Alastair Crooke entitles his Al-Mayadeen column “Robert Fico -- The ‘Canary in the Mine’ -- The Euro Meta-Narrative Slides Us To Disaster,” then says in the subtitle: “Slovakia is deeply polarised: There is, on one side, a strongly pro-EU faction, who have scorned particularly the long-serving PM’s opposition to the West’s Ukraine policy.” I’m sure Crooke saw this as further confirmation of his assessment that the EU is further polarizing between reality and the Establishment Narrative. His title choice implies that he expects to see more such acts, perhaps domestic as with Fico or perpetrated by outside forces given the recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by Norway, Spain and Ireland. And then there’s the official Ukrainian government hit list. Much of this is an effect of allowing and aiding NeoNazism and related Fascism to grow as Medvedev suggested. Let’s read what Crooke writes:
the comments from crooke and you are right on.. thanks...
realistically, what are the chances of your thoughts on the bottom coming to manifest any time soon? i fantasize about the end of nato, but i have a hard time seeing it any time soon...
The desperation is already visible as Ukraine reveals much. The big problem is illustrated by Slovakia's polarization--too many have imbibed the EU/NATO Kool-Aid and need to get their heads straight by overcoming the many "1984" aspects. For example, Russia is actually the most democratic nation in Europe, but few are willing to state that as fact. Well, the economic situation will continue to worsen and that will begin changing minds.
i do agree with you... the ukrainian myrotvorets is a case in point... what is democratic about that and why do none of these poodles or puppets not challenge it directly?? it's a perfect example of fascism in action and not a peep from the west about this in a very public and outspoken manner from everything i can see.. thus none of them would willingly acknowledge that russia is much more democratic then all of them together at this point.. their acquiescence to the take over of osce is another fine example of ''democracy'' missing in action from the west.. actually it is autocracy of the worst kind...
if that is true - a big if - it would be the nail in the coffin of any neutrality to osce and explain all of our previous hypothesis... it would be very good to find out...
Recently I spoke here in Sophia Antipolis to group of French and other Europeans in their 30s. The western media lies must have permeated and altered their mothers' mitochondrial DNA. Because they think Russia/Russians are still as they were during the soviet times. These youngsters also believe all their colleagues from India, the IT migrants will change sites and leave the SCO….
I asked Pepe Escobar about India in the context of his latest at The Cradle about Raisi and Iran. IMO, the geoeconomic ties are far too strong and the future potential too great for India to leave BRICS/SCO--recall BRICS began as RIC.
Pepe is sometimes like a Formula One driver. Nevertheless, let's hope he's right. Let's hope he's right. The real danger is that someone pulls the plug and the whole of cyberspace becomes a black hole. What this Politburo and its commissars are plotting like we are in the dark days of the USSR is for me no longer halfway comprehensible. They're capable not only to pull plugs, they know the ship is sinking and feel cornered like a wounded wild animal.
I understand your trepidation, but the internet is far bigger than the Outlaw US Empire and China and Russia both have their own systems as do some other nations. Lavrov and others speak of history's natural direction as something beyond the power of the Outlaw US Empire's elites to circumvent. My argument is the Age of Plunder has ended except for the holding actions we're currently experiencing.
Great piece Karl. Not so long ago, you and I had an exchange, I think it was on MoA, where I posed the question to you about where this seemingly bottomless, yet puzzling hatred of Russia by the West (and in particular the Anglophone West) comes from. Your response was brief and something to the effect that the provenance of Russophobia are ancient and worthy of its own treatment. Okay, bear with me here…
I also happened to read the Simplicius post this morning titled, Last Dance at the Vampire Ball: West Searches for Answers to Its Demise. In it, he has a link to a conversation on The Duran show with Jeffrey Sachs. Sachs mentions this Russophobia and states that he’s just read an obscure book by John Howe Gleason, a Harvard professor I think, from the 1950s called The Genesis of Russophobia in Great Britain. I recommend watching the clip of the Sachs interview, although Simplicius summarizes that short conversation well. I’m going to try and get my hands on the book, but if I understand its thesis, the British Empire conjured Russia into a bete noir that was intent on stealing the jewel in the crown that was British India based on no evidence. Sound familiar? Given the fact that the US learned the tricks of the Empire trade from the Brits, it’s no surprise that Russophobia was also internalized. There are other threads to it, like the Jewish diaspora from Czarist Russia resulting from pogroms. Anyway, I thought you might be interested. It’s a topic that needs a deep analysis.
