New TU-160 And Other Things.

It is literally NEW, like everything is new in it--from materials, to new engines, to new avionics, to new aggregates. New. Many thought it was impossible to do, well UAC did it. Today brand new TU-160 flew for the first time. 

Meanwhile, what Novatek does in Murmansk on its new gigantic wharf for building off-shore (floating) natural gas liquification plants is immense. 

IBM's big honcho Arvind Krishna expressed doubts that Russia will be able to create own quantum computers. He expressed it in 2020. Today, in 2022 MFTI presented Russia's first five-cubit quantum integral processor (in Russian). I don't doubt Mr. Krishna's competencies as an electrical engineer, I highly doubt his competencies in Russia and her scientific capabilities. In fact, I think he has no clue. He is not the first, nor he is the last one.

Stephen Marche Is an Idiot.

Which you would expect from the guy with degree in modern English Drama and the guy whose expertise horizon is limited to the spacial format of his house (or condo, whatever) and the screen of his computer. He is VERY representative what passes today for Anglo-Saxon "intellectual elite" and this drama post-doctorate "specialist" gives it a go, on the pages of the Washington Post, bloviating on a possibility of US split into several countries. Here is one of his "thoughts":

And the United States might well be better off as separate countries. It might be healthier, more rational, less prone to violence. Secession would not have to be seen as a failure, given the tensions tearing the country apart.The main difference between the American separatist movements and those in the rest of the world is that the countries that emerge from the separation could join the world quite comfortably as independent nations. If Texas were a country, it would have a GDP of $1.59 trillion, tenth in the world, slightly below Brazil and slightly ahead of Canada. It would certainly look like a country, 47th in population, 40th in size. California is even larger. With a GDP of $2.88 trillion, it recently passed Britain to become the fifth largest economy in the world. It would rank 36th in population, with the world’s largest technology and entertainment sectors. A separate California would have the largest national median income in the world.

I omit here a gaping absence of even a glimpse of  mechanism which could have provided for "peaceful" separation--you wouldn't expect that from English drama theorist--but even if to imagine that such "divorce" is possible, a contingency even this drama writer admits is highly unlikely, his ideas about economies are downright risible and only underscore a complete detachment from the reality of people who in the West pass for "intellectuals". 

It is impossible to explain to Marche that his pop-statistics in economy is nothing more that white board pseudo-intellectual excrement from US "economists" who think that one can sustain economy by printing money. Apart from well-known books' cooking by Wall Street types when "calculating" the actual size of the US economy--it is dwarfed by China's and in its physical size is stunningly small for a country with population of 330+ million--it seems Marche doesn't understand that the economies of the US States he mentions mean something only synergetically when combined they produce more than the sum of their individual productions. Even today the US economy remains tightly interconnected system whose economic divorce will not produce California with GDP (grossly overvalued) of $2.88 trillion but will see California, Texas' or any other state's economy shrinking catastrophically with incalculable social consequences. 

Texas may pretend whatever it wants about itself but without the rest of the country it will fast shrink and lose most of its capabilities it boasts today. How do I know this? Well, I lived through this and I have some clue what real hi-tech economy is--no, it is not some "tech" giants from Silicon Valley. Well, at least Marche gets a clue here:

A separate Texas wouldn’t have the power of the current United States in global negotiations. It would just be another midsize country with no history and no connections. The rest of the world would give as much attention to an oppressed Texas as it gave to Xinjiang in 2009 — i.e., none.

Same goes for California or any other state and it will be doubtful that any of them separately can even recover from inevitable economic and social calamity, especially--I underscore it--especially "democrat" states which will be run into the ground very fast once completely removed from basic principles of the American Constitution and Bill of Rights. We will simply get more collective Detroits, Seattles and San-Franciscos. But GOP states have no reason for schadenfreude--they doubtfully will fare much better when based on the neo-liberal economic policies which ARE in the foundation of a systemic crisis in the West, which is the crisis of economic liberalism. 

