Many Non-Russian Pro-Russians in the Alt-Media Community might have sympathized with Prigozhin's harsh criticisms of the special operation after Russia's setbacks last year in Kharkov and Kherson Regions, not to mention the grinding Battle of Artyomovsk, but that's no excuse for what he did. Prigozhin could have operated within the law to push through his envisaged reforms via Wagner's nationwide "Second Front" media campaign that he initiated a month ago, but he chose force instead.
Background BriefingPresident Putin accused Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin of committing treason in his
national address on Saturday morning after the latter launched an
armed coup attempt the night prior. He called on all the participants to immediately cease their anti-state criminal activities and condemned them for taking up arms against their comrades.
Their betrayal is made all the worse, President Putin said, by it happening amidst the NATO-Russian proxy war in which their Motherland is fighting for its very existence.
The culprit claims to be acting in defense of Russia's national interests in the context of that aforesaid conflict, but his cause doesn't hold up to scrutiny. The Wagner-Defense Ministry (DM) rivalry has been
escalating since early May after Prigozhin's allegations that the military establishment hasn't waged the
special operation properly and was purposely withholding ammo from his group. Despite his accusations, Russia emerged victorious in the
Battle of Artyomovsk, which cast doubt on his narrative.
In the aftermath, the DM mandated that all private military companies (PMCs) sign contracts with it, which Prigozhin adamantly refused to do. This was the first time that he was openly placed on the opposite side of President Putin, who told war correspondents earlier this month that "if there is no contract with the state, no contract with the Defence Ministry, there are no legal grounds for receiving social guarantees from the state. This must be done as soon as possible."Rubbishing Speculation About Prigozhin's Relationship With PutinUp until that point, speculation swirled about whether Prigozhin had the Russian leader's approval for his furious rants against the DM, which violated legislation that strictly prohibits defaming the armed forces. The conjecture at the time was that President Putin was indirectly relying on the Wagner chief to put pressure on leading military officials to optimize their conduct of the special operation since many wondered why Prigozhin hadn't been apprehended or at least charged after his inflammatory attacks.
Whatever may or may not have previously been the case is no longer of relevance after President Putin made it clear that his former chief has committed treason and must be stopped due to the threat that he poses to their Motherland's unity during this time of existential conflict with the West. Prigozhin's armed coup attempt is a stab in the back exactly as the FSB described it as and risks Kiev reviving its failed NATO-backed counteroffensive like the DM said that it already unsuccessfully tried to do Friday night.The Difference Between Contrarian Opinion & Anti-Russian PropagandaMany Non-Russian Pro-Russians (NRPRs) in the
Alt-Media Community (AMC) might have sympathized with Prigozhin's harsh criticisms of the special operation after Russia's setbacks last year
in Kharkov and Kherson Regions, not to mention the grinding Battle of Artyomovsk, but that's no excuse for what he did.
Prigozhin could have operated within the law to push through his envisaged reforms via Wagner's nationwide "Second Front" media campaign that he initiated a month ago, but he chose force instead.Some of the elite were already warming up to the idea of comprehensively improving Russia through long-overdue and gradually implemented reforms as evidenced by him being
named trendsetter of the year during the latest St. Petersburg International Economic Forum earlier this month.
Had Prigozhin remained committed to the Russian Constitution, then there's a very real chance that he could have eventually generated enough support to see some of his proposals promulgated into policy.He regrettably went rogue, however, which was likely due to two so-called "trigger events": the previously mentioned requirement for all PMCs to sign contracts with the DM and President Putin's recent signals that he's interested in politically resolving the proxy war if Russia's security is ensured. The first was already touched upon while the latter was analyzed at length in this piece
here, which cites his own words from the official Kremlin transcripts of three relevant events earlier this month.
Returning to those NRPRs from the AMC, they're entitled to disagree with President Putin's newly implied approach towards this conflict, but they become enemies of Russia when they question the patriotism of those like him
and Foreign Minister Lavrov who are arguably in favor of this nowadays.
Prigozhin has repeatedly agitated for escalating his country's special operation, which aligns with some of his compatriots' views, but it's treason to take up arms against the state in pursuit of this agenda.A Painful Fact-Check Of A Viral Alt-Media ArticleIt's at this point that a painful fact-check has to be carried out against a popular AMC influencer who published a piece last month chock-full of falsehoods that in hindsight contributed to misleading countless NRPRs about the state of affairs in Russia.
