The current Miss Nevada is a dude. Beyond that I really don’t know what to say…
(Soon)Most women’s sports team will soon be composed of transgender women. Women will not be the A Team. B Team and or the C Team. Maybe D Team? Within sports …
Excerpt from Clown World Chronicles, Book I:
And Lo, in those days, Women cried out that they were subjugated by the Patriarchy. Therefore did they proclaim to one all that they were strong and independent and could do anything that a man could do. They strive in all ways to be as Men.
And in those days of madness did men dress as women, donning jewelry and painting their faces as do women. They were praised by real Women as, “stunning, brave and talented women.”
The People’s leaders praised these men pretending to be women, holding them up as examples for all to follow. They even supplanted the roles of real Women in all aspects of public and private life. Real Women were left out in the cold.
“We hath dressed and striven in all ways to be Men; Men hath dressed and acted as do women. They hath supplanted our every role, even succumbing to the belief that they could bear children.”
Real Women were bewildered as to how it all happened.
Just search for “Wi Spa” on Fox News (actually all the news now). Seems this spa allowed a man to roam naked in the Women’s showers and restroom exposing his thing in front of women and young girls! Sickening! This perv claimed to be a Trans. Employees couldn’t do anything about it, they said it’s the new laws….Back in the days you got arrested for indecent exposure like Pee-Wee at an adult theaters…
Now men can run naked in women’s restrooms and showers without breaking any laws!
The incident occurred at Wi Spa in Los Angeles. A woman can be heard confronting staff members in a video she filmed demanding they ask the individual to leave the area. An employee refused to confront the customer, defending the “sexual orientation” of the individual in question.
Whatever! I myself have been appalled for a very long time and I do not have anything to do with the LGBTQ…
It might be your happy world? But it (Clown World) is not found in my happy world!….and when I look out at the world, I see clown faces staring back at me…
Video is crude and rude, yet it is so true that it hurts…
Clown World is correct…
WtR
CLOWN WORLD LYRICS
You worried ’bout leaving a better planet for our kids
How ’bout leaving better kids for our planet
Entire generation offended at everything
Getting mad that a human things all lives matter
We don’t need black or white or left or right
What we need is common sense, we need balance
We’re all in the same boat, why you tryna make holes?
If they sink, we sink, this is madness
I’m offended that you’re offended by me taking offense
Trump can’t build a wall, why does your house have a fence?
I believe in two gender, I’m not mad at the rest
I’m just confused when a dude has a beard and some breasts
We won’t always agree, no
I don’t hate all police, no
I don’t think that they system’s racist
I just think the system hates people
I think fighting violence with more violence is what they want
Viruses and riots, people dying, we won’t stay home
Black lives matter, all lives matter, what’s all this division for?
It’s modern segregation, this is setting up a civil war
Burn the circus down ’cause the world is full of clowns
They’re all stupid and they’re proud, making smiles on they mouths
I don’t hang with Bozos, homie, I can’t be around you
Anyone who knows me knows my feet don’t fit in clown shoes
When I was a child, the only races that we hated
Were the ones that we ran and didn’t win
Then we stopped playing with each other, started hating on each other
Started noticing the color of our skin
Christians and atheists, immigrants, patriots
We love the country but we are not saving it
Wages don’t raise through the rate of inflation
And half of the country hates all of the nation, it’s
Funny that we think the world owes us something
All the phones got smart but the people so dumb
We care more about the likes and our selfies than our moms
And the only time we ever speak the truth’s when we’re drunk
We won’t always agree, no
I don’t hate all police, no
Your thoughts and opinions ain’t facts
And they are not defining my reality, no
I think picking sides divides, it’s probably what has got us here
United States is great regardless, that’s what we forgot in here
Black lives matter, all lives matter, what’s all this division for
It’s modern segregation, this is setting up a civil war
Burn the circus down ’cause the world is full of clowns
They’re all stupid and they’re proud, making smiles on they mouths
I don’t hang with Bozos, homie, I can’t be around you
Anyone who knows me knows my feet don’t fit in clown shoes
They tell you, “Be yourself”, and then they judge you on the internet
Till everybody hates you for it
If Jesus was alive, I swear to God, they all would cancel him
‘Cause lately being negative’s the real new normal, yeah
If you’re thick, you’re fat, you’re rich, you’re bad
You’re poor, you’re black, you’re white, you’re wack, they lie, it’s facts
My generation needs a bunch of free condoms
‘Cause common sense ain’t that common
This is what they wanted, this is how they planned it
This is to control everyone on the planet
Then we put each other in caskets, protest in panic
And they take advantage to manage the damage
We won’t always agree, no
Freedom doesn’t come free, no
There was people fighting, dying overseas
So that you could have freedom and be home
I think the elites are real but they ain’t drinking babies’ blood
They’re creating chaos so they have something to save you from
Black lives matter, all lives matter, what’s all this division for?
It’s modern segregation, this is setting up a civil war
Burn the circus down ’cause the world is full of clowns
They’re all stupid and they’re proud, making smiles on they mouths
I don’t hang with Bozos, homie, I can’t be around you
Anyone who knows me knows my feet don’t fit in clown shoes
The annual special Direct Line with Vladimir Putin was broadcast live by Channel One, Rossiya 1, Rossiya 24, NTV, Public Television of Russia (OTR) and Mir TV channels, and Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii radio stations. June 30, 2021, 15:50 Moscow
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Good afternoon.
We are broadcasting Direct Line with Vladimir Putin.
The moderators in this studio are Nailya Asker-zade…
Nailya Asker-zade: …and Yekaterina Berezovskaya.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Our colleagues, Tatyana Remezova and Natalya Yuryeva, are working with volunteers in the Message Processing Centre.
Last year we combined two projects, the annual news conference and Direct Line. The format of today’s event is different. The focus is on direct communication, only the President and the people, without unnecessary intermediaries.
Nailya Asker-zade: During today’s live broadcast, you will often hear about a special platform, the Moskva – Putinu mobile app. It is a kind of a guide or entry pass to this programme, which is available to everyone.
So, President of Russia Vladimir Putin is on the air.
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.
Natalya Yuryeva: We are in the Message Processing Centre, the heart of Direct Line. As you can see, right behind me an editor is processing a call. You can see the numbers for your calls and text messages on the screen.
The only way to personally address the President is via videoconference with the help of the Moskva – Putinu special mobile application, and the President will possibly answer your call.
Tatyana Remezova: Hard and meticulous work is underway in the Message Processing Centre. As of now, we have received nearly 2 million questions. Whatever many people say, telephone calls and text messages remain the most popular means of communication; together, they account for over a million questions. But many people are also making use of the Moskva – Putinu application, which has been downloaded over 650,000 times.
Just like last year, we are being assisted by volunteers. They have been working with the questions for a second week now, and many of the people’s problems have been settled even before this programme began.
Mr President, considering my experience at other Direct Lines, I can assume that you will be able to answer no more than 70 or 80 questions. What happens to other questions, as there are already nearly two million of them?
Vladimir Putin: I would also like to begin our current meeting with this, and here is what I would like to say.
In 2019, over one million questions were received when the Direct Line took place in this full format. And many hundreds of thousands of questions were asked last year when the Direct Line was combined with the Big News Conference. I would like to assure you – to make what would seem to be a self-assured statement, but, nevertheless, I would just like to say that we try to make sure that not a single question goes unnoticed.
As I have already mentioned, over one million questions were received in 2019. Over 500,000 questions have already been processed today, moreover, specific answers have been provided. Work continues on some of them because, to respond properly and positively, it is necessary to amend the regulatory framework and to include the resolution of these questions in regional budgets or even the federal budget.
It would be impossible to conduct this large-scale job without the assistance of the Russian Popular Front and other public organisations that have joined this work and cooperate very actively with administrations at various levels, including local, regional and federal, in order to help people.
This, of course, helps me because I receive all the questions. But I would now like to address the volunteers and people who are processing these questions, and I would like to thank them on behalf of the citizens because, of course, I receive the questions, but you help ordinary Russian citizens, and I would like to thank you very much for this.
I hope that we will organise the same productive work following today’s event, although I hope that we will be able to address the problems that interest people the most during our direct conversations, and we will try and resolve some of them during our current conversation.
Thank you very much.
Nailya Asker-zade: People with hearing impairments can watch a special sign-language version of our programme on the Public Television of Russia (OTR).
I suggest moving on to specific questions.
Of course, people are mostly concerned about the new COVID-19 wave. New virus mutations appear, and people want to know whether there are any clear rules. Why is it that the authorities stipulate an allegedly voluntary vaccination, while two-thirds of people working in certain sectors have to get vaccinated in Moscow and some other regions? Why are mass events allegedly banned but it is possible to hold the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship? What should be done so that governors, officials and ordinary citizens get to know what the exact rules are?
Vladimir Putin: This is very simple. As for the UEFA Euro 2021, of course, first of all, we had to fulfil the obligations that the state had assumed regarding hosting these major sporting events.
