When I speak with people here in the West about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I hear the same thing over and over. On all sides of the political spectrum, whether it’s PhDs, political pundits or people with actual jobs, everyone struggles with one thing above all: who do we trust to tell us the truth?
As a reader from Poland.. Thank you so much for this article!
I was so often surprised lately by some comments in western both traditional and social media in regards of the Russian invasion.
I know that we all lost of trust in mainstream media, but this is one of these rare occasions when it is as simple as it looks: An aggressive, unprovoked invasion that may not stop on Ukraine land.
Also, as a person who was born during communism in a country overwhelmed by Russian "friendship"... We know when barking coming from the east is just barking.
Given my past career I’m not shocked by the rhetoric used and I’ve heard (and translated) these types of speeches many times, and believe that it is both saber-rattling and a realistic threat we need to be wary of.
Mutually-self assured destruction isn’t much of a laughing matter given that, while conscripts don’t fight as hard as people protecting their homeland, pushing a button by a long serving Russian officer corps is easy and something they’ve been trained (brainwashed) to do.
Are these aggressive speeches not also consistent with bog-standard sabre-rattling for internal consumption? How do we know they should be taken more seriously?
The statements are certainly menacing, but these are not decision makers. Isn’t the real calculation different from and independent of this media agitation?
I don't mean to be rude, but Konstantine was a child when he left Russia. 12 years old I believe. The only information he receives is via his extended family who may share a similar view to one another. I like him, but he's not a totally first hand / in place observer
My sense of it is that Putin (Russia) would like to expand the war to include Poland, Moldova, the Baltic states, Finland, etc, However, expanding a war that you are already losing is a formula for disaster. Attacking those countries would require armed forces that are already tied down in the Ukraine.
Am I sure that Russia will see it this way? No. Russia might indeed expand the war and the consequences will be grave (with Russia as the biggest loser).
By the way, you are quite familiar to me from the YouTube Triggernometry channel.
To use a reasonable analogy, what if the US invaded and tried to take over Mexico. We could claim that we wanted to get rid of the cartels and corruption (both of which are real problems in Mexico). Would the Mexicans resist? You bet they would. Of course, the US has never tried anything so crazy (since the Mexican-American war).
The foreign electronic telemetry that came out of the 2020 US election points to Russia, China, Iran and Kazakhstan. The US election was stolen by the Democrats with the help of foreign enemies who now know a secret that the current US administration cannot allow out. It's why Biden left Afghanistan in such a disastrous rush, and why Putin knows he can do anything he wants right now.
What we have here is asymmetric warfare, with Russia playing the part of the haggard terrorist in the tunnels of Tora Bora, armed with only the most primitive of tools. Or perhaps more like the barbarians encroaching on the borders of the Roman Empire.
Given that Russia is a nuclear power, this may seem an odd statement. But the American Empire has become so sophisticated that it can and does dominate the globe through much subtler means, perhaps best described in Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hitman, bringing nations under its dominion with only the occasional resort to overt military force.
So we rightfully condemn Russia's barbaric military aggression. But the geopolitical game it is playing is not materially different from the game being played by the American Empire. The primary difference between the two has more to do with power and capabilities than moral rectitude. While the American Empire perpetuates its interests through an intricate web of twenty-first century multinational corporations, banks, multilateral trade agreements, corrupt deals with despots, legacy media outlets, nonprofit organizations, supranational organizations, and military alliances, Russia pursues the same goals but has only two twentieth century tools at its disposal: the Bomb and dirty energy.
The US just cut off all Russians from the bulk of the global economy. I don't remember that happening to Americans when the US invaded Iraq. Or bombed Libya. Or invaded Afghanistan. If this doesn't make clear that the world is dominated by an American Empire, then I don't know what would.
So my basic thesis is this: the American Empire, in its hubristic quest for full spectrum global dominance, has left major geopolitical players with two choices: 1) submit to the Empire, or 2) fight.
