President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to greet you here at this regular meeting of the Valdai International Club.
It is true that for over 10 years now this has been a platform to discuss the most pressing issues and consider the directions and prospects for the development of Russia and the whole world. The participants change, of course, but overall, this discussion platform retains its core, so to speak – we have turned into a kind of mutually understanding environment.
We have an open discussion here; this is an open intellectual platform for an exchange of views, assessments and forecasts that are very important for us here in Russia. I would like to thank all the Russian and foreign politicians, experts, public figures and journalists taking part in the work of this club.
This year the discussion focusses on issues of war and peace. This topic has clearly been the concern of humanity throughout its history. Back in ancient times, in antiquity people argued about the nature, the causes of conflicts, about the fair and unfair use of force, of whether wars would always accompany the development of civilisation, broken only by ceasefires, or would the time come when arguments and conflicts are resolved without war.
I’m sure you recalled our great writer Leo Tolstoy here. In his great novel War and Peace, he wrote that war contradicted human reason and human nature, while peace in his opinion was good for people.
True, peace, a peaceful life have always been humanity’s ideal. State figures, philosophers and lawyers have often come up with models for a peaceful interaction between nations. Various coalitions and alliances declared that their goal was to ensure strong, ‘lasting’ peace as they used to say. However, the problem was that they often turned to war as a way to resolve the accumulated contradictions, while war itself served as a means for establishing new post-war hierarchies in the world.
Meanwhile peace, as a state of world politics, has never been stable and did not come of itself. Periods of peace in both European and world history were always been based on securing and maintaining the existing balance of forces. This happened in the 17th century in the times of the so-called Peace of Westphalia, which put an end to the Thirty Years’ War. Then in the 19th century, in the time of the Vienna Congress; and again 70 years ago in Yalta, when the victors over Nazism made the decision to set up the United Nations Organisation and lay down the principles of relations between states.
With the appearance of nuclear weapons, it became clear that there could be no winner in a global conflict. There can be only one end – guaranteed mutual destruction. It so happened that in its attempt to create ever more destructive weapons humanity has made any big war pointless.
Incidentally, the world leaders of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and even 1980s did treat the use of armed force as an exceptional measure. In this sense, they behaved responsibly, weighing all the circumstances and possible consequences.
The end of the Cold War put an end to ideological opposition, but the basis for arguments and geopolitical conflicts remained. All states have always had and will continue to have their own diverse interests, while the course of world history has always been accompanied by competition between nations and their alliances. In my view, this is absolutely natural.
The main thing is to ensure that this competition develops within the framework of fixed political, legal and moral norms and rules. Otherwise, competition and conflicts of interest may lead to acute crises and dramatic outbursts.
We have seen this happen many times in the past. Today, unfortunately, we have again come across similar situations. Attempts to promote a model of unilateral domination, as I have said on numerous occasions, have led to an imbalance in the system of international law and global regulation, which means there is a threat, and political, economic or military competition may get out of control.
What, for instance, could such uncontrolled competition mean for international security? A growing number of regional conflicts, especially in ‘border’ areas, where the interests of major nations or blocs meet. This can also lead to the probable downfall of the system of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (which I also consider to be very dangerous), which, in turn, would result in a new spiral of the arms race.
We have already seen the appearance of the concept of the so-called disarming first strike, including one with the use of high-precision long-range non-nuclear weapons comparable in their effect to nuclear weapons.
The use of the threat of a nuclear missile attack from Iran as an excuse, as we know, has destroyed the fundamental basis of modern international security – the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The United States has unilaterally seceded from the treaty. Incidentally, today we have resolved the Iranian issue and there is no threat from Iran and never has been, just as we said.
The thing that seemed to have led our American partners to build an anti-missile defence system is gone. It would be reasonable to expect work to develop the US anti-missile defence system to come to an end as well. What is actually happening? Nothing of the kind, or actually the opposite – everything continues.
Recently the United States conducted the first test of the anti-missile defence system in Europe. What does this mean? It means we were right when we argued with our American partners. They were simply trying yet again to mislead us and the whole world. To put it plainly, they were lying. It was not about the hypothetical Iranian threat, which never existed. It was about an attempt to destroy the strategic balance, to change the balance of forces in their favour not only to dominate, but to have the opportunity to dictate their will to all: to their geopolitical competition and, I believe, to their allies as well. This is a very dangerous scenario, harmful to all, including, in my opinion, to the United States.
The nuclear deterrent lost its value. Some probably even had the illusion that victory of one party in a world conflict was again possible – without irreversible, unacceptable, as experts say, consequences for the winner, if there ever is one.
In the past 25 years, the threshold for the use of force has gone down noticeably. The anti-war immunity we have acquired after two world wars, which we had on a subconscious, psychological level, has become weaker. The very perception of war has changed: for TV viewers it was becoming and has now become an entertaining media picture, as if nobody dies in combat, as if people do not suffer and cities and entire states are not destroyed.
Unfortunately, military terminology is becoming part of everyday life. Thus, trade and sanctions wars have become today’s global economic reality – this has become a set phrase used by the media. The sanctions, meanwhile, are often used also as an instrument of unfair competition to put pressure on or completely ‘throw’ competition out of the market. As an example, I could take the outright epidemic of fines imposed on companies, including European ones, by the United States. Flimsy pretexts are being used, and all those who dare violate the unilateral American sanctions are severely punished.
You know, this may not be Russia’s business, but this is a discussion club, therefore I will ask: Is that the way one treats allies? No, this is how one treats vassals who dare act as they wish – they are punished for misbehaving.
Last year a fine was imposed on a French bank to a total of almost $9 billion – $8.9 billion, I believe. Toyota paid $1.2 billion, while the German Commerzbank signed an agreement to pay $1.7 billion into the American budget, and so forth.
We also see the development of the process to create non-transparent economic blocs, which is done following practically all the rules of conspiracy. The goal is obvious – to reformat the world economy in a way that would make it possible to extract a greater profit from domination and the spread of economic, trade and technological regulation standards.
The creation of economic blocs by imposing their terms on the strongest players would clearly not make the world safer, but would only create time bombs, conditions for future conflicts.
