Putin has launched an 'Age of Madness'! Will there be a Turkey-Russia war?


İbrahim Karagül
25 February 2022


1- Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, starting with the country’s east. The U.S. and Europe strutted around Ukraine for months, but have nothing to show for it. Ukraine was completely abandoned.

2- Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s launch of a military operation in Ukraine drove the U.S., Europe, and NATO into a terrible despondency. Unable to risk open conflict or putting forth a clear attitude, the U.S and Europe are attempting to show their colors through secondary means, and have no concern other than to protect their own reputation. This is their second great collapse after the fiasco that unfolded in Afghanistan, after the sudden U.S. withdrawal, after the people who put their trust in them crashed to the ground from the wings of aircraft.

The ‘Age of Madness’ starts now

3- Putin has kick-started the “Age of Madness.” He completely shattered the global realities that had become ambiguous and senseless after the Cold War. He openly declared the war, and the showdown methods of the future. This ended the West’s hypocrisy. Putin has threatened the world, but he also declared the world’s newest order.

4- The issue is not Ukraine alone. It is not limited to the country’s east, to Russian-Ukrainian demographics, or political and security issues. It was revealed, beyond the invasion of a country, that clashes between blocs, between powers, would now be conducted openly.

Empires will return

5- Empires are making a comeback. Those with an imperial history are transferring their claims to the present and to the future. A new era has begun for Russian expansionism. A new era is starting for Europe’s defense. The floodgates have been opened for the first time since World War II. It is not difficult to estimate which country will be submerged in water.

6- Russia is aware of its shortcomings. It is trying to cover these through nationalism and expansionism, to deter through threatening discourse, and push the threats directed towards it beyond its borders. Russia will risk going to war for this sake. It will act in accordance with the West and the world order’s weaknesses, and push countries to make mistakes. If it does not do this, that threat will come knocking on Russia’s borders. This means a second division for Russia. Putin is trying to repel, alleviate and thwart any threats against his country by threatening his region and the entire world.

Why did Putin threaten his allies?

7- Putin’s invasion speech was a threat to his friends as much as his foes. He made a big mistake by revealing that this op could threaten his allies. From this moment onward, East European countries, and most of all, Central Asian Turkic Republics will know that they are being threatened. Putin really will turn to other countries, to these countries, after he’s done with Ukraine.

8- Putin’s said speech is a threat to Turkey as well. The statement, “We were the ones who protected the coasts of the Black Sea in the 18th century from the Turks,” is a declaration of his intentions. It is the declaration of a political identity. It is a very dangerous statement in terms of Turkey-Russia relations, their alliance, and partnership in many fields.

Europe’s defense in shambles

9- The U.S. and Europe are in dire straits. They are withdrawing within themselves. They are no longer aiming for global hegemony and expansionism, but have shifted to defense mode. They are striving to preserve their presence. They are trying to restrain, to stop China in the Pacific. This is why they withdrew from Central Asia and turned from the Middle East to the Pacific.

10- This is the first time since World War II that Europe is facing difficulties in defense. Will Europe entrust its defense to the U.S. again—right when it’s trying to end its dependency on the States? If Europe takes shelter in the U.S. again, the European Union project will completely collapse. It will have no significance. Yet, if they do not take shelter in the U.S., the U.K., and all of Europe in general, will be driven to a new defense panic.

Europe can’t risk open war

11- The West’s rising period is long over. Its stagnation period has begun. Will it now start regressing? Global-scale, unilateral attempts to redesign the world no longer have any effect. A map of powers developed outside the West, and despite the West. They tried to prevent this but failed miserably.

12- This Russian venture will further accelerate the West’s regression. It will further increase its helplessness. No European country will risk open war during such a period. Nor will the U.S. Economic embargoes are now impacting Western economies.

13- Rather than engaging in an overt war with Russia, the U.S. and Europe are planning to form fronts on the Russian border, and occupy Russia for a long period, and thus exhaust it. They want to sustain a conflict that will wear out Russia. However, it is clear that this will not present a solution.

Ukraine crisis was provoked by the U.S., U.K., as much as by Russia

14- Strangely, the Ukraine crisis was escalated by the U.S. and U.K., as much as it was by Russia. Germany and central Europe were not eager to get involved. The U.S. and the U.K. provoked Putin to attack Ukraine. They made statements one after the other, driving him to indignation. The U.K. tried to sustain its conflict with Russia in the Baltic region to the Black Sea, to the south. In fact, it partially succeeded too.

