I consider the blog of "Colonel Cassad" the best informed and most honest blog about the situation in the Ukraine, bar none. Right now, he is reporting that while there is an increase in the combat operation, this is more a case of "combat reconnaissance" (opening fire to try to evaluate the enemy disposition) then of a real full-scale attack.
That is the good news.
The bad news is that a energetic "combat reconnaissance" is exactly what the Ukies would be doing before a major offensive.
Please don't panic, I will try to keep you posted. Right now, this is not a full scale attack. Not yet.
The Saker
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Discovering Iran: a travelogue
by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
Marcel Proust once said: “The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” During the past two decades, I visited Iran on numerous occasions staying 10-14 days at a time. This time around, I stayed for 2 months and heeding Proust, I carried with me a fresh pair of eyes. I discarded both my Western lenses as well as my Iranian lenses and observed with objective eyes. It was a formidable journey that left me breathless.
Part I - Women of the Islamic Republic of Iran
It is hard to know where to start a travel log and how to describe a newfound world in a few pages. However, given the West’s obsession (and the “Westernized” Iranians living abroad) to rescue Iranian women from their perceived “oppression” (while simultaneously imposing illegal and immoral sanctions on them!) perhaps it is appropriate to start with the women in Iran as I perceived them.
Western media with help from feminists and Iranians living outside of Iran portray Iranian women as being “oppressed” -- foremost because women in Iran have to abide by an Islamic dress code - hijab. Yes, hijab is mandatory and women choose to either wear either a chador or to wear a scarf. But what is crucial to understand is the role chador played in pre 1979 versus the post Revolution era.
Prior to the 1979 Revolution, the chador was indicative of a thinly veiled caste system. While a few distinguished women of high socio-economical background chose to wear the chador, the rest, the majority of Iranian women, were simply born into the habit. In short, the socio-economically disadvantaged wore the pre 1979 chador. In those days, the chador was a hindrance to a woman’s progress; she was looked down at and frowned upon. She could not move forward or up. She was oppressed. But Western feminists were blind to this oppression. After all, the Shah was modern and America’s friendly dictator.
The Revolution changed the status quo and chipped away at the caste system. A revolution, by definition, is a complete change in the way people live and work. And so it is with the Iranian Revolution. The post 1979 chador is no longer an impediment to a woman’s future. Today’s Iranian woman, the same (formerly) less privileged class, has found freedom in their chador. They have been unshackled and they march on alongside their (formerly) more privileged colleagues. This emancipation is what the Western/Westernized feminists see as oppression.
I myself come from yesterday’s tiny minority of “privileged” women, far too comfortable in my “Western” skin to want to promote hijab, but I will not allow my personal preferences to diminish the value of the progress made because of hijab. The bleeding hearts from without should simply change their tainted lenses instead of trying to change the lives of others for Iranian women do not need to be rescued, they do not follow – they lead.
On two separate occasions I had the opportunity to sit and talk with a group of PhD students at Tehran University’s Global Studies Department. Frankly, these young women charmed me. Their inquisitive and sharp minds, their keen intellect, their vast knowledge, their fluent English, and their utter confidence dazzled me. Western feminists would consider them “oppressed”. Seems to me that feminism needs rescuing, not Iranian women.
The inordinate success of women goes vastly beyond education; they participate in every aspect of society -- motherhood, arts and sciences, high tech, film and cinema, research, business, administration, politics, sports, armed forces, etc. Women’s prominent role in society is undeniable. What I found tantalizing was their role as cultural gatekeepers.
Women - The Cultural Warriors
Cultural imperialism is part and parcel of neocolonialism. The eradication of an indigenous culture and replacing it with a hegemonic one enables the hegemon to exert influence on the subject nation – to own it. And women are the nuclei. They hold the family together and pass on traditions. To this end, in every colonial adventure, regardless of geography, women have been the primary target (i.e. victims of rescue). Iran has been no different. While some have indeed abandoned their culture in order to embrace that of another, the vast majority have resisted and fought back with authentic Iranian tradition.
One group of these cultural warriors left a deep impact on me. I attended a dance ensemble at the famous Roudaki Hall (Talar Roudaki). Girls aged 6 to 18 sent the packed hall into a thunderous applause when they danced to various traditional songs from around the country. Their dance was not MTV stuff. It reflected the beauty and the purity of an ancient culture. Their movements and gestures were not intended to be seductive, they were graceful and poetic ushering in the ancient past and bonding it with the present, strengthening it. These were the women of Iran who would guard Iran’s precious culture and traditions against modern, Western culture deemed central to ‘civilization’ and ‘freedom’ by Western feminists.
It is not my intention to give the false impression that every woman in Iran is happy, successful, and valued. Like any other society, Iran has its share of unhappy, depressed girls and women. It has its share of women who have been abused and betrayed. It has its share of girls and women who turn to drugs, prostitution, or both. I came across these as well. I also confirm that laws in Iran do not favor women, be it divorce, child custody, or inheritance. But if and when the Iranian society decides to change its current laws (or maintain the status quo), it will do so without outside interference and on its own terms. I have no doubt that any outside interference will receive a negative and opposite reaction.
Part II – Esprit de Corps Washington Just Doesn’t Get It
Numerous visitors have travelled to Iran and brought back reports describing the landscape, the food, the friendliness of the people, the impact of the sanctions, and so forth. For the most part, these reports have been accurate -- albeit incomplete. I do not want to tire the reader by repeating my observations on these same topics; rather, I invite the reader to share my journey into the soul of the country – the spirit of the Iranian nation.
Washington’s missteps are, in part, due to the simple fact that Washington receives flawed intelligence on Iran and Iranians. This has been a long-standing pattern with Washington. Prior to the 1979 Revolution, a plethora of US personnel lived in Iran. Thousands of CIA agents were stationed there. Their task went beyond teaching torture techniques to the Shah’s secret police; they were, after all, spies. In addition to the military personnel that came in tow with the military equipment sold to the Shah by the U.S., there were official US personnel who worked at the American Embassy in Tehran. None got it.
They all failed miserably in their assessment of Iranians. These personnel were simply too busy enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Iran. As the aforementioned travellers have all repeated, Iran is beautiful, the food scrumptious, the people hospitable. These personnel attended lavish parties thrown by those close to the Shah (or other affluent Iranians) and lived the kind of life they could not have dreamt of elsewhere. American ambassadors doled out visas to the lazy kids of these same families who would not have otherwise been able to make it to the US under normal student visa requirements. These same Iranian people, the privileged elite, provided Americans in Iran with intelligence – inaccurate, flawed information which was passed onto Washington. To this end, Washington believed Iran would remain a client state for the unforeseen future. The success of the revolution was a slap in the face.
For the past several decades, Washington has continued to act on flawed intelligence. Today, Washington relies on the “expertise” of some in the Iranian Diaspora who have not visited Iran once since the revolution. In addition to the “Iran experts”, Washington has found itself other sources of ‘intelligence’, foremost; the Mojahedeen Khalg (MEK) terrorist cult who feed Washington information provided them by Israel. Previous to this assignment, the cult was busy fighting alongside Saddam Hossein. Is it any surprise that Washington is clueless on Iran. What Washington can’t fathom is the source of Iran’s strength, its formidable resilience.
