Eliot Cohen is such a vile neocon scumbag. The Atlantic is just another rag now.

Interesting interview on Russian internal politics and int'l relations/trade. But the French interviewee uses the terms "globalist" and "global" so much that it really puts me off. No definition is ever provided.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 21 2023 13:26 utc | 1

How much does the war in Ukraine cost Europe?
There are direct costs, indirect costs and intangible costs. Grants are a direct cost. Where has the money gone?

The "European Peace Facility" has spent €5.6 billion on weapons for Ukraine.

Germany pledges €2.7 billion in arms for Ukraine. Germany will give Ukraine a tank factory, too. As the saying goes, "Give a man a tank, and he fights for a day. Teach a man to build tanks, and he fights for a lifetime."

"Macro-Financial Assistance +" is an EU office that pays Ukraine €1.5 billion per month throughout 2023.

The Ukraine Energy Support Fund takes money from EU states and gives it to Ukrainian power companies. This means the European taxpayer is giving money to the same companies that cut off Russian gas pipelines to Europe.

Loan guarantees only show up in the book-keeping if someone defaults on the loan. As an example, Ireland has a "Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme". This will not cost the Irish one cent, until the day comes Ukraine doesn't pay.

Forget about the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Putin being the work of a single judge. The EU has paid the International Criminal Court €16 million to "hold Russia accountable". Someone help me out - what is the word for giving the judge money and stating what the trial outcome should be?

There are other programs, too many to mention. No trough not filled, no palm not greased. Need a quick €10,000? Check out these opportunities.

Officially, the EU has given Ukraine already €37.8 billion.

Then there are indirect costs, such as the increase in energy prices because of the war. Some €646 billion in taxpayer money has been used to subsidize fuel and electricity prices.

So yes, the Ukrainian war is costing the EU money. But there are also intangible costs - say, what the rest of the world now thinks of us. That cost will only become clear once the war is over.

Posted by: Passerby | May 21 2023 13:33 utc | 2

Posted by: Passerby | May 21 2023 13:33 utc on a tank factory Germany plans in Ukraine: "Teach a man to build tanks, and he fights for a lifetime." Mind you, a shorter life.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | May 21 2023 13:38 utc | 3

"...the French interviewee uses the terms "globalist" and "global" so much that it really puts me off."

It's a hard world out there.
It seemed to me clear that globalism was assumed to be neo-liberalism- the international division of labour, collecting rents and galloping inequality.

There has been talk, from me among many others, since the SMO kicked off, of a new Russia- a re-ordering of Russian society with a pushback against the oligarchs and a re-tracing of the wholesale privatisation of the economy, which has left the 'commanding heights' in the hands of globalist oligarchs, the sort of people who made massive donations to the Clinton Foundation, and palaces in Mayfair.

We are still waiting. There is a slim hope that, as Russia becomes more closely allied with China, there will be an increase in CPC influence, particularly in the area of keeping capitalists under control and being mindful of the way in which corporations act as Trojan Horses for imperialist interests.

The Slavsquat article/interview struck me as a useful blast of cold air on the little euphorias which blow up every time that the, non-existent, Ukrainian army disappears again.

Posted by: bevin | May 21 2023 13:51 utc | 4

@ Tom_Q_Collins | May 21 2023 13:26 utc | 1
re: The Atlantic is just another rag now.
The Atlantic has long been "another rag" now headed by Jeffrey Mark Goldberg editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine. Long ago I blogged on the Atlantic, when Goldberg was merely an Israel apologist "journalist," often against Goldberg's slanted jibberish about an evil Iran, until I was banned from the blog. What did I expect? Previously, Jeffrey Goldberg left college to move to Israel, where he served in the Israel Defense Forces during the First Intifada as a prison guard at Ktzi'ot Prison.

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 14:02 utc | 5

@ bevin | May 21 2023 13:51 utc | 4
. . .there will be an increase in CPC influence
Yes, think Confucianism, an ancient Chinese belief system which focuses on the importance of personal ethics and morality.

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 14:07 utc | 6

thanks b and the many other fine posters here..

"The moves in England to outlaw jury nullification and those in Scotland to abolish juries in sexual assault cases, are part of a major impulse to state authoritarianism shown also in the new UK Public Order Act, the Orwellian-named UK Online Safety Bill, and Scotland’s equally Orwellian-named Hate Crime Act."

from craig murrays latest -

Lawyers For Israel Oppose Conscience

Posted by: james | May 21 2023 14:13 utc | 7

Well i'm sure this lot will sort it all:

https://publicintelligence.net/2023-bilderberg-participant-list/

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | May 21 2023 14:19 utc | 8

James no. 7

We are so screwed.

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | May 21 2023 14:25 utc | 9

@ThusspakeZarathustra | May 21 2023 14:19 utc | 8
An attendee at Bilderberg -- Applebaum, Anne (USA), Staff Writer, The Atlantic
--- a recent article in The Atlantic--

The Atlantic’s June Cover Story: “The Counteroffensive,” by Anne Applebaum and Jeffrey Goldberg

The future of democracy worldwide depends in part on whether the Ukrainian army can break the current stalemate and achieve complete victory. In a new cover story reported from frontline Kherson, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, and other cities and military bases across Ukraine, The Atlantic’s staff writer Anne Applebaum and editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, write that now is the moment for the United States and the Western world to help Ukraine launch its counteroffensive, take back Crimea, and win the war. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 14:40 utc | 10

Don Bacon@6

there is a tendency for people to deny the obvious importance of ethical systems in philosophy and religion on socialist ideas.
The socialist movement has always been founded, in practical terms, on popular opinion shaped by belief in 'doing unto others as you would have them do to you'. From food riots in the moral economy to strikes in solidarity, socialism, as its very name suggests, is a reaction against individualism and egotism.
Confucianism, christianity and a dozen other religions, including islam, have the same broad message. So, if true to itself, does the Communist Party of China. That message is the antithesis of neo-liberalism, which might be defined as liberalism, stripped of its ethical components- most of which originated in evangelical ethics.

Posted by: bevin | May 21 2023 14:53 utc | 11

" ((( Anne Applebaum and Jeffrey Goldberg )))

The future of democracy worldwide depends in part on whether the Ukrainian army can break the current stalemate and achieve complete victory. In a new cover story reported from frontline Kherson, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, and other cities and military bases across Ukraine, The Atlantic’s staff writer Anne Applebaum and editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, write that now is the moment for the United States and the Western world to help Ukraine launch its counteroffensive, take back Crimea, and win the war. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 14:40 utc | 10 "

For context:

https://media.gab.com/system/media_attachments/files/138/375/506/original/ff717753ce2dc662.mp4

https://media.gab.com/system/media_attachments/files/138/374/071/original/7d2a401dd7affbe6.mp4

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | May 21 2023 14:54 utc | 12

@ ThusspakeZarathustra | May 21 2023 14:19 utc | 8

i see our 2nd in command witch freeland is in lisbon for this meeting, along with previously mentioned annie applepants.. what a crew of witches, lol... i imagine a big cauldron with them stirring the pot!

in a related note, i liked the chinese response to the g7 gathering..

"China will never accept the so-called rules imposed by the few. The international community does not and will not accept the G7-dominated Western rules that seek to divide the world based on ideologies and values,” the statement read.

The Foreign Ministry went on to accuse the group of acting on behalf of “America-first” policies and attempting to impose its will on others. “That simply shows how little international credibility means to the G7,” the ministry said."

quote from todays rt news..

