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I live in midwest USA , what can we do as US nationals
1 promote a more positve image of russia in usa [ not cold war propoganda of warmongers like mccain and grahm]
2 increase immigration to US from russia and eastern europe in particular
3 organize the russian american community more
I'm not of russian or eastern european descent just to clarify just feel like they are very wrongly maligned here in US
I'll try to make the long story short;
Of course Russia is NOT the kind of democracy ( with functional multi-party system) that Americans are used to, when sticking to more familiar "allies in Europe."
And Americans in many ways are at fault that post-Soviet Russian government is not "democratic and fair."
Since America had different designs on post-Soviet Russia, other than to help to turn it into that "free and democratic country," the results were not the best - let's put it this way.
But instead of accepting these results and to proceed with the next logical step - i.e. to cooperate with Russia in whatever shape and form it emerged from communism, someone, somewhere keeps on drumming the drums of war and keep on trying to destroy that country ( the latest escapades with Ukraine are a good example of it.)
The fact however remains; no matter in what guise Russia is present on the world scene - be that Russian Empire, or Soviet Union, or Putin's Russia, CULTURALLY it still remains the staunch part of the Christendom ( yes, even throughout the Soviet times.) And that's probably the reason we post some videos/music/other events here, to give a "better feel" for Americans ( and other Westerners,) a better insight into Russian culture for what it is, apart from politics. So all in all - yes, it's still a conservative part of the Christendom - historically so.
And in PRACTICAL sense, that means that it still follows its philosophy of keeping radical Islam at bay, whatever it takes - negotiations, "soft power," or downright wars/ military actions.
Russia is that column, that supports the balance between Islam and the Christendom in that other part of the world - which is not exactly the "Middle East," yet can be potentially explosive and complacent with the rest of Islamic world in the most radical sense of it.
With Russia out of the picture, the whole "Islamic space" would have looked much more threatening to the Western countries, much more wide and empowered if you'd look at that map.
I think some of the people in Washington realized that, but some remain clueless, or downright welcome Islam.
I think Trump figured out that US is stretched too thin to handle multiple threats coming from radical Islam in different locations, and he realized that without Russian cooperation this becomes the unrealistic task for US army.
I think he had much closer cooperation in mind with Russia even for this matter alone ( not to mention financial/economic joint ventures,) but these plans costed him dearly.
Judging by what I hear in this video, Afghanistan is only the beginning - by the sound of it, according to negotiations that go behind the closed doors, America is planning to withdraw its troops from Syria and then Iraq as well.
I think Trump figured out that US is stretched too thin to handle multiple threats coming from radical Islam in different locations, and he realized that without Russian cooperation this becomes the unrealistic task for US army.
You already have Russia and Iran surrounded with bases and missiles at that time. You run the risk of pushing a rapid escalation to all-out nuclear war since much of Russia's major cities and missile bases are near the Western border. Putin has already come out and stated as such.
They don't need Russia for fight against Islamic terrorism since the US is one of the main sponsors along with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and the US built military schools in Pakistan for the wars against the US. Now, they're building them in Bangladesh for use against Myanmar and the deep-sea Chinese port in Kyaukpyu.
The Chinese are building all these land routes and alternative sea ports since the South China Sea is vulnerable to a naval blockade.
The US also doesn't need Russia for competition with China. So Kissinger's detente II to split off Russia from China is off the table.
You already have Russia and Iran surrounded with bases and missiles at that time. You run the risk of pushing a rapid escalation to all-out nuclear war since much of Russia's major cities and missile bases are near the Western border. Putin has already come out and stated as such.
They don't need Russia for fight against Islamic terrorism since the US is one of the main sponsors along with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and the US built military schools in Pakistan for the wars against the US. Now, they're building them in Bangladesh for use against Myanmar and the deep-sea Chinese port in Kyaukpyu.
The Chinese are building all these land routes and alternative sea ports since the South China Sea is vulnerable to a naval blockade.
The US also doesn't need Russia for competition with China. So Kissinger's detente II to split off Russia from China is off the table.
This is too general of a phrase.
When it comes to the Islamists, US sponsored terrorism ( at least used to,) very selectively, targeting specifically Russian interests, be that Afghanistan, Syria or Chechnia.
