I think the issue you're running into is that Americans (I am one) are fat and retarded (because of fat in the brain) and treat political/philosophical allegiances like sports teams. Our entire education system and media complex is designed to get us to think this way which means that it's especially hard for the old farts who read Unz and have their brains' neuroplasticity hardened to think any differently. Anything less than unfettered and often irrational optimism is treated as heretical disloyalty.
Your pragmatic, realistic approach is therefore interpreted as acquiescence to the moral superiority of the US Empire of Gay Anal Sex. Americans just aren't used to this kind of pragmatism, but your predictions continually proven right is validation that your approach is best and will give the most accurate depiction of the situation on the ground in Russia.
There is very good reason to be critical of the situation from the Russian side, but in the long term I don't see how US can hold it's hegemony together for another 10-20 years. Michael Hudson, who is also on Unz, seems to think this way and he's probably the smartest columnist on that site.
"I think the issue you're running into is that Americans (I am one) are fat and retarded (because of fat in the brain) and treat political/philosophical allegiances like sports teams." Au contraire!
The brain IS fat: cut out the statins and the spike protein drugs if you're really worried about neuroplasticity. Reduce surplus adipose in muscle and MSM news.
You're being conned. It takes a long time to fully appreciate the BS in all its splendor, something that youthful arrogance doesn't at first appreciate.
Relax, humble narrator. Stay offline for a day , go to the korova milk bar and pick up a few local girls and bring them to your place for the old in n out. Try playing the latest album from Heaven Seventeen, works every time to get them in the mood
Ahh the irony. If the boomers at UNZ could see what roughly 75% Russian rightwingers thought of Putin their heads would explode. I personally dont know of any Russian rightwingers that are effusively supportive of Putin. My ancedotal observation is that the rightwingers tend to just tolerate him or at least not take shots at him but they arent excited about him by any means. By rightwingers I mean your sort of Monarchists/Traditionalist types. Think Strelkov type Russians I guess. You could also lump most the non neo-nazi ethno nationalist into that imo.
The younger nazibols and their fellow neo Soviet boomers just loath Putin and everything about the current system. Of course I wouldn't call these types right wing but I mention them just to illustrate that the more politically engaged Russians are the more lukewarm they grow towards Moscow and Putin by associations if nothing else. I can't back that up with hard data or anything but it's my observation. Putins real base of loyalist among the population is normies who just arent interested in politics and dont pretend they are and they dont want very drastic changes either. Rolos position of being politically active and also very loyal to Putin is actually pretty rare in Russia as far as I can tell. Personally I more or less share rolos stance because despite everything wrong in Russia now the post Putin russia is even scarier imo.
I wont rag too hard on the guys at Unz furiously defending Putins honor against Rolo because they mean well and are just very mislead by Saker, Orlov, etc. But they dont know sh1t about Russia and unfortunately Saker and Orlov wont help them learn anything either.
I think the sheep just wanted to be sheared, Rolo. After all of the Trump 5D crap, you cannot buy anyone at this point who wants to ascribe mastery to military failures for the Russians. I'm sure theres a fancy term out there for it but I'll just that behavior crazy. The SMO was supposed to be over with the fall of Kiev and we all see how that worked. Everything after has been a "failure to plan."
Rolo has been clear about where he stands from the start. He has steadfastly supported Putin, questioning Putins confidantes and the lack of effort to tap patriotic fervor amd national pride. Strength does not come from hoping for the best and just winging it but honest self-criticism and learning from one's mistakes. Frankly it's somewhat comforting to see Russian nationalists have almost as many problems as us westerners. Globohomo does a good job of boxing us in.
Rolo, I think you should knock off the 'old dummies' / 'brilliant young bucks' stuff. That is very typical of 'young dummies'. I have been interested in your writing and have posted links all over the place, along with favorable comments. I am 69 years old.
Considering most of us here agree on all the abover assertions, I am wondering if somebody just pulled your chain for amusement.
Ignore them, brother Rolo.