But, in general, it is very simple to understand what is happening in this sphere. All you need to do is have a look at the law. As you may recall, I once said that I do not support mandatory vaccination, and I continue to adhere to this point of view. We need to look at the law of, I believe, 1998, about the immune protection of the population which comprises two main parts – a national immunisation schedule, which is mandatory, this vaccination is mandatory. Some of our colleagues suggested transferring vaccination against the coronavirus infection to this nationwide immunisation schedule, the nationwide programme. But the State Duma deputies did not support this motion, so, COVID vaccination did not make it to this section of the nationwide vaccination programme and is not mandatory nationwide.
However, the second part of this law says that in the event of an increase in the number of cases and in the event of an epidemic in separate regions of the Russian Federation and upon the recommendation of chief sanitary doctors, regional heads can introduce mandatory vaccination for certain groups of people, especially risk groups. The heads of 10 constituent entities of the Russian Federation used this regulation to introduce mandatory vaccination for certain risk groups. This was carried out under the 1998 law.
Therefore, there is no confusion in Russia, and everyone is acting in accordance with the law that I just mentioned.
Nailya Asker-zade: So, there will be no nationwide lockdown, right?
Vladimir Putin: This is a different question. Our colleagues’ efforts in 10 regions aim to prevent the need for a lockdown, when entire enterprises are shut down and people find themselves out of work or without income; small and medium-sized businesses go bankrupt and individual incomes decline. Certain regions introduced these mandatory vaccination-related rules for certain groups of the population to prevent this from happening.
As you are aware, experts have already mentioned this many times on television, online and in many media outlets, on all television channels, that vaccination is the only way to put an end to further spread of the pandemic. We can do this since we have four high-tech, safe and very effective vaccines. So, I hope some of our citizens who are still biased about the vaccines will change their minds as the vaccination continues. Over 20 million – I believe, 23 million people – have been vaccinated. As you can see, everything is okay and, thankfully, we do not have any tragic vaccination side effects as is the case with AstraZeneca or Pfizer.
Nailya Asker-zade: You have reassured me regarding the lockdown.
Vladimir Putin: I hope so.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, we know that you know about the vaccine from your personal experience, and you have become an example for the whole country. However, we have a question. If I may, I will read a text message we have received.
Vladimir Putin: Please do.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: “Tell us the truth: Did the President get vaccinated or not? Why is there no video?”
Other people are asking which vaccine you received; there are many similar questions. Everyone wants to know.
Vladimir Putin: I see.
I was indeed asked not to reveal which vaccine I received so as not to give it a competitive advantage. But I can see that there are very many questions regarding this.
As for the video, I do not believe that showing it is so important. What if you receive the jab not in the arm but in some other part of the body? Would I be obliged to show the video nevertheless?
Look, there are many crooks around who pretend to be getting vaccinated. Regrettably, the medics often play along, making the shot with some unknown substance, maybe not even a medication.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Just saline?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, just saline or nothing at all.
I hope that the majority of our people understand that when I say that I have taken the jab this is indeed so. I believe that cheating is unacceptable at this level.
As for me, when I got the shot back in February, there were only two vaccines available commercially: EpiVacCorona from the Vektor Centre in Novosibirsk and Sputnik V, as you know. Both vaccines are good. The third one was barely created then and was not available commercially at the time.
Of course, I could have taken any of them. But, strange as it may seem to some people, I did not even consult the doctors. I just looked at what shots my acquaintances had received. As I said, both vaccines are good and modern. The one from the Vektor Centre is wholly synthetic and, as they say, more advanced. But as I could see from the example of my acquaintances – maybe I should not say this, but I nevertheless want to explain my reasoning – the duration of effect of the Vektor vaccine is a bit shorter, although it has other advantages, such as the absence of any side effects at all, specifically fever or any other side effects. But I believed that I needed to be protected for as long as possible, and so I chose to be vaccinated with Sputnik V, especially considering that the military are getting vaccinated with Sputnik V, and I am their Supreme Commander, after all.
I have already talked about this, but I can repeat. I did not feel anything after the first jab, only slightly sore in the shoulder after about four hours. I had my second jab at noon and took my temperature at midnight, it was 37.2. I went to bed and when I woke up it was 36.6. That was it. In about 20 days, I think, I had a blood test that showed that I had a high level of protection. I recommend you do the same.
Did you get vaccinated?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: No, actually. I had COVID-19 not so long ago; it is too early to do it. The Healthcare Ministry recently issued recommendations on vaccination for those who have had COVID-19. If I am not mistaken, they should wait six to 12 months for their natural antibodies to wane.
Nailya Asker-zade: There is time to think.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Now things are clear.
Vladimir Putin: You know, the Healthcare Ministry issued its recommendations, and the World Health Organisation also released its guidelines, only a few days ago.
Normally, when there is no pandemic, it is recommended to get revaccinated in 12 months but when there is a peak or rising morbidity, it is recommended to get inoculated again in six months. These are WHO recommendations.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: My time will be in the autumn, then.
Vladimir Putin: Was it mild?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Yes, I would say so. But what we see on the news and online, so many stories are just terrifying.
Vladimir Putin: People get infected even after they have had the vaccine, in about 10 percent of cases. However, they recover fast and with no serious consequences, which is important. This is what matters, I think. Without a vaccine, this illness may result in quite severe long-term consequences. That is why you, too, should watch your health and go through rehabilitation, if necessary.
Nailya Asker-zade: After hearing your account, many will probably decide they just want Sputnik V – but not everybody. Vaccine hesitancy is explainable: people have doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccines. Do they protect against new strains? You probably know that some people have still fallen ill after getting vaccinated and the incidence rate among such people is high.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, I have just mentioned that, about 10 percent, on average. Again, in their case, the illness is mild. Some very famous people have become ill even after getting the vaccine. I do not want to disclose names. After all, it is their private matter. But they are quite famous in Russia. Last week, one of my colleagues got ill. Yesterday I was told he was already back at work. Some people close to me were vaccinated too but still got the coronavirus, unfortunately. But they recovered fairly quickly and did not need any strong medication. I am talking about people in my immediate circle. What I am saying is vaccination makes sense.
I had meetings recently, as you may know, in the Kremlin, we were awarding the Hero of Labour stars and State Prizes to our scientists, including those who had invented the vaccine. Let me reiterate what I heard from them, they speak in public continually: the disease may take a severe turn, but what is worse, it might have remote consequences. This should certainly be considered.
You know there are, there have always been people who believe that no inoculations at all are needed. There are many people in this category.
Nailya Asker-zade: The anti-vaxers.
Vladimir Putin: And not only anti-vax dissidents, there are enough of them both in this country and elsewhere.
What is happening in the world? What are specialists saying? When a sweeping vaccination campaign against the main infections is afoot, it seems that everything is fine and there is no need, as some people believe, to get vaccinated. “Why get a jab? Almost no one is sick.” But as soon as the vaccination level drops to a certain threshold – bang, all of a sudden there is an outbreak and everyone is scrambling to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
We should take our cue from the specialists, not people who do not know much about this matter and listen to rumours. After all, this is happening all around the world. You know, the things I heard: that there is nothing at all, that in reality there is no epidemic. Sometimes I listen to what some people are saying – they seem to be grown-up, educated people. I do not know where they are taking this from. When you tell them that this is happening all over the world, they reply: “Right, country leaders have come into collusion.” Do they have any idea of what is happening in the world, of the contradictions that are plaguing today’s world, where all leaders allegedly upped and conspired with each other? It is all absolute rubbish.
Nailya Asker-zade: But some people believe that the virus has been artificially created.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: This is a point for discussion to this day, a very active discussion, by the way.
Vladimir Putin: This is a different matter: artificial or non-artificial. The question is, how to get protection from it? Wait, like you, until taken ill and then feel cheerful and merry? You are a very young person and in good form, but there are people with a different constitution, with chronic ailments and advanced in age. These are the so-called risk groups, let me repeat it once again. This is dangerous, a danger to life, while being vaccinated is not dangerous. We have not had a single serious complication, nothing: I had a fever of 37.2 [Celsius]. So what? True, my daughter (she was also vaccinated with Sputnik V) had a temperature of 37.5.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: This is also normal.
Vladimir Putin: Also, for just one day, and that was all, nothing more.
Nailya Asker-zade: Let me go over how our work today will be organised.
We have received 2 million appeals, and people continue to write, call and send messages. We collect them and group them by topic. Please note that these are the main topics of people’s appeals. We can choose any, for example, Communications and Internet, and find out what our viewers are interested in.
Vladimir Putin: Ok.
Nailya Asker-zade: Or, for example, healthcare. Of course, everyone is interested in how the fight against COVID is being organised, how the vaccination is going, primary care and availability of medications.
Vladimir Putin: Please pick the one you like best.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, let us focus on the sub-topic “Vaccination and fighting COVID.” Please note that the federal districts are shown at the bottom of the screen. We can choose any and see the cities from which people are sending their questions.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Please also note that we have different types of appeals: some are in video format, others are written text, and there will also be telephone calls and live broadcasts. I propose launching a video call from Moscow. Shall we?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please, any one of them.
Yevgeny Tsvetkov: Yevgeny Tsvetkov, Moscow.
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Yevgeny.
Yevgeny Tsvetkov: My wife is a teacher at a Moscow school and has a medical exemption due to a long-standing chronic illness. However, the head of the school does not accept this exemption and wants her to bring a vaccination certificate by July 15. My wife cannot comply, but if she does not, they say they will fire her. Is that legal at all?
