A Russian folk tale

Submitted by The Wizard on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 7:30am

In order to understand Vladimir Putin it is necessary to understand Russia. Russia is a unique culture, history and state of the mind. Vladimir Putin is Russia, in heart, soul and mind. Western strategy is to punish him and Russia and send a message that an ascendant, independent Russia is unacceptable to the West, and that he personally will be punished with Western propaganda, until he gives in. The Western narrative is purposeful and fraudulent. Perhaps some in the media believe it, but those who know understand exactly what it is. "We have the marketing means to punish you if you continue opposing us."

I recently came across this Russian folk tale that is a parable of Russian philosophy, and I think shows some insight into President Putin's thinking.

Старик и Волк -- The Old Man and the Wolf

The old man and his wife lived on a farm by the forest. They had a son, a daughter, a rooster, a hen, a sheep, and a horse. One day a large wolf came out of the forest and walked up to the old man. The wolf was hungry and demanded that the old man give him his rooster and hen or "I'll eat your wife!". The old man agreed reluctantly and gave the wolf the rooster and the hen.

The next day the wolf appeared again, and again hungry. "Give me your sheep or I will eat your wife!", he demanded. The old man agreed reluctantly and gave the wolf the sheep.

The following day the hungry wolf appeared once more. This time the wolf exclaimed "Give me your horse or I will eat your wife!" The old man once again gave into the wolf's demands.

Not surprisingly the wolf appeared again out of the forest on the next day. Now he demanded "give my your son and your daughter or I'll eat your wife!".

The old man had reached his limit. He picked up a stick and beat the wolf severely. He whacked him in the belly multiple times. The wolf's belly split open and out came the rooster, the hen, the sheep and the horse.

End of story.

Just how far will the US get to push Russia in Syria? The fact that Putin has responded moderately to aggressive, illegal provocations does not mean that he will always respond as such. Understand Russia and you will understand that US provocations are very dangerous and that Putin's moderate, rational responses have a limit.

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Vladimir Putin

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Comments

Submitted by Sunspots on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 8:12am

Russia has said clearly that the next war

will not be fought on its territory. Europe has invaded them about every fifty years, and they've had it. Our oceans won't protect us any more, if NATO (a US creature) keeps pushing them. Gotta have Full System Dominance, though.

But hey, most of us are expendable, anyway, right? So what if most of the country becomes a radioactive ruin? The PTB have well stocked bunkers and lots of weapons/surveillance for us surviving deplorable masses. (Unlike in Russia, there are no shelters or nuclear drills for us here.). They don't think even destroying the environment will touch them.

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 9:03am

The US thought Russia could never rise from the ashes

@Sunspots
of the 90's. They miscalculated. Russia has again become a major military power capable of defending itself. Russia's defense budget may be only 1/10th of the US's but it gets 20 times the bang. It doesn't have the waste nor does it need to maintain a thousand military bases, big and small, overt and covert, located in every corner of the world.

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 8:43am

Putin tells it like it is - again

Submitted by dkmich on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 8:57am

The US seems to think it can tell everyone what to do.

The sooner everyone on the globe takes away US power, the safer everyone will be.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by Ellen North on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 10:01am

@dkmich

@dkmich

But now that the actions of the US have, for so long, created so much global instability and chaos amid a military mind-set, the odds are higher of something similar moving into the vacuum unless steps are taken to prevent this.

Once a society has been polluted with such as fascism or religious fundamentalism, the taint is difficult to remove, even if the overall reaction is something other than fascism/fundamentalism - unless it's a move toward something like social democracy.

Callousness itself, even with active cruelty absent, can become 'normalized' to the point where it's regarded as still necessary (as it may, to some extent, have been, for survival among a victimized public unable to help each other) or even laudable, and it's vastly destructive both as regards civilization and species survival prospects.

How are those whose economies/ecologies/countries/societies/families/lives have been subjected to various corporate/military-imposed horrors to avoid these experiences adversely affecting their perceptions, their rebuilding, governance/policy and expectations when even a relatively high level of damage and suffering which could be alleviated may have come to be seen as no longer major in comparison to what has been previously inflicted and therefore not society's concern? Not to mention propagandized attitudes and a tendency to view outsiders as potential enemies, following learnt mental associations or, as in the case of America, intensive and perpetual propaganda campaigns...

—

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 5:59pm

We tell ourselves this. We live inside our projections.

@Ellen North

But I don't believe this is true:

[There's a] military mind-set… the odds are higher of something similar moving into the vacuum unless steps are taken to prevent this.

Most ongoing civil wars I can think of has been fomented by deliberate US policies. There are border skirmishes here and there. Wars break out over shortages and scarcity. All of them can be mitigated through negotiation, and we have modern tools that we've never had before to make this possible. I don't think murder and mayhem is a default or a vacuum waiting to be filled.

The rest of the world is very different than the US. They do not have the same motives and aspirations for themselves. We project our own worst motives upon the world, and then we panic and arm ourselves for war. I think the physical isolation of the US causes this. We live in a strange mutated construct born out of complete genocide that is recent and fresh. It has made us paranoid and insecure.

But there is no other nation that is roaming the world destroying countries, seizing their assets, and murdering their populations. That way of being is the product of a Radical Capitalist Caliphate, and this propensity has been discussed for centuries. I see no other nation that aspires to carry that flag. Certainly no nation seems willing to make the damaging financial and social sacrifices that are required to leave their homelands and embark on chaos and death for its own sake, or for the sake of a twisted ambition. I see just the opposite in the 21st century world, which offers so much more to both the individual and to society.

Americans never gave peace a chance. Not once.

If you look at the world, and look at the hotspots — from North Korea to Venezuela — wherever there is strife, most of it is simply a reaction to our constant threats, our covert sabotage, or our odious presence where we are not wanted. Nations should not be forced to become democracies, with armed guards to enforce it. They don't need to privatize and capitalize their natural resources and human services to live well and be happy. They need the opportunity to evolve toward their greatest expression of who they want to become. People want self determination and they want enlightened leaders. Sometimes people get into trouble with a rogue government that they cannot control, much like what the American people face today.

