The BBC reports that a new and “virulent form of ransomware has now infected about quarter of a million Windows computers (…) Cryptolocker scrambles users’ data and then demands a fee to unencrypt it alongside a countdown clock“. The article then goes on to describe a few general things about Cryptolocker and ends by providing a list of measures Dell and, by implication, the BBC recommend to protect computers from malware/viruses/backdoors:
- Install software that blocks executable fields and compressed archives before they reach email inboxes
- Check permissions assigned to shared network drives to limit the number of people who can make modifications
- Regularly back-up data to offline storage such as Blu-ray and DVD-Rom disks. Network-attached drives and cloud storage does not count as Cryptolocker can access and encrypt files stored there
- Set each PC’s software management tools to prevent Cryptolocker and other suspect programs from accessing certain critical directories
- Set the computer’s Group Policy Objects to restrict registry keys – databases containing settings – used by Cryptolocker so that the malware is unable to begin the encryption process
This is *laughable*. What these corporations and corporate shills do not tell you is that all versions of MS Windows are inherently and inevitably dangerous because of deep design flaws. Because of that, it is possible, but extremely difficult, to secure a Windows computer. A very skilled and experienced professional system administrator can, if he takes the time, make a Windows computer more or less secure, but no home user will ever acquire that level of skills. If you really think that by installing a firewall, an anti-virus application and, say, some kind of backdoor detector you are making your Windows computer safe you are kidding yourself. Anybody who says otherwise is lying to you.
What are your options?
Simple – use any other operating system. OSX, iOS, Android, GNU/Linux, or any form of BSD are all far more secure out of the box then any version of Windows.
Apple products come with a long list of bad features: they are hyper proprietary, they are overpriced, they are typical bloatware, and they suffer from terminal vendor lock-in.
Android is an excellent OS, but it is designed for mobile devices and you really can’t run it on a notebook, laptop or desktop. But for mobile devices, that is the way to go.
All BSD versions are very good and highly secure out of the box, but they are not very user friendly.
The best choice, by far, is GNU/Linux aka “Linux”. Linux comes in various “flavors” (called “distributions”). Here are few I recommend:
Debian, the Universal Operating System
Mint, the easiest to use distribution
Xubuntu, distribution for older hardware
Knoppix, general purpose distro on live-CD
Puppy, small size distribution and live-CD
Tails, the privacy and security oriented distro
Ubuntu Studio, distribution for artists
Trisquel, the 100% free software distro
Frankly, if you are new to Linux, I recommend the Linux Mint distribution. It is extraordinarily easy to install, easy to use, it comes with an absolutely superb desktop environment (user interface) called Cinnamon and it has an extremely friendly user community. The latest version of Linux Mint is called “Linux Mint 16 Petra“. The hardware requirements to run Mint 16 are minimal:
- x86 processor (Linux Mint 64-bit requires a 64-bit processor. Linux Mint 32-bit works on both 32-bit and 64-bit processors).
- 512 MB RAM (1GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
- 5 GB of disk space
- Graphics card capable of 800×600 resolution
- CD/DVD drive or USB port
The vast majority of computers in use today fall well within these specs, so no need to spend any additional money. And, of course, you can download Linux Mint legally and for free from here: http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php.
Finally, you can test-drive Linux Mint at no risk by burning a live-CD which you can also use to install if you like it. You can even keep your old Windows OS if you want by installing Linux Mint and Windows side by side. The Linux Mint installer will offer to install Mint while keeping Windows. You will have a “multi-boot” computer with both OS installed. And when your Windows crashes you will easily be able to access your files and rescue them using Linux Mint.
Guys, be good to yourself, don’t continue to suffer in “Windows hell”, ditch the damn thing and switch to the free world of GNU/Linux. And if you don’t want to do that for technical reasons, do it for political, moral and ethical ones: you cannot fight the Empire and sheepishly use its tools.
Do the smart thing and the right thing, make a really good New Year’s resolution, ditch Windows and replace it by Linux Mint!
