15-5-18
Dear Partners in thought,
Just a quick note to mention to you Yale’s Timothy Snyder’s excellent book “The Road to Unfreedom” whose title does not stress enough its contents focused on Putin’s Russia and the philosophical roots (White Russian and de facto early facist Ivan Ilyin) for his grand Eurasian plans and the incredible ways (including military, cyber and disinformation) he seems to have unleashed post-2012 going after the destruction of the West, both the U.S. and the EU (including CZ) being main targets of the divide/destroy and rule strategy. Lies don’t count, always deny, only the results matter and ensuring that the Russian people get it that it is a civilisational fight against Satan (literally), which also helps them along the way forgetting or digesting the Russian wealth hyper-concentration and their (average Russian’s) social stagnation.
The book includes a very detailed (for once) review of the “reality” of the true Ukraine conflict – a very real war, very much with Russian shock troops and not “little green men” – and how disinformation was played there and across the elector field in Europe and the U.S. later. Then there is also in the later part a very good part on Trump, which could be nicknamed “The Manchurian Candidate” (after the great movie(s) you will remember) and whose actually failed real estate career is vividly described…It appears quite obvious that Trump was de facto bailed out by quite a few Russian oligarchic buyers over recent years (looking at the owners of NY’s Trump Tower flats is edifying). The links keep going through the Russian connections with Manafort (who seemed to have followed for Trump what he applied in Kiev earlier on) and others, some of whom already indicted.
It is hard not to focus on the strange funding Trump got from Russian oligarchs over recent years for properties with widely overstated prices never ever occupied (explaining very likely also why he would unusually not release his tax returns in the 2016 race and why the Mueller investigation may ultimately be a killer, not mentioning what the Kremlin/Russian FSB may have on him and his probable late night pleasures while in Moscow for the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant…). It is amazing to go through the various statements of the Russian elite calling Trump “our man” or “our candidate”. The links between Putin and Russia are too many and too murky for being nothing in the end. It is a question of time. Sadly one understands more why Trump acts so boldly on the trade war and Iranian nuke deal fronts to name just two to deviate in typical “traditional Russian fashion” the attention of the public…As you may know, Snyder is probably one of the leading U.S. historians today, well known for his scholarly and sober approach to historical events so his take looks very solid and is indeed well referenced. His book should be a must read.
All the best,
Serge
Serge Desprat- May, 2018 (Prague)
Desperate Measures 