Russian Tensions
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I see the conspiracy theories, or more accurately the conspiracy rumours, have started already. This could be an interesting case study of how these originally start and spread.
There are a lot of theories going around
Mao Says: “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom…””Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend”
A quite comprehensive and readable analysis of the current situation in Ukraine, for those who are interested in the military angle. At any rate, there seems now to be no prospect of the so-called counter-offensive gaining traction. Which begs the question – why continue? Why throw more workers (Ukrainian and Russian) into the meat grinder that is this utterly senseless and destructive capitalist conflict?
The sooner both parties sue for peace the better. Who gives a fig about the colour of the piece of tatty cloth you attach to the flagpole on your local town hall? Only a sociopath would want this madness to continue …
Yes, this photo of a (Ukrainian) rag on the end of a pole placed on top of a bombed-out building surrounded by utter destruction well sums up the futility, not to say obscenity, of it all. Probably a couple of days earlier it was a Russian rag on a pole that was there:
Today’s Economist podcast explains why Ukraine is doing so badly building its own fleet of drones – endemic corruption. So much for the war effort.
It’s sad and annoying that we’re being fed propaganda telling us that we must support Ukraine in this completely idiotic conflict.
When Russia first invaded Ukraine two cities negotiated to allow the Russian army to take over without armed resistance – Kherson on the Black Sea coast and Kupiansk near Kharkov and the border with Russia. This saved the places from destruction and their population from being killed in any crossfire and was obviously, as we pointed out here at the time,the sensible thing for the local authorities to have done.
But it wasn’t to last. Last year the Ukrainian nationalists recaptured Kupiansk and later the Russian army withdrew from Kherson. They were “liberated” but were now in the front line and both have since been bombarded and large parts of them reduced to ruins.
Only crazed nationalists think that it is better to be dead than not under their rule. Ordinary people don’t agree but don’t have a choice in the matter.
‘When Russia first invaded Ukraine two cities negotiated to allow the Russian army to take over without armed resistance – Kherson on the Black Sea coast and Kupiansk near Kharkov and the border with Russia. This saved the places from destruction and their population from being killed in any crossfire and was obviously the sensible thing for the local authorities to have done.
‘But it wasn’t to last. Last year the Ukrainian nationalists recaptured Kupiansk and later the Russian army withdrew from Kherson. They were “liberated” but were now in the front line and both have since been bombarded and large parts of them reduced to ruins.’
ALB, may I use this quote in a letter I’m currently writing in response to the below Ukrainian nationalist article in the Frome Times?
Of course. That’s the main purpose of this forum — to provide resources for putting over the case for socialism.
Leaving a country where there’s a war on is of course another good way to avoid getting killed for nothing.
So, Lobster magazine has this long detailed article on the rise of Zelensky, detailing in particular how he was sponsored by the Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolmoisky.
Today, the BBC has the news that Kolmoisky has been arrested for corruption “The president faced accusations of acting as Mr Kolomoisky’s puppet during the election campaign, including from rival and former president Petro Poroshenko.” This is the power of political office in action (but let’s see how it plays out and whether Kolmoisky actually gets taken down.
There’s lots of chatter about the regime eating itself, and there may be something in that, but I suspect it’s more the president asserting his power, alongside the pressure of war. Let’s not forget, the Kyiv regime is basically bankrupt (the civil service is now paid for by western backers).
Cuba uncovers ‘human trafficking ring’ recruiting for Russia’s war in Ukraine
Havana says it is dismantling network seeking to recruit Cubans as mercenaries as Moscow attempts to boost its forces
Pjotr Sauer
Tue 5 Sep 2023 14.01 EDT
Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting Cubans to fight as mercenaries for Russia in its war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry has said, as Moscow seeks to increase the size of its forces.In a statement, the Cuban foreign ministry said the authorities were working to “neutralise and dismantle” the network, which it said was operating within the Caribbean island nation and in Russia.
“The ministry of the interior … is working on the neutralisation and dismantling of a human trafficking network that operates from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine,” the ministry statement said.
“Cuba has a firm and clear historical position against the use of mercenaries … Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine.”
It looks like there is some kind of concerted movement backed up by the nationalistic-minded Ukraine Solidarity campaign and misguided individuals like Paul Mason to get the British Trade Union movement to support increased military aid for Ukraine.
https://labourlist.org/2023/09/why-unions-must-not-vote-to-support-open-ended-war-against-russia/
Mason himself has unironically compared Ukraine to the Republican side in the Spanish civil side. While I have never considered Ukraine to be a fascist state there are unquestionably fascistic elements in the regime and its military (as there are on the Russian side as well)
This stupid war seems destined to drag on for a long time with thousands more lives being lost utterly pointlessly in the meat grinder. I cannot understand the mentality of those who want to drag it out any longer just so they can stick some tacky piece of cloth on a flagpole somewhere. It’s sick.
He wants to a Labour MP in the tradition of other former Trots. Sounds like he would make a good one. If he plays his cards right, he might even end up as a junior minister.
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