Wow! This has been quite a week for me. It all began soon after I published my rather long analysis “1993-2013: is the twenty years long “pas de deux” of Russia and the USA coming to an end?” which I wrote last Friday and published on Saturday morning. The funny thing is that I had originally only intended to deal with the issue of “Putin and public opinion at home and abroad” but before I realized what was going on I ended up spending an entire afternoon writing.
But what then truly astounded me was the response to the article:
Not only was the piece pick-up by Information Clearing House and Tlaxcala (which also translated it into Portuguese), it was also noticed and recommended by Pepe Escobar on his FB page and soon published in the Asia Times Online. Even better, the kids folks at the Asia Times offered me to write an “occasional column” for them. I immediately accepted their offer as I have a great deal of respect for the Asia Times Online (and, of course, Pepe really rocks!).
But most amazing of all, what the outpouring of support which I have receive in the past week from, literally, all over the world (one email from as far as Tasmania!). I never expected that this piece would generate such interest or such enthusiasm. Clearly, I had totally underestimated the amount of people which were interested in understanding the complex phenomena which occurred in Russia and the USA over the past two decades!
So, first and foremost, I want to give everybody a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU!! for all your expressions of support. Though I think I have answered every email I got, I want to repeat here again that I am very touched and grateful for all your kind words and that this deluge of support is a huge encouragement for me.
Second, I have been inundated with requests to be included in my mailing list. Here I want to explain something basic: this is a *very* low volume mailing list which I use for only three purposes:
a) to draw the attention to a specific article/post which I think could elicit an interesting and lively conversation
b) to send out some article/document which I don’t want to publish on the blog
c) to send out a personal announcement of some kind.
That’s it. Please do not expect much more from this really very humble and low key mailing list.
Lastly, I want to say that I am becoming cautiously optimistic about the future of the resistance to the Empire. If anything, the past week has showed me that there are far more people who care than I had ever imagined. I guess that the cracks in the Empire – be in it Syria or at the Fed – are becoming more and more apparent. Equally apparent is the steady rise in power and coordination of the BRICS, SCO and CSTO countries. Real and profound changes will probably yet require another couple of decades, and the Empire still has a lot of power left in itself, but the general trend has now reached an irreversible momentum. In that we can all rejoice and find hope.
Many thanks to you all, kind regards and peace,
The Saker
Thanks to Atimes I was able to discover your blog. I was immensely pleased. I wanted to leave a comment but I found out that there were already 60, most of them saying whatever I would have said myself. So I limited myself to spot the inevitable hasbaratchik. And guess what? There he was on the breach shooting the same arrows. They should not be answered, they write mostly to clog the blog. But they must be let to write. They disclose what there is really in their minds (not that is not entirely predictable).
A Wizard from Oz
@Wizard from Oz:the inevitable hasbaratchik
LOL! Yes, he did try. I have been under the impression that they had given up on me, but I guess this one came from either one of the outlets which re-posted my piece and he was not aware that my blog was on their “to be ignored” list. I had more of these guys in the earlier years but they soon realized that there was no point in trying their crap with me: I would just unmask them for what they are each time, and that would hurt them even more.
Usually, I ignore them, but with so many newcomers I decided to set the record strait so as to not give them impression that I accept this kind of crap in silence.
But hey, 1/60 and 100% of positive emails is FAR better than what I had expected. I am really elated by the response, so this one guy don’t bother me at all :-)
Cheers!
The Saker
I am again pleased. Yes, one should not give them the impression that their hasbara count. It is good to shake their confidence.
On the other hand I am pleased to see that a certain way of thinking, which I fully share, gains currency. I came myself from an Orthodox country (Romania) and I know all the tricks of the Commies (I am old enough to remember the “Tatucul” – the little father – Stalin). I know exactly who they were.
I definitely will follow your blog from now on. You give me hope.
WizOz
Found yr Russia piece brilliant – agreed 100% with yr entire analysis.
Interestingly Russia in the 1990´s mirrors France today – likudnik French oligarchs dominate the media & politics while the real French from the “terroir” watch from the sidelines powerless as their country is being demolished.
