Reader’s Links for May 11, 2022

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

32 Replies to “Reader’s Links for May 11, 2022”

  1. sky news UK – ‘Capture means death to us’, says Azov Brigade officer in Mariupol

    Lieutenant Illya Samoilenko of the Azov Brigade speaks to Sky News from beneath the Azovstal steel plant.

    He says that his unit cannot surrender as his unit is part of a terrorist group in Russia, and that “every day may be our last”.

    Lt Samoilenko said that his life did not matter, and that there would be catastrophic consequences for Ukraine if the war is lost.

    • sky news UK – How Finland is preparing for Russian invasion

      The usually neutral country is considering applying to join NATO, to be strategically protected in a way that it’s neighbour Ukraine was not.

      A huge army of reservists are now getting ready, in case conflict in Ukraine heads their way.

    • CBC – Ukraine shuts off key natural gas pipeline from Russia to Europe

      Ukraine’s natural gas pipeline operator has stopped Russian shipments through a key hub in an area in the east of the country controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.

      • It sounds like a bribery issue. Give me cash money and speed up our EU integration process or else… Orders, of course, issued by the Biden administration.

    • global news – How a Russia propaganda broadcaster is buying its way onto US airwaves

      Despite efforts to crackdown on Moscow’s propaganda and disinformation on its invasion of Ukraine, Russian government broadcaster Radio Sputnik is thriving on U.S. airwaves.

      Produced by Russia’s state media company, from studios just blocks from the White House, Sputnik is selling a very different version of the conflict in Ukraine to American audiences, one where Russia is the victim.

      Global’s Jackson Proskow looks at how that happened with the help of Americans and how it’s trying to reframe the war in the Kremlin’s favour.

    • Senators call Russia state sponsor of terrorism

      Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal are calling for a resolution to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. They would like the Senate to vote on their measure as part of an upcoming vote on aid to Ukraine.

    • europravda – How the cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction will eclipse the entire Marshall Plan

    • europravda – EU-wide ban on Russian oil would threaten German refinery’s future

    • Col. Douglas McGregor – The Threat Of Polish Involvement In Ukraine

      The war against Russia in Ukraine has evolved, but not in the way Western observers predicted.

      In economics,” wrote John Kenneth Galbraith, “the majority is always wrong.” Galbraith might have added that in military affairs, there is a mountain of historical evidence to suggest that American generals and military analysts are always wrong, too.

      When the Spanish Civil War ended in March 1939 after three years of brutal fighting that saw Soviet, German, and Italian equipment, advisors, and troops in heavy combat, senior military leaders in London, Paris, and Washington found surprisingly little evidence to suggest a profound change in warfare. In fact, a U.S. Army officer who later became a major general witnessed the fighting and suggested that, “In Spain, the theories proclaimed for the devastating power of Panzer divisions and other massed armored formations used ‘independently’ are apparently refuted by actual events.” Five months later, events in Poland would repudiate these words, but at the time, his views were widely shared in the West.

      The war against Russia in Ukraine is different from the Spanish Civil War. It’s a proxy war designed to employ the full range of American and allied capabilities against Russia in Ukraine. If Americans are beginning to wonder whether Washington’s enormous investment in Ukrainian assistance has colored the opinions of U.S. analysts and their evaluation of events in Ukraine, their suspicions are justified.

      Within days of the war’s outbreak, President Biden signed off on an emergency spending package that included $13 billion in aid to Ukraine, half of which was allocated for military purposes. Combined with the recently promised $33 billion in additional military assistance to Ukraine, the total cost of U.S. taxpayer-funded military assistance to Ukraine in 2022 approaches the Russian army’s annual budget. Perhaps most important, in Ukraine, U.S. advisorsprovide intelligence and targeting guidance along with the rapid resupply of critical war-fighting equipment.

      As the fighting raged in Ukraine, as if on cue, retired U.S. Army generals appeared on television to herald an imminent Ukrainian victory based on the country’s allegedly spectacular battlefield successes and Russia’s extraordinary incompetence. Russian forces, they argued, were doomed to defeat by serious tactical errors, logistical shortfalls, and weak execution. In retrospect, some of these comments involved “mirror imaging,” but much of the criticism almost certainly reflected the sunk costs of U.S. investment in Ukrainian military capability.

      It did not take long for American analysts to insist that the Russian military leadership had made the unpardonable mistake of not “front-loading” the Russian offensive in Ukraine with strikes from precision guided missiles, Desert Storm-style. American military pundits and their British colleagues were also quick to pass judgement on the failure of Russian ground forces to race west along two or three major axes. If Ukrainian forces could inflict enough human and equipment losses on Russian forces, the narrative went, Moscow would abandon its objectives and withdraw its forces. Of course, expecting the Russians to suspend operations on such spurious grounds makes about as much sense as expecting Washington to sue for peace after Pearl Harbor.