Posted by: james | May 21 2023 15:33 utc | 13

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 14:02 utc | 5
(Jeffrey Goldberg)

LOL. Thanks for the reminder!
Jeffrey spent some time trying to establish himself as MoA's Resident Pest, 'Jeff' about 10 years ago. I didn't suspect anything until he described himself as "editor of a little monthly(?) magazine." I asked him if he was THE Jeffrey Goldberg and he stopped commenting here...as Jeff.

PS. He certainly knew his way around the English Language :-)

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | May 21 2023 15:41 utc | 14

Don Bacon no. 10

Yes i saw that. "Freedom and fear". Not much choice really.

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | May 21 2023 16:13 utc | 15

James no. 13

They got that right. And sunak had the audacity to mention it used to be G8 till Russia was expelled because of Crimea. The hypocrisy is stunning.

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | May 21 2023 16:17 utc | 16

"...probably impossible as long as the Maxwell tapes ensure permanent (((neocon))) rule in Washington, but might work in Europe..."

From the above linked: 'Ukraine is in a real pickle' https://xymphora.blogspot.com/2023/05/recovery-from-smirking.html

Does he mean Ghislaine Maxwell?? What tapes exactly? Does anyone care to elaborate, please?

What proof or basis in fact does this assertion have?

Posted by: Et Tu | May 21 2023 16:29 utc | 17

Et Tu @ 17

Yes, he means Ghislaine Maxwell. Any such tapes would only have minor and transient value. The entire elite is either directly involved or directly aware. The man who has everything does end up wanting everything. Old news.

Posted by: oldhippie | May 21 2023 16:54 utc | 18

There is a slim hope that... keeping capitalists under control and being mindful of the way in which corporations act as Trojan Horses for imperialist interests. The Slavsquat article/interview struck me as a useful blast of cold air on the little euphorias...
Posted by: bevin | May 21 2023 13:51 utc | 4

Thanks and I agree with the sentiment of not thinking that Russia success in their SMO will automatically deal capitalism a death blow.
It will only blunt the particular powers accumulated by the imperialist West over the past few centuries.

Capitalism is like standing water on an old flat roof. It will find a way if not removed.
That Slavsquat article is a good reality check. Recommended.

Posted by: waynorinorway | May 21 2023 17:53 utc | 19

Let's get a new war on!
..toward a new war in Asia

recent news
Taiwan military to get $619 million U.S. arms boost
TAIPEI, March 2 (Reuters) - The United States has approved the potential sale of $619 million in new weapons to Taiwan, including missiles for its F-16 fleet, as the island reported a second day of large-scale Chinese air force incursions nearby.
The arms sales are likely to further sour already tense ties between Washington and Beijing, which has repeatedly demanded such deals stop, viewing them as unwarranted support for democratically governed Taiwan, an island China claims as its own territory. . . . .here

in Taiwan, May 21, 2023
Cross-strait security and reinforcing the nation’s position in the global supply chain are key priorities for her final year in office, President Tsai Ing-wen said yesterday.
“Although Taiwan is at risk, it is never a risk maker, but a responsible risk controller,” Tsai added. “Taiwan will stand with all democratic countries in the international community to resolve the risks.” . . .here

She lies: She is a risk maker, she has said that Taiwan is independent.

"President" Tsai interviewed by BBC, Jan 18, 2020
Q: Will there come a day when that reality needs to be spelled out by calling Taiwan a country, and a formal declaration of independence to do that?
A: Well, the idea is that we don't have a need to declare ourselves an independent state. We are an independent country already and we call ourselves the Republic of China (Taiwan), and we have our own system of running the country, and we do have a government and we have a military, and we have elections, like the presidential elections that you have witnessed. . . .here

from State:
The United States approach to Taiwan has remained consistent across decades and administrations. The United States has a longstanding one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means. . . .here

re: "We oppose unilateral changes . . . we do not support Taiwan independence" -- of course that's a lie as the US failed to rein in Tsai, and the US delivers military materiel to support its independence.

news, Oct 6, 2022
China will 'not hesitate to start war' if Taiwan declares independence, Beijing says
Beijing will "not hesitate to start a war" if Taiwan declares independence, China's defence nminister warned his US counterpart Friday, the latest salvo between the superpowers over the island.
The warning from Wei Fenghe came as he held his first face-to-face meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.
Beijing views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary, and US-China tensions over the issue have soared in recent months. . . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 18:18 utc | 20

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 14:40 utc | 10

Anne Applebaum. Eesh. Between East and West. The room and borderlands. Wax poetic on salo in the ancient city of Kiev before everyone pronounces it Keeeev. And not even Passolini's Salo.
I'm so excited about the future of dermocracy.
I guess Ukraine's famous black soil is getting even more fertile with all the blood of the heroes. Slava... slave.. serfdom... surf dumb...
Catharine was right with the Pale of Settlement.

Posted by: lex talionis | May 21 2023 18:44 utc | 21

The Ukraine Support Tracker tells you how much your country has given to Ukraine. In millions of euros:

71280 United States
29930 EU (Commission and Council)
9830 United Kingdom
7370 Germany
6230 Japan
3940 Netherlands
3790 Canada
3530 Poland
2350 Norway
1740 France
1410 Sweden
1020 Italy
960 Denmark
940 Czech Republic
900 Finland
770 Austria
720 Spain
490 Lithuania
480 Portugal

These are total amounts. The Ukraine Support Tracker website has information about 40 countries, divided in arms, money and humanitarian aid.

Posted by: Passerby | May 21 2023 18:51 utc | 22

Posted by: Passerby | May 21 2023 18:51 utc | 22

Do you think if I identify as Ukarainian they will give me some much needed money and a little Armalite?
What a disaster.

Posted by: lex talionis | May 21 2023 18:59 utc | 23

from Austin News
Micron to build new chip plant in upstate New York instead of Lockhart

Micron Technology, based in Boise, Idaho, plans to construct its new multibillion-dollar semiconductor factory in upstate New York rather than in Central Texas.
Micron Technology has picked a site in upstate New York instead of a location in Lockhart south of Austin for a multibillion-dollar new semiconductor factory.
"It was between us and New York at the end, and it just came down to incentive packages," said Hoppy Haden, who serves as county judge in Caldwell County, where Lockhart is located. "New York just upped the ante, and (Micron) went with the money."
Micron, one of the world’s largest microchip manufacturers, announced Tuesday it would open a semiconductor factory in Clay, N.Y., promising a long-term investment of up to $100 billion and a plant that could bring 50,000 jobs to the state.
Micron was lured to the Syracuse area with help from a generous set of federal, state and local incentives, including up to $5.5 billion in state tax credits over 20 years. . .here

from Yahoo News
China tells tech manufacturers to stop using Micron chips, stepping up feud with United States

BEIJING (AP) — Stepping up a feud with Washington over technology and security, China's government on Sunday told users of computer equipment deemed sensitive to stop buying products from the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, Micron Technology Inc.
Micron products have unspecified “serious network security risks” that pose hazards to China’s information infrastructure and affect national security, the Cyberspace Administration of China said on its website. Its six-sentence statement gave no details.
“Operators of critical information infrastructure in China should stop purchasing products from Micron Co.,” the agency said. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 19:06 utc | 24

Economic isms begin with what utility is the economy to provide to society: To benefit the most or to benefit only those running the economy. Historically, these are the two main isms. Capital is a tool used by economies to accomplish specific tasks. It became an ism by being associated with economies that only benefit those running them--the equality of outcomes was manipulated to the benefit of a few instead of the many. Usually, that outcome is associated with Oligarchies who enforce the disparity using authoritarian methods. And the economy in question needn't be an industrial economy as history shows. Clearly, the great mass of people prefer egalitarian economies. The US Constitution was seen by many globally as being egalitarian because of the rationale stated in its Preamble. However, that was soon proven to be a big mistake as the USA rapidly became an Oligarchy, which is unsurprising as that's how the Constitution was designed.

