Russia

The sociopaths rise to the top of power by clawing, bullying, intimidating, lying, charming, betraying their ways.

They rise to the top by being enabled by the bullied, the craven, the stupid, the naive, the opportunistic, the distracted, the brainwashed, and/or by crony bullies.

Colin Todhunter in “Psychopathy, Politics and The New World Order” writes: Read below the fold...

There is a very interesting interview with Dimitry Orlov on Voice America's "Business Matters with Jay Taylor".
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Report: Bushehr experts killed in Russian plane crash

Five Russian scientists who assisted in the design of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant were among the 44 fatalities of Monday's Russian plain crash, Moscow's International News Agency RIA Novosti reported Thursday.

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(534 Obama-dumping days until 2012 election-Hugh's Obama's Scandals List)

Kevin Hall of McClatchy Newspapers reports that on April 20 the big Italian oil company Eni put off its deal with Gazprom, the big Russian oil company.

SCORE big and bloody for the US (and France). This has been a goal of the US for three years according to Wilikleaks documents claims Hall. Read below the fold...

From the New York Times comes this surprisingly non-alarmist story about Russia, Iran, and the much-ballyhooed nuclear program they are starting together. It seems like something is finally happening.

MOSCOW — In a move sure to disappoint United States diplomats trying to halt Iran’s nuclear program, the atomic energy agency of Russia said Friday that it would take a crucial step later this month toward starting Iran’s first nuclear power plant.

The agency said that technicians would move tons of low-enriched uranium fuel from a storage site into the reactor on Aug. 21, the first of three steps in a months-long process for starting it up.

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Ria Novosti:

The presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed Saturday to create a single economic space by January 1, 2012.

[...]Medvedev, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a package of deals on November 27 in Minsk to create a customs union with common tariffs, paving the way for a single economic space.

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Cheney heads to ex-Soviet nations in show of support

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Vice President Dick Cheney departs Tuesday on a four-nation tour to support US allies Georgia and Ukraine amid a chill in relations with Russia over its military conflict with Georgia.

Because we don't have enough trouble. Read below the fold...

Moon over Alabama:

More seriously, the Russian Federation Army today launched an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

The Topol RS-12M ballistic missile, designed to defeat anti-ballistic missile systems, has hit a designated target at a testing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula, said Alexander Vovk, head of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops press service.

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I know there's a big party going on in Denver, but things seem to be equally hoppin over on the other side of the pond. Cheney is going over there, and that makes me worried. Russia says 'bring it on, bitches! We've got your oil/gas, and can turn it off anytime.

The G7 — Britain, the US, France, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan — said in a statement released by the US State Department: “We deplore Russia’s excessive use of military force in Georgia and its continued occupation of parts of Georgia.”

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[UPDATE: I've included a post from Registan with a totally different take] I confess to great ignorance, when it comes to this conflict and the region in general. But Sean-Paul's latest makes great sense to me.
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Cross-posted from The Global Sociology Blog.

It is pretty clear that Russia and Georgia are at war (see excellent background article here). It is not like there were no warning signs that Russia did not enjoy having its power challenged, as happened with the independence of Kosovo where the UN ignored Russia's opposition and went ahead with support for the new republic over its objections. Then, a few weeks ago, I posted on the fact that it seemed that Russia was engaging in a new Cold War in an attempt to reclaim some global military leadership. The invasion of parts of Georgia in support of independent movements in Southern Ossetia and Abkhazia should be read in that context.

As usual, I find Michael Mann's conceptualization of different forms of power useful to understand what is going on here. As Jonathan Steele puts it in the Guardian, this is not just an economic war, a "pipeline war", but a war of political influence. Political power, more than economic, might be at work here:

War is always about money, in the end. I'm way behind on my newsreading, and so I totally missed this until this morning. At least some civilians are being allowed to flee. What's at stake here? Who are the key players? And Thanks, Chimpy, for opening the Pandora's Box of "wars of choice are great!" Anyone with details willing the share them, I'm grateful. It bodes ill that he's already using rhetoric like this:
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What the hell is going on here?

BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- The sudden disappearance of a number of key witnesses in the Alexander Litvinenko investigation will make it even harder for British detectives, whose inquiry has now spread across five countries, The Times reported Wednesday. Read below the fold...

But Bambi is ok, right? Remind me to skip the matinee in Moscow. This is a "funny" post, because Borat is a sensation and all that, but as Antony reminds us:

After the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and poisoning of a former Russian spy, the increasingly authoritarian reign of Vladimir Putin is cause for concern.

Russia: not getting better. Don't forget that; they have oil, nukes, and crazies, just like we do. Read below the fold...

I know next to nothing about Russian/Georgian relations. I do know energy resources are at the heart of how they deal with each other. This can't be good:
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