As explained in other comments, I now understand the Ukraine War as operating on two levels: at a deep level it is a class war waged by western elite against western working class. War is the means by which the 'Epstein Class' aim to shift from democracy to authoritarian-militarist government with an imperial-expansionist ideology, which is seeking colonies to exploit, especially for energy or rare earth resources. The elite ideology is partly pragmatic, a means to hold on to, or even increase, wealth and power but it is also, uniquely in this historic moment, cultish. The cults include civilisational supremacy or exceptionalism (which for the elite equates to possession of racial purity and/or extreme wealth), a sense of divine favour or their own apotheosis (exemplified by various political Zionisms and Nazi-like neo-pagan mythologising of heroic election towards godhood), and a murderous loathing and genocidal intent towards all ranked as sub-human or non-elite (facilitated by either old-fashioned biological nonsense/eugenics or new-fangled techno-babble such as transhumanism which seeks to replace organic life with machines - assumed to be morally pure, intellectually superior, and thus destined to replace organic life through the inevitable teleology of the 'march of progress').
This elite war on the non-elite, is masked by superficial war conducted, on the whole, by compliant members of the managerial class, both elected and unelected officials. Prime Minister Starmer of Britain appeared in political cartoons as Jeeves the Butler (a smarmy servant of an idiot scion of the British aristocracy, from early C20th comic novels authored by the British pro-Hitler author P.G. Woodhouse). All such 'leaders' of NATO, US, EU, and allied governments can be classed as petty bourgeois sycophants serving not those who appointed them but their superiors in the elite class to which they aspire to belong, if only as household retainers or lap-dogs. They are waging class war on behalf of their masters but under disguise. The superficial reason for the Ukraine War is said to be 'settling the problem of Russia' - a problem supposedly exemplified by the 'unprovoked' attack on Ukraine, to which the petty bourgeois are responding with a truculent stout-hearted defence like British bull-dogs (or equivalent breeds from other countries). The alleged 'unprovoked' invasion of Ukraine was, of course, deliberately provoked by the elite conspiracy. The western elites have been seeking to provoke Russia into a 'war of choice' since the end of the Cold War.
Let us now consider things from the Russian side. When they were the USSR, they would have recognised the class war as the strategic war, and the Ukraine conflict as a tactical exchange in that war. They would have countered effectively on both levels, probably achieving stasis, hence 'Cold War'. Putin should recognise the strategic/tactical differences but he seems to have mistaken the Ukraine War as being THE strategic conflict. His strategic focus is apparently only on Ukraine, not on the western elite. His approaches to the western elite or rather to their glove-puppets such as Trump, seeking peace in Ukraine, have been errors of judgement. The western elite played him like a fish in Anchorage: hook, line, sinker. They are conducting global class war, a racialised, imperial war, which views Russians as sub-humans and Russia as a prospective colony, whose people are to be enslaved until replaced by robots. Putin asked them, his deepest enemies filled with total contempt for him and his people, to help negotiate peace in Ukraine - to which they gave soothing answers while laughing up their sleeves at his stupidity. The thought makes me shrivel with by-stander shame (my mother's family were Russian so it is a personal wound to me to write this).
Since then, Putin has apparently been enlightened about the real basis of this war, and is shamed and infuriated by his enemies lies and his own naivety, thus he is now pursuing war in Ukraine with gusto as a kind of self-redemption and act of revenge. But winning the Ukraine War, if he does indeed win, will do nothing to end the real war, the class war. Why is Putin not fighting that class war, the true strategic war, with the same gusto? I can identify two possible explanations:
(1) Putin still sees himself as part of the global elite and therefore has no desire to overthrow that class or harm their shared interests. He therefore limits himself to simply gaining a vanity blow against his peers by destroying their puppet-show in Ukraine, humbling the western snobs and debunking their claims to racial superiority by eliminating the Ukrainian neo-Nazis and driving out the money-grubbers in Zelenskyy's corrupt regime. Putin claims a Christian cultural heritage, maybe he likes the idea of driving the money-grubbers out of Ukraine like a Christ cleansing the Temple? True religion triumphing over insane and depraved cult? Or maybe Putin is just a pathetic bourgeois nouveau riche still yearning to be accepted by the old money elite?