As we've seen, there exist other ways to organize economies, those designed to serve the masses are usually based on a moral-ethical philosophy supporting that method that shows the incorrectness of the alternative. The failure of Leninism and Stalinism stem from their oligarchic nature despite the rhetoric of those paths serving the masses. Maoism came close to suffering the same fate.

Currently, China is experiencing a resurrection of Confucian thought in the form of Xi Jinping Thought, while Russia is revisiting its initial direction after the demise of Tsarism in 1905 in the form of Putin's political-economy that's based on People-Centered Development, which has many Confucian aspects and is aimed at serving the masses. Both ways of thinking use Capital as a tool but insure it remains just a tool, while allowing the existence of entrepreneurship as an engine of innovation capable of propelling the economy forward and allowing those innovators to gain from their activities in a non-political manner. The logic is 100% Confucian: It's fine for a person to become wealthy as long as that wealth is generated by uplifting society--Win-Win. At the foundation, everything is to serve society; nothing is to be allowed to debilitate society. So, you have a regulatory state organized to produce that goal, which means most everything becomes a public utility, including almost all Capital. Thus, Capital is made to serve society instead of society becoming Capital's slave.

The above is the formulation being suggested to RoW through Xi's Global Initiatives as well as by Russia's diplomacy that provides a very sharp contrast to the Outlaw US Empire's Oligarchy and its rules that are meant to enslave.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 21 2023 19:07 utc | 25

[1]

You are surprised ? Atlantic magazine is owned by oligarch Mrs Steve Jobs of Goldman Sachs

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | May 21 2023 19:26 utc | 26

@ karlof1 | May 21 2023 19:07 utc | 25
re: . . . many Confucian aspects and is aimed at serving the masses.

One aspect of China difference is the presence of poliical commisars in military units.
...from a 2005 Singapore study paper:
China’s Political Commissars and Commanders: Trends & Dynamics

Political Commissars and Commanders in the Chinese military played a significant role for more than seven decades. Several commonalities, differences and relative influences of these two in the military hierarchy existed, though both were tasked to pursue political and strategic goals set by the Communist Party in the internal matters or external dimensions of China. Even as the Commanders’ role remained vital in the current phase of military modernisation, professionalism and power projection, the role of the Political Commissars is expected to be enhanced with the launching of “three wars” - media, legal and psychological warfare. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 19:40 utc | 27

"It seemed to me clear that globalism was assumed to be neo-liberalism- the international division of labour, collecting rents and galloping inequality."

Maybe so, but I also went out and read the French dude's blog; scanned a few entries using Google Translate. He's not a very concise writer and - while I know it's machine translated - appears to use the same words over and over in the same paragraphs. Maybe a human translation would add some nuance and eliminate some of the redundancy, but I don't know. Never had any reason to learn French.

On the general topic of what this war really means, and to whom. I do wish there was more information out there regarding the domestic environment in Russia at the moment. Let's not kid ourselves; the Putin government has almost certainly cracked down heavily on everyone from plain old genuine anti-war protestors to dissident media (some of which I'm sure is also funded by the CIA/NED/NGOs). PBS Frontline attempted to foist a fantasy land version of the situation off in an episode they called "Putin's War at Home" but it insulted my intelligence 10x within the first 10 minutes so I turned it off.

Regardless, I repeat that I'm very interested in seeing links to more nuanced commentary from within Russia (or from those who understand what's going on there) about the political situation. While we see conflicting opinions on the matter here at MoA rather frequently, I'm of the mindset that the longer the conflict drags on, the more danger it poses to Putin and the members of the Duma that broadly support the war effort. On that note, I should say that political pressure likely comes from both "sides" - meaning that within Russia and the Russian gov't there is sure to be a bloc wanting to just go ahead and crush Ukraine and their NATO partners already, no holds barred, no punches pulled. As is there sure to be a bloc or blocs that want to pull out and forget all about it; perhaps leaving a force behind to simply defend the territory they've already taken. IOW, not push forward or liberate any more areas. Obviously I'm only speculating based on my own knowledge of how similar situations play out here in the USA, and what I've read of Europe.

Does anyone have any reading suggestions? Even in the alternative media space and Russian national media it has been difficult to find this kind of content from honest, unconflicted voices.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 21 2023 19:54 utc | 28

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | May 21 2023 19:26 utc | 26

Never said I was surprised, other than perhaps by the degree of unhinged warmongering rhetoric they publish when the other party to the conflict is literally the world's preeminent nuclear power.

I used to like reading some of the more radical writers at The Atlantic. For example, I never even would have heard of authors like Ta-Nehisi Coates if not for the hysterical vitriol directed at him by conservatives in my online social and information circles.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 21 2023 20:07 utc | 29

It all makes sense now.

" King Charles III, along with thousands of British Jews, was circumcised by Rabbi Jacob Snowman, a physician and one of London’s leading mohelim, or ritual circumcisers. The queen requested Snowman, who was well known in the London community. Some believe that the tradition dates to the early 1700s, when Britain’s King George I, who was born in Germany, imported the custom of German noblemen to have mohelim circumcise their sons, though some claim that this royal practice is far newer. "

https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/king-charles-and-his-velvet-kippah/

Posted by: Deplorable Commisar | May 21 2023 20:18 utc | 30

I just finished reading the pamphlet Color, Communism, and Common Sense by Manning Johnson, published in 1958. (The link is for download as a PDF, which runs about 783 KB.) He was a Negro and longstanding member of the Communist Party until he became aware of its nefarious aims. Much of what he describes about the use of race as a means to divide and conquer seems just as applicable today.

Posted by: David Levin | May 21 2023 20:30 utc | 31

Posted by: David Levin | May 21 2023 20:30 utc | 31

Reads like Clarence Thomas or Thomas Sowell could have written it. Was it commissioned by the Birchers?

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 21 2023 21:07 utc | 32

Don Bacon @27--

The role of political officers within the military would seem to be unneeded within a nation having an egalitarian focused political-economy that society is inured to via the processes of enculturation and socialization. Such a presence would indicate insecurity in the efficacy of those processes and fear of something more attractive to lure society. The Capitalist World has always feared the threat of a good/alternative example that provides better results for the masses. IMO, the downfall of Leninsim/Stalinism/Maoism was that their political-economies didn't provide what the tenets of the ism promised while also creating an Oligarchy--a Privileged Class. IMO, those in charge of managing society must be mindful not to create such a Class and to make it very clear to society that the duties of the managers requires them to go places and do things without the participation of greater society. The best way to do that seems to be to allow anyone the opportunity to become a manager through meritocratic ascension from lower to higher levels of management. Of course, the smaller the society the easier it would be to facilitate such an endeavor. Starting from scratch with a 1.4 billion member society not already socialized and enculturated with the governing political-economic philosophy would be rather difficult. India now presents exactly that difficulty; China has mostly solved its situation as far as I can see.

Instituting a societal wide ethos that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one is the challenge and goal, while also explaining that a person can pursue whatever one desires as long as it's to the benefit of all. I.E., one can become a Jack Ma as long as what is done benefits all; and despite his success, Jack Ma remains humble and doesn't seek to become a person outside of his origins, knowing that his success and resulting wealth is a product of society (the fundamental basis for Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth).

