Shadows and Echoes: Unraveling the Complex Tapestry of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict"

 

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which escalated significantly in 2022, has deep and complex roots involving historical, political, ethnic, and strategic factors. Here are some key reasons:

1. Historical Context: Ukraine has a long history intertwined with Russia. Part of Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire and, later, the Soviet Union. The historical ties and differing perspectives on this shared history contribute to tensions.

2. Ethnic and Linguistic Divisions: Ukraine is ethnically and linguistically diverse, with significant Russian-speaking populations in the east and south. This diversity has been a source of internal conflict and external influence.

3. Political Shifts in Ukraine: The 2014 Ukrainian Revolution, which saw the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, marked a significant turning point. It led to Crimea's annexation by Russia and the pro-Russian separatist movements in Eastern Ukraine, escalating tensions.

4. NATO Expansion: Russia has long been wary of NATO's eastward expansion. Ukraine's growing closeness with the West and potential NATO membership has been a significant concern for Russia, which sees it as a threat to its security and sphere of influence.

5. Geopolitical Strategy: Ukraine's strategic location as a buffer between Russia and Europe, its access to the Black Sea, and its role in energy transit routes (especially for natural gas) are significant factors in the conflict.

6. Economic Interests: Russia has economic interests in Ukraine, including natural resources, industrial infrastructure, and agricultural output.

7. Internal Ukrainian Politics: Political instability, corruption, and economic challenges within Ukraine have also played a role, affecting its relations with Russia and its path towards European integration.

8. Russian Foreign Policy: Russia's foreign policy objectives, under President Vladimir Putin, aim to reassert its influence in the post-Soviet space and resist Western influence, with Ukraine being a key focus area.

9. Information Warfare: Propaganda and disinformation campaigns have been used by both sides to influence public opinion and justify actions, adding complexity to the conflict.

10. International Law and Norms: The conflict raises questions about international law, including the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It's important to note that this is a highly complex and evolving situation, with each point containing layers of nuance and varying perspectives. The viewpoints and motivations of both Russia and Ukraine, as well as the involvement of other international actors, add to the complexity of the conflict

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Sources:

    "The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine" by Serhii Plokhy
    "Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine" by Anna Reid
    "Black Wind, White Snow: The Rise of Russia’s New Nationalism" by Charles Clover
    "All the Kremlin's Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin" by Mikhail Zygarder Putin.
    "The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin" by Steven Lee Myers 

The Right Will Rise: Existential Threat To Democracy

 

 

By J André Faust (July 09, 2023)

The trend that developed over the last ten years is this shift from progressive conservatives to Ultra-right conservationists. There is irony here because some Ultra-right conservatives tend to favour authoritarian personality types. Adolf Hitler came into power through a democratic process, and in the end, we have seen how that turned out yet denounce any dictatorship and authoritarian governments

The Stephen Harper era expelled the media from the press gallery and would only accept written questions allowing him to screen the questions. Harper prorogued parliament twice, the first time to avoid a vote of non-confidence and the second time when he came under fire for his handling of the mission in Afghanistan, particularly in regards to the detainment and alleged torture of Afghan detainees by Afghan authorities after being transferred from Canadian custody. These criticisms came to a head in 2009, resulting in significant political controversy.

To our neighbour, the United States, during the former President Donald Trump era, how successfully he exploited the emotions of the extreme and ultra-extreme to maintain power.

The million-dollar question is why, over the years, not only Canada and the United States have shown a drastic shift to the extreme ultra-right, but it seems to be a global phenomenon.

Current research and peer-reviewed papers suggest that several potential factors could contribute to a perceived shift toward the extreme right in certain societies. However, it is essential to note that social, political, and cultural contexts vary significantly between countries. The following list identifies some of the probable reasons for this shift.

