Let’s start things a little differently this time and go straight to battlefield updates, as the Russian forces continue to make headway in a number of key sectors. On the Avdeevka axis there have been several noteworthy gains since last time. Firstly, the large gap area between Arkhangelsk and Keramik has been completely taken, circled in yellow below:
2 May 2024 During Wartime - The US, President Putin and Chairman Mao on « The Importance of Economic construction »
April 25 President Putin published new figures for economic growth in Russia in 2024 in a speech to the Plenary Session of the Congress of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
GDP growth in January, Febuary reached 6% annualised
Industrial production growth of 8.5% in Febuary, 4.6% in January
Growth in manufacturing 7.5% January, 13.5% Febuary
Average monthly salary up in real terms 8.5% in January, real disposable income for 2023 up by 5.3%
Inflation ‘slowing down’ although VVP gave no figures, apparently it’s now close to zero (according to Karl Sanchez)
Unemployment less than 3%
VVP also refers to the renationalisation of certain essential industries and companies
This is a follow up to the meeting with Alexander Shohkin, President of the RUIE
August 20, 1933, this speech was delivered at the economic construction conference in southern Kiangsi
Please note that what Chaiman Mao is stating here is exactly the same as that which some of the more realistic MSM Western commentors, usually ex US Armed forces, are beginning now to say
One example (with apologies for putting the cart before the horse)
William J Astore, Retired Lieutenant-Colonel (USAF)
This the RF is putting into practice presently, not only within Russia, but also within the Donbass, as per Mariupol, and as per ongoing nationalisations of foreign agribusiness-es
« Therefore it is utterly wrong to think that no economic construction should be undertaken in the midst of the revolutionary war. Those who think this way often say that everything should be subordinated to the war effort, but they fail to understand that to dispense with economic construction would weaken the war effort rather than subordinate everything to it.
Only by extending the work on the economic front and building the economy of the Red areas can we provide an adequate material basis for the revolutionary war, proceed smoothly with our military offensives and strike effective blows at the enemy's "encirclement and suppression" campaigns; only thus can we acquire the resources to enlarge the Red Army and push our front outwards to points thousands of li away, so that when the circumstances prove favourable, the Red Army will be able to attack Nanchang and Kiukiang free from all anxiety and, thus relieved of much of the task of provisioning itself, give its undivided attention to fighting; and only thus can we to a certain extent satisfy the material needs of the people so that they will join the Red Army or undertake other revolutionary tasks with even greater enthusiasm. Subordinating everything to the war effort means just this. Through the discussions at this conference and through the reports you will make when you return to your posts, we must create mass enthusiasm for economic construction among all government personnel and among all workers and peasants.
The importance of economic construction for the revolutionary war should be made clear to everyone, so that they will do their best to promote the sale of economic construction bonds, develop the co-operative movement, and set up public granaries and storehouses for famine relief everywhere.
Judged by volume, grain ranks first among the principal outgoing commodities in our trade with the outside areas.
« Because real national security can neither be measured nor safeguarded solely by military power (especially the might of a military that hasn’t won a major war since 1945). Economic vitality matters so much more, as does the availability and affordability of health care, education, housing, and other crucial aspects of life unrelated to weaponry and war. Add to that the importance of a Congress responsive to the needs of the working poor, the hungry and the homeless among us. And don’t forget that the moral fabric of our nation should be based not on a military eternally ready to make war but on a determination to uphold international law and defend human rights. It’s high time for America to put aside its conveniently generic “rules-based order” anchored in imperial imperatives and face its real problems. A frank look in the mirror is what’s most needed here. »
And what the RF is putting into practice presently, not only within Russia, but also within the Donbass, as per Mariupol, and as per ongoing nationalisations of foreign agribusiness-es
« ….Russian society primarily because of its history as it has a very healthy Trade Union Confederation that provides the third balancing leg of the political-economic stool along with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Russia’s federal government. Putin has initiated the tradition of consulting both groups for policy ideas, revealing problems, and establishing a working relationship designed to empower and uplift all sides. One of the unique aspects of that arrangement is the almost continuous dialog occurring throughout the year between the three parties and others like the education and healthcare portions of the government. We don’t have anything like that here. Yes, the illegal sanctions war against Russia has helped Russian solidarity, but the societal arrangement was in place before their onslaught, which is why they were dealt with in a manner that boomeranged onto the lawbreakers and hurting them more. The overall result is Russians get many opportunities to participate in actual policy development and execution—participatory democracy. The event being reported today is one portion of the overall aspect of Russian governance. »
« First – we will ensure that the business environment is as predictable as possible. I am sure that everyone has a lot of questions on this topic, but we will continue on this path, and I have already instructed to expand the horizon for planning public finances. It will cover not only the next three years, but also make it possible to outline the main government expenditures further, for the next six years.
Thus, the authorities at the federal, regional and local levels will be able to plan more large-scale, long-term projects, with greater investment, and therefore with a more comprehensive effect on the territories and sectors of the economy. And of course, contractors and performers of such projects will also be able to plan long-term modernization and expansion of their capacities, attract and train specialists.
An additional adjustment of the tax system should be another important step to improve the investment climate. Now the Government, as you know, together with business and public associations, the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the Parliament are working on this crucial issue, discussing the parameters of changes and preparing relevant proposals. »
« In this regard, I would like to focus on a very sensitive issue. I also raised it in March, at the Board of the Prosecutor General's Office. Recently, law enforcement agencies have initiated a number of cases on the return to state ownership of certain assets. I would like to emphasize that we are not talking about revising privatisation, as we discussed at our previous meeting, but rather about cases where the actions or omissions of owners of enterprises and property complexes cause direct damage to the country's security and national interests.
I would like to once again draw the attention of my colleagues in this hall and in the law enforcement agencies: the withdrawal of a business is justified only in the situation that I have just mentioned. And I will add: to explain the claims to the owners, no formal reasons and leads are allowed, for example, if the asset was privatized in the early 1990s in agreement only with the region, without the participation of the federal center. The Federal Government itself overlooked these deals at the time. Now I won't say whether this was done consciously or not, it doesn't matter. But the fact remains that the Government did not control, did not do what it should have done in accordance with the then regulatory framework, which means that claims against the current owners of assets are inappropriate. Especially to those who work normally and successfully, solve social issues, and help ensure national security. »
Could I ask you to expand on, "This the RF is putting into practice presently...and as per ongoing nationalisations of foreign agribusiness-es."
What is Russia doing with what agribusinesses? I am so hoping Russia will drive the GMO companies from Ukraine once the war is done, your comment gives me hope :)
Thanks for your comment - RF practices and procedures are often underreported in Western media - but I'm working on a report of RF agribusiness, anti GM, hydroponics and so on - it will be incomplete but maybe better than nothing
Ukrainian agri developements are also opaque, but appear to have adopted US style GM, ind ag practices and that large amounts of land have been bought by the Cargills etc usal suspects
I am sure you know Zelensky "sold" 30% of Ukraine farmland to US GMOs, that GMO grain is what the West was so mad to get to the "poor in Africa." It actually was dumped in the EU which is one of the many reasons the EU farmers are so hopping mad.
EU Commission support for grain imports from Ukraine is deeply hypocritical, given otherwise solid EU support for 'green' policies to encourage organic non GM, which in turn are deeply hypocritical for attempts to support 'consolidation' in agri business within the EU, while free trade with Mercosur will lessen food self sufficency at the expense of EU farmers
The really funny thing is that the EU was never going to let Ukraine in anyway, even if Ukraine could satisfy the acquis in 20 years or so (human rights, corruption etc) the agriculture sector is a deal-killer. Poland alone almost broke the CAP, and the EU will have learned from that. No chance France or Germany or any of the others (amusingly including the Baltics) would let themselves be trashed by letting in the world's most efficient grain producer... :)
'world's most efficient grain producer' - some might dispute that, the RF for a start
The Uk's overuse GM and chems - so much so that EU's, eastern EU's, swear the grain is not suitable for pigs , yet agree with the Uk's that their grain is certainly not good enough for Africans, ironically or cynically
The EU C uses Uk grain to break EU farmers, as per their other import schemes - Mercosur
Sure they (neither EUC nor the major EU countries), would never let the Uk into the EU, I read it would cost the EU €175B per year just for the agri con
That's really interesting! I read a number of German dairy farmers, one now very successful, moved to Russia in recent years. I do hope that Russia takes full control of Ukraine, invites its citizens back, invites others to come and re-inhabit the area. There are a lot of sensible people in the world willing to work hard, what a boon those people could be for both Ukraine and Russia!