Vladimir Putin: I can tell you right away that this is illegal. If there is a medical exemption, no one can ask a person to take the vaccine. I think that the head of the school where your wife works is unaware of this. I hope that he or she hears this and lifts these illegal demands.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Let’s continue to take questions on this topic.
I see we have a message from Omsk. A person, who had recovered from the coronavirus, was discharged from the hospital and was told that free rehab was available at one of three institutions. One of them had run out of places, and the other one asked for a payment of 50,000 rubles for the service. What do you have to say to this person who recovered from the coronavirus? I was ill as well, and I know that patients need some rehab time.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, this is true, and we are now busy trying to organise this. Actually, there has never been any rehabilitation system as a factor of improving health after illnesses in Russia.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: But we had health resorts back during the Soviet era, did we not?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, we had health resorts, and we still have them. Incidentally, they usually worked as holiday hotels or ordinary hotels. But this was back in the Soviet times, when we had many things and did not have many others.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: We did not have COVID.
Nailya Asker-zade: Yes, there was no COVID, thankfully.
Vladimir Putin: But there were other diseases. Incidentally, the vaccination system was quite strict in the Soviet Union, nearly all vaccinations were mandatory. Did anyone ask the parents’ permission when their children were vaccinated at schools? Nobody did, everyone was vaccinated.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Were you vaccinated like that too?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course, why not? I was from a simple workers’ family. My parents were workers. Who asked them? Nobody did. And nobody asked me either. We were simply lined up in the school’s medical room, were given our jabs just like that and off we went. But we had stability when it came to combating infections. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the social system almost disintegrated as well, including in the areas we are discussing now.
We will now invest some serious money; funds have been earmarked in this rehabilitation system, and we will shortly sign contracts for the delivery of the necessary equipment. The trouble is that special equipment is necessary for post-coronavirus rehabilitation, because COVID hits the vascular and respiratory systems, as well as other organs. We are allocating these funds; they are being transferred right now, and we will start working on this project.
As for any paid services, I do not know the reasons for this, but, as I have already mentioned, this case must be looked into. We will do so, if the required information is available.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: If you wish, we can contact the person who asked this question. He is from Omsk.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, let us do it.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: We will do this later during the programme. We can do this.
Nailya Asker-zade: Let us move on now to the Message Processing Centre.
Vladimir Putin: Anyway, the funds for the creation of a post-coronavirus rehabilitation system have been allocated, and the system is being established.
Nailya Asker-zade: We are moving to the Message Processing Centre. Natalya Yuryeva, go ahead please.
Natalya Yuryeva: Our Message Processing Centre is being literally bombarded with questions. There are almost two million questions. Let us find out where people are calling from. For example, I see a message from Moscow. The person who wrote it has not yet introduced himself. Naturally, there are plenty of questions about vaccination. I know that there is one video question. Where from?
Remark: From Moscow.
Natalya Yuryeva: It is also from Moscow. From Yekaterina Kachailova. Let us see a video she sent us.
Vladimir Putin: Go ahead please.
Yekaterina Kachailova: Good afternoon, Mr President.
I planned to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but unfortunately, doctors at vaccination centres could not tell me if my illnesses were contraindications for getting a jab. I can check my temperature and blood pressure at home as well, and, of course, I would not go for a jab if I feel sick.
Could you please tell me where I can get qualified aid and an answer to my question: What are the risks and consequences of this jab? Thank you for your help and answer.
Vladimir Putin: Katya, the answer is very simple. It is out in the open. If you have some illnesses, chronic or recent, you do know about them. You are bound to visit your doctor, a specialist who monitors you as a patient. This is the doctor you should address. He must tell you whether you should get a jab or not. Nothing is easier.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: As far as I understand it, she did not get an answer to this question.
Vladimir Putin: No. However, she said she asked about it at vaccination centres where they may not necessarily know the answer. Who works there? Medical nurses and the like. But probably this is a question for narrow specialists who monitor their patients. It is necessary to ask them whether a jab is all right or not. They must know the answer.
Nailya Asker-zade: I suggest returning to the call centre. Do you have more calls or messages?
Alexander Maksimov: Good afternoon, Mr President.
Vladimir Putin: Hello.
Alexander Maksimov: My name is Sasha Maksimov. I study in the third form of school No. 2070 in Moscow. We will start a new academic year in two months. Please tell us how it will be: at a school desk or at home? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Sasha, I cannot give a definitive answer to your question because we do not know how the coronavirus situation will develop in the country and in the place where you live.
That said, the question is clear, but most likely, children in junior forms will go to school. After all, we hardly ever shut them down during the worst times of the past year, spring and summer. So, most probably, for elementary school, the academic process will be organised in the usual format.
As for the senior school, as I have already said, this will depend on specific circumstances. But I hope that we will eventually reach the level of herd immunity we are talking about, in part, owing to active vaccination, which will allow schools and universities as well as small, medium-sized and large businesses to operate as usual.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, we understand that you are now immune to the coronavirus and, probably, to some unfriendly countries.
We have received the following question as an SMS message via the number 04040 from Igor Oboimov in Moscow: Why is Ukraine not listed among these unfriendly countries? Here is another message on the same subject: Will you meet with President Zelensky?
Vladimir Putin: Why is Ukraine not listed among unfriendly countries? This is because I do not regard Ukraine as a country unfriendly towards Russia. I have noted many times, and I can repeat once again that, in my opinion, Ukrainians and Russians are a single people.
See for yourself: The Jews come to Israel from Africa, Europe, and other countries. Black people arrive from Africa, right? Those arriving from Europe speak Yiddish, rather than Hebrew. Although they are diverse, the Jewish people, nevertheless, cherishes its unity.
Well, Israel is far away. We have the Mordvins, one of Russia’s indigenous ethnic groups. This people is subdivided into the Erzya, Moksha and Shoksha ethnic groups, and there are three other ethnic groups. However, all of them consider themselves part of the Mordvin people. Although they speak the language of one ethnic group, the Erzya and the Moksha do not understand each other. Their respective languages are more different than the Russian and Ukrainian languages, but they cherish their unity. There are several reasons why. First, they are smart, and they realise that a breakup yields no positive results and simply weakens an ethnic group. There are also external factors to consider. What do I mean? Since the Middle Ages, efforts have always been made to divide and break up the Russian people. Rzeczpospolita launched this policy because Poland itself wanted to become a great power. Consequently, it tried to split up all nearby ethnic groups around itself. Austro-Hungary continued this policy in the run-up to World War I. But we have to understand this.
How did this country interpret ethnic aspects in the past? There were the Great Russians, the White Russians and the Little Russians. Sometime later, they started dividing the single Russian people under the influence of external factors, and the Bolsheviks also contributed to this process. Unfortunately, we cannot discuss this matter in great detail. By the way, I have thought it over, I will write a separate analytical article, and I will set forth my view of this subject. And I hope that people in Russia and Ukraine will read it.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Because people just do not know many things, do not know the history.
Vladimir Putin: Of course, people have no interest in that; they are living in a world of their own. But this is important for all of us.
So, I do not regard the Ukraine people unfriendly. Nothing of the kind. Russians and Ukrainians are a single people. But the Ukrainian leadership, the current authorities of modern Ukraine are clearly unfriendly to us. This is perfectly obvious. Otherwise there is no explanation for the draft law submitted by the Ukrainian President to the Verkhovna Rada, the law on indigenous peoples under which Russians are not an indigenous people in that territory. It defies comprehension. Russians have lived there for centuries, and now they have been declared as non-indigenous people. What can this lead to? As a result, part of these people could emigrate. But where would they go? They have flats, jobs and so on in Ukraine. And so they will have to reregister [as Ukrainians], because they would be second-class citizens otherwise. This would reduce the overall number of Russians. This effect will be comparable to the negative impact of weapons of mass destruction. This is serious. This is pushing the Russian language out of everyday life.
You see, there are narrow-minded people and far-right nationalists everywhere; they exist in Russia and also in Ukraine. They are acting in all sincerity, but not wisely. The results of their activities will be destructive. This also concerns the suppression of the opposition in Ukraine.
Viktor Medvedchuk, whom I regard as a Ukrainian nationalist, was seized and confined to his apartment ahead of the election campaign, and they also ordered him to wear an electronic bracelet. Absolutely illegal and unconstitutional decisions have been taken. But nobody is paying any attention to this. This shows people in the country that there are no legal opportunities for the forces which want to develop and strengthen their country, including by developing normal relations with Russia, that they have no chance. They are nipped in the bud: some are jailed, others are placed under house arrest, and still others are simply killed in the street.
Why meet with Zelensky if he has accepted the full external management of his country? The main issues concerning Ukraine’s functioning are not decided in Kiev but in Washington and, partly, in Berlin and Paris. What is there to talk about then?
Nevertheless, I do not refuse to hold such meetings, but I first want to understand what issues we can discuss.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, our editors tell me that we have Yevgeny Tsvetkov on the phone. He is the one who told us about his wife, who is facing dismissal for refusing to get vaccinated because of a medical exemption.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Ecxuse me, but let us first take another call on a related subject, post-COVID rehabilitation.
