Putin might be flexing Russia’s muscles in Syria and Russia in general is acting more like a powerful state in its foreign policy. But internally, culture wise, nothing has changed from the 1990s.
Good luck on your film Evgenia! It sounds so amazing and one of my favorite genres. I am also so looking forward to listening to this new episode with my mom as we drive cross country on my exodus out of LA.
I am in a very close relationship with a Moscow boy who lives in the US now too and you pinpointed the mood perfectly -- the grim black and white portion of life before you get the new blender. We endlessly butt heads over this as he constantly complains about how terrible Russia is because he still wants to believe in the illusion presented of America. I, on the other hand tell him -- well look -- we've got the new blender, but that doesn't mean much of anything with my $50k in student loans and inability to afford a home or have healthcare.
I don't want to pretend to know what life is like in Russia, I just get infuriated by the claim that America is so great cause of these new blenders haha. As always appreciate your reads on this topic and this one particularly makes me feel more sane!
Moving back to the opposite coastal liberal hellhole haha. To my demise, It's always either NY or LA for me, but in this instance all of my family is in NY. I initially moved here for school, but after 6 years of living paycheck to paycheck and dying in the heat every summer, I figured I may as well live paycheck to paycheck, closer to family.
That mood used to be real — def felt like a more vibrant life “after the purchase” when I first moved. I loved those магазин на диване commercials as a kid though. People had such huge white psychotic smiles there.
Thank you Evgenia for this thoughtful piece. I'm much older than you, and I have watched the hollowed-out "culture" of consumerism masquerading as "democracy" and "capitalism" spread from my native California into Russia, China, India -- literally everywhere. I have been living for the past 45 years in a self-congratulatory "beach town" with its own branch of the University of California and outposts of Google and Amazon nestled above glittering lifestyle emporia that claim to be successors the funky surf shops of old. It's all a lie here, just like it is in Moscow.
I'm leaving, because I can sell my grossly inflated house to people who think that they can "consume" our non-existent "California beach culture," and have enough to get by in a more rural place -- one still blighted by our hollow consumerism, but less certain of its worth.
The financialization of everything - the next step after de-industrialization - has enabled and accelerated this hollowed out consumerism you and Evgenia speak of. And it's everywhere now, at least in the 'big cities' or 'desirable locales.' - Same is true here in the capital of Texas. With Apple bringing 15,000 new workers in next year, Tesla set to hire 7,000 to work at its plant and Oracle having relocated their corporate HQ to avoid California taxes, we're going to sell our modest townhome - hopefully at a ginormous profit - and move to a more rural or exurban area too.
As a longtime Exile fan, I'd been telling myself for months now to subscribe, but this free post finally got me. I'm an American russophile who spent several years living in Moscow in the 2010s. All my Russian friends thought I was crazy for choosing to be there, and it was indeed difficult to pinpoint what I saw in their country. The ease with which most of them (mostly young, educated liberals) moved about from job to job, party to party, flat to flat had a hopefulness and determination even in despair that I haven't seen in the US. I have had an equally difficult time explaining any of this to my American friends, who also wondered why anyone would want to live in a cold crumbling gas station where everyone hates homosexuals.
I did want to absorb as much Russian culture as I could while there but was disappointed to find out that most young Russians were more interested in American imports. The first time I was invited to a dance competition, I immediately agreed. Then I asked what kind of dance and was deflated when the girl told me "hip hop". Luckily I also met some Russians who were too old to be influenced by all the American gloss. Thanks for the discussion.
Thanks, Evgenia! It's is great how you reflect on your experiences and compare with what is going on now. I was always concerned with Westernitis rotting the creativity that Russia really does possess. The Yeltsin/Harvard rape will continue affecting Russia for the foreseeable future by locking in "our" oligarchs--it wasn't given a chance to transition the economy in a more rational fashion, US made sure of that. The Russian students that I spoke with in the `70s, as young as they were, had a very mature long view of change and were betrayed by Yeltsin and his CIA business partners. Personally, I too am sick of all of the kopirofka of western film/tv in Russian productions--Russians (all cultures) should back away from the West's "Capitalist Metronome of Death" that is set at a pace only adolescents demand and endure.
After USSR collapse, it is universally reported, there was an economic devastation -- most people savings (usually kept "under the bed" evaporated because currency devaluation. Most people still remember that immense shock.
Has the economy markedly improved after that? How much? Apparently Putin is still widely popular -- is this correct?
