Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin of the Russian Orthodox Church is no stranger to controversy.
The staunchly conservative Orthodox priest has stuck his nose in everything from Kremlin involvement in eastern Ukraine to women's rights. He's claimed that women wearing short skirts “should not be surprised if they are raped,” and has railed against mixed-denomination Christian congregations.
But he outdid himself on Aug. 15, when he turned a question on a new statue dedicated to Ivan the Terrible into an ode to Stalin – dodging the question to declare both his support for the Soviet leader and the brutal purges in which millions of Russians were killed.
“He [Stalin] did a lot. At the end of it all, what's so bad about destroying some of [Russia's] internal enemies?,” said Chaplin on the Echo Moskvy radio station.
However, some Russians do remember Stalin's legacy of slaughter, exile and terror. Just this week a memorial to Stalin was vandalized the very night after it was dedicated.
Soviet analysts in the CIA and Soviet rulers throughout the USSR failed to anticipate the collapse of the communist political system. How can that be? And how does that effect American politics?
"In the years leading up to 1991, virtually no Western expert, scholar, official, or politician foresaw the impending collapse of the Soviet Union, and with it one-party dictatorship, the state-owned economy, and the Kremlin’s control over its domestic and Eastern European empires."
Because They Couldn't See It Coming.
In his book Private Truth, Public Lies, social scientist Timur Kuran argued that people, under pressure to conform by culture leaders often told public lies to get the pollsters and thought police off their backs, even as they nurtured a largely undetected private resentments inside them. Over time two divergent perceptions would emerge: the public lie would determine how the regime thought about itself while the private truth contained the real, but hidden data.
American politicians, and I believe many think tanks, suffer from the same perceptual malady; they believe the public lie because it benefits them.Not only in the US, but also in Europe where there is a groundswell of anger and resentment against the policies of liberal politicians.
It's becoming evident that the European elites failed to understand how explosive the migrant issue was until it detonated full in their face. Now it is in the midst of a crisis which could literally bring down the European Union. Why didn't they see it coming? Because they believed their own Narrative, even when they should have suspected it was a lie of their own making. If the PC Western elites are overtaken by a cascade similar to that which collapsed the Soviet Union, the ultimate irony will be that the very migrants which they had counted on to create the Curley Effect will turn out to be the engine of their own destruction.
James Michael Curley, a four-time mayor of Boston, used wasteful redistribution to his poor Irish constituents and incendiary rhetoric to encourage richer citizens to emigrate from Boston, thereby shaping the electorate in his favor. Boston as a consequence stagnated, but Curley kept winning elections. We present a model of the Curley effect, in which inefficient redistributive policies are sought not by interest groups protecting their rents, but by incumbent politicians trying to shape the electorate through emigration of their opponents or reinforcement of class identities. The model sheds light on ethnic politics in the United States and abroad, as well as on class politics in many countries including Britain.
The Fernandez article uses the Soviet regime of Romania's General Secretary of the Communist Party, Nicolae Ceaușescu, to illustrate the flash point when the public lie and the private truth finally merge. It isn't pretty.
The following is a rather graphic presentation of the public lie/private truth flashpoint reached in Romania. After 25 years of abuse, Romania finally had enough and on Christmas, 1989, executed Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena. I wonder if America will reach this point?
I found it fascinating; the similarity between Ceausescu and Bernie Sanders. Both were lazy and did not like to work. When queried by his employer (a shoemaker) on how he intended to make a living, Ceausescu replied, "I'll become the Romanian Stalin."
Ceausescu became a socialist so he wouldn't have to work; to live by taking from others who do work. Sounds about right for a socialist.
Actually, DeCaprio's batshit politics are probably closer to Lenin's philosophies. He's a Buddhist-Catholic or a Catholic-Buddhist. He'd embrace a totalitarian government if it would save the environment. In any event, the very mention of his name has managed to piss off a bunch of wigged out commies in the former Commie Land.
Communists in Russia have said they will blockade the country’s oldest film studios if it goes ahead with its plan to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Lenin.
DiCaprio, whose maternal grandmother was Russian, and who bears a striking childhood resemblance to the Russian leader, spoke last week of his fascination with the country’s history and figures.
“I think there should be more films about Russian history because it has many stories worthy of Shakespeare,” he told German newspaper Die Welt.
Exactly. Shakespeare wrote a fascinating play about the murder of 20 million people in his, "A Midsummer Night's Slaughter."
“That is fascinating for an actor. Putin would be very, very, very interesting. I would like to play him. “Lenin also would be an interesting role. I would like also to star as Rasputin." A St Petersburg state-owned film studio, Lenfilm, immediately offered the 41-year-old Oscar favourite the role.
I guess DeCaprio has got a major jones for murderers. Perhaps he could wrangle a role in "Stalin: 50 Shades of Death."
Has anyone eaten a moon cake? What do they taste like? The ChiComs have initiated a pogrom against these pastries. Are they that tasty? Story here.
The Chinese Communist Party has tightened up discipline on its 88 million members by banning several sinful activities, including extravagant eating and drinking, abuse of power, nepotism, adultery, and golf.
The report comes from the state-run Xinhua news agency, as translated by the BBC, which notes that the Communist Party “has in the past warned its officials to refrain from extravagant dinners and purchasing moon cakes using public funds.”
Moon cakes are a Chinese pastry, filled with salted egg yolk and sweet lotus paste, traditionally consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. As the BBC previously reported, the Communist Party believed corrupt officials were using public money to splurge on moon cakes and other entertainments during the festival. The prohibition against excessive drinking and eating is apparently another reaction to the abuse of public funds to pay for such indulgences.
