Organizing Notes

Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....

My Photo
Name:
Location: Brunswick, ME, United States

The collapsing US military & economic empire is making Washington & NATO even more dangerous. US could not beat the Taliban but thinks it can take on China-Russia-Iran...a sign of psychopathology for sure. @BruceKGagnon

Saturday, June 25, 2022

Every 100 years...

 


Russia is attacked from the west about every 100 years. (Actually even more often than that. See here for the full list.)

  • Russia was first invaded by Batu Khans Mongols in (1237-1240)
  • The Swedes and Teutonic Knights jointly invaded Russia in (1240-1242) Russians led by Alexander Nevesky defeated both invaders.
  • The Poles invaded Russia in (1605-1606) Polish occupation of Moscow until a Russian uprising in 1618 drove out the Poles.
  • Swedes led by King Charles invaded Russia in (1708-1709) Russians led by Peter the Great defeated the Swedes.
  • Napoleon's French Grand Armee invaded Russia in (1812) Napoleon forced to retreat because of winter.
  • The Turks and Germans jointly invaded Russia during WW1 (1914-1918) Russia under Lenin signed peace treaty with Germans. Germans left Russia after WW1.
  • Nazi Germany invaded the USSR in (1941-1945) and were driven out by the Red Army in 1944. More than 27 million citizens of the USSR died at the hands of Hitler and his bankster supporters.

Why?


It's the resources baby. Europe wants them. Washington wants them.
 
So now its Ukraine's turn to be the sacrificial lamb, tossed into the fire lit by Satan's henchmen.

Fight the Russians to the last Ukrainian they yell from DC's capitol building. We'll send them the weapons they need to turn Russia's border into a festering sore. 

Bruce

Friday, June 24, 2022

What are most African nations thinking about Ukraine?

 


 

Most African Countries Support Russia    

Zelensky called fifty-five African leaders for virtual meeting but only four of them attended

 

By Lucas Leiroz (Researcher in Social Sciences at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; geopolitical consultant)

Apparently, Volodymir Zelensky’s popularity in Ukraine is very low. The Ukrainian leader called for a virtual diplomatic meeting with African heads of state, but the event failed completely. Almost all African leaders declined to participate, hampering Zelensky’s plans to make the meeting a pro-Kiev propaganda stage. Meanwhile, the Russian government’s popularity is growing in Africa, where citizens take the streets in support for the special military operation in Ukraine and ask for Russian help in combating terrorism.

On June 20, the Ukrainian president met with representatives of the African Union in order to discuss matters concerning the current conflict situation in Eastern Europe and the role of Africa on the world arena. Of the fifty-five heads of state invited to the meeting, only four attended. The other countries sent only diplomats or ministers, with the heads of state and government not willing to attend, even with the meeting being virtual.


The heads of state who attended the meeting were Macky Sall of Senegal, Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, Mohammed el-Menfi, President of the Libyan Council, and Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo. It is important to note that Sall is the current president of the African Union, which is why his presence was essential for the event to take place. Therefore, his attendance does not necessarily mean an expression of his real desire – even more considering his recent conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the effort to increase Russia-Africa cooperation.

The virtual meeting was operated in secret, behind closed doors. According to official sources, Zelensky reiterated the Ukrainian position on the conflict, calling the Russian operation an unjustified “aggression”. He also commented on the current food crisis affecting Africa as a result of the conflict’s impact on the grain market. According to Zelensky, the African continent is Russia’s “hostage” because food shortages would be the result of such “aggression” and would only end when Russia decided to retreat.

Commenting on the event, Macky Sall took the most neutral and impartial stance possible, demonstrating that the Africa Union did not adhere to Zelensky’s appeals, but was concerned only with African states’ interests and the proper functioning of international law.

“Africa remains committed to respecting the rules of international law, the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the freedom of trade”, he said in a publication in his Twitter account.

It is interesting to note how Zelensky’s attempt to convince African leaders to adhere to the Kiev-Western narrative absolutely failed. Not only did most African heads of state refuse to listen to the Ukrainian leader, but there was no adherence to the pro-Kiev speech on the part of those who attended the conference. For the African Union, the meeting was just a diplomatic formality, with no real gains or changes in position – which reveals that Zelensky’s plans did not work as expected.

