Having grown up in the later Cold War with all of its Russophobia and watched all seven hours of Adam Curtis’ history documentary of the fall of the Soviet Union and the aftermath right up to Putin’s rise, I tend to give Russia a lot of sympathetic leeway with respect to their actions.
So I count on you (and other pragmatists) to help keep a healthy bit of skepticism of their conduct. Nation-states, psychopaths, oligarchs and kleptocrats are not to be trusted, whether they are the U.S., Russia, China or anyone else. Thanks for helping guide the way…
Totally agree Hugh, Adam Curtis's TraumaZone is an excellent place to start maybe undoing the world class gaslighting we've all been exposed to - good shout.
Hey Matt it's probably a bit tricky if you haven't done it before but once you've done it a couple of times you get the hang of it - hope this helps:
Setting Up an RSS Feed for Your Substack Publication
1.Finding Your RSS Feed URL: The RSS feed for your Substack publication is automatically generated and can be found by adding `/feed` to the end of your publication’s URL. For example, if your publication is at `https://yourpublication.substack.com`, the RSS feed URL would be `https://yourpublication.substack.com/feed`.
2.Using Your RSS Feed: You can use this RSS feed URL in any RSS reader or aggregator to subscribe to your own publication or to share it with others. This allows readers to receive updates from your Substack publication in their RSS feed reader.
3.Adding Non-Substack Feeds to Substack:mIf you want to add RSS feeds from other sources to your Substack account, you can do so through the Substack Reader. This allows you to receive updates from other websites directly in your Substack inbox
"Essentially, they [Ukraine] handed over their country to American and European banks. So, the prognosis for the future is not very good, but it's certainly much better than the current war."
Very well said, Matt. War is just another form of making money for Western capitalists. They'll get their money either from arms sales or resource grabs (mineral rights), but they WILL get their money out of Ukraine somehow and always at the expense of the Ukrainian people's well-being and safety. Peace is always better for the people, but the bankers never see it that way.
I'm with you on the lack of technical skills. Just post what you can, whenever you can here on Substack. We'll see it and learn from it. Thanks again for your insights.
Worse, people, and not just powerful people, but regular people, are willing to see people die and suffer if it agrees with their sensibilities. Sickening to watch many Americans prefer Ukraine’s destruction and death of its people to peace because of their partisan myopia.
I'm with you. I can't fathom these "I hate Trump so much that I want the war to continue forever!" people. I think they are mentally ill--or is that "morally ill"?--if they can't see that this position is horribly wrong. Of course, I think the same about those who wish to genocide the people of Palestine in order to steal their land and resources. Self-centeredness to its extreme.
Great interview! Thanks for the education about the rare earth minerals in Afghanistan, and the comparison to the same in Ukraine. It helped me understand some of the confusion around this issue.
This is my first read of your views, thoughts, facts. I respect the general level of balance and pragmatism and found it a good overview, depressingly so in regard to poor, suffering Palestine under the Israeli jackboot. But, as a former soldier you would be well aware that there are plans and then there is what happens and when the first shot is fired all the plans go out of the window.
I would be curious to know more about what you consider to be the worst aspects of Russia.
You appear to suggest negative aspects to the Russians. I simply wonder what that is sourced in.
From what I have read, Russian leaders, including Putin, had sought to become closer to Europe following the fall of the Soviet Union, and in essence to become a part of Europe which it should be.
The Slavic nature of Russian people in the main may perhaps be the reason, the racist reason why the Europeans are loath to welcome Russia as one of them. And yet, historically Russia has always been very much a part of Europe and its culture. The number of Anglo-Europeans living and working in Russia over the centuries has always been high. Science, art, music, literature, architecture, society, within Russia have always drawn on European sources and some of the greatest European minds.
In the 18th century French was the language used by the Russian nobility/aristocracy, indicating the profound connections between the two countries.
The intermix of Russia and Europe is long and strong and it makes no sense that what we call Europeans, a very mixed bag indeed, should consider themselves other to the Russians when they do not do so with northern European Scandinavians.
And I would add, since being Slavic does not seem to impede other States, including Ukraine, from joining Europe or Nato, why is Russia singled out? The 13 countries considered to be official Slavic states include the Czech Republic, Bosnia, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro.
So, why do so many hate the Russians? Surely not simply because of the Soviet era and the American paranoia about Communism? Or does such irrational hysteria linger? Odd though that it does not translate to Jews who were instrumental in the Bolshevik Revolution, the destruction of the monarchy and the rise of Stalin and the Communist era.
Russia was Communist for 74 years in a history going back thousands of years. Or is it because Russia is just so big and everyone, particularly the Americans hate it for being the largest country on earth?
Having grown up in the later Cold War with all of its Russophobia and watched all seven hours of Adam Curtis’ history documentary of the fall of the Soviet Union and the aftermath right up to Putin’s rise, I tend to give Russia a lot of sympathetic leeway with respect to their actions.
So I count on you (and other pragmatists) to help keep a healthy bit of skepticism of their conduct. Nation-states, psychopaths, oligarchs and kleptocrats are not to be trusted, whether they are the U.S., Russia, China or anyone else. Thanks for helping guide the way…
Thanks for saying this Hugh. I appreciate it. I am not familiar with that documentary, I will look for it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_1985%E2%80%931999:_TraumaZone
Totally agree Hugh, Adam Curtis's TraumaZone is an excellent place to start maybe undoing the world class gaslighting we've all been exposed to - good shout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke600MgW1F0
Oh, and here it is! Thanks Baz!
In terms of not writing a lot, LESS IS MORE can be a good choice.
