And here he is again — Hungary’s answer to Benedict Arnold, Guy Fawkes, and Vidkun Quisling — the one and only Viktor Orban. The man who would sell Ukraine to Russia; ease visa restrictions for Russians and Belarusians, giving them access to Europe’s open-border Schengen zone; and cozy up to China’s Xi Jinping and his so-called Belt and Road Initiative.

In July, as Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union Council, he undertook his own personal, unauthorized “shuttle diplomacy” program, visiting both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, offering his alleged expertise to solve the problem of Russia’s ongoing war of attrition against Ukraine . . . as though it were merely an argument between two farmers over the grazing rights for their cows. As is tragically obvious three months later, he didn’t get very far; the war goes on.

But he doesn’t give up easily. In a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday, despite meeting with protest over his authoritarian rule in Hungary and his friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he had this to say:

“The European Union needs to change, and I would like to convince you about that today. Our union needs to change, and the presidency wants to be the catalyst for this change.” [DW, October 9, 2024.] He said that the escalating conflict in the Middle East would prompt a “migration crisis” that might cause the Schengen open border system to “fall apart.” [Id.]

But wait a minute. Is this the same man who wants to let all the Russians and Belarusians into Hungary, thence to roam freely through virtually all of Western Europe? . . .

His comments, happily, did not go unchallenged.

Terry Reintke, co-leader of the Green bloc, told Orban: “You are not welcome here, this is the house of European democracy.” [Id.]

And Manfred Weber, leader of the conservative European People’s Party, was dismayed that Orban had not uttered a “single sentence” in regard to Ukraine’s continuing battle against the Russian invasion. With reference to Orban’s trip to Moscow in July, he bluntly stated the truth: “Your trip was never a peace mission. It was a big propaganda show for the autocrats.” [Id.]

And then Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, had her say, first taking aim at Hungary’s failure to to join its EU partners in helping Ukraine; and at its strengthening ties with Moscow and Beijing:

“The world has witnessed the atrocities of Russia’s war. And yet, there are still some who blame this war not on the invader but the invaded.

“There are still some who blame this war not on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s lust for power but on Ukraine’s thirst for freedom. So I want to ask them, would they ever blame the Hungarians for the Soviet invasion in 1956?” [Lili Bayer, Reuters, October 9, 2024.]

Bull’s-eye!

Orban could only respond that he was “surprised” by her speech, and he rejected any comparison between Hungary’s failed 1956 uprising against Soviet rule and Ukraine’s current fight in defense of its territory. He then reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Ukraine. [Id.]

But von der Leyen wasn’t finished with him:

“How can it be that the Hungarian government invites Russian nationals into our union without additional security checks? This makes the new Hungarian visa scheme a security risk not only for Hungary, but for all member states.

“How can it be that the Hungarian government would allow Chinese police to operate within its territory? This is not defending Europe’s sovereignty, this is a backdoor for foreign interference.” [Id.]

*. *. *

For the Prime Minister of a country that is a full-fledged member of both the European Union and NATO, Orban’s stance is nothing short of a betrayal of the principles of both organizations — not to mention, of Hungary itself. But he is, at least until the next election, still the head of his government.

And that makes him dangerous.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/11/24

Phonetically, I presume, which would be “Финстра.” Got that?

It’s important, because that is most likely the way it was written on the family’s immigration documents when they recently filed formal applications for temporary resident status — the first step toward their ultimate goal of Russian citizenship.

Yes, you read that correctly. On his YouTube channel, Arend Feenstra recently announced the big news . . . and even took his viewers with the family on their big adventure to complete the mountain of requisite paper work that will enable them to attain temporary resident status. In a few months, they expect the applications — all ten of them — will be granted, and that several months after that they will file for permanent resident status.

Next step (after about three years, he thinks): Russian citizenship.

Well, that nails it: The Feenstras have gone over the edge, around the bend, and down the rabbit hole. They have been captured by Putin’s Propaganda Pixies, and are now beyond salvation. What most people thought would be a short-lived nightmare followed by a quick return trip to Canada has turned into a lifelong commitment . . . all captured by some handy, unidentified cameraman, in Arend Feenstra’s own words.

