About That Petition to Zelensky...

You may have recently heard something about a "petition" addressed to Zelensky with "a million signatures". Pay it no mind. It is nothing. Nobody signed it, it is just a joke. The People of the Donbass Republics and our Armies ask nothing from the "President of Ukraine". The President of Ukraine has no power here, no say here, so why should we petition him for anything? And besides, Zelensky is not the President of Ukraine. He is a puppet and pretender for foreign masters who have robbed and debauched the once great nation of Ukraine into a desperate and malignant shithole from which it may never emerge. None of the people here want "special status" in a Ukrainian shithole.

The People of the Donbass Republics are Russian, always have been, and Russians never surrender.
This Soviet poster from 1920, one hundred years ago is proof. "Donbass is the Heart of Russia."

                                    The Heart of Russia. Not the USSR or the "Ukraine", The Heart of Russia.

Our Republics will never re-join Ukraine under any condition, under any "status". We will accept Ukraine's surrender one day, and after the war criminals are punished and the wealth of criminal oligarchs expropriated for repairs and reparations, we may allow Ukraine to join us. Under special status, of course, but their special status, not ours. Because it will have to be a different Ukraine, as different as modern Germany is from Hitler's Third Reich. (Or even more so...) New leadership, new political parties, justice handed down to traitors, criminals and nazis. De-nazification, just like in Germany. Removal of street names and monuments and symbols of nazis and nazi collaborators. Removal of the actual nazis themselves to where they can do no harm to anyone ever again. And like Germany after their nazis, Ukraine will need a new flag.

The blue and yellow rag is now, like the swastika, stained with opprobrium for all eternity and beyond redemption. It will never fly above Donetsk or Lugansk again, of that you can be certain.
It is useful now only for cleaning boots, or as Givi once showed, for feeding nazi war criminals.

At first I considered writing a letter to Zelensky myself, and seeing how many signatures I could get on it. A million? Maybe. As likely as the "million" signatures on the petition for "special status".  But I realized the letter I would have written (and the letter that should have been written to Zelensky) has already been written -
"Reply of the Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV", back in 1676.  (Read it here!)

The first most basic law of politics is this - What they say means nothing, what they do says everything. They say the letter to Zelensky had a million signatures, and we say thanks for the laugh. No one believes that there were even one tenth that amount, not any of the people who wrote it or any of the people who read it. But that's not what matters, it's what they do that counts, that is everything.

The organizers said there were 3,000 people at their "flash mob". Again, thanks for the laugh. I was there too, and there were maybe 300 people there, and 200 of them were there to protest against the petition to Zelensky, not in support of it. That's why I was there. A lot of people were very worried and offended by this petition, and with good reason, but they misunderstood, they thought it meant what it said, which of course it didn't, but if it had, it would be a very serious matter indeed.

All this talk of "petitioning" Zelensky for "special status" and asking his permission to apply to Russia for permission to hold a referendum to ask Russia for permission to join Russia, and all we have to do is surrender and rejoin Ukraine and let the ukrop army take over the border crossings and allow Azov nazis and Pravy Sektor pederasts to take control of our police and Army, to patrol our streets and "safeguard our human rights", and yada, yada, yada... Well, it's just that, talk. And like getting a million signatures on a letter to Zelensky, it hasn't happened, and it never will.

This is political theater, PR, perception management. Symbolic. Simulacra. Certainly a stroke to Zelensky's fragile and inflated ego. This petition is obviously part of  some political strategy that may or may not come to fruition several more moves on down the line, but it is not by any means suing for peace at the price of surrender. Because that can never be. If the people make a public appeal for peace and the ukrops keep shelling,  it gives us, the Donbass Republics, and our allies the moral high ground and the advantage in the arena of international opinion. The ukrops are going to keep shelling anyway. We are now on record as having asked them nicely to stop. After having asked nicely for five years, and nothing getting better, it may now be time for some R2P, some humanitarian intervention. On the part of Russia, the UN or the World. Or perhaps all of them together.
And indeed, this might just happen.

If the present regime in Kiev, controlled by foreign corporations and secret services, quislings, war criminals and genuine neo-nazis were allowed by our administrations and/or our friends in the East to take control of Donbass, it would be one of the most epic examples of treachery and stupidity in modern history. And perhaps some of our leaders are capable of contemplating such a mistake. Perhaps. Some. But the vast majority never would or could. The People here would never stand for it. And it is the PEOPLE of these People's Republics who are the final arbiters, the decision makers, the "shot-callers" here. We have earned it and proven it with our blood.

And when I look at the great leaders of Russia, our Brothers, friends and Comrades - Putin, Lavrov, Shoigu, well, treachery, stupidity and surrender are not the traits that these titans bring to mind. It ain't ever gonna happen. I trust Putin and I trust Russia not to betray their friends, and the People of Donbass are the best friends Russia ever had. Who defends Donbass defends Russia, and that is exactly what we have done for over five years now, longer even than the Great Patriotic War.
Russia does not betray her friends, Russia does not abandon Russian people. It doesn't happen.
It ain't gonna happen.

The most important things is to stay calm and look at reality.  This was/is a poorly planned and executed attempt at Info War, amateur diplomacy aimed at driving a wedge between the egoist pretender Zelensky and the hardcore nazis that control him. And perhaps between moderate EU governments and nazi Ukraine as well. Although this farce has many, many good people seriously concerned and even outraged, and not without good reason, the bottom line and the thing to remember is this - Don't worry. It ain't gonna happen.

The Donbass Republics will never, ever surrender to the ukrop regime. As long as there is a single nazi in the ukrop army or the ukrop Rada, as long as there is a single monument or street name of nazi collaborators anywhere in Ukraine,  as long as a single nazi war criminal or ISIS cannibal or Georgian organ trafficker or US CIA agent or collaborator walks free in Ukraine, the People and Defenders of these People's Republics will never allow it. We have fought too hard, suffered too much, to ever surrender, and every true patriot of these Republics will fight to the death on the Front, in the streets of our cities and in our very homes if we must, before we would ever allow that to happen. And all politicians, in Ukraine, in the Republics and in Russia will do well to remember that.

The day will come when the Slavic People of Russia and Ukraine will be at peace and together again, as they should be, as they have been for over 1,000 years. But there will never be peace with nazis.
And as long as there are nazis in Ukraine, there will be no peace. The road to peace and a prosperous coexistence between Ukraine , the Donbass Republics and the Russian Federation lies on the foundation of the de-nazification of Ukraine, and nothing else. There is no "special status", no Minsk Accord, no treaties or agreements with nazis, and as long as Ukraine is ruled by nazis and foreign enemies, there can be none. There will be none. It ain't gonna happen.

