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Seen on a building site in cosmopolitan London… 
I saw this in a very affluent part of London, scrawled on the hoarding of a building site. One of the people working there saw me taking this picture and laughed.
Me: “I wonder who wrote that?”
Builder bloke, foreign accent: “Many guys here are Polish.”
Me: “One of them wrote this?”
Builder bloke, shrugging: “I guess.”
Me: “Is this because of what is happening in Ukraine?”
Builder bloke: “Yeah, Ukraine. And because it’s true. People forget, then something like this makes you remember what it is to live close to Russia. My son is in Army. Shit like this is why.”
Me: “Polish army?”
Builder bloke: “Latvian army.”
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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Latvian Army has interesting uniform of nightmare pixels that makes you go cross-eyed if you stare at them. And if you look at them when drunk, your head explodes. And as most Russians are always drunk… 😀
Huh, I just googled that and I see what you mean! Ah the things one learns from the internetz
They remember “the prison of nations”.
Now that’s the sort of Libertarianism I understand.
Mindful that cunt is taken differently in the UK,
use at LEAST a spray paint can next time, will ya?
Maybe in day glo colors?
Well we are sending Billy Hague.
Well that’ll have ’em trembling in their boots!
Unfortunately, there are no Battered Nations Shelters.
Is Mr Hague, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, about to turn into Kenny Everett?
Putin’s a c*nt and Obama’s a pussy. Strange world.
Why would Latvia need an army? Surely the EU’s “soft power” will solve all the problems?
I suppose the Russians would think of him as equal to Lincoln, since he wants to preserve the Union as a foremost priority. And, in truth, most Crimeans want to stay part of Russia! (It was only ‘given’ to the Ukraine in 1954, probably for administrative purposes.)
Yes, it’s a bit like the EU and England fighting over who ‘owns’ Scotland. No… Wait… That’s the next decades crisis.
If Scotland votes to for indepence, will Britain fight to control HMNB’s at Clyde and Scapa Flow?
Frankly, Putin is in the right here. When its inferior offer to the Ukraine was rejected in favor of Russia’s better one, the EU instigated a coup d’etat by western ethnic Ukrainians (with a few left over Nazis thrown in) that overthrew the legitimate, freely and democratically elected government.
The Russians have treaty rights to the naval base at Sevastopol, and that base has a strategic importance to Russia similar to that of Pearl Harbor to the US. It was entirely predictable that Russia would aggressively defend those rights. There is no indication that Russia wants to partition Ukraine (although clearly it might do so) or threaten other European countries.
The rhetoric coming out of Western capitals is delusional, dishonest and very aggressive. It is especially dangerous because the West is powerless to affect events in the Ukraine, and the rhetoric might provoke further actions by the Russians.
Over the weekend, Gen. Rasmussen (head of NATO) spoke carelessly and implied that the Ukraine was already part of NATO or at least within its purview. Earlier, Zbigniew Brzezinski stated on CNN that NATO should offer unspecified military assistance to Ukraine and that NATO should reposition its forces, where or to what end who knows. Certainly, this is rhetoric of the most dangerous kind.
If war comes to Europe, the US/EU/NATO will have started it.
I can imagine England fighting very hard to make sure it is the EU that ‘owns’ Scotland, hopefully after England had departed the EU.
And was the new Ukrainian government threatening those treaty rights? Not that I am aware of.
It is certainly true that there is not a lot the West can (or even should) do. However if the Russians are ‘provoked’ to further actions by the West, it will be cause they choose to be ‘provoked’.
I have my doubts Russia has the logistic wherewithal to project and sustain a serious force to the Polish border, so whilst it would be folly to actually look for a military confrontation with Russia, I also would not over-estimate them either.
It does however show the absolute folly of the EU nations buying gas from them. Russia can never be more than an occasional ally of convenience when there are confluences of interest. To base long term strategic plans on the perpetual absence of Russia’s historical malevolence is insane.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet consists of one missile cruiser, 1 diesel sub, 4 destroyer/frigate class vessels, and a few corvettes, missile boats, minesweepers, landing ships, etc. It’s also in the Black Sea, whereas NATO controls the Bosphorus. Its strategic value is zero at best, probably negative given the costs. This is about hubris.
Very good post.
What will happen when an independent Scotland offers naval rights to the ChiComs or Rooskies? I hope I live long enough to see this.
I join bob sykes.
Suppose the native Hawaiians staged riots and protests trying to seize power in their native Hawaii, declare independence and make military treaties with China.
Will the US stand by and let it happen?
Lincoln already established the doctrine that secession from the US is intolerable, and will be prevented by force.
So, what happened in Crimea is nothing unusual, and the belligerent rhetoric of Western leaders is silly, especially given their total military impotence.
As to the naval base – it might be worthless as long as Turkey is a member of NATO, but that may change over time.
I am in awe of anyone who thinks that Lady Ashton’s black ops crew has the ability to plan and instigate a coup d’état. Until now I had not seen the EU as the CIA, not the Ukraine as Guatemala, but you live and learn. The 90 year old Nazis must have been especially useful in advising the plotters.
