Hear, hear! Well said.

I read General Wesley Clark’s book about the Kosovo conflict. That idiot almost started WWIII by trying to force Russian paratroopers out of the Pristina Airport. Disaster was only averted when a three star British general refused to follow his order. Russians will only be pushed so far before they start pushing back.

Want the difference between the USofA and Russia?

The USofA is, fundamentally, Revolutionary.  That is, anti-Christian.  It is, anti-Tradition.

Russia, on the other hand, is, fundamentally, Conservative, pro-Christian, and pro-Tradition.

You can’t be a “Conservative” and support the USofA.

I wonder how much oligarch money is floating around in neocon circles, funding the Hamptons homes and summer trips to (WESTERN) Europe of journalistic hacks who majored in “Soviet Studies” back in the 1980s. All of a sudden, their discipline “died.” Now they get the chance to reanimate Frankenstein’s monster, by stoking a whole new Cold War--not just with pale substitutes like China (1996-2000) or the entire Islamic world (2001--), but with the real thing, the Russian bear.

How fitting that it’s being led by actual or reconstructed Trotskyites--still loyal to the man who led the Red Army into Poland and tried to impose a Bolshevik dictatorship throughout Europe.

Let’s pray to Our Lady, whose intervention in 1919 (the “Miracle of the Vistula") stopped Trotsky’s armies at Warsaw to intercede for peace.

Follow the money, The animosity of the neocons towards Putin is rooted the ethnic solidarity that they have with the dual loyalty oligarchs most of whom carry Israeli passports in addition to Russian ones. Putin’s policy of recouping the huge financial losses that the former Soviet slaves suffered when Jeffrey Sachs advised the new noncommunist government on how to denationalize industries, which then ended up, by some strange miracle, in the hands of his co-religionists, is the real source of the neoconr loathing. The neocons have the exact same dual loyalty. Actually it is a loyalty to Israel and a feigned attachment to either Russia or America. Dual loyalty is impossible and the primary commitment is obvious in both cases. The entire camarilla is anti-American, anti-Russian and anti-Christian.

John Zmirak says, “I wonder how much oligarch money is floating around in neocon circles, funding the Hamptons homes....”

My best guess is, all the money that the neocons have comes from the international oligarchy bent on globalization.  People as dimwitted and morally retarded as the neocons seldom have the capacity for producing wealth for themselves.  Just as they depend totally on wealthy sponsors for their wealth, they depend totally on long discredited ideologies for their ideas and for what passes for guiding principles among their ilk.

The neocons sure hate Putin,many because he threw a lot of the Jewish plutocrats in prison.They also hate Obama,just not trustworthy enough, I guess.The only thing Obama has going for him is that he stole Ron Paul’s lines about getting out of Irag and the neocons hatred.He also used to teach constitutional law. Maybe he even read it.

Many years ago, the prayers after Mass concluded with
the aspiration, “Savior of the world, save Russia.”
I’d like to think Putin is the answer to the prayer.

Vlad rules!  Russia lead the way for the dying West.

How revolutionary to have a nation let by a man who
has his people’s best interests at heart.

“the neoliberal and neoconservative crowds” have very sensitive antennae for any world leader who won’t follow orders from their elite. The strong urge is to drop a satellite guided missile on any such a recalcitrant. In the case of the Russian leader, such methods could be answered so other methods will have to be found.  Also, the neo-elites suspect that Putin might have strength and honor and they don’t like that either.

The solution to the Kosovo problem is simple. The Albanians ought to be returned to Albania (i.e., ethnic cleansing). All the hand wringers shrink from this obvious fact, including those who support Serbian control of Kosovo. How could the Serbians control a province 90% of whose population are their enemies?

American elites as well as Jewish elites in Russia want a weak Russia without an ethno-religious self-concept.  This is what life was like under Yeltsin.  Putin is making Russia strong and proud again, and this is unacceptable.  Of course, it’s leading us into an unnecessary conflict with a natural ally against militant Islam, but global-liberal-democrats are willing to support even Islam to defeat the principle of an ethno-national state based on traditional nationalism.  They view the problem of Islam as one of “people believing things too strongly” and thus they see Russia and Serbia and American Christians as all part of the same problem.

Politics is personal for neocons, and that and that alone explains their atavistic hatred of Russia. The author is dead on that Putin’s anti-globalization stance enrages these people, but only because it is conservative, traditional and nationalistic. They’ll support the most radical Islamic forces, who would slit their throats if given half a chance, solely because it means destroying the homelands of their historical enemies.

Isn’t it amazing?

Here the GOP is bending over for a 1932-style ass-kicking come November – another self-induced “marooned in the boonies for 20 years” tribulation – and along comes Kosovo’s independence in time to turn up the burner on the neo-Cold War, and (the Weekly Standard editorial board hopes) remind Americans of the need for a firm (if somewhat aberrant, angry and “impulsive”) hand on the wheel of state. Jeepers! I guess timing really is everything. Makes me wonder what else they’re sending down the pike for us. The only way they can hold back the spew of seven years’ revulsion is a “national emergency.” Or the hint of one. And remember: These guys are capable of ANYTHING.

On a separate note, could Putin’s recent reopening of the Soviet archives be a little toe-line in the sand? A subtle challenge? Remember, the iron door closed on that voluminous – and undoubtedly VERY interesting – document trove in the mid-‘90s, after a brief beam of scholarly light fell into the vaults. Wonder what’s lurking in there? Could American neocons have had anything to do with shutting it down after that brief post-Soviet airing 12 years ago? After all, they did have some influence in the Russian “renaissance.” Remember them and the oligarchs? Tight, baby… Tight. And they did everything with that old vodka-bag Yeltsin but make him leap through flaming hoops into whirling tubs of buffalo dung.

Wonder what’s in there…Lotta secrets, I bet. Who knows? Maybe the neocons are terrified that door will open. Maybe the revisioning of history will be over – and the rewriting will begin.

I repeat all my questions that I asked on Mr. John Z’s blog article “Kosovo on the Thames”, and, trying to do my homework, I ask two more.

1. What percentage of Russians and what percentage of Serbs attend church Sunday?

2. What percentage of Russians and and what percentage of Serbs say they are atheists and agnostics?

I ask responders to cite their sources.

