What is lost in Poles’ memories?

By Vadim TRUKHACHEV (Russia) | Oriental Review

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] few days ago Polish President Bronisław Komorowski (left) proposed a Victory Day parade on May 8 in Westerplatte – a section of Gdansk where World War II began on Sept. 1, 1939. He was supported by Poland’s foreign minister, Grzegorz Schetyna, speaking on Radio RMF. Responding to the host’s question as to whether the Polish proposal was an attempt to undercut the celebrations in Moscow, Schetyna was frank: “It’s natural to commemorate the end of the war at the site where it began… Why are we so accustomed to the idea that Moscow is where we should honor the end of the Second World War, instead of London or Berlin?”

His statement came shortly after the scandal resulting from his claims that the concentration camp at Auschwitz was liberated by the Ukrainians. President Komorowski had to smooth those words, while other Polish officials have brought their apologies to the Russians.

The Auschwitz main camp, the Birkenau death camp and the Monowitz labor camp were liberated by soldiers of the Soviet Union in the First Army of the Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Koniev, on January 27, 1945.

We could see even more fallout from this latest Polish initiative. The strategy to fabricate the history of WWII by presenting Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union as equal “aggressors” was launched years ago. Various distortions and demonization of the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement is the cornerstone of this strategy. But the attempts to portray Poland as an innocent victim of World War II, as well as the place where the biggest events of those years took place, do not hold up to any serious inspection.

Polish tanks enter Těšín, Czechoslovakia, on Oct 11, 1938

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]et’s start with the fact that the USSR was the last of the major European powers to sign a nonaggression pact with Nazi Germany. Poland was the first to do so, as early as January 1934. Poland’s dictator Józef Piłsudski and his foreign minister Józef Beck saw the Third Reich as an ally in a future war with the Soviet Union. It was Hitler who broke this pact in April 1939, not the Poles.

In October 1938 Poland devoured part of Czechoslovakia along with Germany and Hungary. The Poles’ southern neighbor fell victim to the 1938 Munich Pact, pushed by Britain and France in order to appease Hitler at the Czechs’ expense. The Polish “prize” was Těšín Silesia (a Czech region which included the third largest city in today’s Czech Republic – Ostrava). So Poland’s claim to be a “guiltless victim of the Soviet-German aggression” is historically untenable.

Schetyna did not mention that Poland has acquired 30% of its current territory as a result of WWII. In 1939 the Poles had only a tiny outlet to the Baltic Sea, but thanks to the USSR they now have a lengthy coastline. They were also given the German cities of Danzig and Breslau, which became Gdańsk and Wrocław. Four million Germans were forced to leave these areas. And those lands were far more developed than Galicia or the Grodno area.

Poland’s claim to be a “guiltless victim of the Soviet-German aggression” is historically untenable. And its ingratitude toward the Soviet Union is equally sordid. Over 600,000 Soviet soldiers and officers died in the battles for Poland.

It would be very ill-advised to hold a parade in Westerplatte just to spite Russia. This is an obvious attempt to gloss over the fact that Westerplatte itself was liberated by that same Red Army in 1945. Over 600,000 Soviet soldiers and officers died in the battles for Poland. The Soviet Union lost a total of 27 million of its own citizens in WWII. 75% of German soldiers and officers died on the Eastern Front. That is why the parade is held in Moscow.

CAPTION ABOVE: Polish general Malinowski explaining operational situation to Nazi German guests during military maneuvers in Volhynia (currently Western Ukraine) in 1938. The show was aimed to demonstrate Poles’ ability to defeat the Red Army.

And why should a parade be held in Poland? The Poles did not liberate themselves. Yugoslavia and France had far more powerful resistance movements during the war years. And the local resistance movements truly liberated some of their territory from the occupying powers (this was especially true in Yugoslavia). Consequently, Belgrade has much more reason to hold a parade on May 8. Even Paris has more of a rationale than Westerplatte.

But speaking of places other than Moscow – Prague comes to mind. It was there that the last major European battle of World War II erupted. But Miloš Zeman, the president of the Czech Republic is planning to go to Moscow. It has never occurred to him to try to deny that the Czech capital was liberated by the Red Army. The Nazis occupied Prague even earlier than Poland – in March 1939. So Poland can’t even claim to the first victim.

In principle, there’s nothing odd about having a parade on May 8 in a European capital. But on one condition: the Victory Day parade on Red Square must be held the next day. Replacing one with the other would be seen as an insensitive attempt to rewrite history to suit the whims of the moment. However, it seems that this is exactly what the Polish minister is trying to do.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

[box] Vadim Trukhachev has a Ph.D. (History), and serves as Professor of Slavic Studies at the Russian State Humanitarian University. [/box]

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Pro-Kremlin Activists Claim Boris Nemtsov Killed by ‘American Curators’

By Alec Luhn | VICE News

[dropcap]US[/dropcap] intelligence agencies killed opposition leader Boris Nemtsov to orchestrate a regime change in Russia, pro-Kremlin activists that include a senator and the leader of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s favorite biker gang said at a press conference in Moscow.

Referring to the pro-Western Euromaidan protests in Kiev that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the leaders of Russia’s “Anti-Maidan” movement said Nemtsov had become the “first victim of Maidan in Russia” when he was killed by four bullets to the back in view of the Kremlin on Friday night. Pundits in state media have often argued the Kiev protests were a US-organized “coup” that brought a “fascist junta” to power.

A former prime minister, Nemtsov had written several reports on state corruption and was reportedly working on one about Russian military support for rebels in eastern Ukraine. But nationalist author Nikolai Starikov argued at the press conference that the opposition leader had actually been an asset of US intelligence who had worked against Russia’s interests throughout his career.

“To me it’s obvious that the instigators of Nemtsov’s murder were his American curators, who always use the same methods. As soon as a revolutionary becomes ineffective, as soon as his death will bring more use than his activities, they kill him, then create a big furor around it to give his death more significance,” he said.

Starikov has long been a voice of warning against “Anglo-Saxon” conspiracies and has written such books as “1917: Not a Revolution, But an Intelligence Operation” and “Russia’s Main Enemy: All Evil Comes from the West.” He was joined by Senator Dmitry Sablin, a former deputy of the ruling United Russia party in the lower house of parliament, and Alexander “Surgeon” Zaldostanov, the head of the Night Wolves biker gang who has often been photographed with the Russian president. Putin once even rode a three-wheel Harley alongside Zaldostanov during a visit to Novorossiysk in 2011.

