By Pepe Escobar and first posted at The Saker Blog
Putin’s address to the Russian Federal Assembly – a de facto State of the Nation – was a judo move that left Atlanticist sphere hawks particularly stunned.
The “West” was not even mentioned by name. Only indirectly, or via a delightful metaphor, Kipling’s Jungle Book. Foreign policy was addressed only at the end, almost as an afterthought.
For the best part of an hour and a half, Putin concentrated on domestic issues, detailing a series of policies that amount to the Russian state helping those in need – low income families, children, single mothers, young professionals, the underprivileged – with, for instance, free health checks all the way to the possibility of an universal income in the near future.
Of course he would also need to address the current, highly volatile state of international relations. The concise manner he chose to do it, counter-acting the prevailing Russophobia in the Atlanticist sphere, was quite striking.
First, the essentials. Russia’s policy “is to ensure peace and security for the well-being of our citizens and for the stable development of our country.”
Yet if “someone does not want to…engage in dialogue, but chooses an egoistic and arrogant tone, Russia will always find a way to stand up for its position.”
He singled out “the practice of politically motivated, illegal economic sanctions” to connect it to “something much more dangerous”, and actually rendered invisible in the Western narrative: “the recent attempt to organize a coup d’etat in Belarus and the assassination of that country’s president.” Putin made sure to stress, “all boundaries have been crossed”.
The plot to kill Lukashenko was unveiled by Russian and Belarusian intel – which detained several actors backed, who else, US intel. The US State Department predictably denied any involvement.
Putin: “It is worth pointing to the confessions of the detained participants in the conspiracy that a blockade of Minsk was being prepared, including its city infrastructure and communications, the complete shutdown of the entire power grid of the Belarusian capital. This, incidentally means preparations for a massive cyber-attack.”
And that leads to a very uncomfortable truth: “Apparently, it’s not for no reason that our Western colleagues have stubbornly rejected numerous proposals by the Russian side to establish an international dialogue in the field of information and cyber-security.”
“Asymmetric, swift and harsh”
Putin remarked how to “attack Russia” has become “a sport, a new sport, who makes the loudest statements.” And then he went full Kipling: “Russia is attacked here and there for no reason. And of course, all sorts of petty Tabaquis [jackals] are running around like Tabaqui ran around Shere Khan [the tiger] – everything is like in Kipling’s book – howling along and ready to serve their sovereign. Kipling was a great writer”.
The – layered – metaphor is even more startling as it echoes the late 19th century geopolitical Great Game between the British and Russian empires, of which Kipling was a protagonist.
Once again Putin had to stress that “we really don’t want to burn any bridges. But if someone perceives our good intentions as indifference or weakness and intends to burn those bridges completely or even blow them up, he should know that Russia’s response will be asymmetric, swift and harsh”.
So here’s the new law of the geopolitical jungle – backed by Mr. Iskander, Mr. Kalibr, Mr. Avangard, Mr. Peresvet, Mr. Khinzal, Mr. Sarmat, Mr. Zircon and other well-respected gentlemen, hypersonic and otherwise, later complimented on the record. Those who poke the Bear to the point of threatening “the fundamental interests of our security will regret what has been done, as they have regretted nothing for a very long time.”
The stunning developments of the past few weeks – the China-US Alaska summit, the Lavrov-Wang Yi summit in Guilin, the NATO summit, the Iran-China strategic deal, Xi Jinping’s speech at the Boao forum – now coalesce into a stark new reality: the era of a unilateral Leviathan imposing its iron will is over.
For those Russophobes who still haven’t got the message, a cool, calm and collected Putin was compelled to add, “clearly, we have enough patience, responsibility, professionalism, self-confidence, self-assurance in the correctness of our position and common sense when it comes to making any decisions. But I hope that no one will think about crossing Russia’s so-called red lines. And where they run, we determine ourselves in each specific case.”
Back to realpolitik, Putin once again had to stress the “special responsibility” of the “five nuclear states” to seriously discuss “issues related to strategic armament”. It’s an open question whether the Biden-Harris administration – behind which stand a toxic cocktail of neo-cons and humanitarian imperialists – will agree.
Putin: “The goal of such negotiations could be to create an environment of conflict-free coexistence based on equal security, covering not only strategic weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, heavy bombers and submarines, but also, I would like to emphasize, all offensive and defensive systems capable of solving strategic tasks, regardless of their equipment.”
