Ukraine Open Thread 2022-75
Only news & views related to the Ukraine conflict ...
The open thread for other issues is here.
Posted by b on May 28, 2022 at 16:40 UTC | Permalink
next page »Need your directions. Which blog is the baldheaded, young guy talking with a strong British accent about Russian military strategies in Ukraine? Much obliged.
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 16:56 utc | 2
Russia: US labs in Nigeria responsible for monkey outbreak, Saturday, 28 May 2022 10:03 AM [Last Update: Saturday, 28 May 2022 10:23AM)
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/05/28/682886/Russia-alleges-US-labs-in-Nigeria-responsible-for-monkeypox-outbreakSaturday, 28 May 2022 10:03 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 28 May 2022 10:23 AM ]
very interesting.. is this why Russia must be defeated in Ukraine? How much of the lab material in Ukraine was removed to Nigeria.. ?
can we believe the allegation in the link?
Posted by: snake | May 28 2022 16:56 utc | 3
NEW:
This is kind of big news. First look at AZOV Battalion in Russian lockdown center.
They are all facing 15 to life and in some cases the death penalty
VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtNS2yD7Q2A
Posted by: Dean Oneil | May 28 2022 16:58 utc | 4
@ KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 16:56 utc | 2
this guy? i don't hear a strong british accent though, but he is bald! from an hour ago - this update from the new atlas..
Russian Ops in Ukraine: West Changes Tune as Russian Gains Continue
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 17:00 utc | 5
Now that state outlets such as WaPo and the "gray lady" have dropped all pretense of media independence, we have a much broader basis from which to reverse-engineer some idea of what's really going on. NYT also made news last week by getting suddenly gloomy about Ukraine's prospects. Now we get to see how quickly this mighty Wurlitzer can shift into reverse! Most telling in last week's coverage: Democrat party strategists are finally getting a clue that Ukraine will be electoral poison for them, come November, if they can't back out by then.
That's a very hard, cantankerous electoral deadline, looming up here in USA, where we're already dug in so far... Honest to golly, folks: I heard someone on KCBS worried about whether the dollar can remain the international reserve currency! It's like Monetary Policy for Dummies out there, outside this bar. It's almost enough to make you feel sorry for incorrigibly oblivious USA.
Just almost, though. As USA's embarrassment grows, so does global nuclear peril.
Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 28 2022 17:07 utc | 6
@ marku and others... look at how russia processed syria... did they make sure all syria was cleaned up? no... idlib is still in turkey headchoppers hands, and the eastern part is still subject to usa bullshit.... i suspect russia will process ukraine in a similar way - but again - i have no idea how this will look in a few years.. i can't see russia taking western ukraine myself... i think the parallel russias response to syria is relevant here, although not perfect by any means..
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 17:08 utc | 7
this guy? i don't hear a strong british accent though, but he is bald! from an hour ago - this update from the new atlas..
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 17:00 utc | 5
Thank you, Sir. That is him. To a Chinese accent guy, he is British. Sorry about that!
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 17:08 utc | 8
The world's monkeypox outbreak apparently originated from US military bioweapons labs in Nigeria. This is not tinfoil-hat stuff. This is from the Russian MoD, summarized by Saker:
According to a WHO report, the West African strain of monkeypox originated in Nigeria, another state in which the US has deployed its biological infrastructure...
Against the backdrop of multiple US biosafety violations and the negligent storage of pathogenic biomaterials, we call on the World Health Organisation leadership to investigate the US-funded Nigerian laboratories in Abuja, Zaria, Lagos and inform the global community of the results.
The most disturbing aspect of this report concerns a planned smallpox outbreak: "The Pentagon’s interest in this infection is far from accidental: the return of the smallpox pathogen would be a global catastrophe for all mankind."
Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 28 2022 17:27 utc | 9
Thank you, Sir. That is him. To a Chinese accent guy, he is British. Sorry about that!
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 17:08 utc | 8
To me as a British English speaker he sounds like an eastern European with an American accent.
Posted by: paul | May 28 2022 17:27 utc | 10
@ KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 17:08 utc | 8
thanks! the fellow is quite a good analyst in fact... i am a canuck.. if one was british and heard me speak, they would think i have an accent too, lol.. in fact when i was younger and travelled to newfoundland, on the other side of canada - they definitely had a funny type of accent.. i am sure they do still - funny to me, but normal to them!!! of course it is all relative to the place one resides... i am glad i could help you.. cheers...
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 17:30 utc | 11
Posted by: Ian Kummer | May 28 2022 16:53 utc | 1
True, though compared to Elon Musk or Bill Gates they are beggars
Supposedly Roman Abramovich owns two megayachts - who the f*ck owns two megayachts!
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | May 28 2022 17:40 utc | 12
Not sure if Stalkerzone links are banned here, but this article gives a reasonable account of twists in the M777 debacle in Ukraine: True Detective: How the Russian Army “Hacked” Secret US Howitzers in Ukraine.
Summary:
- ammunition (U.S. and Canadian) destroyed in Ukraine ammo dumps before making it to front
- only 20km range, 40km [ed: should be '30km'] with rocket-assisted projectiles which Ukraine does not have
- 7-man crew that normally requires nine weeks of training for basic gun skills
- months of additional training for M777 units to gain proficiency
- 80% of guns arrived in Ukraine without targeting electronics (DFCS system)
- Canadian electronics used as hasty replacement
- Canadian units fail in field due to wall of Russian electronic warfare
- Operating M777s usually located in under 30 minutes by Russian drones or counter-battery due to unique acoustic signature
- Ukriane M777s might get off four or five rounds on a good day before being destroyed or crew killed
Posted by: PavewayIV | May 28 2022 17:44 utc | 13
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 16:56 utc | 2
Is it this one? He fits the description except the accent, he is American. He is generally quite informed. Ex military (marine?) himself from what I understand. He is based in Thailand:
The New Atlas
Posted by: CPY | May 28 2022 17:45 utc | 14
Let's align three stories this weekend. First, the hysteria over the Johnny Depp Amber Heard defamation/wife beating trial, millions spent to follow two narcissistic multi-millionaire actors the fascination with which reveals the utter shallowness of we the audience (including myself for being drawn in at the very end), meaning, we Americans....Second, the ever more horrible news about the Texas school shooting which, if events as described are true, shows clearly the police are cowards, afraid to do their basic job, and if nothing else a compelling argument to outlaw AR15s (if cops are too afraid to storm someone with such a gun why aren't they demanding it be withdrawn?) not to mention serving as such a strong case for defunding police you might almost think this is a planned operation with that in mind.....and, third, the near certain imminent collapse of the Ukrainian forces, enabling Russia to meet its stated objectives and showing the West and NATO as weak, stupid, and corrupt as hell. All three of these stories reveal ignorance, stupidity, and blindness to reality. We are revealing just how weak we are, or have become, how un-Christian, how un-exceptional (except for number of prisoners, gun deaths, amount spend on "defense", and mass shootings)....
This, the weekend to celebrate our soldiers, those who sacrificed to support democracy and this country, must be having all those warriors rolling over in their graves....
They say it is darkest before dawn. I hope they are right, that somehow there will be a thought change, or sea change of thought, moving us away from this violent, self destructive, idiotic hypocracy toward something that is healthy, protects we Amwericans, and finally ceases bringing terror to the rest of the world....
