Russian President VV Putin made an astonishing speech recently at the Valdai Discussion Club. Outlining the kind of world we live in, as well as the destabilization that the US regime has been carrying out, the speech is a kind of notice that Russia does not accept the hegemonic, maniacal vision of the Empire.
Dmitri Orlov: Playtime is Over
Here is one summary.
The Russian blogger chipstone summarized the most salient points from Putin speech as follows:1. Russia will no longer play games and engage in back-room negotiations over trifles. But Russia is prepared for serious conversations and agreements, if these are conducive to collective security, are based on fairness and take into account the interests of each side.
2. All systems of global collective security now lie in ruins. There are no longer any international security guarantees at all. And the entity that destroyed them has a name: The United States of America.
3. The builders of the New World Order have failed, having built a sand castle. Whether or not a new world order of any sort is to be built is not just Russia's decision, but it is a decision that will not be made without Russia.
4. Russia favors a conservative approach to introducing innovations into the social order, but is not opposed to investigating and discussing such innovations, to see if introducing any of them might be justified.
5. Russia has no intention of going fishing in the murky waters created by America's ever-expanding “empire of chaos,” and has no interest in building a new empire of her own (this is unnecessary; Russia's challenges lie in developing her already vast territory). Neither is Russia willing to act as a savior of the world, as she had in the past.
6. Russia will not attempt to reformat the world in her own image, but neither will she allow anyone to reformat her in their image. Russia will not close herself off from the world, but anyone who tries to close her off from the world will be sure to reap a whirlwind.
7. Russia does not wish for the chaos to spread, does not want war, and has no intention of starting one. However, today Russia sees the outbreak of global war as almost inevitable, is prepared for it, and is continuing to prepare for it. Russia does not war—nor does she fear it.
8. Russia does not intend to take an active role in thwarting those who are still attempting to construct their New World Order—until their efforts start to impinge on Russia's key interests. Russia would prefer to stand by and watch them give themselves as many lumps as their poor heads can take. But those who manage to drag Russia into this process, through disregard for her interests, will be taught the true meaning of pain.
9. In her external, and, even more so, internal politics, Russia's power will rely not on the elites and their back-room dealing, but on the will of the people.
To these nine points I would like to add a tenth:
10. There is still a chance to construct a new world order that will avoid a world war. This new world order must of necessity include the United States—but can only do so on the same terms as everyone else: subject to international law and international agreements; refraining from all unilateral action; in full respect of the sovereignty of other nations.
To sum it all up: play-time is over. Children, put away your toys. Now is the time for the adults to make decisions. Russia is ready for this; is the world?
My posts are being erased again. ugh.
It's an excellent speech if you're looking for a critique of neo-liberal economics and post-cold war domination of the US military industrial complex and world economy, but full of hypocrisies. I almost snorted tea out my nose when I read his criticism of the US for arming rebels in Syria and the Russian economy is also fueled by neo-liberalism and monopolization.
I also noted his statement about the US needing a powerful adversary to keep it in check. And who would that adversary be at this turning point? Sounds like a call to arms to me. Is Putin manufacturing consent for a new cold war I wonder?
There is a good summary by another author that I will provide a link to.
It's an excellent speech if you're looking for a critique of neo-liberal economics and post-cold war domination of the US military industrial complex and world economy, but full of hypocrisies. I almost snorted tea out my nose when I read his criticism of the US for arming rebels in Syria and the Russian economy is also fueled by neo-liberalism and monopolization.
Putin is a conservative, maybe of the kind that were in power in the 19th century. He gets support from a conservative church and, in some ways, has a lot in common with our own conservatives with their homophobia and all the rest of their socially backwards views. The key economic difference is that he has taken on some of the Russian oligarchs - basically saying that I don't care how rich you are "Stay out of politics" - something that our own politicians are too cowardly to do at all, established national industry where needed, especially in oil and gas, and so on. But he's no more Communist than Obama is. This is simply an alternative path of development, something we on the left should support even if it comes from such conservative quarters. A polycentric world, with many centers, can be a safer world than the one run by the lidless eye of the hegemon in Washington.