Thanks to its ‘experts’, and the personal experience of some visitors, Washington continues to believe that the Iranian people love America and they are waiting to be ‘rescued’ from their rulers. True – Iranians are generous, hospitable, and charming. They welcome visitors as guest regardless of their country or origin. This is part and parcel of their culture. They also believe a guest is a ‘blessing from God’ -- mehmoon barekate khodast. Karime khodast. But they are not waiting for. This is what Washington is not able to grasp. Washington to rid them of their rulers – quiet the contrary.
While the Iranian people love people of all nationalities, including Americans, they see Washington for what it is. Washington and its policies have adversely affected virtually every single family in Iran for the past several decades. These include those whose dreams and hopes were shattered by the CIA orchestrated coup against their nascent democracy and its popular leader, Mossadegh, later, parents whose children were arrested, brutally tortured, killed or simply disappeared at the hands of the Shah’s CIA/Mossad trained secret police. And then there are the millions of war widows or orphans, the maimed soldiers, and the victims of chemical weapons supplied to Saddam Hossein by America to use against Iranians while the UN closed its eyes. Additionally, there are also the victims of American sponsored terrorism, including kosher terrorism – sanctions. Millions of Iranians have first hand experience of all that has been plagued upon them by Washington.
It is these victims, their families and acquaintances that fight for Iran’s sovereignty, that are the guardians of this proud nation. They are the source of Iran’s strength. They are not simply citizens of Iran, they have a stake in it. Victor Hugo once said: “No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come.” There simply is no army on earth which can occupy, by proxy or otherwise, the land the people have come to believe belongs to them not by virtue of birth, but because they have fought for it, died for it, kept it from harm.
I met many such families; one in particular was more memorable. During the Shah’s regime, this family worked on my father’s farm. The father and his sons worked the farm and the mother helped around the house. In those days, this family and future generations would have simply continued to work on the farm, remain uneducated with no future prospects. But the revolution rescued them.
The boys in the family all went to war. One uncle lost his life to chemical warfare. The rest survived – and thrived. They got themselves free education provided by the government America wants to dislodge. One of these boys, the man I met after some 35 years, Kazem, once condemned to be a ‘peasant’, had become a successful businessman. I spent hours talking to the family and to Kazem in particular. What impressed me was not just his affluence and his success in business, but the wisdom that only comes with age, and yet he had acquired in youth. He had intellect and dignity. A gentleman, I found his knowledge of internal and global affairs to be far superior to the average “Westernized” person living in Tehran (or outside Iran). He had experienced war, seen death. Iran belonged to him. He would fight for it over and over and die for it.
This is the Iran the Diaspora has left behind, the Iran that is unknown to them. This is a far superior country than the one I left behind as a child and visited throughout the years. Iran’s guardians, its keepers, are all Kazems. It has been said that the strength of an army is the support of the people behind it. The whole country is that army. This is what Washington is not able to grasp. As Khalil Gibran rightly observed: “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” With every wrong policy, America adds to the scars, strengthens the character and spirit of this unbreakable nation. This is what Washington is not able to grasp.
Iran Trip: September - October 2014
Marcel Proust once said: “The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” During the past two decades, I visited Iran on numerous occasions staying 10-14 days at a time. This time around, I stayed for 2 months and heeding Proust, I carried with me a fresh pair of eyes. I discarded both my Western lenses as well as my Iranian lenses and observed with objective eyes. It was a formidable journey that left me breathless.
Part I - Women of the Islamic Republic of Iran
It is hard to know where to start a travel log and how to describe a newfound world in a few pages. However, given the West’s obsession (and the “Westernized” Iranians living abroad) to rescue Iranian women from their perceived “oppression” (while simultaneously imposing illegal and immoral sanctions on them!) perhaps it is appropriate to start with the women in Iran as I perceived them.
Western media with help from feminists and Iranians living outside of Iran portray Iranian women as being “oppressed” -- foremost because women in Iran have to abide by an Islamic dress code - hijab. Yes, hijab is mandatory and women choose to either wear either a chador or to wear a scarf. But what is crucial to understand is the role chador played in pre 1979 versus the post Revolution era.
Prior to the 1979 Revolution, the chador was indicative of a thinly veiled caste system. While a few distinguished women of high socio-economical background chose to wear the chador, the rest, the majority of Iranian women, were simply born into the habit. In short, the socio-economically disadvantaged wore the pre 1979 chador. In those days, the chador was a hindrance to a woman’s progress; she was looked down at and frowned upon. She could not move forward or up. She was oppressed. But Western feminists were blind to this oppression. After all, the Shah was modern and America’s friendly dictator.
The Revolution changed the status quo and chipped away at the caste system. A revolution, by definition, is a complete change in the way people live and work. And so it is with the Iranian Revolution. The post 1979 chador is no longer an impediment to a woman’s future. Today’s Iranian woman, the same (formerly) less privileged class, has found freedom in their chador. They have been unshackled and they march on alongside their (formerly) more privileged colleagues. This emancipation is what the Western/Westernized feminists see as oppression.
I myself come from yesterday’s tiny minority of “privileged” women, far too comfortable in my “Western” skin to want to promote hijab, but I will not allow my personal preferences to diminish the value of the progress made because of hijab. The bleeding hearts from without should simply change their tainted lenses instead of trying to change the lives of others for Iranian women do not need to be rescued, they do not follow – they lead.
On two separate occasions I had the opportunity to sit and talk with a group of PhD students at Tehran University’s Global Studies Department. Frankly, these young women charmed me. Their inquisitive and sharp minds, their keen intellect, their vast knowledge, their fluent English, and their utter confidence dazzled me. Western feminists would consider them “oppressed”. Seems to me that feminism needs rescuing, not Iranian women.
The inordinate success of women goes vastly beyond education; they participate in every aspect of society -- motherhood, arts and sciences, high tech, film and cinema, research, business, administration, politics, sports, armed forces, etc. Women’s prominent role in society is undeniable. What I found tantalizing was their role as cultural gatekeepers.
Women - The Cultural Warriors
Cultural imperialism is part and parcel of neocolonialism. The eradication of an indigenous culture and replacing it with a hegemonic one enables the hegemon to exert influence on the subject nation – to own it. And women are the nuclei. They hold the family together and pass on traditions. To this end, in every colonial adventure, regardless of geography, women have been the primary target (i.e. victims of rescue). Iran has been no different. While some have indeed abandoned their culture in order to embrace that of another, the vast majority have resisted and fought back with authentic Iranian tradition.