Vladimir Putin: Fine.
Nailya Asker-zade: Vladimir Vasilkov from Omsk. The caller is unavailable.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: We did not get through the first time, but I think we will reach him during the programme.
Vladimir Putin: Maybe we will get back to this subject later.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Yes, certainly.
Nailya Asker-zade: Let us get back to the Message Processing Centre. Tatyana, do you hear us?
Tatyana Remezova: Yes, colleagues, I do, thanks a lot.
We have already processed tens of thousands of questions, analysing them and calling people back to ask for details. The top five most popular subjects include the economy and price hikes. If you enter the word “price” or “prices” into the question database, you get tens of thousands of questions.
Vladimir Putin: I see.
Tatyana Remezova: I can see that one of the video addresses was recorded in a grocery store. Let us see it.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.
Question: Mr President, tell us, please, why bananas from Ecuador – here is the price – are cheaper that carrots grown in neighbouring regions – this is the price tag. Another question is about potatoes: why are they so expensive? How can people, for example, my mother, who lives on a subsistence wage, survive with such food prices? Does anyone control prices in Russia, or do they just appear out of the blue? That is, do people simply think up a figure and then write it on the price tag?
Nailya Asker-zade: If I got it right, carrots cost 110 rubles per kilo and bananas, 70 rubles.
Yekaterina Berezovskya: And butter costs 500–600 rubles.
Vladimir Putin: Look, the global food price indices are the highest in 10 years. Regrettably, this is a global trend; food prices are increasing everywhere.
Of course, this affects us as well, considering that Russia is part of the global economy. There are many reasons for these increases; I will not list all of them, but they include the printing of currency by the main currency issuing countries, the consequences of the coronavirus, the decline in production and jobs, and so on and so forth.
We had the biggest price increases on food last year and early this year. Sugar increased the most, up 41 percent. Sunflower oil followed in its wake.
You probably know what the Government and we said about this. The Government made a number of decisions to control food prices.
Regarding these measures, the first was an agreement between producers and retail networks. The second was subsidies for producers of the final product for the purchase of raw materials at high prices. Later, export duty increases were introduced on foreign trade. Other regulation measures are being discussed, so in general the state is tracking this problem, though maybe sometimes the response is delayed. I spoke about this problem at one of the meetings with the Government. Let me repeat that the above measures are being taken.
Now regarding butter: you said 500–600. Prices on milk are generally stable and, as you know, butter is made from milk. This is why prices on that have increased between 3.5 to 5 percent recently. I would like to emphasise that this is below the inflation rate because the inflation has almost reached 6 percent, 5.9 percent, to be exact. So, this is less than the inflation rate.
That said, there are problems in this respect. This is what I think Valentina was talking about – the so-called borsch basket: carrots, potatoes, etc.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: She asked why bananas cost less than carrots.
Vladimir Putin: Just a moment. Not only carrots but also potatoes. This is because we ran out of some domestic products. Last year, we produced over 19 million tonnes of potatoes. This year we will have about 22 million – I hope this is more than enough. That is a million tonnes we missed. They bring vegetables not from a next-door region but usually from abroad, from Belarus, or Turkey where it is warmer. Naturally, in this context it is important to look at logistics. How much will it cost with this kind of shipping, and so on.
Naturally, we must keep an eye on this as well, but let me say again that we will soon take in the vegetable harvest, and I hope it will affect prices. That said, the development of agriculture also includes vegetables and fruit, but now we are not fully meeting domestic demand for them.
For instance, we have practically resolved the problem of chicken meat and pork. We produce enough to meet domestic demand and even export them. In fact, we export a lot. By the way, last year agriculture made a record $30 billion on exports, over $30 billion. This has never happened before.
Incidentally, a decision was also made on grain with a view to curbing prices on bread and bakery products inside the country by introducing export quotas and export customs duties.
Recent price hikes on bakery products and sunflower oil have been a mere 0.1 percent. Prices on sugar have also increased by about 0.1 percent. In other words, regulating measures are being taken and are resulting in the desired effect but, unfortunately, not on all food items. We will press on.
Nailya Asker-zade: I suggest we get back to the topic of agriculture a bit later because we have finally gotten through to Omsk.
Vladimir Vasilkov. Let us have this call on air.
Vladimir Putin: Of course.
Vladimir Vasilkov: Hello.
I worked for more than 40 years and was awarded the title of Omsk Region Labour Veteran. I recently received a small increase in my pension but the Labour Veteran title was withdrawn along with my benefits. They used to pay me 550 rubles, which was at least something, and now I am nobody. It was a slap in the face. And I know more people like me.
Nailya Asker-zade: Excuse me, but your question was about your COVID-19 recovery and the rehabilitation you need.
Vladimir Vasilkov: Yes, that is another question that I have.
Vladimir Putin: Go ahead, please, Mr Vasilkov.
As concerns the Labour Veteran title, I know that, unfortunately, it has been an issue in the regions. It is up to regional authorities to award the Labour Veteran title and to withdraw it. I think it absolutely unjustified. They should not take away what has already been given.
Vladimir Vasilkov: I am not the only one.
Vladimir Putin: I know and I believe that this decision was wrong. That is my opinion and I hope Omsk will hear me. There is a general rule, which is stipulated by the Constitution, no less: you cannot deprive people of the benefits they already have. This aspect of the matter must be reviewed carefully by officials at all levels.
Nailya Asker-zade: As I promised, shall we get back to the topic of agriculture?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course.
Nailya Asker-zade: Let us see what questions arecoming in from those who till the land, as they say. What shall we choose? Let us go to Ufa. Here is a message: “All the crops are dying due to drought in Bashkiria. Cattle are dying. Irrigation services used to be available. This is a global problem. Please look into this. When will irrigation services be available again?”
Vladimir Putin: First of all, I want to say that we are proud of our agricultural workers and their results. I have already said that even their export results are outstanding, no less. Productivity and production are growing fast. Vegetable and fruit cultivation could be better, but additional support is necessary.
Overall, support for the agricultural sector is quite substantial, around 350 billion rubles. We support other areas as well. For example, we will allocate 35 billion for the social development of rural areas. We also allocate 70 billion every year for farmland reclamation. That is 70 billion every year for this purpose.
Irrigation services are part of these efforts. We allocate more than 7 billion a year for this purpose and will continue to do so. Irrigation is very important, considering climate change. We will be ramping up these efforts across all the areas I have just mentioned.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, to follow up on agriculture, I would like to quote a few text messages. “Mr President, they say there will be a tax on livestock. Is it true?” someone from the Rostov Region is asking. In fact, not everyone is aware that there may be such a thing as a tax on livestock.
Nailya Asker-zade: Horned livestock.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Yes, horned livestock. As far as I understand, agricultural producers have been exempted.
And one more follow-up question from Izrail Murzabekov in Ingushetia, who engages in selective sheep breeding. He is asking for help with the lease of land and writes the following: “Any kind of land, even wasteland, at least something.”
Vladimir Putin: Where does he live?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Nazran, Ingushetia.
Vladimir Putin: Ok. With regard to help, I will definitely have a word with the head of the republic. Land in the North Caucasus is worth a lot; it really is a valuable asset. But since this person engages in real business, an important business – selective breeding, right? Sheep breeding?
Vladimir Putin: This is very important. This is something that we have been increasingly focused on lately. It is true of seeds and livestock. This is critically important. We are only taking the first steps in this direction.
We have resolved the chicken meat problem, but not everyone is aware – no, this is a serious matter – that we mainly import eggs in order to raise chickens. We need to have our own eggs to begin with. The same applies to cattle and sheep breeding.
To reiterate, we are moving forward towards this goal. Of course, people who engage in this business deserve special support. I will definitely have a word with the head of the republic.
The first part of your question was…
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: The first part of the question was about the tax on livestock. Is it true that…
Vladimir Putin: We should impose a tax on those who spread such rumours. No, no one is going to impose any tax on livestock.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: People are worried. This question comes from the village of Chaltyr, Rostov Region, apparently, a small place.
Vladimir Putin: I hope that I will be heard not only in the Rostov Region, but other regions of the Russian Federation as well.
Nailya Asker-zade: Most importantly, the Finance Ministry should hear you.
Vladimir Putin: No, no, no. Take my word for it, no one is planning anything like that. These are just rumours.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, I suggest we move on. The Economy section has a sub-section called Industry and Production. Let us see if we have received any messages or calls on this topic.
Troitsk is on the line, we have a video call, that is, people can go on the air. And Nizhny Novgorod is also calling.
Vladimir Putin: Go ahead, please.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Which one will we choose?
Vladimir Putin: It does not matter.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Let us listen to Troitsk.
Vladimir Putin: Troitsk – where is it?
Nailya Asker-zade: It is in Moscow’s immediate suburbs.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Hello, you are on the air.
Vladimir Putin: Good day, Svetlana.
Svetlana Mironova: Mr President, good day.