Sir, your article is spot-on! If American had a sane foreign policy—oh dream of dreams—we’d embrace Putin, if for only our own self-interests.  Russia is rich with natural minerals and oil, especially in Siberia; it has contained any of its former satellite states with nukes from dropping one on Martha’s Vineyard; and it is an inveterately Christian nation.

The Russians should start a serious European
propaganda scheme, with loads of old-fashioned
culture and a clever political forum. I for one
would drive a long way to attend.

And one more:

3. What is Putin’s religious affiliation and how often does he attend church? ditto his successor.

Just the facts, Ma’am.

FINE ESSAY BY MATTHEW ROBERTS.  HOWEVER, MR. ROBERTS IS REMISS NOT TO MENTION THAT THE NEOCONS HATE PUTIN BECAUSE HE IS A RUSSIAN NATIONALIST WHO HAD THE TEMERITY TO CHALLENGE THE PREDOMINATELY JEWISH OLIGARCHS WHO EXPLOITED BORIS YELSIN’S DEFICIENCIES AS A LEADER TO ROB THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE OF THEIR ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES.  THE NEOCONS VIEW PUTIN AS THE REBIRTH OF THE TSAR.

@ Sid Cundiff

Your questions are duly noted, both here and on Mr. Zmirak’s blog. Some of them can perhaps be answered by going through general social surveys in those countries, but they are very unlikely to be available in English.

Most of your questions were about Kosovo and Albania, and I’d bet my last $10 that nobody bothered to collect the data to the level of detail you’re seeking.

But a more fundamental question: why are you asking, or rather, why should someone do your homework by answering? If you provide a satisfactory reply I will try to answer your questions.

I’ll try one now:

2. What percentage of Russians and and what percentage of Serbs say they are atheists and agnostics?

- From reading social surveys several years ago, and if memory serves well, well under 20%.

@ Sid:

3. What is Putin’s religious affiliation and how often does he attend church? ditto his successor.

- Putin is Eastern Orthodox, of course, as is his successor (I’m assuming you mean Medvedev). How ofthen do they attend church? Who knows… I doubt they are super regular, given their duties. But Putin has been spotted at services often enough to conclude that he is as regular as a president of a large country can be.

Putin is a regular communicant—read: regularly attends the Divine Liturgy.

Mr Cundiff, I can not “link” to other internet websites for some reason, but here are some numbers, I’ll try and post the sources separately.

Russian church attendance: 2%

Serbian church attendance: 7%

42% of Serbians consider themselves as atheist.

Between 24 and 48% of Russians consider themselves atheist (let’s just call it ~40%).

As for Putin’s assisting at Divine Liturgy, while it may not be EVERY single Sunday (does Eastern Orthodoxy have a Sunday Obligation, like us Catholics?), as Mr Sanchez above mentioned, he goes often enough to be considered a “regular communicant”.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3996/is_200507/ai_n15704838

http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=1835

http://books.google.com/books?id=jIoKMGRHxn4C&pg=PA132&lpg=PA132&dq=serbia+percent+atheist&source=web&ots=ZmysLOdt21&sig;=-CCfewr69XtZypljBp6nlp-Ydv8#PPR24,M1

All this neo-con under every bed stuff is silly, an obsession really, and misses the dangers lurking in Putin’s Russia. Russia will be used to chastise the world unless Russia is consecrated to Mary’s Immaculate Heart. So many here are so neo-con hateful that they cannot see the far greater problem.

Looks like the hope of the West has moved Eastward. And it is a threat to global Israeloamerican world domination. They’ll try and surround Russia with enemies: neo-con puppets, Islamic crazies, missile bases, etc.
Who would have thought, the communist ex-KGB agent is more Christian than our own reborn “Jesus is my political philosopher"-president.

<<Jesus is my political philosopher>>

An obviously Masonic-inspired comment by GW Bush.  Only someone influenced by Masonic thought would dare call God a “political philosopher”.

As for Russia being consecrated to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, YES, that indeed needs to be done.  However, that is an entirely different topic from the independence of Kosovo and Russia’s reaction.

Opposing Russia prima facie is not appropriate.

I recall Yoffe, the man who ousted Ukraine’s Energy Minister in the 1990s, in order
to divert the cash flow from Ukraine’s power sales abroad into his own pocket.  His colleagues in the Rada finally told him, “Yoffe, enough! Enough! How much can you steal!?” Yoffe finally made off with his hundreds of millions to Israel, leaving the power sector that much closer to collapse.

Russia’s neighbors need Putins of their own if ever they’ll stand on their own feet.

Mr.Capp,

Your data re: church attendance is 11 years old.

Mr. Cundiff - People of faith living in formerly communist countries don’t respond truthfully to surveys.  They have learned to give the party line.  Mr. Putin’s grandparents had him baptised and took him to church regularly.  He is a believing, practicing Orthodox Christian.

Here’s another question for your list:  What percentage of “bosniaks” knew their original Serbian surnames prior to their conversion to Islam during the Turkish occupation of Serbia?

And how about this:  When was the Albanian language first identified?  How many forms of the Albanian language are spoken, and how are they distributed geographically.

Let’s see what you can come up with.

Kosovo is not an islamic state.

During their recent declaration of independence, the Kosovar leaders made a point of emphasizing the secular nature of the state as well as its European roots.

Though 70% of Albanians are Muslim, 20% are Catholic and 10% are Eastern Orthodox. Unlike the Serbs, the Albanians do not define themselves primarily in terms of religion.

Don,

In the real world, that insignificant little chunk of the cosmos bracketed and contained by troublesome dimensions of physical reality, the neocons ARE the “far greater problem.”

…But thanks for sharing.

@ cognate, second your comment, their flag symbolises the EU, and has no muslim symbols.

BTW, there is no chance of detente with Putin’s Russia as long as the U.S is run by the neocons.
as Putin’s treatment of the Oligarchs shows the Russians are not abot to be fooled by the elders of Zion anytime soon.
In the meanwhile Russia has formed military allainces with China to throw the neocon mercenaries out of the region. He said an attack on any central asian state (including Iran would be treated as an attack on Russia). With those words he put the neocon game On Iran in prison along with the oligarchs.
The russians have helped Iran develop space technology, they are now launcing satellites, i have to believe with a little help from Russia.
The recent neocon plots to destabilize Pakistan, the media hysteria over extremism and nukes has been shown to be the lie it was in the elections, where the religious parties got 3-5 seats out of 342 seats. If the U.S. does not withdraw from Afghanistan, an allaince of Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan will emerge to send the neocons back to Brooklyn. The world is changing and the elders of zion have put themselves on the wrong side of history again. Instead of importing 1 million Russian neo Nazis into occupied Palestine they could have saved themselves by doing a deal with the Palestinians. Too bad cunning is in their genes, wisdom is missing from their genes.