One group of these cultural warriors left a deep impact on me. I attended a dance ensemble at the famous Roudaki Hall (Talar Roudaki). Girls aged 6 to 18 sent the packed hall into a thunderous applause when they danced to various traditional songs from around the country. Their dance was not MTV stuff. It reflected the beauty and the purity of an ancient culture. Their movements and gestures were not intended to be seductive, they were graceful and poetic ushering in the ancient past and bonding it with the present, strengthening it. These were the women of Iran who would guard Iran’s precious culture and traditions against modern, Western culture deemed central to ‘civilization’ and ‘freedom’ by Western feminists.
It is not my intention to give the false impression that every woman in Iran is happy, successful, and valued. Like any other society, Iran has its share of unhappy, depressed girls and women. It has its share of women who have been abused and betrayed. It has its share of girls and women who turn to drugs, prostitution, or both. I came across these as well. I also confirm that laws in Iran do not favor women, be it divorce, child custody, or inheritance. But if and when the Iranian society decides to change its current laws (or maintain the status quo), it will do so without outside interference and on its own terms. I have no doubt that any outside interference will receive a negative and opposite reaction.
Part II – Esprit de Corps Washington Just Doesn’t Get It
Numerous visitors have travelled to Iran and brought back reports describing the landscape, the food, the friendliness of the people, the impact of the sanctions, and so forth. For the most part, these reports have been accurate -- albeit incomplete. I do not want to tire the reader by repeating my observations on these same topics; rather, I invite the reader to share my journey into the soul of the country – the spirit of the Iranian nation.
Washington’s missteps are, in part, due to the simple fact that Washington receives flawed intelligence on Iran and Iranians. This has been a long-standing pattern with Washington. Prior to the 1979 Revolution, a plethora of US personnel lived in Iran. Thousands of CIA agents were stationed there. Their task went beyond teaching torture techniques to the Shah’s secret police; they were, after all, spies. In addition to the military personnel that came in tow with the military equipment sold to the Shah by the U.S., there were official US personnel who worked at the American Embassy in Tehran. None got it.
They all failed miserably in their assessment of Iranians. These personnel were simply too busy enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Iran. As the aforementioned travellers have all repeated, Iran is beautiful, the food scrumptious, the people hospitable. These personnel attended lavish parties thrown by those close to the Shah (or other affluent Iranians) and lived the kind of life they could not have dreamt of elsewhere. American ambassadors doled out visas to the lazy kids of these same families who would not have otherwise been able to make it to the US under normal student visa requirements. These same Iranian people, the privileged elite, provided Americans in Iran with intelligence – inaccurate, flawed information which was passed onto Washington. To this end, Washington believed Iran would remain a client state for the unforeseen future. The success of the revolution was a slap in the face.
For the past several decades, Washington has continued to act on flawed intelligence. Today, Washington relies on the “expertise” of some in the Iranian Diaspora who have not visited Iran once since the revolution. In addition to the “Iran experts”, Washington has found itself other sources of ‘intelligence’, foremost; the Mojahedeen Khalg (MEK) terrorist cult who feed Washington information provided them by Israel. Previous to this assignment, the cult was busy fighting alongside Saddam Hossein. Is it any surprise that Washington is clueless on Iran. What Washington can’t fathom is the source of Iran’s strength, its formidable resilience.
Thanks to its ‘experts’, and the personal experience of some visitors, Washington continues to believe that the Iranian people love America and they are waiting to be ‘rescued’ from their rulers. True – Iranians are generous, hospitable, and charming. They welcome visitors as guest regardless of their country or origin. This is part and parcel of their culture. They also believe a guest is a ‘blessing from God’ -- mehmoon barekate khodast. Karime khodast. But they are not waiting for. This is what Washington is not able to grasp. Washington to rid them of their rulers – quiet the contrary.
While the Iranian people love people of all nationalities, including Americans, they see Washington for what it is. Washington and its policies have adversely affected virtually every single family in Iran for the past several decades. These include those whose dreams and hopes were shattered by the CIA orchestrated coup against their nascent democracy and its popular leader, Mossadegh, later, parents whose children were arrested, brutally tortured, killed or simply disappeared at the hands of the Shah’s CIA/Mossad trained secret police. And then there are the millions of war widows or orphans, the maimed soldiers, and the victims of chemical weapons supplied to Saddam Hossein by America to use against Iranians while the UN closed its eyes. Additionally, there are also the victims of American sponsored terrorism, including kosher terrorism – sanctions. Millions of Iranians have first hand experience of all that has been plagued upon them by Washington.
It is these victims, their families and acquaintances that fight for Iran’s sovereignty, that are the guardians of this proud nation. They are the source of Iran’s strength. They are not simply citizens of Iran, they have a stake in it. Victor Hugo once said: “No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come.” There simply is no army on earth which can occupy, by proxy or otherwise, the land the people have come to believe belongs to them not by virtue of birth, but because they have fought for it, died for it, kept it from harm.
I met many such families; one in particular was more memorable. During the Shah’s regime, this family worked on my father’s farm. The father and his sons worked the farm and the mother helped around the house. In those days, this family and future generations would have simply continued to work on the farm, remain uneducated with no future prospects. But the revolution rescued them.
The boys in the family all went to war. One uncle lost his life to chemical warfare. The rest survived – and thrived. They got themselves free education provided by the government America wants to dislodge. One of these boys, the man I met after some 35 years, Kazem, once condemned to be a ‘peasant’, had become a successful businessman. I spent hours talking to the family and to Kazem in particular. What impressed me was not just his affluence and his success in business, but the wisdom that only comes with age, and yet he had acquired in youth. He had intellect and dignity. A gentleman, I found his knowledge of internal and global affairs to be far superior to the average “Westernized” person living in Tehran (or outside Iran). He had experienced war, seen death. Iran belonged to him. He would fight for it over and over and die for it.
This is the Iran the Diaspora has left behind, the Iran that is unknown to them. This is a far superior country than the one I left behind as a child and visited throughout the years. Iran’s guardians, its keepers, are all Kazems. It has been said that the strength of an army is the support of the people behind it. The whole country is that army. This is what Washington is not able to grasp. As Khalil Gibran rightly observed: “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” With every wrong policy, America adds to the scars, strengthens the character and spirit of this unbreakable nation. This is what Washington is not able to grasp.
Iran Trip: September - October 2014
Igor Strelkov : War Awaits Russia
Note: Since the issue of Russian monarchy is, judging by the pre and post podcast questions and comments, clearly of interest to many of you I think that I need to explain something important here.
The movie which Strelkov and host Krutov are mentioning at the beginning of the interview is about a very interesting Russian author named Ivan Solonevich and who was the chief ideologue of a movement originally referred to as "Staff Captains" (Штабс Капитаны) but which later became known as "Popular Monarchists" (Народные монархисты) to which I myself have been very close all my life (Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Ivan Solonevich, along with Lev Tikhomirov and Ivan Iliin, were my "maîtres à penser" for decades) and which I know very well from the inside. Since I believe that Strelkov very much shares these views I think that it would be helpful for me to summarize some of their key ideas. I am not, repeat, not asking you to endorse any of these ideas (my own views have also greatly evolved with time), but only to become aware of how different they are from western notions about monarchism.