(2) Suppose Putin has some sense and did recognise the class war, how would he fight this? The western elite largely funds iself through the petrodollar debt system. Putin might seek to destroy them by destroying the petrodollar. Actually, the insane and incompetent Trump regime is apparently doing that itself already. Thus all Putin has to do is follow the military dictum (Napoleon?) 'never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake'. However, anything which weakens the petrodollar, strengthens the petroyuan and the BRICS alternative economy which in effect means strengthening China. I suspect Putin probably fears creating a stronger China (or India, or Iran, or other possible future rival on the Eurasian continent). Ultimately, by end of century, fighting the petrodollar elite might now might weaken or destabalise a future Russia decades hence. It might be that Putin is not actively pursuing counter-measures on the strategic war because he thinks the west has over-reached itself, will fall with Trump, the petrodollar system will destroy itself, and he need not help it to its inevitable end, especially when any attempt to crush his western enemies might end up aiding his eastern rivals, potential future enemies, but must just play a waiting game and try to seize any advantages for Russia as the dust settles once the old unipolar order collapses. If this second reasoning is anything like how Putin is thinking, maybe he is not as stupid as he otherwise seems? Maybe he is actually a shrewd patriotic Russian. One can only hope he is, for the sake of Russia.
Meanwhile, living in England, I have to express my regret that unlike USSR, Putin's Russia is not a class war champion and will not be coming to my aid or the aid of most 'ordinary' Europeans any time soon.
How do I see the Ukraine War? I think it must end without further loss of innocent lives but I want the neo-Nazis eliminated as military or political force in Ukraine (and thus weakened elsewhere in the world including England) and I want Zelenskyy's regime to fall and genuine democracy to elect a valid government with a real mandate from Ukrainians. I want the backwash from defeat to ruin the careers of the European bourgeois warmongers and send them into oblivion or to gaol if appropriate. I want the end of NATO and something with a real democratic mandate to replace the EU which has destroyed all moral authority and debased itself past redemption. I want to open up a post-petrodollar world and negotiate options for all of Europe in it - perhaps integrated into BRICS, perhaps some other solution. I want peace and prosperity. I want an end to elite privilege. I want equality and justice.
All of this might be too much to ask for but unless we dream we cannot have better times. Let's dream a little and then work to realise our dreams. Basically, when it comes to class war, we 'ordinary people' have only ourselves to rely on. No elite, even Russian or Chinese or Iranian or any other multipolar cavalry is going to ride to our rescue. Back in 1920s, back in my lifetime in 1970s, the European working class was better educated, more organised, and more powerful than today. Fifty years of neoloberal ruin cannot easily be reversed but it must be. This is an existential war for us. Very few working class people realise that. They need to hear it and understand it. Prof. Diesen and guests is doing great service in this educational effort. They deserve class war medals!
why would Russia, China or Iran every come to European's rescue? When all its govs have done are being Americunt's bootlicker, doing whatever its bidding the White master orders Europe to follow, which includes but not limited to white supremacy, colonialism (Britain colonized over half the world, still continues to extract and extort resources from global south), imperialism, racism, the Epstein class (hello the British royalty)...the list never ends because the barbaric acts committed by the White have never stopped. The Caucasians must now come to face the consequences of its own actions....FAFO finally
Krapivnik is not careful about history. Poland’s Pilsudski did die in 1935 but there was no ceremony in Poland with his casket attended by Nazis including Hitler. Rather, the Nazis liked Pilsudski’s anti-communism and set up their own service in Berlin, without Polish government contribution, but with their own manufacturer casket (no Pilsudski within).