Here is my question. My name is Svetlana Mironova. I want to ask about the surging prices of building materials. I will give you an example: my family lives in a small flat of 33 square metres. The children are growing and now there is not enough room for everyone, so this year we planned to improve our living conditions. We bought a plot of land and started to think about building a house. I will use the fence as an example: three or four months ago it cost about 150,000 [rubles]. Today we will have to fork out 260,000 for a fence made of ordinary corrugated iron. It is quite a sum for our family. We want to understand – my family and those families who have found themselves in the same situation – if prices will remain the same or if they will increase or, maybe, with your assistance, they will be more affordable to us. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Hopefully, I can also help to make them affordable. I will explain what I mean.
First, of course, this was caused by inflation and the price increases in the consumer market across the board. The inflation rate in our country has gone up to 5.9 percent, or almost 6 percent, from about 4 percent. Of course, our objective is to push it down. That is why the Central Bank has increased slightly its key interest rate to avoid an excessive money supply in the economy.
I believe the current inflation rate will get back to its target indicator – 4 percent. This year, we will hardly achieve this, but I believe we will be able to bring it [the inflation rate] down to 5 percent and, generally, make sure that inflation holds steady at this level, yet, thinking of making it lower. This is my first point.
Secondly, regarding the reasons behind it, in my view, there will be more questions like this during our meeting today. This was caused by the changes in the situation in many world markets for commodities, in particular, metals.
Prices on metals have increased sharply on world markets. Incidentally, this includes foodstuffs. Prices on sugar went up on world markets and so our producers began selling it abroad. As a result, we had a shortage of sugar, and prices jumped. The same happened with metals. Metal prices increased on world markets. Here, they are trying to raise them to global levels, and so everything linked with this instantly gets more expensive.
Action is being taken now to curb prices on these basic goods, which includes construction goods. I hope this will affect you as well. We know all this and are taking the necessary steps to keep the situation stable.
By the way, maybe this is worth considering: are you selling your flat or are you keeping it?
Svetlana Mironova: We would like to keep it, of course.
Vladimir Putin: For those who are selling their flats, people have probably noticed this, but I would still like to repeat once again. I recently talked about this at the United Russia congress: if a person sells a flat within five years and buys a new one, he has to pay personal income tax. Considering growing housing prices, people were losing a fair amount of money. They could have at least made a down payment.
I suggested then that if a person buys a new flat within a year, he should not pay this tax when selling his flat. This may concern you less, but it has a direct bearing on all those who want to improve their housing conditions by selling their old flat and buying a new one. I believe this is how it will be. We will work to stabilise the situation in the construction market as well.
There are a number of other measures, but we will discuss them later. They are related to infrastructure loans, utilities loans and the like, but I believe that together these measures should promote stabilisation in the construction market.
In the meantime, I would like to wish you success. I hope you will manage to carry out your plans. I would like to wish your family and you personally all the best.
Svetlana Mironova: I was happy to see you.
Vladimir Putin: The pleasure is mine.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Thank you, Svetlana.
Mr President, besides our TV viewers, your colleagues in the Government are obviously listening to us.
Vladimir Putin: I am 100 percent sure.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: We just received a message. Tatyana Golikova said that not even 10 percent (you noted that 10 percent of vaccinated people could fall sick after a jab) but more like 2.5 percent could get it again. Whom should we believe?
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Ms Golikova, of course, because she is dealing with this professionally every day. She was the Healthcare Minister and knows what she is talking about.
Nailya Asker-zade: Let us read a question that was texted to us: “Why not have the governors hold direct lines like you do, annually or quarterly? That would reduce the number of questions for the President.”
By the way, heads of some regions, such as Moscow, Tatarstan and St Petersburg, to name a few, are already doing so, mainly through social media.
Vladimir Putin: I think this would do no harm to anyone, because direct communication is important not only because people have the opportunity to ask the head of state or region questions. What is more important – and I have said this many times – is that the most pressing issues that concern our citizens are selected in the process. This is critically important in order to fine tune our practical moves in the most important areas such as social policy, healthcare, housing construction, etc. That is why I would encourage regional leaders, my colleagues, to listen to what our citizens have to say.
Nailya Asker-zade: Occasionally, even simple issues cannot be resolved without the President or the Governor. It happens.
Vladimir Putin: It does. Perhaps, we should strive to make sure that things get addressed automatically, but we still have a long way to go. In any case, this feedback is always very helpful.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, speaking of feedback, if your colleagues could spend more time talking to the people, they would hear questions, including those coming from small and medium-sized businesses. Clearly, this year is difficult for everyone, and this segment was hit hard, but at the same time it received support. Just several days ago, you instructed the Government to exempt small businesses in the catering sector from VAT.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, but under certain conditions: there must be receipts for everything, so that everything is transparent, not just their services, but there should also be receipts for the goods that they purchase and use in their work and this should be transparent.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Let us hear what the businesspeople have to say about this. Let us hear from Surgut, which has also joined us on this direct line.
Vladimir Putin: Please, go ahead.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Please, you are on the air. Mr Kharlov, can you hear us?
Vladimir Putin: We are listening to you.
Maxim Kharlov: Good afternoon, Mr President.
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Maxim.
Maxim Kharlov: Here is my question. As a representative of the business community, I have repeatedly applied for financial support – loans for expanding my business – but the terms offered by the lending institution preclude effective development. The interest rates are high, 18 percent and up, and loan terms are under three years, that is, very short, and they also want collateral. These terms preclude obtaining any effective financial support and prevent the channeling of funds into business expansion and, as a result, the development of entrepreneurs who can become the driving force of our economy.
I started to laugh when I read about Putin and Xi having a video conference…
The image of what the western politicians and those who embrace the religion of Russophobia/Sinophobia, will think and do in my mind was a pleasure to behold…
So I laughed…
Wanna know what they talked about?
Glad you asked…
Vladimir Putin had a conversation, via videoconference, with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the signing of the bilateral Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation.
For Russians it has been hot in our area. But yesterday, the heat broke, rain fell and today will be 10 degrees C. cooler….that is from around a high of 95 F. to now 77 F. difference. Basically 20 degrees F. cooler. Big difference for us peasants with no air conditioning…
It got bad enough that Svetochka found out her mom’s fan died and we had an extra at our Moscow home….she sent it by Yandex Taxi and her mom had a different quality of life…
You know it is serious when a hard core Soviet Russian accepts a fan or ventilator (вентилятор) as Russians call it…
Moscow got proverbially flooded with rain storms, no such thing as true storm drainage in Russia….so Moscow flooded…
I spent a bunch of time staying in front of our fan and reading in the Tiny Russian Village. Maybe today I can see if things dry enough and can mow? But I had a bad night due to all the weather changes and we will see…
The sunflowers all made it through the storms. I tied them up, like I did with the potatoes last year. Of course I hugged them all while the lightning flashed and the winds blew and thunder boomed and rain torrented down to beat the band… 😉
Gonna be something else when they bloom…
I am serious and besides I need my coffee. It is not very likely that I will not drink just two cups of coffee today. Okay, it is certain I will drink three today…
Right now I am just enjoying the cool breeze and fresh air in the Tiny Russian Village…
Just don’t wanna think about doing anything at all…
Guess I will drink a third cup of Java this morning?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
№ 1301-28-06-2021 28 June 202100:00
Article by Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, “The Law, the Rights and the Rules”, Moscow, June 28, 2021
The frank and generally constructive conversation that took place at the June 16, 2021 summit meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Joseph Biden in Geneva resulted in an agreement to launch a substantive dialogue on strategic stability, reaffirming the crucial premise that nuclear war is unacceptable. The two sides also reached an understanding on the advisability of engaging in consultations on cybersecurity, the operation of diplomatic missions, the fate of imprisoned Russian and US citizens and a number of regional conflicts.
The Russian leader made it clear, including in his public statements, that finding a mutually acceptable balance of interests strictly on a parity basis is the only way to deliver on any of these tracks. There were no objections during the talks. However, in their immediate aftermath, US officials, including those who participated in the Geneva meeting, started asserting what seemed to be foregone tenets, perorating that they had “made it clear” to Moscow, “warned it, and stated their demands.” Moreover, all these “warnings” went hand in hand with threats: if Moscow does not accept the “rules of the road” set forth in Geneva in a matter of several months, it would come under renewed pressure.
Of course, it has yet to be seen how the consultations to define specific ways for fulfilling the Geneva understandings as mentioned above will proceed. As Vladimir Putin said during his news conference following the talks, “we have a lot to work on.” That said, it is telling that Washington’s ineradicable position was voiced immediately following the talks, especially since European capitals immediately took heed of the Big Brother’s sentiment and picked up the tune with much gusto and relish. The gist of their statements is that they are ready to normalise their relations with Moscow, but only after it changes the way it behaves.
It is as if a choir has been pre-arranged to sing along with the lead vocalist. It seems that this was what the series of high-level Western events in the build-up to the Russia-US talks was all about: the Group of Seven Summit in Cornwall, UK, the NATO Summit in Brussels, as well as Joseph Biden’s meeting with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
These meetings were carefully prepared in a way that leaves no doubt that the West wanted to send a clear message: it stands united like never before and will do what it believes to be right in international affairs, while forcing others, primarily Russia and China, to follow its lead. The documents adopted at the Cornwall and Brussels summits cemented the rules-based world order concept as a counterweight to the universal principles of international law with the UN Charter as its primary source.
