Disarming Ukraine – Day 3 – Moon of Alabama

February 26, 2022

Disarming Ukraine – Day 3

Yesterday the Russian military halted its advance to give time to the Ukrainian president Zelensky to agree to ceasefire talks. The U.S. however told him not to hold such talks and said he should leave Kiev. Up to this morning Russia had received no response to its ceasefire offer and resumed the attack. Zelensky decided to stay in Kiev.

There was little operational news from the ground that could be verified. Despite that lots of claims were made about the progress or non-progress of the Russian campaign. I believe that these claims are nearly all propaganda and will refrain from reproducing them.

Approximate situation today

"Blue dots=Ukraine forces presence/siege of military HQ or control of all main roads around."
Source – bigger

The units from Crimea are moving towards north and east. The eastern group, together with a move from Donbas west, is supposed to surround the Ukrainian units in and around Mariupol. Some Ukrainian units near to Donbas seem to fear getting encircled and are moving out.

There was a Russian attempt to capture another airport by an air assault. It may have failed. I have seen no hard evidence to confirm that in either way.

Russia has moved in more heavy rocket and mortar artillery. The so far rather light touch of the traditionally very strong Russian artillery may well get stronger.

Several European countries are sending weapons to the Ukraine. This is mostly 'small stuff' like machine guns and anti-tank missiles. Throughout the day there were lots of international diplomatic reactions and promises. AP had a live update that catches these.

The idea of kicking Russia out of Swift seems to be still on that table. It would be the beginning of the end of U.S. dollar supremacy.

Cutting Russia off from SWIFT a "matter of days" – euro zone central banker Reuters

The U.S. aim is to create an insurgency in the Ukraine.

The Coming Ukrainian Insurgency – Foreign Affairs
Russia’s Invasion Could Unleash Forces the Kremlin Can’t Control

Since 2015 the CIA has trained Ukrainian groups for exactly that purpose.

CIA-trained Ukrainian paramilitaries may take central role if Russia invades – Yahoo

CIA support for Ukrainian Nazis has a long history.

Op-Ed: The CIA has backed Ukrainian insurgents before. Let’s learn from those mistakes – LA Times

A new Nazi insurgency in eastern Europe is an exceptionally bad idea. Fascist groups form everywhere would join in. A few years from now it may well lead to Nazi terror in many European countries. Have we learned really nothing from the war on Syria and the ISIS campaign?

Posted by b on February 26, 2022 at 18:15 UTC | Permalink

Comments

oldhippie | Feb 26 2022 20:33 utc | 69
Brilliant, a bit like one scene from “Mars attacks”, then he picks up the flag…

Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 26 2022 21:38 utc | 101

@Peter AU1 | Feb 26 2022 21:24 utc | 95

I don’t think that was the case. Those passengers died at very high altitude with no oxygen and a freezing high velocity wind. MH370 disappeared when the track it was thought to have flown was not covered by the west Australian over the horizon radar due to it conveniently being shut down for two weeks to undergo maintenance/upgrades. Some wreckage found off the coast of Africa has been identified as being part of MH370.

The MH370 flight was from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. We have no knowledge whatsoever about how and when they died. It disappeared at the handover point between Malaysia and Vietnam. There is no proof whatsoever it flew south. The supposed wreckage at Madagascar (!) was highly suspicious, and so was the blog promoting it. In my opinion the most logical “destination” of MH370 (containing Chinese computer experts and patent owners) is Diego Garcia. Is this speculation? Yes it is, but the reports from Donbass were real.

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 26 2022 21:39 utc | 102

If we zoom out from Ukriane to observe the various responses from world allied governments isn’t there a painful truth emerging?
That what we all thought was run of the mill evil neo-colonial, neo-liberal take over of the west turns out to have been long infiltrated by ex WW2 nazis in the guise of …well take your pick.
Its not that the west is using Nazis to ruin Ukraine and Russia, perhaps the closer truth is that Nazis already own the West.
Nazi USA, Nazi Israel, Nazi Australia, Canada, England, Nazi ISIS of course etc etc. This would explain why there is almost zero interest in exposing Nazis in Ukraine from anywhere in the west.
In Australia yesterday the leader of the labor party and potential new PM met with the Australian Ukrainian head of the Nazi Banderista (spelling?) organisation in Australia, and pledged support for “Ukraine”. Its from part of a video from one of our minor political parties who are very savvy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVJfTUcZEO4
I know this is a dark extreme view, but it would explain how western governments and military have continued to commit the worst atrocities long after Hitler was “defeated”. Its always bothered me how Hitler has been portrayed as some kind of unique evil when we have since seen even worse in Korea and Vietnam and the Ba;kans and Myanmar and Africa etc

Posted by: K | Feb 26 2022 21:39 utc | 103

I think the threat of an insurgency to bog Russia down is hollow. Russia has an obvious counter. So far it has held back Shiites in Syria and Iraq from using their best stuff against American bases and causing serious casualties. The Russians can turn them loose on the Americans if the Americans support Ukrainian insurgents. Just ask yourself whether the US will want to risk its lucrative Middle Eastern position for worthless Ukraine just to make trouble for Russia? Indeed, the Russians might decide the time is right for a demonstration attack in Syria that takes a dozen or two dozen US soldiers, with US retaliation seriously discouraged by the risk hitting Russians in Syria and igniting WWIII. The Americans would then get the point and keep hands mostly off the new Ukraine Russia will likely create.

Posted by: Midge | Feb 26 2022 21:39 utc | 104

Why Putin keeps winning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror,_Mirror_(Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series)
I keep reading insulting and simple minded opinions about Putin that clearly miss the mark. This has gone on for years. A ‘thug’, a dictator, a short angry man bullied in his childhood, blah, blah.
Think of StarTrek’s Mr. Spock as a dictator. Coldly rational. Ruthless. Principled in his own way.
A highly intelligent, somewhat autistic nationalist. Very different from other world leaders, subject to booze, corruption, bribes, or honey traps. The only emotion (actual tears) I’ve seen from him were in response to a patriotic display.
They truly don’t get him. And that’s why he will ‘win’ in the end.

Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 26 2022 21:41 utc | 105

@ Peter AU1 | Feb 26 2022 21:16 utc | 91
Thank you Peter. I will take a look.
And I did not mean to advocate for burning and pillaging kind of thing. I am hoping that Russia will demonstrate proper regard for civilian population as I believe is at the core of their planning.
My concern is that Russia has behaved as if they did not realize what they are up against – of course that is naive on my part but it is painful to watch the slow progression
Ukraine is the tip of the iceberg. Clearly behind Ukraine is NADO and behind NADO is US/UK. But US/UK is store front for global elite and Russia has caused then to set down their martinis and take note. I believe China is to be next representative of the elite as they are owned and reliant on global trade. China would replace US as global enforcer as US is tired and disfunctional. All that stands in their way in China is simple coup. China like Japan has head up backside of elite which basically just embodiment of global commercial interests – always the source of war and civil unrest. China and elite are yin/yang.
Russias efforts will be met with increasing and almost limitless resources – all the world feeds the FED. Russia needs to take advantage of the surprise element that they currently have – stay ahead of curve. Take out every border crossing – to extent possible.
That is my view – not really worth anything but putting it out there.