Another related goal is to negate the urges to engage in Pleonexia or Megalomania. Again, the only way I see that being attained is via many generations of enculturation and socialization into the above system of thought. That would mean humanity's social evolution to a higher plane of existence. And it also means defeating the current sociopathic philosophies currently being practiced--Our Civilization War as psychohistorian is fond of intoning because he's correct.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 21 2023 21:41 utc | 33

Tom_Q_Collins@28
I tend to agree. Neo-liberalism has thoroughly corrupted Russian society, which is dominated by thieves of the first generation- not the Fifteenth Duke but the original pimp who Henry VIII rewarded with Three Abbeys and a Nunnery.
As long as this is the case there will be an inevitable trend towards sacrificing the interests of the masses by selling out to the highest bidder. And the highest bidders will be the same quarters as those who financed the plundering, via the likes of Bill Browder and Khodorkovsky, in the first place. The people who bought Russia's resources for a penny in the dollar.

The Putin party attempt to substitute shopworn Orthodoxies and revived Tsarist themes for rational analyses of the material world cannot last: the people are being ripped off, by a class that is anti-Russian in every effective sense. They are a class who are desperately afraid of being taxed and would rather the Donbas were Disneyland than that their fortunes should be tapped to pay for national defence.
What I would like to know is what Russia's socialists are doing. And how much Russia's grocery cashiers and farm labourers are earning. And whether their kids get free healthcare and education.

Posted by: bevin | May 21 2023 21:54 utc | 34

"What I would like to know is what Russia's socialists are doing. And how much Russia's grocery cashiers and farm labourers are earning. And whether their kids get free healthcare and education."

Me too. Thing is, and if we're still being honest with ourselves, any viable or "threatening" left movement has probably been silenced (or self-silenced) unless they have been given the message that it's OK to talk about *some* issues, but being that the country is on a war footing, not about *others*. If I'm right, and those allowed issues are wages, worker solidarity, healthcare and education then I suppose I'm fine with that obviously knowing my opinion means absolutely fuck all to anyone in Russia. Since this isn't an "imperialist" war of the type the world knows so well, in large part due to the Anglo Saxons (sLimeys and Uncle Scam) of late, the left, or rather the anti-imperialist/anti-war left in Russia may be more willing to go along with things...for now.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 21 2023 22:01 utc | 35

Posted by: bevin | May 21 2023 21:54 utc | 34

What do I need to do to get myself a nunnery?
Sorry. I couldn't help myself.

Do not post on MoA, lex

Posted by: lex talionis | May 21 2023 22:08 utc | 36

The Slavsquat article/interview struck me as a useful blast of cold air on the little euphorias which blow up every time that the, non-existent, Ukrainian army disappears again.
Posted by: bevin | May 21 2023 13:51 utc | 4

That Slavsquat article is a good reality check. Recommended.
Posted by: waynorinorway | May 21 2023 17:53 utc | 19

Agreed. The final Q/A is worth quoting in full:

Slavsquat: In my experience, many Westerners who are sympathetic to Russia are extremely hostile to even mild criticisms of the Russian government. In English-language “alternative media”, it’s a terrible sacrilege to question the omnipotence of Russia’s leadership and elites. Does this same phenomenon exist in the French-language “alternative media”? If so, what do you think is the cause of it?

Bechet-Golovko: This phenomenon of the exaltation of Russia is widely found in French-speaking networks, and I assume it must be the same everywhere. There are, in my opinion, several reasons for this.

First of all, I would say some “pro-Russian” Westerners want to love Russia—so to speak—“against” their own country. Looking at Russia, they want to see everything they can no longer find in their own homeland, and refuse to see the nuances of Russian society, which is particularly complex.

Secondly, the need to believe, to be reassured, is part of human nature.

When people create a comfortable myth to endure everyday life, and hope for a better future, they cannot bear to be brought back to reality, which would force them to leave their comfort zone—even if illusory.

Finally, there are those who do not speak or read Russian. They do not believe the French media, which they consider too biased, and for good reason. And so they have taken refuge in the alternative media, which gives an idyllic view of the situation.

They do not have the objective possibility to understand Russia in depth, and any mistake of the Russian authorities is systematically decreed to be part of a big secret game where Moscow is 50 moves ahead.

But there is another group of people, who wonder, think, and try to understand the meaning of things...

Posted by: farm ecologist | May 21 2023 22:14 utc | 37

@ karlof1 | May 21 2023 21:41 utc | 33
re: Confucianism in China
This is certainly a complex subject, one I have not gotten into before.
Here's one good toss at it, ending with some opinions about the current status of Confucianism in China, to add to your comment.

Since Xi came to power, the Chinese government's endorsement of Confucianism has been unprecedentedly strong. On November 26, 2013, Xi visited the birthplace of Confucius in Shandong and publicly praised Confucius's teachings. He then visited and met with Professor Tang Yijie, a renowned retired scholar and president of the Chinese Confucian Academy, on May 4, 2014, the same day that the May Fourth Movement had started 95 years earlier. This was followed by Xi's keynote speech at the international conference in memory of Confucius's 2,565th birthday, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the most prestigious venue for a national ceremony in the country, on September 24, 2014. These three consecutive events are generally perceived as the CPC's intentional moves to show to the world that it is promoting Confucianism (Qiou 2016).

One cannot help but speculate that the problems Xi mentioned in his speech are troubles facing the CPC today. When Chinese people have become more and more greedy as a result of incredible material abundance and badly need spiritual rebalancing, Confucianism offers useful insights for “changing the situation, handling state affairs, and improving the morality of society.” In order to make the appeal to Confucianism logical, Xi is even ready to argue that “the Chinese communists have always been faithful inheritors and upholders” of Confucian philosophy. He remarks, “[We] have consciously absorbed nutrition from the teachings of Confucius to those of Sun Yat-sen.” Mao Zedong [who trashed Confucianism] would not have believed his ears if he had been alive to hear Xi's speech.

What is the ideological transformation going on in contemporary China? With the ascendance of China's military and economic power, its leaders become more and more confident in its own heritage of political institutions and culture. For the foreseeable future, there is no sign that the CPC will pursue the goal of liberalization or democratization, as many Western observers previously anticipated. But neither will it hold on to orthodox Marxism-Leninism and the thought of Mao Zedong. What is emerging is an ideology that combines Marxism-Leninism and Confucianism, promoted under the name of “socialism with Chinese characteristics” as the CPC proclaims. These “Chinese characteristics” previously referred to China's need to adopt a market economy, but they also imply the intention to employ Confucianism and other aspects of Chinese cultural heritage in the future. The reintroduction of Confucian ideas may help the CPC to find a local language more appealing to the people than Marxism, make the government more sensitive to social harmony and benevolent rule, and possibly make the country more willing to interact with other countries in a peaceful, rather than antagonistic, manner. However, as long as China is ruled by the CPC, Marxism (or so-called scientific socialism) will remain the prominent political rhetoric of the country, although fewer and fewer people will really believe in it. The leaders of Western countries may also find it helpful to interpret China's behaviors from the Confucian perspective rather than that of orthodox Marxism-Leninism.

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 21 2023 22:46 utc | 38

The oldie but goodie act of drawing a hitler moustache on a politicians poster has been taken to a new level in France. Authorities in French city of Avignon say those responsible will face 2 months in prison, fine of $8,110 for “provocation to rebellion" and fine of $12,981. ahh smell the freedom liberty and equality.