In doing so, the West deliberately shies away from spelling out the rules it purports to follow, just as it refrains from explaining why they are needed. After all, there are already thousands of universal international legal instruments setting out clear national commitments and transparent verification mechanisms. The beauty of these Western “rules” lies precisely in the fact that they lack any specific content. When someone acts against the will of the West, it immediately responds with a groundless claim that “the rules have been broken” (without bothering to present any evidence) and declares its “right to hold the perpetrators accountable.” The less specific they get, the freer their hand to carry on with the arbitrary practice of employing dirty tactics as a way to pressure competitors. During the so-called “wild 1990s” in Russia, we used to refer to such practices as laying down the law.
To the participants in the G7, NATO and US-EU summits, this series of high-level events signalled the return by the United States into European affairs and the restored consolidation of the Old World under the wing of the new administration in Washington. Most NATO and EU members met this U-turn with enthusiastic comments rather than just a sigh of relief. The adherence to liberal values as the humanity’s guiding star provides an ideological underpinning for the reunification of the “Western family.” Without any false modesty, Washington and Brussels called themselves “an anchor for democracy, peace and security,” as opposed to “authoritarianism in all its forms.” In particular, they proclaimed their intent to use sanctions to “support democracy across the globe.” To this effect, they took on board the American idea of convening a Summit for Democracy. Make no mistake, the West will cherry pick the participants in this summit. It will also set an agenda that is unlikely to meet any opposition from the participants of its choosing. There has been talk of democracy-exporting countries undertaking “enhanced commitments” to ensure universal adherence to “democratic standards” and devising mechanisms for controlling these processes.
The revitalised Anglo-American Atlantic Charter approved by Joseph Biden and Boris Johnson on June 10, 2021 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit is also worth noting. It was cast as an updated version of the 1941 document signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill under the same title. At the time, it played an important role in shaping the contours of the post-war world order.
However, neither Washington, nor London mentioned an essential historical fact: eighty years ago, the USSR and a number of European governments in exile joined the 1941 charter, paving the way to making it one of the conceptual pillars of the Anti-Hitler Coalition and one of the legal blueprints of the UN Charter.
By the same token, the New Atlantic Charter has been designed as a starting point for building a new world order, but guided solely by Western “rules.” Its provisions are ideologically tainted. They seek to widen the gap between the so-called liberal democracies and all other nations, as well as legitimise the rules-based order. The new charter fails to mention the UN or the OSCE, while stating without any reservations the adherence by the Western nations to their commitments as NATO members, viewed de facto as the only legitimate decision-making centre (at least this is how former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen described NATO’s role). It is clear that the same philosophy will guide the preparations for the Summit for Democracy.
Labelled as “authoritarian powers,” Russia and China have been designated as the main obstacles to delivering on the agenda set out at the June summits. From a general perspective, they face two groups of grievances, loosely defined as external and internal. In terms of international affairs, Beijing is accused of being too assertive in pursuing its economic interests (the Belt and Road initiative), as well as expanding its military and, in general, technological might with a view to increasing its influence. Russia stands accused of adopting an “aggressive posture” in a number of regions. This is the way they treat Moscow’s policy aimed at countering ultra-radical and neo-Nazi aspirations in its immediate neighbourhood, where the rights of Russians, as well as other ethnic minorities, are being suppressed, and the Russian language, education and culture rooted out. They also dislike the fact than Moscow stands up for countries that became victims to Western gambles, were attacked by international terrorists and risked losing their statehood, as was the case with Syria.
Still, the West reserved its biggest words to the inner workings of the “non-democratic” countries and its commitment to reshape them to fit into the Western mould. This entails bringing society in compliance with the vision of democracy as preached by Washington and Brussels. This lies at the root of the demands that Moscow and Beijing, as well as all others, follow the Western prescriptions on human rights, civil society, opposition treatment, the media, governance and the interaction between the branches of power. While proclaiming the “right” to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries for the sake of promoting democracy as it understands it, the West instantly loses all interest when we raise the prospect of making international relations more democratic, including renouncing arrogant behaviour and committing to abide by the universally recognised tenets of international law instead of “rules.” By expanding sanctions and other illegitimate coercive measures against sovereign states, the West promotes totalitarian rule in global affairs, assuming an imperial, neo-colonial stance in its relations with third countries. They are asked to adopt the democratic rule under the model of the Western choosing, and forget about democracy in international affairs, since someone will be deciding everything for them. All that is asked of these third countries is to keep quiet, or face reprisals.
Clearheaded politicians in Europe and America realise that this uncompromising policy leads nowhere, and are beginning to think pragmatically, albeit out of public view, recognising that the world has more than just one civilisation. They are beginning to recognise that Russia, China and other major powers have a history that dates back a thousand years, and have their own traditions, values and way of life. Attempts to decide whose values are better, and whose are worse, seem pointless. Instead, the West must simply recognise that there are other ways to govern that may be different from the Western approaches, and accept and respect this as a given. No country is immune to human rights issues, so why all this high-browed hubris? Why do the Western countries assume that they can deal with these issues on their own, since they are democracies, while others have yet to reach this level, and are in need of assistance that the West will generously provide.
International relations are going through fundamental shifts that affect everyone without exception. Trying to predict where it will take us is impossible. Still, there is a question: messianic aspirations apart, what is the most effective form of government for coping with and removing threats that transcend borders and affect all people, no matter where they live? Political scientists are beginning to compare the available toolboxes used by the so-called liberal democracies and by “autocratic regimes.” In this context, it is telling that the term “autocratic democracy” has been suggested, even if timidly.
These are useful considerations, and serious-minded politicians who are currently in power, among others, must take heed. Thinking and scrutinising what is going on around us has never hurt anyone. The multipolar world is becoming reality. Attempts to ignore this reality by asserting oneself as the only legitimate decision-making centre will hardly bring about solutions to real, rather than farfetched challenges. Instead, what is needed is mutually respectful dialogue involving the leading powers and with due regard for the interests of all other members of the international community. This implies an unconditional commitment to abide by the universally accepted norms and principles of international law, including respecting the sovereign equality of states, non-interference in their domestic affairs, peaceful resolution of conflict, and the right to self-determination.
Taken as a whole, the historical West dominated the world for five hundred years. However, there is no doubt that it now sees that this era is coming to a close, while clinging to the status it used to enjoy, and putting artificial brakes on the objective process consisting in the emergence of a polycentric world. This brought about an attempt to provide a conceptual underpinning to the new vision of multilateralism. For example, France and Germany tried to promote “effective multilateralism,” rooted in the EU ideals and actions, and serving as a model to everyone else, rather than promoting UN’s inclusive multilateralism.
By imposing the concept of a rules-based order, the West seeks to shift the conversation on key issues to the platforms of its liking, where no dissident voices can be heard. This is how like-minded groups and various “appeals” emerge. This is about coordinating prescriptions and then making everyone else follow them. Examples include an “appeal for trust and security in cyberspace”, “the humanitarian appeal for action”, and a “global partnership to protect media freedom.” Each of these platforms brings together only several dozen countries, which is far from a majority, as far as the international community is concerned. The UN system offers inclusive negotiations platforms on all of the abovementioned subjects. Understandably, this gives rise to alternative points of view that have to be taken into consideration in search of a compromise, but all the West wants is to impose its own rules.
At the same time, the EU develops dedicated horizontal sanctions regimes for each of its “like-minded groups,” of course, without looking back at the UN Charter. This is how it works: those who join these “appeals” or “partnerships” decide among themselves who violates their requirements in a given sphere, and the European Union imposes sanctions on those at fault. What a convenient method. They can indict and punish all by themselves without ever needing to turn to the UN Security Council. They even came up with a rationale to this effect: since we have an alliance of the most effective multilateralists, we can teach others to master these best practices. To those who believe this to be undemocratic or at odds with a vision of genuine multilateralism, President of France Emmanuel Macron offered an explanation in his remarks on May 11, 2021: multilateralism does not mean necessity to strike unanimity, and the position of those “who do not wish to continue moving forward must not be able to stop … an ambitious avant-garde” of the world community.
Make no mistake: there is nothing wrong with the rules per se. On the contrary, the UN Charter is a set of rules, but these rules were approved by all countries of the world, rather than by a closed group at a cosy get-together.
An interesting detail: in Russian, the words “law” and “rule” share a single root. To us, a rule that is genuine and just is inseparable from the law. This is not the case for Western languages. For instance, in English, the words “law” and “rule” do not share any resemblance. See the difference? “Rule” is not so much about the law, in the sense of generally accepted laws, as it is about the decisions taken by the one who rules or governs. It is also worth noting that “rule” shares a single root with “ruler,” with the latter’s meanings including the commonplace device for measuring and drawing straight lines. It can be inferred that through its concept of “rules” the West seeks to align everyone around its vision or apply the same yardstick to everybody, so that everyone falls into a single file.
While reflecting on linguistics, worldview, sentiment, and the way they vary from one nation or culture to another, it is worth recollecting how the West has been justifying NATO’s unreserved eastward expansion towards the Russian border. When we point to the assurances provided to the Soviet Union that this would not happen, we hear that these were merely spoken promises, and there were no documents signed to this effect. There is a centuries-old tradition in Russia of making handshake deals without signing anything and holding one’s word as sacrosanct, but it seems unlikely to ever take hold in the West.
