And who says if they feel threatened? Remember, what you feel is the reality. The Russians will decide if they feel threatened. We are watching the idea of a nuclear war being normalized. It’s being mentioned daily as a possibility on Russian TV. Now things have progressed to the point where a leading government official feels comfortable saying it. Russians are clearly trying to talk themselves into a nuclear strike. This is a closed system that admits no feedback.
Going back to the conversation of whether Russia or China is more dangerous. Is the Chinese government openly and aggressively priming its population for a nuclear war? I don’t think so.
Clarissa's Blog 
I also think a nuclear strike is likely. Even nuclear war. I would love to stop believing that since it is very hard to function normally thinking that humanity might be gone in a year. I really struggle to keep it together.
How do you still function if you think this might really happen? Or do you think that somehow the spiral will be stopped before humanity is gone?
Do you think Putin cares about his children? They are in Europe, right? Or did he bring them to the bunker? This would be a very bad sign.
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I agree with you. However, there will be people (many people) who will survive even a nuclear war, humanity will not be gone. It is just going to suck for everyone who is unlucky enough to be around to deal with the aftermath. From my perspective, the best thing that one can do at this point (unless you are a politician with a direct power to change things) is to pray. My personal recommendation is the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, but any prayer you are in the habit of praying or are capable of is good. It does help with keeping it together.
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Remember that woman who murdered her 5 kids to spare them the suffering of the earthly existence and send them straight to heaven? Putin said a couple of months ago that if the planet is annihilated in a nuclear war, “at least we’ll know that we are going to heaven.” That scared the living daylights out of me. This kind of crazy messianic talk takes people to very scary places.
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It’s not given to us to know the time and place of our deaths, nor those of the people we love. We cover up for this psychologically by leaning our weight into something we perceive as immortal (our society, our projects, humanity in general). Problem is, nothing is immortal on a long enough term.
I’d recommend you go and work on how you feel about your own mortality. Not nuclear war, not the end of humanity, not all those abstract horrors, but the fact that you, sometimes, are going to die. Once you find your peace with that, you’ll find it much easier to function.
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// “at least we’ll know that we are going to heaven.” That scared the living daylights out of me.
Do you understand now why Israelis are willing to do a lot to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
Putin says empty words about heaven nobody in Russia believes in. Iran is a theocracy with population that had been brainwashed since 1979.
“Some Ayatollahs view a nuclear-armed Iran as an instrument in Allah’s hand to impose Islam upon the entire world, and that they have been chosen by Allah to carry out His mission. Islam has an imperialist streak”
Imperialism? Iran has it too.
Saying Ukraine has no right to exist?
“”Israel is not a country, but a terrorist base against the nation of Palestine and other Muslim nations,” Khamenei said in live televised remarks in 2021 … In 2018, Khamenei reiterated Tehran’s position that Israel is a “malignant cancerous tumour” that must “be removed and eradicated”, … the official stance has been that Israel will cease to exist over its own “arrogance” rather than a direct attack by Iran.”
Threatening democracy?
“The Strategic Implications of Iran’s Ambitions
Revolutionary Iran is characterized by far-reaching goals in its foreign policy, a propensity for high risk policies, intensive commitment and determination to implement these policies, and an unconventional diplomatic style.[16]If Iran becomes nuclear, these foreign policy features will probably become even more pronounced.
Iran’s nuclear program, coupled with long-range delivery systems, threatens regional stability in the Middle East.
…
A nuclear Iran will result in the loss of the Central Asian states to the West. These former Soviet republics have adopted a pro-Western foreign policy orientation since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Following the emergence of a nuclear Iran, they will either bandwagon toward Iran or will try to secure a nuclear security guarantee from Russia or China, countries much closer to the region than the US.”
https://jiss.org.il/en/inbar-iran-and-israel-the-inevitable-war/
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Speaking of which, we are having a big event on campus with a Palestinian person joining us straight from Gaza on Zoom to talk about a 15-year-long Israeli siege of Palestine. I’m wondering why nobody from Israel ever reaches out to offer their perspective. And this is given that we have 1 Palestinian professor and dozens of Jewish professors.
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// Speaking of which, we are having a big event on campus with a Palestinian person joining us straight from Gaza on Zoom to talk about a 15-year-long Israeli siege of Palestine.
Actually, I would love to listen too and see the reaction of American audience, but it’s probably impossible.
If you are there, would love to read what happened and your opinion.