Posted by: hankster | May 21 2023 23:21 utc | 39

@ karlof1 | May 21 2023 19:07 utc | 25, Don Bacon | May 21 2023 22:46 utc | 38

"Currently, China is experiencing a resurrection of Confucian thought in the form of Xi Jinping Thought"

Sorry you are confused, Xi Jinping "thought" is just totalitarian gibberish, like Mao's "power comes from the barrel of a gun".
All Chinese now have to study Xi's "thought" daily and have to show homework done. Party members and academics will need to spend 3/4 of their time doing this nonsense.
Cultural Revolution 2.0 has arrived. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivA_ZPENwk8

Posted by: Antonym | May 21 2023 23:39 utc | 40

Don Bacon @38--

Thanks for your reply. The excerpt you provided was good. My interpretation of China since the 1911 Revolution would take a book to detail. Same with Russia since the 1905 Revolution. I greatly simplified what happened to the previous isms to get to the contemporary. Regarding China's evolving ism we must first look at Deng Xio Peng's "cats" and what they "caught" followed by Jiang Zemin's "course-correction" and the continuing "reforms" of Hu Jintao prior to the arrival of Xi Jinping and his "Thought." Or roughly the last 45 years of Chinese history and its evolution from an impoverished third-world nation to an emerging Super Power. Russia's case is somewhat similar, but it's critical to know where and to what Xi Jinping attributed to the USSR's failure; I described some of that but not nearly enough for anyone to comprehend--The Party had become the very thing it initially fought against: An Oligarchy. Gorbachev knew the path needed to be drastically altered to return to first principles but was incapable of the herculean task. His measures instead backfired and the already existing nihilism gained control. Putin, without referencing Marxism or Communism, has nevertheless returned to first principles that were first articulated in 1905.

At the following website is a collection of Xi Jinping's speeches and other works, and is a site I've referenced before. Here's one of his thoughts: "Governing a Big Country Is as Delicate as Frying a Small Fish." At the top of the page is a dropdown menu labeled Xi Jinping where you'll see Works which display his essays dealing with the Governance of China. This page "On China's Theory and Practice" provides deeper insight beyond Xi's thought. I mention all this as they are the places to begin trying to discover China's direction.

I'll soon take delivery of two books I expect will broaden my understanding of the interaction between Confucianism and East Asian political-economic thought, not just China's. The West will need to take a back seat for awhile as I digest their contents. I've posed a question to Dr. Hudson about Asia's experience with the Creditor Problem and why it appears to have avoided the Greco-Roman fate, although it had a somewhat related experience, which he said would be something to explore during the next Zoom meeting he has with his Patrons, which I'm hoping will come before the end of June.

Posted by: karlof1 | May 21 2023 23:49 utc | 41

Posted by: Antonym | May 21 2023 23:39 utc | 40

I'll take that with an enormous boulder of salt given the types of BS we've been told before about China and later proven untrue. That said, what's actually *in* Xi's "thoughts"? I scanned through the entire YouTube vid and she never actually put any of these thoughts on the screen and spent the entire time meta-criticizing the alleged program. Do you have further details on the curriculum?

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 22 2023 0:01 utc | 42

Lex Talionis @ 36:

"What do I need to do to get myself a nunnery?
Sorry. I couldn't help myself."

Become a priest.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself but say that. :-)

Posted by: Refinnejenna | May 22 2023 0:12 utc | 43

Reads like Clarence Thomas or Thomas Sowell could have written it. Was it commissioned by the Birchers?

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 21 2023 21:07 utc | 32

If you have a substantive comment or criticism on the subject, would you share it.

Posted by: David Levin | May 22 2023 0:13 utc | 44

@ Tom_Q_Collins | May 22 2023 0:01 utc | 42
Here some of Xi's word salad: the crux is that HE is in charge of all thoughts and moves of all Chinese: https://web.archive.org/web/20220411201536/https://redsails.org/regarding-swcc-construction/">https://redsails.org/regarding-swcc-construction/">https://web.archive.org/web/20220411201536/https://redsails.org/regarding-swcc-construction/

It is also the ideal state for the WEF - 100% top down control. (Guaranteed failure too)

Posted by: Antonym | May 22 2023 0:21 utc | 45

Posted by: Refinnejenna | May 22 2023 0:12 utc | 43

Great idea! Thank you for the laugh. And your posts here.
What's the only meat a priest doesn't eat on Friday...

Posted by: lex talionis | May 22 2023 0:23 utc | 46

Was I the only one to notice that Taibbi and one of the other articles relating to Russia-gate both used the phrase "they were merely vessels"?

Interesting that two independent writers writing about the same subject both chose the same exact phrase.

Things that make say hmm.

Posted by: David F | May 22 2023 0:25 utc | 47

Posted by: karlof1 | May 21 2023 23:49 utc | 41

> "Governing a Big Country Is as Delicate as Frying a Small Fish."

In Chinese, "治大国若烹小鲜". Here Xi is quoting Dao De Jing (道德经, aka Tao Te Ching) written by Laozi (老子, Lao Tzu) in about 400 BC.

The opening bits of Wikipedia's English entry looks reasonable at a glance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching

Posted by: Another Brother Ma | May 22 2023 1:05 utc | 48

Posted by: David F | May 22 2023 0:25 utc | 47

what's the context? articles about Biden will often contain words like "senile" or "dementia". nothing suspicious about that.
"

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 1:10 utc | 49

@ : karlof1 | May 21 2023 23:49 utc | 41
Thanks for the links.
re: from an impoverished third-world nation to an emerging Super Power
Yes, and beyond that -- a proud old country with many achievements which was forced to endure a century of occupation and humiliation by the West and this is payback time. . . .Ain't karma a bitch.

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 22 2023 1:11 utc | 50

Posted by: David Levin | May 22 2023 0:13 utc | 44

this is the guy that admitted to perjuring himself in one of those trials, right? paid 9000 bucks, a substantial sum in those days to testify, by the FBI. sounds like another Uncle Tom, or another snitch that got busted and turned to informing.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 1:12 utc | 51

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 1:10 utc | 49

You could read them yourself to understand the context.

Just something I noticed that struck me as odd.

Not saying it means anything, not saying it doesn't mean anything.

The appropriate stance to take in this world filled with misinformation and propaganda is to be cynical of all information regardless of the source, including this site. Blind faith is for zealots, idiots, and fools.

If I were a high school teacher, and two students writing about the same subject both had a sentence that was identical, I would at least investigate if there was any plagiarism involved. I wouldn't accuse anyone of anything without proof, but I would look into it to see if it was a coincidence (possible) or malice (also possible).

I've been reading this site for a very long time, and commenting occasionally, but I'd be a fool to think that everything that b posts, or links to, is the gospel.

Isn't that how we all get fooled, blind trust. Cynicism as an initial stance, until the facts are verified, is a good way to live ones life.

Posted by: David F | May 22 2023 1:31 utc | 52

@ David F | May 22 2023 0:25 utc | 47

Running a quick search on that phrase, and without going deeper in, it looks like that phrase, or that concept, is Biblical. So it's part of the cultural phraseology - in which case not completely sinister that 2 articles would pick the same phrase, we see it elsewhere on occasion.

It may be we who are unfamiliar with the term...we would need to explore further to know.

And may also have been used in an earlier pronouncement somewhere in the history of the case.

Seems cause for further research - please let us know.

Posted by: Grieved | May 22 2023 1:43 utc | 53

I don't care enough to do any further research. I just found it odd, and wondered if anyone else had found it odd as well.