Posted by: jared | Feb 26 2022 21:45 utc | 106

@K | Feb 26 2022 21:39 utc | 103
You have a point.

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 26 2022 21:45 utc | 107

@ Peter AU1 | Feb 26 2022 21:16 utc | 91
I liked this thought – in regard to deciding whether to fight.

The most obvious line demonstrated in the thirteen chapters in regards to the tale above, is that if fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it. This is the crux of the story. So the second half of the line then must also be believed: if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler’s bidding. Elsewhere we are told the same message, one of the five essentials for victory is knowing when to fight and when not to fight.

But having decided to fight, one must plan (in light of changing conditions) to win – Russia can not afford to lose this.

Posted by: jared | Feb 26 2022 21:58 utc | 108

@Passer by
There’s no possibility of Ukraine getting nukes. He just said perhaps they shouldn’t given up their nukes in the 90s or something to that effect.
I really did not perceive an imminent threat from Ukraine, and I think the costs of this action far outweigh the benefits. I really can’t even articulate what the benefits are.

Posted by: bachac | Feb 26 2022 21:58 utc | 109

It looks to me that MH370 was controlled remotely using access to the new systems placed aboard passenger jets after 9/11 that allows ground control the ability to remotely control jets supposedly in the hands of terrorists.
The route the jet took to avoid contact with the ground was perfect, like threading a needle. The passenger purposely frozen to death, and the plane eventually dumped in the far south Indian Ocean.
Aboard that plane were Chinese scientists of the Chinese microchip industry. Possibly onboard in cargo was high-end lithograph machinery.

Posted by: Arthurdent | Feb 26 2022 22:00 utc | 110

It’s taken me three years to at least partially encourage three of my friends to comprehend this situation. They are intelligent, college educated. My closest friend of the three works full time, so I really do understand that at the end of a day the most she can do is collapse in a chair and watch the propaganda mistaking it for news.
Her family, liberal “democrats,” circulate the latest bulletin from Bernie Sanders, which, where do you start? It’s too time consuming and requires a lot of detail. Like, “Nato is a force for good and follows international law!” In a conversation, it’s difficult to pull up the documents debunking this fallacy. Or go back 20 years in time and provide the historical content.
Until this is sorted out, it’s not going to be easy communicating.

Posted by: Geoff | Feb 26 2022 22:01 utc | 111

Russiagate, along with 100 years of anti-russian sentiment and propaganda, have made the americans incredibly unreasonable, if not downright imbecilic. Very intolerant.
just another part of the psyOps against any perspective but the one of the US-centralized Empire.
This wanker, by the way, is a Democrat
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/landonmion/2022/02/25/eric-swalwell-says-kicking-every-russian-student-out-of-the-us-should-be-on-the-t-n2603821
Eric Swalwell Says ‘Kicking Every Russian Student’ Out of the U.S. Should Be ‘On the Table’
“Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California suggested Friday that kicking Russian students out of U.S. colleges and universities should be looked at as a possible deterrent to Russia after the country’s President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into Ukraine earlier this week.
Asked during a Thursday appearance on “CNN Newsroom” about potential sanctions the U.S. should use against Russia, Swalwell proposed penalizing Russian students attending college in the U.S….”

Posted by: michaelj72 | Feb 26 2022 22:04 utc | 112

Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 26 2022 21:31 utc | 98
Concerning the small boats attack, if it is denied then that’s the confirmation.
John Kirby
Russian claims that the United States was involved in any way with Ukrainian naval operations near the Zmiiny Island are false. We did not provide ISR or any other support. Chalk this up to just one more lie by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
They better heed Putin’s warning, third parties stay out of it.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Feb 26 2022 21:14 utc | 89
Excellent article by Doctorow’s, he mentions the Serpents Island incident, Zelensky claimed a dozen of fallen heroes, while eighty two guys were shipped to Sevastopol, fed and soon to be sent home. They did not even know how many people they had in that island.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/23084

Posted by: Paco | Feb 26 2022 22:08 utc | 113

jared 108
Russia plans to win and I think they will. they understand US has tried to set a trap in Ukraine, just as US tried to do in Syria. Since Moving into Syria, Russia have always been able to turn US moves and traps to their advantage. also China knows full well that if Russia goes down, they will face the US alone. To understand the Chinese leadership better it is a must to understand how much they have done for their people. They have Russia’s back and Russia has China’s back.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 26 2022 22:11 utc | 114

@ K 103, 107 Norwegian
A disturbing point,.. how we refuse to look into our own shadows.
I have one question however. Hitler used National Socialism as a vehicle to unite and ‘purify’ Germanic people from the elite empowered perversions he documented in Austria.
What are today’s nazi-ites tring to to preserve? Especially if they are now the elite? And if it isn’t race, What qualifies for inclusion? A Soros club card?

Posted by: Les7 | Feb 26 2022 22:13 utc | 115

@106 jared
China would love nothing better than to gain that role. However US top elites don’t want to have their influence diminished to make room for their Chinese counterparts, who already have more total wealth in unadjusted dollar terms (McKinsey 2021). Of less interest to elites, they’ve already lapped the US in material economy, and compete with Taiwan, Japan, Germany, and Korea for key industrial niches.
So eventually something will happen to square the financial and material reality with the squishy structures of world leadership. That’s years away, maybe more than a decade.
For a while the status quo was upheld by unquestioned US military dominance globally. China is coming up from behind in that department, methodically and with a solid economic base, developing that aspect of world influence at about 3x the speed of the US (and that’s at 2% GDP only) . Until they catch up though, say 2030ish, every means of leverage will be used to preserve the #1 financial hegemonic status of the US, I’d expect shamelessly without regard for any other consideration whatsoever.

