Two clicks to midnight[1]
by Ken Leslie for The Saker Blog
While I was absent from this esteemed blog focusing on other things, an extremely dangerous situation started to develop and I found myself reaching for the keyboard again. If some of my previous writings were a bit alarmist, the tone was motivated by a genuine angst before an unfeeling and unstoppable machine of conquest and destruction the likes of which the world had never seen. And angst it is—anybody with an ounce of common sense can see that the World is hurtling towards some kind of catastrophe. Whether this occurs in a year or five is less relevant. The point is that we are witnessing a process of rapid implosion of the current global system and are not able to see what will replace it. There is no compelling vision of the future—a universal vessel of hope that would transport us across the turbulent waters of fundamental change. This time I am not anxious but resigned. Resignation does not imply learned helplessness—unlike most people around me I am grateful for the ability to be aware of the danger and to articulate what I see as the truth without fear or self-censorship.
Oh, and if the post sounds like a rant, that’s because it is one.
Some academics (ideologues?) such as Steven Pinker have argued that things are much better than they were a 100 years ago—at least in terms of deaths caused by wars and other hard indicators of well-being. Although it pains me to say that Pinker could be correct, this essay is not about “progress” but about the approach of the ultimate regress—the unavoidable and ultimately catastrophic clash between the “West” and the “East”. A couple of months ago I was writing about the danger of NATO hordes closing in on Moscow from the Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics only to realize that unless a miracle happens, in a few months, Russia will be completely surrounded by enemies. The only exceptions—Norway at the extreme North and Azerbaijan at the extreme South are less relevant at the moment but as we have seen recently, these countries too are being subjected to accelerated weaponization—just yesterday, a Russian diplomat was detained in Norway and Azerbaijan is involved in a tense standoff with a (supposed) ally of Russia.
The fracturing and occupation of the post-Soviet space that began in 1991 is almost complete. More or less willingly, the former Warsaw pact and buffer states of Eastern Europe joined the criminal alliance that is NATO and over the last 30 years gradually prepared for the coming war against Russia. When did it all begin? The blueprint for the current mechanism was established by the Nazi Germany which narrowed the distance between itself and the Soviet Union over a few years. Moreover, the political mechanism behind the new Drang (the European Union) was designed in 1944 by Hitler’s economic experts (and put into practice by the founder of the CIA, William Donovan). It should be noted that on his way to the USSR, Hitler had to “pacify” a few countries including Poland, France, Yugoslavia and Greece. This time around, the whole West is united in its enmity towards Russia (economic links notwithstanding) and ALL European countries with the exception of Serbia and Byelorussia have placed themselves willingly in the anti-Russian camp. This is not to say that the majority of people in those countries hate Russia (in many they do) but that the governing cliques and military juntas inside various NATO satrapies are ready to contribute to the “joint effort to bring freedom and democracy” to the “benighted Rus”.
Of these two pariahs, the Serbs, despite their love of Russia are doomed by geography and by the privilege of being the only nation to have a piece of their country (Kosovo and Metohija) taken away, of being bombed by the combined forces of the West for 78 days and having a quarter of a million of their number cruelly expelled from their homeland in Srpska Krajina (currently occupied by Croatia). Exhausted and surrounded by enemies, the Serbs can do little to stop the clock ticking towards the Armageddon. This leaves Byelorussia, the only post-Soviet country that has not flirted with overt Russophobia and whose president showed many signs of real independence of mind vis-à-vis the West. Alexander Lukashenko’s personal bravery is not in question. In the midst of the NATO bombing in 1999, he visited Belgrade and declared himself openly pro-Serb. He signed the accession to the Union State between his country and Russia that same year.[2] He was somebody who wanted to preserve the positive legacy of the Soviet Union and his unwillingness to toe the EU line (pro-German “democracy” at home and anti-Russian posture abroad) earned him the sobriquet of the “last European dictator”.
But then, things started to go wrong, especially after the Nazi takeover of the Ukraine in 2014. Lukashenko might have started to feel isolated and between Western pressure and ossification of his quasi-socialist system (nothing wrong with it in principle), he began to turn against his only genuine ally—Russia. The reasons for this U turn are complex but at this moment also irrelevant. Whatever the cause of the cooling of the relations between Russia and Byelorussia, the consequences are dire and are fast becoming catastrophic. To understand the gravity of the situation, we should be able to see the “Gestalt”—the whole of the current geopolitical situation and its trends. That a global conflict between the West and the East is in the offing there is no doubt. Not only has Russia been targeted since the mid-1990s, but the total war on China and Iran declared by Trump and his Jesuitical agents provocateurs confirms absolutely that we are facing something unprecedented. I need to remind the reader that nothing like this was even remotely possible only 30 years ago. The brazenness and sheer bloodthirst of the new Operation Barbarossa with its global ambitions dwarfs any conquests known to history. What boggles the mind is how successful it has been.
No bromides about how strong Russia is, how well it’s coping (I repeat—coping) with the cruel sanctions by the West will suffice this time. No empty hope that somehow the miserable quisling statelets from the Balkans to the Baltics will experience a Zen-like enlightenment and disobey their Western masters. No false hope that the push towards Russia’s borders can somehow be reversed and no end in sight to the total war waged by the combined “West” (a dire temporary reconciliation of a resurgent Roman Catholicism, neutered Protestantism and newly respectable Zionism). From this point on, there is no going back. The distance between Moscow and the closest point in the Ukraine is 440 km (as crow flies). In the case of Byelorussia, it is 410 km. Although symbolic, this advance would be hugely important for the would-be conquerors as it is for Russia. Starting with Orsha in Byelorussia, the path to Moscow leads through Smolensk, Vyazma and Mozhaysk—towns that experienced so much suffering in WWII because they were on the road to Moscow. But what about the suffering of Byelorussia? It was probably the worst-suffering Soviet republic with an unknown number of people killed or sent of to Germany as slave labour and uncountable number of villages and towns destroyed.
None of this matters in the upside-down Western world view in which black is white and white is black. It is a world in which the close descendants of the worst war criminals in history are now the unofficial rulers of Europe together with their Gallic poodles and Anglo-Saxon frenemies, while the nation which bore the brunt of the cruellest genocide ever is being attacked by those same criminals again—as if two Vernichtungskriege in 30 years weren’t enough.
Many will point out that we are already at war and this would be true. The threat of a nuclear conflict has prompted Western strategists to think of alternative ways of destroying their opponents. We are talking about a broad-spectrum effort which includes political, economic, intelligence, cultural, psychological, religious and military components. By weaving these different strands into a single coordinated strategy, the West is hoping (and succeeding) in getting closer to Moscow every day without igniting a global nuclear war. This time however, it is different. Not only has the West crossed Russia’s geopolitical red lines, it has given notice that it will stop at nothing until Russia is defeated and destroyed. They are skilfully neutralising Russia’s nuclear deterrent by inflicting a thousand cuts from all sides without suffering any harm themselves. Two days ago, a Russian major general was killed by America’s proxies in Syria while delivering food to the people of Idlib. Today, Alexey Navalny is in a coma after an alleged poisoning attempt. The quickening is palpable but no event demonstrates the current danger better than the attempted colour revolution in Byelorussia which is unfolding as we speak.
The genius of the Western destruction-mongers lies not in their ingenuity and creativity but in their understanding of the lower reaches of human nature (in this respect they have no peer). They know how to exploit weaknesses such as greed, envy and ego and especially people’s susceptibility to vices. Moreover, these agents of darkness know that most people are frightened, helpless, largely ignorant and easily swayed and distracted. With this knowledge and an inexhaustible source of money, the West has settled on a winning scheme of “peaceful” conquest which has brought it all the way from the Atlantic coast to the gates of Moscow after 30 years of colour revolutions, coups and open war. I need to stress the importance and success of this “boiling frog” strategy.[3] There is nothing new or surprising in their latest move on Lukashenko—the same combination of underground CIA-funded networks from Poland, Ukraine and the Baltics and incompetent opposition which is transformed into a “plausible democratic alternative” overnight. Nazi-linked symbols, Russophobic vultures such as the buzzard-faced Bernard Henri-Levi circling above the scene, invented ancient roots… It’s all there.
But that is not why I’m writing. Throughout my years as a keen observer of the latest (and last) Drang, I have been fascinated by the patterns of behaviour (on a geopolitical level) which seem to come straight out of a history book to describe the period circa 1940. While the Western juggernaut hurtles through space, the decorum of “partnership” is maintained to the very last moment. Even though a few lonely voices are screaming that the war is inevitable and that Russia must neutralise any further advances by the new Nazis, most people are distracted by COVID, Joe Biden’s dementia and other nonsense. This could be cowardice but could also be wisdom in the face of an inevitable tragedy.
Even the tone of the Russian diplomacy is slowly changing—as it did in the autumn of 1940 following the cooling of German-Soviet relations. The ever measured and moderate Sergei Lavrov (like Vyacheslav Molotov before him) has started describing the international situation in more realistic terms using noticeably harsher language. Nevertheless, unless Russia does something very quickly, it will find itself completely surrounded and unable to defend itself as it did in 1941—hypersonic weapons notwithstanding.
However, the most fascinating aspect of this latest escalation is the fact that another colour revolution could be attempted at all and that Russia is still unable to assert itself in its neighbourhood, if only in order to save itself. “Unable” is perhaps too strong a word. What I mean is that unlike the West which is achieving its geopolitical goals without shedding blood and even without suffering any significant economic damage (no, Russian countersanctions have not crippled Germany or France), the Russians know that any attempts to stop and reverse the Western push will cost them dearly—primarily in terms of further isolation from all Western countries (already, Russian diplomats are being detained and expelled throughout the EU, as if in anticipation of the Byelorussian endgame). [4]The Western planners know that Russia can survive on its own but they also know that it can’t survive for long if deprived of the oxygen of international exchange—the feeling that it belongs to the family of European nations. No Eurasian ideology can ever replace the esteem in which Europe has been held by Russian intellectuals. While I see this pronounced inferiority complex as Russia’s curse, I have to acknowledge it in order to explain president Putin’s attempts to get various EU countries on his side.
It is not so much about economy but about Russia’s eternal yearning to prove itself worthy of “European standards” despite the fact that it was Europe that has been attacking Russia relentlessly and is guilty of crippling it possibly beyond healing. Hope springs eternal. And yet, president Putin must be aware of the dirty double-dealing game the EU is playing (I am giving the villain du jour a miss this time) by leaning on the United States to re-establish its hegemony over the Eurasian, African and Middle-Eastern space while lecturing Putin and Lukashenko on the merits of democracy. There is something deeply hypocritical—not to say Jesuitical—about EUs posture. It is doing everything in its power to isolate and weaken Russia while offering carrots such as Nord stream 2. This is much more pernicious than the open enmity of Trump and his crude supremacism because it offers the deeply unpleasant EU block an opportunity to play a good cop towards Russia at no cost to itself. Compared with the US’s Berserker-like attack on anything and everything, the EU appears “reasonable” and ready for a compromise by comparison—but this is only a dangerous illusion.
While the EU is wholeheartedly supporting the new Maidan (relying on the nazified pockets in the West of Byelorussia and the usual pro-Western suspects), it has the temerity to issue warnings to Putin not to “meddle” and to Lukashenko not to “oppress”. This coming from a president who has been perpetrating mass violence on the peaceful demonstrators in the centre of Paris for over a year. Even worse, Angela Merkel who is initiating a more muscular foreign policy under the guidance of expansionist hawks who are champing at the bit to replace her (Annegret whatever and Ursula I don’t care) dares lecture Russia on interfering in other countries’ affairs—after her illustrious predecessors. the CDU crypto-Nazis Kohl, Kinkel and Genscher destroyed Yugoslavia (only for Russian top partnyor Gerhardt Schröder to finish the job by sending German bombers, spies and military trainers to Serbia in 1999). And yet, all Russia can do is appeal meekly to the EU in the hope that the Ukrainian scenario will not recur. Promises of military help given to Lukashenko are almost worthless in the light of the cumulative EUs response—which would be nothing short of traumatic. The proof of this is the complete support by Germany for the Ukrainian regime notwithstanding its dirty role in overthrowing Yanukovich and undermining the Minsk accords.
So, what am I trying to say? The moment of reckoning has arrived. Despite the heroic battle by President Putin and his comrades to buy time and delay the inevitable, the time for procrastination and appeasement has passed. Russia must choose between a difficult but sustainable future and no future at all. The Western offensive has destroyed all buffers between Russia and its enemies and although this might not mean much militarily, it has a vast symbolic value.[5] If Byelorussia goes, Russia remains geopolitically isolated like never before. Furthermore, its enemies, far from collapsing as many have been predicting, are strong and more united than ever despite various internecine squabbles.[6] This is not to say that Russia is at the death’s door. On the contrary, it is precisely because it is so resilient and forward-looking that its enemies are compelled to ramp up the pressure.
Even if Lukashenko survives the current jeopardy, he will cease to be a relevant political factor in years to come. The weakening of his rule (however clumsy and obsolescent) can mean only one thing—the infiltration of the Byelorussian political life by various pro-Western agents of influence who will find it easy to corrupt and disrupt by dipping into NED’s and USAID’s seemingly inexhaustible coffers. The moment Russia intervenes in the affairs of Minsk in any detectable way, it will be subjected to a barrage of hatred, military threats and punitive measures that have not been seen before. President Putin has an unenviable choice—act sub rosa (like he has been doing in the Donbass) and watch Byelorussia slowly descend into an orgy of anti-Russian madness or intervene openly and risk alienating the EU further, at a time when the fate of the lifeline pipeline crucially depends on EUs goodwill and willingness to antagonise Trump (a perfect good cop, bad cop scenario played by the USA and EU).
All of this is clear to president Putin and his cabinet and I have no doubt that they are burning midnight oil trying to think of the best ways to counter the Western aggression. Yet, history still holds valuable lessons. Stung by what he saw as the betrayal by the British and the French, Joseph Stalin signed a non-aggression treaty with Hitler in order to delay the inevitable. The period of collaboration involved the USSR shipping oil to Germany, oil which would later power German tanks on the road to Stalingrad. Although he did buy enough time to execute some important war preparations, Stalin waited far too long. Months after having received reports of German reconnaissance planes overflying Byelorussia and Ukraine, Stalin refused to believe that Hitler would betray him and ascribed the “anti-German” panic to the agents of Winston Churchill. Yet, this time he was horribly wrong and his error cost the USSR millions of lives and billions in damage. None of the subsequent amazing victories of the Soviet arms would quite wash away the bitter taste of Stalin’s epic blunder of 1941.
The historical lesson I was alluding to is simple yet devilishly hard to implement because it is “two-tailed”. In other words, the possibility of a deadly miscalculation stretches equally in both temporal directions away from the point that represents a timely decision. In other words, given the huge stakes that are involved, making a correct decision is well-nigh impossible. And although the choice can be defended post-hoc, especially if it results in a victory, we can never know if a better decision could not have been made. Like Stalin, Putin is facing the Scylla and Charybdis of time, only I would argue that he is facing an even more difficult decision. For all its weaknesses, the Soviet Union was much larger than its successor state and possessed by far the largest armed forces in the world (to say nothing about the reserves of raw materials and workforce). The factor that probably decided its fate was a relative weakness of the fifth column inside the country and the ability of the security services to neutralise pro-German networks operating inside the country. President Putin has entered the twilight zone in which the smallest mistake can cost him everything. I don’t envy him but pray for his wisdom and Russia’s preparedness.
Of course, circumstances have changed dramatically and today’s warfare bears scant resemblance to the mass movement of army fronts across thousands of kilometres of chernozem and steppe. These days, the crude manoeuvring of armoured columns has been replaced by silent software attacks on a state’s currency system and infrastructure, covert takeovers and sabotage of its assets, denial of open and free intercourse with other countries, replacement of the indigenous values and goals by the foreign dogma and suborning of its institutions to will of the Empire. This new form of warfare requires sophistication and intercontinental co-ordination. Occasionally, we are made aware of the bloopers of the Western intelligence services and their silly attempts to blame Russia for all their ills, but make no mistake! The cumulative effect of their misdeeds has been a complete homogenisation of the European space along the Russophobic lines prescribed by the behind-the-scene bosses. Let me put it this way: If tomorrow the USA and the EU were to declare a war on Russia, do you believe that any of the Slav vassals would openly defy the clarion call? Again, let me give you a couple of examples from history.
When NATO bombed Serbia, not a single country refused to participate in this egregious war crime and the honour of defying the black criminal cabal of Brussels belongs to a few heroic soldiers from Greece, Spain and France. With Iraq it was different in that Germany and France did not feel sufficiently incentivised to participate in what they saw as a neocon-inspired Anglo-Saxon adventure (for which they have been lauded no end). To pre-empt the possibility of future betrayal by its vassals, the US has shifted to a new strategy which seeks to weaken Russia (or China) without having to mobilise military “coalitions of the willing”. The war is being fought in small, almost invisible increments which do not require absolute allegiance to the cause and payment in blood.
The new army consists of spies, computer and finance specialists, thinktank ideologues, NGO “activists”, “security experts” and other assorted ghouls whose victories are not measured in square kilometres of conquered territory or body counts but in fractions of a percent of damage caused to the currency, prestige or freedom of action of the enemy. This leaves a lot of space for “plausible deniability” and the maintenance of the “business as usual” posture while the deadly blows are administered below the waterline. It also bamboozles the ordinary people into thinking that the war could never happen. It can and it will.
Another consequence will be accelerated squeezing and neutralisation of the semi-impotent Serbia and the final Gleichschaltung of the Eastern wing of NATO in preparation for a more muscular phase of the war. This will involve transferring more troops and missiles to the East (but always under the retaliation threshold), closing down of Russia’s embassies and consulates in Europe while pretending to oppose the United States, closing down financing channels and media outlets, making life miserable for Russian citizens and businessmen abroad plus hundreds more nasty tricks. In many ways, the strategy of sustained pressure is more dangerous than open conflict because it sucks out hope from the people of the affected country—the hope that they will be treated as equals by the “cultured” West. A similar tactic has been used against China but China is in a much better economic position to withstand such pressures.
The fall of Lukashenko and “old Byelorussia” can mean only one thing—an intensified total war which Russia will have to face totally isolated. If Russia’s last real ally (yes, that’s what he is) can be removed with such ease, Russia cannot hope to attract and keep long-term allies and neutral partners. This is only partly Russia’s fault. The power aligned against it is unprecedented in history and I am praying that Russia will be able to overcome the forces of evil again.
One piece of good news though—the dissolute Jesuitical warmonger Bannon has been arrested for fraud—finally showing the Chinese the fruits of a “Christian” education.
Notes:
- The illustration has been borrowed from the irreplaceable Colonel Cassad (Boris Rozhin) whose blog most of us visit regularly. The link is: https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/6110832.html ↑
- Generally, I agree with the Saker that Byelorussia should not exist as an independent state. Nor should the Ukraine for that matter, apart from the Uniate appendage of Galicia. ↑
- From Wikipedia: “The boiling frog is a fable describing a frog being slowly boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to or be aware of sinister threats that arise gradually rather than suddenly.” ↑
- A recent episode has infuriated me no end. After helping Italy to stem the spread of COVID in a gesture of friendship and good will, the Russian air force has had to chase an Italian military aeroplane that was approaching the Russian Black Sea coast. Even if this was an attempt by the Americans to poison the relations between the two nations, it is inexcusable and leaves another stain of dishonour on the standard of the much abused battle standard of Italy. ↑
- Actually, it does mean a lot militarily because it allows for all kinds of fast aggressive moves for which Russia cannot find timely countermeasures. In today’s world of nanosecond processing, 10 km is a huge distance. ↑
- If you think that Brexit and Greek-Turkish tensions prove me wrong, remember that modern European history was a never-ending saga of bloody and destructive wars. ↑
Interesting but perhaps avoiding one issue that since 1800s we Anglo zionists have been fanatically trying to take over Russia resources, particularly fertile soils and the still relatively unoccupied masses of land that go with it. USA is going down rapidly as regards feeding 350 million spoilt overweight Pindos.. California is yet again suffering fires, drought, heat waves and warm sea BLOBS off the coast. Most other US farming states are in a similar predicament. England will be unable to feed their 54 million with first recorded cyclones off East Greenland, ice melts, flooding etc. and with an unpredictable Atlantic weather system. Most importantly, USA and City of London, England, don’t give a damn if 90% of population is culled. Explains the 5 Eyes long planned PLANDEMIC Covid crack down and mega 1984 controls. Germany and France over the past 4 years have suffered increased climate extremes with resultant agric production irregularities. Hitler in 1941 was obsessed with grabbing Ukraines harvest from those wonderful Chernozol soils. Recently, US and German agric companies, John Deere. Cargyle, Monsanto etc., with Biden clique and CIA Obama joining the Ukraine land rape. Remember the Chinese were kicked out from their billion dollar agric investments in Ukraine. That only leaves the huge fertile Russian land mass – sure suffering too from climate extremes, record forest fires, melting permafrost topped by new record high methane emissions. However, they have a sufficient qualitative and quantitative Biome, fertile soil, mass to take major hits and still feed their 150 million population. Also Putin with Russian political and scientific elite genuinely CARE about their people and agric potential. Therefore, Russia is able to survive a near-Extinction development over the next 20 years. We Anglo Zionists are buggered even Bibi and Baas Rothschild have indirectly admitted that. But No Major nuke attacks on Russia (unless rogue Armegaddon evangelicals or AI glitches.) but increased drone swarms with all sorts of agricultural pathogens etc., Davy Crockett mini or nano nukes etc on the 22000 km Russian periphery. As Larchm and Saker have repeated. This is not the first near extinction (6 or 7th)on this insignificant planet in a cosmos teeming with life and intelligence. Quantum mechanics and mathematics, entanglement theory, Einstein and Hawkins… This is Cosmic evolution which I believe certain Russian Orthodox scholars, religious too, take in their stride.. Please correct me Saker.
From an ex Anglo colonial.. we are terrible losers coming from that tiny snot nosed resource poor island of Albion..
Rest assured that the real danger is from a cooling planet.
“Modern Grand Solar Minimum will lead to terrestrial cooling”
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23328940.2020.1796243
Our masters are well aware of this, hence the plandemic.
FYI, Australian gum trees are not native to California – hence the fires. As regards Australia itself, the aboriginals kept the volume of wood to 10% of their current status. They used controlled fires at the appropriate seasons. They wanted plenty of grass for the kangaroos. The fires in Australia are pure bad management.
As regards the melting of permafrost under oil tanks and suchlike in Siberia, what do you expect. The pipeline in Alaska from their North Slope is above ground for that reason.
Please forget about CO2. Its influence on climate is trivial. It is only 0.043% of the air. If it were much lower, we would have plenty of starvation. Those promoting the Global Warming narrative are the same people who try to prevent herd immunity and nature from playing their proper role – because they want to collapse the economy.
Removed. Off topic. Mod.
As for the article, the writer makes it very clear that there is no good option for Russia, but as always there is a worst case option and I see that, as standing back and letting Belarus disintegrate into a new Ukraine.
If NATO then goes on to occupy the vacuum in Belarus, it would seem possible that Russia does not have the stomach to defend itself and so will then bow to the empire, accepting a form of vassal status.
Dear Rafael,
Thank you,
You succinctly express some of the real dangers facing Russia. It’s not about the nuclear arsenal but a gradual, almost imperceptible erosion of a nations will to defend itself. It is so clear that I am flabbergasted by the unwillingness of many commentators here to acknowledge the reality.
This does not mean that Russia will succumb (it will not) but that she must be ready for a more direct and muscular policy towards its enemies.
Thank you Alfred, for my part I live adjacent to Tidal Waters which haven’t risen in the fifty-five years I’ve lived here! Just because ‘Some’ people have gained control of the Media it doesn’t mean they have the intelligence to use it wisely,,could there be any more nihilistic behavior than purposely collapsing the economy and unleashing the maelstrom that will now endue?
ConocoPhillips oil company operating in Alaska are now Re-Freezing melting permafrost in an effort to limit damage to pipelines above ground.
Of course Bluegums are not native to California – I don’t see the connection to the increased severity of forest fires in that dry state and others.
I AM Most Concerned by CO2 and Methane emissions and consider we are most definitely in a climate emergency.
Putin and most Russian scientists and farmers would agree – peer reviewed Russian and USA geologists were giving serious alarm calls about Methane burps more than 10 years ago.
The suffering population of Anglo zionist liberated!!!! Baghdad have recently had plus 50C constant heat and little to no electricity for aircon etc, plus Pasha Erdogan controls the decreasing water flows of Euphrates and Tigris rivers to Syria too.
Good luck in your Own Bubble reality sir… Greetings to those hoppity boppity Cane Toads..
“Of course Bluegums are not native to California – I don’t see the connection to the increased severity of forest fires in that dry state and others.”
In Australia bluegums and other similar native eucalypts attract lightning and when hit they explode. I have seen this happen many, many times. Apparently they have some sap or oil that reacts like that. It seems to burst out of the tree itself splitting the bark.
cheers.
Methinks, Mr. Leslie, thou dost protest too much. Byelorus will not fall, regardless of movements but hours ago of certain Polish armored units to the Byelorus border. Units of the Byelorus Army are moving to the west border too, according to President Lukashenko, to ‘hold drills this night and tomorrow for training, strictly training’. President Lukashenko will be in the field with his army. How about the Polish president? Where is he?
I say Byelorus will not fall for several reasons, not the least of which is Byelorus is a very important part of the Russian West Front defenses and as such will not be allowed to fall, irregardless of a vocal but quite small group of malcontents located in the micro district of Minsk, Noviya Boroviya, which did indeed vote heavily for the opposition and this vote was duly recorded and publicized in the election results. But, and a very strong ‘but’, one micro district, or two, or ten, or a city voting against the present government does not a coup make nor does it an election win, which it assuredly did not.
While there will be a lot of screaming and arm waving, Byelorus will remain with Russia if for no other reason than anyone with the intelligence above that of amoeba crawling through protozoan mush simply has to look south to understand what the greasy and oily promises of ‘democracy’ and ‘friendship with EU’ bring, witness Ukraine. VVP was handed a s//t sandwich in Ukraine in late ’13 and did rather well in my humble opinion, taking the most productive area of that sorry land under his wing after a fashion and making it a buffer zone known as Novorossiya and at the same time welcoming Sevastopol, the true prize and reason for the coup in Ukraine, back to Russia and Sevastopol dutifully dragged the rest of the island back to Russia with them.
Will this mess end in a shooting war involving Russia? I don’t think so, Foggy Bottom, London and Berlin have a very healthy respect for demonstrated Russian battlefield prowess and the last thing any of them want to see is entire battalions annihilated in minutes as Novorossiya showed The World what Russian hastily trained tractor drivers, miners and farmers could do in the summer cauldrons below Saur Mogila in ’14 and the winter cauldron of Debaltsyevo in early ’15. The ONLY thing holding NAF back from taking the Land of Orcs all the way to the Dnepr is VVP’s steady hand saying ‘not yet’. Not ‘no’, but ‘not yet’.
Bottom line, ‘the west’ does not hold all the chips in their hand by any stretch of the imagination and while we in Russia sincerely hope and pray it does not come to war, if it does, so be it, we will fight again and defend our lands and homes and loved ones…yet again.
Auslander
Author http://rhauslander.com/
Never The Last One, paper back edition. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1521849056 A deep look in to Russia, her culture and her Armed Forces, in essence a look at the emergence of Russian Federation.
An Incident On Simonka paperback edition. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1696160715 NATO Is Invited To Leave Sevastopol, One Way Or The Other.
I agree. The article is unrealistic and spreading doom and gloom for Belarus. The only way Belarus will fall apart is if the army betrays the system en masse. Unlikely. I would like to see some negotiation between Lukashenko and those who want more freedom to travel. It would be wise on his part to make some concessions in that area. Freedom of speech could stand improvement too — the dangers for Belarus if they succumb to the color revolution should be openly discussed, with the help of the citizens of former satellites who know whereof they speak.
Btw, does anybody have a list of Belarus bloggers who write in English? I would like some news from the ground.
