Ultranationalism

[Vapymid]

I have some about Georgia. Regarding Ukraine - not directly, no.

 

I have heard from Ukrainians living in Kiev that the going per diem rate for being on Maidan was EUR 20.-, with bonuses for "extra" activity - like burning a car, breaking into a building etc.

 

I also know some people who are in senior positions in the new "regime" there - believe me, no saints there.

 

These people would not invest their own cash into such a risky proposition as keeping a mercenary army on the streets of the capital in the hope of changing the government. Much easier just to keep the status quo and pay directly to the powers that be.

 

Then there are occasional intercepts of conversations involving the US State Dept or some EU officials, which show very clearly they *are* meddling.

 

It's all circumstantial but it adds up and to believe that the Western interests were not behind stirring of this trouble means one has to also believe that the "polite armed people" in Crimea had nothing to do with Russia.

 

Having said this, even such interference would not have been enough to cause what it caused if there weren't some existing deep systemic problems in Ukraine, politically and economically. There is no doubt about that.

 

But my firm opinion is that the West acted irresponsibly by taking advantage of that. I think that the "West" here is more the US rather than the EU. I see lots of people appear to be drooling at the thought of a new Cold War and the corresponding pork barrels rolling. I also see some very happy campers on the Russian side - finally they can officially blame all the Russian problems on the West and hope for a few more years of popular support.

 

This all makes me feel very bitter.

 

Regards

[Doom Shepherd]

Ukrainian investigators are now pointing the finger for the sniipers at the ousted Pro-Russian president, and the Berkut, since disbanded, with many of their members apparently fleeing to Russian-held Crimea.

 

See Vlad meddle. Meddle, Vlad, meddle.

[Vapymid]

I do not trust either side - this Ukrainian investigation so far is very superficial and looks like it is designed to at least temporarily brush the subject aside. It is all based on videos which clearly show a police sniper retreating with his unit. However, even BBC run an interview with one of the Maidan protesters who was actually wounded by sniper fire. He said it was not clear where exactly the fire was coming from but it was from one of the buildings. Earlier, also on BBC, they showed a clip of their own reporter taking cover from sniper fire where they actually identified the building and the window where the fire was coming from. I have not seen anything about that in the Ukrainian investigation yet.

 

See Vlad meddle. Meddle, Vlad, meddle.

 

The CEO of one of the companies I worked for once told me - "whatever you do, don't ever try to stand between a firm's partners. Even if you will manage to set one against the other, in the end they will use you, then discard you and will still remain partners".

 

Ukraine and Russia are partners since centuries ago (were the same people actually). Ukraine and the EU or the US are not. Trying to stand between them will not work. The EU may be able to achieve a split of the country and then annex the Western regions to, say, Poland eventually. What benefits that will bring to anybody - I don't know. It is going to be worth it? I doubt it. Time will tell.

 

Regards

[Doom Shepherd]

Foment unrest in territories where your people have a significant population, step in to "restore order,"

 

 

Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen...

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/07/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

The protesters broke into a regional administrative building in the mining city of Donetsk on Sunday as well as security services offices in nearby Luhansk, where police said they had seized weapons. A self-proclaimed legislature, representing what it called the Donetsk People's Republic, then announced that it would hold a referendum by May 11 on whether the area should join Russia, Russian state-run news agency ITAR-Tass reported.

 

The report could not immediately be independently verified. The Russian news agency also said the Donetsk group asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to send a "temporary peacekeeping contingent."

 

In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the United States has "strong evidence" that some of the protesters in eastern Ukraine "were paid ... and were not local residents."

[Vapymid]

In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the United States has "strong evidence" that some of the protesters in eastern Ukraine "were paid ... and were not local residents."

 

I can easily believe that. However, Mr Carney has forgotten to say that he must have even stronger evidence that the "Maidan" fighters were also paid and most of them were not from Kiev either. He only needs to look somewhere, probably in the CIA budget. Entries under "R", probably - "revolutions, riots, rendition"

 

 

Foment unrest in territories where your people have a significant population, step in to "restore order,"

Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen...

 

Oh, my... you should have listened to Yoda! Now turned to the Dark Side you have...

 

Regards

[Vapymid]

The Russian foreign ministry increased pressure on Kiev on Tuesday by accusing it of making "military preparations that are fraught with the risk of unleashing a civil war".

 

It also alleged that interim leaders in Kiev were deploying private US security staff dressed as Ukrainian special forces.

 

Washington has not commented on the claim, but on Monday the White House warned the Kremlin to stop efforts to "destabilise Ukraine".

 

Meanwhile, a brawl broke out in parliament in Kiev after a communist deputy accused nationalists of aiding Russia by bringing down the government of President Viktor Yanukovych.

