“Special” Envoy Steve Witkoff went on the most current iteration of Tucker Carlson’s White Power Hour of Glower White Power Hour, which is on the app named for Elon Musk’s four year old human shield. He opened his mouth and Putin’s voice was heard.
Witkoff saying that the overwhelming majority in the four Ukrainian regions (Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk) voted to be part of Russia is preposterous. The 2022 referendums were sham. The majority in Zaporizhzhia live in areas under Ukrainian rule where there was no referendum at all.
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Carlson’s line that Russia won’t invade Europe because it’s “dying economically” reflects a bizarre MAGA idea of Europe. Though Europe’s economy is 12 times bigger than Russia’s, much of MAGA imagines Europe as an apocalyptic wasteland with no industry and inhabited mostly by migrant criminals.
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 3:19 AM
No one who has watched his devolution over the past decade should expect Carlson to strive for accuracy. However, we should not only expect it, but demand it of senior officials who have been granted clearance for and access to the best possible intelligence and information on a topic. That does not seem to be the case with Witkoff who is just regurgitating Russian agitprop. This happens, as I’ve explained here countless times before, because the Russians spent years prior to even the initial 2014 invasion setting the informational theater in their favor. By doing this they have been able to frame the conflict in their favor. As I’ve recounted before, in JAN 2014, the evening of the second TUES, I was in the Chief of Operations office at US Army Europe HQ. I was there as the Senior Advisor/Cultural Advisor to the Commander. At that point I was on loan from doing the same thing for the 49th Commandant of USAWC. Eventually I’d be directly assigned. While the Chief of Ops and I were finishing up, the Old Man came in trailed by the Deputy Commander (DCG), the XO, the COS, a couple of other members of the senior staff, & a couple of senior folks from the Interagency who were there for a working group that week. As the Chief of Ops and I looked up, the Boss apologized for interrupting, told us he wanted us to look at something that had just come in from the Senior Defense Official (SDO) at Embassy Moscow, and then he got on the phone as we started to read. Once we finished reading he convened an operational planning team (OPT) meeting to discuss what we’d just read. One thing that became clear to me in that meeting was the entire discussion was within Russia’s framing. Because that framing had become the default in the information environment so we had all been absorbing it unwittingly. I immediately tasked myself to prepare a strategic assessment regarding the implications of what the SDO had sent across & to do it in a way that was free of Russia’s framing so we could plan based on reality rather than on what Russia had worked so hard to reframe reality in their favor.
With the exception of one paragraph, that assessment from the late winter/early spring of 2014 holds up really well. What the “Special” Envoy is parroting here is Russia’s framing of the conflict. Which, in reality, is a genocidal re-invasion.
A must-read, which reveals the essence of Russian imperialism today— arrogant denial and genocidal ambition about Ukraine as Ukrainians define it, condescension and belief that more of Europe will be dominated by Ru, rejection of international order and political freedom…
— Maria Popova 🇨🇦 (@popovaprof.bsky.social) March 21, 2025 at 8:31 AM
From L’Express:
Never since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has he given a political interview. Nor has he made the slightest public comment on this war that is ravaging the heart of Europe. Vladislav Sourkov, arguably Russia’s most mysterious figure, has remained silent. Yet the man who ‘made’ Vladimir Putin, the shadowy adviser who inspired novelist Giuliano da Empoli to write The Wizard of the Kremlin, has a lot to say about Russia and the man who runs it. It took us some time to approach him – and convince him. This politician, who can be considered the ‘architect’ of the Russian political system, has distanced himself from the man he served for two decades, Vladimir Putin. No one knows what Sourkov is doing today. In the interview he gave us, he avoided the question.
Why interview Vladislav Sourkov, who represents the exact antithesis of our democratic ideal ? Was it necessary to devote a cover of L’Express to a man who considers Ukraine to be an “artificial political entity” that can only be taken over “by force”, as he declared in an interview with the Russian Telegram channel WarGonzo a few months before the start of the war ? Yes, precisely. Giving the floor to the wizard of the Kremlin means, in a way, getting inside Vladimir Putin’s head. Although he is no longer in power, Sourkov has no less mastered all the workings of Putinism. And that is how this interview should be understood: a rare document that shows us how Russian power, at a time of high international tension, pursues its agenda and thinks long term, a far cry from the erratic Donald Trump.
The negotiations in Riyadh on 18 February got off to a good start for the Russians. What outcome could be considered a victory for Moscow ?
The military or military and diplomatic crushing of Ukraine. The division of this artificial quasi-state into its natural fragments. There may be manoeuvres, slowdowns and pauses along the way. But this objective will be achieved.