15- All the wars in the world in the last three decades took place in the Middle East (with Afghanistan as an exception). All internal conflicts were exacerbated in this region. Ethnic and sectarian conflicts were instigated in these regions. Invasion and occupation campaigns under the name of “anti-terrorism” were all conducted here.

Which countries will be driven to war on the northern-southern front?

16- This is the first time that wars are shifting to the north. It is shifting toward Europe’s borders for the first time. Those who once used to say, “Islam’s bloody borders” could now face their own borders drenched in blood. The Ukraine crisis developed a new situation, which is turning all the countries along the northern-southern line, from the Baltics to the Aegean, into a conflict zone. All countries along that line, from Poland to Greece, will suffer its consequences. Neither Russia, nor Europe will ever clash directly. They will sustain their conflict through these countries.

Turkey normalizing relations with the Middle East

17- This situation has given the Middle East breathing room—at least for a while. Turkey normalizing its relations with the Middle East—with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Israel, and almost all countries in the region, is extremely significant. This will at least prevent new areas of conflict in the region. Regional countries need to be vigilant to prevent the U.S., Europe, or Russia from exporting a new war, a new conflict to the region.

The Black Sea War: the West wants a Turkey-Russia war

18- The Ukraine crisis will turn the Black Sea into a battleground. In a sense, it is a Black Sea crisis. If Russia attempts a full-scale invasion, the U.S. and NATO will focus on the Black Sea; and if it tries to crush Russia here, it will turn into a Black Sea war. That is when Turkey will start experiencing crises—similar to those it has been fighting for decades in the south—in the Black Sea as well.

19- This outcome is unacceptable for Turkey. The U.S. settling in the Black Sea, escalating the crisis here, will eventually ripen the conditions for a Turkey-Russia war. That is when the U.S. and Europe will achieve maximum results. It will have struck a blow to Russia through Turkey, and Turkey through Russia, ensuring Europe’s security for a lengthy period. As a result, the method the West always resorts to will pay off again. They tried attempted to stoke this war through Syria and failed. This time they will try it with Ukraine.

Turkey will never trust the West

20- Turkey has never trusted the West. Turkey knows that, despite being a NATO member, the U.S., Europe, and NATO are the origin of all the threats it has defined so far. It knows very well that these countries abandoned it in every field. Turkey knows that they established a terror army against it in northern Syria. It only recently overcame an internal attack like the 2016 coup attempt, which was also a U.S., Europe and NATO operation. Turkey will not fall into this trap unless there are very strong grounds to do so.

Turkey is not a front country. It will make plans accordingly

21- As Turkey carries on its “normalization with the Middle East,” as it continues an impactful and in-depth plan within Africa, as it implements its most effective Central Asia strategy since the fall of the Soviets, and as it consolidates a strong power leap through all these efforts, it must never allow the U.S. and U.K.’s Black Sea war to come to pass. It must not allow its partnerships with the West to proceed solely in line with Western interests, and against Turkey. Otherwise, this will cause serious instability in Turkey, and pave the way for long-term crises.

22- Turkey is no longer a front country. Despite all the political preparations within to ensure this, it will never again be a front country. Turkey is a new power domain, and this power domain is much vaster than estimated. Therefore, negotiations with Russia, with the U.S., and Europe will all be in accordance with this new state.

Another great war could begin

23- Turkey will not be the assassin of the U.S. and Europe, nor will it surrender to Russian expansionism. It will defend Ukraine’s integrity, uphold its views regarding Crimea, and present its own stance in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Turkey will not blindly take sides in the conflict between the U.S. and Russia. It will make its own plans, and determine its own position.

Putin’s statements on Ukraine and Russia’s invasion of the country revealed that he has similar intentions regarding Central Asian Turkic Republics. He additionally revealed that he does not consider long-term relations or normalization with Turkey.

The present situation could lead to another world war. It should not be taken lightly. An extremely dangerous, fatal period has started. We need to look beyond Ukraine. Great shocks are in store on geopolitical fault lines. This may suddenly drive dozens of countries to war.

