Open Thread WE 8 FEB 23 ~


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CHANGE

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It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.

Isaac Asimov

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We are witnessing a major geopolitical shift occurring in our life times. For those that are
politically aware, there are obvious major currents flowing around the world. For those stuck
in MSM memes, these changes are being parlayed into blind distractions. Like tanks,
balloons, mass shootings, Alzheimer leaders, covid escapades, extreme weather reports and
general fear porn. Even some inflation stories get out there. And Russia taking over the world.

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Watching the distractions becoming more obvious and outlandish in real time is both
scary and exciting. We all know the empire's attempts to maintain global hegemony
are failing. So the question is: what is the new world order going to look like?
Any guesses?

~

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This piano music begins like a slow heartbeat...then it gradually quickens and rises to a new level, like a young bird learning how to fly. Soon it catches the wind and soars even higher. The piano urges you to come fly away with it to a loftier, happier place where you feel limitless. You feel yourself high among the clouds. This music is ethereal. It inspires. It transcends. And you transcend along with it.

-- Rey Barreto

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Looks like we are going to suffer at the hands of the greedy few. Interesting
times indeed. What would be your prognosis on how all of this change comes down?

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“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
― Rob Siltanen

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Open thread so hop on the expression train >>>

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soryang's picture

Nat'l Assembly votes to impeach interior minister over Itaewon tragedy

(ATTN: ADDS reaction from rival parties)
By Kim Na-young

SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- The opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Wednesday to impeach Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year's Itaewon crowd crush, marking the first-ever impeachment of a Cabinet member.

The impeachment motion passed 179-109, with five votes ruled invalid, forcing the suspension of Lee from duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to endorse or reject the motion.

Depending on the court's decision, Lee will either be reinstated or removed from office.

The court has 180 days to rule on the case.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and two minor parties introduced the impeachment motion earlier this week to hold Lee accountable for the government's allegedly bungled response to the crowd crush that killed 159 people.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230208002756315?section=national/politics

Finally the opening salvo in the fall of South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol. The reporting on this is so biased. "Allegedly bungled response?" LOL. Also the contention that is no constitutional basis grounds for the impeachment is ridiculous.

This is from an earlier Hankyoreh article:

In their motion, the opposition parties argued that Lee, as the main figure in charge of disaster and safety management, should have made relevant plans and taken preventive measures. However, he not only failed to do so but also violated the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety and the State Public Officials Act by not taking any action after the disaster took place and amplifying the disaster.

The opposition parties also argue that Lee violated Article 34 par. 6 of the Constitution, which states, “The State shall endeavor to prevent disasters and to protect citizens from harm therefrom,” as well as Article 10 of the Constitution, which explicates, “All citizens shall be assured of human worth and dignity and have the right to pursuit of happiness.”

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1078690.html

What was the constitutional basis for putting the Minister of Interior in control of the National Police Agency? There was none. Yoon just did it by fiat to neutralize the prosecutorial reforms passed before he took office. Yoon's purpose was to effectively restore investigative powers to the prosecution, which had been taken away and given to police by the National Assembly to curb excessive prosecution powers. The Public Prosecutors Office, had become politicized under Yoon Seok-yeol's supervision as Prosecutor General and then President. These powers were and continue to be used by Yoon and his "dictatorship of prosecutors" to investigate, and prosecute, political rivals, union leaders, media critics and other civic groups typically on fabricated grounds.

By politicizing the police, and their control, the Interior Ministry under the direction of the presidential office took effective control of police deployment and dispatch operations. The consequent failure to have almost no police on duty in Itaewon on October 29, 2022, when a crowd of well over 100 thousand people celebrating Halloween were crowded into narrow alleyways was a direct result of these changes in the government administration directed by the president.

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語必忠信 行必正直

in the fall of South Korean President ..

@soryang

Your dispatch sounds of much dirty politics.

Interior Minister, National Police Agency, Public Prosecutors Office

to curb excessive prosecution powers

A tale of power grabbing no doubt.

Thanks-

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I was really busy, washing dishes, organizing my sock drawer.
Did he do anything worse than complaining that refrigerators losing jobs?

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp

This is what made the news.

