russia-insider--2020-03-30--President of Belarus: COVID Wildly Exaggerated, 'World Is Going Nuts', Keeps Country Operating As No

President of Belarus: COVID Wildly Exaggerated, 'World Is Going Nuts', Keeps Country Operating As Normal, Advises Drinking Vodka

Time to annex surrender-happy Russia to great Belarus ?
Have the whole thing run from Minsk where there are still some men around .
Lukashenko asked about coronavirus : “ It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
” How refreshing .
A leader who will actually lead and isn ’ t a poodle addicted to kneeling before everything , including a glorified cold .
And how ironic , supposedly “ Europe ’ s last dictator ” but when the push comes to shove he ’ s the only one on the entire continent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to crack down on his people ’ s freedoms : [ T ] hanks to President Alexander Lukashenko , a man who is sometimes referred to as “ Europe ’ s last dictator , ” Belarus is the only European country that is still playing soccer .
With Lukashenko insisting that his country should not “ panic ” like countries in Western Europe , the Belarusian Premier League ’ s 2020 season began last Thursday as planned , and games are scheduled to be played this weekend .
Though Lukashenko has advised citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also suggested the coronavirus is a “ psychosis.
” “ The civilized world is going nuts .
It is absolute stupidity to close state borders , ” Lukashenko said last week .
“ No one is talking about the virus .
In the villages , the tractor will heal everyone .
The fields heal everyone.
” To help combat COVID-19 , Lukashenko has recommended having 40–50 grams of vodka daily , frequenting saunas and farm work .
That ’ s right , it is a psychosis , and an insane and feeble-minded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenko displayed an iron calm , saying , “ The most important thing is not to panic.
” The president of the country , where 86 cases have been identified so far , said that they would not take any precautions against the coronavirus , adding , “ it happens.
” Lukashenko stated that everyone who came from abroad was tested , saying : “ Two to three people a day have been tested positive for the coronavirus .
These people are quarantined for 1.5-2 weeks.
” Displaying iron calm ?
We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rationality — not emotion , hysteria and hype .
The stupid feelings of excitable simpletons can ’ t take precedent before the freedom of entire peoples .
And in Belarus ’ case , they ’ re not allowed to .

Time to annex surrender-happy Russia to great Belarus? Have the whole thing run from Minsk where there are still some men around.
The only “dictator” in Europe also the only leader not rushing to crack down on his people’s freedoms on (social) media’s whim
Lukashenko asked about coronavirus: “It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”
Лукашенко о коронавирусе: Надо сказать, что лучше умереть стоя, чем жить на коленях pic.twitter.com/Y4hZ39D7CI — Дмитрий Смирнов (@dimsmirnov175) March 28, 2020
How refreshing. A leader who will actually lead and isn’t a poodle addicted to kneeling before everything, including a glorified cold.
And how ironic, supposedly “Europe’s last dictator” but when the push comes to shove he’s the only one on the entire continent refusing to take advantage of the hysteria to crack down on his people’s freedoms:
[T]hanks to President Alexander Lukashenko, a man who is sometimes referred to as “Europe’s last dictator,” Belarus is the only European country that is still playing soccer. With Lukashenko insisting that his country should not “panic” like countries in Western Europe, the Belarusian Premier League’s 2020 season began last Thursday as planned, and games are scheduled to be played this weekend. Though Lukashenko has advised citizens to observe social distancing protocols, he has also suggested the coronavirus is a “psychosis.” “The civilized world is going nuts. It is absolute stupidity to close state borders,” Lukashenko said last week. “No one is talking about the virus. In the villages, the tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone.” To help combat COVID-19, Lukashenko has recommended having 40–50 grams of vodka daily, frequenting saunas and farm work.
That’s right, it is a psychosis, and an insane and feeble-minded overreaction.
Recently, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko displayed an iron calm, saying, “The most important thing is not to panic.” The president of the country, where 86 cases have been identified so far, said that they would not take any precautions against the coronavirus, adding, “it happens.” Lukashenko stated that everyone who came from abroad was tested, saying: “Two to three people a day have been tested positive for the coronavirus. These people are quarantined for 1.5-2 weeks.”
Displaying iron calm? We need some more of that. Calm and rationality — not emotion, hysteria and hype. The stupid feelings of excitable simpletons can’t take precedent before the freedom of entire peoples. And in Belarus’ case, they’re not allowed to.


russia-insider--2020-03-28--Russian Scientists Provide Key New Info About Why Russians Aren't Getting COVID (Video)

This post first appeared on Russia Insider Meet some PhD 's from the school of life .
Here 's another good video from 2014 , depicting life in the Russian countryside .
This is Russia from the belly of hell We know your , suffer from coronavirus so hard What ’ s the remedy – let ’ s take shit apart First : Our blood is full of alcohol The whole life is a fall to a black hole But we have no infected fellas in our favelas Second one is our poverty level We go for a walk from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in pub with your mate Third - we just don ’ t give a shit Here ’ s our cheat known by every chit Rase your hand higher then let it fall And say very loud : « ya togo rot ebal » This is it , this is how we do it , motherfucker To kill сoronavirus we don ’ t need an AK Look at the hood we live : mess , all the way Virus sees my room and he runs away Instead of a threat to be infected anywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bear Being killed by policeman , to kill policeman To die in jail for the wrong music you listen This is Russia , motherfucker , no time to panic No security , no privacy , no peace , no money We can ’ t keep the pace from going first to space The virus says : « sorry , I choose the wrong place » Probably somebody blessed our nation Now we hustle like Umbrella Corporation We can survive nuclear winter with buckwheat and rice We are afraid of no menace of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being afraid We walk on the spirit of salt on foot The best friend of pandemia is panic We wish you all to be healthy and wise

This post first appeared on Russia Insider
Meet some PhD's from the school of life.
Transcript follows below.
Here's another good video from 2014, depicting life in the Russian countryside.
Transcript:
Привет, civilized world, stay well
This is Russia from the belly of hell
We know your, suffer from coronavirus so hard
WE NOT
What’s the remedy – let’s take shit apart
First: Our blood is full of alcohol
The whole life is a fall to a black hole
Authorities hypnotize us und sell us
But we have no infected fellas in our favelas
Second one is our poverty level
We go for a walk from coffin to devil
Our monthly subsistence rate
You spend every day in pub with your mate
That’s what the virus gonna hate
Third - we just don’t give a shit
Here’s our cheat known by every chit
Rase your hand higher then let it fall
And say very loud: «ya togo rot ebal»
This is it, this is how we do it, motherfucker
To kill сoronavirus we don’t need an AK
Look at the hood we live: mess, all the way
Virus sees my room and he runs away
Instead of a threat to be infected anywhere
You also risk being eaten by polar bear
Being killed by policeman, to kill policeman
To die in jail for the wrong music you listen
This is Russia, motherfucker, no time to panic
No security, no privacy, no peace, no money
We can’t keep the pace from going first to space
The virus says: «sorry, I choose the wrong place»
Probably somebody blessed our nation
Now we hustle like Umbrella Corporation
We sell toilet paper for a golden price
We can survive nuclear winter with buckwheat and rice
We are afraid of no menace of any grade
We have lost any ability of being afraid
We made Napoleon fugue and Hitler Caput
We walk on the spirit of salt on foot
So,
Stop behaving like on Titanic
The best friend of pandemia is panic
We wish you all to be healthy and wise
Freakout fall is the planet rise, yeah
From Russia with love, motherfuckers


russia-insider--2020-03-28--Russia's COVID Performance Is Perhaps the World's Best

