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War on All Fronts: McDonalds May Be Booted out of Russia; Latvia Bans Russian Superstars; Why did Yatsenyuk Resign; Repatriation of Russian Capital

McDonald’s to be Booted out of Russia?

The announcement I just saw says that Russia may ban some of the McDonald’s burgers sold in Russia due to the fact that nutritional values of the burger ingredients advertised do not correspond with actual nutritional value in the final product. The Public Health Control of the Novgorod Region initiated a lawsuit against McDonald’s in the Moscow court. Cheeseburger, the most popular burger sold by McDonald’s, may be the subject of this ban. There is a strong anti-McDonald’s movements in Russia. As profit margins plunge as a result of the network’s inability to sell its flagship burger, the Russian court sanctions may result in McDonald’s being squeezed entirely out of the Russian market.

Some of the McDonald’s drinks also fall into this category.

I say, about time! Get rid of this #GMO infested, full of plasticisers and artificial colors/flavors poison!

Link to report in Russian

 

Latvia Blacklists Russian Showbiz Superstars 

Those who read my articles know that I call Latvia one of the “Trojan Horses of the US in Europe.” And it strikes again. Latvia announced that it blacklisted three of the most famous Russian singers, whose songs are mega-popular not only in Russia and the entire Russian world, but in Latvia as well. These are Oleg Gazmanov, Valeriya, and Iosif Kobzon.

Valeriya is a pop-singer known for her angelic looks and strong voice, who’s popular internationally. Iosif Kobzon is a legend of the Russian stage. I remember him singing when I was just a child. Seems like he’d been there forever. Being Jewish, Kobzon is a huge patriot of Russia. Oleg Gazmanov appeared on Russian stage in the 1990s. I only discovered him a few years ago on YouTube, and loved this raspy voice, energetic presentation, and the power projected by his songs.

MOSKVA – (Moscow) by Oleg Gazmanov and the Alexandrov Red Army Choir (posted by a German fan):

The Sailor-girl by young Oleg Gazmanov, early 1990s. Check out his athletic somersaults! Олег Газманов – Морячка

 Иосиф Кобзон – Я люблю тебя, жизнь – I Love You, Life – by Yosif Kobzon and the Alexandrov Red Army choir. This song is one of the beloved unofficial anthems of Russia.

This particular performance was probably recorded in the very beginning of the 2000s, when Russia just started recovering after Putin came to power. In the beginning, Kobzon says, “Thank you, all, for keeping the faith and for coming out of it with flying colors (out of the catastrophic 1990s – LR). Always love life!” In the audience you can see the singer Alexander Gradsky, whose song I mentioned in Russia’s NEW Ambitious Anti-Dollar Move: $150 bln Investment in Baikal-Amur Railroad. Also, singing along in the audience is the famous (infamous?) ex-mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov.

 

Иосиф Кобзон,  Журавли – CRANES (original recording 1971). One of the most beautiful and legendary Soviet songs about the soldiers who perished in the Great War (WWII), turning into white cranes.

Valeriya – ВАЛЕРИЯ: Otpusti menya – Let Me Go

I love Russian songs & Russian movies, and so I try to share them with my readers whenever I get the chance. You can find much more beloved Soviet music hits here; best contemporary Russian songs here; I started posting Russian movies here; my articles, beautiful imagery, history, and lots of other cool stuff about Russia here.

Latvia is tiny and unimportant in the grand scheme of things. However, the problem with being blacklisted and banned from entry into Latvia for a Russian singer is this: the Baltic resort of Yurmala, near Riga, Latvia, traditionally hosts the international Russian song festival, The New Wave – Novaya Volna. The event attracts the best singers, as well as many Russian tourists. It is said that Latvia would have been bankrupt a long time ago, if not for the influx of cash left there by the Russian tourists and Russian festivals. It is well-known that Latvia has been teetering on the brink of an economic collapse for years, ever since it joined the EU. Fully 1/3, or more, of the country’s population works as guest workers abroad, while the industry built there by Russians during Soviet times has been destroyed after Latvia became independent. Latvian agriculture, which used to be pretty good, was destroyed so it couldn’t compete with Western European agriculture.

It appears the three singers irritated Latvian authorities by their patriotic stance. The problem is, all three are long-term fixtures at the Novaya Volna festival.