Posted by: Boomheist | May 28 2022 17:45 utc | 15
"who the f*ck owns two megayachts!" LightYearsFromHome@12
Someone trying to breed megayachts?
Posted by: bevin | May 28 2022 17:46 utc | 16
MoA: you didn't post this late in the very crowded May 27 comments section. i think it's serious. i published on Solidarity.
if i'm right its a paradigm shift in Europe. humor me.
to Karlof1@11 and Pagan@58, i think you're close. to the rest of youse:
Poland has made a move. commentators above are not paying attention because it's not
in your mindsets. a virtual certainty said Polish initiative has Russian approval.
1) the paradigm is a mirror image of the Soviet takeover of Poland in 1945.
(world systems theory: the actors change, the roles don't).
2) Russia can envision how this will play out because they studied the Solidarity movement
which defied Communism. (what the Comintern saw was what awaited Russia, minus
the unity of the Catholic Church (Kenneth Jowitt, UC Berkeley).
3) the Ukrainian public has been marginated by this war. a neutral Ukraine can build
nationhood without violent internal conflict or external interference. the diaspora's interest
and resources will contribute and enrich. in a generation the world will have changed
enough that current issues will be dead letters in a new and global problematic.
and btw, still under the previous Polish government, Putin tried to push Galicia off on
Sikorski the Polish Foreign Minister - on camera. Sikorski didn't even break a smile.
i could be wrong. or you're a bunch of squeaky broken records.
..
Posted by: BLP | May 28 2022 17:46 utc | 17
h/t to Xymphora for link to Stalkerzone article cited @13
Posted by: PavewayIV | May 28 2022 17:49 utc | 18
Aleph_Null @ 6
I am hearing the same occasional story of reality mixed in with the usual propaganda in the Bay Area emphasizing occasional. The Republicans would be smart to run a campaign like Nixon did in '68. He kept his mouth pretty much shut about Vietnam and everything else as the Democrats imploded after the Chicago convention. The assassination of RFK did not help them much either.
Posted by: circumspect | May 28 2022 17:52 utc | 19
Posted by: bevin | May 28 2022 17:46 utc | 16
When one mega yacht is just not enough. It needs a sibling.
Posted by: One Too Many | May 28 2022 17:52 utc | 20
In case anyone forgets what nation aided and abetted Nazis in the Ukraine, there's this from yrs. ago:
Posted by: vetinLA | May 28 2022 17:52 utc | 21
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 17:30 utc | 11
Great! You are right, he has good analytical sense.
It so happened that I used to run bulk chemical business, so been to Ontario a lot, also visited NL, Vancouver, Calgary, and of course, ice wine country by the lake. I had very cordial business friends from Canada, they were a different breed from American businessmen/women.
I can still tell from a Canadian by the way they say "about". Hehehe...... Have a good day and take care.
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 17:54 utc | 22
I see those massive campaigns about supposed widespread rape and massacred Bucha went nowhere. Liar Natoists…
Posted by: [email protected] | May 28 2022 17:55 utc | 23
Interesting read
For war-torn Ukraine, Starlink has become an information lifeline, keeping battered hospitals connected and serving as a link to drones targeting artillery strikes against Russian forces. Ukraine’s aerial reconnaissance force has used Starlink to connect directly to drones that have knocked out numerous Russian tanks, mobile command centers, and other military vehicles. Kyiv has also given terminals to schools, fire departments, and municipal governments. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, 590 hospitals and clinics had received Starlink terminals to help them remain connected during the fighting as of late March.Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported there are more than 10,000 Starlink terminals are now operating in Ukraine, according to NBC. Unlike cellphone transmission towers, the satellite dishes used by Ukrainian forces for Starlink reception are small—about 23 inches wide—and readily movable to evade detection and retaliation. A Ukrainian soldier identified as Dima—his last name was withheld—told journalist David Patrikarakos: “Starlink is what changed the war in Ukraine’s favor. Russia went out of its way to blow up all our comms. Now they can’t. Starlink works under Katyusha fire, under artillery fire. It even works in Mariupol.”
How Elon Musk’s Starlink Got Battle-Tested in Ukraine
How did Starlink manage to outwit Russian countermeasures?
When Russia resorted to electronic countermeasures, Starlink simply pushed out software updates to prevent these, according to Dave Tremper, director of electronic warfare at the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Temper said the speed at which Starlink countered the attack was “eye-watering.”
Starlink provided communication access to the Ukrainians trapped in Azovstal
Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦
@IAPonomarenko
·
May 21
Russia has completely failed to jam the Starlink connection used by the Azovstal garrison.
They had stable internet access until the final hours of their presence at the plant.
Russia’s super expensive radio-electric warfare tools couldn’t do anything about it.
Just a fact.
Posted by: Down South | May 28 2022 18:00 utc | 24
Is it this one? He fits the description except the accent, he is American. He is generally quite informed. Ex military (marine?) himself from what I understand. He is based in Thailand:
The New Atlas
Posted by: CPY | May 28 2022 17:45 utc | 14
Thanks. I found him. You are right, he is good.
American in Thailand? That surely will mess up his American English. I used to know an Indian guy claiming his perfect British English was fouled up by having lived in Houston, TX, for twenty years.
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 18:04 utc | 25
@ james | May 28 2022 17:08 utc | 7
Yes. now you mention it there is a parallel with Syria. The Russians are very pragmatic and they want those areas onside, otherwise what is the use of taking them? Their opponents (in both Ukraine and Syria) are doing the opposite, using them as human shields, neglecting their welfare and enforcing compliance to their ideology.
Posted by: MarkU | May 28 2022 18:06 utc | 26
Boomheist @ 15 said in part;"and if nothing else a compelling argument to outlaw AR15s (if cops are too afraid to storm someone with such a gun why aren't they demanding it be withdrawn?)"
Yep! Should be a "no brainer", but absolutely no play on MSM. (IMO, our rulers love it!)
Posted by: vetinLA | May 28 2022 18:07 utc | 27
Yet another excellent Strategic Culture editorial, "U.S. and NATO Allies Blockade Russia’s Economy, Then Blame Russia for World Hunger." The outrageous audacity of the Empire of Lies is on full display for the whole world to see and reject. The end products of the West versus those of the East are on open display as are the philosophies present on both sides. Here again is the link to Xi's proposed Global Security Initiative. As revealed in the last thread, the Outlaw US Empire's Congress has threatened every African nation with Hybrid Warfare if they don't conform to the Empire's Diktat, and that was passed just prior to the confab held in Moscow celebrating Africa Day. And much more as to the direction the wind's blowing can be gleaned from the documents produced and speeches delivered at recent trade conferences that I've linked to. Read Lavrov's very long interview with RT Arabic that's aimed at all Arabic speakers and understand that the balance there has shifted from being Outlaw US Empire aligned to Russia/China aligned--and the significance of that development. Egypt is an SCO, BRICS and EAEU Observer member; UAE is an EAEU Observer; Saudi Arabia is an SCO observer; and so forth. Algeria has signed onto a Strategic Partnership with Russia. Mali seeks Russian help to escape France's neocolonial tentacles. Nigeria seeks Russia help with its hydrocarbon extraction. And there's much more to cite.
What the SC editorial portrays is the hysterical desperation of the Neoliberal/Neocolonial world in its death throes. The revulsion that began with Yugoslavia then Serbia followed by Afghanistan and Iraq, then Libya and Syria has done much to overturn the West's dominance, with the Hybrid war against Russia being the proverbial Straw breaking the Camel's back at long last. No, it's not nearly over as this phase has only just begun. But now that the utter desperation of the Outlaws is on display, we can gain solace that the world's order and its direction will change for the better while doing what we can to forward that outcome.