Posted by: ptb | Feb 26 2022 22:14 utc | 116

cyborgs are so cyborgs…
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/23642
( a comical relief post )

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 26 2022 22:17 utc | 117

Posted by: bachac | Feb 26 2022 21:58 utc | 109
Well, he did say that the Budapest Memorandum decisions will be in doubt.
“If they do not happen again or their results do not guarantee security for our country, Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt.”
Where did the Indian media get this, though?
Ukraine was allegedly making plans to produce 8-10 nuclear bombs with the available plutonium with support from certain foreign powers, sources indicated to ET.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/russian-control-of-chernobyl-may-have-been-aimed-against-alleged-ukrainian-plan-to-produce-nukes/articleshow/89836416.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Posted by: Passer by | Feb 26 2022 22:19 utc | 118

Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 26 2022 21:41 utc | 105
“I keep reading insulting and simple minded opinions about Putin that clearly miss the mark. This has gone on for years… Coldly rational. Ruthless. Principled in his own way.
A highly intelligent, somewhat autistic nationalist.”
I’m on the autistic spectrum myself, with what used to be called Asperger’s Syndrome. I noticed what you mention beginning just after the formation of the DPR and LPR, with all the charges of “Russian invasion”. The media tone was aimed at Neurotypical folk: “See, he doesn’t *think* like you. You can’t trust him. He may as well be *alien*, who knows what he has planned…”
Through all we experience growing up, we on the spectrum all tend to be very keenly sensitive to anything being unfair, unjust, unequal, deceitful, manipulative. This doesn’t determine political tendencies: Putin became the nationalist he is devoted to capitalist, post-Soviet Russia; I became a communist in the heart of the US Empire; others Aspies or Auties will find their own worldviews. But I totally get Putin’s focus, devotion to principle and yes, ability to be ruthless in pursuit of his principles as he sees them.
“The only emotion (actual tears) I’ve seen from him were in response to a patriotic display. They truly don’t get him. And that’s why he will ‘win’ in the end.”
Because we have a different emotional map than Neurotypicals there is a misconception we don’t feel emotions. We feel, very deeply. I recall Britain in the 1960s planned to use autistics to oversee triage after a nuclear war “because we don’t feel” and (they thought) wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the carnage. The Nazi regime aimed to slaughter anyone they deemed “mentally defective” but Dr. Asperger convinced them to let him determine whether we could be “put to use”, committing crimes that no Neurotypical could, “because we don’t feel”.
The Nazis may have noticed us, but going by everyone on the autistic spectrum I’ve ever met, we all hate them with a deep, cold fury. Let them be sorry they ever noticed us. On this, yes, I am a “Putin-understander”.

Posted by: Vintage Red | Feb 26 2022 22:23 utc | 119

So Russian Banks cut off from Swift, EU closes airspace to Russia and like I said previously, Russia should just go fuck it, disconnect from SWIFT, and cut diplomatic ties with EU, maybe US too.

Posted by: Trisha | Feb 26 2022 22:25 utc | 120

@ bachac | 77
I think there were a few key events that precipitated Russia’s action at this time:
-two recent regime-change attempts (Belorus and Kazakhstan) which indicated America’s unrelenting connivance;
-withdrawal of western embassy staff which suggested they were putting no stock in diplomacy;
-ongoing provision of additional weapons;
-ramping up bio-weapon labs in Ukraine; and
-the strategic opportunity to kettle and destroy neonasty troops being concentrated at the borders of Donbass.

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Feb 26 2022 22:25 utc | 121

Where are the neo-nazis hiding?
Hiding in plain sight …
From my article in 2014 …

State Department’s Jen Psaki struggles to defend Kiev’s inflammatory remarks
State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki found herself in an awkward position after she had to defend remarks by Ukrainian politicians who used unconventional language while addressing their Russian counterparts and their own Russian-speaking population. In particular, Ukranian Foreign Minister Andrey Deshchitsa chanted “Putin’s a f**ker” with a cheering crowd that had earlier vandalized the Russian embassy. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called people in Donetsk and Luhanks regions “subhumans”.
Just a fortnight before the accident Malaysian flight MH17 …
’Kiev has right to use airstrikes to defend sovereignty’ – Psaki | July 7, 2014 |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCy4ndFvF4Q
US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters that the Ukrainian government using airstrikes that kill civilians to defend its own territory. Responding to RT’s Gayane Chichakyan question about civilian deaths after Ukrainian army’s airstrikes, Jen Psaki said that Kiev has right to do that as any sovereign state in the world.
[See also sovereign states: Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Syria and Turkey – Oui]

Posted by: Oui | Feb 26 2022 22:26 utc | 122

Ukrainian FM chants ‘Putin – f**ker’ at vandalized Russian embassy in Kiev | RT – June 15, 2014 |
https://www.rt.com/news/166020-ukraine-minister-effing-putin/

Posted by: Oui | Feb 26 2022 22:27 utc | 123

@ K 103
The “Nazi” evils — conquest, genocide, ethnic cleansing — are hardly new or unique but rather have been practiced by various empires before and since. “Nazi” is more a marketing label. I once even read, perhaps here at MoA, that the word rose to prominence *after* ww2 in order to stop saying “we defeated the evil Germans” (now “good guys” under USUK control) and to start saying “we defeated the evil Nazi’s”. It’s convenient for movies because, like “zombies”, no one gets offended no matter how many they kill on screen.
IMO, the British Empire never went away. It regained its colonies and seeks to return to conquering China (as the Europeans once did) and Russia (where they’ve tried but so far failed).

Posted by: nom de derriere | Feb 26 2022 22:28 utc | 124

K | Feb 26 2022 21:39 utc | 103
Morrison and crew are all part of the Abbott fascist faction of the liberal party.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2014/04/21/tony-abbott-the-ndh-and-australias-fascist-affair/
The occasion was a speech given by a representative of Abbott, Craig Kelly MP. Being in Japan, Abbott had delegated the task of congratulating members of the Australian Croatian community in Sydney on Croatian independence attained in April 10. This was more than a bit awkward, given that April 10 was the date of the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) after the Kingdom of Yugoslavia ceased to exist under Axis rule in 1941. If ever you wanted to back some unsavoury company, you couldn’t do much better than officials and sympathisers of the NDH.
Speaking at the Croatian Club in Sydney on April 13, Kelly’s words were noted in the Australian Croatian weekly Boca KroPress: “On behalf of the Prime Minister, who is in Japan, I’m conveying his greetings and good wishes on the occasion of the celebration of the 10th of April to you and all Croats in Australia, and those in Croatia.” The report also notes the presence of 200 Croats, various Australian politicians and a Ukrainian diplomat.
…….
A news article of the day. What the Serb ambassador had to say.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/serbian-ambassador-angered-over-croatian-event-in-sydney/q7gm0ik5x
Calling this government fascist is not just a figure of speech. they connect directly to the wwii and pre wwii fascists of Europe.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 26 2022 22:29 utc | 125

@Les7 | Feb 26 2022 22:13 utc | 115
I am not a Nazi and I do not understand how these people are thinking. From the outside it looks like pure psychopathy and extreme power drunk people. When you start to get power over life and death the beast comes out and all rationality disappears. Obviously they know the consequences of being caught, so when cornered they become even more extreme.
I don’t think this is unique to Nazi ideology. The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia killed millions over some distorted idea to return to the very basic roots of Khmer society. The start was a legitimate fight against French and US warfare, but the process became a runaway train ending in disaster. The scary part is I see similarities with Khmer Rouge mentality in some of the people in “green” parties in the west, and what we are looking at today looks like a runaway train to me…

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 26 2022 22:30 utc | 126

@sean the leprechaun (45) ” If Mr Putin is true to his word, and Turkey still intends on supplying drones to Ukraine, might we see some industrial parks in Turkey go boom?”
Nope, Turkey is a member of NATO, and I doubt that Russia wants to go in that direction.

