the plant produces chemicals (Cannabinoids, of which they have only just begun to understand just a handful of) which are vital to a myriad processes and functions, in a capacity towards maintaining homeostasis within the body. Our natural Cannabinoids help regulate functions and strength, focus (for attack for the immune system), of response. Our immune system, blood vessels, brain.
It is my hope when Russia will become more sovereign, they may modify their drug laws, esp concerning the Cannabis plant (and family). I understand how it can be addictive and make people who are otherwise good for being lazy, even more lazy. This is not the norm, however. It is with anything. Similar to guns. You must first understand, get acquainted, practice, learn the safety, risks involved. Not all psychoactive Cannabis makes a person dopey or incapacitated.
Sativa, for instance, it is uplifting, facilitates one toward a social mood, a mood lift (attitude adjustment, what have you) or just focuses that person, for some, like people using Adderall for ADHD, they might not really notice that they are high. You need to have some tasks, chores, work to do with some of the cerebral, mentally stimulating, energizing properties of some Sativa strains. Some are spiritual, philosophical mindset. Useful for artists, writers to help visualize scenes they may be writing about at the time. The Indicas, which are native to places like Afghanistan, India, are generally more body oriented effects. Sedating, pain relief, some anxiety relief. Helps people with autism, seizures, inflammation, nausea, ptsd. Is it a cultural thing? Russians never really had too much history using the Cannabis as a drug or medicine, perhaps hemp, industrially, I’m sure. It is the opposite of compassion and goodness is to deny your citizens of this God given plant, whether as medicine, drug or economic powerhouse of materials and oils, such as from hemp.
Kratom (and Ibogaine) are also plant medicines which are available to help people struggling with dangerous, toxic addictions. USA has been dragging its claws the past 90+ years (where it used to be prescribed until the late 1930’s). I live in the heart of the beast so I can’t speak in morality or ethics. I don’t use any drugs or alcohol, no Rx. Just Cannabis (thc and cbd, I tend to enjoy the hemp based cbd products, flower more but I do have ADHD/ADD and anxiety. Works for me.) and Kratom leaf.
https://www.uclahealth.org/cannabis/human-endocannabinoid-system
https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/The-Immunological-Effects-Of-Cannabinoids.aspx
Hopefully you don’t hope for Russia to modify its ‘homophobic’ laws! You are not a Brockback Mountain Cowboy, are you?
Bert
Horse feathers. Go in to your cities and towns. The endemic theft of anything that’s not nailed down and the massive thefts from shops and stores is almost all from the drug culture. Tell me how your legalization and ‘decriminalization’ of small amounts of herbs and chemicals has been a boon to the culture in US/eu and not led to a generation of wastrels who are nothing but parasites on the culture and economy and health system. Tell me how it has not destroyed your cities and towns with homeless camped out on the streets and openly using drugs and openly stealing to support their addiction.
I’ve heard every argument you just made and they don’t fly. You have your ideas and your culture, we have ours and our culture and ne’er the twain shall meet. My wife can walk our dogs at midnight and not have a care in the world. I haven’t seen a cop in our little valley since a neighbor’s roof caught fire 6 years ago and we don’t even lock our doors when we leave for the day. Can you say the same?
That being said, one beer or dope smoke and driving here and you life will change exponentially if caught, and you will be caught sooner or later. One ‘joint’ and it’s a year, two can get you five. Any ‘hard’ drugs get you longer time and trust me, Russian prisons are not for rehab. Any fool can make the choice and violate any law, and any law can be legally changed, but turning Russia in to the hedonistic drug addled culture that is US/eu will not happen. Ever.
Auslander
Auslander
Cannabis decriminalization has nothing to do with massive homeless camps and the degenerate culture in JSA…
These things were WELL under way long b4 the legalization movement became wide spread. You seem to be classifying cannabis in the same category as opiates and other hard drugs, when in fact study after study from around the world show that its effects on society are less harmful than alcohol. Alcohol, correct me if I’m wrong, is legal in Russia, yes?
Every person I know in US who got involved in strong opiates and chemicals started with Mary Jane. I can guaranty you that the new government in Moskau will never legalize drugs for recreational use. Not going to happen and this uneducated cretin agrees with that policy.
Auslander
Dear Flyover:
Could you please add an ‘o’ to the third part of your name.
I thought this kind of thing—use of dirty and insulting words, even in “fun” or to be “clever”– was prohibited at this blog.
Katherine
Mod- It actually is prohibited, but sometimes these kind of thing slips under the radar…..let us just hope it was a mistake and it is going to be corrected..
Sorry, I wasn’t aware of the prohibition. For the record, it was a joke based on a heated political conversation I had in the past that ended with “You people in flyover country are all a bunch of c**ts!” being yelled at me. Which I found hilarious. Guess you had to be there.
Definitely was not meant to insult or disrespect anyone here.