# Kummer @1
Liberalism might be many things, but it sure isn't ethnic.
Posted by: Anne B | May 28 2022 18:10 utc | 29
Even the Chinese are worried about Starlink
"A combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation's operating system," the researchers, led by Ren Yuanzhen, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications, which is part of the Chinese military's Strategic Support Force, wrote in the paper. Hard and soft kill are the two categories of space weapons, with hard kill being weapons that physically strike their targets (like missiles) and soft kill including jamming and laser weapons.China already has multiple methods for disabling satellites. These include microwave jammers that can disrupt communications or fry electrical components; powerful, millimeter-resolution lasers that can nab high-resolution images and blind satellite sensors; cyber-weapons to hack into satellite networks; and long-range anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles to destroy them, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. But the researchers say that these measures, which are effective against individual satellites, won't be enough to scuttle Starlink.
"The Starlink constellation constitutes a decentralised system. The confrontation is not about individual satellites, but the whole system," the researchers wrote. The researchers also outlined how an attack on the Starlink system would require "some low-cost, high-efficiency measures."
Chinese scientists call for plan to destroy Elon Musk's Starlink satellites
Posted by: Down South | May 28 2022 18:13 utc | 30
Posted by: Down South | May 28 2022 18:00 utc | 24
Perhaps Russia allowed it to continue to operate in order to obtain information?
At any rate, unlikely that StarLink had any actual military value for those in Azovstal. The outcome was clear to see...
Posted by: Seer | May 28 2022 18:13 utc | 31
I used to know an Indian guy claiming his perfect British English was fouled up by having lived in Houston, TX, for twenty years.
British English was probably not the only thing "fouled up" by living in Houston.
Posted by: Duncan Idaho | May 28 2022 18:19 utc | 32
#--
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | May 28 2022 17:40 utc | 12
Supposedly Roman Abramovich owns two megayachts - who the f*ck owns two megayachts!
You can sell them in any denomination? Like Rolexes and paintings, it's a hedge and a way to launder money.
Posted by: Anne B | May 28 2022 18:19 utc | 33
Down South @ 24
I think the Starlink system used in the Ukraine employs a small panel antenna and not a dish. Add a small solar panel and some batteries and you have off the grid communications. The frequencies are so high that ground based EW is not going to work. In other words, at these high frequencies you have excellent bandwidth but poor terrestrial propagation at ground level.
Starlink appears to be a mesh system in space. I suspect something will be devised to counter Starlink eventually.
I think you would have to directly target all the satellites in the mesh as the come in and out of orbit over the country of interest. Programs like that are not hard to write and are available now. Beam EW directly at the satellites up-link and down-link frequencies with large dish arrays might work to take them out over the country or area of interest.
It appears to me in order to do that you would have to set up dish arrays fairly close to the action areas. A few arrays in Belarus might cover a good part of the area needed.
Posted by: circumspect | May 28 2022 18:25 utc | 34
H.R. 7311, the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, already passed by the House but not yet by the Senate, becomes more timely with the news about smallpox and Africa.
I wonder if the Black Agenda Report is aware of the bill.
Posted by: Lysias | May 28 2022 18:27 utc | 35
Isn't it possible that Russia didn't jam Azovstal's Starlink connection because they found it a useful source of intelligence?
Posted by: Lysias | May 28 2022 18:33 utc | 36
@ karlof1 | May 28 2022 18:09 utc | 28
Is there anyone here who doesn't already have the Strategic Culture website in their bookmarks? Seriously?
Posted by: MarkU | May 28 2022 18:33 utc | 37
@ circumspect | May 28 2022 18:25 utc | 34
Saker's latest sitrep has this to say:
Starlink? Satellite systems have ground stations. The Russians are taking trophies of these ground stations, or just kicking them around a bit, so, how long will that network last?
This Starlink business is all Greek to me. I have no sense of how important such a communication facilty might be to either side.
Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 28 2022 18:34 utc | 38
The logic of Ursula:
https://t.me/c/1394010098/3728
"We must continue to buy Russian oil, to save Europe from Putin. Because if we don't Putin will sell it somewhere else and profit more on high prices, so we better buy Russian oil and not let him profit."
Posted by: Norwegian | May 28 2022 18:37 utc | 39
Transferred from yesterday's thread:
...I just don't see that a constitution foisted on a country during a military occupation will really do the trick.
Posted by: MarkU | May 28 2022 17:26 utc | 304
To uphold such a view you would have to assume that Ukrainian regime foisted on the country in a violent coup in 2008 and supported by foreign governments and local oligarchs actually has widespread support among the population. You also have to remember that this same population, given to what they believed was a choice, overwhelmingly voted for change Zelensky promised. That they were duped (like millions in the US when presented with Obama a candidate who promised hope and change) is just typical of Western political manipulation.
In that sense it is not improbable that the majority of the population in Ukraine would see Russian takeover as liberation.
Posted by: Pagan | May 28 2022 18:38 utc | 40
@25 That is “Tony Cartalucci”. An American citizen by the name of Brian Joseph Thomas Berletic who lives in Thailand.
Posted by: dh | May 28 2022 18:40 utc | 41
Posted by: Pagan | May 28 2022 18:38 utc | 40
Sorry, that should read ... a violent coup in 2014.
Posted by: Pagan | May 28 2022 18:41 utc | 42
@circumspect | May 28 2022 18:25 utc | 34
Starlink appears to be a mesh system in space.
Because it is in space does not mean it works everywhere, not even in the USA:
Elon never delivered... SO I DID!
Posted by: Norwegian | May 28 2022 18:44 utc | 43
Posted by: Pagan | May 28 2022 18:38 utc | 40
good point (I think the coup was even more recent, in 2014). you would also have to assume that the Ukrainian Nazis were not capable of effectively taking over the country by threats and intimidation, which seems to have happened in 2019, as a well armed minority.
Posted by: pretzelattack | May 28 2022 18:44 utc | 44
News or historical: anthem of Ukrainian Navy, perhaps composed shortly after the independence, hence preserving the style of yet earlier times https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru_iJLhRNWI
The opening seconds of the video show a vessel of Ukrainian navy, proudly displaying its flag and patiently waiting to be lifted from the bottom of Mariupol port.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | May 28 2022 18:49 utc | 45
I'm pretty sure that NATO (i.e.: the U.S.) recognizes that Russia has held back its top 90% (80%?--please correct me on this) troops in anticipation of being forced to fight a war against NATO.
I'm also rather confident (a substitute for "pretty sure") that NATO and the U.S. currently recognize that Russia's worst, most inexperienced troops are grinding their middling-equipped, standard-trained Ukrainian proxies into the ground.
1+1=2, no?
If Russia's weakest troops can steadily overcome NATO's best-trained and best-equipped Ukrainian troops even when fighting with inferior numbers, then what chance does the rest of Europe stand against the remaining Russian reserve troops--which are all battle-hardened, the best and most secretly and excellently equipped?
It is my firm belief that with every passing day NATO recognizes that Russia is ready-and-willing to fight WWIII, at this moment.
What we're seeing is a remarkable and unexpected eruption of hostilities that may be (hopefully is) the first major war between NATO and the Eurasian (formerly "Communist") bloc that does not (again: hopefully) involve nuclear weapons.