Posted by: Rob | Feb 26 2022 22:31 utc | 127

Lavrov tells Cavusoglu Moscow is ready for settlement of Ukraine crisis – Foreign Ministry | Tass |
Russian Foreign Minister briefs Turkish top diplomat on Russia’s operation in Donbass
… pretty minimal description of operation 😖

Posted by: Oui | Feb 26 2022 22:32 utc | 128

is it just me or was https://thesaker.is downed since 01:30 MSK time ?

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 26 2022 22:38 utc | 129

post truth dark age
the matrix is live
cats r glitching everywhere
hate is now a cultivated ‘commodity’ in the West

Posted by: Tannenhouser | Feb 26 2022 22:39 utc | 130

@129 Up current in the US, albeit very slow. Either due to traffic (which he already mentioned had skyrocketed) or those emo anon bois up to their hacking b.s. But we’ll probably be getting cut off from everything soon enough. Hope B has a back up plan.

Posted by: Krungle | Feb 26 2022 22:43 utc | 131

Arioch | Feb 26 2022 22:38 utc | 129
Just tried it and the site is down from here as well.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 26 2022 22:43 utc | 132

K @ 103
Its not that the west is using Nazis to ruin Ukraine and Russia, perhaps the closer truth is that Nazis already own the West.
Nazi USA, Nazi Israel, Nazi Australia, Canada, England, Nazi ISIS of course etc etc. This would explain why there is almost zero interest in exposing Nazis in Ukraine from anywhere in the west.
Yes, I do not think they will be invited to the White House like Reagan did with the Jihadists. Interesting enough, that was called Operation Cyclone. I wonder what the current operation is called?
President Reagan’s Remarks After a Meeting With Afghan Resistance Leaders on November 12, 1987
After Reinhardt Galen’s Nazi intelligence organization was folded into the OSS/CIA many say they actually won the war in the end by taking control of the reigns of power behind the scenes.
Wall Street’s Allen Dulles was a primer mover behind that operation and many believe, including myself, that he was the go to guy in organizing the assassination of JFK who wanted a more peaceful relationship with Russia.
The Devil’s Chessboard
During this era the DOD was apoplectic about the ability of the Russians to know their every move and was firmly convinced that the CIA had high level Russian intelligence agents deeply embedded in their system. They may have been already embedded in the Galen network and folded in as well as some folded in from the Old Lincoln brigade from Spain that were added to the OSS as they knew how to conduct operations and were needed at the start of WWII.
The Nazi form of fascism, National Socialism, is highly prized by the Wall Street capitalists. This is what we see coming out of WEF from Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum who created The Forum of Young Global Leaders. In fact is what we have a form of today in the Anglo American empire but the full program has not yet been implemented.
Out of that forum people are trained and put into positions across the globe. Many high placed Anglo American and European leaders are part of this mission. While the forum has high goals as their aspiration they are about consolidation and control under a vision of “you will own nothing and be happy” which in reality means they will own everything and feed you as they see fit. You will be happy as long as you go along with their program.
Forum of young Global Leaders
Many of them are actually old as well and in positions of power
Schwab’s background is littered with the families Nazi past.
Schwab Family Values
I could continue but this is enough for now.

Posted by: circumspect | Feb 26 2022 22:45 utc | 133

as of 01:43 MSK Saker’s site is back on but works much slower than before…
i suspect this bar is on the shortlist and soon would get DDoSed too

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 26 2022 22:45 utc | 134

Geoff | Feb 26 2022 22:01 utc | 111
Americans don’t do geography. they don’t know what it’s in their gov’t’s budgets, bipartisan, year after year after year. They know nothing, nothing of their gov’t’s recent or current history. Mention Libya, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, former Yugoslavia etc., etc. and watch the eyes glaze and the brain shut down.
of course, with no knowledge of geography, finance or history, pointing out to a typical American the tens of millions of dead bodies strewn everywhere the US has laid its filthy paws is impossible.
remind them of Colin Powell’s lying bullshit at the UN about Iraq. ask them if that is relevant for today. get ready to get bashed with a great big Amerikkkan flag. or burning cross.
tell them that the US is not in Taiwan, Ukraine, Tibet, Nicaragua, Korea, etc., all over the globe, because of how beneficent it is…crickets.
of course, connecting any of this to the policy of covid denial is beyond a lot of people too, who are very easily impressed that they’ve figured some things out about the Ukraine that are as obvious as the sunshine.

Posted by: rjb1.5 | Feb 26 2022 22:48 utc | 135

@129: saker down?
Site is still connected in DNS, both with Yandex (77.88.8.88) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) servers. Probably experiencing heavy dDoS attacks; it will pass.
They’re desperate and trying to hide the truth.

Posted by: Nervous German | Feb 26 2022 22:55 utc | 136

Saker himself thinks that “no DDoS just heavy traffic” though
we’ll see

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 26 2022 22:55 utc | 137

K @103–
Thanks for your speculations, with which I agree. I’ve written two articles over the last two months dealing with that issue, although I have yet to make public my entire thesis, “Is It Fascist or Does the Outlaw US Empire Only Promote Fascism?” and “Drawing The Only Plausible Conclusion: The Outlaw US Empire is Fascist”. The key evidence is US Executive Branch behavior since FDR’s death in April 1945 and activities of rogue OSS agents within Occupied Europe, primarily in Italy, from 1943 onwards. Just as important is an examination of US political-economy and foreign affairs from 1913 to the present, beginning with a very close examination from 1913-1935, particularly the participants in the 1933 coup attempt and where they end up post-WW2. The public record is filled with evidence of overt support for Fascism globally since the end of WW2, especially in Latin America. Then there’s the mass of evidence for the grooming of a Fascist Terrorist Foreign Legion employed by the CIA and its predecessor OSS that began with Nazis and Gestapo in Europe and Japanese war criminals in Asia, specifically Korea. Since its settlement as a British Colony, US political economy has always had some fascist components, but those first became overt at WW1’s end, had a hiatus during the Depression, returned post-WW2, then escalated vastly in 1981 with the full-blown adoption of Neoliberalism, which is a fascist political economy.
I also approached our current dilemma by asking the question: Where are our Four Freedoms–the reason why the United Nations fought WW2?–by using another essay as my vehicle, “Back to the Future: China & Russia Vow to Fulfill WW2’s Victory Goals & Reinvigorate the Architecture to Achieve Them”. There’re a great many books and essays available as sources for our thesis, nor would we be the first to posit such a view. Unfortunately, IMO the West isn’t the audience for such a work; the audience is the Global South, China especially.
One last point. Fascist ideology existed prior to the Industrial Age and was articulated and circulated in the Elizabethan Age by Francis Bacon in his book, An Advertisement Touching on Holy War, advocating a genocide aimed at the masses–the Many Headed Hydra as he saw them. IMO, the English were the first Nazis. Thus, the ideology was spread globally via the actions of the British Empire and was aped by other Imperiums. The UN and its Charter were seen by its primary advocate–FDR–as the way to erase fascism from the planet but he had no idea that his subordinates had vastly different ideas about forming a postwar US Imperium aimed at global control. And so we have the Outlaw US Empire who like the Nazi Empire before it must be expunged from the planet for humanity to prosper.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 26 2022 23:03 utc | 138