My thoughts are Luka has had his ‘come to Jesus’ moment, although it’s more of a ‘come to the Czar’ moment. It’s a given that the Byelorus Armed Forces are completely behind President Lukashenko and they make no secret of this fact. I’m also sure that some things in Byelorus will change dramatically for the better for the ‘ordinary workers and peasants’ in the very near future. This, too, is a given.
However, of interest is a 100 % government supported and paid for ‘artistic’ theater in Minsk that raised the Nazi flag in support of the ‘opposition’ were just informed that because of this foolish act they are no longer nestled comfortably on the government mammary gland, IOW they are on their own. As was told to them, ‘go for it, whatever money you manage to make you can share it amongst yourselves. But for now, let’s talk about rent, expenses and utilities et al you will no longer get for free’. Rule #1. Don’t void your bladder on the President’s spats. Rule #2, see Rule #1.
Auslander
What a bunch of idiots. Well, the repercussions are mild, compared to what they could be. But it shows you the quality of the people behind the “opposition” — in quotes, because they could not do anything without NGO (and various deep states) support from abroad, and these supporters really do not have the best interests of Byelorus at heart.
There is absolutely no reason at this point that anything about so called color revolutions ought to be believed or trusted. Zero.
Anonymous
Yes, an attempt at a color revolution. It’s so obvious, as classical methods were used. In Serbia an attempt was made in July. It failed. Soros and his backers moved to Belarus. As usual their demonstrators were demonstrating in the capital. And outside Minsk ? We had pro-Lukashenko demonstrations. And what else did we get ? A false flag inside Russia, somebody trying to knock off Navalny and blame it on Putin and in the process trying provoke demonstrations inside the country. A repeat of the Skripal false flag.
” It’s so obvious”
“A false flag inside Russia, somebody trying to knock off Navalny and blame it on Putin and in the process trying provoke demonstrations inside the country.”
Although popular it is not wise to conflate attempt with achievement.
Normally a false flag requires some achievement of agency in inception, and is deemed different from using opportunities arising through the achievement of agency of others.
Messrs Berezhovsky, his associate Mr. Litvinenko, Mr. Skripal, and Mr. Navalny all kept questionable associations, as did Mr. Nemtsov who not only had trouble keeping his trousers on but also trouble in keeping his hands in his pockets.
Hence in relation to any or all of the persons named above, it may not have been a false flag, but a usage of opportunities arising by those wishing to appear to have the facility to achieve a false flag to “We the people (who) hold these truths to be self-evident”. – akin to some boys seeking to extend the perception of their appendages.
Mr. Berezhovsky and his associate Mr. Litvinenko both died from “poison”; Mr. Skripal and Mr. Navalny apparently did not die from “poison”.
This may indicate a difference in facility and purpose in those with agency in respect of Mr. Berezhovsky and his associate Mr. Litvinenko, and those with agency in respect of Mr. Skripal and Mr. Navalny, and hence different agents.
In respect of all of the above matters, since it’s not so obvious, the Russian Federation offered aid to others in pursuit of their inquiries.
Where are they going to travel to Anonymous? the West is being ever tightly locked down as I write this?
Oi. You have a point, John Russel. Nevertheless, travel is still happening, and guest workers are still needed. I’ve always thought that if Czechoslovakia had the chance to let people live and work abroad during communist years, let’s say for 5 years, everything would have been different. People would have learned that capitalism of that period was not so hot either. And it’s gotten worse since then.
Btw, they can travel to Sweden. They love to take people in, and never shut down the country. Not looking like they are about to, either. Which is interesting. If the IMF is pushing the shutdowns and the panic, how come Sweden just told them to stick it?
Inside Russia and China …
Travel is some overrated Western idiocy. Travel, which inevitably comes along with pollution for transport (air and sea), seems to be more important for many Westerners than a warm apartment. Why else would some wannabe tree-huggers (Green politicians) want to increase oil and gas prices for all citizens while neglecting the huge waste of those resources by travel?
I never buy a thing from Amazion. Never!
I still think Mr Leslie raises a reasonable question vis-a-vis the dominant theory here on the Saker. It has been said that the military impotence of the Zionist axis has been shown in their retreat to economic sanctions and Guaido-puppets and “highly likely” poisonings. The theory is that resistance military strength and preparedness is building as more time passes and the Empire grows more corrupt and collapses
What Leslie sees is a longer game being played to benefit the Empire where it deprives Russia of allies and weakens over time, (sanctions killing 500,000 children are “worth it”, remember) knowing Russia will not make a first move, thereby buying time until they do have a military advantage.
Worth considering, because that IS probably what they’re aiming for.
Auslander
I fully agree with you. Look at the chronology of events. It began with Serbia, where we had “demonstrations”, basically a bunch of football hooligans hired to cause a riot in front of the Parliament building, The demonstrators were joined by teenagers who, after a few days, backed off, realizing they were being used as stooges. The general population did not join the “demonstrations”. After that we have demonstrations in Minsk. Yes, some of the general population did join the demonstrations, waiving EU flags (a silly mistake on behalf of the protestors). However, it’s debatable how many joined. Outside Minsk we had pro-Lukashenko demonstrations. Is Belarus divided ? To early to say. However, what can clearly be said is that little incident with Navalny in Russia, a laughable false flag, the aim being to provoke demonstrations in Russia and coordinate them with those in Belarus. It will fail.
Will Lukashenko prevail ? Most probably. What we have in Belarus are basically Soros style methods, a minority being used to both represent and control the majority. It will fail, as the impression is that Lukashenko is strong outside Minsk, while inside Minsk not everybody is against him.
I agree with all, but have to point out a small detail in regards to Soviet Russia’s / Stalin’s offensive plans controversy. It could very well be that Operation Barbarossa was a response to Soviet Russia’s offensive plans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_offensive_plans_controversy
Don’t post that, you’ll confuse the pro-Russians here. After all, Stalin was nice innocent man, who made mistakes, and only wanted the best for all ” his ” people. He would also, of course, never attack any other nation either. What a nice innocent guy.
@Petter + Fog of War
Haha, I’m certainly pro-Russian and pro-Stalin, but not the slightest confused by any Nazi revisionist rubbish. It’s far more appropriate to look at the hopeless and, really, very silly confusion pertaining to ”academic” Russophobia. Depending on your daily mood and the urges of your daily bread-winning, you can choose 100% freely between (at least) three mutually exclusive ”theories” which slander Stalin and his handling of the Nazi attack on the USSR.
And I never grow tired of teasing Pindos and Euro-trash by pointing out that Stalin is very popular in today’s Russia. I can leave it to the two of you as an exercise to explain why.
A brutal take down in the best style excellent use of pindos language they will never learn but we must insist. Listen to this guy pretend his country didn’t use nuclear bomb against civilians, twice. The level of revisionism is great. They truly believe their lies. This makes sense, if you consider it’s psychosis
Well, everybody is entitled to their opinion. Including 150 millions of Eastern Europeans who watch promoting Stalin in Russia with horror and ready to sell out their countries to NATO.
I do not know what the point is to promote Stalin and Soviet Union and Red Army Soviet propaganda lies about WW II but this is the single cause of Russia hatred in the neighboring countries. Collapse of USSR demonstrated, that this BS does not work.
Russia wanted 150 million strong enemy in his border and got it. Stalinism is the single case of Eastern European Russia hatred or Hitler love or NATO love.
Stalin caused one historical disaster in Russia and now it seems that 67 years after his death he is causing one more. Powerful man, must say. And good examples how myths destroying countries. Without Stalinism, Russia would be seen as bastion of freedom against Anglo Empire and potential ally.
Yes, Yuri,
99% of them were ruled by Germany or Austria-Hungary or had German kings (Romania, Greece, Bulgaria).
And it’s all Stalin’s fault. Sorry, but your attempt to smear the heroic struggle of the Soviet Union will not wash. Thanks to president Putin telling the truth and for slapping the potato-headed Polish government silly. Like most quislings, “Eastern Europeans” will bow before the current master. In that sense they are irrelevant. Eternal cannon fodder. Don’t believe me? Read War and Peace and the sketch of the “brave” Polish colonel of the Uhlans.
@fog of war and his like-minded comrade in Russophobic-imperialist thought @Petter sound and act as neonazis indeed. Which begs the question, WTF are they doing here if not trolling and spying on honest discussions by anti-imperialists? Nussiminen puts it very well indeed, theirs are exercises in Neonazi revisionist rubbish.
Re the article itself, Ken Leslie is always a delight to read, despite the somber conclusions, and his theories about the “Russian frog” not jumping out of the pot while it’s still possible make a great deal of sense. There’s a measure of –shall we say, “inexplicability”?—in Moscow’s rather too mild responses to the West’s rabid assault by every conceivable means short of outright kinetic war. The West —and its major engine, the Big Bully—has been asking to be taught a lesson for a long time, and in this case, such would be for the benefit of all humanity, as the future of our species looks a lot more promising in the hands of true statesmen, which no longer exist in the West.
Incidentally, isn’t it time nations that truly wish to defend their sovereignty and survival to get serious abut uprooting and kicking out ALL Western NGOs and bloated “diplomatic missions” working only as regime change assets? I am always appalled at learning that open CIA hybrid war assets like the NED, HRW, AI, etc, have been allowed to operate in China, Russia, etc., with impunity for decades. What kind f countering service are these nations running that cannot identify such obvious enemies? Just asking.
Dear Tybalt,
I agree completely.
Thanks.
“The West —and its major engine, the Big Bully—has been asking to be taught a lesson for a long time, and in this case, such would be for the benefit of all humanity, as the future of our species looks a lot more promising in the hands of true statesmen, which no longer exist in the West. ”
True. But is it reasonable for all of humanity to rely on Russia to do the job of “teaching a lesson”?
Russia taught Nazi Germany and the West a lesson in WW2, and what has it got them?
It seems to me that smaller, weaker states are not stupid just because smaller and weaker (starting with Belarus???). They must step up to plate and make plain their needs and loyalties if they want to be championed by Russia. Otherwise Russia just becomes a “flying monkey”—proxy acting for others who won’t act for themselves.
Russia must first and foremost look after itself. If there is a group of states who need a big champion, they should travel to Moscow and tell Putin clearly that they want to be on his “saving humanity” team.
Katherine
Dear Katherine,
I agree completely. Russia has been literally betrayed by a number of “small” states including Bulgaria (on whom they’d lavished their Slavic brotherhood), Czechia, Slovakia and many others.
Yet at the moment it is not about mentoring these NATO satrapies but about preventing them from doing what many of them did in WWII. They are Russia’s enemies now. Not even Mr Lavrov can call them partnyors while holding his nose. They have only themselves to blame.
“Russia has been literally betrayed by a number…”
This framing is based upon, and facilitates a closed system precluding lateral (qualitative) change, thereby emulating and facilitating the continuance of coercive social relations which are being transcended.
Consequently instead of resorting to emotional responses including blaming others and wallowing in self-pity, some seek to understand and facilitate vectors of transcendence.
In furtherance of these practices Mr. Lavrov and others by their practices illustrate that the opponents are viewed as colleagues/co-operators/partners complicit in facilitating such transcendence of themselves and their social relations, since not all “…..people hold these truths to be self-evident”.
Your comments, with all respect, sound a bit passive aggressive and yet rambling. What transcendence? Who’s wallowing when the same enemies as in 1941 are at Russia’s borders? Nothing is self-evident until force of justice makes it self-evident. You are not arguing with the facts but attacking the writer – like a couple of transgressors here.
Transcendence? I shall oblige you by publishing a plan for the unification of all Slavs.
That theory fits with the narrative of BS propagated from the West but doesn’t fit with Russian long historical record of being mostly reactive when it comes to confront what they perceived stronger parties. Stalin then, as Putin now are only praying for longer peace, for the build up of forces to defend their physical space. This of course works against the calculations of Western Oligarchy led by the US, since stronger and more prosperous Russia, China, Iran are far less vulnerable to propaganda as well as direct attacks (kinetic or otherwise).
Dear Kouroi,
This does not mean that reactivity is the right choice here. Large states have a smorgasbord of subliminal measures (subliminal in the sense of not crossing the threshold of war) that are at the same time perceptible. You know like when a large airplane full of top choral singers explodes in mid-air. Or…
You can’t keep buying time without pushing back. You will never get enough of it.
Thanks
Oh, absolutely. Unfortunately one needs to identify and recruit all the psychopaths in one’s country and train them in the dark arts in order to pursue this push back… You do what you need to do to counteract the US I guess…
Indeed. With such enemies, you cannot afford to play nice.
‘After all, Stalin was nice innocent man, who made mistakes, and only wanted the best for all ” his ” people’.
Given that Stalin was a Georgian bandit, that is true for the appropriate value of “his people”.
Namely Stalin.
The ’Georgian bandit’ enjoys appreciable popularity in today’s Russia. ”Stalin, the baby-eating monster from hell” is for Pindos and Euro-trash. Doesn’t do the trick with the people who remember what life was like in Stalin’s USSR; sorry.
Stalin had a predecessor in Jolly Old England. He was named Robin Hood.
Meanwhile, Stalin was a retail bandit. The City of London and Wall Street are in a whole other monstrous, cancerous league.
But, see, in the Western populations criminal psychopathic consciousness, it’s always the other guys fault.
Jesus addressed this tendency quite well with his point about seeing the log in one’s own eye before criticizing the speck in another’s eye.
Why are you confusing Stalin’s USSR with Putin’s modern Russia, few on this site will fall for that simplistic line.
Short, concise answer:
When Russia has strong, perspicacious leaders such as Stalin and Putin, the West’s so-called leadership and its vassals stand out as the mental and moral midgets that thay are. This is a rock-solid comparison that isn’t confusing whatsoever.
Comparing Stalin with Putin? Seriously?
While Stalin has really still a lot of positiv views in Russia
Comparing him with Putin is not acceptable
Putin really tries to save mother Russia from the monster while Stalin killed millions of Russians
and I guess the Russians themselves took care of him in the end
Putin is not the almighty though as many dream even he has its limits and borders where he is limited in
I see the situation pretty similar as the author of this article with a slight touch more optimism
I guess China will play a much bigger role in the next years or dekades and hopefully we won’t see that looming big hot war too soon
But that a big war will come that is inevitable
Putin also shares with Stalin the Anglo-Zionist West’s unending love and devotion. Not the slightest confusing either; least of all to the Russians.
Stalin had to take care of matters because of a huge 5th column in the early USSR. That task was a complex one and thus also people from the ‘right’ side got interned. Study the early years of the USSR and understand how complex and messy the situation was. The west fully uses this part of history against everything Rus since.
At the same time nobody complains about murderous Britain’s mr Winston Churchill or whatever US government or POTUS from the very beginnings of the USA.
Here’s a nice timeline of US crimes. It is the history that good upstanding Americans are not supposed to know.
Almost everything you are going to read here is based on publicly available information and most historians know all about it:
https://mtwsfh.blogspot.com/
Here another good article by Michael Parenti: https://www.globalresearch.ca/making-the-world-safe-for-hypocrisy/25449
I agree that Stalin has been unfairly maligned and that by allowing this Khruschev et al. have caused a lot of today’s problems.
Stalin had no military let alone offensive capability whatsoever to invade the west or even less to hit hitler s divisions. From June 1940 to april 1941 wee 10 months of preparation in berlin, ten months of worldwide fear and respect for the Wermacht s capabilities . On the contrary, the natural moscow move should have been prepare themselves for war in a near future.
All of them shown in Holland, belgium, norway and finally, France. Why the hell would a smart Stalin wage war on the nazis and strike first?
” On the contrary, the natural moscow move should have been prepare themselves for war in a near future.”
That was an implemented plan from September 1938 (“Munich crisis”), a component part of the overall strategy facilitated in part by and incorporating/cordinating, “The Great Terror”, The Stalin Constitution of 1936, collectivisation and industrialisation from 1928 onwards by Mr. Kaganovich and others.
The end of that trajectory was forecast as mid 1943, and despite Operation Barbarossa, this strategy duly modified was achieved in 1943/44 and extended facilitating Kursk, Bagration (the most relevant campaign that few have heard of), the Battle of Berlin and in the opinion of some, the Normandy invasion and subsequent drive through “Western Europe”.
The “Allies” were also aware of this trajectory but not its progress, hence the meeting of the Imperial General Staff with “observers” – not Russian – in London in March 1943, circa 6 weeks after the surrender of “Axis” forces around Stalingrad in February 1943 – to plan how to “deal” with Russia/The Soviet Union in the probality of German defeat, given the “alliance” was always largely a mutually convenient opportunity/facade.
Operation Barbarossa was not a response to Russia’s offensive plans, as Germany’s attack on Russia in WW1 was not a response to Russian mobilization, and you certainly know that. Why bring this crap again?
And to the Foggy Bottom all here are pro-Russian. The site itself is pro-Russian!(Removed language,MOD)
@Petter
Your source is wikipedia? Don’t you know that wikipedia is an instrument of the evil anglo-zionist empire? Wikipedia has distorted world history beyond recognition.
The “Icebreaker” story is a myth that was first created by Hitler to get the German people to support his invasion of the Soviet Union. Later on it was resurrected during the Cold War by Britain and America because they wanted the USSR to replace Germany as the new “threat” and so they started to rewrite history (like in Orwell’s 1984) and began saying that actually, Nazi Germany wasn’t so bad after all and it was Soviet Russia who were the real “bad guys who wanted to take over the world”. The source that they used for this was Victor Suvorov (real name Vladimir Rezun), who was a former Soviet intelligence agent who defected to Britain.
While on the payroll of Mi6 in the 80s, he wrote the book “Icebreaker”. In it he claimed to have seen secret documents in the Soviet archives which proved that Stalin was planning to invade Germany first, but that Hitler launched a preemptive attack and got in the first blow. So Hitler was actually just defending Germany from Soviet aggression and the Russians were the real “bad guys” all along. At the time it might have seemed plausible because many of the Soviet documents from WW2 were still classified and it was impossible for foreigners to verify whether his story was true or not.
After the USSR broke up in 1991 the Soviet archives were opened and many researchers, (including foreign ones), began looking for these “secret documents”. None of them were ever found, and in fact the documents contradicted his account, showing that Stalin was actually very worried about losing a potential war with Germany and did everything he could to avoid – or at least delay it. This was especially true after Germany had so easily beaten Poland, France and Britain, while the Red Army had performed very poorly against Finland.
Rezun also made many other claims while working for British intellegence which were impossible to disprove at the time, but were later proven to be completely false. For example, he claimed that during the 1980s, the Gulag system was still operational and that millions of Soviet citizens were secretly still imprisoned in it. After the USSR broke up it was proven that the Gulag system was shut down after Stalin’s death in the 1950s. He basically was just a traitor was being paid to spread false anti-Soviet propaganda by his British handlers. You can’t take anything he said seriously.
Thank you, Alieu,
As I said, Suvorov’s thesis is the last refuge of a Russophobe.
“Later on it was resurrected during the Cold War by Britain and America because they wanted the USSR to replace Germany as the new “threat” and so they started to rewrite history (like in Orwell’s 1984) and began saying that actually, Nazi Germany wasn’t so bad after all and it was Soviet Russia who were the real “bad guys who wanted to take over the world”.
The myth and others including “General Winter” were used from May 1945 onwards by former members of the SD and OKW to “work their passage” in new waters by emphasing their own expertise/utility in matters Soviet, allowing them to become integrated into the BND, CIA, and subsequently NATO.
Excellent, and finally realistic, assessment of the current situation. Some of us have been saying this for years, but were constantly put down by Putin/ Iranian / and Chinese ” fan boys “. These ” fan boys ” live in a world of unicorns and butterflies, a world where Russia, China, and Iran can never lose. Well, welcome to reality gentlemen, the ZioAmericans empire will not wilt away and collapse internally, they wont become civilized, and they will not share power in a multi-polar world. The Zios will fight to the last Goyim to preserve their power and if the other nations don’t understand this then they deserve their fate, Russia included.
Fog of War.
The beauty of Saker’s blog is one can say what one thinks. And I do live in a world of unicorns and butterflies in Russia, why, just today I saw two butterflies and my blue girl Sophia says she played with a unicorn in the garden this afternoon. Sophia never speaks anything but truth and I know she played with a unicorn because she has fairy dust on her back.
Of course, the odd sanction here and there is an annoyance but with any luck sanctions will be gone by the time my granddaughter is ready for university. Maybe. Guess I better have a word with our son about getting a move on with his intended, I ain’t getting any younger and I don’t have a granddaughter…..yet.
Auslander
Dear FoW,
Thank you. I am not as pessimistic but if Lukashenko has behaved like this towards his brothers, why should we expect more from Iran or China?
Because China and Iran are in the same boat as Russia.
So is Byelorussia.
Quod erat demonstrandum.
” Because China and Iran are in the same boat as Russia. ”
But they’re sure behaving like they both don’t understand that. If they really presented a unified front, along with the smaller nations ( Iran, Venezuella, Cuba, Iraq, etc ) the world would probably not even be at this juncture. Everyone always says that ZioAmerica is bluffing, if so, then call their bluff. Why wait till their missiles are at your borders ?
China faces the same fate, whats China going to do when it gets surrounded by US missiles, in Taiwan for example, are they going to attack US troops over that ? Does anyone here actually believe this would happen ?
Unlike Washington, with its vast collection of vassals (subordinate and dependent), Russia, China and Iran represent the ideal of sovereignty. Nations that should circumstances dictate could come together in time of a major or global war. But in the meantime each nation is solely responsible for the defense of its own interests.
Yes, Russia and Iran together saved Syria but they were each protecting their own quite distinct interests. In Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea and now Belarus, Russia is responsible, alone, for its interests . China is responsible for its interests in the South China Sea and on its border with India. For Iran, it’s the “Axis of Resistance”. I’m not saying they have not or should not provide mutual support; trade, cultural exchanges and diplomatic support when one or another is under assault by the US at the UNSC, like Iran is today, they should. I’m only saying they need to be mindful of their sovereignty.
I would argue that such a loose confederation, as the one I’ve described, in comparison to the Washington centered and highly structured federation, wherein everyone tries to take advantage of the U.S. provided, or low cost, defense, produces much stronger and more capable nations.
Takes some time. You know, building roads, rail-roads, pipelines for oil and gas, ports, internet and cables and systems for payments, defense systems, plus enactments, etc…Strengthen the North East Passage, etc… And yes, by law China will be forced to attack and occupy Taiwan if US troops are going to be deployed there. All these takes time to build, including building some trust. One cannot just go with the simple saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”…
Kouroi,
don’t confuse German construction projects (new Airport Berlin, Stuttgart 21, …) with Chinese projects. Chinese projects are already finished while the ink on the drawings is still drying.
“… but if Lukashenko has behaved like this towards his brothers, why should we expect more from Iran or China?”
It´s not about being brothers, it´s about POWER. What comes to China, in the long run China will be the loser, not Russia. So don´t worry too much about China and Iran, which are not so important for Russia than some seems to think.
Main enemy of Russia has always been your homeland, England. But don´t worry even that too much. No need to nuke London anymore, in any case, the perfidious Albion is on the fast track to oblivion.
Hi,
It can only be a good thing for Britain (or England) to renounce its colonial pretensions and start paying more attention to its growing problems. Given the almost total silence from the controlled media about Russia etc. it seems that this could be in the offing. After all, leaving the EU was the only right thing they’ve done since 2013 (voting on Syria).
As far as England being the main enemy of Russia (and I am utterly disgusted by the Russophobia I’ve encountered here), that is total nonsense. It is not the British who have killed at least 30+ million Slavs in a couple of decades (and no, Rothschild conspiracies do not count as evidence). Please, do not insult the millions of innocent victims.
My previous reply was moderated, so I will say only this: study Halford McKinder’s Heartland Theory.
Dear Prospeller,
McKinder is wheeled out every time someone wants to prove that the British empire was expansionist (shock horror!). Britain and Russia were two empires who were natural enemies–whose interests were diametrically opposed. Isn’t it a miracle then that not only once but twice they fought on the same side when their survival was threatened?
KL
Britain feigned taking sides, they were after manipulating all her rivals against each other so Britain would be the last man standing.
They got the US to unilateraly dismantle the navy so Japan would have a better chance of matching the US in the Pacific and the British deliberately lost Singapore to improve Japans odds further.
Churchill et al hoped for the US to be dragged into such a mess that together with the successfully manipulated pair of Germany and USSR, the british would be able to maintain her dominance.
Britain has exercised extensive influence over the US to make the evils of the 20th century materialise- In effect the US has been Britains muscleman, and has come with the money bags while all the brains were british according to Lord Halifax.
Since both communism zionism and nazism to a significant degree were Britains creations the allpermeating role of Britain is accentuated.
Making it fair to claim that Britains elites masterminded every piece of it and without Britains intrigues none of the tragedies would have happened.
Sorry, won’t wash. The British could have easily joined their German brethren twice but didn’t. After all, the Germans envied and emulated them. Yet the British lost their entire upper class in WWI.
And poor Germans just happened to go into two wars of destruction against Russia (not to mention earlier “crusades” just because the bad English made them. No, it was that bad man Nicholas who declared a mobilisation etc.
Who is ruling Europe now? Britain?
I don’t like sarcasm but I think it’s fitting here.
English, and not German, is the default international language throughout Europe. The USA has military bases in many European countries. Whether these are good indicators is up to you, so make of them what you will.
Hi, Digby, thanks.
Which other language is a default international language in most of the world? Does that mean that Russia and China are occupied? It’s a genuine question.
As for the bases, people assume that this means occupation when all it means that this time “European” youth does not have to die in order to rule Europe (hopefully all the way to the Urals). Trump seems to have seen through that and is shifting his mafia protection racket to ever-loyal Poland.
Hi Ken,
Here’s a short lesson: “We call it diplomacy Minister”
Short clip from the 1980’s “Yes Minister” series
From 2:00 on Why the UK is in the EU (3:30) https://youtu.be/ZVYqB0uTKlE
Enjoy!
Superb!
Britain has fought against Russia or collaborated against many many times, Crimea, civil wars etc etc, i have friends in the UK who instinctively dismiss, dislike, despise all things Russian, support the persecution of Assam ge and if questioned are prone to comments such as ‘but he’s on the Russian side, right?’, as if that’s justification for silencing, imprisoning, torturing dissenting voices, unbelievable idiocy, hypocrisy, hubris, built through drip drip propaganda it seems to become instinctive, without any doubt, on seeing British media broadcasts, eg navalny is definitely ‘poisoned’, immediately without question, and it must be gov conspiracy to murder not individual act, crying over Belarus protests but not mention France, Spain, Bolivia, Mali, on and on, in fact a segment denouncing events in Mali was followed by huge praise for Belarusian ‘opposition’ on BBC world service other day, it’s transparent, constant headlines of RAF chasing away Russian planes screaming like an urgent threat, but you read the text and it says British jets escorted Russian planes over the Baltic sea in international airspace, British navy will now head to black sea in order to ‘defend itself’… it’s all very crooked and deceptive, television anchors refer to Russian ‘interference’ then ponder about hacking, constantly implying the vote figures are manipulated rather than discuss the real accusation of a few Twitter bots, which they know is easily knocked down, skripal incident reported like secret service press releases, no questioning the authority or will it be like Iraq with quiet realisation but no apology later I don’t know how bliar sleeps at night… there’s definitely an undeniable and deliberate effort to make the Russian ‘threat’ appear enormous and dangerous, but to condition the west’s population for, well who knows what?
Thank you Mad A,
You are absolutely correct but you, like many others, fail to see the bigger picture. Russia and Britain are natural opponents (land vs. sea) and yet they haven’t faced off in a major war. I repeat, I have been totally disgusted by the total war waged here against Serbia and Russia since the early 1990s and as I said to a politician friend here – it wouldn’t surprise me if Britain were to lead a crusade against Russia this time. I’m waiting to see what happens.
“As far as England being the main enemy of Russia … that is total nonsense.”
I beg to differ Ken:
Why England Was Always The Worst Enemy Of Russia
July 30, 2020
https://www.stalkerzone.org/why-england-was-always-the-worst-enemy-of-russia/
Regards
TB
Dear Tyson,
As I said above, Britain and Russia have every reason to be enemies. Both were expansionist empires (the Russian one was the fastest growing empire in history), rivals for parts of Europe and Eurasia and both saw their enemy’s expansion as a mortal danger. Nobody will forget the British aiding the Turks and supporting Russia’s enemies–Islamic or otherwise etc. Given all this, is it not a miracle that they have fought on the same side in two world wars? Does this count for nothing?
