Articles
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
The death of Mikhail Gorbachev drew glowing tributes from the Western media for his role in the destruction of the Soviet Union and reestablishing capitalism. He is remembered less fondly by people in Russia and other former Soviet republics who saw their hard won social benefits vanish and living standards plummet. Part of the legacy of the end of the Soviet Union has also been the rise of divisions, ethnic tensions and war.
Sunday, January 29, 2023
There have been large demonstrations in many European cities against soaring cost of energy and the cost of living crisis. Protesters have linked this to the war in Ukraine and there has been an anti-war, anti-NATO aspect to the demonstrations as well. this contrasts with the UK where criticism of its role in fueling the war remains marginalised and opposition to NATO is now virtually taboo.
Friday, October 7, 2022
The sanctions imposed at the behest of the United States have hit European economies hard, particularly the Greman economy. It is not only gas supplies that are affected, sanctions on Russia will also impact heavily on its key automotive industry. The severe blow to Germany’s economy will weaken its dominance of the EU and strengthen the influence and control of the US in Europe. Ironically China’s car industry may well be the beneficiary of these sanctions on Russia. The war in Ukraine is reshaping the world in more ways than one.
Monday, October 3, 2022
Western media and politicians continue to assert that Russia intendeds to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but there is no real evidence to support these claims. On the other hand the United States continues to plan to use of nuclear weapons in conflicts and remains the only country ever to have deployed them.
Sunday, October 2, 2022
Whilst much of the focus is currently on the war in Ukraine the West has also been active in other former Soviet Republics surrounding Russia aiming the woo some and foment regime change in others. there are also those in the West who advocate for the break up of Russia.
Friday, June 3, 2022
The news about Ukraine is selective, biased, emotive and rigorously censored. No alternative views are permitted not even the slightest criticism or questioning can be heard on the airwaves. The combination of the media onslaught, the lack of alternative views and being placed on the defensive by the unexpected Russian intervention has disarmed the left and the peace movement. There is a danger that, unchallenged, the West’s narrative on the Ukraine crisis becomes the template by which future such conflicts are understood, at least in the West. We need to keep our eye on the ball of what the US is up to as it tries to ensure its hegemony. The line it is pursuing, with China now explicitly in its sights, is highly destabilising and contains the seeds of future wars.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
The United States has shaped the world in which the conflict in Ukraine escalated and it calls the shots on the direction of the war and sanctions. The military encirclement of Russia progressed steadily since the end of the Soviet Union in defiance of commitments given to Soviet leaders that NATO would not expand eastwards. That build up over time and, more immediately, the increased shelling of Donetsk and Luhansk by Ukraine set the scene for the Russian reaction when it went into Ukraine. On the surface the United States is getting its way, forcing the EU, particularly Germany, into line but many tensions remain. What is perhaps most surprising in the current situation, however, is not that countries have capitulated to the US, but that so many have refused to join in with sanctions. This includes big swathes of the global south and important economies like India and Turkey.
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
The sanctions regime against Russia being imposed at the behest of the United States demonstrates its role in determining the direction of the war in Ukraine. It has expressed no interest in negotiations and wants to prolong the war to debilitate Russia as far as possible. The major loser, however, is unlikely to be Russia, which has alternative financial systems and markets to get round the effects of sanctions and is self-sufficient in food and energy. It will, rather, be US allies particularly in Europe who are dependent on Russian gas and oil supplies as well as essential metals used in high tech products and nuclear technology. The effects on the developing world will be even worse with a looming food crisis. The United States itself is relatively isolated from the impact of the sanctions it is imposing on the rest of the world. As it stokes war with Russia and threatens the same with China, it is also undermining European economies and further impoverishing the developing countries.