Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 20 2022 11:45 utc | 243
Did your analysis of him rely on selective reading like your quoting of me? Note that I said “might”. I’m not giving him a pass because I don’t care. I’ve never hung on his words as particularly insightful or important. He’s just another analyst providing information for my own analysis. And all geopolitical analysis is opinion, and the only worthwhile opinion to hold is one that you have developed yourself through information gathering, education and review of other analytical output from all sides of an issue.
Ritter’s just another voice. And beyond what he knows better than me I never valued his opinion over my own. You seem awfully concerned with “right opinion” for an anarchist.

Posted by: Lex | May 20 2022 16:43 utc | 303

Thank You Karlof1
This is so damning and infuriating
The evidence is clear but is there a mechanism/body that has not been infultrated and captured by the Outlaw Empire?
Will these scum get Nuremburged?
I pray daily that Zioamerica receive their just desserts

Posted by: ld | May 20 2022 16:51 utc | 305

Et Tu @289 re Monkeypox and the post above with the WHO link to an emergency meeting. Two observations really. The first, I’m thinking of all those secret biolabs the USA have set up around the world. I suspect there is a high probability this alleged ‘outbreak’ is linked somehow. The second, the massive hysterical and persistent propaganda campaign around Covid across the World but particularly in Europe underpinned by industrial levels of censorship led to citizens of all those nations being basically, in a permanent state of hysteria. Covid narrative segued into the same hysterical and persistent propaganda campaign against Russia underpinned by industrial levels of censorship and the most virulent reporting of fake news, misinformation and a vicious, malicious, vitriolic campaign against Russia. I’m thinking the USA and the EU (I don’t think UK because BoJo is such an idiot) are not so much fed up with the Ukraine but recognise that Russia has got this one. They are going to be left with a lot of egg on their faces. Also, the collective West is likely to start to experience serious civil unrest and disobedience in the coming months but most certainly in the Autumn and I think France will ignite that. So, what better to keep the hysteria going than another ‘pandemimc’ (which it won’t be of course) and for Governments to once again, remove the rights of their citizens. As Tucker Carlson said, Hysteria has now become the language of the country and it is not a healthy language upon which to build a normal, peaceful healthy nation.

Posted by: Jo Dominich | May 20 2022 17:11 utc | 307

Today’s discussion by Russia’s Security Council centered on “increasing the stability and security of the functioning of the information infrastructure of the state;” in other words, protecting against cyber attacks. Here are Putin’s opening remarks:

The number of cyber attacks on the Russian information infrastructure has been constantly growing in recent years – it is in recent years, and with the beginning of a special military operation in the Donbas, in Ukraine, the challenges in this area have become even more acute and serious, more ambitious. In fact, a real aggression has been unleashed against Russia, a war in the information space.
First of all, the number of cyber attacks, including complex ones, has increased significantly. According to experts, experts, lone hackers, of course, can not do this. Attacks are carried out from different states, and at the same time they are clearly coordinated. In fact, these are the actions of state structures, and we all know that the armies of some countries already officially include cyber troops.
Purposeful attempts are being made to disable the Internet resources of critical information infrastructure facilities in Russia. First of all, the media, financial institutions, mass socially significant portals and networks were under attack.
Serious attacks were carried out on the official websites of the authorities. Attempts to illegally penetrate the corporate networks of leading Russian companies are also recorded much more often.
In most cases, the following attack tactics are used: access to Russian Internet resources is blocked, information becomes inaccessible or is replaced by fakes, fakes. At the same time, the most modern algorithms and combined technologies are used. Increasingly sophisticated software is being used that can infect devices using different operating systems.

And again, much more is discussed, including the outline of the new policy, which includes the directive to reduce reliance on Western soft and hardware to zero, a collaborative effort that will involve China since it faces the same threats. The additional comment by Patrushev provided by the Kremlin was most welcome. Here’re Putin’s remarks on import substitution:

The third key task is to radically reduce the risks associated with the use of foreign programs, computers and telecommunications equipment.
I would like to stress once again that the digitalisation processes that are now actively underway in the public administration system and the Russian economy – and we launched them several years ago – should be protected as much as possible today from any potential negative impact from the outside. And the obvious way to implement this task is the transition to domestic equipment, technologies, programs and products.
Let me remind you that in accordance with the decisions taken, from 2025 the use of foreign means of information protection will be banned altogether. Thus, in order to strengthen our technological sovereignty, the Government needs to create a modern Russian electronic component base in the shortest possible time – we have been talking about this for a long time, we are working in the most active way, I hope that the result will be in the near future.
It is necessary to develop and implement our own technological equipment for this, including those necessary for the production of software and hardware complexes. Here it is necessary to make extensive use of the tools and resources of the digital economy national program.
In this regard, I would like to hear your opinion on how to stimulate not only import substitution processes, but also the creation of our own unique products that are ahead of competitors in this important area.

