Facebook and the Freedom of Speech

Yesterday I posted in my Facebook account the following message:


It's bilingual; the English part reads:

Things are even worse than I thought. Recently, Facebook banned quite a number of respected personalities, including:
Dmitry Puchkov
Zakhar Prilepin
Ruslan Karmanov
Ivan Rakhmetov
Lev Shyaransky
SHAME ON FACEBOOK'S POLITICAL CENSORSHIP!
GET THE UKRAINIAN NAZIS OFF THE RUSSIAN FACEBOOK MANAGEMENT!

At present, this post of me, being far from any 'top-bloggership', has 244 'likes' and 41 'shares', and the count is still going on. That means, not only I see the problem, and do it this way.

Pro-Ukrainian activists seem to completely win the management over the Russian language segment of the social network.

Any possible kind of Russophobic, anti-Russian, anti-Putin propaganda is allowed, including posts that contain all obscenities the russian language is so rich of, including those based on racial or ethnic hatred. However, even the most innocent traces of dislike regarding the sutiation in Ukraine, its foreign and internal policies are usually punished with temporary bans. The five popular accounts I name as examples, are banned for a month now, and these are 'heavy bans', preventing the people even from private messages.

I see the situation as totally intolerable. Instead of uniting people, the Zuckerberg's invention has become a place for political trolling and spreading international hatred; one the basic democratic rights, namely the freedom of speech, is openly biased and suppressed.

Any Facebook user can see it with his or her own eyes: there are many ways to complain for the acivity he or she considers unappropriate. However, it's almost impossible to complain over these complains, to complain over unfair actions of Facebook's authorities.

The top managenet of Facebook, apparently, is not aware of the situation, because such awareness requires good knowledge of Russian. Thus,

Shame on Facebook!
Shame on Zuckerberg!
Stop political censorship in Facebook now!
Get the supporters of Ukrainian Nazis off the Russian Facebook management!

RT Celebrates 10 Years on Air

My sincere congratulations to the people behind the project.

You've done great job, you are alive and kicking'em all, and you still have a lot to do in the future.

Watch RT and think different, people!

Is Erdoğan a Man of His Word?

Yesterday Al-Jazeera quoted Recep Tayyip Erdoğan:

I will say something very strong here. If such a thing is proven, the nobility of our nation would require that I would not stay in office.

So he commented recent Vladimir Putin's accusations that Turkey had shot down the Russian Su-24 to protect oil supplies from ISIL.

Meanwhile, earlier today Elissa Smith of Pentagon told RIA Novosti:

We reject the assumption that the Turkish government is in arrangement to IS for oil smuggling. We didn't see any proofs in support of such charges.

Come on, people, here are the proofs as presented today by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Cameron's 70,000 Moderate Fighters and Freedom of Speech

Sometimes reading Western media reveils true gems of journalism (albeit seldom without some specific Western taste).

Now it's Independent and an article of Robert Fisk titled "David Cameron, there aren't 70,000 moderate fighters in Syria - and whoever heard of a moderate with a Kalashnikov, anyway?". You are very welcome to follow the link and read it yourself, it well worth it.

However, the author cannot just pass by, leaving Russia untouched.

Vladimir Putin comprehends this. He knows that Turkey is helping Isis – this is why he is going to destroy the Isis oil smuggling route to Turkey – and, as a former serving KGB officer, he understands the cynicism of any crisis. If an American aircraft had strayed into Turkish airspace, he asked at his Kremlin press conference with François Hollande last week, does anyone believe that Turkey would have shot down the US pilots? We all know the answer to that. If Turkey wished to destroy Isis, why does it bombard Isis’ Kurdish enemies? Why does it imprison two of Turkey’s top journalists for reporting how the Turkish intelligence service smuggled weapons to Islamist fighters in Syria? And Putin is hardly going to object if the EU is bent on suicide-through-fear.

You know what?

The EU members do remember, I hope, advantages of unification and joining forces. So do we, former citizens of the Soviet Union. It's just natural, for people to unite. And unnatural — to disintegrate. The USSR fell apart due to problems carefully fed up by external forces using hot and cold warfare; and it became a geopolitical tragedy that cost tens millions of lives; at least 13 millions for Russia alone; quite close to losses in the WW2.

Now some external forces are striving to blast the EU from inside. And it looks like some people see some profit Russia could get of it. I would greatly appreciate if you explain me the reasons of such thoughts; I just do not see any advantages for Russia from Europe in flames.

It looks like authors are just obliged to bite Russia and/or Putin at least once. In the "world of democratical rights and freedoms" only that speech is free, which is politically correct and meets some "corporate standards", isn't it?

Daily Routine of Russophobia

You might well hear accusations of the Western media in Russophobia. Yet it's not just some propaganda rhetorics of the Kremlin; it's just the daily routine the Western media follow. A bright example of that has recently appeared in the Huffington Post.

Let's follow the statements of some blonde "world reporter" Charlotte Alfred.

It was the worst aviation disaster in Russian history and the deadliest terrorist attack targeting Russians in over a decade. Yet many Russians know little about the victims of Metrojet Flight 9268.

Russian authorities released the passenger manifest -- which included 209 Russian citizens and at least 25 children -- but their personal stories have not been widely covered in the Russian press.

“It’s shocking in comparison to when tragedies happen in Western countries, when there are photos of the victims and comments on social media,” said Tonia Samsonova. Samsonova is a founder of Russian-language social network The Question and a U.K.-based correspondent for the Echo of Moscow, regarded as Russia's most liberal radio station.

The lack of coverage has repercussions on public perceptions of the tragedy, said Valery Nechay, a Russia-based journalist for the station.

“People become more involved in the story when they know the images and stories, and not just a number -- 224 victims,” he told The WorldPost.

There are just two statements that are 100% correct: it indeed was the worst aviation disaster in the the Soviet and Russian history, and that a passenger manifest was released.

