Dear friends,
I am exhausted. Badly. Had to spend many hours on the road this week-end so here is my schedule:
Today I will, insha’allah, answer the most (all?) the emails I have to answer. Then I will write a bunch of emails to try to get a few apparently stuck “balls” rolling again.
Tomorrow I should be back with an analysis of what happened in Novorussia.
Thanks a lot for all the positive feedback about the podcast. Vox populi: I will try to make a podcast every two weeks. I will post in invitation to questions a week before which will give you enough time to send them in. I will also post “show notes” with references to the people/events/sources/etc. I mention.
One more thing: Google drive is useless. Mediafire and 4Shared saved my bacon apparently. If any of you had a SSH2/SFTP server with a high bandwidth to host my podcasts I would be very grateful. Either that, or advice on where I can post them.
Okay, I need to work on them email now. See you all tomorrow :-)
Cheers and thanks,
The Saker
PS: grab this one for yet another open thread!
UPDATE: Thanks to Martin, the podcast is now available for download at this URL:
http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/The%20Saker%20Podcast%20No1.mp3 (thanks Martin!!)
[from Blue]
I know next to nothing about it, but I did manage to download Linux Mint the other day via Utorrent — a bit-torrent client — which seemed to work well.
If the podcasts put too much strain on servers maybe this would be solution — any torrent experts know about this, if it would be suitable, and how to set up a torrent for them (‘them’ — assuming there will be many more podcasts).
I also wonder with the fascists trying to shut down the free web if people (and anti-fascist nations) don’t need to pay more attention to distributed peer-to-peer communication and other ways to bypass the restrictions they want to put on the internet.
_Blue
Hey Saker,
it was interesting to hear your voice and to listen to your analysis, thoughts and estimations. Don’t worry about the quality – it was brilliant on all levels.
I’m glad to host your podcast as downloadable file on http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/
The site is hosted in the US on AWS, but I’m here in Soviet (sorry about that …) East-Berlin.
As you can read under http://www.opensxce.org I stopped the OpenSXCE project due to lack of support (most Solaris users come from AngloZionist USA). So don’t be surprised, if the one from the US who had paid this AWS server for me suddenly shuts everything down. However – until then you find your podcast under
http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/The%20Saker%20Podcast%20No1.mp3
I upload the file within the next 5 minutes.
BTW: The odd chars represent the spaces. Maybe you could choose file names with underscores instead of spaces for the next time? However – I don’t want to change the file name that you chose.
%martin
NAF morale is high.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww7aUyl6TJ0
Hey Saker,
it was interesting to hear your voice and to listen to your analysis, thoughts and estimations. Don’t worry about the quality – it was brilliant on all levels.
I’m glad to host your podcast as downloadable file on http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/
The site is hosted in the US on AWS, but I’m here in Soviet (sorry about that …) East-Berlin.
As you can read under http://www.opensxce.org I stopped the OpenSXCE project due to lack of support (most Solaris users come from AngloZionist USA). So don’t be surprised, if the one from the US who had paid this AWS server for me suddenly shuts everything down. However – until then you find your podcast under
http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/The%20Saker%20Podcast%20No1.mp3
I upload the file within the next 5 minutes.
BTW: The odd chars represent the spaces. Maybe you could choose file names with underscores instead of spaces for the next time? However – I don’t want to change the file name that you chose.
%martin
Joint statement of the DPR and LPR: Kiev will have to defer to the judgment of Donbass people
Novorossia News Agency
4 November
“Kiev will have to defer to the judgment of Donbass people, whether he likes it or not. And no political or legal tricks will work here”, the document states…
In spite of the arts and wiles of Kiev, the elections took place and were a success”, state the representatives of the DPR and LPR. “Our people have endowed themselves with a special status”, says the document. No legal acts of Ukraine, adopted without the ratification by the elected authorities of the DPR and LPR, according to the statement, will not be in force in the territories of the Republics.
“The elections were held in accordance with the Minsk agreements in the terms and order agreed upon the representatives of the Republics, Russia and Ukraine”, says the document…
…Kiev distorted the agreed upon version of the law on the specific status of Donbass…
“If this law had deliberately avoided defining the exact area, to which it applies, then it has never been enacted. In fact, it is legally null, it has to be completed or revoked as the senseless act, the task of which is to mislead the global community”…
The DPR and the LPR are ready to supply coal to Ukrainian regions for the normal progress of the heating season. They need the cooperation of Kiev…
ALSO, TODAY, FROM NOVOROSSIA NEWS AGENCY:
The member of European Parliament: World Community has to recognize the DPR
Russia allocated approximately 1,5 billion rubles to medical aid for the refugees from Ukraine
The sixth humanitarian convoy for Novorossiya has already been prepared
Saker i could not for some reason hear your podcast. I will attempt another listen tonight when I return home.
