currently having an online debate about conditions in the crimea, specifically alleged russian oppression of crimeans in 2018, but also conditions leading up to the initial referendum (my opponents claim annexation or conquest, and cite a freedom house survey to back it up–from what i can see freedom house is fully funded by the us govt). my understanding is the us fomented the coup in ukraine, along with nato, as opposed to the ukrainian people rebelling against a russian puppet, which is the us line i believe. any articles or sources detailing the us role in all this, or rebutting claims that crimeans are being terrified into silence in 2018 about russian oppression, would be appreciated.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jul 1 2018 18:05 utc | 3

3 Just quoting “Western” mainstream sources:
BBC?
“Ethnic Russians in the majority, Tartars and Ukrainians in the minority.”
Carnegie?

About half of the respondents admit to having been taken by surprise by Russia’s actions in 2014. Interestingly, there is agreement among the Crimean population, including the Crimean Tatars, that successive Ukrainian governments had neglected the region. Roughly one third of respondents pointed to this neglect as the main cause of the developments in 2014. …
The majority of survey respondents agree with the statement that the different ethnic groups in Crimea currently live peacefully side by side. Twenty percent disagree “fully” or “rather” with this statement, thereby indicating both an uncertainty and unease with the situation at the moment that reaches beyond the Crimean Tatar share of the population (about 12 percent). This result is mirrored in the reaction to the ban on the main political Crimean Tatar organization, the Mejlis, by the Russian authorities: 20 percent “fully” or “rather” disagreed with this step, compared to 80 percent endorsing this policy.
…
The survey clearly spells out the severe disruption of links to the rest of Ukraine, limited travel to other parts of Russia, the absence of personal international reference points, and a near-complete integration into the Russian media sphere.
This combination makes any change in the opinions of the majority of the Crimean population on the annexation unlikely in the foreseeable future. However, it is also clear that the Crimean population’s high expectations in the Russian economy and trust in Russian (but not Crimean) institutions needs to be carefully managed by Moscow in view of the already strained financial situation of the majority of the Crimean population.

Compare to Ukraine

The authors are also cautious about drawing overly-optimistic conclusions about the present time: “The risk of conflict emerging within Ukrainian society and growing serious remains, based on noticeable differences among residents of different regions about the further geopolitical direction the country should move in. There are also serious problems connected to restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the model of coexistence with those living in the regions that are currently occupied, how to reach reconciliation and mutual understanding.”
…
Joining the EU remains a strong desire among a majority of Ukrainians. In September 2016, 51% of those surveyed by the Rating Group put integration with the EU ahead of joining Russia’s Customs Union or some other association. Still, in Rating’s September 2015 survey, 57% of Ukrainians did so, and in September 2014, 59% did. This noticeable decline could be the result of a number of factors. For one thing, the Association Agreement did not have a noticeable impact on the standard of living of most Ukrainians. Many Ukrainians are also upset at what they see as the European Union’s limp response to Russia’s aggression against their country. And the way the granting of a visa-free regime to the EU has been dragged out for years and the obvious internal squabbles among the Union’s members have also left their imprint on Ukrainians.

Ukraine is a very diverse country. Trump coming to an agreement with Putin that eases tensions instead of agreeing/dividing on spheres of influence would be their best hope.

Posted by: somebody | Jul 1 2018 20:01 utc | 5

What is happening in Germany? Is “open borders” that Merkel has championed on its last legs? It seems that the CSU is worried about the coming elections in Bavaria where AfD might do much better than expected. Just as the outcome of the Italian elections was for a government coalition opposed to illegal economic immigration under the guise of asylum for political persecution.
Hungarian foreign minister in an interview with a snowflake BBC reporter. It seems that the political trend in central Europe is away from multi-culturalism. Hungary wants to maintain its culture.
https://youtu.be/q8itF62yIJg
This seems like the same contention between the Democrats who want “open borders” and “catch & release” while Trump wants to deport all illegals.

Posted by: ab initio | Jul 1 2018 22:24 utc | 7

Pretzel Attack @ 3:
If you need sources to back up your argument that the US helped to foment the Maidan uprising that overthrew the Yanukovych government, here are a couple that feature a video and a transcript of a phone conversation.
Information CLearing House: Victoria Nuland [former US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe during Obama administration] Admits: US Has Invested $5 Billion In The Development of Ukrainian “Democratic Institutions”
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37599.htm
The article includes the video of the speech Nuland gave to the Washington press corp in December 2013 in which she talks about “investing” the $5 billion.
A transcript of the phone call between Nuland and the then US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt discussing who to select for the post-Yanukovych government in Kiev at this Global Research link:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-eu-clash-on-how-to-install-a-puppet-regime-in-ukraine-victoria-nuland/5367794
This is the famous phone call in which Nuland utters her most memorable lines: “Yats [Yatsenyuk] is the guy [for deputy prime minister]” and “Fuck the EU”.

