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Kievan Russia (882−1242): The Original National State of Russians
In fact, the first national state of Russians – Kievan Russia, originated in
the Viking’s attempt to impose trade control over the territories around
the main watersheds from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
by Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirović
In the years from 882 to 1242 the first and original national state organization of the Russians– the Kievan Russia (not Kyivan Rusia or Kyiv Rus’!) became directly and indirectly subject to external political influences by several external political units of the time. According to the official historiographical traditions (mainly of Western origin), Kievan Russia was established and governed by the Nordic Vikings (“Varyagi/Varangians/Rus’”) with the Dnieper as its axis with Kiev as capital and later received Christianity of the Eastern (Greek)type from the Byzantium in the south and was finally conquered by the barbaric Mongol Tartars from the east.
The origin of the term “rus’” is, actually, still not scientifically investigated and, therefore, clear (due to the lack of proper historical sources). However, in the early period of the state’s emergence, the Eastern Slavs did not use the term “rus’” to refer to themselves. The term is, in fact, related to the Old Norse word “rōþr”, which means a rower or a campaign by boatspropelled by oars. In the 9th and 10th centuries, “rus’” referred to the ducal inner circle and his confidants, the army – an elite social group. In Byzantine written historical sources circulating until the 11th century, “rus’” (“Rhōs”) referred to the Scandinavians or the NordiVikings. Around that time another name, “Varangians” (“Varangoi”), also appeared. Varangians were primarily Nordic-Scandinavian mercenaries in the Byzantine Imperial army. They were elite warriors valued for their valor and loyalty and even formed the Emperor’s personal bodyguard. The terms “rus’” and “Varangians” have been used synonymously since the 11th century.
“Welcome to Hell”: U.S. Silence on Israel’s Network of Torture Camps
By Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan
“When we got off the bus, a soldier said to us: ‘Welcome to hell.’” Those are the words of 45 year-old Fouad Hassan, a father of five from Nablus in the occupied West Bank, who was recently held in Israel’s Megiddo Prison. His words open a devastating report from the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, exposing Israel’s rapid conversion of Megiddo and eleven other prisons into a network of “torture camps” following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
Fouad is one of 55 Palestinians interviewed by B’Tselem for the report, 30 from the West Bank, 21 from the Gaza Strip, and four who are Israeli citizens. Their searing testimonies are supplemented by news accounts and official reports, creating a shocking mosaic of systemic neglect, abuse, torture, and killings inside the Israeli prison system that have intensified since October 7th, all at the direction of Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The accounts B’Tselem has brought to light are shocking. Sari Huriyyah, a 53-year-old real estate lawyer and an Israeli citizen, was arrested over a Facebook post on November 4th. He described what happened to Abd a-Rahman Mar’i, a 23-year-old man held in an isolation cell next to him:
“He screamed in pain constantly, begging for a doctor. The guard would come now and then and swear: ‘Eat Shit! Shut up!’ In the morning, the guards came to count us. One said, ‘Get up, you animal. Get up, you dog.’ They checked him and the whole place went silent. Finally, the doctor said, ’There’s nothing to be done.’ One of the guards said to them, ‘My condolences,’ and they all started laughing. They put him in a black body bag, and carried him out like trash.”
The Kamala Harris Security Obsession: A Critical Look
Harris's record displays a troubling callousness towards those
entangled in the criminal justice system
Gary Smith, PhD.
Kamala Harris Security Criminal Justice Reform National Security Policies Law and Order vs. Justice Criminalization of Poverty Police Misconduct Immigration Policies Surveillance and Privacy Civil Rights and Freedoms Community Safety Initiatives Three Strikes Law Impact California Attorney General Digital Age Security Environmental Justice Policies Post-9/11 Political Climate Kamala Harris
Security is the pillar that has most supported Kamala Harris' political career. It's not just a matter of rhetoric but a philosophical stance that shapes policies and public discourse. Since her swearing-in, Vice-President Harris has expressed views on security from national defense to criminal justice reform Her obsession with security often drowns out discussions around freedom and liberty along with the broad implications of her policies.
