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July 2, 2023
Ukraine Open Thread 2023-157
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Russia blocks $150 Billion in Western Assets
Bloomberg writes that the Russian government has frozen Western assets worth about $150 billion. Among the “victims” are global financial giants such as JPMorgan, Black Rock, etc.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad/53175
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 2 2023 21:01 utc | 101
Hopefully when fourth of July weekend is over, all the bullshit about the ZPP will be over.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 21:06 utc | 102
Accidentally posted that before I was done commenting…
What I wanted to add was: It’s amazing how every Ukrainian and CIA bullshit information campaign gets sucked up and time wasted over by everyone at the bar.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 21:07 utc | 103
Imo too much concern re title 25. There is no ‘coalition of the willing with sufficient troops/artillery/armor/air cover to succeed. Only Poland has 300k troops, and little pop support to take in Russia. Similarly us could at any time launch ww3, but not enough crazies for that. Plus us mil knows who has been shelling the plant.
More worrisome is Ukraine’s south npp close to Odessa, likely mined by now, Russia will have to plan carefully if they want Odessa. The zap npp is likely pretty protected.
Posted by: John k | Jul 2 2023 21:17 utc | 104
to Blissex | Jul 2 2023 20:17 utc | 87 …
One of the reasons why the US-empire (aka NATO) is so keen to impose mass-immigration on vassal States, so as to later ferment and use imported chunks of population for its own ends.
Posted by: Cynic | Jul 2 2023 21:19 utc | 105
Melaleuca 14
Who let the dogs out? What is that reference to Israel doing in a US RAND proposal?
Posted by: Giyane | Jul 2 2023 21:23 utc | 106
@Posted by: badjoke | Jul 2 2023 20:43 utc | 94
Liberals always turn to fascism when class disputes rise to the point were they might have to make concessions. People keep thinking this has been engineered by the USA when it is just as likely a plan by the ruling class of Europe to get right wing governments in place to crush the lower classes. Macrons actions are unlikely because he is to clueless to know the blowback. He is likely wanting the blowback so that fascists can protect him and his banker friends when the European economy collapses with the final gas pipeline shutting down at the end of December.
So true, we are repeating the history of the inter-war years, the AfD in Germany, the NS in France and the Brothers of Italy in Italy. Law and Justice in Poland is also quite far along that path.
To everyone worried about a false flag attack to blame Russia, please remember that if the objective of such a false flag is to bring the US into the war then Users must be killed in the attack and a lot of them. It won’t be enough to bomb the znpp and release a radiation cloud. Users won’t care if Ukrainians or other Europeans are radiated. The Ukraine would have better luck with a false flag if it shot down a US AWACS plane.
Posted by: Chas | Jul 2 2023 21:25 utc | 108
Richard Steven Hack @ 103
Hopefully when fourth of July weekend is over, all the bullshit about the ZPP will be over. It’s amazing how every Ukrainian and CIA bullshit information campaign gets sucked up and time wasted over by everyone at the bar.
Party pooper, maybe you can get behind this, seems solid to me:
https://www.newsweek.com/putin-replace-shoigu-steven-seagal-iranian-reports-defense-minister-1809628
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 2 2023 21:28 utc | 109
Jo Dominich | Jul 2 2023 14:16 utc | 2–
China’s President’s name is spelled Xi Jinping.
As others have noted, the Outlaw US Empire is every bit as bad as the Nazis it sort of fought during WW2, then rescued afterwards. On 9 January 2022 before the SMO was launched, I wrote a short essay, “Is It Fascist, or Does the Outlaw US Empire Only Promote Fascism?”, that was a response to a Glen Diesen op/ed in RT disputing his line that this promotion of Nazism/Fascism was something relatively new when it’s clearly not. Very few know the deep dark aspects of US History dating from “Plantation” of Pilgrims and the fortune seekers of Jamestown. I explore a fraction of it when several volumes would be required to document it properly. Other essays I’ve written also deal with the Empire’s Fascist nature along with the very Nazi-like policies implemented for making the nascent 13 Colonies a Continental Empire along with their historical roots. Too many historians have been too soft for too long, even those deemed radical like Howard Zinn. Escobar recently posted this image of a Eurofascist flag I see as not quite correct–the Rainbow flag need to be replaced by the Stars & Stripes for that’s where the Rainbow Flag was born.
@ young | Jul 2 2023 20:55 utc | 98
There is everything done to prevent just that, I believe.
If there is going to be an attack on NPP by Ukraine, it will be useless.
First, one has to understand that there are two big power stations in Energodar. One is ZNPP with 6 nuclear reactors and one coal-fired but multi fuel too, thermo PP situated just few hundred meters along the NPP.
So, in the future, that is a good thing to know.
Both were built by Soviets, except 6th reactor within ZNPP that was built mid 90s. That reactor is in the hot shut-down state, radiating around 180-200 °C, and that is just good to make enough of electricity to drive pumps for the water cooling recirculation of 2 nuclear waste pools.
I personally do not believe that there is everything left as it was found when NPP was liberated.
6th reactor can be closed within 5 minutes to a cold state. Fuel rods removed from and away of the core within 10 minutes.
Even if the plant is hit with multiple rockets, say full HIMARS salvo and Storm Shadow at the same time, nothing will happen, as in radioactive explosion.
I do not believe that there is nuclear waste there left and if it is – it is not as dangerous as people think.
More here, but below as an essence:
Since the dawn of the civil nuclear power industry, nuclear waste has never caused harm to people. The popular misconception is that because certain parts of nuclear waste remain radioactive for billions of years, then the threat must be sustained for that period. However, this is not the case. Whilst remaining weakly radioactive for a few hundred thousand years, the radioactivity from the main component of the waste which could cause health problems will have decayed to safe levels within a few hundred years. A key factor in understanding why nuclear waste repositories do not pose a health threat also stems from the fact that the quantity of materials which would be found in the environment in the event of a leak would be very small. The amount of radioactive materials that would enter the environment would make no difference to the natural environment or future humans. After all, the environment we live in, as well as the human body, is naturally radioactive. Radiation is an unavoidable part of life on our planet, and life evolved and is thriving in this radioactive environment, and the doses from a nuclear waste repository would be almost 50 times smaller than the average background radiation.Used nuclear fuel is kept in either wet or dry storage facilities, before being recycled or disposed of. When used fuel is taken out of a reactor, it is both hot and radioactive and requires storage in water to allow the fuel to cool. The fuel can be kept in wet storage, or transferred into a dry facility after a period of initial cooling. Keeping the used fuel in temporary storage to allow both the heat and radioactivity to diminish makes the recycling and disposal easier.
Rosatom is very experienced and capable in recycling nuclear waste.
So the stories of a sleeping nuclear bomb, dirty bomb or total nuclear catastrophe is utter nonsense.
It just follows NATO narrative for the illiterate.