Well, the words came from his mouth. But they clearly did not originate with him. Not when he spouted lines like “A massive thank you to our President Putin” for making their move to Russia possible. And, “Thank you to our wonderful President Putin” for changing the language requirements, thus making it possible for the Feenstras to apply for resident status. And how grateful they are to be able to build a future in their new home.

Excuse me, please, while I vomit.

Okay, that’s better. Now . . .

Look at the entire picture: The sudden acquisition of the farmland; the materials to build a big new house; the sudden change of language requirements; transportation for ten people whenever they need it; the warm reception and available interpreter at Immigration; the YouTube channel that won’t be shut down as long as the praise of “our wonderful President Putin,” the smiles of the happy wife and children, and the homage to the glories of Russia keep coming.

It’s all just too convenient.

The Feenstras have left behind the freedom of Canada, where they actually owned their farm and their home, and where they had the absolute right to criticize the “wokeness” they hate so much. And they’ve traded it all for a piece of land they will never be able to sell because they will never truly own it; the right to produce YouTube programs so long as they say only what it politically approved; and a future for their children under an oppressive, murderous, totalitarian regime that will control every move and every word of their lives . . . unless a revolution, “velvet” or otherwise, alters the course of history.

But they’ll thrive, just as long as they toe the line.

I hope they’re happy now. Really.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/10/24

We’ve all heard stories about someone’s electric meter going berserk and generating a bill for tens of thousands of dollars of usage for a single month. And then trying to deal with the power company’s computerized system to fix the problem.

It’s the best argument I can think of against setting up automatic payments from your bank account. Because even though it’s so obviously a system error, it can be totally frustrating, and even frightening, when you are hit in the gut by the Cyberbully!!!

Well, then — if you think that was hideous — just imagine being in London and being told by your weather app that you’re in the path of a monster hurricane about to bring winds of 13,508 miles per hour.

Or in Sydney, Australia, where the temperature is about to demolish all previous records — not to mention incinerating everything and everyone in sight — by topping off at 378 degrees Celsius (that’s 712 degrees Fahrenheit, for all my fellow Americans).

Say goodbye, everyone.

Sound like something from the latest horror movie? Or are you one of those people who believe everything you see online, and would you assume it really was the Apocalypse coming to carry you and everyone else away?

Actually, it happened this morning on BBC News, and it was that bane of 21st-Century existence: a computer glitch. All over the world, people were being told their weather had gone nuts, leaving them to assume they were either going to be fried, or blown to the Land of Oz. What a pleasant wake-up call.

It didn’t take long for the BBC to pinpoint the problem, which was apparently “a data issue with a third-party supplier.” At about 1:30 p.m. London time, they were apologizing and “working hard to fix the problem.” [Andre Rhoden-Paul, BBC News, October 10, 2024.]

Well now, there’s a classic piece of British understatement. I imagine they were actually falling all over themselves to get it fixed. But I’ve always loved the ingrained stoicism of our U.K. friends.

Carry on, ladies and gents. You’ve dealt with much worse. Remember the Blitz?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/10/24

I haven’t been in London in more than 30 years, and when I was there, the streets were anything but mean. Aside from its historic beauty, my initial impression of London — in fact, of the U.K. in general — was that it was so “civilized.” My friends and I had no hesitation in visiting any neighborhood, or staying out late at night and walking back to our hotel. Aside from the “normal” amount of crime to be found in any major city in the world, London felt safe to me.

The world has changed since then, as we all know too well. Terrorism — of both the international and domestic varieties — is on everyone’s mind, all of the time. Islamist threats abound. But there is now another, equally prevalent danger being experienced, according to Ken McCallum, head of Britain’s MI5 . . . and that comes with the compliments of none other than Vladimir Putin and Russia’s military intelligence organization: the GRU, or Main Intelligence Directorate.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, more than 750 Russian diplomats have been expelled from Europe, “the great majority of them” spies, McCallum said. This obviously has affected Russia’s ability to conduct — let’s call it what it is — their spying activities. They have tried using proxies, such as criminals and private operatives; but they lacked the same level of professionalism, and were more easily detected. [Frank Gardner and Suzanne Leigh, BBC News, October 8, 2024.]

So now the Kremlin has resorted, in Mr. McCallum’s words, to generating “sustained mayhem on British and European streets,” including GRU-generated “arson, sabotage and more dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness” [Id.]