Have Russia’s objectives in Ukraine changed since 24 February 2022 ?
Its strategic objectives have not changed, but its tactical objectives have adapted as the strategy has been implemented.
You said : “For Russia, permanent expansion is not just another idea, it is the existential condition of our historical existence”. What do you see as Russia’s borders ?
I built an official ideology based on the concept of the ‘Russian world’, which already existed in philosophical circles. The Russian world has no borders. The Russian world is everywhere there is Russian influence, in one form or another: cultural, informational, military, economic, ideological or humanitarian… In other words, it is everywhere. The extent of our influence varies greatly from region to region, but it is never zero. So we will spread out in all directions, as far as God wills and as strong as we are. The important thing is not to get carried away and not to take on too big a piece.
This interpretation leaves little room for people’s subjectivity. What if they don’t want to be part of this “Russian world” ? Can people be forcibly associated with it ? And above all, why ?
I do not see in my previous answer the shadow of a denial of the subjectivity of peoples. It is Europe that has ignored the subjectivity of the Ukrainian people by supporting two coups d’état in Kiev. In 2014, for example, more than half of Ukrainians spoke Russian on a daily basis, both at work and at home. Less than half of them supported integration into the European Union, and even fewer wanted to join NATO. Against the will of the Ukrainian people, or in any case against the will of the majority of them, the West is trying to force Ukraine into submission, without anyone really understanding why. Even as we speak, European weapons, some of them French, are being used against my country to support the puppet regime in Kiev, which is based not on the majority of the Ukrainian people but on its anti-Russian and pro-Western minority. This is a continuation of Western attempts to colonise Ukraine by force.
Don’t you think that the war against Russia has, on the contrary, forged a Ukrainian nation and an ‘anti-Russian’ identity, including among Russian-speaking Ukrainians ? In other words, hasn’t Russia created what it denied existed ?
Ukraine is an artificial political entity into which at least three very different regions have been forced : the South and East, Russian; the Centre, Russian-non-Russian (sic) ; and the West, anti-Russian. They couldn’t get along and never have. The war in Ukraine will separate the Russians and the anti-Russians or, to paraphrase the Gospel, the sheep and the goats. The anti-Russians will not grow up. But it will be confined to its historical territory and will stop spreading across Russian soil. Perhaps one day Ukraine will be a real state, but only within its natural borders, and therefore much smaller.
Much more at the link if you can stomach it.
There are no videos from President Zelenskyy today as he made a battlefield circulation to the front in Donetsk to meet with troops, give awards, and meet with his commanders.
🇺🇦 Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Donetsk region.
Near the famous stele, which has already become a memorial, he thanked everyone who defends Ukraine.
“I thank all our defenders. I honor all the fallen heroes. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine and supports us.”— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visited the frontline troops in the Pokrovsk sector. The commander of the“Madyar’s birds“, Robert Brovdi, was also present.
— (((Tendar))) (@tendar.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Georgia:
March in Support of the MEGOBARI Act in Tbilisi
#GeorgiaProtests
Day 105📷 Nini Kikvadze
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Daily protests continue in the small town of Chkhorotsku, Georgia.
📷 Oto Shengelia
#GeorgiaProtests
Day 115— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 4:07 PM
POV: the MEGOBARI Act march arrives at Rustaveli with 🇬🇪🇺🇸 anthems. #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 1:59 PM
.@RepJoeWilson and @SenatorRisch @SenateForeign are very much loved in Georgia and protected by the people when the regime lashes out at them. #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 1:59 PM
I also spotted @SenatorShaheen – another beloved figure! ✊🏻🇬🇪🇺🇸
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Supporters of the American MEGOBARI Act are gathering at Marjanishvili Square in Tbilisi and will march toward Rustaveli Avenue, where they will join the main site of the protest.
Nino Kikvadze/Publika
#GeorgiaProtests
Day 115— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 12:34 PM
The march of the supporters of the MEGOBARI Act has started.
#GeorgiaProtests
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 12:56 PM
We don’t forget Ukraine at any single protest. Ever. ✊🏻🇬🇪🇺🇦 #GeorgiaProtests #StandWithUkraine
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:05 PM
The MEGOBARI Act march in Tbilisi. #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:41 PM
📷 Anzor Amzoevi
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:41 PM
March in support of the MEGOBARI Act in Tbilisi. #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Here are the details on the MEGOBARI Act:
Washington, DC – U.S. Helsinki Chairman Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC), Ranking Member Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), Congressman Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Congressman Marc Veasey (D-TX) re-introduced the bipartisan Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act. This vital legislation aims to bolster democratic practices, human rights, and the rule of law in the Republic of Georgia, reaffirming the United States’ commitment to supporting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and countering the influence of authoritarian regimes, particularly Russia.