I get your main point -- about culture. Since I am not Russian this is sad to hear; I love Russia's contribution to arts and sciences. To try to comfort you -- in the entire East and Central Europe there is a cultural devastation by "cultural" imports (mostly TV/movie) from the US. There is a healthy counter-culture emerging though...
I think the way the Czech Republic did privatization gave the people a much bigger stake in the economy where as in Russia - under Yeltsin - high ranking Communist Party officials and Western financial interests basically privatized everything and raped and pillaged all of the resources and industry.
(This is after the splitting up of Czechoslovakia)
" Privatization was achieved by means of a voucher system through which Czech citizens purchased shares in state-owned enterprises. Restructuring of the country’s antiquated and inefficient manufacturing sector, however, lagged behind. Nevertheless, the Czech Republic’s success in keeping down unemployment and inflation while maintaining steady growth resulted in its being singled out as one of the greatest economic successes of postcommunist eastern Europe. In addition, large influxes of visitors fostered the rapid development of the tourism industry and service sector, which provided new employment that helped limit some of the usual hardships of economic restructuring."
"Early in 1992, Yeltsin launched his infamous, catastrophic "shock therapy" economic policy package — advocated and administrated by a group of US economists, primarily drawn from the ranks of Harvard, the approach was enthusiastically supported by the Clinton Administration and cheered by the Western media.
In the event, far from having a curative impact on the Russian economy, it plunged much of the country into poverty and disarray.
Under its auspices, price controls were abolished, creating surging hyperinflation which erased the savings of most Russian citizens — and most notoriously, the vast majority of previously state-owned industries was privatized.
Workers were subsequently given shares in the companies for which they worked, but their need to put food on their tables meant they had little use for them — instead, they sold their shares for far less than they were worth to a small group of entrepreneurs.
As a result, these individuals — who later became known as oligarchs — came to own the bulk of Russia's most valuable assets, running a virtual monopoly on the media and maintaining their position via close connections with organized criminal elements in the country."
I'm sure you or someone else could fill in the details, but it sounds like the Czechs did a much better job of reining in any potential oligarchs.
Thank you -- and Putin is "bad and horrible" because he stopped or redirected that rape and pillage of Russia and its economy led by US advisors to Yeltsin...
There is an outstanding book and documentary by Oliver Stone "The Putin Interviews". I didn't see the documentary but the book is fascinating and well annotated by Stone's research. Of course - it is largely ignored in the US corporate media...
Yeah, and I'm not saying I'm a fan of Putin because he has done plenty of awful stuff, but you can't really judge a lot of it without also considering how much of it might've been in response to CIA and Washington D.C./London backed meddling (ex. foreign owned media or "resistance"/color revolutionaries), and he sure as heck hasn't invaded any countries halfway across the globe or bombed once thriving secular countries like Libya back to slavery and the stone age.
I remember when the Oliver Stone interview came out and the Western corporate MSM immediately went to work calling him a Putin apologist and other worse names, just like they called Tulsi Gabbard an Assad lover when she visited Syria to see what was happening.
Attention must be directed away from the evil acts of the empire and villains made of those countries and/or leaders who resist the Western bankster-led status quo.
Assad = Evil (probably is a real bad dude, but none of my business all things considered)
Maduro = Dictatorial tyrant (he surely could have done some things better, but when you factor in the sabotage committed by Washington D.C. and the crippling sanctions, he's managed to hang in there)
Putin = Dr. Evil incarnate (because he resists handing full control of Russia's economy and resources to Western financial elites)
Whoever is in charge of Iran at any given time = Working solely toward the destruction of Israel and the United States (not that I would blame them given what's happened next-door in both directions or the history of regime change operations, sanctions, etc.)
Gaddafi = Terrorist mastermind/enabler (when in fact he voluntarily gave up any such activities (assuming he was actually ever involved as accused) and was running a very successful African country with universal health care and about to try launching a pan-African currency that would have undercut/displaced the Franc and/or Dollar)
Xi Jinping = Brutal dictator and sever oppressor of Uighurs (not that I agree with everything he does, but the people of China for sure have more faith and trust in his government than Americans have had in any President since Kennedy, and what happened to him?)
The list goes on and is always evolving, but occasionally they get one right (North Korea). Unless a given leader or their government turn full control of their economy, resources to private Western interests and allow NATO military bases on their soil, they will remain on this list and used as frequent distractions from the crimes of the United States by the Western corporate media military financial infotainment complex.
I found this interesting given my usual reading material:
"I even noticed that some people on the anti-imperialist left also think that Russia has a bit of its old Soviet spirit left in it. They think that Putin is out there on the world stage opposing American neoliberalism."