1) Popular Monarchism (PM) is, in western terms, a *leftist* form of monarchy which opposes monarchy to aristocracy and not to democracy. In the view of PM, the Russian history is mostly the struggle between two forces: on one side the monarch and the people (both traditionalist, Orthodox and populist) against, on the other side, the elites (seen as modernists, secularists and elitists).
2) PM affirms that Russia is an empire by nature (by "national dominant" to use the term of Solonevich) but it emphatically condemns and opposes the kind of Empire created by Czar Peter I (which some call "the Great"). PM see Peter I (and his court) as the epitome of russophobic evil.
3) PM is a democratic ideology since it affirms that PM is an *institution* a *system* which must include a Zemskii Sobor (Assembly of the Russian Land) as a medium for the expression of the popular will which the monarch has to then implement.
4) PM is almost as class-oriented as Marxism and sees the Russian aristocracy, especially the court, as the most dangerous foe of the Russian people. The only form of aristocracy PM recognizes as legitimate is the "serving aristocracy" which in modern terms would mean civil servants and/or the military.
5) Ivan Solonevich was himself a Belorussian and he was very proud of his roots just as he was proud of coming from a family of peasants. PM fully support cultural and national diversity, but resolutely opposes nationalist separatism.
6) PM reject the notion of universal values and say that each nation and each civilization produces its own values and traditions and that each nation and civilization should be left free to live according to these values and traditions.
7) PM has a strong libertarian streak as it sees government bureaucracies as one of the most inept, corrupt and useless parts of society. PM believe that the popular masses (workers and peasants) should be left free to organized themselves as this both respects the Russian tradition of freedom and is most effective in economic terms.
Anyway, I will stop here. To those who can read Russian I recommend Solonevich's main book Народная Монархия which can easily be found and downloaded from the Net.
I just wanted to explain here that Strelkov's "monarchism" had very little to do with Elizabeth II of England, Abdullah II of Jordan, the House of Saud or any other of these nasty characters we usually associate with the notion of monarchy nowadays. Also, the views of Solonevich, who fled the USSR in 1934 (he later wrote the first book about the Gulag ever), were not very well known during the Soviet years (the KGB banned all his books) but since 1991 they have been re-discovered and are now very popular in the Eurasian Sovereignist circles.
Cheers and kind regards,
The Saker
-------
(please click on the 'cc' button in the lower right to see the subtitles)
Host: Aleksander Nikolaevich Krutov, Chief Editor of the periodical "Russian House"
Subtitled in english and german (french coming soon)
Video Details: Original Air Date: 29 October 2014
English Transcription & Translation by: VineyardSaker Video Team: Marina, GC, Katya,S, Gideon & Yulia. German Translation by Dagmar.
Editing & Production: Marina & The French Saker
The movie which Strelkov and host Krutov are mentioning at the beginning of the interview is about a very interesting Russian author named Ivan Solonevich and who was the chief ideologue of a movement originally referred to as "Staff Captains" (Штабс Капитаны) but which later became known as "Popular Monarchists" (Народные монархисты) to which I myself have been very close all my life (Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Ivan Solonevich, along with Lev Tikhomirov and Ivan Iliin, were my "maîtres à penser" for decades) and which I know very well from the inside. Since I believe that Strelkov very much shares these views I think that it would be helpful for me to summarize some of their key ideas. I am not, repeat, not asking you to endorse any of these ideas (my own views have also greatly evolved with time), but only to become aware of how different they are from western notions about monarchism.
1) Popular Monarchism (PM) is, in western terms, a *leftist* form of monarchy which opposes monarchy to aristocracy and not to democracy. In the view of PM, the Russian history is mostly the struggle between two forces: on one side the monarch and the people (both traditionalist, Orthodox and populist) against, on the other side, the elites (seen as modernists, secularists and elitists).
2) PM affirms that Russia is an empire by nature (by "national dominant" to use the term of Solonevich) but it emphatically condemns and opposes the kind of Empire created by Czar Peter I (which some call "the Great"). PM see Peter I (and his court) as the epitome of russophobic evil.
3) PM is a democratic ideology since it affirms that PM is an *institution* a *system* which must include a Zemskii Sobor (Assembly of the Russian Land) as a medium for the expression of the popular will which the monarch has to then implement.
4) PM is almost as class-oriented as Marxism and sees the Russian aristocracy, especially the court, as the most dangerous foe of the Russian people. The only form of aristocracy PM recognizes as legitimate is the "serving aristocracy" which in modern terms would mean civil servants and/or the military.
5) Ivan Solonevich was himself a Belorussian and he was very proud of his roots just as he was proud of coming from a family of peasants. PM fully support cultural and national diversity, but resolutely opposes nationalist separatism.
6) PM reject the notion of universal values and say that each nation and each civilization produces its own values and traditions and that each nation and civilization should be left free to live according to these values and traditions.
7) PM has a strong libertarian streak as it sees government bureaucracies as one of the most inept, corrupt and useless parts of society. PM believe that the popular masses (workers and peasants) should be left free to organized themselves as this both respects the Russian tradition of freedom and is most effective in economic terms.
Anyway, I will stop here. To those who can read Russian I recommend Solonevich's main book Народная Монархия which can easily be found and downloaded from the Net.
I just wanted to explain here that Strelkov's "monarchism" had very little to do with Elizabeth II of England, Abdullah II of Jordan, the House of Saud or any other of these nasty characters we usually associate with the notion of monarchy nowadays. Also, the views of Solonevich, who fled the USSR in 1934 (he later wrote the first book about the Gulag ever), were not very well known during the Soviet years (the KGB banned all his books) but since 1991 they have been re-discovered and are now very popular in the Eurasian Sovereignist circles.
Cheers and kind regards,
The Saker
-------
(please click on the 'cc' button in the lower right to see the subtitles)
Host: Aleksander Nikolaevich Krutov, Chief Editor of the periodical "Russian House"
Subtitled in english and german (french coming soon)
Video Details: Original Air Date: 29 October 2014
English Transcription & Translation by: VineyardSaker Video Team: Marina, GC, Katya,S, Gideon & Yulia. German Translation by Dagmar.
Editing & Production: Marina & The French Saker
Speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Nov 4th, the 2014 Ashura'a commemoration
 |
| Nasrallah surrounded by bodyguards speaks on Ashura day in 2013 |
I take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Peace be on the Seal of prophets, our Master and Prophet, Abi Al Qassem Mohammad and on his chaste and pure Household and on his chosen companions and on all messengers and prophets.
Peace be on you, my master and lord Abi Abdullah, and on all the souls gathering around your holy site. Peace be on you as long as I remain alive and as long as night follows day. May Allah make it not my last visit to you. Peace be on Hussein, Ali the son of Hussein, the children of Hussein, and the companions of Hussein.