ER Editor : We can not resist adding a piece from Zerohedge today titled Watch : Putin Dons Hazmat Suit In Rare Visit To Covid-19 Patients .
Our featured meme is compiled of these images.In the past few days , Putin has also sent a team of virologists and other medical staff and equipment to Italy .
See Russia sends critical aid to Italy , as Merkel goes into self-quarantine ( Video ) and A Closer Look at Russia ’ s Mobile Biological Laboratory , Deployed to Italy [ VIDEO ] .
.
Eric Zuesse below mentions the specific , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very low rate of infection and death it does today .
The cheesy phrase ‘ like a boss ’ springs to mind with Putin , but he really is .
Russia ’ s performance is perhaps the world ’ s best .
On March 22nd , CNN headlined “ Why does Russia , population 146 million , have fewer coronavirus cases than Luxembourg ?
” ( that ’ s a country of 628,000 people ) and reported that Russia ’ s early response measures — such as shutting down its 2,600-mile border with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and setting up quarantine zones — may have contributed to the delay of a full-blown outbreak , some experts say .
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to criticism over the number of recorded cases .
“ The director-general of WHO said ‘ test , test , test , ’ ” Dr. Melita Vujnovic , the World Health Organization ’ s representative in Russia , told CNN Thursday .
“ Well , Russia started that literally at the end of January.
” Vujnovic said Russia also took a broader set of measures in addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases , tracing contacts , isolation , these are all measures that WHO proposes and recommends , and they were in place all the time , ” she said .
“ And the social distancing is the second component that really also started relatively early.
” Rospotrebnadzor , Russia ’ s state consumer watchdog , said Saturday that it had run more than 156,000 coronavirus tests in total .
By comparison , according to CDC figures , the United States only picked up the pace in testing at the beginning of March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Russian U.S. organization , Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ( whose “ Orwellian ” name was perhaps one of the inspirations for George Orwell ’ s permanent-warfare novel , 1984 ) headlined “ Confronting the Challenges of Coronavirus , Russia Sees Its Worldview Vindicated ” , and tried to put as bad a face on Russia ’ s coronavirus performance as they could , such as by alleging that ( alleged ) dictatorships were performing no worse than ‘ democracies ’ at controlling the coronavirus threat : The state has reasserted itself as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
International institutions like the World Health Organization have become mere statisticians , and even the EU has taken a back seat to the governments of member states .
The world ’ s democracies are not faring better in the crisis than nondemocracies .
However , back on 27 July 2015 , that organization had bannered “ How Authentic is Putin ’ s Approval Rating ?
” and reviewed more than 15 years of Putin ’ s approval ratings from the Russian public , and reluctantly concluded that it was and had always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always high .
Internationally , too , Putin ’ s leadership of Russia is more highly regarded than is the current U.S. President ’ s leadership of America .
Back in 2017 , the British firm of WIN/Gallup International issued “ Gallup International ’ s 41st Annual Global End of Year Survey Opinion Poll in 55 Countries Across the Globe ” , which sampled 1,000 persons in each country in order to determine in each one the percentage of the public who rated “ Favorable ” and who rated “ Unfavorable ” each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listed here in descending order of their net favorability , or “ favorable ” minus “ unfavorable ” ) : Merkel , Macron , Modi , May , Xi , Putin , Saud , Netanyahu , Rouhani , Erdogan , and Trump .
( Merkel globally scored highest , Trump lowest . )
Amongst Russians , the score for Putin was 79 % Favorable , 11 % Unfavorable , for a net score of +68 % .
Though Germany ’ s Merkel had the highest score worldwide , her score in Germany was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unfavorable , for a net of +10 .
Trump ’ s in U.S. was -23 % ( 35 % -58 % ) — the worst of all .
The following leaders weren ’ t surveyed in their own countries : Xi , Netanyahu , and Saud .
So : Putin ’ s net +68 % score amongst his own country ’ s population was second only to Modi ’ s — and , whereas Modi had been in office for only 3 years and had not yet begun his controversial actively anti-Muslim campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years by then , and was a very firmly established high performer in these figures .
Here are some of the reasons for this .

ER Editor: We cannot resist adding a piece from Zerohedge today titled Watch: Putin Dons Hazmat Suit In Rare Visit To Covid-19 Patients. Our featured meme is compiled of these images.In the past few days, Putin has also sent a team of virologists and other medical staff and equipment to Italy. See Russia sends critical aid to Italy, as Merkel goes into self-quarantine (Video) and A Closer Look at Russia’s Mobile Biological Laboratory, Deployed to Italy [VIDEO]. . Eric Zuesse below mentions the specific, timely measures Russia took to have the very low rate of infection and death it does today. The cheesy phrase ‘like a boss’ springs to mind with Putin, but he really is.
Russia’s performance is perhaps the world’s best.
On March 22nd, CNN headlined “Why does Russia, population 146 million, have fewer coronavirus cases than Luxembourg?” (that’s a country of 628,000 people) and reported that
Russia’s early response measures — such as shutting down its 2,600-mile border with China as early as January 30, and setting up quarantine zones — may have contributed to the delay of a full-blown outbreak, some experts say. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to criticism over the number of recorded cases. A strong record on testing “The director-general of WHO said ‘test, test, test,’” Dr. Melita Vujnovic, the World Health Organization’s representative in Russia, told CNN Thursday. “Well, Russia started that literally at the end of January.” Vujnovic said Russia also took a broader set of measures in addition to testing. “Testing and identification of cases, tracing contacts, isolation, these are all measures that WHO proposes and recommends, and they were in place all the time,” she said. “And the social distancing is the second component that really also started relatively early.” Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s state consumer watchdog, said Saturday that it had run more than 156,000 coronavirus tests in total. By comparison, according to CDC figures, the United States only picked up the pace in testing at the beginning of March.
On March 20th, the permanently anti-Russian U.S. organization, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (whose “Orwellian” name was perhaps one of the inspirations for George Orwell’s permanent-warfare novel, 1984) headlined “Confronting the Challenges of Coronavirus, Russia Sees Its Worldview Vindicated”, and tried to put as bad a face on Russia’s coronavirus performance as they could, such as by alleging that (alleged) dictatorships were performing no worse than ‘democracies’ at controlling the coronavirus threat:
The state has reasserted itself as the prime actor on the global scene. International institutions like the World Health Organization have become mere statisticians, and even the EU has taken a back seat to the governments of member states. The world’s democracies are not faring better in the crisis than nondemocracies.
However, back on 27 July 2015, that organization had bannered “How Authentic is Putin’s Approval Rating?” and reviewed more than 15 years of Putin’s approval ratings from the Russian public, and reluctantly concluded that it was and had always been “Authentic,” and almost always high.
Internationally, too, Putin’s leadership of Russia is more highly regarded than is the current U.S. President’s leadership of America.
Back in 2017, the British firm of WIN/Gallup International issued “Gallup International’s 41st Annual Global End of Year Survey Opinion Poll in 55 Countries Across the Globe”, which sampled 1,000 persons in each country in order to determine in each one the percentage of the public who rated “Favorable” and who rated “Unfavorable” each of the following 12 national heads-of-state (listed here in descending order of their net favorability, or “favorable” minus “unfavorable”): Merkel, Macron, Modi, May, Xi, Putin, Saud, Netanyahu, Rouhani, Erdogan, and Trump. (Merkel globally scored highest, Trump lowest.)
Amongst Russians, the score for Putin was 79% Favorable, 11% Unfavorable, for a net score of +68%.
Though Germany’s Merkel had the highest score worldwide, her score in Germany was only 54% Favorable and 44% Unfavorable, for a net of +10.
Macron’s net score in France was -1%.
May’s net in UK was -18%
Rouhani’s in Iran was +37%
Erdogan’s in Turkey was +22%
Modi’s in India was +72% (that’s 84%-12%)
Trump’s in U.S. was -23% (35%-58%) — the worst of all.
The following leaders weren’t surveyed in their own countries: Xi, Netanyahu, and Saud.
So: Putin’s net +68% score amongst his own country’s population was second only to Modi’s — and, whereas Modi had been in office for only 3 years and had not yet begun his controversial actively anti-Muslim campaign, Putin had led Russia for 17 years by then, and was a very firmly established high performer in these figures. Here are some of the reasons for this.


russia-insider--2020-03-28--The Intense Asceticism of Russian Lent May Be Exactly What We Need Right Now