Posted by: whirlX | Jul 2 2023 21:36 utc | 111
Jo Dominich | Jul 2 2023 14:16 utc | 2
What’s happening in France isn’t class war – that was the Gilets Jaunes protests, which lasted for over a year, were mostly ignored by Western media, and repressed with great force by the French State.
Race war on the other hand can be used to divide and demoralise the native population. That’s why a week of riots in France has got more attention in Western media than a year of demonstrations for wage and pension rights.
Ruling elites love a bit of divide et impera. When people invaded the Capitol when Trump was president they were heroes of “the resistance”, and the Floyd rioters were “protesters” everywhere. But the Jan 6 protesters got hammered by the State and many are still in jail awaiting trial 18 months later.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jul 2 2023 21:46 utc | 113
jpc @ 25
Given the desperate need to secure a “victory “! Why no movement on Transdinistra? What gives?
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 21:54 utc | 114
@karlof1 | Jul 2 2023 21:32 utc | 110
re: , the Outlaw US Empire is every bit as bad as the Nazis it sort of fought during WW2. . .Is It Fasciast?
Yes
from the web
What does fascism mean? Many experts agree that fascism is a mass political movement that emphasizes extreme nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of both the nation and the single, powerful leader over the individual citizen.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Jul 2 2023 22:03 utc | 115
Posted by: John k | Jul 2 2023 21:17 utc | 104
There is no ‘coalition of the willing with sufficient troops/artillery/armor/air cover to succeed. <<<
Imo, agree that no CotW could actually BEAT Russia, but they could certainly bother RF and Putin enough to back off for fear of casualties. A CotW could potentially force a freeze deal and would LOOK LIKE a western win.
But ... but ... I would say that such a coalition is now too politically disjointed to even agree, plus too gutless to kickoff such an operation. I reckon Putin has been cautious all along *not to trigger a CotW* by going in too hard. He's keeping maybe 60% of the potential Russian Military up his sleeve in case of any big mobilisation against him, NATO or a non-NATO CotW.
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 22:09 utc | 116
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 2 2023 21:28 utc | 109
LOL You win the thread! At first I had to check myself, is is April 1st? This is Newsweek? Awesome!
Posted by: whirlX | Jul 2 2023 21:36 utc | 111
I did a couple quick Google searches and based on what I read I agree the risk of any significant attack or result on ZPP is way overblown. The worst possible attack I can think of would be a jet kamikaze attack into the ZPP – the only stupid move the Ukrainians haven’t tried yet. Even then, it’s likely the plant would initiate earthquake shutdown procedures.
I think all this Ukrainian concentration on ZPP is a diversion from whatever else they have planned for the Vilnius NATO meeting.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jul 2 2023 21:46 utc | 113
France needs another 1958 – but probably won’t get it. And that failed, too.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 22:11 utc | 117
“1958” s/b “1968”
The Situationists and May 1968 – Miguel Amorós
https://libcom.org/article/situationists-and-may-1968-miguel-amoros
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 22:15 utc | 118
Posted by: whirlX | Jul 2 2023 21:36 utc | 111
So the stories of a sleeping nuclear bomb, dirty bomb or total nuclear catastrophe is utter nonsense.
It just follows NATO narrative for the illiterate.<<<
Yes, 100%, thank god someone (as well as me) sees this fake narrative. Although, a bad hit on the cooling ponds would/might make bad low-level ground and river contamination. Kiev would just love that for when RF beats them westward. Scorched earth revenge.
The other desire of Kiev for retaking ZNPP (via either a distant blackmail attack or close troops offensive) is its economic value, its national grid PLUS export power and money. It used to supply the massive Donbass industry sector, so Russia understandably wants to keep it for that.
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 22:22 utc | 119
Well, well, well, it seems Ukraine’s counteroffensive has been going on for quite a while now, and let’s just say they’re not exactly breezing through it. They seem to be stuck in a bit of a pickle on all sectors. Despite taking a few small villages that are practically in another time zone, Kiev’s gains are about as impressive as finding a penny on the pavement after losing your wallet.
Posted by: HERMIUS | Jul 2 2023 22:23 utc | 120
Posted by: whirlX | Jul 2 2023 21:36 utc | 111
I have figured that at the absolute worst they would just dump a sand/boron mix into the core as a last ditch prevention of catastrophe. Nice to know they have methods that will not ruin the reactor.
Posted by: badjoke | Jul 2 2023 22:23 utc | 121
whirlX | Jul 2 2023 21:36 utc | 111
A PWR reactor in hot shutdown does not produce electricity, it needs electricity from the grid to keep the equipment running, including the reactor coolant pumps. Even after entering in cold shutdown, the reactor needs to be cooled by the reactor heat removal system to evacuate the fuel decay heat. Here too power from the grid is necessary. Or from diesel generators if the grid is unavailable. Evacuating the fuel assemblies from the core to the deactivation pool cannot be achieved in 10 min. But in several dozen hours. Eventually, cooling of the deactivation pools is needed to keep evacuating the fuel decay heat, hence power from the grid or from diesel generator is needed.
Posted by: scc | Jul 2 2023 22:23 utc | 122
What does fascism mean? Many experts agree that fascism is a mass political movement that emphasizes extreme nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of both the nation and the single, powerful leader over the individual citizen.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Jul 2 2023 22:03 utc | 115
——————————————————–
Don, my understanding is that fascism is primarily the merger of the state power and corporations: Also called Corporatism, it is a collectivist political ideology which advocates the organization of society by corporate groups such as neo-liberalism advocates around the world. The USA has been a fascist State for a very long time.
Posted by: Ed | Jul 2 2023 22:25 utc | 123
Posted by: Ed | Jul 2 2023 22:25 utc | 123
Well Hayek did describe neoliberalism as the political economy of fascism.
Posted by: badjoke | Jul 2 2023 22:31 utc | 124
Posted by: Ed | Jul 2 2023 22:25 utc | 123
People start chucking terms like “fascist” around when they’re unhappy with how things are going for them.
Quite a lot of them think the world owes them a living too.
Talk is cheap. You can’t eat words though.
Posted by: GT Stroller | Jul 2 2023 22:31 utc | 125
Re France riots:
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jul 2 2023 21:46 utc | 113 <<<
Hmmm, "class war" and "race war" are not very different! Young poor migrants and their opposites -- middle class whites -- contains both factors. There's no older rich blacks or white poor in the riots. It's ghetto anger. I doubt it will spread farther than that. Just a temporary let off to be "controlled". Macron will emerge MORE popular! I could be wrong, though.
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 22:33 utc | 126
“…There’s no…white poor in the riots…”
The Dolphin@126
Are you sure about that?
Posted by: bevin | Jul 2 2023 22:45 utc | 127
Mussolini was so enthusiastic about [Corporatism] that he declared the essential merger of state and corporate power. As he said in The Labour Charter (Promulgated by the Grand Council of Fascism on April 21, 1927, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, April 3, 1927, p. 133):
“The Fascist State lays claim to rule in the economic field no less than in others; it makes its action felt throughout the length and breadth of the country by means of its corporate, social, and educational institutions, and all the political, economic, and spiritual forces of the nation, organized in their respective associations, circulate within the State.”