The Saker
Hello Saker,
I’m planning to switch and will see with mint. Windows is a crap, alas!
I wanted to ask you infos about Lebed, who was behind his disappearance and death?
Cheers
Thomas
Hello Saker,
I’m planning to switch and will see with mint. Windows is a crap, alas!
I wanted to ask you infos about Lebed, who was behind his disappearance and death?
Cheers
Thomas
You may want to mention that Linux also needs to be secured with timely installation of patches. I am not sure that this is much easier for a home user.
My sister finally followed my advice an bought herself a (Windows 8) laptop. Windows 8 will not run most pirated software. After removal, with back-up, it was bricked due to hidden partitions. Nothing could be installed, no XP no W7, nothing due to hardware incompatibility.
Finally,now it runs Zorin 7, a windows look-alike Linux distribution, in which I could install Photoshop!
It is out of warranty though!
What about antiX linux :)
Greetings
anticapitalista
Don’t forget antiX!
Greetings
anticapitalista
@Pour La Syrie: I wanted to ask you infos about Lebed, who was behind his disappearance and death?
I honestly don’t know. Quite a few top ranking military men were killed around the same time Lebed had his crash. I know of at least one personally. But in the case of Lebed, I don’t know. I think that nobody wanted him around, not the liberal around Eltsin, not the folks who eventually pushed Putin through. Lebed was also hated by many in the military for signing the Khasavyurt agreement which many saw as a betrayal of the Russian military. The list of those who wanted him dead is thus very long, but it could also have been an accident. I really don’t know.
@Anonymous16:31: You may want to mention that Linux also needs to be secured with timely installation of patches.
Even without patches Linux is FAR more secure than Windows, by several orders of magnitude. But, of course, patches should be applied regularly.
I am not sure that this is much easier for a home user.
Nonsense. There is a setting which makes it possible to apply these patches automatically. Otherwise, the user has to make just one click. Even a 2 year old can do that.
Anonymous17:24: Zorin 7, a windows look-alike Linux distribution, in which I could install Photoshop!
Ok for starters, but eventually she would be much better of with Mint which has a much superior interface. As for Photoshop, try GIMP, which is roughly similar, though designed more by techies than by artists. But Photoshop and GIMP overlap somewhere in the 80-90% range even though how you get something done might be a tad different and even though the full power of GIMP is in the huge amount of extensions, scripts and filters which takes time to get used to.
As for the hidden partition, shoot it with qparted, then create 2 new ext4 paritions, one with 20GB which you put in / to install the system and one in /home to put your stuff. And in between the two, put a 10GB (max) swap partition and you are all set. You can probably fix the bricked laptop.
Good luck!
The Saker
@anticapitalista: WOW!! long time no see my friend, its good to hear from you. drop me an email to let me know how you are doing, ok?
@EVERYBODY
Yes, check out antiX – a Linux distribution based on Debian-testing (a very up to date version of Debian): http://antix.mepis.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
It is a fast and lightweight distro, which is especially nice when used on a older computer and a light windows manager like FluxBox.
Check out the awesome look here: http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/antix.png
Here is what Distrowatch says about antiX:
It should run on most computers, ranging from 64 MB old PII 266 systems with pre-configured 128 MB swap to the latest powerful boxes. 128 MB RAM is recommended minimum for antiX. The installer needs minimum 2.2 GB hard disk size. antiX can also be used as a fast-booting rescue CD.
So if your Windoze computer crashes – you can fix it with antiX :-)
Cheers!
The Saker
My third windows laptop crapped-out three years ago and my brother gave me a – what I thought at the time – was a “dinky” little laptop with ubuntu on it. I only intended to use it for a few weeks until I could get a new windows set up…. That was three years ago. I have been running ubuntu ever since and have absolutely ZERO problems in terms of crashes, viruses and softward problems. Ubuntu (or any linux flavor, I’d imagine) are just a dream to use and I would never even consider using anything else. The one downside I have found is that Apple products of the 4th or 5th generation or newer seem not to work with it and also NetFlix seems to block linux. Other than that, I can’t imagine why anyone would put up with the hassle of Windows when linux is out there, for free, for anyone to use and modify as they see fit.
