Tag: The Soviet Union

The Origins of Genocide

Thursday 6 October 2022

Not only is this about history — about something that happened in the past, the Holocaust is a warning for our future. With right-wing racism on the rise, with racist and intolerant parties and personalities again entering the mainstream of European and American politics, the Holocaust stands as a terrible reminder of what happens when we use hatred and intolerance as instruments to achieve our own patriotic and nationalistic political ends. The Holocaust remains the most important lesson of the twentieth century — and Trump, Brexit, and the war in Ukraine only serve to remind us that this is a lesson we need. … More The Origins of Genocide

Parallel Realities on Russia

Friday 6 May 2022

The notion that Putin has designs on invading Finland, the Baltic states, Poland, or anywhere else in eastern Europe is unsupported by the facts. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia has largely stayed within its own borders. There has been no realistic indication or intelligence that Russia has been planning an assault on Europe. It is plain to see that, like the war in Georgia in 2008, Russia has no plans on annexing Ukraine. … More Parallel Realities on Russia

How the US Instigated War in Ukraine

Monday 21 March 2022

As the old democracies know, the people do not always vote as they should — and this is what happened in Ukraine. From 1996 the State Department had always taken an active role in helping Ukraine choose the political leadership Washington wanted, but when the people had other ideas in the 2010 presidential election the US began to rethink its approach. … More How the US Instigated War in Ukraine

Putin is Not the Only Monster

Saturday 19 March 2022

Over the last ten years or so western governments and media outlets have been waging a full spectrum propaganda war against Russia, with a particular interest in monsterising Vladimir Putin in the popular imagination. And, in all fairness, most of what they have said about him is true — and yes, he does deserve to be seen as a monster. He is a monster. … More Putin is Not the Only Monster

US Involvement in Ukraine

Tuesday 8 March 2022

US foreign policy strategists — or gamers — are not interested in defending Ukraine. They are interested first and foremost in weakening Russia. In this, then, Ukraine has been instrumentalised by the State Department as a theatre of war in which Ukrainians — trained and armed by the United States and its allies — will wage a protracted war of attrition against Russia which they simply cannot hope to win. Washington, however, does not need them to win. It needs them to fight for as long as they can and inflict as much damage on Russia as they can. This is ‘winning’ for the United States. … More US Involvement in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Darkest Secret

Saturday 5 March 2022

The Maidan, that is the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, was a defining moment for Ukrainian Nazis. Far-right and neo-Nazi groups, with their distinctive red and black flags and paramilitary outfits were a highly visible element of the protests and uprising. They were instrumental in Kyiv in ousting the government, and their support was quickly sought by the new ‘democratic’ regime. This, of course, is one of the most difficult parts of the story for non-Ukrainians to get their heads around, and — like much of the politics of Ukraine — it is complicated. … More Ukraine’s Darkest Secret

Why Russia had to invade Ukraine

Friday 4 March 2022

The purpose of this brief article is to explain — not justify — why events in Ukraine posed such a threat to the security of Russia that the Russian premier, Vladimir Putin, felt he had no alternative but to launch a military invasion. We must recognise that, as the leader of the Russian Federation, as is the case with every other head of state, Mr Putin’s priority is the security of his country. His actions, certainly given the western media’s hysteria, may cause us some considerable discomfort, but, when it comes to defending the international red lines laid down by Russia for its own security, Mr Putin — like every world leader — will put his country’s interests first. … More Why Russia had to invade Ukraine