All the other stuff is lies, pure or covered, arrogant or ignorant, does not matter.

Why Does NATO Fight for ISIS?

Here is how it happened when the Turks (?) shot down our plane.

It was a thoroughly planned ambush; they knew perfectly what they were doing; for more than an hour (that day only) they waited in the air for an optimal moment to hit and hide.

Russian Means...

... generous and fair; sympathetic and strong.

A technician of Russian airforce at Hmeymim airbase in Syria, writes on bombs:

ЗА НАШИХ => for our people
ЗА ПАРИЖ => for Paris

This is the best and only short messages service ISIS deserves.

This is Russian soul.

A Good Question

... Vladimir Pution asked at the UN General Assembly:

As for me, I am sure they do; equally sure am I they will never admit it.

Image source

History Repeats Itself

The UK government says they are going on providing assisiatnce to the Ukrainian army.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon today (19 November) informed Parliament that the UK will provide a £971,000 gifting package as part of our non-lethal support being provided to the UAF.
The equipment being gifted includes 170 large tents, 170 heating units and 600 sets of cold weather clothing...

Well, I am a bit surprised 170 tents + 170 heaters + 600 sets of winter clothes make almost one million pounds. It smells like some guys are making good business. Anyhow, that's what Capitalism is all about; this is nit the point I am going to discuss.

Having read this piece of news, I remembered a story that took place almost exactly a century ago, in 1919. And it was also about the British military assistance to a fighting side in Russia (which Ukraine is just a part of; maybe except for its Western part).

Here is how Major General W.S.Graves of the US Army told that story in his book "America's Siberian Adventure (1918—1920)":

Most of the uniforms for the mobilized Russians were supplied by the British. General Knox stated that one hundred thousand uniforms had been supplied by the British for Kolchak forces. This was partially substantiated by the number of men in the Red Army wearing British uniforms. General Knox was disgusted at the Reds wearing British uniforms and later is re-ported to have said that the British would supply nothing more to Kolchak because everything they supplied reached the Bolsheviks. The men found in the Red Army wearing the British uniforms were the same men, generally speaking, to whom these uniforms were issued when they were with the Kolchak forces. The great mass of these men had no heart for fighting for Kolchak.

The methods used by the Kolchak people to mobilize these Siberians created a resentment not easily removed. They went into the service embittered by fear, not of the enemy, but of their own forces. The result was, as soon as they were armed and equipped they deserted by regiments, battalions, and individually to the Bolsheviks.

We will see how many of the stuff Fallon says about will make its unsurprising way to Novorossia.

Life in the Hell of 21st Century

Just one recent photo from Donetsk:

Attn of tax-payers!
In cases of heavy shellings of the Kuybyshevsky District, the tax collection office works till 1 p.m.

It's 2015 round there, people. It's human beings who live there, just like you and me.

But who cares? So far from France...

Putin's Direct Speech on ISIS & Other Matters

Vladimir Putin is one of those whose opinion well deserves being listened to.

It's a real pity when those who are obliged to do so and act correspondingly, do not listen to the voice of reason.

Sometimes it looks like the Americans do not need a lasting peace and fruitfull cooperation of nations worldwide.

Well, in fact we do know the difference between Washington and the Americans. But for how long it will be allowed to lead its crazy policies?

Panfilov's Twenty Eight Men

That's the title of a movie that is rapidly approaching theaters; its premiere is expected early next year. Here goes its official trailer.

Titles are provided in Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian (Latin), Spanish, and Turkish languages.

The movie is devoted to one of the toughest episodes of the WW2 (and, for the matter, the Great Patriotic War, as it was for the USSR, and remains for us its ex-people): defence of Moscow from advancing Hitler troops in October-November, 1941 by men of the 316th Infantry Division under command of Major General Ivan Panfilov.

For the mass bravery and heroism of its men the Division was awarded and became the 8th Guards Infantry Division on November 18, 1941; on that very day its commander was killed by an enemy shelling, and the Division was allowed to bear its legendary commander's name (there were only two Divisions in the Red Army that used names of their former commanders; the other one was named after Vasily Chapaev, a legendary hero of the Civil War).

The legend of the 28 Panfilov's men who stood to death on November 16, 1941 during the small Battle of Dubosekovo, skilfully used (and, for this particular case, evidently exagerrated) by propaganda system, effectively inspired Soviet people to fight and work harder. Anyhow, the Moscow was defended by many true self-sacrificing heroes; the Panfilov's Division alone lost more than 3600 men KIA and 6300 WIA. And the words of political officer Klochkov "Russia is a vast land, yet there is nowhere to retreat — Moscow is behind us!" were not an invention of journalists; it was the call — and the truth — of time. The movie is expected to resemble many thousands of individual and mass heroic acts that allowed our country to survive and win.

What is the most special thing about the movie, was the crowdfunding campaign its team used for financing the project at its initial stage. More than 34.4 millions Rubles were collected; it's not that much money for a movie production (slightly more than 0.5 mil. USD), however it is an unprecedented result for Russia, clearly demonstrating what we Russians would like to see in the theaters.

And the movie promises to become a real boom, as this perfectly made trailer clearly shows.

We will see!

Official web site of the movie

October Revolution Day and General Graves

Today most Russians celebrate the 98th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution — a brave attempt of some to make the life of all better. In many aspects, it was a great success, and even though the USSR failed early in 1990-s, its collapse had nothing to do with original ideas of common wealth. Old Russian calender was a bit behind of the world; the Bolsheviks adopted the common one in 1918, but the Revolution in Russia was in October, though for the rest of the world it was November 7.

As for today, I would express my sincere gratitude to General Major William Sidney Graves (1865—1940), who was in command of the American troops in Siberia in 1918—1920. His book "America's Siberian Adventure (1918—1920)" is a great evidence of what happened then in the Eastern part of our huge country. And of those 'Whites" who had nothing to do but lose the Russian Civil War, even agerssively supported and backed by foreign powers.

