Blog Archives
Navalny, Assange, Democracy
On the 16th of February, Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was murdered in his prison cell by Putin’s henchmen. For me, this was very upsetting – both as a human being who values democracy, and as someone who is half-Russian and genuinely would wish to see Russia as a free democracy that fulfils its potential.
Every morning, while I do stuff, I like having a YouTube podcast on – toldinstone, Ordinary Things, Epimetheus, The Critical Drinker, KDH, ПостРоссия, BadComedian… I think everyone has those kind of go-to channels. One of those channels is the Russel Brand channel.
I don’t always agree with Russel Brand’s conclusions, but what I love about him is his ability to respectfully listen to views of those he interviews even if he doesn’t agree with them, and the fact that when he delivers us the news, he always relies on various sources and references (which he always shows) – basically, when delivering the news, he does the job that legacy media doesn’t do.
Upon Navalny’s murder, Russel Brand brought up a very good comparison between Alexei Navalny and Julian Assange. Basically, Julian Assange is the Western equivalent of Alexei Navalny, and all the praise given right now to Navalny also applies to Assange.
Now, is there much more freedom in the West than in Russia? Obviously! Russia is much less tolerant to criticism and it’s way easier to find yourself in prison in Russia than in the US, Britain, or Germany. However, what worries me is that the politicians who head the West right now, while criticising Russia, are doing more and more to make the West look like Russia.
Biden! The man criticising Putin for invading Ukraine and for murdering Navalny also supported the Iraq War and demands that Assange be extradited to the US.
And no, I’m not turning to “whataboutism” – a trick Russian media often uses to justify its behaviour. “Oh, the US invaded Iraq, so we can invade Ukraine.” No, that’s not the case. The invasion of Ukraine is a crime, the murder is Navalny is a crime, and Putin’s behaviour is of a tyrant who completely lost his mind and feels that he’s beyond all accountability. This isn’t the first time that Putin murders someone who criticises him – Anna Politkovskaya, Boris Nemtsov, Natalya Estemirova, and Alexei Navalny are only four of many names that were murdered for criticising Putin and his environment.
However, what should be worrying for us is that while expressing criticism of Putin, the political leaders in the West seem to be mimicking. Recently, the EU Digital Services act kicked in. On the surface, those rules are supposed to hold the large social media companies accountable for “hate speech” spread online. In reality, this is a dangerous tool meant to curb freedom of speech. The main thing is, who decides what constitutes “hate speech”? What is “hate speech”? All the talk about “protecting citizens”… protecting from what?
And what legacy media does is use divisive rhetoric in order to brainwash the people to support things that essentially work against their own interests. If you criticise Biden and his pro-war record, you’re automatically accused of being a Trump supporter; if you support Britain leaving the US, you’re automatically branded as a right-winger (even though it was the Old Labour left that made the original case against EU membership); if you oppose the persecution of Assange, you’re accused of being a conspiracy theorist; when Polish farmers protest Ukrainian gain flooding the market under EU regulations (which hurts the Polish economy), they’re being accused of racism towards Ukrainians; and when you criticise the way Trudeau tried to brand the truckers who were protesting the COVID-19 mandates as “racist” (which is hilarious, considering the fact he himself appeared in “blackface”), you get accused of being a Nazi sympathiser.
In June 2022, UK Home Secretary Patel approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US. His main crime is exposing the proof that the political elite is entirely driven by their personal financial gain, including shares with weapon manufacturers and contractors. He exposed things like Hilary Clinton getting the questions in advance before her debate with Bernie Sanders, cases of civilians being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan being swept under the rug, corruption in the France-UAE arms deal, Britain and Saudi Arabia trading votes to support each other’s election into the United Nations Human Rights Council, torture in Guantanamo Bay… WikiLeaks showed us more than ever how our democracies are being corrupted by interests that are kept secret from the public.
Assange’s team started an appeal process against the extradition, and unless the judges do something about it, in March, Julian Assange will be extradited. Will the appeal work? I highly doubt it. When looking at the history of the judges appointed to rule over the process, I can’t but fear that this is nothing but a show trial. Judge Jeremy Johnson has previously worked for the MI6 and the Ministry of Defence, while judge Victoria Sharp has links to the Conservative Party. I still have hope that the UK hasn’t completely deteriorated to the level of Putin’s Russia, and that the judges will rule against Assange’s extradition.
