Because, Russia

[Ssnake]

8 hours ago, rmgill said:

Why would a spy carry a copy of a constitution? 

It's a codebook, obviously.

[rmgill]

Seems like a code book that's more obscure would make more sense. The latest copy of some random novel for example would make better sense. 

[Ssnake]

 

It's so obvious that no spy would choose it — it's the perfect cover!

 

[Roman Alymov]

On 1/19/2024 at 6:15 PM, rmgill said:

Why would a spy carry a copy of a constitution? 

He was promised assylymn in Poland in exchange for information, so quite logical to read about it (but no idea how he got printed copy - and why not just use Internet?)

"MOSCOW, January 12 — RIA Novosti. In the Penza region, an employee of a high-security enterprise was detained for communicating with the special services of Poland, the FSB Central Control Center reported.
"
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has suppressed relations of confidential cooperation with a representative of the special services of a foreign state of an employee of one of the high—security enterprises of the Penza region," the department said.

According to the investigation, the Russian himself established and maintained contact with an employee of the Polish special services. For transmitting information about the work of the enterprise, he wanted to get help in moving abroad.
The FSB documented the illegal actions of a man who collected information "about the volume of production of the enterprise within the framework of the state defense order, which became known to him during the course of his official activities."
The special service also published a video of the attacker's interrogation, in which he said that he planned to transfer data to attack the enterprise in exchange for providing "political asylum."
"" (Planned to transfer. — Ed. note) data on the volume of production, on the location, location of workshops, electrical substations. At electrical substations, so that if blows are struck, so that blows are aimed at them, at the workshops," he said.
The detainee added that "for his own safety" he wanted to transfer information from the territory of Kazakhstan. Moreover, he was going to involve employees of the plant who have access to "military and state secrets" in the further transfer of data.
A video posted by the FSB shows clothes found in the man's apartment with symbols of Western countries and NATO chevrons, the constitution of Poland, a self-taught Ukrainian language, as well as a collection of American car license plates.
A criminal case was opened against the attacker on cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state." ( ФСБ задержала россиянина, собиравшего данные для спецслужб Польши - РИА Новости, 12.01.2024 (ria.ru) )

  Seems like not very bright guy (volunteering to cooperate with Polish intelligence is hardly indication of deep thinking), one of those recruited on mass via Internet 

 

Edited January 20, 2024 by Roman Alymov

[Roman Alymov]

 

[Ivanhoe]

On 1/19/2024 at 6:36 PM, rmgill said:

Seems like a code book that's more obscure would make more sense. The latest copy of some random novel for example would make better sense. 

For One-Time-Pad operations, it is preferable to use a document that is available in every airport bookshop in the world, as well as having consistent printing and pagination. Spies crossing borders have their stuff inventoried, so don't carry things across a border that can be bought later once in-country. 

Somewhere I read that back in the early 20th C, a common text to use for OTP was the KJV Bible. Never changing, available everywhere on planet Earth.

 

 

[Roman Alymov]

Somebody have made dedicated effort to create lyrics for Red Alert march that is really in Russian and more or less makes sence (as rooted in Soviet and Russian cultural context)

 

[sunday]

I still like more this other version

 

[Roman Alymov]

23 hours ago, sunday said:

I still like more this other version

 

That is comedy version (with original "Western" lyrics), i wonder how they have managed to perform it with serious faces

   Still, popularity of it is remarkable - way more than in Russia

 

Still, some other Soviet melodies are making their way into global circulation (but i doubt people understand their meaning)

 

[sunday]

3 hours ago, Roman Alymov said:

i wonder how they have managed to perform it with serious faces

Well, the cat did kind of manage...

On the other hand, I understand that piece of music has its origin in the UK, composed by one James Hannigan: https://cnc.fandom.com/wiki/Soviet_March

Edited to correct: Hannigan is a Brit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hannigan

Edited February 5, 2024 by sunday

[Roman Alymov]

1 hour ago, sunday said:

Well, the cat did kind of manage...