This is a war that NATO and the US/uk will lose: that's undeniable. I think what is also undeniable is that no NATO-allied nation is willing to risk war with Russia and Russia knows this--or Russia is willing to take on the rest of Europe in a full-scale war, bar the consequences.
Clearly, Russia (as RSH, Don Bacon, etc have many times stated) considers this an existential war, a war that quite literally defends their homeland, and all things such a concept encompasses.
Russia will not back down and it's pretty damn clear to the rest of the world--no matter which bloc one hails from--that challenging Russia will only elicit a wartime response.
No: I am confident that the Biden administration will not "overtly" escalate the US's aggression against Russia. It may well send some borderline munitions over to see how Russia responds, but so long as those munitions are easily overcome by Russian weapons, I don't see Russia responding with an attack on any NATO-allied country.
OIOW: the further delivery of pretty much any NATO weaponry (which in large part is sadly inferior to Russian weapons) will likely provoke no new response.
Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | May 28 2022 18:50 utc | 46
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 16:56 utc | 2
Need your directions. Which blog is the baldheaded, young guy talking with a strong British accent about Russian military strategies in Ukraine? Much obliged.
He is Brian Berletic, formerly known by the pseudonym Tony Cartalucci. He is a regular contributor to New Eastern Outlook. I first exchanged emails with him over ten years ago and regularly followed his Land Destroyer blog. He then became a victim of the Western War on Dissent and was expunged from Facebook and all other Western fora. (I think they even cancelled his Gmail account.)
Two years ago he reappeared under his own name. (I was surprised by his young age. I expected him to be about 30 years older.)
Posted by: Petri Krohn | May 28 2022 18:51 utc | 47
Again, I post this definition because, at this time we have NO liberals in our present Govt., here in the U$A.
Only Bernie Sanders even comes close to the actual definition, and he's consistently being subverted by our corporate Fascists. The word Neoliberal was contrived to distract.
Yep, this is for "obviously confused" @ #1
https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=liberal+definition&fr=yfp-t-s&fp=1&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8
Posted by: vetinLA | May 28 2022 18:51 utc | 48
@45 Uplifting video. The singer can certainly rrrroll his rrrrs.
Posted by: dh | May 28 2022 18:54 utc | 49
@Norwegian | May 28 2022 18:44 utc | 43
Note the second video I linked to link refers to an article The US government reportedly paid to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine
Despite SpaceX implying that the US didn’t give money to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine in March, a report from The Washington Post reveals that the government actually paid millions of dollars for equipment and transportation. The report found that the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, paid $1,500 apiece for 1,333 terminals, adding up to around $2 million. USAID disclosed the number of terminals it bought from the company in a press release from early April that has since been altered to remove mentions of the purchase.
We know from e.g. Gonzalo Lira that internet works fine in Ukraine (his connection is up again after recent one day disruption), so this was probably to the benefit of the Nazis in Azovstahl...
Posted by: Norwegian | May 28 2022 18:54 utc | 50
@Norwegian | May 28 2022 18:44 utc | 43
Note the second video I linked to link refers to an article The US government reportedly paid to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine
Despite SpaceX implying that the US didn’t give money to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine in March, a report from The Washington Post reveals that the government actually paid millions of dollars for equipment and transportation. The report found that the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, paid $1,500 apiece for 1,333 terminals, adding up to around $2 million. USAID disclosed the number of terminals it bought from the company in a press release from early April that has since been altered to remove mentions of the purchase.
We know from e.g. Gonzalo Lira that internet works fine in Ukraine (his connection is up again after recent one day disruption), so this was probably to the benefit of the Nazis in Azovstahl...
Posted by: Norwegian | May 28 2022 18:54 utc | 51
fyi
"....the danger of a nuclear conflict ......not a bastion of human rights....."
https://twitter.com/SNMilitary/status/1530614313798574080
Ex German intelligence chief Hans Maassen has spoken out against arms deliveries to Ukraine: "From my point of view, when we deliver weapons, not helmets, not bandages, it means that we are automatically running the risk of becoming a party to a war".
"Germany could become a Target for Russian attacks without having any clear objectives of its own, unlike Ukraine Itself, or Russia, or the US" - Ex German Intelligence chief H. Maassen
EX German Intelligence Chief Maassen claims contrary to what the German media says: "Ukraine is not a bastion of human rights, of freedom, peace and Western values". He called on German leadership to answer why they are exposing the country to the Danger of a Nuclear conflict.
https://twitter.com/SNMilitary/status/1530623923221676032
Posted by: michaelj72 | May 28 2022 19:02 utc | 52
Also, in regards to my earlier statement:
It is my firm belief that with every passing day NATO recognizes that Russia is ready-and-willing to fight WWIII, at this moment.
I'd like to add that this is a peculiar historical moment, one where Russia has achieved military and political superiority over NATO/"the west"/the F/uk/US coalition.
In that regard, I'd like to suggest that we may be witnessing the emergence of a new era, one where advances in military and/or political position provoke limited regional wars which are restricted not only by technological threats (up to and including advances in nuclear/biological/chemical weapons), but also by erstwhile political shifts.
China is conspicuously refraining from "taking a side", here. While that's incredibly advantageous to Russia, the question yet remains: what if China received material, political guarantees from the US that its interests in East Asia would be advanced and protected?
Obviously, that's not something that will happen in the short-term. Yet, I do think it is possible that in the medium-to-long-term, in that period after the U.S. unqualifiably loses this this proxy war against Russia--proving itself incapable of defending Taiwan--that a transformed U.S. oligarchy (i think that regardless of what one believes about the eventual outcome, the US is currently in a process of inevitable transformation) may well come to believe that retreating from its Pacific possessions and "making nice with Russia" (to protect its withering and weak NATO alliances) is more in its interest than continuing its fight against the emerging OBOR/BRI initiative.
Doubling down on an alliance with China is something few have considered--anywhere. Obviously, that's something a large part of the US Oligarchy are willing to accept. Most, here (everywhere, actually) believe that means that the US Oligarchy is in denial about the retreat from the Eastern Pacific that would entail, but what if it isn't something the elites are willing to accept?
What if the U.S. elites believe they can still drive a wedge between China and Russia by provoking a near-nuclear-war between Russia and "The West"?
Wouldn't China be inclined to say "Hey, now--nuclear war is bad, and those two are currently behaving like India and Pakistan, and that's worrisome. Maybe we should move to take things down a notch...."?
Yes, that would reduce the US to the same status as India/Pakistan--but isn't that where its global reputation is currently headed, anyway?
Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | May 28 2022 19:06 utc | 53
"I used to know an Indian guy claiming his perfect British English was fouled up by having lived in Houston, TX, for twenty years."
I do not have a good musical ear, so I have hard time telling differences between accents, especially "perfect" and "not so perfect". Long time ago, I got a new colleague, an Indian who got his degree in Belfast, in the Irish part of the United Kingdom. As he had wife, baby and no car as a fresh arrival, we went together to our shopping mall (in those parts there is only one). There he attempted to buy a bouncing chair in the department store. WHAT? A sales lady never heard about such a things. Since every family with a baby in Northern Ireland apparently owns one, that seemed impossible to my friend, and he asked several times, with much effort put into proper British enunciation and accent, and saying with full dignity BOUNCING CHAIR.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | May 28 2022 19:07 utc | 54
"Ex German intelligence chief Hans Maassen ... called on German leadership to answer why they are exposing the country to the Danger of a Nuclear conflict."
