Giscard D'Estaing: Crimea's Return in Accord with History
http://fortruss.blogspot.ca/2015/03/giscard-destaing-crimeas-return-in.html
"Concerning the 'return' of Crimea to Russia, very frankly, I judge it in conformity with history..."
Russia
Tue, 2015-03-24 00:36
#402
Tue, 2015-03-24 02:08
#403
Anti-Russian Propaganda is 'Uconvincing' Because Western Narrative is False - by Neil Clark
http://rt.com/op-edge/243237-eu-russia-propaganda-counter-war/
"...And what are the EU elite talking about? How best to counter 'Russia's ongoing disinformation campaigns'..."
Wed, 2015-03-25 16:42
#404
'Clearly Anti-Russian' - Moscow Blasts Latest US National Security Strategy (and podcast)
http://rt.com/politics/243981-russia-america-security-strategy/
"The recently approved US National Security Strategy for 2015 has a clear anti-Russian orientation, according to analysis released by Russia's Security Council (SC). The strategy is based on the principles of American Exceptionalism and the alleged right for unilateral enforcement of US interests in various parts of the world, the message reads.
The SC also noted in the review that the US clearly intended to continue the course on global dominance, backed by its own military forces and by the increasing military potential of NATO."
Crimea: Way Back Home (and vid)
http://thesaker.is/crimea-way-back-home-full-video-with-english-subtitles/
Excellent Russian documentary on the Crimean crisis.
Sat, 2015-03-28 14:45
#405
Obviously this is one-sided but does he have a point?
Bill Browder's nasty glimpse into the black heart of Putin's Russia
House of Commons passes unanimous motion to punish those responsible for Sergei Magnitsky's death
Now, by telling the whole, horrifying tale, Browder has opened a window on the black heart of Putin's Russia – and, this time, everyone's listening. His book, Red Notice, has been a best-seller for six straight weeks.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bill-browder-s-nasty-glimpse-into-the-bl...
Sat, 2015-03-28 15:12
#406
ikosmos
Not much "evidence" regarding Magnitsky's death, but plenty of the following in that piece...
"Now, all of a sudden, everything that I've been saying is affecting the world more broadly. Putin has invaded Ukraine; he's shot down 298 innocent people on [Malaysia Airlines Flight] MH 17; Boris Nemtsov was murdered right in front of the Kremlin...
Wow. Browder has "solved" all of these. Maybe he could spare a minute or two and provide the rest of us, trying to figure these out, with the proof he has. Note as well how Browder personalizes these claims: "Putin has invaded", "he's shot down", etc.
His appeal found cross-party support. On Wednesday afternoon, the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion introduced by Liberal MP Irwin Cotler calling for the imposition of targeted visa sanctions and asset freezes against those responsible for Magnitsky's torture, death, and the subsequent coverup.
Again, I'd be curious to see his "evidence".
Of course, none is forthcoming. Not now, not ever. Just like the unsubstantiated claims above. And that's the real point. Russophobia is popular among the pro-US boot-licking crowd. Like the Canadian Parliament, for example,
When it comes to Russophobia, there is no need of evidence, proving your point, looking for substantiation elsewhere. etc. Just make your allegations and should loudly.
And, if you can make a profit selling a book at the same time, then bully for you. If there's one thing the Western MSM loves to heap with praise and attention, it's an "entrepreneur".
What the demonized Russian President HAS done, over the last number of years, is to reign in, prosecute, and de-fang many (but not all!) of the oligarchs in that country in favour of better independence, self-sufficiency of the Russian economy. [Plenty of the criminal elements here who flee to the West with their ill-gotten gains still in hand are fawned over, uncritially, in the Western media. A whole book, nay, a collection of books could be written about this.] And we see now how necessary that was, what with the Western sanctions over the "invasion" of Ukraine, the "occupation" of Crimea, and so on.
Putin is still a conservative, with so-called "traditional" social views and so on. But he's doing a very good job of sticking up for his country's development and independence, as the irrefutable polls show, and if anything he could do more to weaken the power of these oligarchs.