      The retired generals paid little attention to the operational situation. Contrary to the picture painted by Western analysts, Russian ground forces pressed forward, moving methodically along a 300-mile front to identify and selectively attack Ukrainian forces.

      Few analysts in the West knew or cared that Russian commanders were instructed to avoid collateral damage to the civilian population and infrastructure. Initially, concerns about collateral damage clearly constrained the Russian army’s action, but in time, Russian operations encircled key urban areas in Eastern Ukraine where Ukrainian forces sought to establish defensive strongholds stocked with ammunition, food, and water. Russian operational intent changed, focusing on systematically reducing the encircled Ukrainian forces and not on capturing metropolitan areas.

      Russia’s enormous advantage in strike forces—rocket artillery, tactical ballistic missiles, conventional artillery, and aircraft—combined with significant Ukrainian deficiencies in mobility, air defense, and strike assets, made the Ukrainian decision to defend inside urban areas inevitable. But Ukrainian forces’ inability to effectively maneuver and coordinate counteroffensives on the operational level ceded the strategic initiative to Russian forces early. It also simplified the conduct of Russian “attrition by strike operations.” Key Ukrainian airfields, bridge sites, railway junctions and transportation assets were neutralized or destroyed, isolating forward deployed Ukrainian forces from resupply or reinforcement.

      Ten weeks after the conflict began, it is instructive to re-examine the strategic picture. The war against Russia in Ukraine has evolved, but not in the way Western observers predicted. Ukrainian forces look shattered and exhausted. The supplies reaching Ukrainian troops fighting in Eastern Ukraine are a fraction of what is needed. In most cases, replacements and new weapons are destroyed long before they reach the front.

      Confronted with the unambiguous failure of U.S. assistance and the influx of new weapons to rescue Ukrainian forces from certain destruction, the Biden administration is desperate to reverse the situation and save face. Poland seems to offer a way out. More important, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both expressed the desire to erase the borders between Poland and Ukraine.

      Unconfirmed reports from Warsaw indicate that after Washington rejected the proposals for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, along with the transfer of Polish MIG-29 aircrafts to Ukrainian pilots, the Polish general staff was quietly instructed to formulate plans for intervention in the Ukrainian conflict by seizing the western part of Ukraine. Naturally, military action of this scale would require Kiev’s approval, but given Washington’s de facto control of the Zelensky government, approval for Polish military intervention should not be a problem.

      Presumably, the Biden administration may hope that a collision involving Russians and Poles in any form—including air and missile strikes against Polish forces on the Ukrainian side of the border—would potentially call for the NATO council to meet and address Article V of the NATO treaty. Whether a Polish military intervention into Ukraine justifies the commitment of NATO members to war with Russia is unclear. Action still would be left up to the judgement of each NATO member state.

      About the most that any analyst can say with confidence at this point is that Polish military intervention would confront NATO members with the specter of war with Russia, the very development most NATO members oppose. Setting aside whether Polish ground forces are ready to execute the mission in the face of Russian opposition, Polish action would satisfy the neocons in Washington, D.C. Poland may well be the key to widening NATO’s war with Russia in Eastern Europe.

      Why? Because the Polish catalyst for conflict with Russia presents the American people with a war that Americans do not want, but cannot easily stop. Such a war with Russia would be a war that began without an objective appraisal of American vital interests, the distribution of power inside the international system, or the existence of any concrete threats to U.S. national security.

      https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-threat-of-polish-involvement-in-ukraine/

    • MSNBC – As Putin Shows Weakness, U.S. Steps Up Aid To Ukraine In Sign Of Recalibrated U.S. Role

      David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, talks with Rachel Maddow about Vladimir Putin surprising some observers by not using Victory Day to announce an escalation of his war in Ukraine, raising questions about whether the U.S. can get away with helping Ukraine fight back even harder.

    • sky news UK – How does a country join NATO?

      NATO is a military, political and also geographical organisation and the benefits of being a member can be significant

      Here’s a step-by-step guide on how a country can join NATO, from the state of its democracy to its military commitments

    • VOA – Pilot Of World’s Largest Cargo Plane Bids Farewell to Aircraft Destroyed by Russian Forces

      Dmytro Antonov served as the captain of the world’s largest cargo plane, the AN-225 “Mriya.” His role ended when Russian forces destroyed the iconic plane

    • europravda – Ukraine halts Russian gas exports to Europe at eastern transit point

    • yahoo – Mariupol defender calls upon Israel for aid

      In his message, Barabash explains that the injuries he sustained from Russian attacks make it difficult for him to speak, so he asked his comrade to speak on behalf of the Ukrainian Jews holding out at the Azovstal steel mill.

