New Documents Reveal More British Efforts To Undermine Russia
In 2018 we wrote about:
The reporting was based on the British Integrity Initiative's internal files which some 'anonymous' organization had acquired and published.
Data acquired from Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office by the same group revealed large British propaganda programs in support of Jihadis in Syria as well as British influence operations designed to undermine the security institutions of Lebanon and to secretly influence its population.
Now another large set of files has been published by the same source. These describe an extensive British government program designed to undermine Russia by organizing and financing 'independent' Russian language media, by 'training' Russian journalists and by secretly paying Russian influencers. It is certainly not the only British anti-Russia program but it probably has, secretly, the most public influence.
The anonymous author has laid out the complete Undermining Russia program in four extensive parts: One, two, three, four.
The information discussed is from government files which outlay various projects and from companies and -interestingly- from the media charities of Reuters and the BBC who made bids to run the FCO projects. All underlying files are available for download as one archive file (~80 MB).
The most interesting files are the bids the companies make for projects. They reveal previous projects, methods and people and thereby create the larger picture.
The budget for the various anti-Russian projects runs at dozens of millions pounds per year. The first programs were launched in 2016 and some continue through this year.
A 'Supplier Event' for one of the projects laid out the general idea:
Programme Strands
- ENGAGE – working through the British Council to implement people-to-people activities between ethnic Russians and local communities to develop links along the lines of 21st century skills – includes English language skills and media literacy, social enterprises and cultural activities;
- ENHANCE – supporting independent media in Russia’s near abroad to bring balance and plurality to Russian language media, in the Baltic States and Eastern Partnership countries;
- EXPOSE – by debunking and exposing Russian disinformation in real time, which can be reported in mainstream media with the goal to expose malign state disinformation in countries that are targeted by it. If you expose disinformation, it is less likely to be impactful; therefore, the Russian State becomes less credible.
- ENABLE – working with allied governments through the Government Communication Service to improve their strategic communications to their populations.
Note that 'Russian disinformation' is whatever Britain does not like about Russia. 'Exposing' such 'disinformation' is best done by spreading one's own. These are not defensive programs but attacks on Russia.
Projects to achieve the above were to be implemented in nearly every country that borders Russia and has a Russian speaking minority as well as in Russia itself.
The British government does not want you to know about such projects. The 'Supplier Event' sheet says:
SecurityNo unauthorised disclosures of activity on this work. Contract will need to take a look at who we are working with. Basic IT security reasonable steps should cover our requirements but the FCO may request an explanation of wat steps have been taken to ensure security and Duty of Care.
It should be noted that for security reasons, some grantees will not wish to be linked to the FCO. It should be noted that the Programme Team would prefer the programme documents do not end up in the Russian media. We know that they are following us, and we are expecting an expose soon.
What is the overall purpose of such secret programs? The author of the Undermining Russia series explains that with regards to the 'poisoning' of Alexei Navalny:
Many years of painstaking work of HMG through its embassies and intelligence cutouts precede a chemical attack. They create Media, CSOs and pseudo humanitarian organisations that happen to be just at the correct place and in the correct time with their cameras ready when 'suddenly' a dreadful accident 'shocks every one into action'.Do you believe HMG staged the 'Navalny accident' as part of some kind of a secret operation? Did HMG create Media outlets, nurture bloggers and stringers that it controlled? Did it engage Russia's youth and CSOs? Did it try to demonise Putin just like it had done with Assad by labeling them Evil Dictators who poisoned their people with forbidden chemical weapons? Do you know what all of this is needed for? They need it to delegitimise a leader of a country and convince people around the world that 'no holds should be barred to fight a mad dictator'. Can you grasp the gravity of what is going on? Well, you ought to. They are preparing us for war with the Russians and the Chinese. They are looking for casus belli, and only the truth can stop them, because 'if wars can be started by lies, they can be stopped by truth'. (Julian Assange)
That view is not even exaggerated. The 'west' has the knives out against Russia. We previous mentioned a report from the Pentagon think tank RAND which evaluated how to best 'unbalance and overextend' Russia. In the end it was clearly aimed at regime change in Russia, or if not otherwise possible, war. On Friday Gabriel Felbermayr, the president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, was asked by a German radio station about new sanctions the EU might impose on Russia. He is skeptic that those might work because (my translation):
The aims we have towards Russia are very big. We do not want anything less but regime change in Russia, which is difficult to achieve by economic pressure.
The new documents also reveal some interesting new points on Navalny who seems to be on the British government payroll:
bigger
These self-exposing documents show that the FCO has established a network of popular YouTubers in Russia who investigate corruption in the government, and the YouTubers get assistance from some journalists from the Baltic States. Also, the FCO has experience of instigating protests in Russia.By now you must have guessed the identity of one of the popular YouTubers investigating corruption. After obtaining EXPOSE Network files and examining the case studies two years ago, we didn't figure out which YouTuber the FCO supported through ZINC. We refrained from making any preliminary conclusions even when journalists discovered that Vladimir Ashurkov, a close ally of Alexei Navalny, was a part of the Integrity Initiative cluster.
But when we saw Mr. Navalny and Bellingcat together, things started to make sense. By digging deeper, we discovered another Navalny's supporter who lives in London - some shadowy Maria Pevchikh who is promoting a system of smart voting in Russia. The Labour used a similar voting system to take the votes of the Conservatives. So, basically it is highly likely that the UK recommended the system to Mr. Navalny.
It also turned out that Navalny began a smear campaign against the RT - one of the few media outlets in the West that allows those who disagree with the official position of western government to speak out. Note that Navalny's campaign was running in parallel with that of the Integrity Initiative. A reasonable question is - why Navalny who is mostly engaged in political battles inside Russia spends time fighting a TV network operating outside the country? Was RT really such a problem for him? No, it wasn't. It was a problem for the Western imperialists and apparently, they told Navalny to join in.
Anyway. Here are again links to the four parts of 'Undermining Russia': One, two, three, four.
They give extensive insight into the methods the 'west' is using to destroy foreign countries. Knowledge that one needs to really understand what is happening in this world.
Posted by b on February 15, 2021 at 19:24 UTC | Permalink
next page »Thanks b. I can imagine Russian authorities are investigating/preparing new charges against Navalny. They must take a hard stand with the west in general. Enough already. The knives are out.
Posted by: Michael Crockett | Feb 15 2021 19:51 utc | 2
My advice to Russia is to increase weapon production. No doubt, the west is out to get them.
Posted by: morongobill | Feb 15 2021 19:55 utc | 3
Many thanks b. This is real journalism. That is a strong compliment these days.
Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 15 2021 20:13 utc | 4
Projects to achieve the above were to be implemented in nearly every country that borders Russia and has a Russian speaking minority as well as in Russia itself.
Not only countries bordering Russia, a cell existed in Spain and it had consequences, when the new government came to power the local cell ran a campaign against the new nominee for National Security for not being tough on Russia as required, he was out of the job, and the main local newspapers were and are in bed with British intelligence dutifully reporting how bad Russia is and how good Navalny and his boys are, journalists working for the media with the largest readership in the country. Some got fired when the scandal went public, others went through the revolving door, that simple. They had a lot to do with the Assange case, as explained in the link bellow.
Posted by: Paco | Feb 15 2021 20:22 utc | 5
Russian authorities are more sophisticated that the British, not to mention Americans. The way I see it, American flunkies tend to make most glaring mistakes routinely, and with propaganda efforts they may get some mileage in Latin America -- not as much as they could wish. But in Europe and Middle East, it takes the British to keep track which country is which etc.
In that vein, Russia is not so eager to clobber Navalniks with political accusations. To a larger degree than China and the West, Russia wants to allow free access to information etc., and focuses on discrediting "Navalniks". Let them have 40 offices around the country plus a slew of foreign ones, online TV channels etc. In the same time, Russia is copying Western methods.
For example, tagging people as "foreign agents" if they use foreign money to operate.
Converting stories "discrediting the regime" into flops, like "Putin palace".
Imposing rules that make it hard for new parties to run in elections -- copied from New York State?
Imposing rules that make it hard to run demonstrations where you want and issuing pesky penalties for violations.
In the same time, collaborating with the West puts people who do it in an unpopular box. Navalny tries to circumvent those limitation with rank demagogy, but he still suffers by contagion, and from condemnations from less cynical followers of other Western projects -- for accepting Russian Crimea, frowning on immigrants etc.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 15 2021 20:23 utc | 6
thanks b.... when will this paid propaganda from the western states (uk in this instance)- end?? i can't see it ending well at any rate..
Posted by: james | Feb 15 2021 20:37 utc | 8
thank you, b. i shall share this with family & friends that adore (still) hillary & believe the anti russia hype. i suspect most are so thoroughly soaked in kool aid they will even read but still it's so important for our planet's well being i shall try once again. thank you.
Posted by: emersonreturn | Feb 15 2021 20:56 utc | 9
On the US side, the program 60 Minutes just aired a segment where president of Microsoft claimed that the Russians used 1000+ hackers for the SolarWinds flair. No wonder Microsoft produces such crap software. If the Russians could manage 1000+ engineers, then they should be outsourced for all of DOD's software.
Largest-ever the world has seen’: Microsoft president claims 1,000+ software engineers must have worked on SolarWinds breech
https://www.rt.com/news/515617-solarwinds-breach-largest-ever
The Biden admin is supposedly now deciding what new sanctions or actions to take against Russia. And this psyop comes out. Timing. All about timing. Somebody timed this.
Just confirms that the Biden regime will take the US into a shooting war with Russia just as the Brits were going toward that if their propaganda failed to oust Putin.