The world has a way to work together to help such people if they request it. It can be done without Neoliberal intervention and globalist greed, without dropping white phosphorus on people or reducing their cities to rubble. That is what an uncompromised UN is designed to do, and what it will do once it moves its headquarters outside the US. It is this type of organized and coordinated plan that the American people need to rid themselves of the epidemic corruption in their government so they can built a better future.

The US is not part of the solution, and Americans need to get that straight in their minds. The US is not indispensable and the world will do just fine without its weapons and military. The nations of the world will find a way to solve their problems and provide security — without any intervention by the US. It's not 1940, the world can guard their own shipping lanes, they don't need to embargo Cuba or Iran or North Korea to open productive discussions and find peace and security. They world is pretty well organized, now, and they've got this.

Evolution has its own rules and a separate intelligence, and we would be much better off if we trusted that. For example, each generation is an anti-entropic placeholder for progress and refinement, Each new generation must be better than the last, with greater advantages and knowledge in a supportive environment where there is enough of everything, Otherwise the species will decline and disappear. That's where the US should put its energy and resources. That is where it will find the peace of mind it is looking for.

Submitted by dervish on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 12:59am

The USA is indispensable

@Pluto's Republic in the same way that Rome, or the Khans were indispensable. Empires are indispensable only to themselves, to everyone else, they are a scourge and a threat. Empires can't stop expansion and conquest until they are forced to do so.

#3.1

But I don't believe this is true:

[There's a] military mind-set… the odds are higher of something similar moving into the vacuum unless steps are taken to prevent this.

Most ongoing civil wars I can think of has been fomented by deliberate US policies. There are border skirmishes here and there. Wars break out over shortages and scarcity. All of them can be mitigated through negotiation, and we have modern tools that we've never had before to make this possible. I don't think murder and mayhem is a default or a vacuum waiting to be filled.

The rest of the world is very different than the US. They do not have the same motives and aspirations for themselves. We project our own worst motives upon the world, and then we panic and arm ourselves for war. I think the physical isolation of the US causes this. We live in a strange mutated construct born out of complete genocide that is recent and fresh. It has made us paranoid and insecure.

But there is no other nation that is roaming the world destroying countries, seizing their assets, and murdering their populations. That way of being is the product of a Radical Capitalist Caliphate, and this propensity has been discussed for centuries. I see no other nation that aspires to carry that flag. Certainly no nation seems willing to make the damaging financial and social sacrifices that are required to leave their homelands and embark on chaos and death for its own sake, or for the sake of a twisted ambition. I see just the opposite in the 21st century world, which offers so much more to both the individual and to society.

Americans never gave peace a chance. Not once.

If you look at the world, and look at the hotspots — from North Korea to Venezuela — wherever there is strife, most of it is simply a reaction to our constant threats, our covert sabotage, or our odious presence where we are not wanted. Nations should not be forced to become democracies, with armed guards to enforce it. They don't need to privatize and capitalize their natural resources and human services to live well and be happy. They need the opportunity to evolve toward their greatest expression of who they want to become. People want self determination and they want enlightened leaders. Sometimes people get into trouble with a rogue government that they cannot control, much like what the American people face today.

The world has a way to work together to help such people if they request it. It can be done without Neoliberal intervention and globalist greed, without dropping white phosphorus on people or reducing their cities to rubble. That is what an uncompromised UN is designed to do, and what it will do once it moves its headquarters outside the US. It is this type of organized and coordinated plan that the American people need to rid themselves of the epidemic corruption in their government so they can built a better future.

The US is not part of the solution, and Americans need to get that straight in their minds. The US is not indispensable and the world will do just fine without its weapons and military. The nations of the world will find a way to solve their problems and provide security — without any intervention by the US. It's not 1940, the world can guard their own shipping lanes, they don't need to embargo Cuba or Iran or North Korea to open productive discussions and find peace and security. They world is pretty well organized, now, and they've got this.

Evolution has its own rules and a separate intelligence, and we would be much better off if we trusted that. For example, each generation is an anti-entropic placeholder for progress and refinement, Each new generation must be better than the last, with greater advantages and knowledge in a supportive environment where there is enough of everything, Otherwise the species will decline and disappear. That's where the US should put its energy and resources. That is where it will find the peace of mind it is looking for.

—

"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

Submitted by Linda Wood on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 10:50am

This is your finest

@Pluto's Republic
work, as far as I have read, Pluto's Republic. This is a truly valuable piece of writing. The expression,

a Radical Capitalist Caliphate

is brilliant. I hope you will use it far and wide so that it becomes the term we all use. Many thanks.

#3.1

But I don't believe this is true:

[There's a] military mind-set… the odds are higher of something similar moving into the vacuum unless steps are taken to prevent this.

Most ongoing civil wars I can think of has been fomented by deliberate US policies. There are border skirmishes here and there. Wars break out over shortages and scarcity. All of them can be mitigated through negotiation, and we have modern tools that we've never had before to make this possible. I don't think murder and mayhem is a default or a vacuum waiting to be filled.

The rest of the world is very different than the US. They do not have the same motives and aspirations for themselves. We project our own worst motives upon the world, and then we panic and arm ourselves for war. I think the physical isolation of the US causes this. We live in a strange mutated construct born out of complete genocide that is recent and fresh. It has made us paranoid and insecure.

But there is no other nation that is roaming the world destroying countries, seizing their assets, and murdering their populations. That way of being is the product of a Radical Capitalist Caliphate, and this propensity has been discussed for centuries. I see no other nation that aspires to carry that flag. Certainly no nation seems willing to make the damaging financial and social sacrifices that are required to leave their homelands and embark on chaos and death for its own sake, or for the sake of a twisted ambition. I see just the opposite in the 21st century world, which offers so much more to both the individual and to society.

Americans never gave peace a chance. Not once.