This, combined with other threats such as the 20 interrupted plots backed by Iran since 2022, has meant that MI5 has “one hell of a job on its hands,” McCallum said.

At a briefing at MI5’s counter-terrorism operations center in London, McCallum said that the first 20 years of his career there were “crammed full of terrorist threats. We now face those alongside state-backed assassination and sabotage plots, against the backdrop of a major European land war.” [Id.]

He added that, because of the UK’s leading role in supporting Ukraine, “we loom large in the fevered imagination of Putin’s regime,” and that further acts of aggression on UK soil are to be expected. [Id.]

*. *. *

The world certainly has changed in the past 30 years, and — for the most part — not for the better, at least not in a geopolitical sense. I will always be grateful that I was able to see as much of it as I did, when I did.

Because I sure as hell wouldn’t be doing any of the same things today.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/10/24

It might have been opening night of a fantastic Broadway show. Or the Prince and Princess of Wales’ motorcade driving by. Or an especially showy display of the Aurora Borealis. You know — something you’re kicking yourself for having missed because it would have been so memorable.

Well, today I’m regretting not having been on that Qantas flight from Sydney to Tokyo last week . . . the one that experienced a technical issue with the inflight entertainment system.

No, it wasn’t that the passengers couldn’t watch any movie at all. On the contrary, they couldn’t turn the damned thing off. And somehow, what was showing was the wrong movie — a particularly spicy R-rated one, reportedly titled “Daddio.” A 2023 film starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, it had earned its rating “for language throughout, sexual material and brief graphic nudity.” [Karla Cripps, CNN, October 8, 2024.]

Now, I have no problem with any of that as long as there’s also an interesting story line. But some people might; and those people — the ones on this particular Qantas flight — apparently made it clear that they would have appreciated the ability to turn the $^%#@&*^# thing off.

And that wasn’t even the biggest problem. There were children on the flight. Which led me to fantasize about being on that plane, perhaps with my daughter when she was six or eight years old and just smart enough to ask all the wrong questions at all the right times (or vice-versa). And I believe it would have played out very much like an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, with the part of Raymond’s meddling mother, Marie, being represented here by the Nosy Older Butt-insky (hereinafter, the NOB) in the seat on the other side of my daughter.

Something like this:

Me (Trying to distract daughter): “Let’s not watch a movie now. Let’s play one of the games we brought.”

Daughter: “Why? I thought you wanted to watch a movie.”

M: “Well, I did, but I don’t like the one they’re showing, and you wouldn’t either.”

D: “How come? What’s it about?”

M: “Oh, just about a lady talking to a taxi driver.”

D: “That sounds boring. What do they talk about?”

M: “I really don’t know. But you’re right, it does sound boring. So what game . . .”

D: “But if you don’t know what they’re talking about, how do you know it’s boring?”

M: “Well, um . . .”

NOB (Butting in): “It’s a nasty movie, sweetheart.”

D (Turning toward NOB): “Nasty? How do you know? Did you see it before?”

M: (Shooting evil glance at NOB) “She means she heard about it, and the two people get angry with each other.”

NOB: “No, that’s not what I meant at all. I meant they talk about nasty things, like s-e-x.”

D: “I can spell, you know. I’m eight. That spells ‘sex’ . . . but I don’t know what it means.”

M: “Well, you’re not old enough for this movie.”

D: “But yesterday you told me I was getting very grownup. Didn’t you mean it?”

NOB: “Of course, she did, dear. But your mother is right. S-e-x talk is nasty.”

D: “Why? What’s nasty about sex? And why do you keep spelling it?”

M (To NOB): “Excuse me, but how is this any of your business?”

NOB: “I’m only trying to help, dear.”

M: “Yeah, right. Just let me deal with my own daughter, please.”

NOB: “Well, I never!”

M: “Yeah, that’s probably part of your problem! And sex is not nasty!”

D: “Mommy, you’re shouting at the nice lady.”

M: “Well, she’s not that nice. So let’s ignore her, throw this sweater over the TV screen, and you plug in your earphones and listen to the music on your iPod. Okay?”

D: “But you said too much of that would ruin my hearing.”

M: “And right now, that would probably be a good thing. So just do it!”

