Puppet MastersS


Caesar

From Chaos to Super Power: Russia's long road toward resurgence


South Front
Sat, 17 Mar 2018 00:00 UTC
Russia Putin Resurgence


Russia in the 90's

The modern day Russian Federation emerged after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Not only did this change the fate and the standard of life for millions of Soviet people but it also changed the trajectory of development for all mankind. In the first few years of the newly created Russia, the "team of democrats", with active support from Western countries began its shock economic reforms.

The declared goal of these reforms was to liberalize the Russian [centrally-planned] economy by transitioning it to a market economy. Meanwhile, many believes that the real goal was the seizure of former Soviet property by the "new power holders" and the dismantling of the Soviet industrial economy.

When USSR collapsed, a relatively small group of individuals acquired ownership of tens of trillions of dollars [through a rapid onset of privatization]. Losses suffered by the Soviet production complex as a result of its planned destruction were much higher.
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Bulb

Convenient excuse: May promises to ditch Russian gas "because Novichok"

Tsvetana Paraskova
Oilprice.com
Thu, 15 Mar 2018 13:15 UTC
U Ukrajini se plijeni imovina Gazproma
The UK-Russian relations have quickly deteriorated over the past week after the UK said that a former double agent and his daughter were poisoned in England by a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.

The spy poisoning scandal turned into a diplomatic row and now threatens to spill into energy issues, after UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that Britain was looking "to other countries" for its gas supplies.

The UK has gas supply contracts with Russia's gas giant Gazprom, and although the British dependence on Russian gas supply is not as high as that of other European countries, the UK still relies on some Russian gas for its energy needs. The UK has also imported a liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from Russia's newly started Yamal project, and re-exported another LNG cargo originating from Yamal.

For now, UK gas traders remain unconcerned that the UK could run short of nat gas supplies, even shrugging off Prime Minister May's comments that the UK would be looking for other gas suppliers.

During question time in Parliament on Wednesday, May said that "I can reassure ... that in looking at our gas supplies we are indeed looking to other countries."

May was replying to a question by Conservative lawmaker Stephen Crabb who said that "One way Russia seeks to extend its influence in Europe is by building relationships of energy dependence. Is she [Mrs May] aware that Britain has recently started to receive shipments of liquefied natural gas, and does she agree that Britain should not provide a market for Russian gas? If we need to bring in extra LNG imports, we have allies such as Qatar, Malaysia and Australia who are more than willing to sell it to us."


Comment: Yep, the sure sign of an evil nation: one with many friends. It's amazing how backward the Brits can be. Russia makes deals because it likes having good relations with other nations. That benefits Russia and Russia's business partners. Everyone wins. But that "extended influence" is actually a sign of evil, according to the likes of Crabb. And with a name like that, maybe it's no surprise.

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Oscar

It's all Putin's fault... but he still wins

Pepe Escobar
Strategic Culture Foundation
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 11:36 UTC
For all the western narrative about Russia's "autocracy," Putin is arguably as popular at home as Xi Jinping is in China
Putin
As a counterpoint to the 24/7 Russophobia oozing out of the US and the UK, Vladimir Putin is all but guaranteed to be re-elected for a fourth presidential term this Sunday.

Beyond the foregone conclusion, what's really hanging in the balance is the 70:70 equation: whether Putin can be assured of a 70% voter turnout and win roughly 70% of the vote. That would represent a firm endorsement of his domestic and foreign policy plans up to 2024.

Although Beijing does not provide official numbers, Putin is arguably as popular in Russia as Xi Jinping is in China - even with Xi being derided by the usual Western suspects as "the new Mao." Under the framework of the Russia-China strategic partnership, geopolitically this is, and will continue to be, the Putin-Xi era.
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Bad Guys

Ukraine deploys police and national guard to stop 72,000 voters in Russian presidential election


RT
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 07:04 UTC
Ukraine bars Russians from voting in presidential election
© Sergey Guneev / Sputnik
Ukraine is barring some 72,000 Russian citizens on its territory from voting in Russia's presidential election, over the issue of reunification with Crimea. Moscow has slammed the move as "direct interference" in its affairs.

Two days before the Russian presidential election kicked off, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced that police and the National Guard would prevent Russian citizens living in the country from casting ballots at diplomatic missions. Only those who hold diplomatic passports would be allowed in the buildings, Avakov warned.

"Any other persons and Russian citizens will not be allowed onto the territory of the diplomatic missions," he wrote on his Facebook page. It comes in retaliation to Moscow's decision to hold voting in Crimea, despite a request by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry not to, Avakov said.

Comment: The deep state players are pulling out all the stops to sabotage this year's Russian elections:

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Biohazard

Inside Porton Down, the shady UK chemical weapons lab that developed VX, used innocent civilians as guinea pigs

Anna Verdon
UK Mirror
Thu, 15 Mar 2018 10:39 UTC
Porton Down
© Getty Images Europe
It is one of Britain's most secretive sites, remaining shrouded in mystery for more than 100 years.

But this week Porton Down found itself at the centre of one of the biggest diplomatic crises the UK has faced in recent years.

The top secret defence base in Wiltshire was instrumental in helping identify the nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy in Salisbury.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a weapons grade nerve agent in the city last week, leaving them fighting for their lives in hospital.