As much as Xi’s address to the Boao forum was mostly directed to the Global South, Putin highlighted how “we are expanding contacts with our closest partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the allies of the Collective Security Treaty Organization”, and extolled “joint projects in the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union”, billed as “practical tools for solving the problems of national development.”
In a nutshell: integration in effect, following the Russian concept of “Greater Eurasia”.
“Tensions skirting wartime levels”
Now compare all of the above with the White House Executive Order (EO) declaring a “national emergency” to “deal with the Russian threat”.
This is directly connected to President Biden – actually the combo telling him what to do, complete with earpiece and teleprompter – promising Ukraine’s President Zelensky that Washington would “take measures” to support Kiev’s wishful thinking of retaking Donbass and Crimea.
There are several eyebrow-raising issues with this EO. It denies, de facto, to any Russian national the full rights to their US property. Any US resident may be accused of being a Russian agent engaged in undermining US security. A sub-sub paragraph (C), detailing “actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad”, is vague enough to be used to eliminate any journalism that supports Russia’s positions in international affairs.
Purchases of Russian OFZ bonds have been sanctioned, as well as one of the companies involved in the production of the Sputnik V vaccine. Yet the icing on this sanction cake may well be that from now on all Russian citizens, including dual citizens, may be barred from entering US territory except via a rare special authorization on top of the ordinary visa.
The Russian paper Vedomosti has noted that in such paranoid atmosphere the risks for large companies such as Yandex or Kaspersky Lab are significantly increasing. Still, these sanctions have not been met with surprise in Moscow. The worst is yet to come, according to Beltway insiders: two packages of sanctions against Nord Stream 2 already approved by the US Department of Justice.
The crucial point is that this EO de facto places anyone reporting on Russia’s political positions as potentially threatening “American democracy”. As top political analyst Alastair Crooke has remarked, this is a “procedure usually reserved for citizens of enemy states during times of war”. Crooke adds, “US hawks are upping the ante fiercely against Moscow. Tensions and rhetoric are skirting wartime levels.”
It’s an open question whether Putin’s State of the Nation will be seriously examined by the toxic lunatic combo of neocons and humanitarian imperialists bent on simultaneously harassing Russia and China.
But the fact is something extraordinary has already started to happen: a “de-escalation” of sorts.
Even before Putin’s address, Kiev, NATO and the Pentagon apparently got the message implicit in Russia moving two armies, massive artillery batteries and airborne divisions to the borders of Donbass and to Crimea – not to mention top naval assets moved from the Caspian to the Black Sea. NATO could not even dream of matching that.
Facts on different grounds speak volumes. Both Paris and Berlin were terrified of a possible Kiev clash directly against Russia, and lobbied furiously against it, bypassing the EU and NATO.
Then someone – it might have been Jake Sullivan – must have whispered on Crash Test Dummy’s earpiece that you don’t go around insulting the head of a nuclear state and expect to keep your global “credibility”. So after that by now famous “Biden” phone call to Putin came the invitation to the climate change summit, in which any lofty promises are largely rhetorical, as the Pentagon will continue to be the largest polluting entity on planet Earth.
So Washington may have found a way to keep at least one avenue of dialogue open with Moscow. At the same time Moscow has no illusions whatsoever that the Ukraine/Donbass/Crimea drama is over. Even if Putin did not mention it in the State of the Nation. And even if Defense Minister Shoigu has ordered a de-escalation.
The always inestimable Andrei Martyanov has gleefully noted the “cultural shock when Brussels and D.C. started to suspect that Russia doesn’t ‘want’ Ukraine. What Russia wants is for this country to rot and implode without excrement from this implosion hitting Russia. West’s paying for the clean up of this clusterf**k is also in Russian plans for Ukrainian Bantustan.”
The fact that Putin did not even mention Bantustan in his speech corroborates this analysis. As far as “red lines” are concerned, Putin’s implicit message remains the same: a NATO base on Russia’s western flank simply won’t be tolerated. Paris and Berlin know it. The EU is in denial. NATO will always refuse to admit it.
We always come back to the same crucial issue: whether Putin will be able, against all odds, to pull a combined Bismarck-Sun Tzu move and build a lasting German-Russian entente cordiale (and that’s quite far from an “alliance’). Nord Stream 2 is an essential cog in the wheel – and that’s what’s driving Washington hawks crazy.
