In Which We Learn New Things About Russia

Hypatian wrote:
Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

totalitarian spacecraft

O_O

Was that... perhaps... meant to be totalitarian statecraft? Totalian spacecraft sounds more like something from an Iain Banks novel.

Right on!!

I made that post from my cell phone, and it probably offered up another autocorrect hilarity when I typed "statecraft".

Rethinking Russia.

PDF or iTunes.

Either way it's an excellent and fascinating conversation on US-Russia relations.

In other news:

IMAGE(http://images.izvestia.ru/main3134633.jpg)

Russia preparing to celebrate the 90th birthday of Mikhail Kalashnikov, the
father of Russia's most enduring brand.

Kalashnikov wrote:

"The arms bearing my name are now in service in 55 nations," Kalashnikov, who is still the chief arms designer for Izhmash, the holding company that makes Kalashnikovs, added with pride.

"In some countries, even newborn children are named 'Kalash'," he said. "This is very pleasing."

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

In other news:

IMAGE(http://images.izvestia.ru/main3134633.jpg)

Russia preparing to celebrate the 90th birthday of Mikhail Kalashnikov, the
father of Russia's most enduring brand.

Kalashnikov wrote:

"The arms bearing my name are now in service in 55 nations," Kalashnikov, who is still the chief arms designer for Izhmash, the holding company that makes Kalashnikovs, added with pride.

"In some countries, even newborn children are named 'Kalash'," he said. "This is very pleasing."

"In other countries, children are forced to carry Kalashnikovs and kill people," he said. "This is not so pleasing."

I thought so too Gorilla. Lots of good information in that episode. I really hope more people download it from iTunes or try and catch a re-run on HDNet.

Edwin wrote:

Rethinking Russia.

PDF or iTunes.

Either way it's an excellent and fascinating conversation on US-Russia relations.

I didn't know that Race to Arctic bit of trivia about Russia having 18 ice-breakers (7 of them atomic) and USA only having two diesel powered ones. Kind of makes the outlook interesting.

Paleocon wrote:

The Mongols were not so bad. As long as you ... didn't challenge the authority of the Khan, they pretty well left you alone.

Like by living in a city? Ghengis really hated people doing that.

MikeSands wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

The Mongols were not so bad. As long as you ... didn't challenge the authority of the Khan, they pretty well left you alone.

Like by living in a city? Ghengis really hated people doing that.

Not true. If you're talking about the razing of Samarkand, the sultan there beat and robbed his emissaries three times in an attempt to "impress" Ghenghis. Needless to say, Temujin was not impressed.

Generally speaking, if you played ball, you did okay. You got to practice your religion, speak your own language, and conduct trade without threat of petty feudal warlords or brigands robbing you blind. The streets were safer and business was good. It just sucked to be a king, prince, or member of a royal family. He didn't much tolerate rival authority.

You're talking Ghenghis Khan alone, wheres the entire period of Mongol reign is about 300 years long, during which it varied in levels of brutality and oppressiveness.
See Greater Shilla and Koryo.

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

You're talking Ghenghis Khan alone, wheres the entire period of Mongol reign is about 300 years long, during which it varied in levels of brutality and oppressiveness.
See Greater Shilla and Koryo.

In fairness, the Koryo king was sort of a dick about things. I'm with you on the Shilla though.

Georgia-Russia War the sequel, directed by Michael Bay.

The television network Russia Today, founded by Russia's state-owned RIA Novosti news service, asked in a headline on its Web site: "Will Andy Garcia Eat His Tie?" The question refers to BBC video clip of Saakashvili nervously chewing on his tie in the aftermath of the war, a clip that has aired repeatedly on Russian television networks.

IMAGE(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SV2T3EOrO8w/Sjzuj_kpbTI/AAAAAAAAAeg/-gcR5jNHjtw/s400/mishuko.jpg)

Paleocon wrote:

If you're talking about the razing of Samarkand, the sultan there beat and robbed his emissaries three times in an attempt to "impress" Ghenghis. Needless to say, Temujin was not impressed.

I was under the impression that he'd ordered a number of cities razed in China as well. This isn't based on any particular study, though, so I'm prepared to accept that I'm wrong.

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:
The television network Russia Today, founded by Russia's state-owned RIA Novosti news service, asked in a headline on its Web site: "Will Andy Garcia Eat His Tie?" The question refers to BBC video clip of Saakashvili nervously chewing on his tie in the aftermath of the war, a clip that has aired repeatedly on Russian television networks.

IMAGE(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SV2T3EOrO8w/Sjzuj_kpbTI/AAAAAAAAAeg/-gcR5jNHjtw/s400/mishuko.jpg)

I can't wait to see the guy who plays *our* president who's much much more goofy than Saakaszwili ("while actors playing the presidents of Poland and the Baltic States appeared on a stage in support of Garcia as Saakashvili")

IMAGE(http://blogfm.blox.pl/resource/kaczynski_lech_small.jpg)

(Don't look at me like that. I didn't vote for him. BTW: I have photo with him that I don't dare to show anyone. One day when I'm too drunk to care I'll post it on GWJ)

Saakashvili is far from goofy. He's absolutely smooth. But he's an utter chickensh*t, too.

