Foreword by The Saker: I wanted to share with you a remarkable moment on Russian TV. During the talkshow Special Correspondent Charles Bausman, Editor and Publisher of Russia Insider, had the courage to contradict a fellow American journalist, Michael Bohm, and denounce the propaganda the latter was spewing. Bohm, who is fluent in Russian, is known all over Russia the THE mouthpiece of US propaganda. Every time a Russian talkshow host wants to get a “typical” (i.e. “official” and doubleplusgoodthinking) point of view on Russian TV, they invite Bohn, who never disappoints the audience with his unfailing loyalty to the US Empire’s hegemony over the planet. That day, however, Bausman showed the Russian people a totally different kind of American, one which who speaks the truth and is clearly a friend of Russia. As a result of their Soviet past, it is quite easy for Russian to differentiate between love for one’s country and loyalty to a regime. They also understand how hard it can be to make the difference between the two.
As somebody who lives in the USA I am very familiar with the manner in which the state propaganda always conflates loyalty and love for country with loyalty and love for the ruling regime and I know that Bausman showed a lot of courage for taking on a fellow American on Russian TV. There is a Russian saying, “Один праведник спасает город” (one righteous man saves the city). That evening, Bausman ‘saved’ the USA.
YouTube prevents me from uploading this video on some stupid copyright reason. So I uploaded on RuTube. If you understand Russian, just watch the video, if not, the translated script is provided below.
The Saker
Special Correspondent show from March 16, 2016 “Mission accomplished”
(TV Channel Russia)
Transcript:
Evgenii Popov (host): Charles, listening to Michael, one gets an impression that we almost had to make a decision (to withdraw forces from Syria – translator’s note). Michael seems to see it that way. What do you think?
Charles Bausman (American journalist, Chief editor of Russia Insider): Absolutely not. I want to explain to the audience and guests that although I am an American, do not think that all Americans support what their government is doing. America is always referred to as some kind of a monolith. This is absolutely not true. We are all different, and there are many different opinions as we can see.
Evgenii Popov: This is your state policy, Charles, and we are taking it as a guide.
Charles Bausman: There are also different groups there that oppose each other quite strongly . . .
Evgenii Popov: What is your opinion about the events?
Charles Bausman: There is no doubt that Russia won a fantastic victory, diplomatic, military, informational, as well as political. Michael, when you are defending the positions of those terrorists that were killing children and committed atrocities in Syria, as an American, I am ashamed. I do not understand how you can sleep at night with such views?
Michael Bohm (American journalist): I sleep quite well.
Evgenii Popov: I understand. Please, Michael, let him finish.
Michael Bohm: I expected this from Koulikov. Usually, Koulikov says something like that.
Dmitrii Koulikov (a well-known Russian political analyst): I have told him that already, Charles.
Charles Bausman: I am very glad that I am the last one to speak because I have heard everything that was said before, and have some criticism to express regarding your position, my dear Russian friends. I think Dmitrii (Koulikov) was the closest to the truth when he asked who supports these terrorists. Irina Petrovna (Yarovaya – member of the Russian Parliament (Duma); Head of the Duma committee for security and against corruption – translator’s note) and Gennady Andreevich (Zuganov – Head of the Communist Party of Russia; Head of the communist fraction in Duma – translator’s note) said that our chief enemy is the terrorists, and that we have won a major victory against the terrorists. But they are nobodies; they are a small gang of bandits that would not have been able to achieve anything if they had not received massive support from the USA. Yes, from the USA, Michael, from your country, our country.
You have to understand that your enemy is not some terrorists, which are just bums in the desert, like there are bums in poor countries, but very powerful, very rich people waging a war against you. So, I think you have been all too polite here.
Source: http://rutube.ru/video/502ed1043b3cacd2aec7bbbcf7d2e50c/
Things are slow but it’s not a stalemate, global chess continues.
Russia (and China in background) position for a stalemate. Then a new game can begin.
The chess metaphor is somewhat misleading. Russia is playing chess–it has little choice; astute moves are all it has. The United States is playing chess, kind of, but also relying on a general climate where there are all these systemic factors that back it up, so it can play pretty slipshod and still usually get what it wants.
And China is playing chess a bit, enough to maintain a certain status quo but no more, because its real play is for everything to stay fairly calm while the Chinese economy outgrows the American one. Given 20 years of 5% growth its economy would be double the US economy and all those systemic factors would start flipping over to the Chinese side, game won without a move.
What China is perhaps not reckoning on is the degree to which they are increasingly allowing US-style economic diseases to infect them; if they don’t whip the growing plutocratic and financier elites into line pretty damn quick the game could get away from them.
I always like to say that Russians are playing chess. Americans? No chance. The only thing they can play is poker. Va bank!
I believe there was also a resistance in Nazi Germany. The US is what it is as a state.
What it is now is a simple/natural progression of what it has always been.
The so called freedoms of the US also includes the freedom for a few people to amass a huge amount of power.
Russia needs to keep looking at the US judged by the action of the state.
The resistance that are loyal to their country – do they wish to change those freedoms that have made the US what it is? Rarely, perhaps not at all.
Some of the regulars here give RI a hard time.
I find the pop-ups supremely irritating, and the content too focussed on media opinion, rather than actual information.
Having said that, I like Bausman. And I believe he is sincere in his efforts to counteract the effects of NATO/Neo-con propaganda: RI has done a very good job of challenging creaky, Soviet-era, Cold War stereotypes.
I have been genuinely astounded at times to discover these stereotypes are even still potent for Americans under thirty-five.
One such on another site ‘guessed’ from my defence of Putin that I must be ‘East European’ and ‘obviously’ totally uninformed about his ‘control’ over the ‘Eastern Bloc’ ?!!??
I could only marvel at her ‘insights’..which she gained from her father who had once manned Checkpoint Charlie.
I seriously wondered if Langley had unearthed some dusty Cold War bot and released it into the internet…
So, despite its annoyances, RI is generally worthy. It does, however, need to develop its material and widen its range: with more and more sites offering alternatives to the Anglo-American MSM, it’s in danger of becoming irrelevant. Much more exposure on the players/actors who flit between the MIC, Wall St and the White House, what transnationals they link too, and their connections to military alliances like NATO would give it a lot more ‘clout.’