But I think with time it became obvious, that Islamic extremism is not something that can be easily controlled. Once genie is out of the bottle, it's not willing to go back.
September 11 was the first proof of it, Tzarnayev brothers and Boston marathon was yet another reminder.
After all, why do you think American troops were staged in Afghanistan for so long, if "the US is a sponsor of terrorism," period?
It's another thing that the lesson hasn't been learned first time around it seems, and the US decided to use the Arabs' services one more time in Syria, trying to undermine Russian interests in the area yet again with the help of Islamic "freedom fighters."
NOT a good idea, since it ended up in expansion and growth of the ISIS.
Luckily, Russians were prepared and equipped to deal with this scourge much better this time around.
P.S. When it comes to China - that's a whole different story.
It's another thing that the lesson hasn't been learned first time around it seems, and the US decided to use the Arabs' services one more time in Syria, trying to undermine Russian interests in the area yet again with the help of Islamic "freedom fighters."
NOT a good idea, since it ended up in expansion and growth of the ISIS.
They use terrorist groups and insurgents because they can invoke the 2001 AUMF to get around going to Congress to authorize military action or to the UN to pass a resolution.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf emirates provide much of the funding for the wars which keep it off the books. ISIS is essentially a joint project of US-NATO and the countries in the region that fear the rise of a Shia crescent. There was a disagreement or competition between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and a faction within Al Qaeda splintered to form ISIS under Qatar's sponsorship. I think the war in Iraq now is ISIL/AQII resistance to the government.
Islamic mercenaries were also brought in into the war in Yugoslavia and some of the press covered the flow of Al Qaeda militants from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries that partner with the US.
I've read that Turkey is only paying the mercenaries $ 3000/mo to fight in Afghanistan. At the height of the Syrian war, some of the Chechen commanders were getting 250K/mo because of their experience and the command and control structures they brought from the Georgian wars. The petty criminals Western Europe sent to the battlefield were paid very little.
Russia's vaccine uptake is failing badly (Foreign Policy mag)
I remember for a time there was a disinformation campaign in the US to paint all anti-vax messages as sourced from Russia. It turned out to be the domestic PACs who pushed alternatives to vaccines.
They use terrorist groups and insurgents because they can invoke the 2001 AUMF to get around going to Congress to authorize military action or to the UN to pass a resolution.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf emirates provide much of the funding for the wars which keep it off the books. ISIS is essentially a joint project of US-NATO and the countries in the region that fear the rise of a Shia crescent. There was a disagreement or competition between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and a faction within Al Qaeda splintered to form ISIS under Qatar's sponsorship. I think the war in Iraq now is ISIL/AQII resistance to the government.
Sorry this sounds like too much of the *conspiracy theories* to me.
And the rise of "Shia crescent?" Yes, Iran would like that, but it's not realistic.
It's not that easy to unify all these people under Iran's banners for different reasons. Look for example at Azerbaijan. Yes, they are Shia, but they have much closer ties with Sunni, more secular Turkey than with Shia ( and more radical) Iran. And so if you go down the list, it's definitely not the "unified group."
Quote:
Islamic mercenaries were also brought in into the war in Yugoslavia and some of the press covered the flow of Al Qaeda militants from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries that partner with the US.
Of course the Islamists are always twirling around Balkans. That Turkish conquest had big implications back in history.
After all, Russians were fighting Turks for a reason.
"Article 9 of the 1856 Paris Peace Treaty, concluded at the end of the Crimean War, obliged the Ottoman Empire to grant Christians equal rights with Muslims. Before the treaty was signed, the Ottoman government issued an edict, the Edict of Gülhane, which proclaimed the principle of the equality of Muslims and non-Muslims,[14] and produced some specific reforms to this end. For example, the jizya tax was abolished and non-Muslims were allowed to join the army.[15]
However, some key aspects of dhimmi status were retained, including that the testimony of Christians against Muslims was not accepted in courts, which granted Muslims effective immunity for offenses conducted against Christians. Although local-level relations between communities were often good, this practice encouraged exploitation. Abuses were at their worst in regions with a predominantly Christian population, where local authorities often openly supported abuse as a means to keep Christians subjugated.[16][page needed]"
Quote:
I've read that Turkey is only paying the mercenaries $ 3000/mo to fight in Afghanistan. At the height of the Syrian war, some of the Chechen commanders were getting 250K/mo because of their experience and the command and control structures they brought from the Georgian wars. The petty criminals Western Europe sent to the battlefield were paid very little.