A Consistent Theme
From her time as District Attorney in San Francisco to the Vice Presidency, Harris frequently employs the term "security." This term is nearly habitual in her speeches, interviews, and policy memos. She linked national security to cybersecurity and foreign relations in the Senate, claiming that a secure nation equals prosperity. Her emphasis on community safety often translates into an endorsement of law enforcement initiatives aimed at creating a veneer of safety (often referred to as the Nanny State).
Yet, her obsession with ‘security’ raises critical questions. The pervasive notion of security may suggest a motive of control —either through government means or at the expense of individual freedoms. Harris's rhetoric frequently conveys a desire to "lock it down," whether in discussions on strict iimmigration policies or the promotion of high-tech surveillance systems. Her delivery during speeches smacks of a phobic woman trying to quell her inner tremors with a police state.
The Israeli Government Must Be Stopped
By David Swanson, World BEYOND War
The Israeli government has been dragging Western weapons and militaries into wars for far too long, putting all of the world — and its global institutions — at risk. The move into Lebanon, creating more dead, injured, traumatized, and homeless already in huge numbers ought to snap some war supporters out of their trance.
The danger of a catastrophic war on Iran that is joined by the United States and NATO on one side, and additional nations on the other, looms horrifically on the horizon.
It is high time for the world’s governments, including that of Israel’s top supplier, the United States, to begin complying with the International Court of Justice, the United Nations General Assembly, and each of the treaties and domestic laws violated by each arms shipment.
Narrative Control: Unmasking Media Manipulation, Government Overreach, and Dissent Suppression
by Cathy Smith
Deeply, deeply inspired by George Orwells 1984 Mini-Truth,
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and Current World Events
public perception, media manipulation, information gatekeeping, controlled narratives, state-sponsored propaganda, authority and narrative shaping, dissent suppression, silencing dissent, censorship tactics, Ministry of Safe Thinking, psychological manipulation, intellectual freedom
Reject the chains of controlled narrative propaganda; intellectual freedom is our birthright.public perception, media manipulation, information gatekeeping, controlled narratives, state-sponsored propaganda, authority and narrative shaping, dissent suppression, silencing dissent, censorship tactics, Ministry of Safe Thinking, psychological manipulation, intellectual freedom
Unmasking Opednews: Credibility, Control, and Controversy in Alternative Media
By Cathy Smith
Opednews, alternative media, independent journalism, media credibility, editorial bias, censorship, government surveillance, Rob Kall, writer bans, social injustice, civil rights, media accountability, fake news, financial illegitimacy, IRS Tax EIN, writer experiences, ideological bias, transparency, dissenting voices, audience trust, media landscape, digital journalism, ethical concerns, Opednews controversies, reader trust issues, free speech, dissent suppression, alternative viewpoints, audience engagement.
In an era where mainstream media faces intense scrutiny for bias and sensationalism, platforms like Opednews have emerged as crucial venues for alternative viewpoints and independent journalism. Founded with the explicit goal of amplifying dissenting voices, Opednews has garnered both praise and criticism for its editorial decisions and operational practices. The knowledge of Opednews's IRS Tax EIN being deficit, and their deceit goes back years and is still spreading – one commentator, Ned Lud, called them No-caf, no-fat diet honesty.
However, the platform's financial legitimacy, ideological biases, and treatment of contributors raise significant concerns that demand a thorough and comprehensive examination. This analysis delves into the complexities surrounding Opednews, exploring its origins, biases, and writer experiences, ultimately assessing its role in the broader media landscape. OpEdNews is considered a hamster wheel of deceit and (faux) dissent or dissidence lite.
A Fight To The Finish
Note: This piece points up Kamala Harris's sheer hypocrisy, as well as the sell-out of Trump, Harris, and RFK Jr. on the "Palestine problem." It also highlights the vast undercount of the official death toll. 40,000? 300,000 murdered thus far by Zionist Jews supported by the US and UK is much closer to reality.[*] The Vietnam War-era chant against mass murderer Lyndon Johnson ("How many kids did you kill today?") has been updated to reflect America's ongoing wars against Russia and Palestine. Why aren't millions of people out in the streets of every major US and European city demanding an end to BOTH of these criminal campaigns?
