Russia has been quietly working on a solution to the Korean peninsula. This solution is not involving heated discussions of threats and war as the West seems to like to induce. These discussions have been about gas. You know that lighter than air gold that fuels the world but is overshadowed by its brother – big oil…
Now this is not new news in Russia and I have been following it with personal interest. I have lots of articles about it in my news blog but I decided that today it was time to do some coffee thinking’s over the subject. So with that great cup of coffee, I have come to the conclusion that Russia has pegged a good deal on this situation with the Korean peninsula…
It has become fact now that Russia has procured the plans to build a $6 billion pipeline to South Korea. It of course will go through North Korea. That makes North Korea a transit country. This is a subject that was born when Kim Jong-il and Medvedev had a pow wow back in August of 2011. Gazprom had already made a trip to the Korea’s to get the ground work laid and that is when a month later Kim Jong-il made one of his famous train trips to Russia. South Korea has also approved the deal and North Korea has clapped their hands in happiness at the money to be made by being a transit country…
They say that it is worth several hundred millions of dollars for North Korea in cash that North Korea just has to let the gas flow and do nothing else. South Korea is needing Russian gas, (like real bad and right now) it (gas) is being delivered by ocean tankers in the liquified form. Not the best way to do vast volumes of gas…
This is a huge step forward in the North/South relationship. This ties the countries with a strong financial bond that will hopefully see a pleasant change in working conditions between the two countries. Russia will front the money to build the pipeline and the several years of construction of the pipeline in North Korea will stimulate the economy to boot. Then all North Korea has to do is let the gas flow and collect the fees. So what an incentive the North will have to be good. With a annual gross product of around $10 billion, the North can use several hundred million more a year in dollars…
Russia intends to cancel fees for foreign airlines using the airspace over Siberia, so that flights from Europe to Asia become cheaper…
So that is why I see European countries fly around Moscow instead of flying a straighter line to where they need to go. Did not realize that until today…
Russia is the only country that charges airlines for its airspace, which mainly affects the cost of flights from Europe to Asia. Many experts say that this rate reminiscent of the Cold War days, when the Soviet airspace was closed and foreign airlines could be used only if specific payments were made to the state…
This is a common issue in Russia for many things, not just airspace. The vestiges of the Soviet Union die hard at times…
Then after looking more closely I realized that this is only really happening because of the WTO. Other words if the WTO was not involved it would not happen yet. The incentive is not strong enough otherwise…
I also spotted a tidbit of information that any flight landing at Moscow has a special fee incurred. Just a little money extra to pad the wallet it seems… 🙂
It is said by the whiners of doom, that Russia will lose 15% of total revenues that Airports have to have to survive on…
I have something to say about that: It looks to me like if Russia removes the fee and or fees, then the increase in airline traffic from Europe would jump tremendously in volume. For right now European traffic is intentionally routed around the usage of Moscow as a regular stopover…
About 6 months, ago Svet’s son Misha received a ticket in the mail addressed to him from the police. It seems at that time, if my memory serves me correct that he was caught by a camera out near where Sveta and I live. I remember telling Sveta about a week before he was caught speeding that there is one of those speed cameras that they have all over Europe and America. Now we will not talk about how fast or slow he was going because this article is not about right or wrong speeds. So I have thought about him being ticketed that way here lately, because everyone is in an uproar about what the Russian government is doing. Well at least everyone who drives…
It seems that many countries in the world the governments have decided that using a speed camera is a good way to get extra money because it sure does not slow anyone down around Russia. I remember several speed cameras in Florida and I had to go fight a ticket in court many years ago around Jacksonville Florida. I won because there was no photo at that time to back up the case when I went to court and the judge threw it out. I realized that if I had paid like they said for me to do I would never have known that I could beat the charge. I am sure that it is different now because that was when cameras were new to trap people with. I am not sure about how Russia is going to make everyone pay…
Sveta and I see them all the time now all over Moscow and they are prevalent at all the police stations as you travel Russia…
Another thing that we see all the time now is radar guns. The police are well armed now in trying to ticket you with their new modern speed guns…
They also have a new alcohol detector that is suppose to work as you are even driving by the device. I am not sure how accurate it would be, but I have seen them around…
The police in Russia are making more money and have lots of new toys. They also still have their AK-47’s to play with if you get out of line. I still love it when I see police standing at there traffic stations and they have a AK slung over their shoulder. Seems that has a tendency to make you obedient when they wave for you to pull over… 🙂
Sveta and I drive with in the limits and try to stay away from these new toys. Sveta is not a back seat driver she is a front seat driver who reads all the speed limit signs and makes sure that I know what the speed is… 😉
So that is what is causing drivers to get riled up in Russia. Russians do not like to have anyone get in their way when they drive.
