Dear friends,
Unfortunately, I need to hit the road for two trips these next couple of days and until Monday my schedule will be rather crazy. This post will therefore be a “hodgepodge of this and that” in which I will try to plug a few holes.
Old Ez posted this question:
Saker you should do more – many more! – of these cultural write-ups. The cultural aspect of this war is paramount in my opinion. As an aside, it seems to me that in a situation of acute social dislocation, a married priest is less likely to tend to his flock and more likely to rush home to his wife and children and see to their safety first and foremost. I suppose such an individual would simply be a “bad priest” in the event. In the Orthodox rites, are there any problems with nepotism or hereditary fiefdoms in the clergy/clerical offices?
Alas, I had not time to answer it. Thankfully, a friend of mine who is a Hieromonk (or priest-monk) did, and here is his reply:
A tentative answer from an Orthodox priest-monk (unmarried, by definition) :
That a married minister should tend to his wife and children, it goes without saying (otherwise, how could he be expected to uphold family values?). This should not be a matter of any concern in itself: we can see married professionals in many critical service areas (police, hospital staff, fire brigades and so on) whose jobs are not hindered a bit by the mere existence of their wives and children. If anything, sadly, it’s the family itself that could be somewhat neglected by the necessities of a time-consuming job. Orthodox Christian rites are long, and coupled with attention to many faithful, they do sometimes put a strain on a priest’s family, just as it happens to the families of other committed professionals. That is why the priest’s wife must give an explicit consent to her husband’s ministry, for him to be ordained a priest by his bishop. It also explains why Orthodox faithful are supportive and generally patient with their married priests, when it comes to safeguarding an area of family life and intimacy for their pastors.
We must also take into account that an unmarried priest is not necessarily lacking a family. What about parents or a widow mother, who could be cared about by a priest son in a parish house just as likely as by any other children? What about brothers and sisters and any number of nephews and nieces? After all, the very word “nepotism” comes from the privileges accorded to nephews and nieces. In the Catholic Church, it certainly refers to illegitimate children raised as “nephews” to divert a public stigma, but in just as many cases it refers to actual nephews and nieces of unmarried (and presumably chaste) priests who had a tendency to unfairly promote the interests of their kin.
As for the hereditary clergy, that is an obvious risk, just as for any profession in a traditional society where children tend to inherit their parents’ (and especially their father’s) profession. In itself it is not such a scandal: when we see the son of a soldier, a judge/lawyer, an artisan or a politician taking on his father’s job, we certainly feel no noticeable degree of indignation, although there must be an obvious edge of “unfair advantage” in his training. And a priest’s son is well trained, almost by definition. Whereas a policeman’s son cannot accompany his dad on service, a priest’s son is expected to serve in church when dad is celebrating! This gives literally years of free practice, serving at the altar, in the choir, and in any number of parish activities.
Do we have hereditary lines of priests? Yes, we do. Is this a sign of bad practice? It does not have to be so, but yes, alas, it might degenerate, especially in times of social turmoil, when priests may be overtly protective of their families’ interests (just like many other professionals, by the way). What do we have to avoid this tendency? We have unmarried bishops! We did have married bishops in the ancient Church, in centuries where the office of a bishop was much similar to the office of a present day parish priest. But as soon as the bishop started to have a directing and coordinating role over a large number of priests, the threat of a hereditary directive role was immediately detected – and countered. Admittedly, this system worked well. It has worked well for more than one millennum and a half, and still does not show signs of needing serious repair.
If you have any follow-up questions, please feel free to address them to Father “PM” (as in priest-monk, not his real initials) as I would absolutely love to “draw him in” to this blog :-)
[Sidebar: also, if my memory is not mistaken, there used to be a canonical prohibition against sons of priests becoming priests, but it was later lifted because it proved not to be a problem. Don’t quote me on that – I have not seriously studied canon law in over 25 years now and my sclerotic brain might have imagined it all]
Podcast: I will record it on Monday and try to post it the same day. If I can’t, the ETA will be Tuesday of next week.
Russian silence on MH17: many of you have wondered why the Russians are sitting on evidence. Let me tell you that I would bet the house on the fact that not only do they have all the radar recordings from their military surveillance, but that they also have all the radio intercepts from all the communications between this aircraft and the ATC. I did some work for the Air Force intelligence of my country of birth in Europe and I call tell you that we tracked and recorded *everything*. Even far away from us. And I know for a fact that so do the Russians. So why the silence?
1) Soviet/Russian military culture is totally obsessive-compulsive with secrecy. Russian military intelligence is even worse by several orders of magnitude. Yes, Putin can order them to release whatever he wants them to release, but there will be a lot resistance, foot-dragging and, in particular, arguments of why this might not be the best idea. And they are right because
2) Why reveal your own intelligence and commit a massive diplomatic faux-pas when this stuff will most likely be leaked on its own. I am not referring to public diplomacy, but to real behind-the-scenes diplomacy. Does anybody seriously believe the Russians don’t know about 9/11? That Putin is honest when he calls the idea of an inside job “crazy” (has he did several times). I can tell you that I know for a fact that there are a lot of non-written rules between the US and Russia, stuff which both sides have agreed upon. For the US to have Russia get involved in the 9/11 issue would be seen as a massively hostile act, a provocation of the first order, and God only knows what Uncle Sam could do in response to that. So the rule here is “stay away from m our internal issues” and both sides more or less abide by it even when they pretend not to. The US has a much worse track record on that, but the Russians are old-9fashioned if you wish, there are stuff which they will not do to the US just to embarrass or hurt it. But the Russians, with their gradual leaks, are telling the USA “keep accusing us and we will leak more”. So in “real world diplomacy” these leaks are threats. I am also sure that the Russians are telling the US “look, you botched your false flag, now don’t come crying to us – deal with it, bury it if you want, but don’t come pissing us off with those ridiculous accusations or else more leaks will happen”.
Latin Christians have been very upset at me for bringing up the past. My I suggest that it is for the victim of abuse to decide whether and for how long he/she wants to remind the abuser and everybody else of what she/her had to endure and not for the abuser to tell the victim to STFU?
Nasty comments: The new blog is being worked on, but I want to gradually introduce the same moderation rules here as I planned on the new one. For the time being, you can still see them here: http://10.16.86.131/moderation-policy/ . Please pay attention to rule 3#: “any comment designed to make me angry will make me angry and will be removed in anger“. Just saying… :-P
Oliver Stone: check out his interview with one of the nastiest most liberal, pro-US, pro-Zionist pro-everthingwrongontheplanet reporter in Russia, Vladimir Pozner, here: http://vimeo.com/111675614 (I know, Pozner is smart, and he smiles a lot. He is still a despicable SOB no better than Savik Shuster).
Amazing comparison on Gilad Atzmon’s website:
The next couple of day: I will try my best to moderate as fast as I can. To those angry about the slow pace of moderation I can only say: “sorry, I also have a life in meatspace“
Cheers and kind regards to all,
The Saker
just in.
note it’s PHOTO, not some radar file.
but is it real??
also, links to a site i’ve not seen, russiapost.su?
