This is the first time that I am posting an analysis in the form of a video.  Actually, two separate videos glued together and subtitled thanks to Eugenia (to whom I extended a heartfelt thank you!!).  The person in this video is Ruslan Ostashko, the very sharp and articulate editor in chief of the website PolitRussia.com and its YouTube channel.

I have been subscribed to the Polit Russia YouTube channel for a while now, and I have been listening to Ostashko on various Russian TV talk shows for a while now (Russian speakers can check his LiveJournal page here and his ruexpert page here).  I find him, along with Sergei Mikheev, one of the best current political commentators in Russia and so I decided to share his views with you.

Check out the video below were he comments on, first, the notion of a war with NATO in 2017 and on the recent Eurovision scam.  In a way, these topics are linked as they both could be filed under “the West is full of sh*t” heading.  But, most importantly, what is very characteristic of the views of Ostashko is the calm confidence which he feels in this country.  Whether it be the saber-rattling of NATO generals, or the fantastic dishonesty of the Eurovision scam, what people in the West need to realize is that, more than anything else,  these infantile provocations, far from triggering fear, or anger,  mainly trigger a reaction of disgust, like when you touch something smelly and dirty.  Frankly, and this is not a politically correct thing to say, many, probably most, Russians feel a strong sense of contempt for an adversary the cannot respect.

A well-known Russian saying is “Люблю молодца и в татарине” which means “I love the courageous man even in the Tatar” (the Tatars were amongst the most formidable adversaries the Russians ever had to face).  When looking at today’s Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the UK and the rest of the EU – the Russians don’t feel that they are faced with an adversary they can respect (or even take seriously).  There still is some respect for the USA in Russia, but for Europe – none.

See for yourself in the video below.

Cheers,

The Saker