Posted by: michaelj72 | May 28 2022 19:02 utc | 52
The intelligence chief is playing political games with this kind of rhetoric, but to what end!
Posted by: Pagan | May 28 2022 19:09 utc | 55
Oops:
"but what if it isn't something the elites are willing to accept?"
Should read:
"but what if it isn't something the elites are unwilling to accept?"
Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | May 28 2022 19:09 utc | 56
Aw, hell:
...that retreating from its Pacific possessions and "making nice with Russia"...
should read:
...that retreating from its Pacific possessions and "making nice with CHINA"...
Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | May 28 2022 19:15 utc | 57
My rhetorical skills have steeply declined, in recent years.
...but what if it isn't something the elites are willing to accept?
should be:
...but what if it isn't something the elites are UNwilling to accept?
Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | May 28 2022 19:19 utc | 58
@ 56; Seems as though our "elites" have long ago accepted any Chinese policy, when we dismantled our manufacturing base, and sent it there...
Posted by: vetinLA | May 28 2022 19:22 utc | 59
Two years ago he reappeared under his own name. (I was surprised by his young age. I expected him to be about 30 years older.)
Posted by: Petri Krohn | May 28 2022 18:51 utc | 47
Thank you. That is great background information. Got to know him more.
The first time I heard his analysis, I was struck by his clear, concise, and logical analysis. Two days ago, I lost his bookmark, now I have a hard copy of where he resides. Thanks again.
Posted by: KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 19:22 utc | 60
Posted by: Boomheist | May 28 2022 17:45 utc | 15
He had something far fancier than an AR 15 which cost $2000 plus a $600 scope so maybe that's what frightened the cops; but did they get close enough to see what he had?
Posted by: Scorpion | May 28 2022 19:24 utc | 61
i don't hear a strong british accent though, but he is bald! from an hour ago - this update from the new atlas..
Russian Ops in Ukraine: West Changes Tune as Russian Gains Continue
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 17:00 utc | 5
The presenter in this video has a better pronunciation of Russian names like Kherson than most non-Slavic people, so he is probably a non-native speaker of English with a good knack for speaking foreign words correctly (at least to me, I would not stress the second syllable of Kherson, but I am not a Russian either, Russian stress is tricky, ruki means "hands" or "[of] hand", dependent on stressing the first or the second syllable, other switch of accent turns "to paint" into "to pee").
Posted by: Piotr Berman | May 28 2022 19:25 utc | 62
@Down South #24
If the Azovstal occupants were using starlink successfully in a battle environment from underground, they are getting a very different experience from paying Starlink users in the US:
Starlink, a new satellite internet service from SpaceX, is a spectacular technical achievement that might one day do all of these things. But right now it is also very much a beta product that is unreliable, inconsistent, and foiled by even the merest suggestion of trees.Reality, it must be emphasized, is very irritating.
...
Even a single tree blocking the dish’s line of sight to the horizon will degrade and interrupt your Starlink signal. Whatever satellite internet dreams you may have will run crashing into this reality until you can literally rise above.
...
Starlink’s website makes all of this crystal clear. “If any object such as a tree, chimney, pole, etc. interrupts the path of the beam, even briefly, your internet service will be interrupted,” says Starlink. “The best guidance we can give is to install your Starlink at the highest elevation possible where it is safe to do so, with a clear view of the sky. Users who live in areas with lots of tall trees, buildings, etc. may not be good candidates for early use of Starlink.”
Maybe Russia needed to plant some trees over Azovstal...
Or...maybe the Russian way of war doesn't emphasize destroying all civilian infrastructure such as internet connections, cell towers, TV and radio stations, roads, bridges, dams etc.
I vote the latter.
Posted by: c1ue | May 28 2022 19:32 utc | 63
But now that the utter desperation of the Outlaws is on display, we can gain solace that the world's order and its direction will change for the better while doing what we can to forward that outcome.
Posted by: karlof1 | May 28 2022 18:09 utc | 28
Looks like everything's coming up roses.... Hmmm... Where is Israel in all this... Are they pivoting with Saudis too?
Pacifica Advocate @46--
I'm also rather confident (a substitute for "pretty sure") that NATO and the U.S. currently recognize that Russia's worst, most inexperienced troops are grinding their middling-equipped, standard-trained Ukrainian proxies into the ground.
Sorry, but "Russia's worst, most inexperienced troops" are its conscripts who aren't allowed to participate in the SMO or the Syria Op; rather, they maintain the garrisons and repair equipment during their tenure and march in parades. They would only see battle if it entered Russia proper. However, they do fill an important role--protecting the Far East from invasion from Imperial Storm Troopers based in Japan/South Korea--the Inchon possibility I mentioned previously.
One way of visualizing the theatre is that of two boxers together in a semi-clinch with the Russian boxer ponding the abs of the helpless Ukrainian with its left fist while holding back on delivering an overhead right knock-out blow with its right in case someone enters the ring in the guise of a tag-team partner. If that happens, the right fist will be deployed to smash the would-be partner while the left fist finishes the job.
@ KitaySupporter | May 28 2022 17:54 utc | 22
thanks.. i can tell the different accents, but it comes from a lifetime of recognizing different accents used by those speaking english... outside of my ignorance in only speaking one language, it is what it is!! it is perhaps a curse and a blessing that on the internet, we don't have to take this into consideration! those who speak more then 1 language probably like yourself - have my admiration.. of course music is like a different language, but generally that doesn't count!!
@ MarkU | May 28 2022 18:06 utc | 26
i agree with your observations... it is hard to know what russia's longer term vision is here, but i can't help but think they are counting down the years that the unipolar vibe fades into the rear view... but of course it is a very dangerous time too which i liken to cornering a predator.... we'll see how things unfold here.. i can see russia freezing things, moving very slowly, or appearing to be stopped.. of course the west will be doing the exact opposite and everything in their power to drag russia into a bigger conflict.. that is a given as that is what they do with any country that doesn't fall into the ''unipolar'' line of thinking..
@ Pacifica Advocate | May 28 2022 18:50 utc | 46
i mostly share your viewpoint.. thanks for saying all that..
@ Pacifica Advocate | May 28 2022 19:06 utc | 53
i can't see that happening with the usa backs down and makes peace, or tries to alter the russia-china relationship here.. they are too far beyond that at this point. maybe i am wrong..
@ Piotr Berman | May 28 2022 19:25 utc | 62
yes - the fellow speaks very good english and is able to articulate very well russian names and etc - something i can't say for myself!! i barely pass spelling correctly!
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 19:44 utc | 66
oh and i still can't get strategic culture website here on vancouver island... i get the 403 message.. maybe some talented csis agent works around here, l,ol...
Posted by: james | May 28 2022 19:51 utc | 67
@c1ue | May 28 2022 19:32 utc | 63
I suspect civilian use of Starlink is a cover for the real purpose: Military application
The idea that Starlink provides "Facebook to children in Africa" or whatever seems a bit stretched.
Posted by: Norwegian | May 28 2022 19:51 utc | 68
[email protected] is extremely thoughtful, knowing a number of us in canada particularly bc, cannot access SC. i suspect chrystia may have found some of the articles shone too much light on her past & current agenda, no matter, it is to our regret we can no longer access it easily. in these fast moving days, karlof kindly highlights some of the more salient threads. i am somewhat surprised you may've missed this. & to karlof1, again thank you for your time, links & as always insight & pov.
