Some 94% of Russians describe themselves as patriots, more than at any point since surveys first began, the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) said on Friday.
The increase was driven mainly by a ten percentage point surge in “unconditional” patriotism since last year, which now stands at 62%, VTSIOM revealed. Back in 2005, when the survey first started, it was just 47%.
“Today, the feeling of patriotism is shared approximately equally by men and women (93% and 95%, respectively), the young and the old (87% in the 18-24 category and 94% among those 60+), and residents of cities and the countryside (94% and 95% respectively),” said the pollster.
That’s incredible, and, by the recent election results, accurate. Of course, it’s to be expected from a rising powerhouse that is literally beating down the embodiment of evil on earth. The 2 point difference of women over men is interesting as is the virtual tie between urban and country patriots. But they’ve earned it, pride and joy in a real nation determined to exist. A commenter on the article summed up my thoughts and those of probably billions of people: “I am a Russian patriot… and I am not even Russian.”
US intelligence agencies did not pass on to their Russian colleagues all the information they had about the threat of a terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, fearing to reveal sources, the newspaper writes New York Times with reference to officials from European and American security services.
The suspects in last week’s Moscow terrorist attack were linked to Ukrainian nationalists, the Russian Investigative Committee stated on Thursday, citing preliminary findings. The perpetrators had received “significant sums of money” from Ukraine, the law enforcement agency said.
Investigators have obtained “substantiated evidence” that the suspected assailants received funding from Ukraine in the form of cryptocurrency, which was then used to prepare the terrorist attack, the statement read.
And the FSB obviously knows more than its saying. One wonders how long-range the retribution will be. While we wait to find out, Picnic and Moscovites remain determined and defiant.
Item 3: A concert as both a memorial and a hard slap in the GAE’s repulsive face:
Russia’s religious leader correctly demands a defense of culture, language, and society.
Russians have the right to demand that migrants respect the country’s culture and traditions, as well as acquiring knowledge of the Russian language, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has said.
The hierarch was addressing an extraordinary meeting of the World Russian People’s Council on Wednesday when he observed that some migrants showed no signs of wanting to integrate into Russian society. This could lead to various problems, according to the patriarch, including the emergence of closed ethnic enclaves and the growth of organized crime.
“Many consider migration a threat, but the threat lies not just in migration, but in the reluctance of some migrants to respect the culture of the country where they came to work. Around us live fraternal peoples, with whom we have always strived to build good neighborly relations, understanding the difficult economic situation that has developed in a number of countries of the former Soviet Union,” said Kirill, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
A Russian has but to look at the collapse of immigration law in the former United States for what the ultimate alternative looks like. And, yes, for a Westerner, even one who understands, it is still hard to sometimes appreciate the Russian position on multi-national nationalism. But it works. They intend to keep it working.
Life Imitates Lyrical Art In Sad But Clarifying Fashion
In 1963, Gorki Film Studios released the children’s fairy tale classic, The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors. A little girl is transported to a strange land where evil forces use magic mirrors to reverse and distort reality, thus enslaving the population. At least one cinema review site suggests the presented inversion was partly, subtly a slap at the hypocrisy of Western portrayals of Soviet propaganda during the Cold War. More recently, Metropolitan Hilarion suggested Western sodomite propaganda created a similar crooked kingdom of lies. Both suggestions likely hold water.
As one art sometimes influences another, the movie’s title allegedly inspired the name of Picnic’s (Пикник’s) 2004 song title, “Королевство кривых” (“Kingdom of Curves”). With apologies to the band, here’s a sampling of their lyrics followed by my semi-esoteric commentary.
Огнями реклам
Неоновых ламп
Бьет город мне в спину, торопит меня
А я не спешу,
Я этим дышу
И то, что мое, ему не отнять.
Минуту еще, мой ветер не стих,
Мне нравится здесь в Королевстве Кривых.
Здесь деньги не ждут,
Когда их сожгут,
В их власти, дать счастье и счастье отнять.
Но только не мне,
…
Picnic was the band set to perform on the evening of Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Crocus City Hall theater in suburban Moscow. As the reader may know, the performance and hundreds of lives were abruptly interrupted before the band took the stage.
English with commentary:
Over the lights of advertising
Neon lamps
Crocus City Hall, and the surrounding Krasnogorsk neighborhood, are big, busy, ultra-modern places. Glass, lights, excitement, etc. A venue that fits the song.
The city hits me in the back, rushing me
And I’m not in a hurry,
I breathe it
And that which is mine, cannot be taken away.