The picture Krapivnik refers to is the Berlin Nazi version.
To some, this is just a detail. But it tells us to examine more carefully whatever might seem to be historical in what Krapivnik says, and this includes Diesen not knowing the history or letting Krapivnik get away with inaccuracies.
This was a great discussion. Mr. Ktapivnik always gives us a sorely needed history lesson in his inimitable style with Prof. Diesen stimulating the exchange with his
As Malcolm X put it, we’re seeing that the chickens are coming home to roost throughout Epsteinlandia, the nations that branched from Europe to colonize the world.
An important discussion, but one distinction seems essential:
Military capability is not the same as political intent, and political intent is not yet an irreversible decision.
When escalation increases, it becomes tempting to read every military preparation as proof that a wider war is already determined.
That is precisely when the evidentiary threshold should become higher, not lower.
Which developments are observable facts? Which are intelligence or military assessments? Which are predictions? And most importantly: what decisions remain reversible and what diplomatic channels still remain open?
If we collapse those layers into one another, analysis can begin to manufacture the inevitability it is supposed to examine.
An important discussion, but one distinction seems essential:
Military capability is not the same as political intent, and political intent is not yet an irreversible decision.
When escalation increases, it becomes tempting to read every military preparation as proof that a wider war is already determined.
That is precisely when the evidentiary threshold should become higher, not lower.
Which developments are observable facts? Which are intelligence or military assessments? Which are predictions? And most importantly: what decisions remain reversible and what diplomatic channels still remain open?
If we collapse those layers into one another, analysis can begin to manufacture the inevitability it is supposed to examine.
Stanislav Karpivnik comments are angry, schizophrenic and contradictory all in one. Europe and NATO are a major threat to Russia and at the same time, a militarily non issue. They better stop allying with Ukraine, or Russia will spend another 4 years with their special military operation, (all out war) in Ukraine, which if they wanted to could defeat in a week. He can’t understand why European leaders won’t negotiate with Russia while enumerating all the reasons each of them are untrustworthy and can’t be negotiated with.
Why does Glenn continue to refer to Stanislav home of origin, Donbas, as Russian when it has long since been Ukrainian territory?
why nothing happens is lew poison the wells. and blame Russia two Christians people but lews cause everything with federal reserve private banking cartel and European countries who are also Christians .kill all lews cause everything in world
Russian had a grain shipping agreement. until July 2026 .than some lew moron decided to sink 100 Russian civilians merchandise ships all over seas . making anything Russia does . just like what do you expect from a normal relationship with Ukraine completely understandable. nothing today anymore that Russian do is not to be expected . because any country do same thing .
Those Brazilian mercenairies that this angry Russian/UnitedStatian refers to are FASCIST BOLSONARISTS. We don't want their stinking corpses in front of our embassy. You can keep them to fertilize your potatoes.
Insightful interview taking up many facts. Good to hear people knowing their history.
Yes, sadly, the masks of the political class must come down and westerners need to be treated like economic dust and starve to revolt. They need to realize their retirement funds was sucked up dry to try to complete political agendas such as the Euromed federation and old universalist dreams.
Way too many still think they represent the beacon of democracy and civilization, not knowing what kind of evil is steering them toward a cold cage deprived of cultural or ethnic identity. And war is just meant to give them an enemy from outside their walls. War is about control, shock doctrines and remodeling societies afterward.
The western people will find out soon enough: masks are falling in the next two years as the sovereign bond market is burning up and theire elite becomes desperate.
Another educational cnversation. Thank you both!