Sablin, Starikov and Zaldostanov had announced in January that they were creating an “Anti-Maidan” movement to fight pro-democracy protests against Putin’s government. Anti-Maidan members later shouted down peace activists at a protest against the conflict between the government and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.

In February, Zaldostanov and thousands others came out for an Anti-Maidan march in downtown Moscow to mark the anniversary of the “coup” against Yanukovych, carrying signs such as “We Don’t Need American Democracy,” “Putin Is Our President” and “We Don’t Need Your Western Ideology!”

Opposition leaders and political analysts have said Nemtsov’s killing was far more likely linked to an “atmosphere of hatred” toward Kremlin critics than foreign intelligence services. Patriotic paranoia had been spread by state-controlled television coverage during the Ukraine crisis and was given expression by Putin, who warned of a “fifth column” of “national traitors” during a broadcast in December. Several analysts have argued that the most likely culprit is an ultranationalist or Kremlin-linked group seeking to push Putin to continue military support for rebels in eastern Ukraine rather than work toward a peace plan agreed in Minsk, Belarus, in February.

In a suggestion that it may also secretly suspect the far right, Russia’s investigative committee appointed Igor Krasnov, a detective known for successful investigations of nationalists accused of political murders, to head the Nemtsov case.

But Starikov argued that Nemtsov’s killing was a “classic example” of the “Maidan technologies” used by US intelligence to orchestrate coups in Ukraine and other countries. He added that it was actually the “democratic opposition” (i.e., “western-style government supporter} that was promoting intolerance and unrest, reading out quotes by anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny and other prominent activists and journalists criticizing Russia and its population. [Navalny is notorious for his close ties with the CIA and State Department destabilization tools like the NED, etc.—Eds] “Who is really creating this atmosphere of hate? We need to pay attention to these people, they are indirectly responsible for the murder of Boris Nemtsov,” he said.

Zaldostanov complained that Anti-Maidan activists wearing the St. George’s ribbon, a Russian symbol for military victories widely worn by Putin supporters, had been prevented from joining Sunday’s 50,000-strong memorial march for Nemtsov. The ribbon has become an unofficial symbol of the Russia-backed rebellion in eastern Ukraine, of which Nemtsov was an outspoken opponent. [Nemtsov openly supported the Kiev regime and accused the Russian government of “aggression,” a shopworn propaganda meme disseminated by Western politicians and media.—Eds]

“When they don’t let some guys with St. George’s ribbon join the column, when some faggot in a homosexual voice says that that the ribbon is a symbol of bloodshed, I can’t understand that,” Zaldostanov said.

The Anti-Maidan leaders said that they considered themselves part of Russia’s political opposition, but the press conference took place in the headquarters of Rossiya Segodnya (“Russia Today”), the Kremlin’s media arm. Their statements also echoed official rhetoric: Both Putin’s spokesman and the investigative committee have suggested Nemtsov’s murder is a “provocation” against Russia.

Following Nemtsov’s killing, Russia will face protests and further “provocations,” including more killings, according to Starikov, as the US agents attempt to destabilize the situation in the country and overthrow the government.

“To say there is no danger and we’re fighting with phantoms is to deny reality,” he said. “The attempt to shake up the situation in Russia has started with Nemtsov’s murder…. We have seen so many successful and unsuccessful coups according to the Maidan scenario. This destabilization happens in any country where the United States is trying to achieve regime change.”

Follow Alec Luhn on Twitter: @ASLuhn

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America: The undemocratic ‘democracy’

Eric Draitser is an independent geopolitical analyst based in New York City and the founder of StopImperialism.com.

The US Capitol: Magnificent building, sordid business.

[dropcap]Despite[/dropcap] being the world’s self-appointed champion and proselytizer of the gospel of democracy, the United States is clearly and unmistakably an undemocratic nation.

Though it is no longer the world’s foremost industrial producer, the United States still does lead in one important export: “democracy.” Washington has taken the lead in undermining, demonizing, and otherwise destabilizing Russia and China, Venezuela and Iran, Syria and North Korea – countries in need of regime change because, according to Washington, they are undemocratic.

But what is this peculiar brand of “democracy” that the United States purports to be the apogee of the political development of so-called “Western” civilization? If the US is serious about spreading democratic ideals to all corners of the globe, then surely it has long since embodied those same ideals in its domestic political institutions, right? Well, not exactly. OK, not at all.

Is there democracy in Washington?

In his classic work Politics, Aristotle famously asserted that, “If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will best be attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.” As Aristotle notes, democracy can only truly provide liberty and equality – both central elements of the US mythos – if it is “shared” by “all persons alike.” In other words, there can only be true democracy when everyone shares control over the political institutions through which power is wielded. However, the United States of 2015 could not be further from Aristotle’s ideal.

As the 114th US Congress opens its session in Washington this month, it is once again time to take note of the stark difference between the people of the United States, and those who have been“democratically” elected to represent them. A Washington Post headline from January makes this divide plainly obvious: The new Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male and 92 percent Christian. Stop and think about those figures for just a moment. The notion that this government is actually representative of the people is utterly laughable.

GOP leadership. There's really no difference between the parties, so the labels are simply used to delude the public. (DonkeyHotey.flickr)

GOP leadership. There’s really no difference between the parties, so the labels are simply used to delude the public. (Via DonkeyHotey.flickr)

According to the most recent US Census figures, the racial, gender/sex, and religious identities of members of the US Congress is not at all aligned with the demographic reality. Roughly 63 percent of the US population included in the census self-identifies as “White only” (meaning they do not identify as “white + another racial affiliation”), while 80 percent of Congress is white. This may seem a relatively reflective representation of racial demographics, but this is misleading. Not included in the census are the millions of non-white immigrants who, for a variety of reasons (e.g. seasonal work migration, fear of law enforcement, etc.) do not participate in such data gathering. So, taken conservatively, the racial makeup of Congress, while moderately over-representing whites, is not entirely unrepresentative of the population. Or so it would seem.

However, one must look more closely to see that the racial makeup of the Congress does little to affect its policies which cater to a mostly white corporate and financial elite, while to a large extent ignoring the economic and social problems that plague minority communities throughout the country. And so, you can see in the halls of Congress, a Congressional Black Caucus that almost without exception votes in a bloc with their white Democrat allies if, for no other reason, to preserve their own positions as they cater to mostly white donors. Perhaps the prime example of such behavior is President Obama himself who, despite being of African descent, has always eschewed race-related issues in favor of the typical vacuous American platitude of “togetherness” which, quite conveniently, seems to never offend or inconvenience the white power brokers who have made his career.