You must get in touch w/ French souverainiste Alain Soral who is your kindred spirit – find him at http://www.egaliteetreconciliation.fr ; his hourlong reviews of the political situation in France will make you relive Russia in the 1990´s: here´s the latest link to his analysis of how likud oligarchs destroy France ! http://www.egaliteetreconciliation.fr/Alain-Soral-entretien-de-rentree-2013-20217.html
@Anonymous: Soral
I have written about Soral and Dieudonne in the past:
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2012/08/russias-prevailing-ideological.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2009/05/israel-lobby-commits-maje-blunder-in.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/dieudonnes-anti-zionist-campaign-in.html
Though with the “shoananas” trial yesterday and the anti-quenelle repression in the armed forces, I feel that I will have to write about them again.
I have had not personal contacts with Soral or Dieudo, but I admire them both a lot and I find that they are playing a truly historical role in France. I know that Soral has close contacts in Russia, but I also think that while he is full of good will, he misunderstands some of the spiritual issues in Russia and, by the way, in France.
There is no doubt at all in my mind that Soral and Dieudonne are THE real “Resistance” in France. The rest of the political class is manure. I find the young Marion Marechal Le Pen very smart, charming, and promising but she is too young and she still might get coopted by the CRIF (like her aunt Marine). We shall see.
I also follow Pierre Jovanovic and Eric Zemmour, but I find them much weaker on political analysis than Soral.
But yes, the situation in France is absolutely *catastrophic*, much much worse than what the corporate media reports. I think that Jovanovic is right – France is broke and “Hollade-la-couille-molle” will not finish is term in office. The interesting thing is that Wall Street is heavily invested in France and when the French banks officially tank, then the US bank will probably follow as they have no reserves left to take a major hit like that. France is not Greece or Cyprus, and went the French realize how they were lied to for decades (basically from Pompidou on) they are going to get really mad, and when the French get mad, it gets very very violent. Right now, its a powder keg. Anything can set it off, I think.
I will write about that in the not too distant future. Thanks for the idea!
Kind regards, et une grosse quenelle aux salauds!
The Saker
Congratulations!
Might start to get crowded in here.
Hope you will still have time for “dimwits”.
:)
Congratulations, Saker. I sent your article to my sizeable listserve and had great responses from everyone. I’m not in the least surprised the article has made you ‘famous’.
Your intelligence, hard work (been trying to catch up by reading your earlier posts), and dedication are bearing fruit.
The wider reach you have the more minds you shall enlighten.
Will keep following with keen interest in between customers
Regards
Mindfriedo
so happy for you!
Your comment “misunderstands some of the spiritual issues in Russia, and, by the way, in France.” intrigues me. Will you be writing more on this?
I know you already have a very long list of ideas for articles to write, but as Christmas approaches, perhaps an informative essay on the subject of spiritual issues in Russia, France and elsewhere might be nice? Not merely religious observances, but the spiritual side of everyday life and cultural history would be a great read!
I’ve seen videos and read many books that touch on the celebration of Christmas in France. Lovely traditions there. I wish the US “traditions” were not as commercial and vulgar as they are.
I love much the culture of the European countries- it’s the EU homogenizing experiment that I find dehumanizing and artificial.
@Sky:Your comment “misunderstands some of the spiritual issues in Russia, and, by the way, in France.” intrigues me. Will you be writing more on this?
Maybe. It’s a painful issue for me and it will get a lot of folks upset, but since it is an important one, I will have to write about it sooner or later. I can’t commit to a time frame or a date, but yes, I will write about this issue.
Kind regards,
The Saker
A richly deserved honor! I was very excited to see your name at AT last week. But the west has lots of know nothings who launch shrill insults at Russia and Putin and few who can give informed analysis. So it was only a matter of time before the alternative media decided to look elsewhere for real insight. You are reaching a very wide audience, and we are all grateful for that.
My guess is the US State department has long ago purged its Russophiles, just like it did its Arabists a generation ago. It is probably the only foreign service where deep knowledge of a foreign culture is a career hindrance(!)
Lysander! Always a joy to hear from you. Thanks for dropping by.