As explained in other comments, I now understand the Ukraine War as operating on two levels: at a deep level it is a class war waged by western elite against western working class. War is the means by which the 'Epstein Class' aim to shift from democracy to authoritarian-militarist government with an imperial-expansionist ideology, which is seeking colonies to exploit, especially for energy or rare earth resources. The elite ideology is partly pragmatic, a means to hold on to, or even increase, wealth and power but it is also, uniquely in this historic moment, cultish. The cults include civilisational supremacy or exceptionalism (which for the elite equates to possession of racial purity and/or extreme wealth), a sense of divine favour or their own apotheosis (exemplified by various political Zionisms and Nazi-like neo-pagan mythologising of heroic election towards godhood), and a murderous loathing and genocidal intent towards all ranked as sub-human or non-elite (facilitated by either old-fashioned biological nonsense/eugenics or new-fangled techno-babble such as transhumanism which seeks to replace organic life with machines - assumed to be morally pure, intellectually superior, and thus destined to replace organic life through the inevitable teleology of the 'march of progress').
This elite war on the non-elite, is masked by superficial war conducted, on the whole, by compliant members of the managerial class, both elected and unelected officials. Prime Minister Starmer of Britain appeared in political cartoons as Jeeves the Butler (a smarmy servant of an idiot scion of the British aristocracy, from early C20th comic novels authored by the British pro-Hitler author P.G. Woodhouse). All such 'leaders' of NATO, US, EU, and allied governments can be classed as petty bourgeois sycophants serving not those who appointed them but their superiors in the elite class to which they aspire to belong, if only as household retainers or lap-dogs. They are waging class war on behalf of their masters but under disguise. The superficial reason for the Ukraine War is said to be 'settling the problem of Russia' - a problem supposedly exemplified by the 'unprovoked' attack on Ukraine, to which the petty bourgeois are responding with a truculent stout-hearted defence like British bull-dogs (or equivalent breeds from other countries). The alleged 'unprovoked' invasion of Ukraine was, of course, deliberately provoked by the elite conspiracy. The western elites have been seeking to provoke Russia into a 'war of choice' since the end of the Cold War.
Let us now consider things from the Russian side. When they were the USSR, they would have recognised the class war as the strategic war, and the Ukraine conflict as a tactical exchange in that war. They would have countered effectively on both levels, probably achieving stasis, hence 'Cold War'. Putin should recognise the strategic/tactical differences but he seems to have mistaken the Ukraine War as being THE strategic conflict. His strategic focus is apparently only on Ukraine, not on the western elite. His approaches to the western elite or rather to their glove-puppets such as Trump, seeking peace in Ukraine, have been errors of judgement. The western elite played him like a fish in Anchorage: hook, line, sinker. They are conducting global class war, a racialised, imperial war, which views Russians as sub-humans and Russia as a prospective colony, whose people are to be enslaved until replaced by robots. Putin asked them, his deepest enemies filled with total contempt for him and his people, to help negotiate peace in Ukraine - to which they gave soothing answers while laughing up their sleeves at his stupidity. The thought makes me shrivel with by-stander shame (my mother's family were Russian so it is a personal wound to me to write this).
Since then, Putin has apparently been enlightened about the real basis of this war, and is shamed and infuriated by his enemies lies and his own naivety, thus he is now pursuing war in Ukraine with gusto as a kind of self-redemption and act of revenge. But winning the Ukraine War, if he does indeed win, will do nothing to end the real war, the class war. Why is Putin not fighting that class war, the true strategic war, with the same gusto? I can identify two possible explanations:
(1) Putin still sees himself as part of the global elite and therefore has no desire to overthrow that class or harm their shared interests. He therefore limits himself to simply gaining a vanity blow against his peers by destroying their puppet-show in Ukraine, humbling the western snobs and debunking their claims to racial superiority by eliminating the Ukrainian neo-Nazis and driving out the money-grubbers in Zelenskyy's corrupt regime. Putin claims a Christian cultural heritage, maybe he likes the idea of driving the money-grubbers out of Ukraine like a Christ cleansing the Temple? True religion triumphing over insane and depraved cult? Or maybe Putin is just a pathetic bourgeois nouveau riche still yearning to be accepted by the old money elite?
