Most Muscovites go about their daily lives. But behind the public displays of patriotism and demonstrative apathy, another feeling is getting stronger: disgust. Moscow resembles a room in which there's a corpse. And everybody is trying not to notice it.
The corpse, of course, is the war with Ukraine. Despite a recent ‐ but shaky ‐ ceasefire agreement, it's lying there, and the people aren't looking or talking about it. They tell each other jokes, comfort each other and say that everything will be fine. One person philosophizes, another beats his chest patriotically. And the corpse smells horrible. But just don't look, and maybe it will disappear on its own.
In Russia, lying has become a traditional value without which the state cannot exist. Television constructed a parallel world in which fascists came to power in Ukraine, a Russian child was crucified by the Ukrainian army and Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a Ukrainian fighter jet. All of which are false. And there are apparently plenty who slurp up the bigotry and lies readily, intellectually poisoning themselves.
For many, one great irony is that this parallel world is more fascinating than the real one. They're not used to dealing with reality and don't find the language to talk about the things behind the propaganda. Putin, TV presenters and people on the street speak in the same phrases that have become the building blocks of their worldview: "We will prevail." "Russians don't surrender." "Fascism won't pass." Interesting piece on the cognitive dissonance that is starting to build in Russia, between the reality, and Putin's fascistic propaganda machine, and the oligarchs who are backing him. n.b. emphasis added.
General Dempsey, the commander of CENTCOM and the Supreme Commander of NATO forces have all openly criticized the policies of the Obama administration in various respects. Along with generalized military unhappiness with the budgetary effects of sequestration, there is something close to a military insurrection going on, very uncommon in U.S. history, and not because of leaks, as with General McChrystal in Afghanistan. More akin to Gen. McArthur's defiance of the Truman administration, which got him fired (and invited to address a joint session of Congress--so much for Obama's reaction to the invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu).
As to General Dempsey's specific points in the testimony referred-to, they amount to a plea to stop overlooking the fact that nuclear weapons or no nuclear weapons, Iran is in the active process of spreading its political/military hegemony throughout the northern tier of the Middle East, from the Afghan and Pakistani borders to the Mediterranean. Iranian troops are actively participating in the offensive to retake Tikrit and will undoubtedly continue to participate with, AND COMMAND, further offensives against Islamic State, in cooperation with Shiite militias, the Shiite-dominated Iraqi army, Assad and Hezbollah. The Tikrit offensive is commanded by Quds Force commander Gen. Qassam Suleimani, the second-most powerful person in the Iranian hierarchy, after Supreme Leader Khamenei.
So why hasn't the wonderful Iranian general conquered Tikrit in a blaze of glory, given the Iranians are so wonderful?
This is not in fact ignored by the Obama administration. It is actually in favor of Iran's activities, since it is a cornerstone of what passes for a Mideast strategy, to work with Iran in turning it into the guarantor of stability in the region, a grotesque parody of the Kissinger strategy with reference to the Shah's Iran.
Posted by: Hupineger Glomomp52169 ||
03/23/2015 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
All the Thousands of Our Troops the Iranian Regime is responsible for killing....
#2
Grab your PACKAGE, hold a press conference, and retire in protest. Oh, at age 62+, can't make it on $22,000. (retirement salary corrected per #4 below) per month and benefits, less power perks......what was I thinking.
#4
"Having been a well-compensated industry executive, Rumsfeld viewed admirals and generals as underpaid. Besides raising star-rank pay, he wanted the military basic pay table expanded to incentivize longer service.
He got what he wanted, and maybe more. In September 2006, a newly retired member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who served 38 years drew initial retired pay of $114,000 a year. Today a JCS member retiring after 38 years draws more than double that amount, about $241,000. If that four-star officer completes a 40-year career, his or her retired pay today would be higher. Four officers today receive more than $256,000 in retired pay and one get[sic] more than $277,000, according to the Defense Department actuary."
[Arutz Sheva News] We live in a world that is so hypocritical, dominated in Western countries by leftist fascists who regularly deny free speech to conservatives, deny jobs to conservatives, and deny a whole boatload of freedoms to conservatives. Throughout the West, we conservatives must be careful when we speak, toe political lines that are drawn for us, hide our true political beliefs and voting preferences, and basically live the life of political Marranos or Conversos. We must join unions that we do not wish to join, must advocate programs and leisure activities that we do not wish to advocate, and we must hide furtively until, once every two or four years, we can vote in secrecy.
Suddenly, the day after elections -- whether it is Bibi and the Likud winning an election in Israel or David Cameron winning in England or Stephen Harper winning in Canada or the Republicans winning in the United States -- the Left comes out, scratching their heads in disbelief: "Where did all those conservative votes come from? Was there a mistake? Were they counted wrong? I don't know any conservatives where I work, where I live, in my union."
We are Marranos or Conversos. We claim to have converted, but we hide our true beliefs. We observe quietly, silently, in our basements. Our copies of the United States Constitution or the Bill of Rights are hidden behind bookcase shelves, where the Left will not find them.
#1
for the uninformed: Marranos were SpàaniSH Jews who in 1492 or earlier had falsely converted tO Christanity in order to be allowed to stay in Spain or who returned to Spain after having an experience of North AfricaN Mulm "tolerance".
PS: Both France AND England had expelled their Jews and in worse conditions.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Most Muscovites go about their daily lives. But behind the public displays of patriotism and demonstrative apathy, another feeling is getting stronger: disgust. Moscow resembles a room in which there's a corpse. And everybody is trying not to notice it.