Russian space chief says he could let International Space Station crash into US if sanctions proceed

Matthew Chapman

RAW STORY
February 24, 2022

International Space Station (Shutterstock)

On Thursday, amid new announcements of sanctions on the Russian economy by the United States and NATO in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, Dimitry Rogozin, the chief of the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, made an eyebrow-raising threat: that if the sanctions continue, Russia could stop maintaining the orbit of the International Space Station and allow it to crash into the United States.

"If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe?" tweeted Rogozin in Russian. "There is also the option of dropping a 500-ton structure on India or China. Do you want to threaten them with such a prospect? The ISS does not fly over Russia, so all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them?"

Rogozin is known for making bizarre pronouncements. In 2020, he said that "we believe that Venus is a Russian planet," and last fall, he accused Ars Technica space reporter Eric Burger of war crimes for investigating his repeated invitations to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to visit his home.

Turkey’s unique influence is the worst nightmare of the religion of capitalism!

Yusuf Kaplan

14 February 2022

Mounting tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine have prompted people to ask all the wrong questions: Will the Americans and the Russians clash? Will a third world war break out?

These are all misplaced questions!

When you go asking the wrong questions you shouldn’t expect to get the right answers.

The U.S. in particular, and the Western alliance in general, wants to besiege Russia from the south and west, confining it to its natural borders by making Ukraine a NATO member.

I said “besiege,” because Russia does not regard its natural borders as its real borders, and never will: Russia is more than just Russia alone.

China represents more than just China.

For Europe, it is more than just Europe.

What about Turkey?

Turkey is more than just Turkey.

This quality of being “more than” has everything to do with boasting a unique influence: The U.S., the EU, Russia, China, and, of course, Turkey are powers that carry unique weight. Actors with potential power that by far transcends their actual force.

The tragedy of Turkey's ignorance!

Here, I would like to draw attention to a vital and mind-blowing distinction that we are yet to become aware of:

Turkey’s unique influence and that of other actors couldn’t be more different.

Are we aware of Turkey's weight and singularity?

I’m afraid not.

The influence of other actors stems from their material strength. However, Turkey's influence comes from its spiritual /intangible/soft power.

The clout of other actors is quantitative; thus it's temporary, whereas Turkey’s is qualitative. Rooted, enduring, and emanating meaning and life.

It is not actually power that Turkey possesses, but a qualitative feature that its influence carries.

Turkey's intelligentsia is not even aware of this unique, qualitative influence that Turkey possesses. Isn’t it just sad! How tragicomic!

This is the chilling indication that the Turkish intelligentsia is not what it claims to be.

An intelligentsia that does not know what it represents, unaware of its "power," and does not even realize that it carries unique weight, has no value to add to this country.

It’s not a part of this country because an intelligentsia means an actor with a unique weight. It represents “more than just oneself.” It represents a world-establishing scholar, an intellectual, an intelligentsia, a language-creator, and an artist of a country who is expected to be an asset by the simple virtue of his own being and to add value to our lives due to their extraordinary characteristics.

An intelligentsia that cannot grasp the value of Turkey and its cultural, intellectual, and historical depth simply cannot be called an intelligentsia. Forget about the issue of influence, its very existence is a nuisance to the country.

Turkey is a pioneer that will become aware of its deep influence, which is capable of shedding light on the future of humanity, will present it to mankind, draw on its spirit, and pave the way for us. It will be incapable of launching a great breakthrough that will make history unless it builds this next generation that is capable of doing so.

First of all, we need an intelligentsia and a leading generation that will bring to light both their own and this country’s unique influence.

Russia, China, and Japan: New Apostles of Capitalism

Now let's take a look at the field again.

The world is living or dying around capitalism.

Capitalism is the religion of the world, that's for sure.

The East has also adopted this secular, pagan religion.

Mounting tensions are a struggle for power/hegemony between the U.S., which established the church of the religion of capitalism, and the newly converted Russia, which has just entered the religion of capitalism. Nothing more.

If it is possible to talk of something more, it could be that they are attempting to stop Turkey in its tracks; for this reason, we can talk about the siege of Turkey from the Black Sea. At the moment, this strategic target is not visible; it seems blurry and vague.

But I can say the following: The conflict between the U.S., Russia, and China has now turned into a conflict within the system. It is as if the answer to the question of who will be “king” in this capitalist world is sought.