My third windows laptop crapped-out three years ago and my brother gave me a – what I thought at the time – was a “dinky” little laptop with ubuntu on it. I only intended to use it for a few weeks until I could get a new windows set up…. That was three years ago. I have been running ubuntu ever since and have absolutely ZERO problems in terms of crashes, viruses and softward problems. Ubuntu (or any linux flavor, I’d imagine) are just a dream to use and I would never even consider using anything else. The one downside I have found is that Apple products of the 4th or 5th generation or newer seem not to work with it and also NetFlix seems to block linux. Other than that, I can’t imagine why anyone would put up with the hassle of Windows when linux is out there, for free, for anyone to use and modify as they see fit.
Patches on Linux are far easier to install than windows.
A linux distro has one package manager that updates both the OS as well as your software programs. This is unlike windows where each program updates itself separately – Adobe, Java, Flash etc
I am an ardent Linux user and have been since 2004, when I retired. Recently I bought a so-called Linux computer from a local dealer with Zorin OS installed. Once home, I hooked up my monitor and got the black screen of death. So, I got out an old Puppy Linux CD and installed it. Thanks to puppy’s superior video detection, I was able to install it “frugally”. I then started looking for more recent Puppy variants (called derivatives) and downloaded the CD images (iso’s). Unfortunately, they had automated the video detection routine and I got the black screen of death. I ended up installing the older Puppies for the time being. I then looked for old-fashioned Linux distros like mint and ubuntu but I could only find live CDs, which brought me to the black screen of death. Then I found Mageia – not a favourite since it is rpm-based, but it could be installed in a step-by-step procedure. The first time I took the defaults, which brought me to the black screen again. Then I remembered writing down what had worked with the old Puppies and carefully installed the video driver and it worked. I installed a Windows virtual machine for my windows-only tax program. Later I found that after going to the black screen on the newer puppies, hitting alt-control-backspace brings one back to the command-line to invoke the puppy video detection routine, so I am now running some of the newer puppies as well.
All this to say that it is not always easy to get the hardware on a PC to run Linux. Also beware of Secure Boot, i8f your computer has that, you can only run the OS originally installed, whether it be a Windows 8 or Mac laptop or desktop.
Sometimes with Linux you need to have the willingness to do some reading or experimenting or have a tech-savvy friend to help.
Albertde
@Alberde: Recently I bought a so-called Linux computer from a local dealer with Zorin OS installed
In my experience only a tiny minority of hardware sellers know how to install Linux, not because it is hard, but because they don’t make the effort to understand the basic. Unless you purchase from a *specialized* store, you are going to be in trouble. The fact that they pre-installed Zorin OS tells me that these guys did not know what they were doing. You are INFINITELY better of installed Linux yourself as it is now easy and, frankly, fun – at least if you are using something like Linux Mint or Xubuntu.
then looked for old-fashioned Linux distros like mint and ubuntu but I could only find live CDs
Yes, because these live-CDs are ALSO the installer disk!!
All this to say that it is not always easy to get the hardware on a PC to run Linux
Not with a modern distro – their hardware recognition is world class, as long as you buy some not too exotic hardware you should have no problems. I have had no hardware problems since *years* already, and I have at least dozen computers at home.
Also beware of Secure Boot, i8f your computer has that, you can only run the OS originally installed, whether it be a Windows 8 or Mac laptop or desktop.
Yes, but you can over-rule it. Besides, I hardly ever buy knew hardware, old used hardware runs so well on Linux that I keep my money for nice monitors or external hard drives.
Sometimes with Linux you need to have the willingness to do some reading or experimenting or have a tech-savvy friend to help
True, but that is true for all computers and reading a little is really well worth the time.