It’s nice to see immigrants assimilating and learning the local vernacular.
LOL. The Chinese couldn’t find there way there and the Russian Navy’s ships are so rusty they might not make it.
Well indeed Baltic, Russia aint what it once was. Their best military technology was state of the art 25 years ago, but in theory they should have reservations about going toe to toe with a modern military.
Which leads me to wonder – if there was a Reagan (or Clinton or a Bush for that matter) at the helm of the US, or a Thatcher over here instead of a Cameron, would Putin be pulling this shit? Methinks he smells weakness and indecisiveness, and he intends to capitalise on it.
That stupid cow from Alaska saw it all coming as early as the 2008 presidential campaign – but who remembers.
To paraphrase Brother Bluto from Animal House, my advice to you lot in the EU is to start fracking heavily.
Anybody who thinks the head of NATO is “General” Rasmussen cannot be taken seriously.
Ironically, the Soviet communists owed their victory in the civil war to a company of Latvian riflemen, who won a vital battle for the Reds. I bet they wished they hadn’t a few years later…
Tim, yes, and the Ukranian defector ‘Viktor Suvorov*’ said that Lenin paid them in gold, as they didn’t want roubles. Truly the scummiest scum that ever lived.
I was wondering if, with the Saint Andrew connection, Russian troops will be in Edinburgh come October. They might find bits of Glasgow and the Central Belt very reminiscent of the choicer bits of home.
* whose superb book ‘The Liberators’ about life in the Soviet Army up to the invasion of Czechoslovakia I cannot recommend highly enough, it applies to all bureaucracies.
Some people remember Alisa – but not enough.
And the people who remember tend to be people who would never vote Democrat anyway.
John K. – 60th anniversary of the Guatemala operation this year.
Alas not as bloodless as the CIA operations in Italy and France.
But the Civil War can not be blamed on the Agency. And the most violent section of the military side were basically anti capitalist (as well being anti communist) anyway (another reason to prosecute them for their excesses).
Bottom line – the President of Guatemala seems to have the right ideas (even on the “war on drugs”) and the country has the only free market university in Central America.
Near by El Salvador and Nicaragua are a total mess – both back under Marxist control (when families who define themselves as Marxist).
We shall see what happens in El Salvador at the weekend elections.
Of course the biggest mass killing of Marxists was Indonesia in 1966 – when the Communists started a war (and then lost – horribly).
Barack Obama (in “Dreams From My Father”) whines about it – does not admit that the Communists were Communists, sneers at the “smart boys of the CIA” and so on.
One odd thing is that his mother (Stanley Ann – weird name) married an Indonesian whom she thought was a Progressive – and then had the nagging fear that he had really been one of the “bullets are too good for the Communists – use knives” crowd – so young Barack was sent back to the United States to the tender guidance of Frank Marshall Davis (Chicago Communist Party and local drug dealer)and old friend of Stanley Ann and her father.
I wonder what percentage of Americans know anything about their President.
Jacob – the Ukraine seceded from the Soviet Union years ago. It is a bit late for Putin to throw a strop about it now.
As for a State seceding from the United States.
You forget the wonderful propaganda gift that SLAVERY was to the Union cause.
Without the slavery issue I do not think any American government could justify a war to force a State to force a State to stay in the Union.
A secessionist state (America) forbidding secession = Captain Hypocrisy.
These days South Carolina has a female Governor (of Indian ancestry) and one of the two Senators is black.
They could secede tomorrow – Obama would huff and puff, but he could not effectively order the army to attack them.
And if he was so stupid as to order the army to attack South Carolina (or any other State) the army would IGNORE him.
The slavery issue was vital (at least from a Public Relations point of view) it really was.
Things are not clear-cut – in every seceding state there is a small majority or big minority of people from the Union, so any secession would involve inner strife between opposing parties in that state, like in Ukraine.
Going to my hypothetical case of Hawaii – it has too much strategic importance for the US, I don’t think it would let them go.
Crimea was Russian, never Ukrainian. In 1954 Khrushchev, who came from Ukraine, gave them Crimea as a gift. Putin sensed an opportunity and took it back. I don’t see why anyone should be concerned about this. Of course, Putin is a despicable thug, but taking back Crimea by force seems to me a rather minor infraction, of no concern to us. Maybe Ukraine hates this, but – so what?
Russia has been run by thugs and crooks but has got its sh*t together to a limited extent. Ukraine has been run by thugs and crooks but hasn’t seemingly got any sh*t together. However, my instinct is to oppose the guys with the Hammer and Sickle, just as in almost any fight, beard = nastier side.
Admirers of the Peter Simple column would wistfully wonder what might have been had an earlier Ukraine survived after WW1 and the Bolshevik slaughter programme, and how many went unborn because it did not.
I think the sad truth of it is that the Western Ukraine would be better off without the East and Crimea in the long run.
As I understand it Crimea is an “autonomous republic” within the Ukrainian borders. If it is truly “autonomous” can it really be considered part of Ukrainia? And if a majority of its people desire to align themselves more with Russia than with the west who are we to deny them that privilege?