This is not the East-West conflict it’s being portrayed as. The East is no longer the old East. The converts of the East are the new recruits of the religion of capitalism or the new slaves of capitalism.

The East does not represent an axis, a pole, or a summit with a unique spiritual weight. It has melted into the capitalist West, and it continues to do so…

The new apostles of capitalism, China, Russia, India, and Japan, as well as the U.S. and the EU, may struggle for hegemony within the capitalist world, but they will not engage in a devastating great war—except, of course, in very compelling exceptional circumstances.

What will the great war be waged for?

They will wage a devastating war against Turkey in the medium and long term. Only Turkey is resisting becoming an apostle of capitalism: While Japan was trying to be the apostle of capitalism with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the Ottoman Empire risked being physically destroyed (de facto removed from history) by capitalism, but resisted it spiritually.

Although Turkey carries out its economic transactions through capitalist mechanisms, it has not yet fully embraced the religion of capitalism.

It will not accept it. It will break through and be equipped with a spirit that will challenge capitalism…

Is this mere fantasy?

No.

At the very least, the fact that we are taking all our strategic steps in the light of our historical depth, with the awareness that we are the "last island of humanity," the soul of the world, the hope of the oppressed, and the nightmare of the tyrants should be sufficient to show everyone that we have the potential to challenge capitalism.

Turkey is the soul of the world, the conscience of humanity. The fact that aid organizations such as IHH, which help the world's orphans and destitute without expecting anything in return, are the children of this country, is a small but important indicator. The influence of IHH is indeed great because of the moral and spiritual responsibility it boasts and carries.

When the pioneering generations, who will discover and activate Turkey's spiritual and historical influence, finally arrive, a new era will be ushered in, and we will change the course of history again.

 UH OH

Nearly Three-Quarters of South Koreans Support Nuclear Weapons Development

Mitch Shin

COMMENTARIES AND OP-EDS February, 2022

READ FULL TEXT 

 
 

Introduction

Since South Korean President Moon Jae-in reactivated his progressive predecessors’ peace process on the Korean Peninsula, an arms build-up has been off Moon’s table. However, nuclear talks and inter-Korean dialogues have not made substantive progress, having stalled since the failed Hanoi summit in 2019. As a result, South Koreans now support developing the country’s own nuclear weapons amid North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities.

According to a poll released by the Chicago Council on Monday, 71 percent of respondents are in favor of South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons while 56 percent support deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons to the South’s soil. However, the poll made clear that the responders “overwhelmingly prefer an independent arsenal (67%) over US deployment (9%)” when asked to choose between the two options. This implies that South Koreans want their country to beef up its self-defense capabilities and be more independent from the U.S. military assets.

South Koreans still have confidence in the military alliance with the United States, but former U.S. President Donald Trump showed the vulnerable position of the South by mentioning reducing the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea during the negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement in 2020. With that in mind, South Koreans believe the country should invest more resources and money to develop its own powerful weapons.

The poll found that 40 percent of South Koreans oppose the deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons, while just 26 percent oppose building a domestic nuclear arsenal.

Meanwhile, 82 percent believe North Korea is unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons, implying South Koreans are looking to develop nuclear weapons for self-defense against the North’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities.

The full article is available on The Diplomat’s website.

NIGERIA

Investigation Shows Links Between Boko Haram, Bandits And Some Military, Police Officers, Says Governor El-Rufai

He, however, added that there was still a lot of work to be done to have concrete evidence to support the report.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS,

 NEW YORK

FEB 25, 2022

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has disclosed that investigation revealed some serving police and military officers have links with bandits terrorising the state and others.

El-Rufai spoke on Thursday during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Media Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He, however, added that there was still a lot of work to be done to have concrete evidence to support the report of the investigation, Daily Post reports.

He said, “We’re concerned and it’s not impossible to have infiltrators.

“As I alluded to when I was answering this question, the preliminary report of (investigation into) Boko Haram financing also showed some links to bandits and pointed to some police and military officers in service as having some communication or connection with the bandits.

“So, there’s always that risks, in any system you have traitors and we are concerned about that. But till date, we don’t have any firm evidence of that. I think a lot more work needs to be done.”