Admiral Kolchak surrounded himself with former Czarist officials and because these peasants would not take up arms and offer their lives to put these people back in power, they were kicked, beaten with knouts and murdered in cold blood by the thousands, and then the world called them "Bolsheviks." In Siberia, the word Bolshevik meant a human being who did not, by act and word, give encouragement to the restoration to power of representatives of Autocracy in Russia.

* * *

Semeonoff and Kalmikoff soldiers, under the protection of Japanese troops, were roaming the country like wild animals, killing and robbing the people, and these murders could have been stopped any day Japan wished. If questions were asked about these brutal murders, the reply was that the people murdered were Bolsheviks and this explanation, apparently, satisfied the world. Conditions were represented as being horrible in Eastern Siberia, and that life was the cheapest thing there.

There were horrible murders committed, but they were not committed by the Bolsheviks as the world believes. I am well on the side of safety when I say that the anti-Bolsheviks killed one hundred people in East-ern Siberia, to every one killed by the Bolsheviks.

Charlie Hebdo Prayer

You are fucking fucks.

You are not the freedom of press or whatever else.

Just because you are fucking fucks.

I don't care whoever whatever wherever and whenever makes to you.

You are beyond humanity.

Fuck you, stupid dumb fucks.

I am not Charlie, have never been, and never will be. Anyone with at least a tiny little slight hint of ability to think, is not Charlie.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end; but some dumb fuck deserve one. Well deserve.

Fuck you, Charlie.

Amen.

The Fine Art of Quiet Propaganda

A good propaganda does not necessarily mean to say something; sometimes it is absolutely effective to keep silence of this or that.

The Russian Service of BBC has recently announced a new OECD publication, "Health at a Glance 2015". Speaking about the life expectancy in different countries, an anonimous writer states:

Russia has one of the most unsignificant growth figure. As the organization says, in the 1970-s the average life expectancy of a Russian person was 68 years, and it increased to 71 years in 2013. Lithuania and Latvia showed comparable growth, though their figures were approximately one or two years more than that of Russia (73.9 and 73.5 years, correspondingly)...

What would an average British, or German, or, say, American citizen understand out of such a piece of data? While all the civilized world was steadily growing the life expectancy of its population, those evil Russians under their evil tyranny of Vladimir Putin almost stagnated, falling far behind the advanced nations. Putin must leave the Kremlin and let Russians live long and healthy lives!

And it would be a total and complete moronic bullshit, carefully created by pretty skilled in Russophobic matters BBC's staff.

'Cuz there were some events in between the 1970s and 2013 in Russia, you know.

When "the best German" Gorbi destroyed our country, and then betrayer and drunkard Yeltsin destroyed its economy, we had some troubles, you know. Statistics says, about 13 millions of Russian people prematurely died — losing the cold war turned out to be a quite bit hot for us Russians. My beloved father died at 63, and his early death belongs to this count as well.

So, when you come across some piece of news about Russia, it can in fact be a piece of shit prepared by skilled hands of propaganda cooks; and it's your choice whether to eat it or not.

With all my due thanks and best regards to blogger Fritzmorgen for the idea and picture.

The Icon of Grief

I have waited for some days, to have my feelings somehow settled a bit.

It was yesterday that my country had an official mourning for victims of the (still) unclear Metrojet A321 crash over the Sinai Peninsula that took away 224 lives in a terrible minute or so on October 31.

But for all those who lost their friends and relatives, grief, sorrow and mourning will last; sometimes for ever.

This photo of 10 months old Darina Gromova was uploaded to Vkontakte 15 days before the crash, when the young and happy family of Gromovs headed to Egypt from Saint-Petersburg, to spend an unforgettable two weeks vacation. The baby was wondering at those huge white metal birds. Mom Tatiana called her "the chief passenger"; so she was on their flight back, the youngest one aboard.

We do not see her face; we needn't. The image leaves enough space for us to think, and mourn those gone. We are waiting for the moment the baby looks back, in the camera, but at the same time we are afraid of this moment: we're afraid to see the face of someone we know and love. But she will never look back...

In just two days the image became the icon of grief and sorrow. She could be any nation and race; people are the same human beings, and share the same emotions.

I am sure for many people around this image will remain the image of the year... Or life. Just because it's story makes it a true symbol of the pure human sorrow. And sorrow, empathy, compassion are the things that make human beings humane.

Rest in peace, you little angel. Your life was short as a spark's flight; but it looks like it has made the world a little bit brighter.

I hope.

Distillation of What Ukraine Is Now

The story below has been carefully collected and archived by Alexander Dyukov, Russian historian, author and human rights defender, founder of the Historical Memory Foundation. My part was just to translate and post it here. Well, and to add the last line.

You just have to see it with your own eyes.

These are the former armed insurgents of the so called "Maidan Self-Defense Forces", nowadays the "Kiev-2" battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

They seized a man; made him undress; beat him; tied his hands and threw him into dirt.

It's Autumn; and it's not that warm round there.

They pose with their beaten and bleeding victim lying in the foreground.

The Best Way to Know What Russia Does in Syria

...is to get to the sources, and one of the most reliable ones is the Russian Ministry of Defence, which provides much information first hand.

The only minor problem is that their English is sometimes worse than mine (though, as I wrote well before, my English is not perfect at all — as it is not my native language). Anyhow, together we can do it closer to perfection than ever before.

Today, their piece of news goes a bit beyond the regular warfare chronicles, and this 'beyond' is the most interesting part of it.

Russian Ministry of Defence comments on publications appeared in a number of anglophone media quoting some “medics” of the “Syrian American Medical Society” concerning Syrian civilians who were killed by air strikes of the Russian aircraft carried out against a “hospital” in Sarmin settlement on October 20.

Russian Ministry of Defence is carefully monitoring and analyzing such stovepiping.