If the Russians had this footage and were trying to play nice with the US and NATO countries before leaking it, now would be the time they get pissed off and let the rest of the world know they had nothing to do with shooting down that plane.
Yesterday, Russia released radar data that proved a Ukrainian military jet was in the area of Flight MH17 when it was downed. I wonder if someone leaked this to either bolster that evidence, or, if this is a bit of cognitive infiltration of disinformation, discredit it.
http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/is-this-a-satellite-photo-of-flight-mh17-being-shot-down-by-a-ukrainian-fighter-jet/
For the singular definition of ‘hodgepodge’ see US foreign policy. Just saying.
It would be refreshing to read the thoughts of an Orthodox priest.
Rock on VS. You work is vitally important.
Indeed, you are right, sitting on the evidence taken from untop
http://www.1tv.ru/news/leontiev/271824
Preparing the ground in Brisbane for melting any hard stances of the fascists. i want to see how they deal with this,no more shirtfront is seems.
I don’t think I could have asked for a better answer to my question. Thank you Saker and Priest-Monk.
On another note, to your knowledge Saker, is there any truth to this article claiming that on April 12 a Russian Su-24 totally disabled a US Aegis Missile destroyer?
http://wakeupfromyourslumber.com/what-frightened-the-uss-donald-cook-so-much-in-the-black-sea/
Saker, I wish I agree with you on Russian silence on MH17, however there’s something missing …
How can you explain Tony Abbott stance, literally pointing finger on Putin.
Australian media prints a message ( whole page ) demanding Putin to say SORRY.
It seems like some rules you mentioned has been already broken by US.
Ukraine faces economic breakdown as war returns
Analysts say the IMF has repeated the errors made in Argentina and Greece: lending large sums of money to a country charging headlong towards insolvency
The International Monetary Fund faces a fresh debacle as Ukraine burns through an $17bn rescue package agreed in April and spirals into a full-blown currency crisis, with credit markets already bracing for likely default.
The country’s foreign reserves have dropped to $12.6bn, barely enough to cover six weeks worth of imports. Its currency has been in freefall since it became clear that the Minsk ceasefire deal with rebels in the Donbass region was breaking down.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11230053/Ukraine-faces-economic-breakdown-as-war-returns.html
As a Catholic, I have no hesitation in saying that I have never injured any Orthodox Christian, or wanted to. Nor do I have any issues with Orthodox Christianity. I agree with the official Catholic teaching that the Orthodox Church is a true Church with true sacraments and true Apostolic succession.
There is a framed reproduction of an icon of Our Lady of Kazan in my house. I bought the print from a man sitting at a folding table in a passage of the Moscow metro. It was on sale along with Orthodox religious calendars as the Soviet Union was collapsing.
One of my fondest memories of that time is of three cheerful substantial Orthodox ladies who wore crosses round their necks as they prepared lunch for us as we were getting ready for an ecological research trip to the White Sea. Their calm faith was a comfort and a reassurance.
I went all around Moscow at that time telling people I was Catholic, and no one was in the least unfriendly or disconcerted, neither the Orthodox nor even atheists.
The only hostility I have encountered from an Orthodox person has been here.
Best wishes,
Pavel
The first channel showed a photo of the attack on the Malaysian Boeing
http://z5h64q92x9.net/tr-url/ru-en.en/antifashist.com/item/pervyj-kanal-pokazal-foto-ataki-na-malazijskij-boing.html
The article claims that analysis of a high resolution image from a British or US satellite shows an aircraft firing at MH17. The image was analyzed by the Russian Union of Engineers who claim there is no evidence of tampering with the photo.
Interesting vid about MH17 “crash”:
http://www.1tv.ru/news/leontiev/271824
A more detailed report with a video (Russia only)
http://z5h64q92x9.net/tr-url/ru-en.en/mikle1.livejournal.com/4765715.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ5_8azJOBs
The data was analysed by someone at MIT. “Boeing was shot down pursuing his fighter jet. First, the crew fired from a cannon, then the cab was struck by a missile air-to-air, then the right engine and right wing were struck by a missile with thermal homing system”.
Your site do as please and thanks on the update info on MH-17 sounds right to me.
Jim S. here has pointed out a glaringly obvious “problem” with this released MH-17 photo—how the heck did the satellite (and whose was it?) snap it because it just happened to be exactly overhead at precisely the opportune moments?
thos milsats are in LEO, just hundreds of miles up, not way up at the locked geosync altitude of the commercial TV/telecom ones, & thus are zinging around earth every few hours. plus u need many, each in its own orbit, to cover the earth’s surface.
—————————-
Second really big issue here, which would explain why Putin held onto this so long – it proves beyond a doubt that Russia has a perfect hack on American spy satellites
http://www.jimstonefreelance.com/migshootmh17.html
By no stretch of the imagination is 911 an “internal issue” (USA). Israel is heavily involved and so are millions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. When you get right down to it, the entire world is involved – and has been involved to varying degrees, especially various “Intelligence” agencies (Germany in particular).
Anyone who still defends the “Official” explanation of 19 crazed Arabs with box cutters is NOT TO BE TRUSTED! (including Putin). Anyone with access to the Internet should KNOW that 911 was done by the Israelis, in cahoots with their American katzas and sayanim – and that NUKES and ALIEN technology were involved. In addition, NO PLANES crashed anywhere during the 911 attack (Fetzer).
There is NO EXCUSE for ANYONE to continue to COVER UP the 911 CRIME!
Israel denied entry on Wednesday evening to members of a UN commission appointed by the Human Rights Council to investigate possible war crimes committed during Operation Protective Edge.
Members of the committee, often referred to by the name of the lead investigator, Prof. William Schabas, had arrived in Amman before asking permission to enter Israel.
http://www.infowars.com/israel-denies-entry-to-members-of-un-inquiry-into-alleged-war-crimes-in-gaza/
Saker, I have just read that there are 4 Russian war ships off the coast of Australia. I am not sure if other countries have war ships of their coast as well. BUT.. I did wonder several days ago if it was safe for Putin to go to the G20, and I personally wouldn’t trust Australia/US/EU contingents, and would not have been surprised if they tried to “get rid of Putin”. When I heard/saw the ships were there, I wondered if that would be Putin’s insurance – in case anything happens, everyone visiting G20 would be toast? Would love your take on this.
The other thing that I noticed is that Putin is not going to Davos, nor is Mevedev. Do you think that they might have some information that something is afoot regarding getting rid of Russia’s leadership and maybe that’s why they are not going?
Thank you for all you do. I always eagerly check your blog several times throughout the day for any more news and to read everyone’s comments!
Jim Rogers in Business Insider (Soros backed website), so this is amazing:
He’s bullish on Putin, Russia, Russia and China, Eurasia, and knows and talks the truth about Ukraine and Nuland.