Given what I’ve observed regarding the computing abilities of pre-teen youth in organizations like the Knowledge Society and their elder peers, Russia should have no problem in dealing with this issue which will enrich its security, economy and society. War produces technological innovations faster because of the additional motivation it provides, which is why Russia has handled the illegal sanctions so well. On the other hand, the Outlaw US Empire and its NATO vassals are under no such pressure and will produce nothing, thus falling behind in another critical area–again.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 20 2022 17:15 utc | 309

As to the sex charges against Ritter:
1. It is 12 years ago.
2. It is not “pedo”. The police provocateur posed as a 15 year old. That is certainly underage, but not a child. In civilized countries, other than the US,sexual contacts with adolescents between 14 and 16 by persons over 21 years are not forbidden, except in cases when immaturity, inexperience, or else innocence of the younger person is exploited. Sexual contacts between adolescents are generally not criminalized. A police provocateur hardly posed as innocent and being seduced against will.
All that taking in account, it does not matter. He was convicted in a highly barbaric and hypocritic country, and served his term. Case closed.
It has nothing to do with any of his opinions other than the traps set against him possibly had to do from the police provocateurs’ side.

Posted by: aquadraht | May 20 2022 17:28 utc | 311

https://gpovanman.wordpress.com/2022/05/19/holodomor-2-0/
Wheat being exported from Ukraine to the West in vast loads!

Posted by: Barofsky | May 20 2022 17:49 utc | 313

… Afterthought: German mittelstand know-how is a Big Deal.
…
Posted by: Scorpion | May 20 2022 16:19 utc | 300
All interesting, thank you. Your afterthought is probably the crux of US fears: a Germany(EU)-RF economic synergy would likely lead to a united Eurasian economic zone, with US relegated Deliverance with nukes =)

Posted by: anon2020 | May 20 2022 18:27 utc | 315

Be aware of single-minded partisan ideologues.
Posted by: Et Tu | May 19 2022 13:36 utc | 3
Is that in reference to the 99+% of mankind who think that civilization couldn’t exist without government and yet government is by far the greatest cause of man’s continual failures regarding civilization?
Government negates the predator-prey interaction of the Red Queen Hypothesis in favor of the predator – government.

Posted by: Drapetomaniac | May 20 2022 19:11 utc | 317

Posted by: malenkov | May 20 2022 19:23 utc | 318
my paternal grandmother married at 15, a bit over 100 years ago–it was not unusual in those days, as i understand it.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 20 2022 19:30 utc | 319

This does end up being about Ukraine!
Wimbledon tennis tournament has been stripped of its ranking points because they have banned Russian and Belarusian players. Because of the way that ranking points are worked out, this means that Novak Djokovic will lose his world number one status to Russian player, Daniil Medvedev.
There’s a delicious irony in the UK’s hard-line anti-Russia position resulting in a Russian player becoming world number one.

Posted by: D J G | May 20 2022 19:37 utc | 321

Posted by: D J G | May 20 2022 19:37 utc | 321
excellent news, hope the cat federation that banned russian cats is paying attention

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 20 2022 19:44 utc | 323

Of purely typographical interest: Note how italicizing little flag-circles results in slanty flag circles. Pretty cool, in my book. (Don’t mind me. I used to be a typesetter. I can still read backwards and upside-down.)

Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 20 2022 19:56 utc | 325

🇷🇺🇺🇦 The first interrogation of “Volyn” commander of so called 36th Marine Brigade
-Are you all going out?
-Yes
– Is there anyone else on the territory of the plant?
– The entire 36th brigade and its representatives are now here with me. There are no more marines on the territory of the plant.
– Are there foreigners on the territory of the plant?
– Generally there were
– VIPs?
– I don’t know about it.
-Who was, where was he?
– There are foreigners in the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
– Are the curators foreign?
– I don’t know any foreign curators who would give any instructions

Posted by: Barofsky | May 20 2022 20:38 utc | 327

As requested. Hopefully, the software will allow the long posting.