The governor said there is an urgent need for the government to block the financing and logistics chain of the bandits, saying the criminal gangs are making enough money to destabilise Nigeria.

Myanmar Air Force Launches More Air Strikes in Kayah State


The air assaults, which displaced thousands of civilians, reflect the unusually robust nature of the resistance in the eastern state.

By Sebastian Strangio
February 25, 2022

Credit: Depositphotos

With the world’s attention distracted by the unfolding Russian assaults on Ukraine, Myanmar’s military junta have once against launched air strikes on rebel forces in the country’s east. According to a report yesterday from Reuters, the Myanmar armed forces on February 23 bombarded areas close to Nan Mae Khon village in Kayah State, in response to resistance from the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), a civilian militia opposed to army rule.

The Free Burma Rangers, a group that provides relief across eastern Myanmar, posted on Twitter footage taken on February 23 of a house ablaze in Nan Mae Khon. It reported “2 villagers are dead & 3 wounded in one of the strikes” and stated that “thousands” of people had been displaced by the attacks.

Since last February’s coup, Kayah State has been one of the main targets of air strikes by the Myanmar air force, due in large part to the unusually stubborn resistance that has emerged there. Last year, the KNDF formed as a merger of the scattered militias and People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) that mushroomed up in Kayah State to oppose junta rule, and has resisted attempts by the junta’s forces to quash its resistance.

The attacks follow similar strikes last month, when the Tatmadaw launched air strikes on Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State, forcing thousands of local residents to flee their homes. According to The Irrawaddy, more than half of Kayah State’s population of 300,000 population have already been displaced by fighting since the coup. Last May, the Myanmar air force also bombed areas of Kayah’s Demoso Township in order to root out civilian resistance fighters.

The junta’s increased reliance on air power, and its horrific human costs, earlier this month prompted the advocacy group Burma Campaign UK to call for the United Kingdom and other countries “to impose sanctions to try to stop aviation fuel reaching the Burmese military.”

Noting that the majority of the more than 400,000 people, who have been displaced from their homes since last February’s coup, have fled because of airstrikes or the threat of airstrikes, and the fact that Myanmar is reliant on imports of aviation fuel, the group called for two rounds of sanctions: one on Myanmar companies involved in the supply of aviation fuel to the military and another on foreign companies involved in “any aspect of the supply of aviation fuel to Burma, including insurance and accreditation and certification services.”

Whether or not these sanctions are implemented – and the Ukraine crisis will likely suck up much Western attention in the coming weeks – the use of air power could well prove counterproductive. In an article this week, the veteran Myanmar watcher Bertil Lintner argued that the sharp increase in air strikes, including in Kayah State, marked “a change in traditional counterinsurgency tactics that points more to military weakness than strength” and raised “hard new questions about the fighting ability of its increasingly stretched ground forces.”

The increasing resort to air power, Lintner wrote, would “cause more human suffering and dislocation among an already angry and disenfranchised population” and ensure “more popular support for fast-rising anti-coup forces.”

Greece halts seismic surveys off Corfu over stranded whales

by GCT

Greece’s Environment and Energy Ministry ordered a temporary stop to seismic surveys in the northern Ionian amid concerns that the activity is responsible for the recent stranding in shallow waters of three Cuvier’s beaked whales on the coast of the island of Corfu.

All three whales, which did not show any obvious health problems, were taken back to deep waters with the help of volunteers.

The ministry’s Directorate of Environmental Policy requested “immediate and detailed” information from ELPE Upstream, the company conducting the seismic surveys, and the Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management on the its compliance with the conditions included in the environmental action plan, which was approved in May 2021.

At the same time, the ministry ordered the SW Cook research vessel that conducts the surveys to leave the area until it is clarified whether it is related to the standings.

The move came after a letter from 15 environmental organizations was sent to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, asking for the immediate halt of all seismic work, linking them directly to the disorientation of the animals.

The NGOs noted that stopping surveys when there is a suspicion of environmental damage is required not only by the company’s contract with the state, but also by national and international law.

The Ancient, Sacred Olive Tree of the Acropolis that Never Dies

by NATALIE MARTIN


In the heart of the Acropolis, there stands a sacred olive tree.

Over the centuries, the tree has endured wars, eternally surviving, or a branch has always been saved and replanted.