Russia
Russian silence on MH17: many of you have wondered why the Russians are sitting on evidence.
They’ve just published satellite photographs, taken by somebody, which supposedly show a (Ukrainian) Su-27 firing a missile at MH-17. Quite definitive, if authentic.
http://www.russiapost.su/archives/37043
http://www.1tv.ru/news/leontiev/271824
Re: MH17
It is easy enough for US-NATO to concoct lies to counter any Russian evidence, so Russia is little if any further ahead by presenting what evidence it has.
Rather Russia is smart to focus on the question of why the evidence undoubtedly in the possession of her accusers is not released: the cockpit voice recording, the Ukraine air traffic control recording, US-NATO satellite and radar data.
The inference is clear: conclusive evidence of Russian culpability is almost certainly not available.
Evidence might be faked, but as the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 have shown, physical evidence rarely settles the argument as it can be endlessly reinterpreted, or countered by further fake evidence.
So no conclusive proof of culpability for MH17 is likely ever to appear in the public domain. That could only happen in the event of total defeat of Russia or the West. But then, in a Nuremberg-type scenario, how much confidence are you willing to place on the evidence of the victors!
Folks just have to make their own judgment as to what is most probable.
One of the things that I like about this blog are people posting links.
IMO Modern education systems are more like youth selection processes.
This is like a chance at ‘free’ learning.
With that in mind, I will remark upon a recent link showing Yulia Timoshenko being counciled in the Rada by a Bishop?Uniat? dressed all in white.
Now, personally I have no interest in organized religion and have NO knowledge of the orthodoxy of the Greek or Russian discipline.
What I do know however,is the deep involvement of all branches of Roman Catholicism in the power structures of all states where it is entrenched.
For those here, who wish to further their understanding of the inter-connectedness of church and state, they would benefit from studying ‘Opus Dei’….this is a global system of both ‘clergy’ and ‘lay’ people.
Also pertinent is the system of teaching introduced by the Jesuits aka ..’Society of Jesus’,
“Give me the child till he is 7 years old and I will give you the man!”
Is this not what is happening in the Ukraine?,now ?.
I have seen the identical processes happening in Israel..right vs left, about Gaza no less!..Jew against Zionist..
“A house divided against itself cannot stand, I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free.”
… Abraham Lincoln 1858
USA.= 49% vs 47 %. the rest?…do not know, do not care.!
UK = a coalition = 49% vs 47 %. the rest?…do not know, do not care.!
Germany = a coalition…= .49% vs 47 %. the rest?…do not know, do not care.!
Greece = a coalition…= .49% vs 47 %. the rest?…do not know, do not care.!..
half their youth thrown on the scrap heap, for the rest of the people to keep what ?,
their jobs! ….what honour is there in that?
The same with Spain & Italy !! …
My preference is for empathy, rather than religiosity,after all is said and done, people in every land, have more similarities than differences.
But the predators always prey upon the differences we percieve …
but we cannot eat anger!
Caveat Emptor !
I don’t think the Ukies shot down MH17….remember the “foreigners” in the Air Traffic Control tower? I believe they were Israelis and that Israelis shot down the plane…Ukies wouldn’t have the “skill-set” nor the mindset to do this job.
I don’t think the Ukies shot down MH17….remember the “foreigners” in the Air Traffic Control tower? I believe they were Israelis and that Israelis shot down the plane…Ukies wouldn’t have the “skill-set” nor the mindset to do this job.
I don’t think the Ukies shot down MH17….remember the “foreigners” in the Air Traffic Control tower? I believe they were Israelis and that Israelis shot down the plane…Ukies wouldn’t have the “skill-set” nor the mindset to do this job.
BRICS & NWO Fully Planned;
also, if u’ve ever been suspicious how/why putin & kissinger are such bestest buddies, answer is in here.
One example of a functional arrangement is the BRICS alliance. It cuts across regional lines and gives form to the dialectic clash between Anglo-American bankers and BRICS bankers which will birth the NWO. Another example is the International Monetary Fund, which will manage the new global reserve currency after the engineered East versus West drama has climaxed.
With the planned structure of the New World Order laid before us, let’s have a look at how the Rockefellers planned to get America to join in.
http://redefininggod.com/2014/11/the-rockefeller-plan-for-the-brics-new-world-order-in-their-own-words/
your quote ” For the US to have Russia get involved in the 9/11 issue would be seen as a massively hostile act, a provocation of the first order, and God only knows what Uncle Sam could do in response to that. So the rule here is “say away form our internal issues” and both sides more or less abide by it even when they pretend not to”
Really?
so Russia is Not wiling to strike when the iron is hot about plane take down jsut ebcause it will anger america-the same america which has insulted Russia and Putin for the same incidence ! and America is not interfering in internal affairs of Russia and downing of plane in Ukraine is internal affair of America?
a height of stretching logic to excuse Russia from her foolish weakling ways.
this is from me , a russophile and sad concerned about out Russia.
I find it maddening that the Russians so often refuse to engage in information warfare when all they need do is say the truth. That’s why I am so surprised by and have made such a big deal about the journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences, called New Eastern Outlook. I was especially surprisd to see an article they did on 9-11, which I speculated was a threat. It is here http://journal-neo.org/2014/10/13/nuclear-threats-enter-the-mainstream
Something uplifting for everyone:
Russian asymetric warfare prompts 27 demoralized US officers to request decommission
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40222.htm
While my heart is in Novorossiya I do think that at this moment the more acute crisis in the fight against the Empire is in Syria. A few excerpts from the link below:
Iranians are manoeuvring so as to tightly link their position on Syria with concessions on Iran’s nuclear program during the negotiations taking place in Oman. The positive moment is that Iran is rapidly creating a modern-day Iraqi analogue to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the core of which will be the anti-American fighters, the “Mahdi Army”. This suggests that Iran does not intend to give up the Shiites of Iraq and Syria to be devoured by the US and Saudi Arabia.
At the beginning of the conflict the Syrian Arab Army numbered 320 thousand, now it is 175 thousand.
When the Islamists of “Dzhabhat en-Nusra” captured a number of areas in the Syrian province of Idlib and went to the Turkish border, of the five thousand men from among the “moderate Syrian armed opposition” sent to confront them, some joined the ranks of the attackers, and some branched off and moved into Turkey. [They are the result of most of the $500 million US spent for training ‘moderates’]
Taking control of the border area in Idlib . . . creates a corridor for logistical replenishment of the created opposition units. They must act under the air support of several helicopters captured from the Syrian army. Although in reality, these helicopters can increasingly serve as a cover for the participation in battles of warplanes of the KSA, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, who now coordinate aerial combat operations at one of the air bases in Turkey.
Washington, despite its anti-Islamist rhetoric, is actively working on the same field as the Saudis. The preparatory phase of aggression against Assad by Saudis and Turks under the guise of detachments of the “new” Syrian opposition has begun.
http://journal-neo.org/2014/11/14/rus-ssha-i-ih-soyuzniki-gotovyatsya-k-vtorzheniyu-v-siriyu/
http://www.1tv.ru/news/leontiev/271824
Russia released pictures of fighter jet shooting at the airliner…?