The same subsumption to power is true for the nominally “non-White” Hispanic Congressmen (and women) in South Florida, whose anti-Castro politics have, for generations now, made them into a reliable constituency and voting bloc for the Republican party – a party which caters to white racists, corporate suits, and a sprinkling of token minorities that lend the credibility of political correctness to a party that successfully absorbed the racist, Southern vote more than fifty years ago. The reality is that an elected official, regardless of whether he/she is Black or Hispanic, is most often, and almost without exception, transformed into merely a dark-skinned ally of the white political establishment; they have no political will or power independent of that establishment.

And therein lay the real issue. In trying to understand the political character of the United States, and the consequent political culture spawned from it, race is not of value in and of itself. Rather, it is the ways in which race and racial identity intersect with power and the political establishment that is of interest. For, as the United States trumpets democracy and the so-called “values of liberalism” around the world, it quietly obscures the fact that racial equality, or even necessarily “progress,” is an illusion, a public relations marketing campaign to propagate the myths of liberty and equality.

With regard to gender, Congress is even more unrepresentative. While women account for more than 51 percent of the total population of the US, they account for roughly 20 percent of Congressional representatives. Despite nearly 50 years of a Feminist movement, and all the talk of equality, and all the attacks upon non-Western countries for their treatment of women, the US remains distinctly patriarchal. It seems that Washington is perfectly content to argue for more war in Afghanistan, ostensibly to protect the rights of girls to go to school, while still being unable to even break through its own deeply oppressive, male-dominated political system. Irrespective of one’s personal beliefs, the objective fact is that the beacon of democracy is still controlled by mostly white men. Is there something inherently evil about white men? No. But there definitely is something wrong with a society dominated by white men which presents itself as anything but.

Finally, there is the issue of religion and the religious affiliation of the elected members of Congress. The new Congress will open its session with a whopping 92 percent of representatives identifying as Christian. This is staggeringly higher than the total Christian-identifying population (which includes many denominations/sects) of the US which is, at maximum, 78 percent. It should be noted that, though not Christian, Jewish representatives, by virtue of financial and political backing of both Jewish and non-Jewish interests, are de facto members of the same political establishment, and thereby don’t functionally act as a minority, despite the demographics. And so, if Jewish identification were to be included with the Christian, it becomes clear who is, and who is not, being truly represented by Congress.

As the Washington Post noted, “The group that Pew [Research] finds most underrepresented on the [Capitol] Hill is those without a religious affiliation – comprising nearly 20 percent of the public and 0.2 percent of Congress.” Think about this statistic. 20 percent of the US is not affiliated with any religion (including atheists, agnostic, secular/religious unaffiliated, or don’t know/refused to answer), while almost no representatives identify in this way. And so, roughly 63.5 million Americans have no one representing their religious beliefs (or unbelief as it were). This is, by any measure, an egregious example of the unrepresentative nature of the US Congress.

Put more simply, tens of millions of Americans don’t have the option of choosing to vote for someone who actually represents them, their interests, or their values. Rather, they have the option of choosing one of two distasteful candidates who do not accurately reflect their needs or aspirations, and have little to no interest in anything other than being elected and profiting from their position.

Will it be Coke or Pepsi? McDonald’s or Burger King?

Democracy is not a political system in the US, it is a product to be bought and sold – the armies of lobbyists, interest groups, and fundraisers are a testament to that. It is a concept to be pitched like a Hollywood script or a television commercial, only to be disseminated to the masses as if it were reality.

Democracy is America’s collective delusion. It is America’s dream of itself.

But, like all dreams, it simply evaporates the moment you wake up.

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The Saker on Regime Change, Assault on Russia, Weakening of the Ruble—Part 2

Ruble Exchange Rate Fluctuations and the Economic War

SOURCE: Vineyard of the Saker

President Putin: At the center of a hurricane.

by Aleksei Kettunen
Translation to English: Petri Krohn

[dropcap]Russian ruble[/dropcap] exchange rate changes have all the ingredients of success detective story. On Monday, 15.12. 2014 ruble weakened to a record low since 1998: the dollar cost 64 rubles and 79 rubles to the euro. In recent years, the price of an euro has been hanging around 50 rubles, or 5 000 rubles withdrawn from an ATM for a night of adventures in St. Petersburg would cost around 100 euros.
Last night, the Russian Central Bank raised its base rate drastically from 10.5 per cent to 17 per cent to curb currency speculation. The price of an euro during the day momentarily exceeded the limit of 100 rubles or 80 rubles for a dollar. Now at the end of the market day the ruble has slightly appreciated: $ 1= 72.60 rubles and 1 euro = 90 rubles. The official rates of the Russian Central Bank before tomorrow’s market day are $ 1 = 61.15 rubles and 1 Euro = 76.15 rubles.

What is this about?

The economic sanctions imposed by the US and the EU prevent granting of loans to Russian companies with a payment period of more than 30 days. As Russian companies have been borrowing money from the West the entire post-Cold War period at a lower rate of interest and the penalties now prevent loan restructuring and follow-up funding, these companies must now get euros and dollars to take care of their loans, thereby creating more demand for foreign currency in the Russian market and thus weakening the ruble.

Also, the fall in the price of oil reduces Russia’s foreign exchange earnings, which in a situation of high demand for currency weakens the ruble.

The Eurasian Economic Union comes into force on January 1, 2015. Most likely at the same time the Russian ruble and foreign exchange markets will change drastically, and the Russian economy will take a distance to the dollar and the euro. Now the West is doing its best to weaken the ruble and thus destabilize the Russian economy and the political system before the end of the year. The maxima of the West is to prevent the emergence of the new economic union and closer cooperation within the BRICS. Taking into account the Christmas holidays, the West has little more than a week to succeed.

What are the Russian authorities doing?

Trying their best to defend the ruble and the Russian economy. Their actions are limited by two factors: first, in this battle Russia’s foreign currency reserves may be used only minimally (for which there are far better uses), and, secondly, the entire process must take place under the rules of the dollar-based global liberal economic model (because Russia will disconnect from the dollar system only later).

For the rest of the year the going will only get tougher. Even under the liberal economic model the Central Bank of Russia and the government have much stronger measures to stabilize and strengthen the ruble, which they probably will introduced as needed.