Posted by: Jen | Jul 1 2018 22:27 utc | 9

@3 You can add this to Jen @9…
“Americans prepared very seriously and thoroughly for their entrance into Crimea, – said a member of the Federation Council Committee on defense and security, Dmitry Sablin. – A year before the events on Maidan in Kiev, they made repair estimates of a number of buildings in Sevastopol and in Simferopol, where they planned to house the headquarters and intelligence units. Military airfields and garrisons, which then belonged to Ukraine, they considered as their own military installations and even sent instructions for their conversion to NATO standards. In the plans of the U.S. military April 2014 was the start time of upgrades in Crimea. It seemed to them that the issue has been settled. But the referendum had thrown off their plans, and on March 18, Crimea became Russian again, where the overseas guests were no longer welcome. Americans later themselves acknowledged that the Russians outplayed them on all counts. Well, and from helplessness imposed sanctions — as a revenge for Crimea”.
https://www.fort-russ.com/2016/03/how-russia-ruined-american-plans-in/

Posted by: dh | Jul 1 2018 22:51 utc | 11

Pretzel Attack @ 3
You can add this to DH @ 11:
Renovation of Sevastopol School #5, Ukraine
Solicitation Number: N33191-13-R-1240
Agency: Department of the Navy
Office: Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Location: NAVFAC Europe and Southwest Asia
https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=2bb691b61c59be3a68180bd8c614a0cb&tab=core&_cview=1
This is the tender put out by the US Navy to invite private companies to propose renovation plans for a school for naval officers’ children in the military base in Sevastopol.

Posted by: Jen | Jul 1 2018 23:08 utc | 13

Adding to my @4 and earlier posts about Jordan, Egypt and KSA negotiating with Israel/US to “solve the Palestinian problem.” Today’s leak on the Trump/Kushner, Netanyahu/bin Salman “Peace Deal of he Century:”
Egypt to take over Gaza. With $4 Billion from who-knows-where, they will build a port (and other infrastructure planned at the Bilderberg/NEOM Project I linked to earlier). The West Bank to be almost entirely annexed by Israel, with tiny Bandestans where pockets of indigenous Palestinians will be encircled by “Security Walls” and patrolled by IOF forces.
No Palestinians have been involved in this “Peace Plan,” but would be forced to abide by it, or face severe consequences from basically everyone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6IprYZDZa0&feature=em-uploademail

Posted by: Daniel | Jul 1 2018 23:49 utc | 15

Pretzel Attack @ 3:
I keep finding juicy things for you!
Here is a link to a documentary “Crimea for Dummies” by Los Angeles-based film-maker Miguel Francis Santiago in 2014. Watch it and judge for yourself whether Crimeans seem genuinely happy at being part of Russia again.
https://21stcenturywire.com/2018/06/17/sunday-screening-crimea-for-dummies-2014/
MFS also travelled to the Donbass and made a documentary about his journey there. I saw the documentary a couple of years ago and from memory I believe he met Givi, one of the Donbass military commanders. Givi died in early 2017 when a missile hit his office.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukQgVoTnAuE

Posted by: Jen | Jul 2 2018 0:42 utc | 17

Jen. Thanks for the great links on the Ukraine situation. Oliver Stone created a stunning documentary, that is the best on the subject I’ve seen: “Ukraine on Fire”
Unfortunately, it appears to be banned or at lest heavily censored within the US. I saw it on RT.
I found a version with foreign language over-dubbing which my ear finds difficult. But it does have CC in English.

Posted by: Daniel | Jul 2 2018 1:32 utc | 19

Daniel @19
Its available on Vimeo after a free sign-up.
I’m watching it now.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jul 2 2018 2:24 utc | 21

Hello There! I’m curious to know if any readers have comments about a recent Sy Hersh interview. In response to a question about Russian interference in the last US presidential election Hersh replied:

“I have been reporting something, I’ve been watching something since 2011 in Libya, when we had a secretary of state that later ran for president, and I will tell you: Some stories take a long time. And I don’t know quite how to package it. I don’t know how much to say about it. I assure you that there’s no known intelligence that Russia impacted, cut into the DNC, Podesta e-mails. That did not happen. I can say that.
I can also say Russia learned other things about what was going on in Libya with us and instead of blowing — [. . . lots cut out here before returning to the topic . . . ] The fact of the matter is, if Russia wanted to do, cause lot of difficulty to the American election they could have. Instead, they went and talked privately to us. So when the government says Russia intercepted stuff that was very important to us, I’m being very fuzzy about it, it wasn’t about the election. They told us that there were certain people in America doing things that were very deleterious to the War on Terrorism for personal and financial gain, and they could have blown it publicly but they went internally to us.”