First, it is necessary to tell about the Syrian American Medical Society. This organization, which is registered in the American State of Illinois, has as much to do with both medicine and medics as ISIS has to do with the international Scout Movement.

Since its foundation in 2012, the organization was mainly used for publishing so-called “evidence” of using chemical weapons against the Syrian opposition. When it became evident all those "evidences" wee lies, the “agency” laid low quietly.

Apology of Tony Blair

Having watched Blair's inteview to Fareed Zakaria, I didn't believe my eyes (well, rather ears) first. Tony Blair did publically admit and say apologies they had been misinformed by their intelligence about Iraq, and they had had bad plans about Iraq's future after Saddam was thrown away.

(As soon as the CNN uploads the full video, I'll replace this short extract.)

Some of his words as written by the Daily Mail:

... I apologise for the fact that the intelligence I received was wrong.

Because even though he had used chemical weapons extensively against his own people against others, the programme in the form we thought it was did not exist in the way that we thought. So I can apologise for that.

I can also apologise, by the way, for some of the mistakes in planning and certainly our mistake in our understanding of what would happen once you had removed the regime.

Of course you can't say that those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015.

As far as I see it, the British ex-PM says, simply speaking, "I was a stupid bloody moron, and all the shit of today is firmly based upon those bricks I with my boss from the White House shitted out in 2003."

60+ Years of the Middle East History in 7.5 Minutes

The German humorists of "Die Anstalt" TV show remind us how did the USA improved order in the Middle East since 1953. The video was aired about 1 year ago, but it is sooo nice that it well deserves to be shared as wide as possible. And I cannot say the high hat player has somehow changed his own rules of the game he tries to play, so it is not outdated at all.

The one above is original German with English titles. This one has decent Russian titles.

Isn't it funny? Yes, and sadly so.

It looks like the USA are unable to learn on their own mistakes. But being the world-leading superpower they do not prefer to pay for their mistakes themselves, leaving the rest of the world to cope with the burden of having the USA atop and pay their bills. But this cannot last forever.

You can never extingush a fire with gas or matches.

You can never set up peace feeding terrorists, whatever moderate is their colour, with weapons.

By the way, how many refugees from the Middle East and Northern Africa have the USA (and for the matter, Canada and Australia) accepted?

Oh, really? Why so moderate?

UK at OSCE, Who's Your Pusher?

Crazy claims of Ukrainian politicians of "Russian aggression" do not surprise us any more. A circus is a circus. But the international league of their supporters sometimes does.

Here is the image that accompanied a tweet of the UK delegation to the OSCE.

This is a heavy multiple thermobaric rocket launch system TOS-1 called Buratino (our military designers are people with a decent sense of humour: this deadly weapon is named after the Soviet version of Pinocchio), and Russia is accused of giving it to militia of DNR (Donetsk People Republic) opposing Kiev quasi-Nazi regime.

Russian Contribution in Syria

The other day Josh Earnest, press secretary of the White House said at his press briefing:

... We would welcome Russia’s constructive contribution to the broader international coalition that’s been formed to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL. Russia has declined to make that constructive contribution thus far.

The very same day the Sputnik brought some news from Moscow about Syria:

"Over the past day, Su-24, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft completed 88 sorties on 86 terrorist infrastructure positions in the Raqqa, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo regions," [Russian Defense] ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told reporters.
The targets included IS command posts, weapon storage facilities, and sites where the group manufactured explosives, he said.
Intercepted talks between Islamic State militants in Syria indicate that parts of the group are ready to leave the combat zone in Syria due to acute weapon shortages, Konashenkov went on to say.

There are about 30 Russian aircrafts deployed in Syria; 88 sorties a day mean our pilots do quite a job.

And... You know what? It seems it is in vain that the White House is waiting for Russia's constructive contribution in Syria.

Because instead of constructive Russia makes quite a destructive contribution.

Pinpoint airstrike of a Su-34 bomber on an ISIS command centre near Aleppo.

Exactly what the IS deserves and the world needs.

May I Not Die?

It is not my text; it is my translation of a text I found somewhere in the Russian part of Internet. I decided to translate it, because in my opinion it delivers a message. A message generated by a Russian man born in the USSR, just like me. Sometimes using strong language — just like me...

"Aunt Lena, may I not die?" There's no tiny little single hair on the head of the boy lying on the bed. His skin is greenish. He looks like Fantomas from the old French comedy, though there's nothing to laugh about. No-thing.

An aged, in her sixties, nurse shakes with all her body. It is impossible to get accustomed to such things. A human being is unable to get accustomed to such things. That's why this being is called human.

"What d'ya say, dear! You aren't going to die, sure..." Tears water her eyes.

"Aunt Lena, you know, my Mom's birthday is on Saturday. I've made a gift, here it is... made it myself... but how can I give it to her if I die? May I not die till Saturday? May I?

Oncology. The room for those who have already crossed the thin line between life and death. These children are all already dead, even though they might still look alive and even talking... Just a few days are left to each of them. Perhaps, weeks or sometimes months. The doomed children — if you say you have seen something more terrible, I gonna hit you.

He does not need anything. Nothing can save him. He just wants to live up to his Mom's birthday and give her his lurid gift made from cheap cardboard and coloured paper. The most precious gift of all his — and her — life. Lord, I do not believe in Thou, but please do help this mother to go through it. Do not let her go crazy, please...

And we — we've got iPhones. Which one is there in the row, the fifth or already the sixth one? We've got toilets of gold. We've got an MP3-player built in in the fridge just for fun. Scientists do not fly into space anymore, yet tourists do. All the science waits in a queue to joyfully meet the needs of walking stomachs and bottomless vaginas. Beauty institutes, academies for pads and tampons, labs for wrinkles fighting creams. The fucking 21st century is there, and we have not enough power to win cancer, AIDS, and a whole bunch of other deadly diseases. And it is not that we are unable — we do not want.