Auslander, you demean your high standing with this comment.
Cannabis is part of the natural medical chest and has been a staple therein since time immemorial. Its criminalisation by ‘the West’, including Russia, on behalf of the unnatural, chemical based food and drug industries which profit from ill-health only and therefore perpetuate ill-health as a business policy is itself the real crime.
The debasement of Western society cannot be laid at the door of ‘illegal’ drug use – this is to put the cart before the horse. The mind is bent out of shape long before it seeks relief in distraction and/or oblivion through the ‘recreational’ use of alcohol, cannabis, pornography et cetera.
If there was a will in the West to rid the streets of ‘recreational’ drugs they would be gone. Did not the Taliban bring the wrath of the West upon Afghanistan when it interfered with its ‘illegal drug’ supply chain?
Cannabis is and always has been a boon to the human organism.
It’s fair to say that a body in need of and deriving the health benefits available in cannabis oil probably shouldn’t be operating heavy machinery. However, here we run into one of the difficult problems in our age: how to sanction humans who have not committed a crime while under the influence, or indeed, how to sanction humans who think for themselves in the face of the unthinking [inhuman] bureaucracy in which we are immersed.
Oh for prescience!
CBD oil or marijuana oil has helped thousands successfully treat their cancers and other life threatening and. debilitating diseases. In this regard I hope Russia legalizes its use for medicinal and industrial purposes ONLY. As for recreational use – NO WAY! If it can save people’s lives then it’s just common sense not to restrict it for humane reasons.
Random
You said it so much better than I!
This is a popular, and popularized school of thought. However, despite the benefits of pain alleviation, possible positive effects on the mind, for over thirty years I have observed side effects of using Cannabis.
Naturally there are negatives effects, and depending on the individual, the drug may induce dependency issues, and related to being a stepping stone to stronger drugs, paranoia symptoms, far harder to cure than pain and mental tension (believe it or not), and which develop over time.
I write this very deliberately here, as although the short term and prescribed (only) use of cannabis may be helpful, it is unwise to promote the drug’s unrestricted use.
Hopefully it will not gain normalcy under the new Russian government.
The laws of nature do not discriminate across country’s borders and it would probably be very easy to prosecute them in russia too, I have already proved that politicians are nothing more than the infinite study of human denial, and that can extend to russia too, if indeed your statement is true. It sounds more like turkey to me. Its not the drug that is the problem, it is the people that are the problem.
@ Lonesome Cowboy Burt
From the east, I am currently keenly interested to find out more on these REAL CREDIBLE Verified research. If you have more links and good research, pls kindly do share it on the Cafe. You seem to have done your homework! This issue, for good, bad and ugly, I contend, is something we need to learn more or re-learn once again. Many thanks :)
Perhaps this has already been pointed out, but in almost all times and countries, the nation has been defined by its ruler. The more piwer he has, the more his personality defines policy. This is a very good thing if you have a good “king” and a very bad thing if you have a bad one.The founders of America had lived a long time under a very bad king and therefore built into the American system a very tight system of checks and balances. Thus things move slowly through the American political system, and changes are often unmade nearly as soon as they are made, That Russia is Putin’s Russia is not abnormal, and I don’t see too many people complaining. I just pray that whoever follows him is nearly as capable and wise.
I am, genuinely, quite hopeful. This is a very good, and promising, development.
The executive body in the new Russian government will be the State Council, modeled after the Chinese State Council.
A few months ago, some of us were hoping for a Security-based Council that was Military-Intel focused to drive out the Liberals. Putin found a better solution.
What Russia should have is the equivalent of the very powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection which the Chinese use to uproot corruption. They have made great strides in all sectors of the government and the party. They have taken down SOE management, military generals, and big Party figures.
One man, Wang Qishan, led the commission. He now is considered the closest advisor to President Xi Jinping.
Though past mandatory requirement age, he was kept on as Vice President of the PRC.
I think his experience could help guide a similar commission in the Russian Federation.
You left out The New York Times, certainly the most rabid Russophobe tabloid out there. Andrew “I come from Langley with news” Higgins: “Short on vital details, the proposed changes shed little light on Mr. Putin’s exact plans and set off another round of speculation about the future of Russia’s longest-serving leader since Stalin.”
He’s a master. The master.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/20/world/europe/Russia-prosecutor-Chaika-Putin.html
From the very opening of the linked article:
Amusingly, Andrew ’I-come-from-Langley-with-news’ Higgins immediately mouths off both his Pindo national buzzwords ”constitutional” and ”amendments”. Slowly but surely, Russia is ditching the piece of garbage that’s been Russia’s ”constitution”. Of course Higgins is just as clueless as the rest of the West’s psychobabbling ’journalists’ with these insinuations about Putin safe-guarding his personal future. The fact of the matter is that Putin works for Russia; nothing more, nothing less.
