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Called It!
I have been predicting, for most of the past year, that Russia, with too heavy a commitment to the Ukrainian war, will start to split apart as regions separate from Moscow.
“The law is Russian as we all know… we don’t want to be a part of the ex-Soviet Union, we want to be a part of the European Union, we want to be pro-West,” one protester told Reuters news agency.
If this follows through to its conclusion, we can expect a cascade of similar protests, movements, and separations. Russia lacks the manpower and resources to hold things together. As and when other regions in Moscow’s sphere of influence get it in their heads that there is nothing Russia can do to keep them in the Mother Ship, they will follow suit.
Published in General
And how does Reporters sans frontières feel about the New York Times and the Washington Post sharing a Pulitzer for their coverage of Russian collusion? And why would anyone who isn’t a prog care?
Then why the threats?
Joachim von RibbentropSergei Lavrov says we’re provoking it; that it is a coup attempt and clearly the CIA is behind it.Sergei needs to face facts. The people who loathe the Russians most are the ones that know them best.
What threats did Russia make in relation to this situation in Georgia? Care to share?
When it comes to threats, they’ve come from … the EU, along the lines of “Nice EU aspirations you’ve got there, Georgia. It’d be a shame if, as a result of passing this law, something happened to them.”
So have I and others here and elsewhere. Does that mean that we have anything to do with it?
So, without passage of this law, what’s to stop Russia from funding Georgian NGOs to the tune of >20%? From becoming a foreign actor in Georgia?
And, really, for these satellite countries of the EU, is it such a great thing to be absorbed by the globalists in Brussels? It seems to me Germany won the world wars without having to fire a shot. Britain had a narrow escape, but there are still plenty of Brits complaining about recovering their national sovereignty (we watch Clarkson’s Farm and he’s a persistent complainer about Brexit). Maybe the protestors in Georgia aren’t so different.
I was wrong. I misremembered it. Lavrov was responsible for blaming the US for instigating the ruckus. Some goober with “Russia’s MFA in Crimea” made with the threats.
Lavrov hasn’t even presented as much evidence as the Russians had on “Ukrainian Nazis.” Have you any?
It is easy to “provoke anti-Russian sentiments” though. Do you know how to do it? Ask a citizen of a country bordering on Russia how they feel about Russia.
They don’t need to. Why buy a newspaper’s editorial policy when you own the Prime Minister?
And I’ve pointed out that we were heading in much the same direction during the Russia-Trump hoax. That doesn’t make it any better.
The people of Tbilisi didn’t seem to trust your sanguine view. Was that because they knew you were were making light of the law?
What I would have liked was for western journalists to ask more probing questions of those people on the streets rather than eliciting some “Rah, rah, EU!” statements and ending there. But I suppose that was about as much as western journalists are capable of understanding.
Some people will do anything for a cookie. She could probably go to Moscow with a bag of cookies and use that to incentivize the people into overthrowing Putin.
If I had said Russia had been pushing for this law, I suppose that would be appropriate.
That is not really a legitimate conclusion. You can say the same thing about any protest in any democratic country at any time.
Then how come every single news report I pull up says that the crowds are all pro-Europe, pro-American, and pro-Ukraine? And that they fear the law will make them follow in Russia’s footsteps, and that they fear Russian influence? One even reported that 80% of Georgians want to join the European Union.
You are telling us the exact opposite, yet you haven’t provided any evidence, just a speculative theory.
Oh, I know it is. Super-easy. Not just in that part of the world, of course. Prime example: the anti-Russia hysteria we have been put through here, in our own country, since November 8, 2016.
I grew up in that neighborhood. Romania, to be exact, while it was still behind the Iron Curtain. Got into quite a few fights with kids in my neighborhood, on the basis of my being half-Russkyi. Until I got a couple of years of gymnastics training under my belt, after which they learned to steer well clear.
Again, all the news reports mention that the Georgian protesters are worried that the law will be just as repressive as the Russian law. It seems to be the dangerous example used by the Georgian protesters. What makes you think otherwise?
Maybe because Hungary, India, Australia, Canada, and even the US have similar laws (I’m taking this from previous comments made by @gpentelie)?
Why do you still trust any media outlets to give you the full story, let alone an accurate one? I sure don’t. The US has instigated multiple color revolutions over the decades, and the people who seem to pay the highest price are the inhabitants of the countries where they take place. And if someone knows of a case where national sovereignty and representative democracy were achieved, I’ll need to hear about it. It seems it usually looks something like this:
Is the US better served by a Georgia that is at peace with Russia, or a Georgia that is in conflict with Russia? The answer to that question will tell you which NGOs the National Endowment for Democracy will fund. Looking at Maidan, I’m not optimistic.
Our law says that if the represented entity is a foreign government, then you have to register as an agent for a foreign government because guess why?: you are an agent for a foreign government. It’s kinda straightforward.
Because the crowds have indeed stated it. So the reporting is perfectly accurate.
Question is, …
Do the protesters’ fears regarding said law’s effects have anything to do with what’s actually in the law? Or have their fears simply been stoked by opposition politicians/legislators (and outside entities), including by the country’s President, Salome Zourabichvili, who characterized the law as “Russia inspired” and such?