Pepe Escobar's article from 12 May for the Strategic Culture Foundation titled "Cries and Whispers Along the Russian Watchtowers", which went viral after being republished by ZeroHedge, recklessly speculated about the loyalty of leading Russian officials.He divided them into three categories: "the Victory party; the 'Peace' party - which Victory would describe as surrenders; and the Neutral/Undecided", with the second-mentioned "Peace" one being framed unfavorably due to the innuendo that they want Russia to "surrender" to the West. It's now obvious as was argued several paragraphs above that President Putin, Lavrov, and many other top officials can be included in this ignoble category with all that Escobar ominously implied that it entails.
At the time, his categorization of the Russian elite was already extremely scandalous after he baselessly questioned FSB Director Bortnikov's patriotism by placing him in the "Neutral/Undecided" category and then described Russia's top domestic security official as a "special bone of contention". This served to discredit the man who's responsible for the safety of over 145 million people by implying that he might support "Peace", which Escobar already wrote is associated with "surrender[ing]" to Russia's enemies.The Soft Power Consequences Of Reckless SpeculationMany NRPRs in the AMC look to this influencer for guidance about Russia, especially after he was feted by its elite during his last two trips there, which made them think that he's the so-called "voice of Russian insiders". Escobar extended credence to this false impression by referencing his alleged "sources" in other articles and social media posts. As a result, many well-intended but naïve folks wrongly mistook his speculation about Russian officials as fact, including about Bortnikov.
Had it not been for Prigozhin's coup attempt, Escobar's words wouldn't have been exposed as only being his personal opinion but would have continued to be seen by many as reflecting the views of "Russian insiders" after they came to regard him as their "voice", the falsely impression of which he cultivated. The FSB's accusation that the Wagner chief stabbed Russia in the back, and President Putin's subsequent description of his actions as treason, prove that Bortnikov and the Russian leader are on the same side.As can now be seen, Escobar's placement of the FSB Director in the "Neutral/Undecided" category that he implied amounts to "surrender[ing]" to Russia's enemies and his description of Bortnikov's patriotism as a "special bone of contention" couldn't have been further from the truth. This AMC influencer's discrediting of Russia's top domestic security official ultimately misled countless NRPRs during the most sensitive moment in Russia's domestic political history since the Constitutional Crisis of 1993.Concluding ThoughtsWithout a formal mea culpa unambiguously setting the record straight about this ultra-sensitive issue and taking full responsibility for the consequences that his reckless speculation, it wouldn't be surprising if Escobar isn't welcomed back to Russia after everything settles down.
Whatever his intentions may have been in writing what he did, which were presumably "innocent" unless proven otherwise, he inflicted enormous damage to Russia's objective national interests and must thus profusely apologize.Those like President Putin, Lavrov, and other leading officials who are interested in politically resolving the NATO-Russian proxy war if their country's security interests are ensured should never have been associated with "surrender[ing] to the West in the first place. Escobar's false framing of this policy option poisoned it in the minds of many and indirectly extended credence to Prigozhin's treasonous coup attempt that was partially launched on the basis of opposing this pragmatic scenario.What the Wagner chief did is unacceptable, as was Escobar's twisting of NRPRs' perceptions about the patriotism of those who explore a political solution to this proxy war instead of further escalation. Nobody in the AMC should be misled by either of them into supporting Prigozhin's coup attempt. The Russian state is united and all efforts to divide it, whether by force or reckless speculation, will fail. Prigozhin's fate is sealed, but Escobar's reputation can still be salvaged if he repents and makes amends.
Reader Comments
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At any rate there will be hell to pay !
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While world class, the Wagner PMC is basically only light infantry. They have no chance to sustain the mutiny against a real attack.
I can see the foreign hand at work here, still believing their fairy tale that Russia is a fragile house of cards with a pecking-order oligarchy - provoke some unrest and it collapses.
Prigozhin, the food caterer to Putin and the Kremlin and now Prigozhin, the military coup leader. Is he power hungry? Has he found life in the spotlight to be addictive?