In my experience I found most Russophiles in the US military and the most Russophobes in the CIA and, only marginally less, the US State Department. I explain that people who join the CIA or the Foreign Service usually have strong ideological views *before* they learn anything about Russia, whereas a lot of US military personnel knows diddly squat about Russia when the join the military (other that they are the dangerous enemy) and then the more they study that enemy, the more they see commonalties between Russian and US servicemen and they gradually become very Russophile. I have seen officers with DIA or NI become *very* knowledgeable about Russia and fluent in Russian and they end up falling in love with the culture, the people, the literature, etc. Generally, I have to say that I have met a lot of decent and very smart US officers, excellent professionals and not at all ideological people unlike the folks at Langley or Foggy Bottom. I never had any contacts with NSA people so I cannot tell. Needless to say, the CIA and the Foreign Service are also the most “Zionified” institutions while the US military has the least amount of such creeps. Not a coincidence for sure.
How is it going? Are you already in the Far East?
Cheers!
The Saker
The Tasmanian would be me :)
Yes your articles are being received and are appreciated on this side of the planet :) Hopefully more here will awaken and visit your blog, but currently most are indoctrinated in the Western mindset and exist in a kind of bubble. Despite this people do seem to be slowly waking up.
As for the fall of the Empire, some are of the opinion that it could fall in a single day simply because their power is built on a stack of lies. People may one day realise the Emperor is wearing no clothes, then they are done!
Look forward to more in future and congratulations on your good news, it is highly deserved of course!
Cheers!
Great news that you are very familiar with the political dissidents Dieudonne & Soral !
It would be great if you could bring attention to their struggle via the Asia Times : France today is like Russia in the 1990´s ; French patriots are being persecuted by likudnik oligarchs & apparatchniks who have taken a hold of France.
This week we saw again how violent this persecution is when the writer Naulleau was brutalized on TV by likudnik French finance minister Moscovichi & TV host Ardisson for having authored a book with the dissident Alain Soral : http://www.egaliteetreconciliation.fr/L-antisemite-revisionniste-antirepublicain-plagiaire-partouzeur-et-cocainomane-Thierry-Ardisson-20831.html
I hope this struggle makes it to the Asia Times and to the Russian media as the likud oligarchs in France are using very heavy artillery against christians & French nationalists.
@Anonymous:It would be great if you could bring attention to their struggle via the Asia Times
That is actually a very good idea which I will keep in mind!
Cheers,
The Saker
Congratulations Saker.:)
Just don’t change a thing.
Dear Saker,
Congratulations on a richly deserved breakthrough. As I said in our exchange on the Lavrov Kerry agreement, you should not underestimate both the importance and the effect of what you do.
Hi
I was reading some of your posts about Neda’s murder in Iran. And I remembered something that I saw on BBC in 2002. It was assassination attempt on Karzai.
I have added a link to a video that shows one angle. I remember the one I had seen was clearer. This one brave Afghan has the presence of mind to tackle the attacker. He does this very casually, much as a normal person would do any other everyday task. Then the security detail realizes a few seconds later and sprays them both with bullets. No good turn goes unpunished. You can see the security car pushing karzai’s car to get him out of there.
just wanted to share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWnjq1Y4gbs
you can search it as Hamid Karzai assassination caught on tape, September 2002
regards
mindfriedo
Hi Saker,
Looking for your take on this move by President Putin to consolidate the upper courts. This article seems to focus on a power grab but I believe it has more to do with cleaning house of some of the corruption. The President has shown in the past his belief in a strong rule of law and I think this move has more to do with that than any power grab. What is your thought on this??
http://irgamag.com/component/k2/item/5338
A couple thoughts come to mind is to get rid of some concerns of foreign investers and encourage more bisiness growth from foreign companies. Also, since the “most impartial” part of the legal system merging with the most powerful may be seen as a way to overshadow the negatives with the more positive, though things rarely work out that way. But with the ability to appoint the judges, this may be overcome and work out in the end.
@Anonymous0311:Looking for your take on this move by President Putin to consolidate the upper courts
Ok, first a disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and I have not been following this topics very closely. So all I can offer is a general set of pointers. They are:
All these so-called ‘reforms’ by Putin have a triple context:
a) The gradual elimination of as much of the post 1993 Constitution as possible, including, eventually,that Constitution itself replacing it by something better adapted to Russian realities.
b) A power struggle between Medvedev’s “Atlantic Integrationists” and Putin’s “Eurasian Sovereignists”
c) A slow-moving and difficult struggle to change the *system(s)* which foster corruption.
I would not give any credibility to any analysis by Stratfor, but as long as you re-read the article with the three principles above in your mind you will see that it provides enough factual info to make sense of it.
Does that answer your question at least adequately?