“In the Georgian language, ‘megobari’ means ‘friend,’ and this bill reflects the powerful friendship and partnership between the United States and the Georgian people,” said Chairman Wilson. “The Ivanishvili regime seeks to undermine Georgian freedom. I stand with the Georgian people and the legitimate President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili in their call for free and fair elections. This bill provides Georgian Dream officials with a choice to abandon the would-be dictator Ivanishvili or face sanctions. There is still time to save Georgia’s sovereignty!”
“Corrupt Ivanishvili and his Georgian Nightmare party are turning Georgia into a Russian colony. Regime thugs are cracking down and imprisoning protestors, who demand free and fair elections as independent observers call the late October elections fundamentally flawed. The Georgian people demand a return to a transatlantic path and we need to help them. The MEGOBARI Act provides that help, mandating sanctions on Putin’s pawns and promising a deepened relationship should Georgian democracy and sovereignty be restored,” said Ranking Member Cohen.
“Vladimir Putin is an evil dictator who will do whatever it takes to undermine democracy in Georgia, and there must be consequences,” said Congressman Hudson. “This bill reinforces the United States’ support of the Georgian people’s democratic aspirations and makes clear that we will not tolerate attacks on their freedom.”
“The United States and Congress stand firmly with the people of Georgia. Our friendship with Georgia is at a critical juncture, and its people are bravely fighting for their freedom,” said Congressman Veasey. “The MEGOBARI Act is more crucial now than ever—an essential act of support to help our allies in Georgia secure their future and protect their freedoms.”
The MEGOBARI Act:
- Mandates a comprehensive sanctions review of all Georgian Dream officials. Those found to have engaged in corruption or undermining Georgian sovereignty will be sanctioned.
- Provides for a certification mechanism that mandates a deeper relationship between the United States and Georgia once Georgia’s democracy and sovereignty have been restored.
- Requires a full report of Russian and CCP intelligence assets in Georgia and Russian-CCP cooperation to undermine Georgian democracy and sovereignty.
The Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act is the premier U.S. initiative to counter the Ivanishvili Regime’s attempt to drag Georgia toward the Iranian regime, the Chinese Communist Party, and Russia. The bill is fully negotiated between House and Senate, Democrat and Republican leaders and is expected to move quickly. MEGOBARI means “friend” in Georgian.
The October elections that led to a shocking victory for Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream party have been declared by international observers as fundamentally flawed. This illegitimate parliament installed an illegitimate puppet president. The legitimate President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, is leading and supporting mass protests calling for free and fair elections. This bill ensures the United States stands strongly with the Georgian people in their decades-long drive for freedom and sovereignty.
See the bill here.
Student Luka Gogia was arrested by the police after applauding them for arresting two female students, who, in turn, wanted to bring chairs to sit in front of the parliament building.
#TerrorinGeorgia
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 3:35 AM
For contrast:
1st 📷: Georgians, demanding protection from Ivanishvili’s authoritarianism from their ally, #America.2nd 📷: Ivanishvili’s PM Kobakhidze standing next to Hamas’ leader at the inauguration of Iran’s new president, where chants of “Death to America” were heard.
By Protest 24.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM
ABSOLUTELY.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:56 PM
1/ Salome Zourabischvili writes: “New wave of arrests reaching new heights in absurdity: student girls detained for bringing chairs to the protests, while another student is arrested just for applauding! Kafka in Tbilissi!”
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:48 AM
2/ On March 21, three students were detained in front of the parliament building. 2 of the detainees, Tatia Afriamashvili and Tamar Gvilia, are students at the “Georgian National University”, while the third, Luka Gogia, is a student at Ilia State University.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:48 AM
3/ The students were carrying plastic folding chairs to the parliament, but the police did not allow them to set them up. A circulating video shows Luka Gogia standing on the sidewalk and clapping for the police after the girls were detained. He was then detained as well.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:48 AM
4/ Afriamashvili and Gvilia were released on bail, while Gogia remains in custody.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Any people can find themselves under tyranny. The key is to not have some illusions of impossibility.
Georgians had that illusion – that no one could digress from our European aspirations.
Someday I’ll write “The Kremlin’s most successful operation.” Hopefully with a happy end.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 1:33 PM
The US:
“Last night was quite tense for both sides, as you probably noticed. But I think we’ll wrap this up fairly soon,” Trump said. He confirmed no deadline was given to Putin to stop strikes on Ukraine. Putin didn’t reject halting attacks, and Russia’s already under a mountain of sanctions, he noted.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 6:06 AM
This is a primer in how not to do diplomacy.