Cheers.

Posted by: David F | May 22 2023 1:54 utc | 54

I write this in the knowledge that the following DID occur. Missile strike on Khmeknytsyi on the 14th may 2023 did blow up a large ammunition storage ( dump) By all accounts to readings in (15th) Poland, which have been either taken off line or EU calibrated for disinformation. So large reading of Depleted Uranium and get this, thousands of TONNES of Depleted Uranium up in Uranium dioxide smoke, which plumed all over Western Ukraine Lvov and Eastern Poland including Warsaw, which was captured by detectors. So when depleted uranium explodes it turns into Uranium dioxide a small particle 3 microns and/or gas which is easily carried by the wind. The following video shows a eccentric world expert who gives the health outcomes of inhaling such a particle. Now what can't be said their was no explosion, many videos testify to it. Also The reading obtained by the expert show it was depleted Uranium. No other way to see it.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/iSPw64WMPumB/
One has to say this effect will even impact Western Europe with distance from Khmelnytsyi being mediated by winds/distance from explosion. I believe this will have devastating impact on Poland population, your thoughts would be appreciated.

Posted by: Col from OZ | May 22 2023 2:14 utc | 55

Lex Talionis @ 36:
Refinnejenna @ 43:

I grew up in a small town in Northern Ontaro, Canada. My family had a cottoage outside of our small town on a small, idealic, spring fed lake. Across the lake, opposite ours, were cottages of the Roman Catholic Diocese. There were a seperate residence for the priests and another for the nuns, withh a walking trail between. Occasionally in the summer a priest would row a boat around the shore with one nun playing a guitar and all tree were singing. It was quite peaceful, tranquil..... Dare I say romantic? To hear them and a loon singing in the background on a warm summer day with the sun setting, It brings fond memories.

Posted by: Cofcanuckistan | May 22 2023 2:42 utc | 56

I should have proofread before sending. Sent by phone. My apologies.

Posted by: Cofcanuckistan | May 22 2023 2:45 utc | 57

Posted by: David F | May 22 2023 1:31 utc | 52

so you haven't done any research. I think that is odd.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 2:52 utc | 58

Posted by: Cofcanuckistan | May 22 2023 2:45 utc | 57

Thank you. No need for apologies. I apologize for making a joke about people who actually have faith.
The Singing Nun on the Ed Sullivan show

Posted by: lex talionis | May 22 2023 3:03 utc | 59

No worries, Lex. I'm not Catholic. I do know alot of jokes though. I have trouble keeping faith in this world. You just sparked a memory I thought to share about the beauty still in this world. We can't always focus on gloom and doom. Looking back the serenading they did has made a lasting impression on me. 50 years ago.

Posted by: Cofcanuckistan | May 22 2023 3:18 utc | 60

Posted by: Col from OZ | May 22 2023 2:14 utc | 55

I have a few close friends from Ukraine. Nothing but bad news from that miserable patch of God's green earth.
One of the Ukrainians told me how no one knew in '86 about Cheronbyl until several days after the...
thing.
Another friend from Czech-landia just went back to see his family last week. Bad timing I guess.
I hate humans.

Posted by: lex talionis | May 22 2023 3:35 utc | 61

It being the final Sunday of this year's Easter season in Eastern Orthodox Christianity,it is perhaps fitting for me to say goodbye to this extremely helpful community as I pursue other avenues of exploration and education - my feeling is I can't keep up with everyone's thoughts and comments here, and time - at least for me - is growing short. I'll leave with just the following input from 'shopworn orthodoxy' for those who'd like to keep on learning about that spiritual path - a line from the link below:

"...Words have something of a sacramental relationship with the reality they represent".

Best wishes to all!

https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/
2023/05/17/truth-lies-and-icons-3/

Posted by: juliania | May 22 2023 3:36 utc | 62

Its only right that G7 is looking for a new member, after all its root could be traced right back to the original 8NA.

Why not the MOngols ?

After all, Mongolian shock and awe was on par with the USM,, WHO even adopted 12C MOngolian siege tactics in 21C warfare. !
[See Fallujah, just for a start.]

Germ/chem warfare

genocides

psysop

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery innit ?

https://tinyurl.com/y45zaenh

Posted by: denk | May 22 2023 3:44 utc | 63

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Nun

Sally Field also featured on a music album based on the show.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 3:46 utc | 64

Juliania,
The bar may think me as a newcomer but I have actually been a fly on the wall for a long time. I remember when the comments totaled in the 30s now over 500. Hard to keep up. But I remember your posts, interjecting humanity, morality and faith. Our paths may cross again. Fare thee well.

Posted by: Cofcanuckistan | May 22 2023 3:56 utc | 65

Posted by: juliania | May 22 2023 3:36 utc | 62

Thank you juliania. My father's family is from New Mexico. If I remember correctly, you are as well.
I remember being terrified by the Sosobra in Santa Fe!
The mom was from Cuba. My grandmother was Orthodox somehow. I always got a gift on Epiphany. Fun for a kid "raised like a weed" as my mother said toward the end.
I am quite interested in the Orthodox branch of Christianity. Thank you.

Posted by: lex talionis | May 22 2023 3:59 utc | 66

Posted by: David Levin | May 22 2023 0:13 utc | 44

I won't be reading the whole thing, but it smacks of a bitter, perhaps betrayed-feeling former member of the NAACP who also happened to get used by some alleged communist agent from the USSR. Where it goes down the shitter for me is in the section titled "Creating Hate" which is basically an Uncle Tom (yeah I saw his section on the "real" Uncle Toms) version of a Strom Thurmond or George Wallace treatise against school integration. Here, allow me:

One can very well question the sincerity of the reds and the N.A.A.C.P. when they try to create the impression that America in general and the South in particular is a hell hole of despotism where the Negro is concerned. This is so since the whole issue boils down to taking Negro children out of one school and transferring them to another so that they can be seated with white children on the assumption that only in this way will the Negro child get an education.

What really is being implied is that the 113,000 Negro teachers in Southern schools are inferior, incompetent and unable to properly teach the children of their own race. Since it is no longer made a question of better schools, better facilities and equal pay, it is a question of liquidation of the Negro school and the Negro teacher under the guise of integration.
Naturally, white parents are going to resist any attempt to force them to send their children to school on an integrated basis when Negro teachers are considered unfit by members of their own race.

Maybe this is the reason why hundreds of Negro teachers were fired in the border and Southern states where there was token integration.

It is also implied that a Negro child is handicapped in his studies unless he is sitting beside a white child. What could be more nonsensical or ridiculous? It is a sad commentary on the ability of the Negro child to say that he cannot properly study or that he will develop harmful complexes if he does not sit beside a white child. By what quirk of reasoning does one conclude that sitting beside a white child will help a Negro child make the grade? Experience shows that a student's success is determined by how much attention, time and effort he is willing to put into his studies.

But as others can probably surmise from that short excerpt, it's not necessarily even the retrograde segregationist bullshit that really turned me off to it, but the complete lack of intelligent analysis and seemingly intentional ignorance about why segregation was dead wrong and why integration had to be done.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 22 2023 4:00 utc | 67

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 22 2023 4:00 utc | 67

plus the whole being a paid snitch for the FBI and admitting he lied for the government thing.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 4:02 utc | 68

I posit that it is not coincidental that all these global issues are boiling over at the same time.

The financial crisis is totally manufactured around the loss of geo-political military clout as evidenced in Syria, Afghanistan and now Ukraine.