Whatever happens next, for all practical purposes Iron Curtain 2.0 is now on, and it simply won’t go away. There will be more sanctions. Everything was thrown at the Bear short of a hot war. It will be immensely entertaining to watch how, and via which steps, Washington will engage on a “de-escalation and diplomatic process” with Russia.
The Hegemon may always find a way to deploy a massive P.R. campaign and ultimately claim a diplomatic success in “dissolving” the impasse. Well, that certainly beats a hot war. Otherwise, lowly Jungle Book adventurers have been advised: try anything funny and be ready to meet “asymmetric, swift and harsh”.
An excellent short Article by John Helmer…..
And if Helmer is right then as far as I see things, Putin is simply playing with Zelenskiy as he pointedly says ……. Welcome, come here anytime the door is open! The Donbas? Maybe another time?
The Us would have to be in a rage at their humiliation as Helmer said . ….. The Russians never fired a shot and no one was killed? ….. but in the end everyone else was left flat footed!
That doesn’t mean some serious and spiteful action of retribution won’t happen.
What it means as far as I can guess……… Nord Stream 2 can be completed before the main Act starts. Which means what will Germany do?
Just a Colonial, and what would we know?
“Putin’s address to the Russian Federal Assembly – a de facto State of the Nation – was a judo move that left Atlanticist sphere hawks particularly stunned”. Yes, that is correct. Western centers of power expected hysterics and melodrama on the current situation in the Donbass and wider. What they got was an elegant and deadly reply made in a highly sophisticated way.
To the astonishment of the West, Putin concentrated his speech on domestic issues. He only turned to international matters in the second part of the speech, where no names were mentioned, but where he quite clearly warned that Russia would respond to all provocations and act’s of aggression. Putin’s referral to international matters was brief, dignified, calm and extremely cool. He treated Washington, Kiev and NATO as a cow does a fly; it swung it with it’s tail.
The West got the message. Putin and Russia were not provoked nor bullied by Western sabre rattlings. They are resolving the current situation in a calm and professional way.
And yes, “Both Paris and Berlin were terrified of a possible Kiev clash directly against Russia, and lobbied furiously against it, bypassing the EU and NATO”. I knew this would be the case, as both Paris and Berlin don’t want to see a wider war so close to Central and Western Europe. Both also know that a Ukrainian/Russian war would see chain reactions and the breakup of impoverished Ukraine.
However, I must digress with Pepe that Paris and Berlin bypassed the EU and NATO. I think the opposite is the case. Some very calm and discreet diplomacy was used, where both the EU and NATO were warned that they could not expect any support for a war in the Donbass and wider. I think that both the EU and NATO got the message. Washington probably half grasped the message, still hoping of provoking something, either destabilizing Russia and seeing her broken up, or provoking a Ukrainian/Russian war. As the late political economist Lyndon LaRouche stated, the only thing which can save the US dollar is the breakup of Russia and the plunder of Siberia and the Caspian region. The international situation is now, unfortunately, going to be influenced by Americas domestic problems.
My take on The Jungle Book:
The Jungle is Russia, Mowgli is the leader of Russia, the Wolves are Russia’s special forces, the Elephant is China, the Tiger was Nazi Germany, the Black Panther is Hezbollah/Iran, the greedy villagers who wanted to conquer the Jungle (Russia) and steal her natural resources are the Anglo-Zionists.
Watch the Jungle Book (1942) on youtube:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uClaMgXmAl0
The tiger is Israel or the Anglo Zionists depending on how you slice and dice things, the jackals are the US Britain, et al.
Otherwise agreed.
Interesting about that missile landing not far from Dimona just after the speech. (I am uncertain about the exact timing if wrong please correct me gently ) A gentle hint to those who pull the strings, perhaps?
I had to stop reading the transcript to go to work. Longest days work in a very long time. Putin is certainly playing several leagues above Biden, Boris and Scomo.
Excellent summation of the Putin speech and geopolitical reality vis-à-vis Eagle and Bear.
And I note, written for the Vineyard’s first publishing. Thank you, Pepe.
Read closely, one can comprehend the macro situation of Hegemon’s desperate attempts to harm Russia through the destabilization operations in Belarus (and Armenia, Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, and Transnistria).