We see this a lot with younger seekers , especially males .
They respond to a form of Christianity that asks them to do something more than sit quietly and think , or adjust their emotions .
If you ’ re an observant Orthodox Christian , chances are your lower body aches today .
That ’ s because Sunday night was , the service that begins Lent .
From the Orthodox Church in America : Then , after Vespers – after hearing the announcement of Lent in the Great Prokeimenon : “ Turn not away Thy face from Thy child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speedily !
Draw near unto my soul and deliver it !
” [ and ] after making our entrance into Lenten worship , with its special memories , with the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian , with its prostrations – we ask forgiveness from each other , we perform the rite of forgiveness and reconciliation .
And as we approach each other with words of reconciliation , the choir intones the Paschal hymns , filling the church with the anticipation of Paschal joy .
What is the meaning of this rite ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to begin Lenten season with forgiveness and reconciliation ?
These questions are in order because for too many people , Lent means primarily , and almost exclusively , a change of diet , the compliance with ecclesiastical regulations concerning fasting .
They understand fasting as an end in itself , as a “ good deed ” required by God and carrying in itself its merit and its reward .
But , the Church spares no effort in revealing to us that fasting is but a means , one among many , towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of man , his return to God , true repentance and , therefore , true reconciliation .
The Church spares no effort in warning us against a hypocritical and pharisaic fasting , against the reduction of religion to mere external obligations .
As a Lenten hymn says : “ In vain do you rejoice in no eating , O soul !
For you abstain from food , but from passions you are not purified .
If you persevere in sin , you will perform a useless fast.
” I ’ m not sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we do in ours — an OCA parish — but it really is a physical workout .
First , it began with our pastor following the example of the late Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas , who started Forgiveness Vespers by confessing his sins against the congregation in the previous year .
( It ’ s not a sacramental confession , but rather an acknowledgement of his own failings . )
This is not standard , but it ’ s something that ++Dmitri did , and our priest , ++Dmitri ’ s spiritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , each of us ritually asks the other members of the congregation , personally , for forgiveness — and offers forgiveness to the others .
When I say “ personally , ” I mean that we do it face to face .
You say something like , “ Forgive me , brother , ” and the other person says the same thing .
Then you both say , “ God forgives , and I forgive.
” Then both do a full , head-to-floor prostration to each other , to signal humility .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do it again .
We had about thirty people in church yesterday , so that was quite a bit of prostration .
Not everybody did it — folks with bad backs did not .
Still , most of us did .
This morning , my legs hurt so much that it was a chore to get out of bed .
I ’ ve coined a word to describe the Monday-morning , aches-and-pains condition of faithful Orthodox , after Forgiveness Vespers : prostralgia .
You really do feel it in your body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be .
In Tom Holland ’ s wonderful history Dominion , I learned of a saying carved into the Abbey of Saint-Denis , in Paris .
It ’ s a saying of Abbot Suger , who oversaw the construction of the first Gothic church : “ The dull mind rises to truth through that which is material.
” This , too , is what Lent is about : to subject our bodies to ascetic rigors for the sake of sharpening minds grown dull to the reality of God .
We have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our services .
Yesterday after the morning liturgy , I introduced myself to a new young couple , and asked them what brought them as visitors to the Orthodox Church .
The man said that he was raised non-denominational , and has been practicing the faith in a non-denominational church , but “ you just get to the point where you ask , ‘ Is this all there is ? '
” This is a common thing among Orthodox inquirers , especially young men .
They ’ re bored or at least unfulfilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ churches .
I don ’ t know which church this young man attends , but my guess is that it ’ s pretty conservative in its theology and moral teaching .
But that ’ s not enough for him .
Somehow , he wants more .
He doesn ’ t realize it yet , but he longs for prostralgia .
We see this a lot with younger seekers , especially males .
They respond to a form of Christianity that asks them to do something more than sit quietly and think , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orthodox Christianity is not merely ascetic exercises .
If you want to get sore muscles , go to the gym .
If you want to change your diet , you don ’ t need church for that .
As the passage above from the OCA website points out , fasting ( and prostrations ) are not ends in themselves ; they are only spiritually effective if they are experienced by the worshiper as a way to God .
It ’ s interesting , though , how the rigors of the Lenten fast have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tonight begins the prayers of the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete , the four-night penitential service that involves a lot of prostrations .
Here ’ s an explanation of what the Canon is about .
It ’ s a dialogue between the eighth-century saint and his soul : Here is the entire Great Canon , broken down into what the choir ( and the congregation ) chant in prayer each of the four nights .
Here , for example , is Ode Two , that will be sung tonight : Listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak .
O earth , hear the cry of one returning to God and singing His praises .
Look down on me in Your mercy , O compassionate God and Saviour , and accept my fervent confession .
More than all have I sinned ; I alone have sinned against You , O God my Saviour , but have compassion on me , Your creature .
Through love of pleasure has my form become deformed and the beauty of my inward being has been ruined .
O compassionate One , as You saved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so reach out now to me , for a storm of evil surges around me .
O Saviour , I have defiled the garment of my flesh and polluted that which You fashioned within me according to Your own image and likeness .
With passions have I darkened the beauty of my soul and permitted my whole inward being to become mire .
I like naked , having torn up the garment which my Creator fashioned for me in the beginning .
I am ashamed , for the serpent deceived me and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compassionate One , like the prostitute who anointed Your feet so now do I offer You tears .
Have mercy on me , O Saviour .
I like naked and ashamed , for the beauty of the tree , which I saw in the middle of the garden , deceived me .
The demons have cut deep wounds of passion into my back ; their lawlessness has made it like a plowed field .
Glory to the Father , and to the Son , and to the Holy Spirit .
O God of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One yet Three in Person , Father , Son and Holy Spirit .
Now and ever , and unto ages of ages .
Amen .
O Most holy Theotokos , Virgin alone praised everywhere , pray fervently that we may be saved .
Here is the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian , said many times in the Orthodox Church during Lent .
Each recitation of it requires three full body prostrations from those capable of doing them : This what it means to pray with your whole body , not just with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is not easy !
But after you ’ ve done it , you can ’ t imagine not doing it .
If you ’ re curious , find a local Orthodox parish , and go to services one night this week , for the chanting of the Canon which , as I ’ ve indicated , dates back to the eighth century .
It ’ s an experience of the Christian faith that is really alien to modern America , in the best way .
UPDATE : From my friend the Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask if you would be able to add a note to that post pointing to my book about the Canon , First Fruits of Prayer : A Forty-Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew .
I divided it up into 40 readings , and each day there ’ s a commentary that supplies all the Scriptures St Andrew folds into his prayer , a look at what he ’ s getting at , and then some questions for the day or a meditation .
What ’ s new this year is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You also might want to remind readers of the Great Canon when it comes back again in the 5th week of Lent .
It ’ s when we do the whole thing as one long prayer .
Long , and physically demanding .
It is so totally what young men are looking for .
I think everybody does it on Thursday of the 5th week , which would be April 2 .

We see this a lot with younger seekers, especially males. They respond to a form of Christianity that asks them to do something more than sit quietly and think, or adjust their emotions.
My Orthodox Christian daughter, circa 2013, prostrating before the Holy Cross
If you’re an observant Orthodox Christian, chances are your lower body aches today. That’s because Sunday night was Forgiveness Vespers , the service that begins Lent. From the Orthodox Church in America:
Then, after Vespers – after hearing the announcement of Lent in the Great Prokeimenon: “Turn not away Thy face from Thy child for I am afflicted! Hear me speedily! Draw near unto my soul and deliver it!” [and] after making our entrance into Lenten worship, with its special memories, with the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, with its prostrations – we ask forgiveness from each other, we perform the rite of forgiveness and reconciliation. And as we approach each other with words of reconciliation, the choir intones the Paschal hymns, filling the church with the anticipation of Paschal joy. What is the meaning of this rite? Why is it that the Church wants us to begin Lenten season with forgiveness and reconciliation? These questions are in order because for too many people, Lent means primarily, and almost exclusively, a change of diet, the compliance with ecclesiastical regulations concerning fasting. They understand fasting as an end in itself, as a “good deed” required by God and carrying in itself its merit and its reward. But, the Church spares no effort in revealing to us that fasting is but a means, one among many, towards a higher goal: the spiritual renewal of man, his return to God, true repentance and, therefore, true reconciliation. The Church spares no effort in warning us against a hypocritical and pharisaic fasting, against the reduction of religion to mere external obligations. As a Lenten hymn says: “In vain do you rejoice in no eating, O soul! For you abstain from food, but from passions you are not purified. If you persevere in sin, you will perform a useless fast.”
I’m not sure that all Orthodox congregations observe Forgiveness Vespers as we do in ours — an OCA parish — but it really is a physical workout. First, it began with our pastor following the example of the late Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas, who started Forgiveness Vespers by confessing his sins against the congregation in the previous year. (It’s not a sacramental confession, but rather an acknowledgement of his own failings.) This is not standard, but it’s something that ++Dmitri did, and our priest, ++Dmitri’s spiritual son, has taken up. Then, each of us ritually asks the other members of the congregation, personally, for forgiveness — and offers forgiveness to the others.
When I say “personally,” I mean that we do it face to face. You say something like, “Forgive me, brother,” and the other person says the same thing. Then you both say, “God forgives, and I forgive.” Then both do a full, head-to-floor prostration to each other, to signal humility. Then rise, move down the line, and do it again. We had about thirty people in church yesterday, so that was quite a bit of prostration. Not everybody did it — folks with bad backs did not. Still, most of us did. This morning, my legs hurt so much that it was a chore to get out of bed. I’ve coined a word to describe the Monday-morning, aches-and-pains condition of faithful Orthodox, after Forgiveness Vespers: prostralgia.
You really do feel it in your body, which is how it’s supposed to be. In Tom Holland’s wonderful history Dominion, I learned of a saying carved into the Abbey of Saint-Denis, in Paris. It’s a saying of Abbot Suger, who oversaw the construction of the first Gothic church: “The dull mind rises to truth through that which is material.” This, too, is what Lent is about: to subject our bodies to ascetic rigors for the sake of sharpening minds grown dull to the reality of God.
We have been attracting more and more young people to our services. Yesterday after the morning liturgy, I introduced myself to a new young couple, and asked them what brought them as visitors to the Orthodox Church. The man said that he was raised non-denominational, and has been practicing the faith in a non-denominational church, but “you just get to the point where you ask, ‘Is this all there is?'” This is a common thing among Orthodox inquirers, especially young men. They’re bored or at least unfulfilled by Moralistic Therapeutic Deism in their own churches. I don’t know which church this young man attends, but my guess is that it’s pretty conservative in its theology and moral teaching. But that’s not enough for him. Somehow, he wants more.
He doesn’t realize it yet, but he longs for prostralgia. We see this a lot with younger seekers, especially males. They respond to a form of Christianity that asks them to do something more than sit quietly and think, or adjust their emotions. Mind you, Orthodox Christianity is not merely ascetic exercises. If you want to get sore muscles, go to the gym. If you want to change your diet, you don’t need church for that. As the passage above from the OCA website points out, fasting (and prostrations) are not ends in themselves; they are only spiritually effective if they are experienced by the worshiper as a way to God. It’s interesting, though, how the rigors of the Lenten fast have a way of sharpening a dull mind.
Tonight begins the prayers of the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, the four-night penitential service that involves a lot of prostrations. Here’s an explanation of what the Canon is about. It’s a dialogue between the eighth-century saint and his soul:
The Great Canon was written by a holy man to teach himself the right way to live. We cannot benefit from it unless we make it a priority to stand in prayer, in the church, and listen to it, with a great desire and expectation for God’s grace to teach us and heal us. Our theology is first and foremost – experienced and prayed, and not only “studied”.
Here is the entire Great Canon, broken down into what the choir (and the congregation) chant in prayer each of the four nights. Here, for example, is Ode Two, that will be sung tonight:
Attend O heaven and I will speak,I will sing of Christ,Who from the Virgin took flesh to dwell with us.Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Listen, O heaven, and I will speak. O earth, hear the cry of one returning to God and singing His praises. Look down on me in Your mercy, O compassionate God and Saviour, and accept my fervent confession. More than all have I sinned; I alone have sinned against You, O God my Saviour, but have compassion on me, Your creature. Through love of pleasure has my form become deformed and the beauty of my inward being has been ruined. O compassionate One, as You saved Peter when he was about to sink, so reach out now to me, for a storm of evil surges around me. O Saviour, I have defiled the garment of my flesh and polluted that which You fashioned within me according to Your own image and likeness. With passions have I darkened the beauty of my soul and permitted my whole inward being to become mire. I like naked, having torn up the garment which my Creator fashioned for me in the beginning. I am ashamed, for the serpent deceived me and my garment is in tatters. O compassionate One, like the prostitute who anointed Your feet so now do I offer You tears. Have mercy on me, O Saviour. I like naked and ashamed, for the beauty of the tree, which I saw in the middle of the garden, deceived me. The demons have cut deep wounds of passion into my back; their lawlessness has made it like a plowed field. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. O God of all, I sing of You as One yet Three in Person, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. O Most holy Theotokos, Virgin alone praised everywhere, pray fervently that we may be saved.
Here is the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, said many times in the Orthodox Church during Lent. Each recitation of it requires three full body prostrations from those capable of doing them:
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.
This what it means to pray with your whole body, not just with your mind, or your mouth. It is not easy! But after you’ve done it, you can’t imagine not doing it. If you’re curious, find a local Orthodox parish, and go to services one night this week, for the chanting of the Canon which, as I’ve indicated, dates back to the eighth century. It’s an experience of the Christian faith that is really alien to modern America, in the best way.
UPDATE: From my friend the Orthodox writer Frederica Mathewes-Green:


russia-insider--2020-03-28--Moscow Surrenders to COVID as Humiliated Russians Ordered to Take Fake 1-Week 'Holiday'