The World Trade Organisation was once set up. True, the discussion there is not proceeding smoothly, and the Doha round of talks ended in a deadlock, possibly, but we should continue looking for ways out and for compromise, because only compromise can lead to the creation of a long-term system of relations in any sphere, including the economy. Meanwhile, if we dismiss that the concerns of certain countries – participants in economic communication, if we pretend that they can be bypassed, the contradictions will not go away, they will not be resolved, they will remain, which means that one day they will make themselves known.
As you know, our approach is different. While creating the Eurasian Economic Union we tried to develop relations with our partners, including relations within the Chinese Silk Road Economic Belt initiative. We are actively working on the basis of equality in BRICS, APEC and the G20.
The global information space is also shaken by wars today, in a manner of speaking. The ‘only correct’ viewpoint and interpretation of events is aggressively imposed on people, certain facts are either concealed or manipulated. We are all used to labelling and the creation of an enemy image.
The authorities in countries that seemed to have always appealed to such values as freedom of speech and the free dissemination of information – something we have heard about so often in the past – are now trying to prevent the spreading of objective information and any opinion that differs from their own; they declare it hostile propaganda that needs to be combatted, clearly using undemocratic means.
Unfortunately, we hear the words war and conflict ever more frequently when talking about relations between people of different cultures, religions and ethnicity. Today hundreds of thousands of migrants are trying to integrate into a different society without a profession and without any knowledge of the language, traditions and culture of the countries they are moving to. Meanwhile, the residents of those countries – and we should openly speak about this, without trying to polish things up – the residents are irritated by the dominance of strangers, rising crime rate, money spent on refugees from the budgets of their countries.
Many people sympathise with the refugees, of course, and would like to help them. The question is how to do it without infringing on the interests of the residents of the countries where the refugees are moving. Meanwhile, a massive uncontrolled shocking clash of different lifestyles can lead, and already is leading to growing nationalism and intolerance, to the emergence of a permanent conflict in society.
Colleagues, we must be realistic: military power is, of course, and will remain for a long time still an instrument of international politics. Good or bad, this is a fact of life. The question is, will it be used only when all other means have been exhausted? When we have to resist common threats, like, for instance, terrorism, and will it be used in compliance with the known rules laid down in international law. Or will we use force on any pretext, even just to remind the world who is boss here, without giving a thought about the legitimacy of the use of force and its consequences, without solving problems, but only multiplying them.
We see what is happening in the Middle East. For decades, maybe even centuries, inter-ethnic, religious and political conflicts and acute social issues have been accumulating here. In a word, a storm was brewing there, while attempts to forcefully rearrange the region became the match that lead to a real blast, to the destruction of statehood, an outbreak of terrorism and, finally, to growing global risks.
A terrorist organisation, the so-called Islamic State, took huge territories under control. Just think about it: if they occupied Damascus or Baghdad, the terrorist gangs could achieve the status of a practically official power, they would create a stronghold for global expansion. Is anyone considering this? It is time the entire international community realised what we are dealing with – it is, in fact, an enemy of civilisation and world culture that is bringing with it an ideology of hatred and barbarity, trampling upon morals and world religious values, including those of Islam, thereby compromising it.
We do not need wordplay here; we should not break down the terrorists into moderate and immoderate ones. It would be good to know the difference. Probably, in the opinion of certain experts, it is that the so-called moderate militants behead people in limited numbers or in some delicate fashion.
In actual fact, we now see a real mix of terrorist groups. True, at times militants from the Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and other Al-Qaeda heirs and splinters fight each other, but they fight for money, for feeding grounds, this is what they are fighting for. They are not fighting for ideological reasons, while their essence and methods remain the same: terror, murder, turning people into a timid, frightened, obedient mass.
In the past years the situation has been deteriorating, the terrorists’ infrastructure has been growing, along with their numbers, while the weapons provided to the so-called moderate opposition eventually ended up in the hands of terrorist organisations. Moreover, sometimes entire bands would go over to their side, marching in with flying colours, as they say.
Why is it that the efforts of, say, our American partners and their allies in their struggle against the Islamic State has not produced any tangible results? Obviously, this is not about any lack of military equipment or potential. Clearly, the United States has a huge potential, the biggest military potential in the world, only double crossing is never easy. You declare war on terrorists and simultaneously try to use some of them to arrange the figures on the Middle East board in your own interests, as you may think.
It is impossible to combat terrorism in general if some terrorists are used as a battering ram to overthrow the regimes that are not to one’s liking. You cannot get rid of those terrorists, it is only an illusion to think you can get rid of them later, take power away from them or reach some agreement with them. The situation in Libya is the best example here.
Let us hope that the new government will manage to stabilise the situation, though this is not a fact yet. However, we need to assist in this stabilisation.
We understand quite well that the militants fighting in the Middle East represent a threat to everyone, including Russia. People in our nation know what terrorist aggression means and know what the bandits in the North Caucasus have done. We remember the bloody terrorist attacks in Budennovsk, Moscow, Beslan, Volgograd and other Russian cities. Russia has always fought terrorism in all its forms, consistently advocating for truly unifying the global community’s efforts to fight this evil. That is why we made our suggestion to create a broad anti-terror coalition, which I recently voiced in my speech at the United Nations.
After Syria’s official authorities reached out to us for support, we made the decision to launch a Russian military operation in that nation. I will stress again: it is fully legitimate and its only goal is to help restore peace. I am sure that the Russian service members’ actions will have the necessary positive effect on the situation, helping Syria’s official authorities create the conditions for subsequent actions in reaching a political settlement and stage pre-emptive strikes against terrorists that threaten our nation, Russia. Thus, we help all nations and peoples who are certainly in danger if these terrorists return home.
Here is what we believe we must do to support long-term settlement in the region, as well as its social, economic and political revival. First of all, free Syria and Iraq’s territories from terrorists and not let them move their activities to other regions. And to do that, we must join all forces – the Iraqi and Syrian regular armies, Kurdish militia, various opposition groups that have actually made a real contribution to fighting terrorists – and coordinate the actions of countries within and outside of the region against terrorism. At the same time, joint anti-terrorist action must certainly be based on international law.
Second, it is obvious that a military victory over the militants alone will not resolve all problems, but it will create conditions for the main thing: a beginning of a political process with participation by all healthy, patriotic forces of the Syrian society. It is the Syrians who must decide their fate with exclusively civil, respectful assistance from the international community, and not under external pressure through ultimatums, blackmail or threats.