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/05/08/corporate-america-has-been-shoving-fascism-down-our-throats-decades
Posted by: Ed | Jul 2 2023 23:04 utc | 128
@ The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 22:22 utc | 119
-> badjoke | Jul 2 2023 22:23 utc | 121
-> scc | Jul 2 2023 22:23 utc | 122
-> Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 22:11 utc | 117
Yes, thanks all for your corrections, and even more insight into the matter.
AZ-5 or SCRAM is doable in a few minutes. It is a pressurised boiler system, true, it requires some time, I am unsure how much if in hot-shutdown, but I have read somewhere long time ago that it might be doable quickly. But, I can live with the idea that it can take some time to remove all the rods away.
But as The Dolphin points out, it is all a hubblebubble from NATO creators of silly ideas.
As more we are scared, more they can blackmail and provoke the stupid stuff. Media will stay ignorant all the way, what else?
It is important to know that there are two power plants, next to each other, and surely they will use those for any additional confusion.
Also, I doubt that anything penetrating that building can cause any crucial radiation, as Chernobil did.
ZNPP will be defended savagely, and I think Ukraine has no chance of winning anything there.
Posted by: whirlX | Jul 2 2023 23:06 utc | 129
>>What does fascism mean? — These political terms get used real loosely and even change meaning over time. I think totalitarianism
is a better word, but it has too many syllables.
Posted by: Jmaas | Jul 2 2023 23:27 utc | 130
Nato thinks it wins if Ukraine is privatised, like all the other formerly Soviet East European countries.
But it also thinks it wins if Europe is scared of Russian military power, plucking cowering countries like low fruit into the bosom of Nato.
These cowering nations will continue to grovel to US power , like Britain, Germany and Poland continue grovel to US abuse.
Nato appears to believe that the words Nazi and diplomacy can co-exist. This proves that this war is directed by Israel, since only Israel has the inverted logic that only brutality wins respect and power.
The stick of nuclear war is just a stick, simply because zionists fear death. Please don’t be fooled by this stupid d r a m a .
As for immigrants, they are useful to PTB for supplying drugs to those in despair, breaking nanny state socialist rules like Health and Safety, for growing the black economy in guns and drugs, and many other talents, like gaslighting dissidents who protest Tory power.
Posted by: Giyane | Jul 2 2023 23:34 utc | 131
“…There’s no…white poor in the riots…”
The Dolphin@126
Are you sure about that?
Posted by: bevin | Jul 2 2023 22:45 utc | 127<<<
Is that rhetorical/sarcastic or sincere?. Last I checked, day 2, no there wasn't, just ghetto gangs and their sympathisers, like the origins of BLM who used Rodney King to rise up en masse against white authority per se. I will check now. But if you don't KNOW yourself to correct another for their oversight, please don't waste others' time to find out *for you*.
What a lot of foreign observers don't know through the western liberal fog and spin, is that the police-shot boy was a MULTIPLE REPEAT OFFENDER for underage, unlicensed driving and car theft and police chases. But, of course, the SJWs are calling it an unwarranted killing by cop. First to the streets were the young (15-17yo) matey thugs of such types, obviously, SADLY, motivated by race and class hatreds. They are torching kindergartens, ffs. For Macron, its simply a law and order issue -- a big one, a growing one. He needs to quell it before it becomes a national movement against the gvt. And all triggered by one 17yo petty criminal.
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 23:38 utc | 132
Fascism might better be called corporatism
Benito MussoliniBenito Mussolini > Quotes
(?)
Showing 1-30 of 38
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power”
― Benito Mussolini
Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Jul 2 2023 23:42 utc | 133
@98 “Hal Turner is predicting a false flag event to occur at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which causes a radiation release.”
The Ukes could simply load some of their Storm Shadowswith radioactive material then aim them at ZNPP then presto, radiation and False Flag
Objective Observer | Jul 2 2023 17:17 utc | 38
Duelling POSen pieces.
Intriguing that the POS got *exactly* the war in Ukraine that he scripted and salivated for in 1993, and now, when it’s all gone to shit….. “hey guys”
Hoping no one will remember what he wrote 30years ago.
enderman100 | Jul 2 2023 17:19 utc | 40
A journalist, you say, with opinions, you say.
My dog has opinions. About walk times, and volume in his bowl.
I often indulge him. I think it’s cute.
Journalists. With opinions… cute.
Exile | Jul 2 2023 18:26 utc | 62
French rioters with US weapons shipped to Ukraine.
This was always expected. Ukraine was an excuse for flood the planet with U$ small (and not so small) arms.
ostro | Jul 2 2023 20:40 utc | 93
Will villain Biden visit Vilnius?
Please, yes. Those Airforce 1 stairs; so many meet n greets, where he can wander confused. Me: looking at faces in the background, panicked… such theatre.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 2 2023 23:50 utc | 135
Listening to Martyanov’s latest…
He comments on Milley’s notion that the Ukraine “offensive” could take up to eight weeks to be effective. Andrei says that Milley slept through the War College lectures – if he even attended – than says “if in the first 15 days the offensive doesn’t reach any kind of its objectives, then it’s gone, it’s over, don’t even try….He says six, eight ten weeks…Why not 25 weeks? Next thing you know, he will talking about 35 weeks… He better go and watch “9-1/2 Weeks”, a great movie, Kim Bassinger, my god, and Mickey Rourke is still very attractive then…”
LOL Nice one, Andrei.
So, officially, according to US military doctrine, the Ukraine “offensive” is over and done and a complete failure. Forget all the bullship Robert Scheer was handing Ray McGovern in his interview about Ukraine saying, “well, we held back 70% of the NATO weapons and the NATO-trained troops” while Ray was telling him Ukraine sent those troops in, got slaughtered and achieved nothing.
The Ukraine offensive is dead and gone. Either they go back on the defensive now or they keep trying and dying in great big bleeding batches. Actually, whether they are on the defensive or offensive, they will keep dying that way.
Based on my losses calculations as referenced in previous threads, Ukraine can’t last more than another 3-6 months before the army is decimated and Russia can essentially shorten its contact line, consolidate its forces and move anywhere in Ukraine with near impunity.
And I don’t think, unlike Simplicius, that Russia will wait until next spring to do so. It’s possible, of course. It depends on how soon the Ukraine army collapses, then how soon it will take Russia to reorient its forces, rest and re-supply and prepare for the next phase, which could take some weeks or even months.
So either the big Russian offensive will occur sometime between say, November of this year to spring of next year. Or it may simply proceed right through the winter, since once the Ukraine army has collapsed, any fighting will be on Russian terms and Russia is quite capable of moving its forces in winter if it wants to, especially against light resistance. As I said earlier, the fact that there was no big movement this past winter means nothing, as there was no need for Russia to move then. The same is true of Ukrainian forces.