But in the end: what to do with the American nuclear arsenal? That will be the issue major powers  such as China and Russia will have to address. Any entity emerging from such disintegration of the United States will be militarily ultimately weak, if not impotent, even if to consider this theoretical blue-red split. In reality, this blue-red split is highly oversold and, bar some hotbeds of the "democrat" insanity which they present as hotbeds of "intellectualism" and "culture", such as NYC, crime-ridden Chicago or shit-hole San-Francisco, this split is primarily, not exclusively, driven by DNC corporate media. These media and the political establishment they serve do not understand that in times of such a crisis as we have on our hands today all, a WHOLE, American political class and "intellectuals" supporting it are utterly incompetent in the craft of actual governance and are incapable of developing a set of policies which can completely reformulate America's national interest, re-calibrate capabilities and prevent a catastrophe which, indeed, may lead to America's violent disintegration due to feebleness, cowardice and incompetence of the whole of the America's establishment. 

Marche's piece in the Washington Post--a mouthpiece of DNC and a propaganda outlet for the most insane economic and social policies--is a perfect example of the sheer idiocy of the ideas Western "intellectuals" generate in a face of problems and troubles which they positively cannot solve, because they don't have what it takes to do so. I have no problem with Marche's English Drama background per se but, as his meandering piece shows, he doesn't have intellectual and professional wherewithal to discuss the problem of America's disintegration as well as point out to a complete intellectual bankruptcy of the Western creative class which spearheaded many of the social and cultural practices which, indeed, helped to radicalize America.   

Again on the Run, Again Off the Cuff...

It never ceases. I mean life. I address immediately the issue which interests everybody. Give it a thought, for a minute by asking these few basic questions and then answering them:

1. Q: Do Russians know who people in D.C. are? 

A: Yes, they do, in fact, I think they know it better than people in D.C. themselves. 

2. Q: Did Russia issue ultimatum to NATO in hope of a compromise? 

A: NO! The reason Russia issued this ultimatum was to publicly frame what will happen after the expected "maneuvering" by the US (I do not count Europe here at all--they are nobodies). 

3. Q: Do Russians have a military contingency plan in case (highly probable, but not fully guaranteed) the US throwing the tantrum and "refusing" this ultimatum? 

A: Yes. As Bismark is known to say: even when going to toilet for number 2 Russian makes a plan(c). Not arguably, but historically--Russian General Staff is the best planner not just militarily but across the whole spectrum of national security and national interests issue. Nobody comes even close. 

Russia DOES have all military-technological, economic and political  means to stop NATO expansion, NATO's desires notwithstanding--simple as that. I write about the widening technological and operational gap for many years now. 

On  a side note, judging by the hysteria in the Sikorski-Applebaum fanatic neocon family, they sense what is coming. 

Radosław Sikorski, an MEP since 2019 and Poland’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote on Twitter on Monday, “get this, Russian Embassy, once and for all, in a language you can grasp. We were not orphaned by you because you were not our daddy. More of a serial rapist. Which is why you are not missed. And if you try it again, you’ll get a kick in the balls.” He was replying to a recent statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said that NATO “has become a purely geopolitical project aimed at taking over territories orphaned by the collapse of the Warsaw Treaty Organization and the Soviet Union.”

Here is a fine specimen of a product of British and American higher education and what passes for "diplomacy" here. So, that's the "level". Can you imagine discussing anything with this dude or his wife Anne Applebaum, who specializes in a-historical BS and has a "degree" in it. Reality is not their specialization, BSing is. Remarkably, Sikorski will not be able to explain why Russia needs Poland? Poland has been thoroughly deindustrialized and lives to a large degree on EU's handouts. Russia doesn't need freeloaders. Poland is Poland and let Poland solve her problems on her own. Depending on the course of actions by Russia, Poland may even benefit in the long run by returning Lemberg (Lvov) to herself once 404 issue will be settled. Simple as that.

A Little Bit Of My Talking Head.