Biden heckled during State of the Union address

The president was jeered by rival lawmakers after claiming some Republicans would like to take the US economy “hostage”.

He was boo'd and called a liar by his audience. No tomatoes thrown. Theater.
Snoopy mentioned he slurred thru his written speech. And something about
flipping burgers jobs?

https://www.rt.com/news/571145-biden-heckled-sotu-speech/

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and I'm not a huge fan.

Partway through I figured out the speech was very populist.

Bear in mind Biden can change 180 without missing a beat, just how he is.

He ad libbed and skewered Republicans. First he got them all denying they would cut SS and Medicare, booing and hissing on camera because he accused them of it, then made them all stand up for seniors and say they were unanimously agreed not to mess with it. Good theater.

He did a lot of kissing up to US industry. He was Joe from Scranton.
Best line, "the supply chain begins right here in the US" or words to that effect.

Lately the Rs have been reverting to their mean. Club for Growth etc. The big money Koch funded groups said they wouldn't fund Trump. If Trump runs populist, which means left on economics, and Biden works to outdo him, Trump will simply run more left. I'd love to see this campaign about left economics. Granted talk is cheap, but talking about it is much better than talking about some pronouns.

I only watched part way through, maybe a little more than half.

The downside is that this morning Biden is still a day older. I'm not at all sure he has another 6 years in him. How does one diplomatically get rid of Harris? Who would be as far left on economics as Biden? or more so.

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@ban nock

I couldn't bear watching the old fool. At least he didn't drool. Wink
Kamala can't quite seem to lose that smirk she wears.
Maybe a mask would make her look more serious?

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@ban nock
Try anyone. Biden's spent 50 years saying "we must CUT entitlements"(emphasis his) Just making it clear that when the time comes the Rs won't give up complaining about the FICA tax - then stealing from the SS Trust Fund.

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On to Biden since 1973

enhydra lutris's picture

@doh1304

Mussolini is "far left". Accordingly, Biden qualifies, if only as to his rhetoric as opposed to his actions.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@doh1304 I'm all ears, and Sanders can't and shouldn't run. He has contributed enough already, I don't want him dying on the campaign trail.

There are just about none left who aren't too much the wokesters. No woke for my vote. Even Sanders shifted 180 on immigration and guns.

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enhydra lutris's picture

geography into the pot this morning. In a separate tab or window open the following link. Note that, although it is a very linear terminus to the bold line in question, Bakhmut is seriously to the east of Poltava/Poltawa, though it is doubtful if the Ukies know, appreciate or understand any history before bandera.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lake+Peipus/Borodino,+Pskov+Oblast,+Russ...@53.6163641,23.7043418,4z/data=!4m32!4m31!1m5!1m1!1s0x4694d60c0db8ec39:0xd2e94edd7596f102!2m2!1d27.5191232!2d58.3289481!1m5!1m1!1s0x46c0325394219f43:0xf772c64a71d7540f!2m2!1d28.167163!2d57.4526755!1m5!1m1!1s0x412f0375da12791b:0x9788ae489cd5e746!2m2!1d36.1947023!2d51.7482395!1m5!1m1!1s0x40d825e425e6ba6b:0xcf3e6bdfb9e4ca82!2m2!1d34.5514169!2d49.588267!1m5!1m1!1s0x40dfe61bf724c5a7:0xa398e255ecbfeec2!2m2!1d37.9980367!2d48.5986674!3e0!5m1!1e4

be well and have a good one

edit - corrected bakhnut to bakhmut and other spel errs

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris

From the Baltic to the Black seas seems like a sensible travel route. Just add Mariupol
south of Donetsk and you are there.

thanks for posting

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

A lot of folk were greatly displeased by the Rus' control thereof.

Also, Poltava is pretty much due North of the Crimean Peninsula, the home of the Crimean Khanate, a slaver state that considered themselves to be the heirs of the Golden Horde until they attacked Moscow and were subsequently reduced to a Russian Vassal and then part of Russia, pissing off the Ottomans, etc. but that is another story.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris @enhydra lutris

Speaking of Poltava - that references some history worth remembering - the defeat there of the Swedes and their Ukrainian and Cossack allies in 1709.