The collapse of Syria’s official authorities, for example, will only mobilise terrorists. Right now, instead of undermining them, we must revive them, strengthening state institutions in the conflict zone.
I want to remind you that throughout its history, the Middle East has often been an arena for clashes between various empires and powers. They redrew boundaries and reshaped the region’s political structure to suit their tastes and interests. And the consequences were not always good or beneficial for the people living there. Actually, no one even asked their opinion. The last people to find out what was happening in their own nations were the people living in the Middle East.
Of course, this begs the question: isn’t it time for the international community to coordinate all its actions with the people who live in these territories? I think that it’s long overdue; these people – like any people – should be treated with respect.
The involvement in the process of political settlement of the Muslim clergy, leaders of Islam and heads of Muslim nations is crucial. We count on their consolidated position and assistance, as well as their moral authority. It is very important to protect people, especially youth, against the destructive effects of the ideology of the terrorists, who are trying to use them as cannon fodder, nothing more. We need to distinguish clearly between genuine Islam, whose values are peace, family, good deeds, helping others, respecting traditions, and the lies and hatred that the militants sow under the guise of Islam.
Fourth, we currently need to develop a roadmap for the region’s economic and social development, to restore basic infrastructure, housing, hospitals and schools. Only this kind of on-site creative work after eliminating terrorism and reaching a political settlement can stop the enormous flow of refugees to European nations and return those who left to their homelands.
It is clear that Syria will need massive financial, economic and humanitarian assistance in order to heal the wounds of war. We need to determine the format within which we could do this work, getting donor nations and international financial institutions involved. Right now, Syria’s problems are being discussed at the UN and other international organisations, and within the framework of interstate relations. It’s true that for now, we are not always able to reach an understanding and it is painfully difficult to abandon might-have-been expectations and unjustified calculations, but nevertheless, there is some progress.
We see that contacts are being gradually established between military departments within the anti-terrorist operation framework, although not as actively and quickly as we might like. Approval of the Russian-American document on safety guidelines for the two countries’ military aircraft flying missions over Syria is a serious step in the right direction.
We are also close to starting an exchange of information with our western colleagues on militants’ positions and movements. All these are certainly steps in the right direction. What’s most important is to treat one another as allies in a common fight, to be honest and open. Only then can we guarantee victory over the terrorists.
For all the drama of its current situation, Syria can become a model for partnership in the name of common interests, resolving problems that affect everyone, and developing an effective risk management system. We already had this opportunity after the end of the Cold War. Unfortunately, we did not take advantage of it. We also had the opportunity in the early 2000s, when Russia, the US and many other nations were faced with terrorist aggression and unfortunately, we were unable to establish a good dynamic for cooperating then, either. I will not return to that and the reasons for why we were unable to do this. I think everyone knows already. Now, what’s important is to draw the right lessons from what happened in the past and to move forward.
I am confident that the experience we acquired and today’s situation will allow us to finally make the right choice – the choice in favour of cooperation, mutual respect and trust, the choice in favour of peace.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Can any other world leader speak like this? Informed, incisive and with some humour, too. The slick spinmeisters of the West are pygmies compared to this man.
This guy is really well educated on manipulative techniques [slow handclap]… It’s kind of funny to hear him accusing the West of impotence and unwillingness to collaborate, considering he’s vetoed almost everything in the UN Security Council because of his personal fondness of world’s dictators.
Another dull “Anonymous” trying to impress by speaking Westish here. If you’ve read one of these utter nobodies, you’ve read them all.
Speaking of utter nobodies: Any news on how the poor miserable chap Catire in Venezuela is doing? Got himself a cheap Chinese motorbike yet? Please tell me he has as my anguish is tormenting me day and night…
Very well said. He is a man of tremendous integrity, from the day one to this day.
Thank you for the translation!
His Excellency is in my view the only Statesman of any consequence in a hundred years,possibly many more.
I watched his speech and it was great to see Sergei Ivanov laughing with delight at the truths V V Putin spoke,he, being head of the Presidential Administration would probably know in advance the content,but hearing it delivered,clearly delighted him.
Putin for President 2016…..USA
Dear the Saker,
Thank you for the full translation.
A very blunt article in RI from a Russian blogger to his Ukranian “brothers”
http://russia-insider.com/en/essay/hey-ukrainian-brothers-you-are-suffering-didnt-we-tell-you-so-russian-blogger/ri10694
That relationship is irreprably damaged. The Russians won’t forget.
Rgds,
Veritas
Veritas, that blog post is absolutely incredible! The excerpt below sums up the Ukro-trash with all but scientific accuracy:
“You’re like parasites, trying to adapt to new conditions. You’re not going to fight. You’re no Donbass, you don’t have the guts. People who dreamt about European goods are now searching for a job in Russia – that barbaric, Asian and underdeveloped tribe of a country. You’re going to nag and nag and nag some more, but you’re not going to do much else.”
Again: The horrible, rotten EU clearly has got the admirers it deserves.
Mankind got its saviour in the twenty-first century in President Putin.
Such clarity of expression, knowledge of historic background, sincerity of purpose has been rare among the world leaders of last 500 years. A true follower of truth and justice.
WTF? Seriously?
He is just a politician for crying out loud. And those are just words.
The guy can’t even protect the children of Donbass and you think he’s some kind of savior?
How ’bout we split the difference between Straight-Bat and Anonymous? Personally, Solzhenitsyn is starting to make sense, stuff that I read in my callow youth, stuff that made me scratch my head, stuff like “the West’s tendency to crumble.”
Your country…. ‘guy’ …..created the mess in Donbass, you know e.g. UK US France,otherwise known as FUKUS.
You go and protect the children of the Donbass just like… Russell ‘Texas’ Bonner Bentley.
and get a name,then get a life.
V V Putin is a Statesman….. your clowns are politicians!
Oh but Crimea gets the protection, right? Oh, and Syria, too. But Donbass can go pound sand. It would interfere with the Russia oligarchs’ business, right?
By the way, it’s interesting that Putin responsible for the Odessa massacre his “partners”. Putin partners with regimes that set a building on fire to kill the people that were inside? He goes as far as giving them massive gas discounts. You guys do not make sense.