I'm not sure I think that Putin is opposing American (style) neoliberalism, but he's certainly opposing the uni-polar global order that the U.S. is trying to maintain regardless of whether it's resultant of pure personal greed or any other motive.
"In an essay published on his email list Prof. Michael Brenner, a regular reader of Moon of Alabama, gives his answer to our questions:
Biden, long the absentee overseer of Ukraine under Obama, backed a plan to put an end to the secessionist, Russified provinces of Lugansk and Donetsk in the Donbass. It was seen as a way to discipline Vladimir Putin whose interference in Syria and blood-minded actions elsewhere irritated American policy-makers, to complete Russia’s isolation (along with an overthrow of the Belarus government), and to solidify NATO/EU control of the European continent.
Washington expanded its program of arming and training the Ukrainian army arm and militias (including the neo-Nazi Azov battalion), gave President (and ex-comedian) President Vladimir Zielenski the green light to move his military to the contact line, and led an orchestrated denunciation of Russia and all its work loudly reinforced by the ever-obedient chorus of European dependents. Biden himself struck the tone in declaring that Putin was a ‘killer.’ It was classic coercion via military intimidation – although hardly classic in insulting your opponent unless you follow up with a bugle call for attack. The entire project is now in ruins – a miserable failure. The ‘why’ carries heavy – if unrecognized – lessons.
The Kremlin had given clear signs that it no longer was going to turn the other cheek to what it saw as hostile, belittling Western moves. The eastward expansion of NATO right to Russia’s border, the Washington approved Georgian assault on South Ossetia by American trained/advised forces, the color revolutions culminating in the American instigated Nuland coup in Kiev that toppled a democratically elected President, undocumented accusations of meddling in the tranquil waters of American politics, the repeated sanctions, the relentless campaign to sabotage Nordstrom II etc. etc. Those clear signs were ignored, as are all other facts that don’t conform with the self-serving, self-deluding Washington narrative. There, gross misinterpretations of conditions in Russia prevail.
They truly believe that Navalny is the country’s great white hope when in truth his modest support lies only among the liberal intelligensia of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Putin’s popularity, especially in regard to relations with the West, is undiminished. The public fully backs Putin. Moreover, he is at the ’soft’ end of a continuum among political elites - including officials within his government. Hence, his response to the renewed threat to the Donbass was quick and decisive. He deployed 75,000 heavily armed army units with supporting air power to the border while Lavrov stated baldly that any offensive by the Ukrainians would be met with overwhelming force, and that would mean the destruction of the current Ukrainian regime.
The call up of a five divisions strong battle ready force within 10 days, which NATO is unable to match in size and speed, had the desired effects:
The United States and its allies had no counter; they had to back down. Within days, Biden made an impromptu call to ‘killer’ Putin calling for a relaxing of tensions while looking forward to stable, predictable relations between their two countries. That week, Blinken flew to Kiev to bluntly tell Zelenski to call it all off. If that meant throwing him to the ultra-nationalist wolves in Kiev, he always had his comedian gig to fall back on. Great power politics as burlesque!
There was a dawning awareness that contending with a fully aroused Russia, in Europe and elsewhere, was no piece of cake. It followed that the United States should not be conducting all-out ‘Cold War’ with China and Russia simultaneously. Since China was the much greater challenger to American global hegemony, somehow working out a tacit modus vivendi, or, at least, ceasefire, with Moscow was called for. That should have been obvious for at least the past 12 years to anyone with a strategic brain. Instead, American leaders had done everything possible to solidify a Sino-Russian alliance as has materialized in their ‘strategic partnership’ which grows in strength and confidence by the day.
...
The abject failure in Ukraine (simultaneously with the thwarted attempt to overthrow Lukashenko in Belarus) shook Washington’s unbounded self-confidence enough for it to recognize the error of its ways.
A series of moves in Europe signaled the intention to change course. The announced dispatch of a naval battle group to the Black Sea was summarily cancelled, pressure on Germany to prevent the completion of Nordstrom II was lifted, and the plans for a Ukrainian attack on the Donbass was abruptly dumped. Biden clearly intends next week’s meeting with Putin in Geneva as a crucial step paving the way for a tempering of the hostility that has marked relations between Washington and Moscow. The hope is that the gestures noted above combined with an expressed readiness to work together on handful of contentious issues can mollify Russian antagonism toward the West. That, in turn, could cool its enthusiasm for the strategic partnership with Beijing – making it easier for the U.S. to concentrate on its struggle for global supremacy with China while weakening the latter’s hand.
Wow !!! Thanks for the comment AND for the link -- outstanding and MUCH appreciated.