This are the facts that NATO will be presented by its military leaders – if they have any competence at all and aren’t listening to Ukraine propaganda, which is problematic – at the Vilnius meeting. They will also probably be presented with the fact that they have zero resources to use for any contemplated “intervention”, short of resorting to nuclear weapons, tactical or otherwise.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 23:50 utc | 136
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 2 2023 23:50 utc | 135
“Journalists. With opinions… cute.”
You know the saying: Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has an asshole. They are both equally important.
Although some assholes are more important than others. 🙂
“Ukraine was an excuse for flood the planet with U$ small (and not so small) arms.”
Wish they’d send some to San Francisco, assuming I ever had the money to buy some. AKs, sniper rifles with scopes, a couple grenade launchers, an RPG, hand grenades, some Semtex blocks with detonators, some body armor and a lot of ammo… Don’t need any Stingers, not planning on shooting down any planes. Not likely to need Javelins, not planning on dealing with actual tanks (plus the Javelins suck at that, anyway.) Everything else is too big, too heavy, too complicated to operate, useless in urban conflict.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 23:59 utc | 137
Posted by: Don Bacon | Jul 2 2023 22:03 utc | 115
Posted by: Ed | Jul 2 2023 22:25 utc | 123
Posted by: badjoke | Jul 2 2023 22:31 utc | 124
Fascism might all of this but moreover it is the cult of the supreme leader.
Posted by: Greg Galloway | Jul 3 2023 0:01 utc | 138
Really weird article over at the New York Post:
“Ukraine ‘preparing for nuclear explosion’ as Russian troops ordered to leave Zaporizhzhia plant: ‘Whole world is watching’”
Posted by: Ghost Ship | Jul 3 2023 0:07 utc | 139
Some videos for today.
Russian airborne troops obliterate the enemy near the DPR’s Chasov Yar:
https://odysee.com/@Overthrown:6/chasovyar-hit:f
Russian forces destroyed another enemy attack on the Zaporozhye front, surviving enemy attackers slink away:
https://odysee.com/@Overthrown:6/vremeskyledge-offensive:0
Russian Mi-35 and Mi-8 in the special military operation:
https://rutube.ru/video/c68a8398ff576a1ef22fc07d4b056951/
Russian howitzer in action:
https://rutube.ru/video/f2916606698b02068a59fd74c7871aef/
Posted by: Nate | Jul 3 2023 0:08 utc | 140
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 23:38 utc | 132
Rodney King was 1992. BLM started in 2014 in Ferguson Missouri and by mid 2015 all the organizers had died under mysterious circumstances. After that it was coopted by DNC operatives so they could catch and kill any real movement in the future. Like they did in 2020 were they used it to get people to go for Jim Crow Joe so that they could funnel huge bucks into the police the very next year. You seem to think that the political parties are enemies. This is wrong they are working together against the general welfare of people which is why they have the same paymasters. All work for the oligarchy.
Posted by: badjoke | Jul 3 2023 0:12 utc | 141
“Fascism is the political manifestation of finance capitalism.” ~ Georgi Dimitrov
And he knew a thing or two about fascism. He defended himself after being accused of the Reichstag Fire, and he got himself off. How fascism manifests will be historically contextual. It may not always and immediately present as ethno-nationalism with or without genocidal intentions. Fascism always has that to fall back on though, and finance capitalism is always willing to fund it.
Posted by: Lex | Jul 3 2023 0:17 utc | 142
@103…
Not everyone. The primary obstacle to comprehending this abomination, is that so many of we presently existing humans have never actually lived our own lives as victims of these savage, sub-human and anti-human things attempting to permanently rape all of us.
Forever.
Shall I say….”How dare you”-:)
Posted by: Robert Hope | Jul 3 2023 0:20 utc | 143
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 2 2023 23:38 utc | 132
Like I said before you have little understanding of American demographics
I amazed how someone so obviously well read and educated could have their head buried so deep in their ass. Lol
Posted by: John2007 | Jul 3 2023 0:25 utc | 144
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 2 2023 23:59 utc | 137
I would go for some of those Starstreak missiles. While primarily a MANPAD they use a laser designator and can wreck light armored vehicles.
Posted by: badjoke | Jul 3 2023 0:30 utc | 145
Hal Turner is predicting….
young | Jul 2 2023 20:55 utc | 98
Please stop using Hal Turner as a source of news.
Posted by: Ian2 | Jul 3 2023 0:30 utc | 146
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 2 2023 15:20 utc | 14
Thank you Melaleuca.
Excellent article. Uncannily prescient as if the neocons are following Posen’s prescription (as rehashed by the Postil’s author) to the ‘T’.
Posted by: Panza | Jul 3 2023 0:38 utc | 147
Posted by: badjoke | Jul 3 2023 0:12 utc | 141
Posted by: John2007 | Jul 3 2023 0:25 utc | 144
Sorry guys. Got names and years mixed up. I’m Down Under and admittedly have a poor understanding of US riots over the decades. My illustrative point was that large and general racial uprisings can start with just one cop shoot, then spread into a whole class and ethnic war. France *may be* on the point of that, but my inkling is that it won’t evolve into a national or EU resistence against the UKR-RF war. THAT was the original gist I was addressing.
And John 2007, please reference where you previously told me off. PS, I’m not extremely well read and educated. Just a good perceiver of life and human foibles.
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 3 2023 0:46 utc | 148
It is worth posting a complete definition of fascism because too many people confuse it with communism etc.
Two definitions or three above and all three are right but not complete.
Yes fascism is
Nationalistic
xenophonic
Militaristic
Also Totalitarian
Dictatorship
However it is also corporatist. It is the close connection with big business that is a major factor distinguishing it from communism.
There are many types of Totalitarian governments eg monarchies, military junta, theocracies, etc but it is the fusion of corporate interests that is the defining feature of fascism.
Posted by: Watcher | Jul 3 2023 0:53 utc | 149
Don’t know if this has been posted before…It’s from today. I think Mercouris mentioned increased tank production in his video today, so I went looking for news.
Russia’s military industry doubles down on tank production: Report
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russias-military-industry-doubles-down-on-tank-production:-r
Earlier this week, Rostec announced in a press release that Uralvagonzavod (UVZ), a subsidiary company, will be suspending all secondary manufacturing to devote its resources exclusively to tank production. UVZ which generally produced different machines, civilian and military will be re-purposing 100% of its production capacity towards tank production.
This new production strategy was described to be “game-changing” and “radical” by the Bulgarian Military website in terms of its implications on the battlefield in Ukraine.
This manufacturing shift had been hinted at earlier, by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, who said that “Russia has initiated the production of 1,600 T-90M tanks.”