Is this legitimate?
Russia just released pictures of fighter jet shooting at airliner..?
http://www.1tv.ru/news/leontiev/271824
Is this legitimate?
I am a 68 year old hippie and liberal is not an adequate description. Beyond liberal, I dunno.
I came here for facts about the conflict. I am interested in war.
You appear to be as right wing as the American establishment you so despise.
Too bad.
Well I’m not Catholic but I found your theory on sexual dysfunction in the West to be stupid. If you want to drive away potential friends and allies in the West then just keep it up. Masha Gessen would be proud of you.
Now itar tass has placed the photos as headlines. So, a big slap on their blood covered faces
Now we wait for the presstitutes…
The Russian fleet offcoast of Australia, are officially to protect President Putin.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/vladimir-putin-stations-russian-warships-off-australia-s-coast-ahead-of-g20-1.2835021
No the photo is not legitemate. It is a FAKE, The airline name on the top of the fusalage is in the wrong place for MH17, it is too far forward.
JohninMK
Maybe Russia doesn’t engage in information warfare so much because it has a healthy understanding of what western democracy and public opinion are worth?
The MH17 shooting is, and in all respect of the victims of this crime/murder, is becomed an irrelevant issue thrown out to have sayed something, since the proaganda war against Russia is massive, and sometimes, goes into a hillariously funny articles and proaganda narratives I find simply entertaining,, my new comedy centrall.
Everybody, incl the west knows the Ukies blew this down, and why, since its not cometh forth ANYTHING from the west that backes their initialy yelling about whom did this, there is Nothing.
Exept, an opening in the latest coverup by the Dutch, where the blame is sematicaly twised and obscured anouf to give anyone the opertunety to find something they can use to smear whom ever they want, but stil, we all know that the Juntas idiots blew it down.
I have my selfs seen the front part of the cocpitt, riddeled with 30mm cannons, holes,
thats all I need to see.
I dont even bother to elobrate it further.
Im more conserned about the “offensive” the scums in Kiev is about to start.
I know, we have entered phase 2, and the western MSMs war propaganda is driven further, and the end game is a great war.
I know it comes, thats THE only thing(beside Fukushima) that is downright scary as I persive it, since it can affect the hole europa.
And I even notised, to my utter suprice, that Kissinger is taking to his sensess if there are anything left inside that thruoutly rotten scumbagg of an creature.
Celibacy, was induced in the anicent times, for two reasons. The first, is to break the bounds of reincarnation cycles to this realm/reality, by not having children made by you/wife/husband, an continuation of the second, the primary initial role of celibay wasnt about NOT having sex, that f…. impossible, but to guard and protect what litle life force we all have inherited when we are born, when we are pure energy, not restrained by this world, and this energy must NOT be waisted. Everytime you have sex, you give away a litle bitt of this life force, you drain your body slowly over the years.
if you do NOT compangsate it with good deads, where the enegry is accumulated, witch I have spoken of before, you will end up as a dead heap of meat.
Belive me, your entiry energeic entety is there, try to be and do not have sex for some months, no ejaculations to be presise of sperms, and I can garantee, that you will notise the difference, even your mind and sencess will imporve and so on.
Do you understand.
Otherwise, have a nice vecation, dont think to mutch, enjoy life instead.
peace
Russia is a weakling, yes. Just a couple decades ago, Russia was treated like a colony of the west under Yeltsin. If you get all your blood sucked out, you might be a little anemic too, as you are recovering your health and you are not yet ready to take on a big bully.
Remember, somebody wants Putin to go full Hitler and invade Ukraine, like Hitler invaded Poland. Ethnic cleansing was/is used as a provocation in both cases. Hitler took the bait. Putin is trying not to follow in Adolf’s footsteps, so, yes, he is going to display weakness as long as he can. Nazis don’t like to display weakness for ideological reasons. Russia has no such ideological insecurities and will play possum for as long as possible. If at all possible.
CFR gets expert panel on Ukraine crisis!
MUST READ.
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142345/who-is-at-fault-in-ukraine
My experience in Russia last summer echoes Pavel’s (14 November, 2014 18:50). Our young Russian guides were very religious (covered their heads with light neck scarves in churches, bowed low before the icon in front of the iconostasis, lit a candle there). They seemed appreciative I was too, though Catholic.
Couple of interesting sidelights: one of our tour group was young Greek guy from Tallahassee, who echoed many of your points to our Protestant fellow travelers. (Corrected him gently on some, he wasn’t very learned, just repeating what he’d heard.) He said Orthodoxy was having a new ecumenical council this year, which I hadn’t heard elsewhere, and can’t confirm. Likely some synod of the Patriarchs.
The other interesting things is other, Protestant tour members, had no idea what the Russian crosses were, which they called “those L-shaped things”. Had to explain about the title and foot bars (don’t know the right names.)
As an aside, the Eastern Catholic Churches in this area (the dreaded Uniats) all have married priests, except the Byzantine (Ruthanian), headquartered in the U.S, which the U.S. Latin Catholic bishops have a veto over. The other Eastern churches, headquartered abroad, can do what they wish. Most Catholics I know would have no difficulty with married priests, indeed would welcome them, as sympathetic to their situation. There are also some former Anglican and Lutheran ministers around, who became Catholic priests, but stayed married. Nobody objects.
@penelope–
the Rt has been infiltrated by English spy journalists and jsut as CNN was destroyed by the spy english journalists the Rt has been destroyed as british propaganda department though paid for by the Russian tax payer.1 what a stupid nation Russia is -subsidies british agents against Russia.
The MH17 is probably fake, if it was real RT would be plastering it over their stations.
Russian intelligence knows this is fake and isn’t going to discredit
themselves by using this information.
It’s a fake. The background is taken from Google (same clouds), wrong perspective etc.
It’s a sick and sad world we live in but I have to agree with Canspeccy above:
“
Evidence might be faked, but as the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 have shown, physical evidence rarely settles the argument as it can be endlessly reinterpreted, or countered by further fake evidence.
So no conclusive proof of culpability for MH17 is likely ever to appear in the public domain. That could only happen in the event of total defeat of Russia or the West. But then, in a Nuremberg-type scenario, how much confidence are you willing to place on the evidence of the victors!”
Larchmonter, I never thought I’d click on a link to Business Insider from here, but I’m glad I did, and thanks for it. This is worth quoting. Jim Rogers is all about the smart money. He’s talking as this excerpt starts:
“…To Russia’s credit, Russia has not been sitting around supporting the ruble in any big way. My view of markets is you let them clean themselves out, let the system find a clearing price. To my astonishment, the Russians are being more capitalist than the Western capitalists. They are letting the currency find its own bottom. That will change soon. It will find its own bottom, and then Russia will be a good place to invest.