Of course someone is paying all these mercenaries, I just don't believe in $3,000 a month.
Quote:
Russia's vaccine uptake is failing badly (Foreign Policy mag)
Oh, that's Khodorkovsky's "Medusa." They have to be taken with a grain of salt, since they have their own axe to grind.
But yes, I think we already talked about it earlier.
Russian government failed from the very beginning, first publicly stating on the Federal channels that Covid is not a big deal - it's not worse than the regular flue, and then, after the sudden lockdown, letting everyone out for a vote on Constitution's amendments.
Of course after that Russians didn't take Covid seriously.
So the government has no one but themselves to blame.
And if you'll add the deep-seated fear of the side effects ( which are really minimum from Sputnik,) then you have double trouble.
Quote:
I remember for a time there was a disinformation campaign in the US to paint all anti-vax messages as sourced from Russia. It turned out to be the domestic PACs who pushed alternatives to vaccines.
Sorry this sounds like too much of the *conspiracy theories* to me.
If you followed the wars in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, you would've read the news reports in the mainstream media that showed what was going on. You may dispute it, but then it would be an attempt to rewrite history. What the US, NATO, and the Gulf States did in the conduct of the wars is on record. The US government and the media was the first to accuse Qatar of creating and supporting ISIS back in 2013. Since all these governments are working with the US, it really doesn't matter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by erasure
And the rise of "Shia crescent?" Yes, Iran would like that, but it's not realistic.It's not that easy to unify all these people under Iran's banners for different reasons. Look for example at Azerbaijan. Yes, they are Shia, but they have much closer ties with Sunni, more secular Turkey than with Shia ( and more radical) Iran. And so if you go down the list, it's definitely not the "unified group."
It's obvious you haven't followed the news. The term was coined quite a long time with the failure in Iraq, and it mainly includes the Shia population in Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia which form a crescent shape on the map. As a result, it looks very threatening to Israel and Saudi Arabia since the Shia populations occupies much of the land under which the oil reserves lie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by erasure
Of course the Islamists are always twirling around Balkans. That Turkish conquest had big implications back in history.
It was just an illustration that the documented flow of weapons and mercenaries have been covered for a number of wars, including Yugoslavia, Syria, and Libya, and that many of them came from Pakistan at that time. With the falling out between the US and Pakistan around 2013, it's possible that they are no longer a source for fighters for the US wars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by erasure
Of course someone is paying all these mercenaries, I just don't believe in $3,000 a month.
It was in the new coverage of recent days of Turkey hiring Al Qaeda mercenaries to guard bases in Afghanistan, and that there were problems with payments. They also sent fighters from Syria to Libya. In the past, there have also been coverage in British and Israeli press about payments for fighters in Syria.
Quote:
Originally Posted by erasure
Oh, that's Khodorkovsky's "Medusa." They have to be taken with a grain of salt, since they have their own axe to grind.
But yes, I think we already talked about it earlier.
Russian government failed from the very beginning, first publicly stating on the Federal channels that Covid is not a big deal - it's not worse than the regular flue, and then, after the sudden lockdown, letting everyone out for a vote on Constitution's amendments.
Of course after that Russians didn't take Covid seriously.
So the government has no one but themselves to blame.
And if you'll add the deep-seated fear of the side effects ( which are really minimum from Sputnik,) then you have double trouble.
Because of the economic crises, their population is quite young which also accounts for the complacency. I recall that it's similar to the J&J vaccine and has the same blood clot problems.
Sorry this sounds like too much of the *conspiracy theories* to me.
Obama previously concocted a fictitious group in NW Syria called the Khorasan Group and claimed they were plotting another 911 in NYC so that he could bomb Syria using the 2001 AUMF. At the time, he could've bombed Al Nusra Front aka Al Qaeda in Syria or Islamic State.