Posted by: Erelis | Feb 15 2021 20:57 utc | 10
Thanks b.
Skimmed through part 1.
I see you are quoted.
A question (which may be answered in a later part of the same), are the connections to the "five eyes" as well as the Spanish (re. Paco post) organised by the UK or are they joint efforts? (Anonymous doesn't think too much of the others.)
The FCO seems to be the operative, but is it really the originator? In the sense that at present the financial and "sanctions" elements are part of US/Israel policy. They may have been suggested by the FCO discretely?
-----
I note that Corbyn was attacked for anti-semitism by the FCO and also by Israeli media. They also seem to be deeply involved in the same setup. Were the Israelis involved in the planning?
Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 15 2021 21:08 utc | 11
Oh the fools. They spent hundreds of millions trying to undermine Russia and China, hoping to turn their people against their governments. And all it took to ruin these efforts for decades and to actually undermine their very own governments was to mismanage a bloody pandemic - and to mess up yet another election for the US. That's poetic justice, really.
Posted by: Clueless Joe | Feb 15 2021 21:10 utc | 12
The 'supplier event' eg. programme strands reek of incompetence and bullshit targeted for incompetents and bullshitters. It's like reading some marketing pitch that sells only vapourware. They even managed to cram four E's.
No wonder it didn't work, as those who composed it seem to know nothing about Russia.
Posted by: Abe | Feb 15 2021 21:13 utc | 13
Many things to consider given this new information. It provides extra dimensions to Today's Crooke essay and the one by Tim Kirby I posted yesterday. Agent Smith tried to pooh-pooh it all by saying the international culture wars are a side show when in reality they are the crux of the matter since at the end of the day everything boils down to First Principles--Values. Truth, Virtue and Promotion of the Individual to Advance the Many versus Lies, Deceit and Denigration of the Individual to Advance The Few.
@10 erelis. Noticed the paid advert on 60 minutes last nite, also. But after watching for 5 minutes, had to switch channels. Saw b's latest write up on Solarwinds which I would tend to trust note than ms / CBS. A follow up from b would be nice.
Posted by: mpn | Feb 15 2021 21:28 utc | 15
The poisoning narratives touted by the Western oligarchies and their corporate media should be seen for what they are, hilariously funny. As I said on a previous occasion, I laughed out loud for about half a minute when I read that Navalny had been poisoned with a 'novichok-like substance'. In the most literal sense those stories do not pass the laugh test. From the litvinenko-polonium story to the Navalny- novichok underpants story they have all been a tissue of quite absurd lies.
Worryingly, despite the absurdities and the frequent changing of details in these narratives, people who are demonstrably quite intelligent in their daily lives appear to be buying into the anti-Russian narrative. People who can watch 'Game of Thrones' and comprehend a fictional character's argument when he asks the question 'why would I frame myself' are seemingly incapable of applying the argument in real life situations. Why would the FSB frame themselves? Why would they use a substance that has not yet succeeded in killing any of the intended targets? There must be literally hundreds if not thousands of toxins that could be used and there are countless other ways of killing a person.
Imagine a check box list of the desirable characteristics of an assassination weapon, neither 'novichok' nor polonium would tick enough (if any) of those boxes to be considered.
So what is it about? Clearly that rubbish is not going to work on the people of the Russian Federation (at least not enough of them to be worthwhile) That just leaves us as the target, they are quite obviously manufacturing consent. Do they actually mean to start WW3? or is it a bluff intended to frighten the Russians into submission? Or ruin their economy with massive increases in arms expenditure? Perhaps it is just more pressure to cancel Nordstream 2 so the US can sell their overpriced fracked gas and delay their coming economic collapse for a short while. Only time will tell, I fear the worst.
Oligarchies usually end with arrogance, stupidity, ignorance and eventually insanity. The modern counterparts of Nero and Caligula are running the western world. While dynasties are usually founded by exceptional people, as a rule the only exceptional thing about their descendants is their arrogance.
Posted by: MarkU | Feb 15 2021 21:33 utc | 16
There are some flaws in western plans.
1. Russians can, and do, watch and read western media to see firsthand how badly western press slander Putin and Russians in general. Putin is extremely popular in Russia for saving the country from oligarchs, reuniting Crimea, shutting down western sponsored terrorism in southern Russia and standing up to naked aggression from NATO. Western press shows Russians just how stupid western people have become by believing the inane poisoning stories, airplane shootdowns, and Russian "invasions" such as Crimea. The Russians only need to read western press to know the west is preparing regime change or war. Putin and the Kremlin do not need to say a word to convince Russians the west considers them enemies.
2.The constant lies about Russia and threats to Europeans and Turkey are backfiring. The Germans, Turks and others are furious over the British and Americans constantly demonizing them for making smart business deals and military purchases with Russia. With all the "maximum pressure" campaigns and sanctions, some European and Middle East countries consider the US and UK bigger threats than Russia.
3.If the west actually achieves the goal of starting war with Russia, the result will be disastrous for the west. Russia has become so advanced militarily, there is no doubt Russia would easily crush any attacks and then counter attack. Be careful what you wish for, Americans.
Posted by: Mar man | Feb 15 2021 21:42 utc | 17
Whilst we the British people, who have no problem with the Russians, have no say in the matter.
Oh to be a fly on the wall at the next official Anglo Russian get together. That will be a 'shortest straw' gig as no British politician will want to face Lavrov now, especially after that EU prat visit last week.
Posted by: JohninMK | Feb 15 2021 21:47 utc | 18
Very interesting b.
Alex Salmond joined RT as a commentator in November 2017. Immediately the powers of the west turned against him.
But Alex is a helluva politician. He fought back, and that fightback reaches its climax in the coming weeks.
What's going on? Why this animosity towards Russia?
I'll give you my opinion.
The British leadership are VERY ambitious. The nature of their empire has changed. First, They no longer seek to become an empire of nations, but rather an empire of national leaders - primarily Heads of State who control the domestic legal system. Second, they are a feminist empire, with power passed from mother to daughter. They are able to do this because, while there can be but one King, there can be multiple queens simultaneously. For example, from the death of George vi in 1952 until the death of Mary of Teck in 1953 there were no less that three queens of the United Kingdom. Then until 2001 there were two queens. Like chess, with two queens you always win the game.
But they can only do this while the United Kingdom exists. England alone, shorn of Scotland, loses the medieval laws and powers that underpin this empire.
If you investigate the monarchies of Europe you will find that they all are members of the Order of the Garter (KG). This is a sovereign order, which means that in order to join one must swear an oath to the Sovereign of the Order, Queen Elizabeth.
If you investigate the politicians of the US you will find many that have joined the Order of Bath (KB) even though it is explicitly against the constitution for them to do so (I think it is called the Emoluments Clause, but I may have misremembered). Again, in order to join this organization you must swear an oath to Queen Elizabeth.
It used to be that only the Republicans (Reagan, Bush, Weinberger and so on). But in January 2001 I came across a photograph of the three Clintons "leaving Buckingham Palace following a private visit". The benefits gained by the Clintons is what has launched the family into the big time of money and personal unrestrained power and the complete control of the Democratic Party.
This is a millennial empire. It is meant to last for a thousand years.
The other great civilizations - Russia, China, Iran - are equally millennial, and are seen as a threat to the British plans for world domination.
The other great civilizations understand all I have written. They know a fight is coming. And I think that this is the reason that Lavrov finally took off the gloves when dealing with Borrell last week. For while he would bend over backwards to understand the EU position in the past, the UK has now quit the EU. The only ties now to the British Empire are those personal ones to the monarchs of Europe like, in the case of Borrell, Felipe vi and his father, juan Carlos. Both Knights of the Garter.
Hope this helps.
Posted by: John Cleary | Feb 15 2021 22:07 utc | 19
Devinette: when was the last time a state which was not supported by the US has committed a chemical attack? I think we can dismiss Syria and Iraq.
Posted by: Tuyzentfloot | Feb 15 2021 22:28 utc | 20
@ John Cleary | Feb 15 2021 22:07 utc | 19 with the description of the British empire
About that Queen thing
I can't think right now where the details are but it is my understanding that annually the Queen presents herself to the City of London in a supplicatory manner.
I agree that there is empire and that the Queen is part of the fabric of the curtain behind which are the real lever movers, those that own global private finance.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 15 2021 22:30 utc | 21
re b's newest essay, here is my edited earlier post on similar topic..,
It was Alex II who freed the serfs...2 years before Lincoln freed the slaves. Oddly, US Ambassador to Russia then was Cassius Clay [!] who had Lincoln's ear...as did Frdk. Douglass.
Re: British global intentions...their decision to go global seemed to occur after 1492 when their future existence was obviously threatened as an island nation wholly dependent on sea trade.Thus the Hakluyt team began their world survey of resources, potential choke points and all matters naval...the 2 Hakluyts 1st compilation was made available abt 1599 only to interested parties followed by many later volumes.
I read a sampling and they knew what they were/are doing! E.g., blue-water adventures must have fresh water sources; winds, currents, depths, hazards, etc are vital data. It is supposed that such surveys/data are ongoing to this day. [ IIRC, L Fletcher Prouty mentioned the data collection was connected later with Halleybury College.]
When the 1st underground oil treasures* were discovered abt 1858 in Canada and W. Pennsylvania, earlier global survey data was consulted on petroleum seeps, odd flammable gas emissions, etc that foretold other sources ready for the taking. [* gigantic "pools of petroleum underground in permeable, pressurized formations, commercial quantities heretofore unknown to exist.]