But I eagerly look forward to your take on the Ukrainian elections, which are largely being reported as “a slap in the face” to Putin and Russia.
Farflungstar
Zio Occupied AmeriKa
The horror!
i just read saker’s intro to this thread & he’s thanking a “Martin”, which name is in the article here.
I had forgotten the trivia that this Adam Kokesh was an RT CONtributor.
2 planted disifo snakes outed in 1 article.
http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/lets-end-this-debate-right-now-abby-martin-and-breaking-the-set-are-nothing-more-than-neo-liberal-propaganda/
Abby Martin is a careerist who has sold out to the “3rd Way” neo-liberal centrist establishment and it shows over and over again in her pathetic efforts to gin up support for whatever agenda the globalists have on the menu in their desperate quest of establishing a New World Order.
from rt
16:50
Kiev to send more troops to militia-backed eastern Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko ordered to send new troops to protect cities in the east and southeast from a possible attack by local militia forces, Interfax news agency reported. “Several new [military] units and groups have been formed which will allow immediately for a possible offensive on Mariupol, Berdyansk, Kharkiv and northern Luhansk,” Poroshenko said at a meeting of the national security and defence council Tuesday. The move follows elections in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics on Sunday, which Kiev did not recognize as legitimate.
@anonymous: He just meant a friendly server owner named ‘Martin’, haha
You’re not at the right address for ‘new world order’ nonsense.
You could see if The Jupiter Broadcasting guys are interested in hosting your podcast, they might be able to help you out with production aswell.
http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com
On first hearing your voice, I thought it was Benjamin Netanyahu! :-)
Can anyone confirm the rumours that Igor Bezler has (permanently) left Gorlovka? Alternatively, that he has been forced out – by whom, and why? That Russian soldiers were involved?
Anyone see this?
ST. GEORGE, UT — A Halloween-themed private event was targeted by police when there was a suspicion of dancing without a permit.
It happened at the 2014 “Monster Mash” dance party, the third annual event of its kind. It was put on by the event promotion company, Heart of Dixie, and held at the Fiesta Fun Center in St. George, Utah (population 75,000).
Over 400 guests were enjoying the festivities at the October 31st event, participating in all-night enjoyment of bumper boats, go-karts, mini golf, and music.
After 9:30 p.m., St. George police arrived in force to investigate a case of unpermitted dancing. Around 5-6 officers challenged the organizers of the event as not having obtained a proper permit to host the dancing. The venue owner, event promoter, and security coordinator each presented their respective permits, which had been previously approved and issued by the city.
“I told them, ‘Well, I actually have a permit that was issued by the city this morning that has ‘dance’ and ‘fun’ checked on it, and a big stamp of approval on it,’” Heart of Dixie promoter Jared Keddington said.
Police found the city-issued permits to be insufficient, and forced the organizers to announce over the loudspeaker that absolutely no dancing could be tolerated for the remainder of the night, as per the orders of police.
The city issued a permit. We applied for a special event permit for a “dance”. It was issued. Then when they had no way to shut it down they produced additional pages to the permit that we were not given on which they had hand written that the dance was not allowed. Not to mention we were on private property,
The ruined Halloween party serves as a glaring example of the outrageous nature of requiring permits for private affairs held on private property. When citizens are forced to ask the government for permission to run a business, to freely associate with other individuals, or to dance on private property, there is no limit to the number of comical injustices that can take place.
Dear Saker, Thanks for your podcast, which I enjoyed and look forward to further. Feedback, I found it a bit rambling, perhaps in the style of RDwoolf
http://www.rdwolff.com/
would work for you.
The cheque is in the mail!
http://nsnbc.me/2014/11/03/ukraines-national-bank-vows-settle-first-part-gas-debt-russia/
The National bank director added that she has no doubt that the payment will be made according to Ukrainian – Russian agreements within days.
On October 30, the European Union mediated an interim agreement on the payment of Ukraine’s gas bills to Russia. EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Öttinger reported that the agreement is worth some $4.6 billion, adding that the settlement also secures Europe’s energy security for the coming winter.