Putin has quelled the Ukrainian Donbass baiting to induce an incursion or invasion to rescue the LDNR citizens from Ukie murder, torture, rape and ethnic cleansing. But the big goal is to quell the US from its economic war via sanctions and its cyberwar and infowar aimed at Putin’s government. He offers diplomatic negotiations or extreme retaliation in asymmetrical means if the US continues. It’s the Hegemon’s choice.
This is not over. Neither in Donbass nor at the highest levels of foreign affairs.
Beware of Eurasian Brown Bears with hypersonic missiles, Electronic Warfare systems and a sense of military advantage that already has backed down the vassals, NATO alliance and US command leaders who looked into the array of Shoigu’s ‘toys’ and saw the abyss.
Putin will judge them by their actions.
And he said, earlier on in his speech, that it’s wrong to sneer at bumbling first attempts by inexperienced amateurs; the wiser policy is to guide their efforts towards more productive outcomes.
The reference to The Jungle Book at the end was almost certainly a deliberate hint that, as Pepe Escobar mentioned in an earlier piece, the operation against Belarus was thought to have been led by UK’s MI6. If the Hegemon had not backed down, at least temporarily, then the UK would have been particularly targeted. But this is by no means over.
Nice review by Pepe Escobar.
Not a shot was fired – but not because Russia was the better card-player, but because Russia just threw all the cards away and showed that it was ready to punch in the mouth any attack from any player from any quarter.
We see the same thing happening in the Middle East now, where players (presumably Iran) are attacking Israel and showing their battlefield advantage instead of concealing it. And this is because the tipping point has now been passed.
And I agree with the wonderful Rostislav Ischenko analysis that Dr. Oprisko posted here in a recent thread, that the game on Russia’s flanks is still afoot, and in several theaters. But all of them are already lost. No one is playing cards anymore – there’s no longer a need. The tipping point is crossed.
Everything has tipped, and the Anglo-Zionists are on the back foot. They can advance their provocation up to the red line, and then they can see the danger at the last moment, and turn away in public.
More and more and more of this is going to happen, in more theaters across the world. One day, it’s possible that some field commander will lose nerve or patience and actually cross a red line. The promised response will be fast and final.
And the US and Israel will be able to do nothing about it. Nothing. War is over. Just a few mopping-up battles left. Everybody keep their nerve, it’ll all be okay.
It is still very likely that Ukraine will pull the trigger on all out war on the people’s republics sometime in May or later this year. US agents in control of Ukraine are likely running a fake de-escalation. They would have gamed Russia’s military buildup then back to base while pushing fake diplomacy – and later attack. Zelenskiy can not back up – his local nazi types will likely kill him.
Russian analysts are right to call this as dangerous as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
For Bantustan read Banderistan (3rd paragraph from last).
No. I think he meant Bantustan. It makes sense.
Well.
The composed Biden blinked again. They’re not so stupid at point to implode all the human kind and themselves trying to satisfy his greed and power thirsty.
Excellent, Mr. Putin. The right man, in the right place and in the right time, whit the rigth attitude.
Checkmate.
The coming Sunday morning interviews of Winken, Blinken and Nod, various Russophobic and Pentagon luminaries will be hilarious.😂🤣👍
Winken, Blinken and Nod? Didn’t I coin that one?
“not to mention top naval assets moved from the Caspian to the Black Sea.”
Really? I thought the Caspian was landlocked. The substantial vessels are the corvettes and submarines used to fire Kalibrs from within Russian territorial waters to targets in Syria. Those vessels could be repositioned to put a greater part of east Ukraine within range, possibly as far as Kiev.
apparently there is a canal connecting the two bodies of water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volga%E2%80%93Don_Canal
Seems like some portions might be somewhat shallow, but it must suffice, because the Russians appear to be using it.
Katherine
”Apparently there is a canal…”. In times past children were obliged to learn geography (and history) at school. All children born in socialist countries knew that the Volga-don Canal was hailed as a ‘Victory of Socialism’ over Russian ‘backwardness’. The project of the canal was as old as the 16th century and the first attempts to open it date from the time of Peter the Great but left unfinished for two hundred years. Construction was relaunched before WW2, which interrupted it. It was completed in 1952 with great fanfare.
Once upon a time it was. I’ve forgotten how many decades a canal has existed linking the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea. The Saker pointed it out a few days ago here.
I have translated it into Spanish and posted in the comments section of a very right wing paper. It is an excellenta analisys that must be read worldwide.
Ask for forgiveness in advance.
Great article !