In view of above, it seemed odd coincidence that Leo Szilard disclosed his nuclear [neutron]-chain-reaction hypothesis 1st to the Brit Admiralty in 1934 [!] who kept it very secret...until the right time and proxy came along to develop it.
[from my 7am post at chu teh | Feb 15 2021 15:23 utc | 127 ]
Posted by: chu teh | Feb 15 2021 22:35 utc | 22
"pools" should be in quotes as they are actually flowing within permeable rocky matter.
Posted by: chu teh | Feb 15 2021 22:39 utc | 23
British hostility to Russia has a long history. Indeed, we should not forget that the British Royal family supported Hitler. No doubt this, at least in part, accounts for Neville Chamberlain’s ‘appeasement’ Adolf Hitler, following Germany’s annexation of Sudetenland in 1938 and sequent invasion of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939.
See- A brief history of the British Royals and their alleged Nazi connections 28 Aug 2017; Link:
https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2017/08/28/brief-history-british-royals-and-their-alleged-nazi-connections
Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 15 2021 21:27 utc | 14 -- "Many things to consider given this new information. It provides extra dimensions to Today's Crooke essay and the one by Tim Kirby I posted yesterday. Agent Smith tried to pooh-pooh it all by saying the international culture wars are a side show when in reality they are the crux of the matter since at the end of the day everything boils down to First Principles--Values. Truth, Virtue and Promotion of the Individual to Advance the Many versus Lies, Deceit and Denigration of the Individual to Advance The Few."
Thanks, karlof1, for yet another informative article. Saved it for study along with the Tim Kirby article.
So much to read... so much to learn.... so much to pleasure in.... first principles, eternal values, objective truth, good governance... and did God say that the white man's burden is to go rape, pillage, rob the rest of the world?
And thanks for reminding me that his name is Agent Smith.
This is to help me remember not to engage trolls and / or idiots:
"Never again will we try to persuade a foolish person with reason, for it is senseless and dangerous. In conversation with them, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with a person, but with slogans, catchwords and the like that have taken possession of them. They are under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in their very being.’ -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
Posted by: kiwiklown | Feb 15 2021 23:04 utc | 25
... These self-exposing documents show that the FCO has established a network of popular YouTubers in Russia who investigate corruption in the government, and the YouTubers get assistance from some journalists from the Baltic States. Also, the FCO has experience of instigating protests in Russia ...
It would be interesting to know if the Russian-language news website Meduza.io might have some connection to this assistance to the YouTubers. Meduza.io is based in Riga, Latvia, and employs Russian-language journalists. Kevin Rothrock, formerly of The Moscow Times (English-language newspaper in Moscow), is editor-in-chief of Meduza.io's international version.
BTW Maria Pevchikh accompanied Alexei Navalny from Omsk to Berlin. She was the one who was supposed to have gone to his hotel room in Tomsk and picked up the water bottle supposed to contain Novichok, at least until information came out that she acquired the water bottle from a vending machine at Omsk airport en route to Berlin. Pevchikh was the one person in Navalny's entourage who did not submit to questioning by Russian authorities on Navalny's poisoning.
I think we should see a bit more (in Google's English-language translation) of what Gabriel Felbermayr said to Katharina Petz of Deutschlandfunk:
Gabriel Felbermayr: I am sceptical about [further sanctions]. The question is always what we want to achieve with sanctions. If we really want to bring Russia to its knees economically, we would need a large coalition of countries to do so, and Europe alone cannot do as much as is necessary. At least China on board and, best of all, India and other [Russia's] trading partners would need it. The fact that sanctions have worked so badly in the past has to do with the fact that they are being undermined by other countries, that is a key problem. That is why I am sceptical that putting a on it (sic) really helps now. The objectives we have with Russia are very large. After all, we want nothing less than regime change in Russia, which is very difficult to achieve with economic pressure ...
... I believe that we must also see who we are hitting with the sanctions. Are these really the people who are acting and who, in the light of the sanctions, may then reconsider their actions, or is it the general population that is hit very diffusely, each a little bit. This does not hurt enough, so to speak, to put great pressure on the regime, but it does hit the general public. That is why I believe that a sanctions instrument that is much more adicating (sic) to individuals is more promising and does not affect the broad mass of Russians. That already exists, we are using it in the European Union. These could be travel restrictions, that could be the freezing of assets abroad, and this could also be sanctions against certain companies that are very close to the Kremlin. Perhaps there is more that can be done than Europe alone, because Russian foreign assets are not in China, so to speak, and the second residences of Russian oligarchs are not somewhere in the Third World, but in Monaco and London and Paris. So smart sanctions are certainly what is more promising – one has to ask whether Europe has the right instruments ...
...Yes, of course, the economic impact of the sanctions is quite different. Germany suffers from the Russia sanctions that have been in place since 2014, more than any country in the world, in absolute terms, and is also much more affected in percentage of economic output than in France. In Germany, this costs about 0.2% of GDP, according to various estimates, and in France this figure is much lower. There are, of course, other European countries where the level of concern is higher, [Bulgaria] for example, or the Eastern European Member States of the European Union as a whole. This unequal concern is certainly a political dilemma.
It is also a political problem with regard to the United States of America, which, while always insisting and pushing for sanctions, has so far drawn little economic disadvantage from it, simply because US trade with Russia is very low. That is the core problem when it comes to forging a broad coalition that costs are too unevenly distributed. We would certainly also have to think about compensation mechanisms within Europe or within the Western world, so that the joint fight against the violation of human rights, for example in Russia, must be paid for economically, not only by a few countries ...
... Yes, I would agree, I think [Nordstream II shutdown] is overestimated. The question is how much billions of export revenues Russia generates in the European Union by selling natural gas, that is the central question. And whether natural gas enters the European Union via Ukraine or Turkey or Germany does not matter much. It may even be the case that the possibility of shutting down or blocking such a pipeline again, or imposing conditions, means that Germany will even get a leverage over Russia that would not otherwise have been possible.
So I also think that Nord Stream 2 is overestimated. Here again the question would have to be asked, who does it actually cost if you do not complete the project. A great many European and German investors are also negatively affected, and with sanctions we want to inflict pain, above all, on the Russian power apparatus and not on ourselves. I believe that Nord Stream 2 is a bad instrument ...
So the sanctions regime against Russia is hitting the EU, and Germany and parts of Eastern Europe in particular, harder than it's hitting Russia and the EU needs more nations on board with sanctioning Russia.
I can't imagine the US would be willing to compensate the EU for any losses it has to sustain by sanctioning Russian government officials and businesspeople.
Posted by: Jen | Feb 15 2021 23:08 utc | 26
I recall that I first found the video below from a MofA comment, but very pertinent to this discussion and maybe it is discussing the same program:
Top French Intel Boss Reveals Operation Beluga: US UK Plot to Discredit Putin and Destabilize Russia
Posted by: schmoe | Feb 15 2021 23:11 utc | 27
John Cleary @19--
Thanks for your input! Lies and False Narratives are the stuff required to keep a Parasitic Class in illegitimate power so they can continue to have their Free Lunch and ensure their position goes unchallenged because "That's the way it's always been." A "tradition" sold as Conservatism to cover what in reality is a radical plan to keep the masses from reaping the fruits of their efforts as I wrote @14 above. Where Terror was once employed, the weapon is now mass psychological manipulation married to Divide and Rule. The reason this is happening now is due to the breakdown of Neoliberalism that was initially put in place to keep land rent rolling in so the Parasitical Class could keep its Free Lunch.
The UK aristocracy and their opportunists have nothing to credit themselves but ill-gotten money or the hope thereof, they have always been forced to equate money=virtue to pretend to any merit, between themselves and their families. This is the cause of their eternal hatred of socialism and virtue in government, and their eternal hatred of Russia, even in the post-USSR era. If they have no one with less money to hate, they have no claim to personal merit, and must face the truth.
Of course the same is true of the upper classes anywhere, even among the poorest. For what was the purpose of their lying, cheating, stealing and perpetual materialism, what were the values they taught their children, if money is not virtue. Virtue is an unknown land to them, an unforgiveable sin, for that way lies the ugly truth about them.
Posted by: Sam F | Feb 15 2021 23:26 utc | 29
>>More British Efforts To Undermine Russia
Lots of people living in la la land - that is - in the good old times when the West subjugated the planet.
UK economic drop 2020
-10 %
EU economic drop
-7 %
Russia economic drop
- 3.1 %
Moment to reach 2019 Q4 economic level:
UK beginning of 2023
EU beginning of 2023
Russia Autumn 2021
>>Gabriel Felbermayr: The aims we (EU) have towards Russia are very big. We do not want anything less but regime change in Russia.
Yes, Gabi, it is good that you are honest. It will only warn people of your intentions, so it is preferable to talk that way. :)
Meanwhile, in the real world, lots of EU businesses and NGOs will flew out from Russia and be replaced with Asian ones.
It already happening with cars, trade, energy flows, diplomatic missions and tourists.
So good riddance to bad rubbish.
Posted by: Passer by | Feb 15 2021 23:28 utc | 30
Psychohistorian,
I'm not sure about that. But I am pretty sure that she must seek permission to enter the gates.
I don't really understand whether the city of london (CoL) is part of England or the United Kingdom or not. I don't believe she thinks in such limiting terms, but sees her empire as worldwide.
Anyway, the sovereign does not wait to be crowned before taking power. Elizabeth became Queen at her proclamation, not at her coronation.