The author of the article you linked is correct–Britain unlike Russia has (had?) global ambitions. That is undeniable and places Britain in the same camp as all the other predatory empires. Yet…
Thank you for the article Ken, and yes, England is surely the enemy of Russia but should really be the enemy of many from that long but casually forgotten lineage of ever so polite terror, from expelled Highlanders and their burnt down crofts, to Chinese and their destroyed ‘wonder of world’ summer palace, occupied HK, ruined society and economy with typical posh English aristo-gangster subversive behaviour, poor India with hundreds of thousands slaughtered to suppress rebellions, keep the tea flowing, what was it ‘a hundred of their lives for every dead Englishman’? Indian historians even note the Brits had them lick the blood of their relatives off the floor in 57, reveals a disgusting mentality, meanwhile fought to maintain slavery in Haiti, fought to maintain colonies in US civil war, might spare a thought though for those Brits fighting for ‘democracy and freedom’ in ww1 despite the very same working class soldiers being at that time without the right to vote, yet still merrily continuing cruel wars against natives of occupied territories, murdering, imprisoning, castrating men even up into the 1950s for any slight whiff of mau mau sentiment, even used those guilty without trial political prisoners in Kenya to build the capital’s airport which is still in use today, yet how many land there with that in mind, built on the backs of lives worked to death by Westminster’s gulags in a ‘post-British Empire state’? Then there’s the slaughtering of hundreds of thousands of assumed socialists in Malayan emergency, do many ponder the bleak underside of those beautiful Bali beaches, littered with lost souls? The political internment camps of nice Mr Atlee? No, just thank him for the glorious religion of NHS and enjoy a ‘chillaxing’ wellbeing holiday in the sun. Let’s face it the West has gotten away with it, all whilst criticising USSR for human rights abuses…and this is without mentioning Iranian coup, initiating and continuing murder and domination of Palstinians, starvation, exploitation of the long suffering Irish, etc etc this could go on, but I’m glad I left blighty, not that other nation’s and cultures are untarnished, just that some seem quite unforgivable, so smug, dim and hypocritical, I only wish there’d be an effort to recall ‘he who is without sin…’ before casting further rocks from glass houses.
Dear Mad A,
I agree completely and know quite a bit about Britain’s political cold war against the USSR.
Next time the Saker initiates a topic on British colonial crimes, I’m sure you will make an excellent contribution.
In the meantime, why not answer my question: Is it not a miracle that R and UK have not faced off in a world war?
Yes indeed, that is true, very remarkable to have avoided head on confrontation, mind you Britain seems to prefer a so called ‘hybrid war’ to risking any fight against a genuinely threatening opponent, Brits like hanging around with the bully and cheering them on, occasionally getting a good kick in discretely, it’s all projection, national psychosis. I recall during the world cup there were some remarkable moments that seemed to bridge the gap, a rising awareness of the Soviet people’s enormous sacrifice, radio interviews with travelling fans recording disbelief that they were in fact not being beaten in the street by Russian skinheads but hugged and serenaded in bars with tales of those greater times when allied together to defeat literal Nazis, yet all that warmth and promise was quickly forgotten, the mainstream media diminished such stories and instead hammered on about a locally poisoned double agent at every possible opportunity, what fantastic timing that was.
Thank you,
My point precisely. There is no need for any nation to behave like a racist imperial scumbag.
Ordinary Brits, Germans and for that matter Macedonians do not want any of this. But as you notice, this is completely out of their hands.
There was also that anti-Napoleon alliance in the interest of ridding the continent of an all-conquering corporal.
On the other hand you have the Germans – natural allies of the Russians (many lived there for centuries, shared Royal family, technical co-operation, Russian goodwill) and yet Germany tried to destroy Russia twice. Oh, sorry, I forgot that it’s been going on since the Teutonic order was established.
Please elaborate. If you don’t think you can, I will in one of the future articles.
Thank you
Your question is addressed to a different person, but one answer is that the nature of competition between Germany and Russia and Britain and Russia is totally different.
Britain is an island.
Germany and its eastern hinterlands (locus of centuries-long German diaspora) is basically a thick isthmus.
“Natural allies” = also “natural enemies.”
But, IMHO, nothing “natural” about Britain’s competition with Russia.
Russia’s expansion into Central Asia/Afghanistan was far more “natural” than Britain’s mercantile expansion into India, whence it conducted the Great Game against Russia in its attempt to control Afghanistan and neighboring regions and routes.
Speaking of spies (Alexander Burnes; for the basics see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Burnes), William Dalrymple’s “Return of a King” is excellent on Britain’s first major sally of the Great Game—which was horrifyingly bloody. But largely fought by proxies. During the same general period Britain “fought” and destroyed the Chinese, although again not openly, but via the scourge of opium and later its gunboat “diplomacy” (made possible by development of steam engine).
What is particularly annoying about the British is their “connoisseurship” of the cultures of the regions they invaded and pillaged and exploited (also via proxies such as the Baghdadi Jews) while simultaneously utterly destroying them on their home territories (cf. collections at Powis Castle, basically the result of looting in the course of pillaging and fighting numerous pitched battles for the total control of India, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden/features/the-clive-museum-at-powis)..
Maybe your question regarding the miracle that Britain never fought an official war with Russia is not that relevant. Depending on how one defines war.
Katherine
Wikipedia page on Nairobi airport is incredibly coy and sympathetic to British;
‘As part of the oppressive system of the colonial government to smash the Mau Mau Uprising, an extensive amount of forced labor was exploited to build the airport. Due to the enormous pressure to finish the airport and the high amount of labour necessary, it was not uncommon to work the captives to death. Working conditions were so bad, that reported suicides and self-mutilation occurred…’
You see, the abstract ‘colonial government’ just needed a massive airport and it was only due to the ‘high amount of labour necessary’ that ‘captives’ often died, otherwise they killed themselves, I mean gosh when you put it like that it’s all so understandable, those untried political prisoners just worked too hard and inflicted most of the horror on themselves, why that’s nothing at all like those nasty Russians, compare to how White sea canal is discussed;
‘The canal was constructed by forced labor of gulag inmates. Beginning and ending with a labor force of 126,000, between 12,000 and 25,000 laborers died according to official records,[4] while Anne Applebaum’s estimate is 25,000 deaths,[5] and accounts of up to 250,000 deaths in the works of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.’
I’m not defending gulags, but this is naked propaganda, and it seems through such means of presenting an interpretation of truth as ‘the truth’ they attain cultural dominance, Russia, China need to be more assertive in the information and soft power spaces, build institutions, promote writers, directors, offer a different view.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Sea%E2%80%93Baltic_Canal
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomo_Kenyatta_International_Airport
Jesus Christ, you lot must be fun at parties, this is ridiculous, nobody should make arguments in favour of a murderous, poisoning regime that clings to power for its own ends, have you ever even watched any Navalny investigation? Extremists, the lot of you, the shame.
@McMan
I was in a wavering mood — not about the gadfly Navalny but about how to frame this answer. Should I banter or explain things seriously Eventually. I settled for the latter. To wit:
Navalny, a totally spent force, ”highly likely” saved Svetlana Tikhanovskaya’s life for now. As the colour revolution stunt in Belarus and the accompanying prospect of Western plunder and subversion die down, the handlers of the ”opposition” needed some political martyr. They could have chosen to assassinate Tikhanovskaya, but they have not given up on her just yet. Navalny is a worthless gadfly whose entire fake reputation is Western made (possibly with some Russian oligarchic backing too). He is more worth dead than alive. And, similarly, for a non-entity such as Tikhanovskaya — who proudly gives the game away by posing together with BHL — I think she’d better watch her step, lest she ends up as Navalny.
“As far as England being the main enemy of Russia . . ., that is total nonsense.”
It was Britain that pursued the Great Game against Russia throughout the nineteenth century in an attempt to control Central Asia and the Eurasian continent. Smarter folk than I (or experter, shall we say) have contended that the current geopolitical lineup is just a new chapter in the same old same old Great Game, with the USA on the British team. In fact, I think writers at this blog have suggested as much.
Katherine
Dear Katherine,
You make a very good point. As an amateur student of the great game I can only agree that the current state of the Central Asia and beyond has a lot to do with it and that its echos are still heard all over the world.
Also, please, I am not trying to exonerate the British or say that they are an ally of Russia. I am just trying to break up the lazy and dangerous myth that EU is a friend and natural partner of Russia when EU is only a realisation of a 4-ring Nazi plan for a “New Europe”. I’m serious.
Britain is a shadow of its former self while EU is becoming the most powerful block in the world and is moving towards Russia.
Only four mentions of “China” in this article. A *proper* alliance of China and Russia (together with some smaller states), that would be sufficient. But currently it seems that neither Russia nor China has any bigger goals, but just wish to be “left alone” (which will never happen).
Russian and Chinese “elites” are highly brainwashed/corrupted by the “West”, and that seems the main problem. Russia and China are ideologically very weak, just want to be “good guys”, playing “their part in the international community”.
In order to change that, Russia and China have to become much more assertive, must stop reacting and must start acting. The “elites” just go with the power (that has two sides!).
@ Oliver K
I’m forwarding your instructions to Messrs. Putin and Xi.
Thanks for the input.
By the by, do you have some credentials, perhaps a term at the helm of a major nation, some geopolitical work?
It would help convince those two of the aptness of your recommendations.
I guess Putin and Xi have essentially used up their energy. At least for Putin that seems clear.
They needed to have proper successors, who can now build on a stronger basis, and can be more assertive.
But the question of proper successors might be a big problem, especially due to the ideological weakness of Russia and China.
The problem of “ideological weakness” is linked to the question of “instructions” asked for by Larchmonter445. The framework of thought is given by the “West”, on all essential areas. Thus there are no “instructions” available.
@Oliver K
You are unable to read your own words which were “instructions” for two world leaders.
I didn’t ask for any instruction for them.
I realize now, you don’t get it.
As for frameworks, my naive fellow, Putin is constructing a framework for the Russian Federation’s sphere of influence and superpower presence. Middle East, Venezuela, Arctic, North Africa, Central Africa,
What might you call the BRI? Not a framework? President Xi would be dismissive of your sophomoric viewpoint.
The West is reacting to what the Double Helix is doing. Containment of China is reaction. Sanctions on Russia are reactions.
Just review back to 2015 in world affairs. Then move up through the events of the ensuing annuals.
The West is in cave-in mode. The US is like a massive glacier breaking up and shedding its size in a meltdown.
Don’t bother with more. We see your POV. It’s deficient because it is erroneous. Repetition won’t change it.
you are…. of course… quite right….. bu maybe a bit harsh on the boy!
Well stated and 100 percent accurate. It is hard for the TV educated to think out of the box (TV).
historians like to date things, changes in trend, starts and endings.
i submit that october 1 2015 was the official start of the new world being created by the russian/chinese alliance and the end of the wests domination of the planet.
every event since that date has only proven the trend has since changed and is now accelerating.
Also March 1, 2018 – the showcasing of the hyper-sonic weaponry.
Just when I thought that the defeatism and learned helplessness which littered the comment sections during the nonsense in Belarus — where the non-entity Tikhanovskaya postured with the ”buzzard-faced” BHL — were fading, here comes a true ”masterpiece” in the very same genre. For your information: Lukashenko and Belarus survived and prevailed over the Western filth. The latter also lost in HongKong, they lost in Iran (industrial deal Iran/China).
Really, what I find particularly tiresome and objectionable with these doom-and-gloom sermons is their capitulationist bent, also ideologically. Here, the USSR’s unprecedented victory over European fascism is denigrated in strict accordance with the standard Zio-garbage:
Likewise, Lukashenko’s and the Belarusian KGB’s steadfastness and resolve during the coup were dismissed as ’blunders’, ’suicide’, and what-have-you. In one sense, this cretinism is promising. It shows that Pindos and Euro-trash have no spine. The Axis of Resistance is an entirely different breed.
Lastly, I don’t buy the proposition that the West — at least not its citizens — get off scot-free. Neoliberalism is unapologetically and utterly elitist wreaking havoc deliberately wherever it can. This is appreciably clear in Sweden, believe me.
Nussiminen
Well said, very well said indeed. As I posited above your post, Byelorus will not fall regardless of the constant doom and gloom posted around this blog. Pity, really, that I don’t have the spare time to step on all the doomsayers and naysayers floating around. Wish I did, at least it would lead to some spirited discussions.
Auslander
Thank you very much, Auslander.
Your submissions are particularly valuable since you’re posting from Russia — indeed Crimea — thanks to which you are able to deal appropriately also with doltish insinuations coming from, most recently, Fog of War.
Putin saved Belarus from utter hell — that doesn’t feel right for two-bit Western ’progressives’ and their firm belief in Western invincibility.
Auslander, as Nussiminen says, it is nice to read your comment, here. You are a wise person, and very well informed. With so many trolls around (with their obvious disagreements with the main views of the Saker blog — otherwise, why would they be here?), remarks like yours are precious! Mind you, I myself have not posted very much either due to so many reasons…
I am going to make a weird comment about this article in a few minutes… Perhaps, somebody will be able to convince me that I am wrong.
Incidentally, I am still reading your book — Never the Last One: a Novel of Spetznaz — in my old ebook reader… It is fascinating! The descriptions of Russian customes, the battles and preparations for war and the ambushes, the incredible qualities of the Spetznaz — everything is so unique, so unusual for us here, ignorant of Russian culture and power… Your terminology gives the atmosphere that makes the whole scenery very ‘visible’! I hope to write a small book review in amazon.com, as I believe your book deserves praise. Thank you for writing it. Take care!
Colonel Cassad is a very useful website and Boris Rozhin is pretty sharp. Note that in the last few days, his dire pessimism has turned to cautious optimism. The details are on the website. Google Tranlation into English at https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&tab=wT&sl=ru&tl=en&u=colonelcassad.livejournal.com%2F
Strana.ua also has useful info.
It was unrealistic hubris for the Empire to think they could sink Belarus with another Maidan. As noted at Colonel Cassad, even 91% of Ukrainian TV viewers think Lukashenko should stay in power. There’s nothing like the power of a hard example. Libya, Ukraine …
Dear Cosimo,
Thank you, but don’t you see we are clutching at straws – will he, won’t he. At this stage of the war, when the enemy has completely surrounded Russia, there must not be any uncertainty or vacillation. Does the CIA care what the Ukrainians (Western Russians) want?
Grazie
@KL, “completely surrounded Russia”
The Arctic is Russian. That ends the encirclement.
The Far East? Russia sends one surface vessel or one Tu-160 over the Sea of Japan and the US and its allies shiver. And don’t mention Russia’s ultra quiet submarines. Japan, So. Korea, Taiwan, Australia and the USN understand what Russian Federation subs mean.
Russia and China flew a few fighters together down the coast of North Korea and the Peninsula 2 years ago and the great PACCOM is still cleaning its underwear from the incident.
Surrounded? In Central Asia?
Give us all a break. You overstate your arguments continually.
Russia is surrounded by the Planet Earth, not any adversary.
Correct. And Russia also has got some not-so-insignificant clout in space.
War against Russia!!???
They will continue with economic and propaganda war but real WAR!
I do not know any nation in Europe which soldiers would be willing to go to fight with Russia.
Maybe Poles … but even them … I do not think so.
One Hungarian man told me – politicians and generals can do whatever they want but soldiers fight
And soldiers are boys who are from ordinary people and they has to be motivated somehow
And that motivation does not exist in today new generation
I really cannot imagine them to fight against Russia or China. The same moment when they experience deadly answer from Russian military, that war is over.
NATO is paper tiger. I know that. I talked with some Croatian soldiers and they told me that it is easy to go to Baltic countries and to have some military exercises, drinking in Baltic pubs and chasing Baltic whores.
But to fight against Russia, they just laugh. No way that any of them want that and to feel any motivation for that despite of BS they listen every day from their and American military officers.
And the very same mood exist among soldiers from all those countries.
Only way for West to break and destroy Russia is some Russian Color Revolution. Only way to achieve that are Russians themselves.
And that’s why we can expect long term economic pressure, stronger and stronger and this stupid and idiotic propaganda war.
Exactly, from recent misadventures in Iraq, Afghan, Libya, and other covet operations more US, UK and other grunts have committed suicide back home than been killed on milit operations. But what is unknown about multiple CIA MI6 Mossad etc., plus mercenary agencies with 100000 or more headchoppers and /or PMCs. On drugs, micro-chipped, zombiefied or plain desperate starving people as with Sudanese and other Africans fighting for Brit and US trained Saudi forces attacking Yemen. We are 7 billion people with more and more starving and are Very Expendable cannon fodder. (quote Sir-Burp Kissinger!! ). However, troops that are drugged and with nano implants combined with mini-nano nukes, drones etc., under AI guidance will be a challenge for dedicated human Russian military defending their homeland.
For Russia today every military personnel is a valuable human asset defending 1000s km of borders. Sure no sane and normal European NATO military person is prepared to die attacking Russia. Therefore Deep State with Pompeo and City of London has to more diabolically creative..
I fully agree.
No Croat or Italian (or even American) can be convinced to die in some Russian steppe in an offensive war.
On top of that we can look at recent adventures. Venezuela – fail, Iran – fail, Syria – fail….. and to take on Russia in a real war???
To quote Joe Biden – “Cmon man”.
Yes the Anglo empire had success in Bolivia and Ukraine, but those are wastebaskets.
Also since Serbia is mentioned a couple of times, Vuchic is going to Washington tonight for some negotiation with Albanians. I see this as a positive since the talks are getting pulled out of the EU, talks are with the real boss present, and it’s not like the EU was helping Serbia in any matter. I don’t place too much importance on this visit, I think it’s just procedural, but (huge BUT) if the author of the article is correct in his assessment of doom – then this visit is pivotal. If this attack is to happen then Serbia must recognize Kosovo as an independent state in order to pacify the soft underbelly of Europe. This will not happen.
Real boss is not in Washington. It is 4,857 miles to the east.
Bolivia is NOT at all a wastebasket as Bolivia has 90% of lithium world reserves(that was the only reason for the coup as the rare earth for Ukraine).Lithium is vital for the silicone valley gafa and microships industries.They also try with Kim for the very same reason(rare earth).Iran has nothing to do with a nuclear bomb or even Israel only with Oil and gas(same for Venezuela).The US only makes wars(or try to)for ressources and nothing else.No ideology,no religious reason(only excuses).Money,money,money.They pretty don’t care about the people even of their own country.
Saudia Arabia has the most proven Oil World Reserves…
Venezuela has the most proven Oil World Reserves…
Irak, Iran, Syria have large Oil Reserves…
According to scientists we shouldn’t have any oil anymore. For some strange reason I still can get some fuel for my car. With Lithium the same game seems to be played.
Is the statement true that Bolivia has the most of Lithium World Reserves? What about Afghanistan?
Dear BC,
If you’d read my article, you would have seen that it is precisely the opposite – no need for a hot war.
If faced with the immediate choice between fighting Russia and bayonetting their own generals and politicians, I think most European soldiers would make the obvious choice.
It’s just a simple matter of perceiving who is your real enemy.
I think it’s always better to be cautious and never underestimate your enemy. I, for one, do believe Russia holds an edge in military formation but i think there is a real possibility that if AZ leaders do act there would be overwhelming and blinding attacks. They will hope with the first strike it would completely incapacitate their adversaries. What I think at this point is to convince them a capable system is in place for an equally devastating retaliation.
I hope we won’t have to live up to that contingency measure.
What we’re all not considering is if a hot war is started by a third party – and we all know who that will be. Think USS Liberty.
Get the two warring sides – majority-Christian – one Catholic-Protestant , the other Orthodox and both majority-white sides – to knock each other out.
Now which small ethnoreligious tribe would that benefit?
That is a point that must never be excluded but also never overplayed.
“Only way for West to break and destroy Russia is some Russian Color Revolution. Only way to achieve that are Russians themselves.”
I tend to agree. The USSR fell in part because the younger age groups at the time were seduced by Western rock music and espoused cultural ideals of ‘freedom’ — an idea that came from a Beatles doco from memory (but long since lost reference).
That gap does not exist now. The West’s dirty underwear (and economic theory collapse) is on show for all to see. China and India at 1.2-1.4 billion (approx) and the former now back in civilization mode with technological advances (e.g. 5G, not that I’d want it, but they have the IP and standards, hence the dummy spit by the USA etc), clearly sets the future trends — not some tired old European/UK domain wasting away with old age and gender confusion.
Why the Russians put up with NATO is hard to see — but it must be part of their calculus. At the moment I assume that Norde Stream 2 is the core strategic focus between Russia and Germany. Once that is linked in then I suspect the EU-Russian pivot dynamics will change. As for the US — yes the Spartan elite can wage war, but as the Covid-19 outbreak has shown, the epidemic in obesity, diabetes and heart disease is hardly going to invade Russia. And with supply chains extended to China and Southeast Asia the US has a long lead time to be able to sustain war on two continent front-lines. Sure they can ‘shock and awe’ but not with Russia or China. It’s just looking like a long 100-years of stalemate in play.
If it comes to the crunch all the Russians have to do is advise Germany that 25-million angry WW2 ghosts will be flying the Russian flag over Berlin once again for 100 years (once the radiation levels drop to save levels) if they don’t sort out the NATO BS. Problem solved. Japan surrendered after 2 rounds of atomic bombs — perhaps that will echo something of the next hot war if (God forbid) it should occur.
Where would that come from then?
I could almost recall reading that Japan was already willing to surrender beforehand, and that the use of nukes was an attempt by the USA to intimidate the Soviet Union.
“Where would that come from then?”
See around 26:00 plus in …
http://gunsandbutter.org/blog/2020/08/05/memoir-of-a-world-watcher
“I could almost recall reading that Japan was already willing to surrender beforehand,…” — as I understand it. An amoral precedent if ever there was one needed.
And also to bomb Christian communities in Japan… why not targetting Tokyo or Osaka, but Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Mossad comes a long way, the hate veterotestamentarian god also… QED
Dear all,
People complaining about the bad news remind me of the party hacks in the USSR who did not dare acknowledge that Barbarossa was coming in order not to offend their partnyor.
Stalin might not have been nice but he was the perfect man for the job. Imagine Gorbachev or Yeltsin leading the nation at that time.
Suvorov’s thesis is the last refuge of a… Russophobe.
I understand your animus but please disprove any of the points I made. Let “anonymous” rebels dispatch an American general in Syria and see what happens.
Thanks
“Let “anonymous” rebels dispatch an American general in Syria and see what happens.”
I will tell you what happens: nothing. Nobody will ever know about it. Besides, NATO commanders has died in ME, as you probably know.
I agree with the author.But I’m sad that he’d didn’t leave any ideas as to what to do about it. So I’ll leave mine.
Russia needs to stop making Stalin’s mistakes leading up to Barbarossa. Take control of her money supply.And ban the use of the dollar in any Russian trade,unless with the US itself. Purge the pro-Western elements out of Russia’s governing elite.As the author said,Stalin not having a 5th column to worry about was one key element in the USSR winning the war. Appoint Glaznev or someone with similar economic ideas to restore the economy to Soviet levels of world importance. Purge social society in Russia of Russia haters. Especially the education system.We see what damage Russia haters in Ukrainian schools did to the young.The fact that so many teachers in Russian schools are pro-Western is appalling,and must be corrected,sooner rather than later.That is how the West builds its traitor class in a target country.So it truly is a matter of life or death to stop them.
Announce a Putin Doctrine,which says that meddling in the affairs of a CTSO nation will be treated as an attack on Russia as well.And the response will be the same as an attack on Russia would bring.Up to and including a military response.And if that happens,back up those words.Had Russia not allowed Nazi Germany to build up to Barbarossa,many of the horrible losses might have been avoided. Move to include other friendly allies under the Putin Doctrine umbrella.
Only the rollback of Western aggression will convince them to stop further aggression.Have conversations with European leaders and explain that the sanctions need to end.Or Russia will consider the country applying them as at war with Russia.And the next war will be fought on their soil not Russia’s,and mean what you say.Alexander I, had to water his Cossack’s horses in the Seine to end Napoleon’s war on Russia.And Stalin had to conquer Berlin to end Hitler’s threat to Russia.The next war needs to see Russia not stop until Calais (conquering Britain isn’t important missiles would contain their aggression without an invasion).But NATO would be destroyed,with all its European stooges,either in ruins.Or,the smart ones would pull a Romania of WW2 act.And withdraw from NATO and either declare themselves neutral,or ask to ally with Russia.
To win this nefarious war,Russia must start being pro-active,not re-active.Being re-active only means “not losing yet”.The victors write the history,which is why the West is able to shape reality to their side.Russia must not let that continue.As an example,polls in France fairly close to the end of WW2 asked who did the most to defeat Nazi Germany.Almost 3 fourths answered correctly,the USSR.Recently the same question was asked in France and most said it was the US.With the USSR having much lower numbers.That is the power of Western propaganda at work.And Russia not having a propaganda policy to counter it.
The West constantly portrays Russia as an evil country to stoke fear of her. No amount of “sweet talk” is going to change that perception in the foreseeable future.So maybe that can be worked with. In the World the two most important motivators are love and fear.Love is out of the question right now.And propaganda being what it is,love can be changed. But fear on the other hand,how do you think the US controls its minions.It certainly isn’t love.Those enemies of Russia need to fear her.Let them think to themselves,”I don’t want Russia mad at me,and coming to get me.I better not do anything that would make her come for me”.A small example is Ukraine.Now I have been very critical of Russia’s handling of the Ukrainian mess.But in this case they got it right.The Ukrainians were massing troops to attack Donbass. Putin says on TV he can’t sit silent and see a civilian bloodbath take place.And then he orders a few days later Russian troops to the Ukrainian border for “training”.The Ukrainians pull their troops back and cancel the planned attack.Now would Putin have used the troops he sent to the border against the Ukrainian attack,who knows.But the point was they “feared” he would and didn’t take the chance. Russia must stop being the EU/NATO’s door mat,always walked on.
Dear UB,
I thought I’d replied but probably not.
Thank you – that is exactly what’s needed – a very measured aggressive posture which pushes the criminals back. An arrest here, an accident there. But no, even at this late hour, it is all about “our European friends and partners”.
Call Angela! She’s da boss.
Uncle Bob seems perfectly right to me.
I have noted all Uncle Bob has listed about Putin before and expressed my suspicion that Putin is fifth column himself because of it but the Saker did not like it. if KL is right and the Russian situation under AZ empire pressure what is Putin waiting on?
in fact even if the AZ empire wasn’t as aggressively forward as it apparently is, the hold on Russia by western interests, whose still literal control of the Russian economy for example, is inexcusable
I also find that the K.L author of such doom and gloom above is also inexcusable, especially as he does not offer us a path out. K.L never even criticized Putin directly, or dissected Putin’s leadership in demonstration of such leadership possibly being a western incentive for it’s described comprehensive ‘peaceful’ attack on Russia up to its doorstep
I mean if Putin does not take back control of the Russian Banking system after all theses years, if he did not take it back immediately upon assuming power..in addition of his love for ‘Europeaness’, his Russian wish to be accepted by Europe, then maybe there is indeed a wish to capitulate to the west In Russian leadership exemplified by Putin’s very leadership these past years. therefore, extreme western pressure on Russia could likely act like a successful kind of color revolution in Russia itself, would work by giving Putin every reason to give up, capitulate indeed and accept western vassalage
if Putin were indeed the aggressive leader we all hoped he would be, the West would not have gotten as far as alleged by K.L. Indeed far from what our doom and gloom author establishes, the west could have been moving forward as they have, seemingly fearlessly..entirely based on such an understanding of Putin.
the West would understand Putin completely, therefore are fully aware of what he will and wont do, based on experience and comprehensive assessment of the man himself, and by that knowledge, totally confident in it, they have pushed into Putin’s face certain that he will do absolutely nothing in response to their aggression.