I’m still struggling to see the logic in Russia’s action.
Posted by: bachac | Feb 26 2022 20:46 utc | 77

I’ll assume you say this in good faith.
You DO know about the missile launch sites, don’t you?
Right now, the United States is re-running the Manhatten Project. “Get us hypersonic missiles like the Russians!”
I don’t know how close they have come. Nor do you.
Can I suggest this metaphor: you are the good guy, gun in hand. Over on the other side is the bad guy.
The Bad Guy is reaching for his gun. What do YOU do?
In between, your “partners” want to talk about football, anything really, to take your mind off what’s going on.
What do YOU do?

Posted by: John Cleary | Feb 26 2022 23:04 utc | 139

The RT, Saker, South Fron are down for me.. LOL the empire is getting desparate.

Posted by: Nick | Feb 26 2022 23:07 utc | 140

I’ve seen a couple of references to a video on Twitter in which allegedly Ukrainian soldiers are savagely beating captured Russian POWs, and people are saying that it’s mainly being shared by Ukrainians. I can’t find the video anywhere though. Does anyone else know what they’re talking about?

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Feb 26 2022 23:09 utc | 141

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Feb 26 2022 22:25 utc | 121
I’d add to that list the recent resumption of Ukrainian nuclear weapons development program which was mentioned in the Indian Economic Times article linked by another poster above.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Feb 26 2022 23:15 utc | 142

The Nazis started (another) war against the people of Donbass in 2014, including the Trade Union massacre by fire in Odessa. Recently they escalated their assault, and Russia is now providing mutual aid and self-defense for their brothers in Donbass. In a form suitable for Nazis.

Posted by: Trisha | Feb 26 2022 23:15 utc | 143

Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 26 2022 21:41 utc | 105
During Leningrad siege after some bombing by the nazis, Putin’s mom was found under a pile of corpses by her husband, VVP’s father! She was still breathing but was believed dead by victims care takers.
He has plenty of compassion for his Russian co-citizens and probably as well for most Ukrainians though.
Don’t you ever imagine that you’re going to find much pity for the Nazis in VVP …
As he said once he’ll rather go kill’em into the toilets!

Posted by: Greg Galloway | Feb 26 2022 23:22 utc | 144

Its incedible that some ppl see tiny sites that diverge from the official narrative as a threat. Uniformity of thinking must be enforced. Western societies are becoming more totalitarian by the day. Its just another example, but it has been going on for a while. The free flow on information via social media is a threat for the established order. One way supply of information via carefully selected TV and radio journalists – that was the basis for the consent of the governed from 1920 to 2010 – is a thing of the past.

Posted by: Arne Hartmann | Feb 26 2022 23:31 utc | 145

Sanctions are an act of war, a de facto siege. Russia has said it would respond. Sanctions are basically a weapon of Empire which needs to also be taken out.
What is the possibility of a Russian blockade of the Straits of Hormuz in conjunction with Iran?

Posted by: Moses22 | Feb 26 2022 23:34 utc | 146

MIcron | Feb 26 2022 20:29 utc | @ 65, I LOVE unreservedly your post!! Thank you!
My local New Mexican classical radio station just played ‘O Joyful Light’ (Grechaninoff Orthox choral work) by an Albuquerque choir – could have been Moscow Patriarchal choir – beautiful, it was!
“Now that we have seen the setting of the sun…”

Posted by: juliania | Feb 26 2022 23:43 utc | 147

The German Greens got the upper hand on Scholz and the SPD, if they now agree to a SWIFT ban on Russian banks. Now the SPD and the Greens are tied to hip. They either win together or go down together. Counter sanction and Russian demands for clearance of gas payments via the Russian SWIFTalternative will put Germany in a position which they wont accept and thus cant pay for gas deliveries anymore. Maybe Germany can get a workaround for a cpl of months. The Greens and the Scholz SPD have besically destroyed the German Neue Ost Politk stemming from Willy Brandt and the early 1970ies: You trade with your enemy to make war less likely. When Power to Sibria 2 is up an running, conencting China to the gas fields for Europe, its over. The German Greens will be responsible for the destruction of the backbone of Germany’s wealth, its industry that relies on moderate energy costs.

Posted by: Arne Hartmann | Feb 26 2022 23:46 utc | 148

Our glorious leaders in Canada have announced that in order to end the Russian offensive in Ukraine they will impose the harshest sanction possible and outlaw the sale of all Russian made Vodka, oh No! The Russian war machine will surely grind to a halt without the income from Russian national spirits sold in Canada

Posted by: Kadath | Feb 26 2022 23:49 utc | 149

Arne Hartmann @145–
Freedom of Speech was one of the Four Freedoms the United Nations fought for in WW2. Yet more evidence as to how Fascist the West has become.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 26 2022 23:50 utc | 150

Elon Mask “joins” the fight by providing Starlink service to Ukraine.

Posted by: lulu | Feb 26 2022 23:50 utc | 151

Just listened to a Michael Hudson, hour plus interview on Greyzone.
When the interviewers plugged his latest edition of Super Imperialism,
Professor Hudson said, “It’s easier to buy books on Amazon now, then in bookstores. So, it’s up there now.”
That threw some ice water on my listening experience.
Which is really my predicament, echoed somewhat embarrassedly by Prof Hudson.
How can I feed my family and resist the model of US financial imperialism,
when my business depends on modern, capitalist, systems.
OT, and I apologize. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about lately

Posted by: Cadence calls | Feb 26 2022 23:55 utc | 152

Call it SWIFT-lite. looks to be done deal.