US and EU Intel Guys: None of Them Have Ever Been Punched in the Face
I think I've figured out why our "INTEL" people have gotten it so wrong on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the likelihood that Russia will HIT us here in the USA over what we've been doing: NONE of those Intel Guys has ever been punched in the face. I'm serious!
Growing up, most guys my age (62) got into more than a few physical fights. Usually at school - or after school - over some bullshit that happened.
Those fights usually happened because one guy pushed another guy...and pushed...and pushed...and pushed some more. Sooner or later, the guy being pushed hauled-off and knocked the living shit outta the guy who was bothering him.
Same thing with a schoolyard bully. Everyone was afraid of him. He got away with it over and over again. Then, one day, he bullied the wrong kid, or bullied someone again who had finally had enough, and...WHACK...the kid knocked the living shit outta the bully. That's us, with Russia.
We have pushed and pushed and pushed some more with this Ukraine thing. We tried to recruit Ukraine into the western spere of influence in 2013-2014. We told them we wanted to put American missile defenses on their soil. Just TRYING to do that was "push" #1.
Back in the 1990's, then US President George HW Bush (the father), PROMISED the then-Soviet Union "NATO will not move one inch eastward" if they allowed East and West Germany to re-unify. It was a rock solid promise by a sitting US President. The soviets agreed and the two Germanys were re-united.
Bill Clinton got into the US Presidency and he welched on that promise. NATO began expanding eastward toward Russia's border. But at the time, Russia couldn't do anything about it because the Soviet Union had collapsed and dissolved itself, and Russia was paying off all of the Soviet Debts.
Sacrificed Ukraine and Western Russophobia
What kind of hatred is it that obscures the view and suppresses even
the instinct of self- preservation?
Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirovic
Ukraine is not part of Saharan Africa, nor is it a country of illiterate or ill-educated people. How is it possible for Ukrainians to tolerate such a stumble, how is it possible that their tycoon and corrupt political elite so enchanted them and diverted them to the wrong side through manipulations? Instead of confronting their political scum, the Ukrainians, again with a lot of help from Western friends, estimated that the snake was not in the bowels, but on the other side of the eastern border - in Russia, so they needed NATO’s protection. And the focal illusion is that when Ukraine becomes a member of NATO, the country will prosper just as, for example, North Macedonia prospered in the same organization.
Ukraine has thus decided that those who are further away from it are closer to it - not only geographically, but also spiritually and culturally, those who despise Ukrainians just as much as Russians, if not more. That contempt is hidden for only a moment in the name of strategic reasons, and it will last for a few more days after the end of the war, regardless of its outcome. And then everything will return to normal. Solidarity with Ukrainians who remain in the West will be replaced by intolerance towards foreigners who burden the social system, take jobs, raise the crime rate, and lower the salaries of domestic workers. Ukrainians will again be the others - those who are not "us". Even if Ukraine one day joins the European Union or/and NATO, that contempt will not disappear nor will the status of Ukrainians as second-class citizens change.
And then when you renounce yourself and try to become something that you are not and that you have been convinced is more civilized and better, you will not become that other - you are more likely to become nothing. This is true not only for Ukrainians but also for "enlightened" Russians, Serbs, and others, for all those who would like to be what they are not, in the hope that they will be acceptable to those who will never accept them. Bulgarians, Romanians, and even Poles, and to exchange experiences with them related to acceptance, respect, integration, and "Europeanization". And they can pour oil into the water quite scientifically and see how it mixes.
Sanewashing AI Genocide: The Talpiot Program, Lavender Genocide AI and American Connections
AI War in Lebanon?
by Tracy Turner
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not merely a tool for efficiency; it is a transformative force reshaping global military and intelligence operations. Its integration into warfare reveals stark realities of life and death, particularly in the contexts of Israel's Talpiot Program and the Lavender AI initiative, as well as their connections to prestigious institutions like Harvard Business School. These intersections highlight how cutting-edge technologies, and military strategies intertwine with educational and corporate frameworks in the United States, raising urgent genocide ethics questions. The Israeli's wish for endless quicksand debates of "ethics," leaving out the genocide events.