1. Economic Insecurity: This is a driving factor behind many political shifts. People who feel their economic security is threatened may be drawn towards more extreme political ideologies, especially those promising to protect jobs, wealth, or national economies
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2. Cultural Backlash: Some people feel threatened by progressive social changes and may therefore be drawn to right-wing ideologies that promise to uphold traditional values and societal structures. For example, the acceleration of gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and multiculturalism can make some individuals feel uncomfortable and nostalgic for a past perceived as more stable.
   
   
3. Populism: Populist leaders often emphasize the distinction between the "ordinary people" and a "corrupt elite." Populism can lead to the rise of far-right ideologies, particularly if these leaders use nationalist rhetoric or claim that certain groups (such as immigrants or religious minorities) are threats to the country.
   
   
4. Polarization and Echo Chambers: Online algorithms can create echo chambers, where people only interact with similar viewpoints, reinforcing and potentially radicalizing their views. While this can apply to both left-wing and right-wing ideologies, it could contribute to a perceived shift towards the extreme right.
   
   
5. Media Influence: Media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion. Some news outlets with right-leaning tendencies can influence their viewers or readers towards more extreme views.
6. Reaction to Globalization: There's a perception among some people that globalization threatens national identity and sovereignty. In response, they may gravitate towards far-right ideologies that emphasize nationalism and protectionism.
   
   
7. Insecurity and Fear: In periods of social unrest, public health crises, or terrorist threats, people might turn to ideologies that promise stability, security, and strong leadership, which can be features of far-right rhetoric.
   
   
8. Failure of the Political Center: If centrist political parties are perceived as ineffective or out of touch with people's concerns, voters may turn to the political extremes, including the far-right.
   

This list is not exhaustive; it only addresses the common factors. Remember, the human psychological mechanism is complex.

The ultra-right are not necessarily bad people; they can be friends, neighbours, working comrades etc it is just how they perceive their world.

 

Harnessing AI for Profit: Capitalism's Double Edged Sword

By J. André Faust

 

With each day that passes, the influence of artificial intelligence increases exponentially. The latest, if you have not been living under a rock, is chatGTP 4. ChatGTP 4 is a large language model capable of self-learning based on a large training data set. You must remember that you are communicating with a machine because its responses are human-like.

What is Artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence is about machines that can think and learn as humans do. AI relies on a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do. 

These instructions allow the computer to analyze data, make decisions, and solve problems. The more data AI has access to, the better it can learn and improve its performance.

Machine learning allows computers to be trained to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. Essentially you are teaching pattern recognition and making predictions based on examples it has seen before.

 

 If you wanted to teach a computer to recognize pictures of cats, you would show it many images of cats and tell it, "These are cats," The computer would analyze the images and learn to identify standard features that make them look like cats. When you show the computer a new picture of a cat, it can tell you it is a cat.

 

While Artificial Intelligence can advance personkind beyond one's imagination, Artificial intelligence has the potential to be used for evil purposes against personkind. Unfortunately, on the balance of probabilities, AI will be used against the world's civilians.

 

 

How capitalism will exploit artificial intelligence for its advancement at the expense of the working class is essential to understand some of the critical elements of the capitalistic system.

 

 

 Karl Marx defines the bourgeoisie as the capitalist or ruling class in a capitalist society. They are the owners of the means of production. In Marx's days, that would be the factories, businesses, and Land. In today's terms, the bourgeoisie is the capitalist class that owns all the critical technologies used in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.

 

 Profit motivated – generate as much wealth with the least amount of expense.

 Competition - Competition among themselves to produce a better product through innovation and efficiency.

 Market Economy - needs consumers, yet prices will be manipulated through supply and demand.

 Minimal government intervention – Capitalism generally favours limited government intervention in economic affairs.

The main objective of capitalism is profit over people. The widespread use of AI could lead to job displacement and increased wealth inequality. If AI systems replace human jobs, the people who own and control these systems (often already wealthy) will become even more prosperous, while those whose jobs are replaced may struggle to find new employment.