This morning that cup of coffee (chicory) was wonderful and I thought about a billboard that Sveta pointed out while driving around Moscow. It was about chicory and how chicory is the new taste sensation for hot beverages in Russia. I had to smile at that. I guess I am just ahead of the times and the brand I use most often is the photo to the right >>>>>>
Well Sveta and I made a trip this weekend to Auchan. I have written before about Auchan in Moscow and made it clear that going to any Auchan in Moscow is like going shopping after Thanksgiving in America. But in Moscow it is 365 days a year…
This Saturday was no exception. We fought a couple of hours of traffic to travel 10 km to Auchan from our flat. Then found the parking lot almost full. We finally found a spot that allowed us to at least see the building in the distance and were happy to get that spot…
The first thing you have to do when you get to an Auchan is eat. No – I realize that you ate at home but it has been at least 3 hours since you left home and most likely longer and you have at least 6 to 7 more hours to deal with shopping in Auchan. Unless you just leave after eating, then you still have several hours to get home. Why – you will stand 2 hours in the check out line at times. So running in to Auchan and grabbing one item is out of the question. So just stay and shop and always plan on a whole day trip to Auchan even though you live only 10 km away from it… 🙂
Like McDonald’s in Russia is the busiest in the world, so are Auchans some of the busiest in the world. They (Auchan) are a site to behold while shopping. I was able to get a few pictures and I took them because all the xmas stuff is out. Now to be fair it is not xmas here in Russia but New Years. But still I was shocked at the xmas stuff everywhere and it reminded me of America. Skip Thanksgiving and get to xmas in November. Except Russians do not have a Thanksgiving to skip and New Years shopping has definitely not started yet…
That is my sweetie at the lower left corner of the photo above. I was able to get a picture taken when everyone left the vicinity and I snapped a quick photo of the xmas items being set up all over the store…
This next photo is of a swarm (as I call them) of people that are like bees flying to flowers to get pollen…
At one point right after this photo above it got so bad and crowded with shopping carts and people that I started laughing. It looked like shopping cart mayhem and death to anyone that would fall. I can not explain it but Russians drive shopping carts like they drive cars and that is scary. I come home with bruised heels and shins every time, from people running into you with their shopping carts. A babushka is deadly with a shopping cart. By the way as I have said before this is one of the largest stores I have ever seen and it is packed like this from one side to the other. With the exception of minor lulls such as the first photo above…
Sveta and I ate at Auchan, as I said that you must do to survive. So I have to talk about a new place to eat. At least for me and to Sveta also. It is called Quick: Quick is a French chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. It is one of Europe’s largest restaurants chains. In recent years, its worldwide expansion has accelerated. Quick is similar in theme to McDonald’s. In 2007 it was “nationalized” by the French government through its investment holding company CDC.
This is the first one (Quick) that I have seen anywhere in Russia and it was really good. I can honestly tell you that McDonald’s will be in trouble against this company in Russia. The burgers were fantastic and delicious…
As we were eating, it dawned on me that Quick was a French company and Auchan is a French company. It looks like from the information that I was seeing around the store that Quick maybe in a partnership with Auchan or possibly more. So it looks like Quick will be located in all the Auchans in Russia and that will be a lot of stores…
Oh by the way! Wait until New Years shopping really starts here in Russia. Maybe Sveta and I can go back to see the crowds?
Maybe – because a 8 to 9 hour shopping trip is a little too much. We can get all that we want within walking distance, but it is fun to see what the crazies are up to once in awhile… 🙂
Medvedev finally opened up a account on the Russian version of Facebook. It had a gift section where everyone could put a gift to Medvedev. The gift section was shut down quickly after thousands upon thousands of not so nice gifts and images were received…
The photo in the article is one of the nicer images that was received. I am not going to get very involved in this because I have expressed my sentiments many times about Medvedev selling out to America (The West!) I even had an article about the famous Iphone and the burger meal that Medvedev and Obama had. I said then that Medvedev sold out Russia…
But to be honest, I feel that Medvedev in his heart did not mean to sell out to America. I think that he trusted when he should not have trusted. He was too naive and that was another issue that I talked about several times…
This weekend in Hawaii (APEC Summit) was an example of what has changed in Medvedev since he was stung badly by the deceiving Western world. When China and Russia were pushed this weekend on Iran. China was silent and Medvedev said that it would be discussed back home. Neither China or Russia have any desire to trust the West on anything to do with the world anymore. This year of 2011 has been the epitome of lies from the Western world that has broken the camels back in the East…
Now if you could have seen some of the gifts that were given to Medvedev by the adoring public. You would have realized that weakness in the face of the enemy is not high on the list of Russian leader attributes, in the peoples eyes…
I was told by lots of people from the West that the people in Russia do not care about selling out to the West because everyone in Russia are Western wannabe’s…
I am here to tell you that is just not true…
In a way I feel sorry for Medvedev. He was over his head with the Russian presidency and when he tried to go solo and Putin let him, he found out just how hard the job was. The lack of veto in the UN over Libya was Medvedev and only Medvedev. Medvedev paid dearly for that one in the eyes of the Russians…
Today this Friday, the people all over the Earth have experienced a most wonderful second in time: at 11 hours 11 minutes and 11 seconds on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 2011, twelve ones (111111111111) lined up in a row…
Russians are calling it “Magic Friday” and only good things can happen today.