So, I call for calm, for solidarity, for trust in the leaders who have brought us this far, successfully, down this long, hard road. Our leaders here and our friends in Russia will not betray us. They are not that stupid, they know that our Republics are the defensive wall between 21st Century fascism and Mother Russia. We will continue to defend our Republics and Russia from all enemies, and our Comrades will continue to support us and stand with us. Because they know...
As Goes Donbass, So Goes The World.  No Surrender. Victory or Death!

Lithuania Loses. Again.

With the first round of the 2019 Lithuanian Presidential elections completed on May 12th, the field has narrowed down to two candidates Ingrida Simonyte and Gitanas Nauseda, with Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis announcing his retirement in July, 2019. All three candidates continue the decades long policy of anti-Russian and anti-Communist actions and rhetoric, along with servile obedience to EU and NATO influence and control.

As  FPRI points out, whether the race is won by Simonyte, “a tall, high-pitched economist squirming out of potentially uncomfortable positions” or Nauseda, “a rotund policeman baldly pushing through”, the next four years will not bring any new or significant foreign policy changes.
However, on the economic front, there is a potential hurricane on Lithuania’s horizon that while studiously ignored by the candidates and the media, will be one of the most important issues the new government and all Lithuanians will face in the near future.

On April 29th of this year, US law firm “Alston & Bird” and a Russian law firm “Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev& Partners” sent a Notice of Arbitration on behalf of the fund “Fund for Protection of Investor Rights in Foreign States” who is representing the interests of the main shareholder of the “Snoras” Bank, a Russian citizen Vladimir Antonov, against the government of Lithuania for the illegal expropriation of “Snoras” Bank in 2011. Snoras Bank was recognized as “The Best Bank in Lithuania” in 2006 and 2010, but on November 16th, 2011 100% of the bank’s shares were “nationalized”, and a week later, the bank was declared bankrupt. The market value of the bank’s shares at the time was about 2.5 billion Euros, and the outstanding debts stood at about 118 million Euros, a difference of 2 billion 382 million Euros. Where did the rest of the money go? It did not simply evaporate…

Someone still owns and controls the assets of “Snoras” Bank, and these assets will have to be returned to their rightful owners, or else the government of Lithuania and the people of Lithuania will be held responsible for the debt. At the time of the expropriation, the Head of the Central Bank of Lithuania, Vitas Vasiliauskas did not provide any evidence that the bank was insolvent, and the seizure of the bank was done on the personal initiative of President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite.

The current claim against the government of Lithuania in this case is set at approximately 1.1 billion Euros, but the amount can, and probably will, rise to the full market value of 2.5 billion Euros during the arbitration. According to legal experts, it is unlikely that the government will be able to evade responsibility for the illegal expropriation of Snoras Bank. The annual GDP of Lithuania is about 47.5 billion Euros, so this lawsuit involves as much as 2% to 5% of the entire GDP, a huge liability for the economy of the nation as a whole.

This is a prime example of pro-Western puppets having carte blanche to loot businesses and national treasuries while the regular working people of the country are ultimately left on the hook for the crimes of their rulers.

This is a classic lesson in how the crimes of one generation of corrupt politicians, such as Dalia Grybauskaitė, IngridaShimonite, Vitas Vasilauskas and Andrius Kubilius, can return decades later to haunt subsequent generations of citizens who themselves are innocent of the criminal acts of their previous rulers, but who can and will be forced to bear the responsibility of them.

Let it be a lesson to us all – As it is written in the Bible, “The sins of the fathers shall visited upon the sons.” Tolerating corruption today will only bestow suffering and deprivation on future generations. Let us be vigilant against corruption, for the sake of our children and the future of all Humanity.

Some may object to this lawsuit on the grounds that Vlaimir Antonov, the majority shareholder of Snoras Bank, is himself a convicted criminal and currently serving a two and a half year sentence for involvement in a scheme with others that embezzled about 2 million Euros from the Russian bank “Sovetsky Bank”. However, it is very important to understand that these actions of Mr. Antonov, do not in any way relate to the Snoras Bank. And it is worth mentioning, that Vladimir Antonov does not deny all his wrongdoings.

But 2 million is very a small sum compared to the expropriation of the 2.5 BILLION Euros lost by Antonov and his partner Raimondas Baranauskas in 2011. In a case of thieves versus thieves, (which this case seems to be) the amount stolen and degree of liability are quite relevant, and the amount for which Antonov has been convicted and punished for in Russia is 1/1000th the amount stolen by the Lithuanina expropriation of Snoras Bank in 2011.

The wheels of justice turn slowly, especially in the Baltic States, but turn they do, and there will soon be a day of reckoning for Lithuania and furthermore for Latvia and the missing billions.
It is an indication of the irresponsibility and perhaps culpability of the candidates in the current Lithuanian  elections that they continue to try to ignore one of the most serious and inevitable challenges in modern Lithuanian history.

"Texas Bentley - Anti-American Asshole?"

It's a legitimate question, asked by many, and stated as fact by some. And indeed I am. But not in the sense that they mean. I'm not an asshole who's "anti-American", I'm "anti", or against, American assholes. And there are plenty of them. I'm not against "America". Not against the geography or the good people who live there, or the principles upon which it was supposedly founded. I'm all for all of that. I am anti American assholes, and to be honest, I'd say that's 99.9% of the politicians and professional propagandists ("media") and about 97% of the population these days. That's a LOT of assholes! But  I'm still trying to get through to that other 2 or 3 percent who aren't stupid, lying, dangerous, cowardly, loud-mouthed hypocrite bullies, in other words, not "assholes". 

USA 2019 "LAND OF THE FREE? HOME OF THE BRAVE?"

                                  

Am I "Anti-American"? I'll bet I know the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights better than most of the Americans reading this. Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin? Can you quote them? I can. Eugene Debs, Big Bill Haywood, Smedley Butler, my homeboy Audie Murphy, the Berrigan Brothers, Emmett Grogan, Johnny Cash, Ralph Nader, my homeboy Bill Hicks. Eisenhower, Kennedy. These are the Americans and the American history I am proud of, that I admire, that I love. My personal American heroes. Insult any of them in my presence, and we might just have to fight.

Do you know who Sid Hatfield was, or Joseph Hillstrom? Ever hear of Matewan or the textile strikes in Lawrence, Mass? How about the Battle of Blair Mountain, perhaps the proudest moment in US history, did you ever even hear of that, American? It was less than 100 years ago. You should check this out, citizen. It's your history. Mine too, as an American. I know it. How about you?