Interesting that Putin brought up Kipling, the author who popularised the Great Game, the geopolitically rivalry between the British and the Russians during the 19th century.
In the end, the Great Game was resolved by carving up zones of influence and creating buffer, neutral areas on the borders. Is this what Putin is proposing to the West?
It is not the first time. There is a clip from his “An Evening with Putin” annual live sessions, form a good few years back – where he referred to a Kipling character in his reply – and turning to the moderator said “I’ve always loved Kipling since my boyhood”.
I was impressed that as a boy he read Kipling, and with understanding. How many English children are even aware a land like Russia exists, let alone has read any of it’s classics. ?
Indeed, it seems among his many talents, Putin is also the master of metaphor.
Hydrophobia, a historic name for rabies (“extreme or irrational fear of water, especially as a symptom of rabies in humans”) is so accurate in its penetration of the malicious cult of death masquarading as neofeudal ‘government’ in the west that hypersonic missile technology is a snail in comparison.
The warning (framing) of any shift to ‘hot war’ is now one of hot-lead self-defence against the spread of rabies.
As for the ‘de-escalation’ — one can assume that the placement of military resources on the front line simply establishes a “slow to mount fast to ride” ethic in preparation for a return if necessary in full kinetic momentum. The tide goes out before the tsunarmi wave arives — “The potential energy that results from pushing water above mean sea level is then transferred to horizontal propagation of the tsunami wave (kinetic energy).”
Believe it or not, the Russians (Chinese and Iranians) are ready it seems. The return of Formosa to the Xi Dynasty; the Straits of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; and the in situ Dimona nuclear reactor (read impending “Chernobyl” home-goal in the Occupied Palestine) provide the push, pull and weight of a post-hegemonic futures triangle in balance of shifting from “possible” to “probable”. And Putin’s classic minimalist tail-end understatement to his long domestic agenda puts the hair-trigger firmly in Biden’s trembling hand.
Whether from Fear, Essential Tremor, Parkinson’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosisor, Putin’s footnote in his “…The Great” chapter in Russian/World history translated here into modern American for the numb-minded sub-educated reads something like this: “From my cold, dead hands” (by Charlton Heston to a previous wannabe US vice president):
“Charlton Heston; From My Cold Dead Hands. Long Version”
https://youtu.be/5ju4Gla2odw
Now take a look at the USA Capital ring-fenced off — not from Putin’s Russia, that post card will come from the sky at hypersonic speeds as if from Zeus himself. No, rather from the domestic “farmers” that consider the stolen election and current usurper to be the core threat. Well, Biden’s hands may well be cold and dead before mid-terms (literally) but if anyone thinks Hindu-Harris and Nacy Pelosi, and of course behind the scenes ‘private email server’ Hillary Clinton, will deliver a system of sanity have not studied the “Witches of Eastwick”.
Putin’s big 2021 yawn and bedtime jungle-book story sets the stage for an interesting summer and fall. NS2 on; Safety catch off; loaded pistol in Biden’s ‘dead white hand’ and Russian roulette the game in town for “The Man Who Came to Play”. The drama scene I’d pick for this moment in time is that Russian roulette set in Vietnam scene in “The Deer Hunter” where John Cazale’s character loses his nerve. Putin is ‘Biden Whispering’.
“Is this what Putin is proposing to the West?”
It seems he is suggesting they tear down the buffer states at their own peril. Remember, the American ‘heros’ only joined the European war in 1942 when it became obvious that, besides IBM helping with nazi prison camp management and the Bush family (et al) financing, the Russians were going to win. The Americans moved to ‘save’ western Europe from Russia with a race to Berlin; not defeat Germany per se.
By turning his back and looking east to China and south to Persia, Putin has effectively painted some ‘invisible’ dotted red lines on Russia’s western borders and directly attacked (destroyed?) the western core psychotic binary of Russia as their eternal arch enemy. Without it the rabies simply runs its course, but not on Moscow time. The west will have to show their metal or find someone/where else to project their sick shadow.
Excellent analysis. Thanks so much.