[[[ Inflation ‘slowing down’ although VVP gave no figures, apparently it’s now close to zero (according to Karl Sanchez) ]]]
Only a semi-literate pensioner who writes 100 posts everywhere and has nothing better to do than report as Gospel the nonsense of another semi-illiterate pensioner, a certain Karl, can write that inflation is now almost zero. When they just kept the policy rate at 16%
The massive Ukrainian losses have chewed through all those willing to fight, and quite a few forced to. Even the remaining "old hands" see the senselessness as their demobilization was cancelled. All the elements for an ongoing collapse in the Ukrainian military are in place. The relative ease with which the Russian Army is advancing through stronghold positions tells us that the collapse is already underway.
I do not know your past, just imagine that you have been in active combat for the entire war (SMO) since I am talking about Ukrainians I will say war. Anyway you have been in combat the entire time, you have missed mandatory leave time, hell, you have not even been paid for almost half the months or your commander has deducted your equipment and other things from your pay, you have survived and now your contract is over. Oops! Sorry the corrupt Elensky along with the oligarchs who just happen to be politicians decided that no you will remain active duty until we say it is over
Nobody in Washington, Brussels or Kiev cares, as long as the soldiers still follow orders. Even if they follow orders only with guns to their backs, that suits the rulers just fine.
Thank you for another fantastic analysis and presentation sir. I like the new format arrangement, not really preferring one order over the other but anything to retain eyes and ears and increase the audience's exposure to the truths you tell are a benefit to all mankind. The very mankind the western elect under mandate from their demonic overlords are trying hard to eliminate. Blessings and thank you again Simplicius, we're very honored to have your words.
Somehow I see it more as like chimps screaming, waving their fists, and throwing sticks, stones, and feces. Anything rather than actually advance and fight - which is risky.
The more you read about chimps, the harder it is to see any difference between them and people.
At every stage of escalation, we hear that escalation is reckless, that it is pointless, that the West lacks resources to escalate, that it is a bluff.
Regarding escalation everything is crystal clear. US and West have defined limits to Special Military Operation. Limits are:
A. no nuclear war,
B. no US & NATO soldiers in open fight against army of Russian Federation, as this leads to A.
As long as these rules are followed US & West will not stop increasing military support as they do not perceive escalating military support as an escalation.
In practical terms, there will never be a no fly zone, enforced by US / NATO Airforce, because it would demand a direct confrontation with RF Airforce, but Ukraine will be supplied with jets, antiaircraft batteries, and a series aggressive attempts at destroying Russian air defence will be tried.
It is sunken cost fallacy, but the mechanism of escalation is bluffing. US & West imagined the whole project of regime change in Russia as some kind of calling Putin's bluff. It was a colossal mistake, a complete misunderstanding of the distribution of global strategic forces. Putin's patience, coming from refusing to repeat mistakes done by Russian leaders in the last 150 years, from the Nikolaj Romanov, Lenin, Stalin, Hruscov, Gorbachev...was interpreted as weakness. Incredibly stupid, but US never listened to serious intellectuals (if you are so smart why aren't you rich)
As long as an illusion that victory might be around the corner, after the next WunderWaffe is supplied... can be kept alive
it is easier to continue the current strategy than to change course.
Unfortunately there are signs that US & West would prefer local nuclear war in Ukraine to outright defeat, but ..
Russian victory will end this type of reasoning. Only Russian victory can end this type of reasoning.
Once this is understood, one can begin to think about alternatives;
Could Ukraine have been a bridge between EU and Russia? And EU and China? Could EU have demonstrated its commitment to right of minorities, ethnic, religious minorities by supporting Russian population in Ukraine against nationalist government.
This was such a missed historic opportunity. But so was helping Constatinople against Ottoman invasion 500 years ago.
As I recall, those European countries now in EU/"The West"(™) produced the force which sacked Constantinople during the 4th crusade and pushed it into the decline which ended the eastern empire?
B rule stands. Foreign, western soldiers in Ukraine are combatants and legitimate targets in whatever role they try to present themselves, instructors, advisers, repairmen…NATO officially entering Ukraine is WW3.
Feral Finster, regarding stomach, may I remind you that West explicitly refused the risk of casualties, Nato soldiers dying in Ukraine. West will send everything, weapons, money, but not the soldiers. If Ukraine could create an army that would win in a conventional war…
This army could be the center, the core, and around it a new Ukrainian nation, opposed to Russia, victorious, respected by the West, invited into Nato and EU, could be created…Even retreating from Donbas can be presented and accepted as victory if the war ends where the frontline is.
But if the army is attritted so heavily, that Harkov and Odesa are lost, this is a defeat
Tragically, the internal logic of this war requires defeat of Ukrainian army for the war to end. It is an existential war for Russia, and existential for Ukraine
There is a somewhat [in]famous experiment in which a group of poor mice are put in glass tubes filled with water and left to swim until they drown. Apparently how long mice are willing to swim until they drown is of scientific interest. Who knew?
In any case someone decided to alter the experiment and "saved' the mice. After they saved the mice, they placed them back in the tubes to yet again swim for their lives.
To their surprise, the "saved" mice swam far longer than mice had swum before. And yes, to answer the obvious question; the second time around they left them to swim until death called them home. There is a special place in hell for these people.
I am reminded of those "saved" mice each time I hear of Ukraine being given funds that somehow never reach them, given weapons that don't work, equipment that fails. IMO one of the West's goals is to drown ever hopeful Ukraine in its own blood, much like those scientists drowned their own hopeful mice.
Yet perhaps it is best the war continue. Best that Russia take all of Ukraine, for only in the hands of a just steward can they ever hope to recover. For otherwise Ukraine will see itself "saved' by Blackrock, and we know how that will end.
It is a reflection of how the self appointed elites view the Great Unwashed Masses….subhuman expendables. I take a grim pleasure in visions of wooden mansions going up in flames. Speaking of which didnt the CEO of Rhienmetall just have a wee mishap?
This is like saying that all mice are mammals, men are mammals, then men are mice .. the people of Ukraine don't swim because they have hope that they will be saved, they swim because every time they sink, they are revived and then, they get an electroshock in the testicles for sinking ..
Precisely, transferring the "psychology" of mouses to men seems somewhat simplistic to me, as much as deducing that if mice are mammals, and men are mammals, then men are mice.
That mouses, because they are mammals, can give valuable physiological clues for the reaction of the same drug in humans seems right to me (and taking a lot of precautions along the way). Now, that mouses can give valuable clues of human psychology, well, I begin to doubt it (just as I doubt the psychological experiments done on humans, most of which at the end of the day cannot be replicated).
But, the fact that we just have to discuss this, shows me that maybe I'm wrong, and we are definitely mice, not men ..
I appreciate your faith in social scientists, but hey, it's still faith.
Regarding the elephant, I would say that here the elephant in the room is precisely the belief that it is hope that keeps Ukrainians fighting, nothing further from reality, what keeps them fighting is greed, corruption, betrayal and fear, nothing more.
Thank you, and you can bet your buttons they are sociopaths. Their tests when I first came across them left a deep impression.
If you should be unfortunate enough to encounter it, you will see their Paper is replete with photos of desperate struggling white mice all lined up trapped in matching glass vials, all swimming desperately against a black background. White mice, black background, so well thought out.
Then there are the photos of their corpses, all in the same position, all neatly lined up, all stiff as a board. Sociopaths to the max IMO, and may Hell duplicate their experiments upon them for all eternity.
You are a huge pain in the ass. You have so many prescient points that are all hugely important that I don't know where to start.
Here is something you brushed lightly that fascinates me. Arestovich. How does the SBU not have Arestovich in a Kiev basement with a car battery hooked up to his testicles? Who is protecting him? His divergence from the Fourth Reich line is not exactly tolerated in Ukraine. I am speculating the CIA has a net on him for when Zelensky is handed the cyanide pill and Walther. The savior of Rump Ukraine?
The Kerch bridge. If I was the Russian military high command, I would be fucking praying they dump all the HIMARS and other WunderWaffen on it. Blow that bitch up, and ruin Putin's night. While throwing away your last usable long-range ordnance on something they will fix in three months with ZERO Russian military degradation. Do it! Putin will probably bury his face in the tight bosom of a Prima ballerina and still get a good night's sleep. Laughing the whole time.
That military display of captured Western hardware. Fucking hilarious. I would paint that Abrams in the gay pride colors and park it in front of the US Embassy in Moscow.
The Western military contractors. Fixed price contracts? Surely you jest. Inflation is coming back. And the Gen Z and Millennials ain't working in no un-airconditioned factories. And the cartel members streaming across the border don't have the rudimentary technical skills to stick in those arms factories. The Western arms producers are there to make 300% profits. Not to win fucking wars. If you win, you got no future sales. Every Bradley we send Ukraine? Even if it is a fucked-up piece of shit? Will be replaced at a 10 if not 20X price factor. While the Russians change the oil in a T62 and make a mobile pill box out of it for the price of a diesel mechanic.