Mr. Chairman,
During the special operation in Ukraine, new documentary evidence is being found that in the immediate vicinity of the Russian borders for several years, components of biological weapons were created – in violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction. At the meeting of the Permanent Council on April 22, we have already touched upon the topic of military biological research conducted by the United States of America in Ukraine. They talked about specific projects, including experiments on people. Today we would like to draw attention to new circumstances that confirm the immediate threats posed by such activities to international security.
As we have already said, the network of biological laboratories operating under the auspices of the Pentagon covered a number of Ukrainian cities. These are more than 30 objects. As it turned out, one of the strongholds of this network was Mariupol, which was turned into a center for the collection and certification of cholera pathogens. The strains selected there were sent first to Kiev, and then to the United States. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, this activity has been carried out since 2014. In addition to cholera, the laboratories of Mariupol worked with extremely dangerous pathogens of tularemia and anthrax – this is evidenced by the act of destruction of pathogenic microoganosms of February 25, 2022. Part of this “collection” was not eliminated in time. From the biological laboratories found in the city, 124 pathogenic strains were seized. Among them, pathogens of diseases uncharacteristic for veterinary medicine were also found – typhoid fever, paratyphoid, gas gangrene.
Laboratory research for the organizers of these programs was scarce. They set up experiments on people. Here are examples of cynical experiments on civilians.
In 2020, in the village of Stenovoye of the Lugansk People’s Republic, fake banknotes contaminated with a strain of tuberculosis resistant to anti-tuberculosis drugs were distributed among minors. In accordance with the conclusion of the Luhansk Republican Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, the banknotes were most likely contaminated by artificial means.
In this regard, information on the dispatch by Kiev to the eastern regions of UAVs equipped with equipment for spraying biological substances is of particular concern. There is information that in January of this year, Ukraine purchased more than 50 such devices through intermediaries. On March 9 of this year, three such drones, equipped with 30-liter tanks and a spray system, were discovered by the Russian military in the Kherson region. Ten more were seen at the end of April in the area of Kakhovka. Did they really intend to spray some kind of infection?
There are new details about the Pentagon’s experiments on Ukrainian citizens in a psychiatric hospital near Kharkiv. The main category of experimental subjects was a group of male patients aged 40-60 years with a high stage of physical exhaustion. To hide their affiliation with the United States, experts who conducted biological research arrived through the territories of third countries. But there is still information about the participants of these programs. For example, regarding linda Oporto, a native of Florida, who was directly involved in such work.
There is reason to believe that such experiments have become part of the conscious policy of Washington and Kiev. The testimony of an official who in the past served in the security bodies of Ukraine confirms that in fact, on the territory of Ukraine for many years, a direct ban was imposed on any measures aimed at protecting the safety of Ukrainian citizens by its own state bodies when it came to US military biological laboratories. That is, in fact, all the activities that were carried out by the Americans on the territory of Ukraine were withdrawn to the prohibition zone for control from the point of view of compliance with the safety requirements of the Ukrainian citizens themselves. Such a conspiracy between the Ukrainian authorities and the US military structures once again confirms the fact of external management of Ukraine and its exploitation by the United States of America in its own interests.
What preliminary conclusions can be drawn from all these circumstances. Let’s highlight the international legal aspect: at least there are signs that in recent years Washington and Kiev have not complied with the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons.
Work in the laboratories was carried out in an absolutely closed mode, pathogenic microorganisms – agents of biological weapons – were studied. In fact, Ukraine worked out possible methods and mechanisms for destabilizing the epidemiological situation in the region. This directly suggests that the US biological laboratories in Ukraine were not created to search for effective means of protection against dangerous diseases and broad international cooperation. Their main task is to collect biological materials and study for their own purposes the specifics of the spread of viruses and dangerous diseases. The United States has practically turned Ukraine into a testing ground for the development of biological weapons components and covert testing of new samples of pharmaceuticals. The facts already collected indicate that there is a threat to the whole world, and not only to Ukrainians and citizens of neighboring states. The threat is primarily due to the fact that such activities, in fact, were removed from the legal field and were not controlled by anyone. Not to mention the moral and ethical side of the issue, in which the inhabitants of Ukraine acted as a kind of “experimental biomaterial”.
Along with the conduct of secret military-biological programs, the facts of providing both the United States and Ukraine with incomplete or unreliable information to international authorities have been established. All reports of Ukraine report the absence of national research and development programs in the field of biological protection. In addition, Ukraine in a number of cases did not provide information on outbreaks of infectious diseases. For example, in 2017, Ukrainian authorities did not report symptoms of botulism in Kiev and Kherson, as well as hepatitis A in Mykolaiv. In 2019, no mass signs of diphtheria were announced, although the spread of this disease was recorded in five regions. Ukraine did not inform about the participation of military personnel in the work of laboratories, as well as the facts of the transfer of biomaterials, the financing of facilities and programs by military departments.
The main question is how all these biological activities relate to the specific norms of the 1971 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (BTWC). This key international document regulates this area of research. To date, 183 States have committed themselves not to develop, produce or stockpile biological weapons. At the same time, in the Preparatory Committee of the 9th Review Conference of the BTWC in Geneva in April of this year, the United States did not provide clear information about its biological programs in Ukraine. In the light of the available evidence of the excuse that the programme was purely peaceful, the international community was clearly insufficient. Of additional concern is Washington’s line to counter the strengthening of the BTWC regime, including blocking the creation of a mechanism for verifying compliance with its provisions and the initiative to introduce a confidence-building measure in the form of reporting on military biological activities outside the national territory. It turns out that Washington still has a “stigma in a cannon”?
In Russia, a parliamentary commission has been created to investigate the activities of US biological laboratories in Ukraine, it is planned to establish a wide international information exchange on this topic. An analysis of the reports of the United States and Ukraine for five years on the implementation of the Convention on Biological Weapons is being carried out. Russia is forming a package of documents in order to launch an official international investigation of military-biological activities in Ukraine in the near future. In particular, Articles 5 and 6 of the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons will be used to investigate biological activities in Ukraine.
Article 5 of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention states, inter alia, that “States Parties to … The Conventions undertake to consult and cooperate with one another in the determination of any questions which may arise with respect to the purpose or in connection with the fulfilment of the provisions of the Convention.”
Article 6 of the BTWC states that “any State Party … a Convention which states that another State Party is acting in violation of its obligations under the provisions of the Convention may lodge a complaint with the United Nations Security Council.”
I want to state directly: the United States will no longer be able to hush up this situation, simply calling the revealed data “lies and propaganda”, as we have heard more than once in this hall, Washington will respond to the substance – and not with empty slogans, but according to the revealed facts. Russia will insist on open discussions of this dangerous problem in relevant international bodies, including the UN Security Council, precisely because the US-led military-biological programs pose a global threat. If the Ukrainian regime is indifferent to the fate of the people living in the territory of present-day Ukraine, this does not mean that other countries of the world will remain indifferent to the issues of biological safety of their own citizens.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 20 2022 21:54 utc | 329