Most establishment Cold Warriors in the '90s predicted that Russia would eventually fight if forced to submit to the will of the Empire, particularly in regards to NATO expansion. And that's where we are. While the Russians bear full moral responsibility for their aggression and atrocities and are rightly condemned for it, this was the foreseeable and inevitable outcome of Icarus flying too close to the sun.
Had the Empire maintained a policy of detente and diplomacy with Russia following the collapse of the USSR, recognizing its need for some sphere of influence, I don't believe we'd be seeing this sort of horrific rhetoric and military action coming from the Russians. But instead the Empire pursued full spectrum domination with reckless zeal. Now it is too late and we have no good options. I don't know what the best policy is at this point, but despite that very disturbing video you've posted, I'm not going to jump on the "Russia is Satan and the forces of Western Righteousness must defeat it" bandwagon.
History is replete with the rise and fall of hegemonic nations in conflict with one another. What non-orthodox/liberal "Christians" don't understand is that the historic unfolding of this AGE was set forth from eternity but is now upon us. The planet is moving toward the Return of the Celestial Monarch...the Lord Jesus Christ. As Sovereign, He will supernaturally bring an end to the global conflict as well as rebellion. He will rule with a Rod of Iron over a 1,000 year period...the Millennium. Pay attention to the content of Western Christmas carols and songs. Humanity has been waiting nearly two thousand years. Only He will establish peace and mitigate the corruption of humankind.
Anyone from France, Netherlands or Germany here? Wondering how you feel.... you seem to be more economically dependent on Russia (in the short term) than we are in UK.
In other news, let us know how Brexit is working out for you too. Not even joking... Germany and Netherlands must be in a horrible economic situation.
The video is chilling to say the least. However, if we are to take the TV host's more hyperbolic views seriously, and believe they are widely shared by their viewers, as Konstantin implies, then doesn't that imply they are suicidal? Or are they not aware that such ideas amount to as much? I have difficulty believing this. That a generation who experienced the latent fear of the cold war period, want to go back to it and actually follow through this time.
If this optimistic skepticism simply reflects the western naivety eluded to by Konstantin, then it's not very reassuring.
As a reader from Poland.. Thank you so much for this article!
I was so often surprised lately by some comments in western both traditional and social media in regards of the Russian invasion.
I know that we all lost of trust in mainstream media, but this is one of these rare occasions when it is as simple as it looks: An aggressive, unprovoked invasion that may not stop on Ukraine land.
Also, as a person who was born during communism in a country overwhelmed by Russian "friendship"... We know when barking coming from the east is just barking.
This time biting is a very real threat.
Given my past career I’m not shocked by the rhetoric used and I’ve heard (and translated) these types of speeches many times, and believe that it is both saber-rattling and a realistic threat we need to be wary of.
Mutually-self assured destruction isn’t much of a laughing matter given that, while conscripts don’t fight as hard as people protecting their homeland, pushing a button by a long serving Russian officer corps is easy and something they’ve been trained (brainwashed) to do.
Are these aggressive speeches not also consistent with bog-standard sabre-rattling for internal consumption? How do we know they should be taken more seriously?
The statements are certainly menacing, but these are not decision makers. Isn’t the real calculation different from and independent of this media agitation?
I don't mean to be rude, but Konstantine was a child when he left Russia. 12 years old I believe. The only information he receives is via his extended family who may share a similar view to one another. I like him, but he's not a totally first hand / in place observer
Ukraine should remain independent, Russia withdraw, and NATO stop expanding
My sense of it is that Putin (Russia) would like to expand the war to include Poland, Moldova, the Baltic states, Finland, etc, However, expanding a war that you are already losing is a formula for disaster. Attacking those countries would require armed forces that are already tied down in the Ukraine.
Am I sure that Russia will see it this way? No. Russia might indeed expand the war and the consequences will be grave (with Russia as the biggest loser).
By the way, you are quite familiar to me from the YouTube Triggernometry channel.
To use a reasonable analogy, what if the US invaded and tried to take over Mexico. We could claim that we wanted to get rid of the cartels and corruption (both of which are real problems in Mexico). Would the Mexicans resist? You bet they would. Of course, the US has never tried anything so crazy (since the Mexican-American war).