An issue of the Science and Life* from 1959... A set of dreams of our ancestors about future. I'll burn it. Because... hey, mankind, just fuck you instead of a time machine, eternal youth, medicines against all diseases and a photon spaceship in the 21st century. Here's an iPhone for you. And a massager for fat asses. And premium condoms. And drugs allowing to eat without gaining weight. Fress and be healthy. Put all these pads in you know where. Drink Activia. Smear your snout with all these creams. And I gonna…

... Well, the boy did it to survive Saturday. He died a week later.

__________
* The Science and Life — once one of the most popular magazines in the USSR; established in 1890 in Imperial Russia, was published till 1900, then restored in 1934 in the USSR, and is still published.

Obama's Truth on Ukraine

President of the USA Mr. Barack Obama called President-elect of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych on February 11, 2010:

President Obama called Victor Yanukovych of Ukraine today to congratulate him on his election and wish him success in carrying out his mandate. The President commended the Ukrainian people on the conduct of their February 7 vote. This peaceful expression of the political will of Ukrainian voters is another positive step in strengthening democracy in Ukraine. They agreed on the importance of continuing cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation. They also wished each other’s athletes success in the Vancouver Olympic Games.
The strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine is based on shared interests and values. These include expanding democracy and prosperity, protecting security and territorial integrity, strengthening the rule of law, promoting non-proliferation, and supporting reform in Ukraine’s economic and energy sectors. The United States looks forward to working with President-elect Yanukovych and continuing to strengthen our cooperation with Ukraine’s government and its Parliamentary leaders.

General Hodges Says He Does Think

The other day I had a rare pleasure of reading a truly crazy text. It was an interview of General-Lieutenant Ben Hodges published recently in the German Bild under the title, which contained one of those so called Hodges' thoughts and wasa gem in its own kind, namely "Putin came to Syria to draw attention from Ukraine".

Just some extremely hot spots for you to enjoy:

BILD: Syrien, ISIS, Flüchtlinge, Putins verdeckter Krieg in der Ukraine – welche Krise sorgt Sie am meisten, Herr General?
Ben Hodges: Nach meiner Einschätzung sind diese Krisen miteinander verbunden. Egal ob es um die Terrormiliz ISIS geht oder darum, wie Russland die Sicherheitsarchitektur der Welt verändert.

General considers all cryses interconnected, either it is about ISIL militia or changing the architecture of the world's security that Russia did.

I wonder, does anyone else in this world really believe in the bullshit that it was Russia that changed the "architecture of the world security"?

A Proud Father - 2

I am again!

I doubt you can realize the deepness (or height) of feelings I experienced late in the evening of October 9 having finally seen this table displayed before my eyes:

My son Alexander performed his free skating really outstanding!

Foreign Affairs in Pictures

I do enjoy the way our foreign affairs people do their business, making decent use of social networks.

A good question, by the way.

Could you please help our Russian Airforce and Navy to sort out ordinary terrorists from the moderate ones?

Truth Has Witnesses

Here is a short video of Russian missiles flying to their ISIL targets somewhere over the so called Kurdistan on the early morning of October 7, 2015.

But this video tells us a bit more than one could imagine at the first sight.

Even in some faraway from the modern civilization centres region of Middle East, Asia, at a very early time of the day, local people have sufficient media to effectively capture a pretty spontaneous event and upload video in Internet. Here, I suppose, it was Instagram originally (square frame + 15 sec. duration).

So, the questions arisen from this short video are:

Where are the proofs of Russian aggression against Ukraine Kiev regime and its supporters have been crying of for about a year and a half?

Who did shoot down the Malaysian Boeing?

And, by the way, what for did they invest in construction of a funny fence along the Ukrainian-Russian border?

Paint Makes Difference

In fact, I failed to find the original of the following text.
What I am absolutely sure of is that I tried to do my best to translate it.

… The secretary put me through to the orderly officer who politely explained: “Well before the military operation in Syria began a crucial decision had been taken by the General Staff of the Russian Defense Ministry. The essence of this decision consists in our aspiration, traditional for Russia, to strictly observe the principles of legality and justice. Therefore, from now on all our ammunition is divided in two categories: ordinary and moderate. We use exclusively ordinary ammunition against ordinary terrorists, and against moderate terrorists we use exclusively moderate ammunition. So don’t worry, we take modesty of some terrorists into account and are dealing with them justly.”

Having heard these words, I felt considerably better. But I tried to clarify: “So, do you really use exclusively moderate ammunition against moderate terrorists, is it true?!”

My collocutor answered: “Word of an officer!”

I felt absolutely well. To bring the ultimate clarity, I asked: “Tell me, please, what’s the difference between your ordinary ammunition and the moderate one?”

“Our ordinary ammunition differs from moderate ammunition exactly as much as ordinary terrorists differ from moderate ones in Syria: it is carefully painted in colours of lighter, more moderate tints”, the officer answered and hung up.

Image used by the Russian Embassy to London in response to a tweet of Philip Hammond.

Does Obama Follow Sun Zi?

Almost exactly a year ago, on September 24, Barack Obama said in his speech at the 69th UN General Assembly, in particular:

As we gather here, an outbreak of Ebola overwhelms public health systems in West Africa and threatens to move rapidly across borders. Russian aggression in Europe recalls the days when large nations trampled small ones in pursuit of territorial ambition. The brutality of terrorists in Syria and Iraq forces us to look into the heart of darkness.

Each of these problems demands urgent attention.

So, from this viewpoint, the three top threats to the world are: Ebola, Russia, terrorists (evidently, ISIL).

At the same time no one can say these problems received proper medication during the last year. We don't hear about the US' victory over Ebola; after a year of anti-ISIL airstrikes media announced just new and new acts of brutality, terror and vandalism of the ISIL, which doesn't seem to be somehow bothered by the coalition's warfare. Those 'sanctions' supposed to stop so called 'Russian aggression did weaken our national currency to the point of considerable strengthening of our domestic economy, which is not bad at all now, though, surely, could be better.

