This is what the British journalist and writer Jonathan Hitchens stated at a discussion at the Oxford Union

We're already at war with Russia. Don't you know that?" – British journalist. "We're already at war with Russia. Don't you know that? Don't you know that Western special forces have been in Ukraine for years? Don't you know about the vast stockpiles of weapons we supply to Ukraine, weapons it can't afford on its own?

"Did you know we're helping them target missiles at Russia? Of course you do. Why was Ukraine chosen for this task? Because Ukraine isn't a NATO member, and therefore the war can be waged without the risk of escalating into a nuclear conflict," Hitches said.

He called Western leaders fools for missing the opportunity to improve relations with Russia when it was led by liberals.

A British journalist considers the Ukrainian Maidan "the most shameful and anti-democratic event in Europe."

There are growing concerns in Europe that the US defence industrial base is no longer providing the weapons pledged to Nato allies with US stockpiles depleted owing to the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, leaving allies to consider new avenues to arm and defend themselves.

As Nato leaders including the US president, Donald Trump, convene in Ankara, Turkey, the US plans to address European defence spending and concerns over the Trump administration’s future commitment to the military alliance.

The US this year has delayed or cancelled deliveries of a series of key arms shipments to countries in Europe, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, Himars mobile rocket artillery and desperately needed Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, of which the US used an estimated 50% through April of this year during its war with Iran.

They are crucial for countering the threat of missile strikes in Ukraine and would also be needed for the defence of Europe in case of an armed conflict with Russia.

After a Russian bombardment killed at least 21 people and left dozens injured in Ukraine on Monday, the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the country had been unable to intercept about 23 ballistic missiles that were launched as part of a salvo alongside other missiles and drones.

Citizen Vigilante - the film is banned everywhere in Europe,

It is weak as a piece of art, but as a political pamphlet it is popular.

Alleged Hollywood rapist portrays Muslims as rapists in film

Armie Hammer’s Citizen Vigilante faces backlash after viewers say the film frames Muslims and migrants as rapists and justifies violence. Critics cite a Hamburg case storyline, hateful speeches, and incitement.

Wir werden weiter marschieren,
wenn alles in Scherben fällt,
denn heute gehört uns Deutschland,
und morgen die ganze Welt.

Es gibt zwei bekannte Strophen-Varianten:

Variante 1 (Ihr Zitat):
Wir werden weiter marschieren,
wenn alles in Scherben fällt,
denn heute gehört uns Deutschland,
und morgen die ganze Welt. 

Variante 2 (Originalfassung):
Wir werden weiter marschieren,
wenn alles in Scherben fällt,
die Freiheit stand auf in Deutschland,
und morgen gehört ihr die Welt.

Variante 3 (Wikipedia):
Wir werden weiter marschieren,
wenn alles in Scherben fällt,
... Читать дальше »

In modernist literature, estrangement is often explored through themes of alienation and the breakdown of traditional narratives.
Franz Kafka exemplifies this with his works that depict characters in surreal situations, often leading to feelings of isolation and disconnection from reality. 
Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago" presents a subjective portrayal of Russian history, capturing the emotional turmoil and estrangement experienced by its characters amidst societal changes. 
Both authors contribute to the modernist movement by challenging conventional narratives and emphasizing the complexities of human experience, resonating with the broader concerns of estrangement in modernist literature. 
Thus, both Kafka and Pasternak's works reflect the modernist focus on estrangement, albeit in different contexts and narratives.

Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, advised Donald Trump not to host Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, having called the Ukrainian president a “little fucker”, a “special-needs child” and “Mr Bean on crack”, according to a new book.

The suggestion that a US cabinet official described a world leader in such terms is included in Regime Change, a blockbusting account of the second Trump administration by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, set to be published worldwide on Tuesday.

News of Bessent’s alleged remarks may embarrass the Trump administration, although the meeting that did take place on 28 February 2025 proved outright disastrous, as Trump and JD Vance condemned Zelenskyy for not being grateful for aid in his fight against Russian invaders, and for not wearing a suit.