The full text is at the Intercept: https://theintercept.com/2018/06/27/intercepted-live-from-brooklyn-with-sy-hersh-mariame-kaba-lee-gelernt-and-narcy/
Does anyone have any comments on what Sy Hersh is discussing? Who is he talking about?

Posted by: Peter L. | Jul 2 2018 3:21 utc | 23

@3 pretzelattack
I second all of the very valuable responses made to you, but no story of Crimea would be complete without Crimea. The Way Home. Documentary by Andrey Kondrashev
I’ve seen several uploads of this documentary, which was made in 2015. But the resolution of this version is superb. I recommend it for everyone actually, and I’m happy to say that it’s being hosted on the Vesti News channel – which is worth exploring in its own right.
This is the definitive story told from the inside of the people of Crimea forming a resistance force to take their land back from Ukraine. It was already happening but the Korsun massacre detailed above by commenters was the galvanizing point that showed the Crimeans that Kiev was coming to massacre it also, unless it resisted. And as everyone knew, Crimea was hated most of all, and its suffering would be far worse than that of Donbass.
Kondrashev is a popular Russian news commentator, and he interviews Putin extensively in the film. This was made one year after the Crimea restoration to Russia, after the events of that time, coordinated by Putin, were de-classified.
The documentary is a dramatic and stirring work. You will be totally in love with with Crimea and the Russian people by the end of it. And you will understand how the Maidan was a US color revolution in classical style. Your heart will jump when you see the snipers kill the hard-pressed Berkut. And it’s a true story, made from real footage, and with parts reenacted by the actual people.
When the polite green men show up, in the very nick of time, you may find yourself weeping with gladness.

Posted by: Grieved | Jul 2 2018 4:08 utc | 25

Those little green men of the “Crimea. The way home” documentary. You see them in Syria. Calling in airstrikes on themselves when they are cut off, standing their ground when all around them retreat, and policing cities and towns that have entered reconciliation agreements.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Jul 2 2018 4:52 utc | 27

Russia won its match against Spain in the World Cup – against all odds. Sports commentators are clear that this came from the strategy of solid defense and no attack. I’m not an expert but apparently running up goals in the regular 90 minutes of play would only have opened up the field for the technically superior Spanish team to score even more goals.
Instead, what Russia did was focus intensely on the tightest defense, that even Spain could not break through. The reason for this was to throw the match into extra time, which is where last-minute game changing could occur. And so it was. The match itself was stoic and boring. But the extra time was where multiple goals and penalty plays happened, and it was in this blur of action that Russia was able to win.
Russia won by a mere sliver of happenstance, but she was only there in that window because of her strategy. And so a strategy that some might call defeatist, led to the opportunity for victory.
This all reminds me of something very Russian.
~~
I’ve been wanting to float this idea in an open thread. Thinking about how Russia won the Great Patriotic War (WWII). She retreated, and retreated, and retreated. The Germans came on. And Russia retreated, until she had the killing blow in her grasp, and then she struck. And she was no longer retreating but fighting back, and it became clear that she had always been fighting, was always fighting, but was also always maneuvering for the killing blow, and she would give up everything – all ground, all infrastructure, all people – in order to get to that point where she could conclusively win the fight by destroying her enemy.
~~
Every time we hear an armchair comment that Russia should do this or should do that, or at least should show some spirit and respond to a provocation, we should remember how Russia fights and how Russia wins.
Russia appears to be retreating, but it is only in order to reach the position of holding the killing blow in her hand. She never strikes with less than the decisive blow, to finish the fight.
Those in the west and in the commentariat who fail to see this could become much wiser by understanding that if Russia does not appear to act or react to a situation, it is because the stakes are not yet high enough for the Bear to reach out its paw and end the aggravation. And since fools will never learn, we can only hope that Russia’s opponents never raise the stakes high enough for Russia to send them to their eternal silence – sadly we must hope for fools to live so that we all don’t die.
It’s such a simple equation, this business of retreating all the way to victory. Funny how people miss it. I always recall how Dmitry Orlov described the Russian character and the Russian way of taking offense and fighting back, in his wonderful and entertaining essay Peculiarities of Russian National Character. It’s always worth a re-read, and if you’ve never read it, you’ll enjoy it. More to the point, I think it nails the Russian position superbly well, and explains much about Russia’s strategies and tactics.