Kind regards,
The Saker
reply to Saker @ 22 October, 2013 08:41
First just about Stratfor. I am well aware of ‘what’ they are. Not real intel but an outlet to promote the rationale, through stories that appear to be intel, from provided agendas from funders. Not so much to fool the ‘unwashed’ but more to program those in descision making positions.
Does that answer your question at least adequately?
Yes. The Q I asked openly answered by ‘C’ and the one I didn’t ask which your consistency with past replies has shown you to believe.
Back to a topic a few posts back about those ships in the Med. The US destroyers are still just hanging out around Sicili. The NATO fleet for the Brilliant Mariner exercise ending on Oct. 5th seem to leave many of the participants remaining in the Med. Other exercises, large group in anti-sub with Italy, Ocean Shield with Moroccan Navy, ships from Pakistan joined up in the Med. to play with Turkey and NATO, a NATO AF exercise in Greece, large air assault against navy in W. Med., Large exercise off Med. coast of Spain. So… what is in the Med. right now is way more than a match for anything Russia can cope with.
Also note Russia just moved a combat helicopter squadron to Armenia to back up the MiG29s.
Something I heard on the radio yesterday puzzled me. A notice about part of a carrier task force returning home from the ME to be replaced by others. This seems like a strange move to me as they seem to always stick together as a group. Possible it is to swap out ships with those who have recieved the anti-Yakhont upgrades that were just rushed through development???
Now I read the UK is stating they will not seek approval from Parliment for war in the future. Expect the US to follow.
Several countries talking about segmenting to Internet in their countries to combat spying by NSA. Is that not convenient?? That will not stop the spy things but will cut ‘we the people’ from freely communicating. Isn’t that what the NSA just today said what needs to happen???
Judging by actions and not words, this all reads kinetic strikes are not off the table.
btw, congrats on the first post at AT. Will be reading it in a few min…
@Anonymous2121: I have to admit that I stopped tracking Russian Navy movements simply because I took it for granted that no attack on Syria is likely at this point. I know, this is a risky assumption, but I only have 1 brain, 2 hands and 24 hours in a day and I have to prioritize :-(
Also – judging by the recent hysterics from the KSA I am becoming more and more optimistic that the entire Saudi strategic plan has now collapsed and is beyond revival. Of course, this is my hope, not my informed assessment of the situation.
As for the NSA issue, I am planning to write a piece about European politics in which I will touch upon the Snowden case and its fake repercussions in the EU. Stay tuned.
Many thanks and kind regards,
The Saker
reply to Saker @ 25 October, 2013 21:36
thank you again for the reply. I can watch the rowboats for ya and post something of interest if it appears. ;)
more optimistic that the entire Saudi strategic plan has now collapsed and is beyond revival.
I am also feeling some relief that the towel is being tossed by the funders of this kaos.
This shows a few other points that confirm this.
http://www.syrianperspective.com/2013/10/first-post-october-26-2013-abu-muhammad.html
Though, I am still worried about what else they(funders) may have up their sleeve. This may have something to do with that.(link to part 3 as it has links to 1+2)
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2013/10/09/afghanistan-and-its-future-iii.html
On another note, if you ever choose to publish your site independent of Blogger, please keep me in mind as a programmer. Would feel honored to work with you on this.
Paul
Regarding a question above, whether Russian liberals more love Europe or the US, the answer is, they definitely more love the US. They support Europe only when Europe supports the US.
P.S. I disagree with the blog’s author that Medvedev is somehow not liberal. Medvedev is the most dangerous liberal, like Gorbachev. And on many occasions he tried to introduce some of the US customs in Russia.
@Truthteller: with a nick like “truthteller” you might want to be more careful about what you write. I CLEARLY indicated that Medvedev represents the pro-Western interests MANY times on this blog. One example here:
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-power-struggle-inside-kremlin-is.html
I also notice that in your other comment you lump together Cossack and Monarchists and you call them both anti-Semitic (which is false). You call Vlasov a “traitor” which is a gross over-simplification. As for Primakov – he is probably Jewish by his mother (though that has not been proven).
I am happy to have you comment here, but I recommend you stay more focused in your comments, that you avoid over-simplifications of complex topics and that you make sure that you know what you are talking about.
This blog is about free and open discussions, not slogans.
Thanks,
The Saker