The word is that, This is the day to make wishes, dream and do important things, to instigate something new, make special purchases, or take very important decisions concerning your children or family. You must be in a positive mood throughout the day or it will turn bad for you. Also do not lend money to anyone because your financial prosperity will be sent away with the breeze…
It is snowing like crazy today and they also say that the snow is magical and a snowman will come to life if made out of the snow falling on this special day!
11-11-11 – November 11th, 2011!
Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!
PS: A wish can be made anytime on this day! Just that it is more powerful if you can make it at exactly 11/11/11 11:11
Typical falsification of information by the US to spread disinformation and lies about other countries. This beating of War Drums is steadily eroding the safety of the planet earth. Strange to me how the War Drums are being beat by Western Nuclear Powers…
Lets look at just one simple lie…
From China: The report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published by a Washington think-tank on Tuesday repeated the sensational claim previously reported by news media all over the world that a former Soviet nuclear weapons scientist had helped Iran construct a detonation system that could be used for a nuclear weapon.
But it turns out that the foreign expert, who is not named in the IAEA report but was identified in news reports as Vyacheslav Danilenko, is not a nuclear weapons scientist but one of the top specialists in the world in the production of nanodiamonds by explosives.
In fact, Danilenko, a Ukrainian, has worked solely on nanodiamonds from the beginning of his research career and is considered one of the pioneers in the development of nanodiamond technology, as published scientific papers confirm. Read More >>>
From Russia: Soviet scientist Vyacheslav Danilenko has denied being the brains behind Iran’s nuclear program. This is despite US media reports that he helped put Tehran on the threshold of making an atomic bomb. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said in a report issued this week that it had strong indications that a foreign expert had helped Iran develop a “high explosives detonation system” but did not identify this person. The denial is one just many tensions brought by this week’s report by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Ivan Eland, a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty at The Independent Institute, Yevgeny Satanovsky, the President of the Institute of the Middle East, Aleksandr Polishchuk, a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Hisham Ahmed, Politics Professor at St. Mary’s College of California,discuss the report and the subsequent fallout from it. Read More >>>>>
From Me: This is just one of many falsifications and manipulations involved in this latest IAEA report on Iran. It looks to be a flagrant set up to stimulate war on Iran. If the people of the West smile and say good Iran is evil, then that okays the West to continue to slander Iran as part of the Western plan…
So I hear that those “War Drums” have been beating 24 hours a day 7 days a week lately…
Brent Scowcroft, adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush: The Soviet Union went through a period of aging or unhealthy leadership, and Gorbachev brought the power to stimulate the system. Exactly how to promote, we do not know, and I’m not sure what he knew. But what he did in fact – he asks the question: “What must I do to the Soviet Union continued to operate?”
And I decided that the best thing he can do – is to improve labor productivity. He organized a campaign against alcoholism, absenteeism, corruption. In addition, he was trying to encourage the Communist Party to hold intra-party reforms. He was not a democrat, but trying to achieve greater efficiency of the system and reduce the degree of suppression and oppression. And then, in the course of these reforms, he underestimated the system.
On Gorbachev and nationalism.
Brent Scowcroft: I think his main incorrect assessment concerned the forces of nationalism. I think he believed that nationalism was deeply stifled by the system and he had the character of Soviet nationalism. Not Russian, not Ukrainian, Belarusian not. I think that’s really undermined his system.
On the Berlin Wall.
Brent Scowcroft: In fact, Gorbachev contributed to fall of the Berlin Wall. Not because he supported our efforts, it so happened that we were working in the same direction. Fall of the Wall frightened him. And he was careful not to resist it.
We have tried to promote the revival in Eastern Europe, the desire for independence. But this time we were trying to be smarter. Starting in Berlin, Hungary, Prague, we are, if anything, inspired by the uprising and the Soviet Union them suppressed. We would like once again to inspire, but inspire so that the sharpness of the situation has remained below the level at which Moscow would find it necessary to intervene to suppress. Of course, we did not know what exactly should be the pace, but that was our strategy.
Our strategy was to encourage the efforts of Gorbachev. When we first heard that the wall in Berlin was opened, we were not sure, but it invited the press in the Oval Office, and the president made a statement.