It was part of a Harvard historical series as you'll discover and is rather rare. Glen Diesen also recently wrote an excellent book on the topic. Of course, Russia had no designs on South Asia, but it did want a port on the Black Sea. For the British, a classic case of Projection; for Russia, a classic case of not being able to comprehend the source of British irrationality that morphed into morbid dread with the Bolshevik's Class War on Russia's upper class, which was easily picked up by the USA's Money Power during WW1 and after.
Too bad the Simplicius piece is for paid subscribers. I see he cited "Disraeli and the Eastern Question" by Kovic, but there's an older work with the same title, "Disraeli, Gladstone, and the Eastern question; a study in diplomacy and party politics" published in 1972, but was written in 1935 by RW Seton-Watson and can be found here, https://archive.org/details/disraeligladston0000seto_b4d6/page/n11/mode/1up
I've only read the preface, table of contents and opening chapter to see that this too is an important work that was published posthumously. And the Disraeli book, "The Wondrous Tale of Alroy," can be found here, https://archive.org/details/wondroustaleofal01disr
The rest of his sources are behind the paywall or not cited as with the Mao quote. I could write more on this, but I have my own work to complete this morning.
I really wish this mess will lead to “NATO and EU dissolution as Europeans see the light”, as you say….but I just cannot see it. The power of the propaganda is simply beyond reason!
Yes, the Narrative is strong but reality can overpower it. Many promises of economic progress were made to many of the latest EU nations that will never see such prosperity, and that reality is already turning people away. Look at what the EU is saying to Serbia--you can't make your own policies on anything--foreign or domestic: We decide for you. And nothing's being done to hide that diktat.
the comments from crooke and you are right on.. thanks...
realistically, what are the chances of your thoughts on the bottom coming to manifest any time soon? i fantasize about the end of nato, but i have a hard time seeing it any time soon...
The desperation is already visible as Ukraine reveals much. The big problem is illustrated by Slovakia's polarization--too many have imbibed the EU/NATO Kool-Aid and need to get their heads straight by overcoming the many "1984" aspects. For example, Russia is actually the most democratic nation in Europe, but few are willing to state that as fact. Well, the economic situation will continue to worsen and that will begin changing minds.
i do agree with you... the ukrainian myrotvorets is a case in point... what is democratic about that and why do none of these poodles or puppets not challenge it directly?? it's a perfect example of fascism in action and not a peep from the west about this in a very public and outspoken manner from everything i can see.. thus none of them would willingly acknowledge that russia is much more democratic then all of them together at this point.. their acquiescence to the take over of osce is another fine example of ''democracy'' missing in action from the west.. actually it is autocracy of the worst kind...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrotvorets
As I recall, it's paid for by NATO.
if that is true - a big if - it would be the nail in the coffin of any neutrality to osce and explain all of our previous hypothesis... it would be very good to find out...
That was provided long ago at MoA, but I don't recall by whom.
they certainly don't share that info on the osce website... i have asked them directly...
Recently I spoke here in Sophia Antipolis to group of French and other Europeans in their 30s. The western media lies must have permeated and altered their mothers' mitochondrial DNA. Because they think Russia/Russians are still as they were during the soviet times. These youngsters also believe all their colleagues from India, the IT migrants will change sites and leave the SCO….
I asked Pepe Escobar about India in the context of his latest at The Cradle about Raisi and Iran. IMO, the geoeconomic ties are far too strong and the future potential too great for India to leave BRICS/SCO--recall BRICS began as RIC.
Pepe is sometimes like a Formula One driver. Nevertheless, let's hope he's right. Let's hope he's right. The real danger is that someone pulls the plug and the whole of cyberspace becomes a black hole. What this Politburo and its commissars are plotting like we are in the dark days of the USSR is for me no longer halfway comprehensible. They're capable not only to pull plugs, they know the ship is sinking and feel cornered like a wounded wild animal.
