By John Helmer, Moscow In a ruling of Russia’s Constitutional Court, issued on July 18, fifteen out of sixteen judges ruled that a state of lawlessness now prevails in the country, in which the constitutional rights of citizens to have courts adjudicate government decisions, with evidence and reasoning, have been abolished.  The court ruling came […]

by Editor - Monday, July 31st, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow President Vladimir Putin doesn’t know how to talk to Americans. He thinks forbearance is the trick. The advisors Putin listens to, like Dmitry Peskov the mouthpiece and Alexei Kudrin the wannabe premier, know even less. Peskov thinks giving large sums of money to a Hollywood hack is the trick. Kudrin thinks […]

by Editor - Sunday, July 30th, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow Dixy is the Russian supermarket chain which is proving that the secret to selling groceries across the country at an annual loss of billions of roubles is, er, TOP SECRET.   This makes Dixy unusual because it is the only one of Russia’s top supermarket chains losing money. It is also […]

by Editor - Wednesday, July 26th, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow Jared Kushner’s title is Director of the Office of American Innovation at the White House, a new function for the old one of overseeing everything in the US Government for the benefit of the incumbent president. He’s also ranked Senior Advisor to the President, and by marriage he is son-in-law to […]

by Editor - Monday, July 24th, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow Igor Zyuzin (lead image) is the first Russian oligarch to face prosecution for polluting the air around his factories. The announcement of criminal charges last week comes as Chelyabinsk regional and city officials escalate a war against lobbying by well-known names around President Vladimir Putin to save Mechel, Zyuzin’s coal and […]

by Editor - Thursday, July 20th, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is delaying a decision on Botswana by the Fund’s executive board and shareholders as IMF staff are discreetly encouraging the Botswana Government to reject a breach of contract claim by Norilsk Nickel. The leading Russian mining company, and the world’s largest nickel producer, is suing in […]

by Editor - Wednesday, July 19th, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow Never in the field of American conflict with Russia has so much wool pulled over the eyes been owed to so few sheep.  That was during the losing presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. Now, in the investigations of President Donald Trump and his family, it’s a case of so many sheep […]

by Editor - Monday, July 17th, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow “In war”, Thucydides lectured the Hellenes 2,400 years ago, “opportunity waits for no man.” Last Thursday evening, when President Donald Trump was prepping for negotiations with President Vladimir Putin, the Hellenes gave the two of them an object lesson in how the weak may defeat an attack of apparently overwhelming force. […]

by Editor - Wednesday, July 12th, 2017
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Podcast with John Helmer, hosted by Tom O’Brien and broadcast on From Alpha To Omega Click to listen.     If you missed William Faulkner’s original story, and want to understand the Trump double entendres, click to open the plot notes.   Better, read the book. To those who complain this stuff is unreadable even after two […]

by Editor - Tuesday, July 11th, 2017
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By John Helmer, Moscow Thousands of years after spies were invented, and thirty years before the digital computer, there was SIGABA (lead image), an electric motor-powered mechanical apparatus for ciphering and protecting one’s communications from being intercepted or overheard by one’s enemies. Invented by two employees of the US National Security Agency, secretly patented in […]

by Editor - Sunday, July 9th, 2017
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