Meanwhile, your more argumentative fans (such as I) will continue to be obnoxious and pedantic, because we so nobly want to contribute to mankind's cerebral nourishment. We are intellectually philanthropic. We are emotionally the providers of loaves and fishes. Hell, we are almost effing godlike and you should be grateful
enjoy reading your articles and the fair assessments. not many like it out there these days.
more than the current events in ukraine, russia and all the related gutwringing between west and east i find the exploration of that Russian idea most intriguing. The West can only surf to the end its poor set of self delusions into its own sunset. Russia on the other hand stands today as a "historical virgin", even though it was used and abused in many ways, none of these were herself and the actual pregnancy is ongoing and birth to happen eventually. Certainly one of the most rewarding speculative and investigative work one can do today. would love to read more about your take on it.
👌 A most laudable stance of a rare maverick in a world where whoever cries the loudest wins 😊
All the numbered clarifications rock: lucid & comprehensive yet reasonably succinct. 💯. I wish more ppl heeded the maxim ↓↓ far better known in its shortened form.
🗨 My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.
I support your position Rolo without reservation. I work with my China contacts and an excellent doctor in Australia (BOOM Finance & Economics) as well as patriots in USA (The Burning Platform). I am of your tribe, 90% Viking, and have a love of Russia and Eurasia rising to challenge the Empire of Lies. Here in the West we are battling to survive the onslaught from WEF et al. Here in UK they have infiltrated our government as they have so many other countries. Read Austrians Newsletter tomorrow - you will be shocked.
BOOM also writes here daily on medical issues: https://cmnnews.org/ I was on Skype today with Gerry - we are unsure how far Vlad and China is involved with the WEF - after all he was a Young Global Leader in the past. I am pursuing research in this area.
I avoid commenting on the Ukraine conflict as I have a hard time keeping up with UK's demise, but I will link your site so my readers can get a fair view. I read Unz when I can - not sure what side he is on?
Thank you Seth - I do also follow Edward - we have a diversity of opinions on this subject. I can only reserve judgement, follow events and see how things develop. "We shall know them by their works"
All I do know is that Russia is under attack by the Empire of Lies (NATO) and has every right to defend the motherland. It has ever been so for centuries - her resources have always been the target of greedy Brits (City of London)
Thank you Rolo - that's cleared it up, thus I deduce that it could be a problem for the future. I Skype with China regularly and they seem to have the same problem. But I am optimistic for Eastasia, SCO etc going forward.
Lousy logic. I was a member of a communist organisation in the mid-sixties, with Albanian-trained revolutionaries, because these were the only people in NZ who demonstrated any grasp of how to manipulate the media and politicians and get our country out of the Vietnam war. At no time did I subscribe to their objective of destroying the nation and rebuilding as Marxist. Like Putin, I used the best tools available for the times. As a result, NZ got out of that war a full year before Australia.
Cut Putin some slack, fellas. He is ahead of his opposition world-wide.
Good to have support from NZ. In the sixties I was totally anti-communist - 'Better Dead Than Red'. I haven't changed my position, but I never supported Nam (nearly went there myself - close call) - Empire of Lies - now dying.
I don't believe in centralised mega-government - it's failing. This is my stance - I have no desire to impose any system on anyone - they are free to choose their own path. We have a thriving local community here in SW England - it works.
So sorry you are in NZ with that WEF maniac Ardern in charge - what ever made the Kiwis to vote for her? Are you as hypnotised as much as the bloody mad politicians here in UK?
Actually, I migrated to Australia in 1971 but, yes, NZ is a nation of delusional people, all believing they are the best educated and most intelligent people in the world. mRNA sorted that superiority complex out.
Australia's problem is unique. Rupert Murdoch runs the country and has done since the 1975 coup. There is almost no genuine information flow.
Western England has always been the rebel, especially in the extreme south where everybody eyed the "fucking English" with suspician. In 1938, many sided with Hitler (the real Hitler, not the Hollywood version). English thoughts of those days were immediatly transmitted to Australia and New Zealand thrrough immigrant relatives, so we know your history quite well, you being known as "the old country" or "Mother England". It took the EEC (EU) betrayal to break the bond, although Churchill made quite a contribution in that regard
You clearly have a very good handle on us Brits, Tony. My good doctor colleague at 'BOOM finance and economics' lives in Brisbane, and by all accounts it is a wonderful place to live. I spent 10 years in Cape Town in the noughties and they are on the same latitude 35 deg south and the climate is much the same except for the South Easter which carries pure air from the Antarctic - I miss it very much.
I am sojourning here in UK for the time being and actively promoting local economies. I plan to return to CT in 2024 if the elections work out. If not, then an escape to Belize looks good. I can sail there easily on the trades.