For over 2,500 years, the tree has remained a worthy symbol of Athens, an undying and ancient representation of prosperity, peace, hope, and resurrection.
The Acropolis Olive Tree and the Founding Myth of Athens

According to Greek mythology, the cherished tree of the Acropolis was planted by the Goddess Athena herself and is part of the founding myth of Athens.

Legend has it that Athena and Poseidon argued over the control of Athens, and so Zeus proposed a contest between them, deeming that city would be a prize to the winner.

Athena and Poseidon met on the hill of the Acropolis and Zeus, the Olympian gods, and the people of Athens gathered to witness the contest between the two great gods.



Poseidon struck his three-pronged trident upon the hard rock of the Acropolis, shaking the earth. An underground sea was created, unleashing a saltwater spring. However ancient Athens was a city with access to plenty of rivers and close to the sea; thus Poseidon’s gift was met with limited enthusiasm.

When it was Athena’s turn, she kneeled and planted something on the ground. Within minutes a fully grown olive tree rose from the earth, rich fruit bountifully adorning its branches. The tree, with its high-quality timber and an abundance of nutritional fruit that could also be used to make olive oil with multiple applications, was clearly the superior gift.

Proclaimed as the competition winner, Athena gave her name to the city, which was subsequently called Athens.

The dramatic showdown between the two mighty Olympians is immortalised in stone on the West pediment sculptures of the Parthenon.

While the tree now standing today may not be the original one, the foundation myth of Athens explains why it is held so sacredly, not just by Athenians, but by all Greeks.
History of the Acropolis Olive Tree

When the Great King Xerxes’ Persian armies swept through Greece and sacked Athens in 480BC, the buildings on the Acropolis and the sacred olive tree were set on fire and destroyed.

Despite this, ancient Greek writer and geographer Herodotus claimed that olive tree “sprouted the same day to a height of two cubits” – or around 1 metre. This new growth symbolised hope and the quick recovery of Athenians in the face of adversity.

Seeds from the remnants of this tree were replanted across Attica. Therefore it is commonly believed that all of the olive groves surrounding Athens have a trace of Athena’s original tree in them.



Between 421 and 406 BC, the Erechtheion was built to house the most sacred areas of the Acropolis. It created a precinct for some of the most ancient and holy relics of the Athenians including the beloved olive tree planted by Athena, the Palladion (a xoanon, or olive wood carved effigy of Athena), the marks of Poseidon’s trident, and the Erechtheis (the saltwater well that resulted from Poseidon’s strike).

Once again, the olive tree regained grand monuments in its vicinity and continued to be honoured as a focal part of the Athenian religious and cultural landscape for centuries to come.

The tree has suffered many fires and mutilations as invaders have come and gone.

But a sprig was always saved to be planted later.

Most recently, members of the American School of Archaeology in 1952 replanted the tree with a branch that had been saved and harvested following the destruction caused by the Germans during World War II.

The symbolism of the Olive Tree

Since ancient times, the olive tree has remained a central part of Greek life, cherished for all of its profound qualities.

Whilst the olive tree atop the Athenian Acropolis may have held extra importance to Greeks compared to others due to its divine provenance, olive trees have been treasured by civilisations for thousands of years.

The olive tree symbolises peace, wisdom, fertility, prosperity, health, luck, victory, stability and tranquillity.

Noah’s dove carried an olive branch in its mouth, signifying the salvation of life on earth after the great flood as detailed in The Book of Genesis.

Olive leaves have crowned the heads of victorious Olympic athletes, Generals and Kings.

Olive wood has been used to construct houses and boats.

Olive oil and olives, the fruit of the olive tree, are staples of the Mediterranean diet and a valuable export throughout antiquity and to this day.

The olive tree loves the sea and the Mediterranean sun, it grows even on arid and rocky soils and it survives under droughts and strong winds.

It has accompanied Greeks through times of both prosperity and adversity, leaving its imprint in every aspect of Greek cultural tradition.

Perhaps then it is only fitting that it is at the Acropolis – one of the brightest jewels in humankind’s treasury – that the most cherished olive tree of all time is planted.

AMAZING FIND! Man buys house in Thessaloniki and discovers Roman-era marble statues (PHOTOS)

by ATHENS BUREAU


Two marble heads of female statues from the Roman era were found in an apartment in the centre of Thessaloniki, which was recently bought by a 35-year-old man.