Efforts to replace international law by Western “rules” include an immanently dangerous policy of revising the history and outcomes of the Second World War and the Nuremberg trials verdicts as the foundation of today’s world order. The West refuses to support a Russia-sponsored UN resolution proclaiming that glorifying Nazism is unacceptable, and rejects our proposals to discuss the demolition of monuments to those who liberated Europe. They also want to condemn to oblivion momentous post-war developments, such as the 1960 UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, initiated by our country. The former colonial powers seek to efface this memory by replacing it with hastily concocted rituals like taking a knee ahead of sports competitions, in order to divert attention from their historical responsibility for colonial-era crimes.
The rules-based order is the embodiment of double standards. The right to self-determination is recognised as an absolute “rule” whenever it can be used to an advantage. This applies to the Malvinas Islands, or the Falklands, some 12,000 kilometres from Great Britain, to the remote former colonial territories Paris and London retain despite multiple UN resolutions and rulings by the International Court of Justice, as well as Kosovo, which obtained its “independence” in violation of a UN Security Council resolution. However, if self-determination runs counter to the Western geopolitical interests, as it happened when the people of Crimea voted for reunification with Russia, this principle is cast aside, while condemning the free choice made by the people and punishing them with sanctions.
Apart from encroaching on international law, the “rules” concept also manifests itself in attempts to encroach on the very human nature. In a number of Western countries, students learn at school that Jesus Christ was bisexual. Attempts by reasonable politicians to shield the younger generation from aggressive LGBT propaganda are met with bellicose protests from the “enlightened Europe.” All world religions, the genetic code of the planet’s key civilisations, are under attack. The United States is at the forefront of state interference in church affairs, openly seeking to drive a wedge into the Orthodox world, whose values are viewed as a powerful spiritual obstacle for the liberal concept of boundless permissiveness.
The insistence and even stubbornness demonstrated by the West in imposing its “rules” are striking. Of course, domestic politics is a factor, with the need to show voters how tough your foreign policy can get when dealing with “autocratic foes” during every electoral cycle, which happen every two years in the United States.
Still, it was also the West that coined the “liberty, equality, fraternity” motto. I do not know whether the term “fraternity” is politically correct in today’s Europe from a “gender perspective,” but there were no attempts to encroach on equality so far. As mentioned above, while preaching equality and democracy in their countries and demanding that other follow its lead, the West refuses to discuss ways to ensure equality and democracy in international affairs.
This approach is clearly at odds with the ideals of freedom. The veil of its superiority conceals weakness and the fear of engaging in a frank conversation not only with yes-men and those eager to fall in line, but also with opponents with different beliefs and values, not neo-liberal or neo-conservative ones, but those learned at mother’s knee, inherited from many past generations, traditions and beliefs.
It is much harder to accept the diversity and competition of ideas in the development of the world than to invent prescriptions for all of humanity within a narrow circle of the like-minded, free from any disputes on matters of principle, which makes the emergence of truth all but impossible. However, universal platforms can produce agreements that are much more solid, sustainable, and can be subject to objective verification.
This immutable truth struggles to make it through to the Western elites, consumed as they are with the exceptionalism complex. As I mentioned earlier in this article, right after the talks between Vladimir Putin and Joseph Biden, EU and NATO officials rushed to announce that nothing has changed in the way they treat Russia. Moreover, they are ready to see their relations with Moscow deteriorate further, they claimed.
Moreover, it is an aggressive Russophobic minority that increasingly sets the EU’s policy, as confirmed by the EU Summit in Brussels on June 24 and 25, 2021, where the future of relations with Russia was on the agenda. The idea voiced by Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron to hold a meeting with Vladimir Putin was killed before it saw the light of day. Observers noted that the Russia-US Summit in Geneva was tantamount to a go-ahead by the United States to have this meeting, but the Baltic states, siding with Poland, cut short this “uncoordinated” attempt by Berlin and Paris, while the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the German and French ambassadors to explain their governments’ actions. What came out of the debates at the Brussels summit was an instruction to the European Commission and the European Union External Action Service to devise new sanctions against Moscow without referring to any specific “sins,” just in case. No doubt they will come up with something, should the need arise.
Neither NATO, nor the EU intend to divert from their policy of subjugating other regions of the world, proclaiming a self-designated global messianic mission. The North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation is seeking to proactively contribute to America’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific Region, clearly targeted at containing China, and undermining ASEAN’s role in its decades-long efforts to build an inclusive cooperation architecture for Asia-Pacific. In turn, the European Union drafts programmes to “embrace” geopolitical spaces in its neighbourhood and beyond, without coordinating these initiatives even with the invited countries. This is what the Eastern Partnership, as well as a recent programme approved by Brussels for Central Asia, are all about. There is a fundamental difference between these approaches and the ones guiding integration processes with Russia’s involvement: the CIS, the CSTO, EurAsEC and the SCO, which seek to develop relations with external partners exclusively on the basis of parity and mutual agreement.
With its contemptuous attitude towards other members of the international community, the West finds itself on the wrong side of history.
Serious, self-respecting countries will never tolerate attempts to talk to them through ultimatums and will discuss any issues only on an equal footing.
As for Russia, it is high time that everyone understands that we have drawn a definitive line under any attempts to play a one-way game with us. All the mantras we hear from the Western capitals on their readiness to put their relations with Moscow back on track, as long as it repents and changes its tack, are meaningless. Still, many persist, as if by inertia, in presenting us with unilateral demands, which does little, if any, credit to how realistic they are.
The policy of having the Russian Federation develop on its own, independently and protecting national interests, while remaining open to reaching agreements with foreign partners on an equal basis, has long been at the core of all its position papers on foreign policy, national security and defence. However, judging by the practical steps taken over the recent years by the West, they probably thought that Russia did not really mean what it preached, as if it did not intend to follow through on these principles. This includes the hysterical response to Moscow’s efforts to stand up for the rights of Russians in the aftermath of the bloody 2014 government coup in Ukraine, supported by the United States, NATO and the EU. They thought that if they applied some more pressure on the elites and targeted their interests, while expanding personal, financial and other sectoral sanctions, Moscow would come to its senses and realise that it would face mounting challenges on its development path, as long as it did not “change its behaviour,” which implies obeying the West. Even when Russia made it clear that we view this policy by the United States and Europe as a new reality and will proceed on economic and other matters from the premise that we cannot depend on unreliable partners, the West persisted in believing that, at the end of the day, Moscow “will come to its senses” and will make the required concessions for the sake of financial reward. Let me emphasise what President Vladimir Putin has said on multiple occasions: there have been no unilateral concessions since the late 1990s and there never will be. If you want to work with us, recover lost profits and business reputations, let us sit down and agree on ways we can meet each other half way in order to find fair solutions and compromises.
It is essential that the West understands that this is a firmly ingrained worldview among the people of Russia, reflecting the attitude of the overwhelming majority here. The “irreconcilable” opponents of the Russian government who have placed their stakes on the West and believe that all Russia’s woes come from its anti-Western stance advocate unilateral concessions for the sake of seeing the sanctions lifted and receiving hypothetical financial gains. But they are totally marginal in Russian society. During his June 16, 2021 news conference in Geneva, Vladimir Putin made it abundantly clear what the West is after when it supports these marginal forces.
These are disruptive efforts as far as history is concerned, while Russians have always demonstrated maturity, a sense of self-respect, dignity and national pride, and the ability to think independently, especially during hard times, while remaining open to the rest of the world, but only on an equal, mutually beneficial footing. Once we put the confusion and mayhem of the 1990s behind us, these values became the bedrock of Russia’s foreign policy concept in the 21st century. The people of Russia can decide on how they view the actions by their government without getting any prompts from abroad.
As to the question on how to proceed on the international stage, there is no doubt that leaders will always play an important role, but they have to reaffirm their authority, offer new ideas and lead by conviction, not ultimatums. The Group of Twenty, among others, is a natural platform for working out mutually acceptable agreements. It brings together the leading economies, young and old, including the G7, as well as the BRICS and its like-minded countries. Russia’s initiative to form a Greater Eurasian Partnership by coordinating the efforts of countries and organisations across the continent holds a powerful consolidating potential. Seeking to facilitate an honest conversation on the key global stability matters, President Vladimir Putin suggested convening a summit of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that have special responsibilArticle by Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, “The Law, the Rights and the Rules”, Moscow, June 28, 2021ity for maintaining international peace and stability on the planet.
Efforts to bring more democracy to international relations and affirm a polycentric world order include reforming the UN Security Council by strengthening it with Asian, African and Latin American countries, and ending the anomaly with the excessive representation of the West in the UN’s main body.
Regardless of any ambitions and threats, our country remains committed to a sovereign and independent foreign policy, while also ready to offer a unifying agenda in international affairs with due account for the cultural and civilisational diversity in today’s world. Confrontation is not our choice, no matter the rationale. On June 22, 2021, Vladimir Putin published an article “Being Open, Despite the Past,” in which he emphasised: “We simply cannot afford to carry the burden of past misunderstandings, hard feelings, conflicts, and mistakes.” He also discussed the need to ensure security without dividing lines, a common space for equitable cooperation and inclusive development. This approach hinges on Russia’s thousand-year history and is fully consistent with the current stage in its development. We will persist in promoting the emergence of an international relations culture based on the supreme values of justice and enabling all countries, large and small, to develop in peace and freedom. We will always remain open to honest dialogue with anyone who demonstrates a reciprocal readiness to find a balance of interests firmly rooted in international law. These are the rules we adhere to.