MOSCOW – We knew it was coming , but we naively believed that it would take longer than one week , and more than three dead grannies , to shut down Russia .
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin – the fink of our time – has ordered all restaurants , shops and non-essential businesses to close their doors starting on Saturday .
The city ’ s cherished parks and museums will also be shuttered .
His decree was followed a day later by a fun little update from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin , who casually dropped on Friday that the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be extended to the entire country .
Why didn ’ t Hitler invade Russia with a ubiquitous virus that kills less people than the common cold ?
Think of all the chiseled SS death squads that would still be alive and well .
“ The restrictions introduced today are unprecedented in the modern history of Moscow and will create many inconveniences for the everyday life of every person , ” Sobyanin admitted in his official surrender statement .
For his part , Mishustin conceded that murdering the country ’ s economy was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staying at home is the most important thing that any one of us can do .
The restrictions are a small price to pay for life and health , ” he said during his oh-by-the-way-this-applies-to-the-entire-country-not-just-Moscow proclamation .
Conveniently never the one to deliver bad news , President Vladimir Putin had made an earlier television appearance in which he declared a week-long paid national holiday , starting from March 30 , in hopes that Russians would exchange their dignity for a few measly rubles .
“ Don ’ t think : ‘ This can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can happen to anyone , ” Putin said .
“ The most important thing is to stay home.
” Remarkable , isn ’ t it ?
A city that suffered one million casualties to repel a three-month Nazi onslaught in October 1941 is calling it quits in March 2020 because a handful of pensioners got sick and died of natural causes .
At least Putin was candid enough to begin his bumbling soliloquy with “ don ’ t think.
” Very sporting of him .
The cherry adorning this humiliation sundae is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday ” apparently only applies to proles who can ’ t fulfill their tasks from home .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified on Friday that “ all those who can work remotely , should.
” What a little weasel .
Up until now , life in Moscow had continued largely uninterrupted by the worldwide COVID-19 bet-wetting .
Sure , schools were closed in mid-March and large gatherings were banned .
Chinese tourists were rounded up and sent packing , and nobody misses them .
Its pride may have been slightly wounded , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to explain something very important before we go any further : Russians never bought into the COVID hype .
The concept of “ social distancing ” in public never took hold here .
Wearing face masks never caught on .
We were recently in the very heart of the city and encountered a grand total of four people wearing protective gear .
Even obvious germ emporiums such as metro stations were orderly and nearly mask-free .
So why is it suddenly so critical to human survival to “ stay home ” ?
Probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herd immunity – Moscow ’ s half-assed version of it , anyway – was working .
People at risk got out of the way .
For the rest of us , it was business as usual .
Sweden and the Netherlands have taken very similar approaches , with extremely promising results .
In fairness to our Kremlin overlords , Russians are not being forced to stay indoors – not yet , at least .
But it ’ s simply a matter of time .
Exorbitant fines for daring to step outside for “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way .
Using drones to enforce social distancing might be too high-tech for our big-brained local law enforcement , but we ’ re sure they ’ ll find other ways to make life completely miserable .
Putin has already made it clear that he thinks it will take “ 2-3 months ” to overcome the virus , but only if “ forced measures ” are imposed .
Anyone who thinks life will return to normal after this one-week “ holiday ” is a massive Muppet .
Even more amusing is the thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the most Covid-19-vulnerable members of society – the elderly .
Their so-called pensions – a comical pittance – barely cover the cost of basic necessities .
Pensioners with serious ailments have been increasingly neglected by the country ’ s eroded , inept public healthcare system .
It ’ s not at all uncommon to see grandmothers begging in the streets of Moscow , their pathetic cardboard signs requesting spare change so they can buy a loaf of bread , or medicine that will keep them alive for another week .
The current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the global totalitarian measures that will eventually murder us all , not the unimpressive respiratory illness – reminds us of a rather jarring incident that happened last spring .
At the time we were living in a very swanky part of Moscow , a speedy ten minute metro ride to Red Square .
One day , while walking to the neighborhood grocery store , we absentmindedly bumped into yellow police tape roping off the sidewalk .
Looking down at the pavement we saw a wrinkled human foot peeking out from a blood-stained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what the hell had happened .
After mulling about , we learned from neighbors that Mr. So-and-So , who was old and sick and had no money and no family , had decided to jump from the eighth storey window .
For as long as we live , we ’ ll never forget that mangled foot .
If only that poor , miserable old man had waited a year – Russia would have been ready to commit suicide to preserve his precious life .
Or so we ’ re told .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least .
Edward Slavsquat is an American in self-exile in Russia who sometimes writes things on the internet

MOSCOW – We knew it was coming, but we naively believed that it would take longer than one week, and more than three dead grannies, to shut down Russia. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin – the fink of our time – has ordered all restaurants, shops and non-essential businesses to close their doors starting on Saturday. The city’s cherished parks and museums will also be shuttered. His decree was followed a day later by a fun little update from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who casually dropped on Friday that the new restrictions being implemented in Moscow would actually be extended to the entire country.
Why didn’t Hitler invade Russia with a ubiquitous virus that kills less people than the common cold? Think of all the chiseled SS death squads that would still be alive and well.
“The restrictions introduced today are unprecedented in the modern history of Moscow and will create many inconveniences for the everyday life of every person,” Sobyanin admitted in his official surrender statement.
Vladimir Putin listens to less important bald guy Mikhail Mishustin. To his right, important Moscow guy Sergey Sobyanin.
For his part, Mishustin conceded that murdering the country’s economy was “harsh” but obviously necessary.
“Staying at home is the most important thing that any one of us can do. The restrictions are a small price to pay for life and health,” he said during his oh-by-the-way-this-applies-to-the-entire-country-not-just-Moscow proclamation.
Conveniently never the one to deliver bad news, President Vladimir Putin had made an earlier television appearance in which he declared a week-long paid national holiday, starting from March 30, in hopes that Russians would exchange their dignity for a few measly rubles.
“Don’t think: ‘This can’t happen to me.’ It can happen to anyone,” Putin said. “The most important thing is to stay home.”
On Wednesday, good tsar Putin announced a week "holiday" for Russians. Dirty work was left to bad boyars: Mayor Sobyanin — who said he was closing down restaurants, bars and parks in the capital — and PM Mishustin who has just announced the measures will be extended nationwide — Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) March 27, 2020
Remarkable, isn’t it? A city that suffered one million casualties to repel a three-month Nazi onslaught in October 1941 is calling it quits in March 2020 because a handful of pensioners got sick and died of natural causes. At least Putin was candid enough to begin his bumbling soliloquy with “don’t think.” Very sporting of him.
The cherry adorning this humiliation sundae is that Putin’s generous “paid national holiday” apparently only applies to proles who can’t fulfill their tasks from home. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified on Friday that “all those who can work remotely, should.” What a little weasel.
Up until now, life in Moscow had continued largely uninterrupted by the worldwide COVID-19 bet-wetting. Sure, schools were closed in mid-March and large gatherings were banned. Chinese tourists were rounded up and sent packing, and nobody misses them. Its pride may have been slightly wounded, but the city chugged along.
We need to explain something very important before we go any further: Russians never bought into the COVID hype. The concept of “social distancing” in public never took hold here. Wearing face masks never caught on. We were recently in the very heart of the city and encountered a grand total of four people wearing protective gear. Even obvious germ emporiums such as metro stations were orderly and nearly mask-free.
So why is it suddenly so critical to human survival to “stay home”? Probably half of Moscow already has coronavirus. Herd immunity – Moscow’s half-assed version of it, anyway – was working. People at risk got out of the way. For the rest of us, it was business as usual. Sweden and the Netherlands have taken very similar approaches, with extremely promising results.
In fairness to our Kremlin overlords, Russians are not being forced to stay indoors – not yet, at least. But it’s simply a matter of time. Exorbitant fines for daring to step outside for “non-essential” reasons are almost surely on their way. Using drones to enforce social distancing might be too high-tech for our big-brained local law enforcement, but we’re sure they’ll find other ways to make life completely miserable.
‘Temporarily’ closed
Putin has already made it clear that he thinks it will take “2-3 months” to overcome the virus, but only if “forced measures” are imposed. Anyone who thinks life will return to normal after this one-week “holiday” is a massive Muppet.
Even more amusing is the thought that the Russian government cares at all about the most Covid-19-vulnerable members of society – the elderly. Their so-called pensions – a comical pittance – barely cover the cost of basic necessities. Pensioners with serious ailments have been increasingly neglected by the country’s eroded, inept public healthcare system. It’s not at all uncommon to see grandmothers begging in the streets of Moscow, their pathetic cardboard signs requesting spare change so they can buy a loaf of bread, or medicine that will keep them alive for another week.
The current COVID nightmare – we’re referring to the global totalitarian measures that will eventually murder us all, not the unimpressive respiratory illness – reminds us of a rather jarring incident that happened last spring. At the time we were living in a very swanky part of Moscow, a speedy ten minute metro ride to Red Square. One day, while walking to the neighborhood grocery store, we absentmindedly bumped into yellow police tape roping off the sidewalk. Looking down at the pavement we saw a wrinkled human foot peeking out from a blood-stained blanket. Naturally we were curious as to what the hell had happened. After mulling about, we learned from neighbors that Mr. So-and-So, who was old and sick and had no money and no family, had decided to jump from the eighth storey window. For as long as we live, we’ll never forget that mangled foot.
If only that poor, miserable old man had waited a year – Russia would have been ready to commit suicide to preserve his precious life. Or so we’re told. It’s a nice thought, at least.
The End.
Edward Slavsquat is an American in self-exile in Russia who sometimes writes things on the internet