Many international military authorities commented at the time, that “for this to happen, Russia must fully harness its military production capacity to produce tanks,” which is what Rostec deliberated to do earlier this week.
“Russia is preparing to begin the return of the Soviet concept of a multi-thousand tank fleet,” the Bulgarian Military website reported.
The article also provides a nice little overview of the main Russian battle tanks in production.
This is the original Bulgarian Military Web site article referenced:
Russia’s UVZ halts all secondary output, begins tank mass production
https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2023/06/29/russias-uvz-halts-all-secondary-output-begins-tank-mass-production/
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 0:57 utc | 150
Ms Caitlin Johnstone auctioned off her oil painting of ” Assasge’s Dad ” which was eventually bought for $10,000.00 and the money goes to his legal defense fund!!
More paintings as well as her many wise words of wisdom can be viewed here: https://caitlinjohnstone.com
Posted by: cousin lucky | Jul 3 2023 0:58 utc | 151
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 3 2023 0:46 utc | 148
Understandable, most people in the USA don’t know the history of it as the press is also owned by the same people that own the politicians. 2020 started off with protest but as they always do agent provocateur’s to discredit the broad attempts by a by people off all races wanting action after watching a man being positionally asphyxiated by three cops. The press mislead people into thinking it was just the one that did it. In fact he was mostly there to keep the man from moving and the weight of the person in the middle slowly wore out his diaphragm and he died. The cops knew what they were doing. Prison guards do it to inspire fear in inmates. They will report it as ‘crushed to death’. I had no interest in the protests as I already know the tactics the state uses. I was however quite interested in the little reported hacking of the police unions e-mail system. It showed systemic bribery and corruption involving real estate associations chambers of commerce and other groups that finance local elections all over the country. I did not see anything as damning from the January 6th incident where they also used agent provocateurs but the same was done to them as was done to BLM. The USA is an evil cartoon version of a democracy.
Posted by: badjoke | Jul 3 2023 1:00 utc | 152
Crosstalk episode with Scott Ritter, Steve Gill, and Alexandre Guerreiro.
CrossTalk: After Wagner revolt
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/578769-wagner-aborted-coup-results/
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 1:03 utc | 153
There are many types of Totalitarian governments eg monarchies, military junta, theocracies, etc but it is the fusion of corporate interests that is the defining feature of fascism.
Posted by: Watcher | Jul 3 2023 0:53 utc | 149
——————————————————-
I concur.
Posted by: Ed | Jul 3 2023 1:09 utc | 154
Latest Brian Berletic…
Ukraine’s Offensive at 1 Month – Losing the War of Attrition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2lOuAfYsc
From the description:
59,080 views Jul 2, 2023
Update on the conflict in Ukraine for July 3, 2023:
– Ukraine’s offensive reaches the 1 month mark and has made relatively little progress beyond the security zones ahead of Russia’s main defenses;
– This is mainly owed to Russian mine fields and Ukraine’s inability to clear them while under fire;
– Ukraine’s artillery shell supply is limited, the longer the offensive takes, the less ammunition Ukraine will have to support and exploit any breakthroughs that do occur;
– Mounting Ukrainian losses mean that any achievements made during the offensive will be difficult to consolidate no matter where on the map the offensive ends;
– Unable to breach Russian defenses, Ukraine and its NATO sponsors appear to be exploring “alternative” options to change battlefield dynamics including continued attempts to accuse Russia of planning to destroy the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant;
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 1:32 utc | 155
Mussolini didn’t think or say that “fascism is the merger of the state and corporations”. He said corporations (as understood today) were to be subserviant to the state and the nation. The opposite of oligarchy (or plutocracy?) really, which is what we have in the modern “west” despite claims of “our sacred democracy”.
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/f/Fascism.htm
Mussolini defined fascism as being a left-wing collectivistic ideology in opposition to socialism, liberalism, democracy and individualism. He said in The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism:
“Anti-individualistic, the fascist conception of life stresses the importance of the State and accepts the individual only in so far as his interests coincide with those of the State, which stands for the conscience and the universal will of man as a historic entity…. Liberalism denied the State in the name of the individual; fascism reasserts the rights of the State as expressing the real essence of the individual. And if liberty is to be the attribute of living men and not abstract dummies invented by individualistic liberalism, then fascism stands for liberty, and for the only liberty worth having, the liberty of the State and of the individual within the State. The fascist conception of the State is all-embracing; outside of it no human or spiritual values can exist, much less have value. Thus understood, fascism… interprets, develops, and potentiates the whole life of a people…. Fascism is therefore opposed to that form of democracy which equates a nation to the majority, lowering it to the level of the largest number; but it is the purest form of democracy if the nation be considered – as it should be – from the point of view of quality rather than quantity, as an idea, the mightiest because the most ethical, the most coherent, the truest, expressing itself in a people as the conscience and will of the few, if not, indeed, of one, and tending to express itself in the conscience and will of the mass, of the whole group ethnically molded by natural and historical conditions into a nation, advancing as one conscience and one will, along the self-same line of development and spiritual formation. Not a race, or a geographically defined region, but a people, historically perpetuating itself; a multitude unified by an idea and imbued with the will to live, the will to power, self-consciousness, personality….”
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 1:50 utc | 156
Highly recommend this read for barflies.
Barfleas would benefit. But of course won’t read.
https://www.thepostil.com/1993-the-barry-r-posen-plan-for-war-on-russia-via-zombie-state-ukraine/
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 2 2023 15:20 utc | 14
Thanks for that. Definitively shows the war was on the drawing board for some time and it pretty much has followed what was laid out.
Posted by: Organic | Jul 3 2023 1:55 utc | 157
@ Organic | Jul 3 2023 1:55 utc | 157
great to see you here! cheers
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 1:58 utc | 158
@ Organic | Jul 3 2023 1:55 utc | 157
another poster shared that link on the previous ukraine open thread and b also posted it in the moa week in review.. i too recommend it..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 1:58 utc | 159
i stand corrected on that.. the postil link is a different one.. i will check it out now.. thanks melaleuca…
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:00 utc | 160
That Postil post about Posner’s plan was certainly an eye-opener.
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 2:07 utc | 161
What you describe is the horror of the US Empire’s war doctrine. Its proxy forces have always been given wide latitude in committing acts of genocide and torture. American soldiers are encourage not to do such things because of the need to keep the US population “innocent” or whatever you want to call it–this is one reason Assange is so deeply hated by the martinets in Washington and London. In fact, of course, US soldiers do commit acts of genocide (killing civilians just because it feels good) and torture. I’ve heard stories, known men, who have committed horrible acts particularly in Vietnam but this sort of activity is not the normal acts of US soldiers. It is very normal with the Empire’s covert forces and their contractors who are often charged with deliberately terrorizing populations around the globe. Horrible acts, from our POV,
As for Ukraine, their culture seems steeped in horror from top to bottom and they are not the only populations wherein it has been the policy of the US to help bring out the worst of their culture. For example, the Latin American drug gangs and cartels are all a result of conscious US policy to degrade and corrupt their societies. We have to realize, as I have, that Washington is ruled by monsters beyond anything Ukrainian soldiers could even imagine doing. The Washington regime and their “imperial running dogs” have become (in spades) what the mid-twentieth century communists accused the West of being. While the US regimes of that time were not exactly humanitarians their leadership was quite mild compared with this bunch of human monsters currently in power in Washington who collectively have only one goal–complete conquest of every square inch or centimeter of the globe.