M (Ringing call bell): “Miss, are there two other available seats? Any two?”

D (Being re-seated): “So why did she say sex was nasty, Mommy? Mommy? Mommy?!!”

M: “Oh, look — they’ve fixed the movie. We can watch now.”

D: “But this is a little kids’ movie. I’d rather watch the one about s-e-x.”

M (Ringing call bell again): “Miss, could I have a refill on the wine, please? And keep it coming, if you wouldn’t mind.”

*. *. *

I miss traveling; I really do. I miss seeing exotic places, meeting new people, trying different cuisines, learning bits and pieces of other languages.

But boy, I do not miss the hassle of getting there!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/10/24

Remember the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020? Of course, you do — that was a time not easily forgotten. And do you remember the shortage in the U.S. (and elsewhere) of test kits, when the manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the demand?

And I’m reasonably certain you also remember Donald Trump pooh-poohing the entire spread of the virus — the one that took some 350,000 lives in the United States that year alone — as no big deal, easily cured by injecting your body with a few doses of antiseptic.

Well, let’s give the old boy the benefit of the doubt, and assume he was simply trying — in his own, inimitable, really stupid way — to prevent a nationwide panic. (And in the process kill off a few more people who might have bought into that antiseptic thing.)

Or maybe . . . unbelievably . . . he really believed his own hype, and had convinced himself that there was nothing to worry about.

Then why . . . in either of those cases . . . why in the name of all that’s holy did he send those scarce COVID test kits to — of all the people in the world — Vladimir Putin??!!!

Or so says Bob Woodward in his forthcoming book, War, as first reported on Tuesday by both CNN and The Washington Post — and now by practically everyone.

Putin’s germaphobia is no secret; and during the height of the COVID pandemic, pictures of him seated alone at one end of an impossibly long table — as far away from other humans as possible while still in the same room — filled the news media. So it stands to reason that he would be thrilled to receive whatever supplies — diagnostic, preventive, curative — he could get his grubby little hands on. But he didn’t ask for them. Not from Trump, at any rate.

No, these were a gift from Donnie to his good friend Vlad for the latter’s personal use, unsolicited but accepted with appreciation. And it was Putin’s choice to keep it secret, so that the American people wouldn’t be angry with Trump. Or so the story goes.

*. *. *

And now we have the classic “he said / he said” situation. Because Trump, as expected, denies that it ever happened.

“That’s false,” he said about Woodward’s report. “He’s a storyteller. A bad one. And he’s lost his marbles.” [Jonathan Karl, Kelsey Walsh, Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, October 8, 2024.]

But you see, the thing is . . . the Kremlin has confirmed that Trump did indeed send Putin COVID-19 testing equipment during the height of the pandemic. [Ivana Saric, Axios, October 9, 2024.]

And — oh, goody! he’s back! — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a written statement to Bloomberg, said that “we also sent equipment at the beginning of the pandemic.” [Id.]

Now add to this the further allegation in Woodward’s book that Trump has had “as many as seven” telephone calls with Putin since leaving office. Holy crap! He thinks he’s still president!

That particular detail is denied by both Trump and Peskov, who — according to the Russian state news agency TASS — said simply that it’s “not true.” [Id.]

Of course — and I’m sorry to have to say this, Dima — you know we can’t always take 100% of what you say as gospel. I mean, look at who you work for.

Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, categorically denying Woodward’s allegations, offered this:

“None of these made-up stories by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.” [Id.]

Wow! So The Donald now has an actual disease named after him. And it describes him perfectly. Cool.

*. *. *

Now enter President Biden and Vice President Harris. During a speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Biden — in addressing this specific question — asked, “What the hell’s wrong with this guy? Did you ever … see … a president who’s been so unethical as this president has been?” [Id.]

Vice-President (and presidential candidate) Kamala Harris also had a few words to offer during an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show on Tuesday:

“I ask everyone here and everyone who is watching: Do you remember what those days were like? You remember how many people did not have tests and were trying to scramble to get them? . . . And this man is giving COVID test kits to Vladimir Putin? Think about what this means on top of him sending love letters to Kim Jong Un. . . . He thinks, well, that’s his friend. What about the American people? They should be your first friend.” [Id.]

