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Ludwig Von Mises on Russia

Of course, even among the Russian people there are some who do not share this attitude. It is only to be regretted that they have not been able to prevail over their compatriots. Ever since Russia was first in a position to exercise an influence on European politics, it has continually behaved like a robber who lies in wait for the moment when he can pounce upon his victim and plunder him of his possessions. At no time did the Russian Czars acknowledge any other limits to the expansion of their empire than those dictated by the force of circumstances. The position of the Bolsheviks in regard to the problem of the territorial expansion of their dominions is not a whit different. They too acknowledge no other rule than that, in the conquest of new lands, one may and indeed must go as far as one dares, with due regard to one’s resources. The fortunate circumstance that saved civilization from being destroyed by the Russians was the fact that the nations of Europe were strong enough to be able successfully to stand off the onslaught of the hordes of Russian barbarians. The experiences of the Russians in the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, and the Turkish campaign of 1877-78 showed them that, in spite of the great number of their soldiers, their army is unable to seize the offensive against Europe. The World War merely confirmed this.

from
Liberalism: In the Classical Tradition
3. Liberal Foreign Policy

https://mises.org/library/liberalism-classical-tradition/html/p/48

Hoppe’s Translator comments on his reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

What leading libertarian theorists say about the war that is going on
Europe is almost three months old?

Almost nothing. They are silent, as if in the civilized world there
things are more important.

Hoppe mentioned Ukraine in passing in an interview on 4 April¹. But it would be better
he didn’t do it, and he didn’t disgrace himself.

Hoppe said that the Ukrainians “have no chance of winning the war” with
outnumbered by the Russian army, so they’d better “surrender”.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter because “one corrupt gang
just replaces the other. After all, Ukraine has never “been exemplary
democratic western state. “In terms of corruption, it was
worse than Russia. Economic productivity per person
in Ukraine is lower than in Russia. The leaders in Ukraine are corrupt.”

Perhaps I could understand this point of view before the start of the war. Ukrainians
(or rather, the inhabitants of this conditional territory) were occupied
long before the invasion of Putin’s troops – the “Ukrainian” state. At
choosing a side in mafia showdowns for the territory it is reasonable to give
preference for those occupiers who are likely to pillage less and
control the population.

For example, American (and not Nazi or Soviet) occupation
West Germany was a comparative boon for its inhabitants. About,
the Russian or Ukrainian mafia before the war was less predatory and
repressive, one can argue, although even then I would prefer the Ukrainian
power – mainly for free media, freedom of assembly, visa-free travel with
Europe, the existence of political opposition and similar pleasant
little things.

However, from the first days it became clear that this was not just a conflict
between two gangs.

Russian bandits began to actively bomb residential areas, massively
shoot civilians, rape, rob. This is war
declared by Russia to peaceful Ukrainian owners. And in that case
the choice of the libertarians is obvious – the full support of the Ukrainians and those forces
who help them fight for life.

Hoppe compares the war in Ukraine to the war between the North and the South in America.
The latter was “horribly cruel” because the northerners “deliberately
aimed at the civilian population, which they wanted to destroy. And exactly
this, according to Hoppe, Putin does not do in Ukraine.

Apparently, Hoppe learns about the events at the front exclusively from RT.

However, according to his own criterion – targeted killing
civilians – the light and the dark side in Putin’s war in Ukraine
quite obvious.

Hoppe’s statements once again cause, to put it mildly, bewilderment and shame.

https://twitter.com/liberpediaorg/status/1528085473633107968

Genocide in Kherson

This easily fits the standards for Genocide. Russia is doing what Russia has always done — since Muscovy massacred everyone in Novgorod who wasn’t a peasant.

The Soviet Union was peak Russia.

Please read about how bad things are in Kherson…

@JosephStash
I have a friend in Kherson and the situation is incredibly bad.

They said to me:
“I am reading a lot of shit about Kherson, unfortunately it’s nothing compared to reality. It is much, much worse”

Ukrainians are facing a dire situation, which I’ll lay out in a short thread:

– Escape routes out of the city are blocked. My friend has attempted to get out several times – the last driver they were in contact with was captured and had their car destroyed.

There are now many Russians in Kherson who arrived for the 9th May parade. Many of them now work at the market and sell Russian products. My friend says that when they go out now they don’t see familiar faces. Russians are arriving to replace Ukrainians and live in their homes.

– This sort of thing is going on all over Kherson.

For example, a story of a Russian person moving into an apartment block, becoming admin of the block and sending messages to residents about how they want Ukrainians to burn.

– There are checkpoints between Kherson and all other cities – the Russian army check all papers and search anyone who comes into the city.
People are forced to undress and show any tattoos, to check for any “pro-Western” or patriotic iconography.

Hearing this stuff from people on the ground is utterly horrific. Wider coverage of the war seems to have faded away in many media outlets, which means that people shrug their shoulders and probably assume everything is a bit better now. In Kherson, it is very much not the case.

Getting a fair amount of journalists dm-ing me wanting to speak to those I know in Kherson. Please note that if you want to be put in touch I need to absolutely be assured that you know your way around encrypted comms and anonymity. I’m not compromising their safety for a story.

Ok. Here is a short voice recording from my friend in Kherson. Here they outline some of the stuff in my thread, and also a message about what Ukrainians there are feeling. The audio is subtitled.

Orcs. Some clips of Russian Propaganda.

Concentration Camps and Sterilization for Opponents of Z

Threatening Kazakhstan

Nuclear War wouldn’t be so bad, because Russians will go to heaven

stealing corn

As soon as the criminal Kyiv regime is wiped off the face of the earth, harmony will return

The Ukrainian language doesn’t exist.

Patriarch Kiril: Russia has never attacked anyone.

War against Russia and the world.

Giggling about dropping a nuclear bomb on New York City

from Twitter


RT @EuromaidanPress: In Kharkiv, Russian troops completely destroyed Ukraine’s only Center for Plant Genetic Resources. This was one of the…

from Twitter


RT @visegrad24: Ukraine’s top negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak has announced that the peace talks with Russia have been suspended.

He blamed i…

from Twitter


RT @EuromaidanPress: A virtual museum of war has been created by tourism department of Kyiv Obl, to “show descendants price of freedom& in…

from Twitter


RT @HoansSolo: “We think Putin and Gerasimov are involved in tactical decision making at a level we would normally expect to be taken by a…

from Twitter

In this respect Russian state didn’t change much since 1654. As Putin’s deputy Kirienko told in 2017, “Russian state is not based on treaties”. Treaty is a restraint on the Tsar’s power, a condition he abides to committ. That’s a dishonour and he breaks treaty at the first chance.


RT @kamilkazani: In this respect Russian state didn’t change much since 1654. As Putin’s deputy Kirienko told in 2017, “Russian state is no…

Rumor almost all men from Donbas have been drafted and used as Cannon fodder

This seems like a very Russian approach.

1. They were unsure of the loyalty of Donbas, so they sent them to die, similar to how they used Ukrainians and Lithuanians in the Soviet Army.

2. It builds the story – even if at gun point – of Donbas fighting against Ukraine.

3. It maintains the superiority of the Moscow / Saint Petersburg Russians – who are strong and don’t have to fight. Meanwhile, the conquered people in the provinces have to go fight and die.