russia-insider--2020-03-28--Plagues Over the Centuries Have Caused Radical Political Shifts - Examples From the Last 2500 Years

`` Those who had been telling ( us ) that ( our ) attachments should be global , and that ( our ) lands and neighborhoods belong to the whole world , are now consigned to the dustbin of history . ''
Serious epidemics can have far-reaching social , cultural , and geopolitical consequences .
The plague which devastated Athens in 430 BC—in the second year of the Peloponnesian War , when an Athenian victory still seemed within reach—claimed a quarter of the population , some 75,000 people including Pericles .
His successors were weak and incompetent , and Athens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ every rule of religion or law , ” according to Thucydides .
Not until 415 B.C .
had Athens recovered sufficiently to mount a major offensive , but due to the poor quality of Pericles ’ successors the Sicilian expedition ended in an utter rout .
The Antonine plague ( A.D. 165-180 ) was actually caused by smallpox rather than Yersinia pestis .
It took up to five million lives , about 25 percent of those affected .
Approximately one-tenth of the population of the Empire died , more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lombardy , the Rhine Valley ) .
The Roman army was devastated , leaving frontiers vulnerable to barbarian penetrations .
Germany ’ s leading early historian of ancient Rome Barthold Georg Niebuhr concluded in 1827 that “ the ancient world never recovered from the blow inflicted on it by the plague which visited it in the reign of Marcus Aurelius.
” It was the precursor of the Third Century Crisis and the subsequent long-term decline of Rome ’ s power and authority .
The Black Death ( 1347-1351 ) killed 30 to 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social , and economic disruptions .
In the 17th century it struck again , with deadly ferocity but not the same geographic reach .
Its effect on the city of Milan was presented with impressive accuracy in Alessandro Manzoni ’ s 1828 I Promessi sposi ( The Betrothed ) , Italy ’ s equivalent of Tolstoy ’ s War and Peace .
The COVID-19 outbreak initially looked to most Westerners like a periodic epidemic in the manner of porcine and avian flus , SARS , or West Nile virus : a temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far away .
This virus turned out to be different , however : hitherto unknown , highly contagious , untreatable , and lethal enough to warrant radical measures to contain its spread .
The Chinese tried to hide the magnitude of the problem until late January , the Europeans did not quite believe it even as the disaster hit Italy in February , and the Americans finally grasped the seriousness of the threat in the second week of March .
The pandemic ’ s future course and cost can not be predicted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the world is experiencing changes which are likely irreversible .
The contours of its geopolitical impact are becoming apparent in the rapidly changing patterns of mental mapping , political decision-making , and economic flows in the three panregions that matter in today ’ s world , Asia-Pacific , Europe , and North America .
In all three we are witnessing rapid rejection of globalization , multilateral mechanisms such as the World Health Organization , and transnational institutions—most notably the European Union—in favor of the revitalized sense of national cohesiveness and national interest-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the newly energized sovereign nation-state .
It is to their governments that nations great and small have turned .
State-led crisis management has given governments of different ideological hues enormous new powers .
In the United States unfortunately it includes the creation of trillions of fresh dollars ex nihilo , which will benefit a limited number of megacorporations while further undermining the long-term stability of the financial system .
For good or bad , the State is back with a vengeance , and it can be predicted with complete certainty that governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers once the virus is contained .
Corona ’ s one notable geopolitical consequence is the collapse of the neoconservative-neoliberal sacred cow known as “ America ’ s global leadership role.
” This is not necessarily a bad thing if its corollary is a general decline of the neocon-neolib joint venture known as the American Empire .
By contrast , after a faltering start marked by the Chernobyl-like disinclination to be open about the nature and magnitude of the problem , China acted with impressive speed and efficiency to contain the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West when they were imposed , with stony resolve , in the province of Hubei and its capital Wuhan on January 23 .
Interestingly , three other success stories in dealing with the virus are Singapore , Taiwan , and South Korea .
Unlike China they are democratic in institutional form , but they are closely related to the Middle Kingdom in Huntingtonian terms .
A civilization which promotes respect for authority , delayed gratification , and communal interests over individual rights is seen as more efficient in protecting its members while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is too early to make assessments of COVID-19 ’ s long-term impact , but it is reasonable to conclude that it will be significant and long-lasting , perhaps even that “ nothing will ever be the same again !
” That cliché is invoked whenever people think they are facing an event of metahistorical significance .
Sometimes its use is justified : Sarajevo 1914 , the Bolshevik revolution , Hiroshima , and the fall of the Berlin Wall fit the phrase .
More often it is not .
Versailles 1919 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ giant leap , ” Watergate , 9-11 , the Lehman Brothers ’ collapse , and many other alleged watersheds eventually turned out to be less momentous than initially claimed .
Some turning points are not recognized immediately .
The Bastille riot could have ended , a year or two later , like the Glorious Revolution did across the Channel a century earlier .
Only with the horrors of 1792 it became clear that “ he who has not lived before the Revolution does not know the sweetness of life.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons on the grand-strategic thinking of the two principal Cold War adversaries took over a decade to mature .
There are megacrises which are immediately seen , initially by the lucid few , for what they are .
The Guns of August hit an ostensibly well ordered and stable world like a thunderbolt .
“ The lights are going out all over Europe , ” Sir Edward Grey presciently remarked a day before Britain declared war on the Kaiserreich , “ and they may not come back in our lifetime.
” Arguably they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years a vibrant civilization , unmatched in its fruits and vigor , was mortally wounded and thrown into the abyss in which we live now .
The current epidemic has the potential to be an event of historic significance by reawakening natural bonds of kinship-based loyalty among Westerners .
Sir Kenneth Clark defined decades ago the challenge the Western world is facing today : “ It is lack of confidence , more than anything else , which destroys a civilization.
” But not all is lost , it seems .
After the initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who love their lands more than any others , and who put their families and their neighborhoods before all others , are the ones fighting the epidemic with resilience and stoicism .
Those who had been telling them that their attachments should be global , and that their lands and neighborhoods belong to the whole world , are now consigned to the dustbin of history .
There is hope , and all will be well , because there is God .