Thanks Roslyn. You can follow me on X for that ;)
Well done, Matt.
Thanks Bill.
Hey Matt it's probably a bit tricky if you haven't done it before but once you've done it a couple of times you get the hang of it - hope this helps:
Setting Up an RSS Feed for Your Substack Publication
1.Finding Your RSS Feed URL: The RSS feed for your Substack publication is automatically generated and can be found by adding `/feed` to the end of your publication’s URL. For example, if your publication is at `https://yourpublication.substack.com`, the RSS feed URL would be `https://yourpublication.substack.com/feed`.
2.Using Your RSS Feed: You can use this RSS feed URL in any RSS reader or aggregator to subscribe to your own publication or to share it with others. This allows readers to receive updates from your Substack publication in their RSS feed reader.
3.Adding Non-Substack Feeds to Substack:mIf you want to add RSS feeds from other sources to your Substack account, you can do so through the Substack Reader. This allows you to receive updates from other websites directly in your Substack inbox
Maybe have a look here:
https://substackcourse.com/how-to-set-up-an-rss-feed-for-a-substack-publication/
Thank you, Baz. I appreciate you writing this out for me. I’m figuring something out. :)
Excellent
Thanks Scott. I need to come out and visit you guys.
"Essentially, they [Ukraine] handed over their country to American and European banks. So, the prognosis for the future is not very good, but it's certainly much better than the current war."
Very well said, Matt. War is just another form of making money for Western capitalists. They'll get their money either from arms sales or resource grabs (mineral rights), but they WILL get their money out of Ukraine somehow and always at the expense of the Ukrainian people's well-being and safety. Peace is always better for the people, but the bankers never see it that way.
I'm with you on the lack of technical skills. Just post what you can, whenever you can here on Substack. We'll see it and learn from it. Thanks again for your insights.
Worse, people, and not just powerful people, but regular people, are willing to see people die and suffer if it agrees with their sensibilities. Sickening to watch many Americans prefer Ukraine’s destruction and death of its people to peace because of their partisan myopia.
I'm with you. I can't fathom these "I hate Trump so much that I want the war to continue forever!" people. I think they are mentally ill--or is that "morally ill"?--if they can't see that this position is horribly wrong. Of course, I think the same about those who wish to genocide the people of Palestine in order to steal their land and resources. Self-centeredness to its extreme.
Ken MacLean searching for answers.
Long time follower, first time commenter.
As usual Matthew, lots of good stuff to chew on!
You manage to engage the brain and challenge the purely emotional arguments.
Thanks
Thanks Ken.
Just checking in on you. You X account is DOA on my end.
I haven't seen you on the usual rounds, so a little worried.
Shut up! The mom Gene extends beyond kids. You could be lying in a ditch somewhere!!
Anyway, great interview. Be safe.
Thanks for asking JoAnn. I deactivated it while I try and figure out a better way for me to receive information.
Life, the most precious commodity is obviously cheap in the eyes of Empire.
Great interview! Thanks for the education about the rare earth minerals in Afghanistan, and the comparison to the same in Ukraine. It helped me understand some of the confusion around this issue.
I, too, do not have a solid grasp on all the technology regarding this site. Have you looked at this page: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/?utm_source=user-menu
I have not Jean, but thanks for the link.
Yes, I think saying “strategic” metals and minerals is a more apt way of describing what’s underground .
Excellent analysis on this important issue.
Thanks Leticia.
Thank you for doing this very important work, for speaking so honestly and eloquently, and for being such a wonderful man!
Thanks Nancy.
This is my first read of your views, thoughts, facts. I respect the general level of balance and pragmatism and found it a good overview, depressingly so in regard to poor, suffering Palestine under the Israeli jackboot. But, as a former soldier you would be well aware that there are plans and then there is what happens and when the first shot is fired all the plans go out of the window.
I would be curious to know more about what you consider to be the worst aspects of Russia.
Thanks Roslyn.
Mike Tyson said it best: everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.
How do you mean with regards to “worst aspects“?
Thank you for reading and commenting.
You appear to suggest negative aspects to the Russians. I simply wonder what that is sourced in.
From what I have read, Russian leaders, including Putin, had sought to become closer to Europe following the fall of the Soviet Union, and in essence to become a part of Europe which it should be.
The Slavic nature of Russian people in the main may perhaps be the reason, the racist reason why the Europeans are loath to welcome Russia as one of them. And yet, historically Russia has always been very much a part of Europe and its culture. The number of Anglo-Europeans living and working in Russia over the centuries has always been high. Science, art, music, literature, architecture, society, within Russia have always drawn on European sources and some of the greatest European minds.
In the 18th century French was the language used by the Russian nobility/aristocracy, indicating the profound connections between the two countries.
The intermix of Russia and Europe is long and strong and it makes no sense that what we call Europeans, a very mixed bag indeed, should consider themselves other to the Russians when they do not do so with northern European Scandinavians.
And I would add, since being Slavic does not seem to impede other States, including Ukraine, from joining Europe or Nato, why is Russia singled out? The 13 countries considered to be official Slavic states include the Czech Republic, Bosnia, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro.
So, why do so many hate the Russians? Surely not simply because of the Soviet era and the American paranoia about Communism? Or does such irrational hysteria linger? Odd though that it does not translate to Jews who were instrumental in the Bolshevik Revolution, the destruction of the monarchy and the rise of Stalin and the Communist era.
Russia was Communist for 74 years in a history going back thousands of years. Or is it because Russia is just so big and everyone, particularly the Americans hate it for being the largest country on earth?