If you look at the world, and look at the hotspots — from North Korea to Venezuela — wherever there is strife, most of it is simply a reaction to our constant threats, our covert sabotage, or our odious presence where we are not wanted. Nations should not be forced to become democracies, with armed guards to enforce it. They don't need to privatize and capitalize their natural resources and human services to live well and be happy. They need the opportunity to evolve toward their greatest expression of who they want to become. People want self determination and they want enlightened leaders. Sometimes people get into trouble with a rogue government that they cannot control, much like what the American people face today.

The world has a way to work together to help such people if they request it. It can be done without Neoliberal intervention and globalist greed, without dropping white phosphorus on people or reducing their cities to rubble. That is what an uncompromised UN is designed to do, and what it will do once it moves its headquarters outside the US. It is this type of organized and coordinated plan that the American people need to rid themselves of the epidemic corruption in their government so they can built a better future.

The US is not part of the solution, and Americans need to get that straight in their minds. The US is not indispensable and the world will do just fine without its weapons and military. The nations of the world will find a way to solve their problems and provide security — without any intervention by the US. It's not 1940, the world can guard their own shipping lanes, they don't need to embargo Cuba or Iran or North Korea to open productive discussions and find peace and security. They world is pretty well organized, now, and they've got this.

Evolution has its own rules and a separate intelligence, and we would be much better off if we trusted that. For example, each generation is an anti-entropic placeholder for progress and refinement, Each new generation must be better than the last, with greater advantages and knowledge in a supportive environment where there is enough of everything, Otherwise the species will decline and disappear. That's where the US should put its energy and resources. That is where it will find the peace of mind it is looking for.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Fri, 06/23/2017 - 3:43pm

You heard it here, first.

@Linda Wood

It's a working title on a different project. Thanks for the kind words.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 9:32am

Russians are an interesting people.

Their refusal to completely abandon their own traditions and culture in favour of the corporate flavour of the month is a major problem for our "elected" representatives.

Iirc one of the major ways we were going to destroy Russia in the 80s was through our inevitable corporate product superiority. (Or so we claimed )

Unlike us however, they stuck with what worked and threw away the crap. They used the good ideas and learned from the bad. Also they learned that the truth works better than propaganda.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 9:46am

Excellent report about Russia on the Unz Review

Russia and Islam
Connecting the Dots and Discerning the Future
The Saker • June 19, 2017

Russia has often been in the news over the past years, mostly as the demonized “Empire of Mordor” responsible for all the bad things on the planet, especially Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, the Russian intervention in Syria and, of course, the “imminent” Russian invasion of the Baltics, Poland or even all of Western Europe. I won’t even dignify all this puerile nonsense with any attention, but instead I will focus on what I think are important developments which are either misunderstood or completely ignored in the West.

First, a few key dots:

1) The Russian intervention in Syria

...
The Russian success was especially amazing when compared to the apparently endless series of defeats for the United States: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Pakistan and now the latest mess with the Saudi blockade against Qatar – the Americans just don’t see to be able to get anything done. Just the contrast between the way the US betrayed Hosni Mubarak with how the Russians stood by Assad is a powerful message to all the regional leaders: better to have the Russians on your side than the Americans.

2) How Russia transformed Turkey from an enemy to a potential ally

...
The example of Turkey is the perfect illustration of how the Russians turn “enemies into neutrals, neutrals into friends and friends into allies”. Oh sure, Erdogan is an unpredictable and, frankly, unstable character, the Americans and NATO are still in Turkey, and the Russians will never forget the Turkish support for the Takfiris in Chechnia, Crimea and Syria or, for that matter, the Turkish treacherous attack on their SU-24. But neither will they show any external signs of that. Just like with Israel, there is no love fest between Russia and Turkey, but all the parties are supremely pragmatic and so everybody is all smiles.

Why does this matter?

Because it shows how sophisticated the Russians are, how instead of using military force to avenge their SU-24, which is what the Americans would have done, they quietly but with great resolve and effort did what had to be done to “de-fuse” Turkey and “turn” it.
...

3) Russia and the “Chechen model” as a unique case in the Muslim world

Many observers have commented in awe at the miracle Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov pulled-off in Chechnia: after the region was absolutely devastated by two vicious and brutal wars and after being a “black hole” for assorted terrorists and common thugs, Chechnia turned into one of the most peaceful and safe parts of Russia (even while neighboring Dagestan is still suffering from violence and corruption).
...

Now an attempt at discerning the future

So let’s connect the dots above: First, Russia is arguably the single most important actor in the Middle-East, far eclipsing the United States. Second, Russia has successfully built an informal, but crucial, alliance with Iran and Turkey and these three countries will decide of the outcome of the war in Syria. Third, Russia is the only country on earth where Sunni Islam is truly safe from the Wahabi virus and where a traditionalist Sunni society exists without any Saudi interference. Combine these three and I see an immense potential for Russia to become the force which will most effectively oppose the power and influence of the Saudis in the Muslim world. This also means that Russia is now the undisputed leader in the struggle to defeat international Takfiri terrorism (what Trump – mistakenly – calls “Islamic fundamentalism”).
...

Submitted by gustogirl on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 12:00pm

very interesting analysis

@CB
It also seems to confirm the extreme hubris of TPTB in the US that has been on such obvious display of late.

Russia and Islam
Connecting the Dots and Discerning the Future
The Saker • June 19, 2017

Russia has often been in the news over the past years, mostly as the demonized “Empire of Mordor” responsible for all the bad things on the planet, especially Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, the Russian intervention in Syria and, of course, the “imminent” Russian invasion of the Baltics, Poland or even all of Western Europe. I won’t even dignify all this puerile nonsense with any attention, but instead I will focus on what I think are important developments which are either misunderstood or completely ignored in the West.

First, a few key dots:

1) The Russian intervention in Syria

...
The Russian success was especially amazing when compared to the apparently endless series of defeats for the United States: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Pakistan and now the latest mess with the Saudi blockade against Qatar – the Americans just don’t see to be able to get anything done. Just the contrast between the way the US betrayed Hosni Mubarak with how the Russians stood by Assad is a powerful message to all the regional leaders: better to have the Russians on your side than the Americans.