Thanks for your work and if I had to say something about this situation, it is that the whole "Right" in Russia is unbelievably demoralizing, self-hating but also sterile in its production. If I compare it to what can be found in France, which is truly "reinformating" (as they call themselves), with a honest, deep and independent journalistic work in the best sense of the word, their Russian counterparts look bad, very bad. They look like a bunch of very negative guys, frustrated about everything and rejecting their frustration on the government (it seems to be the tradition in Russia to blame the government for pretty much anything). Those kinds of point of view can be found in the lowest classes in France, but they don't get to constitute a whole "movement". They are just intellectually limited guys, frustrated in their lifes and therefore blaming the government for their own miserable lifes. They constitute the core public of "independent medias", but don't run those medias. In Russia, those kind of people own these medias.
Your first set of articles, "The Great Russian Restoration", were really eye-opening about the situation. I remember telling myself at the moment, that I never read such a great analysis of Russian politics in my life. It really made sense. It was very descriptive.
But since then, I have to said that I became more and more disappointed. The content became less descriptive and more ideological. Names and historical facts were replaced with doubtful abstract ideas. In my opinion, you fell into the trap of ideology and abstraction, which is the particularity of the Russian political commentary scene, which makes it ten times less interesting than the Western one, and allows liberals to have the high ground because they are a bit more realistic and informative (and it's not really difficult to do so, considering what the "Right" has to offer in Russia).
I might be wrong, but I have the feeling that delving into the Russian "Right", you became one of them. And unfortunately, those people are miserable. They are what we call in France "paumés" - lost, godforsaken. This whole thing about the need to find a "Russian idea" is really pitful. It is a waste of time, energy spent for nothing concrete except formulating again a limiting set of rules, as was the communism. People nowadays are lost, but it's especially the case in Russia. People in Russia became literate, learnt how to read, at a time and in a system that doesn't exist anymore. I think that it's unprecedented in history. Moreover, this system disappeared not because of the will of the Russian people. Russians were dispossessed from themselves, they didn't have the time nor the possibility to develop a set of rules to live in the modern society, and now they want to catch up the train. But it cannot be done by a strict set of rules, except if you aim at becoming muslim or North-Korean.
The Russian people is an adolescent that needs to accept that things take time.
>In my opinion, you fell into the trap of ideology and abstraction,
What is my ideology then?
>but I have the feeling that delving into the Russian "Right" you became one of them
I've been in and around the Russian Right for about 5 years at this point. I was in it before I started this blog. You liked my previous series because I was the bearer of good news and that made you feel good, but post-summer, things got darker. Not my fault. I'm just not a liar.
>It is a waste of time, energy spent for nothing concrete except formulating again a limiting set of rules, as was the communism
I'm not about creating rules. I'm about solving problems by any means necessary.
You are arguing with a phantom. What you say I stand for is literally the opposite of what I have spent all this time advocating for. It's like if someone rants for years about how bad Communism is and then you accuse them out of the blue of being a Communist.
I think the problem might be that for you feelz>reelz and you tingle with indignation at what I write and then look for a reason for this feeling. Amusingly, you throw my own language and arguments at me because some of my ideas vaguely got stuck in your memory. Yet, somehow you managed to forget who actually wrote these ideas about being anti-ideology, about not needing rulebooks and about the "russian idea". And you sure as hell didn't get it from anyone else, because there is no one out there writing and thinking seriously like this except myself so far.
Idk what to say. What you wrote is simply bizarre. Sad.
Zog in progress is a Frenchman, they are possibly more culturally insular than Russians with respect to other Europeans. If you take a Spaniard and try to pair him with a Frenchman and then with a Russian, chances are he'll get along with the Russian better than with the Frenchman. https://www.eupedia.com/france/the_french_national_character.shtml
And Ron Unz considers you affiliated with the Occidental Observer, that's why he doesn't cite your blog. You've got have groups of people well-defined by their affiliation, can't have a bunch of independent bloggers in the aggregator because then it's difficult to remember each writer's stance.
Ive lived in Russia/Belarus awhile now and one feature of Russians that has made a real impression on me is they are absolutely heinous and unending complainers. Dont get me wrong, once you get to know them and they are comfortable with you they are more real and dont put on facades like Americans do but God to they love to doom and complain. Its just engrained in their DNA I guess.