It seems that the next victim after Navalny and Assange is democracy itself.
HELP: Russian band Bi-2 in danger of being deported to Russia
Bi-2 are one of the most important and popular bands in the history of Russian rock. I personally have had the pleasure of seeing them live three times, twice with my mum and once with my daughter, and each time was an unforgettable experience. Their blend of alternative rock, new wave influences, and deep lyrics has helped them develop a huge following throughout the years, including many young fans due to their recent albums all being critically acclaimed.
In May 2023, the lead singer of the band – Leva Bi-2 (real name Egor Bortnik), expressed his opposition to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, saying, “Putin and his brain-damaged trash destroyed the country,” for which the Russian government listed him as a “foreign agent.” For those unfamiliar with the Russian foreign agent law, pretty much everyone who criticises Putin or his government can fall under the definition of “foreign agent.” The law was originally passed after the 2012 protests in order to cripple NGOs fighting for transparency and exposing corruption in Putin’s Russia.
To be frank, so many good people have received this “title” that at this point, it’s a badge of honour. As a result of this law and other forms of oppression and harassment, many important cultural figures have had to leave Russia, e.g. Boris Grebenshchikov – the founder of the band Aquarium – had to move to the UK, Andrey Makarevich – the founder of the band Mashina Vremeni – had to move to Israel, the latter also being the destination chosen by Bi-2 due to the two founders of the band (Leva Bi-2 and Shura Bi-2) having Israeli citizenship.
After leaving Russia, Bi-2 embarked on a few highly successful world tours, with numerous sold out shows in Europe, North America, and Asia. On January 24, Bi-2 played a show in Phuket, Thailand. Apparently, the organisers requested the wrong sort of visa for the band – a tourist visa instead of a work visa. It’s important to note that Bi-2 had performed in Thailand before with no issues. After spending a night in prison, the band stood trial and paid the fine that they were required to pay on the sport. That’s where the story should’ve ended… but it didn’t.
Apparently, the Russian consulate got involved demanding their deportation to Russia. The band and their crew were arrested again, and now they’re in danger of being deported to Russia, which poses an immense risk for the safety and wellbeing of the band.
Now, there are two things you need to know about Thailand. Besides having a rich and fascinating history, the Thai regime is extremely corrupt. It has an awful human rights record when it comes to those exposing and protesting that corruption. In 2020-2021, massive protests took place in Thailand that were triggered by the increase in royal powers and the dissolution of the pro-democracy Future Forward Party by the constitutional court. Needless to say, the protests were suppressed violently.
The second thing you need to know about Thailand is that it’s one of the biggest buyers of Russian ferrous metals worldwide. Now, I’m not saying that the Thai King is Putin’s bitch – but the Thai king is Putin’s bitch, which is why the authorities in Thailand were so quick to act on the whim of the Russian consul.
Honest, wonderful musicians are in danger now because of the pettiness of a Russian consul who wants to show how deep his tongue can get into Putin’s ass and because of the corruption of Thai authorities.
What can you do to help? Please send the following petition with your name signed bellow to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
There are numerous emails you can use to send it to them:
protocol01@mfa.go.th
saraban0400@mfa.go.th
protocol03@mfa.go.th
And here is the petition itself (please sign your name bellow):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nCBi0ZmvAs6kJ7Rf-vEbhCVZXN5_Kv37/
DO ask what your country can do for you! And hold it accountable
I think JFK was a really good president. First of all, despite his dad’s association with the mob, JFK turned against it, putting the American people first. Secondly, while the CIA was pushing (and attempting) to invade Cuba, which could’ve resulted in a nuclear war, Kennedy promised not to invade Cuba (which prevented a nuclear war) while placing a naval blockade around Cuba (which prevented the USSR from delivering more weapons to Cuba).
However, I think his famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” is complete nonsense. It absolutely makes no sense! You’re already maintaining the existence of your nation by paying taxes, and for its survival and for the survival of its democracy, you damn right should be asking where your money goes and what it is that your country does for you. It’s literally the definition of civil responsibility, which is the most important factor in the survival of a democracy.