As for “your governments did this, you should fix it” argument, it’s never worked because the people have never had power. You’re a genius! When the Russian Orthodox Christians were being slaughtered by the millions by the Bolsheviks, somebody should have told them: “Do something about what your government is doing.”
Fewer and fewer people believe the Kremlin propaganda. I’ve actually also noticed a huge drop in the number of “alternative blogs” that were supporting Russia right after Maidan. Unless this is linked to budgetary constraints, if you get my drift.
Washington trolls do not belong here!
no one does propaganda like US of as*holes
That’s precisely what another poster was saying here the other day: you cannot go against the dogma that Putin is a God (“The Savior” as per some posters) on blogs such as this one without being called a CIA troll.
As though intelligence agencies would waste their time with blogs that are read by a handful of people. They target the big sites.
Here is what passes for dialogue on “The Saker”:
-Putin is a God.
-Porki
-Did you see his body language in that picture?
-Nazi, zionazi, anglonazi, marsiannazi, communonazi… everyone’s a nazi except for our savior Putin, peace be upon his name.
-The gloves have come off (they’ve been coming off for two years apparently).
-Porki
-Ukronazi, franconazi, intergalactivnazi… they are everywhere.
-Porki
-Hey, how come Putin says all those things but never does anything?
-You’re a CIA troll.
just one question. would you follow Obama in battle and die for him?
“… Ukronazi, franconazi, intergalactivnazi…
they are everywhere.”
(sings) ‘Here aNazi
There aNazi
Everywhere anasty Nazi
Ee yikes ee yikes ow!’
But you forgot ‘omniNazi.’
Must Try Harder.;)
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t it a Saul Alinsky type tactic to have one persona express over the top adulation for Putin and then for a “martyr freethinker” to come along, express skepticism and incur abuse. Finally, a wisenheimer comes along, notices a pattern and impugns the whole blog. This was just a thought experiment, I am not saying that this has happened or anything.
Chimmy, thanks for wisenheimer. I haven’t heard that one since 1957 or thereabouts.
@Anon 7:57
Yet you keep reading this site …. ROFL!!!
Try not to get an ulcer from this next sentence:
Compared to the group of lying pathological shallow sold-out perverted pedophilic sexually-ill sociopathic conniving cowardly cruel terrorist-sponsoring imbeciles we have for politicians in the English speaking West and their facist vassal the EU, Putin looks like the brilliant Sun compared to the dark cold gaseous wastelands of Uranus.
Putin is demonstrating that he’s an excellent leader:
His actions speak louder than the duplicitous words of almost every Western politician. He demonstrates patience, courage, straight-talk, common-sense, depth of thinking and relative honesty – the very antithesis of the behavior of Western Politicians. He proposes stabilization, re-construction, preservation and respect of different civilizations (and he very craftly meshes that with Russia’s national strategic objectives: sorry NATO you can kiss any planned cheap pipelines from Qatar and Central Asia to the EU via Syria a bitter goodbye – ROFL). While his Western “partners” propose, double-talk, destruction, Daesh, Death-Squads, diktat and disrespect to anyone that doesn’t parrot their line and tries to maintain their own sovereignty (while these bungling Western autocratic politicians trash their countries long term interests in the process).
We can’t get into the Putin’s heart, but based on his actions, so far he Shines. he must be laughing his head off everytime he thinks about just how dumb his western ‘partners’ are.
“The power corrupts and the absolute power corrupts absolutelly.”
It is no about Putin he has not absolute power even in Russia, believe me. It is about US, they had two decades of absolute power in the world. And this is what destroyed them. The dumbs got all the important power position in this country and forse European coutry to set even worse dumbs on their key possition. That is the result. Putin versus dumbs. It is enough to be rational, all the work will do the dumbs on behalf of him.
See at je migration crisis. It is enough.
Suggest all “Anonymous” post their comments using an unique handle. Comments in three entries all by “Anonymous” (are they one or many persons ?):
Anonymous on October 23, 2015 · at 5:12 pm UTC >
“The guy can’t even protect the children of Donbass…”
Anonymous on October 23, 2015 · at 7:07 pm UTC >
“Oh but Crimea gets the protection, right? Oh, and Syria, too. But Donbass can go pound sand. It would interfere with the Russia oligarchs’ business, right? …”
Anonymous on October 23, 2015 · at 7:57 pm UTC >
“That’s precisely what another poster was saying here the other day: you cannot go against the dogma that Putin is a God (“The Savior” as per some posters) on blogs such as this one without being called a CIA troll. …”
My response:
(1) Intervention in Crimea and Syria has been possible because of legal conformities in both cases: even if there have been hue and cry from AngloZionist clique, there were existing ‘loopholes’ which were used by Russian government.
Donbass was integral part of independent Ukraine, hence it is NOT possible for Russia to send troops. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE is what should be done – Russian government is doing that since beginning without which DPR & LPR COULD NOT HAVE COME INTO BEING !
Wait with patience – Donbas might decide to hold a referendum to join Russia. Then it will be similar to Crimea by 2017. Now, everyone should work towards providing assistance to the suffering Donbass peoples.
(2) Putin is UNDOUBTEDLY one of the dozens of Statesman the world has seen in last 500 years. I need not write anything else other than reminding you about the OVERALL SITUATION IN RUSSIA IN 2000 WAS INFINITELY WORSE THAN WHAT WE SEE NOW IN 2015.
(3) One must understand the nomenclatures like Nazi, Fascist, AngloZionists, AngloZioNazi etc. with correct historical and social background. The words are used in this “The Saker” website quite appropriately.
(4) CIA (and M16, Mossad) are all instruments of AngloZionist plutocrats and oligarchs. They operate global media business with MSM names like BBC, Economist, Guardian, New York Times, Fox News etc. Even with thousands of press/media persons/reporters running the show, the AngloZionist elites are not taking any chance – to make sure that the wider population follows their lies and manipulations, AngloZionist elites deploy tens of thousands of trolls to spread lies, sow confusion through dis-information campaign in all MSM and Alternate media (including this site). An open logical fact-based discussion does not make someone a troll – but repeated comments without logic and fact are DEFINITELY TROLL COMMENTS.
