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The article in Foreign Policy is a specimen of publications that will certainly be appearing in the future on this subject in the West. So don´t be surprised. (I know you won´t 😉
Note this is NOT German tabloid BILD Zeitung, but honorable Foreign Policy. (Albeit one could argue that the more advanced a publication appears the more indoctrinated it is.)
In details I cannot judge the content. I know too little of scholarhip on USSR history but I know it´s pretty complicated to do it justice simply. But it is noteworthy they quote very little from the school materials to prove their point.
(May be I drop an email to Geoffrey Roberts?!)
In Germany e.g. the 1953 “uprising” in East Berlin / GDR had a lot to do with workers´ pay and rights. In school you merely would learn the Anti-Communist character which in fact was a very minor issue back then.
In Western Germany you would have protests as well at the same time by workers which would be as well supressed by the police with brutal force. But this story would never be taught. In fact it was hardly ever reported in the media since.
So the term propaganda goes both ways and is only natural with education I assume.* * *
Do you happen to know anything about this Russian “foreign agent” issue? Since there is constant reporting on this or that “pro Western” person categorized a “Foreign Agent” by “Moscow” without making clear what that means. I am asking having in mind the US law FARA – Foreign Agents Registration Act from 1938. Which demands any media person from abroad to be officially registered and which has led to the banning of most RU and CHIN outlets and journalists today. I wonder if the US and the RU laws are similiar. The EU is about to introduce such a regulation too I think.I invite you to feel my morning, AG 🙂
Yesterday was a hard day at work. So today I allowed myself to wake up later, and also my usual journey from home to the workshop was relaxed.
The neighbors were already returning from walking with their dogs. Luxurious garden roses at the entrance have faded, and the wild rose bush has given berries. The summer has been very hot this year, so mild September mornings are very pleasant now.I thought about how damn nice it is to be at my age and in my lifestyle, when I can afford a little personal comfort in everyday life. I can walk down the street with my hair wet from the shower without worrying about drying it. I can feel the comfort of the lightweight sandals with criss-cross elastic bands that keep the sole exactly where it should be and give my feet great feeling of freedom, the feeling of absolute control of every slightest move, like I’m wearing ballet pointe shoes and getting ready to dance. I can walk around in my simple, rather unpresentable but absolutely comfortable work clothes and not care what passers-by might think about my appearance.
These people chatting outside coffee shops, these hipster teenagers riding electric scooters, food delivery men on bicycles with branded backpacks, my neighbors to the right and left cheering me, and my workshop waiting for my attention, with hot coffee and morning conversations with the owners of neighboring small businesses, and with already received payments for orders that I will be happy to fulfill today.
And what I see here? You invite me to explore queerness in USSR, history textbooks, foreign agents! Oh, well, I just need another cup of coffee before looking into this 🙂
It’s so different from a lifestyle where you work in a company, with a dress code, a strict schedule, rigid rules about what you can do and what you can talk about during the work day and even after. Since being an employee of the company you are never completely free. They are even interested in what you post on your social networks and may consider your beach photo inappropriate, not to mention political views, and the security service will most likely check your future spouse if you decide to get married.
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All this long introduction is for this – I feel absolutely relaxed being in society, and just as relaxed in relations with the state. But never have I been so free working in companies. Mr. Murray in one of his recent blogs used the term “social sanctions” which gave me reason to reflect on this topic. I came to the conclusion that the society and the state have never been oppressive towards me even remotely as much as the companies in which I worked.I must admit that the question of queer people in the USSR and queer people in general is an unexplored dark topic for me. I am straight and I never communicated with such people, I mean if there are any in my environment, then I’m just not aware of it. Here in Russia we don’t discuss intimate matters as easily as talking about the weather or other small talk.
It seems strange to me that in the West people are willing to inform the public about the ways in which they prefer to ‘sexually please themselves’ (c) Mr. Murray.
I mean, why the hell do they want to let me know about this? Am I going to have sex with them? Or, are they constantly looking for a sexual partner, so they distribute their sex appeal to the widest possible audience?
Why do I need to know such details about politicians? Or, does a politician, declaring their sexual preferences, hope to win the support of influential behind-the-scenes forces with the same sexual preferences? Advertise their services as a whore, or what?
My last statement is not pure aggression, I thought about it before writing. And I really think that it’s all about finding a partner or patron. Because there are types of sexual pleasure that do not require a partner – everyone masturbates, why has not a single politician notified us of his achievements on this playing field so far? That is it!I remember being a teenager, when the body changes and the awareness of being a woman comes. I well remember how scared I was by the idea of having children, that I would someday have to share my body with someone! 🙂
Only much later, at the age of about 20, I realized the joy of being a woman and having a body designed to give life to new human beings. Now that I’ve completed this mission, I’m quite annoyed by trans women. Everything I saw about trans women was not about femininity, but about female sexuality. Perhaps there are other trans women, who just live their lives, without stressing this special sexual aspect, I’m not aware of them.I don’t fully understand whether my stance on trans women is ‘toxic femininity’.