Where I live in Canada the damn city has painted a cross walk in rainbow colors beside the head office of the Catholic school board. On a city bike path that runs beside a Catholic high school near me, they replaced a fancy metal sculpture park bench (already a waste of money) with a rainbow bench.
That broken-down over-priced piece of Pentagon scrap metal would look simply fab in rainbow stripes.
The information board at the exhibition shows an announcement: "The employees of the embassies of the USA, UK, Germany, France and Poland get access to inspecting the trophy NATO equipment without having to wait in line." xD
"Putin will probably bury his face in the tight bosom of a Prima ballerina and still get a good night's sleep." No, Putin would just get down to work to get the damage cleaned up and the bridge up and running again. He's also famously monogamous, works out in the gym, and always gets a good night's sleep.
No disrespect to ballerinas, but the prima ballerinas of the Bolshoi and similar, the world's best, tend not to have significant bosoms, because of the physical demands of the job. They're thin, very wiry, with not a trace of fat on them but with muscles and tendons visible on their arms or legs like steel cables. Meet them in real life and it's not a sexy look.
"I would paint that Abrams in the gay pride colors and park it in front of the US Embassy in Moscow." The perverted West would like that, as that would be the only way they'd get gay pride colors into a public place in Moscow. Also, there's almost nobody at the US Embassy in Moscow anymore. Russia should just shut the place down, along with the embassies of all other countries that have committed acts of war against Russia.
Man, that's funny! The Big GAE (Greater American Empire, or Globohomo American Empire) is showing signs of severe breakage. Hopefully it'll hurry up and keel over in short order.
G'day Simplicious, a lot has and is still happening re US supported Isreal and Iran yet you have been near silent on the subject of late. Could you possibly please comment on Pepe Escobars reporting in regard the attack on Iran and your opinion on the possible veracity or not. Thanks for your amazing coverage on Ukraine which is unmatched in my opinion
IMO Pepe Escobar was fed disinfo from on high. They are trying to delegitimize all independent reporters. Theyve done it to Hersh and others who claim thy have inside track.
Thanks for the comment which aligns with Larry Johnsons opinion yet we are still left with the fact then it appears that Israel let Iran's attack go unrespondedto.and the loss of face and deterrence on Israel's part is enormous and unprecedented IMO. Something seems a bit amiss.
I have a much simpler explanation, albeit much less pleasant. Iran is loathe to escalate, since Israel will sic its American thug on Iran if it does so.
So Iran is loathe to escalate what exactly, the reply to Iran's bombing of the military airfields was a non starter so what would the escalation be in response to? Iran was able to get through all the Evil Empire attempts to protect the Zionist state and it's response was miniscule at best so Iran is waiting for Israel's threats of escalation.
Now I suffer from optimism, but I do think Iran, possibly with Russian assistance is capable of taking down an F-35 on Jordan's border, and that is all that this possible/probable event called for.
I also think there are spies galore within Israel's govt, military and possibly a few others who are sane. If they knew a nuclear device was about to be used in Iranian airspace to create an EMP event, I think they would not sit back and let it happen.
For Israel's nutcase of a govt to let that attack slide with a few missiles is not believable. For them to have been flummoxed as Pepe describes is quite possible. Possibly it was followed up with a warning from Russia? In any case time will tell, watch for the US to "gift" Israel a new or a few new F-35s.
Russia's rear area intel has become top-notch for getting actionable intel to where it can be used rapidly before the target moves, which also means the ready availability of the proper weapons. At the FEBA, Ukies are reeling backwards as they don't have the firepower to halt the Russian advance. Yes, they put-up resistance but eventually backpedal. And the villages being rolled over are very simple while the more central cities offer some sort of defensible position. But then comes the rain of FABs. I'm beginning to wonder if Ukraine will have one line soldier capable of staying alive the whole way.
One other thing getting little notice is the continual addition of rotary and fixed wing aircraft to the Russian Aerospace Forces thus increasing the density of sorties able to be flown in each combat sector. And that gets added to the new tubes arriving along with plenty of shells. Neither situation can be matched or countered by NATO or Ukraine. Here's a question: What's the rotational schedule for Russia's combat pilots of all types? 25 sorties them ten days off or what? Thanks.
Nailed it. They are not re-barreling Uke artillery pieces. They shoot them till they blow up. Troop rotation for Uke's? If they let the drafted at gunpoint cannon fodder go, they run away. The Russians are fucking rotating troops for TRAINING. The Ukes are punch drunk. While the Nazi's party in Kiev. And the sheep dipped NATO troops shoot retreating Uke troops.
Kievan junta is thoroughly "ethnic" and endowed with the same genocidal mentality as its spiritual twin, the government of the jewish fascist state of Israel. The only difference is, the junta is blithely destroying a whole generation of Ukrainian men and selling out Ukrainian resources and land. Pity Ukrainian mothers! Straussians (jewish fascists/ziocons in charge of US policies ) made a monument for themselves by ruining Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Americans are currently learning that they belong to the "Amalek" side for the "owners" (the private banking cartel and mega corporations). See the sadistic treatment of students peacefully protesting against Genocide in Palestine, whereas the zionist thugs-provocateurs are protected by Israeli-trained US police. The US is beings squeezed out of the last juicy drops before discarded and left to rot by the "owners."
As one who is currently living in FattedCalf-ville, it sure seems like we are headed toward such a scenario. Thus the Israelis are making the most of this period because when things really do implode they might not be getting their ten million a day….
Keep in mind that even though Zelensky's "election" was held only in districts controlled by the nazi junta and only the junta's candidates could run, all the same it was a landslide for the Zelensky program of peace and return to normalcy with Russia. They didn't vote for a massive deepening of war.
The great majority of "Ukrainians" have always been, and still are today, ethnic Russians who speak Russian as a native language. Zelensky himself, although technically a Russian Jew, speaks Russian as his native language, as has every president of "Ukraine" since 1991.
That's still demographically true despite ten years of ethnic cleansing by the nazi junta and ten years of fanatic, kill anybody who resists campaigns to re-program the population into Russia-haters. Ten years is a long time in the life of kids, so the campaign to create home grown Hitler youth has had its successes. Also the natural filtration that occurred as people who were oppressed in nazi-held territories fled to Donbass and to Russia has resulted in a higher concentration than before of nationalist freaks in the territories Kiev holds. But still, in pretty much everywhere except nazi strongholds like Lvov, native Russian speakers and friends of Russia still are the majority, albeit barely in many provinces.
'When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community”'.
Recall that 2 days after Zelensky's inauguration in May 2019, a consortium of NGO directors & pro-democracy reps sent the new president a letter that showed him the red lines across which he could not step: the letter stipulated that his government could not review the language laws or the education law [which was repressive of Russian ethnics in Ukraine] or change the de-communization law [so-called Leninfall of monuments, etc.]
"If the president crosses these red lines," the signatories said, "it will indicate that he does not seek real democratic change and does not wish to establish a more honest and responsible government, even though he promised to do so."
The signatories were telling Zelensky that there was not in fact a new sheriff in town: 'they' were still in charge.
thanks for the ending - about Russell....yes, I also think they did not know who they had and he may have been very obnoxious with them. But also - I was relieved to hear that although it is terrible torture - it was his own heart that finished him off - not being chopped to pieces while conscious...or worse - like in Gaza prisons right now
Russia is already fighting NATO soldiers, called advisors or technical assistance, and RF has already said many times all NATO soldiers will be killed no different from mercenaries or Ukraine soldiers, or French soldiers, or....
Germany may be stupidstupid but not that stupidstupid enough to think that RF will not kill their 500 soldiers
Plus German soldiers not that stupidstupid - like Ukraine soldiers go AWOL, flee back home, refuse to go, fall sick
How many active duty combat soldiers does Germany have?
What you wrote about Bentley - I back it up. I to0 - fell out with him over him totally misinterpreting my point. Was to do with the 1st hit on the Kerch Bridge. I put it down to "a bit to much drink" Maybe not ??
Do you mind elaborating on your dispute with him over the Kerch Bridge attack? I'm curious what there is to have a big dispute over.
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I followed him on Telegram, but only for the last two years and never had any personal communication with him. He sometimes came across as prickly, but passionately devoted to the people of Donbas. I could understand how seeing what he saw and going through what he did could make a person quick tempered.
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Do you have any recommendations for other people to follow in the Donbas?