This failure, however, was predictable for any realistic analyst. For African leaders, it is really hard to believe the fallacious narrative that Ukraine is a simple “victim” of an “unjustified aggression”. African countries are used to centuries of Western interventionism and violence and the peoples of this continent react to this with strong distrust of everything that Western nations support. As Zelensky is the ally of the US and Europe, he will likely be viewed with suspicion by countries that suffer so much from Western colonialist mentality and praxis.

In addition, there are other factors that need to be mentioned. Zelensky’s arguments that the food crisis is caused exclusively by Russia are no longer able to convince public opinion and state authorities. It is evident that, more than the conflict itself, the crisis has been caused by the sanctions against Russia, which motivates emerging countries to be enthusiastic about the end of these sanctions. Also, there are many reports that Kiev is exporting grain to the US and Europe in exchange for weapons, which is unacceptable.

Furthermore, there has recently been a strong wave of popular support for the operation in Ukraine from citizens of several African countries, especially in the regions most affected by terrorism. After the abandonment that Africa has suffered from the West in terms of security policies and defense cooperation, seeking Russian support has become the greatest hope for the members of the African Union, which is why recently there have been popular demonstrations in support of all Moscow’s actions, alongside requests for help to solve Africa’s internal problems.

In fact, in international relations, nothing matters more than cooperation. Zelensky will not be able to garner African support if he does not show interest or conditions to cooperate with Africa. Kiev currently has nothing to offer African countries, as it is economically broken and militarily virtually neutralized. On the other hand, Russia shows itself as a pillar for African food security and as a hope against terrorism in the continent. It is absolutely expected that in this context the African Union will decline its ties with Kiev and seek to approach the side that offers the best opportunities for cooperation. 

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Garden update

 

This is what keeps me half-sane these days....latest version at my plot


Memorial marker for our dear Maine friends Stan & Loukie  

Tomato plants in the hay on other side of pea trellis

MB and I put down seaweed last weekend to fertilize and serve as mulch


Germany to re-start coal power plants

 


The German Green Party is now part of the new coalition government in Berlin. Die Grünen, during the Merkel government, made a big effort to shut down the coal plants due to their impact on climate crisis. Now that their party has become anti-Russian (and big supporters of Zelensky) they have insisted on Germany refusing any Russian natural gas or oil. Thus in order to provide power for the nation Die Grünen supports re-start of the German coal power plants. Below is a comment at one site I frequent that addresses the complications of re-starting coal plants after they have been shut down.

 

By Mr P 

They say that EU coal-thermal power stations will be re-started.

This is easier to say than to do.

Some C-TPS will, could, probably re-start in 90 days or so. These things are not Aunt Pearl’s old de-soto car.

And when they were shut-down, I expect, there was pilferage and theft… Some C-TPS will turn out to be un-restartable…for example, steam turbines are prone to sagging…so they’re supposed to be rotated more or less all the time with “turning gear”…an electric motor drive…if not they tend to sag and become dynamically useless scrap….and this can become permanent. Boilers are supposed to be left full to prevent oxidation…were they? Then there will be “frozen” pumps, rust, and maybe frost damage…stuck valves…cracked castings and pipes…and boilers have to be hydro-tested and re-certified….probably essential parts have been stolen, salvaged, and sold. Is the documentation on hand or is it lost?

The skilled people who used to know these plants? These people are gone like the breeze.

I judge that “re-start” may be 50% in 90 days, if they have a blank check and cut regulatory and engineering corners. After re-start? Expect unplanned events.

Steam plants last long time…and by the time a critical element is out of spec, the manufacturer is gone…

The men who cast the vital pump case, and their factory, are gone, dead. Mickey-mouse temporary repairs don’t last so long…and require experts…

The coal TPS is actually a pretty good machine…coal does not create water in combustion, so specific heat of stackgas is less, less corrosion, CO2 has good heat transfer to boiler tubes… I have been in coal plants that were so clean you could spend the day and not have to change clothes or shower before going to a party, or the bar. Others, however…

After the TPS restart project? All the same problems times 10 to restart a nuke, if it was shut down for a long time.