There is perhaps also an elephant in the room -- important for US domestic politics and US elections in 2022 and 2024:
- Obama/Biden/Hillary concocted the scam of the century -- the Russia-gate hoax (that is still going on !!) and two impeachment "entertainments".
- The entire lying team is back in power -- Biden/Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jamie Ruskin, etc., etc. -- and their intelligence and DNC executives on behalf of their Wall Street and military, banking and security industry donors, i.e., the War party.
- By far the highest need of Biden government and its DNC oligarch cabal is that Russia-gate immense hoax – the scam of the century -- will NOT / will NEVER be fully exposed. Hence immense obligations to primary propagandists for their roles, including despicable Kamala Harris (Hillary’s protégé), Neera Tanden, Melissa Hodgman (wife of the Comey’s infamous Peter Strzok), Pete Buttigieg, etc., and to media and HiTech executives.
Remember, Clapper, Brennan & Hayden trio were among former Obama 50 intelligence officials stating that Hunter-laptop is classical “Russian disinformation”.
- They were also key promoters of the now five-year Russia-gate hoax.
- They were also key intelligence executives in Obama/Biden/Hillary government – the government which hunted Snowden (forcing Bolivian plane with Bolivia’s president to land to search it) and armed Al Qaeda (including “white helmets” hoax) and staged all (ALL) chemical attacks in Syria to remove its government.
- When asked about Hunter's laptops Pelosi stated "All roads lead to Putin"; commenting on Capitol invasion Schumer said - "worse than Pearl Harbor and 9/11"...
- And -- Assange must be silenced -- all the players agree.
And - in preparation -- are huge "arms insurrection" trials (although not a single weapon was identified/confiscated) to rise population fears for 2022 US elections..... Biden's handlers have tough situation at their hands
Interesting how the image of Russia doesn't match the real country. Plenty of tropes and out dated perspectives. I think in Australia it is probably similar. My country seems intent on following the US and it is depressing now as there's been a rise in anti China and anti Rusia media stories and politicians rhetoric. Also more cases of Asians, especially Chinese facing abuse.
In Australia the media is dominated by Murdoch and middle Australia is susceptible to this aggressive US influence. We have big influence of US cinema not all bad but US cultural and political influence is strong. Many so called liberals seem to be a little too compliant.
It is like some powerful elements want us to return to cold war mentality. Our prime minister is an evangelical. Strange. Also asylum seekers in boats are shoved into detention centres for processing (more prisons really)
I read Pelevin only in English: Homo Sapiens but not sure if translation can capture the irony cultural references. I liked the novel though.
"Police Major Igor Grom is known throughout St. Petersburg for his penetrative character and irreconcilable attitude towards criminals of all stripes. But everything changes dramatically with the appearance of a person in the mask of the Plague Doctor. Having declared that his city is "sick with the plague of lawlessness", he takes up "treatment", killing people who, at one time, escaped punishment with the help of money and high status in society. Society is agitated. The police officers are powerless. For the first time, Igor faces difficulties in the investigation, the outcome of which may determine the fate of the whole city."
OK, so I watched "Major Grom: Plague Doctor" last night and it was a well made Russian film. It was entertaining enough, despite being very derivative of American junk cinema for the first hour, but really started getting cliche and boring toward the end. The running time was about 35 minutes too long. I thought the all-Russian cast was very decent across the board. But again, it didn't do much at all to diverge from the typical American comic book/super hero formula.
My comment is mostly tongue in cheek, but I did just pirate a screener copy of that movie (not available on Netflix until next month) and will be watching it tonight.
Hmm...this doesn't bode well and very much sounds like what you've described about Russian life and filmmaking in general:
***Complete collection of Hollywood clichés***
This movie is a complete collection of Hollywood clichés from comic book movies. Every scene is copied from some American movie, with details replaced. If in a Hollywood movie the villain wears a mask with Santa Claus or a nun, here it is a character from a Soviet style, and all that sort of thing. Scenes at the police station, dialogues, jokes (if you can call it that)...
There was a movie like that -- Last Action Hero (1993), there were some parody scenes at the police station, some parody chases and parody villains. Well, the movie I'm reviewing is a parody of a parody.
Absolutely dead dialogues and characters. The only character that evokes feelings is the dog at the beginning of the movie. Great acting, character development in dynamics. And she thankfully wasn't given any dialogue. 3/10.
Good luck on your film Evgenia! It sounds so amazing and one of my favorite genres. I am also so looking forward to listening to this new episode with my mom as we drive cross country on my exodus out of LA.