Voltairenet is good example of how deep they could go.
Now, if only they would do something about those pesky pop-ups..
Regarding pop-ups, try a script blocker. It saves my day on many sites.
you can pay $10 and have RI ad-free for lifetime.
And well worth it.
Problem with the RI is that it lacks clear editorial line, they don´t have their own voice. RI tries to balance too much with different viewpoints. They should understand that there´s no neutral media, it´s simply impossible. Freedom of a press is born from a different voices, not from one single site or newspaper or channel that covers every point of a view.
RI has a lot of outstanding content. But there are still too many ‘XY-said-Russia-is-evil-whine-whine’ articles that are counterproductive as they promote paralyzing, dis-empowering, infantile victim mentality.
Having seen Mr. Bausman on RT’s Crosstalk, and visited his site a few times, I am always appreciative of Saker’s postings from that site here. Somehow my computer goes into conniptions when I try to access articles there, no doubt because it is old or whatever. I think he is an American hero, and send thanks for this piece. People to people, we need to have this kind of information about one another.
I just saw a very good piece by Glenn Ford on the Real News network describing US tactics supporting Al Nusra in Syria since the cease fire – he is another American hero that Russian people should know about. Then too, on that same network Michael Hudson with Chris Hedges describes the economic parasitical system that is bringing all of us down. More heroes.
And to whomever it was who said the resistance doesn’t want to change the system for fear of losing the goodies they enjoy, let me just say that since the invasion of Iraq many of us have been trying to do just that, goodies or no goodies (and for many of us there are increasingly bleak times.) As have Russians, we would be proud to endure hardships were our hearts relieved of these corrupt burdens; many of us endure them while the corruption continues so why would we not?
I suppose Bausman trying to be helpful, but I dislike Russia Insider, with its pop-ups, etc. It feels like a crappy commercial american website.
You can post comments on Russia Insider, IF you join facebook, etc… What a lot of crap.
They use Disqus, just like this site, with our comments, is probably running on an American blog service. You can also comment “anonymously” there (as far as anything is anonymous..)
No this site doesn’t run on an American blog service. Mod on Duty
Perhaps a percentage of peasants wish to change the system, but for peaceful change to occur the leaders need to come from inside the system, from those who know the system. Politicians, intelligence/security, military. These are very few if any.
The only other way for change to occur is violent revolution.
Big brother is watching to take out any potential leaders.
Perhaps Trump or Sanders can set off something, but those that hold power will not give up without using violence.
Until there is a revolution, perhaps peaceful, more likely violent, in the US, it will remain what it is.
There is a third option, the one that changes everything.
Drop the concepts of money and market into the dustbin of history and the whole power-system based on financial wealth implodes. All that would be needed is the willingness of people to contribute to society for free and to get in return for free what is needed. This behavior should apply to all basic needs, such that money is relegated exclusively to luxury.
Just to be clear, I am not talking of barter. Barter means exchange trade, quid pro quo. What I mean is to give away without implied return from the persons receiving the goods and services. In return, one’s own needs would be covered by anybody able to provide for it. Very much the way how goods and services are delivered today minus the money accounting for it.
Only issue: I guess it is an utopia – not implementable with humans.
Sir Thomas More’s Utopia is fiction and as you say not possible with humans. Pilgar’s Utopia is a real place and relevant to this world. http://johnpilger.com/videos/utopia-trailer
Yeah. Unfortunately, the garden Eden is lost.
The oldest subsistence cultures are/were the closest to live in utopia. For this reason I believe utopia is the only way for a society to live over millennia in peace and without migrating into new territories.
haven’t heard much about it lately but in south africa there is/was something
called ”ubuntu” which seems to bring about a new way of living without
money or barter..
founded by Michael Tellinger (archeologist/historian) it has spread to uk, usa, canada and some european countries.
might be worth a look.
i will be looking at it again now because of this comment.
that would be communism – an utopia – not implementable with humans
you obviously have no idea what ubuntu is all about then.
oldnik007
I was replying to the comment of Marcel a little bit earlier above
No it is not the fault of your computer. RI’s website tries to run to many videos, ads, etc, in the background, slowing down the computer alot. I have the same issue with RI, if I try to open to many RI articles at the same time.
In the absence of detailed technical know-how, at the very minimum one should be using a non-commercial browser, such as Firefox, and the Ghostery, NoScript, and HTTPSeverywhere extensions. If you run these extensions then RI will run quite smoothly, though you will need to enable exceptions if you wish to view/participate in comments.
However, I would ask you to please bear in mind that RI has no wealthy backers to ensure its survival. Sites such as RI, Southfront, and many others find themselves constantly gasping for air as they attempt to survive. If you value these sites then you must ascribe to them that value. If you do not wish to pay a one-time fee for ad-free content, then consider overcoming your own impatience and learn to tolerate these things, otherwise you may awake one day to find that the alternative media is once again no more. As a person who grew up in parallel to the internet, I can well remember the days of 56k dial-up and 1-minute long screen loading times…
Some of us have the technical know-how to manage traffic to-and-from our computers completely, but for others who are less sure, straightforward advice is provided by the likes of the EFF, and such measures should be sufficient for most users of the internet who have no reason to believe that they are subject to targetted surveillance. The measures noted here are designed to protect you from mass surveilllance i.e. non-targetted collection of meta-data.
Here’s another dissappointing story from Russia Insider:
Trump Sells Out, Appoints War Machine Lackey to Head Foreign Relations Team
His appointment of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions offers the clue. Sessions’ record shows a trail of evidence that he favors international confrontation over negotiation.
[….]
Trump ran a campaign video that compares Vladimir Putin to a terrorist…
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/trump-sells-out-appoints-war-machine-lackey-head-foreign-relations-team/ri13521
Now let’s see the commercial which supposedly compares Putin to a terrorist.