 

The whole thing has turned into a circus, but it's far from being over...

 

Regards

[Vapymid]

Clearly, either the BBC correspondent or some of the Ukrainian protesters have a good sense of humour...

 

 

Regards

[ThePest179]

I don't get it.

[Doom Shepherd]

Russian TV Propagandists Caught Red-Handed: Same Guy, Three Different People (Spy, Bystander, Heroic Surgeon)

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2014/04/12/russian-tv-caught-red-handed-same-guy-same-demonstration-but-three-different-people-spy-bystander-heroic-surgeon/

 

The Russians really ARE using the ex- Iraqi Information Minister's playbook!

Edited April 15, 2014 by Guest (see edit history)

[Doom Shepherd]

 

I can easily believe that. However, Mr Carney has forgotten to say that he must have even stronger evidence that the "Maidan" fighters were also paid and most of them were not from Kiev either. He only needs to look somewhere, probably in the CIA budget. Entries under "R", probably - "revolutions, riots, rendition"

 

Think we covered this already.. the Maidan fighters were Berkut, under the ousted president, which is why they fled to Crimea. Try to keep up.

[Vapymid]

the Maidan fighters were Berkut

 

No, Berkut was the police. The fighters are still there on the square, by the way, only they are not shown on the Western TV anymore. They claim they are monitoring the interim government and threaten to take them down if they show any signs of trying to negotiate with Russia.

 

Somehow, when those people were storming the then Government's buildings they were "freedom fighters", when pro-Russian rebels do the same in the South - they are "the agents of Russian expansionism". As I said earlier, I am not a fan of Putin's actions but the Western hypocrisy disgusts me.

 

As for that guy in the Forbes blog - I heard about him. I personally think he is just a harmless loony from the tin-foil-hat brigade.

 

The Russian state-controlled media being manipulated by the state? - I don't need Paul R Gregory to tell me that. I almost never watch any of that myself unless there already is some independent corroboration...

 

However, what Dr Gregory writes here: "They must stage scenes of massive and violent demonstrations in East and South Ukraine. They must patch together actual demonstration footage with images of exploding grenades, intermittent automatic weapon fire, wounded pro-Russian civilians, and menacing Ukrainian extremists, organized, paid for, and directed by sinister outside forces. They must show valiant local civilians opposing the Neo-Nazi and ultra-nationalist juggernaut from Kiev." - is a reasonable description of some recent BBC coverage...

 

Regards

Edited April 15, 2014 by Guest (see edit history)

[Vapymid]

I don't get it.

How about now?

 

"Protection team alert, evidence of anticivil activity in this community. Code: assemble, plan, contain."

 

Regards

[DoNotRemoveBeforeFlight]

I don't get it.

How about now?

metal head[/i]!

[Vapymid]

But he's no metal head!

 

Probably from the Metrocop Volunteer Service - they really have a low budget these days...

 

Regards

[ThePest179]

Ha! I get it now!

[Vapymid]

The latest coverage of the events in Ukraine today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27050531

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27045534

 

People are very nervous. Many have not slept for several nights. When Ukrainian armoured personnel carriers appeared in the town, people quickly surrounded them. Some accused soldiers of "acting against their own people."

 

"Why did you come to our land?" a man from the crowd asked. "Why are you driving over our fields? We are peaceful people! And we just want our demands to be respected!"

 

Soldiers were sitting on the APCs with automatic guns, in full combat gear. "I know they can shoot at us, but we are miners, we see death every day," the man said. "So we are not afraid. We will stand here until victory. We want a referendum to be held. We should decide our future for ourselves."

 

"We are just obeying orders, let us go!" the commander shouted. "We didn't come here to fight. We are just moving around. I will never shoot at my own people!"

 

Make your own conclusions....

 

Regards

[Vapymid]

Some good BBC photos here:

 

 

It almost looks like some of the troops sent by Kiev to stop the rebellion in the South-East have switched sides...

 

Regards

[Doom Shepherd]

And the parallells JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER!

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/17/jews-ordered-to-register-in-east-ukraine/7816951/

 

Jews in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk where pro-Russian militants have taken over government buildings were told they have to "register" with the Ukrainians who are trying to make the city become part of Russia, according to Ukrainian and Israeli media.

 

Russia, Russia, UBER ALLES...

[Vapymid]

Russia, Russia, UBER ALLES...

 

What do you mean by that?

 

Regards

[Doom Shepherd]

Russia, Russia, UBER ALLES...

 

What do you mean by that?

 

Regards

 

Trying to make the Jews register? (Even if they're not doing so. because they think it's just provocation.) What do YOU think that suggests?