The Russian government… a brutal, schizophrenic, dissociated, draconian society of criminals and murderers. The question I personally always come back to is, how do so many millions, hundreds of millions of people live with such repression, hopelessness, isolation, suffering, lies, and murder as acceptable and normal? And this is not just directed at Russia, it is a global disease, that of collective insanity. But since my focus here is specific… Russia, you can fight- on the side of good, stand up, fight for freedom , like Ukraine, and perhaps die. Or you can remain passive, inactive, resigned to accept evil. And perhaps die. Do I need to remind you of Stalin? Gulags? Mass murder of your countrymen by your countrymen? It is a personal choice that many have to make- to die on your knees, or standing, defiant, fighting.
And here I will mention my agenda- I do have one; we all do. Mine is to remind people of history, to remind them of the difference between good and evil. Yes, things are mostly grey; black and white do not exist in this realm, other than as a fantasy. There will never be “peace”, bliss, paradise, perfection, so long as there is more than one human on the earth. But it is a matter of degrees- some systems are better than others, some include democracy, freedom, rule of law, human rights, endless possibilities for anyone strong enough to seek them. Other systems do not allow any of this. The line is clear. One only need look at Ukraine, and then Russia’s actions in Ukraine on this very day to see what it looks like on both sides of that line.
The Soviet dream… I would characterise it as a nightmare. Undated photograph from Telegram channel Ищи своих. Maybe it’s 1982, or is it 2022?
Mariupol, 2022, or Sarajevo 1992? Is Ukraine on the way to the same?
And finally for those interested, a Brookings webinar from earlier this week- The Future of American Air Power is available online to watch at your leisure. A few points of note from the talk, regarding Ukraine. First, the panelists noted that Ukraine has maintained complete command and control, free from infiltration from cyber attacks from the top down, on all levels, during the current war. Russia has not been able to penetrate any of their systems as regards the cyber threat. I wonder how much the U.S. has contributed to that stability? Another point that was made is the Ukrainian air defense capabilities and their effectiveness- the mix of old, Soviet-era equipment, offensive and defensive, along with modern weapons have allowed Ukraine to maintain security in the air. Intelligence sharing as well as the effective use of drones seem to play a large part in this model. Slava Ukraine!
Russian combat losses as of 06 May 2022.
Russian Disinformation for 18 April, 2022; Russian Emigration; Defending Ukraine Together
18 April 2022
Today is another day, a good day for most of us, but not so for the people of Ukraine. Below is a repost from the Telegram Channel The Center for Countering Disinformation. They are posting daily, countering disinformation from many different sources. The takeaway from all of it- beware ANY information that comes out of Russia, no matter where you read it.
Hybrid warfare, the kind the world is currently engaged in, includes digital warfare- manipulation of data, imagery and video, not to mention standard hacking operations. Propaganda and disinformation, and specifically in Russia, the use of conspiracy theories, have long been methods used to manipulate populations. Today the same tactics have instant global reach, swaying huge numbers of people in many countries in a relatively short time.
The CCD staff has compiled a selection of russia’s fakes, manipulations and disinformation bogus stories on April 18, 2022
❌ During a report at a meeting of the Commission to Investigate the Activities of Biolaboratories in Ukraine, Vice Speaker of the state duma of russia Yarova said that russia “discovered the fact of bacteriological terrorism against children in the ORLO in 2020”
🔻Warning: it’s a fake!❌russian media published words taken from the publication of the former President of the Czech Republic V. Klaus for the “iDNES”: “Now everyone is literally radiating love for Ukraine and Ukrainians, but isn’t this love just a screen that hides “hatred for russia”
🔻Warning: it’s a manipulation!❌russian propagandists stated that “the United States has already handed over to Kyiv more than a third of its missile reserves for Javelin anti-tank systems, and Germany and Canada have already exhausted opportunities for military assistance”
🔻Warning: it’s a disinformation!Let’s stop #infoterror!
Russian Emigration
An Aljazeera article posted today cites 300,000 Russians leaving the country as of 16 March, as well as others who were out of the country when the war began who are not returning. The article speaks of the fears of many in Russia- mainly those who have an anti-war and anti-Putin stance- fear of physical retribution, fear of imprisonment, and fear of being “purged“, a word used by Putin himself in a mid-March speech, according to the article. Welcome to Putinist Russia, Stalinist Russia rebranded.
Wondering how you can help?
The links to the right are a place to start. You can help feed Ukrainians, donate to help journalists continue to report, or donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross. Another way to help is to support the purchase of electronics, defensive equipment, training, and rehabilitation of brave Ukrainian fighters. The website Defending Ukraine Together allows you to help. Here is a paragraph outlining their purpose, taken directly from their website:
How Come Back Alive Helps
Our fund supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine through financing purely defence initiatives. Since 2014 we have provided around 1000 thermal imagers and over 250 UAVs. In addition to the material support, we increased technological capabilities of the Army through providing 1,500 tablets with Armor software aimed at stopping the artillery. Come Back Alive also organizes trainings to equip our military with crucial skills. In 2015 we launched trainings for medical workers, artillerists, snipers, minesweepers, and defence analysts. After coming back from the front line, our military members have access to sport rehabilitation and veteran business opportunities.
Our organization does not use funds for purchasing arms. Our mission is limited to supplying technology, trainings, and accouterments to help save lives of Ukrainians and help our warriors defend Ukraine.
At Five AM 