For the exhortations from the political class on behalf of import substitution to work, there had to be a radical change in consumer perception of domestically produced foodstuffs. My overriding conclusion from visits to retailers and seeing how goods are promoted is that ‘Buy Russian’ is working because it corresponds to the new patriotic mood.
Continue reading “Russia’s Changing Shopping Basket and the Future of Global Food Supplies”
Where this all will lead one cannot say. But the Russians correctly report it as a breakthrough for common sense
The break-up of the Soviet Union smashes the mold of conceptualization of empire. It is the only case I can think of where the nation supposedly running the show was among the first to abandon ship and opt for sovereignty….
For the Russian government to take timely measures in the ongoing crisis situation and prevent long term negative consequences for its economy, it would be better if the pain so many people are experiencing were given due coverage and explained.
After listening patiently to the inevitable snide remarks about Kremlin positions, I followed the American folk wisdom for getting the attention of a mule: you first whack him with a 2 by 4 beam. The beam at my disposal was the remark: “Gentlemen if we continue in this tone with the Russians, we will all be dead.”
Continue reading “2015 Schlangenbad Dialogue: the East-West Confrontation in Microcosm”
The impact of the ‘regiment of immortals’ procession was such that even the normally dry-eyed UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon congratulated Vladimir Putin for earning the high regard of his people. No wonder the Obama administration took such pains to keep its allies from coming to the ceremony
“I made the mistake of trying to insert my own view into Clinton’s stream of consciousness…The president gave me a look that combined amusement and impatience. I’d just reminded him, he said, of why I was a journalist and not a politician.” Read on…
I rather doubt that an ideology has been developed in Germany to drive its actions in the East. But these actions incrementally have put it on a collision course with Russian geopolitical interests that rival NATO expansion as a causal factor in the Ukraine crisis.
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Now that UK and US trainers are being dispatched to Ukraine, now that joint military exercises with NATO are being prepared, there are in place all the preconditions for yet another ‘false flag’ provocation such as have marked turning points in the Russia-West relationship over the past year.Read on…
Solutions to the perceived Russian threat to European security must not be left to military experts alone, as this report demonstrates. Europe must tap into the relevant multi-disciplinary expertise coming from area studies if it is to do better. Read on…
Continue reading “A Push-back to the CEPS Task Force Report on “More Union in European Defence””
Gilbert Doctorow 