Loved it! Excellent turns of phrase!
the fatal weakness exhibited by the ruling elites of the west is summed up in two incompatibilites: the lust for power and money to exert absolute dominion over humanity and the total godlessness of the same group.
this is their achilles heel which putin has gracefully exploited. he has demonstrated his willingness to end their physical existence even at the expense of his own in order to deny them the absolute dominion they seek.
if your life is predicated only on the here and now with nothing spiritual backstopping to check your mortal actions, appetites and reactions what putin has shown these people is certain immediate death for them and their families, the one thing all their power and wealth can not over come…. no bunker is deep enough
since he has demonstrated during the past 5 years in syria and in youtube demo videos he has the tools to back up his warning western pr narratives and bank notes become irrelevant to those trying to force russia into submission.
if effect the western elites just found out they have brought a knife to a gun fight which and this disparity was just made clear to them.
I read The Saker and Pepe Escobar, just trying to keep up with what is happening. I seriously do not have a clue, except I have heard there is a Massive Freedom Demo on in London tomorrow, and I want to go.
No Masks
I found this today, and it really cheered me up.
Initially I thought it was crap for the first few seconds, but then it got so much better that after 3 minutes I was crying in tears of Joy.
These Children will fix it. I remember when I was young. I can hear them revving up now on their delivery motorcycles. They are from all over the world in London.
We All just want Peace.
https://video.wixstatic.com/video/553d43_5208b4c64e4f45c09c51bf083d948e89/360p/mp4/file.mp4
Tony
Oh man Tony. That clip teared me up with joy. Thanks.
Its aldo know as leadership lessons from the shirtless guy:
https://youtu.be/hO8MwBZl-Vc
Many of us were expecting the speech of Apr. 21 to be about Russia and the West. It wasn’t. It was about Russia. The question of security against Nato was take up and settled back in 2018 with the unveiling of the new advanced military technologies. Problem solved. The strained political situation verging on hostilities in the Donbass? Unfortunately there’s really nothing to discuss with the West; they’re very hard of hearing. The important discussions that will shape the future are taking place on a routine basis by Russia’s Foreign Ministry with the SCO, BRICs, CIS, CSTO and as well nearly every Asian, African, and Latin American country. The dialogues that matter, that are shaping the future and ought to be reported as the most newsworthy events of our time, go unnoticed in the West. Pepe Escobar, truly the exceptional journalist. (new lyrics set to John Lennon’s ‘Working Class Hero’: ‘So you want to be an exceptionalist; well, just follow me.’ Vocals by Pepe Escobar, Roger Waters on piano, .. ..)
What’s then to do? Ensure the wholesome growth of Russia as a real deal nation, based on families that can count on their political leadership to address the vital concerns of the people. Recall how Ibn Khaldun spoke of ‘group feeling’. Russia is consolidating its existence as a genuine political community, a place where the people are not simply being used as sheep to be fleeced. Compare this to the disintegrating West.
Otherwise what I take to be particularly significant is how Putin puts not just the impressive array of offensive hardware on the negotiating table but even the most important defensive technologies. I presume this means the S500 units soon to be commissioned. That’s the one that upsets the applecart of MAD. That is implicitly equivalent to a major buildup for a first strike. So then what does the Kremlin do? Russia defuses the threat by putting the crucial defensive capabilities on the negotiating table. The implicit diplomatic message is: ‘now that we can foil a nuclear strike – and you can’t – don’t you think it’s time to negotiate?’ I get the idea that real military and economic capabilities are steadily being built while diplomatic signals are absolutely correct. There’s little to be done with Western leaders. The real path forwards is what is actually taking place in concert with the SCO partners and clients. Time favours these partners and their well laid plans.
Especially concerning is the new legislation criminalising any support for Russia. Many commenters have come to the conclusion that war is coming. It could be stopped but it takes two to tango. The best we can hope for is Clausewitz’s ‘friction’ to impede the slippery slope into the abyss.
Sooner or later this will eventually end up in a war, direct or by proxies, however the ultimate sacrificial lamb in that war will undoubtedly be Europe.
Right now its setting up to be the middle east and guess who? Israel.
I hear they have one too many loose cannons over there.
From the Twitz trenches
Glen Grant
@GlenGrant
Apr 23
§Hard nosed political, defence and security consultant working in Ukraine. Prison reform, running coach, orienteer, beer.
§Views and comments are stolen.
§Kyiv
The press reports suggesting “Putin backed down” need to be ignored. What has he achieved.
First the blockade of Azov remains in place.
Second he intimidated USA forcing them to remove two ships from the Black Sea and to give him a summit with Biden.
Fourth he made forward moves in the Arctic whilst all eyes were elsewhere.
Fifth he rehearsed the rail system for a major mobilisation, there will be many lessons there.