A Russian with a comfy house, a car, a pretty wife, decent job, dacha with a big garden and banya and a kid or 2 will complain to you all day about how hard his life is and how the world is awful if you let him. This extends to any given topic from the quality of produce at the local magnet or pytorechka to politics. Its not even that they are especially gloomy people per se, they are actually quite lively amongst friends and they will give you the shirt of their back if you need it. But dooming is just as much a part of their existence as picking mushrooms and grilling shashlik.
Basically when Russians go off on total doom rants theres no need to take it 100% seriously all the time. Sometimes they are serious and on to something like say Strelkov but often its just a habit like breathing.
You don't even need to get to know them for them to complain. Every single conversation I ever had in Minsk started with "hello, let me tell you how much I hate my country".
Belarusians over 40 are identical to Russians from Russia proper but younger Belarusians are generally speaking pretty gay compared to Russians from Russia. I mean they all love complaining but younger Belarusians specifically love to complain about how their country isnt gay enough. Its especially absurd because because Belarus is actually really nice even by Western European standards. Like its just as clean and safe as Germany and probably less corrupt. A lot of Russia is actually pretty rundown so you can forgive Russians for having some illusions but Belarusians have no excuse at all. I mean a provencial train in Belarus might be old compared to one in the EU but its still clean, on time and its not full of 20 year old Nigerian child refugees fleeing Assads brutal regime in Syria. And even though sure 5/10 younger Russians are still prone to complaining about how their country isnt gay enough its like 8/10 with Belarusians. Maybe its actually a blessing that Moscow has left a lot of Russia run down because Lukashencko sure as hell hasnt gotten much thanks for making sure that by pretty much every measure besides olds peoples pensions Belarus is actually very nice even compared to Western Europe.
Oh yeah, its also extremely affordable. The food is absolutely top-notch as well. Incredibly clean.
Its a shame about all the dreary commie architecture though.
And yeah the city folk are extremely ghey. I didn't make a single new Minskian friend while I was there. No awareness on the part of the government about this problem either. Boomers think that by re-running old soviet movies they can prevent the cultural shift.
The old "right v left" dichotomy no longer has any validity. I just listened to a speech called "Russia Under Putin" (Hillsdale College / 10/4/22 / Michael Millerman). Surprisiingly, Professor Millerman spoke mostly about the philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, a speech by Giorgia Meloni, and two given by Vladimir Putin.
Although we in the USA are never allowed to hear speeches by other world leaders (certainly not a speech by Putin!), the emphasis of "Russia Under Putin" was that the old arguments about liberalism v fascism v Communism are now tired cliches from another time. The issue is whether there should be one country controlling the world or multinationalism. The term neo-Euroasian was used to describe Putin's philosophy and, according to Dr. Millerman, Ukraine is not seen as an independent nation, but as a tool for warfare begun by the Obama administration eight years ago. Putin's complaint seems to be that European values and traditional Christian values are being destroyed by the corrupt and degraded West - that Russia is protecting traditional values.
You will have to keep me posted on what is happening in CT or Belize. These days, out of necessity, we are our own media. You are, I take it, a boat man..
I think the issue you're running into is that Americans (I am one) are fat and retarded (because of fat in the brain) and treat political/philosophical allegiances like sports teams. Our entire education system and media complex is designed to get us to think this way which means that it's especially hard for the old farts who read Unz and have their brains' neuroplasticity hardened to think any differently. Anything less than unfettered and often irrational optimism is treated as heretical disloyalty.
Your pragmatic, realistic approach is therefore interpreted as acquiescence to the moral superiority of the US Empire of Gay Anal Sex. Americans just aren't used to this kind of pragmatism, but your predictions continually proven right is validation that your approach is best and will give the most accurate depiction of the situation on the ground in Russia.
There is very good reason to be critical of the situation from the Russian side, but in the long term I don't see how US can hold it's hegemony together for another 10-20 years. Michael Hudson, who is also on Unz, seems to think this way and he's probably the smartest columnist on that site.
I'll check Hudson out.
"I think the issue you're running into is that Americans (I am one) are fat and retarded (because of fat in the brain) and treat political/philosophical allegiances like sports teams." Au contraire!
The brain IS fat: cut out the statins and the spike protein drugs if you're really worried about neuroplasticity. Reduce surplus adipose in muscle and MSM news.