He permanently banned me from his Telegram after I pointed out that Ukraine's still fairly intact air defense network in late 2022 combined with Russia's attritional strategy and the durability of the massive bridges over the Dnieper would've made bombing all these bridges an extremely wasteful, pointless, counter-productive, and likely impossible thing to do which what tools Russia had available at the time. This fucking guy actually thought that a Tu-22M3 fully loaded with FAB-500s could just thunder run over thousands of miles of S-300 guarded territory to take out one of these bridges with bombs not even designed to defeat heavy reinforced concrete structures about a full year before the UMPK glide bomb kit entered production.
Old Texas had balls of iron, but you're right, he was a former drug dealer and not the nicest fellow around. But everyone salutes his courage in combat.
As for his death, Donbass is crawling with all kinds of scum from Russia seeking to profit in every kind of way, including social media clout, stealing (including donated) supplies, gun running, and drugs. Not to be racist, but there are also a hell of a lot of Russian-speaking people from Central Asian backgrounds in Donbass atm (including civilians brought in to rebuild Mariupol). Those dumb non-ethnic-Russian shits from the 5th Tankers clearly saw an American and thought he was rich (because "all Americans are rich") and had no fucking idea of his past fighting for Donbass because they don't give a shit about the locals.
However, there's a more frightening aspect to this which is that clearly the FSB is covering up this crime for their own nefarious purposes. Otherwise, those "tankers" who killed Texas would be in jail pronto, and Bentley's wife could've gotten the body buried within a few days (as well as spoken out on her Telegram channel about what happened). So basically, yeah, the Donbass is a mafia wild west world thanks to the war and the ordinary people who live there are getting fucked over.
The Nazis are gone, but every scumbag from the Russian Federation is now terrorizing the place, in a nutshell.
Not a good place to start. You already mentioned this and then expanded on it by saying what you said. So why did you say that? Where is the evidence that "every scumbag from the Russian Federation is now terrorizing the place"?
It's a fine place to start. A prominent citizen of Donetsk was abducted in broad daylight and murdered by Russian scumbags in the Donbas. And so my point was that Sam, therefore, inherently had a start toward supporting his claim merely by the subject he was commenting on.
Of course, Sam will never be able to prove his point literally, since he was engaging in hyperbole. His real point is that the Donbas is a wild territory and attractive to bad elements. Heck, Russell Bentley himself knew that; I hear--I think it was from his Telegram--that he often carried a pistol when going out and about.
"clearly the FSB is covering up this crime for their own nefarious purposes. " Total nonsense.
If you've ever been to war with ill defined lines you know it's total chaos. Russia will get the killers and will try them. And no, the Donbass is not a mafia wild west. I live in Russia and I know many people in and from Donbass and it's not like that at all.
Western efforts appear to be re-doubling in the economic space, where US is putting the screws on Russia's energy sector and trying to close off parallel importation and sanctions avoidance. In this, they appear somewhat successful as they have managed to arrest Arctic LNG 2, and are able to pressure countries like the Emirates to enforce sanctions more than before. The Chinese appear to be holding out, but are playing a double game.
Russia is making gains on the battlefield, but at some point they need to threaten Kiev or Odessa because otherwise this just takes too long
Novatek is going ahead with two of the three Arctic LNG liquefying plants
Simon Watkins at OilPrice.com has been spreading false information
It is preferable to see China's discreet flexibility as retaining the capacity to be extremely useful to Russia by a convincing semblance of neutrality, hence peace diplomacy, BRICS etc support, while increasing import/export volumes
The plant is producing LNG just fine, but the tankers to move it aren't being delivered. LNG is looking more and more like the resource-war of the future. My point is that the economic war, after going a little quiet for a while, is heating up again
The ones who suffered from that cancellation were the SK
It is not as if the Chinese can not produce tankers - and have a peculiar interest in the massive amounts of Arctic gas at a discount
The point is that the West has already lost the resources war, their sanctions cost them more than those sanctioned, now can only fight guerrilla style
The war is ongoing. And actually the West has an interest in Russian oil and gas making it to market but the money being tied up. They appear to be targeting the banking systems harder now.
Further, the drone strikes on refineries imo are with the full support of the US, contrary to their public statements. The Ukrainians keep hitting them and yet another one yesterday
The price of oil will only go up with increasing instability as to RF supply - but many of the Ukrainian hits are very minor, showtime more than than anything else
The bank attacks will only speed up de linking to $
Much trade with China will become, or already is, invisible to US
The hits may be minor, but they are hits and demonstrates a vulnerability to russia's energy sector.
The bank attacks I agree, but US is also looking at sanctioning places that de-dollarize. I don't think this is wise, but when an empire collapses it tends to shower places with rubble
China-Rus trade is more or less fortified agree, but the Chinese entities are vulnerable to sanctions because they tend to trade with the world. A series of cutouts and shell companies is the solution, but this is hardly conducive to large scale economic enterprise
2 May 2024 During Wartime - The US, President Putin and Chairman Mao on « The Importance of Economic construction »
April 25 President Putin published new figures for economic growth in Russia in 2024 in a speech to the Plenary Session of the Congress of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
GDP growth in January, Febuary reached 6% annualised
Industrial production growth of 8.5% in Febuary, 4.6% in January
Growth in manufacturing 7.5% January, 13.5% Febuary
Average monthly salary up in real terms 8.5% in January, real disposable income for 2023 up by 5.3%
Inflation ‘slowing down’ although VVP gave no figures, apparently it’s now close to zero (according to Karl Sanchez)
Unemployment less than 3%
VVP also refers to the renationalisation of certain essential industries and companies
This is a follow up to the meeting with Alexander Shohkin, President of the RUIE
http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/73940 -https://karlof1.substack.com/p/plenary-session-of-the-congress-of
http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/73693- https://karlof1.substack.com/p/putin-meets-with-alexander-shokhin
https://karlof1.substack.com/p/opening-remarks-on-economic-issues
Chairman Mao
« Pay attention to Economic work »
August 20, 1933, this speech was delivered at the economic construction conference in southern Kiangsi
Please note that what Chaiman Mao is stating here is exactly the same as that which some of the more realistic MSM Western commentors, usually ex US Armed forces, are beginning now to say
One example (with apologies for putting the cart before the horse)
William J Astore, Retired Lieutenant-Colonel (USAF)
https://braveneweurope.com/william-j-astore-pentagon-spending-and-national-insecurity
This the RF is putting into practice presently, not only within Russia, but also within the Donbass, as per Mariupol, and as per ongoing nationalisations of foreign agribusiness-es
https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_7.htm
Annexe
https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_7.htm
« Therefore it is utterly wrong to think that no economic construction should be undertaken in the midst of the revolutionary war. Those who think this way often say that everything should be subordinated to the war effort, but they fail to understand that to dispense with economic construction would weaken the war effort rather than subordinate everything to it.
Only by extending the work on the economic front and building the economy of the Red areas can we provide an adequate material basis for the revolutionary war, proceed smoothly with our military offensives and strike effective blows at the enemy's "encirclement and suppression" campaigns; only thus can we acquire the resources to enlarge the Red Army and push our front outwards to points thousands of li away, so that when the circumstances prove favourable, the Red Army will be able to attack Nanchang and Kiukiang free from all anxiety and, thus relieved of much of the task of provisioning itself, give its undivided attention to fighting; and only thus can we to a certain extent satisfy the material needs of the people so that they will join the Red Army or undertake other revolutionary tasks with even greater enthusiasm. Subordinating everything to the war effort means just this. Through the discussions at this conference and through the reports you will make when you return to your posts, we must create mass enthusiasm for economic construction among all government personnel and among all workers and peasants.
The importance of economic construction for the revolutionary war should be made clear to everyone, so that they will do their best to promote the sale of economic construction bonds, develop the co-operative movement, and set up public granaries and storehouses for famine relief everywhere.
