33 Comments
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Despite some of his antics, Zhirinovsky held the banner for being one of, if not the largest opposition figure to the United Russia party for his exact sentiments towards the west and correct views of the balkanization, and subsequent radicalization and militarization of the former Soviet republics. Like many great minds and visionaries, the public is unable to appreciate the gift of his insight until after tragedy has struck, and we pay the price. I will be watching the Victory Day parade with anticipation of Putin's speech to see how his sentiments change. Last year was grave and quite direct but not hostile. I figure we will see harsher language and a more 'Zhirik' sounding rhetoric to follow this time around.

Expand full comment

Just saw this email. First thing on my list tomorrow. I have to read you slowly or I may miss a hidden gem. Wanted to see if you knew much about the Soviet Collapse? Curious if you thought America could look anything like that? Have heard the Russians remained pretty civilized towards one another but admittedly know very little about it. Honestly it’s probably one of my greatest concerns about potentially happening in the US. While I don’t have a crystal ball I am skeptical Americans can remain calm and civil in those times. Too many factions where our differences have been conditioned for hostility…..thanks for all you do sir. I believe I owe you another tip. Maybe will just sign up this time so I can pester you with more silly questions 😉

Expand full comment

A week or two ago, the (fluent French speaking) Chinese ambassador to France said that there is no basis in international law on accepting the sovereignty of the 15 former Soviet Republics as independent countries.

And he's right. But somehow, the world just kind of shrugged and said, "Ignoring all other Soviet laws and referendums, we're gonna pretend like the 15 republics and their current borders are set in stone forever." There is literally no basis in any kind of law (international or otherwise) for this, whatsoever.

Result? All of them except for LIthuania and Belarus had either a bloody civil war or violent inter-ethnic clashes or a border dispute, or a combination thereof. 13 out of 15 (including Russia itself) went up in flames.

*golf clap*

Expand full comment

Yes, your historical roundup confirms present-day realities. Russia - since the fall of the Soviet Union - has been the permanent victim of the US/Western Mafia's criminality and imperial covetousness.

Since Putin took the helm Russia has been on the side of truth and justice in international matters, and continued to be the victim of the ages-long Anglo conspiracy.

Expand full comment

The comments about the dissolution of the USSR invalidating internal boundary changes during its period of rule are interesting. They provide a way for a power such as China that supports the sovereignty of states and their territorial integrity to have wriggle room in brokering a settlement in which Ukraine loses territory. Whilst still being able to say that territorial integrity has not been compromised.

Of course, despite the simplistic way that western media propaganda seeks to portray the world, all of these “principles” are malleable. One could argue perhaps that external territorial settlements brokered by the USSR are also invalid. That would require Ukraine, Belorussia and Lithuania to return territory to Poland! Ultimately, what matters will be pragmatic need and some face saving legal formula will be found to validate it with respect to international law. Just as happened with Kosovo, albeit the west chooses to ignore that one.

The references to referenda are also interesting. Very similar really to how international law is applied. Their results are used to justify what political elites want to do. When the answer does not fit, then just as with international law they are ignored and convoluted rationales are found to justify doing so. The Brexit referendum is a case in point. It has been honoured in theory but the UK deep state / financial elite is still doing everything it can to reverse that decision.

Expand full comment

As devil's advocate - Ukraine voted for independence on its own referendum later. This is the answer that is usually given to the USSR referendum in discussions, and if one is intellectually honest, it has to be admitted that the two cancel each other out.

Thank you for bringing up this interview, these days Sobchak is vilified (deservedly though) as shifty political operator (which he was) but it has been largelly forgotten how smart he actually was, which brought him to his position in the first place.

Expand full comment

The most bizarre aspect of the US created Neo-Nazi Ukraine, is seeing gullible Western progressives being so brainwashed by the MSM narrative, of a LGBT Anti-fascist freedom force fighting the Nazi Russians, they give up their lives to fight side by side with actual extreme right wing nationalist neo-Nazis. Like that dead gay progressive Bernie reddit bro that got killed recently, he actually thought he was fighting Trump backed Nazi Russians, while marching with with Ukrainian holding Nazi flags. This is a circus.

Expand full comment

Nitpicking about the Yugoslavia map, Serbia did not include B&H and Montenegro, those were republics of Yugoslavia. Very interesting figures about USSR, had no idea about such huge disparity.

Expand full comment

Nice to see finally a very detailed depiction of "Ukraine's" territorial gains throughout time.

Expand full comment

You are dead on the money when you allude that the preferred technique for Washington - and to a lesser extent the EU - where elections are concerned is to cause them to be run again until the desired results are achieved. In the cases of referendum and leadership vote the overall thrust is the same; infer irregularities and claim that the sacred democratic process was tampered with, and continue exploiting dissatisfaction until the aim is achieved. But in the case of presidential and national elections, a useful tool for the west has been the willingness of the target countries to permit western representatives to conduct exit polling. This is simply inviting those leaving the polls to disclose how they voted - no danger in that, surely? Most former-Soviet countries are eager to prove their transparency chops, and are happy to let the west sample the vote after it has been carried out. But this has been used over and over, first in Serbia, then Georgia and then Ukraine, to discredit the election's result. Western election monitors simply claim their results, based on what voters told them immediately after voting, were greatly different from the tally claimed by the winner. Therefore, the winner must be lying!! Run it again, and enough of your tricks! Accusations of ballot-box stuffing and carousel voting are dusted off, even though western government officials entrusted with briefing their press often do not even know what the latter term means, when challenged.

Advance polls, at least in Russia - sampling to see how decided voters intend to vote - have been almost boring in their predictions. If they say something like 70% plan to vote for United Russia, the actual vote comes out remarkably close to that - but the west affects to be greatly surprised; oh, exit polls indicate the challenger got much more of the vote!

I expect this to stop as if it had hit a wall in future; there is no purpose at all to allowing western election monitors to oversee any portion of the vote in countries the west plainly wants to destabilize. They will simply have to accept that the vote result is the will of the people, and if they don't like it, that's too bad. It looks as if Russian cooperation with western meddling against itself is over for good, and I expect China will follow suit. The western empire has made the biggest mistake of its life, in only a couple of short years of neoconservative decision-making, but the reckoning will endure for a generation.

Expand full comment

Fantastic! Good to see the Production/Consumption statistic.

What validates the late stage of USSR statistics is the state of the Ukraine's economy after 2014 .. down and to the right and now they are suckling at the West's teat (not for long).

For a recent history of Ukraine documentary style, https://rumble.com/vwxxi8-ukraine-on-fire.html

Expand full comment

The list of ignored referendums is interesting. In the Netherlands there has been the possibility to hold consultative referendums from 2005 up to 2018. Probably due to undesired outcomes every time (against anything EU), the law allowing consultative referendums was abolished. One needs to keep up with democracy, but not too much. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_the_Netherlands.

It is clear other countries had their own undesired outcomes that were subsequently ignored.

It is good to live in the US empire with the best democracy money can buy. Democracy is way too important to leave to chance.

Expand full comment

Great Article. Thanx a lot.

But it was crystal clear decades before.

It has started massively after Stalin´s death by Trotskyists.

After Stalin´s death they´ve come traitors to the leadership of country

and in to all key governmental offices. Traitors´ve made actions directly against

Soviet Civilization/people. Their decisions and resolutions was hidden genocide of

Soviet Civilization/people. It takes decades. Nowdays Russian Federation and his People

can face manifestations of sabotage and terroristical actions, kind of guerrilla warfare by ukronazis.

Expand full comment

Brat ("Bother") premiered at the cinema I worked at. Great movie.

Expand full comment