Fewer and fewer believe the Western propaganda, sweetheart. As regards the Kremlin, it has always been very restrained in the PR field. I understand full well that this has got to be quite unnerving for Western propaganda addicts. Russia is not boasting, lying, and spinning — yet she turns out to be winning hearts, minds, and military battles.
Nussiminen, I believe the salient feature of Western political and MSM propaganda today is not its 100% or near total uniformity, or its utter contempt for the intelligence, knowledge and memory of the patsies, or its near total implausibility. None of that is new, although the disappearance of even the pretense of ‘Left liberal’ mild dissent (eg The Guardian turning neo-conservative)in recent years means that the previously ‘authoritarian’ Western MSM can only really be described today as totalitarian. No, the real difference in recent times must surely be the hysteria of the lying, the shrill invective and the all-too plain terror of the apparatchiki. They really not only cannot conceive of a world that does not obey orders instantly and unquestioningly, but the prospect of not being ‘Number One’ and ‘Calling the Shots’, even as an eighth-grade propaganda Epsilon, plainly fills them with terror. I heard yet another on the BBC last night, in a program about the Arctic. She, and the female of the species is as dreadful as the male, started spewing some venom about Putin claiming ownership of all areas with Russian inhabitants, and quoted Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine as examples of this expansionism. Not only do they regurgitate the craziest lies, safe in the knowledge that every MSM droog will repeat them and NEVER dare utter words like, ‘Well, Georgia did attack South Ossetia first’, but she sounded quite unhinged. I’m rather afraid that the Western elites are facing their eclipse very badly, indeed. Bad news for us all.
Putin is telling true, because it is the best what he can do. Western propaganda is wrapped in her lies.
Anonymous
It’s you who do not make sense. Your post was horribly written, could be English is not your first language but even so it would not explain your disjointed incoherence which is probably charged with the emotion associated with defending a mental position.
Mr Putin is more than a politician, he is a genuine leader. One could say he is a visionary only his vision of our world in the future has more appeal to me than the vision of the Cheneys and Rummsfelds of this world. Putin’s vision seems to be one of fairness and reason, of peaceful coexistence. Some would call this naive, Americans certainly would as they view themselves as world masters but they are the new kids on the block with no clue of history, cultural ties, cultural traits, distinguishing characteristics that make us all, individually and collectively unique. And this is a part of Putin’s vision, accepting and celebrating the differences, in other words, allowing everyone to just be, in essence, living a real live Christian and Islamic life.
If you’d like to step aside, ofcourse you’re more than welcome to join us, we’ll get on with the revolution. Of which Mr Putin is most assuredly, a part.
Why Putin is not using Russian Army in Ukraine to save Donbas? Because he is stateman not silly maniac like American politics – marrionettes.
Do you know the history of Amies invasions during the last 15 years? Fast victory at the beginning, loosing the position then. It is not enough to beat enemy army, you need more to make the result stabil. Putin in different of Amy idiots on the top positions knows it. And he need not to win Ukraine and after it take all responsibility for the crimes of Kiev chunta. West part of Ukraine is dumped with propaganda and they need time to understand the destiny mistake and tu understand, who rules with it. And Putin is full patiency … the time is working for him.
That is the difference between a stateman (Gosudar in Russia) and donkies in US department. And they even do not understand it yet. :-)
Knowledge – this is the real power.
Putin makes it clear that the terrorists are being used to further western interests. Meanwhile, the west(the USA, at least) is greasing their public to accept formally arch nemesis al Qaida as “freedom fighters” bringing democracy to the despot ruled east. When the pindostani “killed off” bin laden, I wrote at the time that I suspected the zionazis/nazis were planning to revive their overt use of this proxy force and needed bin laden, and all the negative propaganda connected with him, to disappear so the duped sheep wouldn’t be scratching their heads wondering how the ultimate evil became a friend fighting the new ultimate evil.
al Qaeda/al Nusra are now simply the opposition in Syria in MSM…..
Will Russia snatch the Syrian Rebels from the zionazi/nazi oligarchy?
Russia Mediation in Syria Could Unite Opposition, Army Against ISIL
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151023/1029026270/russian-mediation-syrian-opposition.html#ixzz3pQ76J0Nz
That would be some diplomatic coup on the zio nasties. If the rebels switch over, and God’s chosen and their pet pindo exceptionals continue supplying arms and support for their proxies, it will make it beyond obvious that Israel-America is behind the terrorist forces. The ZPC/NWO is being spectacularly outclassed by Russia & Friends on every level. This is very heartening to observe as it unfolds.
here’s what I do and I don’t understand:
All the “Nazi” hatred seems to me misplaced.
Nazis were not part of the Anglo-zionist orb, they were victims of it — yes, victims, and Stalinist Russians were used like Borgia used Orca to brutalize Romagna into submission.
More and more of us dumb westerners are awakening to the fraud of the holocaust, and also to the war crimes Allied leaders committed.
Today’s Germans as b*&ch-slapped into poodle-status; any German who speaks up for his own nation is automatically labelled a neoNazi.
It’s time for the USA to de-program its brainwashed self and recognize that Charles Lindbergh was right: it was FDR & his Anglo cronies; Churchill, and the Jews that wanted WWII. It was not Hitler.
FDR and Churchill wanted Bolshevism destroyed just as much as Hitler did — Woodrow Wilson tried & failed to crush Bolsheviks in the last days of WWI.
Yeah, I get it that a lot of Russians were killed by German soldiers.
A lot of Germans were killed by Russians.
Putin has said he wants to revitalize that Russian culture that was not Communist/Stalinist.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to partner with Germany (sans Merkel) rather than continually browbeat that totally brainwashed polity?
I know it’s essential that the people of the USA put their brains in a bleach-bath and come to an understanding of the evil that is zionism, that permeates their culture, media, politics, and economy. It’s not helpful to do that difficult job when “Nazi” and “Hitler” are persistently used, to the masturbatory delight of zionist, as the emblem of all that is evil.