Putin puts the blame where it belongs. He says what many other leaders WISH they could say. I think in doing this he's doing an enormous service for every country, just as dissident and political refugee Ed Snowden has done a service for everyone. That certainly doesn't mean we need to agree with all the other crap.
I also noted his statement about the US needing a powerful adversary to keep it in check. And who would that adversary be at this turning point? Sounds like a call to arms to me. Is Putin manufacturing consent for a new cold war I wonder?
Putin criticizes the US attempt to re-establish a "bi-polar" world and refuses to accept the role of Russia as the bogey man in this militaristic arrangement. He bluntly states that his country has no interest in an Empire, won't be lured into underhanded crap to suit the Americans, but won't be pushed around either. He expects war with the US - literally - but opposes it and plans to work to prevent it. These are astonishing words coming from a nuclear weapons power head of state, don't you think?
I do. I don't see it as war like at all. It's more like "F off, USA, we're not interested. And we don't care who sees this."
Supplemental: Alexander Mercouris wrote something in the last week or so that I found myself strongly agreeing with. Mercouris wrote that the Russians refuse to accept the role of "loser" as assigned by the US Empire, they are going to do their own thing and path of development. This is evoking apoplectic rage from the neo cons.
We on the left could learn from this. There are far too many people on the left who blithely accept the right wing mantras like "There is no alternative" and capitulate ideologically before a fight even begins. It is a failure of imagination, of courage.
This is why, incidently, works like the recent one by Naomi Klein are so important. There's no capitulation there at all.
Ikosmos, what do you think of the US and other timing of the Apple's Cook theatrics in Russia? Lazy journalism than say look into substansive issues like the state of journalists or LGBT people. Russian officials should stop with these distractions precisely because they get amplified in the Western Press. Not saying that this is the reason why there was no coverage of the speech.
Ikosmos, what do you think of the US and other timing of the Apple's Cook theatrics in Russia? Lazy journalism than say look into substansive issues like the state of journalists or LGBT people. Russian officials should stop with these distractions precisely because they get amplified in the Western Press. Not saying that this is the reason why there was no coverage of the speech.
Let's not kid ourselves. Backbench Conservatives and other misanthropes would get along just fine with the laws in Russia prohibiting gay-friendly propaganda aimed at young people. It's still a struggle here, and were it not for our Charter and the legalistic strategy by the gay community, we would not be as far along as we are. The battles in Winnipeg School Division One are instructive in this regard.They were UGLY.
"Russian officials should stop with these distractions precisely because they get amplified in the Western Press."
It's my opinion that while the Ukrainian elections were very suspicious, the Putin government simply accepted the results, regardless of the parties that were banned, violence and intimidation, and so on, so as to not make themselves a target for more endless attacks by Western governments and their subservient mass media (as interfering in Ukrainian affairs, etc.) They want to make Poroshenko "wear" the results ... and be held accountable for what follows ... whereas the Novorossiyans are understandably way more critical especially when fascist and like minded elements call for more ethnic cleansing in the Donbass.
In some ways, the Russians are actually winning parts of the information war going on... in some ways they are getting trounced, yes, but in some other ways they are scoring stunning successes. I think this is new, and is really, really angering some elements, who now have recourse to evoking Cold War reflexes as a way to fight back against these very successes.
This year we faced trials that only a mature and united nation and a truly sovereign and strong state can withstand. Russia has proved that it can protect its compatriots and defend truth and fairness.Russia has done this thanks to its citizens, thanks to your work and the results we have achieved together, and thanks to our profound understanding of the essence and importance of national interests. We have become aware of the indivisibility and integrity of the thousand-year long history of our country. We have come to believe in ourselves, to believe that we can do much and achieve every goal.
Of course, we will talk about this year’s landmark events. You know that a referendum was held in Crimea in March, at which its residents clearly expressed their desire to join Russia. After that, the Crimean parliament – it should be stressed that it was a legitimate parliament that was elected back in 2010 – adopted a resolution on sovereignty. And then we saw the historical reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia.
It was an event of special significance for the country and the people, because Crimea is where our people live, and the peninsula is of strategic importance for Russia as the spiritual source of the development of a multifaceted but solid Russian nation and a centralised Russian state. It was in Crimea, in the ancient city of Chersonesus or Korsun, as ancient Russian chroniclers called it, that Grand Prince Vladimir was baptised before bringing Christianity to Rus.