First of all, we need to establish why nations even exist. Do nations exist for people to run around with flags and sing the anthem? No, that’s not how countries came to be. Countries and nations were created to serve someone’s interest, and the question that defines the character of a nation is, “Whose interest?”
Initially, nations were created to serve the interests of the lords, chieftains, and kings who ruled them. However, those rulers knew that without giving their subjects a certain degree of leverage, those subjects would rebel (which has happened many times), and that’s how the game of politics was born, a game of tug of war between the public interest and the interests of the ruling elite. The whole idea of a “nation” or a “country” is just an organisational system, nothing else, and it can be used for good or bad
With time, along with the rise of education and public awareness, democracy has evolved and became the basis of Western society and the key to its success. Let’s be honest, when people see “progress” (scientific, technological, or cultural) and “civilisation,” they’re basically thinking of the West. The beauty of democracy is that those in power are, by definition, accountable to the public, and that while the majority of the public gets to shape society, individual rights and freedoms are protected.
However, in recent decades, there is a dangerous phenomenon of a growing gap between the public interest and those supposed to represent the public, and I think the best illustration to it was in a recent debate between the brilliant comedian Jon Stewart and the Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks at the War Horse Symposium in Chicago.
Jon Stewart addressed how Pentagon’s most recent audit determined that the military was unable to account for 60% of its assets, how her department hasn’t been able to pass an audit in years (while constantly getting a budget increase from the government), and how 160,000 active duty servicemen in the US are struggling to feed their families. Hicks’ response was awkward giggling, eye rolling, and jeering, clearly trying to make it look like Jon Stewart’s excellent questions were silly.
This interaction illustrates exactly where modern governments stand, and why such heroes as Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and more recently, Jack Teixeira are hunted, haunted, and vilified. Those guys all exposed government corruption and a whole secret political dimension in which politicians, big business, and the military-industrial complex exercise an alliance which works to benefit the few in direct contradiction to the public interest. What is even more worrisome is how the catchphrases used in the media to vilify those people are taken from the same textbook.
Instead of dealing with the shocking things that Jack Teixeira has exposed, the media was first obsessed with finding the “identity” of the leaker, and once that identity was established, later, the focus moved to describing how that identity was established. All of that instead of dealing with what really matters, which is what he actually exposed. I mean, how is it possible that all the headlines in the mainstream media are about the identity of the leaker and the way he was caught, and not about what he actually exposed?
Just for the record, I do agree with the US assisting Ukraine in defending itself from Russia. However, the people of the US deserve to know to which extent the US is involved in it, what interest different political forces in the US have in this involvement, and to have a say about it.
I mean, US politicians have a history of deceiving the American people about the wars they were eager to get the nation into, for various reasons, with profiteering being a massive one – be it Vietnam or Iraq. The people of the US deserve to know the truth about what’s going on in Ukraine.
The Iraq War was the most disastrous event of the last decades. It led to the destruction of a country, created the circumstances that led to the rise of ISIS, and was the guise under which the government passed laws that increased surveillance against its own citizens and took away civic liberties.
Considering the fact that the pretences for starting the Iraq War were proven as wrong, I’d expect the politicians supporting it to be investigated (to check for profiteering) and removed from politics. I mean, even if you say, “I didn’t know”… fair enough, people make mistakes, but that definitely means you’re not fit for politics. That’s not a mistake one should be able to simply recover from!
When the Iraq War was happening, the political landscape seemed logical: Republicans under George W Bush were the party that supported the war and lied about the reasons for starting it, while the Democrats were against the war. But then something strange happened! The bills to increase the military budget, without asking for any accountability, are normally passed in joint Republican-Democrat bids.
And now, behold… the Democrats, the party that was initially against the Iraq War, has had two leaders in a row, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, who actually voted for the war. How is it possible that people like that are still in politics? I mean, yes, I guess even they’re better than Trump – but really? This is how low the bar is? I mean, Joe Biden is the definition of a slimy politician. He literally supported segregation against black people at a time when it benefitted him, politically – this is literally a guy who’ll say anything to benefit his career as a politician.
I mean, what is going on? How come those exposing corruption are persecuted, while those who took part in starting wars are rewarded?
Don’t ask what you can do for your country, ask what the hell your country does with YOUR taxpayer’s money!