If there had never been a “Holocaust” at all,(the deed was true,the numbers are what are manipulated) the nazis would still have been despised as some of the World’s worst mass murderers of history.Leaving out the Jews entirely,they killed around 24 million (yes that’s million) Soviet citizens during the war.They murdered almost 3 million Polish Christian citizens.And they and their puppets killed almost 1.5 million Yugoslav Christians,as well as 500 thousand Greek Christians.And hundreds of thousands of other Christians in other countries (including thousands in Germany itself).Regardless of what the zionists and their supporters want the World to believe, the holocaust was only a part of the nazi reign of terror.And not the largest part.My hatred of nazism isn’t based on their murders of Jews alone.They destroyed Europe by their insanity (including Germany).And led directly to the unipolar World we suffer with today.So no,there can never be a place for nazism to be considered a good.With or without zionists pushing it,they will always be some of history’s bad boys,except for fellow nazis.
Thanks. It is heartening to hear such a high level of discourse and understanding occurring as an official policy and being disseminated worldwide. In short, good leadership.
In the background is its opposite which is being more and more openly identified. Putin wisely does not turn this into a name-calling quagmire but leaves room for the “double-crossers” to change and cooperate.
I almost despair of any real solution being possible whether I look outside at the world or inside myself. Sure, there are encouraging signs but evil is so ingrained and inaccessible to conscious correction en masse that I grasp at any straws blown my way.
My life has been largely reduced to sitting at this computer mostly reading at this site with its links, having problematic dreams at night, struggling with my own ideological interpretations and getting out in nature like walking and watering the trees.
I can do this now because I’m retired with an income. It would have been impossible while working and raising a family even if I did know then what I know now.
“Something is going on and you don’t know what it is, do you Mr. Jones?” Or Mr. Leary.
So why bother? “To be or not to be?”
I just watched a marvelous interview of Brandon Bryant, a former drone operator of the US, through a link given by a commenter here. The story of Everyman who still has a conscience. The journey of a soul. Maybe that’s what it comes down to. I just do what I can whether I’m a Putin or a pygmy caught in who knows what.
“Your days are numbered, so are mine. Time is pilin’ up, we struggle and we scrape, all boxed in, nowhere to escape.”
That’s what I feel and what my dreams reveal. Still, Putin the individual and Russia the nation give me hope. Said to be at the bottom of Pandora’s box; Pandora means all gifts so hope is not an evil thing.
But I ramble. Better than to rant.
At the risk of over-dependency, I think of Irene Caesar the Russian philosopher. There are things afoot that may surprise the most hardened skeptic and seasoned despondent. I’ll breathe that in and out and hope for the best.
Thanks for providing this space to rest “on the rising curve where the ways of nature will test every nerve.”
Thanks too to dear President Putin. The saints preserve him.
“My life has been largely reduced to sitting at this computer mostly reading at this site with its links, having problematic dreams at night, struggling with my own ideological interpretations and getting out in nature like walking and watering the trees”.
I feel like I am witnessing a train crash of monolithic proportions slowly unfolding before my eyes and there is nothing I can do to either stop it or get out of its way. What makes it far worse is that a goodly proportion of my fellow travellers are totally oblivious to the tragedy approaching.
“I can do this now because I’m retired with an income. It would have been impossible while working and raising a family even if I did know then what I know now”.
I really love that film with Keanu Reeves, the Matrix. There is an awful lot of truth hidden within that movie. We are all hooked up to the matrix so to speak. Like you rightly pointed out you are at liberty to do this now because you are retired with an income. For Joe Q Public for the majority of people its a daily struggle for survival and to make ends meet.
For the majority of people the overwhelming worry is how to meet that big looming repair bill, how to come up with the next instalment of the rent or mortgage, how to pay the gas or electric bill at the end of the month, how to pay for little Johnys next birthday, etc. Its not called the rat race for nothing I guess. I read today that 51% of Americans earn less than $30,000 a year and that 38 % of Americans earned less than $20,000 last year.
Yep they have got us hooked up to the matrix alright. When you are worrying were your next meal is going to come from you really couldn’t give a flying f**k what your so called “elected representatives” are getting up to in your name and with your tax dollars. I used America as an example here but the same scenario is being replayed across the western industrialized world.
Unfortunately you are also right in saying the evil is too ingrained. Mankind is due for a reboot.
slightly off topic, but you do realize that The Matrix is only a reboot of the Genesis archetype. Think about it: to live in a seeming-paradise where everything is taken care of for you, but you don’t have free will or knowledge. To then have a choice to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge (red pill!) and afterward to be cast out, etc etc. Same with The Truman Show, Logan’s Run etc. There is reason these stories all resonate with us.
“I just watched a marvelous interview of Brandon Bryant, a former drone operator of the US, through a link given by a commenter here.”
Here is the link again > >
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8hI1cbP7_M
A very touching interview, indeed.
thank you so much Zweistein for this link…its a wonderful video..I sent it to my friends too….Carmel…watch this video..and everyone…so good..long,…
Looks like Russia has convinced Jordan to swap sides and apparently the southern front in Syria is now frozen. If correct this will free up a lot of Syrian forces.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/23/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-jordan-idUSKCN0SH1ER20151023
Russia and Jordan have agreed to coordinate their military actions on Syria by setting up a “special working mechanism” in the Jordanian capital Amman, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
Also This article ??
https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/what-putin-and-assad-discussed-during-their-meeting-in-moscow/
“Mr. Putin is aware of every detail of the situation in Syria and the strength and the equipment provided to the Syrian rebels. He explained that Russia has used intercontinental cruise missiles to show to all players with proxies fighting on the ground in Syria its determination to target any regional country providing extremists with anti-air missiles (MANPADs) that can damage or shoot down any Russian jet.
An excellent speech.
Now – how to get those who are not total power-crazed psychopaths on board?
They’ve been drinking the imperialist Kool-Aid so long…
President Vladimir Putin presents an old, but very competent Paradigm of Resistance to world imperialism.
And when the Russian Nation is putting up the best fight since Stalingrad, this fact as well as its significance is lost on the Left. There is a reason for this.
Karl Marx’s key move was to split the First International in 2, by breaking off the Anarchist half. This split weakened the left, and assured the control of the elite Craft Union movement and the intellectuals and Liberal media by the Marxists. This split also blocked the revolutionary workers and oppressed from revolutionary access to power, by placing a privileged layer of servile middle class wannabies (house slaves) between (as a buffer) -The Great Underclasses- and the rising Industrial and Banker Oligarchs.