One of many Russian pogovorka (погово́рка): «(Пропал), как швед под Полтавой». '(Gone) like a Swede near (at/from) Poltava.

Meaning, variously - 'totally vanished/eliminated with no prospect of reappearance' or (minus the 'gone' part) to mean something like 'totally screwed'...

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Blue Republic

away and hid out with the Ottomans.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

studentofearth's picture

beginning today - Seymour Hersh. Some of you probably followed his writings on United States war crimes in Vietnam and Iraqi.

How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline Substack Seymour Hersh Feb 8, 2023

Last June, the Navy divers, operating under the cover of a widely publicized mid-summer NATO exercise known as BALTOPS 22, planted the remotely triggered explosives that, three months later, destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, according to a source with direct knowledge of the operational planning.
...
It was at this unsettled moment that Biden authorized Jake Sullivan to bring together an interagency group to come up with a plan.

All options were to be on the table. But only one would emerge.

PLANNING

In December of 2021, two months before the first Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, Jake Sullivan convened a meeting of a newly formed task force—men and women from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, and the State and Treasury Departments—and asked for recommendations about how to respond to Putin’s impending invasion.

It would be the first of a series of top-secret meetings, in a secure room on a top floor of the Old Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House, that was also the home of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB). ...
Throughout “all of this scheming,” the source said, “some working guys in the CIA and the State Department were saying, ‘Don’t do this. It’s stupid and will be a political nightmare if it comes out.’”

Nevertheless, in early 2022, the CIA working group reported back to Sullivan’s interagency group: “We have a way to blow up the pipelines.”

What came next was stunning. On February 7, less than three weeks before the seemingly inevitable Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden met in his White House office with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who, after some wobbling, was now firmly on the American team. At the press briefing that followed, Biden defiantly said, “If Russia invades . . . there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.”

Twenty days earlier, Undersecretary Nuland had delivered essentially the same message at a State Department briefing, with little press coverage. “I want to be very clear to you today,” she said in response to a question. “If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.”
...
The plan to blow up Nord Stream 1 and 2 was suddenly downgraded from a covert operation requiring that Congress be informed to one that was deemed as a highly classified intelligence operation with U.S. military support. Under the law, the source explained, “There was no longer a legal requirement to report the operation to Congress. All they had to do now is just do it—but it still had to be secret. The Russians have superlative surveillance of the Baltic Sea.”

The Agency working group members had no direct contact with the White House, and were eager to find out if the President meant what he’d said—that is, if the mission was now a go. The source recalled, “Bill Burns comes back and says, ‘Do it.’”
...
Back in Washington, planners knew they had to go to Norway. “They hated the Russians, and the Norwegian navy was full of superb sailors and divers who had generations of experience in highly profitable deep-sea oil and gas exploration,” the source said. They also could be trusted to keep the mission secret. (The Norwegians may have had other interests as well. The destruction of Nord Stream—if the Americans could pull it off—would allow Norway to sell vastly more of its own natural gas to Europe.)
...
In the immediate aftermath of the pipeline bombing, the American media treated it like an unsolved mystery. Russia was repeatedly cited as a likely culprit, spurred on by calculated leaks from the White House—but without ever establishing a clear motive for such an act of self-sabotage, beyond simple retribution. A few months later, when it emerged that Russian authorities had been quietly getting estimates for the cost to repair the pipelines, the New York Times described the news as “complicating theories about who was behind” the attack. No major American newspaper dug into the earlier threats to the pipelines made by Biden and Undersecretary of State Nuland.
...
The Norwegians joined the Americans in insisting that some senior officials in Denmark and Sweden had to be briefed in general terms about possible diving activity in the area. In that way, someone higher up could intervene and keep a report out of the chain of command, thus insulating the pipeline operation.
...
It was both a useful exercise and ingenious cover. The Panama City boys would do their thing and the C4 explosives would be in place by the end of BALTOPS22, with a 48-hour timer attached. All of the Americans and Norwegians would be long gone by the first explosion.

The days were counting down. “The clock was ticking, and we were nearing mission accomplished,” the source said.