And, not only have scientists from the specialist laboratory been at the centre of a clean-up operation following the attack, but its helped identify Russia as the source of the poison.

Comment: There's likely much more to Porton Down's involvement in the Skripal poisoning and propaganda narrative than the two points mentioned in the article above. See also:

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Bad Guys

May to "consider next steps" after Moscow announces expulsion of British diplomats


RT
Sat, 17 Mar 2018 20:00 UTC
A British flag flies near the United Kingdom's embassy in Moscow.
© David Mdzinarishvili / ReutersA British flag flies near the United Kingdom's embassy in Moscow.
The UK will consider its next steps in response to Russia's expulsion of 23 diplomats, British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced. It comes amid London's allegations that Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal.

"In light of their (Russia's) previous behaviour, we anticipated a response of this kind and we will consider our next steps in the coming days, alongside our allies and partners," May said while speaking at the Conservative Spring Forum in London on Saturday. "But Russia's response doesn't change the facts of the matter - the attempted assassination of two people on British soil, for which there is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian State was culpable."


Comment: MI5 Poisons Another Russian Asset to Smear Putin in Ongoing Propaganda War


She went on to state that "it is Russia that is in flagrant breach of international law and the Chemical Weapons Convention." She also reiterated her desire to "dismantle" the so-called Russian spy network operating out of the UK, and to suspend all planned contact between London and Moscow. "We will never tolerate a threat to the life of British citizens and others on British soil from the Russian Government," she said.

Comment: See Also:

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Attention

Russian Central Election Commission comes under cyberattack soon after voting began


RT
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 09:25 UTC
The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation
© Kirill Kallinikov / SputnikThe Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation
There is an ongoing cyberattack on Russia's Central Election Commission, targeting its information center, the body's secretary has said. The commission's website earlier came under a DDoS attack from 15 countries.

"We are registering what is in fact a cyberattack on our information center," the commission's secretary, Maya Grishina, said.

The commission's website was also attacked soon after voting began. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack peaked between 2am and 5am on Sunday, chairperson Ella Pamfilova said.

Comment: See Also:

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TV

Russian TV analyzes the Putin/Kelly interview: How the bear owned the blonde

Michael Bateman
Russia Insider
Thu, 15 Mar 2018 10:17 UTC
megyn kelly
What a difference an editor makes. NBC chopped and snipped away at Kelly's Putin interview, publishing all of 20 minutes of the 1.5 hour interview, rendering it almost unrecognizable.

Witness the power of alternative media - it can beat the giants. Russia Insight YouTube channel put the full, unedited 1.5 hours on their channel, and it got twice as many views (300k) as the 20 minutes that NBC put up. (170k)

Here is a Russian TV report on the interview, which shows again and again how Putin clearly dominated the conversation, ridiculing Kelly's RussiaGate delusions.


Full transcript follows below:

Comment: See also: Putin vs Megyn Kelly round 2: Full text of NBC's extensive interview (with VIDEO)

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Better Earth

Polish president compares EU membership to occupation: Foreign control, no sovereignty

Tariq Tahir
Daily Mail, UK
Wed, 14 Mar 2018 09:57 UTC
Andrzej Duda
© AP
Polish President Andrzej Duda has likened Poland's membership of the European Union to the successive occupations of the country by Russia, Austria and Prussia.

His nation which joined the EU in 2004, is the top beneficiary of funds from Brussels, netting some €10 billion a year (£8.8 billion).

But today the president said as during the years of occupation between 1795 and 1918, 'in faraway capitals, they make decisions for us - and in reality we are working on behalf of others.'

Duda was speaking at an event in southwestern Poland marking 100 years since the country's sovereignty was restored following World War I.

'We have today a sovereign and independent Poland where I believe we will live better and better. Talk about it to your children.'

To people who say the European Union is more important than Poland, Duda said 'everyone should remember the 123 years of partitions' when the country answered to occupying powers.

Comment: Duda is right about being occupied. And it's not just Poland. The only truly sovereign countries - or at least those attempting to be sovereign - are the ones currently demonized by the occupying powers. Hungary, Poland, North Korea, Iran, China, and most significantly, Russia. The problem is, without a big stick, most nations don't have a choice. It's a matter of "obey or be destroyed". You need allies in such a case, lest you suffer the fate of Libya.

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Newspaper

US officials: Saudi crown prince has hidden his mother from his father, the king

Carol E. Lee and Courtney Kube
NBC News
Thu, 15 Mar 2018 00:00 UTC
rump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
© Nicholas Kamm / AFP - Getty Images file
When Saudi Arabia's crown prince visits the White House next week, he's expected to be welcomed as a reformer who's expanded women's rights in one of the most restrictive countries in the world, allowing them to drive and attend sports events.

Yet there is one Saudi woman whom U.S. officials say has not benefited from the prince's rise: his own mother. Fourteen current and former senior U.S. officials told NBC News that intelligence shows Prince Mohammed bin Salman - often referred to by his initials MBS - blocked his mother from seeing his father, King Salman, more than two years ago and has kept her away from him as the young prince rapidly amassed power.

Prince Mohammed, a key ally of the Trump White House, has concocted various explanations of his mother's whereabouts over the years, such as that she's out of the country receiving medical treatment, so King Salman would not know his son has been behind her continued absence, the current and former officials said.
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