Bulletins and News Discussion from December 16th to December 22nd, 2024 - Assad's Apology
Bulletins and News Discussion from December 16th to December 22nd, 2024 - Assad's Apology
Image is of Assad's presidential palace in 2013. There's more images of it in this article, though the words in it aren't worth reading.
Here is Assad's version of events. I like to imagine he's making one of those Youtuber apology videos where they sigh at the start and talk in a chastised yet somewhat defensive tone of voice.
As terrorism spread across Syria and ultimately reached Damascus on the evening of Saturday 7th December 2024, questions arose about the president's fate and whereabouts. This occurred amidst a flood of misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth, aimed at recasting international terrorism as a liberation revolution for Syria.
At such a critical juncture in the nation’s history, where truth must take precedence, it is essential to address these distortions. Unfortunately, the prevailing circumstances at the time, including a total communication blackout for security reasons, delayed the release of this statement. This does not replace a detailed account of the events that unfolded, which will be provided when the opportunity allows.
First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday 8th December 2024. As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in co-ordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations. Upon arrival at the Hmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen. As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes.
With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December. This took place a day after the fall of Damascus following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.
At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.
I reaffirm that the person who, from the very first day of the war, refused to barter the salvation of his nation for personal gain, or to compromise his people in exchange for numerous offers and enticements is the same person who stood alongside the officers and soldiers of the army on the front lines, just metres from terrorists in the most dangerous and intense battlefields. He is the same person who, during the darkest years of the war, did not leave but remained with his family alongside his people, confronting terrorism under bombardment and the recurring threats of terrorist incursions into the capital over 14 years of war. Furthermore, the person who has never abandoned the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon, nor betrayed his allies who stood by him, cannot possibly be the same person who would forsake his own people or betray the army and nation to which he belongs.
I have never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself as a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision. I have carried an unwavering conviction in their will and ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices to the very last moment.
When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose, rendering its occupation meaningless. This does not, in any way, diminish my profound sense of belonging to Syria and her people – a bond that remains unshaken by any position or circumstance. It is a belonging filled with hope that Syria will once again be free and independent.
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Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
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In 2019, the net profit of the banking sector amounted to 1.7 trillion rubles; in 2020 - 1.6 trillion; in 2021 - 2.4 trillion; in 2023 - 3.3 trillion. The forecast for the current year is 3.5-3.8 trillion, that is, twice as much as in the pre-COVID, calm 2019. The main beneficiary of what is happening in Russia is the banking sector (financial capital), and not the defense industry or exporters. No industry received more than banks.
It’s over. Finance capital has won. Specifically, American finance capital has won. There is no other way to read this data without cope.
And to add to that:
Putin began his meeting with big business with the words: "The economy does not live by the rate alone, but also by the supply of goods on the market first and foremost." It is clear that the issue of the rate and the complaints of business generals about the Central Bank greatly irritate him. But, according to the law and rules, the Central Bank is completely independent in decision-making. Even the head of state cannot influence the decisions of the Central Bank's board of directors. They tried to change the law in the early 2000s. It didn't work. Everyone who needs to knows this. They have to fight off complaints with jokes.
There is no way to defeat American imperialism without defeating American finance capital. Even when you are winning on the military front, you still have to escape the ideological indoctrination from the IMF.
In 2019, the net profit of the banking sector amounted to 1.7 trillion rubles; in 2020 - 1.6 trillion; in 2021 - 2.4 trillion; in 2023 - 3.3 trillion
It’s over. Finance capital has won. Specifically, American finance capital has won. There is no other way to read this data without cope.
Could you elaborate on the connection between these points? If an increase in net profit for the banking sector indicates that American finance capital has won, then was this already the case in 2021 when net profit increased by 0.8 trillion in one year? Why now in 2023, when the net profit has increased by 0.9 trillion over 2 years?
In 2022, the Russian economic growth went into negatives because of the war. There was no profit during that year. That’s also when the oligarchs were all sanctioned and their wealth stored in Western banks were frozen, and the Central Bank was cut off from SWIFT and their foreign reserves confiscated (conveniently, Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the Central Bank, was not sanctioned until some time in 2023 I think).
Putin rolled his dice, and the - let’s call them the nationalists - under Prime Minister Mishustin sprung into action to create trillions of rubles in government subsidies to stimulate the economy under war and sanctions using national emergency provisions. This was what allowed the Russian economy to survive the ordeal, and the Russian workers even saw wage growth in 2023 in spite of the heavy sanctions.