You're being conned. It takes a long time to fully appreciate the BS in all its splendor, something that youthful arrogance doesn't at first appreciate.
I still need a few more centennia myself.
Relax, humble narrator. Stay offline for a day , go to the korova milk bar and pick up a few local girls and bring them to your place for the old in n out. Try playing the latest album from Heaven Seventeen, works every time to get them in the mood
Vidi well, droogie, vidi well.
Ahh the irony. If the boomers at UNZ could see what roughly 75% Russian rightwingers thought of Putin their heads would explode. I personally dont know of any Russian rightwingers that are effusively supportive of Putin. My ancedotal observation is that the rightwingers tend to just tolerate him or at least not take shots at him but they arent excited about him by any means. By rightwingers I mean your sort of Monarchists/Traditionalist types. Think Strelkov type Russians I guess. You could also lump most the non neo-nazi ethno nationalist into that imo.
The younger nazibols and their fellow neo Soviet boomers just loath Putin and everything about the current system. Of course I wouldn't call these types right wing but I mention them just to illustrate that the more politically engaged Russians are the more lukewarm they grow towards Moscow and Putin by associations if nothing else. I can't back that up with hard data or anything but it's my observation. Putins real base of loyalist among the population is normies who just arent interested in politics and dont pretend they are and they dont want very drastic changes either. Rolos position of being politically active and also very loyal to Putin is actually pretty rare in Russia as far as I can tell. Personally I more or less share rolos stance because despite everything wrong in Russia now the post Putin russia is even scarier imo.
I wont rag too hard on the guys at Unz furiously defending Putins honor against Rolo because they mean well and are just very mislead by Saker, Orlov, etc. But they dont know sh1t about Russia and unfortunately Saker and Orlov wont help them learn anything either.
I think the sheep just wanted to be sheared, Rolo. After all of the Trump 5D crap, you cannot buy anyone at this point who wants to ascribe mastery to military failures for the Russians. I'm sure theres a fancy term out there for it but I'll just that behavior crazy. The SMO was supposed to be over with the fall of Kiev and we all see how that worked. Everything after has been a "failure to plan."
Rolo has been clear about where he stands from the start. He has steadfastly supported Putin, questioning Putins confidantes and the lack of effort to tap patriotic fervor amd national pride. Strength does not come from hoping for the best and just winging it but honest self-criticism and learning from one's mistakes. Frankly it's somewhat comforting to see Russian nationalists have almost as many problems as us westerners. Globohomo does a good job of boxing us in.
Rolo, I think you should knock off the 'old dummies' / 'brilliant young bucks' stuff. That is very typical of 'young dummies'. I have been interested in your writing and have posted links all over the place, along with favorable comments. I am 69 years old.
My friend, don't take it personally. I like to have a little fun is all.
If it doesn't apply to you, it doesn't apply to you. Thank you, friend
Considering most of us here agree on all the abover assertions, I am wondering if somebody just pulled your chain for amusement.
Ignore them, brother Rolo.
Meanwhile, your more argumentative fans (such as I) will continue to be obnoxious and pedantic, because we so nobly want to contribute to mankind's cerebral nourishment. We are intellectually philanthropic. We are emotionally the providers of loaves and fishes. Hell, we are almost effing godlike and you should be grateful
hello Rolo,
enjoy reading your articles and the fair assessments. not many like it out there these days.
more than the current events in ukraine, russia and all the related gutwringing between west and east i find the exploration of that Russian idea most intriguing. The West can only surf to the end its poor set of self delusions into its own sunset. Russia on the other hand stands today as a "historical virgin", even though it was used and abused in many ways, none of these were herself and the actual pregnancy is ongoing and birth to happen eventually. Certainly one of the most rewarding speculative and investigative work one can do today. would love to read more about your take on it.
cheers, Viktor
A very good article, Rolo. Thank you for your clarifications.
💬 I’m not going to cry about it.
👌 A most laudable stance of a rare maverick in a world where whoever cries the loudest wins 😊
All the numbered clarifications rock: lucid & comprehensive yet reasonably succinct. 💯. I wish more ppl heeded the maxim ↓↓ far better known in its shortened form.
🗨 My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.