Putin has in fact done nothing.. and does not demonstrate any sign that we will get up and act even according to Uncle Bob’s sensible and evident nationalist program for Russia at this point
were Putin’s inaction and refusal to retake total internal control of Russia from the west the source of KL’s doom and gloom, I would be unnerved as I am about Putin. I have long been absolutely concerned abut Putin based on what I saw going on. but I am not concerned about K.L’s article at all. it reads like more western psychological propaganda to me
Excellent, I am sharing your points. Informationclearinghouse also published this but it doesn’t have the informed commenters as are here.
>Even though a few lonely voices are screaming that the war is inevitable and that Russia must neutralise any further advances by the new Nazis,
That would be me. Doom and gloom. I’m not able to find a way to believe everything will be fine and Belarus will never fall. These colour revolutions have been very effective in destroying nations. Look at Syria. Syria still stands amidst the rubble but the evil empire is still there taking their oil with no intention of ever leaving. Look what a few foreign inserts at Maidan did to the Ukraine.
The evil empire will never stop unless forced to do so. Oh, look. Trump punished Germany by removing some of their troops! What a bunch of bs. They simply repositioned them closer to Russian. Why do that if there is no possibility of using them?
Thank you Uncle Bob for your remarks. You save me from having to say too much. Russia must become more assertive and forceful. It is now or never. Forget this nicety of referring to ‘our western partners’! Your western partners plan to destroy you! We will know soon what the response will be.
Here’s what Putin has been doing, his cunning plan for Belarus:
He let Luka get his tit in the Western ringer and then scream for help from the Kremlin, including the Military of Russia.
Putin has release Luka’s tit. He has infused FSB specialists to “manage” the communications of Belarus.
He has assured to Luka, to the Belarus military, and to the people of Belarus that no one will be allowed to violate Belarus’ sovereignty, at any border or internally.
Management of the “strikes”, the Media, bolstering the security forces and directing the control measures that will co-opt the opposition and strangle the uprising paid for by the West are now “Russian” directed.
Luka is obeying the only “line”, Belarus will join Russia in all organizations. The Union State, EAEU, CSTO, SCO, whatever Putin wants.
Russia has made it abundantly clear that this color revolution will wither and die and Belarus will stay in Russian sphere of influence. The Poles and Liths and other Baltic midgets might hope otherwise, but the red line is drawn around the Belarus border. No one enters or they face the Russian military.
Luka is a temporary place holder. A new president will be approved by Moscow and that man will carry out the policies that Putin wants for Belarus. Union State integration will benefit Belarus. EAEU will benefit Belarus. The Eurasian Integration (China development and trade nexus) will benefit Belarus.
Putin acted. He let Luka and the West make their moves. Then he picked up the chips, all the chips.
He doesn’t have to send his military. He just states that he will. EU/NATO know he will and piss their pants at the thought.
Meanwhile, the US demonizes him with the Navalny false flag. Pathetic.
President Lukasenko indeed knows how to play ball, he just offered Macaron to mediate between him and gilets jaunes movement. Brilliant!. News published on Serbian “Politika“.
Ha ha!
Turning the tables on l’enfant Macron.
Katherine
Larchmonter, my friend and comrade, you nailed it far better than I ever could. You stated that Luka got his tit caught in the wringer but my thought was what got caught was something a little more sensitive, but whatever got caught in the mangle made a believer of him and the first call he placed was to VVP. ‘Nough said, and the rest will be history.
Auslander
Indeed, it appears he has just had his “Erdogan” (2016 Turkish coup d’état attempt) epiphany moment… albeit slightly re-arranged in structure. It is almost becoming routine and ‘boring’ — a ‘pump-and-dump’ (flush out) political economy scenario.
Larchmonter, author of this article seems to agree with you:
https://www.stalkerzone.org/putins-quiet-ingenious-belarus-special-operation/
And I also agree with you, Belarus will stay in Russian sphere of influence. And finally Mother Russia will win in every front. Mostly because the so called West is completely evil, and evilness always destroys itself.
… and I also agree with you both. No way will Belarus fall.
Putin isnt a dummy, and he’s been watching the Ukraine tragedy unfold for 7 years now, lamenting what might have been.
He still has to tread carefully with Germany with Nordstream2 about to come onstream.
But its also important to see what happens in the US in 73 days time – and whether the losing side will accept the election result (which I doubt). Then if the big states eg Cali petition for secession (the *real cause of the Civil War – slavery being the pretext) with street protests, race riots, defunded police forces in the big cities & SARS-CoV2 plandemic still unchecked – do we really think that the US is that stoopid to start a hot war in that moribund condition?
We’re witnessing a train wreck in slow motion.
Tyson, I hope that Trump wins, if California secedes from the federal state, is it really a bad thing? I don´t know is this a good analogy(I`ve never been in US), but in 2014 Russians created so called anti anti-Russia in Donbass. It means that – because they saw direct military intervention in Ukraine politically too risky – they decided to create a small buffer zone against anti-Russia, Ukraine. Over the centuries, West has always tried to create bridgeheads, anti-Russias, on the borders of Russia.
The beauty of the idea of anti anti-Russia is that in Donbass RUSSIA has a bridgehead, a buffer zone, against western controlled puppet state. So Russia didn´t have to invade whole Ukraine, only a small portion in the east was enough.
Now back to the topic: if California leaves federal state, then all the leftist liberals can be isolated there. It would be a sort of anti anti-US. Final result will be that little by little all leftist liberals move to California, and after that US will be free from the yoke of globalists.
Interesting.
I wonder how Kamala Harris’s being from California might affect such scenarios.
Of course a lot of left liberals also live on the East Coast, e.g., Massachusetts, New York . . . All we in the East really need from California is the vegetables . . . No reason to stop buying their vegetables if they secede.
Katherine
My comment was a bit joke, sorry.
But just a bit, and I could imagine that Trump would love it:)
Katerina wrote in one of her comments about surgical operations, when removing this liberal globalist ideological cancer from earth. Secession of California could be seen in that light. As recent developments in US prove, strong federal government is a must for US. My point is that even if California leaves federal state, that would not necessarily weaken US, if the consequence would be stronger federal state. Exactly like removing a dangerous tumor from the body.
I want to add to this that I´m definitely not a nazi or any extreme right-winger, I would call myself a christian patriot. But enough is enough, this destructive progress has to be stopped somehow.
“No reason to stop buying their vegetables if they secede.”
Yes, that´s true. If we assume that you will manage to push liberals to the west coast, then you must make them economically dependent on you. After that they will not cause problems to you:)
God bless America.
I was only using Cali as an example.
You: “if Cali leaves federal state, that would not necessarily weaken US”
If Cali was a nation it would be the 5th largest* economy in the world. Its GDP is about $3trillion about 1% if the total US GDP. It would have a big impact. It would have an even bigger impact if it starts a trend among other ‘blue states’ as well
If NY state was a nation it would be the 10th biggest.
If Texas was a nation it would be the 10th biggest. Texas (red state) would stay if Trump wins
* https://www.bea.gov/news/2020/gross-domestic-product-state-4th-quarter-and-annual-2019
Ok, you know it better. I was just speculating, but of course, speculations should have some real ground.
US has 100 plus bases abroard. It believes itself an empire (although historically nascent). All students of history are aware that empires destroy themselves from within. Not by a defeat on some remote border.
Huge income disparities, no universal healthcare, widespread poverty, BLM riots, excessive unemployment, a fast food overweight population, two barely believable aged and intellecutally challenged individuals standing for President and a budget that relies on external debt. The danger is not an expanding empire it is that some mentally aged and challenged individual will press a red button by mistake.
I repeat the danger is from within the empire even if the Intelligence Services manipulate their costly assets whose present loyalty is secure at least for a few seconds and their cowardice is forever.
Hope this helps.
right and wrong may be how this delineates but it appears to me that russia is playing with a full deck of cards while the west is played out of face cards now down to 2-9.
since ukraine arguably the wests last victory against the double helix i fail to see a single win from their side while the helix is piling up up win after win after win.
what i do see is as shakespeare called it………….all the sound and fury signifying nothing….coming from western capitals
@tedrichard
Well put. And not even Ukraine was any convincing Western victory either. Sure, the West did succeed in catapulting rabid Nazi animals into power in one of Russia’s larger neighbouring states — only to see the Nazis fail abysmally in what was their key assignment: deliver Crimea to NATO by full-blown anti-Russian genocide. This is the very backdrop of Auslander’s outstanding accounts.
“Luka is a temporary place holder. A new president will be approved by Moscow and that man will carry out the policies that Putin wants for Belarus. ”
So you are happy for Putin to appoint leaders for other countries, but scream night and day on here when the West does that in countries like Ukraine.
If its good enough for Putin to meddle in Belorussian affairs then it is only fair and reasonable for the West to also meddle in Belarus.
For a novel thought, what about letting the Belorussians take care of their own affairs.
”So you are happy for Putin to appoint leaders for other countries, but scream night and day on here when the West does that in countries like Ukraine.”
I know it’s bad form answering questions meant for somebody else (L445), but…
Absobloodylutely! Thing is, unlike the Zionazis Putin has compassion, and cares about peoples’ interests. If Putin were to create an utter living hell in Belarus like the Zionazis did in Ukraine, he still couldn’t be called out on this by the West. Same thing about meddling in Belarus. Ergo: What came first does matter; Western perceptions be damned.
In short: Here we have the ideological bankruptcy of the West’s ’progressives’ on full display. First, Putin is slandered as a traitor/coward/inept/sell-out because ”he doesn’t act” upon the Zionazis meddling in Belarus. Then Putin acts and the tack is instantly changed to Putin trampling Belarus and its ”opposition” under his feet as he and Belarus score a nice victory at the expense of George Soros, BHL, and all the other Western ’progressives’.
Putting the opposition candidates in prison and the calling the election “free and fair” is not a good long term strategy. You might get away with it for a while but people dont like being so openly duped and will turn against it in a big way.
Russia needs to be a bit careful here because to continue this nonsense will just end badly.
Putin has failed to replicate this “care and compassion” amongst even his own party and now faces the very real possibility of his party loosing in the next election.
All these shenanigans will end up bringing about what you fear the most.
“Putin has failed to replicate this ‘care and compassion’ amongst even his own party and now faces the very real possibility of his party losing in the next election.”
Forget about it. As long as it’s the citizenry of the Russian Federation which casts the votes, that scenario is out completely. The “opposition” in Belarus miscalculated badly and got what it deserved.
Congratulations both to Putin and Lukashenko! Would be great if the latter gave the Poles and Lithuanians a good beating as well. As regards the “International Community”, the Zionazis make for top-class entertainment each time their hissy fits are genuine, driven by real pain
Bob H NZ – think strategically.
What would you do if you were the leader of a sprawling country with a relatively small population (only 146 million) that had been attacked by The West 4 times in the last 200 years
– Napoleon 1812
– German-Austrian offensive 1914-18
– British Expeditionary Force 1917, &
– Germany again 1941
… and then faced the Cold War – with religious, economic, diplomatic, propaganda hybrid warfare used against you by the Zionist Occupied Governments of France, UK & US – and their client states?
Also just a reminder Byelorussia (the name means ‘white Russian’) used to be a Soviet Republic. They share a common language, culture and history .
Its not Putin appointing leaders for his *own sake. Its Putin wanting a leadership that will do the right thing by the Belarussians *and by their ethnic kin.
IOW, Putin is seeking a WIN – WIN!
They have formal agreements to create a unitary state between them ‘Union State’ that remains unfulfilled.
And still the whole “European NATO” is too pathetic impotent bunch of pseudo brawn no man able to reason things will take it seriously.
The author should know that Macedonia was dragged into NATO illegally, not willingly. So, Serbia is not alone in opposition. The Macedonians were never consulted in a referendum on the accession which is a constitutional requirement, and a quisling regime changed the name of the country, again, illegally, under coercion. A referendum on the name change decision (rejected the “deal” with Greece) failed, but was proclaimed a success. Heads of state flew in to stage a PR show and try to convince the people to vote ‘yes’ and support their demise (they embarrassingly failed in that).
The Macedonians don’t hate Russia, even though they were left in the cold once when Russia supported Bulgaria in annexing their land with the treaty of San Stefano, and another time when they left Greece in the western sphere of influence after WWII and let the Macedonians be slaughtered in the Greek civil war of ’46-’49.
I don’t usually reply to anonymous posts but just quickly – I have access to archives of Soviet newsprint from WWII. Every time they captured various “European partnyors”, the Soviets always heard sob stories about how unwillingly these marauders are participating in the genocide. So much so that the Ustasha commander of the Croat Legion actually convinced his captors that he’s a genuine Slav proletarian who was dragged into the Wehrmacht. Actions speak louder than words.
Well, I guess the Macedonian people could have risen in a revolt while pauperized, having a US base in the north (Bondsteel), surrounded by hostile nations (with Serbia being a partial exception), propagandized to death, no weapons and logistics…
Actually, they kind of did that in slightly better circumstances in 1903 (Ilinden uprising) and that did not go so well. The internal “conflict” of 2001 was in similar vogue as well. Defeat, and Macedonia is more similar to Lebanon with every passing day. But, actions…
It’s always the same. Romanians were saying the same, Hungarians were saying the same, Croats were saying the same. Why didn’t you join your Yugoslav brothers and oppose the Nazis but went for VMRO lies and recognised Kosovo? I wish you well but there will be hell to pay for all the treachery of the 1990s once the US withdraws.
An embassy was burning in ’99 in Skopje ;) And, for the rest, corruption in parliament is to blame which due to the 2001 defeat on the negotiating table and disastrous policies thereafter is staffed with “loyal” Macedonian citizens of Albanian descent. Comparisons with other countries can hardly be made if one knows how power is shared in Macedonia.
You do know that your “Church” was recognised by the Vatican in 1963 (while Tito was ruling the roost) and your governments have excelled in imprisoning senior Serb Orthodox clerics and macedonising everything that had once been Serb. When I was very young, I was looked after by a Macedonian from Tetovo named Trajko who wore a Serbian shaykatcha cap and declared himself Serb. What happened to the likes of him? Was he a traitor to your cause? Again, nothing personal but I am very allergic to petty Balkan nationalisms which are always weaponised against Russia (and Serbia).
KL; there is no “macedonianising everything that had once been Serb”, more like the other way around. Macedonians existed and have existed throughout history as Macedonians! Nor do I know of any cases of imprisoned “senior Serb Orthodox clerics”, so not sure, if you’re making it up, or deliberately misleading.
Dimitar: “Nor do I know of any cases of imprisoned “senior Serb Orthodox clerics”, so not sure, if you’re making it up, or deliberately misleading”
LOL!!!
Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid. Rings a bell ?
Serbs in Macedonia have a political party and seats in parliament, as do Macedonians in Serbia, while Bulgaria an Greece claim that Macedonians do not exist. Nationalisms abound in the Balkans, and there are plenty of imprisonments and incriminations to go around.
To get back to my original remarks, it would be useful to have a nuanced stance; comparing Macedonians and their relationship to post WWII Russia with Croatian Ustashe is stretching it ;)
Certainly, I’m all for nuance. But what are you trying to tell me? That Macedonians are good people? I’m certainly not denying that.
But let’s not muddy the water – you are a loyal NATO member and yet you’d like to be treated as one of the “good” players. That is very difficult for me to accept. Yet, I do not wish to pontificate writing from a country that is the backbone of NATO. But then again, there is a country that hasn’t been dragged into NATO, that has withstood all the attacks – why not emulate it? Nuanced enough?
Not all nationalisms are the same. Some are anti-fascist and anti-imperial. Most are slaves to the empire.
And nobody compares to the Croats apart from the Montenegrin “red” Ustashe and Galizian Uniate hydrocephaluses.
This is talk about Belorussia and not about Serbia and Macedonia
But the way you Serbs behave toward Macedonia is excellent indicator why you are in conflict with every single nationality and ethnic group in ex-Yugoslavia
Macedonians are people with their own identity and they do not feel as Serbs and they want their own Ortodhox Church.
Blocking autocephaly of Macedonian Church shows that Serbs do not recognize Macedonian people and their existence and identity.
We shall add that to the list of crimes that you Croats and your masters will have to answer for. But first, the Serbs need to liberate their historical lands in Krajina and Dalmatia and restore the Croatian Catholic Church – a genuine national church which tried to free the benighted Croats from the clutches of the Vatican. That would be the best way of showing their appreciation for your nationhood.
Very good analysis. However, I wish to believe that the situation is not as bleak as presented and that there might be some light on the horizon. While it is true that Russia at this moment can trust only two nations, the Belarussians and the Serbs, 12 years ago the list was even shorter because it did not include Serbia. Since the NATO/NGO organized ‘5th October’ color revolution in 2000 following the military aggression of the preceding year, Serbia was fully in the claws of the West. Within a few years it was totally impoverished, all her public sector industries were “sold to the highest bidder” who in most cases paid a symbolic 1 euro or dollar and in a few months closed them as “unprofitable” and sent the workers home. The Serbian military, judiciary, state administration, education, and media were thoroughly clensed from thinking individuals and staffed by the foreign spies and domestic traitors. Even under such pressure, the Serbs were able to remove the scum and to establish a government that is as independent as can be under the circumstances; possibly, only the leadership of the Republic Srpska in Bosnia & Hercegovina is more independent (obviously it can enjoy such luxury owing to the support from Serbia). Serbia might be a unique case in Europe because of its proud history of independence, resistance to the invaders and self reliance, but if she was capable to bounce back there is hope for the rest of the word.
Dear Dule,
I might disagree with you on the qualities of the Serbian government but well done for mentioning the Bosnian Serbs–they indeed are a shining example of courage and love of freedom.
KL
“…the Russians know that any attempts to stop and reverse the Western push will cost them dearly—primarily in terms of further isolation from all Western countries…”
How many times?
https://i1.wp.com/www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2014/09/20140901_isolated.jpg
Dear Anon,
Please read what I said – it is not about economy, it’s about the Russian yearning to be accepted into the West as equals.
The West’s “seemingly inexhaustible coffers”.
Seemingly but not actually inexhaustible. What will change the balance of advantage will be when those resources are seen to be exausted and the western currencies, particulary the dollar, start to crumble.
It is reasonable to assume that this is what Putin is waiting for, whilst Russia conducts a stunningly conservative financial policy – balanced budgets, growing foreign exchange reserves despite sanctions and no foreign debt public or private. That financial policy has a cost – hard times for the Russian people making it easier to stir up trouble in Russia. The Russian government seems to have decided that it is now strong enough to ease the financial screws just as there are real signs that the US economy is hitting the buffers. Perhaps we are approaching a turning point where it is no longer the case that the US can go on ignoring the financial laws of gravity. Then suddenly Russian patience will be rewarded.
‘It is reasonable to assume that this is what Putin is waiting for’
I don’t think that Putin is waiting. It is my belief that the ultimate objective of Russia engineering the oil price crash in March was to attack the dollar. The unlimited QE, launched by the FED in response, is undermining the dollar’s status. And I do not see a scenario in which QE can be ended, given both the level of U.S. debt and the perspective of continuing fiscal and trade deficits as far as the eye can see.
Given that the FED has no choice but to continue to print dollars, or else watch the U.S. economy collapse, the crumbling of the dollar is only a question of time, and I expect to see Russia and China continue to take steps to make this time as short as possible.
KL,
Even your self described “rants” are more coherent and informative, than the analyses of those who feign objectivity and adhere to certain structure. Without question, you are an invaluable resource to the vineyard.
To the several respected compatriots, whose comments are always deservedly held in high esteem, please keep in mind that Mr. Leslie has no peer, in our community, when it comes to knowledge of historical events and the evolving machinations implemented by the enemies of mankind. Please do not mistake logical reasoning for nihilistic resignation.
Regarding the historical comparison used; It is an unassailable fact that the Soviet Union, not western blowhards, we’re most responsible for the defeat of Hitler’s Germany. Does that ultimate “triumph” justify the mistakes that led to the destruction of so many additional lives?
We can debate the extent to which suffering and loss of life was exacerbated by these mistakes, but egregious mistakes did happen. An evil threat was defeated eventually. But it came at the expense of tens of millions of dead Slavs and other victims, whose descendants would total in the hundreds of millions today. No sir, no “triumph” can eclipse or whitewash the mistakes responsible for additional death and destruction.
Ken believes this evil must be confronted sooner, rather than later. For later could be far too costly. The western cabal will not rest until Russia is vanquished and Eurasia is theirs. He’s just not sure if Russia can afford to wait to react when the empire finally employs the kinetic kind of war, this time around.
Dear Epithet,
I am touched and heartened by your comment. I hope I can do justice to your assessment.
Yes, there is nothing else to say – I could have posted your comment instead of my long-winded screed.
Thank you
Dear KL,
I second Epithet’s comments. Your screed was a logical, rational, and frightening assessment of the current state of affairs. Don’t doubt your insight for one minute, KL. I have felt increasingly despondent over the last few months, and to see the different strands of my fears and foreboding summarized in your coherent prognosis is a shock. But the shock is not one that elicits denial, but assuredly leads to a confrontation with reality.
Like you, I am surprised by people’s almost obtuse unwillingness to acknowledge reality. We just have to look at how China, in just a few months, has had the legs cut out from under them (economically, strategically, politically). The speed with which the attacks (all the different methods of attack you outline) have succeeded in undermining and overturning China as a potential new superpower has been staggering. Absolutely staggering.
Dear Susan,
Thank you very much. I can only agree. Reality is often unforgiving and I am only practicing having to face my own.
This has nothing to do with hope or will or courage, but everything to do with “sleepwalking into Armageddon” because we are not capable of a realistic assessment of our situation.
China? Uuuuuugh…
Susan, if I can allay you fears somewhat.
By 2013, China was already the greatest trading nation, although not the largest economy.
The momentum this Chinese juggernaut is creating shows that it will continue to pull ahead of the moribund United States due to the SARS-CoV2 plandemic, race riots, street protests and electoral instability (don’t be surprised that the losing party refuses to accept the results, continuing the unrest – and thats assuming there’ll be a US election).
For me this one graph says it all.
https://2oqz471sa19h3vbwa53m33yj-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/china-top-trade-partner-2x-america.png
Regards
Dear Tyson,
Thank you. I am rooting for China.
It would be interesting to note the reaction when the populations of western europe at least when they are told that going to war with Russia is not a bad idea. Of course the American strategy is to fight from a distance using the Quisling states of Europe to carry out their genocidal military offensive against Russia, this of course is after Russia has been softened up by sanctions, ideological offensives about how wonderful the west is and how bad Russia is, and so forth. The United states military strategy of course is predicated a strategy that the fighting will take place on European soil and America will not be directly affected. This is going to go up like a lead balloon in Europe – apart from the scummy Poles, Ukies and Baltic riff-raff. Like it or not the M.A.D. doctrine still holds; that is a cold indisputable fact. There will be no hiding place for anyone once these engines of death start to fly. But, hey, if the zionazis fancy their chances well, let them try it.
There used to be a song by the British soldiers on the western front in 1914-18, It went something like this.
(Whizz-Bang – German artillery)
‘Hush, here comes a whizz-bang
Hush, here comes a whizz-bang
Come on you soldier boys
Get down those stairs
Into your trenches and say your prayers
Hush here comes a whizz-bang
And its headed straight for you
And you’ll see all the wonders of no man’s land
When that whizz-ban hits you.”
The updated version goes as follows:
Hush, here comes a Zircon
Hush, here comes a Zircon
Come on you Neo-cons
Get down those stairs
Into your fall-out shelters
and say your prayers
Hush here comes a Zircon
And its headed straight for you
And you’ll see all the wonders of M.A.D.
When that Zircon hits you
Very good article Mr. Leslie!
I have said for some time on various other posts on this topic, that the West’s strategic center of gravity, it’s command center, is the Vatican and it’s Nazi Pope (yes, and I mean Benedict XVI/Ratzinger, not his fake stand-in Jesuit chief of general staff). This war didn’t start in 1940 or even 1914, but really in 1054 AD.
This warfare that isn’t regular war during most of it’s phases, it’s a game that more than one side can play. But in order to win, Russia has to actually stand for something spiritually.
Russia has to get to the point where there’s no earthly hope, but in God and the Holy Bogoroditsa.
Dear Vladimir,
Nothing to add to your excellent comment.
Thank you very much. What we need is a miracle. Fortunately God deals in miracles all the time, He brings all things from non-existence into being and even raises that which has died from the dead, glory to God in all things!
Amen.
The Americans say: Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. :-)
Yes, it reminds me of something a Russian friend once told me, or a joke I saw, something that goes somewhat like this;
A man is drowning in the sea, prays to God to help him. A branch floats by and he does not grasp it, hoping for an incredible miracle. Same with sighting an approaching boat and even a helicopter. The man drowns and is received into Heaven, where he asks the Lord; ”Lord why did you not display Your almighty power and save me from drowning? The Lord replies; ”My child, I sent you three miracles, and you did not respond to them”.
Nonetheless, Russia will have to know that it comes from God, not the strength of their hands or power of their minds.
However, I have the sneaking suspicion that things will be better in a few months, and many of the enemies’ plans will be thwarted. I think they got flushed out a little too much and into the open too soon to suit them, and their rush to accomplish everything now will defeat them. It’s one of those liabilities than occur when you tie your plans to the lifespan of your leaders, all because they want the satisfaction of completion. But Fascists can’t help that with their cult of the Leader.
Thank you, Vladimir,
May Russia’s enemies disintegrate – this time at no cost to Russia if possible.
Absolutely, no problem, it’s a good and healthy wish too. It’s also healthy for us to be realistic as well, which your article has clearly been shown to be, a healthy corrective to a degree to those who think that the Western Anglo-Germanic Elite is on it’s last legs just yet and that one or a few men at the top can carry the effort without a spiritual and moral reform to galvanize the people.
Nothing to add to that.
” None of the subsequent amazing victories of the Soviet arms would quite wash away the bitter taste of Stalin’s epic blunder of 1941.”
Stalin’s biggest mistake in 1941 may have been to ignore the intelligence that came from Richard Sorge, in japan, of the date that Hitler’s invasion was to begin. Sorge was right; Stalin was wrong. Sorge paid for his services to the USSR with his life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sorge
Katherine
Dear Katherine,
It is not that simple. Stalin knew very well the risk of trusting the British too much. Up to 1941, Churchill must have been seen as the greatest Sovietophobe on the scene (worse than Hitler). Second, he was getting pretty conflicting reports and it was difficult to know whom to believe given the possibility of German penetration.
Finally, Sorge’s great contribution (and this was acknowledged by Stalin) was to save the USSR by allowing the Stavka to transfer substantial reserve forces from the Eastern District to Moscow. Sorge had correctly deduced that the Japanese would not attack the USSR in 1941.
That’s one great German we should be grateful to.
” Sorge had correctly deduced that the Japanese would not attack the USSR in 1941.”
Not sure how the comment on Churchill relates to Sorge and the date of Hitler’s invasion.
Sorge was born in Baku.
In the Far East he succeeded in penetrating the Nazi higher-ups at the German embassy in Tokyo.
Hence he was able to find out both that Japan did not intend to attack the SU and that the date for the beginning of Barbarossa was June 22. Apparently Stalin didn’t believe the latter info and, I have read, consequently was basically not prepared for the invasion when and where it commenced. Quoted in the Wiki article (I have read a much longer piece on Sorge in the London Review of Books but can’t find that quickly now):
“Stalin was quoted as having ridiculed Sorge and his intelligence before “Barbarossa”:
“There’s this bastard who’s set up factories and brothels in Japan and even deigned to report the date of the German attack as 22 June. Are you suggesting I should believe him too?”
Sorge’s cover was blown shortly after Barbarossa and he was tortured to death in Japan.
So, Stalin screwed up, no doubt about it.
Katherine
Well actually Stalin had reason to suspect Sorge was spying for the Germans.
“…
The commanding officer of the intelligence unit that sent Sorge to Japan in 1933 — a general identified as Berzin — testified in 1938 that the unit had a document indicating that Sorge was spying for Germany.
Also, the head of espionage operations in Japan, known as “Sirotkin,” is on record as saying after he was arrested during the purges that they had “sold Sorge to the Japanese,” further giving credence to Stalin’s double-agent theory.