2) How Russia transformed Turkey from an enemy to a potential ally

...
The example of Turkey is the perfect illustration of how the Russians turn “enemies into neutrals, neutrals into friends and friends into allies”. Oh sure, Erdogan is an unpredictable and, frankly, unstable character, the Americans and NATO are still in Turkey, and the Russians will never forget the Turkish support for the Takfiris in Chechnia, Crimea and Syria or, for that matter, the Turkish treacherous attack on their SU-24. But neither will they show any external signs of that. Just like with Israel, there is no love fest between Russia and Turkey, but all the parties are supremely pragmatic and so everybody is all smiles.

Why does this matter?

Because it shows how sophisticated the Russians are, how instead of using military force to avenge their SU-24, which is what the Americans would have done, they quietly but with great resolve and effort did what had to be done to “de-fuse” Turkey and “turn” it.
...

3) Russia and the “Chechen model” as a unique case in the Muslim world

Many observers have commented in awe at the miracle Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov pulled-off in Chechnia: after the region was absolutely devastated by two vicious and brutal wars and after being a “black hole” for assorted terrorists and common thugs, Chechnia turned into one of the most peaceful and safe parts of Russia (even while neighboring Dagestan is still suffering from violence and corruption).
...

Now an attempt at discerning the future

So let’s connect the dots above: First, Russia is arguably the single most important actor in the Middle-East, far eclipsing the United States. Second, Russia has successfully built an informal, but crucial, alliance with Iran and Turkey and these three countries will decide of the outcome of the war in Syria. Third, Russia is the only country on earth where Sunni Islam is truly safe from the Wahabi virus and where a traditionalist Sunni society exists without any Saudi interference. Combine these three and I see an immense potential for Russia to become the force which will most effectively oppose the power and influence of the Saudis in the Muslim world. This also means that Russia is now the undisputed leader in the struggle to defeat international Takfiri terrorism (what Trump – mistakenly – calls “Islamic fundamentalism”).
...

Submitted by SancheLlewellyn on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 5:00pm

Indonesia is Sunni (comment edited)

@CB @CB While not perfect by any stretch, Indonesia seems to have resisted the Wahabi virus for the most part.
And Chechnya (the Indiana of Russia), doesn't seem so safe to gay folk, who have a tendency find themselves arrested or slaughtered.

Russia has performed better in Syria than the US, though no one comes out the winner in that proxy war that makes the Mexican Revolution look sane. Whom to support? Saudi head-choppers or ISIL head-choppers? The Turkey who bombs ISIL or the Turkey who bombs the Kurds? Russia who supports Assad or D'ump who fires 59 missiles at a stationary target and misses?

I don't think the US has had any actual defeats--just the inability to declare victory and go home, because nowhere in the Middle East do we have an inkling of what it would take to achieve victory. Unless we count bombing hospitals or weddings. We have an amazing track record of blowing those into a red mist. The US did score a victory over Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army early on, but instead of instituting a Marshall plan setup like we did in post-WW2 Europe, we set up a neoliberal and downright feudal Hunger Games world--including disbanding the Iraqi army but letting them keep their weapons (because we simply couldn't deny them of their 2nd amendment remedies), and hence we now have ISIL.

Ain't America great? More like the last gasp of a dying nation. Only instead of Caligula (or Mad Lord Snapcase), we have D'ump.

Russia and Islam
Connecting the Dots and Discerning the Future
The Saker • June 19, 2017

Russia has often been in the news over the past years, mostly as the demonized “Empire of Mordor” responsible for all the bad things on the planet, especially Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, the Russian intervention in Syria and, of course, the “imminent” Russian invasion of the Baltics, Poland or even all of Western Europe. I won’t even dignify all this puerile nonsense with any attention, but instead I will focus on what I think are important developments which are either misunderstood or completely ignored in the West.

First, a few key dots:

1) The Russian intervention in Syria

...
The Russian success was especially amazing when compared to the apparently endless series of defeats for the United States: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Pakistan and now the latest mess with the Saudi blockade against Qatar – the Americans just don’t see to be able to get anything done. Just the contrast between the way the US betrayed Hosni Mubarak with how the Russians stood by Assad is a powerful message to all the regional leaders: better to have the Russians on your side than the Americans.

2) How Russia transformed Turkey from an enemy to a potential ally

...
The example of Turkey is the perfect illustration of how the Russians turn “enemies into neutrals, neutrals into friends and friends into allies”. Oh sure, Erdogan is an unpredictable and, frankly, unstable character, the Americans and NATO are still in Turkey, and the Russians will never forget the Turkish support for the Takfiris in Chechnia, Crimea and Syria or, for that matter, the Turkish treacherous attack on their SU-24. But neither will they show any external signs of that. Just like with Israel, there is no love fest between Russia and Turkey, but all the parties are supremely pragmatic and so everybody is all smiles.

Why does this matter?

Because it shows how sophisticated the Russians are, how instead of using military force to avenge their SU-24, which is what the Americans would have done, they quietly but with great resolve and effort did what had to be done to “de-fuse” Turkey and “turn” it.
...

3) Russia and the “Chechen model” as a unique case in the Muslim world

Many observers have commented in awe at the miracle Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov pulled-off in Chechnia: after the region was absolutely devastated by two vicious and brutal wars and after being a “black hole” for assorted terrorists and common thugs, Chechnia turned into one of the most peaceful and safe parts of Russia (even while neighboring Dagestan is still suffering from violence and corruption).
...