Posted by: Grieved | Jul 2 2018 5:55 utc | 29

Peter L. @23
I haven’t listened to that particular interview yet, but can say the the HRC emails with Sid Blumenthal show the reason we got in bed with Sarkozy (and Britain) to destroy Libya was:
1. To steal the nationalized oil
2. To steal the hundreds of tons of gold and silver.
3. To prevent Libya from developing a pan-African gold dinar and development bank to complete with the Federal Reserve petrodollar and the IMF.
I can also say that Hersh documented that Ambassador Stevens was an arms dealer, smuggling Libyan military weapons into Syria to finish the “regime change” operation still ongoing there. Also, HRC knew her “rebels” were hunting down and murdering any black Libyans they could find even before Gaddafi was anally bayonet raped.
If I come up with more after listening, I’ll post again.

Posted by: Daniel | Jul 2 2018 6:24 utc | 31

Here is Sy Hersh yesterday with Chris Hedges;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejusjNsapO4

Posted by: V | Jul 2 2018 7:59 utc | 33

Recently came across the following article written by F. William Engdahl in 1996 which might be of interest to some here:
The secret financial network behind “wizard” George Soros
The last page of the above article can be found here:
Soros’s looting of Ibero-America

Posted by: integer | Jul 2 2018 8:49 utc | 35

Zanon | Jul 2, 2018 8:08:31 AM | 37
You’ll have to forgive me, but; “…Russia is on the wrong course on Syria…?
Just how is that?

Posted by: V | Jul 2 2018 12:26 utc | 37

Zanon | Jul 2, 2018 8:56:06 AM | 39
Hmm, frankly, with all I’ve read, I do not see how you come to that conclusion.
In fact quite the opposite.
Iran is not weakening, nor is Hezbolah and Syria.
Russia is steadfast in its support of all of the above. Russia talks with Israel, as it must; but as the stronger hand, Russian concedes nothing.
Syria will be sovereign and Iran will maintain its sovereignty as well.
The U.S. is in fact losing its hegemon over the ME. And you can put that in the bank.
You can conjecture all you like; I go by results and they are self evident.

Posted by: V | Jul 2 2018 13:24 utc | 39

“Thinking about how Russia won the Great Patriotic War (WWII). She retreated, and retreated, and retreated. The Germans came on. And Russia retreated, until she had the killing blow in her grasp, and then she struck.” Grieved @29
Essentially the same strategy that Kutuzov employed to destroy the ‘Grande Armee’ – with big assists from the weather and the terrain.

Posted by: Activist Potato | Jul 2 2018 15:15 utc | 41

The nyts says all the isis all going to Jordan and israel.ho ho.The msm wasn’t going too stab the israels in the back!

Posted by: dahoit | Jul 2 2018 15:39 utc | 43

@47 ‘The trade war isn’t going well either. Even Canadians are bitching.’

Posted by: dh | Jul 2 2018 16:12 utc | 45

@ fastfreddy

I wonder why it appears that the USA did not sufficiently meddle in the Mex. election. Typically the US heavily involves itself to ensure a compliant austerity type is elected.

Lopez Obredor was robbed of the Presidency in 2006; there was a prolonged organized popular protest.
I guess the CIA couldn’t credibly stop AMLO from winning the election by popular vote and that major
mass-media confidently plans to set on fire: paper bag after bag of ca-ca, on the front steps of Los Pinos whilst cooking-up virulent “anti-corruption” impeachment against the new president, a la Lula in Brazil.