Google drive is simply storage and works just fine.
Put your podcasts on youtube. Why fool around?
Cords and Cauldrons
How the little guys beat the big guys
(NOTE: This piece is the last of a short series. The others are Where the Rebels Find Their Weaponry and The Rebels’ Secret Weapons. In the three I attempt to explain how the rebels in eastern Ukraine could have won against the supposedly superior forces of Kiev, contrary to the expectations of Kiev, Washington, Brussels and the Western media.)
…it’s worth considering how the Finns beat the Soviets in the Winter War.
In 1939 the Soviet Army invaded Finland along the entire border. The Finnish Armed Forces were small and not very mechanised but they were determined and they knew the ground they were fighting on…
Much the same thing happened in eastern Ukraine; the favourite word there being “cauldron” or котёл. The principal difference being that you can create motti in forests, but only a котёл in steppe land. I know no better description of how to create one than the Saker’s …
…And another similarity, and a very important one, in eastern Ukraine and Finland as well as Vietnam, Afghanistan, Israel in 1948 or Iraq, to quote James Clapper, the director of national intelligence (USA), is that the attackers don’t “predict the will to fight”. In June Poroshenko was talking about the whole thing being over quickly: “in hours, not weeks”..
may it be allowed to give a congenial
comment ba Banger and David Lentini in todays NC:
November 4, 2014 at 9:47 am
The whole problem is ideological. We are not worth anything at all unless we are “productive” meaning we work for the virtual State which most corporations are a part of at this point in history. We have, because of our acceptance of the culture of narcissism growing our donkey’s ears as would have been obvious to anyone reading Pinocchio and having their eyes open.
This is not how humans were meant to live–this notion of human worthlessness is leading us to radical evil. Eventually, the logic would mean, indeed, culling the surplus population and I do know that there are people who want to do exactly that.
November 4, 2014 at 9:34 am
Politicians and journalists love cliche because it makes their jobs easier–they can pretend to say something but mean nothing. We aren’t able to handle reality so the media happily avoids it. Cliche, platitudes the whole thing is all about propaganda. Repeat the same thing over and over and over again and it become real even if it clearly is not.
“Folks” is a term that appeals to a sense of wholeness in a demographic that is radically split into sub-cultures that are often mutually exclusive. There are no “folks” in North America–there are various tribes and sub-cultures and, increasingly, isolated individuals who pick and choose among alternatives and live out their lives pretending to be a series of identities–that’s the trend. It’s all about, like, fashion man.
David Lentini November 4, 2014 at 9:51 am
Good article by Gupta. But I still tend to see the key issue in the transformation of the Democrats as being the ascendence of the colleged-education, professionals who came off the campuses of the late ’60s, thinking they could pursue riches while “doing good” by focusing on very specific social issues. The promontory point with the GOP was the triumph of that party by the libteranian ideals of Milton Friedman as financed by Wall Street. In the end, that left neither party with any soul. Instead, each became slave to Wall Street and our politics degenerated into an orchestrated absurdist kabuki of side shows driven by the inflamed revanchist anger of the religious right and the stoked outrage of the left over limitations to middle class freedoms of gay marriage and abortion solving nothing by design. Of course, as the culture has accepted more of the middle class freedome, the Democrats have fewer places to hide.
Reply ↓
Banger November 4, 2014 at 12:48 pm
Good points David. I’m a member of that generation. I stayed in the counter-culture as long as I could while everyone else was off careering around. Those insights from the sixties wafted away as if they never existed as my fellows became even more materialistic than our parents. Very sad to see.
At any rate new generations will be coming to the fore with a far more cynical and, I’m hoping, honest attitude that may want to do something about our culture of denial that my generation has created.
http://astromundanediary.blogspot.de/2014/05/out-of-empires-belly.html
https://mega.co.nz/ “MEGA provides free cloud storage with convenient and powerful always-on privacy”
Kim Dotcom is a great guy. So great the USSA wants him extradited.
On the bright side, the USSA has managed to land an F-35c on an aircraft-carrier, without sinking the ship or crashing the plane, good thing it was not raining, or chances would of been next-to-none.
Hahahahaha! I kid you not.
Soundcloud.com is a great site for posting podcasts.
http://soundcloud.com
It is visually interesting too, showing the wave form of the audio.
@ 04 November, 2014 17:50 The Saker did not sound like Benjamin Netanyahu to me — his voice sounded more like Sergey Lavrov. Perhaps like Lavrov our esteemed host has some Armenian blood.