Russia will detach itself from the global dollar economy according to earlier plans .Until then it will continue defending the ruble. The West on its part will make every effort to weaken the ruble. What will be the end result? Time will tell – or the stars. I predict that next year will see a surprise!

What might this 2015 surprise be?

The Russian government has already informed Russian banks that the amounts of reserve currency deposits placed by various ministries in Russian banks will be drastically less than during previous years. These funds will instead be used to finance various domestic infrastructure projects. All this means that the Russian government obsessed with saving during all the 2000s and 2010s will become a big spender investing in strategical domestic projects. This will considerably strengthen Russian economy. Another factor will be the Eurasian Union.

The third factor is a combination of recent Russia-China, Russia-Iran and Russia-India megaprojects and financing from the New Development Bank NDB (formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank). Russian President, Government and Bank of Russia have consistently informed the market players that now is the time to concentrate on domestic markets and domestic financial resources. All this will probably mean the unlinking of Russian economy from dollar-dominated Western economy.

Enjoy the cliffhanger!

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

Listen to this Ukrainian Nazi, speaking in Russian with his fellow Ukrainians, explaining that there are no peaceful civilians in Donetsk but only collaborators with the enemy. As soon as he is done spewing his hatred he gets hit by an artillery shell. Call it ‘karma’ or remember the words of the 3rd Psalm “thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly” but this guy sure got what he deserved. See for yourself:

LET US RECALL THAT WAHABISM IS A FUNDAMENTALIST CREED ACTIVELY SUPPORTED BY THE SAUDIS—Washington’s close buddies.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he horrible events in Pakistan immediately brought to my mind the barbaric attack by Wahabi Chechens against the school in Beslan. It is amazing for me to see that, apparently, attacking schools and taking children hostage is a God-pleasing action in the sick minds of the human reptiles known as Wahabis. They also love to slit throats, torture and, occasionally, eat livers. Truly, this ideology which we can call Wahabism or, probably even more accurately, Takfirism is satanic in its very core.

Ramzan Kadyrov is very wise when he refers to these militants as “shaitans” or devils. He is, I think, quite literally right. Unlike the Anglo “coalition of the willing”, the Russian and Syrian armed forces have done a superb job killing as many of these “shaitans” as possible, as have the truly Muslim Chechens. But one can only kill people, not ideologies. And Takfirism cannot be eliminated by Russian or Syrian guns. Takfirism can only be defeated by Islam. This is what Ramzan Kadyrov has done in Chechnia and this is what Hezbollah is trying to do in Lebanon and this is what Iran is trying to achieve in the Middle-East.

In this video, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah explains the nature of Takfirism and the threat it poses to the Muslim world:

The result of the Russian Central Bank’s hike in interest rates turned out to be worse then my worst nightmares: it reversed the downward spiral of the Ruble for only about half an hour, then the Russian currency resumed its collapse. Rumor has it that the Central Bank might begin buying Rubles next, which I personally don’t see as useful at this point.

I have asked for expert opinions and I hope to get them soon. In the meantime, here is my own take on this which, caveat emptor, is backed by ZERO personal expertise in these matters. Still, for whatever it’s worth, my own speculations:

1) The Ruble is falling due to three completely separate reasons:
i) The recession in the West which triggers a drop in oil prices
ii) The Anglo-American bloc pressures on OPEC not to cut production
iii) The impact of western sanctions

2) None of the above are enough to explain what is happening. The real problem is the lack of credibility of the Russian Central Bank and the Kremlin. Thus the key factor in the fall of the Ruble is distrust of the Russian authorities.

3) This distrust is fully deserved. The head of the Central Bank is a notorious 5th columnist which Putin failed to fire, arrest or otherwise remove from that position. But there is worse:

4) Putin personally is not trusted either, at least not on economic matters. Dmitri Orlov put it very well:

First, yes, Putin is an economic liberal. I hate to admit it, but I am convinced of it. So while he is “socialist” in a sense of supporting a social state, which helps the poor, needy, sick or old, he also is a “market capitalist” in the sense that he believes that market forces should be left free to maximize the competitivity of an economy. This might be a result of seeing a (pseudo-) socialist system fail or because he sincerely admires the competitivity of US and other (pseudo-) capitalist economies, I don’t know. But there is no doubt in my mind that he is an economic liberal.

Second, it would be typical Putin to let the “Atlantic Integrationist” 5th column to fail so badly as to make their removal a political demand of the Russian people. The problem with that is that this strategy can take a huge toll on the Russian people and economy.

Right now the situation is so bad that the value of some high visibility Russian stocks has begun to plunge. As does the Ruble. As does the price of Bread.

I am not much of an economist, much less so a trader. But I have to agree with the markets here: the current Putin+Nabiulina combo is not one deserving trust and if I had to speculate, I would speculate against Russia right now.

Maybe I am naive or primitive but I see only one way to reverse this death spiral: not only to fire Nabiulina, but to fully nationalize the Central Bank, fire the totality of its current top management and to appoint a new team with Sergei Glaziev as its director with a rank of Minister of Finance. Then Russia must take the strategic decision to drop the current system of backing each printed Ruble with purchased US Dollars and instead back the Ruble with either energy or metals or a combo of real-word resources. My own vote would go for gold.

The Saker

APPENDIX IV

CrossTalk: US vs Russia

Dear friends and readers,

Today I am writing to you to appeal for your help. By now it must be clear to everybody that what is taking place today is not just some “Cold War v2” or some “East-West tensions”, but a full-scale total war between not only Russia and the USA, but between the entire Anglo-American-led NATO Empire and the Resistance (lead by Russia and the BRICS). Make no mistake, this is not about the Ukraine or, even less so, about the Donbass. This is about regime change in Moscow. Ask yourself a simple question: what will happen to China, Iran, Latin America and the rest of the planet if the Anglo-American-led NATO bloc is successful and a Yeltsin/Proshenko/Hollande/Abbot/etc-like figure takes over the Kremlin? I am not saying that Russia today “is” the Resistance, but I am saying that Russia is absolutely indispensable for the Resistance. If Russia loses this war, the Empire wins the planet. And if Russia wins, that will be the end of the Empire. That is really that simple.

So far this war has been a 1% shooting war, 30% financial war and 69% information war. But what is crucial is this: these ratios can change. Look at the devastation this 1% war caused in the Donbass and imagine what a full-scale 100% shooting continental war would do to our planet! In fact, if we lose the information war the probability of these ratios changing for the worse is very high. In other words, to avoid a continental shooting war we have to win the information war.