Proclamations are meant to be consistent. When Edward died this proclamation was made:
Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God to call to His mercy our late Sovereign Lord King Edward the Seventh, of Blessed and Glorious Memory, by whose Decease the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert : We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm, being here assisted with these of His late Majesty’s Privy Council, with numbers of other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord-Mayor, Aldermen, and citizens of London, do now hereby, with one Voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart, publish and proclaim, That the High and Mighty Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert, is now, by the Death of our late Sovereign, of Happy Memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India: To whom we do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience, with all hearty and humble Affection: beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Prince George the Fifth, with long and happy years to reign over Us.
You see? The Lord-Mayor of London is mentioned by name.
It is my belief that this underpins, at least in part, the powers and privileges of the CoL
Posted by: John Cleary | Feb 15 2021 23:33 utc | 31
Posted by: Jen | Feb 15 2021 23:08 utc | 26
>>I can't imagine the US would be willing to compensate the EU for any losses it has to sustain by sanctioning Russian government officials and businesspeople.
The place of the EU in this whole scheme was already described by Victoria Nuland. That is - "F the EU". :)
This is not a problem though, they have long experience with it.
Posted by: Passer by | Feb 15 2021 23:35 utc | 32
karlof1 @ 28 -- Thanks for outlining how parasites eat other peoples' lunches.
John Cleary @ 19 -- Thanks for your exceedingly intriguing post. Please leave a few more crumbs for enquiring minds to grasp the perfidy of the albion?
Posted by: kiwiklown | Feb 15 2021 23:39 utc | 33
US will not be selling any LNG to EU/Germany to compensate for loss of NS2. The fracking business is shutting down and shutting down right now. Wells are going offline, replacements are not being drilled. No drill, no gas. Fertilizer shortages are already in sight. As we lose ability to grow food we will not be sending feedstock material across the ocean just because it sounded good in a strategic fantasy.
Posted by: oldhippie | Feb 15 2021 23:45 utc | 34
chu teh @23--
I saw your reply on the other thread and thanks for repeating it here.
Jen @26--
Thanks for the translated confession. What he omits is Why they want regime change in Russia, nor do we learn who They are, although IMO we have a good idea about those two answers.
kiwiklown @25--
Thanks for your reply! I see New Zealand is still headed by the Queen of England. Time for independence I'd say!
@ karlof1
So now the international class struggle has turned into the international culture war, never mind that both East and West people suffer under the same class problem and for-profit entities.
Glad A deflection, but this doesn't matter, as things will always turn back into international solidarity instead of this East vs. West nonsense.
Posted by: Smith | Feb 15 2021 23:46 utc | 36
Posted by b on February 15, 2021 at 19:24 UTC | -- "They give extensive insight into the methods the 'west' is using to destroy foreign countries."
Thanks, B, for using the light of truth to expose the insanity of western leadership.
It gives me pause to try to understand the ethics / morals / humanity of the thousands of western bureaucrats working on these elaborate (sometimes comical) plans to destroy other nations.
How does a "civil" servant like that conceive such evil, then go home to teach their children how to be human beings?
This banality of evil is absolutely unfathomable to ordinary people such as I.
Reminds me of the thousands of good Germans who "went along to get along" on the way into WW2.
Also, the thousands of good British "planners" who war-gamed their way into WW2.
Posted by: kiwiklown | Feb 15 2021 23:59 utc | 37
This site is about as far away from Brecht as one can get.
Is the title some kind of joke?
I do agree often with the content.
Posted by: Duncan Idaho | Feb 16 2021 0:00 utc | 38
@ John Cleary | Feb 15 2021 23:33 utc | 31 who provided the words from the proclamation making Elizabeth Queen
The interesting part
"
...., being here assisted with these of His late Majesty’s Privy Council, with numbers of other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord-Mayor, Aldermen, and citizens of London, do now hereby, with one Voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart,...
"
I don't know about the Privy Council and Principal Gentlemen of Quality makes it pretty open but then the "Lord-Mayor, Aldermen, and citizens of London" part reflects the CoL structure of old.
Thanks for that. How come this subject is not discussed in MSM land....hidden in plain sight?
One of the questions I think needs light of day are the real agreements between the CoL and the Queen/Bank Of England when it was nationalized...read below from what-its-worth Wikipedia
"
It was privately owned by stockholders from its foundation in 1694 until it was nationalised in 1946 by the Attlee ministry.[4][5]
In 2009, a request made to HM Treasury under the Freedom of Information Act sought details about the 3% Bank of England stock owned by unnamed shareholders whose identity the Bank is not at liberty to disclose.[6] In a letter of reply dated 15 October 2009, HM Treasury explained that. 'Some of the 3% Treasury stock which was used to compensate former owners of Bank stock has not been redeemed. However, interest is paid out twice a year and it is not the case that this has been accumulating and compounding.' [7]
"
Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 16 2021 0:00 utc | 39
Gabriel Felbermayr
>>And whether natural gas enters the European Union via Ukraine or Turkey or Germany does not matter much.
This ignorant euro-puppet should be fired immediately.
Having a gas pipeline via Turkey increases the geopolitical weight of Turkey and it allows it to blackmail the Balkan Countries receiving the gas.
Using the Ukrainian route means that additional billions of euros will have to be invested in repairing the old and disrepeit Ukrainian Gas Transit Network which is from the 80s, with good amount of the money disappearing due to corruption.
The gas then may stop due to Russia-Ukrainian disputes (as it happened in the past) or "misterious" explosions may happen on the pipeline (as it happened too).
It is also unclear for how long will Russia be interested in saving the EU from freezing (in January the EU was forced to buy record amounts of gas due to cold temperatures), considering the rise of Asian markets.
Right now Russia is connecting the Western pipelines and the Eastern Pipelines, meaning that "EU gas" may be reserved for the East.
Gazprom is also looking to accelerate work on the Power of Siberia 2 (PoS2) pipeline, as part of plans to unite domestic gas transmission infrastructure across eastern and western Russia into a single system.
https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2127793-work-starts-on-final-part-of-russiachina-gas-pipeline
Posted by: Passer by | Feb 16 2021 0:06 utc | 40
TASS reports Lavorv's comments after meeting Finnish Foreign Minister revealing the lawless nature of the EU's behavior as it abets crimes against its own laws:
"The minister paid special attention to the fact that Brussels enables brazen violations of rights of Russian speakers and attacks on the Russian language and culture in the Baltic States, Ukraine and several other states. 'Of course, we cannot but take into account the EU condoning blatant breaches of Russian speakers, Russians and the attacks on the Russian language and culture that we witness in the Baltic States, Ukraine and some other countries. When Russian-speaking [TV] channels are shut down, when criminal cases are opened against Russian-speaking journalists for simply doing their jobs, when the disgraceful institute of statelessness remains in the EU, while the European Union watches it all without any desire to change anything, I believe that it is not Russia distancing itself from the EU, but the very EU moves away from the Russian language, Russian culture and all things Russian, meaning that it is drifting away from the Russian Federation,' the minister noted." [My Emphasis]
As reported earlier, Russia will finish Nord Stream 2 and continue fulfilling its commitments. But given EU co-responsibility for the terrorism and refugee crises combined with the recent revelations, I don't see any positive developments occurring.
Posted by: Jen | Feb 15 2021 23:08 utc | 26
Thanks for that very revealing translation of Gabriel Felbermayr's words. It shows that a man can be intelligent and insane at the same time. He speaks as if the need for destroying Russia is a given. Sounds like he is one of those thousands who go along to get along....
“I fooled myself. I had to. I didn't want to see it, because I would then have had to think about the consequences of seeing it, what followed from seeing it, what I must do to be decent. I wanted my home and family, my job, my career, a place in the community.” -- Milton Mayer, They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45
Posted by: kiwiklown | Feb 16 2021 1:57 utc | 42
Let's get to the heart of the matter: why are expatriate Jews so mad at Russia? That is it, in the simplest terms, is it not?
Posted by: norecovery | Feb 16 2021 2:02 utc | 43
Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 15 2021 23:46 utc | 35 -- "I see New Zealand is still headed by the Queen of England. Time for independence I'd say!"
No way to break free until the world order is rearranged after WW3.
Which may, or may not be during our lifetimes..... ;o)
Posted by: kiwiklown | Feb 16 2021 2:33 utc | 45
For Psychohistorian and John Cleary, regarding the City of London...
The City was never thoroughly brought to heel by William the Conqueror with the result that it was granted a sort of autonomy within the realm, hence its absence in the Doomsday Book, which assessed the realm's lands for taxation by the crown. Whether or not it is part of the United Kingdom is a moot point, for its autonomy (strengthened over time) makes it, in a sense, impervious to United Kingdom legislation that it wishes to ignore. In this regard, it is a sort of anomaly, like the Channel Islands (the last remaining part of the Duchy of Normandy still under the British crown) and the Isle of Mann, both of which are NOT part of the United Kingdom and were not part of the European Union, and both of which are notorious tax havens.
The peculiar status of the City of London is what has made it a great financial center, for it can regulate itself (and does, to some extent, if only to keep the scandalmongers at bay), unlike the New York and Swiss financial centers, which are subject to "outside" oversight, New York by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and Switzerland by the FINMA (Financial Market Supervisory Authority).
Posted by: RJPJR | Feb 16 2021 2:54 utc | 46
MarkU @ 16 -- "While dynasties are usually founded by exceptional people, as a rule the only exceptional thing about their descendants is their arrogance."
Ancient Chinese wisdom on generational wealth: First generation make money; second generation keep money; third generation lose money. Start over.