And then there are the real Americans, the Native Americans. Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Black Elk and Red Cloud of the Lakota, Cochise and Geronimo of the Apache. Truly great men, all, and how can it not stir the heart and inspire the soul to have lived on the land where they once lived? Yes, I'm from America, from Texas, and proud of it. But the America they once lived in, even the America I was born into in 1960, is long gone, and has been replaced by something else.

You remember the last time you were proud of your fellow Americans? I do, but it's been almost 20 years since I was. November 30th, 1999. WTO in Seattle, remember? I was there. Where were you, American? When I see the Yellow Jackets in France, I am reminded of what we went through back in '99. But I see nothing like it in the USA today.

REMEMBER?

So who do I mean by "American assholes"? Just look who represents you - Trump, Clinton, Pompeo, Bolton, Biden, Pelosi, Maxine Waters. Not to mention Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Obama. That's the best you got, right there. True scum. Your masters, your rulers. And it doesn't matter which side of the aisle you're on, one's as bad as the other. Same shit, different pile.

In fact, I cannot call these scum "assholes", it is insufficient. These I would call "pieces of shit", spawned, grunted forth, from the orifices of the stupid, cowardly, selfish and apathetic majority of the US population, the assholes who vote for them, who pay their salaries, who obey their dictates and ignore their crimes. And if you still vote for ANY Republican or Democrat, then yes, I am talking about you, you American asshole. 

Proud 21st Century American Asshole

The "progressive liberal" Democrats, have started and conducted illegal wars of aggression in Yugoslavia, Libya and Syria, and continued the illegal wars of Republicans in Afghanistan and Iraq. The "conservative Christian" Republicans now allow babies to be "aborted" after they're born. Both of these entrenched power blocks are busy every day screwing the American People every way they can, six ways from Sunday.

And the vast majority of American assholes are fine with it, until it affects them personally. Then, it's an emergency and a national tragedy.  This type of outlook is not only selfish and short-sighted, it is downright stupid. Which is a pretty good description of most Americans. People are responsible for their government, and I do want to talk about your government, the one you vote for and pay taxes to, the one you personally are responsible for. The one that backs genuine nazis in Ukraine, the one that created ISIS, the one that appoints other nation's Presidents, the one that destroys whole nations via economic or military means in the name of "democracy and human rights". 

The crimes the US government has committed since the end of World War 2 are legion, well documented, and beyond dispute. Wars of aggression and "regime change operations" have been waged against at least 81 nations since 1946. That's more than one per year, every year, for the last 73 years. They overthrew (and often murdered) elected officials and installed puppet regimes beholden to US military and corporate interests at the expense and to the detriment of the citizens of these countries. I dare you to try to name a single instance where US military or covert intervention has improved the lives of the citizens of any of these countries. It has cost many millions of lives, wasted trillions of dollars of both the US and the victim countries, ruined whatever reputation and goodwill the US ever once had, and have now brought us closer to nuclear annihilation than any time in human history. Congratulations, American assholes, the world sees your work, even if you fail or refuse to. In one survey, 67% of respondents named the USA as the "Most Hated Nation on Earth". (The other 33% named Israel. For them, the USA was only the second most hated nation on Earth.) Even according to the Pew Research survey of 2018, 45% of the people in 22 different countries see US power and influence as a "major threat". But the US government and its owners and masters are not just threatening and destroying foreign nations and peoples, they are doing the same to you and yours, inside the USA, today. Not that you don't deserve it, you do, because you let 'em do it.

But what about your kids, and their kids? 

The USA has a genuinely fascist government. Whether by the definition of Benito Mussolini of fascism as "corporatism... because fascism is the merger of state and corporate power", or judged by the metrics of the 14 Characteristics of Fascism, only a fool or a liar (in other words, an asshole) can say the US government is not exactly and precisely a Fascist regime, whether nominally directed at any given time by operatives of the Republican or Democratic rackets. The quality of life has declined continuously for average Americans since the 1970's. Since the election of Bush Junior in 2000 and the 9/11 false flag less than a year later, it has simply fallen off the cliff. US citizens fail to understand that the regime they live under has destroyed countries around the world, murdered and enslaved millions, and they will do, are doing, the same inside the USA as well. What goes around comes around. What you allow your masters to do to others without objection, they will do to you. And to your children.

I am reminded of a quote by Thomas Paine, perhaps you know it, "If there is to be trouble, let it be in my day, that my children may know peace; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to his duty".  Yes, the record of abortion in the USA is horrendous, mass murder of the most innocent, literal self-genocide, but think of the future that American assholes are leaving to their living children today.  The future of Orwell's 1984, "A boot stomping on a human face, forever", or the future described by the Bible in Ecclesiastes 4:2, and by Nikita Kruchev - "The living will envy the dead".  This is the future American assholes leave their children.

I was born in America in a time when parents believed, and had at least some reason to believe, that their children would be better off than they were. Who in America today, besides the criminal oligarch scum and their sycophants and servants, can even pretend to believe this will be true for theirs? Only idiots and liars. Assholes. So, yes, I am against American assholes.  

As a US citizen, I too bear some responsibility for the decline of the USA into the feudal fascist shithole, the nihilistic cultural wasteland, it has become, but I did try to do my patriotic duty to change the trajectory. Some American assholes say I'm a traitor to the USA. Well, I did volunteer to serve 3 years in the US Army, as a Combat Engineer, earned the rank of Specialist, and was honorably discharged at the end of my enlistment. And ANY American who has not served in the US armed forces and dares to question my patriotism can go ahead and STFU. I was also involved in the political process. I ran for US Senator in 1990,  US Congress Minnesota 5th District in 1992,   and worked on a state-wide ballot initiative in Alaska in 2000. I was at the WTO protest in Seattle in 1999, I marched against the first attack on Iraq in 1990, and against the second in 2003. So any American who questions my patriotism and whose extent of political participation extends to no more than voting in rigged elections, buying an "I'm with Her" t-shirt or putting a Trump sign in their yard can also go ahead and STFU. You can question my patriotism when you have done as much as I have. Or more. I'm not "anti-American", I'm anti-fascist, and only those who have done more than I have to try to improve the USA are qualified to criticize my efforts or my patriotism. 

So, I hope this puts to rest the allegations of my "anti-Americanism".  But maybe I'm just a regular asshole?  Rude, disrespectful, short-tempered, aggressive, violent. You know, a real asshole in anybody's book. Am I? Maybe so. Let's see...  

Rude? I'll admit I always try to speak frankly. I don't mince words. I have dealt in serious business most of my life, four years as a soldier (in the US and Novorussian armies), ten years as an outlaw (cannabis smuggler) in the US and Mexico, I was a bouncer in several very tough venues, and I also spent over ten years as a crew leader, lead climber and lumberjack, the most dangerous job in the USA.   These kinds of jobs require fast, decisive, correct competent action, not diplomacy, debate or "pretty please with sugar on top". I also spent 5 years in federal prison, almost half of it in Maximum Security, surrounded by merciless psychopaths (the guards) as well as convicted felons. I learned there how to deal with threats and challenges in a direct and effective way, and it has stuck with me.