Perry, surely it is not sad for western Ukraine if a bunch of nostalgic Commies want to be separate from them? The linguistic, cultural and ethnic divisions in Ukraine are not as pronounced as in Hispaniola, but no one in their right mind would want the Dominican Republic not to be separate from Haiti.
I can’t take all this seriously. Just three miles away from me in Brum, you can rub shoulders with a whole community who hates this country, its people and culture full stop. There are jihadis in training for Syria, probably jihadis just back from Syria and thousands of potential Moazzam Beggs. The nicest feeling you get from them is indifference. After Friday prayers isn’t a nice time to be there. Give me Russian domination if I have to choose.
But then you are a fascist racist, so you would think that. One thing you will never get from Russian rule is indifference. I much prefer indifference.
If you are a Ukrainian in the western part of the country, well sure, good riddance to the benighted eastern bits. But if you are a Ukrainian in the east who wants to be ruled by Russia about as much you would care for the idea of being ruled by Zimbabwe, then yes, it is a rather sad. But it is probably both inevitable and for the best in the long run.
I fail to see the basis on which this assertion is founded. I am not aware of any previous posts that it is based on, so looking at what Trofim has said, it does not appear to be a necessary deduction that he is a fascist, nor that he is a racist, as he has not mentioned either a form of political organisation of society nor any animus against a particular race. For example, if one disparaged Arabs per se, that would be racism. If one excluded Christian Arabs from one’s disparagement, then the basis for disparagement would be ‘race except those of that race of a particular religion’.
The Russian rule over the Grand Duchy of Finland was for some time indifferent to the promotion of the Finnish language.
His other comments over many years, most of which are deleted. So your failure to see is now corrected. He is indeed a racist and his views are very fascist in the most literal non-scare word sense.
Thank you Perry. That background wasn’t known to me. The path to Moscow for true believers was well-trodden, as was the path to Kolyma. I do wonder if ‘class’ actually has a lot to do with hostility to immigrants.
Deleted by the management… I refer anyone interested to this article.
By the way, Mr Ed, the Islamists of Birmingham are not immigrants, they were born here.
Jacob – I repeat that the Ukraine seceded YEARS AGO (it is a bit late for Mr Putin to throw a strop about it now).
As for Hawaii – again the great public relations factor of SLAVERY has gone.
Muttering about “strategic considerations” would not help the Federal government.
In PRACTICE the American Federal government would not be able to use FORCE to prevent Hawaii (or anywhere else) seceding.
Trofim.
Does someone support the life (the deeds) of Mohammed or not?
If they do not support what Mohammed did (after he invented his religion) then they are not a Muslim – all Islamic scholars (Shia as well as Sunni) are clear on this point.
And if they do support what Mohammed did (his surprise attacks on those to whom he had pledged peace, his murders, his enslavements……)then they are enemies of liberty.
It is that simple.
Is someone a follower of Mohammed or not?
If they are NOT then they are NOT a Muslim (they are just “born into a Muslim family” or whatever).
And if they are a follower of Mohammed – then…………
Does the above sum up your position Trofim?
Or are you objecting to “Muslims” on “ethnic” (i.e. racial) grounds?
If the latter – we part company.
Trufim – please remember that Mr Putin only hates the Islamists some-of-the-time.
When they suit his purpose he will back them (and so will RT – Russian Television) for example the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Mr Putin might well decide (for various reasons) to back the Islamists in Birmingham against nonIslamists.
“But they are fighting his man in Syria”.
Putin would not care. He is quite capable of backing them in Birmingham and killing them in Syria.
The only people who should be deciding the fate of any region are the people actually living there – that goes for Crimea as well as for any other place on Earth. Only their opinion would determine how minor or major Putin’s infraction is. And yes, I am fully aware of the fact that such opinions are never unanimous – still, that in no way negates my point, as far as I can see.
Two States, one territory? So why (apart from an excess of good old-fashioned barbarism) could not the Crimea adopt the Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau solution adopted by Belgium and the Netherlands by dividing up the region into a patchwork quilt of territories where two States have their own areas of jurisdiction with remarkably precise divisions, and people with a fairly similar culture and language can rub along together happily?
I went to Baarle before the Euro, and every shop had dual pricing, streets had different national network pay phones yards apart, and apart from a Dutch Army Armoured Personnel Carrier invading Belgium about 5 times in one minute on its way through the town, which seemed to raise no heckles whatsoever, there were no incidents at all.
A libertarian’s model for competing states it could be.
Well international observers could watch Putin’s referendum in the Crimea – to make sure both sides got to argue freely and the vote was honest.
However, the UN mediator has just fled on an aircraft to Turkey – Putin’s people gave him a rough time in the Crimea (threats by armed men and so on).
I do not think the “no” campaign will be treated very well in the Crimea.
Britain and France once shared the rule of some islands in the Pacific – people in the same geographical area could choose whose courts (and whose laws) to use.
It is supposed to be impossible (especially for criminal law) but it worked.
However, I doubt it would work between with the Ukraine and Putin in the Crimea.