I am in a very close relationship with a Moscow boy who lives in the US now too and you pinpointed the mood perfectly -- the grim black and white portion of life before you get the new blender. We endlessly butt heads over this as he constantly complains about how terrible Russia is because he still wants to believe in the illusion presented of America. I, on the other hand tell him -- well look -- we've got the new blender, but that doesn't mean much of anything with my $50k in student loans and inability to afford a home or have healthcare.
I don't want to pretend to know what life is like in Russia, I just get infuriated by the claim that America is so great cause of these new blenders haha. As always appreciate your reads on this topic and this one particularly makes me feel more sane!
Where are you moving too? LA feels like a final destination)
Moving back to the opposite coastal liberal hellhole haha. To my demise, It's always either NY or LA for me, but in this instance all of my family is in NY. I initially moved here for school, but after 6 years of living paycheck to paycheck and dying in the heat every summer, I figured I may as well live paycheck to paycheck, closer to family.
That mood used to be real — def felt like a more vibrant life “after the purchase” when I first moved. I loved those магазин на диване commercials as a kid though. People had such huge white psychotic smiles there.
we just posted it!
Thank you Evgenia for this thoughtful piece. I'm much older than you, and I have watched the hollowed-out "culture" of consumerism masquerading as "democracy" and "capitalism" spread from my native California into Russia, China, India -- literally everywhere. I have been living for the past 45 years in a self-congratulatory "beach town" with its own branch of the University of California and outposts of Google and Amazon nestled above glittering lifestyle emporia that claim to be successors the funky surf shops of old. It's all a lie here, just like it is in Moscow.
I'm leaving, because I can sell my grossly inflated house to people who think that they can "consume" our non-existent "California beach culture," and have enough to get by in a more rural place -- one still blighted by our hollow consumerism, but less certain of its worth.
The financialization of everything - the next step after de-industrialization - has enabled and accelerated this hollowed out consumerism you and Evgenia speak of. And it's everywhere now, at least in the 'big cities' or 'desirable locales.' - Same is true here in the capital of Texas. With Apple bringing 15,000 new workers in next year, Tesla set to hire 7,000 to work at its plant and Oracle having relocated their corporate HQ to avoid California taxes, we're going to sell our modest townhome - hopefully at a ginormous profit - and move to a more rural or exurban area too.
As a longtime Exile fan, I'd been telling myself for months now to subscribe, but this free post finally got me. I'm an American russophile who spent several years living in Moscow in the 2010s. All my Russian friends thought I was crazy for choosing to be there, and it was indeed difficult to pinpoint what I saw in their country. The ease with which most of them (mostly young, educated liberals) moved about from job to job, party to party, flat to flat had a hopefulness and determination even in despair that I haven't seen in the US. I have had an equally difficult time explaining any of this to my American friends, who also wondered why anyone would want to live in a cold crumbling gas station where everyone hates homosexuals.
I did want to absorb as much Russian culture as I could while there but was disappointed to find out that most young Russians were more interested in American imports. The first time I was invited to a dance competition, I immediately agreed. Then I asked what kind of dance and was deflated when the girl told me "hip hop". Luckily I also met some Russians who were too old to be influenced by all the American gloss. Thanks for the discussion.
I look forward to the pod on this rainy ride. Thank you for sharing.
Really interesting Evgenia. I look forward to the podcast. Thanks
Thanks, Evgenia! It's is great how you reflect on your experiences and compare with what is going on now. I was always concerned with Westernitis rotting the creativity that Russia really does possess. The Yeltsin/Harvard rape will continue affecting Russia for the foreseeable future by locking in "our" oligarchs--it wasn't given a chance to transition the economy in a more rational fashion, US made sure of that. The Russian students that I spoke with in the `70s, as young as they were, had a very mature long view of change and were betrayed by Yeltsin and his CIA business partners. Personally, I too am sick of all of the kopirofka of western film/tv in Russian productions--Russians (all cultures) should back away from the West's "Capitalist Metronome of Death" that is set at a pace only adolescents demand and endure.
Very interesting - thank you.
After USSR collapse, it is universally reported, there was an economic devastation -- most people savings (usually kept "under the bed" evaporated because currency devaluation. Most people still remember that immense shock.
Has the economy markedly improved after that? How much? Apparently Putin is still widely popular -- is this correct?
I get your main point -- about culture. Since I am not Russian this is sad to hear; I love Russia's contribution to arts and sciences. To try to comfort you -- in the entire East and Central Europe there is a cultural devastation by "cultural" imports (mostly TV/movie) from the US. There is a healthy counter-culture emerging though...