Sat, 2015-03-28 18:16
#407
Ilargi: Kiev, Moscow, Bonds and Haircuts
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/03/ilargi-kiev-moscow-bonds-haircuts...
"Ilargi explains why the proposed Ukraine bond restructuring is a geopolitical matter, part of the US push against Russia via Kiev, and not mere high finance...
'Here's the biggest issue here, one which Bloomberg conveniently omits. Not only was Russia left with the [$3B] securities after the Maidan coup (or revolution if you must), but the money provided through them to Ukraine, began to be used to organize and fund various battalions and other groups, thrown together into a Kiev 'army', that started aiming for and at the Russian-speaking population in East Ukraine. 6,000 of them did not survive this.
The same would have happened in Crimea had not Putin made it part of Russia before that could happen. Do note that one of the very first decrees issued by the US-installed Yatsenyuk and his 'cabinet' was one that banned Russian as an official language used by millions of people who speak only Russian.
That Yats withdrew the decree within a week didn't matter anymore, the game was on right then and there. The bond issue is of course just one of many ways in which the west seeks to aggravate Russia. If and/or when the US starts shipping arms to Kiev, and the internal civil war restarts, Russia will have to take measures.
It is therefore Russia's task to find those measures that take 'the other side' by surprise and leaves it scrambling for answers. The Jaresko idea of 'we will saddle you with losses, so we can go kill more Russian speaking people,' will certainly not appeal to Moscow..."
Sat, 2015-03-28 18:47
#408
Obviously this is one-sided but does he have a point?
Bill Browder's nasty glimpse into the black heart of Putin's Russia
House of Commons passes unanimous motion to punish those responsible for Sergei Magnitsky's death
Now, by telling the whole, horrifying tale, Browder has opened a window on the black heart of Putin's Russia – and, this time, everyone's listening. His book, Red Notice, has been a best-seller for six straight weeks.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bill-browder-s-nasty-glimpse-into-the-bl...
The other side of this 'obviously one-sided' story, is that there is good evidence that Bill Browder is himself guilty of massive fraud and tax evasion. And that Vladimir Putin has nothing to do with it. None of this is mentioned by CBC of course. Russophobia is still very much all the rage in Harper's Canada. Ably assisted by state media, Irwin Cotler, and 'progressives'...
http://sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/2013_07_11/Moscow-court-finds-Magni...
Sun, 2015-03-29 17:52
#409
ikosmos
Another one page SITEREP by Patrick Armstrong. Absolute genius. I love seeing stuff like this where someone does his homework and just blows the Western MSM out of the water.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 26 March 2015
PUTIN'S DISAPPEARANCE. Western media outlets, governments and “experts” beclown themselves. Again.
CRIMEA, THE WAY HOME. Крым Путь на Родину. Here it is with English subtitles. Watch it: Korsun showed Crimeans what was coming, Berkut provided a seed crystal for self-defence and taught them how to recognise and suppress a “spontaneous” demo (go to 41).
WESTERN VALUES™ PART 1. Andrei Babitsky, once a certified hero journalist speaking truth to Putin, has been fired. It's not enough to be 99% anti-Putin; it must be 100% all the time. Read this.
NEMTSOV MURDER. Remember that? The investigators stick to their story: Dadayev did kill him; ordered by Adam Osmayev, commander of Jokhar Dudayev Battalion in Kiev forces, to embarrass Putin. This raises the possibility that the Charlie Hebdo connection was just the hook to get Dadayev to do it.
SNOWDEN. The German Vice Chancellor says Washington threatened to cease sharing intelligence if Berlin offered him asylum or allowed him to travel there. Deduction: if Germany was threatened, so was everyone else. We know that the Bolivian President's plane was forced down (so much for Obama's promise). Evidently, a lot of pressure was applied. One country refused to knuckle under. What do you suppose that has to do with current events?
RUSSIAN ECONOMY. Piece here from a rational observer. Not too bad, but wait and see. Another agreeing.