      He calls Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s Russia a contemporary incarnation of the barbaric regimes of Stalin and Hitler – the Soviet and Nazi dictators who committed atrocities and genocide against the Jewish people in 20th century.

      “We have always been united by the history of two horrific tragedies, but now we must continue our struggle, defending our land and our country,” said Barabash.

      “As Ukraine never turned its back on the Jewish people, so Israel must now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukrainians, against Russian invaders, who have brought forth a new tragedy.”

      “Right now, we need Israel’s help in securing the salvation of the entire military garrison of Mariupol; we urge (Israel) to rescue them.”

      According to Barabash, this is something Israel is capable of – something the Jewish Ukrainian soldiers are hoping for.

    • His eyes can’t stay put, in front of the camera. He has the look of a guy on drugs. I was reading about the Ukraine military giving them drugs to fight till the end.

  2. China faces ‘tsunami ‘ of 1.6 million deaths from omicron variant if Zero-COVID policy dropped: study

    China’s level of COVID immunity is not strong enough to fight an uncontrolled omicron epidemic, which could cause a “tsunami” of 1.55 million deaths if allowed to spread unchecked.

    That’s according to a peer-reviewed report from Shanghai’s Fudan University

    that published in the journal Nature on Tuesday.

    It comes as China faces criticism and anger from some locked-down citizens over the country’s “Zero COVID” approach to virus control.

    “We find that the level of immunity induced by the March 2022 vaccination campaign would be insufficient to prevent an Omicron wave that would result in exceeding critical care capacity with a projected intensive care unit peak demand of 15.6-times the existing capacity and causing approximately 1.55 million deaths,” the study’s authors said.

    The country has seen progress in controlling the virus in major cities such as Shanghai, under lockdown in some places for a month. But officials there have warned relaxing measures too early would see the virus rebound. The head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus this week criticized the country’s strict policy as not sustainable.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-faces-tsunami-of-16-million-deaths-from-omicron-variant-if-zero-covid-policy-dropped-study-2022-05-11

    ========================================
    the telegraph – China’s zero-Covid stance ‘unsustainable’ in the face of omicron, WHO chief warns

    Rare public criticism comes after modelling suggested 1.55m people could die if omicron wave hits due to the country’s low vaccination rates

    China’s stringent zero-Covid strategy is “not sustainable” in the face of the highly contagious omicron variant, the head of the World Health Organisation has warned.

    In a rare public criticism of an individual government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus suggested it is “very important” that China shifts away from a zero-tolerance approach.

    “When we talk about the zero-Covid strategy, we don’t think that it’s sustainable, considering the behaviour of the virus now and what we anticipate in the future,” Dr Tedros told journalists.

    “We have discussed… this issue with Chinese experts and we indicated that the approach will not be sustainable. And considering the behaviour of the virus, I think a shift would be very important.”

    The intervention comes after researchers warned that China is at risk of unleashing a major omicron wave that could trigger 1.55 million deaths in the next six months, if all restrictions are lifted without boosting both vaccination rates and access to treatments.

    The modelling paper, published in Nature by scientists in the US and China, has highlighted the dilemma facing Beijing due to low rates of natural immunity, patchy vaccination coverage and slightly less effective shots.

    Researchers estimated that an uncontrolled omicron wave could trigger 122 million symptomatic infections, 2.7m intensive care admissions and 1.55m fatalities over the next six months, if vaccine uptake does not improve.

    Around three quarters of these fatalities would occur among unvaccinated people over the age of 60 – despite making up about one-eighth of the population – while peak demand on intensive care would hit more than 15 times capacity.

    China’s vaccination rates among the most vulnerable are lacking, with only around 61 per cent of those over 60 having had three shots. This is of particular concern as analysis of the country’s home-grown jabs has found that a booster jab is critical to maintain high protection against severe disease and death.

    Prof Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at Hong Kong University who was not involved in the study, said the paper should not be seen as an endorsement of zero-Covid.

    “The availability of vaccines and antiviral drugs offer an opportunity to move away from zero-Covid,” he told Reuters. “I can’t think what there is now to wait for.”

    Hit the reset button
    But the study also shines a spotlight on China’s singular approach to Covid. Experts have already criticised the country for failing to prioritise the elderly in vaccination drives, while resources have been focused on relentless testing, contact tracing and quarantining.