Now an attempt at discerning the future

So let’s connect the dots above: First, Russia is arguably the single most important actor in the Middle-East, far eclipsing the United States. Second, Russia has successfully built an informal, but crucial, alliance with Iran and Turkey and these three countries will decide of the outcome of the war in Syria. Third, Russia is the only country on earth where Sunni Islam is truly safe from the Wahabi virus and where a traditionalist Sunni society exists without any Saudi interference. Combine these three and I see an immense potential for Russia to become the force which will most effectively oppose the power and influence of the Saudis in the Muslim world. This also means that Russia is now the undisputed leader in the struggle to defeat international Takfiri terrorism (what Trump – mistakenly – calls “Islamic fundamentalism”).
...

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 10:01pm

Are you intimating that the LGBT problems in Chechnya

@SancheLlewellyn
are Putin's fault? The Chechens fought for decades to gain autonomy. Now they have it. The local government is run by ultraconservative Muslims having very conservative social standards of which the majority support.

If you read your own link, much of the anti-gay sentiment and violence is family oriented - honor killings and the like.

The US and Europe are not helping these people.

It was reported on 17 May that survivors of Chechnya’s anti-gay persecution were having difficulty finding countries willing to issue them visas. The Russia LGBT Network reported having unproductive talks with American embassy officials, in which they were told there was “no political will” to issue U.S. visas to the refugees.[54] As of 19 May, a total of nine survivors of the persecution had reportedly been granted visas—two by Lithuania, the others by countries that Lithunian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius termed “allies” but declined to identify.[11] Linkevičius urged other nations of the European Union to accept more of the refugees.[55] As of June, the Russian LGBT Network reported that 42 men had been evacuated to other parts of Russia. While they are safe there from the immediate threat of detention, they risk being tracked down by family members of the Chechnyan diaspora if they remain in Russia.[56]

In late May, following weeks of international pressure, the Kremlin authorized its human rights ombudswoman, Tatiana Moskalkova, to assemble a preliminary fact-finding team,[57] which has sent investigators to Chechnya.[13] Early reports indicated that Chechen officials were attempting to sabotage the team’s investigation.[58]

BTW, Russia is not alone in having to deal with these problems. It has been reported that 23-27 people have been slaughtered in the US from religious based honor killings last year. It is believed that this problem is under reported. (See what I did there?)

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 5:06pm

@CB All very good except I

@CB All very good except I don't trust Turkey's government as far as I could throw it.

Russia and Islam
Connecting the Dots and Discerning the Future
The Saker • June 19, 2017

Russia has often been in the news over the past years, mostly as the demonized “Empire of Mordor” responsible for all the bad things on the planet, especially Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, the Russian intervention in Syria and, of course, the “imminent” Russian invasion of the Baltics, Poland or even all of Western Europe. I won’t even dignify all this puerile nonsense with any attention, but instead I will focus on what I think are important developments which are either misunderstood or completely ignored in the West.

First, a few key dots:

1) The Russian intervention in Syria

...
The Russian success was especially amazing when compared to the apparently endless series of defeats for the United States: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Pakistan and now the latest mess with the Saudi blockade against Qatar – the Americans just don’t see to be able to get anything done. Just the contrast between the way the US betrayed Hosni Mubarak with how the Russians stood by Assad is a powerful message to all the regional leaders: better to have the Russians on your side than the Americans.

2) How Russia transformed Turkey from an enemy to a potential ally

...
The example of Turkey is the perfect illustration of how the Russians turn “enemies into neutrals, neutrals into friends and friends into allies”. Oh sure, Erdogan is an unpredictable and, frankly, unstable character, the Americans and NATO are still in Turkey, and the Russians will never forget the Turkish support for the Takfiris in Chechnia, Crimea and Syria or, for that matter, the Turkish treacherous attack on their SU-24. But neither will they show any external signs of that. Just like with Israel, there is no love fest between Russia and Turkey, but all the parties are supremely pragmatic and so everybody is all smiles.

Why does this matter?

Because it shows how sophisticated the Russians are, how instead of using military force to avenge their SU-24, which is what the Americans would have done, they quietly but with great resolve and effort did what had to be done to “de-fuse” Turkey and “turn” it.
...

3) Russia and the “Chechen model” as a unique case in the Muslim world

Many observers have commented in awe at the miracle Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov pulled-off in Chechnia: after the region was absolutely devastated by two vicious and brutal wars and after being a “black hole” for assorted terrorists and common thugs, Chechnia turned into one of the most peaceful and safe parts of Russia (even while neighboring Dagestan is still suffering from violence and corruption).
...

Now an attempt at discerning the future

So let’s connect the dots above: First, Russia is arguably the single most important actor in the Middle-East, far eclipsing the United States. Second, Russia has successfully built an informal, but crucial, alliance with Iran and Turkey and these three countries will decide of the outcome of the war in Syria. Third, Russia is the only country on earth where Sunni Islam is truly safe from the Wahabi virus and where a traditionalist Sunni society exists without any Saudi interference. Combine these three and I see an immense potential for Russia to become the force which will most effectively oppose the power and influence of the Saudis in the Muslim world. This also means that Russia is now the undisputed leader in the struggle to defeat international Takfiri terrorism (what Trump – mistakenly – calls “Islamic fundamentalism”).
...

—

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 8:55pm

Neither does Putin

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
But, you have to work with what you have.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 1:21pm

@CB Erdogan is a snake,

@CB Erdogan is a snake, and, from the way he treats his own people, also a tyrant. Putin is, I trust and hope, keeping his eyes open.

—

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Submitted by dervish on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 1:22am

Brilliant article.

@CB Our diplomatic corps and other agencies have been infected with hubris, blindness and irrationality. They are not up to the job of matching and meeting this, unfortunately that means the US is likely to rely on its military too heavily for solutions.

Russia and Islam
Connecting the Dots and Discerning the Future
The Saker • June 19, 2017

Russia has often been in the news over the past years, mostly as the demonized “Empire of Mordor” responsible for all the bad things on the planet, especially Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, the Russian intervention in Syria and, of course, the “imminent” Russian invasion of the Baltics, Poland or even all of Western Europe. I won’t even dignify all this puerile nonsense with any attention, but instead I will focus on what I think are important developments which are either misunderstood or completely ignored in the West.