Posted by: Guerrero | Jul 2 2018 17:44 utc | 47

When Felipe Calderon obtained the Presidency “by whatever means”, the left wing in Guerrero was insured the governorship, since the “López Obrador effect” had positioned the PRD in the rebellious South.
PRI dinosaurs went crazy though, watching the left taking over in Guerrero, where the great swing in electoral popularity was only a logical reaction to the stolen Presidencial election of 2006.
Hot money poured into the state, into political parties of every color.
A new PRD militancy took on vigor and PRI political operatives trembled
that this situation of Guerrero in the hands of the left might not prolong for decades.
So all manner of traps were set out, and traps within traps, to discredit the PRD with the population, hoping and intending that all those politicians would become corrupted by the burning funds of mysterious precedence; and so it did come to pass that, soon enough, the old PRD devolved into an ineffectual entity with a substantial budget, shamefully bereft of authentic ideals.
Very early in this process of discreditization, Lopez Obrador left the PRD party, starting from scratch his own true left party Morena.
However, before a popular electoral political process could develop naturally, hot money was circulating greed, envy, mistrust, and chaos, as a savage narcowar erupted in Guerrero, with massacres, revenge killings, extortion, kidnapping, tortured, stabbed, dismembered, decapitated, flayed, burnt alive…, all manner of previously unimaginable cruelties.
Evidence of the new flamboyant violence was on display to the population on bridges, in public squares and in the newspapers.
The heightened sense of insecurity made guerrerenses almost forget all about the teachers’ marches and the red flags of the miners’ strike.
Hot money invaded wherever gainful employment was scarce.
In Costa Chica Community Self-Defense associations emerged, called “volunteer guards” by locals resorting to pre-Columbian civic modes to organize a reply to this new calamity of unchained crime.
Evidently puerile violence gave way to macabre and increasingly flagrant massacres in a pornographic recording of corpses with signs of torture in police notes on the internet.
But no one knew where La malilla came from, nor where
it escaped to, nor how it perpetrated its bad acts with such facility.
No one could tell where danger came from, nor who to trust.
And everyone was fearful that the least thing said might reach the ears of the gang.
Supposedly among the evildoers it was also a deadly tangle of exfiltrations, and of betrayals.
Yes, gentlemen, we were on the brink of an abyss, the economic crisis was all over us; we felt the rigor of a great national disaster. The son-in-law unable to face his wife’s father.
The mother of children abandoned by their dad who emigrated to work in Chicago despaired,
mortified by the money she owed, and because she couldn’t envisage a future for her children.
Poor people with their guts stuck to their backbone by hunger could hardly bear their sorrows.
Gentlemen, it is said that hunger is cabrón.
But still more cabrón is he who endures it.
In that fateful time, there were too many of our countrymen suffering, falling ill and expiring, all because our economy had responded to the dictates of a foreign ideology.
Well, — exclaimed the professor, pausing and looking at his glass with a facial gesture suggesting disgust, then he stammered: — God does not like it! — Another pause, and he finished optimistically:
— Enough already with talk of politics, friends. Let’s enjoy this mezcal.

Posted by: Guerrero | Jul 2 2018 18:12 utc | 49

Cant find the link right now but a tweet from Telesur mentionned 1300 (!) political deaths during this Mexican election campaign.
La vida no se vale nada, for real..

Posted by: Lozion | Jul 2 2018 18:53 utc | 51

Daniel @ 55: Thanks for the links. Politics and $, do indeed, make some here-to-for unknown “strange bedfellows”…

Posted by: ben | Jul 2 2018 20:16 utc | 53

thanks very much for the responses, I will read or watch each. I think it will be useful to keep a library of useful links to at least try to inform people who think the new york times or the washington post or freedom house are reliable sources on the foreign policy of the american empire, especially regarding russia.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jul 2 2018 20:39 utc | 55

Virgile@59
I believe Trump and his neocons are putting on a smiley face until the congressional elections are over. If the polls aren’t favorable they might start something up earlier. Its also a strategy to make yourself out as a good guy then claim you have been betrayed leaving you no choice but to fight. The average Joe falls for it everytime.

Posted by: Pft | Jul 2 2018 22:13 utc | 57

Humorous interview with Michael Isikoff on his Russia Collusion Scandal book, similar to the previous interview with Luke Harding: here.
Note how Isikoff names Putin’s annexation of Crimera (with no mention of course of the preceding US-backed coup in Ukraine) and the now-discredited Crowdstrike Ukraine hacking story as examples of Russia’s evil. I think these interviews are a great service since they allow the pushers of the Russia narrative to speak for themselves, forcing them to answer basic questions of evidence, and allowing them to expose themselves for the frauds they are.
But, according to Isikoff, Mueller is planning something really big this summer, before Labor Day, so stay tuned for the grand finale of the Russia probe! As Isikoff already notes, it will probably have something to do with “obstruction of justice”; oh okay… so no collusion then… but according to Isikoff if one is still skeptikal of this whole affair by now they must be unhinged crazy conspiracy theorists. I mean, what reasonable, self-respecting person wouldn’t believe our highly respected intelligence community?

Posted by: George Lane | Jul 2 2018 23:30 utc | 59

@52 Guerrero
Thank you for this accounting. I’ve been seeing articles everywhere about the election and the new course for México, but they were too dense and political for me to read just now. I wanted to get to the heart of the matter.
So there is the heart of the matter, as you tell.
Thank you, from the heart. Enjoy that mezcal.

Posted by: Grieved | Jul 3 2018 2:42 utc | 61

Looks like Merkel has agreed to detention centers on Germany’s border where illegal immigrants will be detained and then deported back or sent to other countries in the EU where these illegals registered for asylum. I am sure many countries on the frontline ain’t gonna be very happy since Merkel invited all these economic migrants in the first place.
Seems similar to what Trump is proposing but maybe the German media is not braying like the MSM in the US.