Scholars, brothers, and sisters! Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. On this day – the day of solemn woe, we offer our sincere consolation to our Master – the Prophet of Allah - Mohammad (Peace be upon him), our Master Amir Al Mu'mineen Ali Bin Abi Taleb (Peace be upon him), our Lady Sayyeda Fatima Al Zahraa (Peace be upon her), our Master Imam Hassan Mujtaba (Peace be upon him), all our chaste Imams (Peace be upon them), our Master the Imam of our time (Peace be upon him), our senior authorities, His Eminence Sayyed Ali Khamenai, and all Muslims for the martyrdom of the Grandson of the Prophet - the Master of the Men of Heaven – Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (Peace be upon him) and his household and friends and for what have afflicted his family following his martyrdom.
Second: I address you saying may Allah reward you abundantly and accept you offerings brothers and sisters: your sleepless nights, industrious efforts, and this procession of yours. May Allah make you happy in this world and in the Hereafter for your massive, extraordinary, and courageous turnout despite all challenges, security concerns, and rain too. That's how you are, that's how you were, and that's how you will remain to be Inshallah.
These great scenes for tens of millions all over the Islamic world and in more than one Islamic country, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, condoling the Prophet of Allah, and renewing their oath reflect the greatness of this martyr.
Imam Hussein (Peace be upon him) has forcefully been present among us for more than 1350 years. He still makes us cry today as if he was martyred yesterday.
I am sure that many in this world believe that you have a leader or an Imam who was killed only yesterday when they see your tears, grief, and lamentation. They cannot comprehend that you are crying with all this sorrow and grief an Imam who was oppressively martyred thirsty and lonely more than 1350 years ago.
This is the greatness of Al Hussein as well as his eternality and persistence. The pain for his martyrdom is still being inherited in our hearts from generation to generation. Al Hussein (Peace be upon him) is still pushing us to the fields and squares. If he calls us for a square, we no soon show up, and if he calls us for a definite stance, we answer his call. His words are always strong, effective, and influential.
How great is this Imam before whose calamity all calamities dwindle, and before whose sacrifices all sacrifices dwarf, and before the firmness of his stances all stances become humble!
Thus they feared his power over their thrones all through history. They always wanted to cancel his name from among names, from the past, present, and future, and from consciences. They further killed his adorers and visitors. They demolished his tomb and swept it away. They prohibited shedding tears on him and mentioning his virtues and struggle. To achieve that, they cut off heads, hands, and feet, and they are still doing so. What was the result?
Because Al Hussein is the vengeance of Allah, His holy man, and His light in Earth, he remained, and they were gone. Their names were wiped away, and their deeds were dead while Al Hussein (Peace be upon him) remained a great figure in this nation and in history. Brothers and sisters! Your blessed, courageous, and noble attendance in all regions without any fear is evidence on the immortality and ability of Al Hussein to have influence on us and to push us to the squares of challenge and danger.
Brothers and sisters! I would like to tackle several points in the short time limit available.
First: The first point is that these Husseini gatherings and commemorations have always been subject to bombs and acts of killing. What took place in Nigeria, Ehsa province in the KSA, Pakistan, and Iraq are signs that the aggressors are violent, weak, and fruitless. When they threaten you and threaten civil, peaceful processions with suicide bombers, booby-trapped cars, or rocket shelling and when they kill and perpetrate massacres in more than one place in the world, they would be proving their ignorance and intellectual weakness, their humanistic weakness, their savagery, and their cowardice. Tens of millions all over the Islamic world today and all through history have proved that these means are fruitless. Nothing would ever stand between the supporters of Al Hussein and Al Hussein (Peace be upon him). Neither explosions, killing, bursting into Husseiniyas and mosques, bullets, bombs, suicide bombers, threats, nor intimidation can cause that to take place. Isn't this a form of war? We are adamant to confront those who launch war on us. Aren't we in the school of Al Hussein (Peace be upon him)? Don't we every day, every year, and every tenth of Muharram and whenever the Zionists or the Takfiris or any tyrant in this world put us before two choices – war or disgrace – and suppose that we would accept humiliation, reiterate our pledge to Imam Hussein: The bastard son of a bastard had put us before to choices: either war or disgrace. Disgrace How Remote!
That's why you turned out today to assert this commitment, this spirituality and this methodology.
The second point has to do with Al Qods and the judaizing attempts it is being subject to besides increasing the number of settlements for the occupying settlers while displacing the original residents whether Muslims or Christians as well as the recent Zionist violations against the Holy al-Aqsa mosque. The "Israelis" are getting advantage of the Islamic world's turmoil to reach their objectives. Today more than any time in the past, if one stands to talk with fear and worry about dangers facing al-Aqsa Holy mosque and the Islamic and Christian holy sites in al-Qods, he would be right. This is not an exaggeration or an attempt to cause fears. This Holy place is facing real and serious dangers. This is a responsibility to be shouldered by all Muslims and not only the residents of al-Qods alone or the people of Palestine alone or the Arabs alone. It must be assumed by all Muslims around the world. The worst calamity and shame that may afflict the nation of one billion and hundred millions of Muslims is that its first Qibla and one of its blessed holy mosques – as unanimously agreed by all Muslims - is being subject to profanation and judaizing and perhaps even demolition and sweeping up.
All Muslim scholars, Muslim authorities, Islamic states, the Islamic Conference, and the Arab League are called to take a great decisive historic stance. It is not allowed that disputes and struggles distract the nation from being preoccupied with such a serious danger that threatens al-Aqsa Mosque.
The third point has to do with the continuous "Israeli" threats and talk about a third war against Lebanon, especially after the cease of the latest aggression against Gaza.
I want to assert to you that we view all what the "Israelis" say as stemming from "Israeli" weakness not power. They talk about their concern, fear, despair, and frustration. The "Israelis" thought that the development of events in the region and especially in Syria would weaken and exhaust the resistance and the axis of the resistance and affect its readiness.
Indeed they "Israelis" are collecting information and data as they do not rely on what is written in some Lebanese and Arab newspapers and is said on some Lebanese and Arab media outlets to the effect that Hizbullah began to get weak, perplexed, and exhausted as a result of the events in Syria and getting involved in fighting in Syria. These are practicing a psychological war. They know that they are talking against facts.
As for the "Israelis", they do not make their calculations according to prepaid articles but rather on facts because they pose a true threat and the resistance poses a true threat too.
As for us, all what we have heard since the cease of the war on Gaza to our day does not make us feel worried or frightened or disturbed. We are rather more reassured as it reveals the concern of our enemy.
Yes, the "Israelis" must feel worried. It is true what a senior officer says that in case a new war takes place with Lebanon, on day one they would have to shut down Ben Gurion Airport, Haifa Port and…
I would like to assert to you that you would have to shut down your airports and seaports, as there is not one place along Occupied Palestine that won't be reached by the rockets of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon.
O Zionists! All what crosses your minds must be taken into consideration. Consequently, all what they talk about pertaining to concern, fear, calculations, and a serious war are true. However we put all what we heard so far in the sphere of intimidation first, in the sphere of revealing "Israeli" concern second, and in the sphere of intimidating Lebanon, the Lebanese people, and the Lebanese resistance. Well, we are not frightened with intimidation. In fact, we are not frightened by war itself, so how are we to be frightened by threatening with a war? That does not make any difference at all.