HB: And you say that even given Russian President Vladimir Putin and his aggressiveness?
JR: It sounds like you have been reading American propaganda too much. This all started with America, with that diplomat in Washington [Victoria Nuland, the Asst. Secretary of State]; they have her on tape. We were the ones who were very aggressive. We’re the ones who said, ‘We’re going to overthrow this government, we don’t like this government, even though it was elected. They are fools and we don’t like them, so we’re going to get rid of them.’ We were the aggressive ones. Crimea has been part of Russia for centuries. If it weren’t for [Nikita] Khrushchev getting drunk one night, it would still have been part of Russia. That election was in process, anyway. Everybody would rather be part of Russia than Ukraine. Ukraine is one of the worst-managed countries I’ve ever seen. Of course people want to get out of Ukraine. You would, too. It’s a disaster. And Russia has been much more prosperous.
Maybe Putin has been overly aggressive, but he has been subject to horrible stress in the West. The State Department says he’s a bad guy, so the American press says he’s a bad guy. They stop looking at the facts. It happened in previous wars, including Vietnam.
The other effect it’s having is driving the Russians and the Asians together. That will hurt us — the US — in the end because the Asians have more money than the West. America’s the largest debtor nation in the history of the world. China has huge assets, as do other Asian countries. So unfortunately, it’s causing Russia to turn more toward Asia. That too will be good for Russia in the long term. There are 3 billion people in Asia. You see the Russians have made this huge gas deal with the Chinese. The Chinese and the Asians have recently started an Asian bank to compete with The World Bank. This whole thing, which we started, is only accelerating bad movements.
These sanctions are not hurting everybody, but they’re certainly hurting Europe, which is driving more and more people to look for competitors to the US dollar and the US banking system. In the end it’s good for Russia. I don’t like saying it. I’m an American like you are. But I have to deal with facts, not with propaganda and not with hope.
HB: What would make you lose faith in Russia?
JR: If Putin suddenly invaded Germany, I would certainly lose faith. If it turns out that Putin is deranged, or other people in the Kremlin are deranged. I was bearish on Russia for 46 years. I went to Russia in 1966 and came away with the idea that this will not work; this cannot work. And only in the last couple of years have I realized that something was going on and changing at the Kremlin. If I suddenly find this is wrong, that this is the same old KGB and the same old Kremlin, then of course I would change my view.”
full story
Putin has stopped fooling around.
Russian satellite photo of Ukraine plane firing missile at MH17
http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/1898627.html
Heads up everyone. It seems that the shoot down image of MH-17 might be a fake.
http://whatreallyhappened.com/content/hd-satellite-image-alleged-ua-fighter-attacking-mh17#comments
Off topic, but TERRIFIC if true!
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20141115/1014755039.html
The article says:
MOSCOW, November 15 (Sputnik) – The Ukrainian and Russian heads of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) have agreed on a draft schedule for gradual disengagement of forces along the line of contact in southeastern Ukraine (Donbas), the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has said in a report.
“The SMM met the Ukrainian and Russian heads of the JCCC, who said that the two of them had agreed a draft schedule for gradual disengagement. The draft document, which they signed at the end of the meeting, proposed three phases: a ceasefire (two days); withdrawal of heavy weapons (five days); and disengagement of forces to the line of contact referred to in the Minsk Memorandum (21 days),” the report said.
“Earlier that day they had started to discuss the plan with members of the “Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)”,” the report, released by the Organization for Security and Co-Operation (OSCE) Friday, added.
Novorossia needs to restore a lot of infrastructure quickly, and this is giving rise to some revolutionary thinking in the area of civil engineering. From another great piece at Fort Russ:
Devastation breeds innovation
It may well be that Novorossia has no choice but to implement the most advanced and innovative technologies in construction, infrastructure, energy and transport. There is such a concept as ‘closing technology’ – innovation category which reduces the need for resources, including human.
Usually, the introduction of such technologies is hampered by the inertia of the existing technological and raw resource order. As well as the interests of the elites, whose power is based on the use of specific technologies and methods, and maintaining the status quo is one of their main priorities.
The situation in Novorossia is in all senses unique. Leaders are emerging, who are aware of responsibility for fellow countrymen, and want to restore normal life in the region as soon as possible. Representatives of regional Ukrainian elite had largely lost their clout due to objective political and economic changes, and the awakening of public consciousness.
One can frequently hear the opinion that the future Novorossian state will be free of oligarchs, and therefore maximally free of economic and technological barriers of monopolies and corporate solidarity, expressed in the conscious torpedoing of threatening breakthrough developments and ideas.
Newborn, but not yet a state in the full sense of the word, Novorossia has become an ideological and philosophical phenomenon, as the place where a new Russian identity is forming. Under favorable circumstances, a new mentality and new conditions in Novorossia may become a starting point for implementation of those industrial, technological and economic innovations that have not yet pushed their way to life in more stable – and therefore risk-averse of innovation – regions of the Russian world.
One last link. More from Kristina Rus, a translation of a Russian journalist on his Facebook page – talking about the Ukrainian blitzkrieg against Novorossia that just happened in the last few days but no one talked about.
I’m not military and I’m not wired into any of the sources, but there are plenty of people here who know about these things. I’d welcome your comments.
The fact of the story is that Ukraine mounted an offensive but got shelled into the dirt by NAF before it could even get any traction. The heart of the story is that no one talked about the event, each for different good reasons.
Odd. We had heard a fight was going on, and then nothing.
The failed Ukrainian blitzkrieg that everyone failed to notice
Excerpt:
“The world today is constructed so that the most important events may happen and no one will tell you.
Here it happened – and silence.
Kiev will not tell, because they lost and blitzkrieg failed.
Moscow will not tell, because it has nothing to do with it: what blitzkrieg? What are you talking about? We don’t know anything.
Ukrainian soldiers will not tell you about it, because their motherland will not ask them. But when I talked to Ukrainian prisoners taken near Mariupol – during the last offensive when some unknown “polite people” have walked two hundred kilometers in a couple days, as through butter – prisoners spoke courageously, openly and frankly: we did not see any enemy – the Russians bomb in such a way, that there is nothing left of any fortification: when the Russians come – we are no longer there.
The United States will not tell, because they are constantly bummed out about Poroshenko.
The militia will not tell. They have enough worries. They’re not very talkative.
In the end this whole story – sort of didn’t happen.”
~~ AND ~~
“The day after tomorrow Poroshenko will order to assemble fresh units at the same place, and will try to repeat what has failed today. He has a lot of people left in the country.
Just one thing: Poroshenko is lying about peace, lying, as he lied before. He just realized that at this point in the event of a real confrontation, his army could fall apart and open the way to Odessa and Kharkov.”
The Walls: keeping Europeans in is not the same as keeping Middle Easterners out, the wall height has been modified accordingly. Here are some Mexico-USA border jumping videos for reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHjKBjM1ngw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfVENwfeGHw
Hi Old Ez, I think I can make an effort to answer your question about the infamous ‘Su-24 disabled USS Donald Cook incident’.