Disrespectful? I treat every person I meet with common courtesy, giving them the benefit of the doubt and an opportunity to prove, by their actions, what kind of person they really are. But I have zero respect for fools, cowards, bullies and above all, hypocrites, and I have no problem or hesitation in calling it as I see it. So, if you don't want me to call you an asshole, don't act like one, and I won't. If you do, I most certainly will.

I have nothing but contempt and disgust for political correctness and identity politics of any kind, and do not  apologize for ridiculing the ridiculous. I'm a Communist, which above all means egalitarian, and I treat everyone as equals until they prove differently. I've had the privilege of meeting many people who were better than me - morally, intellectually, artistically, and I treat them with the respect they deserve, try to learn from them and emulate them as best I can. And I have met my share of inferiors - idiots, cowards, hypocrites, liars, and I do not even pretend to hide my contempt and disgust for them. Why should I? 

I don't give a fuck what people like that think, about me or anything else. I respect people who are honest and work not just for their own interests, but for the betterment or the whole, (which in the final analysis is in their own interest as well.) I respect people who do what they say they will do, and I do not respect those who don't. I respect people who are good at their jobs, who fulfill their responsibilities and obligations, who advance their careers by their effort and competence, not by back-stabbing and sabotaging their competitors. I respect people who have courage and dedication, who are in it for more than just themselves. Above all, I respect people with intellectual, logical and moral principles. And as for people who lack these principles, I respect them exactly to the degree which they endeavor to attain them. Some people make no effort and never will, and as for them I have no respect. They are just a waste.

 As for special privileges for minorities, I don't care if you're a Gay Black Left-handed Trans-gender Midget Rastafarian with ADHD. It's your "identity", not mine, so you deal with it, but don't expect any categorical privileges from me. And even if all the above applies to you, I'll treat you the same as I treat everybody else - with the respect due to your contribution to a better world for everybody. Or lack thereof. 

 You are not your job or your income or education, not your skin color or your gender, that is not what defines you as a human being. You are what you do, no more, no less. Your actions (or lack thereof) and how they affect the present and future world we all share, THAT is all and exactly what you are. Your actions. And they are exactly the basis upon which I will judge your worth as a human being. And I judge my own worth based on my own actions, how well I cross the space between what I do and what I could do, and how the results of what I do affect the world.  All the rest of it is just distraction and bullshit.

Am I short-tempered? I've been a political activist for most of the last 30 years, mostly against war - the "Drug War" and the many illegal wars of aggression the US has waged in the last 30 years. I've been telling people the truth for decades now, that Oswald didn't kill JFK, that the US election system is rigged, that the US and Western media is propaganda and pure bullshit, that 9/11 was an inside job, that Iraq had no WMD's, that Gaddafi wasn't a murderous tyrant, that the US was backing nazis in Ukraine, that Assad didn't gas anybody and that Gusano Gaido is not the President of Venezuela. So, I've been pretty patient for the last 30 years. I've been trying to enlighten and help people for 30 years, idiots, cowards, hypocrites, who are too stupid (intentionally or otherwise) to understand or even try, but who are quick and loud to condemn me for trying to help them see the truth. After 30 fucking years, it's starting to get old, and it should come as no surprise that this cultivated and intentional militant ignorance is finally starting to piss me off. 

Am I aggressive? I've been in about 300 fistfights in my life (mostly due to my job as a bouncer. Mostly.) and in less than a dozen have I hit first. I don't like to fight, I have learned that even if you win quickly and easily, you still usually sustain some injury yourself. It's an important lesson, and one I learned well, and the hard way. I also learned in prison that some people cannot be reasoned with, have no humanity or morality to appeal to, and so their aggression must be met with defensive violence or submission. I've never been the submissive type, but nor do I seek to dominate anyone else. I'm not a big fan of "The Golden Rule", though I do respect and understand the logic and morality behind it. I'm no saint, so I have my own rule, I call it "The Iron Rule". I am not yet spiritually evolved enough to follow the admonition of Jesus and treat people as I would want them to treat me. I have my own rule - I treat people as they treat me, only more so. It's pretty basic and fair, and it works for me. If you help me, I will help you more. If you hurt me or try to hurt me, or the people and causes I love, I will hurt you, without apology, hesitation or regret, and I will do it in such a way that you will think long and hard before you try it again. It's simple - with me, you reap what you sow. Plus interest.

The world today is in a very serious situation. There are those who intend to enslave and exterminate Humanity, to rule the world, to return it to a dark and feudal past. I and my Comrades do all we can to stop them. It is serious work for serious people, and we have no time for poseurs or spectators, armchair quarterbacks who demand fake civility, hollow courtesies or any other extraneous bullshit. It is a life or death struggle, the fight is on, and it will end only with the victory of one side and the destruction of the other. What we do now will determine whether the 10% of oligarchs and their minions will enslave and destroy 90% of Humanity like livestock and insects, or whether the 90% will liberate and cure itself of this deadly parasitic infestation of would-be masters. You are either on one side or the other, neutrality is not an option. If you are willing and able, then join us. If you are unwilling or unable, or offended by our efforts, it would be best for you to simply shut up the fuck up and get the fuck out of our way. And as they say in Paris these days, "Pardon my French"... 

DEFENDING REALITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

                                     WARNING - THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS A GRAPHIC IMAGE OF REALITY

                                           " Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. "  - John 8:32

What is happening now, especially in the last couple of years, including this one, is the transformation of not only history and language, but the transformation of information itself. A Gutenberg moment in history, but turbo-charged, on steroids. A destructive transformation, in which not only reality but the Truth itself is under severe attack. In the absence of truth, freedom becomes impossible. Justice becomes impossible. And what is the opposite of freedom, the opposite of justice?

Slavery. Those of you who are not willing to be slaves must stand up NOW and confront those who intend to be your masters. In this battle, the Truth is our most powerful weapon. That is why our enemies, those who intent to make Humanity a race of a few masters and a half a billion slaves, are trying to hide the truth and destroy our ability to find it. If we lose this, we lose everything.

