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The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

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Re: The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

#72
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well Saudi Arabia is hundred times worse than all we have in Russia on every point you mentioned. But guess who get all the sanctions?

Most of the current sanctions against Russia were a direct response to Russia's paramilitary invasion of a peaceful neighbor and theft of a large portion of their country. If Saudi Arabia were to commit a comparable offense, I assure you they'd face a comparable response, or worse (remember what happened to Saddam Hussein).

Saudis chopped WSJ journalist Hashoggi into parts! literally!

Also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State-sponsored_terrorism#Saud...

Re: The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

#74

I was born in Russia and I despise Putin. He is the reason why I emigrated. He and his cronies brough the country into the dark age, from which it may never come out. He is, without a single doubt, Hitler of the 21st century. * He consolidated all the political and judicial power. Destroyed, physically, politically or judicially all the opponents. Elections are completely fake. * He completely controls all secret ser…

That reads like the playbook being used by certain leader we have here in the states.

I don’t see any huge, monolithic nations not moving toward this goal.

Putin seems to be quite good at it, but that doesn’t discount the effects in countries he doesn’t run. The global superpowers all dream of having a system like that, and all are various steps toward achieving it.

Here’s the same text, region modified:

> There's constantly talks about how America is the only true God's country, and that it's a moral savior of the world. There's an instilled feeling of victimhood, almost sainthood, of the American way of life. Everything that happens is somebody else's fault, a foreign influence, an accident, or sabotage. They truly believe that americans are the greatest people on Earth.

Sound familiar?

Re: The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

#75
post #64
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what happened there but the official version leaves some serious doubts open. For example there was a long time talk of a "nurse" that found them. Only by accident it was revealed that this nurse was the head-nurse of the UK forces, i.e. in the rank of a general, well versed in chemical warfare. Also why was never the full tracks of the two Russians the victims revealed? There is CCTV on every corner in…

The official story would always be vague. This is spook territory not regular police. A Scotland Yard team went to interview Litvinenko's assassins (One of whom was being treated for radiation poisoning - fancy that!), and they were completely outgunned by the FSB. Also, as to CCTV, it is extremely prevalent in London but not as omniscient in places like Salisbury. Security services sit on information like this for y…

Do you have more information or some good sources on the MI5 director? That seems like a fascinating read.

Re: The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

#76
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Russia definitely has the talent.

Had Name any political, cultural, economic, literature, sports achievement in last 30 years to come out of Russia. That's right Internet trolls which are an evolution on kgbs psyops

Russians have won 3 Nobel prizes in Physics since 2000. I think that's a cultural/economic achievement

Re: The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

#77
post #65
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well Saudi Arabia is hundred times worse than all we have in Russia on every point you mentioned. But guess who get all the sanctions?

Aren’t most of the sanctions related to the annexation of Crimea? Also, SA is an ally who allows a significant US military presence on its soil, in an area of strategic importance to global energy supply. Russia on the other hand still maintains an adversarial posture toward much of the Western world.

Yes, you can spawn freakazoo outfits who ram airplanes into skyscrapers, for as long as you have a US airbase.

I had a shock beyond believe seeing Bush pretty much saying "let Saudis go!," and jumping out of his skin trying to shield them, and then starting a war on Saddam — SA's biggest enemy at the time.

But lets keep the conversation on topic.

Re: The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

#79
For those interested in trying to understand more of the context of modern day Russia, and more particularly, Putin's rise to power, I highly recommend 3 books.

1) Catherine Belton: Putin's People https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VMZYK13/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?...

2) Bill Browder: Red Notice https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O30HFT2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?...

3) Masha Gessen: Several books, but I particularly liked Man without a Face https://www.amazon.com/Masha-Gessen/e/B001H6MBXK

Re: The Suspected Poisoning of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Prominent Adversary

#80

I remember an essay a few years ago (it was the Ukrainian poisoning?) where the author essentially said that Russia's brand has basically been spoiled for outsiders. (political brand certainly, but maybe overall as a country). As in, Russia is no longer a trustworthy seeming, interesting, attractive place to want to go visit or collaborate with or be associated with. I mean, of course it depends on the level of detai…

I think it probably seems like an outlier from a euro-centric (in a more literal sense, not in the pejorative sense) point-of-view because it is, in general, close enough to European cultures to be similar but distant enough to be distinct. Whereas other cultures/histories may be easier to bucket as "clearly distinct" and therefor not outliers.

"uncanny valley" of euro-centrism? haha.
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