QUOTE OF THE YEAR. The German Foreign Minister told US Secretary of State John Kerry “it’s far too early to pat our shoulders and take pride in what we have achieved” in Ukraine. Thousands dead and maimed, immense property damage, economic ruin, oligarch wars, neo-nazis, war talk. Much too early.
WESTERN VALUES™ PART 2. Turns out that the Clinton Foundation got lots of money from a Ukrainian oligarch. No effect on policy, of course.
MINSK II. Kiev has broken it. Item 4 called for “a dialogue” “on modalities of conducting local elections”. Instead, the Ukraine parliament passed a law saying that elections can only begin after the areas are returned to Kiev's control. No dialogue there. By the way, read the agreement: Moscow is required to do nothing, Kiev much. So when the WMSM tells you Moscow has broken it, as it will, ask yourself what part of the agreement it's broken. A resumption of war is likely, and the end result will be the same. But this time, I expect Moscow to really intervene (why bother with another agreement Kiev won't keep?) And, when it does, there will be no need for blurry satellite photos and reporters who forgot their smart phones. But, should the oligarch war get violent – see below – there will be no requirement.
OLIGARCH WARS. Have started. Still very murky but here is what we know. Ihor Kolomoysky is someone your media outlets have not told you much about: an oligarch, funder of many private armed formations, suspected of many atrocities (MH-17 shootdown?), he was appointed Governor of Dnepropetrovsk in the new oligarch-free European-style Ukraine and hailed as a patriot by the ever-accommodating WMSM. Parliament passed a law that would have reduced his control of certain oil companies. He sent armed men to take over two head offices. Poroshenko said no more private military organisations would be tolerated. Yesterday, he dismissed him as Governor of Dnepropetrovsk. Not over yet; in theory Kolomoysky has a lot of armed forces that answer to him. WMSM and State Department spin will be entertaining to watch.
“DRAGOON RIDE”. The brainchild of the excitable General Hodges, a US army column will travel through several east European countries: “to assure those allies that live closest to the Bear that we are here”. Ludicrous: a cavalry squadron, an insignificant light force, will probably only make people nervous. There should be some amusement as it proceeds through the Czech Republic: the locals have been warned not to throw vegetables at it and the Czech Army will escort it. Moscow will only be more contemptuous. And that's assuming there are no embarrassing breakdowns, lapses in discipline, traffic accidents, protests etc.
“PUTIN'S INFORMATION WAR”. No wonder the West is having trouble selling its story: “The product they’re selling is not very attractive overseas”. “If you're going to say someone is a poisonous liar who traffics in conspiracy theories, then you should show that. That the Post doesn't seem to feel the need to do so either means the evidence isn't there, or that the burden of proof is very low when it comes to official enemies”. Western governments wouldn't be whining unless they knew their story was failing.
Yes, Virginia, it's possible for a Canadian journalist to get Russia right, but they sure as shit won't be working for the public or private mouthpieces of Canadian political orthodoxy. Thank goodness for alternative media and a big "f*ck you and die" to the MSM.
Sun, 2015-03-29 17:59
#410
ikosmos
Armstrong's remarks about the endless Ukrainian violations of Minsk-2, atrocities, etc. bears repeating ..
Moscow is required to do nothing, Kiev much. So when the WMSM tells you Moscow has broken it, as it will, ask yourself what part of the agreement it's broken. A resumption of war is likely, and the end result will be the same. But this time, I expect Moscow to really intervene (why bother with another agreement Kiev won't keep?) And, when it does, there will be no need for blurry satellite photos and reporters who forgot their smart phones. But, should the oligarch war get violent – see below – there will be no requirement.
Armstrong isn't the only observer who, weary of endless junta atrocities against the civilian population, looks to another richly deserved ass-kicking by the actual Russian army of a brutal US (and Canadian) sponsored thuggish regime (Georgia, etc.). The Ukrainian oligarchs, with loyalty only to money and a jackboot version of Ukrainian nationhood, may just wipe each other out.
Gosh, that would be just awful, huh?