So, what we have in the world now?

Magically, the second biggest US' trouble is somehow winning over the first and the third ones.

McCain's Strong. But Crazy.

Sometimes watching Fox News makes your day.

Please go to 3:30 and enjoy.

I wonder, is it a true achievement of democracy when such a crazy old fart sits in the Senate? He evidently does not need a TV camera and questions; he needs a doctor and proper medication.

On the other hand, the freedom of speech is the great achievement indeed. If you can add 1 to 1, the conclusion is straightforward: if Russia acts against ISIS and Al-Qaeda, US stands for these brave and courageous powers. Because it's not terrorism that is the US' real problem; as Obama said not so long ago, these are Ebola... and Russia.

The idea of shooting down Russian planes is a bit dangerous, men. You'd better find and kill that brain-eating virus apparently existng in the Senate and/or the White House.

If You don't Know What to Say, Blame Russia!

In a few minutes after the Russian airforse hit their first targets in Syria, that is, after the US media informed of the fact, a storm of bullshit came.

Let's have a closer look on one of its waves, the Daily Mail of the UK. Here's what they write on the matter:

... none of the areas reportedly targeted by Russian strikes are in any of the three provinces known to have an ISIS presence.

The areas struck in Homs are mostly controlled by Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, while those hit in Latakia are mostly controlled by a coalition known as the Army of Conquest, which includes Al-Nusra.

The areas targeted in Hama are controlled mostly by Islamist and moderate rebel groups.

You got it? 

Bad Russia mistakenly hit good old Al-Qaeda instead of ISIS. Nice. Do you need apologies?

DailyMail did my day. One Syrian asshole sitting in Coventry in no time counted killed civilians, and mass media started to spread it, as good soldiers of their sergeant. Or puppets of thir master.

If you don't know what to say, blame Russia/Putin of everything. People used to eat it.

But... you know what? We just don't care of various kinds of shit.

I am Russian, and I am proud again.

"If you have forces in the area, we request they leave."

A Good Photo Speaks For Itself

... and a decent short caption just adds on to the already existing power.

By the way, my personal opinion on, say, most of the winning images from the World Press Photo contest is those are often, too often bad images. Just because they need quite a sheet of explanations why the jury did such an unclear choice.

Quite a different — an evident! — story here. A master for a reason descended from heaven to talk to his puppet.

And it would be a pure fun, were that master not such a fan of playing with open fire.

Shall We Know the Truth?

Having looked through a recent publication in the Busineee Insider, I came to a question I cannot find any answer myself.

Just have a look yourself at those wonderful Stratfor images.

You see, it's almost impossible to hide anything from the powerful space eyes.

Meet Our Cosmonauts in London!

And don't miss this once-in-a-life chance if you're lucky enough to be in London till March 13, 2016.

Story of space exploration is the story of great achievements of the USSR. The Sputnik opened the sapace age on October 4, First ever human in space, Yuri Gagarin, started his exciting travel as a 1st Lieutenant, and landed as a Major of the Soviet Airforce.

Those who will make it to visit the exhibition in the Science Museum, will see:

... For We Are Russians

We are often told the Russian civilization is in fact a part of the European, Western one. That is, we at all not Asians and shouldn’t look at the East.

In this thesis only one part of the statement is correct: we aren’t Asians.

But from the fact we aren’t Asians doesn’t follow at all that we are Europeans — for we are Russians.

I explain it as one-two-three.

A certain sovereign, Ivan the Great, known also under the number IV and name “the Terrible”*, wrote to the Queen of England approximately so: you, the silly woman, put interests of trade above the state interests, and you are a servant of your merchants.

Je ne suis pas Charlie

A world-wide known (since January 7, 2015) French caricature magazine Charlie Hebdo has just become a reason for another huge storm. They published a set of images mocking the poor Syrian child, Aylan Kurdi.

Here are the images on the cover and somewhere inside of the recent issue, as they were republished by Morocco World News.

It looks like the sentence "Je ne suis pas Charlie" — which means "I am not Charlie" in French — is one of the most popular in Facebook today.

However, I am 100 per cent sure within the last 8 months the magazine has not changed at all. Neither did people of the species homo sapiens, I am equally sure about that. In fact, I would rather put under question the very definition "sapiens", though it's a topic of another discussion.

I just wonder, how many of those who say today they are not Charlie, 8 months ago claimed they were.

No Amnesty for Hypocrisy

In their recent news release, the Amnesty International inform about current situation with Syrian refugees.

Refugees in the region

More than 4 million refugees from Syria (95%) are in just five countries Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt:

• Lebanon hosts approximately 1.2 million refugees from Syria which amounts to around one in five people in the country
• Jordan hosts about 650,000 refugees from Syria, which amounts to about 10% of the population
• Turkey hosts 1.9 million refugees from Syria, more than any other country worldwide
• Iraq where 3 million people have been internally displaced in the last 18 months hosts 249,463 refugees from Syria
• Egypt hosts 132,375 refugees from Syria

RFE/RL Has Gone Too Far

Today is September 1.

Among many events, that happened in history on this day, it was 11 years ago that a group of terrorists captured hundreds of schoolchildren and some adults oin the town of Beslan (North Ossetia/Russia).

Here is how the RFE/RL, "Radio Svoboda" remembers this bloody event.

The text accompanying a photogallery of Andrey Korolev, is pretty short, just two sentences.

On Septemder, 1 it will be 11 years since terrorists captured hostages in school No. 1 of Beslan (North Ossetia). Three days later as a result of the assault on the school, 314 hostages were killed, including 186 children.

Historic Fail

Recently Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day.

I am not going into thin matters of how funny (and tragic at the same time) it sounds for me as an ex-Soviet citizen. I just wuold like to draw your attention to one of the tweets with which Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko celebrated the day.

