What is your point ? You always make it seem like I am saying Russia is better than the US or Germany. I am not. I am saying Russia isn't the failed state that it is portrayed to be in the media and in comments like yours.
CIS immigration doesn't count for nothing. Large immigration from anywhere isn't the sign of a failed state. There are plenty of CIS immigrants in the west too.
Navalny Should Be Released255
January 22, 2021 in Uncategorized by craig
Alexei Navalny is not the pleasant liberal our mainstream media paint him to be. Before extensive grooming by the West, he was a racist populist. However, he now makes a more convincing liberal standard bearer than similar proteges like Juan Guaido and to some extent has probably changed with wider experience. He most certainly is not especially popular in Russia, outside some wealthier and younger demographics, but they are voters too, and human progress would not have been great without the much despised middle classes.
I am not in the least convinced by the ludicrous narrative that Vladimir Putin and the FSB were not competent enough to successfully assassinate Alexei Navalny in Russia, including as he lay unconscious in a Russian state hospital. I regard it as a nonsense. But neither do I necessarily suspect that the whole incident was engineered by the West or Navalny (exploited is different to engineered). Incidentally, I am perfectly prepared to accept that the security service outlet Bellingcat was right about the Russian security services following Navalny. I have no doubt whatsoever that they do follow him, and have done so for many years. So what? Western security services followed me intensely when I first became a whistleblower, and on and off ever since, most notably when I have contact with Julian or Wikileaks. The British government announced in Julian’s recent bail hearing it spent £16 million of public money on surveillance of the Ecuadorean Embassy – that’s £16 million on looking at a non-moving target! Security services follow people. There are thousands of the blighters, both in the West and in Russia, and follow people is what many of them do for a living. It is in no sense evidence of assassination. Every time my heart problem puts me in hospital, I don’t imagine it was the MI5 surveillance folks (who must, incidentally, be very bored. When I was younger they did get to look at some great parties).
Anybody who genuinely believes that Putin did not personally authorise the arrest and detention of Navalny on return does not understand Russia. Putin’s purpose is simply to show that he can – that the West cannot protect its protege, which is a good lesson for the next one, and cannot harm Russian interests abroad. In power calculations, Putin is almost always correct. I am fairly sure he is also correct in calculating that swatting Navalny will play well to his popular base, who like the macho thing.
I do not address the technicalities of whether Navalny’s suspended embezzlement sentence was legitimate, and whether he breached suspension conditions, because again if you think that has anything at all to do with what is happening, you are hopelessly naive. Navalny might very well be guilty of embezzlement, but on nothing in the same universe of scale as Putin himself and his inner circle. It is about selectivity of prosecution rather than innocence or guilt. If you have political control of the prosecutor, you hold the cards. Oh sorry, I was drifting back to Scotland.
So Putin can see Navalny jailed till 2025 on the embezzlement charge with no serious consequences and a minor stabilisation of his personal authority. But at what cost? My major criticism of Putin is that he has failed to move Russia, an absolutely vital pillar of European cultural heritage, back towards the European centre after decades of isolation. That involves development away from purely autocratic government; but there remains absolutely no sign that Putin even intends to position Russia for that move once he finally relinquishes power – which he ought to have done many years ago. Allowing Navalny to continue his campaigning will not hurt Putin and will not hurt Russia. It is a fascinating and universal fact that the longer people hold power, the more paranoid they become.
Navalny Should Be Released - Craig Murray
Some common sense from the dour Scot, Craig Murray- previously UK Ambassador to a CIS state. Navalny is certainly not your liberal White Knight, Putin haters- but neither is Putin some kind of good guy in this saga. Just power politics really.
Last edited by sabang; 24-01-2021 at 08:39 AM.
"It's the Nord Stream 2, stupid..."
There is no way Germany- and the EU in general- should let themselves be bullied by the US in this regard. The Nordstream deal is worth multiple billions to the EU, in terms of energy security and cost savings- it just makes sense, for both parties (yes, it will be worth biliions to Russia too- boohoo). It is also about 75% completed. The USA is acting as an enemy of Europe, not an ally, in this critical regard. Friends do not do things like that- mess with allies energy security and economies in general. That is what made Japans entry into WW2 inevitable, remember.