Kind regards,
The Saker
The problem was the combination of a Benq monitor that I got from my daughter when she left home and the cloned Radion HD card installed on the PC. On the new PC, it was really the Benq monitor that caused the problem. When I attached an old Dell monitor, everything worked fine but I didn’t want to use a really old monitor. Similarly, with my old Dell PC that originally came with Windows XP, the Benq monitor worked fine.
As for distros today being super about hardware detection, may I suggest that you read the reviews in distrowatch – you will find that it is still something to be reckoned with.
Another Linux annoyance, especially with ubuntu and its derivatives, is the tendency to dump older hardware with new versions of a distro or kernel. I have a netbook with a cranky card reader, a ralink rt2870. With the reorganization in newer kernels, I can no longer compile the driver source so updating the distro is out of the question. This is true even of Puppy Linux, whether it is a full or a frugal install. The problem of course is that newer software requires newer versions of the C or other library. Once a distro is no longer supported, it also implies that security patches are no longer available.
Albertde
Hi Saker,
Off topic, but I really hope to get your thoughts on the terrorist attack in Volgograd this morning.
Do you think this attack might be linked to KSA in some way and to Bandar’s threat to Putin and the Olympics last July?
If so, how would/should Russia respond?
@Lysander: Off topic,
LOL, you, a longtime reader and commentator, should know that there is no such thing as “off topic” on this blog :-)
Do you think this attack might be linked to KSA in some way and to Bandar’s threat to Putin and the Olympics last July?
It way too early to tell, but yes, that is the first thing that crossed my mind this morning too
If so, how would/should Russia respond?
It should not. The notion that a country has to “respond” usually implies a pretty short time frame and is a very Anglo-Zionist one.
If Russians are attacked openly and, if you want, “officially”, then Russia has to respond immediately and officially, like in the case of the Georgian attack on South Ossetia. But in the case of a terror attack like today, Russia should sit tight, try to help all those affected and conduct a very very VERY thorough investigation to try to identify as many of the people involved as possible and if the “tracks” lead you to the KSA, you don’t do anything about it, but you don’t forget it either and you keep that in mind as long as needed for the day you can really make a difference. The French say “la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid” which means revenge is a dish that should be eaten cold: you act on it way down the road, when it is least expected and when you can get the biggest effect for the least effort. In the case of Russia, I would say that “regime change” in the KSA shoudl be a secret but strategic goal, which Russia should pursue very quietly, in coordination with the Chinese, while being “all smiles” with the Saudis until the moment is right. Just sending in Russian bombers or striking the Saudis with missiles ain’t gonna do the trick – even if that would be very satisfying. In the meantime, the best Russia can do is keep smiling at the medieval apes in Riyadh while arming the Iranians and Hezbollah to the teeth and keeping the support for Assad as strong as every.
That, would be, I think, the best revenge.
Cheers and, if you celebrate it that day, happy new year to you and your loved ones,
The Saker
Thanks, Saker
That would be a very reasoned and smart response. Of course I was not thinking of an overt bombing or missile attack. I was thinking more along the lines of a covert assassination. And not of a major prince (at least not yet) but of some mid-level Saudi intel flunkie. The middle management that moves money and weapons from A to B, or organizes, trains or coordinates Wahabis.
I always want to be cautious about my suggestions to Russia because I certainly don’t want to be some parallel universe neocon, trying to sucker other countries into my battles. But I also think Russia has a very strong common interest with Iran and the resistance.
@Alberte:Another Linux annoyance, especially with ubuntu and its derivatives, is the tendency to dump older hardware with new versions of a distro or kernel.
True. Generally, Ubuntu and its many derivatives are aimed at the more recent hardware, and I know of friends who lost wireless or sound after a regular upgrade. The solution here is to pick the correct distro or, if you know how to do that (and you personally obviously do) to get the correct kernel. Finally, I always recommend trying out any distro in a live-CD mode before making an install.
