[A Pleasurable Headache] everything is a mess
Not much up top this week. A lot of this week’s issue is about the invasion of Ukraine. Given the saturated and overwhelming coverage and the very real prospect of things spiralling even further, then I would not be upset if this edition remains unread.
Links
What You Should Really Know About Ukraine
https://fair.org/home/what-you-should-really-know-about-ukraine/
The first of several links about the Russia/Ukraine conflict. This piece, by Bryce Greene at FAIR, precedes the recent escalation and invasion by Russian forces, being posted on January 28th of this year.
However, many aspects of the article remain pertinent, particularly where ‘the West’ (read, the U.S) is concerned and the role it has played in producing/encouraging/influencing many strands of the current conflict. Perhaps the most concerning details are those surrounding the Azov Battalion. This group originally started out as a paramilitary group with incredibly strong Neo-Nazi leanings, ties and tendencies. The group were involved heavily in events leading up to the Maidan Revolution that culminated in the overthrow of the government headed by Viktor Yanukovych.
After the coup, large elements of the group were incorporated into the Ukrainian armed forces, the same institution the U.S has now funded to the tune of $2.5 billion. In the last week or so the usual talking heads have been wheeled out, only to show us American foreign policy is a flat circle and seems hellbent on repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
“Remember, the Russians invaded Afghanistan back in 1980,” Hillary Clinton says. “It didn’t end well for the Russians…but the fact is, that a very motivated, and then funded, and armed insurgency basically drove the Russians out of Afghanistan.” pic.twitter.com/iirtXI4vz4
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 1, 2022
If all of that isn’t enough, it was announced last week that Facebook will temporarily allow ‘praise’ of said battalion as long as the comments/posts support or describe the battalion’s actions in fighting the Russian invasion.
In a separate piece, linked to later in this newsletter, it was pointed out that:
“ProQuest finds a grand total of three mentions of the Azov Battalion in the entire UK national press – two in passing, with a single substantial piece in the Daily Star – in the last seven days. ‘Impressive discipline’, as Noam Chomsky likes to say.”
Chomsky’s own thoughts on the conflict so far can be found here.
Sending Weapons to Ukraine Could Have Unintended Consequences
https://inkstickmedia.com/sending-weapons-to-ukraine-could-have-unintended-consequences/
This link, by Jordan Cohen, expands on material touched on above, stating any weapons supplied to Ukraine may find their way into illicit channels. Either scenario shows the foolhardiness of throwing money and weapons at a problem until it goes away. I don’t imagine this will change any time soon (even with the prospect of the most heinous and catastrophic blow back years down the line).
Interestingly, there are no mentions of the Azov Battalion in this article.
War In Ukraine: Comments About the Invasion of a ‘Civilized’ Country Are Offensive
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/invasion-ukraine-civilized
Once again I find myself sharing a link from Teen Vogue and nodding along to everything it expounds. This piece, by Zeb Larson, discusses the very real media bias present in the discussion around the conflict in Ukraine and the concept of the ‘civilized’ nation.
There is also the case of Ahed Tamimi, a Palestinian teenager who went viral in 2018 after a video showed her defiantly slapping an Israeli soldier. Ahed, and her family, were subject to abuse and vitriol online and were even accused of staging the video (and others like it) or attempting to get a rise out of the soldiers present.
Previous photos of Ahed standing up to Israeli soldiers went viral again during the last week, this time being incorrectly labelled as a Ukrainian girl standing up to Russian soldiers. Said posts labelled Ahed as courageous or brave, with none of the accusations or suspicion previously thrown her way.
Political expediency is a hell of a drug.
The same bias, and lack of equivalency, is shown almost everywhere within Western media right now. Please don’t misunderstand me. What Russia has done is heinous, a war crime. There are no other words for it. To dress it up any other way would be to diminish it. The conflict deserves the attention and spotlight. Those affected by it need help. But, where was this outpouring of solidarity when Palestinian children were murdered? Where are the Yemeni flag emojis littering social media profiles?
The Saudi-Yemeni conflict has raged for almost a decade at this point with Saudi forces funded, trained and supplied by both the U.S and Great Britain.
377‘000 people have died as a result of this (ongoing) conflict. 70% of those deaths are children under 5. Do they not deserve the same level of justified outrage?
As the link here says, we should cover everyone like we’re covering Ukrainians.
For more on this, MediaLens has once again produced an excellent editorial on the matter.
Revealed: Credit Suisse leak unmasks criminals, fraudsters and corrupt politicians
With everything else going on you’d be hard pressed to have caught this one. The Guardian, along with a consortium of other media outlets, have been given access to a huge cache of leaked data that show the vast amounts of wealth compiled by clients of the famous Credit Suisse bank in Switzerland.
The leaks also show a (willing?) negligence on CS’ part to do any due diligence or checks on their clients, leading to a veritable roster of nefarious individuals remaining as customers, including those involved in torture, drug trafficking, and corruption.
One notable set of names on the list are those of Ferdinand and Imedla Marcos who have been estimated to have transferred almost $10bn out of the economy of The Philippines when Ferdinand was in power. The leaks are the latest in a long (really really long) list that show the insidious relationship between global financial institutions and those in power.
True Lies
https://reallifemag.com/true-lies/
Leo Kim at RealLife Mag comments on the relationship between video and viewer in the YouTube age, using 9/11 Conspiracy video Loose Change as a starting point. Kim points out how such a relationship has allowed viewers to be controlled and coerced without even realising it.
Storyville: Building Up Your Horror Story Before You Tear It Down
https://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-building-up-your-horror-story-before-you-tear-it-down
I’ve featured Richard Thomas’ column here before, but this is another excellent entry in the series. This one breaks down the requisite components of a story before briefly discussing each of those parts in the context of the horror genre. A useful primer for those starting out and a reminder for those already in the trenches.
Can “Distraction-Free” Devices Change the Way We Write?
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/20/can-distraction-free-devices-change-the-way-we-write
A piece by Julian Lucas for The New Yorker that I missed from December. Lucas takes a look at a number of devices and apps designed to evoke a distraction-free environment for writers. I include it here if only for its inclusion of the AlphaSmart devices, a piece of tech that I know quite a few people swear by.
My Notebook System
Continuing the ‘writing’ slant, is this incredibly detailed post on the blog author’s (Dave Gauer) notebook system. For those who keep a pocket notebook by their side 24/7 and swear by Field Notes this post may give you several ideas, or give names and form to things you already do.
James Bond: The Daniel Craig Era
https://www.patreon.com/posts/james-bond-craig-63026678
I’ve saved the best for last. The above is a truly special post by Priscilla Page over at her Patreon. The post analyses the Daniel Craig era of Bond films bringing in, and discussing, the key influences on the films, ranging from the original Fleming novels to earlier films in the canon and even aspects of mythology and legend.
If you’re into this kind of writing as much as I am, please consider signing up for Priscilla’s Patreon page. There are some absolute gems to be found there.
I’m off to watch my subscriber count drop as I descend from my soap box. See you in two!