Sixth he deployed and practiced battalion groups deploying to the front line including their artillery and logistics ready for war.
Seventh he rehearsed the C2 ready for war.
Eighth he rehearsed the coming together of all the heavy lift aircraft and the parachute forces including loading their armour fully prepped for parachute dropping.
Ninth he consolidated and practiced a new marine landing fleet from ships normally based in three different navy groups.
Tenth he observed the Ukrainian deployment and training,
Eleventh he could assess the strength of resolve of the political class in Ukraine.
Twelfth – much of this deployment remains in place ready to be reactivated quickly and will be improved by lessons learned.
What have we learned in Ukraine from all this and what will WE both in Ukraine and the West change quickly to be better prepared for the next round?
To be honest, while rehearsing capability is good and needed, it is the Empire which learned way more here, because Russia showed some of its hand versus an underhanded dirty player. What the Russians did was needed, but don’t underestimate the Empire and its elitist slaver masters one bit.
Especially when it’s coupled with genocidal religious hubris.
darkmoon, regarding who learned more. one always learns more when coming from a position of strength than from a position of weakness, and we know who is who on those fronts. nuff said.
What Mr. Twitertwit does not realize is that Russia is the master of “Maskirovka”.
Too many Aces still on the deck, and that won´t be cheatin´
The sometimes forgotten element is a civilization change that is attendant in the rise of Russia and China should they prevail both militarily and economically.
If there is one thing the rising powers of China and Russia have in common it is the primacy of the family and the fidelity of respect for the ederly. Putin made that clear in his recent address. Areas such as the many ‘isms’ that proliferate in western society that presently lead to situations where the primacy of the individual are not tolerated.
The cultural disintergration of western education, sexual,moral and ethical standards can run foul of Russian orthodoxy and Chinese religious principles that make the family primary and the state an extension of that family.
For many in the ‘west’ this change will come as an enormous shock and perhaps a defeat of a greater magnitude than a military defeat. That universities may be forced to teach science and maths again without a consideration of any moral elements.
“For many in the ‘west’ this change will come as an enormous shock and perhaps a defeat of a greater magnitude than a military defeat. That universities may be forced to teach science and maths again without a consideration of any moral elements.”
Indeed. Eventually this ‘woke’ phase will be seen within a broader context. Likely a frame that shows it as an intermediate step-down phase from (self appointed) exceptionalism to sub-alternism. The drift (under stress) from mass-hysteria to mass-psychotic schizophrenia (Ashish Nandy 2019 speaking about pre-c19 Indian society) is now well under way in the core of the western identity and hubris. Teaching amoral science and maths again (at least as techne) will be a positive indicator. But don’t hold your breath. Necessity must come first.
However, while the US Fed Reserve prints the $usd away to wallpaper then moral hazard will infect all economic and political domains. In economics, moral hazard occurs when an entity has an incentive to increase its exposure to risk because it does not bear the full costs of that risk (Wikipedia).
Until this issue is addressed, and the US (and other central bank systems) stop paying above the minimum wage for stay-at-home behavior, then everyone is a millionaire. Working backwards from the government’s “don’t leave home allowance” payment at a near-zero bank interest rate to what capital quantum it represents indicates the state of affairs in a former capitalist democracy. “You will own nothing and be happy” is indeed a cynical truism on the level of the French “Let them eat cake”.
Science and maths are not needed when China supplies all your goods and the government all your paper fiat money. How did that old Soviet joke go? … “We pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us!”
Are we there yet? … yep!
We pretend to study and they pretend to pass us.
Where as Pepe:’The “West” was not even mentioned by name. Only indirectly, or via a delightful metaphor, Kipling’s Jungle Book. I think another metaphor might be the baroque that resulted in a 30 year war 1600-1750. So ….
I have upgraded my baroque video that deals with such civilisational culture wars and it features Thatcher, Johnson, 2 Bidens, AOC, Kamala, B.Bardot, Candice Owens, MacEnany, Soros, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hillary, Bush, Madow, Pelosi, McConnel, Psaki and Mona Lisa all as characters in Rubens and other baroque paintings where somehow they do not look out of place. Those students of history who are interested in ‘culture wars’ might find the analogies interesting and just how well the characters fit in such irregular exaggerations.
https://youtu.be/YuZkCGBHv8E
Cheers John!