Barking Hillary and laughing Putin – NEW TRUMP’s commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpQo727O938
As you can see if you watch the video, Trump’s commercial is rather complimentary to Putin.
As for Jeff Sessions, his wiki shows a mixed record. I’ve cherry picked it so go to Wikipedia for the full liberal-zionist perspective, however, Sessions record is kinda Putinesque.
Highlights:
Sessions was ranked by National Journal as the fifth-most conservative U.S. Senator in their March 2007 Conservative/Liberal Rankings.[19] He backs conservative Republican stances on foreign policy, taxes, and social issues. He opposes abortion and illegal immigration.
In the 109th Congress, Sessions introduced legislation to increase the death gratuity benefit for families of servicemembers from $12,420 to $100,000.[24] The bill also increased the level of coverage under the Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance from $250,000 to $400,000.
On October 5, 2005, he was one of nine Senators who voted against a Senate amendment to a House bill that prohibited cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment of individuals in the custody or under the physical control of the United States Government.
Sessions was one of 25 senators to vote against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the bank bailout), arguing that it “undermines our heritage of law and order, and is an affront to the principle of separation of powers.”
Sessions is pro-life and was one of 37 Senators to vote against funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Sessions has been an opponent of same-sex marriage and has earned a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign, the United States’ largest LGBT advocacy group.
On December 11, 2013, Sessions introduced the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 1799; 113th Congress), a bill that would reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 and would authorize funding through 2018 to help child abuse victims.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions
Truthfully, I’ve mostly stopped visiting Russia Insider, first because the sensational content is of relatively low quality (with some exceptions), and second because the site is overloaded with invasive adware and other garbage that freezes my phone and f**ks with my computer.
Russia Insider is a project of oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, founder of Marshall Capital Planners and more recently of Russian Orthodox Tsargrad TV, described by R.I. as follows:
It is as part of this next act that Malofeev has launched Tsargrad TV, his own Russian Orthodox TV channel, which aims to put a conservative yet modern spin on global news. In June, Tsargrad began broadcasting daily on Spas, a religious channel run by the Russian Orthodox Church, in addition to an online platform. According to Malofeev, Tsargrad’s closest international equivalent is Fox News in the US, making him something of a Russian Roger Ailes.
http://russia-insider.com/en/christianity/gods-tv-russian-style/ri11622
Malofeev is associated with other well known far right personalities such as Alexander Dugin, Panos Kammenos and Marine Le Pen — which may or may not be a bad thing, depending on if your an apologist for control of poitics by money.
It is safe to say Malofeev is a player in the mould oligarchs the whole world over. Personally I don’t trust people who vie for control of the space in between my ears. Zionist mind control is no better when it favours Russian interests. The same problem exists with RT which is filled to the brim with zionists who don’t know how to represent Russia because all of them secretly support globalist identarian values.
My conclusion, gathered from the slanted, anti Trump propaganda above plus dozens of other hatchet job stories I’ve read at R.I., that rather than being representitive of conservative Orthodox and Russian values, Konstantin Malofeev sits atop a financial, media and intellectual empire that represents the views and interests of a cynical, rent-collecting, Anglophile-financier-oligarch.
As for Mr. Bausman, former employee of NBC News, he speaks pretty good Russian for an American, don’t ya think?
http://russia-insider.com/en/users/charles-bausman
If Malofeev is a sponser of Heideggerian neo fascist atheist Alexander Dugin, proto-zionist Russia Insider and US-style Orthodox televangelicalism in the mould of FOX News, then he is not interested in anyone’s well being but his own.
Power has its own rationale. Russia Insider is not your friend and I’m still disappointed that you’re associated with these people Saker.
egads,
Orthodox televangelism.
“Putcho hands on the television setah, brothers and sisters!! Now pray with me, and send all the rubles you can to:……………………………………
Re (back, again) ligare (to tie, to bind)…… tie back, control…… Religion = Mind Control unless you take the seeds of truth and the good deeds (only!!! There are plenty of evil ones too….) ie from the massive effect of religion on rulers nearly everywhere which very often inspired major developments in the progress of human civilization, and then discard the nonsense, which is quite substantial, also.
on the other hand William Dunkerley -usually a very good author like Engdhal, Robert Parry etc- I found the article informative, and of course speculative about the appointment of Session because we have no idea really what the **** is really going on in american politics that actually may threaten? or may assist ?the world to be a much less confrontational place, and I would not have seen it if not published on Russia insider………which also carries a reposting from dninews a donbass sitrep …
http://russia-insider.com/en/donetsk-blog-mar-23-afu-offensive-directions-detected-war-prisoners-lost-terror-afu-occupied/ri13518
…….Fortruss seems very slow to load these days, sputnik seems to have lost an edge or two, but at least we do have alternatives to msm these days, hence I check out anna-news regularly which seems to focus on important stuff and seems well organised……….
thank goodness for the various translates we now have but it usually takes me an hour at least to go through stuff and collate them to support -add on to Scott’s ukraine sitreps………maybe a list of “usefully informative’ websites could be recommended, but how many actually go check out all these others, eg vesti.ru which I believe a lot of Russians use has its other media content….
maybe check out ??
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+News/Europe/Eastern/Russia
a bit like johnsons russia list? which I stopped checking out……….
http://www.moskvatv.org/
http://wwitv.com/television/174.htm
which seems to be a list of Rus tv with live channels-any recommendations?
But as Saker says, we have to learn to discern the truth for ourselves………….
extra
this www seems to have lots of good links????
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.co.uk/
I have also plenty of doubts and in crescendo, to the extent that by now I am not able to follow the total issue here but, in consecuence, start becoming suspicious of everything and everybody.
If it not were enough with the dots connected so far, then new ítems appear….
I did not know about this connection between RI, Malofeev and Alexander Dugin.
There is also people here and there who connect Malofeev with Strelkov.
Then we have some who demonize Strelkov and speak really bad of Dugin but not of RI and much less of Malofeev, of whom, precisely, nobody talks.
I also was very surprised by the good level of Russian Charles Baussman has, as if he had been planning to go to Russia since he was born ( I do not know how many years he is living in Moscow now, but I find it difficult to speak Russian so well only for comercial purposes, being English the comercial language by excellence ).