It occurs to me that I may not have provided any sourcing for this. Let me remedy that. Here’s one, from the Canadian government’s page on the foreign agent registration law they’re thinking of implementing:
“
Annex A: International Benchmarking
United States:
…
The U.S. also uses the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to address malign foreign influence. In 1938, FARA was enacted to require individuals doing political or advocacy work on behalf of foreign entities in the United States to register with the Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ) and to disclose their relationship, activities, receipts, and disbursements in support of their activities. FARA does not prohibit any specific activities, but rather it seeks to require registration and disclosure as a measure of transparency. FARA does not have any specific provisions targeted at former public office holders. A publicly accessible database of registered foreign agents is maintained on U.S. DOJ’s website, and the FARA Unit of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the National Security Division is responsible for the administration and enforcement of FARA. FARA has been in place for over 80 years, but recently, detected violations have provided leads for the FBI to initiate counter-intelligence investigations, some of which have led to criminal charges and/or immigration proceedings.
Australia:
In 2018, Australia introduced the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS) into law. Generally speaking, any person is required to register under the FITS if they engage in, or plan to engage in, activity that is undertaken for the purpose of political or governmental influence and on behalf of a foreign government, foreign political organization, or foreign company, where total or substantial control can be exercised by a foreign government, or foreign government-related individual. Crucially, registrable activities include not only traditional lobbying but also communications and spending undertaken for political or governmental influence and on behalf of a foreign principal. Additionally, whether a particular activity is registrable or not depends on who the foreign principal is and the purpose of the activity, and in some cases on the person’s former status. A former Cabinet Minister must register any such activities for life, while a former designated position holder (senior government or Parliament official) must do so for 15 years following their having left the position.
…
United Kingdom:
…
In 2022, the United Kingdom tabled a Bill to again update and reform the Official Secrets Act, as well as bring forward a new foreign influence registration scheme (FIRS) that would require individuals in scope of certain requirements to register activity being undertaken for, or on behalf of, a foreign state.”
Link: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2023-nhncng-frgn-nfluence/index-en.aspx
Definitely the latter. Same for the rest of the world.
So the globalists get a pass.
I don’t find that comforting.
I should point out that a country can both be at peace with Russia and in conflict with Russia. That is better than engaging in a fighting war (unless one is forced on you).
Following up on my previous post (#105), here’s a source for India’s FARA-like law:
“
A new law that was signed on September 28, 2020 will greatly tighten and restrict the existing Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). FCRA is the cornerstone law that regulates how nonprofits in India can receive foreign funding, including from U.S.-based foundations and corporations.
The new law took effect September 29, 2020.
In short, the law is likely to impact how foundations and corporations make grants to Indian NGOs, in several important ways.”
Link: https://cof.org/news/new-indian-fcra-amendments-impact-foreign-grants-indian-ngos
The Georgians have watched up close the way Russia has used its law to stifle independent journalism and dissenting voices. It didn’t matter whether the entities were foreign entities. They had to register as such if they dissented from the government line. It was a way of marginalizing them. Alexei Navalny’s group had to register as such, as did TV Rain, and even bloggers who’ve fled Russia and are now operating from other countries.
Those of us who’ve watched how our state security services stifled dissenting voices on Twitter and other social media should be very concerned about how those things are done.
Why do you trust the media outlets who tell you that the U.S. has instigated multiple color revolutions over the decades?
Ukraine is such a case.
Except for Georgia. And Russia.
And, if war erupts in Georgia: Turkey, which shares a 150 mile or so border with Georgia, across which war refugees would flood. Turkey would not be very pleased, of course, which would cause some friction between it and the rest of NATO. Erdogan would seek to exact some price for such troubles, of course. And so on, and so on, …
Makes me think of Jenga.
Talleyrand smiles.
I know about the bias of the Press. But if that is so, how do you know that the U.S. has instigated multiple color revolutions over the decades?
Celebratory articles?
I have no idea. Do you have some inside knowledge?
I read that Soros has called for regime change in India just last month. Apparently, he is unhappy they are getting too independent from Atlantist influence. He is a very power person that likes to topple government/financial systems for fun and profit. I don’t want other countries to associate the USA, with his actions.
Oui, monsieur. Je croix aussi que il vraiment sourirait.
Russia’s population has been decling for quite a while. As for armies, they are scraping the bottom of every barrel they can find. These are not elite troops, but conscripts not so eager to die. Yes, I’m familiar with the famous “quantity has a quality all its own” quote, but the quantity still needs a basic level of quality. The situation is going to get more intense the next few months . . .
Pictures of German tanks arriving in Ukraine to attack Russians will be true, propaganda and motivating to Russians.
As for falling populations, try Ukraine.
And it is already intense. There are two cauldrons forming at the moment. The Ukrainians are throwing in everything to counterattack but the weather isn’t cooperating. Nor the Russians.
Add to this that the Ukrainians are losing and using equipment and munitions faster than Nato can produce it, and it suggests when the Ukraine and Nato will be through.