My guess is the Saker and certainly others with military backgrounds will be quick to dismiss it as propaganda. But this discussion thread at the blog of the American writer living in Italy Theodore Beale has a very balanced discussion in spite of some usual trolling. In particular, several Navy or self-proclaimed former Navy men say any Russian fighter disabling one of the most powerful non-ground based radars on the planet is impossible. And they have a point. From a conventional physics perspective, no jamming or jumping across frequencies by a SU-24 pod could match the power of the USS Donald Cook’s computers and SPY radar for more than a few milliseconds. Alternative explanations involving direct energy EMP would necessarily invoke physics far above and beyond the pay grade of anybody we know of who contributes to the Saker forums.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Beale
http://voxday.blogspot.com/2014/11/3gw-at-sea.html
Nonetheless, one of the commenters at Vox Day brought up an intriguing point — what if instead of overpowering or zapping the AEGIS radar, the Russian device merely ‘hacked’ it? That could imply that perhaps someone — maybe the ChiComs, maybe a certain country in the southeastern Mediterranean with lots of Russian speakers — got access to some of the Navy’s holy of holies when it comes to ELINT secrets. Thus Russia revealing such a capability, if it was acquired through espionage (at least a temporary ‘off switch’ or ‘hack’ of the ship’s computer systems, not the radar itself) would be a big deal in the intel world as Russia may essentially be admitting that its hackers’ or another high brainpower intel service (Israel, China, or even Brazil or France?) figured out, bought or stole an AEGIS vulnerability.
http://voxday.blogspot.com/2014/11/3gw-at-sea.html#c7709774448330246738
Think of it as like the NSA’s ‘zero day’ exploits they were constantly bribing Microsoft and other software makers to leave into the software. Now consider also that the People’s Republic of China is providing many of the electronics that go into our country’s most advanced weapons systems and suddenly it doesn’t look like such a nutty conspiracy theory or piece of GRU disinformation after all, does it?
http://voxday.blogspot.com/2014/11/3gw-at-sea.html#c7769027255523191277
Alternatively, maybe it was a ‘bug zapper’. The Russians were always damn good in high energy and plasma physics, don’t think during the Cold War all of the espionage for weapons secrets only went in one direction from West to East.
PS I don’t endorse Vox Day’s racist views. But he is a highly intelligent writer, which can be disturbing depending on your point of view.
Pavel said, “As a Catholic…”.
Ditto.
The great schism has lasted centuries, preserved by strictly institutional intransigence not personal resentment, or by what might elsewhere be called fanaticism. Fanaticism is the violence needed to sustain faith that is otherwise unbelievable. So okay:- the filthy Vatican run by filthier Jesuits just plain hates Russia. So down periscope; let’s just leave the schism theatre—UNTIL the Theotokos, the virgin Mother in God’s perfect justice confers sufficient graces upon the Russian hierarchy to call the whole thing off. My money is on Patriarch Kiril, acting imminently).
Saker, stop the buggarising around and set that beautiful saker falcon pic as your logo, upper right or reverse the image. It is inspired; it is you and it is us.
I wonder if the link to this video has already been posted – well if so no harm doing it again.
Strelkov in this interview asks Russians to leave behind their political differences and unite to give aid to Novorossia. Nov 13, 2014, translated by Kazzura.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9uJ6QAoG5w
If I recall, the East Germans had “kill zones”, barbed wire, rolling bars, and AP mines on either side of their wall, and the guards had shoot-to-kill orders, oftentimes.
I’m sure if the PLA/Hamas would agree to mimic the East Germans in terms of restraining their own people, the Israelis would dismantle their wall.
about the russian service silence on MH17 data : they have data about UA or crazy batalion involved so leak this data would be innocent US. Until, there is a doubt about US guilty.
Public masturbation deemed acceptable in polite society.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30066800
Why now? Why has Russia been withholding evidence?
Russia released radar images of a fighter attacking MH-17 immediately after the shootdown.
How could a satellite be in exactly the right place at the right time?
US has a launch-detecting satellite in stationary orbit over Ukraine. (See “stationary orbit” in Wikipedia.) Modern surveillance technology is beyond science fiction. For instance, Russia recently unveiled its electronic attack capability by making a few passes over a state-of-the-art US reconnaissance ship and left it with all its electronics dead in the water.
Why would US and Russia have a tacit agreement not to release proof embarrassing to the “partner”?
For the same reason neither launched ICBMs. MAD. Mutually assured destruction.
Strelkov is for unity (do what I say, not what I do) and solicits aid to be controlled by him.
No comment.
For those who like Mozgovoi, who is collecting for orphans:
Donations:
For transfers in Russian rubles (RUR):
Recipient: Foundation “His not throw”
Account number: 40703810438000000241
Beneficiary Bank: OJSC “Sberbank of Russia”, Moscow
BIC: 044525225
Cor. Account: 30101810400000000225
Currency code (if required): 70100
INN: 7728402580
GB: 772801001
Purpose of payment: For charity.
For transfers in US dollars (USD):
SWIFT-code: SABRRUMM
Bank: SBERBANK of RUSSIA
City: MOSCOW
Account Number (IBAN): 40703840038001000018
Recipient: Fond “Svoih ne brosaem”
Address: Moscow, Akademika Vinogradova 1-270
For transfers in Euros (EUR):
SWIFT-code: SABRRUMM
Bank: SBERBANK of RUSSIA
City: MOSCOW
Account Number (IBAN): 40703978338001000017
Recipient: Fond “Svoih ne brosaem”
Address: Moscow, Akademika Vinogradova 1-270
Speaking of Mozgovoi, there’s a leak from “Secret Forum” that Strelkov agrees Mozgovoi is incompetent but thinks the correct response is not to give his armaments to people who need them and will use them better but to prop Mozgovoi up with Russian advisors.
And thinking of people who could use them better, it is alleged (by Strelkov & Co.) that the airport is a worthless meat grinder where good men are being sacrificed for a no-value trophy. (To which Givi says “That’s bullshit! This bullshitting has got to stop.)
Thinking about that, the airport is on the outskirts of Donetsk city on high ground and has elevated launching pads for artillery. If the Ukrs had it, couldn’t we kiss Donetsk goodbye? (Just me, can’t read a map to save my soul.)
Latin Christians have been very upset at me for bringing up the past. My I suggest that it is for the victim of abuse to decide whether and for how long he/she wants to remind the abuser and everybody else of what she/her had to endure and not for the abuser to tell the victim to STFU?
It is one thing to say certain things happened. It is another to blame people and throw hate on people who had nothing to do with it (and in many cases are not even aware of it). You “victims” are so innocent are you, still bashing innocents today for ancient history?
Or is it like Israel, “entitled” by one event to forever claim the most obvious egregious murders as “self defence” ?