And speaking about Trump generally, and his open admiration for dictators and authoritarians, she said, “He gets played by these guys. He admires so-called strongmen, and he gets played because they flatter him or offer him favor.” [Id.]

*. *. *

So — after all of the mishegas — what it boils down to is this: Whom do you believe? Noted, respected, award-winning, Watergate-breaking journalist Bob Woodward? Or lying, cheating, delusional, Putin-admiring, convicted felon Donald Trump?

Hmm . . . let’s see now . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/9/24

And this year’s winner — for the second year in a row — is . . .

Mama bear 128 Grazer!

And, as in last year’s epic competition, she once more beat her principal male rival, 32 Chunk, in a final round face-off.

Score one for the big girls!

Sadly for Chunk, it wasn’t even a close match this year: his 30,468 votes came nowhere near Grazer’s 71,248. The final tally of the online voting site was 1,041,124 in this tenth year of the popular Alaska-based contest.

Sorry, big fella.

The contest, held by Katmai National Park & Preserve, promotes public awareness of the Alaska brown bears. It has become a popular fall ritual, not only in the U.S., but in many places around the world as well. [Forrest Brown, CNN, October 8, 2024.]

Life in the wilderness is not always easy for these big beauties, and it’s nice to see them receiving a little recognition before they go off to hibernate for the coming winter.

Summer, of course, has to be their favorite time of year, when they feast on all the salmon they can catch. Here, for example, is 2019’s winner, 435 Holly, before and after gaining her hibernation weight. That gal can certainly pack in the calories.

Looking at both of the girls, Grazer and Holly, and comparing their weight gains with Chunk’s, one thing is painfully obvious to me: We women just have more trouble maintaining our youthful figures than the guys do. Maybe it has to do with all the litters we produce.

Sometimes life just ain’t fair.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/9/24

It’s actually yesterday, October 8th, that is the subject of today’s meandering through years past. And we begin our constitutional with the legends and truths of a tragic event that has somehow caught people’s imaginations for 153 years:

1871 – The Great Chicago Fire. Let’s start by blowing a big hole in the commonly-held belief that poor Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern, thus starting the whole thing. There have been other theories over the years, one of which is that a comet may have fallen to earth at that precise spot and landed in the hay. Or it may simply — and more likely — have been human clumsiness. For some reason . . . and on what evidence, I have no idea . . . the Chicago City Council decided in 1997 to exonerate Mrs. O’Leary and her bovine friend. It was, of course, too late for either of them to appreciate; Mrs. O’Leary, who had become a recluse following the fire, passed away in 1895.

But the fire had done its damage. Between 200 and 300 people were killed, and another 100,000 left homeless; 17,450 buildings were destroyed; and total damage was estimated at $200 million — more than $4 billion in today’s money.

But it’s an ill wind — or comet, or cow — that blows nobody good, as the old saying goes. Out of the ashes of that fire rose the metaphorical Phoenix that we know as the Windy City, the Second City, or just plain Chicago. And we’re glad she’s there.

*. *. *

1871 – The Peshtigo Fire. Wait a minute . . . is that a typo? Two newsworthy fires on the same day?

Nope, not a typo. And this one, just 250 miles north of Chicago, is to this day considered the most devastating fire in U.S. history. Some 1,200 lives were lost, and two billion trees were consumed by the wildfire. But it was overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire, which started later that night.

The details of the results of the conflagration are too grisly to go into here. But the scope of the disaster, and the coincidence in timing, make it a piece of history too fascinating to overlook.

*. *. *

1956. New York Yankees’ Don Larsen pitches only World Series perfect game. I remember that. I was just a kid, and baseball was a big deal in our household. It’s a record that has not yet been broken by a single pitcher.

*. *. *

1957. Jerry Lee Lewis records “Great Balls Of Fire” in Memphis, Tennessee. Not sure why this is considered big news, but it was included in the list. Take it for what it’s worth.

*. *. *

1967. Che Guevara captured by Bolivian army. Probably best remembered for his role in the Cuban Revolution of 1956-59, he was responsible for encouraging Fidel Castro to pursue his communist agenda. Thanks a lot, Che.

*. *. *

1970. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. It was awarded “for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature.”