And then: Washington had second thoughts. The bombs would still be planted during BALTOPS, but the White House worried that a two-day window for their detonation would be too close to the end of the exercise, and it would be obvious that America had been involved.
...

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

@studentofearth
and yet something in me smells a rat. The information and access Hersh enjoys can only exist if, on some level, if there is some reciprocal benefit to both ‘leaker’ and ‘exposer’. A couple of months ago this piece, emphasizing the US’s direct involvement in the sabotage would have been unthinkable. Now, with the imminent fall of Bakmut, a cooling of NATO support and the seemingly inevitable defeat of Ukranian forces looming, the US will be looking for distractions.

Over the next several meetings, the participants debated options for an attack. The Navy proposed using a newly commissioned submarine to assault the pipeline directly. The Air Force discussed dropping bombs with delayed fuses that could be set off remotely. The CIA argued that whatever was done, it would have to be covert. Everyone involved understood the stakes. “This is not kiddie stuff,” the source said. If the attack were traceable to the United States, “It’s an act of war.”

For months the US and it’s collection of lapdogs has been looking to provoke or goad Russia into an escalation. Now, thanks to this Hersh piece, Russia will be expected to respond to this “act of war” or look ‘weak’. I doubt that Russia will be sidetracked by this, but I do think the mainstream news cycle will do what it usually does with its Mighty Wurlitzer and keep the public entertained while the Ukraine gambit crumbles in the background, and the US fuckery pivots to China.

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

something fishy about this bombshell.

@ovals49

So much inside information is revealed.

Norway was one of the original signatories of the NATO Treaty in 1949, in the early days of the Cold War. Today, the supreme commander of NATO is Jens Stoltenberg, a committed anti-communist, who served as Norway’s prime minister for eight years before moving to his high NATO post, with American backing, in 2014. He was a hardliner on all things Putin and Russia who had cooperated with the American intelligence community since the Vietnam War. He has been trusted completely since. “He is the glove that fits the American hand,” the source said.

Back in Washington, planners knew they had to go to Norway. “They hated the Russians, and the Norwegian navy was full of superb sailors and divers who had generations of experience in highly profitable deep-sea oil and gas exploration,” the source said. They also could be trusted to keep the mission secret. (The Norwegians may have had other interests as well. The destruction of Nord Stream—if the Americans could pull it off—would allow Norway to sell vastly more of its own natural gas to Europe.)

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@humphrey

How to overcome the weak little guy syndrome. If the Norwegians fear Russia so much,
they can't back down the bear or pretend to control it. NATO expands their options.
Short sighted maneuver. Attacking another country's property is asking for trouble.
Unfortunately for Norway, NATO will not be enough to protect them.

thanks for the connections!

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@QMS

Two rats having a pow wow.

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@humphrey

according to Blinken Russia is losing
and Ukraine is getting stronger

Aargh

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@ovals49
to get presidents to give up on some psychotic ideas - Shrub and Trump have been recent examples - and Hersch has been in the story several times.

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On to Biden since 1973

@ovals49

of what happened and stated as much publicly soon after the attack - doubt if they will let themselves be distracted (for now, anyway) much from their more immediate goals of winning on the ground.

FWIW (this was discussed on today's 'Redacted' program) Biden and Victoria Nuland both made very public statements to the effect that they were going to make sure the Nordstream II didn't happen - so they can make a case for it not having been 'covert' ('Hey, we *said* we were going to stop it!').

As the Hersch article goes into also - they used regular Navy resources rather than those coming under the Special Operations Command - which gave them a BS legal workaround to avoid giving prior notice to the so-called 'Gang of Eight' congresscritter heads of the intelligence committees.

Talk about disgusting: bi-partisan warmongers going on about how vital it was to stop Nordstream - like it was ever any of our business...

"No Russian ever called me misogynist white supremacist nazi."