It is plain wrong to blame people for things they didn’t do, in any field. If the wrongs were by an organisation, even AT THE TIME many members would not have been to blame (or even in the know). Russians in the KGB used to torture people. So that makes all Russians torturers?
If the past is to define everything, to the extent that no change is impossible, we are wasting our time analysing the world looking for what’s happening. Nothing is happening, it is all frozen in the past.
American Kulak:
Thanks for Thomas Cooke info. I see I have some work to do; just what I need.
Blogger greencrow said…
I don’t think the Ukies shot down MH17….remember the “foreigners” in the Air Traffic Control tower? I believe they were Israelis and that Israelis shot down the plane…Ukies wouldn’t have the “skill-set” nor the mindset to do this job.
Where did these Israelis come from?
Nobody in the control towers could have done the shooting, so any supposed foreigners there proves nothing.
If actual Israelis did it WITH AN ISRAELI PLANE there would need to be some trace of such planes flying in, which the countries they flew across would have noticed.
If you’re just saying it took the skills of an Israeli pilot to to do it, that does NOT MEAN THE ISRAELIS DID IT. A government is not responsible for the actions of its individual citizens. Even if a pilot was lent officially, the blame is still with the government that ordered the job done.
So pleased all of you guard against the real tin-foil-hat conspiracy rubbish. If you offer an idea please explain how it fits with what else is known.
Minsk One all over again?
I don’t think it’s so terrific. It has been proved to my satisfaction that Ukraine is immovably set on ethnic cleansing the Donbass and ceasefires mean nothing to them but an escape from a tactically disadvantageous position. “See you later.”
It’s going to be deadly for morale if the NAF give up a lot of ground to pull back to the original ceasefire line. I think the oblasts’ borders should become the minimum objective if the Ukrs are in such a bad position they have to fake peace.
Grieved, thanks!
If would help if there hadn’t been a total blackout on news about the war. On the 7th Givi gave sitrep on a major engagement on the 6th, with close to 200 Ukrainian casualties, close fighting, no friendly casualty figures. Then, silence. Everybody saying, “ho, hum, nothing on the war front.”
Minsk One all over again?
I don’t think it’s so terrific. It has been proved to my satisfaction that Ukraine is immovably set on ethnic cleansing the Donbass and ceasefires mean nothing to them but an escape from a tactically disadvantageous position. “See you later.”
It’s going to be deadly for morale if the NAF give up a lot of ground to pull back to the original ceasefire line. I think the oblasts’ borders should become the minimum objective if the Ukrs are in such a bad position they have to fake peace.
Grieved, thanks!
If would help if there hadn’t been a total blackout on news about the war. On the 7th Givi gave sitrep on a major engagement on the 6th, with close to 200 Ukrainian casualties, close fighting, no friendly casualty figures. Then, silence. Everybody saying, “ho, hum, nothing on the war front.”
@Kat Kan: It is one thing to say certain things happened. It is another to blame people and throw hate on people who had nothing to do with it (and in many cases are not even aware of it). You “victims” are so innocent are you, still bashing innocents today for ancient history?
Did I ever blame every single Latin Christian for the past? Of course not! At most, I blamed them for a) denying the past b) telling me to shut up. But not for what has happened. Why are you deliberately twisting my words?
Russians in the KGB used to torture people. So that makes all Russians torturers?
I am Russian and I am not guilty of what the KGB did because I FOUGHT the KGB, they even threatened to kill me once, because I always denounced what they did, because I never defended or justified their murders and horrors. But if I had denied it all, or justified it ad majorem Dei gloriam then yes, I would be guilty of their acts too, at least a an accomplice after the fact.
Show me a Papist who spent his life fighting the lies and atrocities of the Papacy and I will show you an man innocent of these crimes. The name of Bartolomé de las Casas immediately comes my mind. I very much doubt that a man of his integrity would have celebrated a mass in honor of “Saint” Josphat Kuntzevich…
I am baffled by your post and I wonder. Are you even aware of how intellectually dishonest you comment is or did they beat honestly out of you so successfully that you have forgotten what it is?
The Saker
@VINEYARDSAKER @English >> You “victims” are so innocent are you, still bashing innocents today for ancient history?
>>Did I ever blame every single Latin Christian for the past?
I am pretty sure that this ‘you “victims” ‘ was directed at an issue in general, and not at somebody in particular…
Thanks for the info American Kulak. I will definitely check out Vox blog. The term “racist” is generally a shibboleth and only has whatever meaning its wielder imputes to it.
At last, the Blessed Kazzura and a new Givi sitrep.
On the 12th, Ukrops stormed the airport with 4 tanks, BMP, APC, yellow bus and 2 Kamaz trucks full of airborne.
Two tanks got away.
В отличии от католицизма где целибат был введен по соображениям доктрины веры (женщина – сосуд дьявола и т.д.) в православии целибат среди чернецов был введен именно для противодействию непотизму среди старшего духовенства.
DON: I’ve never been able to post an image here. What’s the secret?
Did I ever blame every single Latin Christian for the past? Of course not! At most, I blamed them for a) denying the past b) telling me to shut up. But not for what has happened. Why are you deliberately twisting my words?
No, you just ranted 15 lines about how catholics “go berserk” over this or that, in response to a single line which had no berserkey in it at all. A bit of projection there, I think. You didn’t blame every single Christian, just the few who were talking to you.
I am Russian and I am not guilty of what the KGB did because I FOUGHT the KGB
This is not about you, Saker. It is about to what extent people are responsible for actions they did not participate in, principally actions that took place in the PAST.
If we’re talking of recent past, ie within living lifetimes, what about all the people who DID NOT KNOW what was being done? what of those who put their responsibilities to their own families ahead of making heroic gestures that were liable to get them killed?
What of those born since who have not been taught what went on? what of those who don’t even know there WAS anything they could maybe investigate and find out about? and if they do find out, how can they be in any way held responsible?
People grow up in the country, the culture, the religion, that they happen to grow up in. It is a given, not a choice.
In all three cases, there is bound to be something evil that country, that culture, that religion once perpetrated. They will NOT be making great efforts to tell everybody about it, if for no other reason that they are ashamed of it, are no longer doing it, no longer approve of it, they have CHANGED.
Nobody can undo what a happened back then. But today’s haters can learn to shut up and stop THEIR hate that is happening today.
Show me a Papist who spent his life fighting the lies and atrocities of the Papacy and I will show you an man innocent of these crimes.
You say you are not blaming today’s people for what happened. But now you say they are not innocent of what happened UNLESS they are constantly fighting it?????? you can’t have it both ways. They certainly feel you are blaming them, that’s why they say to shut up.
You have strange ideas about innocence. By this argument, if there is a murder in my street, I am guilty of it????? even if I don’t know about it? even if I heard about it but didn’t do what? a protest march against murder? if the murder was before I was born, should I refuse to live in the street out of protest? otherwise you will blame me for the killing?