Dear Norwegian @206;
Please forgive me for mixing up your country.
I was not calling any of these people stupid, merely questioning the seemingly irrational mass behaviour in my folksy way.
They are all far from “stupid”. Stupid is composing when dead tired on a phone.
My alternate hypothesis is that there is an escalation coming that would make many of these apparent irrational decisions rational. Including Ritter’s change of opinion. I’m sure he has sources, and maybe caught wind of it.
If you could enlighten me w.r.t. your view why the EU attacks Germany? (I can understand why they’d attack Hungary, Hungary being a thorn in their side.)
Cheers,
b

Posted by: bobzibub | May 21 2022 6:05 utc | 331

On Gonzalo Lira utoob channel.
see comments.
Marina Ritter says:
As Scott Ritter’s wife, I listened to this clip with interest. Several points: 1. a modicum of gratitude from you to people like Scott and others who raised an alarm about your disappearance is in order. The whole purpose of Scott’s article was to raise awareness of your disappearance. 2. Scott did not say that you were kidnapped, tortured and murdered. He said “when reports emerged that you were kidnapped, tortured and murdered….”. You conveniently omitted Scott’s reference to these reports. Scott further clarified in the same article “I have no direct evidence that Gonzalo has been killed, I was clear I was referring to reports emerging about his demise. But Gonzo said any disappearance of more than 12 hours should be treated as if something bad had happened to him. It’s been five days”. 3. As someone who once feared for his life at the prospect of being detained by the SBU during war time, you seem awfully jovial and nonchalant about your experience. As a former Soviet citizen, I know that security services do not arrest and release people suspected of treason during war time without some strings attached. After listening to your rant, I have a pretty good idea what those strings are. 4. With all due respect, Scott’s words stand on their own and they don’t need to be dressed up by the likes of you. In the article you quoted, Scott never once mentioned a Russian Vietnam or new Afghanistan. Those are your words, not his. 5. You assessment about Scott courting the mainstream media is fiction. I hope the SBU gives you a pat on your back for your efforts for attacking Scott. Your followers may not comprehend the true objectives behind your rant, but I do.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | May 21 2022 7:37 utc | 333