Ikuhiko Hata, a professor at Tokyo’s Nihon University who specializes in the Sorge affair, said that while Stalin’s distrust of Sorge was well-established, he did not know it dated back as early as 1936.
…”
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2000/09/26/national/stalin-felt-sorge-was-nazi-spy-in-1938-kgb-agent/
Dear Nonanon,
Thank you for this interesting information. It is all plausible but then, Marshals Rokossovsky and Zhukov were suspected by Stalin at different times–the former was even jailed.
It is not impossible that Sorge was feeding the Germans some information. However, if that was the case, why were the Japanese allowed to execute him? Credit where it’s due – the Germans never left their people behind.
Hello KL,
I provided this piece of information not to argue that Sorge was indeed a German spy, just to showcase that at the time when the report was received there might have been some reasons to discredit it, and that was not simply the result of personal feelings or extreme paranoia as many seem to suggest.
It is always easier to judge after the the fact , but it is not always that clear-cut at the exact moment a decision is taken. Now imagine he took Sorge’s advice and it turned out after all to be a trap. Many would have come to blame him for not taking those warnings seriously.
Hi,
I agree – I’m not criticising.
Thanks
Stalin indeed had little reasons to trust Sorge more than his more trustworthy sources operating in Germany: the ‘Lucy spy ring’ (Rudolf Roessler, Fritz Thiele, Rudolph von Gersdorff, Alexander Rado), the ‘Red Orchestra’. He received the same informations from the British, but he had sufficient reasons not to trust them either. But all in all Russians knew that the attack was imminent and were prepared for it. The speedy evacuation of the population and industries from West to East is the clearest indication.
Sorge was a Communist of the ‘old school’, member of the KPD and ‘cominternist’ and a German citizen. There was a suspicion that he was involved in the ‘Trotskyite conspiracy’. He disobeyed Stalin’s orders to return to the Soviet Union in 1937 during the Great Purge, as he realized the risk of arrest because of his German citizenship. In fact, two of Sorge’s earliest GRU handlers, Yan Karlovich Berzin and his successor, Artur Artuzov, were shot during the purges.
The Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact was signed at the initiative of the Japanese, which was a further indication that they prepared for war in the South, after the invasion of French Indo-China, which set Japan on the path of confrontation with Britain and America.
The ‘Sorge legend’ claims that the information from Sorge’s spy ring came in October 1941 at the earliest and November 1941 at the latest and so it allowed Stalin to move troops from Siberia to ‘save’ Moscow. But it is apparent from all available data of mobilization of the Soviet Army that the decision to move the vast majority of available divisions from Siberia to the west was made well before this time and no new rifle divisions were actually shipped after October. The whole ‘Siberian transfer’ story is a myth in all respects: including timing, numbers, source of personnel and overall combat performance.
Dear Anon,
Thank you for your detailed information. I have not heard about this (and have read a number of books) but I wouldn’t dismiss it. It is true that many networks were feeding Stalin the same information but I’m not sure why there would be a Sorge myth. Could you elaborate?
Second, if you are correct, why didn’t Stavka send all those available troops to the front earlier? Say in August or September?
@Sorge myth
I was talking about the myth of ‘Siberian transfer’ and not of ‘Sorge myth’. I said ‘Sorge legend’. However important his information were, he was not ‘The Greatest Spy of the 20th Century’, “the most formidable spy in history” as Ian Fleming anointed him. That ‘reputation’ was created during the Cold War, for besmirching and discrediting Stalin by the ‘Trotskyite’ diehards, accusing him of betrayal of ‘world revolution’ and alliance with ‘fascism’ (this is how the Cominternists interpreted the Stalin-Hitler Pact). Khrushchev received it with alacrity. Stalin had all the reasons to suspect that it was ‘disinformatsya’ and very likely he knew that Churchill was feeding the Germans with the same disinformation about a Soviet attack (don’t forget the ‘Cambridge Five’). But it is not true that he dismissed them lightly. On 21 June he sent the order: “There has arisen the possibility of a sudden German attack on June 21-22… The German attack may begin with provocations… It is ordered to occupy secretly the strong points on the frontier… to disperse and camouflage planes at special airfields… to have all units battle ready… No other measures are to be employed without special orders”.
Why didn’t Stavka sent all the troops to fend off the Germans in August or September? You really don’t understand what sort of war the Russians were prepared to fight. They were waiting for ‘General Winter’. They were not prepared to give battle on German terms.
And let the Germans kill 10 million people while waiting for the General Winter? I doubt it.
Well, Germans did not kill 10 million in the first months of the war. I understand that you don’t love Stalin (neither do I) but war is war. And the Russians won it. They wouldn’t have if they would have engaged all their forces in the first battles.
Actually, I do admire Stalin. All I’m saying is there is a contradiction there. The Russians waited to lose most of their army and the most productive part of their country – I don’t believe that. I believe that there was some hesitation due to the possibility of attack by Japan – however unrealistic it was. Don’t forget that Zhukov came to the scene after pacifying the Japanese in Mongolia. He was waiting there for a big push IMO.
You overlook the fact that large parts of the population, industries, rolling material, food supplies have been evacuated from the advancing Germans. They didn’t ‘wait to lose most of their army’, they have been quickly defeated by vastly superior forces and they would have continued to be defeated fighting on German terms, let’s face it. But the ‘Siberian troops’ started to move West in July. Zhukov ‘pacified’ the Japanese in 1939, which changed the strategic thinking of the Japanese, thoroughly entangled in China. They thought of securing their back when they signed the Neutrality Pact. In August Russians were busy occupying Iran, sending a signal to Turkey to stay put. People tend to overlook the paramount importance of the Southern Front in the overall strategy of the Russians.
Russians fought the same war as in 1812, a ‘Patriotic War’ and not an ‘anti-fascist’ or ”anti-imperialist’ war or on behalf of others. Retreat to the interior, to secure positions, lengthening the supply lines of the invading army, isolating it far from their base.
“Why didn’t Stavka sent all the troops to fend off the Germans in August or September? You really don’t understand what sort of war the Russians were prepared to fight.”
From about the start of July 1941 – Stavka, which was in large measure Mr. Stalin until the end of September 1941 (Battle of Kiev), partly as a consequence of Mr. Molotov and others’ entreaties to Mr. Stalin on or about the 29th of June 1941, did attempt to send all of the troops who were not in disarray to fend off the Germans in July, August and September 1941.
After the Battle of Kiev in September 1941 Stavka “convinced” Mr. Stalin that others should assume a greater role including Mr. Zhukov and others in planning and perparing the defence of Moscow.
Mr. Stalin largely held to this arrangement until late December 1941, but in the words of a now dead rider of white horses, after then Mr. Stalin became enthusiastic and insisted on an over-extension of the counter attacks in front of Moscow thereby minimising Soviet strategic advantage.
This was not the only conflict within Stavka during the Great Patriotic War, another one being the use of “Socialist competition” in the Battle of Berlin in 1945, at least in the opinion of the same now dead rider of white horses.
“They were waiting for ‘General Winter’.”
After the Battle of Moscow 1941/42, and after their “unconditional” surrender in 1945, in order to “work their passages” in new waters, members of the OKW and SD created a myth that the Axis forces were stopped in front of Moscow in 1941 because of General Winter; not Soviet forces or their own over-extension due to strategic hubris – part of the myths which facilitated the integration of the SD and other former German forces as joint assets of the “Allies” less the Soviet Union, the Federal Republic of Germany, and NATO.
“They were not prepared to give battle on German terms.”
Perhaps a more representative sentence would read :
Since the Soviet forces were not adequately prepared except in some pockets until early December 1941 they had neither choice nor facility but to give battle on German terms.
Hagiography is best left in devotional texts like the bible but not in strategic analysis.
Since the Soviet forces were not adequately prepared (and it is hard to believe that ‘Mr’ Stalin and the ‘Messrs’ of the Stavka were not aware of that), the ‘Plan B’ was to wage a war of attrition.
This is illustrated by the fact that on 24th June 1941, only two days after the start of the war, ‘Mr’ Stalin formed a ‘Council for Evacuation under the Council of People’s Commissars’, charged with leading the work of re-basing enterprises, collective farms, machine-tractor stations, population (estimated 16 million civilians, that included 2 million Jews “saved from the Holocaust”), produce … material objects, and with placing all evacuated [objects and individuals] … in new locales. In fact plans for evacuation were drawn before ‘Operation Barbarossa’ and transfers from Moscow were already made in the late 1940 and early 1941.
Thus, 109 enterprises were evacuated from Belorussia between June and August, 283 major industrial enterprises from the Ukraine between July and October, 92 large-scale enterprises from Leningrad between July and September, and 498 all-union and union-republic-level enterprises from the Moscow region between July and November 1941. 1523 industrial enterprises, including more than 1,360 large plants, were evacuated to the rear-226 to the Volga region, 667 to the Urals, 244 to western Siberia, 78 to eastern Siberia, and 308 to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The temporary loss of their productive capacity stretched the already strained Soviet war effort even further. By mid-1942, however, more than 1,200 of these evacuated enterprises had been restored to production.
It is ‘highly unlikely’ that ‘Mr’ Stalin and the ‘Messrs’ of the Stavka had no knowledge of Hitler’s Directive 33 of 19th July that stated that Moscow was no longer the primary objective (perhaps mindful of the example of Napoleon) and that once the Smolensk pocket had been reduced, Army Group Centre would hand over its panzer groups to its neighbours, directing the attacks towards Leningrad and the South (obviously with the final objective Baku). He stated his generals knew “nothing about the economic aspects of war”, that Leningrad must be secured to “secure the iron ore route to Sweden”, that the fertile Ukraine region was needed “to provide raw materials and agricultural produce Germany would need for a long war”, and that occupation of the Crimea would “neutralise the threat from the Russian Air Force against the Ploesti oil fields”. Thus in Hilter’s eyes, Leningrad and the Ukraine both had precedence over Moscow, and the latter could be taken at leisure at a later date. That is further proof of the real war aims of the Germans. Hitler was right, his generals wrong insisting of capturing Moscow. From September to the end of 1941 the Soviets threw the large majority of their available forces and resources into defending the approaches to Moscow against a worn out and fatigued force and unprepared for the change of weather, from more advantageous defensive positions. Guderian himself wrote: “”the offensive on Moscow failed … We underestimated the enemy’s strength, as well as his size and climate. Fortunately, I stopped my troops on 5 December, otherwise the catastrophe would be unavoidable.” On the 5th of December the Soviets launched their counter-offensive.
“Guderian himself wrote…”
Mr. Guderian was one of:
“members of the OKW and SD created a myth that the Axis forces were stopped in front of Moscow in 1941 because of General Winter; not Soviet forces or their own over-extension due to strategic hubris – part of the myths which facilitated the integration of the SD and other former German forces as joint assets of the “Allies” less the Soviet Union, the Federal Republic of Germany, and NATO.”
“Guderian himself wrote: “”the offensive on Moscow failed … We underestimated the enemy’s strength, as well as his size and climate. Fortunately, I stopped my troops on 5 December, otherwise the catastrophe would be unavoidable.”
Mr. Guderian’s writing is a misrepresentation by omission and under-emphasis on matters of planning of Operation Barbarosa (primarily OKW), including General Plan Ost (primarily SD and associates), and logistics despite German control of Skoda and other armament facilities within the German orbit, perhaps in anticipation of his future associations?.
“From September to the end of 1941 the Soviets threw the large majority of their available forces and resources into defending the approaches to Moscow against a worn out and fatigued force and unprepared for the change of weather, from more advantageous defensive positions”
This is another misrepresentation by ommision by Mr. Guderian obfuscating Mr. Zhukov and others planning of the Battle of Moscow and its implementation through building the Siberian reserves for release as part of the Moscow offensive of December 1941, some Siberian reserves were available before December 1941, although some have attempted to increase the significance of the efforts of Mr. Sorge to obfuscate that was the case, but a strategic choice was made not to engage the Siberian reserves before December 1941.
Given that the oil and other embargoes implemented against Japan by the “United States of America” in 1941 was partly in protection of China and encouraging Japan to strike South, this was realised by Stavka by September 1941, facilitating a reappraisal of the significance of Mr. Sorge.
Mr. Guderian was reflecting a belief held by OKW after September 1941 that their opponents had limited reserves and Mr. Hitler’s estimation that Mr. Stalin under pressure tended to act emotionally as Mr. Zhukov and others also noted.
Mr. Guderian did stop his troops in December 1941 for which he was sacked by Mr. Hitler and then later re-instated by the same gentleman.
They are all now dead, but when alive and “in disgrace” I would suggest that more dependable sources in such matters, primarily in conversation in the early 1970’s, were Mr. Kaganovich, Mr. Molotov, and Mr. Zhukov, since despite the notions of Mr. Bulgakov that manuscripts don’t burn, “editing” and restricting access to data through various ploys for various motives, was not a practice only followed by Gosplan in the Soviet Union, and part of the reason why in the Russian Federation access to archives is through the office of the President.
Access to the Russian archives is increasing but access is not fully open, and the components of the Great Patriotic War parades have been adjusted to include increased recognitition of the participation of the narod.
These were not accidental, nor was the new constitution.
I wonder why people don’t pay any attention to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact of April 13, 1941. Stalin did not ‘deduce’ from Sorge’s reports that Japan would not attack (especially after the trashing of the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol), he positively knew because of the treaty, so Sorge’s informations were only a confirmation of what he already knew. He knew that the Germans would attack, through direct intelligence from the German OKW since the very drawing of the Barbarossa Plan and he was prepared, not to repel them, but to destroy them for good, whatever sacrifices he would impose on the Soviet peoples (you can’t make omelette without breaking the eggs!). He knew that the Tripartite Pact would oblige Japan to attack only if Russia would attack Germany or any of its allies. The fact that Germany attacked first left Japan free of any obligation (same as in WW1 Italy and Romania ‘betrayed’ Germany because Germany attacked first). Hitler did not believe that Russians would fight back. He(like the Kaiser) dismissed the warnings of Bismarck that Russians cannot be defeated, simply because of the advantages of their superior numbers, vastness of territory, resources, resilience of the people. And Bismarck had another word: ‘Even if you would succeed to beat them, Russians will always come back asking for the money’.
The Japanese had a mighty Kwantung army in Manchuria and had clashed with the Soviets several times (unlike the Germans). Was Stalin supposed to take their word for it?
If the Russians really asked for the “money” in 1945, there would be no Germany today.
That is why Bismarck’s grandson was in Moscow in 1945 and not in Berlin.
“And Bismarck had another word: ‘Even if you would succeed to beat them, Russians will always come back asking for the money’.”
I don’t understand what this means.
Can someone please unpack it?
Thanks.
BTW, the LRB review I referenced is a review by Tariq Ali of
An Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent
by Owen Matthews
in the 21 November 2019 issue.
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n22/tariq-ali/suspicious
“The skills of the three top Soviet spies of the 20th century – Richard Sorge, Leopold Trepper and Ignace Poretsky/Reiss (better known as Ludwik) – remain unmatched. Sorge has always attracted particular attention. Ian Fleming called him the ‘most formidable spy in history’; other admirers included John le Carré, Tom Clancy and General MacArthur. Owen Matthews – whose new biography of Sorge is the fifth to appear in English – is well qualified to write this book . . .”
Katherine
Thanks, Katherine,
This is indeed interesting.
What does “Russians will always come back asking for the money’.””
mean??
Katherine
I think what that means is that Russians always redeem other nations’ “debts” as in wars etc.
They never leave any insult unanswered. Ah, may he be proven right!
@Katherine ‘unpacking Bismarck’s remarks’.
Bismarck was a statesman with a profound knowledge of Russia. His words were a warning to the Austro-Hungarians who in 1888 were contemplating the ‘destruction of Russia’
(@file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Anzeigen%20der%20Inhalte%20vom%20Tag%20%20Bismarck%20Russland%20Ukraine.htm):
“According to Ew. pp. Report No. 217 from 28th BC Mts. Count Kálnoky has casts of doubt as to whether the officers of the General Staff who advised war in the autumn were not right after all. One could argue about this if such a war could possibly have the result that Russia, as Count Kálnoky put it, would be “smashed”. Such a result, however, is beyond all probability even after the most brilliant victories. Even the most favorable outcome of the war would never result in the disintegration of the main Russian power, which rests on the millions of actual Russians of Greek confession. These, even if separated by contracts, would always come together again just as quickly as the parts of a dissected mercury body. This indestructible empire of the Russian nation, strong through its climate, its deserts and its lack of needs, as well as through the advantage of having only one border in need of protection, would remain our born opponent in need of revenge after its defeat, just like today’s France is in the west…”
“Do not expect that once taking advantage of Russia’s weakness, you will receive dividends forever. Russian has always come for their money. And when they come – do not rely on an agreement signed by you, you are supposed to justify. They are not worth the paper it is written. Therefore, with the Russian is to play fair, or do not play”.
You may add the famous words of Churchill:
“I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest”.
“Russian may seem narrow-minded, impudent, or even stupid people, but one can only pray for those who are against them”.
And that came from people who were not ‘pro-Russian’, but they understood what Russians think about themselves:
“One of the hallmarks of a great nation is its ability to rise to his feet after a fall. No matter how hard it was humiliating, but breaks through the appointed hour, it will collect its confused moral strength, and embody it in one great man or a few great people who bring him on the historical way”, in the words of their great historian Vasily Klyuchevsky.
Or in the words of Burkhard Christoph Graf von Münnich: “The Russian state has the advantage over the other, that it is controlled directly by God, otherwise it is impossible to understand how it exists”.
I have been commenting on the situation in Belarus as it touches me personally – although I was born in St. Petersburg, my best, lifelong friend is Belorussian, living in Minsk, where I spent some years as well. She is now absolutely confused at what is going on there. I try to explain to her the best I can.
This piece by Ken Leslie is probably timely to remind us all what global evil we are dealing with, but I will agree that it is needlessly dark and gloomy.
First of all Belarus will not fall to the West as MOST Belorussians are absolutely content and happy to feel part of Russian world. There is an “opposition” in every country in the world and what happens during some of their “protest”, especially in post Soviet block, there is always an attempt to take them and it over by the usual players that we all know. In Ukraine it worked for them because of an aggresive neofascist elements that has been lovingly nurtured there over the years by these same usual players, especially in Western part of Ukraine, which never considered itself part of Ukranian Rus heritage. No such luck for them in Belarus. Again, the western part could be mildly pro-polish but no rabid neofascists running around with lit torches.
As for Russian President, he is, ONCE AGAIN doing everything absolutely right. I am so sick and tired of people who, being “armchair analysts” keep saying “WHY?! he is not doing that, WHY?! he is not responding the way they wanted him to respond. Please understand that he is a much better analyst than all of us here put together, he has huge amount of vital information that we cannot even imagine and based on that, plus other extremely relevant factors he makes his decisions. And these decisions are always correct ones. Like most people at the time I was outraged as to why Russia did not interfere in Donbass, but now, looking back, realize that WAS an absolutely correct path. What would it have gained him sending troops there? As it is he got what he wanted – very strategic Crimea, the home of Russian Black Sea Navy and de-facto Donbass, being historical part of Russia, which was well supported in it’s fight against the orkcs. The West which invested heavily in destabilising Ukraine is now left with what’s called “suitcase without the handle”. Who won? In Syria he did interfere for two simple reasons – Syria has always been a very close Russia ally in Middle East and being overrun by wahabiist head choppers he absolutely did not want that lot infesting Russia south. These, or what’s left of them, are now corralled in the desert in Idlib and turning on each other. Oil fields in north of Syria, where Trump is “keeping the oil”, will soon be back under Syrian government control. They will not allow this rogue thievery of their resourses to continue for long. Again, who won? In Belarus, as of now President Putin has absolute control and Lukashenko is doing what he is told. And yes, when right time comes he will be replaced, but not by the West, by Russia. VVP is doing everything as he should, so please stop second guessing him and let him get on with job in hand. He absolutely does not need to react immediately to EVERY provocation that is thrown his way, he will deal with it in his own way and in his own time, which WILL be painful to those opponents and also when they least expect it. Don’t forget he is not only ex KGB Colonel (in Intelligence! which is the top), he is also a judo master.
What he does not need is some shooting war on his borders. Meantime he has not only rebuild mighty Russian military power, it is now several generations ahead of anything West can produce. And without spending a fortune. So, once again, stop putting Russia in some kind of poor victim box – it is strong, it has strong allies and is not going to be overrun by anyone. EVER. It will always prevail over it’s enemies as it always has. Russian President had said it himself – Russia will NEVER fight another war on it’s territory, it will be brought to the aggressors.
As for the uspeakable Global Parasitic Evil that, like cancer has spread over our beautiful planet, well, to destroy that, one does not run at it with a hammer, it requires a top level surgeon. VVP is that surgeon, he is fighting this evil to save us all from it and what we all can do is to support him in every way we can and pray for him.
Dear Katerina,
Thank you but again, please explain the relentless march of the West towards Russia. It hasn’t stopped for 30 years. The entire West is a unified front against Russia. Are you denying this? Please, prove me wrong. Give me hope!
President Putin is certainly a supreme strategical thinker of our time (and all time) but this is not to say that someone with many decades of experience and knowledge cannot see very salient patterns and judge them correctly.
I completely agree with Katerina. Dear Mr.Leslie, with all due respect we live in the world where there are no easy answers. The problem with is this situation is damn if you do, damn if you do not. I understand where Mr. Leslie is coming from, however there is no reason to believe that Western ruling classes will react rationally to Russia putting it’s foot down. Not too long ago I remember Putin was warning the west about New Russian Super weapons, and clearly calmly stated any attack on Russia will be met by a strong counter-response. Western media went into hysterical frenzy, accusing Putin of aggression and making war, completely and deliberately ignoring and distorting what Putin was saying. I think the purpose of moving to Russia’s border is provocation. The West wants Russia to shoot first, so that Russia can be demonized even more, facts be damned. Neocons create their own reality after all. I think Russia knows with what it is dealing with. Putin once said that it does not matter who sits in the white house. As a Ukrainian, I am saddened to what is happening to my country. I think what US wanted to do with Ukraine is what US did with Afganistan in the late 1970’s;. Namely give Russia, America’s version of Vietnam. Bog Russia down in a war that will slowly weaken and destroy Russia. Costing in money, morale, and manpower. Russia did not take the bait.
There are signs of hope. Russian cooperation with China, and also let us not forget that the West is rotting from the inside. Sure West appears strong on the surface, however there are massive social problems, especially US with a rotting third world infrastructure, military is a joke. The ruling elites are doing everything they can so that they are hated by their domestic populations. COVID 19 which is raging out of control in US.
I highly recommend Chris Hedges book: America: The farewell tour. This is a description of an empire in advanced stages of decline. The Empire is facing collapse, and ruling elites could lose power very quickly. The danger is to ensure that when the Empire collapses, that it does not take the world down with it. A way has to be found. And I believe that the Russians are becoming disillusioned with the West. Read this quote:
“We don’t believe the U.S. in its current shape is a counterpart that is reliable, so we have no confidence, no trust whatsoever. So our own calculations and conclusions are less related to what America is doing … we cherish our close and friendly relations with China. We do regard this as a comprehensive strategic partnership in different areas, and we intend to develop it further.”
Taken from article: US-Russia Ties, from Heyday to MayDay by Ray McGovern
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/06/03/ray-mcgovern-us-russia-ties-from-heyday-to-mayday/
The West is far from united, despite appearances to the contrary:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-05-21/Survey-shows-how-Germans-view-China-and-U-S-amid-COVID-19-pandemic-QFzRVqwwpO/index.html
And there is a huge infighting among elites in Washington. Much has been made about how much Trump is hated. If Elites in Washington had been united, Trump would have been removed a long time ago already. I remember back in February, I remember listening to Saker lnterview for Solari report, where Saker was discussing that there is slow awakening with Europeans that following Uncle Sam is a bad idea. It might not be visible yet, however it is there. Let us not forget also how the western countries behaved towards each other during pandemic. Stealing each other’s equipment.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/51786.htm
The above article is by Fred Reed about how US is viewed from the outside.
” Today the internet profoundly affects the world’s view of America. The Web makes graphic and easily found things that in earlier times would have been out of sight from abroad.
For example, people in Kathmandu and Moscow can see horrifying and entirely truthful photos of the homeless living in piles of garbage in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and dozens of other American cities. They can read of trade conventions avoiding San Francisco because of needles and excrement on the sidewalks. Such scenes are rare even in most upper-Third World countries. To the orderly Japanese, accustomed to spotless cities and responsible government, such things are, in the strict sense of the word, incomprehensible.
Home of the brave, land of the free, the envy of the world. Just ask us. The estimated homeless population of LA is 58,000 and climbing. Swarms of flea-carrying rats, which certainly exist, are said to cause outbreaks of typhus, a medieval disease. Anyone with a smartphone can see this.
The frequent mass shootings in the United States astonish most of the world. Opening fire on a country music concert, randomly shooting to death people in a gay nightclub, seems to most of the world a breakdown of civilization. It is.”
The world, including Europe is slowly waking up! It is challenging to deal with the empire. Seeing Russia as passive is wrong. Russia along with China want to lower tensions. Being more assertive, while makes sense will make West behave even more recklessly. The West does not want to appear weak. Read the article by Saker from September 2018. He explains this much better that I will:
/reply-to-paul-craig-roberts-crucial-question/
The one quote which I completely agree upon:
“And yes, this strategy does imply that, at times, they seem to meekly “turn the other cheek” when in reality they are trying not to give the nutcase a reason to open up.” There are no easy solutions to this situation. However I completely understand Mr. Leslie your worries. Unless a way is found to neutralize Empire Nuclear Arsenal, the world will have to walk upon the razor’s edge.
At the end, I want to bring to your attention two articles. Please read them:
ttps://journal-neo.org/2019/08/28/the-not-so-subtle-moral-decay-of-the-us-military/
“The US forces stationed in the Polish town of Powidzki have recently outraged the local community by showing complete disregard to environmental protection requirements established for Polish national parks such as Natura 2000 and Powidzki Landscape Park. The local population would go as far as to create a special Facebook group to express their outrage: Say No to Trump’s Fort in Powidzki.”
The fact that this is happening in Poland. Well it is definitely saying something!
ttps://journal-neo.org/2020/07/20/world-is-changing-but-united-states-policy-retains-its-dangerously-unchanged-nature-2/
“The resurrection of Russia in the 21st-century and the inexorable rise of Chinese economic power in the same period has created a situation the United States barely understands, let alone accepts that its period of dominance is now well and truly over.”
Take care!
Thank you, but where have I said that there are easy answers? In their yearning for hope and security people will overlook clear and present dangers and pretend everything is fine. That’s all.
It is precisely because the world is changing that it is so dangerous. I am not afraid for myself.
Of course there are dangers. I do not deny them. I also worry. I have been reading this blog for two and a half years. And I will tell you. Neither Saker nor anyone who comments on his blog deny the dangers. The possibly of war is real, however we can always hope and allow possibility that a better world is possible also. There are no guarantees in life. Vast Majority of humanity want peace and have no intention of war. This is what gives me hope. Humans are capable of great heroism, compassion, love, and great intelligence. I do not deny darker aspect, however I feel good side of humanity is too often overlooked.
Dear AM,
I appreciate your optimism. I am not pessimistic either, I am just crying “wolf!” because I can see him outside the gate. The majority of people are good but as nicely put by Hermann Goering, nobody gives a fig about what they want.
Hope only makes sense if it’s not a drug that incapacitates you at the decisive moment.
I think people who are paying attention do see wolf outside. For example, Russian Shows do discuss the possibility of Nuclear War, unlike in the US fake stream media. China also sees what is happening. Just last week extension of sanctions on Iran has been resolutely rejected by majority of countries.
I agree that we need to be vigilant. The one thing that will help if Americans march by their millions on Washington DC and confront warmongers in power forcefully.
Thank you,
Can you appreciate the strength of will and foresight needed by a typical American to start protesting against the empire which is making his poor relatives in Latin America (or elsewhere) envious like hell? For all he knows, his (or her) great country is winning. The shame of Vietnam has been long forgotten.