Moscow is like a clean, civilized New York or Los Angeles. There’s a constant rush and rumble of urban humanity. In the song’s city, our lyrical protagonist takes the hurry-scurry in stride. He doesn’t let the hectic pace get ahead of him. His sensibility about and enjoyment of the scene cannot be taken by the tempo or rigor of whatever happens. Similarly and in general, Russian life and the Russian spirit in Moscow cannot be taken away. By anyone.
A minute more, my wind is not quiet,
I like it here in the Kingdom of Curves.
Life can be like that little girl’s adventure. Ordinary times bereft of calamity can still twist and turn. However, if one is in it and the setting happens to be among the most beautiful, wonderful places on earth, then what’s not to like?
Money is not waiting here,
When they are burned,
In their power, give happiness and happiness to take away.
But not for me
…
No, the money was in Kiev or London or somewhere. Burn they did. Calculated, though still mindless violence is a kind of power, the happiness of vampire clowns, augmented by depriving good people of genuine joy and camaraderie. But not for the song’s protagonist. Not for Russia. Not for honest, decent people. Let the evil choke on their wickedness; the righteous will live on determinedly.
My interpretation may miss the mark by a kilometer, but the symbolism of it all struck me as important and seemingly purposeful. Picnics—eating outside, not the group—are fun but they’ve been known to attract ants. Ants are known to steal food, annoy, and sometimes bite. A scout ant finds the picnic and chirps or emits pheromones to alert the rest. Then they show up in force.
On March 7, 2024, the US empire issued a mysterious mass casualty alert for the next 48 hours in Moscow. Oddly enough, on that very day, a scout ant showed up and surveyed the Crocus complex. Shaman was supposed to sing at the center within the next 48 hours, and he did. However, his event was allegedly guarded by armed security. The scout ant emitted no chemical markers or sounds. The Picnic concert was guarded by unarmed security, presenting a softer target. And the ants attacked. While Moscow and the world were in shock, the US empire immediately, within one hour, told two lies: 1) Ukraine wasn’t involved, and 2) the ants were from ISIS or ISIS-K. ISIS and ISIS-K might as well be registered trademarks of the CIA. We know the empire was lying because it is the empire of lies and it said something. In this case, as with the original lie, there was a small grain of truth within the Red Herring deception. The empire that essentially created ISIS, its Syrian and Afghan variants, would probably be in an honest position to know if its creation planned to carry out an attack. Especially if the empire ordered and planned the attack.
The reader likely knows much of the late tactical developments. Around 140 civilians were murdered, as many as 200 were wounded, and the Crocus theater was destroyed. The mercenary terrorist ants and many of their associates, all or most from Tajikistan, were quickly detained by security forces. While I was initially skeptical about direct ISIS involvement, I did allow that somewhat connected actors from the group might have played some role. This was confirmed by President Putin, that the attack was directly committed by radical Islamists, though by those acting inexplicably during Ramadan. However, as for the indirect connections, he said, “We know whose hands this atrocity was committed against Russia and its people. We are interested in who the customer is.” Cui bono?
Suspicion naturally falls on Ukraine and its NATO backers, specifically the US and UK. FSB Chief Alexander Bortnikov said as much: “We believe that this is true. In any case, we are now talking about the factual information we have. This is general information, but they have a long record of this sort.” There is the fact of the ant pre-planning the attack on the day the possibility of an attack was mentioned by a likely chief supporter. There was a rumor that the ants were recruited via a Telegram channel and that they met and coordinated with Ukraine at the Ukrainian embassy in Tajikistan about a mission of the “International Legion.” There’s the fact that this attack does not fit the established pattern of ordinary ISIS activity—during Ramadan, with a determined effort to flee the scene rather than be martyred, and payment that suggests a hired hit job instead of Jihad. The mercenary ants were allegedly promised 500,000 rubles ($5,500) each, in reality receiving only half upfront, to wantonly murder random people. There is the fact they were apprehended trying to cross into Ukraine. There is the fact that as Ukraine and NATO continue to lose horribly on the battlefield, terrorist attacks are their only means of trying to harm Russia. There’s the fact that the Western media instantaneously began parroting a series of ridiculous lies and distortions that would be the envy of any fictional evil mirror.
In addition to all of the foregoing, the ants were painstakingly captured alive. They are talking or will talk. Russian intelligence is obviously far ahead of my estimations and guesses; they likely already have substantial evidence as to whom the ants worked for. The customers, if one will. Or the queens, in ant-speak. Nothing that happened at Crocus degrades Russia’s efforts or abilities. With Russia already visibly quickening its progress in the SMO, this episode will certainly heighten their resolve and the scope and pace of their actions. In fact, it already looks like that is happening. Time will tell exactly how it all unfolds, though there really isn’t much doubt.