Posted by: jayc | Feb 26 2022 23:59 utc | 153

Roscosmos:
“Roscosmos will cease work on joint space projects with Europe and the United States and instead seek cooperation with China, the head of the Russian space agency Dmitry Rogozin announced on Saturday.”
Bye Bye ISS. Bye Bye any ESA or NASA participation in the Russian/Chinese Lunar Research Base. IMO it will take at least an entire generation of peace and lack of Russophobia before Russia enters into any form of relations with most Western nations.
The biggest question now for Russia: Do we continue to sell our gas to those that threaten us?

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:02 utc | 154

I just checked, as I read them regularly these days, at 6pm Central Time:
the saker is very slow to respond but online
Southfront is a bit slow to respond too but online
RT has been on and off, mostly off-line today. I believe that this site is the biggest of all, even avaialbe on my cable carrier here in Mexico, and so the most likely to suffer DDOS
Sputnick was inaccessible for just a while earlier today but ok most of day

Posted by: michaelj72 | Feb 27 2022 0:04 utc | 155

Addendum to my 152:
I feel it was a clever twist of words to use “buy books on Amazon now”
Than what really happened; it’s easier to “sell books on Amazon now”
You see how Prof Hudson carefully chose his words there?
So, I’m having a bit of trouble.
I’ll keep reading, watching, and listening.
And I appreciate any direction provided by people here at the bar.
Cheers

Posted by: Cadence calls | Feb 27 2022 0:05 utc | 156

Sounds like the Russophiles are having a big sad. Both here and there.

Posted by: Steve K | Feb 27 2022 0:05 utc | 157

Cadence calls @152–
I acknowledged your replies and say thanks again. As to your quandary, try Alibris. As for your business, you’ll need to be smarter and connect to credit sources that are disconnected to Wall Street, like co-ops and credit unions. I can’t be more specific since I don’t know what sort of business you have.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:09 utc | 158

@ John Cleary
What do you perceive as the imminent threat that led Russia to take this action now? Russia can destroy any threat in their near abroad with their conventional weapons if needed. There are no forces near to Russia that pose a threat.
What do you see as the endgame? Russia cannot occupy Ukraine with the current troop level involved. Russia cannot impose a government in Ukraine that will have popular support, or the support of the security services. So what’s their endgame?
Having had the Afghanistan experience, and seeing U.S fail in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m amazed at this ill conceived action. It seems to me they fell straight into the trap the U.S. has set.

Posted by: bachac | Feb 27 2022 0:09 utc | 159

Cutting Russian banks from SWIFT means:
1. No gas payments possible after Russian counter sanctions that will demand gas payments to be cleared via her own SWIFT alternative.
2. When to gas payments are possible, it will hit European industries hard and the poorer parts of the population. Less competitive indsturies mean that the European companies will move to Asia and Asian companies will have the competitive edge.
3. No trust anymore in the SWIFT system. All participants know now that the “West” will cut you off, when its suits them politically. Everybody will move to alternatives. If trust is lost, it cant be restored. The precedent is there. The consequences will be taken off the decision makers in Europe and the US.
4. I see a SWIFT ban more as that the West is betting everything on zero in a roulette game and hopes that it wins. But it has already lost by setting the precedent.

Posted by: Arne Hartmann | Feb 27 2022 0:12 utc | 160

Steve K @157–
Sad?!? I’m about to bake some excellent bread, drink some really good beer, and have a delicious dinner. Makes me wonder what motivated you to comment. Outlaw US Empire aggression finally stopped by Russia make you sad?

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:13 utc | 161

Very informative. That’s the plan. Give them a new Afghanistan/Vietnam. The US is not so crazy after all.

Posted by: Rodrigo | Feb 27 2022 0:15 utc | 162

@147 I used to love New Mexico, but the last couple of times I have been I couldn’t recognize Albuquerque or, especially, Santa Fe. and then the bark beetle did so much damage, and the subsequent greater number of fires.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 27 2022 0:16 utc | 163

Cadence calls | Feb 27 2022 0:05 utc | 156
Although we don’t like it, we live within the empire. This system is what we must use to bring in an income and to raise a family we must bring in an income. Just use it, knowing what it is and understanding that operating within this system is all we can do at present.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 27 2022 0:17 utc | 164

Lots of bangs according to this feed from Kiev https://youtu.be/HIPNVm6lNfM, assume it’s live

Posted by: Oh Yes | Feb 27 2022 0:19 utc | 165

Sounds like the Russophiles are having a big sad. Both here and there.
Posted by: Steve K | Feb 27 2022 0:05 utc | 157
——
There are tons of alternatives online for you to comment. Why do you chose this tiny blog that puts an alternative narrative out that you dont agree with? Its not like you give a significant intellectual challenge or further information to ppl reading this blog. What is your motivation to act the way you do?

Posted by: Arne Hartmann | Feb 27 2022 0:21 utc | 166

Very relavent concerns, Cadence, I don’t know either.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 27 2022 0:21 utc | 167

Steve K | Feb 27 2022 0:05 utc | 157
As far as I can see, western trolls are the ones having the big sad. Many new name trolls have arrived here since Russia made its move. your last sentence in the earlier post I replied to could have been taken several ways. I now see the intent with which you wrote it.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 27 2022 0:23 utc | 168

It took NATO 25 days to take Baghdad and 38 days for Kabul. Ukraine is far more powerful and is armed by USA, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, etc. So it is natural it will take some time. Funny Ukraine media trying to portray it as a failure.

Posted by: Jason | Feb 27 2022 0:24 utc | 169

@bach perhaps inevitable threat is a better way to describe it. in the chaos of a US based rules order, it is folly for Russia to wait for the inevitable containment and encirclement. Ukraine is the red line long announced, yet the adversaries take it over by coup and begin obvious and sustained preparation to use it as a forward base against Russia. for “defensive” purposes yet.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 27 2022 0:26 utc | 170