Here is my latest: 

But then yet another pearl drops out of the shell of the modern US governance. Jen Psaki warned (TASS reports--try to find this in US media, not easy) about the "spread of disinformation" about Geneva talks and "obligations the US didn't" take upon itself. Good God, Jen, Ryabkov is on record--any treaty with the US is not worth the paper it is written on. Can anyone explain to her what "the forms must be obeyed" expression is and what does it imply? Our common friend Larchmonter couple of days ago astutely noted, and I quote: The West in all its forms is like Wiley Coyote. Everything blows up in his face (c). Couldn't have said it better myself. 

Who would have thought about it even 10 years ago.

Couple of Points.

First point is a squealing of Turkish assets once their balls are placed in the vice of real geopolitics and real military power. As Azeri news agency Haqqin (Time) reports: 

Председатель партии «Туран» Джахандар Байоглу призвал отстранить от власти в Азербайджане всех пророссийских чиновников. По его словам, страна должна пойти на этот шаг, чтобы обезопасить себя от внешнего влияния. Политик подчеркнул, что необходимо взять под контроль и отстранить от руководства всех пророссийских чиновников, депутатов и руководителей общественных организаций. Председатель партии призвал главу государства распустить Милли Меджлис и начать новые социально-экономические реформы. Байоглу считает, что если руководство страны не пойдет на эти решительные шаги, то в Азербайджане могут повториться события, которые происходят в Казахстане. Он добавил, что пророссийские силы просочились в структуры МВД, СГБ и Минобороны. Политик также призвал как можно скорее завершить переход азербайджанской армии на модель турецкой армии.

Translation: The chairman of the Turan party, Jahandar Bayoglu, called for the removal of all pro-Russian officials from power in Azerbaijan. According to him, the country should take this step in order to protect itself from external influences. The politician stressed that it is necessary to take control and remove from the leadership of all pro-Russian officials, deputies and heads of public organizations. The party chairman called on the head of state to dissolve the Milli Mejlis and start new socio-economic reforms. Bayoglu believes that if the country's leadership does not take these decisive steps, then the events that are taking place in Kazakhstan may repeat in Azerbaijan. He added that pro-Russian forces have infiltrated the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service and the Ministry of Defense. The politician also called for the completion of the transition of the Azerbaijani army to the model of the Turkish army as soon as possible.

Aw, how cute)) I have news for this Turan dude, the first pro-Russian official in Azerbaijan is its President Ilham Aliev who is a good friend of Vladimir Putin and, unlike Erdogan, is extremely well-educated and cultured man who understands the real score. And there is a lot to this score what Bayoglu doesn't understand precisely because he is the leader of Turan party. I will omit here elaboration of a fallacy of pan-Turkism but, of course, events in Kazakhstan just all but killed this idea in every practical sense and it is not only Ankara which cries now, there are very many people in London who, yet again, discovered that contrived geopolitical concepts mean very little if you are not a superpower. UK is NOT a superpower, it is a second rate power which still suffers from phantom pains of once greatness which is no more. They better learn and internalize this fact both at Downing Street 10 and at Hanslope Park. The sun has set on your empire, just live with it. 

The second point is Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov stating today: 

"Так что НАТО надо собирать манатки и отправляться на рубежи 1997 года". 

Translation: NATO has to pack up its things and move back to the borders of 1997.  

I know, it hurts, there will be (already, actually) many pompous statements from the likes of Tony Blinken or Jens Stoltenberg but, thanks to Bernhard of Moon of Alabama who posted brilliant Michael Brenner's piece on US foreign policy, it is totally warranted to present what one of very few true American foreign policy experts writes about the mental state of US "elites". 

U.S. engagements in the world over the past 20 years reveal a grim record of failed ventures. Most have been caused by unrealistic goals, blinkered views of the field of action, overweening pride, an ignorance of foreign places and their history, and an unseemly readiness to take complacent comfort in fantasy worlds that exist only in its own imagination. In short, American foreign policy has been misguided – badly and consistently misguided. The inevitable frustrations and failures owe equally to sheer incompetence. An endless string of errors – diplomatic, military and political – is as difficult for the nation to reconcile with its ‘can-do’ self-image as is the admission of the glaring discrepancy between the belief in the country’s providential mission and its increasingly evident ordinariness. 