Judged by volume, grain ranks first among the principal outgoing commodities in our trade with the outside areas.
https://braveneweurope.com/william-j-astore-pentagon-spending-and-national-insecurity
« Because real national security can neither be measured nor safeguarded solely by military power (especially the might of a military that hasn’t won a major war since 1945). Economic vitality matters so much more, as does the availability and affordability of health care, education, housing, and other crucial aspects of life unrelated to weaponry and war. Add to that the importance of a Congress responsive to the needs of the working poor, the hungry and the homeless among us. And don’t forget that the moral fabric of our nation should be based not on a military eternally ready to make war but on a determination to uphold international law and defend human rights. It’s high time for America to put aside its conveniently generic “rules-based order” anchored in imperial imperatives and face its real problems. A frank look in the mirror is what’s most needed here. »
And what the RF is putting into practice presently, not only within Russia, but also within the Donbass, as per Mariupol, and as per ongoing nationalisations of foreign agribusiness-es
https://karlof1.substack.com/p/plenary-session-of-the-congress-of
« ….Russian society primarily because of its history as it has a very healthy Trade Union Confederation that provides the third balancing leg of the political-economic stool along with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Russia’s federal government. Putin has initiated the tradition of consulting both groups for policy ideas, revealing problems, and establishing a working relationship designed to empower and uplift all sides. One of the unique aspects of that arrangement is the almost continuous dialog occurring throughout the year between the three parties and others like the education and healthcare portions of the government. We don’t have anything like that here. Yes, the illegal sanctions war against Russia has helped Russian solidarity, but the societal arrangement was in place before their onslaught, which is why they were dealt with in a manner that boomeranged onto the lawbreakers and hurting them more. The overall result is Russians get many opportunities to participate in actual policy development and execution—participatory democracy. The event being reported today is one portion of the overall aspect of Russian governance. »
« First – we will ensure that the business environment is as predictable as possible. I am sure that everyone has a lot of questions on this topic, but we will continue on this path, and I have already instructed to expand the horizon for planning public finances. It will cover not only the next three years, but also make it possible to outline the main government expenditures further, for the next six years.
Thus, the authorities at the federal, regional and local levels will be able to plan more large-scale, long-term projects, with greater investment, and therefore with a more comprehensive effect on the territories and sectors of the economy. And of course, contractors and performers of such projects will also be able to plan long-term modernization and expansion of their capacities, attract and train specialists.
An additional adjustment of the tax system should be another important step to improve the investment climate. Now the Government, as you know, together with business and public associations, the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the Parliament are working on this crucial issue, discussing the parameters of changes and preparing relevant proposals. »
« In this regard, I would like to focus on a very sensitive issue. I also raised it in March, at the Board of the Prosecutor General's Office. Recently, law enforcement agencies have initiated a number of cases on the return to state ownership of certain assets. I would like to emphasize that we are not talking about revising privatisation, as we discussed at our previous meeting, but rather about cases where the actions or omissions of owners of enterprises and property complexes cause direct damage to the country's security and national interests.
I would like to once again draw the attention of my colleagues in this hall and in the law enforcement agencies: the withdrawal of a business is justified only in the situation that I have just mentioned. And I will add: to explain the claims to the owners, no formal reasons and leads are allowed, for example, if the asset was privatized in the early 1990s in agreement only with the region, without the participation of the federal center. The Federal Government itself overlooked these deals at the time. Now I won't say whether this was done consciously or not, it doesn't matter. But the fact remains that the Government did not control, did not do what it should have done in accordance with the then regulatory framework, which means that claims against the current owners of assets are inappropriate. Especially to those who work normally and successfully, solve social issues, and help ensure national security. »
Very insightful post and links, thank you!
Could I ask you to expand on, "This the RF is putting into practice presently...and as per ongoing nationalisations of foreign agribusiness-es."
What is Russia doing with what agribusinesses? I am so hoping Russia will drive the GMO companies from Ukraine once the war is done, your comment gives me hope :)
Thanks for your comment - RF practices and procedures are often underreported in Western media - but I'm working on a report of RF agribusiness, anti GM, hydroponics and so on - it will be incomplete but maybe better than nothing
Ukrainian agri developements are also opaque, but appear to have adopted US style GM, ind ag practices and that large amounts of land have been bought by the Cargills etc usal suspects
Thank you, look forward to reading it.
I am sure you know Zelensky "sold" 30% of Ukraine farmland to US GMOs, that GMO grain is what the West was so mad to get to the "poor in Africa." It actually was dumped in the EU which is one of the many reasons the EU farmers are so hopping mad.
EU Commission support for grain imports from Ukraine is deeply hypocritical, given otherwise solid EU support for 'green' policies to encourage organic non GM, which in turn are deeply hypocritical for attempts to support 'consolidation' in agri business within the EU, while free trade with Mercosur will lessen food self sufficency at the expense of EU farmers
The really funny thing is that the EU was never going to let Ukraine in anyway, even if Ukraine could satisfy the acquis in 20 years or so (human rights, corruption etc) the agriculture sector is a deal-killer. Poland alone almost broke the CAP, and the EU will have learned from that. No chance France or Germany or any of the others (amusingly including the Baltics) would let themselves be trashed by letting in the world's most efficient grain producer... :)
'world's most efficient grain producer' - some might dispute that, the RF for a start
The Uk's overuse GM and chems - so much so that EU's, eastern EU's, swear the grain is not suitable for pigs , yet agree with the Uk's that their grain is certainly not good enough for Africans, ironically or cynically
The EU C uses Uk grain to break EU farmers, as per their other import schemes - Mercosur
Sure they (neither EUC nor the major EU countries), would never let the Uk into the EU, I read it would cost the EU €175B per year just for the agri con
The BalNors are addicted to RF grain
Where will you publish your RF agri business report.
It is a very small comment on a very large subject, coming out soon....
That is a delightfully modest answer. When you say "coming out soon", where will that be, i.e. where will I be able to read it?
I know that several small western beef companies had joint ventures with Russian meat processors to raise good beef cattle in Russia.
That’s an example of an agribusiness they may have nationalized. Good beef is worth more than gold to soldiers at the front.
That's really interesting! I read a number of German dairy farmers, one now very successful, moved to Russia in recent years. I do hope that Russia takes full control of Ukraine, invites its citizens back, invites others to come and re-inhabit the area. There are a lot of sensible people in the world willing to work hard, what a boon those people could be for both Ukraine and Russia!
[[[ Inflation ‘slowing down’ although VVP gave no figures, apparently it’s now close to zero (according to Karl Sanchez) ]]]
Only a semi-literate pensioner who writes 100 posts everywhere and has nothing better to do than report as Gospel the nonsense of another semi-illiterate pensioner, a certain Karl, can write that inflation is now almost zero. When they just kept the policy rate at 16%
Paul Krugman is still telling us that we imagine the economy is bad.
Post office hits are just cruel. Could have been a card for mother bandera day
Novaya Poshta is closer to FedEx than a "post office."
Now ex-FED
The massive Ukrainian losses have chewed through all those willing to fight, and quite a few forced to. Even the remaining "old hands" see the senselessness as their demobilization was cancelled. All the elements for an ongoing collapse in the Ukrainian military are in place. The relative ease with which the Russian Army is advancing through stronghold positions tells us that the collapse is already underway.
I do not know your past, just imagine that you have been in active combat for the entire war (SMO) since I am talking about Ukrainians I will say war. Anyway you have been in combat the entire time, you have missed mandatory leave time, hell, you have not even been paid for almost half the months or your commander has deducted your equipment and other things from your pay, you have survived and now your contract is over. Oops! Sorry the corrupt Elensky along with the oligarchs who just happen to be politicians decided that no you will remain active duty until we say it is over
Nulnad-Kagan law!
Nobody in Washington, Brussels or Kiev cares, as long as the soldiers still follow orders. Even if they follow orders only with guns to their backs, that suits the rulers just fine.
It’s as though they are simply depopulating the area so they can take it over for other purposes….toxic waste disposal being one….
Thank you for another fantastic analysis and presentation sir. I like the new format arrangement, not really preferring one order over the other but anything to retain eyes and ears and increase the audience's exposure to the truths you tell are a benefit to all mankind. The very mankind the western elect under mandate from their demonic overlords are trying hard to eliminate. Blessings and thank you again Simplicius, we're very honored to have your words.
"Western figures continue futilely peacocking by threatening to send troops"
"peacocking" is definitely a keeper which so beautifully captures the behavior of Macron and many western politicians and officials.
Somehow I see it more as like chimps screaming, waving their fists, and throwing sticks, stones, and feces. Anything rather than actually advance and fight - which is risky.
The more you read about chimps, the harder it is to see any difference between them and people.
At every stage of escalation, we hear that escalation is reckless, that it is pointless, that the West lacks resources to escalate, that it is a bluff.
The West escalates anyway.
As I like to say: Metal Talks and BullShit Walks. I love the idea of the EUroWeenies getting walloped the Monet they set foot in country/
@Chevrus
Monet ization?
Regarding escalation everything is crystal clear. US and West have defined limits to Special Military Operation. Limits are:
A. no nuclear war,
B. no US & NATO soldiers in open fight against army of Russian Federation, as this leads to A.
As long as these rules are followed US & West will not stop increasing military support as they do not perceive escalating military support as an escalation.
In practical terms, there will never be a no fly zone, enforced by US / NATO Airforce, because it would demand a direct confrontation with RF Airforce, but Ukraine will be supplied with jets, antiaircraft batteries, and a series aggressive attempts at destroying Russian air defence will be tried.