According to SKAI, the new owner of the apartment found these fascinating artefacts carefully hidden in the attic.

Also found were a number of relevant documents, which according to the opinion of an archaeologist of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki, fall under Law 3028/2002 on the protection and cultural heritage.

The preliminary investigation is being carried out by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities of the Security Directorate of Thessaloniki.







The city of Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon and was named after his wife Thessalonike, daughter of Philip II of Macedon and sister of Alexander the Great.

The city was the second largest and wealthiest in the Byzantine Empire, after Constantinople of course.

By about 50 A.D., the city was also one of the early centres of Christianity.

On his second missionary journey, Paul the Apostle visited this city’s chief synagogue on three Sabbaths and sowed the seeds for Thessaloniki’s first Christian church.

Later, Paul wrote two letters to the new church, preserved in the Biblical canon as First and Second Thessalonians.

Some scholars hold that the First Epistle to the Thessalonians is the first written book of the New Testament.

In 306 AD, St. Demetrius became the patron saint of the city, a Christian whom Galerius is said to have put to death.

Most scholars agree with Hippolyte Delehaye’s theory that Demetrius was not a Thessaloniki native, but his veneration was transferred to the city when it replaced Sirmium as the main military base in the Balkans.

A basilical church dedicated to St. Demetrius, Hagios Demetrios, was first built in the 5th century AD and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When the Roman Empire was divided into the tetrarchy, the city became the administrative capital of one of the four portions of the Empire under Galerius Maximianus Caesar.

Galerius commissioned an imperial palace, a new hippodrome, a triumphal arch and a mausoleum among others.

In 379, when the Prefecture of Illyricum was divided between the East and West Roman Empires, Thessaloniki became the capital of the new Prefecture of Illyricum.

The following year, the Edict of Thessalonica made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

In 390, Gothic troops under the Emperor Theodosius I, led a massacre against the city’s inhabitants, who had risen in revolt against the Gothic soldiers.

Just as the city was for most of its Hellenic history, it today is Greece’s second city.

READ MORE: Greeks are Everywhere: The Greek History Behind the Sicilian Flag.

Putin is 'startled' by antiwar protests in Russia — and terrified of 'uprising' against him: Historian

Matthew Chapman

RAW STORY
February 24, 2022



On Thursday's edition of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," David Remnick, a historian who has written extensively about Soviet history, broke down how Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is already creating domestic problems for him.

"You heard President Biden talk about this in his speech today, Putin's desire to remake the Soviet Union," said Cooper. "Do you think that is actually — I mean it may be an ideological aim — do you think it's an actual realistic thing he thinks he can achieve?"

"I think in a sense that what Biden seemed to be talking about the re-creation of this old Soviet Union -- and all 15 of what were republics and what are now independent nations -- is not only impossible but crazily expensive," said Remnick. "Why did empire collapse all over the world, historically, not only the Soviet Union but Austria-Hungary and all the rest? Empire is expensive. Russia is not a wealthy country. Its entire economy is the size of the economy of Texas. And most of that those resources come right out of energy extractions and very fragile economy for a country that large. Today we saw the ruble crater. We saw the Russian stock market crater."

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Remnick then turned to the signs of dissent in the streets of major Russian cities.

"We also saw something very curious, and I have to say maybe even unexpected," continued Remnick. "Despite the continuing crackdown on dissent in Russia that's been going on for years, we saw protests of modest scale in dozens of Russian cities. And over — according to one report over 1,500 arrests, brutal arrests and so on. So to see politics on the street is, I think, startling to Vladimir Putin as what he dreads the most, what he fears the most is some kind of uprising against him. And so we — we're coming to a reckoning here where internal Russian politics are concerned, too."

"The question here that has to be at the center is, what does Vladimir Putin think he's doing? Toward what end?" added Remnick. "How, in any way, does this help bring prosperity or even security to Russia? What threat is he responding to? Was Ukraine threatening Russia? Was NATO threatening Russia? No. I think that Putin, in large measure — not to make this into a novel — but in large measure, is responding to his own self-drama as a man of great power and wanting to expand Russian power, revive Russian power, after his failure to bring prosperity to Russia after 22 years in power."

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Historian says Putin is "startled" by domestic protests against his war

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