This is another salient point Brenner makes: 

Americanism provides a Unified Field Theory of self-identity, collective enterprise, and the Republic’s enduring meaning. When one element is felt to be in jeopardy, the integrity of the whole edifice becomes vulnerable. In the past, American mythology energized the country in ways that helped it to thrive. Today, it is a dangerous hallucinogen that traps Americans in a time warp more and more distant from reality. There is a muted reflection of this strained condition in the evident truth that Americans have become an insecure people. They grow increasingly anxious about who they are, what they are worth and what life will be like down the road. This is an individual and collective phenomenon. They are related insofar as self-identity and self-esteem are bound up with the civic religion of Americanism. To a considerable degree, it’s been like this since the very beginning. A country that was “born against history” had no past to define and shape the present. A country that was born against tradition had no rooted and common sense of meaning and value that cut deeply into the national psyche. A country that was born against inherited place and position left each individual at once free to acquire status and obliged to do so for insignia of rank were few.

This is an excellent definition of the underlying causes for the American "exceptionlaism" which is an obverse side of insecurity. I write about it non-stop for decades, really. My first book is almost entirely built around this premise. Reality, like gravity, is a bitch--no number of narratives by ignorant and uneducated American journos can obfuscate it without creation of a serious nation-wide cognitive dissonance which inevitably translated into the psychological, if not psychiatric, disorders on a massive scale. Reality will inevitably bite into one's ass no matter how one tries to construct own alternative "reality". Will see how it will go in Geneva tomorrow but Ryabkov was actually very upbeat today about preliminary talks, meaning dinner, (in Russian). We'll see. Geneva is just a start, Russia is not interested in humiliating the US at this stage (the US does a swell job on its own) and still leaves an honorable, face-saving exit for the US, which, in the end could be presented as a triumph of common sense and superpowers working together. For the US internally it could play well against the background of upcoming mid-terms and a serious economic downturn. 

If not, well--chose on your own pawns which will be removed form the "chess board" by Russia and what new weapon systems will be announced and deployed without leaving NATO any option but to capitulate. But that is the food for thought for tomorrow. This is just a part of the VTA's IL-76s yesterday, at some point of time during the day, in Alma-Ata airport alone. 

As you all know VTA was also transporting ODKB forces to other Kazakh cities, so make your own conclusions on Russia's air mobility capability. Giant AN-124s are not even shown here, while they were also actively involved in deployment of ODKB forces.

224th Flight Detachment of Russian Defense Ministry, which operates those giants, has 8 of them at its disposal. Single An-124 can, well, just get acquainted here with what cargo can a single 124 take on-board, and keep in mind that its can also take some number of paratroopers in its pressurized compartments. Most of VDV personnel is carried by IL-76s. Those who had to, they got the message.

Kazakhstan Sitrep.

By means of new video:

Turkish role becomes more visible behind Kazakh events and there is a definite desperation on West's part re: upcoming negotiations, judging by the number of statements from NATO all of which ring completely hollow. Especially against the background of Russia's reaction to Kazakh upheaval.

Have A Mercy On Her...

Math is not a strong point of US education. 

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor falsely claimed that 100,000 children are in “serious condition” from Covid during oral arguments on the Biden administration’s employer vaccine mandate on Friday. “We have hospitals that are almost at full capacity with people severely ill on ventilators. We have over 100,000 children, which we’ve never had before, in serious condition, and many on ventilators,” Sotomayor claimed. The current number of confirmed pediatric hospitalizations with Covid in the U.S. is 3,342, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services released on Friday. The average number of children admitted to the hospital per day with Covid was 776 as of Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hey, she is a Juris Doctor, not a...scientist, and as a Juris Doctor she knows everything better than anyone else, including medical doctors and scientists with doctorate degrees. Not that it prevented anyone in the West without any natural science or STEM degrees from expressing their opinions on scientific matters.  

In the end, look at the climate "authorities" in the West. Or energy "authorities", or any other "authorities"... As long as the story sells...