SOTTREADER
The Living Force
EU bans RT and Sputnik.
What will this mean? China style censorship?
What will this mean? China style censorship?
Putin Recognizes Donbass Republics, Sends Russian Military to 'Denazify' Ukraine
- Thread starter bjorb
- Start date
michaelrc
Dagobah Resident
Too bad you removed it as it is interesting in many way. I didn't realize it , but that news conference has the politician who is in the middle of this deal.
Ukraine blocks Chinese takeover of jet engine maker on US urging
Motor Sich holds key military technology for Beijing, now Kyiv's top trade partnerasia.nikkei.com
This connection I only found when I looked for more information about this deal. That is when I found this TIME Magazine article in which Eric Prince (Blackwater, Xe) was mentioned as well as the politician Derkach who is in the video you provided.
Exclusive: Documents Reveal Erik Prince's $10 Billion Plan to Make Weapons and Create a Private Army in Ukraine
Documents obtained exclusively by TIME reveal the American businessman's ambitious plans to take over Ukraine's military industry.time.com
The deal was not completed. Why is there so much detail in the TIME article ? I suspect because it tries to tie Trump administration to what was going on. Trump's name is all over the article.
Poor Biden, he and his son ,who loves making deals in Ukraine, will have no chance to make this deal happen. Back to Work Joe !!!
UKRAINE PRESS RELEASE ABOUT JOE BIDEN
UKRAINE PRESS RELEASE ABOUT JOE BIDEN
the media is lying to you FROM 2020 This video is from December 28, 2020. It's been uploaded on Odysee at least that far back, if not further on other channels. https://odysee.com/@DagnyTaggart:8/UKRAINE-RELEASES-BOMBSHELL-INFORMATION-ON-BIDEN…
www.bitchute.com
”Freedom fries” 2.0 
Russian House of Austin told KXAN they will be taking “Russian” out of their business name. Owners plan to take the name down Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Skeeter Miller, owner of County Line barbecue, said they’ll be pulling all their Russian vodka off the shelf — including Smirnoff and Stoli vodkas.
“We were all just kind of set back by what was going on,” he said. “This is what we can do, something positive.”
Miller said he typically orders about $50,000 to $75,000 worth of Russian vodka per year — but no more.
“I just found out tonight that there’s a vodka from Ukraine called Khor, k-h-o-r, so we’re going to reach out and buy some of that,” he said.
Thomas Gohring, owner of Kick Butt Coffee, said they only carry one Russian product — Beluga Noble Russian Vodka, but they will be discontinuing it “in support of Ukraine.”
“Russia does make great vodka, but we have lots of great options in Texas as well, “said Dan Mesich, bar manager at Kick Butt. “All our other vodkas are Titos, Deep Eddy’s and Dripping Springs.”
Bob Woody, who owns 28 businesses in the city and is president of the East Sixth Street Community Association, told KXAN he will no longer purchase any products from Russia while the conflict exists.
The Austin businesses join restaurants and bars around the nation that have very publicly said they will destroy or pull Russian products.
Russian House of Austin told KXAN they will be taking “Russian” out of their business name. Owners plan to take the name down Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Skeeter Miller, owner of County Line barbecue, said they’ll be pulling all their Russian vodka off the shelf — including Smirnoff and Stoli vodkas.
“We were all just kind of set back by what was going on,” he said. “This is what we can do, something positive.”
Miller said he typically orders about $50,000 to $75,000 worth of Russian vodka per year — but no more.
“I just found out tonight that there’s a vodka from Ukraine called Khor, k-h-o-r, so we’re going to reach out and buy some of that,” he said.
Thomas Gohring, owner of Kick Butt Coffee, said they only carry one Russian product — Beluga Noble Russian Vodka, but they will be discontinuing it “in support of Ukraine.”
“Russia does make great vodka, but we have lots of great options in Texas as well, “said Dan Mesich, bar manager at Kick Butt. “All our other vodkas are Titos, Deep Eddy’s and Dripping Springs.”
Bob Woody, who owns 28 businesses in the city and is president of the East Sixth Street Community Association, told KXAN he will no longer purchase any products from Russia while the conflict exists.
The Austin businesses join restaurants and bars around the nation that have very publicly said they will destroy or pull Russian products.
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Really interesting (and IMO encouraging!) analysis of a recent joint statement from Russia and China detailing their plans for the new multipolar world order that Pepe Escobar frequently discusses in his articles:
So with this in mind, if we take them at their word (and we have no reason not to, unlike the US and NATO), it seems that Russia wants to "level the playing field" for the non-Nazi, non-psychopath population in the Ukraine so they can fight their own battle. They are not interested in conquering the country the way the US conquered Iraq for instance (ie destroying everything, see Niall's post and video above). In the future they hope that the Ukraine may become a valued partner, as it seems that is their goal for the whole world. Again, that's if we take them at their word, so FWIW.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE RUSSIA CHINA STATEMENT
“Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on International Relations Entering a New Era and lobal Sustainable Development” 4 February 2022. (English)…patrickarmstrong.ca
“Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on International Relations Entering a New Era and lobal Sustainable Development” 4 February 2022. (English) (Russian).