With respect to the other comment posted here from the Novorossiya News Agency, I agree that for any pact signed with Kiev to be legally binding it must define the territory inside which the law is defined, otherwise it is null and void and the NAF are under no obligation to follow the rule. Especially when Kiev has failed to abide by the ceasefire and negotiate in good faith for the orderly withdrawal of its remaining troops at the Donetsk airport who are well behind the negotiated ceasefire line. As it is today the Ukies and pro-Ukie sites like Interpreter Rag seem perturbed that the NAF are planning a major offensive, though this is probably cover for a series of Ukie attacks designed to relieve the pressure on their garrison. Without artillery support from the town of Peski which is under NAF GRAD and arty fire today, the NAF should be able to lay down suppressing fire and get close enough to the last Ukie holdout bunker beneath the ruined old terminal to set the whole place on fire with AvGas and suck the oxygen out of those ‘cyborg’ holes. But I do not think the Ukies are capable of launching a major assault, even with plenty of Polish/Balt mercenaries and US intel/drone support without winding up in a Battle of the Bulge situation where their advance elements get cut off and chewed up. It will be interesting to see if the Right Sector thugs obey orders to advance or if they hold back and leave that to the Army suspecting that Porky wants more of them wiped out before winter.
Thanks to all including the Saker who noticed my absence here — I’ve been busy with new projects.
Reuters reports on the Donetsk Republic swearing in ceremonies:
Alexander Zakharchenkois sworn in
as the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic during a ceremony at a theatre in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.
Kiev is sending army to quell the “terrorists and bandits”
“(Reuters) – Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine staged swearing in ceremonies for their leaders on Tuesday after votes dismissed as a farce by Kiev, which says they violated terms of a peace plan to end a war that has killed more than 4,000 people.
Warning of the threat of new offensive by Moscow-backed rebels, Ukraine’s leader said newly-formed army units would be sent to defend a string of eastern cities.”
NATO’s highest ranking officer, a U.S. general, said conditions were now in place to create a “frozen conflict”, a term the West uses to describe rebel regions carved out of other ex-Soviet states that Moscow protects with its troops.
and
Video of the swearing in ceremonies in Donetsk
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Got it?
To keep warm this winter, Kiev intends to buy coal from the same people they have labeled “terrorists and bandits.”
at cost price
Kiev is ready to buy coal at cost price from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, said Ukraine’s first deputy energy minister, stressing that it will be cheaper than buying it from abroad
As freezing temperatures come to Ukraine, First Deputy Energy Minister of Ukraine Yury Zyukov said that the Kiev government is ready to buy some 2.1 million tons of coal, currently stored at warehouses on the territories controlled by independence supporters,RIA Novosti reported.
~ ~ ~ ~
MH17 Crash site, now dutch experts are trying to get in.
I predict the Junta will go all out again to disrupt this Investigation. And then?
-Ingrid-
Donetsk is being shelled again: enemy tanks, self-propelled artillery weapons are striking the city; enemy aviation is observed in the sky.
http://novorossia.today/novorossia-news/donetsk-is-being-shelled-again-enemy-tan.html
I quite like SpeedyShare for easy, reliable file storage: http://www.speedyshare.com/
SoundCloud is certainly a good option for audio! It even allows people to leave comments at certain parts of the audio!
The best podcast resource – because it offers the entire suite of services, integrated, and is run by two knowledgeable guys, is https://www.blubrry.com
They host some very heavy duty podcasters, which is an endorsement.
@ Johann
MH17 crash site is in Novorossiya, and just about 10-12 days ago they invited the Dutch to go there and pick up the last body parts — bones discovered by by RT video journalist Graham Phillips. The Dutch returned home and a few days later declared that EVERY victim has been identified. So those bones were important.
As there currently is no operational civil airport in Novorossiya, they’ll have to come in through Ukraine and then drive down, I suppose. If the junta puts difficulties in their way they can fly to Rostov and drive in from Russia. I don’t see them having any problems there.
@ Johann
MH17 crash site is in Novorossiya, and just about 10-12 days ago they invited the Dutch to go there and pick up the last body parts — bones discovered by by RT video journalist Graham Phillips. The Dutch returned home and a few days later declared that EVERY victim has been identified. So those bones were important.
As there currently is no operational civil airport in Novorossiya, they’ll have to come in through Ukraine and then drive down, I suppose. If the junta puts difficulties in their way they can fly to Rostov and drive in from Russia. I don’t see them having any problems there.