Posted by: ab initio | Jul 3 2018 4:18 utc | 63

An interesting bit of news from Syria
“According to the source, the YPG has agreed to remove all posters of ‘Abdullah Ocalan from streets and areas under their control in Al-Hasakah.
Furthermore, the YPG will allow the Syrian Army to reopen recruitment offices in the Al-Haakah Governorate.
This preliminary agreement comes after the government met with Kurdish delegates in both Damascus and Qamishli city.”
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-syrian-govt-kurdish-pyd-make-important-agreement

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Jul 3 2018 5:35 utc | 65

Most likely this will be Merkel’s last term, she is doing everything to be in power it seems even when its about to depart from her open border policies,
“ANGELA Merkel has held onto power as the German Chancellor secured an agreement in a humiliating compromise with her Bavarian ally who threatened to quit and bring down her government in a row over the EU migrant crisis.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/982833/angela-merkel-germany-horst-seehofer-quit-eu-migrant-crisis-latest
Is Merkel herself living in the immigration filled suburbs? Of course not, what a hypocrite.

Posted by: Zanon | Jul 3 2018 10:19 utc | 67

b4real @ 63:
I would advise you to be careful with the sources you quote. I read ZeroHedge too, it’s quite a good source of news, but Tyler Durden does report and interpret news from a libertarian point of view. His article on Cheran gives the impression that the town has no government (or very minimal government) yet thrives and keeps order with autonomous voluntary militias.
I checked some other sources and found that Cheran does have a town council whose members are elected for three-year terms. They are paid small salaries and are accountable to neighbourhood assemblies. Order in the town is kept by the Ronda Comunitaria whose members (male and female) are volunteers. They check and question anyone trying to enter or leave the town at three checkpoints.
Crime levels are low and are mostly fuelled by alcohol. Punishment is by fine, community work or time in prison. Cheran hires lawyers from outside to deal with more complicated cases.
Since becoming self-governing in 2011, Cheran has reclaimed 3,000 hectares of land by planting seedlings from its nursery. The Ronda Comunitaria patrols the land daily. Anyone wanting to cut down a tree must obtain permission from the town council.
Cheran’s example of direct democracy works because the town is in a remote area where few outsiders visit. Everyone in the town knows one another. The fact that most of Cheran’s inhabitants are indigenous Purepecha might account for much of the social cohesion that exists.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/03/mexico-indigenous-town-banned-politicians-cheran
http://www.odditycentral.com/news/the-mexican-town-that-threw-out-criminals-politicians-and-police.html
It would seem that with Cheran’s direct democracy, most townfolk give a considerable amount of their time and energy in policing checkpoints and the forest, and in organising and participating in regular neighbourhood assemblies.

Posted by: Jen | Jul 3 2018 11:51 utc | 69

News from the great white north…
On Target: Neo Nazism on the Rise in Ukraine
http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1581395-on-target-neo-nazism-on-the-rise-in-ukraine
On July 1, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will head to the NATO summit in Brussels and apparently his single point of concern for his fellow leaders will be that of continued support for Ukraine. There is nothing new in this approach as Canada has long been on the ‘Russia bad, Ukraine good’ oversimplified foreign policy bandwagon for some time now.
Trudeau’s message at the NATO summit needs to reflect the reality of Ukraine’s growing trend of far-right violence. It is high time for plain talk and bad manners with Poroshenko: ‘Get rid of your Nazis.’
Stephen Harper Criticized for Speaking at ‘Free Iran’ Rally Hosted by ‘Cult’ Former Terror Group
https://nationalpost.com/news/stephen-harper-criticized-for-speaking-at-anti-iran-event-hosted-by-cult-former-terrorist-group
“Even among voices opposing the Iranian regime, however, the group is controversial for its extremism, cult-like leadership and history of violence…”
But hey, if you can support Israel you can support anything…

Posted by: John Gilberts | Jul 3 2018 13:55 utc | 71

Daniel | Jul 2, 2018 4:05:48 PM | 55
Thanks for the links, however I’ve looked through all of them (except the nojeveje one which is broken) and am not seeing the kind of connection between Trump and Soros that you claim exists. Soros was heavily invested in a Clinton presidency, and has been one of the key puppet masters pulling the strings of the anti-Trump movement since Trump was elected. Sure, Soros and Trump may have both been involved, in different capacities, in some of the same NYC real estate deals in the past, but Trump has only recently become a politician, and his political platform is anathema to the political aims and ideology of Soros’s Open Societies Foundation.