Probably his best-known work was the epic Gulag Archipelago. For his criticism of the Stalin regime, he was arrested in 1945 at the age of 27, served eight years in Russian prisons and labor camps, and — upon his release in 1953 — was sent into “internal exile” in Asiatic Russia. He began writing secretly during that period; after Stalin’s death in 1953, he was released from exile and began writing openly.

But his work had to be secreted out of Russia for publication, and he was not allowed to personally accept his Nobel Prize in 1970. Finally, in 1974, he was expelled from the Soviet Union for treason, and moved to the United States. He returned to Russia in 1994, where he remained until his death in 2008 at the age of 89.

*. *. *

1970. Communists reject Nixon’s peace proposal. On the very day that Solzhenitsyn received his great honor from the Nobel Committee, Richard Nixon received a slap in the face from the North Vietnamese when they rejected his proposal to end the war in Vietnam, calling it “a maneuver to deceive world opinion.”

To the people of Vietnam, it seemed as though the fighting would never end. And when it finally did, it didn’t end well.

*. *. *

2001. The Office of Homeland Security is founded. This happened on October 8th, less than a month after the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Talk about being a little late closing that barn door . . . But to continue with yet another axiom, I suppose late is better than never.

*. *. *

Looking ahead in the list, I’m seeing nothing but bad news on this date: the first person in the U.S. to die of Ebola, in 2014; and something about a sweat lodge ceremony turned deadly in 2009. I’m not sure I even want to look into that one, so let’s end on the one remaining high note:

2004. Kenyan environmentalist and human rights campaigner Wangari Maathai wins Nobel Peace Prize. Ms. Maathai was born in 1940 to peasant farmers, and grew up in a rural community in Kenya. She was able to study in the United States, where she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In 1966, she returned home to Kenya to become the first woman in east and central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. She founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, focused on reducing poverty and preserving the natural environment.

Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, she addressed her people:

“My fellow Africans, let us as we embrace this recognition, let us use it to intensify our commitment to our people, to reduce conflicts and poverty and thereby improve their quality of life. Let us embrace democratic governance, protect human rights and protect our environment. I am confident that we shall rise to the occasion. I have always believed that solutions to most of our problems must come from us.”

Ms. Maathai died in 2011, at the age of 71, of complications from ovarian cancer. It’s unfortunate that she wasn’t given more years. That beautiful lady certainly left this world — or at least her corner of it — a better place than she found it.

Wouldn’t we all like to have that written about us.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/9/24

On August 1st of this year, sixteen cots were vacated in various locations throughout Russia’s archipelago of penal colonies, when as many prisoners were released in an historic multi-nation prisoner swap.

But nature and Vladimir Putin abhor a vacuum, so it stands to reason that those vacancies had to be filled. And yesterday, two of them were.

American Stephen Hubbard, 72 years of age, was charged with having fought as a mercenary against Russia in Ukraine, allegedly after signing a contract for around $1,000 a month. Detained since April of 2022, Hubbard pled guilty last month, telling the Moscow City Court: “Yes, I agree with the charges.” He was brought to trial on September 27th. A guilty verdict or plea could bring a sentence of seven to fifteen years in prison. [Lauren Kent and Darya Tarasova, CNN, October 7, 2024.]

The “trial,” held behind closed doors, concluded on October 7th with Hubbard’s sentencing: six years and ten months in prison. The “minimal” sentence was said to be in deference to his age.

Hubbard’s sister, Trisha Hubbard Fox, had previously said that “he never had a gun, owned a gun, done any of that . . . He’s more of a pacifist.” She also had commented that her brother held pro-Russian views. And in a Facebook post in September, she stated:

“RUSSIA’s prosecutor is LYING!!! Steve was never a mercenary. He was an English teacher teaching English in foreign countries!” [Id.]

And now the English teacher / alleged mercenary will occupy a cot in a cell in a Russian prison, quite possibly for the remainder of his life.

*. *. *

Earlier on the same day, in a court in the city of Voronezh, another American citizen, Robert Gilman, had seven years and one month — to be served in a maximum-security penal colony — added to his 2022 sentence of more than four years for an alleged attack on a police officer.

The current charge is again assault — this time on a prison official and a state investigator. Only Gilman and the Russian officers know the truth behind the allegations. But the sad fact remains that Gilman now faces another nine years in the hell of Russia’s prison system.