Hi Saker,
In the latest conference video with Strelkov, they talked about considerable amounts of the Russian humanitarian aid supplies being “diverted” by nogoodniks onto the black market and not getting to the citizens. Why would Russia go to all the trouble of putting these deliveries together and not make sure they get to the citizens of Donbass?
HAHA. Brilliant. Novorossiya has a good lawyer!!! that statement is a masterpiece.
a) they heard Poroshenko planning to cancel Minsk and renew the war
b) they put out a statement that ignores the bit about war,
c) relies both on Minsk being legal and Minsk being illegal, and points out
(i) the election was totally legal under the agreement
(ii) the agreement was worthless because they never intended to keep it
(iii) despite this, its AIMS were achieved because the republics DID get special status (albeit they gave it to themselves)
(iv)but anyway it wasn’t legal because it never specified the area to which it applies.
They are now going to use THAT FACT to justify taking as much more as wants to join them. There is already thinking, given the Nazi troops are aleeady terrorising everyone in Ukraine, that they will end up in Kiev, in Lviv, even “Polish border” according to Givi.
That leaves a united Ukraine. But united with NOVOROSSIYA people and ideals in control. This could work.
COAL and other business
Donbass area gets some of its power from stations in Ukraine. Power stations work by burning a fuel to create steam to turn turbines, which then drive the generators. The burners are closed ovens with air supply adjustable to control the temperature.
Ukrainian power stations were specially designed to burn the type of coal available in Ukraine. They got some from South Africa but it may no have been right (it will but but less efficiently, which reduces production).
Kiev can negotiate with the owner of the coal (Akhmetov at the moment) and the story claims they are insisting the money go to paying workers etc.(ie not the oligarch’s pocket but also not to Novorossiya). I didn’t see them promising to give or sell electricity to Donbass
in exchange.
However…who owns that stockpile and the coal mines depends on whether Novorossiya nationalises them or not. That they will always have on him. So whatever deal he makes will be okay for Donbass.
Akhmetov is reputed to have been a real gangster in his earlier years, but more recently was Rada deputy for Party of Regions and funded a lot of it…. who knows? but he denies having funded any separatist armies. He says he only funded self-defence groups at his businesses so they can defend them if attacked. (side note, Zakharchenko was a mining electrician, 2+2=)
Some of Kolomoisky’s backing for the Nazi storm troopers may be in hope of cheaply acquiring various Akhmetov assets in the area, if separtism loses.
A government with a credible threat of nationalising everything could get a lot of good rebuilding capital out of all the oligarchs….after all it was the country’s money they’ve gotten rich on.
Ian56 @Ian56789
Fascist Deputy Commander of neo-nazi Azov Regiment has been appointed as head of Kiev police …http://ukrai
New footage of war crimes taking place. Bandera nazi thugs in action.
Some brave locals standing up to the fasctists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlKacrqOmIw&list=PLLGOHyTNq35f5N7Em5T6YoSK2lZ1GGjJZ#t=262
Listen to this tripe:
“KIEV: Ukraine remains committed to a peace process with pro-Russian separatists, but is rearming and prepared for war should they attempt to launch a new offensive, President Petro Poroshenko said on Wednesday”
and from the same article:
“Poroshenko said the “pseudo” elections on Sunday had “torpedoed” a key provision of the September peace deal in which rebels would be given wide autonomy, while preserving Ukraine’s integrity……
But Poroshenko said he was now considering scrapping the autonomy offer, a measure at the heart of the whole peace plan”
From the Times of India.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Ukraine-supports-peace-but-ready-for-war-President-Petro-Poroshenko/articleshow/45041520.cms
From link in article at asiatimes.
is it possible that this interestingly timed piece is actually about the FSB/whoever rounding up known infiltrators/saboteurs who arrived recently over into the Russia side with that giant wave of displaced refugees fleeing the war?
just think back only 48 hours to the bragging from kiev in that video interview about the mayhem they would unleash.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/11/russias-immigrants-facing-crackdowns-and-xenophobia/
MOSCOW, Nov 3 2014 (IPS) – Immigrants in Russia could face a wave of violence following thousands of arrests in a crackdown on illegal immigration which has been condemned not only for human rights breaches but for entrenching a virulent negative public perception of migrants.
More than 7,000 people were arrested across Moscow – and more than 800 already served with deportation orders – under Operation Migrant 2014 which ran between Oct. 23 and Nov. 2 in the Russian capital.