I assure Mr. Vissarion Dzugashvili that I too am looking for answers to my questions. It just so happens that I’m not the guy making the tow claims that (1)Kosovo and Albania be Omaha Beachheads for Osama’s brand of Islam or Europe’s “Koran Belt”, and (2) the Putin be the new Fidei Defensor.  Those who are so claiming should have given us facts.  Mr. Vissarion Dzugashvili is honest to admit that some of answers are from memory. Mr. Sanchez isn’t telling us where he got his info; his info might be true but it isn’t true until proven. Ditto Mr. Steward’s assertions.  And if folks in those parts are telling the truth to poll takers, then we just don’t know, do we? and we can’t make a judgement about claims ##1-2, can we?  Mr. Steward’s questions are interesting, but off topic; we’re not talking about Bosniaks and philology.  We’re looking for facts, and verifiable facts, that support claims ##1 and 2 above.

I thank Mr. Capp for his links. Now we’re getting somewhere!

The question remains open: Are we dealing with an genuine Islamic threat or just with the irredentist ambitions of Serbia or Albania?  I don’t know the answer. And I await the facts.

Just the facts, Ma’am.

Without commenting on Ali Khan’s content, he needs to use another term other than “Elders of Zion” if he wishes to maintain his credibility and to spare himself what would be well merited opprobrium and obloquy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion

@sid:
I never referred to “protocols” only elders, referring to the advisors of Netanyahoo and Sharon. Perfectly appropriate old chap, what!
Come to think about it is there not more than a passing similarity between “ a clean break” and “project for a new american century” and the Protocols?

Ali Kahn stated,

In the meanwhile Russia has formed military allainces with China to throw the neocon mercenaries out of the region. He said an attack on any central asian state (including Iran would be treated as an attack on Russia).

I predicted this very thing many months ago regarding a possible Chinese alliance with Russia.  One individual said it could never happen because of a hatred of each other.  Well politics makes strange bedfellows. 

Well score one for the neo-con/liberals, they have at least managed to rig one more election here stateside but for all the good it will do them.  People are tuning out their noise in droves.

Oy vey! I was wondering where Mr. Cundiff had taken his schtick.  It turns out he’s been busy kvetching up a storm over here at Takimag. 

Sid, what, pray tell, is your point? 

Are you trying to “look into the soul” of the Serbs and Russians, a la Dick Cheney? 

Intelligent people will not depend on anything that Emile Durkheim-worshipping communist sociologists at the University of Michigan polled about people’s religious practices.  The fact is that both Russia and Serbia have experienced a revival in traditional faith as evidenced by the revival in recent years of monastic life, increased church participation, religious education in schools, the return of the chaplaincy to the military, and so on.  Of course, it helps that the likes of the “poet” Moshe Pijade are no longer around to dictate what the religious and other cultural preferences of the subjugated Serbs should be. 

More to the point, beyond religious identity, anyone at all familiar with central Europe knows that Serbian cultural identity has a deep affinity for and derives very directly not only from Christian society, but that other twin pillar of western civilization - Hellenism.  This is clear in the way Serbs conduct themselves in many facets of their lives - even down to the local poetic tradition of the guslars which, while not as grand as Homer’s, can trace its roots back to the verbal art of Greek epic poetry.  I laugh when the likes of Javier Solana and Bernard Kouchner - exemplary aetheistic, marxist murderers - lament whether Serbia will ever become a part of “Europe”.  Serbia is more “Europe” than just about any country in the EU at present and Serbs should not give a damn whether they join this grotesque self-hating and self-destructive circus! 

Here - I have some relevant questions: 

1.  Have you ever been to Kosovo?  Ever seen one of their “reactions” (i.e., rampages)?  I had the great “pleasure” of witnessing some of this “democratic” outpouring back in the eighties.  Let me tell you something, I don’t give a rat’s behind if these savages that have taken over Kosovo consider themselves Muslims, Christians, or Martians, their behavior is abhorrent and at odds with anything that a sane person would characterize as “civil”. 

Here is another one that you might like because it involves the chasing down of “facts” and “footnotes”:

2.  What is the current population of Albanians living in Serbia outside of Kosovo, particularly in greater Belgrade?  What is the population of Serbs living in Albania?

Albanians - many of them - even after all this insanity, continue to live under equal protection of the law in Serbia while Serbs evicted from their villages in Croatia, Kosovo, and Macedonia cannot return to places they lived for hundreds, in some cases over a thousand, years! 

Let me ask you another question, this one hypothetical:

3.  Which of of these options would you choose and which do you think you would survive: (a) put on a tee-shirt emblazoned with the Albanian flag and spend the day sipping coffee in a Belgrade cafe or (b) put on a tee-shirt emblazoned with the Serbian flag and spend the day sipping coffee in Pristina? 

What has happened in Kosovo, and to the Serbs in general, is a crime, a great dishonor to the west, and should be deeply repugnant to any Christian of any denomination. 

In closing: Statistics?  I don’t need no stinkin’ statistics to recognize black from white and right from wrong!

Andrew Capp should refrain from posting false information on a subject he obviously knows nothing about.

The percentage of Serbs who consider themselves ‘believers’ in the last 15 years has become somewhat of a sociological phenomenon. 

In every single poll conducted since the early 90’s, around 90% or more answer that they are ‘believers’ , with only 5% atheist.

There have been at least two such reports in the main weekly, NIN, in the past 7 or so years, with the conclusion that Serbia is ranked highest, with the US, in the percentage of those who believe in God.

This is in stark contrast to the similar poll from 1979, when 39% of Yugoslavs answered that they are ‘believers’.

The percentage that attend Sunday services though must be quite low, possibly as low as 7%, or even lower.
But, this is probably so, not only due to the years of Communist rule, but to the practice of attending church primarily on important religious holidays, which, again, reflect the (agri)cultural calendar.

I now see that Andrew Capp’s figures are taken from Dusko Doder’s (half Montenegrin, half Albanian) sources from the 1970s.