This morning Wally the Wagtail started his day as he always does, waking me up and following me around and then he came to me and said, “Do you hear that?”
I listened and heard another wagtail answer him and in a little bit, Wally came and he was all excited. He said, “Do you see her? Look at how she wags that tail!”
Monkey Uncle Sparrow looked and said, “She is not all that!”
But Wally was in trouble and I knew I should not chance the fate of gods and speak about him in a post. Wally the Wagtail is smitten with love and after a few hours of being enticed by a waggy tail, from a cute little Wagtail girl. Wally has falling for the oldest trick in the book and run away to cater to his new life with “Hussy the Wagtail”…
Monkey Uncle Sparrow said, “Oops, and all because she wagged her tail so good!”
I said, “Yes, but your time is coming!” Monkey Uncle Sparrow just looked at me like I was crazy…
Then I realized as I walked around a much quieter yard and missed my little wagtail watching me. It is magic I tell you….guys fall all over themselves when a girl decides that she has found the one she wants….she smiles, she wags her tail and she knows just how to catch what she wants. Its magic I tell you!
Sometimes life is as simple as a hammer handle: and sometimes we should learn, even when we think we know everything!
My hammer
Expanded and fits tight.
When we bought Nikolai’s home, we inherited a bunch of stuff and I mean a bunch. In this stuff was tools and in those tools were hammers of so many varieties and almost all of them were useless. Nikolai had had to replace handles on these hammers over the years….and they were replaced wrong and did not work. As in handle broke easily and or forever slipped the head off as they were used…
I realized that with all Nikolai’s abilities, he could not put a new hammer handle in any better than I could. I saw the way he did the new handles and I saw the same way that I had attempted to re-handle many hammers before also. I then started to study why he and I failed at hammer handle installation?
I tried to study from the web and found some interesting info, but never the info that allowed me to satisfy the proper installation. A hammer is only as good as its handle….or else why have handles in the first place. Therefore, I lined up all the broken hammers. This has taken me weeks and with the heat, it has slowed down my progress….yet everyday, I looked closely at these broken hammers…
I had beautiful Soviet hammers, poor modern hammers, tack hammers, sledge hammers, claw hammers, ball peen hammers and so on and so on. They all had one thing in common….bad handles, with everything from electrical tape to stop from slipping off, twenty nails driven into the top area to stop the slipping of the head…
New handles? Slipping and or breaking easily. Old hammer heads even rattled on the handle…
What did Nikolai and I miss as we try to fix these instruments so vital to building and fixing everything around a home, work or play?
I grabbed my favorite hammer, a sledge that was and is perfect to beat just about anything, anyway we want it to be beaten. It makes you feel like you have “Thor’s Hammer”….yet when you swung it? It’s head slipped upwards and the hammer head would come off after three swings. Then you smack it by the handle bottom against something hard and start beating things again. Sound familiar?
Therefore, I removed the handle carefully and sat down with the pieces that I had….after a few days with enduring the heat and doing a million other things, it became apparent what was wrong…
Speaking of heat: It is 4 a.m.
I just stopped working on this post and went to water the pear trees and white lilacs and such. That is what I do many mornings as I think about what I write. Never water when it is blistering hot outside…
The bottom of the hole through the hammer head is different in size and shape of the hole at the top of the hammer head!
Then, I saw that he had installed the hammer head upside down. The bottom hole is smaller that the top and it tapers expanding to the top hole. So, I then cut off the bad top of the handle and took my tools and carefully (for me that is a miracle in itself) worked the handle to fit the bottom hole. Then I realized that I have never cut a slit in the top. I always, just as Nikolai did, drive the wedge to hold the head straight into the wood. Cracking and splitting the hammer handle in the process…
I found this image that showed me the trick (interesting how one image can make you understand)….slice a deep grove into the handle at the top. Very simple and very effective. Many never say to do that. I see many, just smash the wedges into the top, like Nikolai and I do/did all the time. Then I looked at how much variance between the bottom hole in the hammer and the top after I put the hammer and handle together. It made me realize that I always tried to put many hammer heads on backwards and or upside down….in effect the handle is bigger at the top of the hammer head, as a result of doing it correctly…
Never thought about it:
I looked at my handle installed without wedges. Then I saw how much space there was between the top hole edges and the handle that fit the bottom head hole and I realized that the wedge has to be able to expand the handle properly to fill the tapered upwards hole in the head. I was amazed with the results….the handle top expanded and filled the hole perfect. Like the handle was shaped and just magically inserted itself. Impossible to do unless you wedge it properly…
I then proceeded to smack all kinds of stuff, (no nothing died in the process), and the head stayed solid to the handle….
Thus, this morning I realized that life is as simple as this hammer and its handle….All life has a certain way it has to be….you can modify and create, yet the laws apply the same in the end. I have a claw hammer that the head is all the same as one piece….yet I fight with a slipping sleeve off the head/handle and find the same issues as with a separate head and handle. That is another project to fix…
The issue just moves itself:
I went to bed last night and realized that we have become a world wide group of people that do not want to follow the rules and laws of nature. Yet, in the end, what is/is what is!
Now I have to properly re-handle a dozen more hammers. Got to be able to smash and bash…
Thor would be proud!
WtR
PS: Tidbit time….Not all wood is created equal, you must use a hardwood (like oak and or walnut) to make a handle. Using a wood like pine is like using a stick of pasta noodles to make a hammer handle. I know, pine is way too soft to smash things like Thor does…
It may be very hot for us Russians and or Russified wannabe Russians, but sunflowers love it…
It’s lunch time… (Notice the water container for all the birdys in the back yard.)
Getting big, gonna be beautiful when they bloom…
My grandma always said that I had a green thumb and she was right to a point. I believe everyone has a green thumb….it is all in your mind and all in if you care. Love your babies and they will develop… (Time to think about support for thunderstorm winds?)
I have a single Wagtail left from the dozens that were in the yard. It is a male and he has decided to stay put and help me to grow sunflowers. The rest have flown the coop and found other places to investigate. I am followed all over the yard by this Wagtail and he is a happy bird…
He has a water dish and more bugs than he can ever eat in a lifetime…
I also have a single Sparrow that hangs around also….he likes to roll in the water dish when the Wagtail is not looking….I laughed so hard yesterday as I watched the monkey bird literally swim in the dish. He looked like a wet ally cat….Wally was peaking over the edge of the roof and looked at me like, “That guy is nuts!” Thus…
I call them Wally the Wagtail and the Monkey Uncle Bird!
What is sad is that Miami is neglect and Syria is intentional…
The loss of human life is sad and should be equally sad wherever it happens and how ever it happens…
The scene of the amazing amount of rubble caused by a Miami structural failure has rightfully shocked all Americans wondering how this could possibly happen in America. Ironically they don’t have the same consideration for the thousands of similar buildings along with their inhabitants the US has destroyed in deliberate action around the world literally daily. Iraq and Syria are but two examples of country’s who’s innocent citizens lie buried beneath the rubble of US bombing for many years. How does a supposedly peaceful nation allow their leaders to unleash this terror on defenseless people who are unlucky enough to have land or resources stolen by the US government? Maybe this random example on their own soil will remind them their tax dollars support this action around the globe on a daily basis…
I have empathy, yet what about when we drop a building upon innocents around the world intentionally?
Maybe we need to have the same reaction, as US people have had over the Miami collapse issue….maybe the media should report about buildings being bombed, just as they did this incident…
Maybe we would see that there are really dead innocent people under all those destroyed buildings in other countries?
Former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in April on three charges related to the murder of 46-year-old black man George Floyd, has been sentenced to 22.5 years in prison, minus time served.
Both ends of the spectrum….both treated unjustly….both martyred on each end of the spectrum….both the same in the end and as always nothing changes and nothing has been solved…
Yet, they are both perfect examples of the system…
Both wrong and both given tools by the same master to accomplish their own ends and means….remember that masters are never far from their subjects and all that is and has happened is internal in origin, not external as so many desire for it to be…
Funny and not Ha Ha funny things are in play, look around, anything you want to even mention and bring up. Agendas are flying full speed and….well, chaos is running amok. Do people really believe the crap that is happening and or is everyone so brain dead that they don’t care?
So Saint George ~~ verses ~~ Demon Chauvin?
Polycephaly? Kinda and good enough:
They are the two heads of the same body and they played their parts well. Just as we are suppose to…
Wrong is wrong, that I totally understand….yet, Floyd and Chauvin are just pawns, expendable and expended to farther the agendas of people who are really at fault. It is the system that created both and it is the system that has destroyed both and…
It is the system that is wrong and needs to change!
The truth is:
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
― Marcus Aurelius
WtR
Tidbit: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good Roman Emperors….that means that nothing changes and what was is again going around and around and around…
