NATO, the Firefighter-Arsonist

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Keld Bach

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict heats up, the bloc is now portraying itself as a first responder to the flames it helped to fan

The French have a wonderful term: the firefighter-arsonist. It’s used to describe a person or entity that lights a match and creates a firestorm, only to subsequently rush and put out the flames to heroic applause and accolades. At this stage of the conflict in Ukraine, it’s hard to imagine a better term for NATO.

There’s currently a concerted effort underway within the transatlantic alliance to portray the conflict in Ukraine as a Russia-Ukraine standoff unrelated to NATO. Except that the US-led West, of which NATO is key pillar, was largely responsible for not only the ignition of the conflict, but also for amassing the tinder in the form of “foreign aid” to civil society groups known for mobilizing public opinion against Russia, for delivering weapons, for ear-bending public officials with promises of NATO or European Union integration, and for its clandestine training of anti-Russian neo-Nazi proxy fighters. The Canadian military is currently investigating how on earth its personnel allegedly became involved in the last of those endeavours, despite being warned as early as 2015 before the training operation began.

The whole idea of clandestine operations is that NATO’s footprint is reduced along with its visibility. It’s mission accomplished in that sense, apparently, since there’s no denying that many people honestly believe the thrust of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s statement in a March 8 press conference that “We do not seek conflict with Russia.”

Full article at: RT International

Background image via AFP, modified by me.

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The Comedian

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Keld Bach

The war in Ukraine as seen from a satiric (and historic) perspective. But who is really pulling the strings?

It seems to me that the Neo-Nazis in Ukraine are being used as a proxy force against Russia in much the same way as the Mujahideen (now renamed Taliban) were in Afghanistan back in the 1980s.

And additionally, according to the puppet President, some 100,000+ volunteers from various EU member states are currently pouring into Ukraine to join the fight. Some countries even want to send fighter jets to support the ‘noble cause’. The bright idea is to establish a no-flight zone for Russian aircrafts. I wish them good luck.

The poster is courtesy of The Cradle, slightly enhanced by me.

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Who are Ukraine’s Neo-Nazis?

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Keld Bach

Azov Battalion

Azov Special Operations Department or Azov Battalion, as it is commonly known, is a right-wing extremist and neo-Nazi unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. Formed in 2014 as a volunteer militia during the Odesa clashes, the Azov Battalion was soon incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine, serving in the state capacity despite having allegiance to and drawing inspiration from the supremacist Nazi beliefs.

Right Sector

Another infamous group is the Right Sector, originally set up as an alliance between Ukraine’s nationalist groups in November 2013. It subsequently announced that they had formed a special “Donbass” battalion for its paramilitary operations in the breakaway region. The group-turned-political party says it wants to help build a “nationalist Ukrainian state and stage a nationalist revolution” in the county.

Svoboda

Svoboda (“Freedom”) was founded in 1991 as the Social National Party of Ukraine. The party idolizes Stepan Bandera, whose followers fought on the side of the Nazis during World War II against the Red Army and Ukrainian communist militias. Bandera’s Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) had direct support from the Germans: Hitler wanted them to police Ukraine after the Germans took it, and the OUN organized volunteer militias that actively participated in the Holocaust.

Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok, now a top official of the Ukrainian Parliament, is an unrepentant anti-Semite. In the summer of 2004, he made a speech to his followers at the gravesite of a Banderist commander in which he declared: “You are the ones that the Moscow-Jewish mafia ruling Ukraine fears most.”

Information collected from The Sleuth Journal, Al Jazeera and Sputnik International.

Background image via The Sleuth Journal, modified by me.

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How Western Press Has Kept Silent for Years on War in Donbass and Neo-Nazism in Ukraine

Posted on February 27, 2022 by Keld Bach

The Western mainstream media have kept silence for years about the shelling of the Donetsk and Lugansk Republics by the Ukrainian government forces and neo-Nazi battalions.

Just a limited number of independent American and European journalists and freelance photographers have been working in the Donbass region, chronicling the invisible war of the Ukrainian government against its own people. According to the UN, over 13,000 have been killed in the region since the Maidan coup d’etat of February 2014.

Over the past several weeks the Ukrainian military had intensified bombardment of the Donbass region, prompting the leadership of the DPR and LPR to launch an evacuation of children and elderly people to Russia. However, Ukrainian spec ops groups have been targeting evacuees leaving to Russia with mines and shells.

The US openly dismissed Russia’s warnings about the ongoing genocide of Russian-speakers and crimes against humanity in Eastern Ukraine. For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed at the annual Munich Security Conference on 19 February that it is “really ridiculous” to say that “there is something like genocide” in Donbass.

By turning a blind eye to crimes committed by Ukrainian military and neo-Nazi militias in Eastern Ukraine, the Scholz-led coalition is indirectly supporting “what amounts to second generation 1930s-40s political Nazi thought” in Ukraine.

Full article at: Sputnik International

Photo of the Azov Battalion demonstrating in Kiev by AFP, slightly modified by me.

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What Did Putin Mean by ‘Denazification’ of Ukraine and Why is It so Important?