Again, there was no need, Mr. Capp, to be so diligent and dig up stuff that should be done by someone closer to the source.

I hope you understand my concern.

The percentage of religious Serbs in the last 15 years is a true mini-miracle (regardless of how Christian they trully are) and I had to point this out, since the issues was brought up, and answered incorrectly.

“Andrew Capp should refrain from posting false information on a subject he obviously knows nothing about.”

Pls take 1,000 additional counts into consideration with no mitigating circumstances.

The subject is a major liability to the ideologies he chooses to support.
I suspect underground neocon links, he is obviously in over his head.

Mr Kotromanic,

Sorry for the confusion, I was just posting sources.  Never did I believe the statistics.  Nor did I notice the numbers were from the 1970’s.  I should have looked.

Question: does Eastern Orthodoxy have a “Sunday Obligation” like us Catholics?

@ Andrew Capp:
Apologies accepted.
If by “Sunday obligation” you mean that parishioners are expected to attend church services every Sunday and on the days of other great feasts, then yes.
In general you are expected to go to confession before every communion; I say in general because your parish priest may decide that you can take communion without a prior confession if your spiritual condition allows it, but then you should be fasting every Wed and Fri.
Lenten fast is 6 + 1 weeks (6 weeks plus Holy Week, between Palm Sunday and Easter), no meat no dairy no eggs throughout, Wed and Fri no oil.
In “old countries” no pews in churches except for the elderly.
Glad to share.

A wise man once said: “Religion is the Opium of the masses”.

He went on and wrote a book about a class struggle between the workers and the capitalist upper class. It means little today as the whole fabric of society has changed since he wrote it. The Capitalists updated their system to prevent what he wrote about from happening.

Although his religion comment is correct today as it was in the 19th century.

Let’s be serious here. A Leader’s religion has little effect on how well his country does. Otherwise we should all be switching to Shinto! Japan’s population is less than 1% Christian yet its Economy is the 2nd Largest National Economy in the World by real value! Currently they have achieved around 5 Trillion dollars in their National GDP. This with only about 120 Million people, fewer than in Russia. Russia’s Economy is around 1.2 Trillion dollars in real value. One of the largest, but per capita one of the smallest.

Building Monasteries instead of building Businesses contributes to the problem of low per capita GDP. Because religious people have no time to create heresy in the form of technological breakthroughs to lead the modern Technology driven economy. In fact Scientists are the biggest critics of this state supported religious fundamentalism in schools in Russia. You can follow whatever Philosophy you choose, but please don’t shove Christianity down my throat. There are over 30 Million non-Christians(other religions) in the Russian Federation. Close to 1/5 of the population. A large Buddhist minority inhabits the southern region of Kalmykia. Should the non-Christian Russians be burned on the stake as heretics?

Let’s be realistic. The foundation of Christianity is a fairy tale. The Bible has about as many facts as the book “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”. The writers of the Bible were not Anthropologists and Archaelogists. They could only write about what they could understand and see. What they could not see, like Dinosaurs for example, they could not know about. That means their “infinite wisdom” was limited. How did Noah avoid a plague from breaking out in cramped dirty conditions? Kind of hard to explain that one without claiming “divine intervention”. Science today is not compatible with Religion. Any religion that sets limits on man’s development and tries to make him/her think within the box is a regressive influence on society. This does not mean it should be banned, but it should not become a Government sponsored education program.

Look at Russia in the early 20th century and USSR in 1961. In 1914 Russia was dependant on Foreign imports to supply the Military and support the Government. Everything from Rifles, to Ships, to Cars, to Planes were made outside of Russia. Only Sikorsky had limited success in bringing his inventions into the air, but this was relatively late into World War 1. Russia could have been flying airplanes in the 1890’s if a Scientist by the name of Aleksandr Mozhaisky had not been ignored. He was a leader in aeronautical research in Russia in the late 19th century, but he had little funding to support his projects, which were successful to a degree, he did demonstrate a heavier than air object with a human pilot that used multiple engines, and had wings and a tail like modern airplanes. It even flew for a short period in 1884. But, we have Monasteries to build and Royal yachts to buy from the Germans, we have no time for “crazy” anti-Christian inventions.

We don’t need Factories, we don’t need Science Academies, we don’t need Business Offices, we don’t need Technology Schools, we only need the Church, God, and Liturgy! That was the main thinking of Tsarist Russia in the early 20th century. And it nearly caused the collapse of Russia after the outdated and uneducated Russian Army was not able to match its enemies on the battlefields of WW1. “God” could not make modern weapons materialize to defeat the enemy. He could not make rifles out of thin air. They had to be bought in Belgium and the US, and when Belgium was taken over the Russian supply of small arms declined to the point that units had to share weapons! Because Russia’s industry was far too small to supply the Millions of Russian ground troops. Nowhere in the Bible did it teach you to build firearms and cannons. Only a modern Education system could accomplish this. Eventually the Russian War effort collapsed. Unarmed men were just tired of being sent against German field guns and machineguns to be slaughtered for Tsar Nikolai and the Church.

Russia was lucky visionaries like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky survived beyond the “religious” Tsarist period. Otherwise no space flight no first man in space for Russians. The great achievements of the 1950’s and 1960’s would have been impossible unless the Government made an effort to create a “modern” Educated Scientist class of individuals, not Monks or Theology students. Since the fall of “Godless Communism” in what sphere of technology does Russia lead? How about none. 100 years ago most Russians lived in the 17th century(Serfdom, illiteracy, and total poverty) because the Tsarist Government, Nobility, and Church enriched themselves through the helpless population. Today Russia heads in the same direction. Nothing to celebrate.

Try to follow the 4 month long strict Fasts of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and see how much you like the religion! No eggs, meat, milk, or sweets for weeks! The brain actually begins to shrink from the lack of Protein. It is un-natural.

@ KGB

Science or religion… what should one do? It sucks to be a dualist, doesn’t it?

The fact is that both Russia and Serbia have experienced a revival in traditional faith as evidenced by the revival in recent years of monastic life, increased church participation, religious education in schools, the return of the chaplaincy to the military, and so on.
Without percentages, then no way to determine significance.  We had the 4th Great Awakening in Gringoland beginning about 1978 and continuing to this day, yet I’d hardly say that Gringos are a very observant people. Facts, please, Mr Mac!—whose substance in his writeback is about as serious as the nutritional value of the food after which he is named.