In addition to all of the above, what I really like is that their Banking system and Monetary Policy has cut itself loose from the IMF/WB/BIS Criminal Gang and will go back to the policies of Stolypin and Whitte, who those bast#$ds assassinated, and finance Russia itself with their own National Bank and the funds from their various exports. The Banksters are fuming and gritting their teeth in anger because they underestimated Russia, which is the Fatal Mistake the West always makes.
Witte?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Witte#Railways
Another change I would like to see is to replace the large crown on the Russian coat of arms with the red star as suggested once by Alexander Zaldostanov of the Night Wolves. This would be a great compromise to include the character and achievements of both Tsarist Russia and it’s Soviet past – both which contributed to Russia’s uniqueness today. Also I would also like to see the hammer and sickle adopted as the official flag of the Eurasian Union though modified with the inclusion of an olive leaf wreath. To ignore one over the other is no better than what the West is doing with re-writing the USSR’s victory of the Great Patriotic War.
RT answered my most anxious question in their first sentence – Lavrov and Shoigu remain…phew.
thanks Saker – everything I know about all this is thanks to you.
Dear Saker,
Thanks once more for a nice overview of an important event.
After a 20 year consolidation period (social, economic, military & rejuvenation of the government bureaucracy), groundwork for the next phase of development of the biggest country and one of the most important in the world is set in motion. And an elegant path for a (inevitable) change in leadership is laid down.
I have amongst a hundred or so news bookmarks a score of what are usually named MSM sources from US, UK & FR. In vain I sought at least one analytical article of this event (without malignancy and total bu….it).
No wonder their readership is declining, and your and other alt-media is causing headaches in certain quarters. :))
AngloZionist Empire [has clearly lost] control of Russia
That is good news indeed. I really appreciate the explanation.
Now I worry, will they use internal violence to overthrow Putin? Can they use such violence? I don’t know enough about Russia to say.
Actually, I am pretty sure the Empire will incite internal violence, or attempt to — that is how this Empire works. But I don’t know if their attempts will succeed. What do you think?
Navalny is the only gadfly they have been able to support and his massive throngs at demonstrations against everything Russian generally field well under a hundred malcontents. He has all the gravitas of a late summer mosquito buzzing around a candle.
Auslander
A good article (in Russian – turn your translator on!) giving a bit of added insight into the people Mishustin appointed:
https://news.mail.ru/politics/40282671/
From the article:
“This is the capture of the government by the team of Mikhail Mishustin, a federal official jokes about the composition of the new government. He assembled a team of his people and like-minded people, and another civil servant reacted to the cabinet. This can only mean one thing – the mandate for change, officials and experts are sure.
Of the nine deputy prime ministers, three worked under the leadership of Mishustin. He has a very good relationship with three others, his acquaintances say. He has a working relationship with his first deputy, Andrei Belousov, who transferred to the White House from the Kremlin.”
And again:
“None of the Russian premieres of the last two decades – of course, except for Putin – possessed such opportunities in the personnel sphere, states political analyst Alexei Makarkin. Mikhail Kasyanov’s deputies were Alexei Kudrin and German Gref, who severely limited him, and Mikhail Fradkov and Viktor Zubkov had little influence on anything, he reasoned, and Putin’s government, in fact, formed the government itself. Mishustin must ensure the fulfillment of the main task of the government – to accelerate the growth of the economy and people’s incomes, argues Makarkin, for this he needs the authority and human resources – all this was given to him. Therefore, he managed to make vice-premiers of people who had worked with him before, but did not hold politically significant posts.
Putin is undertaking a colossal maneuver, political analyst Nikolai Petrov believes, and the transfer of people from the Federal Tax Service to the government confirms this. Mishustin cannot be compared with former prime ministers Fradkov and Zubkov, says Makarkin: “They were the technical prime ministers of the oil growth period, when the government could devote enormous amounts of money, now the task is completely different.””
Obviously, Russians themselves consider the Mishustin government a major change.
With headlines like in “the Guardian”, one could rest assured no one that dumb to fall for such drivel.
They keep their hysteria at the highest level, maybe their prints would be good source of comedy one day.
Tudor England and beyond when the English monarchs banned the importation of woollen cloth in an early version of infant industry protection transforming England from an importing wool country into the most formidable wool and later manufacturing country in the world.
A little later it was the same in both the United States and Bisrmarckian Germany who played catch-up with the UK in the late 19th century. The proto-architect of US mercantilism was Alexander Hamilton (1789-1795) who overcame the free-trade preferences of Thomas Jefferson in the early stages of US economic development; but it was the civil war – 1861-65 – essentially a conflict between the protectionist north and the free-trading south, which settled the issue.