(2) Suppose Putin has some sense and did recognise the class war, how would he fight this? The western elite largely funds iself through the petrodollar debt system. Putin might seek to destroy them by destroying the petrodollar. Actually, the insane and incompetent Trump regime is apparently doing that itself already. Thus all Putin has to do is follow the military dictum (Napoleon?) 'never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake'. However, anything which weakens the petrodollar, strengthens the petroyuan and the BRICS alternative economy which in effect means strengthening China. I suspect Putin probably fears creating a stronger China (or India, or Iran, or other possible future rival on the Eurasian continent). Ultimately, by end of century, fighting the petrodollar elite might now might weaken or destabalise a future Russia decades hence. It might be that Putin is not actively pursuing counter-measures on the strategic war because he thinks the west has over-reached itself, will fall with Trump, the petrodollar system will destroy itself, and he need not help it to its inevitable end, especially when any attempt to crush his western enemies might end up aiding his eastern rivals, potential future enemies, but must just play a waiting game and try to seize any advantages for Russia as the dust settles once the old unipolar order collapses. If this second reasoning is anything like how Putin is thinking, maybe he is not as stupid as he otherwise seems? Maybe he is actually a shrewd patriotic Russian. One can only hope he is, for the sake of Russia.
Meanwhile, living in England, I have to express my regret that unlike USSR, Putin's Russia is not a class war champion and will not be coming to my aid or the aid of most 'ordinary' Europeans any time soon.
How do I see the Ukraine War? I think it must end without further loss of innocent lives but I want the neo-Nazis eliminated as military or political force in Ukraine (and thus weakened elsewhere in the world including England) and I want Zelenskyy's regime to fall and genuine democracy to elect a valid government with a real mandate from Ukrainians. I want the backwash from defeat to ruin the careers of the European bourgeois warmongers and send them into oblivion or to gaol if appropriate. I want the end of NATO and something with a real democratic mandate to replace the EU which has destroyed all moral authority and debased itself past redemption. I want to open up a post-petrodollar world and negotiate options for all of Europe in it - perhaps integrated into BRICS, perhaps some other solution. I want peace and prosperity. I want an end to elite privilege. I want equality and justice.
All of this might be too much to ask for but unless we dream we cannot have better times. Let's dream a little and then work to realise our dreams. Basically, when it comes to class war, we 'ordinary people' have only ourselves to rely on. No elite, even Russian or Chinese or Iranian or any other multipolar cavalry is going to ride to our rescue. Back in 1920s, back in my lifetime in 1970s, the European working class was better educated, more organised, and more powerful than today. Fifty years of neoloberal ruin cannot easily be reversed but it must be. This is an existential war for us. Very few working class people realise that. They need to hear it and understand it. Prof. Diesen and guests is doing great service in this educational effort. They deserve class war medals!
why would Russia, China or Iran every come to European's rescue? When all its govs have done are being Americunt's bootlicker, doing whatever its bidding the White master orders Europe to follow, which includes but not limited to white supremacy, colonialism (Britain colonized over half the world, still continues to extract and extort resources from global south), imperialism, racism, the Epstein class (hello the British royalty)...the list never ends because the barbaric acts committed by the White have never stopped. The Caucasians must now come to face the consequences of its own actions....FAFO finally
Krapivnik is not careful about history. Poland’s Pilsudski did die in 1935 but there was no ceremony in Poland with his casket attended by Nazis including Hitler. Rather, the Nazis liked Pilsudski’s anti-communism and set up their own service in Berlin, without Polish government contribution, but with their own manufacturer casket (no Pilsudski within).
The picture Krapivnik refers to is the Berlin Nazi version.
To some, this is just a detail. But it tells us to examine more carefully whatever might seem to be historical in what Krapivnik says, and this includes Diesen not knowing the history or letting Krapivnik get away with inaccuracies.