I don’t need no stinkin’ statistics to recognize black from white and right from wrong! Someone should have read Mr. Mac his Miranda rights before he hit the keyboard.  We have a self confessed ignoramus. Murder is wrong.  Yet I need the facts proven beyond all reasonable doubt before I can render a guilty verdict.

Mr Tvrtko has made the effort, and I thank him.  I need citations for reliability and verifiability.  In such conflicts, the truth is often the first casulaty.  Remember when the British Press in 1914 were telling us the German were eating Belgian children?

Yet let’s take, for the sake of argument, his evidence as reliable, and that 95% of Serbs are theists. Well, so say most Gringos as well, yet we are hardly a religious bunch. Religiosity is best judged by observance, something that can be seen and measured.  For example, I don’t expect all observant Baptists to be hard shell (twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday), yet a Baptist whose church attendance is at best occasional, who has never made an altar call, who doesn’t know the words to “Just As I Am”, and has no knowledge of the great Baptist hymnologist B. B. McKinney, isn’t a Baptist – regardless of what he might tell a pollster.

Mr. Tvrko confesses that church attendance in Serbia is low, proving him an honest man.  7% would speak for itself as to the degree of Serbian religiosity. 

Any stats for mosque attendance in Kosovo and Albania?

And for the record, I am not an apologist for Albanian irredentism, any more than Serbian.

Just the facts, Ma’am.

Mr. Cundiff,

You said:

“We have a self confessed ignoramus.”

I confessed no such thing.  Before you jump to any conclusions - my formal training is in science, engineering, and accounting.  I know all about statistics, correlation, causality, precision, accuracy, etc, etc.

There are proper uses of numbers, but wise people can also discern the grander points of what is going on without treating everything as if it were a court trial or a chemistry lab assignment.  While I am not an all-knowing creature, I do know that in real life outside of Court TV and the textbook people have to and do indeed come to conclusions every single day without assembling a compedium of footnotes for every action undertaken or every insight made. 

You also said:

“Yet I need the facts proven beyond all reasonable doubt before I can render a guilty verdict. “

That’s my point - you are putting Russia and Serbia on trial.  For what, I am not sure.  That is why I asked for your point, sir. 

Casual observers, admittedly unarmed with a satchel of precise numerical statistics, can observe that Russia has been experiencing some revival of faith and that its leaders have been behaving responsibly in trying to uphold some orderly international system so that the world will not decay into life lived by the law of the jungle. 

That Russia has been a responsible international player, I think is a fair insight, without knowing the exact causal dimensions of what enabled its leaders to behave this way - whether it was their faith, their education, the way grandma treated them in early childhood - who knows?  And one cannot know.  But one can clearly judge their behavior. 

Likewise, the Albanians in Kosovo have behaved reprehensibly regardless of what their religious or the Serbs’ religious practices are or are not.  We can assemble the facts that demonstrate the exact number, for example, of dynamited churches and monasteries or killed priests in the region, but what does the precision of that number have to do with this discussion?  Do you doubt that they are doing these things based on year’s worth of independently derived reports, testimony, and pictures from multiple parts of the world.  Gee, I guess I don’t have the footnote as to whether they dynamited 129 or 133 churches - I guess that makes my point moot.  I better call the Bureau of Scientific Truth and Infallible Statistics in Pristina…

So, again, I ask what point are you trying to make by putting these two human and imperfect, though generally Christian, nations on your little trial here?  And, who, by the way, appointed you judge and jury?

Kay Gee Bee,

“The Capitalists updated their system to prevent what he wrote about from happening.”

Must’a been nappin’ when THAT happened. Actually, capitalists didn’t change a thing to endure. Didn’t have to. Marxism collapsed because, as a template for government and economics, it’s a failure. And its failure is one of concept, not just practice. How can it not be? It’s the product of a fat rumball who knew little about anything - save his own ghetto con-game mechanics.

And the Soviet Union wasn’t a science whiz until it imported (at gunpoint) Western European scientists after World War II. Up to then, Soviet science was hampered by a dogma every bit as crippling as Orthodox Christianity. As a tragic example, remember Bolshevik “science” gave the world Trofim Lysenko - and his airhead “research” gave a Russian populace a rigorous dose of starvation.

Also, before you go whippin’ up on monks, remember Christian monks gave the world the university system of higher education. Top that!

Nobody can defend the backwardness, corruption and brutality of the Czarist regime. But nobody can credibly defend the atrocity that was the Soviet Union, either.

Curt,

Actually, I am the nobody that will defend the czarist regime.  Backward, corrupt, and brutal as compared to what?  Did the czars not make vast improvements?  Was the martyred Nicholas II brutal?  Was the Russian economy not the fastest growing economy before the Bolshies put a stop to it?  Careful about repeating the lies of your high school teachers who were trained by Trotskyites and Gramscians in Schools of Education (sic). 

But I agree with your assessment of science and faith.  Orthodox Christianity gave us Nikola Tesla - whose father was a priest.  But I will have to go find n=30 citations of attestation to his family’s religious practices compiled and certified by a Big Five accounting house to make the point for Mr. Cundiff.

Big Mac wrote,

Actually, I am the nobody that will defend the czarist regime.  Backward, corrupt, and brutal as compared to what?  Did the czars not make vast improvements?  Was the martyred Nicholas II brutal?  Was the Russian economy not the fastest growing economy before the Bolshies put a stop to it?  Careful about repeating the lies of your high school teachers who were trained by Trotskyites and Gramscians in Schools of Education (sic).

Make me the second nobody and thanks Mac for making a much better argument than I could have.  The widely referred to abuses of the Czars were the WMDs of their day, used to trump up support for the bolsheviks in New York and London.  The difference here is that the lies are spread throughout the media from Hollywood to the classroom that the WMDs in this case were found although they were no more real than they are today.  Just wait to see how this one plays out.  Sure we know today that there were never weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but after time and the government controlled idiot factories do their work will we know it tomorrow?

Let’s see, given the [false dichotomy] of living under either Tsar St Nicholas II The Passion Bearer or Vladimir Lenin, what person, in their right mind, would NOT choose Tsar St Nicholas II The Passion Bearer?

The answer: No one, in their right mind, would choose to live under Vladimir Lenin.  Unfortunately, however, insanity runs rampant through the human race.  Not as rampant as the crazies would like to believe, but rampant enough.