If I am honest, when I heard yesterday viewing this video how well he speaks Russian, “spionage” is the first word which inmediately crossed my mind.
But, perhaps it´s just me and that I’m getting paranoid…..
I am also increasingly surprised with certain Saker´s friends and certain contents of some posts here in the last months, showing only a very conservative spectrum. I miss the initial plurality of the first times when I came here and especially the wide tolerance towards all ideologies when was The Saker the only one who was writing here. In this regard, I am missing a great part of the readership, and I do not blame them, because if it were not for my innate stubbornness that keeps me defending this trench despite the pressures, also I would have gone long ago.
Elsi, my understanding is that Charles Bausman of RI has lived in Russia many years, I think about 25. Certainly over 20. I do not know, but all the American men I come across in Russia speaking fluent Russian married a Russian bride. I know the staff member who does a lot of the search for articles and moderators is of that group. Rather like the farmer “John” in Putins Q & A 2015 !! I have heard this thing about Charles and Malofeev only once, that was an accusation made by Flores of Fort Russ. When I asked for evidence, for that and a few other “dirties” he had thrown at Russia Insider, he accused me of needing to “get a moral compass” and banned me from defending myself!! It seems a great shame to me, that if we are all fighting the same battle, we should have this sort of fighting among ourselves. Exactly what the Hegemon and MSM would love to see, I think.
I have posted and read at RI for nearly as long as I have at Saker, and have found little to complain of and much that was informative, funny, and worthwhile. I certainly have seen nothing to give me suspicion of it. I would not frequent it if I had.
But I admit, that’s just my opinion. Mod on duty.
Are you sure that we are all fighting the same battle?
I am not so sure, at least since time ago.
Perhaps it is because not only this community, but also that of the others alternative media, which were defending the people in Donbass and Russia against the war deployed against them and the general demonization of the Russians, especially their leadership, in the MSM, has been infiltrated by moles, at all levels, for to be exploded from within.
This is why I am increasingly uncomfortable here.
Because my battle is not that of the oligarchs of any sign nor of priviledge minorities of any kind but the battle for the rights of the people, of that 99% for whom we were supoosedly fighting here, one of whose fronts we recognized in the fair fight for the liberation of Donbass, of Syria and of Russia herself.
Also, if you felt a shame being banned in Fort Russ for asking the right questions, I guess you could understand, if you try it a bit, how can I feel myself here, being moderated and even offended by some for asking certain questions and argue certain topics.
Shame elsi?? LOL. No, most emphatically not. I had nothing to be ashamed of. It simply showed me more of the man Flores. I accept he might get angry at someone asking for evidence of a smear he had spread, but to insult me “as in “you need to get a moral compass” and then block me so I could not defend myself, – that’s not the action of moral or upright person in my book. That was why I mentioned it. I mean, if he was so certain of his smears on Charles, why did he feel a need to do that. To get so angry? So – it leaves me in doubt as to the validity of his allegations.
I was not meaning that you must feel any shame at all for asking the questions you may want to ask but that you found it a shame being baned for that.
I am fully against censure of any kind, and this is precisely what took me out of certain activities in this blog.
Understood. Thank you elsi.
Elsi,
Your contributions are appreciated.
That’s interesting about Flores.
I like him, and he’s an undoubtedly excellent analyst.
But I think his hyper-intellectualism and unmistakable intelligence inclines him to arrogance: he is extremely dismissive of what he perceives as less-than-rigorous argument.
So I am not surprised you fell foul of him – very few would pass a litmus test as stringent as his.
Maybe you should offer him a tickle next time…:)
Well, I certainly have no desire to argue with your own opinion eimar, of course, but as to this comment “he is extremely dismissive of what he perceives as less-than-rigorous argument.” I am a very rigorous “argumenter” myself, and intelligent. I fail to see, I am afraid, what is not rigorous abut requesting evidence, or solid substantiation. When one commenter had said “Charles has a cousin who worked for CCN [or some such, I forget the specifics] I replied that this is logical fallacy as it is the argument from association, i.e. it proves nothing of the subject.
I would have thought this might have brought out a good substantive argument from Flores – not an over top verbal attack, and impugning of my moral worth, and then blocking me from a right of reply.
However, we must each make our own decisions in matters of this kind.
I have no doubt you did Mod – you don’t need to explain/justify anything to me. or anyone else.
I was just making the point that he is arrogant, precisely because of his hyper-intellectualism.
It makes him dismissive, so nobody really ‘survives’ an encounter where he has to justify his assertions – he expects his ‘challenger’ to do that.
Too bad, he’s still worth reading. Just maybe not so great at dialogue.
You don’t need his – or anyone else ‘ s ‘approval’ anyway, so let him sulk.;)
Thank you eimar. I can’t say I know him so your observations are interesting. Thanks for your kind support too.
Hi Mod,
Concerning Bausman you used the word “smear” two times in your comment to Elsi. He worked for NBC in Moscow. All US media are vetted intelligence assets. I am not aware of anyone who has ever retired from intelligence and Bausman remains deeply engaged in his field of expertise. His father was Associated Press bureau chief in Moscow in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We musn’t be so naive.
Beware those logical fallacies. When someone points out striking associations and is dismissed by someone else wielding the book of logical fallacies, I personally take the latter for a hypocrite or fool, possibly protecting a theory, carefully guarded credulity or maybe an income. Logic is an important tool but despite the protestations of members of the trivium-quadrivium cult of Aristotle, it has limitations.
One general comment, the difference between us and them is ‘we’ always prefer peace while ‘they’ always prefer war. This is my basic litmus test for everything. Without war Malofeev and everyone like him would be out of business.
I will stick to Putin but I know he is sorrounded by demoniacs. ‘We’ are behind him but ‘they’ most definitely are not.
“All US media are vetted intelligence. I am not aware of anyone who has ever retired from intelligence”
Do you mean to say that Robert Parry, Chris Hedges, Gareth Porter are US intelligence agents because they’ve worked in main stream US journalism?