Ex-Commander of the Union Army of the Potomac, Ulysses Simpson Grant, later to become US President argued that:
“For centuries England has relied on protection, has carried it to extremes and has obtained satisfactory results from it. There is no doubt that it is to this system that it owes its present strength. After two centuries, England has found it convenient to adopt free trade because it thinks that protection can no longer offer it anything. Very well then, gentlemen, my knowledge of our country leads me to believe that within 200 years, when America has gotten out of protection all that it can offer, it too will adopt free trade.”
In Germany, Friedrich List (1789-1846) who also had scant regard for any ‘free-market’ nonsense and the Ricardian corollary of comparative advantage was instrumental in promoting a system of political guidance from above as a policy for economic development.
‘’ … the first stage (of such a long-term policy) is one of adopting free-trade with more advanced nations as a means of raising themselves from a state of barbarism, and of making advances in agriculture; in the second stage, promoting the growth of manufactures, fisheries, navigation and foreign trade by means of commercial restrictions; and in the last stage, on after reaching the highest degree of wealth and power by gradually reverting to the principle of free-trade and of unrestricted competition in the home and in foreign markets.”
“but it was the civil war – 1861-65 – essentially a conflict between the protectionist north and the free-trading south, which settled the issue. ”
Sugar produced on Louisiana plantations was protected by a tariff.
I believe this protection is one of the primary reasons that suppressed political support to invade and take over Cuba.
Britain did continue its policy of protecting and developing home industries when it deindustrialized India, the most technologically advanced textile producer in the world, forbade the production of value-added products there, and transformed the subcontinent into purely a source of unprocessed cotton for the mills in Manchester and other cities in the north of England. Britain of course was using and wanted to continue to exploit the American South as a similar source of raw materials. Consequently Britain—at least, British textile magnates—supported the South. Lincoln saw this very clearly—also what it portended for the North (of the USA): an agricultural slave state on the southern border of the USA, supported by Britain, and with rail infrastructure between Savannah and the Pacific Coast, was not going to happen. Slavery was not going to be extended to the West. That was not going to happen.
IMO the most interesting writer on the actual point of the Civil War is Colin Woodard, “American Nations.”
Katherine
Hi Saker,
I rarely do disagree with any of your statements, assumptions and conclusions, but here I had to chuckle a wee bit: “Russia remains a country defined by one person, Putin, and not by a healthy and stable system.”
Would you please point out one, only one, healthy, stable system to me – anywhere in the world? Personally, I tend to believe that the best any people or country can hope for is a truly patriotic and uncorruptable dictator or despot to lead it. After him, OK, who knows? But that applies to the US as well. I wouldn’t hardly describe that country as healthy and stable, nor any of her “allies^…
It must be a subconscious pattern of thinking: Russia is always defined as a ‘one man country’, eternally in peril to disappear unless it goes to the ‘people’.
Excellent analysis by The Saker. As for the latest developments in Russia, I was expecting them, although I have to admit I did not expect them in 2020, but later on. Unimportant. What is important is that Putin is putting his house in order, namely preventing the appointment of a stooge in 2024, something the West was hoping for. What Putin did in an incredible 24 hours was make a speech, propose Constitutional reforms, have Medvedev and his Cabinet resign, propose a new Prime Minister and have that Prime Minister being accepted by Russian members of Parliament. Remarkable achievement. All this required planning and coordination, producing remarkable efficiency. No doubt both the West and Russian liberals were taken by surprise, this of course being the intent. Both Putin and the new Prime Minister will have four years to place Russia on a stable economic road, and I can only see success, since Russia even now is becoming very popular for investment.
Finally, one point which might have escaped the attention of many. The new Prime Minister has a Phd in economics and a proven record of efficiency. Some analysts are expecting the US dollar to crash during 2020. If this does indeed happen, we can expect repercussions on the world scene, as a period of instability will ensue. It remains to be seen what repercussions will happen in Russia, if any. In any case the new Prime Minister is the right man to handle the new financial and economic situation, all the more so since analysts have for years been predicting that both Russia and China will introduce gold backed currencies, as both have amassed more than 30.000 tonnes of gold each
You would have to have a severe depression in both the states and europe along with the devaluation of the currencies in order to be able to implement a gold std. This would dent the chinese currency as well, as their obligations would most likely not be paid off but defaulted upon. I dont see the analysts as having a complete picture of the economic landscape, and therefore their interpretation is murky at best, recall it has already been years, and so, why not more years?
The more I think about it and read reliable sources about it, I’m thinking more and more almost a coup d’etat fomented by the leader of the State. Interesting concept, I must admit, but it’s looking like a preemptive strike as much as anything else. Perhaps there are things none of us know? What a surprise that would be.
Auslander
There are two Herculean Tasks that must be addressed for Russia to advance her economy and well being of her populace.