Posted by: Chris Cosmos | Jul 2 2023 14:48 utc | 11
I believe this is called Defending American Values, Freedom and Democracy, Individual Liberty, Human Rights, LGBT Rights, Western Civilization, and Our Way of Life in general.
Sure, we may have “genocided” many people around the world and committed unconscionable “crimes against humanity,” but we meant well!
And any bad stuff that we did was only a case of a Few Bad Apples, Isolated Incidents, Bad Policies, Intelligence Failures, or Tragic Mistakes. Also, never forget to mention that other countries do bad stuff too.
Being the Evil Empire … er … Leader of the Free World™ means never having to say your sorry.
Posted by: ak74 | Jul 3 2023 2:11 utc | 163
it seems the fellow barry r posen had a change of heart from when he wrote those papers back in 1993 and 1994… in 2014 he wrote a book Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restraint_(book)
it appears that his ideology from 1993/94 was adopted while his viewpoint as expressed in his book from 2014 was ignored… too late..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:26 utc | 164
it appears that his ideology from 1993/94 was adopted while his viewpoint as expressed in his book from 2014 was ignored… too late..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:26 utc | 164
Or he was just covering his tracks so he didn’t look so obviously like someone promoting the shitshow we have today. Pretending to be a “realist” now while rubbing his hands in glee that his detailed plan from 1993 is being implemented almost perfectly as he envisioned it?
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 2:37 utc | 165
Organic @ 157, Melaleuca, et al…
Re: Posen and “the plan”
Yes…things planned and considered for quite a while…not just since the early 1990’s…Operation Gladio, Stay Behind Armies…I think it’s time to break out the following classic:
CIA Resistance Factors and Special Forces Areas Ukraine 1957
Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 3 2023 2:37 utc | 166
here is a review of posens 2014 book..
A Realist’s Guide to Grand Strategy
“Posen proceeds to define what restraint would look like in the various regions. In Europe, he believes it is “past time to realize the dividends” of our Cold War victory. This means the U.S. can withdraw its forces, transfer NATO-related institutions to the European Union, and rework NATO itself—or even let it lapse.”
clearly the fellow had a change of heart 20 years later..
youtube 7 minute talk from from barry r posen on nuclear weapons from 5 years ago..
America Is Preventing Nuclear Attacks in All the Wrong Ways | Barry Posen | Big Think
the reason why no one is listening to him now is because he is no longer a neo con and has not drank the koolaid, or has sworn off it..
here is an article of barry r posen from 2020..
Europe can defend itself
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:43 utc | 167
@ Wisco | Jul 3 2023 2:37 utc | 165
check out the video or paper i linked to of his from more recent times.. people do change…i actually think he thinks of all this differently at this point in time.. no one is listening to him now in spite of his previous stature in writing these papers in the 90’s..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:45 utc | 168
Dmitry Medvedev’s words on Finland are rather harrowing but obviously he knows what he is talking about. Finland and Austria were spared by the USSR on condition they remain neutral. At one point the Soviets occupied Austria. Now the Finns have made the decision (?) to get rid of their neutrality – so the logical conclusion is Russia has to react. Btw Biden will visit Finland on July 13. Don’t let the Finns get any ideas of staying out of this war for democracy.
Posted by: Jonathan W | Jul 3 2023 2:50 utc | 169
He did his damage when people listened to him, and the plan he envisioned is now killing upwards of 400k slavs. Good of you to forgive and forget. It is quite true that people do change and maybe he really does believe he was wrong in 1993-94.
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 2:52 utc | 170
My previous post was in response to
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:45 utc | 168
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 2:54 utc | 171
@ Wisco | Jul 3 2023 2:52 utc | 170
one can forgive, but i am not recommending one forget.. here he is in a longer interview from march 2021.. 18 minutes in he says that he changed his mind and approach to one of restraint..
Can Europe Defend Itself? (w/ Barry Posen)
regardless of all this, i think melaleuca’s post highlighting this fellow and his work is helpful to gaining a better understanding of where we are now..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:56 utc | 172
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 2:37 utc | 165
Or he was just covering his tracks so he didn’t look so obviously like someone promoting the shitshow we have today. Pretending to be a “realist” now while rubbing his hands in glee that his detailed plan from 1993 is being implemented almost perfectly as he envisioned it?
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 2:43 utc | 167
clearly the fellow had a change of heart 20 years later..
I think he’s pulling a Henry Kissinger. It must have hit him like a revelation at some point during that time that the West is incapable of destroying Russia without itself being destroyed.
His use of the word “restraint” instead of “reconciliation” basically just indicates he’s in favour of a continuation of “Cold War” rather than and all-out effort to collapse Russia. He’s basically hedging and only moderately at that.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jul 3 2023 3:01 utc | 173
ZH has a posting up with the title
“I Don’t Think We’ll Ever Get To The 2024 Election”, Col. Douglas Macgregor (Ret) Warns
The quote in response to a Bet-David tweet recently laying out how he thinks 2024 will play out
In response to this, Macgregor went dark, beginning by noting that “first of all I think it’s brilliant. And I think that if we were living in a linear world – in other words, when one event follows the next logically; you’re absolutely right.”
“But,” Macgregor warns “I don’t think we’ll ever get to the 2024 election.”
“I think things are going to implode in Washington before then.”I have written this prediction a few times here and it is nice to see another with that opinion. If the August BRICS+ finance system is really born in August then the sale of BRICS+ bonds to global nations will go up and the sale of US Treasuries to most nations will go down and the 2024 US election will be when the shit show stops, IMO
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 3 2023 3:06 utc | 174
@ Arch Bungle | Jul 3 2023 3:01 utc | 173
restraint is the title of his 2014 book.. and yes – he probably realized the west is incapable of destroying russia without destroying itself as you note.. i recommend listening to some of his youtube videos and what articles are available online.. it seems his idea has been ignored… we have a few politicians here in canada who recommend our getting out of nato…
here is the quote from him that i shared earlier..
“This means the U.S. can withdraw its forces, transfer NATO-related institutions to the European Union, and rework NATO itself—or even let it lapse.” he talks about nato 30 minutes into the youtube link i share @ 172… you might want to listen to it..
people in the usa-canada and europe need to be discussing this..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:10 utc | 175
Re the Fascism topic:
I see many people here and elsewhere have their own definitions of the word fascism and quote sundry sources which support their particular worldview.