It is sunken cost fallacy, but the mechanism of escalation is bluffing. US & West imagined the whole project of regime change in Russia as some kind of calling Putin's bluff. It was a colossal mistake, a complete misunderstanding of the distribution of global strategic forces. Putin's patience, coming from refusing to repeat mistakes done by Russian leaders in the last 150 years, from the Nikolaj Romanov, Lenin, Stalin, Hruscov, Gorbachev...was interpreted as weakness. Incredibly stupid, but US never listened to serious intellectuals (if you are so smart why aren't you rich)
As long as an illusion that victory might be around the corner, after the next WunderWaffe is supplied... can be kept alive
it is easier to continue the current strategy than to change course.
Unfortunately there are signs that US & West would prefer local nuclear war in Ukraine to outright defeat, but ..
Russian victory will end this type of reasoning. Only Russian victory can end this type of reasoning.
Once this is understood, one can begin to think about alternatives;
Could Ukraine have been a bridge between EU and Russia? And EU and China? Could EU have demonstrated its commitment to right of minorities, ethnic, religious minorities by supporting Russian population in Ukraine against nationalist government.
This was such a missed historic opportunity. But so was helping Constatinople against Ottoman invasion 500 years ago.
@korkyrian
"helping Constantinople"?
As I recall, those European countries now in EU/"The West"(™) produced the force which sacked Constantinople during the 4th crusade and pushed it into the decline which ended the eastern empire?
Exactly, deep down Europe has not changed
@korkyrian
I would go one step further. At the core, PEOPLE have not changed much since 15th century? Just have more tools and fancier shoes.
https://youtu.be/TTCaZVIUNp0?si=WDAMHjL4ePs2NTKY
Even if true, all this assumes that the Russian leadership has the stomach to win.
And ground rule B is in the process of being ignored.
B rule stands. Foreign, western soldiers in Ukraine are combatants and legitimate targets in whatever role they try to present themselves, instructors, advisers, repairmen…NATO officially entering Ukraine is WW3.
Let's see whether Russia has the stomach.
Feral Finster, regarding stomach, may I remind you that West explicitly refused the risk of casualties, Nato soldiers dying in Ukraine. West will send everything, weapons, money, but not the soldiers. If Ukraine could create an army that would win in a conventional war…
This army could be the center, the core, and around it a new Ukrainian nation, opposed to Russia, victorious, respected by the West, invited into Nato and EU, could be created…Even retreating from Donbas can be presented and accepted as victory if the war ends where the frontline is.
But if the army is attritted so heavily, that Harkov and Odesa are lost, this is a defeat
Tragically, the internal logic of this war requires defeat of Ukrainian army for the war to end. It is an existential war for Russia, and existential for Ukraine
There is a somewhat [in]famous experiment in which a group of poor mice are put in glass tubes filled with water and left to swim until they drown. Apparently how long mice are willing to swim until they drown is of scientific interest. Who knew?
In any case someone decided to alter the experiment and "saved' the mice. After they saved the mice, they placed them back in the tubes to yet again swim for their lives.
To their surprise, the "saved" mice swam far longer than mice had swum before. And yes, to answer the obvious question; the second time around they left them to swim until death called them home. There is a special place in hell for these people.
I am reminded of those "saved" mice each time I hear of Ukraine being given funds that somehow never reach them, given weapons that don't work, equipment that fails. IMO one of the West's goals is to drown ever hopeful Ukraine in its own blood, much like those scientists drowned their own hopeful mice.
Yet perhaps it is best the war continue. Best that Russia take all of Ukraine, for only in the hands of a just steward can they ever hope to recover. For otherwise Ukraine will see itself "saved' by Blackrock, and we know how that will end.
Some sharp observations, Frances 👍
Thank you!
I had to do some more explaining to Hu Veja.
?
Never mind.
I figured it out :)
They don’t care about Ukrainians. They’re expendable pawns whose only value comes from the number of Russians they can kill.
That’s the view of U.S. elites.
I have great sympathy for the pawns.
It is a reflection of how the self appointed elites view the Great Unwashed Masses….subhuman expendables. I take a grim pleasure in visions of wooden mansions going up in flames. Speaking of which didnt the CEO of Rhienmetall just have a wee mishap?
This is like saying that all mice are mammals, men are mammals, then men are mice .. the people of Ukraine don't swim because they have hope that they will be saved, they swim because every time they sink, they are revived and then, they get an electroshock in the testicles for sinking ..
> This is like saying that all mice are mammals, men are mammals, then men are mice
Yes and no.
Yes, because taking Frances's argument literally that is how you could interpret it.
No, because mice are commonly used for experiments to give an indication of how humans might react in similar circumstances.
Precisely, transferring the "psychology" of mouses to men seems somewhat simplistic to me, as much as deducing that if mice are mammals, and men are mammals, then men are mice.
That mouses, because they are mammals, can give valuable physiological clues for the reaction of the same drug in humans seems right to me (and taking a lot of precautions along the way). Now, that mouses can give valuable clues of human psychology, well, I begin to doubt it (just as I doubt the psychological experiments done on humans, most of which at the end of the day cannot be replicated).
But, the fact that we just have to discuss this, shows me that maybe I'm wrong, and we are definitely mice, not men ..
You might not agree with it but it is a long established practice, so you should put on your science cap and convince scientists of your views.
BTW, Frances was only referring to mice in the scientific context, and that it *reminds* of the Ukraine.
Seems to me you are trying to make an elephant out of a mice 🤣
I appreciate your faith in social scientists, but hey, it's still faith.
Regarding the elephant, I would say that here the elephant in the room is precisely the belief that it is hope that keeps Ukrainians fighting, nothing further from reality, what keeps them fighting is greed, corruption, betrayal and fear, nothing more.
> what keeps them fighting is greed, corruption, betrayal and fear, nothing more.
I agree.
Excellent Post! The ruling classes are sociopathic to the level of banality and evil.
Thank you, and you can bet your buttons they are sociopaths. Their tests when I first came across them left a deep impression.
If you should be unfortunate enough to encounter it, you will see their Paper is replete with photos of desperate struggling white mice all lined up trapped in matching glass vials, all swimming desperately against a black background. White mice, black background, so well thought out.
Then there are the photos of their corpses, all in the same position, all neatly lined up, all stiff as a board. Sociopaths to the max IMO, and may Hell duplicate their experiments upon them for all eternity.
You are a huge pain in the ass. You have so many prescient points that are all hugely important that I don't know where to start.
Here is something you brushed lightly that fascinates me. Arestovich. How does the SBU not have Arestovich in a Kiev basement with a car battery hooked up to his testicles? Who is protecting him? His divergence from the Fourth Reich line is not exactly tolerated in Ukraine. I am speculating the CIA has a net on him for when Zelensky is handed the cyanide pill and Walther. The savior of Rump Ukraine?
The Kerch bridge. If I was the Russian military high command, I would be fucking praying they dump all the HIMARS and other WunderWaffen on it. Blow that bitch up, and ruin Putin's night. While throwing away your last usable long-range ordnance on something they will fix in three months with ZERO Russian military degradation. Do it! Putin will probably bury his face in the tight bosom of a Prima ballerina and still get a good night's sleep. Laughing the whole time.
That military display of captured Western hardware. Fucking hilarious. I would paint that Abrams in the gay pride colors and park it in front of the US Embassy in Moscow.
The Western military contractors. Fixed price contracts? Surely you jest. Inflation is coming back. And the Gen Z and Millennials ain't working in no un-airconditioned factories. And the cartel members streaming across the border don't have the rudimentary technical skills to stick in those arms factories. The Western arms producers are there to make 300% profits. Not to win fucking wars. If you win, you got no future sales. Every Bradley we send Ukraine? Even if it is a fucked-up piece of shit? Will be replaced at a 10 if not 20X price factor. While the Russians change the oil in a T62 and make a mobile pill box out of it for the price of a diesel mechanic.
Exactly. Like Alex Jones, Arestovitch is the "controlled opposition" which all dissidence is funnelled into.
"I would paint that Abrams in the gay pride colors and park it in front of the US Embassy in Moscow".
Magnificent! Do it!!
I agree. This would make a fantastic piece of PR….let’s see if we cannot get it into the right hands so to speak…..
Would be an utter legend.
And so true to the ways of the Empire of Lies.
Where I live in Canada the damn city has painted a cross walk in rainbow colors beside the head office of the Catholic school board. On a city bike path that runs beside a Catholic high school near me, they replaced a fancy metal sculpture park bench (already a waste of money) with a rainbow bench.
That broken-down over-priced piece of Pentagon scrap metal would look simply fab in rainbow stripes.
Yes Mayor of Moscow, go for it!!!
The Mayor of Moscow would be the last person to do that.
Wasn't aware of Canada doing that, have these displays been too much of a temptation for vandals hopefully?