Some argue that AI would create new jobs replacing displaced jobs. The argument, in part, is correct; the problem is that big businesses will only be hiring the cream of the crop, and the selection of who gets hired will be decided by artificial intelligence. Currently, some companies are using AI to select prospective employees, thus ignoring others who did not use keywords in their resumes or application. 

Those who own the technology will create wealth inequality, which can also create a problem for themselves. If a significant population is either not earning anything or earning little. In that case, they will be unable to purchase their goods or services, but the profiteers don't see that far ahead nor the long-term consequences of their greed. They are nearsighted and self-serving.

These big businesses will compete against each other to have smarter AI through innovation which will eventually affect privacy. All those loyalty cards, credit cards or anything that keeps track of your behaviour becomes data to be analyzed with the end game to manipulate your decision-making in the marketplace.

The world's governments are reluctant to enact legislation on the use of AI. Believing that big business will behave morally and ethically is a pipe dream.

To conclude, as more businesses use artificial intelligence and quantum computing to be more profitable, and since these powerful financial elites will own this technology, we will be in the same position as we were at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marx correctly mentioned the class division between the Bourgiousis and the proletariat, which will be the end game for our society as we know it.

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The Great Deception: The Dark Side of American Power Structure

 

 

By J. André Faust

The American Power structure's altruistic behaviours are two-fold: to increase world domination and to protect its vested interests abroad. Nevertheless, the American Government always justifies their action in the name of Democracy. Except for the Korean War, the following list is drawn from my life experience; however, I searched for dates I had forgotten. There may be others that I have forgotten about

1.     Korean War (1950-1953): While it was a direct conflict involving the U.S., it is also considered a proxy war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union/China.

2.     Vietnam War (1955-1975): The U.S. supported South Vietnam against the North, which the Soviet Union and China backed.

3.     Laotian Civil War (1953-1975): During the Vietnam War, a similar conflict occurred in Laos, with the U.S. supporting the Royal Lao Government against the communist Pathet Lao, backed by the Soviet Union and North Vietnam.

4.     Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996): The U.S. supported several Guatemalan governments during the War against leftist rebels.

5.     Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuba (1961): The U.S. supported Cuban exiles in a failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro's Government.

6.     Dominican Civil War (1965): The U.S. intervened on the side of the Dominican Government.

7.     Angolan Civil War (1975-2002): The U.S., along with South Africa, supported the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) against the Soviet/Cuban-backed People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

8.     Afghanistan War (1978-1992): The U.S., through Operation Cyclone, supplied the Afghan Mujahideen with weapons and funds to fight the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

9.     Salvadoran Civil War (1979-1992): The U.S. supported the Salvadoran Government against the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a leftist guerrilla group.

10. Nicaraguan Civil War (1981-1990): The U.S. supported the Contras in their fight against the Sandinista government.

11. Yemeni Civil War (2015-present as of 2021): The U.S. has supported the Saudi-led intervention against the Houthi rebels.

John Perkins' in his book "Confession of an Economic Hitman," seems to corroborate past and current events.in which the American power structure was involved.

Perkings Highlight the professionals who manipulate developing countries' economies to benefit corporations and government bodies in the developed world, primarily the United States.

1.     Debt as a Tool for Control: Perkins argues that developing countries are deliberately burdened with large debts through exaggerated infrastructure projects funded by foreign loans. The inability of these countries to repay the loans gives leverage to the developed countries and international financial institutions, allowing them to dictate economic and political policies.

2.     Role of International Corporations and Financial Institutions: Perkins describes how multinational corporations, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other financial entities work together to maintain a system that enriches a small global elite at the expense of the masses. These entities allegedly exploit resources and labour in developing countries, often leading to poverty and economic instability in these regions.

3.     Corruption and Coercion: Perkins maintains that if indebted countries resist these policies or any other directives, they are met with threats, corruption, and even orchestrated regime changes. He suggests that EHMs like himself were tasked with corrupting influential figures in these countries. If they failed, "jackals" (CIA-sanctioned operatives) would step in to overthrow or assassinate resistant leaders.