Back to Ukraine.
Ukrainian fighters spotted a 122-mm D-30 howitzer of the Russian boys and destroyed its ammo with precise strikes. The howitzer survived, but it’s sporting some fresh holes now.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Kyiv:
Kyiv right now! Russia attacks the city with drones
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Kyiv right now! Russia attacks the city with drones
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Zaporizhzhia:
This is Olha and Roman, along with their daughter Ulyana-Khrystyna. Russia murdered them last night, leaving their younger daughter, Victoria, orphaned.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Donetsk Oblast:
Optic fiber FPV drones of the Magyar unit destroy Russian MR-LB, BM-21 Grad MLRS and SPG. t.me/robert_magya…
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Toretsk Oblast:
Reports say a Russian position in central Toretsk was obliterated by a 2S7 Pion, directed by the 100th OMB. Enemy suicide squads with ammo falter as Ukrainian artillery dismantles their efforts.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Somewhere in Russia:
Russian Su-34 made an emergency belly landing after its landing gear failed to deploy. The crew jettisoned the navigator’s canopy mid-flight for a potential escape.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Krasnodar Krai, Russia:
The “Kavkazskaya” oil transshipment point in Krasnodar Krai burns into its fourth day after the drones strike. Once a critical hub for 6M tons of annual oil exports, it’s now just charred rubble and ash.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 10:59 AM
That’s enough for tonight.
There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material.
Your daily Patron!
🇺🇦🐶 Our charismatic defenders on the battle station.
— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Chris
Back in the day, I used to think Republicans portraying Europe like a Fallout landscape full of No Go Zones ruled by Sharia Law gangs was just the usual red state illiteracy.
Gradually, though, I came to realize it really wasn’t; they believe the exact same thing about the American big blue city half an hour down the highway from them, even though most of them actually go there multiple times a year and have no excuse for not knowing that it isn’t what their Fox News fantasies say it is.
Jay
Thank you, Adam.
Adam L Silverman
@Jay: You’re welcome.
Jay
https://nitter.poast.org/Gerashchenko_en/status/1903371013611540817#m
So basically, China “owns” ruZZia, and ruZZia “owns” the US.
Adam L Silverman
@Jay: Did you not read the start of tonight’s post?
Jay
@Adam L Silverman:
There is a fuck of a lot there, more than just that.
Witkoff is more Putin than Putin.
https://nitter.poast.org/ruth_deyermond/status/1903438704430989658#m
This should be a thread.
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Medicine Man
Thanks Adam.
Good God, I hope I live to see those russian imperialists broken.
Gin & Tonic
Finding Rep Joe Wilson on the right side in Georgia and Ukraine gives me whiplash.
Bill Arnold
@Jay:
Here it is as a thread. (Interesting material)
Ruth Deyermond@ruth_deyermond, 2025/03/22, Threadreader for X/twitter thread
Jay
@Bill Arnold:
Thank you.
Westyny
Thank you, Adam.
Bill Arnold
Here’s a full transcript of the Tucker Carlson interview of Steve Witkoff
Reading (well, slow skimming) the whole thing, I entirely agree with Adam. It appears that Steve Witkoff’s mind is comfortably pickled in an echo chamber.
Adam L Silverman
@AlaskaReader: You’re welcome.
Adam L Silverman
@Medicine Man: You’re welcome too.
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: Rhetorically he’s been very good, voting on Ukraine support ad well. Unfortunately, he’s now got no ability to advance anything on behalf of Ukraine or Georgia, because his party has decided that having the majority in both chambers of Congress means they should allow Trump and his owner/employer Musk do whatever they want.
YY_Sima Qian
The place in Shenzhen, PRC where both Ukraine & Russia are sourcing their drones & drone components from (worth looking through the whole thread):
Chinese entrepreneurs have even setup shops to help w/ the logistics & customs clearance. Click through the link for a photo of such a shop for shipping to Russia, presumably the ones for shipping to Ukraine are more circumspect:
Apparently, the Appliances & Electronics World Expo currently happening in Shanghai, which has a large drone & robotics section, has seen large contingents of buyers from Russia & Ukraine, too.
catfishncod
I know it’s old hat to Adam, but I have never yet seen this concept acknowledged and stated so boldly:
Russia sincerely believes that it has a right to conquer, because it believes conquest = existence.
Once upon a time that was actually true in most of the world; it’s one of the recurring themes at the history blog ACOUP. But the conditions that made it true were nixed by the Industrial Revolution.