I understand your trepidation, but the internet is far bigger than the Outlaw US Empire and China and Russia both have their own systems as do some other nations. Lavrov and others speak of history's natural direction as something beyond the power of the Outlaw US Empire's elites to circumvent. My argument is the Age of Plunder has ended except for the holding actions we're currently experiencing.
Great piece Karl. Not so long ago, you and I had an exchange, I think it was on MoA, where I posed the question to you about where this seemingly bottomless, yet puzzling hatred of Russia by the West (and in particular the Anglophone West) comes from. Your response was brief and something to the effect that the provenance of Russophobia are ancient and worthy of its own treatment. Okay, bear with me here…
I also happened to read the Simplicius post this morning titled, Last Dance at the Vampire Ball: West Searches for Answers to Its Demise. In it, he has a link to a conversation on The Duran show with Jeffrey Sachs. Sachs mentions this Russophobia and states that he’s just read an obscure book by John Howe Gleason, a Harvard professor I think, from the 1950s called The Genesis of Russophobia in Great Britain. I recommend watching the clip of the Sachs interview, although Simplicius summarizes that short conversation well. I’m going to try and get my hands on the book, but if I understand its thesis, the British Empire conjured Russia into a bete noir that was intent on stealing the jewel in the crown that was British India based on no evidence. Sound familiar? Given the fact that the US learned the tricks of the Empire trade from the Brits, it’s no surprise that Russophobia was also internalized. There are other threads to it, like the Jewish diaspora from Czarist Russia resulting from pogroms. Anyway, I thought you might be interested. It’s a topic that needs a deep analysis.
Thanks. I've yet to read Simplicius today. Need to reply to comments first. Gleason's work I'd investigated before and found this book review here, https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/237578 that starts at the bottom and goes on to the next page. I made a further examination and discovered where he taught and what his specialty was--English history. Aha! I knew I'd looked for and found his book online, https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.16696/2015.16696.The-Genesis-Of-Russophobia-In-Great-Britain_djvu.txt
It was part of a Harvard historical series as you'll discover and is rather rare. Glen Diesen also recently wrote an excellent book on the topic. Of course, Russia had no designs on South Asia, but it did want a port on the Black Sea. For the British, a classic case of Projection; for Russia, a classic case of not being able to comprehend the source of British irrationality that morphed into morbid dread with the Bolshevik's Class War on Russia's upper class, which was easily picked up by the USA's Money Power during WW1 and after.
Thanks for the link to the book!
Too bad the Simplicius piece is for paid subscribers. I see he cited "Disraeli and the Eastern Question" by Kovic, but there's an older work with the same title, "Disraeli, Gladstone, and the Eastern question; a study in diplomacy and party politics" published in 1972, but was written in 1935 by RW Seton-Watson and can be found here, https://archive.org/details/disraeligladston0000seto_b4d6/page/n11/mode/1up
I've only read the preface, table of contents and opening chapter to see that this too is an important work that was published posthumously. And the Disraeli book, "The Wondrous Tale of Alroy," can be found here, https://archive.org/details/wondroustaleofal01disr
The rest of his sources are behind the paywall or not cited as with the Mao quote. I could write more on this, but I have my own work to complete this morning.
Thank you for those nuggets. You are very generous. Do you ever sleep? 🤔
My wife would be very annoyed if I didn't get a good rest beside her as would I.
Deep appreciation for your work and insight Karlof, including the long transcription of Medvedyev which was loaded, a "must read".
Thank you!
Thank you karlofi!
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/1234/524092/Egypt/Foreign-Affairs/Egypt-may-be-compelled-to-withdraw-from-mediator-r.aspx
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/1234/524078/Egypt/Foreign-Affairs/Egypt-and-Turkey-seek-common-ground-through-media-.aspx
Thanks for the links!
I really wish this mess will lead to “NATO and EU dissolution as Europeans see the light”, as you say….but I just cannot see it. The power of the propaganda is simply beyond reason!
Yes, the Narrative is strong but reality can overpower it. Many promises of economic progress were made to many of the latest EU nations that will never see such prosperity, and that reality is already turning people away. Look at what the EU is saying to Serbia--you can't make your own policies on anything--foreign or domestic: We decide for you. And nothing's being done to hide that diktat.