Nor is there any doubt there are all kinds of people in the world. Some are heroes and some are sociopathic losers. Some of the losers evidently congregate at a Kiev bar aptly called, in English, Offensive. They certainly are, naming some fried snack “Crocus” just a few days after the attack. Offensive might be thought of as an ant hill if it turns out to be connected in some way to these hideous events. If so, then perhaps someone should kick it. Maybe with a Kinzhal boot? No one in any position of power needs my input. Still, I remind all that when keeping ants away from the picnic blanket, sometimes one just has to spray and kill all of them.
Yet, there are many more good people around. One of them is fifteen-year-old Islam Khalilov, a legitimate Muslim who works part-time at Crocus. If part of the queen customer’s intention was to sow a little division between religious groups in Russia, then Mr. Khalilov did his part to preemptively undo the plan. He’s credited with saving 100 lives by quickly ushering confused patrons towards safety—while ignoring his own. When asked about his personal risk, the young man simply said, “It’s better to sacrifice yourself than to let a hundred people die.” A hero. Shaman also stepped up like a true patriot, offering condolences and vowing to pay all funeral expenses and extraneous medical costs. Behind these two champions, behind the police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, FSB, and military personnel who did their jobs, and behind Vladimir Putin and his government, there are another 150 million strong men and women who will not be frightened, divided, or defeated.
When they are victorious, or even before full victory is realized, I would very much like to join them once the Crocus theater is rebuilt for a concert. I’d happily take Shaman, KINO, or anyone else as the featured entertainment. In light of the circumstances, that especially includes Picnic. I’ll close with a link to their 2022 concert at Crocus.
My column on Vlad v. Vampires is up and running at Reckonin‘.
Also, in a world first, through that article I have been translated into Turkish:
Birkaç yıl önce, genç bir yetişkin olarak ABD Eyalet başkentinde bir asansördeydim. Kendimi takım elbise giymiş dev bir kemirgenle birlikte buldum. Cumhuriyetçi mi yoksa Demokrat mı olduğundan ya da aralarında bir fark olup olmadığından emin değilim ama orta yaşlı, yağlı, yağcı ve kötü kokuluydu. Bu yaratık bir anda ve anlaşılabilir bir sebep olmaksızın, sorulmadan kötü bir tavsiyede bulundu. Sanırım yağlı, konuşan politik kemirgenlerin asansörlerde yaptığı şeylerden biri de bu. Dedi ki, “Önce paranı kazan. Sonra çocuk sahibi ol.” Konuşurken küçük, boncuk gibi gözleri sinsice bir o yana bir bu yana bakıyordu. Burnunu kırıştırdı ve homurdandı. Neyse ki kapılar açıldı ve yağlı canavar muhtemelen başkalarının parasının ya da çocuklarının peşinde koşarak uzaklaştı. Ya da belki sadece peynir.
Yaratığın tavsiyesini istemedim, gerçi o sırada zaten tavsiyeye uyuyordum. Amerikalılar pek çok korkunç hata yaparlardı ve ben de bir istisna değildim. Sonraki on yıllar boyunca bu üzücü olayı mutlu bir şekilde unuttum, sadece geçen hafta iki iyi adam arasında tartışılan iyi ve dolayısıyla zıt tavsiyeleri duyduğumda hatırladım. Başkan Vladimir Putin, 13 Mart 2024 tarihinde ya da bu tarihlerde Dmitry Kiselev ile uzun bir röportaj yaptı. Bu, gerçek bir lider ile gerçek bir gazeteci arasında gerçekleşen ve Batı’da neredeyse hiç bilinmeyen gerçek bir görüşmeydi.
Ergo: (Mekanik olarak tercüme edilmiştir):
Merhaba, Türkiye’deki arkadaşlar! Yazımı çeviren kişiye teşekkür ederim ve umarım hepiniz beğenirsiniz. Tanrı hepinizi korusun!
Also, I’ve lately written about the BOR and Russian policies specifically aimed at helping Russians and not vampire clowns. In the wake of the terrible Crocus attacks, the BOR is instructing banks to ease up on or outright forgive loans made to victims!
Банк России рекомендовал банкам и микрофинансовым организациям списать долги погибших при теракте в “Крокус Сити Холле”, сообщил ЦБ.
“Такое письмо регулятор направил банкам, микрофинансовым организациям, кредитным потребительским кооперативам, сельскохозяйственным кредитным потребительским кооперативам, ломбардам. Организации вправе сделать это без обращения наследников”, — уточнили в Банке России.