Most of the developed world figured this out in the collective experience of the First and Second World Wars, and switched to something else.
Russia didn’t. It still hasn’t. It insists that anyone who denies Russia’s destiny of conquest is out to destroy the existence of Russia.
Practically everything Russia says or does, under any regime and in any context, is colored by this axiom of Russian thought. They can’t let it go, and I don’t really understand why.
ColoradoGuy
@catfishncod: Russia is a pre-Enlightenment society. Moscow and St. Petersburg are thin veneers of modern civilization that rest on top of a sprawling medieval empire.
From the perspective of the Imperial Court in Moscow, the Enlightenment (represented by the West) is something to be fought off and ultimately destroyed.
Not surprisingly, the Cheka/KGB/FSB supports pre-Enlightenment thinkers here in the West, like Curtis Yarvin and his billionaire sponsors.
no body no name
These assholes have cost me my fancy pants natsec job already. We had cuts! Job was not all that fancy and at the end of the day I helped blow people up and kill them. I liked the job. I was very good at it. And unlike the two freaks running the nation I had the balls to put on a uniform and go to war. You want people like me doing my job. Someone has to do it. Why not people that like the work and are dedicated to the concept?
I’ll be fine. I’ll find a new job and that will be that. But the loss of me is the loss of over two decades of doing this. The loss of the others even more. I was contracted out to DHS when I got canned. I had my gripes about things but I never put them into a formal writing.
The firm I worked for was UK based. They offered to bring me to the UK. Evidently they also think I am good at what I do. I have elderly relatives here and even though my mom told me to leave I’m not going to leave her. My boss is someone I consider a friend. He’s still trying to convince me on moving there. If not for mom I would!
Our situation is grim. The lefties obviously will hate me for what I do but I don’t care. I don’t care about MAGA either. This is a rough job and yet needs doing and everyone I’ve worked with over the past 20 years has been outstanding. You can hate the job all you want but you want it done right by people that give a shit. I really gave a shit.
Geminid
@Gin & Tonic: Rep. Wilson (SC) is also taking a more independent line on Syria (although it’s not clear the administration has a coherent enough Syria policy to be independent of).
Wilson and Senator Warren (MA) just sent a letter to Secretaries Rubio and Bessent arguing that broad sanctions imposed 10 years ago against the Assad regime now hinder stability and reconstruction, “allowing Iran and Russia to regain influence.” They called for a “clear roadmap” for Syria to achieve additional sanctions relief through specific actions.
HinTN
@no body no name: Everybody works at a job. Irrespective of the end product, it’s a good thing to like, and be good at, your job. Take your mom to the UK.
Also too, @Adam L Silverman:, thanks for this look into the imperialist Russian mindset.
Barney
Why is Witkoff, appointed as “special envoy for the Middle East”, now in charge of genuflecting to Putin, anyway? He had no qualifications for his Middle East position (New York real estate trader), though when Trump’s desire to turn the Gaza Strip into a gaudy casino-land was unveiled, it made a bit more sense. But his relation to the war in Ukraine is zero. He has now said he “likes” Putin, and “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy,” …. “He’s super smart.” (starting a war killing hundreds of thousands doesn’t make you a bad guy for a Trumpist). It’s taken him even less time to insert his nose up Putin’s backside than it took Trump.
Was Kellogg not obsequious enough to the Russians? Was Witkoff sent purely to speed up the capitulation of the US government to Putin?
Parfigliano
@catfishncod: Shit society. Shit thoughts.
Bill Arnold
A discussion of some of China’s government’s offensive (technical sense) cyberspace activities.
Typhoons in Cyberspace (Professor Ciaran Martin CB, RUSI, 20 March 2025)
catfishncod
@ColoradoGuy: You exaggerate but not by much at all. There might be as many as a dozen places that have at least made it out of the Middle Ages… but I wouldn’t take bets on it. Russian soldiers being awed by flush toilets and washing machines just drives the point home.
Russia is, effectively, the last standing member of the Holy Alliance of autocratic Christian-branded Powers; the twentieth century ate the others. Their explicit goal was suppression of Enlightenment thought. It’s now trying to build a new one.
What interests me is understanding why the modernizing formula that works everywhere else – even Ukraine and Georgia – finds so little purchase. This was the root mistake made in 1991-1993 from which all our present troubles spring: that the same formula that made Germany, Italy, Japan, and many others from enemies to allies would fail with Russia.
I dont buy the essentialist view that Russia is just “different”, whether the Russians’ own or the dismissive tack. People are people. Some combination of factors *causes* this. What are they?