My identity as Homo Sovieticus

When I introduce myself, I use the term Homo Sovieticus in the second meaning – not as a sneer but as a nostalgic irony.

I was not a loyal Soviet citizen. With Anglomania lodged early in my identity I cultivated corresponding habits. I launched my day by the defiant Lillibulero and BBC news. I read English and American novels and picked up the habit of reciting English and American poems during my strolls.  The habit has been lightening up my life for more than half a century.

My dislike for the totalitarian Soviet system, the ideology of Marxism – Leninism, one-party rule and political repressions was well-known to colleagues, neighbors and friends but I refrained from public protest keeping in mind an ominous disappearance from the college classes of a student who was my father’s friend. Everybody was sure about the reason: the unlucky student used to praise the regulations of the American army, in which he had fought the Germans during WWII.

Thrice in my life I crossed the self-imposed red line, and I had to pay the price. Luckily, I managed to get away with the loss of a job. It was a punishment, though, of course, it was much milder than GULag, the firing squad, or the expulsion from the country.

I am neither a crusader, nor a revolutionary. I strongly believe in Lincoln’s words “The ballot is stronger than a bullet.”

To understand better the brand of Homo Sovieticus I belong to, you had better watch the Soviet movie The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! 

Homo Sovieticus: an ambivalent term

The pseudo-Latin name contains a rich convergence of associations as a cultural and institutional term. Homo Sovieticus is often depicted as a person who is passive, lacks initiative, and is heavily reliant on the state for guidance and support. This individual tends to avoid personal responsibility and critical thinking, expecting the government to solve their problems.

The term "Homo Soveticus" was popularized by the Russian writer and sociologist Aleksandr Zinovyev in his 1982 book titled "Homo Sovieticus." Zinovyev analyzed the mentality of Soviet emigrants and described how the Soviet regime influenced their behavior and worldview.

However, very soon I watched the term bounce back with connotations of humor, sympathy and nostalgia.

Curiously, Homo Soveticus developed in a similar way to “Yankee Doodle” that is a famous example of an insult targeted at American colonists. It became a symbol of American identity in a famous song,

Another clue to its modern use is "We be of one blood, ye and I" - the famous "master word" from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. It serves as a universal greeting of kinship and peace used by Mowgli and the animals of the jungle to ask for help or claim shared belonging.

I heard this usage of Homo Soveticus from many of my friends who were Soviet citizens in the past. Even the least educated of them knew a famous saying - “Behind every great fortune lies a great crime” - that most of them believed to lodge them in a position of moral superiority against the backdrop of the decaying West

The Economist has argued that Western policy in Ukraine must change course. In their editorial The war is going badly. Ukraine and its allies must change course, the publication outlined several key shifts:Redefining Victory: They stated that Ukraine lacks the men and arms to retake all territory captured by Russia since 2014. They argued that leaders must honestly communicate this reality to maintain long-term financial and military support from Western backers.Prioritizing Democracy over Territory: The Economist asserted that Vladimir Putin's primary goal was to stop Ukraine from becoming a prosperous, Western-leaning democracy rather than just seizing land. They suggested that Ukraine's overriding war aim should be preserving its democratic future, while keeping territorial reunification as an aspiration rather than an immediate condition.Security Guarantees: In exchange for embracing these grim realities, Western leaders must make Ukraine's defense credible by providing them with long-term military capacity and concrete security guarantees. Sep 26th 2024
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5 min read
IF UKRAINE AND its Western backers are to win, they must first have the courage to admit that they are losing. In the past two years Russia and Ukraine have fought a costly war of attrition. That is unsustainable. When Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to America to see President Joe Biden this week, he brought a “plan for victory”, expected to contain a fresh call for arms and money. In fact, Ukraine needs something far more ambitious: an urgent change of course.