Journalists were asked: “Mr. President, you do not look too winged. We think you will go and dance on the wall “.
The President replied: “I am not an emotional guy.” He tried to say in fact that all benefit from the Cold War. There were no winners and losers have won everything. And we did not want to offend Gorbachev, saying: “Look what we did!”
About the end of the Cold War.
Brent Scowcroft: I prefer to consider the end of the Cold War, the reunification of Germany and a joint approach to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait.
On Yeltsin and Gorbachev.
Brent Scowcroft: I think one of the most important elements of how, in the end, there was a collapse of the Soviet Union, was the growing hostility between Gorbachev and Yeltsin. They started as friends but later estrangement between them was growing rapidly. And when there was a putsch against Gorbachev, Yeltsin wanted to use this situation against Gorbachev. How can you remove Gorbachev? Just pull out from under it, the Soviet Union. And I think the end of the Soviet Union, its technical end came mostly because Gorbachev lost his job.
On August putsch.
Brent Scowcroft: The coup failed, and for us it was strange, because these were people whom we most feared, the KGB and the army. The likelihood of success has been great. But the coup was not seriously prepared and implemented. And the central role played Yeltsin standing on a tank with slogans.
He knew that the military suppression of the will. This was followed by an attempt to recreate the Soviet Union Gorbachev in the form of a voluntary system, but it was too late. As I said, he underestimated the strength of nationalism.
On the Chinese model.
Brent Scowcroft: What did the Chinese? They changed the system economically, providing people purchasing power, still had control over the system. While Gorbachev did just the opposite: he tried to change the spirit of the people to change the system. Was it worth it to try to do it another way? That we will never know.
On the legacy of Gorbachev.
I think his legacy – the disappearance of the Soviet Union and the system, because if he was a man of another type, say, another Brezhnev, the system could exist for some time. Although ultimately it would be broken down. But this does not necessarily have to happen at a time. The collapse of the Soviet Union occurred precisely because of the actions of Gorbachev: he has destroyed the very foundation of the system.
On today’s Russia.
Brent Scowcroft: I think this is a country that is still looking for his soul. Since the days of Peter the Great in Russia are the internal debate over whether they belong to Asian culture or European culture, not taking advantage of the Enlightenment and the Reformation.
I think this debate continues today. So far we have seen only three leaders: Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin and Medvedev may be mentioned. They are all very different people and try to do different things. But I think it will take several years before the Russian, in the end, they realize who they are and what they are. And maybe it’s over what they say: “We Europeans”.
About Putin.
Brent Scowcroft: It is clear that Putin has always been a decisive force. And do not think this will change. Putin saw that style Medvedev was useful. If it is anything to upgrade in his indignation, in fact, you can just feel his indignation about how the Cold War ended. He even told us: “When we were weak, you’ve gone over our heads.”
The instinct of the Russian Security has always been based on the expansion of the external borders and the increasing strategic space, right or wrong. I do not think that Putin is trying to recreate the Soviet Union. But creating a friendly neighboring countries could be part of such a strategy.
On the “reset”.
Brent Scowcroft: I think the “reset” in a sense, was a ruse. And I think it is useful, because its goal – to build a relationship with Putin and his resentment at the fact that we have “passed over the head.” We “reboot” to start all over again to build a friendly relationship to move forward.
From Der Spiegel to The Christian Science Monitor and everything in between called major media in the West, has expressed that Russia opened the Nord Stream gas pipeline but…
The but, is what they try to express. So we get Russians using gas as a weapon of defense and offense to using gas to conquer Europe in print from the Western media…
Makes you smile at the cringing Western media over the fact that Russia opened an important pipeline that secures energy for Europe. They know that they need this energy but to acknowledge it with open arms is not allowed with the Western governments…
Russia should be praised because they have secured energy for Europe to use with much less hassle than using a transit country that tries to play poker with the gas lines…
13:3110/11/2011Iran is being accused of implementing military nuclear programs. Such is the interpretation of the IAEA report on the Iranian nuclear industry, which has gained traction in the last few days. However, this accusation is based on an ambiguous rendering of the document, which has not yet been given the status of an officially published IAEA report.>>
International Atomic Energy Agency /IAEA/ ignored the Iranian authorities’ letter, in which they voiced the readiness to answer all the questions before the publication of the most recent report, but the agency’s officials hushed it up, Ali Baqeri, a deputy chief of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Thursday.
“The Director General of the IAEA doesn’t mention our letter anywhere /in the report/,” he said at a news conference in Moscow. “We qualify his actions as illegal ones.”
“We think this report was purely political,” Baqeri said.
![The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)](http://en.rian.ru/images/16204/24/162042451.jpg")