The US is not just any other country. The US has become a symbol of democracy; a symbol of social, cultural, and technological progress; a symbol for freedom. A decrease in democracy in the US also results in a decrease of democracy in the rest of the West.
Death to the taxi industry, long live Uber and Lyft
Story number one: recently, we went on a trip to the US. First of all, for me America is the coolest place in the world (alongside Italy), but there’s nothing good I can say about taxis. We arrived at the airport in Orlando, and we went out to get a taxi. I asked the driver to put the meter on, the driver refused. We approached other drivers who were stationed in the same area, and all of them refused as well. One of them said, “I’ve been waiting here for three hours, I will not put a meter on” (like that’s somehow relevant to me).
Story number two: we arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, and took a taxi. It was a short ride, but upon our arrival, the driver casually said, “I’m sorry, I forgot to put the meter on – it’s [names ridiculous price].”
Story number three: my daughter and I went to a Rammstein concert in Coventry (by the way, best live band in the world!) Awesome night, awesome concert, and we had to get to our hotel. I found a taxi and asked him to put the meter on. He said, “It’s a different city [Leamington Spa], we only put the meter on if it’s the same city.” I knew he was lying, but it was late and I needed to get my daughter home.
I’m not saying all taxi drivers are like that! For example, in Lisbon, Portugal, my daughter and I took a taxi to see Iron Maiden, and not only did the driver put the meter on without me even telling him, but upon stumbling upon a huge traffic jam, he said, “It’s better for you to get off now, or the meter will keep going up whilst in the queue.” Now, obviously I tipped that gentleman, but this was a very rare case of a decent driver. Most of the other taxi drivers I’ve encountered have been plain crooks.
Now, let’s talk about Uber and Lyft! In some places, Uber is cheaper, and in some, Lyft – my point is, either of them is way better than taxis. You pay through the app, which means the driver can’t pull any dodgy tricks (i.e. “I’m not putting the meter on”), and everything is transparent. For some reason, Uber and Lyft vehicles are always cleaner and better looked after than traditional taxis, which is obviously a bonus.
While most of our recent taxi experiences have been humiliating, with sketchy characters allowing themselves to openly declare how they wouldn’t put the meter on, the Uber and Lyft payment mechanism completely annihilates such a possibility, as you pre-pay for the journey through the app. The only reason I even used taxis when I did was that on those occasions I didn’t have a SIM card to operate Uber.
The main problem with taxis is that in many cases, they will use political lobbying to stop the people, from being able to choose whether to use their outdated and overpriced services, or to simply call an Uber or a Lyft. A few days ago, on 8 September 2022, taxi drivers jammed the streets of Brussels to demand the EU to investigate and de facto ban Uber.
In numerous places in the US, taxi drivers and taxi company owners have been uniting in harassing Uber and Lyft by systematically filing complaints against them. Unfortunately, in some places it worked, i.e. the Maryland commission made demands of Uber that would make it harder for the company to operate in the area.
The joke is, Uber is under a media attack for lobbying politicians… which is something that taxi companies have been doing for years to insure their monopoly. Oh and just for the record, I personally think that “lobbying” is another word for bribery and politicians should be banned from receiving money from companies to represent their interests. The idea that a senator can literally get money from an arms manufacturer or a pharmaceutic company to promote them is atrocious and undemocratic.
Anyway, this thing taxi companies are trying to pull will hurt those drivers working for Uber and Lyft and will limit our options as the people to choose how to travel. The whole idea of a “taxi” and the special permits they must receive is outdated, pricey, and harmful. It’s 2022, time to move on.
Oh Good Heavens, It’s “Abolish Monarchy” Time
Oh come on! Just cancel it already! It’s more than a century overdue. The Queen lived a long, luxurious life… but what did she actually do? What was her achievement? And to those who say how the Queen gave “a lifetime of serving her country”… how? Her country served her, if anything.
And no, it’s not a personal attack on her – she just took what was given to her, who wouldn’t? It’s an attack on those with a slave mentality allowing one family to claim blue-blood superiority over the rest and sponge off them. The same plebs the royalty look down upon are waving their flags and worship them.
And please stop with the “they bring tourists” argument… no, they don’t, because tourists don’t actually meet the royals, do they? They come for the sights. I can’t see Paris, Rome, or New York suffering a lack of tourists due to the absence of a monarch.