What prevents them from waging a war, staging an aggression against Lebanon, and seizing the opportunity of the events in Syria and the preoccupation of a dear group among our resistance fighters in Syria is that "Israel" knows very well that the resistance in Lebanon was never distracted from eyeing Lebanon's southern borders with northern Occupied Palestine. The resistance is alert, fully ready, strong, and full-fledged in Southern Lebanon. Thus the "Israelis" are not duped. They know that going to war will be very costly.
So what prevents war is this deterrence presented by the resistance which has proved especially lately that it does not tolerate any aggression against Lebanon or any "Israeli" violation against the Lebanese whether in Adloun or any other village. It will retaliate any time it finds becoming and it will claim responsibility of the retaliation in media outlets as well. "Israelis" know by heart the ever-new-old equation. This is evidence on the strength and bravery of the resistance which is not intimidated or frightened by any confrontation with this enemy.
The eye on "Israel" is always vigilant, and here I am asserting to you and to everybody – not to raise morals at all – that the resistance today and as a result of the events and developments is more determined, powerful, confident, skilled, and experienced in confronting all dangers and wars. Here we must nurture a high degree of reassurance and confidence in what our brethrens have prepared for in all domains.
The fourth point has to do with what is taking place in Syria. I will tackle that in a couple of words.
On the light of all the developments in Syria and the region and the savage killing we are witnessing and is taking place around us make us more convinced that we have made right choices. Before coming here, I read a new piece of news that says that the number of martyrs from the Iraqi Sunnite Bou Nemer Tribe on the hands of "ISIL" combatants in Iraq has reached 500 including women and children in a week or two. Thus when we sit to discuss the rightness of our choices and the soundness of our battle and the fact that we are ready to make great achievement, we find that we are in the core of these achievements.
In Syria, the whole world was mobilized at the beginning of the events. What did they say? They said that Syria would fall in their hands in two or three or four months at most. Here we are in the fourth year and still Syria did not fall. The goal of all the international and regional forces which united to control Syria wasn't limited to a certain city, a certain village, or some rural areas. Their goal was to control all of Syria and Damascus above all. However, today we see that Damascus is still intact and that Syria did not fall in the hands of this axis or in the hands of the international and regional axes.
The goal of the Takfiris was to control Syria and to eliminate, expel, and hit all communities of other religions and Muslim sects and even those in the Sunnite community who do not agree with their viewpoint. Syria was awaiting massacres similar to those perpetrated by "ISIL" in Riqqeh, Deir Zour, Mosul and Anbar.
However we are on the threshold of the fourth year of the Syrian conflict, and still the Takfiris have not yet been able to control Syria. Many Syrians remain safe in their villages, lands, towns, and cities without coming under this control. Isn't that a great victory, a great achievement? What is required is that we reach the day of final victory. However, what has taken place so far is a great victory to all those who are defending and fighting for Syria, Iraq, and the region not to fall in the hands of these butchers who cut heads, rip chest, bombard, kill, slaughter, dishonor women, and take them as prisoners.
We are proud of this achievement, and when we stand next to our Syrian brethrens whether the army, national defense forces, people, tribes, and the residents of the various regions in which we offered humble contribution and support, we would be next to them and they would be the primary fighting group. As such this achievement was made. Here I am telling you in addition to what I said before.
Every now and then, some in Lebanon try to verbalize their dreams. We would thus read that Hizbullah will withdraw from Syria as it is being exhausted there. What is taking place in the Qalamoun? The Syrian army and its allies had the upper hand in the Qalamoun and in every region we are present next to our Syrian brethrens.
As far as the Qalamoun is concerned, do not care for the media and psychological war. For months all the fighters in the Qalamoun are struggling to restore one village from the Syrian Army and its allies and still they failed to achieve that, and they will always fail to achieve that Inshallah.
Today, we feel that we are part of the battle taking place to protect the region from the primary threat facing it, and we are proud of being in this defensive position. We have the honor of having our martyrs, wounded, fighters, and stance part of the victory that will take place. Takfiris have no future and their plan has no life. In fact, their project does not have the ability to live and persist. Its life is even short. Here I am asserting to you: These Takfiris will be defeated in all regions and in all states and in all countries and we will have the honor of being part of the side that will defeat them.
Brothers and sisters! Today we meet again not to part to meet only in the next tenth of Muharam as we are with Al Hussein every day, every night, and every hour through our presence in squares and fields and through assuming responsibilities.
With every drop of blood that is shed from every martyr, we say: At your service – O Hussein! With every injury, our wounds reverberate: At your service – O Hussein! With every tear that falls from the eye of a martyr's wife, mother, or orphan, our tears resound: At your service – O Hussein! Our arms, fists, rifles, minds, and hearts will always shout: At your service – O Hussein! With such a commitment we move along so that our nation, dignity, honor, and all the great events for which Al Hussein revolted and was martyred remain and continue to exist.
Peace be on you, my master and lord Abi Abdullah, and on all the souls gathering around your holy site. Peace be on you as long as I remain alive and as long as night follows day. May Allah make it not my last visit to you. Peace be on Hussein, Ali the son of Hussein, the children of Hussein, and the companions of Hussein. May Allah accept your offerings and reward you abundantly in this world and in the Hereafter. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Soundcloud "Go Unlimited" plan purchased!!
Dear friends,
I just wanted to let you know that a member of our community - palmtoptiger - sent me the full sum to pay for the Soundcloud "Go Unlimited" plan! Before that, Larchmonter445 also made a donation towards the same goal. So we got it! Full Soundcloud for a year :-)
Thanks a lot to both of you - this will certainly provide the best and most flexible option for the future podcasts. I will still post on YouTube also, but I will drop Mediafire, 4Share and other lesser options are redundant.
This is fantastic news, I am very grateful and very happy!
The Saker
PS to: palmtoptiger and Larchmonter445: I am $25 dollars over the needed figure. What shall I do with it? Split it and return one half to both of you? Please let me know.
I just wanted to let you know that a member of our community - palmtoptiger - sent me the full sum to pay for the Soundcloud "Go Unlimited" plan! Before that, Larchmonter445 also made a donation towards the same goal. So we got it! Full Soundcloud for a year :-)
Thanks a lot to both of you - this will certainly provide the best and most flexible option for the future podcasts. I will still post on YouTube also, but I will drop Mediafire, 4Share and other lesser options are redundant.
This is fantastic news, I am very grateful and very happy!
The Saker
PS to: palmtoptiger and Larchmonter445: I am $25 dollars over the needed figure. What shall I do with it? Split it and return one half to both of you? Please let me know.