Besides, running a recent version of Ubuntu or derivative on old hardware also makes no sense just because of the recent distro will feel heavy, bulky and slow.
So, for all the newbies out there:
@EVERYBODY If you are new to Linux, make sure to get some help the first time around. Either ask a friend who knows, or go to any one of the numerous forums where a lot of very competent people will help you: most of them have a “newbie” section were you get to ask even the most basic question (something you probably do not want to do on a forum for more complex issues).
Linux is *not* “harder”, but it is most definitely *different* from Windows. If you have the time, I highly recommend taking a look at this very well written piece on this topic: http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm.
Another fun reading is “In the Beginning was the Command Line” by Neal Stephenson which you can get here: http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html. The part entitled “MGBs, TANKS, AND BATMOBILES” is particularly funny and pertinent.
One final word: real computers (desktops/workstations) are inherently complex. All of them. There ain’t no such operating system which is both effective and simple. Worse – to manage a computer, even a simple laptop for home use, you absolutely have to have some basic understanding of what you are doing. I would argue that even with your Android tablet or smartphone you need to understand a few basic but crucial things about how your machine operates. That is the bad news. The good news is that you do not need to study a lot, just the basics, at least with a user-friendly version of Linux such as Linux Mint. Speaking of which, the folks at Linux Mint wrote a very well written but short guide to one of the versions of Mint (called MATE – but that is irrelevant) which I urge all newies to read: http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php
It is simple, well written, and contains all the info you need to make your first steps in the Linux world.
Cheers,
The Saker
@Lysander:I was thinking more along the lines of a covert assassination. And not of a major prince (at least not yet) but of some mid-level Saudi intel flunkie.
Assassinations are an interesting topic. During the Cold War it was a big topic in all the emigre communities in Europe. Some countries like Romania or, believe it or not, Yugoslavia, did engage in assassinations, but as a rule the Soviet bloc did not or, much less. The Soviets themselves were a real paradox: they had the best assassination units, but they were the most reluctant to use them. Why? Because they knew that there are three huge problems with that:
a) you invite retaliation and if that happens, what do you do then? Escalate further?
b) you can end up with a political nightmare on your hands if you get caught.
c) believe it or not, you always risk getting the wrong guy.
Look at the Israeli Ziocrazies who love to assassinate people – they experienced all three problems I mention. But what is “business as usual” for a rogue state run by demented racists is not acceptable for a civilized country like Russia or, by the way, for the USA who, because of that, like to subcontract their assassinations to local folks which is another bad solution.
I think that Russia is doing the right thing: if and when they actually do assassinate somebody, they clearly take full responsibility as was with the case of the assassination of Khattab. Other than in the very few such clear cases were they have the moral high ground, they stay away from using assassinations as a political tool. In case of the KSA, I would expect a cruise missile attack before an assassination. But even the former would only happen in the most extreme situation, I think.
Cheers,
The Saker
Thanks again, Saker. I guess living in the zio-west makes you vulnerable to their way of thinking. In fact, a truly strong country doesn’t have to prove it every 5 minutes.
OTOH, do you recall the assassination of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev in Qatar? Of course, just because Qatar accuses Russia, that doesn’t mean much. It could easily be factional infighting. And violation of the Russian embassy is a serious breach of civilized behavior.
Either way, I don’t think anybody misses him.
Why does Putin allow Moscow to be flooded with Muslims?
@Anonymous:Why does Putin allow Moscow to be flooded with Muslims?
Your question has so many holes in it that it is literally impossible to reply to it. First, what ‘Muslims’ are you referring to? Muslims from Russia proper? From the Caucasus? From Central Asia? From the Middle-East? Indonesia? Senegal? Then, define “flooded”: it is impossible to evaluate Putin’s supposed “allowing” without knowing what you mean by “flooded”. Third, you seem to assume that before Putin the “flooding” did not happen – how so? Fourth – when you say that Putin “allowed” that to happen, you assume that he could have prevented it – how so? Fifth – assuming he did allow it, was that by action or inaction? Did Putin really have the power to stop that?