    “When you have the healthcare personnel all being mobilised to conduct PCR tests, to enforce the quarantine, or some of the hospitals are even closed – then, you don’t have the services providing vaccines to those who want to be vaccinated, not to mention those who are hesitant,” Dr Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, told The Telegraph at the end of April.

    He added that China has not launched an effective public health strategy to persuade the hesitant to take shots.

    Speaking at the WHO press conference on Tuesday, Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s emergencies programme, said that it was time for China to hit the reset button.

    “We need to balance the control measures against the impact on society, the impact they have on the economy, and that’s not always an easy calibration,” Dr Ryan said, adding that China should show “due respect to individual and human rights”.

    But Shanghai, which has been locked down for six weeks, has doubled down on its stringent pandemic restrictions, with local media reporting that two subway lines still operating have been suspended – marking the first time the city’s entire system has been shut down.

    And, despite mounting frustrations among the public and a sharp fall in cases – from a peak of 26,000 in mid-April to roughly 3,000 on Monday – authorities have ordered people in some districts to remain home once again, after allowing limited access to shops.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/chinas-zero-covid-stance-unsustainable-face-omicron-chief-warns/

    ====================================
    nature medicine

    Accelerated Article Preview

    Modeling transmission of SARS-CoV-2

    Omicron in China

    ( PDF ) 48 pages

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01855-7_reference.pdf

  3. europravda – Here’s how the EU’s plan to tackle online child abuse could impact your privacy

    Privacy activists are sounding the alarm over the European Commission’s plans to clamp down on online child abuse, warning that it would usher in “mass surveillance” in the bloc.

  4. Shashank Joshi
    May 9 • 4 tweets • 2 min read

    Macron “warned that while Europe was now helping Ukraine, there would come a point when Moscow and Kyiv would sue for peace and at that point neither side should be humiliated or excluded as had happened to Germany in 1918.”

    More from Macron speech. “It is up to Ukraine to define the conditions for negotiations with Russia. But our duty is to be by his side to obtain the ceasefire and then build peace. Then we will be there to rebuild Ukraine into Europeans, always.”

    Macron invokes Mitterand’s European confederation, which was to include Russia, and says it was “probably too early”. But “this question remains: how to organize Europe from a political and broader point of view than the European Union?” Proposes a “European political community”

    Macron: “in the end, when peace returns to European soil, we will have to build new balances of security and we must, together, never give in to the temptation of either humiliation or the spirit of revenge”

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1523717155862237185.html

  5. EB Please use your talents and go to the Defender site and post the interview with Dr. Joel Wallskog on here. It is without a doubt the most gut wrenching interview I have listened to on this Vaccine bullshit, safe and effective. Joel tells his story of what happened to him and how terrible it is for all those who have suffered from these shots. Everyone should look at this. Vlad this is a “front page “story. God help us all. Why has his criminal behaviour not been stopped – – it is time for all to stand up and DO SOMETHING.

    many years ago I had a government job, I complained to my boss, who sent me to her boss and on and on up the ladder I was sent. Finally I had lunch with a very high up the ladder boss and her advice to me was “don’t rock the boat”. I quit because I could not live with myself, my God, there are a lot of absolute, lying, filthy bastards in thenealth business who need to be exposed NOW.

  6. It’s SCANDALOUS | Claire Hibbs on the blood clots she suffered after the AstraZeneca Covid jab

    Claire Hibbs, who suffered blood clots ‘on the liver’ and ‘lungs’ after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine joins Mark Steyn to discuss her experience.

  7. Biden Handing Over U.S. Sovereignty to WHO
    by Peter Breggin MD and Ginger Ross Breggin – May 4, 2022
    https://breggin.com/article-detail/post_detail/Biden-Handing-Over-US-Sovereignty-to-WHO?fbclid=IwAR0sHf92x-6fH5WwIA1Cp81X1q2lyCdBB3eSc4Nc_WH6oE6xvohblccIwJA

    WHO & Global Predators Plot Global “Health” Tyranny
    Alex Newman & Peter Breggin MD
    Conversations That Matter – May 11, 2022
    https://rumble.com/v14904y-who-and-global-predators-plot-global-health-tyranny.html

  8. Parents call for 4th shot for kids with additional educational needs

    …. their kids should be prioritized for the fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot as a vulnerable group that needs additional protection.

  9. Pandemic nurses receive ‘Blessing of the Hands’

    After laboring two years to help save COVID-19 patients, dozens of nurses had their hands blessed during a ceremony marking National Nurses Week

    • I agree. Shanghai had one c19 case and they shut down the city. A truly severe lockdown where the citizens had no food and their pets either.