And now, to make my point, a walk down memory lane (since that’s most of what the media will be doing for the next weeks):
“Queen tried to use state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace” – this is a 2010 headline from The Guardian, look it up.
The royals are neither special nor contributing, they’re a business… like the Kardashians, except the Kardashians made their own wealth while the royals live off the state.
The monarchy is an insult to human dignity. It’s the idea that your kid is by default beneath their kid, and your kid must be willing to fund and protect their kid – as that’s your plebeian role. Be free!
Do we even have Taiwan’s back in this?!
“The Biden administration has grown increasingly anxious this summer about China’s statements and actions regarding Taiwan.” – The New York Times
No shit, Sherlock! Russia, North Korea… they’re all China’s little lapdogs. Russia’s vile attack against Ukraine was the dress rehearsal for what China plans to do to Taiwan.
The question is, considering the strong financial ties the Biden family has with China… sure, Biden would read a vague statement condemning the attack of a teleprompter, but would he actually do something about it? I doubt it.
And before the “But Trump…” brigade jumps up, I’d pick a Democrat over a Republican any day of the week. And yes, Trump was terrible, but how long is the whole “but at least he’s not Trump” thing going to work?
Why is it that whenever the Democrats win, their voters fall into a coma? Why is it that the left doesn’t hold its leaders to its own standards?
How come only when Trump won the left started speaking against putting migrant kids in cages at the border? Why wasn’t the left talking about it when Obama started doing it in the first place?
How come the left rebelled against war-criminal Bush over Iraq, and rightfully so, but then fell asleep while Obama was bombing more countries than Bush… and then elected pro-Iraq War Clinton and pro-Iraq War Biden as party leaders?
America is the coolest country ever! When it comes to cultural and technological contribution… only the ancient Greeks, the Roman Empire, Renaissance Florence, and the British Empire can compare.
And it saddens me to see how politicians in America not only refuse to acknowledge China’s regime as a threat… but willingly help it! The WHO Covid-19-lab cover-up would’ve been impossible without US politicians who are funded by companies with Chinese ties.
Taiwan is an ally, a democracy, a brave nation with a huge threat constantly looming over it. And not only do the people of Taiwan not get the support they need… they get constantly back-stabbed by the West!
What was Nixon thinking when he recognised communist China as “one China”?? What was Blair thinking when he gave Hong Kong to communist China (against the wishes of its people, who would prefer independence or to unite with Taiwan)?
Less business with China, more business with Taiwan – China’s financial strength comes from being the biggest slave-market in the world. The less you use that slave market, the less strength it will have.
The Jerusalem March? The Israeli “Blackshirts” and “Brownshirts”
You know the fascist marches that the “Brownshirts” and the “Blackshirts” organised in the 1920s? Well, Israeli fascists have their own yearly equivalent – it’s called the Jerusalem March.
On paper, it’s a March to celebrate the “reunification” on Jerusalem. In reality, the Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem suffer from abuse, discrimination, and don’t want to be under Israeli rule. Jerusalem is all but “united.”
The Jerusalem March is organized by neo-fascist settlers, and the main feature of the march is basically walking through Arab neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, waving the Israeli flag, and shouting racist abuse at Arabs while being protected by the Israeli “Defense” Forces. Naturally, if a fight breaks out, the only ones to remain under arrest will be Palestinian.
Now, what is the main ideology of those settlers? It is very similar to the Nazi ideology. How? First of all, they believe in creating their own Lebensraum in the form of “Greater Israel,” which means conquering the area of the mythical Biblical Israel and “purifying” it of non-Jews.
Violence against Arabs is welcomed, and among the “heroes” of those organising this march is the terrorist Baruch Goldstein, who walked into a mosque and massacred Arabs during a prayer in Hebron.
They also oppose mixed marriage between Jews and non-Jews, oppose gay rights, and believe that Israel should be ruled by the Halakha (the Jewish equivalent of the Sharia Law, a backward set of rules that discriminates against women, gay people, secular people, and against everyone who isn’t a religious Jewish male).