Posted by: integer | Jul 3 2018 14:33 utc | 73

@zanon @v and others
I deleted the pissing contest about Russia’s position towards Iran in Syria.
Iran is in Syria on invitation by the Syrian government. Russia is obviously not in the position to decide on Iran’s position in the country. Iranian advisors will leave when the Syrian government asks them to do so. This is unlikely to happen as long as the U.S. occupies parts of the country.

Posted by: b | Jul 3 2018 15:36 utc | 75

somebody
Just because region A vote for immigration regardless of the problems that comes with it, doesnt mean region B will.
Like yourself from what I understand, that doesnt mean there are no other germans that do see alot of problems and do not want the same troubles plagued their region.

Posted by: Zanon | Jul 3 2018 15:48 utc | 77

Sorry for the delay in posting these tight oil & gas reports, but life gets in the way at times.
To obtain these reports, you’ll need to go here and follow the directions to download Shale Reality Check. Previous reports and other writings are here. Another website providing the above report and others is here. The main point provided by the reports is distilled from their executive summaries and presented on the latter website:
“To meet reference case projections in its Annual Energy Outlook 2017 (AEO2017) more than 1 MILLION shale gas and tight oil wells would need to be drilled between 2015-2050 in the top plays, at a cost of $5.7 TRILLION, and require 100% of proven reserves plus 60-73% of unproven resources. (Proven reserves have been demonstrated by drilling to be technically and economically recoverable; unproven resources are thought to be technically recoverable but have not been demonstrated to be economically viable – as such they are much less certain than proven reserves.)
“One can only assume that the EIA’s optimism is based on technological improvements made over recent years. Technological advances have included longer horizontal laterals, a tripling of water and proppant injection per well, and more fracking stages. But as the data show, these improvements have only led to a faster depletion of oil and gas reserves, not a growth in the total amount of oil and gas that can be produced. Ultimately, technology can’t overcome core characteristics of shale — steep decline rates (wells decline between 70-90% in the first three years, and field declines without new drilling typically range from 20-40% per year) and variable reservoir quality, with “sweet spots” or “core areas” containing the highest quality reservoir rock typically comprising 20% or less of overall play area.
“Tight oil and shale gas producers have focused their efforts and technological improvements on targeting these “sweet spots” and in many plays we are already witnessing the point of diminishing returns. But the EIA is counting on — and asking the American people to bank on — technological miracles overcoming physical limits. A sound energy policy, however, should be based on reality.” [Emphasis original except last sentence.]
The reports aren’t too technical, and the reader should take notice of the great differences between what the USGS says versus the EIA. What’s not mentioned by the author but was written about in the past is the politicization of EIA energy outlook reports. And yes, they take awhile to read. IMO, a great mistake’s being made in an attempt to drill and sell it all now versus conserving reserves by using imports first. The strategic oil reserve was also mentioned in the previous discussion. The type/quality of oil it contains must be noted as it’s not compatible with most refineries in the USA as it’s mostly what’s known as heavy/sour, which makes it cheap to buy but expensive to refine into usable products.
I’ll close by highlighting a book Petrotyranny by John Bacher who maps the relationship between the lack of democracy and presence of hydrocarbons within nations, and we must recall that the Outlaw US Empire became the very first Petrotyranny thanks to Rockefeller, his banker allies and an already extremely corrupt Congress. (For excellent info on that, one must read Ida Tarbell’s “biography” of John Rockefeller’s Standard Oil: The History of the Standard Oil Company.)
It’s become rather apparent that the Outlaw US Empire has become a Paper Tiger of sorts militarily, economically and diplomatically yet refuses to recognize those realities as it trods onward in quest of Full Spectrum Dominance, killing, maiming and displacing millions of innocents in the process, abroad and at home–one need only look at what the Republican Governor of Kentucky is trying to do to his poor citizens and understand his actions are not an aberration.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 3 2018 16:06 utc | 79

Huasmeister
They dont have to have their “own” experience since they already see the troubles connected to the immigration policies in the neighbouring region.
Its like saying you shouldnt be allowed to support palestinians because you have no direct contact with israelis. They too claim that westerners are duped by palestinian propaganda/Lugenpresse.