I support your position Rolo without reservation. I work with my China contacts and an excellent doctor in Australia (BOOM Finance & Economics) as well as patriots in USA (The Burning Platform). I am of your tribe, 90% Viking, and have a love of Russia and Eurasia rising to challenge the Empire of Lies. Here in the West we are battling to survive the onslaught from WEF et al. Here in UK they have infiltrated our government as they have so many other countries. Read Austrians Newsletter tomorrow - you will be shocked.
Check out these links:
https://austrianpeter.substack.com/p/xmas-humbug-un-hires-hancock-lord?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=762792&post_id=88382248&isFreemail=false&utm_medium=email
This where I re-post my weekly Letters (Jim Quinn is a great friend and supporter over many years): https://www.theburningplatform.com/2022/12/02/we-are-trapped-in-a-truman-show-directed-by-psychopaths/
BOOM also writes here daily on medical issues: https://cmnnews.org/ I was on Skype today with Gerry - we are unsure how far Vlad and China is involved with the WEF - after all he was a Young Global Leader in the past. I am pursuing research in this area.
I avoid commenting on the Ukraine conflict as I have a hard time keeping up with UK's demise, but I will link your site so my readers can get a fair view. I read Unz when I can - not sure what side he is on?
Go well - AP
>after all he was a Young Global Leader in the past.
He wasnt. The bald kimono man misspoke.
Oh thanks for that Rolo - there is so much crap out there I have difficulty in seeing the wood for the trees!
He is Global Leader adjacent, that explains why the Russian Federal government is pushing the killshot , QR codes and "sustainable development"
See the archives of Edward Slavsquat for more info.
Thank you Seth - I do also follow Edward - we have a diversity of opinions on this subject. I can only reserve judgement, follow events and see how things develop. "We shall know them by their works"
All I do know is that Russia is under attack by the Empire of Lies (NATO) and has every right to defend the motherland. It has ever been so for centuries - her resources have always been the target of greedy Brits (City of London)
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2022/11/29/did-you-know-that-only-one-square-mile-dominates-the-entire-planetary-civilization/
But Putin is friends with Gref who is friends with Schwab and one of the most enthusiastic supporters of WEF and the digitalization of Russia.
Yes, it's a problem that I keep in mind. Rolo says Putin is NOT WEF - I reserve judgement but thanks for the riminder.
Putin isn't. The only problem is that a lot of people around him are and Putin doesn't seem to mind.
Thank you Rolo - that's cleared it up, thus I deduce that it could be a problem for the future. I Skype with China regularly and they seem to have the same problem. But I am optimistic for Eastasia, SCO etc going forward.
I will stay in touch, thanks AP
Lousy logic. I was a member of a communist organisation in the mid-sixties, with Albanian-trained revolutionaries, because these were the only people in NZ who demonstrated any grasp of how to manipulate the media and politicians and get our country out of the Vietnam war. At no time did I subscribe to their objective of destroying the nation and rebuilding as Marxist. Like Putin, I used the best tools available for the times. As a result, NZ got out of that war a full year before Australia.
Cut Putin some slack, fellas. He is ahead of his opposition world-wide.
Good to have support from NZ. In the sixties I was totally anti-communist - 'Better Dead Than Red'. I haven't changed my position, but I never supported Nam (nearly went there myself - close call) - Empire of Lies - now dying.
I don't believe in centralised mega-government - it's failing. This is my stance - I have no desire to impose any system on anyone - they are free to choose their own path. We have a thriving local community here in SW England - it works.
https://austrianpeter.substack.com/p/the-financial-jigsaw-part-2-localisation?s=w
So sorry you are in NZ with that WEF maniac Ardern in charge - what ever made the Kiwis to vote for her? Are you as hypnotised as much as the bloody mad politicians here in UK?
Actually, I migrated to Australia in 1971 but, yes, NZ is a nation of delusional people, all believing they are the best educated and most intelligent people in the world. mRNA sorted that superiority complex out.
Australia's problem is unique. Rupert Murdoch runs the country and has done since the 1975 coup. There is almost no genuine information flow.