Mr. Murray spoke about ‘toxic masculinity’, he said he is not sure he understands the subject and also he said that perhaps having sex with an employee is an example. Actually, I intend to hire a young physically fit guy in my workshop, so Mr. Murray’s words stir up my imagination, painting eerrr… exciting pictures 🙂 in relation to the phrase ‘toxic femininity’ and the way it may look like. Okay, let’s leave it, after all I’m a married lady 🙂Let me be considered ‘toxically feminine’, but I can’t help my emotions – I don’t like these men implanting boobs, painting their faces with wild forms of makeup, putting feminine garments on their male bodies and expecting me to play along with this farce, this clowning, expecting me to pretend that I think they are women. Thanks, no.
I’m ready to see people in them, know their personality, understand their concerns, work on their problems, but no pretense please.I think that the good concept of tolerance is perverted today. Previously, tolerance was somth like a ‘guaranteed non-aggressive communication’. Now tolerance is the complete acceptance of someone else’s position, deep immersion in this position and active adherence. And this format of ‘tolerance’ is imposed as a norm.
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Not ready to start talking on the history textbooks yet. That case with DeSantis and the books in the US school libraries is too fresh yet. First, I have to get out of my head that American kids are taught in school how to properly use a butt plug.New mentions on Gonzalo Lira’s fate. Tucker Carlson speaks about the case:
“Ep. 47 Gonzalo Lira is an American citizen who’s been tortured in a Ukrainian prison since July, for the crime of criticizing Zelensky. Biden officials approve of this, because they’d like to apply the same standard here. The media agree. Here’s a statement from Gonzalo Lira’s father:https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1733581286256607619
(19 minutes video available by the link above)(00:00) American Zelensky critic jailed in Ukraine
(05:14) Where is our State Department?
(08:40) Lira arrested after criticizing Biden
(11:49) Is Ukraine the democracy we’re told it is?”Elon Musk is interested:
“An American citizen is in prison n Ukraine after we sent over a $100 billion?
Is there more to this story than simply criticizing Zelensky?
If that’s all it is, then we have serious problem here.”
“President ZelenskyyUa, please educate the American people about this matter”Tatyana
It´s interesting, because just 2 hours ago German Berliner Zeitung brought the Gonzalo Lira piece, too.
Quite unusual. I would believe that no German outlet ever even mentioned a Gonzalo Lira existed. Before or after his incarceration. So I am indeed surprised that a major daily takes that up:
American blogger in Ukrainian custody: Elon Musk reacts (Berliner Zeitung, 10 Dec 2023) – [ English translation ]
Another interesting, albeit completely chaotic in its ideological twists is this report about German Ambassador Lambsdorff in Moscow:
(Lambsdorffs are mostly a rather odd lot. There are nice ones too in this old German dynasty but those who make it into influential positions are naturally not that part of the family. Not without cause did the RU media criticize his appointment past summer. I too was not happy. But as Russian you learn with what little competence the West is offering. In how far these statements are merry Christmas chatter, we will see. I assume its may be a way to find a deal regarding Gaza? via Moscow?)
“German ambassador surprises in Moscow: U-turn towards Russia?
Count Lambsdorff says in Moscow that there must be a peaceful solution in Ukraine. Russia is responding to a possible rapprochement with a dual strategy.
Michael Maier
12/10/2023 | updated on December 10, 2023 – 3:12 p.m”thank you, AG
the second link is not available to me, but in the article on the first link I was immediately attracted by an excerpt:“Lira was accused in May 2023 of discrediting the Ukrainian military.
He is said to have said that the Bucha massacre, carried out by Russian soldiers, was an act of Kiev.”I watched a video of an opposition blogger from a Baltic country, and he also mentioned that the massacre in Bucha was staged by the Ukrainian authorities. The blogger gives a proof – a video that does not raise any doubts, made by the Ukrainian authorities and military themselves at the time when they occupied Bucha after the Russians left. In the video the same streets and the same very significant signs are visible, like the same destroyed car standing in the same place and filmed in very detail. Only there are no corpses.
This clearly indicates that the bodies of the dead were brought from another place and the murders were staged.Tatyana
Have been trying to get behind Bucha.
I have read probably most items about how it was somehow a staged event. Or at least did not happen the way the West is stating. Brian Berletic e.g. many months ago pointed out why the NYT had not been able to give final proof.
Now there are those comprehensive UN-mission reports from August 2023. I believe they are the latest major piece on this.
“Conference Room Paper of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine”
It´s a 170 page pdf. Frankly I only quickly skimmed it for “Bucha”. The data and events there I do not have time to look into carefully.