Immigration issues and religious issues are too complex to be looked at through simplistic slogan-like shortcuts. Russia is a huge country, with a very diverse and complex social geography which has been going through a decade of tectonic changes all of which have had complex interactions with each other. You can just say “Putin let the Muslims in” as this quite literally means nothing at all
I would recommend that for starters you read my “Russia and Islam” series and then if you still want to discuss Putin’s policies you come back with a more carefully phrased question, ok?
Here is the full series:
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/02/russia-and-islam-part-one-introduction.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/02/russia-and-islam-part-two-russian.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/02/russia-and-islam-part-three-internal.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/02/russia-and-islam-part-four-islam-as.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/03/russia-and-islam-part-five-islam-as-ally.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/03/russia-and-islam-part-six-kremlin.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/03/russia-and-islam-part-seven-weathermans.html
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2013/12/russia-and-islam-part-eight-working.html
HTH, cheers,
The Saker
Another attack in Volgograd in less than 24 hours????!!!!
It seems after a while the Russian public will demand someone’s head. No one has unlimited patience.
Is there perhaps a Saudi naval vessel on pirate patrol duty? If A Russian Sub sank it and sailed away under water, wouldn’t that send a message? Couldn’t Russia deny it, if it is accused? KSA could do nothing about it and I doubt the US will want to openly accuse Russia.
If the Saudis escalate, they have a long list of things they don’t want blown up that Russia could blow up. A bomb in an oil terminal would spike oil prices for quite a while. If it hurts western economies, they may pressure KSA to stop.
That is assuming KSA is involved. I suppose they might not be, but…
Hi Saker
Your question has so many holes in it….
There is an incident the question and your answer reminded me of. Mamun the Abbasaid king held a debate between Imam Jawad (a.s) and Yahya ibn Akhtam. The later asked “what is the penalty for one who hunts in the state of ehram?”
The Imam replied more or less that the question had holes in it..
.”Your question is utterly vague and lacks definition. You should first clarify : whether the game killed was outside the sanctified area or inside it; whether the hunter was aware of his sin or did so in ignorance; did he kill the game purposely or by mistake, was the hunter a slave or a free man, was he adult or minor, did he commit the sin for the first time or had he done so before, was the hunted game a bird or something else, was it a small animal or a big one, is the sinner sorry for the misdeed or does he insist on it, did he kill it secretly at night or openly during daylight, was he putting on the pilgrimage garb for Hajj or for the Umra? Unless you clarify and define these aspects, how can you have a definite answer?”
mindfriedo
PS
1. Your response on how Russia should react to The saudis Made me realise, along with something else I just read, that this is exactly how the Shias bear attacks on them. But without any plan to hurt in the future. And that my reasoning on behaving like the Hashishs might be wrong.
2. If one is hypothetically using a pirated version of windows is one not harming the “empire”? And is guerrilla warfare not about using the enemies tolls against them?
3 Sometimes attacks are terrorist strikes. But if KSA was involved then that means Bandar is putting his money where his mouth is and that this is personal, since from what I read, he did “warn” Putin. In that case waiting might not be the right thing.
Thank you for your response.
I am specifically talking about Putin letting in huge numbers of Muslims and other immigrants into the Christian areas of Russia. In the Soviet Union there were propiska internal passports that gave permission to work and live in a specific place. Stalin did not allow large numbers of Muslims to move to Moscow. However, Putin does permit it. The USSR restricted who could live in Moscow because they knew outsiders would cause problems. There is a big difference in being friends with Muslims in former Soviet Republics, Iran, remote parts of Russia, etc. and letting them come live in Moscow. I like my neighbors, but I will not let them come live in my house. Russia must bring back the USSR migration system.
I read the recommended essays. You said “”Pro-Western religions (Papism, Protestantism and Judaism)” Is Judaism pro-Western? Look at what they do in France and Britain. Most Jews are Eurasian Khazars converts from the Russian Pale of the Settlement.