So how do we know the truth in the age of fake news and "highly likely",  rampant and blatant censorship and groups of professional liars with names like "Integrity Initiative" and "Newsguard"?
(NOTE - Both of these are serious threats to honest news and debate. Click the links. )

How do we navigate through  the tsunami of lies, the avalanche of bullshit, and come to find the rare, obscure, but vital truth? There is a war against truth being waged today, a war to wipe out truth and reality and to replace it with a constantly shifting illusion devoid of context, that precludes all certainty, because without truth, without a strong and genuine grasp on reality, we can do nothing, we are nothing.  As the military war seems to be on hold in Syria and Donbass, the information war is ramping up like never before. Let's take a look at our enemies, their history of lies, what they are up to, and what we can and must do to stop them.

The war that is being waged today against Humanity and our future is not just military or economic. It is a direct assault on our ability not only to express our own opinions, but to hear the opinions of others who are actually speaking the truth, not just what they want you to believe. The lies of  Western government and media are legion, and have had real world consequences for millions of human beings all over the world. The cover-up of the murder of JFK, the "Gulf of Tonkin incident", the "Nayira testimony", the illegal NATO attack on Yugoslavia, in 1999. This litany of lies, propaganda and false flags continues to this day, with deceptions reported as facts about "Iraq WMD's",  Libya and Gaddafi, the Maidan snipers, Syrian "gas attacks" and MH-17. Followed by the patently ridiculous Skripal/Novichuck  imbroglio.

September 11th, 2001, the most horrendous false flag mass deception in modern history took place right before the eyes of billions of human beings around the world, and in spite of obvious anomalies and even explanations and excuses that defied the laws of physics (and thus physical reality) the vast majority of people in the USA and elsewhere went along with the story, choosing to pretend to believe blatant lies rather than the inconvenient and perhaps dangerous truth. And by doing so, they forfeited their rights to their humanity and a future, becoming as dumb and docile as cows on their way to an abattoir.  And this acquiescence, this submission to lies, is the foundation of the subsequent crimes against Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Ukraine.  The Ruling Class, the parasite class, the 1%, your masters now hold you in utter contempt, secure that they can lie right to your face, tell you that black is white that evil is good, tell you mass murder is "humanitarian", secure in the knowledge that you will pretend to believe and do nothing as they rape and pillage the Earth and you and your children's futures.

And now, they are ramping up their war against reality, silencing dissent and legitimate questions, removing from history the very facts themselves. Many, if not most Americans know that there were three World Trade Center buildings that came down on September 11th, 2001, that the third building, 47 story tall WTC 7 was not hit by a plane, and yet fell at freefall speed into its own footprint in a manner consistent  exactly and ONLY with controlled demolition. Yet in the US government's own 9/11 Commission Report, there is not a single mention of WTC 7.  And in fact, Donald Rumsfeld claimed to have never heard of WTC 7, and US Senator Joe Lieberman actually claimed he'd seen "no evidence" that it actually ever happened.  Mark my words - 20 years from now, that will be the "truth". The propagandists will actually say it never happened, that all the videos of the building coming down are "fake" CGI, and they will "prove" it by saying "If there really was a building 7 that came down that day, don't you think it would have been in the 9/11 Commission report?" THAT is how the lies of the past, and the acceptance of those lies, will prevent the truth from being sought, much less even known in the future if we allow it. Past is prologue...

And in the infosphere, who controls the present?  In 1983, 90% of the US media, TV, movies, newspapers and radio were owned by 50 different corporations. By 2011, that same 90% of media, including internet providers, was owned by just six corporations, and the trend will continue. In fact, corporations such as Apple, Google and Facebook are also now getting into the "Information Industry", and considering their past records, can only be expected to further restrict and distort access to information that does not fit their agenda of dumbing down and confusing the gullible masses who continue to consider these outlets as legitimate sources of information. They're not. These corporations are run by lying bastards whose primary goal is to brainwash their victims into a completely false world view, in order to enslave or exterminate them. And it is working. So far.

The problem with the goddamned fools who trust these corporations to bring them anything remotely resembling the truth can be summed up by the following - If they eat shit long enough, they get used to it. If they eat it for too long, they learn to like it. Far too many have learned to like it, to the point that they are angered or offended whenever someone tries to tell them the actual truth. In fact, these cowards and fools who are willing to support censorship, who would stifle different or dissenting opinions, who through cowardice or abject stupidity do not want to know the truth, are as much our real enemies and the real enemies of Humanity as the nazis whose lies they believe. 

                   "Shut up! I saw it on CNN and BBC, and read it in the New York Times! So I KNOW it's true!
                                   Besides, I don't want to know. You should be deplatformed and defunded!"

(Etymological note - "defunded" was first used in 1948. The word "deplatformed" is currently used only in the vernacular. It is not yet part of official English language. But it will be.)

As Mark Twain observed, "It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." And many fools have been fooled. The job of real info warriors is to not only unfool them by showing them the truth and the proof of the problem, we must also show them what is to be done, and lead by example.

The proof is irrefutable that governments and corporations are combining to censor, distort and control the infosphere in all its aspects. From Facebook and Twitter bannings to Paypal closing accounts of bloggers and even of alternative social networks like "Gab",  to the concerted (and successful) effort by the BBC, the Houston Chronicle to defund the publication of my book Donbass Cowboy. Their efforts cost me thousands of dollars that had already been donated. But their efforts are also useful in that they are instructive as to exactly how concerted propaganda works, both in how it is written and disseminated. It appears this was some of the early disinfo work of the British government propaganda operation called ironically, "The Integrity Initiative."  The threat of combined corporate and government power against open and honest news, debate and information cannot be overstated. It has been done before, with devastating and world-changing results.

"The merger of state and corporate power"... Can there be a more succinct description for the system under which the US and EU live today? If it is not fascism, there never was such a thing. But anyone still aware of history knows there was such a thing, and to paraphrase Shakespeare, "A concentration camp by any other name would smell as foul."  Indeed, the 6th point in The 14 Defining Characteristics of Fasism is precisely "Controlled Mass Media". Only a fool or a liar can deny that the USA is today under a fascist regime, and has been for decades, at least since the Reagan era.

And as these fascists simultaneously expand and consolidate their power, they connive to rob you and your children not only of your futures and your birthrights as citizens and as human beings, they connive to rob you of your very ability to discern and understand reality itself.

So, what is to be done? First, we must use propagandists and censors like Facebook, Twitter, Google  mainstream media bullshit mills to our own advantage when we can. We must use their power against them in a form of journalistic judo. I would love to see Facebook go the way of Myspace, but in the mean time, I will use it to inform people of what is happening here in Donbass. I get blocked for 30 days every month or so, so it is not a reliable platform, but I will continue to use it as I can until Zuckerberg and his censors shut me down for good, as Twitter and Live Leak already have. Alternatively, if you want to find me, you can always come to my VK page, where I have never once been banned or censored. 