The information board at the exhibition shows an announcement: "The employees of the embassies of the USA, UK, Germany, France and Poland get access to inspecting the trophy NATO equipment without having to wait in line." xD
Wait until they send the equipment on a European tour, everyone will get to see it first hand!
Step right up for your ritual humiliation…..surely membership must have its privileges
Hah!
"Putin will probably bury his face in the tight bosom of a Prima ballerina and still get a good night's sleep." No, Putin would just get down to work to get the damage cleaned up and the bridge up and running again. He's also famously monogamous, works out in the gym, and always gets a good night's sleep.
No disrespect to ballerinas, but the prima ballerinas of the Bolshoi and similar, the world's best, tend not to have significant bosoms, because of the physical demands of the job. They're thin, very wiry, with not a trace of fat on them but with muscles and tendons visible on their arms or legs like steel cables. Meet them in real life and it's not a sexy look.
"I would paint that Abrams in the gay pride colors and park it in front of the US Embassy in Moscow." The perverted West would like that, as that would be the only way they'd get gay pride colors into a public place in Moscow. Also, there's almost nobody at the US Embassy in Moscow anymore. Russia should just shut the place down, along with the embassies of all other countries that have committed acts of war against Russia.
You forgot that the ballerina’s feet will look like they were run over by an Abrams tank.
They should convert the USSA embassy into a home for Ukrainian orphans. God knows Uncle Sammy has helped create enough of them.
Man, that's funny! The Big GAE (Greater American Empire, or Globohomo American Empire) is showing signs of severe breakage. Hopefully it'll hurry up and keel over in short order.
I think they did park the leopard in front of the German embassy in Moscow...
G'day Simplicious, a lot has and is still happening re US supported Isreal and Iran yet you have been near silent on the subject of late. Could you possibly please comment on Pepe Escobars reporting in regard the attack on Iran and your opinion on the possible veracity or not. Thanks for your amazing coverage on Ukraine which is unmatched in my opinion
IMO Pepe Escobar was fed disinfo from on high. They are trying to delegitimize all independent reporters. Theyve done it to Hersh and others who claim thy have inside track.
Thanks for the comment which aligns with Larry Johnsons opinion yet we are still left with the fact then it appears that Israel let Iran's attack go unrespondedto.and the loss of face and deterrence on Israel's part is enormous and unprecedented IMO. Something seems a bit amiss.
I'm starting to believe that Israel was planning an EMP attack on Iran and the CIA got wind of it. So they planting this story as a warning to Israel.
I have a much simpler explanation, albeit much less pleasant. Iran is loathe to escalate, since Israel will sic its American thug on Iran if it does so.
So Iran is loathe to escalate what exactly, the reply to Iran's bombing of the military airfields was a non starter so what would the escalation be in response to? Iran was able to get through all the Evil Empire attempts to protect the Zionist state and it's response was miniscule at best so Iran is waiting for Israel's threats of escalation.
Israel has committed an act of war, in the middle of an ongoing genocide, and Iran's response is symbolic at best.
Bit more than symbolic, seems pretty impressive actually.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/04/15/723706/Iran-Israel-Operation-True-Promise-Press-TV-hypersonic-air-defense-systems-missiles-IRGC-
I would say that Escobar simply repeats wishful thinking.
Now I suffer from optimism, but I do think Iran, possibly with Russian assistance is capable of taking down an F-35 on Jordan's border, and that is all that this possible/probable event called for.
I also think there are spies galore within Israel's govt, military and possibly a few others who are sane. If they knew a nuclear device was about to be used in Iranian airspace to create an EMP event, I think they would not sit back and let it happen.
Even without the inside assist, Russia/Iran/China watch Israel like a hawk and would have known where Israel's nukes are and if one was moved. Now consider the really lame response of Israel to what was a remarkable display to capability by Iran. Remember Iran took out key military assets (link). https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/04/15/723706/Iran-Israel-Operation-True-Promise-Press-TV-hypersonic-air-defense-systems-missiles-IRGC-
For Israel's nutcase of a govt to let that attack slide with a few missiles is not believable. For them to have been flummoxed as Pepe describes is quite possible. Possibly it was followed up with a warning from Russia? In any case time will tell, watch for the US to "gift" Israel a new or a few new F-35s.
Russia's rear area intel has become top-notch for getting actionable intel to where it can be used rapidly before the target moves, which also means the ready availability of the proper weapons. At the FEBA, Ukies are reeling backwards as they don't have the firepower to halt the Russian advance. Yes, they put-up resistance but eventually backpedal. And the villages being rolled over are very simple while the more central cities offer some sort of defensible position. But then comes the rain of FABs. I'm beginning to wonder if Ukraine will have one line soldier capable of staying alive the whole way.
One other thing getting little notice is the continual addition of rotary and fixed wing aircraft to the Russian Aerospace Forces thus increasing the density of sorties able to be flown in each combat sector. And that gets added to the new tubes arriving along with plenty of shells. Neither situation can be matched or countered by NATO or Ukraine. Here's a question: What's the rotational schedule for Russia's combat pilots of all types? 25 sorties them ten days off or what? Thanks.
Nailed it. They are not re-barreling Uke artillery pieces. They shoot them till they blow up. Troop rotation for Uke's? If they let the drafted at gunpoint cannon fodder go, they run away. The Russians are fucking rotating troops for TRAINING. The Ukes are punch drunk. While the Nazi's party in Kiev. And the sheep dipped NATO troops shoot retreating Uke troops.
Kievan junta is thoroughly "ethnic" and endowed with the same genocidal mentality as its spiritual twin, the government of the jewish fascist state of Israel. The only difference is, the junta is blithely destroying a whole generation of Ukrainian men and selling out Ukrainian resources and land. Pity Ukrainian mothers! Straussians (jewish fascists/ziocons in charge of US policies ) made a monument for themselves by ruining Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Americans are currently learning that they belong to the "Amalek" side for the "owners" (the private banking cartel and mega corporations). See the sadistic treatment of students peacefully protesting against Genocide in Palestine, whereas the zionist thugs-provocateurs are protected by Israeli-trained US police. The US is beings squeezed out of the last juicy drops before discarded and left to rot by the "owners."
As one who is currently living in FattedCalf-ville, it sure seems like we are headed toward such a scenario. Thus the Israelis are making the most of this period because when things really do implode they might not be getting their ten million a day….
Thank you Karl, The link you recently gave in your substack was for me one of the most insightful of recent times.
The released top secret document means to justify US intervention in Cuba. proposals are made for tactics that can be deployed there.
page 10 and 11.
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/news/20010430/northwoods.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Interesting in light of the many assertions that all Ukrainians are solidly behind Zelensky and NATO, because they "hate Russians".
Apparently some of them are otherwise minded.
Keep in mind that even though Zelensky's "election" was held only in districts controlled by the nazi junta and only the junta's candidates could run, all the same it was a landslide for the Zelensky program of peace and return to normalcy with Russia. They didn't vote for a massive deepening of war.
The great majority of "Ukrainians" have always been, and still are today, ethnic Russians who speak Russian as a native language. Zelensky himself, although technically a Russian Jew, speaks Russian as his native language, as has every president of "Ukraine" since 1991.
That's still demographically true despite ten years of ethnic cleansing by the nazi junta and ten years of fanatic, kill anybody who resists campaigns to re-program the population into Russia-haters. Ten years is a long time in the life of kids, so the campaign to create home grown Hitler youth has had its successes. Also the natural filtration that occurred as people who were oppressed in nazi-held territories fled to Donbass and to Russia has resulted in a higher concentration than before of nationalist freaks in the territories Kiev holds. But still, in pretty much everywhere except nazi strongholds like Lvov, native Russian speakers and friends of Russia still are the majority, albeit barely in many provinces.
Yes. Very true. I am reminded of this:
'When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community”'.
- Adolf Hitler
Recall that 2 days after Zelensky's inauguration in May 2019, a consortium of NGO directors & pro-democracy reps sent the new president a letter that showed him the red lines across which he could not step: the letter stipulated that his government could not review the language laws or the education law [which was repressive of Russian ethnics in Ukraine] or change the de-communization law [so-called Leninfall of monuments, etc.]
"If the president crosses these red lines," the signatories said, "it will indicate that he does not seek real democratic change and does not wish to establish a more honest and responsible government, even though he promised to do so."
The signatories were telling Zelensky that there was not in fact a new sheriff in town: 'they' were still in charge.
Letter link:
https://rpr.org.ua/en/news/joint-statement-by-the-representatives-of-civil-society-and-ngos-on-the-first-political-steps-of-president-of-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyi/
thanks for the ending - about Russell....yes, I also think they did not know who they had and he may have been very obnoxious with them. But also - I was relieved to hear that although it is terrible torture - it was his own heart that finished him off - not being chopped to pieces while conscious...or worse - like in Gaza prisons right now
I won't consider this over until his murderers are brought to justice. Maybe it will be left open forever; sometimes things go that way.