But that whole “guilt by association logic fallacy” is is bunk, right? So let’s condemn ’em all!
Everyone is sponsered. Every person you mention is useful to the zionist elite.
I know, you can’t fathom how.
So, you keep lappin’ it up partner.
Or — you could do a little research and discover what I’m saying is spelled out by a mountain of information already in the public domain.
But we both know you’d much rather chirp than put yourself out.
The US and more so Germany is run by a elite who is hostile to the intrests of the people that live there.That is why you have the rise of the Donald and the rise of the AfD.The west is run by anglo-Zionists,an oligarchy, from time to time they wrap themselves in their countries flags or i should they the wrapped because antinationalism is the order of the day.If i were you i would watch all these “conservative” jews leaving conservative media or leaving the GOP alltogther by endorsing Hillary.Their only aim is to highjack institutions and to make the muscle obey the will of these people.A comparable situation is currently ongoing in Germany,the CDU a socalled conservative party is shifting to the left and even to the hard antinational left.Merkel is basically killing the small,medium,big industrialists for the sake of the empire.The oligarchy is demanding the destruction of all nationstates and that is why we have a precivil war going on in the entire west.Its the nationalists against the globalists and the nationalists are winning.That is why the globalists now uses the left liberals funded by Soros to try a regime change.Not in Ukraine this time but in the US and the West itself.Liberal democracy game is over and the precivil war will soon evolve into a real shooting civil war.”Migration” or better describe an invasion by a hostile population,terror funded by globalist networks using radical political sunni islam against its own population,radical green industrial policy to shut down the wealth and make everybody poor paupers,destruction of moral,social coheasion,enforcement of political correctness are some ways the globalist fight this war.Its unlike nationalsocialist Germany where 90plus percent fought until the bitter end because they more or less were convinced to do the right thing.Today Russia needs to be patient and just push some events into the right direction to “win”.Again its a big mistake to understand the West as a big monolithic bloc.Its the opposite.The West is falling apart.And something else: Your friends are not the left liberals,they hate modern Russia and everything it stands for, your friends are the various nationalistic forces inside the West.
That’s why Russia must be destroyed. Its existence ruins the best plans of the oligarchy.
I am not sure what you call “left”.
For me, left-wing policy tries to conserve the well-being of the society as a whole. Therefore, it focuses on the needs of the majority without forgetting minorities. As a major consequence, left-wing policy is strictly against aggression and war – even a defensive war at home would be debated very much. It is a hallmark of left-wingers that they kept warning Germany for decades that exporting violence will finally bring violence back home. It is also a hallmark of Germany, that almost everybody verbalizes them for this conviction.
In contrast, right-wing policy wants to conserve the well-being of the rich and powerful and quite explicitly disregards the majority of the populace. Right-wing policy sees absolutely no problem in fomenting/leading war in foreign countries for the sake of benefits. Right-wingers are currently at the point of applying this scheme at home too because foreign war profits dry up. TPP, CETA, TTIP, TISA and ever more the EU itself are typical examples of right-wing economic wars against all peoples, abroad and at home.
Applying this distinction, all parties in Germany follow right-wing policy except a majority in the left-wing party “Die Linke”. However, the last one standing is currently being subverted by people aspiring to power so much that they are ready to drop the party line overboard. In conclusion, I cannot note a shred of evidence that any party or member of parliament or executive in Germany is turning left. To the contrary, about 85% are mutually trampling on their feet in the right corner.
By the way, turning left would be required to solve burning issues. But I don’t think it is going to happen. Therefore, I am quite convinced that Europe will become a war zone pretty soon. After all, humans were never too stupid to repeat stupid behavior ad nausea.
Marcel
“all parties in Germany follow right-wing policy except a majority in the left-wing party “Die Linke””
Exactly,they are calling themselves “left” or “central-left” or “liberal” but in fact they are wearing wrong clothes and now more and more people can see them as they really are on how they behave.
Die Linke is somehow exception due to Oskar Lafontaine and Ms.Wagenknecht.Only they represent the linke (left)values.
Hi Marcel,
My dilemna concerning the left/right paradigm was similar to yours.
I say it ‘was’ because I’ve come to realize the standard view of western social, political and economic thought is false.
The problem with modern ‘leftism,’ when it comes from the perspective of narrow individualism, is it immediately ceases to be primarily concerned with betterment of the ‘whole.’
Modern leftism, like modern rightism, asks the question: how can we make things better for everyone by improving the lot of the individual.
By asking the question this way, we are expressing the inverted realism of the Western mentality. The correct question is how can we make society better for everyone, full stop.
When we ask any question from the perspective of ego, we can not answer it correctly.
The western mind replaces paradox with inversion. This is the source of all our woes.
Hi ioan, C I eh?
Your points are well taken.
For instance, I keep advocating to stop exporting weapons because most will be used someday. I think there is no good use of arms except for the minuscule fraction used by police forces in self-defense (including air police). This is part of promoting an improvement of the whole of humanity. In my opinion, Oskar Lafontaine and Sarah Wagenknecht are very important public persons speaking it out.
If humans would have a truly peaceful mind, actions against the well-being of the whole would not be executed. Then, for instance, would-be weapons manufacturers could not find staff willing to produce arms.
Improving the whole requires personal initiative on a large scale, because such improvement cannot be ordered or imposed. This is the crux of the matter. Real-world communism always failed when it tried to impose a betterment of society.
I guess it is the most difficult cultural achievement to become a peaceful and just society.
WHY is no one reporting on the MASSIVE Mosul University BOMBINGS by US Coalition Forces, which occurred on the same day as the Brussels bombings?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UXfHcYHLd4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc5JUSb4GZI
Well you can’t report that America bombed a university. It would look bad.
That footage of the bombing of the uni in Mosul is very powerful and disturbing. That’s why we don’t get to see it on MSM.
Americans are a nation of war criminals. Their crimes have been so pervasive that atrocities like the USA bombing a university are normalized, and hardly anyone–not even many so-called US “peace” supporters–can muster any deep outrage for America’s latest atrocity.