First, and of utmost importance, is the massive top to bottom corruption and graft endemic for untold generations in this at times bedeviled land. Whilst the ever present outstretched hand from any bureaucracy has, at least in this unusual enclave, been somewhat muted, it is still there. However, the massive corruption, and outright and blatant theft, is exponentially larger the higher you go in the ‘system’, to the point that ‘pups’, the last ‘governor’, blatantly and illegally transferred 2 BILLION rubles late one afternoon in 2019 as payment from City to a bank that folded the next morning and is in receivership to this day with what money was in said bank ‘locked’ until the process is complete. Is the 2 billion there? Guaranty you it ain’t, it was gone in seconds of the transfer and I can also guaranty you that two billion is not in Russia. So far, I have read nothing of this huge theft being addressed, although ‘smaller’ transgressions have been addressed and a lot of pup’s little minions he brought with him from Malta and Moskau are slowly but surely being squeezed and arrested. Still and all, even VVP has screamed just last week about the ongoing and unbelievably huge monies being stolen to this day at the construction sight of the new space rocket launch facility. If VVP can’t do anything about this problem, then we are doomed to a continuation of this festering sore on the nether regions of Russian Society and Culture.
Second. The paperwork involved in even minuscule transactions with any Government entity is unbelievable. Case in point. Yesterday my wife renewed her Post Box rent agreement at our tiny local Post. The document was 8 single spaced pages long. You read correctly, EIGHT PAGES LONG to renew a post box rent that she’s had for years, ergo it’s not like our Post gals don’t know her! Plus, the usual copy of two pages of her passport were required, the primary page with her photo and info and her Propeeska page, and this I can see as needed.
This is just a microcosm of what everyone goes through with anything involved with ‘officialdom’. That being said, the anointed ones don’t go through this foolishness, one call to any agency and their documents are prepared and ready instantly, no charge. Everyone is created equal but some are more equal than others is typical of Russia and any other country in this world. So be it, but for Lord’s sake, cut down on the foolishness!!
Auslander
Author
Never The Last One, paper back edition. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1521849056 A deep look in to Russia, her culture and her Armed Forces, in essence a look at the emergence of Russian Federation.
An Incident On Simonka paperback edition. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1696160715 NATO Is Invited To Leave Sevastopol, One Way Or The Other.
Auslander
What you wrote is true. However, if you take into account the looting of Russia by Western corporations, banks and domestic oligarchs during the 1990’s and the poverty that ensued, then it is not surprising that corruption surfaced. And yes, this habit needs to be curtailed. It will take effort. As for Russian bureaucratic paperwork, this is an old East European tradition, which goes back many years. This indeed will have to be reformed.
B.F.
If one wants to understand Russia, one has to study Byzantium, Mother is the heir to that culture lock, stock and barrel right down to the creaking bureaucracy and secrecy for the sake of secrecy. Old habits die hard, centuries old habits die harder.
Auslander
Auslander
Well now, you made an interesting observation. Yes, Russia and Eastern Europe were influenced by Byzantium, no question about that. In Western Europe the term “Byzantine” implies something sinister, perfidious and dishonest. However, over here in Eastern Europe where I live we have the term “Latin”, which also implies something sinister, perfidious and dishonest. And who is right ? Both or none ?
I thought that “Byzantine” meant needlessly complicated and nontransparent—not necessarily sinister or nepharious.
M-W: ” of, relating to, or characterized by a devious and usually surreptitious manner of operation
Katherine
The Western use of the term ‘Byzantine’ is another example of the distortion of concepts perpetrated by the West. In actual fact even the term ‘Byzance’, ‘Byzantium’, ‘Byzantine Empire’ is an invention of the West and it refers to the the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire, where the Roman Empire survived uninterruptedly until 1453.
Auslander
I shuddered when I read about the 8 page form plus passport and official documents for a P.O box rental !
The centuries old desire to influence and maintain power that were grafted into the political and cultural life of Russia…
But the true power of the Mother, is not controlling or devious, she does not play double handed games, but is spiritual in nature, a center from where brotherhood and love will radiate to the world.
How Olga Lyubimova, Russia’s new cultural minister, aims to protect and further this inherent power and wealth remains to be seen…
Olga Lyubimova’s name is base on the word ‘Любовь’, love. Let’s hope she lives up to her name for our Motherland. From what I’ve seen and heard, she will.
Auslander
… ” we can note is that Putin decided to work through evolution , not revolution “…
But Putin did apply revolution in development of new revolutionary weapons , but kept slow evolutiin for economy and poor milions of rusians.
Evolution is slow , incremental process , and revolution fast strong new course.
Could he apply revolution to economic advancment of state economy , help poor,
and evolution for introducing new weapons , gradually strenghtening military complex of rusia ?
He decided to revolutionary introduce new weapons . Evolution for economics.
When Putin did send rusian soldiers in syria , rusia and usa were equally balanced in weapons , even at that time. Putin would not send army personnel in syria if rusia were inferior in weapons , and could have been attacked by usa.
if opponents are 1 : 1 in weapons , ballanced , it is not sound to attack.
Attacker has to have 3 : 1 more strength to be able to attack.