Western England has always been the rebel, especially in the extreme south where everybody eyed the "fucking English" with suspician. In 1938, many sided with Hitler (the real Hitler, not the Hollywood version). English thoughts of those days were immediatly transmitted to Australia and New Zealand thrrough immigrant relatives, so we know your history quite well, you being known as "the old country" or "Mother England". It took the EEC (EU) betrayal to break the bond, although Churchill made quite a contribution in that regard
You clearly have a very good handle on us Brits, Tony. My good doctor colleague at 'BOOM finance and economics' lives in Brisbane, and by all accounts it is a wonderful place to live. I spent 10 years in Cape Town in the noughties and they are on the same latitude 35 deg south and the climate is much the same except for the South Easter which carries pure air from the Antarctic - I miss it very much.
I am sojourning here in UK for the time being and actively promoting local economies. I plan to return to CT in 2024 if the elections work out. If not, then an escape to Belize looks good. I can sail there easily on the trades.
Dude, everything you say is the antithesis of points #1 & #2 above.
So either you’re lying now or lying in your article. Which one is it? (I’m going with the former)
Thanks for your work and if I had to say something about this situation, it is that the whole "Right" in Russia is unbelievably demoralizing, self-hating but also sterile in its production. If I compare it to what can be found in France, which is truly "reinformating" (as they call themselves), with a honest, deep and independent journalistic work in the best sense of the word, their Russian counterparts look bad, very bad. They look like a bunch of very negative guys, frustrated about everything and rejecting their frustration on the government (it seems to be the tradition in Russia to blame the government for pretty much anything). Those kinds of point of view can be found in the lowest classes in France, but they don't get to constitute a whole "movement". They are just intellectually limited guys, frustrated in their lifes and therefore blaming the government for their own miserable lifes. They constitute the core public of "independent medias", but don't run those medias. In Russia, those kind of people own these medias.
Your first set of articles, "The Great Russian Restoration", were really eye-opening about the situation. I remember telling myself at the moment, that I never read such a great analysis of Russian politics in my life. It really made sense. It was very descriptive.
But since then, I have to said that I became more and more disappointed. The content became less descriptive and more ideological. Names and historical facts were replaced with doubtful abstract ideas. In my opinion, you fell into the trap of ideology and abstraction, which is the particularity of the Russian political commentary scene, which makes it ten times less interesting than the Western one, and allows liberals to have the high ground because they are a bit more realistic and informative (and it's not really difficult to do so, considering what the "Right" has to offer in Russia).
I might be wrong, but I have the feeling that delving into the Russian "Right", you became one of them. And unfortunately, those people are miserable. They are what we call in France "paumés" - lost, godforsaken. This whole thing about the need to find a "Russian idea" is really pitful. It is a waste of time, energy spent for nothing concrete except formulating again a limiting set of rules, as was the communism. People nowadays are lost, but it's especially the case in Russia. People in Russia became literate, learnt how to read, at a time and in a system that doesn't exist anymore. I think that it's unprecedented in history. Moreover, this system disappeared not because of the will of the Russian people. Russians were dispossessed from themselves, they didn't have the time nor the possibility to develop a set of rules to live in the modern society, and now they want to catch up the train. But it cannot be done by a strict set of rules, except if you aim at becoming muslim or North-Korean.
The Russian people is an adolescent that needs to accept that things take time.
>In my opinion, you fell into the trap of ideology and abstraction,
What is my ideology then?
>but I have the feeling that delving into the Russian "Right" you became one of them
I've been in and around the Russian Right for about 5 years at this point. I was in it before I started this blog. You liked my previous series because I was the bearer of good news and that made you feel good, but post-summer, things got darker. Not my fault. I'm just not a liar.
>It is a waste of time, energy spent for nothing concrete except formulating again a limiting set of rules, as was the communism
I'm not about creating rules. I'm about solving problems by any means necessary.
You are arguing with a phantom. What you say I stand for is literally the opposite of what I have spent all this time advocating for. It's like if someone rants for years about how bad Communism is and then you accuse them out of the blue of being a Communist.
I think the problem might be that for you feelz>reelz and you tingle with indignation at what I write and then look for a reason for this feeling. Amusingly, you throw my own language and arguments at me because some of my ideas vaguely got stuck in your memory. Yet, somehow you managed to forget who actually wrote these ideas about being anti-ideology, about not needing rulebooks and about the "russian idea". And you sure as hell didn't get it from anyone else, because there is no one out there writing and thinking seriously like this except myself so far.
Idk what to say. What you wrote is simply bizarre. Sad.