This document is the grand strategic manifesto of a new world order and there is much more to be said about it than what follows. I believe that 4 February 2022 will be remembered as the proclamation of a new disposition of world power and relationships.
It is a truly new order of things, not the old “new world order” which was based on US supremacy. And it is most certainly not the so-called Rules-Based International Order in which one side makes up the rules, breaks them when it wants to and orders everyone else to obey. (A perfect example of the mutability of the “rules” is that gay rights are very important in Russia but not at all in Washington’s new “major ally” of Qatar.) The old “new world order” was always about making them conform to us: “The foremost goal of US strategy should be to cause China’s ruling elites to conclude that it is in China’s best interests to continue operating within the US-led liberal international order…”
The Russian-Chinese document speaks much of “democracy” but it’s a different vision than the one common in the West. The West today is focussed on the process of democracy – was the voting up to acceptable standards? Did the opposition have a fair chance? were there enough candidates? was the advertising even-handed? were “administrative resources” used to shift the vote? and like questions. Never mind that the West is often hypocritical in its discussion – microscopes analyse the treatment of dissidents in Russia and but the house arrest and treason charges against opposition figures in Ukraine are ignored – these are the metrics used in the West’s assessment of whether a country is “democratic” or not. Now it may well be that fifty or sixty years ago concentrating on the process of democracy was appropriate but it is very questionable whether it is today. This one graph, showing the relationship between productivity and wages and compensation shows that all is not well. Up until the late 1970s, the two curves kept step with each other – the “rising tide” was indeed lifting all boats. Afterwards, however, they diverge until today there is a considerable gap between the two “Productivity has grown 3.5x as much as pay”. The rising tide is floating only a few super yachts. The richest one percent owned six times as much as the bottom fifty percent in 1989, now it’s 15 times as much. A Princeton University study in 2014 concluded “When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites or with organized interests, they generally lose“. These findings suggest that, however good the process may be, the δεμος does not have much κρατος.
The Russian-Chinese document speaks of the results of democracy.
Note the purpose: “improving the well-being of population”. Whatever one may say about the process of the governance of China or Russia, no one can doubt that the well-being of the population has mightily improved in both countries. We shall see for the future how this holds up but the document describes a different approach to democracy: don’t concentrate on the process and assume the results will follow – which they are not doing in the USA in particular and the West in general – but instead never mind the process, ask whether the are results desirable? Throughout the document – fifty times – we see the word “development” (“развитие” in the Russian version).
A world in which everyone has a chance to get rich. And who can doubt that the government in Beijing knows how to do that? We will see, in the coming world competition of ideas, which approach is more attractive and successful.
A second theme, repeated throughout the document is that all countries are equal and they have their own ways of doing things, it is their right to do this, no one may preach to them and no one may interfere with them.
This is what might be called a descriptive take on the world rather than the prescriptive take more common in the West. To explain what I mean, let us consider Soviet-Polish relations. Although it’s very unfashionable to admit it today, Warsaw, as the first country to form a non-aggression pact with Hitler’s Germany and by its refusal to allow Soviet troops into its territory to fight Germany, played a consequential role in the outbreak of the war. Poland suffered terribly, losing 20-25% of its population and was liberated by the Soviet Army after immense destruction. Stalin then designed a Poland which, for the first time in its long history, included all of the historical Polish lands and no irredentist minorities. Then imposed the blessing – or so Moscow saw it – of socialism and transformed Poland into a loyal ally of the USSR. Except that, the moment it became clear that the tanks weren’t coming, Poland quit the alliance, threw off socialism and turned to NATO and the EU. All the “fraternal, socialist, ally” rhetoric turned out to be empty declarations of people compelled to say them. In other words, the lesson is that you can’t change a country except temporarily by force or very slowly over a very long time. Moscow has learned this lesson. Hence my use of the world “descriptive” – countries, quite simply, are what they are and outsiders can’t change them; therefore outsiders have to live with them. It’s that simple: the prescriptive notion – we have the truth and you should follow it (we must make Beijing follow the “US-led liberal international order”) simply can’t be done. Therefore, the emphasis throughout the document that countries are as they are and are to be treated as equals is firmly based on reality. You can’t make a particular country go along with your notions of propriety but you still have to deal with it: treat it as it is. The West has long lost sight of this despite its numerous failures of prescription: even if the Western ideas actually were “better”, you can’t bomb Afghans into accepting them. Therefore, this position in the document is quite simply realistic and practical.