Second, support honest alternative media. The more they are marginalized by fascist censors, the more they deserve your support, even if you don't like or agree with everything they say, Gab and Alex Jones are two of the preeminent examples but there are many more -  Fair, open and honest debate is the foundation of truth, reality and the "marketplace of ideas". It MUST be defended. Without it, all is lost. Those who speak truth to power, and about power, take real risks, face real dangers in doing so, and they set an example that others must learn from and follow. Share and support their work however you can. Above all, do not indulge in self-censorship.

As Caitlin Johnstone observed recently in an excellent article on this same subject -"Any attempt to advance the hegemony of the US-centralized power establishment will be rewarded by its lackeys, and any skepticism of it will be punished. Whoever controls the narrative controls the world. Ruling power’s desire to regulate people’s access to information is so desperate that it has become clumsy and ham-fisted... They’re barely even concealing their desire to control our minds anymore, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to wake everyone up to their manipulations. We need to use every inch of our ability to communicate with each other before it gets shut down for good."

And third and finally, we must remember who we are fighting and why.  The worldwide oligarchy who own and control these propagandists have used them to start wars and destroy nations, to commit unimaginable crimes against Humanity, to the detriment of millions, perhaps billions, of human beings. Those who want to ban "hate speech" are those who are in fact worthy of being hated. As Gandhi said, "Hatred is not the enemy. Fear is." Those who advocate censorship say they want to protect you from lies. But they are lying when they say it. They want to protect themselves from the truth, the truth that they are working to enslave or exterminate Humanity in both the spiritual and physical sense. These are the enemies of Humanity and all that is good in it. These are 21st Century nazis, and they make the German nazis of the last century look like amateurs in comparison.

The truth is our most powerful weapon and our greatest treasure. Without it, there can be no solidarity or sacrifice or greater good. Without it, we cannot tell good from evil. Without it, we have no past and no future, there is nothing to differentiate us from livestock or insects. And those who do not stand up now and do their part to defend reality, the Truth, and our common Humanity are really no more than that. And they can most certainly expect to be treated as such - exploited to death or simply exterminated, and deservedly so, as they have forfeited their very Humanity. That's reality.

REFLECTIONS ON FOUR YEARS IN DONBASS

                                                         REFLECTIONS ON FOUR YEARS IN DONBASS


I arrived in Donetsk four years ago today, December 7th, 2014. A week later I enlisted in the Essence of Time combat unit of VOSTOK Battalion. I served as a rifleman, anti-sniper and RPG gunner at front line positions, punishing the "Punishers". Then we were rotated back from the Front at the end of June 2015 when the EoT unit became attached to XAH Battalion Spetsnaz. Two months later, at the end of August 2015, I began working full time as a war correspondent and human aid worker. I am still in the Novorussian Army reserves, and continue to write, make videos, do interviews and human aid work. At the age of 58, I can look back on the last 4 years and honestly say they have been the best years of my life.

These years have been good, but they have not been easy. I served at front line positions at Donetsk Airport, Spartak, and Avdeevka during the days of the heaviest fighting. The conditions were brutal, and the firefights were almost daily. The XAH Battalion was just as tough as being at the Front. XAH is probably the toughest unit in the whole NAF, and the lifestyle on base reflects that. My time since retiring from military service has also been marked by extremely hard work and difficult situations, dealt with on a daily basis. My wife and I work 12 to 14 hour days, every day. We do not take vacations, and if on a rare day we only work 8 hours or so, we consider it a day off. We don't get many days off.

I have traveled to Crimea twice, Moscow and Grozny once each, and to Rostov many times. Each of these trips was for work, none was anywhere near a vacation. Other than that, for the last four years, I have been in Donbass. I came here to fight Fascists and to help the regular people of Donbass, and that is what I have done and will keep doing. Maybe we will all take a vacation when the war is over. Until then, the job continues, every day. Since I left the Army in 2015, I have not been paid by anyone for my work, other than by friends and supporters who contribute to help keep me alive and continuing to work. They have my most heartfelt thanks and respect. They are an essential part of the work that all of us together have done here.

I have learned a lot in these last 4 years, about Russian history and culture, what it means to have a "Russian Soul".    (I do not say I have one, my friends say I do.) I have learned that even in the fight against genuine Fascism, there are good and bad people on both sides, that not everyone who professes to be against the Kiev Regime is necessarily on my side, or on the side of the People of the DPR. Some so-called "comrades" have tried as hard to put knives in my back as the ukrop soldiers have tried to put bullets in my face. I have deal with them as I see fit, based on what I see as being best for the Republic I came here to help and to defend, confident that all treachery will eventually be known and that those who try to set traps will eventually fall into them themselves.

I did not come here to make a career or a name for myself, or to make money. I came here to stand beside the people and the defenders of Donbass, and to live or die with them, come what may. I did not expect to live through that first Winter four years ago, but I came anyway, and I survived. I was lucky. Too many of those I stood with at the Front were not. Too many.

I stand by everything I have done here, every act, every word spoken or written. I am not perfect, not a genius or a saint, I have made mistakes. But I made them in good faith, working hard for a good cause. I did not try to hide them. And those who have done more than I, with less mistakes, are qualified to criticize my work. Those who have not should keep silence, and take a lesson from it. My work speaks for itself. Doing good, helping those in need, fighting against monsters, speaking truth to power on both sides, these acts are their own rewards. It has not been easy, but it has been worth it. Besides, as the saying goes, "If it was easy, everybody would be doing it."

Life is good here, and getting better daily, but it is not perfect. Just like me, the DPR has its problems, and the future is by no means sure, but  this is my home, the best place I have ever lived, and I intend to live here for the rest of my life, however long that may be. And I intend to do everything I can to make it as best as possible, for the greatest number of citizens here, my family.

The Donbass Republics have set an example for the world. We have fought the ukrop and western nazis to a standstill, and our continued existence is the proof of our victory. I am more proud of what we have done here, what I have contributed to, than any other thing I have been a part of in my life.

The two best examples set by the people of the DPR are courage and solidarity. They first understand that courage is the key to happiness - it is impossible to be happy if you are afraid. We are not afraid. By contrast, the people of the USA are consumed by fear of everything, but especially of each other. The people of Donbass know that to accept oppression and injustice is to invite further outrages by their enemies against them. So we do not accept them. We understand that there are things greater than ourselves, things worth giving our lives to and for, and that if there are things worth dying for, there are things worth fighting for.

Solidarity is another hallmark of the Donbass people. We look out for each other, and are well known for our generosity and hospitality. Along with the courage of our men and the beauty of our women, solidarity, generosity and hospitality are our defining characteristics. We are, by and large, proletarians, hard-working and wise. During the Soviet period, the people of Donbass were known as the most staunchly Communist people in the entire USSR. We do not just talk about their ideals, we live them. I am proud to be one of them.