MarkU @ 16 -- "Oligarchies usually end with arrogance, stupidity, ignorance and eventually insanity. "
Good fit for most parts of the Western (*) leadership, lying one day, reversing their own lies the next, then reverting to their original lie, then pivoting to some other lie. Insane. They have gone past derision, gone past shame, gone past dishonour, into insanity. Destruction cometh next.
(*) Russia is Eurasia, not the West.
Posted by: kiwiklown | Feb 16 2021 2:57 utc | 47
This site is about as far away from Brecht as one can get.
Posted by: Duncan Idaho | Feb 16 2021 0:00 utc | 38
Care to elaborate? I see more similarities than differences.
Posted by: farm ecologist | Feb 16 2021 2:58 utc | 48
MoA descends from Brecht through Billmon's Whisky Bar site.
Posted by: lysias | Feb 16 2021 3:01 utc | 49
Let's get to the heart of the matter: why are expatriate Jews so mad at Russia? That is it, in the simplest terms, is it not?
Posted by: norecovery | Feb 16 2021 2:02 utc | 43
If I understand correctly,
Apparently about a thousand years ago, the Russians booted the Khazars out of the area. I wonder why.
Also, Stalin infiltrated and subverted the Bolshevik project, which must’ve been irksome to them, as usually that’s their job.
Russia standing up to the Western Empire and impeding its plans for world domination.
Probably other stuff too, between the days of the Khazars and now.
Posted by: Featherless | Feb 16 2021 3:14 utc | 50
Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, and/or add to that list.
Posted by: Featherless | Feb 16 2021 3:20 utc | 51
lets start with some assumptions and mix it with some facts and then come up with some conclusions, all of it removed from the focus of this thread... descent into a conspiracy theory of a different sort when there are hard facts being revealed in the present moment on the uk gov't malfeasance.. i really don't get some posters..
Posted by: james | Feb 16 2021 4:30 utc | 53
Off topic, but more interesting than random jew-baiting:
Al Jazeera English TV is reporting one of those pesky 'Iran-backed groups' has claimed responsibility, although the article makes no mention of it . 1 'foreign contractor' killed, 1 'US contractor' injured.
Mysterious explosions in the Mideast are a much more appropriate context for jew-baiting, you're welcome :)
Posted by: S.P. Korolev | Feb 16 2021 4:40 utc | 54
Oops, i was just trying to be helpful, and forgot this isn’t an open thread. Sorry.
Posted by: Featherless | Feb 16 2021 4:52 utc | 55
WWI started with the shot in Sarajevo.
WWIII started with Maria Pevchikh having access to Navalny's underpants.
("Future history books")
Posted by: Cunctator | Feb 16 2021 5:13 utc | 57
So Peskow's statement from April last year is wrong. Navalny hasn't been poisoned because he worked for the CIA, Nacalny hadn't been poisoned because he worked for the MI6.
Posted by: m | Feb 16 2021 5:26 utc | 58
For those who wonder what drives some of the " masters of the universe" morons, read one of Ayn Rand's books. In her fevered dreams, her heroes are the greedy and avarice ridden "pillars of her sick society", which is nothing more than excuses to elevate those sicknesses to assets instead of liabilities. Some people actually believe that BS.
Those beliefs led us to DJT..
Posted by: vetinLA | Feb 16 2021 6:32 utc | 59
james | Feb 16 2021 4:30 utc | 54
Via some sophisticated trolling, to take the subject OFF the table, by superimposing diversions.
(ANY diversion is used, throw out a lot and see which one sticks. It is to be expected when the subject is about hidden tactics to control and overthrow, that the organisers would mount some sort of defence. The usual scream/shout method won't work. Expect masses of irrelevant copy paste articles to try to oblige others to confirm or deny thus wasting time and energy)
Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 16 2021 6:37 utc | 61
IMO the biggest issue with Aotearoa ditching brenda the greedy is developing a suitably apolitical method of selecting a head of state. Exactly the same issue as Australia had when discussing ways of flushing the parasitical Brenda Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/Winsdor/Battenburg/Mountbatten from their body politic.
Getting rid of the hypocritical lowlife is easy, however finding a means of selecting an Australian born head of state free of all the partisan political nonsense which other nations haven't (see amerika, france or Italy) is no easy task, given the nature of successful political parties about the world.
What is required is a decent human capable of understanding all the nuances of being the premier citizen of a nation, whose political structure, just the same as pretty much every other nation is based on really ugly contests between completely amoral politicians capable of any deceit and pretty much any act that is required for them to attain power.
Few in Oz or Aotearoa want a head of state appointed via such a despicable process, yet what is the alternative?
Some sort of jury process whereby every citizen who is able to undertake the task of head of state (including probity) has their name thrown in to a digital hat, then a randomly selected name is drawn out?
That is never going to happen for a range of reasons (imagine having a head of state immune to bribery & other corrupt pressures), the chief one being that a system like that could work, then citizens decide that their legislators be appointed the same way.
As bad as queenie is there is a general feeling that the threshold for her to stick her nose into Aotearoa bizness is likely to be somewhat higher than the same threshold for some local political hack looking for both a legacy and an earner following an indifferent performance in the Aotearoa legislature.
Of course there are rabid monarchists here, but they mostly comprise englander immigrants seeking to make our nation "just like back 'ome" while most Aotearoans consider having that debauched & paristic family occasionally spouting off in our name to be the lesser evil.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 16 2021 6:53 utc | 62
oops word in final sentence of #63 should be parasitic
Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 16 2021 6:55 utc | 63
I wish I knew more about:
GBR and
-Screw Jobs vs Murica after the Revolutionary War
-Opium Wars+IND/CHN_Oppression
-Screw Jobs vs JPN in Silver+Gold for Currency Xchg
-Tribal_Monetocracy
-ZioMasonry
-WWI and WWII
-IRN_Coup
Before going to University. I almost Courted a GBR/American Dame (Wonderful Family; but Worldview_Diiferentials+Church Guidance were Dealbreakers). I used to consider Dames from the Commonwealth as Potential Wife Candidates.
Glad nothing happened; because being educated on Gritty+Detailed Geopolitics have changed my Worldview.
I want nothing to do with GBR+Commonwealth now. Glad I didn't Marry into their People. I have kind regards for that Family; but I've become quite selective of With Whom and Where I plan on Doing My Business and Life's Work.
Posted by: IronForge | Feb 16 2021 7:46 utc | 64
Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 16 2021 6:53 utc | 63
Living in Australia, I share your view about selection of the Head of State. By all means remove the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas but how to replace them in a way that is not highly party political? What we were offered by Howard in the 1999 referendum was not the way to go, and I'm sure he deliberately set it up that way so as to achieve rejection. The Irish presidency seems to me, on limited knowledge, to have worked reasonably well in recent years. Mary Robinson was an excellent HoS as, to a slightly lesser extent, was Mary McAleese. I don't know much about the current president - Michael Higgins.
Posted by: dynkyd | Feb 16 2021 8:05 utc | 65
@ Posted by: RJPJR | Feb 16 2021 2:54 utc | 46
It is speculated that, because England is in a small island, the importance of having a powerful navy always prevailed over having a strong army, which weakened the military power (absolutism) of its monarchs. But it strengthened the power of its monarchs as a chief administrator, as a strong and constant navy requires a substantial and constant flow of monetary resources (taxes).
English/British kings and queens, therefore, always tended to be militarily weak but bureaucratically strong (in relation to their counterparts in France and Germany).
"Now it's time to expose another intelligence cutout - BBC Media Action. Don't be surprised that the detested mainstream media outlet BBC has its own secret firm which gets its funding from your taxes as well as from the CSSF." (Taken from part two)
One visible thing about the complete "undermining of Russia", is that a large amount of bureaucratic planning has gone into it. The quantity of companies that have been employed and with specific duties to perform is shocking. An incidental factor is that the UK and French participants get well paid. £975 or £700 per day, in comparaison to "locally found" participants.
Other things of note are the targeting of Russian speaking, younger age groups and the admission that the over 40's are more difficult to change. (This is a common factor for other areas of propaganda as well.)
The "Covid story" has had an effect. No longer are "mother and daughter tea parties" with 40 participants possible. Not a joke, but it serves to underline the thoroughness of the propaganda effort leading up to effect a "regime change".
----
About the Monarchy, and inferred connection to the "landed Gentry Aristocracy". Possible, but would rely on education in the "best" Schools, and their production of eligible members of "secret" manipulative societies via old boy networks, as well as "ordinary" leaders. ie Politicians, Top civil servants.
Private Schools such as Eton and Harrow have recognised "specialities" and form the basis of networks. It is not for nothing that you have to put the names down of likely progeny almost at birth. Closed shop attitude as in a "trade Union"! ST. Johns, Leatherhead, produces clergy for example.
The UK Monarchy was connected by intermarriage to almost all the Royalty in Europe. There are still connections (for those who have the cash), through such goups as Bilderberg, etc.
The relation of the "Dukes" to a desire to take over Russia, is a possible source of interest. ie. The Duke of Grosvernor owns the Square mile of the City of London. (Which is an entity in itself.) The City has the key to the finance of the UK and much of the "dark money, and money laundering in the world.
----
all for today.
Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 16 2021 11:33 utc | 67
I have met a few of the new minions being trained in London, more on that later.
First though thanks for flagging again the latest Intriguing and interesting batch of releases by ?. Are they hacked secrets or are they more leaks by the minions of the over reaching hand of Empire? My money is on a genuine cyberwarfare battle that the 5+1 eyed Gollum proxy’s picked against the Russian/Chinese and LOST. The hubristic and fake crying wolf, about leaks being blamed on R/C, has become reality - if the victims are attacked for something they did not do - they are fully justified in then actually defending themselves in the manner accused.