On the other hand, I understand that piece of music has its origin in the UK, composed by one James Hannigan: https://cnc.fandom.com/wiki/Soviet_March

Edited to correct: Hannigan is a Brit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hannigan

   Exactly, that is why i have said the popularity of this "Soviet march" is remarkable: the melody of no real connection to USSR/Russia except may be some distant motives, with "lyrics" of combination of almost random Russian words, is almost as distant from real USSR music as "Stuart's book collection" from real USSR history.

    For example, below is real (but unofficial) VDV anthem. Note audience standing up to it (it is concert dedicated to 75 years of VDV)

 

Edited February 5, 2024 by Roman Alymov

[bojan]

nwm, my mistake

Edited February 5, 2024 by bojan

[Roman Alymov]

40 minutes ago, bojan said:

Sounds like it is a same melody as "Владимирский централ"?

No, but both belogs to the same type of "very simple melody amateur could play" so they sounds similar, typical for "urban folk song".

[Roman Alymov]

 

[sunday]

BTW, @Roman Alymov, do you have any guesses about where this couple and their pets are based? They have stated it is Siberia, but apart from the proximity to a large river, nothing much it is known.

 

[Roman Alymov]

12 hours ago, sunday said:

BTW, @Roman Alymov, do you have any guesses about where this couple and their pets are based? They have stated it is Siberia, but apart from the proximity to a large river, nothing much it is known.

 

Quick Internet search gives Krasnoyarsk as their location (probably, not Krasnoyarsk itself but region of it)

[sunday]

Thanks! So more or less on the banks of the Yenisei.

[Mikel2]

[Tim Sielbeck]

 

[Roman Alymov]

Two anecdotes from pro-Rus circles

"Three people meet in prison.
— What are you sitting for?
— I scolded Strelkov in 2014.
— And what are you for?
— I supported Strelkov in 2023.
— Well, what are you for?
— And I'm Strelkov."

 

"- It's all gone! The West does not want to negotiate with us!
- Tell them that we have imprisoned Strelkov.
- Anyway, they don't want to!
- Tell them that we can let him out!..."

[urbanoid]

23 minutes ago, Roman Alymov said:

"Three people meet in prison.
— What are you sitting for?
— I scolded Strelkov in 2014.
— And what are you for?
— I supported Strelkov in 2023.
— Well, what are you for?
— And I'm Strelkov."

I heard this joke in Soviet version, instead of Strelkov was Karl Radek.

[sunday]

2 hours ago, urbanoid said:

I heard this joke in Soviet version, instead of Strelkov was Karl Radek.

Radek, a character that, among others like Yagoda, showed how the Great Purge could had some silver lining.

[sunday]

So, who won the Cold War, again?

 

[urbanoid]

44 minutes ago, sunday said:

So, who won the Cold War, again?

 

Tucker's claims already have a community note, with links:

Quote

Over 60% of Russians spend half of their salary on food, according to Russia's state-owned news agency TASS. https://tass.com/society/1314425 The average wage in Russia is 73,383 RUB per month (which is $791 with today's exchange rate). https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/wages

The other thing is that conditions in Moscow (and St. Pete) are not representative of Russia.

All in all Tucker's actions and claims give Walter Duranty vibes, just in a right wing version.

 

[sunday]

33 minutes ago, urbanoid said:

Tucker's claims already have a community note, with links:

The other thing is that conditions in Moscow (and St. Pete) are not representative of Russia.

All in all Tucker's actions and claims give Walter Duranty vibes, just in a right wing version.

 

He spent $100 in articles that would have needed $400 back at home.

In terms of purchasing power parity, seems 73,383RUB equals 2,547.66USD (link), or an annual salary of 30,571.92USD.

According to this, annual average salary in USA is 59,428USD

So it looks that in terms of PPP, grocery is half as expensive in Russia than in USA, if I am not wrong.

It should be observed that salaries in Moscow region would be substantially higher than in the rest of Russia. But it is likely that Carlson lives also in a more rich area than the average American, however.