Vladimir Putin

VICII: Sanctions: Warfare by Other Means 04/06/2022

From VICII:

"Join VICII and Peter Lackowski, who has been visiting Venezuela since 2005, witnessing the effect that sanctions have had on that country and its revolution. Will sanctions continue to work for the US as they have in the past? Or will a new alignment of nations make sanctions ineffective?

As the war in Ukraine continues, the United States and its allies have put in place what they call "sanctions" against Russia. These are economically coercive measures that have become one of the principal means of exerting US power, and have caused considerable suffering among the populations of the targeted countries.

Since Venezuela has been subjected to US sanctions for several years, it is a good example to use in considering the phenomenon of sanctions. What is their purpose? How do they work? What are their effects? How can a country respond to them? Can they be overcome? What are the limitations on what can be accomplished by sanctions when they are applied to a country the size of Russia rather than a country like Venezuela? What about blowback--will sanctions on Russia end up damaging the economies of the US and its allies?"

For more information: vicii.org

VICII: BRICS, Ukraine, and NATO 03/30/2022

From VICII:

"Mainstream media endlessly reports that the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin is a mad dictator without world support in his invasion in Ukraine. According to the American press, President Putin is isolated and friendless in his pursuit for power and hegemony in Eastern Europe and perhaps beyond those borders.

Yet, upon careful examination of the media rhetoric, a different reality is emerging: when the press is reporting of Putin's isolation they speak only of the NATO countries, the majority of which are the white nations of the first and capitalist world. Almost never is there news about the nations of color in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America , the Caribbean or Africa. No news either of the developing BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China or South Africa. Where are they in the midst of this new war which might become WWIII?"

For more information: vicii.org

VICII: Vladimir Putin - President of Russia 03/16/2022

From VICII:

"Calling Putin names or speculating on the mental state of the President of the Russian Federation sheds little light on the devastating war in Ukraine. Labelling Putin a "thug" or "lunatic" or "a dictator interested in rebuilding the Soviet Empire" can only obfuscate what is actually happening as the world finds itself on the brink of WWIII. After all the din of name calling, this war in Europe's largest country is more than the designs of an evil leader of Russia.

As citizens of the world watch the split up of their planet into two competing and dangerous alliances, NATO v. the emerging agreements between Russia and China, join the Vermont Institute of Community and International Involvement for a community discussion on the shape of a new world order which is appearing amidst all the misguided personal attacks on Vladimir Putin, President of Russia."

For more information: vicii.org

Operation City on a Hill: The Trump-Russia Investigation and the Mafia State 05/14/2019

One of the reasons Mueller had difficulty determining how direct the contacts were between members of the Trump campaign and the Russia state apparatus, was that they were looking at that state apparatus as if it was part a traditional nation-state. That was a major mistake, as Russia has morphed into a "Mafia State" since the collapse of the old Soviet Union. The relationship between major figures in Russian organized crime and the Putin regime is complicated and Trump has had decades to build these relationships. The whole thing was beyond the limited scope of the Mueller investigation.