The scale of the operation and methods used by the authorities has left international and local rights organisations outraged.
MH-17 non-investigation.
http://nsnbc.me/2014/11/05/west-touting-classified-evidence-avoid-impartial-mh17-investigation/
West touting ‘classified’ evidence to avoid impartial MH17 investigation
Nile Bowie (NEO) : Western governments insist that Ukrainian rebels assisted by Russia were responsible for shooting down flight MH17, but they are unwilling to disclose their evidence and explain their methodologies.
[from Blue]
I think the strategy should be:
Russia accepts elections and sovereignty of Novorossia.
Defense, trade, and diplomatic relationships and protocols, as well as various aid packages, loans, and other appropriate arrangements — with Russia (the ‘brother nation), and other nations (BRICS?)who are willing.
West Ukraine (however that is to be determined, and with what borders) left to solve their own problems.
Joining Novorossia in some federation arrangement left open to negotiation as other Ukrainian regions may decide they want such arrangements. This leaves open a possible reunion with the rest of Ukraine in some future.
Novorossia, as part of defense treaties with Russia, excludes NATO from territory. Also good for Novorossia.
Not a united and fascist-free Ukraine at this time, but a step towards supporting that and effective within the current time frame. Novorossian economy and infrastructure can begin to be rebuilt, with backing from Russia and perhaps other nations — perhaps even some from the UN.
The US and West will kvetch and moan, of course, and put out more propaganda and dysinformation, and further demonize Russia and Novorossia, but what’s new in that?
In general, restore sanity and functionality one piece of territory at a time, as the people living there decide and are ready.
_Blue
I finally broke this into parts and found out what it meant. Neither Google nor Yandex seems able to translate it.
сверхдостаточно, which transliterates:
sverhdostatochno
It means “superfluous” or, in genocide speak “surplus to requirements.” If you come across it you are probably reading advocacy of ethnic cleansing.
Cassandra
But you probably shouldn’t pay any attention to me. I can’t even figure out when my name is going to be posted automatically at top of a post, and why sometimes it isn’t. I trust nobody had troubling recognizing as mine the unsigned continuation on Strelkov.
Kitty Kat:
In my endless experience, there is usually no love lost between employees and their bosses.
What do you think is self-evident from Akhmetov having employed Zak?
Not that I’m not sure they’ve spoken. Unless you are ideologically bound to shoot them, the people who own the mines, etc. have to be dealt with. If you have to negotiate with government, how much more do you have to negotiate with the real powers?
They investigated Akhmetov up the wazoo for years and could never pin anything on him. And not because the witnesses kept turning up conveniently dead, either. Akhmetov is a Tatar, which I assume leaves him somewhat disaffected from the other oligarchs from the git go, and maybe ripe for picking off. Certainly if there’s a renewed offensive. He lost $4 billion this year. The insurgency has leverage.
While all oligarchs know it’s a necessary part of public relations to give to charity, Akhmetov is something else, annually the largest contributor to charity in the whole country. He’s distributed many white truckloads of stuff in the Donbass.
If Kolomoisky is still alive and free in a year, I’ll be very disappointed. With Akhmetov, I’d settle for Putin’s compromise. “We’ll live with you if you obey the laws, pay your taxes, and stay out of politics.” That includes, of course, laws yet to be enacted (mine safety, e.g.) and taxes about to be raised.
Cassandra
re: the idea that Ukrainians need to wake up
How would the Ukraine be different from Iraq, Libya, or Somalia? In other words, how would it matter if the population “woke up”?
Video of execution of civilians by Banderites National Guards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D09d9OqhcP0
You close with optimism that an oligarchic, Nazi regime is unsustainable. But an oligarchic, anti-Russian regime has been possible for a long time, and the population is probably a lot more anti-Russian now than, say, ten years ago. With Russia taking the Crimea and the Donbass being in a state of limbo, one imagines that the anti-Russian sentiment is even stronger. Fascist regimes have stayed in power for decades all over the world.
Wonderful podcast. I like the format of answering questions. The only criticism I have is the very close resemblance your voice has to Netanyahu’s!
I agree with PenGun (04 November, 2014 19:23) — upload to You Tube with a static image (e.g. your favorite bird of prey, or flied of play, and a suitable “cc:by” copyright statement to stop commercial use etc. I understand size/time limits can be negotiated. It may be less efficient for lower-bandwidth listeners but for many it will be fine to just minimize the image and listen to the soundtrack.