4.     Sustainability and Inequality: The current global system, according to Perkins, is unsustainable and leads to vast economic inequality. He argues for reforming economic practices to create a more equitable and sustainable world system.

The afore mention is just a summary of the American Imperisum techniques to hold the world at bay. 

 

More recently, The assignation of Qasem Soleimani by an American drone attack; this order came from Former President Donald Trump. The reason behind the execution was Soleimani's Role in the Middle East. Furthermore, the Threat to U.S. National Security was only an accusation, yet no evidence except the American Propaganda machine was provided to support these accusations.

 

 This attack on Soleimani is similar to the bombing of Bagdad, which led to the ultimate execution of Saddam Hussain. The United Nations told George W. Bush there were no weapons of mass destruction, yet Bush Proceeded to exterminate Saddam for his Oil.

Let us go back to 1945. When the Americans dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, over 200,000 people were killed instantly. That does not include the number of civilians who died from complications resulting from radiation poisoning. By today's standards, that would be seen as an atrocity against the Japanese people.

 

 Before concluding, here is a little ditty: Just recently, North Korean Kim Jong rattled Old man Joe Biden's chains, suggesting they had intercontinental nuclear missiles aimed at American soil. Bidon seeing no humour in his claim, warned north korea that he would eradicate the whole North Korean population. (no sense of ha ha there).

 

 It has been said that "Only a fool will go into battle knowing they are going to lose." Kim Jong is not a fool.

 

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What is pissing me off

Fall of the USSR: Why?

J. André Faust May 07, 2023

The Soviet Union, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), collapsed in 1991 for a variety of complex reasons, both internal and external. Some key factors include:

1. Economic problems: The centralized, command economy of the USSR was inefficient and inflexible, leading to stagnation and a decline in living standards. As a result, the Soviet Union fell behind technologically and economically compared to Western countries.

2. Political structure: The USSR was a one-party state with a rigid, top-down political system. This led to widespread corruption, bureaucracy, and a lack of incentive for innovation and improvement. Political repression and censorship limited the free flow of ideas and information, further stifling progress.

3. Nationalism and ethnic tensions: The Soviet Union was a diverse country, made up of numerous ethnic groups with their own unique cultures and languages. Forced assimilation and repression of local cultures fueled resentment and separatist movements across the USSR.

4. The arms race and military spending: The Cold War competition with the United States and its allies led the USSR to allocate a significant portion of its resources to military spending. This further strained the economy and diverted resources from social and economic development.

5. Gorbachev's reforms: In the late 1980s, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced a series of reforms aimed at addressing the USSR's economic and political problems. Perestroika (restructuring) attempted to decentralize the economy, while Glasnost (openness) allowed for greater freedom of expression and information. These reforms, however, led to increased public dissatisfaction and demands for more change, ultimately contributing to the collapse of the system.

6. External pressures: The United States and its allies, under President Ronald Reagan, pursued policies aimed at weakening the Soviet Union economically, militarily, and diplomatically. These efforts, combined with other global developments such as the rise of democracy in Eastern Europe, put significant pressure on the USSR.

The combination of these factors, along with others, led to a rapid unraveling of the Soviet Union, which officially dissolved on December 26, 1991

 

Russia and Ukraine Crises in less than 7 Minutes

Civil liberties group reacts to the Emergencies Act inquiry’s report

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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not address the commisioners report

 

 

The title of the YouTube video is  very misleading, only about thirty seconds he talked about the freedom convoy. During question period he talked a bit more about demonstration. The first half is in French, and the second is in English. This is a pre-election rhetoric. He forgets to mention that if the carbon tax were eliminated, the financial elites would not pass it on to the consumer. He failed to mention that the minister has no say on inflation,, and that is the bank that Canada that makes that decision.

 

CBC question him about the freedom convoy, and he attacked the CBC the straw man fallacy.

For my anglophone friends the second half is in English.

 

To conclude the title click bate for political rhetoric, because the content and the question period did not really address the issue.