Posted by: emersonreturn | May 28 2022 19:55 utc | 69
circumspect@34 - "The frequencies are so high that ground based EW is not going to work." Starlink terminal uplink is Ka- and V-band. Gateway uplink is Ku- and V-band. All are well within the Russian EW jamming and/or eavesdropping spectrum. If a satellite doesn't see an uplink from a device, it's not going to hear a request for or blindly send data down to that device. Ground jamming equipment is directed at the satellite to interfere with the uplink, not directed at the ground terminal/gateway to interfere with the downlink.
"Beam EW directly at the satellites up-link and down-link frequencies with large dish arrays might work to take them out over the country or area of interest." Might work, but probably overkill. Consider the size and puny transmitting power of Starlink ground terminal/gateway dishes or panels. You just have to drown that uplink in noise of, say, an order of magnitude higher in power. Russian (and American) EW have both done that for years to interfere with Ka-band satellite phones. This can be done from tens of miles away by the smaller jamming rigs directed at the satellite.
You can't jam distant downlinks to the phones/terminals/gateways without knowing their general location and without a great deal (magnitudes of) power, but there is equipment on all sides that can do that to varying degrees. But that's why all sides have airborne EW/ECW platforms, where you can jam both uplinks and downlinks (or intercept them) without needing a great deal of additional signal power.
Starlink terminals/gateways also have an unfortunate vulnerability by using extremely high frequency bands: ground positions of those chatty emitters can be located to within meters of accuracy by airborne sensors and to some degree by ground sensors. There's no particular need to crack any encryption or actually see the data. Send a drone in to snoop around for the emitter - you can decide if that transmitting device located in the middle of a forest is a lonely lumberjack or enemy HQ for a mechanized artillery battalion. If it's someone you don't like, then send coordinates to your 2S7 or 2S4 guys waiting for a target. No jamming necessary.
Starlink's earlier claim of changing one line of code to somehow prevent hacking or jamming is nonsense to anyone who understands EW. I'm sure it fixed some kind of vulnerability, but was meaningless overall in a modern EW environment.
Posted by: PavewayIV | May 28 2022 20:04 utc | 70
Aleph_Null @ 38
You have to take one for the team. Your system was sent to the Ukraine.
I think the MESH in space routes to other satellites, your personal ground stations receives. The MESH can route in space to a safe area or country where the total MESH network down-link stations exist and then it routes to the terrestrial communication network. I am pretty sure that is how it works.
You have to have clear line of site to space. Even heavy storms can block your signal even with clear line of site. That stuff is pretty basic to sat comms. Panel antenna on roof with a clear line of sight attached to a downlink then to a router with a network cable and/or wireless signal will work.
Can the Russians read the traffic? I do not know. How effective was it in battle? Don't know. I do know Musk's propaganda is very effective.
Posted by: circumspect | May 28 2022 20:05 utc | 71
Scorpion @64--
Thanks for your reply. The Zionists are Colonialists/Settlers in demographic dire straits and are inside a cauldron of their own making as Crooke describes here, which is similar yet differs from the one constructed by the Boers/Afrikaners, although their fate will be similar. Occupied Palestine's Settler polity is very deeply divided, quite likely beyond repair as religious and political fundamentalisms are at its root. The Zionists continue to hoist the fear of invasion in order to keep their otherwise untenable political position. The Arc of Resistance was correct to adopt the long game that recognizes the demographic reality as the ultimate weapon for liberating Palestine, yet the Arc is prepared to act if rabidly radical Settlers attack al-Aqsa, which will visit catastrophic defeat onto the Zionists and end their Colonial adventure.
As for relations between Russia and Occupied Palestine, the realignment of the Arabic and Islamic worlds with Russia speaks volumes as that wouldn't be happening if Russia was seen as Pro-Israeli. Might Russia do more? Yes, but Russia has its own Long Game for the Persian Gulf region which is moving along nicely, so I doubt if it will make any drastic changes unless forced to do so, although that appears very unlikely.
pa@53, perhaps you haven't read GT's many editorials on this. when the smo first began GT posted a very funny cartoon: usa: come help us destroy your friend so we can destroy you next (or something very like). china imo fully understands the game board & understands she is the final essential target. i liked very much your f/uk/US & shall begin to deploy it.
Posted by: emersonreturn | May 28 2022 20:16 utc | 73
Pagan@40
Completely agree. One of the most misleading myths of the current NATO propaganda offensive/barrage is that which suggests that Zelensky, elected on a Peace with Donbas programme, to implement the Minsk accord and the almost unanimous choice of Russian speakers is a democrat. He is what he appears to be: a run of the mill actor, with all the faults of an 'over the top' Thespian, hired by a kleptocratic fascist.
And Ukraine, despite all the malicious efforts of NATO the psycho, remains, at heart a population longing for peace and all the things that make life bearable. It is a people being crucified in the interests, in the final analysis, of a handful of financiers (most of whom are NOT Jewish) in western capitals.
Posted by: bevin | May 28 2022 20:23 utc | 75
@LightYearsFromHome | 12
Their f**king oligarchs buy megayatchs. Not OK.
Our f**king billionaires buy hundred thousands acres of farmland. That's OK.
OK?
Posted by: young | May 28 2022 20:26 utc | 76
Posted by: PavewayIV | May 28 2022 17:44 utc | 13
Yes, someone posted that earlier. Good article. Fascinating tech that detects artillery sounds - like Shot Spotter deployed in some US cities to detect gunshots - and can identify the make and model firing at them, then sends a drone to get direct coordinates for counter-battery fire. And since a lot of Russian artillery is mobile, Russia retains the advantage over US towed howitzers.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 28 2022 20:42 utc | 77
Today, MFA's Zakharova was asked about the food issue and provided a very detailed answer that was mostly repeated by English language Russian media. Since the truth of the matter is told, I very much doubt any of it will be published by Western media. Again, I've posted the entire Q&A here, but here's a very important excerpt:
The jump in prices for agricultural products occurred in 2020 and is by no means a consequence of a special military operation. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to serious disruptions in supply chains and a significant increase in the cost of food transportation services.FAO experts have repeatedly noted that prices reached a record high level until February 2022, so, from 2019 to February 2022, the food price index increased by almost 50%. This happened not through the fault of Russia, but because of the pandemic money emission, high prices for energy, fertilizers and other agricultural resources.
The main catalyst for the existing negative trends was the anti-Russian sanctions of the West, which led to the severance of ties in the field of global logistics and transport infrastructure. The United States and the EU have banned ships under the Russian flag from using their coastal infrastructure. The world's largest cargo carriers have joined the sanctions against Russia, their ships do not enter Russian ports. The EU sanctions list includes the Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port, through which up to 50% of Russian grain was previously shipped for export. The EU has introduced a quota regime for the import of fertilizers. All this – together with sanctions against the transportation of goods from Russia, difficulties with payment for supplies, bans on transactions and customs problems – led in March this year to a reduction in the shipment of Russian fertilizers to the EU countries by 40%.
As a result, the prices of wheat, maize and barley, which were already at record highs, rose even more. According to the UN, by the end of March 2022, the cost of food exceeded last year's figure by 24%, and in the EU countries the price of wheat soared by 70% over this period.
The zeroing of duties on grains, corn, oilseeds made in the EU led to the fact that the Ukrainian authorities organized a daily mass export of their agricultural products to Europe.