"Those who had been telling (us) that (our) attachments should be global, and that (our) lands and neighborhoods belong to the whole world, are now consigned to the dustbin of history."
Serious epidemics can have far-reaching social, cultural, and geopolitical consequences. The plague which devastated Athens in 430 BC—in the second year of the Peloponnesian War, when an Athenian victory still seemed within reach—claimed a quarter of the population, some 75,000 people including Pericles. His successors were weak and incompetent, and Athens suffered a precipitous decline in the observance of “every rule of religion or law,” according to Thucydides. Not until 415 B.C. had Athens recovered sufficiently to mount a major offensive, but due to the poor quality of Pericles’ successors the Sicilian expedition ended in an utter rout.
The Antonine plague (A.D. 165-180) was actually caused by smallpox rather than Yersinia pestis. It took up to five million lives, about 25 percent of those affected. Approximately one-tenth of the population of the Empire died, more than a third in some regions (Gaul, Lombardy, the Rhine Valley). The Roman army was devastated, leaving frontiers vulnerable to barbarian penetrations. Germany’s leading early historian of ancient Rome Barthold Georg Niebuhr concluded in 1827 that “the ancient world never recovered from the blow inflicted on it by the plague which visited it in the reign of Marcus Aurelius.” It was the precursor of the Third Century Crisis and the subsequent long-term decline of Rome’s power and authority.
The Black Death (1347-1351) killed 30 to 60 percent of Europeans and caused massive religious, social, and economic disruptions. In the 17th century it struck again, with deadly ferocity but not the same geographic reach. Its effect on the city of Milan was presented with impressive accuracy in Alessandro Manzoni’s 1828 I Promessi sposi (The Betrothed), Italy’s equivalent of Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
The Black Death
The COVID-19 outbreak initially looked to most Westerners like a periodic epidemic in the manner of porcine and avian flus, SARS, or West Nile virus: a temporary problem which affects other people, usually far away. This virus turned out to be different, however: hitherto unknown, highly contagious, untreatable, and lethal enough to warrant radical measures to contain its spread. The Chinese tried to hide the magnitude of the problem until late January, the Europeans did not quite believe it even as the disaster hit Italy in February, and the Americans finally grasped the seriousness of the threat in the second week of March.
The pandemic’s future course and cost cannot be predicted. It does appear certain, however, that the world is experiencing changes which are likely irreversible. The contours of its geopolitical impact are becoming apparent in the rapidly changing patterns of mental mapping, political decision-making, and economic flows in the three panregions that matter in today’s world, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.
In all three we are witnessing rapid rejection of globalization, multilateral mechanisms such as the World Health Organization, and transnational institutions—most notably the European Union—in favor of the revitalized sense of national cohesiveness and national interest-based survival strategies which are developed and pursued by the newly energized sovereign nation-state. It is to their governments that nations great and small have turned.
State-led crisis management has given governments of different ideological hues enormous new powers. In the United States unfortunately it includes the creation of trillions of fresh dollars ex nihilo, which will benefit a limited number of megacorporations while further undermining the long-term stability of the financial system. For good or bad, the State is back with a vengeance, and it can be predicted with complete certainty that governments will not give up willingly their expanded powers once the virus is contained.
Corona’s one notable geopolitical consequence is the collapse of the neoconservative-neoliberal sacred cow known as “America’s global leadership role.” This is not necessarily a bad thing if its corollary is a general decline of the neocon-neolib joint venture known as the American Empire. By contrast, after a faltering start marked by the Chernobyl-like disinclination to be open about the nature and magnitude of the problem, China acted with impressive speed and efficiency to contain the virus. Beijing’s measures seemed draconian in the West when they were imposed, with stony resolve, in the province of Hubei and its capital Wuhan on January 23.
Interestingly, three other success stories in dealing with the virus are Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea. Unlike China they are democratic in institutional form, but they are closely related to the Middle Kingdom in Huntingtonian terms. A civilization which promotes respect for authority, delayed gratification, and communal interests over individual rights is seen as more efficient in protecting its members while continuing to function than the Western model.
It is too early to make assessments of COVID-19’s long-term impact, but it is reasonable to conclude that it will be significant and long-lasting, perhaps even that “nothing will ever be the same again!” That cliché is invoked whenever people think they are facing an event of metahistorical significance. Sometimes its use is justified: Sarajevo 1914, the Bolshevik revolution, Hiroshima, and the fall of the Berlin Wall fit the phrase. More often it is not. Versailles 1919, JFK’s assassination, Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap,” Watergate, 9-11, the Lehman Brothers’ collapse, and many other alleged watersheds eventually turned out to be less momentous than initially claimed.
Some turning points are not recognized immediately. The Bastille riot could have ended, a year or two later, like the Glorious Revolution did across the Channel a century earlier. Only with the horrors of 1792 it became clear that “he who has not lived before the Revolution does not know the sweetness of life.” More recently, the impact of nuclear weapons on the grand-strategic thinking of the two principal Cold War adversaries took over a decade to mature.
There are megacrises which are immediately seen, initially by the lucid few, for what they are. The Guns of August hit an ostensibly well ordered and stable world like a thunderbolt. “The lights are going out all over Europe,” Sir Edward Grey presciently remarked a day before Britain declared war on the Kaiserreich, “and they may not come back in our lifetime.” Arguably they never did: over the ensuing four years a vibrant civilization, unmatched in its fruits and vigor, was mortally wounded and thrown into the abyss in which we live now.
The current epidemic has the potential to be an event of historic significance by reawakening natural bonds of kinship-based loyalty among Westerners. Sir Kenneth Clark defined decades ago the challenge the Western world is facing today: “It is lack of confidence, more than anything else, which destroys a civilization.” But not all is lost, it seems. After the initial shock, millions of Americans and Europeans who love their lands more than any others, and who put their families and their neighborhoods before all others, are the ones fighting the epidemic with resilience and stoicism.
Those who had been telling them that their attachments should be global, and that their lands and neighborhoods belong to the whole world, are now consigned to the dustbin of history.
There is hope, and all will be well, because there is God.


russia-insider--2020-03-27--FBI Claims 'Neo-Nazi Plot' to Deliberately Infect Jews and Cops with COVID-19

The FBI has turned into an errand-boy for Jewish elites , as was amply demonstrated during the Russia-gate fiasco .
While China blames the US government for the coronavirus , Jewish organizations and the FBI are busy seeding paranoid hoaxes against their national enemy : politically active white men in America .
According to an FBI report cited by World Jewish Congress head Ronald Lauder , bands of `` white nationalists '' and `` neo-Nazis '' are currently roaming the streets of New York City purposely infecting Jewish people , minorities and police officers in a secret plot to spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim dovetails with the leak of a Department of Homeland Security report uploaded by Sharon Weinberger claiming that jokes and memes about coronavirus they have found on 4Chan constitute a credible `` bioweapon threat '' against Jewish people .
The document asserts that white nationalists are planning to spray Jews with their infected saliva and spend time in public with minorities .
There is no evidence that this is happening or ever has happened .
It is baseless blood libel against white people intended to hide the failures of these demagogues in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes against random Asians in the US so far appear to be committed largely by blacks .
Jewish people have been spreading coronavirus among themselves due to their poor hygiene , penchant for international travel , and refusal to follow prescriptions on social distancing .
In New Jersey , Jews were arrested in two separate instances for hosting weddings in defiance of temporary laws against large social gatherings .
One of the earliest reported contagion ground zeroes in America was a Shabbat dinner .
Among the biggest hot spots are Kiryas Joel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other parts of the northeast with massive Jewish populations .
As for the `` intelligence community , '' coronavirus is slated to go down as one of the biggest intelligence failures in American history .
The Trump administration 's colossal waste of federal resources on the politically motivated hoaxes of `` anti-Semitism and `` white supremacy '' means that the state had better and more accurate information about the latest 4Chan gags than the highly contagious virus .
The number of infected people in New York City continues to surge as the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential human cost .
The death toll in Spain and Italy has already surpassed China .
The only justification Jews and federal agents have to to try and blame an invisible conspiracy of white men , which the media will gladly run with .

The FBI has turned into an errand-boy for Jewish elites, as was amply demonstrated during the Russia-gate fiasco.
While China blames the US government for the coronavirus, Jewish organizations and the FBI are busy seeding paranoid hoaxes against their national enemy: politically active white men in America.
According to an FBI report cited by World Jewish Congress head Ronald Lauder, bands of "white nationalists" and "neo-Nazis" are currently roaming the streets of New York City purposely infecting Jewish people, minorities and police officers in a secret plot to spread the modern plague.
Lauder's outlandish claim dovetails with the leak of a Department of Homeland Security report uploaded by Sharon Weinberger claiming that jokes and memes about coronavirus they have found on 4Chan constitute a credible "bioweapon threat" against Jewish people. The document asserts that white nationalists are planning to spray Jews with their infected saliva and spend time in public with minorities.
There is no evidence that this is happening or ever has happened. It is baseless blood libel against white people intended to hide the failures of these demagogues in the midst of a crisis. The hate crimes against random Asians in the US so far appear to be committed largely by blacks.
Jewish people have been spreading coronavirus among themselves due to their poor hygiene, penchant for international travel, and refusal to follow prescriptions on social distancing. In New Jersey, Jews were arrested in two separate instances for hosting weddings in defiance of temporary laws against large social gatherings. One of the earliest reported contagion ground zeroes in America was a Shabbat dinner. Among the biggest hot spots are Kiryas Joel, New Rochelle, Williamsburg, and various other parts of the northeast with massive Jewish populations.
As for the "intelligence community," coronavirus is slated to go down as one of the biggest intelligence failures in American history. The Trump administration's colossal waste of federal resources on the politically motivated hoaxes of "anti-Semitism and "white supremacy" means that the state had better and more accurate information about the latest 4Chan gags than the highly contagious virus.
The number of infected people in New York City continues to surge as the president and his administration doubles down on downplaying the potential human cost. The death toll in Spain and Italy has already surpassed China. The only justification Jews and federal agents have to to try and blame an invisible conspiracy of white men, which the media will gladly run with.


russia-insider--2020-03-31--Trump and Putin Won't Agree on Oil Cuts, Prices Will Go Below $10, US Shale Will Be Destroyed

