Reminiscence of the Future...
Si Vis Pacem, Para Vino © Andrei Martyanov's Blog
Saturday, January 1, 2022
Let's Try Q & A And Whatever Else Sticky Post
Monday, February 1, 2021
You Can Read Me Now In US Naval Institute Blog.
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Chronicles of De-dollarization.
RT reports:
It was said many times, that, taken in isolation, China-Russia economic conglomerate reaches a very high level of autarky, including in the spectrum of high to very high-tech production. Russia, certainly, begins to look like an autarky--it is increasingly self-sufficient. As events of 2020 have shown, Russia weathered a number of storms without losing her focus on a larger aim of national projects and re-industrialization. Obviously, the virtuoso gambit with oil in 2020 by Russia was something to behold, because it overturned decision-making process in global energy. This is how it goes now:
Didn't we see it a mile away? We did. With $53 per barrel, Russia's oil export feels just fine. It is a good way to fill coffers with cash, just for the rainy day. There are other ways, of course, to fill those coffers, ranging from grain, to weapons, to gas to even, for FFS, with Russian-made UAZ Patriot getting ready to sell in the United States.
Italian commercial truck brand Bremach has announced plans to begin selling a Russian-designed 4x4 SUV in the U.S. sometime in 2021. The Bremach Taos is a rebadged version of the UAZ Patriot that first hit the market in 2005 and is similar in size to the Jeep Cherokee. However, the Taos is a true body on frame truck like the Toyota 4Runner that’s been updated with the modern safety systems required to make it street legal in the U.S.
Who would have thought? Good ol' Goat (Kozlik), as a legendary UAZ-469 used to be called, always had it in itself, with its ability to basically drive anywhere, to be turned into this:
Sunday, January 3, 2021
Kunstler Forecasts.
You know my position--I am not into the predictions' games. I am into the framework's description nauseating and tedious process, but I still read forecasts from a select group of people whose opinions I find interesting and worthy of noting. James Howard Kunstler is one such man, despite me not agreeing with him on some key "framework" points, but still--kudos to James for providing us all with a rather voluminous prediction for 2021 and I wanted to specifically point out to his Russia's conclusion, especially against the background of his rather grim tone on the chances for Western Civilization:
James gave this section of predictions the next title: Chinese Fire Drills with Russian Dressing. Seems symptomatic enough. Read his assessment of COVID-19. One will have to consider this global phenomenon once one learns that now China claims that the actual number of infected was... 10 times. No, really, I kid you not.
The game of twististics continues, so you decide who BSes who. Remarkably, it seems primarily between the US and China, while Russians, evidently, had enough and (you will understand it even without English-translation) went on... New Year's celebrations in Moscow and elsewhere. As Russia 24 report is titled: No One Is Talking About Social Distancing. Not at all, indeed.
Meanwhile, Russia's Western Military District, in conjunction with Belorussian Armed Forces will conduct Strategic Command-Staff Maneuvers Zapad-2021 (in Russian) this year with special focus on repelling massive attacks of cruise missiles and drilling this ever important maneuver warfare (in the Net-Centric and AI paradigm) with the emphasis on a massive inter-theater maneuver by forces. Don't worry, it was planned already in 2020 so it is not that it was suddenly decided--all is in accordance to plan, so, no reasons for worrying. As the big honcho of Rostec Sergei Chemezov stated four days ago (in Russian)--first S-500s will be delivered to the front line service this year. A lot of new military porn is coming our way. Damn, I made a prediction again--I hate myself. But in the year which passed, it was new Russian Constitution which, like antibiotic introduced into the body of a person recovering after serious surgery, begins its process of healing slowly but surely. Looking from a distance of almost 30 years at Russia, I constantly catch myself on the thought that I can barely recognize the country, in a good sense. There are problems, of course, Russia's future is also not cloudless, but the chances of survival are very high. In fact, they are the best. Even China is behind in this category. And I will make last prediction--the stream of European people to Russia will increase in this decade. All this, due to events to the West of Russia, which also necessitate events such as Zapad-2021. Just in case. Ah, yes, in conclusion--my new book should see the light of the day sometime in March, April--the latest.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
It Was A Hard Year. Let's Relax, Somewhat.
Yet, I still can sense a rebel, in a good sense, spirit and some seeds of possible revival. No, not of the "Western Civilization" as they try to sell to us today--it has no relation to anything "Western"--but of humanity in general, granted that it is not easy to remain human nowadays. "Western Civilization" as it really is, is not what passes today for it. The Western Civilization which I love is not what it is today--there is nothing "Western" in it--but there was a time when a free spirit was almost free and not in a sense of "third wave feminism" finding "empowerment" in baring itself and behaving like sluts, or men becoming metrosexuals, but in a sense of freedom of thought which still had a very clear understanding between right and wrong, between tasteful and despicable, between beautiful and ugly. For some reason, on the eve of fvcking 2020 (and decade) departing I want to recall some really good, in aesthetic sense, things I personally consider to be those still glowing cinders of human free artistic spirit and goodness. You know that I am a rocker, so, you may as well enjoy (or otherwise) some things I enjoy, from the time it was good to be...well... free. Yes, it was that stunning and I was there, on ELO's 2019 American Tour, Hallelujah;)))
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
The "Ominous" Commissioning.
Depends, of course, for who this commissioning is ominous. Today, Russian Navy received yet another ship. The flag was raised on Project 20385 Corvette Gremyaschiy (Thunderous) and this is not an ordinary delivery. Not to speak of this ship joining fast modernizing Russia's Pacific Fleet.
Obviously project 20385 are designed for A2/AD primarily but the funniest thing about this A2/AD "thingy" is that with new missile complexes such as 3M14M and 3M22 even couple of such ships can completely control all of Japan and Okinawa and can strike from Bering Sea anywhere in Alaska, Northern Canada and parts of the US Pacific Northwest. But here is the main point--for anyone who didn't spend last 10 years under the stone--it will come as no surprise at all that the shipbuilding program for the Russian Navy accelerates, especially after Russia removing her dependency on Ukraine in power plant. Next 7 years will see 70 new major combatants (I exclude here Russia's Coast Guard which is being thoroughly modernized) ranging from brand new SSGNs of Project 885M (Severodvinsk-class), SSBNs, large amphibious assault ships and newest frigates and corvettes. In her combat shipbuilding today Russia lags only behind China and the US. But don't be surprised seeing Russian Navy hitting number two spot in the next few years. But, in the end, these are not just platforms and their numbers which, of course, matter--these are weapon systems and sensor suites which make all the difference. Project 20385 embodies this philosophy--a lone ship of this class can destroy anything with a single salvo at the ranges which seemed inconceivable even 10 years ago. All that--in about 2500 tons of a displacement. But then again, take a look at the Karakurt-class to get the idea. Ah, yes, Russia is a shipbuilding yard, masquerading as a country. She is also an aircraft and space ship station masquerading as a country. So, you get my drift.
In related news, 10,000 tons of high-tech self-propelled polar institute has been floated 10 days ago. LSP North Pole is Russia's major return to Arctic research.
In a humiliating insult to Canadian pride, rumor has it, Russians are toying with the idea of a Russian Zamboni production. This is an atrocity, really, but that is just a rumor. Hopefully Russia will abandon this reckless idea in order to save Russian-Canadian relations at some point in the distant future.