After all, Americans are the self-described Exceptional people, morally superior to the entire world.
Or so Americans delude themselves in their psychopathic worldview and reality.
Animals, f**king savages is all they are. Where were Mogherinis tears for this atrocity ? Sorry I forgot, it didn’t happen in the “west” to the “exceptional” western folk. Karma is a bitch and its coming for the west.
I could only see the first video, for the second they were askin gme to sign in with any social network account, something I am not going to do, because i am not willing to do it but mainly because I have not any social network account.
Anyway, the first is graphic enough.
The suffering this people is enduring since so long time ago is not only indescribable but laso unbearable.
I am not sure we will be able to contain the hatred sown.
And because of living nearer from them the worst part will be for us, Europeans.
I also find it quite difficult, if not incompatible, to be loyal to Russia and US at the same time, being the two countries still at war ( according to the conclusion we have come here for at least these last two years and the different analysis by The Saker), despite the last agreement on the Syria issue, that allows President Obama save face, being that, otherwise, would be remember for ever as one of the most bellicose and dire mandates of history, along with that of George W. Bush and some others.
The Donald is the real challenger to the double-speak-business, while he himself
handles the words virtually bad with the bad and good with the good.
Here I’m parsing his chances, as the heavenly lights tell his fortune:
http://astromundanediary.blogspot.de/2016/03/the-donald-in-front-of-triumph.html
What bothers from Russia is its bad example as happened when the USSR existed.ç
There you have a president asking his Prosecutor General and all the Prosecutor General Office’s Board that one of its main objectives is to enforce labor rights of Russian workers and ensure that employers pay their wages and companies pay their taxes in due amount and time and that quality health sevices for the citizwnship are rendered.
Just the opposite of what is done in Europe and the US.
Expanded meeting of Prosecutor General Office’s Board
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/51553
“(…) I also note your work in a social area of great importance and sensitivity for people, namely, protection of labour rights. The Prosecutor’s Office has helped to return 25 billion rubles in unlawfully withheld wage payments and have opened more than 500 criminal cases against dishonest employers.
The Prosecutor’s Office staff has actively defended entrepreneurs’ lawful rights and interests. Your efforts have brought to light tens of thousands of violations of the law in their regard, and honest business is now better protected from unjustified inspections.(…)
(…) At the same time, there is still much work ahead.
Keeping watch to ensure respect of citizens’ constitutional rights and freedoms remains a priority. More than 60 percent of legal violations every year are in this area.
Last year, as I expect the Prosecutor General will tell you, the Prosecutor’s Office noted 3.2 million violations of citizens’ rights and freedoms. This is a huge figure.
I ask you to continue to take the strictest measures with regard to organisations that delay wage payments, withhold social benefits and attempt to avoid paying taxes. I ask you to monitor particularly closely the situation at companies where layoffs are planned. Everything must be carried out in strict compliance with the law.
This applies in full to pensions, protection of mothers and children, and guaranteeing the rights of people with disabilities.
You must actively identify cases of poor quality medical services, violations in supplying medicines, and prevent attempts to raise prices without justification for vital medicines and speculative deals between retail chains.
Let me say again, protecting people’s lives and health and providing assistance to the most vulnerable population groups are our top priorities.(…)”
Well this is just a sample but I recommend reading the entire adress because it has no waste.
Then, here come some to accuse us of “worshiping” towards Comrade V.V.P, and I say, not worship, but real admiration, and also our genuine support and, yes, even loyalty, to him, as long as you can see that he is concerned about that these things are being done, something I have never seen in my rulers.
If it is a crime, or will be soon anytime, I confess, I am guilty.
So, waiting for your henchmen at any time.
What about that misterious red suitcase Mr. Kerry was carrying by himself when descending from his plane?
“Kerry pledges to show Putin contents of his suitcase”
http://tass.ru/en/politics/865003
Attention to the joking on this issue by President Putin in the meeting with the US delegation accompanying Mr. Kerry ( there was also Mrs. Nuland….):
Meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/51562
(…) “When I saw you coming off your plane today and carrying your belongings, I got a bit upset. On the one hand, this is very egalitarian, but, on the other hand, things must be looking blue in the United States if nobody can help the Secretary of State carry his suitcases. But the economy seems to be doing fine and there are no big cuts. Then I thought that you probably have in this case something that you couldn’t trust anyone to carry, something precious, probably money for better bargaining on key issues”. (…)
LOL!
I just posted the same link in the Moveable Feast thread!
Very funny.
If you can follow it – it’s in pretty accented English, and a bit rapid -enjoy this link I also posted – Dylan Moran on how ten year old boys birthday parties have changed since his own youth (I think VVP would also enjoy it):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAMtKpOTuM4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Irish genius Dylan Moran here visits Russia and tries standup comedy to a group of English-speaking Russians. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSvw_3nwhbs
Thanks Anonymous.
Made me laugh, he’s clever and intuitive.
Hi Eimar,
I could not understand anything, but just only seeing him made me laugh, with his gestures and flyaway hair.
Thanks.
On the issue of the red suitcase, what do you think there is inside?
I could make a thousand and one jokes about the contents, because I haven’t got a clue.
Maybe some agreement about Syria, granting a greater role to Russia instead of pretending Russia is irrelevant?
What do you think ?
Well, Eimar, I could see that It was a metal suitcase and that was not very new but had some abrasions, so not a typical present.
Therefore, as I am lately in a total paranoid way, the first thing I thought of was:
– Something that must have a good insulation …. ( biological weapon, radioactive isotope ….) Comrade Putin must not touch it nor open it!
But, perhaps it is something with what bargain a little:
– Something from the MH17 plane crash … (recordings, black boxes ….)
Then, as today has done a beautiful summer day, I’ve relaxed a bit and I thought that, maybe, as they like to always offer cookies:
-The suitcase is full of MacNuland biscuits ( but why bring them in an old metal red suitcase?…. )
Hmmm……
New Video ‘Faux-Face’ Technology : http://www.graphics.stanford.edu/~niessner/thies2016face.html
With commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKkuWX406q4
Saker says that “Charles Bausman … had the courage to contradict a fellow American journalist, Michael Bohm, and denounce the propaganda the latter was spewing”.