This doesn’t speak well for either.
Stanislav Krapivnik tells things like it is. Great discussion.
This was a great discussion. Mr. Ktapivnik always gives us a sorely needed history lesson in his inimitable style with Prof. Diesen stimulating the exchange with his
deeply probing questions and commentary.
As Malcolm X put it, we’re seeing that the chickens are coming home to roost throughout Epsteinlandia, the nations that branched from Europe to colonize the world.
An important discussion, but one distinction seems essential:
Military capability is not the same as political intent, and political intent is not yet an irreversible decision.
When escalation increases, it becomes tempting to read every military preparation as proof that a wider war is already determined.
That is precisely when the evidentiary threshold should become higher, not lower.
Which developments are observable facts? Which are intelligence or military assessments? Which are predictions? And most importantly: what decisions remain reversible and what diplomatic channels still remain open?
If we collapse those layers into one another, analysis can begin to manufacture the inevitability it is supposed to examine.
An important discussion, but one distinction seems essential:
Military capability is not the same as political intent, and political intent is not yet an irreversible decision.
When escalation increases, it becomes tempting to read every military preparation as proof that a wider war is already determined.
That is precisely when the evidentiary threshold should become higher, not lower.
Which developments are observable facts? Which are intelligence or military assessments? Which are predictions? And most importantly: what decisions remain reversible and what diplomatic channels still remain open?
If we collapse those layers into one another, analysis can begin to manufacture the inevitability it is supposed to examine.
Stanislav Karpivnik comments are angry, schizophrenic and contradictory all in one. Europe and NATO are a major threat to Russia and at the same time, a militarily non issue. They better stop allying with Ukraine, or Russia will spend another 4 years with their special military operation, (all out war) in Ukraine, which if they wanted to could defeat in a week. He can’t understand why European leaders won’t negotiate with Russia while enumerating all the reasons each of them are untrustworthy and can’t be negotiated with.
Why does Glenn continue to refer to Stanislav home of origin, Donbas, as Russian when it has long since been Ukrainian territory?
why nothing happens is lew poison the wells. and blame Russia two Christians people but lews cause everything with federal reserve private banking cartel and European countries who are also Christians .kill all lews cause everything in world
Russian had a grain shipping agreement. until July 2026 .than some lew moron decided to sink 100 Russian civilians merchandise ships all over seas . making anything Russia does . just like what do you expect from a normal relationship with Ukraine completely understandable. nothing today anymore that Russian do is not to be expected . because any country do same thing .
I find it laughable that Russia has attempted on more than one occasion to join NATO.
The premise of NATO was to halt the expansion of the Soviet union. How many other countries are in NATO that are communist?.
The bufferzone expansion for Russians security taking over country by country simply put is less countries to fight against.
The expansion is worthless if a nuclear war breaks out .
KS for Pope
Krapivnik is wright on.
One question: who are the real bosses behind these western leaders and why are they "insisting" that the war continue and even be expanded?
Those Brazilian mercenairies that this angry Russian/UnitedStatian refers to are FASCIST BOLSONARISTS. We don't want their stinking corpses in front of our embassy. You can keep them to fertilize your potatoes.
Insightful interview taking up many facts. Good to hear people knowing their history.
Yes, sadly, the masks of the political class must come down and westerners need to be treated like economic dust and starve to revolt. They need to realize their retirement funds was sucked up dry to try to complete political agendas such as the Euromed federation and old universalist dreams.
Way too many still think they represent the beacon of democracy and civilization, not knowing what kind of evil is steering them toward a cold cage deprived of cultural or ethnic identity. And war is just meant to give them an enemy from outside their walls. War is about control, shock doctrines and remodeling societies afterward.
The western people will find out soon enough: masks are falling in the next two years as the sovereign bond market is burning up and theire elite becomes desperate.
Thank you Stanislav and Glen, great great education lessons, Europeans should go back to the school boards.