The Ancient Bankers last throw of the dice. The Thousand Year Empire (as alluded to by other commenters) is indeed coming to an end. It is within 2 generations. Let’s posit that it started in 1066 or there abouts. Following that trail and joining the dots draws a very revealing and simple picture.
The old powers don’t operate secretly, they are after all the Power, they are proud - why would they hide?
It is of course true they don’t publicise or teach it generally - that is why Media and Education have always been controlled.
They chose their Old God Lud’ spiritual home from when a millennia before they sent Romans up to the furthest reaches of the Tidal Thames to set their Throne.
From thence they launched their Thousand Year Crusades. And over the Centuries they have achieved many successes except ONE - the conquest of Russia and its vast resources. And China - which they had a measure of success at plundering through the enforced enslavement by Opium.
The conquests always involved placing their minions in charge of their artificially created Nation States - one must really be aware of the Treaty of Westphalia to comprehend the true reason for setting up Nation States - to overcome rhe natural tribal lands of peoples. They even tried it on with the attempted intermingling of the Romanovs - who resisted and had to be exterminated and ELIMINATED in their fake revolution with their fake Marxist ideology. Which was created at the same time as their fake Capitalist ideology, Marx and Mills are merely the agents and arms of the same body and mind, the sugary sweet Coke and Pepsi to appeal and hide the truth of Money from the peasants and slaves, but mostly from their Head Minions until some of these are raised to be able to seat at the top table having earned the right as the Slave Masters/ CEO’s of the true, real, original Owners.
The European Empires and all nation states are mere extension of the ‘Corporate supra-National’ vehicle that has always been the primary chariot of ownership of lands, resources and PEOPLE or slaves as they see us.
Why do you suppose the English Royal Family allowed the complete destruction of their cousins who shared the same Victoria as the brood mare that was used to populate all the European Royalty?
When they so easily could have provided protection and asylum for decades and generations so that a Blood line would exist to threaten reestablishment.
One or two ‘British’ Royals may have tried to resist through history - Henry I for instance and George III - it is easy to see which because the Media and Education tell us they were bad or mad! That’s the instant giveaway - look at the kids school books through the ages and the fairytales they taught.
Putins speech not reported with the cover of Novalny is all one needs to know of how desperate the declining and falling Empire is getting in its death throes.
Anyway this comment is already getting long so let me finish with the young Integrity Initiated recruits that I met who were being trained and inducted in London a couple of years ago, by the minions of the Ancient Powers (most will never realise who their true lords and masters are)
Some western backed oligarchs wife’s ‘independent’ broadcasting TV channel had recruited some English speaking young Russians and were training them in prejudice against Putin whilst encouraging them with western Cultural values they want to establish in the young generations of Russians - so they can be finally enrolled as willing minions as the Europeans mostly always were.
They were taken on a pub crawl to be shown how the modern minions should live. Their Minders being very protective of the conversations they were allowed to get into.
Having engaged the wide eyed trainee Mouthpieces who parroted what they were learning ‘Putin Bad’ ‘West Good’ , Russia needs ‘Saving’ - I suggested they were mistaken and there were many Russians who had come to work in London in previous years but a lot fewer in recent years - obviously because there was plenty to earn in Russia. I further stated about massive amounts of Russian Tourism I had personally witnessed across the World - which illustrated how well ‘Putin’ had changed their disposable income in less than 20 years. They were genuinely surprised that there had been many other Russians coming to England to work (they were not taught that by their trainers) or that the British people who defied their Government to go and watch the World Cup - had a brilliant , safe and inexpensive visit and had nothing but good things to say about Russia. And then it got onto the Novichok lie put out a few months earlier to put people going and seeing for themselves the lie of Evil Russia and its backwardness. I had bought them a round and the minders had thought themselves as having been the good chaperones up until that point - then I asked where the Company they worked for and the Oligarchs wife had got their Money from and why if they were so supposedly censored was Putin even allowing them to set up as a media operation in Russia! - the conversations were brought to a close with - ‘look we are only trying to ‘unwind’ this is not why we came to your pub’ ! They were dragged off to another Shoreditchy cultural propaganda lesson.
I felt sorry for them and how little they knew and what they were letting themselves be brainwashed into - the minders I looked straight in the eye as they were panicking as I messed up their lies.
I see now, that was just a strand of the ongoing revelations of the hack of the wirmtongues of dis-Integrity piss-Iniative.
I am DunGroanin . Proud of being Censored and banned by both On-Guardian and Off-Guardian tweedle dums for seeing through their ii facade’s.
Posted by: DunGroanin | Feb 16 2021 11:48 utc | 68
kiwiklown | Feb 15 2021 23:39 utc | 33
Please leave a few more crumbs for enquiring minds to grasp the perfidy of the albion?
Hello Kiwi.
some more crumbs? Well, can you see why the British did not want Wallis Simpson as their future Queen? Why Edward viii was forced to abdicate by his mother, the then Queen? And why they did not want Diana to become Queen*, why she was murdered by her great aunt, the Shadow Sovereign**?
Once you understand how power works within the Empire a lot of the fog dissipates.
*Under the rules of the Anglican Church there was no divorce between Charles and Diana. She remained Princess of Wales until her "unfortunate" death.
**aka "powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge"
Posted by: John Cleary | Feb 16 2021 12:47 utc | 69
psychohistorian 39
Your comment on the BoE 3% stock is a gem, thanks. So nationalisation was, like many other things, quite different for TPTB as opposed to the rest of us.
Stonebird 68
Your comment re the Duke of Westminster's ownership of the Square Mile is intriguing as its not included in any articles on his property empire that I have seen. Is there anything out there that I can read on it?
Posted by: JohninMK | Feb 16 2021 12:59 utc | 70
MarkU | Feb 15 2021 21:33 utc | 16
That just leaves us as the target, they are quite obviously manufacturing consent. Do they actually mean to start WW3? or is it a bluff intended to frighten the Russians into submission? Or ruin their economy with massive increases in arms expenditure?
I should think that you are right that we are the target audience and that the aim is to get our "misinformed consent" for lot more arms.
I am relatively optimistic about a hot war as the rational powers don't want a war and will not start one, while the others have done their war games and have always come off second best. (They have even admitted as much!) OTOH, the flood of money going to the MIC, while colossal, is never enough, but a hot war would disturb a very cosy set up.
Posted by: foolisholdman | Feb 16 2021 15:03 utc | 71
vetinLA @Feb16 6:32 #60
Those beliefs led us to DJT..
Obama, Bernie and DJT have led their flocks to nowhere. What led us to them is the establishment's desire to derail populist Movements.
One clue (among many): Each of these so-called populists is pro-Empire.
- Obama conducted covert wars and regime changes. He declined to prosecute any CIA people for rendition & torture and dismissed privacy concerns about NSA spying. He also lied to us: 1) about a 'public option' in his healthcare plan and 2) never making the Bush tax cuts permanent (Obama participated in the 'fiscal cliff' farce that made most Bush tax cuts permanent while cutting social programs);
- Bernie, aka "Senator F35" is a closet Zionist that supports the Empire. He was Hillary's sheepdog in 2016. He then founded "Our Revolution", a nonprofit that accepted money from large donors. Bernie folded like a tent in 2020 to support establishment candidate Biden. Bernie put forth a bogus bill to end US involvement in the Saudi war on Yemen that would not actually end that involvement due to an exception. And he has criticized Venezuela's Maduro as USA has been trying to overthrow him.
- Trump - a billionaire conman, Clinton insider, and friend of Epstein - got in front of the Tea Party parade with slogans like "America First". His actions show that he is a fraud who is actual "Empire First". Trump dramatically increased spending on the military, terminated multiple peace agreements, renegged on his peace deal with North Korea, gave Israel everything on its wish list (including killing Iranian Gen. Soleimani), militarized space, and continued the War on Whistle-blowers with prosecution of Assange. Along the way he lied to the American people about the severity of the looming pandemic and excused MbS's killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
Nothing will change as long as we keep falling for compromised leaders that are promoted by a compromised media.
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Feb 16 2021 15:08 utc | 72
JohninMK | Feb 16 2021 12:59 utc | 70
I heard this when I was a student in London. It may be hearsay after all, as I also tried to find relevant info after your comment. Trouble is the enormous power of the City, the Banks, and major corporations all who have a "vote" (or not) in the affairs of the Corporation, make any detailed study next to impossible. Trusts, etc. I followed somebodies FOI request which led to ..... nothing.
Note that known Grosvenor territory (the house I had a flat in. The street belonged to them.) were part of their assets, and in the last seven years of a 99yr lease. After which it had to be "returned in the same state as it was "sold" in the first place.
The present Duke does apparently not have much to say in the Grosvenor Family Trust. He is still rich. (according to one grovelling article).
It does make a prime suspect for setting up the Anti-Russian saga, as those Banks/Corporations and Billionaires etc. would be the ones to profit massively from a"regime change".
tut, tut !!
Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 16 2021 15:49 utc | 73
The relation of the "Dukes" to a desire to take over Russia, is a possible source of interest. ie. The Duke of Grosvernor owns the Square mile of the City of London. (Which is an entity in itself.) The City has the key to the finance of the UK and much of the "dark money, and money laundering in the world.
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all for today.
Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 16 2021 11:33 utc | 68
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1) its Duke of Westminster, Grosvenor is the family name
2). Very unlikely to be true as the "square mile" existed as a City of London corporate entity long before there ever was a Duke of Westminster
A lot of the Grosvenor family's current wealth comes from ground rents, leases and building rent for some of the most exculsive upmarket areas of West London, Belgravia & Mayfair etc, which were developed as the London expanded rapidly in the 1800s.