So usa could not have attacked rusia.
Even not then , less more now. No possibility of any attack.
USA has no weapons worth to worry about , exept trident missiles on ohio subs.
Tridents are only weapons that keep usa as worthy military opponent.
All those carriers , crusaders , destroyers are just enormous pile of rusty iron.
To frighten small countries with no defence and governments of traitors , cia spies.
That would mean Putin could have started economic efforts to strenghten rusia economy , and help poor rusians , and middle class. Then , not now , lately.
Not new weapons with extreme costs , and place rusia 10 or more years in advance over usa. At cost that poor rusians suffered from all those years , until some more years in future when economical results could improve , if they improve.
… ” in fact he has described this new government as a ” balanced ” one ” …
” Balanced one ” could mean , one in equilibrium , with 0 as result.
You still have patriots and atlantists in one team. Ones pulling forward , and other pulling backward. And zero , or very slow advance results , probability , 12 : 9.
Also , there is a question of timing. Why so late ?
Putin is 20 years in power ,
and only now economic help to poor is starting to get shape of some action.
Was he somehow by someone stimulated to act now, at last ?
What if there are increasing numbers of patriots that were not statisfied
with that speed of economic growth ? Evolution , small step by small step ?
What if kgb _ putin stream had increased stream of not statisfied ones of gru _ army patriots that asked for exemplary , fast and immediate economy actions.?
No more delays , evolutionary delaying , but revolutionary economic growth.
And you still keep atlantist as minister of finance to provide means of growth ?
What advance could expect from , say as extreme example , gen petreus at post of minister of defence of rusia ?
Would he work for best of his efforts , or delay , evolve , stagnate ?
One thing I’m curious about is, how will these changes affect the Central Bank and their policies? Is this a step closer in the direction of complete sovereignization from Washington’s financial influence set up in the 90’s, with “help” from one of the main architect’s, namely the infamous Jeffrey Sachs, which amongst others laid down the foundation and the mechanism’s of an Oligarchical based economy that was to come, and the industrial and financial plundering of Russia on a Biblical scale.
@ Daniel Martin
…. ” oligarchical based economy that was to come , and industrial and financial plundering of rusia on a biblical scale … ” …
Yes. Right comparison. Biblical scale.
During gorbachov and jelcin years of rule there were deep state companies that plundered rusia , and nobody knew of their existsnce. Railroad compositions of rusian wealth just left rusia and nobody knew about it. Nobody recorderd their exit from rusia. Not to mention to pay for stuff. They just left. Plundered.
Worth of 2.000 bilions in diamonds , only .
And we know how world jews , khasars , love diamonds.
And more than 30.000 bilions of minerals , ores , gold , and all whatever else.
And one can not notice how those 32.000 billons are over 25.000 bilions of usa debts are.
So usa government has free time , yet at least 7.000 bilions to overspend , waste ,
and then to be in situation to think what to do to save country from banktrupcy.
So rusian people helped , and are helping usa government to delay banktrupcy.
If rusia government recived those 32.000 bilions $ , plundered from its people , there would not be 30 milions poor rusians today , but very wealthy ones ,
and now rusia struggles to just try to improve economic situation of poor people.
If possible. If deep state do allow them to breathe and work freelly to achieve it.
If not sabotaged or delayed into decades of poor economic results to expect.
As it happened many times through rusian history. Dreams of real economy growth.
“the impotent rage felt by the defenders of the AngloZionist Empire.” That includes Paul Watson of Infowars, several times featured on this site as having “reasonable positions.” While not a defender of the Empire, since Russia and China are worst, by default, the Empire must be best, as he tells it.
Why should the duma have more power? When weaker people have power, don’t you end up with Hiliary Clinton?
Is a constitution even a good thing? It seems like a lot of malarkey. People need to understand that authority exists for state security, which stretches into agricultural and education oversight. The reason someone would have a gun is the same reason he has a toaster: it represents no threat to the state. No list of guarantees required. For the same reason, one cannot have an s-400 missel battery in his backyard.
“interests of the state” = “interests of the people” ???
Wow.. En québécois, on appelle ça ‘couper les coins ronds’ … J’ai confiance en la bonne gouvernance de Putin (à part son attentisme climatique) mais cette adéquation écrite par le columnist du Unz est faible. Sorry for the french comment… 8-) Tip of the hat to The Saker from Québec, Canada
Someone should be collecting material in order to write a book, “Putin’s Great Stroll Forward : The 6 years that Transformed Russia.” It’s Not exactly a walk in the park but there will be a national dialogue this year which will further stir creative juices especially if the younger generation becomes enthused. At least in Russia they do not face the betrayal of the elders Looneylandia style.
These are exciting times. The Cubans
Undertook a similar process recently in the ratification their constitution.
I wonder what Putin will come up with next year in his report to the nation.?
perhaps there is hope for a human future.