I think the way the Czech Republic did privatization gave the people a much bigger stake in the economy where as in Russia - under Yeltsin - high ranking Communist Party officials and Western financial interests basically privatized everything and raped and pillaged all of the resources and industry.
(This is after the splitting up of Czechoslovakia)
" Privatization was achieved by means of a voucher system through which Czech citizens purchased shares in state-owned enterprises. Restructuring of the country’s antiquated and inefficient manufacturing sector, however, lagged behind. Nevertheless, the Czech Republic’s success in keeping down unemployment and inflation while maintaining steady growth resulted in its being singled out as one of the greatest economic successes of postcommunist eastern Europe. In addition, large influxes of visitors fostered the rapid development of the tourism industry and service sector, which provided new employment that helped limit some of the usual hardships of economic restructuring."
From another article: https://sputniknews.com/russia/201707101055406552-yeltsin-president-legacy-putin/
"Early in 1992, Yeltsin launched his infamous, catastrophic "shock therapy" economic policy package — advocated and administrated by a group of US economists, primarily drawn from the ranks of Harvard, the approach was enthusiastically supported by the Clinton Administration and cheered by the Western media.
In the event, far from having a curative impact on the Russian economy, it plunged much of the country into poverty and disarray.
Under its auspices, price controls were abolished, creating surging hyperinflation which erased the savings of most Russian citizens — and most notoriously, the vast majority of previously state-owned industries was privatized.
Workers were subsequently given shares in the companies for which they worked, but their need to put food on their tables meant they had little use for them — instead, they sold their shares for far less than they were worth to a small group of entrepreneurs.
As a result, these individuals — who later became known as oligarchs — came to own the bulk of Russia's most valuable assets, running a virtual monopoly on the media and maintaining their position via close connections with organized criminal elements in the country."
I'm sure you or someone else could fill in the details, but it sounds like the Czechs did a much better job of reining in any potential oligarchs.
Thank you -- and Putin is "bad and horrible" because he stopped or redirected that rape and pillage of Russia and its economy led by US advisors to Yeltsin...
There is an outstanding book and documentary by Oliver Stone "The Putin Interviews". I didn't see the documentary but the book is fascinating and well annotated by Stone's research. Of course - it is largely ignored in the US corporate media...
Yeah, and I'm not saying I'm a fan of Putin because he has done plenty of awful stuff, but you can't really judge a lot of it without also considering how much of it might've been in response to CIA and Washington D.C./London backed meddling (ex. foreign owned media or "resistance"/color revolutionaries), and he sure as heck hasn't invaded any countries halfway across the globe or bombed once thriving secular countries like Libya back to slavery and the stone age.
I remember when the Oliver Stone interview came out and the Western corporate MSM immediately went to work calling him a Putin apologist and other worse names, just like they called Tulsi Gabbard an Assad lover when she visited Syria to see what was happening.
Attention must be directed away from the evil acts of the empire and villains made of those countries and/or leaders who resist the Western bankster-led status quo.
Assad = Evil (probably is a real bad dude, but none of my business all things considered)
Maduro = Dictatorial tyrant (he surely could have done some things better, but when you factor in the sabotage committed by Washington D.C. and the crippling sanctions, he's managed to hang in there)
Putin = Dr. Evil incarnate (because he resists handing full control of Russia's economy and resources to Western financial elites)
Whoever is in charge of Iran at any given time = Working solely toward the destruction of Israel and the United States (not that I would blame them given what's happened next-door in both directions or the history of regime change operations, sanctions, etc.)
Gaddafi = Terrorist mastermind/enabler (when in fact he voluntarily gave up any such activities (assuming he was actually ever involved as accused) and was running a very successful African country with universal health care and about to try launching a pan-African currency that would have undercut/displaced the Franc and/or Dollar)
Xi Jinping = Brutal dictator and sever oppressor of Uighurs (not that I agree with everything he does, but the people of China for sure have more faith and trust in his government than Americans have had in any President since Kennedy, and what happened to him?)
The list goes on and is always evolving, but occasionally they get one right (North Korea). Unless a given leader or their government turn full control of their economy, resources to private Western interests and allow NATO military bases on their soil, they will remain on this list and used as frequent distractions from the crimes of the United States by the Western corporate media military financial infotainment complex.
I found this interesting given my usual reading material:
"I even noticed that some people on the anti-imperialist left also think that Russia has a bit of its old Soviet spirit left in it. They think that Putin is out there on the world stage opposing American neoliberalism."