Congress has tried to repeal the law which is being used to engage in wars in perpetuity. The House passed the repeal. The Senate rejected it.
I would refer you to doing a news lookup to verify the information.
Obama previously concocted a fictitious group in NW Syria called the Khorasan Group and claimed they were plotting another 911 in NYC so that he could bomb Syria using the 2001 AUMF. At the time, he could've bombed Al Nusra Front aka Al Qaeda in Syria or Islamic State.
Congress has tried to repeal the law which is being used to engage in wars in perpetuity. The House passed the repeal. The Senate rejected it.
I would refer you to doing a news lookup to verify the information.
Everything Ichoro is saying here is pretty much factual in nature. The infrastructure used in these wars is harder to pin down. Bulgaria, Romania and many other nations go along with it for profit also. It's all done via shadow banking and covert logistics. The drug trade is deeply involved in it.
If you followed the wars in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, you would've read the news reports in the mainstream media that showed what was going on. You may dispute it, but then it would be an attempt to rewrite history. What the US, NATO, and the Gulf States did in the conduct of the wars is on record. The US government and the media was the first to accuse Qatar of creating and supporting ISIS back in 2013. Since all these governments are working with the US, it really doesn't matter.
It's obvious you haven't followed the news. The term was coined quite a long time with the failure in Iraq, and it mainly includes the Shia population in Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia which form a crescent shape on the map. As a result, it looks very threatening to Israel and Saudi Arabia since the Shia populations occupies much of the land under which the oil reserves lie.
It was just an illustration that the documented flow of weapons and mercenaries have been covered for a number of wars, including Yugoslavia, Syria, and Libya, and that many of them came from Pakistan at that time. With the falling out between the US and Pakistan around 2013, it's possible that they are no longer a source for fighters for the US wars.
It was in the new coverage of recent days of Turkey hiring Al Qaeda mercenaries to guard bases in Afghanistan, and that there were problems with payments. They also sent fighters from Syria to Libya. In the past, there have also been coverage in British and Israeli press about payments for fighters in Syria.
Because of the economic crises, their population is quite young which also accounts for the complacency. I recall that it's similar to the J&J vaccine and has the same blood clot problems.
Well you can stop right there.
Many years ago, I asked a friend (a European, with dual citizenship here in US,) shortly after this whole Iraq's fiasco, with "sectarian violence" erupting after the removal of Saddam Hussein.
"What on Earth were they thinking, ( Americans that is,) and did the Brits forget to leave them a memo, that there was really no such country as "Iraq" until they ( Britons that is) carved it up from whatever provinces they saw fit?
Who lived in those provinces, what religion they adhered to, was unimportant to them, since they obviously had affinity to Arabs, and so they put Sunni muslims in charge.
And THAT's what blew up in Americans faces later in time, this very inconvenient detail, hidden in older historic events, when Greater Persia ( that "Iraq" used to be part of,) was conquered by Arabs, and the "conquered" ( Persians) accepted the Shia branch of Islam when forced to convert, while the conquerors ( Arabs) were adhering to the original Sunni version.
So this drastic separation is important for this particular area ( and the whole hostility between Shias and Sunnis is coming from Iran; in other areas these two branches coexisted quite peacefully.)
My friend looked at me and responded "For Americans such things are unimportant - what happened back in history.'
-But why, since it had the direct implications on their failed endeavor.
He chuckled.
-Because. Because the way THEY see it, is since THEIR country was comprised from people coming from all over the place, and yet it created one nation all the same, this should be the same elsewhere.
Once "the nation" is created, the past, the history don't matter.
And that's why I don't pay attention much to American media, when they are reporting on that part of the world.
They simply connect dots in the wrong way.
If the relations between Shia and Sunnies are hostile in one particular area, OR the Shia ties of Iran extend all the way to Iraq, this doesn't mean that you should extend these dynamics ( and ties) to elsewhere ( like, say, to Arabian peninsula.)
But all that apparently Americans can see is the "Shia crescent," and they connect the dots this way.
I won't go any further at this point.
Last edited by erasure; 07-14-2021 at 06:07 PM..
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