But I seriously doubt the "Square Mile" is among them.
Here's a handy guide I found. Not claiming it is definitive.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/whoownsengland.org/2017/10/28/who-owns-central-london/amp/
Much of The Square Mile appears to be owned by The City of London Corporation.
As to who actually owns The City of London Corporation? Well your guess is as good as mine, but I'm not aware of any reliable info regarding any of it being owned by the Grosvenor family
Posted by: Triden | Feb 16 2021 16:38 utc | 74
https://www.google.com/amp/s/whoownsengland.org/2017/10/28/who-owns-central-london/amp/
There are one or two useful maps at that link none of which show land holdings by the landowning West London "great families", in or around The City of London "square mile".
This makes sense since, as I said earlier, the City of London Corporation existed as a corporate entity long before many of these families rose to prominence
Posted by: Triden | Feb 16 2021 16:43 utc | 75
The peculiar status of the City of London is what has made it a great financial center, for it can regulate itself (and does, to some extent, if only to keep the scandalmongers at bay), unlike the New York and Swiss financial centers, which are subject to "outside" oversight, New York by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and Switzerland by the FINMA (Financial Market Supervisory Authority).
Posted by: RJPJR | Feb 16 2021 2:54 utc | 46
I do not think this is correct
Firms operating from the Square Mile are regulated by two regulatory authorities:
The Prudential Regulation Authority, and the Financial Conduct Authority.
Posted by: Triden | Feb 16 2021 16:57 utc | 76
The real power in the City is held by the "Worshipful Companies" membership of which confers on the holder the right to have a say in City of London elections
Posted by: Triden | Feb 16 2021 17:00 utc | 77
flushing the parasitical Brenda Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/Winsdor/Battenburg/Mountbatten from their body politic. Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 16 2021 6:53 utc | 63
Battenberg, not Battenburg. The first is Mount Batten in English, the second, Battenburgh? Perhaps you want to deport all of them to Thuringia where they could buy manors in Coburg and Gotha.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 16 2021 17:15 utc | 78
You see? The Lord-Mayor of London is mentioned by name.
It is my belief that this underpins, at least in part, the powers and privileges of the CoL
Posted by: John Cleary | Feb 15 2021 23:33 utc | 31
The Lord Mayor of London is Mayor of London, not the City of London. He has no jurisdiction whatsoever over the City of London, which has its own structures.
Posted by: BM | Feb 16 2021 17:18 utc | 79
Like clockwork, the NYT begins to set a rationalization for more US imperialism in Syria. This is such a contrived article. It doesn't come out of the blue.
These ferocious dogs never stop. The push is to rebuild the Turkish relationship, and so regain influence over Syria through 'protecting Idlib' and its 'children.'
Posted by: Prof K | Feb 16 2021 17:23 utc | 80
Karlofi (with all due respect for your posts)
About Tim Kirby advises to Russia.the guy is completely delusional and really ignorant of Russia history and mental structures.Russi is not going to metamporphose in USA or UEJohn Hermer: http://johnhelmer.net/1000th-dance-with-bears/
But Russia is going fine with China
Posted by: Charles Michael | Feb 16 2021 17:33 utc | 81
Charles Michael @81--
Thanks for your reply! I've often disagreed with Kirby; but as I wrote in my first linking to his essay, there are some suggestions that merge with ideas we've discussed over the months here. I've written about what I see as Russia's fundamental ideology, how it differs from the West, and fume intensely when Putin says differences with the West aren't ideological when it's so clear they are--Putin just laid out the vast chasm in his Davos speech. Lavrov just reiterated that Russia cannot abide nations/organizations that are pathological prevaricators. And China is the same. IMO, the First Principles of Russia and China are the ones humanity needs to adhere to and merge with policy. They are the same as those proposed by Henry Wallace for his Century of The Common Man. I see them as an evolutionary step forward to a Commonwealth of Humanity that would inspire a Great Leveling--which the elite of course oppose. The most recent manifestation of the Abrahamic Religions also appeals to such an arrangement as does most Afro/Asian philosophy.
What we have is an embattled minority trying to keep its power using every trick at its disposal. The #1 question most of us have: Is that minority suicidal--will it see nuclear war as a way to keep its position? Putin has answered that if it does try it will lose. And IMO, the minority knows that it currently will lose but hopes to reverse that outcome--They don't seek compromise as they want it all. And that's where the big problem lies--How to dissuade them of their unattainable Zero-sum Fetish?
Triden, 76, RJPJR may not literally be correct but if you think The Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority exercise genuine oversight and regulation of the affairs of City firms I have a nice tunnel between Scotland and Ireland for you to invest in.
Posted by: Phil Espin | Feb 16 2021 18:22 utc | 83
So empire (is it British, American, Jewish...) threw up Donald Trump as the attempt to gather the totally delusional around a maniacal "strong/bully" leader to push back against the Russia/China axis and it didn't work entirely like they wanted but it broke enough social anchors to increase the fragility/fear factors of society. When the mostly manufactured crisis does come they trust their ability to manufacture Western outcomes that keep private finance alive and with some ongoing control over some chunk of the world.
I don't expect to live to see private finance go entirely away anymore. I think the trajectory is set in that direction but the timeframe will be longer than I wanted/expected. Look at the number of commenters here that still want to play whack-a-mole bad apples games while behind the curtain the global private finance elite are continuing their species perversion through British ways like b has shown here.
The West needs a better social system that has the broader public instead of a cult of folks as its focus or we will continue our road to deserved extinction.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 16 2021 18:24 utc | 84
emersonreturn @ 9, I have just done the same this morning as gently as I could with family members in New Zealand. It is very hard for them to recognize this is not all Trump's doing - especially when they are benefitting from better government themselves as far as coping with the virus, and they remember fondly better days in the relationship with the US.
All we can do is keep trying.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 16 2021 18:47 utc | 85
Lavrov at work, day after day. Today with Togolese Foreign Minister, a quick translation so as to induce a little smile:
Question: How do Western countries view the rapprochement between Russia and African countries?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: In different ways. Some are neutral, others, like the former US Administration, are very negative. Former US Secretary of State M. Pompeo traveled to Africa before the end of President Trump's term and publicly urged not to cooperate with Russia and China in the field of trade, because Moscow and Beijing allegedly proceed from geopolitical interests, trying to benefit. The United States, on the other hand, "does it from the heart." I will not comment on this kind of position.
Recently, representatives of the new US Administration called on the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to be viewed with suspicion, since again, this is a "Kremlin's geopolitical plan" and one must be "careful" not to become "dependent on Russia."
Posted by: Paco | Feb 16 2021 18:56 utc | 86
I think Crimea was meant to be the new homeland for Israel citizens,when the usurpator state goes down.Now they will have to save themselves to Patagonia.
Posted by: willie | Feb 16 2021 19:00 utc | 87
Intriguing topic.
It's anyone's guess why the Christian West's front-of-curtain leaders are training the Homeland serfs to become accustomed to 24/7 lies about remote enemies. The notion that the West can "win" a war with Russia/China is laughable. Each/both could retaliate EFFECTIVELY if attacked. So if the bs isn't about WWIII then what is it about?
My guess is that it's nothing more sophisticated than Creative Distraction from what's been going on in AmeriKKKa and, to a lesser extent the Rest of the West, since the Oligarchs had their own taxes slashed in the '70s, '80s and '90s. This helped to fund the Oligarch's favourite hobby: "Privatise Every Publicly Owned Monopoly/Utility." Keeping wage-growth flat also helped to fund the take-over.
From a country-to-country perspective the trend, whilst quite uneven, has been inexorable. And there is a notable absence of serious debate about reversing the trend.
It doesn't matter what the ultimate goal of this social engineering may or may not be. It has to be reversed. And one way to reverse it would be to submit every excuse Rich People use to justify their tax breaks to Public Scrutiny and laughed out of court.
In the 1950s Rich People, worldwide, paid eye-watering Taxes on all 'excess income' beyond the top marginal rate. And when they went to Heaven their Estate was taxed on its 'excess value'. They've killed off those taxes too, by playing one country/ jurisdiction off against another - using Lawfare (high-priced lawyers whom ordinary folk can't afford).
They're too eerily inept to win a war against Russia/China. Their war is against their own countrymen. And it's aim is to prevent as many serfs as possible from getting their grubby little mits on OUR MONEY!
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Feb 16 2021 19:11 utc | 88
Triden, 76, RJPJR may not literally be correct but if you think The Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority exercise genuine oversight and regulation of the affairs of City firms I have a nice tunnel between Scotland and Ireland for you to invest in.
Posted by: Phil Espin | Feb 16 2021 18:22 utc | 83
Well the definition of the term "genuine oversight" is both a very debatable and very subjective one.
But i can say with absolute certainty that it is a phrase I never used, nor did anyone else until you injected it into the conversation.
I can also say with some certainty that both City regulatory authorities excersise at least as much oversight ["genuine" or otherwise] on their City wideboys as either the SEC in NY, or FINMA in Switzerland, do on NY or Zurich wideboys ........ which was the point in contention.
Posted by: Triden | Feb 16 2021 19:13 utc | 89
Thank you, karlof1 @ 14; Crooke's essay is masterful! If only others in the West could be persuaded to read it -- the references to Ireland and India are so persuasive, but then he doesn't stop but demonstrates how the situation today is so much worse. The bolded quote,
"...We may have democracy, or we may have surveillance society, but we cannot have both.” (Emphasis added).,
has to be seen in the entirety of the article to be appreciated, and his definition of the EU as a cartel is pure genius! They are all not even worthy of the title 'empire' -- they are all cartels!!