In addition to ethnic similarity, a common language, common elements of their material culture, a common territory, even though its borders were not marked then, and a nascent common economy and government, Christianity was a powerful spiritual unifying force that helped involve various tribes and tribal unions of the vast Eastern Slavic world in the creation of a Russian nation and Russian state. It was thanks to this spiritual unity that our forefathers for the first time and forevermore saw themselves as a united nation. All of this allows us to say that Crimea, the ancient Korsun or Chersonesus, and Sevastopol have invaluable civilisational and even sacral importance for Russia, like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the followers of Islam and Judaism.
The following is an amusing, but realistic remark from Putin:
"I mentioned our American friends for a reason, since they are always influencing Russia’s relations with its neighbours, either openly or behind the scenes. Sometimes it is even unclear whom to talk to: to the governments of certain countries or directly with their American patrons and sponsors."
I wonder how the lidless eye will respond, if at all, to such remarks? By beating some underlings? Probably!
Does Russia have an interest in seeing Ukraine successful?
By the way, Russia has already made a major contribution to helping Ukraine. Let me reiterate that Russian banks already invested some $25 billion in Ukraine. Last year, Russia’s Finance Ministry extended a loan worth another $3 billion. Gazprom provided another $5.5 billion to Ukraine and even offered a discount that no one promised, requiring the country to pay $4.5 billion. Add it all up and you get as much as $ 32.5-33.5 billion that were provided only recently.
That's a yes.
"The policy of containment was not invented yesterday. It has been carried out against our country for many years, always, for decades, if not centuries. In short, whenever someone thinks that Russia has become too strong or independent, these tools are quickly put into use."
What Putin meant here was that with or without the Ukrainian civil war and the secession of Crimea, some excuse would have been found to impose sanctions and attempt to cripple the Russian economy. Bet on it.
the support for separatism in Russia from across the pond, including information, political and financial support and support provided by the special services – was absolutely obvious and left no doubt that they would gladly let Russia follow the Yugoslav scenario of disintegration and dismemberment. With all the tragic fallout for the people of Russia.It didn’t work. We didn’t allow that to happen.
Just as it did not work for Hitler with his people-hating ideas, who set out to destroy Russia and push us back beyond the Urals. Everyone should remember how it ended.
Next year, we will mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Our Army crushed the enemy and liberated Europe. However, we should not forget about the bitter defeats in 1941 and 1942 so as not to repeat the mistakes in the future.
".. it did not work with Hitler ... who set out to destroy Russia ... Everyone should remember how it ended. "
Listening, Uncle Sam?
relating to Canada ...
We also need a comprehensive project for modern and competitive development of the Northern Sea Route. It must operate not just as an effective transit route, but also promote business activity on the Russian Pacific coast and the development of Arctic territories.
What Putin means by "the Northern Sea Route" is what is called in Canada "the NorthEast Passage" sometimes.
This was very much technology-oriented, with little emphasis on sustainable development. There is no recognition that capitalism itself is a fundamental problem, driving our species and our planet to the precipice.
Then again, how is this different from the crap we get in Ottawa? Putin is no socialist, nor is he a strong environmentalist. He's simply an old school conservative, with nationalist desires to see his country do well, although he seems less ignorant of history than the kinds of people we get for politicians.
OK, another speech from the Russian President and I guess it belongs here. There will be ample "spin" by Western media, misrepresenting every word Putin says, but if you want to evaluate the speech on your own then please do so. I intend to.
Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly - V. V. Putin
It would be good to have a productive debate here, but I don't expect it. However, that won't stop me from posting my own critical remarks on Putin's government.
Patrick Armstrong, the former Canadian diplomat turned blogger, whose reports are absolute gold mines of information, has made a brief mention of Putin's speech. Of course, he says what I have said here; read the damn thing yourself and form your own opinion. And that's always good advice.
Boo rah
Putin is making his annual speech to parliament today. Again I encourage you all to read what he actually says rather than selections twisted to fit propaganda requirements in the MSM. English. “The agreement between Ukraine and the European Union has been signed and ratified, but the implementation of the provisions regarding trade and economy has been postponed until the end of next year. Doesn’t this mean that we were the ones who were actually right?” Well, doesn’t it?