Ukraine existed, exists, and will exist. And Novorossiya is a Tolkien's myth called Mordor.

He wrote it in Ukrainian, but our languages are so close that there's absolutely no trouble for me to translate it.

The matter is that the word Novorossiya (literally, New Russia) officially appeared in 1764, when Russian empress Catherine the Great established the Novorossiya governorate on the lands conquered during Russo-Turks wars.

Hell's Lifehack

A young woman (she's as real as you and me; I know her personally) living now in Donetsk region, writes in her LiveJournal:

Twig As a Door Lock

When there's a shelling, I take the locking bar off my door and change it with a twiglet. Why? There were lots of cases when doors got jammed during shellings and people could hardly get out. And how many deaths are unknown just because they failed? So, put a twig instead of your metal locking bar. It will be either a blast wave that breaks it, or myself. Thus, correspondingly, we shall survive :-)

It's My Life

Being born in 1970, for the first 21 years of my life I was a Soviet citizen, that is, a citizen of the USSR. As such, I went through all the stages form an infant to schoolchildren to a conscripted soldier to a University student — the Soviet way. Surely and undoubtedly, this background has much to do with who I am now. And many of my compatriots who have gone through more or less the same way.

My friend Phil Butler insisted I had to share the experiences of my life. I did.

My sincere hope is that it helps our so sadly imperfect world to be a friendlier place.

Because mutual understanding is the first and maybe the most important key to peaceful coexistence. We are all different — but that's normal, just natural. And the world evidently needs more tolerance. Not just that to sexual choices, but a wider one — to ideas, ways of life, traditions and beliefs, so far these do not threaten other people and nations.

I did not include all the details in my text: it is an online article, not a kind of "War And Peace". But in case you have any questions, or you'd like me to throw more light on this or that part of our former life, feel free to ask. You can also get some more information about me in some of my posts here, tagged "me & my background".

I am here (and there, in the "Our Russia") to answer. To build up understanding.

The Crimeans Are Happy

... right where they are. That is, with and in Russia.

So states Forbs' Kenneth Rapoza based on Gallup and GfK data in his short, but pretty cognitive article published quite a while ago, this March.

One year after the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula in the Black Sea, poll after poll shows that the locals there — be they Ukrainians, ethnic Russians or Tatars are mostly all in agreement: life with Russia is better than life with Ukraine.

Little has changed over the last 12 months. Despite huge efforts on the part of Kiev, Brussels, Washington and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the bulk of humanity living on the Black Sea peninsula believe the referendum to secede from Ukraine was legit. At some point, the West will have to recognize Crimea’s right to self rule.

Gallup and GfK are among the most respected opinion researchers of the Western world, and they do not suffer from any pro-Russian bias.

Kenneth Rapoza: "One Year After Russia Annexed Crimea, Locals Prefer Moscow To Kiev". Enjoy the reading, the truth is short enough and won't take more that 5 minutes of your precious time.

Mainstream Media at Work

An image that says it all.

And it's not only Ukraine. Reading (or watching, or listening to) Western media, you'd be always aware that you may be getting quite a perversed image of reality.

It is surely not an easy job to think different under a coordinated pressure of mass media of US and EU that turned long ago into media of mass disinformation; yet it well worth giving a try. Being a human, not just a being.

June 22 and the New Sanctions

As you may know, on June 22, 2015 the Council of the European Union took the decision (CFSP) 2015/971, correspondingly, of 22 June 2015, amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine.

That is, the EU adopted some new sanctions against Russia and/or extended older ones.

Whether you like and agree with reincorporation of Crimea into Russia (what you call annexation, and we do not in no case); whether you like the new Nazi government of Kiev, Ukraine, bloodily oppressing the anti-Junta rebellion in Donbass region of Ukraine, you have to admit one simple thing:

no one could ever invent a better date to deeper spoil relations and widen the gap between Russia and the EU.

Just because this date has a deeply sacral meaning for ALL RUSSIANS.

On June 22б 1941 the second version of the European Union, EU v2.0 (taking the Napoleonic Europe for the EU v1.0), headed by Adolf Hitler, attacked the USSR and so started what we call the Great Patritic War. On the one hand, the War brought immense suffering and bloodshed to our people and lead to the invention of the "Final Solution" by the Hitlerites.

A still from "The Unknown War" of 1978, a joint USA/UK/USSR production TV-series with Burt Lancester as narrator. Many years after, the Great Patriotic War still remains generally unknown to the Western audience.

The consequences of the GPWar were way heavier for the country, than any volume of modern sanctions. Yet we not only won the war and survived as a great Soviet nation (of many many ethnicities); we restored our economy and wellbeing all by ourselves, without any foreign assistance. For the USSR, there was nothing like the Marshall Plan for Europe.

And now some big but stupid Euroguys put on us more sanctions on this day?

Fuck you the EU Council. Fuck off Frau Mogherini.

Just like Napoleon or Hitler, you failed at that very moment when you decided to fight Russia.

Today there was the War

74 years ago the War began. The Great Patriotic War.

For my country it was the most cruel and devastating war in history.

In fact, the USSR fought against the European Union v.1.0. Sounds unexpected? Check the list of countries that supported Hitler this or that way, or were his allies, or were conquered and worked for him.

"The Sacred War", performed by our popular singer Elena Vaenga, in just two or three days after the Hitler invasion became an informal anthem of the fighting country.

Arise, vast country,
Arise for a fight to the death
Against the dark fascist forces,
Against the cursed hordes. 

Chorus:

Let noble wrath
Boil over like a wave!
This is the peoples' war,
A sacred war! 

We shall repulse the oppressors
Of all ardent ideas.
The rapists and the plunderers,
The torturers of people. 

Chorus 

The black wings shall not dare
Fly over the Motherland,
On her spacious fields
The enemy shall not dare tread! 

Chorus 

We shall drive a bullet into the forehead
Of the rotten fascist filth,
For the scum of humanity
We shall build a solid coffin! 