There 's nothing anyone can do at this point Three weeks ago , when the Russian and Saudi war on U.S. shale oil started , we wrote : In the first week of January crude oil reached $ 69/bl but it has since dropped to $ 45/bl as the coronavirus crisis destroyed the global demand .
The Saudis tried to make a deal with Russia , the second largest exporter after Saudi Arabia , to together cut oil production to keep the price up .
But Russia rejected a new OPEC cut .
It wants to keep its production up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further undermine U.S. oil fracking production .
As the whole fracking boom in the U.S. is build on fraud the move might well be successful .
Russia does not have a budget deficit and is well positioned to survive lower crude oil prices without much damage .
Saudi Arabia is not .
Only a week later oil was already at $ 30/barrel and we predicted that it would go down to $ 20/bl .
On Monday the U.S. WTI oil price index reached that mark .
Oil prices in other places are falling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has led to drop in global demand by some 20 % .
The world production and consumption in normal times was at about 100 million barrel per day .
Consumption is now below 80 million bl/d .
But after the OPEC+ agreement failed Saudi and Russia both started to pump as much as they could to regain market shares .
Together they are increasing their production by some 3-4 million barrels per day .
All that oil has to go somewhere .
Trump announced that he would use the cheap prices to fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spare room in the reserve storage at that time was only some 150 million barrels .
As it can only be filled at a rate of 2 million barrels per day the topping off of the reserve is insignificant in the current market .
The oil producers at first pumped their oil into storage tanks to be sold later .
When those filled up they rented supertankers to store the oil at sea .
But empty supertankers are now also getting rare and the price for them is increasing : The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more expensive oil fields .
Canada and Brazil are already doing it .
U.S. shale producers who are bleeding cash will now have to follow .
That is clearly what Russia wants : The Trump administration has asked the Saudis to produce less oil but as the Saudi tourist industry is currently also dead the Saudi clown prince needs every dollar he can get .
The Saudis will continue to pump and they will sell their oil at any price .
The White House is now concerned that it will completely lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jobs connected to it .
Russia of cause knows this and a few days ago it made an interesting offer : ... “ Joint actions by countries are needed to restore the ( global ) economy ...
They ( joint actions ) are also possible in OPEC+ deal ’ s framework , ” Dmitriev , head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) , told Reuters in a phone interview .
... “ We are in contact with Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries .
Based on these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of OPEC+ members will increase and other countries will join there is a possibility of a joint agreement to balance oil markets.
” A new OPEC+ deal to balance oil markets might be possible if other countries join in , Kirill Dmitriev , head of Russia ’ s sovereign wealth fund said , adding that countries should also cooperate to cushion the economic fallout from coronavirus ... .
“ Joint actions by countries are needed to restore the ( global ) economy ...
They ( joint actions ) are also possible in OPEC+ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) , told Reuters in a phone interview ... .
“ We are in contact with Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries .
Based on these contacts we see that if the number of OPEC+ members will increase and other countries will join there is a possibility of a joint agreement to balance oil markets.
” Dmitriev declined to say who the new deal ’ s members should or could be .
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Saudi Arabia and Russia at the appropriate time .
A logical new member of an expanded crude oil cartel would be one of the biggest global producer that so far was not a member of that club - the U.S. of A .
We now learn that Trump is ready to talk about that or other concepts : Trump , who sanctioned the Russian-German Nord-Stream II pipeline while telling Germany to buy U.S. shale gas , is now in a quite bad negotiation position .
Russia does not need a new OPEC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial reserves and can live with low oil prices for much longer than the Saudis and other oil producing countries .
Trump would have to make a strategic offer that Russia could not resist to get some cooperation on oil prices .
But what offer could Trump make that would move Putin to agree to some new deal ?
Ukraine ?
Russia is not interested in that unrulable , bankrupt and fascist infested entity .
Syria ?
The Zionist billionaires would stop their donations to Trump if he would give up on destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit U.S. oil production ?
That would be an anti-American intervention in free markets and Congress would never agree to it .
And what reason has Russia to believe that Trump or his successor would stick to any deal ?
As the U.S. is non-agreement-capable it has none .
The outcome of the phone call will therefore likely be nothing .
The carnage in the oil markets will continue and will ravage those producer countries that need every penny while the corona virus is ravaging their people .
Meanwhile the U.S. shale market @ @ @ @

There's nothing anyone can do at this point
Three weeks ago, when the Russian and Saudi war on U.S. shale oil started, we wrote:
In the first week of January crude oil reached $69/bl but it has since dropped to $45/bl as the coronavirus crisis destroyed the global demand. The Saudis tried to make a deal with Russia, the second largest exporter after Saudi Arabia, to together cut oil production to keep the price up. But Russia rejected a new OPEC cut. It wants to keep its production up and it will use the crisis to further undermine U.S. oil fracking production. As the whole fracking boom in the U.S. is build on fraud the move might well be successful. Russia does not have a budget deficit and is well positioned to survive lower crude oil prices without much damage. Saudi Arabia is not.
Only a week later oil was already at $30/barrel and we predicted that it would go down to $20/bl.
On Monday the U.S. WTI oil price index reached that mark. Oil prices in other places are falling even further:
Canadian heavy crude has become so cheap that the cost of shipping it to refineries exceeds the value of the oil itself, a situation that may result in even more oil-sands producers shutting operations. Western Canadian Select crude in Alberta dropped to a record-low close of $5.06 a barrel on Friday, according to Bloomberg data going back to 2008 ...
The corona virus crisis has led to drop in global demand by some 20%. The world production and consumption in normal times was at about 100 million barrel per day. Consumption is now below 80 million bl/d. But after the OPEC+ agreement failed Saudi and Russia both started to pump as much as they could to regain market shares. Together they are increasing their production by some 3-4 million barrels per day. All that oil has to go somewhere.
Trump announced that he would use the cheap prices to fill the U.S. strategic oil reserve. But the spare room in the reserve storage at that time was only some 150 million barrels. As it can only be filled at a rate of 2 million barrels per day the topping off of the reserve is insignificant in the current market.
The oil producers at first pumped their oil into storage tanks to be sold later. When those filled up they rented supertankers to store the oil at sea. But empty supertankers are now also getting rare and the price for them is increasing:
The CEO of the world’s largest tanker owner, Frontline Ltd., said on Friday that he’d never known such demand to hire ships for long-term storage. Traders could book ships to put 100 million barrels at sea this week alone, he estimated, but even that could accounts for less than a week’s oversupply.
The only solution will be a shut down of the more expensive oil fields. Canada and Brazil are already doing it. U.S. shale producers who are bleeding cash will now have to follow.
That is clearly what Russia wants:
As soon as U.S. shale leaves the market, prices will rebound and could reach $60 a barrel, Rosneft’s Igor Sechin said recently. As fate would have it, in what many would have until recently considered an impossible scenario, a lot of U.S. shale might do just that. Breakeven prices for U.S. shale basins range between $39 and $48 a barrel, according to data compiled by Reuters. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is trading below $25 a barrel and has been for over a week now.
The Trump administration has asked the Saudis to produce less oil but as the Saudi tourist industry is currently also dead the Saudi clown prince needs every dollar he can get. The Saudis will continue to pump and they will sell their oil at any price.
The White House is now concerned that it will completely lose its beloved shale oil industry and all the jobs connected to it.
Russia of cause knows this and a few days ago it made an interesting offer:
...
“Joint actions by countries are needed to restore the(global) economy... They (joint actions) are also possible in OPEC+ deal’s framework,” Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), told Reuters in a phone interview.
...
“We are in contact with Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries. Based on these contacts we see that if the number of OPEC+ members will increase and other countries will join there is a possibility of a joint agreement to balance oil markets.” A new OPEC+ deal to balance oil markets might be possible if other countries join in, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund said, adding that countries should also cooperate to cushion the economic fallout from coronavirus....“Joint actions by countries are needed to restore the(global) economy... They (joint actions) are also possible in OPEC+ deal’s framework,” Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), told Reuters in a phone interview....“We are in contact with Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries. Based on these contacts we see that if the number of OPEC+ members will increase and other countries will join there is a possibility of a joint agreement to balance oil markets.” Dmitriev declined to say who the new deal’s members should or could be. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week he would get involved in the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia at the appropriate time.
A logical new member of an expanded crude oil cartel would be one of the biggest global producer that so far was not a member of that club - the U.S. of A.
We now learn that Trump is ready to talk about that or other concepts:
As Ria reports (in Russian) the topics of upcoming phone call [between Putin and Trump] will be Covid-19, trade (???) and, you guessed it, oil prices.
Trump, who sanctioned the Russian-German Nord-Stream II pipeline while telling Germany to buy U.S. shale gas, is now in a quite bad negotiation position. Russia does not need a new OPEC deal right now. It has many financial reserves and can live with low oil prices for much longer than the Saudis and other oil producing countries. Trump would have to make a strategic offer that Russia could not resist to get some cooperation on oil prices.
But what strategic offer could Trump make that would move Putin to agree to some new deal?
Ukraine? Russia is not interested in that unrulable, bankrupt and fascist infested entity.
Syria? The Zionist billionaires would stop their donations to Trump if he would give up on destroying it.
Joining an OPEC++ deal and limit U.S. oil production? That would be an anti-American intervention in free markets and Congress would never agree to it.
And what reason has Russia to believe that Trump or his successor would stick to any deal? As the U.S. is non-agreement-capable it has none.
The outcome of the phone call will therefore likely be nothing.
The carnage in the oil markets will continue and will ravage those producer countries that need every penny while the corona virus is ravaging their people. Meanwhile the U.S. shale market will go bust.


russia-insider--2020-03-31--Why Does Russia, Population 146 Million, Have Fewer Coronavirus Cases Than Luxembourg?

Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week his country managed to stop the mass spread of coronavirus -- and that the situation was `` under control , '' thanks to early and aggressive measures to keep more people from getting the disease .
Does Russia have coronavirus under control ?
According to information released by Russian officials , Putin 's strategy seems to have worked .
The number of confirmed Russian coronavirus cases is surprisingly low , despite Russia sharing a lengthy border with China and recording its first case back in January .
The numbers are picking up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people -- has fewer confirmed cases than Luxembourg , with just 253 people infected .
Luxembourg , by contrast , has a population of just 628,000 , according to the CIA World Factbook , and by Saturday had reported 670 coronavirus cases with eight deaths .
Russia 's early response measures -- such as shutting down its 2,600-mile border with China as early as January 30 , and setting up quarantine zones -- may have contributed to the delay of a full-blown outbreak , some experts say .
`` The director-general of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ' '' Dr. Melita Vujnovic , the World Health Organization 's representative in Russia , told CNN Thursday .
`` Well , Russia started that literally at the end of January . ''
Vujnovic said Russia also took a broader set of measures in addition to testing .
`` Testing and identification of cases , tracing contacts , isolation , these are all measures that WHO proposes and recommends , and they were in place all the time , '' she said .
`` And the social distancing is the second component @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Rospotrebnadzor , Russia 's state consumer watchdog , said Saturday that it had run more than 156,000 coronavirus tests in total .
By comparison , according to CDC figures , the United States only picked up the pace in testing at the beginning of March , while Russia says it has been testing en masse since early February , including in airports , focusing on travelers from Iran , China , and South Korea .
That 's not to say there were no holes in Russia 's defenses .
Russia did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other badly affected EU countries immediately , limiting its controls for arrivals from Europe to taking temperatures and imposing two-week quarantines .
The majority of the coronavirus cases reported in Russia were brought from Italy , according to health officials .
Still , Russia contends with widespread public skepticism , a legacy of its Soviet past .
On social media , Russians have raised questions referring to their country 's poor track record of transparency , such as the coverup around the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe in 1986 and the country 's botched response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities have moved swiftly to counter what they see as misinformation .
In early March , Russia 's Federal Security Service and internet watchdog moved to take down a viral post claiming the real number of coronavirus cases was 20,000 and that the Russian government was covering it up .
Facebook and Instagram users in Russia then started to see coronavirus awareness alerts linking to Rospotrebnadzor 's official website .
News reports of shortages in protective equipment have also fueled skepticism .
And some experts have raised doubts about the reliability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a single laboratory .
A report by PCR.News , a media outlet for medics and healthcare professionals , pointed out that the only approved coronavirus testing system , produced by Vector in Novosibirsk , has a lower sensitivity than other virus tests , raising concerns about false negatives .
David Berov , the first confirmed coronavirus patient in Moscow , wrote on Instagram that his second test showed a negative result , while the first and third tested positive for coronavirus .
`` The virus was confirmed in my third test , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was in my saliva , '' Berov wrote on March 5 .
`` As I was told , they could barely see it so that 's why they were in doubt for so long . ''
Vector did not respond to a request for comment .
The Russian branch of the WHO , however , told CNN it received the specifications for the Vector test kits and the laboratory had been placed on the list of approved institutions used to confirm the coronavirus .
Cover-up allegations rebutted by Kremlin and the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition figure Alexey Navalny and leader of the Alliance of Doctors union , made headlines with a series of videos in which she claims the authorities are covering up real coronavirus numbers by using pneumonia and acute respiratory infection as a diagnosis .
`` You see they said the first coronavirus patient that died , that the cause of death was thrombosis , '' Vasilyeva told CNN .
`` That 's obvious , nobody dies from coronavirus itself , they die from the complications , so it 's very easy to manipulate this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusation and said they were testing pneumonia patients for coronavirus .
The WHO 's Dr. Vujnovic also was skeptical about Vasilyeva 's claim .
`` If there was a hidden , unrecognized burden somewhere it would be seen in these [ pneumonia ] reports , '' she said .
`` So I do not believe this is happening , which does not say that you might not see an increase of cases in the next period , because we have seen that in many countries . ''
Putin himself addressed the concerns about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might not have the full picture but is not covering up the numbers .
`` Here is the thing : the authorities may not possess the full information , because people a ) sometimes do not report it , b ) they themselves do n't know that they are sick , and the latent period is very long , '' he said in a televised meeting .
`` But everything that is issued ... by the Ministry of Health is all objective information . ''
This week the numbers have surged , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , and the count will most likely continue its upward trajectory as Russia expands its testing .
Nevertheless , the local representative for the WHO says Russia is still doing relatively well , as the country tracks cases with epidemiological links to travel or family transmission .
On Saturday morning , Rospotrebnadzor released a figure potentially more concerning than the number of confirmed cases -- 36,540 people are being monitored for possible coronavirus .
Meanwhile , the government moved to impose more sweeping measures , canceling public events and closing Russia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But politics as usual continues under Putin : the President has signed a decree scheduling a nationwide referendum on constitutional amendments that could see him stay in power till 2036 on April 22 .
The authorities have vowed to monitor coronavirus developments but so far have not changed the date .

Moscow (CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week his country managed to stop the mass spread of coronavirus -- and that the situation was "under control," thanks to early and aggressive measures to keep more people from getting the disease.
Does Russia have coronavirus under control? According to information released by Russian officials, Putin's strategy seems to have worked. The number of confirmed Russian coronavirus cases is surprisingly low, despite Russia sharing a lengthy border with China and recording its first case back in January.
The numbers are picking up, but Russia -- a country of 146 million people -- has fewer confirmed cases than Luxembourg, with just 253 people infected. Luxembourg, by contrast, has a population of just 628,000, according to the CIA World Factbook, and by Saturday had reported 670 coronavirus cases with eight deaths.
Russia's early response measures -- such as shutting down its 2,600-mile border with China as early as January 30, and setting up quarantine zones -- may have contributed to the delay of a full-blown outbreak, some experts say.
A strong record on testing
"The director-general of WHO said 'test, test, test,'" Dr. Melita Vujnovic, the World Health Organization's representative in Russia, told CNN Thursday. "Well, Russia started that literally at the end of January."
Vujnovic said Russia also took a broader set of measures in addition to testing.
"Testing and identification of cases, tracing contacts, isolation, these are all measures that WHO proposes and recommends, and they were in place all the time," she said. "And the social distancing is the second component that really also started relatively early."
Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's state consumer watchdog, said Saturday that it had run more than 156,000 coronavirus tests in total. By comparison, according to CDC figures, the United States only picked up the pace in testing at the beginning of March, while Russia says it has been testing en masse since early February, including in airports, focusing on travelers from Iran, China, and South Korea.
That's not to say there were no holes in Russia's defenses. Russia didn't start testing those arriving from Italy or other badly affected EU countries immediately, limiting its controls for arrivals from Europe to taking temperatures and imposing two-week quarantines. The majority of the coronavirus cases reported in Russia were brought from Italy, according to health officials.
Distrust among the population
People have still been crowding the Moscow metro system.
Still, Russia contends with widespread public skepticism, a legacy of its Soviet past. On social media, Russians have raised questions referring to their country's poor track record of transparency, such as the coverup around the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe in 1986 and the country's botched response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
Authorities have moved swiftly to counter what they see as misinformation. In early March, Russia's Federal Security Service and internet watchdog moved to take down a viral post claiming the real number of coronavirus cases was 20,000 and that the Russian government was covering it up. Facebook and Instagram users in Russia then started to see coronavirus awareness alerts linking to Rospotrebnadzor's official website.
News reports of shortages in protective equipment have also fueled skepticism. And some experts have raised doubts about the reliability of Russia's testing system, which depends on a single laboratory. A report by PCR.News, a media outlet for medics and healthcare professionals, pointed out that the only approved coronavirus testing system, produced by Vector in Novosibirsk, has a lower sensitivity than other virus tests, raising concerns about false negatives.
David Berov, the first confirmed coronavirus patient in Moscow, wrote on Instagram that his second test showed a negative result, while the first and third tested positive for coronavirus.
"The virus was confirmed in my third test, it was not seen in my blood but was in my saliva," Berov wrote on March 5. "As I was told, they could barely see it so that's why they were in doubt for so long."
Vector did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian branch of the WHO, however, told CNN it received the specifications for the Vector test kits and the laboratory had been placed on the list of approved institutions used to confirm the coronavirus.
Cover-up allegations rebutted by Kremlin and the WHO
Putin has put together a coronavirus information center in Moscow, pictured here.
Anastasia Vasilyeva, a doctor for Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny and leader of the Alliance of Doctors union, made headlines with a series of videos in which she claims the authorities are covering up real coronavirus numbers by using pneumonia and acute respiratory infection as a diagnosis.
"You see they said the first coronavirus patient that died, that the cause of death was thrombosis," Vasilyeva told CNN. "That's obvious, nobody dies from coronavirus itself, they die from the complications, so it's very easy to manipulate this."
Moscow health officials denied the accusation and said they were testing pneumonia patients for coronavirus. The WHO's Dr. Vujnovic also was skeptical about Vasilyeva's claim.
"If there was a hidden, unrecognized burden somewhere it would be seen in these [pneumonia] reports," she said. "So I do not believe this is happening, which does not say that you might not see an increase of cases in the next period, because we have seen that in many countries."
Putin himself addressed the concerns about the statistics Wednesday, saying the government might not have the full picture but is not covering up the numbers.
"Here is the thing: the authorities may not possess the full information, because people a) sometimes do not report it, b) they themselves don't know that they are sick, and the latent period is very long," he said in a televised meeting. "But everything that is issued ... by the Ministry of Health is all objective information."
This week the numbers have surged, with Russia adding 30 to 50 cases every day, and the count will most likely continue its upward trajectory as Russia expands its testing. Nevertheless, the local representative for the WHO says Russia is still doing relatively well, as the country tracks cases with epidemiological links to travel or family transmission. On Saturday morning, Rospotrebnadzor released a figure potentially more concerning than the number of confirmed cases -- 36,540 people are being monitored for possible coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the government moved to impose more sweeping measures, canceling public events and closing Russia's borders to foreigners, with some exceptions. But politics as usual continues under Putin: the President has signed a decree scheduling a nationwide referendum on constitutional amendments that could see him stay in power till 2036 on April 22. The authorities have vowed to monitor coronavirus developments but so far have not changed the date.