Posted by: Barofsky | May 20 2022 11:09 utc | 243
A direct page out of Field Marshall Mannheim playbook “The Finnish Winter War 1939-40 – The counter attack!” Or cut the enemy into bite size chunks. The Finnish army’s initial Russian opponents in the opening round. Were born and raised in Ukraine.
Next attack , lure the starving fewer enemy soldiers out in the open with the smell of freshly cooked food………

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | May 21 2022 8:27 utc | 335

@Arganthonios #298
Correct – somehow the world “immune” was erased.

Posted by: c1ue | May 21 2022 14:29 utc | 337

am not one of those that thinks gun-armed ‘muricans arrr gonna bring back da Constishun [snip]
Posted by: c1ue | May 21 2022 14:34 utc | 338
They certainly had no interest in doing so when USA-PATRIOT was foisted on us. Nor, for that matter, when we were all hoodwinked with the egregiously unconstitutional Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that supposedly fixed the Watergate abuses. Except for the occasional lone gunman or fringe group, I don’t think they’ll rise up in arms to “bring back da Constitushun” until given permission to do so.

Posted by: malenkov | May 21 2022 15:06 utc | 339

@malenkov #339
Maybe, but maybe not.
In particular, Americans of all ages (mostly) remember when this country was different.
That is a very different situation than growing up in Brazil where things have never been different.

Posted by: c1ue | May 21 2022 16:12 utc | 341

Doug Hillman #342
Thank you and it is a very odd attack imo.
At this time of increasing evidence of Pentagon controlled bio-weapons labs, the voice and standing of Ritter is such that it represents a severe risk to Pentagon plans and past activities in Ukraine. Perhaps this is why the guns are turned on him yet again.
I am highly suspicious of an orchestrated attack on him in this blog which has consistently reported evidence of USA crimes against humanity in biolabs that seem to be adminstered by companies associated with Hunter Biden and funded by the Pentagon via Hunter Biden’s dad, the Vice President at the time they were established.
My barfly BS detector is pinging loudly.
I will continue to listen to Ritter’s reports as he supplies respectable and informed context. Yes he is human after all but I sense he is sincere.
As for others who through some miracle have been captured by the Ukrainian state security, then released and still claiming to be living in Kharkiv in obviously comfortable circumstances yet under their watchful eye: I am somewhat skeptical.
Can any barfly point me to Ritter commentary setting out his position on China.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | May 21 2022 22:30 utc | 343

Aleph_Null #344
Thank you and on Inuit reading phenomenon – it was an anecdote told to me by Victor Papanek at an Australian design workshop many years ago. Papanek was a practiced mind expander and did good work.
I like your ‘crashed jalopy’ line. The lizard dropped a few scales in that episode.
I continue to take a peek at them all as I glean information from the swamp.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | May 21 2022 23:43 utc | 345

Re: Lira
I have said before, I say again: Lira has done well with with reporting on Ukraine, but he (up until I stopped paying attention at least 2 weeks ago) never credits ANYONE else with anything.
Everything he says, by implication, is thus his own analysis or work.
I really disrespect this type of practice, and consider anyone who consistently does so to be unreliable as a source because it is impossible to both understand sources of other people’s work and to understand how Lira is interpreting/communicating this work.
There are those who have accused him of seeking to profit from this Ukrainian situation. Obviously there are many who do so, but there is profiting and there is profiting.
Mercouris, Christofouro and others seek to provide consistent and objective information and have raised the profile of Duran as a result.
Ritter has contributed enormously from his heartfelt and experience based remarks, but has made a large number of mistakes due to hastiness. Plus he’s a Marine and Marines are the literal definitions of hammers. Nonetheless, he is clear what he is analyzing and why – and I appreciate that.
Lira: YMMV.

Posted by: c1ue | May 22 2022 14:12 utc | 347