The empire assumption is they can use US military to enforce the international debt contracts and that window is slamming shut. Coming soon is one or more nations repudiating their debt burden with the backing of the China/Russia axis.

The China/Russia axis is going to win the civilization war we are in and the jackboot of global private finance will be the first element of the global social contract to change so that finance is a public utility for all nations and all odious debt is forgiven.

Posted by: psychohistorian | May 22 2023 4:06 utc | 69

Color, Communism and Common Sense, the author.

An issue which he attacked in that speech was NAACP support for racial integration. He said, "This integration stuff has gone to all sorts of extremes."[14] For instance, he said "Now the NAACP has gotten a token number of Negroes integrated in schools... a Pyrrhic victory" and that the "Supreme Court, in its decision, upset the question of separate but equal, educational facilities,"[14] thus attacking the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Johnson noted, "What is significant, that this whole integration campaign coincided with Russia’s stepped-up campaign in Africa and Asia,"[14] implying some Communist influence. Johnson clearly was concerned with racial equality in this same issue. He was concerned:

The Supreme Court, by its decision, has relieved the South of all its responsibility to equalize educational facilities in the South. The Supreme Court doesn't make appropriations. It doesn't. And if the legislators in the Southern States don’t make the appropriations to equalize schools the Supreme Court's not going to do it, and you can't force them to do it. And the result is that they have relieved the South of any responsibility to equalize the education for Negroes.[14]

Clearly, Johnson felt Brown v. Board of Education was a mistake:

What the Supreme Court did was open the Pandora box. They have created the fertile soil for the operation of the worst type of elements on both sides. And as a result of this, race relations have been set back 50 years in this country.[14]

Referring again and again to "Red" or "Russian" support for the African nationalist movement,[14] Johnson seems to have drawn on his US experience in promoting a Negro Soviet Republic in the Black Belt with the African nationalist movement two decades later. Like many ex-Communists, he continued to see Communist influence, as he directly stated: "Beneath all of the racial unrest, at the root of all racial unrest in the country, is the clammy, cold, bloody hand of Communism."

Again, sounds like a black Bircher. Figured out the money from the CIA was better than whatever he alleges he got from the USSR. Gladly turned on his fellow people and fell under the spell of McCarthyism. Case closed as far as I'm concerned.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 22 2023 4:13 utc | 70

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 4:02 utc | 68

Yes, and by evidence of my previous post, also a very anti-confrontational person - probably a major introvert with very low self esteem VEEEERY much like Clarence Thomas. Easily frightened by the likes of George Wallace and the white race riot mobs of his era, but compounded by the anti-communist fever that swept the country. Just not a reliable source at all, IMNSHO.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 22 2023 4:15 utc | 71

Posted by: psychohistorian | May 22 2023 4:06 utc | 69

Right you are. It is going to be a major drag living in Pindostan. Oh well. We deserve it.

Posted by: lex talionis | May 22 2023 4:16 utc | 72

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 4:02 utc | 68

Forgot to say that being a perjurer and hypocrite is really a badge of honor among the American conservative right. And I count CIA goon Clapper as being from the right.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 22 2023 4:25 utc | 73

Antonym 40.
“All Chinese have to study Xi’s thought daily and show homework done”.

You truly inhabit some other set of dimensions. Do you forget that there are people in China reading your contributions?

I just showed your dribbling to my wife. She taps her head and says you are erbai wu.

Posted by: Walt | May 22 2023 4:54 utc | 74

Good piece from sitrepworld.info about RFK and why he is prevaricating in some matters. (I think there is much more of that which could be brought up, but this is better than nothing.)

https://www.greanvillepost.com/2023/05/17/eric-zuesse-truths-my-u-s-presidential-candidate-rfk-jr-avoids-saying-and-why-he-doe/

Posted by: Scorpion | May 22 2023 5:42 utc | 75

# 62
happy namesday
to constantine and helen
for those christian orthodox.
juliania, your thoughts were
light and bright.
maintaining your garden
for food and spirit.
may the good lord
keep all of us in his
loving presence.
stay well and energetic.

Posted by: Dingo | May 22 2023 5:47 utc | 76

Some nice fun to start a week)

Posted by: alaff | May 22 2023 6:58 utc | 77

# 77
that’s the g-7 meeting
is that correct?
very funny!

Posted by: Dingo | May 22 2023 7:19 utc | 78

@ Walt | May 22 2023 4:54 utc | 74

That only shows that your wife is neither an academic nor a Party member (both good for her!). Soon all Chinese will be obliged, though not for 3/4 of their working hours luckily. The program was announced on April 10. My source here Lei is of quite mainland Chinese origin, and so is one of my colleagues

Posted by: Antonym | May 22 2023 7:29 utc | 79

The story of India in the Korean War
https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20201129000084

Posted by: Antonym | May 22 2023 8:03 utc | 80

Posted by: Antonym | May 22 2023 7:29 utc | 79

Xi Focus: CPC to launch Party-wide education campaign on Xi Jinping thought
It was pointed out at the meeting that the campaign, with a focus on leading officials at and above the county and director level....

https://english.news.cn/20230330/c4a7fc93d87c443a95aa06c670241b95/c.html

It's for party members. Not for all Chinese. There is no suggestion of that in the announcement. Or in later coverage.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202304/17/WS643c7e86a310b6054facde61.html

May I remind you of your original assertion:

All Chinese now have to study Xi's "thought" daily and have to show homework done.

Not now, not in the future. Just show me one single authoritative reference which says that it will be for all Chinese, and not just some crazed assertion by some deranged colleague as obsessed as you.

Posted by: Walt | May 22 2023 8:11 utc | 81

Posted by: juliania | May 22 2023 3:36 utc | 62

I have always appreciated the warmth and humanity that shines through in your commentary here at the bar. It won't be the same watering-hole without your presence.
Best wishes, good health, and happy plants to you.
Kind regards,
Jonathan

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | May 22 2023 8:22 utc | 82

Tom_Q_Collins @35: "Thing is, and if we're still being honest with ourselves, any viable or "threatening" left movement has probably been silenced..."

Real socialists are always "silenced" in capitalist society. That is part of how you can tell they are real socialists. Capitalist society has learned to cultivate social escape ramps and relief valves to keep the population away from real socialism (that would be the "woke" nonsense in the US, and farces like BLM), but these manufactured trends are designed to be safe dead ends that won't lead to socialism. That said, the "silencing" may not work for a number of reasons, such as when the labor movement gets its head straightened out, embraces socialism, and starts contesting capitalist control over society, but that is not happening anywhere in the western world right now.

The point is that when labor in any country activates, organizes, and goes socialist then there is nothing capitalist society can do to silence it. That is when capitalists go Nazi. It is for this reason that the Donbass people's republics and Crimea, and indeed many of the people of the Ukraine, are a threat to Russian "liberals". These people did activate and organize, and they know a thing or two about socialism. Most of those Ukrainian refugees in Russia are seeds of revolution, since the Ukrainians with useless, dead-end, middle-class values and ideologies heeded the Pet Shop Boys and went West.

I think there is a real possibility now of a new revolution in Russia, particularly as the conflict drags on. I also think that Prigozhin's ranting has been some disguised agitation for this new revolution. Too, I think (hope) that Putin has come around to see the failure of liberalism and the necessity of a new revolution, as having him onboard would greatly expedite and smooth that revolution (no bloodshed).

Of course, I am not in Russia so I don't know for sure. I am just working from scraps of data that make it my way, but some of those scraps are encouraging.