First, a few key dots:

1) The Russian intervention in Syria

...
The Russian success was especially amazing when compared to the apparently endless series of defeats for the United States: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Pakistan and now the latest mess with the Saudi blockade against Qatar – the Americans just don’t see to be able to get anything done. Just the contrast between the way the US betrayed Hosni Mubarak with how the Russians stood by Assad is a powerful message to all the regional leaders: better to have the Russians on your side than the Americans.

2) How Russia transformed Turkey from an enemy to a potential ally

...
The example of Turkey is the perfect illustration of how the Russians turn “enemies into neutrals, neutrals into friends and friends into allies”. Oh sure, Erdogan is an unpredictable and, frankly, unstable character, the Americans and NATO are still in Turkey, and the Russians will never forget the Turkish support for the Takfiris in Chechnia, Crimea and Syria or, for that matter, the Turkish treacherous attack on their SU-24. But neither will they show any external signs of that. Just like with Israel, there is no love fest between Russia and Turkey, but all the parties are supremely pragmatic and so everybody is all smiles.

Why does this matter?

Because it shows how sophisticated the Russians are, how instead of using military force to avenge their SU-24, which is what the Americans would have done, they quietly but with great resolve and effort did what had to be done to “de-fuse” Turkey and “turn” it.
...

3) Russia and the “Chechen model” as a unique case in the Muslim world

Many observers have commented in awe at the miracle Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov pulled-off in Chechnia: after the region was absolutely devastated by two vicious and brutal wars and after being a “black hole” for assorted terrorists and common thugs, Chechnia turned into one of the most peaceful and safe parts of Russia (even while neighboring Dagestan is still suffering from violence and corruption).
...

Now an attempt at discerning the future

So let’s connect the dots above: First, Russia is arguably the single most important actor in the Middle-East, far eclipsing the United States. Second, Russia has successfully built an informal, but crucial, alliance with Iran and Turkey and these three countries will decide of the outcome of the war in Syria. Third, Russia is the only country on earth where Sunni Islam is truly safe from the Wahabi virus and where a traditionalist Sunni society exists without any Saudi interference. Combine these three and I see an immense potential for Russia to become the force which will most effectively oppose the power and influence of the Saudis in the Muslim world. This also means that Russia is now the undisputed leader in the struggle to defeat international Takfiri terrorism (what Trump – mistakenly – calls “Islamic fundamentalism”).
...

—

"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

Submitted by Steven D on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 10:25am

Interestingly enough

Some of the most famous American military legends are its defeats: The Alamo, Custer's Last Stand, Pearl Harbor. In the aftermath of each, America's military went on to win their wars and gain further dominence, first over the continent and then the planet. I believe this has given us a mythos about war that is very misleading at the present time.

9/11 is viewed through a military lens and thus we have The War on Terror, whereby we terrorize the people's of the Middle East in an endless search for ultimate victory. But, as we should have learned from Vietnam, once you become an Empire, there is no place to go but down.

America is a young nation. Our own legends and myths ("American Dream" Rugged Individualism" etc.) are literally killing many of us now and will undoubtedly lead to a mistake by TPTB that will risk a nuclear confrontation that would devastate the earth and our species.

—

"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

Submitted by dervish on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 1:09am

There seems to be a real talent deficit

@Steven D in the IC and Foggy Bottom, I think they've run out most of the best by now. It's affecting the quality of their decision making and analysis, and may lead to more crucial mistakes.

—

"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

Submitted by divineorder on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 1:21pm

Agree with the gist, but let's not forget Putin is a thug.

Vladimir Putin to face Russia-wide anti-fraud protests as part of opposition leader Alexei Navalny's presidential bid

There is a risk of violence as thousands are expected to descend on Moscow city centre for an unauthorised protest

Samuel Osborne
@SamuelOsborne93
Monday 12 June 2017 06:44 BST

—

A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Submitted by SancheLlewellyn on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 4:25pm

Putin's Russia = Rule by Mafia

@divineorder And we emulated it here with the election of D'ump, and his love of dictators worldwide, including Putin, Kim Jong Un, Erogan, Duterte . . . you name it. A real good old boys' club, ready for some male bonding like a game of golf, groping some women, and finally snapping each others bare butts with wet towels.

Alexei Navalny will become a worldwide hero if he can knock Putin off his horse.

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 4:53pm

It is obvious you have no idea who Nalvany is

@SancheLlewellyn

Alexei Navalny will become a worldwide hero if he can knock Putin off his horse.

Here's his poll ratings. He went from 5% in 2011 to 1% this year.

http://www.levada.ru/en/2017/03/20/aleksey-navalny/

ALEKSEY NAVALNY
20.03.2017

This survey took place between 17-20 February 2017 and was conducted throughout all of Russia in both urban and rural settings. The survey was carried out among 1600 people over the age of 18 in 137 localities of 48 of the country’s regions. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the number of participants along with data from previous surveys.

BTW, what fucking horse are you talking about? In case you are interested in the truth, Putin got rid of the "Russian mafia" that the US installed in the country during the 90's when the American puppet, Yeltsin, was made president. These "mafia" now reside in London and New York with their stolen millions. If they returned, Putin would jail the fuckers unless they paid their back taxes.

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 4:26pm

Putin is a thug? Do you even know who Nalvany is?

@divineorder
The US has the same laws that require protesters to get permission for their marches. If Nalvany's protest was held in the US, they would have been pepper sprayed in the face, given a wood shampoo and warehoused in the pokey - a la Occupy Wall Street. Did you call Obama a thug for doing that?

The violence against Occupy Wall Street by the miltary geared police was fucking far from any done in Russia. The Russian cops are not even armed.

Before you pass on the propaganda please check the facts.

Navalny Demo Was a Hilarious Flop, But Western Cameras Ate It Up

The pro-western liberal satisfied his constituency – the western mainstream media – at the cost of alienating even more Russians

The Russia wide protests organized by Navalny on June 12 were a flop.