UCRC wrote:

(Don't look at me like that. I didn't vote for him. BTW: I have photo with him that I don't dare to show anyone. One day when I'm too drunk to care I'll post it on GWJ)

I'm guessing there was no pillow there to keep things under control?

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:
Edwin wrote:

Rethinking Russia.

PDF or iTunes.

Either way it's an excellent and fascinating conversation on US-Russia relations.

I didn't know that Race to Arctic bit of trivia about Russia having 18 ice-breakers (7 of them atomic) and USA only having two diesel powered ones. Kind of makes the outlook interesting.

The Polar Star and the Polar Sea! They homeport here and drydock in the yard my friends work in... my ex-FIL did a few years of Antarctic duty on the Polar Star. Too bad they're 30-some years old; the Star is basically retired and the Sea is back in the slings again so we effectively have zero right now. You win this round, Mother Russia! *shakes fist*

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

IMAGE(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SV2T3EOrO8w/Sjzuj_kpbTI/AAAAAAAAAeg/-gcR5jNHjtw/s400/mishuko.jpg)

Ok, this totally made my day.

Today it's 20 years since the so-called velvet revolution in my country. Our prime minister, former communist and current demagogue and populist par excellence, is visiting Russia instead of celebrating. This is definitely not a coincidence. I'm disgusted.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/83...

Activist from neonazi group Combat 18 (18 corresponds with initials A.H. - first and eight letter in latin alphabet) claimed that they are behind the bomb strike. According to his statement, their kampf will be against every citizen, as "there are no impartials in this war, there are only allies and enemies".

It's hell of a f*cked-up world we live in, isn't it? I don't think they've even cited any real reason why would they do this. Apparently you don't need one anymore if you're nazi.

That's some astonishing balls if true, and given that Putin and Co. have not-so-surreptitiously pandered to Russia's right-wing, even moreso given Russia's own take on anti-terrorism (Kill it with fire). I'm interested to see how this will shake out still.

The early conclusions are that the attack was executed by Pavel Kosolapov (text in Russian, use Google to translate), a notorious "Russian Wahhabit". An ethnic Russian, he converted to Islam and achieved much success in Chechnya leading a group of other ethnic Russians and Muslims from outside of North Caucasus region. Authorities are pinning several smaller terror acts on him.

Well, it's not terrorism apparently, but it's still a damn shame.

Pavel Kosolapov

He's literally the Modern Warfare 2 bad guy.

MaverickDago wrote:
Pavel Kosolapov

He's literally the Modern Warfare 2 bad guy.

Now they say that certain Doku Umarov took responsibility. Among all wannabes who did so, he is the most credible perp.

IMAGE(http://img.rosbalt.ru/pics8/doku_umarov.jpg)

And he looks like an authentic COD4 bad guy too.

Journalist Dies In Police Custody

Should we make this a "In Which We Learn New Things About Eastern Europe" catch-all? Because it certainly seems at times that if you're talking about Poland/Latvia/Ukraine/Georgia/Belarus/parts of the Balkans, you're still talking about Russia.

There is a number of inaccuracies in this article, such as a baseless assertion that during Soviet times the police was better trained, less corrupt, and held itself to higher standards. There was none of that -- not then, not now

Pred: by the way, no matter what Saakashvili might be proclaiming when he pimps Georgia as a "European country" in WSJ, Georgia is still located in Asia, not Europe. Not even the Eastern one.

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:
MaverickDago wrote:
Pavel Kosolapov

He's literally the Modern Warfare 2 bad guy.

Now they say that certain Doku Umarov took responsibility. Among all wannabes who did so, he is the most credible perp.

IMAGE(http://img.rosbalt.ru/pics8/doku_umarov.jpg)

And he looks like an authentic COD4 bad guy too.

That bastard stole my grandma's favorite hat...

Prederick wrote:

Journalist Dies In Police Custody

Should we make this a "In Which We Learn New Things About Eastern Europe" catch-all? Because it certainly seems at times that if you're talking about Poland/Latvia/Ukraine/Georgia/Belarus/parts of the Balkans, you're still talking about Russia.

Perhaps a European catch-all instead?

EDIT: actually, on second thoughts catch-alls for entire countries and continents should be avoided.

On a different note: first public test flight of Russian 5th generation fighter jet PAKFA/T-50/Raptorski/F-22 Killa/F-35 Killa is scheduled for January 29th.

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

There is a number of inaccuracies in this article, such as a baseless assertion that during Soviet times the police was better trained, less corrupt, and held itself to higher standards. There was none of that -- not then, not now

Pred: by the way, no matter what Saakashvili might be proclaiming when he pimps Georgia as a "European country" in WSJ, Georgia is still located in Asia, not Europe. Not even the Eastern one.

Georgia is in Europe. Not Asia.

Wait a second. Europe is not really a continent. More of a Peninsula.