A slight Lenin digression:
Lenin, who in his analysis of imperialism, predicted the domination of finance capital over that of industrial power, opposed the official Socialist – Marxist establishment (he saw through them, opposed their counter insurgent world government goals), and was assassinated by one of their agents.
Lenin’s last goal was a desperate effort to strengthen Russia, which had been weakened by a combination of WW I, and a Civil War that had been fueled by the invasion of 13 imperialist nations. The Civil War alone killed 4 million Russians. Lenin’s New Economic Plan-NEP was an attempt to stabilize Russia’s economy, and was quite successful. It laid the foundation for Russia’s later industrialization.
Back to the main story:
Today, the last to understand the role of Marx and his agents, are the living remnants (mostly patients of the remaining homes for fading Marxists) of a Jewish Oligarch attempt to conquer (and order) the world under the philosophical aegis (cover) of Marxism. I do not include the pragmatic Lenin, or Mao Tse Tung, who added some late nuances to the Leftist political mix, some of which were more Russian or Chinese Nationalist than Marxist.
Half a century later, these same Marxists, such as Marx’s successor, Kautsky, supported the First imperialist World War. Their stated excuse was the necessity of opposing the Russian State, while supporting the German States, and later, the French, British, and American states. The Jewish Marxist socialists have continued opposing Russia- (above all Russia), China, Algeria, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and all other oppressed nations, until the present day. In the political center of Europe, Zionist Imperialist President Hollande of France is a flaming Socialist, as is Zionist Imperialist Senator Sanders of the USA.
Socialists, are, as ever, furious enemies of Russia, and famous servants of America and Tel Aviv’s Wall Street. It has ever been. Nothing has changed. It will always be. The why has just been explained. The Marx scam must be dropped. An old or new Vision may be chosen. The Yellow Brick Road is just ahead.
Did Karl Marx get it all wrong? Morally, economically, by every other measure, the answer is a resounding yes. He proved perfect in every negative. He supported social justice you say? Sure we answer, his social justice was based on imperialist robbery of the underdeveloped nations of the Third World. Within America, the Marxist Lemonist Occupy are against Wall Street (so they say), but they stand for nothing. Excuse, they are for gay marriage and anal sex. They are also for the police taking guns away from the people. But who will take the guns away from the police?
The Occupy Dem Socialists are visionless, just like the other Marxists (Reds); they are as blind as bats (without radar).
But the VISION is here.
It is within Irina, and Givi, Ron Paul, McKinney, Dieudonné, Soral, and the rest of us.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expressing the best Vision since Leo Tolstoy (who he referred to in his Speech at the Valdai Club).
*Conversely, many individuals arriving at the struggle by way of the political Right, do see and appreciate what is happening. Ron and Rand Paul, Marine Le Pen, Louis Laurent, and millions more are opposing imperialism and finding their way to supporting a Paradigm of:
Sons and Daughters of Liberty defending Democratic Republics!
IMAGINE
Peter, this submission of yours is truly epic — you’re writing right after my own heart. Excerpts and comments as per below.
“And when the Russian Nation is putting up the best fight since Stalingrad, this fact as well as its significance is lost on the Left.”
Absolutely correct — provided we’re talking about the vile, worthless, totally rotten, and reactionary Western Left. Indeed, those parts of it that actually do realise the monumental impact of Russia’s current achievements are nearly unanimously hostile.
“The Jewish Marxist socialists have continued opposing Russia — (above all Russia), China, Algeria, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and all other oppressed nations, until the present day. In the political center of Europe, Zionist Imperialist President Hollande of France is a flaming Socialist, as is Zionist Imperialist Senator Sanders of the USA.”
Yes, and this just proves what a complete, utter hoax the alleged “Left/Right” divide within the imperialist camp really is. That silly political terminology was coined during the French Revolution — an extremely important historical event according to prevalent Eurocentric dogma. But the slave uprisings which were raging at the same time in the French Carribean targeting French colonial rule there outright had zero repercussions in ‘revolutionary’ France and vice versa.
Moreover, if we look at presentday Europe, triumphant neoliberalism has finished off any silly pretenses of socialism (In the US, it was never to be reckoned with anyway). It really serves the chauvinistic petty bourgeoisie damn right that their consent doesn’t matter much anymore. After all, they did embrace their Masters’ retarded, neoliberal garbage when given the choice.
“Socialists are, as ever, furious enemies of Russia, and famous servants of America and Tel Aviv’s Wall Street. It has ever been. Nothing has changed. It will always be. The why has just been explained. The Marx scam must be dropped. An old or new Vision may be chosen.”
Furious enemies of Russia indeed, and with “good” reason one might add. Russia proved their delusional, intellectual Western arrogance and snobbery as being little more than totally disposable trash by liberating herself twice from her genocidal Western foes. Marxism, just like Liberalism, is a foreign import to Russia. Today, they are one and the same as far as Russia is concerned; united in their efforts to destroy the Russian Nation and the Russian State by staging gay parades and colour revolutions. The Western Left knows which side the bread is buttered on. Imperialist defeat means the Bourgeois Bohèmes will be facing utter destitution.
“He /Marx/ supported social justice you say? Sure we answer, his social justice was based on imperialist robbery of the underdeveloped nations of the Third World.”
Yes. Ultimately, Marx and Engels were Western supremacists. While it is true that they were frankly disgusted and pissed off by the grovelling British working class movement enjoying the crumbs of Britain’s colonial plunder, rape, and mass murder abroad, this was for quite the same reasons which instilled hatred of revolutionary Russia in their Euro-chauvinist disciples later on. To wit: the imperialist bribery rendered Marxism 100% irrelevant, impotent, and scorned where it was supposed — totally wrongly — to be most vibrant: Industrial Great Britain (and, more generally, the West).
“Russian President Vladimir Putin is expressing the best Vision since Leo Tolstoy (who he referred to in his Speech at the Valdai Club).”
Agreed.