Like much of language, usage changes over time. However, to understand the true nature of a word it is best to define it according to its origins, otherwise specific terms lose their meaning in the vast melting pot of colloquialisms.
Latin/Italian —
Fascism is a movement that promotes the idea of a forcibly monolithic, regimented nation under the control of an autocratic ruler. The word fascism comes from fascio, the Italian word for bundle, which in this case represents bundles of people. Its origins go back to Ancient Rome, when the fasces was a bundle of wood with an ax head, carried by leaders.
Oxford Dic —
a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government.
I recently watched Katy Hopkins and Anne Widdicombe in an Oxford University debate where they both skilfully illustrated that the Cancel Crowd, the No-Platformers, the Lefty Snowflake SJWs were being essentially fascistic in their aims of blocking free speech and of enforcing certain speech (like pronouns). Through much social agitation, this “bundle of sticks” have actually gotten laws passed sympathetic to their causes.
This rang very true to me, in that fascism is NOT NECESSARILY, ESSENTIALLY right wing, nor associated with nationalism, nor technically governmental, nor capitalistic, but is actually any manifestation of an ardent authoritarianism driven by an ideological group, ie a totalitarianism mindset — in the same way as one can find “Soup Nazis”, or in our little seaside village, a Post Office Nazi!!! Yes, it’s a misuse of the term, but we all get the point! The nature of original fascismo has now permeated into the grass roots. This is equally, if not more so, dangerous than bona fide State Fascism.
Posted by: The Dolphin | Jul 3 2023 3:14 utc | 176
Fascism has been discussed many times at the MoA bar and I think it is time for me to add the Dr. Laurence Britt contribution about the concept
14 POINTS OF FASCISM
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism
From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights
The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause
The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism
Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism
Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media
Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security
Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together
Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected
Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated
Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts
Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment
Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption
Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections
Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.
NOTE: The above 14 Points were written in 2004 by Dr. Laurence Britt, a political scientist. Dr. Britt studied the fascist regimes of: Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile).
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 3 2023 3:22 utc | 177
Any society which projects all its own faults onto others, will , by Jesus’s pbuh law, judge not , lest ye be judged, become the thing they hate.
Yesterday in our street there was a police raid on a ( well-known to
the police ) drug dealer, who had exceeded his police remit and threatened somebody with violence.
A crowd of similar gangsters, who the
police also knew, and who they spoke to with consummate politeness, gathered to monitor for police violence. After all, if the police condone drug dealing, they obviously condone the violence used to extract payment.
Liberal democracy colludes with individual Muslim criminal violence in exactly the same way it colludes with USUKIS state violence in Ukraine.
Russia does not condone or collude with what Liberal democracies are knee-deep in colluding and condoning. Why is that?
Yesterday’s incident makes it clear to me that very important people are involved in British drug trafficking, and the police protect those wealthy people’s interests.
When USUKIS try to accuse Russia of
war crimes , that
is exactly what I witnessed yesterday
on our street. Organised police crime defending the interests of the wealthy to extort wealth by extreme violence.
I think Americans already
understand that. But as Jeremy Corbyn
once said, ‘ they didn’t understand Enlish use of irony in my comments’.
Posted by: Giyane | Jul 3 2023 3:23 utc | 178
…people in the usa-canada and europe need to be discussing this..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:10 utc | 175
Why? The Postil article clearly outed that guy as a detailed planner of the west’s current war against Russians and yes, Ukrainians. Now we have to listen to him? To me that seems equivalent to always having manoga Neocons in every administration even though they all supported lies about WMD in Iraq so “Saddam must go”. And later “Assad must go”. And of course “Qadaffi must go”. And that one did with anal penetration, heartily laughed at by Hillary Clinton on TV.
Did you know that Victoria Nuland worked in the Bush Jr administration?
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/07/images/20050714-4_v071305db-0236jpg-515h.html
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 3:24 utc | 179
So sweet that they called her “Toria” back then. And she looked so innocent and nice and not so big and fat and bloated like now. Just a good Republican appointee doing her best for our country (not).
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 3:31 utc | 180
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:10 utc | 175
people in the usa-canada and europe need to be discussing this..
Perhaps, but if they’re not even discussing Mearsheimer I don’t see what Posen can add.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jul 3 2023 3:35 utc | 181
but if they’re not even discussing Mearsheimer I don’t see what Posen can add.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jul 3 2023 3:35 utc | 181
I find it really weird that so many people, especially Martyanov and accolytes, dismiss Mearsheimer so completely and with hostility.
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 3:38 utc | 182
@ Wisco | Jul 3 2023 3:24 utc | 179
the posen article that melaleuca linked to is from 93/94 – 30 years ago… nato is run by the usa and is supposed to concern european security needs… why is it that europe is incapable of looking after its own security needs? why is it europe acts like a child who constantly needs to rely on the usa parent?
so, regardless of how you want to characterize this guy posen, the question remains – what exactly is the purpose of nato and why is it that the usa dominates it? i will give you a partial answer – it is because the usa has always feared that germany could work out a much better arrangement for itself that wasn’t reliant on the usa, but that lack the leadership or the balls to implement such a situation.. which brings me to another aspect of this..europe is shooting itself in the foot here… at what point do they wake up and start to ask why they are allowing this to happen to themselves?? i believe nato is directly responsible for the shit that is happening here today and i believe it is the usa and its whacked out neo con ideology that is driving what is happening here today… that is why the question needs to be addressed and answered by people of the countries i mention, and i would include australia in the mix along with any of the other countries that go along with the nato agenda here..
i don’t give a rats ass about the cookie freak nuland… she has dismissed herself as a completely worthless neo con, along with her husband… her and people like her – crystia freeland, germanys green leader baebock or however you spell the witches name, along with the undemocratic leadership of the eu – all need to be held accountable for bringing us to where the world is at present, a few minutes before ww3, unless we are already in it – which i kind of think we are.. i have been following this shit for a long time.. nuland made herself very clear in 2014 in kiev.. i don’t need to know anything about her and i detest her too..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:39 utc | 183
Posted by: Sick and tired | Jul 2 2023 15:55 utc | 19
Dear sick and tired there was ample evidence from multiple sources a year or so ago even a document dump from Russian investigators on US funded and managed bio labs in Ukraine.