I have found my home, my happiness, my place in life, my destiny. I hope you find yours. Because we are all in this together, we will all share our destiny together, in the Whole, or in the Hole. Davai!

DECEMBER FUND RAISER - HELP NEEDED NOW!

This may be the most important fund-raiser we have ever done. It has the potential to generate ongoing and major funding for our human aid and journalism projects here in Donbass.

Our December fund-raising project, of vital importance is to raise funds to print my book, The Donbass Cowboy, on paper (printed here in Donetsk) both in English and in Russian. The English e-book edition has sold multi-hundreds of copies, and raised over $5,000 for Donbass Human Aid projects. That's not bad, especially for a first-time author who is not using Amazon or other conventional sales outlets. The book has had very positive reviews for being well-written, honest, informative, unique and exciting. It's a good book! (If you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can.
Check this out. And this.)

The potential market for this book in Russia is HUGE. Russians love books and reading, and they really like a good war story. I have had offers of support for the publication of the book from major players in the Russian media, publishing and otherwise. The translation of the book into Russian is near completion, and should be done by the end of the year. Then, we need editing, formatting, artwork and printing. That's where you come in. That's what this super important fund-raiser is for. The Russian edition of the book has tremendous sales potential in Russia, and can generate funds for our human aid and other projects far above what the English e-book already has, in a continuous stream of funding that will not depend on contributions which can dry up or be blocked at any time.

THIS FUND-RAISER IS TIME SENSITIVE. NOW IS THE TIME TO CONTRIBUTE.

The de-funding and de-platforming of alternate news sources continues and is escalating. My fund raisers have been targeted before by major anti-Russian propagandists such as the BBC, with serious economic impact. Their efforts to undermine our freedom of speech and the funding of our human aid and journalism will continue and intensify. Now is the time to contribute. Tomorrow may be too late.

(UPDATE - ON DECEMBER 15TH, DHA PAYPAL ACCOUNT WAS BLOCKED. WE CURRENTLY HAVE OTHER OPTIONS, BUT THE ATTACKS WILL CONTINUE.)

There are several ways you can contribute -

If you can't afford a monetary contribution, you can at least help by sharing a link to this page as far as possible. Not everyone can contribute financially, but everybody can do something.
Even if you can't afford to send a donation, you can still contribute by sharing this info. 
Do your part!

You can make a monetary donation via-

Donbass Human Aid through our Patreon or direct accounts. you can use a credit or debit card, and the contribution is tax deductible. DHA is a registered tax-exempt 501(c)3 charity.

Western Union to me, Russell Bentley in Rostov, Russia. Once you have sent the money, I will need  the following info sent to my email account,  ( russellbbentley@gmail.com ) -

1) NAME of sender
2) CITY sent from
3) AMOUNT sent
4) MTCN #  (You will get the number from W.U. at the time of your transaction.)

Without ALL the info above, I cannot pick up the money. I take a 12 hour round trip bus ride to Rostov to pick up Western Union funds, and if there is a problem I either have to go again or rent a hotel, so please make sure all info is sent and correct!

In Russia, if you have a Sberbank account, you can transfer funds to the following card number -
4276 5219 3378 6422   (please be sure to double check you send to the correct card number!)

Thanks to all who have contributed in the past. I ask you now to donate again for this vital project.
If you have considered donating before but haven't yet, now is the time. Please don't put it off.
Do it now, today. Time is of the essence. Tomorrow may be too late.

It takes time to process the donations, get the funds and send them to Russia, and from there to Donetsk. So, now is the time to act. You can donate right now. You are online now, as you read this, and your credit card is right there in your purse or wallet. Go on, pull it out, make a donation for a good cause (or two!) part of your Christmas gift giving I promise, it's way better than going to the mall!

Good luck to all good people. May God protect the innocent and may the rest of us get everything we deserve...

Politics and Religion, Good and Evil in the World Today

Based on my remarks at the Politics and Religion conference held in Grozny, October 6th, 2018

POLITICS AND RELIGION, GOOD AND EVIL IN THE WORLD TODAY

When I look back on twenty years of political activism in the USA and more recently in Donbass, I must admit I sometimes wonder if it was worth it. I ask myself if I have actually done any good. "Good", both in the moral sense and as well as whether I've been effective. Whether I've done my share, made any actual difference. We all have a part to play, something that we can do. The question is whether we do what we can, or don't. Einstein said that the answers to all the world's problems lie in the space between what people do and what they could do, if they chose to, if they made the effort, took action instead of just talking about the world's problems, or worse, ignoring them.

But of course, if you take the responsibility, the risk, of taking action, you must be sure it is for the right cause. This brings up the question of good and evil. You have to know what they are to know which side you're on.  So, let's start by defining both "Good" and "Evil", as moral, philosophic and materialistic concepts. Should we start with Good or Evil? As Anton Chigurh might say, "Let's flip for it." I did. It came up tails. Evil.

Many people say that money is the root of all evil. They are ignorant, (and we'll get to that) aping the words of others, clueless as to the real quote, where it came from, or what it really means. The real quote is from the Bible, First Timothy 6:10, and it says "The love of money is the root of all evil", and that is what it means. Big difference.  So, how is the love of money expressed? Through greed and selfishness of course, and greed and selfishness are also symptoms of fear.

Scott Peck, the brilliant psychiatrist and theologian, wrote a book, People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil, in which he gave several excellent definitions of what evil really is. The first and most concise is simply "militant ignorance". Think about that for a moment, let it sink in. And ask yourself if there is a better, more all encompassing description than that for the USA in the 21st Century.  It is the definition of evil. There are other definitions and  indices of evil in his book, all of which are instructive. The title itself defines evil - "The People of the Lie". Is there a representative of the US government over the last 30 years for whom this title does not apply? The Bible, in John 8:44 describes the Devil, saying, "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar, and the father of lies." Peck further defines evil as "a willingness to impose suffering on others, in order to avoid one's own spiritual growth." Again hauntingly familiar, a definition I am sure that the millions of suffering victims of the USA's 21st Century wars of aggression would readily agree with.