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Keld Bach

For years, Russia has been calling on Western nations to investigate cases of human rights abuse, illegal killings, and war crimes committed by the Ukrainian authorities that came to power after the 2014 coup. Moscow pointed out that many of them were committed by neo-Nazis against Russians or Russian-speaking people.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin was announcing the start of a special operation to protect the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) on 24 February, he described the goals as “demilitarising and denazifying” Ukraine. His spokesman later elaborated that “denazifying” means that Russia is planning to free Ukraine from neo-Nazis, their supporters, and their ideology.

Moscow has repeatedly warned foreign nations about neo-Nazis taking control of Ukraine following the West-backed coup in 2014. However, Western nations chose to ignore the human rights violations committed by the Kiev regime.

Full article at: Sputnik International

Image via Haaretz, slightly modified by me.

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Putin’s Special Operation

Posted on February 24, 2022 by Keld Bach

Putin will decide when Ukraine offensive ends – Kremlin

In his Thursday morning address, Putin said he’d ordered Russian troops to attack Ukraine to demilitarize and, as he put it, “denazify” the country. He claimed Russia’s national security was compromised by NATO encroachment in Ukraine.

He further stated that Russia was duty-bound to protect the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk from continued attacks by the Ukrainian forces. Moscow recognized the two entities as sovereign states on Monday.

Russia is determined to “neutralize the [Ukrainian] military potential, which was boosted considerably lately, including with the active assistance of foreign nations.”

He added that “ideally” Ukraine needs to be “cleansed” from neo-Nazi ideology.

Source: RT International

Background image via Atlantic Council, modified by me.

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Document Confirms U.S. Told Russia NATO Won’t Expand

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Keld Bach

Putin was right, Stoltenberg was wrong: NATO “brazenly deceived” Russia about expansion and a British document proves it

A newly discovered document from March 1991 shows US, UK, French, and German officials discussing a pledge made to Russia that NATO will not expand to Poland and beyond. Its publication by the German magazine Der Spiegel on Friday proves Moscow right and NATO wrong on the matter.

The minutes of a March 6, 1991 meeting in Bonn between political directors of the foreign ministries of the US, UK, France, and Germany contain multiple references to “2+4” talks on German unification in which the West made it “clear” to the Soviet Union that NATO will not expand past the eastern borders of Germany.

The document was found in the UK National Archives by Joshua Shifrinson, a political science professor at Boston University in the US. It had been marked “Secret” but was declassified at some point.

Source: RT International

Above, a historic photo depicting German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev toasting each other in Berlin, November 1990 (Photo by Der Tagesspiegel). View the document below:

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The Winter Olympics Doping Scandal

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Keld Bach

The Winter Olympics in Beijing were rocked by a scandal, right after the Russian skating team won gold, when a positive doping sample was discovered in a test taken well ahead of the games from Russian skater Kamila Valieva. On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed the 15-year-old figure skater to take part in further competitions.

The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided that no ceremony will be held to award the winners of the Olympic team figure skating competition, where the Russian team won gold. The decision comes in the wake of a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to clear Russian skater, Kamila Valieva, accused of violating doping rules, for further competitions.

The IOC also decided against holding the award ceremony for the upcoming Women’s Single Skating competition if Russian skater Kamila Valieva wins a medal in it, despite being cleared to take part in the event. The competition is to start on 15 February and will continue on 17 February following qualifications.

Source: Sputniknews.com

Either she should be disqualified and sent home, or be rewarded with her well-deserved gold medal. (My opinion)

Watch her incredible performance: Kamila Valieva Lands Historic Quadruple Jump At Only 15 Years Old | 2022 Winter Olympics

Background image via Getty Images, modified by me.

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Is Boredom Sometimes Good for You?

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Keld Bach

Not many people enjoy being bored: it basically means we’ve got nothing to do or nothing to be excited about, which does not seem particularly enjoyable. But what if it is good to sometimes deal with some ennui?

Even at times when we are not busy with our jobs and other daily tasks, we delve into a lot of things to escape from boredom: from scrolling social media endlessly to indulging in junk food. However, it turns out that boredom may be an entire art – one just has to realise its less-than-obvious perks!

There are people who study boredom and why it might be good for us, and Sandi Mann, author of The Science of Boredom and Senior Psychology Lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire is one of them.

According to her, boredom has a certain negative image, and if you try and look at it in a different light, you may be able to view it more positively. But first of all, one has to define it.

“It’s an emotion and is basically a search for brain stimulation that isn’t met. So, if you’re searching for something to engage you, and you’re not satisfied, that frustration is labelled as boredom,” Sandi explained.

This is something that we feel from a very young age – in fact, according to Sandi, boredom may be as good for children as it is for parents, because it may boost our creativity and drive us to learn or do something new.

Source: Sputniknews.com

Background image via Getty Images, modified by me.

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Biden’s ‘Successful’ Mission in Syria

Posted on February 4, 2022 by Keld Bach

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby:

“U.S. Special Operations forces under the control of U.S. Central Command conducted a counterterrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria. The Mission Was Successful There were no U.S. casualties.”

Read the full post at: Moon of Alabama

Background image via Reuters, modified by me.

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