Neutral observer here.
… said Porochenko. Continuing that «provision of our Armed Forces with new attack and reconnaissance technologies and fire guidance systems continues to improve effectiveness»
Here is where this blog breaks down badly these days. It used to discuss military matters but now that seems to be of no interest.
Has the USA provided new technology and what is it?
Are the pro-Russian bloggers, etc, sweeping bad defeats under the rug the way the Ukr bloggers used to do?
Not much military has happened with all those elections going on. Both sides have rebuilt a bit. Both sides are threatening to attack, but so fa it is the usual amount of distant shooting. Assorted convoys of assorted vehicles of unknown origin have been spotted all over the place, both sides claiming the other side has new arms from outside. both sides now have spy drones, fairly sure they didn’t buy them off ebay.
There was a single report of Ukies again having “aircraft” but no pictures, no description of what kind — SU? helicopters? just the drones? No matter, NAF have assorted apparently newer anti-aircraft stuff.
@Cassandra,
Dear, it is impossible not to notice you, and you’ve come here, where nobody knows you, like elephant in a china shop, trying to discredit Strelkov that, for your information, has won all the credit to most of us and not only to the militias, but to the people of Novorussia.
We do not care if he’s Tsarist, Marxist / Leninist, or Far right-wing, he seems simply a good person.
Then we see that you have come here also to try to convince us of the benefits of Akhmetov ( perhaps a Socialist? ), like some others.
Without success.
Take a break as you are so old. As much as you endeavor, will never be able to convince me that there is oligarch good.
I refer you to the thread of the discourse of Putin in Valdai Club where I put a link to a teaching article by professor Vicenc Navarro titled “How to become super-rich”, where the case of another illustrious benefactor of mankind is analyzed, the illustrious Bill Gates.
Although younger than you are, dear babushka, we no longer take Bib.
Spokoynoy nochi, smotret’ babulyu.
elsi said…05 November, 2014 22:33
Everybody is entitled to an opinion. Cassandra says what she thinks and the information she provides is hard to find, at least for me.
She don’t need to agree with her, but please be civil, as you usually are. You like Strelkov and want to defend him, but do it right.
As I read her, she tells us Strelkov may not have had actual combat experience. Perhaps this is true, but he proved himself in Slavyansk, didn’t he? He was FSB or GRU. If he was a military analyst of sort, he has an education in military matters in order to do his job.We may never know the truth, since we don’t have access to his files at the FSB.
I also like Strelkov. He is a man of honour and many commanders defend him. I listen to those who know him and also to Cassandra and others.
An education can help you learn old tactics but not new ones. That only comes from experience and we know Strelkov has been around the block. So no matter ho and what he is, he knows his stuff as this is not his first bbq. To be a great commander you dont need combat experience but instead need tactical experience. The grunts do the combat and you make the decisions on the overall battlefield. Thats where the difference comes in. You never see a general in the combat area but Strelkov was in the middle of things even then. So we need to go on his success than what education he got. At least he was responsible for keeping the NAF from getting slaughtered with their overwhelming numbers. That was not an easy task given that they had western advisors and mercs there. Most likely Strelkov studied the Hizbolla rather than west point.
And as always a successful candidate will be the first to be beheaded because he is a danger to everyone.
Russia may ban circulation of US dollar
Moscow. Farid Akbarov – APA. Russia may ban the circulation of the United States dollar.
The State Duma has already been submitted a relevant bill banning and terminating the circulation of USD in Russia, APA’s Moscow correspondent reports.
If the bill is approved, Russian citizens will have to close their dollar accounts in Russian banks within a year and exchange their dollars in cash to Russian ruble or other countries’ currencies.
Otherwise their accounts will be frozen and cash dollars levied by police, customs, tax, border, and migration services confiscated.
After the law enters into force, it will be impossible to obtain cash dollar in Russia. The ban or termination of the US dollar will not apply to the exchange operations carried out by Russian Central Bank, the Russian government, ministries of foreign affairs and defense, the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Federal Security Service.
http://en.apa.az/xeber_russia_may_ban_circulation_of_us_dollar_218603.html
Russia told U.S. it will not attend 2016 nuclear security summit
Russia has told the United States that it will not attend a 2016 nuclear security summit, the State Department said on Wednesday, in the latest sign of frosty ties between Washington and Moscow, APA reports quoting Reuters.
Explaining why it would stay away, Moscow said it doubted the value of the summit, which is to be held in Chicago in 2016, and believed the views of states which disagreed with the event’s organizers would be ignored.
