Security versus privacy and censorship. It is necessary to improve the security of the Russian Internet (known colloquially as Runet). This was stated by President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Russian Security Council . For this he proposed to adopt additional normative acts. At the same time, the head of state stressed that it is not about limiting access to the internet and not about "total barriers and filters" for citizens."We must fight against those and those who use the...
Read More »Dave Majumdar — This Is What a NATO vs. Russia War over the Baltics Would Look Like
The significance of this article lies not in the title, which is basically clickbait. The significance lies rather in the admission that NATO leaders are well aware that Russia is not planning to attack the Baltics. The military build up required that is not taking place now would alert NATO of the impending operation.The article goes on to say that Russia has no need of the Baltic countries, since it is building replacement ports on Russian Territory in the vicinity of St. Petersburg....
Read More »Gilbert Doctorow — Russia-China Strategic Partnership
In this essay we will examine two aspects of the same issue: the strategic partnership between Russia and China which is fast becoming a foreign policy, commercial and military alliance.... Meanwhile, our International Relations experts, who are generalists by definition, lack the in-depth knowledge of Russia to say something serious and valuable for policy formulation. The whole field of area studies has atrophied in the United States over the past 20 years, with actual knowledge of...
Read More »Socialism, Land and Banking: 2017 compared to 1917
An article written for the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution, to be read in Beijing today. Socialism a century ago seemed to be the wave of the future. There were various schools of socialism, but the common ideal was to guarantee support for basic needs, and for state ownership to free society from landlords, predatory banking and monopolies. In the West these hopes are now much further away than they seemed in 1917. Land and natural resources, basic...
Read More »Gordon M. Hahn — Explaining the Failed Expectations of Russian Regime Change, Part 1: Rusological Apocalypticism Versus Social Science
This article is the first in a trilogy examining how the West’s biases and wishful thinking have led to unrealistic and unmet expectations of imminent regime collapse in Russia. I follow this stuff and am gobsmacked at how Western liberal "experts" generalize their own worldview in analysis. It's not only Russia, but everything, and it is not only political and military analysts, but included most experts on just a bout everything.This is a consequence of assuming that liberalism is the...
Read More »Sputnik — Old Habits Die Hard: US Digs Up Cold-War Tool Seeking to ‘Bankrupt Russia’
US-Russian relations continue hanging in the balance with NATO's expansion in Eastern and Central Europe and the Pentagon's controversial actions in Syria. While the US continues portraying Moscow as an adversary, the standoff is unlikely to translate into a nuclear conflict, American academic Vladimir Golstein told Sputnik.The US and the NATO are no longer hiding their goals, they are beefing up their military presence on Russia's borders, Vladimir Golstein, Associate Professor of Slavic...
Read More »Tom Luongo — Russia’s Crypto-Ruble Just Changed the Game
Well-reasoned analysis from an cryptocurrency advocate's point of view: A win for cryptocurrency and a win for Putin that will be a win for Russia. Gold Goats n GunsRussia’s Crypto-Ruble Just Changed the Game Tom Luongo also The DuranCrypto-Rouble: Russia to launch first state sanctioned cryptocurrency in the worldAdam Garrie
Read More »Sputnik — Vladimir Putin Endorses Russia’s New Cryptocurrency
Rumors confirmed. After months of speculation and conflicting messages, ministers have announced the Russian Federation is to issue its own official cryptocurrency - the CryptoRuble. The landmark development makes Russia the very first government in the world to official pursue virtual tender. China likely not to be far behind.Interesting article. Short and worth a read in full.Sputnik InternationalVladimir Putin Endorses Russia's New Cryptocurrency
Read More »Sputnik — Gold Rush: Russia Stockpiling Bullion Like There’s no Tomorrow
Russia is rather drastically reducing its percentage of foreign reserves and increasing gold reserves in response to economic warfare aimed at destabilizing Russia.SputnikGold Rush: Russia Stockpiling Bullion Like There's no Tomorrow
Read More »Gilbert Doctorow — A Deaf Ear to Dire Russian Warnings
Kiselyov asked why is this American behavior happening and whether President Trump made this decision. But the question is rhetorical. Though it may seem “amazing,” Kiselyov suggested that it appears Trump was not a party to this behavior, that it more likely resulted from what the TV host called sloppy management when the military gets out from under political control. On the territory of Syria, Kiselyov said, “they start wandering around quite on their own” and “flirting” with the...
Read More »