We all know that Russians are experts at shooting, adequate at finances and absolutely terrible at public relations. I would argue that the volunteer blogosphere has done much more to explain the Russian point of view than the entire state-funded Russian media. But with the informational battle heating up, we need help, a lot of help.

In this war, the single best “weapon” we have is direct translations from Russian into English. Documents, speeches and official statements, of course, but also videos, commentaries, documents from the vibrant Russian blogosphere. If the Russians knew anything at all about PR they would hire a firm with the sole task of translating this kind of material into English. Such a firm could employ no more than 50 full time translators plus assisting personnel. It would cost the Russian state budget pennies. But they won’t do it because they just don’t “get it”.

We will have to do it. Pro bono.

Because, above all, we don’t want to be bystanders.

And we don’t want a continental war.

So, I literally beg all of you who can translate from Russian into English, even if you are not professionals or if your English is not perfect (we have editors who will gladly help: please contact the Russian Saker Team whose appeal I am publishing below in English and Russian. Please offer your assistance, even just for a few hours a week, to translate the huge amount of most important information we have in Russian into English (because English is the lingua franca of our planet). Please help us stop an Empire gone crazy and hell bent on starting a shooting war with Russia.

Specifically, I ask you to do two things:

1. Contact the Russian Saker Team at editor@vineyardsaker.ru and offer them your services
2. Spread this appeal to any and all contacts you have who might help or even know somebody who could help.

Please don’t be a bystander.

The Saker

——-
Words from the European Saker—

Shaking hands across the ocean

We, the volunteers of the Russian Diaspora, spontaneously organized ourselves into a group to help our historic Homeland of Russia. Our site is the Russian version of the parent English blog “The Vineyard of the Saker”, which analyzes the current pressing issues in the world. The blog owner, The Saker, has extensive experience in military analysis, which is very popular in the English-speaking blogosphere.

Multiple language volunteer groups have decided to bring the Saker’s blog to their readership. As of today, in addition to Russian, we have French, German, Serbian, Italian, Spanish (Latin American) and Oceania (Pacific) versions. This is truly an unprecedented case of volunteers from around the world spontaneously uniting to organize an opposition to the mainstream Western media’s reporting of world’s events.

The realization that we have been bluntly manipulated by certain global interests that are mindlessly pushing the world towards war and destruction, prompted us to join our voices to the growing world protest against the propaganda of violence and hatred. Exposing the thick wall of Western lies and trying to tell people the truth from the other side is the civic duty of every honest person.

We say NO to violence and wars around the world; we stand for peaceful coexistence, economic and cultural cooperation between our nations; and, we extend the hand of friendship to all nations, brothers and sisters all over the world!

We will be together only through the realization that we share common values and interests: the right to freedom, self-development, labour and education, the right to love and raise our children, the right to the TRUTH and LIFE.

The purpose of the unbridled Western propaganda is contrary to these rights and to befuddle our consciousness and identity, to divide us, to force us to hate each other, so we can be more easily crushed one by one.

If you support our call and want to help, please join our volunteers. We need people with various language skills to translate our material.

Please contact us at editor@vineyardsaker.ru.

And now a word from the Editors of The Greanville Post

FRIENDS AND FELLOW ACTIVISTS—

AS YOU KNOW, THERE’S A COLOSSAL INFORMATION WAR GOING ON, AND THE FATE OF THE WORLD LITERALLY HANGS ON THE OUTCOME.

THEIR LIES.
THEIR CONSTANT PROPAGANDA.

OUR TRUTH.

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America tuned out as Congress bangs war drum against Russia

U.S. President Barack Obama (RIA Novosti / Sergey Guneev)

Russia-NATO relations

Robert Bridge

[dropcap]On December 4[/dropcap] as America was tuned into Thursday night football, or staring into the cold depths of the refrigerator at commercial time, House members brought the nation one step closer to all-out war with Russia.

Future historians – that is, assuming there are humans still around to contemplate history – may one day point to House Resolution 758 (a full critique of this vile act of Congress is included in our Appendix, written by none other than a card-carrying Libertarian, and originally published on LewRockewell.com) as the single piece of legislation that sparked a global conflagration between two leading nuclear powers.

This is not hyperbole. US rhetoric against Russia is quickly overstepping reality, causing US politicians to endorse policies that severely inflate the perceived threat. When political veteran Ron Paul says the House passed what he ranked as “one of the worst pieces of legislation ever,” well, we had better sit up and switch off CNN, especially when that legislation happens to involve a historical heavyweight like Russia.

Resolution 758 was forged in a political furnace of unbalanced, one-sided debate, where American politicians regularly attempt to outdo each other in a lame contest called ‘Russian fear mongering.’ This popular game, which is never out of season, is played among intellectually challenged officials looking for quick political advantage; a bit like Special Olympics for American politicians where everybody goes home a winner.

However, these Russian games are no longer a laughing matter as they were during the feel-good Yeltsin era. Vladimir Putin has shown himself to be a highly competent statesman and whether this fact is responsible for America’s bad mood is difficult to say. Whatever the case may be, judging by the wording of HR 758, America seems to be sliding inexorably towards a ‘war footing’ with Russia.

The opening paragraph of HR 758 accuses Russia of conducting an “invasion of Ukraine” and violating its territorial sovereignty. Like so much else in this resolution, the statement is delivered into American living rooms like a dry, cold pizza without the toppings. Yet nobody, except Ron Paul and a few others, seems to be complaining.

President Obama Delivers State Of The Union Address At U.S. Capitol

A joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol (Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP)

“Surely with our sophisticated satellites that can read a license plate from space we should have video and pictures of this Russian invasion,” Paul argued. “None have been offered. As to Russia’s ‘violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,’ why isn’t it a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty for the US to participate in the overthrow of that country’s elected government as it did in February?”

Indeed, as Ukraine was approaching open rebellion, US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and the US Ambassador to Ukraine were overheard in taped conversations bragging that the US spent $5 billion on regime change in Ukraine. They even mentioned the names of the individuals the US wants to see in leadership positions, and while we’re at it: ‘F*ck the EU!’

Paragraph 13 of the document demands the “withdrawal of Russia forces from Ukraine” even though not a shred of evidence has been produced to prove that the Russian army ever set foot in Ukraine. Further on, HR 758 urges Kiev to resume military operations against the eastern regions seeking independence, a move that will certainly exasperate East-West relations if it goes forward.