Chorus

Hearing this song even I, a grandson of the fighting generation, feel an immense desire to kill Nazis, and my fingers make fists all by themselves.

My eternal gratitude to all those who fought, and suffered, and won.

Civilizational Difference

Evidently, there are different civilizations coexisting on our earth.

Representatives of one remind:

It wouldn't be an easy job to invent something more offensive even — for me, and for many of my compatriots.

But, as for the Western world — who cares...

We Are the Immortal Regiment

The Immortal Regiment is the name of a non-official movement that started in Russia a couple of years ago.

The rules of the game are quite simple: you print a big size picture of your realtive who fought against Axis countries during the War, stick it to a board with handle, and walk out with the people like you.

The our part of the WWII, which is called the Great Patriotic War, had an enormous effect on the USSR. Virtually all families had relatives who was somehow touched by the war: either killed on the front or occupied territory, or served in the Red Army, and even more people worked hard in the rear.

In my family, my granddad and all three his brothers served as officers in the Red (later — Soviet) army. All the Samarins men were lucky to survive the war, but the top price was paid by many others. "Saving Private Ryan" is a great film; as for the USSR, it could not afford such an approach. There were mothers that los ALL 7 or 6 or 5 sons (let alone the fewer quantity) at the war.

I have already said, and I will repeat in the future, that was the war for the very existence of our country and people, something the Europe, especially the Western Europe did not experience to a least possible extent. Neither France, nor Belgium, nor the Netherlands, nor other occupied or allied with Hitler Germany lands.

Out of nine sons of Epistinia Stepanova, Alexander (Sr.) was executed by the White Army during the Civil War in Russia, Fyodor was killed by the Japanese during the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, Vasiliy, Ivan, Ilya and Alexander (Jr.) were killed by Germans (the second Alexander was post mortem awarded with the highest Soviet award, the Hero of the Soviet Union), Filipp died as a POW already in 1945, Pavel was missed in action. Only disabled Nikolay made it to home; he died of wounds in 1963, being just 59. The mother survived all of them.

Facebook Supports Russophobia

My Facebook account has just been blocked, and one of publications announced to be deleted as not corresponding to some FB rules.

In that publication I dared to draw people's attention to some fucking Russophobic international: one of the most active liberal Putin-haters and Eltsin-time political figure Alfred Koch (ethnically German) used some Ukrainian media to find a Russophobic post of a famous Russian blogger Rustem Adagamov (ethnically Tatar, an evidently paid Russophobic and anti-Putin agent and suspected paedophile). BTW, both live now outside of Russia.

This is the Koch's post I shared and commented.

The conclusion is evident and straightforward: Facebook openly supports Russophobia and Ukrainian Nazism, coducting policy of repressions against opponents.

I've sent them a message:

1. My publication was against Russophobia and Nazism (in general, and Ukrainian Nazism in particular). So is a considerable part of my Facebook activity.

2. Having deleted it and blocked my access, you, the Facebook, act as if supporting worldwide Russophobia and Nazism, and suppressing the freedom of speech, which supposedly is one of the basic values of the civilized world you supposedly belong to.

I insist on your immediate unblocking me and restoring the deleted publication.

I am waiting for your apologies.

We will see what happens.

¡No pasarán!

The Sacred War

On June 24, 1941 Vasily Lebedev-Kumach published a new verse "The Sacred War" in two major Soviet newspapers, namely Izvestia and Krasnaya Zvezda. The next day Alexander Alexandrov, Alexandrov Ensemble founder and future music composer of the Soviet national anthem, wrote music for the lyrics.

His ensemble performed the newly-born song June 26 at the Belorussky Railway Terminal of Moscow, while mobilized troops were departing to the front. In fact, it was sung five times one after one, and became an immediate and great success across all the fighting country.

The video starts with the first official radio announcement of the war,

that shocked the Soviet people at noon (Moscow time)
 of the wonderful sunny summer Sunday, June 22, 1941.

I would even say, the song became an informal anthem of the war, which was soon baptized as the Great Patriotic War, as it was indeed.

It is a kind of magic. I was born 25 years after the war; both my parents were born after the Great Patriotic War (yet before the end of the WWII). But every time I hear this song duly performed, my fingers make fists.

May 9, Victory Day

So it is, we celebrate Victory on May 9: it was 0:43 am of May 9, 1945, when Keitel signed the Final surrender act in Berlin.

The most terrific war in the history of the world was over. In Europe, it was the matter of existence only for Jews.

For us, it was the total war for the very existence of our country, that carried then the proud name — the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

If Obama Doesn't Come to Victory Parade in Moscow

... Then the Parade comes to Obama!

If the footage is real — good job, men.

My congratulations to all honest people who celebrate the V-Day in Europe today! 

1 Year to Odessa Massacre

One year ago Ukrainian Nazis arranged a bloody burning massacre in one of the most beautifil cities at the Black Sea — Odessa.

Those who still went on talking about the "Revolution of Dignity" after THAT are just dumb fucks shortsighted idiots paving way to power for Nazis of all kinds and lands with their own hands.

BBC: Cold War Lies Go On

Nothing special, in fact. The BBC has just shitted out another congratulation to the former ally with the coming 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. Just another one piece of shit in the long row.

The text contains same names, Beevor and Gelfand, used to prove the denigrating statements with same delusionary figures of raped women. And, by the way, the very same photograph of a Red Army soldier apparently taking a bicycle from a German woman. Just to create the necessary atmosphere of horror that ruled civilized Germany somehow defeated by Mongoloid hordes of the Red Army bolsheviks.

There is no caption to the image, and no doubt an average reader would perceive the preceding and following paragraphs as one: anger, revenge, hatred.

But this is a pure and mean manipulation and bullshit. Old-fashioned anti-Soviet Russophobic bullshit. Here goes the original caption to the original uncut image.