Big Mac remains the un-digestable obscurantist and propagandist who has NO CASE, because he has no evidence.  Every one can see what my point is:

-- that the conflict in Kosovo is supposedly religious and not in reality ultranationalist remains unproven.

-- that the Russian Federation is a Christian nation defending Christendom remains unproven. 

And as for atrocities and genocide in the Balkans, there’s plenty of blame to be shared. One country of the region in particular in notoriously so (and there are others). But Mr. Big Mac is doubtless a Srebrenica denier.

I shall, time permitting, write a general responce under Taki’s “Takimag Does Not Recognize ‘Kosovo’” to what I’ve read so far on this issue.

Mr. Cundiff,

You can call me names or you can address my points.  Life is not a neat little statistical table that proves or disproves YOUR case.  Did you ever read the great Russian dystopian novel “We”?  You remind me very much of the mathematicians of that novel.  They had it all down to a neat science, just like their real-world counterparts, the uber-rational communists. 

You clearly bear a personal grudge and ill-feelings towards both Russians and Serbians, and, perhaps, all Orthodox Christians. 

No one denied that there is SOME blame to be shared in the Balkans (and the Serbs themselves are the ONLY party to admit this) and I certainly don’t deny that what the Muslims did around Srebrenica (the Christmas Day massacre 15 years ago, in particular) was anything short of an atrocious war crime that deserves our attention. 

I find it mildly amusing that (a) you, the obscurantist par excellance have the temerity to call me one, (b) you continue to posture as a heavenly chosen arbiter and judge of the national virtues of peoples you clearly understand little, and (c) your presence on any site I have noticed you on is punctuated by the need to foment conflict rather than dialogue.

@ Sid Cundiff:

You said:
“-- that the conflict in Kosovo is supposedly religious and not in reality ultranationalist remains unproven.
“-- that the Russian Federation is a Christian nation defending Christendom remains unproven.”

The above points were not the topics of the post; you brought them in, trying to hijack the discussion, which you seem to like doing (just my observation from your prior posts).

So since those are your points, why don’t you prove them or disprove them on your own time, and the rest of the posters can gpo back to the real topic?

Mr. Cundiff,

I am a glutton for mental punishment, so I venture on…

1.  How do you “prove” a nation is Christian?  Give me a case example of one modern nation that has been “proven” Christian to your satisfaction. Are the parameters analogous to “proving” a nation, say, Hindu? 

2.  What statistics, facts, and footnotes deliniate the difference between oridnary nationalists and the “ultranationalists” you refer to?  Milsoevic was an “ultranationalist”, I believe, though I don’t quite undersand the definition.  What is Vladimir Putin?  What was Chang Kaishek?  What was Golda Meir? 

3.  Outside of historical inquiry, for what reasons does it matter to you whether the murderers in Pristina are motivated by Islam or nationalism or just plain old psychopathy?  Does one state of mind over another make the dynamiting of another people’s heritage on their own land more palatable? (Not to mention centuries of terrorism in opportunistic allegiance with EVERY murderous regime to enter the Balkans: Ottomans, Nazis, Stalinists, and NATO.) Or do the actions speak loudest at the moment? 

4.  What is your definition of genocide and which dictionary do you base it on?  Is it numeric?  Is it based on actual incident or intent?  List for me your sources that define the genocides and attempted genocides of the Balkans that you state as matter of fact having transpired? 

5.  Which country “in particular” in your earlier post is most “notorious” in the Balkans?  Are you, per chance refering to Croatia?  I recall the American magazine Harpers publishing the transcripts of the released tape recordings of President Tudjman’s address to his cabinet in the early 1990s in which he outlined the planned elimination of all Serbs and Serbian heritage in Croatia.  Boy, compare that one to Milsoevic’s multicultural schlock from his late 1980s Kosovo address that is routinely misrepresented as “nationalist”.  If it is the Croatians of whom you speak , then I agree, they are clearly the most notorious locals.  (Then again, how does one prove “notorious” versus “infamous”?  I am unsure....)

But I digress to obscurantism...please do forgive. 

(Everyone else: Note when you have no footnotes for Sid, you have “no case”; when you do provide straightforward facts that don’t conform to Sid’s worldview you are “obscurantist” or “propogandist”.  Nothing interesting there - this sort of baitor has been around for a long time now and anyone that pays close attention to history will hear the familiar thumping of the boots making their “long march” through everything and anything worth destroying.  And, believe me, a fine site such is Taki’s is worth destroying.)

Mr Cundiff wrote: “Everyone can see what my point is...”

Well, no, we can’t see what your point is at all because you still have not come to it.  When you do readers will be better able to assess what you are trying to say.  At the present your words are over-long and quite confusing.

To “Big Mac”: do not be disheartened by some of what you are reading from those puffed-up with self-importance who respond to the articles.  In fact you are doing much good by bringing some clarity to the discussions and I for one am most grateful for that.  The original article by Mr Roberts is most interesting and many of the early responses were just excellent.  But sooner or later the usual suspects were bound to write in, some making remarks unworthy of comment and others writing their typical forty-nine paragraph blather-fests.

Thank you, Mr Roberts, for an intriguing and thought-provoking article.  I hope you will return to this subject again soon.

“Let’s be serious here. A Leader’s religion has little effect on how well his country does. Otherwise we should all be switching to Shinto! Japan’s population is less than 1% Christian yet its Economy is the 2nd Largest National Economy in the World by real value! Currently they have achieved around 5 Trillion dollars in their National GDP.”

Yes Kay Gee Bee, but a wise old Book says something about “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”

Apparently the village atheist has arrived.

I’m not Mr Cundiff, but, for some reason or another, we are often accused of being the same person.

So, I would like to answer “Big Mac’s” questions.

1) The leadership of that country takes all of their orders from the Catholic Church.

2) Honestly, that question doesn’t make sense.  Nationalism itself is a mistake, ultra- or otherwise.

3) A gang of thug’s religious confession doesn’t matter.  The fact that the (at least nominally Mohammedan) KLA fought a war against (at least nominally) [schismatic] Catholics is enough for me to “root” for the [schismatic] Catholics.  For example, the [nominally] Catholic Irish gangsters always had my preference over the Protestant Irish gangsters.  But, in the end, what I preferred was peace.