Can you please include at least a one line comment referring to your link please. Posting a link for no apparent reason doesn’t exactly contribute to a flow of discussion. Thanks PS
http://henrymakow.com/2015/04/Karl-Marx-Was-Rothschilds-Third-Cousin%20.html
Here’s the link to speech transcript (still incomplete), http://valdaiclub.com/opinion/highlights/vladimir-putin-meets-with-members-of-the-valdai-discussion-club-transcript-of-the-final-plenary-sess
Many other talks occurred–it’s a discussion club after all–that many will find fascinating. Here’s the link to the club’s homepage, http://valdaiclub.com/valdai2015/
Most important aspect for me is Russia’s philosophy regarding interaction with others–cooperation, not competition, to improve the lot of all–the supposed goal of the Abrahamic religions. From a moral standpoint, Russia and Putin have the high ground and are asking others to join them there–the antithesis of the Outlaw Empire’s Vision 2020 quest for Full Spectrum Domination.
The only world leader who speaks about the problem of social cohesion in societies beset with massive waves of immigration: to quote below:
Unfortunately, we hear the words war and conflict ever more frequently when talking about relations between people of different cultures, religions and ethnicity. Today hundreds of thousands of migrants are trying to integrate into a different society without a profession and without any knowledge of the language, traditions and culture of the countries they are moving to. Meanwhile, the residents of those countries – and we should openly speak about this, without trying to polish things up – the residents are irritated by the dominance of strangers, rising crime rate, money spent on refugees from the budgets of their countries.
Many people sympathise with the refugees, of course, and would like to help them. The question is how to do it without infringing on the interests of the residents of the countries where the refugees are moving. Meanwhile, a massive uncontrolled shocking clash of different lifestyles can lead, and already is leading to growing nationalism and intolerance, to the emergence of a permanent conflict in society.
Very interesting and important nugget you extracted there teranam. What caught my eye was the following:
the residents are irritated by the dominance of strangers
Who do you think he’s referring to here? Which strangers are dominating western residents? Wow!
There’s also a lot of interesting content in his replies during the discussion after the speech.
As we examine President Putin’s words, actions and deeds as world leader, President of Russia, commander of a world class military, please think of Minsk 2.
This masterpiece of diplomacy, regional strategy and geopolitical creativity is explained by a writer and critic of Putin and Russia in today’s Sputnik.
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151023/1029027630/ukraine-russia-donbass-peace.html
His analysis is ten months after the accord took place. The writer describes in words I have used whenever I wrote about Minsk 2 here and elsewhere It is a noose, a trap, a snare from which Kiev cannot escape.
Joaquin Flores nailed this within hours on FortRuss with his analysis. He was the first to declare and explain its brilliance.
Nothing has changed. Everyone opposed to Minsk 2 and many who doubted it never understood the genius of Putin to dictate to Poroshenko through Merkel and Hollande these terms and its schedule .
So, realize that Putin works in many forms and manner, implements diverse processes and prevails under challenges and over obstacles of all sorts. But he is head and shoulders a brilliant leader without peer.
Read the article and contemplate how truly genius Minsk 2 is.
Meanwhile, keep your eyes on Lavrov. He’s in Vienna working the enemy in bunches.
We already heard of Jordan joining in directly with Russia. The American coalition is falling. No one wants to be holding the banner of the geopolitical loser. Especially, when the hordes of liver-eaters are destined to come your way sooner than later. (Beware Saudis and Qatar. the 6th Fleet left town. You may be on your own soon.)
Just as I was thinking how his speech is truly remarkable, I realized that his answers to subsequent questions are of an even higher value, because they tell how unique this man really is and assure that one can not imagine another more fit for his role at this juncture of history.
I do especially recommend you take note of his answering a question about innate differences between Russia and USA/West, not just the substance of the answer but also the way he takes care in formulating it (from 4:13:27 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n5WJ5IQ-xo).
He is indeed worthy of a historian likeThucydides and pedagogical portrait artist like Plutarch.
Putin is a real political leader, Obama is only a british puppet, a crazy nazi destroing the world
Massimo, when I think of Jews like Einstein, Benjamin, Spinoza, Chomsky, Oistrakh and Arendt, and Americans like Twain, Melville, Franklin, Steinbeck, and Nader, and then contemplate the ruling elites today in Israel and the USA, I cannot but wonder-what went so completely and utterly wrong?
Powerful photo of the man…left eye looks its listening – Right eye is right there.
In black…nice…..
What a great man. Thank God that he’s on earth right now. And his people. And Bashar Assad too. And thank God that they are teamed up..the planet is in their hands and he knows it.
So perhaps the meeting in Moscow was about money…Syria needs massive amounts of help to build up infrastructure…
And that’s why Assad is so happy.
Here’s the speech in English with Q&A part which is no less interesting than the speech itself.
http://valdaiclub.com/opinion/highlights/vladimir-putin-meets-with-members-of-the-valdai-discussion-club-transcript-of-the-final-plenary-sess
Why do you think that the transcript of the Q & A, from 253: 11, is missing? Is the response of Vladimir Putin too passionate, too spiritual, to support ultimately a sovereign realist position ? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4n5WJ5IQ-xo
Personally, I think that Orthodox faith and eschatology fit perfectly into the framework of Realism in International Relations. Faith supports the ideal quest of Good and the nuclear MAD enters escatology and the last battle against Evil; criticism of the Western hegemonic system being not unfounded.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/50548
http://valdaiclub.com/opinion/highlights/vladimir-putin-meets-with-members-of-the-valdai-discussion-club-transcript-of-the-final-plenary-sess/?print=y
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mo22Fp9AKfQ
Mes amitiés à tous les Russes fiers de leur patrie.
The Russians are proving that the English language is deficient in the modern world.
This is a crucial matter because the beginning is the word.
Given his decisions, Putin knows this but he still trusts English too much. He consequently makes a mistake here and says “—– we must be realistic: military power is, of course, and will remain for a long time still, an instrument of international politics.”
He is wrong.
There is no such thing as military power.
There is only military force.
Power has nothing to do with the military.
The mobilization of the military is an act of desperation that inevitably results in nothing but mourning. To claim victory is a lie to justify slaughter. This is undeniable.
Pertinent to this discussion is that the class act fool US President GW Bush proclaiming ‘Mission Accomplished”.
This exposes the simple truth that all “Democratic Americans”, must take responsibility for the past present and future actions of their leaders.
Shame!
This is the only way they will retain their full humanity. If they cannot do this they are a lesser human identity.
Powerful, simple speech. Kudoes.