I do agree with everything what Bausman said (I listened to his statement in Russian), but it is beyond me why would his saying it require any “courage”?
Courage implies taking a very serious risk, a presence of some potential danger to oneself should one take a certain action. I do not see Charles Bausman here risking anything whatsoever by saying the truth.
Agree, real courage would be to say the same in an US TV studio of an US TV Channel or any European TV.
Living in Moscow I can not see any risk either.
For courage that of the people in Europe who are leading and carrying out initiatives in support of Donbass and to publicize what is happening there, with all the twists and difficulties from the official institutions and the media, and besides with the UkroNazis on their heels.
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/print77821.htm
Former NBC producer, check.
Dad was Moscow correspondent for NBC during the cold war, check. (CIA wouldn’t have been doing their job if he wasn’t an asset.)
East coast political family, check.
Sold Russian agricultural investments to foreigners during the 90’s (looting days,) check.
Funds with kickstarter, Money from an oligarch, sells ad space, recruits volunteers, takes subscriptions and takes donations, check. (a profitable combination, not that there is anything wrong with that, just saying.)
Sells sensational click-bait headlines on stories that don’t really fit what the stringer said. (Hey business is business!)
Steals stories without accrediting them. (ask FortRuss)
And then there are the dodgy staff members with connections to Google. Can’t find the link. I read it about a year ago, it’s been scrubbed. (go figure)
There is a fracture in the Liberal Western propaganda architecture. The Neocons VS the old left.
All kinds of leaks, sabotages, back-stabbings, and under the bus throwings are going on. Funny, that. But you must keep in mind they both want to take us to the same place. It’s like watching a pride of lions and a pack of jackals fight over who gets to eat you. Some relief and borrowed time yes, but ultimately not optimal in the long run.
Here is a lovely article about how intelligence operations… well,… operate.
https://niqnaq.wordpress.com/2015/03/22/you-may-remember-george-eliason-a-jew-as-his-name-implies-who-wrote-an-early-and-particularly-graphic-expose-of-the-odessa-trades-unions-house-massacre/
You don’t have to buy it, but the main points about those who control the opposition are self evident from logical necessity.
If the truth is already out there for every fool to see, the control of the narrative is everything. Put up a plucky little site to “expose the mainstream media” and present all the stuff that is being released anyway as your own handiwork, build trust, and steer things as best you can. The usurpation of information is critical.
It is easy to see what is important to them and what is not. And my friends, from that, you can tell where they are taking us, and about how far we are.
Of course you must give folks that are doing something the benefit of a doubt. That is our weakness. People can change sides, see the light and all that. I once met an obvious asset, (I worked in Afghanistan for four years, and Iraq for two, I can smell them, and he also bragged a little) in Crimea, who was very anti Russian. He now blogs and writes lovely moving pro Russian articles. change of heart? Orders to back up a little, and stay put?
Perhaps he’s just a chaos surfer. things are getting gnarly now. Gotta keep on that flat spot and be ready to drop into the tube as it forms.
You must keep in mind there exist professional liars. It is not just their job to lie, it is their nature. Some of these people would lie about what they had for dinner for no reason. It is just how they are, and they are really good at it.
I’ve known evangelists who could give testimony of their conversion, and their experience of God that would touch something deep in your soul that is real, and make you cry. I’ve seen lives changed as a result of their sermons, and then I’ve watched them exploit their converts, steal, slander, and lie for no good reason. Indeed they would do it as a as a matter of course. A normal way of doing business.
Spooks, information operations, psyops, etc. are much worse. The media is lousy with them. (They wouldn’t be doing their jobs if the media weren’t pretty much run by them, would they?)
I appreciate the information being organized and easy to find, and I certainly do not expect purity and perfection, but please. When you look at the whole enchilada, it just looks sort of like something you shouldn’t swallow.
Anyway, that’s my two bits.
Unfortunately, so much truth in this comment.
That is an excellent comment George. Thank you very much.
Hi George, your comment is very interesting and very much in line with the conclusions I’m coming, although I have never worked neither in Afghanistan nor in Iraq, I am a normal citizen with the only peculiarity, if it could be, that I’ve traveled a bit, no more.
I read the long article whose link you provide to “niqnaq” ( by the way, what is this, the letters below seem to be in Hebrew? ) on George Eliason and I do not know if I understand well, my English is not very good, and there are many acronyms that I do not know, but, are they suggesting that George Eliason and this Joel Harding are the same person?
George Eliason I only know him because The Saker published some of his articles here long ago. If I have to tell the truth, his articles always seemed to me somewhat confused ( in fact, once I made some questions about an article talking about the Ukrainian opposition in Canada and the heir of Bandera and he did not answer me …) and I also found it intriguing that picture almost backwards, middle profile with sunglasses announcing his items…. .
In my view, after about two years in these alternative media, mainly in this blog, and the things I’m watching going on, both here and in my personal life, you see, I make balance and do not get the accounts.
In what looked like a twinned community searching for truth and justice, I find almost no trace of all these. Where are the love and the initial feeling? And above all, where the joy, enthusiasm and strenght? And where the solidarity?
Well, we could say, maybe this all was only in my imagination, I can assume this.
But, then, I find it very strange that if one is in trouble, for example, for doing what one thinks is fair or right, one does not find practically support, as would happen in any human community of any kind, where it is clear that not everyone can agree with you but there will always be someone who sees the issue like you.
Then, there are some totally disproportionate reactions to certain comments or certain questions that resemble more the typical intend of character assassination about what the article speaks.
My impression with these alternative media is that it is given a certain sectarian behavior, with a great reception, as if it were a family, but then there is some consensus and a strange unanimity of criteria among a certain group of people in several areas. If you go off the script or you show too much independence of judgment, later or earlier, you fall into disgrace and are out. Thus, we can find, and of this I have been aware by the comments, some people who have been banned in other alternative media and even in other franchises of the same alternative media, or even people working in various alternative media at a time.