I have said before that Russia, in the communist days, was an “exceptionalist state” and so was China under Mao. They then regarded themselves as a pattern for others to follow – a pattern that others should follow – and the USSR imposed that pattern on many of its neighbours. Both Beijing and Moscow have learned that exceptionalism is a route to failure. Therefore, what I am calling a “descriptive” approach to world variety is the result of the failure of trying a prescriptive approach. This is not, therefore, a point of view adopted to gull people into acquiescence, it is one that is based on cold, bitter experience. It is a lesson that Washington has not yet learned: exceptionalism is a road to a blind alley, as Putin put it a quarter century ago. It is, in fact, something the West should remember: “Westphalianism” is the principle of cuius regio, eius religio adopted after Europeans had torn themselves apart trying to impose religion on each other. Not uniformity, but variety. The China-Russia manifesto is rooted on a truth that not only they, but Europe as a whole, have learned the hard way.
The Chinese-Russia relationship is described as follows:
Time will show just what is meant by this but it is clear that it is a relationship both deep and wide. A complete commonality of interest which is not uniformity of interest. (It will be amusing to watch Western “experts” fail to get that distinction.) And not one to be easily split apart as some naïve people in Washington think. They trust each other and neither trusts Washington.
Finally, the new world order that they are calling for is described as:
A new world order for all, not just those who accept “the better way”.
I would expect, as details are filled in at the “strategic” and “operational” level, that this “grand strategic vision” will prove to be widely attractive across the globe. Washington and its allies will, no doubt, concentrate on the many criticisms of its behaviour, but the manifesto is positive in tone.
People are attracted to success and the West doesn’t project that any more.
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FT's should be taken with a grain of salt.
Portugal announces closure of its airspace to Russian airlines, updated map
bjorb
The Living Force
It's not about winning the war, but how you win the war. That will determine whether you really won or not. The West simply doesn't understand this.
Thanks for the video.
Nonsense. Some Ukrainians may have that dream, but many don't.
Pearce
Jedi Master
Sad sad. There is plenty to criticize about Abbott, but his turn around on Covid wasn't one of them. But it seems no leader can go long without putting their foot in their mouth, or in this case, just rip the entire jaw off.”Freedom fries” 2.0
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Russian House of Austin told KXAN they will be taking “Russian” out of their business name. Owners plan to take the name down Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Skeeter Miller, owner of County Line barbecue, said they’ll be pulling all their Russian vodka off the shelf — including Smirnoff and Stoli vodkas.
“We were all just kind of set back by what was going on,” he said. “This is what we can do, something positive.”
Miller said he typically orders about $50,000 to $75,000 worth of Russian vodka per year — but no more.
“I just found out tonight that there’s a vodka from Ukraine called Khor, k-h-o-r, so we’re going to reach out and buy some of that,” he said.
Thomas Gohring, owner of Kick Butt Coffee, said they only carry one Russian product — Beluga Noble Russian Vodka, but they will be discontinuing it “in support of Ukraine.”
“Russia does make great vodka, but we have lots of great options in Texas as well, “said Dan Mesich, bar manager at Kick Butt. “All our other vodkas are Titos, Deep Eddy’s and Dripping Springs.”
Bob Woody, who owns 28 businesses in the city and is president of the East Sixth Street Community Association, told KXAN he will no longer purchase any products from Russia while the conflict exists.
The Austin businesses join restaurants and bars around the nation that have very publicly said they will destroy or pull Russian products.
Perhaps he's trying to win some favor back from his recent declaration about child abuse re: gender reassignment surgery. Plenty of lefties have been losing their mind here over that.
Maybe we can send all the lefties in Texas to fight for Ukraine, since they just care sooooooo much. Solve two birds with one stone no? I jest.
lilies
The Living Force
"Russian War Crime Videos"
What we have seen "Russians" are being shot in Ukrainian cities might have been - in reality - UkroNazi gangs - weaponized by Zellery giving weapons to anyone who wants to grab them - killing each other!
Saker.is is a lot of fun to read! He gives good tactical info and avoids all the Western PSYOPS hysteria:
What we have seen "Russians" are being shot in Ukrainian cities might have been - in reality - UkroNazi gangs - weaponized by Zellery giving weapons to anyone who wants to grab them - killing each other!
Saker.is is a lot of fun to read! He gives good tactical info and avoids all the Western PSYOPS hysteria:
What you wrote to those people in response is a smart and sensible way to communicate with people that are caught up in the propaganda out there. What I wrote wasn’t directed at what you did, but a general comment about similar arguments and hopes having been expressed here on this thread toward people like Biden, Zelenskyy and Macron who all have very bad track records in terms of conscience, backbones and decency and good track records for being little more that puppets and crocodiles in human skin.
From the brain dead's in SF.
Another large crowd gathers in San Francisco demanding end of Russian invasion of Ukraine
I had some faith in him given how he handled the pandemic. Now it's election time and keeps preaching "let's keep Texas red" However he's behaving like a liberal, perhaps he's trying to win the lefties in Austin?...Doesn't make sense to me though.
Hi_Henry
The Living Force
It will be interesting to see how this will work in practice.
My simple minds thinks, OK ,you conquer, give the reins of power to good people and leave. But how do you keep the rats from returning who are probably hiding or left for EU ? Something tells me Russia will need to stay for a bit to babysit the new government. Plus there are other elements in Ukraine who will not like the reshuffling of cards, as they are used to always wining.
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