Posted by: William Gruff | May 22 2023 8:27 utc | 83

Juliana good luck and best wishes for a long future for you.
Mark2

Posted by: Mark2 | May 22 2023 10:25 utc | 84

William Gruff @ 83
Turns reality on its head @83
Thinks he can convert MOA And Russia to right wing facism. Using mental gymnastics.
Typical psychopath.

Posted by: Mark2 | May 22 2023 10:33 utc | 85

Posted by: juliania | May 22 2023 3:36 utc | 62

I will miss you, Juliania. I’ve often come here feeling sad, and your sweetness made me feel at least a little better. I’m consoled by the thought your lovely light will still be shared with others.

Posted by: Featherless | May 22 2023 10:56 utc | 86

P.S. Take care, Juliania 🥲

Posted by: Featherless | May 22 2023 10:58 utc | 87

this is the guy that admitted to perjuring himself in one of those trials, right? paid 9000 bucks, a substantial sum in those days to testify, by the FBI. sounds like another Uncle Tom, or another snitch that got busted and turned to informing.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 1:12 utc | 51

Until seeing this, I hadn't aware of this aspect of the guy's history, which I've since looked up. I think he nonetheless manages to make some good points whose validity doesn't rest on the speaker's credibility, but those points would have been better served if expressed by someone who presented a more realistic perspective on the Negro's situation in those days.

Posted by: David Levin | May 22 2023 11:59 utc | 88

Posted by: juliania | May 22 2023 3:36 utc | 62

Juliania, I am saddened by your leaving yet cheered by the choice you have made to spend your time wisely.
It is your wisdom and kindness I will miss, but I will not forget you. Thanks for all your participation here.
You leave on the very day that I have been able to finally put my seed potatoes in the ground up here in the Arctic.
I know that you grow potatoes too, so may you get both potatoes and blessings by the bushel in the days to come.:-)
Take care dear Juliania, and God bless.

Posted by: waynorinorway | May 22 2023 12:08 utc | 89

@bevin #34:

What I would like to know is what Russia's socialists are doing. And how much Russia's grocery cashiers and farm labourers are earning. And whether their kids get free healthcare and education.

I’m surprised you don’t know this.

Primary education is free. Schoolchildren with disabilities or from poor families get free meals at school twice a day. In addition, all schoolchildren studying in classes 1–4 get free meals at school once a day.

Secondary education is free for the first degree (in top universities, you must be among a group with the best scores, otherwise you have to pay or re-apply to a less prestigious university). If you want to get a second degree, you have to pay, but the cost is manageable (from $1500/year for less prestigious universities to $4500/year for top universities).

Healthcare is free, except prescriptions, glasses and dental aesthetics. So, for example, all surgeries, cancer treatments, bone implants, infectious disease treatments, and so on are free. Even meals at the hospitals are free. Prescriptions are free for people with disabilities, veterans, Chernobyl liquidators and recipients of certain state awards. For others, prescriptions are paid, but they are very cheap in Russia. Extremely expensive prescriptions that are necessary for survival are covered by the state. Glasses you have to buy on your own. Dental care is free for basic stuff. Dental implants you have to pay for (except people with disabilities and labor veterans who get them for free). By the way, healthcare is also free for foreign citizens and stateless people with permanent residence permits and for refugees with refugee passports.

(Of course, paid private schools, universities and clinics also exist.)

Mothers receive “maternity capital” of ~$7300 dollars for the first child and ~$9700 for the second child. This money can be spent on children’s education, buying an apartment/house, or, if the family is poor, received in monthly installments. Real estate in Russia is much cheaper than in the West, so this capital is quite significant.

Thanks to the Soviet Union, most people in Russia own real estate. It’s only a problem for the young and for those who want to move to a big city. Utilities are cheap.

That’s the good stuff.

The bad stuff is that in some regions and in some jobs the salaries are very poor.

Posted by: S | May 22 2023 12:18 utc | 90

Posted by: S | May 22 2023 12:18 utc | 90

that sounds very good. at first i balked at paid prescriptions (that can bankrupt you in the US, or impose a choice between getting the prescription or eating adequately) but then i realized big pharma isn't driving up prices to sky high levels in Russia.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 12:23 utc | 91

@pretzelattack #91

Prescriptions are extremely cheap in Russia compared to the U.S.

A month ago, I had allergy due to the flowering of certain plants. I bought a pack of 7 pills at the pharmacy for 160 rubles ($2).

The cheapest Aspirin is 11 rubles (¢14) for 10 pills (500 mg each). That’s ¢1.4 per 500 mg pill. How much is the cheapest Aspirin in the U.S.?

Posted by: S | May 22 2023 12:56 utc | 92

Posted by: S | May 22 2023 12:56 utc | 92

im not sure, I don't take aspiring, but stuff like Ibuprofen is pretty cheap, 2 or 3 bucks for say 50 caps. 40 caps of 200 mg for say 3 bucks (it may have gone up, prices here have been rising for everything). this is over the counter/no prescription required, some prescription drugs can cost hundreds a month and more, without insurance, and can be expensive even with insurance. i had some fairly common eye surgery, and 3 tiny bottles of eye drops were $115.00 with insurance.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 13:03 utc | 93

and the insurance price and coverage can vary wildly. one year it covers your prescriptions, the next year it doesn't. or the price can rise astronomically.

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 13:05 utc | 94

@pretzelattack #93:

3 tiny bottles of eye drops were $115.00 with insurance

If you tell me the name of the drug I can look up how much it costs in Russia so we can compare.

Posted by: S | May 22 2023 13:06 utc | 95

the surgery itself (cataract surgery) was about 4,500.00 USD out of pocket

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 13:07 utc | 96

Another Sunday arrives, with another Week in Review - many thanks for your efforts, b!

That Armstrong Economics article is so bizarrely constructed it made me wonder if it’s written by AI. Which then led me to wonder about the next two articles in that section, and most especially, about the first. The leader, of that section, we could say? One leads, the rest digitally follow?

The Beaverton (Canada’s authentic fake news source, satire) had a post about using Chat gpt instead of writers.

https://www.thebeaverton.com/2023/01/we-replaced-all-our-writers-with-chatgpt-here-are-its-first-10-headlines/

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | May 22 2023 13:17 utc | 97

S: the use of aspirin as a pain reliever is highly deprecated in the USA, so 500-mg pills/capsules are difficult to find. But a 500-count bottle of 325-mg aspirin costs $3.99 at the local chain store (Walgreens) where I live. That’s less than a penny a pill, or a little more than 2 cents for a 1-gram dose.

A few medications are dirt cheap here—mostly non-prescription pain relievers and vitamins. (But note that there’s no regulation of quality in the manufacture of vitamins here!) Just about everything else is eye-wateringly expensive.

Posted by: malenkov | May 22 2023 13:19 utc | 98

@ juliania | May 22 2023 3:36 utc | 62

i hope you are just leaving temporarily! please consider coming less frequently, but don't stop coming! love to you...

@ waynorinorway...

good luck with the potatoes! off for the day - early 4 hour gig in victoria.

Posted by: james | May 22 2023 13:19 utc | 99

ok there were 3 small bottles of eyedrops, costing 115 for the 3, for each eye
1.Ofloxacin Opthalmic solution, USP .3% 5 ml
2.Bromfenac Ophthalmic solution, .07% 3 ml
3.PrednisoLONE (the last part of the word is in caps for some reason) Acetate Ophthalmic Suspension, USP .5 ml

Posted by: pretzelattack | May 22 2023 13:24 utc | 100