4) I believe Mr Cundiff was using the term “genocide” quite loosely, but I’ll let him defend himself on that.  As for myself, I define “genocide” as the murder of an entire tribe of people.  For example, the English have been known to have wiped out entire tribes of Indian Americans.  THAT was genocide.  Numbers don’t matter.  If all that is left is two members of that tribe, if you kill them both, that’s genocide.

5) Most notorious nation in the Balkans?  I’ll have to go with Italy.

Prior to my marriage to a Russian lady in 2001, my wife was a child psychologist and educator in Russia. She was also the director of a large school in the Volgograd area. Nadya had also attended a lay seminary. When Putin formed a committee for the express purpose of developing a Bible and religious program for Russian schools, he appointed my wife to that committee, and she helped write the program. Now Russian schools are free to have the Bible adn religious training at the option of the school director.

My opponents still have no proven case and no evidence.  And they liable me with suggesting that I am against the Eastern Orthodox Church. My whole point is that the evidence isn’t forthcoming to suggest the conflict is religious, and it would thus seem to be instead irredentist on the part of Serbia and Albania. Plain and simple.

Put differently, “Big Mac”, Dan Guenzel, and Vissarion Dzugashvili (the last, when he stuck to facts, and something worth reading) are like high school debaters who, when then have no case, and the negative team has proven they have no case, decide to talk about everything instead of their case (which they have the burden of proof), with ad hominem and red herring piled upon non sequitur and ignoratio elenchi.

Let me kindly suggest that my opponents, that rather than continuing their obscurantism and fogging operation, take a break from writebacking and memorize first
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallacy
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies
with the links.

I freely grant that I could profit from the same.

Russia hopefully will find its voice in the world:  a voice that is European, Christian, proud of itself, its culture, and its highly educated people. Putin is impressive to me as a type of Burkean reformer in the manner of a Napoleon or De Gaulle. In other words, he is trying to forge a healthy national identity among a people whose identity has been permanently altered by an ideological revolution.  He has managed the transition from Communism by emphasizing that era’s patriotic aspects, technical achievements, and victory over the Nazis, while deemphasizing its concern for ideology and total state control of society.  At the same time, Putin has restored respect for the Old Russia, the Orthodox religion, the historical Russian identity, and the traditionally expansive authority of the Russian State.  America should encourage this development in a tone of mutual respect, rather than hectoring Russian leaders with abstractions like free markets and democracy, especially considering the recent history of such advice in the Nineties.

A true nationalist does not wish harm to other nations.  Patriotism is not a zero-sum game.  Nationalists and Patriots the world over recognize the corrupting influence of homogenization and globalization.  Whether in the guise of NATO, the EU, “democratization,” or short-sighted American interference with internal affairs, all of these are potentially a threat to national cultures and their distinctive peoples.  I want to see Russia evolve in a natural and independent direction.  I would like the same respect from them.  But how can I or any American ask for such respect when we view it as our role to be the Nanny State to the world, dispensing unwanted and often bad advice wrapped in veiled threats of retaliation.

Sid’s MO:

- Author of the post claims that A is true.
- Sid announces that the author of the post claimed B is true.
- Sid denounces the author for believing/not believing that B is true.
- Sid demands author/others to prove, citing reliable sources, that B is/is not true.
- When others decline to bother with B, Sid declares victory and leaves.

Sid, an honest thing to do would be to get your own blog and cover the topics of your choice. Somehow I doubt that you would get even a small fraction of the audience that you get here, hijacking other people’s discussions. You used to comment on Chronicles and you were chastised by readers there for this same behavior, i.e. thread hijacking. By continuing to do it you have demonstrated that you are a parasite.

Well, I did not expect to get a straight answer from Mr. Sid Cundiff no matter what I answered.  Some believe he is unhinged and some a deliberate saboteur and propogandist.  I have watched his “style” and it follows the same pattern on this and other sites.  The name calling and interjection of fancy words (even some impressive sounding Latin) when confronted with strong counterarguments.  I tend to believe saboteur and propogandist. 

I thank Mr. Capp for addressing my specific points, though I don’t necessarily agree with those responses. 

My point was that we can look at a people in many different ways in order to guess as to whether the majority of them is Christian and whether their culture reflects a general Christian attitude.  This can only be a guess because, unlike the Almighty, we have no means for accurately surveying an individual’s true faith.  Formulaic counts of church attendance and so forth may sway our opinion but are at some point limited themselves.  I think several people have brought up several indicators that may sway us to believe that both Russia and Serbia have seen a significant increase in Christian observance and reflect general Chrsitian cultural attributes.  That specifically addresses Sid Cundiff’s argument, though he may continue to scream at all of us about “data” and “reasoanble doubt”.  Some things are not meant to be and are impossible to prove in a court of law - a nations Christian character being one of those things. 

I believe Mr. Capp’s definition of what determines a Christian nation is too rigid and illogical, and unworkable.  I don’t know of any leadership that takes all of its orders from the Pope.  Furthermore, even if we agree that taking orders from the Pope is what determines Christian character, then what if a leadership takes those orders and the majority of the nation remains aetheist despite the efforts of the leadership.  Is this a Christian nation?  At that point, Mr. Capp’s formula clearly collapses. 

The arrogant references to schismatics does not help a genuine dialogue, Mr. Capp.  Orthodox may equally believe that the Catholics are Schismatics.  Personally, as an Orthodox Christian, I trully hope for a workable reconciliation even if a full communion is impossible (and, from my view, it seems impossible, though I am not an expert on theology and church hierarchy as pertaining to papal infallibility).  I will also remind you that Pope Benedict also said this week:

“I rejoice in the progress that has been made in relations between Orthodox and Catholic Christians, and I am especially grateful to the Serbian Orthodox Church for graciously hosting the 2006 meeting of the mixed commission for theological dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox, with the active support of senior members of your Government,”

Pace Sid Cundiff (the Pope provided no footnotes listing all the facts)...the church of Serbia, its government, and many other Orthodox churches and governments have worked with the Orthodox eccumencial patriarchate to foster good relations and achieve a workable reconciliation with Rome.  It is simply in the interests of all traditional Christians who value Europe’s/Christendom’s survival more than scoring wins in pointless inter-denominational squabbling. 

My question regarding nationalism and “ultranationalism” was meant to shine light on Sid Cundiff’s rehash of popular media terminology that is empty in meaning and meant as a code word to tarnish reputations.  Those politicians that the US can easily manipulate will be referred to as “pro-western” and “democratic” while leaders that look out for their own people first and foremost are always “nationalists”...and if they happen to openly go against American dictates in the process of upholding their people’s interests then they are “ultranationalists”. 