It is abundantly clear that this move by Latvian authorities is masterminded by the US and is part of the anti-Russian sanctions. Why? This is a signal and intimidation tactic for the sake of all other Russian artists. Don’t dare be patriotic, don’t dare support Donbass and Novorossia against the Kiev junta, don’t dare support Putin. Otherwise, you’ll be stonewalled. Of course it is clear that many Russian artists also have financial assets in the West. It could be bank accounts, villas on the French Riviera and more. This is a hint: you assets are next. This is yet another way to scare the Russian elites, be it political, business or artistic, into toeing the line prescribed by the US.

This is the old, known the world over, tactic by the West and the US. However, it doesn’t seem to be working any more. US power is waning and cracks in the lopsided US-centric system are starting to show everywhere, as I predicted since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis.

Russians are now talking about moving the massive Novaya Volna musical festival to a Russian city. Several cities expressed desire to host it. To me, #Sochi, or #Yalta in the #Crimea, would be a natural fit. Or it could be conducted in different cities every year. Just a thought.

There is another famous Russian festival that is conducted every summer in Latvia’s Yurmala. It’s called Muzikalny Kivin  – the Musical Kivin – and it’s part of the KVN, which is the longest-running Russian humor/music/wit/young talent competition. KVN is older than me, and I watched it since I was a child. At one point, I even participated in it a little, when I studied at the Odessa University. At that time, the team of the Odessa University, called The Odessa Gentlemen, was the undisputed KVN winner for years. Muzikalny Kivin, the musical humor and wit competition just took place in Yurmala, Latvia. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if it were to be transferred somewhere else as well. I would certainly recommend it.

Further consolidation of the Russian society is the likely result of this affront. And Latvia? Well, it’ll eventually lose the life-saving income from the Russian festivals and summer tourists. When the US-dollar-denominated 30 pieces of silver dry up, what will they do?

On another, related note: I predicted previously that Russia will only benefit long-term from Western sanctions

Four biggest benefits are:

1. Consolidation of the Russian society.

2. A more realistic assessment of who is a friend and who isn’t.

3. Re-orientation of the Russian economy from the West to Asia and inwards, with more attention paid to inner infrastructure, domestic industry, development and financing (instead of dollar or euro denominated loans/financing predominant now).

4. Last but not least – the repatriation of the Russian capital located abroad, which will be accelerating as Russians stop trusting the Western banking and business climate. This eventually will turn into a huge exodus, resulting in a loss, if not a catastrophe, for the European banking/real estate and business.

Why Did Yatsenyuk Resign?

A quick remark on the resignation of the Ukraine PM, #Yatsenyuk. It is well known, and it was caught on tape, that Yatsenyuk was literally appointed as Ukraine Prime Minister personally by Victoria Nuland, the Asst US State Dept Secretary; the same Victoria Nuland who bragged publicly to the Washington Press Club in December 2013 that US spent $5bln to subvert Ukraine.

So, Yatsenyuk fulfilled the task entrusted to him by his Washington handlers: he successfully destroyed Ukraine. Ukraine industrial base is in a shambles after bombings of eastern Ukraine and mass exodus out of the country; Ukraine agriculture is in bad shape as a result of war; Ukraine will run out of gas by fall – and the entire country runs on natural gas; pensions and social benefits have been halved.

As a result of a crisis, war and economic collapse, in the spring, Ukrainian currency, grivna, started tanking mercilessly, resulting in hyper-inflation. I heard interviews in which people from different areas of Ukraine complained that inflation was 50-70% monthly, and the elderly couldn’t afford medicine and utilities. But Kiev’s friends and bosses from across the Atlantic promptly tweaked something in the fake financial markets they operate out of Wall Street, and oh miracle! – the worthless grivna of the bankrupt country suddenly became stable! 

But if you can pretend collapse isn’t happening in the fake, computer-generated currency market, you can’t pretend in real life. The country is collapsing on all fronts and disintegrating at the seams. The new #maidan revolution is expected again by next spring. As a result of the Boeing 777 downing by the Ukraine military, all countries banned their planes from flying over Ukraine. Ukraine is an important international flight corridor; it gets $200mln annually in fees for the usage of its airspace. Add this loss to all other accomplishments of the Kiev junta.

Yatsenyuk, as Ukraine unelected PM, presided over the collapse of the country. He knows that retribution is coming. He doesn’t want to stick around when the collapse becomes visible to all. The biggest rat of all is leaving the sinking ship. He was there to destroy – someone else will have to clean up his mess.

*****

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