Zog in progress is a Frenchman, they are possibly more culturally insular than Russians with respect to other Europeans. If you take a Spaniard and try to pair him with a Frenchman and then with a Russian, chances are he'll get along with the Russian better than with the Frenchman. https://www.eupedia.com/france/the_french_national_character.shtml
And Ron Unz considers you affiliated with the Occidental Observer, that's why he doesn't cite your blog. You've got have groups of people well-defined by their affiliation, can't have a bunch of independent bloggers in the aggregator because then it's difficult to remember each writer's stance.
Ive lived in Russia/Belarus awhile now and one feature of Russians that has made a real impression on me is they are absolutely heinous and unending complainers. Dont get me wrong, once you get to know them and they are comfortable with you they are more real and dont put on facades like Americans do but God to they love to doom and complain. Its just engrained in their DNA I guess.
A Russian with a comfy house, a car, a pretty wife, decent job, dacha with a big garden and banya and a kid or 2 will complain to you all day about how hard his life is and how the world is awful if you let him. This extends to any given topic from the quality of produce at the local magnet or pytorechka to politics. Its not even that they are especially gloomy people per se, they are actually quite lively amongst friends and they will give you the shirt of their back if you need it. But dooming is just as much a part of their existence as picking mushrooms and grilling shashlik.
Basically when Russians go off on total doom rants theres no need to take it 100% seriously all the time. Sometimes they are serious and on to something like say Strelkov but often its just a habit like breathing.
You don't even need to get to know them for them to complain. Every single conversation I ever had in Minsk started with "hello, let me tell you how much I hate my country".
Belarusians over 40 are identical to Russians from Russia proper but younger Belarusians are generally speaking pretty gay compared to Russians from Russia. I mean they all love complaining but younger Belarusians specifically love to complain about how their country isnt gay enough. Its especially absurd because because Belarus is actually really nice even by Western European standards. Like its just as clean and safe as Germany and probably less corrupt. A lot of Russia is actually pretty rundown so you can forgive Russians for having some illusions but Belarusians have no excuse at all. I mean a provencial train in Belarus might be old compared to one in the EU but its still clean, on time and its not full of 20 year old Nigerian child refugees fleeing Assads brutal regime in Syria. And even though sure 5/10 younger Russians are still prone to complaining about how their country isnt gay enough its like 8/10 with Belarusians. Maybe its actually a blessing that Moscow has left a lot of Russia run down because Lukashencko sure as hell hasnt gotten much thanks for making sure that by pretty much every measure besides olds peoples pensions Belarus is actually very nice even compared to Western Europe.
Oh yeah, its also extremely affordable. The food is absolutely top-notch as well. Incredibly clean.
Its a shame about all the dreary commie architecture though.
And yeah the city folk are extremely ghey. I didn't make a single new Minskian friend while I was there. No awareness on the part of the government about this problem either. Boomers think that by re-running old soviet movies they can prevent the cultural shift.
I have gotta check the place out, when times eventually will get less interesting.
The old "right v left" dichotomy no longer has any validity. I just listened to a speech called "Russia Under Putin" (Hillsdale College / 10/4/22 / Michael Millerman). Surprisiingly, Professor Millerman spoke mostly about the philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, a speech by Giorgia Meloni, and two given by Vladimir Putin.
Although we in the USA are never allowed to hear speeches by other world leaders (certainly not a speech by Putin!), the emphasis of "Russia Under Putin" was that the old arguments about liberalism v fascism v Communism are now tired cliches from another time. The issue is whether there should be one country controlling the world or multinationalism. The term neo-Euroasian was used to describe Putin's philosophy and, according to Dr. Millerman, Ukraine is not seen as an independent nation, but as a tool for warfare begun by the Obama administration eight years ago. Putin's complaint seems to be that European values and traditional Christian values are being destroyed by the corrupt and degraded West - that Russia is protecting traditional values.
>that Russia is protecting traditional values.
He even says that Russia is protecting traditional classical liberal values.
Hello, just subscribed. Appreciate the realist, practical bent. Can you link to the unz article and comment referred to?
You will have to keep me posted on what is happening in CT or Belize. These days, out of necessity, we are our own media. You are, I take it, a boat man..
"I’d never go against a popular man in the highest seat in the land - it goes against my entire political philosophy."
You're bragging this?
Yes.
Another piece of advice from the brain-dead oldster. Don't whine about people criticizing you ... at all.