You are welcome! I think Americans will have to wake up, whether they like it or not! It is quite obvious that ruling classes do not care about anyone. I thnik Americans are slowly waking up. American Dream: it is becoming apparent by the day that it is dead. Awarness is slowly creeping in that US rrulers betrayed people. Couple with election, which is a joke, rotting infrastructure, the fact that majority of Americans, from what I undrestand are one paycheck away from disaster. There comes a point, where reality hits you so hard, that you have no choice but to realize who your real enemies are!
Reality has a way to assert itself. Have a good day!
Whatever you may think of the correctness of the decision, Trump was elected because (many) Americans hate their rulers. They are not waking up, they are awake.
Aside: Unfortunately those same rulers discovered, by accident or design, that it is very easy to frighten and control people with a disease epidemic, which in the past would have been viewed as nothing special (the famous and sloppy Woodstock Music Festival happened in the middle of the Hong Kong Flu epidemic). The coronavirus is not raging in the US, or anywhere for that matter, the mind virus (fear) is. The insane response of local governments (Trump had no real say here), driven by the fear-mongering CDC, has truly crippled the US … the damage hasn’t even begun. So, if it is any consolation, the attention of the next administration (Trump or Biden) will be strongly focused in dealing with internal troubles.
When the moment comes, and once the realization comes in that what Empire told you was a lie, you see who are your real friends and enemies are. I hope that Americans in particular will see that people in other parts of the world are no different from them. They want hapiness, seeing secure future for their children. The challenge is to overome divide and conquer strategies.
Believe me. Lessons forgotten in Vietman will come back full force!
Katerina
Great comment!
Warm regards from the south seas
Col
Dear Katerina,
I Echo Col the Farmer’s comment. Well said.
I could not have said it better. 100% agree with Katerina.
Thanks for this analysis.
I hope that you are right, and also that Lukashenko has realized that “sitting between two chairs” is not working for him , or for his country, and has chosen the correct chair to sit in from now on.
Katherine
“Russia did not interfere in Donbass, but now, looking back, realize that WAS an absolutely correct path”
The correct path would have been go kill all on euro-maidan in Kiev.
This was a mistake paid with blood of donbass innocents.
Excellent comment Katerina. You are absolutely right
Well, well. Some russian female POWER here! Definitely, you are not a loser. Thank you so much for this.
And it looks like you are spot on:
https://www.stalkerzone.org/alexander-rahr-the-west-did-not-want-a-maidan-in-belarus-unlike-in-ukraine/
Seems there’s truth in both propositions, West is without doubt slowly creeping up to Russia and building military resources, infrastructure, cultural hegemony, selling easy consumerism and exploitation as close as they possibly can get, but Russ also is prepared to react with violence when necessary, see Crimea, Donbass, Syria, South Ossetia, Chechnya, Transnistria etc, it’s about timing, essential action is taken when all converges.
Thank you,
How many Russians and how many Westerners have died already (that is just one facet).
Thousands – all killed by the treacherous proxies of the West.
My argument is only that more could have been done by using more sophisticated methods.
Sorry,
I meant thousands of Russians and their allies (or tens of thousands) and zero Westerners.
Ken, if we only look at the encroachment around Russia it is easy to become really worried. But there are a few more dominoes in there, and that is Nato – and the state of the US. As the US goes, so goes Nato in a large measure. Also, the Nato soldiers, if I read Andrei Martyanov correctly — that dog don’t fight.
I understand what you are saying really, but let’s check Mr Lavrov today. I can probably find a more formal version but from RT, “Fighting Russia has become an existential necessity for NATO, if tensions are reduced alliance has no purpose.”. So, if Lavrov says this, we can think where he is putting his energy.
I am not an analyst on this level, but so far Russia is not interrupting the mistakes of the enemy. You say correctly that “US has shifted to a new strategy which seeks to weaken Russia (or China) without having to mobilise military “coalitions of the willing”. The war is being fought in small, almost invisible increments which do not require absolute allegiance to the cause and payment in blood.”
I say, yes, of course this is correct, but it is not a shifting of strategy because they’ve made this decision, to shift strategy. They’ve plumb run out of other options. They cannot draw a coalition together if they double paid on bribes.
In addition, the victories from the axis of resistance are also adding up. And, these victories are becoming bigger. No coalitons, so much shouting, meanness and bullying, but its power and influence is reducing and its friends and partners as well.
Russia holds the aces on the weapons front and the sheer ability to defend itself. And it is quite a secret who else they might decide to defend. China holds the aces economically. We’ve come a long way and we cannot forget that.
Bannon is the China hawk, and they have even an alternative government for China .. they call it the New Federal State of China. So, open efforts at regime change there. But, I ask you, on how many fronts can the hegemon fight? Bannon has enough money to easily pay for the court hearings and he calls it a political arrest. He also has smarts enough to get out of that one.
Just this week Pompeo lost his little bid to re-instate sanctions on Iran. He is highly peed off and spouts today that they will do everything possible so that Russia and China cannot sell weapons to Iran. But he is out of options .. he lost! OK, we all know he is going to turn meaner than an angry snake, but, he lost.
We’re finding the hegemon losing – here and there, sometimes small battles, but it is beginning to add up. These last days Trump is talking again about reducing troops in Iraq, but now he is talking Turkey — his kinda turkey … he wants to make oil deals – he wants to take the oil and then he will leave. Economically the US is not looking healthy.
The eventual question is what price do we pay for more firm action from Russia?
Dear Amarynth,
Thank you – I am glad to hear voices of hope. I will be hopeful until my last breath but worry that people do not see the big picture. I might be wrong but please address my main point – the West is united and Russia cannot hope for having a half of the West (e.g. Anglo-Saxons) at least as neutral observers. This has never happened before. They have neutralised all Russia’s potential allies – where am I wrong?
There is no need for a hot war. What is stopping the West from carrying on like this (picking at the seams) for the next 10 years? What can Russia do short of military retaliation? If you are hoping that the West will weaken, I am not so sure.
Thanks again for a thoughtful comment!
Ken, just in short … I don’t have a type of an overview statement for you, excepting to say that we are in the midst of moving to multi-polarity, and the dust will fly. I saw a lovely term the other day for what is going on, and this is irregular engagement. I think that we will see many areas of periphery become unstable and then again stable, while the centers of new multipolar power become more kinda metastable for a while. We gotto be a thinktank to analyze all this out in the necessary detail.
As far as the west, they may be less unified than what we think. They are also in terms of economics highly fragile at the moment. What is to stop them from picking at the seams for time into the future? More substantive victories from the resistance. The stability that will come from the new multi-polar powers becoming more stable. This is why we need a further depth from Russia, and not only Mr Putin.
Not too good, but this is what I can come up with in short. I count 3 meta processes .. going forward to multi-polarity, the state of western economics, and the slow winning of Russia and China in areas that are important, like the Iran sanctions. That was a visible and good blow where the west (Germany, France and the UK) did not side with the hegemon. And Nord Stream, much damage was done, but that one will be completed. These victories are much more important, than kidnapping a Russian diplomat, sorry as we may feel for this.
Dear Amarynth,
Lovely concepts but don’t you see that it is all speculative and based on hope. What happened to BRICS? Belt and Road? When will Nord Stream 2 be built? Even if it is, how is it different from the USSR supplying Germany 1939-1941?
If we think that the West is united why is that so? Are we deluded? The fact that Trump is disrupting them a bit counts for little.
Multipolarity is great but if your closest ally is threatened by a coup and you have NO other overt allies (as in we’ll fight with you come what may), where is the victory? Russia’s only allies are her Army and her Fleet. Great but not enough.
I am not being gloomy – on the contrary – but we must debate the perceptions (and mis-perceptions) around this issue.
Thanks again – I really appreciate your input.
But why do you say Russia has no overt allies? Isn’t China an ally? Or are you not a believer in the double helix relationship?
Btw, I really enjoyed your excellent, thought-provoking essay, and your presence here in the comments section.
Dear Serbian Girl,
Thank you very much! Think – if Lukashenko who is more Russian than the Russians can arrest Russian fighters on a whim and start turning against his brothers, what is to stop other countries which are much less close to Russia from pursuing their “independent course”?
Ken, the questions are too large to handle in this format .. but yet, these things are to be discussed. On just BRICS, there is progress there, but we have to understand that each country in BRICS, and the observers and the hoped for new members have their own objective to being there – and we have to understand that this is perhaps by Russian design.
BRICS from Russia’s side is economical and soft power – and in that way a bulwark against the western zero sum game.
From South Africa’s side, it is seeking for some relevance, importance and marketing profile, yet, they just took an IMF loan (I’m speculating because I have not checked, their easy credit from China and the BRICS development bank became too tight and again, one can write an essay on that),
from Brazil’s side – there was this change of government but Brazil is not letting go away from the format,
from China’s side it is an economical project – banks,
from India’s side they are sitting on two chairs, but yet, they hold the biggest loans from the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank, negotiated through BRICS.
So, it is not this simple of course but the BRICS development bank is extending loans and supporting development projects throughout the time.
Also remember we’re coming out of a plague that each of these countries handled differently – so, things are sluggish at the moment and again, one can sit down and analyze just BRICS alone and figure how much they mean for Russia. Not one of those countries though are going to work against Russia’s interests and all of those countries take Russia seriously.
BRICS is not an overtly ideological platform from Russia’s perspective, but is a platform that can withstand against the west zero sum game in soft power methodology and we can probably write an essay on this alone. They draw countries together that are not on the face of it allies – very deliberately, soft power. G7 is or has fallen apart, G30 may take over, Putin’s invite for the Security Council permanent members for a proverbial Yalta2 fell on deaf ears and we have a balance of power vacuum on that level now.
Belt and Road – China handled the virus outbreak as a biological weapon and an attack. Yet, the banking and loan infrastructure is still redhot and happening and growing, one has to sit and look at the development projects, soft loans, hard loans and joint development projects to make sense of where they are. Again, no matter the western zero sum game this is proceeding.
Last I heard on Nord Stream is that some legal hassles from some European country were removed so that the Russian pipe laying ship could take over and complete the last few miles of pipe but I am not up to date there.
The thing of allies .. in the background with these new systems a new balance of power is being built. It is not so overt that one can grab a hold of it and say There You Are! Got Ya! Again, the Iran / China agreement is a big deal, and we see the western powers screaming, but we do not see yet how that one is filtering out. We just know that 2 years ago this was an impossibility.
Russia has more friends than what we think, yet it is low key and nobody wants to really put a stick into the western beehive and make them come out shooting. It is a subtle process, it is not a comfortable place to be as observers and people who care, but a new balance of power is proceeding apace. Russia is shaking up the old alliances. And then we have to take a look at the western side of the coin – they are not as united as we may think – In Germany with removal of US troops in public they complained, but in private in the business communities, they said … high time, leave and take your missiles with you.
We see more soft power being wielded, and soft power by its nature is nuanced. The idea is that in certain parts of the world we are moving away from a military power projection model to a model that is more defensive, with a slow move to really implementing what the UN stood for in the Charter, or change that. This defensive model is a Russian model, and everyone knows it. I get this from studying what the Russians really say and really mean. China as well and that juggernaut is only appearing now. Lets be very clear as to what is important to Russia and a bunch of banderastans making noise is not important. The real deal there is to work towards a nullification or dis-empowering of Nato, the rest, these are just the daily problems to be dealt with. Thing is, most of the world will not accept the hegemonic power any longer, most of the world do not want to deal with this with kinetic war, so the processes for a shift in balance of power are not really spectacular. Let’s see what happens in Belarus but by the looks of things, the attempt at color revolution has been defined and its teeth pulled at an early enough phase.
There is a little method in this madness. Like a friend said, the west is simply being out-governed.
Dear Amarynth,
I think I understand your point. Even in the darkest days of WWII, large portions of ruling circles of USSRs enemies were not really inimical to Russia. This is the good news. The bad news is that they did not dare declare their allegiance until the Red Army was at the Seelow heights. In other words, they remained loyal to Hitler long enough to cause considerable damage and commit horrible crimes.
There is no soft power if your diplomats are expelled in their hundreds (and you never retaliate fully), when your media are extinguished and when your citizens are killed and imprisoned left, right and centre. I am not exaggerating. The danger is real. Such optimism in the face of mortal danger reminds me of the Pythons and the Black Knight: Tis but a scratch!
Thank you!
And putin-fanboys and girls still claim Putin is winning. He is cunning, he is smart, he has better info than the commoner on the street. Blablablah
We heard it all.
How many Russian nationals worldwide (e.g. donbass) have been killed since euro-maidan? And how many Westerners? Winning…. Yea right
Russian have a mental blockade understanding that people worldwide love a winner. So either be one by kicking the West’s ass or shut up.
It’s no wonder that again and again the West is going at Russia, coz Russians got a pathological need to appear good and tolerant. F that.
”Russians have a mental blockade understanding that people worldwide love a winner. So either be one by kicking the West’s ass or shut up.”
The Russians are winning. Guess that’s what’s ailing you. If you read the submissions by California in various threads here, you’ll be accordingly updated.
I rather ask a Donbass resident who got a family member killed or is maimed if he thinks he is winning.
Just today, the friendly Austrians have arrested a Russian diplomat on suspicion of spying. Dozens and dozens have been arrested, killed, expelled and imprisoned. Don’t you see the pattern? Why does Russia not retaliate for once?
And here is some optimistic Austrian troll reminding Putin of who really “owns” the Ukraine.
Kudos to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – one of the greatest artists of all time (and many others) but these are the people who committed unspeakable crimes against a civilian population in WWI and gave proportionally more SS members than Germany in WWII. It was the Austrian Wilhelm List who “strengthened” the “10 for 1” (lives) order that had been valid in Poland to “100 for 1” in Serbia.
https://youtu.be/0kJ1juNMaZA
And then there is Larchmonter who slices and dices and, voila , lays it all out perfectly. Yes.
Lukashenko is Putin’s BFF
needs a buddy oh so deft
He’s a friend in need
such a friend indeed
Don’t abandon me
I’ll be so bereft.!!
Don’t worry , guy
the blood soaked land
is where we die
and where
we stand.
It’s been this way
for many a day.
So man up, your course is run
In glory or infamy your time is done
your choice you know, which way
to go.
Dear KL
That “relentless march” by the West towards Russia has been going on for centuries, not just the last 30 years!
But Russia is still here, not just survived various wannabe occupiers, has defeated them all and once again, strong and mighty. Just in the last century it had three unimaginable upheavals, any of which would have finished off any other lesser country. Bolshevik Revolution, absolutely devastating WWII, and break up of USSR – three huge blows that not only did not destroy Russia it made it stronger. If you believe in God, think of it as being protected by God, for Russia obviously been chosen to play a most vital part in the future of our World. That’s the way I see it and THAT gives me hope.
You are right, Katerina,
And to honour your lovely sentiment, I’ll try and write something on why Russia MUST survive.
Katerina – let us hope for the best but never forget the immense human suffering (which must never happen again).
Spasibo
Katerina,
I do believe in God, and I am perfectly sure that, as you stated, Russia not only is being protected by God but has also been chosen to play a vital part in the future of the world – even before the Perestroika started I had no doubt about that. And that future is already in the making.
As to the most illustrious ex-colonel and judo master, let me remember other, much less refered to, key facts – he has a jurist’s education, and, above all, he is a faithful christian. V. V. Putin thinks juridically, not only strategically, this is essential in real statesmanship, and almost totally ignored by “strategic analysis”. [The Saker, at least, not unfrequently refers to juridical factors, but that is mainly about Russia, and mainly as legislational conditions.] And, above all, he is aware of his responsibilities before the Creator and Saviour. These are essential features of his mind and course of action.
The high dangerousness of the current times demand of us our strongest allegiance to the only and one true Lord of History – Jesus Christ, The Immanuel, God-Who-Dwells-With-Us.
The guidelines are clear. Constant prayer. Holy Liturgy. Holy Scripture. The Church Fathers, together with the Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church. Communicating in the Spirit. Preparing to meet the Lord in faithfulness to Him, come what may.
Our hope is in the Lord, the Creator of heavens and earth. His deeds are amazing, and a marvel to our eyes.
Do not forget that Russia is under the ‘Pokrov’ of the Mother of God.
She is the ‘воевод победительная’. She always helped Russians when they turned to her: “As Thou art one with might which is invincible, from all dangers that can be do Thou deliver us, that we may cry to Thee: Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride!”
“Presvetaya Bogorditsa, Spasi Nas!”
Yer, indeed – but why lose 35 million people in less than 100 years and lose their state twice? The pokrov will only help if the Russians free themselves from the enchantment with the West and begin fulfilling their historical mission.
Thank you for the lovely prayer.
If it’s true that Lukashenko started courting the west along with Russia after the Ukranazi Maidan in 2014, the reason isn’t hard to seek.
It’s the extremely weak Russian response to the Ukranazi coup that is to blame.
I’ve repeatedly stated that Putin was so focused on the Sochi Olympics that he totally ignored the carefully timed to coincide Ukranazi coup. While Buland went around openly giving biscuits to Nazis, Putin was silent. When Ukranazis drove Yanukovych into fleeing for his life, Putin was silent. When protestors were being burnt alive in Odessa by Ukranazis, Putin was silent. All Putin did was reintegrate Crimea, which was strategically significant historically Russian territory, but refuse to integrate historically Russian but far less strategically important Donbass. When Ukranazistan became a NATO staging post in all but name, there was no longer any point in expecting Putin to be anything but silent because it was far too late to do anything about it.
In 2014, when Yanukovych, still the legitimate president of Ukraine, had been forced to flee, Putin could have sent kn two battalions of Spetsnaz, overthrown the Ukranazi coup regime, reinstated Yanukovych, and withdrawn, with the clear and unambiguous statement that if there were any more Maidans Russia would be back and this time to stay. Instead Russia got blamed for an “invasion” it did not commit, and set up yet another dysfunctional Nazi state at Russia’s underbelly. Do you think Lukashenko didn’t see this and draw the appropriate conclusions?
” Do you think Lukashenko didn’t see this and draw the appropriate conclusions?”
Could be, but if that´s the case, now we see that he draw wrong conclusions. As many of us, including me.
do you think VVP understands and knows less than you ?
Until a bully is faced down, it will keep bullying.
This text is mainly OK, but the author mentioned Croatian occupation of so called Serbian Krajina
Serbian Krajina never existed before 1991, and was created by aggression, ethnic cleansing, killing, raping and pillaging of non-Serbs
That creature was eliminated in August 1995.
This is how so-called Serbian Krajina was made, this is short amateur documentary made by Serbs themselves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU3wxgJxlTw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvF8UbscIks&t=1313s
Croatia never existed in it’s current boundaries either, not even when ruled by Austro-Hungarian Non-Croatian royalty. Croatians lost WWI and WWII yet they gained land (Thanks to Yugoslavia and the West/Germany) as losers of both wars in which they committed crimes against Serbs in Serbia (WWI) and Serbs in the Krajina (WWII).
Yes I know, everything in this world belong to Serbs
As long as you think that way and with such a mental circuit, just stay away from us.
Stay away from us and then everything OK
It is sad and pity, because we are basically the same people, but during the history we have developed different identities, unfortunately
But it need to be respected …
It would be great if we have preserved Yugoslavia as our common country
But nationalism was too strong … and still it is too strong
Tito’s ideology as a form of socialism was formula. Created some balance between all Yugoslav nationalities and it could work today.
But first Albanians, and then Serbs under Milosevic and a bit later all other peoples of ex YU abandoned that ideology and turned to primitive nationalism
When somebody claim that everything belong to him and do not recognize any right to others, off course that cannot end well
And if you add foreign meddling … it is recipe to disaster. In my opinion all our nationalist leaders were a sort of foreign assets
Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Montenegrians, all branches of the same tree. Slovenes and Macedonians maybe slightly different languages but still very close to us … more than close
Like Russians, Ukrainians, Belorussians…
Maybe one day… one day again … but I will probably not live enough to see that … unfortunately
Look to your own ethnically-pure country before lecturing others on “primitive nationalism” !
In any case, as you wrote above, this is not about Serbia but Belarus. Your cheap shots are off topic..
Brava Serbian Girl,
Their chutzpah is incredible. They (90% catholicised Serbs) are one of the most genocidal nations in history and are going around trying to impugn others. Here is their dirty history exposed by no other than the great Friedrich Schiller, writing about the sack of Magdeburg in 1631:
From Friedrich Schiller’s The History of the Thirty Years’ War. Account of the sack of Magdeburg:
…. Even a more humane general would in vain have recommended mercy to such soldiers; but Tilly never made the attempt. Left by their general’s silence masters of the lives of all the citizens, the soldiery broke into the houses to satiate their most brutal appetites. The prayers of innocence excited some compassion in the hearts of the Germans, but none in the rude breasts of Pappenheim’s Walloons. Scarcely had the savage cruelty commenced, when the other gates were thrown open, and the cavalry, with the fearful hordes of the Croats, poured in upon the devoted inhabitants.
Here commenced a scene of horrors for which history has no language – poetry no pencil. Neither innocent childhood, nor helpless old age; neither youth, sex, rank, nor beauty, could disarm the fury of the conquerors. Wives were abused in the arms of their husbands, daughters at the feet of their parents; and the defenseless sex exposed to the double sacrifice of virtue and life.
No situation, however obscure, or however sacred, escaped the rapacity of the enemy. In one church fifty-three women were found beheaded. The Croats amused themselves with throwing children into the flames; Pappenheim’s Walloons with stabbing infants at the mother’s breast.
When we are talking about ethnic cleansing, then you are champions of that discipline.
Bosnia has always been ethnically mixed region. Never ever any part of Bosnia and Herzegovina was exclusively property of only one of three ethnic groups
And today there is Republika Srpska on the half of Bosnia and Herzegovina, created by savage ethnic cleansing of non-Serbs. Today it is exclusive Serb territory where other nationalities and ethnic groups are almost completely wiped out.
It is enough to compare ethnic structure of RS today and 1991.
Savagery against Non-Serbs in Bosnia , Muslim Bosniaks and Croats, and especially against Muslims was something very hard and difficult to describe.¹
Serbs attempt to create same thing in Croatia but failed.
So don’t act role of eternal victims. Because you are not.
I spent 4 years in Sarajevo and I do not need anyone to explain to me what you were in that war
And again – while you have such mindset, stay away from us. Just stay away from us and everything will be OK.
You are the only ethnically pure statelet in Europe – all under the aegis of the Vatican and Germany.
What are you doing on this site? Trying to do a Lorkovic? Playing the Russian card in case your masters start running back towards the Atlantic?
Nothing lasts forever.
Wrong again Bosnian Croat: The single biggest act of ethnic cleansing in this last war was Operation Storm (“Oluja” ) perpetrated by Croats against the Orthodox population of Krajina.
Your people Bosnian Croat….
As for Sarajevo, it has always been a mixed city and now all Orthodox christians are gone, so what is your point?
Crimes were committed by Serbs, but what you are trying to do is put all of your crimes on our doorstep. With that mindset maybe it’s time you took your own advice to “stay away from us”…
Only an alliance and purge can save Russia.
They have such in 1941.
Russia alone will crumble like a house of cards.
I remind you all, that most of the current modern military assets incorporates German/British parts
Putin and Russia make a difference
Anonymous doom-and-gloom Western ’progressives’ do not.
Again, this is absolutely nothing new whatsoever. Western ’progressives’ moaned and howled non-stop against Stalin’s leadership (and still do). The police informant Orwell wrote his rubbish novel ’Animal Farm’ during the most gruesome savagery of the Nazis against the Soviets. Orwell had hoped for fascism to come out victorious at the expense of the USSR, so his bitterness makes sense. But the doom-and-gloom which resonates around here is just flat-out silly: Putin, Xi, and Lukashenko are a bunch of useless cowards unlike the proponents of defeatism, utopianism, and Western invincibility. Well, some people achieve tangible results at least.
Katherine, my dear, Lukashenko will not be sitting in that chair for too long. He has absolutely “blotted his copy book” with Russia and they will replace him as soon as suitable alternative is found. Again, that’s the price you pay for Russophobia, as they are now all finding out the HARD WAY!
I understand the author’s concerns although I’m admittedly an ageing arm-chair student of geopolitics. However, the scope of his treatise focuses on Russia’s Western borders as well as her relationships with Western powers. And as we can readily ascertain, all is not quiet on this Western Front.
However, in regard to the West’s encirclement of Mackinder’s “Heartland”, the author fails to note the buffer on Russia’s southern borders provided by China, Iran, Mongolia, and the various ‘-stans.’
Is Russia truly ‘isolated’ both economically and militarily? Or does the West threaten the sovereignty of these other countries as well to the point where mutual alliances are more urgently required in order to balance the geopolitical scales for the benefit of Eurasian interests? The author’s vision scanned no further South than Azerbaijan and as such does not address the importance of these other alliances.
It’s all sad. At the end of the day it seems little more than the obscenely wealthy being dead-set on destroying all that is good in this world in order to harvest as much of the wealth and power as they can. And they are willing to burn the world to the ground causing untold misery and suffering yet again to assuage their infinite greed.
Dear Hatarimax,
You make a very good point but there simply isn’t enough time or in my case expertise to cover the south. Of course it’s important but please share any recent good news. All I see is fairly bad news – Armenia turning against Russia, Kazakhstan removing the Cyrillic script, Azerbaijan flirting with the Turks, dozens of US chemical warfare labs sprouting all over the place etc.
I’d be happy to be proved wrong!
“The point is that we are witnessing a process of rapid implosion of the current global system and are not able to see what will replace it.”
A very sweeping statement, somewhat negative, in some ways true, but most certainly not the last part ; the “we” assuming the unquestionable authoritative view of the global population, or just Saker reader’s ?
Ken Lesley is assumed to be a man, presumably because they think and write like someone possessed of an ideological mindset.
Dear Henrietta,
Instead of offering a feminist critique of my statement, would you kindly elaborate on what is wrong with it? What ideological mindset? I wouldn’t want to ascribe your inability to come up with a logical answer to your gender.
I think she´s referring ideological mindset in general – – “like someone possessed of an ideological mindset” – –
Maybe she´s trying to say that men are more prone to fall victims of ideologies than women? If so, interesting viewpoint, and could be that not entirely unfounded.
Somehow all your articles reflect ideological mindset – but don´t get me wrong – I´m not accusing you because of that. We all have our subliminal side.
Of course, but why not argue with my points? If everybody is ideological, what is gained by this observation?
With “we” he merely states “the rapid implosion of current global system” as a historical fact in progress as even the World Economic Forum believes with their “The Great Reset” promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rAiTDQ-NVY
Thank you both Ken Kesley and dave for replies.
When I wrote my comment, I was very aware of the use of the term “global system” but am of the mind that no system is locked up within itself, but impacts all others, and this is fundamental to my view of life, quite simply.
Whatever the system, Great Reset or otherwise, logic is the foundation for understanding the world, politically, economically, but I think must be able also, to meet, further, and include global spiritual and cultural life systems !
From this angle then, answer’s to the current world crisis do exist, but may depend on a wider perspective to appreciate and take on board.
I did not intend to insult you, and am sorry if that is the case.
Dear Henrietta,
Thank you and no need to apologise – you make an excellent point.
Perhaps there’s too much testosterone here :-)
“but am of the mind that no system is locked up within itself,”
Experience/interaction suggests that appears to be the case – conditioned/moderated since omniscience does not exist -, and a component part of why the opponents routine/schtick includes “We the people hold these truths to be self-evident” in the hope/wish to evangelise there-is-no-alternativeness: the attempt to deny interactive process, history and time since those so attempting are “exceptional”.
“From this angle then, answer’s to the current world crisis do exist, but may depend on a wider perspective to appreciate and take on board.”
Use of, and framing in, binaries including answer/question also seeks to deny interactive process, time and qualitative (lateral) change, and is a component reason of why opponents are often enmazed in iterations of resort to belief to bridge doubt to attain confirmation bias/expectation upon which to extrapolate hope/wishes of there-is-no-alternativeness, motivated in part by perceiving a “crisis”, when others not so enmazed perceive opportunities.
The Serbs, innocent lambs, victims of history… Srbin srbina sekirom sece…
Google translation,MOD: Serb Serb cuts with an ax…
I’ll forgive your cynicism because I share it sometimes. Yet your statement is self-contradicting.