Paragraph 14 states that Malaysia Airlines flight 17, which went down in murky circumstances in eastern Ukraine, was brought down by a missile “fired by Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.”

How can the House make such a reckless conclusion when the final report on the investigation of this tragedy is not scheduled to be released until next year? Moreover, the preliminary report never says that a missile was responsible for bringing down MH17.

Paragraph 22 states that Russia invaded the Republic of Georgia in 2008. This is a blatant misrepresentation of the historical record since it is well known that Georgian forces launched a crack-of-dawn military offensive against South Ossetia, killing hundreds of civilians, as well as a dozen Russian peacekeepers. Yes, Russia chased the Georgian army back to the outskirts of Tbilisi before turning back, but what country would have done differently under similar circumstances?

A woman stands by her smoldering home in the Lidievka district, after it was hit and destroyed by shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on December 6, 2014. (AFP Photo/Eric Feferberg)

HR 758 also calls on Russia “to reverse its illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, to end its support of the separatist forces in Crimea, and to remove its military forces from that region other than those operating in strict accordance with its 1997 agreement on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet Stationing on the Territory of Ukraine.”

This statement represents the falsification of history in an effort to pursue a political agenda. The people of the Crimean peninsula, under the threat of violence from government forces, independently called for a referendum to decide their sovereign status. Only after Crimea voted – overwhelmingly – to join the Russian Federation did the Russian Duma hold a vote on the issue. The entire process was done according to the dictates of international law.

There are many more such preposterous claims and dangerous demands in HR 758, yet the document has been greeted with a deafening silence in the United States by the corporate-owned media.

“Global security is at stake,” writes Michel Chossudovsky in Veteran News. “This historic vote – which potentially could affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide– has received virtually no media coverage. A total media blackout prevails.”

PLEASE EXAMINE THE APPENDIX FOR THE ROLL CALL VOTE on H R 758 and identify the criminals and traitors (Democrats voting with the GOP, and proving the “alternative” party is no such thing in anything of importance) that passed this vile piece of legislation.

REGULAR ARTICLE RESUMES HERE

It is the opinion here that the recent upsurge in anti-Russian rhetoric, which is quickly transforming into concrete actions, is not a new phenomenon. Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States never really shook off its cold war hangover, and moreover, never really wanted to.

A holier-than-thou attitude has permeated the great majority of US think-tank papers over the years, creating a palpable sense of fear towards Russia while sowing the seeds for immense defense sector profits. Newspaper articles since the time of Boris Yeltsin have dripped with condescending, disparaging remarks about Russia, which have worked to create a particular mindset in many Americans towards a country they have most likely never experienced firsthand.

Meanwhile, inside the world of America’s hermetically sealed cauldron of ‘academic Russian studies’ (READ: Sovietology) – a veritable echo chamber where anti-Russian mantras are recited like unthinking prayers – an atmosphere of hostility against Russia has been carefully cultivated for years. There are only a handful of honest US academicians as far as Russia is concerned.

Sevastopol residents at a celebratory show held after the referendum on Crimea’s status. (RIA Novosti/Valeriy Melnikov)

Given this overtly hostile attitude towards all things Russian, it was quite easy for the United States to sell the idea of a dangerous enemy “on the doorstep of NATO” that has some kind of wild desire to recreate an empire.

Yet what country has been steadily encroaching on Russia’s doorstep like a wolf in sheep’s clothing since the end of the Cold War? What country has refused to cooperate with Russia in its missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, thus bringing the continent to the brink of another arms race? What country has over 800 military franchises spanning the globe, yet accuses Russia of yearning for empire? What country has launched military offensives against seven countries in the last six years, yet calls Russia an “aggressive state” because it dares defends itself when attacked by a foreign power? What country has been playing geopolitical games in Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union – even sending high-ranking political figures into central Kiev to spew venomous rhetoric against Russia when it appeared that Ukraine was going to join an economic bloc with Russia, as opposed to the EU?

Before the US Senate votes on HR758, it should ask itself these simple questions, otherwise it risks stirring up a hornet’s nest of problems the world does not need.

Robert Bridge has worked as a journalist in Russia since 1998. Formerly the editor-in-chief of The Moscow News, Bridge is the author of the book, Midnight in the American Empire, which discusses the dangerous consequences of extreme corporate power in the United States.

House Resolution 758: A Work of Fiction

By Michael S. Rozeff | December 9, 2014

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he U.S. government is a bastion of reckless behavior, constantly and continually. The extent of damage inflicted upon the American people by U.S. governments is huge and incalculable. The latest addition to its record of recklessness is H.R. 758. This resolution passed the House with 95 percent of the House voting “yea”. The vote was 411 to 10 with 13 not voting.

The text of H.R. 758, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 4, 2014, is here. This resolution is directed against Russia. All quotes below are from H.R. 758.

“H.Res.758 – Strongly condemning the actions of the Russian Federation, under President Vladimir Putin, which has carried out a policy of aggression against neighboring countries aimed at political and economic domination.”

H.R. 758 condemns Russia unjustly, unilaterally, without justification, without evidence, and while ignoring Russia’s actual intentions and actions.

H.R. 758 makes false charges against Russia. False accusations obscure facts and realities. This can only lead to harmful decisions. Basing national policies on fictions can only cause problems and hurt Americans.

H.R. 758 gains nothing for Americans by fabricating false charges against Russia. To the contrary, there is much to be lost by placing America on a collision course with Russia. There is much to be lost for Americans, Russians, and other peoples of the world by isolating Russia and starting a new Cold War.

H.R. 758 makes various calls for action “with the goal of compelling it [Russia]…” These acts, that include “visa bans, targeted asset freezes, sectoral sanctions, and other measures on the Russian Federation and its leadership” are hostile and aggressive.

H.R. 758’s attempt to compel Russia raises the distinct possibility of subsequent further economic, political and military steps that confront Russia and raise the likelihood of war, even nuclear war. These prospects are not counterbalanced by any gains to Americans from compelling Russia.

H.R. 758 demeans Russia. It is scandalously derogatory. It accuses Russia. It places Russia in a docket made by the U.S. It judges Russia. It makes the U.S. government the judge and jury of Russia.

H.R. 758 makes demands of Russia. It demands unrealistic capitulation. It places the U.S. in opposition to Russia when there is nothing to be gained by such opposition and peace is to be lost.

H.R. 758 calls for military actions. It spurns diplomacy.

H.R. 758 is aggressive in tone and nature, needlessly and without right.