The biggest question now for Russia: Do we continue to sell our gas to those that threaten us?
Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:02 utc | 154
Russophiles? Karl of 1 is saying “we”.
Btw, Karl, how is “freedom of speech” going in Russian Federation?
Putin and his circle have acted emotionally (so sorry, no Mr. Spock smh) and in process may even lose Chinese support.
Chinese leadership has wisely played the game of the West and in 50 years has managed to emerge from a basket case to a genuine world power with “no limit” in sight. Do you really think they are going to throw it all way because little Vodya is having difficulty accepting that Russian Empire is over?
This supremely irresponsible action by Putin that is placed the entire planet under threat of nuclear war is due to frustrated ambitions of Russians. What “genius” to actually make NATO look like saviors. (How do you say very very stupid in “your” language, Karl of 1?)
Fascists? Nazis? Little Vodya was denying that an entire nation even exists! Reality check from none other that Orlov:
“Ukraine’s only military victory against Russia was at the battle of Konotop in 1659, but at the time Ukraine was allied with the mighty Khanate of Crimea, and, you may have noticed, Crimea is not on Ukraine’s side this time around.” [2022-2-24 article in Club Orlov.]
So much for the never-existed Ukraine.
And now the “Russophiles” (which is a cute word for basement dwellers and RusBots) are even throwing mud at China. Yes, sure, the Chinese should go along with “Mr. Spock” and destroy everything that they have patiently, wisely, prudently, built over the past decades so ‘racist’, ‘fascist’ Aleksandr Dugin and his acolytes can have their “Northern Island” empire?
(Just read the wikipedia entry on The Foundation of Geopolitics and any Chinese “Russophiles” here, I suggest read what the Russian White Knights have planned for China!)
Yes, of course, the Anglo-Zionist empire is an “Empire of Lies” but Vodya Putty Putt is clearly running a wanna-be Empire of Lies himself. And he hasn’t shied away from hinting at throwing nukes around.
And Russia has in fact committed a war crime, just like the “Nazis of the West” by attacking another nation, in an “operation”. They even ape the “Nazis” in their PR.
No wonder this planet is a shit hole. It is because instead of principles and integrity, it is just red team vs blue team all the time.
So go ahead, maybe you will get your hoped for ‘immediate end’ to Anglo-Zionist empire Russia style. It will be a Pyrrhic victory that will last a few short moments.

Posted by: enough | Feb 27 2022 0:26 utc | 171

So Russian Banks cut off from Swift,
Posted by: Trisha | Feb 26 2022 22:25 utc | 120
This i don’t get
SWIFT was said to be Honkong-based private company
How can German government decide for Honkong enterprise whom they are allowed or disallowed to have contracts with ?

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 27 2022 0:27 utc | 172

Chinese leadership is becoming quite close to Russian leadership. more ignorant troll bs.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 27 2022 0:28 utc | 173

TASS article seems to confirm SWIFT cutoff. Western banking crisis soon to develop as most national economies having relations with Russia won’t go along and will use the alternative. That will further accelerate the repatriation of dollars to the Outlaw US Empire and thus accelerate its already escalating rate of inflation. Also, you can be certain that Russia will cease its hydrocarbon exports to the Outlaw US Empire and possibly to Europe. I expect that to be in tomorrow’s news.
The degree of stupidity and insolence displayed by the West is astronomical.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:32 utc | 174

Posted by: K | Feb 26 2022 21:39 utc | 103
Hitler’s unforgivable sin was not he was Nazi (nothing so special, Churchill was, Belgium king was, Poles were, half of Europe was) but that he dared to target Jews and to rival Anglosaxons.
Hitler is said to kill 6M Jews
Hitler killed 6M Jews
i say Hitler killed 6M Jews!!!
….well, Hitler also targeted gipsies and Slavs and he killed 10 to 40M Soviet citizens, many of whom were Slavs.
Oh, don’t look here, nothing interesting. Keep chanting^
Hitler killed 6M Jews
Hitler killed 6M Jews
Hitler killed 6M Jews
That is the bright limelight directed streight into your eye, so you can not see anything around it.

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 27 2022 0:34 utc | 175

and typical, karlof1

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 27 2022 0:34 utc | 176

karlof1
this move by Russia is sure bringing the worms out of the woodwork. Russian news and official sites under attack, some blogs under attack-this blog still running but swamped by worms. some like chameleons, others like a turd sitting on your dinner plate.
I take it Russia has made a move that has put the wind up empire.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 27 2022 0:36 utc | 177

Much if not all Jihadist terrorism can be traced back to the madrassa’s In Afghanistan and the training and arming of Islamic extremists, which Michael Hudson has referred to as “America’s Foreign Legion”.
It now appears the CIA has been busy expanding their “Foreign Legions” by training and arming Nazis for Eastern Europe. Ayatollah Khomeini was on to something when he called America “the Great Satan”.

Posted by: Moses22 | Feb 27 2022 0:36 utc | 178

So Cia trained volksturm killed 60 sbu officers. I guess they were killed in preemptive strike ordered by Cia via Ze war criminal. Absolutely disgusting.

Posted by: Ben | Feb 27 2022 0:37 utc | 179

Although it can type, enough @171 is clearly illiterate and doesn’t understand pronoun usage whatsoever. Didn’t graduate from High School or got passed in English because the teacher didn’t want any failures on his/her record? What a hoot!

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:37 utc | 180

I think there are some hard times coming for those of us who live in the U.S. cost of living increases are already a real burden.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 27 2022 0:37 utc | 181

Regarding the German Greens: I see them as a self-propganized entity whose figureheads have no real world experience in dealing with a crisis of epic proprotions. They lack the intellectual underbelly of big parties that have been through a similar crisis before, like the SPD or CDU or even the FDP. It is very surprising to me that Scholz let himself be tied to the Greens and in this process will kill Germany’s wealth.

Posted by: Arne Hartmann | Feb 27 2022 0:38 utc | 182

” The Nazis started (another) war against the people of Donbass in 2014, including the Trade Union massacre by fire in Odessa. Recently they escalated their assault, and Russia is now providing mutual aid and self-defense for their brothers in Donbass. In a form suitable for Nazis.
Posted by: Trisha ”
No, you are very wrong. The major players behind the Ukrainian fiasco were Jewish or ZioAmerican.

Posted by: Deplorable Commissar | Feb 27 2022 0:42 utc | 183

Romania houses anti-Russian US ABM missiles. Russia should have counter measures placed in southern Ukraine including hypersonic missiles just in case.
Sending more Stinger and Javelin missiles to Ukraine is a bad idea. If captured by the enemy they may be reversed engineered and may be used against civilian interests. The world will blame Ukraine as Russia does not use them.
Russia must destroy Ukraine’s electricity plants supplying Kiev.

Posted by: Jason | Feb 27 2022 0:43 utc | 184

“This supremely irresponsible action by Putin that is placed the entire planet under threat of nuclear war is due to frustrated ambitions of Russians.”
Get your troll juice this morning?
No it has not.
The USA/Nato can just stand down and do as they were ordered (nicely) by Russia (Leader+Government+People) in December 2021. After all, they are well conditioned to following a “rules based orders” — well, here it is: some new rules based orders … backed by Russian (& Chinese) military and economic clout.
The West sold the rope to hang themselves with long ago; now it is entirely within their own decision making domain as to whether they do it, or not. “Suicide by cop” has simply become a “suicide by Russian” option.