This was not unexpected, given the lack of enthusiasm on social networks – in Moscow, there were 20% fewer people expressing interest in going to this event relative to the March 26th protest on Facebook. The earlier event had translated into 8,000 people, which is pretty much a “fail” so far as a 13 million population metropolis is concerned.
...
Which, I suppose, explains why Navalny decided to sabotage his own protests in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.

Quick recap:

The Moscow city authorities gave Navalny permission to stage a meeting at prospekt Sakharova, a relatively central and spacious location. In Saint-Petersburg, they offered a location at Udelnaya, which is less central, but still spacious and easily accessible by metro.

In the last few hours before the protests, Navalny made a location change, to Tverskaya in Moscow and The Field of Mars in Saint-Petersburg, both of which are at the very centers of those cities. Moreover, Tverskaya in particular was already hosting a massive historical reconstruction festival.
...
This time round, Navalny and his crew purposefully crashed a separate event where people wanted to cosplay historical battles, not participate in an actual one against the police. This would have been irresponsible and unethical course of action for anyone with pretenses to serious politics. That this was very likely based on a lie makes it outright disgraceful. These are the actions of a two bit rabblerouser.
...

Navalny protests: Western media don’t care about facts when cheering their Russian opposition hero

Just when you thought standards couldn’t possibly get any lower in western media coverage of Russia, they somehow did. Reports about Alexey Navalny’s protests on Monday were even more deceitful than usual.

Most of us know that there are two Russias. The one 145-odd million people live in and the version presented in the anglophone press. But rarely has the divide between hack hyperbole and reality been as chasmic as seen in the coverage of this week’s rallies. Not to mention how the publicity granted to their organizer has been consistently over the top.

First, the facts. Navalny is currently polling around 1-2 percent ahead of next year’s presidential election, behind Gennady Zyuganov (5 percent) and Vladimir Zhirinovsky (4 percent), who are absolute dinosaurs. And this is despite the majority of eligible Russian voters being well aware of the opposition figures’ existence. Furthermore, despite his high-profile presence on social media, he is less well known amongst the youth (45 percent) than the general population (55 percent). Which suggests considerable political apathy amongst the young Russians he needs to build some momentum for his movement.
...
As it happened, the protest turned out to be a pretty damp squib, attracting around 5,000 devotees, who mainly served to annoy the estimated 250,000 folks there for the military reenactments. Navalny himself was detained before he even arrived and charged with promoting an unauthorized rally and disobeying police. And it appears he didn’t miss very much.

But you wouldn’t know that by reading western media reports from Moscow on Monday, as the local hack pack went into overdrive in their latest attempt to weave a silk purse from a sow’s ear. The usual distortion of Navalny’s background was on display, with little or no mention of his right-wing nationalist beliefs. For example, you won’t have read about him equating Muslim migrants to cockroaches or promoting the concept of “Russia for the Russians.” Instead, we have the spectacle of journalists portraying a figure who is far more extreme than Marine Le Pen, Steve Bannon or Nigel Farage as a “liberal.” And doing so in the same outlets that detest that trio.

Then there were the blatant misrepresentations. Such as when New York Times’ bureau chief Neil MacFarquhar and Financial Times’ Eastern Europe Editor Neil Buckley both attempted to depict barriers clearly erected as props for the military history show as “traps” to impede protesters. Tweets they later deleted, in fairness. Nevertheless, this particular “fake news” tweet by the anti-Russia activist Alex Kokcharov has been shared hundreds of times, enjoying retweets from the likes of Economist magazine editor Edward Lucas and Anders Aslund of NATO’s Atlantic Council adjunct.
...

You might want to do some research on Nalvany's background. The asshole would be spurned by both the Repubs and the Dems.

Submitted by lizzyh7 on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 5:33pm

I have to say, I just loved it when Putin

@CB said to Stone "do you think we are trying to prove ourselves to you" or very close to that, when Stone got in the requisite dig over democracy. When we stop and realize Russia was Communist and that really, from what little I know CB, they were still in many ways a feudal society until after the War. People got used to autocratic control. They have a different flavor of "democracy" if you will and they seem fine with that. Where in hell the US gets off on questioning any countries "commitment to democracy" is a perfect showing of our hubris. And blatant hypocrisy.

When I had to travel for work a few years ago, we used a car service owned by a Russian guy from Moscow. Very much a capitalist, still owned property in Moscow, very educated, economics I believe. Nice guy, a Republican, cant have everything. His friend had to drive me one time in the snow, he too was Russian but more middle class I guess. Fun guy, and he did miss the Soviet Union. The capitalist, not so much. The Russians are no more monolithic than Americans are, and they're not all stupid brutes either.

If they like Putin and his style of government by a majority, who in hell are we to condemn them for it? Like this country is a shining beacon of freedom? As far as protests and such, so what? That makes them different from the US? We don't have factions that protest Trump as a dictator? We don't have people here who think the ONLY answer is to get rid of Trump, no matter the facts? Please.

Thanks much for you info, I really enjoy it.

