Romantic Realism: Rachmaninov's Second (Adagio)

"Listen to (...) Rachmaninoff’s Second. Men have not found the words for it, nor the deed nor the thought, but they have found the music (...) Let me see it made real. Let me see the answer to the promise of that music (...) the final, the fulfilled, innocent of pain". ~~Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Soloists: Olga Smirnova and Vladislav Lantratov. Choreography: J. Elo

Dedicated to a bizarre week in captivity in anticipation of the deal of a life-time (well, for now ;-)

The dancers in the video are rank amateurs performing in a Russian So You've Got Talent kinda show. The adagio from Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. At its 1897 premiere, Rachmaninoff's first symphony was derided by contemporary critics. The second piano concerto confirmed his genius. 

Obama Draws Another Red Line

@IsraelMatzav The great escape? pic.twitter.com/JwNEh3rGIv
— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) March 6, 2014

The Left Ticked Off About a Cadillac Commercial

The Huffington Post is all worked up and calls a Cadillac commercial that celebrates the American Dream a "nightmare". But, but, it's a green, electric hybride!

"You work hard, you create your own luck and just gotta believe, that ANYTHING is possible". 

Displaying its typical anti-American exceptionalism bias, the Huffington Post is calling a Cadillac commercial that celebrates the American Dream a "nightmare." The commercial promoting Cadillac's first ever ELR features a actor strolling through an American Dream house to his brand new American Dream Cadillac, all the while asking:

Why do we work so hard? For what? For this? For stuff? Other countries they work, they stroll home, they stop by the café, they take August off. Off. Why aren't you like that? Why aren't we like that? Because we're crazy, driven, hard-working believers, that's why. Those other countries think we're nuts. Whatever. (...) (Source)

Obama Channels Scarface

Our postmodern rulers are living in their own constructed reality which may be filled with unicorns and fairies. But overall, the moral standard is expediency

Meaning, anything goes that leads to results. 

From Russia With Love: Letter From Putin

In September of last year a letter from Vladimir Putin to the American people was circulating around the Internet. Since we're on the brink of war, let's see if we understand the enemy

In the letter Putin re-introduces Americans to some unpleasant events from his perspective.

A letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the American people has been circulating around the internet for the past couple of days. In the letter, Putin re-introduces Americans to some unpleasant facts about history and life they’d rather forget, such as Nixon’s reasoning behind massive carpet bombing of millions or North Vietnamese for the purpose of ‘looking good’ while exiting the war, and how Pakistan has been using the U.S. as a ‘false ally’ to gain foreign aid, while using the funds to embolden the Taliban in Afghanistan. 

War With Russia: the Prospects

The Ukraine military is mobilizing. Polish troops are on the move. The Russians are poised to annex the Crimea. Putin has announced military 'exercizes'

View Larger Map

The Dnjepr River is running straight through Ukraine, north to south, cutting the country in two. 

In the geography of Ukraine one feature stands out: the Dnjepr River is dividing the country in a western and an eastern part. This is also the cultural border that separates Europe from Russia. Time for an indepth discussion with our military correspondent about the elephant in the room: what are the prospects should it come to war? 

Obama Plans to Cut the Military to Level of 1940. Come Again?

How do the plans of the Obama administration for down sizing the military to pre World War II levels look like in the perspective of Russian assertiveness in Ukraine and the Crimea?

Bill O'Reilly interviews the former UN Ambassador, John Bolton.

@Cassie_Troy 166(IBD) Our Food Stamp Commander In Chief Cuts #Army To Pre-World War II Levels - http://t.co/bnsrKVYbkc

— Daniel John Sobieski (@gerfingerpoken2) February 26, 2014

NO, NOT SPOOF! THIS IS HOW THE LEFT RATIONALIZES THE DOWN GRADING OF THE US MILITARY

"@thinkprogress: Take a deep breath. It's gonna be OK. http://t.co/3EKggaCNsV pic.twitter.com/PqRp7WyGcL" because you ppl hate the military

— The People's Cube (@ThePeoplesCube) February 25, 2014

Related

• Ukraine Live Blog
• Ukraine: the History, the Background, the Future
• Treaty Could Force US, UK Into War With Russia

Hatred, Slurs, Scapegoats & Psychological Projection

Smearing the (political) enemy with moral pejoratives has an old tradition. If you do it often enough some of the slur may actually stick. As it frequently does

The hatred of the Russians for the Nazis is a good example. 

National Socialism and Communism are kindred ideologies. But Hitler stabbed Stalin in the back after the Molotov-Von Ribbentrop Pact, and ever since every Russian enemy is called a 'Nazi'. 

Treaty Could Force US, UK Into War With Russia

Revealed: The forgotten treaty which could drag the US and UK into war with Russia if Putin's troops intervene in Ukraine

The Memorandum of Budapest (1994) sees signatories promise to protect Ukraine's borders.

Putin currently has 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders and it is reported some have crossed into the country. President Obama says he is 'deeply concerned' by the news. The US and Britain have both made 'crisis calls' to President Putin to warn him to respect territorial boundaries. Here's why. A treaty signed in 1994 by the US and Britain could pull both countries into a war to protect Ukraine if President Putin's troops cross into the country.

Farage Explains Basic Economics to MEPs

Unbelievable when you start to think about it. Nigel Farage has to explain his colleagues in the Europarliament some very basic economic realities

In a currency union you can't devaluate the currency, so you have to devaluate the country. Solidarity requires a "we" of whatever nature.

Related

• Soviet Dissident Bukovsky on the European Union
• Farage to Samaras: "Greece is under Foreign Control"
• Thatcher's 5 Principles for Liberty in Europe (1988)