Having lived in the former USSR before immigrating to the US, Dmitry Orlov has an invaluable perspective on both the US and Russian perspectives, as well as Ukraine.
With the western propaganda flying thick and heavy, it's more important than ever to cut through the chaff and learn what we can about the most important geopolitical realignment (and renewed tensions) in recent memory.
Well, look, Russia is a place that's extremely dynamic as changing response to challenging environment, to changed environment, very popular throughout the world, at peace with most of the world, even with nations that are at war with each other, both sides will still talk to Russia and have friendly relations. Russia has a splendid relationship with both Israel and Iran for instance.
The United States is a nation that can't get anything together, can't get anything on, not education, not healthcare, nothing. It's basically sinking into a cesspool of its own making it can't respond at all. And now, it is basically being shown up to be quite incompetent in playing this international game. Now, what happens if you can't play a game by the rules is you're penalized and you forfeit the game. So, either the US leadership will learn how to play by the rules or they forfeit. I see those are as the only two real outcomes.
There's a difference to how the Russians approach the world and how the Americans approach the world. So, for instance, Americans like to threaten. If you don't do this, then we will do X, Y and Z. That's a typical American behavior.
That's not something that the Russians would ever do because they don't threaten, they just act because if you threaten, then you take away the element of surprise which is very important. The other thing is Americans refuse to talk to their enemies, they won't negotiate with terrorists, they won't do X, Y and Z and can't be reasoned with at all. You can just listen to them and do what they say or they'll bomb you whereas the Russians always talk to their enemies. Russia keeps the channels of communication open.
And the other thing is that all of this endless trash talking is very detrimental to the business of democracy and there's been a constant stream of basically garbage emanating from the west, some of it social media, some of it through the old fashioned press. But, just basically all kinds of lies and disinformation and slander, which makes the tedious business of diplomacy establishing various links at various levels very difficult, if not impossible. So there's just this incredible level of disgust with their, as they say, partners in the west in Moscow and the result is they're not really eager to talk anymore. They're not very interested in communicating. They're far more interested in acting. So, what we'll probably see is a constant stream of surprises coming from Russia that will be completely unannounced and not predicted by anyone.
Click the play button below to listen to Chris' interview with Dmitry Orlov (51m:10s):
Russia, Putin and these secretive forces are all cast in the same mold. This is what they do. If America, the United States, plays the game better then I am all for that. Please, why the US bashing is so prevalent here is beyond me. My GOD, Putin is a KGB agent for gosh sakes. Their all murderers, murderers for hire and casual murderers. Screw Russia and screw the US for that matter but the slant that was unbearably foisted here was amateurish and poorly conceived. Boooo Orlov and Chris
Brilliant Podcast. Its absolutely riveting to listen to someone like D Orlov, with his unique experience. The perspective shift you get when you talk to worldly people like him is essential to getting a balanced point of view. People that have lived in more than one country share a unique perspective on culture and ideals and are exposed to truths they would normally be shielded from within the dogma of a single country.
I think the worldly, intelligent and open minded few particularly will resonate with the idea of an increasing "level of disgust" with US policy and economics. You hear it all the time in people who have traveled. The realisation that the truth is just not being delivered in the western media and that the "world-order" is more a corrupted disorder. Its that disgust that turns people from the western media to alternative sources of information like RT news and peak-prosperity.
This podcast was a unique opportunity to hear some resounding truths. Well done PP, as always, for the honest journalism.
ALOHA!! Hmmmm … oh … this … we're back to that? "For some reason, the [American] people I meet in my country are not the same as the ones I knew in the United States. A mysterious change seems to come over Americans when they go to a foreign land. They isolate themselves socially. They live pretentiously. They are loud and ostentatious." - Burma journalist, The Ugly American novel, 1960
With modern social media technology now we don't even have to flaunt Americanism by flying to foreign countries being tourists and military. I would say that our " extreme credit driven consumerism" is the new Ugly American! We do that across the board, even environmentalists have adapted well to consumeristic tendencies … all guilt assuaged by carbon credits.
Throw in the latest oil crash and I am sure most Russians are even more fed up not only with Americans and their politics, but their "crony capitalist" American markets! Imagine if the USD suffered the same recent crash of the Ruble and then topped it off with oil crashing 40%. I saw the Ruble took a hit, down 7% in one day last week.
Maybe the Russians are getting tired of Putin too! I mean an awful lot of Americans are very, very tired of Obama and Congress and the ratings show it! Global unrest is on the rise even in the USA, so much so that I would say guns and ammo will be a growth industry in the next decade! Just recently an Austin police station was raided!
Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said McQuilliams fired at the Mexican Consulate, the United States Federal Courthouse and APD's headquarters within a 10-minute period.
Notice all the buildings attacked are government buildings! I guess that would qualify as a "vote against current government"!
Nevermind the continuing effects of the "Fergusonian Syndrome"!
Given the current state of the American Psyche I am not so sure that the average American citizen struggling to make ends meet ,with ever widening income inequality, isn't too far from Russians in their dislike of the US government and US banks!
This is an interesting snippet and I look forward to the transcript. I'm in India and I used to be a supporter of America when I was in my teens but I realize I had an outdated view of the country. I had a crate of Popular Science magazines from the 40s to the 60s and my impression of the US was based on that, and a few other magazines and articles. Also, India was rabidly socialist at that time.
Unfortunately America has changed drastically over time and their government policies are totally opposed to the guidelines of their Constitutional fathers. They like to portray themselves as the saviours of the world but are actually living off the rest of the world by abusing the reserve currency privilege.
It has been said:
In Heaven, the machinery is German, the English do the policing, the French do the cooking, The Italians do the love making and the Swiss keep track of the time. In Hell, the Germans do the policing, the cooking is English, the machinery is French, the Italians keep track of the time and the Swiss do the lovemaking.
Where exactly would the Americans fit in? I think Mr. Orlov has nailed it pretty close. (The Canadians are kind of like the Russians, except they apologize for it after asking the Americans if its okay.)
Mr Orlov points out a basic fact that must be remembered. Every society has a M.O. and it usually stems from historical, geographical and ethnic influences. If understanding is ever to be achieved between nations, we need to look past these impediments and focus on the ecological issues that affect us all.
FAT CHANCE! If history teaches us anything, its "After me, everybody else comes first!"
(It is estimated that only 12% of Americans hold a passport. I wonder what that signifies.)
Not sure if it's just my computer, but it appears the podcast cuts out just into the beginning of the Uber story. Was hoping to hear the concluding remarks of both Chris and Dmitry.
I would thank you very much if you did not mention Abbot.
Here is a beautiful massive project for the Russians to undertake that would be for the ultimate benefit for humanity and life of the planet in general.
Please colonize L4. Then you would control the Ultimate High Ground. Escape from the limiting sphere of the planet would be by invitation only.
Like the transistor this is an idea that started in the USA but had to be developed elsewhere do to lack of vision.
There will be many spin-offs and once demonstrated to be viable will be as common as the flying 200 tonne Jumbo Jets that would have seemed absurd to Captain Cook.
Great podcast but losing the final minutes is disappointing. I look forward to the transcript to read what the Sudanese driver had to say. Congratulations on being prepared to tell the truth.
What Orlov says, and I believe its true, is that MH17 was a false flag operation. The implication of this is that our glorious leaders and our freedom loving media are a willing party to the murder of nearly 300 innocent people.
The least we can do, for the victims of MH17, is to give these willfully blind criminals the respect they deserve. None.
They should be confronted with their duplicity at every opportunity.
does another lengthy put-down of Putin and Russia–so much enlightenment from MSM!
I guess we at PP.com will be called communists soon, or Putin lovers.
Although I agree with much of what Orlov and RT say about the USA , Russia is no prize either. They have their macho alpha male dictator, their corruption and connected former Soviet commissars . Criticizing Russia does not necessarily mean you agree with US actions.
Thank you all for the patience on the technical issue with the podcast length. The video has now been replaced on Youtube and in the post above. The mp3 version was the complete version and is available for direct download and off of itunes. Please post any additional issues you might be experiencing and I will address them as soon as possible.
Jason
Unfortunately, it is a misconception to think that nuclear warfare is still unwinnable. With the pin-point accuracy of today's ICBMs a pre-emptive first-strike is not only winnable, it is winnable in a meaningful way, i.e. it would not be a Pyrrhic victory at all. One day, when the wind is in the right direction (think radio-active fall-out) we might just find out how winnable.
One thing that is for sure is that the side that loses will be too busy burying its dead to mount any retaliation, even if it had any weapons or launch infrastructure anyway. The side that wins only has to say that they discovered that an attack was imminent and were forced to defend their nation, and its population would support them fully for their actions, even if they suspected that they were really the aggressors and no attack at all was imminent.
It's an ill-wind. Any nuclear attack would cool the planet and help with the over-population problem!