Those national-religious settlers, with the help of the Israeli government, dispossess Palestinians of their lands (and when I say Palestinians, I don’t mean Arabs with Israeli citizenship who live in what is internationally recognised as Israel – I literally mean Palestinians who live in the Palestinian Autonomy, a territory that even by Israeli law isn’t a part of Israel) and create illegal settlements in Palestine (illegal even by Israeli law, on paper). Their end mission is, as I’ve already mentioned, to create a “Greater Israel” (which they believe will bring forward the arrival of the Messiah – yep, they’re that mental).
This is also a part of the apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli government against Palestinians. Israeli propaganda often likes to deny this apartheid by talking about Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship and, at least on paper, enjoy equal rights (not in reality) – it is an intentional distraction tactic to distract the world from the fact the Palestinians who live in the Palestinian Autonomy have no citizenship, have no rights, and suffer abuse and restrictions under the Israeli military rule. Israel wants to distract the world from what is happening to an Arab in Hebron and Gaza (both in Palestine) by talking about an Arab from Haifa (which still suffers discrimination, but of a different kind).
A Palestinian living under Israeli military law can’t travel abroad, can’t trade with another country without a written permission from the Israeli military (which is almost impossible to achieve), and in many cases, can’t even get to a nearby village without passing through Israeli checkpoints and undergoing humiliation by Israeli soldiers.
I know Palestine isn’t a “trendy” topic anymore, but it’s still happening.
Russia’s Victory Day – A Pathetic Display of Nothing
Russia can stick their “Victory Day” where the sun don’t shine. Two of my great-grandfathers and my grandfather fought for the Soviet army against the Nazis, and what did the Soviet Union do with it? It imposed its filthy communism on its neighbouring countries. And Russia since… a poor and rapidly intellectually degenerating population.
All I can say is, thanks goodness the US joined the war and saved West Europe from communism. And just for the record, I’m half Russian, I feel very attached to Russian culture… and it saddens me how Russia these days, apart from a few decent artists and intellectuals, is nothing but a stain of backwardness.
And what does Putin do to keep the population of Russia from awakening and uprising? He and his cronies feed them with a false sense of greatness over a victory that took place almost eight decades ago (it really does remind me of Bruce Springsteen’s humorous classic “Glory Days”). Seriously though, Russia is like a former high-school bully who misses his bullying glory days and thinks he’s a big mobster because he beats up old ladies and steals their cash… oh, and he’s also diagnosed with MR.
By the way, do the people of Ukraine get to celebrate the Victory Day? After all, seven million soldiers from Ukraine fought against the Nazis. No, they don’t, because just like in 1941, Ukraine is being bombed.
PS a small side note! George W Bush has recently called Zelensky “the Winston Churchill of our time.” While I fully agree that Zelensky is an intelligent person and a great leader, I don’t think it’s a compliment when it’s coming from war-criminal George Bush, considering the fact he did to Iraq exactly what Putin is doing to Ukraine.
Putin’s crimes don’t justify racism towards Russians
OK, please explain to me how this is not racism? Putin is a loathsome dictator and war criminal committing genocide in Ukraine, correct. Now, how exactly is this the fault of a a 20-year-old pianist called Alexander Malofeev who even spoke out against Putin?
Because his tour in Canada has been cancelled by the organisers as a sign of “solidarity with Ukraine” – honestly, beside the fact that I think the organisers are douchebags who couldn’t care less about Ukraine but are just looking for cheap publicity points, this is an example of a witch hunt.
No, this guy is not a state-owned company from Russia which helps maintain Putin’s blood-thirsty regime, and this guy is not an oligarch closely aligned with Putin – he’s a pianist, and a bloody good one.
But he’s not the only one… apparently the British show Strictly Come Dancing is considering to drop its Russian dancers, and Compare the Meerkat are withdrawing their ads because their mascot meerkat has a Russian accent (an imaginary meerkat).
I mean, I fully support sanctions and boycotts against Russian state-owned companies and against oligarchs, who are the financial backbone of Putin’s regime… but how are those listed to blame for any of that? How is it not pure racism?
I mean, the most evil country in the world today is Communist China… from concentration camps against dissidents and organ harvesting, to being the force behind such ruthless regimes as Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea… is this a reason to boycott random Chinese people? Chinese pianists? Because I would oppose that… I would support the West taking China’s threat more seriously and boycotting the Chinese government and anything linked to it, though.