The financial capitalists, working for the oligarchs and IMF, understandably fought back by using the Central Bank by hiking the interest rates to “fight inflation”. This isn’t even some secret conspiracy - the deputy head of the Central Bank, Alexei Zabotkin, literally said that if the government keeps subsidizing the economy, the Central Bank will respond by hiking the rate because “subsidies lead to inflation”.
Russia’s interest rate is at 21% now, and we have got to a point where the extra money the government could manage to “find” to stimulate the economy, including issuing bonds like OFZ, could no longer match the tightening of the monetary flow caused by the high interest rate. As business expansion becomes difficult, the growth will stagnate. That’s because the government does not own the money printer and cannot create new money by itself. When you have a hostile Central Bank, especially one that works for the IMF, it’s a huge problem.
Speaking of which, Russia also tried to re-establish ties with IMF a few months back. The person nominated to head the Russia IMF Mission, Ksenia Yudaeva, was herself the advisor to the head of the Central Bank. It was then postponed indefinitely because the Europeans cried about it, but the connection is beyond clear. The Central Bank works for foreign interests, and in this case, American finance capital.
End of history with xiaohongshu characteristics
The question is in what way this fact can possibly translate into a Russian military defeat
It won’t. Belousov already got the MoD post, and Putin will have the resources he need to finish the job in Ukraine. That’s the compromise.
Putin gave Russia one good chance when the war started in 2022 and the oligarchs were sanctioned and threatened by the rapidly changing and highly uncertain circumstances. It’s clear at this point that he had failed.
Without taking control of the monetary system, Russia’s economy cannot grow rapidly. It is already far behind the developed countries and it is being doubly stifled by the high rates.
So what, are we supposed to just give up?
“We” aren’t doing anything lol. There is nothing we could have done to change the circumstances, unless you have a personal phone line to Putin.
The lesson here is that Putin rolled his dice and likely failed, and how powerful the finance capital can be. It also serves as a stern warning that it took Stalin’s brutal purge that caused a lot of societal upheaval to root out the liberals (and even so, temporarily), and there is a lot to question about whether the USSR economy could have taken off without the purges.
Russia is going to be out of the game and busy with Ukraine for a while, but their geopolitical reach is one of retreating especially after the events in Syria. They are still going to be doing fine economically but there won’t be transformative growth for Russia to pull itself out of that resource colony trap that they very much needed.
The only player in the game are now the US and China. We are heading towards the end game.
So it's not that Capital "won", because it wasn't in competition with anything- both nations were liberal and capitalist. The Republic of Russia was never an ally in the first place. This more specific explanation is a lot more helpful at dispelling fairytale notions.
This is to ignore the fundamental and diametrical opposition between “industrial capital” and “finance capital”, not just on a geopolitical level but also within each country as well. Marx and Lenin went into detail about the role of finance capitalism (aka monopoly capitalism). Marx saw the rise of German industrial banking and believed that finance capital would eventually become subservient to industrial capitalism, but what actually transpired was the rise of neoclassical economics that would form the backbone for neoliberalism and the return of feudal landlord class in the form of parasitic finance capitalism that dominated over industrial capitalism.
Socialism can only happen under industrial capitalism because labor is tied to production, which conferred the unique revolutionary potential of the proletarian class. Finance capitalism reverted the social relations to capital back to a feudal, or rather, a neo-feudal one, and thus extinguished the revolutionary potential of the heavily indebted working class.
In the same way that during the American Civil War, the fundamental cause of the struggle was rooted in the Northern industrial capital in overthrowing the Southern slave plantation owner class, which had been revived by the Industrial Revolution in Europe that imparted huge profits to the slave economy in the American South. War was the only way out to destroy the semi-feudal relations in the South and for the Northern industrialists to consolidate the capital to fully transform the United States into an industrial power. Marx wrote entire collection of essays on the American Civil War and came to the conclusion that the victory of the Northern industrialists would be imperative for the rise of proletariat in America (what was supposed to happen did not transpire because the landowning class fought back during WWI and the Federal Reserve was created in 1913 to split the monetary creation authority away from the state).
Russia’s industrial capital was fighting against its neoliberal finance capital, they simply did not succeed, just like in many other places. There is no socialism without industrial capitalism.
Maybe don't bet on other capitalist nations doing an anti-capitalism? (I'd say that's all of them, TBH, but I'm an anarchist so take it as partially or totally as you like. No question either way where Russia is concerned though.)
All of it from making loans at a large markup over the already high central bank rate.