So . . . two more cots occupied. Surely, there can’t be many more Americans left in Moscow to arrest. And if they’re smart, they’ll head for the nearest exit.

I mean now, people. Right now!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/8/24

In 2022, American basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in a Moscow airport for possession of marijuana — when in fact, what she had were some medically-prescribed cannabis oil cartridges that she had been given for pain. In August of that year, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. But on December 8th — after a total of ten months in pre-trial detention and prison — she was released in a trade arranged between the governments of Russia and the United States.

Sent back to his home in Russia, in exchange for the innocent American sportswoman, was Viktor Bout . . . a notorious Russian arms dealer widely known as the “Merchant of Death.” For nearly 20 years, he had sold weapons to rogue states, rebels and warlords in Africa, Asia and South America. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the United States, where he was convicted in 2012 on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Hardly a fair exchange, in the estimation of a great many people. The U.S. had refused to swap Bout before; but the Russians wanted him back — apparently very badly — and they knew they had a winning hand when they found Griner’s cannabis oil. So they arrested her, convicted her, and imprisoned her; and after months of negotiations, the deal was made.

For nearly two years, little has been heard of Viktor Bout outside of Russia. And now, the Wall Street Journal has reported that he has once again been dealing arms, this time to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen:

“‘When Houthi emissaries went to Moscow in August to negotiate the purchase of $10 million . . . worth of automatic weapons, they encountered a familiar face: the moustachioed [sic] Bout,’ it reported, citing sources.” [James Kilner, The Telegraph, October 7, 2024.]

Reports from “people familiar with the matter” said that deals between Russia and the Houthi representatives were for weaponry ranging from small arms to anti-ship missiles. It was not known to what extent Bout was involved in the various trades, or whether he was acting on behalf of the Kremlin or simply with its tacit approval. [Id.]

But his presence was noted . . . and significant.

It does not appear that the potential arms sales have been completed, or that they would include the advanced weapons the Houthis might be seeking. But even small arms shipments would be a danger in the hands of the Houthis, who have been designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group. [Benoit Faucon, Michael R. Gordon, Warren P. Strobel and Alan Cullison, Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2024.]

*. *. *

So why on earth did we let this dangerous, hardened criminal loose on the world? Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics, says:

“The Biden administration had previously assessed the risks of Bout’s release as ‘acceptable.’ It was believed he wouldn’t go back into the arms trade but would join politics. Well, now those ‘acceptable’ risks have been realised [sic]. I fear he is just starting.” [The Telegraph, op.cit.]

In fact, Washington was partially right. Political office seems to be a favorite landing spot for Moscow’s returning criminals and spies. Bout did indeed join a far-right, pro-Kremlin party upon his return home, and in 2023 won a seat in a local assembly. It appeared to some that he had reformed, until that meeting with the Houthi representatives in August. [Wall Street Journal, op.cit.]

To say that the United States’ assessment was naive would, I believe, be a gross understatement. We screwed up — big time! For when has a treacherous, unscrupulous, highly successful arms dealer ever shown a propensity for choosing politics over his lifelong career? His world is all about the thrill, the danger . . . and the money.

It’s that simple.

*. *. *

The Wall Street Journal reports that Steve Zissou, a leading New York criminal attorney who represented Bout, declined to discuss whether his client had met with the Houthis. But he did have this to say:

“Viktor Bout has not been in the transportation business for over twenty years. But if the Russian government authorized him to facilitate the transfer of arms to one of America’s adversaries, it would be no different than the U.S. government sending arms and weapons of mass destruction to one of Russia’s adversaries as it has sent to Ukraine.” [Id.]

Oh, that’s very nice. I know it is the job of a defense attorney to . . . well . . . defend his client before and during the trial and any subsequent appeal. But a dozen years after the fact, to continue trying to justify the criminal actions for which that client was convicted — and which the whole world knows he did commit — well, that is just beyond all reason . . . and certainly outside the requirements of professional ethics. Better to say nothing at all.

Viktor Bout was not in the “transportation business,” Mr. Zissou. And sending weapons to defend a country under attack — yes, I’m speaking of Russia’s war of attrition against Ukraine — is not the same as selling weapons to a terrorist group whose sponsor’s aim is to wipe another country off the map.

Where is your conscience, sir?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/8/24