Putin must know Prigozhin very well to have allowed him the Wagner Group in the first place. You don't allow perfect strangers to start up a military organization at arms length from your own defence industry.
Did Putin see the overarching ambition in Prigozhin back then? Perhaps Vladimir Vladimirovich recognized some psychopathy in Prigozhin but figured he could harness it to his own ends.
If that is the case then Prigozhin is Putin's 'creation', his 'golem' and only Putin can end this.
No matter why Prigozhin is doing this, his timing for this little insurrection has made him an enemy of 80% of Russia. Look how the western jackals are salivating and circling what they hope will be the kill.
Disappointed.
I'm listening to Pregozhin saying that he is calling off his assault on Moscow: [Link]
He and his inner circle have huge targets on their backs at the moment. Chechen military mobilized to hunt Prigozhin down: [Link]
No amount of money should be able to turn someone against their own people and nation - but then again, I don't understand greed and the desire for power at that level.
Obviously the demons in the 'west' understand greed and power and they are good at identifying greedy basterds who will sell their soul.
If Prigozhin IS being bribed by the 'west' you can bet Putin will make that knowledge public in order to further rally Russians around the cause.
You taught me something today.
I am of the opinion that Prigozhin was already on the march for a coup when Russian Ka helicopters put a missile into a Wagner convoy. That convoy was not 'in the field' but travelling on paved highways towards a Russian government center.
Today I've watched Vladimir Putin state that those involved with Prigozhin will be hunted down and punished. I have also listen to Prigozhin himself say that they have turned their columns away from Moscow and are returning to 'the field'.
There is still something going on in Rostov-on-don but I have no idea how that will turn out. I pray mostly for the Russian people who really don't need this crap at this time.
Criminal charges against Prigozhin have been dropped.
Zelensky is unhappy LOL!!!
Nothing worse than a mother-fucker turncoat!
Tarred and feathering would not go amiss either.
OTOH, it shows the abysmal failure of Western intelligence agencies. How could they believe an impulsive, street-smart criminal like Prigozhin could topple a nationalist wartime government structure ?
Like with the sanctions orgy, by wishful thinking and reality denial. This is the unavoidable fate of an empire. Leaders in a corrupt society surround themselves with like-minded and subservient yes-men, that tell them what they want to hear, and never rock the boat. Woke "intelligence" and "national security" officials shine in different matters which are less relevant to their actual job : [Link] [Link]
Things continue to function on an "instinctual level", i.e. the lowest-level officials retain some mediocre competency left and keep it going. Until the economy worsens enough, and the rotten behemoth collapes.
👌 codis
Shoplifters always want to get caught -- it is written in DNA's e.v.o.l.u.t.i.o.n.
Many of them were 'lucky' enough to hold positions of power in the newly nationalized infrastructure of the new Russian Federation. Remember that as the USSR died at the end of the 1980's, western money flowed in to privatize (steal) that infrastructure which the new born Federation desperately needed. Those who did not want to make a deal with Putin and the new Federation were exiled or 'removed' and I don't see much wrong with that.
Alexi Navalny,
SOTT Focus:Meet Alexei Navalny: The U.S. State Department's inside man for 'regime change' in Russia
In recent months it's come to light that the U.S. government and allied Western powers have arrayed all of their economic, social, political, martial, and propagandizing forces against Russia and...Leonid Volkov, Bill Browder and MANY others are lucky to be alive.
Ravil Maganov? Heart issues in September of 2022. Vaxxine?
I should probably not have spent so much time with this response but I don't like the western narrative applied to the exile and/or death of people who tried to strip Russia of its wealth, its resources and its identity. On another note, most of the 'victims' belong to a certain tribal religion which must not be named. Bolsheviks of a newer generation. So fuk them. If the new Russia needed to clean house then I am all for Mr. Clean.
I think this is meant to distance him further from the Russian government so Wagner can show up in Mexico and Putin has an escape clause.
Thanks B
I kept these to share
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Bomi has coughing fits n opinionated at times, won't do SauerKraut yet loll ... but she is extraordinary.
VooDoo6 Psstoffgoy
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By the way, has anyone heard from OldSchoolRider lately? Haven't heard from him for awhile.