🇮🇱🚀Israel bombs Damascus Airport, targeting Hezbollah warehouses. ☢️Iran fires up new centrifuges, switches off IAEA cameras. 🇺🇦Ukraine suffers massive losses, pleads for more arms. And much more.
I had heard of some of the 2010s flooding of Russian culture with both Stalinist and Hitlerite material, but didn't grasp the scope of it until the last few months.
A larger-scale war in the ME is now very likely. It will feature that newfangled Arab-Israeli cooperation (minus Qatar, of course), and the US will be almost completely cut out of the picture. Its influence in the ME is at a post-1945 low and looks to sink lower. Fewer protests than you think, with quiet cooperation from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Nothing like a common enemy!
Russian print media is really going for a Turner Diaries vibe. It's probably worth noting that dredging the industrial canal that is US Lit could paint a really ugly picture of US intent.
"The appearance was so massive that it could not be a coincidence on a book market which was under a strict control of secret police FSB."
My skepticism hinges on this claim. In the US we can see how culture war issues can be driven by wealthy, not the state. How can we demonstrate that this was an intel operation or just the fever dreams of Soviets, mindful of the Reaper's approach?
edit - maybe I'm just splitting hairs, given the material the state did produce under that label
The wealthy (the oligarchs) in Russia exist, but the surviving ones are politically neutered. They're not in charge of culture, at all. After 2012, the Russian state, through ministries and the FSB, have gradually closed or crippled anything culturally independent. The remainder has been taken over by Putin-allied personalities.
"Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday evening condemned the 'vicious practice' of Israeli strikes on civilian infrastructure, which it said were 'provocative' and 'in violation of the basic norms of international law.'"
I had heard of some of the 2010s flooding of Russian culture with both Stalinist and Hitlerite material, but didn't grasp the scope of it until the last few months.
A larger-scale war in the ME is now very likely. It will feature that newfangled Arab-Israeli cooperation (minus Qatar, of course), and the US will be almost completely cut out of the picture. Its influence in the ME is at a post-1945 low and looks to sink lower. Fewer protests than you think, with quiet cooperation from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Nothing like a common enemy!
Russian print media is really going for a Turner Diaries vibe. It's probably worth noting that dredging the industrial canal that is US Lit could paint a really ugly picture of US intent.
"The appearance was so massive that it could not be a coincidence on a book market which was under a strict control of secret police FSB."
My skepticism hinges on this claim. In the US we can see how culture war issues can be driven by wealthy, not the state. How can we demonstrate that this was an intel operation or just the fever dreams of Soviets, mindful of the Reaper's approach?
edit - maybe I'm just splitting hairs, given the material the state did produce under that label
The wealthy (the oligarchs) in Russia exist, but the surviving ones are politically neutered. They're not in charge of culture, at all. After 2012, the Russian state, through ministries and the FSB, have gradually closed or crippled anything culturally independent. The remainder has been taken over by Putin-allied personalities.
BTW, here’s another documentary about animal mating rituals for your enjoyment (NSFW): https://youtu.be/BaxXS9Am_IQ
The West is just going to hang Ukraine out to dry, isn’t it? Because trench and artillery warfare are boring. Arrrrrgh!!!
https://youtu.be/68AZ3yAvjAs
Excellent explainer of the Modi Govt’s Gulf dilemma
Oh, excellent--I'll include it next time.
"Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday evening condemned the 'vicious practice' of Israeli strikes on civilian infrastructure, which it said were 'provocative' and 'in violation of the basic norms of international law.'"
What's the Russian term for "chutzpah"?