I was reminded of that scene as I digested Mark Adomanis’s “While The West Was Debating About ‘Defensive Weapons,’ Ukraine’s Economy Collapsed“, in Forbes (thanks for the link, Moscow Exile). Of course the news that Ukraine’s economy is collapsing like a grand piano that has had its legs kicked out from under it is unremarkable to anyone who has been following the slow-motion nightmare of the Ukraine conflict and civil war. What is remarkable is seeing Mark Adomanis defend the viewpoint that Russia is acting the dog in the manger, denying Ukraine its chance to blossom and become a prosperous western democracy at Russia’s expense, and not doing enough to help poor Ukraine even as it is the target of daily vilification and vituperation from both Ukraine and its western backers. The latter apparently want Russia to open its markets to Ukrainian goods even as Ukraine’s lunatic Ichabod Crane Prime Minister drives on the building of a wall between the two countries. Expect Russia to front Ukraine gas on credit even though Ukraine has a terrible history of refusing to pay for what it has already consumed and – when its friends calm it down from its fist-shaking tantrum – announces it will be mature and reasonable (take the high road, as it were) by naming a much lower figure that it considers fair discharge of all debts. And for Russia to stand aside as Ukraine’s army rolls over its own eastern regions and crushes their rebellion.
That last part is particularly resonant, for me, because it’s not the first time we have seen Mark Adomanis go off the rails as if his breakfast cereal had been liberally dusted with cocaine. For instance, back in 2012 he went all foamy about free speech and Pussy Riot, confiding to his audience, “After all, it’s not hard to imagine why people would support the young, female rock musicians in their struggle against a brutal, corrupt, cynical, and increasing unpopular system.” Take note, folks – that’s one of the fairest and most balanced among the “Russia analyst” community from the United States speaking. The Russian system is brutal, corrupt and increasingly unpopular. Perhaps that’s how it looks from Washington; I shouldn’t be at all surprised.
Oddly enough, the current conflict in Ukraine results also from a freedom of speech issue, in which the eastern regions said “Stuff it, Kiev” after the U.S. State Department-backed-and-financed coup drove a democratically-elected leader, who had already agreed to all of the opposition parties’ demands, out of the country and brought to power a self-appointed junta supported by fascist flag-wavers sporting Nazi regalia. The Donbas said “No, thank you”, and refused to accept the authority of the unelected government. Apparently they did not have the right to do that, or at least Mark Adomanis did not respond with a fiery denunciation of the junta for rolling against them with a military operation. Not that I saw.
Then there was the Edward Snowden affair. Mr. Adomanis capered about, figuratively speaking, hurling vituperation at Mr. Snowden for essentially defending the right of people around the world to speak freely without their conversations being listened in on by the National Security Administration of the United States; they had tapped Angela Merkel’s telephone for years, and Germany was one of America’s staunchest allies. Then it developed that Mr. Adomanis also worked as a consultant to Booz-Allen Hamilton, the management company for whom Mr. Snowden had worked in the USA. Booz Allen enjoyed a very close relationship with the U.S. leadership and the intelligence services – current U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is a former Booz Allen executive. Former DNI Michael McConnell is Booz Allen’s current vice-president. Former CIA director and raving neo-con James Woolsey was also a former Booz Allen vice-president. Mr. Adomanis subsequently deleted his posts on that subject, but I think it should be clear that he has a sliding scale of grief over free-speech issues when he slobbers and moans about the cruel dictatorship that will not permit homeless unemployed delinquents to shout about shit and bitches and Putin in its houses of worship, but maintains that Edward Snowden is a traitor who should be shot because free speech is just a commodity to be harvested and exploited like any other.
Complete story at - Ukraine – Hey, Russia!! What Have You Done for Me Lately? | The Kremlin Stooge
That last part is particularly resonant, for me, because it’s not the first time we have seen Mark Adomanis go off the rails as if his breakfast cereal had been liberally dusted with cocaine. For instance, back in 2012 he went all foamy about free speech and Pussy Riot, confiding to his audience, “After all, it’s not hard to imagine why people would support the young, female rock musicians in their struggle against a brutal, corrupt, cynical, and increasing unpopular system.” Take note, folks – that’s one of the fairest and most balanced among the “Russia analyst” community from the United States speaking. The Russian system is brutal, corrupt and increasingly unpopular. Perhaps that’s how it looks from Washington; I shouldn’t be at all surprised.
Oddly enough, the current conflict in Ukraine results also from a freedom of speech issue, in which the eastern regions said “Stuff it, Kiev” after the U.S. State Department-backed-and-financed coup drove a democratically-elected leader, who had already agreed to all of the opposition parties’ demands, out of the country and brought to power a self-appointed junta supported by fascist flag-wavers sporting Nazi regalia. The Donbas said “No, thank you”, and refused to accept the authority of the unelected government. Apparently they did not have the right to do that, or at least Mark Adomanis did not respond with a fiery denunciation of the junta for rolling against them with a military operation. Not that I saw.
Then there was the Edward Snowden affair. Mr. Adomanis capered about, figuratively speaking, hurling vituperation at Mr. Snowden for essentially defending the right of people around the world to speak freely without their conversations being listened in on by the National Security Administration of the United States; they had tapped Angela Merkel’s telephone for years, and Germany was one of America’s staunchest allies. Then it developed that Mr. Adomanis also worked as a consultant to Booz-Allen Hamilton, the management company for whom Mr. Snowden had worked in the USA. Booz Allen enjoyed a very close relationship with the U.S. leadership and the intelligence services – current U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is a former Booz Allen executive. Former DNI Michael McConnell is Booz Allen’s current vice-president. Former CIA director and raving neo-con James Woolsey was also a former Booz Allen vice-president. Mr. Adomanis subsequently deleted his posts on that subject, but I think it should be clear that he has a sliding scale of grief over free-speech issues when he slobbers and moans about the cruel dictatorship that will not permit homeless unemployed delinquents to shout about shit and bitches and Putin in its houses of worship, but maintains that Edward Snowden is a traitor who should be shot because free speech is just a commodity to be harvested and exploited like any other.
Complete story at - Ukraine – Hey, Russia!! What Have You Done for Me Lately? | The Kremlin Stooge
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