Allow me to also comment on frames of reference.  The need for many to apply rigid rules, formulae, and statistics to areas of life that do not lend themselves to such scientific treatment is a curious odditity of the (Latin) west, in my opinion.  They often lead to the incoherence of the above: attempting to measure which nations are Christian and which are not.  This is ludicrous.  There are indicators, but their is no absolute measure.  And, in his frame of reference, Sid Cundiff will never get a satisfactory answer because it is impossible to produce one that stands up to the rules of his “court” framework. 

I would wonder how Mr. Cundiff would prove in a court of law that he loves his spouse.  Perhaps the statistics would demonstrate that he purchased for her flowers every month that they were married, perhaps there is a statistic for the number of times he held her hand.  But in the end, it would be impossible to prove like a traditional court case, science experiment, or mathematical proof.  You can make a leap and infer something, but not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

Life is rich with mystery and the Orthodox, for whom mysticism is an integral part of faith, I think better understand the futility of applying science to everything.  And that’s what is essentially being argued here.  This is not meant as some sort of put down of Catholics; it is merely an observation and I believe a relevant one given the conversation had here. 

In closing, my hope is for true Christian understanding amongst all that allows us to end needless infighting and focus on the real external obstacles that have compromised our lives and threaten to destroy our civilization.  Alienating a country such as Russia and carving up Serbia to serve it up to thugs and Muslims ony moves us closer towards that collapse.

And case still not proven that the conflict is religious. And a parade of false analogies and other verbal tactics to hide the fact that the case isn’t proven.

“And case still not proven that the conflict is religious.”

Sid
As ever, you attempt to stir trouble and pointless distraction. Irrespective of the extent to which religion is involved in this conflict, there are other good reasons for disquiet about the Kosovo situation. For example, many sources suggest that the Kosovar leadership are little better than gangsters/drug lords and that Kosovo has become, via its Muslim connections, a major route for heroin trafficking into western Europe.

Sid, I note also your politically correct dismissal of the authenticity of the Protocols of the Elders. Have you ever read it or is your dismissal based solely on the likes of the one-sided commentary in Wikipedia? IMO, Protocols is an extremely cunning and preceptive document and I am reluctant to dismiss it as crude Czarist fiction. Below are two web pages (both written by Jews) that argue that Protocols may well be genuine:
http://www.rense.com/general45/protodd.htm
http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers/toolkit.html

“The USofA is, fundamentally, Revolutionary.  That is, anti-Christian.  It is, anti-Tradition.”

Hmm. Interesting. Was Wycliffe anti-Christian? What about Tyndale? Or bloody Hell Luther???

If you’re definition of Christian actually means Catholic...well it’s just invalid. Enough said.

A great article based on facts.

True words of wisdom. Putin is far from perfect, but all the drivel that is printed about Vladimir ‘Hitler Stalin’ Putin is worrying. Still, I’m British and its worse here. Every Russian crook who fough Putin and has been killed or arrested is compared to Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Russians are making great movies as well. Great historical movies and cartoons which are very European and is a fresh breeze from the stink of hollywood. Try
Russian Ark, 1612, Mongol, Great Northern War - Battle of Poltava, Taras Bulba and Zolotoe koltso (Golden Ring) to name a few. They are very aesthetically pleasing, something not seen in hollywood and your local modern art gallery for some time.

On a different note since Putin is a Germanophile, he should try an alliance with Germany on the west and with Japan and China in the East. A truly Eurasian alliance against America.

Some other great Russian movies include Admiral Kolchak and Turkish gambit.

Dear Mr. Roberts,
I have recently been reading Pete Earley’s “Comrade J” and Anna Politkovskaya’s “Russian Diary.” Would you consider reading them and giving us your opinion?
Best Wishes,
Brendan King,
St. Cloud, Minnesota

Hey Sid,

I don’t see why Ali’s use of any part of the term Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion should automatically disqualify him of credibilty. Sure they say it was a forgery, but who is really sure they are? I am not saying it is for sure the genuine article, but since it was supposedly written in the late 19th century, it sure has been dead on on how these Zionists/Trotskyites/neocons operate and on how things have gone since then. It reads as nothing more than a leftist revolutionary “anarchist cookbook” anyway for the most part.

Mr Cundiff wrote: “Everyone can see what my point is...”
Actually, he is right, I,at least, can see it clearly.
Mr. Cundiff is obviously- a Jew and, as such, he is following faithfully the Jewish party line concerning Russia and Putin.
Jews have lost political influence in Russia and are scared stiff that Americans could follow suite, which, of course would be fatal for their Zionist plans . And -they are right ,too.
Putin is an extraordinary personality whose undeniable statemanship might be a subject of envy in the countries which have severe problems identifying their own National Interest- such as the U.S.A.
His popularity might become contagious.
One should expect a furious propaganda against him and Russia, to continue in our media, in the future.

Good you mentioned Chechnya because the media has been constantly telling us that no terror networks exists between chechens as well as the leadership itself. The only book I could find on the subject without bias and the only person to consentrate on it full time is Paul Murphys book Wolves of Islam with depicts a network of terror, torture, mass murder supported by major crime syndicates with is being supported by states like Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Azerbajian, etc dating back to the first chechen war. It also details how the period between 97-99 when there was no war how chechens went to terror traing camps on mass in Afghanistan and Turkey and how the second war was an inevatability starting with two full scale invasions of Dagestan.

As far as Miss Politkovskaya goes she is hysterically anti-Putin. She said the war in chechnya was racist and just used to promote Putins image although it was a direct response to the invasion of Dagestan which left 32000 people homeless. She never talks to victims of cross border chechen terror assaults unless its high profile in which case she puts an anti-Putin spin on it, her sources are exclusively from chechen sources which she never fact checks which most likely to be propaganda, and attends NED CIA front sponsered events in Europe. Also she never visited the Caucus region once during the period between the 2 wars. As far events in Russia itself are concerned they were ten times worse with Yeltsin than under Putin. The economic reforms in the early 90’s alone left 3 million dead while Jewish oligarghs basically controlled the media through theft and not paying taxes estimated at 1 trillion dollars. They even help draft regional laws to help avoid prosecution.