#7 The US has the same laws that require protesters to get permission for their marches. If Nalvany's protest was held in the US, they would have been pepper sprayed in the face, given a wood shampoo and warehoused in the pokey - a la Occupy Wall Street. Did you call Obama a thug for doing that? The violence against Occupy Wall Street by the miltary geared police was fucking far from any done in Russia. The Russian cops are not even armed. Before you pass on the propaganda please check the facts. Navalny Demo Was a Hilarious Flop, But Western Cameras Ate It Up The pro-western liberal satisfied his constituency – the western mainstream media – at the cost of alienating even more Russians The Russia wide protests organized by Navalny on June 12 were a flop. This was not unexpected, given the lack of enthusiasm on social networks – in Moscow, there were 20% fewer people expressing interest in going to this event relative to the March 26th protest on Facebook. The earlier event had translated into 8,000 people, which is pretty much a “fail” so far as a 13 million population metropolis is concerned. ... Which, I suppose, explains why Navalny decided to sabotage his own protests in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. Quick recap: The Moscow city authorities gave Navalny permission to stage a meeting at prospekt Sakharova, a relatively central and spacious location. In Saint-Petersburg, they offered a location at Udelnaya, which is less central, but still spacious and easily accessible by metro. In the last few hours before the protests, Navalny made a location change, to Tverskaya in Moscow and The Field of Mars in Saint-Petersburg, both of which are at the very centers of those cities. Moreover, Tverskaya in particular was already hosting a massive historical reconstruction festival. ... This time round, Navalny and his crew purposefully crashed a separate event where people wanted to cosplay historical battles, not participate in an actual one against the police. This would have been irresponsible and unethical course of action for anyone with pretenses to serious politics. That this was very likely based on a lie makes it outright disgraceful. These are the actions of a two bit rabblerouser. ... Navalny protests: Western media don’t care about facts when cheering their Russian opposition hero Just when you thought standards couldn’t possibly get any lower in western media coverage of Russia, they somehow did. Reports about Alexey Navalny’s protests on Monday were even more deceitful than usual. Most of us know that there are two Russias. The one 145-odd million people live in and the version presented in the anglophone press. But rarely has the divide between hack hyperbole and reality been as chasmic as seen in the coverage of this week’s rallies. Not to mention how the publicity granted to their organizer has been consistently over the top. First, the facts. Navalny is currently polling around 1-2 percent ahead of next year’s presidential election, behind Gennady Zyuganov (5 percent) and Vladimir Zhirinovsky (4 percent), who are absolute dinosaurs. And this is despite the majority of eligible Russian voters being well aware of the opposition figures’ existence. Furthermore, despite his high-profile presence on social media, he is less well known amongst the youth (45 percent) than the general population (55 percent). Which suggests considerable political apathy amongst the young Russians he needs to build some momentum for his movement. ... As it happened, the protest turned out to be a pretty damp squib, attracting around 5,000 devotees, who mainly served to annoy the estimated 250,000 folks there for the military reenactments. Navalny himself was detained before he even arrived and charged with promoting an unauthorized rally and disobeying police. And it appears he didn’t miss very much. But you wouldn’t know that by reading western media reports from Moscow on Monday, as the local hack pack went into overdrive in their latest attempt to weave a silk purse from a sow’s ear. The usual distortion of Navalny’s background was on display, with little or no mention of his right-wing nationalist beliefs. For example, you won’t have read about him equating Muslim migrants to cockroaches or promoting the concept of “Russia for the Russians.” Instead, we have the spectacle of journalists portraying a figure who is far more extreme than Marine Le Pen, Steve Bannon or Nigel Farage as a “liberal.” And doing so in the same outlets that detest that trio. Then there were the blatant misrepresentations. Such as when New York Times’ bureau chief Neil MacFarquhar and Financial Times’ Eastern Europe Editor Neil Buckley both attempted to depict barriers clearly erected as props for the military history show as “traps” to impede protesters. Tweets they later deleted, in fairness. Nevertheless, this particular “fake news” tweet by the anti-Russia activist Alex Kokcharov has been shared hundreds of times, enjoying retweets from the likes of Economist magazine editor Edward Lucas and Anders Aslund of NATO’s Atlantic Council adjunct. ... You might want to do some research on Nalvany's background. The asshole would be spurned by both the Repubs and the Dems.

—

Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

Submitted by CB on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 10:09pm

People in the US are also used to autocratic control

@lizzyh7
They've had it for decades. They just don't know it.

At least in Russia you can directly vote for who you want as president instead of having some people you have absolutely no control over making that decision for you.

Submitted by dervish on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 1:06am

Sure, but he's their thug

@divineorder and that's no reason for us to set up bases on his border, or try to steal oil from the ex-republics, or start coups, or all of the other games we're throwing at him.

Live and let live.

—

"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

Submitted by CB on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 3:14am

Putin's got a pretty good popularity rating in Russia

@dervish
for being such a "thug". Since his election in 2000 he has never polled less than 60%. It's been mostly in the 70's to 80's. For the 18 to 24 age bracket it is 88%. The majority feel Russia is on the right track.

I have to agree with you. We need to live and let live. But in foreign policy I think Putin is the most reasonable and intelligent leader.

Submitted by dervish on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 1:55pm

Look at this:

Russian Su-27 warns off NATO F-16 trying to approach defense minister’s plane over Baltic

[video:https://youtu.be/MCROh09OPzY]

—

"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

Submitted by Timmethy2.0 on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 3:34pm

Russians are a great people with a great cultural history

Americans too are a great people with a great cultural history. That has absolutely nothing to do with the oligarchical and governmental leaders in either country. I have a feeling that the wolf in that folk story originally represented one of the more dastardly Tsars.

—

Beware the bullshit factories.

Submitted by Linda Wood on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 5:10pm

Timmethy2.0,

@Timmethy2.0
Thank you for saying this.

Submitted by native on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 4:50pm

Americans absolutely, categorically, and adamantly refuse

to see the global situation from the Russians' point of view. It's not as if Americans would be obligated to agree with a Russian point of view, but could they not at least recognize that such a point of view does in fact exist?... and then perhaps make some small attempt to understand it?

But no, apparently that is too much to expect from our countrymen. They are convinced, beyond any doubt, that Russia cannot possibly have a valid point of view... and so there's no point in trying to find out what it might be. Russia is America's enemy, and that is that. It doesn't matter what the Russians have to say about it, so don't bother listening to them. Case closed. Grab your gun and load it... they're out to get us! And by all means, keep your fingers stuck firmly in your ears.

Such is the current state of bilateral diplomacy, American style.

—

native

Submitted by lizzyh7 on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 5:36pm

Excellent comment.

@native And we could say the same for Libya, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, China (gasp!) etc, etc, etc....

—

Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

Submitted by dervish on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 1:01am

The Oliver Stone interviews

@native are throwing a wrench into that machine. As we speak, TPTB are tearing out their hair trying to figure out ways to make us unsee it.

—

"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."