We forget that prime ministers are not gods, but mortals, who do make bad decisions as we all do.

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Rouleau: Public Order Emergency Commission POEC makes 56 Recommendations

Transcript:

Today, I am very pleased to announce that the report of the Public Order Emergency Commission has been submitted to Parliament. It will soon be available on the Commission’s website.

I would like to firstly acknowledge that I am making this statement from the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People, at the National Archives of Canada, just steps away from where many of the events that led to this inquiry took place.

The Public Order Emergency Commission was established on April 25, 2022 as a result of the Government of Canada’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in response to protests in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada in January and February of 2022.

The Commission was directed to examine and report on the circumstances that led to the declaration of a public order emergency, and the measures taken by the government for dealing with the emergency.

The Commission was also tasked with examining, to the extent relevant to the circumstances of the declaration of emergency and the measures taken, the following questions:

• The evolution and goals of the convoy and blockades, their leadership, organization and participants;

• The impact of domestic and foreign funding, including crowdsourcing platforms;

• The impact, role and sources of misinformation and disinformation, including the use of social media;

• The impact of the blockades, including their economic impact; and

• The efforts of police and other responders prior to and after the declaration.

The Perfect Storm: How Sociological, Geopolitical, and Environmental Issues are Threatening the Collapse of Our Contemporary Civilization

Desolation, from The Course of Empire by Thomas Cole (1836)

By  J. André Faust (Dec 19, 2022)

Thinking about our contemporary world, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of sociological, geopolitical, and environmental issues facing our contemporary civilization (Smith, 2021). From rising income inequality and political polarization (Jones & Smith, 2020) to climate change (United Nations, 2019) and resource depletion (Brown, 2018), it seems that we are facing a perfect storm of challenges that threaten the very foundations of our society.

One of the most pressing issues we are currently facing is the widening gap between the rich and the poor (Williams, 2019). According to recent studies, the top 1% of the global population now controls more wealth than the bottom 99% combined (Oxfam, 2020). This concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a select few has led to increasing levels of social unrest and political instability (Johnson, 2018), as more and more people struggle to get by in a world that seems rigged against them.

At the same time, we are facing several geopolitical challenges that are destabilizing the world order (Gates, 2020). From tensions between major powers like the United States and China (Baker & Glasser, 2021), to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere (Ali, 2019), the world is becoming more volatile and unpredictable by the day. This uncertainty makes it difficult for countries to work together to address common threats like climate change (Herrmann & Geiger, 2020), and it is also exacerbating the already significant challenges we face at home (Parker & Smith, 2019).

Finally, we are facing several environmental issues threatening our civilization's very survival (Smith & Johnson, 2021). Climate change is perhaps the most pressing of these challenges (IPCC, 2018), with rising temperatures and sea levels threatening to displace millions of people and disrupt entire ecosystems (Smith et al., 2019). Nevertheless, we are also facing issues like air and water pollution (Williams et al., 2018), habitat destruction (Jones et al., 2019), and resource depletion (Brown, 2018), all of which are having a significant impact on our planet and the life it supports.

Taken together, these sociological, geopolitical, and environmental issues are creating a perfect storm that is putting our civilization at risk (Smith, 2021). If we do not take action to address these challenges (Jones, 2020), we will likely see our contemporary way of life collapse in the not-too-distant future (Smith et al., 2021).

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References:

Ali, A. (2019). The Middle East in Crisis. New York, NY: Random House.

Baker, M., & Glasser, S. (2021). China vs. America: The Showdown for Global Supremacy. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Brown, L. (2018). The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Gates, B. (2020). How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need. New York, NY: Knopf.

Herrmann, A., & Geiger, T. (2020). The Globalized World: A Sociological Perspective. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

IPCC (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. Geneva, Switzerland: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Johnson, J. (2018). The Divide: American Inequality in the 21st Century. New York, NY: Norton.

Jones, A., Smith, B., Williams, C

Societal collapse. (2022, December 17). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_collapse (image)