Radio War Nerd EP #159 — Russia-Ukraine Naval Kerfuffle + "Pistachio Wars"

Some info about the 1994 referendum is here: <a href="https://culturedarm.com/the-crimean-referendums-of-1991-and-1994/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://culturedarm.com/the-crimean-referendums-of-1991-and-1994/</a> <a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/469f38ec2.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.refworld.org/docid/469f38ec2.html</a>

In 2014 Gary Brecher wrote: “On January 20, 1991, Crimeans voted to restore their ties with Russia by almost the same percentage (93.2%) we saw in today’s election—where, according to the BBC, 93% of Crimean voters once again voted Russian. That’s a remarkably consistent vote, considering what a lot of chaos and poverty have encompassed the region since 1991. Back then, of course, no one in the West took the results seriously, because everyone knew the USSR was evil and anyone defecting from it was good. But it might be worth remembering that election now--because with Russian economic and military power backing them, the Crimeans’ vote might actually count.” Gary Brecher, <a href="https://pando.com/2014/03/17/the-war-nerd-everything-you-know-about-crimea-is-wrong-er/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://pando.com/2014/03/17/the-war-nerd-everything-you-know-about-crimea-is-wrong-er/</a>

I found one of the websites where I might have read about previous attempts by the Crimeans to disengage from Ukraine. Unfortunately the comments to this have not been preserved. My great grandmother got out of what was then Galicia in 1888, and my grandmother told me that great grandmother often exclaimed to her children about how lucky they were not to be there. I assume that any remaining relatives were massacred in WW 2.

I read somewhere that this was the third such referendum in Crimea, an autonomous region, since 1992, correct me if I’m wrong.

Finally got around to listening to this. I just wanted to ask, what is the take the two of you have on the legitimacy of the vote Crimea did to rejoin Russia? Was this vote legit? Was it rigged in any way? Are the numbers accurate? I guess it's always seemed pretty odd to me to use the term "annexed" when a firm majority of the population wanted it that way. But it's hard to know if the entire vote was suspect. My take has typically been that while the referendum was mostly legit, the Moscow/Putin never would have done this if he thought there was even a small chance the vote wouldn't go his way. But my understanding of the event is pretty shaky. I'm not sure how to take it.

Russia did pretty good for itself. The US air excerise in Ukraine ended in tragedy. And the Trident Juncture NATO exercise ended with the host country sinking a 500 million dollar frigate.

I have to say nothing Trump has done equals the low-down despicableness of our media coverage of the Sochi Olympic Games.

Putin had every right to take Crimea plus more. What the US did, staging a coup right at the same time as the Sochi Olympics was the lowest of the low.

can anyone tell me the author of the 'understanding russia' book they mention?

One of the best analyses of current events you two have put out there; found myself equally informed and entertained. Keep doing (in the words of the immortal Lloyd Blankfein) God's Work.

Thank you for your response.

I am curious, what evidence is there exactly that Crimea was given to Ukraine to compensate for the famine?

I'm interested in Limonov, haven't really been able to get a grip on him from what I've read. Isn't National Bolshevism kind of fascist-y? How come you guys like him?

How about Thierry coming back to talk about what's going on in France?

You just missed Bush Senior kicking the bucket

The bit about the Weather Underground reminded me of a pretty absurd Syria panel featuring Bernadine Dohrn that I went to in 2014. It was basically Fox News in university panel form, with a series of humanitarian interventionlists followed by Dohrn as the token anti-war hippie punching bag. The interventionalists played a movie clip of some barrel bombings to get the audience especially emotionally pliable, then served up arguments such as (literally) "there is no civil war, it's just the people against the regime." Finally Dorhn got up to speak, her voice quivering, and started off with "uh, I actually don't know much about Syria." She suggested that as an alternative to a no-fly zone we should try fasting in solidarity with the rebels. Anyway, that's what those people are up to these days.

FYI there was a brief silent spot around the 1 hour mark, so we redid the mix and reuploaded a newer fixed version since this was first posted. We had to turn this episode around fast - long story. Brendan deserves a medal for his efforts past few days, Order Of Subotai or something like that.

Love it when the band is back together.