One point of interest regarding that UK Guardian article is that it was scribbled by Simon Tisdall, who is considered (somewhat) of an anti-establishment/antiwar critic in that he questioned some of the WMD lies involved in the Anglo-American aggressive war against Iraq.
The fact that even anti-establishment individuals like Tisdall regurgitate Anglo Establishment propaganda about Putin and Russia demonstrates how pervasive this imperial propaganda is!
That explains quite a lot. Like the whole pathetic swamp of Western ”progressives”, Simple Simon has to ”prove himself” when hearing His Master’s Voice. I mean, imagine the shitstorm at The Guardian were he to write something honest in favour of Russia in general and Vladimir Putin in particular, LOL.
Tisdall’s barf to the effect that ”Putin, a criminal and incompetent president, is an enemy of his own people” might well turn out to be Pulitzer Prize material (or worthy of some other Western ”prestigous” rubbish award). In 2018, the Pulitzer prize was given to the NYT and the WP with the following motivation:
Simple but brilliant: Invent fictitious narratives and award their purveyors. Good luck, Mr. Tisdall.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (Dec 19) said “nobody knows” what causes climate change, seeming to cast doubt over whether global warming is of man-made origin and stating it could be blamed on cosmological processes. “Nobody knows the origins of global climate …”
If you believe quote above, you’ll believe herds of elephants are thriving here in wilds of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Putin is facing near-term abrupt and irreversible climate change PERIOD.
Mr. Putin is planning accordingly.
This is the definition of socialism (see Lenin “Tax in kind” , also Marx on the “Gotha Program”). Tostskyists and other utopians do not accept this; and most people understand that as socialism and get terribly confused. socialism is a stage in history, not an idea implemented. The USA has state capitalism, but there the class character is corporate state (the definition of fascism see Mussolini for and Dimitrov against).
So the thing is what is the Russian state, I would suggest a state of creating a ‘national commonwealth’, an alliance. This is not a criticism, the same could be said of China. How did the liberal incompetence fit in?
I suggest the liberal atlancist program is wedded to finance both as a power and source of individual wealth. For finance to penetrate and managerial class dominance, things cannot work well, they must have to be rescued, in the rescue the management is rewarded and anti-productive practices increase.
If this class character is kept in mind, the dominance of overseers (managers). Putin mentoion of AI as a way of dealing with this class should be kept in mind. I cannot speak of Putin’s intentions, but his intelligence is beyond dispute.
I suggest that actual productivity is the key and that is being spread by reducing managerial hubris and number of useless hands from positions throughout the nation. He seems to have picked the right people. Politically the useless political wing should not be shoved out, but put exactly where they have been put, wedded in a harmless way to the process, better they are in the tent pissing out then outside the tent pissing in.
What is happening is history unfolding, the ideological differences matter less the questions become ever more practical, we are working to the post-financial age (1880–2020?), otherwise known as imperialism which is not just the imperial homeland but every nation of earth that it has effected — that is approaching its end.
Using this framework, that socialism has emerged within imperial homelands, it has also emerged in societies recovering from imperialism — this all favours, in the long run, working people. Putin seems to showing just how it should be done in places like Australia, I think the USA is beyond hope, but who knows.
while i think that president Putin is the greatest politician of 21st century thus far, and i also am aware of Saker’s articles aiming to demonstrate that he is not an israeli puppet, i am nevertheless surprised and disappointed to see him with a kippah at the wailing wall, like all of the western politicians:
https://lesobservateurs.ch/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Poutine-Kotel-1.jpg
i can’t help seeing this as an act of submission to the masters.
@ mydear
… ” … i am nevertheless suprised and ďisapointed to see him with a kippah … ” …
Well, Putin is jew . his mother was jew ,
so he is technically jew , and has right to have kippah.
Also , there are 3 _ 4 milions of rusian jews who moved to live in israel from rusia , and putin took that kippah to tell them he knows they were rusian citizens
…. ” … i cant help seeing this as an act of submission to masters … “…
Well , if one would have time to search photo files on internet , there was a photo of trump wearing same kippah when he was in visit in israel.
the guardian piece actually made me angry, it was such blatant propagandist nonsense. simon tisdall isn’t fit to call himself a journalist. a stenographer, more like.
Thank you for a great, balanced, and notably, fact-based analysis.
Proponents of progress and success of humanity and the biosphere may be encouraged by these changes.
While it is not ‘everything’ that may have been, perhaps it is the most that can be, at the moment.
I see these changes in Russia as a template for the revival of the nation state conceptual design.
Globalism, for the 99% is a disaster of biblical proportions!
The rape of humanity and the planet must end.
Whether you believe in a higher being, or not, the event of the planet Earth is a living miracle, and worth any price which humanity should have to pay back to preserve.
The planet is more important that the extreme ego-centrism of humanity, and certainly more important than the psychotic 0.1% managerial class and their agents.