Bad times for Putin bashers
(co-posted on Russia Insider)
I don't know if you have noticed this, but the usual crowd of Putin bashers is being uncharacteristically quiet these days, especially the ones I call the "hurray patriots". Some of their blogs have simply been closed, others are apparently frozen, and those still minimally active are getting very few visitors (nope, I shall not name them here, both on principle and in order not to direct any traffic towards these cesspools). They are all apparently getting tired of chanting their favorite mantras ("Putin has sold out!", "Putin has betrayed Novorussia!", "Putin is a puppet of the oligarchs!", etc.). The reason for that sudden drop in energy is simple: the Putin bashers have just suffered a series of painful political defeats. Let's look at them one by one:
1) Russia has fully reopened the Voentorg spigot and done so quasi overtly (hence the huge convoy of trucks in the Donetsk city center, to make darn sure it is filmed and posted on YouTube). Whether this will be enough to deter a junta attack is unclear, but the fact is that the notion that Russia has "sold out Novorussia" is now demonstratively false.
2) At the Valdai club Putin made his most anti-Western speech (transcript here) since his famous Munich speech in 2007. As Mikhail Khazin correctly interpreted it, it appears likely that Putin is about to deliver an ultimatum to the West about new rules in international relations. We will see that at his address to the Federal Assembly.
3) Several key Novorussia leaders have openly expressed their total support and trust for Vladimir Putin, including Givi, Motorola, Bezler and others.
4) Alexander Zakharchenko was elected by a landslide in Novorussia. For weeks the Putin bashers had told us that Zakharchenko was the Kremlin's man (for the sellout of Novorussia, that is) and that the people of Novorussia did not trust him. This myth is now also dead in the water.
5) Finally, the hurray-patriots have tried to lure Igor Strelkov to participate in a nationalist demonstration "for Novorussia" but, in reality, "against Putin" and he harshly turned them down. He said that while everything was far from perfect, those who were calling for the removal of Putin were acting in the interest of the "enemies of Russia" and that they were trying to "set fire to their own home" (Colonel Cassad covered this - in Russian - here, here and here, hopefully the English Cassad will translate this).
In other words, in a relatively short span of time all the lies of the Putin-bashers were proven false, the people of Novorussia made the "wrong" choice, and now even Strelkov has firmly condemned these pseudo-patriots.
No wonder they are silently licking their wounds now...
For the record, however, I want to clarify the following. While I do really despise these Putin-bashers for their intellectual dishonesty and for being, at best, useful idiots, I am not accusing all those who are critical of Putin of being Putin-bashers. There are real and objective problems in Russia and the Kremlin is zig-zagging. As I have said it many times, there is a fight to the death going on between the "Putin people" (Eurasian Sovereignists) and the pro-Western "big money" (Atlantic Integrationists). Putin is fighting on both fronts at the same time: against the US Empire outside Russia and against what he called the "5th colunm" inside Russia. True, he is winning on both fronts (his latest popularity rating are something close to a "stratospheric" 88% I think), but he has not won any decisive victory yet on either front yet.
The good news is that the people of both Russia and Novorussia are clearly understanding what is taking place and that the pseudo-patriotic arguments of the Putin-bashers are having very little traction with them. This is not to say that Putin is some deity which cannot be criticized, but that to be credible with the Russian and Novorussian people, that criticism needs to be intellectually honest, factually informed and well-intentioned, not just a mud-slinging campaign.
The Saker
Podcast options - the choice is yours
Dear friends,
I wanted to give you a heads-up on my response to your numerous comments and give you a choice of where to go from here.
First, thanks a lot for all your comments. And, no, no, no, no, no - I do not sound like Bibi Netanyahu! Or do I? :-)
Seriously, your comments were useful and I will follow your suggestions:
Technical:
1) I will increase the microphone gain
2) I will decrease the encoding bitrate
3) I will rework and improve the mp3's metadata
Hosting:
Here I need your feedback. The options are:
1) Mediafire and/or 4Share: free and more or less okay, though far from good
2) YouTube: check out here and see for yourself. I personally don't like this solution at all, but I can keep doing it just to reach more people
3) Soundcloud: that is the best option, by far. See for yourself here. Problem: for free, SC only gives me 3 hours max, 3 podcasts and, I think, 1000 downloads plus other restriction. See the SC plans here. Frankly, the only logical option with SC is to get a "Go Unlimited" plan, but that is $135 a year. So, here is my appeal to donors and sponsors: if you send me that money, I will get that plan and we will get by far the best solution. If you do donate, please indicate "for podcast" in the notes. As soon as I get $135 I will let you know by a post here.
Structure:
1) I will keep the Q&A format just to make sure that there is interest for you - the listeners - and because that is very dynamic and informal. If needed, I will use a full podcast to reply just to one question, but the normal format will be "as many questions as possible".
2) Show length: I will keep that flexible. Why decide that in advance? Let's see what comes in. I think that somewhere in the range of 60 minutes is perfect, but that will be a target, not a rule.
3) Music. If promise not to speak over any music, can I still play a little something before (very short) and after (a tad loner) the show? I have to confess that I love music above any other form of art. I have played acoustic jazz guitar for years and I want to share music with everybody, especially my friends. I do believe that music is a universal language (yes, I am a romantic idealist) and it also is an expression of emotions, often emotions which cannot be put in words. And Dostoevsky was right - beauty will save the world. So unless you really hate it, I would like to keep a little music into and a musical show end (which you can ignore). Deal?
Scheduling:
1) I my target would be to have a podcast every 2 weeks. I cannot promise that this will happen, but I will try.
2) One week before the podcast I will post an announcement for the upcoming podcast and ask for questions. You will have one week to ask anything you want on any topic you chose, and then I will collect these questions right before recording.
Posting:
1) Until the new blog is fixed (they are working on it) I will use the Google Sites page to post the links to the podcast along with the show notes. As soon as the new blog is fixed, I will move the podcast posting page to the new blog.
Extra information:
1) I will write up some short show notes for each podcast with, for example, links to sources I mentioned, the spelling of names, or any other reference material.
So that's the plan. Let me know if you approve or if you have other views or suggestions. My goal is to give you a podcast you will really enjoy and find interesting. Please let me know what you think.
Kind regards to all,
The Saker
I wanted to give you a heads-up on my response to your numerous comments and give you a choice of where to go from here.
First, thanks a lot for all your comments. And, no, no, no, no, no - I do not sound like Bibi Netanyahu! Or do I? :-)
Seriously, your comments were useful and I will follow your suggestions:
Technical:
1) I will increase the microphone gain
2) I will decrease the encoding bitrate
3) I will rework and improve the mp3's metadata
Hosting:
Here I need your feedback. The options are:
1) Mediafire and/or 4Share: free and more or less okay, though far from good
2) YouTube: check out here and see for yourself. I personally don't like this solution at all, but I can keep doing it just to reach more people
3) Soundcloud: that is the best option, by far. See for yourself here. Problem: for free, SC only gives me 3 hours max, 3 podcasts and, I think, 1000 downloads plus other restriction. See the SC plans here. Frankly, the only logical option with SC is to get a "Go Unlimited" plan, but that is $135 a year. So, here is my appeal to donors and sponsors: if you send me that money, I will get that plan and we will get by far the best solution. If you do donate, please indicate "for podcast" in the notes. As soon as I get $135 I will let you know by a post here.