H.R. 758 intrudes the U.S. into areas of the world where the U.S. doesn’t belong and has no right being. It intrudes the U.S. government into areas where it has no genuine interest on behalf of the American people.

H.R. 758 is fiction purporting to be fact. As fact, it’s mostly garbage, and harmful, dangerous garbage at that.

H.R. 758 is an extended exercise in baseless Congressional propaganda that teaches the American people false beliefs that can only generate hatred, suspicion and hostility. These strengthen the hand of the American warmongers and war party and obscure the voices for peace.

Although the situation in Ukraine and Russia’s role in it are none of Congress’s (or the House’s) business, measures like H.R. 758 will be used to justify further actions against Russia. For this reason, it’s useful to point out just a few of the many fictional narratives in this document.

What emerges after considering some of these allegations is that H.R. 758 has assembled a laundry list of charges against Russia in order to create the illusion of a substantial indictment. This is analogous to how American prosecutors trump up charges by issuing a stew such as assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, trafficking, conspiracy to deliver controlled substances, conspiracy to resist arrest, unlawful use of a telephone, ad infinitum. This manner of proceeding is not surprising given the legal backgrounds of many Congressmen and members of their staffs.

FICTION: “…the Russian Federation has subjected Ukraine to a campaign of political, economic, and military aggression for the purpose of establishing its domination over the country and progressively erasing its independence.”

FACT: The Russian Federation did absolutely nothing to initiate Ukraine’s current set of troubles. It did not create a coup d’etat in Ukraine. To the contrary, the U.S. encouraged the coup. Russia never attacked Ukraine militarily with its armed forces. It never made an attempt to take over Ukraine. If it has, where is the evidence of such an invasion? Russia has never sought to erase the independence of Ukraine. To the contrary, it has again and again made efforts to bring peace to that country.

FICTION: “…Russian Federation’s forcible occupation and illegal annexation of Crimea…”

FACT: Russia didn’t forcibly occupy Crimea at any time. Russia never invaded Crimea. Actually, in response to the coup d’etat in Kiev, the Parliament of Crimea adopted a resolution calling for a referendum to secede from Ukraine and its illegitimate government. The referendum was put to the people and passed in a one-sided vote. This resulted in Crimea joining the Russian Federation as a sovereign state.

FICTION: “… the Russian Federation has provided military equipment, training, and other assistance to separatist and paramilitary forces in eastern Ukraine that has resulted in over 4,000 civilian deaths, hundreds of thousands of civilian refugees, and widespread destruction…”

FACT: Whatever assistance was or was not, it did not result in “over 4,000 civilian deaths, hundreds of thousands of civilian refugees, and widespread destruction…” as H.R. 758 says. This cannot be laid at the doorstep solely of either the secessionists or the Russian Federation. It is a consequence of the de-stabilization of Ukraine’s government that catalyzed secession movements and resulted in Ukraine’s going to war to maintain its territory.

FACT: As with Crimea, secessionary forces of eastern Ukraine immediately became active after the coup d’etat in Kiev on February, 25, 2014. (The Donetsk Republic organization actually appeared before the year 2007 when Ukraine banned it.) The coup resulted in activists taking control of municipal buildings and declaring the Federal State of Novorussiya on April 7, 2014. One week later, Ukraine’s interim government declared it would confront the secessionists militarily.

FACT: On May 16, 2014, Ukraine declared that the entire Donetsk People’s Republic, a component of the Federal State of Novorussiya, was a terrorist organization. Consequently, Ukraine sent its military forces against those of the eastern Ukraine secessionists. We know that to re-take territory, Ukraine prosecuted the war in Donbass by bombardments of civilian areas.

FACT: The available evidence on the war in Donbass shows complexity in the forces fighting on the secessionist side. The participation of Russians did occur. However, there is no documentation that has yet been provided by the U.S. of the extent and kinds of assistance by Russians and/or by the Russian Federation to the secessionist forces of the Federal State of Novorussiya.

FICTION: “…the terms of the cease-fire specified in the Minsk Protocol that was signed on September 5, 2014, by representatives of the Government of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and the Russian-led separatists in the eastern area of Ukraine have been repeatedly violated by the Russian Federation and the separatist forces it supports…”

FACT: The cease-fire has been repeatedly violated by both the Government of Ukraine and separatists. They’ve been fighting over the Donetsk airport. Calling the separatists Russian-led is an attempt to make Russia the author of the secessionist movement, which it is not. Cease-fires often are respites in longer wars as each side arms and regroups. This cease-fire’s lapses, which are none of America’s business anyway, can’t be taken seriously, and certainly not as seriously as H.R. 758 purports to do.

FICTION: “Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a civilian airliner, was destroyed by a missile fired by Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the loss of 298 innocent lives…”

FACT: The causes of the destruction of this airliner have not been yet established. H.R. 758 treats allegations as if they were facts.

FICTION: “…the Russian Federation has used and is continuing to use coercive economic measures, including the manipulation of energy prices and supplies, as well as trade restrictions, to place political and economic pressure on Ukraine…”

FACT: The energy relations among Russia, Russian companies, Ukraine and oligarchs of both countries are complex and not easily understood. They are known to be opaque. There are all sorts of hypotheses about them, but little is actually known. The allegation made in H.R. 758 is unproven.

FICTION: “…the Russian Federation invaded the Republic of Georgia in August 2008…”

FACT: The breakup of the USSR has been followed by some instabilities on Russia’s periphery, especially where there are large Russian populations that come into conflict with other nearby peoples. This characterizes Ukraine and Georgia. In the latter case, Georgia had a breakaway region, South Ossetia. Georgia shelled this region, and that brought in the Russian military to protect the integrity of South Ossetia. A European Union report says that Russia didn’t simply invade Georgia on its own hook. It didn’t initiate an aggression. The attacks by Ukraine on Donbass are a similar case, except that Russia has notably notresponded to protect Novorussiya as it did South Ossetia. It has not introduced a concerted Russian attack.

FICTION: “…the Russian Federation continues to subject the Republic of Georgia to political and military intimidation, economic coercion, and other forms of aggression in an effort to establish its control of the country and to prevent Georgia from establishing closer relations with the European Union and the United States…”

FACT: This charge is sour grapes over the fact that Russia doesn’t want Georgia to join NATO and place missiles and armed forces on its doorstep. Georgia wants to join NATO, thinking that it affords it some protection against Russia.