So if the US wants to throw another dummy spit, let them. Take your troops and fek off back home then, and can NATO while you're at it- it's an anachronism anyway.
Last edited by sabang; 24-01-2021 at 01:53 PM.
There is no way that Europe should make itself dependent on Russian gas.
As long as they maintain adequate storage and transport capacity to source gas elsewhere, it doesn't matter.
But you can't trust the fucking bozos in charge of these eurotrash shitholes.
They will make their countries beholden to Putin and there is nothing he would love more.
Trade is a mutual, or co-dependency though 'arry- that's kind of the beauty of it. The buyer depends on the seller depends on the buyer. Countries very rarely go to war with their important trade partners, or major foreign investors- I mean, what's the point? What if, say, Saudi were to go full scale this crazy muzzie thing, and cut off all oil supplies to the West- who would it hurt more, us or them? We can get the supplies and ramp up production elsewhere, at a pinch. (The US would probably just invade anyway).
But underneath it all is something more fundamental. If my country wants to buy something from another country, who's business is that- my countries, or Americas? Who's decision is it? What right does another country have to tell me who I can and cannot trade with? That's a good way to make enemies out of your friends- in which case your newly created enemy will just befriend your existing enemies. Not very smart, and not a good policy for the USA going forward. Cut down on the belligerence, and quit thinking the laws and conventions do not apply to you, Uncle Sam.
This is exactly what happened in 1973 and it caused havoc. It's why the US created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and US energy policy has been about minimising the impact of supply disruption ever since.
If Russia decides to cut off my energy and then invade me, who's going to go running to the Americans for help?But underneath it all is something more fundamental. If my country wants to buy something from another country, who's business is that- my countries, or Americas?
Yes, the squareheads and the cheese eating surrender monkeys.
There are reasons for alliances, and even better reasons to limit dependencies.
Last edited by harrybarracuda; 24-01-2021 at 10:53 PM.
Throughout the cold war the gas flowed from Russia to Germany. And pipelines were built.
That isn't why the US is coercing Germany not to build NS2. The reason the US is coercing Germany into stopping NS2, is because the US wants to put its expensive environment destroying frac gas on ships , and dump it onto Europe. Because they are Imperialist mercantalist assholes
Wow . . . several good posts are followed by Skidmark . . .
And now with Trump and his sycophantic Putin-love gone the Russians can't freely do as they wish anymore - There are alternatives to Russian gas but Europe also has to play nice with the fascist nuclear power at their doorstep.
US embassy in Russia posts detailed addresses of all the planned protests in Russia. Under the guise of warning American citizens not to go there.
Demonstration Alert: U.S. Mission Russia | U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Russia
How kind and clairvoyant to issue it before the organizers (organizers?) did issue it...In Moscow, demonstrators plan to gather near Pushkin Square at approximately 1400 and march towards the Kremlin.
In St. Petersburg, demonstrators plan to gather near Senate Square at approximately 1400 and march towards Gostiny Dvor (located on Nevsky Avenue).
In Yekaterinburg, demonstrators plan to gather at the entrance to Dinamo Stadium, 12 Ulitsa Yeryomina at approximately 1400 and march along the embankment of the city lake toward the Drama Theater.
....
....
In turn, the Russian Embassy in D.C. does not need to provide such kind advice for own people: there are no people (neither the local ones) around...
Want to see MI6 agents undercover on the job ? Being recorded and everything ? Here you go
Why is Putin so afraid of the guy if his support really is as tiny as he says.
Pictured on the left is Alex Navalnys top aid. Other man is a MI6 agent James Thomas Ford .
Agent coming into restaurant
The South African coronavirus variant: everything we know about it | Daily Mail Online
Why is Putin so afraid of the guy if his support really is as tiny as he says.
If he was that bothered, and Putin is half as bad as y'all reckon, don't you think he'd be kinda dead? As it happens, he arguably saved his life by letting him be promptly medivaced to Germany. Maybe he hoped he would stay there- now that's a possibility.
So answer the question- how is he still alive??
I think you guys have to decide whether Vlad is more like the omnipotent master of all Evil, or an incompetent buffoon. You can't have it both ways.
Either way, your opinion poses even less threat than Navalny.
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