The Serbs have been the victims of history because they have faced two great geopolitical monsters – the Vatican and Islam. Only in the 20th Century they lost about 3 million people – say 40%. Under enormous pressure, they have been split into dozens of fake Serbophobe nations. And yes, they are not the best at uniting and organising, but once they are, they are capable of defeating the mightiest of enemies. And that’s why they are so hated. And that is why they should be proud.
Cynicism implies Serbs are as much perpetrators of crimes against humanity as any other nation. Cynicism implies Serbs are not only victims but have been prosecuting other nations to an extent bording on fascism. Do you really think Srbs have no fascist and even racist tradtion? Did you forget Nedic, the Serb prime minister who collaborated with Hitler? Did you forget the common cause of Mihaijlovic and the Italian fascists? Even the Jews have their fascist and of course racist tradtion, very en vogue at the moment… Serbs are no exception tion.
Sure,
Tell me which nations refused to send their troops to Stalingrad? Even the British had an SS detachment under John Amery (not ative). The Serbs were not even asked by the Germans – both Nedic and Ljotic refused.
I am not denying Serbian fascism – it is there – but is insignificant in comparison with most European nations’.
Mihajlovic was right to collaborate with the Italians given that they often protected the innocent Serbs from the brotherly knife. Read Kurzio Malaparte Kaputt.
And Mihajlovic was in contact with the Soviets until well into the war.
He was also decorated with the Congressional Medal of Freedom by Truman as the first anti-Nazi fighter in Europe.
Some fascist. Compare that with a long list of… Francos, Petains, Degrelles, Quislings, Pavelices, Horthys, Antonescus, Rupniks, Mussolinis, Tisos… I could go on.
Another disgusting attempt by Croatian trolls to attempt to equate their fervent Nazism with the quisling leader of the Yugoslavian occupied “Government of National salvation”. That’s their “evidence” in their claim Serbs had a fascist movement. Then having the unmitigated gaul to claim that Mihijlovic was conspiring with Italian fascists. You people have no Shame!
It’s easy to call these attempts disgusting. Not only do they lack any context, they try to imply that Serbs were somehow Nazi sympathizers and not the most ardent anti fascists in all of Europe.
1.) Claim-Collaborating with Italian Fascists.
Draza Mihajlovic, the wartime leader of the Yugoslav army (commonly referred to as Cetniks) was the first and strongest resistance movement in all of occupied Europe.
Cetnik units, fighting against the genocide of Serbs in the Nazi puppet state of Croatia (which included the Serbian province of Bosna), did maintain strong contact with Italian troops. For it was only the Italians who were not actively participating in the unprecedented Vatican/Croat and Muslim Nazi slaughter of over a million Serbs (the largest genocide of any one nation, as a percentage of population, In WWII). A genocide, which the preeminent Israeli authority
on the Jewish holocaust, Gideon Greiff, calls the most sadistic of all Nazi movements and the unrivaled genocide of WWII. Those ordinary Italians were heroes!
The Italian officers and soldiers were so sickened by the atrocities committed by their Croat Catholic brothers, that they not only warned the Cetniks of planned Croat massacres against civilians (mostly women, children and elderly), they took up arms against these most savage Nazis. The Italians prevented The extermination of at least several hundred thousand more Serbian civilians. And that’s what the Croat trolls trot out as their manipulative and maniacal claim of collaborating with Italian fascists. I pray to God all people have such collaborators.
2.) Claim- Milan Nedic was a fascist
Milan Nedic was the pre WWII leader of the Yugoslav Army. A hero in WWI, he was ultimately responsible for the failed defense against the Nazi Invasion of Yugoslavia, that forced the delay of operation Barbosa, for a critical six weeks, as Hitler was forced to dedicate most of his eastern front forces to the conquest and subjugation of Serb ruled Yugoslavia.
Nedic, Fearing the extermination of millions of Serbs (by late 1941, hundreds of thousands of Serbian, Jewish, and Roma civilians had already been slaughtered in the Nazi state of Croatia), agreed to be the leader of Nazi occupied
Serbia. It should also be noted here that the benevolent Germans had systematic reprisals against the killing of German troops, but nowhere else were the reprisals so horrendous or calculated. For only in Serbia did the Nazis put into law:
100 dead Serbs for every German soldier killed and 50 dead Serbs for every wounded German.
Here are the facts about Nedic’s government of National Salvation:
-Unlike in every other Nazi state or collaborationist government, during their rule war camps had not been built, mass executions had not been organised, and international conventions had not been broken. The camps and prisons that housed any Serb, Jewish or Roma prisoners were 100% staffed by Croats, Bulgarians and Germans.
-Nedic was the only “collaborationist” leader who successfully refused to send troops to fight on behalf of the Germans
-Nedic’s government did justifiably go after the communist agitators, who were a terrorist movement in the kingdom of Yugoslavia and responsible for most of the Nazi reprisals against the Serbian population. Yes, we Serbs were not only the largest resistance to Nazis in occupied Europe, but we also had to fight against the Titoist movement, which was more western controlled than soviet
-Nedić had saved hundreds of thousands of Serbs from NDH (The Independent State of Croatia. In exchange for quisling compliance, Nedic was allowed to take huge caravans of train cars into the Nazi state of Croatia to transport the saved Serbian civilians back to Serbia. The savagery of the Croat and Bosnian muslims was so overwhelming that many parents were forced to tie their children on the backs of horses and pray that the horse would survive the crossing of Danube river into occupied Serbia.
I’m also all for nuance, but not a shameless manipulation of the victims of the greatest genocide of WWII and biggest Nazi opposition in occupied Europe.
Wow,
Thank you, Epithet. This is what President Putin is trying to prevent – the ultimate victory of the fascists and Nazis over the collective historical memory where nobody remembers the true heroes of the struggle for liberty and the descendants of the worst criminals (Tusk, Freeland) are at the helm of the West doing their best to start another Barbarossa. You Serbs have a lot to be proud of.
Tito was the ultimate agent of the dark forces – but he must await his turn. Late Captain Michael Lees (a true hero and gentleman) knew a lot about this (The Rape of Serbia).
Oh, and I just remembered. Nedic saved tens of thousands of Slovenians who had been expelled from their “dezela” by their Euro brethren. They repaid you by killing unarmed Yugoslav soldiers in 1991.
Nothing can be buried forever. The era of impotent and incompetent politicians in Russia and Serbia allowing this cancer to fester for decades is over. Ken is here as are many others. :-)
Ken,
– “From your mouth, to God’s ears!”
Your words awaken the spirit. I await the burning dawn. Decency and justice, always rises to cast out the evil.
I cannot begin to thank you enough for your bravery and honesty, in defense of the truth about the Serbian nation. Truly, Thank you sir! It means more to me than I could possibly describe in these sentences. You are cut from the same cloth as those few, true noble gentlemen, my grandfather met in England, following his release from oflag Osnabrück
Sadly,You know more about our past than many Serbs living today. Tito and his masters succeeded where the centuries of oppression and rewriting of history by the Vatican, Vienna and the Ottomans, had failed. God willing, we are slowly turning the tide, and helping to awaken the masses.
I’ve been dealing with the Croatian’s incredibly sophisticated propaganda campaign since I was a teenager in the nineties. Being the “chosen people” of the Germans, CIA, MI6 and the Vatican, sure paid off for them temporarily. It was also when I first read Captain Lees’s (truly a hero and gentleman) Rape of Serbia.
I am definitely one of the lucky Serbs. Most of my immediate family survived WWII and eventually immigrated to the United States. Like most Serbs, I was raised to never hate Croatians or Bosnian and Albanian muslims. My Croatian friends were always welcome in our house, even though Ustashe had exterminated most of my father’s family. My parents and grandparents always emphasized that others should never pay for the sins of their fathers. “Serbs are not allowed to hate,”they would say. Even though my father in Kordun-Krajina, as a small child was hunted in the Forrest and made to watch his mother slave over the needs of the Ustasha, as they held his baby sister, with a knife to her throat.
I have no hate for these descendants, who are not willing to even acknowledge the atrocities of the past, Much less apologize. I truly pity people whose identity is so twisted that they having nothing but hate in their hearts and lies to comfort their ailing souls.
God Bless Ken. Hvala!
Dear Epithet,
I really am touched by your kind words. You see, the Serbs have always been the canary in the coalmine – the first nation to meet the onslaught from the West (mainly Germans) and the East (the Turks). Many of our writers and thinkers (e.g. Rebecca West) have noticed your love of freedom, your amazing culture and character. The greatest of Germans (the great Goethe) also knew about your wonderful culture and struggle for independence. In spite of the terrible suffering inflicted on you by the enemies of humanity, you never surrendered your honour and your moral code.
For those of us who know you, you can never be equated with your neighbours who prefer a foreigner’s foot on their neck to brotherly love. That is why they hate you so much – even though most of them were once Serbs.
There is little hope that Britain will change its course vis-a-vis Russia and Serbia but am hoping that with Brexit it is slowly assuming its traditional role which is to balance the excesses of the continent. I am ashamed of what has been happening this last 30 years.
Thank you again and Zivela Srbija! (Correct?)
It’s an important article, and the danger is absolutely real. But I would add more nuance to the statements. One is this: what enables the West to draw smaller countries from the Russian or Chinese sphere of interest to it’s orbit?
It’s money and economic prosperity (and propaganda about freedom and Western “values” to some extent). But the viability of dollar as the world reserve (which is used to buy influence in other countries) becomes more and more questionable every day, with the continuous money printing and deficit spending. Also the prosperity of Western nations is based on unsustainable increase of debt and economic problems are mounting.
Another take is that Russia successfully protected it’s interests in Syria, Turkey became independent of the West, while Iran successfully cooperates with the other 3 countries of the Shia crescent.
The third take is about technology: Russia lags in some areas like microchip manufacturing or software, but China is catching up quickly. The US rejects Huawei’s 5G technology while 5G is already being built in not just China, but in Russian cities. If China and Russia can pull ahead in the technology front, their appeal will be much greater to smaller countries.
When all of Russia’s neighbours are regime changed, it’s obvious that Russia is next on the list, and it’s very dangerous. But will the Western economic / technological hegemony last long enough to finish Russia? It’s an open question.
Dear Paganstorm,
Thank you. Yet, nuance can be an enemy of clarity. I understand that the West is not untouchable. Yet here we are. Imagine Russian troops exercising in Canada, 400 km from New York (if geographically possible).
Putin-1, Anglo-zionists-0
I’ll forgive your cynicism because I share it sometimes. Yet your statement is self-contradicting.
The Serbs have been the victims of history because they have faced two great geopolitical monsters – the Vatican and Islam. Only in the 20th Century they lost about 3 million people – say 40%. Under enormous pressure, they have been split into a dozen of fake nations. And yes, they are not the best at uniting and organising but once they overcome their hatreds and grudges they are capable of defeating the mightiest of enemies. And that’s why they are so hated. And that is why they are so feared.
Dear Ken,
To your question re reasons for the behaviour of former soviet republics towards Russia, i. e. rampant Russophobia, I have already commented on that under another Saker’s posting titled “These are the real goals of Belorussian opposition”. If you are interested to find out, please have a look at the comments there, you could find it there easily enough. I have posted three comments there, I think it’s the second one.
Look at the winner:
https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008221080246083-rally-in-support-of-belarusian-president-lukashenko-in-grodno—video/
That confirms what was written in Stalker Zone:
“Putin waited until Lukashenko lost the support of the west and he would have no other options but the development of the Union state. And now Lukashenko, instead of making excuses, again feels very confident, but Russian politicians have taken a firm grip on him, because now is the best time to conclude agreements while his position is weak, and the Belarusian President himself now declares that Union relations are good and proper. Along with Belarusian flags, Russian flags are now being displayed, and positive news about Russia is being played on TV again, not the other way around (this is important for preparing people for rapprochement). The protests have almost run out of steam in just a few days of Russian intelligence work.”
https://www.stalkerzone.org/putins-quiet-ingenious-belarus-special-operation/
Developments in recent years show that color revolutions against pro-Russian governments – machinated mostly by British secret services – tend to fail.
West has no military advance anymore – that´s why hot war is out of question – their financial means are shrinking, and now their dirty games against Russia are turning against themselves.
In the case of Lukasenko, West did unintentionally a great favor for Russia. This failed color revolution drives Belarussia to the caring arms of Mother Russia. So now´s not the time for the doom and gloom.
@Prospeller
Very true! Also, I should feel inclined to say that it has become absolutely trivial to judge which way the wind is blowing in the context of a Western psy-op. It always begins with the usual big fanfare: Democratic protest this, regime/dictator that. Now, if after a few days with MSM jumping, shouting, drooling, and panting there is silence — that is a sure sign of a resounding defeat.
For me, the outcome of the Belarusian stunt was definitely settled when I saw (in another thread) the picture of this Tikhanovskaya specimen together with the worst blooming idiot among the entire Euro-trash: BHL. Stupid is as stupid does.
Far too complex to make specific remarks about outcome. Excellent comments, excellent article. If I were betting, I bet Russia will be recognizable in 50 year. I would also bet that the US will not be. Now to find a bookie…
For what it’s worth, I expect that the “internal contradictions” of “the west”, and especially the US, and more especially the complex of dollarcollapse, bad weather, diseases, and fractious people (and also whole States!) will amount to a gradual recognition that the Empire is self-destructing. Pretty much what Kennan wrote about USSR seems applicable to the US now.
Sun Tsu seems to be the guiding principle. Long wars and impoverishment, all that.
(I used to comment here, but it’s been years and I can’t recall the username, anyway “Mr P” will do.
Especial howdy to Auslander – I guy I personally like, even tho he and I misunderstood one-another a few times, we did not actually disagree)
u wrote “It is a world in which the close descendants of the worst war criminals in history are now the unofficial rulers of Europe” – who do you mean by this? Are they nameless?
These are the people who burned down 209 towns and cities and 9200 villages in Byelorussia in less than four years. Ring any bells?
Oh, and killed every fourth man, woman and child.
Hi Mr. Ken Leslie, thank you for your insightful article. A good portion of the american Deep State has received the so-called Jesuit education and instruction. The extremely cruel Counter-Reformation was engineered by the Jesuits. Its founder and founding members are all murderers. It is only fitting that in many wars, assassinations, pogroms, we see their fingerprints and footprints. The facts regarding the Jesuits have been sanitized and deodorized, but they cannot fool everyone.
Dear Chaucer,
Thank you very much. Indeed, you are absolutely right. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t other maleficent cabals but the ones you mention have been causing considerable damage for a long time.
This is all true to a degree of course, the history is well known in some places but in the West it has been pretty white-washed or so associated with crazed protestant cultists that the facts are rendered ineffective in educating people. The best counter that works against such people as Loyola’s is to be as ‘wise as serpents but harmless as doves’, to win the game by not playing it.
Thank you so much for your article, Mr. Leslie . I hope you will write more for us. This is almost non political input so perhaps it would be better served in The Cafe, but here goes. I was puzzled by two words you used: vernichtungskrieg and gleichschaltung so I trotted over to my 95 year old neighbor who was born and raised in
Prussia, lived through Nazi Germany, and East Germany and immigrated to Canada and then moved to the US in the course of her long life. She is tough as nails and sharp.
I was having trouble with vernichtungskrieg so she said,” OK. let me use “vernichtun” as a verb in a sentence.” So she stood up, marched to the door, throwing it open and said..”..Assume we have had pesky ants outside and today I say…”
And with utter fierce determination she used the word as a German verb in an English sentence indicating what was she was going to do to the ants once and for all. ” Ah,” I said, “so the English translation, “total war” just doesn’t do it – I get I, thank you.” It was a bit scary…that lady.
Then we went onto gleichschaltung…and I never did understand how she saw that. Ok ‘Gleich’ means “sameness” but not like ‘that Communist Bernie Sanders’ ( her words)…. She went into something like smoothing down the edges in society? And that schaltung was a light switch that alternated between on and off…so a smoothing down of polarities in society?
Then I trotted back home to check out the word on the internet. OMG. It is the word for Hitler’s policy of total social, economic, political thought control. I was totally appalled.
Dear Teranam,
Genau!
Vielen Dank :-)
. There are several kinds of Chess or “Checkers” in this world.
The US of North A seem to be playing only the misnamed game of “Chinese Checkers”: A board game labelled as such because it was German and due to the German producer of that game wanted to avoid anti-Jerman predjudices. It was never played in China, not even in recent times.
.
In China, they play three kinds of Chess:
1: “International Chess” with Persian/European rules
2: “National Chess” (guoqi) whre the rules wary if the players are on thair own territory or if they “cross the grat river”
3: Wêiqi/Weich’i ((´qi/ch’i)but “wei” is pronounces /go:/ in Japan. An other strategic game where one try to isolate outlying areas of the enemie’s infrluence. In Chian , the communist genaralissimo .Zh Dé’. was the chairman of the weiqi association. I met him while he was sent for re-education whilst still presidendt of China: He was told to replant all his miniature archids so that the toiling masses should enjoay the sight of them at the New Summer Palace NW of Beijing.
4: In Tartar areas of Russia, they in my youth kept up laying the wiking board game of “þávl” — another stragetic Viking tradition much overlooked.
.
The leading men´mber of strategijic planning in the Russian Defence fors´ces during years up into succumbing of old age a few years ago was a Tartar. My Father-in-law was a half Jew entrusted with the protecion of Moscoc in case of Nuclear Attack. He sait of thet Tartar that he was a stretegic genius coupled with tachtical reasoning.
Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics.
Where is the industrial might of ‘the arsenal of democracy’? Where are the steel mills, the coal mines, the great ‘made in USA’ factories churning out immense trainloads of goods for consumers and military alike? Where is the rock solid American middle class and skilled tradesman class?
I’ll tell you where. Gone With The Wind. Gone to plants in Mexico, India,Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Japan, Katai…..Gone. Gone. Gone.
That is why the ‘next’ war will be fought by CehSha with missiles and atoms. CehSha can not fight a conventional war lasting more than a month and she will have to prepare for a year, closer to a year and a half, before she does fight.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is why President Putin and President Xi are not trying to beard the lion in it’s self imposed cage, they well know that in it’s dying thrashings CehSha is capable of unbelievable destruction, irregardless of the unfathomable retribution CehSha will get within an hour.
Both are playing the long game, putting up with insults and minor attacks that would in the not too distant past bring instant declarations of war. Why declare war and interrupt your self sworn enemy as he self destructs? And the much vaunted and ‘cultural’ Europe ain’t much better, paper tigers comes to mind, although for europe it’s more like tissue paper tigers with lace panties on their soldiers.
If anyone can come up with a better plan, please vocalize it. Or are the lot of you urging Putin and Xi to ‘get tough with the hedgemon’ willing to don the same uniform my wife and I have hanging in our closet, pick up your automat and brain bucket, jump in the Urals and Kamaziks and go to the line to fight…as we did in ’14 and will do again if we have to? We have skin in this game as do our son and two of our daughters. How about you?
Auslander
Thank you Auslander! Very insightful observation.
As are yours, my lady Ye’katerina, as are yours.
Auslander
@ Auslander> Precisely! All they have is bluff and hail mary. Just let those internal contradictions fester… It really is a pity they took this path, as it was once a natural for US and USSR to make peace and law and brotherhood. Of course then FDR very conveniently “died” and they used to bomb to try to intimidate USSR (“the bomb is for Russia”, (Groves, March of ’44). Their little plan failed, and they cannot see that fact. They probably will attack, but there are already doubts and mutinies…so that attack may well be incoherent and ineffective, in the sense of Strategy. Pity those unlucky people who get hit though.
For my naive self, I speculate that the Chinese and Russian electroboffins have a few surprises for uncle sammy – the “enemy” always gets to “vote”. Phatboiez Pompero and the Clown & the fellas are trapped in their delusions.
Period. Exclamation Point!
Auslander ends the palaver with a Russian challenge to the armchair analysts and sofa generals.
My friend, I’m certain you are asleep at this moment, it being late in Krim.
But this dreary burlesque or carnival show needed a close.
Thank you.
For the others, Katerina, on this thread, and Auslander have the intimate, visceral knowledge of Russia and unfiltered view of President Putin’s patience, cunning and actions. They understand with blood comprehension that Russia stays out of enticement wars, but fights and wins the war foisted upon them.
@Auslander
“…irregardless of the unfathomable retribution CehSha will get within an hour.”
I would like to share what I know of this exciting prophecy, for the benefit of those who are not aware.
In the Christian Bible, “Babylon” is mentioned many times in both the Old and the New Testaments. Actually there are TWO Babylons being referred here. To distinguish between these two Babylons is the key to understanding this prophecy. The first Babylon is the ancient city of Babylon — the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar. The second Babylon is the prophetic Babylon in which the Bible has many clues as to its identity.
In the description of the destruction of the city of Babylon given in Revelation 18, we are told that Babylon’s destruction will be accomplished in “ONE HOUR” (verse 19). Again – this is certainly not the description of events when Cyrus conquered and destroyed the ancient city. In addition, we are told in the same chapter that Babylon is to be destroyed by fire (Rev. 18:8-9, 18) and this is in exact harmony with the words of Isaiah 13:19 and Jeremiah 50:40. Moreover, in Revelation 16:17-19, we are told that an earthquake will shake the city at the time of its destruction. No such earthquake ever shook the city when Cyrus took the ancient city of Babylon in B.C. 541.
Obviously, then, the Babylon that is described in Isaiah 13 and 14, Jeremiah 50 and 51 and in the Revelation is not the ancient city of Babylon, but some great “latter-day” nation which by means of its enormous military and economic might will establish its ascendancy over the world.
The Babylon being referred to is the prophetic Babylon. And who is this prophetic Babylon? If you care to research on the many hints and clues in the Bible, It is no other than the Modern-Day Evil Empire — the USA
(claps and cheers). Yes, the honor of being the prophetic Babylon belongs to the USA. (more cheers)
“Both are playing the long game” That seems to be wise, but the long game can easiliy be disrupted by the short game. Like Hezbollah played the long game threatening the Haifa ammoniaque stores, and then got it back in the short term smash in the face with the attack on the nitrate stores in Lebonan harbour. As if the Zionists did’nt know.
Someone welding in a fireworks storage next to a room full of fertilizer and close to a volatile grain storage complex is not playing the short game, they are playing the ‘Look ma! I’m an idiot!’ game. Two chemicals meeting by accident and renewing an old animosity does not an attack make.
Auslander
Can anyone please tell me what their use of a red-and-white flag means or imples, please?!
https://belarusfeed.com/insights-flag-of-belarus-red-green-white-red-white/
It’s tainted with Nazi sentiment. So, of course, encouraged by the “handlers” of the color revolution.
The article explains the whole history of both flags.
Look also at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Belarusian_flags
and the dates and circumstances of the use of that flag:
– first use in 1918, a short-lived state created by German occupation forces (just as they did in Ukraine too)
– (it was used by the “in exile” govenrment of that German instigated state after red army expelled them; until 1925)
– 1942-1944, a puppet Belarussian state under German occupation
– 1991-1995, post USSR oligarch orgy days
Even for English language Wikipedia, which is usually very West-tainted, the white-red-white flag is ONLY associated to periods of German occupation and national humiliation.
It is actually surprising that the “opposition” sticks to such a stained symbol; but actually it represents their true nature, they want to submit to foreign rule again.
Dear Pavlo,
Thank you very much for this. As I keep saying, the Germans are behind most of these nefarious projects. I thought they’d culminated during WWII, but no, we are now seeing the final reckoning.
Indeed, for a number of reasons the Germanic Elites are often at the core of these plots and wars, with auxilliary helpers and retainers. This book is a helpful historical examination;
http://spitfirelist.com/books/the-thousand-year-conspiracy-secret-germany-behind-the-mask/
Thanks, Vladimir,
Very interesting and probably very timely!
Russsians play chess to check-mate the King. USians play checkers to wipe out the pawns,
In China they have three different forms of board games called “chess” (qī),including weiqi (go in japanese), and checkers is not one of them. For many years until today, the leader of strategic planning in Russia was a Tartar. They aøso in my youth played the vikingform of chess called “thavl” — never seen it played in North Amerika! .
Lukashenko needs to announce a vote on re-unification with Russia. That would be the biggest black eye that the west has suffered since Crimea. Once back behind the nuclear curtain of Russia it could be safe.
Lukashenko’s legacy would be to claim credit for preserving what was from the Soviet times until Russia had dealt with its oligarchs and then leading his people back home.
Well, I guess we saw it all here. I guess we have to shake the dust of the funeral march and start playing it for poor Russia that is surely expiring. And we have all the armchair analysts that are sure that ‘Putin is Losing’. /end sarc
I don’t think so and if one is not shortsighted, then you would not think so as well. Russia, Putin and co have done marvelously well in when to retreat, when to lick their wounds, and when to move forward and gain even infinitesimally small steps forward without dumping us into a real shooting war. And they are still doing that in style. I think we have to have a good eye on the strategic issues, and not overstate the losses on a tactical level. ¨The hard lesson of life is some you win and some you lose. Anyone looking for an exciting ball game with a declared ‘winner’ in this longer term death spire of empire will be disappointed in this exceedingly western Show me the Winner life stance. It is excruciatingly slow and careful work and the position of ‘winner’ will probably be shared across more than one pole. Double Helix principles.
Is this an incredibly dangerous phase? Of course it is. Two Clicks to Midnight our writer calls it. The Saker calls it Russian Roulette.
I’m not dusting off the Marche Funèbre and despite the ongoing war on Russia. Life is moving on to another part of our world and the west will have to lick its wounds, become normal and rebuild. It is not Russia or China or the resistance axis that need to learn how to rebuild. They already know how. For a while still, it is keeping the empire that still has teeth left, away from the most important initiatives in order to still have a world left. Russia and China understand that exceedingly well.
I would call your article a good one, were it not for an uniform tone of pessimism, almost hopelessness that overshadows it. You are so impressed with the power of the empire and it’s methods that you spend no word on their weaknesses. And, there must be some, wouldn’t you agree, if the string-pullers are human.
They are not only human (am not proud of that), but swarm with weak points.
“The genius of the Western destruction-mongers lies not in their ingenuity and creativity but in their understanding of the lower reaches of human nature (in this respect they have no peer). They know how to exploit weaknesses such as greed, envy and ego and especially people’s susceptibility to vices.”
That is because these guys are greedy, envious and ultimately egoistic, and this is a poison for any society. It is no question of the destructiveness of these qualities, it is the question, whom will they destroy first. The owners countries or the opponents?
Dear Slobodan,
I can only quote your comment from a previous thread if I may. I am saying exactly the same thing. Thank you.
Now, how about Russia throwing these gloves finally off, and nicely taking over the country? These are the Russian lands, how long is this western bullshit going to be tolerated? Actually, exactly the same case with the most of the Ukraine – it is the Russian land. Whose interests is Russia respecting, letting the things as they are in UE and BY? Yes, of course, both would be an financial nightmare to take over for quite a period; plundered or mismanaged as they had been.
Whose interests stand in the way, not to be injured at any price?
Dear all,
Thank you for your comments and if at times things got less than friendly – it is just verbal sparring in the heat of the moment. I appreciate everyone’s contribution and wish you all the best. I’d also like to thank the Saker and the mods for coping brilliantly with a deluge of comments flooding in at ungodly hours.
I can also see that my writing has ruffled a few feathers and that a number of old contributors are “circling the wagon” in order to discredit it. That is a perfectly normal reaction to unwanted news which tend to awaken hidden fears and anxieties. The thinly veiled ad hominem attacks only confirm that I have hit the target.
I am very heartened by the debate my article has started because this was precisely my aim. And what a debate!
Even if we disagree, what matters is that we are not asleep.
Most of us are awake and feeling deeply for Russia and its people. We are all on the same side.
And yes, Russia will prevail. Russia must prevail!
Here an alternative scenario.
The color revolution was expected and baited, luk played his part pretending to be susceptible to the west machinations but all along they had this plan set up .bait and switch.
Let the west play its hand, entice them to show their colors..pun not intended :-)
Personally i find this far more realistic than assuming the superficial picture we are given.