Golf? I could care less. I have two sets of clubs gathering dust in my
house and I still smile at the way they scream when I hold one in my
hand.
The cultural significance of moon cakes explained here.
Now in America, we have moon pies.
Hmmmm, moon pies. I haven't had one of these in about a hundred years.
We've all seen this iconic depiction - "Tank Man" - of an individual's stand against tyranny, but this author poses a very significant question about the events in Tiananmen Square:
Why hasn't Hollywood produced a movie about the massacre in Tiananmen Square?
It is estimated that the Chinese murdered several thousand protesters on this day in 1989 but movie producers seem to have no interest in documenting this outrage. Mr. Gonzalez offers an explanation:
It’s not surprising China wants everybody to forget Tiananmen – and Hollywood may be influenced by that. After all, Hollywood receives significant funding from China. One of my friends in Hollywood, Ben Shapiro, told me yesterday that “everyone is scared of the Chinese market being closed to particular films or studios.” Indeed, in 2012 Chinese audiences shelled out $2.7 billion in box office sales for “Meiguo Da pian”—big American movies –and studios from Disney to Fox co-produce movies with China. DreamWorks has even struck a deal with two government-owned Chinese companies to create “Oriental DreamWorks.” One Chinese media fund alone—the Harvest Seven Stars Media Private Equity—has about $1 billion to invest in Hollywood.
Mayor de Blasio got over 70% of the popular vote in the NYC mayoral election last year. It's like everyone lost their minds.
Now it's time for a reckoning. New Yorkers will be in for a few surprises when this wingnut and his handpicked assortment of leftists get down to business. And business won't like it either.
Bill de Blasio: the Left's Nutty Professor Transforming New York into a Giant Political Petri Dish
Bill de Blasio swept into office on a pledge to transform New York's 'tale of two cities' by ending income inequality, raising taxes on the evil 1%, doling out free or reduced-cost housing for poor and working-class residents, and establishing that all-important job-creating engine, pre-kindergarten education.
But just three weeks into his tenure as mayor of America's biggest city, the man born Warren Wilhelm in Manhattan 52 years ago has already raised hackles with his many detractors -- and even some of his staunchest supporters.
I would say here that New York deserves better .... but they don't. They elected him.
He has big plans, like requiring private companies to provide mandatory sick leave and forcing developers to build affordable housing, whether they like it or not. And his "universal" pre-K programme would be a nationwide first, taxing the rich to come up with the needed $500m.
To that end, De Blasio is taking a page from Obama, running campaign-style ads to press the policy, and blanketing the city with flyers. "For over 15 years, Albany has promised funding for these programmes - and rarely delivered," the flyers say. "It's time for a new plan."
This maniac must have a picture of Detroit pasted to his bathroom mirror, or Mayor Dinkins.
"With gridlock in Washington, cities are now the place to get things done," says Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh. "And there is no bigger stage than New York City. With de Blasio's overwhelming election mandate, if he can implement his proposals and keep the city running well, then that becomes the playbook every progressive will follow."
And as far as those name changes are concerned. This guy wasn't probably vetted (surprise!) by the media. I'd like to see what's going on behind all those names he had. He sounds like Obama.
Four US presidents, at least 50 other world leaders, some two dozen members of Congress, and many other notables will attend Nelson Mandela's memorial service Tuesday in a soccer stadium. With such short notice, it's a big challenge for the Secret Service and other agencies.
We have yet to hear from the CEO's of Goodyear, Goodrich, Firestone and other makers of fine quality necklaces as to whether or not they will also attend.
The “ceremony of remembrance” Tuesday will be held in the Soweto soccer stadium, which holds 94,000 people.
No mention was made in remembrance of the ashes of the tens of thousands of South Africans murdered by Mandela's ANC communists. However, the battle lines are being drawn for divvying up the profits to be made from Mandela's famous name. It is reminiscent of the squabbles that erupted after the deaths of another terrorist, Yasir Arafat, and pop legend Michael Jackson.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - From political posters to bottles of wine and kitchen aprons, the face and name of Nelson Mandela are a potent commercial and political brand in South Africa. Little wonder it's so sought after - and the source of occasional squabbles.
Following his death on Thursday at the age of 95, the scramble for control of the Mandela legacy - both financial and moral - will involve his family, the ruling African National Congress (ANC), and the Nelson Mandela Foundation he set up to protect his broader message.
At stake is the inheritance that will go to Mandela's more than 30 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, some of whom already use the Mandela name and image to market everything from clothing to reality TV.
There are also the Mandela brands and trademarks that help fund the Foundation. And for the ANC, Mandela's reputation as an anti-apartheid hero is worth votes for years to come.
Right now the SA government is not releasing any information on Mandela's personal fortune. We'll have to wait and see how much Nelson and Winnie stole.
This POS is viewed by lofo liberals as Jesus, MLK, Che and Stalin all rolled into one. Watch for it; the stinking, pandering politicians here in America will move to make his birthday a national holiday. Somewhere a bridge will be named after him. I hope it leads to a festering shithole.
It was a sad day, the day this country honored the death of a murderous communist by lowering it's flags.
Nelson Mandela and his wife, Winnie, should also be remembered for necklacing - the practice of murdering political opponents by putting a used tire around their necks, filling it with gasoline and setting the hapless opponent on fire. Mandela was no George Washington.
This is the work of Obama's hero, the left's object of adoration.
Nelson Mandela's Custom Designed Jewelry
The above photo shows the remains of a South African woman whose only sin was sleeping with a white policeman.