Posted by: Zanon | Jul 3 2018 16:35 utc | 81

I hope barflies within the Outlaw US Empire will read David Swanson’s excellent review of DSP Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign platform.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 3 2018 17:23 utc | 83

i see the closed shop over at emptywheel has an interesting article up where marcy states she had to contact the fbi due the circumstances and has been living in a type of altered reality ever since.. while i empathize with her situation, the jackals that comment regularly on her site refer to anyone with a different view as trolls 24/7… and, it was no different today when b chimed in.. as far as they are all concerned, anyone who doesn’t think russia meddled or stole the election for trump is crazy.. they leave no room for any doubt… they are so sure of themselves, it is quite embarrassing for them..
https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/07/03/putting-a-face-mine-to-the-risks-posed-by-gop-games-on-mueller-investigation/

Posted by: james | Jul 3 2018 20:37 utc | 85

Nice of you to slander the author of that series of reports who I’ve met on several occasions as most certainly is NOT a doom and gloomer.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 3 2018 21:23 utc | 87

Post Carbon Institute have been predicting peak oil, supported by data for some time now, but as each peak oil date comes and goes, the peak oil date is moved back. With that history, it does look as though they look at the data from a pessimistic veiw point

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Jul 3 2018 21:45 utc | 89

The Peak Oil crowd had me bought in a decade or more ago. But as Peter AU correctly notes, their “due dates” have come and gone numerous times. Not unlike the “End Times” religionists. I had a photographer back in the early 1970s who was so sure the Jehovah Witness end date was nigh that he sold me many thousands of dollars of photo equipment for the $700 he’d computed was all he needed to live until the end.
BTW: I told him I’d loan him the $700, and store his equipment in a back room of my studio. But if I was right, he could come back and I’d give him his job back and sell him back his gear at no interest.
He never reappeared. I went to his apartment a while later, and it was empty with no forwarding address. I’ve been concerned about his fate ever since.
I’ll also add that the “Peak Population” crowd have been just as wrong just as many times.

Posted by: Daniel | Jul 4 2018 1:11 utc | 91

Abiotic Oil another reason Russia must be crushed
https://principia-scientific.org/russians-nasa-discredit-fossil-fuel-theory-demise-of-junk-co2-science/
Pretty good counter here though
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/02/18/oil-where-did-it-come-from/

Posted by: Pft | Jul 4 2018 1:48 utc | 93

Daniel | Jul 3, 2018 4:17:42 PM | 84
Sigh. No, I’m not experiencing cognitive dissonance. I just don’t buy what you are trying to sell. The terms of the $160m loan to Trump were not favorable to him, so it’s hard for me to see this as anything beyond a standard financial deal between a real estate developer and a group of 3 hedge funds. Trump was only tangentially connected to the RICO lawsuit you reference. He had invested $11m in the GM building and was bought out of his share in 2003. The RICO lawsuit was filed in 2008 and was centered on the sale of the building that took place after Trump has sold his share. Also, I already knew about Mnuchin, Soros, and OneWest. After the subprime real estate crisis Kamala Harris, who will almost certainly run in the 2020 Democrat party primary and who was Attorney General of California at the time, declined to prosecute OneWest, and has since received campaign contributions from Mnuchin and, to a much larger extent, from Soros. Mnuchin is simply an opportunist. I also already knew about Kushner and his financial vulnerability due to 666 Fifth Ave. I’ve always found Kushner problematic for a number of reasons, not least because of his relationship with Netanyahu, but that doesn’t mean that Trump is “partners” with Soros.
In conclusion, your take on the relationship between Trump and Soros falls short of the kind of rigorous analysis that is needed to properly assess these kinds of topics. You may have found some financial links between Trump and Soros, but they all occurred before Trump threw his hat into the political ring, and are fairly insignificant in any case. You also neglect to assess important evidence, like Soros’s involvement in the Clinton campaign, his subsequent efforts in mobilizing protests against Trump, and that many of Trump’s policies are in conflict with Soros’s political aims. In my opinion you are missing the forest for the trees.

Posted by: integer | Jul 4 2018 3:58 utc | 95

Daniel | Jul 3, 2018 4:17:42 PM | 84
FWIW I’m not a USian or a Trump supporter. Out of interest, did you read the article on Soros I linked to @ 35? I’m guessing the answer is no. Soros has a long history of connections to the CIA and MI6, both of which have desperately tried to derail Trump’s presidency. That fact alone severely undermines your claim that Soros and Trump are “partners”. Anyway, feel free to have the last word, I believe I have made my position on this matter clear.

Posted by: integer | Jul 4 2018 4:26 utc | 97

one of the characteristics of moa that i have always felt grateful for is the generally civil discourse among the folks who post here… thanks for continuing in that vein as much as possible… moa is an oasis in an otherwise challenging internet environoment…
thanks also for the many interesting links everyone.. i don’t have time to read them all, but i have scanned a few and hope to get to them in the next day or two…
@71 john gilberts.. thanks for the continuing updates on canada and our brain dead leader trudeau, who is almost as bad as harper.. they are on a par… we really need some better leadership then what we are seeing at this point..

Posted by: james | Jul 4 2018 5:12 utc | 99