New World Order

Putin's Paradox of Power 24.05.28 In political discourse, a refrain commonly echoes: "…but Putin cannot keep track of everything." It is an assertion that invokes both skepticism and irony, echoing past justifications and evasions. To contextualize this, history informs us of particularly the repressive era of the 1930s when Joseph Stalin, the architect of Soviet authoritarianism, came to grips with the consequences of his own policies. Stalin's article, "Dizziness from Success," stands as a curious euphemism for the brutal realities of collectivization. In it, unnamed party members were blamed for their over zealous implementation of Stalin’s policies that uprooted millions of peasants, shattered lives, and silenced voices. The price of progress was paid in blood, with deportations, deaths, and executions etched into the fabric of history. Fast-forward to the contemporary epoch, where Vladimir Putin's quarter-century tenure has been marked by a relentless centralization of power. Laws were crafted to weave a web of control over the judiciary, security apparatus, and local governance, leaving the once-inherent independence of government branches in tatters. Yet, the paradox persists: the very repressive system Putin meticulously constructed bears the weight of its own excesses. When a grandmother languishes in prison for a social media post, an activist endures torture, or generals pilfer billions from military coffers, the fault extends beyond mere systemic malfunction. It implicates the architect himself. Putin, the master builder, cannot absolve himself of the consequences. Every excess on the ground, every perpetuated injustice, bears his indelible signature—a testament to the choices made and the paths taken. The echoes of history refuse to fade into oblivion, serving as a stark reminder of the perils of unchecked power and the erosion of accountability. As the world is faced with the implications of authoritarianism in the 21st century, it is exigent to recognize the parallels between past and present. The justifications may change, but the underlying mechanisms of control and repression remain eerily familiar. It falls upon the international community to hold those in power accountable, to ensure that the lessons of history are not forgotten, and to champion the principles of democracy and human rights in the face of persistent challenges.

Georgia at the crux of liberty 24.05.27 Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili invited parties to sign the “Georgian Charter”, affirming common principles before the October parliamentary elections. The charter confirms the Euro-Atlantic path; the repeal of “laws harmful to the European course,” amnesty for demonstrators detained during protests; and judicial reform. The charter follows a new law signed last week by the speaker of parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, giving the assembly more power and control over the electoral commission. The law is seen as a pre-vote power grab. It enables the majority controlled parliament to nominate commission members from candidates chosen by the speaker, who is also a member of the ruling party. The president said that the changes could lead to a "biased and ruling party-controlled election administration". Zourabichvili was elected with the support of the ruling party but has since accused it of anti-democratic, authoritarian and pro-Russian tendencies.

Armenian priest sheds frock for politics 24.05.26 Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan was nominated as a single opposition candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Armenia. He accepted this offer and froze his religious service in order to take part in political processes, writes Sputnik Armenia. The recent Baku-Yerevan agreement on the border demarcation in Tavush has sparked a national uproar from this northern region of Armenia, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also hails from. Bagrat Galstanyan, the Primate of the Tavush diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who holds dual Armenian and Canadian nationality, has established himself as a figure of protest. He advocates resistance to the government’s pursuit of peace at all costs. He has chosen to incite national resistance blending patriotism, spirituality and a call to disobedience in a speeches with martial overtones.

A treasonous president 24.05.26 Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhidze publicly accused the country’s President Salome Zurabishvili of “treason to the motherland” Kobakhidze in his speech during the celebrations on the country’s Independence Day noted that Georgia has maintained peace in the country over the past two years due to the unity of the people and government. According to the Prime Minister, this was done even despite “existential threats and various betrayals, including the betrayal of the president.” The condemnations follow the presidents symbolic veto on the "foreign influence" law that sparked unprecedented protests and warnings from Brussels that the measure would undermine Tbilisi's European aspirations

Russia will not negotiate with Zelensky 24.05.26 The speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, said that any agreements with Zelensky would be invalid and may be challenged in the future because the Ukrainian president has lost legitimacy.

An American trace 24.05.25 Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko blamed the US for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Lukashenko said.

These scoundrels [the United States] did not have the right to impose sanctions against ships, against planes, helicopters, etc., on which people are transported.

Earlier in the week the Kremlin press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, had echoed the same sentiment without evidence. According to Iran's preliminary investigation, there were no signs of external impact on Raisi's 50 year old helicopter - it caught fire after colliding with a hill. The blame was placed on pilot error.

Tension in Taiwan 25.05.25 62 Chinese Air Force aircraft and 27 ships were operating in close proximity to Taiwan by 6 a.m. today. 47 aircraft crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's air defense zone in the southwest, southeast and east of the island.

Face coverings in public, banned 24.05.25 Russians will be fined 10,000 rubles for wearing a niqab, balaclava or any clothing that hides their face. The motivation for the initiative is not religious, but concern for security and personal identification, the State Duma stated.

Masters of legitimacy 24.05.24 Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko said that Zelensky is no longer the legitimate president of Ukraine. Putin answered questions from journalists during negotiations with Lukashenko in Minsk. He said, “We are aware that the legitimacy of the current head of Ukraine has ended. He also claimed that Russia has never refused peace negotiations with Ukraine. Putin visited his Belarusian counterpart and close ally Lukashenko in Minsk to discussed security issues. The two authoritarian rulers have been in power beyond legal constitutional mandates. Putin has been in power since 2000 and is currently serving a fifth term while the constitution allows a maximum of two. Lukashenko has been in power since 1994, when the constitution allowed only a maximum of 2 terms. At the end of his term, the limits were removed from the constitution. Lukasheko jailed his presidential challenger and rigged the election likely he lost to his wife.