[Edit to correct typo.]
This is silly
no u
The puppeteer is having fun. I find it sickening and juvenile.
You don't know what you don't know....
It’s time for Germany to send its army to defend Chasiv Yar
what army - details please
Mayne a battalion from Germany
How many men in a battalion? maybe 500 men or maybe 800 men
How this going to help Germany, Ukraine?
Because Germany may think Russia be unwilling to
Fight
NATO soldiers and start a general war
Russia is already fighting NATO soldiers, called advisors or technical assistance, and RF has already said many times all NATO soldiers will be killed no different from mercenaries or Ukraine soldiers, or French soldiers, or....
Germany may be stupidstupid but not that stupidstupid enough to think that RF will not kill their 500 soldiers
Plus German soldiers not that stupidstupid - like Ukraine soldiers go AWOL, flee back home, refuse to go, fall sick
How many active duty combat soldiers does Germany have?
Or it may be French or Brits
It be a trip wire force
Don't feed the troll Gerard. This imbecile makes stupid periodical God-like pronouncements.
Yes, you are right, I'm sorry, I'll not do it again -thanks
Well let's just say the last time German tanks were sent to the steppes of Ukraine it did not end well...
I agree but given the conduct of western leaders especially Biden memories are clearly short
What you wrote about Bentley - I back it up. I to0 - fell out with him over him totally misinterpreting my point. Was to do with the 1st hit on the Kerch Bridge. I put it down to "a bit to much drink" Maybe not ??
You knew him personally?
No - just communicated via Telegram. Been following him and all the others in Donbass since mid 2014
Do you mind elaborating on your dispute with him over the Kerch Bridge attack? I'm curious what there is to have a big dispute over.
---
I followed him on Telegram, but only for the last two years and never had any personal communication with him. He sometimes came across as prickly, but passionately devoted to the people of Donbas. I could understand how seeing what he saw and going through what he did could make a person quick tempered.
---
Do you have any recommendations for other people to follow in the Donbas?
He permanently banned me from his Telegram after I pointed out that Ukraine's still fairly intact air defense network in late 2022 combined with Russia's attritional strategy and the durability of the massive bridges over the Dnieper would've made bombing all these bridges an extremely wasteful, pointless, counter-productive, and likely impossible thing to do which what tools Russia had available at the time. This fucking guy actually thought that a Tu-22M3 fully loaded with FAB-500s could just thunder run over thousands of miles of S-300 guarded territory to take out one of these bridges with bombs not even designed to defeat heavy reinforced concrete structures about a full year before the UMPK glide bomb kit entered production.
Seems a lot of people thought this.
Superb military analysis as usual. You're one of a kind. Thank you.
Old Texas had balls of iron, but you're right, he was a former drug dealer and not the nicest fellow around. But everyone salutes his courage in combat.
As for his death, Donbass is crawling with all kinds of scum from Russia seeking to profit in every kind of way, including social media clout, stealing (including donated) supplies, gun running, and drugs. Not to be racist, but there are also a hell of a lot of Russian-speaking people from Central Asian backgrounds in Donbass atm (including civilians brought in to rebuild Mariupol). Those dumb non-ethnic-Russian shits from the 5th Tankers clearly saw an American and thought he was rich (because "all Americans are rich") and had no fucking idea of his past fighting for Donbass because they don't give a shit about the locals.
However, there's a more frightening aspect to this which is that clearly the FSB is covering up this crime for their own nefarious purposes. Otherwise, those "tankers" who killed Texas would be in jail pronto, and Bentley's wife could've gotten the body buried within a few days (as well as spoken out on her Telegram channel about what happened). So basically, yeah, the Donbass is a mafia wild west world thanks to the war and the ordinary people who live there are getting fucked over.
The Nazis are gone, but every scumbag from the Russian Federation is now terrorizing the place, in a nutshell.
"The Nazis are gone, but every scumbag from the Russian Federation is now terrorizing the place, in a nutshell."
Every? This has to be an exaggeration, sounds rather wild
Any links, any evidence?
The re construction of Mariupol seems to be going ahead peacefully? or is this too just a non ethnic Russian 'rip off'
I'll start the hunt for evidence with this:
The murder of Russell Bentley.
Not a good place to start. You already mentioned this and then expanded on it by saying what you said. So why did you say that? Where is the evidence that "every scumbag from the Russian Federation is now terrorizing the place"?
It's a fine place to start. A prominent citizen of Donetsk was abducted in broad daylight and murdered by Russian scumbags in the Donbas. And so my point was that Sam, therefore, inherently had a start toward supporting his claim merely by the subject he was commenting on.
Of course, Sam will never be able to prove his point literally, since he was engaging in hyperbole. His real point is that the Donbas is a wild territory and attractive to bad elements. Heck, Russell Bentley himself knew that; I hear--I think it was from his Telegram--that he often carried a pistol when going out and about.
He said "every scumbag", which is probably true but only if they get the chance to do it.
I'd be surprised if things were any other way in Donbas.
What do you base your comments on? You got reliable contacts on the ground or just anecdotal evidence?
"So basically, yeah, the Donbass is a mafia wild west world thanks to the war and the ordinary people who live there are getting fucked over.
The Nazis are gone, but every scumbag from the Russian Federation is now terrorizing the place, in a nutshell."
Hmmmm.....can't really say I agree with this assertion.
What is a 'non ethnic Russian' M Sam talks about?
Does he mean a Caucasian or non Caucasian?
Shorthand racist descriptions vary
I think he means non Caucasian in the 'Western' sense, but Caucasian in the 'Russian' sense
But maybe not-Or should that be the other way round?
Surely all Russians are ethnic......or is it nonsense to say so?
This is like a US college course in neo identitarian ism
Brad Pitt isn't white though, right?
ok so not white, maybe - but Brad Pitt is 'ethnic' or 'non ethnic'?
"clearly the FSB is covering up this crime for their own nefarious purposes. " Total nonsense.
If you've ever been to war with ill defined lines you know it's total chaos. Russia will get the killers and will try them. And no, the Donbass is not a mafia wild west. I live in Russia and I know many people in and from Donbass and it's not like that at all.
Western efforts appear to be re-doubling in the economic space, where US is putting the screws on Russia's energy sector and trying to close off parallel importation and sanctions avoidance. In this, they appear somewhat successful as they have managed to arrest Arctic LNG 2, and are able to pressure countries like the Emirates to enforce sanctions more than before. The Chinese appear to be holding out, but are playing a double game.
Russia is making gains on the battlefield, but at some point they need to threaten Kiev or Odessa because otherwise this just takes too long
Novatek is going ahead with two of the three Arctic LNG liquefying plants
Simon Watkins at OilPrice.com has been spreading false information
It is preferable to see China's discreet flexibility as retaining the capacity to be extremely useful to Russia by a convincing semblance of neutrality, hence peace diplomacy, BRICS etc support, while increasing import/export volumes
https://totalenergies.com/media/video/arctic-lng-2-vast-lng-project-russias-far-north
The plant is producing LNG just fine, but the tankers to move it aren't being delivered. LNG is looking more and more like the resource-war of the future. My point is that the economic war, after going a little quiet for a while, is heating up again
The ones who suffered from that cancellation were the SK
It is not as if the Chinese can not produce tankers - and have a peculiar interest in the massive amounts of Arctic gas at a discount
The point is that the West has already lost the resources war, their sanctions cost them more than those sanctioned, now can only fight guerrilla style
The war is ongoing. And actually the West has an interest in Russian oil and gas making it to market but the money being tied up. They appear to be targeting the banking systems harder now.
Further, the drone strikes on refineries imo are with the full support of the US, contrary to their public statements. The Ukrainians keep hitting them and yet another one yesterday
The price of oil will only go up with increasing instability as to RF supply - but many of the Ukrainian hits are very minor, showtime more than than anything else
The bank attacks will only speed up de linking to $
Much trade with China will become, or already is, invisible to US
Discounts solve a lot of problems
The hits may be minor, but they are hits and demonstrates a vulnerability to russia's energy sector.
The bank attacks I agree, but US is also looking at sanctioning places that de-dollarize. I don't think this is wise, but when an empire collapses it tends to shower places with rubble
China-Rus trade is more or less fortified agree, but the Chinese entities are vulnerable to sanctions because they tend to trade with the world. A series of cutouts and shell companies is the solution, but this is hardly conducive to large scale economic enterprise
"Too long" compared to what? It is certainly taking longer than a Hollywood action movie, but that can't be helped.