Posted by: juliania | Feb 16 2021 19:19 utc | 90
Yesterday's Lavrov presser has finally had the Q&A section added to it and its a doosey! Lavrov's sounds incendiary in print! "Question: Your recent interview generated a lot of controversy. You implied that Russia admits the possibility of breaking off with the EU. How do you see this break and what conditions would have to happen for it to occur, that is, where does Moscow draw the red line?"
Lavrov: "This interview took place on February 12, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell was here on February 5. Upon his return, he made a number of statements to the effect that Russia had failed to live up to expectations and to become a modern democracy and is rapidly moving away from Europe. That is, it sounded as if Russia was a hopeless case. This happened several days before the interview. Hence, the question as to whether we were ready to break off with the EU during the interview with Vladimir Solovyov based on those remarks about Russia. As a matter of fact, anyone who is even slightly interested in the situation in Europe has long known that a break-off has been underway for many years now. The EU has been consistently tearing down our relations.
"2014 was a turning point. A coup took place in Ukraine, and the EU showed it was helpless and unable to comply with the agreement that was reached between the government and the opposition right before the coup. Importantly, Germany, France and Poland put their signatures under it. The opposition spat on these signatures and on the EU, which thought it was important to comply with this agreement. It was then that the EU was really humiliated. Everyone knows what happened next. By and large, the EU turned a blind eye to the attacks against the residents of Crimea and eastern Ukraine on the part of the ultras and neo-Nazis who came to power, and decided to put all the blame on the Russian Federation.
"The EU has consistently destroyed all the mechanisms without exception that were based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, including the biannual summits and annual meetings between the Russian Government and the European commissioners and presidents of the European Commission, projects to form four common spaces, over 20 sector-specific dialogues and almost every other more or less important contact, as well as the Partnership and Cooperation Council’s annual meetings with the Russian Foreign Minister and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. These meetings were supposed to be used to conduct a full review of all areas of cooperation between Russia and the EU. To reiterate, all of that has been destroyed. Not by us, mind you."
That's the most candid I've read of his answers to the events of that time. Lavrov turns down his fire and brimstone to make this very important distinction as he finishes his answer:
"Importantly, we do not have any problems in our relations with individual European countries, I would even say, most European countries. Russia's relations with Finland are a very good example of how they are being built systematically and based on general principles, primarily, equality and mutual benefit, and how they are translated into the language of specific economic, cultural and other projects that are of interest to both sides.
"The EU should not be confused with Europe. We are not leaving Europe, we have many friends and like-minded people in Europe, and we will continue to expand mutually beneficial relations with them." [My Emphasis]
It's the NATO/EU combo controlled by the Outlaw US Empire that's the problem. And another blast aimed at the EU over Navalny related events:
"In evaluating the questions expressed by Mr Haavisto, we heard that our colleagues from Finland and other EU countries always bring them. We know that they are edited and written by the EU, in Brussels, and are a subject of consensus. We hear this regularly enough, and these statements are practically the same, word for word. If the organisation called the European Union has made this decision, we take it as a certainty. We reply to problematic issues, and the main point we express is how the EU consistently, diligently and deviously avoids specific discussions that are fact-based rather than accusations often made against us for some reason or without any evidence." [My Emphasis]
In the last Q&A, Lavrov again restates what he earlier said about the EU being at fault for the utter erasing of relations that were painstakingly built up over many years, and he repeats what Merkel said at the time foe emphasis, for Russia was innocent of all the crap it was being accused of in 2014:
"At this point, German Chancellor Angela Merkel specially took the floor to say in public that Russia must be punished and that in this situation politics must prevail over the economy. This was very unconventional for a representative of Germany."
This ought to remind people that this proved Merkel to merely be a cheap prostitute unworthy of any trust, who should have been ousted from her position years ago.
Uk loaned 1.5b to Ukraine to build 2 warships for them...plus rebuild shipyards to re construct the navy....paratroopers are training Ukraine forces....do they plan to go against Donbass like this....reminds me of old film a bridge too far where British forces failed ......and Nato gonna give Black Sea a lot more trouble for Russia too.
Posted by: Jo | Feb 16 2021 19:31 utc | 92
Paco @87--
I was just going to post the link to that transcript, From it much can be learned about the degree of Russian involvement in Togo and Africa as a whole; this for example:
"The Association for Economic Cooperation with the African States was created in Russia following the 2019 Sochi summit. It includes representatives from the related departments and major Russian companies. The Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, which is a political association, was created as well. Its secretariat is located at the Russian Foreign Ministry. We agreed to hold the forum’s annual political meetings at the foreign minister level, from Russia and the African Union Troika that is comprised of its former, current and incoming chairpersons. In 2020, we held them via videoconference with the foreign ministers from South Africa, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet in person in 2021."
That's a lot of interaction that also includes Russian businesses, all of which ought to be added to China's activities. In addition to what Paco provided, there's this closing paragraph that reveals more of the Anti-Russian nature of BidenCo:
"It wasn’t long ago that representatives of the new US administration said the Russian Sputnik V vaccine should be treated with suspicion, since it was another geopolitical plan from the Kremlin, and that one must be careful not to become dependent on Russia. It’s sad if they have nothing else to say about normal and friendly relations between countries, and if this is the only thing that they have to say about this. We never make friends with other countries in order to oppose third countries. If Russia and its foreign partners are mutually attracted, we have every right to develop our relations as we see fit. I hope others will also learn their lessons and treat our ties with Africa with respect." [My Emphasis]
Russia and China act while the Outlaw US Empire focuses on fashioning a False Narrative that can easily be seen as such. However, it seems the underlying scourge is becoming easier for English speakers to see: "All animals are equal; but some animals are more equal than others."
Charles Michael @ 83, I would agree with you. Russia should not become more like the US; rather, and more urgently, the reverse. I didn't agree with that post at all. (And by the way, many in the US would agree with us.)
Posted by: juliania | Feb 16 2021 20:01 utc | 95
Well,I have to say oops as well,my post above was in answer to a question of norecovery,and the answer featherless gave.It is not exactly the subject of the thread,though in someway it is.
The term "British Empire" was coined by mathematician,geographer,astrologer,astronomer,cryptographer,conjurer of spirits and would be alchemist John Dee,(1527-1609)who had his entrances to the court of Elisabeth the maiden queen.At that epoch the british were late in conquering the world in comparison to the spanish,portuguese and the dutch.John Dee intensively tried to promote the way to Cathay (Asia) by the NorthWest Passage to which goal he armed an expedition and figured out the barings.Unsuccesfully.He travelled quite a bit abroad,giving lectures,and doing diplomatic missions.With his longtime companion Edward Kelley who was a great fraud and forger of documents,he visited Rudolph II from Habsburg in Prague allegedly to make gold for the Emperor.
https://www.crystalinks.com/johndee.html
The picture I link to has Dee and the queen side by side on the same level,with a crowned mystic rose between them.I do not know if this odd tableau is contemporary.Anyways ,the text below the picture might be interesting to those reading about the building of the Brit Empire.
I put this up as a footnote to John Cleary's posting above,and as an apology for my Crimea post.Even if all those things are correlated.
Posted by: willie | Feb 16 2021 20:14 utc | 96
Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 16 2021 19:48 utc | 94
Too bad the mid.ru site usually does not publish the guests comments and answers, excess of caution maybe, but it was interesting what the Togo foreign minister had to say concerning good relations with the Soviet Union and then Russia in many countries all over Africa, he expressed his gratitude for the many African students in Russia, students that have become high cadres in Togo and other countries. Another interesting point was the fact that Lome is the main deep water port in all of West Africa, and therefore the minister was talking about regional matters, Togo as a hub. Macron must have watched the press conference, after all the foreign minister spoke in French. Russia is recovering lost presence in Africa.
Posted by: Paco | Feb 16 2021 20:14 utc | 97
@karlof1 | Feb 16 2021 19:24 utc | 92
Thanks, this was new and very revealing information!
Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 16 2021 20:15 utc | 98
Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 16 2021 19:51 utc | 95
What a coincidence! I was getting ready to thank you for recalling my all-time favourite meme from English Literature...
"All animals are equal; but some animals are more equal than others."
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Feb 16 2021 20:32 utc | 99
karlof1 @ 92, thank you again for the link to Lavrov's press piece after his meeting with the Finland minister -- I was interested to know the comparison there after what had happened previously. The distinctions made between the EU and separate countries of Europe was very clear - the latter might indeed bring 'cartel' universal statements as required to under their membership duties, but this is not going to make a difference to individual countries' relationships on a person to person basis between those ministers when it comes to all the important trade and 'neighborhood' links that exist between them.
The EU might become a severed link in a growing chain of multipolar national organizations. It might become a hollow shell except in so far as internal discussions and agreements give it legitimacy. "We all agree...except when we don't." Interesting!
Maybe the Queen of Great Britain and Commonwealth might be having second thoughts about the direction her ministers are taking her country in? After all, she wasn't very happy about GBW landing his helicopter in her rose garden, and it's only gotten worse since then.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 16 2021 20:40 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
I and the sane world thank you for your efforts.
Is the veil of potential deceit aggression against empire finally being thrown back? We can only hope that more see that indeed empire has and continues to develop, inspire and operate complicated and convoluted aggressive propaganda against its enemies.
Yes, the efforts of empire seem to be failing but they still own the punch bowl and the masses that are addicted to their koolaid.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 15 2021 19:42 utc | 1