It would be nice if the EU simply said “sorry” and made nice with Ruskieman. Especially because they’ll do this at some point, why wait? 

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

US-NATO moves to widen war to Kaliningrad via Lithuania

 

 

Lithuania is living dangerously, angering Russia by declaring that they will no longer allow transport of supplies by rail to Kaliningrad via their country. This rail transport arrangement was long ago agreed by treaty between Russia and Lithuania.

US-NATO is using Lithuania to provoke and widen its proxy war with Russia.

Dangerous play revealing the desperation in Washington.

Kaliningrad is a Russian semi-exclave sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland. The Potsdam Agreement of 1945 placed it under Soviet administration.

As a major transport hub, with sea and river ports, the city is home to the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy, and is one of the largest industrial centres in Russia.

 

Impacts from rocket launch facilities

 


 

The Global Network's latest video explores the various dangers that come from the growing numbers of rocket launch sites around the world.
 
Tens of thousands of launches are having major impacts on Earth's environment and a peaceful world.
 
  •  The making of rocket fuels creates major amounts of carbon dioxide releases
  •  Rocket launch exhaust contaminates air and water killing fish, birds and other wildlife
  • Rocket fuel storage is leaking into local water supplies. A key ingredient called perchlorate severely impacts the thryroid and especially children. Perchlorate is found in milk, lettuce and now contaminates the Colorado River.
  • Every rocket launch helps to punch a larger hole in the Earth's ozone layer
  • When rocket parts fall back to Earth, burning up on re-entry, they drop a toxic stew of burned electronics parts into the air and water
  • Launch corporations promise lots of jobs, no environmental harm, and no military uses in order to worm their way into communities around the world
  • This video shows the examples of three communities impacted by rocket launch facilities - Boca Chia, Texas; Kodiak Island, Alaska and Rocket Lab in New Zealand
  • Most launch facilities, sold to the public as civilian, turn out to be a Trojan Horse as the military soon takes over and Pentagon, DARPA and CIA space missions are launched
 
Please like and share this video with others
 
Find links to all Global Network social media platforms here 

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Facing the music - the coming economic collapse

 



Bruce Gagnon returns to talk about Ukraine, the NATO divide, US narrative changing; US economy collapsing; those crazed psychopaths who are behind the collapse of society; WWIII will be fought in Space, and more. 
 
Journalists and even small bloggers like Alina Lipp, 27 yr old German woman accused of treason by German government, bank account blocked.

Monday, June 20, 2022

Protests increasing across the west as sanctions blowback hitting home......

 


 

  • Thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday to protest the soaring cost of living in the UK and called for the government to do more to help as people's expenses rise more quickly than their wages.
  • A trade union-organized protest numbering 70,000 to 80,000 demonstrators packed the streets of Brussels on Monday, bringing the city to a standstill. In addition to expressing anger at the rising cost of living in Belgium, many condemned the US-led NATO alliance and its involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Protesters demanded that their leaders “spend money on salaries, not on weapons,” and chanted “stop NATO.”

Underdog Fan Club - a personal story

 

 

I am a life-long member of the Underdog Fan Club. I always support those on the bottom of the pile.

When our Air Force family lived in Leicester, England (Bruntingthorpe air base) in early 1960's I learned all about Robin Hood. Took from the rich and gave to the poor.

Then we moved to Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota. I found out the real cowboys and Indian story. Washington's genocide of the native people touched my soul deeply. Did the Indians have the right to defend themselves against the US Army? Of course they did.

In the mid-1960's we moved to Wiesbaden, Germany and our school class visited former Roman fortifications along the Rhine River. I'll never forget wondering 'What were the Romans doing so far from home?' when we were told by our guide that the stones we were standing on had once been the barracks foundation for Roman soldiers. In that moment I learned that empire is a contradiction over time. They always collapse.

Vietnam war was on full-blast when I joined the Air Force in 1971. It was there I became a peacenik. My first roommate in the barracks was a leader in the Travis AFB, California 'GI Resistance' movement. At first I sat in the corner during their meetings, just listening. I had been a Young Republican for Nixon in '68. But my chair eventually moved into that barracks circle - I couldn't deny that the Vietnamese people had the right to defend themselves against the US.