The western hegemony-supporting media/propaganda agencies are devoid of integrity.
Anybody with a free mind can see that Putin is, by a large margin, the most competent global leader now.
Look at his competition, the Orange Clown, the Bojo clown, the malign Macron, Merkel, Morrison, the Trudeau-puppet?!
These are all clearly puppets of the the 0.1%, and maligned actors.
Thanks again, we’ll take the hope away with us and see where it goes.
”Anybody with a free mind can see that Putin is, by a large margin, the most competent global leader now.”
Absolutely correct, and it can indeed be put even more forcefully: ”Anybody with a free mind can see that Russia has, by a large margin, the most competent government now”. Maybe too euphoric a twist, but I personally have the feeling that it’s the most competent government to have ever existed. But, of course, sophisticated people such as Simon Tisdall at The Guardian and the Ukronazis might have a different opinion here.
I see what you did there,Nussi lol.wrt Tisdall at Guardian.
Is Putin’s rearrangement of his government what in the UK be called a “cabinet reshuffle”? Apart from the fact that in the UK if the Vozhd (Voditsa in M. Thatcher’s case?) pisses everybody off, they, rather than the cabinet get replaced.
Putin’s isolation is very worrying, and Russian history is full of autocrats who started out as decent human beings working for the good of the whole nation, and ended up as cruel psychopaths (Ivan IV?). Who is there to say “No, this is wrong/ won’t work”? In the past in Western Europe, monarchs with autocratic tendencies were kept in check by the Church. This broke down in Roman Catholic Europe after Popes became infallible in 1871, and proved as mad, bad, and dangerous to know as any secular autocrat. Almost by definition, there are no autocracies in Calvinist countries, and in Germany the Lutheran church disgraced itself both with Kaiser Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler, but in Scandinavia it was on the side of the angels. The Anglican church has had a series of run-ins with crazy autocratic UK prime ministers, notably Anthony Eden (the Suez adventure was denounced by the Archbishop from the pulpit of Canterbury Cathedral) and Margaret Thatcher. Can the Orthodox Church play the same role in Russia today as the Anglican church in Britain in the twentieth century? As I understand it, Peter I undertook basically a copy of the Henrician reformation in England in the early sixteenth century, and nationalised the Russian Orthodox Church, abolishing the patriarchate, but keeping doctrine and liturgy the same, and making parish clergy state officials. The Patriarchate of Moscow was restored in 1918 by the Communists. Is it likely that current senior Orthodox clergy can act as psychological support and political restraint on Putin?
”Putin’s isolation is very worrying, and Russian history is full of autocrats who started out as decent human beings working for the good of the whole nation, and ended up as cruel psychopaths”
Putin isolated? Sounds about as convincing as him being ”incompetent” and ”criminal”. I don’t know whether you tacitly include Lenin and Stalin. Suffice it to say that the Russian people have a positive view of them; Stalin especially.
The fact that useless incompetent sergie Lavrov is still in Foreign ministry(for 19vyears!) tells us that nothing has changed and Russia will go on betraying her allies in futile attempt to please her arch enemies – the anglosaxon 5 evil eyes cabal.
Russia still needs Putin…he has led Russia out of the grip of the western Zionist faction and set the country back on its feet. He has been sensitive to change and has acted to change political structure when necessary. This latest move has served to make Russia more stable and by appointing serious people with brains to key positions he has finally settled Russia’s future. There will be threat and turmoil ahead and he is preparing for this in the best way possible.
“(in spite of being in TOTAL control of the Russia of the 1990s!).”
Belief and “reality” differ.
Hence the beliefs of opponents continue to have utility as they did do from the 1970’s onwards including in facilitating the new Russian Government.
“finally”
Wise strategy is akin to dancing.
Phasing is always important including in “improvisation”.
Simon Tisdall, in his bio, claims he went to Holland Park school in Notting Hill Gate London U.K. He is a little older than me.
I grew up in Notting Hill from ‘57 to ‘72. Holland Park had an awful reputation. It was the school where all the yobs, drop outs, sub standard pupils etc. were sent.
This can be realized by his appalling take on the latest strategies by President Putin.
The man is never to be taken seriously. They say a clock tells the right time twice in 24 hours. Tisdall is the exception to the rule…
No provisions for a Switzerland referenda process.
Putin and his team, are trustworthy. Slowly dismantling the powerful Presidency and redistributing power among more stakeholders does have democratic merit. However, the Russian people are always at risk of being shut out by an insensitive elected elite, like what happened in the West.
I used to think the Nordic democracies were the gold standard – until it became very apparent the elected reps were captured against their own people, and no-one could do anything about that.
Swiss elites may spam referendums and try to instigate democracy fatigue, promote fake news, and control the referenda questions, but at the end of the day, the Swiss are still politically aware but more importantly, are empowered to act beyond recycling captured politicians.