The modern history of the USA is one big lie. From the Warren Commission to 9/11, from Iraqi WMD's to Syrian chemical weapons, lies are the currency of the US government. And the worst kind of lies are self-deception, which allows people to continue to do evil, while pretending to themselves that they are good. The murder of Gaddafi and the destruction of Libya, under the excuse of Right-to-Protect ("R2P") is a perfect example. The "protection" that the US and NATO provided to Libya has led directly to an estimated minimum of 150,000 people in Libya, and a potential maximum of 360,000, with the mean average estimated at 250,000 people "protected" to death in Libya in the last 8 years. Under self righteous but demonstrably false premises. The same false premises have cost the lives of 2.4 million people in Iraq (NOT counting the 500,000 children killed by sanctions before the  2003 invasion, which Madeline Albright said were "worth it".)  Over a million are estimated to have been killed by US/NATO in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the death toll of the US instigated civil war against the legitimate government of Syria is estimated at 511,000 as of March 2018, and the toll continues to climb. These illegitimate wars of aggression, started by the USA and their lackey have killed over 4 million human beings in less than a decade, and these war continue today, based on the same lies with which they were started. The people of the lie, indeed...

So, let's begin our definition of evil by agreeing that those who commit, facilitate, allow or ignore the murder of millions of human beings is genuinely evil.

Hannah Arendt's book, Eichmann in Jerusalem : A Report on the Banality of Evil, also offers useful definitions and insights into what evil really is. She came away from Eichmann's trial struck by the banality, the stupidity, the utterly unremarkable and unoriginal character of a man who was also a willing functionary in a regime that was guilty in the mass murder of millions of people whose only "crime" was allowing themselves to be victims.  We can see the same banality in Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, in Boris Johnson and Teresa May, in Petro Poroshenko and Benjamin Netanyahu. Their pseudo intellect and their pseudo humanity. Another telltale sign of evil is cowardice - most of the leading German nazis chose suicide, and even murdered their entire families, rather than face justice and try to justify to the world what they were and what they had done. Or perhaps,it would be better to say that evil is a symptom of fear. It is, after all, far more difficult to be good than to be evil, especially in the world today, though perhaps it has always been thus.

Greed and stinginess are also symptoms of fear, and the ultimate goal of Capitalism can honestly be described in the vile maxim "All for me, and none for anybody else." In the USA today, the ultimate perversion of true Christianity is practiced by millions of affluent citizens under the contemptible name of "Prosperity Gospel". They say that they are rich because they are rewarded by God for being good, and poor people are poor because they are punished by God for their evil ways. This, of course, is the exact opposite of the true Gospel of Jesus, such as Matthew 19:24, " Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And Matthew 1:29, " "If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven."   When it comes to riches, it was the Devil who "took Jesus on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the Earth, and all their riches, and said, "All this I will give to you if you will but fall down and worship me." Matthew 4:8. Among the venal scum who preach this false religion, giving to the poor is not a priority. They live in multi-million dollar mansions, own private jets and luxury cars and build "mega-churches" the size of sports stadiums, as opulent as any Roman colosseum. "Pastrix" Paula White even gave multi-millionaire ($147 million) "Bishop" T. D. Jakes a $200,000 Bentley convertible for his 50th birthday. The top 10 richest "pastors" in the world live in the USA, or Nigeria. These scum spend millions on their own obscenely extravagant lifestyles, while giving a tiny fraction of their proceeds to the poor. They are paid by the Devil that they worship.

Bono's ONE Foundation is another glaring example - Though his own net worth is close to $700 million, he started the ONE Foundation to "raise awareness" of extreme poverty in Africa and elsewhere. The foundation raised over $11 million in 2008, and gave less than 2% to actual programs to help the poor. The rest went to the already obscenely rich Bono and his yuppie underlings.  Of course, centi-millionaire Bono's fraud is chump change compared to the Clinton Foundation, "a charity fraud of epic proportions".   The Clinton Foundation entities are part of a network that has defrauded donors and created illegal private gains of approximately $100 billion in combined magnitude, and possibly more, since 23 October 1997."  Remember the quote about the love of money? It is the root of all evil. These phony preachers, these fake progressives, they love their money, are willing to steal food from starving children to buy their mansions and private jets, these паразиты, these parasites, are truly evil.

There is an old canard, sometimes taught in 3rd rate ethics or philosophy classes that asks, "Is it wrong for a man to steal medicine for his dying wife if he cannot afford to buy it?"  What a ridiculous question. The answer is so obvious to any decent human being - "No, it is wrong for there to be medicine that is unaffordable to people who need it." 

So, what is "good"?

As a Communist, my interpretation of what is right and good is that which is the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and by "good", I mean that which promotes the health and happiness, that which ensures the basic necessities of life and the opportunity for each individual to fulfill their human potential to the greatest degree. As I see it, to the extent that someone's actions diminish or interfere with this, they cannot be good. To the extent that they impose unnecessary suffering on others, they are evil. Every billionaire on this planet is evil. Their love of money has led them to amass unearned and unjustifiable fortunes without any consideration of others. No one can earn a billion dollars. That amount can only be stolen or swindled. No one can work so hard or be so brilliant that they could possibly earn such a sum. And it must be understood and remembered that a billion is one thousand million, and most billionaires are multi-billionaires, they have multi thousand millions. And yet children on this planet still starve, millions live without even the most basic requirements of life. There can be no moral justification for this.

Other than a belief in God and an afterlife to be determined by what we do in this one, the broader definition of "religion" is a belief in something greater than one's self, and a moral code that reflects that belief. I am an Orthodox Christian, and I do believe in God and an afterlife, but whether God exists or whether there is life after this one or not, either way, the definition of "good" remains the same. "The greatest good for the greatest number of people."  Certainly, this would be the right way to earn the approval of God and a good place in the afterlife, but even if this life is all we have, we should still work for the same goal - we must make it as good and fulfilling as possible for ourselves and for all who share this short cosmic miracle of life with us. After all, we are all in this together. So, religion is the moral code by which we judge good and evil, ourselves and others, and politics is the method we use to realize our ideals. Thus politics and religion are inextricably intertwined.

Von Clauswitz famously said, "War is not an independent phenomenon, it is the continuation of politics carried out by different means." So, if war is politics carried out by different means, then politics is war carried out by different means. And make no mistake, our world is at war, the final war, Armageddon, the final conflict between good and evil, life and death. This war has the very real potential to annihilate not only all human life but also the very biosphere, all complex life on our planet. We are here, now, to choose our side and do our part in this war. We all have a part to play, and we all choose our side. Neutrality is not an option. Indifference is not an option. Evil is winning, death is winning, and all those who do nothing are on that side.

The open warfare in Donbass and Syria are only the most obvious flashpoints in this global war between good and evil, life and death. And every choice we make, our every act or failure to act, effects this war and its ultimate outcome. Unless we can drastically change the current trajectory of human activity, we ourselves may not see the end of Humanity, but our children will. Life is what we make it, what all of us together make it for all of us together. Evil is powerful, but it is small, and it is afraid. We can defeat it, if we choose correctly our own moral code and then live by it in real terms, come what may, if we cross that space between what we do and what we could do, we can find the answers to all the world's problems.

Let's go!