Instead, Russia would focus on a similar conference to be held also in 2016 by the United Nations nuclear body, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The bi-annual summit aims to improve nuclear security around the world and, in the past, has involved more than 50 countries including China, France, Germany and Britain.
“Russia delivered a demarche to the United States in advance of last week’s preparatory meetings informing us that it no longer planned to participate in the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
http://en.apa.az/xeber_russia_told_us_it_will_not_attend_2016_218635.html
Dear anonymous friend, (honestly, because I care about you call my manners, I would like to know who I’m talking to, a simple nick would be enough. In any case you are on your right):
You say that I have been uncivil, really? where? I tried to be as nice as it allows me the attitude of this lady (regardless of the age she says have or her physical condition, which does not impede her to use of a great power to offend others who are not in this blog to defend themselves). If you mean me calling her “babushka” I merely call it as she herself calls herself (the other day saying that we “pay attention to our grandmother, swithearts” ). If you mean my first steps with the Russian, note that I serve myselof the “excellent translator of google”, so there, yes, I could screw it to the bottom, in which case I apologize.
In any case, I did not mean to offend anyone, but yes present something of battle. I could also err by saying that here, in this blog, Strelkov is highly respected and appreciated, since I have not seen hardly anyone, not even you, who say you likes him, defending him. Maybe I defend him wrong, that’s just your opinion, but I have not found another way. Have you also that English is not my native language, and I use it pretty bad, other than that I try to speak as I would do it in Spanish, using sayings that I use to express myself much. Anyway, if I had expressed in Spanish what I think, especially after reading this lady´s last insult, believe me, it would have sounded much worse, and perhaps would have me thrown from The Saker´s blog.
If I’m looking still uncivil, you note that I’m Spanish, blood warms us faster than the Russians, and Basque, and we have ourselves by outspoken people here. You must also keep in mind that I’m not up to Lavrov in diplomacy,being a daughter of the common people, self-made, and a product of a religious private Catholic education in childhood and later, public, in adolescence, all that in the throes of a fascist dictatorship. See why I have no reason to be up to you.
Finally, I would you were so strict, for example with the same Cassandra, which takes several days defaming Strelkov and, now, yet, insulting freely (last prettiness that I read was “professional liar”) without bringing in what basis to offend the honor of this person so badly (the last thing I read are videos linked here by other commenters.Irrefutable in any court. isn´t it?)
Have a good night.
PS: Is not suspicious that she Cassandra, defame and isnulte to Strelkov while we talk wonders of Akhmetov? To me yes, you see, but I, along with uncivil, I’m paranoid by nature and life experience.
I forgot, Anonymous friend, Strelkov I not only like but love him very much, as all heroes of Novorussia.
Understand that I get carried away by passion.
A time, months ago, when he came up with his resignation, perhaps you were not here, I dedicated him this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy5Er0zjST4
RT has the funds to get real news but they are still limited. Western Free media is in name only. They can not just print anything they like, as why even very reputable authors find they can not have their analysis or interviews published as symore Hersch found out when he came out with what was not authorized by the establishment and had to publish it on a book review site from england.
The owners like Murdoch already control the news because the editors will not publish anything that are controversial ie not put out by the state department. And even when the editors are willing to publish something the government can step in and stop it. This has been going on since the 70’s. They always bring out the papers and scandals published in the 70′ as proof that the government does not interfere but that stopped as soon as the government found out someone will publish stuff they did not want the people to know. And then there is the freedom president who has jailed more journalists than all the others combined for publishing so called state secrets. And since 2005 it has become the norm that NEWS is for entertainment ONLY and can not be relied on for anything other than that.
And soon after that the pentagon started publishing propaganda as news items.
But as we know as early as 1991 that western media publishes them since who will oppose them? Outlandish things like stealing baby incubators and throwing out the babies into garbage is worse than satire.. Its garbage published as events thats worse than propaganda.
RT learnt all the lessons that PressTV had to learn the hard way. If you noticed both have toned down their rhetoric a lot and follow other MSM networks. But at least they will publish “somethings” which MSM wont. If they do it all the time they wont be around to publish anything in the western networks. They will still not publish anything that is not verified by a western reporter. And most western reporters are scared of getting killed because they are targeted not only by the US and its allies but the so called enemies as well. In Iraq this was rather blatant when the US would shoot up their offices because it would have a wireless transmitter and target anyone with a camera.