The foreign electronic telemetry that came out of the 2020 US election points to Russia, China, Iran and Kazakhstan. The US election was stolen by the Democrats with the help of foreign enemies who now know a secret that the current US administration cannot allow out. It's why Biden left Afghanistan in such a disastrous rush, and why Putin knows he can do anything he wants right now.
What we have here is asymmetric warfare, with Russia playing the part of the haggard terrorist in the tunnels of Tora Bora, armed with only the most primitive of tools. Or perhaps more like the barbarians encroaching on the borders of the Roman Empire.
Given that Russia is a nuclear power, this may seem an odd statement. But the American Empire has become so sophisticated that it can and does dominate the globe through much subtler means, perhaps best described in Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hitman, bringing nations under its dominion with only the occasional resort to overt military force.
So we rightfully condemn Russia's barbaric military aggression. But the geopolitical game it is playing is not materially different from the game being played by the American Empire. The primary difference between the two has more to do with power and capabilities than moral rectitude. While the American Empire perpetuates its interests through an intricate web of twenty-first century multinational corporations, banks, multilateral trade agreements, corrupt deals with despots, legacy media outlets, nonprofit organizations, supranational organizations, and military alliances, Russia pursues the same goals but has only two twentieth century tools at its disposal: the Bomb and dirty energy.
The US just cut off all Russians from the bulk of the global economy. I don't remember that happening to Americans when the US invaded Iraq. Or bombed Libya. Or invaded Afghanistan. If this doesn't make clear that the world is dominated by an American Empire, then I don't know what would.
So my basic thesis is this: the American Empire, in its hubristic quest for full spectrum global dominance, has left major geopolitical players with two choices: 1) submit to the Empire, or 2) fight.
Most establishment Cold Warriors in the '90s predicted that Russia would eventually fight if forced to submit to the will of the Empire, particularly in regards to NATO expansion. And that's where we are. While the Russians bear full moral responsibility for their aggression and atrocities and are rightly condemned for it, this was the foreseeable and inevitable outcome of Icarus flying too close to the sun.
Had the Empire maintained a policy of detente and diplomacy with Russia following the collapse of the USSR, recognizing its need for some sphere of influence, I don't believe we'd be seeing this sort of horrific rhetoric and military action coming from the Russians. But instead the Empire pursued full spectrum domination with reckless zeal. Now it is too late and we have no good options. I don't know what the best policy is at this point, but despite that very disturbing video you've posted, I'm not going to jump on the "Russia is Satan and the forces of Western Righteousness must defeat it" bandwagon.
Good reads and interview. Prayers for peace
History is replete with the rise and fall of hegemonic nations in conflict with one another. What non-orthodox/liberal "Christians" don't understand is that the historic unfolding of this AGE was set forth from eternity but is now upon us. The planet is moving toward the Return of the Celestial Monarch...the Lord Jesus Christ. As Sovereign, He will supernaturally bring an end to the global conflict as well as rebellion. He will rule with a Rod of Iron over a 1,000 year period...the Millennium. Pay attention to the content of Western Christmas carols and songs. Humanity has been waiting nearly two thousand years. Only He will establish peace and mitigate the corruption of humankind.
Anyone from France, Netherlands or Germany here? Wondering how you feel.... you seem to be more economically dependent on Russia (in the short term) than we are in UK.
In other news, let us know how Brexit is working out for you too. Not even joking... Germany and Netherlands must be in a horrible economic situation.
Seems to me your interviewee is saying that Putin would never use nukes, and that it suits Biden to do nothing rather than being genuinely worried!
The video is chilling to say the least. However, if we are to take the TV host's more hyperbolic views seriously, and believe they are widely shared by their viewers, as Konstantin implies, then doesn't that imply they are suicidal? Or are they not aware that such ideas amount to as much? I have difficulty believing this. That a generation who experienced the latent fear of the cold war period, want to go back to it and actually follow through this time.
If this optimistic skepticism simply reflects the western naivety eluded to by Konstantin, then it's not very reassuring.