KL
As far as I’m concerned I saw no one trying to discredit your opinions, it’s simply that not all of us share your thoughts and beliefs. What did you expect coming to a somewhat pro Russian blog, greetings of pretty village girls in all their finery with offerings of bread and vodka? Not from this crowd, although pretty generally everyone listened to what you had to say.
Your thoughts and opinions are duly noted, just as ours, or at least mine, are, but then you have to understand that my wife and I live on what is in essence ‘ground zero’, if SehSha decides to attack, our little village on the harbor will be flooded with enough cruise missiles to overwhelm whatever defenses are here and flatten everything and we’ll be dead simply because SehSha does not like being made the fool and not getting what it set its heart on, to wit, our fine harbor. He who owns Sevastopol owns the Black Sea, and he who tries to take Sevastopol will generally irritate Moskau no end and eventually suffer the consequences. 24,000 of the defenders of the First Defense of Sevastopol are buried on the south slope of St. Nikolas Church on North Side, mass graves with just a Regiment number on a marker. From that defense, and the second defense of 1941-1944, we are still finding them and putting them to proper rest will full military honors….both sides. Our Third Defense was relatively bloodless, ‘only’ 15 dead for both sides….but they are still dead.
Unless you live here, not visit but live here, you can have no concept of what life in this little village consists of, the heart felt patriotism that is not ‘knee jerk’ but seems to emanate from our very soil. But then, you haven’t been here, have you?
Auslander
Author
http://rhauslander.com/
Dear Auslander,
I’ve always respected your views and loved reading your articles/comments. What worries me is not if the US attacks (they won’t) but that Russia allows itself (like twice before in 70 years) to succumb to cheap Western tricks. Why is the West even allowed near Byelorussia?
Best,
Ken
Byelorus is not Mat Rossiya….yet….and it borders, from a quick glance at a map, partially on the Land of Poles aka ‘the west’ after a fashion, hence the Western Plague can and sometimes does slime over borders as in this case. But…this time the plague has been quickly eradicated with little loss but some ruffled feathers and knickers in a bit of a knot in someone’s nether regions.
As for ‘why’, you’ll have to speak to VVP about that concept. All I know is our city is, along with Kaliningrad, Moskau and St. Petersburg, the most heavily defended point on this orb floating in space.
From your mouth into God’s ear.
@KL
Your pomposity is a laugh.
“I can also see that my writing has ruffled a few feathers and that a number of old contributors are “circling the wagon” in order to discredit it. That is a perfectly normal reaction to unwanted news which tend to awaken hidden fears and anxieties. The thinly veiled ad hominem attacks only confirm that I have hit the target.”
As most people here know, I don’t thinly veil anything, nor do any of the “old contributors”.
Your article is festooned with misjudgments and they got pointed out.
Your ego precedes your knowledge. There was a lot for us to point out and clean up.
Like the exalted troll you like to play, your detritus just kept pouring out as you danced profusely to your own tune.
In the end, Two Clicks to Nowhere is a more apt title.
It could have been the product of any number of numbnuts Anons, et al who come to the Vineyard to piss on Putin and agitate with the subtle Russophobia of their insistent ignorance. We see this ‘line’ very frequently. Some of them aligned with you in the comments like lemmings.
You and it are not special. Bogus is more like it. Getting it wrong is no accomplishment.
2) All comment have to be courteous to me, the blog’s author, moderators, any guest author and all the other commentators. You are welcome to criticize and even attack ideas, but not people.
I do not myself understand the animosity on the part of some commenting here. I admire President Putin of Russia and I believe he’s made some great moves to counter the Western Power, but he is just one man. In order for Russia to survive ultimately, there has to be a moral and spiritual rebirth and mass movement of people to allow Russia to survive. And I say that as both an Orthodox Christian, a Slav, and a Socialist.
And relying on China and Iran as allies of Russia, while smart geopolitics, doesn’t quite cut it. It’s going to take much more than that, and today’s allies can be tomorrow’s enemies-this is just simply historical fact that sometimes possibilities become realities.
I appreciate all the posters here for the most part, in the short time from when I decided to comment on articles. All contribute to the whole except obvious trolls.
“As most people here know, I don’t thinly veil anything, nor do any of the “old contributors”.”
Absolutely true.
I could say much more about this “exalted troll” and his writings, but that wouldn’t pass moderators.
There’s no need to be obnoxious or personal. You make the blog unpleasant with this kind of bitterness and bullying. And you of all people should know better.
Excuse my simple-mindedness, but could you please explain why, in your view, the West seems so focused on Russia?
During the 2016 US Presidential campaign I felt that Hillary Clinton was using Russia as a bogeyman to frighten voters into her camp, but I also felt she might continue in this vein if elected, perhaps to enrich American weapons-makers.
The EU post 1989 had the opportunity to absorb Poland and other former USSR countries, but by doing so exacerbated the cheap-labour problem that has depressed the living standards of the working class in western European countries; nevertheless it went ahead and in my simple way I see that as merely giving into the temptations of aggrandisement – how lovely to acquire such a big extension to one’s empire! To expect self-restraint would have been like asking a labrador to refrain from eating whatever is available.
Like yourself – and many others, I expect – I feel some great complex disaster looming, but is it not owing more to greed, stupidity and short-sightedness than any Grand Plan? Or do you really see some coordinated conspiracy?
Dear Sackerson,
Thank you. You make an excellent point – why would German Europe want to gobble up all the Slav countries on her way to Russia even if it caused it problems.. Please read my previous articles which partly explain their seemingly irrational decision.
/the-other-side-of-darkness-towards-an-understanding-of-the-roots-of-the-western-right-wing-politics/
/with-fire-and-sword-obamas-black-crusaders-and-the-war-in-the-ukraine/
Hillary openly stated her intentions to launch a “no-fly zone” over Syria if she was elected president. This would have meant going to war with both Syria and Russia. If she had been elected it would have meant war, possibly a nuclear war. Thank God we dodged that bullet, although now the idiot Trump seems intent to start a war with Iran.
Because if the Cold War – the former USSR was demonized in the US to mainatin a hostile stance agisnyt it.
Kids in classrooms weven parcticed the drill of “DUck and Cover” in the fear of anucear arms exchnage – thats how deeply it has entered the consciousness of Americans.
By reviving the Red/ Communist Russia bogeyman they are building on what is already in the back of a lot of Americans minds.
This was only exacerbated by:
– Putin kicking out the Russian jew oligarchs (now living in London) early in his 1st tenure as Prez
– the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)
– cooperation with China esp. in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
– Russia’s gas pipleines supplying ~30% of Europe’s needs (fear of economic dependence), and
– Russia’s reunification with Crimea
amongst others
Regards
“By reviving the Red/ Communist Russia bogeyman they are building on what is already in the back of a lot of Americans minds.”
That is what they are attempting to do, but not restricted to “Americans”.
Another strand is hope to enhance roles and predeliction of others in being food sources and human shields, since it is not only “laws” that are for the “little people”, and they are not minded to believe in the Lazarus option for themselves, but seek to evangelise the myth to others by dulce-et-decorum-est-pro-patria-moriness.
Think about it. If the Bilderbergers are complaining about you, from the POV of humanity you’re probably doing whats right / whats needed
…one European Bilderberger openly admitted: “[that] Putin is by far the most formidable opponent in the world stage to our plans.’ What makes [the] Bilderberg position that much more difficult is Putin’s moral position in ‘protecting and promoting its [Russia’s] national interest’.”
[as quoted] Bilderberg vs. Putin, 10 DECEMBER 2014
https://www.counterpunch.org/2014/12/10/bilderberg-vs-putin/
In other words, Putin had done nothing wrong, and the Bilderberg participants knew it. But he is in the way of “our plans…”
Regards
Dear Tyson,
Excellent comment. And it was the founder of Bilderberg, Polish Jesuit Joseph Rettinger, who was also crucial in the founding of the EU. Let me not forget “I’m not a Nazi!” Prince Bernhardt of Netherlands.
As long as Russia does not react vigorously in the former Soviet republics, the hyenas will continue to act. Only a clear answer will prevent Belarus from becoming Russia’s enemy and NATO will be ready to attack Moscow from … Minsk and Dniepro: annex Belarus now and then retake Novorossya! Better to act now and endure sanctions than to hand over these neighboring territories.
I fervently hope President Putin reads this.
When I first saw this article (a few days ago), even before reading it, I knew what it was going to be all about, what its intention was. And even before reading it I decided that I would write about the goosebumps it gave to me… What I am trying to say is that esoteric intentions are likely to be behind it, suggesting the possibility that the west is consciously using a certain kind of energy, now known as ‘subtle energy’ in quantum mechanics, as a weapon.
The energy emanating from their intention (‘subtle energy’) is powerful and, even if you do not agree with this argument, you should pay attention… Repetitions work like ‘chants’ (or ‘mantras’), and humanity has using them for thousands of years to achieve ‘miracles’…
I do not have any other antidote to this kind of strategy except to banish it from my own narrative, to avoid repeating it at any cost. And I think that others should do the same. I beg you to convince me that I am wrong…
You are wrong if you think that the ‘subtle energies’ are not countered by the powerful prayers to the Mother of God, who is the protector of Russia.
Agreed. She has always been the powerful protector, the Mother of God. God and His Energies are in fact, All-Powerful.
I am quite optimistic that the US will not be able to maintain their aggressive posture in the coming years, they have huge internal problems, the US dollars status as undisputed reserve currency is in danger. Also Chinas unstoppable rise to superpower status will limit the resources the US can “dedicate” to Russia. The EU has outlived its purpose and will disappear on the garbage heap of history.
Excellent article on most points-the cardinal sin that led to this was the abandonment of Ukraine-Once Ukraine was conceded to the West -the rest of the disaster unfolded It is sitil not to late to save both Ukraine & Belarus
as you point out war will happen within 5 years so who cares about European hostility-it is like a vulnerable person talking with a madman behind a locked door-what is there to talk about-grab a club-The European like others respect strength-if Euro govts are putting 49 million into Belarus Russia should give 5 x as much to pro-Russian NGO ‘s
Imagine if the polite men had taken or would take Kharkov right down to Odessa & take the whole coast
Europe would not be able to import oil thru Ukraine-Rump Ukraine would be a landlocked state with millions in Germany collecting welfare and causing chaos
it sadly looks like an out of power Obama has the last laugh-pity -it did not have to be this way Putin had all the cards
I think its almost impossible for people in our age to realize how important Britain was in the world during the 18th Century,but even more so the whole of the 19th Century.And really until WWI and even until the start of WW2.Very,very,few of us would have been alive during the years before WW2,and if so,only as children,not understanding of world affairs. Britain was the biggest most powerful Empire in World history.She directly held in one form or the other 1/4 of the Earth.The Pound was,while not exactly the Dollar of today, the most important currency of the time.The British navy had no equal in the World.And you could say the old song “Rule Britannia,Britannia rules the waves” was correct.She held more territory in Asia than any nation,other than Russia and China.She held the lions share of Africa.Her Oceanic territories were almost all of the land areas there.And while holding only a tiny bit of South America,British banks dominated that continent.And lastly,she held more than 50% of North America.And she was the biggest foreign investor in the US.Financing many projects that allowed the US growth to be so large in the 19th Century.She didn’t seem to be in Europe as hegemonic as the US is today.But she always carried a strong voice there.The US inherited much of British power in the years after WW2.But as strong as they are,they can’t match Britain in its hayday (given the difference in weapons,no nuclear bombs to terrify the world).
During that time period Britain only feared a couple of things.One was that another country would challenge her Colonial Empire.She fought war after war with Spain,and later with France over that.She won most of them,and the others ended as a draw,or with a truce.The other fear was a unity in Europe.When most of the German States united in the German Empire,Britain wasn’t very happy about it.It meant another great power in Europe.And Britain’s diplomacy for over a hundred years was based on Europe being dis-united,and especially the potentially powerful German States.Afterwards with Germany becoming an industrial powerhouse,and moving into the “Colonial business” herself.Britain was even less pleased.And when Germany decided to build a large navy to service their Colonial Empire,that was the last straw.So Britain started to move closer to France.A country that Britain had learned to live with as a competitor in the Colonial business.Realizing that by then their interests didn’t really conflict.But Britain’s moving closer to France,necessarily brought her closer to Russia,France’s new ally in the East.And Britain’s bitter enemy for control of much of Asia.
Britain and Russia had been enemies for around a century by then.It was “off and on” ,they worked together on some matters.But then went back to quarreling after.Since Peter I,the British were terrified at Russia’a expansion into Central Asia.They were also angry when Catherine II,was friendly to the US revolutionaries especially John Paul Jones.And during the short alliance between Paul I and Napoleon when Russian troops were sent overland (only to be called back to Russia when Paul was murdered and Alexander I became Tsar) with the intention of kicking the British out of India,they were almost trembling with fear.Had Russia united the Persians/Iranians today,and the various Indian princes to rise against the British.With Russian and also French troops fighting them in India.The British almost certainly would have lost India,and with her many of Britain’s other Asian possessions.
Relations got better when Napoleon decided to invade Russia and thus control all of continental Europe.But after that war when Russia along with others of the European great powers formed the “Holy Alliance” to stamp out any more revolutions striking their countries.Britain not only didn’t join it ,but worked to undermine it.Remember what I said earlier, Britain wanted a divided Europe,with no great alliances,or great states to possibly be dominant.The alliance slowly died away even though Russia tried to keep it together.With the change of dynasty in France through revolution,the other strong alliance pardner dropped out.And Austria the third one was almost destroyed by the revolution of 1848.The Austrians begged Russia to save them.Russian troops crushed the revolution.But instead of gratitude,Austria hated Russia because they were shown to be weak and needed to be saved by Russian troops.When Russia needed Austrian aid during the Crimean War Austria stabbed them in the back and sided with Russia’s enemies.
The Crimean War saw Britain,France,and a few other of their lackeys join with the Ottoman Empire to invade Russia at Crimea.Russia wasn’t prepared to fight the biggest powers in Europe all united together.During the war the strong Tsar Nichols I, died.Leaving his weak son Alexander II to make peace on bad terms for Russia.The next big quarrel short of war between Russia and Britain was during the 1870’s Russo-Turkish War.During which Bulgaria was freed from Turkish rule, along with Romania gaining total independence from Turkey.Like with the Crimean War ,the British government wanted to join Turkey in the war against Russia.But the reports of the Turkish massacres against Christian Bulgarians were all over the British press and the public were furious against the Turks.So the best they could do was to use diplomacy to make sure Russia gained little from the peace talks.And returned millions of Balkan Christians to the tender mercies of Ottoman rule for another 30 years until another war freed them.
But now with the rise of the German Empire,Britain followed France into an alliance with Russia.Just in time for WWI to destroy European manhood.See the fall of Empires,the rise of Communism, lay the groundwork for Fascism and Nazism,and make certain there would be a WWII to finish the destruction of the old world.And then see the US replace Britain on the world stage.To then join Britain in her historic Russophobia.
Uncle Bob,
I appreciate your views but it would be helpful to link this information to the current topic. For example, how Major General Sir Collin Gubbins took over various Promethean and Intermarium networks following the end of WWII. Or how Britain helped in transferring Ukrainian and Byelorussian Nazis to Australia and Canada.
Beyond this, Britain has little to do with the current predicament of the Ukraine and Byelorussia. And I would kindly ask you to answer this: Why would Britain, that “main enemy of Russia” fight on its side in two world wars. By ignoring the magnitude of the German genocide we are contradicting president Putin who has done everything to keep the memory of this horrific crime alive.
@KL
How do you know that “Britain has little to do with the current predicament of the Ukraine and Byelorussia”?
If you say so, at least in the case of Ukraine, you are not well informed:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-expand-support-to-ukraines-armed-forces
Few comments of Defence Secretary Fallon, from 2017:
“The values of freedom and democracy cannot be traded.”
“Britain is stepping up on the global stage and standing firm with our Ukrainian friends.”
“The UK is sending a clear message that we are committed to defending democracy across the world and support Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.”
Why would Britain fight on the side of Russia during two world wars? Well, strange question, since Britain didn´t fight on the side of Russia. What comes to WW2, atlanticist powers needed Russia to defeat Nazis, and before that, tried to use Nazis to defeat Russia. Very convenient for them, their two mortal enemies against each others.
After the war, in Berlin, US general Patton lamented the fact that allied troops didn´t march straight to Moscow. In his view it was a big mistake, and lead to the Cold War.
Dear Prospeller,
I thought you were discourteous above but will overlook this for the sake of the debate. Of course that Britain has been trying to harm Russia for a very long time. I was wrong to say that Britain was not involved. What I meant was that they can only act as the pawns of America (not sure about the EU). They are not the independent force they once were.
The fact that they wanted to play off their rivals against each other is good strategic thinking (although I don’t believe in it). Had the Russians managed the same, we would be applauding. Why did they then fight the Germans twice and lost over million people? In order to adjust the outcome of their clever game?
You talk about the Nazis. The Teutonic Knights were not Nazi (hmmm). Neither was Wilhelm (tzar Nicholas’s cousin). Nor was Napoleon. And every time, those dastardly British got the Russians to fight. If so, they truly are geniuses.
My post was because people on this thread kept asking about the British hatred of Russia.But in answer to your question.Britain wasn’t stupid.As I explained the British-Russian alliance in WWI came by way of France.And the British saw as the war dragged on that they needed help badly,or they would lose to Germany.Russia until the Bolsheviks came to power gave them the Eastern Front.Which took so many German troops away from the Western Front that Britain and France were able to hold their own. When the Bolsheviks took Russia out of the war that released many more Germans for the Western Front.But just then as luck would have it the years of trying to get the US into the war finally bore fruit.Had it not,that edge in extra troops from the East,would have given the Germans probably the ability to win the won.But the extra million fresh soldiers that the US poured in to the Western Front turned the tide and forced the German surrender.
As for WW2 Britain was even worst off than in WWI.France had surrendered,Italy had joined the Germans,and the US didn’t join the war until Hitler was stupid enough to declare war on them on 11 of December 1941.Hitler’s attacking the USSR was a godsend for Britain.It took a lot of pressure off them.No need to worry Hitler was about to invade them.He needed those troops in the East.It opened the dreaded Eastern Front ,a German nightmare from WWI.So those are the reasons that the British made nice with Russia during WWI.And with the USSR in WW2.
But don’t get me wrong the Germans,at least the leadership hate Russia as well.Before WWI they saw Russia as a threat because of the Pan-Slavic feeling among many Russians.And a great mighty Russian Empire could contest their leadership in Europe.So defeating her and breaking her apart was one of Germany’s hopes. Translate those feeling about Russia to the USSR.Add to them the hatred of the Nazis for Communism.And as they saw it the Jewish Bolsheviks.And you have the Russophobia continued to WW2.After that the fear of the USSR/Russia just continued (helped by US and British propaganda) with West Germany,then the united Germany,until today.So there is actually a trifecta of Russophobia in the West,Britain,Germany,and the US are all Russia-haters.Add in Poland and you have a real witches brew.
Thanks, Bob, I agree.
There is only and only one way to fight against those Color Revolutions
To achieve life standard good and high enough so young generation to lose interest in such an activities
Color Revolution architects target young generations because they are the easiest to attract in such an activities and western brainwashing is directed toward them
So Russia has about 10 years to do something significant with that
And that is why West with all those sanctions try to stop Russia’s economic development
I think that Russian government has good plans and proclaimed economic strategy
But that strategy and all those national programs have to be implemented 100%
Otherwise, Russia will one day face its own Maidan
New generations do not remember economical and political disaster in Russia during nineties
They do not remember and they do not care
I hope Putin, Mishustin and all others are aware of this
Dear BC,
I can only agree with your assessment. Just assume that at some level the Serbs = Russians and everything will be ok.
Kudos Ken, looking at the comments, perhaps a record on here, take solice, they read it………..
Cheers, M
Dear Sean,
I see leprechauns as irreverent but kind–a link to the old Celtic culture that is all but extinct. May you long continue. We need leprechauns! Thanks.
Thank you Ken, I appreciate the sentiment……………some Leprechauns give us a bad rap, but extinct…….is to wish, for as long as there is an Ireland, there will always be contrary wee bastards afoot.
Cheers, to you and yours, M
You can’t extinct Irish Celt culture, it’s been assimilated by 7.2 billion people, go anywhere on the planet on Mar 17th of every year………..culture on display, worldwide…………..can any other country, culture, claim such?
An ominous review of predicaments. May I just comment onone mayor ommission: re. ‘The only exceptions—Norway at the extreme North and Azerbaijan at the extreme South are less relevant at the moment but as we have seen recently, these countries too are being subjected to accelerated weaponization’.
I cannot say much about Azerbeidjan, but surely the US/NATO Scandinavian ringing of Russia is grossly underestimated, yet highly relevant. Norway is de facto occupied (not weaponised) by US/NATO forces. I can mention appr.10 locations where this is the case, way up in north and centre Norway, admittedly part of this is weaponization, by establishing Prepositionedforward army stocks in caves, but there is also force take-over. The Norwegians are bleeded for resources and have relinquished their defense force to the US/NATO. Finland is already a de facto ground – signal country for NATO forces. Norway, Finland and Sweden have joined the US in a q-lateral attack union against Russia. Then there is the intended blockage of the GIUK gap (between Greenland-Island and the UK), to prevent Russia from entering the Atlantic.
It’s the Atlantic… stupid
Dear Elten,
Thank you very much for highlighting this. You are correct and I ignored Norway/Scandinavia only because I was focussing on the central corridor – through Byelorussia. I am sure this is being read by a number of Norwegian people who might like to shed more light on the war preparations in the North.
I remember reading that the first proper job of the RC arch-criminal William Colby of the Phoenix Program infamy was to organise weapons caches and stay-behind Gladio networks in… somewhere in Scandinavia (in the 1950s).
I hope you are not referring to me at the end there! :-)
@Elten
I´m from Finland and what you write about Finland is inaccurate. Right now we have a social-democrat/green government, and even though they don´t say it loud, they are against NATO, as majority of Finns. Finland is not like Norway, or Sweden. Our relationship and history with Russia is unique.
In recent years here´s been much talk about F-35 purchase from US. My guess is that it´s not going to happen. Here was a scandal recently, involving former commander of the Finnish Air Force. He was lobbying for F-35s, and then turned out that there was some dodgy dealings between him and Lockheed Martin. That was a heavy blow to F-35 purchase.
On the other hand, our political elite is very pro-EU – and as there´s a lot of talk about the uncertain future of trans-atlantic alliance – that affects much how our leaders see our relations with Russia.
Someone mentioned here that EU will be a stronger block, as trans-atlantic alliance weakens. I beg to differ, EU is collapsing, exactly because it has always been a trans-atlantic institution. So real-politics are taking the scene now, and in Finland we are very practical – and a good relationship with Russia is not a problem for us. We are much like Russians. In fact, some claim that Russians originate from Finns.
Our tragedy lies there, that western powers has always tried to use us as their attack dogs. Not this time, West is collapsing in front of our eyes, and Eurasia will rise.
I want to add to this that I don´t see Trumps US as an enemy – Trump is not an atlanticist – and MAGA means the final nail to the coffin of extremely evil liberal world order. That´s why Trump is our ally, whatever he tweets.
” I don´t see Trumps US as an enemy”
Some tend not to see “enemies” or “best of the worstness”, but opportunities not requiring much if any encouragement, including encouragement of “plausible belief” through silence.
As a children’s rhyme advises “Leave them alone, and they’ll come home, wagging their tails behind them” whilst some remember “Come into my house, said the spider to the fly”.
Apparently, German doctors have established that Navalni has been poisoned. I would rant against the Germans but have to remember the disgusting Skripal incident here (and many others). There’s no easy way out.
German doctors established that Navalny was ‘fairly likely’ poisoned. Almost like Skripal’s case which was ‘highly likely’. In plain language ‘nothing’.
That is precisely my point. Why do it in the first place?
Overall a good sitrep of Russia v. West. I will share a perception: A person with a weak “constitution” ergo, someone who falls into defeatism will probably be very pessimistic after reading this sitrep. Apart from Russia’s ability to fend off any massed strategical or tactical kinetic attack from the West, the author just does not seem to realize just how dangerous Russia will become if pushed into a corner.
The author spoke about two “vernichtungskriege” – yeah, so what? Russia will end the next war, period! The majority of Russians will rise up against the challenge of a rival, or rivals if you prefer. Russians want peace, period! However, if peace is denied to Russia?……..
May the Lord have Mercy on His children who augur for war.
Tikhon Bogomolov
Dear Tikhon,
I’m very glad you can offer such reassurances but nobody is talking about a kinetic war. Unless Russia starts pushing back, this will not be needed. Did you read my article?
I believe in Russia but can’t stay blase about the obvious danger. Are you saying that the danger is not growing? That Russia has regained its European positions? That NATO has withdrawn to its 1990 borders? That the sanctions are being removed? That the Ukraine has become Russia-friendly? Are my facts wrong?
The point is to weaken Russia by probing for red lines without starting a major war.
Dear Sir KL,
I hope that this my message will find you and yours in good stead. I would like to thank you for your return reply. I read your sitrep carefully and found much that I can abide with. Not for a second do I find your facts wrong. My wish was to draw a personal conclusion.
Russians Love a strong leader in whom they sense a sincere Love for the Motherland and Her children. Of course, anybody can find faults with any leader in any country. Let him who has no fault be the one to cast the stones. Maybe your sitrep reflects your own pessimism about the competency of the Russian Federation? I will not find fault in that.
Yes, we live in dangerous times in a dangerous world. Russia is pushing back as we speak. Now is not the time to change horses whilst fording a deep stream. The “west” only “seems” to be victorious in this game that they play, which is based on the notions of Halford Mackinder and his “control of the heartland theory.” Mackinder’s pablum is something that I do not entertain, since it is something that the competent authorities in Russia have long ago understood.
Maybe something that does furrow my brow is that a hot war will be “blundered into.” I will not discount that the “basement crazies” in D.C. will try something suicidally stupid if given the chance.
May God grant you Grace, Mercy, and Peace!
Respectfully submitted,
Tikhon Bogomolov
Dear Tikhon,
Thank you very much – I can only wish you and yours good health, peace and love.
I have no doubts, fears or quandaries. I KNOW that Russia will prevail in the end but it will be at a cost.
Perhaps my essay was necessary to point out what is obvious yet is not mentioned by anybody.
Spasibo
“I have no doubts, fears or quandaries. I KNOW that Russia will prevail in the end but it will be at a cost.”
The question “How to drown a drowning man with the minimum of blowback?” always incorporated blowback to be minimised.
Blowback minimisation within purpose is conditioned by comparatives, neither the components of comparatives nor purpose being shared by drowning men, whose focus tends to emphasise morbidity rates/body counts.
Some, with different purpose, have more holistic approaches to components of comparatives, including but not limited to, processes contingent upon immersion in, and being subject to, coercive social relations, whilst others in some assay hope to rely on dulce-et-decorum-est-pro-patria-moriness to maximise food sources and human shields.
Dear Sir KL,
Oh you are so absolutely right that there will be a cost. I don’t like it one bit but that is what we are faced with.
President Putin has warned that any missile launched against Russia will be considered ”nuclear”, which can mean that the country from which the missile came from will be targeted for a strike. It can also mean that the US will also be struck and then we have a hot war on our hands. I sincerely pray that the people of Europe will wake up and drive the US troops and their weaponry out of Europe.
Maybe all US troops and weapons will soon be pre-positioned in the Baltic statelets, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria. I feel mightily sorry for these countries if this will be the case.
Respectfully yours,
Tikhon Bogomolov
Very good article. I feel very sad, humanity is in the last few years of its existence. The theory of evolution is being proven before our eyes. We cant make the necessary evolutionary leap culturally and spiritually to handle our scientific military knowledge and murderous capacity for evil. If we don’t blow ourselves to oblivion, our refusal to accept the reality of the rapidly advancing ecological catastrophe and climate disaster of a over heated planet will do the job for us. Charles Darwin was correct.
Very sad.
Dear Paul,
Thank you. It is a sad state of affairs that many well-meaning people prefer to lull themselves in a state of stupor rather than acknowledge the danger. I am glad there are even more people who are not so easily swayed by fear. As shown by the number of readers and comments, not everyone is afraid of the truth.