Perhaps is all a movie that I have mounted, but these are my impressions.
Also, on the issue about Crimea you are commenting, I can remember reading an article by Auslander, whom I understand an US citizen married to an Ukrainian woman and currently living in Crimea, that he was talking about some US citizens there who were married to Ukrainian women with whom he has relation on terms of expat community and who then flew leaving their wives behind when the reunification of Crimea took place.
In that occassion I was going to ask Auslander about his feelings on this, but for lack of time I did not do it.
Well, I found it very strange that one is living in Crimea with his wife and probably also his children, and, suddenly, because there is a reunification with Russia, which is far better than remain under a Nazi rule, one leaves. My impression is that these guys were, most probably, all spies, can not find another explanation.
I knew one old crazy guy from Amsterdam, a couple of Americans, a few Brits, a German, and a Scotsman there.
The Dutch guy borrowed money from people, then fled. The Americans disappeared, The Scot died. (Pity. He was the only one I liked).
The German had been going to Canada to do millwright work, then had the rug yanked out from under him by the new Canadian trade licensing regulations (Red Seal)
One of the Americans I met was a retired Jewish guy.( A former contract negotiator no less) who told me he was there to “Help the Ukrainian children by helping get more EU and US based NGOs set up”.
I hung out with him and tried to figure out exactly what he was doing, but, he got suspicious and stopped talking about it.
Only one that I know is still there, an old Brit.
The last I saw a group of them was right after the referendum. They were all grumbling about the price increases, and lack of things in the stores. They all greatly exaggerated the problems. I tried to counter their statements and was shouted down. They were mainly a bunch of old retired tightwads who enjoyed the beautiful (and non feminist) women and being relatively rich because they were in a poor country. They had been there a while, and were likely looking for an excuse to move on anyway. Good riddance..
I had thought Auslander’s wife was a German.
Hi George, well, I do not clear up many things but I think I understand what you mean.
I guess I’ll have to investigate further solo.
I hope you continue here, at least it is comforting to see that I am not the only one who sees something strange in all this.
I liked the surfing metaphor:
“Perhaps he’s just a chaos surfer. things are getting gnarly now. Gotta keep on that flat spot and be ready to drop into the tube as it forms”.
I do not know if you knew, but here in Mundaka we have the best left wave in the world:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZkdJu0h5Qs
Andy Irons Trilogy – Mundaka:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTn0dOXtOAA
“Foreword by The Saker: I wanted to share with you a remarkable moment on Russian TV. During the talkshow Special Correspondent Charles Bausman, Editor and Publisher of Russia Insider, had the courage to contradict a fellow American journalist, Michael Bohm, and denounce the propaganda the latter was spewing. Bohm, who is fluent in Russian, is known all over Russia the THE mouthpiece of US propaganda.”
The video looks good, the script looks good, the comments look good but that paragraph says it all – well done Charles Bausman – hurrah! bravo!! encore!!!
Who is this Mr.Evgenii Popov?
Quite true, and growing numbers know the US-Central bankers are behind the moves in Ukraine and the proxy war in Syria. However, the people in most western states (you can’t call them democracies if there is no political choice) are disenfranchised from decision making and the ruling class knows this and so doesn’t give a damn what the people know or think, though they certainly control the messaging as much as possible so as to advert civil disobedience gaining momentum. The western plutocrats have no shame and are playing for keeps. This is why RT, as a Russian NGO, working within the USA is so important in this existential struggle for survival that is taking place on so many fronts.
Thanks Mr Bausman . I am from a foreign country and I see ordinary Americans as rock-solid for the ‘good=ol US op A’. I see no tendency to honour in the general population. You may be a decent person (as RI staffers in general) but you are a strong voice in the alt-media and a non-existent voice in the ears of the ‘goatles’ as opposed to ‘sheeple’. I see no future for America that I would like to be in any way connected with.
Some disturbing news about Bausman and Russian Insider – allegations about misuse of donated funds by an insider
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/bausman-and-fraud-at-russia-insider.html
Consider the source making the claim. I sense there’s more to this. Quite likely flaws on both sides.
Very fine! Honest.
This Bausman issue came to my attention while reading yesterday evening the comments under an RI piece: “Saakashvili Lacks ALL Sense of Self-Awareness.” There an RI ex-mod, I think her name is Isabella, started a discussion about Bausmans behavior, also linking the Fort Russ article from above. Very good discussion. Many people had (disturbing) experiences with Bausman and it became obvious, that he is a kind of dishonest greedy con man or whatever. But it was praised that the comments were not delated. Well, well. It seems that they have now modstaff problems at RI and Isabella was clever to start this discussion in a space that was not suspicious. But eventually it came to the attention of someone. When I looked it up this morning, all comments have been vanished. A pity, that I did not saved them. This whole issue is very upsetting, because it has implications far beyond Bausman. As George and Elsi explained
Peter Lavelle, presenter of RT’s Cross Talk, has exposed Bausman and Russia Insider: http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/bausman-and-fraud-at-russia-insider.html
I also read the article at fort-russ. Actually I think the topic of the shady Mr. Bausmann and his machinations would definitely deserve its own thread at the Saker website.
The article leaves little doubt about Bausmann’s real character. I have been frequenting the Russian-Insider website for a while, and I am not really surprised to hear this.
What is so perplexing with a person like this is that Mr. Bausmann, in his interviews, seems like a really nice guy. This combination – a charming, boyish outward appearance, combined with absolutely ruthless, fraudulent character features, the habitual lying etc., reminds me strongly of someone I once knew.
(After a series of otherwise completely inexplicable experiences with this person I finally came to the conclusion that I had been dealing with what is usually described as a clinical psychopath.)
Nice job (I could only read the translation, I don’t speak Russian).
The key would have been the facial expressions in this interview, by far! A liar can be detected most of the time, even Hillary can be shown when she is outright lying by her body posture, facial expressions and voice.
We are now in the waning days of the end of Empire; we are following, almost to the letter, the fall of the Roman empire. The crash will be loud and bloody; too bad for the sheeple that let it get out of hand.