Unlike Johnson, Putin knows when and what to quote from Kipling. I think one hidden message from Putin’s reference can not have been missed by Johnson : “Remember when you made an idiot of yourself in Malaysia Johnson? Well you just did it again ‘old bean’”
Biden a Doofus?
You have seriously got to see this!!!!
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/politics/why-biden-is-the-perfect-president/
Mind-boggling incredible. No wonder he said about Putin what he said?
Interesting there are those who are rewriting the political jungle in America to!. An interesting essay here by a Russian V.S. Solovyev:
https://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2021/04/25/the-presidential-commission-on-the-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-bring-in-the-shakher-makhers/
This quote is especially telling.
“The central operational coding consists of a “Neo-Bolshevism” that projects a social justice philosophy, but is at its core a fascistic, authoritarian ethno-religious [obsession] that manifests in systematic institutional social predation, including most recently, the roll-out of long-incubated plans that seek to dismantle several traditional Western cultural traditions and replace them with a de facto theocracy centered in…key social controls that isolate and de-socialize public interaction while increasing public economic dependence and cognitive infantilism.”
“a de facto theocracy” or in the words of another feudalism? Yes, this sounds just about right and biblical to because as Christ stated:
“I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.”
Gerry, regarding what armstrong said about natural law being “vague:” just because a concept may be esoteric does not necessarily mean that the concept is vague. and indeed if the concept be true then it is certainly not vague, by definition.
regarding biden’s framing of natural law in the video that armstrong embedded: that was quite illuminating…; it is no doubt quite obvious to all that biden has in no small part been rewarded with the ‘presidency’ due to his decades of faithful service to those who see themselves above the law.
“When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts” (vv. 14–15).
– Romans 2:12–16
as for clarence thomas? boy is he square!
@ reante
Thank you, yes.
‘is he square’ or on the square that is the square of freemasonry, a people who believe themselves to be born better than the rest of us hence their perceived right to rule over? An interesting example I suppose in the picture here:
https://www.henrymakow.com/upload_images/trumppaedophileronaldreagan.jpg
Cheers
@ Gerry
Oh yeah clarence is in all likelihood running interference there.
Dear Mr. Escobar,
I was enjoying your article until it seemed to me to fall off a cliff with “as the Pentagon will continue to be the largest polluting entity on planet Earth”.
I’m a semi-technical guy, trained as a chemist, a sales engineer working with technical, not infrequently defense matters.
Could you kindly explain what your statement means? It went right over my head. Do you mean by using ordinance? By having a nuclear arsenal? This compares to Chinese and other 3rd world coal fired power and destructive use of their water and other resources? The disappearance of Lake Baikal?
Respectfully yours,
Irwin Richman
I would say the largest polluting to all that you mentioned plus huge military oil consumption (more than many countries), large numbers of burn pits burning toxic materiel,widespread illegal use of DU ammunition, biological (SARS, CV19, HIV, etc) and chemical warfare agents (used against Cuba, China, Nth Korea, Vietnam and many other known and unknown locations.
So yes vastly more pollutants than caused by coal fire power plants. And re your little dig at “3rd world” countries; guess what? Some “advanced” nations (such as Australia) burn coal for energy due to shortsighted greed of oligarchs and craven, corrupt politicians.
> from now on all Russian citizens, including dual citizens, may be barred from entering US territory except via a rare special authorization on top of the ordinary visa.
Section 3a of the EO seems to only apply to noncitizens of the U.S. Curious if there is a different interpretation.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/15/executive-order-on-blocking-property-with-respect-to-specified-harmful-foreign-activities-of-the-government-of-the-russian-federation/
In my reading section 1(b)(iii) says that US citizens “ordinarily resident” in russia apply.
Sections 1(b)(i) and 1(c)(i) appear to me to corroborate Pepe’s inference given the existence of dual citizens of the two countries.
Section 3a is as you said.
Hope that helps.
Beware of Germans bringing gifts. Germany successively (and successfully) destroyed every EU country which could have any sympathy to Russia position. From Gencher accepting Slovenia and Croatia as countries in few days, referendum not required, Cyprus and then Greece, finally who do you think was major Maidan financier? The German goals align with US goals, only they didn’t shout about it on the town square.
Putin: “It is worth pointing to the confessions of the detained participants in the conspiracy that a blockade of Minsk was being prepared, including its city infrastructure and communications, the complete shutdown of the entire power grid of the Belarusian capital. This, incidentally means preparations for a massive cyber-attack.”