The United States and the EU intend to export 20 million tons of grain from Ukraine within 2.5 months, allegedly for their transfer to the countries of Africa and the Middle East in order to prevent a food crisis. However, in reality, grain is transported to warehouses in Europe. Rail, road and river routes have been organized for its delivery to destinations in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria.
The statement of US President Joe Biden on May 10 of this year on the need to find opportunities for the export of 20 million tons of grain from Ukraine coincided with the signing of the law on Ukrainian "lend-lease". It turns out that Kiev will pay for weapons with wheat. In fact, the Americans themselves are provoking a food crisis in Ukraine, depriving it of grain reserves. [My Emphasis]
As usual, the criminals are the Collective West. And the Global South knows that all too well. What the Outlaws fail to see is that every lie they tell and every unilateral, non-UN approved move they make further drives the Global South to align with the forces/nations defending the UN Charter and multilateralism. The Tar Baby tale is repeated over and over with predictable results yet the West remains blind to its own self-defeating actions.
Posted by: circumspect | May 28 2022 18:25 utc | 34
Why do all that when you can hack the central command centers controlling the satellites. There is no such thing as computer security. Musk is going to find out what Russian hackers can do.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 28 2022 20:53 utc | 79
Posted by: Lysias | May 28 2022 18:33 utc | 36
I believe Starlink satellites uses end-to-end encryption - although it's possible Russia has broken the encryption.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 28 2022 20:55 utc | 80
Kitay Supporter @ 2:
I thought of Graham Phillips at first as he is a British journalist with a distinct northern English accent - he is originally from Nottinghamshire - and who regularly travels to Crimea and the Donbass to report on activity there. He recently interviewed the mercenary Aydin Aslin (also a Nottinghamshire native) just after Aslin's capture. Phillips is not an analyst though.
Anyway I am glad to see others have pointed out Brian Berletic who turned out to be the fellow you were after. Berletic lives in Bangkok by the way so you may find his work on Thai politics and on geopolitical issues in China and SE Asia very useful. I recall he had posted articles under the Tony Cartalucci pseudonym on his old Land Destroyer blog in the past about Uyghur terrorists travelling through Thailand and other SE Asian nations on false Turkish papers.
Posted by: Jen | May 28 2022 20:56 utc | 81
Ian Kummer:
https://twitter.com/MarkAmesExiled/status/1224511443258761218
Russia has an oligarchy like any other country. Remember the kerfluffle when people started calling Mike Bloomberg an oligarch after he bought his way into the Democratic Party primary? The responses were generally racist orientalist characterizations like "Mike is not an oligarch, oligarchs are murderous thugs found in Russia."
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 28 2022 21:01 utc | 82
Posted by: karlof1 | May 28 2022 19:38 utc | 65
"Tag-team boxing"? Now that's a new idea. :-)
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 28 2022 21:01 utc | 83
Posted by: emersonreturn | May 28 2022 19:55 utc | 69
And anyone in Canada who cannot access Strategic Culture - Get a VPN service. In fact that's good advice for a lot of Internet activities as well. I pay $75/year for one that lets me choose exit point servers (IP addresses) in practically any country in the world.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 28 2022 21:04 utc | 84
Posted by: PavewayIV | May 28 2022 20:04 utc | 70
Good assessment. You wouldn't be GRU by any chance, would you? :-)
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 28 2022 21:05 utc | 85
@Norwegian #68
That might make sense except for the billions of dollars of military satellites already up.
Oh and the fact that any form of ground to orbit transmission, by definition, requires far more energy than to a ground based transmitter.
Which as Paveway notes - more energy emissions = very bad for anyone near said transmitter.
Posted by: c1ue | May 28 2022 21:07 utc | 86
Liberalism might be many things, but it sure isn't ethnic.
Posted by: Anne B | May 28 2022 18:10 utc | 29
Unless its also Fascist and or Nazi, which it appears to be more and more. Liberal Identity politics is not the same as ethnic acceptance, as we see demonstrated in the US and currently in the EU.
As far as "liberalism" is concerned, the origins of it are in philosophical supremacy of the individual. Its mortal enemy both philosophically and in reality is collectivism. Collectivism undermines extreme individualism. Hence universal fear and hatred of communism in liberal US politics of both parties. Gun rights the darling of the GOP are a form of extreme degraded liberalism. quintessentially American, the individualist constitution keeps it all sacred.
Both war parties are "liberal" in the true sense of the word, never mind vacuous political labels that only obscure and keep people deluded.
Like good capitalism, good liberalism is a lie, except to those who benefit, never mind the rest. And oddly enough the "rest" most often happen to have darker coloured skin.
Posted by: k | May 28 2022 21:07 utc | 87
re: karlof1 | May 28 2022 20:12 utc | 72
Apparently there is a Persian saying that says "The reward of patience is more patience." For resilence, transcending the need for instant gratification is a must. The west doesn't have a chance.
Pacifica Advocate - the prospect of a wedge between Russia and China, now and or in the near future is delusional. The only bignose/roundeyed/ghostmen the Chinese would trust speak Russian.
Posted by: tucenz | May 28 2022 21:07 utc | 88
@Ian Kummer #1
Oligarchs occupy positions of not just economic, but political power.
The goal was to have Russia ruled by oligarchs; Putin stopped that.
Contrast with Ukraine...
Posted by: c1ue | May 28 2022 21:09 utc | 89
IMO, the situation described in this article is hilarious as a Neoliberal Parasite takes aim at a morsel within the land where Neoliberalism began and is backed by the Neoliberal Mafia Don:
"Washington is reportedly threatening to limit defence cooperation with the UK if Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng attempts to block the 2.6 billion pound ($3.2 billion US) sale of Ultra Electronics Holdings, a major British defence electronics company, to Advent International, a US-based private equity firm."
The term "private equity firm" serves as obfuscation for the proper term Corporate Raider which is synonymous with Neoliberal Parasite. And that's no assumption by me as we read further on in the article:
"Kwarteng launched the investigation and froze the Boston-based hedge fund’s buyout of Ultra last August, following reports that a number of British defence sector companies had already been sold or were in the process of being taken over by US competitors who proceeded to hollow them out, sell off assets, and lay off employees. 'The UK is open for business, however foreign investment must not threaten our national security', the minister wrote in a tweet announcing the probe."
Well, the Mafia Don begs to differ and won't take no for an answer. The Outlaw US Empire is actually waging war on all nations, allied or not.
@young | May 28 2022 20:26 utc | 76
They also try and force vaccination and a bug diet. Also no ICE cars allowed for peasants while they fly in private jets.
Posted by: Sundial | May 28 2022 21:13 utc | 91
Posted by: Boomheist | May 28 2022 17:45 utc | 15
With all due respect, but any amount of time spent at MoA should tell you not everything is as it appears, and that is most certainly the case with Texas incident, et al. Following the money is a good rule of thumb, along with "What additional freedoms are TPTB trying to remove from the unwashed masses?" It should be a given by now that ALL Western MSM narratives are suspect. Err on the side of caution, i.e. NOT true
Posted by: ianMoone | May 28 2022 21:19 utc | 92
tucenz @88--
Thanks for your reply. My elders always taught that good things come to those who wait, and I learned that stamina was more important than swiftness. Then there's prudence instead of rashness. There's also the lesson that Traditional Conservatism doesn't mean being stuck in a rut and not going anywhere, that instead moving ahead slowly so all can keep pace is more equitable and progressive. Back in the 1960s there were many hit songs advising that sort of living/lifestyle--stop and smell the roses; you'll get where you're going soon enough.