Structure:
1) I will keep the Q&A format just to make sure that there is interest for you - the listeners - and because that is very dynamic and informal. If needed, I will use a full podcast to reply just to one question, but the normal format will be "as many questions as possible".
2) Show length: I will keep that flexible. Why decide that in advance? Let's see what comes in. I think that somewhere in the range of 60 minutes is perfect, but that will be a target, not a rule.
3) Music. If promise not to speak over any music, can I still play a little something before (very short) and after (a tad loner) the show? I have to confess that I love music above any other form of art. I have played acoustic jazz guitar for years and I want to share music with everybody, especially my friends. I do believe that music is a universal language (yes, I am a romantic idealist) and it also is an expression of emotions, often emotions which cannot be put in words. And Dostoevsky was right - beauty will save the world. So unless you really hate it, I would like to keep a little music into and a musical show end (which you can ignore). Deal?
Scheduling:
1) I my target would be to have a podcast every 2 weeks. I cannot promise that this will happen, but I will try.
2) One week before the podcast I will post an announcement for the upcoming podcast and ask for questions. You will have one week to ask anything you want on any topic you chose, and then I will collect these questions right before recording.
Posting:
1) Until the new blog is fixed (they are working on it) I will use the Google Sites page to post the links to the podcast along with the show notes. As soon as the new blog is fixed, I will move the podcast posting page to the new blog.
Extra information:
1) I will write up some short show notes for each podcast with, for example, links to sources I mentioned, the spelling of names, or any other reference material.
So that's the plan. Let me know if you approve or if you have other views or suggestions. My goal is to give you a podcast you will really enjoy and find interesting. Please let me know what you think.
Kind regards to all,
The Saker
Mikhail Khazin on what Putin said between the lines
(please make sure to press the 'cc' button at the lower right to see the English subtitles)
Transcription & Translation: "A", Elena & Saker Collective
Editing & Production: Augmented Ether
Transcription & Translation: "A", Elena & Saker Collective
Editing & Production: Augmented Ether
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
A few more hyper-short items + open thread (IMPORTANT UPDATE!!)
Dear friends,
I am exhausted. Badly. Had to spend many hours on the road this week-end so here is my schedule:
Today I will, insha'allah, answer the most (all?) the emails I have to answer. Then I will write a bunch of emails to try to get a few apparently stuck "balls" rolling again.
Tomorrow I should be back with an analysis of what happened in Novorussia.
Thanks a lot for all the positive feedback about the podcast. Vox populi: I will try to make a podcast every two weeks. I will post in invitation to questions a week before which will give you enough time to send them in. I will also post "show notes" with references to the people/events/sources/etc. I mention.
One more thing: Google drive is useless. Mediafire and 4Shared saved my bacon apparently. If any of you had a SSH2/SFTP server with a high bandwidth to host my podcasts I would be very grateful. Either that, or advice on where I can post them.
Okay, I need to work on them email now. See you all tomorrow :-)
Cheers and thanks,
The Saker
PS: grab this one for yet another open thread!
UPDATE: Thanks to Martin, the podcast is now available for download at this URL:
http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/The%20Saker%20Podcast%20No1.mp3 (thanks Martin!!)
I am exhausted. Badly. Had to spend many hours on the road this week-end so here is my schedule:
Today I will, insha'allah, answer the most (all?) the emails I have to answer. Then I will write a bunch of emails to try to get a few apparently stuck "balls" rolling again.
Tomorrow I should be back with an analysis of what happened in Novorussia.
Thanks a lot for all the positive feedback about the podcast. Vox populi: I will try to make a podcast every two weeks. I will post in invitation to questions a week before which will give you enough time to send them in. I will also post "show notes" with references to the people/events/sources/etc. I mention.
One more thing: Google drive is useless. Mediafire and 4Shared saved my bacon apparently. If any of you had a SSH2/SFTP server with a high bandwidth to host my podcasts I would be very grateful. Either that, or advice on where I can post them.
Okay, I need to work on them email now. See you all tomorrow :-)
Cheers and thanks,
The Saker
PS: grab this one for yet another open thread!
UPDATE: Thanks to Martin, the podcast is now available for download at this URL:
http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/The%20Saker%20Podcast%20No1.mp3 (thanks Martin!!)
Monday, November 3, 2014
Three hyper-short items + open thread
Dear friends,
There hyper-short items:
PS: the open thread is yours for the day :-)
There hyper-short items:
- I will be gone all day on Monday (this is why I did the podcast on Sunday).
- Winter (especially early winter) does not at all prevent military operations in the Ukraine (forget that Jack Forst nonsense). Voentorg might.
- Looks like Zakharchenko won the elections in Novorussia by a large margin ("hurray-patriots" will be enraged).
PS: the open thread is yours for the day :-)
Sunday, November 2, 2014
First Saker Podcast now available for download and streaming
Dear friends,
It is with some (a lot, really!) trepidation and nervousness that I am announcing to you that my first podcast ever is now available for download and streaming. Please simply to to the following page to access is:
https://sites.google.com/site/sakerpodcast/
There you will be able to download the podcast in mp3 format from Google Drive or download and stream it from Mediafire and 4Shared. The reason why I am not posting the links right here is that I use the download page as a reminder to all that your donations are much needed. But doing that on a separate page I avoid doing that here and cluttering this page with donation requests/reminders. Please let me know if this solution seems reasonable to you.
Also, more than ever before, I invite and request your sincere reaction to this first "test podcast". It's length, format, sound quality, etc. In the future what changes would you like to see implemented? I will do my best to adapt to your requests.
One thing that will change for sure is that as soon as the new blog is up I will use a dedicated podcast page rather then the google.sites page I used today.
Okay, now it's your turn. Listen to the podcast and please let me know what you think. Shall we repeat this or not? And, if yes, how much would you want that? How often would you want to me record such a podcasts?
Many thanks and kind regards,
The Saker
It is with some (a lot, really!) trepidation and nervousness that I am announcing to you that my first podcast ever is now available for download and streaming. Please simply to to the following page to access is:
https://sites.google.com/site/sakerpodcast/
There you will be able to download the podcast in mp3 format from Google Drive or download and stream it from Mediafire and 4Shared. The reason why I am not posting the links right here is that I use the download page as a reminder to all that your donations are much needed. But doing that on a separate page I avoid doing that here and cluttering this page with donation requests/reminders. Please let me know if this solution seems reasonable to you.
Also, more than ever before, I invite and request your sincere reaction to this first "test podcast". It's length, format, sound quality, etc. In the future what changes would you like to see implemented? I will do my best to adapt to your requests.
One thing that will change for sure is that as soon as the new blog is up I will use a dedicated podcast page rather then the google.sites page I used today.
Okay, now it's your turn. Listen to the podcast and please let me know what you think. Shall we repeat this or not? And, if yes, how much would you want that? How often would you want to me record such a podcasts?
Many thanks and kind regards,
The Saker
Igor Strelkov press-conference 30/10/14 Full
Thanks to Kazzura's fantastic work, we have the translation of Igor Strelkov's latest press conference.
The Saker
The Saker
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