Me - (with apologies to Muhammed Ali)

(Vid link is to YT, but probably better to watch on and support Rumble)

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@Blue Republic

how that pipeline was attacked. The tricky bit was to politically distance themselves from
admitting guilt. So all we got at first was Russia. Then the intelligence agencies walked
that back s few steps, no it wasn't Russia that destroyed their own pipeline in spite.
The official narrative is now swinging around to, oh maybe Poland? Hersh opened a
big can of worms by stating the obvious. US and their vassal Norway. Both countries
have $$$ to gain from that little plight. And hurt Russia. But the EU suffers. Hmm

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@studentofearth

It does fit with revelations at the time. The fact that Scholz went along with it is strange.
He must have known the damage to his country's energy market would be severe.
A very stupid ploy by the Sullivan group - Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, and the State
and Treasury Departments. It is what we come to expect from the dying empire.

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done instead of the drivel coming from the lapdog stenographers in the MSM.

@studentofearth

It is time well spent to read the article in its entirety.

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@humphrey the wrong turn Hersh took on some particular current event within the last few years. Whatever it was, (sorry --I slept since then), I lost interest in his journalism.
However, I will read this article, and appreciate soe for sharing this.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp

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@humphrey @humphrey He believes Oswald acted alone. The movie director/producer Oliver Stone has stated Hersh is with the CIA. That is why I am suspicious of Hersh.
But, sometimes he did some history-making journalism.
I may have time to read it if my client doesn't show up for his appointment. We seem to be in quite a thunderstorm at present.
I dressed for a high of 72 degrees. Not for the low of 41 degrees.
sigh...

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

That is begging for more weapons.

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@humphrey

Helmhuht heads. Fly the Ukie skies united.

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@QMS

She only got a Ukrainian flag.

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@humphrey

to protect her head as she stumbles off the stage?

musical interlude - trouble no mo

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

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@QMS .
An interlude can be

something performed during a theater intermission: an orchestral interlude.

and so you are spot on as the political theatre [thanks to you] gets a great Muddy Waters interlude. I do love the older Muddy Waters recordings...but I can't listen to the repulsive congresscritter theatre so thanks for the great tune!

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@randtntx

goodbye baby, meaning Pelosi, you ain't gonna trouble me no mo

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this one born in Irkutsk, was apparently bared from performing at the music festival of Bergamo/Bresica because of the festival organizer's objections to free speech and/or free ideas.
[h/t commenter at NC]

The Collective West seems to be in a full-on embrace of McCarthyism and blacklisting. So much for Europe being a vibrant, diverse, open-to-all, cultural Mecca. It is increasingly turning into a place of censorship and authoritarianism.

Unfortunately we have the same situation here;

In 2022, due to his public support of Vladimir Putin, Matsuev's appearance with the Vienna Philharmonic in New York on February 25, 2022, was cancelled and he was replaced by pianist Seong-Jin Cho.
Matsuev and 80 other Russian artists signed a collective letter "to support the position of President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and Crimea."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Matsuev

Thanks for the OT and the Ludovico Einaudi piece. Hope all is well up there in the North country.

A double dose of great Russian artists below.

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@randtntx

is that performer on speed or what?
they will never 'cancel culture' of these sorts

thanks!

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mimi's picture

@randtntx many thanks

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@mimi , and so nice to 'see' you as well. I agree with you, it is an amazing performance of an amazing composition.

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@randtntx wonderful musicianship! Beautiful! I think the pianist hit 3 wrong keys (notes), but I would have to listen again to verify that. In the critical runs, he flew accurately, and his expression was genuine. He played notes, and found the song. His keys played it wonderfully.
Nice way to end my evening.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp . I suppose the artist will just have to ply his trade in the BRICS since the West wants to fault him for his politics. Smile

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@randtntx @randtntx artists for living on the wrong soil. This deprives the artists of venues, the audience from seeing world-class performers.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp

and athletes, thinkers, writers, spiritual leaders, tradesmen, inventors ...
This whole discussion of dividing the Eastern European sub-states into
political battle fields is a slap in the face to world culture.

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@QMS in Houston on an Easter Sunday afternoon. Horowitz. Afterwords, my mom and I watched his first concert in Russia after he had hauled ass from the USSR. He had a small crowd. Not advertised. A Big Deal. He played the same encore at both venues, the song I played to put my parents to sleep at night.

I cry every time I watch this. My Mom and I cried when we watched it on tv. Live.
I am crying now.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981