What Armstrong is saying here is very instructive. The agreement made reference to here - ostensibly the very reason that Yanukovich was overthrown in the coup d'etat last February - it turns out won't be implemented until the end of 2015. Which is basically what Yanukovich said he would do anyway. He was trying to get the best deal for Ukraine; yeah, sure he was corrupt, an oligarch as well, but he wasn't firing artillery into Ukrainian neighborhoods, ffs!
So why did all these people have to die? Why 1 Million refugees? Why thousands dead? Why 300 civilians shot down in cold blood? All of this was completely unnecessary.
But the Empire wanted it. The lidless eye in Washington has its plans.
Some interesting, though unrelated to the recent speech, remarks from Patrick Smith:
Some readers argue that Putin oversees a neoliberal regime himself. It is an unappealing kind of capitalism, certainly, although the centralization of the economy almost certainly reflects Putin’s strategy when faced with the need to rebuild urgently from the ungodly mess left by the U.S-beloved Yeltsin. See the above-noted piece by Stephen Cohen on this point.For the sake of argument, let us accept the assertion: Russia is a neoliberal variant. O.K., but again, this is a Russian problem and Russians, not Americans, will solve it one way or the other — as they like and eventually. Important for us is that Putin is not pushing the model around the world, chest-out insisting that all others conform to it. This distinction counts, too.
Indeed. A critical part of the neo-liberal cool-aid, shared by Conservatives and Social Democrats alike, is the Thatecherite TINA mantra. And that's a very big difference.
relating to Canada ...
We also need a comprehensive project for modern and competitive development of the Northern Sea Route. It must operate not just as an effective transit route, but also promote business activity on the Russian Pacific coast and the development of Arctic territories.What Putin means by "the Northern Sea Route" is what is called in Canada "the NorthEast Passage" sometimes.
This was very much technology-oriented, with little emphasis on sustainable development. There is no recognition that capitalism itself is a fundamental problem, driving our species and our planet to the precipice.
Then again, how is this different from the crap we get in Ottawa? Putin is no socialist, nor is he a strong environmentalist. He's simply an old school conservative, with nationalist desires to see his country do well, although he seems less ignorant of history than the kinds of people we get for politicians.
First a small quibble: my memory insists that it is the "North West Passage". Other than this, I generally agree with your appraisal of Putin. He is the ruler of a great power, and therefore must be capable of killing without remorse. He is also the product of a KGB career, thus he is authoritarian to a degree that is distressing to an anarcho-syndicalist like me. But he is no worse, and in some ways better than Obama, Cameron and other western leaders (I don't mention Harper because he is such a no-talent nobody that he isn't even comparable to the others).
He is also the product of a KGB career
Actually, didn't he just have an office job?
He is also the product of a KGB career
Actually, didn't he just have an office job?
I'm not sure, but even in an office job, he certainly would have absorbed the culture in order to advance within the organization.
An office job? I don't know that much about Putin, but I had heard that he's a 4th Dan black belt in judo. Seems such a high degree of training in martial arts would suggest that he did some things outside of the office in his KGB career.
Well, Putin wasn't always sitting around the KGB office. Sometimes he got to stretch his legs in Red Square on company time .... and meet other actors / Great Communicators.
http://news.sky.com/story/678266/undercover-putin-in-kgb-reagan-ruse
Four threats to Putin's power. From Brent Bambury's Day 6.
http://www.cbc.ca/day6/blog/2014/12/04/four-threats-to-putins-power/
Let's hope the psychopath Putin is out of power soon and FSB employee ikosmos has to get a real job,
CBC and its CIA/Kennan Institute 'experts' like Karen Dawisha seem to be having precisely the effect intended...
First a small quibble: my memory insists that it is the "North West Passage".
Russia has their own Northern Arctic Route, as does Canada. The former is called by them the Northern Sea Route, and the latter is called by Canadians the North West Passage. We also call their Northern Sea Route the North East Passage. Sorry if I wasn't more clear.