How about Turkey and their genocide against the Kurds? I mean, how come that is tolerated? Is that a reason to boycott a random person simply because they are of Turkish ancestry? No, because that would be racist. I would support, however, the West boycotting anything linked to the Turkish government.
And what about Israel and its illegal occupation and oppression of Palestinians? I mean, did you actually know that there is an organisation called FIDS (Friends of the IDF) which raises millions in Hollywood for the IDF? They literally raise money for war crimes against the Palestinians, they raise money for genocide and illegal occupation. Now, here’s a thing that should be boycotted and banned… but does that means every Jew should be boycotted over Israel’s crimes? Definitely not, because that would be… correct, racism!
Some people think that being of the “right side” gives them a free pass to do bad things. “Oh, Russia is doing crimes against Ukraine… so I get a free pass to be racist towards Russians”… nope, you’re just a filthy racist, if that’s what you think.
It reminds me of the Palestinian who raped and murdered an 8-year-old Jewish girl Lipaz Himi in 2006 because “Bereaved Palestinian mothers” – no, you’re just a disgusting rapist who was looking for an excuse to rape. This has nothing to do with Israel’s crimes against Palestine.
Hatred towards certain people based on certain acts is justified, so keep it focused on those who deserve it – Putin, the Russian army committing war crimes, Russian state-owned enterprises, oligarchs that fund Putin, those who support Putin… aim your hate at them. Don’t aim it at random pianists and dancers, because guess what? If you were held accountable for your government’s war crimes, you wouldn’t find it fair.
Why are WHO and the West taking part in Commie China’s Cover Up?
Communist China is supposed to be America’s enemy, it’s supposed to be the enemy of the Free World… It’s a communist dictatorship which backs such vile regimes as the ones found in Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan; it has concentration camps for political dissidents; and it uses its funds (gained from Western corporations using Chinese slave labour) to own parts of the American national debt (apparently America “owes” China $1.1 trillion).
Commie China is a security risk for the whole civilised world (define “civilised”? Well, for a start, a place where you aren’t sent to a concentration camp for criticising the regime). But for some reason, Western politicians and officials end up covering up for the crap China does AGAINST America and the free world. What do you call it when public officials go out of their way to defend a regime that seeks to financially dominate and castrate your own country?
Commie China still hides significant pieces of their Wuhan database from the World Health Organisation; we have reasons to believe that the virus started way earlier than commie China would like us to believe, as “Harvard researchers say satellite images show an increase in traffic outside five hospitals in the Chinese city from late August to December [2019]” (that’s from the BBC); researches from that lab had literally been working with bats way before the pandemic started… and yet the World Health Organisation and Anthony Fauci go out of their way to deny that the virus could’ve spread from a lab leak, while using doublespeak to go over the fact huge chunks of research-crucial data have been censored and edited out by commie China.
Honestly, after what Russia has recently pulled with Ukraine, I’m worried about the fate of the Republic of China (Taiwan). I mean, dodgy Western politicians have a disgusting history of betraying its allies in the East. Whose dumb idea was it to recognise commie China as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations” (burn in hell, Nixon), as opposed to the democratic Republic of China (Taiwan)? How is it possible that Hong Kong was handed over to commie China without allowing the people of Hong Kong a referendum on their future (burn in hell, war-criminal Blair)? I mean, my guess is that the people oh Hong Kong would’ve preferred independence or to join Taiwan, than become a part of THAT thing.
How does that work?! I know this question is asked in every generation, but what kind of world do we live in?
During the Cold War, it was at least clear that the US stood against the bloodthirsty Soviet regime and its puppet states. What kind of world do we live in if politicians and officials who take an oath to defend democracy end up enthusiastically covering up for commie China? Communist China is the biggest threat to America in its entire history, it’s a threat to the whole free world.
And don’t get me wrong, no government has ever been perfect. I love America for its democracy and its cultural and technological contribution to the world, but things like the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, McCarthyism, the NSA global surveillance programs, and a few other things should’ve never happened… every generation had its nonsense to deal with, but at the end of the day, it was always the American people who led the opposition to all of those things.
In America, people talk about bad things that have happened throughout its history and try to learn from it, because the American way of thinking is based on transparency, even if not everyone in the government always remembers it – in Commie China, “cover up” and imprisonment are how any dissident thought is dealt with.
Imaginary Gun 