@ Arch Bungle | Jul 3 2023 3:35 utc | 181
hey.. lets shoot the messenger, okay?? i don’t give a fuck about posen either, or only in so far as i think the question is very relevant… why is there no discussion about nato and the usa’s role in leading it? why aren’t the europeans smart enough to see how they are shooting themselves in the foot here? please… this is not about posen… it is about nato and its bringing europe and the world to this juncture and there being no accountability for any of it here..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:42 utc | 185
maybe it is not clear via the way i communicate.. the biggest problem here is nato and the fact it is led by the usa when it is supposed to be a security treaty that helps europe… it is doing the exact opposite.. the expansionary track it has been on since 2008 especially has no concern for russias own security needs and its proxy war in ukraine which has been worked on in earnest since at least 2014 is exactly the problem here… and yet many citizens in the country are so busy listening to the propaganda of the big bad russia, that they are incapable of seeing how russia is perceiving this… they are completely incapable and worse – not interested..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:51 utc | 186
“i don’t give a rats ass about the cookie freak nuland…”
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:39 utc | 183
She’s obviously an important cog in the neocon machine, and obviously she had a huge influence in the Maidan coup. That you try to minimimize her enormous influence that she has had in US foreign policy at the US Department of State since Bush Jr’s administration 2001-2009 makes me think that you aren’t the real James. Real James doesn’t ever say “I don’t give a rat’s ass”.
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 3:53 utc | 187
@ Wisco | Jul 3 2023 3:53 utc | 187
i am not minimizing her role, but there are a zillion other neo-con bimbos to replace her.. and no – i say i don’t give a rats ass about her, because that is a fact… now i am starting to think i am talking with fake james knob here… this is my last response to you – wilco..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:55 utc | 188
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 3 2023 3:22 utc | 177
“Dr. Britt studied the fascist regimes of: Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile).”
Nice recap. Only thing: he forgot to study the United States, which has had all those elements since its inception (although some elements were weaker than others, at least for a short while after the Revolution.)
Actually his definition fits the anarchist concept of the actual nature of “the state”, as opposed to the minimal definition of a state being an organization with a monopoly on coercion over a given population or territory.
One might exclude monarchies from the definition, but a closer look shows most of them have most of these elements, although historically corporatism only came to bear in the last two centuries. However, “corporatism” is basically just another name for a new form of “the rich”, and most monarchies were almost by definition composed of the rich (I haven’t heard of too many “poor kings and emperors”.)
Anyone who says he opposes “fascism” needs to realize that he actually opposing the state in general. There can be no state without fascism.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 3:58 utc | 189
Posted by: Giyane | Jul 3 2023 3:23 utc | 178
Of course. That is why Sweden permits the burning of the Quran (knowing full well the kind of reaction it would elicit) while cracking down on “hate speech” and Russian influence. The freedom of speech is an absolute but also a very relative concept indeed. Of course this tactic has been tried and tested with ISIS and “mujahedeen” before them.
Posted by: Jonathan W | Jul 3 2023 3:58 utc | 190
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 3:38 utc | 182
Mearsheimer is a “realist” meaning he’s for maintaining American hegemony – just not so blatantly and not so stupidly.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 4:00 utc | 191
Speaking with a bloke this morning (in Oz) who has spent most of his life in uniform – Northern Ireland, Afghanistan. He’s off to Poland via the UK ‘for a rest’. Who goes to Poland for a rest.
The reason Posen came up now must be that the “planning” has already proceeded to the next stage. It seems western Europe is now on the list.
Posted by: Jonathan W | Jul 3 2023 4:02 utc | 193
whirlX. Likely the depleted uranium UK sent to Ukraine will be parked there and detonated.
Posted by: Paul | Jul 3 2023 4:02 utc | 194
@ oldhippie | Jul 2 2023 17:34 utc | 46
@ Objective Observer | Jul 2 2023 17:39 utc | 49
https://kingofromania.com/2022/03/05/tarkov-is-resisting
Posted by: John Kennard | Jul 3 2023 4:06 utc | 195
Proof that you are fake james:
“this is my last response to you – wilco..”
Real james wouldn’t misspell my name like that, he is way more polite.
Posted by: Wisco | Jul 3 2023 4:06 utc | 196
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 3:51 utc | 186
If NATO is supposed to “help Europe”, why is the US even in it? We’re here, they’re there. If they can’t defend themselves, why is the US being asked to?
Simple: as the saying goes, “NATO keeps the US in, the German down, and the Russians out.” In other words, NATO always was a con game by the US to dominate Europe.
NATO should be abolished, a new European security architecture should be created as the Russians proposed in December, 2021, and Europe should be required to heed the United Nations, as was intended when the UN was formed.
However, this is all a pointless discussion since of none of that is ever going to happen until the US and NATO are militarily defeated or economically destroyed, and Europe is ground down into the basement as it was after WWII.
Which basically means we need a WWIII – preferably without nukes. And getting that part – without nukes – is the kicker.
Q.E.D.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 4:06 utc | 197
Posted by: Inki | Jul 3 2023 4:01 utc | 193
“He’s off to Poland via the UK ‘for a rest’. Who goes to Poland for a rest.”
Oh, he’ll get one all right. 🙂
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 4:08 utc | 198
psychohistorian | Jul 3 2023 3:22 utc | 177–
Thanks for that important contribution! On this Martyanov posting, Johnny Rotten’s comment holds first position where he says:
At this point it is not clear who is crazier, if the Westerners or the Nazis, hundreds of billions of dollars lost on both sides, the Westerners believe they are smarter by selling rubbish for its weight in gold, the Nazis think only of stealing well knowing that they will pay nothing.
The Russians will take the lands that will presumably be uninhabited, and as victors they will impose reparations, so large that what is left of 404 will remain perpetually in debt, a farcical world of peasants who will forever pay in kind.
The West will take the latest financial beating from which it may not recover for decades, if at all.
So welcome are the rusty ships that will sink at the first shot, and will burn the residual illusions of liberals and Nazis in a huge bonfire.
I posted the following reply:
Ah, you’re getting closer: Westerners and Nazis, being one and the same, are both crazy. Read your first sentence again and recall what Black and Hudson said about Finance, Western Governments and Fraud. Here’s the link to that podcast so you and others can be reminded.
As for Ukraine, it was artificial to begin with and will thus disappear. No reparations will be demanded nor will any Western debt be paid because there will be no entity to do either. The Dollar and Euro zones will suffer crises with the latter likely collapsing since it too was an artificial construct and European nations will revert to national currencies. The dollar will survive in a diminished state, while the Outlaw US Empire’s internal polarizations cause great political strife that will take a generation or more to resolve, thus mostly removing it from the global stage.
Meanwhile, the RoW will move on and form its own Bloc to defend itself from the thrashing about of the failed West and its Empire’s based on Plunder. If as is very likely the new development banks issue their own bonds in conjunction with a digital trading currency, Dollar hegemony will end rapidly as new forms of investment safe harbors are provided that aren’t controlled by one very vicious nation.
The Hudson/Black podcast is vitally important for it proves the Outlaw US Empire is owned and operated by Wall Street, which is the primary Fascist entity on the planet. My research combined with that of many others shows the only way to eliminate The Money Power is to render almost everything financial along with all natural monopolies into public utilities. People can still amass wealth through their efforts, they just won’t be allowed to use it politically.
@ Richard Steven Hack | Jul 3 2023 4:06 utc | 198
fully concur richard… thanks..
Posted by: james | Jul 3 2023 4:18 utc | 200