As usual with the approach of Jewish Pesach, Christian Easter and Muslim Rammadan terrorist attacks have been increasing. Just yesterday we had the deadliest terror attack in last ~5 years:
// At least 4 dead and others hurt in stabbing attack in Be’er Sheva
Assailant identified as Bedouin from nearby Hura, with known affiliations to the Islamic State; was shot on the scene by a bus driver who was in the area
…
Background: Mohammad Abu al-Kian served a four-year prison term for attempting to reach Syria to join IS forces; had organized likeminded sympathizers of extreme Islamic group and preached ideology in local mosque//
Speaking re Iran, just saw today’s article re Israeli strikes in Syria (which Russians allow):
\ Iran Guards commander warns Israel of swift revenge for any soldiers killed
IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami tells state news agency Israel should ‘cease their mischief’ otherwise ‘Zionists’ will ‘suffer the bitter taste of our missile blows’
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Sure you can join. Email me and I’ll send you the Zoom link. It’s March 31, 9:30 am US Central Time. I was asked to publicize the event anyway.
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US Central Time now is 14:40, right?
In Israel it is 21:40.
So 21-14=7 hour difference.
9:30+7 = 16:30
I won’t be at home then, so unfortunately won’t be able to join. 😦
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Lets not forget that we know Russian, but not Persian, so if Iran looks less dangerous to you, it may be since we are unable to read Iranian press and blogs. People w\o knowledge of Russian find it hard to understand Russians as they are too.
Everything I see re Iran points to a dangerous regime with high level of theocratic imperialist aggression.
Besides, if they get the bomb, it will push Arab states to have their own nuclear weapons too.
Is this what is needed in the boiling Middle East with millions of religious fanatics who, unlike Putin, believe in heaven and have much lower standard of living than Russians had?
Another important passage from Professor Efraim Inbar (President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security):
“A nuclear Iran might try to destabilize Turkey – a country with strategic weight. Secular Turkey has been an anathema for revolutionary Iran. Tehran already tried in the 1990s to meddle in Turkish affairs and strengthen the extreme Islamist forces. Nowadays, revolutionary Iran may capitalize on the ongoing identity crisis in Turkey in order to increase the power of the radical Islamists. The loss of Turkey to the West would be a strategic blow.”
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Horrible. I started choosing quotes but deleted them after almost entire article got copied. Every bit of insanity is worth reading:
«Часами оттачивают строевой шаг»
Чем теперь заняты российские школьники вместо учебы. Они — инсталляция на холодном снегу
https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2022/03/23/chasami-ottachivaiut-stroevoi-shag
Btw, Russian do feel something:
Российское издание КоммерсантЪ, между тем, пишет, что война России против Украины и волна санкций вызвали резкий рост спроса на антидепрессанты в России.
«С 28 февраля по 6 марта общая продажа этих препаратов в аптеках превысила 525 млн руб. Это более чем в четыре раза больше, чем годом ранее», — отмечает издание.
From this article about today’s Russia and its difference from Ukrainian culture:
Померанцев обращает внимание на культуру унижения и агрессии, также присутствовавшей в нацистской Германии.
«Анализ нацистской культуры показал, что это начинается внутри семьи. Путин неслучайно в последние годы легализовал домашнее насилие над женщинами. Это способ создания общества, где нормализованы унижение и агрессия. И все мы знаем российское общество: на работе у вас доминирует ваш унижающий вас начальник, а главное, у вас доминирует режим», — говорит он.
Если вы посмотрите на психологическую модель путинской пропаганды, посмотрите на то, как говорят Путин, Соловьев, Киселев, Толстой, основные ведущие ток-шоу, то увидите, что это очень умышленный способ общения, очень садистский, очень агрессивный, очень обидчивый. Так общаются с новобранцами в армии, это стиль дедовщины. Они делают это сознательно и делали много лет, нормализуя эти чувства, позволяя людям их испытывать”.
https://trim-c.livejournal.com/4564119.html
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cliff, have you heard something re this? I hope Putin is bluffing, it’s too insane even for him to do.
“The Kremlin warned Poland about possible pre-emptive strikes on major cities as a measure to curb “anti-Russian support for Ukraine.” Russia demands from Poland to stop supporting Ukraine with weapons and with promoting the idea of a peacekeeping mission.
…
It is also known that Poland has increased its defense budget, and the authorities openly declare possible Russian aggression. It is also a fact that an air raid warning system was tested in some cities in Poland.”
The original report in Rusian:
https://www.ua-football.com/ukrainian/news/1647980302-smi-rossiya-ugrozhaet-polshe-preventivnym-udarom-po-krupnym-gorodam-iz-za-podderzhki-ukrainy.html?utm_source=ukrnet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=runewsukrnet
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