(Thought about emailing some people who might know this better. But that too would take time and who knows whether they answer.)
https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/reports/ahrc52crp4-conference-room-paper-independent-international-commission-inquiryAnd this should be the major data base with most documents:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iicihr-ukraine/indexMany years ago I used to take everything at face value that would come from the UN Human Rights section.
Not any more. But that doesn´t make things easier. And alas I am not a professional.TATYANA
Here’s the text you couldn´t open, on the German Ambassador in Moscow sounding “friendly”:
Sorry, no time to check the machine-translation.
Note: The text contains this interesting passage – I mean the last sentence on dpa (biggest German Press Agency)
“(…)
The dpa outlined the different perceptions in a report on Sunday: “Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, which has since claimed tens of thousands of victims, including many civilians. However, Moscow blames the West for the war. In Russian propaganda, the main reason for the many victims is not its own attack, but rather the Western arms deliveries to the invaded Ukraine.” The mention of the Russian position is a novelty in dpa reporting.
(…)”In another piece also regarding the Ukraine War this WE I read the very same phrase about dpa.
That dpa had eventually acknowledged something albeit in ways as twisted as in above passage.article BERLINER ZEITUNG
“(…)German ambassador surprises in Moscow: U-turn towards Russia?
Count Lambsdorff says in Moscow that there must be a peaceful solution in Ukraine. Russia is responding to a possible rapprochement with a dual strategy.
Michael Maier
12/10/2023 | updated on December 10, 2023 – 3:12 pmThe German ambassador to Russia, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, gave a surprising speech on Saturday in Moscow at a Christmas concert in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: According to dpa, he said that the upcoming Christmas was an occasion “regardless of nationalities and beliefs “To commemorate the victims of wars, including in the Middle East and Ukraine.”
Lambsdorff continued: “We know that war is not inevitable. People, peoples and nations can bring about a peaceful agreement even on difficult issues if the will is there. We can and we must find a peaceful solution together, despite all the differences in interests and beliefs.”
Christmas is the festival of peace, emphasized the ambassador: “And we want to work for peace next year too.” The dpa notes: “As a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, relations are between the two states.” The agency analyzes that the traditional concert is “one of the rare larger events in which Germans and Russians still come together in the capital.”In fact, since the Russian attack on Ukraine, which violated international law, there have hardly been any occasions for German-Russian dialogue formats. The diplomatic missions were also downsized and there were mutual accusations of espionage. In Germany, the Russian embassy became a contested zone; there were repeated protests in front of the embassy, including with destroyed Russian tanks from Ukraine. German participants in official embassy events faced harsh criticism in some media.
The words of the German ambassador in Moscow aimed at dialogue are also notable because Lambsdorff was greeted with unfriendly words by the Russian side when he was appointed in August. The Russian state news agency Tass wrote at the time that Lambsdorff was a “harsh critic of Russia.”At the time, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on the new mission chief to refrain from any “reckless Russophobia.” The dpa outlined the different perceptions in a report on Sunday: “Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, which has since claimed tens of thousands of victims, including many civilians. However, Moscow blames the West for the war. In Russian propaganda, the main reason for the many victims is not its own attack, but rather the Western arms deliveries to the invaded Ukraine.” The mention of the Russian position is a novelty in dpa reporting.
When communicating a possible realignment of German-Russian relations, the Kremlin is pursuing a dual strategy. The Russian Foreign Ministry is responsible for the harsh tones. His spokeswoman Maria Sakharova wrote on her Telegram channel on Saturday evening: It was a great pity that the German ambassador “forgot to thank” his government for the regular arms deliveries to the area of the Ukrainian conflict.The German government has never used Christmas as an opportunity for official calls for peace. Sakharova continued on the Lambsdorff appearance: “In the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception he should pray and not commit blasphemy.” The harsh reaction shows that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine are a big problem for Moscow and its war against the neighboring country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, is apparently trying to find a thread of conversation with the German side: just a few days ago, he expressed his regret to Lambsdorff about the almost complete break in German-Russian relations: “We were able to participate for more than half a century “We wanted Germany to develop a pragmatic approach to business that was comfortable for both our countries and the entire European continent,” Putin said at a ceremony to swear in newly appointed foreign ambassadors in Moscow, according to AFP.(…)”Gonzalo’s father says that Gonzalo is dead
https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1745863377493143906Gonzalo Lira apparently murdered in ukranian confinement/custody/jail.
US journalist jailed and ‘tortured’ by Ukraine has died – family
Gonzalo Lira’s relatives have blamed his death on Washington and Kievhttps://swentr.site/news/590559-gonzalo-lira-dead/
Last video was 2-3 months back when he tried to exit Ukraine for good.
So, to sum it up, a civilian dissident blogger have died in the hands of the Ukrainians. Not a word about it in the MSM. No (Magnintsky) Act this time by the West…