That is:
The Bank of Russia recommended that banks and microfinance organizations write off debts of those killed in the Crocus City Hall attack, the Central Bank said.
“The regulator sent such a letter to banks, microfinance organizations, credit consumer cooperatives, agricultural credit consumer cooperatives, and pawnshops. Organizations have the right to do this without the appeal of the heirs, “TAG1> specified in the Bank of Russia.
This is a correct sovereign world response to tragedy.
Could the NATO terror attack in Moscow have been an idiotic attempt to divert MOD attention away from the NATO troops landing south of Kiev?
REGULAR TROOPS from France, Germany and Poland have arrived, by rail and air, to Cherkassy, south of Kiev.
Substantial force. No numbers have been leaked.
They are being housed in schools.
For all practical purposes, this is a NATO force.
Let the games BEGIN. Mr. Khinzal’s business cards will be in great demand. “
If this information is correct, then World War III has begun.
Pepe Escobar rarely makes statements without some form of proof. And if he knew about this, then Moscow knew earlier. Now might be a good time to avoid all NATO capitals and military bases. If Mr. Khinzal starts making the rounds, he might not stop in Ukraine. Regardless, Z on it.
I think it’s safe to congratulate President Putin on his landslide reelection this weekend. When last I checked, he was pulling 87+% of the vote. In the new Donbas Oblasts, he pulled around 95%. Congratulations to the Russian people too.
In the “free and democratic” West, “democracy” means voting for one candidate and seeing another “elected”. In Russia, it means the will of the people. So as the GAE collapses the rest of this decade, great things lie ahead for Russia.
And thank God the 2024 election is now behind us. No more presidential jibber jabber until 2030, k, ‘Murica?
It may well be possible that Hamas was inspired by Russia’s defensive actions against NATO in the runup to their defensive actions against the Zionists.
Moscow bears responsibility for the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni claimed in an interview with il Giornale newspaper published on Saturday. It was Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine that supposedly encouraged Hamas to launch a massive attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, she stated.
The Italian leader maintained that a military operation launched by a permanent UN Security Council member against its neighbor violated international law and shook the entire global security system. She said such a move would have inevitably “have [a] cascading effect on the other regions… of the world, from the Middle East to [the] Balkans, to Africa.”
“If Russia had not invaded Ukraine, in all likelihood, Hamas would not have launched such an attack against Israel,” she claimed.
Italians got what they deserved with Giorgia Meloni. Maybe they can see the truth in her slander and take a little inspiration of their own. Keep that cascade flowing.
Russia added Lindsey Graham (R-Hell) to its list of known and/or wanted terrorists. #3967.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who called on the US government to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism last week, has been added to the Moscow’s list of extremists and terrorists, local media reported on Tuesday.
Graham is entry number 3967, according to the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, the Russian agency responsible for the list. The database does not cite specific reasons why entities or individuals are included.
There’s probably not enough memory in the database to cover all the reasons to add satan’s sinator. Maybe for once the people of South Carolina will wake up and do the right thing.
President Vladimir Putin embarked on a Urals tour where he melded the future of education, industry, and happy civic life. Read all about it, translation may be required.
Elsewhere, Nadda Osman builds on the sad tale I began telling last month about the war on higher education in Gaza. Read his article which provides much more detail on the targeted destruction of Palestinian educational facilities and, especially, critical intellectuals.
After more than 130 days of war on Gaza, many of the coastal enclave’s universities and educational institutions lie in ruins.
At least 28,700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the war on 7 October and around 70 percent of the Strip’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
Palestine has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, but the war on Gaza has devastated the education sector, killing thousands of students, and leaving hundreds of thousands out of school for almost five months.
According to the Euro-Med Monitor, Israel’s army has so far killed 94 university professors, along with hundreds of teachers, in what the rights group describes as “deliberate and specific air raids” on the homes of academic, scientific or intellectual figures.
“The targeted academics studied and taught across a variety of academic disciplines, and many of their ideas served as cornerstones of academic research in the Gaza Strip’s universities,” the rights group said.
This is further evidence of the Zionists’ genocide, the part aimed at depriving Palestinians of any manner of a better future. Osman mentions Saeed al-Dahshan, now murdered, and his 2021 book, [How To Sue Israel]: The International Prosecution of Israel and its Leaders for Their Crimes Against the Palestinians. The book outlines an approach via the ICJ, the route SA has taken 3 years later. I have not found an intact copy nor an edition in a language I understand. However, several chapters are available in Arabic.
PERRIN LOVETT 