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/06/why-is-there-a-biden-putin-summit-and-what-is-it-supposed-to-achieve.html#more
I'm not sure I think that Putin is opposing American (style) neoliberalism, but he's certainly opposing the uni-polar global order that the U.S. is trying to maintain regardless of whether it's resultant of pure personal greed or any other motive.
"In an essay published on his email list Prof. Michael Brenner, a regular reader of Moon of Alabama, gives his answer to our questions:
Biden, long the absentee overseer of Ukraine under Obama, backed a plan to put an end to the secessionist, Russified provinces of Lugansk and Donetsk in the Donbass. It was seen as a way to discipline Vladimir Putin whose interference in Syria and blood-minded actions elsewhere irritated American policy-makers, to complete Russia’s isolation (along with an overthrow of the Belarus government), and to solidify NATO/EU control of the European continent.
Washington expanded its program of arming and training the Ukrainian army arm and militias (including the neo-Nazi Azov battalion), gave President (and ex-comedian) President Vladimir Zielenski the green light to move his military to the contact line, and led an orchestrated denunciation of Russia and all its work loudly reinforced by the ever-obedient chorus of European dependents. Biden himself struck the tone in declaring that Putin was a ‘killer.’ It was classic coercion via military intimidation – although hardly classic in insulting your opponent unless you follow up with a bugle call for attack. The entire project is now in ruins – a miserable failure. The ‘why’ carries heavy – if unrecognized – lessons.
The Kremlin had given clear signs that it no longer was going to turn the other cheek to what it saw as hostile, belittling Western moves. The eastward expansion of NATO right to Russia’s border, the Washington approved Georgian assault on South Ossetia by American trained/advised forces, the color revolutions culminating in the American instigated Nuland coup in Kiev that toppled a democratically elected President, undocumented accusations of meddling in the tranquil waters of American politics, the repeated sanctions, the relentless campaign to sabotage Nordstrom II etc. etc. Those clear signs were ignored, as are all other facts that don’t conform with the self-serving, self-deluding Washington narrative. There, gross misinterpretations of conditions in Russia prevail.
They truly believe that Navalny is the country’s great white hope when in truth his modest support lies only among the liberal intelligensia of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Putin’s popularity, especially in regard to relations with the West, is undiminished. The public fully backs Putin. Moreover, he is at the ’soft’ end of a continuum among political elites - including officials within his government. Hence, his response to the renewed threat to the Donbass was quick and decisive. He deployed 75,000 heavily armed army units with supporting air power to the border while Lavrov stated baldly that any offensive by the Ukrainians would be met with overwhelming force, and that would mean the destruction of the current Ukrainian regime.
The call up of a five divisions strong battle ready force within 10 days, which NATO is unable to match in size and speed, had the desired effects:
The United States and its allies had no counter; they had to back down. Within days, Biden made an impromptu call to ‘killer’ Putin calling for a relaxing of tensions while looking forward to stable, predictable relations between their two countries. That week, Blinken flew to Kiev to bluntly tell Zelenski to call it all off. If that meant throwing him to the ultra-nationalist wolves in Kiev, he always had his comedian gig to fall back on. Great power politics as burlesque!
There was a dawning awareness that contending with a fully aroused Russia, in Europe and elsewhere, was no piece of cake. It followed that the United States should not be conducting all-out ‘Cold War’ with China and Russia simultaneously. Since China was the much greater challenger to American global hegemony, somehow working out a tacit modus vivendi, or, at least, ceasefire, with Moscow was called for. That should have been obvious for at least the past 12 years to anyone with a strategic brain. Instead, American leaders had done everything possible to solidify a Sino-Russian alliance as has materialized in their ‘strategic partnership’ which grows in strength and confidence by the day.
...
The abject failure in Ukraine (simultaneously with the thwarted attempt to overthrow Lukashenko in Belarus) shook Washington’s unbounded self-confidence enough for it to recognize the error of its ways.
A series of moves in Europe signaled the intention to change course. The announced dispatch of a naval battle group to the Black Sea was summarily cancelled, pressure on Germany to prevent the completion of Nordstrom II was lifted, and the plans for a Ukrainian attack on the Donbass was abruptly dumped. Biden clearly intends next week’s meeting with Putin in Geneva as a crucial step paving the way for a tempering of the hostility that has marked relations between Washington and Moscow. The hope is that the gestures noted above combined with an expressed readiness to work together on handful of contentious issues can mollify Russian antagonism toward the West. That, in turn, could cool its enthusiasm for the strategic partnership with Beijing – making it easier for the U.S. to concentrate on its struggle for global supremacy with China while weakening the latter’s hand.