There is a great deal of effort going into Arctic development, including oil and gas, but the Russian leadership also sees the Arctic as a place of NATO multi-lateral militarization, much like the efforts to militarize outer space by Star Wars and such, and as a result they are re-viving all sorts of defense infrastructure in anticipation of future (and present!) NATO sabre-rattling.
Putin had his annual Q & A with the mass media today. One quote is interesting with the use of the image of the bear protecting his taiga.
ANTON VERNITSKY, CHANNEL ONE RUSSIA: Mr President, are the current economic developments the price we have to pay for Crimea? Maybe the time has come to acknowledge it?VLADIMIR PUTIN: No. This is not the price we have to pay for Crimea… This is actually the price we have to pay for our natural aspiration to preserve ourselves as a nation, as a civilisation, as a state. And here is why.
As I’ve already mentioned when answering a question from your NTV colleague, and as I’ve said during my Address to the Federal Assembly, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia opened itself to our partners. What did we see? A direct and fully-fledges support of terrorism in North Caucasus. They directly supported terrorism, you understand? Is that what partners usually do? I won’t go into details on that, but this is an established fact. And everyone knows it.
On any issue, no matter what we do, we always run into challenges, objections and opposition. Let me remind you about the preparations for the 2014 Olympics, our inspiration and enthusiasm to organise a festive event not only for Russian sports fans, but for sports fans all over the world. However, and this is an evident truth, unprecedented and clearly orchestrated attempts were made to discredit our efforts to organise and host the Olympics. This is an undeniable fact! Who needs to do so and for what reason? And so on and so forth.
You know, at the Valdai [International Discussion] Club I gave an example of our most recognisable symbol. It is a bear protecting his taiga. You see, if we continue the analogy, sometimes I think that maybe it would be best if our bear just sat still. Maybe he should stop chasing pigs and boars around the taiga but start picking berries and eating honey. Maybe then he will be left alone. But no, he won’t be! Because someone will always try to chain him up. As soon as he’s chained they will tear out his teeth and claws. In this analogy, I am referring to the power of nuclear deterrence. As soon as – God forbid – it happens and they no longer need the bear, the taiga will be taken over.
We have heard it even from high-level officials that it is unfair that the whole of Siberia with its immense resources belongs to Russia in its entirety. Why exactly is it unfair? So it is fair to snatch Texas from Mexico but it is unfair that we are working on our own land – no, we have to share.
And then, when all the teeth and claws are torn out, the bear will be of no use at all. Perhaps they’ll stuff it and that’s all.
So, it is not about Crimea but about us protecting our independence, our sovereignty and our right to exist. That is what we should all realise.
Putin's quite an amusing fellow sometimes. The Russian word for "piglet" (Porosenok) and the name of the President of Ukraine (Poroshenko) bear a remarkable resemblance. Yes, by all means, leave the piglets alone. Berries and honey are good.
Dictator!
Anyway, the Kremlin site is a little slow, so the entire press conference may take a bit of time.
Supplemental: for those who think that dissent is impossible in Russia today, why not have a look at the questions that Russian President Putin was "pelted" with? It surprised the trained seals over at the BBC. "Bombarded with inconvenient questions," was how Anissa Naouai described it.
"They're not used to leaders devoting hours of their time to answering tough questions, live, on national television ..."
Dictator, dictator, dictator.
Putin gets pelted and ... (yawn) handles it. Rather well, truth be told.
"It's an annual tradition in "authoritarian" Russia," said Naouai.
Obviously, dictator. lol.
Here's a nice little summary article from Mother Jones that hits the highlights as to the Russian economic collapse. (Hint: Its mainly about Saudi Arabia and oil prices, not sanctions. And why havng an undervalued currency isnt much help if you don't manufacture anythng that foreigners want to buy.)
Russia's Economy Is Collapsing: Here's What You Need to Know.
Early Tuesday morning, Russia made what may be a last-ditch effort to save its economy: the country's central bank jacked up interest rates to try to prevent the ruble from plunging in value for the sixth time this year. But the currency hit record lows anyway, sparking worries of economic collapse—and political instability...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/12/russian-ruble-collapse-putin
Yawn. The Ruble has already rebounded, as will the price of oil. The latter point, by the way, is being made by Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Naimi, and not some Roooooooooooooooooosky.