Actually what hit me in the solar plexus about that whole “religious rant” thread was the absolute absence of analysis in it. It could have come right out of any American fundamentalist right wing redneck site. All of it is factually wrong; none of what you deplored in it was caused by what you said it was…blaming “the Papacy” oh dear, for things happening all over the world also in places that haven’t even heard of papacy.
But everyone’s entitled to make mistakes. Maybe you got hacked. Maybe drinking Florida water has got to you. I was going to totally let it go until the “stop trying ..to murder us” comment. In the present tense. For 1000 years ago. As if all conversions to orthodoxy from paganism were unforced. As if orthodoxy never had schisms and nobody was ever killed in them.
Well, the SUBMARINE story explains a lot. It shows helplessness in the face of overwhelming repression. The naked paranoia of that “murder us” comment. It also shows the vision that MANY MANY OTHERS are in the same situation. It shows hope for creating a better world by working together. Perhaps that implies looking to the future, not screaming about a distant past?
A Russian speaker on the Rada’s removing official status for Russian. I have been underestimating this as an issue. The passion and pain are profound.
===========
Advisor to the President of Ukraine, a prominent activist, leader of the volunteer movement for helping the army “Wings of the Phoenix”, Yuri Biryukov, announced that he had lost the will to fight.
“I didn’t give up on Maidan that night… I didn’t give up when my team sat in the cauldron in sector D and there was absolutely no hope. And they starved and died. Did not give up when the volume of aid fell sharply. Yes, and in many other situations – I had to revive myself, shake friends and colleagues, support the boys.
But today I gave up. Not only that, according to ‘Svoboda’ I support the occupiers, because I speak Russian. But damn, a lot of people, it turns out, sincerely believe that.
But ‘Svoboda’ has taken away my freedom of choice of language: it turns out that I am now for Russia, yes? And my boys from Nikholaev airmobile brigade – they are mostly Russian-speaking… And paratroopers of 25th airborne. It turns out we all support the invaders. And many many millions of Russian-speakers – we all, by the decision of ‘Svoboda’, support the invaders. Something like that.
Now I really gave up… And not because of ‘Svoboda’ – after ludicrous antics of Farion it was difficult to perceive this organization seriously. But because people in the comments have confirmed that they think the same way. That our level of patriotism is determined by what language we speak. And if you speak Russian, you are not a patriot. And Ukraine is not your love.
Is this what we are fighting for? So we wouldn’t have freedom?”
http://vesti-ukr.com/kiev/77525-v-bolnicah-kieva-zakonchilis-shpricy-i-eda
KIEV hospitals out of drugs, syringes, basic first aid stuff, even running short of simple saline solution ; ambulances have enough fuel for another 2 weeks. Government shrugging its shoulders (seeing the drug companies have refused too supply any more on credit).
====================
http://www.gazeta.ru/business/news/2014/11/15/n_6653349.shtml
” …President of Ukraine Poroshenko instructed the Ministry of Energy for a week to think about the purchase of electricity in Russia to save their own fuel. On it informs RIA “Novosti” with reference to the decree of the president.
“Ministry of Fuel and Energy … develop within a week to reduce the use of natural gas and fuel oil domestic CHP and CHP issues of import of electricity from the Russian Federation for its delivery to consumers”, – stated in the decree.
Earlier Poroshenko also ordered the government to study the issue of the transfer of all power consumers to prepay on December 1…”
HAHAHAH I can just see Russia giving them electricity on credit. I can also see Ukrainians with no jobs and less and less food, but dead missing sons, starting to prepay for their power. HAHAHA
============
Ukrainian Prime Yatsenyuk expressed confidence in the ability of the country to win the military conflict. The corresponding statement, as reported UNN, he made a broadcast talk show “Freedom of Speech”.
“I have all the inner ambition to prove that Ukraine is able to win the war, able to withstand and Ukraine, not in words, but in fact able to be a European state”, – said the head of government.
whole story is similar junk so not posting the link
============
http://lenta.ru/news/2014/11/15/president/
Prisoners in ATO area prisons will be released and most offered amnesty. (possibly on condition they join the army????) This is assuming of course that Kiev still has any control over these prisons and/or the prisoners are not already fighting on the separatist side (seeing it was them who provided food for the prisons).
As we already know, pensions for Donbass area will be stopped, no more traveling outside to collect. The funds thus saved are supposedly put towards paying for gas and electricity Kiev will generously supply to Donbass.
=================
http://lenta.ru/news/2014/11/15/donbass/
Joint Center for Control and Coordination Agreed on a preliminary version of the sequence of withdrawal from the conflict region in eastern Ukraine. On this Saturday, November 15, Tass news agency reported with reference to the daily report of OSCE observation mission for November 13.
“Ukrainian and Russian heads of the center reported that the agreed project schedule gradual withdrawal of troops and began to discuss it with representatives of Donetsk People’s Republic”, – quotes agency the OSCE observers.
The plan is designed for 28 days. It involves a two-day truce, then five days is given to the output of heavy equipment. Another three weeks will take, according to the document, the separation of opposing forces in accordance with a memorandum of Minsk.
===========
http://lenta.ru/news/2014/11/15/plotnickiy/
Both republics of course call all the above genocide.
Just saw that interview with Oliver Stone by Pozner. Oliver Stone came off very thoughtful and informed, whereas Pozner seemed more interested in trying to seem informed/intelligent and reading through his list of questions (many of which were not thoughtful or interesting at all). Is he a popular interviewer in Russia? I’ve seen all of Oliver Stone’s episodes of Untold History of the US… it is really a “must watch”. People here (in the US) have no idea what the gov’t is/has been doing other than what the main stream media says… which is gov’t propaganda for the most part in my opinion.
Keep up the good work.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2834673/White-Widow-alive-living-jihadist-al-Qaeda-husband-Somalia-Kenyan-spies-say.html
Well of course it did seem rather unrealistic. The White Widow apparently is not dead.
Makes sense,what the heck would she be doing in Ukraine?
The neos do have a few women, true.
Kat Kan
You’re going to be history in these comments if you continue to be rude to the host..the great host of this blog, Vineyard Saker….
See ya’ later alligator….yer bitin’ the wrong target
Ukraine to withdraw from European Convention on Human Rights
a) ensure in accordance with Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights within a week:
a declaration on behalf of Ukraine addressed to the Secretary General of Ukraine to take on certain territories in the area of counter-terrorist operation in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions because of a public danger threatening the life of the nation, measures derogating from its obligations Ukraine by the European Convention on Human Rights;
They are moving out all offices and staff, building up to wiping out everyone who stays.
Do they really think withdrawing from the Convention will stop it being a war crime??
http://www.president.gov.ua/ru/documents/18445.html
in Ukranian.
@Ann
I love the Saker. I would not bother discussing with him if I didn’t. I feel he knows this.
Read it again, it’s to start a line of thinking, not biting. He’d hate it if his blog turned into a bunch of sycophants. He’s an analyst, not a cult leader.
All the same, It’s good to see someone sticking up for him. Cheers.