If the Congress regards Russia’s pressures as “forms of aggression”, what then are its sanctions on Russia? Georgia is no more America’s business than is Ukraine. For the U.S. to condemn Russia over its actions on its periphery makes no more sense than for Russia to condemn the U.S. for its actions in Mexico or the Caribbean. When one major state begins to pressure another major state for its intrusions on smaller states, neither one can justify itself; and the result is often war between the two mastodons.

H.R. 758 is confrontational. It’s a jockeying for power at Russia’s boundaries and elsewhere. The problem with it is that as justification for confrontation it is so patently trumped up and false; and as part of a policy of U.S. expansion and influence, it is so foolish, so counter-productive and so dangerous.

H.R. 758 makes Ukraine into a U.S. ally. It calls for the restoration of Ukraine’s pre-coup borders. To accomplish this, it calls for the U.S. to supply arms, services and training to Ukraine: “…calls on the President to provide the Government of Ukraine with lethal and non-lethal defense articles, services, and training required to effectively defend its territory and sovereignty…”

This makes the U.S. a party to Ukraine’s war against Donbass and even Crimea.

The belief that motivates all of H.R. 758 is that Russia is expansionist and on the move, seeking to take over countries on its periphery. Washington sees Putin and Russia as a new Hitler and Germany. This is the basis of all the trumped up charges and fictions in this document. Washington is constructing a new Hitler for itself, even though the situation is totally different and even though the evidence points in very different directions. To this erroneous belief is added another erroneous idea, which is the notion that to do nothing is to appease Russia. And finally there is a third erroneous idea which is that it’s the mission of the U.S. to fight evil empires all over the world. So, since the U.S. government conceives itself as committed to fighting evil empires and it has found one in Putin’s Russia, it wants to join hands with Ukraine and enter the fight. Ukraine is seen as the new Sudetenland or Czechoslovakia or Austria.

What we have in Washington are people who have been so indoctrinated in an oversimplified history of the world American-style that they cannot see anything but those past situations today, when in fact the situations arising today are considerably different and call for very different responses.

Reality is far, far different than H.R. 758 suggests. Russia is not an aggressive state. Its moves are defensive. Putin has sought time and again to protect Russian populations on the periphery of the Russian Federation. This is merely housekeeping and tidying up after the dissolution of the USSR. Putin wants respect for Russia and a Russian sphere of influence. He wants ties with Europe, peaceful ties. Putin has not built Russia into a military machine of huge proportions. He has not attacked any country in an outright aggression. There is no evidence, in word or deed, that this is his intent.

NATO is an aggressive force, as shown in Serbia, Afghanistan and Libya. It is a tool of neo-colonialist European powers. NATO cannot be trusted. Russia’s defensiveness concerning NATO is entirely justified.

America is an aggressively expansionary force, with vast global ambitions, as shown by its attacks on Serbia, Afghanistan, Libya, and Iraq, as shown by its drone wars in other countries like Pakistan and Yemen, as shown by its forces in Somalia and its other commitments in Africa, and as shown by its Pacific pivot and evident antagonism toward Russia. Russia’s defensiveness concerning the U.S. is justified.

H.R. 758 reflects anachronistic thinking, but fighting enemies, real and imagined, has become an entrenched habit of American governments. Congress doesn’t want peace. It doesn’t want to exercise diplomacy. It doesn’t want to recognize a multipolar world and other major powers, not really. Congress wants a new and large outside enemy. Else, why would it be constructing one in the form of Putin and the Russian Federation?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

APPENDIX

H RES 758 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 4-Dec-2014 11:10 AM
QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, as Amended
BILL TITLE: Strongly condemning the actions of the Russian Federation, under President Vladimir Putin, which has carried out a policy of aggression against neighboring countries aimed at political and economic domination

	YEAS	NAYS	PRES	NV
REPUBLICAN	222	5		6
DEMOCRATIC	189	5		7
INDEPENDENT
TOTALS	411	10		13

—- YEAS 411 —

Adams
Amodei
Bachmann
Bachus
Barber
Barletta
Barr
Barrow (GA)
Barton
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Benishek
Bentivolio
Bera (CA)
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Black
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Boustany
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Brat
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Broun (GA)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Bustos
Butterfield
Byrne
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Capito
Capps
Cárdenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Carter
Cartwright
Cassidy
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clawson (FL)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coffman
Cohen
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Conaway
Connolly
Conyers
Cook
Costa
Cotton
Courtney
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Daines
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
Davis, Rodney
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Edwards
Ellison
Ellmers
Engel
Enyart
Eshoo
Esty
Farenthold
Farr
Fattah
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx
Frankel (FL)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gabbard
Garamendi
Garcia
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gibson
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger

Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffin (AR)
Griffith (VA)
Grijalva
Grimm
Guthrie
Gutiérrez
Hahn
Hanabusa
Hanna
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Heck (NV)
Heck (WA)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
Himes
Hinojosa
Holding
Holt
Honda
Horsford
Hoyer
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huffman
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Israel
Issa
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Jenkins
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jolly
Jordan
Joyce
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kirkpatrick
Kline
Kuster
Labrador
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Langevin
Lankford
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
Latta
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Long
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Luján, Ben Ray (NM)
Lummis
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Matheson
Matsui
McAllister
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCollum
McGovern
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Meehan
Meeks
Meng
Messer
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moore
Moran
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neugebauer
Noem
Nolan
Norcross
Nugent
Nunes
Nunnelee
Olson
Owens
Palazzo
Pallone
Pascrell

Pastor (AZ)
Paulsen
Payne
Pearce
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Perry
Peters (CA)
Peters (MI)
Peterson
Petri
Pingree (ME)
Pittenger
Pitts
Pocan
Poe (TX)
Polis
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Richmond
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruiz
Runyan
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Sánchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sanford
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schock
Schrader
Schwartz
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Southerland
Speier
Stewart
Stivers
Stockman
Stutzman
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tierney
Tipton
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velázquez
Visclosky
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Waxman
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Welch
Wenstrup
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IN)

—- NAYS 10 —

Amash
Duncan (TN)
Grayson
Hastings (FL)

Jones
Massie
McDermott
Miller, George

O’Rourke
Rohrabacher

—- NOT VOTING 13 —

Aderholt
Bishop (UT)
Capuano
Coble
Cooper

Doyle
Duckworth
Gallego
Hall
McCarthy (NY)

Meadows
Miller, Gary
Negrete McLeod

Other details, including a summary, may be found here.

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