Posted by: imo | Feb 27 2022 0:46 utc | 185

karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:32 utc | 174
Cutting swift to the sanctioned banks may be a good thing. I don’t think it intended to from the moment US/EU introduced sanctions for recognizing the two republics but there really is no point now in Russia playing the nice guy.The way Russia has been talking is a total break with the west. I am hoping that will be all gas, oil and petroleum products. US thinks it can sanction Russian everything but keep buying hydrocarbons. EU thinks it can sanction Russia on everything but keep buying gas. These people live in a total fantasy world. Once US/EU have their sanctions in place, Russia will then counter sanction. That will be interesting as I think there will be howls of pain and anguish.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 27 2022 0:48 utc | 186

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:37 utc | 180
Is that all you got? Ad homs?
Let’s discuss Dugin.
Let’s discuss “Freedom of Speech”.
Let’s discuss “preemptive operations”.
Let’s discuss making war on your neighbors.
Let’s discuss lies.

Posted by: enough | Feb 27 2022 0:48 utc | 187

pretzelattack @163–
The trees in Cascades National Park in Washington were devastated by those sorts of bugs and millions of trees died and continue to die. I imagine it now looks quite different from our visit 12 years ago.
A topical note–it seems clear the West expected Russia to attack Ukrainian cities using NATO methods that smash the city and kill thousands of innocents, but Russia learned that’s not how to proceed and denies the West its photo-ops while Russia gains respect for its humanitarianism from the 7/8s of the world that’s non-Western. Thus the Sadness of the Trolls.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:49 utc | 188

ok, you’re lying enough. there we discussed it. you’ve lied enough.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 27 2022 0:50 utc | 189

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Feb 26 2022 23:09 utc | 141
Maybe this ? https://t.me/swodki/26196
While disgusting and aimed and terrorizing this beating is not “savage” yet. But we do not know what is going on in video that are not published. Euromaidan crowd in Kiev 2014 for example was cutting an eye out captured Berkut officer, alive and probably conscious. All while exhorting for peae and freedom from stages. And there was no contradiction there for them. My personal gut feeling is that Ukrainians are living in a dream, one like painteed in Gogol’s novels (and some Loginov’s ones). Where reality and surreality do not just o-exist but are one and the same. It is not doublethink, it is something transcending it.

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 27 2022 0:51 utc | 190

Russia cannot impose a government in Ukraine that will have popular support
[…]
or the support of the security services.
[…]
Posted by: bachac | Feb 27 2022 0:09 utc | 159
My guesses.
#1 remains to be seen and to which degree. There’s certainly historical precedent, it must have worked out somehow. It goes against western dogma to contemplate
#2 the security apparatus is the ostensible target in this whole debacle, their support is assumed negative by definition, this war is about creating the conditions necessary for a comprehensive purge of the ukrainian security apparatus.

Posted by: Misotheist | Feb 27 2022 0:52 utc | 191

As for the poor Lavrov and the hurt feelings of Russians over being “humiliated” by Europeans, well, didn’t they lord it over Easter Europe and more than “humiliated” their captive vassal states?
Prague Spring ring a bell? I bet if we could turn the clock back to ’68, you “Russophiles” would be here and claiming “it is a CIA operation!” and “USSR of course has no choice but to send tanks and crush these ‘Nazis'”.
Russians need to simply look at their own track record to understand why Russophobia exists. It is a long record, historic record, of expansionism and land grab. And unlike the Anglos, when they lord it over a people, they leave no room for self-respect for their captive vassals.
Bottom line is Russia is hardly different than the European racist and imperialists in their desire. They just happen to suck at it.

Posted by: enough | Feb 27 2022 0:55 utc | 192

Too many trolls polluting otherwise enlighted discussions here these days.

Posted by: Greg Galloway | Feb 27 2022 0:56 utc | 193

No ad homs; just the facts as you displayed them. The remainder was a hypothesis to explain the observed facts.
Peter AU1–
Even Wall Street argued against SWIFT cutoff. I expect major sell-offs on Monday. while oil and gas futures rise astronomically. And the idiots were warned by their own people.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2022 0:57 utc | 194

Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 26 2022 21:31 utc | 98

I conclude there will be possibly one more “halt” as this is one of Putins tactics, – allow a get-out.

It is an exellent tactical manoeuvre. If the blue lines on b’s map are accurate, the 50,000 Uke forces entrenched on the LOC are now heading NW to escape the kessel formed by two RF pincer movements.
Allowing this group of forces to retrograde (polite military term for getting out of Dodge in a hurry 🙂 ) means they will have exited the protection of their LOC entrenchments and will enter an area of open steppe with few urban areas or settlements. This lack of protective cover makes them excellent targets for Hokum or SU-24 air-strikes.
Re the column moving from Crimea NW toward the Dnieper. On the video I saw the column was largely intact. Perhaps 10 – 20 vehicles of 70 plus were smoking wrecks but the majority of the column appeared unharmed and abandoned in situ. A poster up-thread reported the truck trailers were still on the road but the associated trucks were gone.
In WWII air attack was a shit your pants kind of event. In the era of stabilized 30 mm cannon chain guns it would be even worse. And this is the likely fate of Uke forces departing the protection of the LOC entrenchments. I hope the conscripts manning the convoy arrive home in safety.

Posted by: Sushi | Feb 27 2022 0:59 utc | 195

@enough (192)
You sound rather bitter. Why?

Posted by: bjd | Feb 27 2022 1:06 utc | 196

@Peter AU1 | Feb 27 2022 0:48 utc | 186
There was international banking and economy before SWIFT — and there will be after SWIFT. It is simply an efficiency issue and inter-bank messaging system mechanism.
More than likely there will be 2-3 intra-swift like systems operating within civilizational domains (Slav, Chinese, Anglo-American) and some inter-swift for less frequent large cargo-payments transfers. Now that Russia and China have all the technology they need — and this is likely to be available to the global South at far better terms than the colonial west has dictated — then the question is, for those without resources such as the UK and Europe, how are they going to pay for play? Gold? Women? Zipcoin?
Now that the North & South geo-political poles appear to be flipping on a Russian ruble rather than an American dime, the strategic question is going to be for many: How does the old North economy pay the new South for the goods they desperately need to eat, move, and survive freezing winters?

Posted by: imo | Feb 27 2022 1:06 utc | 197

@169 Jason The gold standard for bragging rights is probably the Six Day War in 1967. If the Russians can beat that then there will, indeed, be Shock and Awe in the corridors of power in Washington, Paris and Berlin.

Posted by: Yeah, Right | Feb 27 2022 1:09 utc | 198

imo | Feb 27 2022 1:06 utc | 197
Yep, the east have been trading more and more in their own currencies and both Russia and China have international banking systems ready to go. I am most interested in Russia’s counter sanctions which will come.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 27 2022 1:12 utc | 199

i’ve tuned out all “western” media — it’s like being in a psych ward.
removing russian banks from swift and sanctioning its central bank brings everyone close to wwiii.

Posted by: line islands | Feb 27 2022 1:12 utc | 200

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