The ploy is doomed to failure."
Wow !!! Thanks for the comment AND for the link -- outstanding and MUCH appreciated.
There is perhaps also an elephant in the room -- important for US domestic politics and US elections in 2022 and 2024:
- Obama/Biden/Hillary concocted the scam of the century -- the Russia-gate hoax (that is still going on !!) and two impeachment "entertainments".
- The entire lying team is back in power -- Biden/Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jamie Ruskin, etc., etc. -- and their intelligence and DNC executives on behalf of their Wall Street and military, banking and security industry donors, i.e., the War party.
- By far the highest need of Biden government and its DNC oligarch cabal is that Russia-gate immense hoax – the scam of the century -- will NOT / will NEVER be fully exposed. Hence immense obligations to primary propagandists for their roles, including despicable Kamala Harris (Hillary’s protégé), Neera Tanden, Melissa Hodgman (wife of the Comey’s infamous Peter Strzok), Pete Buttigieg, etc., and to media and HiTech executives.
Remember, Clapper, Brennan & Hayden trio were among former Obama 50 intelligence officials stating that Hunter-laptop is classical “Russian disinformation”.
- They were also key promoters of the now five-year Russia-gate hoax.
- They were also key intelligence executives in Obama/Biden/Hillary government – the government which hunted Snowden (forcing Bolivian plane with Bolivia’s president to land to search it) and armed Al Qaeda (including “white helmets” hoax) and staged all (ALL) chemical attacks in Syria to remove its government.
- When asked about Hunter's laptops Pelosi stated "All roads lead to Putin"; commenting on Capitol invasion Schumer said - "worse than Pearl Harbor and 9/11"...
- And -- Assange must be silenced -- all the players agree.
And - in preparation -- are huge "arms insurrection" trials (although not a single weapon was identified/confiscated) to rise population fears for 2022 US elections..... Biden's handlers have tough situation at their hands
Interesting how the image of Russia doesn't match the real country. Plenty of tropes and out dated perspectives. I think in Australia it is probably similar. My country seems intent on following the US and it is depressing now as there's been a rise in anti China and anti Rusia media stories and politicians rhetoric. Also more cases of Asians, especially Chinese facing abuse.
In Australia the media is dominated by Murdoch and middle Australia is susceptible to this aggressive US influence. We have big influence of US cinema not all bad but US cultural and political influence is strong. Many so called liberals seem to be a little too compliant.
It is like some powerful elements want us to return to cold war mentality. Our prime minister is an evangelical. Strange. Also asylum seekers in boats are shoved into detention centres for processing (more prisons really)
I read Pelevin only in English: Homo Sapiens but not sure if translation can capture the irony cultural references. I liked the novel though.
I'd be interested in your and Yasha's review/critique of this film:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7601480/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
"Police Major Igor Grom is known throughout St. Petersburg for his penetrative character and irreconcilable attitude towards criminals of all stripes. But everything changes dramatically with the appearance of a person in the mask of the Plague Doctor. Having declared that his city is "sick with the plague of lawlessness", he takes up "treatment", killing people who, at one time, escaped punishment with the help of money and high status in society. Society is agitated. The police officers are powerless. For the first time, Igor faces difficulties in the investigation, the outcome of which may determine the fate of the whole city."
OK, so I watched "Major Grom: Plague Doctor" last night and it was a well made Russian film. It was entertaining enough, despite being very derivative of American junk cinema for the first hour, but really started getting cliche and boring toward the end. The running time was about 35 minutes too long. I thought the all-Russian cast was very decent across the board. But again, it didn't do much at all to diverge from the typical American comic book/super hero formula.
My comment is mostly tongue in cheek, but I did just pirate a screener copy of that movie (not available on Netflix until next month) and will be watching it tonight.
Hmm...this doesn't bode well and very much sounds like what you've described about Russian life and filmmaking in general:
***Complete collection of Hollywood clichés***
This movie is a complete collection of Hollywood clichés from comic book movies. Every scene is copied from some American movie, with details replaced. If in a Hollywood movie the villain wears a mask with Santa Claus or a nun, here it is a character from a Soviet style, and all that sort of thing. Scenes at the police station, dialogues, jokes (if you can call it that)...
There was a movie like that -- Last Action Hero (1993), there were some parody scenes at the police station, some parody chases and parody villains. Well, the movie I'm reviewing is a parody of a parody.
Absolutely dead dialogues and characters. The only character that evokes feelings is the dog at the beginning of the movie. Great acting, character development in dynamics. And she thankfully wasn't given any dialogue. 3/10.