Latest Russian MoD briefing...
Briefing by Russian Defence MinistryThe Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine.
As a result of joint action by People's Militia of Donetsk People's Republic and the Russian Armed Forces, Krasnyi Liman has been completely liberated from Ukrainian nationalists.
High-precision air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed the forward comand post of the 30th mechanized brigade of the AFU in Bakhmut and command post of the territorial defence brigade in Soledar.
In addition, 5 command and observation posts, 17 areas of Ukrainian military manpower and military equipment concentration, and 4 ammunition depots near Nyrkovo, Bakhmut and Mironovka of the Donetsk People's Republic have been hit.
Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 6 command posts, 1 communications centre, 4 ammunition depots, 2 Grad MLRS batteries, as well as 50 areas of manpower and Ukrainian military equipment concentration.
The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 260 nationalists.
In addition, fighter aircraft have shot down 2 Su-25s of the Ukrainian Air Force over Zagradovka, Kherson Region, and Barvenkoe, Kharkov Region.
Russian air defence means have shot down 1 Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter near Orekhovo, Zaporozhye Region.
Also during the day, 18 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down in the air over Zhovtnevoe, Pitomnik, Russkaya Lozovaya, Liptsy, Volokhov Yar, Glubokoe, Strelechya, Petrovskoe, Mikhailovka, Mospanovo, Malye Prokhody in Kharkov Region, Pervomaisk in Lugansk People's Republic, and Voznesensk in Nikolaev Region. Including 1 Ukrainian Bayraktar TB-2 unmanned aerial vehicle shot down near Pokrovka, Nikolaev Region.
In addition, 1 Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missile have been intercepted near Svatovo, Lugansk Region, and 7 Smerch rockets have been shot down near Sukhaya Kamenka, Kharkov Region, and Golaya Pristan, Kherson Region.
Missile troops and artillery have hit 57 command posts, 618 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, 42 Ukrainian artillery and mortar units at firing positions and 2 batteries of Grad multiple-launch rocket systems.
In total, 182 Ukrainian aircraft and 128 helicopters, 1,045 unmanned aerial vehicles, 324 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,297 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 444 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,714 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,245 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.
#MoD #Russia #Ukraine #Briefing
@mod_russia_en
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 28 2022 21:31 utc | 94
Posted by: c1ue | May 28 2022 21:09 utc | 89
Putin came to an 'understanding' with some oligarchs and purged others. Allegedly the deal was that they stayed silent in public on Putin's agenda. For a list of the ones who remained, there's the sanctioned individuals, many if not most of whom are billionaires or multi-billionaires (I think). Russia has oligarchs, just not the ones that Uncle Scam and the western financial/energy sector elites would have 'preferred'...
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 28 2022 21:32 utc | 95
Bereft of new ideas, DARPA goes back to the future with ancient Soviet designs. Make sure you visit the linked Caspian Sea Monster page after marveling at those sleek Iranian craft.
@Tom_Q_Collins #95:
Russia has oligarchs, just not the ones that Uncle Scam and the western financial/energy sector elites would have 'preferred'...
There are no oligarchs in Russia, only billionaires.
Posted by: S | May 28 2022 21:40 utc | 97
MarkU | May 28 2022 18:06 utc | 26
Earlier there was much comment in the threads about how Russia would firstly eliminate current nazi's/nationalists and maintain the long term eradication of them. Those comments usually revolve around the military elimination of the nazi's across Ukraine, occupation and installing a neutral or friendly government. That does not fit with anything Putin or Lavrov have said.
In fact when asked, Lavrov stated that - Russia does not do regime change. That is what the west does.
Around the matter of Ukraine leadership Lavrov seems to be of the opinion, and it seems to be Russia's standing doctrine that the people of a country must choose there own leadership.
I ran onto something about Georgia's stance on the SMO. They are staying neutral, are not sending weapons, I don't think they have joined the sanctions and wish to maintain friendly/neutral relations with Russia. I suspect the Georgian leadership are looking at Ukraine with a bit of pity knowing it has been led to its destruction by the US.
There has been much written about why the op that appears to be moving slowly is not. That the flows of weapons coming in makes no difference ect ect. Russia has slowed the supply line but not stopped it. Diesel trains still run unmolested. Where there is a concentration of equipment Russia destroys it but a lot still gets through to the front lines.
Apparently Russia is only using about 10% of its military force for the op. By dragging the conflict out Russia has the extra expense of destroying the incoming weapons supply plus the loss of equipment casualties ect. By not sending in a larger force, not cutting supply lines Russia is incurring an extra cost financial and human.
Zelensky won the vast majority of the vote by campaigning on a peace policy. The majority of Ukrainians want peace not destruction. I think this phase of the operation is as much about bringing the Ukrainians to a point where they will eliminate their American controlled government and install a non nationalist government that is willing to negotiate with Russia and ignore the US/UK.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 28 2022 21:41 utc | 98
I wonder if people are noticing this fact. When the Russian MoD briefing says this sort of thing - "Missile troops and artillery have hit 57 command posts, 618 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, 42 Ukrainian artillery and mortar units at firing positions and 2 batteries of Grad multiple-launch rocket systems." - what it really means is one hell of a lot of Ukrainians died or were wounded over and above the number reported earlier in the report.
This is because a "command post", "areas of manpower and military equipment concentration", and "artillery and mortar units" is not going to be empty. Even if there was only ONE Ukrainian standing near those 618 "areas of manpower and military equipment concentration", that's another 618 dead or wounded Ukrainians.
Except for vehicle parks or random vehicles hidden under a garage or whatever, there are going to be Ukrainian soldiers around most of these targets. Russia can't know how many in many cases, so they just report "confirmed kills" from their missile and air assets where there is drone and pilot confirmation or estimates.
Personally whatever figure the MoD reports on killed nationalists, I'd double or triple that number. This means Ukraine is losing around or in excess of 1,000 soldiers per day, or 30,000 a month. Multiple that by the three months so far, and Ukraine has lost 90,000 soldiers - nearly half its army, most of that in eastern Ukraine, although Russian strikes occur throughout Ukraine. After the first month, Russia reported 20,000 and others estimated 30,000 - so after three months the 90,000 figure makes sense.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 28 2022 21:43 utc | 99
My friend runs the www.sitrepworld.info aggregator site and he can't get Strat Culture either so I have been emailing him their articles and he has been posting them. I will ask him to clearly label them as SC articles.
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Oligarchy vs. Colony for Dummies:
I keep hearing that Russia is [just another] oligarchy. The main argument is that there are [VERY] rich people in Russia. True, though compared to Elon Musk or Bill Gates they are beggars. But are they oligarchs in the proper sense of the word? I don’t think so. Maybe they were proxy rulers with limited authority. I’ll try to explain.
https://readingjunkie.com/2022/05/27/oligarchy-vs-colony-for-dummies/
This is a follow-up of my earlier post I Finally Understand Why We Hate Russia. Now I argue that under the European model of post-modern European supremacy, I mean liberalism, the enemy within is worse than the enemy outside. I am referring not to geography or borders, but to ethnicity.
https://readingjunkie.com/2022/05/23/ingroup-hostility-and-white-supremacy/
Posted by: Ian Kummer | May 28 2022 16:53 utc | 1