This webpage says that Putin is really an enemy of Russia: http://savelev.ru/article/show/?id=467
What about this webpage: http://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2013/08/russian-political-prisoners-in-the-russian-federation/ They say Russian patriots are put away for many years, but Pussy Riot were allowed to go free.
@Anonymous1528: I am specifically talking about Putin letting in huge numbers of Muslims and other immigrants into the Christian areas of Russia. In the Soviet Union there were propiska internal passports that gave permission to work and live in a specific place. Stalin did not allow large numbers of Muslims to move to Moscow. However, Putin does permit it
True, but under Stalin the peripheral areas of the Soviet Union were often *better off* then the center so there was no need for mass emigration. The collapse of the USSR proved to be a total disaster for the newly independent republics of the ex-USSR and for a lot of region of the periphery of the Russian Federation. It is most definitely not Putin’s fault that the friggin liberals and democrats destroyed the USSR and he inherited a terrible situation where economic imperatives resulted in a mass flow of internal immigrants towards were the money is: Moscow.
As for Putin “permitting” them that is not quite true. He just proposed a number of measures which have been adopted including the very heavy fining of those Moskovites who provide fictional addresses to illegal immigrants (20 people all claim to live in the same apartment). He has also decided to create a database of all immigrants in Moscow with can be viewed on a map to see where suspicious concentrations of immigrants can be found. In a few years Russia will introduce internal visas for those countries who are not going to be part of the Eurasian Union. So the Russian authorities are taking measures.
There is a big difference in being friends with Muslims in former Soviet Republics, Iran, remote parts of Russia, etc. and letting them come live in Moscow. I like my neighbors, but I will not let them come live in my house
I fully agree! So the Russian authorities have to fight with the “criminal alliance” which is making that kind of mass emigration possible: the Russian employers who like to hire underpaid slaves who will work for wages the locals would never accept, the corrupt cops which are all making money from that traffic, and the local ethnic Mafias who use and abuse these immigrant communities and who prey on the local population. Now that goes for illegal immigrants. Ethnic minorities who come from remote parts of Russia have as much the right to live in Moscow as any Moskovite has the right to live in Derbent or Makhachkala. To deny that is to vote for the breakup of the Russian Federation. Dagestanis are in their house in Moscow and Saint Petersburg – we can deplore that or not, but that is a fact of life unless Russia decides to literally kick out the entire Caucasus which I would find appalingly immoral and stupid.
I read the recommended essays. You said “”Pro-Western religions (Papism, Protestantism and Judaism)” Is Judaism pro-Western?
Definitely not. But Zionism as an ideology sit like a parasite in the mind of western leaders who all, ALL, claim that they are zionists. That makes Judaism pro-Western in the sense of anti-Russian and anti-Orthodox. Does that make sense or should I expand?
to be continued…
… continuation:
They say Russian patriots are put away for many years, but Pussy Riot were allowed to go free. This is half-true. The problem is that folks like Martsinkevich (a Russian Nazi) or General Kvachkov (a former GRU brigade commander accused of attempting a coup – utter nonsese, by the way) have been jailed under articles 282 and 280 of the Russian Criminal Code (Incitement of National, Racial, or Religious Enmity and Public Appeals for a Forcible Change of the Constitutional System of the Russian Federation) which do not fall under the scope of the recent amnesty. I think that article 282 should be entirely scrapped while article 280 should require a much higher burden of proof. Still, it is true that Russian nationalist who could be qualified as “extremists” get harsh sentences under Putin’s rule, there is no denying that. It is also true that anti-racist laws are only applied to Russians and never to other ethnicities. I dont’ like that one bit, but I explain it by Putin’s desire to make darn sure that he is not “overtaken” by nationalist elements while he himself is engaged in a very delicate balancing act between his Russian and non-Russian supporters.
Have I answered your questions to your satisfaction?
Kind regards,
The Saker