The Nicaraguans had the right to defend themselves against the US armed-trained-funded-directed Contras (1979-1990). 

Beginning in April 1999 US-NATO (including forces from Britain, Germany, France, Italy and other allied countries) rained bombs down on the tiny country of Serbia, the largest fragment of the former Yugoslavia. Did Serbia have a right to defend themselves? Yes.

Race ahead to 2003 - 'shock and awe' in Iraq - George W. Bush's war. Did the people of Iraq have the right to defend themselves? I believe so.

 

 

Then in 2011 the US-NATO began the bloody war on Syria - demanding regime change in Damascus. They have failed but still the war goes on. Do the Syrian people have the right to defend themselves against the US-NATO war machine? Yes, of course.

Palestine, Afghanistan, Yemen, all throughout the African continent and more.  People in the global south are suffering as the western military hammer tries to enforce the demands of empire. But people are fighting back. I support them. 

In the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine I've been supporting the Russian-ethnic populations as they resist the Washington-London-Brussels mad attempt to create an endless bloody war along Russia's border. I watched as coal miners left their jobs to defend their families from constant attacks by Nazi death squads armed-trained-funded-directed by US-NATO. Moscow kept doing all it could diplomatically for eight years before it finally moved into Ukraine to stop the shelling of the Donbass region. Since the US directed coup d'etat in Kiev in 2014 more than 14,000 have died and more than 35,000 wounded. Still the fighting rages on as US-NATO keeps that war alive by sending weapons to Kiev's lost cause.

So it is indeed possible to be a peacenik and at the same time believe in solidarity. This solidarity means I stand with the people when the US is kicking the holy hell out of them around the world on behalf of corporate interests. To do anything else for me would be a sin. A sin of indifference.

You want to end these wars? Start to pin the blame on the real provocateurs - the US and NATO. 

Bruce

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Nazis shell maternity hospital in Donbass

 


 


◾Vishnevsky Maternity Hospital of Donetsk received a direct strike by Ukrainian Terrorist Forces on Monday 13 of June. 
◾Full report, doctors and patients testimonies: 
◾The shell hit the roof over the maternity ward. Fortunately, there were no patients there at the time of the attack. 
◾The Hospital suspended work due to serious damage after the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 
◾As Anna Zheleznaya, deputy general director of the Donetsk Republican Center for the Protection of Motherhood and Childhood, said, women in labor are evacuated, and those of them who are possibly will be discharged. 
◾After the shell hit right in the Hospital, 222 people, including 35 newborns, remained in the basement until the morning - they sat on benches, chairs, and lay on mattresses. 
◾According to obstetrician-gynecologist Valeria Goncharova, no one panicked. At least outwardly. ◾"Both gynecology and intensive care have been bombed"… a young female doctor can't hold back her tears, she is terrified.  

'I don't know if I will survive another war'

 


 


Again the Ukraine forces set another record of the heaviest attacks on the city of Donetsk, in all 8 years of this war, with a purportedly over 400 artillery shells fired on the streets of Donetsk from Ukrainian held territory. 
 
At about 7:30 am yesterday the 18th intense shelling went on the city of Donetsk In the center and other regions. At about 9:30 my team and I went to the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk after hearing reports of shelling there. After arriving the shelling continued and we spent the next 90 min carefully avoiding shelling as it rained down on this residential area so we could document the attack. 
 
While there and in this report we documented and saw with our own eyes impacts and damage to at least 8 apartment buildings, an Electronic equipment factory, a farmers market, and 3 small stores. We came across a group of people digging through debris to find their friend's bodies (hopefully alive) after Ukraine shelled a market. As I came up one of the elderly man fell down while searching, so I helped him up and joined them in the search. 
 
We only found one of their friends (not alive). We could not find the other 2. I pray they made it out alive. We saw one civilian killed by the shelling, one injured and 2 missing and presumed dead. 
 
To be clear this location is one of the MANY that took heavy shelling throughout the day in Donetsk. 

Sunday song