WESTERN VALUES™. I am weary of supposedly independent international survey in which Russia is always near the bottom. At last Denis Churilov has taken the trouble and effort to consider the methodology and "independence" of one of them. Specifically the Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders. RWB turns out – amazingly enough – to get money from the usual American GONGOs: USAID, NED and, of course, Soros. In short, what they used to call a "front" in the Cold War. Churilov looks at the methodology of the rating – selected people, subjective impressions – practically guaranteed to produce the "correct answer". Then he looks at the answer in which – of course! – Ukraine scores much better than Russia. Churilov then itemises how preposterous this ranking is. These things are part of the propaganda war and should be seen as such.
MAKS. The military airshow is over. Video. The PAK FA showed off. First deliveries next year.
SPENDING THE MONEY. Some spiffy urban projects in Moscow.
HISTORY. This year's pilgrimage to the site of the Romanovs' murder in Yekaterinburg.
AMERICA-HYSTERICA. Newsweek has had to retract two false articles after a lawsuit. A Clinton advisor doesn't blame Russia. Neither does the US Senate Minority Leader. The intensity of the insantity is shown by a poll that finds only 6% of US population is concerned about Russia while 75% of media coverage is about it. Only Democrats believe it, and not that many of them. Maybe the end is coming.
NEW NWO. As a quondam historian I know that empires take a long time to build up and a long time to decline. That having been said I remain stunned by the speed of the US decline. It has only been a couple of decades since the neocons triumphantly proclaimed a New American Century and Brzezinski drew the map of how to get there. "Potentially, the most dangerous scenario would be a grand coalition of China, Russia, and perhaps Iran... Averting this contingency... will require a display of U.S. geostrategic skill" said he. Well, that skill wasn't displayed, was it? But why would he think it was skill? The very program of American domination everywhere could only result in the formation of a resistance alliance. It is precisely the actions – arrogant, ignorant, one-sided, short-sighted, over-reaching and... failed – of the neocons and their humanitarian bomber allies that brought this about. The tectonic plates shift; here's this fortnight's collection.
CHINA The standout was Chinese warships in the Baltic. After passing through the Med (Chinese and Russian ships "prowling" the Med is old hat now.) And, "For China’s Global Ambitions, 'Iran Is at the Center of Everything'" And, China will be involved in rebuilding Syria. And will be creating a base in Djibouti. A Chinese military thinker brightly explains this as the "fanbian" strategy of approaching your enemy from a different direction. Or, bluntly, do things in the South China Sea and we'll do things close to you. (When will we see a Russian-Chinese "freedom of navigation" cruise in the Gulf of Mexico?)
TURKEY. Germany is leaving İncirlik. Reports say Ankara wants to buy S-400s and that negotiations proceed. (I cannot believe Russia would sell even an export version of a crown jewel weapons system to a NATO member so I don't know what to make of the story. Of course they will take some time to arrive...) A Turkish news agency leaked details and locations of secret US bases inside Syria. The coup attempt was a year ago; many in Ankara blame Washington; the aftershocks continue.
MENA. Iraq and Iran signed a defence cooperation agreement. Iraq will be buying Russian tanks. The Iraqi VP in Moscow said a Russian presence in Iraq would bring balance to the whole region, He thanked Russia: "if it were not for the Russian stance, the region would be fully destroyed... and in the end it would lead to the fall of Baghdad." Looks as if another American ally is tiptoeing out of the room.
SYRIA. Russia entered the war nearly two years ago. There is no doubt that that changed everything. Washington has ended the CIA funding for rebels in Syria (it says, has it really?). And pretty extensive it was too, if this report be true. Most of these weapons eventually got to – if they weren't not directly delivered to – Daesh. Which is one of the reasons the Iraqi VP is saying what he is saying. The Putin-Trump ceasefire seems to be holding and I suppose Netanyahu's dislike of it is evidence that it is. The Russian navy will be conducting exercises all month off the Syrian coast; in short, lots of air defence and strike missiles available.
SAAKASHVILI. Has been stripped of Ukrainian citizenship; he's lost Georgian already so he's a refugee I suppose. Ah, how thankless to be yesterday's regime change hero!
© Patrick Armstrong Analysis, Canada Russia Observer
The wars made it a Shia Revival, in my opinion.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 29 July 2017 at 07:51 PM
We need to wait out this period until the Seljuk pattern reasserts itself between Turkey and Iran; in my opinion.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 29 July 2017 at 07:53 PM
"....India vis a vis Sunni Pakistan...."
I presume you mean "India instead of Sunni Pakistan". I would suggest that this might be an overly simple view of the situation. The reason is China, and its planned Belt and Road Initiative.
Once this Initiative matures (it has already started) it will be China that will determine tactical alliances for these countries, including Iran. Pakistan is an important part of this Initiative (the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is the first major project of BRI), whereas India believes it is China's rival for Asian dominance.
China will ensure that Iran works with Pakistan rather than India.
Posted by: FB Ali | 29 July 2017 at 09:03 PM
The Silk Road Initiative is paramount for Iran's future and this was stated in my post. I may not have been clear with respect to India vis a vis Pakistan. China's silk road goes through Pakistan but it is politically unstable ( see latest political consequence of Panama papers). Iran has vital Energy supply arrangements for India in exchange for gold plus the Persian culture has influenced India and vice versa.
Another geostrategic or gropolitical goal shared by Iran, Russia and China is the total and utter defeat of ISIS and AQ and this means not only in Syria and Iraq but includes their defeat in Yemen and throughout Africa.
Posted by: Lurker | 30 July 2017 at 05:10 AM
An example is the Five Eyes an unwritten alliance?
Kooshy, unwritten sounds very, very unlikely concerning the Five Eyes.
But I have not much time. Store the link though.
Posted by: LeaNder | 30 July 2017 at 08:29 AM
I agree. And Indian governments have demonstrated that they do not have the mojo to work with Iran; projects are announced but are never started. 2006 was the year that India lost Iran - US diplomats went to Dehli, flashed their eyes and accomplished that without incurring any cost to US. Now, that is diplomacy.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 30 July 2017 at 11:14 AM
Iran-India bonhommie is over, it is dead, kaput. It was India's decision.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 30 July 2017 at 11:16 AM
Lyttenburgh,
So, when they killed the ex-Czar's wife and five children; those were not murders either? Those were executions too?
Posted by: different clue | 30 July 2017 at 12:41 PM
I see that you in no rush to answer my question: "what do you understand by the term "Rule of Law"?". I'll add to it: "what is murder?" and expect to get comprehensive answers this time.
Do you think throughout the history women and children were not executed? Till early 19 c. in the good ol' Britain children as old as 12 could be sentenced to the loss of arm for stealing more than 5 shillings. In 1800 a boy of 10 was hanged, in 1801 - a boy of 13 (and that's just for breaking into a house and stealing a spoon!). In 1808 in Lynn two sisters were hanged for theft (one aged 11, another one - 8). In 1831 a 9 y.o. was hanged in Chelmsford for setting house on fire. Go and google more.
Trying to apply modern era set of morals (subjective as they are) to the past is meaningless. As for why it is still an execution - re-read what I've wrote about Uralsoviet possessing at the time the complete power on the local level.
Posted by: Lyttenburgh | 31 July 2017 at 07:21 AM